Saints Place OL Nick Saldiveri On Reserve/PUP
After a knee injury knocked Nick Saldiveri out for the entire 2025 campaign, the guard is set to miss another season. The Saints placed the offensive lineman on the reserve/PUP list, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.
Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football clarifies that the reserve/PUP list is different than the active/PUP list that’s often used at the beginning of training camp. Today’s designation means Saldiveri will not be able to suit up for New Orleans during the upcoming season.
It’s an unfortunate development for the 2023 fourth-round pick. The guard worked his way back from calf and shoulder injuries early in his career, eventually starting six of 11 appearances as a sophomore. That 2024 campaign ended early thanks to a first knee injury, but Saldiveri seemed to have established himself as at least a dependable depth piece for the Saints.
Saldiveri suffered his second knee injury during last year’s training camp, landing him on season-ending injured reserve. That same injury will now erase his 2026 campaign. The 25-year-old will be a free agent next offseason.
The Saints recently used a fourth-round pick on Jeremiah Wright, and the team could end up depending on the rookie behind Cesar Ruiz and David Edwards. New Orleans is also still rostering versatile lineman Dillon Radunz, who started 10 games for New Orleans in 2025.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/26
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Shane Zylstra
- Waived: K Maddux Trujillo
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Paul Manning, WR Michael Woods
- Waived: RB Deuce Vaughn, CB Will Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: DB M.J. Devonshire (from Bills), TE Luke Lachey (from Texans)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Johnny Pascuzzi, S Myles Purchase, OT Laekin Vakalahi
- Waived: OLB Niles King, TE Tanner McLachlan, TE Thomas Yassmin
- Waived/injured: CB Jeremiah Wilson
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserved/retired list: RB Le’Veon Moss
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived/failed physical: CB Cory Trice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Kadarius Calloway, LB Caden Fordham, LB Yasir Holmes, WR Dean Patterson, LB Javin Wright
Vikings Request GM Interviews With Ray Agnew, Reed Burckhardt, Kyle Smith
The list of candidates for the Vikings GM opening continues to grow. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team has requested interviews with three executives: Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew, Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt, and Dolphins assistant GM Kyle Smith.
Agnew had front office stints with the Jets and Rams before following Brad Holmes to Detroit to become the Lions assistant general manager in 2021. The executive has helped spearhead a franchise turnaround; after a three-win showing during the first year under the new regime, the Lions have averaged more than 11 wins per season since 2022. The front office has also pulled off shrewd trades (like the Matthew Stafford–Jared Goff swap) and have hit on some key picks (including Aidan Hutchinson and Jahmyr Gibbs). As a result, Agnew has been mentioned as a candidate to eventually lead his own front office.
Burckhardt earned a promotion to Denver’s assistant GM last offseason. The executive previously served as the team’s director of player personnel. Before his stint with the Broncos, Burckhardt worked alongside current boss George Paton in Minnesota, where he held a variety of scouting and personnel roles. Following Burckhardt’s promotion to assistant GM in Denver, the Broncos proceeded to have one of their most successful seasons in recent history, finishing with 14 victories. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, Burckhardt interviewed for the Vikings gig earlier today.
Smith worked his way up to vice president of player personnel in Washington and assistant GM in Atlanta before taking an assistant GM gig in Miami under Jon-Eric Sullivan. The executive was credited with some of Washington’s draft hits like Terry McLaurin, and he’s currently being counted on to guide a similar rebuild in Miami.
The Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January and went through the draft with Rob Brzezinski in place in the interim. In the meantime, the team has been looking high and low for their new front office leader. The latest trio joins a list of candidates that also includes Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen, Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Rams assistant GM John McKay, Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasely, and Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler.
Meanwhile, Albert Breer of SI.com recently provided some insight on the organization’s approach. The reporter suggests that Brzezinski could be kept in a role similar to Mike Disner with the Lions or Tony Pastoors with the Rams, with the new GM being tasked with more of a “scouting-focused” role. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports adds that the team’s search will surely continue through Memorial Day and could drag on into late May.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/26
Today’s draft pick signings:
Buffalo Bills
- WR Skylar Bell (fourth round, UConn)
- LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr (fourth round, TCU)
Bell spent three seasons at Wisconsin to begin his collegiate career before transferring to UConn ahead of the 2024 campaign. He had a breakout season during his first year with the Huskies, but he took it to another level in 2025. The receiver finished this past year with 101 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him a consensus All-American nod.
