Chiefs Discussing Joe Thuney Trade; Bears Among Interested Teams
The Chiefs were one of two teams to use the franchise tag this year, cuffing fifth-year guard Trey Smith. The team has barely a week to move under the salary cap. A route being explored appears to be a trade of their more experienced starting guard.
Kansas City is discussing Joe Thuney in trades, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. Thuney is heading into the final year of his contract and coming off back-to-back first-team All-Pro seasons. The Bears, who traded for Jonah Jackson on Tuesday, are among the interested teams, Russini adds.
As of Wednesday morning, the Chiefs are more than $18MM over the cap. While the three-time reigning AFC champions will need to prepare to lose some other free agents — Nick Bolton and Justin Reid perhaps among them — they will at least need to move under the cap and carve out some spending room to address other priorities. Left tackle is believed to be a place where the Chiefs are investigating, with Thuney’s final game of the season exposing him as overmatched while moonlighting there.
Smith is going into his age-26 season; Thuney will turn 33 in November. Swapping out an older guard’s salary for their younger guard standout is logical, even if Thuney has proven to be one of the best players at his position. Thuney, who also has two second-team All-Pro nods on his resume, would stand to attract interest. He is entering the final season of a five-year, $80MM contract; no guaranteed money remains on the deal.
Thuney is due a $15.5MM base salary in 2025 and will be set to carry a $26.97MM cap number. An acquiring team could reduce that via an extension, even if Thuney is moving close to his mid-30s. The nine-year veteran has started all 146 games he has played and has collected four Super Bowl rings. Thuney did not start for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, and while he endured a tough night against the Eagles last month, he was at his LG spot when the Chiefs beat them to win Super Bowl LVII.
The Bears have reunited Ben Johnson with Jackson, a four-year Lions starter. A move for Thuney would mark a reunion for GM Ryan Poles, who was with the Chiefs when they signed Thuney in 2021. As the Chiefs have paid Creed Humphrey and have Jawaan Taylor locked into a 2025 salary, they have put their most accomplished O-lineman on the trade block. The Bears used Teven Jenkins and Matt Pryor as their primary guards last season. A three-year Bears guard starter, Jenkins appears likely to leave in free agency next week.
Browns’ Joel Bitonio To Play In 2025
March 5: Bitonio will play for the Browns in 2025, per a team announcement. After considering retirement for two months, Bitonio opted to return to the NFL for another season in Cleveland.
March 4: Myles Garrett has requested a trade, and Denzel Ward indicated the Browns trading Garrett would impact his long-term plans in Cleveland. As moving parts remain for Browns still contracted, the team may not have to worry about replacing one of the best offensive linemen in team history just yet.
Joel Bitonio has not made his retirement call yet, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates the Browns are optimistic he will return for a 12th season. The optimism is at a place where the Browns do not appear to be closely monitoring the guard market for a potential replacement.
[RELATED: Browns Dug In On Keeping Myles Garrett; Bills Also Interested?]
A Brown since the Ray Farmer years, Bitonio helped salvage — to a degree, at least — a disastrous Browns draft that included first-round selections of Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel. Bitonio has been an anchor on Cleveland’s O-line, taking that baton from Joe Thomas. The former second-round pick has been a Browns starter for 11 seasons, and he and Wyatt Teller have become one of the NFL’s best guard tandems.
Bitonio, 33, has not asked the Browns for a trade or release. It appears the Nevada alum will be a one-team player, as he is in a year-to-year stage regarding retirement. He is currently tied to a three-year, $48MM extension, which expires after the ’25 season. He is due a $3MM roster bonus March 15, per ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi, so a decision should be expected soon. If Bitonio does make the decision to retire, the Browns — thanks to their penchant for adding void years onto contracts to create cap space — would be tagged with $14.5MM in dead money this year.
