Vikings Targeting DL, CB This Summer
In a recent mailbag Q&A, Alec Lewis of The Athletic noted two positions that are likely to be subject to additions this summer and in free agency next year for the Vikings: defensive tackle and cornerback. While there were some attempts to address each position already this offseason, there is likely much more work to be done in Minnesota. 
On the defensive line, Minnesota is running it back with Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard as two of their starters in a three-man front. Unfortunately, neither really stood out as strong players at their position with Lewis noting specifically that Phillips and Bullard ranked as two of the worst interior pass rushers in the NFL last year. Last year’s fifth-round rookie Jaquelin Roy could potentially take the next step after playing in an extremely minor role last season.
The team did make two free agent additions, signing Jerry Tillery and Jonah Williams back in March. Tillery had a bit of a resurgent season last year in Las Vegas after falling out of favor with the Chargers. Williams saw his first full-time starting role for the Rams last year, starting all but one game in 2023. This provides a bevy of options as the Vikings plan their rotation on the defensive line. It’s hard to say just how much of an improvement this will be; it will really depend on who steps up this summer to grab starting positions.
That being said, all four of Phillips, Bullard, Tillery, and Williams have expiring contracts after this season. Lewis notes that this will make the position just as much of a position-of-focus next year in free agency, as well. While one or a few of the above names may prove to be worth re-signing, Lewis already pegs veteran division-rival Kenny Clark as a target free agent next spring. He tabs Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and Eagles pass rusher Josh Sweat as potential targets, as well.
At cornerback, Byron Murphy and Akayleb Evans return as two starters while veteran Shaquill Griffin comes in as a new starter on the outside, allowing Murphy to play a bit more in the slot, if necessary. Evans has overperformed as a recent fourth-round pick, while his draft classmate Andrew Booth, a former second-rounder, has failed to establish himself in the rotation. There are no real stars in this position group, though Griffin has displayed the ability to be one of the better players at the position in past years.
Like on the defensive line, though, Murphy and Griffin will both be free agents next year, making cornerback a position of focus in 2025, as well. As for future targets at cornerback, Lewis likes Jets corner D.J. Reed and San Francisco’s Charvarius Ward.
None of the free agents Lewis suggests are necessarily stars at their position, and most are in their older years, but all would provide an improvement to what the Vikings currently have on the roster. There are still several months for Minnesota to continue addressing those positions, and there’s still every possibility that the current Vikings will step up and prove that they belong and are good enough to keep around beyond this year.
Seahawks’ RG Anthony Bradford Still In Mix To Start
The Seahawks are seeing a bit of change on the interior of their offensive line this offseason. Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas return at tackle and Anthony Bradford returns after starting 10 games in 2023, but the departures of Evan Brown and Damien Lewis required updates to the depth chart. Throw in the fact that Seattle drafted UConn guard Christian Haynes in the third round of this year’s draft and not even Bradford is a sure thing to return to a starting role this year. 
We talked about this a bit in a recent breakdown of the team’s offensive line, but a more recent update from the end of minicamp may inform things a bit differently.
As a fourth-round rookie out of LSU last year, Bradford was one of the larger linemen in last year’s rookie class, weighing in at 332 pounds. His strength and size were worth the investment, but a lack of natural athleticism and quickness were thought to limit Bradford to a developmental role to start his career.
Multiple injuries to players like Phil Haynes, Lucas, and others forced Bradford into a starting role much earlier than expected. Bradford performed respectably as a starter but certainly left loads of room for improvement. As expected, the area he was predicted to need developing in, pass protection, was a huge handicap to the offensive line. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded his pass blocking as the 70th-best in the league out of 77 graded guards.
