The Seahawks are looking for Geno Smith’s potential replacement, the Steelers absolutely adore this young linebacker, and the Vikings could make a surprise cut in the latest NFL rumors.
The NFL offseason wouldn’t be the NFL offseason without a plethora of rumors. You may have heard some of them already.
Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, and Jalen Ramsey currently dominate the rumor mill with news snippet after news snippet leaking out of the woodwork to the point where the NFL community has become numb to recent trivial developments. Rodgers came out of his four-day darkness retreat? Great. Let us know when he actually decides what he wants to do in 2023.
The Goliaths will always receive top coverage (just look at how many articles were written about Tom Brady’s retirement earlier this year), but the Davids of the NFL world deserve some attention, too.
That’s not to say these rumors are inconsequential. The following three rumors arguably carry the most intrigue in the league and should help keep any dedicated fan in the loop. Let’s take a look.
NFL Rumors: Uh oh Geno — Seahawks are seriously considering drafting a top QB in 2023
Start hypothesizing about those Seattle Seahawks No. 1 draft pick trades now if you haven’t already. Head coach Pete Carroll recently told reporters that would still “definitely consider” drafting an early-round quarterback even if the team re-signs Geno Smith this offseason.
At 32 years old, Smith clearly isn’t Seattle’s endgame as the organization would probably want to have a contingency plan in place for when Smith starts to decline.
The franchise already cut off its biggest chunk of dead weight in Russell Wilson, fleecing the Denver Broncos last offseason and starting a new era under Smith. The 2022 Comeback Player of the Year is negotiating a new deal in Seattle under very unique circumstances, as it’s not every day when a team’s quarterback breaks out in their 10th year in the league.
Smith is actually the first quarterback since Rich Gannon in 1999 to earn his first Pro Bowl nod in Year 10 or later. You’d be hard-pressed to distinguish him from even Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes just based on his 2022 stats alone.
But whereas Mahomes has his youth, talent, and the entire hopes and dreams of the Chiefs franchise on his side, Smith has the tenuous, wavering support of Pete Carroll. With the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s not inconceivable to believe that the Seahawks will draft a quarterback if a top prospect like Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud falls to them.
Carroll didn’t specify how high he would take a quarterback, but for the purpose of speculation, let’s just say it could be with their first-round pick. Smith has been fairly warned.
NFL Rumors: Steelers are completely smitten with OLB Alex Highsmith
Bud Dupree who? The Pittsburgh Steelers just might have the next T.J. Watt on their hands, and it also helps that they have Watt, too. Steelers general manager Omar Khan recently had this to say about their bright and shining budding star, outside linebacker Alex Highsmith:
"“When we have a young, up-and-coming player, we don’t like to let those guys go.”"
It’s a promising sign for Highsmith’s chances of getting a big extension this offseason after Highsmith came off a career-best season in 2022. Stepping out of Watt’s shadow and into his own, the 2020 third-rounder finished sixth in the league with 14.5 sacks and tied the league-high with five forced fumbles.
When Bud Dupree left Pittsburgh for Tennessee in 2021, Highsmith seamlessly slid in across Watt and has developed into one of the most daunting run-stuffers in the league. And when Watt had to miss a chunk of time this past season due to injury, Highsmith picked up the slack, embodying the kind of gritty, hard-nosed edge-rusher the Steelers have historically fallen in love with. What can they say? Pittsburgh has a type.
Highsmith now enters the last year of his rookie deal in 2023, and if the Steelers don’t hammer out an extension this offseason, he could outprice his stay in Pittsburgh in a contract year and secure his bag elsewhere.
According to Omar Khan’s statements, the Steelers won’t let that happen. They’re well aware of Highsmith’s talent, durability, and excellent culture fit and will be looking to extend him as soon as possible.
NFL Rumors: Vikings could release RB Dalvin Cook to escape cap space hell
The Minnesota Vikings already have their hands full with Kirk Cousin’s quarterback contract. Add in Justin Jefferson’s presumed extension and Dalvin Cook’s cap situation, and the Vikings have quite a few critical decisions to make this offseason.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked whether Cook would remain on the roster, and he noted that the star running back was a “great player and great leader” but that the team had “a lot of constraints” and was in the process of figuring out how to move forward given their salary cap limitations.
According to Spotrac, Minnesota is roughly $20 million over the cap for 2023, an undesirable financial predicament for a team that hasn’t yet locked down its starting quarterback and top wide receiver.
Similar to Ezekiel Elliott’s situation in Dallas, Cook’s relationship with the Vikings has been put under more and more strain as the franchise fumbles its way through salary cap hell. The 27-year-old back will have a $14.1 million cap hit next season, a number that Minnesota wants to lower against Cook’s wishes.
If the Vikings choose to trade or cut Cook after June 1, they would eat around $3 million in dead cap but save $11 million. With Justin Jefferson clearly standing out as Minnesota’s darling, the team could be amenable to releasing Cook and using the money to pay Jefferson.
As for potential landing spots, Cook would be a tantalizing target for any RB-needy team given his consistency (he has four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons) and dual-threat abilities, and the Bills, Broncos, and Dolphins immediately come to mind as worthy suitors.
In Cook’s absence, the Vikings may lean on backup Alexander Mattison and probably sign a cheaper tailback in free agency. Cousins, Jefferson, Cook — Minnesota just can’t keep ’em all.