Giants Still “In The Mix” For DT D.J. Reader
The Giants continue to be connected to D.J. Reader. Jordan Schultz reported last week that the Giants are “very much in the mix” for the free agent defensive tackle, but the reporter does caution that the organization has some “real competition.” Jason La Canfora echoes that sentiment, noting that John Harbaugh is still expected to “lure” Reader to New York.
The veteran met with the Giants about a month ago. We heard that Reader was expected to wait until after the draft to sign with a team, allowing him to survey the defensive line landscape while also allowing his suitor to avoid the 2027 compensatory-pick formula. Notably, the Giants have added Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu to the mix, and they drafted Auburn DT Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round. Still, Schultz believes these additions won’t have any influence on Reader’s decision.
As for the unnamed competition, the only other team that’s been definitively connected to the free agent is the Ravens. Baltimore has since made a significant addition at the position in Calais Campbell. While New York’s DL additions may not have any bearing on the Reader sweepstakes, Campbell’s addition could take the Ravens out of the running. For what it’s worth, Dan Duggan of The Athletic says the Giants were never in the mix for Campbell’s services.
Reader spent the past two seasons with the Lions, starting all 32 of his appearances. He finished his first year in Detroit with three sacks, four TFLs, and eight QB hits, but those numbers dropped to zero sacks, zero TFLs, and four QB hits in 2025. The 31-year-old still earned similar PFF grades between the two years, including a 2025 showing when he ranked 32nd among 127 qualifying interior defenders. Any suitor would be hoping Reader can return to his performance from Cincinnati, where he ranked between sixth and 11th during his final three-year stretch with the organization.
The Giants needed some reinforcement at the position entering the offseason, and that need only intensified after they acquired the No. 10 pick for Dexter Lawrence. In addition to the players mentioned above, the team also has former third-round pick Darius Alexander and offseason acquisitions Sam Roberts and Marlon Tuipulotu at the position. Reader would represent an upgrade over any of the existing options, and it sounds like it’s only a matter of time before he joins the organization.
Ravens Hire JoJo Wooden As Front Office Consultant
JoJo Wooden has found his next gig. The long-time NFL executive has joined the Ravens front office in a “consultant-like capacity,” per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Wooden started his executive career with the Jets in 1997, and he’s been in NFL front offices for the past three decades. In New York, he worked his way up to director of pro scouting and assistant director of player personnel before taking a promotion as director of player personnel with the Chargers in 2013.
That stint with the franchise lasted more than a decade, with Wooden notably being involved in the transition from Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert. When GM Tom Telesco was fired towards the end of the 2023 campaign, Wooden took on the role of interim general manager, but he naturally didn’t stick around as the organization pivoted to a new front office in 2024.
That led Wooden to Las Vegas, where he was named as the Raiders senior director of player personnel. The team finished that season with only four wins, and Wooden was ousted after only one year with the franchise. He was out of football for the 2025 campaign.
Now, he’ll be joining Baltimore’s front office. Eric DeCosta has been with the Ravens for decades, so Wooden’s stop in Baltimore may be temporary as he pursues another high-ranking gig next offseason. Still, he should provide the front office with some veteran leadership as they navigate their first season without John Harbaugh.
The Ravens made another few moves. ESPN’s Seth Walder reports that the team has hired Kenan Clarke and Eliana DeTata as Coaching Analytics Fellows. Clarke recently worked for the Raiders, while DeTata served as a student football analyst at Michigan.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/26
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL DJ Wingfield
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Jonathan Brady
- Placed on IR: WR Justin Shorter
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Jaheim Bell
The Raiders placed WR Justin Shorter on IR today with an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old has spent the past two seasons in Las Vegas, appearing in 17 games while spending the majority of his time on special teams. He stuck with the organization via a reserve/futures contract following the 2025 campaign.
He’ll be replaced by UDFA Jonathan Brady, who is coming off a 2025 season when he hauled in 14 catches for Indiana. The Raiders have been busy surrounding first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza with familiar faces, as Brady will join Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams on the offseason roster.
