Tom Brady’s Arrival Increased Pete Carroll’s Raiders Interest
Joining the Patriots months after Pete Carroll‘s ouster, Tom Brady later led the team to a last-second win over Carroll’s Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The decades-long NFL presences are now working together in an attempt to revitalize the Raiders, with each carrying significant personnel say in a setup that also includes ex-Brady college teammate/Buccaneers coworker John Spytek as GM.
Carroll agreed to join a team that finished 4-13 in 2024. More importantly, the Raiders had become a chaotic operation in recent years. Counting interim leaders, Carroll is the team’s fifth head coach this decade. The team also fired Dave Ziegler after less than two years on the job and then canned Tom Telesco, despite the ex-Charger GM’s Brock Bowers selection, after one season. This instability did not make the Raider job especially appealing to Carroll.
While the 73-year-old coach wanted to return to the NFL, he would not have done so merely to take any available job. The Raiders were not previously near the top of Carroll’s list of return destinations, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore notes. Brady being approved as Raiders minority owner changed the equation for the former Jets, Patriots and Seahawks HC, who said the retired QB’s addition “shifted my thought about what this opportunity was about.”
This job does not feature Carroll installed as a final-say presence in the Raiders’ building. The current Raiders party line points to the three power brokers collaborating, though given how much Mark Davis has praised Brady and involved him in personnel matters, it would not shock if the inexperienced front office presence holds that hammer. In Brady, Davis has a decision-maker who does not have to worry about operating through self-preservation, seeing as he is an owner rather than a top executive or coaching staff presence. This provides Brady stability, and he has been at the heart of the Raiders’ top moves this offseason.
“It brought somebody with football acumen into the organization at the top level,” Davis said of Brady’s role. “Somebody that wasn’t going to be on a five-year contract or a 10-year contract. This was a lifetime deal.”
Although the Raiders could not close deals on Ben Johnson or Matthew Stafford, they came up with a Carroll-Geno Smith reunion. Spytek certainly could owe his GM opportunity to Brady, his Michigan teammate and someone who overlapped with the future Hall of Famer’s three-year Tampa stay. Spytek is now, by a considerable degree, the lowest-profile part of the Raiders’ power trio. It will be interesting to see the level of input Spytek carries, as Carroll spent 14 years holding the anvil in Seattle and Brady has been one of the more hands-on ownership presences — by design — in recent NFL history.
Spytek and Carroll will run the day-to-day operations, Bonsignore adds. Brady also wants the Raiders to make substantial commitments to analytics and game management. They will attempt to do so during the tenure of a historically old head coach.
Set to turn 74 in September, Carroll will soon become the oldest HC in NFL history. He has a three-year deal, which is shorter than standard coaching contracts, to stabilize this Raiders operation. Brady will play a central role in Carroll’s Las Vegas tenure, being perhaps the lead figure in determining if it will work out. But the 14-year Seahawks HC agreed to join a division housing Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh due in part to Brady’s arrival.
“I didn’t know how he would be to work with,” Carroll said. “I just competed against him and listened to him over the years and had great admiration and respect. But he is really grounded in his mentality, and that’s what makes him so valuable to us, because we can draw from that.“
Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots, Seahawks Host EDGE Mykel Williams
Mykel Williams‘ pre-draft itinerary is becoming quite busy. After meetings with the Cardinals, Saints and 49ers surfaced, the Georgia edge defender prospect will run his meeting count toward 10.
The Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots and Seahawks have also brought in the first-round talent for “30” visits, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. Listed as the No. 22 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Williams is among the latest in a wave of Georgia defender prospects considered a safe bet to be a first-round pick.
[RELATED: Panthers Showing Interest In Williams]
The Bulldogs sent five defenders (Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Lewis Cine) into the 2022 first round and saw two more (Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith) go in Round 1 in 2023. Both the Bulldogs’ 2024 first-rounders (Brock Bowers, Amarius Mims) came on offense, but this year will introduce another wave of Bulldog defenders to the NFL masses on Day 1 of the draft. Williams joins hybrid linebacker Jalon Walker and safety Malaki Starks as first-round candidates.
