Jets Release OL Cedric Ogbuehi
Less than a month after re-signing Cedric Ogbuehi, the Jets have let him go. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Jets have released the veteran offensive lineman.
Ogbuehi re-signed with the Jets in April, inking a one-year, $1.3MM deal that included an $120K signing bonus. However, plenty has changed since the lineman inked that pact. The Jets added an offensive tackle in Billy Turner, and while the front office missed out on their preferred first-round OT targets, they still selected Carter Warren in the fourth round. Both of those moves ultimately made Ogbuehi expendable, and the Jets are presumably letting him go so he can find a landing spot before training camp.
The lineman was a first-round pick by the Bengals back in 2015, but he only lasted four seasons in Cincinnati while starting 25 of his 35 appearances. He’s bounced around a bit since the 2019 campaign, spending time with the Jaguars, Seahawks, Ravens, and Jets.
He was signed by the Jets off the Texans practice squad last September and proceeded to start five of his seven appearances for his new squad. He had a brief stint on the IR with a groin injury before returning for the final stretch of the season. Ogbuehi didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ OT rankings, but he would have been listed towards the bottom of the league had he earned enough snaps.
Falcons Sign Round 1 RB Bijan Robinson
As the Falcons prepare for their rookie minicamp, they will have their top draft pick under contract. Bijan Robinson agreed to terms with the team on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Selected eighth overall, Robinson signed a four-year, $21.96MM deal that will include a 2027 option for the Falcons to exercise by May, 2026. The former Texas superstar’s rookie deal will be fully guaranteed.
Although the Falcons sported a top-tier rushing attack last season, they opted to take the player widely viewed as the best back in this year’s draft. Robinson finished his collegiate career with more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 41 touchdowns. This included a 2022 campaign where he had 1,894 offensive yards and 20 scores, leading to him earning a unanimous All-American nod after the season.
While the rookie only had 60 receptions in three college seasons, the Falcons should still be able to find creative ways to use him in a crowded depth chart. 2022 fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier finished his rookie season with more than 1,000 rushing yards, while veteran Cordarrelle Patterson contributed more than 800 yards from scrimmage (which followed a 2021 campaign where he compiled 1,166 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns).
Even if it takes a bit for Robinson to get going, Atlanta’s front office can hang their hats on a talented collection of offensive skill players. The Falcons have now drafted skill-position talents in the top 10 in each of the past three years. Robinson joins 2021 No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts and 2022 No. 8 selection Drake London in Atlanta. While the previous two picks will not be at Atlanta’s rookie camp Friday, Robinson will begin his Falcons work with the other rookies this weekend.
Texans Meet With DE Jacob Martin
Jacob Martin may have a quick opportunity to bounce back from his Broncos release. A day after that cut, the Texans brought Martin in for a visit, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.
Although this can be viewed as more of a reacquainting, seeing as the Texans have been Martin’s primary NFL employer throughout his five-year career, the team has changed coaches (again). Martin, 27, is meeting up with the team’s DeMeco Ryans-led staff.
Martin began his career with the Seahawks and split the 2022 season with the Jets and Broncos, but he suited up for the Texans from 2019-21. Houston acquired Martin as one of the assets sent over in the Jadeveon Clowney trade, bringing in the young linebacker just before the ’19 season. Martin worked as both a rotational edge player and a starting outside rusher in Houston, totaling 10.5 sacks in three Texans seasons.
His 14-start 2021 campaign, which included four sacks and a safety — on a play in which Martin corralled Kyler Murray on a rushing attempt — enticed the Jets to give him a three-year, $13.5MM deal that included $6MM guaranteed. The Jets bailed on that contract quickly, sending it to the Broncos on the same day Denver dealt Bradley Chubb to Miami. That pick-swap trade only led to five Martin games with his hometown team. The Denver-area native finished last season — a one-sack slate — on IR due to a knee injury. The Broncos saved $3.8MM in cap space by cutting Martin.
The Texans did make a major draft investment at defensive end, trading a monster haul to move up nine spots for Will Anderson Jr., but they lost both Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Rasheem Green from last year’s edge corps. The rebuilding team still rosters Jonathan Greenard, Jerry Hughes and free agent pickup Chase Winovich. Houston also drafted TCU’s Dylan Horton in the fourth round.
Seahawks Sign WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The first wide receiver off this year’s draft board will be the first of that Round 1 group to sign his rookie contract. Jaxon Smith-Njigba agreed to terms with the Seahawks on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Chosen 20th overall, Smith-Njigba will be tied to a four-year deal that includes a fifth-year option the Seahawks — assuming the Ohio State-developed prospect remains under contract down the road — must exercise by May 2026. For now, Smith-Njigba is the second of this year’s first-rounders — following Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter — to sign his rookie deal.
