Browns To Sign FB Michael Burton
Todd Monken‘s three Ravens offenses involved a fullback, with the former Baltimore OC overseeing Patrick Ricard during that span. The new Browns HC will add a veteran at the niche position ahead of OTAs.
Michael Burton spent the past three years of his lengthy career in Denver, but TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi notes he is signing with Cleveland. Burton, 34, missed all of last season due to a hamstring injury.
The Browns will be Burton’s seventh NFL team. Prior to Denver, he stopped through Detroit, Chicago, Washington, New Orleans and Kansas City. While he has cleared 20% usage on offense in just two seasons — as fullbacks have largely been phased out of NFL offenses — the Rutgers product has been a special teams regular as well.
Cleveland added two tight ends in the draft — Cincinnati’s Joe Royer and BYU’s Carsen Ryan — but Burton will be the team’s first true fullback addition this offseason. The Browns return 2025 draftees Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson; the team lost Jerome Ford in free agency (to Washington).
Earlier this offseason, a report revealed the Browns tried to sign Ricard in their search for a fullback. But Ricard opted to be part of a Baltimore-to-New York pipeline, following John Harbaugh to the Giants. Ricard was used far more than Burton offensively, seeing 39-64% snap shares on offense over the past six seasons. Burton moved between the Broncos’ practice squad and active roster during his second stint under Sean Payton and spent all of last season on IR, but it looks like he will have a bounce-back opportunity in one of the few offenses where a fullback sees regular usage.
49ers Add Eight UDFAs
The 49ers are among the teams which have quickly unveiled their undrafted free agent classes. The following eight players have agreed to terms with San Francisco:
- Jack Boumeester, P (Texas)
- Khalil Dinkins, TE (Penn State)
- Bryson Eason, DL (Tennessee)
- Wesley Grimes, WR (NC State)
- Mikail Kamara, DL (Indiana)
- Will Pauling, WR (Notre Dame)
- Jalen Stroman, S (Notre Dame)
- James Thompson, DL (Illinois)
The 49ers did not select any tight ends during the draft, something which could help Dinkins’ chances of earning a roster spot this summer. The team’s financial commitment will at least ensure him a long look. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Dinkins signed a deal including $275K guaranteed.
That is not the only big-money deal the 49ers authorized when assembling their UDFA class. Per Pelissero, Thompson landed $280K in guarantees. After five years at Wisconsin, Thompson enjoyed a productive season at Illinois. He will spend the remainder of the offseason competing with Eason and Kamara for a spot at the end of the roster or at least a place on San Francisco’s practice squad.
The 49ers signed Corliss Waitman in free agency, and he is currently in line to operate as their 2026 punter. The team’s decision to bring in Boumeester will at least leave the door open to a competition, though. Waitman’s one-year deal contains $450K guaranteed, limiting the cost of moving on during roster cuts in the event Boumeester performs well during training camp.
Mike Tomlin Addresses Steelers Resignation Decision
Mike Tomlin‘s Steelers tenure came to an end this winter when he resigned. The Super Bowl winner will spend the 2026 season trying his hand at broadcasting.
Tomlin informed the team of his decision shortly after Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss. He declined to offer public remarks on the matter until Sunday night, when it was officially announced Tomlin will work as an analyst for NBC next season. The new gig will see him travel to the location of each week’s Sunday Night Football broadcast instead of remaining in studio.
“It’s probably not an overnight decision,” Tomlin said during an interview with new colleague Maria Taylor (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “But it’s probably not something that I could articulate or share with people. There’s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me, personally. And by that, I mean just where I am in life. And I thought it was a good time for the organization, to be quite honest with you. We didn’t have a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years.”
The Steelers’ most recent postseason victory came in 2016. Finding a viable Ben Roethlisberger successor has proven to be challenging over the years, while a veteran-laden defense has fallen short of expectations on more than one occasion in the playoffs. Tomlin added some of Pittsburgh’s most experienced players are “worthy of the excitement and the optimism associated with new leadership.”
Mike McCarthy is now in place as the Steelers’ head coach. The former Packers Super Bowl winner spent five years with the Cowboys before he was out of coaching in 2025. A deal with his hometown team will see the 62-year-old return to the sidelines as Pittsburgh hopes to make a playoff run. The team’s quarterback situation is once again unclear deep into the offseason, with Aaron Rodgers yet to re-sign. Playing for Tomlin was part of the appeal for the four-time MVP, who spent much of his career previously working with McCarthy in Green Bay.