Patriots Preparing Caleb Lomu To Play RT
For the second straight year, the Patriots used a first-round pick on an offensive tackle. While 2026 first rounder Caleb Lomu exclusively played LT in college, he won’t be replacing 2025 first rounder Will Campbell at the position.
[RELATED: Patriots Acquire No. 28 From Bills, Draft T Caleb Lomu]
While SI.com’s Albert Breer acknowledges that Lomu provides New England with some insurance should Campbell continue to struggle at LT, the reporter says the team’s plan is to prepare their rookie to “get his work in” at RT.
After returning from a late-season knee injury, Campbell struggled mightily while protecting Drake Maye, culminating in the QB suffering a league-leading 21 sacks in the postseason. While the fourth-overall pick’s struggles were apparent, he performed much better during the regular season, allowing only a 6.3% pressure rate on passing plays (good for the 12th-best percentage among offensive tackles, per PFF). So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when coach Mike Vrabel gave Campbell a vote of confidence as the team’s LT moving forward, although New England’s recent selection of Lomu did raise some eyebrows.
The Utah product made a name for himself following strong performances at left tackle in 2024 and 2025. The six-foot-six blocker earned first-team All-Big 12 honors this past season while establishing himself among the top tier of OT prospects. Lomu ended up being the last OT to hear their name called during Round 1, with Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf admitting that the lineman’s unexpected fall down the draft board forced the organization’s hand.
While Lomu obviously has the experience to be the team’s LT, they’ll instead prepare him to take over on the other side of the line. Morgan Moses is currently penciled in for that spot following a strong first season in New England. The 35-year-old finished 24th among 84 qualifying OTs, per PFF, with the site crediting the veteran with only a pair of sacks allowed and 29 pressures. While Moses is signed through the 2027 campaign, the front office can easily bail on the contract next offseason. That would seem to indicate that Lomu will spend his rookie campaign as a backup before getting a chance to start in 2027.
Before the Patriots opted for an offensive lineman, the team considered several other positions with their first-round selection. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots looked at edge rushers and wide receivers with the pick. The team’s need for some pass-rush help isn’t a surprise, but it is notable that they were eyeing wideouts, especially considering New England’s pursuit of Eagles WR A.J. Brown. Fowler says the team would have been tempted by KC Concepcion had he slipped by the Browns.
Eagles Extend Assistant GM Jon Ferrari
The Eagles are sticking with their current front office hierarchy for the foreseeable future. According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, the team has extended assistant general manager Jon Ferrari.
The executive has spent a decade in the Eagles front office, working his way up from manager of football compliance to his current role as assistant GM under Howie Roseman. Prior to his stint in Philadelphia, Ferrari worked for the league office, where he had a long stint as the league’s manager of labor operations.
This move comes following the departures of two key executives in assistant GM Alec Halabay and senior vice president/tertiary football executive Bryce Johnston. While Ferrari is now locked in to his role for the next few years, this extension doesn’t prevent him from pursuing a promotion with the Eagles or another organization.
In addition to extending Ferrari, the team has also signed chief security officer Dom DiSandro to an extension, per Berman. “Big Dom” first joined the franchise in 1999, serving as the assistant chief security officer under Butch Buchanico. He later earned the title of senior adviser to the general manager, and he earned the additional role of “gameday coaching operations” in 2024.
As Berman notes, this may only be the start of the Eagles’ front office moves. The reporter expects the organization to make more staff changes/title adjustments in the coming weeks.
Browns Considered Jordyn Tyson, Francis Mauigoa In Round 1; Latest On Jerry Jeudy
Heavily rumored to be considering a trade-down move from No. 6, the Browns found a taker and flipped the pick to the Chiefs in exchange for third- and fifth-rounders. The Chiefs took LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, leaving the Browns with one of their preferred prospects on offense at No. 9.
