Jets Still Interested In Odell Beckham Jr.?
The Ravens swooped in for Odell Beckham Jr. last year, adding the former Pro Bowler with an offer that surpassed where the Jets were willing to go. But Beckham confirmed he is set to be a Baltimore one-and-done, opening the door to the talented pass catcher joining a fifth NFL team.
The Jets came up over the weekend as a team to watch on the OBJ front once again, and SNY’s Connor Hughes adds some in the organization remain high on the former Giants star. While the Jets certainly do not believe Beckham is particularly close to his peak at this point, the team appears to remain on the radar to sign the 31-year-old receiver a year after missing out.
It took a $15MM guarantee for the Ravens to add Beckham last year, though Hughes indicates the Jets were eyeing a deal that could have neared the $12MM mark. This differs from an April 2023 report that suggested the Jets were eyeing Beckham on a low base salary. The team would not be targeting OBJ at anything close to that $12MM number now, per Hughes, but the nine-year veteran and Aaron Rodgers have discussed the prospect of playing together on several occasions.
Last year’s Jets receiver plan busted, with Garrett Wilson still effectively on his own. While Beckham appeared a luxury on a team that added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman early in free agency, neither signing worked out. Beckham was not especially consistent in Baltimore, but his 565-yard, three-TD season far outpaced the production Lazard, Harman and Randall Cobb gave the Jets. Bringing in another of Rodgers’ preferred targets would come with risk, given the 2023 performances of Lazard and Cobb, but the team remains pot-committed to the outspoken quarterback. With the Jets still a Rodgers-centric operation, it would surprise if Beckham was not strongly considered.
Tyler Boyd is still on the team’s radar, with Hughes adding Wilson has made recruiting pitches to the former Bengals slot player. Though, the Jets view Wilson as capable of doing the most damage in the slot; this could hinder a pursuit of a veteran who has spent much of his career in the slot. The Jets have hosted Mike Williams as a free agent, joining the Panthers and Steelers in scheduling a meeting with the recently released talent.
As the team will be adding to its receiver stable soon, the draft will be an avenue to do so as well. For now, the Jets’ attention is on the veteran market. Beckham could be a backup plan, but given Rodgers’ influence in the building, they may also be the favorites (once again) for the former Super Bowl-winning wideout.
Vikings Obtain Texans’ First-Round Pick; Team Hoping To Acquire Cardinals’ No. 4 Pick?
MARCH 17: Now that the Vikings have two first-round picks in the 2024 draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller says the “latest leaguewide rumor” is that Minnesota will use its newfound resource to acquire the Cardinals‘ No. 4 overall pick (subcription required). Arizona has Kyler Murray entrenched as its QB1 and could accelerate its rebuild with additional high-end draft capital to address non-QB needs.
Such a move would almost certainly give the Vikes the chance to select McCarthy, and there is a chance that Maye or Jayden Daniels may be available as well.
MARCH 15: More than a month ahead of the draft, the Vikings reached an agreement to acquire an additional first-round pick. Minnesota and Houston agreed to a trade Friday involving only draft picks.
The NFC North team will part with two second-rounders to move up this year. The Vikings will obtain the Texans‘ 2024 first-rounder — No. 23 overall — and a 2024 seventh in exchange for Nos. 42, 188 and a 2025 second-round pick, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
This will give the Vikings another asset if they are serious about moving up for a quarterback. The Texans, who obtained the No. 23 overall pick from the Browns in the Deshaun Watson trade, will not have a 2024 first-rounder now. But they now hold two second-rounders in 2024 and ’25.
Minnesota now holds the Nos. 11 and 23 overall picks in this year’s draft. The deal could give the team a chance to add two starter-caliber rookies to team with Sam Darnold. Perhaps more likely: it provides a team transitioning at quarterback — following Kirk Cousins‘ Falcons defection — with a better asset to acquire a long-term replacement. Early-offseason rumblings about the Vikings’ interest in trading up surfaced; this deal will provide them with a better chance at moving into range for one of the top QB prospects.
