HEADLINES

Month: June 2025

Offseason In Review: New York Giants

June 25th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Admitting defeat on Daniel Jones may have come too late for the regime that inherited Dave Gettleman‘s handpicked Eli Manning successor. After three seasons tied to the inconsistent quarterback, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll may be battling uphill to keep their jobs before their preferred Jones replacement takes the reins. Jones being the Giants’ primary starter for the first three Daboll-Schoen seasons runs the risk of, given the direction of the team since its 2022 divisional-round cameo, the QB effectively dragging the decision-making duo out of town.

More elements, of course, are mixed into the buildup to Schoen and Daboll’s fourth Giants season; none, however, approach the quarterback matter. The team’s 2024 decisions at the position bled into 2025, where a worse draft class awaited. The Giants’ QB woes did move them into position for Abdul Carter, after one seminal Drew Lock showing took them out of Cam Ward territory, and their pass rush certainly has the personnel to be among the NFL’s best. But how the team’s Russell Wilson–Jaxson Dart (feat. Jameis Winston) QB depth chart performs will determine if John Mara will need to make another regime change.

Free agency additions:

This offseason produced undesirable endings for a few parties on the quarterback carousel. Aaron Rodgers preferred the Vikings; he ended up a Steeler. The Steelers aimed to either re-sign Justin Fields or manage a trade for Matthew Stafford, and they were then subjected to a three-month wait by their third choice. The Raiders did not end up with the piece they wanted, as the Rams retained Stafford via another reworked contract. Tom Brady‘s aim to avoid Sam Darnold led the Raiders to acquire Geno Smith from the Seahawks, who then landed this year’s top QB free agent.

As Seattle appeared the most satisfied from the veteran passer it acquired, New York did not double as a desirable destination. The Giants were in on Darnold and Stafford, making an aggressive contract offer — in the $90MM guarantee neighborhood — to the 37-year-old passer after asking about him at the 2024 deadline. But the Giants’ Stafford interest hinged on the Rams being OK starting over, which never made much sense considering their place as a top NFC contender, and the Super Bowl-winning QB being fine heading to a team in much worse shape.

The Giants then entered the Rodgers race, but as it looked like the future Hall of Famer viewed “relocating” to New York’s NFC team his clear third choice, an April report indicated Mara placed age and durability concerns as too great. That merely could have been a way for the struggling owner to attempt to save face after Rodgers made it clear he was not joining the Giants, as he did receive an offer that was deemed better than the Steelers’ proposal. This not working out led the Giants to Wilson.

A marriage of convenience will commence. Wilson had placed the Giants on his wish list back in 2021, when the Seahawks ended up not moving him, and showed interest in New York early during the 2025 offseason. Though, even Wilson can be labeled unsatisfied by this offseason’s carousel. The 2024 Steelers starter is believed to have wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. But the Steelers had prepared to make Wilson a one-and-done, even after re-signing rumors persisted before a five-game season-ending losing streak, eyeing Fields above the player that replaced him. All these developments brought a late-March Wilson Giants signing, after Rodgers — even at 41 — stalled the QB market.

Wilson is past his prime, and the 14th-year veteran’s post-Seattle seasons have left his Hall of Fame standing in question. But Wilson’s work over the past two seasons has revealed his shocking 2022 showing was more Nathaniel Hackett-driven. In over his head as a head coach, Hackett empowered Wilson and his team in Denver — to poor results.

Wilson deserves blame for how that disastrous 5-12 season unfolded, as his perception of his abilities differed from reality. The NFL’s fourth-leading all-time QB rusher’s attempt to minimize rushing attempts after gaining weight to protect a pocket-passing version of himself from hits backfired spectacularly. But Wilson rebounded in 2023 and enjoyed moments during a Steelers playoff season last year.

On one hand, it says plenty about Wilson’s stock that the Broncos took a record-smashing dead money hit to move on a year before the Steelers showed little interest in re-signing him. Wilson clashed with both Sean Payton and Arthur Smith, not fitting in the former’s offense and arguing to have more line-of-scrimmage freedom in Pittsburgh. While QBR did not view Wilson as an especially effective passer, ranking the potential Hall of Famer 21st in 2023 and 22nd last year, he did post a 26-8 TD:INT ratio in his second Broncos season and a 16-5 mark — even as the Steelers lacked much firepower beyond George Pickens — in an 11-game 2024. The Giants will (or perhaps forced themselves to) bet on this post-prime period lasting at least one more year.

