NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Mike Tannenbaum suggests Bears trade Tyrique Stevenson for Stefon Diggs

    Mike Tannenbaum suggests Bears trade Tyrique Stevenson for Stefon Diggs

    Mike Tannenbaum suggests Bears trade Tyrique Stevenson for Stefon Diggs originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

    A significant faction of the Bears’ offseason to-do list is finding a solid second option to catch footballs opposite of DJ Moore.

    On ESPN’s “Get Up!” former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum suggested the Bears trade one of their top rookies, Tyrique Stevenson, for Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs.

    Stevenson, 23, played 16 games his rookie season, recording four interceptions, 16 passes defended, two forced fumbles and 86 combined tackles. He was one of the Bears’ most reliable cornerbacks to pair with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon.

    His eye for coverage and his ferocity for tackling stood out, the latter sometimes to a fault with penalties. Still, he has a bright future on the Bears’ defense.

    Diggs, 30, just completed his sixth-straight 1,000-yard season with the Bills. Need I sell you Diggs? He’s one of the league’s best receivers and route-runners. With Moore, the duo would inarguably be one of the best in the league.

    But between Tre’Davious White and Rasul Douglas, how badly do the Bills need a cornerback? And would they really be willing to part with Diggs? The Bills traded a 2020 first-round pick (No. 22 overall), a 2020 fifth-round pick, a 2020 sixth-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Vikings to acquire him.

    It would be a difficult trade to turn down for the Bears. But it’s extremely unlikely at this juncture, and likely far away on the Bears’ laundry list of to-do items this offseason.

    Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.

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  • College Football Playoff bracket: Early predictions under 5+7 model as 12-team format begins in 2024 season

    College Football Playoff bracket: Early predictions under 5+7 model as 12-team format begins in 2024 season

    The College Football Playoff Board of Managers unanimously approved a change to the 5+7 model as the expanded 12-team field debuts in the 2024 season, awarding automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions with seven at-large bids filling out the field. It was a change necessitated by the implosion of the Pac-12 as a championship-producing conference, as 10 of those members now reside in the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. 

    Finalizing the format provides the opportunity to take part in an exercise that’s all too familiar around this time of year because of the NCAA Tournament. While CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm and other March Madness Bracketologists are crunching the numbers for a 68-team field on the basketball court, we thought it would be fun to fill out a way-too-early projected bracket for the 12-team College Football Playoff field come December. 

    Going through this process requires a few points of clarification in the wake of implementation of the 5+7 model.

    The four highest-ranked conference champions will get the top four seeds (in order) in the bracket and receive a first-round bye. Those teams may be ranked behind other at-large teams in the final selection committee rankings; but if a team is, for example, the third-highest ranked conference champion, it will jump straight to No. 3. After that, the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion is not guaranteed anything other than a spot in the field. If the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion is ranked behind the seven at-large selections, it will be the No. 12 seed. Higher seeds in the first round host playoff games, either at their home stadium or another location of their designation. After the first round, the six games that make up the quarterfinals and semifinals will…..

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  • NFL teams inquired about trade for Bears’ Justin Fields during 2024 Senior Bowl, per report

    NFL teams inquired about trade for Bears’ Justin Fields during 2024 Senior Bowl, per report

    The Chicago Bears haven’t necessarily begun soliciting offers for quarterback Justin Fields, but other NFL teams began inquiring about a potential trade for the former first-round draft pick at this year’s Senior Bowl, according to Sports Illustrated.

    Pre-draft events, including the scouting combine, have often served as an unofficial catalyst for trade talks, and “those conversations” with other NFL teams allowed Chicago staffers to “start to gauge” Fields’ value this offseason, per Albert Breer.

    The Bears still “really like” Fields as a QB prospect three years after drafting him No. 11 overall, according to Breer, but they are “meeting over the next couple weeks to finalize plans” at the position. Many expect the team to use this year’s No. 1 overall selection on a consensus top QB prospect like USC’s Caleb Williams, effectively resetting the position (and its contract situation).

    If the Bears intend to replace Fields at the top of the draft, it stands to reason they’ll look to trade their current starter sooner rather than later, in order to capitalize on the pre-draft QB market. While trades cannot be finalized until March 13, the official start of the 2024 league year, terms of an agreement can be negotiated and preliminarily accepted at any point between now and then.

    Fields has drawn strong reviews from Bears teammates after three promising but injury- and turnover-riddled seasons in Chicago. But Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are all expected to come off the board early in the draft at QB.

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  • ESPN discusses Michigan football new-look coaching staff

    ESPN discusses Michigan football new-look coaching staff

    As far as what Michigan football will be in 2024, it’s something of a mystery.

    Most who paid attention coming into the 2023 season weren’t exactly shocked that the Wolverines went 15-0 and won the national championship. Given the returning players and coaching staff, despite multiple coaching suspensions (Jim Harbaugh for six games and Sherrone Moore for one), the leadership on the team from the player level appeared to be one that could carry the maize and blue to the promised land. And that ended up being the case.

    But the roster has had a lot of turnover, with most starters on the offense having moved on. The defense features a ton of returning players, but saw the entire coaching staff on that side of the ball move on. So what will give in 2024?

    ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg put together a thinkpiece about the coaching additions around college football (subscription required) and when it comes to the maize and blue, he sees a ton of upside — though a group that’s hoping more to reload and have continuity than anything else.

    Michigan’s staff has a bit more continuity, at least on offense, where new coach Sherrone Moore promoted quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell to fill his role of coordinator and shifted tight ends coach Grant Newsome to fill Moore’s other main responsibility, the offensive line. Both moves make sense for continuity, but Campbell, in particular, will be watched as he has more influence over Michigan’s offense. Campbell worked well within the Jim Harbaugh-constructed offense and helped J.J. McCarthy last fall, but he also comes from the Joe Moorhead tree and could try some different elements to attack defenses, especially as Michigan figures out a murky quarterback situation.

    Michigan’s entire defensive staff is NFL-bound, and Moore is turning to longtime NFL assistant Wink Martindale to…

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  • Tom Brady will have to ditch BetMGM deal when his purchase of piece of Raiders is approved

    Tom Brady will have to ditch BetMGM deal when his purchase of piece of Raiders is approved

    Tom Brady is currently having it both ways. That won’t last much longer.

    Last year, Brady struck a deal to become a minority owner of the Raiders. The NFL has not yet approved the transaction, due in large part to concerns about the sweetheart deal Brady was getting.

    In the interim, Brady is able to do things he can’t do if/when the transaction is approved.

    For example, he can gamble and promote gambling. As he is doing for BetMGM. Per the NFL, the moment Brady’s acquisition of a portion of the Raiders is approved, he’ll have to cut ties with BetMGM.

    “NFL personnel are prohibited from engaging in, using or permitting the use of one’s name or images in connection with activities or materials that depict, advertise, market or promote any form of gambling, including sports betting,” the league said in an email to PFT.

    Of course, Brady will be allowed to own up to five percent of BetMGM or any other company that operates a sports book once he officially becomes an owner of the Raiders. Every owner can do that. And the league won’t disclose the equity interests that NFL owners have in sports book companies.

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  • Iowa State offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase leaving for job on Los Angeles Rams staff, per report

    Iowa State offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase leaving for job on Los Angeles Rams staff, per report

    USATSI

    The Los Angeles Rams plan to hire Iowa State offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase as their pass game specialist, ESPN reports. Scheelhaase will join Sean McVay’s coaching staff for the 2024 season and replace Jake Peetz, who left to become the pass game coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.

    Scheelhaase, 33, started his coaching career with his alma mater, Illinois, shortly after his playing career ended in 2013. He was hired to work with running backs in 2015 and served as an offensive analyst from 2016-17.

    He joined Iowa State’s coaching staff in 2018 and spent six seasons with the program in various roles. Iowa State hired him as its running backs coach before moving him to coach the wide receivers the following season. 

    Scheelhaase was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023. The Cyclones offense improved under his guidance and averaged six more points per game (20.2 to 26.2) than in 2022. Iowa State also led the nation with 11 touchdown plays of at least 50 yards. 

    Scheelhaase also helped oversee the development of Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht. The redshirt freshman earned the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award after throwing for 3,120 yards and 23 touchdowns. Scheelhaase was also a member of the Iowa State staff when former Cyclone great and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was on the team.

    The move continues a growing trend of college coaches departing for the professional ranks this past offseason. The list includes Boston College coach Jeff Hafley (now the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator),…

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  • Kirk Cousins rumors: Here’s what could be a potential holdup for the Vikings to re-sign the veteran QB

    Kirk Cousins rumors: Here’s what could be a potential holdup for the Vikings to re-sign the veteran QB

    USATSI

    The Minnesota Vikings are facing a quarterback question this offseason, and their starter in Kirk Cousins may be the most attractive quarterback looking for a new deal — even at 35 years old and coming off of a torn Achilles. Cousins has been with the Vikings for six seasons now, but if he’ll be back in 2024 is a legitimate question.

    According to Sports Illustrated, the Vikings really like Cousins, but they won’t hand the veteran signal-caller a fully-guaranteed deal like the contracts he’s signed in Minnesota previously. In 2022, Cousins signed a one-year, $35 million fully-guaranteed extension that carried him through 2023. Now, he has the ability to test the free agency waters.

    Cousins can’t be franchise-tagged this offseason, so Minnesota will have to compete with other potential suitors. Spotrac estimates Cousins could be worth a three-year deal that carries an average annual value of $39.3 million. That…

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  • Clemson offensive stars we’d love to see in EA Sports’ College Football

    Clemson offensive stars we’d love to see in EA Sports’ College Football

    College football fans and gamers have been waiting a long time for a new video game to play NCAA football on Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox consoles. After more than 10 years, that wait appears to be almost over.

    EA Sports announced last week that it was officially relaunching its heralded college football franchise, previously known as ‘NCAA Football,’ sometime this summer. The game will be titled ‘EA Sports College Football 25.’

    Who will be on the cover and other details have yet to be finalized, but various reports state that a release date for the video game is expected to be sometime this summer, likely in either July or August.

    The last college football game that was released by EA Sports was NCAA Football 14. That game featured former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson on the cover. The ‘NCAA’ series was discontinued in 2013 after a wave of lawsuits over name, image and likeness.

    For Clemson fans that didn’t hold on to PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 consoles and use downloaded rosters from other online gamers, that means they missed out on playing with a lot of Tiger legends from the Dabo Swinney era.

    With that in mind, we decided to put together a list of Clemson football stars from the past 10 years that we’re sure fans and gamers alike would love to play with on EA’s new college football series if the makers of the game decide to allow users to access past players.

    Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

    The “OG GOAT” of the Dabo Swinney era. Whatever you want to call him, Watson was the quarterback who started Clemson’s run of dominance from 2015-2020. He helped lead the Tigers to the national championship game in 2015 before winning it in 2016 with his touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with one second left, capping a 35-31 thriller over Alabama. Watson was a Heisman finalist both years.

    Jan…

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