Giants Work Out LB Anfernee Orji, DL Marlon Davidson
The Giants hosted linebacker Anfernee Orji and defensive lineman Marlon Davidson for workouts during mandatory minicamp this week , per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Both spent time under Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson while he held the same job in Tennessee.
Orji, 25, signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent the year on the practice squad. He made the 53-man roster in 2024 and appeared in 16 games with a core special teams role (82% snap share) and 146 snaps on defense.
Orji was a casualty of the New Orleans’ 2025 offseason overhaul. He was waived by the Saints and made his way to Tennessee but suffered a torn ACL in training camp that sidelined him for the entire season.
The Giants’ inside linebacker room is the thinnest one on their defense. They have just six players under contract – seven if you count No. 5 pick and hybrid edge rusher Arvell Reese – so they could stand to add another body for training camp.
Davidson, 28, was a Falcons second-round pick in 2020 who largely disappointed in Atlanta. He appeared in 19 games in his first two seasons with 29 tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss before undergoing knee surgery that sidelined him for all of 2022. The Falcons waived Davidson the following offseason. He then spent time with the 49ers and the Titans with five appearances for Tennessee to close the 2023 season. Davidson missed the 2024 season due to a biceps injury and played nine snaps for the Falcons next year.
The Giants should place Roy Robertson-Harris (torn Achilles) on the physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp, which could open a spot in the defensive line room for Davidson. Even if signed, he and Orji would both face an uphill battle to a roster spot, though their connection with Wilson might give them a leg up in catching up on the team’s new defensive scheme.
Packers TE Tucker Kraft Expected To Start Camp On PUP
Packers tight end Tucker Kraft said on Wednesday that he is “doing better than expected” working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last November.
Kraft, 25, attributed the progress to the first three months of his rehab and listed several positive markers in his recovery.
“I feel great, my quad looks great,” Kraft said (via USA Today’s Ryan Wood). “Swelling is minimal to none. No weird pains and aches coming out of my treatment and my training.”
The fourth-year tight end is still expecting to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list with the goal of being healthy enough to “hit the ground running” when he does return to the field. Kraft anticipates getting enough conditioning in camp to start Week 1 without a snap limit
The 6-foot-5, 259-pounder is now seven months removed from knee surgery. The nine-month mark – a common standard for ACL recoveries that is currently being used by Kraft’s teammate Micah Parsons – will be roughly midway through training camp, one month before the regular season opener. The timeline is there, but there is still time for setbacks – or a switch to an even more cautious path in camp.
“There’s a lot of things that really need to happen prior to me playing in the season,” Kraft acknowledged.
A full recovery might be the final step to a long-term deal between the Packers and their star tight end. Kraft has been mentioned as an extension candidate this offseason in a tight end market that is expected to rise within the next year. He gave a cryptic response when asked about contract talks, per Wood, indicating an agreement might be in the works. Kraft has not been the focal point of Green Bay’s offense the way Trey McBride is in Arizona, but he still has an argument to match or exceed Kyle Pitts‘ $15MM AAV on a multi-year contract.
Jaguars RB Chris Rodriguez Undergoes Surgery, Expected Back For Camp
The Jaguars’ running backs room looks completely different than it did only two years ago, and the unfamiliar group will have an additional challenge to overcome this offseason. According to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has undergone a procedure on his left foot but should be back to “full go” in time for training camp.
When former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne departed in free agency, Jacksonville already had his presumed replacement in the building in fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten. With the only other running backs remaining on the roster behind Tuten being his fellow rookie, seventh-rounder LeQuint Allen, and veteran special teamer DeeJay Dallas, the Jaguars signed Rodriguez to bring some additional experience to the room.
That experience was sidelined, though, when Rodriguez suffered a foot injury during the team’s offseason program. Luckily for the second-year backs, the Jaguars also signed veteran back Ameer Abdullah about a month ago. Without Rodriguez in the room, though, the team doesn’t have a running back that rushed for more than 310 yards last year — Tuten totaled 307 as a rookie.
The team reportedly allowed Etienne to walk because they felt comfortable moving forward with Tuten, so there’s no concern for who they will be relying on in the run game, but Rodriguez is also expected to be a big part of the rushing attack in 2026. The Kentucky-product played for the Wildcats when Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was the offensive coordinator at the school, so the move to Duval seemed like a comfortable fit for Rodriguez’s second contract. While the surgery certainly put Rodriguez’s new start on hold, “the recovery is not expected” to force him to miss the start of training camp come late July.
Rodriguez should be joining second-year two-way player Travis Hunter in becoming full practice participants at training camp. It’s been known since early May that Hunter will be expected back for camp, and Coen provided some updates on Hunter’s recovery this week, per The Florida Times-Union’s Juston Lewis.