It might be tough for Bell to carve out an offensive role as a rookie. The Bills return much of the same depth chart as last season, including Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Tyrell Shavers, and Joshua Palmer. Most notably, the team added D.J. Moore to serve as their definitive WR1.
The Bills used their third fourth-round selection on Elarms-Orr, who was coming off a standout season at Texas Christian. The linebacker finished with 130 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and four sacks, a performance that earned him first-team All-Big 12 recognition. The rookie could carve out a role as a top backup behind Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard.
With the signings, the Bills’ only unsigned draft pick is Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowry.
WR Marvin Mims Open To Broncos Extension
Marvin Mims hasn’t emerged as the offensive game-changer that the Broncos were likely envisioning when they selected him in the second-round of the 2023 draft. Entering the final season of his rookie contract, it’s once again uncertain where Mims will land in the offensive pecking order. However, the receiver has made it clear that he’d like to stick in Denver.
“I don’t know what can happen,” Mims admitted when discussing his expiring contract (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette). “We’ll see within the next year, but I know I want to enjoy being a Denver Bronco as long as I can. I’m not really thinking about what’s next. Mostly just having my feet in the moment.”
The Oklahoma product showed flashes as a rookie when he averaged 13.1 yards per touch. He followed that up with a solid sophomore campaign, when he finished with 52 touches for 545 yards and six touchdowns. However, those numbers took a step back in 2025, as Mims finished the year with 49 touches for 400 yards and two scores.
Still, the 24-year-old has found other ways to contribute to the Broncos. He earned All-Pro nods in 2023 and 2024 for his special teams ability. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown as a rookie, and he led the NFL with 15.7 yards per punt as a sophomore. He finished this past year with a career-high 29 punt returns for a league-leading 452 yards and one touchdown.
Mims ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game makes him a useful piece, but it’s uncertain if the Broncos are counting on him as a foundational piece moving forward. The organization went out and acquired Jaylen Waddle this offseason, pairing the star wideout with Courtland Sutton atop the depth chart. With Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant also attached to rookie deals, the 2026 campaign could prove to be Mims’ final year in Denver.
Steelers’ Max Iheanachor To Begin Career At Right Tackle
Steelers first-round pick Max Iheanachor may take over as their starting left tackle one day, but it appears that will have to wait. Iheanachor revealed he will begin his NFL career at right tackle, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show.
The right side is familiar territory for Iheanachor, who was Arizona State’s starting RT for the past two-plus years. On the heels of Iheanachor’s second-team All-Big 12 showing in 2025, the Steelers drafted him 21st overall. He was one of nine offensive linemen to come off the board in the first round. Guard Vega Ioane, who went 14th overall to the AFC North rival Ravens, is also a member of a large first-round O-line class. The Steelers “had an affinity for Ioane,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports, but there is no word on whether they tried to jump ahead of the Ravens for him.
In addition to the Ioane hypothetical, there is another first-round “what-if” centered on the Steelers. As those who follow the draft know, the team thought it was on the cusp of taking former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon at 21. Instead, the Eagles made a last-second trade-up to No. 20 to nab Lemon while he was on the phone with the Steelers. After ending up with Iheanachor with their top selection, the Steelers addressed their receiver need when they chose former Alabama standout Germie Bernard in the second round.
While Iheanachor could win the right tackle spot as a rookie, it is unclear who will man the left side. The job would belong to a healthy Broderick Jones, but his season-opening status is up in the air as he recovers from neck surgery. Pittsburgh declined Jones’ fifth-year option for 2027, meaning the former first-rounder could be entering his last season with the team. Iheanachor may be a candidate to replace Jones if he is off the Steelers’ roster a year from now. In the meantime, if Jones is not ready for Week 1, the Steelers could turn to Troy Fautanu, though Kaboly notes that is not a given. While Fautanu played left tackle at Washington, he has not lined up there during his two-year NFL career.
As the Steelers’ starting right tackle last season, Fautanu played 100% of offensive snaps. But if professional left tackle experience is a must, Dylan Cook could have a shot at the gig until Jones returns. Cook went undrafted back in 2022, though it took until last season for him to get on the field in the regular season. He played in six games and logged five starts, including a wild-card round loss to the Texans. Almost all of his snaps (346 of 348) came at left tackle. Although it was a relatively small sample of work, Pro Football Focus ranked Cook’s performance 20th among 84 qualified tackles.
CB Jerry Jacobs Announces Retirement
Free agent cornerback Jerry Jacobs took to Instagram to announce his retirement on Tuesday (via Jordan Schultz). The 28-year-old played with the Lions from 2021-23.
