Another roundup of NFL rumors that concerns Austin Ekeler’s clouded future, Odell Beckham Jr.’s new suitor, and a ballsy reunion between the Chiefs and this offensive tackle.
The first day of free agency is upon us! Rejoice!
New York Jets fans probably have the most to celebrate after getting verbal confirmation that Aaron Rodgers wants to play with them in 2023. It’s a Brett Favre-Christmas in March for the Jets franchise, but for the rest of the league, it’s just, well, March.
At 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 15, free agency officially begins, allowing any player on an expiring contract to sign with any team. In short, there will be just as much craziness as there was on the first day of the legal tampering period, though many top free agents have already agreed in principle to deals with their teams.
Rodgers, Jimmy G, Javon Hargrave, Jessie Bates, and other high-profile pending free agents have successfully secured their futures; the big name to watch will be Baltimore Ravens‘ Lamar Jackson, who can now start negotiating with teams at the start of free agency. Whether or not any teams want to negotiate with him is a different story that may or may not involve collusion.
Where will this joyous beginning of free agency take us? Let’s look at three of the top NFL rumors right now.
NFL Rumors: Patriots are keeping a close eye on Odell Beckham Jr.
The New England Patriots might be in serious trouble this season. The Jets went out and got Aaron Rodgers (or they’re going to). The Dolphins got Jalen Ramsey for pennies. The Bills still have Josh Allen and a loaded roster.
What do the Pats have? No reliable starting quarterback and no reliable wideout to throw to. (They just got JuJu, but are we really considering him to be a WR1?)
Bill Belichick has embodied the picture of stubbornness these past several years when it comes to the wide receiver unit, and now New England has to pay the price.
Since 2022, Belichick has drafted just one wide receiver in the first round, N’Keal Harry. Since 2018, these are the last wideouts Belichick drafted: Braxton Berrios in 2018, Harry in 2020, Tre Nixon in 2021, and Tyquan Thornton in 2022.
Talk about setting up a rookie quarterback to fail. At least Justin Fields finally got his man.
With the free agent wide receiver market quickly thinning, the Pats are running out of options but are still insistent on striking a good deal, no matter the circumstances.
Sources: The Patriots have called about DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy. They also attended Odell Beckham Jr.'s workout last week in Arizona. They're in the WR market, but the price point remains a key component. @TheAthletic
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 15, 2023
They’re reportedly keeping tabs on DeAndre Hopkins, Jerry Jeudy, and Odell Beckham Jr., and out of all those players OBJ may come the cheapest.
New England currently has around $30 million in cap space to make a big splash in the wide receiver market. While the franchise would have to fork over draft picks for Hopkins or Jeudy, free agent Beckham is mainly looking for a long-term deal, and a certifiable deep threat like him could help Mac Jones take the next step in his stagnant career.
Beckham’s most rumored landing spots have been the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, but….maybe he wants to play with Jones? Probably not. The rumor’s out there, anyway.
NFL Rumors: Austin Ekeler tries to remain “mentally tough” in turbulent times
One of the Los Angeles Chargers’ most dangerous weapons wants out, and no one knows where he’ll go. Not even Austin Ekeler himself.
Ekeler first requested a trade two days ago when extension talks stalled between him and the Chargers franchise. It’s the same story told again and again: a player thinks they’re worth more than what the franchise is offering them. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Only time will tell.
It feels more than likely that Ekeler will not be a Charger in 2023, begging the question of where he might end up. A plethora of running back-needy teams could use Ekeler’s services and may be willing to pay big bucks and offer a substantial trade package to nab him. Some teams that come to mind are the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Chicago Bears.
What does Ekeler prefer? It’s impossible to say.
The star running back posted an incredibly vague message on his Instagram about “mental toughness” and wanting his fans to support him “as a person”, rather than “the logo” he plays for.
Austin Ekeler on Instagram earlier today: pic.twitter.com/yX29I3aPie
— Bolt Beat (@BB_Chargers) March 15, 2023
In regards to the usual theme among quarterback, running back, and wide receiver social media posts, Ekeler’s message is pretty on point. Just keep grinding.
As LA’s most dynamic threat, Ekeler has played an instrumental role in the Chargers’ offense, serving as a check-down lifeline to Justin Herbert and boasting a whopping 25 touchdowns in the last two years.
Contract negotiations are bound to take a toll on any star player, especially one that has enjoyed so much recent success with Herbert and may be frustrated that his franchise doesn’t want to pay him. If this is truly the end for Ekeler in Los Angeles, he’ll soon find out who his real fans are.
NFL Rumors: Chiefs re-sign Orlando Brown, nutty or genius?
The Kansas City Chiefs were never going to re-tag left tackle Orlando Brown in 2023. It would have been a financially irresponsible move that would have added more anxiety and ill-harbored feelings to the whole situation.
Brown, at the time of this writing, remains available on the market and could command more suitors once free agency officially begins. Some around the league believe he’s not a true left tackle and shouldn’t get paid as one, which is part of the reason why Brown hasn’t found a new team yet.
Some also believe that if Brown were to sign a new contract, it would be a one-year deal with any given team. Well, that’s interesting. Hm. Could the Chiefs be in play to bring back Brown this offseason?
Kansas City already has its left tackle of the future in Jawaan Taylor, the former Jacksonville Jaguars right tackle who is coming off a career-best year in pass protection (75.9 pass-blocking grade and a career-low five allowed sacks).
But with a generational talent like Patrick Mahomes, you need the very best. Brown has proved himself as a worthy blindside blocker for Mahomes in the last two years, ramping up his play in the postseason and allowing zero sacks this past Super Bowl.
Brown’s asking price was still too high for the Chiefs to extend him this offseason, and the Chiefs weren’t about to eat up money on the franchise tag. Instead, if Kansas City brought back Brown on a reasonable one-year contract, would anyone say no?
Brown hasn’t been poached (yet) and may not find the lucrative left tackle contract he’s looking for. The Chiefs may need an emergency backup plan in place if Taylor underperforms, and finding an elite left tackle is much more difficult than, say, finding an elite wide receiver.
In the end, a reunion between the Chiefs and Orlando Brown would be ballsy, but it just might take Kansas City to the Super Bowl next season. Trust in Brett Veach and Andy Reid to consider all possible scenarios and make the smartest move.