Jets To Re-Sign LB Jamien Sherwood
Jamien Sherwood‘s contract year will bring a considerable reward. The three-year backup-turned-C.J. Mosley fill-in has landed a high-end deal to stay with the Jets.
Gang Green will pay Sherwood $45MM over three years, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Sherwood will pull in $30MM guaranteed at signing. While the Jets could certainly have an issue with Quincy Williams at this point, due to the gap between the two LBs’ money, Sherwood is staying ahead of his age-25 season.
The Jets have Williams signed to only a three-year, $18MM deal. Williams, who has an All-Pro honor on his resume, is heading into a contract year now tied to less than half of what Sherwood is now making. It would stand to reason the Jets, who are expected to cut Mosley, will give Williams an update. Though, a new regime is making the calls now; that will be a storyline to monitor for Gang Green.
A former fifth-round pick, Sherwood capitalized on Mosley’s absence and led the NFL with 98 solo tackles. He made 158 stops overall and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 off-ball linebacker. Sherwood had combined for only 77 tackles over his first three seasons, as Mosley and Williams formed one of the NFL’s top LB duos.
A Cinderella story of sorts formed behind them, as the player who had been an afterthought fetched a deal north of where Mosley was last season. The new Jets regime certainly liked what it saw in Sherwood’s first extended run of defensive playing time.
Sherwood and Nick Bolton are now tied as the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid ILBs, with each agreeing to terms today. Bolton has proven far more, as a four-year starter on a perennially sound defense, but Sherwood came on strong enough he generated considerable momentum ahead of free agency. Although the Patriots looked into Sherwood — who had possible landing spots with Jeff Ulbrich (Falcons) and Robert Saleh (49ers) — the Jets are keeping him off the market.
Steelers Expected To Make Offer To Sam Darnold; Latest On Jets’ Justin Fields Effort
Sam Darnold-Seahawks connections came in hot after the Geno Smith trade, and Seattle may well reside as the 2024 Vikings starter’s most likely destination. But other teams will drive up the bidding.
The Titans have been closely tied to Darnold, as they are not considered likely (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick) to pursue a reclamation project like Daniel Jones or one of the failed 2021 first-round picks. But Tennessee may not be the only team that pursues Darnold. After being closely tied to Justin Fields throughout the winter, the Steelers are expected to see what it will take to land Darnold.
Pittsburgh is expected to make Darnold an offer, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. PFR’s No. 1 free agent, Darnold will almost definitely cost more than Fields. And the Steelers going from a veteran-minimum contract and a rookie-scale deal at QB to Darnold would be an amazing jump for a team that has not paid top-tier money at the position since the 2010s.
Fields, however, remains the focus for Pittsburgh, Russini adds. Jets interest in Fields has built since the Combine, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Steelers hold more than $63MM in cap space; the Jets check in at just more than $51MM.
Fields would bring scheme familiarity and a lower price tag, but the Jets have gained steam as a suitor. New York’s interest, as the team is not going to be a Darnold suitor for obvious reasons, may be heavy for Fields, with Russini adding the Jets are viewed as team showing “strong” interest. We heard over the weekend the Jets would be a top threat to the Steelers’ effort to re-sign Fields. That appears quite real. The Jets going from Rodgers to Fields would mark a passing downgrade, but the latter is only going into his age-26 season. He is two years younger than Darnold and clearly still has fans in NFL front offices and on coaching staffs.
The Steelers losing out on Fields could drive them to make a genuine push for Darnold, but they could also merely pivot to Russell Wilson, whose market should not rival Fields’ — the Steelers’ 2024 depth chart notwithstanding — or perhaps Aaron Rodgers. The polarizing veteran is unlikely to land in Pittsburgh, per the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly, but the veteran Steelers reporter indicates he could be an option.
The Falcons have not yet budged on Kirk Cousins, intending to (for now, at least) keep him as their backup. Cousins would be a Wilson-like option, as another team would be paying him, for 2025 should he be released. Wilson has spoken with the Steelers this offseason but has long hovered as plan B, and now that Smith has reunited with Pete Carroll, one other option is off the table. Thus far, we have not heard serious talk of a potential Seahawks-Wilson reunion.
