HEADLINES

Browns Rumors: Sanders, Tillman, Fannin

June 18th, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns received unfortunate news in the early hour of this morning when rookie fifth-round quarterback Shedeur Sanders was pulled over for allegedly driving 101 mph in a 60-mph zone. Sanders was issued a citation, which he can fight in court or pay for with a fine, according to the breaking report from Emily Smith and Peggy and Ed Gallek of the Fox 8 I-Team.

Aside from the potential danger of driving at such speeds, what’s so unfortunate about all of this for Cleveland is that it comes on the heels of Sanders falling in an historic way in the 2025 NFL Draft from a projected top-10 pick to Day 3. One of the main reasons cited by the teams that passed on him time and time again was character concerns. There were concerns about his maturity having only ever been coached by his father, and several teams were reportedly turned off by his behavior in pre-draft interviews.

Ultimately, this is just one mistake, but it’s one that will hit Sanders’ pockets a bit harder after he failed to secure first-round money. Though there are many who believe he could be a starter for the team this year, we continue to see reports that he and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel are working behind veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett for backup roles. If Sanders has any intentions of leading the Browns offense on Sundays, he’ll need to avoid mistakes such as these that only seem to validate his fall in the draft.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of The Land:

  • In an online Q&A this past weekend, ESPN’s Tony Grossi claimed there was a high likelihood that Cleveland adds another wide receiver to the team before the start of the year. Zac Jackson of The Athletic agreed with this sentiment, saying how in offseason workouts so far, Jerry Jeudy has been leaps and bounds above the rest of a group that doesn’t seem to be inspiring much confidence. Of course, this group does not include Cedric Tillman or Michael Woods II at the moment as both are sidelined with minor injuries. While Grossi suggested both players should feel pressure to get back on the field soon, Jackson called Tillman a “locked-in starter” if healthy. Regardless, barring a breakout training camp performance by one of the current crew, the Browns will likely still be interested in adding a receiver in the weeks leading up to the regular season.
  • In a later breakdown of the team’s pass catchers, Jackson noted that, despite the impressive start he’s shown thus far, rookie third-round tight end Harold Fannin is seen as more of a long-term project than an immediate plug-and-play. The NCAA’s leader in receptions and receiving yards last year, Fannin holds versatile potential to play in an H-back role, in the slot, or in-line, but Njoku is still going to be the go-to receiving tight end in 2025. Increased two-tight end sets would give Fannin more opportunities on the field, but in order to be the second tight end in those sets, he’ll need to earn the coaches’ trust as a blocker, an area in which he has plenty of room for improvement.
  • Following charges of simple assault and harassment levied at linebacker Devin Bush in May, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal gave us an update on the proceedings. Bush appeared in front of a judge earlier this month and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Now, he’ll have a formal arraignment on the morning of July 18 at which point he’ll enter a plea on the charges against him.

Traded Draft Picks For 2026

June 18th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Many months remain before teams know where they are picking in the 2026 draft, but many clubs have made moves to acquire 2026 draft capital. Headlined by the Browns and Rams’ efforts, here are the 2026 picks to have changed hands thus far. When more deals involving picks are made (or conditions on moves already completed become known), that information will be added.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Giants Sign RB Cam Skattebo, Complete Rookie Class

June 18th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

As the Giants wrapped up their minicamp today, they finished business on another front, as well. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo posted early in the afternoon that New York and fourth-round rookie running back Cam Skattebo had agreed to terms on his first NFL contract. The team confirmed this a few hours later, when Skattebo officially put pen to paper and wrapped up the Giants’ rookie signings.

Coming out of Rio Linda, just outside of Sacramento, Skattebo was an unranked recruit in high school. Determined to continue playing football, he committed to the only Division I program to offer him a scholarship: nearby Sacramento State. After COVID-19 cancelled his first season, Skattebo played a complimentary role for the Hornets before exploding the next year as the starter with 1,382 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, not to mention a passing and onside kick return touchdown, as well.

