{"id":785579,"date":"2026-03-02T01:08:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T01:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/785579\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T01:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T01:08:27","slug":"nfl-combine-7-most-telling-comments-from-the-week-in-indianapolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/785579\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Combine: 7 Most Telling Comments From the Week in Indianapolis"},"content":{"rendered":"

INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 The primary purpose of the NFL<\/a> Scouting Combine is for teams to gather intel on the top prospects in the upcoming draft and scout them in simulated drills. However, the week in Indianapolis also gave us several tea leaves on what to expect in the NFL this offseason.<\/p>\n

Will Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby<\/a> get traded? What does George Pickens’ franchise tag mean for the Cowboys? Will the Patriots pursue Eagles<\/a> wide receiver A.J. Brown?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those questions were asked this week, and while they weren’t answered, we got comments that gave us plenty to read into. So, here are the seven most telling comments we heard at the combine, and how we interpreted them:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Raiders GM John Spytek on a potential Maxx Crosby trade: \u2018We\u2019re always listening\u2019<\/p>\n

Henry McKenna<\/a>: This situation feels a whole lot like an organization that is committing to their QB1 \u2014 “right now.” When a team says something like that, they\u2019re almost inevitably going to replace their QB. So when John Spytek said this about Crosby \u2026<\/p>\n

“We’re always listening,” said Spytek, when asked if Crosby was untradeable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It meant that they were almost inevitably going to trade him.<\/p>\n

Of course, let\u2019s make sure to honor everything Spytek said. Because he\u2019d clearly like to keep the edge player.<\/p>\n

Maxx Crosby discusses where he stands with the Raiders \"Maxx<\/a> <\/p>\n

“Maxx [Crosby] is an elite player,” he told reporters at the combine on Tuesday. “I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them. And it’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understandable that the Raiders<\/a> don\u2019t want to trade Crosby. It\u2019s also starting to feel unrealistic. He doesn\u2019t want to be there, and when a player of Crosby\u2019s caliber makes a decision like that, it forces the team\u2019s hand. So at some point before the draft, there will likely be a blockbuster trade that sends Crosby to a new home.<\/p>\n

Brian Schottenheimer says he hopes the Cowboys can lock up George Pickens on a long-term deal<\/p>\n

McKenna: If George Pickens<\/a> had made it to free agency without the franchise tag, he would\u2019ve been the most sought-after player. Bar none. In fact, he was ranked No. 1 in our own Greg Auman’s<\/a> top 100 free agents list<\/a> for this offseason. But as is often the case with pending free agents, the Cowboys<\/a> are not letting Pickens onto the free market. They placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which \u2014 for now \u2014 sets his 2026 earnings at almost $27.3 million.<\/p>\n

Prior to news of Pickens’ franchise tag, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed whether the team planned to lock up the receiver to a long-term deal.<\/p>\n

“I hope,” he said. “Everything I’ve been around George from the time he got here, and I say this respectfully, I kicked his ass in shooting free throws in my office. He might not remember it that way. I knew this guy’s a competitor and he loves football, so I hope so.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

George Pickens received the franchise tag from the Cowboys on Friday.. (Photo by Greg Fiume\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n

With Jerry Jones running the operation, there is almost no margin for error in contract negotiations. But Pickens proved he can be among the league\u2019s most dangerous threats. It\u2019s a no-brainer. Lock him up and enjoy having two elite players at one position that everyone else covets.<\/p>\n

Mike Vrabel fueled trade rumors by explaining that he and A.J. Brown have a strong bond \u2014 years after working together<\/p>\n

McKenna: Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown<\/a> like each other. They have both made that abundantly clear.<\/p>\n

Earlier this offseason,\u00a0Brown spoke on how much he appreciates Vrabel<\/a> \u2014 even if the wide receiver didn\u2019t initially love playing for the coach.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a real chance Brown could play for the coach again. The Patriots<\/a> are going to be in on Brown\u2019s trade market,\u00a0per MassLive.com<\/a>. And Vrabel has openly spoken about his relationship with Brown.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve watched him grow. I\u2019ve watched him mature. I\u2019m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I\u2019m proud of the husband that he is,” Vrabel said. “That has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important.<\/p>\n

“We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other. Sometimes things don\u2019t go so well for the people that you\u2019re close with, and you text for those as well. It\u2019s a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown spent three seasons together with the Titans. \u00a0(Photo by Wesley Hitt\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n

The question is whether trading for Brown could get the Patriots back into the playoffs for a second straight year. And if the answer is yes, then perhaps we\u2019ll see them pull the trigger.<\/p>\n

Steelers GM Omar Khan: expecting answers \u2018sooner than later\u2019 on Aaron Rodgers<\/p>\n

