Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases
• Leading ESPN Voice Adds NFL Signature Event to Venerable Broadcasting Portfolio Months Ahead of His 25th ESPN Anniversary
• Greenberg and Get Up to Cover Upcoming Pro Days, Free Agency, Mock Drafts and NFL News
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“He’s clearly No. 1 for me. Clearly. And there is space between him and Trevor Lawrence.” – Simms on Ranking Zach Wilson over Trevor Lawrence
“I feel like I’m back watching almost a Patrick Mahomes again. That’s how I feel when I’m watching him. It’s Aaron Rodgers-ish…He’s got the best arm in the draft.” – Simms on Wilson
“The talent is there, there’s no doubt, and to add on top of that, there’s untapped talent still here too…(He) has some inconsistencies, in my opinion, in his mechanics and throwing.” – Simms on Lawrence
“He’s a Top 10 pick, there’s no doubt in my mind.” – Simms on Mac Jones
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 4, 2021 – NBC Sports’ Chris Simms unveiled his quarterback draft rankings, discussing this year’s top QB prospects heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast, listing BYU QB Zach Wilson No. 1. In the episode, Simms ranks and breaks down Wilson, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Alabama’s Mac Jones, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, is joined by NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister on the podcast. The two offer in-depth breakdowns, rankings, and NFL comparisons for this year’s top quarterback prospects.
“I’m excited about this. I’m not one really to change my rankings a whole lot,” Simms said about evaluating this year’s quarterback draft class. “Last year I did get a little infatuated with Jordan Love early in the process, and I had him above Tua (Tagovailoa). I ultimately ended up switching them. I don’t think I’m going to have any switching this year. I really don’t. It’s been a good 10 days of really me just studying quarterbacks. I feel extremely confident…I’m excited about this whole class.”
Simms, who has had recent success in projecting college quarterbacks – including naming Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, listing Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and having Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB last year – has ranked Wilson as his No. 1 quarterback in this year’s class, above presumptive No. 1 pick Lawrence.
“As I watched, and I watched every throw of the season, to me there’s distance between one and two here,” Simms said about Wilson. “I’m sorry. He’s clearly No. 1 for me. Clearly. And there is space between him and Trevor Lawrence.”
In the lead up to April’s NFL Draft, Simms will rank and break down every position group, provide a list of mid-late round sleeper prospects, and issue a final mock draft.
Simms’ Top Six QB prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft:
| 1. | Zach Wilson, BYU |
| 2. | Trevor Lawrence, Clemson |
| 3. | Mac Jones, Alabama |
| 4. | Kellen Mond, Texas A&M |
| 5. | Justin Fields, Ohio State |
| 6 | Trey Lance, North Dakota State |
The following are highlights from Simms’ QB draft rankings:
No. 1: Zach Wilson, BYU
“I’m blown away by Zach Wilson. I feel like I’m back watching almost a Patrick Mahomes again. That’s how I feel when I’m watching him. It’s Aaron Rodgers-ish…His throwing is exceptional, ok? The consistency of the throwing right off the bat…He’s got the best arm in the draft…His arm is special, and his accuracy is special. He takes advantage of all that’s there to be had, but it’s the other aspect of his game that also blows me away when there is nothing there…It’s off the charts, it’s wow. I knew the kid had talent. I did not expect to see what I saw, where it was just one consistent highlight show game after game after game after game…He’s a very good athlete. His feet are off-the-charts good. I guess what I come down to with him, the only negative is maybe I wish he was a little bigger.”
Simms on why he ranked Wilson above Lawrence
“Trevor Lawrence, we’re talking long career. He has Hall of Fame-type talent and ability, all of those things. I’m not knocking him. I’m just saying the guy I see right now at No. 1 is really superstar special talent and NFL-ready right now.”
No. 2: Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
“Amazing. Big, strong arm. He’s played in a lot of big-time college football. The talent is there, there’s no doubt, and to add on top of that, there’s untapped talent still here too. There are things that could be fixed in his football game. The one thing that I came away with with Trevor Lawrence – and listen, there’s a lot of plays where I go, ‘Oh good throw, great throw,’ – I always say size is a skill. He has that over Zach Wilson…Trevor Lawrence’s running is special, but when it comes to just pure throwing, and even the decision-making, Zach Wilson’s offense is pro-ish…Trevor Lawrence is not quite there yet. It’s real good, there’s no doubt. But it’s a very college-y offense too. Again, the raw talent is really real, and he’s definitely worthy of the No. 1 pick. If Jacksonville wants to take him No. 1, you’re not going to sit here and see me go, ‘That’s so stupid. That’s ridiculous.’ No. I see it, it’s real. But what I’ll say to you is he’s not as good a thrower as Justin Herbert was last year…The one thing that I think jumped out to me and maybe I didn’t even realize when I’m watching on TV because they’re Clemson and they still win and they put up points and yards and things like that, but there are a number of easy throws delivered to him…and then he gets to throw to a lot of wide open people too, and I have no issue with that. But there’s also a number of throws where, and this is where I think I was a little taken aback by it, where I just go, ‘That ball is off-target. He’s wide open and he missed it.’ … Trevor Lawrence has some inconsistencies, in my opinion, in his mechanics and throwing.”
No. 3: Mac Jones, Alabama
“Him and Zach Wilson are more consistent throwing the ball than Trevor Lawrence, but his top-end talent and potential is not Trevor Lawrence. So that’s why I don’t have him here, but if you just asked me right now at this second who can hit the most bullseyes? I’m going to go Mac Jones is going to hit more bullseyes than Trevor Lawrence. He is. Mac Jones is another one I was secretly blown away by as I started to watch him…There are so many big-time NFL throws, it is unreal…His feet are extremely quick, he is unbelievable in the pocket, and he can move plenty well-enough to avoid traffic and make throws on the run and do all of that. I really was kind of blown away by Mac Jones because it was more than I was expecting…He has every throw in the book…He’s the quickest decision-maker that I’ve ever seen. He’s right on with Joe Burrow. That’s where he is special…He’s a Top 10 pick, there’s no doubt in my mind.”
No. 4: Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
“This is the guy that’s not even on the radar to where you just go…nobody’s talking about this guy? It’s a machine throwing the ball, like Mac Jones. I don’t understand why there’s no talk about this guy…I promise you this is the guy I’m going to get calls from my NFL friends today going, ‘Oh, I wish you wouldn’t have said anything about him!’ … He has got an unbelievable release, has great command of the ball. As a pure, consistent thrower, it’s better than Trevor Lawrence just as a pure, ‘Every throw on the money, perfect spiral.’ I don’t know why he’s not getting more hype…The mechanics are perfect every time, and like a Mac Jones, it doesn’t matter what the throw is, he is within the realm of his mechanics.”
No. 5: Justin Fields, Ohio State
“I’ve got more notes on Justin Fields than anybody in here because there’s things I like – he’s got elite traits, he’s got elite arm strength, pure power in his arm…I think the number one thing I would look at is he’s built like Cam Newton except he’s two inches shorter, and he’s special that way. His running is better than I think I realized…There is raw ability there, there is no doubt about that. The arm is big-time when he pieces it together, and that’s the problem I have, ‘when he pieces it together.’ Very, very inconsistent that way…He throws it good on the run but not great because it goes back to some of the technique issues and there’s inconsistency. He just tries to do it with pure talent sometimes…There’s a lot of technique issues that he has. He’s a little bit of a project in terms of throwing the football.”
No. 6: Trey Lance, North Dakota State
“I like the raw talent, I do. He has more consistency in his mechanics than Justin Fields. Really, as a thrower, I like him better than Justin Fields. The biggest thing and the biggest negative with Trey Lance right off the bat is just he hasn’t played enough…He’s a phenomenal runner. He’s probably the best, most-gifted runner of the group…That’s going to be his issue I think as people dive in more and more, they’re just going to go, ‘He just hasn’t thrown enough, he hasn’t played enough.’ I don’t get to see enough evidence to go, ‘Oh I can buy into him being a Top 15 or Top 20 pick.’”
To hear the full episode with full prospect breakdowns, click here.
The Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast is available for download on all major podcast platforms including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, NBC Sports’ Scores app, Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.
-NBC SPORTS-
“Wouldn’t you think in college football – when we’re supposed to be exemplifying other ideals, and we’re trying to be the leadership in the country – that it would look a little different on college campus maybe than the NFL?” – Dungy on the lack of minority head coaches in college football
“I have a real strong disappointment with the state of where we are right now based on the talent level available.” – Former Notre Dame & Stanford head coach Ty Willingham
“They’re not hiring coaches anymore, they’re electing them. It’s almost like we have to campaign.” – Maryland head coach Mike Locksley
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 1, 2021 – Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach and NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy hosts a conversation on the state of minority coaching in college football with Maryland head coach Mike Locksley and former Notre Dame and Stanford coach Ty Willingham, premiering on NBCSN tonight at 6 p.m. ET. The conversation is available now across NBC Sports Digital channels and will re-air on NBCSN over the next two weeks.
Following is the Race & Sports in America: Conversations – Minority Coaches in College Football schedule on NBCSN:
| DATE | TIME (ET) |
| Mon., March 1 | 6 p.m. |
| Tues., March 2 | 8 a.m. |
| Mon., March 8 | 3 p.m. |
| Wed., March 10 | 12:30 a.m. |
| Fri., March 12 | 2 p.m. |
Following are highlights from the roundtable with Dungy, Locksley and Willingham on minority coaching in college football:
Dungy on the state of minority coaches in college football: “I’m disappointed in minority hiring in the National Football League, but everyone says, ‘Well, that’s 32 owners and everyone’s trying to make a profit and they’re running their team the way they want to.’ … Wouldn’t you think in college football – when we’re supposed to be exemplifying other ideals and we’re trying to be the leadership in the country – that it would look a little different on college campus maybe than the NFL?”
Willingham: “My problem is, if there is talent, then we should attract talent. What we’re saying is that obviously there is a disregard for African American talent, because…we’ve gone through the universities, we’ve received the degrees, we are smart, we are intelligent, we are knowledgeable. Many of us have played the game at the highest level, and yet when you say, ‘I want to make my team the best,’ and those that are in the hiring position are turning their back on talent, to me, that’s contrary to the game itself. So, I have a real strong disappointment…with the state of where we are right now based on the talent level available and the precedent that we want to set by being winning programs.”
