San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo looks to throw during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Jan. 30, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. Garoppolo expects his shoulder to be ready for training camp — wherever that may be. He told the AP Pro Football Podcast on Thursday, April 21, 2022, that his rehab is going well and it is helping him deal with uncertainty surrounding his future with the 49ers. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
As the NFL offseason lingers on, teams around the league are still trying to improve their rosters ahead of training camps. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories and transactions of the week.
Murray Sitting Out OTAs
Sometimes the biggest headaches for teams can be disgruntled stars. For the Arizona Cardinals, that appears to be exactly what they are dealing with.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray is planning to avoid the team’s upcoming OTAs, and it might be a bit of a shock if he came to the ones in early June, too.
After rumblings surfaced earlier in the offseason that Murray sought a trade, those rumblings have mostly subsided. However, it is still very apparent that the star quarterback wants a new contract before he takes the field.
With his fifth-year option already picked up, Murray is seeking to sign a more lucrative extension rather than seeing his rookie deal play out.
Last year, Murray threw for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns, and ten interceptions in 14 games. The 24-year-old, entering his fourth year in the pros, also rushed for 423 yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries.
The Cardinals are currently tied for the sixth-best odds of winning the NFC at +1400, and they are +2800 to win this year’s Super Bowl.
Another Star Quarterback Skipping OTAs
Kyler Murray isn’t the only star quarterback skipping OTAs. Lamar Jackson has also been absent from OTAs for the Baltimore Ravens, although that has somewhat become status quo for the fifth-year starter.
Jackson is entering the final year of his rookie deal, although the team can still retain him for a couple more years through the franchise tag.
Still, the team has tried to engage in extension talks, but those talks have not been productive to this point.
Jackson has been a Pro-Bowler twice in his career, and his play will define the success of the Ravens. Last season, in 12 games, he threw for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also rushed 133 times for 767 yards and another two scores.
It is worth noting that he did end last season with an ankle injury, and reports have indicated that he has held private workouts with receivers, but head coach John Harbaugh would still obviously prefer he were at the offseason programs.
The Ravens are tied for the sixth-best odds of winning the AFC at +1200 and are +2000 to win the Super Bowl.
Head Coach Says 49ers May Retain Garoppolo
Moving to the west coast, San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan tempered expectations on a Jimmy Garoppolo trade. In talking with the San Jose Mercury News, he did indicate that it was still probably likely that Garoppolo would be traded at some point; he also mentioned that it wasn’t guaranteed nor imminent.
With Trey Lance waiting in the wings, there were high expectations that Garoppolo would likely be moved this offseason despite his successes last year. In 15 games, he threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Part of the delay may be due to offseason shoulder surgery. While the expectation is that he will be ready for the start of the regular season, the surgery was obviously concerning enough to prospective teams that no deal was able to be struck.
It certainly isn’t the worst thing to have a veteran quarterback of Garoppolo’s status on the sidelines, but the 49ers would still love to extract some value out of him if possible.
Currently, San Francisco is tied for the sixth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl at +1600.
Kaepernick Working Out For Las Vegas
Sticking with quarterbacks, it appears that Colin Kapernick is being given the opportunity to see what he has left. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Las Vegas Raiders are working out the former 49ers’ quarterback this week.
Kaepernick is auditioning for a reserve role, as he obviously won’t supplant starter Derek Carr at this point. Given that he is already 34-years-old and has been out of the league since 2016, it is just very interesting that the Raiders are interested, especially since they already have a couple of options at backup in Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens.
The Raiders are currently +4000 to win the Super Bowl this season.
Keep up with your latest NFL news coverage and betting pick previews at NJSportsbookReview.com.