Darnold’s price tag impacting the Steelers’ ability to build around him and Fields’ struggles as a passer do not place the Steelers in a great spot here. They do have a strong defense, one Rodgers could conceivably complement, as we suggested back in December. (Though, an upper-crust Jets defensive nucleus just went 5-12.) But the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016. That raises the stakes for them to identify the right player this offseason. If a Fields second season is not in the cards, paying more for Darnold appears on the radar.
Vikings Considering Re-Signing Daniel Jones; Colts In Play For QB?
MARCH 9: As Darnold nears a trip to free agency, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports retaining Jones is still a distinct possibility. The Colts are the other top contender in this situation, she adds. Other quarterbacks will no doubt receive more attention over the coming days as the early portion of free agency unfolds, but Jones could have his next deal in place rather soon.
MARCH 2: Lost in the shuffle among this year’s free agent quarterback crop, Daniel Jones still looms as a potential bridge option for a team. After Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold rejuvenated their careers on one-year deals in recent years, Jones could be in play for a team eyeing a similar rebound for a once-highly regarded prospect.
Jones had more time with his initial team (by a wide margin) than those players, potentially reducing the chances he can still be a starter-caliber passer, but interest remains in the six-year Giants starter. Holding exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until March 10, the Vikings remain in play to re-sign him in a plan that would not include Darnold.
As Minnesota has until 3pm CT March 4 to use its franchise tag on Darnold, the team could go with a cheaper plan while passing on cuffing its 2024 starter. The prospect of the Vikings re-signing Jones as J.J. McCarthy insurance is believed to be a true consideration, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would set Darnold up to hit the market as the top QB option and essentially thrust Jones into the role Darnold held going into the Vikes’ 2024 offseason program. This is not the first time Jones taking Darnold’s Twin Cities spot has come up.
Although a report pegged McCarthy as having work to do — following two knee surgeries — to solidify himself as the Minnesota starter, Fowler pushes back on that by indicating the Michigan alum has already shown he can be the team’s franchise QB. Considering McCarthy lost his entire rookie year due to a meniscus tear, it would be difficult for the Vikings to truly express confidence in their preferred 2025 option being ready. But the team showing this much confidence already would seem to point Darnold out of town.
The Vikings signed Jones to their practice squad last November, keeping him there until January. Jones was not active for Minnesota’s wild-card game, separating this from the situation in which Mayfield used a Rams stopover to help generate some momentum. Jones has next to no momentum after disappointing on his four-year, $160MM Giants extension, but he is a former No. 6 overall pick who will only be going into his age-28 season. Considering Kevin O’Connell‘s acumen coaching QBs, Jones on a bridge deal would be a sensible option for a Vikings team with lucrative contracts at receiver and tight end.
Minnesota has still kept its Darnold card close to the vest, though it would seem the only way he would stay is in the case of a franchise tag, which a recent report tabbed as unlikely. Darnold has a chance to score a much bigger contract, after making the Pro Bowl on the original ballot in a 2024 breakthrough, compared to the one-year, $10MM he inked with the Vikes last March. While his exit would allow for Jones to take his place, Darnold receiving the tag would force Jones to look elsewhere. Even if the Vikings do not tag Darnold, they would need to fend off other suitors for Jones.
One could be the Colts, whom Fowler adds he heard connected to Jones on multiple occasions recently. The Colts are ready to insert Anthony Richardson into a legitimate competition. While the team would understandably hope the former No. 4 overall pick wins it, Richardson’s rampant accuracy issues — before and after a midseason benching — have created a need in Indianapolis. A Jones-Richardson competition would not exactly inspire confidence, but Shane Steichen also played a key role in developing Jalen Hurts. The Colts would hope he can do more with Jones than Brian Daboll could.