Locksley: “We just have to be able to kick the door down, do a great job. They’re not hiring coaches anymore, they’re electing them. It’s almost like we have to campaign…Somehow, someway, we have got to continue to put those names out of all these assistant coaches that are doing bang-up jobs. We have enough qualified candidates in the college football pool to be able to fill some of the (jobs) and we just need the opportunity. We need to promote it and we’ve got to campaign our tails off to make sure that it’s not just a two-month conversation [in] December and January when these jobs open, but a 12-month conversation, and the campaign starts today.”
Willingham on his decision to take the head coaching job at Notre Dame in 2002: “In going to Notre Dame, one of my reasons was that this could be a move to help us, to help African Americans because at that time, when I left (Stanford), I thought in my mind, there were two other African Americans that had enough resume to get that job at Notre Dame. One was our host today, Tony Dungy. The other was Dennis Green…So for me to go and be there was a step to move us forward, and that was part of my thinking.”
Locksley on the formation of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches: “I wanted to be really laser focused on just football and minority coaches in football. So, I remember picking up the phone, and Mike Tomlin and I came in this business around the same time, and I called Mike T., and I said, ‘Look, Mike. I’m thinking about doing something. I want to create an organization similar to what the BCA was for us to pay forward opportunities.’ Especially the experience I’ve had, a failed head coach that was fired that now has a chance to run a program as a minority a second time, is not normal.”
***
Dungy, who was the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl, recently hosted a roundtable on the state of minority coaching hires in the NFL with former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Atlanta Falcons President & CEO and member of the NFL’s Competition Committee Rick McKay, and co-host of Peacock’s Brother From Another Michael Smith. The roundtable is available on NBCSports.com and NBC Sports’ YouTube channel.
On Feb. 4, Dungy penned an open letter to NFL owners on the state of minority coaching hires, available now on NBCSports.com. In the letter, Dungy, advocates that embracing minority hiring in every aspect of the game will “keep the legacy moving forward and make the NFL the best league we can be.”
Following are highlights from the roundtable with Dungy, Caldwell, McKay and Smith on minority coaching in the NFL:
Dungy: “Progress to me is if we can get people to the table, if we can get people being viewed and have an opportunity…Bring everybody to the table and let’s talk about who fits our needs and what we’re looking for. If we get that, we’re going to see the progress that we’re looking for.”
Caldwell on issues within the hiring process: “Ownership still is not that familiar with folks that aren’t right within their circle…I still think you’re finding situations, even this year, where some owners called people in the media and asked them, ‘Hey, who should I be talking to or who should we interview?’”
McKay on the Rooney Rule: “The way we’ve done the rules, we have not been intentional enough to make sure that the process is completely open, and now we’re starting to get more intentional and I think that will help us…I believe that you’re going to be surprised, I hope, pleasantly surprised over the next four years in that I think the coordinator issue is going to look different and I think therefore our head coach issue is going to look different from a minority hiring standpoint. I’m convinced of that, but the proof will be in the pudding.”
Smith on the conversation surrounding minority hiring: “This should be an ongoing conversation and a process that’s not just reserved for December and January. We need to be talking about minority coaches and the team scouting process when it comes to coaches and general managers year-round so that owners can have these names on their mind when it comes time to make these decisions.”
–NBC SPORTS–
Rece Davis, one of the sports industry’s preeminent hosts and a mainstay on ESPN for more than 25 years, has signed a new multi-year deal.
The post ESPN Re-Signs Veteran Studio Host and Play-by-Play Commentator Rece Davis appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
“The 17-game schedule is highly likely in 2021. No surprise there…The best game of 2021, Aaron Rodgers versus Patrick Mahomes, is on track.” – King on NFL’s potential 17-game schedule and Green Bay-Kansas City 17th game matchup
“Wilson is the 2021 version of Joe Burrow…Wilson’s skill-set is ideal for the quick-thinking and quick-throwing West Coast scheme.” – King Zach Wilson’s draft prospects
“There’s days I’ll just sit back and be like, ‘Wow – where has this last year taken me?’ It’s crazy how quickly my life has changed.” – Wilson to King on potentially being a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 1, 2021 – Peter King shares insights on a potential 17-game NFL schedule for the 2021 season and speaks with top draft prospect and former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also speaks with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young about Wilson and discusses the status of quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson.
Across NBC Sports, Peacock’s weekday block of NFL programming from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, which provides extensive NFL coverage, includes PFT Live featuring Mike Florio and Chris Simms live at 7 a.m. ET, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Brother From Another, with Michael Holley and Michael Smith, at 3 p.m. ET, and PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. On Monday, Safety Blitz, featuring Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth, streams at 6 p.m. ET, and Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday-Friday. ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest offseason news, and the NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show and Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast discuss offseason storylines.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:
NFL 17-GAME SCHEDULE
King: “The 17-game schedule is highly likely in 2021. No surprise there. TV partners and NFL schedulers are working under the assumption that the 17-game schedule (the way was paved for it last March when players approved a new CBA) will debut in 2021.”
