NFL Rumors: The Colts turned down a Jonathan Taylor trade, but more suitors remain
Per the Miami Herald, the Indianapolis Colts have turned down the Dolphins trade offer for Jonathan Taylor. It's unknown exactly what was offered for Taylor's services, but Miami remains engaged on the trade front with Indy.
The Dolphins emerged as potential favorites to land Taylor shortly after the Colts chose the nuclear option, allowing Taylor's representatives to seek out a trade. FanSided's Christopher Kline engineered his own trade offer for Taylor, which revolved around RB Jeff Wilson Jr. and two draft picks (a 2024 second rounder and 2025 third rounder). While the Colts are holding out hope for a first-round selection, this is essentially the equivalent.
Along with the Dolphins, the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos reportedly have interest in Taylor, among other teams. While coming off an injury, Taylor is arguably the best running back in football when healthy. It's an indictment of the position itself that he cannot receive a contract extension from Indianapolis, a team with a rookie QB which ought to thrive in the running game.
Were Miami to covet draft capital instead of a player like Wilson Jr. who would add to their backfield mix, then FanSided's Cody Williams has an option: a package of four draft picks. The selections, per Williams, would be a 2024 second-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick, 2025 second-round pick and 2025 fourth-round pick. This might be a little steep from Miami's perspective, but if the Colts actually have multiple teams bidding against each other, then the price should be that high.
NFL Rumors: Josh Dobbs trade hints at life with Kyler Murray for Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals acquired Josh Dobbs from the Cleveland Browns this week, which likely says more about Kyler Murray than either of the teams involved. Per Pro Football Network, the Cardinals may be preparing to be without Murray all season.
"According to some close to the situation, the Cardinals are telling people privately that Murray is more than likely not expected to play this year. It's been quite the change of direction for Murray after signing his five-year, $230.5 million extension in July 2022 — which at the time was more than what Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers all earned this offseason," Pro Football Network's Lorenzo Reyna wrote.
While there's still a possibility Murray plays late this season, his contract is another issue entirely. If Arizona plays this right, they'll end up with a top-5 pick in next year's draft, and could theoretically trade Murray and his expensive contract elsewhere in a full-fledged rebuild. It would sting in the short-term for Arizona, but the draft capital they would receive could provide a quicker competitive path than building around an injured Murray.
Dobbs, meanwhile, has some familiarity with the folks in charge in Arizona. Dobbs was with Cardinals OC Drew Petzing in Cleveland, and the two got along well. Dobbs knows his offense, and will compete with the likes of Colt McCoy and rookie Clayton Tune for the starting job. The other two players have a head start, but should they struggle in the regular season, Dobbs can offer a quick fix.
There are plenty of looming questions in Arizona ahead of the Caleb Williams sweepstakes, and for good reason. The Dobbs trade provided a hint.
NFL Rumors: The Cowboys-Chiefs NFL Draft day trade that wasn't
The Dallas Cowboys had a tough time choosing between Mazi Smith and Matthew Bergeron in the NFL Draft, as a new documentary takes us inside their 2023 NFL Draft war room.
Dallas seemingly had an offer on the table from the Kansas City Chiefs, as the video suggests, that would have provided them with an additional third-round pick to move back. However, Jerry Jones and Cowboys brass were not confident either player would be available at that draft slot, so they instead selected Smith.
It's unclear who Kansas City was hoping to trade up for. Smith, meanwhile, offers Dallas an interior run stopper they have been missing for quite some time. If the NFL Postseason proved anything, it's that the Cowboys needed to prioritize their run defense this offseason. They did just that with Mazi, one would hope.
While rumors were abound on draft day that the Cowboys were considering selecting a tight end with their pick, it turns out they were focused on the interior defensive line the entire time. The decisive voices in the room were Jones as well as head coach Mike McCarthy, who knew all too well passing on an interior run-stuffer like Smith could come back to haunt them.
