Patriots To Trade Marte Mapu To Texans
Rather than waive Marte Mapu, the Patriots have found a trade partner. The Texans are acquiring the young defender, the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Alexander reports.
The AFC teams will swap late-round 2027 picks in this trade, Alexander adds. One year remains on Mapu’s rookie contract. The Pats were set to waive the linebacker/special-teamer as of Tuesday morning, but the Texans will add a piece to their top-flight defense.
Seeing as he was on the verge of being waived, Mapu will not fetch much in this trade. The Texans will acquire Mapu and a 2027 seventh-round pick for a 2027 sixth-rounder, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. A former third-round pick, Mapu brings experience as a linebacker and a safety. The Patriots will save $1.51MM by making this trade, with that figure doubling as Mapu’s 2026 base salary.
New England took advantage of Mapu’s versatility by using him at safety and linebacker. Mapu made nine starts in 2024, doing so despite beginning that season on IR. He played 161 free safety snaps and 219 box snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. With a stronger Pats roster fielded in 2025, Mapu did not see as much time. The Bill Belichick-era draftee played 73 snaps as a box defender and just six at free safety. Ex-Belichick right-hand man Nick Caserio will take a low-cost flier here to see what the Sacramento State alum can contribute in Houston.
While PFF graded Mapu 56th among qualified safeties in 2024, the advanced metrics site viewed his 2025 work in a better light. Although Mapu (career-low 120 snaps last season) was classified as a part-time linebacker, PFF would have slotted him inside the top 10 at the position. The 230-pound defender intercepted a pass in each of his three NFL seasons and has forced five fumbles, including three in 2024. Mapu, 26, played in all four Patriots playoff games as a reserve.
Mapu’s past flashes make this a reasonable bet to make for the Texans, who are fairly well situated at linebacker and safety. Houston re-signed E.J. Speed to work with regulars Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o at linebacker; at safety, the Texans added Reed Blankenship to join Calen Bullock as starters. The Patriots have jettisoned many Belichick draftees over the past year and change, with Mike Vrabel overhauling much of the roster. The Pats still roster starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, and they added K.J. Britt as a backup linebacker in free agency.
QB Diego Pavia Visits Panthers
This year’s crop of quarterback prospects has failed to impress evaluators with only Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza seen as a clear first-round talent. He is expected to be taken by the Raiders with the first overall pick, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson could sneak into Round 1, too.
Beyond that, no NFL-bound quarterbacks profile as likely future starters. Many, though, could be inexpensive but effective backups on their rookie deals. Those players may be targets for teams that may soon be handing out pricey long-term contracts to their current quarterbacks.
One such team is the Panthers, who seem ready to commit to Bryce Young after clear steps forward in 2025, his third season in the league. Carolina has already signaled their intention to pick up his fifth-year option and may already be budgeting for a multi-year extension, though they may want to see more development in 2026 before finalizing a deal. After three years with 15-year veteran Andy Dalton as their backup, the team may now look to develop a rookie behind Young, especially if he gets a market-level extension in the next 18 months. Carolina did sign Kenny Pickett as a backup for this year, but the 28-year-old have not be a long-term option.
Vanderbilt Diego Pavia could be a Day 3 dart throw on a developmental quarterback. He visited the Panthers on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference with a 70.6% completion rate, 29 passing touchdowns, and 9.4 yards per attempt in 2025. He finished second to Mendoza in Heisman voting, but his age and size are major concerns about his potential in the NFL. Listed as 6 feet tall in college, Pavia measured in at 5-foot-9 at the Combine, and at 24 years old, that is unlikely to change.
However, Young is 5-10, so the Panthers are clearly comfortable with a smaller quarterback. Elements of their protection scheme are likely designed to create better sightlines for Young, which would also benefit Pavia. He may not be a pro-ready backup right away, but he could develop as the third-string QB behind Pickett for a year and potentially step into a bigger role in the future.
Sometimes, though, teams use these pre-draft visits to gather intel on prospects’ teammates. More than 20% of Pavia’s completions and passing yards went to tight end Eli Stowers, currently seen as the second-best prospect at his position behind Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq. No Panthers tight end eclipsed 30 catches or 250 receiving yards last year, so they could certainly look for an upgrade in this year’s draft. Pavia could give them valuable information about Stowers as they decide if he is worth adding to their offense.
Falcons Set 2026 Coaching Staff
The Falcons were one of 10 teams to hire a new head coach this offseason, resulting in a major overhaul of their entire staff. Reports of their hires trickled out through January and February with a full announcement recently.
Running backs coach Michael Pitre and assistant offensive line coach Nick Jones were both retained for their third seasons in Atlanta. Pitre will continue working with Bijan Robinson, while Jones will ensure some continuity in the OL room.
Kevin Stefanski also added defensive quality control coach Troy Kruchten and defensive passing game coordinator Patrick Toney to his staff.
Kruchten is a former college linebacker who moved into coaching in 2024 as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida. He then joined Georgia State’s staff as an outside linebackers coach and was set for a promotion to assistant nickels/special teams coach before the Falcons came calling.
Toney spent the last three years in Arizona as their defensive backs coach after more than a decade in the college ranks primarily working with safeties. Budda Baker earned three straight Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024 under Toney, who will now work with a talented Falcons secondary that features A.J. Terrell, Jessie Bates, and Xavier Watts.
Atlanta made major changes in their front office, too. The latest is the hiring of Shawn Heinlen as the director of college scouting, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. He will Tokunbo Abanikanda after his promotion to director of scouting. Heinlein spent the last four years as an area scout in Cleveland – where he looked for prospects that fit Stefanski’s scheme – and also overlapped with new Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham in Philadelphia.
Dolphins To Host WR Denzel Boston
With his stock seemingly on the rise two-plus weeks from the draft, Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston has booked another “30” visit. He will trek to Dolphins headquarters next week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
Boston was already considered a potential first-round pick entering Tuesday. An eye-opening report then surfaced indicating some teams regard Boston as one of the two or three best receivers in this draft class. If true, that puts Boston in company with Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and USC’s Makai Lemon. Either or each of those two could go inside the top 10 or at least in the first half of the opening round.
The Dolphins own the 11th and 30th overall picks, prime spots to upgrade a barren receiving corps. If Miami selects Boston, he would immediately become its most talented pass catcher. The Dolphins traded No. 1 option Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos last month. The deal netted the Dolphins their second first-rounder (among other choices), but it left new starting quarterback Malik Willis with no real receiving threats other than running back De’Von Achane.
Malik Washington, who averaged a paltry 6.9 yards per catch on 46 receptions last season, and cheap free agent pickups Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert are likely Miami’s top receivers right now. That figures to change in a couple of weeks, whether the Dolphins use a high pick on Boston or another wideout.
The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Boston was a sure-handed red zone threat at Washington, where he averaged 63 catches, 858 yards and 10 touchdowns per year over the previous two seasons. Ranking Boston as the 27th-best prospect in this class, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com likens him to Broncos standout Courtland Sutton. Along with the Dolphins, Boston has booked visits with the Commanders, Steelers, 49ers and Browns.
Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers Visits Rams, Titans, Cowboys; Broncos Next
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has the athletic profile of a wide receiver, which is one of the primary reasons he has emerged as a consensus first-round prospect. Another tight end getting looks as a receiver is Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“While officially he’s a TE, several teams are evaluating him as a WR,” Rapoport writes. This comes after Stowers set a Combine record with a 45.5-inch vertical jump and ranked second among this year’s participants with a 11-foot-3 broad jump. Among tight ends, his 4.51-second 40-yard dash and 1.59-second 10-yard split trailed only Sadiq, who posted 4.39-second and 1.54-second times in each category.
While those are impressive numbers for a tight end, Stowers’ speed is relatively average for a receiver, and without agility testing, it is unclear if he can separate from cornerbacks on the outside. More likely, he is a big slot rather than a legitimate wide receiver, though splitting him outside for red zone targets could yield some touchdowns.