In the latest update, Coen informed reporters that Hunter had clocked speeds as fast as 22.6 miles per hour before practice yesterday. While Hunter has been getting plenty of looks in the team’s virtual practice room, seeing him hit those speeds shows just how close Hunter is to returning to the outdoor practice fields. While Hunter and his coach may be getting antsy, it seems clear he and Rodriguez can set their sights on training camp.
Broncos Begin Extension Talks With CB Ja’Quan McMillian
The Broncos have fielded one of the NFL’s best defenses in the last two years, especially against the pass. Denver allowed just 5.6 yards per attempt in 2024, the second-lowest mark in the league, which dropped to a league-best 4.8 in 2025.
Starting slot cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian has been a key cog of the Broncos’ secondary since he took over the job midway through the 2023 season. Originally a 2022 UDFA out of East Carolina, he spent his rookie year on the practice squad but was elevated to start and play every snap in Week 18. After a rough start from Essang Bassey in 2023, McMillian stepped in as the team’s nickel for the rest of the season and allowed 6.1 yards per target, the 18th-fewest among qualified cornerbacks.
McMillian saw a substantial jump in targets in 2024, but still allowed just 6.8 yards per target with fewer touchdowns than the year before. Last season, he staved off first-round pick Jahdae Barron to keep his job and allowed career-lows of 5.9 yards per target and a 74.3 passer rating when targeted. He finished the season with the fourth-highest overall and seventh-highest coverage grade of any cornerback (min. 100 snaps), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
That performance would seem to position McMillian as one of the league’s top nickels, a market that is currently topped by Kyler Gordon at $13.3MM per year. He should be able to eclipse the $12MM AAV currently held by Marcus Jones, but he is unlikely to break into starting outside cornerback money at $15MM per year or more.
The Broncos have Patrick Surtain locked in as their long-term CB1. Riley Moss has been the starter on the opposite boundary for the last two seasons and allowed a roughly league-average 7.4 yards per target both times. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and could earn more on his next deal than McMillian since he lines up on the outside.
McMillian’s contract situation then becomes somewhat of a question about how Denver sees Barron. He played nickel for his first two years as a starter at Texas before putting up an elite performance as a full-time boundary corner in 2024. He filled a hybrid role as a rookie with 153 snaps in the slot, 93 outside, 99 in the box. If the Broncos see him as a long-term replacement for Moss, they will be more inclined to pay McMillian. But if defensive coordinator Vance Joseph wants to use Barron’s skillset in the slot, McMillian will likely be playing for a new team next year.
The Broncos are not expected to hand out any extensions until much closer to the season, Tomasson notes, giving them time to evaluate their cornerback room. They used the No. 20 pick on Barron last year and are unlikely to keep such a highly-drafted player on the sidelines for a second year in a row. The team may want to see how Barron fits into their secondary moving forward before making a decision on their veteran cornerbacks who are entering contract years.
DE Za’Darius Smith Released From Eagles’ Reserve/Retired List
Last year, veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith signed with the Eagles a day after the team’s season opener but only lasted five weeks in Philadelphia before announcing his midseason retirement. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Eagles have reportedly terminated Smith from their reserve/retired list, opening the door for the 33-year-old to make a return to the league, should he find the right situation.
Yes, Smith will be 34 years old by the start of the regular season, but he is only two seasons removed from a nine-sack 2024 season split between the Browns and Lions. At his prime, though, Smith was routinely putting up sack totals in the double-digits. After exhausting his rookie contract in Baltimore with 18.5 sacks in four years, Smith joined the Packers and delivered two Pro Bowl campaigns in three years.
In his first season with the Packers, Smith put up career highs in sacks (13.5), tackles for loss (17), and quarterback hits (37). He didn’t quite match those numbers in his second Pro Bowl season, but his 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 23 quarterback hits were enough to land him second-team All-Pro honors. A back injury that had bothered him all through training camp in his third year in Green Bay limited him to only one game and led to his release, but Smith rebounded in 2022 with the Vikings, giving Minnesota 10.0 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits en route to his third Pro Bowl season.
The Vikings traded Smith to Cleveland the next year, and after a disappointing 2023 campaign, the Browns sold high on him, trading him to Detroit before the trade deadline the next season. Smith went unsigned for the entire offseason following his half-season with the Lions, and his announcement shortly after arriving in Philadelphia came as a shock to the league.
With the Eagles releasing him from the contractual rights they retained following his retirement, Smith will now be able to seek out new opportunities and find a team that best fits his situation. A few of his former teams all oddly appear to be in need of some pass rush depth, so a reunion may be on the table.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/10/26
Here are today’s midweek minor moves from around the NFL:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Placed on IR: WR Corey Rucker
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Sincere McCormick
- Waived: RB Jordan Mims
Eagles Sign A.J. Epenesa, Michael Jordan
Several weeks after A.J. Epenesa‘s Browns deal fell through, the veteran edge rusher has found a new home. The Eagles signed the former second-round pick, per a team announcement.
