Bears Unlikely To Pursue Cam Jordan?
Cameron Jordan has enjoyed a superb 15-year career in New Orleans, but the free agent edge defender is unsure if he will don a Saints uniform for a 16th season. A number of contenders, including the Bears, would do well to pry Jordan out of New Orleans. But it does not appear Jordan will reunite with former Saints head coach Dennis Allen, now the Bears’ defensive coordinator.
When asked about Jordan last week, Allen said (via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times): ‘‘I don’t know that there’s been a ton of discussion about [signing him]. We feel pretty good about where we’re at and what we have. Yet you never know what opportunities might present themselves down the road.’’
Not only was Allen the Saints’ head coach from 2022-24, but he was previously on their staff as a defensive assistant and then coordinator from 2015-21. Jordan posted five seasons of double-digit sacks and earned seven of his eight Pro Bowl trips in that span.
Allen moved to Chicago last year a couple of months after his Saints ouster, but Jordan showed no signs of slowing down. Despite his advanced age, the soon-to-be 37-year-old put up his seventh season with double-digit sacks (10.5). Jordan may have been even more of a force against opposing rushing attacks, as he ranked sixth among edge defenders in run stop win rate. Pro Football Focus gave Jordan the fourth-best grade against the run at his position.
In addition to his ongoing excellent production, Jordan remained remarkably durable during yet another full season. The 6-foot-4, 287-pounder has missed just two of 245 regular-season games in a decade and a half. On the other hand, health was elusive for Bears edge defenders last season, a year in which the team won the NFC North despite surrendering the sixth-most rushing yards and totaling the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL.
The Bears entered 2025 with high expectations for Dayo Odeyingbo, whom they paid a guaranteed $32MM in free agency, but he registered just one sack in eight starts before suffering a torn Achilles on Nov. 2. Meanwhile, second-round rookie Shemar Turner went down with a torn ACL five games into his season. It also was a truncated campaign for Austin Booker, who began the year on IR with a knee injury and wound up missing seven games.
If Chicago does not use any of its $6.68MM in effective cap space to add Jordan or another available edge defender (Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Von Miller and ex-Bear Leonard Floyd are also among those on the market), the team will bank on healthier seasons from Odeyingbo, Turner and Booker. The Bears would also benefit from a second straight full season from Montez Sweat, who recorded a team-leading 10 sacks last year. The rest of their defense accounted for just 25.
As for Jordan, assuming he continues his career in 2026, he will look to build on what could be a Hall of Fame resume. The 2010s All-Decade Team member ranks 17th on the all-time sack list (132). He could approach or break into the top 10 with another strong season.
Panthers To Hold Competition At LT, C
The Panthers lost Ikem Ekwonu to a torn patellar tendon in a wild-card round defeat to the Rams in January, adding left tackle to their list of needs entering the offseason. General manager Dan Morgan has made notable additions at the position since then, having picked up Rasheed Walker in free agency and drafted Monroe Freeling with the 19th overall pick.
Appearing on NFL Network on Tuesday, Morgan revealed Walker and Freeling will compete to open the season as the Panthers’ starting left tackle (via Michael Baca of NFL.com).
“In terms of Monroe (Freeling), he’ll compete with Rasheed (Walker),” Morgan said. “We were lucky to get him in free agency, another guy we think highly about, a veteran who’s played a lot of games in this league. We feel like we have a lot of optionality there and looking forward to seeing those guys compete.”
The Panthers brought in Walker on a $4MM base deal, a surprisingly low amount for a 26-year-old with significant starting left tackle experience. Walker was Green Bay’s full-time choice on the blind side from 2023-25, during which he made 48 starts. Now entering a second straight contract year, Walker will have a chance to boost his stock, but he will have to beat out Freeling.
