Cam Akers, Shane Lemieux Participating At Saints’ Minicamp
The rare player to be traded to the same team twice, Cam Akers has not re-signed with the Vikings. The veteran running back, who has returned from two Achilles tears, remains a free agent. But he has secured an extended audition.
Teams can bring free agents to minicamp, and NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes the Saints are observing Akers at theirs this week. The former Rams second-round pick spent time with the Texans and Vikings last year. Shane Lemieux joins him at Kellen Moore‘s first Saints minicamp, per NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett. Lemieux played for the Saints in 2024.
Not only has Akers gone to Minnesota twice via trade, he has done so in-season in consecutive years. The Rams ended a decaying partnership by sending Akers to the Vikings, where he reunited with ex-Los Angeles OC Kevin O’Connell, in September 2023. As the Vikings were aiming to upgrade on Ty Chandler behind Aaron Jones, they landed Akers from the Texans in a mid-October pick swap. Akers, 26 this month, has not been closely connected to a team since his one-year, $1.18MM Houston-designed deal expired.
Despite suffering an Achilles tear during his first Vikings season, Akers impressed in the building and returned to play 17 games between his Houston and Minnesota stays in 2024. He gained 444 rushing yards (4.3 per carry), filling in for Joe Mixon as a Texans starter and becoming Jones’ top backup following the trade. Akers also overcame a 2021 Achilles tear, returning in Week 18 of the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl-winning season despite going down in late July. Akers was ineffective upon return, however, and he later fell out of favor in L.A.
The Saints have Kendre Miller still positioned as Alvin Kamara‘s top backup, though the team did keep Clyde Edwards-Helaire on a futures deal before drafting Devin Neal in Round 6. Akers is nevertheless auditioning, as the Saints have been unable to find a reliable Kamara backup for a while. They released Jamaal Williams after an unproductive two-year stay and have not seen Miller stay healthy during that span.
Lemieux battled back from extensive injury trouble in New York, but injuries have crushed his earning power. Formerly a Giants starter as a rookie in 2020, Lemieux missed 32 games over the next two seasons. He then played only four games in 2023, leading to only a practice squad accord with the Saints. New Orleans brought him up from the P-squad in October and later used him as a four-game starter, but another IR stint did commence. Lemieux, 28, will attempt to impress the Saints’ new staff this week.
Bolts Offered J.K. Dobbins Deal To Return
It took nearly three months in free agency for J.K. Dobbins to find a home, but he has since committed to relocate from Los Angeles. The Broncos have announced their signing, as the veteran running back is now on a one-year, $2.75MM contract.
Dobbins’ Denver visit last week came as he was technically still tied to the Chargers, who slapped the rarely used UFA tender on their primary 2024 starting running back. That now only pertains to a potential 2026 compensatory pick, as both the teams that used the UFA tender this year (along with the Browns’ Elijah Moore move) have seen the players move on. But Dobbins did loom larger on the Bolts’ radar screen earlier this offseason.
Before the Chargers’ Najee Harris signing, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicates the team had extended an offer to Dobbins to stay. Dobbins had outplayed the $1.61MM deal he signed, leapfrogging ex-Ravens teammate Gus Edwards — who was attached to a slightly higher-priced contract (two years, $6.5MM) — to start for an eventual playoff team. He came up as a player the Chargers had designs on keeping, but an extensive medical sheet continued to give teams pause in free agency.
Dobbins rushed for a career-high 905 yards last season, doing so despite missing more time due to injury. Dobbins’ IR stint, due to an MCL sprain, only covered the four-game minimum. This certainly helped him secure a raise from the Broncos, even if significant injury concerns remain due to the former second-rounder’s Baltimore stay.
While Dobbins narrowly edged Nick Chubb‘s $2.5MM Texans contract, it is worth wondering if the 26-year-old RB would have made more had he simply agreed to stay in L.A. The Bolts made a “pretty decent” proposal to re-sign Dobbins, per Breer. Considering they gave Harris $5.25MM in base value, it can reasonably be expected Dobbins passed on an offer worth more than what he will make in Denver. Though, it is not known if his $2.5MM incentive package features reasonable goals.
The Chargers included $4.25MM worth of incentives in Harris’ deal, and Dobbins’ injury past (47 missed games) pointed to the Bolts proposing an incentive-laden contract to him as well. The Chargers also carried considerable familiarity with Dobbins, due to GM Joe Hortiz having been hired from the Ravens (and Jim Harbaugh being rather close to the Baltimore HC). But they soon made a substantial commitment to heading in a different direction by drafting Omarion Hampton in Round 1.