Stowers has been making his rounds around the league in advance of April’s draft with visits to the Rams, Titans, and Cowboys already completed. A trip to Denver is scheduled for next week, Rapoport adds.
The Rams have plenty of tight end depth with veterans Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, and Tyler Higbee. 2025 second-rounder Terrance Ferguson underwhelmed as a rookie but could certainly take a step forward in his second season. It’s unclear, therefore, where Stowers would fit in, unless Los Angeles is one of the teams who sees him as a receiver. They do not have much depth behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and could see Stowers as a versatile weapon to add to Sean McVay‘s offense.
The Titans let Chig Okonkwo walk in free agency and instead reunited former Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. But Bellinger has just 88 receptions for 934 yards in his career, so Tennessee could certainly stand to add an exciting young prospect to Cam Ward‘s supporting cast.
The Cowboys have Jake Ferguson signed through 2029 and did not use multiple tight ends at a high rate last year, but they could also see Stowers as an overall pass-catching addition who can complement CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in the slot.
Evan Engram disappointed in his debut season as a Bronco and is entering his age-32 season, so Denver may be looking for a long-term successor. They do not have a first-round pick, keeping them out of the running for Sadiq, but could pounce on Stowers on Day 2.
Saints To Target WR, TE In Draft
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.
R Mason Thomas Sets Up Several Visits
After earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2025, Oklahoma edge defender R Mason Thomas may have a chance to come off the board late in the first round of this year’s draft. Several teams are showing interest in the 6-foot-2, 241-pounder. In addition to the previously reported Browns, Thomas has lined up visits with the Dolphins, Seahawks, Buccaneers and Patriots, per Arye Pulli of SI.com.
Thomas had a quiet first two seasons at Oklahoma, where he combined for 1.5 sacks in 19 games from 2022-23. His production increased dramatically during his junior season, in which he totaled 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 contests. Thomas added another two FFs last year, though his TFLs (9.5) and sacks (6.5) understandably dipped during a 10-game season.
Thomas missed three games after suffering a quad injury on a 71-yard fumble return touchdown in a win over Tennessee on Nov. 1. He returned to make three tackles in a 34-24 loss to Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
With his Sooners tenure in the rearview mirror, there are questions on how high Thomas will go in the draft. Anywhere after the second round would come as a surprise. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Thomas as this year’s 49th-best prospect, calling him “an instinctive and physical edge defender” while dinging him for a lack of “ideal height/length/bulk.” Jeremiah expects Thomas to turn into a solid starter, which is something most of the teams eyeing him could use.
The Browns have the best edge defender in the NFL, Myles Garrett, but could make an addition there after backing out of an agreement with A.J. Epenesa. Having released their 2025 leader in sacks, Bradley Chubb, the Dolphins are lacking high-upside complements to Chop Robinson. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks lost Boye Mafe to the Bengals in free agency. The Buccaneers are thin on the edge beyond YaYa Diaby and Al-Quadin Muhammad. Meanwhile, after winning the AFC, the Patriots essentially swapped K’Lavon Chaisson for Dre’Mont Jones in free agency. With both Jones and Harold Landry nearing the age of 30, making a notable investment in a younger pass rusher via the draft could be in store. Thomas, who will turn 22 in August, may end up as the Patriots’ answer.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/7/26
Several teams made minor moves Tuesday. Here’s a look:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed ERFA tender: K Joshua Karty, DL PJ Mustipher
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed ERFA tender: DL Elijah Garcia
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: C Matt Lee
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed ERFA tender: DE Charles Snowden
- Signed RFA tender: C/G Jordan Meredith
New York Giants
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Ryan Miller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR David Sills
A four-year veteran, Meredith logged a career-high 11 starts in 13 appearances in 2025. Meredith played center and right guard (mostly the former) before landing on IR with an ankle injury in late December. The Raiders have since added blockbuster free agent pickup Tyler Linderbaum, meaning Meredith will not factor in at center in 2026. He could, however, compete for one of the Raiders’ guard jobs.
