RB Latavius Murray Aiming To Play In 2024, Open To Bills Reunion

April 19th, 2024 at 9:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Reaching a verbal agreement during Day 3 of the draft last year, Latavius Murray joined the Bills last offseason in lieu of the team selecting a depth running back. That deal provided the veteran with a rotational role for the 2023 campaign, but he remains unsigned deep into free agency.

Murray recently revealed he traveled to Colombia to undergo stem cell treatments as he aims to take part in a 12th season in the NFL. The 34-year-old managed to suit up for 16 regular season contests and both of the team’s playoff games during his Bills stint, but the treatment could help him prepare for another campaign with Buffalo or another new team.

“You do the IV stem cells and then you get the injections within the joints or wherever you want to have the injections,” Murray said, via Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com (subscription required). “Essentially the IV is supposed to still penetrate into the parts of your body that are sore; the IV does overall health. But then the localized injections are for the areas that you want to specifically treat.”

Murray – who has played between 13 and 16 games each year in his career so far – was used sparingly during his time in Buffalo. The Central Florida product received 70 carries and he recorded 300 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Murray chipped in with 119 scoreless receiving yards in the regular season before making another five catches during the playoffs. If he were to re-sign with the Bills, a similar role would likely await him.

Buffalo’s shift in focus to the ground game after Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator led to a heavy workload for James Cook. The latter is positioned to remain Buffalo’s lead back for the foreseeable future, and the team also re-signed Ty Johnson this offseason. Murray would thus compete for playing time with Johnson and any rookies Buffalo were to add in next week’s draft if the team were to reciprocate his interest in a new deal.

The former sixth-rounder is no stranger to finding new teams, though, having spent time with the Raiders, Vikings, Saints, Ravens and Broncos in his career before his Bills tenure. The post-draft portion of free agency will no doubt be the time at which Murray could start to generate interest from teams, and it will be worth watching to see if his efforts to prepare himself for the 2024 campaign results in a contract.

Chargers Discussing Trade For No. 5 Pick

April 19th, 2024 at 8:48am CST by Adam La Rose

As draft preparation enters its final week, dialogue between teams will increase with respect to trades in the first-round order. In the case of the Chargers, that could see the No. 5 selection changing hands.

First-year general manager Joe Hortiz made it clear last month he is open to making a deal with teams interested in moving up the order, presumably to acquire a quarterback. The top three teams on the board – Bears, Commanders, Patriots – are each positioned to remain in place and add a passer in lieu of moving down. That leaves the Cardinals as a key player, as they own the fourth overall pick and have stated a willingness to trade back.

That does not mean Arizona is locked into a trade-down scenario, of course, but a team like the Giants, Vikings, Raiders or Broncos moving into the that spot would lead to QBs coming off the board with each of the first four selections. Multiple general managers around the league believe that will indeed be the case, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports. In that event, the Chargers’ pick would represent the top of the order for all other positions.

“If four quarterbacks go, we believe strongly we have the first pick,” Hortiz said in a pre-draft press conference (via the team’s website). “So, what are teams willing to give us? Now, we know it’s the fifth pick and teams are going to be trading on that scope, but it’s got to be a value for us. Do we have to be blown away? What is blown away? I don’t know the answer to that.”

Los Angeles could certainly command a considerable haul for the fifth selection, although the value would of course decrease considerably if a team moving up the order would be doing so after the top four passers already came off the board. Even if the Cardinals were to remain in place (and, quite possibly, select Marvin Harrison Jr.), the Bolts would also be in position to add a high-profile receiver such as Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze. Doing so would fill a notable roster hole, and as such a premium offer would be required to convince the team to trade back.

“There’s certainly, ‘It’s too good of a deal’, in terms of what you’re getting back,” Hortiz added. “They have to make it attractive to us for us to move away from those players [available at No. 5]. The whole, ‘It’s a fair trade, it’s a wash’. I don’t think that’s a trade we’re interested in.”

