Tag: Trade news

Terry Fontenot says Falcons are open to trading up, trading back

At Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said Atlanta has been talking to teams about potential trades

The Atlanta Falcons have done a great job in free agency in terms of addressing their most-pressing needs ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. Round 1 starts on Thursday night and it sounds like the Falcons are open to moving out of the No. 8 pick.

At Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said Atlanta has been talking to other teams about potential trades and will continue to, per beat reporter Tori McElhaney.

In Fontenot’s previous two drafts as general manager, the Falcons have stayed put in the first round, although the team moved up in the second round of last year’s draft to acquire edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.

Plus, Fontenot hasn’t been shy about pulling off trades since taking over in 2021. Atlanta has shipped out Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Deion Jones, while trading for cornerback Jeff Okudah a few weeks ago.

The draft kicks off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. Watch Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith’s full pre-draft presser below, and make sure to check out our final seven-round Falcons mock draft!

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Falcons make 3 trades at deadline: Grade each move

Atlanta pulled off 3 trades just before the deadline. Grade each move in our #Falcons fan poll

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot somehow managed to complete three trades in the final hour before the deadline on Tuesday. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was traded to Jacksonville, safety Dean Marlowe was moved to Buffalo, and Atlanta acquired cornerback Rashad Fenton from Kansas City.

Check out the details of each trade below, and make sure to grade all three in our Falcons fan poll.

5 reasons the Falcons should NOT trade for QB Jimmy Garoppolo

The Atlanta Falcons are rumored to be interested in 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Here are 5 reasons that would be a mistake.

Earlier this week, the San Francisco 49ers gave quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo permission to seek a trade. It’s been no secret that the team has been looking to move Garoppolo after trading up for QB Trey Lance in last year’s draft.

So which teams are interested in acquiring Garoppolo? With trade rumors swirling in all directions, Atlanta has been mentioned as a potential suitor for Jimmy G due to the quarterback’s ties to Falcons senior personnel executive Ryan Pace.

Here are five reasons the Falcons should avoid trading for Garoppolo.

Report: Jags trade CB Sidney Jones IV to Seahawks

The Jags continued to be active on the trade market Monday and have decided to trade CB Sidney Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been pretty active on the trade market this offseason and during training camp, and that was once again the case Monday. The team announced that they traded cornerback Sidney Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks, though the compensation hasn’t been reported. ESPN’s

Adam Schefter broke the news first, then not too soon after that, the Jags confirmed it.

The Seahawk’s interest in Jones makes a lot of sense as Schefter mentioned, but it isn’t only because of their familiarity with him from college. It was clear the team needed cornerback help when the Jags signed Seattle’s top cornerback in Shaquill Griffin and it appears they still feel that way. While Jones didn’t stand out this preseason, he was pretty solid under defensive coordinator Todd Wash last season, who is from the Seahawks’ defensive tree.

Jones was projected to make the team by most and could’ve been a top-3 option for them on the cornerback depth chart. However, the team is set with Griffin and C.J. Henderson as their starters, plus they drafted Tyson Campbell to play in the slot and also have Tre Herndon on the roster. While both Campbell and Herndon are dealing with injuries right now, the Jags’ decision to trade Jones is an indication that both could be ready for the regular season.

The Jags could also view Chris Claybrooks, Brandon Rusnak, or Jameson Houston as solid CB5 options. If not that, they could have a player from the waiver wire in mind as they will have the top claim in the order.

Jones played in nine games with the Jags and was a starter in six. He accumulated a total of 26 tackles for the team and was able to haul in two picks before being placed on injured reserve in December for an Achilles injury.

Update: Schefter is reporting that the Jags will receive a 2022 sixth-round pick.

4 thoughts on the Jags trading Gardner Minshew II to the Eagles

Gardner Minshew II had an interesting timeline with the Jags and will now join the Eagles via trade. Here are some thoughts on the Jags’ decision to send him to Philly.

The Jacksonville Jaguars started this weekend with a boom by trading former quarterback Gardner Minshew II to the Philadelphia Eagles. They will be receiving a conditional sixth-round pick that could be a fifth-round pick if Minshew takes part in 50% of the plays in three games.

This move didn’t exactly shock anyone as the Jags drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall in April. That left the door open for teams to call the Jags and see if they could snag the third-year player who has established himself as a serviceable backup with 20 starts to his name.

Now that the expected move has been made, here are four takeaways from the Jags’ decision to move on from the former sixth-round pick.

Jags officially send LB Joe Schobert to Steelers, will receive a 2022 sixth-round pick

It’s official, Joe Schobert is now a Pittsburgh Steeler and the Jags will be getting a six-round pick (and more importantly more cap space) in exchange.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially traded linebacker Joe Schobert to the Pittsburgh Steelers the team announced Saturday. The move comes after various sources reported the news Thursday night as the Steelers were on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles for their second preseason game.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Jags will specifically be receiving a sixth-round pick in 2022 in exchange.

With the Jags not receiving a player in exchange, it’s clear they wanted to rid themselves of an expensive contract. Schobert, who joined the Jags last season when Dave Caldwell was the team’s general manager, signed a five-year, $53.75 million contract. However, Caldwell didn’t make it through the whole 2020 season as the Jags’ general manager and changes have been occurring ever since.

The Jags have a new regime in place now, and one of the players they’ve been impressed by is free agent addition Damien Wilson, who previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s been more along the lines of what they want at interior linebacker, and as a result, the Jags didn’t view Schobert as a fit heading forward.

