Patriots To Add Shane Bowen To Staff
Months after being fired as the Giants’ defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen has lined up a new gig. He will once again work with Mike Vrabel.
The former Titans DC is reuniting with Vrabel in New England, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Bowen will join a Patriots team that shuffled defensive coordinators recently, promoting Zak Kuhr after he worked in a de facto DC role last season. Terrell Williams, hired to be the Pats’ DC in 2025, remains on staff.
Prior to his New York move, Bowen spent six years on Vrabel’s Tennessee staff. The two go back beyond that, with Bowen working with Vrabel at Ohio State and during the latter’s time as a Texans assistant. Bowen served as a graduate assistant with the Buckeyes in 2012, when the recently retired Vrabel was in place as his alma mater’s defensive line coach. In total, Bowen has spent nine years working with Vrabel. That will extend to a decade this coming season.
More to come.
Saints To Target WR, TE In Draft
APRIL 10: Cooper is, to little surprise, among the wideouts who will be hosted by the Saints on a top-30 visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His visit will take place tomorrow and it will include other receiver prospects, another indication of New Orleans’ draft intentions.
APRIL 7: Saints quarterback Tyler Shough impressed as a rookie in 2025 despite a less-than-stellar supporting cast. Hoping to add more pass-catching threats ahead of Shough’s second season, the Saints plan to address wide receiver and tight end in the draft, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports.
New Orleans traded Rashid Shaheed and waived Brandin Cooks last season, leaving the cupboard at receiver almost empty after No. 1 option Chris Olave. Devaughn Vele came on strong toward the end of the year, but he finished with just 25 catches and 393 yards in 13 games. Other than Olave and Vele, no returning Saints wideout even reached 20 catches last season. The team has not added any noteworthy receivers via free agency or trades, leaving the draft as its best avenue to upgrade.
Owners of the eighth overall pick, the Saints have set up visits with a pair of top-tier receiver prospects, Ohio State‘s Carnell Tate and USC‘s Makai Lemon. Either could be a possibility for New Orleans’ first selection. That spot is likely too high for Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., though he is a potential first-rounder. The Saints “spent extensive time” with Cooper and fellow Hoosiers wideout Elijah Sarratt after their pro day last week, Pauline relays. Sarratt may still be available in the third round, where the Saints hold the 73rd overall selection.
With 77 catches, 889 yards and three touchdowns during a second straight 17-game season in 2025, tight end Juwan Johnson was easily the Saints’ best aerial weapon behind Olave. The team has also added Noah Fant on a two-year deal in free agency. But Pauline nonetheless floats the possibility of the Saints using their first pick on Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who is riding the momentum of an excellent season and a scintillating Combine performance.
After Sadiq ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, the fastest for a tight end since at least 2003, perhaps the Saints will consider making him a rare top-10 pick at his position. Since the turn of the century, only six tight ends (Kyle Pitts, Kellen Winslow II, Vernon Davis, T.J. Hockenson, Eric Ebron and Colston Loveland) have come off the board in the first 10 choices.
As the Saints’ general manager since 2002, Mickey Loomis has never spent a second-rounder on a tight end, let alone a first. On the other hand, he has shown a willingness to draft a receiver in the first round, having grabbed Olave, Cooks, Robert Meacham and Donte’ Stallworth in his two-plus decades in charge.
Travis Hunter To Be Limited During Jaguars’ OTAs
An LCL tear ended Travis Hunter‘s rookie season and required a lengthy recovery process. His rehab is ongoing, but a return to a full workload during the spring is not expected.
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe) Hunter is set to be a limited participant in upcoming OTAs. Spring practices are voluntary and do not involved contact, but returning to the fold in some capacity would of course be welcomed news. Gladstone added Hunter is on track to be a full participant in training camp.
When the 2025 Heisman winner is back in the fold, a talking point will of course be his workload. Hunter was used on both sides of the ball during his rookie campaign, with a heavier emphasis on his receiver duties than his cornerback ones. A two-way role is still the plan for 2026, but Hunter is set to operate as a full-time cornerback moving forward. That would mark a shift in philosophy, with the receiver spot becoming only a part-time position.
Finding a long-term plan in Hunter’s case will obviously be a priority for Jacksonville. The team traded up to No. 2 last April to select the Colorado product, and as such the Jags do not own a first-rounder for this year’s draft. Generating production on both sides of the ball would be highly beneficial for all involved, especially given the price paid to acquire Hunter. Nevertheless, stability with respect to his weekly role and reducing the risk of injury based on an abnormal workload would be key for 2026 and beyond.
Hunter, 23 in May, was limited to seven games last season. He is set to return to a receiver room including Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington. At cornerback, the Jaguars have Montaric Brown – who inked a lucrative deal to avoid departing in free agency – and 2025 free agent signing Jourdan Lewis atop the depth chart. Hunter should have a clearer path to playing time on defense, making his planned position setup a logical one.
