Texans, QBs Coach Jerrod Johnson To Part Ways
C.J. Stroud will remain in place with the Texans for 2026. He will have a new position coach for the first time in his career next season, though.
[RELATED: Texans Confirm No Stroud Trade Forthcoming]
A parting of ways between Houston and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is set to take place, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Johnson had been on hand with the Texans since 2023, Stroud’s rookie campaign and the first with head coach DeMeco Ryans on the sidelines. Senior offensive assistant Jerry Schlupinski will take on a more direct role working with Stroud and the quarterbacks, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
Schlupinski and offensive coordinator Nick Caley will work together to serve as an internal Johnson replacement, Wilson notes. He adds this decision was mutual, noting Johnson had already departed the Texans’ staff one week before the start of the ongoing NFL Combine. According to Wilson, Johnson – who worked with the Colts and Vikings prior to his Houston arrival – has a number of opportunities to consider as he explores his next coaching gig.
Stroud earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and helped lead the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2023. The team has reached that point of the playoffs each of the past two years, but Stroud’s level of play has drawn criticism over that span. Improved play at the receiver position and along the offensive line will be a goal for 2026. Upgrades on those fronts would be welcomed, but Stroud’s level of play in 2026 will be worth watching closely.
The former No. 2 pick is set to have his fifth-year option exercised this spring, although a long-term extension does not appear to be imminent. How Stroud manages to perform next season will thus be critical in informing how the team proceeds in his case. A pivotal 2026 campaign will take place with a new QBs coach in the fold.
Interest In Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Could Push Asking Price To Two Firsts
FEBRUARY 26: According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Raiders’ price for a Crosby deal does indeed include two first-round picks but also a player. That would match the Parsons blockbuster from last season. Raiders GM John Spytek said earlier this week he does not expect a trade to take place, but it remains to be seen if a suitor will submit an offer in line with his asking price.
FEBRUARY 22: It’s no secret that Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby is a top trade target for many teams across the NFL, but several factors have the potential to affect if Crosby leaves, where he may end up, and just how much the Raiders might receive if they choose to trade him. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post, the sheer amount of interest in Crosby indicates a return of two first-round picks is very much on the table. 
We’ve discussed something along these lines in the past. The 28-year-old two-time second-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler has established himself amongst the best edge rushers in the NFL. His seven-year career with the Raiders — six years in Las Vegas after a rookie campaign in Oakland — has amassed 69.5 sacks, 133 tackles for loss, and 164 quarterback hits. Though his awards haven’t stacked up quite as high as some of his colleagues’, his production as an acquirable asset is fully on par with past edge rushers who were traded like Khalil Mack and Micah Parsons.
To be fair, both Mack and Parsons were two years younger when they were traded — Mack in 2018, Parsons last year. When Mack was traded from Oakland to Bears, Chicago sent the Raiders two first-round picks in return. Last year, Green Bay’s price for Parsons included two first-rounders in addition to veteran defensive tackle (and former first-round pick) Kenny Clark. Elite pass rushers are a commodity in the NFL. Though Crosby is two years older than both former examples, he’s still an elite pass rusher in the NFL, and if he isn’t worth two first-round picks on his own merit, team competition to acquire him is expected to drive his price up to that.
A factor outside of his performance metrics that could influence what we hear coming out of the combine on Crosby is the unknown determination of whether or not he wants to be traded. The Raiders would almost certainly love to hold onto him. The promotion of Crosby’s position coach to defensive coordinator could easily have been done with hopes that Crosby might be more willing to stick around if his main coach were not only retained on the new staff but promoted on it. Alternatively, Las Vegas may see enough value in what a trade offer could bring to their ability to accelerate the rebuild process.
There’s belief that Crosby may even want to stick around himself. Per an earlier report from Bonsignore’s colleague Noah Nussbaum, Crosby bleeds silver and black and may even be excited for the next steps of the Raiders’ rebuild. Alternatively, Crosby has already committed some of his best years to failed rebuild attempts as the franchise has cycled through head coaches and general managers over the years. He may decide that he’s waited long enough, that his patience has run out, and that it’s time for him to maximize his potential for success, both personal and team.
Another determining factor could be which teams opt to pursue Crosby. As we approach this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, coaching and personnel leaders in the NFL are set to convene in Indianapolis to observe and interview top collegiate athletes gathered from across the country.
