Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Visits Patriots, Browns, Cowboys, Falcons, Steelers
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has long been considered the top player at his position in the 2026 draft class. Evaluators are split between Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren for the No. 2 spot, but both are considered potential first-round picks.
McNeil-Warren has been making the rounds with a number of teams who will be on the clock in the back half of the first-round. He has already visited the Patriots, Browns, Cowboys, and Falcons, with the Steelers on tap for Friday, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The first three of those teams could use an upgrade at their third safety spot right away with starters who are older and/or set to hit free agency in 2027.
The Patriots, who have the 31st pick, lost Jaylinn Hawkins in free agency and signed Kevin Byard to pair with 2025 fourth-rounder Craig Woodson. But Byard is 33 years old with a one-year deal, so McNeil-Warren could learn from the veteran as a rookie and succeed in him the long-term.
Browns starting safeties Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit are both in the last year of their deals, and the current roster lacks a high-level No. 3 who could step into a starting role if necessary. The competition jump from the Mid-American Conference to the NFL is steep, but McNeil-Warren could certainly contribute in a box role right away. Cleveland holds the 24th and 39th picks, either of which could be a landing spot for the Toledo standout.
The Cowboys, drafting at No. 20, retained Malik Hooker and added Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke this offseason. Thompson is the youngest at 28 years old, and Hooker and Locke are both on one-year deals. After a rough year for their pass defense, Dallas could use a short- and long-term upgrade at safety.
The Steelers and Falcons, however, seem to have more set safety situations. Pittsburgh has Jalen Ramsey signed through 2028 and DeShon Elliott through 2027 with Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage on one-year deals. They could stand to add some youth to their safety room, but allocating the No. 20 overall pick to the position this year only makes sense if they have a very high grade on McNeil-Warren.
Atlanta has an even better starting duo in Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts with 2025 fourth-rounder Billy Bowman and former Eagle Sydney Brown as depth. Bates is 29 years old and entering the final year of his contract, but he has expressed a desire to retire a Falcon. Bowman was also a full-time player before his Achilles injury, and he should be back on the field close to the start of the regular season. The Falcons do not have a first-round pick, but McNeil-Warren could be a value play in the second round, where Atlanta has the No. 48 pick.
Titans Not Planning Much Alontae Taylor Slot Usage; Team Not Done Adding At CB
Alontae Taylor brought one of the most versatile profiles into this year’s free agent market. While that may have helped the former Saints second-rounder drive his price to the near-$20MM-per-year place his market settled, the team he signed with does not seem to have an intention of capitalizing too much on the hybrid skillset displayed with New Orleans.
Robert Saleh said (via veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky) the team is preparing to use Taylor mostly as an outside cornerback. Considering the gulf between the slot and boundary markets, it is not too surprising that Tennessee had more of a perimeter role for Taylor in mind. That said, Taylor entered free agency as the rare corner to log more than 1,500 snaps inside and outside during his first four seasons.
The Titans also added Cor’Dale Flott on a three-year, $45MM deal, overhauling a cornerback cadre that had underperformed. Tennessee soon released the injury-prone L’Jarius Sneed, who did not deliver on a tag-and-trade transaction. In Taylor and Flott, the TItans are prepared to entrust their outside coverage responsibilities to two players with extensive slot experience.
Taylor has 1,664 career slot snaps and 1,597 as a boundary defender, creating an interesting profile that moved PFR to rank him atop the cornerback market entering free agency. The Titans gave him a three-year, $58MM deal that included $42MM guaranteed at signing. That said, Taylor indicated he had never worked as a regular nickel prior to 2023. The Saints used him extensively there over the past three seasons, however, creating a Byron Murphy– or Deommodore Lenoir-like hybrid role for the Tennessee alum. Also playing his high school ball in Tennessee, Taylor returns home with big responsibilities.
The Giants drafted Flott in the 2022 third round, having a slot role in mind, but the LSU alum ended up being primarily a perimeter cover man. A slot regular in 2023, Flott settled in on the boundary over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-2 CB will do so again in Tennessee, but with both he and the 6-foot Taylor set to play outside, an opening inside exists.
“We have two guys on the outside now that started games in Taylor and Flott,” GM Mike Borgonzi said, via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport, at the annual NFL meeting. “And Marcus [Harris] has played inside. So we feel good about where we’re at there, but we’re not done.”
A 2025 sixth-round pick, Harris played 168 outside snaps and 128 in the slot as a rookie. Pro Football Focus ranked the former Cal, Idaho and Oregon State corner 32nd among all CBs in 2025, creating some promise. The Titans scrapped their plan for Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie to team up quickly, cutting Awuzie (who had signed a three-year, $36MM deal) after one season. A year later, Sneed — who was on a four-year, $76.4MM extension — was out. For depth purposes, the Titans also added Joshua Williams — a four-year Chief who overlapped with Borgonzi in Kansas City — on a lower-cost deal (two years, $6.75MM).
Borgonzi confirmed (via TennesseeTitans.com’s Jim Wyatt) the team is not done at corner. It would stand to reason the Titans are eyeing at least competition for Harris in the slot, seeing as they devoted considerable free agency resources to Taylor and Flott. Saleh also did not rule out some slot usage for Taylor to capitalize on his blitz prowess (six sacks from 2024-25). This will be an area to monitor after Round 1, as the Titans assuredly will not address the position at No. 4 overall.
Miami T Francis Mauigoa Undergoing Imaging For Back Issue
APRIL 9: There were “no new issues or concerns” with Mauigoa’s medical recheck, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He has met with or visited several teams with top-10 picks, and with a clean bill of health, he will likely land in that range.
APRIL 8: While it’s still to be determined who the top offensive lineman taken in the 2026 NFL Draft will be, many of the same names are routinely included in consideration. One such player, Miami (Fla.) offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, will reportedly be present at Combine rechecks Friday to undergo testing for a minor back issue, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Arriving in Coral Gables as a consensus five-star recruit ranked as the second-best offensive tackle in the country, Mauigoa earned an immediate starting role with the Hurricanes at right tackle and started every game there from his true freshman season opener to the team’s National Championship Game loss in their home stadium a few months ago. Rapoport reports, though, that the 20-year-old is dealing with a disc issue that “caused him some discomfort late in the season.”
Enduring a streak of starts that lasted 42 games despite the potential back injury, Mauigoa has gone on to perform at his pro day without experiencing any of the discomfort that bothered him at the end of the year. Rapoport adds that a full professional consultation determined that Mauigoa is “not considered a candidate for immediate surgery.” Still, some teams have requested additional imaging to learn more about the issue, and with nothing to hide, Mauigoa has agreed to undergo the additional testing.
Rapoport followed up his initial report to relay that “the initial belief is that this will not cause” Mauigoa to fall in the draft. Field Yates of ESPN’s sources also seemed to indicate that Mauigoa’s draft stock has not been “affected much, if at all.” Both reporters caution, though, that teams interested in Mauigoa will continue to monitor the situation as they fashion their draft boards and prepare for draft night.
Assuming his draft stock remains untouched over the next three weeks, Mauigoa is expected to be a top-10 pick. He’s been projected throughout the top half of the Day 1 picks, mocked as high as No. 2 overall and as low as 14th overall. He’s in competition with Utah’s Spencer Fano, Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, and recently, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling for top lineman honors.
Chiefs To Host DE Rueben Bain
To no surprise, Rueben Bain remains one of the prospects taking several visits leading up to the NFL draft. The Miami edge rusher will meet with another interested team on Thursday.
Bain has a top 30 visit lined up with the Chiefs for today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That represents another team near the top of the first-round order which will meet in person with the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Bain has previously taken visits with the Dolphins and Titans. Kansas City owns pick No. 9, which falls in between the Titans’ and Dolphins’ top selections.
The Chiefs have taken a look at some of the top receiver prospects in the 2026 class. Taking one would help an offense in need of a stronger showing in the passing game, but as expected Kansas City has looked into of number of pass rushers as well in recent days. The team has met with Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey. Those two are expected to be the top edge rushers to come off the board, leaving Kansas City with the possibility of looking elsewhere at the position. That could very well result in Bain being selected.
During his three-year tenure with the Hurricanes, Bain amassed 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-American honors for his play in 2025, a year in which he and teammate Akheem Mesidor helped lead Miami to the national championship game. The team’s pass rush shone during the College Football Playoff, and Mesidor is also seen as a first-round prospect. Despite the fact he will enter the NFL as a 25-year-old rookie, Mesidor was recently reported to be viewed by some teams as a better player than Bain.
In any event, bringing in a notable pass rush presence early in the draft could be key for the Chiefs. The team released Mike Danna earlier this offseason, and Charles Omenihu departed in free agency. George Karlaftis is on the books through 2030 and former first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah is still in the fold. Adding a starting-caliber edge rusher would nevertheless be impactful for Kansas City’s defense, a unit which ranked just 23rd in sacks last season.
Bain has been the subject of questions regarding his arm length, although that may not be a major concern amongst NFL evaluators. Especially if that remains the case, he will not need to wait long to hear his name called on the opening night of the draft.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Receives Medical Clearance; Shedeur Sanders Likely Favorite To Start
A year ago, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admitted that acquiring quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Texans in 2022 was a “big swing and miss” for his franchise. Despite on- and off-field issues, the Browns have not been able to escape Watson’s onerous contract. With Watson guaranteed to return for a fifth Cleveland season in 2026, Haslam is leaving the door open for him to reclaim his former role as its starting signal-caller.
Watson has not taken the field since he ruptured his Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 season. The three-time Pro Bowler re-ruptured it during the recovery process, keeping him out all of last year. Watson has since received medical clearance, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. He is now present at voluntary workouts under new head coach Todd Monken, who has been impressed with his quarterbacks so far (as Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes, the Browns are allowed to teach their playbook during workouts).
“You couldn’t ask for a better start for the quarterbacks (on Monday). I was fired up,” Monken said.
Along with Watson, the Browns have Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel as in-house options under center. The Browns used a 2025 third-round pick on Gabriel, who got the first crack at starting after they traded Joe Flacco to the Bengals in early October. The left-handed Gabriel struggled mightily before suffering a concussion in Week 11. Sanders, a fifth-rounder last year, took over after Gabriel’s injury and held the job for the rest of the season.
Although he received a Pro Bowl invitation as an alternate, Sanders did not offer strong production as a rookie. The former Colorado star connected on 56.5% of passes, averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven). He posted an ugly 68.1 passer rating and an even worse 18.9 QBR in the process.
Barring an outside acquisition (perhaps via the draft), Watson, Sanders and Gabriel are poised to compete for the Browns’ QB1 gig in the coming months. Watson is the most established of the three, but Zac Jackson of The Athletic contends that Sanders is the favorite to win the job. With the Browns in a rebuild, it would make sense to give the 24-year-old an opportunity to sink or swim. The team would then have a better idea of whether to draft a QB in what should be a deeper class next year.
Unless Watson overtakes Sanders and puts together a renaissance season in 2026, it will likely be the 30-year-old’s swan song in Cleveland. Watson is entering the final season of a fully guaranteed pact that has been a nightmare for the Browns. At the cost of $230MM and a handful of draft picks, including three first-rounders, Watson has given the Browns lackluster play over just 19 starts.
Falcons RT Kaleb McGary Retires
After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Falcons right tackle Kaleb McGary is retiring at the age of 31. Agent Collin Roberts announced the news on Wednesday.
A career-long Falcon, McGary joined the organization as the 31st overall pick in the 2019 draft. The former Washington standout became an immediate starter in Atlanta, which kept him atop its depth chart for his entire career. McGary started in 92 of 93 appearances in the NFL. Before a lost 2025, McGary played between 14 and 17 games in each season.