In our breakdown we entertained the possibility of Haynes beating out Bradford for the starting job as a rookie. All 49 of Haynes’ starts for the Huskies came at right guard, so it’s a position with which he’s very familiar. A second-team All-American in 2022, Haynes excels in the areas Bradford struggles in. During his college career, Haynes was noted for his plus athleticism and great short-area quickness. With scouts noting his strength, football IQ, and finishing mentality, as well, a lot of signs seem to be pointing to Haynes being the favorite to take over the job in 2024.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson set the record straight earlier this month after interviewing new head coach Mike Macdonald following the final day of minicamp. Per Henderson, Macdonald claimed that Bradford is “right in the mix” to start. Bradford hadn’t been participating in the offseason program as he worked his way back from an ankle injury but was finally working with the team in the final days of camp. With the starting experience, it sounds like he’ll continue to be given every opportunity to retain his starting job.
One player to keep an eye on was also mentioned in our previous breakdown. McClendon Curtis, an undrafted rookie last year, has been an under-the-radar option for Seattle. As Bradford missed time in recovery, it was Curtis taking the majority of first-team snaps on the offensive line, while Haynes spent most of his time on the second-team unit. McClendon isn’t boasting a ton of experience, only playing four special teams snaps in his rookie year, but coaches seem to appreciate what he’s done so far in the offseason.
This is a battle that’s sure to rage into training camp. Haynes will continue learning and growing in the new system, attempting to usurp his predecessor; Bradford will continue working his way back from injury, attempting to show his development from a rocky rookie season; and Curtis will hang around as an unlikely but potential option to take the job.
Commanders, Steelers Were Contenders For WR Brandon Aiyuk
The month of June has been full of news pertaining to the strained contract negotiations between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers. As things currently stand, it appears that a trade is no longer expected separate the two parties, but negotiations seem to be at a standstill as both sides refuse to cede ground on price. While most all signs are still pointing to Aiyuk playing for San Francisco in 2024, he did mention two other teams whose uniforms he could see himself in should negotiations fall through over the summer. 
In his appearance on The Pivot Podcast (video link), Aiyuk was asked what uniform he sees himself playing in next season. “If I were to take a guess, probably a Niner uniform,” he answered. “Probably a Niner uniform. If not a Niners uniform, probably a Washington Commanders uniform. If not a Washington Commanders uniform, probably a Steelers uniform.”
Aiyuk would be a phenomenal addition to either squad. In D.C., the second-team All-Pro wideout would join Terry McLaurin atop the depth chart as Jahan Dotson would return to a WR3 role. Aiyuk would be a massive upgrade over last year’s WR2, Curtis Samuel. Currently, without Aiyuk, Washington has Dotson bumping up to WR2 in his third season as Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheus, and Jamison Crowder attempt to hold off third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey for the WR3 job.
Aiyuk would also be an interesting addition to the Commanders due to his history with No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. The rookie out of LSU transferred to Baton Rouge after three years at Arizona State. Daniels’ freshman season in Tempe aligned with Aiyuk’s senior year with the Sun Devils. Working together on offense, Aiyuk led the team with 65 catches for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns. Reuniting the two could be a huge safety blanket for Daniels as he makes the jump to professional play.
It’s been no secret that the Steelers are looking for veteran wide receiver help after sending Diontae Johnson to Carolina. The team currently rosters budding star George Pickens and Van Jefferson, who impressed in 2021 with an 800-yard, six-touchdown season but has faltered in the two seasons since. Pittsburgh also selected Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson in the third round of this year’s draft and are holding out hope that third-year wideout Calvin Austin will blossom soon.
Still adding Aiyuk to the roster in Pittsburgh would be huge for new quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The Steelers showed early interest in acquiring Aiyuk’s teammate, Deebo Samuel, back around the time of the draft, but should Aiyuk come up in an offer, it’s hard to imagine they would turn him away.
When all is said and done, it’s still widely expected that Aiyuk will remain in the Bay Area for at least next season. The two sides continue to work towards a common goal, but the 49ers seem to be employing similar tactics as they did when extending Samuel two years ago. If that road continues, a new Aiyuk deal could be coming around the end of July, like Samuel’s did. Should things fall through, though, it sounds like Aiyuk is open to a change of scenery.
NFC Front Office Updates: Panthers, Falcons, Cardinals
The Panthers are one of several NFC teams who continue to make updates to their front office staff in recent days. Carolina made two moves and two new hires in this month.
