HEADLINES

Lions Rumors

Draft Notes: Newton, Lions, Latu, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Eagles, Broncos, Cardinals, Commanders, Giants, Panthers

April 16th, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday marks the final day for “30” visits during this year’s cycle. Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton is on the way back from a January surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot. Newton went through a belated pro day in Champaign on Tuesday, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, who noted more than eight teams were in attendance. The Lions are not one of the teams Schultz named, but the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett notes Newton did go through a visit with the defending NFC North champs. A first-team All-American and reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Newton played through his foot injury last season — a 7.5-sack slate. The acclaimed DT, who ranks as the No. 32 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, also recorded 14.5 tackles for loss in 2022.

Here is the latest from the draft scene:

  • Speaking of the Lions, they are also believed to be high on NC State linebacker Payton Wilson, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman notes (subscription required). Last season’s Bednarik award winner (given to Division I-FBS’ top defender), Wilson ranks 41st on Jeremiah’s big board. In need at linebacker, the Cowboys are also believed to be intrigued by Wilson, though Feldman adds some teams are too concerned about his medical history to consider drafting him. Season-ending knee and shoulder injuries halted Wilson in 2018 and 2021, respectively, but the six-year Wolfpack cog has been healthy over the past two years.
  • The Bills have brought in two likely first-round defenders, hosting edge rusher Laiatu Latu and cornerback Cooper DeJean (via Schultz and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Holding the No. 28 overall pick, Buffalo saw a concerning season from Von Miller (zero sacks after a second ACL rehab journey) and did not re-sign Leonard Floyd. The Bills also released Tre’Davious White and have not replaced him. While wide receiver is the buzz position in Buffalo given the exits of longtime performers, the Bills also have some needs to address on defense.
  • A fourth team booked a visit with Alabama tackle JC Latham. The first-round-level tackle will meet with the Jets tonight and Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. One of seven tackles Jeremiah places among his top 25 overall prospects, Latham has already met with the Cardinals, Titans and Bears. The Jets have been linked to an O-line investment, and the prospect of moving down from No. 10 has also come up for Gang Green.
  • Both the Alabama cornerbacks expected to go off the board early in this draft booked more visits before the Wednesday deadline. Terrion Arnold met with the Titans on Monday, Rapoport adds, while Kool-Aid McKinstry visited the Eagles (via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane). With Darius Slay and James Bradberry set to begin the season north of 31st birthdays, the Eagles have been tied to corners. The Titans acquired L’Jarius Sneed via trade and signed Chidobe Awuzie; this would seemingly take Tennessee out of the early-round CB mix. Though, the team did lose Sean Murphy-Bunting and has seen ex-first-rounder Caleb Farley prove undependable.
  • Although the Texans have taken multiple fliers on former top-10 corners (Jeff Okudah, C.J. Henderson), they may be interested in bolstering their cornerback corps with a higher-upside player. Houston hosted Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw on Monday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A Texas native, Rakestraw (Jeremiah’s No. 28 overall prospect) allowed just one touchdown on 28 targets last season, per Wilson. The 5-foot-11 defender broke up 11 passes with the Tigers in 2023.
  • This draft features a number of tackles set to go off the board in Round 1, but the second round could produce some investments at the position. The Giants, Jets and Commanders scheduled late visits with Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Jeremiah’s No. 49 overall player, Morgan also visited the Bills, Broncos, Cardinals and Panthers, Wilson adds, noting also the three-year Wildcats starter worked out for the Texans during the pre-draft process. Morgan earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition last season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/24

April 15th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Lorenz Metz

Washington Commanders

Today marks the first day for teams with holdover HCs to begin offseason programs. That date frequently coincides with restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents officially coming back into the fold. McCloud’s signing and Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson inking his second-round tender leaves 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, also given a Round 2 tender, as the lone unsigned RFA. McCloud will be tied to a nonguaranteed $2.99MM salary.

