Jets Expect To Pick Up Will McDonald’s Fifth-Year Option
Although general manager Darren Mougey was not in place when the Jets drafted Will McDonald 15th overall in 2023, he is prepared to keep the edge rusher around for at least two more seasons. Mougey said Monday that the Jets expect to pick up McDonald’s $14.48MM fifth-year option for 2027 (via Connor Hughes of SNY).
A year after using a first-rounder on pass rusher Jermaine Johnson, ex-GM Joe Douglas doubled down in taking McDonald. A former Iowa standout, McDonald filled a limited role during a 15-game, zero-start rookie campaign. The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder played just 16.18% of defensive snaps and totaled three sacks, though the Jets’ reliance on McDonald has increased heavily since then.
New York fired defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh and replaced him with D-coordinator Jeff Ulbrich during the 2024 season, a career year for McDonald. While playing all 17 games and starting 15, McDonald posted personal bests in pressures (61), quarterback hits (24), tackles for loss (11) and sacks (10.5).
Despite his quality pass-rushing production two years ago, Pro Football Focus ranked McDonald a below-average 79th among 121 edge defenders. A poor grade against the run was the culprit, which was the case again in 2025. Playing his first year under another defensive-minded head coach, Aaron Glenn, McDonald ranked 84th among 115 players at his position (via PFF). Over 15 games and 14 starts, the 26-year-old’s pressures dropped to 42. The rest of his numbers also declined to some degree. He registered 19 QB hits, 10 TFL and eight sacks (four of which came in a Week 10 outburst against the Browns) before suffering a season-ending knee injury in December.
McDonald drew interest leading up to last November’s trade deadline, but the Jets were more open to trading Johnson. They have since dealt Johnson to Tennessee, reuniting him with Saleh, for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. On the other hand, they remain committed to McDonald, who will team with free agent signing Joseph Ossai and potentially a first-round rookie as the Jets’ top edge rushers next season.
Falcons Likely To Focus On Post-Draft Bijan Robinson, Drake London Extensions
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London are among premier NFLers who are unsigned past next season. Unsurprisingly, however, rookie general manager Ian Cunningham wants to keep the pair around beyond then. Cunningham said the focus will likely turn to extensions for the two after next month’s draft, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
As the eighth pick in the 2023 draft, Robinson entered the NFL with considerable hype. The former Texas Longhorn has more than lived up to it. While Robinson finished 24 rushing yards shy of 1,000 as a rookie, he surpassed the 1,400 mark in each of the past two seasons. Robinson has also hauled in 198 catches, including 79 last year, and totaled 34 touchdowns (25 rushing, nine receiving). The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder has paired his stellar production with impressive durability, having played in 51 straight games to begin his career.
With 1,478 ground yards in 2025, Robinson finished fourth in the league. He piled up another 820 yards through the air, good for 20th overall, and found the end zone 11 times (seven rushing, four receiving). Robinson not only picked up his second Pro Bowl nod, but he was a first-team All-Pro running back and a second-team All-Pro as an all-purpose player.
If the Falcons do not extend Robinson by May 1, they will have his 2027 fifth-year option as a fallback plan. Picking that up for $11.32MM will be an easy decision for Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan. An extension will be far more expensive, especially with the salary cap continuing to rise. The Saints’ Travis Etienne and the Packers’ Josh Jacobs pace the league’s running backs in total value ($48MM). The Eagles’ Saquon Barkley ($20.6MM) and the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey ($19MM) lead in average salary, while the former is tops at the position in guarantees ($36MM). Robinson, like Lions extension candidate and fellow 2023 first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs, has a legitimate argument to go by all of them.
Likewise, London has a case to become one of the league’s highest-paid players at his position. There should be more urgency on the Falcons’ part to lock up London, a 2022 first-rounder (No. 8) who is on track to play his fifth-year option season in 2026. Indeed, Cunningham said Monday that a London extension is “on top of mind.”
London averaged a solid 70 catches, 886 yards and three touchdowns per season over his first two years, but the ex-USC standout morphed into a star producer in 2024. He posted 100 catches, 1,271 yards and nine TDs that year. While a knee injury held London out of five games last year, the 6-4, 215-pounder remained a force when healthy. Playing his age-24 season, London amassed 68 receptions, 919 yards and seven scores in 12 contests.
London has thrived despite lackluster quarterback play, which the Falcons hope changes with the addition of Tua Tagovailoa in free agency. Regardless, London is on a collision course with a mega-extension or the franchise tag by next March.
Coming off an Offensive Player of the Year-winning season, Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a record-setting extension last week. On his four-year deal, JSN leads his position in total money ($168MM), average annual value ($42.15MM) and guarantees ($120MM-plus). London may not do that well, but he could at least become the latest wideout to approach or exceed $35MM per season on a multiyear pact.
Jaguars To Exercise RT Anton Harrison’s Fifth-Year Option
Entering his third season in 2025, Anton Harrison was not a lock to continue as the Jaguars’ starting right tackle. Not only did the former first-round pick keep the job, but he played well enough to stick around for at least another couple of years. General manager James Gladstone said Monday that the Jaguars will exercise Harrison’s 2027 fifth-year option for $19.02MM, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports.
A month and a half after losing Jawaan Taylor to the Chiefs in free agency, the Jaguars moved back twice in the 2023 draft and selected Harrison at No. 27. The Oklahoma product posted his lone 17-start season as a rookie, though Pro Football Focus rated him an underwhelming 67th among tackles. Harrison played and started 16 games in his second season, in which PFF placed him an improved 50th in its rankings.
After beating out free agent pickup Chuma Edoga for Jacksonville’s right tackle spot last summer, Harrison started in all 15 appearances. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder once again took steps forward in the estimation of PFF, which regarded him as the league’s 29th-best tackle. Harrison was particularly strong as a pass blocker, helping quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a career year in which he finished fifth in MVP voting. Lawrence’s progress under the rookie head coach-offensive coordinator tandem of Liam Coen and Grant Udinski played a major role in the Jaguars going from 4-13 to 13-4 in a one-year span.
Coming off an AFC South-winning campaign, the Jaguars have identified Harrison as a key contributor going forward. They could make an even bigger commitment to Harrison via an extension this offseason. For now, though, he will join left tackle Cole Van Lanen, center Robert Hainsey and right guard Patrick Mekari as O-line starters under Jags control through at least 2027.
George Pickens Could Skip Cowboys’ Offseason Workouts
The Cowboys kept wide receiver George Pickens in the fold for 2026 with the $27.3MM franchise tag. A multiyear agreement may come together in the next few months, but no progress has been made on that front. It is now in question whether Pickens will participate in the Cowboys’ offseason program, Todd Archer of ESPN relays.
The Cowboys are set to begin workouts on April 20, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer noted those are “voluntary.” Mandatory OTAs are scheduled for mid-June, while training camp will commence in late July. By the time camp opens, the July 15 deadline for Pickens to ink a multiyear deal will have passed. If the 25-year-old is still without a contract at that point, his choices would be to sign the franchise tender or sit out.
As Archer notes, the Cowboys are no strangers to recent contract-related drama. They engaged in a much-publicized standoff with outside linebacker Micah Parsons last summer. Parsons was in attendance for the first two days of the voluntary program, but he did not work out. While Parsons showed up for mandatory OTAs and camp, he was not a participant in practice. A week before the regular season started, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ended the battle when he traded Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Late in the Parsons saga, Jones accused agent David Mulugheta of obstructing negotiations. It’s worth pointing out that Mulugheta also represents Pickens. Jones is once again expected to play a key role in talks regarding a potential Pickens deal, though Schottenheimer seems confident the two sides will find common ground in this case.
“Hey look, GP loves it here. We love GP,” Schottenheimer said. “We have plans for GP to be here for a long time, so we’ll let the business side of this thing play out and see where it goes.”
Acquired from the Steelers last May, Pickens put himself in position for a massive raise with a career-best showing in 2025. After averaging around 59 catches, 947 yards and four touchdowns per season in Pittsburgh, Pickens began his Dallas tenure with a 93-reception, 1,429-yard, nine-touchdown outburst. The four-year veteran ranked top eight in the NFL in all three categories. It bodes well for Pickens that the salary cap has increased substantially since then, though it is anyone’s guess if he and the Cowboys will see eye to eye during negotiations.
Buccaneers To Make CB Addition
So far this offseason, the Buccaneers have seen cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Kindle Vildor depart in free agency. To no surprise, finding replacements remains a priority for Tampa Bay. 
“We definitely need another cornerback,” head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine) when speaking to the media at the league meeting. “Whether it’s a veteran or whether it’s a draftable pick remains to be seen and we’ll kind of go from there. But we like to add one or two to the mix.”
Vildor was a depth presence on defense and special teams, but losing Dean deprived the Buccaneers of someone who served as a starter for much of his seven-year tenure with the team. Tampa Bay has Zyon McCollum in position to remain a core presence at the CB spot moving forward. He inked a $16MM-per-year deal last offseason.
The Bucs also invested second- and third-round picks during last year’s draft in Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Those two combined to make eight starts as rookies, and it would come as no surprise if their workloads increased in 2026 and beyond. Adding depth through the secondary waves of free agency and/or the draft represents a logical goal, though.
Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith are set to remain starters at the safety position. After the Buccaneers ranked just 27th against the pass in 2025, though, there is certainly room for improvement in the secondary. It will be interesting to see how the team approaches the matter of bringing in one or more corners as the rest of the offseason progresses.
Tampa Bay currently has roughly $14MM in cap space, so a modest move on the free agent market or via trade could be feasible. The team also has one pick in every round of next month’s draft, including No. 15 overall. Bowles and Co. will have plenty of opportunities to make an addition or two over the coming weeks.
Nick Allegretti, Julian Good-Jones To Compete For Commanders’ Center Job
Tyler Biadasz was the Commanders’ starting center over the past two years, but they released him earlier this offseason. While Biadasz had another season left on a three-year, $30MM contract, head coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders did not explore a trade before cutting him (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic). He went on to secure another three-year, $30MM pact with the Chargers.
In the wake of Biadasz’s exit, the Commanders pursued former Raven Tyler Linderbaum, easily the best center on the free agent market. However, with a record-setting offer worth $81MM over three years, the Raiders won the bidding war for Linderbaum.
The Commanders boast the second-most cap space in the NFL ($49.64MM), but free agent center choices have continued to dwindle since Linderbaum came off the board. For now, Nick Allegretti and Julian Good-Jones are the Commanders’ in-house options at center. Quinn said Washington is planning a competition between the two, per Jhabvala.
Since the Chiefs took him in the seventh round of the 2019 draft, Allegretti has lined up almost exclusively at guard. After joining the Commanders on a three-year, $16MM deal in 2024, he was a 17-game starter at left guard in his first season in Washington. With Sam Cosmi recovering from knee surgery, Allegretti opened 2025 as the Commanders’ starting right guard. The team demoted Allegretti to backup duties after Week 2, though, and the 29-year-old’s only other starts came in Washington’s last two games. Allegretti filled in for an injured Biadasz in those contests. The Commanders were encouraged enough to hand Allegretti a new two-year contract this month, potentially setting him up to take over for Biadasz in 2026.
Undrafted from Iowa State in 2020, Good-Jones carries more experience in the Canadian Football League, where he played from 2021-22, than the NFL. Good-Jones has been in the Washington organization since 2023, though his only appearance in a game came that year. The Commanders waived the 29-year-old with an injury settlement last August, but they brought him back on a practice squad agreement in October.
While free agent possibilities are limited, Washington could still add a center in next month’s draft. The Commanders certainly won’t address the position with their first-round pick (No. 7 overall), but they have five more selections after that.
Bills To Pick Up TE Dalton Kincaid’s Fifth-Year Option
As expected, the Bills will pick up tight end Dalton Kincaid‘s fifth-year option, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News reports. Kincaid is in line to earn $8.16MM in 2027.
After Kincaid hauled in 70 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in his final college season, the Bills traded up two spots for the former Utah standout in the 2023 draft. The Bills selected Kincaid 25th overall, though injuries have prevented the three-year veteran from maximizing his potential in the NFL.
Kincaid missed just one game during his rookie season, in which the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder racked up 73 catches, 673 yards and a pair of touchdowns. However, various maladies kept Kincaid out of a combined nine games over the past two years. The problems began when Kincaid tore his left PCL in a Week 10 win over the Colts in 2024. Kincaid, who missed a month, finished the year with a disappointing 44 catches, 448 yards and two scores in 13 games.
While continuing to play through a balky knee last season, Kincaid also dealt with oblique and hamstring issues. Although Kincaid totaled just 12 appearances, he offered quality production. The 26-year-old caught 39 of 49 targets – good for an 80% success rate – for 571 yards. He easily set career highs in yards per catch (14.6) and TDs (five). Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky combined for a spectacular 149.2 passer rating when targeting Kincaid, per Next Gen Stats. Kincaid, who led the league’s tight ends in that category, was also a factor in the playoffs. Along with a team-high two TD catches, Kincaid ranked second among Bills in receptions (nine) and yards (111) over a pair of postseason games.
It is unknown if the Bills will explore a Kincaid extension, but regardless, they are in position to keep a strong tight end group intact for at least another two seasons. The Bills gave Dawson Knox a new three-year deal earlier this month, while blocking specialist Jackson Hawes still has three seasons left on his rookie contract. Head coach Joe Brady, then Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, relied heavily on his tight ends in 2025. Kincaid only played 302 offensive snaps as a result of his injuries, but Knox (653) and Hawes (487) combined for 1,140.
Extension Talks Ongoing Between Saints, WR Chris Olave
Jaxon Smith-Njigba recently reset the receiver market with his new Seahawks deal. One of his former college teammates may soon land a second contract of his own. 
Saints head coach Kellen Moore said on Monday at the league meeting that extension talks with Chris Olave are ongoing. The sides have discussed a long-term deal as early as the start of the 2025 campaign. This offseason represents a logical time for an agreement to be reached, though.
“There’s conversations and that’s what this time of year is all about,” Moore said (via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras). “That’s obviously the business side of this thing that inevitably comes up… It’s just about a working relationship for everyone, what works best for everyone and find a good situation.”
Olave has spent his first four seasons in New Orleans. During that time, he has topped 1,000 yards on three occasions. The one exception was 2024, a year in which the Ohio State product was limited to eight games. Due to his concussion history, Olave contemplated retirement following that season. Instead, he managed a healthy campaign this past year and set new career highs in receptions (100), yards (1,163) and touchdowns (nine) while thriving in Moore’s system and establishing chemistry with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
All three will remain in place for at least one more season, since Olave is owed $15.49MM in 2026 on his fifth-year option. The Saints elected to trade away Rashid Shaheed at the deadline this past fall in a move which allowed for draft compensation in exchange for a pending free agent. Olave was mentioned as a trade target as well, but it came as little surprise when he was retained. Committing to the 25-year-old coming off a healthy season would be an understandable move in New Orleans’ case.
Smith-Njigba reached $42.15MM per season on his Seattle extension. Olave is not in position to command a deal as lucrative as that, but a considerable raise will be in order if an agreement can be reached some time this offseason. As the Saints seek out additions at the WR spot, the progress of negotiations on this front will be worth monitoring closely.
LB Sonny Styles Well Regarded By Cardinals, Giants
Ohio State figures to be well represented early in the first round of April’s draft. Linebacker Sonny Styles is among the prospects who will not need to wait long to hear their name called on Day 1. 
Styles spent his first two seasons as a safety, and he was a productive presence in that capacity for the Buckeyes. Starting with his junior campaign, he transitioned to linebacker. While operating in the front seven, Styles racked up 182 tackles, seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss. That production has led to interest from the Commanders, but he may not be on the board when Washington selects seventh overall.
The Cardinals “love” Styles, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora writes. Arizona is set to draft third overall. A defensive addition could prove to be highly beneficial, although many have pointed to the offensive line as a unit which the Cardinals should prioritize. La Canfora predicts Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa will be the pick, matching a number of projections in that respect. He adds, however, that if general manager Monti Ossenfort elects to focus on a defensive prospect, Styles will likely be the choice.
Elsewhere in the top five, La Canfora notes new Giants head coach John Harbaugh “has a thing for” Styles. New York has been linked on more than one occasion to fellow Ohio State start Caleb Downs, who is widely expected to be the first safety taken in the draft. More recently, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has emerged as a potential target for the Giants. Both of those prospects could be available when New York is on the clock at No. 5, but adding Styles to the fold would be expected to yield a considerable upgrade to the second level of the team’s defense.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Styles third overall. Positional value will no doubt be a talking point as teams contemplate when to select him, but it comes as no surprise the Cardinals and Giants can be counted among his suitors.
49ers Unlikely To Sign DE Joey Bosa
Shortly after Joey Bosa‘s 2025 release, the 49ers naturally showed interest. Nick Bosa‘s team could make another push at reuniting the brothers this time around, but that should not be expected. 
Joey Bosa took a one-year deal to join the Bills for this past season. The longtime Charger operated as a full-time starter and managed 17 combined regular and postseason appearances. He remains on the open market at this time, but a trip to the Bay Area is not something 49ers general manager John Lynch is anticipating.
“I know that would make Mama Bosa happy,” Lynch said at the league meeting (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic), “but I don’t know if we can afford him.”
San Francisco currently has over $31MM in cap space. That figure can change dramatically if a new deal can be worked out with left tackle Trent Williams, something Lynch said could be coming soon. A Brandon Aiyuk trade or release will also significantly alter the 49ers’ financial situation, and moving on prior to June 1 would lower the team’s cap space for 2026. Clarity on those fronts will go a long way in determining the moves Lynch can make over the remainder of the offseason.
Finding a long-term complement for Nick Bosa has long been a challenge for the 49ers. The former No. 2 pick has been productive when healthy, although he was limited to just three games in 2025. Injuries have been a concern in Joey Bosa’s career as well. The older of the brothers only logged 13 games between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, but he proved to be more durable during his final Bolts season and his lone year in Buffalo.
Nick Bosa and 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams will be counted to anchor the 49ers’ pass rush when on the field in 2026 and beyond. Joey Bosa – who secured $12MM in guarantees from the Bills – would offer plenty of experience along the edge and a San Francisco signing would reunite him with his brother for the first time since they were in high school. A deal elsewhere in the NFL appears to be more likely, though.