Tag: NFL trades

Urban Meyer says Jags aren’t looking to trade QB Gardner Minshew ‘at this point’

While many quarterbacks are on the move in the NFL, it appears Gardner Minshew will be staying put with the Jaguars — at least for now.

The NFL is going through a lot of movement when it comes to quarterbacks this season as several teams will start new names under center, and others will be acquiring notable backups. The Jacksonville Jaguars have found themselves in these discussions, not just because they are likely to draft Trevor Lawrence, but because a report surfaced that teams had been calling about Gardner Minshew II.

However, despite those calls, the Jags appear to have Minshew in their plans for now. On Friday morning, coach Urban Meyer told the media that the team wasn’t fielding calls for the third-year player, who he had the chance to meet with this week.

“At this point, no. At this point, I know Gardner [Minshew II] a little bit,” Meyer said. “He came in yesterday; we had a good visit. That’s the second time I spent time with him. This is all kind of new to me. I’m used to spending about five, six hours a day with our quarterback. January, February, that’s the days you get your quarterback ready to go. You can’t do that in the NFL. There’s a lot of anticipation about the first pick.

“I understand there’s a lot of conversation out there, but there’s been no decisions made. Gardner’s done some very good things here in Jacksonville and he’s a competitive maniac, which I really appreciate that about him. So, there’s been no decisions made. Yesterday was the first lengthy meeting we had and we’re going to continue that here for the next few weeks.”

While things could change in terms of the Jags’ stance on Minshew (especially if they get Alex Smith), keeping him on the roster for the regular season would give them an experienced backup. The 2019 sixth-round selection has seen a lot of time on the field as a starter (20 games). Most of those starts came as a rookie (12) and eight occurred last season.

Minshew will enter this season with a 7-13 record as a starter. Statistically, he’s registered a completion rate of 62.9% (501-of-797) while passing for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His rookie campaign, in particular, appears to be what caught the eyes of scouts around the league. With that being the case, other organizations will likely continue to monitor the situation, though the Jags aren’t actively shopping Minshew.

Report: Jags receiving calls from teams for Gardner Minshew

The movement of quarterbacks in the NFL could be crazy this season and Gardner Minshew II could be a part of the chaos.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have already gotten involved in the trade market by acquiring defensive lineman Malcom Brown from the New Orleans Saints. With plenty of time left before the draft, the Jags could also get in on shipping off some players themselves, which would help them add more selections. 

With quarterbacks being shipped all over the league, one of the most popular names in trade discussions has been third-year quarterback Gardner Minshew, who has started in 23 games since being drafted by the Jags in 2019. According to Ian Rapoport, his significant time on the field has led to teams reaching out to the Jags about a trade, which now gives Jags fans another interesting situation to monitor.

Minshew, 24, was drafted by the Jags in the sixth-round two seasons ago out of Washington State. He ended up seeing the field behind center in his first-ever regular season game after Nick Foles broke his clavicle against the Kansas City Chiefs Week 1 of the 2019 season.

That led to Minshew starting all the way up to Week 9, but he was benched when Foles returned from injured reserve. Unfortunately for the veteran, he wouldn’t hold on to the job long and Minshew reclaimed his QB1 spot Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Minshew put together a respectable rookie season when 2019 was over, winning the Pepsi Rookie of the Week Award seven times while going 285-of-470 (60.6%) for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six picks. Unfortunately, 2020 didn’t provide similar success for Minshew (or the Jags as a whole) as he dealt with a hand injury that sidelined him and regressed from his rookie campaign in general. In a season where the Jags would end up going 1-15, Minshew was 216-of-327 (66.1%) for 2,259 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five picks.

It’s unclear whether or not Minshew is being looked at for a starting role or as a backup, but clearly, teams see potential in him. With Trevor Lawrence, likely coming to Jacksonville Minshew’s chances to start for the Jags are slim as we approach the regular season, though it certainly doesn’t hurt to have him as a backup. Time will tell if an organization gives the Jags a deal they can’t pass up for the young quarterback, but it certainly wouldn’t be shocking to see him on another team when looking at the quarterback transactions league-wide.