To little surprise, Hortiz also confirmed trade talks have taken place with teams interested in moving up, though those conversations have been preliminary to date. Interest will heat up in the coming days over negotiations with not only the Chargers, but also the Patriots and Giants. Their decisions – and those of the Cardinals – will be key factors in determining whether or not Los Angeles remains in place or adds notable draft capital for 2024.

Pats Engaged In Trade Talks For No. 3 Pick

April 18th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Both the Bears (set to select first overall) and Commanders (second) are universally expected to add quarterbacks at the top of the 2024 draft. If the Patriots retain the next selection, they will be well-positioned to do the same, but a move down the order could still be in play.

During a Thursday press conference, Eliot Wolf – who is in charge of the Patriots’ draft but may not serve as de facto general manager afterwards – confirmed New England has engaged in trade talks centered on the No. 3 pick. The team has been connected to a trade-down maneuver this offseason, but the opportunity to add a potential franchise passer has left many expecting Wolf and Co. to stay put. Of course, much of New England’s final decision will depend on the value of offers made by other QB-needy teams.

A recent report indicated the Patriots’ asking price for the third overall pick will likely be too high for a deal to be worked out, and Wolf confirmed no offer made to date has been sufficient to move down the board. That could change in the coming days, with plenty of teams – such as the Giants, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders – known to be in the market for a Day 1 QB. New England has spent time on a number of prospect passers, and the one chosen at No. 3 could compete for the starting role right away.

Opinions appear to be split in the organization between Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy, both of whom have visited the Patriots. However, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager notes he feels the Patriots will be “comfortable” adding whichever of Maye or Jayden Daniels is on the board after the Commanders’ selection. The latter is in pole position to be Washington’s choice, something which would leave Maye in place as a strong Patriots candidate.

Wolf added the Patriots are “open for business” in terms of trading up or down during all seven rounds of the draft. While that holds true for all teams to varying degrees, considerable intrigue still surrounds the third overall selection with plenty still to be determined as the countdown to the draft continues.

Giants Receiving Calls On No. 6 Pick; Team Denies Buyer’s Remorse On Daniel Jones

April 18th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

This could be a defining draft for the Giants; if nothing else, it could determine the course of the Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll partnership. The team has done extensive work on quarterbacks. This included “30” visits with Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Jayden Daniels.

Rumors have emerged connecting the Giants to both Maye and McCarthy. These come as the Giants’ party line continues to center around Daniel Jones being on track to be back by training camp and reclaim his starting job. A move up the board for a quarterback would be complicated, as the Vikings — and perhaps to a lesser extent the Broncos and Raiders — have been tied to trying to do the same. A climb up from No. 6 overall also would spell the end of Jones’ run as the team’s starter, as the Giants could get off Jones’ four-year, $160MM deal fairly easily (via a post-June 1 cut) in 2025.

Internal concerns about Jones exist, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, with the QB’s health history being the team’s main issue. But Schoen said reports of the team having buyer’s remorse on the 2023 contract are “not true.” Then again, it is not like a GM would reveal otherwise a week before a pivotal draft. But Jones’ status as New York’s unquestioned starter is up in the air as the draft approaches.

An expectation around the NFL points to four quarterbacks going in the top four, Raanan adds; that would mark an NFL first. With the Bears tied to Caleb Williams and the Commanders increasingly linked to Daniels at 2, the Giants may need to move up for Maye or McCarthy.

Recent reports indicated Maye is the player more likely of interest to Big Blue, but until the Commanders make it official with Daniels, no trade may be happening. The Patriots have begun discussions about moving down from No. 3, and the Cardinals are open to sliding down from 4. Although rumors about the Giants going QB in Round 1 have circulated for months, nothing is imminent yet.

“I don’t think anyone is ready to move right now,” Schoen said. “I know people are listening. We’ll all do that, from teams behind us or moving up. Those exploratory talks and conversations will happen here shortly. … Those conversations will happen, over the next 42 or 78 hours those will start happening. You’ll get a feel for who is open to moving and who is no.”

Somewhat surprisingly, the Giants’ No. 6 choice has generated a few calls. The Giants not trading up for a quarterback would put them in ideal position to address their longstanding wide receiver need, and the team has hosted the top three in this draft (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze). But Schoen said teams have called to discuss the Giants moving down from 6. With Schoen adding (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) he does not view the Giants as simply one or two players away, the team could consider moving down.

“Surprisingly at 6, we’ve gotten a lot of calls from people behind us,” the third-year GM said. “I didn’t think I would have as much as activity from 6 from people behind me as we’ve gotten. So those are options too as we look at: If we go back, how far back do we want to go?”

The Giants, who have not seen a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018, taking a receiver at 6 could put Jones in the clear. While the 2019 No. 6 overall pick being unchallenged for a job in his sixth year would be a bit odd when considering his resume, the Giants also hosted Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler on pre-draft visits.

That marks five QB meetings out of 30 allotted visits, and a Nix move could potentially come in Round 2. Though, it might take the Giants trading up from No. 47 to acquire the Oregon QB. Rattler is not viewed as a candidate to go in the first round; the Senior Bowl MVP should be expected to be available when the Giants go on the clock in Round 2.

Even one of these passers being chosen would mean a competition — at some point — involving Jones, who will see a $12MM injury guarantee shift to a full guarantee in March 2025. Jones said this week (via Raanan) he has not experienced any setbacks during his ACL recovery and called his 2023 neck injury “just a stinger.” Concerns about Jones’ neck would be valid, as the five-year Giants starter missed much of the 2021 season — ahead of a 2022 surgery — due to a neck injury.

Jones’ future in New York probably hinges on the Giants’ draft moves, but as of now, he is the clear-cut starter ahead of Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. Jones is doing quarterback drills now, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, and has resumed throwing. Whether he returns to full work as the team’s unquestioned starter once again or is suddenly a lame duck after the Giants select a QB will be one of this year’s defining draft storylines.

Latest On Bears’ Interest In Caleb Williams

April 18th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Ben Levine

While recent reports indicated that Caleb Williams isn’t the unanimous QB1 prospect across the NFL, the Bears are leaving no doubt about their trust in the projected top-overall pick. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, the Bears believe there is a “pretty wide gap” between the USC product and the rest of the quarterback class.

The 2022 Heisman winner has long been regarded as the top passer in the 2024 class. After the Bears secured the first-overall selection, the team quickly ripped off the band-aid and avoided a QB controversy by dealing Justin Fields. That trade all but confirmed that the organization was going to select a rookie QB.

However, the team has yet to reveal which QB they’ll select. There’s little incentive to reveal their choice early, but as Biggs notes, that’s led to some speculation that the team could pursue a move down the draft board.

Before the Bears settled their QB depth chart, the Commanders looked like they could be a landing spot for Williams. That move would have sent Williams back to the area in which he went to high school at Gonzaga College HS, and it would have reunited him with college coach Kliff Kingsbury.

If the Bears wanted to pick up even more assets and still snag a top quarterback prospect, a trade with the Commanders could have made sense. However, if the Bears believe there’s a significant drop in talent at the position after Williams, there isn’t any amount of trade assets that would make up that gap.

There seemed to be some cracks in Williams’ consensus number-one ranking earlier this week. There were some rumblings that teams have graded LSU’s Jayden Daniels over the USC QB, with some organizations believing the prospect had an underwhelming pre-draft process. While most teams seemed to understand that this was a “byproduct of being a player who knows he’s going No. 1,” Williams didn’t look as invincible atop the draft board as he once did.

Commanders Unlikely To Consider Trading Down From No. 2 Overall

April 18th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Jayden Daniels-Washington buzz persists, the Commanders have not been a team — unlike some others in this year’s top five — closely linked to trading down. Their new front office boss effectively confirmed no such move is likely.