Jacksonville’s offseason program will begin later than the those of teams which changed head coaches during the hiring cycle. When it does get underway, Hunter’s workload will be worth watching as the Jaguars prepare for a ramp-up period during the summer.
Commanders To Host Omar Cooper Jr.; WR’s Stock Rising?
Omar Cooper Jr. has drawn interest from a number of teams as top-30 visits continue around the league. The Indiana receiver’s next meeting has been lined up.
Cooper will visit the Commanders today, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. That will be the fifth team Cooper meets with during the pre-draft process, and Pelissero adds another four visits are scheduled in his case. Cooper has long been mentioned as a first-round prospect in the 2026 class.
Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon are widely seen as locks to be selected on Day 1 at the receiver position. Jordyn Tyson‘s stock may be dropping, but he too could come off the board during the opening round. Denzel Boston is another strong candidate to be selected early, and some teams view him as the second- or third-best WR in this year’s class. Cooper has often been viewed as a similar prospect to Boston in terms of his draft range, and widespread interest from NFL teams certainly points to a brief wait before he hears his name called.
Indeed, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes some teams appear to rank Cooper alongside the best prospects at the receiver spot. Versatility will be key for Cooper, who spent four seasons with the Hoosiers. That included a major role on offense as part of Indiana’s championship-winning 2025 season, during which he set career highs in catches (69), yards (937) and touchdowns (13). An ability to play in the slot but also on the perimeter should help Cooper find a role early in his NFL career and make him an attractive option for numerous teams.
The Commanders could stand to add a starting-caliber WR during this year’s draft. Terry McLaurin remains in place, but Deebo Samuel is unsigned deep into free agency. Washington has long loomed as a logical landing spot in the event of a Brandon Aiyuk trade, although the 49ers may end up retaining him. In any event, the Commanders are waiting until a potential Aiyuk release, something which would allow them to pursue him as a free agent.
Washington owns the seventh overall pick, and taking Cooper at that point would likely be considered a reach. The team’s next selection is No. 71, however, by which point he will surely be off the board. A trade down the first-round order may make Cooper more viable, although the Commanders have looked into a number of other prospects likely to be on the board when they are first on the clock.
Colts To Seek CB Kenny Moore Trade
Kenny Moore‘s tenure with the Colts is likely nearing an end. The veteran cornerback is under contract for 2026, but a change of scenery could soon be coming.
Moore and the Colts have mutually agreed to seek out a trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A parting of ways is viewed as beneficial in this case, so it will be interesting to see if a market develops leading up to the draft. Moore has spent his entire nine-year career with Indianapolis.
After handling a part-time workload as a rookie, the former undrafted free agent became a defensive starter for the Colts. Moore has been a mainstay in the secondary since then, racking up 111 starts over the course of his career. During the 2024 offseason, a $10MM-per-year deal was worked out to ensure he would remain in the fold. That represented a record figure for pure slot corners at the time.
Moore remained a key figure in the secondary during the first year of that new contract, collecting three interceptions. The former Pro Bowler totaled 14 appearances this past season, but playing under new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo his snap share saw a notable drop. Scheme fit is seen as an issue in this case, Schefter’s colleague Stephen Holder notes. A parting of ways could allow Moore to start over while paving the way for Justin Walley – who was drafted in the third round last year but did not play during his rookie campaign – to take on first-team slot duties.
Moore’s contract was restructured in October to lower his immediate cap hit. As a result, his pact is set to void in February 2027. The 30-year-old is owed $10MM this season with a scheduled cap charge of $13.11MM. A trade at this point would create $7.06MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of $6.05MM. If the Colts waited until after June 1, the financial benefits of a swap would be far greater ($9.91MM in savings, $3.2MM in dead money).
The Colts have named getting younger and faster on defense as an offseason goal, and moving on from Moore (one of the team’s longest-tenured players) would allow for that to happen. It would also give an acquiring team a veteran presence in the secondary, and one who has played at least 11 games in every season of his career to date. Adding draft capital for this month’s event could also beneficial for the Colts since they do not own a first-round selection in 2026 or ’27.
Moore has been held without an interception for a year only once in his career, and he has notched at least one sack during a season on seven occasions. He could be counted on as a starting presence for an acquiring team, although that will of course depend in large part on where he winds up in the event of a trade being finalized at some point this offseason.
Jets Down To Arvell Reese, David Bailey At No. 2?
The Jets seem to have narrowed down their options for the second overall pick in April’s draft to edge defenders Arvell Reese and David Bailey.
Reese seemed to emerge as a clear favorite earlier this week, as noted by PFR’s own Adam La Rose. However, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Peter Schrager believe that Bailey will be the Jets’ choice on draft day.
