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After spending nearly a week in Indianapolis at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine talking to general managers, coaches, agents and sources from around the league, it’s a pleasure to finish the talk (I may or may not be freezing my face from all the talking) and share with you the latest I hear about the NFL.
Here’s what you need to know.
If the Chicago Bears planned to keep their moves a mystery, it wasn’t difficult to figure out their quarterback play based on all the talk in restaurants, coffee shops and convention center hallways about which team has the keys to the top of the league. NFL Draft.
Several league sources I spoke with believe the Bears are trying to move on from Justin Fields, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The team, which has the Nos. 1 and 9 picks, appears to be focused on using its first pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Although there were suspicions that Williams had no interest in playing in Chicago, he recently revealed in an interview that he would be happy to be a Bear if he were drafted. I spoke to some Bears brass who had seen Williams’ recent feelings about his interest in Chicago, and they seemed pleased. When Williams met in person with the Chicago staff, they spent most of the time at the whiteboard going over the facility, observing his recovery and process.
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As for their current quarterback, Bears decision-makers would like to make a decision on Fields’ future before the NFL free agency window, which opens March 13. That is what they prefer, but not necessarily what they will achieve. General manager Ryan Poles openly shared that he wants to “do right” with Fields and understands that “no one wants to live in the gray area.”
The team spent most of the week gauging interest around the league to gauge its value. The Bears may need movement in the veteran quarterback market, which includes Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, before interested teams enter serious talks with Bears for Fields. While I expect Fields’ demand to be strong, knowing that teams like the Raiders, Broncos, Steelers and Falcons are looking for a quarterback, it appears his market is weak for now. It was difficult to find great interest from any team. An NFC CEO explained the current problem: “When people know you’re getting rid of something, they don’t pay as much for it.”
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Chicago needs just one team to change everything. But the Bears may have to wait for veteran QBs to find homes before drawing interest.
That brings us to Cousins.
He is the most valuable player on the market despite an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in October. The Vikings want to keep him and the 35-year-old has expressed his love for the organization, but history has shown us that Cousins is the best contract negotiator in sports. The question remains how high Minnesota is willing to go to keep the quarterback that coach Kevin O’Connell clearly wants to run his offense again.
Over the next month, I’ll be keeping an eye on the Falcons. They believe Cousins is the type of player that takes them from a fringe playoff team to a contender. New Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson are familiar with Cousins. Knowing that this could be a perfect transition for Cousins and the talented group of young players on his roster, I expect the Falcons to compete for the rights to his contract. He makes all the sense in the world.
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A consolation prize for Atlanta? How about Mayfield? I expect the Falcons to try to sign him if they lose Cousins or if Tampa Bay can’t come to terms with Mayfield. The Bucs have offered Mayfield a new deal, but they are still in an early stage of their negotiations. We’ll see if the man who bet on himself, replaced Tom Brady and took a team to the playoffs can get a deal that can pay him between $30 and $35 million per year. Not bad for a QB who was just playing on a $4 million contract and now has multiple suitors.
Speaking of the Bucs, wide receiver Mike Evans plans to hit free agency for the first time in his career. The Bucs and Evans are still in talks, but he wants to explore his options. This doesn’t mean his time in Tampa is over, but Evans wants to hear from all interested teams. This is your first chance to be courted. I still believe that he will stay on the team that drafted him.
Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones and the Chiefs are in talks to reach a deal. While Jones could hit free agency, there is optimism the Chiefs will retain him. The Super Bowl champions are determined to lock up their best player, who is not named Patrick Mahomes.
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Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has received a lot of praise for his coaching performances that helped the Chiefs win another title. Although he recently signed a new contract to stay with the Chiefs, the 49ers were trying to get him, according to a league source. The 49ers are planning to promote Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator after parting ways with Steve Wilks and the team is expected to hire former Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley as assistant head coach, league sources confirmed. News of those moves was first reported by ESPN.
• I met with Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon and was impressed by his support of Kyler Murray. It’s very clear that Murray is his man. It’s always nice to hear a coach say that he has a crush on his quarterback. The Cardinals pick fourth in the draft and some around the league believe they are open to a trade. Could we see four quarterbacks take the top four picks? A general manager told me, “Of course!”
• I spent time with a head coach who wasn’t in Chicago and who was hesitant to meet with Caleb Williams. He had some reservations based on his own information gathering. After the coach met Williams, I received a text message that said, “I actually like him a lot; “It was a really good interview.” This is a small but great example of why in-person meetings are important for players and teams. An interaction can generate an opinion and an important decision for an organization.
• The Broncos made it very clear that Russell Wilson’s chapter will end soon. Around the league, people believe Denver will cut him next week.
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• Don’t expect brokers to be franchise tagged this year as the price has exceeded the market. Based on multiple conversations with different teams, Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley sit atop the free agent running back lists, followed by the next wave of running backs like Derrick Henry, D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard.
That said, teams acted like they’d rather pay those second-tier players around $6 million instead of more than $10 million for Jacobs and Barkley. Even though the free agent market includes the most talented group of running backs we’ve seen available in years, I don’t feel that changes his declining value in the NFL.
(Caleb Williams Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images)