QB injuries have led the Vikings to continually turn to veterans at quarterback this century. Daunte Culpepper‘s six-season run as Minnesota’s QB1 ended with an October 2005 ACL tear. Teddy Bridgewater saw his time as the team’s starter end with a severe knee injury during training camp in 2016. The likes of Brett Favre, Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Cousins have stepped in. But with Cousins moving on after six years — as the Vikings did not offer their longtime starter the guarantees the Falcons did in a four-year, $180MM deal — could put the Vikes on a path to make another first-round effort to land a passer.
Since the 1999 Culpepper pick, Minnesota has not enjoyed good luck choosing first-round passers. Neither Bridgewater nor Christian Ponder panned out as a long-term option. The Vikings, however, have never chosen a quarterback in the top 10 of a draft. The Nos. 11 and 23 selections could serve as the lead assets in a deal to potentially move into the top three, though it would not surprise to see the Patriots — who sit at No. 3 — to ask for more for a draft pick that could lead to a Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy investment. McCarthy may well be available further down the board, but the Michigan prospect’s stock is climbing. It is certainly possible the Vikings would be stuck with the draft’s fifth-best QB if they stay at 11.
Third-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will receive more attention this offseason, having a chance to grab his own quarterback after effectively renting Cousins for two seasons. Darnold agreed to a one-year, $10MM deal, but the former No. 3 overall pick should be considered a bridge QB. The Broncos also showed interest in Darnold, and while they may not have submitted an offer, this trade leaves another obvious candidate to select a QB lacking in ammo by comparison. Sean Payton‘s team — thanks to the move to acquire the head coach — does not have a second-round pick. Denver sits at No. 12.
For the Texans, this move marks a considerable change with regards to their 2024 draft arsenal. The Watson trade had given the team two 2024 firsts, but GM Nick Caserio dealt the team’s own pick to move up for Will Anderson last year. But the C.J. Stroud pick has changed Houston’s trajectory. Picking up seconds in back-to-back drafts provides Houston the opportunity to add more quality cost-controlled starters around its new franchise quarterback.
49ers To Re-Sign G Jon Feliciano
TODAY, 11:50am: After agreeing to a new contract with the 49ers, Feliciano hinted that the 2024 campaign could be his last. “Last ride,” he wrote on social media (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), “#Year 10.”
MARCH 15, 9:20am: The 49ers had expressed interest in keeping Jon Feliciano for a second season. Despite having Spencer Burford on a rookie contract for two more years, San Francisco will follow through with its plan of retaining the veteran.
Feliciano will indeed stay in the Bay Area, according to Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager, who indicates the veteran interior O-lineman agreed to a one-year deal Friday. This will be Feliciano’s second one-year 49ers agreement.
Burford remained the 49ers’ right guard starter coming into the season, with Feliciano in the Daniel Brunskill swing role during the campaign’s first half. But the 49ers benched the second-year blocker, turning to Feliciano, who started seven regular-season games and all three San Francisco playoff contests. The 49ers needing to turn back to Burford in Super Bowl LVIII (due to a Feliciano injury) produced a notable miscommunication, as a Chris Jones pressure led to an overtime field goal — which preceded a Chiefs touchdown and a Twitter-driven storyline.
Feliciano defended 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz by suggesting Burford was at fault on the pivotal play. The veteran blocker later apologized and re-emerged on the 49ers’ radar. GM John Lynch also said he would speak with Laken Tomlinson about a potential reunion. After two Jets seasons, the longtime 49ers left guard remains a free agent. The 49ers extended McKivitz recently, and Feliciano’s return means the team’s five first-string O-linemen are under contract for 2024.
