Sports

What we learned at NFL combine: Stafford trade talks a reflection on shaky QB draft class

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2025

What we learned at NFL combine: Stafford trade talks a reflection on shaky QB draft class

INDIANAPOLIS — After speaking with numerous teams and league sources throughout last week at the NFL Scouting Combine, here’s a rundown of some notable things we’re hearing about the upcoming NFL Draft and free agency, which begins next week:

The Stafford tell

Quarterback Matthew Stafford’s return to the Los Angeles Rams didn’t come as a surprise to many around the league who didn’t understand the logic behind the rumored trades, but the development was nonetheless important.

It spotlighted some QB-needy teams’ preference for a proven veteran quarterback over what seems to be a shaky draft class. League evaluators are down on the QB class to the point where many high-ranking personnel executives have top prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders ranked below all six first-round quarterbacks picked in 2024.

For the Las Vegas Raiders, what will be minority owner Tom Brady’s tolerance for substandard QB play? And for the New York Giants, the job security of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll likely hinges on finding a solution at quarterback and subsequently maximizing that player’s performance on the field immediately.

Stafford, even at 37, represented that quick solution, and he’s more of a sure thing right now than available veterans such as Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson. Plus, there’s a hidden danger in whiffing on a first-round QB in April — it also may take teams out of the running from a more highly coveted class in 2026.

To the root of it, though, teams strongly believed Stafford wanted to explore his market to gain leverage in his negotiations with the Rams — far more than wanting out. Obviously, the leverage play worked. But short of finding an offer of $60 million from another team, why would he want to join a rebuild at this stage of his career, especially after it took him so long to experience postseason success?

After getting back to the playoffs, why would the Rams opt to start over at quarterback? It would make sense if they could’ve turned Stafford into a first-round pick — either a top-10 selection this year or a first-rounder in 2026 — but it’s hard to believe a rebuilding team would pay such a price, on top of the contractual cost, for a QB at that age.

While having these barroom-style debates with coaches and executives, there simply wasn’t a scenario where Stafford, the Rams and the acquiring team would’ve all felt like winners in such a trade, which is why Stafford isn’t going anywhere.

So, what’s next?

It still sounds like Ward has an edge as the top QB in the class, and has believers within the Tennessee Titans, who have the No. 1 pick.

There’s still a cloudy forecast with how this will play out, though, because there’s so much QB desperation with teams at the top of the draft. Teams could be more motivated to trade up if they don’t find their answer in free agency. Conversely, one team near the top of the draft noted that while it is in the QB market, that doesn’t mean it won’t be more comfortable with the wave of players who will be available in the second round.

Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart is a name to watch. Teams believed Dart solidified himself as a first-rounder during his week at the Senior Bowl. And last week at the combine, two teams strongly believed Dart would be taken in the top half of the opening round.

Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Ohio State’s Will Howard and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel all have intriguing qualities. Teams have varying opinions over each, but there’s a project prospect for everyone in the market.

Milroe appears to have the highest ceiling among that tier. When he plays with confidence, he makes quicker decisions — as a passer and runner — and pops on tape. His performance against Georgia tantalized evaluators. But there were too many occasions when Milroe was too sped up, sometimes getting himself stuck in the pocket, and looking like a longer-developing project.

But if there’s a team that gets it right with the Milroe plan, he’s viewed as the prospect who would make teams want to kick themselves years from now.

Big Buff Hunter

Colorado cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter is the most electric prospect in the class, and teams are still split on how to use him.

The most popular opinion has been to play him as a full-time cornerback who can be used as a part-time wideout, perhaps up to 15 plays per game. Hunter can be a true No. 1 option at either position, but it’s not feasible to give him a full workload on both sides of the ball — even if that’s what he wants.

Teams recognize it’s more difficult for a cornerback to get into the rhythm of the game while being used on a rotational basis. Top corners need to get a feel for tendencies and the offense’s attack strategy to be at their best. All the while, it’s easier to practice a handful of packages at receiver throughout the week before making an impact on Sundays.

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Travis Hunter on two-way skills: ‘Nobody has ever done it the way I do it’

That’s the other thing. It’s not just a grind of game day but the workload during practices. On a related note, a couple of teams thought Hunter was still only scratching the surface with his development because Colorado had to preserve him at practice throughout the season to keep him as fresh as possible for games.

To Hunter’s credit, he hasn’t made any positional demands with teams. He’s told them to simply draft him, and he’ll do whatever they need.

“Just get him in the building,” an evaluator said. “If you can’t figure out how to use him … ”

Consider the financial impact of Hunter’s approach. The five highest-earning receivers are playing on contracts worth $32.2 million per year, while the five top-earning corners are at $21.9 million.

Hunter is talented enough that he could justify sticking to offense and having a far more lucrative career, but he’s committed to being a two-way player, regardless of how teams choose to divvy up his snap count. That aligns with the scouting report on Hunter, who has a rock-solid reputation as a leader and person off the field.

If Hunter isn’t the first pick, he’ll draw serious consideration from the Cleveland Browns at No. 2, according to league sources.

Financial gymnastics

A common question from teams at the combine: What are the Bengals doing?

Wide receiver Tee Higgins would almost certainly be worth at least $30 million annually in free agency, and the Bengals have until Tuesday to determine whether they’ll use the franchise tag on him for a second consecutive year. That would be worth $26.2 million.

All the while, of course, superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase will eventually leapfrog Justin Jefferson’s $35 million benchmark, perhaps even becoming the first to crack the $40 million barrier. And, oh by the way, they also have quarterback Joe Burrow earning $55 million per year, and pass rusher Trey Hendrickson wants a new deal.

It would be an unprecedented move to pay both Chase and Higgins.

The Philadelphia Eagles (A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith) and Miami Dolphins (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle) are the only teams with two receivers earning at least $25 million annually. It’s worked out splendidly for the Eagles, whose front office is universally lauded for its cap management, but the Dolphins have yet to win a playoff game with this model.

Reduce the benchmark to $20 million annually, and the San Francisco 49ers (Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel), Chicago Bears (D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen), Houston Texans (Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin) were the only other teams that went through 2024 with that roster dynamic. They combined for one playoff win.

The Niners just traded Samuel to the Washington Commanders (who will form a highly priced duo with Terry McLaurin) because they needed a cap reset. Diggs and Allen, about to hit free agency, were acquired last year, so we’re about to find out how the Texans and Bears felt about that financial setup. And keep in mind, the 49ers, Bears, Texans and Commanders have QBs on rookie contracts, while Baker Mayfield has greatly outperformed his deal.

So again, what are the Bengals doing? They just got a Herculean season out of Burrow — with the help of Chase and Higgins — but missed the playoffs because their offensive line and defense had major issues. It will take a monumental performance in the draft to fix those problems while doling out historic receiver contracts.

There’s a lot of attention on Cincinnati from around the league.

Receiver options dwindling

It doesn’t sound likely the Seattle Seahawks would make wideout DK Metcalf available in a trade.

Metcalf is entering the final season of his three-year, $72 million pact, so there’s been speculation he could be dealt. But the Seahawks have had a winning record in three consecutive seasons, albeit with an 0-1 mark in the playoffs during that stretch. It doesn’t make sense to trim one of their best players.

Now, things could always change during contract negotiations. But, at the moment, the New England Patriots and others who are trying to get creative at wideout will have to focus their attention elsewhere.

Star clone

Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter has drawn obvious comparisons to former Nittany Lions star Micah Parsons, who went 12th to the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.

Carter, a candidate for the No. 1 pick, has some subtle differences in his evaluation. Carter is viewed as the more instinctive player, according to evaluators, though he isn’t as explosive as Parsons.

Parsons sat out the 2020 season, so there was some risk with his evaluation. Carter has been the more consistent on-field performer, and one coach thought Carter’s upward trajectory could lead to an incredible NFL career, assuming the trend continues.

There are subtle differences to their styles, but there’s a strong belief Carter can join Parsons among the list of the league’s elite defenders in short order.

(Photo: Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)

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Sports

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene

Published

8 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.

“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.

Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.

“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”

AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)

“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”

Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.

“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”

Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.

Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)

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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Sports

How Jerry West found catharsis by speaking openly before his death in ‘The Logo’

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Jerry West’s legend was so well established when he retired from the Los Angeles Lakers in 1974 that he’d already been the inspiration for the NBA’s logo. Half a century later, West remains seventh all-time in points per game and holds the points-per-game record for a playoff series, numbers even more remarkable because he did it without the three-point shot.

But, of course, West wasn’t done. As a scout and general manager, he was a key architect of the Showtime Lakers teams of the 1980s and later acquired both Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to build another dynasty. West also was an executive for the Golden State Warriors in their heyday, providing crucial advice on player personnel.

Through it all, however, West struggled with depression and a sense of self-loathing, and had trouble with intimacy, much of it a by-product of a hardscrabble childhood in West Virginia with a domineering father.

That dichotomy, his outer success and inner turmoil, are the heart of “Jerry West: The Logo,” a new documentary for Prime Video, from “black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, directing his first documentary.

Kenya Barris in “Jerry West: The Logo.”

(Prime)

“I’m from L.A. and was a fan of the Showtime Lakers growing up,” Barris says, so he put his name in for the project figuring he’d at least get to meet a hero. “But we immediately hit it off and I felt a kinship with him.”

That ability to connect was part of West’s magic, as attested to by the string of NBA legends who pay tribute to him in the documentary, including Lakers such as Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Pat Riley and O’Neal, along with Steph Curry and Michael Jordan.

Vlade Divac was traded by West to secure the rights to Bryant, but he selected West to introduce him at his Hall of Fame induction. In a recent phone interview, Divac praised West as “a father figure when you needed it and a friend when you needed it. He was very honest and he cared about people and helped you achieve your goals. He’s one of the best guys I ever met. Period.”

Barris, who did extensive interviews with West before the Laker icon died in 2024, spoke by video recently about making the documentary, which also includes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledging for the first time that West was the sport’s logo. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Jerry had already opened up about his life in his memoir, “West by West,” but do you think this was still cathartic for him?

His book really drew me to doing the documentary because it was so honest. I think the idea of him actually saying these things out loud in front of a camera with his kids and his grandkids around was a catharsis for him.

Did he feel he was nearing the end?

Jerry would say, “I feel like I’m in God’s waiting room.” He didn’t like getting old because he was so much in touch with his body as an athlete — he could jump higher and run farther than his friends. When I first met him, he was on the treadmill and jogging with weights. He was in his 80s but was saying, “I used to be able to jog with more weights.”

He was feeling old but I don’t think that he thought he was about to pass.

Was he annoyed by his depiction in HBO’s Lakers series “Winning Time,” which generated controversy in 2022?

The show was entertaining, but it really bothered him and he didn’t think it was fair. I think that series might’ve pushed him into wanting to do this, if I’m being completely honest.

An elderly man with white hair smiles and stands outside a red brick home.

He and his family talk openly on camera about his mental health issues. Was it hard to balance that tonally with his great accomplishments in basketball?

I did not want to make something that was morose or a melodrama. But it would not be complete if he didn’t talk about the struggles. When I first met him, he was just coming out of a depression and anyone who’s ever been through that understands that it is actually a struggle. So forming a whole picture of who this character was was really important. And also it was important for his family because they lived through this with him as well. They were sad to see him suffer, but they had suffered through it too.

We wanted to really talk about who this character was and what formed him. Most of who we are is formed between the ages of 0 and 12 and in those years, Jerry saw a lot and went through a lot of stuff.

When his older brother was killed in Korea and his father put the casket by the Christmas tree …

That was crazy. If we could get the audience to understand who this man was, it would give them empathy for everything after.

As a GM [general manager], he was a white guy in this predominantly Black sport, but he came in with a chip on his shoulder, too, and he saw these young players who hadn’t had strong father figures and came from socioeconomically deprived places like he did and he was able to build real relationships with them.

He didn’t want to talk about it a lot in the doc, but he did a lot for civil rights and for players’ advocacy of the NBA, for the Black players, who didn’t have the same voice that he had. But he did it quietly.

A man wearing a ballcap and holding up a basketball jersey stands next to a man in a grey suit.

Jerry West signed Shaquille O’Neal to the Lakers in 1996 after four years with the Orlando Magic. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Two men flank a man holding up a yellow basketball jersey.