Although Carolina was a widely predicted mock draft landing spot for Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman or tight end Kenyon Sadiq, it prioritized tackle over those two positions in the first round. The Panthers had more interest in Thieneman than Sadiq, according to Joe Person of The Athletic, but Freeling won out (Sadiq was already gone by then). Despite only making 17 starts in college, the former Georgia Bulldog saw his stock skyrocket during the pre-draft process. Morgan called Freeling “a franchise left tackle” on Tuesday. Even if he loses the battle to Walker this summer, the Panthers at least regard Freeling as their long-term solution at the position.
As is the case at left tackle, the Panthers are set to stage a competition at center, Person reports. Cade Mays had a career season during a 12-start 2025 for the Panthers, but they did not retain him in free agency. A few hours after Mays joined the Lions on a three-year, $25MM agreement, the Panthers added Luke Fortner on a modest pact worth up to $4.75MM. Fortner has amassed 44 starts in a four-year career divided between Jacksonville and New Orleans, but he will have to fend off rookie Sam Hecht for the No. 1 role in Carolina. The Panthers spent a fifth-rounder on Hecht, who was a two-year starter at Kansas State. Hecht earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last season.
While it is up in the air who will start at left tackle and center, the rest of the Panthers’ 2025 front five could begin next season intact. Right tackle Taylor Moton and the guard tandem of Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis remain in the fold on pricey contracts.
Steelers’ Max Iheanachor To Begin Career At Right Tackle
Steelers first-round pick Max Iheanachor may take over as their starting left tackle one day, but it appears that will have to wait. Iheanachor revealed he will begin his NFL career at right tackle, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show.
The right side is familiar territory for Iheanachor, who was Arizona State’s starting RT for the past two-plus years. On the heels of Iheanachor’s second-team All-Big 12 showing in 2025, the Steelers drafted him 21st overall. He was one of nine offensive linemen to come off the board in the first round. Guard Vega Ioane, who went 14th overall to the AFC North rival Ravens, is also a member of a large first-round O-line class. The Steelers “had an affinity for Ioane,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports, but there is no word on whether they tried to jump ahead of the Ravens for him.
In addition to the Ioane hypothetical, there is another first-round “what-if” centered on the Steelers. As those who follow the draft know, the team thought it was on the cusp of taking former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon at 21. Instead, the Eagles made a last-second trade-up to No. 20 to nab Lemon while he was on the phone with the Steelers. After ending up with Iheanachor with their top selection, the Steelers addressed their receiver need when they chose former Alabama standout Germie Bernard in the second round.
While Iheanachor could win the right tackle spot as a rookie, it is unclear who will man the left side. The job would belong to a healthy Broderick Jones, but his season-opening status is up in the air as he recovers from neck surgery. Pittsburgh declined Jones’ fifth-year option for 2027, meaning the former first-rounder could be entering his last season with the team. Iheanachor may be a candidate to replace Jones if he is off the Steelers’ roster a year from now. In the meantime, if Jones is not ready for Week 1, the Steelers could turn to Troy Fautanu, though Kaboly notes that is not a given. While Fautanu played left tackle at Washington, he has not lined up there during his two-year NFL career.
As the Steelers’ starting right tackle last season, Fautanu played 100% of offensive snaps. But if professional left tackle experience is a must, Dylan Cook could have a shot at the gig until Jones returns. Cook went undrafted back in 2022, though it took until last season for him to get on the field in the regular season. He played in six games and logged five starts, including a wild-card round loss to the Texans. Almost all of his snaps (346 of 348) came at left tackle. Although it was a relatively small sample of work, Pro Football Focus ranked Cook’s performance 20th among 84 qualified tackles.
CB Jerry Jacobs Announces Retirement
Free agent cornerback Jerry Jacobs took to Instagram to announce his retirement on Tuesday (via Jordan Schultz). The 28-year-old played with the Lions from 2021-23.
Prior to Tuesday, the most recent mention of Jacobs on PFR’s pages came when he worked out for the Broncos in December 2024. The Broncos passed on signing Jacobs, who received his last NFL contract when the Rams inked him to a deal in July 2024. They wound up waiving Jacobs with an injury settlement less than a month later.