Smith-Njigba began this year’s run on wide receivers, with three others — Quentin Johnston (Chargers), Zay Flowers (Ravens), Jordan Addison (Vikings) — going off the board from Nos. 21-23. Smith-Njigba is coming off essentially a lost 2022 season. He played in only three games and caught just five passes, nursing a nagging hamstring injury throughout. Despite suffering the injury early in the season, Smith-Njigba did not return in time the Buckeyes’ New Year’s Eve CFP semifinal matchup against Alabama. While that generated some scrutiny, JSN’s dominant sophomore season still powered him to a top-20 draft slot.
Playing on a Buckeyes team deploying 2022 first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba led the Big Ten powerhouse in receiving — by a substantial margin — and delivered a monster Rose Bowl performance to punctuate his breakthrough year. Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. Against Utah in that season’s Rose Bowl, he snagged 15 passes for 347 yards and three TDs. Although his hamstring issue undoubtedly came up in pre-draft visits, teams were willing to look past that trouble because of the 2021 emergence.
Not one of the teams linked to Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks will add him to a receiving corps that already includes standouts Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Smith-Njigba will not be extension-eligible until 2026, and with teams often waiting until Year 5 on non-quarterback first-rounders’ deals to do extensions, this contract figures to line up well with the higher-end deals given to Lockett and Metcalf. Largely a slot target at Ohio State, the 6-foot rookie is set to become a high-upside WR3 in Seattle to start his career.
Seahawks To Add DL Mario Edwards
Mario Edwards will have an opportunity to carve out a role for a sixth NFL team. The Seahawks are signing the veteran defensive lineman, Jeremy Fowler and Brady Henderson of ESPN.com report (on Twitter).
The former second-round pick agreed to a one-year deal Thursday. After time with the Raiders, Giants, Saints, Bears and Titans, Edwards will make his way to Seattle to join a revamped defensive line. Although Edwards did not finish out his rookie contract with the Raiders, the 2015 No. 35 overall pick has managed to remain a rotational D-lineman well after his Oakland departure.
After the Bears cut bait on a three-year, $11.7MM deal in 2022, Edwards started seven games for the Titans. The 29-year-old defender registered three sacks during his one-season Tennessee stint. He notched six in two years with the Bears. Pro Football Focus graded Edwards barely inside the top 100 at his position last season but viewed the 280-pound D-lineman as a plus run defender. Edwards has spent the past three seasons in 3-4 defensive schemes.
The Florida State alum has spent his career as a rotational presence, but his 464 defensive snaps last season marked his most since 2017. The Titans have now lost Edwards and DeMarcus Walker — a Bears signee — from their 2022 defensive line. For his career, Edwards has made 32 starts, though only eight of those have come over the past five seasons, and tallied 19.5 sacks.
Seattle has again made many changes to its defensive front. Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods, Poona Ford and L.J. Collier are off the roster. The team has added Dre’Mont Jones and brought back Jarran Reed up front. The Seahawks also drafted two Day 3 D-linemen (Cameron Young, Mike Morris) to provide some depth. Edwards stands to assist the rising NFC West team in that department.
Panthers To Re-Sign G Michael Jordan
Shortly after the Panthers agreed to bring back Cameron Erving, they will retain another member of their offensive line. Michael Jordan is re-signing with the team, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. It is a one-year deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.
While a notable prestige gap exists between this Michael Jordan and the other prominent guard with this name, the Panthers used the blocker in all 17 games last season. With Erving and Jordan under contract, the Panthers have all five of their 2022 O-line starters and two top backups in the fold.
The Panthers have employed Jordan for two seasons, claiming the interior blocker after the Bengals waived him just before the 2021 season. After Jordan worked as a 10-game starter for the 2021 Carolina edition, he shifted to a reserve role last season. The Panthers have Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen set to reprise their roles at guard, but both are coming off injuries. This opens the door for Jordan to re-enter the lineup.
Frank Reich has confirmed Corbett (torn ACL) will not be ready in time for Carolina’s regular-season opener. The Panthers now have Jordan as a potential stopgap option, though the team also used a fourth-round pick on NC State guard Chandler Zavala with Corbett’s situation in mind. Christensen is also coming off a major injury, having suffered a broken ankle during the Week 18 game in which Corbett tore the knee ligament.
