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| Wednesday, March 27, 2024 |
| Happy midweek, everyone! John Breech is taking the day off to study up on Bengals draft targets, so you've got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest. And boy do we have some nice nuggets to unpack around the NFL. |
| This is the Pick Six newsletter. Now let's get to it. (And please, do yourself a favor and make sure you're signed up to receive this newsletter every day! You don't want to miss our daily offerings of everything you need to know around the NFL.) |
| We've got Pete Prisco's first mock draft, a major Dak Prescott development and much more: |
| 1. Today's show: Unpacking the NFL's rule changes |
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| Tyler Sullivan and Legar Douzable joined Brady Quinn on the latest "Pick Six NFL Podcast" to dissect new draft rumors, plus all the NFL's approved rule changes, including a redesigned kickoff and updated trade deadline. Some highlights: |
| Douzable doesn't envision any NBA-level trades stemming from the new deadline (after Week 9 instead of Week 8), but "a little bit more activity" seems likely. The move makes sense, he says, considering the NFL's 17-game schedule.Quinn's one concern about the new trade deadline: "What if teams start tanking? If you get too far past that halfway point, is there a fire sale by a team who wants to unload players?" The guys aren't buying the notion of a potential Commanders trade down in the 2024 NFL Draft. Quinn thinks if Washington is going to move, it's only going to be up, maybe to No. 1: "I can't imagine they would risk losing out on a top quarterback." |
| Catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here. |
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| 2. Prisco's Mock: Four straight QBs start the first round |
| Pete Prisco has unveiled his first 2024 draft forecast of the offseason, and he's buying into the surge in quarterback stock. He's got four straight signal-callers kicking off the first round, with one team in particular going against the grain with their choice: |
| Bears: QB Caleb Williams -- It's becoming obvious that Caleb Williams is the pick for the Bears. They have had a nice offseason, and if he's the real deal, watch out for this team. Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels -- They are definitely taking a quarterback and Jayden Daniels should be the pick. He's the most-improved player I've ever seen in the draft process. That matters. Patriots: QB J.J. McCarthy -- Would I draft J.J. McCarthy here? No way. But he just seems like a Patriots quarterback -- a leader and a winner. Vikings (via projected trade with Cardinals): QB Drake Maye -- They make the bold move to go get a quarterback, which they must do. Drake Maye is rumored to be their guy. |
| 3. Dak Prescott contract drama: No new talks of long-term deal |
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| Big news out of Dallas: Despite Prescott saying he fully expected to sign a new long-term contract with the Cowboys ahead of the 2024 season, the two sides may or may not be on the same page. NFL Media has reported Dallas now expects the quarterback to play out his current contract. CBS Sports HQ senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, meanwhile, indicates the Cowboys still want to extend Prescott but have yet to offer the signal-caller a new deal, with no additional contract talks imminent. |
| While it may not seem like a big deal now -- Prescott, after all, is under contract through next season -- it's a potentially monumental development considering the Pro Bowler has no-tag and no-trade clauses. In other words, barring a drastic reignition of extension talks, Prescott is literally headed for 2025 free agency. All the pressure's on this year. |
| Where could Prescott go next? It's a long way off, but these clubs stand out as potential landing spots, should Prescott shake free of Dallas following the 2024 campaign: |