Justin Fields, Trey Lance and a Jacoby Brissett reunion are also believed to be options for the Colts, Fowler adds. Indy would need to pay up for Fields, who has been connected to just about every QB-needy team this offseason. The Steelers appear to have him prioritized over Russell Wilson, while the Giants, Jets and Raiders are also being tied to the 2021 first-rounder. Lance-Richardson would be a wild matchup, like a crossroads fight in boxing, as both have not come close to justifying their draft slots. Lance also would not bring much insurance, given his struggles and inexperience.
Brissett has a history of helping the Colts out as a short-term solution, being an emergency Andrew Luck fill-in in 2017 and 2019. He signed a two-year, $30MM Colts extension but left in free agency after backing up Philip Rivers in 2020. Brissett has signed one-year deals in each of the past four offseasons and is unlikely to stay with the Patriots.
Justin Fields Likely To Test Market; Steelers Looking Into Outside QB Addition
The Steelers have been talking to both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson for weeks, but no signing has taken place. It can naturally be assumed complications have interfered with the team’s rumored plan to retain Fields. Recent reports seem to indicate that is the case.
We heard Friday that Fields has a burgeoning market, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini points to the young QB reaching free agency to hear offers from other clubs. The Jets will be one of the teams in pursuit, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. A Jets-Fields connection emerged recently, and with two options on this market not in play for Gang Green (Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers, the latter of whom about to be a Jets release), Fields would make sense — as a bridge if nothing else.
Other teams have interest in Fields, too, Rapoport adds. This will drive up the Steeler backup’s price and test the AFC North team’s resolve. As the Steelers have been primarily connected to only Fields and Wilson, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports the team has not dismissed pursuing an outside free agent to solve its QB issue.
The team has enjoyed plenty of time to both evaluate their in-house options and conduct negotiations, even though it does not talk extensions in-season. Both passers have clashed with the coaching staff, though. Fields was understandably upset when Mike Tomlin overruled player and staffer support to keep him as a starter, but the veteran HC did not turn back to Fields after making the call to bench him for Wilson once the latter recovered from his calf injury. The Steelers’ Wilson path started well but ended badly, with the team losing its final five games.
Wilson also clashed with OC Arthur Smith, with Dulac adding the two disagreed about the state of the offense. Wilson being upset about an offense’s direction would continue a refrain. He had disagreed with Pete Carroll‘s plan in Seattle, at the height of the “Let Russ cook” movement, and received tremendous input into the direction of the Denver offense during Nathaniel Hackett‘s doomed HC stay. Sean Payton and Wilson did not prove a fit, as a messy divorce commenced. Wilson has been expected to leave Pittsburgh, but if Fields is lured away by a strong offer elsewhere, the 36-year-old may need to be a fallback option.
If the Steelers are to look outside for a new QB, they would have options in Darnold, Rodgers, Daniel Jones and perhaps Kirk Cousins. Beyond Darnold, these options would serve as temporary fixes. Rodgers and Cousins, though, would remind of Wilson’s situations, as other teams would be on the hook for the veterans’ salaries. As of now, however, the Falcons are holding firm on Cousins. A release remains a possibility, however.
The Jets not having Rodgers or Darnold as options and sitting behind the Titans, Browns and Giants in the draft would stand to ramp up a Fields push. The former three-year Bears starter could serve as a multiyear option in New York, which as an OC (Tanner Engstrand) who observed Fields closely while on an NFC North staff. Fields going into his age-26 season would appeal to suitors as well. If Darnold is now most likely to be a Seahawk, the Fields domino would be next to fall.
The Steelers have until 11am CT Monday to keep him off the market. As of now, that appears unlikely to happen. Were Fields to remain unsigned by that point, the Steelers could still bring him back. They would just have to bid against other teams to do so.
Vikings Not Expected To Re-Sign Sam Darnold; Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers On Radar
Friday’s Raiders-Seahawks trade has shaken up the quarterback market. As Geno Smith‘s relocation moved the Seahawks into the group of teams needing a quarterback, Sam Darnold immediately became connected to Seattle. That has changed his status with the Vikings.