[RELATED: Falcons To Sign RT Jawaan Taylor]
McGary and left tackle Jake Matthews started opposite each other during their entire six-year run together. The Falcons almost split up the duo a few years into McGary’s career. They were not impressed enough with McGary’s work to pick up his fifth-year option in 2022. However, with McGary on the verge of leaving in free agency the next spring, the Falcons kept him around on a three-year, $34.5MM pact. That was the first of two significant paydays for McGary, who put pen to paper on a two-year, $30MM deal last August.
Unfortunately for McGary and the Falcons, he never played a snap on his final contract. McGary went down in practice in late August. He wound up spending the season on injured reserve. Backup Storm Norton also missed 2025 with a knee injury. That left Elijah Wilkinson to play every down at right tackle for the Falcons, though they did not re-sign him in free agency. Wilkinson joined the Cardinals on a two-year, $6.5MM agreement.
The 2026 Falcons are guaranteed to start a left-handed quarterback (either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr.), but it is unclear who will protect the passer’s blind side. Atlanta has not made any notable additions in free agency, perhaps leaving Norton as the in-house favorite to start. The Falcons may add a potential McGary replacement in the draft, though they do not have a first-round pick and own just five selections in total. General manager Ian Cunningham wants to acquire more picks, which could be an even higher priority in the wake of McGary’s retirement.
Prospect Profile: Monroe Freeling
Ever since about the midway point of the 2025-26 NCAA season, the same few names have been atop 2026 NFL Draft position rankings for offensive lineman. Though some questions have arisen over whether these players will be guards or tackles at the next level, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Utah’s Spencer Fano, and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor have repeatedly been projected as the first offensive linemen off the board in some order. In recent weeks, though, Monroe Freeling has started to test the boundary between those three and the rest of the draft class’s top linemen.
A member of the Class of 2023, Freeling was a top 10 offensive tackle recruit in the country, per 247Sports, receiving some five-star grades but not locking down a consensus five-star rating behind the likes of Proctor and Mauigoa. A gigantic prospect, it didn’t take long for Freeling to burst onto the recruiting scene.
Despite hiding out at Oceanside Collegiate Academy in South Carolina, Freeling received his first offers in his sophomore year, and they were big ones. His first offer came from the school he would eventually commit to, Georgia. Over the next few months several other big offers began to roll in. In the summer before his senior year, Freeling took official visits to Notre Dame, Florida, and Miami, as well as an unofficial visit (paid for on his own dime) to Alabama.
Committing to the Bulldogs in the final days of the summer, Freeling saved his final official visit for a trip to Athens in December. Two weeks later, he signed his letter of intent and enrolled about two more weeks after that. As the offensive line shuffled around pieces throughout his true freshman season, Freeling only saw the field in garbage time and special teams, appearing in nine contests and burning his redshirt. In his sophomore season, Freeling established a bigger role, starting the year as a core special teamer and coming off the bench as the Bulldogs’ primary swing tackle. Nine games into the season, he was asked to step in for a struggling, injured Earnest Greene III at left tackle, and he started the final five games of the season.
Freeling entered his junior year as the starting left tackle for Georgia, retaining the role from the end of his sophomore campaign. Despite earning that leading role, he was still very much an unfinished product. A high ankle sprain slowed him down a bit as the team got into SEC play, but he improved in each showing from week to week. Learning as he went, Freeling tended to rely heavily on his intelligence and physical gifts to make up for short-comings in his technique and abilities.
Those physical assets are a big reason he’s flown up draft boards lately. Ever since he started playing football, Freeling has worked hard to fill out his long, broad frame. He uses every inch of that frame to fill up space and absorb rushers. Unsurprising for a Georgia lineman, his biggest strengths are in the run game, where his burst off the ball gives him an early edge on moving defenders, and his raw power does a lot of work opening holes. That same quickness off the line gives him a good head start in pass pro, where he is alert and ready to defend against stunts and counters.
