Buying or Selling Last-Minute Buzz Ahead of 2023 NFL Week 1 Sunday Kickoff

The Chiefs and Lions delivered a wonderful appetizer, but the main course of the NFL's Week 1 offering has nearly arrived.

Soon we'll have a full 16-game slate to breakdown and analyze. The advent of actual games is a welcomed sight after months of training camp hype, buzz and rumors.

But the dawn of the season doesn't really stop the rumor mill and chatter from churning. Heading into Week 1 there are still plenty of unanswered questions and hype that can't be proven or disproven just yet.

From coaching changes to trade requests to holdouts, here's a look at some of the buzz around the league and whether or not it's worth buying into.

The Baltimore Ravens switch from Greg Roman to Todd Monken was the most talked-about storyline after Lamar Jackson signed his contract extension with Baltimore.

Jackson won the MVP in 2019 in Roman's heavy-run system and they've gone 45-16 in regular season games that he has started since 2018. However, they have only won one playoff game in that time span and that was back in 2020.

Monken's arrival is about raising the ceiling of what they can do. He's expected to bring more open approach after the Ravens were among the top teams in the league in 22 (two running backs, two tight ends) 21 (two running backs, one tight end) and 12 (one running back, two tight ends) personnel last season, per The 33rd Team.

Monken is expected to open things up, pass the ball more and utilize more three-wide receiver sets with Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers. However, at least one NFL executive isn't buying it.

"The new passing offense should be great until the third week of the season when the offense miraculously looks the same as it did before," an anonymous executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic.

Referring to Monken's approach as a "new passing offense" is a bit dismissive. The former Georgia offensive coordinator is bringing a different mindset which includes a more open and fast-paced approach.

Even if the Ravens don't transform into a pass-first team, it's not going to look anything like Roman's version of the offense and Jackson's athletic ability is still going to be showcased.

Verdict: Sell

The Chris Jones holdout got real for both sides on Thursday night. The defensive tackle missed out on a game check while the Chiefs were left to play the Detroit Lions without their difference-maker in the middle of the defense in a 21-20 loss.

Jones held out for the entirety of training camp as he seeks a new long-term contract with the Chiefs that would pay him in the ballpark of Aaron Donald's contract which pays him $31.6 million in annual average value, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that while the sides are apart in negotiations teams he has talked to "believe the Chiefs do not wat to trade Jones, no matter how ugly this gets."

Those who remember the Tyreek Hill trade may have a hard time believing this. The Chiefs and the electric receiver didn't see eye-to-eye on compensation so they shipped him off to the Dolphins.

But the Chiefs were able to do that because they have Patrick Mahomes. As evidenced by the offense last season, Mahomes (and Travis Kelce) are good enough that they still had one of the league's best offenses without Hill.

They don't have an equivalent of Mahomes on defense. Jones' ability to get consistent pressure on the interior is a big reason for their success on defense and they can't just rely on the other guys to make things work.

Jones is a unique talent and the Chiefs understand that too well to trade him from a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Verdict: Buy

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might publicly let it be known that they don't want to trade Mike Evans. That doesn't mean a Mike Evans trade isn't happening in 2023, though.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shed some light on the current situation between the Bucs and their star receiver.

"The Bucs do not want to trade Mike Evans," Fowler reported. "His agent, Deryk Gilmore, set a Saturday deadline for extending his contract, but Evans, a 2024 free agent, would have strong value on the trade market around the deadline, according to multiple execs I asked."

Evans has been a keystone of the Bucs offense since his rookie year in 2014. He still has elite skills coming off a 1,124-yard season with six touchdowns, but it's fair to wonder if the Buccaneers will have such a hardline stance as the season wears on.

Replacing Tom Brady with Baker Mayfield is the kind of move that makes massive adjustments to expectations in 2023. The NFC South might be up for grabs, but the Bucs were in decline last season. The Falcons were an ascending team with a young core and the Saints upgraded from Andy Dalton to Derek Carr at quarterback.

If the Bucs get to the trade deadline and are out of the race in the division, it's hard to believe they aren't going to be enticed by a trade offer for Evans with his expiring contract.

Verdict: Sell

Cincinnati Bengals fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief just before Week 1. Not only did they find you that Joe Burrow is "ready to go" for the season opener, but they also inked their franchise quarterback to a five-year, $275 million contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Getting Burrow under contract for the long haul just extended the Bengals Super Bowl window by another five years, but now the attention will turn to star receiver Tee Higgins.

Higgins is set to be a free agent in 2024 if the team doesn't sign the receiver to an extension. However, fans could be waiting a while for good news on that front.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported the Higgins deal, "might not be (done) anytime soon, as the market for high-end wide receiver deals is likely awaiting resolutions on Justin Jefferson in Minnnesota and CeeDee Lamb in Dallas."

This is easy to believe for a few reasons. For one, it doesn't make sense for Higgins to sign anything until the market is reset. Jefferson is going to do that if and when the Vikings are able to come to terms with him.

On the Bengals' end, it's going to be a tough decision. With Ja'Marr Chase due for an extension in the not-so-distant future they will need to pay both like top wide receivers to retain them.

It's hard to build a quality top-to-bottom roster if a massive percentage of cap spending is dedicated to the top three offensive players.

Verdict: Buy

Even if the relationship between the Indianapolis Colts and running back Jonathan Taylor is mended soon they are going to have to wait four weeks for Taylor's ankle to heal as well.

The fourth-year back is starting the season on the PUP list after undergoing ankle surgery this offseason. That means he's out for the first four games and Zack Moss, Deon Jackson and Evan Hull will be spearheading the Colts rushing attack.

Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters that the Colts would take a "running back-by committee" approach and the touches would be divvied up by whoever has the hot hand.

It should come as no surprise, that the Colts are reportedly working on bringing in more running back talent. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Colts brought James Robinson in for a workout.

Robinson was on the New York Giants roster in the preseason but he was released ahead of final roster cuts, making him a free agent.

Whether it's Robinson or another one of the capable backs that remains without a team, it would make a lot of sense for the Colts to add another back to their ranks. Robinson had a great rookie season in which he had 1,414 total yards with 10 touchdowns in 2020.

That's more than any of their current backs have accomplished. With Anthony Richardson set to make his first start on Sunday, he'll need as much help as he can get with a strong running game.

Verdict: Buy

After watching Chris Jones sit out the season-opener for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Carolina Panthers faithful have to feel a little anxious about the current situation brewing between their franchise and Brian Burns.

The 25-year-old reportedly did not participate in the team's walkthrough on Monday, prompting speculation about whether he'd play in Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Burns is currently playing on his fifth-year option of his rookie contract, which pays $16 million for the 2023 season. He's set to be a free agent in 2024.

David Newton of ESPN reported that Burns wants to be paid "among the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL." He also estimated that Burns wants somewhere between $27 to $28 million in annual average value.

Fortunately for Panthers fans, Newton also noted that Burns plans to continue to play in games. He was at training camp the entire time and there's, "no hard evidence," that he will request a trade or miss games.

It's pretty easy to buy that buzz. Burns will lose $900,000 for every game he misses and that would start to eat into his $16 million earnings this season pretty quickly.

Burns is central to the Panthers defense. He led the way with 12.5 sacks last season while linebacker Frankie Luvu was second on the team with seven.

Burns just wants to be paid accordingly, but it benefits both sides for him to continue to play in games.

Verdict: Buy