Despite going undrafted in 2021, Jacobs immediately worked his way into a significant role in the Lions’ defense as a rookie. The former Arkansas Razorback made nine starts in 13 games and tallied seven passes defensed during an interception-less first season. Jacobs notched his first career pick and added eight more PDs in his second year, a 12-game, eight-start campaign.
Although Jacobs’ INT total climbed to three over 15 games and 12 starts in 2023, Detroit relegated him to a special teams role late in the year. With Kindle Vildor taking over as the starter opposite Cameron Sutton, Jacobs played just one defensive snap in the last four games of the regular season. The Lions finished 12-5 and snapped a six-year playoff drought, but Jacobs did not factor in during what amounted to a three-game postseason for the club. They placed Jacobs on injured reserve on the eve of a wild-card round win over the Rams.
Detroit had a chance to retain Jacobs in 2024, but he became an unrestricted free agent after it opted against giving him an RFA tender. Two years later, Jacobs is officially hanging up his cleats. Across 40 games and 29 starts, Jacobs racked up 131 tackles, 23 PDs and four picks.
Lions Sign 9 Undrafted Free Agents
In addition to getting their entire seven-player draft class under contract Tuesday, the Lions announced nine UDFA signings. Here is the Lions’ list of undrafted newcomers:
- Luke Altmyer, QB (Illinois)
- Aamaris Brown, DB (UNLV)
- Erick Hunter, LB (Morgan State)
- Aidan Keanaaina, DL (California)
- Miles Kitselman, TE (Tennessee)
- Anthony Lucas, EDGE (USC)
- Eric O’Neill, EDGE (Rutgers)
- Melvin Priestly, OL (Illinois)
- De’Shawn Rucker, CB (USF)
The headliner may be Altmyer, who spent three years as Illinois’ starter after backing up Matt Corral and then Jaxson Dart at Mississippi from 2021-22. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder is entering the pros after back-to-back 22-touchdown pass seasons in which he led the Fighting Illini to a 19-7 record, including wins over South Carolina in the 2024 Citrus Bowl and Tennessee in the 2025 Music City Bowl.
Altmyer set personal bests in attempts (365), completion percentage (67.4) and yards (3,007) last season, all while throwing just five interceptions. However, given that Altmyer does not possess great size or arm strength, the entire NFL chose to pass on him in the draft. The 23-year-old may have a chance to earn a spot in Detroit, though, as the team does not have any other developmental options behind starter Jared Goff and veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater.
Lucas played one season at Texas A&M before transferring to USC in 2023. Although Lucas recorded his only three college sacks last year, Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked the 6-5, 256-pounder as the 185th-best prospect available before the draft. Brugler describes the 6-5, 256-pounder as a “battering ram” pass rusher and edge setter who has a chance to carve out a role in the NFL.
The Lions awarded a sizable guarantee to Keanaaina, who will earn $267,500, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The former Notre Dame defender tore his ACL in 2022, but he showed no ill effects upon transferring to Cal in 2024. Across 26 games (all starts) with the Golden Bears, the 6-3, 320-pounder totaled 101 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Former NFL QB Craig Morton Passes Away
Longtime NFL quarterback Craig Morton died at the age of 83 on Saturday. Morton divided his 18-year career among the Cowboys, Broncos and Giants.
Morton spent his college days at California, where he enjoyed a prolific run from 1962-64. He played his first two years under future Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Marv Levy. Bill Walsh, another future Hall of Fame head coach, was on Levy’s staff as a receivers coach during Morton’s first season. A three-year starter who broke numerous school records, the strong-armed Morton was inducted into both the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
After Morton threw for over 4,500 yards and 36 touchdowns in 30 games at Cal, the Cowboys chose him fifth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft. The Raiders selected Morton in the 10th round of the AFL draft in the same year, but he chose to sign with Dallas. Morton spent his first four years backing up Don Meredith before finally becoming Dallas’ starter in 1969. He helped the Cowboys to Super Bowl V in his second year at the helm, but they fell to the Baltimore Colts on a late field goal. Kicker Jim O’Brien hit a 32-yarder to clinch a 16-13 win for the Colts with five seconds left.