A former UDFA out of Michigan State, Bachie has been with the Bengals for the past three seasons. The young linebacker has been a regular special-teamer in that time; over the past two seasons, Bachie has been on the field for more than 60% of Cincinnati’s ST plays.

The Commanders signed Tyler Ott in free agency. The longtime Seahawks snapper spent 2023 with the Ravens; the veteran staying in the Mid-Atlantic region will lead to Addington — a three-game Washington long snapper in 2023 — being moved off the roster.

Murtaugh and Metz are coming to the NFL via the league’s International Pathway Program. Murtaugh hails from Australia and has a background in Australian Rules Football. He spent a bit of time with the Lions in 2023. A German, Metz spent time with the Bears last year but did not make their roster. He was not with a team during the season. If Murtaugh and Metz fail to make their respective team’s 53-man roster, they can be carried as a 17th practice squad player via the IPP program.

DL Marshawn Kneeland Adds Six Pre-Draft Visits, To Close With 16

April 15th, 2024 at 6:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Marshawn Kneeland logs a spring flight schedule that would potentially impress George Clooney’s Up in the Air protagonist, the Western Michigan alum is viewed as a rising prospect ahead of the draft.

The MAC product has scheduled pre-draft visits with half the NFL. His Chiefs, Colts, Commanders, Jaguars, Jets, Saints and Vikings meetings became known weeks ago, but other teams have since entered the fray. The Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans met with the edge rusher prospect last week, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Not stopping there, Kneeland also has meetings scheduled with the Bills, Lions and Packers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds.

More teams may have stepped in here, with Garafolo indicating Kneeland booked 16 “30” visits during one of the busiest pre-draft itineraries in recent NFL history. Teams have until Wednesday to conduct “30” visits, and Kneeland will presumably be setting foot in a number of new cities before that deadline arrives.

Generally, prospects with notable questions generate the most visits. Kneeland has become a coveted D-end prospect despite playing at a mid-major program and never topping 4.5 sacks in a season. But coaches are certainly intrigued by the versatile performer. As ESPN.com’s Matt Miller points out, Kneeland generated 36 pressures last season. The 6-foot-3, 267-pound edge player posted 26 tackles for loss from 2021-23, and Miller adds his profile has reached the point where a fall out of the top 50 is unlikely.

Kneeland has generated this profile despite never being a first-team All-MAC performer; though, he did play in only nine games as a senior. His mileage count this spring has reflected the curiosity his profile brings. For the teams that do not land a player on the Dallas Turner–Jared Verse–Laiatu Latu level, someone like Kneeland — who profiles as more of a power player capable of sliding inside situationally — would stand to be appealing on Day 2.

NFL Contract Details: Giants, Danna, Wright

April 13th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on contracts recently signed around the NFL:

