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The Jacksonville Jaguars' terrible season will be soothed by one of the top draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, if not the first pick. Many teams drafting within the top few draft picks will want a quarterback.
Other teams could be interested in trading up for the Jaguars' pick, as they will not be in the market for a quarterback. This also makes trading back a legitimate possibility because of all of the positions on the Jaguars' roster that need better players.
The Jaguars need help at so many positions that it is in their best interest to consider any offers to trade back, especially if they can trade back and still be within striking distance of the player they want.
The Jaguars are widely considered the front-runner for the first overall pick. Many believe Jacksonville will take Travis Hunter from Colorado. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News recently listed the teams that could benefit from Hunter's services and why.
Iyer believes the Jaguars would be a better team if they paired Hunter with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. on offense or built around him on the defensive side of the ball. The Jaguars need all the help they can get on both sides of the ball.
“The Jaguars will not be taking a quarterback after just extending 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence to a lucrative deal," Iyer said. "They have been terrible in cornerback coverage all season, and injuries have riddled their wide receiver corps to the point that dynamic rookie first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr. is the last real playmaker standing. Hunter can shore up coverage and also form a dangerous downfield duo with Thomas."
The Jaguars will soon be at a crossroads as an organization and must decide who to draft with one of the top picks in this year's draft. Jacksonville can get things in the right direction heading into next year.
Jacksonville is undoubtedly in a unique position, but they absolutely must make the correct decision for them. That may or may not be drafting Hunter, but depending on the offers they get, do not be surprised.
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Micah Parsons situation gets uglier with Jerry Jones' comments on star's status
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Former Commanders draft pick is falling apart with no sign of recovery
The Washington Commanders' new era started with a bang. This all centered around the team's decision to select quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. The collateral damage of that decision is experiencing a different trajectory. And the signs suggest that Sam Howell is falling apart with no sign of recovery. Howell became the first Washington quarterback to start every regular-season game since Kirk Cousins in 2023. There were flashes of promise, but nothing to convince general manager Adam Peters he was worthy of another shot. When they set their stall on Daniels, the former North Carolina standout was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Former Commanders QB Sam Howell is struggling to make an impact in Minnesota After backing up Geno Smith last season, Howell was on the move again. This time, it was the Minnesota Vikings who thought they could salvage his career, albeit in another understudy role behind J.J. McCarthy. It seemed as if the No. 2 quarterback spot was Howell's to lose heading into the offseason. But after some struggles throughout training camp, that's not as clear-cut as it once appeared. NFL analyst Thor Nystrom from Fantasy Life got to see Howell up close during the Vikings' practice on Monday. His blunt message on social media left no doubt about how he perceived the signal-caller's production. And spoiler alert, it didn't make for good reading. This is an ongoing trend. Howell isn't picking things up quickly enough, and it's showing on the field. Head coach Kevin O'Connell is an accomplished quarterback developer, but even he might have his work cut out here. Howell isn't a rookie anymore. These are more than just growing pains, so it'll be interesting to see if some live-fire reps in the preseason can turn this concerning tide. That'll be the strongest measuring stick, especially considering he threw just 14 passes in 2024. The Vikings believed enough in Howell to bring him on board. They also don't have much behind him on the depth chart, which is one thing working in his favor. But unless the consistency increases and his confidence level within O'Connell's offense grows quickly, a situation could emerge where Minnesota cuts its losses. That would place Howell firmly on the brink of NFL irrelevancy. He might be there already, but if he was deemed unworthy of even being a backup, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what comes next. Howell has to dig deep and show the correct resolve. This is also the final year of his rookie deal, so the stakes couldn't be much higher heading into a pivotal preseason stretch for the gunslinger. More Commanders news and analysis
NBA Trade Grades: Celtics Get More Cap Relief While Jazz Keep Adding More Assets & What’s Next For Each Squad
