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Steve Wilks, Nick Caley, Scott Turner, Klint Kubiak Among Potential Aaron Glenn Jets Targets

January 21st, 2025 at 3:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:27pm: Saints OC Klint Kubiak is another name to watch on this front, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Kubiak met with the Browns for their offensive coordinator position prior to the team’s decision to promote Tommy Rees. He does not have a history of working with Glenn, but the 37-year-old would make for an interesting addition to the Jets’ staff if he were to be brought in.

1:14pm: Aaron Glenn is set to take part in his second Jets head coaching interview today, and he represents the team’s top target. A deal could be reached at any time as a result, and a few interesting names have emerged with respect to coaches who could find themselves on a Glenn-led staff.

On the defensive side of the ball, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes that Steve Wilks will be a name to watch. Wilks will be a potential defensive coordinator candidate for New York in the event Glenn is hired as head coach. The latter is currently the Lions’ DC, but there is of course no guarantee he would continue calling plays if he were to take on the Jets’ head coaching position.

Wilks has a coaching background dating back to 1995, and he has been on an NFL sideline for all but three seasons since 2005. The 55-year-old has been a full-time head coach on one occasion in addition to a pair of defensive coordinator gigs at the pro level. The most recent of those was in 2023 with the 49ers, a position Wilks took after he did not receive the Panthers’ full-time HC gig . San Francisco moved on from him after last year’s Super Bowl, and he was out of coaching for this season.

With respect to potential offensive coordinators, Hughes reports Glenn has been in contact with at least two candidates. Nick Caley is one of them; the soon-to-be 42-year-old is currently in place on the Rams’ staff. Caley spent eight years with the Patriots, with much of that time coming as the team’s tight ends coach. He continued in that role last year upon arrival in Los Angeles, but this season he took on the additional title of pass game coordinator.

Caley does not have experience as an offensive coordinator, but Scott Turner does. The latter is the other name Glenn has been in contact with, per Hughes. Turner took over as interim OC for the Raiders after Luke Getsy‘s midseason firing, and he has not been connected to any NFL coordinator vacancies in the time following head coach Antonio Pierce‘s dismissal. Turner is, however, a candidate to join Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina staff.

It remains to be seen (for the time being, at least) if Glenn will indeed be hired by the Jets. If that does take place, though, it will be interesting to see if the candidates he has been in contact with will wind up following him to New York.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/20/25

January 20th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest reserve/futures deals from around the league:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers

Matthew Stafford To Contemplate Future

January 20th, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Adam La Rose

The Rams’ season came to an end yesterday, and as a result questions have been raised regarding Matthew Stafford. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is still under contract, but he and the team are in the midst of a year-to-year approach.

Stafford negotiated a restructured deal this offseason, one which moved up $5MM of his scheduled compensation for the 2024 season. In terms of locked in money moving forward, though, only a $4MM roster bonus due in mid-March remains. Between that financial situation and the fact he will be 37 next season, Stafford’s playing future is a talking point.

“I feel like I was playing some pretty good ball,” the two-time Pro Bowler said when speaking after the Rams’ divisional round loss (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop). Upon being asked if he can continue playing at this point in his career, Stafford responded, “sure feels like it.”

Those remarks certainly suggest the former No. 1 pick will be willing to play in 2025. Obviously, no firm decision on that front has been made yet, however, and finalizing Stafford’s future will be key before the Rams can move forward. The team was linked to attempting a trade before the 2023 campaign, but he remained in place and delivered a healthy season. That was again the case this year, and Stafford helped lead a team in transition (especially on defense) to the second round of the postseason.

Head coach Sean McVay said in May he is comfortable keeping the longtime Lions starter in the fold as long as he wishes to continue playing. Los Angeles does not have a long-term successor in place, and since veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is a pending free agent the team may need a new backup shortly. Provided Stafford can remain healthy for 2025, however, he should be able to again provide the Rams with strong QB play.

McVay noted Stafford had been dealing with a nagging rib injury through yesterday’s contest, during which the issue was aggravated. A repeat of situations like that – or, of course, more serious ailments – could emerge moving forward considering Stafford’s history and his age. The Rams would be hard-pressed to find an upgrade this offseason, though, and early indications suggest that might not be necessary.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 19th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/18/25

January 18th, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves, including stand gameday practices squad elevations for the weekend’s remaining divisional playoff games:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

Rams Designate Troy Reeder, Larrell Murchison For Return

January 16th, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Rams designated linebacker Troy Reeder and defensive end Larrell Murchison to return from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Reeder started the Rams’ first six games of the season before a hamstring injury forced him on injured reserve. Christian Rozeboom and Omar Speights stepped up and stayed healthy in his place, but neither has been a high-impact defender. Los Angeles has relied more on a young, explosive pass rush to make up for their deficiencies in coverage.

Murchison has dealt with multiple injuries this season. He landed on injured reserve during final roster cuts with an arm injury, but was designated to return via the NFL’s new IR rules. He returned to practice in October, but broke his foot that same week, sidelining him for the rest of the regular season. Each being activated would leave the Rams with no more activations. Teams received two more activations in the playoffs this year; the Rams had used all their regular-season IR-return moves.

Both players will practice with their teammates and work towards playing in the divisional round this weekend, but the Rams defense has been excellent without them as of late. Other than a 30-point outburst by the Seahawks in Week 18, the Rams’ last four opponents have averaged just 8.25 points, and none broke into double-digit territory.