Philadelphia has signed Epenesa and guard Michael Jordan. The team waived linebackers Chandler Martin and Isiah King to clear roster space. Epenesa will head to Philly after six years in Buffalo.
Epenesa, 27, had committed to the Browns in March but saw the team express concerns about his physical and back out of the agreement. The Iowa product then visited the Dolphins and Bears but will vie to become an auxiliary rush option for an Eagles team that has again seen some turnover at its edge-rushing spots.
The team lost Jaelan Phillips in free agency but belatedly replaced him by trading for Jonathan Greenard during the draft. Philadelphia has also taken fliers on Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. The team released the unretired Brandon Graham, but that move may be procedural that and precede the franchise’s longest-tenured player returning. The Epenesa signing crowds Philly’s EDGE corps, with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt in place as well. The Epenesa signing could also provide some insurance for the Eagles in case Graham does not re-sign.
Graham, 38, retired not long after Super Bowl LIX but agreed to come back in-season. The Eagles had just lost Za’Darius Smith to an in-season retirement. Graham then expressed interest at playing a 17th season. Already the only Eagle to play 16 years with the team, the 2010 first-round pick would seemingly factor into the organization’s supplementary EDGE situation, which would leave Ebiketie, Tryon-Shoyinka and Epenesa vying for limited playing time.
Playing well as an auxiliary Bills rusher from 2022-24, Epenesa only recorded 2.5 sacks last season. Buffalo consistently used Epenesa as a rotational cog, with Von Miller and then Gregory Rousseau anchoring the team’s pass rush. Epenesa tallied 6.5 sacks in 2022 and ’23, combining for 14 tackles for loss in those seasons. He then delivered a six-sack, eight-TFL 2024 to go with his only career safety. Epenesa does not have a sack in 14 career playoff games, and the Bills added Bradley Chubb in free agency before drafting Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker in the second round.
The first- and second-most-famous Michael Jordans are unapproachable for the veteran O-lineman, but the enduring guard has continued to work as a starter at various stops. Brought in as a depth option by the Buccaneers last year, Jordan ended up starting nine of the 11 games he played. This came after he started 11 of 12 Patriots contests in 2024. Jordan was a 10-game Panthers starter in both 2020 and ’21, before serving as a 2022 Carolina backup and missing the 2023 season.
Jordan spent the 2023 season on the Packers’ practice squad and did not make the Pats or Bucs’ rosters out of training camp in the ensuing years. But the former Bengals fourth-rounder managed to move back onto each team’s roster for extended starter duty each year.
Pro Football Focus has never graded Jordan as a top-60 guard, but teams have continued to view him as a valuable backup. The Eagles return starters Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen, though Dickerson considered retirement this offseason and missed time in 2025. Philly also drafted a guard in Round 6 (Micah Morris).
Meniscus Injury To Sideline Cardinals DT Kaleb Proctor; Latest On CB Garrett Williams
As the Cardinals transition to Mike LaFleur as head coach, they retained defensive coordinator Nick Rallis from the Jonathan Gannon period. Rallis’ unit has notable question marks along the defensive line, as the jury is still out on recent first-rounders Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson.
Arizona, which lost Calais Campbell in free agency, made another investment in the position early in the fourth round by selecting Southeastern Louisiana’s Kaleb Proctor. The No. 104 overall pick, though, may not be healthy when the the Cardinals open their season. LaFleur said (via Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer) Proctor suffered a torn meniscus during OTAs.
LaFleur did not rule out this being a season-ending injury. Proctor, among a handful of players from this draft class to not yet sign a rookie contract, was a consensus Division I-FCS All-American in 2025. He finished with nine sacks to become the Southland Conference’s Player of the Year. He was the first FCS player drafted this year.
The Cardinals saw Nolen run into multiple injuries derailing his rookie season. A calf injury suffered during offseason workouts sidelined the 2025 first-rounder until Week 8, and he suffered a season-ending knee injury two months later.
Nolen, who underwent surgery late last season, played just six games as a rookie. Robinson, meanwhile, finished his second season as Pro Football Focus’ lowest-graded interior D-lineman (among 127 regulars). Campbell rejoined the Ravens in free agency, though the Cardinals did bring back Roy Lopez after his Lions season. The team also signed Andrew Billings and Jonah Williams (not the two-year Arizona RT), but Proctor was the only D-lineman the team drafted this year.
Elsewhere on the Cardinals’ defense, Garrett Williams is rehabbing an Achilles tear suffered in Week 16. Arizona’s primary slot cornerback over the past three seasons, Williams played 10 games in 2025. He underwent surgery late in the season and is on track to return by Week 1, LaFleur added (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban).
Williams is expected to be back during training camp, per LaFleur, who places Week 1 as a realistic goal. This would be a welcome development for all parties, as Williams — a 2023 third-rounder — has logged at least a 75% snap share on defense over the past two seasons. The Syracuse product, who ranked as PFF’s No. 3 overall corner in 2024, is entering a contract year. The Cards do not much in the way of known commodities at corner, so having Williams back to open the season would be a nice bonus as Rallis attempts to revive a defense that ranked 31st last season.
Giants Optimistic Malik Nabers Will Be Ready For Week 1
Giants No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers remains in recovery from the torn ACL and meniscus he suffered last September. It has been a difficult rehab for Nabers, who required a second surgery – a cleanup procedure – in mid-April. While Nabers is still sidelined, Giants bigwigs are optimistic he will be ready when they open their season against the Cowboys on Sept. 13.
“I still think he’ll be fine Week 1,” general manager Joe Schoen told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports on Monday. “So we’ll see. He’s trending in the right direction. Again, these things take time, so it’s not instant. Every patient is different.”
Head coach John Harbaugh took a similarly positive tone Wednesday, saying (via Dan Duggan of The Athletic) that Nabers is making “really good progress.” Harbaugh added he is “very hopeful that he’ll be back soon.” In Harbaugh’s estimation, Nabers is 70 to 80 percent through his rehab.
Nabers’ absence is the most glaring in the Giants’ receiving corps, but he isn’t their only wideout on the shelf. Darius Slayton is on the mend from core-muscle surgery, and the team saw Gunner Olszewski go down with a season-ending Achilles tear during practice on May 29. Scrambling for healthy bodies, the Giants reunited with Odell Beckham Jr. and also brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios during a June 1 shopping spree. Those modest signings came a few months after the Giants added Calvin Austin and Darnell Mooney on the open market. They also traded up 31 picks to draft Malachi Fields in the third round (No. 74 overall).
Schoen admitted to Epstein that the Giants’ new-look WR group does not have a “true No. 1 alpha” with Nabers out, but he believes “there’s enough to go.” It is clear, however, that Nabers is the best player of the bunch. After going sixth overall in the 2024 draft, Nabers dazzled during a Pro Bowl rookie year in which he caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. Last season’s injury, which he incurred in quarterback Jaxson Dart‘s first career start, limited him to four games. Nabers will be a little under a year removed from it when Week 1 arrives, and the Giants are hopeful he will be on the field for the first meaningful game of the Harbaugh era.
Colts’ Daniel Jones Increases Offseason Participation; Alec Pierce Could Miss Start Of Training Camp
JUNE 10: Pierce’s surgery came after an unsuccessful PRP injection, per Mike Chappell of FOX 59. Asked when he could return, Pierce said, “Kind of somewhere in there I should be back right before the season or ready to go sometime during camp, whether that’s the beginning of the end.”
JUNE 9: Daniel Jones has continued to make progress while recovering from the Achilles tear which ended his debut Colts season. An increase in his level of practice participation has taken place recently.
Jones has been able to take part in seven-on-seven drills in OTAs lately, as detailed by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). That marks the next step after he was limited to individual work earlier this spring. 11-on-11 participation will need to wait until training camp, but the latest developments are encouraging.
“To get him out there in seven-on-seven was huge, to get him in the fold, running plays with the guys,” head coach Shane Steichen said of Jones’ recovery. “We’ll keep that trend going, probably through the end of OTAs and then, obviously, get him into team stuff at training camp. It’s spring, we don’t play for a while, so we’ve got to be smart with his injury. But he’s making great progress.”
Jones received the transition tag in March to ensure he would not be able to test the market. Shortly thereafter, a two-year, $88MM deal was worked out. The 29-year-old will be counted on to replicate his impressive performances from before the injury as the Colts aim to end their playoff drought. The play of the team’s offense will be key to those efforts, and wideout Alec Pierce‘s availability will be critical.
Pierce – who landed a four-year, $114MM pact to stay with the Colts – underwent ankle surgery this spring. No missed time in the regular season is expected in his case, but a limited workload during the summer may be coming. Steichen said on Tuesday (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star) it is possible Pierce could remain sidelined during the beginning of training camp next month. A return to practice in time for Week 1 would still be anticipated even in that event, but any setbacks in recovery could prove to be impactful on a Colts receiving corps which no longer has Michael Pittman Jr. in the fold.
Jones will also be able to participate in seven-on-seven drills during mandatory minicamp, Steichen confirmed today (h/t Fox59’s Mike Chappell). Anything beyond that will not take place until padded practices during the summer, but his recovery continues to head in a positive direction.