A nine-time Pro Bowler (six original-ballot nods), Wilson tops Manning in that department. But the latter delivered remarkable durability, not missing any games due to injury. Wilson’s ironman streak was moving into Manning territory in Seattle, but he has missed time due to injury in three of his past four seasons. Last year, a calf injury and an aggravation cost Wilson six games. By the time he returned, the Steelers did not have unanimous agreement on reinserting Wilson into the lineup. Mike Tomlin benching Fields without too much internal support played into the younger passer’s future in Pittsburgh, and Wilson will now try to hold off another young arm.

As Wilson attempts to stave off a younger challenger for the second straight year, he again received assurances (from Daboll) the starting job was his. The Steelers made that their party line last year, but Fields closed the gap to the point it took Tomlin until barely a week before the regular season to officially announce the decision.

For all the sack troubles Wilson has encountered — especially as his athleticism wanes — he has remained a viable starter. (Wilson sits 11 behind Rodgers for most sacks taken in NFL history, reaching this point despite playing in 49 fewer games.) How long will be be able to hold off a handpicked Daboll rookie?

Winston’s increasing popularity as one of the NFL’s most colorful characters aside, his turnover penchant — and perhaps Browns increased interest in protecting high draft real estate — led to a benching for an overmatched Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Winston’s two-year deal, though, gives him a better chance to be a Giant in 2026 compared to Wilson. Winston, 31, being a third-string option does not align with his present profile. Once Dart ascends to first-string duty, which will almost definitely happen this season, trade rumors involving Winston and/or Wilson — should the transition be made before the deadline — figure to emerge out of the Giants’ remade QB room.

The Giants’ plan to draft a QB early turned off some potential targets, and Winston signed before Wilson. It will be interesting to see if the former No. 1 overall pick would stand by as an emergency QB3.

Winston threw 13 TD passes and 12 INTs in 2024. A signature high-variance performance came in a Monday-night Broncos loss that featured 497 passing yards, four TD throws and three INTs (including two pick-sixes). That encapsulates Winston’s career, as he would be a higher-octane option compared to Wilson at this stage of their respective careers. The former Buccaneers, Saints and Browns starter’s status in training camp will be interesting to monitor.

Adebo suffered a broken femur midway through last season. Despite the former Marshon Lattimore sidekick’s contract year ending this way, he did not need to accept much of a discount. Not proving as much as the top healthy CBs on the market (Charvarius Ward, D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis), Adebo matched the Ward-Davis-Murphy AAV of $18MM. Adebo bested Ward, Davis and Reed in fully guaranteed money.

The former third-round pick’s age (26) had plenty to do with this, and this represents a new swing for this regime. Gettleman handed eight-figure AAVs to James Bradberry (2020) and Adoree’ Jackson (2021), while Schoen has kept costs lower since arriving. Adebo’s contract thrusts him into a CB1 role. This was initially viewed as a way to take some pressure off 2023 first-rounder Deonte Banks, who has not lived up to the investment. But Cor’Dale Flott mixing in with Banks as the other outside starter in minicamp will make this position one to follow closely.

Adebo’s last healthy season produced notable improvements in coverage. The 6-foot-1 corner was charged with yielding only 6.7 yards per target and allowing a 55% completion rate as the closest defender in 2023. He allowed one touchdown pass that year and yielded merely a 62.7 passer rating. Even when slot corners are included, Adebo ranked ninth among CBs in the NFL in passer rating allowed that year. He was off to a nice start in ’24, seeing that number vault only to 71.9.

With Lattimore off the field during much of that stretch, the Saints asked Adebo to anchor their CB corps. The Giants, who intercepted all of five passes last season and saw no player record more than one, are also paying for Adebo’s playmaking. He intercepted seven passes and broke up 28 since 2023.

Two of PFR’s top 17 free agents joined Big Blue’s secondary, as Holland (No. 6) followed Adebo (17) a day later. Holland’s market was rumored to push $20MM per year, but it did not quite reach that range. Holland’s deal fell short of Tre’von Moehrig‘s Panthers terms (three years, $51MM) and where the Packers went for Xavier McKinney (4/67) last year. Holland still scored a top-10 safety pact.

