Rams Hire Phil Savage As Consultant
The Browns were not the only team to add a former GM before the draft. As Cleveland brought in Tom Telesco and Trent Baalke to help with its two-first-rounder itinerary, Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora notes the Rams added Phil Savage to their personnel department.
Savage, the former Browns GM and Jets interim front office boss, joined the Rams in late March. This hire came after the team traded the No. 29 overall pick to the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie.
[RELATED: Grade Rams’ Ty Simpson Draft Decision]
An Alabama native who spent six-plus years as the executive director of the Senior Bowl, Savage worked under Joe Douglas with the Jets from 2019-24. The team hired the veteran exec as a senior personnel advisor in 2019 and kept him on to steer the ship in the final weeks of 2024, with Douglas fired during that season. Savage, 61, also remained with the team as a consultant in 2025.
Savage working with the Jets’ new regime may have been beneficial for the Rams, with at least one NFL exec connecting the dots (via La Canfora) ahead of the NFC West team surprisingly choosing Ty Simpson 13th overall last month. Savage having knowledge of the Jets’ inner workings certainly did not hurt as the Rams determined who their top competition would be, and the Alabama native’s extensive time in Mobile with the Senior Bowl and with the Crimson Tide as a broadcaster for a while may have helped push the Simpson-L.A. connection past the goal line.
Moreover, an exec informed La Canfora that Savage was high on Simpson during the pre-draft process. The Rams were loosely connected to the one-year Alabama starter, with a report indicating the team liked the quarterback but not at No. 13. The team’s McDuffie trade was viewed as one likely to send Simpson elsewhere — perhaps to Arizona or New York — but the QB revealed post-draft he met in secret with Sean McVay at points. The Rams do not hold “30” visits, making it harder to gauge their interest level in certain prospects.
The Rams viewed the Cardinals as a threat to take Simpson, believing their NFC West rivals held heavy interest. Hence, the team’s decision not to risk losing Simpson by trading down from 13. Les Snead helped Simpson determine if he would enter the draft or stay in school, with a $6.5MM NIL deal from Miami — which wanted him to replace Carson Beck in 2026 — being extended. Snead, who had known Simpson’s father from their SEC playing days, had been in on the QB since the fall.
Savage debuted in the NFL as a Bill Belichick assistant in Cleveland back in 1991, later teaming with Alabama icon Ozzie Newsome in the Ravens’ front office. His various Alabama ties may well have contributed to the Rams determining this was the correct window to acquire their Matthew Stafford heir apparent.
QB Anthony Richardson Reports To Colts Workouts
Anthony Richardson was absent from the beginning of the Colts’ offseason program. After two weeks away from the team, though, things have changed.
Richardson has reported to the Colts for today’s work, ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports. Today’s development comes shortly after Indianapolis made the expected decision of declining the former No. 4 pick’s fifth-year option. As a result of that move, Richardson is a pending 2027 free agent.
It came as little surprise when team and player were apart from each other at the beginning of voluntary workouts. Richardson requested a trade earlier this offseason, and with Daniel Jones atop the depth chart Indianapolis could stand to move on in his case. As general manager Chris Ballard recently confirmed, however, no trade calls were made during last month’s draft. An extended Richardson waiting period could thus be in store.
All work between now and June’s minicamp is voluntary. Richardson will now be in store to participate in team drills as he awaits clarity on his future. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has totaled only 15 starts through three seasons in the NFL, with injuries and inconsistent play when on the field defining his Colts tenure. That will hinder Richardson’s stock in any potential trade, and many teams added to their QB depth charts by selecting a signal-caller on Day 3 of the draft (or earlier, in a few cases).
Ballard has suggested the Colts could keep Richardson in the fold through 2026, and the nature of the Florida product’s trade market will be worth watching as the offseason unfolds. Riley Leonard looms as Indianapolis’ QB2 in the event Richardson winds up being dealt. It remains to be seen when or if that will take place, but suitors could of course emerge if injuries strike during practices around the league.
Richardson is owed $1.15MM in salary for the coming season. He could be viewed as a low-cost option for teams seeking a developmental passer or a one-year rental as a result. Otherwise, on-field preparation for a fourth season in Indianapolis will begin today.
Chiefs Waive QB Jake Haener, Two Others
With rookie minicamps and tryouts taking place, many teams around the league will see roster turnover across the coming days. The Chiefs have made a number of moves.
Kansas City added three players to the roster on Monday, per a team announcement. Three more were waived in corresponding moves. Quarterback Jake Haener, along with defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and undrafted rookie Ethan Hurkett have been let go.
Haener entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2024. He made eight appearances and one start as a rookie but did not see any regular-season action in 2025. In January, Haener was offered a futures deal from New Orleans but joined the Chiefs instead. Kansas City has since traded for Justin Fields, though, adding to the team’s QB depth while Patrick Mahomes continues to recover from ACL and MCL tears.
Pickens was taken in the third round of the 2023 draft by the Bears. He spent two seasons in Chicago but failed to survive roster cuts this past summer. That resulted in a practice squad deal with Kansas City, and Pickens made three appearances for the Chiefs in 2025. Hurkett went undrafted last month, and he was among the 20 players Kansas City signed shortly after the draft concluded.
With the roster spots created by those three departures, the Chiefs have signed receiver Xavier Loyd, defensive back Marlen Sewell and offensive tackle Kahlil Benson. Those rookies will join the others still in place for Kansas City in competing for a role during spring practices.
Eagles Likely To Make S Addition
The safety position has seen plenty of movement so far this offseason in the case of the Eagles. At least one more move could be coming.
Philadelphia lost Reed Blakenship to the Texans in free agency. The team also moved on from Sydney Brown by trading him to the Falcons. While the Eagles have since brought back veteran Marcus Epps and added special teams veteran J.T. Gray, another addition could be coming during the post-draft period of free agency.
“You go into this understanding that you’re going to come out of it with not everything perfect, but [Eagles officials] probably have a different vision of our safety room than maybe it is publicly,” general manager Howie Roseman said (via The Athletic’s Zach Berman) when reflecting on the draft. “But that’ll all sort itself out. We don’t play our first game until September.”
The Eagles have Andrew Mukuba, Michael Carter II and seventh-round rookie Cole Wisniewski in the fold along with Gray and Epps as things stand. PhillyVoice’s Geoff Mosher predicts the team will bring in a starting-caliber player between now and Week 1. With free agent deals no longer counting against the compensatory pick formula, movement over the coming days could pick up as veterans line up deals with new teams.
The list of safeties on the market was recently thinned out by Justin Simmons‘ retirement. Still, a number of experienced producers are available this deep into the offseason. The likes of Donovan Wilson, Ashtyn Davis, Xavier Woods and Taylor Rapp are unsigned at this time. Any of them could be acquired on a low-cost deal covering the 2026 season. The trade market running through roster cutdowns in the summer will provide Roseman and Co. with another opportunity to add in the secondary.
The Eagles currently have nearly $28MM in cap space. Their financial situation will of course change in the expected event A.J. Brown is traded after June 1, but there will still be plenty of available funds during the summer if a safety acquisition is sought out.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta Discusses Center Need; Team Could Trade For C
MAY 4: Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic confirms it is “possible, if not probable” the Ravens will trade for a center this spring. Baltimore currently has over $27MM in cap space, so finances should not be an issue if a deal is sought out in the near future.
MAY 3: While the Ravens shored up the interior of their offensive line this offseason by adding John Simpson in free agency and selecting Vega Ioane in the first round of the draft, there is a glaring hole at the center position. Tyler Linderbaum, who manned the pivot for Baltimore for the last four years (earning Pro Bowl acclaim in each of the last three), signed a record-setting deal with the Raiders in March, and the Ravens are still seeking an adequate replacement.
As ESPN’s Jamison Hensley details, general manager Eric DeCosta said the two center prospects in the 2026 draft class he believed could make an immediate impact were taken in the second round, which he considered a surprise. Presumably, he is referring to Logan Jones, who went to the Bears with the No. 57 pick, and Jake Slaughter, whom the Chargers selected with the No. 63 choice. With his own second-round pick, DeCosta opted to bolster his pass rush (Zion Young, No. 45 overall), and by the time the Ravens were back on the clock at No. 80, Jones and Slaughter were long gone.
DeCosta acknowledged during an interview on WBAL (via Hensley) that the center position remains in a state of flux, though he indicated he could address that need via trade. Of course, he did not name possible trade targets, though players like Chicago’s Garrett Bradbury or Miami’s Aaron Brewer could speculatively fit the bill.
The Bears just acquired Bradbury via trade this offseason but then drafted Jones. The Dolphins restructured Brewer’s deal in order to absorb the dead money created by the Jaylen Waddle trade and have expressed an interest in extending the snapper, a 2025 second-team All-Pro. Still, the ‘Fins are rebuilding, and after the club’s new regime traded a former cornerstone in Waddle, moving a contract-year player like Brewer who appears poised to cash in thanks in part to Linderbaum’s mega-deal could make sense.
Players like Graham Glasgow, Ethan Pocic, and Ryan Bates are still free agents, and the Ravens will presumably continue to evaluate Corey Bullock, a 2024 UDFA who took extensive reps at center last summer and who is currently penciled in atop the center depth chart. Baltimore also signed Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn this offseason, but neither of those players presently profiles as a viable starting option for a club with championship aspirations.
Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks Seeking Raise
Jordyn Brooks has been a highly productive starter during his two years with the Dolphins. The veteran linebacker remains under contract for one more year, and he is among the players Miami is interested in extending.
If Brooks is to work out a new Dolphins agreement, a bump in pay could be in store. Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald writes the 28-year-old is seeking a raise in the event an extension is signed. Brooks is currently set to collect $8.38MM in 2026, the final year of his 2024 free agent pact.
While playing out his rookie contract with the Seahawks, Brooks was a regular presence on defense and filled the statsheet. The former first-rounder was among many in his position to have his fifth-year option declined, however, leading to a departure on the open market. Brooks joined the Dolphins and has served as an every-down player since. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025 after leading the NFL in tackles (183) while adding 3.5 sacks.
Brooks drew trade interest from the Dolphins this offseason, but no swap was worked out. Miami has not been shy with respect to moving on from veterans under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. A short list of players remain in the team’s plans, though, and Brooks is on it. Sullivan indicated last month extension talks have taken place with Brooks, but nothing is imminent at this time.
22 inside linebackers are currently attached to an average annual value higher than Brooks. That includes 19 earning an average of $10MM or more per year, a figure the Texas Tech product could aim to surpass on his third career contract. Finances are of course tight right now for the Dolphins with the team carrying a dead money figure of $179MM, but any extension would lower his immediate cap charge and accommodating a Brooks raise in 2027 could be feasible.
Miami’s 14-man draft class includes linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis. Those two are in position to compete for a defensive role, although veteran Tyrel Dodson joins Brooks as a holdover from 2025. It will be interesting to see if the latter has a new deal in place by Week 1 or if he enters 2026 as a pending free agent.
Dan Morgan: Panthers Discussing Bryce Young Extension Internally
The Panthers made the expected move of picking up Bryce Young‘s fifth-year option earlier this week. Attention will now turn to the matter of an extension for the former No. 1 pick.
Young is on track to collect $25.9MM in guaranteed salary for 2027 as a result of Carolina’s decision. The team could elect to wait before making a long-term commitment given the former Heisman winner’s incremental progress at the NFL level. Young himself would welcome an extension, however, and a report from last month indicated the Panthers could oblige.
GM Dan Morgan addressed the Young situation during an interview with Sirius XM’s Adam Schein (audio link). He said a multiyear deal is “something that we’re talking about here internally,” adding “we’ll do it at the right time.” It will thus be interesting to see if negotiations with Young’s camp take place during the coming weeks.
“Obviously he came into a really rough situation in terms of coaching staff, maybe you could say the talent around him wasn’t great as well,” Morgan said of Young. “I think you see him just getting better and better every single year. Understanding the offense, he’s such a good processor, and a guy that’s just a pleasure to have around the building every day. As you see him mature, you see him become a better leader every single year. And the operation’s getting faster every year. So we really feel like the arrow is up with Bryce.”
Young set a new career high in several categories during the 2025 season, although his 188 passing yards per game average and 87.8 passer rating left plenty to be desired. The 24-year-old totaled 23 touchdown passes while helping Carolina win the NFC South, but he added 11 interceptions along the way. Another step forward will be required for Young to be considered among the game’s top quarterbacks and thus justify an extension near the top of the market. 10 passers currently collect between $51MM and $60MM per year on average.
Young could look to join that group when his next deal is signed, especially with the NFL’s salary cap continuing to rise. How his asking price compares to the Panthers’ valuation will be worth monitoring closely, though. Carolina has the ability to wait out the 2026 season before engaging in serious extension talks. Whether or not Morgan and Co. choose to do so will no doubt depend in large part on how internal discussions fare over the near future.
Giants Had “Basically The Same” Grade On RB Jeremiyah Love, LB Arvell Reese; Latest On OL Francis Mauigoa
The Giants were said to be high on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the run-up to the draft, and some members of the organization were reportedly hoping Love would fall to Big Blue’s No. 5 overall pick despite the perceived value issues in selecting a running back so early. As it turned out, the Giants never had to make that call, since the Cardinals chose Love at No. 3. But it would have been an interesting dilemma for New York, as a team source told Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports the Giants had Love and Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese (whom New York selected at No. 5) graded “basically the same.”
John Harbaugh was one of Love’s biggest supporters, and Vacchiano says the new head coach wants to build the same type of rushing attack he deployed in Baltimore with his Derrick Henry-fronted corps. On the other hand, GM Joe Schoen is among the Giants’ staffers who believe strongly in positional value, and the No. 5 overall pick is due to make a fully-guaranteed $47.8MM, which is $11.8MM more in guaranteed money than any RB has ever received.
One GM told Vacchiano, “[i]t’s a terrible use of assets. Obviously, you can find 1,000-yard rushers for much less. You have to really believe [Love] is a Hall of Fame talent and can transform your team immediately. Because financially, you’re saying he’s 33% better than [Saquon] Barkley. And he’s not.”
Despite those sentiments, which Schoen and other key voices in the building appear to share, one predraft report said the Giants would take Love if he fell to them (which they did not expect). Of course, they also thought Reese would be taken before No. 5; Schoen indicated the former Buckeye was the highest-rated non-quarterback on the club’s board. Ultimately, the Giants were not forced to make what may have been a rather difficult decision, and they were free to simply take the player they believed was the best available.
New York was also armed with the No. 10 overall pick, thanks to the Dexter Lawrence trade the club completed with the Bengals about a week before the draft. The Giants used their acquired selection on Miami (FL) offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa. Dan Duggan of The Athletic confirms Love and Reese were the Giants’ top-graded non-QBs, and he says Mauigoa would have been the choice at No. 5 if Reese were off the board (it is unclear if Duggan is suggesting the Giants would have taken Mauigoa over Love, or if both Love and Reese are unavailable in this hypothetical).
In any event, the Giants’ willingness to use the first of their two top-10 selections on Mauigoa underscores Schoen’s assertion that the team is comfortable with their new blocker’s health situation despite a herniated disc that was discovered at the scouting combine. New York understands surgery may be necessary at some point but does not believe it is a given. Even if Mauigoa is forced to go under the knife eventually, the Giants are unconcerned about the long-term effects.
A college tackle, Mauigoa will begin his career competing for a job at guard. Reese will see most of his early action as an off-ball linebacker rather than as an edge rusher thanks to New York’s existing EDGE depth.
Seahawks Were Wary Of 49ers’ Interest In RB Jadarian Price; Seattle Remains Open To Signing Dante Fowler
The Seahawks filled a major need in this year’s draft when they selected Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price with the last pick (No. 32 overall) of Day 1. Although they reportedly attempted to trade out of the first round — and, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Titans (No. 35) and Giants (No. 37) were among the potential trade partners — the ‘Hawks felt comfortable selecting Price for a number of reasons (aside from his obvious talent as a runner and relatively low odometer reading).
As Henderson relays, Price’s character and willingness to eschew more lucrative NIL deals to remain with the Fighting Irish as Jeremiyah Love‘s backup — which Price says he did as a challenge to himself to earn a notable workload alongside Love, whom he called the best player in college football — contributed to GM John Schneider‘s decision to pull the trigger with his first-round selection.
Plus, Schneider was concerned the division-rival 49ers would nab Price at No. 33, and given the perceived gap between Price and the next tier of RBs in this year’s draft class, that would have been a bitter pill to swallow (Henderson says Schneider viewed Washington’s Jonah Coleman and Arkansas’ Mike Washington as Day 3 options if he was unable to land the former Golden Domer).
The Seahawks’ other realistic first-round target was San Diego State CB Chris Johnson, whom the Dolphins selected at No. 27. Seattle ultimately landed a cornerback prospect when it chose Julian Neal with the No. 99 pick, and it was Neal’s tackling ability that stood out. Riq Woolen, who defected to the Eagles in free agency, was not a sure and willing tackler, and the club hopes Neal will represent an upgrade in that regard and step into Woolen’s CB3 role.
Like Woolen, Dareke Young left the Seahawks in free agency, and Henderson suggests Emmanuel Henderson, the No. 199 pick, could take over for Young on Seattle’s special teams unit thanks to his ability to return and cover kicks. A different wide receiver the ‘Hawks were eyeing for a third phase role, Kentucky’s Kendrick Law, went to the Lions as the 168th pick.
Interestingly, some members of the organization valued fifth-round guard Beau Stephens more highly than Keylan Rutledge, who went to the Texans in the first round. Henderson confirms, as our Connor Byrne recently noted, that Seattle expects Stephens to push Anthony Bradford for the starting right guard spot in 2026.
The board was not as kind to Seattle with respect to pass rushers, as would-be targets like R Mason Thomas, Derrick Moore, and Jaishawn Barham went elsewhere. That leaves the Seahawks without a replacement for Boye Mafe, who signed with the Bengals in March. Dante Fowler, who visited Seattle last month and who remains unsigned, remains one of Schenider’s top options, per Henderson. The ESPN scribe had said in a prior report that Schneider could still sign a pass rusher, whether that’s Fowler or someone else.
Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown Hires David Mulugheta
Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown has changed agencies entering a contract year. He is now represented by David Mulugheta of Athletes First, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Dallas is all too familiar with Mulugheta, who also represents Micah Parsons and George Pickens. Owner Jerry Jones attempted to circumvent Mulugheta when negotiating an extension with Parsons last year, which led to the All-Pro edge rusher’s trade request and eventual move to the Packers.
Jones claimed that he and Parsons had a handshake deal in the spring without Mulugheta’s involvement, while Parsons and Mulugheta insisted that no such agreement had been made. That kicked off a series of back-and-forth shots in the media with the team only submitting one improved offer. Parsons, Mulugheta, and the NFLPA were all frustrated with Jones’ strategy of going around a player’s agent, something he has done in the past.
Despite that, a final attempt at a long-term deal was launched from the player’s side but soundly rejected by the team. Rather than play on his fifth-year option, Parsons sought (and received) an exit from Dallas.
This series of events raised questions about the Cowboys’ ability to work with other clients represented by Mulugheta and Athletes First, one of the biggest agencies in the sport. The team had already acquired Pickens before the Parsons saga reached its zenith, but his stellar season set up another offseason standoff for the Cowboys. Jones said in December that he intended to negotiate directly with Pickens – which likely did not sit well with him or Mulugheta – but no deal was reached before the end of the season.
The Cowboys then placed the franchise tag on Pickens and publicly announced that they would not pursue a long-term extension, another move that could be taken as a slight by the player and his agent. Pickens initially hesitated to sign his tag, but eventually put pen to paper just before the draft following a team “olive branch” to Mulugheta.
Now, Overshown is due for a new deal entering the final year of his rookie contract. The 2023 third-rounder missed his rookie season due to a preseason torn ACL in his left knee and took over a starting role the following year. Through 14 games, Overshown ranked second on the Cowboys with 90 tackles, including eight for loss and four sacks. However, an even more severe injury to his right knee again put him on the shelf, this time sidelining him well into the 2025 season.
The 25-year-old returned for just six games last year, but he was a noticeable improvement over Dallas’ struggling linebacker corps. In fact, Overshown was the only player at his position to receive a grade over 60.0, and no other Cowboys linebacker ranked higher than 17th out of the team’s 36 defenders, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Cowboys shored up their linebacker room this offseason by adding two former 49ers – Dee Winters and Curtis Robinson – the latter of whom is represented by Overshown’s former agency, The Familie. They did not, however, invest any draft capital at the position, indicating they are comfortable with their current options for the foreseeable future.
That should position Overshown for an extension, though Dallas may want him to demonstrate an ability to stay on the field before giving him a long-term deal. If those negotiations do open, Mulugheta will be wary of any attempts from Jones to negotiate directly with Overshown. Both sides may have learned their lesson and find a way to hammer out a deal privately, though Jones’ history indicates that will not be the case.