Part of the job at this time of the year entails chatting with folks who work in the league.
Conversations ramble between what their team is up to, to the draft, to their golf game, to the greatness of Tom Brady, to what’s on Netflix.
Thursday I was chatting with an insider who knows offense and quarterbacks. In the course of the conversation, I threw out a question that came to mind because ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had opined in his “five things each team should do” story that the Browns should trade the first pick in the draft.
My knee-jerk reaction was that the No. 1 pick is too valuable to trade. The second is that between Julio Jones and Carson Wentz, Browns fans have had enough of trades down in the draft.
Jimmy Garoppolo would come at a steep price, but good quarterbacks are hard to find. Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Regardless, the idea had me thinking. So I posed question to the insider: Would you trade the first pick in the draft for Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo?
The answer was immediate: “If I’m the Browns, yes. I’d want Garoppolo and another pick though, maybe a third- or fourth-rounder.”
After picking myself up from the floor, I continued the conversation and asked the insightful question: “So you’d trade the first pick in the draft for Garoppolo and a third-round pick?”
“Absolutely.”
Which made me surmise that Garoppolo really must be good.
“I can’t say I’m a giant fan,” the insider said. “But at some point you have to get someone who has a chance to start at the position. I just don’t know if the college guys this year are ready, or as good. They passed on Wentz. Now they have to find somebody.”
If one individual thinks this way, others do as well. And in some ways it’s not outrageous. The Bears and 49ers are rumored to be considering Garoppolo, and they don’t have an extra first-round pick to offer. One of those teams may be willing to trade the second or third pick. The first pick is only one or two slots away.
Which pretty much shows how the quarterback position is viewed around the league.
Teams have to have one, and if they don’t, they have to find one.
MINNEAPOLIS — If Cordarrelle Patterson comes back to the Minnesota Vikings on a new contract, could he make a Ty Montgomery-esque move and help solve some of the team’s questions at running back? Our Vikings Twitter question of the week:
@GoesslingESPN Chances of bringing back Patterson, and would they consider using him at RB on occasion. #VikingsMail
— Chad Durand (@_Coach_Durand) February 9, 2017
@GoesslingESPN: We’ve received a number of questions in recent weeks about Patterson becoming a running back, should he return to the Vikings next year. That’s an important qualifier, with Patterson about to hit free agency, so I’ll answer that part of your question first.
Patterson seemed to find a role in the Vikings’ offense with Pat Shurmur taking over as the offensive coordinator, and I expect the Vikings will have some interest in bringing him back on a new contract, a year after they declined his fifth-year option. Patterson showed impressive personal growth in his contract year; his contributions as a gunner on special teams were critical to his increased role in the offense, as he restored coaches’ faith in him by showing he’d do whatever they asked. Patterson led the league in kick return average for the third time in four years, and his 52 catches were a career high. I’m sure the Vikings will see a role for Patterson during a full year in Shurmur’s offense — he became a frequent target for quarterback Sam Bradford on bubble screens last year — and while there’s a chance they’ll lose Patterson to some team that waves big money in front of him along with promises of making him a star, I think they’ll make a strong effort to bring him back at a reasonable price.
Now, if he’s back, can he be a running back on occasion? We saw him do it to great effect in 2013, when he ran for 158 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns as a rookie, and he showed again last year he can gain yards after contact on his receptions. His average of 2.08 yards after contact per catch was 20th in the league, just behind Montgomery’s average of 2.11 yards, according to ESPN Stats and Information. But it’s another step entirely to expect Patterson to become the kind of consistent factor in the Vikings’ running game that Montgomery was for the Green Bay Packers last year.
When coach Mike Zimmer was asked about Montgomery in a conference call with Packers reporters in December, he praised the receiver’s ability to switch positions especially from the standpoint of mastering a new set of responsibilities in pass protection. There’d be a learning curve for Patterson there, and I’m not sure another significant role change is the most prudent course of action for a player who’s needed some time to learn the intricacies of the receiver position. And while Patterson is big enough to handle contact, he’d probably have to run lower than he does as a receiver, to take on defenders near the line of scrimmage and protect the ball.
Lastly, when Patterson set the league on its ear as a rookie, he still only carried the ball 12 times. His vision and speed served him well, as it’s done on kick returns, but he’d be subjected to more pounding the more he lined up in the backfield. If he’s back in Minnesota next year, it certainly makes sense to use him out of the backfield on occasion, but I think the ideal role for him might be something closer to what we’ve already seen from him at his best points in Minnesota: one where he can line up all over the field and make significant contributions when he does touch the ball, but not be subjected to the physical toll of a player who carries the ball more frequently.
Patterson, who only turns 26 next month, is at his best when he has a chance to be explosive; I’d expect the Vikings would want to preserve that as long as they can.
INDIANAPOLIS – Having in-house free agents that they didn’t want to lose was a norm for the most part in recent years for the Indianapolis Colts.
Cornerback Vontae Davis in 2014. Safety Mike Adams in 2015. Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener in 2016. 2017?
The pressure to re-sign their nine unrestricted free agents isn’t as high in years past. The biggest reason is because the Colts don’t have any players that will set them back if they don’t re-sign them. Here’s a priority list of the Colts’ free agents:
Pro in re-signing: Doyle not only made Fleener an afterthought, he was also arguably the Colts’ best tight end last season. Doyle’s blocking skills have never been questioned, but he showed he’s more than just a blue-collar player when he finished the season second on the team in receptions and receiving yards.
Con in re-signing: None.
Jack Doyle showed that he can be an effective pass-catcher and finished the season with 584 yards and 59 receptions. Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Pro in re-signing: Walden is coming off a career season and the Colts are in a transition period at linebacker so they could use his experience at that position.