  • Drew Lock, QB (Giants): One year, $5MM. Opposed to initial thoughts, the announced value of $5MM is pretty true to the actual value of Lock’s new deal, if not a bit underreported. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the contract will have a guaranteed value of $4.95MM with only a $50K workout bonus not being guaranteed. As the projected starter for spring ball, Lock will almost certainly collect that workout bonus. In addition, Lock will be able to earn up to $3MM in incentives. $1MM can come from playing time ($250K for 40-49 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, $250K for 50-59 percent, $250 for 60-69 percent, and $250 for 70+ percent); $1MM can come from personal performance with a minimum of 224 pass attempts ($250K for 92.5 passer rating, $250K for a completion percentage of at least 65, $250K for 15 touchdown passes and an 88 passer rating, $250K for 2,000 passing yards and an 88 passer rating); and $1MM can come from playing time and team performance ($500K for 55-69 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and a playoff berth, $500K for 70+ percent and a playoff berth).
  • Isaiah McKenzie, WR (Giants): One year, $1.38MM. Per Duggan, McKenzie’s new contract has a guaranteed amount consisting of a $75K signing bonus, a much lower signing bonus than other New York receivers on veteran minimum deals. He can make an additional $92.5K in per game active roster bonuses for the year.
  • Jordan Phillips, DT (Giants): One year, $1.8MM. Duggan also gave us details on Phillips’ new deal, reporting a guaranteed amount of $430K in the form of a signing bonus. Phillips can earn an additional $100K in a workout bonus and $50K in per game active roster bonuses.
  • Mike Danna, DE (Chiefs): Three years, $24MM. The $13MM of guaranteed money that was originally reported is comprised of a $6.5MM signing bonus, the entirety of Danna’s 2024 base salary of $2.25MM, and $4.25MM of his 2025 base salary (worth a total of $5.24MM). Danna can earn a workout bonus of $250K in each of year of the deal and will receive per game active roster bonuses in the second and third years of the deal that can total up to $510K per year.
  • Brock Wright, TE (Lions): Three years, $12MM. The Lions matched the 49ers’ offer sheet for Wright and signed him to a new deal that includes a guaranteed amount of $4.6MM. That amount consists of a $3.55MM signing bonus and Wright’s 2024 base salary of $1.06MM. Next year, Wright can earn a potential option bonus of $2.23MM and workout bonuses of $50K apiece in the second and third years of the deal. Also, in those back two years, Wright can earn $255K in $15K per game active roster bonuses in 2025 and $340K in $20K per game active roster bonuses in 2026. The contract also includes a potential out after the second year that would allow Detroit to avoid a $4.85MM cap hit with only $2.13MM of dead cap.

Extra Points: Onside Kick, 18-Game Season, Olympics, UFL, Lions

April 13th, 2024 at 12:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since the rule change that prevented running starts on onside kicks came to pass in 2018, the onside kick has been rendered largely irrelevant. The league greenlighting an experiment involving the XFL-style kickoff will further tilt the odds toward receiving teams, as onside kicks now must be declared in advance. Teams were 2-for-41 in onside kicks last season and 3-for-56 in 2022. The Eagles’ proposal to replace the onside kick with a fourth-and-20 play failed, just as similar offerings have in the recent past. but competition committee member Rich McKay hopes some momentum for this alternative will build in 2025.

“There was a lot to do to get the kickoff proposal passed this year, so I’m for that next year,” McKay said (via the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin) of further discussion on the fourth-and-20 option. “There’s no question that, I call them the traditionalists, they don’t like that discussion very much. But I do think there’s something to discuss there. Because we’ll have another year of onside kick data, which I bet you shows us we’re not recovering very many.”

The NFL has made a few changes over the past decade to inject more drama into on-field sequences, allowing two-point conversion returns and moving the extra point back. The kickoff change qualifies as a far more radical effort; this effort going well in 2024 could open up discussion on the fourth-and-20 option a year from now.

Briefly shifting gears from draft-geared content, here are more recent news to come out of the pro football universe:

  • The NFL also recently moved its trade deadline back a week, though multiple teams championed a proposal to slide the deadline back two weeks. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently connected these proposals to a future in which the NFL pushes its regular season to 18 games. Some around the NFL view that as likely, though Florio does not expect this long-rumored topic to become a front-burner matter until the next CBA (the current deal expires after the 2030 season). New NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin did not dismiss the idea outright. “I think that people are kind of running with it right now cause it slipped out there,” Reeves-Maybin said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “But I think there’s a lot of other things to gain, and when that time comes, we’ll address that.” If/when this becomes a bargaining point, further expansion to the schedule will likely require a major concession from the NFL.
  • More momentum has emerged for NFL players to participate in the flag football program when it debuts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Discussions between the league and the union have begun, and NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent said (via the Sports Business Journal’s Daniel Kaplan) he expects players to be permitted to play in the Olympics.
  • The USFL and recent XFL incarnations have sent players to the NFL; the Cowboys carry two Pro Bowlers (Brandon Aubrey, KaVontae Turpin) from the USFL. The new UFL has produced a player to monitor early. Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates, who has made a 64- and 62-yard field goals already, has drawn interest from multiple teams, per the Detroit News Tony Paul. The Lions have reached out to the Detroit-based UFL club, Paul adds. NFL teams can contact UFL clubs about players, Birkett adds, but they are not supposed to contact players directly. The Cowboys added Aubrey after last year’s USFL season; Bates cannot join an NFL team until the UFL’s season wraps. Until this UFL season, Bates — a Central Arkansas soccer player and Texas State kickoff specialist — had not made a field goal in a game since high school. The Texans waived him after barely a week last year, but this UFL start certainly puts him on the radar for another NFL opportunity.