New Washington GM Adam Peters said (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) he does not see many scenarios in which the team would move down from No. 2 overall. While Washington resided at No. 2 overall four years ago, the team’s 2019 Dwayne Haskins selection effectively prevented a Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert move. With the decks cleared at quarterback ahead of this draft, the new regime is widely expected to begin its tenure with a QB move at 2.

The Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers, who round out the top five, have been far more open to moving down from their first-round slots. But the Commanders, who held their QB “30” visits en masse this week, appear set to make their choice just after the Bears — in all likelihood — begin the draft with Caleb Williams.

Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. each visited Washington this week, making for an interesting scheduling effort by the Commanders’ new regime. As for which quarterback the team plans to take at 2, Peters said (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) the team is “real close” to determining its direction.

Since we asked readers to predict which QB the Commanders would select at 2, Daniels — the leader in that early-April poll — looks to have pulled ahead. A report soon after indicated the 2023 Heisman winner is the likely Commanders choice at 2. This would put the Patriots to a decision at 3, and a recent report pegged the AFC East team as having a “healthy debate” between Maye and McCarthy. The Pats have also let it be known they have discussed trading down, joining the Cardinals and Chargers in being open to picking up assets to move off a top-five selection.

If Washington is truly zeroing in on Daniels — a five-year college passer who rocketed up draft boards after a dominant 2023 season — New England’s choice between starting over at quarterback or tabling that decision in order to accumulate assets will become the draft’s pivot point. While it may still be early to lock in Daniels at 2, the ex-LSU and Arizona State passer has been the favorite here for a bit. Washington went QB in this slot 12 years ago, trading two future first-rounders for Robert Griffin III. Not needing to fork over any draft assets to select Daniels (or Maye or McCarthy) at 2, Peters and Co. appear prepared to stay put and address the team’s biggest need.

Latest On Terron Armstead’s Future With Dolphins

April 18th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins seem to be preparing as if the 2024 campaign with be Terron Armstead‘s final season. While speaking with reporters today, general manager Chris Grier said he understood that Armstead may play just one more season when the front office reworked the lineman’s contract back in March.

“We always knew that possibility could be with him,” Grier said (via Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post).

After suffering injuries in each of his first two seasons in Miami, there were rumblings that Armstead could look to hang up his cleats following the 2023 campaign. The lineman was still attached to the five-year, $75MM contract he inked with Miami in 2022, and he already locked in $5MM of his 2024 base salary by being on the Dolphins’ roster on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. The veteran ended up helping the Dolphins’ by accepting a $4MM-plus pay cut for the 2024 campaign, but those negotiations seemed to hint that Armstead wouldn’t finish his contract with the team.

Injuries have been an ongoing theme throughout Armstead’s career. The lineman has never played 16 games in a season and has missed 59 contests over the course of his career, including 11 games through two years in Miami. A knee injury forced him to miss seven games in 2023, but he still earned a Pro Bowl nod and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 16th-best offensive tackle. Armstead ranked as a top-20 OT in eight of his nine NFL seasons, so the long-time Saints standout has shown he still has plenty left in the tank.

“We’re very respectful of his time and to his credit, he is an incredible communicator,” Grier said (via Habib). “I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple years — he is a fantastic person. So I’m very glad he is coming back because he has impacted that room so much with those young guys … so having him back is important.”

While the Dolphins can pencil in Armstead at LT for the 2024 season, they can’t be nearly as confident in his roster spot in 2025. As a result, the team may look to address the future hole via the draft. The team used a first-round pick on right tackle Austin Jackson back in 2020, and they’re still rostering fill-in Kendall Lamm, but devoting more draft capital to the position remains a possibility with Armstead likely to hang up his cleats following the 2024 campaign.