This is effectively an admission recent safety decisions were incorrect, as the Giants let Julian Love — who has since been extended in Seattle — walk for a $7MM-per-year deal and observed McKinney zoom to first-team All-Pro honors a year later. The Hard Knocks: Offseason series proved so damning for the Giants no NFL team could be convinced to do it this year. While much of the attention went to Saquon Barkley‘s Eagles defection, the team appeared to underestimate McKinney’s market. New York will need to hope a slight discount on Holland can make up for it.

A former second-round Dolphins draftee, Holland notched five career INTs, five career forced fumbles and four recoveries on his rookie contract. The effective blitzer also has five career sacks. He has managed this production as the Dolphins cycled through three defensive coordinators in his four seasons. Pro Football Focus viewed Holland as playing better under Vic Fangio, grading him third among safeties in 2023, than Anthony Weaver (56th). Holland and Adebo give the Giants quality talent they lacked in the secondary last year. Considering the Carter addition’s presumptive impact on the Dexter Lawrence–Brian Burns–Kayvon Thibodeaux pass rush, how this front-seven crew could benefit from two plus coverage players (and vice versa) is being slept on a bit.

The Carter pick came after the Giants added Golston as a rotational presence. Used as a D-end more often in 2024, Golston has more experience inside. Golston appears the fifth wheel in New York’s pass rush, but the talent and depth here makes it certainly the team’s best since its Super Bowl-era NASCAR package. Golston, 27, made some money on a contract year that included 5.5 sacks (he recorded 3.5 from 2021-23). The Cowboys deployed Golston as their DeMarcus Lawrence replacement; it will be interesting if the Giants take advantage of his inside-rushing past in an attempt to get all four of their OLBs on the field.

Andrew Thomas has missed 18 games since 2023, gutting the Giants’ O-line. He is expected back from Lisfranc surgery in training camp, but the Giants slow-playing their high-priced left tackle’s return leaves some questions. Hudson took the first-team LT snaps during OTAs and minicamp.

A 17-start player in four Browns seasons, Hudson capitalized on the Giants’ issues at the position to become the NFL’s highest-paid swing tackle. Among players with no path to the lineup in a full-strength scenario, no deal checks in higher than Hudson’s. PFF has not viewed Hudson’s work well, but he logged 200-plus snaps at right tackle each year from 2021-23 and tallied 207 on the left side last year.

Re-signings:

Slayton’s New York arc remains unusual. The Giants took the rare step to cut his rookie-contract pay in 2022, as a demotion was planned when the team still held out hope for Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay. Slayton delivered his usual, leading that playoff team in receiving yards. He did that four times from 2019-23. Slayton circled back to re-sign (on a two-year, $12MM deal) in 2023 but saw the Giants rebuff his efforts to secure a raise last year.

Even as a cratering Giants QB situation affected the passing attack — a trend during Slayton’s career — the reliable vet entered 2025 as one of the top wideouts available. Even as the Giants drafted Malik Nabers sixth overall and added Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, Slayton — a Gettleman draftee — remains a core player. He finally has a contract to show for it, as reasonable WR2 money comes his way.

Slayton had aimed to join a contender; the Giants — facing a vicious schedule that obviously became known weeks after Slayton’s recommitment — appear outside that realm in 2025. It is certainly possible no team offered a comparable guarantee, one that protects Slayton for his age-29 season in 2026. Four times a 700-yard receiver and zero an 800-yard cog, Slayton did well to score what he did. Inking a two-year deal preserved his value for a third contract. Now, Nabers’ sidekick will hope the Giants can turn their operation around while he is on this deal.

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Players Exploring Legal Options After Collusion Ruling

June 25th, 2025 at 10:27pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Multiple NFL players are exploring their legal options after the revelation of a 61-page arbitration ruling in the NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the league regarding fully-guaranteed contracts, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Players could pursue action against the league (based on the collusive behavior described in the ruling) or the players’ union (based on their representation in the grievance). One of Florio’s sources specifically named Justin Herbert as an ideal potential plaintiff after the ruling revealed communication between Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell regarding fully guaranteed quarterback contracts.

The ruling first became public on Tuesday, more than five months after it was issued by league system arbitrator Christopher Droney. Still hidden, per Florio, is a list of 594 additional players who were included in the grievance behind Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson. Both the timeframe and the scope of the ruling will play a fundamental role in the future of any new cases.

