How did I miss this story? Belichick flat out doesn't think anyone is too important to trade. It looks like it forced Gronk to retire. https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/detroit-lions-trade-offer-rob-gronkowski-revealed
Any predictions for draft day? I think Jalen Hurts is the sleeper of the draft. He's gonna be that QB everyone kicks themselves for passing on, in a similar vein as Lamar Jackson (who I also predicted would be the sleeper in that draft). Whomever gets Herbert is gonna be disappointed, since Tua is the best QB available. I bet there's at least 3 major tech issues that delay the draft and result in awkward commentating for a bit, and at least two trades that leave you wondering if the NFL GMs are smoking weed now too or just the players. The Texans and/or Raiders will be involved in one of those trades (I know, a reach). Patriots are getting some bad PR right now and will make a splash to combat it, possibly trading up to get Hurts in the 1st round just so they can get him under contract for that extra year. Bengals will get Burrow, and there will be calls to replace him with Dalton by midway through the season, if there is a season. Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson will be the best defensive player in the draft -- yes, better than Young -- and we'll see teams spend the next 5 years trying to find the next version of him. Watch out for Jordan Love. If there was a re-draft after they each had one NFL season, the QBs selected, in order, would be 1) Tua; 2) Hurts; 3) Burrow; 4) Love; 5) Herbert; 6) Fromm; 7) Eason crazy Jerry Jones prediction: he gets a new QB. Relationship with Dak has soured too much, too much risk vs. reward. Watch for him to fall in love with Fromm, thinking the Dallas O-line is just what he needs.
I think the draft is going to be a wild ride. Social distancing means that there is far less chatter and discussion between teams so everyone is forced to make their own individual assessments. It's going to be really interesting to see what the reduction in "groupthink" is going to do to the valuation of prospects. Drafting is still too fraught with variance to draw any meaningful conclusions from this particular year, but I'm guessing a few first-rounders are going to be startling prospects that nobody else had rated that high.
One of my friends I'm in a fantasy league with and I were texting back and forth, wondering if this version of the draft was going to be like our draft. Where we have a chat box open and run smack back and forth. And the Browns pick and Belichick will be like, "Reeeeeeach!" and people mock the Giants for accidentally being on Autopick. And, then the whole night, the Jets are The Jets have entered the Draft The Jets have left the Draft And, it plays the ESPN tone when it's time to pick. One team is DEFINITELY going to make a mistake they will blame on technology / the connection.
Why the hell are the ESPN guys holding microphones in their houses? I am shocked the Raiders didn't draft a qb...not shocked GB did. Also, what are the odds Dallas drafts a qb (looking at you, Fromm).
I guess if GB was really high on Love, maybe that selection makes sense. But a first round pick is a lot of capital to spend on someone who isn't an immediate contributor, when you've got a superstar quarterback already and not a lot of good pass catchers to help him. I'm not surprised they drafted a future QB. Just that they won 13 games and got to the NFC championship, and then decided to drop that first round pick on someone who won't help them get any further next year.
First round picks get an extra year on the rookie wage scale. That's always important with QBs, and that's especially important in a world where we don't know when "next season" is. If Dallas hadn't had the chance to get the best WR in the class, I was hoping they'd use their 1st round pick on a QB as well for that reason. Fromm or Hurts specifically. I woke up today with a smile on my face though because Rodgers got Favred.