NFC East

Russell Wilson is headed to the Denver Broncos, but not because the Washington Commanders didn't try to land him first.

Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan reported the NFC East team offered the Seattle Seahawks a package that featured three first-round draft picks.

That comes after John Keim of ESPN reported Washington included multiple first-round picks and other selections in three different drafts in potential trade packages for Wilson. Per Keim, the Commanders also asked the Seahawks if they wanted a current player to be included but never received a counteroffer.

Alas, Seattle traded Wilson out of conference to the Broncos on Tuesday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Denver received the star quarterback and a fourth-round pick in the deal, while the Seahawks received two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive end Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant.

Wilson going to the Broncos means it's back to the drawing board for the Commanders, who have been fairly public about their quest for a new quarterback this offseason.

Keim previously reported the team made a list of approximately 40 quarterbacks to look into this offseason, some of whom were college prospects. Ben Standig of The Athletic just reported Monday that Washington reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders and "checked in" on Derek Carr.

"We feel we have canvassed the league effectively," general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "We've spoken to every club that has a quarterback who might be available."

The superstar options are apparently off the table for Washington with the Wilson trade and Rapoport reporting Aaron Rodgers is returning to the Green Bay Packers on a four-year deal.

Fortunately for the team, there are still some options. Perhaps the Commanders can trade for Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo. Perhaps they can head to free agency and add someone like Mitchell Trubisky, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater or Jameis Winston.

Or perhaps they can look to draft someone like Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis.

The biggest surprise at this point would be Taylor Heinicke remaining the starting quarterback and opening the 2022 season under center. After all, the team has made no secret of its desire to bolster the position, and simply running it back at that point would be quite the awkward transition into a new campaign.

Wilson wasn't meant to be for the team despite its efforts, but there are still various avenues to take this offseason.

Dalton Schultz will be back with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, as the team announced it will use its franchise tag on the tight end ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the news.

The Cowboys can still negotiate a long-term extension with Schultz, but this move ensures he won't be able to test the market. 

The franchise tag value for tight ends in 2022 is $10.9 million. 

Dallas is in a potential cap crunch this offseason, though it could free up money. The team is $21.2 million over the cap, per Spotrac.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last week that Amari Cooper is "likely" to be released, but the Cowboys will try to find a trade partner before his $20 million salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 20. 

Moving on from Cooper would clear $16 million in cap space. Patrik Walker of CBS Sports reported Monday that Dallas is expected to restructure Dak Prescott's contract to free up $15.17 million. 

Schultz, who has spent his entire four-year career in Dallas, broke out in 2021 with 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns.

The former Stanford star, who Dallas selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, got his opportunity to be the Cowboys' TE1 after Blake Jarwin suffered a torn ACL in Week 1 of the 2020 season.

Schultz then posted 63 catches for 615 yards and four scores and remained atop the tight end depth chart heading into the 2021 campaign.

The 25-year-old didn't see much action in his first two seasons, catching just 13 passes for 122 yards as he worked behind Jason Witten, Geoff Swaim and Jarwin.

But he's taken advantage of his opportunities and had a career performance during his contract season. He notably added seven catches for 89 yards in the Cowboys' 23-17 NFC wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas will be certainly happy to have him back, with the hope that he continues his upward trend and remains one of the more productive pass-catching tight ends in football.

There don't seem to be a lot of shoppers in the trade market for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it "doesn't seem like teams have called" the Giants about Barkley since he was put on the trade block. 

Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters earlier this week that the team was "open to everything" when asked about the possibility of trading their top players, including Barkley. 

Despite Schoen's openness to making a move, the asking price for Barkley would seem to make it difficult that a deal actually comes together.

One assistant general manager told NFL reporter Jordan Schultz that Schoen would want a first-round draft pick to trade the four-year veteran. 

Barkley, who will play next season on the final year of his rookie contract, has the eighth-highest cap hit among running backs in 2022 ($7.2 million), per Spotrac. 

Since winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, Barkley has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play. He led the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage in his first season but has just 2,391 scrimmage yards over the past three seasons combined. 

Barkley only played two games during the 2020 season after tearing his ACL in a Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears. He missed four games in 2021 due to a sprained ankle suffered in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. 

The Giants selected Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. The Penn State alum led the team in rushing yards (1,307) and receptions (91) and ranked third in receiving yards (721) as a rookie. 