For Murray, Jackson, and Wilson, the case is decided. The NFL would likely argue the same is true for the other 594 players listed in the grievance, though the discovery process only covered the three quarterbacks. That could give credibility to an argument against the union that they did not properly represent all of the players who were party to the grievance.

The players not listed in the grievance could also have trouble launching cases of their own due to the 50-day window in the league’s collective bargaining agreement, according to Florio. That window has expired due to the apparent decision by the NFL and the NFLPA to keep the ruling out of the public eye when it was issued.

Clearly, this is a developing issue with unknown ramifications, but there is clearly potential for further action by players against collusive behavior within the league.

Bengals Could Leave Cincinnati?

June 25th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite being around since 1968, the Bengals are the seventh-youngest franchise in the NFL. Since their inception, though, the league has seen the Raiders, Colts, Cardinals, Rams, Oilers, and Chargers all change their locations; the Rams moved twice and the Raiders moved three times over that span. Now, there’s a chance the Bengals could dissociate from the city of Cincinnati, though that chance may be fairly small.

Yesterday, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. detailed the situation between the Bengals and Hamilton County. The two parties are currently negotiating the lease for Paycor Stadium, where the team has played since the 2000 season. This story has risen to the forefront of recent news due to an important upcoming decision deadline for the Bengals.

By June 30, the Bengals will have to agree to a lease offer from the County or exercise an option that extends the current lease for two years.

The current lease doesn’t expire until June 30 of next year, so the team is, of course, guaranteed to have a home for the 2025 NFL season, but the team is seeking to make changes to the stadium that would require an updated lease agreement. The Bengals are hoping to make upgrades to their home of the past 25 years, and renovations don’t run cheap these days. Recent years have seen two comparable renovations to downtown stadiums that didn’t require new construction: an $800MM renovation that tied the Panthers to Charlotte for 20 years, and a $489MM renovation that tied the Ravens to Baltimore through 2037.

In these deals, a good portion of the funding is provided by the states or local governments — the Charlotte City Council contributed $650MM, while the Ravens only contributed $55MM to the project, $35MM of which was made reimbursable by the Maryland Stadium Authority. The Bengals are teaming with the NFL to contribute $120MM through a G-5 loan — a loan that allows the Bengals to borrow NFL funds as long as the team matches the loan with their own funds. They want to contribute the money to a project that will allow them to renovate their two club lounges, their concessions, and all 132 of their suites.

Dehner posits that if the Bengals can’t agree to a deal with the County, the G-5 loan could be end up going to waste, and if things unfold in this fashion, the Bengals may decide to explore the concept of moving cities. Executive vice president Katie Blackburn, daughter of team president Mike Brown, didn’t rule out that option when discussing the matter in April, though she emphasized that the franchise would prefer to stay in Cincinnati with the ability to make the abovementioned renovations.

If a new lease agreement isn’t signed by next Tuesday, the team will exercise the two-year extension options that work on a rolling basis, extending the current lease, one the team is unhappy with, for two years over and over again until a new deal is signed or the agreement is terminated.

In order to terminate the lease to move to another location, though, the Bengals have to let the County know by December 31 of the second year of the extension (six months before each extension’s expiration date) that they intend to look elsewhere. During that six-month period, the Bengals must give the County, any individual in the County, or any group of individuals in the County the opportunity to purchase the team, as Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer discloses.

However unlikely it may be for the team to change cities (or ownerships), Brown’s father, former Browns and Bengals head coach, owner, and co-founder Paul Brown, located the franchise in Cincinnati because of its centrality to large neighboring cities like Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky and Columbus, Dayton, and Springfield in Ohio. The “Louisville Bengals” or “Columbus Bengals” may sound strange to the ear, but their close vicinity to the team’s current location (combined with existing bases of dedicated collegiate fans) could bode well for their chances of landing a disgruntled NFL franchise.

The County exchanged two offers with the Bengals in April, but both showed wide gaps between the two parties’ desires in terms of contribution percentage, length, and type. In the months since, the two sides have worked to bridge that gap, establishing a memorandum of understanding that tentatively puts some terms in place for the renovation project.

