Tag: Mike Tannenbaum

New mock draft from former NFL GM has Saints passing on OL to add new weapon

Former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum acknowledged that OL is a big need, but says the value at WR was too great for the Saints to pass up in his new mock draft:

There’s little question that upgrading the offensive line is the top priority for the New Orleans Saints going into the 2024 NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean it will be the only position group they look to address. And if the cards fall a certain way, they might have little choice but to put out another fire first.

That’s what happened in Mike Tannenbaum’s new mock draft for ESPN. The longtime Miami Dolphins and New York Jets executive shared his thoughts on what may happen in the first 32 picks of this year’s draft, and he sees a future where the Saints pass on their top needs because the value is too strong elsewhere to ignore.

Here’s why Tannenbaum says the Saints should draft Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze if given the opportunity:

“Offensive line might be the bigger position of need, but this value for Odunze is just too good. He’s available at this point only because I’ve had five QBs come off the board, pushing down a great player. It’s a break for the Saints, who need another young WR to complement Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Odunze is one of my favorite prospects in the class — he ran a 4.45 40 at 6-3 and 212 pounds in Indy and plays even bigger and faster than that. I love his physicality at the catch point and ability to break tackles in the open field. He had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 scores last season and should develop into a front-line No. 1 WR. I see a lot of Terrell Owens in his game.”

Odunze is a special talent, and he could fill the void the Saints have been working around over the last three years with a series of injuries sidelining Michael Thomas. When you watch him, Odunze moves smoothly, like Olave, but he’s a more versatile player who can line up at the split end, win a contested catch (he was 21-of-28 on them in 2023) and make a play with the ball in his hands (he averaged 5.6 yards after the catch per reception last year). Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers have earned top billing, but in almost any other year Odunze would be a top-10 lock.

And, yes, the Saints should probably consider drafting him if he’s available. They still need to address both tackle spots and guard, somehow. They can’t count on Trevor Penning, James Hurst, and Ryan Ramczyk each playing 17 games at a high level.

But the strength of this draft class along the offensive line is impressive. There are going to be starting-quality blockers drafted in the second and third rounds like Kingsley Suamataia (BYU), Patrick Paul (Houston), Christian Jones (Texas), and more. It’s a gamble to draft anything but offensive line in the first round, and it’s very possible the Saints would lose that wager. At the same time, there’s real wisdom in giving Derek Carr and whichever quarterback might succeed him in a few years a receiving corps that includes Olave, Shaheed, and Odunze. We’ll see how it plays out in a month.

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New mock draft from former NFL GM has Packers passing on DBs to take mammoth OT

A new mock draft from ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum sent OT Tyler Guyton to the Packers at No. 25 overall.

A new mock draft from ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum — a former NFL general manager — has the Green Bay Packers passing on defensive backs such as Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry in favor of Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at No. 25 overall in the first round of the 2024 draft.

Tannenbaum said Guyton — who is mammoth-sized at 6-8 and 322 pounds — reminds him as a prospect of D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who went to Tannenbaum and the New York Jets at No. 4 overall in 2006 and went on to play in 160 straight games in the NFL.

From Tannenbaum: “With longtime Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari moving on and guard Jon Runyan signing with the Giants, Green Bay has to address quarterback Jordan Love’s protection. Guyton’s smooth movement skills remind me of D’Brickashaw Ferguson, whom I drafted in 2006 while with the Jets. Guyton is a plug-and-play guy from Day 1 at left tackle, after starting 14 games over the past two seasons at Oklahoma since transferring from TCU. He allowed only one sack in that time.”

Guyton played over 1,000 snaps at right tackle for Oklahoma between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He did make one start at left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Guyton allowed two sacks and 16 total pressures over the last two seasons.

The Packers could see Guyton as the ideal developmental prospect at either left or right tackle. Green Bay released David Bakhtiari and let Yosh Nijman depart in free agency, creating depth issues at offensive tackle even if Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom are likely starters entering 2024. Guyton may need a season before he’s ready to start at left or right tackle. Additionally, Tom has five-position versatility, so the Packers could — in theory — move him around to create a long-term spot for Guyton along the offensive line.

Guyton’s is the No. 29 overall player on PFF’s big board. He is the No. 22 overall player for Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network.