Prior to Tuesday, the most recent mention of Jacobs on PFR’s pages came when he worked out for the Broncos in December 2024. The Broncos passed on signing Jacobs, who received his last NFL contract when the Rams inked him to a deal in July 2024. They wound up waiving Jacobs with an injury settlement less than a month later.
Despite going undrafted in 2021, Jacobs immediately worked his way into a significant role in the Lions’ defense as a rookie. The former Arkansas Razorback made nine starts in 13 games and tallied seven passes defensed during an interception-less first season. Jacobs notched his first career pick and added eight more PDs in his second year, a 12-game, eight-start campaign.
Although Jacobs’ INT total climbed to three over 15 games and 12 starts in 2023, Detroit relegated him to a special teams role late in the year. With Kindle Vildor taking over as the starter opposite Cameron Sutton, Jacobs played just one defensive snap in the last four games of the regular season. The Lions finished 12-5 and snapped a six-year playoff drought, but Jacobs did not factor in during what amounted to a three-game postseason for the club. They placed Jacobs on injured reserve on the eve of a wild-card round win over the Rams.
Detroit had a chance to retain Jacobs in 2024, but he became an unrestricted free agent after it opted against giving him an RFA tender. Two years later, Jacobs is officially hanging up his cleats. Across 40 games and 29 starts, Jacobs racked up 131 tackles, 23 PDs and four picks.
Lions Sign 9 Undrafted Free Agents
In addition to getting their entire seven-player draft class under contract Tuesday, the Lions announced nine UDFA signings. Here is the Lions’ list of undrafted newcomers:
- Luke Altmyer, QB (Illinois)
- Aamaris Brown, DB (UNLV)
- Erick Hunter, LB (Morgan State)
- Aidan Keanaaina, DL (California)
- Miles Kitselman, TE (Tennessee)
- Anthony Lucas, EDGE (USC)
- Eric O’Neill, EDGE (Rutgers)
- Melvin Priestly, OL (Illinois)
- De’Shawn Rucker, CB (USF)
The headliner may be Altmyer, who spent three years as Illinois’ starter after backing up Matt Corral and then Jaxson Dart at Mississippi from 2021-22. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder is entering the pros after back-to-back 22-touchdown pass seasons in which he led the Fighting Illini to a 19-7 record, including wins over South Carolina in the 2024 Citrus Bowl and Tennessee in the 2025 Music City Bowl.
Altmyer set personal bests in attempts (365), completion percentage (67.4) and yards (3,007) last season, all while throwing just five interceptions. However, given that Altmyer does not possess great size or arm strength, the entire NFL chose to pass on him in the draft. The 23-year-old may have a chance to earn a spot in Detroit, though, as the team does not have any other developmental options behind starter Jared Goff and veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater.
Lucas played one season at Texas A&M before transferring to USC in 2023. Although Lucas recorded his only three college sacks last year, Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked the 6-5, 256-pounder as the 185th-best prospect available before the draft. Brugler describes the 6-5, 256-pounder as a “battering ram” pass rusher and edge setter who has a chance to carve out a role in the NFL.
The Lions awarded a sizable guarantee to Keanaaina, who will earn $267,500, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The former Notre Dame defender tore his ACL in 2022, but he showed no ill effects upon transferring to Cal in 2024. Across 26 games (all starts) with the Golden Bears, the 6-3, 320-pounder totaled 101 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Former NFL QB Craig Morton Passes Away
Longtime NFL quarterback Craig Morton died at the age of 83 on Saturday. Morton divided his 18-year career among the Cowboys, Broncos and Giants.
Morton spent his college days at California, where he enjoyed a prolific run from 1962-64. He played his first two years under future Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Marv Levy. Bill Walsh, another future Hall of Fame head coach, was on Levy’s staff as a receivers coach during Morton’s first season. A three-year starter who broke numerous school records, the strong-armed Morton was inducted into both the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
After Morton threw for over 4,500 yards and 36 touchdowns in 30 games at Cal, the Cowboys chose him fifth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft. The Raiders selected Morton in the 10th round of the AFL draft in the same year, but he chose to sign with Dallas. Morton spent his first four years backing up Don Meredith before finally becoming Dallas’ starter in 1969. He helped the Cowboys to Super Bowl V in his second year at the helm, but they fell to the Baltimore Colts on a late field goal. Kicker Jim O’Brien hit a 32-yarder to clinch a 16-13 win for the Colts with five seconds left.
