Latest news with #TamperingCentral
NBC Sports
07-03-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Kirk Cousins asks for, gets, meeting with Arthur Blank
Myles Garrett wanted a meeting with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. Haslam said no. Kirk Cousins wanted a meeting with Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Blank said yes. Albert Breer of reports that Cousins requested, and received, a meeting with Blank regarding Cousins's future with the team. As we see it, the Falcons and Cousins are in potentially awkward game of contract chicken. Cousins has $27.5 million fully guaranteed in 2025. Another $10 million in injury guarantees will shift to full guarantees on March 17. He also has a no-trade clause, which allows him to block any effort to ship his contract to a new team. If Cousins won't agree to a trade, the Falcons can squat on him for 2025, forcing him to be the backup to new starter Michael Penix, Jr. A trade would keep Cousins from getting another crack at the market; last year, he emerged with a $90 million, fully-guaranteed deal from the Falcons. Some believe that, if Cousins is released, he'd take a Russell Wilson-style deal for the one-year minimum of $1.255 million. This would put the Falcons on the hook for the remaining $25.745 million. But the 2025 market for Cousins could be very different than last year's market for Wilson. No one was going to pay Wilson more than the $39 million the Broncos owed him for 2024. Someone might pay Cousins more than $27.5 million in 2025. Thus, the pitch to Blank could have been as simple as this — release me, and you'll end up being completely off the hook. If there's a team that will pay Cousins more than $27.5 million this year, that team might prefer to just trade for Cousins's current contract. Which would be even better for Blank and the Falcons. Not only would they shed the financial obligation but they'd also get something from the next team. Of course, no trade can happen without Cousins's consent. Which brings us back to the game of chicken. Cousins can make $37.5 million by doing nothing, if the Falcons don't cut him. If, however, they don't cut him, he won't play in 2025 — barring an injury to Penix. And if the Falcons can't trade Cousins because he won't waive his no-trade clause, they can't avoid paying him another $27.5 million without cutting him. So maybe that was Cousins's message to the man who signs the checks. There's a way for Blank to avoid owing Cousins another $27.5 million (or, if they're truly committed to not cutting Cousins, $37.5 million). The only way to do that is to release him. And if, in the aftermath of Tampering Central a/k/a the Scouting Combine, Cousins's agent knows that some other team would pay more Cousins than $27.5 million this year, the ultimate message from Cousins to Blank could have been very simple and clear: Cut me, and you'll owe me nothing. Frankly, if Cousins and agent Mike McCartney know that someone else will pay Cousins more than $27.5 million for 2025, maybe Cousins boiled his message down to a direct business proposition for Blank. Cut me, and I'll waive all rights to ongoing pay. Keep me, and I'll refuse to waive my no-trade clause. For Blank, that would be no different than someone handing him a $37.5 million check.
NBC Sports
23-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Will the Tom Brady effect help the Raiders in free agency?
Two weeks ago, Tom Brady's primary gig wrapped until September. He's now presumably putting greater focus than ever on his 1B role as Raiders minority owner/majority influence. With the Scouting Combine a/k/a Tampering Central starting this week and with free agency starting roughly one week later, the question becomes whether and to what extent Brady will be involved in the recruitment of free agents to Las Vegas. And whether it will help. Consider this tweet from Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: 'Something to keep an eye on, per sources: the persuasiveness of Tom Brady as a recruiter for the Raiders. It will make things interesting during free agency. And maybe even in the trade market. It's why you can't rule out Matthew Stafford as an option.' On one hand, Brady's presence didn't deliver Ben Johnson to the Raiders as head coach. On the other hand, John Elway's status as a Hall of Fame, GOAT-level quarterback helped deliver quarterback Peyton Manning to the Broncos 13 years ago when Peyton had many suitors. The key to free agency is winning the jump balls without having to sweeten the pot. Typically, the 'bad' teams need to pay extra. Brady could change that. The Raiders saw the potential impact of a persuasive recruiter last year, when Magic Johnson persuaded offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to pick the Commanders after apparently making a verbal commitment to the Raiders. Brady has the name and the cachet. Can he make a compelling case to players who have roughly the same offer on the table from a 'better' team? The threshold test will be the team's looming quarterback move. Can he persuade Stafford to come to the Raiders? Can Brady deliver Rodgers? They've already been linked to Sam Darnold. Would he go to the Raiders for the same money that someone else is offering? Or maybe even less? Most importantly, can Brady help the Raiders get their first choice at the position? We'll never know who their first choice was, because no team is going to introduce a new player by telling the world, 'There's someone else we wanted more.' Internally, however, it'll be the first test of Brady's ability to help deliver the guy the Raiders have targeted.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matthew Stafford to Giants, Aaron Rodgers to Rams?
The Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will become not only Tampering Central but also the thickest patch in the NFL grapevine of the offseason. Rumors will be rampant. Some will be accurate, some won't be. This year, the chatter is starting early. Based on recent reports and public comments and other things churning in the broader NFL rumor mill, one experienced G.M. has a prediction as to how the Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers companion mysteries will be resolved. Step one, Stafford gets traded to the Giants. Step two, Rodgers signs with the Rams. As to the first part, the logic goes like this. Stafford wants a raise over the $27 million the Rams are due to pay him in 2025. If Stafford and the Rams can't work it out — and if the Giants (with a coach and/or a G.M. on the hot seat) want to make a big swing in the hopes of winning now — they'd be a candidate to pay him and to give the Rams fair and proper trade compensation. As to the second part, there's a belief that Rodgers's desire to play for the Rams will get him to do a sweetheart deal. That frees up cash and cap space to be used in 2025 or banked for the coming wave of second contracts, starting in 2026 with receiver Puka Nacua. Again, it's just a prediction. But it's not from someone in the media or a fan. It's from someone who knows a thing or two about how the NFL sausage gets made, based on having plenty of time turning the handle. If it happens, two quarterbacks who faced off twice per year with NFC North teams will be heading to their third franchises. And while the Rams and Giants won't square off in the 2025 regular season, a Stafford trade to the Giants would send him back to Detroit. Again.
NBC Sports
22-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Matthew Stafford to Giants, Aaron Rodgers to Rams?
The Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will become not only Tampering Central but also the thickest patch in the NFL grapevine of the offseason. Rumors will be rampant. Some will be accurate, some won't be. This year, the chatter is starting early. Based on recent reports and public comments and other things churning in the broader NFL rumor mill, one experienced G.M. has a prediction as to how the Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers companion mysteries will be resolved. Step one, Stafford gets traded to the Giants. Step two, Rodgers signs with the Rams. As to the first part, the logic goes like this. Stafford wants a raise over the $27 million the Rams are due to pay him in 2025. If Stafford and the Rams can't work it out — and if the Giants (with a coach and/or a G.M. on the hot seat) want to make a big swing in the hopes of winning now — they'd be a candidate to pay him and to give the Rams fair and proper trade compensation. As to the second part, there's a belief that Rodgers's desire to play for the Rams will get him to do a sweetheart deal. That frees up cash and cap space to be used in 2025 or banked for the coming wave of second contracts, starting in 2026 with receiver Puka Nacua. Again, it's just a prediction. But it's not from someone in the media or a fan. It's from someone who knows a thing or two about how the NFL sausage gets made, based on having plenty of time turning the handle. If it happens, two quarterbacks who faced off twice per year with NFC North teams will be heading to their third franchises. And while the Rams and Giants won't square off in the 2025 regular season, a Stafford trade to the Giants would send him back to Detroit. Again.
NBC Sports
20-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Having a two-week franchise tag window is pointless, with two exceptions
The annual two-week franchise-tag window opened two days ago. To no surprise, no tags have been issued yet. And, in many respects, there's no sense having a two-week tag period in a deadline-driven league. The opening of the window doesn't matter; the closing of it does. But there's one exception. With the Scouting Combine a/k/a Tampering Central coming next week, applying the tag before heading to Indianapolis operates as a 'do not touch' message to the rest of the league. If the player has been blocked from the open market with the tag, teams that will otherwise line up potential free agents won't waste their time. Then there's the fact that the window closes right after teams get back from Indy. Yes, deadlines drive action. Racing to comply also sparks screwups. Remember the Elvis Dumervil fax-machine snafu? The failure to accomplish a trade of A.J. McCarron from the Bengals to the Browns as the trade deadline arrived? Waiting too long can lead to unforced error. Notwithstanding the above, there aren't many no-brainer candidates for the tag this year. It might be only Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. It could be none at all.
