With the NFL draft now over, teams around the league have a better idea of where they stand as the season approaches and what holes still need to be filled.
While most of the focus has been on the draft over the last week, there have been plenty of other news around the league as well. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories.
Packers Versus Rodgers One Of The Most Interesting Matchups
Prior to the NFL draft, a bombshell was dropped, indicating that MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers is beyond disgruntled and would like to be traded from the Green Bay Packers.
While no trade occurred over the weekend, that does not mean that all is well. In fact, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Rodgers has even gone as far as threatening to retire instead of playing for Green Bay.
Ideally, Rodgers would prefer to be traded to either the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, or Las Vegas Raiders, but 49ers’ GM John Lynch indicated that the Packers had no interest in having discussions for their star quarterback.
Still, this story is not over and will be one of the more fascinating ones to follow heading into the season. Rodgers, at age 37, is coming off of a season where he threw for 4,299 yards, 48 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions.
Giants Keeping Barkley For Fifth Year
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the New York Giants have picked up running back Saquon Barkley’s fifth-year option, keeping the star back in New York through 2022. Unfortunately, Barkley only played in two games last season after tearing his ACL. In those two games, he rushed just 19 times for 34 yards while also pulling in six receptions for 60 yards.
At just 24-years-old, Barkley is expected to be ready for the upcoming season and still has plenty of time to get back to his former self. In his best season, his rookie year in 2018, Barkley rushed 261 times for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns. That year, he also had 91 receptions for 721 yards and another four scores.
Tim Tebow the Tight End?
Tim Tebow has not played in the NFL since 2012, but it appears that he is trying to make a comeback at a new position. Last week, Tebow tried out with his former college coach, Urban Meyer, as a tight end. While no deal has officially been struck with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has indicated that there is concern by Meyer about the depth at the position.
After a less than stellar three years in the NFL, followed by a failed baseball experiment, Tebow (now 33) is hoping to revive his football career one more time.
Bridgewater Traded To Broncos
In a deal that was overshadowed by both the draft and the Rodgers’ news, the Denver Broncos struck a trade with the Carolina Panthers for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The goal is for Bridgwater to compete for their starting spot. In the deal, the Panthers received a sixth-round pick for Bridgewater.
Over the weekend, head coach Vic Fangio would not commit to Bridgewater as the starter. Rather, he said that he and Drew Lock would get 50-50 reps during training camp. That is, of course, that the Broncos do not strike a deal for Rodgers, something that was reported as being very close at different points during the draft.
Last season, with the Panthers, Bridgewater played in 15 games and threw for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also rushed 53 times for 279 yards and another five scores. With Bridgewater in the fold, the Broncos opted to use their first-round selection (number nine overall) on cornerback Patrick Surtain II out of Alabama.