Among guard regulars, Pro Football Focus rated Burford as the second-worst pass blocker last season. Burford had split time with Brunskill as a rookie, but the fourth-rounder sat behind Feliciano during last season’s second half. Feliciano, 32, suffered a pectoral injury during Super Bowl LVIII. PFF rated the former Bills and Giants starter as one of the NFL’s top guards, slotting him fifth overall on the strength of a high-level run-blocking grade.
The Giants had used Feliciano as a one-year center stopgap, letting him walk before drafting John Michael Schmitz in last year’s second round. In a nine-year career that has included 61 starts, the former Raiders fourth-rounder made 31 starts as a Bills guard from 2019-21.
Steelers To Trade Kenny Pickett To Eagles
So much for Russell Wilson needing to compete for the Steelers’ starting job. Hours after the Steelers announced the Wilson signing, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports they are preparing to trade Kenny Pickett to the Eagles.
The Steelers will indeed send Pickett to the Eagles in a pick-swap trade, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Two years remain on the former first-rounder’s contract. Pickett will be set to back up Jalen Hurts in Philly. Here is how the trade will break down:
Eagles receive:
- Kenny Pickett
- 2024 No. 120 overall pick
Steelers receive:
- 2024 No. 98 overall pick
- Eagles’ two highest 2025 seventh-round choices
Demoted for Mason Rudolph late last season, Pickett wanted to move on. While competition was reported initially, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the behind-closed-doors understanding upon the Steelers signing Wilson pointed to the former Pro Bowler being the starter and Pickett staying at QB2. Pickett, then, preferred a fresh start, Schefter adds.
This development may not have been the team’s plan when the offseason began. Mike Tomlin had said Pickett would be given the QB1 job but that he would need to earn it by winning a competition. The Steelers did not observe Pickett handle the Wilson news well, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. After indicating he was fine competing for the job, Pickett soured on the situation once the Wilson signing became imminent, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
Following Pickett’s disappointment when the team kept Rudolph in the lineup late last year — a stretch that featured Pickett, per Dulac, refusing to dress as the emergency third QB in Week 17 — the team is moving on. Pickett had made it clear to teammates he thought he was the better option to close last season, via ESPN’s Kimberley Martin. Some in the building, however, believed Rudolph was the better option for 2024. In fairness to Pickett, veteran reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala indicates the Steelers reneged on their pledge that he would compete for the job upon informing him Wilson would take over.
Famous for his “volunteers, not hostages” M.O., Tomlin will sign off on this early separation. Rudolph has since signed with the Titans, putting the Steelers in the market for a backup QB once again. They released Mitch Trubisky earlier this year; he has since returned to the Bills.
A New Jersey native, Pickett grew up an Eagles fan. He then became quite familiar with the Steelers while playing at Pitt. The Steelers chose Pickett 20th overall in 2022, naming him as Ben Roethlisberger‘s heir apparent. But Pickett has not shown much to indicate he could fill those shoes. He will now join Sam Howell and Desmond Ridder as 2022 draftees (and primary 2023 starters) traded over the past two days. The 2022 draft class received low marks at the time; other than Brock Purdy, the early returns have not been good.
Due to signing bonus proration, the Steelers will eat more than $8MM in dead money on this trade. Of course, they are set to pay their new starter the veteran minimum as the Broncos pick up the tab. Wilson alluded to a potential competition at his morning presser Friday, but it is probably clear he was informed that would not happen. Two years remain on Pickett’s rookie contract; the Eagles will have the 25-year-old passer tied to $985K and $2.6MM base salaries.
Pickett ranked 27th in QBR last season and 20th in 2022. The ’22 placement came well ahead of Wilson, who submitted a stunningly woeful season alongside Nathaniel Hackett in his Denver debut. Wilson improved under Sean Payton, but the Broncos still bailed — after some back-and-forth drama — before the veteran’s 2025 salary could become guaranteed this month. The Steelers have largely used homegrown rookies at quarterback this century, going from Roethlisberger to Pickett. While Kordell Stewart held the reins for much of the previous decade, the team did use free agent pickup Tommy Maddox in what became a stopgap capacity ahead of Roethlisberger’s near-two-decade-long tenure.