The last day that the commissioners of Hamilton County are meeting before the June 30 deadline is tomorrow morning. In Thursday’s session, the commissioners could initiate a vote on one more potential agreement to offer to the Bengals. From there, the Bengals will make the decision to sign the new lease offer or move forward with the first of potentially several two-year extensions. If it gets to that point, there will be a close watch on just whom the Bengals’ top brass is communicating with in the next two years.

Lamar Jackson Sought Fully Guaranteed Contract From Ravens

June 25th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The bombshell arbitration ruling in the NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the NFL regarding fully guaranteed contracts has revealed additional details regarding Lamar Jackson‘s previous negotiations with the Ravens.

Jackson “asked for a fully guaranteed contract” as far back as the 2022 offseason, according to the ruling, though it did not specify if his demand came before or after Deshaun Watson‘s deal with the Browns. Then-NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith also advised Jackson to stick to that demand.

[RELATED: Russell Wilson Asked Broncos For Fully Guaranteed Deal In 2022]

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta testified at the arbitration hearing that he is not opposed to all fully guaranteed contracts, just longer ones with guarantees “pushed out to later years,” due to the risk of injury. As a result, the Ravens extended multiple non-fully guaranteed offers in 2022, but Jackson declined — after having set a pre-Week 1 negotiating deadline — and elected to play on his fifth-year option.

Negotiations resumed the next offseason, but the two sides quickly found themselves at the same impasse. Jackson once again requested a fully guaranteed deal, but missing the end of a second straight season due to injury did not help his case. The Ravens offered “two different three-year contracts that Mr. DeCosta considered to be fully guaranteed,” but Jackson again turned them down and requested a trade. Baltimore then applied the non-exclusive franchise tag to allow Jackson to negotiate a new contract with other teams.

It seemed at the time that Jackson had little chance of leaving Baltimore, and the arbitration ruling arrived at the same conclusion. DeCosta received little trade interest before using the franchise tag, and no teams reached out to Jackson when he was available to negotiate after the tag was applied. The ruling also determined that Jackson “was not actually committed to playing elsewhere” after declining to provide DeCosta with a list of preferred teams after publicly requesting a trade.

The ruling confirmed the previously assumed reasons that other teams did not try to acquire Jackson. DeCosta and Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti testified that the league’s apparent lack of interest in an MVP quarterback was due to the investment his acquisition would require in terms of cash, cap space, and draft picks. The Ravens could also match any offers Jackson received, risking other teams’ relationships with their quarterbacks should they publicly pursue another player and fail. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, whose team publicly announced its disinterest in acquiring Jackson, echoed concerns about cap flexibility and noted Jackson’s injury history as another factor.

Eventually, Jackson agreed to a five-year, $260MM extension shortly before the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the highest-paid quarterback in the league at signing. Interestingly, DeCosta had been preparing for a future without his star quarterback and said that he was surprised when Jackson accepted the offer.

Teams seem to have won the initial battle against fully guaranteed contracts, but Jackson has resumed negotiations with the Ravens ahead of massive scheduled cap hits in 2026 and 2027. After winning his second MVP in 2023 (and nearly a third in 2024), Jackson could renew his push for a fully guaranteed contract, though the team will likely resist such a deal and extend negotiations into 2026.

NFL Minor Transactions: 6/25/25

June 25th, 2025 at 8:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only minor move:

Los Angeles Rams

Cephus’ return to the NFL will have to continue waiting. The former Lions receiver showed decent promise with noticeable improvement in Year 2 of his NFL career before a should injury ended his sophomore campaign after only five games. An attempted comeback season in 2022 resulted in another season-ending injury after only four games. An indefinite suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy kept him off the field in 2023, and though he signed deals with the Bills, Texans, and most recently the Rams, he failed to appear in games for any of the three in 2024. A return in 2025 will likely have to come in another city.

Release Candidate: Kendrick Bourne

June 25th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Ely Allen

It wasn’t too long ago that Kendrick Bourne was one of the top-performing receivers on the Patriots in his first season in New England for a rookie Pro Bowl quarterback in Mac Jones helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time since Tom Brady left. Things have gotten a bit darker in New England since those days, and there’s a chance things could get even darker for Bourne.

