Packers Eyeing Starting Role For S Rudy Ford?
The Packers are set at the top of their cornerback depth chart heading into 2023, but their situation at the safety position is different. A competition for a starting safety spot will take place through the summer, but an early contender is in place amongst the team’s in-house options. 
“I like where our safety room is in terms of the competition right now,” Packers safeties coach Ryan Downard said, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “There’s an opening there, and there’s only one guy in the room who’s played a ton of snaps for us… So it’s full competition when we go on the practice field.”
The player Downard is referring to, of course, is Rudy Ford. The latter joined Green Bay after being released by the Jaguars on the final day of roster cuts in August, leading to tempered expectations in his new home. Ford had started only six games in his career at that point, and had also spent time in Arizona and Philadelphia before his one-year stint in Jacksonville.
The former sixth-rounder played a career-high 442 snaps on defense in 2022, though, making him a key member of Green Bay’s secondary. Ford notched three interceptions and 44 total stops while logging a 43% snap share, which could put him in line for a step forward in playing time this season. Wood notes that Ford is the “top internal candidate” to replace Adrian Amos as a safety starter. The latter remains unsigned, and while a reunion could still be on the table, he has drawn interest from the Ravens as well.
That could leave Green Bay to rely on Ford in a tandem with 2019 first-rounder Darnell Savage, whose play at safety in particular has drawn signficant criticism. Depth at slot corner will bring Savage back to the safety spot, making identifying Amos’ replacement a top priority for the Packers if they are to take a forward step on defense this year.
Wood lists free agent signings Tarvarius Moore and Jonathan Owens as the other top competitors for the spot. Each has considerable experience at the NFL level, but also a track record of heavy usage on special teams rather than defense for much of their careers. It is also in the third phase that most (if not all) of seventh-round rookie Anthony Johnson‘s playing time will come in 2023. Those factors should leave Ford in pole position for a first-team role, though much remains to be determined in the coming months.
Latest On CB William Jackson
Deep into the post-draft wave of free agency, many veterans still on the market are facing a shrinking number of suitors as they look for their best fit ahead of training camp. Cornerback William Jackson falls 
into that category, but his wait to land a new opportunity may not last much longer.
Jackson is at full health in anticipation of summer offseason programs, as noted (on Twitter) by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Wilson adds that Jackson has received interest from “multiple teams,” and that he is evaluating his options with the aim of finding the right fit to continue his career. The 30-year-old played in four games with the Commanders last season.
Jackson finished the season in Pittsburgh, though, after they traded for him at the deadline. That move came after his tenure in Washington ended in unspectacular fashion, especially given the lucrative deal (three-years, $40.5MM) he had been playing on. The Steelers’ willingness to trade for him prevented a release, but Jackson never ended up seeing any game time in Pittsburgh due to an injury.
Facing the possibility of saving $12.75MM in cap space, the Steelers made the expected move of releasing the former first-rounder in March. Cornerback was a position of need for Pittsburgh this offseason, but their lack of interest in signing Jackson to a prove-it type deal makes it little surprise that he still finds himself on the open market. At full health, though, he could prove to be an effective pickup this late into the roster-building part of the calendar.
Jackson has started 64 of 74 career games, and he recorded a career-best 45 tackles along with 11 pass breakups and a pair of interceptions in 2020, his fourth and final season with the Bengals. A first-team role likely wouldn’t await him on a new team given the recent deals dished out by CB-needy teams to the likes of Rock Ya-Sin and Shaquill Griffin. Jackson may have to compete with fellow veteran Marcus Peters to be the next notable corner to sign a contract, but the lack of other available options could help his market value as he looks to get his career back on track in a new setting.
Eagles Open To Extension With RB D’Andre Swift
The Eagles came away from the 2023 draft with another collection of Georgia defenders, but those weren’t the only former Bulldogs which they acquired. Trade addition D’Andre Swift is entering the final year of his rookie contract, making his financial future a situation to monitor. 
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that the Eagles could look into an extension with the ex-Lions running back. Philadelphia acquired Swift as part of a draft-day pick swap which saw them exchange seventh-rounders and send a 2025 fourth-round selection to Detroit. That move was an expected one after the Lions surprisingly used their top pick on running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who is in line to hold a sizeable role in their backfield.