The longer plays go on, though, Freeling’s focus tends to slip. He can sometimes overextend himself in the run game, ending up on the ground a bit too often. Late in pass pro, he may stop moving his feet and get caught lunging at persistent, late rushers. He puts himself in good position when landing heavy hands on rushers, but when he goes too wide with his hands early and misses, defenders can have success getting into his body and using his high center of gravity to stand him up on his heels.
Overall, Freeling is a bit of a project but a quick, smart learner. He has elite size and excellent athleticism, but with only one full year of starting experience under his belt, any team drafting him will need to be prepared to put the finishing touches on him as an NFL tackle. Depending on whether or not a team feels confident in their ability to develop him, Freeling currently projects as a first-round prospect, improving on early second- to third-round projections. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network ranks Freeling as the 20th-best overall prospect and the fourth-best tackle, while Dane Brugler of The Athletic slots him at 17th overall and third for offensive tackles.
Freeling may fit best with a team that can afford to bring him up slowly into a starting role. If needed, though, Freeling’s time in Athens proved that he can succeed while learning on the job and could start right away, if needed. His elite physical traits will ensure he hears his name in the draft; the only question will be how early into the process it gets called.
Giants Not Eyeing Dexter Lawrence Raise
The 2023 offseason established a new salary bracket among interior defensive linemen, bridging the sizable gap between Aaron Donald and the field at the time. Dexter Lawrence was among the ascending D-tackles who did so, joining Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons and Daron Payne in being given top-five DT deals that offseason.
Lawrence, Payne, Simmons and Williams remain tied to those extensions. As could be expected, some other interior D-linemen have passed this quartet as the salary cap has soared. Milton Williams, Jordan Davis and Zach Allen each passed $25MM per year; Davis and his ex-Eagles teammate are at $26MM AAV. Alim McNeill and Nnamdi Madubuike surpassed the above-referenced foursome as well.
By far the best piece of the 2019 Odell Beckham Jr. trade for either the Giants or Browns, Lawrence proved worthy of the four-year, $90MM extension he signed in May 2023. He ventured to three straight Pro Bowls and booked two second-team All-Pro spots (2022, ’23). The popular New York nose tackle then tallied nine sacks in just 12 games in 2024. That led to a push for at least a deal revision in 2025, but the Giants only provided incentives.
While Lawrence has requested a trade based largely on extension talks not progressing, his timing is not great. The Clemson alum is coming off a regression, totaling just a half-sack and a career-low eight QB hits. Lawrence eclipsed 20 hits in 2022 and ’23, and even with Leonard Williams gone by 2024, Lawrence remained in high gear. Joe Schoen also posited some of Lawrence’s 2025 statistical issues stemmed from the elbow dislocation he sustained in 2024. That comment likely resonated with Lawrence’s camp, but the Giants do not seem eager to appease the disgruntled player.
The Giants are eyeing neither a trade nor a raise, with the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz indicating the team does not look to have a strong desire to reward Lawrence after last season. The team would prefer Lawrence play out his current deal, which has two years remaining. No guaranteed money is left on the contract, and John Harbaugh said he anticipated Lawrence skipping the start of the team’s offseason program.
“The Giants, speaking for the Giants, we want Dexter here,” Harbaugh said, via Schwartz. “I believe Dexter wants to be here. That’s a good formula. But there’s business involved. It’s a business proposition. We know it’s pro football. These things happen every year pretty much on every team. Not surprised by it. Saw it coming a few weeks back probably.”
The new Giants HC called Lawrence “super important” earlier this year, as the Giants made it clear he would not be traded to free up any cap space. Rumblings about a trade price matching or exceeding what the Cowboys sent the Jets for Quinnen Williams — a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second along with DT Mazi Smith — has surfaced, but Schwartz adds the Giants would need to be “blown away” by a proposal to consider moving on.
