The No. 1 Overall Pick
We’ve got a trade! Per Adam Schefter, the Chicago Bears are sending the No.1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers.
The Bears will receive the No. 9 pick, as well as the 61st pick, a first-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025 and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
Tua Tagovailoa
Per multiple reports – with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo being the first to report it – the Miami Dolphins are picking up quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option. 2023 will mark the fourth year of his rookie contract, and the fifth-year option means he will make $23.4 million guaranteed for the 2024 NFL season.
Though he missed five games due to two concussions, Tagovailoa set career-highs in passing yards (3,548), touchdowns (25), completion percentage (64.8) and passer rating (105.5) in 2022.
Devin McCourty
13 years and three Super Bowl wins is quite the career, and New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty is calling it at that, as he announced his retirement Friday morning on Instagram.
McCourty was the Patritots’ 2010 first-round Draft pick. He played in 205 regular-season games and had 982 tackles and 35 interceptions. He also started 24 playoff games, recording 118 tackles and two interceptions.
“It’s been a great ride,” McCourty said in his Instagram video. Indeed, it has. Congratulations on an incredible career!
Dallas Cowboys
The new NFL league year is upon us, which means free agency and salary cap buts. The Dallas Cowboys needed to cut about $18 million from their cap, and they did so by restructuring the deals of QB Dak Prescott and OL Zack Martin. The moves free up about $30 million. I’m sure Cowboys fans have plenty of ideas on how to spend that money.
With Prescott in year three of a four-year, $160 million deal, the Cowboys expressed interest in extending their QB1 at least week’s NFL Combine. You may remember that the Cowboys’ 2022 season ended in the NFC Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers. If you didn’t remember and you’re a Cowboys fan, I’m sorry to have reminded you.
Philadelphia Eagles
With Philadelphia cornerback Darius Slay entering the final year of a three-year, $50 million deal, ESPN’s Dianna Russini is reporting that the Eagles have given his agent permission to look for a trade. However, Slay has not asked for one and the team would like to retain him, per ESPN.
Meanwhile, defensive end Brandon Graham is staying in Philly, as he and the organization have agreed on a one-year deal. The veteran has 11 sacks and 16 QB hits in 2022, on the way to the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearance.
They say defense wins championships – everything just gets harder when the defense is playing against Patrick Mahomes.