Although the Vikings came out of the franchise tag deadline with interest in retaining their 2024 starter at a lower rate, that no longer looks to be in play. In the wake of the Smith trade, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports the Vikings are not expected to re-sign Darnold. They are now focused on other options.
As J.J. McCarthy moves closer to the starting role, a Darnold defection will allow the Vikes to focus on a cheaper option. On that note, Daniel Jones remains in play to stay. Jones will not bring nearly the price tag Darnold will, but the Vikings might not be the only team that views the ex-Giant as a player who could conceivably traverse the Smith, Darnold and Baker Mayfield trajectory. A Colts-Jones link emerged earlier this week, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms Indianapolis will be a factor for Jones as they search for a veteran to compete with Anthony Richardson.
In addition to Jones, a much bigger name lurks. As the Giants have been the team primarily linked to Aaron Rodgers, Rapoport adds the Vikings loom as a dark horse for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Yes, Rodgers continuing to follow Brett Favre‘s late-2000s career path appears realistic. McCarthy is on track to practice in the spring, per Pelissero, but the Vikings remain expected to add a veteran as a stopgap — at the very least. Rodgers having options may dissuade him from a placeholder scenario like this, but it is not like the Giants would call it a day if they signed the 41-year-old QB.
Rodgers’ path to Minnesota would be slightly different than Favre’s, as the latter’s Packers successor spent two seasons with the Jets as opposed to one. A since-outlawed poison-pill provision stipulated the Jets would have needed to send the Packers three first-round picks had they traded Favre to the Vikings — the QB’s first choice back when Rodgers took over in Green Bay. After Favre retirement No. 2, the Jets merely cut Favre and watched as he joined the Vikings months later. He spent two years in Minnesota, with the first season going much better than the second. Rodgers is about to be cut, and Minnesota needs a veteran.
With no prospect on the Giants’ roster just yet, Rodgers could have a chance to be a full-season starter with the Big Apple’s NFC team. Though, the Giants have been closely tied to a trade-up for Cam Ward. Still, that is not a lock to take place. A veteran who joins Big Blue has a clearer path to keeping the job throughout 2025 compared to one who signs with the Vikings, who are close to beginning McCarthy’s time as a first-stringer. That will affect Minnesota’s QB approach.
The Vikings had elevated Jones from their practice squad late last season but did not dress him as Darnold’s backup in their wild-card game. Nick Mullens did so, but Jones — after six seasons of starter work with the Giants — would be in place to become McCarthy’s primary 2025 backup if he re-signs.
As Darnold’s market soared thanks to his bounce-back season in Kevin O’Connell‘s QB-friendly offense, Jones staying has always loomed as a possibility. With Darnold-Seahawks ties quickly emerging after the Raiders’ Smith acquisition, Jones being a much cheaper post-Darnold solution is not too difficult to envision. Will Jones be the Vikings’ preference to Rodgers?
Raiders Declined Seahawks’ Offer For Maxx Crosby; Sam Darnold Likely To Choose Seattle?
The Seahawks aimed much higher in a Geno Smith trade compared to what they eventually received. Fetching a third-round pick three years after their Russell Wilson trade brought eight assets back, the Seahawks asked the Raiders about a player who drew trade interest before last year’s deadline.
Seattle included Maxx Crosby in its trade talks with Las Vegas, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who indicates the NFC West team asked for Crosby in a trade that would have sent Smith and D.K. Metcalf to the Raiders. The Raiders quickly informed the Seahawks Crosby was a non-starter, and the team reached a record-setting extension with the star edge rusher earlier this week.
As Metcalf still looms as a trade possibility, the Seahawks will have a new starting quarterback in 2025. They have become the lead suitor for Sam Darnold, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adding that several execs around the league expect Darnold to end up in Seattle. The Titans have also emerged as a front-line Darnold suitor, but that looks to have changed after this Smith trade, which has brought several Darnold-Seattle links.
