HEADLINES

Month: May 2025

Vikings Extend GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

May 30th, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kevin O’Connell landed an extension this offseason, ensuring the Vikings will have their head coach in place for years to come. The same is now true of their general manager.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has agreed to a multi-year extension, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal – which the team has since announced – was signed last night, per the report. 2025 had represented the final year of Adofo-Mensah’s pact, but he will not enter the campaign in a lame duck situation.

“Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success,” a statement from co-owner Mark Wilf reads. “His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the highest level as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”

Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell arrived together in Minnesota in 2022. Their first season together produced a 13-4 record, but a home wild-card loss marked an underwhelming end to the campaign. During the following year – one in which quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles tear – Minnesota went 7-10 while cycling through a number of replacements under center to close out the season. The defining aspect of last spring for the Vikings was their decision to allow Cousins to depart in free agency and draft a long-term replacement in the form of J.J. McCarthy.

That move was another example of the extent to which Minnesota’s core has been been revamped over the past three years. In 2024 (with free agent signing Sam Darnold in place and McCarthy recovering from meniscus surgery), the Vikings went an impressive 14-3 while playing in the highly competitive NFC North. While the season again ended in the wild-card round – this time via a lopsided neutral site loss to the Rams – it came as no surprise when O’Connell received Coach of the Year honors in addition to his extension. The Vikings will keep the tandem including he and Adofo-Mensah in place while aiming to find postseason success.

That effort will see McCarthy handle starting duties despite missing his entire rookie season. The first-rounder will take charge of an offense featuring a strong skill-position group, an offensive line which has undergone multiple changes this offseason and O’Connell (who has established himself as one of the league’s top offensive minds). On defense, a unit which saw the free agent arrival of Jonathan Allen along with continued additions via the draft, expectations will remain high moving forward.

Today’s news ensures the Vikings will have stability not only on the sidelines but also in the front office. Adofo-Mensah is not the only executive affected by Friday’s developments, though. Pelissero reports Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington are each being promoted to assistant general manager. Both have operated as key aids to Adofo-Mensah during his Vikings tenure.

Grigson interviewed with the Jets for their general manager vacancy this winter. Already on the GM radar, this promotion will no doubt help him generate attention for future openings. For at least one more season, though, he and Washington will remain in place with Minnesota. Adofo-Mensah, meanwhile, is assured of continuing in his role at the helm of the Vikings for several more years.

Cowboys’ DaRon Bland Working At Slot CB; Jalen Ramsey Not On Team’s Radar

May 30th, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys are dealing with a number of injuries at the cornerback position and, as a result, they have one of their best cornerbacks working outside of his usual position. Last week, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reported that All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland had been working out as a slot cornerback at Organized Team Activities.

The team’s other usual starting corner, Trevon Diggs, is currently dealing with an injury and doesn’t have a clear timeline for his return, but it’s assumed at the moment that he will not be back for the start of training camp and may not be ready when the regular season rolls around. Additionally, third-round rookie Shavon Revel fell as far as he did, despite potential first-round talent, because of a torn ACL that forced him to miss most of his final season at East Carolina. While Revel could make his way back by camp, he’s not been available so far this summer.

These absences are not helpful at a time when the team is looking to fill a nickelback role that it had perfectly squared away in 2024. Last year, Jourdan Lewis played 606 snaps in the slot, and the next closest player didn’t even reach 100 snaps. Lewis, though, departed for Jacksonville in free agency, so now Dallas will need to find someone to replace him.

After Lewis, the next six players with the most slot snaps in 2024 were safeties and linebackers. Diggs was the next closest corner, and he only saw 28 snaps at nickel; Bland was the next cornerback with 16. Two of those safeties were starters Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker, so they’re not really options to take the role, but the third safety was backup Israel Mukuamu, who could be also an option to step up there in 2025. Watkins noted that another backup safety, Juanyeh Thomas, saw some work in the slot during OTAs, as well.