While the Cowboys made their second straight Super Bowl trip to cap off the 1971 season, Morton no longer held the reins. Head coach Tom Landry named Roger Staubach the starter in Week 8, and the Cowboys went on to win their first Super Bowl in a 24-3 romp over the Dolphins. Staubach suffered a separated shoulder the next season, which led to Morton making 14 starts and leading the Cowboys to a 10-4 record. However, Landry pulled Morton for Staubach in a divisional round matchup against the 49ers. Staubach never relinquished the job after sparking a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback and a 30-28 victory.
With Morton still stuck behind Staubach a couple of years later, he asked out of Dallas in 1974. A frustrated Morton signed with the Houston Texans of the World Football League, but he never played a down for them. The Cowboys granted Morton’s wish when they traded him to the Giants six games into the ’74 campaign. They received a 1975 first-rounder (No. 2 overall) and a ’76 second-rounder in return. Dallas used the first of those picks on future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Randy White, who became one of the greatest players in franchise history.
While the Morton trade worked out for the Cowboys, the same was not true for the Giants. They struggled over two-plus years with Morton, who went just 8-25 and threw 29 touchdowns and 49 interception as their starter. The Giants ended the Morton era with a 1977 trade in which they dealt him to the Broncos for quarterback Steve Ramsey and a fifth-rounder.
Morton’s stock was down when he arrived in Denver, but the change of scenery yielded a career renaissance. Playing his age-34 season in 1978, Morton tossed 14 touchdowns against eight interceptions, finished fourth in the NFL in passer rating (82.0), guided the Broncos to a 12-2 record, and won a pair of awards: AFC Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
The Broncos wound up meeting Morton’s first team, Dallas, in Super Bowl XII. While Morton became the first player to start at quarterback for two different teams in the Super Bowl, the Cowboys proved too strong in a 27-10 rout. White and fellow D-lineman Harvey Martin took home co-MVP honors after a stifling defensive performance.
Morton made 50 more starts as a Bronco through the strike-shortened 1982 season, his last, and earned two more playoff berths. Although the Broncos never returned to the Super Bowl with Morton at the controls, he still stands as one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history.
Wearing No. 7 before his successor, John Elway, Morton retired as the Broncos’ all-time leader in passing yards (11,895), touchdowns (74) and yards per attempt (7.5). Despite playing in a much tougher era for QBs, Morton still ranks second in team history in YPA and third in both passing yards and TDs 44 years since he last took the field. Peyton Manning became the franchise leader in YPA. He and Elway are the only passers above Morton in yards and TDs.
Inducted into Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988, Morton made 144 starts in the NFL. Along with posting a 81-62-1 record as a starter, Morton threw for 27,908 yards and 183 touchdowns.
Lions Sign First-Round T Blake Miller
The Lions announced that they have signed their first-round pick, former Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller. As the 17th overall selection, Miller inked a fully guaranteed deal worth about $21.87MM over four years.
Detroit entered the draft in dire need of help at tackle after it released 10-year veteran Taylor Decker, its starter on the left side since 2016. The Lions attempted to move up in a trade with the Rams, who held the 13th pick, but were rebuffed. It is unknown if the Lions would have taken Miller at 13, but regardless, they landed on him four choices later.
Whether the 6-foot-7, 317-pound Miller takes over for Decker will depend on how the Lions handle all-world right tackle Penei Sewell, who could shift to the left. Either way, the Lions are expecting Miller to emerge as a long-term starter.
If Miller is going to step into the lineup immediately, he will have to beat out Larry Borom, a former Bear and Dolphin who arrived in free agency. Borom has never been a full-time NFL starter during his five-year career, which bodes well for Miller. A two-time second-team All-ACC blocker, Miller started in all 54 games (52 at right tackle) with the Tigers from 2022-25. He broke the school record in offensive snaps (3,778) along the way.