Having made the past seven Pro Bowls, Bitonio is more notably a five-time All-Pro. No accolades came for the talented blocker until 2018, when the Browns began a Baker Mayfield-centered resurgence of sorts. Bitonio helped Mayfield lead the team to snapping a 17-year playoff drought in 2020 and then was back in place at his left guard post when Joe Flacco stormed to a stunning Comeback Player of the Year season to guide a battered Browns team to the playoffs. It would be a tall order for the Browns to replace Bitonio, especially considering the dead money coming when Deshaun Watson is in place to count more than $72MM on Cleveland’s 2025 cap.
Teller, 30, is under contract through the 2025 season as well; the Browns signed both guards to extensions during the 2022 season. They will need a post-2025 plan soon. That may mean extensions or identifying replacements. For now, however, the Browns expect Bitonio to reprise his role for a 12th season before reassessing retirement.
Saints To Release RB Jamaal Williams
The Saints entered Tuesday more than $47MM over the cap; they have barely a week to move into the black. In what will be a small part of this equation, the team is cutting Jamaal Williams, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2022, Williams was unable to make an impact in New Orleans. The Saints had signed the ex-Packers and Lions RB to a three-year, $12MM deal in 2023. This move will clear nearly $2MM off the Saints’ cap sheet.
Williams, 30 in April, was set to make $3.15MM in base salary next season. With the Saints using the oft-injured Kendre Miller as their top Alvin Kamara backup and having re-signed Clyde Edwards-Helaire this offseason, Williams was an obvious cap casualty. Though the Saints still have tremendous work to do to move under the cap by 3pm CT March 12, they have completed more arduous journeys before.
A spirited figure on Hard Knocks during the Lions’ 2021 summer HBO effort, Williams anchored Detroit’s rushing attack while on his second contract. Although D’Andre Swift had shown elusiveness on his rookie deal, the Lions gave Williams 262 carries during the 2022 season. He turned those into 1,066 yards and an NFL-high 17 rushing TDs. This gave him a springboard into free agency, though it came during a rough year for running backs.
The Lions attempted to re-sign Williams, but he turned down their offer. The terms of Detroit’s proposal were likely similar to David Montgomery‘s three-year, $18MM pact. Williams found less in terms of AAV in New Orleans but did see $8.15MM guaranteed at signing. He had played out a two-year, $6MM Lions deal. Williams has done well to score two modest RB contracts despite spending his career in committees, but he was unable to contribute much to the Saints’ cause.
The ex-Green Bay draftee gained just 304 rushing yards in 2023, despite making four starts in place of Kamara — who was suspended for three games that season. In 2024, that yardage number dropped to 164. Although a Week 18 Williams TD in 2023 — on a rogue play call via Jameis Winston — became a memorable part of the Saints-Falcons rivalry, Williams did not eclipse 3.5 yards per carry during his two New Orleans years.
CB Notes: Reed, Jets, Davis, Ward, Packers, Alexander, Hobbs, Raiders
As is the case at wide receiver, the cornerback market will feature several players who have been in free agency before. A handful of this batch of third-contract-seeking cover men, however, are under 30. D.J. Reed may lead this contingent, with SNY’s Connor Hughes indicating the three-year Jets starter is believed to be the top free agent corner on the market. The Jets are not expected to re-sign Reed, per Hughes and The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. This is certainly not too surprising, as the team paid slot corner Michael Carter last summer and has a top-market deal with Sauce Gardner on the horizon. Reed saw the writing on the wall as well, saying before his contract year he would test free agency. He has continued to point to an exit for months, and the former 49ers and Seahawks CB — who will turn 29 during the 2025 season — will soon see a strong market.
Here is the latest from the cornerback ranks:
- The Eagles took two 30-something CB contracts (for Darius Slay and James Bradberry) off their payroll this week, leaving the market for experienced vets at the position thin. Beyond Jalen Ramsey, Chidobe Awuzie (three years, $36MM) is the only boundary corner attached to an eight-figure-per-year salary on a third contract. That number should expand soon, with the cap going up by another $24MM and a host of late-20-somethings hitting the market. Two more names who should do well: Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward. Davis and Ward’s markets could reach the “high teens” in terms of AAV, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. That would be a substantial jump from where Awuzie is. Davis and Ward are each 28 and coming off three-year contracts, with the Buccaneers having traded Davis’ to the Lions. The 49ers extending Deommodore Lenoir points Ward out of town, while Davis did not discuss an extension with the Lions before season’s end. The Jaguars have been connected to the former Super Bowl LV starter.