King on how a 17th game would impact the schedule: “The league calendar gets pushed back one week, with a likely Feb. 13 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. No extra bye – 17 games in 18 weekends.”
King on the scheduling formula if a 17th game is added: “When the NFL was choosing options, the formula that prevailed was AFC versus NFC, cross-conference matchup from two years ago, 2021 matchup based on 2020 standings…Here’s an example: The four AFC West teams played the four NFC North teams in 2019. In 2020, Kansas City finished in first place in the AFC West, Green Bay first in the NFC North. So in 2021, it’s AFC West against NFC North, and 1-versus-1 from ‘20 becomes Green Bay versus Kansas City.”
King on Green Bay-Kansas City as an added 17th game: “The best game of 2021, Aaron Rodgers versus Patrick Mahomes, is on track. Really, only one game in 2021 would rival Green Bay-Kansas City. That’s Tampa Bay at New England, with Tom Brady’s return to Foxboro.”
King’s best added games in a 17-game schedule after Green Bay-Kansas City:
King: “Hearing it’s most likely to be AFC hosting all 16 newly invented games in 2021. Then NFC teams hosting in 2022. If that’s how it goes, it’s the fairest way. Competitive equity is the key. You don’t want three NFC East teams playing eight at home and the fourth playing nine at home.”
ZACH WILSON
King on BYU QB Zach Wilson: “Wilson is the 2021 version of Joe Burrow. Remember: Burrow was a likely day-three draft pick before his 2019 season at LSU, then blew up and went first overall in 2020. Wilson, entering last season, was not even a sure draftee this year. Of course, he won the starting job. And now, after his golden autumn (74 percent passing, 11.0 yards per attempt, 33-3 TD-to-pick ratio), Wilson might be the second pick in the draft.”
Wilson to King being considered a top draft prospect: “There’s days I’ll just sit back and be like, ‘Wow – where has this last year taken me?’ It’s crazy how quickly my life has changed.”
King on Wilson’s career at BYU: “Wilson, a developing 6-2 ½-inch, 210-pound hard thrower with good movement in the pocket, earned the starting job in October of his freshman year, 2018. But in 2019, dogged by labrum and hand injuries, Wilson struggled, and after the season, then-passing game coordinator/QB coach Aaron Roderick told him there’d be a competition for the starting job in 2020.”
Wilson on the 2020 QB competition at BYU: “That was a tough time for me. It was frustrating because [I] was the starter before. I had to block out what people were saying about me. That adversity was something preparing me for that next level because there’s gonna be ups and downs in the NFL, and now I think I’m better prepared for them.”
King on Wilson’s offseason training last Spring: “On many weekends late last spring and early summer, with his football future very much in doubt…Wilson would be road-tripping to see his quarterback tutor, John Beck, in southern California… On these weekends, Wilson stayed for two workouts with Beck at Golden West College in Huntington Beach…Wilson worked DoorDash many Saturday nights in California (and sometimes back in Utah), for gas and expense money.”
Wilson on listening to Steve Young’s audiobook: “Steve not cashing his [49ers] checks. It’s so cool his mentality of, ‘I haven’t earned it yet.’ He’s always hungry for more and some people just feel like they’ve arrived. He was just not like that at all. That was such a cool lesson for me to learn. Even if I am fortunate enough to go early in the draft and make it to a good team, I haven’t done anything yet. You have to keep working for it.”
Steve Young to King on Wilson enjoying his book: “Nobody knows how much grit you have till you have to have it. So you’ve got to fight for a job. Say you get benched. Look at you; don’t look at anyone else. Most often, victimization takes over, but it never does any good to play the victim. Work on yourself. Work on your game. You better have that level of grit to fight for a job and to fight to win a game, because in this game, you’re going to be tested over and over again.”
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on Wilson’s mind for the game: “We can talk after a 12-play drive, and he’ll just take me through it – every play, in order, everything he saw, why he made every decision, what he was trying to do to the defense. His recall – I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Wilson on his game preparation: “I don’t know, I try to understand every little detail. I don’t know where it comes from. I guess it’s the passion I have for the game.”
King on Wilson and Joe Burrow: “Wilson said he studied every one of Joe Burrow’s games from his 2019 LSU season ‘three or four times.’ Wilson has the same kind of pocket-movement ability as Burrow, staying cool while figuring the best location from which to throw the most accurate ball.”
King on Wilson’s draft prospects: “Wilson’s skill-set is ideal for the quick-thinking and quick-throwing West Coast scheme, making the Jets (and new coordinator Mike LaFleur) at number two an intriguing option. Carolina, at eight with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, could be a strong candidate too.”
NEWS & NOTES
King on Deshaun Watson: “Because off-season programs are very likely off because of the pandemic again this year, it’s not essential that Watson gets moved soon; the first real milepost would be April 29, the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft. That is eight weeks away. I wouldn’t expect much action in the next month. I’d expect Caserio to stand firm for the next few weeks.”
