AFC East Notes: Campbell, Milton, Jets, Bills
Likely holding the right of first refusal with this draft’s tackle class, the Patriots continue to be tied to LSU’s Will Campbell. Pats-Campbell connections have persisted for an extended stretch, as the team’s free agency activity brought in many high-profile options but did not produce a left tackle addition. While Morgan Moses is coming into play right tackle, a rookie is likely to join him. As of now, Campbell appears the frontrunner. The Patriots are believed to prefer Campbell at No. 4, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. Although Pauline adds considerable in-house support for Missouri’s Armand Membou exists, he may need to wait a bit longer to hear his name called. The Pats have been high on Campbell for a while, as arm-length concerns appear to have been overblown, and Mike Vrabel pointed to the draft as a good way the team can address its LT issue. Vrabel added (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) he believes LT starters are in this draft.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- The Pats unloaded popular reserve QB Joe Milton in a trade, dealing him to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick. This represented a net gain for New England, which drafted Milton in last year’s sixth round. Vrabel pointed to a lack of reps being available behind Drake Maye and UFA pickup Josh Dobbs as the main reason for Milton’s early exit. “Well, we felt like that his reps were going to be decreased as we worked through the offseason,” Vrabel said (via Kyed). “And we felt like just like every other decision, we’re going to try to do what’s best for the team, and that’s the decision that we ultimately made. And so, excited to move forward with Drake and Josh.” Three years remain on Milton’s rookie contract.
- The Jets signed Josh Reynolds and worked out a pay-cut agreement with Allen Lazard. This makes the team unlikely to also add one of the 30-something wide receivers still in free agency, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett remain unsigned. The trio may need to wait until the post-draft deadline pertaining to the 2026 compensatory formula to find homes, as the draft will also provide clarity regarding teams’ receiver needs.
- Staying with the Jets, Cimini noted in a previous piece Rick Spielman‘s presence in the team’s GM hiring process, one that ended with Darren Mougey landing the job, did not sit well with some of the candidates who interviewed. Although Mougey had not previously worked with Spielman, Mougey’s former boss — Broncos GM George Paton — was Spielman’s assistant GM in Minnesota. Paton gave Mougey a strong endorsement to ex-boss, according to Cimini, and some who lost out on the job connected the dots. Familiarity often leads to hirings at the executive or coaching level, though it is interesting Spielman — who had been out of the NFL until the Jets added him to lead the HC/GM hiring process — is staying on to help Mougey in a full-time role. It is worth wondering if all the candidates interviewed would have kept Spielman on.
- Holding 10 picks, the Bills profile as a team who could move up in the draft. One scout informed ESPN.com’s Matt Miller a Buffalo move up for an impact first-round defender is a scenario to monitor. Cornerback represents a spot to follow regarding the Bills’ first-round pick, ESPN.com’s Field Yates adds. Buffalo has not re-signed Rasul Douglas, and Dane Jackson does not profile as a surefire starter opposite the recently extended Christian Benford.
- The Bills used a “30” visit on Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Our Ely Allen profiled Scourton recently, and a few teams have met with the ex-Aggies regular. The Bills added Michael Hoecht and Joey Bosa in free agency and still roster A.J. Epenesa; Bosa and Epenesa, however, are on expiring contracts.
Tyler Shough Gaining Steam; Latest On Giants, Saints’ QB Plans
APRIL 16: After their Thursday Sanders workout, Giants brass will head to Tuscaloosa and Louisville this weekend. The team will conduct its Milroe workout Friday, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, and go through its Shough session Saturday. Forming a potential path that includes a Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter selection at No. 3 before circling back to a quarterback, the team will meet with each prospect at dinner prior to the meetings.
APRIL 15: While likely the recipient of a few Tommy Boy references regarding his college duration, Tyler Shough has managed to become an intriguing prospect despite his three-school college odyssey spanning seven years. Shough’s stock may now be rising to the point where a first-round pick is not out of the question.