Regularly mocked to the Broncos at No. 20, Hampton instead slipped down two spots and becomes the Bolts’ long-term option. He and Harris represent safer bets compared to what the Broncos have assembled, investment-wise at least, as the 2021 first-rounder has missed zero games in Pittsburgh while Hampton checked in as the clear second-best RB prospect in this year’s class. The Chargers have not been shy about first-round RB investments this century, having chosen three (LaDainian Tomlinson, Ryan Mathews, Melvin Gordon), and a team that has become more run-centric will turn to Hampton alongside Harris this season.
Denver will bet on Dobbins helping keep second-round pick R.J. Harvey — a player not viewed as a consensus second-round talent — fresh, as Sean Payton has enjoyed success with this type of committee in New Orleans. But the Broncos will need to factor Dobbins’ knee trouble into their roster calculous this summer.
Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw Returns To Practice, Awaiting Full Clearance
The Vikings’ decision to let Cam Robinson walk (to the Texans) in free agency, as the NFC North team made its own offensive line overhaul, provided a clear indication the player the trade acquisition replaced would be ready to return by Week 1. It continues to head in that direction for Christian Darrisaw.
The recently extended left tackle returned to practice for the Vikings as they began their minicamp. The team confirmed Darrisaw is doing individual drills less than eight months after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
ACL and MCL tears shut down Darrisaw last year, and considering those occurred in Week 8, it certainly represents a promising sign the fifth-year veteran is working out with teammates in any capacity by minicamp.
This return does not yet include 11-on-11 work, with ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert noting full clearance is not expected in the near future. A stay on the training camp active/PUP list, then, could be reasonable expected as Minnesota’s top O-lineman prepares to return. Kevin O’Connell, however, said weeks ago Darrisaw has not endured any setbacks during his rehab journey. That bodes well for the Vikings having their LT starter back as the team both breaks in J.J. McCarthy and a new batch of interior O-linemen.
Not exactly pleased with how their O-line performed on the biggest stages late last season, the Vikings will roll out a new interior trio pieced together during free agency and the draft. Ex-Colts Will Fries and Ryan Kelly are coming into start, while the Vikes added guard Donovan Jackson in the first round. As for Darrisaw insurance, the team signed Justin Skule as a swingman. Skule, who is on a one-year deal worth $2MM, worked as Minnesota’s first-string LT during team drills at minicamp.
Darrisaw scored a four-year, $104MM deal last summer, inking his lucrative second contract weeks after Justin Jefferson signed his. This duo will be vital as McCarthy aims to prove Vikings brass right in its quest for a long-term post-Kirk Cousins option. The Vikings going from a 14-3 team to one unveiling an unseasoned QB and a left tackle recovering from a major knee injury does place a speedbump on the way to the season, but thus far, Darrisaw keeps hitting the desired checkpoints. Having him in place opposite longtime RT Brian O’Neill will give McCarthy a favorable setup, as O’Connell is now the reigning Coach of the Year, as he begins his QB1 run.
Commanders To Extend DB Jeremy Reaves
Jeremy Reaves‘ Commanders tenure is now set to extend beyond this season. The veteran defensive back/special-teamer agreed to terms on a deal that keeps him tied to the team through 2026, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Washington signed off on a one-year add-on for Reaves, who has worked as a key special teams presence during his seven-season stretch with the team. Reaves, 28, has a first-team All-Pro nod on his resume for ST contributions and will remain a central part of this equation under the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn regime.
Acquired during the Bruce Allen-Jay Gruden years, Reaves has remained in his role through the Ron Rivera period and into Peters’ GM run. Peters has overhauled the Commanders’ roster to the point Reaves is the team’s second-longest-tenured player — behind only punter Tress Way, who has been with the team since 2014.
A 2018 UDFA, Reaves has made 11 career starts. None have come over the past two seasons, as the veteran safety has settled into his role as a pure special-teamer. Reaves has played only four defensive snaps since 2023, having logged 70% and 68% ST snap rates in those years. He reached an 81% rate in 2022, collecting first-team All-Pro honors for his work in the niche role. The South Alabama alum also notched a forced fumble during Washington’s narrow wild-card loss to Tampa Bay in 2020.
