Welcome to the ninth edition of Pombo’s Weekly Football Rewind. This weekly series will go in depth about the latest news, rumors, signings, and trades of the past week.
Keep an Eye on the Washington Football Team
The NFL draft is getting closer and closer, and the rumors are getting louder and louder.
One team to keep an eye on is The Washington Football team. They currently hold the 19th overall pick of the draft, but, it wouldn’t surprise me the least bit if they looked to trade up.
It seems like Washington has their eyes set on quarterback, Trey Lance.
According to Michael Lombardi on the GM Shuffle:
Despite the fact that they signed veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trey Lance would make a lot of sense in Washington. Lance is about a year away from being ready to to run a pro style offense, so Ryan Fitzpatrick could be the perfect bridge quarterback.
So, how far would Washington have to trade up? Would they trade up to as high as fourth-overall?
I wouldn’t rule it out, but, if Lance starts to slip past nine, I expect the Washington Football Team to take the gamble.
Alex Smith Announces His Retirement
After 16 seasons in the NFL, Alex Smith has announced his retirement.
Smith concludes his career with nine consecutive winning seasons, and his career will go down as an inspiration to many.
His triumphant return after his gruesome leg injury is something that will live on in NFL history forever.
Smith was rightfully honored with the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2020, and helped guide the Washington Football Team to a playoff berth.
He finishes his career as a three-time pro bowler, with a career regular season record of, 99-67-1.
Do the 49ers Have Everyone Tricked?
After the 49ers traded up to the third-overall pick, the first name that was linked to them was Mac Jones.
This wasn’t just the opinion of one or two reporters. it seemed like almost everyone pegged Jones to San Francisco. Jones was someone who seemed tailor-made to run Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He’s accurate, he makes good and quick decisions with the football. On top of that, Jones is ready to take on an NFL offense, right away.
But, before the 49ers traded up, many anticipated that Jones would be selected in the 10 to 15 range.
So, how did Jones fly up everyone’s draft board? Or, is this Mac Jones narrative just a diversion?
Maybe ,the 49ers are truly in on Justin Fields, who seemed destined to be a top-five pick before his stock has suddenly cratered, according to many analysts. Kyle Shanahan was present at Justin Fields’ pro day…
Maybe, the 49ers are in on Trey Lance. They have been adamant from the start that they want to keep Jimmy Garoppolo in the fold for 2021. Trey Lance is about a year away from being ready, the timeline fits.
This is the season of lying, but it’s hard to not wonder if the 49ers are throwing everyone for a loop.
J.C. Jackson Signs His Second-Round Restricted Free Agent Tender
The Patriots have a long history of discovering gems in the rough, especially when it comes to undrafted rookie free agents. J.C. Jackson is a new addition to that list, and he is poised for another strong season heading into 2021.
The 25 year old has had 17 interceptions in his first three career NFL seasons, and has been active every game for the past two seasons.
The Patriots placed a second-rounder tender on Jackson earlier in the offseason. Meaning, if a team wanted Jackson, they would have to give up a second-round pick, and give him a new contract.
But, Jackson officially signed his tender, locking him to a one-year deal worth $3.38 million.
With uncertainty surrounding Stephon Gilmore, keeping Jackson around was important for this Patriots team.
However, expect Jackson to really cash in, in 2022 as he will be an unrestricted free agent.
Jadeveon Clowney Ends up in Cleveland
After a 2020 season in which Jadeveon Clowney failed to land a sack, the 28 year old his set to join his fourth NFL team in four seasons.
Clowney and the Cleveland Browns reached an agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $10 million.
After being the first-overall pick in the 2014 Draft, the sky seemed to be the limit for Jadeveon Clowney. He had all the tools, and the skill-set to become a premiere pass-rusher in the NFL. But, to this point, Clowney has underachieved, and is running out of chances.
A big reason why Clowney has not been the elite pass-rusher he was expected to be, has been because of injuries. Clowney has only played in 70% or more of the defensive snaps in three of his seven seasons.
Relying on Clowney to be healthy for a long period of time seems like a stretch at this point in his career. Sure, he could benefit from Myles Garrett taking up the double teams, but I’m not sold on Clowney at this point in his career.
Clowney has had a nice NFL career, but he simply has not lived up to expectations, and I don’t expect that to change in Cleveland.