With the NFL Combine underway, more news and rumors are beginning to circulate. While many eyes will be on the 2022 NFL Draft prospects on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, NFL free agency is less than two weeks away from kicking off. Here is the latest I am hearing on the Giants quarterback situation and the ripple effects of Combine performances.
NFL Free Agency News and Rumors: Are the Giants interested in Trubisky?
I’ve been reporting since last week the Pittsburgh Steelers look set to make a big push for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. I can now confirm the New York Giants are another team that will very likely target the former first-round pick in free agency.
This is more than just the natural fit of Trubisky reuniting with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, both of whom he worked with in Buffalo last season. I’m told the Giants could possibly sign Trubisky to compete with Daniel Jones for the starting quarterback spot. Whether it’s the Giants, Steelers, or another team, it’s probably going to take a lot of money to sign Trubisky, as interest in the quarterback has been off the charts all week.
NFL Free Agency News and Rumors: Combine performances will affect free agency
The outstanding Combine workouts by the offensive linemen on Friday night are going to have ripple effects in free agency. Sources I’ve spoken with say teams will likely pull back from spending millions on available free agent offensive linemen since there are so many athletic blockers available in the draft. You can expect bargain-hunting at the position once free agency officially opens.
One offensive lineman scouts are gushing over since last night is Arizona State tackle Kellen Diesch. I mentioned during my Combine preview of the group Diesch would turn heads, and he did. He was timed under 4.90 seconds on a number of stopwatches, with one of the fastest 10-yard splits — 1.70 seconds — of the night. His 7.77 three-cone and 4.42 short shuttle were also near the top of the offensive line position. Diesch could move into the late part of Day 2. I’m told both the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals are very high on him.
More news and rumors from the Scouting Combine
Kentucky receiver Wan’Dale Robinson ran much faster than expected in the 40-yard dash, timing under 4.40 seconds. He’s getting a lot of love in the scouting community. As I mentioned before the receiver took the field for Combine workouts, he’s drawing comparisons to Rondale Moore based on his size, quickness, and ability to create yardage after the catch. The Detroit Lions have shown a lot of interest in Robinson.
Yesterday, I reported the New York Jets had Treylon Burks as the top receiver on their board, and that was again confirmed to me just a few hours ago. In fact, I’m told general manager Joe Douglas has been gushing about Burks to people inside the league since the Senior Bowl. Whether or not Burks’ subpar Combine performance changes that ranking remains to be seen. Not only did Burks test poorly, but he did not look good in position drills.
The other player I’m told the Jets grade highly is offensive tackle Trevor Penning. This makes a lot of sense for a variety of reasons, and Penning could immediately come in and start at right tackle. The Jets have shown interest in re-signing Morgan Moses, yet my feeling is that’s unlikely to happen. Granted, the Jets have a pair of top-10 selections, and neither Burks nor Penning grade that high.