Jerry West, left, Kobe Bryant and Lakers head coach Del Harris in 1997. Bryant was acquired in a trade for Vlade Divac. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

One thing the documentary avoids is the contentious relationship with Phil Jackson — who isn’t even mentioned — and the cause of West’s departure from the Lakers right after he built that dynasty. Did he not want to discuss it?

We spoke about it. You can’t have that long a career and not rack up some controversial things. But I did not want this to be a salacious look at the negative accounts. I got in there the idea of a strain with the Lakers, but I wanted to make sure to not defile that relationship based upon certain things that I wasn’t going to dig into. It was not a gotcha sort of documentary. It was more of a tribute to him.

People have wondered if he had stayed on, whether he could have stopped the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal from going south, and I would have been interested to know what he thought.

We did talk about that. He believes that he could have got them to stay together and he said that he believes they could have gone on and won four or five more championships.

Sports

Mike Breen says fans ‘deserve to be thrown a bone’ as NBA cuts all local broadcasts from the playoffs

Published

21 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Mike Breen says fans ‘deserve to be thrown a bone’ as NBA cuts all local broadcasts from the playoffs

NBA playoffs begin, Will anyone stop the Thunder? | The Herd

The NBA playoffs are underway, with the Play-In tournament starting tomorrow. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the heavy favorite to repeat as champions. Colin Cowherd asks if the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, or anyone else can stop the Thunder.

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Mike Breen, the New York Knicks’ play-by-play announcer and star NBA voice with ESPN, is not happy with a key league move heading into the NBA Playoffs.

And he didn’t hold back his frustrations during the Knicks’ regular-season finale on Sunday night.

For the first time in NBA history, all local network broadcasts are being pushed out of the playoffs for nationally televised games. Those networks paid a premium to air the playoffs, but the league had always allowed the local home broadcast to be aired as well as the national TV spots in previous seasons.

ESPN play-by-play sports commentator Mike Breen looks on prior to the game between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 110-107. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Breen, alongside his longtime partner, Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier, ripped the league’s decision on the final day of his broadcasting duties for the Eastern Conference squad.

“First time ever that no longer can the home team announcers and broadcasters televise the first round,” Breen mentioned during the 110-96 loss to the Charlotte Hornets while broadcasting on MSG.

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“The entire playoffs are exclusive to national TV broadcasters. I mentioned this earlier this season. I think, personally, Clyde, it’s a poor decision. Fans want to hear their home team announcers, at least in the first round. For so many of us, they become part of the family.”

Breen added that he understands “the networks pay a fortune for exclusivity,” granted he works for one of those networks on ESPN.

“But fans deserve to be thrown a bone once in a while in terms of letting the home team have a little bit of the first round,” he continued.

The NBA reached a whopping $76 billion broadcast rights deal that kicked in at the start of this season, and it will last for the next 11 seasons. Like other pro sports leagues, the deal is carved out across various platforms, both long-standing networks and streaming.

ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Breen calls the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 17, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

While the NBA got together the deal it liked with Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal, Breen hopes it would consider working something out to get local broadcasters back into the fold for the playoffs.

However, he knows how the business is at the end of the day.

“Somehow, if there’s any way they can work out some kind of compromise, I’m not hopeful for that, but it would be wonderful to have it because this is our final telecast of the season,” Breen said.

Breen, now, will focus on his ESPN duties as the lead commentator for the “Worldwide Leader” on the court. His famous “Bang!” call on clutch three-pointers has been synonymous with the biggest moments in the NBA Playoffs for years now, and that will get started very soon as teams in both the East and West gun for their shot at the Larry O’Brien Trophy and to call themselves NBA Finals champions.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning Finals champs, are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference once again, while teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers will battle them to be crowned conference champions.

Mike Breen looks on before the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers during Round 2 Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

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In the East, Breen’s Knicks own the No. 3 seed, while the Detroit Pistons (No. 1) and Boston Celtics (No. 2) had successful regular-season campaigns to earn a top spot heading into the playoffs.

The Play-In Tournament will be the first games for the NBA Playoffs, which will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Then, the first round will split its tipoffs on NBC/Peacock, Prime Video and ESPN.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.