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Patriots WR Stefon Diggs Receives Full Medical Clearance

July 22nd, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

With training camp approaching, it remained to be seen if Stefon Diggs would be moved to the physically unable to perform list due to his ACL recovery. The free agent addition was not among the players New England recently placed on the PUP list, however, suggesting he would be good to go for padded practices.

Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports Diggs has been cleared for full participation in training camp. The four-time Pro Bowler was limited in spring practices and noted last month that his recovery was not yet complete. The final stages of the rehab process have clearly taken place without issue, though, meaning Diggs will be a welcomed presence leading up to the regular season.

The Patriots were understandably in the market for a notable receiver addition this offseason given the nature of their depth chart at that spot in 2024. Diggs – whose Texans run ended in Week 8 when he tore his ACL – signed a three-year, $63.5MM deal to return to the AFC East. Expectations will be high for him as the team’s No. 1 receiver with quarterback Drake Maye entering Year 2 in the NFL. Diggs’ opening months as a Patriot were not without controversy, but with the team committed to him, he will spend the summer working his way back to his pre-injury form.

Diggs topped 1,000 yards every year from 2018-23, and he would have had a strong chance of continuing that streak last season if he had remained healthy. The 31-year-old’s 62 receiving yards per game were, on the other hand, his lowest since the 2017 campaign. Questions will be asked about Diggs’ ability to handle WR1 duties at this stage of his career, but providing Maye with a veteran pass-catching option should be highly valuable as the Patriots look to take a needed step forward on offense.

New England also has the likes of Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and Javon Baker in the fold entering camp. 2024 second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk‘s performances will be worth watching given his uncertain roster status, but another storyline to follow will be Diggs and how he fares with a clean bill of health.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/20/25

July 20th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Olajiga, a London native, joins the roster as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. The 27-year-old spent the 2024 season on the Rams’ practice squad as an IPP athlete, as well, but didn’t find his way to the field.

Keenum, Johnson, and Molden all passed physicals today, permitting their respective teams to active them off of their injured lists.

Patriots Would Be Interested In Trading For Commanders WR Terry McLaurin

July 20th, 2025 at 9:34am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots’ long-running search for a proven wideout to pair with second-year quarterback Drake Maye culminated in a three-year, $69MM deal for Stefon Diggs in March. Despite having Diggs in the fold, New England would be in the market for another accomplished pass catcher if he becomes available.

That pass catcher is Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, who is entering the final year of his current contract and who is seeking an extension from Washington. The Ohio State product has expressed frustration with the lack of progress in that regard, and he recently indicated no talks have taken place in the last month.

In a recent appearance on Arbella Early Edition (video link), Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirms there have not been many recent discussions between the Commanders and McLaurin’s camp. He does expect the team to “take a swing” at resolving the matter in short order, but if McLaurin were to become available via trade, Breer says the Patriots would be interested.

McLaurin, who is entering his age-30 season, has been a model of consistency for Washington since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2019. Following a 14-game rookie slate in which he recorded 919 yards and seven scores, he has exceeded the 1,000-yard threshold in each of the last five seasons and has enjoyed perfect attendance in each of the last four. He also upped his touchdown production in 2024, finding paydirt a career-high 13 times with Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels under center.

Washington’s Daniels-led outfit is coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance, and given McLaurin’s importance to the team, a trade would qualify as a major surprise. It is nonetheless notable that New England would consider adding the two-time Pro Bowler, which would require trading draft capital and authorizing a second lucrative WR accord.

With over $60MM in cap space and a rookie-contract QB1, the Pats could certainly afford such a move from a financial perspective. And, while Diggs and the team have seemingly moved beyond an offseason incident that momentarily triggered release rumors, he will turn 32 in November and is still working his way back from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his 2024 campaign (though he did avoid placement on the PUP list to start training camp).

Another new addition to the WR room, Mack Hollins, did land on the active/PUP list, and outside of promising slot target DeMario Douglas, the rest of the depth chart is comprised of unproven and/or uninspiring options. Between that reality and McLaurin’s blend of strong performance and strong character – an important trait for head coach Mike Vrabel – it is easy to see the appeal in a possible trade.

