Welcome to Thursday, football fans! Our good pal John Breech is still busy trying to convince Tee Higgins to stay in Cincinnati, so you have me, Tyler Sullivan, here to guide you through all the latest happenings in the NFL.
As you know by now, this is the Pick Six newsletter. As we continue to move forward through the offseason, do yourself a favor and make sure you’re signed up to receive this newsletter every day! You don’t want to miss our daily offerings of everything you need to know around the NFL.
Now that we have the formalities out of the way, let’s get to the news:
1. The price for Vikings to trade up to No. 2 overall
The Minnesota Vikings have already shaken up the 2024 NFL Draft by acquiring the No. 23 overall pick in a trade with the Houston Texans last week. Now, the club is armed with two first-rounders (the other being No. 11 overall), and most assume they’ll try to package those picks to vault up the board in hopes of getting one of the top quarterbacks in the class. But what would it actually cost for Minnesota to pull off such a move? And how high could the Vikings go?
CBS Sports editor and SportsLine gambling guru R.J. White examines what it could cost the Vikings to jump up to various spots in the draft using his draft pick value chart. In doing so, White combs over a trio of different offers for each pick, varying from a baseline deal to a medium offer to a competitive-market value.
Here’s White’s synopsis for the “medium value” trade that the Vikings could make with the Commanders for the No. 2 overall pick:
- Vikings receive No. 2 (777.06 points)
- Commanders receive No. 11, No. 23, No. 108, 2025 first-round pick and 2026 second-round pick (828.85 points)
If the Commanders don’t put a severe discount on a pick two years out instead of one, this is a way for the Vikings to complete a similar overpay to what the 49ers did to move up to No. 3 and ultimately take Trey Lance. That deal also included a pick two years out, so it’s a good one to use for comparison, and there were several teams that year that needed a quarterback, with two more ultimately going in the top 15 picks.
To read the entire piece where White constructs deals for the Vikings to get into the top five via the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 overall selections along with No. 2, click here.
2. NFL’s proposed 2024 rule changes, including hip-drop tackles
The NFL submitted several rule changes for the 2024 season, which CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones relayed on Wednesday. That includes a revamp of the kickoff formations and return options. Under the proposed change, the kicking team would be prohibited from moving until the ball contacts or is fielded within a designated “landing zone,” which is between the receiving team’s 20-yard line and the goal line. Meanwhile, receiving teams would only be allowed to place two returners in the zone and they’d be unable to utilize a fair catch as they were permitted to do in 2023.
For more details on that proposed change, you can read the full story here.
Also in the piece is the NFL looking into the possibility of making the hip-drop tackle a 15-yard penalty. However, the NFLPA released a statement on Wednesday asking the league to not outlaw the controversial tackle.
“While the NFLPA remains committed to improvements to our game with health and safety in mind, we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials and especially, for fans. We call on the NFL, again, to reconsider implementing this rule.”
3. Russell Wilson among the top bargain free-agent signings
While free agency is oftentimes dominated by star players inking monster contracts, it’s the bargains that can put clubs over the top. CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin combed through all of the signings through the first few waves of free agency and picked out a handful of bargains that should prove to be fantastic signings for their respective teams. Here are a couple:
Steelers QB Russell Wilson: Even in the seemingly unlikely event that Russell Wilson is beaten out for the starting gig by Justin Fields, this is probably the best bargain contract of the offseason. Look at the prices backup quarterbacks are fetching on the open market, while Wilson signed for just $1.2 million. Russ is, of course, no longer the player he once was, but he doesn’t have to be anything close to that to be worth this price and more.
Chiefs WR Marquise Brown: Replacing Marquez Valdes-Scantling with the same type of player, but a version who more consistently gets open — and who is also able to operate in the slot — is such a great fit for the Chiefs. Hollywood Brown got a one-year deal with only $6.5 million in guarantees. Of all Kansas City’s veteran wideout signings over the past few years, this one is by far their biggest value win.
4. Odell Beckham Jr. visiting the Dolphins
Odell Beckham Jr., one of the notable remaining free agent wide receivers, is visiting with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, according to CBS Sports HQ senior NFL insider Josina Anderson. Beckham was officially released by the Ravens last week and has drawn interest from the Dolphins, who’d look to insert him into an offense that already has star wideouts like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins had been limited during this free agent cycle due to salary cap constraints, but can now engage possible targets like Beckham, especially after linebacker Bradley Chubb restructured his contract, which freed up $11 million in cap space.
5. Cardinals open to trading No. 4 pick in NFL Draft
The first three picks of the NFL Draft are widely assumed to be quarterbacks, which makes the Arizona Cardinals, who own the No. 4 overall selection, a fascinating team to monitor. They could simply take the best player available at that pick (possibly Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.) or they could put the pick up for sale with other teams vying to enter the QB frenzy atop the draft.
That latter option does seem to be a legitimate route that the Cardinals could go down with general manager Monti Ossenfort outright saying that the team is open to trade discussions.
“There will be a big neon sign that says ‘open’ and I don’t like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we’re always going to be listening,” Ossenfort said Wednesday at a joint press conference with Jonathan Gannon. “I think we’ll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at [No.] 4 or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation and if it makes sense, if it’s attractive to building our team, then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft.”
6. Extra points
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
March 21, 2024 | 1:25 pm