Ben Arthur: The Steelers<\/a> may be in a wait-and-see mode with Aaron Rodgers<\/a> again, but it feels like they\u2019re positioned in the best way possible given the challenging circumstances of a down quarterback market this offseason between the draft and free agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First, the door is open for the 42-year-old Rodgers in a way that doesn\u2019t seem like it would cripple their timetable to go after another viable veteran starter should he retire.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t foresee this going like it did last year,” general manager Omar Khan told CBS Sports<\/a>. “I\u2019m pretty certain we\u2019ll have an answer sooner than later.”<\/p>\n

And even if Rodgers returns, they can draft their potential quarterback of the future (Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson is an option with the 21st overall pick) to sit for a year. The franchise has gushed about rising second-year quarterback Will Howard<\/a>, too, and he appears to be firmly in the future plans.<\/p>\n

Can the Steelers Afford to Keep Waiting on Aaron Rodgers? \"Can<\/a> <\/p>\n

So it could be Rodgers (or another veteran QB), a quarterback drafted this year, Howard and Mason Rudolph<\/a> (who still has one year on his contract) in the QB mix. It\u2019s not a\u00a0great scenario, but it would give Pittsburgh some stability at the most important position in 2026 and something to look forward to in 2027. There are quarterback-needy teams across the league that have much worse outlooks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nick Caserio called the C.J. Stroud trade speculation \u2018moronic\u2019<\/p>\n

Arthur: Clearly, Texans<\/a> general manager Nick Caserio isn\u2019t a fan of the C.J. Stroud<\/a> trade rumors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Moronic,” he said, in part.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And honestly, he\u2019s right.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear to all league observers that C.J. Stroud hasn\u2019t been the same player since his historic rookie season, and that his current trajectory is concerning. That needs to change. But his play shouldn\u2019t warrant panic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just because he\u2019s now eligible for an extension doesn\u2019t mean Houston has to give him one this offseason. Despite the narrative surrounding Stroud coming out of a disastrous playoff run, the most sensible move with him has long been to pick up the fifth-year option in his rookie contract by the May 1 deadline, which would give him $25.904 million guaranteed for 2027. That\u2019s bottom-tier money for non-rookie contract starting quarterbacks, which is appropriate for his production over the last two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“He\u2019s our quarterback,” Caserio said. “He isn\u2019t going anywhere.”<\/p>\n

Houston can push back talks about Stroud\u2019s future to next offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One team told Fernando Mendoza to \u2018get arrested\u2019 so he\u2019d slide to them<\/p>\n

Mendoza looks like the runaway favorite to go first overall.<\/p>\n

The Indiana quarterback said he had a “fantastic” interview with the Raiders. If they feel the same way, there\u2019s really no reason why they wouldn\u2019t pick him first overall. And that\u2019s why, when he met with another team, they told him that he\u2019d need to “get arrested” to land in their draft spot, the Indiana quarterback said in an interview with CBS Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Joel Klatt on Mendoza not throwing at combine, 1.0 Mock Draft \"Joel<\/a> <\/p>\n

So yeah, it would be stunning to see him slip past No. 1 at this point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Mendoza mania from now until April 23, when the Raiders will turn in the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n

John Harbaugh wants to \u2026 build a team like Mike Macdonald. And not the other way around<\/p>\n

Arthur: We\u2019ve talked so much about what John Harbaugh means for the Giants<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What if the Giants are making a profound impact on him as well, in terms of how he sees the game?<\/p>\n

Harbaugh this week acknowledged that he\u2019s learning from Seahawks<\/a> coach Mike MacDonald, his defensive coordinator in Baltimore from the 2022 and 2023 seasons, who just won a Super Bowl<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

John Harbaugh is hoping to mold the Giants into a team similar to Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n

“Mike’s amazing, and to see that happen for them, the type of team they built \u2014 I guess probably more than anything \u2014 is really kind of studying the kind of team that they built,” Harbaugh said this week. “He and [assistant head coach] Leslie Frazier, as partners in that process, Jay Harbaugh, a part of that too. Seeing the team that they\u2019ve built is reflective, I would say, for sure of the team that we want to build in New York.”<\/p>\n

So often we see older coaches stuck in their way and unwilling to change, especially if they\u2019ve had success doing it their way. And Harbaugh won plenty with the Ravens<\/a>, who he led to a Super Bowl victory and six division titles in his 18 seasons as head coach. But his remarks show a willingness to learn.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maybe it’s the Giants and the fresh start they\u2019ve afforded him that will warm him to fresh, modern ideas in his new chapter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 The primary purpose of the NFL Scouting Combine is for teams to gather intel on the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":785580,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[1586,257,7,467,393,560,6563,122,249,56,6,15,57,505,2183],"class_list":{"0":"post-785579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-aaron-rodgers","9":"tag-dallas-cowboys","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-george-pickens","12":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","13":"tag-mason-rudolph","14":"tag-maxx-crosby","15":"tag-national-football-league","16":"tag-new-england-patriots","17":"tag-new-york-giants","18":"tag-nfl","19":"tag-nfl-draft","20":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","21":"tag-super-bowl","22":"tag-will-howard"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116156911619165752","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=785579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/785580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=785579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=785579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=785579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}