Still, it is a big jump from stalled extension talks to the trade of a franchise cornerstone. It remains to be seen if the Commanders will seriously entertain that notion. 

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/25

July 19th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Timothy McKay

The Cardinals were one of the two teams Barrs visited yesterday. His free agent workout clearly went well, and he will look to carve out a roster spot during training camp. Barrs, a former UDFA, has yet to make a regular season appearance.

Every player on a PUP or NFI list can be activated at any time, but their designations mean they are not cleared to practice at the start of their respective training camps. Notably, the Patriots’ list of PUP players does not include Stefon Diggs. The free agent addition was a candidate to begin camp on the PUP list, but New England’s decision to keep him on the active roster is an encouraging sign regarding his ACL recovery.

The Jets are taking a cautious approach with Jermaine Johnson, as the former first-rounder confirmed on X. An Achilles tear limited him to two games last year, but the Pro Bowler said on Saturday he is ready for on-field work. Activation well in advance of Week 1 should be expected in his case.

Patriots Give Second-Round RB TreVeyon Henderson Fully Guaranteed Deal

July 18th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

When the 49ers were able to break the standstill on second-round rookies signing deals, a flurry of second-round signings was sure to follow, but it wasn’t expected to affect the second-rounders up top who were hoping to bargain for a fully guaranteed deal based off Saints quarterback Tyler Shough‘s lead. Lo and behold, Shough remains unsigned, yet the guaranteed deals are flowing in for the picks above him, the latest of which is Ohio State second-round running back TreVeyon Henderson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Henderson arrived in Columbus as a five-star recruit out of Hopewell HS (VA), the top running back recruit in the country. As a true freshman, Henderson was immediately RB1 in an offense featuring C.J. Stroud at quarterback and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka at receiver. In Year 1, Henderson led the rushing offense with 1,248 yards on 183 carries with 15 touchdowns on the ground, adding 312 yards and four more scores on 27 receptions.

2022 saw Henderson limited to only eight games after suffering a fractured sesamoid bone, which reportedly split into three and tore ligaments and tendons around the bone. He came back with vengeance in his junior year, rebounding with a solid 926 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while missing three more games with injury. Despite a lightened load in 2024 with the arrival of fellow second-round pick Quinshon Judkins, Henderson improved his numbers from the prior year. Judkins led the team with 194 carries, 1,060 yards, and 14 touchdowns, but on 50 fewer carries, Henderson still put up 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Henderson deserves a lot of credit for how he handled himself in his four years with the Buckeyes. After having the stellar freshman All-American season, getting derailed by a major injury, and pushing through more injury as a junior, Henderson could’ve been intimidated by the arrival of Judkins from Ole Miss and ceded the offense to the newcomer. Instead, Henderson pushed Judkins every step of the way, making sure Judkins knew that they were sharing the starting role. His faith, maturity, and unselfishness made him an easy choice for team captain last year.

At 5-foot-10, 200+ pounds, Henderson is a stout runner who tends more to seek contact than make tacklers miss, though he does have a few good moves. He tends to always find tacklers off-center, allowing him to fall forward for extra yards. He’s a tough runner with great hands, highlighted by only two fumbles in four years, both of which came in his first two years and both of which didn’t result in turnovers.

In New England, Henderson will once again work in a committee, joining Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson in the Patriots backfield. The Patriots are no strangers to the running-back-by-committee approach, and Henderson should blend in well with the group. He could end up being an upgrade at RB2 over Gibson or even take over starting duties over Stevenson, or the three could form a three-headed attack that feeds the offense for young quarterback Drake Maye.

With Henderson being the last of the Patriots’ 11 rookies to sign his entry contract, the class is now complete. Here’s a final look at New England’s 2025 rookie draft class:

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs To Start Season On PUP?

July 15th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Both the Patriots and Stefon Diggs have seemingly moved on from an early-summer video that had new head coach Mike Vrabel imploring his players to make “great decisions.” Soon, focus will turn to the practice field, but it’s still uncertain how much the veteran receiver will be involved in August workouts.