Bourne arrived in New England coming off of an average first four years in San Francisco, though for an undrafted player, those four years were pretty impressive. He averaged about 44 catches for 442 yards and 3 touchdowns over that time. After losing veteran Julian Edelman to retirement and Damiere Byrd to free agency, the Patriots were looking to free agent signings like Bourne and Nelson Agholor to work with Jakobi Meyers and a struggling N’Keal Harry.

Coming off then-career highs in catches (49) and receiving yards (667), Bourne had a true breakout season in New England, setting new career highs in catches (55) and receiving yards (800) while matching his career high in touchdowns (5). Despite Aghlolor’s average annual salary ($13MM) more than doubling his ($5MM), Bourne proved to be a clear WR2 behind Meyers that year.

Unfortunately, as the production of Jones and the team’s other passers fell, Bourne’s did, too. It didn’t help that a veteran addition in DeVante Parker arrived and surpassed him and Agholor on the depth chart, demoting him to WR3. What’s worse, a promising contract year in 2023, one that saw him emerging as WR1 over Parker, a rookie Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and others, came to a premature end when Bourne tore his ACL in Week 8.

The Patriots made a respectable move in the following offseason, re-signing Bourne to a new three-year deal with a slight raise despite the fact that he was going to be coming back from the season-ending injury. On his new deal, he missed the first four games of the season and took a couple of weeks to get going, but when he finally got back to the field, it had become clear that he had fallen behind youngsters Douglas and Kayshon Boutte on the depth chart.

In fact, the writing on the wall that Bourne might not have a place in New England anymore was so clear that a number of teams had discussions before the trade deadline of acquiring Bourne. The Patriots, though, held onto the veteran for the remainder of the season. Then, in the offseason, the team signed a huge free agent in veteran wideout Stefon Diggs and another veteran in Mack Hollins. Additionally, the Patriots drafted Kyle Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

At this point, Bourne is sitting at WR5, maybe WR6. Diggs, Douglas, and Boutte are likely comfortably ahead of him on the depth chart, while Williams could easily be, as well, if he lives up to his draft stock. That leaves Bourne competing with Hollins for the honors of being the fifth or sixth receiver on the depth chart.

While that’s not disqualifying by itself, the fact that Bourne carries cap hits of $7.7MM and $7.9MM over the next two years makes it a lot harder to keep him on the roster if he’s not going to be contributing as a starter. Luckily for New England, Bourne’s second contract with the team included a potential out after the 2024 season. With this escape hatch, the Patriots can release Bourne with only $2.8MM of dead cap split evenly over the next two years, while giving the team $12.8MM of cap savings over that time.

It’s a little late to try and trade him at this point in time, and there’s always a chance that Bourne proves himself by moving up the depth chart. In reality, though, the amount of new competition for snaps coupled with the significant cap impact he holds over the rest of his contract puts Bourne in an unenviable position. He many need to have the camp of his life in order to keep from being a cap casualty in the next few months.

Raiders’ Christian Wilkins Yet To Shed Walking Boot

June 25th, 2025 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Maxx Crosby‘s second extension continues the star pass rusher’s ascent as one of the better defenders in Raiders history. As the Pro Bowl edge rusher has continued to produce en route to a $35.5MM-per-year payday — one that set the table for Myles Garrett‘s market-topping deal this offseason — the Raiders have not done well to complement him.

Las Vegas whiffed badly on its Yannick Ngakoue-for-Chandler Jones switch, dealing the former for Rock Ya-Sin and signing the latter — reuniting him with then-leaders Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler — on a three-year, $51MM deal. Jones was ineffective in 2022, and the team cut him after a series of strange off-field developments in 2023. The team also attempted to supplement its hopeful Crosby-Jones tandem with No. 7 overall pick Tyree Wilson. Through two years, the Texas Tech alum has not established himself as a starter.

The Raiders sought a big-ticket adjustment to their Crosby supporting cast last year, adding Christian Wilkins on a four-year, $110MM megadeal that came with $57.5MM fully guaranteed — a number that trails only Chris Jones among interior defensive linemen. Acquired during Tom Telesco‘s one GM offseason in Vegas, Wilkins evaded a Dolphins franchise tag and benefited from the Chiefs taking Jones off the market two days before free agency. Capitalizing on a clear runway to the market, Wilkins cashed in — but he has yet to reward the Raiders. His early-season injury factored into the Raiders’ decision to fire Telesco after one year.