Jaguars continue to bolster DL by trading for DT Malcom Brown

Urban Meyer stressed the importance of defensive line play last week and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ moves so far in free agency are proof they want to make significant strides in the defensive trenches. In the first two days of the tampering period, …

Urban Meyer stressed the importance of defensive line play last week and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ moves so far in free agency are proof they want to make significant strides in the defensive trenches. In the first two days of the tampering period, they re-signed Dawuane Smoot and added Tyson Alualu, Jihad Ward, and Roy Roberts-Harris as newcomers. However, even with four new veterans, the team didn’t want to stop there.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Jags will also be trading an undisclosed pick for New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Malcom Brown. With the team planning to release the veteran, the Jags decided to prance on the opportunity to acquire him and reunite him with his former college coach Charlie Strong.

Brown, 27, was a former first round pick for the New England Patriots out of Texas. After spending four seasons with them, he signed with the Saints in 2019 where he started in 29 games.

The massive 6-foot-2, 320-pounder will enter his Jags tenure with 80 career starts, 247 total tackles, and 12.5 sacks. During the 2020 season, he was also able to register a 72.9 overall grade on Pro Football Focus. He flourished in particular against the run with a 77.1 rush defense grade.

With the Jags finishing 30th against the rush last season, this move makes perfect sense. Just like the other aforementioned linemen, he’ll bring plenty of experience into the mix with all of the starts he’s registered and two Super Bowl titles he’s won. That could especially be huge for second-year players DaVon Hamilton and Doug Costin, who were a nice rookie duo in 2020, but needed a veteran around in the rotation.

One offseason trade 49ers absolutely should not make

The NFL trade rumors are starting to swirl, but the idea of the 49ers trading Jimmy Garoppolo for Stephon Gilmore is a little extreme.

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Hypothetical trades are commonplace with the rumor mill churning ahead of the start of the NFL’s 2021 league year. Not all trade suggestions are created equal though, and one presented by ESPN’s Mike Reiss doesn’t make a lot of sense for San Francisco.

It’s important to note Reiss was purely giving a hypothetical and he wasn’t reporting that this was discussed or even on the table. He wonders though if the 49ers would be willing to move off Garoppolo for the right price. That is, perhaps they aren’t getting a clear upgrade at quarterback, but they’re not all the way sold on Garoppolo so it’d be worth it for them to acquire a premium asset.

That in itself isn’t an outrageous thought, but he asked this question:

How committed would they be if the Patriots, taking more of an aggressive approach, floated something like a second-round pick (No. 46) or even cornerback Stephon Gilmore to get ahead of what could be a challenging contract situation?

A second-round pick probably wouldn’t be enough for the 49ers to outright move on from Garoppolo, unless they knew they had a trade worked out for Deshaun Watson or to move up for one of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft.

The more head-scratching suggestion is the Gilmore for Garoppolo swap. San Francisco does need cornerback help, and Gilmore is only one year removed from winning a Defensive Player of the Year award, but he’s not the type of player the 49ers are going to add in exchange for their quarterback.

Gilmore turns 31 in September and has just one year left on his contract. The 49ers would only take on $7.3 million of his salary, but he wasn’t as good last year as he was in 2019, and he might even require an extension before stepping on the field.

The 49ers have plenty of needs, including cornerback, but they’re not so desperate for one that they’d add a 32-year-old in exchange for a quarterback they’re fine with moving forward.

In fact, they’d probably prefer the second-round pick given the choice between the two, and they may not do the deal even if the Patriots included both options – Gilmore and the No. 46 pick.

A Garoppolo trade to New England wouldn’t be completely outrageous given his history with the club, but the swap wouldn’t be for Stephon Gilmore straight across, and it likely wouldn’t come until the 49ers had a contingency plan in place that they believed gave them an upgrade over their previous signal caller.

 

Jags release LB Kamalei Correa

The Jags traded a late-round pick for LB Kamalei Correa last season, but despite that, it appears he won’t be a part of their future.

Despite giving up a late draft selection for him, the Jacksonville Jaguars won’t be moving ahead with linebacker Kamalei Correa. Per the transaction wire, the team released him earlier last week, making him a free agent.