Here’s Jeremiah’s breakdown:

Guyton is a tall, long and rangy right tackle. He doesn’t have a ton of starting experience (15 total starts over four years at Oklahoma and TCU), but he is very gifted. In pass pro, he explodes out of his stance and has the range to cover up speed rushers. He is very fluid and smooth in his redirect versus counter rushers. He plays with excellent knee bend. His problems arise versus power rushers, where he can look a little flimsy up top and get tugged/pulled. He has very good awareness for someone with limited reps. In the run game, he moves like a tight end. He can reach and cut off easily, excelling in space. He is exceptional as a puller because of his athleticism and balance on the perimeter. He does a great job staying off the ground. Overall, Guyton is still a work in progress, but he has elite traits and tools.

Guyton’s Relative Athletic Score coming out of the NFL Scouting Combine was 9.74 out of 10.0, cementing his status as one of the most athletic offensive line prospects in the draft class. After declaring as a redshirt junior, Guyton checks the boxes as a young, athletic prospect at a premium position for the Packers to consider in the first round.

Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle responds to trade talk

No. 17 speaks on trade talks.

While the NFL world is a bit slow after the Kansas City Chiefs were crowned Super Bowl champions, the media is already bringing up some wild hypothetical, including former Miami Dolphins general manager Mike Tannenbaum saying the Dolphins and Chiefs should swap wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Fans across social media roasted Tannebaum for the suggestion, and Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill shared his thoughts on the topic.

Now, Waddle, himself, has reacted to the discussions.

Waddle has been extremely successful with the Dolphins. Despite battling injuries last season, he became the first in team history to record 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.

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Mike Tannenbaum: Saquon Barkley is the perfect fit for Cowboys

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley is the perfect fit for the Dallas Cowboys.

Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum is at it again when it comes to the New York Giants and their personnel.

Last week, Tannenbaum suggested the Giants trade swap quarterbacks with the Cleveland Browns, sending Daniel Jones to the shore of Lake Erie in a package that would return pariah Deshaun Watson and picks.

It’s a ridiculous scenario that would only happen after the last member of the Mara family left the building. The Giants have no interest in adding a player with Watson’s baggage along with an undigestible salary cap hit.

Tannenbaum’s latest suggestion is more believable. He believes star running back Saquon Barkley could end up signing with the hated Dallas Cowboys should the Giants allow him to test free agency next month.

Here is what Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s Get Up as transcribed by Big Blue View.

“This one’s easy. It’s the Dallas Cowboys,” Tannenbaum said when asked which team should pursue Barkley. “Tony Pollard was mildly disappointing replacing Zeke Elliott. His production went down by about 25 percent …

“Trust me, the last thing the New York Giants want to see if Saquon Barkley graduates this year is him with a star on the side of his helmet. Can you imagine the first time Dallas rolls into town with Saquon as a Cowboy?”

It would be unnerving for Giant fans to see that, for sure. Pollard is also a free agent after being in the same situation as Barkley last season. He did not pick up the mantle as a three-down back and there have been rumblings they will look elsewhere at running back this offseason.

Barkley, should the Giants not sign or tag him, will be pursued by several teams, not just Dallas. He is considered the top running back on the market this offseason.

The Los Angeles Chargers, with Jim Harbaugh now as head coach, will be one team hot on Barkley’s trail.

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Twitter lambasts Mike Tannenbaum for bizarre hypothetical trade

Users on Twitter weren’t pleased a hypothetical trade floated by Mike Tannenbaum that would send #Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie to the #Dolphins.

ESPN insider Mike Tannenbaum found himself in the crosshairs of Twitter users on Tuesday morning after he floated the idea of a trade that would send Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

While Kansas City has a clear need at the receiver position, football fans across the country seemed to think that sending McDuffie to Miami would be a terrible idea, even if the Chiefs stood to gain an elite playmaker in return.

Hypothetical trade talk is always part of the NFL offseason, but Tannenbaum’s bizarre player swap scenario was too farfetched for even the most open-minded users on Twitter.

McDuffie cemented himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks after an outstanding 2023 campaign, and the idea that he might leave Kansas City was repulsive to many fans.