Bland prefers to play at outside cornerback, and there’s two good reasons why. The first, and most obvious, is that he’s played extremely well there. In his first two seasons, Bland reeled in 14 interceptions, returning five for touchdowns in 2023 alone. Last year didn’t see the same returns as he came back from a foot surgery that caused him to miss 10 games, but he still saw five passes defensed and graded out favorably, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in comparison to his teammates.

The second reason is that he’s heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Especially after the injury-limited season he delivered last year, Bland is going to want to make the most of his 2025 campaign, and he’ll want to do so at the more lucrative position as a boundary cornerback, a position at which he’s shown extreme aptitude. Per Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer understands where Bland’s coming from but told the media that “it is still early” and that “they don’t have all their guys out there” at the moment, so versatility is necessary.

Watkins claims that the ‘Boys have two problems to solve this summer: “another starter opposite Bland and slot corner.” One option that the team has seemingly ruled out is Dolphins trading chip Jalen Ramsey. Per Hill, a source with the team claimed that “there is nothing to the” rumors that Ramsey could be traded to Dallas.

Bills Announce Front Office Changes

May 30th, 2025 at 8:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Today, the Bills announced a number of promotions to their personnel and analytics staffs. While we’ve already covered a few of them, let’s go over the new information provided this morning.

So, we noted a week ago that the Bills had hired Mk Collins as player personnel coordinator, a role previously held by Andrea Gosper, because Gosper had reportedly been promoted, but at the time, we didn’t have any additional information on Gosper’s new role. Now, we know that Gosper has been promoted to assistant to the general manager.

Gosper got her start with the Bills after meeting general manager Brandon Beane and then-assistant general manager Joe Schoen at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. Thinking about going to grad school for sports nutrition at the time, she informed the two that she was interested in interning for them, if possible, and she later received a call from Schoen for a full-year role in the scouting department. Schoen’s leap of faith worked out as Gosper continues to climb the ladder in Buffalo.

Last year, R.J. Webb filled Keith Jennings‘ role as BLESTO college scout after Jennings was promoted to college area scout. A year later, Webb follows Jennings once again as he’s earned a promotion to a role as a college area scout covering the west coast. Webb started with the Bills in a scouting fellowship in 2018. His first full-time job was as player personnel coordinator before being elevated to pro scout. He held that role for four years before last year’s promotion. This time, Webb will be followed in the role of BLESTO college scout by Jay Hill. Hill formerly served in the role of scouting coordinator.

In the analytics department, Dennis Lock was promoted to vice president of football research, Luis Guilamo was promoted to senior director of application development, Warren Zorilla was promoted to assistant director of application development, and Santino Parlato was promoted to football analyst.

Lock has been with Buffalo for six years — three as director of football research & strategy and three as senior director of football research — after working for the division rival Dolphins for almost five years. Guilamo was part of the team’s initial push into analytics, joining the franchise in 2018 as director of analytics and application development. Zorilla was added shortly after Guilamo as senior developer. Parlato joined the team as a football research analyst last July.

The operations department saw a promotion, too, as Ryan Moore was named manager of football administration and operations. Moore started in Buffalo as a community relations graduate assistant for the team in 2017, serving time as community relations youth programs coordinator and COVID protocol coordinator on his way to joining the operations department as football administration & operations coordinator. He served in that role for the last three years.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/30/25

May 30th, 2025 at 7:08pm CST by Ely Allen

We saw another late-round draft pick signing today:

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams traded up 10 spots, giving up a sixth-round pick in the process, to take Hunter in the middle of the fourth round. Hunter joins a room that returns its three leading rushers from last year in Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, and Ronnie Rivers.

That being said, Los Angeles essentially functioned with Williams as a bell-cow in 2024, seeing as how he accounted for nearly 75 percent of the team’s rushing yards and had nearly 1,100 yards more than the next rusher on the team. Hunter will likely compete with Corum in an attempt to give the team more of an impact in the RB2 role in 2025.

