Now that the gears of the NFL offseason are going to start turning sooner than we know, it’s time to have some hot takes about what crazy stuff might happen.
Bears stay at No.1, take Caleb Williams, keep Justin Fields despite news leaking they were offered three firsts for #1
I know the first part of that is to be expected, but getting three firsts for a pick and turning it down is nasty, especially considering most teams looking to trade up are doing so from within the top 10.
Keeping Fields after this is even worse, yet it seems like a very Bears thing to do.
San Fransisco trades/cuts Deebo, keeps Aiyuk
Rumors are swirling about Brandon Aiyuk and his contract, with posts from family members abound.
Deebo Samuel is owed around $28 million next year with an opt-out the following season, and while his value as a playmaker is still incredibly high, it’s hard to argue against Aiyuk’s production this past season.
Samuel’s money becomes fully guaranteed on April 1st, so cutting him before then seems more likely than a trade since other teams will be aware of this fact and unwilling to give up any draft capital to acquire him. It gives SF a bit of salary cap relief and maybe even the ability to re-sign Aiyuk to a long-term deal.
Kirk Cousins ends up a Falcon
Who knows if this will actually be true, but Atlanta was so snake bitten by QB play that there has to be some change on the way.
They might end up addressing the position in the first round, but their draft position tells me they’d be better off not trading up, standing pat and taking a pass rusher, and signing Cousins to solidify the position and compete for the NFC South next year.
They’ve got the cap space and the weapons for Cousins to be successful, and he’d certainly be a consistent option as opposed to the volatile nature of starting a rookie QB.
Russell Wilson is another interesting, likely cheaper option for Atlanta to consider, but Cousins is the better option and you get what you pay for, so I might expect ATL to lean towards Cousins.
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