A former fourth-round pick out of Ohio State, Jordan has 29 starts on his resume. Nineteen of those came for the Bengals from 2019-20. Cincinnati has dealt with O-line staffing issues for years and did not deem Jordan worth retaining in 2021, despite two years remaining on his rookie contract. The Panthers swooped in. Pro Football Focus has not graded Jordan as a top-50 guard yet in his career, but he stands to keep supplying the Panthers with depth. Considering Carolina’s current situation, that might mean a bit more in 2023.
Checking In On Edge Rusher Market
The late-spring signing period that transpires every year — due to the compensatory formula deadline passing — has produced a number of deals. Rock Ya-Sin, Foster Moreau, Randall Cobb, Donovan Smith and a few quarterbacks (John Wolford, Trevor Siemian, Brandon Allen) agreed to terms over the past week and change.
This year’s deadline, however, has not led to a thaw in the edge defender market, which is free agency’s deepest at this point. A number of accomplished veterans — some still in or close to their prime — remain unsigned. Teams often use OTAs, minicamp and training camp to determine where roster flaws are, leading to summer veteran additions. As of last week, no such moves affect teams’ 2024 compensatory picks. Some clubs will also pick up some cap space after June 1, when they will see the money saved from previous cut designations emerge.
A few longtime starters figure to receive another chance before teams configure their final depth charts. Ahead of OTAs, here are the top options available:
Frank Clark. Age in Week 1: 30
The Chiefs cut Clark in March, separating from their most prominent edge player of the Patrick Mahomes era. While Clark did not live up to the five-year, $104MM pact he signed upon being acquired from the Seahawks in 2019 and ultimately took a pay cut to return in 2022, he did continue producing in the playoffs. Clark’s 2.5 sacks during this past postseason give him 13.5 for his career. In the official sack era (1982-present), that total ranks third. Of course, the ex-Seattle second-rounder was arrested twice in 2021 and never eclipsed eight sacks during a Chiefs regular season. He remains a starter-caliber player.
Jadeveon Clowney. Age in Week 1: 30
Perennially unable to secure a long-term deal, the former No. 1 overall pick will likely end his NFL career without landing one. Injury trouble has plagued Clowney, who missed eight games during his two-year Browns tenure. Since the Texans traded Clowney to the Seahawks in August 2019, he has taken his time before reaching a free agency accord. Clowney signed with the Titans in September 2020, inked his first Browns deal in April 2021 and re-signed in May of last year. Clashes with Cleveland’s coaching staff will lead him elsewhere. Clowney only totaled two sacks and 12 QB pressures last season, though he collected nine sacks opposite Myles Garrett in 2021.
Leonard Floyd. Age in Week 1: 31
With the Rams moving on from their four-year, $64MM agreement in March, two teams have now cut Floyd in his career. The Bears picked up his fifth-year option but, back when teams were allowed to do this, ditched it free of charge a year later back in 2020. Floyd has both displayed durability and production since that Chicago separation, showing a new gear in Los Angeles. Teaming with Aaron Donald and Von Miller certainly boosted Floyd’s chances of drawing a favorable matchup, but he kept going after Donald’s shutdown last season. Four of Floyd’s 9.5 sacks came during the six games Donald missed. Floyd’s 31 QB pressures ranked 17th last season.
Markus Golden. Age in Week 1: 32
Coming off the worst season in this contingent, Golden is two years removed from an 11-sack campaign. The former second-round pick agreed to a one-year extension that covered the 2023 season, but the Cardinals’ new regime ditched that contract in March. Golden has three double-digit sack seasons on his resume, though they have come in nonconsecutive years. An early-career ACL tear threw the Mizzou alum off track, but Golden has missed just one game over the past four seasons.
Yannick Ngakoue. Age in Week 1: 28
The second-ranked edge defender in PFR’s free agent rankings back in March (behind only Marcus Davenport), Ngakoue has consistently produced sack numbers while generating a reputation as a hired gun and run-game liability. He did not come close to reaching the May compensatory deadline in the past, however, being franchise-tagged in 2020 and signed to a two-year, $26MM Raiders deal in March 2021. The Colts took on that contract last year, via a straight-up trade for Ya-Sin, and Ngakoue reeled off a 9.5-sack season. The former Jaguars third-round pick is the only player to post at least eight sacks in each of the past seven seasons.
