NFL Rumors and Thoughts: Tarvaris Jackson to Seattle? Barry Cofield Moving On?

I’m just scrolling through ESPN’s NFL Rumor Central, and I come across a headline that talks about Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson as the starting quarterback in Seattle. A Minnesota radio host posted the following Tweet that ESPN’s Vince Verhei found particularly interesting:

“Seahawks have done due diligence on Jackson. Heard from people with other teams that would like to work with him, too — but as a backup.”

Verhei feels that this Tweet implies that the Seahawks view Jackson as a starting quarterback based on the last four words when you qualify them with the other teams. It makes sense to make that assumption, and the Seahawks could certainly be interested in what would amount to a low cost alternative at quarterback if Matt Hasselbeck winds up with another team, as it is expected he will.

Perhaps the teams will even unofficially swap quarterbacks with Jackson heading to Seattle to battle for the starting job and Hasselbeck joining the purple and gold in Minneapolis. Those are both moves that make sense for respective parties. Tarvaris Jackson knows that his time in Minnesota is likely done, and he will probably pursue other endeavors elsewhere, and I would expect him to try to be one of the first quarterbacks to sign with a team so that he can get in right away and compete for the starting job. Moving up to Seattle seems to make sense from a football standpoint for Jackson.

Jackson has not been a terrible quarterback in his time in Minnesota, but he’s not really a franchise type of guy and likely would be a one or two year fix for the Seahawks as they bridge the gap for a rookie possibly coming in next year.

Is Barry Cofield done in New York?

In an article from the New York Post, Cofield indicates that he thinks the Giants may be ready to move on from him, and financially it doesn’t make much sense for him to stay put:

“I think they think I’m a good player,” Cofield said. “Obviously they don’t view me as indispensable. They place a premium on certain positions. Let’s be honest, defensive end is the name of the game in New York.”

The Giants paid a ton of money ($42 million over 6 years) for Chris Canty at defensive tackle, and they also have drafted guys like Linval Joseph and now Marvin Austin. It might be a clear indication that the team is ready to move on from Cofield, and he could probably get more money elsewhere anyways.

So, if Cofield does wind up leaving New York, he will probably be one of the most coveted defensive line free agents on the open market. He just turned 27 years old, and last year he finished with 54 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble with a growing reputation as one of the most disruptive run defenders in the league.

Cofield was born in Cleveland, Ohio, so it makes a lot of sense that he would join the Browns who are moving to a 4-3 defensive scheme this year, and they would probably be willing to give him the cash that he craves after getting rid of Shaun Rodgers. The Browns just drafted Phil Taylor in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and they might want to focus their precious free agent dollars on the pass rush and the defensive end position, but Cofield might desire to return home and give the Browns a tad bit of a discount.

For other teams who need to pursue defensive tackles, it really makes sense for the Denver Broncos to throw a big contract at Cofield. The Broncos literally have one noteworthy defensive tackle on the current roster signed, and they figure to pick some guys up in free agency that can help them. Cofield would be a prime addition for that team, but it’s a matter of John Elway and company convincing him to go there.

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