The Giants' decision to let Barkley walk in free agency has been widely mocked, but the situation wasn't as cut-and-dry as many think. Plus, an early look at the 2025 draft standouts, and how Tom Brady's influence is shaping the new-look Raiders.
Super Bowl week is upon us. And there’s a lot to dig through after a busy week in the NFL. So let’s do that in the final MMQB Takeaways before the big game …The lessons from Saquon Barkley making it to New Orleans aren’t as black and white as you think.
Of course you don’t, because in both those cases those teams were more than a running back away from contending. So, while Henry and Jacobs are great players, and were magnificent signings for the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers—who, like the Eagles, came into the season as Super Bowl contenders—it was easy to see, with rebuilds at hand, that they had become unnecessary luxuries for resetting teams.
• It caught my attention in March and should have your attention now, that three very smart perennial contenders bucked recent history in the offseason and paid for top-of-the-market running backs. Their decisions came down to the idea that the position had been devalued to the point where signing one had become a value play. Barkley is the 184th highest-paid player in football, at $12.583 million per year.
• For what it’s worth, this is the second consecutive year a top-of-the-market running back has made it to this stage, and the third time in four years. One thing that Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Joe Mixon have in common? All are capable of producing inside and outside in the run game, and bring plenty of pass game value.
“I don’t think you know until you put someone in that position. Anyone we would’ve picked, there would be question marks,” Stephen Jones said over the phone on Friday. “We weren’t getting Belichick, he was already to North Carolina. He’s a six-time Super Bowl winner. But pretty much after that, people are going to have criticism for anyone you pick. And we understood that. That’s to be expected. I saw something where Dan Campbell was universally seen as a questionable hire.
“He had great energy, he had great presence, and, obviously, made a huge impression on Jerry, myself—everybody involved in the interview process was certainly impressed,” Jones said. “Of course, we interviewed others, had some informal interviews. Some people might want to be somewhat critical, but we really got a feel for what the direction should be, and what our future should be.
Schottenheimer gives them that and, if the Joneses are right, it’ll just be the start of what he can bring to the table in Dallas.We have a long way to go, but the two names to know for the 2025 NFL draft are, clearly, Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter. “Abdul’s Micah Parsons 2.0—maybe not as strong, but a little more flexible, and can take over a game the same way,” he continued. “And he’s still not refined as a rusher. He’sphysically gifted, he might be an All-Pro linebacker, too. Travis’s football skill is high-end, but he’s not as freaky. He’ll jump well, and maybe won’t run as fast, he’s probably 4.4, not 4.3, and that’s at like 180 . He’s more Diggs than Calvin Johnson.
And here’s what’s really interesting: Everyone I’ve talked to about that Eagles offense says what they’re doing is remarkably simple. That, to me, matches up with where the Saints were starting to go this year. Part of the belief internally has been that the offense, under Sean Payton and then Pete Carmichael Jr., had become too complex, after years and years of adding to it, because Drew Brees could handle it.
McCarthy’s progress over the spring and summer—and his performance in the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Raiders—complicated Minnesota’s plan to start Darnold and redshirt the rookie.How much so? Well, he resumed traveling with the team, starting with Minnesota’s October trip to Los Angeles, just so he could get a better feel for the routine on the road, and so he could be on the headsets on gameday.
Over his last nine games , Stafford threw for 2,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and just one interception. / Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesMatthew Stafford’s future in Los Angeles is uncertain, and that’s one offseason domino that few are talking about. So now, Stafford, who turns 37 this week, goes to the table holding the cards. Is the strain of last year’s negotiation still there? Is he going to look for another contract adjustment or, with just two years left on his deal, a brand-new extension?
If they lean into it with a big swing at quarterback, then great. If they don’t, it’ll be hard to see the Steelers competing with teams that have Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow at quarterback in January. This might mean bigger questions—like what to do with some of those older core players—will need to be asked.
Last week, he was able to keep Patrick Graham on staff by giving him a nice raise—even though his salary already topped $3 million per year. Then, over the weekend, the Raiders gave Chip Kelly a deal that’ll make him the highest-paid coordinator in NFL history, averaging $6 million per year, to poach him from Ohio State.
And now, this is simply a different looking operation. Brady, who’ll still be living in Florida full-time, pledged to those candidates that the reshaped team would be first class in every way, full of folks who are obsessed with football and winning the way he is. With Carroll, new GM John Spytek, Kelly and Graham, plus the new owners, they’re off to a flying start.
• Detroit’s decision to hire John Morton as OC and David Shaw as pass-game coordinator is fascinating in that the Lions passed over Engstrand to stock their staff. I wonder if it’s a stability play for Campbell, with Morton at 55 years old, and likely less of a flight risk than a young, rising play-caller would be.
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