Helping the Commanders to an unexpected playoff berth last season, Reaves made 20 tackles in his seventh Washington slate. He had been tied to a two-year, $6MM deal. Peters signed off on that contract weeks into his GM tenure. By agreeing to new terms already, the second-year Commanders exec certainly appears to like the Allen-era acquisition’s fit on the rejuvenated team.
Broncos To Sign RB J.K. Dobbins
10:05pm: Chubb’s terms do resemble Dobbins’, as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports the sixth-year back will join the Broncos for $2.75MM in base value. The contract can max out at $5.25MM through incentives. The incentives will be tied to yards from scrimmage, Florio adds. Rushing yards also factor into the incentive package, per 9News’ Mike Klis.
2:37pm: J.K. Dobbins left his Denver visit without a contract, but the sides circled back to such business. The 2024 Chargers starter is indeed committing to the Broncos, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports.
Dobbins agreed on a one-year deal to join the team, which will be his third in three seasons. This will be a notable change for Denver, which used a second-round pick on R.J. Harvey in the draft. Dobbins’ signing comes a day after the Texans gave Nick Chubb a $2.5MM deal; it will be interesting to see if Dobbins’ Broncos terms are similar.
The Chargers had placed a UFA tender on Dobbins in May, but like Elijah Moore, such a move will not lead to a return. The Bolts had made other plans this offseason, signing Najee Harris and using a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton.
Tuesday’s signing could mark a significant change for the team, which lost primary 2024 starter Javonte Williams in free agency. That said, Denver still employs rookie-contract holdovers in Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime. The latter’s path to a notable role may well become blocked by Dobbins, who delivered a bounce-back season in Los Angeles following an injury-plagued Baltimore stay. Dobbins would stand to pair with Harvey, offering a seasoned early-downs option to go with the team’s No. 60 overall choice.
Sean Payton, who confirmed Tuesday (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) the team was close to signing Dobbins, had said the Broncos viewed Harvey as a three-down back. It would not seem the team has changed its stance so soon on the Central Florida product, as shoulder pads do not come on until early in training camp, but it does appear the Broncos may not be ready to give the prospect a three-down role from the start. Dobbins represents high-end insurance, and a committee would seem likely based on this agreement.
Denver used a committee approach last season, primarily giving time to Williams and McLaughlin. The latter is a third-year UDFA who has operated as a change-of-pace option and pass-game weapon. Dobbins’ signing would not stand to affect McLaughlin’s aerial role, but Harvey’s arrival certainly could. One season remains on McLaughlin’s rookie contract; three are left on Estime’s. The Broncos used a fifth-round pick to bring in Estime out of Notre Dame, but an early-season injury and fumbling issues plagued his rookie year. Not much of an outlet option for Bo Nix, Estime looks to have seen his stock fall during the Broncos’ offseason program.
Dobbins, 26, finished second in Comeback Player of the Year voting — behind Joe Burrow — last season. Given a one-year, $1.61MM deal that included just $50K guaranteed, the former Ravens second-rounder overtook the higher-paid Gus Edwards to become the Bolts’ starter. Dobbins averaged 4.6 yards per carry, accumulating 905 to help the Chargers to the playoffs. Jim Harbaugh used a more run-focused offense last season, and Dobbins also managed to shake off another injury — a midseason MCL sprain — to return and help a late-season charge to the wild-card round.
Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric placed Dobbins 12th last season (115); Williams (minus-83) landed near the bottom of that chart. Williams has not been the same since a 2022 injury, ACL and LCL tears, but the Broncos will now turn to a player with a more significant medical sheet. Dobbins has missed 46 games since suffering a late-summer ACL tear in 2021. That injury cost him nine games in 2022, which required an IR stint after he had returned, and an Achilles tear cost the Ohio State product 16 games in 2023.
Payton regularly relied on backfield committees in New Orleans, as Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram respectively gave way to flashier options in Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara. Dobbins-Harvey appears the veteran HC’s next top duo, as the Broncos ranked 16th in rushing yards last season. Nix contributed 430 to the team’s cause; he will now have more help on the ground.
Injuries have crushed Dobbins’ NFL earning potential, but his Chargers reemergence will present an opportunity — via this Broncos commitment — at building up more value during his mid-20s.
Patriots Place OL Wes Schweitzer On Reserve/Retired List
Not long after Ronald Darby went from offseason free agent signing to retiree, Wes Schweitzer is traveling the same path. The Patriots placed the offseason pickup on their reserve/retired list Tuesday.