Williams spent each of his three years at Georgia, earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2023 and ’24. A former five-star recruit, Williams did not quite live up to expectations in Athens. He did not eclipse five sacks or 10 tackles for loss in a season, though he was a regular on three Georgia defenses — including a national championship-winning 2022 group. An ankle injury hindered Williams’ play in 2024. Still, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound rusher’s size and athleticism has him squarely on the first-round radar. Unlike Walker, Williams is a pure edge rusher who will not enter the NFL with questions about his best positional fit.
The Bucs have been mentioned as a team that could still target an edge rusher despite their Haason Reddick signing. Tampa Bay has needed consistent help from non-edge players to produce sacks in recent years. Barring an unexpected blockbuster trade, Dallas has Micah Parsons anchoring a D-end contingent that houses a returning Sam Williams, 2024 second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland and Dante Fowler, who rejoined the team after a year in Washington. DeMarcus Lawrence left for the Seahawks, who cut Dre’Mont Jones as part of their latest cap purge. The team still rosters Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Uchenna Nwosu, who has seen back-to-back injury-shortened seasons lead to a reworked contract.
Neither the Jets nor Patriots appear in range for Williams, as the AFC East squads both hold top-10 picks. A trade-up move could conceivably be in play, though both can use these meetings to gather intel on Williams as a potential future opponent as well. The Pats reunited Mike Vrabel with Harold Landry last month but could still use another edge defender. The Jets split with Reddick to wrap a tumultuous partnership but still feature starters Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald.
Jets Doing Extensive Tyler Warren Work; Team Eyeing Armand Membou?
Retooling after a failed Aaron Rodgers experiment, they have new decision-makers set for their first draft. As Darren Mougey prepares for his first Jets draft, two names are coming up as players to monitor at No. 7 overall.
Although the team was listed as a potential stealth destination for Shedeur Sanders weeks ago, a Jets QB move appears likelier on Day 2. Justin Fields will be given the chance to reboot as a starter, after a season spent mostly as a backup, and help may well be coming for the team’s $20MM-per-year passer. The choice between a weapon or a blocker may come by the time the Jets go on the clock.
Mentioned as a team infatuated with Tyler Warren weeks ago, the Jets indeed have been doing extensive homework on the 2024 John Mackey Award winner, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. Warren landing spots appear to begin with the Jets at 7, even though the Jaguars (No. 5) recently released Evan Engram. One team in the top 10 had canceled a workout with the Penn State product, which could mean any Colts effort to snag Warren will prove futile absent a notable trade-up.
The Jets did not see their C.J. Uzomah signing pay off, and they opted to let fellow 2022 signee Tyler Conklin walk after his contract expired. Conklin signed with the Chargers, leaving a big hole at the position in New York. Mougey praised 2023 third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert (35 career catches, no TDs) and signed ex-Charger Stone Smartt to a low-cost deal (one year, $1.35MM). The team appears unlikely to go into the season with a Ruckert-Smartt top two at the position.
Jets-Brock Bowers ties formed before the 2024 draft, but the team did not strongly consider making that pick. It instead selected Olu Fashanu during that historically offense-tilted start to a draft. Warren would give the team a chance to fill that need a year later, though Bowers admittedly set the rookie-year bar quite high. A Warren move also would leave another major need unfilled in Round 1.
Morgan Moses‘ career has now included two Jets one-and-done stays. While the team engaged in talks to re-sign the veteran right tackle, the Patriots came in with a notable offer — three years, $24MM ($11MM at signing) — to land a player going into an age-34 season. The Jets have Fashanu ready to go at LT, but they could use the draft to add on the right side. Will Campbell-Patriots connections have emerged, potentially leaving the door open for Missouri prospect Armand Membou to slide to No. 7. This appears a scenario that would tempt the Jets, as Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes the team will be prepared to find a trade-down option if the Mizzou blocker is off the board.
The Pats have been tied to Membou on multiple occasions during the pre-draft process, but Campbell-New England ties persist. Membou, the No. 12 prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board (which lists Campbell 10th), would represent a lofty investment to fill the Jets’ RT post. This would mean back-to-back first-round tackle investments, as the team added Fashanu at No. 11 last year.
The Jets also chose an O-lineman (Mekhi Becton, Alijah Vera-Tucker) twice previously under GM Joe Douglas, but a need remains. While the team has been connected to being an earlier-than-expected landing spot for Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., Membou appears more likely to be the draft’s second tackle chosen (assuming Campbell’s arm length does not keep him from being the first).