While the Cowboys made their second straight Super Bowl trip to cap off the 1971 season, Morton no longer held the reins. Head coach Tom Landry named Roger Staubach the starter in Week 8, and the Cowboys went on to win their first Super Bowl in a 24-3 romp over the Dolphins. Staubach suffered a separated shoulder the next season, which led to Morton making 14 starts and leading the Cowboys to a 10-4 record. However, Landry pulled Morton for Staubach in a divisional round matchup against the 49ers. Staubach never relinquished the job after sparking a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback and a 30-28 victory.
With Morton still stuck behind Staubach a couple of years later, he asked out of Dallas in 1974. A frustrated Morton signed with the Houston Texans of the World Football League, but he never played a down for them. The Cowboys granted Morton’s wish when they traded him to the Giants six games into the ’74 campaign. They received a 1975 first-rounder (No. 2 overall) and a ’76 second-rounder in return. Dallas used the first of those picks on future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Randy White, who became one of the greatest players in franchise history.
While the Morton trade worked out for the Cowboys, the same was not true for the Giants. They struggled over two-plus years with Morton, who went just 8-25 and threw 29 touchdowns and 49 interception as their starter. The Giants ended the Morton era with a 1977 trade in which they dealt him to the Broncos for quarterback Steve Ramsey and a fifth-rounder.
Morton’s stock was down when he arrived in Denver, but the change of scenery yielded a career renaissance. Playing his age-34 season in 1978, Morton tossed 14 touchdowns against eight interceptions, finished fourth in the NFL in passer rating (82.0), guided the Broncos to a 12-2 record, and won a pair of awards: AFC Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
The Broncos wound up meeting Morton’s first team, Dallas, in Super Bowl XII. While Morton became the first player to start at quarterback for two different teams in the Super Bowl, the Cowboys proved too strong in a 27-10 rout. White and fellow D-lineman Harvey Martin took home co-MVP honors after a stifling defensive performance.
Morton made 50 more starts as a Bronco through the strike-shortened 1982 season, his last, and earned two more playoff berths. Although the Broncos never returned to the Super Bowl with Morton at the controls, he still stands as one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history.
Wearing No. 7 before his successor, John Elway, Morton retired as the Broncos’ all-time leader in passing yards (11,895), touchdowns (74) and yards per attempt (7.5). Despite playing in a much tougher era for QBs, Morton still ranks second in team history in YPA and third in both passing yards and TDs 44 years since he last took the field. Peyton Manning became the franchise leader in YPA. He and Elway are the only passers above Morton in yards and TDs.
Inducted into Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988, Morton made 144 starts in the NFL. Along with posting a 81-62-1 record as a starter, Morton threw for 27,908 yards and 183 touchdowns.
Lions Sign First-Round T Blake Miller
The Lions announced that they have signed their first-round pick, former Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller. As the 17th overall selection, Miller inked a fully guaranteed deal worth about $21.87MM over four years.
Detroit entered the draft in dire need of help at tackle after it released 10-year veteran Taylor Decker, its starter on the left side since 2016. The Lions attempted to move up in a trade with the Rams, who held the 13th pick, but were rebuffed. It is unknown if the Lions would have taken Miller at 13, but regardless, they landed on him four choices later.
Whether the 6-foot-7, 317-pound Miller takes over for Decker will depend on how the Lions handle all-world right tackle Penei Sewell, who could shift to the left. Either way, the Lions are expecting Miller to emerge as a long-term starter.
If Miller is going to step into the lineup immediately, he will have to beat out Larry Borom, a former Bear and Dolphin who arrived in free agency. Borom has never been a full-time NFL starter during his five-year career, which bodes well for Miller. A two-time second-team All-ACC blocker, Miller started in all 54 games (52 at right tackle) with the Tigers from 2022-25. He broke the school record in offensive snaps (3,778) along the way.
With Miller under contract, the Lions have now signed all of their 2026 draft picks. Here is a refresher on their seven-player class:
- Round 1, No. 17: Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
- Round 2, No. 44 (from Cowboys): Derrick Moore (EDGE, Michigan)
- Round 4, No. 118: Jimmy Rolder (LB, Michigan)
- Round 5, No. 157: Keith Abney II (CB, Arizona State)
- Round 5, No. 168 (from Bills): Kendrick Law (WR, Kentucky)
- Round 6, No. 205 (from Jaguars): Skyler Gill-Howard (DT, Texas Tech)
- Round 7, No. 222 (from Browns): Tyre West (DT, Tennessee)