The casual environment will allow for general managers to have off-the-record conversations through which they can gauge interest in tradeable players and begin negotiations on what price tags might look like. Teams with a standard or limited draft pick arsenal will almost certainly need to pair up the first-round picks from two separate years. A team that has accumulated a larger arsenal of picks, though, may be able to avoid two firsts by grouping several Day 2 picks with a first-rounder.
There are so many directions in which this conversation could go. It’s all speculation at the moment, but as team representatives from around the NFL gather in Lucas Oil Stadium this week, we could find a bit of clarity as ideas start to circulate around the combine.
Cardinals ‘Frustrated’ With Kyler Murray
The Cardinals will explore trades for Kyler Murray this week, but the quarterback’s camp is hoping the team releases him, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. That would be a best-case scenario for the 28-year-old Murray, who would have the ability to pick his next team in free agency.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort reportedly has not engaged with Murray since the end of last season. But Murray’s camp will meet with the Cardinals at this week’s Combine in Indianapolis, according to Vacchiano. It does not appear a decision on Murray’s future will be made in Indianapolis, per Vacchiano, but it’s hard to imagine him lasting much longer in Arizona.
Thanks to the five-year, $230.5MM extension former GM Steve Keim gave Murray in 2022, $19.5MM of his 2027 base salary will vest on March 15. A trade or release should occur by then. That’s especially true with the Cardinals having grown “frustrated” with Murray, Vacchiano writes.
Questions regarding the former No. 1 overall pick’s work ethic and leadership continue to hang over him seven years into his career. To make matters worse, the Cardinals are concerned that Murray will never fully bounce back from the torn ACL he suffered in December 2022. Murray’s dual-threat capabilities have been a major part of his appeal, but a source told Vacchiano that his mobility is “shot.” If true, it could put the kibosh on Murray ever turning back into an effective starter.
Arizona’s 2022 season had already gone off the rails before Murray’s knee injury, but he wasn’t far removed from earning original-ballot Pro Bowls nods from 2020-21. The Cardinals clinched their most recent playoff berth in Murray’s second Pro Bowl season. The Rams crushed them in the wild-card round, though, and neither he nor the Cardinals have come back from it.
Arizona lost 13 of Murray’s 19 starts from 2022-23, both 4-13 seasons for the team. There were at least signs of life in 2024. That year, Murray’s lone 17-game season, the 5-foot-10 signal-caller completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a career-best 63.4 QBR. As a runner, he racked up 572 yards on a hearty 7.3 per carry and added five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Whatever progress the Cardinals thought they had made two seasons ago was erased during a three-win 2025. Murray, who missed 12 games with a Lisfranc injury, didn’t play past Week 5. The Cardinals went on to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon after the season. His replacement, Mike LaFleur, is unlikely to coach Murray in Arizona.
If Murray gets his wish and the Cardinals release him before March 15, they would take on a $54.72MM dead money charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. That would not be a good outcome for the team, but ripping the Band-Aid off then would be better than designating Murray a post-June 1 cut. In that scenario, the Cardinals would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026) while losing $17.39MM in space next season.
Bears Grant LB Tremaine Edmunds Permission To Seek Trade
The Bears are allowing veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to seek a trade, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Edmunds, 27, has started 45 games in Chicago over the last three years. He arrived in 2023 as a replacement for Roquan Smith, who had been traded to the Ravens during the 2022 season. The Bears gave Edmunds a four-year, $72MM deal ($41.8MM fully guaranteed); his $18MM AAV ranks third among inside linebackers.
Originally the No. 16 pick by the Bills in 2018, Edmunds partnered with Matt Milano in the middle of Buffalo’s defense for the first five years of his career. He led the team in tackles in all but one year and earn Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020.
Edmunds finished his time in Buffalo with 565 tackles (32 for loss), 35 passes defended, and five interceptions in 74 starts. He dealt with a few injuries but only missed eight games.
In Chicago, Edmunds played alongside T.J. Edwards and racked up 335 tackles (11 for loss), 24 passes defended, and nine interceptions in the last three years.
High-end inside linebacker play can be hard to find, so Edmunds could garner some interest on the trade market. He is one of two linebackers this century with at least 900 tackles and 50 passes defended before turning 28, per senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno. The other is Luke Kuechly, who was recently elected into the Hall of Fame.