“I just think, Aaron, I just think being around him for the 12 months that I’m around him, he’s got a love affair with the game of football and not only the game, but the process, the informal moments, the development of younger guys, the interaction with teammates,” Tomlin added when asked about Rodgers. “And certainly he is still capable and in really good shape. And so I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”
Tomlin, just 54 despite having a 19-year run as a head coach to his name, had long been mentioned as a candidate to take up broadcasting. It soon became clear in the wake of his resignation decision that 2026 would not be spent on the sidelines in his case. A potential return to coaching on Tomlin’s part will of course be a key talking point leading up to next year’s hiring cycle.
Giants’ Joe Schoen Candidate For Post-Draft Firing?
APRIL 27: Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes uncertainty over Schoen’s future has largely originated from outside the organization. Nevertheless, he reports Aponte is viewed around the league as a potential Schoen successor. The post-draft stage of the offseason will be worth watching closely in the case of the Giants.
APRIL 22: We have not seen a post-draft GM firing in a while, but that point on the calendar has brought changes in the not-so-distant past. The Jets and Texans each canned GMs (Mike Maccagnan, Brian Gaine) after the 2019 draft, while the Bills fired Doug Whaley following the 2017 draft.
Maccagnan and Whaley were fired months after those AFC East organizations hired a new head coach (Adam Gase, Sean McDermott), and both HCs then played central roles in identifying GM successors. These examples are eerily similar to this Giants offseason, which has seen major changes outside of the GM chair.
[RELATED: Many Scenarios In Play For Giants’ Two-First-Rounder Night]
Joe Schoen helped the Giants land John Harbaugh, but the latter insisted on reporting to ownership. Ownership greenlit that change to land the Super Bowl-winning HC and would not have done so for another candidate, but Schoen was rumored to be an impediment to that potential change during a three-day wait for the Giants’ Harbaugh hire to become official.
It stood to reason Schoen would be against a change that increased a head coach’s authority, but the Giants’ struggles during his GM tenure did not give the fifth-year Big Blue boss much of a case to prevent it. A report during the Harbaugh pursuit indicated a likely willingness for the high-profile coach to work with the Giants’ holdover GM, but Schoen did have to answer questions about his presence preventing the team from hiring a quality coach.
Later in the offseason, we heard the Giants’ Dawn Aponte hire (as senior VP of football operations and strategy) stripped power from Schoen. That February report indicated Schoen had essentially been “relegated to handling scouting” while the “rest of the building reports to Dawn.” Teams regularly retain scouting staffs through drafts, as to ensure continuity ahead of the event, before making changes on that level. While GM switches at that juncture are rare, the late-2010s moves show they are not unprecedented. With Schoen running the scouting (and Harbaugh and Aponte siphoning power), dot connecting here regarding a post-draft change is not too difficult.
Schoen should indeed be considered in jeopardy of being fired following the draft, SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora notes. The veteran Giants GM, who has overseen a 13-38 record since a surprising 2022 playoff berth, is considered in “very real danger” of losing his job soon, per La Canfora.
This would be a hard-luck firing, given Schoen’s contributions in running the Giants’ HC search amid John Mara’s battle with cancer, but the team’s on-field struggles — which led to Brian Daboll‘s in-season ouster — certainly warrant a change. Harbaugh throwing his weight around to identify a GM to work alongside him would make sense. Harbaugh’s hire resulted in organization-wide changes, to the point long-running staffer Kevin Abrams was booted in January, and scouting-side moves are assuredly coming post-draft.
Schoen, 46, came over from the Bills with Daboll in 2022. He worked for the Dolphins and Panthers previously during an NFL career that has spanned 25 years. He has spoken of collaboration occurring between GM and HC this offseason, as Harbaugh will be heavily involved in the draft room when the Giants are deliberating.
“The early returns on that, it’s been great,” Schoen said (via the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz) of collaboration between the GM and HC. “Coach Harbaugh is passionate about the draft. I’m passionate about the draft. My staff is passionate about it. Just the ongoing football conversations, sitting in the film room with him, whether it’s walking through the board or watching the film. It’s been a lot of fun.
“We’ve spent a lot of time together working through not just first-rounders, second-rounders. He knows about fourth- and fifth-rounders. He’s sending me text messages asking me about maybe undrafted free agents, or he saw an article or an agent might have texted him. It’s been a lot of fun being in these meetings and watching film with him.”
