Giants Host DT Benito Jones
With Dexter Lawrence no longer in the fold, the Giants are in obvious need of help along the interior defensive line. Cognizant of that, the Giants hosted free agent defensive tackle Benito Jones on Tuesday, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire.
Unable to successfully renegotiate with the disgruntled Lawrence, the Giants traded him to the Bengals for the No. 10 pick last weekend. The Lawrence-less Giants are now perilously thin at the position, and finding an adequate replacement for the four-time Pro Bowler in free agency or even the draft will be a tall order. Nevertheless, Jones would at least give the Giants an experienced option with plenty of starts under his belt. The same applies to D.J. Reader, who met with the Giants earlier this month. Lawrence was still on the roster then.
Jones went undrafted in 2020, but the Ole Miss product has managed a 71-game, 38-start career over five seasons divided between Miami and Detroit. Jones put together a 17-game, 15-start with the Lions in 2023. He did the same with the Dolphins in 2024. The Dolphins re-signed Jones last year and got another 14 games and eight starts from him. He ended the season on IR with a back injury.
While Jones has racked up a solid amount of on-field action, his production has not been particularly strong. He has never topped 26 tackles, six QB hits or 1.5 sacks in any season. The 335-pounder has also struggled in the estimation of Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 105th among 127 D-tackles last year. PFF has been especially bullish on Jones’ work against the run, having assigned him below-average marks in that department four years in a row. That doesn’t seem ideal for the Giants, who allowed the second-most rushing yards in the NFL in 2025, but they are nonetheless considering Jones as the post-draft wave of free agency nears.
49ers Expected To Retain Mac Jones
Although 49ers quarterback Mac Jones entered the offseason as a potential trade candidate, he has stayed put so far. That is not expected to change, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The market for Jones has not “heated up,” Schefter adds.
As a first-round rookie in 2021, Jones got off to a promising start in helping lead the Patriots to the postseason. There was hope the Patriots had found a long-term successor to Tom Brady, but Jones’ career hit the skids in his second year. After he struggled in New England through 2023, the team traded him to Jacksonville for a sixth-round in the ensuing draft. The change of scenery did not work out for Jones, who struggled over 10 games and seven starts while filling in for an injured Trevor Lawrence.
While Jones’ stock remained relatively low going into free agency last March, he still scored a two-year, $7MM pact with San Francisco. The 49ers did not make the highest offer for Jones, but he took less to land in a good spot under offensive guru Kyle Shanahan. For the second straight year, Jones had to step in for an injured starter. It worked out far better in 2025. With Brock Purdy missing nine games, Jones posted a 5-3 record at the helm and recorded some of the best numbers of his career. The 27-year-old completed 69.6% of passes, averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, tossed 13 touchdowns against six interceptions, and put up a 97.4 traditional rating and 62.3 QBR.
After Jones helped them earn a playoff berth last year, the 49ers reportedly tagged him with an “astronomical” asking price. As of early March, they wanted at least a second-rounder for Jones. Nobody has met their demands, and with offseason QB movement mostly finished, it does not appear anyone will.
Aside from the Steelers, who are waiting on Aaron Rodgers, everyone has a starting quarterback or at least a competition in place a few months in advance of training camp. The Colts kept Daniel Jones around on a pricey contract to remain their starter. Elsewhere, the Dolphins (Malik Willis), Vikings (Kyler Murray), Falcons (Tua Tagovailoa), Raiders (Kirk Cousins), Jets (Geno Smith) and Cardinals (Gardner Minshew) have all brought in notable veteran signal-callers. All of those players will either open next season as a starter or vie with an in-house signal-caller for the job. Meanwhile, unless the Browns veer away from their planned Shedeur Sanders–Deshaun Watson battle, Jones probably is not a fit in Cleveland. That’s likely fine with the 49ers, who have been content to keep Jones all along.
When asked in January about a potential Jones trade, Shanahan said: “As any player on our team, including myself and John (Lynch), you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
Saints Open To Trading Spencer Rattler?
Tyler Shough impressed after the Saints gave him the starting job around midseason last year, showing promise after losing a competition to Spencer Rattler in training camp. Rattler now faces an uncertain NFL future.
Although resilient GM Mickey Loomis drafted Rattler, the quarterback was acquired to develop in a previous offensive system. Drafted during Klint Kubiak‘s year as the Saints’ play-caller, the former South Carolina and Oklahoma prospect has two years left on his rookie contract. Rattler came up as a possible trade option earlier this year, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentions the third-year QB as a player who could be moved before or during the draft.
The Saints have given Rattler 14 starts; he is 1-13 as a first-stringer. While New Orleans has not fielded a particularly good roster around Rattler — with Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed down for much of his time starting 2024 — Shough fared better with this cast as a half-season 2025 starter. Shough finished as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up, taking the Saints out of QB consideration in this draft.
Rattler, 25, completed 67.7% of his passes in Kellen Moore‘s offense last year — a dramatic uptick from 2024 — but averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt. Rattler finished with an 8:5 TD-INT ratio, being benched after the Saints’ seventh loss. Shough went 5-4 in his starts. Shaheed played just one game during Shough’s starter stint, being traded to the Seahawks two days later; Kamara also missed six games during the Shough starter portion of the season.
Rattler will not carry too much in terms of trade value, but his status bears watching after the Saints signed Zach Wilson in free agency. New Orleans gave the former No. 2 overall pick a one-year, $1.4MM pact that includes nearly $600K guaranteed. That does not exactly protect the underwhelming passer from being released, but Wilson being brought in under Moore is notable for his chances of backing up Shough this season. No other QBs are on New Orleans’ roster.
The Jets came up as a potential Rattler suitor before reacquiring Geno Smith via trade, but a subsequent early-March report indicated the Saints had not yet received trade calls. The draft serves as a second trade window on the NFL calendar annually, and it will be interesting to see if the Saints do field calls on a player who will be competing for a backup job this offseason.
Seahawks Pursuing Trade-Down Move From No. 32
John Schneider‘s GM tenure has seen plenty of trades involving first-round picks. Although the GM has stayed in his first-round draft slot(s) in each of the past three years, the two-time Super Bowl winner has a history of trading out of his top draft position.
Seattle has traded four first-round picks for veterans during Schneider’s 16-draft GM run, acquiring Percy Harvin (2013), Jimmy Graham (2015) and Jamal Adams (2020). Schneider has traded down from his first-round position in six other drafts. In three of those drafts, Schneider has traded down at least twice from his first-round draft slot. Although the results of this process have not always panned out — with some unremarkable returns forming in Rounds 1 and 2 in several Seattle drafts — Schneider has a pattern. Back at the mountaintop, the Seahawks are aiming to return to their Round 1 M.O.
[RELATED: Traded Draft Picks For 2026]
Schneider said it is “no secret” (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) the team is looking to trade down from No. 32. The Seahawks hold just four selections in this draft — Nos. 32, 64, 96 and 188. Two of Seattle’s picks went to New Orleans for the since-re-signed Rashid Shaheed. No team enters this draft with fewer selections than the defending champions.
The Seahawks will be willing to trade the No. 32 pick to an NFC West rival, Schneider added (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson). The Seahawks have done so in the past, moving down in 2017 to allow the 49ers to select linebacker Reuben Foster. There have been 35 intra-divisional draft trades since 2002, per Henderson. That Foster-based swap was the only Schneider-era Seattle pick flip inside the NFC West.
“We’ve talked within our division,” Schneider said. “That was kind of frowned upon for a while, like you don’t trade within your division. Everybody in our division, we would trade with. We have good relationships with all three of those teams. You’re maneuvering around the board to try to help your team no matter what. So, when you look at it through that lens, you’re basically not concerned about [helping another team].”
Seattle’s decisions to stay in its draft slot recently have paid dividends. The team held onto its Broncos-obtained No. 9 pick in 2022, selecting Charles Cross. Denver’s other pick sent in the Russell Wilson trade — No. 5 overall in 2023 — gave Seattle Devon Witherspoon. The Seahawks’ own 2023 selection became Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and they did not move down to select either Byron Murphy or Grey Zabel over the past two years.
The Seahawks’ No. 32 pick could conceivably be a gateway for the Cardinals to climb up for Ty Simpson and pick up a fifth-year option on the polarizing QB prospect, though it is certainly possible Arizona would need to move higher than 32 for the Alabama passer. Other teams could be calling by then, perhaps if one of the tackles falls to the end of Round 1, but this is not viewed as a particularly strong draft. That could lead Seattle to stay at No. 32 and perhaps trade down in Rounds 2 or 3 to add to its four-pick total.
Steelers’ Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig Seen As Trade Candidates; Highsmith Likelier To Be Dealt?
APRIL 21: It seems the Steelers may be willing to listen but would need to be wowed by an offer to actually move one of Watt’s wingmen. The odds of Highsmith or Herbig being traded are “minuscule,” according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly.
“Yeah, it happens every year — it happens throughout the year, not just now,” GM Omar Khan said regarding trade interest. “People will call and say, ‘Hey, any interest in this player, in trading this player for this player?’ Or they’ll call and say, ‘Hey, we have this player we would consider. You guys interested?’ There’s a lot. I’d say maybe probably less than 5% of those calls actually turn out to be something.”
APRIL 19: The Steelers presently boast an enviable trio of pass rushers in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. Although GM Omar Khan recently said “you can’t ever have enough” pass rushers, rival clubs apparently believe Pittsburgh is willing to deal from that perceived surplus, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports details.
Per Robinson, Highsmith and Herbig are “floating around front offices” as possible trade targets in the run-up to the draft, with one high-ranking personnel executive expressing his belief that the Steelers will move one of them. Robinson reports Highsmith is the likelier trade candidate.
Highsmith’s contract situation is one of the reasons for that. The 28-year-old (29 in August) still has two years remaining on the four-year, $68MM extension he signed in August 2023 and is owed $14.5MM in base pay in 2026 and $17.5MM in 2027, with cap hits in excess of $20MM in both of those seasons. The year before he signed the contract, he posted 14.5 sacks, but he has failed to hit double-digits in any of the last three campaigns and missed time due to injury in both of the past two.
On the other hand, Highsmith’s upcoming salaries are palatable for a talented edge defender, and he will likely not require a contract adjustment in 2026, as Robinson suggests. Herbig, meanwhile, is four years younger than Highsmith, is entering the last year of his rookie deal, and is viewed as an ascending player. He has performed well despite mostly operating in a platoon capacity, notching 5.5 sacks in 2024 (when he had a 50% snap share) and 7.5 in 2025 (60%).
Khan has expressed a desire to extend Herbig, and as noted above, he believes the importance of quality edge defenders justifies an allocation of resources that would keep all three of Watt (who enjoys a $41MM average annual value on his current deal), Highsmith, and Herbig in the fold. However, retaining Herbig may be impractical unless either Highsmith is traded or Herbig agrees to a team-friendly extension, and Robinson indicates another strong showing in ‘26 could lead to a $20MM/year deal for Herbig if he hits the open market.
So while it is far from a guarantee that Khan will pull the trigger on a trade jettisoning one of his top pass rushers, it is easy to see why other clubs believe he will be amenable to such a move. Quarterback uncertainty continues to loom over the Steelers, but as we get closer to the draft, Khan has plenty of non-QB matters to keep him busy.
AFC North Notes: Jones, Browns, Ravens
Taking first-round tackles in back-to-back years, the Steelers have seen the first of those picks — Broderick Jones — struggle to live up to his No. 14 draft slot. Jones is now rehabbing from neck surgery. That rehab process is under the microscope, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicating a setback occurred. Jones is scheduled for an evaluation this week with regards to readiness for training camp and/or the regular season. While the Bears may need a veteran stopgap while Ozzy Trapilo recovers from a patellar tendon tear, Jones’ struggles before suffering the injury in Week 12 of last year may point the organization to another early-round draftee. The Steelers are unlikely to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option — valued at $19.07MM — and this injury may determine if another long-term tackle option is sought in this year’s first round.
GM Omar Khan, however, said (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac) nothing has changed with Jones’ rehab timeline; though, it remains unclear. A host of tackles are expected to go off the board in Round 1; Ely Allen’s PFR mock draft sends Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor to Pittsburgh.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- The Browns are (again) conducting a quarterback competition. Unlike last year, Deshaun Watson is part of it. Todd Monken has not dismissed the embattled veteran when asked about a possible comeback, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport made a recent guess during a Rich Eisen Show appearance that it will indeed be Watson calling signals for Cleveland when the season opens. Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel struggled as rookies, and while GM Andrew Berry did not rule out an addition to the team’s QB room, it is possible the draft comes and goes without Cleveland making a move here. Watson is entering the final season of a disastrous five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed contract. The dead money consequences this year will keep Watson rostered, as his play with the Browns has certainly not warranted retention, and the 30-year-old passer will attempt to come back from two Achilles tears — and a second missed season this decade — to reclaim a starting job. To open offseason team drills, Sanders (per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson) drew the first snaps. Watson, per the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling, was first up in seven-on-seven work.
- Dax Hill has toggled between outside and slot cornerback duty. Although the Bengals traded their first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence, the team addressing the corner spot on Day 2 could affect Hill’s usage, Ben Baby of ESPN.com writes. The team had Hill primarily manning the slot — with DJ Turner and Cam Taylor-Britt outside — to start the season before closing the campaign with a Hill-Turner boundary duo. Hill primarily played on the perimeter upon being moved to CB in 2024, but an ACL tear ended his season early. His 2025 season brought a near-even snap split (366 in the slot, 409 outside). How the Bengals use the former first-rounder this year will go a long way toward shaping his free agent market, should the team not extend the converted safety (a rumored scenario).
- The Ravens ultimately drafted Georgia safety Malaki Starks in last year’s first round, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec indicates the team considered Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons at No. 27. Viewed as a player who would have gone higher were it not for a patellar tendon tear in 2024, Simmons ended up going 32nd overall to the Chiefs. He then missed time due to a personal issue and wrist injury during an eight-game rookie season. Baltimore’s interest in Simmons is notable considering the team had just re-signed Ronnie Stanley and used a 2024 second-round pick on RT Roger Rosengarten. Baltimore has been connected to Proctor, Spencer Fano and Vega Ioane in this year’s first round. Were Proctor or Fano chosen, the player’s immediate Maryland duty would likely be guard to complement Stanley and Rosengarten (whereas Ioane is a natural guard). But one of the tackles having a future role as a Stanley successor — and present place as insurance for the injury-prone LT — would be in play as well.
- The Lions released former second-rounder Josh Paschal last month. The edge rusher has resurfaced in Cleveland, with TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi noting he is going through a tryout at Browns workouts Tuesday. Paschal (18 career starts) spent last season on the NFI list due to back surgery.
Pats’ Kayshon Boutte Available In Trade?
APRIL 21: The fourth-year wide receiver is not at the Patriots’ facility for the start of offseason workouts, Mike Vrabel confirmed Tuesday (via Schultz). While the sides have been in communication, a potential parting will be something to monitor as the draft nears.
APRIL 20: Kayshon Boutte has been a productive Patriots pass catcher for two seasons, eclipsing 500 receiving yards in each. He played a key role for New England’s 2025 AFC champion edition.
The Pats made a major adjustment at receiver last month, cutting Stefon Diggs and effectively replacing him with Romeo Doubs. Close connections to A.J. Brown have also been steady this offseason. Philadelphia trading the mercurial wideout to New England after June 1 has been a regularly rumored scenario.
Brown joining Doubs as offseason WR arrivals could lead to more changes, and the Patriots’ upcoming draft may impact holdovers as well. One season remains on both Boutte and DeMario Douglas‘ rookie contracts. Both Bill Belichick-era pickups are due for free agency in March 2027. It appears the Pats are open to moving Boutte, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes. Boutte voiced frustration about his role in 2024 but did not generate a similar headline during a far more successful Pats season in 2025.
Around this time last year, Schultz floated Boutte’s name in trade rumors. Nothing came of it, and the former sixth-round pick tallied 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns to help Drake Maye to MVP runner-up status. Missing three games, Boutte outproduced Douglas’ 17-game output: 31 catches, 447 yards, three TDs.
Mack Hollins‘ two-year contract runs through the 2026 season, and the former Josh McDaniels Raiders charge played well (46/550/2 in 15 games) in his Patriots debut. Hollins, Douglas and Boutte would be vying for auxiliary roles if Brown is indeed Foxborough-bound. The Patriots also used a 2025 third-round pick in Kyle Williams, creating a logjam in the event Brown is indeed acquired. It would stand to reason the team would explore moving one of its young pieces before the draft, allowing for an immediate asset to come back.
Boutte, 24 in May, would stand to carry slightly more trade value compared to Douglas, who turned 25 in December. A scenario where both players remain on the roster alongside Williams and Hollins behind regulars Brown and Doubs may be difficult to envision. A Boutte trade also would further fuel speculation a Pats-Eagles summer WR swap is imminent.
Cardinals Could Take Jeremiyah Love At No. 3, Prefer To Trade Down
APRIL 21: Hughes and Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline echo the sentiment that Arizona will be active in looking to move out of the No. 3 slot. If the Cardinals stay put, the reports are split on the team’s preferred target. Hughes points to Love, while Pauline names David Bailey as the top option (provided he is not selected second overall by the Jets).
APRIL 20: It makes little financial sense to draft a running back with a top-five pick, but the Cardinals are considering taking Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick anyway.
Arizona would hand the Notre Dame standout a fully guaranteed contract worth just under $13.5MM per year, per OverTheCap. For several other positions, that would be a below-market rate – significantly so for wide receivers and edge rushers. Among running backs, though, Love would be at or close to the top of the positional market in both AAV and guarantees.
Is Love worth the opportunity cost of selecting a running back over a premium position with such a high pick? The Cardinals are coming around to the idea, per SNY’s Connor Hughes and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They currently have a backfield by committee – Tyler Allgeier, Trey Benson, and James Conner – along with Zonovan Knight and Corey Kiner as depth.
Arizona’s primary trio is serviceable, but Love undoubtedly offers more instant impact and long-term upside. While the team is still figuring out its future at the quarterback position, new head coach Mike LaFleur could push for the best offensive skill player in the 2026 class.
The Cardinals have also been linked with a trade out of the No. 3 spot, potentially with a team looking to come up for Love. At present, they have just seven picks – all their own – in both the 2026 and 2027 drafts. Arizona may take Ty Simpson to solve their quarterback problem right away, but they could wait to target a stronger class next year.
As a result, the latest reports could be nothing more than a draft week smokescreen to drum up interest in the No. 3 pick by a team who has already talked themselves into taking a running back with a top-10 pick. Almost all of the other teams in the top 10 have been connected with Love at some point or another, primarily the Titans, Giants, and Commanders. They could be looking to move up to secure the potential superstar running back, while other teams could be looking to jump that trio by trading up to Arizona’s pick.
Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike Expected To Play In 2026 Following Neck Surgery
Nnamdi Madubuike‘s 2025 campaign ended in Week 2 due to a serious neck injury. Since then, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle’s future has been in question.
Few updates have emerged in recent months on this front, but the Ravens veteran himself has offered hints that a recovery could be in store. The team has appeared to hold a similar stance on the matter. Tuesday has brought about another encouraging development.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Madubuike underwent neck surgery last week. He adds doctors expect the 28-year-old to return to action during the 2026 season. The timing of Madubuike’s procedure is certainly interesting given the time which has transpired since the injury was suffered. Nevertheless, a positive outlook will be welcomed news for all parties in this case.
Madubuike has been a mainstay along the defensive line during his six-year Baltimore tenure. The former third-rounder posted 13 sacks in 2023, a figure which made him one of the players at the position to benefit from its rising market the following offseason. Madubuike inked a four-year extension averaging $24.5MM per season, cementing his status as a core player for the foreseeable future. No major injuries had occurred up to that point, and Madubuike logged a full season in 2024.
Things were much different last year, however. Losing Madubuike proved to be highly impactful for the Ravens, a team which ranked 30th in the NFL in sacks. Getting the Texas A&M product back in the fold would be critical for Baltimore with a rebound from an 8-9 campaign being sought out. New head coach Jesse Minter will be tasked with leading a defensive turnaround, and a healthy Madubuike could be central to that effort.
Adding along the defensive interior was likely to be a Ravens priority regardless of Madubuike’s outlook. Baltimore should still be expected to select at least one rookie defensive tackle this week, but the team’s approach could be altered slightly if a return to full health is expected throughout the organization.
Panthers Sign QB Will Grier
Will Grier is returning to his original NFL team in time for offseason practices. A deal with the Panthers has been worked out, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
Grier entered the league as a third-round pick for Carolina. His only two regular-season appearances to date were both starts, and they came about during his rookie season. Grier has since bounced around the league, seeing time in several organizations in a depth capacity.
The 31-year-old inked a futures contract with the Cowboys in February, but he was cut one month later. Grier remained a free agent until today, with teams sorting out their depth charts in advance of spring work (not to mention the draft). The West Virginia product is now in position to serve as Carolina’s third-string passer for the time being.
The Panthers will once again be led by Bryce Young under center in 2026. The former No. 1 pick had veteran Andy Dalton alongside him for each of his first three seasons in the NFL, but Carolina sought out a change at the QB2 spot. That resulted in Kenny Pickett being added on the open market and Dalton being traded to the Eagles. Young and Pickett will lead the way as the Panthers aim to build off their playoff appearance in 2025.
Carolina entered Monday near the bottom of the league in cap space. This Grier addition will no doubt come about on a deal worth the league minimum, however. The Panthers will turn their attention to the upcoming draft and focus on signing their incoming rookie class over the near future.