HEADLINES

Steelers DL Derrick Harmon, CB Beanie Bishop In Line For Starting Roles

June 16th, 2025 at 11:28am CST by Adam La Rose

Spring practices did not settle any position battles around the NFL, of course. In the case of the Steelers, though, a pair of young defenders are in line for first-team action on a permanent basis pending on how training camp shakes out.

Derrick Harmon was among the five interior defensive linemen who were selected during the opening round of this year’s draft. As Pittsburgh’s top choice (No. 21 overall), expectations will be high regarding production during his rookie season. Harmon will have plenty of opportunities to make an impact.

When speaking about the Oregon product, defensive line coach Karl Dunbar confirmed (via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic) Harmon will begin the year as a defensive tackle starter. With no padded practices taking place until training camp, offensive and defensive linemen can often struggle to make an impact during spring practices. Given the Steelers’ depth beyond Cameron Heyward along the defensive interior, though, Harmon represents a logical candidate to handle a heavy workload right away in the NFL.

Heyward is entering his age-36 season and 2025 marks the final year of his current deal with guaranteed salary. Harmon – who led all FBS D-linemen in quarterback pressures during his standout senior campaign with the Ducks -will be tasked with establishing himself as a long-term stalwart along the interior especially once Heyward’s career ends. For at least one year, though, they will operate as a tandem.

Elsewhere on the Steelers’ roster, Beanie Bishop appears to be positioned for an uptick in usage. The 2024 UDFA saw notable playing time early in his rookie season, but his role shrank once veteran Cameron Sutton returned from suspension. As DeFabo notes, though, Bishop has moved toward a full-time position as Pittsburgh’s slot corner for this season. Joey Porter Jr. and free agent signing Darius Slay will be handle starting duties on the perimeter, and the team has made additions capable of playing in the slot. Bishop is aware of that competition as he prepares for training camp.

“At the end of the day, they still don’t have a lot of money invested in me,” Bishop said (via DeFabo). “They obviously drafted a guy [seventh-rounder Donte Kent] this year. Brought in [free agent Brandin Echols]. So I’m never just comfortable and like, ‘Oh yeah, this is my spot.’”

Bishop wound up logging a 50% defensive snap share last season, and a strong summer performance could pave the way for an ever larger figure in 2025. He and Harmon will each play a notable role in Pittsburgh’s efforts to rebound from an underwhelming finish to the campaign last year.

Panthers Unlikely To Pursue CBs Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey

June 16th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Adam La Rose

Jaire Alexander has drawn immediate interest following his Packers release. He is joined by Jalen Ramsey as a high-profile cornerback available late in the offseason, but in both cases the Panthers should not be considered a landing spot.

Carolina is not positioned to make a run at Alexander or Ramsey, Joe Person of The Athletic writes (subscription required). He adds a defensive back addition of some kind could be in store before training camp begins next month, and with over $18MM in cap space the team could certainly afford a free agent pickup. As expected, though, other options will be on the Panthers’ radar.

Alexander was the subject of trade talks at multiple points this offseason, and once it became clear no restructure agreement would be reached the Packers moved forward with a release. Trading for the two-time Pro Bowler would have required taking on the remainder of his contract – a tall order given Alexander’s injury history – but numerous suitors are interested now that doing so is no longer necessary. The Bills were among the teams which discussed a trade, although given their current cap situation a free agent deal could be unrealistic at this point.

It has long been known Ramsey is available via trade given the mutual decision made with the Dolphins to move on. Finances are key in his situation given the roughly $21MM in guaranteed salary owed for 2025. Reaching agreement with Miami will no doubt depend largely on how much of that figure the team will retain to facilitate a trade. Ramsey, 30, is a candidate to return to the Rams (a team which, by contrast, does not appear to be a prime suitor for Alexander).

As Person notes, a depth addition at the cornerback spot would be welcomed given the options currently on hand at the position. At safety, meanwhile, a move is also worth watching for. Both Julian Blackmon and Marcus Williams have taken part in free agent visits this offseason, and each veteran is still unsigned at this point. Carolina could circle back to one of those two of look into another free agent such as Justin Simmons based on his familiarity with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Making a move in the secondary will be welcomed on a defense which ranked 23rd against the pass last season. In the case of Alexander and Ramsey, however, Carolina should not be considered a likely destination.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley: “I Don’t Plan On Retiring Anytime Soon”

June 15th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, fresh off a magical debut season in Philadelphia that culminated in First Team All-Pro and Offensive Player of the Year honors for him and a Super Bowl championship for the club, created something of a panic during a recent appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast.