King on reported trade destinations for Russell Wilson: “New Orleans makes a lot of sense; Sean Payton is a coach any quarterback would want to play for, and Payton and Wilson hit it off when Payton coached Wilson in the Pro Bowl three years ago…Dallas has offensive weaponry and still has the makings of a solid offensive line.”
King on Wilson to the Bears: “I think there are three things at play: Chicago tight end Jimmy Graham is a good friend of Wilson’s, and he’s told him good things about the team and the city. Wilson loves the sporting zeal of the city, the love for the Cubs, the love for the Bears, and might look at it like, Chicago hasn’t had a lot of great quarterbacks, and I could be one. Maybe I could be the missing piece, and how crazy would Chicago go if the Bears ever got great again? And I think he loves the city.”
King on Irv Cross: “I think the football world owes a debt to Irv Cross, who died Sunday at 81. After playing corner in the league for nine years, he coached for one, then became a trailblazing CBS NFL analyst. In 1975, he was part of the four-person NFL Today pregame team, the first Black broadcaster to co-host a football studio show. Every Sunday afternoon for 15 years, Cross was the calming analyst on the best studio show in sports. He influenced scores of future broadcasters.”
NBC Sports Medicine Analyst Mike Ryan to King on how Tiger Woods’ injury compares to Alex Smith’s: “This is in my opinion worse than Alex Smith’s. Tiger suffered a ‘crush’ injury, not the kind of twisting injury with force Smith suffered…From an orthopedic review, Tiger’s is a far more complicated scenario.”
Ryan on complicating factors from Woods’ accident: “One of the complicating factors is the time Tiger was in the car before being removed. I remember watching the Dak Prescott injury last year, and within a minute of him going down, [Dallas head athletic trainer] Jim Maurer was on the field, putting sterile gauze over the bone open wound where Dak’s bone had protruded through the skin. We don’t know how long Tiger was in the car before being removed, and what if anything might have come into contact with his multiple open wounds. Infection is such a major factor in cases like this.”
Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.
The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:
A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.
—NBC SPORTS—
“If Watson gets traded, it’s going to have to include a gigantic package, maybe the highest price ever paid for a player in league history. It’s justified.” – King on any potential trade for QB Deshaun Watson
“I’d be surprised if the Panthers hadn’t made an offer by now, quite frankly. This is a fit in many ways. Very aggressive new owner (David Tepper), who would move mountains for a franchise QB.” – King on the Panthers as a potential Watson trade partner
“The trade was fair to both the Colts and Eagles…If anyone can fix (Wentz) after the 2020 debacle it’s probably (Frank) Reich.” – King on Carson Wentz trade
Tony Dungy Hosts Panel on State of Minority Coaching in College Football, Available Later Today on NBC Sports’ Digital Channels
STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 22, 2021 – Peter King explores potential trades for Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also discusses the NFL quarterback market, including Indianapolis’ deal for Carson Wentz, and shares his thoughts on how to help players in their post-playing lives.
Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach and NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy, who was the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl, hosts a conversation on the state of minority coaches in college football with Maryland head coach Mike Locksley and former Notre Dame and Stanford coach Ty Willingham. The conversation will be available later today on NBC Sports’ YouTube channel. Earlier this month, Dungy hosted a roundtable on the state of minority coaching hires in the NFL with former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Atlanta Falcons President & CEO and member of the NFL’s Competition Committee Rick McKay, and co-host of Peacock’s Brother From Another Michael Smith.
Across NBC Sports, Peacock’s weekday block of NFL programming from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, which provides extensive NFL coverage, includes PFT Live featuring Mike Florio and Chris Simms live at 7 a.m. ET, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Brother From Another, with Michael Holley and Michael Smith, at 3 p.m. ET, and PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. On Monday, Safety Blitz, featuring Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth, streams at 6 p.m. ET, and Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday-Friday. ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest offseason news, and the NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show and Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast discuss offseason storylines.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:
DESHAUN WATSON
King on the NFL quarterback market: “Every offseason has good storylines. But this year, from the time Adam Schefter put the over-under on starting quarterback changes in 2021 at 18 (and took the over), football antennae have been raised at the most important position in team sports.”
King on the Texans and QB Deshaun Watson: “Over the weekend, two common themes emerged about Houston’s near future. One: The Texans have one untouchable player, Watson, as of now. Two: Houston is not only not interested in trading Watson but also not interested in listening to offers for him.”
King on Texans GM Nick Caserio: “I’m told he’s categorically opposed to trading Watson, period – either in the next nine weeks before the draft (when he’d clearly get the best deal to start the Texans’ post-Watson lives) or ever. It’s easy to say that, of course, when the deadline is far away. No one knows who will fold, who will stay strong. Caserio and owner Cal McNair have never been in the eye of a storm like this one.”
King: “So if Watson continues to say he won’t play for the Texans, Caserio would be able to make his best deal in the days before the April 29 first round. Below are the best candidates.”
KING’S BEST CANDIDATES FOR A WATSON TRADE
King on a potential deal: “I can hear many of you now: Price tag’s too steep! You’re crazy! I’m not. If Watson gets traded, it’s going to have to include a gigantic package, maybe the highest price ever paid for a player in league history. It’s justified. Twenty-five-year-old franchise quarterbacks never come on the market. But the price isn’t for everyone.”