Traded NFL Draft Picks For 2024

April 10th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2024 draft nears, numerous picks have already changed hands. A handful of picks have already been moved twice, with a few being traded three times. Multiple deals from 2021 impact this draft. Here are the 2024 picks to have been traded thus far:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Draft Notes: Odunze, DeJean, Nabers, Chargers, Lions, Bucs, Jags, Steelers

April 5th, 2024 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

While reports have indicated some teams prefer Malik Nabers to Marvin Harrison Jr., Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline offers a stance that could further muddy the waters among the draft’s top wide receivers. Several teams have Rome Odunze slotted higher than Nabers on their big boards. Although transfers have populated the QB ranks in this class, the top three receivers only played at one school. Odunze starred at Washington for the past two seasons, posting two 1,100-yard campaigns and elevating his stock further last year. He clocked a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, a tenth slower than Nabers ran at LSU’s pro day. Odunze, who booked visits with the Cardinals, Bears and Jets, did not run at his pro day.

The 6-foot-3, 212-pound talent ripped off 10 100-yard games last season, including five straight to help the Huskies into the CFP national championship game. Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board slots Odunze fifth overall — one spot behind Nabers — while Daniel Jeremiah agrees with the teams that have Odunze higher, ranking the Washington prospect third overall — between Harrison and Nabers. All three could be gone in the top seven or eight choices. This certainly raises the stakes for the Cardinals, who have a glaring WR need and have been linked to a trade-down move from No. 4.

Here is the latest coming out of the draft:

  • In addition to Nabers’ Cardinals visit this week, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes he made a trip to Los Angeles to meet with the new Chargers staff. The Chargers having jettisoned Keenan Allen and Mike Williams makes them an obvious team to monitor for one of the top receivers. If the Cardinals trade out of No. 4, L.A. would be positioned to land the draft’s top WR prospect at 5. Of course, the Chargers have also been linked to moving down. And Jim Harbaugh‘s past and some recent comments have made it worth monitoring if the Bolts value a receiver this high.
  • After suffering a broken fibula in November, Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean is ready for football work. The highly touted cover man sent a letter to all 32 teams informing them he is cleared for all football actitives, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. DeJean will hold a workout April 8 in Iowa City. Jeremiah ranks the ex-Hawkeyes standout 25th on his big board; Kiper has the 6-1 defender 21st. DeJean, who notched five INTs and three pick-sixes as a sophomore in 2022, left school early despite the injury.
  • The Jaguars are spending some time on other corners in this draft, specifically those from Alabama. They used “30” visits on both Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. The Buccaneers and Lions also met with McKinstry, according to Schultz and the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. The Jags cut two-year starter Darious Williams but replaced him with Ronald Darby, though the latter is 30 and tied to a two-year deal that features a fairly easy out in 2025. Cameron Sutton‘s arrest and ensuing release leaves the Lions in need at corner, despite Detroit having signed Amik Robertson and traded for Carlton Davis. The Bucs trading Davis frees up a spot at corner in Tampa opposite Jamel Dean. Arnold rates higher than McKinstry, who came into last season as a better prospect. Jeremiah ranks McKinstry 36th overall. More visits are likely, considering McKinstry sat out the Combine with a toe fracture but still clocked a 4.47-second 40 time (at Alabama’s pro day) despite not yet undergoing surgery.
  • Nate Wiggins clocked a blazing 4.28 time at the Combine, elevating his stock. The Clemson product visited the Steelers on Thursday, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski. A first-team All-ACC choice who posted two pick-sixes with the ACC program, Wiggins played all three of his college seasons at Clemson. The Steelers releasing Patrick Peterson but added Donte Jackson. The trade pickup’s contract expires after 2024, however, and the 6-foot-1 Wiggins is among those the team is looking into as a longer-term option opposite Joey Porter Jr.