The first move sees area scout Caden McCloughan move from the west coast to the southwest, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. He’s in his third year with the team since joining as a scouting intern in 2022. Joining McCloughan as an area scout is Kaleb Leach, who is getting promoted to northeast area scout for Carolina after also joining the team in 2022. Leach started as a scouting assistant after both playing and scouting in international football.
The two new hires are pro scout Adam Maxie and scouting assistant Gabby Weinrich. Maxie has NFL experience dating back t0 2017. He’s worked as a quality control coach with the Buccaneers, a scouting intern with the Vikings, and a pro scout with the Raiders. Weinrich takes Leach’s old position as scouting assistant. She attended scout school with the Jets in 2022 and worked as a training camp intern with the Bears the following year, all while working as a player personnel and recruiting assistant for the University of Nebraska. This will be her first full-time position in the NFL.
Here are a few other front office updates from around the NFC, starting with another NFC South squad:
- The Falcons have promoted Nathan Ellis from scouting assistant to scouting coordinator, per Stratton. Previously a pro scouting intern for the Chargers for two summers, Ellis joined Atlanta as a scouting intern last summer, turning that time into a full-time gig at the start of the season. His previous full-time job was as a recruiting assistant/coordinator with the University of South Carolina.
- The Cardinals made a number of moves to their scouting staff, as well, per Stratton. Chad Jenkins has been moved from NFS scout to area scout. Jenkins has been with the team since 2018 after some time at Tulane and Tennessee State. Stephen Wise will take Jenkins’ NFS scout role, moving from his role as a scouting assistant. Wise joined the team in 2021 after three years as a football recruiting assistant at South Carolina where he overlapped with Ellis for a few months. Andrew Ford will also get promoted from scouting assistant. Formerly a quarterback at UMass, he’ll now work as a pro scout for Arizona. Landon Grier has been hired to fill one of the two newly vacated scouting assistant roles. This will be Grier’s first job out of college after graduating from South Carolina.
Ravens Rumors: Humphrey, Andrews, Stephens
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey had one of the toughest seasons of his career in 2023. Pro Football Focus gave him the lowest grade of his career (subscription required), ranking him as the 59th best cornerback out of 127 graded players at the position, and he missed seven games as injuries nagged at him throughout the season.
As a result, it was not much of a surprise to see that Humphrey was in and out of organized team activities and minicamp this spring. That being said, there was still some concern as no information was being dispersed to explain his absences. Humphrey took to his Punch Line Podcast to inform fans and the media as to what the situation was.
“I did Day 1 (of minicamp), and then I took two vet rest days,” Humphrey explained. “I’m kind of on the NBA routine sometimes. Took two rest days, but man, I’m excited.”
Humphrey has been the lone staple in an everchanging Ravens secondary since he was selected in the first round out of Alabama in 2017. He had a healthy 2022 season but has missed at least five games in two of the last three years. The Ravens will hope to keep him on the field more in 2024 as he mentors Clemson-product Nate Wiggins, the team’s first cornerback taken in the first round since Humphrey. After Humphrey missed some of the spring, head coach John Harbaugh expects him to be good for training camp, per team writer Kyle Phoenix.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of Charm City:
- Aside from several one-year deals, the Ravens have only a couple impact players entering contract years and only one on defense: cornerback Brandon Stephens. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic highlighted Stephens as a potential extension candidate for the Ravens this year. Starting his collegiate career as a running back at UCLA, Stephens transferred to SMU where he excelled at cornerback. Joining the Ravens as a third-round pick in 2021, Stephens was moved once again to safety, starting 11 games in place of an injured DeShon Elliott. In his sophomore campaign, Stephens took a step back in his role, moving back to cornerback behind starters Humphrey and Marcus Peters. With Peters moving on last year, Stephens became a surprise full-time starter, delivering the best season of his career, per PFF. If Humphrey doesn’t bounce back after his injury-riddled 2023 campaign, the Ravens may need to rely on Stephens to lead rookies Wiggins and T.J. Tampa into the future of the cornerbacks room in Baltimore. Stephens plays a premier position with versatility and reliability, and because he has yet to earn any accolades as he’s moved around, the Ravens could potentially sign him to a fairly team-friendly contract to keep him around for a few more years.