After a year in Atlanta, Sills is staying in the NFC South on a deal with the Buccaneers. With 36 targets, 18 catches, 191 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games last season, Sills set across-the-board career highs. The 29-year-old finished third among Falcons receivers in offensive snap share (51.55%). He will now attempt to carve out a role on a Bucs team that lost franchise icon Mike Evans to the 49ers in free agency and has not re-signed Sterling Shepard. Tampa Bay still has Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson as its top four receivers.
Jeremiyah Love On Cardinals’ Radar?
Although he does not play a premium position, uber-talented Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to come off the board in the top seven of this year’s draft. Set to select third overall, the Cardinals have more pressing needs than running back, yet they are a “wild card to watch” in the Love derby, Peter Schrager of ESPN writes.
By far the highest-rated back in this year’s class, Love is the lone player at the position who will go in Round 1. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks the 6-foot, 212-pounder as the No. 2 prospect available, trailing only Indiana quarterback and soon-to-be first pick Fernando Mendoza. Love is heading to the pros after winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best back in 2025. He wrapped up his three-year college career with a ridiculous 6.9 yards per carry on 433 attempts and 40 touchdowns (35 rushing, five receiving) in 41 games.
The Cardinals finished a dismal 31st in rushing yards per game in 2025, which makes them a fit for Love on paper. But they have addressed their backfield since then, albeit in more modest fashion, with the addition of former Falcon Tyler Allgeier on a two-year, $12.25MM pact. They also kept James Conner around on a revised contract. He and 2024 third-rounder Trey Benson, who also remains in the fold, missed a combined 27 games with injuries last season. That helps explain why Arizona’s rushing attack faltered as much as it did. Michael Carter, now a member of the Titans, led the Cardinals with a meager 333 ground yards on 92 totes (3.6 YPC).
If the Cardinals draft Love, it will be the second straight time Allgeier will find himself stuck behind a premier talent at his position. Allgeier posted the only 1,000-yard season of his career as a rookie in 2022, but the Falcons spent the eighth overall pick on Bijan Robinson during the ensuing spring. After serving as a solid (perhaps overqualified) backup to Robinson, there is no doubt Allgeier moved to Arizona banking on a bigger role than he had in Atlanta. He should get his wish if the Cardinals pass on Love at No. 3 to address a more obvious weakness (right tackle or edge defender, to name two possibilities).
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane Absent For Start Of Voluntary Workouts
The Dolphins are in the early stages of a major rebuild, but new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has identified running back De’Von Achane as a long-term building block. The Dolphins aim to extend Achane, but with no deal in place, he was not present for the first day of voluntary workouts on Tuesday. Achane’s absence was related to his desire for a new contract, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.
As a 2023 third-round pick, Achane’s production has vastly outweighed his salary during his three-year career. Based on that, he has an obvious case for a significant raise this offseason. The Texas A&M product thrived under former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as both a runner and pass catcher. He has averaged a whopping 5.6 yards per carry on 544 attempts, caught 172 passes and racked up 35 touchdowns (22 rushing, 13 receiving) 44 games into his NFL career.
While little went right for Miami during a seven-win 2025 campaign, McDaniel’s last at the helm, Achane was a rare bright spot. The 24-year-old surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time, going for 1,350 on 238 carries (5.7 YPC), added a team-high 67 receptions for another 488 yards (7.3 average), and totaled 12 TDs (eight on the ground, four receiving). Achane, who ranked sixth in all-purpose yards (1,838) and 12th in scores, earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
Achane is currently due to earn $5.77M in 2026, but if a deal comes together, Smalls points to the extension the Bills’ James Cook signed last summer as a potential comp. Then heading into his fourth season, Cook inked a four-year, $48MM pact. He now ranks third at his position in total value and in guarantees ($28.82MM), though his average salary checks in lower (10th). As Smalls notes, Cook is likely to drop down the list if backs like the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor land new deals in the coming months.
With the price for running backs rising, it would behoove the Dolphins to lock up Achane sooner than later. For now, rookie Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley seems unconcerned. Hafley expressed confidence on Tuesday that the two sides will “work it out.”