“I’ll probably be one of those guys that it’ll be out of nowhere [when I retire],” Barkley said. “I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s next year or two years or four years, and just be like, ‘Yeah it’s over.’ I don’t think I will ever lose that passion. I’m just a competitor…” (h/t Patrick McAvoy of SI.com).

Barkley went on to reference Barry Sanders, the legendary Lions RB who abruptly and unexpectedly retired before training camp of his age-31 season in 1999 (and on the heels of a campaign in which he tallied 1,491 rushing yards and earned his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl bid). 

“One of my favorite players of all time, probably my favorite player of all time, is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that,” Barkley added. “Maybe one day it will be out of nowhere. I’ll probably be balling and just be like, yeah, and call it quits.”

Of course, Sanders later revealed that his own decision to hang up his cleats was spurred by frustration with the Lions’ front office and the overall direction of the franchise. Detroit advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 1991, Sanders’ third season in the pros, but the team would not win another playoff contest until 2023. In the year immediately preceding his retirement, the Lions finished 5-11 and in fourth place out of five teams in the old NFC Central.

Barkley, meanwhile, is entering his age-28 season, and in light of the personal and team success he enjoyed with the Eagles in 2024, Philadelphia brass authorized a two-year, $41.2MM extension just one year after signing him to a three-year, $37.75MM accord in free agency. Behind a stout offensive front and in an offense with ample skill-position talent, Barkley led the league with 2,005 rushing yards in the 2024 regular season (in 16 games) and added 278 yards and 15 total touchdowns for good measure. He was equally impressive in the playoffs, recording a league-best 499 rushing yards and five TDs during Philly’s four-game postseason run.

Thanks to the recent extension, he is now under club control through 2028, which would be his age-31 slate. And while Sanders retired with multiple years remaining on what was then a record-setting contract, Barkley later clarified that he has no intentions of emulating his role model’s exit strategy in the near future.

“I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon,” Barkley told reporters, including PHLY’s Zach Berman. “I feel like I’m entering my prime.”

Had Barkley announced his retirement this year, it would have been even more shocking than Sanders’ announcement. And it sounds as if the former No. 2 overall pick of the Giants has designs on at least finishing out his current deal, which is surely good news for Eagles fans.

Barkley did struggle with injuries during his time with New York, and he indicated his eventual departure from the game will be largely dictated by his health.

“I don’t have a set date or how many years I want to play,” he said (via Nick Faria of Athlon Sports). “I would love to play this game as long as God lets me and my body lets me, so that’s really it.”

Trade Candidate: Allen Lazard

June 15th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Ely Allen

So far, Allen Lazard‘s career has been tied in lockstep with new Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Lazard spent his first five years in Green Bay catching passes from Rodgers. Then, in anticipation of a trade that would send Rodgers to the Jets, Lazard headed to New York as a free agent. With Rodgers now in Pittsburgh, there’s certainly a door open that could reunite Lazard with Rodgers, once again.

Originally signing with the Jaguars after going undrafted out of Iowa State in 2018, Lazard failed to make Jacksonville’s 53-man roster but signed to the team’s practice squad. Late in December of his rookie year, though, Green Bay signed him off the Jaguars’ p-squad as they saw a number of injuries to their own receiving corps. While he didn’t contribute much that season, he found his home of the next four years.

While Lazard was never a favorite target of Rodgers in Green Bay — a role rightly reserved for Davante Adams — he had a consistent role in the offense. In his second and third seasons, he contributed an average of 34 receptions for 464 yards and three touchdowns. He became more of a redzone target in 2021, logging 40 catches for 513 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns, before putting up a career year in 2022 with 60 catches, 788 yards, and six touchdowns.

Later rumors would indicate that following that final season in Green Bay, Lazard and Rodgers often spoke of playing in New York together. In fact, Lazard took the initiative to reach out to the Jets about the free agent deal he would eventually sign. Lazard’s first year in New York became essentially a wasted season, though, when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in the season opener. With Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle throwing to him, he only logged 23 receptions for 311 yards and a single touchdown. He improved last year, with Rodgers back on the field, but returned to his average totals with 37 catches for 530 yards and six touchdowns.