Correa, 26, found himself with the Jags after the team was in need of linebacker depth due to injuries. With that being the case, they made a trade with the Tennessee Titans for Correa in October. As part of the rare in-division trade, the Jags sent the Titans their sixth-round pick in 2021 for their seventh and Correa.

Unfortunately, Correa ended up leaving the Jags on Dec. 17 for personal reasons, but it’s possible the former second-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens (2016) could return to football out of free agency. Correa, who started in six games for the Jags, finished his career in Jacksonville with seven total tackles (four solo, three assisted).

Chargers, OT Orlando Brown, Jr. trade among The Athletic’s bold predictions

The Chargers could be a top destination for the two-time Pro Bowler.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said that there’s a lot of improvements that need to happen with the offensive line.

After what he said, it’s clear that he’s going to go all in on making sure that quarterback Justin Herbert is protected, even if that means trading for a big-name player like offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

In The Athletic’s bold predictions for the offseason, Shiel Kapadia predicts that the Ravens trade Brown Jr. to Los Angeles.

“Let’s keep this one simple. A first-round pick is completely reasonable for a 25-year-old franchise left tackle. The Chargers trade the Ravens the 13th overall pick for Brown, and everyone goes home happy,” Kapadia said.

Prior to this, I laid out a few trade scenarios that make sense to acquire the two-time Pro Bowler.

Given the fact that he’s only going to be 25 years old next season and he’s played at a high level at both left and right tackle all without getting injured to this point, a first-round pick is likely the starting point to land him.

While no one likes shipping their first rounder, Brown would be well worth it. There’s no guarantee that a top consensus tackle pans out in the league, but the former Oklahoma product has already proven himself as a premiere blindside blocker.

What would it take for Chargers to acquire Ravens OT Orlando Brown, Jr.?

The two-time Pro Bowler requested a trade on Wednesday, and the Chargers should be interested.

The Chargers are going to be in the market for a starting blindside blocker, and one player that could draw some interest is Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

Brown requested a trade after demanding to only play left tackle, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

He played there this past season to fill the void left by injured Ronnie Stanley, where he went on to be named to his second Pro Bowl. But with Stanley returning, it means that Brown will have to move back to right tackle.

However, Stanley is going to make sure that’s not the case because he wants to stay at left tackle to honor his late father and former Raven, Orlando Brown Sr.

Rapoport added that Baltimore values Brown significantly and would need major compensation in order to do a deal.

Should Los Angeles be interested in acquiring him, what might they have to give up?

L.A. holds the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft and that would be the starting point to acquire a franchise left tackle.

The Bolts could also propose wide receiver Mike Williams in the deal, given the fact that the position is near the top of the Ravens’ priority list this offseason, and either their second or third-round pick.

Baltimore will likely have to agree to an extension in order for the deal to happen. The same thing applies for Brown. His rookie contract expires after 2021, which means the Chargers would have to extend him right away.

With that being said, here’s a look at some potential trade ideas:

Chargers get:

Orlando Brown Jr.

Ravens 2021 2nd Round Pick (58)

Ravens get:

Mike Williams

Chargers 2021 1st Round Pick (13)

Chargers 2021 4th Round Pick (108)

Chargers get:

Orlando Brown Jr.

Ravens 2021 4th Round Pick (131)

Ravens get:

Chargers 2021 1st Round Pick (13)

Chargers 2021 3rd Round Pick (77)

Chargers 2022 2nd Round Pick

Chargers get:

Orlando Brown Jr.

Ravens 2021 4th Round Pick (131)

Ravens get:

Chargers 2nd Round Pick (47)

Chargers 5th Round Pick (142)

Chargers 2022 1st Round Pick

Brown has started all 32 games over the past two seasons for Baltimore and has appeared in 48 games with 42 total career starts. At left tackle this past season, Brown didn’t surrender a single sack in pass protection and allowed 19 total quarterback pressures.

At only 24 years old, Brown has proven himself as someone who’s very capable of protecting the edge with his best football still yet to come. If the Chargers feel comfortable of surrendering some picks and a player like Williams, Brown is worth it because great offensive tackles in this league don’t grow on trees.