The same can be said of Swift in his new home. The Eagles lost Miles Sanders in free agency, creating an opening at the top of their RB depth chart. They signed Rashaad Penny, but the former Seahawks’ career has been marred by injury troubles. That could leave the door open to Swift taking on lead back duties, especially given his strength as a pass-catcher; the 24-year-old has racked up 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns in the air during his first three seasons.
Of his 40 career games, only 16 have been starts, however. Swift saw his snap share fall from 67% to 42% in 2022, leading to him lamenting his lack of opportunities. By the time he was dealt to his hometown NFL team, it came as little surprise that the Lions allowed him an opportunity to rebuild his value ahead of free agency. While the former second-rounder could sign a deal at any time, that should not be expected at this point.
Fowler adds that a Swift extension in 2023 is unlikely, given his inability to remain healthy for a full season to date. Doing so would no doubt boost his value, though the market did not yield much for running backs who were allowed to test free agency this offseason. Playing a key role in what should once again be an elite Philadelphia offense should, in any event, provide clarity on Swift’s likelihood of remaining with the Eagles beyond 2023.
Commanders Rumors: Gibson, Rivera, Quon
The Commanders running backs room has some exciting depth with a fully healthy Brian Robinson entering his sophomore season and sixth-round pick out of Kentucky Christopher Rodriguez coming in as the new rookie in the position room. While Robinson and Rodriguez elicit some excitement in the nation’s capital, head coach Ron Rivera is still excited about what fourth-year back Antonio Gibson brings to the room.
Gibson seems to often be forgotten despite a string of strong performances to open his career. As a rookie, Gibson shouldered the lead-back duties en route to 1,042 scrimmage yards (795 rushing, 247 receiving) and 11 rushing touchdowns. In his sophomore season, he showed improvement with 1,331 scrimmage yards (1,037 rushing, 294 receiving) and 10 total touchdowns (seven rushing, three receiving). Last season, Gibson gracefully took a back seat, allowing Robinson to come into the lead-back role after recovering from his gunshot wound.
Gibson started the first five contests of the season until Robinson was ready to take the reins. Even after allowing Robinson to start taking more and more carries, Gibson stayed ready, rushing for double-digit carries when asked and continuing to perform as the team’s best receiving back. He was, in fact, one of the league’s best receiving backs, finishing below only 49ers star Christian McCaffrey in receiving rating for running backs, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Not only that, but Gibson even took on additional duties, returning kicks for the team from Week 6 on.
Gibson should continue in a third-down/passing-down role and should continue to contribute strongly off the bench. The coaches are still excited about what he can do, and Gibson should be motivated to continue making the most of his opportunities with free agency looming on the horizon of the season.
Here are a few more rumors coming out of Washington, D.C.:
- Lost in all the recent conversations of a potential ownership change in Washington is its impact on other team leaders. Rivera has experienced a change of regimes before in Carolina, when the franchise changed hands from Jerry Richardson to David Tepper. Rivera told Matthew Paras of The Washington Times that, while Richardson was a bit more hands-off, Tepper required “constant feedback and attention to things.” Tepper’s need for involvement was not something for which Rivera had been prepared, but now, having had that experience, Rivera feels he knows what it will take to “mesh” with the team’s future ownership. “I’ve got to be very specific and very clear cut with what our vision is going forward,” Rivera told Paras. “And it has to mesh…When that opportunity comes, when I sit down (with new ownership) and go through the explanation, I’m going to be very concise.”
- The Commanders made an addition to their training staff this month, rehiring assistant athletic trainer Doug Quon to his previous role, according to Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of The Washington Post. Quon was placed on administrative leave a bit over 18 months ago during an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration into head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion. Quon was placed on leave shortly after Vermillion, but Quon was never charged and was never officially tied to the activities that got Vermillion suspended from working with any NFL team indefinitely. After being approved by both the NFL and the NFL Players Association, Quon officially rejoined the Commanders at rookie minicamps earlier this month.