As Diggs continues to work his way back from a torn ACL, Chad Graff of The Athletic writes that the wideout will likely open camp by “working on the side.” Graff adds that Diggs has been expected to start the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, but the acquisition’s spring performance has sparked optimism that he could be ready to go for Week 1.

Despite a knee injury prematurely ending Diggs’ lone season with the Texans, the former All-Pro receiver still garnered a three-year, $63.5MM deal from the Patriots in free agency. While the 2025 campaign will represent Diggs’ age-32 season, the Patriots are expecting the addition to elevate both their receivers room and second-year QB Drake Maye.

As Graff writes, Diggs impressed during minicamp. The receiver was lauded for mentoring the team’s younger wideouts, and his performance hinted that he could be ahead of schedule in his rehab. A video from May showed the wideout flashing an “unidentified pink substance” while partying on a boat, leading to speculation that the Patriots could look to bail early from the partnership. Instead, the Patriots decided to hang on to their free agent signing.

A stint on the PUP list would mean Diggs is forced to miss at least the first four games of the upcoming season. That would buy the Patriots some time as they navigate their relatively deep receivers corps. Diggs, Mack Hollins, and rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams have been described as the only definitively safe players on the depth chart, although holdover DeMario Douglas is also expected to secure a roster spot.

As a result, the likes of Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, 2024 second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk, and 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker would be fighting for at most two roster spots. A Diggs absence would allow the Patriots to temporarily retain another WR, although the team would surely prefer their new WR1 is ready for the start of the regular season.

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement 

2016

2017

2018

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Patriots Felt Need To Lock Down LS Julian Ashby In Draft

July 6th, 2025 at 8:54pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s not too often that a long snapper is drafted in the NFL. While the numbers are slightly skewed based on players in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s who would play other positions and also long snap, there have been, at most, 19 long snappers technically selected in the NFL draft, including two players drafted at other positions who transitioned to long snapper. So, what would’ve led the Patriots to make such a pick in the waning moments of this year’s draft?

Tyler Schmitt (drafted in 2008) is considered the first pure long snapper to be drafted, and since him, only nine pure long snappers have been drafted from 2015 to today. Of those nine, only one is still on a team today — Blake Ferguson (2020) could make it two, but he’s still a free agent at the moment. That player was also the first of those nine, Joe Cardona, whom the Patriots selected in 2015. Cardona had been New England’s longest-tenured player and was made a team captain last year after also being made the highest-paid long snapper in the NFL.

New head coach Mike Vrabel came into New England set to overhaul the team’s roster. ESPN’s Mike Reiss puts the turnover ratio at nearly 50:50. That included the release of Cardona just a year after his big payday. Cardona has since rebounded, signing with the Dolphins just a week and a half later. To replace him, the team drafted Julian Ashby out of Vanderbilt, just one round after drafting Miami (FL) kicker Andy Borregales. With the Patriots having drafted punter Bryce Baringer two years ago, they are the only team in the NFL with three drafted specialists. But why draft Ashby?

Ashby transferred to the Commodores after four seasons at Furman. Vanderbilt special teams coach Jeff LePak saw Ashby as a true specimen. In addition to his ability to consistently snap with velocity and accuracy, at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, Ashby has a unique athleticism for the position that he amplifies with work ethic and a team-first approach, per LePak. His ability to consistently deliver in a way that gave the other specialists ample time to work with helped elevate the Commodores kicker and punter, as well.

While the Patriots could’ve taken their chances vying for Ashby’s signature as an undrafted free agent, having worked him out privately, Ashby worked out privately for nine other teams and took a pre-draft visit to Chicago. While there don’t seem to be any reports detailing exactly which teams were including in the nine that worked him out, one would assume that at least one of them stood between the Patriots’ 251st pick and their 257th pick, forcing them to pull the trigger early instead of making Ashby Mr. Irrelevant.

Regardless, New England landed its guy, and though, as we pointed out before, only one long snapper drafted from 2015 to now is still playing in the NFL, the fact that that long snapper was drafted by the Patriots may be a good sign for Ashby. Ashby, Borregales, and Baringer will form a young specialist trio of drafted pedigree in 2025 and, potentially, if they prove to be worth that pedigree, for several more years to come.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
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