The team saw Wilkins felled by a Jones fracture in October, and upon taking over the situation in January, Pete Carroll did not offer positive updates on the matter. The new Raiders HC called Wilkins’ rehab process “difficult” and “challenging,” and said he is not expected to be ready for training camp. Those comments came in late May, when Wilkins had been described as being in and out of a walking boot this offseason. With less than a month until camp, Wilkins is back in a walking boot. A recent photo (h/t The Athletic’s Tashan Reed) indeed featured Wilkins in a boot.

Jones fractures can be troublesome, but training camp will mark more than nine months since the injury. Suffering Jones fractures in 2020 and ’21, respectively, Deebo Samuel and Derrick Henry returned after multi-month absences. After suffering the break in June 2020, Samuel was in uniform by Week 4. Henry went down in early November 2021; he was on the field when the Titans played a divisional-round game against the Bengals. Injuries are not created equal, of course, and Wilkins has veered into the longer end of rehabbing from this setback.

Wilkins, who will turn 30 before season’s end, received three fully guaranteed salaries as part of his player-friendly deal. His 2026 $27.25MM base is locked in, and the Raiders already completed a restructure on the deal; that will make a future separation more difficult. It is still too early to speculate on a parting, even as the Raiders have changed front offices since the signing, but a spring fear that Wilkins would miss 2025 time may be closer to becoming reality.

Ryan Van Demark On Bills’ Roster Bubble

June 25th, 2025 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills have enjoyed good health along their offensive line over the past two seasons, largely using the same unit during that span. Mitch Morse‘s March 2024 exit represented a change, but David Edwards filled the void (as Connor McGovern shifted to center). Buffalo is returning the same starting five O-linemen from last season.

As the Bills have assembled one of the NFL’s top O-lines, they have prioritized their swingmen as well. The team will return Alec Anderson, who operated as a frequent sixth O-lineman (291 offensive snaps) despite having spent his first two NFL seasons without playing a down. As Anderson became a recurring character up front, the Bills also extended Ryan Van Demark shortly after their AFC championship game loss.

Van Demark received a one-year add-on, though that early move effectively bought out an ERFA year. He will only be a restricted free agent in 2026. But Van Demark’s spot with the Bills appears vulnerable, as The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia’s roster projection leaves him off the final 53. The former Colts UDFA’s issues at right tackle have largely made the fourth-year blocker a one-position backup, Buscaglia adds, leaving him at risk of being usurped by someone with more versatility.

Van Demark did log more time at RT than LT in 2024, playing 154 snaps on the right side and 43 at the other O-line edge post. The Bills also drafted Chase Lundt in the sixth round this year and Tylan Grable in the 2024 sixth round. All 74 of Grable’s rookie-year snaps came at left tackle. A UConn alum, Lundt will turn 25 as a rookie. He also does not, in terms of game action, bring much positional flex. The Huskies used Lundt as their RT starter in four seasons, providing extensive experience ahead of a training camp battle with a (slightly) older performer.

The Bills are in the unusual position of not only returning all five O-line starters, but having two swing tackles in place for an extended run. Van Demark, 27, arrived as a practice squad presence in September 2022; he joined Anderson on that 16-man unit. Van Demark beat out David Quessenberry for Buffalo’s OT3 job in 2023, and played ahead of Anderson that year. Both have been developed in the Bills’ system, creating extreme tackle continuity for a team that has also extended starters Dion Dawkins (twice) and Spencer Brown. Lundt’s arrival, though, may bring change. While Anderson is considered a roster lock (per Buscaglia), Van Demark will be in for a camp battle.

Seahawks To Bring Back CB Shaquill Griffin

June 25th, 2025 at 1:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

After four seasons away, Shaquill Griffin has reached an agreement to return to Seattle. The Seahawks brought the veteran cornerback in for a visit earlier this offseason, and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports the sides will huddle up again on a deal weeks before training camp.

Midway through Pete Carroll‘s lengthy time as HC, the Seahawks drafted Griffin in the third round to work alongside Richard Sherman. The duo’s time together turned out to be brief, as Sherman suffered a season-ending injury in 2017 before being released in 2018. Griffin became the team’s highest-profile corner for a stretch, playing his way into a lucrative Jaguars free agency offer in 2021. He played for the Texans, Panthers and Vikings from 2023-24. Although twin brother (and ex-Seahawk teammate) Shaquem Griffin has retired, Shaquill will return to his first NFL home.