- Another late-20-something corner could be joining this quartet soon. Although the Packers are shopping Jaire Alexander, Schultz adds many NFL staffers expect the team to move on via release. The Packers have been viewed as highly unlikely to keep the 28-year-old CB another year, as injuries keep intervening during a $21MM-per-year contract. Two years remain on Alexander’s accord. The Pack could save $17.1MM by designating Alexander as a post-June 1 cut; they would need to wait until the start of the 2025 league year (March 12) to cut him in that case.
- Not all of the notable corners hitting free agency will be gunning for a third contract. Nate Hobbs joins Paulson Adebo and Asante Samuel Jr. as regular starters set to test the market for the first time. Adebo is expected to, despite suffering a broken femur in October, garner significant interest. The Saints are interested in re-signing him. Hobbs is close to seeing an interesting market emerge. Despite an inability to stay healthy, the Raiders slot corner is being mentioned as a player who could command Kenny Moore-level money, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes, adding that significant interest is coming the four-year vet’s way. Moore’s third Colts contract came in at three years, $30MM last March. Taron Johnson soon upped the slot market to just beyond $10MM per annum. Although Hobbs is not as proven as those two players, he did generate trade interest from the 49ers and has four years of experience patrolling the slot for the Raiders.
Packers To Re-Sign K Brandon McManus
Brandon McManus‘ 2024 partnership with the Packers became mutually beneficial. The team had given the embattled kicker another chance, while the veteran stabilized a kicking situation that had been spotty.
The Packers are making sure that arrangement sticks for more than one season, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the sides have a deal in place. McManus agreed to a three-year, $15.3MM deal. The pact comes with a $5MM signing bonus. Green Bay brass had expressed interest in keeping McManus, and after a turbulent 2024, the former Super Bowl-winning kicker has another contract in place.
Last year was not a smooth one for McManus, whose Packers contract comes roughly 51 weeks after a one-year, $3.6MM Commanders agreement. After allegations of sexual assault (stemming from a September 2023 incident during a Jaguars international flight), Washington cut McManus. Two flight attendants accused McManus of sexual assault, leading the Commanders to cut bait. Last September, however, the NFL did not suspend the veteran specialist.
McManus, 33, denied wrongdoing but was hit with a civil suit by the anonymous flight attendants. An accusation of McManus trying to kiss one of the women while she was strapped into her seat emerged, with a separate allegation of the kicker “rubbing himself and grinding against them” led McManus back to free agency in June 2024 coming out of a mess that led to scrutiny into the Jaguars having alcohol on a team plane. The league not taking action led to McManus being given another opportunity. He made the most of it with the Packers.
In his first Packers game, McManus drilled a walk-off 45-yard field goal to lift the team over the Texans. That helped a Packers team that had seen Brayden Narveson struggle in the weeks prior. McManus proceeded to make 20 of 21 field goals to help Green Bay back to the playoffs. After the team made 2023 draftee Anders Carlson a one-and-done as Mason Crosby‘s successor, McManus is now in that chair. And he has some security after an impressive half-season.
Best known for a nine-season stay in Denver, McManus had secured multiple extensions to stay with the Broncos. Released months into Sean Payton‘s HC tenure, McManus caught on with the Jaguars and made 30 of 37 field goals in 2023 — his most recent full season. The Packers will bet on McManus’ career-best 95.2% make rate — after he had never previously cleared 86% — giving them a long-term option.
Seahawks Release Dre’Mont Jones, George Fant, Roy Robertson-Harris, Rayshawn Jenkins
A year after the Seahawks cut Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs on the same day, they are removing another significant payroll chunk all at once. Four more Seattle regulars are out.
The team has announced it is releasing Dre’Mont Jones, George Fant, Roy Robertson-Harris and Rayshawn Jenkins. All four were acquired within the last two years, with Fant, Robertson-Harris and Jenkins added in 2024. Seattle entered Tuesday over the cap; these moves free up $27.25MM in funds ahead of the 2025 league year.
