Jets Rumors: Fitzpatrick, WRs, QBs
After getting traded to the Jets, there’ve been a few questions about how New Jersey native Minkah Fitzpatrick will be utilized in New York’s defense. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Fitzpatrick hasn’t had conversations on the subject just yet, but he has his preference.
When Fitzpatrick was making his case as a future first-round pick at Alabama, the Crimson Tide utilized his versatility, playing him mostly in the slot but letting him roam into the box and the defensive outfield. The Dolphins utilized him much the same way after drafting him, but when Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers in his second year of NFL play, Pittsburgh simplified his role, sticking him mostly back at safety. Making his way back to Miami last year, Fitzpatrick was put back into his nickelback role, and he excelled.
To be fair, Fitzpatrick is hardly limited by where he plays and displayed some excellent seasons in Pittsburgh, but when asked about how he might fit into New York’s defense next season, Fitzpatrick told the media that he “envisions himself playing a nickel role, as he did last year in Miami.” The Jets played fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore in that role for much of last year, but Fitzpatrick will likely be an upgrade over his fellow Alabama alumnus.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:
- In an examination of general manager Darren Mougey‘s patient, methodical roster-building strategy, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic broke down how his clairvoyant approach has benefitted the team’s targeting efficiency. Studying the mistakes other teams tend to make in free agency, Mougey examined the likely top receiver options leading up to this year’s offseason. The Jets were interested in Alec Pierce at the top of the market and even Josh Palmer and Dyami Brown at the middle of the market, but Mougey knew that these options wouldn’t be cheap, so when conducting trades this season, he made sure teams included promising, young pass catchers like Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie. Doing so made it easier for New York to walk away from the table as the price tags for Pierce, Palmer, and Brown surpassed expectations and avoid overspending and not getting a decent return on investment.
- Rosenblatt also addressed Mougey’s offseason approach to the quarterback position. After swinging and missing on a decent-sized deal for quarterback Justin Fields, Mougey was able to recoup some value as the Jets moved on. In moving on, Mougey opted to lean on his new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who has long been revered for his quarterback expertise. The collaboration led to the team’s reunion with Geno Smith, whom the team had reportedly looked into to trading for when the Seahawks made him available last year.
Browns’ Finalized 2026 Coaching Staff Updates
Earlier this month, the Browns announced their finalized coaching staff under new head coach Todd Monken. Many of the bigger coaching hirings and changes were covered in earlier posts as they occurred, but here is the new information gleaned from the team’s March announcement. 
The biggest piece of new information was that defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire has been retained in his role for his third year with the Browns and his seventh in the NFL. It comes with little surprise as he joins a crew of familiar faces also retained on the defensive side of the ball and returns to coach over two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The only other new information regarding a position coach concerns new tight ends coach Jeff Blasko. We were aware that Blasko had been hired to the role, but the announcement revealed that he will also hold the title of run game coordinator.
Three assistant position coaches were announced as new information. John Wozniak was hired to serve as the Browns’ new assistant wide receivers coach. Coming into his first NFL coaching gig, Wozniak brings 25 years of experience at the collegiate level including position coaching roles at UAB, Southern Miss, and Oklahoma State. On defense, Ralph Street was announced as the new assistant defensive line coach. He’ll arrive in Cleveland after five years as defensive line coach and run game coordinator at Marshall, where Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green led the NCAA with 17.0 sacks in 2024.
Additionally, Keith Tandy was hired as assistant special teams coach. The former NFL safety joins the Browns after serving in the same role for the past six seasons in Tampa Bay. There was also an update that changes the reported role of a presumed position coach. Originally, it was believed that defensive quality control coach Jeff Anderson had been promoted to nickelbacks coach. The team’s announcement clarifies that, while he has been promoted, his new title is defensive assistant/nickelbacks.
Joining Anderson is Zach Dunn, who was announced as defensive assistant/assistant linebackers coach. Dunn has been with Cleveland as a defensive assistant since 2020, and after working with Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger last year, the assistant linebackers coach duties have been added to his plate. On the offensive side of the ball, it was initially reported that assistant offensive line coach Sanders Davis had been retained in his role. The new announcement informs that his title has been adjusted to offensive assistant/offensive line.
The last pieces of new information come in the smaller roles on the coaching staff. On offense, we knew that Ian Kolste was joining Monken in the move from Baltimore to Cleveland, but we didn’t yet know his title. We now know that Kolste will be an offensive quality control coach. Additionally, Dom Borsani has been named an offensive analyst. Borsani has spent three years with the Browns, previously serving as a research and coaching analyst. He’s joined in his new role by Travis Monken. Son of the new boss, the junior Monken has two years of experience as an offensive quality control coach at Purdue.
Likewise, on defense, former NFL linebacker Paul Worrilow has been named a defensive quality control coach. Following his eight-year career playing for the Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Ravens, and Jets, Worrilow has spent the past four years as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Delaware. Lastly, Shaq Wilson has been named a defensive analyst. After 10 years in minor roles at the college level, Wilson joined the Jets in 2023, working as a defensive assistant with the defensive line in his first year and with linebackers for the past two seasons.
These names put the final touches on the Monken’s first NFL staff in Cleveland. The staff will have its work cut out for it to climb out of the AFC North basement once again, but the group should get some time to figure things out as the team gets out from under some handicapping cap hits and uncertainty in the quarterbacks room.
Seahawks Looking At CB Early In Draft?
Based on reputation, there’s an expectation that the Seahawks will not be keeping their No. 32 overall pick for next month’s 2026 NFL Draft. If the right name is available, though, Seattle may just decide to use the pick. According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, that name may need to belong to a player who can bolster the team’s secondary. 
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is no stranger to draft day trades. Last year he traded back from the fourth round 18 spots, adding a seventh-round pick to the pot in exchange for a fifth- and sixth-rounder to sweeten the deal. In their new fourth-round slot, they drafted tight end AJ Barner, who ended up becoming the team’s leading tight end on their Super Bowl run in his sophomore campaign. In 2023, Schneider sent the team’s third-round pick to Denver in exchange for their fourth-round pick and a third-rounder in 2024. That fourth-round pick became starting right guard Anthony Bradford.
One could continue going back, year after year, to see Seattle staying active throughout the draft, often taking small slides back in order to stash extra picks in later rounds or future years. That’s part of the reason La Canfora believes the prospect of trading away a pick with a fifth-year option attached to it may be too good of a deal for Schneider to pass up. Another reason would be the fact that last year’s Super Bowl roster is still fairly intact.
The biggest names no longer in the building include running back Kenneth Walker, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen, and outside linebacker Boye Mafe. Seattle knew it had Zach Charbonnet ready to take up the yoke after Walker’s departure and added Emanuel Wilson in free agency to supplement a room that also houses George Holani and Kenny McIntosh. On the edge, the defense returns Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence but may need to add some depth behind the pair.
The Seahawks did add cornerback Noah Igbinoghene after two years of jumpstarting his career with the Commanders, but he isn’t expected to step into a role as big as Woolen’s role in 2025. With the additional hole left by Bryant, there could certainly be a need for Seattle to add a starting caliber safety or cornerback in the first two days of the draft.
There are some talented cornerback prospects in the 2026 class, but none seem to be beating down the door of the top 10 picks. There’s also a good amount of depth at the position with quality prospects being projected into the late-second or early-third round. The Seahawks may sit back and take a chance that one of the top prospects will fall to them at the last pick of the first round, but no one should rule out Schneider trading back into the second round, still getting a quality addition at a position of need there, and collecting some extra draft capital along the way.
Texans Contract Details: Smith, Rankins, Teller, Fairbairn, Hall, Schultz, Hummel
Hoping to earn their fourth straight playoff berth in 2026, the Texans have doled out several notable contracts this month. Here are the details on 10 of those deals, courtesy of Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2:
- Braden Smith, RT (two years, $20MM): The ex-Colt joined the AFC rival Texans on an arrangement worth up to $25MM. Smith received a signing bonus of $8.5MM, and he is due to make base salaries of $2.5MM ($5MM-plus cap hit) and $8MM ($10.63MM cap charge). Houston added two void years to the contract.
- Sheldon Rankins, DT (two years, $17MM): Rankins’ $1.5MM base salary for 2026 is fully guaranteed; $3.5MM of his $7.5MM base salary for 2027 is guaranteed. He can make up to $500K per annum in per game active roster bonuses. The Texans baked three void years into Rankins’ contract.
- Wyatt Teller, G (two years, $16MM): The longtime Brown reeled in $8.5MM in total guarantees and a $5.75MM signing bonus. Teller signed on for base salaries of $1.5MM (fully guaranteed) and $7.25MM ($1.25MM guaranteed). He also has up to $500K available each year in per game active roster bonuses. The Texans included void years from 2028-29.
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, K (two years, $13MM): At $6.5MM, Fairbairn signed for the highest average annual value in the history of his position. Fairbairn’s deal, worth up to $17.79MM, includes $11.66MM in guarantees, a $6MM signing bonus, and $10K in per game active roster bonuses. He’ll take home fully guaranteed salaries of $1.3MM ($5.79MM cap charge) and $4.33MM ($6.7MM against the cap).
- Logan Hall, DE (two years, $13.75MM): The Houston product and former Buccaneer will earn a guaranteed $9MM, a $5.75MM signing bonus, and salaries of $1.4MM (fully guaranteed) and $5.9MM ($1.85MM guaranteed). Hall’s pact included $14,706 in per game roster bonuses and a $100K annual workout bonus.
- Dalton Schultz, TE (one year, $12.6MM): Schultz’s extension, which runs through 2027, comes with a $10MM signing bonus. Schultz will collect base salaries of $2.6MM ($9.46MM cap hit) and $10.5MM ($14.95MM cap charge). The Texans tacked three void years on the deal.
- Jake Hummel, LB (two years, $4.75MM): Hummel’s pact is worth a maximum of $5.25MM, including $2.15MM in full guarantees. His $1.25MM salary for next season is guaranteed. Hummel will make another $1.9MM if he sticks around in 2027. Bonuses: $900K at signing, up to $250K per annum for games played, $250K for making a Pro Bowl, and $100K for workouts.
- Dominique Robinson, DE (one year, up to $4MM): Robinson’s accord has $1.5MM in guarantees, a $1.5MM base salary ($500K guaranteed) and a $1MM signing bonus. There is a max of $500K available in per game active roster bonuses.
- Evan Brown, G (one year, $3MM): Brown’s deal is worth up to $3.5MM. It features a $1.5MM salary ($300K guaranteed; $2.41MM cap hit), $1MM in guarantees, and a $700K signing bonus. There are roster bonuses of $250K and a $50K workout bonus.
- Naquan Jones, DT (one year, $2MM): Jones’ contract carries a max value of $2.5MM. It features a $1.32MM salary and a $300K signing bonus.
DE Rueben Bain Jr. Visits Titans
The Titans hosted Miami edge rusher and projected first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. for a pre-draft visit this week, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
Bain, 21, is among the more polarizing prospects in this year’s class. He has posted elite production over the last three years (20.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss), with almost half coming in his 2025 All-American campaign. However, his 30.825-inch arms are well below NFL standards for the position, raising concerns about his ability to translate his production to the pros.
However, Bain’s power and pass rushing profile are undeniably appealing. He logged a 23.5% pass rush win rate and a 92.4 pass rushing grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) last year, displaying an array of moves and a relentless desire to get to opposing quarterbacks. That has kept him in the conversation for a top-10, or even top-five, pick in April.
The Titans hold the No. 4 selection and need a young, high-upside edge rusher opposite recent trade acquisition Jermaine Johnson. Bain is best as a ‘hand-in-the-dirt’ 4-3 defensive end than as a standing outside linebacker in a 3-4, which requires more athleticism and versatility. That makes him an excellent fit for Robert Saleh‘s system that rarely asks defensive linemen to drop into coverage and instead encourages them to pin their ears back and attack the backfield. Bain’s physical play style, attack-oriented mentality, and dedication to his game are all major pluses, especially for a new coaching staff looking to establish their own culture in Tennessee.
S Justin Simmons Wants To Play In 2026
Free agent safety Justin Simmons was on multiple teams’ radars last summer, but the two-time Pro Bowler wound up sitting out the entire season. Despite that, the 32-year-old has not closed the door on his career.
“I’m still a free agent, looking to play for a contender, and we’ll see where that ends up,” Simmons said on his new podcast, The Weekly Cut.
Simmons also wanted to join a contender last season, at which point he was coming off a one-year stint in Atlanta. No deal came together for the longtime Bronco, who spent his first eight years in Denver. The ball-hawking Simmons earned second-team All-Pro honors four times as a member of the Broncos, with whom he racked up an eye-opening 71 passes defensed and 30 interceptions over 118 games. He led the NFL in picks (six) in 2022.
Simmons’ fruitful run in Denver ended when the team released him in a cost-cutting move in March 2024. While Simmons sat on the open market for five months, the Falcons gave him a fully guaranteed $7.5MM a few weeks before the season began. Pairing with fellow standout safety Jessie Bates, the 6-foot-2, 202-pound Simmons registered a 91.37% defensive snap share over 16 starts. Simmons notched seven PDs and two picks, but Pro Football Focus ranked his performance just 68th among regulars at his position.
Even though he missed a year, Simmons is among the most accomplished unsigned safeties remaining as free agency nears the three-week mark. Simmons will not approach his previous payday if he lands anywhere, though, and a deal may not materialize until next month’s draft is in the books.
Cowboys To Sign DL Jonathan Bullard
The Cowboys are adding veteran defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Bullard has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5MM.
A third-round pick of the Bears in 2016, the 32-year-old Bullard is joining his seventh team ahead of his 11th NFL season. Bullard, also a former Cardinal, Seahawk, Falcon, Viking and Saint, has appeared in 131 games and logged 59 starts.
In signing with Dallas, Bullard will reunite with defensive line coach Marcus Dixon. The two were together in Minnesota in 2024, the lone 17-start season of Bullard’s career. Bullard posted 41 tackles and a sack that year, the last of his three seasons with the Vikings.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder inked a one-year deal with New Orleans last July and went on to appear in 15 games (six starts) in 2025. While Bullard played just 29.73% defensive snaps and made 26 tackles. Pro Football Focus rated his play a useful 62nd among 127 qualified interior defenders.
Bullard missed just two games in his first three seasons, but he combined to sit out 30 from 2019-22. He was far healthier over the previous three years, however, as he put together back-to-back 17-game campaigns before his 15-game stint with the Saints. The Cowboys will hope that continues in 2026. If so, Bullard could play a sizable role on a Quinnen Williams– and Kenny Clark-led defensive line that lost Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas in trades earlier this month. Along with Bullard, the Cowboys have picked up former Chargers D-lineman Otito Ogbonnia on a one-year, $3MM pact.
Colts Finalize 2026 Coaching Staff
The Colts were one of the few NFL teams to retain their head coach and all three coordinators this offseason, but they still announced a number of changes to their staff last month.
Among the new arrivals are Jeremy Bruce, Dillon Doyle, and Aditya Krishnan. Bruce will take on a defensive quality control role after eight yards at various colleges, including three different Power 5 programs. His most recent job was UNLV’s outside linebackers coach.
Doyle is the younger brother of new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The two overlapped for one year at Iowa, with Declan serving as an offensive assistant and Dillon playing linebacker. The younger Doyle began coaching a year ago for Central Michigan and served as an intern for the Bills last season.
Krishnan comes to Indianapolis from the Chargers, where he was the director of football research. His position, game management coordinator, is rapidly becoming a standard part of forward-thinking teams’ staffs.
The Colts also promoted three assistants who have spent the last two years in minor roles. Kalon Humphries, previously was a defensive coaching fellow, will now be the assistant defensive line coach. Diego Ortiz, who had a fellowship on the other side of the ball, will be an offensive quality control coach. He will be joined in that role by Brent Stockstill, a former defensive assistant.
Bills Could Trade Up For Edge Defender
Although the Bills have been perennial AFC contenders since 2019, a mediocre pass rush has been among the reasons they have not reached the Super Bowl. While sacks aren’t the end-all, be-all, it is notable that only one Bill (Leonard Floyd in 2023) hit double digits in a season during former head coach Sean McDermott‘s nine-year reign.
The Bills moved on from the defensive-minded McDermott after last season and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. In his most important hire, Brady tabbed longtime NFL safety and ex-Broncos assistant Jim Leonhard as his defensive coordinator. The Bills have since added a noteworthy pass rusher in Bradley Chubb, whom they picked up on a three-year, $43.5MM agreement in free agency.
Chubb, who is replacing free agent Joey Bosa in Buffalo, may not be the only significant pass-rushing investment the team makes this offseason. With the draft a few weeks away, there is a belief general manager Brandon Beane would be willing to move up from 26th overall for an “impact edge presence,” Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom writes.
“They still don’t have enough bite up front,” one longtime executive told La Canfora.
Transitioning to a 3-4 base defense in 2026, the Bills are indeed light on edge rushers. Chubb and Greg Rousseau are the best in-house options for a defense that ranked 20th in sacks and 27th in pass rush win rate last year. Michael Hoecht is next in the outside linebacker pecking order, but it is unknown how much he will contribute next season after tearing his Achilles last November. Andre Jones and Javon Solomon round out the group, though neither has done much over a combined five NFL seasons.
The good news for the Bills is that this year’s class is heavy on edge rushers. It is the deepest position group going into the draft, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who contends “edge defenders will rule the first round.” Beane may be able to upgrade even if he stays at 26, which would be ideal for a team that’s light on draft capital.
Having already traded their second-round pick to the Bears for wide receiver D.J. Moore, the Bills own seven selections and a mere two in the top 91. They also have other needs to address (interior defensive line, middle linebacker, receiver and secondary depth among them), which Beane will have to consider before potentially trading up.
RB Jeremiyah Love At Top Of Giants’ List?
Drafting running backs early in the first round is back in style. Ashton Jeanty went at No. 6 last year, and in 2023, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs went eighth and 12th overall, respectively. This year’s draft is expected to add another name to the list. 
The running back most likely to continue this trend in 2026 is Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love. Tennessee has been a popular projection, as both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are in the final years of their contracts. However, as ESPN’s Jordan Reid notes, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi came up in a Chiefs front office that prioritized premium positions with premium draft picks. Taking a running back with the No. 4 pick – especially with needs at more valuable positions – would fly in the face of that philosophy.
If the Titans pass on Love, he will likely wind up in New York, according to Reid’s colleague, Matt Miller. New Giants head coach John Harbaugh may not have such qualms about Love’s position with more of an emphasis on his game-changing talent. He consistently prioritized a strong ground game in Baltimore, though the Ravens never drafted a running back in the first-round during his tenure.
Were New York to choose him, Love would immediately have the best draft pedigree of anyone in the Giants’ running backs room. Veteran Devin Singletary currently holds that honor as a former third-round pick out of FAU. Eric Gray and Tyrone Tracy were fifth-round picks in back-to-back years for New York, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Singletary and Gray are also set to play on the final years of their contracts. Combined with last year’s fourth-round rookie, Cam Skattebo, there are plenty of mouths to feed, but inserting Love into the room immediately would change the outlook for the current players’ roles in the room.
If running back isn’t the answer in New York, the team’s top decision makers could start the trend for another position that isn’t notoriously taken early on Day 1. Harbaugh was part of a large contingent that attended the Ohio State Pro Day on Wednesday. It was notable enough to see Harbaugh there, given he hasn’t frequented many pro days in recent years, but in Columbus, Harbaugh, team owner Chris Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, assistant general manager Brandon Brown, and player personnel director Tim McDonnell all showed up to evaluate Buckeyes, and Harbaugh was seen getting some face time with standout safety Caleb Downs, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The highest a safety has ever been drafted was second overall in 1991, when Eric Turner‘s name was called by the Browns. Since then, only two other safeties have even been drafted in the top five picks of the draft, Sean Taylor in 2004 and Eric Berry in 2010. Downs could be the next to join that list if the Giants decide to write his name down a month from now. Harbaugh’s defenses in Baltimore almost always featured strong safety play from names like Ed Reed, Eric Weddle, and Kyle Hamilton. Downs may be just the man to upgrade Big Blue’s defensive outfield in 2026.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.