Draft Notes: Carter, Colts, Cowboys, Bengals, Falcons, Vikings, Bills, Burden, Broncos, Bears, Campbell
Although Abdul Carter‘s foot injury created some early-offseason concern, the Penn State prospect has not run into any real hurdles toward becoming a surefire top-four pick. The edge defender did not see any emerge during a Combine medical recheck, either, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Carter’s foot is improving and no surgery will be needed. The stress reaction Carter suffered kept him out of drills at the Nittany Lions’ pro day, but the potential Browns target has still built up enough capital pre-draft to turn down visit requests for teams holding picks outside the top four. He has met with the Browns and Titans and will stop his visits after the Giants (No. 3) and Patriots (No. 4).
Here is the latest from the draft:
- One of the top non-Carter edge players in this prospect crop, James Pearce Jr. is continuing his visit schedule. The Tennessee product conducted recent visits with the Bengals, Colts, Cowboys and Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Pearce has already met with the Cardinals, and a report of Saints interest emerged. The Colts came up as a team interested in D-line augmentation, while the Falcons are prioritizing defense in this draft after their Michael Penix Jr. pick last year. The Bengals are still in an uncertain place with Trey Hendrickson, and Sam Hubbard retired.
- Skill players have come up regarding the Broncos‘ first-round draft slot (No. 20), as the team added Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw on defense — after re-signing D.J. Jones. But strengthening a strength should not be ruled out here, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid. Viewing this running back class as deep enough the RB-seeking team can wait until after Round 1 to make that play, Reid mentions safety Nick Emmanwori as a wild-card option to watch. The No. 15 prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Emmanwori is a South Carolina product who could shift into the box in sub packages. The Broncos have Hufanga, Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke at safety; they are thinner at linebacker, with both Greenlaw and 31-year-old Alex Singleton coming off injuries.
- Denver hosted Mizzou receiver Luther Burden, and it is possible the SEC pass catcher will be available on Day 2. Burden is likely to fall out of the first round, per ESPN.com’s Matt Miller, but the longtime draft expert views him as a first-round talent. A former top recruit, Burden fared much better as a sophomore in 2023 (1,212 yards, nine touchdown receptions) than 2024 (676/6), contributing to his potential second-round status. While Jeremiah labels Burden a slot player, Miller classifies the 5-foot-11 talent as someone who could make an impact outside.
- Another player who may end up sliding a bit, Jihaad Campbell has seen a post-Combine shoulder surgery change his draft trajectory. Teams are gathering intel on the Alabama linebacker, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who indicates it would not surprise to see a top-20 talent in this draft fall toward the end of Round 1 or into the second round.
- Mentioned as a team high on Ashton Jeanty, the Bears have more pressing needs than running back. Specifically, the team views defensive tackle as a bigger need than defensive end, Miller adds. This does not surprise, considering the team’s Dayo Odeyingbo deal. Despite the ex-Colt’s ability to rush from inside and the ensuing Grady Jarrett pickup, the Bears appear to have a clear interest in upgrading here. Miller ESPN colleague Courtney Cronin ponders a potential long-term play at left tackle, as Braxton Jones is in a contract year, in the first round as well.
- Still in place as a top cornerback prospect despite missing last season with an ACL tear, Shavon Revel continues to meet with teams interested in his rebound effort. The Bills, Colts and Vikings met with the East Carolina CB this week, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Buffalo is in need of a corner to replace Rasul Douglas, who remains in free agency, while Indianapolis may still be interested in adding despite giving Charvarius Ward $18MM per year. Minnesota added Isaiah Rodgers to go with Byron Murphy but could certainly benefit from a higher-level investment.
Lions To Hold QB2 Competition
Becoming the team that took a chance on Hendon Hooker in the 2023 draft, the Lions are still not sold on the former college standout as their entrenched backup quarterback. This view became clear when they brought Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement last year, and a subsequent free agency decision affects Hooker’s standing as well.
The Lions signed Kyle Allen after his Steelers season. While Allen is not a clear-cut backup option for Jared Goff, the Lions will give the 2024 third-stringer a chance to usurp Hooker this offseason.
“Hooker, no different than Allen, are competing,” Dan Campbell said, via DetroitLions.com. “The best way to help guys really reach their full potential is competition. You can say things the best you can to prop them up, but at some point, you just have to go compete and it’s him or you. I anticipate Hooker’s going to compete. That’s what he does.”