Latest On Patriots’ WR Pursuit

April 18th, 2024 at 8:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Following their failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley, the Patriots continue to be on the lookout for wide receivers. While speaking with reporters today, de facto general manager Eliot Wolf acknowledged that the team still had a need for an outside receiver (per Evan Lazar of the team website).

The Patriots moved on from DeVante Parker earlier this offseason and replaced him with K.J. Osborn, who Lazar profiles as more of a “complementary piece.” Further, Osborn is a better fit for the Z/slot role, a job that would also be ideal for the team’s other top wide receivers: Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas. While the team is still rostering the likes of Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte (along with veterans like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Reagor), it makes sense that the Patriots would be pursuing a speedster for their offense.

As a result, the Patriots have been mentioned as a popular landing spot for any of the veteran WRs that could shake loose, a grouping that includes the likes of Brandon Aiyuk and Tee Higgins. While Wolf wouldn’t give any specifics, he did acknowledge that the team is pursuing multiple paths as they look to add to the position.

“We’ve had conversations with teams about different scenarios,” Wolf said. “Not just at receiver but at other positions. That’s definitely something that we’d be open to.”

The team was aggressive in their pursuit of Ridley, but the Patriots ended up losing the sweepstakes to the Titans. Robert Kraft previously said the team didn’t lose out on Ridley because of financials. Instead, the owner gave a variety of reasons for not adding the receiver, including taxes, the quarterbacks situation, and the WR’s girlfriend. However, Wolf seemed to acknowledge that it was indeed money that led to the Patriots losing out on the free agent wideout.

“Another team offered more money [for Ridley] would be the main thing,” Wolf said.

The Patriots could have their pick of the top WR prospects with the number-three pick, a grouping that’s led by Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers, and Washington’s Rome Odunze. However, since the team is expected to take a QB with their first-round pick, Lazar points to a number of later-round receivers like Adonai Mitchell, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, Devontez Walker, and Brenden Rice.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/18/24

April 18th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Placed on exempt/international list: OT Kilian Zierer

Los Angeles Chargers

Placed on exempt/international list: DL Basil Okoye

Minnesota Vikings

Waived/non-football injury: OT Coy Cronk

San Francisco 49ers

Placed on exempt/international list: OT Isaac Alarcon

Each team is allowed an extra practice squad spot in 2024 if they carry an international player. By placing a player on the exempt/international list, these teams are all but declaring which international player they’re choosing to roster next season.

Panthers Still Considering Stephon Gilmore

April 18th, 2024 at 5:42pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have been connected to old friend Stephon Gilmore over the past month, and it sounds like a reunion is still a possibility. Panthers GM Dan Morgan told reporters (including Darin Gantt of the team’s website) that they’re still considering a Gilmore signing and will revisit after the draft.

“Yeah, we’re gonna leave the door open there,” Morgan said (h/t PanthersWire). “We’re still gonna stay in communication and after the draft, we’ll circle back and kinda see where it goes from there.”

It’s not a huge surprise that the Panthers are keeping their options open, as the team is set to see plenty of turnover at cornerback in 2024. The team lost two significant pieces in Donte Jackson, who was dealt to the Steelers for Diontae Johnson, and C.J. Henderson, who left via free agency. The organization did sign Dane Jackson, adding the veteran to a grouping that also includes former first-round pick Jaycee Horn and little-used 2023 backups Dicaprio Bootle and D’Shawn Jamison.

Gilmore would certainly provide some veteran experience to that grouping, and the defensive back has shown that he still has plenty left in the tank. Gilmore wasn’t elite during his time with the Cowboys in 2023, but Pro Football Focus still graded him 35th among 127 qualifying cornerbacks. Gilmore expressed interest in re-signing with the Cowboys after the season.

Gilmore was traded to the Panthers during the 2021 season and got into nine games (eight starts) for the team. He finished that campaign with 16 tackles and two interceptions. During his 2022 campaign with the Colts, Gilmore was ranked ninth in those same metrics, so the former DPOY has recently shown that he can be a top-end performer.

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