Not entering the pre-draft process on this level, Shough certainly appears to have gained steam as the journey nears its conclusion. Meeting with a few teams, Shough has seen multiple clubs label him this draft’s top QB prospect, according to NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini also indicated (via her Scoop City podcast) one coach told her Shough is this draft’s best quarterback.
Mentioning first-round buzz in connection with Shough, Russini adds Shough’s name is coming up in NFL circles far more than he was a few weeks ago. The former Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville arm will be one of this draft’s most interesting players, and he enters the NFL as part of a draft crop that features a muddled QB race behind likely No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. It would still surprise if Shough heard his name called before Shedeur Sanders, but he may be making inroads toward the Sanders-Jaxson Dart tier.
At 25, Shough would be an atypical first-round pick. Although Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix and Bo Nix all played age-24 seasons as rookies, Shough bridges the gap between this trio and the unusual Brandon Weeden/Chris Weinke NFL entrances. A 2012 Browns first-rounder, Weeden was 28 as a rookie due to a minor league baseball past. A Florida State national championship game starter, Weinke turned 29 before his rookie season. The age issue helped drop the ex-Seminoles standout to the fourth round. Shough’s profile veers closer to Weeden’s; Shough will turn 26 in September, undoubtedly creating an issue for teams eyeing a long-term quarterback solution.
This draft does not feature the depth and upside last year’s crop brought, and teams will need to weigh an investment now against waiting until 2026. Shough has met with the Browns, Saints and Seahawks, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds the Giants will work out the 2024 Louisville starter this week.
New York, which already used one of its “30” visits on Shough, is already preparing to work out Sanders this week as well. While the Giants are now viewed as unlikely to draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall, the prospect of the team trading back up for one should be considered in play — especially with Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll on hot seats. Schoen attended Shough’s pro day last month.
The Giants hold the No. 34 overall pick as well, and NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes the Saints may not see Shough on the board by the time their No. 40 overall pick arrives. Shough stands to be one of the players teams consider moving up for, and a move into the first round would give a team a fifth-year option on him. Shough’s age would make that prospect a bit more interesting, as he would be 30 for said fifth-year option season. QBs rarely reach their option year, though, and a second contract would cover Shough’s early 30s. A team may not have Shough for quite as long, but were he a true starter-caliber option, it would check a rather important box for many years.
The Saints have been tied to both Dart and Texas’ Quinn Ewers, as links to potential second- or third-round passers persist, and Russini adds the team is “on a mission” to leave this draft with a quarterback. Considering Derek Carr‘s now-uncertain status — due to a potential shoulder surgery stemming from a 2023 injury — there will be pressure on the Saints to have another answer.
Shough accompanies Ward as the most pro-ready options in this draft, longtime NFL QB2-turned-Russini cohost Chase Daniel offers. At No. 9 overall, New Orleans may well have all this year’s QB prospects except Ward on the board. That juncture appears early for Shough, but a trade-up may from No. 40 may be necessary to acquire the well-traveled passer. Though, other options figure to be available at 40, should Mickey Loomis and Co. stay put and hope to address this need there.
New Orleans will send a sizable contingent to Athens, Ga., for the Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams workout Thursday, Duncan adds. Both Georgia defenders would be options for the Saints at No. 9.
The Giants will be in the same boat as the Saints if they go elsewhere in Round 1, but New York does hold an extra third-round pick if a QB-motivated trade-up is to be strongly considered. The team’s previously reported Jalen Milroe workout will happen this week (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), and Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds Syracuse’s Kyle McCord — an Ohio State transfer — visited the Giants today. McCord would be a Day 2 option at best for the Giants, who have placeholders Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as midlevel insurance.
Broncos, Steelers Schedule TreVeyon Henderson Visits; Latest On Omarion Hampton
As “30” visit season wraps Wednesday, the topic of where the draft’s top running backs will go resurfaces. Ashton Jeanty is viewed as this class’ top option, and a top-10 landing spot remains squarely in play for the 2024 Heisman runner-up. But the 2025 RB crop includes a host of options who could become early-season starters.
