Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the NFL Scouting Combine are about routine.
And that routine is most of the NFL coaches and general managers taking their respective podiums before a throng of local and national media members, trying to answer every question by saying nothing and something at the same time.
Most of them succeeded. A few gave real insight. Let’s start in Kansas City.
Chiefs likely to tag Sneed, work to do with Jones
On Tuesday, general manager Brett Veach talked about the conundrum facing his defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs with star corner L’Jarius Sneed and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones set to hit free agency.
“Obviously when you have this amount of success, you’re paying a lot of players a lot of money, and it’s equally tough because you’re drafting late,” Veach said. “There’s challenges. We’ll go through them and we’ll always put our best foot forward. Certainly want to do what we can to keep both those players. That’s our goal and intent. Hopefully we can figure something out. ...But we do have one tag and I anticipate probably using it to help us. Our goal is to try to get both those players done and then work down the rest of our roster.”
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Per multiple sources, the tag is almost certainly going to Sneed. Sources indicate that while nothing is yet official, things are trending toward Sneed being tagged, with the estimate placed at “75 to 80 percent.”
If that happens, Veach has work to do with Jones before free agency’s legal tampering period (which might be the dumbest phrase in sports) begins on March 11.
Should Jones hit the open market, he could command in the realm of $30 million annually, making him the second-highest paid defensive tackle in history next to Aaron Donald. Speaking with one prominent agent, his projection for Jones is four years and $110 million.
Last offseason, Veach and Jones’s representation publicly failed to find common ground despite elongated negotiations, culminating with Jones holding out through Week 1.
With the pressure ratcheted up as free agency looms, let’s see if Kansas City can sign its top priority in Jones over the next two weeks.
Eagles may love Reddick, but certainly didn’t commit to him
Phrasing is everything in life. That’s certainly true when reading tea leaves with NFL front offices.
Speaking early on in his 15-minute availability, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was asked about the team’s future regarding edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Reddick, 29, is entering the final season of a three-year, $45 million pact. This winter, the situation has become sticky with reports of his wanting a trade. Roseman didn’t do much to tamp down that fire.
“Love having Haason,” Roseman said. “I think that anything you’re trying to do, you’re trying to blend what you’re doing this year and how you’re going to look in the future. I think that’s the hardest job. ...I have tremendous respect for the player and the person.”
While Roseman is likely tepid on the idea of extending a player into his 30s, it’s a tough spot for Philadelphia. The Eagles were a mess defensively last season, ranking 26th overall and 31st against the pass. So the question is whether Reddick can be a pillar into the latter part of his career such as defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, or if it’s better to get draft capital and move on despite Reddick’s 27 sacks with the Eagles.
Based on Roseman’s response, it seems the second option is in play.
John Harbaugh gives unique viewpoint of quarterback play and its evolution
Few coaches have seen his team evolve offensively more in the last few seasons than John Harbaugh.
From 2008 to ’17, Harbaugh oversaw an offense based on a strong rushing attack and the rigid, dropback style of the statuesque Joe Flacco. Then, when Flacco was benched for Lamar Jackson in the latter half of ’18, the offense changed under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman to an option-heavy scheme that eschewed the traditional passing attack.
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Now, with Todd Monken in Roman’s old chair, the Ravens are shifting toward a more pass-friendly style, accentuated by drafting Zay Flowers in the first round last April.
“We’ve expanded our view of what a quarterback is,” Harbaugh said. “It’s most obvious with Lamar [Jackson]. Would anybody say we made a bad decision when we drafted him back in 2018? But at the time there were a lot of people saying that. So I think the view has changed a lot in terms of how we view athletes, or people and their roles. The game has changed because of that. In the last six years, the way quarterbacks play, if you go back and look at 2015, ’16, ’17 and before that, there’s pretty much a model for that position. That model has expanded tremendously. I would like to say we were a little ahead of the curve on that.”
Clearly, it’s worked out for Baltimore. Jackson has won two MVP awards with a 58–19 record under center. The Ravens have reached the playoffs all but one of the last five seasons, and this year reached the AFC championship game after earning the No. 1 seed.
And to Harbaugh’s larger point, the league is evaluating quarterbacks differently than ever before.
When Patrick Mahomes came out of Texas Tech in 2017, his off-platform throws were viewed as a red flag. Now, that trait is seen as a huge positive. The same is true of Jackson’s running ability. For years, personnel men believed a quarterback must live from the pocket and only scramble when necessary. Suffice it to say, that’s no longer true.
Looking back, Dan Campbell wishes he could change something
Dan Campbell doesn't have many regrets from the Detroit Lions’ 34–31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.
One of the league’s most aggressive coaches on fourth down (whether it be traditional calls or fake punts), Campbell stuck true to his core beliefs with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Leading 24–10 in the third quarter and then trailing 27–24 in the fourth, Campbell twice faced fourth down with a makeable field goal in sight.
Twice, Campbell decided to try to keep the drive alive. Twice, the Lions failed. Yet the fourth-year coach feels even with hindsight, those were the correct calls. It’s the indefensible third-down run while trailing 34–24 in the final two minutes that bothers him most.
“The only thing that if I could go back, that I felt greedy on, was at the very end of the game,” Campbell said. “… I should have waited until fourth [down]. At least you score and hold onto that last timeout. I thought we were just going to pop the run. But hindsight, the smarter thing is to throw it. At least you know the clock stops or you score and hold the timeout for one more chance, one more opportunity.”
Frankly, it’s not surprising Campbell feels this way. It’s also an instructive quote.
While some coaches would be scared off in future games after failing in such a big spot, Campbell sees no reason to change. That belief is bolstered by having gone 12–5 during the regular season and winning Detroit’s first division title since 1993, and first playoff game since ‘91.
If the Lions are faced with similar big downs in 2024, expect Campbell to leave the offense on the field.
Falcons’ Morris gives perspective all should live by
In today’s age of an immediate need for gratification, Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris gave a different viewpoint Tuesday.
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When asked about dealing with potential frustration in regards to being turned down for multiple head coaching vacancies over the past few cycles, Morris gave an insight into why he’s such an impressive person.
“I wasn’t allowing anything with the process to make me bitter,” Morris said. “I allowed it to make me better. It gave me the opportunity to interview with different people, opportunities to grow and learn from different coaches in different walks of life. I think that’s the way you have to deal with everything.”
Morris, 47, is getting his second shot at the top job. In 2009, he inherited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and went 17–31, albeit with a 10–6 in his second campaign. However, the roster was largely barren, led by quarterback Josh Freeman.
The big question now is whether general manager Terry Fontenot can find a quarterback so Morris has a chance to truly succeed. Picking eighth in the 2024 draft, Atlanta could trade up or perhaps select Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy in that spot. There are other options as well, including a trade for Justin Fields or a veteran in free agency such as Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield.
