NFL rumors: Jerry Jones wants to do ‘something special’, Mike White open to Jets return
By John Buhler
NFL rumors are running wild with Jerry Jones up to something, Mike White being open to a New York Jets return and Mike Tomlin being the apple of every prospect’s eye at the NFL combine.
With free agency rapidly approaching and the NFL scouting combine taking place in Indianapolis this weekend, you can safely say the NFL rumors are flying, alright.
Once teams gather enough pertinent information at the combine, they can have a firm grasp on what they want to do in NFL free agency. The 2023 NFL Draft is several weeks out, but free agency will be in a frenzy by the middle of the month. Barring trades and internal development, these are the two clearest pathways for any NFL franchise to get better over the offseason.
Here are some of the most intriguing NFL rumors heading into the first weekend of March 2023.
Table of Contents
- Page 1: Mike Tomlin impressed top cornerback prospect at NFL combine.
- Page 2: Mike White open to return to New York Jets … or a hated division rival?
- Page 3: Jerry Jones is up to something, alright.
NFL rumors: Mike Tomlin impressed at combine, intriguing top cornerback
It is pretty clear that every defensive back in attendance at the NFL combine wants to play for Mike Tomlin. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach is the ultimate players coach, who specializes in coaching up cornerbacks and safeties. One such player who was very intrigued by the Steelers after meeting Tomlin in Indianapolis was Oregon Ducks superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
Mike Tomlin is winning the combine. Superstar CB Christian Gonzalez is yet another DB to say his favorite coach to talk to here has been the #Steelers head man. He called Tomlin “real” and “relatable” - and said he called his dad to say he’s even cooler than they thought.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) March 2, 2023
For Gonzalez to call his dad and say Tomlin was cooler than he could have ever imagined, you would hope this pair can work together for years to come. Unfortunately, the Steelers will have to trade up to draft Gonzalez. He projects as the first cornerback coming off the board. Pittsburgh needs to get into the top 10, probably ahead of the Atlanta Falcons picking at No. 8 just to be safe.
The Steelers know how to draft great players on either side of the ball. Given that they rarely pick in the top half of a draft, they have to lean on their scouting department hard to find the right players for them in the teens and 20s. Not to say the Steelers need to trade up for a defensive back like Gonzalez, but you can understand why there may be a strong connection between them.
If Pittsburgh moves up from No. 17, the Steelers can be in a position to land the best cornerback.