Edmunds’ size, athleticism, and youth are all major pluses; he has also improved as a tackler and in coverage throughout his career. The importance of experience and processing at the linebacker position also helps Edmunds’ value, as many veteran LBs get better with age.
However, Edmunds is owed $15MM next season, per OverTheCap. Since 2026 is the last year of his current contract, he may want an extension from a new team. That could be an obstacle to a trade, as teams may not want to pay him at the top of the linebacker market. They may also be waiting for the Bears to simply release Edmunds rather than use draft capital to acquire him and his pricey salary. Allowing a player to seek a trade is often a precursor for releasing that player as a cap casualty. Chicago would save $15MM against the 2026 salary cap with such a move with a $2.44MM dead cap charge.
The Bears would then have to find a replacement for Edmunds in the middle of their defense. Noah Sewell and D’Marco Jackson – who both played over 300 snaps in 2025, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) – will likely compete for the starting job next to Edwards.
Offseason Outlook: Las Vegas Raiders
Counting Rich Bisaccia, the Raiders have employed six head coaches since 2021. Counting Champ Kelly, they are on GM No. 5 in that span. A chaotic decade in Las Vegas continues, but a ray of hope is expected to come from the Midwest. The Raiders outflanked competitors to land the No. 1 overall pick, and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza appears ticketed for Sin City.
The Raiders are 0-for-3 in quarterback plans post-Derek Carr, but this represents a different tier of opportunity. It will be the Raiders' first No. 1 overall pick since 2007 (JaMarcus Russell). Tom Brady and John Spytek have plenty of work to do in what has become a stacked AFC West, but Mendoza is poised to bring a solid starting point as yet another staff overhaul commences.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired head coach Pete Carroll
- Hired Klint Kubiak as HC replacement
- Hired Andrew Janocko as offensive coordinator
- Promoted D-line coach Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator
- Hired Joe DeCamillis as special teams coordinator, Marquice Williams as senior ST coach
- Hired Mike McCoy as senior offensive assistant
- Brought in Al Holcomb as senior defensive assistant
- Added Rick Dennison as offensive line coach
- Retained defensive pass-game coordinator Joe Woods
- Blocked from interviewing Seahawks' Justin Outten for run-game coordinator role
It was not hard to see the writing on the wall early for Carroll. The Raiders attempted to convince Ben Johnson to sign up. Even though no official offer came, Johnson was clearly the team's top HC choice in 2025. After the late-30-something coordinator turned the team down, a pivot to the oldest head coach in NFL history occurred. Carroll secured that honor by coaching at 74. He went 3-14, with win No. 3 coming against a noncommitted Chiefs team.
Eagles LG Landon Dickerson Coming Back For 2026
After speculation circulated earlier this month on the possibility that Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson could retire after only five years in the league, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport are pointing to Dickerson’s most recent Instagram post as evidence that the 27-year-old will be returning for a sixth year of NFL play. 
Earlier this month, surprising news hit the airwaves in Philadelphia as multiple sources reported that Dickerson could retire after only a five-year tenure in the NFL. It was only two years ago that Dickerson signed an extension to stay with the Eagles through the 2028 NFL season, a commitment for which he was rewarded with the highest annual average contract value ($21MM per year) in NFL history (at the time) for an offensive guard.
As often is the case for young NFL retirees, injuries spelled out the story for Dickerson. Dating back to his college days at Florida State and Alabama, Dickerson has undergone 13 surgeries. The Rimington Trophy-winner (best center in college football) was drafted in the second round by the Eagles despite having torn his ACL in the Crimson Tide’s SEC Championship Game appearance in his final season. Still, he was activated off the active/non-football injury list in time to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and was cemented into the starting lineup by Week 3 of his rookie campaign.
Originally drafted to be the heir apparent for the eventually retiring Jason Kelce, Dickerson was too talented to keep off the field as a rookie. He ended up fitting in so well slotted in next to left tackle Jordan Mailata that the team abandoned its plans of moving him to center and opted to draft a second-round center for the second year in row, ordaining Cam Jurgens as the new Kelce replacement.