With Rodgers no longer in New York, Lazard’s current role seems uncertain. Adams departed from New York this offseason, seemingly giving Lazard a shot to be WR2. Unfortunately, according Rich Cimini of ESPN, Lazard is losing the WR2 battle to free agent addition Josh Reynolds. Per Cimini, Reynolds is the “clear-cut favorite” to land the job.

There was a time at which it seemed Lazard was certainly not long for New York. Early in the offseason, rumors came out that the Jets were likely to release him in the offseason, and a couple weeks later, the team gave him permission to seek a trade. Ultimately, the team opted to retain Lazard’s services, restructuring his contract to solidify the deal.

Despite this renewed commitment, Rodgers’ Pittsburgh signing immediately reignited rumors of a trade that would send Lazard to the Steelers. Given that cutting or trading Lazard before June 1 would’ve resulted in $6.55MM of dead money with him still taking up $1.94MM in cap space, it starts to make sense that Lazard has been kept around to this point, but a post-June 1 trade would now leave New York with only $2.18MM in dead money while relieving $2.43MM in cap space.

Cimini still thinks that it would be unlikely that the Jets would trade Lazard away. If they do, though — and Cimini notes here that that’s “a big if” — New York likely wouldn’t do so until the end of the preseason. The Jets have a lot of new pieces in their offense, and they’ll need to make sure they’re comfortable with their depth at wide receiver before agreeing to send Lazard away.

Latest On Bengals’ Standoffs With Trey Hendrickson, Shemar Stewart

June 15th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

JUNE 15: The Bengals have reopened contract talks with Hendrickson, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While that is no guarantee that a deal will get done, Hendrickson has criticized the team for the lack of communication in the past, so this would appear to be a positive step in negotiations.

JUNE 14: There is no end in sight to the Bengals’ dual contract standoffs. First-round pick Shemar Stewart left Cincinnati on the last day of mandatory minicamp, while All-Pro Trey Hendrickson remains away from the team as he fights for a new deal.

Hendrickson is “very much dug in on his position” and will not sign a one-year extension, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via the Rich Eisen Show). The veteran edge rusher is not seeking to eclipse Myles Garrett‘s $40MM APY, but wants something just above $35MM per year in the range of Maxx Crosby and Danielle Hunter. Hendrickson is also looking for a stronger commitment from the Bengals in terms of length and guaranteed money.

Stewart, meanwhile, remains steadfast in his opposition to a specific clause that would void the remaining guarantees in his contract if he were to default in one year. That language is different than the contracts offered to the Bengals’ last two first-round picks, but it is the same as the majority of first-round picks around the league, including the players drafted right before and after Stewart, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. At least one person inside the organization believes that the language used with Amarius Mims and Myles Murphy would have the desired voiding effect in case of a default, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

The Bengals have options to end both disputes. They could obviously change the terms of Stewart’s deal to match those of Mims and Murphy, or they could offer him something elsewhere in the contract. Given that first-round picks all have fully-guaranteed deals with preset slot values, Cincinnati’s options in that regard are slightly limited. They could give Stewart more of his money up front via an accelerated payment schedule for his signing bonus or bigger training camp roster bonuses.

For Hendrickson, the Bengals will have to meet his demands in some form or fashion. He is currently set to earn $16MM in non-guaranteed money this year, which will not be enough to get him on the field. A two-year extension worth $71.5MM would slightly outpace Crosby and Hunter, and guaranteeing his 2025 and 2026 compensation should get him upwards of $50MM in guaranteed money.

It’s unclear if that would get a deal done, but Pelissero said that the Bengals have “talked about a variety of options over the past several weeks.” He still expects the two sides to reach an agreement on multi-year extension, but there’s no timeline to getting a deal done.

Packers Announce Scouting Promotions

June 15th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier this week, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced four promotions and a new hire to the team’s scouting department. Mike Owen was promoted from college scout to national scout, Daric Whipple and Sam Fleming were both promoted from scouting assistant to pro scout, Connor Koch has been promoted from scouting intern to northeast area scout, and Dan Zegers has been hired as scouting coordinator.