With a full 53-man roster, Los Angeles will have to decide how much Reeder and Murchison will add compared to the players they’d replace. Activating Reeder would make sense; he played 94% of the team’s defensive snaps when he was healthy, and the Rams only have three active inside linebackers. However, Murchison’s practice period will be crucial to see if he can immediately play in the playoffs after a year away from the field.

Tyler Higbee Hospitalized With Chest Injury

January 14th, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:45pm: This appears to have been a blip for Higbee, who sustained an injury in a wild-card game for the second straight year. McVay said (via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop) the veteran tight end traveled back to Los Angeles with the team and is expected to play against the Eagles.

8:58am: The Rams’ offense was shorthanded after Tyler Higbee exited last night’s game. Los Angeles has advanced to the divisional round, but it is unclear if the veteran tight end will be available for the team’s next contest.

Higbee suffered a chest injury on Monday night, head coach Sean McVay confirmed. He has been taken to hospital, but McVay added (via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network) Higbee is in stable condition and is expected to be OK. At this point, it remains to be seen if a return to the lineup in time for Sunday’s divisional round matchup with the Eagles will be possible.

During last year’s postseason, Higbee suffered a torn ACL and MCL, an injury which delayed his 2024 debut. The 32-year-old returned to the lineup in December, giving him the opportunity to get re-acclimated in time for the postseason. Higbee went down in the first half against the Vikings, but his 58 yards on five catches were still enough to lead the Rams in receiving last night.

A fourth-round pick in 2016, Higbee has spent his entire career with the Rams. His most recent extension has him on the books through 2025, so he is set to continue in his role as lead tight end as long as he can remain healthy moving forward. The Western Kentucky product would be expected to handle a notable pass-catching role in the event he were to be able to suit up on Sunday in Philadelphia.

If not, free agent addition Colby Parkinson would be counted on to once again take on TE1 duties. The former Seahawk handled a career-high 55% offensive snap share in 2024 while Higbee was on the mend, and his 30 receptions were a personal best. If Higbee winds up being able to play, though, he and Parkinson will again form a notable tight end tandem for the Rams’ offense.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/25

January 13th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

The Colts announced that they’ve re-signed linebacker Cameron McGrone to a one-year extension. The former fifth-round pick has spent the past two-plus years in Indy, including a 2024 campaign where he collected six special teams tackles in nine appearances.

 

2025 NFL Cap Carryover, By Team

January 11th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the regular season in the books, all NFL teams have declared their cap carryover for the 2025 league year. Unused cap space from the current campaign will roll over, a substantial element of many teams’ financial planning.

Last offseason saw a record-breaking jump in the salary cap ceiling (pushing the upper limit to $255.4MM). To no surprise, another spike is expected but a smaller year-to-year increase is likely to take place. It was learned last month that teams are preparing for the 2025 cap to check in at a figure between $265MM-$275MM.

As teams evaluate key roster-building decisions – including restructures and cuts aimed at manufacturing cap space – carryovers are crucial. It it still not known what exactly the cap ceiling will wind up as, but in the meantime every club’s space which has been rolled over will add a degree of clarity with respect to how their offseason will take shape. Several teams (including the top two on this year’s list) have made a concerted effort in recent years to carry unused space through the course of a campaign knowing a spike in cap charges for core players are forthcoming.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the full breakdown of each team’s 2025 cap carryover amount:

  • San Francisco 49ers: $50.01MM
  • Cleveland Browns: $41.95MM
  • New England Patriots: $34.86MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $33.57MM
  • Detroit Lions: $23.73MM
  • Washington Commanders: $19.83MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $18.84MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $15.89MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $15.11MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $14.72MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $11.38MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $10.1MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $8.42MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $6.83MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $6.81MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $6.63MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $6.07MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $5.94MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $5.94MM
  • Chicago Bears: $5.08MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $4.89MM
  • Houston Texans: $4.81MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $3.15MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $2.93MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $2.75MM
  • Baltimore Ravens: $2.14MM
  • Denver Broncos: $1.91MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $1.34MM
  • New York Giants: $1.17MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $490K
  • New York Jets: $346K

Rams’ Demarcus Robinson Charged With DUI

January 10th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

In November, Demarcus Robinson was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The Rams receiver is now facing a formal charge as a result.

Robinson has been charged with one count of misdemeanor DUI, per the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney (via ESPN through TMZ Sports). The 30-year-old will have an arraignment next month, the attorney’s office also noted. News of the charge comes shortly before the Rams are set to play in the wild-card round against the Vikings on Monday night.

Robinson was seen traveling at speeds of 100 miles per hour on US-101 northbound around 5 a.m. after the Rams’ Week 12 game. There were “observed signs of alcohol impairment” at the time, but he refused to perform a sobriety check on scene. Robinson was subsequently booked before quickly being released into the custody of a “responsible party.”

The Rams made it clear they would allow the legal process to play out while allowing Robinson to continue playing. As a result, he remained in the lineup through the closing games of the campaign. Robinson has enjoyed a productive second season in Los Angeles, setting career highs in yards (505), yards per catch (16.3) and touchdowns (seven). The presence of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have given the Rams their top two receivers down the stretch, but Robinson will operate as an experienced third option provided he suits up on Monday.

Due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, the Vikings-Rams game will take place at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. A loss on Monday could mark the end of Robinson’s tenure with the team since he is a pending free agent.

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