A separate report (from EssentiallySports.com’s Tony Pauline) indicated Harbaugh has not been especially collaborative lately, with a source close to the situation indicating “John knows what he’s going to do and John’s not talking to anybody!” The Giants hold two first-round picks, and several pathways have emerged regarding the team’s draft approach post-Dexter Lawrence. Schoen extended Lawrence in 2023 but saw the defensive tackle become disillusioned with the franchise’s direction. Letting Saquon Barkley and fellow first-team All-Pro Xavier McKinney walk in free agency did not age well for Schoen.
GMs rarely receive second chances, and Schoen will have next to no chance at another GM gig if he is fired post-draft. It would stand to reason the veteran exec would land in a prominent non-GM role elsewhere if fired, but his Giants employment should be considered a situation to closely monitor coming out of this weekend’s draft.
Cameron Jordan Unsure Of Saints Future
Heading into the draft, the outlook for Saints mainstays Cameron Jordan and Alvin Kamara were unclear. Kamara is still under contract, but Jordan’s chances of signing another New Orleans deal do not appear to be strong.
The Saints’ draft class does not include any edge rushers. The team has, however, been active in adding veterans in the front seven. A trade with the Raiders for defensive end Tyree Wilson was worked out on Saturday, while hybrid linebacker Anfernee Jennings agreed to terms on a contract yesterday.
Wilson and Jennings will look to offer depth to a Saints pass rush which still includes Chase Young and Carl Granderson. Jordan, 37 in July, would be counted on to remain a key presence in that regard if he were to re-up with New Orleans once again. The eight-time Pro Bowler continues to leave the door open to a free agent departure, though.
“I don’t know,” Jordan said (via Matthew Paras of NOLA.com) when asked about his future. “There’s nobody who produced the way I did last year, so. My talent speaks for itself. And if things work out, phenomenal. I’ve always said I understand the business side to it, so I’ve never worried about it.”
Jordan has made 254 combined regular and postseason appearances during his career; all of them have come with the Saints. A member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, he has remained highly durable through the late stages of his NFL tenure. Jordan amassed 10.5 sacks last season, almost as many as Wilson has totaled in his three-year career to date. Team and player have agreed to five contracts over the years, and as the post-draft wave of free agency plays out it will be interesting to see if a sixth pact is in store.
The Saints still have their rookie class to sign, but doing so and finalizing the Jennings deal will leave them with a small amount of cap space. Whether or not any of it is used to keep Jordan in place for a 16th New Orleans season will make for a noteworthy mid-offseason storyline.
Poll: Grading Rams’ Ty Simpson Pick
After acquiring a first-round pick from the Falcons at last year’s draft, the Rams entered this offseason with two No. 1s. They were scheduled to select 13th and 29th until general manager Les Snead made yet another win-now move in a March trade with the Chiefs. Snead gave up No. 29 in a package for star cornerback Trent McDuffie, whose presence should boost the Rams’ Super Bowl chances next season.
Once the Rams lost the 29th pick, their odds of using a first-rounder on a developmental quarterback reportedly decreased. Expectations were they would look for immediate aid at No. 13, where USC wide receiver Makai Lemon and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq were still on the board. Either could have improved an already formidable offense and provided another weapon for quarterback Matthew Stafford. However, instead of drafting Lemon, Sadiq or another pro-ready prospect, Snead decided to take a long-term gamble on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
With Stafford entering his age-38 season and the unproven Stetson Bennett as the Rams’ only other quarterback, it is not surprising they drafted a passer. It did come as a shock that they spent their top pick on one, though, especially in a weak class for the position.
Simpson was considered the second-best QB available throughout the pre-draft process, trailing Raiders No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, but there was some doubt he would go in the first round. After making a mere 15 starts at Alabama, Simpson entered the draft as a polarizing prospect. He had Snead in his corner all along, though. Even before Simpson officially left school in January, Snead had a first-round grade on him. He said as much to Simpson’s father, Tennesee-Martin head coach Jason Simpson, back in December.
While there was talk that Rams head coach Sean McVay was unhappy with the Ty Simpson pick in the immediate aftermath, he and Snead “were on the same page on this,” Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic said as a guest on Check The Mic with Steve Palazzolo & Sam Monson. Rodrigue added that the Rams would not have taken Simpson without McVay’s blessing.
If Simpson stayed in school for his senior season, the 23-year-old could have taken a $6.5MM offer from Miami to transfer and replace Cardinals third-rounder Carson Beck, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Had he fallen out of the first round, Simpson would have made more money playing for the Hurricanes in 2026. As the 13th overall pick, though, he will sign a four-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $25.41MM.