Ohio State rostered two of them, in 1,000-1,000 duo Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, while Iowa (Kaleb Johnson) and North Carolina (Omarion Hampton) are sending two more to the draft. Hampton is viewed by most as the draft’s second-best RB option, but Henderson is a player that has gained steam since a 1,000-yard bounce-back effort after he decided to stay in school for his senior season. His combination of pass-game ability and pass protection has attracted teams, creating some late-first-round buzz.
A few teams already brought in the four-year Buckeyes contributor, but the Broncos and Steelers will beat the buzzer with meetings as well. Henderson met with the Steelers on Tuesday and is in Denver today, 9News’ Mike Klis tweets. The Steelers lost Najee Harris in free agency, while the Broncos did not bring back four-year regular Javonte Williams.
Denver is all but certain to draft a running back, while Pittsburgh has a recent history (Harris) of using a first-rounder on the position. While the Broncos have not taken a back in Round 1 since Knowshon Moreno in 2009, Sean Payton did so twice (Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram) with the Saints. Denver’s Jaleel McLaughlin–Audric Estime combo points to at worst a mid-round draft choice being en route; many mocks have the Broncos diving in earlier. The Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell to pair with Jaylen Warren, the recipient of a second-round RFA tender. A quarterback at No. 21 may be the Steelers’ play, but they also would make sense as a team in the early-round RB mix.
Two others have emerged in connection to Hampton, who is expected to go off the board before Henderson. The Broncos are coming up around the league as a team that could draft Hampton, per Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline, who adds the Chargers and Texans are viewed as candidates to add the latest Tar Heels RB standout. Hampton is considered a first-round lock, per Pauline. The two-time college 1,000-yard rusher’s 4.46-second 40-yard time at the Combine may have solidified this status.
The Steelers also met with Hampton, joining the Cowboys, Giants and Bears. The latter trio holds picks in front of the Steelers, who sit at No. 21. So do the Broncos (No. 20), who also outflank the Chargers (22) and Texans (25). Hampton ripped off 1,504- and 1,660-yard rushing seasons in 2023 and ’24. He added 373 receiving yards (9.8 per catch) last season, upping his draft stock.
The Broncos turned to Chapel Hill to fill an RB need in the 2021 second round, taking Williams in GM George Paton‘s first draft. Payton is now the lead decision-maker in Denver, but the fifth-year GM still holds considerable say after staving off firing rumors during a bleak period headlined by the Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett misses. The team also used “30” visits on Johnson and Judkins.
Connected to Saquon Barkley last year, Los Angeles and Houston have RB starters — in Harris and Joe Mixon — but could use younger talent to supplement the vets at the very least. Mixon has 1,816 carries on his odometer, while Harris accumulating 1,097 as a between-the-tackles grinder in Pittsburgh undoubtedly impacted his free agent stock.
Bengals Re-Sign QB Logan Woodside
Jake Browning remains on the Bengals’ roster, but the team will make a move to ensure more continuity within its quarterback room. Logan Woodside is staying in Cincinnati.
Woodside agreed to re-sign with the Bengals, with the team announcing the move Wednesday morning. A veteran QB reserve, Woodside spent last season with the Bengals behind Joe Burrow and Browning. The veteran is looking to play an eighth NFL season.
This will continue Woodside’s reunion stint with the Bengals, who drafted him in the 2018 seventh round. A Toledo alum, Woodside had spent several seasons with the Titans before a Falcons stint. The Atlanta stay gave way to an April 2024 Cincinnati return; nearly a year later, Woodside will continue work with the Bengals.
Totaling just 14 pass attempts in seven NFL seasons, Woodside does not exactly check in as one of the better-known reserve QB options. But he has remained a regular nonetheless. The Bengals re-signed him despite initially drafting him during Marvin Lewis‘ final year in charge, and Zac Taylor will continue to work with the seldom-used passer.
Woodside has never seen regular-season game action as a Bengal, with the team initially cutting him months after the draft investment. The Titans added Woodside to their practice squad in 2018 and retained him as a Ryan Tannehill backup until November 2022. Despite Tannehill’s ankle injury that year testing Tennessee’s depth, the team lost him from its P-squad to Atlanta. Dealing with Marcus Mariota leaving the team after his late-season benching, the Falcons turned to Woodside as a Desmond Ridder backup.