Lions Match 49ers’ Brock Wright RFA Offer Sheet

April 3rd, 2024 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will not let Brock Wright leave for California. Detroit is matching San Francisco’s three-year, $12MM RFA offer sheet, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The Lions have announced their decision to retain the fourth-year veteran.

Wednesday marked the deadline for the Lions to keep Wright on the 49ers’ terms or pass. Despite rostering breakout tight end Sam LaPorta, the Lions view Wright as a key auxiliary component of their offense. By virtue of the 49ers‘ offer sheet, Wright is no longer going year to year. Rather than playing out a rookie contract, he is now signed through 2026 with Detroit.

San Francisco lost top George Kittle backup Charlie Woerner, who joined the Falcons on a three-year, $12MM deal. That set the market for Wright, who became the rare RFA to receive an offer sheet. The 49ers included $6MM guaranteed in an attempt to prevent their most recent NFC championship game opponent from matching, but the Lions will do so anyway.

While this decision will extend the 49ers’ search for a No. 2 tight end, the Lions will end up paying Wright more than they had planned. They had given the former UDFA the low-end RFA tender, which called for a $2.99MM salary in 2024. The LaPorta sidekick will instead see a nice guarantee and see some security rather than playing out a contract year as a backup. Used frequently as a run-blocking presence in Detroit, the Notre Dame alum will continue developing in OC Ben Johnson‘s system rather than transitioning to Kyle Shanahan‘s.

Wright, 25, played 44% of Detroit’s offensive snaps last season. In 2022, that number came in at 52%. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher totaled 18 receptions for 216 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. This included a 51-yard game-winner against the Jets. With LaPorta in the fold last season, Wright totaled just 13 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Pro Football Focus did not rate Wright well as a run blocker last season, grading him in the bottom quartile at the position. Still, 263 of Wright’s 423 offensive snaps came on run plays.

The 49ers will join the Dolphins and Bears as recent teams to submit an RFA offer sheet only to see it matched. The Broncos matched the Fins’ C.J. Anderson offer sheet in 2016, while the Bills kept Ryan Bates (before sending the O-lineman to the Bears earlier this year). San Francisco used a third-round pick on tight end Cameron Latu last year, but he suffered a torn ACL during the preseason. The 49ers viewed Latu as more of a developmental player, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, explaining their Wright move.

Lions Re-Sign CB Kindle Vildor

April 3rd, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kindle Vildor spent 2023 with four teams. The last of those will see if he can maintain a role. The Lions re-signed the veteran cornerback on Wednesday, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

Adding Vildor on a practice squad agreement late last season, the Lions will now reunite him with one of his former position coaches. It is a one-year deal. The team hired Deshea Townsend as DBs coach this offseason; the former NFL corner coached Vildor in Chicago.

The Lions are likely still looking for more help at corner, following the release of Cameron Sutton. The former $11MM-per-year defender turned himself in on a domestic battery charge Sunday night. Detroit acquired Carlton Davis from Tampa Bay and re-signed Emmanuel Moseley, but the Sutton development leaves the defending NFC North champions — who already experienced issues at corner last year — vulnerable at the position.

