NFL Rumors: Mike McCarthy clarifies pre-Trey Lance trade communication

After a report came out in which Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he did not talk to Mike McCarthy or Dak Prescott prior to the Trey Lance trade, McCarthy has responded to Jones' comments.

The Cowboys head coach said he was involved in the "evaluation" aspect of the Lance trade but not in the "actual business" aspect.

Basically, McCarthy was involved in the pre-trade analysis of the ex-49ers quarterback, he just didn't get looped in when it came down to the specifics of the actual trade. Dallas gave up a fourth-rounder for Lance in what many believed was an absolute steal.

Back when the 49ers traded up to acquire Lance at No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft, the Cowboys had reportedly flagged Lance as a second-round pick.

McCarthy had nothing but positive things to say about Lance, complimenting his athletic ability the most. Following an injury-plagued two seasons in San Francisco, Lance will get his fresh start in Dallas backing up Dak Prescott.

Any narratives questioning the Cowboys' crossed wires or lack of communication prior to the Trey Lance trade have effectively been squashed, and the Cowboys can turn their entire focus on their 2023 season preparations.

NFL Rumors: Patriots' Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler makes his comeback

Malcolm Butler became enshrined in Patriots' history when he intercepted then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's pass on the goal line in Super Bowl 49.

Nearly a decade later, the New England hero is looking to start a new chapter of his NFL career down south in Atlanta. Butler is planning to try out for the Falcons later this week despite not playing a regular season game since 2020 when he was with the Titans.

Even so, the 33-year-old Butler has reportedly been staying fit and training for an opportunity like this, per NFL's Cameron Wolfe.

So far in training camp, the Falcons have seen corners Jeff Okudah and Mike Hughes suffer injuries, adding to their list of worries ahead of the 2023 season.

Butler would provide much-needed quality depth at the position -- assuming he's retained a decent amount of his coverage and ball-hawking skills. At most, Butler would serve in a limited role in Ryan Nielsen's secondary and may only see the field for as long as Okudah or Hughes stay sidelined.

Despite Butler's intention to play for an AFC team not in New England, Pats fans probably wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors.

NFL Rumors: 49ers star Nick Bosa could be traded to 'unnamed AFC team'

To preface this, the source came from NFL Reddit written by a user who goes by the name Josh Rosen. Take it with as much salt as you'd like.

The same Redditor who predicted the Christian McCaffrey trade is back with another unbelievable take. A civilian who goes by the Reddit username "josh_rosen" (or it could be the real Josh Rosen, who knows) said the 49ers are "threatening to trade Bosa to unnamed AFC team if he doesn't sign their current offer within next week."

Civilian/ ex-QB Rosen compares the Bosa situation to that of DeForest Buckner, who the 49ers traded to the Colts for a 2020 first-round pick after contract negotiations broke down. Buckner ended up getting a monster four-year, $84 million deal in Indy.

This offseason, Bosa has been holding out of 49ers' training camp; he's set to make $17.86 million this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.

With the 2023 season a little over a week away, Bosa's situation doesn't sound like it's going to get resolved anytime soon. NFL's Ian Rapoport recently reported that he doesn't get the sense Bosa and the 49ers are "close at all" regarding a future extension but at least there's been "some level of conversation."

The Redditor's trade proposal got directly debunked by Broncos beat reporter Benjamin Allbright, who admittedly doesn't have the best track record himself.

Fans will likely believe what they want to believe. 49ers faithful supporters will keep manifesting that Bosa will stay in San Francisco while fans from AFC teams will be keeping a side-eye on Bosa's negotation talks.

Reddit insights or not, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year's future is far from certain.