49ers shouldn’t be among teams involved in reported Carson Wentz trade

The San Francisco 49ers shouldn’t be involved in the Carson Wentz trade talks with the Philadelphia Eagles.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday reported the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to trade quarterback Carson Wentz within days of Super Bowl LV. It’s difficult to believe the San Francisco 49ers will be among the teams involved in such a deal.

A couple seasons ago Wentz would’ve been a clear upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo. That’s not the case now after completing just 57.4 percent of his throws last year, and averaging only 6.4 yards per attempt the last two years.

It’s not a huge surprise to see there’s a market for the former No. 2 overall pick. He was once one of the hottest young quarterbacks in the league, and he’s still just 28 years old. Colts head coach Frank Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator for Wentz’s first two seasons and Indianapolis needs a signal caller following Philip Rivers’ retirement. Those are circumstances where a team may be willing to take in Wentz from Philadelphia. San Francisco is not in that position.

The 49ers have two issues under center that’ve led to a potential overhaul of their quarterback room. They haven’t been able to keep Garoppolo on the field, and their turnovers were far too frequent the last couple of seasons.

Wentz is a solution for neither of those things.

While he’s been healthier than Garoppolo, he still missed time with a torn ACL in 2017. He missed five games in 2018. He played a whole season in 2019 before suffering a concussion in their first playoff game. Then last year he wound up getting benched after tossing a league-worst 15 interceptions in just 12 starts. Garoppolo in 2019 despite his faults was substantially better than Wentz was in 2020, making it hard to imagine the 49ers are going to move off the former just to bring in the latter.

Wentz last season was a shadow of the quarterback that might’ve been the 2017 MVP before his ACL tear. He’s talented, but comes with a lot of baggage that may not prove worthwhile for a team looking for stability under center.

Candlestick Chronicles: Jimmy Garoppolo’s future following Matthew Stafford trade

Chris and Kyle break down the Matthew Stafford trade from the 49ers’ perspective, and what it means for Jimmy Garoppolo.

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On this episode of Candlestick Chronicles, Chris and Kyle take a look at the Rams’ trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford from the 49ers’ perspective.

The guys analyze what the move says about the Rams’ philosophical differences from San Francisco, and the long-term impact it could have on the NFC West. They also go over the possibility the 49ers could get involved in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, other trade options at quarterback, and why after all Jimmy Garoppolo could still very easily be the starting QB next season.

Report: Falcons don’t intend to trade QB Matt Ryan

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero said the Atlanta Falcons don’t intend to trade Matt Ryan, taking one 49ers option off the board.

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One of the names often thrown out when discussing possible 49ers quarterbacks can be taken off the table. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Tuesday reported the Falcons have no intention of trading quarterback Matt Ryan or wide receiver Julio Jones.

“Matt Ryan is not going anywhere,” Pelissero said on NFL Network. “The Falcons have not had any trade conversations with any other team about Ryan, or their star wide receiver Julio Jones. And every expectation is both players are going to be on the roster in 2021.”

Ryan won the 2016 NFL MVP award while operating under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan while he was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator. The connection was a logical one. Atlanta just hired Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to be their head coach, and a new coach dealing the 35-year-old veteran for his own, younger, cheaper quarterback made sense. Given Shanahan’s history with Ryan and the 49ers’ looking around for upgrades under center, a reunion wasn’t far-fetched.

However, as Pelissero observed, Smith’s offense isn’t dramatically different from Shanahan’s. A veteran who won an MVP award in a similar system is a pretty good starting point at the roster’s most important position for a first-time head coach.

Even if the Falcons did want to trade Ryan, it wouldn’t have come cheap. According to Over the Cap, a pre-June 1 trade would cost Atlanta more than $44 million in dead money next season, $26.5 million in dead money the following year, and $8.6 in 2023.

A post-June 1 trade would’ve made it a little more palatable, but it still would’ve come with $17.9 million in dead money in 2021 and 2022, and an additional $8.6 million the following year.

It was always a long shot that Atlanta was going to move on from Ryan, and that San Francisco would see him as enough of an upgrade to part with draft picks for him. Now it sounds like those talks won’t happen, and we can cross Ryan off the short list of 49ers trade targets.