Assuming this is it for the veteran offensive lineman, he will close his NFL service with nine seasons of work spent in Atlanta, Washington and New York. Following his two Jets seasons, Schweitzer signed a one-year deal worth $1.56MM in mid-March. The Patriots pact included just $150K guaranteed.
A 62-game starter, Schweitzer played in only 10 contests with the Jets (on a two-year, $5MM deal) over the past two seasons. The 2025 season would have been an age-32 campaign for Schweitzer, who managed to become an NFL regular as a sixth-round Falcons draftee out of a mid-major program. He had been competing for a guard spot during the Pats’ offseason program, as the team signed Garrett Bradbury to take over at center.
Schweitzer brought experience at center but spent most of his NFL days at guard. The San Jose State alum surpassed the 300-snap mark at both center (2021) and right guard (’22) with Washington, doing so after splitting time (nearly 1,000 snaps) at left and right guard for the 2020 Washington squad that made the playoffs at 7-9. Schweitzer had signed a three-year, $13.5MM Washington contract in 2020; that became his most notable NFL agreement, one he played out.
The Falcons, however, served as the most notable stop for Schweitzer. Drafting him 195th overall in 2016, Atlanta did not use him in a game during its Super Bowl LI season but deployed him as a full-time starter in Year 2. Schweitzer started 16 games at right guard during the Falcons’ most recent playoff season (2017) and made 33 more starts with Atlanta until his rookie contract expired. Pro Football Focus graded Schweitzer as a top-20 guard in 2020, as the Falcons paired him with first-rounder Chris Lindstrom, helping to command that free agency accord.
Schweitzer landed on IR in both Jets seasons, with the 2023 season featuring two such placements (and two return designations). This came after a concussion keyed a 2022 IR trip in Washington. A hand injury sent Schweitzer to IR before Week 1 last year, and he missed three months. A late-season activation from IR commenced. For his career, Schweitzer will retire having earned more than $21MM.
Steelers’ T.J. Watt Not Present At Minicamp
When T.J. Watt‘s previous contract year arrived, he reported to Steelers minicamp and staged a training camp hold-in. This preceded a monster extension agreed upon days before the 2021 season. This time around, the future Hall of Fame edge rusher is taking a different route.
Watt did not show for the first day of Steelers minicamp, ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor notes. This came after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated the former Defensive Player of the Year was not expected to report for the mandatory set of workouts. Missing all three days will cost Watt just more than $104K; he made $21.1MM in base salary last season.
Minicamp absences have ticked up in recent years, and Watt will opt to make a point rather than take the hold-in route. Considering his importance to the Steelers’ mission — one that now officially includes a 41-year-old quarterback — Watt holding out at training camp would apply some pressure on the Steelers, who regularly use the late-summer camp period to hammer out extensions with the players they deem priorities. Watt is obviously one, as the Aaron Rodgers signing moves the OLB’s contract to the top of that list.
This is not viewed as a particularly contentious situation, though Watt’s minicamp absence is certainly not ideal for the AFC North team. Going into his ninth year with the Steelers, Watt has established himself as one of the most important defenders in modern NFL history. The Steelers are 1-10 without Watt in the lineup. Fortunately for Pittsburgh’s annual tightrope walk to playoff contention, the superstar pass rusher played in every game over the past two years.
Watt’s potential holdout comes amid a transformation for the edge rusher market. Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter moved the market past $35MM per year. Garrett secured a $40MM-per-year accord. He and Watt’s careers having traversed parallel paths, save for a rather notable suspension handed to the Browns’ premier rusher, points to Watt wanting to reach that price range as well. Watt, though, is more than a year older than Garrett; he will turn 31 in October. Micah Parsons will also be interested in where Watt’s third contract comes in, as he can use his age (26) to leverage the Cowboys into making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender. Aidan Hutchinson‘s camp will be closely monitoring the Pittsburgh proceedings as well, but one of these players obviously will need to go first this summer.
The Steelers’ $28MM-per-year Watt extension stood as the league’s top EDGE deal for two years, before Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-AAV re-up moved the market. It took until this offseason for Bosa’s 49ers deal to be topped, but less accomplished edge performers Brian Burns and Josh Hines-Allen also topped Watt’s AAV in 2024. It is not known if the Steelers have submitted an offer in the Garrett range; based on Watt skipping OTAs and now Day 1 of minicamp, it would be safe to bet that has not happened. This deal may well end up costing more than the Steelers expected.
