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The 2018 NFL Draft in Dallas is quickly approaching. In just over a week, all 32 teams will converge on Texas to add elite youngsters to the mix.
More so than any previous year, the backdrop of the 2018 draft is all about trades. Which teams might look to move up for that franchise signal caller? Are we going to see big-name players traded during the event?
As the draft approaches, rumors are flying left and right. Here’s a look at some of those rumors with a couple of tidbits from this one scribe included.
Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas could be headed out of town in a trade. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys Making Push For Earl Thomas
By virtue of releasing Dez Bryant, Dallas saved $8.5 million against the 2018 cap. Is it a coincidence that Earl Thomas is set to earn an $8.5 million base salary for Seattle next season? We’re not too sure.
What we do know is that Thomas has made it known he wants to play for his hometown Cowboys. The Seahawks have had him on the trade block throughout the entire offseason. And if that weren’t enough, Dallas moved safety Byron Jones to cornerback — creating a major hole at free safety moving forward.
Dallas is reportedly still in the market to add Thomas during this month’s draft. On the other side of the equation, Seattle has not been afraid to move on from core members of its former Legion of Boom defense. That includes both Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett.
We likely won’t hear too much concrete information on this front until Day 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft gets going in Dallas. But at that point, it’s logical to believe a trade will be worked out.
Buffalo Bills And Arizona Cardinals Target Quarterbacks
Buffalo already moved up from the the 21st selection to 12th overall with the Cordy Glenn trade with Cincinnati in March. After the Bills traded Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland and signed A.J. McCarron on the cheap, it’s readily apparent they are looking to add a franchise signal caller.
Most often linked to Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen, Buffalo will likely need to trade up from the 12th spot to secure either one. Given that this squad still has two picks in each of the first three rounds, that seems like an obvious direction for Buffalo to pursue.
The Cardinals’ situation is a bit different in that the team missed out on both Kirk Cousins and Case Keenum in free agency. Instead, Arizona settled on the injury-prone Sam Bradford as a stopgap option. Picking 15th overall, Arizona can hope that one of the top-five quarterbacks lands in its lap. Even then, this would mean adding a signal caller whom teams also in need of a quarterback passed up on. That’s not an ideal scenario.
Without additional picks, Arizona could be forced to exhaust future draft capital in a move up. It would be similar to the Houston Texans’ moving up into the top 10 to take Deshaun Watson last year. But it still seems likely that something is a go on this front. We’ll see during the early stages of Round 1 a week from Thursday.
The Odell Beckham Jr. Front
Will the Giants move disgruntled wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.? (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Remy Martin)
It doesn’t seem like a whole lot is happening here. Sure, the Giants could still trade Beckham, and there are a few teams that make sense as potential landing spots. Even then, it would take a massive haul for New York to move its best player.
The issue behind the scenes in Jersey is a major split between OBJ’s perception of himself and how the Giants view him as a franchise stalwart. If things don’t quiet down in this regard as Day 1 of the draft comes calling a week from Thursday, we could very well see the Giants actually decide to move Beckham.
One NFL source close to a team notes that New York’s asking price of two first-round picks, coupled with OBJ’s desire to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, has led to a stagnant market. The source indicated that if the Giants were willing to move off that asking price, a trade would be imminent. We’re just not too sure whether that’s ever going to happen given Beckham’s importance to New York’s offense.
Picks 4-6 Seem Open For Business
We can add the Giants, picking No. 2 overall, to the mix here. Recent reports suggest the team is looking hard at selecting former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. If that’s the case, a move down with a quarterback-needy team should be in the cards. No matter Barkley’s elite ability, selecting a running back at No. 2 seems to be a bit of a reach.
Picking fourth through sixth (in that order), Cleveland, Denver and Indianapolis are all seemingly open for business. The idea here would be for each team to pick up the draft capital necessary to continue their rebuilds.