Dickerson’s success persisted over the years despite injuries continuing to hamper him along the way. In the team’s NFC Championship game win following the 2022-23 season, Dickerson suffered a right elbow hyperextension but was able to play through it for the Super Bowl. In the team’s NFC Championship game win following the 2024-25 season, Dickerson was knocked out of the game with a left knee injury that required surgery in the offseason after he was able to, once again, play through it for the Super Bowl.
Things got really scary just before the start of the 2025 regular season when Dickerson needed to undergo meniscus surgery in mid-August. Luckily, he only required a minor procedure, and he was able to return to the field in time for the team’s season opener. It’s honestly impressive how resilient Dickerson has been throughout his injury-riddled career. Despite the numerous maladies he’s sustained over five years in the NFL, Dickerson has only missed seven games in total, and never two in a row.
While the thought that Dickerson was considering hanging up his cleats this early into his career may frighten some fans, his resilience has continued to shine into Year 6. His early retirement may still come in the several years that follow, but as of right now, Dickerson’s position on the offensive line is not one the Eagles have to worry about for the 2026 NFL season.
Dolphins, Tyreek Hill Did Not Discuss Pay Cut; Hill’s Market ‘Tepid’
The Dolphins ended the four-year Tyreek Hill era when they released the decorated wide receiver on Feb. 16. The move opened up significant savings for the Dolphins. Hill was due to count an untenable $51.1MM against the cap before the Dolphins gave him his walking papers.
Miami could have attempted to retain Hill at a lower price tag, but that was never an option for the team. Agent Drew Rosenhaus revealed that he and the Dolphins did not discuss a pay cut for Hill, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Rosenhaus added that Miami’s goal is to assemble a younger roster. Keeping Hill, who will turn 32 on March 1, would have worked against that plan.
While Hill plans to return for an 11th season in 2026, he is on the mend from a severe knee injury that could continue to hinder him in the future. Hill’s season ended in Week 4 when he tore multiple ligaments, including his ACL, and dislocated his knee.
In yet another factor that should lower the value of Hill’s next contract, the NFL is investigating domestic violence accusations against him. There have been three known domestic violence allegations against Hill dating to his time in college. Oklahoma State kicked Hill off its football and track teams in 2014 after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence. Hill resurfaced on West Alabama’s football team the next year. The Chiefs took the speedster in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, and he has since put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Although Hill is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a five-time first-team All-Pro, he has encountered a “tepid” market since the Dolphins cut him, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom reports. Multiple league executives who are seeking receiver upgrades told La Canfora they want no part of Hill. There are concerns over Hill’s fading physical skills and his questionable locker room presence, sources informed La Canfora.
“No chance. We think he’s done,” one general manager said. “He isn’t a difference-maker anymore. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Not even as a vet-minimum guy for us.”
Combining his age, injury and off-field troubles, Hill looks like a prime candidate for a prove-it deal in 2026. The 5-foot-10, 191-pounder was productive during his most recently healthy campaign in 2024, though he began showing signs of decline that year. Hill’s numbers (81 catches, 959 yards and six touchdowns) fell well short of his typical output, and his stock has continued to drop since then.
Saints C Will Clapp To Retire
Following an eight-year career as a center in the NFL with stops in New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Buffalo, Will Clapp announced on his Instagram today that he will be retiring from the NFL. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, the end of Clapp’s playing career may just coincide with the start of his coaching career. 
Clapp came to the NFL after three years as a starter at LSU. The nearby Saints drafted him in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and though he made the initial 53-man roster as a rookie, he didn’t make his NFL debut until the final three weeks of the season, culminating with his first NFL start in a meaningless Week 17 affair. In Year 2, Clapp became established as a key contributor off the bench for the Saints offensive line. Despite only logging three actual starts, Clapp played in 15 games, often getting a decent snap share in each contest (33.5 percent of the offensive snaps that season).
Unfortunately, Clapp saw his role greatly reduced in Year 3. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster for 2020, he spent most of the year bouncing back and forth from the active roster and practice squad, and his snap shares fell dramatically in the eight games in which he did play. After starting 2021 on injured reserve and getting activated in early October, it was more of the same as he continued to bounce back and forth between the taxi squad and 53-man roster. Over four years in New Orleans, Clapp played in 34 games with seven of those being starts.
