Hello and happy Wednesday, folks. Joe Burrow is still recovering from injury without a long-term contract, which means resident Bengals fan John Breech needed another off day. In the meantime, you've got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest.
This is the Pick Six Newsletter. Now let's get to it. (And please, do yourself a favor and make sure you're signed up to receive this newsletter every day! You don't want to miss our daily offerings of everything you need to know around the NFL.)
We've got trade buzz, another QB competition coming to a close, and much more:
- Today's show: What's next for Colts' Jonathan Taylor?
Katie Mox, Will Brinson, and Leger Douzable teamed up on the latest "Pick Six NFL Podcast" to break down the biggest storylines in the league, including Jonathan Taylor getting the Colts' permission to seek a trade. Some highlights:
- Douzable poses an oft-overlooked question related to Taylor's future: "Do we even know if Jonathan Taylor is healthy? Even if he gets traded, he has to pass a physical." He also thinks the Colts remain the running back's best fit, considering the mobility of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson and the play-calling resume of new coach Shane Steichen.
- Mox thinks the Buccaneers would be an interesting landing spot, but she's also of the belief Taylor is most likely to stay put. Even so, that doesn't appear likely to shift the Colts' 2023 win-total odds all that much.
- Brinson is passionate that the Taylor drama is "emblematic of a systematic issue with the Colts as a whole," pointing back to their mishandling of Andrew Luck's career and suggesting owner Jim Irsay needs to spend "less time playing fantasy football" and more time delegating roster management to other decision-makers.
Catch the full episode (and subscribe for daily NFL talk) right here.
2. Big-name trade candidates: Trey Lance, Zach Ertz among 12 to watch
All 32 teams must trim their 90-man offseason rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 29, which means plenty of clubs could also explore trades in the coming days. Besides Jonathan Taylor and fellow RB Josh Jacobs (more on him below), we identified 10 other notable names who could be shopped before the season. Here's a sneak peek:
- 49ers QB Trey Lance: Do the 49ers actively want to move him? Not necessarily. But would they? We already have evidence of that, with San Francisco reportedly fielding calls and even directly discussing a potential trade with the Vikings this offseason. At 23, with first-round tools, Lance obviously remains a high-upside project at a critical position. But Kyle Shanahan is already comfortable with surprise standout Brock Purdy, 23, and probably trusts his own system enough to deploy Sam Darnold as the reclamation-project backup.
- Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson: Two years after clearing 1,100 scrimmage yards as Arthur Smith's Swiss Army knife, the 32-year-old Patterson feels like the odd man out in a suddenly crowded backfield featuring No. 8 overall pick Bijan Robinson, who was essentially drafted to do everything Patterson does except better, and second-year starter Tyler Allgeier.
- Cardinals TE Zach Ertz: The former Eagles great is one of the few established playmakers on Arizona's rebuilding squad, but at 32, entering Year 11, it's very possible he'd rather finish his career with a contender. The Cardinals, who won't have QB Kyler Murray to start the season, are expected to feature Ertz's fellow tight end Trey McBride even more in 2023, and they'd save more than $9M by finding a trade.
3. Raiders not talking Josh Jacobs trade; Week 1 still in question
Jacobs is on our list of veterans who could be dealt before the final-cuts deadline, but for now, Las Vegas isn't outwardly entertaining a trade of its star ball-carrier. NFL Media reported Wednesday that the Raiders have no plans to move the disgruntled Pro Bowler, who's yet to sign his franchise tag. "No plans," of course, means that the team could eventually change its mind. But it's truly anyone's guess where this one stands. The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently reported that Jacobs was expected to report to the team and sign his tag -- or a modified one-year deal -- before Week 1, but his status for the opener is still unclear.
4. Buccaneers name Baker Mayfield their starting QB
It's official: Tampa Bay has its Tom Brady successor. After a summer of splitting reps between Mayfield and Kyle Trask, coach Todd Bowles has called the competition in advance of the team's preseason finale against the Ravens. Bowles highlighted Trask's "poise in the pocket" after starting the third-year reserve against the Jets, but Mayfield was always expected to seize the regular-season job thanks to his experience. The first game of his redemption tour will come Sept. 10 on the road against the Vikings.
5. WR injuries: McLaurin, Smith-Njigba could miss Week 1
Two young pass catchers are battling preseason injuries in the lead-up to the season: the Commanders' Terry McLaurin and Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The former suffered a toe sprain in Monday's preseason game against the Ravens, while Smith-Njibga is set to undergo surgery for a broken wrist suffered in Saturday's exhibition with the Cowboys. McLaurin is the safer bet to suit up in Week 1, with X-rays negative on his toe and reports indicating he's more of a "day-to-day" designation. Smith-Njigba, who'd drawn high praise in his rookie camp, could miss up to a month while rehabbing.
6. Chiefs' Chris Jones teases a holdout through Week 8
The star defensive tackle hasn't reported to the team this summer while seeking a raise, and it appears he won't be reporting anytime soon, barring a new deal. Fresh off a career 15.5-sack season during the Chiefs' latest Super Bowl run, Jones said on Twitter this week that he's willing to extend his holdout through Week 8, telling a fan he "can afford it." The All-Pro is entering the final year of an $80 million extension he signed in 2020 and is reportedly seeking close to $30M per year on a new contract.