Of these three teams, Cleveland’s pick might very well be the most discussed. The Browns will almost assuredly take a quarterback No. 1 overall. If the Giants then go in a different direction (say, Barkley or Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson), that would give teams picking later in the first round incentive to yield a whole lot in a move up with the Browns for No. 4.
Picking at No. 5 overall, the Broncos are also an interesting figure in this entire situation. With the team having signed Case Keenum, quarterback doesn’t seem to be a major immediate need for GM John Elway and Co. Could a trade down, with a team like Buffalo or Arizona, be in the cards?
What happens with these first six picks is going to have a dramatic impact on the remainder of the draft. In fact, it could lead to as many as five quarterbacks going within the top 10.
Patriots Trade Up Possibility
Speaking of quarterbacks going in the top 10, it’s looking increasingly likely that New England is trying to move up into that range for an eventual successor to Tom Brady.
Following the deal that sent Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2018 first-round pick, these Patriots have four selections in the first two rounds. That includes the 23rd and 31st picks on Day 1.
One NFL source close to the situation indicated that it’s a distinct possibility that New England will pull off a trade into the top 10 for a quarterback. Said team could very well be the San Francisco 49ers picking at No. 9 overall.
It’s now well known that San Francisco general manager John Lynch has not been afraid to pull the trigger on draft day trades. In fact, he made four separate deals during his first draft running the 49ers war room last April. It also doesn’t hurt that the 49ers and the Patriots have a great working relationship, according to that source.
Reports surfaced after the Cooks trade that New England was targeting UCLA’s Josh Rosen in a trade-up scenario. Those reports have not died down since. And given that Rosen might be facing a draft-day slide, there’s a chance he’ll be there at No. 9 overall when the 49ers are on the clock.
It’s a potential “scratch my back, and I’ll scratch your back situation.” New England sold Garoppolo for pennies on the dollar when it traded him to San Francisco for a mere second-round pick back in October. If Rosen is indeed there at No. 9, there’s no reason to believe the 49ers won’t listen to offers from New England for that selection.
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The 2018 NFL Draft in Dallas is quickly approaching. In just over a week, all 32 teams will converge on Texas to add elite youngsters to the mix.
More so than any previous year, the backdrop of the 2018 draft is all about trades. Which teams might look to move up for that franchise signal caller? Are we going to see big-name players traded during the event?
As the draft approaches, rumors are flying left and right. Here’s a look at some of those rumors with a couple of tidbits from this one scribe included.
Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas could be headed out of town in a trade. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys Making Push For Earl Thomas
By virtue of releasing Dez Bryant, Dallas saved $8.5 million against the 2018 cap. Is it a coincidence that Earl Thomas is set to earn an $8.5 million base salary for Seattle next season? We’re not too sure.
What we do know is that Thomas has made it known he wants to play for his hometown Cowboys. The Seahawks have had him on the trade block throughout the entire offseason. And if that weren’t enough, Dallas moved safety Byron Jones to cornerback — creating a major hole at free safety moving forward.
Dallas is reportedly still in the market to add Thomas during this month’s draft. On the other side of the equation, Seattle has not been afraid to move on from core members of its former Legion of Boom defense. That includes both Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett.
We likely won’t hear too much concrete information on this front until Day 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft gets going in Dallas. But at that point, it’s logical to believe a trade will be worked out.
Buffalo Bills And Arizona Cardinals Target Quarterbacks
Buffalo already moved up from the the 21st selection to 12th overall with the Cordy Glenn trade with Cincinnati in March. After the Bills traded Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland and signed A.J. McCarron on the cheap, it’s readily apparent they are looking to add a franchise signal caller.
Most often linked to Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen, Buffalo will likely need to trade up from the 12th spot to secure either one. Given that this squad still has two picks in each of the first three rounds, that seems like an obvious direction for Buffalo to pursue.