With Brian Daboll entering his first season as New York's head coach and uncertainty at the quarterback position, Barkley could have a significant role in the offense as the team looks to improve on last year's 4-13 record.     

The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly planning to part ways with wide receiver Amari Cooper and re-sign wide receiver Michael Gallup in free agency.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday the Cowboys are "likely" to release Cooper before the start of the new league year since he is due $20 million guaranteed on March 20.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports also reported Dallas wants to sign Gallup long-term and that the Cowboys viewed Cooper and Gallup as an "either/or" situation and chose to pursue Gallup.

Schefter added a deal between Gallup and the Cowboys is considered "close."

Dallas selected Gallup in the third round of the 2018 draft.

At the conclusion of the 2021 season, however, it was unclear if he would be back given his free-agent status and the presence of both Cooper and CeeDee Lamb.

Gallup enjoyed a career year in 2019 before the arrival of Lamb, registering 66 receptions for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. With Lamb knocking him down a bit in the pecking order, Gallup finished with 59 grabs for 843 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games in 2020.

The 26-year-old was the No. 3 receiver entering 2021, and he was productive when healthy, racking up 35 catches for 445 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.

He missed eight contests, though, as well as the Cowboys' NFC Wild Card Round game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Much of the time Gallup missed was because of a calf injury, but he suffered an even more serious injury late in the season when he tore his ACL in Week 17.

The fact that he tore his ACL so late in the season suggests he may be forced to miss some time at the start of the 2022 campaign, which created even more questions regarding his future with Dallas.

As a positive, Gallup would likely cost significantly less than Cooper. The major issue, though, is the Cowboys are short on accomplished pass-catchers outside of Lamb.

Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson and tight end Dalton Schultz are also free agents. If Dallas can't re-sign either of them, it would enter the 2022 season with a shortage of weapons, especially if Gallup isn't ready for Week 1.

The Cowboys offense is largely predicated on the passing attack around Dak Prescott. If the plan is to bring Gallup back as the No. 2 receiver, the front office will have to get busy by either re-signing Wilson and Schultz as well or bringing in other options through free agency or the draft.

Ex-Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III planned to write a tell-all book entitled Surviving Washington detailing his time with the franchise (2012-2015) and providing a deep dive into the team's toxic culture.

However, those plans have reportedly been axed.

Eric Bickel of The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan reported that the book is being scrapped and that Gary Myers, who planned to co-write it with Griffin, has moved on from the project.

A source told 106.7 The Fan that Griffin had "second thoughts" about writing the book, which was scheduled for an August release.

Last August, Griffin said the following in a promotional video detailing what he planned to expose (via The Sports Junkies):

I'm gonna tell you the truth about what happened in that playoff game in 2012 against Seattle. I'm gonna detail the medical mismanagement that I received during my time in Washington. I'm gonna open your eyes to the sexual harassment that permeated the walls of that building, and give you a deep dive into a power struggle between one of the most powerful coaches in all of sports and an owner that many of you want gone. They say the truth will set you free. So here it is, unfiltered. Pre-order now.

Griffin deleted the video from Twitter, and the book is no longer available for pre-order from Simon & Schuster, which planned to publish the book.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reached out to Myers and relayed that Myers "said that he has been instructed to refer all questions to Griffin and his literary agent. At the time of the PFT article's publication, the literary agent had not responded to PFT's request.

Griffin exploded onto the NFL scene in 2012 after winning a Heisman Trophy with Baylor the year before. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors en route to leading Washington to an NFC East title and an NFC Wild Card Game appearance.

RGIII accounted for 27 touchdowns (20 passing, seven rushing) and 4,015 yards (3,200 passing, 815 rushing). He was an explosive talent who looked ready to take the league by storm.

However, he suffered a torn LCL, ACL and meniscus in the playoffs, and his career was never the same. RGIII initially suffered a knee injury on Dec. 6 against the Baltimore Ravens but returned to close the regular season. He briefly left the playoff game with a knee problem but returned before suffering the aforementioned injuries.

There's controversy and different sides to what exactly went down during the playoff game, but ultimately, that was the beginning of the end of Griffin's tenure.

He was eventually benched for Kirk Cousins and cut after the 2015 season. Griffin played 18 games for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens from 2016-20. He currently works as an ESPN analyst for college football and NFL.

Any questions about whether Jalen Hurts would remain the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback in 2022 were put to rest Wednesday after executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman said there was "no doubt" that would be the case.