“Bailey is a much more polished pass rusher,” Jeremiah explained. “He’s the more known commodity, whereas with Reese, you’re planing the upside game and hoping what you’re going to get.”
Schrager and Jeremiah then said they have both heard that the Jets prefer Bailey as a “bird in the hand” pick – a more pro-ready, polished prospect who will immediately upgrade New York’s pass rush. But Brian Costello of the New York Post threw some cold water on that projection, arguing that their source was probably coming from outside rather than inside the organization.
It seems, therefore, that the Jets have yet to lock in their choice for the No. 2 pick. With two weeks until the draft, they still have plenty of time to settle what seems to be a two-man race. Jeremiah compared the Jets’ choice to the Jaguars’ in 2022.
“It reminds me so much of the [Aidan] Hutchinson–Travon Walker debate,” he said. “‘Hutch’ is the better pass rusher right now and Travon Walker was this physical freak who’s not there yet, but you’re hoping he’s going to get there. Now, both of them have been really good pros. In that scenario, the better athlete went ahead of the more polished player.”
In this case, though, he believes that the opposite will happen. Bailey has more experience as an edge rusher compared to Reese, who primarily played off-ball linebacker at Ohio State and will need to develop a pass rush repertoire in the NFL. Bailey already has a full set of moves and a gameplan for how to use them to get to opposing passers. And as Hutchinson shows, having a high floor does not mean that there is a low ceiling in terms of upside.
Trade Talks Involving Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux Could Pick Up
Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade as a sign of frustration with the status of his extension talks. No trade is expected in his case, but calls will no doubt be made as the draft approaches.
Interest is also likely to increase with respect to Kayvon Thibodeaux. The former first-round edge rusher has previously been linked to a trade, with calls being made leading up to the 2025 deadline. No agreement was reached then, but this year’s Combine presented another opportunity for a deal to be discussed by the Giants and interested teams. A report from last month indicated New York’s preference would be to work out a trade in this case.
SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora confirms Thibodeaux is still viewed as being open to a change of scenery, something which could yield a full-time starting role. Brian Burns has thrived since the Giants acquired him via trade, while 2025 third overall pick Abdul Carter is in line to handle a large workload for years to come. Thibodeaux is set to earn $14.75MM in 2026 as a result of the Giants’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option. The Oregon product would no doubt be expected to sign an extension with an acquiring team in the event of a trade.
To no surprise, La Canfora reports the Giants are unlikely to move on from both Lawrence and Thibodeaux this offseason. Efforts to work out a compromise with the former could take place, although a new big-ticket deal does not appear to be in store. Replacing Lawrence could also prove to be challenging given his production (aside from the 2025 season, of course). With Burns and Carter in the fold, though, dealing Thibodeaux and drafting a replacement later this month could be seen as feasible. A trade at any time would take Thibodeaux’s 2026 salary entirely off the books and create considerable cap room for New York.
Injuries have led to Thibodeaux playing a full season only once to date in the NFL. The 25-year-old notched 11.5 sacks in 2023, but in general he has not developed as expected given his status as a former fifth overall selection. Per La Canfora, a mid-round pick could be offered by interested teams leading up to the draft. That would obviously represent an underwhelming end to Thibodeaux’s Giants tenure, but it will once again be a scenario worth watching for.
QB Ty Simpson To Drop Out Of Round 1?
Aside from Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, there may not be a surefire first-round quarterback in this year’s draft class. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is widely considered the second-best signal-caller available, but he is a polarizing prospect who made a meager 15 starts in college. Opinions vary on how high Simpson will go in the draft.
[RELATED: Ty Simpson’s Prospect Profile]
The top half of the first round may be a possibility for the 6-foot-1, 211-pound Simpson. There is also a chance he will last until Day 2, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN hears. That would be especially unfortunate for Simpson, who will attend the draft expecting to hear his name called in Round 1. Nevertheless, there are enough scouts with second-round grades on Simpson to make dropping out of the first round a possibility, according to Fowler.
Meanwhile, one general manager told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom that Simpson could even last into Round 3. On whether Simpson is a lock to go in the second round, the GM said to La Canfora: “A lock … I wouldn’t say a lock.”
It is unknown how many high-level decision makers have similar opinions, though it would be a major twist for Simpson to plummet out of the first two rounds. If enough teams would rather wait for what should be a deeper QB class in 2027, perhaps a free-fall will occur.
Owners of two first-rounders (Nos. 6 and 24) and in need of a long-term answer under center, the Browns are a popular pick for Simpson in mock drafts (via Grinding the Mocks). Cleveland has held a “30” visit with Simpson, but it does not consider him a first-round target, Zac Jackson of The Athletic relays. With no shortage of pressing needs (Jackson points to the offensive line and wide receiver), the Browns are expected to turn their attention elsewhere in the opening round. They are more likely to draft a passer in the middle rounds, per Jackson, which could set the stage for Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson or Dillon Gabriel to open 2026 as their starter.