The Cardinals’ situation is a bit different in that the team missed out on both Kirk Cousins and Case Keenum in free agency. Instead, Arizona settled on the injury-prone Sam Bradford as a stopgap option. Picking 15th overall, Arizona can hope that one of the top-five quarterbacks lands in its lap. Even then, this would mean adding a signal caller whom teams also in need of a quarterback passed up on. That’s not an ideal scenario.
Without additional picks, Arizona could be forced to exhaust future draft capital in a move up. It would be similar to the Houston Texans’ moving up into the top 10 to take Deshaun Watson last year. But it still seems likely that something is a go on this front. We’ll see during the early stages of Round 1 a week from Thursday.
The Odell Beckham Jr. Front
Will the Giants move disgruntled wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.? (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Remy Martin)
It doesn’t seem like a whole lot is happening here. Sure, the Giants could still trade Beckham, and there are a few teams that make sense as potential landing spots. Even then, it would take a massive haul for New York to move its best player.
The issue behind the scenes in Jersey is a major split between OBJ’s perception of himself and how the Giants view him as a franchise stalwart. If things don’t quiet down in this regard as Day 1 of the draft comes calling a week from Thursday, we could very well see the Giants actually decide to move Beckham.
One NFL source close to a team notes that New York’s asking price of two first-round picks, coupled with OBJ’s desire to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, has led to a stagnant market. The source indicated that if the Giants were willing to move off that asking price, a trade would be imminent. We’re just not too sure whether that’s ever going to happen given Beckham’s importance to New York’s offense.
Picks 4-6 Seem Open For Business
We can add the Giants, picking No. 2 overall, to the mix here. Recent reports suggest the team is looking hard at selecting former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. If that’s the case, a move down with a quarterback-needy team should be in the cards. No matter Barkley’s elite ability, selecting a running back at No. 2 seems to be a bit of a reach.
Picking fourth through sixth (in that order), Cleveland, Denver and Indianapolis are all seemingly open for business. The idea here would be for each team to pick up the draft capital necessary to continue their rebuilds.
Of these three teams, Cleveland’s pick might very well be the most discussed. The Browns will almost assuredly take a quarterback No. 1 overall. If the Giants then go in a different direction (say, Barkley or Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson), that would give teams picking later in the first round incentive to yield a whole lot in a move up with the Browns for No. 4.
Picking at No. 5 overall, the Broncos are also an interesting figure in this entire situation. With the team having signed Case Keenum, quarterback doesn’t seem to be a major immediate need for GM John Elway and Co. Could a trade down, with a team like Buffalo or Arizona, be in the cards?
What happens with these first six picks is going to have a dramatic impact on the remainder of the draft. In fact, it could lead to as many as five quarterbacks going within the top 10.
Patriots Trade Up Possibility
Speaking of quarterbacks going in the top 10, it’s looking increasingly likely that New England is trying to move up into that range for an eventual successor to Tom Brady.
Following the deal that sent Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2018 first-round pick, these Patriots have four selections in the first two rounds. That includes the 23rd and 31st picks on Day 1.
One NFL source close to the situation indicated that it’s a distinct possibility that New England will pull off a trade into the top 10 for a quarterback. Said team could very well be the San Francisco 49ers picking at No. 9 overall.
It’s now well known that San Francisco general manager John Lynch has not been afraid to pull the trigger on draft day trades. In fact, he made four separate deals during his first draft running the 49ers war room last April. It also doesn’t hurt that the 49ers and the Patriots have a great working relationship, according to that source.
Reports surfaced after the Cooks trade that New England was targeting UCLA’s Josh Rosen in a trade-up scenario. Those reports have not died down since. And given that Rosen might be facing a draft-day slide, there’s a chance he’ll be there at No. 9 overall when the 49ers are on the clock.
It’s a potential “scratch my back, and I’ll scratch your back situation.” New England sold Garoppolo for pennies on the dollar when it traded him to San Francisco for a mere second-round pick back in October. If Rosen is indeed there at No. 9, there’s no reason to believe the 49ers won’t listen to offers from New England for that selection.