These releases only moved the Seahawks to $16.4MM in cap space, and they show how quickly value can decline. In particular, Jones came to Seattle as high-end free agent in 2023. The former Broncos draftee, who played both on the Seahawks’ defensive line and on the edge, is out two years into his three-year accord.
As the Broncos pivoted to Zach Allen during Sean Payton‘s first free agency at the wheel, the Seahawks rewarded Jones with a three-year, $51.53MM contract. Allen climbed to an All-Pro perch on his Denver pact; Jones did not make a similar leap on his. The Seahawks demoted the high-priced defender last season, as they used a first-round pick on Byron Murphy. (The team’s Leonard Williams acquisition also came after its Jones signing.) Though, Jones still started 23 games for the team during a two-season span. Jones, who totaled 8.5 sacks in his two Seattle slates, will land another opportunity soon, as he is only going into his age-28 season.
While Jones is the biggest name included in Tuesday’s round of Seahawks cap casualties, Fant closes out a second stint with the team. The older of the two Fants on the Seahawks’ 2024 roster, George struggled to stay healthy. The converted basketball player-turned-Jets tackle starter came back to his initial NFL team but only played in two games, landing on IR twice due to knee trouble. Opening the season as Seattle’s RT starter in place of the injured Abraham Lucas, Fant went down with a knee injury early in Week 1. The Seahawks saved an IR activation for him but did not see the 2024 free agency addition make it through his Week 9 return unscathed.
This was a theme for the Seahawks, who had re-signed Jason Peters (to the practice squad) as insurance. With Peters now retired and set to mentor Seahawks O-linemen, the team will need to look into more RT help, as Lucas has battled injury trouble for the past two seasons.
It is also unsurprising the Seahawks have released Jenkins, who was benched after he returned from IR midway through last season. The Seahawks gave Jenkins — a 2024 Jaguars cap casualty — a two-year, $12MM deal in the wake of cutting Diggs and Adams. Seattle, which benched Jenkins for Coby Bryant, allowed the veteran safety to seek a trade last week. Nothing materialized, and the eight-year veteran — a Chargers draftee who has started 89 career games — is back in free agency.
The Seahawks traded for Robertson-Harris early last season, obtaining him from the Jags for a 2026 sixth-round pick. The veteran interior D-lineman did not start for the Hawks and logged only a 25% snap share on defense with the team. Robertson-Harris, 31, had been attached to a three-year, $21.6MM deal signed by the Jags in 2023. He has 62 career starts on his resume.
Fant, 32, was tied to a two-year, $9.1MM accord. While the above-referenced cap savings do come out of these cuts, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald notes $18.4MM in dead money will as well.
Bills Not Ruling Out Keeping Von Miller; Myles Garrett On Buffalo Radar?
The Chiefs’ Joe Thuney-at-left tackle solution looked passable in the team’s latest playoff win over the Bills, the AFC champions’ lone game with more than 30 points this season. Buffalo has seen improvement from Gregory Rousseau, but its pass rush has not seen enough from Von Miller‘s six-year $120MM contract.
Year 4 of that deal brings the first genuine release opportunity, and that is a legitimate consideration for the five-time reigning AFC East champions. Miller’s guarantees have been paid out. Were the Bills to move on from their highest-paid defender via a post-June 1 release designation, they would save $17.44MM. It is not certain that is how the team proceeds.
Miller is not a lock to be cut, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler classifying it as an iffy proposition. Miller could come back as an auxiliary rusher, though a reworked contract — most likely via a pay cut — would be necessary. The future Hall of Fame edge rusher is due to carry a $23.8MM cap number in 2025.
Rousseau and Miller remain under contract, as does former second-rounder A.J. Epenesa. Both Miller and Epenesa tallied six sacks last season; Rousseau led the way with eight. Neither Miller nor Epenesa recorded a postseason sack, while Rousseau notched each of his before the Chiefs rematch.