Turning 30 earlier this year, Woodside will almost definitely check in behind Browning once again on Cincinnati’s depth chart. The Bengals used Browning as their Burrow replacement in 2023, when he posted an impressive 70.4% completion rate at 8.0 yards per attempt. The team extended Browning on the same day it reunited with Woodside last year; Browning is signed through the 2025 season, but he can be retained as an RFA in 2026.
Bills To Meet With CB James Bradberry
With Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane now in their ninth years in Buffalo, it would seem the Panthers-to-Bills pipeline would be on the verge of closing. One defender, however, would represent another option to join Curtis Samuel in keeping it open.
The Bills are set to meet with James Bradberry today, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The Eagles cut the veteran cornerback last month, moving on after three seasons. Bradberry, 31, did not play for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia edition due to injury.
McDermott and Beane’s Panthers tenures overlapped with the team’s 2016 Bradberry draft choice, a second-round move made in the wake of then-GM Dave Gettleman rescinding Josh Norman‘s franchise tag. Bradberry became a starter that year, his first of many such seasons in a team’s lineup, before seeing McDermott and then Beane leave for Buffalo. As Bradberry’s career winds down, he will huddle up with two of the staffers that played a role in shaping his career path.
Several of Bradberry’s former teammates already stopped through Buffalo for stints. The Bills have rostered the likes of Samuel, A.J. Klein, Kelvin Benjamin, Star Lotulelei, Daryl Williams and Vernon Butler during the McDermott-Beane tenure. They also added Norman for a two-season stint. Samuel, whom the Panthers added during Beane’s final draft with the team, represents the last link to this once-fruitful pipeline. It would be interesting if a 2025 move could keep it going, and Bradberry is now likely available at a near-veteran-minimum rate.
An Achilles tear sidelined Bradberry last year, but the two-season Eagles starter was not set to hold a similar role due to the team’s CB additions. Bradberry had been working at safety after an offseason position change, but he said following Super Bowl LIX he would prefer to move back to corner. The former Giants free agent signee has only played corner, doing so as a 124-game starter in a career that included a 2020 Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl LVII start. The Eagles parted with each of their three CB regulars from that game this offseason, cutting Bradberry and Darius Slay and seeing the Lions sign Avonte Maddox.
The Bills have a need on the boundary opposite the recently extended Christian Benford. They have not re-signed Rasul Douglas, who will turn 30 this year. Douglas remains a free agent. The Bills did bring back Dane Jackson, though he does not technically qualify for the above-mentioned pipeline due to having stopped through Carolina well after McDermott and Beane’s departures. The draft will be a place to look for Buffalo at corner, but the team will see if Bradberry can be a fit first.
Dolphins, CB Jalen Ramsey To Explore Trade
Jalen Ramsey has been with the Dolphins for the past two seasons, but his time in Miami may soon be coming to an end. Team and player have mutually agreed to “explore trade options,” Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. 
No deadline is in place for a potential deal to be worked out, per the report, but the draft looms as a logical deadline on that front. Cornerback already represents a position of need for the Dolphins with Ramsey in the fold. Moving on from the seven-time Pro Bowler would create an even larger vacancy at that spot, but Rapoport and Pelissero note it would not come as a surprise if a trade were to take place.
[RELATED: Ramsey Did Not Request To Be Traded]
The No. 5 pick in the 2016 draft, Ramsey quickly established himself as one of the league’s top cover men during his tenure with the Jaguars. Midway through his fourth season in Jacksonville, he was traded to the Rams and subsequently extended on a five-year, $100MM deal. Ramsey remained in Los Angeles through the end of the 2022 campaign, earning a pair of his three first-team All-Pro nods along the way. He was then traded again, however, this time to the Dolphins.