With Miller under contract, the Lions have now signed all of their 2026 draft picks. Here is a refresher on their seven-player class:
- Round 1, No. 17: Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
- Round 2, No. 44 (from Cowboys): Derrick Moore (EDGE, Michigan)
- Round 4, No. 118: Jimmy Rolder (LB, Michigan)
- Round 5, No. 157: Keith Abney II (CB, Arizona State)
- Round 5, No. 168 (from Bills): Kendrick Law (WR, Kentucky)
- Round 6, No. 205 (from Jaguars): Skyler Gill-Howard (DT, Texas Tech)
- Round 7, No. 222 (from Browns): Tyre West (DT, Tennessee)
Browns Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents
The Browns picked up 10 new players in this year’s draft. They have since added 13 more rookies via the undrafted route. Here’s a look:
- Davon Booth, RB (Mississippi State)
- Michael Coats, CB (West Virginia)
- Nate Evans, CB (Delaware)
- Logan Fano, DE (Utah)
- Bernard Gooden, DT (LSU)
- TJ Harden, RB (SMU)
- Izavion Miller, T (Auburn)
- DeCarlos Nicholson, CB (USC)
- Wes Pahl, P (Oklahoma State)
- Tyreak Sapp, DE (Florida)
- Khordae Sydnor, DE (Vanderbilt)
- Zion Washington, S (Boise State)
- Kole Wilson, WR (Baylor)
Logan Fano is the brother of Browns rookie left tackle Spencer Fano, whom they drafted ninth overall. The two were college teammates at Utah, where Logan posted 18 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks during a three-year, 28-game career. Over 11 games last season, the 6-foot-5, 257-pounder notched a personal-best 7.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks en route to second-team All-Big 12 honors. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Fano as the 165th-best prospect available in the draft, lauding his hard-working mentality and “charged-up” pass-rushing skills. He has an alarming history of knee injuries, however, having torn his right ACL twice and his left ACL once in the past seven years.
Sapp (No. 211) also earned a spot in Brugler’s pre-draft top 300. The four-year Gator was at his best in 2024, a 13-game year in which he piled up 47 tackles, 13 TFL and seven sacks. Despite playing the same number of snaps in 2025, Sapp’s numbers dropped to 34 tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack in a dozen games. Brugler contends “a missing dynamic element” could lessen Sapp’s chances of making an impact in the pros.
Formerly with NC State, Evans enjoyed a breakout campaign at Delaware in 2025. The 5-11, 191-pounder made 38 tackles, deflected eight passes and pulled in three interceptions in 13 games. Evans’ deal with the Browns is worth a guaranteed $115K, including a $5K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Set to turn 25 this summer, Coats is coming off a 56-game college career divided among East Central Community College, Nevada and West Virginia. Coats’ most productive season came in 2023 at Nevada, where he intercepted four passes and deflected 13 in 13 games. He did not record an INT in his lone season with the Mountaineers last year, but Coats chipped in another seven PDs in 12 contests. He joined the the Browns for a guaranteed $100K and a $15K signing bonus, according to Wilson.
Bears To Sign WR Scotty Miller
Veteran wide receiver Scotty Miller accepted an invitation to the Bears’ rookie minicamp. It proved to be a wise decision. The Bears are now signing Miller, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Miller previously booked a late-April visit to Detroit (via Schefter), but he is heading to one of its NFC North rivals over a week later. The Bears are the fourth team for the 28-year-old Miller, a 2019 sixth-round pick who has played for the Buccaneers (2019-22), Falcons (2023) and Steelers (2024-25). He has totaled 99 catches and six touchdowns over 93 games.