GM Andrew Berry had already asked Chiefs counterpart Brett Veach if he would use No. 6 on offense or defense; after hearing the Kansas City front office boss’ answer, Berry would be assured of one of the team’s three preferred offensive prospects being available at 9.
[RELATED: Deshaun Watson Holds Early Lead For Browns’ QB Job]
The Browns felt comfortable with that three-spot slide due to interest in Jordyn Tyson, Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa, as detailed by ESPN’s The Pick Is In special (h/t ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi). While it is unclear if the Browns would have taken Tyson above Fano at 9, the Saints took the play out of their hands by grabbing the Arizona State wide receiver at 8.
Browns-Tyson rumors did not circulate heavily before draft weekend, as the most recent tie came from an early-March “30” visit. The Browns kept their Tyson interest under wraps, though we did hear some teams preferred his upside to Carnell Tate‘s. The Titans were not among that group, as they chose Tate fourth overall. The Browns addressed receiver with their second and third draft choices, taking Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion and Washington’s Denzel Boston at Nos. 24 and 39.
Cleveland was closely tied to wanting a tackle in Round 1, and the team came away with Fano. The team chose Fano over Mauigoa, whom the Giants drafted one spot later. Fano came as a cleaner prospect, with Mauigoa’s disk issue affecting his draft stock.
The Browns declined two Cowboys offers for No. 9, with Dallas initially proposing Nos. 12 and 20 for Nos. 9 and 24. Berry labeled that first offer light, before Cowboys COO Stephen Jones tacked on a fifth-rounder (h/t Oyefusi) to the proposal. The Browns stayed at 9 and drafted Fano, who is ticketed to be the team’s left tackle. We heard earlier the Browns received calls from NFC teams before Tyson went off the board and that Cleveland declined another offer for 9. It is now known the Cowboys made the latter proposal.
The Browns, who gave Fano LT challenger Dawand Jones a pay cut in exchange for upfront guarantees, may have been leery of dropping below the Giants in the draft. Jones said during the ESPN special the Browns were likely worried about the Giants with regards to a tackle.
The Dolphins loomed at No. 11, inviting a scenario in which both the Browns’ top tackle options were off the board by the time No. 12 came around. Miami moved down one spot with Dallas, which may have been trying to outflank New York for Caleb Downs — a player frequently linked to Big Blue pre-draft — with its offer for No. 9. But the Cowboys ended up with the Ohio State safety at No. 11. The Dolphins also chose a tackle — Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor — after trading down.
As Tyson joins Chris Olave in New Orleans, the Browns rounded out their receiver cadre with Concepcion and Boston. They will accompany Jerry Jeudy, whom Berry said (via Oyefusi) the team will not be impacted by the team’s first- and second-round wideout choices. Jeudy’s three-year, $52.5MM extension runs through the 2027 season.
“He’s our bell cow,” Berry said of Jeudy. “I think with receiver rooms you can have, maybe a ball-dominant player or you can essentially build a basketball team with different skillsets. We prefer the second approach. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take Calvin Johnson if he’s out there. But we feel like we have a nice, well-rounded room with speed, RAC, contested catch ability, separation. So, we’re really pleased with the youth and talent in that group.”
Boston’s size-oriented outside skillset will complement smaller wideouts like Jeudy and Concepcion. Jeudy has plenty of slot experience as well. While the former Broncos first-rounder is heading into his seventh NFL season, he just turned 27. More prime years should remain, though the Alabama product is coming off a down 2025.
After a Pro Bowl 2024 season that included a belated breakout — 90 catches, 1,229 yards, four touchdowns — Jeudy slumped last season (50/602/2 in 17 games). Drops were an issue for the upper-crust route runner, but the Browns are planning to give him another chance.
It would cost the Browns more than $22MM to trade Jeudy this year. While they could prorate that over two years by waiting until after June 1, Cleveland’s frequently used contract structure — where base salaries are dropped to the minimum in bonus-flooded accords — would make a trade punitive in the grand scheme. The Browns already paid Jeudy a $6MM option bonus for 2026. The team will have an easier time moving off the deal in 2027, but it appears Deshaun Watson (or one of Cleveland’s second-year arms) will have Jeudy to target alongside Concepcion and Boston.