With the sixth-round selection they are receiving from Pittsburgh, the Jags could have 10 picks next season if Josh Oliver, who was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, makes the final 53-man roster of his new team. They also have a conditional fifth-round selection coming in 2022 for trading Yannick Ngakoue. 

LB Joe Schobert confirms trade, expresses excitement to work with Mike Tomlin, Steelers’ DL

Joe Schobert is going to a new team and it’s one he’s very familiar with.

While he’ll be playing in a place with colder weather conditions, linebacker Joe Schobert expressed his excitement to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler Thursday night, confirming that the deal is done. And while he wasn’t able to share the details, he told Fowler that he’s ready to work for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and flourish behind their talented defensive line.

The news of Schobert being traded surfaced as the Steelers were on the field for their preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Once the game ends, it’s possible more details could surface on what the compensation will be.

Schobert only got to spend one season with the Jags, who signed him out of free agency to a five-year, $53.75 million deal last season. However, with linebacker Damien Wilson impressing the Jags in training camp, Schobert became expendable.

The veteran linebacker should fit right in with Pittsburgh due to his familiarity with the AFC North. He rejoins the division after playing with the Cleveland Browns from 2016-19.

Jags agree to trade LB Joe Schobert to Steelers

The Jags have once again tried their hand in the trade market and will be sending Joe Schobert to the Steelers.

With their first preseason game on the horizon, the Jacksonville Jaguars have once again tested their hands in the trade market. The team will be sending veteran interior linebacker Joe Schobert to a rival of theirs in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

USA Today Sports Media Group senior editor Neal Coolong reported the news this evening, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero later confirmed it. However, the compensation is unknown at the time.

This move makes a lot of sense for both teams as the Steelers are familiar with Schobert, who once played for their division rivals in the Cleveland Browns from 2016-19. They also are a team deep at tight end, where the Jags need help, with Eric Ebron, Pat Freiermuth, and Zach Gentry at the top of their depth chart. That said, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Jags add a player not named Freiermuth (who the Steelers just drafted this year) at the position.

As for the Jags, they have good depth at the interior linebacker position and could be fine with starting Myles Jack and Damien Wilson this season.

Schobert joined the Jags last season during the early stages of free agency. He started in all 16 games for them but got off to a slow start in terms of finding his footing. However, later in the season, he started to find a rhythm, but Wilson seems to be having a better camp than the former Wisconsin Badger.

Schobert will enter his career with the Steelers with 526 total tackles (313 solo), 11 sacks, 24 pass breakups, and nine picks. As a Jag, he was able to accumulate 132 total tackles (75 solo), 2,5 sacks, four pass breakups, and three picks.

Report: Falcons have discussed Julio Jones trade with Rams

When a player the caliber of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones hits the trading block, most of the NFL’s remaining 31 teams are likely to have some level of interest

When a player the caliber of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones hits the trading block, the other 31 NFL teams are likely to have some level of interest. The problem is that Jones’ 2021 salary cap hit of $15.3 million (starting June 2) is a big chunk for any potential trade suitor to absorb.

Plus, considering that the Falcons are essentially making this move to clear cap space, they’ll be focused mostly on draft picks — reportedly a first-round selection — in return for the All-Pro wideout.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Rams and Titans are among the teams who’ve had discussions with Atlanta regarding Jones.

“The Falcons have been fielding offers and some of the teams we’ve heard about – the Titans, the Rams – yes, my understanding is those are two of the teams that have had conversations with Atlanta,” said Garafolo.

We’ve heard rumors before that Tennessee could be interested — and TikTok requests from Titans players —  but one team we haven’t really focused on as a possible destination is Los Angeles.

After trading for quarterback Matthew Stafford, head coach Sean McVay appears to be going all in to get back to the Super Bowl. What better way to make his new QB feel comfortable than by acquiring the player who took the mantle from Calvin Johnson as the NFL’s most physically dominant receiver?

As much sense as the move makes on paper, though, the Rams’ aggressiveness in recent years has put them in a tough spot in terms of draft capital they could send Atlanta. Los Angeles doesn’t even have a first-round pick until 2024. To make matters worse, the Rams have under $8 million in cap space.

With that said, we wouldn’t bet against an aggressive franchise like Los Angeles in getting a deal done.

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AFC South news: Colts land Carson Wentz via trade

Carson Wentz is Indy bound after a somewhat messy breakup in Philadelphia. That means the Jags now have a new QB to get familiar with.

Similar to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Indianapolis Colts were one of the teams in the NFL often associated with finding a new quarterback this offseason. While they had a temporary answer last year in veteran Philip Rivers, he retired in January, leaving Indy without a QB1. 

As a result of their situation and Frank Reich’s ties to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Colts were one of the teams who entered the Carson Wentz sweepstakes with the former first-rounder looking to find a new team. On Thursday, they were able to win the sweepstakes by striking a deal with Philly that will send the Eagles a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional second-round pick. 

With a cap hit of $25.4 million coming their way this season, the Colts will undoubtedly be starting Wentz. That means the team will be enduring their third change at the QB1 spot in three years. Depending on which version of Wentz the Colts get, it also could help the Jags’ chances to win the division.

The Jags have already been a nuisance for the Colts over time, winning seven of their last 12 games against them. Included in that total is the only win the Jags acquired for the 2020 season, which was the Jags’ home opener. 

Only time will tell how much Wentz impacts the Jags’ and Colts’ rivalry. However, if the Colts are getting the player fans saw last year, this should be a win for the Jags. But if Wentz ends up returning to the player he was in 2017 (his last year with Reich), things could be interesting in the AFC South, especially if Trevor Lawrence is the star most believe.