| Rams: Matthew Stafford re-entrenched himself as a worthy starter with a resurgent 2023, but he'll be 37 after the 2024 season, and he already admitted he's pondered retirement amid an injury-riddled stage of his career. It's also a little hard to envision coach Sean McVay, another win-now leader with an admitted eye on retirement, wanting to totally rebuild the position in the event Stafford walks; hence his recent in-season reclamation projects in Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz. Los Angeles is primed to still have young skill weapons in 2025, and a chance to be McVay's point guard could really intrigue Prescott.Saints: No NFL team refuses to rebuild quite like the cap-manipulating Saints, and there's pressure on current quarterback Derek Carr to live up to his $150 million deal -- a contract New Orleans can dump in order to save anywhere from $11 million to $40 million after the 2024 campaign. If Carr doesn't stay put, the Saints don't exactly have a built-in successor, and regardless of the coaching staff's fate, Prescott could make sense as a proven replacement. The best part: This would represent a homecoming for Prescott, who was born and raised in the state of Louisiana, and might also prefer the NFC South's path to the playoffs. Seahawks: Seattle clearly went for new backup Sam Howell because of his long-term upside, knowing incumbent No. 1 Geno Smith may or may not stick around for the long haul. GM John Schneider also isn't necessarily primed to land a top prospect in the draft picking No. 16 overall. But with neither Smith nor Howell a sure thing beyond 2024, odds are Seattle will be exploring the quarterback market again next offseason. If new coach Mike Macdonald has the defense back on track, a team-up with Prescott could be appealing to both sides, especially if weapons like DK Metcalf are still at top speed. |
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| 4. Top 50 draft big board: Malik Nabers leads WR class? |
| Draft expert Chris Trapasso has dropped his analysis for dozens of the top 2024 prospects, and he's got a few notable names with surprise spots in his rankings, including a wideout not named Marvin Harrison Jr. as the No. 1 pass catcher: |
| USC QB Caleb Williams: Williams is a blast of a prospect. Supreme arm talent, spatial awareness that's seemingly spawned from a computer algorithm, pinpoint accuracy, plus athlete -- he fits the mold of a modern franchise quarterback. I do worry about his push on the field to do Patrick Mahomes-esque things too frequently. That's it.North Carolina QB Drake Maye: I've very much been contemplating giving Maye the top spot -- that's how close these grades are. I love Maye's aggression as a thrower and how he can generate out-of-nowhere big plays in dire situations, and his pure physical talent as a thrower and runner.LSU WR Malik Nabers: Nabers hasn't run as many routes as Harrison Jr., and that's funny because he was so athletic and so damn explosive in the SEC, he didn't need to. Nabers is an elite prospect in every sense of the phrase, and he's on another planet regarding yards after the catch. Immediate WR1 with All-Pro upside.LSU QB Jayden Daniels: Daniels fits today's model of "franchise quarterback." He's a loose, dynamic athlete. The pocket-passing ascension was clear on film, and there's not a quarterback in this class with better downfield touch than Daniels, although throwing to Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. likely helped the cause deep. I'm only ever-so-slightly concerned about his propensity to take sacks and big hits in the open field.Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: Harrison Jr. is ready to go for six grabs, 125 yards, and a score in his NFL debut. Large, squeaky-clean route runner who plays like there's football-attracting magnets in his gloves down the field. His catch radius is smaller than expected for his size, and he isn't a spectacular talent after the catch. Beyond those flaws, Harrison Jr. is an elite-caliber receiver prospect with an incredibly high floor. |
| 5. Rams signing former All-Pro Tre'Davious White |
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| Los Angeles added to its secondary this week, signing the former Buffalo Bills star to a one-year deal worth a reported $8.5 million, with another $1.5 million in incentives. It's not crazy money, which is understandable considering White's injury history in recent years. But it gives the Rams added experience on the back end, where the club also welcomed back Darious Williams and added safety Kamren Curl this offseason. White figures to be an immediate starter at an outside cornerback spot. |
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| 6. Extra points: Brazil game updates, Steelers add Pro Bowler |
| Need more headlines? We've got you covered: |
| NFL is deciding between these two teams for Brazil: With the Eagles already locked in as the opponentPackers add competition for Anders Carlson: Watch out for a camp kicker battle Aaron Rodgers will not be a VP candidate, after all: But the Jets QB was reportedly a real possibilityAll of Rodger Goodell's key remarks on new rules: A roundup of the commissioner's thoughts Steelers signing Cordarelle Patterson: The Pro Bowl return man is headed to Steel City |
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