Dawuane Smoot. Age in Week 1: 28
One of the bright spots of the Jaguars’ Urban Meyer year, Smoot finished the 2021 season with 30 pressures. The former third-round pick accumulated 22.5 sacks from 2019-22, finishing that stretch on a two-year deal worth $10MM. He likely would have a third contract in place — either from the Jaguars or another team earlier in free agency — had a December ACL tear not occurred. The Jags did not re-sign Arden Key or use a first- or second-day pick on an edge rusher. While that potentially keeps the door open to Smoot returning when cleared (or on the homestretch toward clearance), he remains an intriguing complementary option for teams.
Kyle Van Noy. Age in Week 1: 32
Although Van Noy has operated as a hybrid of sorts, his sack consistency qualifies him for such a list. Van Noy’s one-year Chargers deal ended up requiring considerable edge work, with Joey Bosa lost for much of the season. As he had done for years in New England, Van Noy made an impact in a pass-rushing capacity. He finished with five sacks, marking the fifth time in the past six seasons he has reached that number. Van Noy’s age and versatility make him one of the better options left. After signing with the Chargers in May of last year, Van Noy expressed interest in staying on another accord.
Mid-30s wing
Carlos Dunlap. Age in Week 1: 34
The Chiefs waited until July to add Dunlap last year, bringing in the longtime Bengals sack artist — on a one-year, $3MM pact — to replace Melvin Ingram as a Clark complement. Kansas City has since added younger UFA Charles Omenihu and used first-round picks on edges (George Karlaftis, Felix Anudike-Uzomah) in each of the past two years. The Bengals’ all-time sack leader, Dunlap finished with four last season after amassing 8.5 with the Seahawks in 2021. The Chiefs used the 13-year veteran on 39 defensive plays in Super Bowl LVII.
Giants Discussed Moving Up In Round 1, Had Trade-Down Parameters In Place With Bills
No team was more closely connected to this year’s first-round-caliber wide receivers than the Giants, who hosted the group on “30” visits and met with the 2023 class’ top pass catchers at their pro days. But Big Blue left Round 1 with cornerback Deonte Banks. It does not appear the team was conducting a smokescreen effort regarding receivers.
Holding the No. 25 overall pick to start the draft, the Giants explored multiple trade-up avenues, Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes. One of them involved conversations with a team holding a mid-first-round pick, with Duggan adding those talks may well have centered around Zay Flowers (subscription required).
The Giants met with Flowers, and a draft-day report indicated they were the highest on the Boston College prospect and USC’s Jordan Addison at receiver. After Flowers went off the board to Baltimore at No. 22, a source informed Duggan that Addison would have been the likely Giants choice at 25. Once Minnesota nabbed the former Kenny Pickett Pitt target at 23, the Giants traded fifth- and seventh-round picks to move up one spot — via the Jaguars — for Banks.
GM Joe Schoen described the mood around the time Addison was picked as “pretty tense.” The run on receivers stopped at the Vikings’ No. 23 pick, and no other corner went in the first round. While the Giants could have stood pat and selected Joey Porter Jr., they obviously placed a value gap between he and Banks, who made the Giants one of his many pre-draft visits. Schoen confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) Banks was not on the Giants’ radar at this point last year, due to his 2021 season being cut short by a shoulder injury. The Maryland prospect will be expected to start opposite Adoree’ Jackson as a rookie, and with Jackson in a contract year and not expected to be extended, the rookie resides as the Giants’ new cornerstone at the position.
Schoen and Bills GM Brandon Beane held trade discussions — centered on the Giants moving back — as well, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who confirms Schoen also told his former boss he was considering a move up the board. The Bills and Giants worked out trade parameters for a Buffalo trade-up, Breer notes, with the AFC East team targeting tight end Dalton Kincaid. Shortly after the Vikings’ Addison pick, Schoen informed Beane he was trading up to No. 24 and the New York teams’ trade would not commence. The Bills also traded up with the Jags, who moved down twice and chose tackle Anton Harrison.
The Giants standing down regarding a trade-up for a wide receiver leaves more questions about its wideout room compared to how it would have looked if Flowers or Addison became Big Apple-bound. The team still re-signed Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard and added Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder, to say nothing of the big-ticket Darren Waller addition at tight end. The Giants circled back to their receiver interest with third-rounder Jalin Hyatt, who also made a pre-draft visit.
Hyatt will bring deep speed to the equation and should be expected to play a key role early, though the Giants have amassed some pass-catching depth after last season’s plans went awry quickly.
Cowboys Sign Round 2 TE Luke Schoonmaker
The Cowboys became the first team this year to sign a second-round pick to his four-year rookie deal. Luke Schoonmaker agreed to terms with Dallas on Thursday, according to his agent (on Twitter).