In 2022, he signed with the Chargers. While he made the 53-man roster and remained there for the entire season for the first time since his sophomore campaign, Clapp resumed a backup role, playing only special teams in most games with a few midgame replacements and three starts. The following year, though, a season-ending heart issue for starting center Corey Linsley opened the door for Clapp to finally work as a starter. He worked with the first-team offense from Week 4 all the way to Week 15 of that season, at which point he suffered a knee injury that landed him on IR for the remainder of the year.
Following his time in LA, Clapp signed with the Bills. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster, Clapp was retained on the practice squad. Buffalo brought him back to the active roster in Week 4 that year, but after he went 10 straight games as a healthy scratch, the team relegated him back to the practice squad before elevating him to start in the final game of the regular season. That game (not including special teams duty in two playoff games) would be his last. Clapp returned to New Orleans for a second stint this past offseason but suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in the team’s first preseason game.
A New Orleans native, Clapp’s time with the Saints may not be over just yet. Per Underhill’s NOF colleague, Mike Triplett, during his stint on IR this year, Clapp began to help out the Saints coaching staff. Fellow former Saints offensive lineman Jahri Evans set that example starting back in 2022. After working as an intern and offensive assistant, Evans was named assistant offensive line coach last year but just left to take the same job with the Steelers this offseason. That leaves a vacancy that could easily be filled by Clapp. Clapp is already extremely familiar with offensive line coach Brendan Nugent, who was OL coach for the Chargers during Clapp’s stay in LA.
While his playing career ended earlier than he likely hoped it would, Clapp seems primed to begin his career as a coach, following in Evans’ footsteps. We’ll have to keep an eye out for an announcement in the near future potentially naming Clapp to the assistant OL coaching role in New Orleans.
Growing Belief QB Derek Carr Would Consider Return To NFL
FEBRUARY 25: Rumors continue to support the narrative of a potential return to the NFL for Carr. According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, there’s growing belief that Carr “is very serious about unretiring and returning to the NFL in 2026.” Carr’s decision to return will still hinge on the right situation presenting itself, but that’s only half the battle. Per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football, because Carr didn’t play out his full contract before retiring, the Saints still retain his rights and would likely be due trade compensation from any team looking to acquire the 34-year-old passer.
FEBRUARY 14: It’s the era of unretiring quarterbacks in the NFL, apparently. Though we’ve seen it from other positions, as well (most notably tight ends — Jason Witten, Rob Gronkowski, Darren Waller), quarterbacks seem to be the most notorious culprits of playing with the emotions of their fans. 
Brett Favre retired with the Packers before coming back to play and retire with the Jets before coming back to play and retire with the Vikings. Favre’s first retirement lasted about four months before he asked the Packers for his release; his second lasted just over two months before the Jets let him go. Tom Brady retired after two seasons with the Buccaneers before announcing, 40 days later, that he would return for another year. The most notorious — and egregious — example came to us this past season when Philip Rivers made a comeback for the Colts nearly five years after initially hanging up his cleats.
That’s what made it unsurprising, at this point, when reports sprouted up last week that former Raiders and Saints quarterback Derek Carr could consider returning to play in 2026 after retiring last year. As Carr dealt with a shoulder injury and the potential need for surgery, it was announced that he would be hanging it up. Initial reports indicated that Carr was “extremely unlikely” to unretire, but he had called around the league to gauge interest before making the decision and, eventually, began to change his tune. When both the Bengals and Colts came calling, though, Carr remained retired, not yet getting coaxed out of unemployment.
Then, last week’s reports came out, and in an installment of Carr’s Home Grown podcast that he hosts with his brother, David Carr, on Thursday, Derek confirmed the reports that unretirement was a possible consideration. “Would I do it? Yes,” Carr communicated to his brother and listeners. “Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not. I’d have to be healthy, and I’d want a chance to win a Super Bowl, and obviously, that’s a tough thing to find. That’s hard to do. That’s not easy.”
The 34-year-old passer seemed to indicate that health is not an issue at this point in time and, perhaps, alluded to the contender-status requirement being the reason he didn’t unretire for the Bengals and Colts last year, saying he “had to say ‘no’ a couple times, so far.”
The Bengals had shown in 2024 that even with Joe Burrow playing at an MVP level, their defense kept them from even making the playoffs, and while the Colts looked like the team to beat in the AFC after a 7-1 start to the season, cracks had already started to appear even before Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury. Indianapolis lost three of its last four games with Jones at quarterback with the only win coming in overtime over the Falcons.