Having been named an FCS first-team All-American as a sophomore, Skattebo hit the transfer portal and landed at Arizona State. On a team that went 3-9, his first campaign with the Sun Devils was a bit of a struggle, but once again, he would explode in Year 2. While it was always going to be damn near impossible to keep pace with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Skattebo was part of an elite group of four other backs who all averaged more than 130 rushing yards per game, and of those four, he was the only one to reach the end zone over 20 times. Finishing second in the nation in rushing yards (1,711) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (21), Skattebo led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and, consequently, a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Despite these statistical achievements and a fifth-place finish in the Heisman race, Skattebo was considered a fringe-Day 2 pick. Essentially, scouts seemed to recognize his tenacity, effort, and feel for the game but noted that he lacked any elite traits and feared that he may be exposed for that in the NFL. Still, Skattebo brings added value to New York thanks to the receiving production that helped make him such a versatile prospect.

Coming to New York, Skattebo joins a team that finished 23rd in rushing in 2024 after losing Saquon Barkley to their division-rival. He currently projects as RB3 behind last year’s top rushers, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. Tracy, last year’s fifth-round pick, is a converted wide receiver who has never rushed for 1,000 yards in college or his rookie campaign, but his 839 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns led Big Blue in 2024. Singletary began last year as the starter before getting demoted to RB2 following a Week 4 groin injury. Skattebo will work to compete with Singletary for opportunities behind Tracy, but he comes into his rookie season with much more acclaim than Tracy did.

Here’s a final look at the Giants’ 2025 rookie class, now complete:

NFL Minor Transactions: 6/18/25

June 18th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s midweek minor transactions from across the NFL:

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

For the second year in a row, Denver is signing a player from the UFL. Last year, Dondrea Tillman contributed five sacks to the Broncos defense a couple months after finishing play with the Birmingham Stallions. Now the team dips back into Birmingham for Goodrich, who resorted to the UFL after spending the 2024 season away from the NFL. The Saints also dipped into the UFL today, taking Green off of the Arlington Renegades and Wesley off the Stallions.

After finally debuting in the NFL last year, despite getting drafted in 2022, Araiza was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate and played in the Super Bowl. Kansas City essentially assured that he would be around in 2025 when they tender him as an exclusive rights free agent, but with Araiza’s signature today, the transaction in complete.

Cowboys To Sign CB Robert Rochell, DT Perrion Winfrey

June 18th, 2025 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are adding two potential depth pieces to their defense this week. Cornerback Robert Rochell and defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey are Dallas-bound, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. To clear roster space, Dallas waived cornerback Luq Barcoo and defensive tackle Justin Rogers.

A former Rams and Packers corner, Rochell is a fifth-year veteran who started five games for Los Angeles’ Super Bowl LVI-winning team. A former Browns fourth-round pick, Winfrey saw action in two seasons but has not made much of an impact. The Chiefs released Rochell earlier this month; he worked out for the Cowboys recently, per Wilson.

Rochell is the more notable name here, as he has four years’ worth of experience and made some contributions on a Super Bowl winner. While the Rams did not use the former fourth-round pick in the playoffs in 2021, Rochell logged three postseason appearances with the Packers — the first an upset win over the Cowboys — over the past two seasons.

The five rookie-year starts notwithstanding, Rochell’s best chance to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster would be as a special-teamer. He has played just 27 defensive snaps since 2022 but was on the field for more than 70% of the Rams’ special snaps in 2022 and over 50% of the Packers’ ST plays in ’23.

This marks Winfrey’s first chance since the Jets placed him on IR in December 2023. No reserve/futures deal commenced following that move, and Winfrey was out of the NFL in 2024. The Browns chose Winfrey 108th overall in 2022, after he earned Senior Bowl MVP honors, but quickly saw him run into trouble. He was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas involving his girlfriend at the time (the case was dismissed in 2023). Cleveland did not see much from the Oklahoma alum on the field, using him as a backup as a rookie before waiving him in July 2023.