Steelers GM Omar Khan naturally wants Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh, and another deal before a contract year commences will be expected (as the Steelers do not negotiate in-season). While it would be unexpected that this Watt saga drags to the 2026 franchise tag deadline, that would be a weapon the Steelers can use if no common ground can be reached by Week 1.
Colts To Work Out QB Desmond Ridder
Although Anthony Richardson‘s concerning form when healthy played a major part in Daniel Jones‘ arrival, the Colts have continued to see the former No. 4 overall pick run into injury trouble. That is again the case, with the third-year player set to miss minicamp with a new malady.
A Richardson shoulder issue has left Jones a clear runway to work with Indianapolis’ first-stringers this week, but the team will also look at an experienced backup option at minicamp. Desmond Ridder will participate at the Colts’ mandatory workouts, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes.
Given command of the Falcons’ offense well before their 2023 training camp, Ridder could not keep the job throughout the season and was then traded to the Cardinals straight up for Rondale Moore. Ridder washed out quickly in Arizona, failing to make the team’s 53-man roster out of training camp. That led him to Las Vegas, but as another new coaching staff took over, it did not prioritize Ridder. The Raiders nontendered the former third-round pick as an RFA, after he appeared in six games and made one 2024 start, and he has remained in unrestricted free agency since.
A Broncos workout possibility emerged last month, but it turned out Sean Payton‘s team did not have such plans. Ridder will now make a case he can be a Colts backup. The Broncos added ex-Indy reserve Sam Ehlinger as a third-stringer this offseason, but the Colts soon addressed the position in the draft by choosing Riley Leonard in Round 6. Leonard joins second-year UDFA Jason Bean as healthy options at Colts minicamp.
Richardson’s second opinion did not reveal anything different from his first, according to Fox59’s Mike Chappell. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the QB’s 2023 shoulder surgery, concurred with the Colts regarding a rest-based rehab program. Shane Steichen said Tuesday no timetable is in place, but Richardson will be expected back either before or during training camp. He has yet to be cleared to resume throwing, but missing this week certainly will deal a blow to the Florida product’s chances of beginning a third season as the Colts’ starter.
Dawand Jones On Track To Be Browns’ LT
JUNE 5: Jones noted when speaking to the media that he has dropped 20 pounds in anticipation of handling blindside duties (h/t Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald). As expected, Jones is indeed in position to operate as Cleveland’s new starter at the left tackle spot.
MAY 28: The quartet of tackles chosen during the first half of the 2020 first round delivered mixed results on their respective rookie contracts. Tristan Wirfs has become an anchor in Tampa, now residing as the NFL’s highest-paid left tackle, while Giants draftee Andrew Thomas — when available — has been among the best LTs as well. Mekhi Becton, who looked like the worst of the batch as his Jets career careened off course, has bounced back as a guard.
Quietly, Jedrick Wills — chosen ahead of Becton and Wirfs (at No. 10 overall) — remains in free agency. The Browns could not rely on the Alabama alum following troublesome 2023 knee injuries (MCL and PCL sprains, along with bone bruises), and despite picking up his fifth-year option, the team demoted a five-year starter late last season. As Wills remains unattached, the Browns are aiming to turn to another injury-prone option to replace him.
Dawand Jones has filled in for both Wills and Jack Conklin in Cleveland’s lineup, but the Ohio State alum has also seen both his NFL seasons end early. Jones suffered a knee injury during a December 2023 practice, ending his season and further depleting a Browns O-line that had already lost Conklin and Wills by that point, but he returned on time in 2024 — something the Browns’ then-tackle starters failed to do — and played 10 games (eight starts). Not long after the Browns elevated Jones over Wills, the 2023 fourth-rounder sustained an ankle injury to close his second season. He also underwent a cleanup knee procedure this winter.
The Browns, however, did not draft a tackle or any O-linemen last month. As the team conducts a rare four-man quarterback competition, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes Jones is on track to start at left tackle. Jones opened as a Week 1 starter last year, but he was then a fill-in performer. The Browns do have part-time 2024 Commanders starter Cornelius Lucas — who signed a two-year, $6.5MM deal — in place as insurance, but the 12th-year veteran’s contract points to a swing role. The Browns certainly needed their swingmen during the Wills-Conklin period, and with the latter still in place after an offseason pay cut, Lucas stands to be important even in the event Jones becomes Cleveland’s LT starter.
