Cardinals’ Isaiah Adams In “Pole Position” For Starting RG Job; RB Trey Benson Hopes To Earn More Carries
Isaiah Adams, one of four third-round picks the Cardinals made in 2024, started at right guard over the last five games of his rookie season after seeing sporadic playing time prior to that point. Per Darren Urban of the team’s official website, Adams is in “pole position” to earn the starting RG gig in 2025.
In the estimation of Pro Football Focus, Adams did not play particularly well in his limited action last year. PFF assigned him a middling grade of 58.4, which placed him as the 52nd-best guard out of 77 qualified players. His 50.3 pass-blocking grade was the main culprit for that mark, which was mitigated by his above-average performance in the run game.
Regardless of whether the club’s view of Adams’ work aligns with PFF’s evaluation, the Cardinals clearly saw enough to pencil him in as a first-team blocker. One of his primary needs this offseason was to improve his strength, which he acknowledged was on the top of his agenda.
Urban leaves open the possibility of a veteran addition once training camp gets underway next month. However, given Adams’ draft status, the longtime Cardinals beat believes the club wants Adams to win the job.
Arizona did add Royce Newman in free agency this offseason. Newman served as the Packers’ primary right guard in 2021, but his playing time has gone down in each subsequent season. Green Bay waived him last August, and though the Bucs claimed him on waivers, he appeared in a grand total of three snaps for Tampa Bay in 2024. It therefore appears the RG job is Adams’ to lose.
One of Adams’ fellow 2024 third-rounders, running back Trey Benson, still finds himself behind RB1 James Conner on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Conner played in a career-high 16 games last season, which allowed him to set a personal high-water mark of 1,508 scrimmage yards while maintaining a healthy 4.6 yards-per-carry rate. He also added nine total TDs, and his efforts earned him an extension that will keep him in place through 2026.
Because of Conner’s performance and availability, Benson was limited to 63 totes in 2024. Like Conner, Benson managed 4.6 yards per carry, and he added bulk this offseason while simultaneously improving his speed, power, and explosiveness in an effort to earn more carries (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic).
Conner, 30, dealt with a lingering right knee injury last season, and though he was mostly able to play through it, the Cardinals shut him down for the 2024 finale (along with Benson). We have not heard anything troublesome about Conner’s health, but it would not be surprising for Arizona to lighten the veteran’s workload a bit in 2025 to see what one of its recent draftees can do.
For his part, Conner believes Benson is up to the task.
“He’s worked unbelievably this offseason,” Conner said of Benson. “Showed up every single day, working out together and yeah, he wants it. He wants it bad. That’s because he knows the type of player he can be. We all know that. … He was already a freak athlete before, but now … He’s a grown man out there.”
Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks Joins Athletes First
Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks will be eligible for an extension after the 2025 slate, which will mark his third season in the league. In anticipation of that, perhaps, Wicks has signed with powerhouse NFL agency Athletes First, as the agency itself recently announced.
Wicks, a fifth-round draft choice in 2023, led Green Bay in targets last year with 76, one more than 2023 second-rounder Jayden Reed. However, he was not terribly efficient with those looks, as he caught just 39 balls (a 51.3% catch rate) and recorded just 10.6 yards per reception.
In an effort to provide a jolt to their WR room, particularly since top deep threat Christian Watson could miss regular season time in the upcoming campaign, the Packers selected a first-round receiver for the first time since 2002, turning in the card for Texas pass catcher Matthew Golden. Green Bay also added Savion Williams in the third round, continuing the club’s recent trend of drafting and developing receivers rather than acquiring them on the free agency or trade markets.
The rookie additions obviously will create additional competition for targets for holdovers like Wicks, Reed, and Romeo Doubs, even with Watson’s health status up in the air. Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has already expressed concern about the team’s plans for his client, though it sounds as if Reed – who has led the Packers in receiving yards in each of his first two professional seasons and who has scored 14 TDs during that time – will continue to operate as one of QB Jordan Love’s top weapons.