Carolina Panthers: “I’d be surprised if the Panthers hadn’t made an offer by now, quite frankly. This is a fit in many ways. Very aggressive new owner (David Tepper), who would move mountains for a franchise QB.”
King Proposal: “A 7-for-1 deal. Running back Christian McCaffrey, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, receiver Robbie Anderson and first-round and second-round picks in 2021 (eighth and 39th overall), a first-round pick in 2022 and third-round pick in 2023 in exchange for Watson.”
New York Jets: “GM Joe Douglas is a big home-grown advocate, and I believe New York would chafe at doing a mega-pick deal for Watson because too many dyed-in-the-wool scouts there believe in building the team through the draft. But so many of the ingredients are there.”
King Proposal: “A 6-for-1 deal. Quarterback Sam Darnold, defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, first-round picks in 2021 (second overall) and 2022 (the higher of New York’s two first-round picks), plus second-round picks in 2021 (34th overall) and 2023 in exchange for Watson.”
San Francisco 49ers: “San Francisco would be okay with entering 2021 with Jimmy Garoppolo as its starter. But no matter what Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch say, they can’t be totally comfortable with it…If the Niners could convince Garoppolo to waive his no-trade clause, I could see San Francisco being all in here, even though the Niners clearly would have to part with some major assets.”
King Proposal: “Seven-for-1. Garoppolo, linebacker Fred Warner (that really hurts), tackle Mike McGlinchey, first-round picks in 2021 (12th overall) and 2022, plus a second-round pick in 2021 and third-round pick in 2022 for Watson. It’s a lot for the Niners to pay; of all the players in all the deals I’m proposing, Warner would be the most coveted one in my book.”
Miami Dolphins: “You’d hear a big, loud, ‘We’re not trading Tua if the Dolphins weren’t at least pondering Watson.’ Why wouldn’t they be? It’s extremely hard, after seeing one year of Tua Tagovailoa, to think his mega-upside would equal the 2021 Watson. It’s logical to at least look into it.”
King Proposal: “Miami trades defensive end Christian Wilkins, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, first-round picks in 2021 (third overall) and 2023, and second-round picks in 2021 and 2022 for Watson.”
CARSON WENTZ
King on the Colts’ trade for Carson Wentz: “My bet is that the Colts had plans to pursue Wentz this offseason, but before they’d trade for a player with four years and $96 million left on his contract, they had to be sure that (Andrew) Luck wasn’t having second thoughts about playing…And once they felt sure Luck was ensconced in retirement, they moved full speed ahead on Wentz.”
King on the trade: “The trade was fair to both the Colts and Eagles. A third-round pick this year and a first-round pick in 2022 (if Wentz plays 75 percent of the snaps in Indy this year, or 70 percent and the Colts make the playoffs)…Plus, Indy takes the risk of the contract: $96 million over the next four years, with $47.5 million guaranteed. Heck of a risk on a quarterback who failed so spectacularly, and in many ways, in 2020.”
King on Wentz and Colts head coach Frank Reich: “Wentz is 28. He was awful last season and justifiably was benched for the last four games in Philadelphia. But he looked like the long-term guy the previous three years (81 TDs, 21 interceptions), and if anyone can fix him after the 2020 debacle it’s probably Reich.”
King on Wentz’s desire to go to the Colts: “I’m told the Colts were his first, second and third choices in trade, mostly because of Reich and also because he’s a Midwest (North Dakota) guy, and Indianapolis has about 1 percent of the sporting venom of Philadelphia.”
King on Wentz’s 2020 season: “He saw ghosts; he often rushed throws even when he didn’t have to because he was used to heavy pressure from a line he didn’t trust anymore…He didn’t respond well to hard coaching, tuning out much of what he was being taught. After the Eagles spent a 2020 second-round pick on a quarterback, Jalen Hurts, Wentz didn’t trust the front office either.”
King on the Eagles since winning Super Bowl LII: “The team as a whole, poof! Gone, into thin air. Doug Pederson’s last four years: Super Bowl win, playoffs, playoffs, 4-11-1…fired. Whaaaaat? What has happened in sports?!…There might be a team in the 55-year history of Super Bowl that has dissolved faster than these Philadelphia Eagles, but I can’t think of one.”
King on the Eagles: “Over the weekend, in talking to two people who know the inner workings of the Eagles, it’s clear that there is a stunned disbelief inside the team from (owner Jeffrey) Lurie on down. A year ago, Pederson and Wentz were the keystones for the future of the franchise. Today, it’s almost inconceivable Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts are the coach and quarterback, and the franchise is cap-strapped with so few young building-block players.”
NEWS & NOTES
King on the death of former NFL WR Vincent Jackson: “I think it’s too early to know exactly why Vincent Jackson’s life ended far too soon at 38, but the signs that he was spiraling downward are there: successful former football player (four times a nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award), estranged from his family, serious alcoholism suspected.”
