Steelers’ T.J. Watt Extension Could Be More Expensive Than Anticipated?
T.J. Watt is one of several edge rushers still in line for a new contract this offseason. The position’s market has jumped thanks to Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett working out raises with their respective teams, and that could push the value Watt’s next Steelers pact upward. 
One season remains on the former Defensive Player of the Year’s deal, one which carries a 2025 cap charge of $31.42MM. That figure could be lowered with an extension, although a third Pittsburgh contract will require a raise in annual average value. Watt’s existing pact is worth an average of just over $28MM per season, whereas Garrett’s has an AAV of $40MM.
Resetting the market once again may not be necessary, but a sign indicating talks have not gone well to date emerged on Wednesday. An Instagram post from Watt which shows him holding up the peace sign while walking off the field has led to speculation about his desire to remain in Pittsburgh moving forward. Such developments rarely prove to be particularly relevant during contract talks, but Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes this situation remains worth watching closely.
Watt, 30, has expressed a desire to remain with the Steelers, and general manager Omar Khan recently confirmed the team’s goal of ensuring he finishes his career in Pittsburgh. Kaboly predicts this situation will still likely end with an extension agreement, although he adds the price of doing so may prove to be higher than initially thought. The Steelers already have high price tags (with respect to cap charges) to deal with in the form of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward and Patrick Queen.
Adding further to the team’s commitments on defense could prove to be challenging, but as a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL sack leader Watt certainly has a case to receive another major pay day. Alex Highsmith is on the books as a strong complementary option along the edge, though Watt would of course be expected to remain a foundational presence on defense if he were to remain in the fold for 2025 and beyond.
The likes of Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson and Aidan Hutchinson could all have lucrative new deals in place soon. If the bar moves any higher in terms of EDGE compensation, Watt’s earning potential could increase even further. Whether or not his next contract will come from the Steelers will remain a talking point until and unless an agreement can be reached, though.
Jets, WR Allen Lazard Agree To Restructure
Allen Lazard‘s time with the Jets seemed to be coming to an end earlier this offseason. Not long after granting the veteran receiver permission to seek a trade, however, it became clear New York would attempt to keep Lazard in the fold via a restructure. 
That effort has now produced an agreement. Team and player have a new arrangement in place, Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald reports. Originally scheduled to earn $11MM this year, Lazard will take an $8.5MM pay cut for 2025. $1.75MM of his new base salary is guaranteed, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds $2.5MM in incentives are in place to allow him to earn back some of his previously-owed compensation. The 29-year-old’s cap charge will drop to $4.6MM for this season.
Notably, today’s new deal also sets Lazard up for free agency after the 2025 campaign. The former UDFA originally had two years left on his pact, but he will now hit the open market next spring. Lazard’s debut Jets campaign fell well short of expectations, but he rebounded to an extent in 2024 with 530 yards and six touchdowns on 37 catches. Former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers is no longer New York’s quarterback, but Lazard will have a role on offense as Justin Fields takes on starting duties.
The Jets’ midseason Davante Adams acquisition did not spark a run to the postseason, and as expected the All-Pro was released last month. That move leaves Garrett Wilson in line to serve as the focal point of the team’s passing attack, and he represents one of New York’s top extension candidates. Free agent addition Josh Reynolds and 2024 third-rounder Malachi Corley will be joined by Lazard in 2025 as secondary receiving options.
Once the latter’s contract voids, his 2026 cap charge will be $4.37MM. A departure next spring would still come as no surprise given the new Jets regime which is in place, but Lazard will have one more year in the Big Apple to help his free agent value.
Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence To Throw At OTAs; QB Expects To Be Fully Cleared By Week 1
Trevor Lawrence was limited to 10 games last season as a result of the AC joint sprain he suffered in his non-throwing shoulder. He will participate in the Jaguars’ offseason team activities, though, as his rehab continues to take place smoothly. 
When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Jacksonville’s franchise passer said he has already been throwing this spring (video link). He added he will take part in OTAs but will be on a pitch count when doing so. Lawrence also expects to be fully cleared well in time for the start of the 2025 season, something which was the case when he underwent surgery in December.
“I’m very optimistic I’ll be perfectly good for the season,” the former No. 1 pick said. “But as far as just right now, I think just kind of pacing ourselves as OTAs go and working myself up to where I’m in shape as far as throwing. Just the amount of throws might be a little lighter to start and work our way up, just until I get really fully back.”
Through his first three NFL seasons, Lawrence only missed one game. That level of durability changed in 2024, with the shoulder injury resulting in what was at first a brief absence. The 25-year-old returned to the lineup after missing two contests, but it was in that game that he suffered a concussion after taking a hit to the head from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. With the Jags out of contention by that point, it came as no surprise the team shut Lawrence down for the rest of the campaign.
Expectations will once again be high for the Clemson product once the new season starts. Lawrence is attached to a deal averaging $55MM per year, which puts him in a tie for second in the league in terms of annual compensation. Jacksonville has made the postseason once in four years since drafting Lawrence, who has yet to throw more than 25 touchdowns in a season.
The Jaguars expectedly moved on from head coach Doug Pederson following the 2024 campaign after he was unable to duplicate the team’s run to the divisional round from 2022. General manager Trent Baalke was initially retained, but he too was ultimately dismissed. The team now has a regime led by Liam Coen and James Gladstone in place, and maximizing Lawrence’s potential will be critical in determining its success.
Mac Jones departed in free agency, but Jacksonville has a new backup quarterback in the form of Nick Mullens. The latter could see some additional reps during spring practices, but Lawrence remains on track to be at full strength in time for the season.
Cowboys To Sign OL Saahdiq Charles
Saahdiq Charles recently visited the Cowboys, and that meeting has produced a contract. Team and player agreed to terms on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. 
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Charles retired in August (months after inking a Titans contract), but his desire to resume his career after missing the 2024 campaign brought about interest from Dallas. Shortly after his recent visit, the veteran offensive lineman now has an opportunity in place to compete for a roster spot this offseason. The Cowboys could still be in the market for O-line help during the draft, but in any event Charles will aim to provide them with depth up front.
The 25-year-old played out his rookie contract in the nation’s capital. Charles logged only two offensive snaps during his rookie season, but over the following two years he operated on a part-time basis. 2023 was by far his busiest campaign; Charles started 10 of his 11 appearances, working exclusively at left guard. The LSU product was charged with four sacks and 37 pressures allowed by PFF, helping result in an overall grade of just 55.5.
Between that level of performance and the fact he was out of the game last season, Charles’ Dallas pact will no doubt check in at or near the league minimum. ESPN’s Todd Archer adds, to no surprise, this is a one-year agreement. The Cowboys entered Wednesday with $37.66MM in cap space, so this agreement will not have an impact on any other veteran additions being planned before or after the upcoming draft.
As expected, Dallas lost 2010s All-Decade Team member Zack Martin to retirement this offseason. As a result, the team’s right guard position is a question mark for the first time since 2014. Charles will likely receive a look at that spot as the Cowboys aim to find a short- and long-term Martin replacement. At a minimum, he will have the opportunity to restart his career with a strong training camp performance.
Packers Host Emeka Egbuka; WR Visited Cowboys
The top of the 2025 receiver class is not held in the same regard as previous drafts. Nevertheless, teams in need of pass-catching help are doing homework on the best options in this month’s event. 
One of those is Emeka Egbuka. The Ohio State product met with the Cowboys recently, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He adds a visit with the Packers also began yesterday and will continue today. Both teams have been mentioned as potential suitors for an early draft addition, so this news comes as no surprise.
Dallas saw Brandin Cooks depart in free agency, creating a vacancy at the WR2 spot. The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb atop the depth chart for years to come, but a complementary group featuring Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Tolbert and returner KaVontae Turpin could stand to see an addition. Stephen Jones recently confirmed the Cowboys are in the market for a receiver addition, which could consist of a veteran signing or using an early draft pick at the position.
The Packers have deployed a young array of players at receiver and tight end in recent years. Many observers have called for the arrival of a true No. 1 wideout to allow for Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Bo Melton and Christian Watson to serve in more of a complementary role. The latter’s January ACL tear will lead to missed time in 2025, so a rookie selected early in April could have a path to immediate playing time. Green Bay has not taken a receiver on Day 1 of the draft since 2002.
It remains to be seen if Egbuka will hear his name called in the first round, but he is among the top options at the WR spot in 2025. The senior spent his entire four-year career at Ohio State, setting the school’s all-time record for receptions with 205 and playing a central role in the team’s national title in 2024. The No. 17 prospect on NFL Network Daniel Jeremiah’s board, Egbuka profiles best as a slot receiver at the NFL level. He is joined by Colorado’s Travis Hunter (he if plays on offense upon being drafted), Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and Texas’ Matthew Golden as a receiver firmly on the first-round radar.
Both the Cowboys (set to select 12th overall) and Packers (23rd) fell short of the top 10 in passing yards last season. Improving in that department could include using a high draft pick on a receiver, and Egbuka will be a name to watch for those teams.
S Justin Simmons Does Not Expect To Re-Sign With Falcons
In advance of free agency, Justin Simmons said he wanted to remain with the Falcons. The decorated safety could still work out a new deal after his Atlanta debut in 2024, but he is not expecting that to take place. 
“It was a one-year thing,” Simmons said during an appearance on Up & Adams (video link). “They like kind of their younger guys, too. Sometimes things just don’t work out and you go in different directions. I don’t know if the door’s necessarily closed. But we’ll see.”
Atlanta already has Jessie Bates on the books for the next two years. Simmons joined him late last offseason, and he operated as a full-time starter. The latter recorded a pair of interceptions and seven pass deflections, but overall he was unable to match his success seen during much of his eight-year Broncos tenure. Simmons remains on the open market, and at this point it would come as no surprise if his next contract were to be in place after this month’s draft.
Simmons did not sign with the Falcons until last August, missing part of training camp as a result. If the 31-year-old had his way, a repeat of that timeline would not take place this time around. Considering the fact Atlanta allowed him to test free agency and has not made a known effort to re-sign him, a contract with a third career team will be likely. The two-time Pro Bowler could again provide a veteran presence to a Falcons safety group which also features Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams, but one of those two could replace him in the starting lineup next season.
As could be expected, Simmons is also interested in joining a contender at this point of his career. A veteran of 134 games, he has yet to appear in a postseason contest. Competing for a first-team gig may not be feasible depending on where he lands, but the former interceptions leader will aim to land a deal with a team eyeing a deep playoff run in 2025.
“We’ll see,” Simmons added. “I want to go to the best situation, and I want to go to a team that’s going to win. So, we’ll see what that looks like.”
Jalon Walker To Visit Browns
With Cam Ward essentially viewed as a lock to be selected first overall by the Titans, the Browns are a team worth watching closely as the countdown to the draft continues. A short list of prospects in range for the second overall pick is well known, but Cleveland is looking at other options as well. 
Jalon Walker is set to visit the Browns today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Georgia product is among the top defensive prospects in the 2025 class, regardless of if he is categorized as a middle linebacker or an edge rusher. He has recently lined up a top-30 visit with the Cardinals, and other such meetings will no doubt continue over the coming days.
While Walker is widely seen as a top-10 talent, it would come as a surprise if he were to hear his name called second overall. Cleveland has a quarterback vacancy, something which leaves the door open to taking Shedeur Sanders at that spot. Both of Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are set to be available (provided the Titans do not trade out of the No. 1 slot or make a surprising move), though, and they are considered the top two overall prospects in the class. Turning down the chance to add either of them – for a reason other than adding a signal-caller – would certainly raise several eyebrows.
Cleveland has been linked to Carter, although more recently reports have pointed in a different direction. Hunter is currently perceived as the favorite to go second overall, and the Browns have done plenty of work on the Heisman winner. Carter would give the team a strong edge rush tandem opposite Myles Garrett, while Hunter would be in position to make an impact on offense (if used as a receiver) or defense (if his career began with work as a cornerback).
Walker spent each of his three seasons with the Bulldogs, showing considerable potential as a pass rusher along the way. In 2024, he remained disruptive with 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. The 6-1, 243-pounder also exceled while lining up at the second level of the team’s defense, however. Walker won the Dick Butkus Award as the country’s top linebacker in addition to receiving third-team All-American honors.
As a result, he should not need to wait long to hear his name called on the draft’s opening night. The Browns would represent a more logical suitor if they were to trade down, but they will nevertheless have additional information on Walker in the near future.
49ers To Host Mykel Williams, Walter Nolen
The 49ers own the No. 11 pick in April’s draft, and they are set to host a pair of defenders who could be selected in that range. Edge rusher Mykel Williams and defensive tackle Walter Nolen will visit the team, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports. 
Williams spent each of his three years at Georgia, earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2023 and ’24. The former five-star recruit faced high expectations during his time with the Bulldogs, but his production did not meet them. Williams totaled only 14.5 sacks in his career, with an ankle injury hindering his play this past campaign. In spite of that, his size, length and athleticism has him squarely on the first-round radar.
The 6-5, 260-pounder has already lined up visits with the Saints and Cardinals during the pre-draft process. Williams is also among the players who have been closely linked to the Panthers, who will pick eighth overall. Depending on how the board shakes out – especially with respect to the other top edge rushers in the class – the 49ers may not have the option of selecting him.
Nolan was one of several prospects who took part in “Dallas Day,” showcasing some of the top players from the area in April’s draft. He too has a number of pre-draft visits on the books. The No. 1 player in his recruiting class, Nolan spent his first two seasons at Texas A&M. He managed five sacks over that span, but it was a transfer to Ole Miss which led to a notable breakout campaign.
Racking up 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss, the junior earned first-team All-SEC and All-American honors during his lone Rebels season. Nolan was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the country’s top offensive or defensive lineman. The 6-4, 296-pounder’s potential is certainly high as he prepares to transition to the pro game, but opinions vary to large extent as it pertains to his draft stock.
Aside from Nick Bosa, the 49ers have undergone plenty of changes along the defensive front in recent years. The releases of Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd from earlier this spring have led to a starting vacancy on the interior and also along the edge. Either Williams or Nolan could therefore step into a notable role as a rookie, and it will be interesting to see if one or both are on the board when San Francisco’s first selection is made.
Lions GM Brad Holmes Addresses Pending Aidan Hutchinson Extension
Entering the 2025 offseason, Nick Bosa led the way in terms of annual compensation amongst edge rushers. His 49ers deal averages $34MM per season, a figure which has been surpassed more than once this spring. 
Maxx Crosby‘s new arrangement with the Raiders is worth $35.5MM per year, and Myles Garrett quickly moved past that figure. The latter’s Browns trade request was rescinded with a four-year, $160MM extension being worked out. Garrett now leads the pack for edge rush compensation, although Ja’Marr Chase‘s Bengals pact makes him the top earner for non-quarterbacks at $40.25MM annually.
If the Lions are to work out a deal with Aidan Hutchinson, surpassing both Garrett and Chase may very well be necessary. The EDGE market could see further movement at (or at least near) the top, a factor which could continue to drive up the asking price on an extension for the 2022 draft’s second overall pick. General manager Brad Holmes and the Lions are well aware of what a Hutchinson pact will cost, though.
“It is what it is,” Holmes said of the rising cost of elite edge rushers, (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I mean, we had it in that range kind of already when we do our future planning and budgeting, but then obviously when it goes up it just goes up and that’s just what you got to prepare for.”
Indeed, the rising salary cap led to the expectation Bosa’s pact would be overtaken as the most lucrative one for pass rushers this spring. Likewise, Justin Jefferson‘s run as the top earner for receivers (and non-QBs) was relatively short-lived. Chase could be surpassed in that regard once one of the next pending mega-deals for edge rushers is in place. Hutchinson is joined by Micah Parsons (Cowboys), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and T.J. Watt (Steelers) as players in line to receive a major raise on their next deals.
The 24-year-old enjoyed a strong rookie campaign with 9.5 sacks, and he upped that total to 11.5 the following season. Expectations were high for Hutchinson in particular and the Lions in general entering 2024, and he looked to be on his way toward Defensive Player of the Year consideration with 7.5 sacks in five games. A broken fibula ended his campaign, however, and he was unable to return to action for the playoffs. With a full recovery expected, though, the Michigan product is a clear extension priority for the Lions.
Detroit made a number of lucrative commitments on the offensive side of the ball last offseason. Quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker all received multi-year deals, locking them in for the foreseeable future. Keeping the running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery intact past the next few years will soon become more expensive than it currently is, and finding the funds for a second Jameson Williams contract could prove to be challenging.
Nonetheless, Hutchinson and safety Kerby Joseph represent key goals with respect to in-house moves for this offseason. The Lions will no doubt pick up Hutchinson’s 2026 fifth-year option, valued at $20.86MM. A multi-year accord will cost much more than that, but Detroit is firmly in play to be the next team to make a massive investment along the edge.
Wes Welker To Join Commanders’ Staff
Wes Welker‘s tenure on the Dolphins’ coaching staff came to an end this offseason, but he has a new opportunity lined up for 2025. A deal is in place for him to join the Commanders, as first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. 
Welker transitioned from playing to coaching shortly after his retirement. The five-time Pro Bowler spent a pair of seasons with the Texans before working on the 49ers’ staff from 2019-21 as their receivers coach. During that span, Welker worked closely with Deebo Samuel, who was acquired by Washington via trade this offseason.
After Mike McDaniel parlayed his San Francisco tenure into the Dolphins’ head coaching position, Welker followed him to Miami. He remained in place for three seasons but was fired shortly after the 2024 campaign came to an end. As the Patriots were overhauling their staff, Welker received consideration for the role of receivers coach. Instead, New England tapped Todd Downing for the job.
In spite of that development, Welker will have a gig in the nation’s capital for next season. The 43-year-old will hold the role of personnel analyst, per Reiss’ colleague John Keim. He will work alongside Washington’s personnel and coaching staffs in his new position. Welker represents a familiar face to general manager Adam Peters based on his time in New England and Denver during Welker’s playing days; the pair also worked together in San Francisco.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also has a connection to Welker since the two were teammates in college. That level of familiarity could help the latter succeed in his new gig as he aims to help the Commanders duplicate their surprising level of success from the 2024 season.