It is unclear if the same will be true for Wicks, who struggled with drops in 2024. It should be noted that a number of his targets from Love were uncatchable, and Reed dropped his fair share of balls as well. But if Wicks is to put himself in consideration for a new deal next offseason, he will need to clean up his drop issues while fending off his incumbent teammates and the incoming first-year talent. That is especially true given the fact that Reed is also extension-eligible for the first time in 2026 and since Watson and Doubs are entering walk years.
While Rosenhaus is the most recognizable NFL agent for most fans, Athletes First and star agent David Mulugheta have done quite well for themselves. The agency noted on Instagram that Mulugheta was the first agent in history to close contracts totaling $1 billion in a single year, a feat he accomplished in 2024. Athletes First’s website boasts its representation of 115 first-round picks and 102 Pro Bowlers, among other accomplishments.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley: “I Don’t Plan On Retiring Anytime Soon”
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, fresh off a magical debut season in Philadelphia that culminated in First Team All-Pro and Offensive Player of the Year honors for him and a Super Bowl championship for the club, created something of a panic during a recent appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast.
“I’ll probably be one of those guys that it’ll be out of nowhere [when I retire],” Barkley said. “I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s next year or two years or four years, and just be like, ‘Yeah it’s over.’ I don’t think I will ever lose that passion. I’m just a competitor…” (h/t Patrick McAvoy of SI.com).
Barkley went on to reference Barry Sanders, the legendary Lions RB who abruptly and unexpectedly retired before training camp of his age-31 season in 1999 (and on the heels of a campaign in which he tallied 1,491 rushing yards and earned his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl bid).
“One of my favorite players of all time, probably my favorite player of all time, is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that,” Barkley added. “Maybe one day it will be out of nowhere. I’ll probably be balling and just be like, yeah, and call it quits.”
Of course, Sanders later revealed that his own decision to hang up his cleats was spurred by frustration with the Lions’ front office and the overall direction of the franchise. Detroit advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 1991, Sanders’ third season in the pros, but the team would not win another playoff contest until 2023. In the year immediately preceding his retirement, the Lions finished 5-11 and in fourth place out of five teams in the old NFC Central.
Barkley, meanwhile, is entering his age-28 season, and in light of the personal and team success he enjoyed with the Eagles in 2024, Philadelphia brass authorized a two-year, $41.2MM extension just one year after signing him to a three-year, $37.75MM accord in free agency. Behind a stout offensive front and in an offense with ample skill-position talent, Barkley led the league with 2,005 rushing yards in the 2024 regular season (in 16 games) and added 278 yards and 15 total touchdowns for good measure. He was equally impressive in the playoffs, recording a league-best 499 rushing yards and five TDs during Philly’s four-game postseason run.
Thanks to the recent extension, he is now under club control through 2028, which would be his age-31 slate. And while Sanders retired with multiple years remaining on what was then a record-setting contract, Barkley later clarified that he has no intentions of emulating his role model’s exit strategy in the near future.
“I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon,” Barkley told reporters, including PHLY’s Zach Berman. “I feel like I’m entering my prime.”
Had Barkley announced his retirement this year, it would have been even more shocking than Sanders’ announcement. And it sounds as if the former No. 2 overall pick of the Giants has designs on at least finishing out his current deal, which is surely good news for Eagles fans.
Barkley did struggle with injuries during his time with New York, and he indicated his eventual departure from the game will be largely dictated by his health.
“I don’t have a set date or how many years I want to play,” he said (via Nick Faria of Athlon Sports). “I would love to play this game as long as God lets me and my body lets me, so that’s really it.”
Iowa Hires Scott Pioli As Consultant
Scott Pioli, thrice recognized as a PFWA Executive of the Year for his NFL work, is now part of a growing trend that has seen college programs hire former NFLers. Per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic (subscription required), Iowa is hiring Pioli to serve as a consultant.
