According to SNY's Connor Hughes, the current sentiment shared by most right now is that the Los Angeles Rams won't trade veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford this offseason. The permission that the Rams granted Stafford to talk with other teams is likely nothing more than a means to figure out his value. Hughes believes that eventually, the Rams and Stafford will agree to a new deal, and that common sense will ultimately prevail that Stafford's best chance to win another Super Bowl will be in L.A. However, it's not going to stop teams like the New York Giants or possibly the Las Vegas Raiders --teams that are desperate at the QB position -- from making a big push to try and pry Stafford away from the Rams. The 37-year-old two-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,762 yards, 20 TDs and eight interceptions in 16 regular-season games in his fourth year in L.A. in 2024 but was playing at a high level late in the year and nearly led the Rams to the NFC Championship.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday at the NFL Combine that the team is on good terms with wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and will honor his trade request. "He asked for a fresh start and we're going to honor that," Lynch said. Samuel asked for a trade right after the 2024 season following a disappointing season for both himself and the team. If the Niners do trade the 29-year-old pass-catcher, they will have a $31.6 million dead-cap hit while saving $15.2 million on the 2025 salary cap. It appears that San Fran has every intention of trading Samuel this offseason, but now the question becomes whether any teams will be willing to meet the 49ers' asking price after Samuel had just 51 catches on 81 targets for 670 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 15 starts. He's had added value while being used as a runner, too, but Samuel has battled injuries and his fantasy value could drop further, depending on where he winds up.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday at the NFL Combine that the team has started negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy on long-term contract extension. Despite a down year in 2024 in which he threw for 3,864 yards (career-low 65.9 completion percentage), 20 touchdowns and a career-high 12 interceptions in 15 starts, the 49ers are fully committed to the former seventh-round selection and have every intention of locking him into a long-term extension early this offseason. The speculation around the league is that Purdy will be making $55-60 million per year once he officially signs an extension with the Niners. Even in his down year in 2024, Purdy finished as the QB13 in fantasy and could easily bounce back in 2025 if running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) can stay healthy for a full season.

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said on Wednesday at the NFL Combine that the team feels like they can win with quarterback Derek Carr, and new head coach Kellen Moore also said the team feels fortunate to have Carr on the roster. The Saints still have contract stuff to figure out with Carr, but as things currently stand, it sounds like the team plans on bringing the 33-year-old veteran back in 2025. Carr has a $51.4 million cap hit in 2025, and the Saints currently have the worst cap situation in the NFL, so something has to give. Restructuring his contract could free up $31 million this year, although it would push his cap hit to around $69 million in 2026. Carr played in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to a broken hand and a concussion. Even with Moore in town, fantasy managers in 12-team, one-QB leagues are going to be avoiding him in drafts this fall.

If the Minnesota Vikings bring back impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold, ESPN's Dan Graziano writes that they'd be blowing up their plans for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) and their entire roster. Putting the franchise tag on Darnold this year and again next year would cost around $40 million in 2025 and around $48 million in 2026. If they reach an extension with him, he'd likely have a salary cap number around $28 million in 2026. In comparison, McCarthy's cap numbers over the next three years are around $5 million, $6 million and $7 million. Meanwhile, receiver Justin Jefferson's 2026 and 2027 camp numbers are around $39 million and $43.5 million, respectively. Minnesota obviously believed enough in McCarthy being their future franchise QB when they took him 10th overall in 2024, but then he required season-ending knee surgery and Darnold had a career year. Based on this logic, it seems likely the Vikes will let Darnold walk in free agency and turn to McCarthy in 2025.