Mark Davis said last year Crosby was not available, and although another trade link emerged early this offseason, no serious traction came out of it. The Raiders have since signed Crosby to a three-year, $106.5MM extension. That deal came together quickly, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicating it took only “a matter of hours” for the sides to hammer out the extension. That is rather surprising, considering that Crosby set a new non-QB contract record despite only agreeing to a three-year term.
Crosby will receive $62.5MM guaranteed at signing, Florio adds, with that figure including his 2025 and ’26 base salaries. Crosby’s 2027 base salary ($29MM) is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. That will amount to a practical guarantee, as the Raiders will be extraordinarily unlikely to move on from Crosby next year. Crosby’s 2028 and ’29 base salaries are nonguaranteed.
It is worth wondering if the Seahawks and Raiders’ Smith talks impacted the Crosby extension. Even if they did not, Seattle attempting to land the dominant pass rusher in a package that would have reunited Pete Carroll with Metcalf as well is quite noteworthy. The Raiders could still acquire Metcalf and/or Tyler Lockett, the latter becoming a free agent minutes before the younger Seahawks wideout’s trade request surfaced. The Seahawks want the Metcalf trade matter resolved by the draft.
Metcalf was linked to preferring a warm-weather city and landing in a place with more quarterback stability. This could certainly be perceived as a knock on Smith, and ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry adds that the Smith trade — and Darnold-to-Seattle rumors — could alter the Metcalf conversation in Seattle. Darnold has not been as good as Smith on the whole, though the Vikings QB outplayed the former Comeback Player of the Year in 2024.
Darnold is now expected to leave Minnesota, and it will be interesting to see how far Seattle will need to go contractually to land the breakthrough passer. The Seahawks’ offense will lack the overall weaponry the Vikings’ provided, especially if the team trades Metcalf. Keeping Metcalf would make the Seahawks more appealing to Darnold, even though Jaxon Smith-Njigba authored a breakout season. Darnold will understandably want to know how serious the Seahawks are about moving Metcalf before he commits, as other suitors’ offers could still impact a Darnold-to-Seattle path.
Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Will Not Be Charged In Domestic Violence Case
6:16pm: Worthy will not be charged in this case, Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said (via Tyler Davis and Claire Osborn of the Austin American-Statesman). This case has been declined after discussions with multiple witness along with Worthy and his attorneys. Barring the arrival of new information which could lead to prosecution being sought, the matter will be therefore be closed.
9:01am: Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested Friday night in Texas on a charge of assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation, Fox26’s Will Kunkel reports. Worthy, 21, is currently in the Williamson County Jail, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Kirk Bohls. This is a felony domestic violence charge, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Chosen in last year’s first round, Worthy impressed and played a central role in the Chiefs’ third straight Super Bowl appearance. However, he has run into what could be significant off-field trouble. This arrest comes less than a year after 2023 Chiefs second-round pick Rashee Rice‘s involvement in a street-racing incident, which brought eight felony charges. The Chiefs are gathering information on Worthy’s arrest, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds.
Worthy’s attorneys released a statement indicating (via the Austin American-Statesman’s Cedric Golden) indicated the victim was a woman who “was recently asked to leave Mr. Worthy’s residence upon discovery of her infidelity. She had made a number of extortive efforts prior to this baseless allegation.” The third-degree felony charge carries a penalty of between two and 10 years in prison, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher notes. Even if the charge could be reduced to a misdemeanor, Worthy will be facing a potential NFL suspension.
Rice remains expected to face a suspension. The Chiefs have shown a tremendous tolerance for off-field problems; they have continually seen key players run into trouble. Wide receiver has been the most common roster spot to cause such problems for the Chiefs, dating back to Tyreek Hill‘s issues and involving Justyn Ross‘ placement on the commissioner’s exempt list after a 2023 arrest.
The ex-Texas Longhorn joined the Chiefs as last year’s No. 28 overall pick. The team traded up (via the Bills) to land the player who set the Combine 40-yard dash record. Worthy started slowly but became a more consistent piece of Kansas City’s offense down the stretch, totaling at least 40 receiving yards in each game he played from Week 11 on. Worthy finished his rookie season with 638 receiving yards and 104 more on the ground, producing nine touchdowns.
