Breaking down the top non-draft stories of the Combine
When the NFL Scouting Combine is held this coming week in Indianapolis, all eyes will be on the 324 draft prospects as they perform drills and navigate a gauntlet of interviews and medical exams.
But for many teams the draft process is more of a secondary concern. The NFL Draft is still two months away, and there are several more important matters that need to be tended to first.
Such as:
The Rodgers-Adams question:
The Packers have to figure out what to do with their two franchise players, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Davante Adams. They can’t proceed with the rest of the offseason until they have finality with these two, and they probably have to figure out Adams first. Rodgers doesn’t seem to want to commit until he knows the fate of his favorite receiver.
The Packers want both to come back, but it’s complicated because the Packers are more than $30 million over the projected salary cap. It’s not that the Packers won’t be able to pay Rodgers and Adams whatever they want, but the Packers need to do a little salary-cap gymnastics first. They started chipping away this past week by restructuring running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to create about $14 million in space.
The Packers can always use the franchise tag on Adams, but it’s worth $20.14 million in cash and salary cap and isn’t an effective use of cap space. A new longterm deal could be a win-win-win: Adams could make more cash in Year 1 than with the franchise tag, the Packers could push the money around to give Adams a lower cap number, and keeping Adams in the fold will keep Rodgers happy.
General manager Brian Gutekunst may have complicated matters this past week when he told reporters that he never promised Rodgers he would trade him this offseason if that’s what Rodgers desired. Rodgers may believe otherwise.
Then there’s Deshaun Watson:
The Texans need to determine the trade market for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Despite facing 22 lawsuits and the potential for criminal charges, Watson should still be heavily courted this offseason.
The biggest issue is the ongoing criminal investigation in regards to the 22 massage therapists who have accused Watson of sexual misconduct. Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said Monday that he expects a decision from the grand jury by April 1 to determine whether Watson will be charged with any crimes, and if he is, whether they are felony or misdemeanor. But the civil cases could proceed indefinitely.
If Watson is cleared of criminal charges, then the bidding should be intense, despite the lawsuits. Watson will only turn 27 in September, he’s under contract for four more years, and he could make an instant contender out of whichever team acquires him.
49ers have to determine Jimmy Garoppolo market:
While Watson is the better quarterback, Garoppolo may be the first quarterback traded, just because of Watson’s complicated legal status. Garoppolo also doesn’t have a no-trade clause in 2022, while Watson does, meaning a team that knows it won’t be big players in the Watson derby can instead focus on Garoppolo. Plus, the 49ers surely want to eliminate the Garoppolo distraction as quickly and painlessly as possible this offseason.
A trade can’t officially be executed until the new NFL league year begins at 4 p.m. on March 16, but the terms can be agreed to at any time. The Panthers, Commanders, Broncos, and Saints all seem like good fits for Garoppolo.
The QB marketplace: Several teams need to figure out the quarterback market.
The Panthers, Buccaneers, Commanders, Saints, Steelers, and Broncos need to find a starter. The Colts, Texans, Lions, and Falcons are at least looking at their options. The Cardinals, Seahawks, and Packers probably don’t plan on changing quarterbacks but need to be prepared for the possibility.
The market for veteran quarterbacks should be hotter this year, because it’s not supposed to be the best year for rookies. But assuming that Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray stay with their teams, the veteran QB market is thin after Watson and Garoppolo.