It’s unclear, then, exactly what the scenario would need to look like for him to seriously consider returning to the field. One would assume that perennial quarterback-hungry teams like the Jets, Raiders, or Browns would not entice him to unretire.
Other teams with potential quarterback openings could be the Dolphins, Steelers, Colts, Vikings, Falcons, and Cardinals. It’s hard to argue any of those teams are necessarily a Derek Carr away from winning it all, but the situation Carr may be looking for could be one in which an expected title contender loses their passer and is looking for a veteran to carry them to the finish line, à la Nick Foles in 2017.
Regardless, the option appears to be on the table and, given the return of the 44-year-old Rivers last year, it could remain on the table for years to come. It only remains to be seen whether or not the stars will align for Carr to dust off his cleats and see if they still fit.
Miami DL Rueben Bain Won’t Participate In Combine Testing
Coming off a 2025 College Football Playoff championship run that fell just short, Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. has been one of the more controversial prospects in pre-draft discussions before today. Questions of tape vs. production vs. measurements have had draft pundits putting him anywhere from top three to late-first round on their draft boards. Bain seems to believe he’s done enough to prove his abilities, though, as he will not be participating in any on-field testing at the NFL Scouting Combine, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. 
Bain’s career in Coral Gables was a bit of a roller coaster. Many of the same questions plagued the Miami Central HS (FL) product coming out of high school, as his 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame detracted from his dominance on film. Still, as a consensus top-100 recruit, he made an immediate impact on the Hurricanes defense, registering 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. His sophomore year was plagued with injuries as Bain missed four games. The missed time and a slimmer frame seemed to contribute to his inability that season to find a rhythm and match the dominance he’d shown in Year 1.
This past season was a different story. Finally healthy and having added back some weight (up to 270 pounds), Bain looked much more like the menace from two years prior. Although his return to dominance made him the point of attention for every offense he went up against, Bain continued to make impact plays, either by disrupting with sacks and TFLs or by freeing things up for his teammates to create negative plays. Even so, Bain only accounted for 4.5 sacks and 7.5 TFLs through the regular season.
When the lights got brightest, though, Bain showed what he could do against the NCAA’s best competition. In a windy first-round playoff game in College Station, Bain’s three sacks and four tackles for loss shined on a day of little offense. In two games against the two Big 10 teams that entered the CFP ranked 1 and 2, Bain added another two sacks and four tackles for loss.
When the season came to an end, it was clear Bain’s impressive abilities had solidified him as a first-round talent, but draft pundits seemed to have concerns about his occasional disappearances from the stat sheet and his arm length. While his lack of consistent production is helped by the opportunities that his impact provides for his teammates, there have historically been concerns playing pass rushers with shorter arms on the outside in the NFL.
From the look of things early, though, Bain’s choice not to test could be well warranted. As defensive linemen, linebackers, and kickers reported today for team interviews and media availability, multiple reports suggested that no booth was more crowded than Bain’s. Regarding the questions of tape, production, and measurements, the collective media was dying to hear about that latter, main concern most draft pundits had pegged on Bain in the pre-draft process.
Bain relayed to the media that he had met with the Chiefs, Titans, Bengals, Cardinals, Commanders, Cowboys, Dolphins, Jets, and Saints. Throughout all of those conversations, he maintained that not a single team brought up any concerns about his arm length, per Davenport. He told reporters it was just “stuff you see on social media” and claimed that if the teams weren’t concerned about it then neither was he. Bain told the media he felt great about his interviews which had focused on his tape and impact, not his measurables.
According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi echoed those sentiments, saying they were impressed with Bain’s power and mind in their meeting with him and that “short arms aren’t (an) issue.” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein also laid out a case for how the typical short-arm concerns don’t apply to a player like Bain, who often disrupts a blocker’s punch timing with his explosive get off and strong hands.
The reporting that he will not participate in on-field testing certainly is backed up by team’s focus on his tape, but it’s unclear if his refusal to test includes taking place in the combine’s official measurements. If there are any genuine team concerns on his arm length, and he doesn’t measure, it could certainly hurt his draft stock with those teams. But after hearing that his impact on the field was the focus with multiple teams, Bain may feel confident enough measure without any worry of poor measurements hurting his stock.