Surveying the rumour mill

By: Josh Frey-Sam

I’m a sucker for the latest gossip this time of year, and the rumours are swirling at Mach speed right now.

There is a certain gamesmanship that franchises play in the lead-up to the opening round, as teams set smoke screens about which players and positions they might be targeting.

But some whispers are true, and deciphering what’s worth buying into is one of the many things I love about draft week.

Between beat reporters, my X feed and the numerous podcasts I have in rotation, I’ve been peppered with valuable information as we near the big day.

I’ve compiled some of the most notable rumours that I’ve come across recently.

Some will influence my final mock draft and the bets I will make.

Let’s get into it.

Eagles select Abdul Carter after crazy trade

We start with the most eyebrow-raising rumour. And let me just say now that this will not happen, but it was so fun that I had to include it.

The skeleton of the trade would see AJ Brown + picks traded to the New England Patriots for the No. 4 overall pick. From there, the Eagles would select Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter, viewed by many as the best player in this draft.

The thought is that Eagles GM Howie Roseman is head over heels about Carter and would love to add him to an already ferocious defence as Philly tries to go back-to-back.

On the other side, it’s believed Patriots HC Mike Vrabel is interested in reuniting with Brown, who was selected by the Titans when Vrabel was the head coach there.

The most important reason this won’t happen is that Carter is highly unlikely to be available at No. 4.

New Orleans isn’t taking a quarterback with their first pick

Multiple sources have said the Saints are out on Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, while others have said the same about Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

Could it be the classic smoke screen to avoid a QB-needy from trading ahead of them? Yes. But I’m led to believe that the more likely outcome, as I applied in my most recent mock draft, is the Saints wait until Day 2 to take a QB.

Trade candidates

Multiple sources have identified the Panthers as a team that is looking to trade back from the No. 8 pick. I understand the thought of stockpiling picks to add more starting-calibre players to a rebuilding roster, but the Panthers equally need to acquire potential star power.

The other team is the Denver Broncos, who are said to be aggressive in their attempt to move up in the draft. The only scenario I see this happening is if Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty slides to a team like the Panthers at 8. Otherwise, I’m not sure who Denver would be trying to trade up for that they couldn’t get at No. 20.

Late risers

Peter Schraeger reported that Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams, who is one of my favourite players in this draft, and Michigan TE Colston Loveland will go higher than consensus mock drafts have them going.

You can say I’m a bit ahead of the game on Williams, who I have going No. 9 to the Saints in my latest mock draft.

I’m not shocked by the Loveland report, but I do have a flyer bet on him going later than the 19th pick. I figured he would be pushed down the board as teams address other needs.

I have removed that bet.

One QB?

Todd McShay revealed he recently had a conversation with a trusted NFL executive who said he’d be more confident about one QB going in the first round than he would be about three being selected.

In short, this is fascinating, but my gut tells me we’ll still see three QBs go on Thursday.

This draft has been all over the place as far as quarterbacks go. We started with Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward being consensus top-10 picks. Then, as Ward began to separate from the pack and Jaxson Dart made a name for himself, the thought was that we could see three QBs go sometime in the first round. At one point, Ward, Sanders and Dart were all talked about as top-10 picks.

Just last week, smoke began to build around the Steelers or the Giants selecting Alabama QB Jalen Milroe in the first round. By the end of the week, there was believed to be an outside shot that FIVE QBs could go in the opening round, as Louisville’s Tyler Shough entered the conversation as a player that teams could trade back into the first round for.

 Player to team connections

Let’s go rapid fire with these. Some of them could inform your decision on what to bet on Thursday.

*Texas OL Kelvin Banks Jr. is thought to be a likely option for the Dolphins at No. 13 if he’s available. Speaking of Banks Jr., his basement is No. 25, currently owned by the Texans. Houston will not let him get past them if he’s available.

*All signs point to a wide receiver for Dallas — likely Texas’s Matthew Golden or Arizona’s Tet McMillian.

*The Jaguars will select one of Ashton Jeanty, Michigan IDL Mason Graham or Georgia LB Jalon Walker.

*The Saints’ decision at No. 9 could be down to Mykel Williams and Texas A&M EDGE Sehmar Stewart

*If the Steelers don’t love a quarterback in the first round, next on their wishlist is Michigan IDL Kenneth Grant or Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson.

*Daniel Jeremiah has connected LSU TE Mason Taylor as a first-round pick by the Eagles (No. 32) and the Commanders (No. 29).

*Marshall EDGE Mike Green, Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. and Ole Miss IDL Walter Nolen are all players whose draft stocks have been impacted by character issues, but the Bengals and Falcons are said to be two teams who are willing to look past those flaws.

The Giants are split internally on Shedeur Sanders

The slide might already be on for Shedeur.

One half of the Giants’ front office believes he’s worth a top-three pick, while the other half doesn’t really want anything to do with him.

The deciding factor could be owner John Mara, who could force the hand of GM Joe Schoen if he wants Shedeur bad enough.

If Sanders gets past the Giants, and knowing what we think we know about the Saints, it could be a long night for him.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh