The Patriots had two known suitors for the third overall pick in the draft: the Giants and Vikings. The Commanders had one for the second overall pick.
“I think you’d be surprised, really, in terms of the offers,” G.M. Adam Peters said Thursday on BIG 100.3 in Washington, via Bryan Manning of USA Today. “We got, really one solid offer and didn’t even move the needle. It would have taken — it had to move mountains to get us off Jayden [Daniels].”
No specifics were identified, as to the team or the offer. The Raiders were believed to be interested in making the move to No. 2, and the Vikings were generally interested in moving up.
Via John Keim of ESPN.com, J.J. McCarthy was the second choice behind Daniels. If they had traded down with the Vikings, the Commanders still would have had a shot at McCarthy. If they had traded down with the Raiders, they would have had to trade up to snag McCarthy.
Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner in 2023, seems to be a sure-fire, can’t-miss prospect. The Commanders have struggled to find a true franchise quarterback since winning three Super Bowl between 1982 and 1991 with three different starters.
In 1983, Joe Theismann won the NFL MVP award. He’s the only Washington quarterback to win the award since it started in 1957.
When wide receiver Davante Adams made the move from the Packers to the Raiders, he was leaving behind a partnership with Aaron Rodgers but excited about the chance to play with college teammate Derek Carr.
Any hopes that the duo would light things up faded quickly, however. The Raiders went 6-11 as Carr got benched and then cut after the 2022 season and 2023 saw a head coaching change on the way to another losing season. Speculation that Adams could be traded again has lingered over the Raiders because of how things have played out, but things have been brighter with his former team.
Rodgers’ departure opened the door for Jordan Love as the starting quarterback and Green Bay advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs after Love’s strong finish to his first year running the offense. During an appearance on The Rush podcast with Raiders teammate Maxx Crosby, Adams said he “hadn’t seen enough” of Love to know what the future held when he left Green Bay but that he’s been watching and he’s been impressed by what he’s seen.
“In hindsight, like we talked about, the kid is a fucking baller, man. I’m so happy for him,” Adams said. “I haven’t had the chance to truly sit down and talk with him, but I want to tell him at some point ‘I definitely don’t regret changing, but I’m super proud of what you’ve done. If there was a way I could pull you over here and drag you with me that would have been cool too.’ Because, obviously, we saw what he did at the end of the year. I don’t regret what I did, but, at the same time, it’s definitely you look back on it like ‘damn that boy kind of balling right now.’”
The Raiders don’t have the same kind of certainty at quarterback as they head into the 2024 season with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell as their options, so Adams will have to hope that their offense is still able to catch fire despite that difference.
Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski has filed for bankruptcy after he was sued by the Department of Justice for $15.5 million in unpaid federal taxes.
Romanowski and his wife Julie are defendants in a civil case brought by the federal government, which alleges that the Romanowskis used their supplement company Nutrition53 to get around paying taxes, a bill that has now topped $15.5 million, according to USA Today.
The Department of Justice says the Romanowskis improperly used Nutrition53 accounts to pay for their personal rent, groceries, veterinarian bills and “over 170 visits to nail salons, hair salons and day spas.”
Nutrition53 filed for bankruptcy last year.
The 58-year-old Romanowski played for the 49ers, Eagles, Broncos and Raiders during a 16-year NFL career. He won four Super Bowl rings and was selected to two Pro Bowls. He was also repeatedly fined for dirty play, and sued by teammate Marcus Williams for an injury during a fight on the practice field. After retiring, Romanowski admitted he had used steroids during his playing career.
For the last five seasons, Zach Sieler played alongside Christian Wilkins on the Dolphins defensive line.
In 2023, the pair combined for 19.0 sacks. Sieler registered a career-high 10.0 while Wilkins had a career-high 9.0.
But now the duo has been split up, as Wilkins signed a four-year deal with the Raiders in March.
On Tuesday, Sieler said it was “one of those bittersweets” to see Wilkins depart Miami.
“It’s awesome. I love playing with a guy, but I’ll tell you it’s great seeing him get paid somewhere else and make an impact over there,” Sieler said, via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “But in reality, this defense and this D-line has been built up. It’s not just him or him and I or whoever inside. It takes a whole rotational front, it takes everybody up front.
“So it’s been really cool getting to know these new guys coming in and learning how their techniques and habits and how we can play off each other.”
Sieler, 28, now has a chance to be featured even more in Miami’s defense. But even if Wilkins hadn’t left, he would be looking to take his game to the next level.
“I think with or without Christian, no matter what, that’s the goal every year,” Sieler said. “So, that’s my plan. I don’t care who’s next to me. I’m gonna find a way to make it work. And we’re gonna make it right.”
In 76 career games for the Dolphins and Ravens, Sieler has 20.0 sacks with 36 tackles for loss and 50 QB hits.
After the draft, teams can address lingering needs by signing remaining free agents. At the receiver position, that’s what the Raiders are doing.
According to ESPN.com, the Raiders have agreed to terms with receiver Michael Gallup. It’s a one-year, $3 million deal.
The Cowboys cut Gallup in March. He had 34 catches for 418 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
The Cowboys signed him to a five-year, $51 million contract in 2022. After a pair of disappointing seasons, the Cowboys moved on.
The depth chart in Las Vegas is led by Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. They drafted no receivers last week.