WR Jakobi Meyers Wants To Re-Sign With Raiders

May 30th, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jakobi Meyers is entering the final year of his contract with the Raiders, but he would prefer to stay in Las Vegas past 2025.

“I want to be here for sure, but that’s all I can really say on it right now,” said Meyers (via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed). “That’s business between us and the top floor, so I’ma just hold that one down for now.”

Meyers eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career last season despite inconsistent quarterback play from Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. His 68.5 yards per game ranked 19th among all players in 2024, though he only reeled in four touchdowns with a 55.8% catch rate right around his career average.

The 28-year-old signed with the Raiders on a three-year, $33MM contract ($16MM fully guaranteed) in 2023, an impressive haul for a former undrafted free agent. The receiver market has increased since then, though an explosion in top WR salaries may not be as much of a boost to a mid-tier player like Meyers. However, he could play himself into a bigger payday with the addition of Geno Smith, his best quarterback since his 2019 rookie season with now-Raiders minority owner Tom Brady in New England.

The Raiders only have only one non-rookie wideout under contract through 2026: Tre Tucker, who had an encouraging second season in 2024 but may not be ready for a WR1 role. Even if they invest in premium receiving talent via free agency and/or the draft next offseason, Meyers would still be a productive, versatile WR2 who’s already familiar with the offense. His $11MM APY adjusted for cap inflation would be $13.66MM in 2025, just outside of the top 25 at the position. Another strong effort this year could push Meyers north of $15MM, so the Raiders may try to sign him before the season to get a bargain in the long term.

Meyers’ current contract is set to void five days after Super Bowl, per OverTheCap, though the two sides could push that date back to give them more time for negotiations. He would count for $4.318MM in dead money against the Raiders’ 2026 salary cap if he isn’t extended before his contract voids.

Marcedes Lewis Wants To Play 20th Season

May 30th, 2025 at 4:49pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Already blazing a trail into the record book by playing an age-40 season at tight end, Marcedes Lewis is currently a free agent, but he wants to sign with a new team for his 20th and final NFL season.

“I think mentally, I’m going into saying this is my last year,” Lewis told Kay Adams, adding that he’s still a durable, hard-working player despite his age.

His recent playing history supports his argument. Lewis, 41, appeared in all 34 regular-season games for the Bears over the past two years with eight starts and 621 snaps across offense and special teams. Before that, he started 37 straight games for the Packers with more than 1,000 snaps across the 2020 and 2021 season.

Overall, Lewis hasn’t missed a game since 2020 and has appeared in at least 15 games in 15 of his 19 seasons. He’s the NFL’s active leader in games played with 285, which also ranks 19th all-time. His 229 starts trail only Aaron Rodgers and Calais Campbell among active players and ranks 34th all-time.

If Lewis takes the field in 2025, he would become the first non-quarterback or specialist to play for 20 years in the 21st century. He’s the second-longest-tenured player in the league behind Rodgers and the only player left from the 2006 draft, in which he was a first-round pick. That kicked off a 12-year stretch with the Jaguars, who only made the playoffs twice during Lewis’ tenure with several years at the bottom of the league. The veteran tight end credited the adversity he faced in Jacksonville as a reason he’s been able to play for so long.

Lewis joined the Packers in 2018 and called his five seasons there “some of the best years of my life.” He also said that his decision to move to Chicago in 2023 was partially to reunite with then-Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who worked with Lewis as an offensive assistant in Green Bay. Getsy is back with the Packers as a senior assistant, though Lewis didn’t offer any hints about another potential reunion.

Ravens WR Zay Flowers Changes Agents

May 30th, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is signing with WIN Sports Group, a new agency recently launched by Patrick Whitesell, the former co-founder and executive chairman of Endeavor (formerly William Morris Endeavor).

Ironically, Flowers is leaving Loyalty Above All (LAA) and its founder and CEO, Zac Hiller. The former Boston College standout was the first player represented by LAA to be selected in the first round.