Pioli, 60, began his executive career as a pro personnel assistant with the iteration of the Browns that eventually moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. In 2000 – the year that Tom Brady was drafted and Bill Belichick was hired – Pioli joined the Patriots as New England’s assistant director of player personnel. Of course, the eventual Belichick/Brady dynasty created a rising tide that lifted the boats of many execs and coaches, and Pioli was no exception.
From 2002-08, Pioli served as the Pats’ vice president of player personnel, a stretch in which the club advanced to four Super Bowls and won three of them. That success earned him two of the above-referenced Executive of the Year awards and a job as the Chiefs’ general manager in 2009.
Pioli’s tenure atop Kansas City’s front office did not go particularly well. Shortly after he was hired, he swung a trade for former Brady backup Matt Cassel, who had played well in relief of Brady in 2008 (the trade also sent former Patriots linebacker and current New England head coach Mike Vrabel to Missouri). Pioli then authorized a lucrative extension for Cassel before he ever played a snap for KC, but the USC product was mostly unable to replicate his Foxborough success as a member of the Chiefs.
Kansas City posted losing records in three of Pioli’s four seasons at the helm (with the one exception being a 10-6 2010 campaign in which Cassel posted a career-high 93.0 QB rating and led the team to a playoff berth). After a disastrous 2012 slate that culminated in a 2-14 record, Pioli was fired.
He did not have to wait long for his next opportunity, landing a job as the Falcons’ assistant GM in 2014. He held that role through the 2019 NFL draft and resigned in May 2019.
Atlanta advanced to Super Bowl LI during Pioli’s time with the club, famously losing that matchup with the Patriots despite leading 28-3 at one point. The Falcons made it back to the playoffs the following year before stumbling to a 7-9 record in 2018, leading to reports that owner Arthur Blank had become frustrated with the direction of his franchise. Pioli described his 2019 resignation as a voluntary one, though Blank’s reported concerns and the fact that Pioli did not have another opportunity lined up following his resignation created plenty of skepticism in that regard.
Pioli was floated as a GM candidate for several openings in the years following his Falcons departure and even interviewed for the Lions’ post that ultimately went to Brad Holmes in 2021. He has not been on the interview circuit since then, however.
With his professional opportunities seemingly exhausted, it stands to reason that Pioli would turn his attention to the college ranks. And, given the landmark House v. NCAA settlement that has completely transformed the collegiate landscape, it is likewise logical for college programs to seek executives who are familiar with a finance-driven approach to roster construction.
The House settlement allows colleges up to $20.5MM to pay their student athletes across all sports. Football will command the bulk of such payments, and according to Dochterman, Iowa plans to use its full $20.5MM “cap,” roughly 75% of which will go to football players.
Pioli has a close relationship with Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz that dates back to the duo’s time together in Cleveland/Baltimore from 1992-96. He joins former NFL mainstays like Andrew Luck, Ron Rivera, Michael Lombardi, Pat Stewart, and Nick Polk, who have all transitioned to the college level.
49ers Notes: Farrell, Pinnock, Huff, Lenoir
While the 49ers managed to work out new deals for QB Brock Purdy, LB Fred Warner, and TE George Kittle well in advance of training camp, the club was forced to part with a number of other talented players over the past several months due to its cap constraints (exacerbated by the impending extension for Purdy). Similarly, San Francisco was unable to make any major splashes in free agency, and its biggest offseason commitment to external talent is the three-year, $15.75MM deal it authorized for blocking tight end Luke Farrell.
Farrell, a 2021 fifth-rounder who just played out his rookie contract with the Jaguars, has never recorded more than 155 receiving yards in a season. Still, Niners HC Kyle Shanahan’s offense asks its tight ends to do a great deal of blocking, so it is not terribly surprising that the team ponied up a notable pact for a player like Farrell.
Farrell suggests the Niners were easily the most generous of his prospective suitors.
“The Niners wanted to work fast,” Farrell said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “And they were far and away the best opportunity as far as what they were offering. So it was, at the end of the day, kind of a no-brainer.”