Upon arrival in Miami, Ramsey agreed to a restructure but he later worked out another lucrative accord. This past September, the Florida State product signed a three-year extension averaging $24.1MM. That figure moved him back to the top of the pecking order in terms of annual compensation for corners at the time, although the market has since continued to move upward. Ramsey is on the books for four more years, although he is only due a guaranteed base salary for 2025.
The 30-year-old already collected a $4MM roster bonus last month, but the remainder of his compensation – including $21.1MM fully locked in – would become the responsibility of his new team in the event of a trade. Miami would be hit with a $25.21MM dead money charge if a deal were to be worked out before June 1, making a pre-draft deal financially challenging. If a swap were to occur after June 1, by contrast, the Dolphins would see $9.92MM in cap savings while generating only a $6.75MM dead money hit.
Ramsey is set to carry a cap charge of $16.66MM in 2025, but that figure is scheduled to spike in the coming years. Another restructure of his pact on the part of an acquiring team would thus come as no surprise, although the number of suitors will be limited based on finances. As teams prepare to add their draft classes to their offseason rosters and make late-stage free agent moves, few have enough idle cap space to comfortably absorb Ramsey’s deal; it will be interesting to see how much of a market exists on the trade front.
After being limited to 10 games by a knee injury in 2023, Ramsey logged a full campaign last season. He notched a pair of interceptions (continuing his streak of recording at least one every year in the league), and added 11 pass deflections. Pro Football Reference listed Ramsey with underwhelming numbers in coverage, but PFF evaluation in that department helped him land a top-10 grade for corners. While age and finances will give plenty of teams pause, Ramsey (when healthy) will still be counted on to operate as a versatile No. 1 corner if he lands on a fourth career team.
The Dolphins will once again have Kader Kohou in place to handle slot cornerback duties next season, but their decision to cut Kendall Fuller left them in need of drafting a starting-caliber option on the perimeter. That situation will be duplicated if Ramsey winds up being dealt, a scenario worth watching for over the coming days.
First-Round Grades Elusive On Shedeur Sanders; QB Unlikely To Go In Top 10?
The Giants are still doing due diligence on Shedeur Sanders, being set to conduct a private workout with the Colorado star in Boulder on Thursday. But it is undeniable that Sanders’ stock has slipped during the pre-draft process.
No longer being mocked consistently in the top three, despite the Browns and Giants‘ QB needs, Sanders now may need to be patient. The Browns and Giants are not expected to draft him, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes it could be a surprise if the Raiders, Jets and Saints (Nos. 6, 7 and 9, respectively) prevented him from falling out of the top 10.
This runs counter to a late-March report indicating Sanders was unlikely to fall out of the top 10, but the consensus appears to be changing. We heard recently a New Orleans landing may not be too likely, though that report emerged before Derek Carr‘s prospective surgery became public. Sanders and Travis Hunter dined with Browns brass before Colorado’s pro day, but Cleveland has been viewed as more likely to draft the two-way dynamo at No. 2. This would leave Abdul Carter for the Giants, even as the team rosters Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux already.
Coaches and scouts are not seeing enough to justify an early-first-round pick on tape, Breer adds, with many not grading him as a first-round talent. Although Sanders’ accuracy has drawn praise, his penchant for taking sacks offers a negation. The two-year Buffaloes starter also has not displayed high-end arm strength on tape, and despite his father being one of the greatest players in NFL history, Shedeur is not viewed as particularly athletic. That has created concerns about a QB-needy team making him its new franchise centerpiece via a top-10 investment.
Potential concerns about Deion Sanders’ involvement in his son’s career are natural for teams, but Breer and Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline have attempted to explain NFL staffers’ issues with the quarterback from a strictly on-field standpoint. Despite Shedeur’s 37:10 TD-INT ratio last season, he finished with negative rushing yards — due both to taking sacks and not contributing heavily as a rusher. Sanders’ fundamentals are drawing scrutiny, per Pauline, though he adds the QB’s toughness has garnered praise.