Griffin agreed to a one-year deal worth $3MM, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. This will bring a slight pay cut from a $4.55MM Vikings deal in 2024, but the 82-game starter can earn up to $4MM on the contract. This deal looks to end Seattle’s search for veteran CB help — or at least pause it — after the team had not addressed the position in an 11-player draft class. The Seahawks looked into other corners, also meeting with Rasul Douglas, but had Griffin on their pre- and post-draft radars. He will join a CB group featuring some other contract-year talent.

Losing part-time starter Tre Brown in free agency, the Seahawks have Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe in platform years. Corner-turned-safety Coby Bryant joins them. The Seahawks will have big-picture decisions to make at the position in the not-too-distant future, but for now, Griffin will add a familiar presence — albeit one who contributed in Carroll’s scheme. John Schneider remains in place from Griffin’s rookie-contract years.

The Seahawks worked out Griffin in April and discussed terms with him in May. Teams regularly add veterans between minicamp and training camp, after assessing position groups during offseason programs, and the Seahawks made the move to bring in an eight-year veteran entering his age-30 season. Although Carroll also brought in Griffin for a potential reunion (via a Las Vegas visit), Schneider will instead sign off on one. Chosen 90th overall, Griffin was the earliest Carroll/Schneider-era Seahawks CB draftee before Devon Witherspoon.

Griffin (30 in July) played in 17 Vikings games last season, starting three for Brian Flores‘ top-five defense. He intercepted two passes and broke up six in his one Minnesota season. A year prior, the 6-foot cover man split time between the Texans and Panthers. Griffin filled in as a Houston starter in 2023, catching on elsewhere in the AFC South after the Jaguars released him from a three-year, $40MM contract. Griffin started six games in Houston and played in three more with a 2-15 Carolina squad, being claimed on waivers.

Pro Football Focus has viewed Griffin as a mid-pack corner for a few years now. The advanced metrics site ranked the boundary corner 63rd last season and 53rd in 2023. Griffin’s first Jaguars season brought a No. 19 overall grade, but the Urban Meyer signee lost momentum when a back injury stopped his 2022 season after five games.

Named a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019, Griffin started 53 games for the Seahawks and helped Carroll’s team to three straight playoff berths (2018-20). Sherman’s extension notwithstanding, the Seahawks have a history of not paying for CB talent. They let both Griffin and D.J. Reed walk after they respectively played out their rookie contracts. The next several months will help paint a picture of how the Seahawks treat the position under Mike Macdonald.

Commanders See Josh Conerly As Future LT

June 25th, 2025 at 11:20am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Commanders first-round pick Josh Conerly primarily lined up at right tackle during spring practices, according to ESPN’s John Keim, but the team believes he could take over at left tackle in the long term.

Right now, that spot is filled by Laremy Tunsil, who arrived in Washington via trade this offseason. He still has two years left on his contract, but no money past 2025 is guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Since the Texans already absorbed the dead money from Tunsil’s signing bonus, 2026 is essentially a $21.35MM team option for the Commanders.

That is still a good price for a top left tackle, and it is unlikely that the Commanders moved two Day 2 draft picks for just one year of Tunsil on the blind side. However, Tunsil has a reputation as a shrewd negotiator and could ask for as much as $30MM on his next contract. If the Commanders balk at that price tag, they could let Tunsil walk in free agency in 2027 with Conerly already in place as their succession plan.

All 28 of Conerly’s college starts at Oregon came at left tackle, so he should be well-prepared for similar duties in the NFL. He has largely played with the second team thus far, per Keim, indicating that veteran Andrew Wylie is likely to retain his starting job. However, Wylie accepted a pay cut this offseason entering the last year of his contract, indicating that the Commanders plan to move on after this season. Conerly could then step in at right tackle in 2026 before flipping back to his natural position in 2027 if the team parts ways with Tunsil.

Tunsil, for his part, is impressed with his rookie teammate, who showcased his movement skills during padless spring practices.

“He’s going to be a dog,” said Tunsil (via Keim). “Just the way he moves, the way he bends, athletic, smart, very intelligent. He has all the tools to be a damn good player in this league.”

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