Super Bowl buzz: Latest on NFL free agency, draft, coaches

Our national NFL reporters have been in Las Vegas all week for Super Bowl LVIII, talking to execs, coaches, agents, scouts, players and other team sources. Of course, 49ers-Chiefs is the focal point of the week, as Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy get set to face off on Sunday night. But there are many more wheels turning in the NFL landscape this week, and Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have the latest news.

What are people saying about the top free agents for next month? What about extension possibilities, trade candidates and fallout from the coaching carousel? And is there any early draft buzz ahead of the combine? Here is all the latest buzz, rumors and news that we heard this week.

Jump to the latest on:
Cousins | Prescott | Z.Wilson | Belichick
Commanders' draft | Patriots' draft | Sneed
Bills' moves | Reid | Chiefs' repeat quest
Fowler and Graziano empty their notebooks

Will Minnesota be able to re-sign Cousins?

Graziano: Kirk Cousins' impending free agency is a story at this year's Super Bowl, much like it was six years ago when the big game was in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Vikings are working to see if they can keep their 35-year-old quarterback -- who is coming off an Achilles tear -- and they'd like to have an answer in the next few weeks so they can plan accordingly.

The final four years of Cousins' contract voids on the final day of the league year, which means the Vikings can't franchise him, as the void date is after the franchise tag window. And his $28.5 million in dead salary cap charges would accelerate onto their 2024 cap if he's not signed to an extension by that date. That dead cap acceleration wouldn't prevent them from re-signing him, but it would be a lot easier for them to manage the deal if they could get an agreement before March 12 and defray some of those charges into future years of a new deal.

Minnesota's other business -- most prominently a potential new deal for defensive end Danielle Hunter before he hits the market -- is on hold until it figures out what's going on with Cousins.

Is an extension for Prescott on deck?

Graziano: We shouldn't assume the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott will agree on a contract extension before the start of the 2024 season. There are multiple reasons, but the main one is Prescott has unprecedented contract leverage and a history of not conceding easily in contract talks.

He is due to make $34 million in 2024, the final year of his contract. But his salary cap number is $59.455 million, which is astronomical and needs to come down in order for the Cowboys to do anything else. They could reduce that number by about $18 million by simply converting salary to a signing bonus and spreading out the bonus cap hit over the next three years (this year and the two void years he has in 2025 and 2026). But they would need his permission to add more void years and spread the cap hit any further -- you can spread a cap hit from a signing bonus up to five years -- and they obviously would need him to agree if they wanted to do an extension that knocks the 2024 number down even more.

That cap number incentivizes the Cowboys to do a deal, but considering there's a clause in his current deal that prohibits the team from using a franchise or transition tag on Prescott, it also means the quarterback doesn't have to do a deal if he's not completely happy with it. His worst case scenario is that he becomes a free agent next spring at age 31, which would be quite lucrative.

I think the Cowboys likely get something done extension-wise with CeeDee Lamb once the receiver market finally starts to move. And I'm sure they'll have extension talks with edge rusher Micah Parsons, though their ability to exercise his fifth-year option for 2026 gives them time to do that one. But all eyes will be on that Prescott deal, and if the last time these two sides went through this is any indication, that negotiation is not likely to be smooth sailing for Dallas.

Will the Jets trade Wilson?

Fowler: I'm told that New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has begun evaluating trade options, including teams that would be good fits. He's open to playing for an offensive-minded head coach, something he has never had in New York. How free agency and the draft play out could determine the next steps, based on which jobs are available. But the Jets have agreed to gauge Wilson's trade market, and it's only natural for a player and his agent to do some legwork to set the stage for a deal. Whether the Jets have actually given Wilson permission to seek a trade is still unclear, though.

Where does Belichick go from here?

Fowler: The fact that Bill Belichick just sort of hangs out as a coaching free agent after the greatest run of all time over two decades in New England is still tough to fathom, and it remains a talking point leaguewide. After speaking to a few people close to Belichick, here's the sense I get:

• He's prepared to take a year off and will gear up for the 2025 cycle, with several big jobs potentially opening.

• I do believe there was some sort of correspondence with the Washington Commanders before they eventually set on Dan Quinn.