Whitesell’s WIN client list includes Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and 49ers defense end Nick Bosa. All three set records for their positions with their second contracts.

Flowers’ production in his first two years doesn’t merit that kind of raise, and he isn’t extension-eligible until next offseason, when the Ravens will also have to make a decision on his fifth-year option for the 2027 season. His 2024 Pro Bowl nod means that his fifth-year option will be equivalent to the 2026 transition tag, projected to be $24.7MM by OverTheCap. Another original-ballot Pro Bowl would raise his 2027 salary to the equivalent of the 2026 franchise tag, which is expected to eclipse $28MM.

The Ravens want to sign Lamar Jackson to another extension, which would lower his $74.5MM cap hits in 2026 and 2027. That would allow them to afford a fifth-year option and a potential long-term extension for Flowers while also retaining 2022 first-rounders Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum.

Giants Sign First-Round QB Jaxson Dart

May 30th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Giants’ offseason quest to find a long-term franchise quarterback is finally and formally complete.

First-round pick Jaxson Dart put pen to paper on his rookie contract, per a team announcement, locking in a fully guaranteed four-year deal with a fifth-year option for the 2029 season.

Dart, the 25th overall selection in last month’s draft, will earn $16.954MM on his first NFL contract with an $8.97MM signing bonus, according to Art Stapleton of NJ.com. He may not start as a rookie with veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston also in the quarterback room, but the Giants are likely expecting Dart to take over as the team’s signal-caller in 2026.

A redshirt rookie year might be ideal for his long-term development. Dart played in a quarterback-friendly offense at Ole Miss with heavy use of play-action and RPOs to streamline his reads, but the NFL will required faster, more complicated processing. He also has a tendency to hold onto the ball, which might be especially dangerous behind a Giants offensive line that lacks elite talent outside of left tackle Andrew Thomas.

However, Dart’s arm talent, mobility, and competitive toughness form a solid foundation for a future starter. The Giants’ offensive braintrust of Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka struggled to get the best out of Daniel Jones, but they may have better luck with a quarterback they wanted to bring in. New York still needs better protection and another playmaker or two on offense, but Dart will have two reliable targets through at least 2027 in Malik Nabers and the recently re-signed Darius Slayton. Nabers exploded for 1,204 yards on 109 receptions as a rookie in 2024, while the underrated Slayton has been a solid if unspectacular pass-catcher throughout his career.

49ers Hire Ethan Waugh

May 30th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 30: Waugh’s return is official, and the team announced he will operate with the title of personnel executive. That will entail a notable role in his second San Francisco stint.

MAY 22: Part of the Jaguars’ housecleaning in the front office was Ethan Waugh‘s departure immediately following the draft. Shortly after his Jacksonville exit, though, the veteran executive seems to have his next gig lined up.

The 49ers are expected to hire Waugh, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Provided the move officially takes place, it will represent a reunion between the parties. Prior to joining the Jaguars’ front office, Waugh worked with the 49ers.

Waugh and Trent Baalke worked alongside each other in San Francisco, so it came as no surprise when the two eventually continued their partnership in Jacksonville. After the latter’s 49ers tenure ended following the 2016 season, though, Waugh remained in place. He worked his way up to VP of player personnel before departing the team. Waugh is unlikely to hold that title again upon returning to San Francisco, but he will represent a familiar face to general manager John Lynch and Co.

Baalke appeared to be safe after the 2024 season ended, but as the Jags negotiated with Liam Coen to become their new head coach he wound up being fired. That move left Waugh to handle interim general manager duties until James Gladstone landed the full-time gig. To no surprise, Gladstone has brought in a number of ex-Rams executives in preparation for his first year at the helm.

Brian Xanders is among the veteran staffers in place with Jacksonville as the team moves forward at a number of executive and coaching positions. While that takes place, Waugh will prepare for his second San Francisco stint. The 49ers have been unusually busy in terms of working out extensions this spring, but Waugh will be able to assist with the team’s remaining priorities over the summer.

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