Wilson, 35, will be set to operate in a bridge capacity as well. Though, it should not be expected the Steelers use a high draft choice to add an heir apparent this year. Despite Wilson’s step back in Denver — one that could potentially threaten his Hall of Fame status — Pittsburgh is set to give him the keys. Dulac adds this is the quickest the Steelers have jettisoned a first-round pick since releasing 1996 Round 1 tackle Jamain Stephens following his second season.
On Feb. 29, GM Omar Khan said he had full faith in Pickett. While he cited competition as important for the would-be third-year starter, a recent report also indicated a meeting between the QB and new OC Arthur Smith went well. But the Wilson news emerged soon after. While Wilson has not shown much of his Seahawks form since the 2022 blockbuster trade, Pickett winning a potential competition seemed unrealistic. There will now be no competition involving Pickett this year, as Hurts is entrenched as the Eagles’ starter.
Pickett has thrown just 13 touchdown passes in 25 games, starting 24 of those. Although the Steelers rolled out a poor offense for most of Pickett’s tenure, he showed some promise late in his rookie season. But 2022’s top QB pick did not build on that form last season. This led to OC Matt Canada being fired. This preceded a Pickett ankle injury that required surgery. The 6-foot-3 passer will carry just a 6.3 yards-per-attempt figure to Philly, which did not re-sign Marcus Mariota this offseason.
Chargers To Bring Back QB Easton Stick
Easton Stick will soon begin work for another Chargers head coach. Brought in during Anthony Lynn‘s stay and retained throughout Brandon Staley‘s run, Stick will have a chance to remain as a Justin Herbert backup under Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers reached an agreement to keep the North Dakota State alum Friday, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. With an injury forcing Herbert to miss games for the first time, Stick received his first run of regular-season action last season. He will rejoin Herbert and 2023 seventh-rounder Max Duggan as Bolts QBs on the offseason roster.
It is interesting the Chargers will have each of their 2023 QBs back, with a new coaching staff and front office leadership being in place. Stick has been with the team since 2019, beginning his career as a third-stringer during Philip Rivers‘ final Chargers campaign. Stick then resided as Los Angeles’ QB3 behind Herbert and Tyrod Taylor, before Chase Daniel came in as QB2 in 2021. Daniel was not brought back for 2023, moving Stick — North Dakota State’s QB between Carson Wentz and Trey Lance — up on the depth chart. A Herbert development made that promotion relevant.
Herbert’s finger surgery brought in Stick to start the Bolts’ final four games. The team went 0-4 in that span, with the talent gap between the team’s first- and second-stringers rather wide. Stick threw three TD passes to one INT but was on the other end of a 63-21 blowout, the final game of the Staley-Tom Telesco era. All three of Stick’s TD passes came in that Raiders romp, though the Chargers were within one score of their final three opponents.
It would not surprise to see Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz use a later-round pick to bring in competition for the backup job, and Duggan — who was at the controls when TCU downed Harbaugh’s Michigan squad in the 2022 CFP semifinal round — could factor in as well.
Jets To Re-Sign DL Solomon Thomas
Robert Saleh brought in Javon Kinlaw, but the fourth-year Jets HC is not bidding farewell to another of his former 49ers charges. Solomon Thomas is staying with the Jets, SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets.
The former No. 3 overall pick is coming off his most productive season, having registered a career-high five sacks. Mostly used as a rotational rusher, the seven-year veteran added seven tackles for loss — the most he has tallied since his 49ers rookie year.
Although Thomas has never come especially close to living up to his draft slot, he has found a home on the Jets. This stands to be the 28-year-old interior D-lineman’s third season in New York. Saleh initially coached Thomas throughout his San Francisco rookie contract, which ran from 2017-20. Thomas’ first Jets season only produced a half-sack.