Dallas will enter training camp with health issues at corner, having drafted Shavon Revel after an ACL tear and having seen All-Pro Trevon Diggs run into more knee trouble. Revel will not be ready for the start of camp, while Diggs is a candidate to start the season on the reserve/PUP list. This leaves uncertainty around DaRon Bland — who missed much of the 2024 season due to injury — at the position. The team added former first-rounder Kaiir Elam in a trade and rosters backup-level options in Kemon Hall and Troy Pride. At D-tackle, Dallas signed Solomon Thomas and drafted seventh-rounders (Tommy Akingbesote, Jay Toia) as potential options behind Osa Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith.

Giants Expect Malik Nabers To Be Ready For Training Camp

June 18th, 2025 at 2:22pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

While not rehabbing an injury on the level of Andrew Thomas‘ Lisfranc issue, Malik Nabers joined the All-Pro tackle in being a non-participant in the offseason program.

Nabers did not participate in spring practices due to a lingering toe injury, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. Brian Daboll said (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) that he is not concerned about Nabers’ status and expects him to be ready for training camp.

Nabers’ injury dates back to his time at LSU, but it has not caused him to miss a game in college or the NFL. He also participated in the Pro Bowl Games in February and is not expected to need surgery to address the lingering matter. Instead, the Giants are moving forward with a rehab plan with the goal of getting Nabers back on the practice field when the team gathers for training camp in July.

The 2024 No. 6 pick flashed immediate difference-making potential as a rookie, tallying 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns despite inconsistent quarterback play. While the Giants have almost definitely upgraded at quarterback this offseason, the new arrivals have been unable to begin work with the team’s top weapon. That will be tabled to training camp.

Nabers been unable to develop chemistry with the Giants’ new trio of passers – Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart – this spring, making training camp all the more important for getting on the same page. After all, Nabers participated in last year’s spring workouts and displayed the talent that had prompted the Giants — after their Drake Maye trade push failed — to pass on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix at No. 6.

An embattled Giants regime has plenty riding on Nabers panning out, as the team circled back to its need for a Daniel Jones QB upgrade (via Dart at No. 25) after going wide receiver in last year’s first round. That lofty investment makes this toe injury something to monitor. Extensive rest stands to help the former Jayden Daniels college target, but it will be interesting to see if this issue recurs in Year 2.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Steelers, T.J. Watt Want Extension Done By Training Camp

June 18th, 2025 at 10:54am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers have been working on a T.J. Watt extension this offseason, and both sides are hoping to get a deal done by training camp, according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager.

“I know both sides are really motivated to get something done here,” said Schrager during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “They don’t want to go into training camp and have this thing drag on.”

Players are set to report to Pittsburgh’s training camp on July 23, giving the Steelers a month to reach an agreement with Watt. If the two sides cannot come to terms, Watt could stage a hold-in by refusing to participate in practices until he gets an extension. He already skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp, incurring more than $100k in fines for the latter.

Both sides will be closely monitoring other edge rusher negotiations around the league. Micah Parsons is expected to become the highest-paid defender in the NFL, while Trey Hendrickson has resumed extension talks with the Bengals. Watt is unlikely to surpass Parsons’ deal, but his age and recent production are similar to Hendrickson’s. As a result, the Steelers may want to their top edge rusher signed before the Bengals do the same.

Schrager believes that will be the case, but noted that players like Myles Garrett have financially benefitted by waiting for their positional market to develop. If Watt is looking to squeeze every dollar out of what could be his last multi-year extension, he may draw out his negotiations with the Steelers to ensure that he beats Hendrickson’s price tag.

Jets To Sign K Harrison Mevis

June 18th, 2025 at 10:10am CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 18: The Jets officially signed Mevis on Wednesday and waived Carlson in a corresponding move, per a team announcement. That sets up Mevis and Davis to compete for New York’s starting kicker job this summer. Removing Carlson from this competition creates the rare kicker matchup consisting of two UDFAs without any regular-season experience. This marks the second time a team has waived Carlson in 10 months, as the Packers moved on just before last season.

JUNE 17: Moving on from Greg Zuerlein after three seasons, the Jets are set to hold a competition between far less experienced players. One of them is coming in from the UFL.

