We’re a week away from the scouting combine in Indianapolis. That’s supposed to be a standardized test for draft prospects, but we all know it’s really just a way for general managers to meet with agents and other GMs to finagle deals before free agency starts. That’s where the real free agency and trade rumors are going to come from.
But for the time being, let’s focus on some of the rumors from the past week. We’ve had some interviews, some insider reports, and some old heads making trade proposals.
Klint Kubiak: ‘Fernando who?’
The Raiders did this talk show type of thing after Klint Kubiak did his introductory press conference with the Raiders. Naturally, their future first overall pick came up: “Tell me a little bit about Fernando Mendoza… It’s not a guarantee that you take the best quarterback because you have the number one pick, there’s a lot of things you could do with that pick, but your observations as an offensive-minded coach… and watching what you saw in the National Championship and in Indiana.”
Kubiak went on to talk about how he really only watched him during the Natty, that he’s only really seen his interviews, and that he still needs to get to know Mendoza before they make the pick in the draft… It was all coach-speak stuff.
As an offensive head coach, you don’t accept a head coaching job for the worst team in the NFL without knowing what their plan is at quarterback, especially if Tom Brady is an owner.
You could tell me that he was too busy preparing for the Super Bowl to pay attention to college football and quarterback draft prospects, but you saw that Super Bowl… did it really look like Kubiak spent every waking moment devising a foolproof plan that was going to steamroll the Patriots' defense? Nah. If they dropped a 50-burger, you could maybe convince me, but 22 offensive points? Not so much.
As soon as he got a call from a 702 area code, he probably definitely turned on Mendoza’s tape, probably going back to his time at Cal. He might not have had a conversation with the guy yet, but it’s ridiculous to act like you don’t have any observations about that cat.
However, it does kind of fall in line with Kubiak; he has the personality of off-brand distilled water. He might be a great guy, but listening to him talk about anything is as enjoyable as listening to Diane Rehm do Alphabet Aerobics.
The fact of the matter is that a Raiders-produced piece of content is asking the new head coach (on his first day of work) about the quarterback that they’d be stupid not to pick
They’re probably still open to trading the pick (because you’d be crazy not to be for the right price), but any thought that they would go with a different guy is absolutely bananas at this point.
Kenneth Walker and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
On Tuesday morning, Adam Schefter reported: “It’s unlikely the Seahawks will use their franchise tag on running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, per league sources. The Seahawks have multiple free agents they want to retain and sign. They also will try to extend WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. There are enough Super-Bowl tax costs that now make using a franchise tag this off-season unlikely.”
That’s the worst possible news you could hear if you’re Kenneth Walker for two reasons. The first is that a franchise tag for a running back is going to be around $14 million of guaranteed money. He’s probably going to end up getting paid $5 million less than that next year.
The other thing is that he has nowhere to go but down. Obviously, he just won the Super Bowl, and he was the Super Bowl MVP, but he also couldn’t possibly go to a team where he’s in a better situation. In Seattle, he split carries almost perfectly with Zach Charbonnet (before he tore his ACL in the postseason), which allowed him to stay relatively fresh.
If/when he goes somewhere else, he’s going to get paid to be the guy in the backfield. Sure, he’ll probably still split carries because he’s not Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, or Ashton Jeanty, but it’s not going to be the 54-45 split from last season.
As for what Schefter's reporting means for the Seahawks: They’re in that uncomfortable spot of team building where they have to let homegrown players walk because of money. Aside from Charbonnet, the only starting skill position players they had on rookie contracts last year were A.J. Barner and Elijah Arroyo… and they’re tight ends… and Arroyo wasn’t that good.
They have to start paying people, and they’re right to prioritize their God-Tier wide receiver and their defensive players. John Schneider’s a hell of a general manager, and he’s made the right decision on when to move on from key offensive players in the past. You have to trust that he’s making the right moves this year too.
Minnesota and the flat circle of time
Just to set modern history straight: Sam Darnold got cut by the Panthers, spent a year in San Francisco as Brock Purdy’s backup, went to Minnesota to get his feet under him, and then went to Seattle to win a Super Bowl. Those facts are all important.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote a piece about some potential trade proposals that could happen this offseason. At this point, trade predictions/proposals don’t serve any purpose other than to get your imagination going and show how teams can improve with relative ease.
One particularly mean proposition that Barnwell threw into the ether was the Vikings trading with the 49ers to get Mac Jones… and it makes a whole lot of sense.
Last offseason (after they didn’t re-sign Sam Darnold), the Vikings traded Sam Howell to the Eagles and signed Carson Wentz off the street. In essence, they gave J.J. McCarthy the starting job by giving him absolutely zero competition. It turns out that decision was kind of like a really, really bad idea.
Aside from that fourth quarter in Week 1, where he solidified himself in the annals of history by throwing for 87 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for another touchdown, and being named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week… McCarthy played pretty terribly throughout the whole season.
The Vikings simply have to learn from the ding-dong move they made last season and make him not only compete for the starting job, but also have a contingency plan if he plays like a doofus again next season.
The best way for them to do that next season is by getting a quarterback who’s shown that he can be good if he’s got a good system around him. The quarterback who makes sense in that scenario is Mac Jones.
There was a point last season when a real conversation was ‘Who’s better right now, Mac Jones or Brock Purdy?’ and it was not totally crazy. Jones came onto a grossly undermanned offense while Purdy was hurt and won five of the eight games he started, and he looked pretty good doing it.
If you take recent history out of this equation, this trade is perfect because the Vikings are setting themselves up for success… Unfortunately, it’s impossible to forget that, because… yeah.
The Vikings have options for their quarterback situation, but everyone should be rooting for this specific trade. It’s going to be hilarious when McCarthy inevitably throws up on himself again (metaphorically), and the backup not only saves the season, but also turns it into something to be proud of… and then goes on to be a world champion with his fifth team in 2027.