We have heard some teams have Jaxson Dart graded higher than Sanders on this year’s board, and Breer adds it might take owner involvement to ensure Sanders becomes a first-round pick. The 2022 draft brought what was viewed at the time as a significant slide, with Malik Willis dropping from likely first-round pick to 86th overall. It would still be shocking if Sanders experienced a comparable tumble as part of the latest maligned QB class, but a top-10 investment now may be unlikely. That will create major questions as to where Sanders will wind up.
Holding the No. 21 overall pick, the Steelers have hosted Sanders on a “30” visit. Of course, a host of non-QB-needy teams picking between the Saints and Raiders opens the door to a potential trade-up move. The Browns and Giants could have a window to move back in, though if the teams do not hold Sanders in much higher regard compared to this draft’s other second-tier QBs (Dart, Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe), waiting on them may be the play rather than handing over notable draft capital in a Sanders-based trade. Plenty of Giants-Sanders connections emerged during the pre-draft process, but a year after Big Blue was tied closely to J.J. McCarthy only to pass on him, some are doubting the Giants like Sanders all that much.
Unless Cleveland and New York are conducting elaborate smokescreens, Sanders likely will be in for a wait next week. This would open the door to teams like the Raiders and Jets adding Sanders as a high-end developmental option behind established starters. Beyond that, this draft will become quite interesting at QB after the Titans take Cam Ward — as they are widely expected to — to open the event.
LT Tyron Smith To Retire
Longtime NFL left tackle Tyron Smith is retiring, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Smith will sign a one-day contract to retire as a Cowboy, the team for which he played for 13 years before finishing his career with the Jets in 2024.
Smith will retire as one of the best offensive tackles of his generation with two selections as a first-team All-Pro and eight as a Pro Bowler. He was originally the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after playing college football at USC. Smith started all 16 games at right tackle as a rookie in Dallas before switching to the left side in 2012. He was named to seven straight Pro Bowls from 2013 to 2019, starting 100 games at left tackle for the Cowboys in that span.
Injuries plagued Smith throughout the second half of his career. He didn’t start more than 13 games in a season after 2015 and only played in 17 games from 2020 to 2022 due to neck, ankle, and hamstring injuries. When healthy, he was still one of the best left tackles in the league, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and a second-team All-Pro selection in 2023, his last year in Dallas. That rebound came after Smith had earned All-Decade acclaim for the 2010s.
Smith then signed with the Jets in 2024, starting their first 10 games at left tackle before a season-ending neck injury landed him on injured reserve. He said that he was considering retirement after the season, a decision confirmed by today’s news. Smith will leave a $5.8MM dead cap hit on the Jets’ 2025 salary cap, per OverTheCap.
The Jets already have a replacement for Smith on their roster in 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu. He took over for Smith in Week 10 last season and started the next five games at left tackle before a bout of plantar fasciitis sidelined him for the last two games of the year. However, the Jets have little experienced depth at offensive tackle and will likely need to invest in the position before the start of the 2025 season.
The Cowboys have scheduled a press conference on Wednesday for Smith to formally announce his retirement, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. He is the second longtime Cowboys offensive lineman to retire this offseason; Smith’s former teammate, right guard Zack Martin, retired in February.
Smith, 34, will walk away having earned more than $124MM over the course of his career. Much of that came from the mammoth extension Smith signed when first eligible (2014). The Cowboys managed to lock down the Hall of Fame-level talent for 10 years — via an eight-year, $97.6MM extension being tacked onto his five-year rookie contract — and held Smith to that. Injuries played a key role in Smith being unable to land a lucrative third contract, but he became the rare player in NFL history to play out an eight-year contract.
Combine Meeting, Workouts Sold Titans On QB Cam Ward
There’s plenty to like about projected No. 1 overall 2025 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward. The Hurricanes quarterback led the NCAA in passing touchdowns with 39 while only tossing seven picks and finished second in passing yards with 4,313. His effortless, no-panic playing style and ability to turn disaster plays into big gains is enough to draw the eye of any NFL scout. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, though, it was the pre-draft process that sold the Titans on the Miami passer. 