"There's no doubt about it," Roseman said at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis when asked whether Hurts was still the team's QB1, per ESPN.com's Tim McManus.

"We have Jalen Hurts, who is a 23-year-old quarterback who led his team to the playoffs, and he's going to get better and better and better. He's going to do everything possible to get better, and we have to do our part in [helping] that."

In his first full year as the Eagles' starting quarterback, Hurts completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions and averaged 7.3 yards per attempt.

He also rushed for 784 yards and 10 more scores en route to helping lead the 9-8 Eagles to an NFC Wild Card berth.

Hurts took over as the team's starting quarterback from Carson Wentz, who was benched in December 2020 and later traded to the Indianapolis Colts.

The 2019 Heisman Trophy finalist was a big reason why the Eagles improved from 4-11-1 to over .500.

The offense also went from No. 26 in scoring the year prior to No. 12 in 2021. The connection between college teammates Hurts and No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith served as a big reason why, with the ex-Alabama star setting a franchise rookie season-long record with 916 receiving yards.

Hurts also put the team on his back multiple times, including when he rushed for three touchdowns in a 40-29 win over the New Orleans Saints. 

Philadelphia could stand to add more weapons around Hurts, potentially pushing the 23-year-old's ceiling even higher. Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Quez Watkins were the only players on the team to have at least 300 receiving yards last year. 

The Eagles will have numerous chances to do just that in April's draft thanks largely to their three first-round picks (Nos. 15, 16 and 19).

For now, Hurts' place atop the quarterback depth chart is rightfully secure.

The Washington Commanders will reportedly exercise the fifth-year option on defensive end Montez Sweat, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

According to OverTheCap, Sweat's option is projected to be worth $10.547 million for 2023.

This is a significant jump for a player who has a $3.7 million cap hit in 2022, per Spotrac. The 25-year-old has earned $9.6 million in his first three seasons combined. 

Sweat has proved to be an impact player since being selected No. 26 overall in the 2019 draft.

The defensive end has 21 sacks in 42 career games, adding seven forced fumbles. He was at his best in 2020 with nine sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown as Washington produced a top-five defense in both yards and points allowed.

The 2021 season was affected by injuries, including a fractured jaw that kept him out of action for more than a month. Sweat finished the year with five sacks in 10 games, although the defense struggled while finishing 25th in points allowed.

The Commanders will hope a healthy Sweat and Chase Young will turn things around in 2022.

The latest contract could still create salary-cap issues with several high-priced players on the defensive line alone.

Jonathan Allen agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract extension before last season, while Young has a $9.4 million cap hit in 2022. Young's cap hit will rise to $11 million in 2023 with an even more expensive fifth-year option available for 2024.

Da'Ron Payne has one more year under team control, but the team has been seeking a long-term extension for the defensive tackle, as Ron Rivera told Ben Standig of The Athletic. 

It could create some difficult decisions for the front office going forward.    

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is under contract through 2026 with a potential out in 2023, but his salary-cap hit of $18.2 million for 2022 is already guaranteed.

That means the team is not going to move him ahead of the upcoming season.

"I want that guy on my team," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "You talk about playing through some injuries. He's a competitor. I think he's a damn good running back. ... Obviously, his money is guaranteed. He's going to be here, there's no question. We're fortunate to have him."

The Cowboys restructured Elliott's deal in August, converting $8.6 million of his $9.6 million base salary for 2021 into a signing bonus to create cap space, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero (via NFL.com's Kevin Patra). The move increased his 2022 cap number by $1.7 million, though it was already guaranteed at the time.

While Elliott's spot on the roster for the 2022 campaign is set, that isn't the case for all the team's key players.

Jones told Machota it is too early to address whether wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will be in Dallas when the season arrives.

As for Elliott, it is fair to at least wonder how productive he will be over the remainder of his contract. He will be 27 years old in July and posted 4.0 yards per carry in 2020 and 4.2 yards per carry in 2021, which were two of the three lowest marks of his career.

In January, he revealed he played last season with a partially torn PCL.

He still appeared in 17 games and topped 1,000 rushing yards for the fourth time, but he didn't seem to be the same explosive player he was when he led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018.

Elliott also led the league in carries in each of those years and has never finished with fewer than 237 attempts since the Cowboys selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft.

That wear and tear could be playing a factor, and there were times last season when backup Tony Pollard looked more explosive than Elliott, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

For now, though, Elliott will remain a key part of the offense.