Farrell’s role may not be as extensive as it appeared when he signed his deal, as the 49ers reunited with fullback Kyle Juszczyk shortly after bringing Farrell aboard. Nonetheless, the former Jaguar should see considerable playing time, and the hope is that his presence will allow Kittle to spend less time blocking and more time running routes.
On the defensive side of the ball, rising second-year safety Malik Mustapha is unlikely to be on the field for the beginning of the 2025 campaign since he suffered a torn ACL in the Niner’s regular season finale in 2024. As such, free agent addition Jason Pinnock is a frontrunner to start at safety (perhaps alongside Ji’Ayir Brown), per Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required).
Barrows describes Pinnock as the most physically impressive safety San Francisco has rostered in some time, and the former Jets draftee is familiar with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s system since Saleh was New York’s head coach when Pinnock entered the league in 2021. Pinnock was waived in advance of the 2022 season, but Saleh said that was not a reflection of the player’s abilities. Pinnock — who was claimed by the Giants after being waived and then spent the next three seasons with Big Blue — had just converted to safety from corner, and he was simply unable to beat out the Jets’ other safeties at the time.
“But I’ve always been a fan of his athleticism, his length, his football IQ,” Saleh said. “He’s a really good football player, and just being with him over the course of the first couple of months, he’s grown significantly from a maturity standpoint, and he’s attacked the heck out of it. He’s going for it.”
Another former Jet, Bryce Huff, recently came to the Bay Area by way of a trade with the Eagles. Though Huff did not live up to expectations after signing a lucrative contract with Philadelphia last March, the Niners will not be taking him out of his comfort zone.
While Eagles DC Vic Fangio’s scheme requires a fair amount of versatility from its edge defenders, Huff thrived as a rotational pass rusher as part of Saleh’s Jets defense in 2023. Despite appearing in just 42% of the team’s snaps that year, Huff posted 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits, which helped create his robust free agent market last offseason. According to Barrows, San Francisco will deploy Huff as a dedicated third-down pass rush specialist, which is how the team utilized Dee Ford in his first season with the 49ers in 2019.
That usage will mean less snaps for rookie Mykel Williams. However, Barrows believes Williams can make up for that loss of reps with more looks as an interior pass rusher.
Like Purdy, Warner, and Kittle, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is a recent recipient of a healthy new contract, having landed a five-year, $92MM extension in November. The 2021 fifth-rounder (taken 27 picks after Farrell) has split time between boundary corner and nickel corner over the past two seasons, but he could be permitted to focus his efforts on the boundaries in 2025.
As Jerry McDonald of the Santa Cruz Sentinel writes, Lenoir primarily lined up outside the numbers during the practice reps that were open to the media this spring. If third-round rookie Upton Stout proves capable of manning the slot, Lenoir could continue to operate as an outside corner opposite 2024 second-rounder Renardo Green.
Broncos, RB J.K. Dobbins Were In Contact Since March
The Broncos recently signed running back J.K. Dobbins to a one-year contract worth $2.75MM, with an additional $2.5MM incentive package. Although the two sides just came to terms several days ago, there was mutual interest since free agency opened in March.
Per Luca Evans of the Denver Post, the Broncos made contact with Dobbins’ camp at the outset of free agency and stayed in touch over the next several months. Similarly, Dobbins – who played against defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s unit as a member of the Chargers last year and who lauded his new club’s O-line and quarterback Bo Nix – said joining Denver was a “no-brainer.”
Though he is only 26, Dobbins is now far and away the most seasoned player in Denver’s RB room, which also features second-round rookie R.J. Harvey, 2024 fifth-rounder Audric Estime, and 2023 UDFA Jaleel McLaughlin. The overall underperformance of the club’s running backs in 2024, along with the free agency departure of Javonte Williams, led many to believe the Broncos would target the position on Day 1 of April’s draft.
UNC back Omarion Hampton was frequently mocked to Denver and its No. 20 overall pick. Instead, the Broncos chose a defensive player in Texas corner Jahdae Barron, and while they reportedly would have targeted Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson in a trade-down maneuver from the No. 20 spot, they clearly did not receive an offer tempting enough to relinquish the opportunity to select Barron.