Dolphins Rumors: TEs, Elliott, Punter Competition
The Dolphins didn’t use their tight ends much in the receiving game last year and only really used two tight ends a majority of the time. With half of that duo, Mike Gesicki, departing in free agency this offseason, many were curious how Miami would address the sudden hole on their roster.
The Dolphins return Durham Smythe, who was mainly used as a blocker in their scheme last year, recording only 15 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. Smythe has had more productive seasons in the prior two years, but he still is more feared as a blocker than a receiver. The team also added two veteran free agents in Tyler Kroft and Eric Saubert in the last few months.
None of the three will threaten to provide Miami with a top receiving tight end in the NFL, but with the team’s embarrassment of riches at wide receiver, that’s hardly necessary. The veteran trio should do plenty to perform the duties asked of tight ends in the Dolphins’ offense, while Miami will look to two rookies to perhaps provide some receiving ability to the position room.
The Dolphins used one of their few draft picks on Stanford wide receiver Elijah Higgins in the sixth round. Higgins, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, will be making the switch to tight end at the NFL level. Higgins told Jackson that 28 of 32 NFL teams saw him as a tight end at the next level, despite his never having played the position before. At 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, Higgins has decent size, needing to gain a few pounds, but had strong production with 1,204 receiving yards and six touchdowns for the Cardinal in the last two years.
Undrafted rookie Julian Hill out of Campbell had a strong final year of production, as well. He ended up with 659 yards and five touchdowns in his fifth year with the Camels. The Dolphins had considered looking into the tight end position in the early rounds of the draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but they ultimately decided to utilize the free agent market and lower-graded rookies.
They also have the option to re-sign veteran Adam Shaheen who spent his contract year on injured reserve last year. Coming off of knee surgery, Shaheen told Jackson that he “would love to remain with the Dolphins.” For now, though, it seems Miami is content moving forwards with Smythe, Kroft, Saubert, Higgins, Hill, and developmental project Tanner Conner.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of South Beach:
- The Dolphins made a strong offseason addition in former Ravens and Lions safety DeShon Elliott back in March. The former sixth-round pick developed into a starter in Baltimore but struggled with injuries. His injury struggles continued in Detroit when he missed two late-season games with a shoulder injury before toughing it out in the season finale to eliminate the Packers from postseason contention. Elliott may not return for mandatory minicamp, but according to Jackson, he is expected to be ready for the regular season.
- After allowing their one-year rental punter, Thomas Morstead, to walk in free agency, Miami signed former division rival Jake Bailey. Bailey missed some time last year due to injury and some team-enforced discipline, so it’s not much of a surprise that the Dolphins brought in some competition for the young specialist. We speculated that undrafted Oklahoma rookie Michael Turk would provide some camp competition for Bailey, and Jackson confirmed as much in a recent report. The Dolphins were eager to bring Turk in, signing the former Sooner soon after the draft ended despite Turk enticing six other NFL offers.
CB Chris Harris Waiting To Sign With Contender
Former Pro Bowler Chris Harris Jr. remains a free agent, but the veteran cornerback intends for it to remain that way until at least the start of the regular season. Harris told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette that he’s going to wait to sign a deal with the hope of catching on with a contender.
“I want to wait and see what team has a great chance to win a Super Bowl and then try to hop on with them,” Harris said (via Tomasson on Twitter).
Harris is likely hoping that training camp/preseason (and the ensuing injuries) could open up a spot in a contender’s secondary. Last season, Harris didn’t sign a contract until October, when he ultimately settled for a deal on the Saints practice squad. The veteran may have to follow a similar path in 2023 if he hopes to sign after the season’s already started.
While 2023 would mark the cornerback’s age-34 season, there still might be something left in the tank. Harris ended up getting into 10 games (four starts) for the Saints last season, finishing with 29 tackles and three passes defended. Pro Football Focus buried him towards the bottom of their cornerback rankings, although they did give him positive grades for his pass-rushing ability.
The former undrafted free agent has put together an incredible career, earning four Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro selections. Following his nine-year stint in Denver, Harris spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Chargers before joining New Orleans last year.
Latest On Steelers LB Alex Highsmith
The Steelers still intend to make Alex Highsmith a foundational part of their defense. While we haven’t heard many updates on the edge rusher’s extension talks, general manager Omar Khan made it clear this week that he intends to sign the player to a long-term pact.