King on his idea to help retired players and their post-career lives: “I say convene a combined league-union Blue Ribbon Panel, with mental-health and cognitive-health experts from each side, to examine why so many players struggle in their post-career lives. Invest real money in addressing the afterlives of football players. Invest real money in safety nets for players who go off the grid and whose lives their good friends are seriously concerned about, so that prominent players and excellent contributors to society don’t die binging on alcohol or other substances after giving up on finding a good life post-football.”
King on Drew Brees: “I think it’s good for Drew Brees to be in control of his fate and all that, but it’s Feb. 22. It’s been 36 days since Jay Glazer announced Brees would definitely be retiring after the Saints’ final playoff game, 36 days since that last playoff game. And crickets. It’s widely (overwhelmingly?) assumed Brees will retire and transition to broadcasting. Drew, you’ve got the stage to yourself this week. No quarterback trades likely. It’s all yours.”
King on Jacoby Brissett: “I think I’d love to see free-agent quarterback Jacoby Brissett sign with the Eagles. Great spot for Brissett, who still wants to play, probably won’t have a solid starting opportunity in this market, but would be an excellent backup if Jalen Hurts struggles in Philadelphia.”
Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.
The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:
A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.
—NBC SPORTS—
Matt Miller joins ESPN’s NFL Draft team and Jim Nagy returns as ESPN NFL Draft contributor
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• Versatile, Enthusiastic, and Passionate Analyst Continues Tenure that Began in 2015
• Continues Year-Round Presence, Including Signature Annual NFL Events and SportsCenter with SVP following Monday Night Football
The post ESPN Signs NFL Studio Analyst Ryan Clark to Multi-Year Extension appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
“The story of the Super Bowl champion this season is a story about America in COVID times… In the last 11 months, since the coronavirus began to ravage America, the Bucs did virtually everything right, and they learned not to complain.” – King on the Buccaneers
“I had to trust how he was gonna see certain things, what he was gonna do on certain concepts. And he had to trust that I’ll constantly keep putting him in position to have success.” – Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich on Developing Trust with Tom Brady
“I would play very hard ball with (Deshaun) Watson till September, then see where the situation stands.” – King on the Texans
STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 15, 2021 – Peter King discusses Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV victory and breaks down the five key plays that shaped it in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also speaks with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen, and discusses the status of J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson.
Across NBC Sports, Peacock’s weekday block of programming from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, which will provide extensive NFL coverage includes PFT Live featuring Mike Florio and Chris Simms live at 7 a.m. ET. Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday-Friday. ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest offseason news, and NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show and Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast continue their NFL discussion.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:
SUPER BOWL LV
King on the Buccaneers & Super Bowl LV: “The story of the Super Bowl champion this season is a story about America in COVID times. In the past year, success in all walks of life has depended on reinventing oneself to do life differently…In the NFL, it wasn’t survival of a business or finding a family’s next meal, of course. It was just very different. In the last 11 months, since the coronavirus began to ravage America, the Bucs did virtually everything right, and they learned not to complain about the crap.”
Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate on QB Tom Brady’s influence: “We’ve had a lot of blowout losses since I’ve been here, but this year the difference was pretty amazing. Tom was never down. He had pretty good foresight. Even after these bad losses, he’d be encouraging us, like we weren’t that far away.”
Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on the team’s late-season run: “We needed time. When two people meet each other, the first thing they say is, ‘Trust me.’ You gotta build trust. I understood that. We had to be around each other even though we liked each other, the friendship, it clicked off in the beginning, but we still had to build trust in each other. I had to trust how (Brady) was gonna see certain things, what he was gonna do on certain concepts. And he had to trust that I’ll constantly keep putting him in position to have success.”
Buccaneers QB coach Clyde Christensen on Brady’s Super Bowl LV: “It’s the 21st week of the season and Tom’s in his 21st year. The adjustment period was natural for a new quarterback with the offseason we had, but now he’s comfortable enough with everyone to go over everything they’re going to see in the game.”
King on Brady’s locker room speech before Super Bowl LV: “On Super Sunday, Brady talked to his team in the locker room for the first time all season. ‘Seize the opportunity!’ he said. ‘We win today and we’re champs for life!’”
KING’S FIVE PLAYS THAT SHAPED SUPER BOWL LV
King: “I would not call these five plays the most important of the game. The defensive vise-grip on Patrick Mahomes was gigantic…But for a new quarterback to learn a new team after 20 years in one place, and for four brand-new players to score every point in a Super Bowl upset when nothing was normal…that, to me, is truly extraordinary about the 2020 season and the Bucs winning Super Bowl LV. In a rout.”
Brady to (Antonio) Brown, stop route, KC up 3-0, 3:14 left, first quarter: “Classic Brady favorite. He torched the Atlanta secondary four years ago in the comeback Super Bowl win with stop routes…Brown caught it 16 yards past the line of scrimmage. Looked so easy. And it is – if you’ve practiced it a hundred times. Which very likely they had done.”
Brady to (Rob) Gronkowski, flat-screen route, KC up 3-0, 0:41 left, first quarter: “This is something I’d never seen – Gronk the tight end in fast motion, right to left, in front of the quarterback, in motion as a receiver and not as a seal-blocker cutting off the edge-rush…How many touchdowns in his tremendous career has Gronk done this – sprint motion, catch in the flat, score, without being touched? Well, never.”