Playing 334 right tackle snaps and 176 on the left side in 2024, Jones graded as a bottom-five tackle (in the view of Pro Football Focus) last season. The advanced metrics site was more bullish on Jones in 2023, ranking him 48th among tackle regulars. PFF graded Lucas (464 offensive snaps) 28th among tackles last season. This plan, with Jones unproven and injury-prone and Lucas entering an age-34 season, brings considerable risk for a Browns team with a destabilized QB situation.
The other pieces from a once-formidable Browns O-line are also aging. Joel Bitonio considered retirement this offseason and will turn 34 in October. Teller and longtime Bitonio guard sidekick Wyatt Teller are entering age-31 campaigns. While no reinforcements arrived in the draft, the Browns did sign three-year Bears guard starter Teven Jenkins on the cheap (one year, $3.1MM); that may prove important given the ages of the team’s expected starters. Even center Ethan Pocic is not young, by NFL standards, as he will play an age-30 season this year.
Lucas winning the LT job would stand to give the Browns an extraordinarily rare all-3o-something front, but the team is hoping Jones can provide some youth for the unit. Jones, 24 in August, has two years remaining on his rookie deal. A Browns team that may need to conduct an O-line overhaul in 2026, as its four 30-something starters are in contract years, would certainly benefit from a young player seizing the reins this season.
Tyler Steen Favorite To Land Eagles’ RG Job; Latest On Team’s LB Plans
Upon signing with the Eagles after the 2024 draft, Mekhi Becton was coming off an injury-defined tenure as a Jets tackle. The Eagles were not initially planning for Becton to move into their starting lineup at guard, but it ended up working out that way after Becton held off Tyler Steen for the gig.
As Cam Jurgens slid to center following Jason Kelce‘s retirement, the Eagles saw that transition lead to a Pro Bowl nod as Jeff Stoutland‘s unit delivered another dominant season. Becton parlayed his role in the Super Bowl LIX-winning campaign into a two-year, $20MM Chargers deal. Becton’s defection returns Steen to the forefront, as Year 3 will provide the 2023 third-round pick another chance.
As it stands, Steen is expected to enter training camp as the frontrunner at right guard, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes. The Eagles had seen Becton impress at guard during their offseason program last year, but Steen still was the presumed favorite heading into camp. Becton, however, moved ahead during the padded work that began when the team reconvened.
The Eagles have another chance to deploy a fully homegrown O-line configuration this season, and Steen has been a candidate to take over at guard since the team drafted him. After working as a clear-cut backup during Kelce’s finale, Steen did not seize an opportunity last year. But the Alabama alum, who played 316 offensive snaps last season, is the favorite once again, InsidetheBirds.com’s Andrew DiCecco notes.
As our Ely Allen broke down last week, trade pickup Kenyon Green lurks after an underwhelming Texans tenure. Becton entered the Stoutland program as a former first-round pick trending downward. It will be interesting to see if the former No. 15 overall pick can make this a legitimate competition. Green and the reacquired Matt Pryor (15 Bears starts in 2024) held the second-team guard roles during the Eagles’ most recent OTA session, DiCecco adds. Should Steen falter again, a team known for strong work in the O-line planning department will have options.
Elsewhere on Philly’s roster, the team will need to get by without its preferred linebacker group for a bit. Suffering a torn patellar tendon during the Eagles’ wild-card win, Nakobe Dean is not close to returning, per Vic Fangio. Slotted as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 off-ball LB last season, Dean had shaken off an injury-plagued tenure prior to his most significant setback yet. The 2023 third-round pick will be a clear candidate for the reserve/PUP list to start the season.
Jihaad Campbell is expected to be ready at some point during training camp, but the first-rounder’s absence — and potential future as an edge player — is giving Jeremiah Trotter Jr. extensive run. Trotter has lined up alongside Zack Baun as a first-stringer during the Eagles’ OTAs.
Drafted in the fifth round by the same team that employed his father during multiple stints, Trotter logged 104 snaps on defense as a rookie. The Eagles used a similar plan for Dean, who effectively redshirted in 2022, but injuries have since intervened. Trotter lining up as the team’s Week 1 starter alongside Baun is squarely in play, McLane adds. Though, Campbell should have plenty to say about this arrangement in the not-too-distant future.