“We don’t like to talk specifically about an individual contract, but I’ll say this, he’s a Steeler,” Khan said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “Since the day he got here, he’s been awesome. He gets better and better every year, and I really hope Alex is here for a long time.”
Back in December, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic suggested that a Highsmith extension was inevitable and “a done deal.” The writer still believes that’s the case, and while the Steelers would traditionally hand out these types of extensions in August or September, Kaboly believes “Khan would probably like to get it done before the start of camp” in July.
After starting all 16 of his appearances in 2021, Highsmith had a breakout season in 2022. The former third-round pick finished the campaign with 14.5 sacks and a league-leading five forced fumbles, leading to him ranking 28th among 119 qualifying edge players on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
As Kaboly notes, there could be a few complications during negotiations. For starters, the Steelers already gave edge rusher T.J. Watt a four-year, $112MM extension that featured $80MM in guaranteed money. While most teams aren’t investing big contracts in two edge rushers, the Steelers’ rookie-contract offensive players could allow them to extend on the defensive side of the ball.
As of right now, Highsmith is set to earn $2.74MM in the final year of his rookie contract. As Kaboly notes, the Steelers currently don’t have the cap space to give the 25-year-old a lucrative extension, but they could easily carve out that space by restructuring the contracts of high-priced players like Watt, Diontae Johnson, and/or James Daniels.
Jaguars LB K’Lavon Chaisson On Trade Block?
A former Jaguars first-round pick is likely on the trade block. Albert Breer of SI.com writes that “it’d hardly be a shocker” to see linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson traded during training camp.
The Jaguars had high hopes for Chaisson when they selected him with the 20th-overall pick in the 2020 draft. The linebacker was coming off a championship-winning season at LSU where he led the team with 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.
The rookie was expected to take the place of Yannick Ngakoue, who publicly feuded with owner Shahid Khan’s son and was eventually traded to Minnesota. Chaisson didn’t do much to make up for his departed teammate, finishing his rookie campaign with only 19 tackles and one sack in 16 games (three starts). He took on a slightly larger role with eight starts in 2021, but he only finished with 31 tackles.
With Doug Pederson on board in 2022, Chaisson found himself struggling for playing time. He played in a career-low 217 snaps, with just about half of those snaps coming on special teams. He finished the season with only 10 tackles in nine games, and he spent a chunk of the season on injured reserve while recovering from a knee injury.
Predictably, the team declined the fifth-year option on Chaisson earlier this month, and the linebacker will now be fighting for a roster spot. The Jaguars used a fifth-round pick on outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah, and with Josh Allen and Travon Walker entrenched as the starting OLBs, Chaisson will have to compete for one of the final spots on the depth chart.
Hall Of Fame RB Jim Brown Dies At 87
Jim Brown, one of football’s all-time greats, has died. He was 87. Brown’s wife, Monique, announced his passing in an Instagram post Friday.
The Hall of Fame running back dominated his era like no other ball carrier, blazing an unparalleled trail during his career at Syracuse and with the Browns. Brown’s wife revealed the legendary figure passed peacefully Thursday at his Los Angeles home.
“To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star,” Monique Brown’s post stated. “To our family he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken...”
From an NFL perspective, it is difficult to overstate Brown’s towering presence. The bruising back played nine seasons; he won eight rushing titles. No one else has more than four. Brown stands as one of the few with a claim to the greatest player in NFL history. A sublime blend of power and speed, the No. 6 overall pick in the 1957 draft held four of the league’s top five rushing seasons when he retired after the 1965 campaign.
While Walter Payton broke Brown’s career rushing record in 1984, the Cleveland legend retired with a 2,600-yard lead on the field. Brown’s three MVP awards place him behind only Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers in NFL history. In the Associated Press MVP award’s existence (1957-present), Brown is the only non-quarterback to win the honor more than once.
Lettering in football, lacrosse, track and basketball at Syracuse, Jim Brown joined Paul Brown‘s team which had struggled in its first post-Otto Graham season (1956). Brown ripped off five straight All-Pro seasons, soon teaming with a fellow future Hall of Famer — halfback Bobby Mitchell, who later finished his career as a Washington wide receiver — in Cleveland’s offense.
