The NFL Combine is this week's focus, but the event is also a way to get all 32 NFL general managers in one location. Odds are, when all 32 GMs are in one spot, rumors will circulate at a rapid speed. The latest NFL rumors involve George Pickens' upcoming free agency, a potential Cleveland Browns' blockbuster trade worth keeping an eye on, and Mac Jones' San Francisco 49ers future. Let's dive in.
George Pickens decision comes with major risk
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones revealed what most NFL fans already knew - they're likely to give George Pickens the franchise tag by the early March deadline.
“We’re leaning towards the franchise tag,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Monday while speaking between competition committee meetings during the annual NFL Scouting Combine. “We’ll finalize that here over the coming week or 10 days, and then we’ll go from there. “These just take time. We want Pickens here. We think the world of him. We love him. And I think he wants to be here, so all of that is a plus.”
Jones made it clear that the reason for this decision has to do with the amount of work that goes into signing the kind of massive long-term deal Pickens is certainly looking for. Cowboys fans better hope that is the case.
Using the franchise tag, set for $28 million for the 2026 season, as a placeholder, makes a lot of sense. It ensures Pickens remains in the Cowboys' control and gives them until mid-July to work out a long-term deal. If the Cowboys expect Pickens to actually play on the franchise tag, that could be a problem.
Not only would the Cowboys risk losing Pickens the following year, but they'd risk disgruntling him to the point where he'd do something like hold out, not try as hard to avoid risking injury, or even demand a trade. Any of these things would be a brutal outcome for Dallas.
Pickens showed how valuable he can be for Dallas this season when he shattered previous career highs with 93 receptions, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. Losing him cannot be an option. If the Cowboys are unwilling to sign him long-term now, they better do so by July, ensuring that there are no distractions heading into the 2026 season and that one of the core pieces of the team is locked in for the long haul.
Browns could follow familiar script with draft blockbuster
The Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL world when they traded out of the chance to select Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft and instead chose to acquire the No. 5 pick and a haul of future assets. As bad as that deal looked at the time, it looks a lot better now, as Mason Graham had a strong rookie year, they greatly improved their running game, and they got an extra first-round pick while Hunter's future as a two-way player is very much up in the air.
Armed with the No. 6 selection in this year's draft, the Browns could look to trade down again, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot ($).
"The second-best quarterback in the class is Alabama’s Ty Simpson, whom the Browns will consider at No. 6, No. 24 and No. 39. But if a team loves Simpson or another player and makes the Browns an offer they can’t refuse, they’ll once again jump at the chance. The Browns are admittedly in rebuilding mode and can use all the high picks they can get."
The Browns are entering the draft hoping to select their quarterback of the future, but doing so is easier said than done. Fernando Mendoza is a virtual lock to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, and it can be debated whether there's another quarterback in this year's class worth committing to. If the Browns decide a guy like Ty Simpson (or any other quarterback) isn't the answer, why keep No. 6 overall if you can get a slew of assets?
It's not as if trading No. 6 overall will take the Browns out of the first round. There's a good chance that they'd acquire another first-rounder if they traded No. 6 away, and even if they didn't, they'd still have the Jaguars' first-round pick, slotted at No. 24 overall. The Browns might not get one of the six best prospects if they traded down, but they'd get more chances to draft difference-makers.
If the Browns don't think Simpson is the answer at No. 6 overall, trading down makes a lot of sense. They're in rebuilding mode, and need talent virtually everywhere on the field. Trading down allows them to recoup a slew of high-end picks, giving them the chance to add several great players instead of one.
Bonkers Mac Jones asking price could force 49ers trade
The San Francisco 49ers have said they have no plans to trade Mac Jones this offseason. What teams are willing to pay to acquire him in a trade, though, could force the Niners to change their minds. Look at this mock trade from ESPN's Bill Barnwell.
- Vikings get:Â QBÂ Mac Jones, 2027 third-round pick
- 49ers get:Â 2026 second-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick (conditional), 2028 third-round pick (conditional)
Barnwell has the Niners essentially receiving a 2026 second-round pick and a conditional 2027 fifth-round pick while swapping a 2027 third-round pick for a 2028 conditional third-round pick in exchange for their backup quarterback. Yes, the Niners can receive a second and fifth-round pick in exchange for a player who, in an ideal world, wouldn't even see the field other than rare appearances in blowouts.
It's not as if this mock trade is out of left field, either. The Athletic's Vic Tafur ($) said that the Vikings are among the teams expected to make "big offers" to pry Jones out of San Francisco. A deal headlined by a second-round pick certainly qualifies as a "big offer," and if many teams are involved, who knows what the final price could be?
Should the Niners be desperate to trade Jones? Of course not. He proved he's as reliable as any backup quarterback in the NFL with how he played this past season. With that being said, Jones is just that - a backup. The Niners have committed to Purdy. If they have a chance to acquire a second-round pick (and a pretty good one at that) for a player they hope will never start a game for them in 2027, how do you not pull the trigger?
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