Hooker had spent much of last season as Goff’s backup, seeing his first game action during blowouts. The ex-Tennessee and Virginia Tech starter has attempted nine career passes. Late in training camp last year, Campbell said Nate Sudfeld held a lead on Hooker for the backup job. But the Lions still kept Hooker on their active roster and cut Sudfeld before setting their 53-man roster. Allen brings another threat to Hooker’s QB2 status.
Entering the NFL after a November 2022 ACL tear dinged his draft stock, Hooker was the fifth quarterback chosen that year. Rumblings about first- and second-round landing spots circulated before that draft, but the once-surging Volunteers QB tumbled into Round 3. Two years remain on Hooker’s rookie contract, and despite going into only his third season, the former intriguing prospect is 27. This represents an important offseason for a player who had been viewed as something of a project coming into the league.
Allen joined the Lions on a one-year, $1.27MM deal; only $100K is guaranteed, giving the Lions freedom to cut the nomadic reserve while incurring barely any dead money. A former UDFA going into his age-29 season, Allen has made 19 career starts. Many came with the Panthers in 2019, though he also made four starts for a playoff-bound 2020 Washington outfit. Allen is a career 62.7% passer who has averaged a pedestrian 6.7 yards per attempt. He has stopped through Carolina, Washington, Houston, Buffalo and Pittsburgh during his career.
While Lions GM Brad Holmes expressed confidence in Hooker, the Lions’ moves since he came off the NFI list have not reflected it. Barring another Bridgewater unretirement, however, Hooker has another clear shot to win the backup job behind one of the NFL’s most durable players. Jake Fromm is also on the Lions’ roster, but he appears to be the least likely of the team’s non-Goff QB trio to make the team. That said, Fromm spent all of last season on Detroit’s practice squad; he would give the team some insurance if the Hooker-Allen competition produces a player not worthy of a spot on the active roster or the P-squad.
OL Rumors: Neal, Banks, Teller, 49ers
Evan Neal came into the NFL with some guard experience, playing there at points at Alabama. Some evaluators viewed that as the former high-end prospect’s better NFL spot. After faceplanting at tackle, Neal may have no choice. This could be where the situation is headed, as ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan labels Neal as “destined” to slide to guard. GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll said Neal is open to playing guard or tackle. The Giants have Jermaine Eluemunor at RT presently, assuming Andrew Thomas stays healthy, and a soon-to-be 35-year-old (Greg Van Roten) at RG. Schoen resisted moving Neal to guard in the past, but with the Alabama alum being a major disappointment as a pro, a starter-to-bullpen-like switch may be necessary as a last-ditch measure.
Although the Giants re-signed Van Roten to a one-year, $3.25MM deal, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan points to a potential early-round guard pick to learn from the veteran. This would cloud Neal’s status further, though the Giants already missed on a Schoen-era Day 2 guard pick (Joshua Ezeudu). Here is the latest from the O-line landscape:
- Despite extensive work already, the Texans also look to be ready to add an early-round O-lineman. Holding four top-90 picks, Houston should be considered likely to use one on a blocker, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller notes. One target appears to be Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., as Miller indicates “numerous scouts” point to the Texans being high on the ex-Longhorns tackle. Ranked 31st on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Banks was a former five-star recruit who claimed the Outland Trophy last season. Some teams view Banks as a better guard, per Jeremiah, but others may hold him in higher regard. Although the Texans could be eyeing him as a long-term answer at guard or left tackle, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes some view a landing with the Jets at No. 7 as realistic. After drafting Olu Fashanu in last year’s first round, New York needs a right tackle to replace Morgan Moses.
- The Browns now have three experienced guards, having added Teven Jenkins on just a one-year deal worth $3.1MM. This could point Wyatt Teller to a crossroads after he missed time in 2024, but GM Andrew Berry expects (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the veteran starter to be back in 2025. A two-time second-team All-Pro who has received three Pro Bowl invites, Teller played a key role for the Browns during the decade’s first half. Teller, 30, also only missed four games last season. He is entering a contract year, but the Browns’ penchant for void years would create considerable dead money in the event of a trade or release. That said, Cleveland can save more than $7MM by trading Teller after June 1. Doing so would clear a spot for Jenkins, as Joel Bitonio is set to play at least one more season.