Worthy also scored two TDs in Super Bowl LIX. Aided by garbage time in the Chiefs’ blowout loss, Worthy set a rookie Super Bowl record with 157 receiving yards (on eight catches). He will be expected to team with Rice to give the Chiefs a better receiving corps than they trotted out in 2024, but Worthy’s charge provides a significant early-career impediment.
This familiar territory for the Chiefs comes days before free agency. As the three-time reigning AFC champions will need to consider veteran options as potential Rice stopgaps, as the SMU alum is rehabbing a season-ending knee injury. Worthy’s status may now factor into Kansas City’s plans.
Chiefs To Re-Sign WR Marquise Brown
Two of the Chiefs’ wide receiver starters were set to hit free agency, but a Saturday agreement will chop that total to one. Marquise Brown is re-signing with the team, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
Brown agreed to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $11MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero add. This deal comes after Brown missed 15 regular-season games due to a shoulder injury. Although injury trouble has become a regular occurrence for Brown, the former Ravens and Cardinals wideout will attempt to bounce back in an offense he learned last year.
Free agency brought Brown to Kansas City last year, as the former first-round pick signed for just $7MM in base value. While incentives were part of the deal, Brown lost out on that route after suffering an SC joint injury that required surgery. Brown did make his return in Week 16, but he did not make much of an impact in the playoffs for a Chiefs team that saw its threepeat bid end with a blowout Super Bowl loss.
Brown, 28 this year, caught nine passes for 91 yards in his two regular-season games with the Chiefs. He added just five catches for 50 yards in the team’s three playoff games. The Chiefs will bet on the 5-foot-9 receiver showing better form next season, when the team will hope for better luck on the health front for the former Ravens and Cardinals starter.
Coming into the NFL with a first-round pedigree, the Oklahoma alum’s stock has trended downward since a 1,000-yard season in 2021. The Ravens managed to trade Brown for a package that included a first-rounder, but he missed eight total games with the Cardinals and did not clear 800 yards in a season. Brown was with Arizona during its period that brought Kyler Murray ACL rehab; the Cardinals lost Murray in December 2022 and did not have him back until November 2023. Brown also dealt with health trouble, suffering a foot fracture in 2022 and a heel injury that nagged him in 2023. Brown topped out at 709 yards during his two-year Arizona tenure.
The Chiefs have seen their post-Tyreek Hill receiver plans largely fail to pan out. The Chiefs have struggled at this position over the past two years, seeing injuries and underperformance reduce a former offensive juggernaut to a station-to-station offense that grew to rely more on a better defense and late-game escapes. Kadarius Toney did not pan out, and Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4 last season. DeAndre Hopkins largely did not impress after being a trade pickup. Although Rice and Xavier Worthy respectively came on down the stretches of the 2023 and ’24 seasons, both have been arrested over the past year. Worthy’s domestic violence arrest Friday places him on the suspension radar along with Rice.
These issues leave the Chiefs in need of having available receivers. Brown is far from a beacon of availability, but the Chiefs may need to lean on him more when Rice’s likely suspension commences and if Worthy ends up facing a ban as well.
Raiders Still In Play To Draft First-Round QB
The Raiders have their 2025 starting quarterback, needing to give up only a third-round pick for him. Geno Smith‘s reunion with Pete Carroll checked off the most important box for the Raiders during their offseason, and a new contract will be expected for the ex-Seahawk.
A meeting between Carroll, Tom Brady, John Spytek, Chip Kelly and QBs coach Greg Olson charted a course after the Raiders’ Matthew Stafford effort failed. The team wanted to have an established veteran over an untested rookie, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, who indicates the meeting came after “several members” of the Raiders’ offensive staff preferred a vet.
That said, the Raiders have still acquired a soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback. While Smith’s presence could allow the Raiders to reset and table their need to draft a passer — perhaps when more appealing QB draft classes emerge after 2025 — but Reed adds this trade is not expected to take the Raiders out of the mix for a first-round QB investment this year entirely.