Pro Football Focus still graded the Stanford alum as a bottom-five interior D-lineman — among the 130 to qualify as regulars — but scheme familiarity will go a long way here. Also regarded as a locker-room leadership presence, Thomas earned $2.35MM on his 2022 Jets deal. Thomas cashed in via his rookie contract (four years, $28.2MM), but his career showing has kept his earnings fairly low since.
Quinnen Williams remains the Jets’ D-line fulcrum, but the team added Kinlaw — a 2020 Saleh charge in San Francisco — and ex-Cardinals nose tackle Leki Fotu this week. The Jets lost 2023 sack leader Bryce Huff but have 2022 and 2023 first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald in place at D-end, along with veteran John Franklin-Myers.
NFL Restructures: Mahomes, Chiefs, Allen, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Martin, Cowboys
Completing a Marquise Brown signing after franchise-tagging L’Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs were able to find room due to once again taking advantage of Patrick Mahomes‘ unique contract. Kansas City created $21.6MM in cap space by restructuring the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Chiefs have gone to this well twice before, making the move in 2021 and 2023 to create cap room. The team reworked Mahomes’ deal in September 2023, following the QB market moving well beyond the Missouri-based superstar’s $45MM AAV, by moving guaranteed money around. But the extension still runs through 2031, giving the team room to maneuver here. Even with the Sneed tag on the books — ahead of a potential trade — the Chiefs hold more than $15MM in cap space as of Friday afternoon.
Here is the latest on the restructure front:
- After the Bills made a few high-profile cuts last week, they restructured their centerpiece player’s deal this week. Buffalo created $16.7MM in cap space by restructuring Josh Allen‘s deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This merely moved Allen’s 2024 cap charge down to $30.4MM. No void years are on Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension, but monster cap numbers in 2026 and ’27 ($63.9MM, $56.9MM) will need to be addressed. Allen’s deal runs through 2028. The Bills also adjusted Dawson Knox‘s contract to create cap space, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
- The Broncos may be preparing to take the bigger Russell Wilson dead money hit this year as opposed to in 2025. Though, the final number has not yet emerged. The team has created considerable cap space as of late, releasing Justin Simmons and trading Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos also restructured the contracts of 2023 UFA pickups Zach Allen and Ben Powers, per Yates, creating nearly $20MM in cap room.
- The Cowboys reorganized Zack Martin‘s deal recently, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, who indicates the move created roughly $13MM in cap space. To end Martin’s holdout last year, Dallas provided considerable guarantees over the final two years of the All-Pro guard’s six-year deal. That contract now features four void years. If the Cowboys do not extend Martin before the 2025 league year, they would be staring at a $24.5MM dead money blow.
- Jedrick Wills will check in here, even though he is not on a veteran contract. The Browns restructured their left tackle’s fifth-year option, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The move created more than $10MM in cap space. Cleveland tacked four void years onto Wills’ deal. If the team does not re-sign him before the 2025 league year, it incurs an $11.8MM dead money bill. The Browns also turned to Jerry Jeudy‘s fifth-year option, which the team recently acquired from the Broncos, to create more than $10MM in space, Yates adds. The team likely used the same void years-based structure with the wide receiver’s option.
Steelers To Sign WR Van Jefferson
Making a major switch at quarterback — a matter that cleared up today via the Kenny Pickett trade — the Steelers are in need at wide receiver after moving Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson off the roster. An ex-Robinson teammate will be part of the plan.
The team is bringing in Van Jefferson, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Giving Jefferson a one-year deal, Pittsburgh is eyeing the former second-round Rams draftee as a depth piece.
A second-generation NFL receiver, Jefferson is changing teams for the second time in six months. The Rams moved Jefferson’s rookie contract to the Falcons early last season; the deal did not move the needle for an Atlanta team that struggled to find a reliable complement for Drake London at the position. Jefferson, 27, only caught 20 passes for 209 yards between his Rams and Falcons stints last year.