These issues led to the Lions turning to Vildor as a starter opposite Sutton during last season’s final five games. Despite three teams — the Bears, Eagles and Titans — cutting Vildor earlier in 2023, the former fifth-round pick found himself starting and staying on the field for nearly every Lions defensive snap during their most successful playoff run since the 1950s. This did include a memorable play in which a Brock Purdy pass ricocheted off Vildor’s hands and into Brandon Aiyuk‘s arms, setting up a second-half 49ers touchdown during the hosts’ comeback win in the NFC championship game. But the Lions will give the fifth-year vet another opportunity.

Vildor, 26, played under Townsend from 2020-21 with the Bears. The latter year featured a promotion into Chicago’s starting lineup. The Georgia Southern alum was unable to stick as a starter throughout that season, and the Bears’ Ryan Poles-led regime added second-round cornerbacks (Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson) in each of the previous two offseasons. This led to the Bears waiving Vildor on roster-cutdown day last year. Townsend was no longer with Chicago at that point; he spent the past two years in Jacksonville.

The Lions did not tender Jerry Jacobs, whom Vildor ended up replacing as a boundary starter, as an RFA. but they did add ex-Raider Amik Robertson last month. Robertson offers a background as a slot defender and outside corner, giving a Lions team that also lost safety/slot cog C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency. Another move is likely coming, but Vildor will have a chance to compete for a Detroit depth role soon.

Chargers, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers In On WR Tyler Boyd?

April 2nd, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Boyd has been connected to a host of teams this offseason. The veteran remains one of the market’s top wide receivers, but the longtime Bengals slot presence clearly has not seen his market reach an acceptable price point.

Tied to the Chiefs, Jets and his hometown Steelers thus far, Boyd may have some other options. The Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers each showed some preliminary interest in the eight-year veteran, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes (subscription required). A few of these teams still have need at the position.

The Lions had hoped to retain Josh Reynolds, but with the team expecting Jameson Williams to grow into a No. 2 wideout role alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, a lower-end offer emerged. Reynolds then decided to sign with the Broncos, leaving the Lions with an ancillary need at wide receiver. Considering what Reynolds ended up signing for in Denver (two years, $9MM), his Lions offer does not seem to indicate the team is comfortable spending much on a receiver — especially during an offseason in which St. Brown could sign a top-tier extension.

Odell Beckham Jr. has already negotiated terms with the Dolphins, who have submitted an offer. But the former Giants superstar remains unsigned. The Dolphins are believed to be looking for a WR3 as well, though they probably have Lions-like plans here due to Tyreek Hill‘s market-setting contract. The team could still keep Jaylen Waddle on a low-end salary for 2024 — with his soon-to-be-exercised fifth-year option tying him to Miami through 2025 — while dropping Tua Tagovailoa‘s 2024 cap number ($23.2MM) by a bit via an extension. That would open a salary slot for a one-year WR rental.

The 49ers devoting much in the way of funds to another wide receiver would be highly unlikely, considering Deebo Samuel‘s salary and Brandon Aiyuk‘s fifth-year option residing on their cap sheet. The Chargers, however, would make more sense because of the team’s cost-cutting decisions — cutting Mike Williams (now a Jet) and trading Keenan Allen to the Bears — last month. The Bolts have been connected to a wideout at No. 5 overall, but the team is open for business with that pick as the Jim Harbaugh era begins.

Circling back to the Boyd-Steelers path, a return home for the Pittsburgh alum now may be on the unlikely side. Boyd, 29, showed significant interest in returning home early in free agency; the Steelers were also onboard with a signing. Despite the Steelers having a need after trading Diontae Johnson, Kaboly adds the ship has likely sailed here. Boyd was not pleased with the offer the Steelers made. The team, which has been known to identify quality receiving talent in the draft, set a firm price point here recently.

With Reynolds off the market, Beckham, Boyd, Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas and Marquez Valdes-Scantling represent the top players still available at this high-profile position. It appears Boyd will have a chance to land somewhere soon, but it might be at a rate lower than he expected. Boyd played out a four-year, $43MM extension with the Bengals last season.

Load More Posts