Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Jets trade Darnold to Panthers for 3 picks
Sam Darnold was the face of a hopeful franchise, a promising play-maker who might just be the New York Jets' quarterback for at least the next decade.
It took only three years for that dream to fizzle and fade into disappointment.
Darnold was traded Monday to the Carolina Panthers, ending months of speculation and a stint that was marked by a few flashes of brilliance, inconsistent play and unfortunate injuries.
And with the Jets holding the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, they're likely moving on to another young signal-caller who they hope will deliver the team back to respectability.
New York announced it acquired a sixth-round pick in this year's draft and second- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft.
With the second pick, the Jets are widely expected to take either BYU's Zach Wilson or Ohio State's Justin Fields. New York had also long been among the teams mentioned as possible suitors for Deshaun Watson, who requested a trade from Houston but is currently dealing with legal issues as he is accused of sexual assault and harassment in lawsuits filed by 21 women.
For Carolina, the trade further clouds the future of Teddy Bridgewater, who was 4-11 last season as a starter and struggled to win close games down the stretch.
Bridgewater has two years remaining on a three-year, $63 million contract that he signed in 2020, a deal that included a $15 million signing bonus.
The Panthers have the eighth overall pick in the draft and it was widely suspected they could use the selection on a quarterback. But with Darnold in the fold, the Panthers are likely to target other areas of need including offensive tackle, linebacker, tight end or cornerback.
NFL considering changing onside kick and overtime rules: The NFL is considering a rule change that would allow teams to maintain possession of the ball after a score by substituting one offensive play for an onside kickoff attempt.
The proposal submitted by the Philadelphia Eagles is among 11 that will be voted on at the spring league meetings. This one would allow teams to keep the ball by converting a fourth-and-15 from their 25-yard line.
Another proposal from the Baltimore Ravens changes the overtime format and eliminates overtime in the preseason. It allows the winner of the overtime coin toss to choose where to spot the ball for the first play or start on offense or defense from the designated spot.
According to the proposal, “regardless of which privilege is chosen by the winner of the toss, privilege (a) is to be exercised before privilege (b), so that the selection of whether to play offense or defense is made after the starting field position is chosen.”
Other potential changes include adding a loss of down for a second forward pass from behind the line and for a pass thrown after the ball returns behind the line and to ensure the enforcement of all accepted penalties committed by either team during successive try attempts.
A proposal by the Kansas City Chiefs would allow single-digit numbers to be worn by defensive backs, linebackers, running backs, fullbacks, tight ends, Hbacks and wide receivers. Currently,
quarterbacks, kickers and punters are the only players allowed to wear single digits.
Ravens adding Watkins: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who won a Super Bowl with Kansas City, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Watkins must pass a physical exam before signing.
Entering his eighth NFL season, Watkins has been a solid target for Buffalo (2014-16), the Los Angeles Rams (2017) and the Chiefs (2018-20). He was the fourth overall selection in the 2014 draft by the Bills, who traded him to the Rams in 2017. Watkins joined the Chiefs in 2018 as a free agent.
Watkins has 321 career receptions for 4,665 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Bears sign running back: The Chicago Bears signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back and Super Bowl 54 star Damien Williams to a one-year contract, giving them depth to go with David Montgomery.
Williams, who opted out last season because of COVID-19 concerns and to spend time with his mother as she battled stage 4 cancer, was released by the Chiefs on March 16. He ran for 498 yards and five touchdowns in 2019 and played a huge role in Kansas City's 31-20 Super Bowl victory over San Francisco. He scored two TDs in the closing minutes on a 5-yard catch and 38-yard run.