At least from a financial standpoint, Simpson made the right move leaving college for the pros. The question is: Did the Rams make the right move when they picked him? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Grade the Ty Simpson pick
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C 30% (582)
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D 25% (481)
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F 22% (431)
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B 16% (306)
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A 7% (140)
Total votes: 1,940
Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. Undecided On Potential Reunion
Odell Beckham Jr. has played for five teams in his 10-year NFL career, but the majority of his success came as a member of the Giants from 2014-18. Although the free agent wide receiver has not suited up since Dec. 8, 2024, the Giants brought him in for a workout on Monday. While head coach John Harbaugh said Beckham “looked good,” it is unclear if the 33-year-old will rejoin the Giants.
“We’re not decided on that yet; he’s not quite decided on that yet,’’ Harbaugh revealed (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). “I think we just have to kind of see where we’re at this next week.’’
The Giants entered this week’s draft needing at least one receiver. After addressing other weaknesses with their first three selections, they traded up 31 picks to grab former Notre Dame wideout Malachi Fields in the third round. Fields is now part of a receiving corps that also includes Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, free agent signings Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin, and 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt, among others. If the Giants are not fully content with their current group, they could take a cheap flier on Beckham or another available veteran.
A first-rounder of the Giants 12 years ago, Beckham earned all three of his Pro Bowl nods and his two second-team All-Pro selections in their uniform. Among pass catchers, the former LSU star ranks second in franchise history in yards (5,467) and fourth in both receptions (390) and touchdowns (44). Beckham largely shined as a Giant, but they cut ties in a March 2019 trade with the Browns. The deal delivered a first-round pick (No. 17), which the Giants used on Dexter Lawrence, among other assets.
Beckham played a full season and hauled in 74 catches for 1,035 yards in his first year in Cleveland, but he has not approached those numbers since then. Various injuries limited Beckham to 44 of a possible 84 regular-season games from 2020-24. In addition to the Browns, he spent time with the Rams, Ravens and Dolphins during that five-year run. While he was effective during his short stint with the Rams in 2021, he tore his ACL in Super Bowl LVI. Beckham caught a touchdown in the Rams’ 23-20 triumph over the Bengals, but he has not reached those heights since.
After sitting out 2022 to rehab his knee injury, Beckham returned to post decent complementary production with the Harbaugh-coached Ravens in 2023. Beckham snagged 35 receptions for 565 yards (16.1 YPC) and three TDs in Baltimore, but he made no impact in a nine-game, nine-catch year with the Dolphins in 2024. Although Beckham did not find a job last season, he still served a six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Bears Restructure Contracts Of TE Cole Kmet, OL Jonah Jackson
The Bears restructured the contracts of tight end Cole Kmet and offensive lineman Jonah Jackson to open up salary cap space before the 2026 NFL Draft, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.
Chicago converted $7.65MM of Kmet’s $8.9MM salary into a bonus that was prorated across the remainder of the contract. His cap number was reduced by $3.8MM in 2026 and raised in 2027 by the same amount, resulting in $7.8MM and $15.4MM hits in each year, respectively.
Jackson’s contract was restructured in a similar manner, just with different numbers. His 2026 salary was reduced by $13.5MM and converted into a bonus, half of which will be moved to the Bears’ 2027 cap table. Jackson’s cap hit is now $12.8MM for this season; it will go up to $23.8MM next year. Both moves were traditional restructures that did not add void years to the contracts to maximize the 2026 cap savings.
The Bears entered draft week with the least cap space in the NFL. If they wanted to trade or acquire a player during the draft, Fitzgerald explains, they would not have been financially permitted to do so. These restructures ensured that Chicago’s options remained open throughout the weekend.
No such trade materialized, but the restructures were not for naught. The team will still need to sign their rookie class, which would have forced them to open up cap room after the draft anyway.
The restructures turn next offseason – and therefore, this upcoming season – into a pivotal one for both players.
Kmet’s future in Chicago became murky as soon as they drafted Colston Loveland in the first round last year. He saw a significant drop in playing time and production and will likely cede more ground in 2026. His $15.4MM cap hit will be too expensive for a No. 2 tight end, and though the Bears could approach Kmet about a pay cut, he may prefer to hit the open market for the first time in his career. He could also become a trade target for teams seeking a proven, reliable tight end who can provide starting-caliber play as a pass catcher and a blocker.
