The NFL Mix introduced some massive information and a large commerce

The 2025 NFL Mix has come and gone and it precipitated the predictable quantity of chaos.

Final week right here at The Skinny Submit we, Michael Peterson and RJ Ochoa, mentioned how a hypothetical Matthew Stafford commerce didn’t look like it will actually profit anybody. Stafford was talked about because the week wore on and in the end obtained a brand new deal from the Los Angeles Rams, which rendered all commerce speak moot.

However the first commerce of the offseason did nonetheless occur whereas the Mix was rolling on because the San Francisco 49ers despatched Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. The franchise tag deadline is that this week, authorized tampering and free company kick off subsequent week… issues are shifting and grooving.

The Commanders are formally going for it… proper?

Photograph by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Pictures

RJ:

The best present in soccer is a quarterback on a rookie contract. Most groups do the whole lot they will to capitalize on it and Washington is proving to be sensible on this naked minimal type of sense (not a shot at them).

We used the phrase “going for it” right here which I agree with, however I’d add that we must be higher when it comes to what clears our bar for that as soccer followers. That is an instance of the Commanders attempting to enhance and to maximise an essential window, sure, however we must always anticipate groups to do these apparent issues.

One thing like this from Washington particularly feels a bit uncommon given who they’ve been, however my goodness have they turned a nook as a franchise. Deebo just isn’t who he as soon as was, however the in-division rivals of the Commanders are proof that you just don’t need to have everyone be a superhero all the time. If you happen to add a ton of actually good gamers to your roster then your flooring and room for error at massive are a lot greater.

Michael:

I actually like this transfer for the Commanders. The price of a fifth-round draft decide is tremendous very best to land a participant like Deebo Samuel, and his skillset — even when he’s not the identical man such as you mentioned — matches rather well with Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in Washington. On high of Daniels’ dual-threat skill, you now add Samuel’s dual-threat skill, to go along with Austin Ekeler’s dual-threat skill, to go along with studs like Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson Jr.

This isn’t the flashiest offensive talent group within the NFL, however such as you mentioned, they’ve obtained a handful of actually stable gamers who could be elevated by a very good play-caller and total nice crew synergy. It’s the identical components the Ravens have utilized with Lamar Jackson and now we have seen simply how persistently profitable that has been lately.

Which prospect is your greatest winner from the NFL Mix?

Michael:

There have been numerous standout performers at this 12 months’s NFL Mix however one which stood out essentially the most to me was the freakish security from South Carolina, Nick Emmanwori. The man is 6’3, 220 kilos and ran a blazing 4.38 within the 40-yard sprint. His 43-inch vertical is a top-3 mark within the historical past of the occasion whereas his 20 reps on the bench press had been essentially the most amongst his place this 12 months.

Daniel Jeremiah and Wealthy Eisen had been making D.Ok. Metcalf comparisons on the published and I believe that’s fairly darn correct after the present Emmanwori placed on at his dimension.

RJ:

I’m going to stay with one in every of my very own and supply Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo.

Skattebo took the school soccer world by storm with how the Solar Devils stormed to a Huge 12 title of their first season within the convention behind him after which with an all-time efficiency in a Peach Bowl loss. TL;DR, he’s a school soccer legend.

Some individuals assumed this could simply follow CFB although and that his disposition (he runs onerous) wouldn’t translate to the NFL, however he examined pretty effectively and actually stood out within the vertical bounce.

It’s Cam Skattebo’s world, even if you happen to have no idea it but.

Signing Aaron Rodgers seems like a nasty concept for nearly anybody

Photograph by Luke Hales/Getty Pictures

RJ:

As famous up high, we’re a few week away from the NFL offseason taking off into a distinct dimension. Aaron Rodgers appears to have loved occupying an alternate dimension during the last couple of years, and it appears as if he’s going to pull one other NFL crew into it with him quickly sufficient.

Matthew Stafford staying in LA clearly takes the Rams off of the checklist of squads who would pursue Rodgers, however now we have seen NFL groups do absolutely anything within the identify of discovering a succesful quarterback. The place is that essential.

Right now the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders really feel like essentially the most possible locations for Rodgers, however do we actually have to see this? Is there a single one in every of us who thinks it can go even reasonably effectively?

Once more, some crew goes to speak themselves into it being a good concept. However the overwhelming odds are that it isn’t.

Michael:

I’m of the camp that Aaron is on the identical swiftly descending slope that Peyton Manning underwent throughout his final 12 months or so in Denver. There are nonetheless flashes that remind us of the classic model of the participant we’re watching, however for essentially the most half it was a bit unhappy seeing him wrestle in New York. And to be sincere, I don’t suppose it was the gamers round him as a lot as Rodgers made it look like it was.

A QB-needy crew just like the Giants may in all probability stand to make use of him as a bridge quarterback whereas drafting one other both this 12 months or subsequent, however Rodgers’ time within the highlight is rapidly dwindling. As you talked about, the Raiders are the opposite crew that might use his companies for a minimum of one season, however none of his obvious choices have a roster higher than the Jets did in 2024.

Will the Bengals remorse franchise-tagging WR Tee Higgins?

Michael:

The Bengals formally used the franchise tag on large receiver Tee Higgins for the second time in as many seasons. This 12 months, the tag can pay Higgins $26 million except each side are in a position to come collectively on a long-term deal forward of the 2025 season.

Is that this the suitable transfer for the Bengals as they try to push themselves again over the hump? The inevitable Ja’Marr Chase extension is more likely to reset the marketplace for the place and it’s not like Higgins’ potential deal can be all that crew pleasant both after the best way he ended the 2024 marketing campaign. The Bengals clearly have points. The protection was horrid and the offensive line was fairly tough defending Joe Burrow.

When the Bengals made the Tremendous Bowl, they did it with a robust protection backing up Burrow whereas the offensive line was nonetheless in shambles. They will’t go into the 2025 season with each evident points nonetheless in place and anticipate to enhance on their most up-to-date season. Will they be capable of plug up sufficient holes on the roster with the remaining cap area following a brand new deal for Higgins? I assume time will inform.

RJ:

My total standpoint right here is that you just pay to maintain good soccer gamers round. Once you begin to fear concerning the trivialities of how it’s all put collectively then you definately begin to end up in some pickles in my thoughts.

Is it very best to have a lot cash tied up on offense? No, clearly not. You would like to be far more balanced in an total sense.

However Tee Higgins is a superb participant and may also help the Bengals greater than he may also help anyone. Even when that is only a one-year factor on the second tag… it’s logical.

Good for Cincinnati. I belief them.