“I don’t know that granting a request is really the right way to say it, because it doesn’t really work that way,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not like a Christmas gift, it just doesn’t work like that.”
As the DT market shifted in 2023, Harbaugh was part of a key standoff that offseason. He and the Ravens held firm against Lamar Jackson‘s trade request and worked out an extension for the superstar quarterback. This Lawrence situation represents Harbaugh’s first notable test on the contract front as the Giants’ top decisionmaker.
How New York proceeds could reveal how much power Schoen still has. The hire of longtime NFL exec Dawn Aponte as VP of football ops undercut the GM’s organizational influence. She and Harbaugh running the show may not be great news for Lawrence, a Dave Gettleman draftee whom Schoen extended.
A hardline stance will not go over well with the decorated D-lineman’s camp, either, as he has fallen to No. 11 in terms of DT AAV ($22.5MM). Lawrence, 28, also played out the guarantees on his contract. That point of a deal regularly spurs action, and Lawrence is proceeding down this path.
It sounds like the Giants are prepared to wait out the eighth-year standout, who is due a nonguaranteed $18.5MM base salary this season. Lawrence’s next step will be to withhold services at mandatory minicamp. That would bring a small fine. This dragging to training camp would certainly be interesting, as Lawrence would then be put to a hold-in or holdout decision.
Players almost never sit out regular-season games in contract stalemates, though Chris Jones — the DT position’s current salary kingpin — did so in 2023. We are a ways away from Lawrence needing to make that call, but as an impact player on a defense that ranked 31st against the run last season, staying away from workouts will certainly command the attention of the new Giants regime.
Texans Exercise Will Anderson Jr., C.J. Stroud’s Fifth-Year Options
The Texans will be committing nearly $50MM in guaranteed money to their two first-round draft choices from 2023. Both Will Anderson Jr. and C.J. Stroud are extension candidates, and each is now signed through the 2027 season.
Houston is exercising both players’ fifth-year options, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates. Stroud’s option checks in at $25.9MM, while Anderson’s comes in at $21.51MM. Anderson is on the Texans’ extension docket this offseason, and while a Stroud payday may now be pushed to 2027, the Texans are making the expected one-year commitment to the former Offensive Rookie of the Year.
[RELATED: 2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Anderson’s fifth-year number comes in on the third tier of the option ladder, with the former Alabama standout being named to one original-ballot Pro Bowl. Stroud has not been invited to a Pro Bowl on the original ballot, so he qualifies for the second rung on the QB ladder. That is still a hefty chunk of change for the quarterback. If Stroud indeed plays the 2027 season in Houston, he will be the franchise’s first five-year starting quarterback since Matt Schaub.
Soaring to the first-team All-Pro level last season as a dominant pass rusher on a menacing Texans defense, Anderson has generated extension buzz for months. The Texans paid Derek Stingley Jr. early, giving him a record-setting extension in his first offseason of eligibility. Anderson may well follow suit, as rumors have trended in that direction. The Texans paid J.J. Watt in his first year of extension eligibility back in 2014. Anderson does not have a Defensive Player of the Year honor under his belt like Watt did when Houston paid him, but the 2023 No. 3 pick has become one of the NFL’s best edge rushers.
Discussions have begun with Anderson, who will be a candidate to at least approach where Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson took the market to close a transformative year on the EDGE market. Anderson will not turn 25 until September, and he has totaled 23 sacks over the past two seasons. The 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year racked up 12 sacks last season opposite perennial sack ace Danielle Hunter, forming one of the NFL’s best rush tandems in recent memory. This duo joined Stingley in powering Houston to a third straight playoff berth, with the Texans’ defense smothering the Steelers in Round 1 after a strong regular-season surge to reach 12 wins.