- Zrebiec also mentioned tight end Mark Andrews as a potential focus for contract adjustments, claiming that an extension could be a strong move to lessen the former first-team All-Pro’s cap impact over the next two seasons. On his current four-year, $56MM deal, Andrews is due base salaries of $7MM in each of the next two seasons and will represent a cap hit of $16.91MM in each year, as well. Crafting an extension now could create some cap flexibility in the short-term while ensuring Andrews sticks around for a few more extra years to come.
NFC North Front Office Updates: Vikings, Lions, Packers
The Vikings announced a number of hires to their scouting staff in recent weeks. As general manager continues to find the path to draft success in the NFL, he is enlisting the help of these new additions to achieve the best possible results.
Before getting to the new hires, Minnesota promoted Sam DeLuca to director of pro personnel, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. DeLuca joined the Vikings about a year ago as a senior assistant director of pro personnel before getting the full director title. His NFL start came as a scouting intern with the Eagles in 2012 before he spent ten years in the Browns scouting department.
The biggest new hire comes in DeLuca’s department as Shane Normandeau joins the team as a pro scout. Normandeau worked alongside DeLuca in Cleveland, joining the Browns two years ago as football operations coordinator after interning for three months with the Colts.
The team also hired on Brian Schnorr as a scouting associate. Schnorr is making his NFL staff debut after three and a half years working in college recruiting with UCF, Florida State, and Nebraska. Schorr also has three years of experience as a data analyst with Pro Football Focus. Lastly, Minnesota added Dabness Atkins as a scouting assistant. After playing college ball at Holy Cross, Dabness spent the 2023 season as a recruiting assistant at UMass.
Here are a few other front office updates out of the NFC North:
- The Lions made a big move, adding Charlie Adkins to the staff as senior director of football administration, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. Adkins comes from Arizona, where he spent the last seven years in the Cardinals’ football analytics and research department, eventually working his way up to manager of football analytics and research. He reunites with chief operating officer Mike Disner, who joined the Lions in 2019 after six years with the Cardinals as director of football administration.
- Stratton informs us of one more NFC North scouting hire, noting the addition of Sam Fleming as a scouting assistant for the Packers. Fleming first worked in the NFL as an intern with the Saints before serving two years at Samford, where he played wide receiver in college, in personnel and operations. He has spent the last three years working with National Football Scouting.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/28/24
Today’s only minor move comes out of Charm City:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Keith Kirkwood
Since going undrafted out of Temple in 2018, Kirkwood has been a frequent flyer on our minor moves, often signing with practice squads and getting promoted for gamedays. His rookie season saw him start one of eight game appearances and catch 13 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. While he has yet to reach that success in his career again, he has started five games in the past two years during his second stint in New Orleans, including four last year. In 13 game appearances in 2023, Kirkwood caught his first touchdown since his rookie campaign. He’ll look to win a depth role in a crowded Ravens receiving room.
Jeff Bezos Not Barred From Commanders Bid
Before Dan Snyder sold the Commanders to a group of investors led by Josh Harris last year, there was wide speculation about who all would be taking place in the bidding process for the franchise. An obvious name came up in Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, due to his ownership in local news outlet, The Washington Post, but word came out that Bezos’s ability to bid was not a reality. Conflicting reports have surfaced of late claiming that Bezos was not blocked from the vote but was simply outbid, per Mike Florio of NBC Sports.
This insight comes from a recent article from the Financial Times which suggests that Snyder did not, in fact, block Bezos from submitting a bid. It claims that Bezos simply did not put forth a bid worth more than the $6.05BB-offer put forth by Harris and company.
Snyder certainly has had issues with the Post and its views, also voicing displeasure for Bezos himself. That being said, Snyder is reportedly not so petty that he would turn down an offer for more money if it came from Bezos. An unnamed source for the Financial Times claimed, “I don’t think Snyder would have not sold to them if Jeff came in with a bid of $7(BB).”