In theory, the club could have moved up from its No. 51 slot to nab Henderson – who eventually went to the Patriots with the No. 38 pick – but Troy Renck of the Denver Post believes the Broncos eschewed that route largely because they knew they had Dobbins “in their back pocket.” Ultimately, Denver traded down twice from their No. 51 position to land Harvey at No. 60 overall.
Dobbins appears to have wanted to sign with Denver all along, and he was merely waiting for them (or, presumably, a different team with a clear RB opening) to hit his price point. Nick Chubb’s one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Texans helped crystallize Dobbins’ market, and he put pen to paper on his Broncos deal shortly after Chubb officially joined his new team.
Dobbins admitted there was some urgency to the deal as a result of the Chargers’ decision to hit him with the UFA tender. If Dobbins had not signed a contract with a different club by July 22, the Bolts would have regained exclusive negotiating rights with him, and he theoretically could have been forced to play out the 2025 campaign on the $1.1MM tender (though Los Angeles did make him what was described as a “pretty decent” offer before he elected to join the Broncos).
While the Chargers added Najee Harris in free agency and selected Hampton in the first round of the 2025 draft (just two picks after Barron came off the board), keeping Dobbins in the fold would not have broken the bank and would have given the team a deep and intriguing collection of RB talent. But from Dobbins’ perspective, Denver clearly presents a better opportunity.
Renck believes Dobbins will be ticketed for a starting role from the jump, as he says Harvey will “ideally” begin sharing early-down snaps with his new teammate by the middle of October. That said, Harvey was not a consensus second-round talent, so if Dobbins can stay healthy – which has been difficult for him since he suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game in 2021, his second year in the league – he could see the lion’s share of carries throughout the 2025 season.
Dobbins missed four games due to a MCL strain in 2024, his first and only season with the Chargers. Still, he tallied 905 yards and nine TDs on a strong 4.6 yards-per-carry average, and his 27 runs of 10+ yards was the 11th-highest total in the league. After playing in just one game the year prior, Dobbins finished second in Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2024 (behind Bengals QB Joe Burrow).
Eagles DC Vic Fangio On 49ers DE Bryce Huff
The Eagles’ free agent splurge on edge defender Bryce Huff in the 2024 offseason did not go as planned, and the reigning Super Bowl champions recently agreed to a trade sending Huff to the 49ers, cutting bait after just one season. While it was clear that Huff was not a good fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system, Fangio himself was gracious in his comments about his former charge.
Fangio recently told reporters, including PHLY’s Zach Berman, that he believed Huff was showing improvement before suffering a wrist injury that required him to play two games with a hard cast on his hand. Huff was placed on injured reserve in November so he could undergo a wrist procedure and was activated for the final two games of the regular season.
“I think the one thing is, he was getting better, and when he hurt his hand, he tried to play with it for a couple weeks,” Fangio said. “It wasn’t going good because he was reluctant to use his hand.”
Interestingly, though, Huff appeared in a season-low (to that point) six snaps the game before he began wearing a hard cast, and he notched one of his 2.5 sacks during his first game with the cast. When he returned to the field following the wrist operation, he still had to wear a cast, which Fangio says further limited his effectiveness.
“Then when they operated on it, he had to play with a big cast on his hand, which basically rendered his hand useless and then rendered his arm useless because you can’t use your hand,” Fangio added. “That really had an effect on him.”
Fangio went on to reiterate that Huff’s inability to properly use his hand and arm negatively impacted his performance before adding, “I think he’ll do fine in San Francisco.”
Of course, there is no reason for Fangio to offer anything but niceties for a player who was simply unable to meet expectations. The 49ers, though, hope there is at least some truth to Fangio’s words and that a return to full health will allow their trade acquisition to recapture the form that made him a desirable commodity on last year’s market.
