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Five blockbuster trades that need to happen this offseason

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The NFL’s offseason madness kicked into high gear more than a week before the start of free agency. But Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos might just be the first of a slew of blockbuster NFL trades in the coming days and weeks. Here are the five deals that we’d love to see ahead of NFL free agency and the 2022 season.

Update 3/9/22: Less than an hour after this column posted, news broke that the Indianapolis Colts agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders for draft compensation. The Colts are now in the market for a quarterback, and should consider all options, including Jimmy Garoppolo.

5 Potential NFL Trades: QB Deshaun Watson to Las Vegas Raiders

First, the necessary caveat: The Texans probably cannot deal Deshaun Watson until his many legal issues are resolved. Watson remains the subject of nearly two-dozen active sexual misconduct lawsuits. And Harris County’s District Attorney’s Office is presenting its criminal evidence against Watson to a grand jury Friday.

Until there’s clarity on whether he’ll even be allowed to play in 2022, Watson will likely remain with the Texans. But if by chance he’s cleared in the coming weeks, the Raiders absolutely should go all-in to get him. Before his legal drama, Watson was one of the five best quarterbacks in the world. Imagine what he could do with Josh McDaniels as his coach.

Watson-to-Raiders trade terms

The Broncos and Seahawks reestablished the trade market for an elite quarterback this week. The Broncos sent two first-round picks, two seconds, a fifth, Drew Lock, Noah Fant, and Shelby Harris to Seattle. Denver got Wilson and a fourth in return.

The Texans should accept nothing less than the Raiders’ first-round pick this year (22nd overall), their second this year (53rd), their first next year, and Derek Carr, who will earn just $19.8 million in the final year of his current contract.

Derek Carr to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

But what if Watson isn’t cleared? Or if the Texans don’t want Carr as part of their compensation? There will still be a market for Carr in 2022. And we can think of no better match than with Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a playoff roster at every position but quarterback.

Of course, the Raiders shouldn’t deal Carr without a plan at quarterback. And maybe that plan includes bringing back Marcus Mariota and drafting one in the second half of the first round. But the Raiders are not winning a suddenly loaded AFC West this year, with or without Carr. They might as well move on now and get something for him.

Carr-to-Buccaneers trade terms

The Bucs shouldn’t give up much of anything unless they can extend Carr through 2023, at the very least. Arians turns 70 during the 2022 season, so the idea he wants to draft and develop a QB at this stage of his career seems unlikely. Assuming the Bucs and Carr can agree on a reasonable extension, the Raiders should demand nothing less than the Bucs’ second-round pick (60th overall).

Potential NFL Trades: Jimmy Garoppolo to the Washington Commanders

The San Francisco 49ers will trade Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. It’s a matter of when not if. And even with all of his flaws, Garoppolo was still a top-15 quarterback in 2021, based on almost every major metric.

Sure, there are legitimate questions about whether Garoppolo’s success was simply a function of Kyle Shanahan’s system. But it’s a gamble worth making for Washington, which has an above-average wide receiver group and offensive line. Garoppolo, who is due an affordable $24 million in base salary, is better than Taylor Heinicke.

Garoppolo-to-Commanders trade terms

Barring an (unnecessary) extension, this would be a one-year rental in the nation’s capital. That means Garoppolo shouldn’t be super expensive to acquire. The pool of teams in need of his services is small, particularly since there’s no way the Niners trade Garoppolo to the rival Seahawks. The Niners need cornerback help. They should ask for William Jackson as compensation from the Commanders.

Amari Cooper to the Miami Dolphins

For Miami, this year is all about determining whether Tua Tagovailoa is the guy or not. Mike McDaniel wants to give him the support system that Brian Flores never did. A big part of that is making sure the offense has enough weapons.

Step 1 came Tuesday when the Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Mike Gesicki. Step 2 is finding a top-tier wide receiver to pair with Jaylen Waddle. Chris Grier loves Alabama players, and while he never lived up to the hype in Dallas, Amari Cooper is still a dynamic wideout.