The Raiders may need to keep this up to make their pick more valuable in a potential trade, as smokescreen efforts regularly involve quarterbacks, but the team has done extensive homework on Round 1 passes in each of the past two years. Of course, two different regimes went through those process. Spytek and Brady will lead this one. A quarterback chosen outside the first round also may be in play.
Already linked to Jalen Milroe recently, the Raiders were particularly impressed with he and Texas’ Quinn Ewers after going through concepts with them at the Combine, per Reed. Both players are not currently viewed as first-round prospects, but we have seen QB prospects vault to that status during the pre-draft process many times in the draft. How teams fill their positions in free agency will also impact perception on these two, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough ahead of the draft. The Raiders were linked to a Cam Ward trade-up, but now that they have Smith, it seems highly unlikely they would move up for the Miami passer. Shedeur Sanders may well be available at No. 6, though the Colorado product’s stock his falling.
The Seahawks had put off adding a Smith heir apparent in the 2023 and ’24 drafts, and while they had not seen their QB match his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year form, Smith remained a solid option under center. He finished 14th in QBR in 2023 and started 17 games last season, though his QBR fell to 21st.
Smith saw his interceptions climb to 15 but also matched his 2022 yards per attempt figure (7.5) and established a new high for completion percentage (70.4) with a mark that bettered his NFL-leading 2022 number (69.8). Smith should provide the Raiders with flexibility, likely giving them a multi-season starter.
Nothing had gone especially well for the Raiders at quarterback since they cut Derek Carr. Neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Gardner Minshew proved the answer, with each being benched during stays that involved injuries and, eventually, post-June 1 cuts. The Raiders will need a Smith heir apparent in the not-too-distant future, but taking a Day 2 QB and evaluating him this year would not cut into the team’s resources to build around Smith too much.
Bengals To Re-Sign TE Mike Gesicki
Playing for three teams over the past three years, Mike Gesicki has been unable to land a lucrative deal despite being franchise-tagged in 2022. That will change soon for the veteran tight end.
The Bengals have a deal in place to retain Gesicki, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds it is a three-year contract worth $25.5MM. This marks a change of pace for Gesicki, who had signed one-year deals (with the Patriots and Bengals) after his Dolphins franchise tag season.
Cincinnati had gone from C.J. Uzomah to Irv Smith Jr. to Hayden Hurst to Gesicki at tight end over the past four seasons. As his Dolphins days show, Gesicki is the best receiving option out of this group. He showed that form last season, accumulating 665 receiving yards (10.2 per catch) and two touchdowns. This represented an important offseason for Gesicki, who will turn 30 in October. He was running out of time to secure a notable multiyear deal.
Gesicki’s career veered off course after the Dolphins tagged him in 2022. Despite unholstering the tag to keep the productive pass catcher in the fold, Mike McDaniel did not turn to him much in his first season. As Tyreek Hill took over Miami’s passing game, Gesicki shifted to a tertiary role. He went from 780 yards in 2021 to 362 in 2022. That set up a modest 2023 market, as the Patriots added the former second-round pick for just $4.5MM. That checked in well behind what Hurst fetched from the Panthers.
Another substandard season (29 catches, 244 yards) for Gesicki led to a worse 2024 contract — a one-year, $2.5MM Bengals deal. The Penn State product was able to reverse this trend, as the Bengals are committing to keeping Joe Burrow‘s troops in-house. After endless rumors indicating Tee Higgins would leave in 2025, the longtime Cincy No. 2 receiver has been re-tagged while an extension is now planned. Gesicki represents more capital devoted to the team’s pass-catching group, but the Bengals no longer appear likely to pay Trey Hendrickson. The reigning sack king is free to explore trades with the aim of being paid elsewhere.
Never much of a blocker, Gesicki still provided the Bengals with their most receiving yards by a tight end since Jermaine Gresham in 2012. This will give the Bengals a key weapon to keep going alongside Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, though the price is skyrocketing for a team that had Chase and Gesicki on bargain rates last season.