Huff, 27, will be reunited with Robert Saleh, who served as the Jets’ head coach during Huff’s breakout platform campaign with Gang Green in 2023, in which he recorded 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits despite appearing in just 42% of the team’s defensive snaps. Saleh, who was fired by the Jets during the 2024 season, returned to the 49ers this offseason to reprise his role as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, a position he held from 2017-21.
Huff will certainly benefit from playing opposite Nick Bosa, though he will have to compete for reps with first-round draftee Mykel Williams.
Chiefs Wanted To Re-Sign DT Tershawn Wharton
After Milton Williams spurned the Panthers’ advances in March, Carolina pivoted to another notable defensive tackle in this year’s free agent class, Tershawn Wharton. The former undrafted find of the Chiefs may have been something of a consolation prize for the Panthers, but his original club wanted to keep him in the fold.
Per David Newton of ESPN.com, Kansas City simply could not match the contract that Carolina authorized for Wharton (three years and $45.1MM, including $30.25MM in full guarantees and an additional $9MM available in incentives). That stands to reason given that the defending AFC champions entered the offseason with little financial flexibility and made the surprising decision to use the franchise tag – worth a fully-guaranteed $23.4MM – on guard Trey Smith.
Kansas City’s decision on Smith precipitated the trade of its other starting guard, Joe Thuney. With a glaring left tackle need, the club’s biggest FA outlay was earmarked for former 49ers swing tackle Jaylon Moore, who landed a two-year, $30MM contract (the Chiefs doubled down on the position by selecting Ohio State OT Josh Simmons in the first round of April’s draft).
The Chiefs’ salary cap picture prevented them from spending big on a Wharton replacement, but second-round draftee Omarr Norman-Lott will have the opportunity to fill Wharton’s shoes. KC did add Jerry Tillery to the defensive front while re-signing Charles Omenihu and Mike Pennel.
Newton seems to suggest that Wharton – a Missouri native who became the first player from Division II Missouri University of Science and Technology to make a modern-era NFL roster – preferred to remain with his hometown team. The ESPN scribe writes, “[i]n a perfect world, Wharton would have remained in Kansas City, where he won two Super Bowls and went to four.”
That said, the soon-to-be 27-year-old also believes there are new opportunities in Charlotte to go along with his new salary. As Jeff Hawkins of the Charlotte Post notes, Wharton believes he was miscast when Kansas City deployed him as a pass-rushing nose tackle in its 4-3 alignment, and he expects to build on his breakout 2024 showing as a member of Panthers DC Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 scheme.
“This guy has a purpose in everything that he does,” Evero said of Wharton. “And it’s really, really impressive to watch. … So it’s great to add guys like that who can bring that experience, that mentality and that work ethic.”
Wharton played 20 games (12 starts) in 2024, including playoffs. He tallied 37 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and a forced fumble as an integral member of Steve Spagnuolo’s stout unit that finished in the top-10 in total defense and in the top-five in scoring defense.
Jets’ Byron Cowart, Jay Tufele Competing For Starting DT Job
When the Jets signed Derrick Nnadi this offseason, it appeared as if he, along with fellow additions Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele, would serve as depth options along the defensive line. However, New York did not select an interior DL in the draft, leaving those three veterans – all of whom signed modest one-year deals – as the leading candidates to replace Javon Kinlaw as the starting defensive tackle alongside three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams.
Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Cowart and Tufele appear to be the frontrunners to fill the void left by Kinlaw’s departure. In Costello’s estimation, the defensive line got weaker this offseason, and it is probably safe to assume that neither player, nor Nnadi, will replicate Kinlaw’s performance (which he parlayed into a three-year, $45MM deal with the Commanders in free agency).
Cowart, 29, entered the league as a fifth-round choice of the Patriots in 2019 and started a career-high 14 contests in 2020. He was not particularly effective against either the run or pass, and he spent the entirety of the following campaign on the PUP list. The Colts claimed him off waivers in July 2022, and though he appeared in all 17 games that year in a rotational role, his performance was generally underwhelming.