The Boston Celtics have been rumored to be looking to pull the trigger on another trade to get them some “salary cap” breathing room. Well, mission accomplished as the Celtics cleared more salary from the 2025-26 ledger earlier tonight by sending Georges Niang to Utah. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics will also send two future second-round draft picks to the Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Luis Jr. NBA Trade Grades: Celtics Get More Cap Relief While Jazz Keep Adding More Assets What’s Next For Each Squad Boston, coming off a challenging and disappointing conclusion to its NBA title defense, has re-tooled its roster for the upcoming season. With their third trade of the offseason, the Celtics shed about $50 million off their projected tax bill as they moved to $1.7 million above the first apron and $9.4 million above the luxury tax line, per NBA tax expert Yossi Gozlan. Niang never suited up for the Celtics, who acquired the 6-7 forward via the Kristap Porzingis three-team trade. Niang is coming off one of his best seasons of his career as he averaged 9.9 points,3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 79 appearances for Cleveland and Atlanta. The 32-year-old is due $8.2 million in 2025-26. Luis went undrafted in this past June’s draft despite being one of the best two-way guards in college basketball. However, the 6-7 guard does have some baggage and is not a good shooter. He signed a two-way deal with the Jazz in early July. However, he didn’t play for the Jazz summer league squad due to knee soreness. Luis is slated to fill the Celtics’ last two-way spot, Sportac’s Keith Smart tweeted. “RJ Luis is signed to a two-year two-way contract,” Smart said. “He’ll fill the Celtics’ open two-way spot. Boston’s other two current two-way players are Miles Norris and rookie Max Shulga.” What Does The Trade Mean For The Celtics Niang is projected to be in the mix for frontcourt minutes with the Celtics. But Boston needed to upgrade its frontcourt and create more cap space. With the trade, the Celtics also created another open spot on their 15-man roster as Luis is slated to fill the Celtics’ last two-way spot. While the Celtics are plush with wings, Luis does have the potential to be a useful addition this year. As the 22-year-old could provide the Celtics a scoring punch off the bench. Jaylen Brown or Baylor Scheierman are the only wings on the Celtics roster who have demonstrated the capability of putting the ball in the hoop consistently. Besides creating an open roster spot, filling their minor league spots, and clearing salary room, Boston also got an $8.2 trade exception that they can use over the next year to improve their roster. What Is Next For The Celtics The Celtics wasted little time filling the roster spot that Niang previously held. The Celtics announced the signing of veteran big man Chris Boucher shortly after dealing Niang. Boucher will make $3.3 million with his one-year deal, Charania tweeted. However, the 32-year-old will only count $2.29 million against the cap. Thus, the Celtics essentially efficiently save $5.9 million in the two moves. Boucher is a better fit for the Celtics than Niang. The Celtics needed to add rebounding and size, as well as post scoring. He has developed into a fantastic finisher at the rim over the last two seasons. Boucher is expected to compete for significant minutes at power forward and center. Boston still has an open standard roster spot. The Celtics now are S7.8 million under the second apron. So, the Celtics are likely to fill their 15th spot. Charles Bassey, Ben Simmons, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. are reportedly players that the Celtics are interested in. Trade Grade: A What Does The Trade Mean For The Jazz Utah continues to add assets to absorb contracts that other teams don’t want. However, this trade feels a little bit different. Niang is a quality role player, and Tony Jones of The Athletic is reporting that the Jazz are considering him as a rotational piece. Niang, who previously spent four seasons in Utah, is an excellent catch-and-shoot player and a career 40% shooter from beyond the arc. “The Jazz are trading for Niang to have him play and add a veteran presence to their young core,” Jones tweeted. “The two sides have spoken, sources say, and Niang is happy and excited to be back in Utah.” Niang is on an expiring contract. The Jazz didn’t give up anything for him except for a long-term prospect, and they received more draft assets. The Jazz used a portion of the trade exception that they acquired from trading John Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers. They are still about half a million below the salary cap threshold of $154.6 million. So, they have all the necessary tools to make a big-time trade at some point this season, if that is what they choose to do. What Is Next For The Jazz It is unknown what direction the Jazz is taking this season. However, they appear to be continuing to build for the future and didn’t add any future cap money beyond this season. The two second-round draft picks that the Jazz will receive have not been disclosed. But those selections are not expected to be conveyed in the near future. The Celtics are not guaranteed to have a second-round pick until 2030. Any future asset is valuable for Utah, as evidenced by recent developments. Before this trade, the Jazz only had two second-round selections on the books, 2027 (via the Clippers) and 2029. They do have a wealth of future first-round picks. Utah has 16 players on standard contracts. So, the Jazz will need to make a roster move before opening night. KJ Martin, who has a nonguaranteed deal, is the likely odd man out. Although NBA Insider Marc Stein reported a few days ago that Kevin Love is “actively exploring” ways to get out of Utah. With Luis in Boston, the Jazz have an open two-way spot. Oscar Tshiebwe, who was on a minor league deal with the Jazz last season, still has a qualifying offer from the Jazz. Trade Grade: A
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