- Joining Jenkins as a three-year guard starter from the 2021 second round, Aaron Banks signed a big-ticket Packers deal. This leaves the 49ers with a key player to replace. Despite Spencer Burford‘s past as a starting guard, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows views Ben Bartch and Nick Zakelj as the players set to compete to start opposite Dominick Puni. Re-signed to a one-year, $1.34MM deal, Bartch is a 20-game starter; Zakelj — a 2022 sixth-rounder — has two career starts. Matt Hennessy, a former Falcons starting center, may factor into this competition as well, Kyle Shanahan said (via Barrows).
- As for Burford, he may be ticketed to be San Francisco’s swing tackle after practicing more there than guard down the stretch last year, Barrows adds. Burford played tackle in college. He would be set to replace Jaylon Moore, whom the 49ers wanted to keep. They did not appear close to matching the Chiefs’ two-year, $30MM offer. “I knew we had a really good roster, but I didn’t know our swing tackle would make $15MM on the free agent market,” John Lynch said. Burford has made 29 career starts, while the Chiefs will bet on Moore (five starts) to stop a left tackle revolving door.
Colts Targeting TE Upgrade, Aiming To Bolster Both Lines
It is not exactly a secret the Colts could view this draft as the avenue to upgrade a tight end contingent that has been an issue for a while. Although Indianapolis ranked 32nd in receptions from tight ends last season, the team has been in need for many years at the position.
The Colts have zero 400-yard TE receiving seasons during the 2020s, seeing Jelani Woods‘ back-to-back missed seasons disrupt their plans. This draft features two prime options, in Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland. Sitting at No. 14, Indianapolis has a clear chance to pounce on a potential impact receiving tight end to help its inaccurate quarterback. Though, Daniel Jones will have plenty to say about whether Anthony Richardson receives another extended chance.
Loveland combined for 1,231 receiving yards for the past two Wolverines teams, though he is coming off shoulder surgery. Warren exploded onto the first-round radar with a 104-catch, 1,233-yard 2024 season that helped the Nittany Lions to the semifinals in last season’s expanded CFP bracket. Showing significant interest in Warren, the Colts scheduled a workout. Indianapolis had been interested in Brock Bowers last year, seeing Las Vegas swoop in at No. 13, and Warren ties have formed for a while now. The Colts are indeed expected to consider a first-round TE investment once again, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes.
While tight end appears the team’s most glaring issue, Holder adds offensive and defensive line aid should be considered a draft priority. The team lost Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. The latter two players scored big-ticket FA deals, being much younger than the more proven Kelly, but Indy still must navigate the fallout.
Kelly served as a nine-year starter with Indy, which had seen Fries play well before he went down with a broken leg early last season. The team used rookie fourth-rounder Tanor Bortolini as Kelly’s primary replacement last season; 2024 UDFA Dalton Tucker and a low-cost Mark Glowinski reunion represented Indy’s post-Fries plan last year. While Bortolini may have a decent chance of succeeding Kelly, the team adding a rookie-scale starter at guard — to complement Quenton Nelson‘s big-ticket contract — may be one of its early-round goals.
Another D-line addition early in the draft should not surprise, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, who notes the team has drafted seven D-linemen from Rounds 1-3 during Chris Ballard‘s eight-draft GM tenure. The team is expecting Samson Ebukam to play a key role once again; Ebukam missed all of last season with an Achilles tear. Chosen shortly after the Raiders took Bowers, No. 15 overall pick Laiatu Latu is also in line for a bigger role post-Odeyingbo, Erickson adds.
Latu started just one game as a rookie but played 54% of Indianapolis’ defensive snaps, notching four sacks. Ebukam tallied a team-high 9.5 in 2023, helping the Colts to an Indianapolis-era-best 51 sacks that year. The team posted 36 sacks in 2024.
The Colts still have DeForest Buckner and 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye, who is going into a fifth-year option season. Grover Stewart is also in place as a run-stopping presence inside. The Colts ranked 24th against the run last season. After the team deviated from its general Ballard-years M.O. by splurging for secondary help (Camryn Bynum, Charvarius Ward) in free agency, D-line aid may be coming in the draft.