• Belichick was interested in the Atlanta Falcons job but wasn't necessarily crestfallen that it didn't happen. The Falcons had several variables to work through, including the dynamic of retaining general manager Terry Fontenot and the level of involvement from chief executive officer Rich McKay. As the Falcons did their first wave of interviews and reset their coaching search, they decided Raheem Morris was the best fit. Belichick was searching for a job for the first time in two-plus decades and was doing his own fact-finding, which was new and required patience, and I don't get the sense that he was trying to bulldoze a front office. But does he need a structure that gives him some level of power? Sure.

• Belichick is a history buff who could prioritize historic franchises next cycle. Why is that important? Think about the jobs that could potentially open, which include the Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. All of those are NFL flagships with rich history. If Mike McCarthy's contract expires without more playoff wins, Belichick's strong relationship with Jerry Jones could loom large.

Does Kingsbury's hire mean Washington could trade up for Williams?

Graziano: I have been cautioned by multiple people not to jump to conclusions about the Commanders' hire of former USC quarterbacks coach Kliff Kingsbury as it pertains to the Commanders' interest in USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Yes, there are those in the Commanders organization who are fascinated with the idea of drafting D.C. native Williams, even if that means trading up from No. 2 to No. 1 to get him. But they also recognize that if the Bears are set on taking Williams at No. 1, there might be nothing they can do about that.

The sources I've talked to point out that North Carolina's Drake Maye played in Phil Longo's offensive system in 2022, which is a version of the Air Raid that Kingsbury knows how to coach. They also point out that LSU's Jayden Daniels is a mobile quarterback and talented downfield thrower who could mesh well with Kingsbury, who has coached Kyler Murray and Mahomes. I would expect the Commanders to look into what it would take to draft Williams, but I'd caution against thinking they hired Kingsbury based on any belief or certainty that they were going to get him.

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Could the Patriots trade their first-round pick?

Graziano: Sure, there has been a lot of talk about what will happen with the first and second picks of the 2024 draft, what the Bears and Commanders will do and where all the quarterbacks will end up. But I'm hearing a bit of buzz about the third pick, which belongs to the New England Patriots.

The Patriots also need a quarterback, but there are people around the league who believe they are open to trading the No. 3 selection, moving back in the draft and addressing the quarterback position in free agency. If the Pats do trade that pick -- which could be Daniels or Maye -- the two teams I'd keep an eye on are the Falcons (moving from the No. 8 spot) and the Vikings (moving from the No. 11 spot, assuming they don't bring back Cousins). Minnesota knows it eventually has to address the quarterback position long term, and the notion of bringing in Daniels to pair with their star LSU alum wideout Justin Jefferson has appeal to some in the organization.

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Can the Chiefs afford to keep Sneed?

Fowler: Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, one of the league's top free agents, is hoping the Chiefs secure his long-term future by keeping him off the market. "I would love to be back," Sneed told me. "I don't want to go anywhere. It's part of the business."

Chiefs GM Brett Veach is on record that the franchise wants to keep Sneed and defensive tackle Chris Jones, and the Chiefs and Sneed talked before the season. But Kansas City wasn't going to be in the ballpark. Since then, Sneed has produced another big season with 78 tackles (five for loss), nine pass breakups and two interceptions. His signature play -- a diving forced fumble on Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers at the goal line in the AFC Championship Game -- helped catapult Kansas City into the Super Bowl. And defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo considers Sneed indispensable.

The franchise tag, which should fall between $19 million to $20 million for cornerbacks, is an option for the team. Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, an All-Pro, is in a similar situation. "I put my best foot forward the entire year," Sneed said about his contract year. "It's all in the mind. Block it out, play ball."

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Difficult decisions coming in Buffalo?

Fowler: The Buffalo Bills were a hot topic on radio row this week, in part because of quarterback Josh Allen's presence on Thursday. Allen revealed his right shoulder injury affected his throwing mechanics this season. It wasn't until the final month of the regular season that "I felt like me again," he told Pro Football Talk. This aligns with what I had heard on Allen, who is a tough player who tends to downplay injuries. The elbow issue in 2022 also affected him, but he played through it.

And now here comes more pain, though unrelated: The Bills are projected to be $52 million over the salary cap, a point that multiple people on radio row brought up to me. They can restructure contracts or release players to soften the hit, but either way, expect a talent drain in Western New York. Several key free agents -- safety Micah Hyde, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, linebacker Tyrel Dodson, edge rusher AJ Epenesa, cornerback Dane Jackson, edge rusher Leonard Floyd and receiver Gabe Davis -- should have good markets that Buffalo might have trouble matching. At the very least, the Bills will need to prioritize carefully. Navigating it will require some creativity.