Christensen on the play: “Byron (Leftwich) couldn’t wait to call this play. We were so sure it’d work.”
(Leonard) Fournette run, Tampa up 21-9, 7:45 left, third quarter: “Leftwich wouldn’t say what exactly he saw, but it’s likely that on Fournette runs to the right of center earlier in the game against certain Kansas City defensive looks, the Bucs would have a totally open second level. So if they blocked it right and opened a gap, Fournette would have an open field ahead. That’s exactly what happened, and that was the game.”
King on the Buccaneers defense & Brady: “Devin White said after the game he felt he was the best linebacker in football, and who’s disagreeing with him now? … Altogether, the Bucs’ youth all over the field will make them big factors so long as they have a quarterback to keep the offense humming. After seeing Brady in this Super Bowl, you’ve got to figure he’s got two years left in Tampa. Maybe more.”
UPDATES ON 11
King on J.J. Watt: “The Texans, even if it took some coaxing from Watt, did the right thing on Friday, letting him go five weeks before free-agency begins, so Watt can choose his next team…This is the guy you stick out your right hand, shake his hand, and say, ‘Thank you, J.J., for everything. This franchise and this city can never repay you for the player and humanitarian you’ve been.’”
King on potential landing spots for Watt: “If I had to guess the teams that would be most interested, I’d say Buffalo, Cleveland, Kansas City, Tennessee, Indianapolis and Green Bay. This move would not really be in Packer tradition, though they did sign Charles Woodson at 30 and he had seven good years there. We’ll see.”
King on Texans QB Deshaun Watson: “Owner Cal McNair told me Friday that Watson is a Texan and he fully intends to keep him in Houston. Which is exactly what he should say, because I wouldn’t think of trading Watson until I got a very good to great quarterback plus either three high first-round picks or a Sam Darnold-type plus four ones in return. To be clear, I would play very hard ball with Watson till September, then see where the situation stands.”
King on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson: “I know Russell Wilson, who normally wouldn’t say crap if he had a mouthful, and to hear these sideways jabs at how the team is run means to me he’s unhappy…He’s probably not happy with coach Pete Carroll, who has ultimate authority with the franchise’s football decisions, or with GM John Schneider, both for not building a better offensive line and not listening more to him about the direction of the franchise.”
King on Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer hiring Chris Doyle: “Imagine thinking you can hire Chris Doyle in the NFL when he couldn’t even work in Iowa City…It’s crazy to think Meyer didn’t think something like this would be a factor when free agents are picking future employment. Meyer needs someone to be his conscience. It’s clear he doesn’t have one on the staff now.”
King on voting for Tom Brady as Super Bowl LV MVP: “If someone picked Devin White or Shaq Barrett or one of the other defensive linemen, I wouldn’t have thought it was a bad pick…Late in the fourth quarter, when I had to submit my ballot, I saw that Brady was going to win his seventh Super Bowl at age 43, with the highest passer-rating (125.8) of his 10-Super Bowl career.”
Former QB Rich Gannon to King on the passing of Marty Schottenheimer: “I loved playing for him. He could coach every position. He could tell the left tackle about hand placement in pass-pro, and he could tell the corners about their footwork and technique…Every day, Marty would tell us at the start of the meeting the roster moves, who’s coming, who’s going. He says, I cut so-and-so. We got a punt blocked, and I asked him about it, and he lied to me about it. Men, don’t EVER lie to me.”
NEWS & NOTES
King on the passing of journalist Terez Paylor: “The saddest thing about Terez’s death is the work over the next 25 or 30 years we won’t get to see, the young journalists who won’t get to be influenced by him, the knowledge we won’t glean because his voice won’t be there. The loss is magnified because we need Black voices in our white-dominated football world, and I know for sure he would have been one for the ages. Regardless of color, Terez Paylor was on his way to greatness, period… I wish Terez Paylor had 37 more years to influence our world. But it can’t be. So let his beacon shine for what he’s done. It’s so much already.”
King on the Patriots: “I think I’d trade for Marcus Mariota if I were the Patriots.”
King on former WR Chris Hogan joining the Premier Lacrosse League: “Good for him. Great for him. I don’t know Hogan well, but those who do said his heart was always in another game. He’s competed and won on the highest level of football, and now I hope he’ll be able to do the same in lacrosse.”
King on Buccaneers GM Jason Licht: “I think you want to go to Vegas, and right now, with Jason Licht. He’s been rolling personnel sevens for 11 months. He’s on an amazing run of drafting – his six leading DBs all are 24 or younger, all selected in the last three years, including Antoine Winfield in last year’s second round. The Tampa Bay GM has a smart staff and trusts his scouts and executives implicitly.”
Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.
The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:
A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.
—NBC SPORTS—
ACC Network will televise All ACC: Trevor Lawrence Pro Day Special live on Friday, Feb. 12, from Clemson’s Poe Indoor Facility at 10 a.m. ET as the 2020 Heisman Trophy Finalist participates in passing drills in front of NFL scouts and executives.
The post <i>All ACC: Trevor Lawrence Pro Day Special</i> to Air Friday on ACC Network and Simulcast on ESPN2 appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..