Rousseau remains one of the players the Bills want to extend, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Rousseau joins 2022 draftees Christian Benford and Terrel Bernard on Buffalo’s radar. We heard that was the case previously, and all are in contract years. The Bills have already started on their 2025 re-ups, giving Khalil Shakir a four-year extension. James Cook wants in, too, as he joins Rousseau, Benford and Bernard in a contract year.
The Bills also are likely to have an eye on another future Hall of Fame edge defender, one with more left in the tank. As the Browns reiterate they want no part of a Myles Garrett trade, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year keeps coming up. That is understandable, as Cleveland could collect a big trade package for its disgruntled superstar, who is not believed to be interested in a second Browns extension. As Browns brass would be ready to pay Garrett despite two seasons remaining on his contract, he is holding firm on his trade request.
The Eagles have been linked to Garrett at multiple points this offseason, and Graziano adds the Bills should be viewed as an interested party as well. Buffalo took a big swing on Miller in 2022, and it was going well before the two-time Super Bowl winner’s second ACL tear — sustained on Thanksgiving that year. Miller then failed to record a sack in 2023, as he barely resembled his pre-injury version. Miller returned to better form in his age-35 season but obviously pales in comparison to Garrett’s mid-2020s form. Garrett will turn 30 in December.
As the Browns keep fending off Garrett trade calls, Fowler adds they are believed to be dug in and willing to wait him out. It would stand to reason the Browns would hold on both due to Garrett’s importance to the team and his contract. If the Browns deal Garrett before June 1, they would be hit with a $36.2MM dead money bill. That would set the non-QB record. If Cleveland decides to move on after that date, it could split that amount over two years.
That said, the Browns would presumably be making Garrett’s next team better by trading him. Waiting until after the draft to make a trade would leave them with a package fronted by 2026 draft assets, whereas a deal now would arm the Browns with better picks. Though, a Bills or Eagles package now would not exactly do so due to the teams holding the Nos. 30 and 32 first-round picks. A first-rounder would be required to enter any Garrett trade sweepstakes, with other assets likely necessary for the Browns to have serious conversations about relenting on their long-held stance.
Not too many calls have come Cleveland’s way, however, according to Fowler. Teams do believe the Browns are “dug in” here. That remaining the case come training camp would put Garrett to a test in terms of accruing fines for missing camp workouts and then moving on to game checks. Though, the Browns have restructured Garrett’s contract; he would not be missing much in terms of paragraph 5 money, as his salary is $1.26MM.
Some around the league are skeptical the Browns will truly hang on here, per Fowler, even as Andrew Berry continues to insist they will. The prospect of collecting a trade package that could include multiple first-round picks may be too much to turn down. Garrett has themed his trade ask around landing with a Super Bowl contender, and if the Browns hold their ground beyond the draft, camp will be the next stage of this impasse.
NFC North Notes: Garrett, Lions, Pack, Vikes
Before the Lions zeroed in on Za’Darius Smith at the 2024 deadline, they asked the Browns about their other starting defensive end. As calls came in for Myles Garrett months before his trade request, ESPN’s Kimberley Martin notes the Lions showed the most interest. At the time (as is the case now), the Browns were not interested in moving Garrett. It is interesting that the Lions pursued Garrett and then completed a deal with the same team for Smith, acquiring the two-year Garrett sidekick in a pick-swap deal. Smith is on the radar to stay in Detroit, at a lower rate compared to his two-year, $23MM deal agreed to in 2023. The Lions needed a D-end, having lost Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season, but the Browns did not budge. It would be tough for the Lions to swing a Garrett deal now, as Hutchinson moves toward a market-setting extension.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- While Hutchinson will be on the Lions’ extension radar, the team will have two years of rookie-deal control after it exercises the standout pass rusher’s fifth-year option. That did not delay the Lions on Penei Sewell, which will make Hutchinson a player to monitor in an explosive edge defender offseason. The Lions, however, have only this year left on Kerby Joseph‘s rookie deal. The All-Pro safety is targeting an extension, indicating (during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show) he wants to be a “life-long Lion.” Joseph could be a 2026 franchise tag candidate, if nothing transpires on that front before the 2026 free agency period, as the team also has Brian Branch likely in its future extension queue. Branch has two years remaining on his rookie deal.