Saints Showed Interest In Charvarius Ward; Latest On Brandin Cooks’ Return
Once again, the Saints crawled out of cap hell to create enough space to make some notable offseason additions. This included re-signing Chase Young and Juwan Johnson and adding Justin Reid to team with the player he replaced in Kansas City, Tyrann Mathieu. The latter also recommitted to the team on a reworked contract.
New Orleans, however, wanted to retain Paulson Adebo as well. Younger than the other top cornerbacks on this year’s market, Adebo came off the free agency board early via a three-year, $54MM Giants deal. Adebo’s broken femur did not scare the Giants off, as a big market formed for a player who had operated as the Saints’ No. 1 corner — thanks to Marshon Lattimore‘s injury issues — for much of the past two seasons. In the hours that followed, the Saints attempted to pivot to one of the market’s other top CBs as a replacement.
The team showed interest in Charvarius Ward, according to ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, but Adebo’s agreement looks to have helped shape the former All-Pro’s market. Despite coming off a down 2024, Ward attracted considerable interest — the Chiefs pursued a reunion — and ended up with a three-year, $54MM Colts deal. Ward did not match Adebo’s at-signing guarantee, locking in $27MM (to Adebo’s $34.75MM at signing), as he is three years older. But teams were interested in the standout ex-49ers and Chiefs cover man.
The Saints did not make a notable cornerback addition in free agency, which came months after they traded Lattimore to the Commanders for a three-pick haul. The team did bring back Isaac Yiadom, who had submitted some quality work before leaving for San Francisco in 2024, but the draft will bring a glaring need otherwise. After carrying a Lattimore-Adebo-Alontae Taylor trio, the Saints need to replenish their coverage cadre.
Needs loomed at receiver coming into free agency, after a season that saw Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed miss extensive time. Both are due back, but the Saints have been unable to rely on receivers for many years now. Their Michael Thomas extension went south quickly, as numerous injuries plagued a player that appeared on a Hall of Fame track at the time he signed the megadeal. Thomas did not play last season. One of Thomas’ former teammates, though, will help fill the void alongside Olave and Shaheed. Brandin Cooks is back on a two-year, $13MM deal that came with $7.75MM guaranteed at signing.
Cooks, 31, is also coming off a season shortened by injury. The oft-traded pass catcher missed seven games during his second Cowboys season; a knee infection shut him down as Dallas’ season shifted off course. Cooks, however, had proven durable — for the most part — in the years prior. The 12th-year wideout, who starred with the Saints from 2014-16 before his trade odyssey began, said (via Terrell) wide receivers coach Keith Williams played a key role in his choosing a New Orleans reunion. A holdover from Klint Kubiak‘s 2024 staff, Williams also attempted to recruit Cooks when he was a staffer at Fresno State.
Williams’ Fresno State years overlapped with Derek Carr‘s, and after Williams’ recruiting effort did not ultimately sway a teenage Cooks, the wide receiver said his belief in Carr was also part of the reason he returned to New Orleans. Reports of Carr’s shoulder injury now threaten to throw a wrench into that partnership coming to fruition, though it is still a bit early here. Regardless of the Saints’ QB situation, they have Cooks (six 1,000-yard seasons) as a proven option complementing Olave and Shaheed.
Cooks’ contract also contains $1.5MM in catch- and touchdown-based incentives, Terrell adds. He would need to reach 60 receptions to trigger the lowest of three $250K bonuses on that end; TD-wise, Cooks would need to score five to begin triggering the $250K bumps. Cooks has not cleared 60 catches in a season since 2021, though he does have three seasons of at least six TDs over the past five years.
Bengals, Cowboys, Panthers Meet With RB TreVeyon Henderson; Latest On Ohio State RBs
TreVeyon Henderson took the unusual step of returning to school for a fourth season as a high-profile running back. The decision put more mileage on the four-year Ohio State cog’s odometer, but the arrival of Quinshon Judkins lightened the workload. Both players are now part of a deep RB class, with each candidates to potentially become first-round picks.
A four-year Buckeyes contributor, Henderson offers an all-around skillset that has naturally attracted considerable interest during the pre-draft process. Three potential suitors have emerged. The Bengals, Cowboys and Panthers met with Henderson, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board ranks Henderson 34th and Judkins 38th, and Schultz adds Henderson has gone through with Zoom meetings with teams beyond the above-referenced trio. Although Ashton Jeanty and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton are regarded as the top two backs in this year’s class, the Buckeye pair may not last long into Round 2 — if the 1,000-1,000 duo makes it there at all.