Brown won MVP honors as a rookie, but his second season provided a better statistical illustration of the gap between Cleveland’s back and his peers. He amassed a record-breaking 1,527 rushing yards that year; the second-place finisher in that 12-game season totaled 791. The 230-plus-pound back finished with a career-high 1,863 yards in 1963. The Browns’ most recent championship came a year later; Brown finished that 1964 finale — a 27-0 shutout over the Colts — with 151 yards from scrimmage. Brown then powered Cleveland to the 1965 NFL championship game — a loss to Green Bay in the last NFL title game during the pre-Super Bowl era — before retiring ahead of the 1966 season. Brown finished his career having never missed a game.
“It’s impossible to describe the profound love and and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy,” the Browns said in a statement. “We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world.”
An emerging actor by the mid-1960s, Brown had not intended to wrap his career following the 1965 season. But a dispute with owner Art Modell from the set of the movie The Dirty Dozen led to the icon hanging up his cleats just before the ’66 campaign. As the film’s production ran long, Modell had vowed to fine Brown $100 for every day he was not at training camp. Rather than return to the team, as he had planned to for at least one more season, Brown sent Modell a letter apologizing for the circumstances. In that message, the then-30-year-old back informed the Browns he would retire to devote time to social issues and his movie career. Brown’s film and television credits surpassed 50.
While still active as a player, Brown helped found what later became known as the Black Economic Union. That self-help organization for Black athletes became the backdrop for “The Cleveland Summit,” which gathered a contingent of socially conscious Black athletes from multiple sports — including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) — to discuss then-heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali’s stance against serving in Vietnam.
A celebrated figure, Brown did leave a complicated legacy. He was arrested multiple times on charges of striking women and spent months in jail in 2000 for a refusal to attend counseling after being convicted for vandalizing his wife’s car.
On the field, Brown’s imprint is unassailable. A 2010 ranking conducted by coaches, players, executives and media members slotted Brown as the second-best player in NFL history — behind only Jerry Rice. ESPN’s ranking of the top 150 college football players placed Brown at No. 1. Brown’s 126 touchdowns and 12,312 rushing yards now sit 10th and 11th, respectively, on those all-time lists. Brown reached these totals in fewer games than the backs who eclipsed him; he played four seasons in the NFL’s 12-game era and his final five when the regular season consisted of 14 games. The nine-year veteran remains the only player to average more than 100 rushing yards per game for his career, topping that list (with 104.3) by nearly five yards.
Patriots Rumors: Sow, Board, Callender
Many thought that the Patriots would address their offensive tackle depth in the draft this year and many thought that the team failed to do so. New England did draft three offensive linemen at the end of April, but all three have generally been projected as interior linemen.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, that may not quite be the case. Breer posits that the Patriots actually have plans to work their fourth-round guard out of Eastern Michigan, Sidy Sow, at tackle. Sow had started 11 games at left tackle as a redshirt freshman for the Eagles before eventually moving to left guard. Sow measured in Indianapolis a 6-foot-5, 323 pounds, so he doesn’t quite have elite size, but his frame is plenty big enough to work at tackle.
The Patriots return Trent Brown at left tackle and Conor McDermott, who started six games for New England at the end of last season. The team signed Riley Reiff to come in and likely start at right tackle and also brought in Calvin Anderson, who had some starts for Denver in the past three years. After that, the Patriots’ depth is bare. Sow’s presence should help while also providing the versatility to take snaps at guard, as well.
Here are a few more rumors out of New England:
- One of the Patriots’ more underrated offseason additions was that of veteran linebacker Chris Board. In his five year’s in the NFL, Board advanced from just a special teamer to a core special teamer worthy of snaps on defense with the Ravens and Lions. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Board was a hot commodity with several teams showing interest in free agency. New England was reportedly the most aggressive, which makes sense when considering the team’s notable respect for special teams specialists.
- New England made an offseason addition to their front office staff this week, hiring Maya Ana Callender as a scouting assistant with the team, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Callender has spent the last few years at Princeton as Director of Football Operations. This is a return to the NFL for Callender who has previous experience with the Eagles and Buccaneers.