Miller’s most productive campaign came with Tampa Bay in 2020, a Super Bowl-winning season for the club. With quarterback Tom Brady at the helm, Miller set career highs in targets (53), receptions (33), yards (501) and TDs (three). The 5-foot-9, 174-pounder has not reached those heights since then. Miller put up just one 20-catch season over the past half-decade (with the Buccaneers in 2022), and he amassed fewer than 100 yards in both of his his years in Pittsburgh. He combined for just 14 catches in 26 games as a Steeler.
Miller’s deal with Chicago will lead to a reunion with Bears receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, who was a Buccaneers offensive assistant from 2019-20. He will attempt to earn a depth role in a receiving corps led by Rome Odunze and Luther Burden. The Bears, who said goodbye to D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus earlier in the offseason, have brought in Miller, Kalif Raymond and third-round pick Zavion Thomas over the past couple of months.
Dolphins Notes: Rodriguez, Johnson, Savaiinaea, Free Agency
The rebuilding Dolphins entered the draft with a roster in serious need of upgrades all over the field. After making a league-high 13 picks, they emerged from the proceedings with at least a few players who could start right away. That includes second-round linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who is “likely” to compete with Tyrel Dodson for a starting job, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald.
Rodriguez, whom the Dolphins chose 43rd overall, came off the board early after a stellar couple of years at Texas Tech. The 6-foot-1, 231-pounder had a breakout 2024 in which he racked up 127 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles in 14 games. He was even more productive last season, during which he recorded 128 tackles, a whopping seven forced fumbles and four interceptions. Rodriguez earned major accolades as a result. Along with finishing fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, he was a unanimous All-American who won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s best defender) and the Butkus Award (nation’s top LB), among other honors.
Already set to turn 24 on Sept. 2, it would not be a surprise if Rodriguez immediately steps in next to Jordyn Brooks to comprise the Dolphins’ top linebacker duo. That would mean a contract-year demotion for Dodson, who had his best statistical showing in 2025. Playing 84.97% of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps, the six-year veteran logged career highs in starts (16), tackles (129), TFL (10) and sacks (five). Although his traditional numbers were solid, Pro Football Focus was not enamored of Dodson’s performance. PFF ranked Dodson 61st among 88 off-ball LBs.
Shifting to Miami’s secondary, first-round cornerback Chris Johnson looks like a lock to earn significant playing time from the get-go under rookie head coach Jeff Hafley. The Dolphins traded up from 30 to 27 to draft the former San Diego State standout, who primarily lined up on the outside during his four college seasons. Johnson could be in for a role change in Miami, which is likely to deploy the 6-foot, 195-pounder as its nickel corner, according to Kelly. It is unclear who will start on the outside, but Storm Duck, JuJu Brents and free agent pickups Darrell Baker Jr. and Marco Wilson are among the Dolphins’ experienced options. Duck and Brents did not factor in much during injury-ruined years in 2025. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas ended up leading Miami’s corners in snaps by a wide margin, but both players are now out of the organization.
Turning to the offensive side of the ball, the Dolphins are planning an open competition at both guard spots, Kelly reports. Rookie Kadyn Proctor, the Dolphins’ first pick (12th overall), is expected to win the left guard battle. There are still questions on the right side, where the Dolphins lost Cole Strange to the Chargers in free agency.
As a second-round rookie last year, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea was the only Dolphins lineman to take the field for every offensive snap. However, PFF rated his play dead last among 79 qualifiers. His pass-blocking grade (14.1) was easily the worst at his position. The Dolphins do not want a repeat of that, especially after they brought in new starting quarterback Malik Willis on a three-year, $67.5MM deal in free agency. Savaiiinea will need to show obvious improvement this summer to claim the No. 1 right guard spot.
With the draft in the books, it appears the Dolphins’ offseason roster building is all but done. The team stayed in contact with some “top” available free agents before the draft, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said afterward he is not anticipating any “big-ticket” signings (via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN). The Dolphins are currently last in the league in cap space (approximately $1.8MM), but designating Bradley Chubb a post-June 1 release will add over $20MM to the total next month.