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The stage is set for significant movement during the upcoming 2023 NFL draft.
With the draft nearing, the Carolina Panthers already made a big splash, trading up with the Chicago Bears to acquire the No. 1 overall selection and the franchise quarterback they believe will be their future. However, they are unlikely to be the only teams making big draft weekend moves.
After all, last year it was the Philadelphia Eagles who pilfered wide receiver A.J. Brown on a draft night swap with the Tennessee Titans, and general manager Howie Roseman is armed with a pair of first-round picks this time around. Likewise, several quarterback-needy teams could be storming the gates to pry away the Houston Texans’ or Arizona Cardinals’ selection, or make a big play for veteran Lamar Jackson.
Less than one month from the Panthers turning in their draft card to commissioner Roger Goodell, three teams have multiple first-round picks, with the Bears and Texans also holding a pair of first-rounders in 2024.
So, who are the teams to keep an eye on when it comes to making a possible splash during the draft? Heavy spoke to sources around the league to find out:
Indianapolis Colts
Interest in 2019 MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson has been tepid, to say the least.
Teams have been tripping over themselves to line up to publicly declare they will not be pursuing a trade with the signal caller stamped with the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Baltimore Ravens. But that might not really be what’s happening in war rooms across the league.
“Teams are interested,” an NFL scout told Heavy. “Just not publicly. But, there are only two or three teams that truly make sense. You have to be one quarterback away from making a deep playoff run.”
In recent days, the Colts have been linked in multiple reports to Jackson, and that has reverberated among those inside the league, especially given Indianapolis’ opportunity to vault to the top of a winnable AFC South division.
“The only team that I think could make a splash during the draft is the Indianapolis Colts,” a veteran NFL agent told Heavy. “I think they really are the leaders in the clubhouse for Lamar Jackson.”
There have been conflicting reports about whether Jackson is truly seeking a fully guaranteed contract. But, there are few teams with as pressing a need at quarterback as the Colts, and a better scheme fit than Indianapolis with new head coach Shane Steichen who helped mold Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts into an MVP candidate in 2022.
Indianapolis currently has approximately $20.8 million in cap space in 2023, $93.4 million in 2024, and $244 million in 2025.
Whether the Ravens wind up trading Jackson, the two reach an amicable agreement, or the star quarterback decides to sit out a year and forfeit a year of service toward free agency remains to be seen. But, if the Ravens do move on, there might not be a better match for Jackson’s skill set than Indianapolis. Perhaps a draft weekend fireworks show could be on the horizon.
Tennessee Titans
The Colts aren’t the only quarterback-needy franchise residing in the AFC South.
There’s an argument to be made that only the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Trevor Lawrence, should be wholly comfortable with their quarterback situation within the division. But, that didn’t stop Peter King from suggesting this week that the Houston Texans could pivot off taking a quarterback in favor of Alabama game-wrecker Will Anderson.
If that’s the case, and Kentucky’s Will Levis, Florida’s Anth0ny Richardson, and one of Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud remains on the board when the Arizona Cardinals go on the clock with the No. 3 pick, don’t rule out a blockbuster trade.
“Watch for the Titans,” an NFL scout told Heavy. “They need a quarterback, and they are connected to the Cardinals by way of their general manager.”
The Cardinals, of course, hired Monti Ossenfort as general manager, after he spent the past two seasons as the Titans’ director of player personnel, so it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising for these two teams to work that connection to work out a deal.
Tennessee drafted Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft, but he was wildly underwhelming in his eight games last season, completing only 50.8% of his passes for 276 yards with 3 interceptions. His next touchdown pass will be his first.
The Titans are set to pick No. 11 overall. Might Tennessee offer that pick, a second-round selection, and a 2024 first-round pick to give the Cardinals extra picks to build out an under-talented roster? Time will tell, but the stage appears set for a possible deal to go down.
Philadelphia Eagles
Can you ever rule out the hyper-aggressive, and ever-prepared Roseman from making moves?
The Eagles are sitting on a pair of first-round picks this year, approximately $20 million in cap space in 2023, and $23 million in cap space in 2024. Now, Philadelphia will of course need to sign Jalen Hurts to a contract extension, but Roseman seems intent on propping the Eagles’ Super Bowl window open as long as possible around his star quarterback.
If Roseman targets a player in the top 10 to move up, or potentially slide back a few selections to add to the 2024 war chest of picks, continuing to build out star-caliber depth on a championship-caliber roster could be a priority.
In 2022, Roseman added a star receiver for Hurts’ supporting cast. The Eagles can’t be ruled out from maneuvering the board to continue building around their quarterback.
Quote of the Week
“In this business, it doesn’t take long to go from Bono to Bozo. So don’t get your head too big right now.” – Giants owner John Mara on Brian Daboll (via SiriusXM NFL Radio)
The New York Giants broke an 11-season playoff drought in 2022, making the postseason for the first time since winning Super Bowl 46, beating the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card round before having their season come to an end in Philadelphia in the NFC Divisional Round.
Daboll was instrumental in the Giants’ postseason run, taking home NFL Coach of the Year honors for his efforts. In a lot of ways, the Giants’ quickly established a hyper-aggressive culture in the head coach’s image and rode an opportunistic defense that powered seven one-score victories en route to the postseason.
New York has a long way to go, especially in hopes of overcoming the Eagles in the NFC East and making legitimate strides toward a Super Bowl. But, the Giants have had a dynamite free agency period, trading for All-Pro tight end Darren Waller, giving quarterback Daniel Jones a game-altering weapon, a possession receiver in Jamison Crowder, and a high upside target in Parris Campbell, among other signings.
Daboll set the foundation last season. The organization bet big on Jones continuing to ascend. For the first time in a decade, it would seem the future of New York football is brighter than ever. And, the second-year head coach is a big reason why. Now, it’s up to Daboll to build on those 10 victory cigars he was able to light in 2022.
Final Thought: Jets’ Super Bowl Chances
Could the New York Jets be a dark horse Super Bowl contender?
After Aaron Rodgers’ decision to play for the Jets — presuming a deal between New York and the Packers gets done, this young roster assembled by general manager Joe Douglas and Co. will have the kind of accomplished quarterback that could allow them to take flight.
But, during a recent appearance on Heavy Sports’ The Matt Lombardo Show, ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio believes the sky is the limit for a Rodgers-led Jets.
“In my view, if Rodgers joins the Jets, the Jets have a very good chance of being the AFC Champions in 2023.”
Strong words from Paolantonio.
Rodgers’ Gotham City arrival sets the stage for four epic AFC East clashes with Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills and Tua Tagovailoa’s Dolphins, whom the Jets split with both teams in 2022, and could elevate New York into the pantheon alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Bills as legitimate Super Bowl threats in a gauntlet of a conference.
But, this offseason is about much more than Rodgers.
Rodgers is Douglas’ piece de resistance, after adding Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall in last year’s draft, signing wide receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman, and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, New York’s ferocious defense, collection of young talent, and now a gunslinging quarterback looking for once last ride make this one of the more intriguing teams this upcoming season.
Pending the Rodgers trade with the Packers — presuming a deal gets done — the Jets are slated to pick No. 13 overall, which will allow Douglas to possibly add another starter or another weapon for his new quarterback.
The talent is in place for the Jets to follow the Jaguars of 2022 from a last-place finish one season to the NFL playoffs the next. Rodgers’ arrival certainly raises the ceiling.
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