The spring/summer league finished its season Saturday, leaving players free to explore NFL opportunities. The Jets will look into one such performer. Birmingham Stallions kicker Harrison Mevis is signing with the Jets, according to NFL Draft Diamonds. ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini confirmed the signing, which will give Mevis another chance after he failed to make a roster in 2024.

Mevis made 20 of 21 field goals with the Stallions this season. He did not capture attention with 60-plus-yard makes like Jake Bates did last year, with the Birmingham kicker’s longest make being 54 yards. But the Lions seeing Bates make a considerable difference in his debut likely helped Mevis, who joined former NFL kickers Rodrigo Blankenship, Lucas Havrisik and Tristan Vizcaino in being UFL regulars this season.

Known as the “Thiccer Kicker” at Missouri, Mevis received an opportunity as a Panthers UDFA last year. That chance ended midway through training camp, however, as Carolina moved on and went with Eddy Pineiro, who played out his contract. Although Pineiro is a historically accurate option, he remains a free agent. The Jets are going younger post-Zuerlein.

New York has former Green Bay draftee Anders Carlson and rookie UDFA Caden Davis on its 90-man offseason roster. Carlson worked as a five-game Zuerlein fill-in for the Jets last season, after failing to keep his job as the Packers’ kicker during the preseason.

While Mevis did not produce Bates-like makes in the UFL, he has a strong leg that broke a near-40-year-old SEC record. He made a 61-yard field goal to lift Mizzou past former Big 12 rival Kansas State in 2023. Mevis’ best college season came in 2021, when he made 26 of 28 field goal tries for the Tigers. He is Mizzou’s all-time record holder with 86 career makes, and he earned second-team All-SEC acclaim as a senior in 2023.

Ravens Expected To Adopt Bills’ Approach To Lamar Jackson Extension

June 18th, 2025 at 9:21am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens could adopt the Bills’ approach to Josh Allen‘s extension when pursuing a similar deal with Lamar Jackson this year.

“The sense here around the league is that Baltimore could follow the blueprint that Buffalo put together back in March when they extended Josh Allen, even though he had multiple years left on his contract,” said ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler during a recent SportsCenter appearance (via Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker). “The feeling is, get ahead of that huge quarterback market money in three or four years from now, just pay your guy now when he’s got multiple years left on his current deal.” 

Earlier this offseason, Allen signed a six-year, $330MM contract that replaced his 2021 extension, which had four years remaining. The deal brought him back to the highest tier of the quarterback market after a dozen quarterbacks surpassed his $43MM APY in the last four years; it also provided Buffalo with financial flexibility for the rest of the decade.

Jackson and the Ravens are in a similar situation. He was the league’s highest-paid quarterback when he signed his first extension in 2023; now, he ranks 10th. The two-time MVP is only set to earn $122.75MM in base salary over the next three years ($40.9MM per year), per OverTheCap, but his cap hits will total $192.5MM in the same period, including a whopping $74.5MM in both 2026 and 2027. An early extension would offer Jackson more money in the immediate future while giving the Ravens plenty of room to manage the salary cap for the foreseeable future.

Fowler’s comments suggest that the Ravens will adopt the Bills’ approach when it comes to to Jackson’s contract, but it is unclear if that means ripping up his first extension and replacing it with a brand-new deal like Allen. An extension could create $15.8MM of cap space in 2025, which Baltimore could use for summer signing and in-season contingencies. More importantly, a new deal for Jackson will lower his cap hits in 2026 and 2027, which will help the Ravens retain key talent approaching the end of their contracts.

Jackson was asked about his contract status at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, but maintained his past approach of staying mum on the topic. He only offered a “sounds good” when asked about John Harbaugh‘s expectation that Jackson will once again be the highest-paid player in the league whenever he signes a new deal.

Athleticwear for the Modern Athlete (Sponsored)

June 18th, 2025 at 8:53am CST by Tim Dierkes

This is a sponsored post from Greatness Wins.

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Greatness Wins saw the need for something better. All athletes deserve something better, and they’ve stepped up to the plate.

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