A year after his own draft stock nosedived, Sanders is the early frontrunner to start for the Browns next season. Many predicted Sanders would go in the first round in 2025, but he fell all the way to the fifth (No. 144 overall). Five QBs, including Gabriel, exited the board before Sanders. Simpson will hope to avoid a similar fate this year.
Resumption Of Talks On 18-Game Schedule Not Imminent?
Expansion to an 18-game regular season has long been viewed as an inevitability based on the owners’ support of an increased slate of games. Negotiations on that front have been on hold during the NFLPA’s period without a full-time executive director.
J.C. Tretter was recently elected to the role, marking a surprising comeback after he resigned from the organization last summer. He and the union will now move forward in preparing for negotiations with the NFL on a number of matters. One of those will be an 18-game schedule, although talks on that front do not appear to be imminent.
Expanding the regular season was not something on the agenda at the recent league meeting. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes, making progress toward an agreement with the NFLPA on this matter “is not a pressing issue” as things stand. The view of owners has long been that an 18-game slate would be beneficial to all involved based on the increase in revenue it would provide. The league is also known to be eyeing a setup in which 16 international contests are played per year; that would of course be more viable with an additional game on the NFL calendar.
Even so, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirms a major ramp-up in negotiations on the matter of schedule length should not be expected in the immediate future. Any agreement prior to the 2028 season at the earliest would come as a surprise, he adds. The current collective bargaining agreement runs through March of 2031, but a new deal can be arranged at any time prior to that point. A strong push from the owners to institute an expanded schedule nevertheless remains something to watch for given the NFL’s immense popularity, something Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke about when asked by Jones about the idea of additional games.
“When the ducks quack, feed them,” Jones said. “And we have that demand for our games. And because of the hard work and great players that we have, we have great demand. We should address it, respond to it and feed it.”
Each of the past five seasons have included a 17-game schedule. That will remain the case for 2026, and more years beyond that under the current setup could be in store if Tretter – who has spoken out against schedule expansion – and Co. choose to remain patient in preparing for the latest round of CBA negotiations.
Malachi Lawrence Drawing Major Interest; Colts, 49ers, Seahawks Schedule Visits
As a potential first- or second-round pick, UCF edge defender Malachi Lawrence is generating significant interest in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Sixteen teams have set up visits with Lawrence, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The Colts, 49ers and Seahawks will all meet with him this week.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Lawrence’s college career took off as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. He registered 10.5 tackles for loss and a personal-best 7.5 sacks in 13 games that year. Lawrence’s production dropped a bit during an 11-game 2024 (six TFL, five sacks), but he earned a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season. Over 12 games, Lawrence picked up 11 TFL and seven sacks.
Lawrence further boosted his stock with an off-the-charts performance at the Combine, where he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. He finished second among edge defenders at the Combine in 40 time, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump (via PFF College). Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 36) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 46) consider Lawrence a top-50 prospect.
It is not ideal that Lawrence will already turn 24 before the season starts (Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, 25, is in a similar boat), but half the league is intrigued enough to meet with him. The three reported clubs – Indianapolis, San Francisco and Seattle – have an obvious need along the edge.
The Colts were a passable 15th in sacks last season, but they ranked an alarming 30th in pass rush win rate. The team made a run at Trey Hendrickson early in free agency, but the Ravens won that sweepstakes. The Colts have settled for modest additions (Arden Key and Micheal Clemons) to replace the departed Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam. They continue to lack needle-moving pass rushers to complement Laiatu Latu. Indianapolis is devoid of a first-round pick, but Lawrence could be on the board when it selects 47th overall in the second round.
The 49ers will pick 27th and 58th in the first two rounds. They totaled the fewest sacks in the league last season, though losing Nick Bosa to a Week 3 ACL tear heavily contributed to their struggles. They should get Bosa and Mykel Williams, who tore his ACL in November, back next season. The rest of their edge rushers – Sam Okuayinonu, Keion White, William Bradley-King, Andrew Farmer and the just-signed Cameron Sample – combined for just five sacks last year. With that in mind, bolstering the pass rush via the draft should be a high priority for the 49ers.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks aren’t exactly teeming with weaknesses, but taking an edge defender early may be on their to-do list. Owners of just four picks, including Nos. 32 and 64 in the first two rounds, the Seahawks lost Boye Mafe in free agency. They have not brought in a replacement for Maye, and the clock is ticking on Demarcus Lawrence‘s career. The soon-to-be 34-year-old pondered retirement after the season, which could add to the Seahawks’ urgency to make a notable investment along the edge.