As such, Indianapolis elected not to re-sign him. He hooked on with the Chiefs in March 2023 but was released shortly thereafter, and he subsequently agreed to a one-year pact with the Texans. He did not crack Houston’s 53-man roster at the end of the summer, so he joined the Dolphins on a taxi squad deal. While the Maryland product did not log any regular season work in 2023, he finally made his way back to a starting lineup last year, when he appeared in 15 games (seven starts) for the Bears.
His 335 Chicago snaps yielded a career-best 2.5 sacks, but he received mediocre grades across the board from Pro Football Focus. The advanced metrics site assigned him an overall grade of 58.9, which made him the 56th-best interior defender out of 118 qualified players.
Still, PFF thought more highly of Cowart’s 2024 offering than that of Tufele, who earned a poor 44.4 overall grade that would have placed him near the bottom of the league’s interior D-linemen if he had enough snaps to qualify. Tufele, a former fourth-round pick of the Jaguars, did appear in 13 games for the Bengals last season and started three of them, both of which represented career-high marks (it should be noted, though, that Cincinnati’s defense was one of the worst in the league in 2024). Tufele’s work yielded 15 total tackles and a half-sack.
Getting Williams to return to form after something of a down season will be near the top of the agenda for new head coach Aaron Glenn and new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. If the duo can coax solid play out of whatever combination of linemen who serve as Williams’ running mates, that will go a long way towards helping the defense as a whole live up to its considerable potential.
As Costello observes, another potential trouble spot is the Jets’ depth along the edges of its defense. Defensive end Jermaine Johnson, whose 2024 season was cut short due to an Achilles tendon tear, has still not been cleared to practice, and fellow DEs Will McDonald and Micheal Clemons have already missed OTA time. Given New York’s minimal investments in the defensive front in free agency and the draft, it is fair to wonder if the club has left itself a bit thin in the pass rush department.
Raiders’ Jackson Powers-Johnson Working Exclusively At Center
Despite winning the 2023 Rimington Trophy, given to the best center in college football, Raiders offensive lineman and 2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson played more left guard than center in his rookie season. And new GM John Spytek said back in April that free agent acquisition Alex Cappa would compete for one of the guard spots while Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, and Jordan Meredith would vie for the other starting guard slot and the starting center gig.
As our Sam Robinson noted at the time, it would be a surprise if Powers-Johnson failed to earn a first-string role in light of his draft pedigree. Considering his collegiate success as a pivot – to say nothing of his promising performance in his first professional season – it makes sense for him to take over as the full-time center.
Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Powers-Johnson is working exclusively as a snapper this offseason, which is in keeping with previous reports on the matter. JPJ’s ability to focus on one position, coupled with an improvement in his medical status – he missed most of training camp and the first two games of the regular season due to injury in 2024 – has created optimism that he will help spark a considerable improvement on the league’s worst rushing attack (Las Vegas averaged just 79.8 rushing yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry last season).
“I never really had a real offseason at center. I was always playing five or six different positions,” Powers-Johnson said. “So being able to really hone in on one has been awesome.”
Given the presence of veteran center Andre James on last year’s roster, it made sense for the Raiders’ prior regime to cross-train Powers-Johnson. The Oregon product started five games at left guard and then moved to center for six contests when James went down with an injury. Upon James’ return, Powers-Johnson moved back to LG for the final three games of the season.
Las Vegas released James in March, clearing the way for JPJ to assume the starting center job. Although he struggled with penalties as a rookie – according to Pro Football Focus, Powers-Johnson tallied 14 infractions in his 14 starts – PFF did assign him strong grades for his work in pass protection (68.3) and in run-blocking (70.4).
New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s blocking scheme requires a high level of athleticism from its O-linemen, so Powers-Johnson has lost 15 pounds to facilitate the transition to that system. At present, it would seem that the Raiders’ starting offensive front, from left to right, will be Kolton Miller, Parham, Powers-Johnson, Cappa, and Delmar Glaze. That group will be blocking for promising rookie RB Ashton Jeanty, whom the Raiders selected with this year’s No. 6 overall pick.