A Michigan tight end, Schoonmaker lasted until the No. 58 overall pick. The second round featured a run on tight ends, with three — Sam LaPorta (Lions), Michael Mayer (Raiders) and Luke Musgrave (Packers) — going off the board from Nos. 34-42. The Jaguars also chose Brenton Strange, at No. 61, to wrap a five-tight end second round.
[RELATED: Team-By-Team 2023 NFL Draft Results]
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. viewed Schoonmaker as this year’s No. 71 overall prospect, slotting him as the class’ eighth-best tight end. The Cowboys thought more of the Big Ten prospect. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher totaled just 19 career catches before his senior season. In 2022, he caught 35 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns.
Dallas has coaxed production from a surprising tight end source in the recent past, seeing Dalton Schultz become a key Dak Prescott target despite arriving as a fourth-round pick five years ago. The Cowboys plugged in Schultz as their top tight end following Blake Jarwin‘s injury troubles and franchise-tagged the former in 2022. The sides could not agree on terms ahead of last July’s deadline, leading Schultz to the Texans on a surprisingly low-cost deal (one year, $6.25MM).
Although Cowboys-Mayer connections formed ahead of the draft, the team passed on the Notre Dame tight end and left him on the board for the Raiders at No. 35. Mayer graded as this draft’s second-ranked tight end, per Scouts Inc., but the Cowboys chose a Schoonmaker Wolverines teammate — defensive tackle Mazi Smith — at No. 26 overall. Schoonmaker joins second-year players Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot — each of whom played at least 300 offensive snaps as rookies — as the Cowboys’ top tight ends.
Panthers Did Not Receive Viable Offer For No. 1 Pick
Although the Panthers may not have been locked in on their choice at No. 1 overall upon acquiring the pick from the Bears ahead of free agency, they zeroed in on Bryce Young and will give him the keys soon. It does not sound like any team made a strong offer to bring Panthers brass into a meeting about altering this path.
The Panthers did not receive an aggressive offer to move out of the No. 1 spot, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. While trading a bounty for the Bears’ top pick and then moving back down would have been a strange maneuver, the Panthers were linked to multiple other quarterbacks during the pre-draft process.
A move back may have hinged on the Texans’ desire to secure Young’s rights. Houston was believed to have placed a value gap between Young and the field, and the league consensus tabbed the AFC South as preferring Young in this class. The Texans engaged in fairly serious talks with the Bears about moving from No. 2 to No. 1, a process that would have seen the Bears drop from 1 to 9 and the Panthers vault from 9 to 2. Once Bears-Texans talks stalled, the Panthers pounced and moved up to the top spot.
Climbing one position does not cost considerable capital, but a jump from No. 2 to No. 1 probably would have for the Texans, who ended up with C.J. Stroud. Pre-draft smoke pegged the Texans as Stroud skeptics, and the Panthers may or may not have had the Ohio State quarterback third among this class’ QBs. The Panthers made their Young decision well before draft day, but the Colts believed Carolina’s last call regarding this pick was a Young-or-Anthony Richardson choice, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com notes.
Another pre-draft report indicated the Panthers’ call was between Young and Stroud; the latter also loomed as the betting favorite to go first weeks before the draft. But Richardson performed well during the Panthers’ interview process, Fowler adds, and may indeed have been the team’s second choice. The Panthers did not bring Frank Reich into this process until late, but the former Colts HC was believed to be high on the raw Florida prospect. While Young will attempt to solve the Panthers’ post-Cam Newton QB problem, Richardson joins Stroud and Will Levis as rookies in the AFC South.
The Raiders explored a move up to No. 1 from their No. 7 position, but Fowler adds they did not pursue this after the Panthers acquired the pick. Las Vegas’ talks with Chicago lend to an interesting alternate reality, as the AFC West team’s plan shifted to hoping Stroud and Richardson went off the board before their pick. That left the Raiders with one of their top four non-QBs, with the selection becoming Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson.
As the NFL does not have a lottery, the Texans obviously could have avoided this outcome by losing their Week 18 game to the Colts. The visitors converted a fourth-and-20 heave for a touchdown and then tacked on a game-winning two-point conversion to defeat Indy in Jeff Saturday‘s finale. But Lovie Smith‘s Houston walk-off moved the Texans to the No. 2 slot. That sequence may go down as one of the better NFL what-ifs in recent memory. Once the Texans bowed out of the Bears’ multi-trade concept, the Panthers do not appear to have seriously considered giving up their newfound draft real estate.