The topic of a second Jeudy trade could resurface at the trade deadline — after it briefly came up last fall — as his low base salary and nonguaranteed 2027 compensation would make him an attractive chip. But the Browns will continue their offseason program with Jeudy as the veteran presence alongside the SEC and Big Ten WR prospects.
Dolphins Release LS Taybor Pepper, Waive P Seth Vernon
An eight-year veteran long snapper, Taybor Pepper signed with the Dolphins in March. But his tenure with the team will be short-lived. The Dolphins released Pepper on Monday.
Miami also waived punter Seth Vernon, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, tight end Zack Kuntz, cornerback Jason Maitre, edge rusher Derrick McLendon and linebacker K.C. Ossai. The Pepper and Vernon moves provide some early clarity among Miami’s special teams units. Johnson, who played in four Dolphins games last season, was waived with a failed physical designation, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
The team gave Pepper a $1.3MM deal with no guarantees in mid-March. Pepper, 31, had not played in a regular-season game since the 2024 season. The longtime 49ers long snapper lost his Bay Area job to former Texans mainstay Jon Weeks in March 2025. Miami’s move clears the way for Tucker Addington, who snapped for the team in three 2024 games, to hold the job. Though, we are four months away from the season.
Addington, 28, has only snapped in 10 career games. Pepper is at 100, serving as the 49ers’ LS from 2020-24. Pepper also snapped in every Dolphins game in 2019.
It is unusual for a team to nix a competition so early in offseason workouts, but it is possible the Dolphins bring in another snapper to compete with Addington. Miami used Joe Cardona as its long snapper in 2025, but he committed to the Rams on Day 1 of free agency. The Steelers waived Addington last August; he did not snap in 2025. Cardona, an 11-year veteran, signed a two-year Rams deal that included $2.1MM guaranteed.
The Dolphins signed veteran Bradley Pinion to be their punter in mid-March, giving him a one-year deal that included $1.26MM fully guaranteed. Vernon entered the league as a Falcons UDFA in 2022 but did not unseat Pinion for the Falcons job that offseason. His pro game action has come in the UFL; the Michigan Panthers used Vernon as their punter in 2025.
Steve Wilks Joins Appalachian State Staff
Steve Wilks‘ nomadic 2020s will continue with a move back to the college level. Fired in his first year as Jets defensive coordinator, the veteran NFL staffer is heading back to his home state.
The North Carolina native is joining the Appalachian State staff as a special athletics assistant, the school announced. Wilks played at Appalachian State from 1987-91, moving into the coaching ranks not long after that tenure. Wilks, 56, last worked for his alma mater in 2001, when he served as the Mountaineers’ DBs coach. Appalachian State is a Division I-FBS school that currently plays in the Sun Belt Conference.
Wilks has yoyoed between the NFL and college ranks over the past decade and has not been in the same job for two consecutive seasons since his Panthers DC tenure ended after the 2017 campaign. Wilks moved from Charlotte to Arizona in 2018, becoming the Cardinals’ HC, going 3-13; he then served as Browns DC under Freddie Kitchens in 2019. After spending the 2020 season out of football, Wilks was Missouri’s DC in 2021.
The 2022 and ’23 seasons brought increased Wilks relevance, with the veteran staffer returning to the league. He served as the Panthers’ interim HC that season, righting the ship with a 6-6 record after the team started 1-4 under Matt Rhule. The 49ers hired Wilks as DC in 2023 and played even with the Chiefs for five quarters, but after holding up for most of the game, San Francisco’s defense caved to allow a game-tying Kansas City field goal and overtime walk-off touchdown. The 49ers fired Wilks soon after, and he served as an advisor at Charlotte — an AAC school — in 2024.