The Bears acquired Jackson from the Rams last offseason and signed him to a three-year, $54.5MM extension. He started all 17 games at right guard, reestablishing his value after missing most of the previous season due to injury. He is slated to take up the same role in 2026, and a repeat performance should set up him up for another extension closer to the top of the still-rising guard market.
Jaguars Sign 18 Undrafted Rookies
The Jaguars added 11 players in the 2026 NFL Draft, many of them selected well above their consensus rank. Jacksonville then signed 18 undrafted free agents to fill out their roster, per a team announcement, as listed below:
- Joey Aguilar, QB (Tennessee)
- T.J. Bollers, DL (California)
- Brady Boyd, WR (Utah State)
- Alex Bullock, WR (South Dakota State)
- Ethan Conner, TE (Troy)
- Garrett DiGiorgio, OL (UCLA)
- Quindarius Dunnigan, DE (Michigan State)
- Preston Hodge, CB (Colorado)
- Jalen Hunt, DL (Cincinnati)
- Devin Neal, S (Virginia)
- Jimto Obidegwu, OL (North Texas)
- Ben Patterson, WR (Texas-Permian Basin)
- Trebor Peña, WR (Penn State)
- J’Mari Taylor, RB (Virginia)
- Bryan Thomas Jr., DE (South Carolina)
- Jordan White, OL (Vanderbilt)
- Michael Wortham, WR (Montana)
Aguilar, who turns 25 years old in June, threw for over 3,500 yards at Tennessee in 2025 after two years starting for Appalachian State. . At 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds, he brings good size and a strong arm to the NFL, but his vision, anticipation, and mental processing will all need improvement. In Jacksonville, Aguilar will have to quickly learn Liam Coen‘s offense and battle for a spot on the roster or (more likely) the practice squad over the next few months.
Neal spent time at Baylor and Louisville before arriving at Virginia as a graduate transfer in 2025. He led the Cavaliers defense with 88 tackles and eight passes defended. However after posting six interceptions in 2022 and 2023, he has not recorded one since. Neal received $231K in guarantees to sign with the Jaguars, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He will join a safety room headlined by veterans Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray that just added Maryland’s Jalen Huskey with a third-round pick over the weekend.
After four quiet seasons at Syracuse, Pena burst onto the college football scene in 2024 with an ACC-high 84 receptions for 941 yards and nine touchdowns. He transferred to Penn State in 2025 in the hopes of boosting his stock further, but disappointed with just 49 catches for 522 yards and two touchdowns. He lacks high-end athletic or physical traits but plays bigger than his listed size (5-foot-10, 187 pounds) and brings value as a returner, which may help him make the roster in Jacksonville.
Taylor spent his first five college seasons playing in the FCS at North Carolina State and also transferred to Virginia last year. He served as the Cavalier’ starting running back with 1,062 yards on 222 carries (4.8 yards per attempt). He also flashed as a pass-catcher with 43 catches for 259 yards, and his 15 total touchdowns led the ACC. The Jaguars let Travis Etienne walk in free agency this offseason and will be counting on 2025 draft picks Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen to pick up the slack. Taylor may have an opportunity to carve out a role in Coen’s offense as a rookie.
Thomas, 21, is an underside edge rusher with ascending production over the last three years, including seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2025. He received $248K to sign in Jacksonville, per Wilson, where his name may sow some early confusion among fans and beat writers. But for one letter, he shares a name with a current Jaguars: wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
WR Jermaine Burton To Participate In Bills’ Rookie Camp
Former Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton is set to participate in the Bills’ rookie minicamp, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Burton, 24, was a third-round pick in 2024 and arrived in Cincinnati with the hopes of becoming a reliable complement to star wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He played little as a rookie (only 131 snaps over 14 games) and caught just four of his 14 targets for 107 yards. Pre-draft concerns about his character and maturity turned out to be well-founded. Burton was accused of assault in December and did not travel with the team for their season finale in Pittsburgh due to a coach’s decision.
The Bengals hoped Burton could turn things around in 2025, but he did not appear in a single game. He was suspended in Week 14, waived shortly after, and received virtually no interest this offseason until the Bills came calling.
At Buffalo’s rookie camp, Burton will have to first earn a 90-man roster spot by showing he can still be the player who led the SEC with 20.5 yards per reception in 2023 – without the off-field issues. The Bills’ current wide receiver room is headlined by D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir with Josh Palmer serving as the No. 3, though fourth-round pick Skyler Bell could push for a role as a rookie.
At present, Burton does not even factor into that equation, but the talent is there. He is still relatively young and will come cheap until and unless he proves he truly belongs in the NFL.