- Staying on the subject of extensions, Quay Walker is a candidate for a 2025 Packers payday. Because rush and non-rush linebackers are grouped together on the fifth-year option formula, Walker’s option will check in at $14.75MM. No team has picked up an ILB fifth-year option since 2022 (Devin White), and Brian Gutekunst (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) did not make it sound like Walker would be an exception. “The linebacker for the fifth-year option is a little wonky because there’s so many edge guys that are part of that, which drives up that number, which probably isn’t great,” Gutekunst said. “But yeah, we’d like to find a way to keep Quay around here long-term, whether that be an extension or something.” The three-year starter will be in a contract year if/when the Pack decline his option.
- Josh Myers should have a nice free agency market, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the four-year starter did not suffer an injury during the Packers’ wild-card loss to the Eagles. Healthy heading into free agency, Myers may check in as the second-best center option (behind the Falcons’ Drew Dalman) on this year’s market. Gutekunst praised Myers after the season, and the former second-rounder wants to stay. The Packers, who let center Corey Linsley walk before drafting Myers, also have a potential Zach Tom extension to prepare for this year.
- If the Vikings are to re-sign Aaron Jones, something Kevin O’Connell would be in favor of, they would plan to reduce his workload, via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Compiling a career-high 306 touches, the 30-year-old RB totaled 1,546 scrimmage yards — also the second-most in his career. The ex-Packer said he wants to stay in Minnesota, and his void date has been pushed back to March 11, giving the Vikes more time on a re-signing. Jones’ workload came in part because the Vikings lost faith in Ty Chandler, Seifert adds, leading to their second Cam Akers trade.
- Neither Ed Ingram nor Blake Brandel are locks to be blocking for whichever running back the Vikings start in 2025. Brandel will see $1.65MM of his $2.6MM base salary become guaranteed on March 14, while the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Ingram — who lost his RG job last season — is “highly unlikely” to be brought back at a $5.2MM base salary (thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program) in the final year of his second-round deal.
Saints Interested In Re-Signing Chase Young, Paulson Adebo
As usual, the Saints exited a Combine with plenty of work to do in order to reach cap compliance. Mickey Loomis‘ latest round of moves will also need to give his team — one armed with a new coaching staff — some spending room, which will take considerable maneuvering.
The Saints are more than $47MM over the cap. This is the same franchise that once hovered more than $75MM over and carved out enough room to franchise tag Marcus Williams in 2021, so Loomis’ talents here should not be underestimated. As the Saints are planning to keep Derek Carr (and thus delay a rebuild further), they also have some defensive players in mind they would like to retain.
Both Paulson Adebo and Chase Young are set to hit free agency March 10. Both players (spoilers) will be included on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list following Tuesday’s franchise tag deadline, as each carries interesting appeal. Young stayed healthy after neck surgery. Adebo did not, but his age (26 in July) makes him an interesting free agent, as the market will include a host of older corners aiming to cash in on a third contract.
The Saints are believed to be interested in re-signing both players, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. This will take some doing on Loomis’ part, as he begins his 24th offseason as Saints GM, as both starters will draw extensive interest.
This market is light on proven edge rusher types, as could be expected due to the position’s place in the NFL hierarchy, but Young has an interesting case to make. The severe knee injury (ACL tear, patellar tendon rupture) sustained in November 2021 threw Young’s Washington path off track, and a neck injury both impacted his value at the 2023 trade deadline and again in free agency. After signing a contract containing much of its value in per-game roster bonuses, Young was rewarded upon playing all 17 Saints games.
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year (quietly) put together a decent season. While only registering 5.5 sacks, Young topped his career high with 21 QB hits. Young’s 34 pressures were tied for 13th. The Saints have Cameron Jordan going into an age-36 season, as the popular New Orleans staple is nearing the end of the line. They also missed on their 2021 Payton Turner first-round pick. This opens a door for Young to stay, but as he searches for a bigger-money deal than he landed in 2024, it will not be easy to keep the former Heisman finalist off the market.