Cooper-to-Dolphins trade terms

Cooper’s contract is the biggest impediment to any deal and might ultimately be the reason he’s cut rather than traded. He’s due $20 million in base salary this year, and that’s a big number for any non-quarterback. But NFL Network reports there are teams interested, so long as he agrees to a restructure that spreads that cap hit out over a number of years. The Dolphins, with nearly $50 million in cap space, should offer a third-rounder, assuming such a contract redo occurs.

Potential NFL Trades: Tyler Lockett to the New England Patriots

Some moves just feel right. This is one of them. Bill Belichick loves giving veteran, productive stars a fresh start late in their careers.

To be fair, Tyler Lockett isn’t exactly old (he turns 30 in October). But he seems like a Patriots type of player, given his dependability and productivity. Mac Jones needs help to take the next step. Lockett would be an ideal fit.

Lockett-to-Patriots trade terms

Lockett would be a solid value for whatever team acquires him. Presuming his $13 million option bonus would be owed by the team that acquires him, Lockett’s total cash liability in 2022 and 2023 would be just $25.7 million — which is more than reasonable for a player of his caliber. The Seahawks are hoarding draft picks for what looks to be a significant rebuild. Adding New England’s third (85th overall) and sixth (209th) to their total would be a nice bonus.





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‘I Wouldn’t Be Here Without It’

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was once a Denver Broncos ball boy.

OK, consider us stopped.

Because even the most casual Dolphins fans know McDaniel’s origin story.

Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s Origin Story Comes Full Circle

McDaniel, then a 10-year-old living in the Denver area, lost his hat while in an autograph scrum at Broncos training camp in 1993.

Then-Broncos video coordinator Gary McCune — a perfect stranger at the time — saw that McDaniel was upset that the hat was gone and decided to buy a replacement that he gave to the boy the next day.

MORE: Ranking the NFL’s 2-0 Teams

That act of kindness led to a romance with McDaniel’s mother, Donna. They ultimately married, providing McDaniel with both a new family member and a lasting connection with the Broncos organization.

In the years that followed, McDaniel was both a ball boy and then an intern with the Broncos, and he credits Mike Shanahan — the offensive mastermind who was Denver’s head coach — as one of his biggest influences.

Fast-forward a quarter century or so, and McDaniel — as the head coach of the 2-0 Dolphins — is preparing for the team’s home opener.

The opponent? The Broncos.

On Wednesday, McDaniel spoke about the impact the Broncos franchise has had on his life and the significance of facing that team for the first time as an occupant of the big chair for an NFL franchise.

“It’s a big part of it,” McDaniel said. “That was the team that I found my love for football with. Their jerseys were orange at the time for the most part also. Also, you know, a couple of the biggest influences I’ve had from the game of football in terms of Mike Shanahan and, by extension, Kyle Shanahan, Gary Kubiak. It’s a great franchise. I have played them before, not as a head coach.

“But what’s weird in the journey is, once you get in the business, the teams don’t feel the same. So it’s like, you don’t treat bosses the same. You know, like, technically, the organization is my boss. So it kind of loses its fandom, so to speak. But tremendous organization, and I wouldn’t be here without it.”

Listen to the PFN Dolphins Podcast

Listen to the PFN Dolphins Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Dolphins Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Dolphins Podcast on our NFL YouTube channel.

Adam Beasley is Pro Football Network’s Director of Original Content and Brand Development. You can read all of Adam’s work here and follow him on Twitter: @AdamHBeasley.





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Will Chargers RB Play in Week 3? Fantasy Impact and More

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Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler is a fantasy football superstar when he’s on the field. Fantasy managers selected him with a top-five pick in drafts this offseason with the expectation that he was going to help carry them — literally — to a fantasy championship.

Unfortunately, Ekeler missed Week 2 with an ankle injury. What’s the latest news surrounding Ekeler, and is the veteran RB’s availability for Week 3 in jeopardy?