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Would Reid really retire after this season?

Graziano: The Andy Reid retirement rumors have been floating for a few weeks, and Reid has been asked about them in Las Vegas. But the sources with whom I've spoken would be very surprised if Reid, 65, walked away at this point.

I think we can expect the Chiefs to address Reid's contract this offseason and bring it more in line with the market. My understanding is that Reid makes something in the range of $12 million per year, while Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is making around $17 million annually and new Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh signed a deal that pays him $16 million to start. It would certainly be tough to blame Reid -- a two-time Super Bowl champ who's one win away from his third -- if he didn't believe he should be the third-highest-paid coach in his division.

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An NBA example for the Chiefs?

Fowler: The Chiefs have embraced the challenges of going back-to-back, something seven NFL franchises have done (the Steelers pulled it off twice). Late in the regular season, according to Chiefs sources, Reid showed his players a video montage of NBA teams that pulled off the feat, highlighting the inherent challenges of the process. The 1994-95 Houston Rockets were featured, as were the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.

The main message: The noise grows with each win or loss, so stay together. And several people with the Chiefs believe the team felt that at points during the season, which showed during lapses of focus with penalties and drops on offense. And now they are peaking, so apparently Reid's NBA examples worked.

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What else are we hearing?

Graziano's notebook

• Eliot Wolf's apparent ascension to the top spot in the Patriots' personnel department has a lot of people around the league encouraged about New England's long-term prospects. There could be growing pains under first-time coach Jerod Mayo while the new staff settles in, but a lot of people I talk to say Wolf -- a longtime Packers executive who has worked in New England's front office since 2020 -- is overdue for a chance to run his own front office show and will thrive in the role.

• Former Chiefs and Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy recently popped in on his former team as Kansas City prepared for the Super Bowl. It's possible Reid will find a place on next year's Chiefs staff for Bieniemy, but I don't believe his recent visit is a sign that something is afoot there. My understanding is that Bieniemy is still earning plenty of money from the deal he signed with Washington last year and could take a year off from coaching before jumping back into the position coach/coordinator candidate pool in 2025.

• A reminder of the main reason Sunday could be defensive tackle Chris Jones' final game in a Chiefs uniform: While Jones did not get a no-franchise tag clause in his contract, the way franchise tags are calculated means his tag number for 2024 would be $32.17 million. That's a really tough number for the Chiefs to carry if they want to execute any other significant offseason business. It's always possible they could come to a long-term agreement with Jones, but they didn't come close last season, and that $32.17 million starting point likely means they won't this year, either. Expect Jones to be a highly sought-after impact free agent.

Fowler's notebook

• I'm not sure I've talked to one single scout or executive who doesn't think Chicago should keep the pick and draft Caleb Williams at No. 1. As one high-ranking personnel exec said, "There's Caleb and then a pretty big gap."

• The Seattle Seahawks should be closing in on its offensive coordinator soon. Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand was high on Mike Macdonald's wish list during the head-coaching interview process, per sources. He could end up being the guy.

• The Las Vegas Raiders have interest in bringing back running back Josh Jacobs, depending on the price. Jacobs was a topic during the team's offensive coordinator interviews, and the Raiders need stability there because of the uncertain quarterback outlook. Speaking of that, the feeling is the Raiders like Aidan O'Connell but know they also need to add to the quarterback room.

• Expect contract extensions to occur for Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry sometime this offseason. Both have matching five-year deals that are set to expire after the 2024 season. They performed well this past year to execute a playoff push, and all signs point to them being in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

• The sense I get here in Vegas is that Danielle Hunter will be hard for the Vikings to keep. He will have a very strong market, he turned 29 in October, and several teams had interest at the trade deadline. Chicago could look to add a pass-rusher to complement Montez Sweat in free agency and is very high on Hunter. The Jacksonville Jaguars are another team to watch, though they have to figure out Josh Allen's future.

• The Carolina Panthers are expected to try to re-sign do-it-all linebacker Frankie Luvu. Both sides discussed a potential deal last summer and didn't agree, but those talks could heat up around the combine.