Business reporter Daniel Kaplan, formerly of The Athletic, dissents that perhaps Snyder was, in fact, that petty, but once the funding difficulties of the Harris group became known, Snyder became more open to the idea. Kaplan particularly notes that the potential for more money could have softened Snyder’s resolve, as well.
Florio suggests the stance that perhaps the lack of a late bid from Bezos to outdo the $6.05BB-figure was not due to an inability to match the desired amount but was more a valuation determination. He puts forth that, should Bezos shell out the money it takes to buy an NFL franchise, the Commanders would not be worth the trouble. A damaged brand, an outdated stadium, and a slew of other messy situations left by the preceding staff make Washington a tough sell.
Instead, Florio claims that the smarter move would be to wait for the next franchise, perhaps the Seahawks, to hit the market. The NFL has made it known that they certainly have interest in having Bezos as a part of their ownership group. If interest is ever to turn into reality, a franchise with far less baggage may make the most sense for the billionaire.
Latest On Colts QB Anthony Richardson
The Colts rolled into the 2023 NFL season looking forward to No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson leading their team as the quarterback of the future. Unfortunately, just over a month into the season, the Florida rookie underwent season-ending shoulder surgery with only four starts under his belt. On The GM Shuffle podcast this week, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard gave the most recent update to Richardson’s health. 
Since the initial injury news, we’ve seen an in-season update confirming that Richardson would not require a second surgery to repair his AC joint injury and an update in February that he had started throwing again, shortly after the conclusion of the postseason. Most recently, we heard at the end of March that the 22-year-old was on track to participate in spring practices.
Richardson was, indeed, able to participate this spring. He was reportedly a full participant in organized team activities recently, only minimizing his workload on the final day of OTAs after two heavy throwing sessions in the days before. He was even a reported full participant on Day 1 of minicamp, though he left Day 2 early and was not in attendance on Day 3.
Reports have come in that Richardson’s lack of participation was due to shoulder soreness. While that’s reasonably understandable following two days of heavy throwing, it’s still a bit of a concern following the nature of Richardson’s injury.
Despite the implication that such soreness and reserved participation point to his injury not being 100 percent healed, head coach Shane Steichen and Richardson himself both insist that his absence was merely a precaution. The Colts maintain that Richardson’s soreness and lack of participation at the end of minicamp will have no impact on Richardson’s participation in training camp. The second-year passer is expected to be “full go” at camp this summer.
The offense around Richardson will look much the same upon his return. The main differences are that, after minimal work with All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor as a rookie, the two should get to share the field a bit more in 2024. Additionally, Richardson will have a new target in second-round receiver Adonai Mitchell. He’ll also have a new mentor as the Colts essentially exchanged primary backup quarterback Gardner Minshew for veteran Joe Flacco, both of whom served their teams well in injury replacement duty last year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/26/24
Today’s only minor transaction:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: WR Tayvion Robinson
Aside from re-signing veteran Nelson Agholor and drafting North Carolina’s Devontez Walker in the fourth round this year, the Ravens have opted not to make any big additions to their wide receiving corps after watching Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay walk in free agency. Instead, they opted to sign a number of undrafted free agent receivers with the potential to strike gold and find a role player.
Robinson was the definition of a strong role player in college. In three years at Virginia Tech and two at Kentucky, Robinson was productive in every year of play. While he consistently found himself on teams without any stars in the receivers room, he was always a main part of the contributions. The career lows of his freshman year were still an impressive 31 receptions for 404 yards and a touchdown. That said, he never rose significantly past that. He had career highs of 44 receptions (2021), 592 receiving yards (2020), and five touchdowns (2021).
Over his five years in college, all his stats stayed consistently between those numbers. Still, he was able to lead the Hokies in receptions and yards in 2020 and receptions and receiving touchdowns in 2021. He’s a proven contributor who may still be offered a chance to play elsewhere in the NFL.