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

Latest News Surrounding Austin Ekeler

On Tuesday, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley discussed how there was not a timeline in place for Ekeler’s return to the field. Fantasy managers hoped that he was being a bit dramatic in that statement, but the practice report from Wednesday isn’t giving them much optimism.

Ekeler was not seen at practice as he’s working through his ankle injury, which isn’t necessarily a good sign for his availability for the Chargers’ matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

We’ll monitor the practice reports throughout the remainder of the week and keep you updated, so make sure to check back in here frequently for the latest news.

Will Ekeler Play This Week?

At the time of writing, it’s too early to discern whether or not Ekeler will make it back in time for the Chargers’ bout against the Vikings.

Fantasy managers desperately need some good injury news, as injuries have demolished the position up to this point, but more information is needed before declaring whether or not Ekeler will be available.

What Does This Mean for Ekeler’s Fantasy Ranking?

Ekeler has taken a slight slide down rest-of-season rankings with this missed time, but he’s still an elite fantasy asset when he’s out there. As for Week 3 specifically, the practice reports will be telling as to whether or not Ekeler can be started with confidence this week.

MORE: Fantasy Football’s Week 3 Burning Start/Sit Questions

If he doesn’t play, Joshua Kelley can be looked at as a solid start in Week 3 against the Vikings’ run defense. He didn’t have a stellar performance in Week 2, but the Titans boast a much more fearsome defensive front that stifled the Chargers’ run game.

Kelley would be viewed as a top-20 option at the RB position, but make sure to stay tuned to the PFN Consensus Rankings for whether or not you should start Kelley.

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Fantasy Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Fantasy Podcast on our Fantasy YouTube channel.





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Jaylen Waddle’s Availability Very Much in Doubt

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Few players have been more dependable for the Miami Dolphins in the last three seasons than Jaylen Waddle.

He has started 35 of a possible 36 games since entering the league, and no Dolphins player has more receiving yards (2,535) since the start of the 2021 season.

But with Waddle still in the concussion protocol, Waddle is in real danger of missing Sunday’s Dolphins game against the Denver Broncos.

Miami Dolphins Practice Report

“Well, you know, I think I’m just gonna go home,” McDaniel joked when asked about game-planning without Waddle.

McDaniel then continued, more seriously:

“These great players afford you a ton of fortune to feature. There are a lot of players on this team, and there’s a lot of people that go about their business with complete humility and commitment to the team because a lot of guys on this team know that for us to be our very best, we have to do whatever we can for each other specifically, those guys.

“That being said there’s plenty of players that can make plays on the team. I really don’t worry nearly as much as you think about what we don’t have. It’s like 100% what we do and how to problem-solve for that.”

Waddle suffered a concussion late in regulation of the Patriots game. He needs to clear multiple stages of the concussion protocol to be cleared to play.

Players in the protocol who show enough improvement can return to practice before being allowed to practice. Waddle is not yet at that point.

“He’s not practicing today, and I’m not really worried about the timeline,” McDaniel said. “I’m more worried about him getting right. So, not really sure when that is, nor have I tried to pick that up.”

Elsewhere, running back Salvon Ahmed (groin) is not practicing Wednesday, and his availability for Thursday is in doubt. If he cannot play Sunday, De’Von Achane and Chris Brooks would see their roles grow.

As for left tackle Terron Armstead, who has missed the first two games due to an ankle injury suffered on Aug. 17, McDaniel said:

“Terron will be in practice today. He’ll have an uptick tomorrow when the pads are on. And, so we’re full-steam ahead, we’ll, we’ll take it day by day.”

Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins Injury Report

Broncos

Did Not Practice

TBD

Limited

TBD

Full

TBD

Dolphins

Did Not Practice

  • RB Salvon Ahmed (groin)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (concussion)

Limited

Full

Listen to the PFN Dolphins Podcast

Listen to the PFN Dolphins Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Dolphins Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Dolphins Podcast on our NFL YouTube channel.

Adam Beasley is Pro Football Network’s Director of Original Content and Brand Development. You can read all of Adam’s work here and follow him on Twitter: @AdamHBeasley.





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