Con in re-signing: Walden will be 32 years old next season and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Colts are forced to overpay to re-sign him because another team may swoop in and offer him a more lucrative deal.
3. CB Darius Butler
2016 key stats: 33 tackles, 3 INTs,
Pro in re-signing: Butler’s never been flashy, but he’s a solid cornerback who has routinely been the team’s best slot defender. Butler showed his versatility last season when he spent some time at safety. He could become a full time safety if the Colts don’t re-sign veteran Mike Adams because there’s uncertainty on if T.J. Green is ready to be the permanent starter.
Con in re-signing: About the only thing that could make the Colts hesitate in re-signing Butler is that he turns 31 years old next month.
4. S Mike Adams
2016 key stats: 79 tackles (team high), 2 INTs
Pro in re-signing: Adams is a veteran who is an extension of the coaches on the field. He also has the respect his teammates and the staff, especially Chuck Pagano.
Con in re-signing: Adams turns 36 years old next month and the plan is for the Colts to get younger on defense this offseason.
5. RB Robert Turbin
2016 key stats: Career-high eight touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving)
Pro in re-signing: He’s only 27 years and he had career season in touchdowns. He’s also insurance in case the Colts don’t select a running back in the draft. Starter Frank Gore, who rushed for 1,025 yards last season, will be 34 years old next season and the idea is to lighten his workload.
Con in re-signing: None because Turbin is a solid backup and knows the system.
6. RB Jordan Todman
2016 key stats: 16 kickoff returns for 478 yards and 1 TD
Pro in re-signing: He emerged as the Colts kickoff return specialist after Quan Bray went down for the season with an ankle injury. Todman averaged 29.8 yards a return on kickoffs.
Con in re-signing: Bray is under contract for next season and Todman’s best bet for playing time would be as a return specialist.
7. OL Hugh Thornton
2016 key stats: Missed entire season with an ankle injury
Pro in re-signing: He has experience starting, having started 32 of the 37 games that he’s appeared in during his four-year career.
Con in re-signing: Thornton has missed 27 games in his career due to injuries and he also often frustrated many in the organization because they felt like he hasn’t always played up to his potential.
Con in re-signing: Not only will Cole be 35 years old early next season, he’s simply not the same player that he was while with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s recorded five sacks in 21 games with the Colts.
9. LB Chris Carter
2016 key stats: six tackles
Pro in re-signing: None
Con in re-signing: Carter didn’t show much in his nine games to warrant him being much of a free agent priority.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With the NFL’s scouting combine just over a week away, the Denver Broncos’ biggest roster need is undeniable as they evaluate the prospects.
That’s the offensive line. But in the quest to “stay great” on defense, John Elway knows has to look at that side of the ball as well. In particular, he will focus on stopping the run.
“That’s an obvious question,” said Joe Woods, promoted to Broncos defensive coordinator in January after two seasons coaching the team’s defensive backs.
“I’ll give you the obvious answer: Obviously, it’s the run game,” Woods said. “Last year was a little bit different for us in terms of how teams attacked us.”
Joe Woods takes over a Denver defense that sprung a leak against the run in 2016. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
It is painfully obvious to the Broncos, because despite all that was good in 2016 — finishing No. 4 in total defense, No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 1 in pass defense — Denver’s inability to close down the opposing run game meant it often couldn’t close the deal.
Opponents rumbled to 130.3 yards rushing per game, 28th in the NFL, ahead of only Buffalo, Miami, Cleveland and San Francisco. That isn’t exactly fast company: Cleveland has the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, with San Francisco second and Buffalo selecting No. 10.
It’s why the Broncos will take a long look at defensive linemen in the draft and free agency; inside linebackers will also be a focus. Because until Denver shows teams the repairs have been done, it can expect more of the same approach from opposing offenses.
With the Broncos’ secondary often making throwing an exercise futility — all four starters have played in at least one Pro Bowl over the past two seasons — opponents were more than content to pound away. The Broncos faced 482 rushing attempts in 2016.
Only San Francisco (548) and Cleveland (498) faced more rushes than Denver and, again, their combined three wins last season got them the draft’s top two picks.
It was an odd mixture of run plays that often saw the Broncos done in by a committee approach. Only two opposing backs rushed for at least 100 yards against the Broncos: the Chargers’ Melvin Gordon and the Raiders’ Latavius Murray.
And those two backs did it in consecutive weeks. Many opposing coaches have said it was a combination of issues for the Broncos — missed tackles and missed gaps — but offenses also felt the Broncos could be worn down because of a lack of depth.
After Malik Jackson departed in free agency and Vance Walker suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, the Broncos weren’t able to totally overcome those losses. Toss in a couple of injuries for Derek Wolfe, a hamstring injury to linebacker Brandon Marshall and the recipe was there for some struggles.
• 2017 NFL draft order » • Mel Kiper Jr.: Mock 2.0 » • Todd McShay’s Top 32 • McShay: Top prospects by position • Todd McShay: Mock 2.0 » • Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board » • Mel Kiper Jr.: Top 10 by position » • Pro day schedule for prospects » • Underclassmen who have declared » • NFL draft player rankings »
So the Broncos will almost certainly use both their impending cap space — expected to top $40 million — to go with some of their expected 10 draft picks to make the repairs.
While Joseph is quick to point out that “it’s a passing league” and the Broncos have spent at least 60 percent of their defensive snaps in recent seasons in something other than their base defense, it’s clear Denver won’t force teams to throw into the teeth of its pass defense if it can’t limit the damage better on early downs.
“You look at it overall with what I would call a secondary mindset, because you have to be good against the pass,” Joseph said. “But there’s no question if you let teams run it at you, you don’t get them in those down-and-distance situations where you can do some things.”
Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET