Latest On Steelers’ WR Situation
In the build-up to the draft, the Steelers were frequently connected to a wide receiver trade. No such move took place over the weekend, though, and Pittsburgh has not been active in the post-draft wave of free agency to date. 
The Steelers placed a heavy emphasis on the offensive line, using first- (tackle Troy Fautanu), second- (center Zach Frazier) and fourth- (guard Mason McCormick) round selections up front. The team also added a wideout by taking Michigan alum Roman Wilson in the third round, but there is room in the lineup for an experienced pass-catcher to play opposite George Pickens. As veteran dominoes have fallen in recent days, however, Pittsburgh has not added at the position.
Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. have each landed one-year deals this week, thinning out the pool of available options. With a blockbuster trade involving either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel no longer an option based on 49ers general manager John Lynch‘s recent comments, it would come as a surprise if Pittsburgh pulled off a player swap at this time. Indeed, Steelers GM Omar Khan confirmed during a Pat McAfee Show appearance that nothing is currently imminent regarding a receiver addition (video link).
One of the top free agents still on the market is Tyler Boyd, who was linked to his hometown team early in free agency. Pittsburgh now faces plenty of competition for the ex-Bengal’s services, though, and the team’s price point on a contract offer remains too low for a deal to be worked out. On that point, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic notes the Steelers are not prepared to offer a multi-year pact, something Boyd is seeking (subscription required). For that reason, Kaboly confirms a Boyd-to-Pittsburgh agreement is still “highly unlikely” at this time.
In addition to Pickens and Wilson, the Steelers’ WR room features the likes of Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims. With over $18MM in cap space, the team could afford to bring in another option, but it will be interesting to see if Khan pursues one of the remaining veterans or allows the current group to compete for roster spots in training camp.
Bears Open To Re-Signing DE Yannick Ngakoue?
Yannick Ngakoue‘s debut Bears campaign came to an abrupt end due to a broken ankle. He remains unsigned following the draft, but a return to health could lead to an uptick in interest. 
Ngakoue operated as a full-time starter in 2023 upon signing a one-year Bears pact. He racked up four sacks as a member of Chicago’s underwhelming edge contingent before needing to undergo season-ending surgery. The journeyman thus posted less than eight sacks for the first time in his career, but a video he posted this week demonstrates his ankle has healed. It will be interesting to see if his market picks up as a result.
Chicago added Montez Sweat at the trade deadline, and that move was followed up by a four-year, $98MM extension. The Bears still have room to improve along the edge, though, and The Athletic’s Adam Jahns writes it “wouldn’t be surprising” if Ngakoue was brought back on a low-cost agreement (subscription required). The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $10.5MM deal last offseason, but his injury will hinder his market value this time around.
Ngakoue has bounced around the NFL over his eight-year career, spending time with the Jaguars, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders, Colts and Bears. Chicago has one major edge commitment on the books in the form of Sweat (who posted a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2023, including six with the Bears), but a veteran addition could see notable playing time this season. Ngakoue is best suited as a complementary option specializing on third downs, a role he could fulfill on a new Bears agreement.
Chicago’s only draft addition along the edge was fifth-rounder Austin Booker. The Kansas product saw little playing time in his first two college seasons, but his lone campaign with the Jayhawks upon transferring produced eight sacks. Booker could operate in a rotational capacity as a rookie, but first-team reps should not be expected right away. As things stand, veteran DeMarcus Walker is in line to start opposite Sweat. Walker (who is on the books for two more years at cap hits of $8.67MM and $5.92MM) posted 3.5 sacks last season, leaving plenty of room for improvement in that department moving forward.
The Bears have nearly $23MM in cap space, so they are better positioned than most teams to make a notable post-draft free agent addition. Ngakoue has not been linked to any potential suitors so far, but it will be worth watching to see if the Bears pursue a reunion.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/24
Saturday’s minor moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Jacob Copeland, TE Izaiah Gathings, S Tyree Gillespie
- Withdrew ERFA tender: LB Cole Christiansen
Christiansen began his career with the Chargers in 2020, and he spent his first two seasons in the league as a core special teamer. The 26-year-old had been with Kansas City since 2022, making six total regular season appearances and playing three postseason games this year. Christiansen was tendered in March, but today’s decision makes him an unrestricted free agent.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/24
Saturday’s lone draft pick signing:
Philadelphia Eagles
- G Trevor Keegan (fifth round, Michigan)
Keegan spent five seasons with the Wolverines, serving as a full-time left guard starter from 2021-23. He was a key member of Michigan’s O-line (a unit which won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive front in 2021 and ’22) and he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season. With Landon Dickerson locked into the left guard spot in Philadelphia, Keegan will look to compete for playing time at the opposite guard position. The Eagles have now signed two members of their nine-man draft class.
Dolphins, Odell Beckham Jr. Agree To Deal
The Dolphins’ long-anticipated receiver addition is set to take place. Miami has agreed to terms with Odell Beckham Jr., Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. 
Team and player have long been linked in this case, and the post-draft wave of free agency has now produced an agreement. While an April report suggested Beckham could turn down Dolphins interest due to his asking price, he has in fact taken a deal worth far less than his 2023 Ravens pact.
Rapoport reports this one-year deal is worth up to $8.25MM. The base value, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, is $3MM. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald adds the team was not prepared to raise its offer in terms of guaranteed compensation, but incentives led to this agreement.
The three-time Pro Bowler joined Baltimore on a pact featuring $15MM guaranteed, a surprising figure considering the missed time which preceded it. Beckham had his most productive campaign since 2019 last year (35 receptions, 565 yards), and his 16.1 yards per catch average was the highest mark of his career. An increase in volume will no doubt lower the latter figure, but Beckham is in position to fill Miami’s stated desire for a capable third receiving option.
Not long after the 31-year-old visited the Dolphins in March, a mutual interest was reported to exist. That was confirmed in short order when Miami submitted an offer to Beckham, though Rapoport notes he had more lucrative options on the table. In the end, however, the former Rams Super Bowl winner has accepted the chance to work in a complementary role to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Those two will command a large share of Miami’s targets, but the team lost Cedrick Wilson Jr. in free agency, leaving slot receiver/returner Braxton Berrios as the lone in-house depth WR option featuring much experience. A veteran of 110 games, Beckham will certainly help in that department. A strong season would also boost his market value on a new Dolphins pact or interest from outside teams in 2025.
Miami entered Friday with just over $2.9MM in cap space, so this deal (along with signing the team’s rookie class) will eat up much of the remaining funds available for the time being. Cap space brought about by Xavien Howard‘s release will become available after June 1, but the Dolphins have already accomplished a key secondary roster-building goal with this agreement.
49ers GM John Lynch: ‘We’re Past’ Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel Trade Talks
Leading up to the draft and through the event’s first round in particular, the possibility of a 49ers receiver being dealt was a major talking point around the league. No deals materialized, though, and general manager John Lynch now considers the matter closed regarding any discussions in at least the near future. 
“During the course of drafts and offseasons, do conversations happen? Absolutely they do,” Lynch said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News). “We’re past that now.
“We’re thrilled to add to that group (of) Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray, and now you add Ricky Pearsall, Jake Cowing. We made an already strong group even stronger.”
San Francisco looked for a pick in the middle of the first round in any potential Aiyuk trade, but no offers of that caliber came in. The team ultimately stayed in place by keeping him and retaining the No. 31 pick, but using it on Pearsall raised eyebrows. Aiyuk has been tied to trade rumors based on his contract status, whereas moving Samuel could help make an Aiyuk extension (along with one for quarterback Brock Purdy down the road) more feasible.
For that reason, Samuel has also drawn trade interest recently. However, Lynch confirmed that after the draft’s first round had concluded, San Francisco did not give consideration to a trade involving Day 2 or 3 capital. That leaves Aiyuk, Samuel and Jennings (who is also entering a contract year) in place as the team attempts to keep as many skill-position contributors in the fold as possible. Aiyuk is set to play out his fifth-year option, valued at $14.12MM, in 2024; a long-term deal will check in at a much larger price regardless of which team it comes from.
Aiyuk and the 49ers are not believed to be close on extension talks, and the 26-year-old has publicly made his frustrations known. Samuel is on the books for two more years, meanwhile, but his $16.6MM 2025 base salary is not guaranteed. Especially with Pearsall now in the picture, future movement at the WR spot will no doubt be a source of questions and speculation for San Francisco. For now, though, the Aiyuk-Samuel-Jennings trio is set to remain intact.
Ravens Add 22 UDFAs
The Ravens made nine selections over the course of the weekend, but that still left plenty of room for post-draft additions. That has paved the way for a large UDFA class. Here are the 22 players Baltimore has agreed to terms with:
- Jelani Baker, WR (Limestone)
- Beau Brade, S (Maryland)
- Corey Bullock, G (Maryland)
- Tre’Darious Colbert, DT (Maryland)
- Chris Collier, RB (Lock Haven)
- Ryan Cooper, DB (Oregon State)
- Darrian Dalcourt, G (Alabama)
- Joe Evans, DE (Iowa)
- Ja’Mion Franklin, DT (Duke)
- De’Angelo Hardy, WR (North Central)
- Deion Jennings, LB (Rutgers)
- Julian Pearl, T (Illinois)
- Randen Plattner, LS (Kansas State)
- Yvandy Rigby, LB (Temple)
- Mike Rigerman, TE (Findlay)
- Tayvion Robinson, WR (Kentucky)
- Riley Sharp, TE (Oregon State)
- Darrell Simpson, T (Tulsa)
- Jordan Toles, DB (Morgan State)
- Dayton Wade, WR (Ole Miss)
- Tramel Walthour, DT (Georgia)
- Isaiah Washington, WR (Rutgers)
It came as something of a surprise when Brade did not hear his name called on Day 3. The senior earned an Honorable All-Big Ten nod in each of the past two seasons, leading the Terrapins in tackles both years. Brade racked up 177 stops, three interceptions and 14 pass breakups across his four seasons in college. The Clarksville, Maryland native will be able to begin his pro career with his hometown team if he makes the Ravens’ opening roster.
Baltimore added a vertical threat (fourth-rounder Devontez Walker) to the passing game during the draft, but two of the team’s undrafted wideouts will receive a look in part based on their size. Hardy (6-2) and Washington (6-3) each have a larger frame than that of the Ravens’ current receiver options. The former owns the school record for career touchdowns with 58, 20 of which were scored last season. The latter, meanwhile, put up much smaller production (74 receptions, 927 yards and five seasons). Both will look to earn a depth roster spot or a place on the practice squad.
By not drafting a linebacker, the Ravens all-but assured Trenton Simpson of a starting role in 2024. That place was opened up by Patrick Queen‘s free agent departure, and the team’s other options are in line for special teams duties. The faith shown in Simpson is further illustrated by the fact Baltimore’s UDFA class only contains two linebackers. Both Rigby (who posted 5.5 tackles for loss in 2022) and Jones (who eclipsed 90 stops in each of the past two seasons) will look to carve out a spot based on third phase capabilities at a minimum.
Bills Sign WR Chase Claypool, DE Dawuane Smoot
The Bills continue to be active in the post-draft free agent market. Buffalo announced on Friday that the previously-reported agreement with linebacker Deion Jones has become official. The team has also added wideout Chase Claypool as well as defensive end Dawuane Smoot, though. All three players are attached to one-year deals. 
Claypool showcased considerable potential during his first two seasons in the league. Operating as a key member of the Steelers’ offense, the former second-rounder posted 1,845 combined yards and 13 total touchdowns between the 2020 and ’21 campaigns. Things have not gone according to plan since, however, with a trade to the Bears in 2022 not producing the desired impact.
Claypool made just 18 catches in 10 games with Chicago, and he was on the move once again this year when he was traded to the Dolphins. The 25-year-old Canadian’s Miami stint produced only four receptions in nine games, and the team is in the market for a WR3 upgrade. Claypool visited the Seahawks in April, but to little surprise that did not yield a pre-draft agreement. Buffalo will bring him in ahead of offseason practices and training camp and in doing so provide him the opportunity to carve out a roster spot.
The Bills’ receiver room looks much different with Gabe Davis having departed in free agency prior to the trade which sent Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Buffalo traded down to the No. 33 spot in the draft and used that pick on Keon Coleman, and the team followed up that move by signing Quintez Cephus. Claypool will compete with the latter for a depth spot in the receiver pecking order this summer.
Smoot is likewise headed to Buffalo not long after meeting with another team. The 29-year-old recently visited the Texans, but he will instead look to earn a roster spot with the Bills. Smoot delivered a strong outing in 2021 (10 starts, six sacks), but an Achilles tear suffered the following year hurt his market value. Playing out a one-year deal last season, he posted just one sack while logging a rotational defensive role.
Buffalo has Von Miller on the books through 2027, and the team has retained both A.J. Epenesa and Greg Rousseau recently. The former re-signed on a two-year deal before the latter had his 2025 fifth-year option picked up. Smoot will look to earn a complementary place behind those three returnees in Buffalo this season, his first spent outside of Jacksonville.
The Bills entered Friday with only $2.8MM in cap space, much of which will be needed to sign their rookie class. While none of the Jones, Claypool or Smoot deals will be particularly lucrative, they will nevertheless use up much of the team’s remaining financial resources available until the post-June 1 release of Tre’Davious White frees up more spending power.
Chiefs Decline WR Kadarius Toney’s Fifth-Year Option
Kadarius Toney is on track to remain with the Chiefs this season, but his future beyond that point is uncertain. The ex-Giant receiver’s fifth-year option has been declined, per ESPN’s Adam Teicher. 
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Toney would have cost $14.35MM in 2025 had Kansas City picked up his option, so it comes as little surprise the team has elected against doing so. The 25-year-old had a season to forget in 2023, finding himself on the injury report 19 weeks out of 21 (a matter of contention by the end of the postseason) and frequently struggling with drops. In all, Toney totaled just 169 yards and one touchdown on 27 catches.
Midway through his second season in the league, the Florida product was dealt to Kansas City in a move underscoring his disappointing tenure with New York. Things have not gone according to plan with the Chiefs so far, but head coach Andy Reid has expressed confidence in Toney playing a role in the team’s offense in 2024. With the coming season doubling as his walk year, it will be interesting to see how he performs.
The Chiefs won a second straight Super Bowl last season, but they did so without a consistent or efficient passing game. Tight end Travis Kelce will remain the team’s top receiving target for at least two more years, but it came as no surprise that the team has emphasized WR additions this offseason. Marquise Brown was signed in free agency on a one-year deal, and Kansas City moved up in the first round of the draft to select Xavier Worthy.
Both of those players are positioned to have a notable impact in 2024, something which may not be the case for Toney. The team still has fellow wideouts Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice in the fold (although the latter’s future is currently in question). Staying healthy will be an obvious priority for Toney, and doing so could create a path to playing time in 2024. If that does not turn out to be the case, however, he will likely make his first trip to free agency without much fanfare.
Steelers To Decline RB Najee Harris’ Fifth-Year Option
A report from January indicated the Steelers would likely pick up running back Najee Harris‘ fifth-year option. The team has instead gone in the other direction, per multiple reports. Harris is thus on track for free agency next offseason. 
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
As is the case with all backs drafted early, Harris faced massive expectations upon arrival in Pittsburgh. The Alabama product earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie, totaling 1,200 rushing yards while also hauling in 74 receptions. Over the past two seasons, Pittsburgh’s offense has regressed in the passing game but Harris’ ground production has remained steady.
The 26-year-old racked up 1,034 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, recording one more yard and one more score on the ground this past season. Harris has, however, done so while logging a substantial workload and struggling with efficiency. His yards per carry average sits at 3.9 for his career, and he has logged 978 touches through three years. Especially given the market at the RB position, concerns related to his durability may have informed the Steelers’ decision.
Pittsburgh would have owed Harris $6.79MM next season by picking up the option. Today’s move leaves that off the table, although ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports the team is still open to working out a deal keeping him in place beyond 2024. Needless to say, much will depend on Harris’ performance this season as he shares time with Jaylen Warren.
The latter played sparingly as a rookie in 2022, but he took on a notable role last season. Warren averaged 5.3 yards per carry while adding 61 receptions for 370 yards in the passing game. That has led to calls for the former UDFA to receive a larger share of the Steelers’ offense than Harris, and it will be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith divvies up the work between the two. Given the team’s heavy investments up front during this year’s draft, Pittsburgh is set up for a ground-heavy attack.
While this decision creates a degree of uncertainty in the backfield, the same is true under center entering the 2024 season. The Steelers have also declined Justin Fields‘ option, leaving he and projected starter Russell Wilson on track for free agency next offseason. How Pittsburgh’s offense takes shape – and the degree to which Harris is involved – will be a key storyline to follow.