The Jets’ defense tumbled far from its Robert Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich place under Wilks and Aaron Glenn last year, and the first-year HC dismissed him in December. No team interviewed the four-time NFL DC, whose class-action discrimination lawsuit (along with Brian Flores and Ray Horton) is close to proceeding to open court, this offseason. The book may not be closed for Wilks in the NFL, but he is heading back to the college ranks for the third time this decade.
Packers To Release QB Desmond Ridder
On Monday, the Packers identified their new backup quarterback in the form of Tyrod Taylor. With a deal being worked out on that front, a corresponding move will see an incumbent Green Bay signal-caller let go.
The Packers are releasing Desmond Ridder, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. As a result, the team is set to move forward with a trio of passers on the books. Jordan Love is still positioned to operate as Green Bay’s starter, while Taylor will serve as the backup. Kyle McCord remains in place as a low-cost QB3.
Ridder has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Falcons in 2022. A four-game run to close out his rookie season set up an extended look atop the depth chart for the following year. Ridder was unable to develop as hoped, though, and he was traded to the Cardinals in 2024. His time in Arizona was short-lived, with his only regular-season game time that year coming as a member of the Raiders.
In 2025, Ridder saw time with the Bengals and Vikings before joining Green Bay late in the year as injury insurance. The 26-year-old was due $1.22MM in salary for the coming campaign, but none of it was guaranteed. As a result, the Packers will save that amount with this release without taking on any dead money charges. The funds saved from cutting Ridder will of course help offset the cost of Taylor’s deal.
With much of free agency and now the draft in the books, many teams around the NFL have sorted out their QB depth charts. That will make it challenging for Ridder to line up his next gig, and he may remain on the open market for an extended period. In any case, he will look to find a new home no later than the start of training camp during the summer.
Ravens Sign QB Skylar Thompson
The Ravens are expected to add a fifth quarterback to their offseason roster. Skylar Thompson is expected to be added among Lamar Jackson‘s backups, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Ravens have since announced the signing.
Thompson, who spent last season on the Steelers’ practice squad injured list, will join a crowded Ravens QB room. The team re-signed Tyler Huntley — Thompson’s former Dolphins teammate — and added Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano as UDFAs.
Teams do not regularly carry five QBs, pointing to one potentially being jettisoned before training camp, but Thompson has found another gig nearly 18 months after being given a Steelers reserve/futures contract. Thompson, 28, has made four NFL starts (counting a 2022 wild-card game in Buffalo) and appeared in 10 contests.
Miami drafted Thompson in the 2022 seventh round. While the Kansas State product entered that season as the Dolphins’ third-stringer, injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater forced him into action. Thompson took over for an injured Bridgewater — after a concussion sidelined Tagovailoa — in October 2022 and then needed to play again late in the season. Thompson, who started the Dolphins’ Week 6 game that season, returned for a Week 18 start after another Bridgewater injury. He then struggled in a 34-31 loss to the No. 2-seeded Bills in the wild-card round.
The Dolphins did not need any Thompson starts in 2023, but he did beat out Mike White for Miami’s QB2 job in 2024. However, the Dolphins brought in Huntley after Thompson struggled in relief of Tagovailoa early that season. Thompson then made his way to Pittsburgh in January 2025, but an injury intervened months later.
Huntley’s QB2 job appears safe; the Ravens gave their multi-stint backup a $3.5MM guarantee. Pavia is set to compete with Fagnano — who played at Maine and UConn — for the third-string position, Eric DeCosta said during a WBAL appearance (h/t ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley). The Ravens held their rookie minicamp over the weekend, and it is worth wondering if Thompson insurance came up after the duo’s early work. It would stand to reason Thompson will be vying for the QB3 gig with Pavia and Fagnano. Pavia received no guaranteed money, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Pavia finished as last season’s Heisman runner-up, dazzling at Vanderbilt. He has also become somewhat of a polarizing prospect, standing 5-foot-9 and not exactly come off as a mature presence on social media. The Thompson signing likely shortens Pavia’s leash with the Ravens.