Jefferson’s most notable NFL work came back in 2021, when he helped a Rams team that changed WR2s midseason. Odell Beckham Jr. effectively replaced Robert Woods, with the latter suffering an ACL tear days after the OBJ addition. Jefferson stayed the course and totaled 802 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He added nine receptions for 102 yards in the playoffs, collecting a Super Bowl ring soon after. A knee surgery kept the Florida alum on the shelf for much of 2022. He totaled 369 yards in 11 2022 games — snagging the game-winner in Baker Mayfield‘s memorable debut — for a disappointing Rams team.
The Johnson trade solidifies George Pickens as their top wide receiver. While his long-range work would stand to benefit new QB1 Russell Wilson, the Steelers will add more pieces here. Only slot player Calvin Austin resides as a notable auxiliary option beyond Jefferson. Considering the franchise’s success adding at this position in the draft, that should be considered a mortal lock given this class’ depth.
Buccaneers To Re-Sign QB John Wolford; Team To Add OL Sua Opeta
Amid an offseason that has featured nearly the level of roster retention their 2021 blueprint brought, the Buccaneers will keep a lower-profile player. GM Jason Licht confirmed the team is re-signing QB John Wolford.
The Bucs are also re-signing O-lineman Justin Skule and bringing in ex-Eagles swingman Sua Opeta, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine and SI.com’s Curtis Allen. Both the O-linemen will be attached to one-year contracts, with Laine adding Wolford is also rejoining the team on a one-year agreement.
One season remains on Kyle Trask‘s rookie contract, with Wolford, 28, back in place to be the team’s third-string quarterback. The Rams showed interest in bringing Wolford back to Los Angeles, following Matthew Stafford‘s thumb injury last year, as did ex-Rams OC Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. But Wolford preferred to stay in Tampa; the Bucs then promoted him to the active roster.
The 2024 campaign will be Wolford’s sixth NFL season. The former Alliance of American Football arm may be an even better with the Bucs in 2024, with ex-Rams OC Liam Coen stepping in as the play-caller.
The Bucs already signed Ben Bredeson, a 16-game Giants starter last season. Opeta spent the past four seasons with the Eagles and started six games in 2023. The former UDFA has experience at both guard and tackle, giving him an onramp to a swing role. The Bucs, however, have not re-signed Matt Feiler; Aaron Stinnie, a longtime backup who started 11 games last season, has committed to the Giants. Skule played in 17 games as a backup last season.
Giants To Sign Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottmann
After signing Jon Runyan Jr. to work as one of their starting guards, the Giants are bringing in options for the other post. Losing 2023 starter Ben Bredeson to the Buccaneers, the Giants will add an ex-Tampa Bay cog.
Aaron Stinnie and Austin Schlottmann are joining the Giants, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Both players have been spot starters and would stand to represent depth for a Giants team that was decimated up front last season. Schlottmann agreed to a two-year deal.
Stinnie, 30, mostly worked as a backup during his six-season Bucs tenure — save for his work in place of then-starter Alex Cappa during the team’s Super Bowl LV run — and went down with a season-ending injury before the 2022 regular season. Last year, however, the veteran interior lineman started 11 games and was in the lineup for both Bucs postseason contests. Stinnie took over for Matt Feiler; Pro Football Focus placed him in a tie with Runyan, at 47th, among guards last year.
Schlottmann, 28, has made 14 starts over a five-year career spent in Denver and Minnesota. He filled in at center for Garrett Bradbury late in the Vikings’ NFC North-winning 2022 season and started three games last year.
The Vikings would seem to have a combination of five starters comprised of non-Stinnie/Schlottman parts. Of course, it will depend on what the Giants see from Evan Neal. The former No. 7 overall pick has struggled throughout his young NFL career, and rumblings about a move to guard have surfaced. Neal at guard would allow the Giants to play Jermaine Eluemunor — given a two-year, $14MM contract — at right tackle. But if the team is intent on keeping Neal at tackle, Eluemunor would join Stinnie in a potential guard competition.