NEWSLETTER
Knowing that today is scheduled to be the Franchise/Transition Tag deadline, I can’t get this out of my head:
You’re welcome.
• No tag necessary for QB Dak Prescott, who was paid handsomely by the Cowboys on Monday night. It includes gobs of guaranteed money and could be worth north of $160 million when all is said and done. My mind went in so many places upon hearing the news. I thought about how it took Prescott off the market for a QB-starved franchise like the Bears. But it also took Dallas out of the Russell Wilson sweepstakes. So … that’s a net win, right? Then I had to stop myself when I started thinking about what I would do if $160 million was placed at my doorstep because I was that good at my gig. Mentally, I spent that money on all the Air Jordans I took the “L” on via the SNKRS app. In a dream, I’d start with a pair of Concords, the Pantone 11s, Taxi 12s, “University Blue” AJ1s, and work from there.
• A worthwhile nugget from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who notes Prescott’s deal is ultimately a six-year pact that voids to four years. Talk about creative bookkeeping. No wonder this deal took so long to come together. Todd Archer has details as to how that structure would work.
• Can’t wait to see how this looks:
One league source on the Dak Prescott deal: "You know what this is? This is Jerry Jones tipping off the extraordinary TV deal that is coming."
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2021
• An updated look at the available free agent quarterbacks with Dak out of the picture:
With Dak gone, the best available free agent QBs:
Jameis Winston
Mitch Trubisky
Cam Newton
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Jacoby Brissett
Andy Dalton
Tyrod Taylor
Alex Smith— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) March 9, 2021
• With Prescott re-signing in Dallas, it leaves Allen Robinson II as The Athletic’s best available free agent.
• Apparently, Robinson is spreading his wings and adding NBA insider to his résumé:
Per sources, Andre Drummond will be signing with the nets. They get some reinforcement on the defensive end and the glass. Look for them to still be active around the trade deadline lol
— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) March 9, 2021
• He’s coming for your gig, @BN_Bulls.
• Even without a set salary cap, some teams are already handing out tags:
⇒ Panthers OL Taylor Moton (Schefter)
⇒ Washington Football Team OL Brandon Scherff (JP Finlay)
⇒ Jaguars OL Cam Robinson (Rapoport)
⇒ Giants DL Leonard Williams (Rapoport)
⇒ Jets S Marcus Maye (Rapoport)
⇒ Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin (Schefter)
• Seeing Moton, Robinson, and Scherff go off the board brings clarity to which offensive linemen will be available in free agency. There was a belief the Bears could opt to let receiver Allen Robinson II walk in exchange for putting their energy into a significant offensive line investment. However, I’m not totally convinced Chicago will travel that route. This isn’t to say it would be a bad idea to do so. But the Bears haven’t talked as if they’re letting Robinson go. In fact, it’s been the opposite. With that in mind, it’s difficult to imagine them going down that road with Robinson.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) has an interesting projection for what’s next when it comes to Mitchell Trubisky:
“Top-five quarterbacks who don’t pan out usually get one second contract that is inflated, even if only at backup levels, because of their draft pedigree. After that, they settle into year-to-year, low-cost deals or fall out of the league. That’s my guess for how Trubisky’s career will play out.”
• The Bears are expected to be in attendance for Northwestern’s Pro Day, per Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell. This means they’ll get an eyes-on look at stud offensive tackle Rashawn Slater:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1369286856043503616
• Slater is one of the top tackle targets in this Draft class. He is talented to go in the top half of the first round, but could slip out due to any number of factors. Slater didn’t play last season, so the tape on him isn’t as fresh. Additionally, there are a ton of talented offensive line prospects in this class. And because there are strong cases to be made for each of them, someone will ultimately slip to where the Bears are expected to pick in the first round. Should Chicago not trade its 2021 first-rounder, this front office will have an opportunity to address a major need with a top-flight prospect.
• In other news regarding linemen, the Raiders are packaging offensive tackle Trent Brown and sending him back to the Patriots. It’s a move that clears significant cap space, while also doing Brown a solid by sending him back to a place where he previously thrived. All is well that ends well, I suppose.
• You, me, and every other Bears fan I know:
Greg Olsen reflects on career in Chicago: 'I was pissed off as hell' when traded from #Bears to Panthers https://t.co/O0N4RMBzVE via @RDCSports pic.twitter.com/jXrA9YqTyZ
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) March 8, 2021
• Sarah Thomas is a game-changer:
If you see it, you can be it.
Sarah Thomas continues to pave the way for generations to come.#InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/DDt7MbgTg9
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) March 8, 2021
• Pet food, kitchen appliances, massagers, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon. #ad