Following a rough, 3-14 2024 campaign, head coach Brian Callahan made it known that competition was likely on the way for incumbent starter Will Levis. The team sent staff to the Senior Bowl, where Shedeur Sanders was doing meetings while Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough competed at practice. They even came away from the event thinking Sanders would be a great fit for Callahan’s system.
Then came the NFL Scouting Combine, at which NFL prospects are given 18 minutes to converse with NFL teams for an initial meeting. Ward’s initial meeting in Indianapolis with the team went so well that Tennessee quickly made sure to schedule him for a top-30 visit, which they would also do with Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. The Titans made sure to bring the quarterbacks in before the start of free agency, so they could be well-informed on their plan of attack.
Ward made his way out to Nashville on March 7, five days before the opening of free agency. Per McCormick, Ward “wowed them…with his confident alpha personality…his astute knowledge of the game and his detailed understanding of the QB position.” In his first opportunity to spend significant time with the team picking first overall in late-April and talk in depth about football, Ward seemingly “knocked it out of the park.”
All the while, the quarterback dominos were falling in free agency as Tennessee never really fully committed to pursuing a veteran quarterback market that contained two former Callahan quarterbacks — Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. Kirk Cousins stayed put in Atlanta, and all of the sudden, the only options left were players like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson, and that felt unappealing to the Titans staff. Still, the team was attracted to the idea of signing a passer like Darnold then being able to add a premier talent like Carter or Hunter at No. 1 overall.
This was the thought process Tennessee brought into Coral Gables as they attended Miami’s pro day on March 24. They sent not only coaches and evaluators but also their team beat writer and video staff to dictate and capture every interaction, including a dinner with the team the night before. Ward followed up being wined and dined with a pro day that showed him make just about every pass necessary for the position, exhibiting himself as a natural thrower of the ball. To quote Ward himself, his performance seemed to “solidify” the Titans decision.
Five days later, Ward participated in a private workout with much of the same team brass. This meeting also saw team owner Amy Adams Strunk appear to meet Ward in person. According to McCormick, the events of that private workout validated to those in attendance “who Ward is as a person and a quarterback,” and it seems that person is the future No. 1 overall pick.
Lots can certainly happen in just over a week, but Ward-to-Nashville seems to be one of the NFL draft’s worst kept secrets. We’ll find out next Thursday if Ward is, indeed, the future of the quarterback position in Tennessee.
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Named Assistant GM At Eastern Michigan
For a moment this offseason, Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby made news by signing an extension that made him, for a short time, the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Although Myles Garrett and Ja’Marr Chase have stolen that title since, Crosby is making headlines again, though, in a less lucrative way. Yesterday, Eastern Michigan University announced that Crosby had been named assistant general manager of EMU football. 
First off, there is precedent for this type of situation. Though Crosby is the first active NFL player to man an administrative role for his alma mater, active NBA players Steph Curry (Davidson), Trae Young (Oklahoma), and Terance Mann (Florida State) have all been named to assistant GM roles for their respective alma maters, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mike Klis of 9NEWS adds that Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles similarly holds a director of player development role for Legend HS in Parker, CO, a nearby suburb of Denver.
Secondly, while the university’s announcement claims that Crosby “will assist with evaluating high school and transfer portal prospects and help manage the team’s NIL/revenue share budget,” serving as well as special assistant to the Athletic Director on fundraising, alumni relations, and student-athlete support, the jobs appear to be fairly nominal.
Likely, instead of performing continuous talent evaluation, fundraising, and accounting tasks, Crosby will be asked to show up for certain events to assist the athletic department. Further supporting this theory, the same announcement informed of a “Maxx Match” program, in which he’ll match donations (up to $100K) made before the end of May to EMU football. They also announced that the weakside defensive end position, traditionally listed on the depth chart as the “LEO” position, has been renamed to the “MAXX” position. Finally, they announced that the team’s top edge rusher each season will wear jersey No. 92 as a tribute to Crosby, who wore the same number when he was an Eagle.
The new title should have no effect on his responsibilities in the NFL. Crosby may be tasked with a few more responsibilities in the NFL’s offseason, but his time remains with the Raiders as he plays out his new contract.