Marshon Lattimore‘s injury struggles both rankled some in the Saints’ building and gave Adebo an extended run as the team’s No. 1 corner. The 2021 third-round pick held his own, yielding just one touchdown pass (as the closest defender) and holding QBs to a collective 62.7 passer rating. Adebo intercepted four passes and notched 18 breakups that season.
He had started off well in 2024, picking off three passes and defending 10 more in seven games. But a broken femur sustained in a Week 7 loss to the Broncos complicates Adebo’s free agency, though Fowler adds the four-year veteran’s height (6-foot-1) has helped provide intrigue as free agency nears. Broken femurs are not nearly as common in the NFL as ACL and Achilles tears, adding a high hurdle for Adebo to clear before the 2025 season.
As the Stanford alum determines his future, Fowler adds he is believed to be recovering well from the significant injury. While Adebo indicated an interest in staying, he stopped short of saying he would not thoroughly explore the market.
Titans Schedule Visits With Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter
Earning the No. 1 overall pick in a year without a surefire franchise quarterback in the draft pool, the Titans have a decision to make. And they will go to work on an important part of the pre-draft process early.
Information about “30” visits generally run from late March to mid-April, but the Titans are going early with the draft’s four highest-profile prospects. Top QBs Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will join Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter in meeting with the Titans before the new league year begins (March 12), veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky notes.
[RELATED: Giants, Jets Interested In No. 1 Pick?]
Sanders and Ward will make their way to Nashville this week, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. This will be an early trip for the top arms in a draft; the timing might be important to note here. The Titans bringing in both QBs before free agency would help shape their decision on how to proceed at the position. Veterans will become available beginning March 10, with the legal tampering period. While teams’ draft preparation continues beyond free agency, the Titans have made an interesting call to schedule their most important visits early.
While the Titans basing their free agency call at QB on the early visits may be too simplistic, teams have a pretty good idea about these prospects from their game tape. Sanders and Ward, however, will not work out until their pro days; those will not occur prior to the main free agency period. The Titans have a clear path to drafting a quarterback to replace Will Levis, a Ran Carthon selection who has not panned out just yet. A veteran could also be sought to take over for Levis — or at least push the 2023 second-rounder — early in free agency.
The Titans have received calls about moving down from No. 1, and some buzz about them trading back emerged before the Combine. The Titans traded down from No. 2 overall in 2016, sticking with Marcus Mariota. They have made a few top-10 picks in recent years, but their only two top-three selections since moving to Tennessee have come at QB (Mariota, Vince Young). Doubts have emerged about these two QBs being worth a No. 1 pick, but as could be expected, teams have shown interest. Beyond the New York franchises, the Raiders have been linked to potentially trading up for Ward, who is viewed as a higher-upside play compared to the more polished Sanders.
If the Titans trade back, they may lose access to all four of these players — depending on how far back they go, of course. (Other Titans visits will be with slightly lesser-regarded first-rounders, covering trade-down scenarios, Kuharsky adds.) If they stay at 1, a quarterback may also be eschewed. Hunter and Carter have been mocked to Tennessee early, with a fascinating situation surrounding the Colorado talent. After a historic season in which Hunter regularly played both wide receiver and cornerback, the Titans and Browns are split on the Heisman winner’s position. Tennessee views Hunter as a corner, while Cleveland has him tabbed as a wide receiver.
Hunter’s two-way season aside, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah slots Carter as this draft’s top prospect (with Hunter at 2); ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. also has Carter going first to Tennessee in his latest mock. QB needs could push one of these defenders down to Nos. 3 or 4, however, depending on where the Sanders consensus lands.
Carter and Hunter did not work out at the Combine, either, and the Penn State edge rusher is dealing with a foot injury. Carter, however, is not expected to need surgery and should be ready to work out at his pro day. The Titans will take an early look at the high-end edge defender, with his medical evaluation set to be critical regarding a potential landing at No. 1 overall.