It’s finally draft week, friends! I was talking to my wife about the “draft fatigue” cycle we trudged through the last two weeks. The point in the NFL calendar in which free agency is all but done, and we’ve mocked every scenario in the first round of the draft to death. My thought is, why not move the draft up two weeks? But I’m sure there’s enough reason (dollars) for the NFL not to, so I digress. You’re not alone in the “draft fatigue” boat; I feel it too. However, I am excited that in about 65 hours, I will be on a flight to Kansas City for the NFL Draft.
That being said, I have three more mock draft picks (Saints, Eagles, and Chiefs) to get out this week, and then I will be doing a full 2.0 round one mock draft before I leave for Kansas City. That one will include trades and be an updated and final take on all the information we’ve fleshed out throughout this process. I will also have some fun content for those attending the Kansas City draft festivities, some looking back at past drafts and some final mock draft medleys.
Sunday featured some chatter regarding the Aaron Rodgers saga, thanks to a report by Ian Rapport that the Jets and Packers had resumed trade discussions surrounding the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
After a dormant couple weeks, the #Jets and #Packers recently re-engaged on trade talks surrounding star QB Aaron Rodgers, sources say. A deal is not imminent, but the two sides are at least talking — with hopes a deal can (finally) be done this week.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2023
I just know that the Packers and Jets will pull the trigger on this deal during the first round of the draft and throw a wrench into the flow of my round-one coverage on Thursday night. It’ll be Aaron Rodgers’ last parting shot to me as a Bears fan. Oh well, bring it on. Let’s get it over with.
Luis shared some thoughts on the Rapoport report last night, which you can check out here:
McGovern played every offensive snap for the Jets last season and became the first Jet to log 3,000+ offensive snaps (all offensive positions) in a three-year span since LG James Carpenter (3,137 snaps, 2015-17) and LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (3,249 snaps, 2013-15) over the last 10 seasons., per a team release.
Last week, comments by Andy Reid and Brett Veach were lost in the draft shuffle regarding the Jalen Hurts contract extension and, more specifically, how that impacts the timeline for Patrick Mahomes’ next contract.
Reid said in a press conference last week that Mahomes took a team-friendly deal the last time around. That allowed Kansas City to fill holes with quality players and keep them in the Super Bowl conversation every year.
“You can start chasing that and kind of forget about your job at hand, but Pat’s got a great feel for all that stuff,” Reid said in his press conference. “The main thing he wanted to do, which my hat just goes off to him, is he wanted to do a deal that was team-friendly so that we could sign — if you lose a left tackle, you could go out and sign another one and have that flexibility there. So, you know, I think he’s got a great feel on all that.”
The deal that Reid referenced was the 10-year extension that Mahomes signed with the Chiefs in the summer of 2020. That deal came with an average annual value of $45 million. With multiple QBs getting bigger deals since and Mahomes winning another Super Bowl MVP, a raise is on the horizon.
Here’s what Chiefs GM Brett Veach had to say last week:
“We have a special relationship with [Mahomes] and his agent. We’re in constant communication,” General Manager Brett Veach said during his Thursday pre-draft press conference. “It’s one of those things — and I think coach [Andy Reid] hinted on this in his last press conference — where as soon as one guy gets done, it’s kind of the blueprint and the model. And a few years later, it’s jumped and exceeded.
“But I think that this organization and the relationship we have with Pat will always be working to make sure that we’re doing right by everybody. There will be a couple more contracts that still have to get done — Burrow and Herbert — and once they do, I think you kind of look at everything and assess where you are and what you can do and take it from there.”
So, a raise is coming. But the Chiefs will wait and see how the Burrow and Herbert extensions play out first.
This is a cool thread:
Jaylon Smith has made $32M in the NFL.
But what he's doing off the field is even more impressive.
Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
The New England Patriots are coming off their worst season in over three decades and have officially turned the page on the Belichick-Brady era by hiring Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. They’ve also hit the reset button at...
Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC Championship and their second Super Bowl appearance in the last five years in 2023. Will they pick up where they left off and continue to dominate the NFC this season?...
The Lions are ready for a new season after blowing a 17-point lead in the second half of the NFC Championship game to the 49ers. After a solid draft, they look to reach the Super Bowl in 2024. Check out...
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers caught the attention of NFL fans in the playoffs last season and hope to build on that success. What will they do this year? Check out their full schedule, record prediction, and more...
The 2024 NFL season is almost upon us, and the Arizona Cardinals are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting year. The Arizona Cardinals schedule has been released, and fans are eager to see how their team will...
The 2024 NFL season is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Atlanta Falcons. We will delve into the details of the Atlanta Falcons schedule, analyzing their opponents, key matchups, and providing a record prediction based on these...
Coming off a run to the AFC Championship game, The Baltimore Ravens schedule in 2024 looks brutal. They face off against a formidable lineup of opponents both at home and on the road. In this article, we will delve into...
The Buffalo Bills are gearing up for an exciting 2024 NFL season with a schedule that promises to challenge their mettle. The Buffalo Bills schedule features a tough in-division slate of opponents but weaker out-of-division foes. After losing both Stefon...
Despite being horrible on offense in 2023, the Steelers finished 10-7 and reached the playoffs before losing to the Buffalo Bills in the NFL Wild Card round. They then made plenty of noise in the offseason signing Russell Wilson and...
The Carolina Panthers are gearing up for the 2024 NFL season with a renewed sense of optimism and a revamped roster. The Carolina Panthers schedule can be looked at from both a positive and negative light. As the NFL schedule...
The New England Patriots are coming off their worst season in over three decades and have officially turned the page on the Belichick-Brady era by hiring Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. They’ve also hit the reset button at...
Schedule release day in the NFL is one of my favorite non-game days of the year. NFL social media teams work hard to create entertaining videos revealing their teams' schedules for the upcoming season. Here are my favorite 2024 NFL...
Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC Championship and their second Super Bowl appearance in the last five years in 2023. Will they pick up where they left off and continue to dominate the NFC this season?...
ESPN's Monday Night Football team will call the first game of the Caleb Williams Era when the Chicago Bears play the Houston Texans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. This will mark the first time the Hall of...
Cubs vs Pirates — There's going to be a little deja vu here for the next week, as the Cubs play seven straight games against the Pirates and Braves after just wrapping up six games against ... the Pirates and...
The Los Angeles Dodgers (29-16) are set to take on the Cincinnati Reds (18-25) Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, airing on SportsNet LA. The Dodgers are listed as -334 favorites by bookmakers, while the underdog Reds have +271 odds for...
The Minnesota Timberwolves face the Denver Nuggets at 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires three treys from Anthony Edwards.Anthony...
At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop...
At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Michael Porter Jr. needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Michael Porter Jr.'s...
To beat his 3-point over/under, Jamal Murray must make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, beginning at 8:30 PM ET.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer...
NEWSLETTER