Parsons’ market reached $46.5MM per year, with his Packers extension stalling Hutchinson’s Lions talks. Hutchinson scored a defender-record $141MM guaranteed, while Parsons came in at $136MM. Anderson’s camp will be eyeing those figures, though the Texans have shown a willingness — as Stingley’s deal showed — to complete three-year extensions. That would reduce the total cash figure while allowing Anderson a chance at a third contract sooner. This easy option decision, however, reflects how well the Texans did choosing Anderson — whom they traded up nine spots for after selecting Stroud at No. 2.
Stroud came off the board one pick after former Alabama QB Bryce Young, whom the Panthers chose first overall. While Stroud has been the better of the two, it is not sure a thing either team will commit to a long-term deal this offseason. Rather, both clubs may want to wait another year to evaluate their signal-callers. Stroud and Young have put together uneven careers thus far.
Although the Texans have gone a terrific 28-18 in Stroud’s starts, the 24-year-old’s effectiveness has arguably dipped since a stellar 2023 introduction. A concussion sidelined Stroud for three games last season. The team kept its once-floundering season afloat by winning all three of backup Davis Mills‘ starts. Meanwhile, the Texans won nine of Stroud’s 14 outings. He completed 64.5% of passes, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt and tossed 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions. While his traditional passer rating (92.9) checked in at 17th, he finished a much more impressive 11th in QBR (61.7).
Stroud has helped the Texans to the playoffs in each of his seasons, but they have not gotten past the divisional round. The Stroud-led team suffered particularly ugly second-round defeats to the Ravens in 2023 (34-10) and the Patriots last January (28-16). Stroud had one of the worst games of his career in New England, where he completed 20 of 47 passes and threw four picks in miserable weather.
Discussing Stroud’s playoff struggles, head coach DeMeco Ryans said (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2): “Being young in his career, he’s gained a ton of valuable experience and a ton of playoff experience and seeing that it hasn’t gone as we would like it to go there in the playoffs. Of course, you always want to win it all. But when you go through those difficult moments, those tough times, you learn from them. I know C.J. has learned from those moments.”
Heading into a pivotal fourth year, Ryans believes Stroud is “dialed in,” adding, “I’m excited to see how this continues to transition to him having a really great year for us.”
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
NFC Staff Updates: Lions, Rams, Commanders, Seahawks, Cardinals, Eagles
Lions team president Rod Wood is set to retire sometime before the 2026 season, and Detroit is currently in the process of finding his replacement.
The team has only interviewed internal candidates so far. A search firm is working to identify external candidates who will begin interviewing in April, Wood said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). The panel will include Wood, owner Sheila Hamp, and a number of other top executives including former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes will also have the opportunity to offer their input.
“In terms of what I’m looking for, I’m looking for the best person to lead the Lions,” Wood continued. “Ideally somebody who’s got the right kind of executive presence and leadership skills, some COO or CEO experience running a big organization. It doesn’t necessarily have to be somebody with football experience but that would be an advantage if it works out.
A number of other NFC teams have also made staffing moves in recent weeks:
- The Rams added former Browns general manager Phil Savage as a consultant in their personnel department, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Savage most recently worked for the Jets, starting in 2019 as a senior personnel advisor. He finished the 2024 season as the interim general manager after Joe Douglas was fired and served as a consultant to the new regime last year.
- The Commanders hired John Glenn as a special teams assistant, per a team announcement. He will work alongside special teams coordinator Larry Izzo and his assistant, Brian Schneider, who is going through cancer treatment, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
- Former University of Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty has been hired by the Seahawks as an offensive assistant, a NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will become the latest Huskies coach to move to the local NFL team, a pipeline that included his predecessor, Ryan Grubb.
- The Cardinals reunited with Nick Hart as a scouting assistant, according to Inside the League’s Neil Stratton. He previous worked in Arizona as a Nunn-Wooten scouting fellow.
- Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni indicated (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP) that former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland would not return to Philadelphia this year, though he did not rule out the possibility. It was revealed early this offseason Stoutland would not only be off Philly’s staff, after an acclaimed stint as O-line coach, but would not head to another team in 2026. It remains to be seen whether the widely praised staffer will return to the league.