Category: Sports

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr spoke out on social media to squash trade rumors involving beloved Raiders tight end Darren Waller. 

For the Las Vegas Raiders, the past two seasons have been starkly defined by overwhelming change.

The Raiders moved from their longtime Oakland home to Las Vegas in 2020, and the 2021 season was marked by the firing of Jon Gruden and the tragic accident involving wide receiver Henry Ruggs III.

Two stalwart players who led the locker room during this difficult season were quarterback Derek Carr and tight end Darren Waller, which is further exemplified by the fact that both players were named team captains at the beginning of the 2021 season.

So when rumors began to fly that the Raiders might trade Waller to the Green Bay Packers, Carr stepped up to squash the rumors before they spread like wildfire.

Derek Carr counters Darren Waller trade rumors on Twitter

Before the trade rumors broke, Waller spoke with FanSided last week and expounded on Carr’s best qualities as a quarterback and team leader.

“DC, the first thing that comes to my mind is resilience. I think he’s played every game since 2014. Just through the teams that have succeeded and done well to teams that haven’t done as well, you know, he’s still being the same guy. I’ve been there with him when the records weren’t good and when the records have been good.

He’s still the same guy that cares about guys on the independent individual basis before he is ready to jump down somebody’s throat about what they did wrong. It’s always… he’s got your back, he’s not going to air you out. He’s not going to blame you or anything like that.

He’s somebody who’s going to step up and lead the team and say what needs to be said, challenge people where they need to be challenged. And just as a quarterback, he’s accurate, very intelligent, the line of scrimmage, check into different plays when the defense gives us a certain look. He’s a real student of the game, and very talented.”

Based on Waller’s recent interview, he seems heavily invested in the future of the Raiders. Las Vegas would be hard-pressed to find a less expensive and more dynamic tight end and teammate than Darren Waller.

The Packers are in dire need of weapons after trading Davante Adams to the Raiders, but they could be looking to Las Vegas for the remedy. 

Perhaps the biggest question the Green Bay Packers face entering the 2022 NFL Draft and the remainder of the offseason is how they are going to build the offense around Aaron Rodgers. After the club traded away Davante Adams to the Raiders, that left a gaping hole in the wide receiver room and group of pass-catchers.

As it turns out, though, the Raiders might again be in Green Bay’s crosshairs as a trade partner, this time with the Packers bringing in the big-time weapon for the passing game.

According to Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV, the Green Bay front office is eyeing a potential trade to bring in tight end Darren Waller. Per Nagler’s sources, Waller was part of the compensation package in return for Adams at one point in negotiations but, ultimately, wasn’t part of the final trade.

Packers trade rumors: Green Bay targeting Darren Waller

There is always a huge amount of trade chatter leading up to the draft but it doesn’t often make as much sense as this deal seemingly does.

With the addition of Adams and after Waller dealt with injuries that limited him to just 11 games last season on a relatively expensive new deal for a tight end, the Raiders could be looking to clear up some money from their books. Inversely, the Packers need go-to weapons for Aaron Rodgers after the quarterback returned and are in a position where they can afford to — and, by some measures, must — be aggressive on the trade market or otherwise to accomplish that.

Waller, when on the field, has been a matchup nightmare with his combination of size and athleticism that allow him to be a versatile weapon in the passing attack. Pairing him with Rodgers would be a welcomed sight for Packers fans.

With that said, any Darren Waller trade for Green Bay would likely need to go down before or during the 2022 NFL Draft given that picks would likely be the primary compensation going back to Las Vegas. If that’s the case, then we could see quick movement on this front before the first round gets underway on Thursday, April 28.

The Seattle Seahawks could be targeting a quarterback in the NFL Draft, but will it be in the first-round?

This offseason, the Seattle Seahawks decided to officially move on from quarterback Russell Wilson, as they traded him to the Denver Broncos. The team now has Drew Lock and Geno Smith as the top signal caller options on the roster. With the NFL Draft coming up this Thursday, will the Seahawks be eying a quarterback?

In Albert Breer’s draft-week MMQB column, there is a tidbit that links the Seahawks to Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral.

This is another team I’ve heard Corral connected to, but both Seattle and Atlanta could be looking at him more in the early second round area. Both also have two second-rounders, so either would have the capital and flexibility to deal back into the bottom of the first round to, perhaps, scoop him up there.

Seahawks draft plans could be targeting this quarterback

Seattle does hold the ninth-overall pick in the first-round, but Breer points out other positions of need for Seattle in his column, such as cornerback, defensive end or offensive tackle, to potentially use the selection on.

Yet, it is interesting to note that Breer brings up that Seattle does hold two second round picks, which are Nos. 40 and 41. That could be enough for the Seahawks to move back into the first to take a quarterback of the future to guarantee that they have the fifth-year option at their disposal.

Throughout the 2021 college football season, Corral was viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects of the 2022 class. However, Corral suffered a right ankle injury in the Sugar Bowl, which prevented him from participating at the NFL Scouting Combine.

This past season, Corral threw for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 67.9-percent of his passes. Corral also ran for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns on 152 carries.

For Seahawks fans wondering which quarterback the team could select if they were interested, Corral is a name to keep an eye on.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke with the media on Apr. 25 and said he does not want to trade Deebo Samuel.

Wide receivers have been on the move throughout the NFL offseason, as evidenced by the trades of Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill. One of the latest pass-catchers to want a trade from their current team is Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers.

On Monday, April 25, 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to the media and basically shut down the chances of moving on from Samuel, saying that he does not envision moving on from him.

John Lynch shuts down potential Deebo Samuel trade

“I can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo,” Lynch said, h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “You put yourself through the exercises of even though we don’t have a first-round pick, you have to be thorough in this process and prepare for everything, and as you go through and do that. He’s just too good of a player.”

Last week, the NFL began their voluntary offseason workout programs, but Samuel did not report to the 49ers, with reports hinting that he was seeking a new contract. Samuel is set to enter the final year of his contract before hitting free agency.

Then, Samuel told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington that he requested a trade off of the 49ers. Prior to this bombshell, Adam Schefter said that the wide receiver was not engaging in contract negotiations with the team. Even after Samuel told Darlington that he wanted a trade, there is no specific reason as to why he made the request.

Things can obviously change, but as of this writing, Lynch has expressed his desire for Samuel to remain with the team.