Check out some of Twitter’s responses to Tannenbaum’s questionable trade below to see just how much Chiefs fans want McDuffie in Kansas City for the long term:

Former NFL executive has an insane idea for Wisconsin legend Russell Wilson’s next step

This idea was insane

It is rare we write up the comments made on ESPN’s ‘Get Up,’ ‘First Take,’ or other similar shows.

First, the shows don’t talk nearly enough about college football for our taste. But second, the stupidity rarely crosses into the threshold of Wisconsin Badgers athletics.

Well, on Monday it did. Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum shared the following idea on Get Up for former Badger Russell Wilson’s next step after leaving the Broncos.

Related: Ranking the Big Ten head football coaches entering the 2024 season

“I think he would be a great fit with New York [Jets], and here’s why,” Tannenbaum said. His partners on the show reacted with appropriate disgust before he continued to say “pay him a million dollars and let him resurrect his career. I actually have experience with this, Vinny Testaverde got cut by the Baltimore Ravens, we signed him in June and went to the championship game that year. So, if you’re Russell Wilson…where else is he going to go? He has to resurrect his career, so if you have to sit for a year why not sit for a year behind one of the greatest of all time and then be a free agent again. Where is he going to go? He’s 36 years old. Nobody’s going to hand him a starting job. He’s going to have to be a backup somewhere.”

Here’s the full video, for context:

It’s easy to dissect why this is a terrible idea.

First, Tannenbaum said it, Wilson is 36 years old. He only has a few years of football left, so it would be foolish to spend one of them on the bench. Look around the NFL, there are far worse quarterbacks than Wilson starting for teams — Tommy DeVito, Derek Carr, Sam Howell, Josh Dobbs, Mason Rudolph to just name a few. The Wisconsin legend should get one final shot at leading a team under center.

Second, and more important in my eyes, who wants to back up Aaron Rodgers? Of all the starters in the NFL, Rodgers might be the one I’d want to back-up the least if I were Wilson. The only positive is he may get injured again, leading to quicker playing time. But Rodgers is a challenging person to work with by all accounts, which would make life tough on someone like Wilson looking for another shot.

Tannenbaum was an NFL executive for more than a decade, so there is some basis behind his opinions. I think he’s way off on this one — which the football community on ‘X’ agrees with. Wilson needs to find a starting job to try to resurrect his career, not a backup job behind a quarterback like Rodgers.

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Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

Mike Tannenbaum suggests Jets bring in Russell Wilson to back up Aaron Rodgers

Mike Tannenbaum suggests Jets bring in Russell Wilson to back up Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson on the same roster? If you ask Mike Tannenbaum, it can and maybe should happen.

Tannenbaum appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up” Monday and made what some would believe is maybe one of the craziest takes you’ll hear on television. Tannenbaum suggested that Wilson should sign with the Jets for the veteran minimum to back up Rodgers.

Wilson is expected to be let go by the Broncos this offseason after he was benched for the last two games of the season. This just two seasons after signing a $250 million contract with Denver after the team acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks.

“Pay him $1 million and let him resurrect his career,” said Tannebaum, via Awful Announcing. “I actually have experience with this. Vinny Testaverde got cut by the Baltimore Ravens. We signed him in June and went to the (AFC) Championship Game that year. So, if you’re Russell Wilson — where else is he gonna go? He has to resurrect his career, so if you have to sit for a year, why not sit behind one of the greatest of all time and be a free agent again?

“Guys, where is he gonna go? He is 36 years old. No one’s gonna hand him a starting job. He’s gonna have to be a backup somewhere.”

Tannenbaum’s take was so wild, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano nearly walked off the set and later added “You would have to put them back on Hard Knocks” if the Jets had both Rodgers and Wilson.

The reality is that someone like Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew or maybe even Ryan Tannehill is more likely to be Rodgers’ backup than the Super Bowl XLVIII-winning quarterback. But at least this made for a good TV moment Monday.

Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum says Caleb Williams will be a Chicago Bear

One former NFL executive has a firm opinion on the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Before the NFL draft, Caleb Williams is a hot topic. Mike Tannenbaum had something to say about Caleb. Who is Mike Tannenbaum? Longtime NFL observers know and recognize him as the former general manager of the New York Jets. He spent many years in the league and has strongly-held opinions about various matters.

Jets Wire recalled one episode from Tannenbaum’s tenure with the Jets:

After taking D’Brickashaw Ferguson with the No. 4 pick, the Jets were on the clock again at No. 29. While the pick originally belonged to Denver, the Jets received it via Atlanta, in exchange for John Abraham.