While Judkins transferred from Ole Miss in 2024, Henderson arrived in Columbus as a five-star recruit in 2021. Injuries slowed the highly touted back in 2022 and ’23, calling into question a decision to stay in school rather than risk another setback before rookie-contract money emerged. But NIL has changed the college landscape, offering chances for players to cash in while still in college. Henderson capitalized and stayed healthy in 2024, boosting his stock during Ohio State’s national championship-winning season.
Although Judkins led the team in rushing, Henderson (1,016 yards), averaged a career-best 7.1 on 144 carries. (Henderson averaged 6.8 per tote on 183 carries in 2021.) That 183-handoff season was Henderson’s highwater mark, adding to the pre-draft appeal. Henderson also has displayed more as a receiver compared to his one-year teammate, an element that has created a three-down profile and increases the prospect it might take a Day 1 pick to add him.
The Cowboys may not be the team to use a first-round pick on a running back, and while the team met with Jeanty and Hampton, ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid indicates Dallas has also expressed interest in adding one of the Buckeye backs in Round 2. The Cowboys hold the Nos. 12 and 44 picks to open their draft.
Cincinnati also scheduled a Judkins visit. The team did not see its Zack Moss agreement lead to reliable production, and while the former Bills and Colts contributor is still under contract, Chase Brown emerged as a better option. Questions about Brown’s three-down ability have come, and the Bengals’ meetings with the 2024 Ohio State duo may well confirm internal uncertainty there.
Carolina made the first RB pick in last year’s draft, one that did not feature a backfield crop on the level of the 2025 cadre. The Panthers would seemingly be on the lookout for a Chuba Hubbard complement, having extended the former Matt Rhule fourth-round pick before seeing 2024 second-rounder Jonathon Brooks suffer a second ACL tear. Brooks’ return window may not open until late in the 2025 season, and with two ACL tears in two years, his NFL trajectory has been altered.
The Commanders have come up as another team that could be interested, as Reid suggests RB could be an early area the team addresses. Brian Robinson is entering a contract year, and Austin Ekeler has battled injuries over the past two seasons. The pass-catching back will turn 30 in May. The Broncos are planning to draft a back, and it would not surprise if the team — one that may be lacking a starter-level option — dives in early.
Bears High On RB Ashton Jeanty
D’Andre Swift was the first free agent to commit during last year’s legal tampering period. The Eagles had eyed a re-signing, but in a rather seminal development, their 2023 starter’s price tag moved outside their comfort zone. This sent Swift to Chicago (on a three-year, $24MM deal) and Saquon Barkley to Philly.
While not one of the forerunners of the 2024 running back resurgence, Swift skated to a quietly productive season with the Bears. He tallied a career-high 1,345 scrimmage yards, averaging 9.2 per catch and nearly reaching 1,000 on the ground. He has also shaken early-career injury concerns, missing just one game over the past two seasons. Swift now reunites with Ben Johnson, whose first OC season overlapped with Swift’s Detroit finale.
That year did not go especially well for Swift, who griped about his usage while Jamaal Williams took over lead-back duties. Now, Johnson’s staff may have their eyes on a major running back investment. The Bears are believed to “love” Ashton Jeanty, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller notes.
A Heisman runner-up who made a run at Barry Sanders‘ hallowed Division I-FBS single-season rushing record, Jeanty is widely expected to be the first running back off the board later this month. The Bears, Cowboys and Raiders scheduled visits with the dynamic Boise State product, who posted a staggering 2,601 rushing yards to go with 30 touchdowns. Travis Hunter‘s two-way season narrowly edged this transcendent RB performance, but Jeanty is not expected to go off the board too much later despite the former’s advantage in positional value. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slots Jeanty third overall.
The Raiders hold the No. 6 overall pick, giving them an edge on a Bears team sitting 10th. The Cowboys check in 12th in Round 1. Swift’s contract also includes a $7.39MM base salary guarantee in 2025, though nothing is guaranteed beyond this season. Rostering Swift and a highly drafted back might not be a major issue for a Bears team that already remade its interior O-line in March and one that features a rookie-QB salary headlining its roster. But Chicago’s interest in Jeanty may also be tested; he is far from a lock to be there at No. 10.