Tannebaum recalled feeling relieved when the Jets turned in the card that read, “Nick Mangold, center, Ohio State.” That’s when he received a phone call from former Baltimore Ravens executive Ozzie Newsome, who referred to Tannebaum as the “luckiest man in the world.”

Here is Tannenbaum talking about Caleb Williams and where he thinks the USC quarterback will land at the 2024 NFL draft:

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Mike Tannenbaum proposes ridiculous Daniel Jones-DeShaun Watson trade

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum proposes the New York Giants make a ridiculous Daniel Jones for DeShaun Watson trade.

Deshaun Watson a New York Giant?

Don’t laugh. Former New York Jets general manager and current ESPN NFL analyst, Mike Tannenbaum, is suggesting the Giants trade for the troubled Cleveland Browns quarterback in a deal that would include Daniel Jones.

Speaking on the ESPN show Get Up this week, Tannenbaum outlined a deal that would send Jones to Cleveland in exchange for Watson and a second-round pick.

“Hear me out: If you’re the Cleveland Browns, you have Dorian Thompson-Robinson, you have Joe Flacco and now, a 27-year-old Daniel Jones who has one year left of guaranteed money for $36 million and an enormous amount of flexibility moving forward,” Tannebaum said, via the New York Post.

“If you’re the Giants, you’re getting Deshaun Watson, who’s 29, who’s making $46 million a year for the next three years and a second-round pick. To me, you need a front-line, difference-making quarterback. Right now, if you’re the Giants, how in the world do you win the NFC if you have to beat San Francisco, Green Bay, Dallas, Philly, and Detroit with Daniel Jones?”

The Giants, of course, would never even entertain such a trade, especially for Watson, whose troubled past would surely bring even more negative light on the team.

Jones may have been inconsistent and unavailable due to injuries during his five-year Giants career, but he is a model citizen. General manager Joe Schoen knows the Giants’ ownership wouldn’t go for it, either, so he’s not even thinking about Watson right now.

With the sixth pick in the upcoming NFL draft, the Giants — if they are serious about moving on from Jones — would use that pick to do it.

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Veteran executive Mike Tannenbaum explains Isiah Pacheco’s slide to the 7th round

Veteran executive Mike Tannenbaum explains #Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco’s slide to the seventh round of the 2022 draft.

The decisions made in the offseason regarding the lead-up to the NFL Draft are critical for every franchise as they seek to get younger and better at specific positions. Making these problematic decisions falls on the general managers and front office personnel keen on picking up the best available talent on the board.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. recently talked with former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum to get his thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft seventh-round selection steal of running back Isiah Pacheco in 2022. Tannenbaum spoke on behalf of The 33rd Team during a special media availability, providing insight into a general manager’s mindset during the late draft rounds.

“He said they did a ten-year study on draft picks that hit and miss, and it was very interesting,” Tannenbaum explained. “He’s like if we just went with our grades literally that were like from this time of year like you watch the games period, end of story.

“Everyone’s gonna get some right, people get them right and wrong, but they’re more accurate when you don’t have the Senior Bowl, the (NFL Scouting) Combine the interviews and all the other things that we put a lot of time effort and money in.”

The Chiefs selected Isiah Pacheco without much fanfare in 2022 and watched as he immediately made an impact through training camp to become the starting running back eventually. He led the team in rushing this season, becoming one of the most essential parts of the offense.

“It’s kind of interesting because when you look at Brock (Purdy), a four-year starter at Iowa State, he was a good player, but it’s not going to test well, obviously,” said Tannenbaum. “(Isiah) Pacheco, [went] a little bit different under the radar at Rutgers, but when you put on the film, they’re really playing the same way they played in college.

“Coach (Bill) Parcells always had an expression like in the late rounds, you want to draft an attribute, and that attribute can be production. And certainly, like in [the] previous case, like you’re drafting experience, so not all late-round picks are gonna work out as we all know, but like that, to me, like Purdy, a really good example of the Casserly lesson of just go by the film and ignore everything else.”

Purdy was selected to his first Pro Bowl this season, while Pacheco continues to prove that general manager Brett Veach knows precisely what Kansas City needs moving forward.