Owen is the longest-tenured of the staffers receiving new titles. He first joined the team in 2012 as a college scout, holding the role for all of the past 13 years. Throughout his time in Green Bay, he’s covered different areas, but the last 10 seasons were spent covering the northeast region and parts of the mid-Atlantic region. Koch will now cover the northeast area vacated by Owen. He earns the role after just one season as a scouting intern.

Whipple joined the team as a scouting assistant in 2023. He came to scouting straight after concluding his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Iowa State and Northern Iowa. Fleming, also a collegiate wide receiver at Samford, first worked as a player personnel assistant for the Bulldogs when his playing career concluded. He was elevated to director of football operations the following year. From 2021 to 2024, Fleming also earned experience as a scouting assistant for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. After a successful 2023 training camp scouting internship in Green Bay, Fleming was brought back as a scouting assistant alongside Whipple. The two will continue to share a title in 2025 as pro scouts.

Zegers is actually reuniting with the Packers. He originally worked with the team as a 14-year-old equipment assistant in 2004. At 17 years old, Zegers began helping out in the team’s scouting department, as well. He left in 2013 to get experience as a personnel assistant for the Chiefs, holding the role for four years before earning a promotion to college scouting coordinator. In 2018, Zegers joined the Browns as their personnel coordinator, getting promoted to area scout in 2020. He most recently worked as the midwest area scout in Cleveland, but he’ll return to Green Bay in 2025 after being away from the team for 12 years.

Shaq Thompson Unlikely To Start For Bills

June 15th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

New Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson has been a full-time starter for most of his career. A veteran of 10 years, Thompson started double-digit games in each of his first eight seasons and entered each of his last two seasons as the starter, as well. For the first time in his career, though, it’s considered likely that Thompson will consistently be coming off the bench throughout the 2025 NFL season, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.

This week saw Thompson reunited with his former defensive coordinator in Carolina — now Bills head coach — Sean McDermott and a man who helped in drafting him to Carolina, Bills general manager Brandon Beane. That familiarity with McDermott’s system will almost certainly help the 31-year-old defender earn a role on the defense, but Buscaglia posits that Thompson’s ceiling could be as LB4 on the depth chart.

In 2025, Buffalo hopes it will see the return of three healthy starters in Matt Milano and Dorian Williams on the outside and Terrel Bernard in the middle, and per Buscaglia, the three “all seem relatively entrenched in their spots.” To be fair to Thompson’s chances, though, none of them had very good individual performances in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF graded Williams as the best of the three, ranking him at 61st out of 84 players graded at the position. Milano came in at 73rd, while Bernard slotted in at 80th.

To be fair to Williams, Milano, and Bernard, though, the three only got four games together in the regular season. Once they got to the playoffs, the three worked extremely well together in slowing down a potent Ravens offense to advance to an AFC Championship matchup with the Chiefs.

If Thompson can get back to his pre-injury level of play, though, there’s certainly a chance he can earn some starting time, should any of the current first-team stumble. That’s a big if, though. With his 2023 season ending due to a fibula fracture and his 2024 campaign cut short due to a torn Achilles tendon, it’s been nearly two years since we’ve seen Thompson at his best. Primarily an outside linebacker during his time in Carolina, Thompson could push the weak link in the rankings, Bernard, by shifting inside for some potential playing time, as well.

Ultimately, Thompson will need to show he’s healthy, and he’ll need to show that he still is capable of running in McDermott’s defense, but Thompson has every chance at making the roster and earning a strong role. Turning that strong role into a starting one may be a tougher task for Thompson to tackle.

AFC Workouts: Snead, Texans, Mims

June 15th, 2025 at 7:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Willie Snead hasn’t seen much success in the NFL since his departure from Baltimore following the 2020 season. The 32-year-old veteran receiver bounced around over the next two years, splitting his 2021 campaign between the Raiders and Panthers before spending two seasons in San Francisco. After an injury placed him on the Dolphins’ injured reserve in last year’s preseason, resulting in him getting cut and sitting out the entire season, Snead is attempting a comeback with a recent tryout with the Chargers.

Los Angeles attempted to improve their receiving corps this offseason through the draft with additions like Ole Miss’ Tre Harris in the second round and Auburn’s KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth. Their top returning wideouts from last year include Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Derius Davis, and an aging Mike Williams has returned after a year away. The team hosted Snead for a veteran tryout earlier this week, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

Adding Snead would provide some veteran depth to the group. Though he had some resurgent seasons catching balls from Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, he was never able to reach the heights of his surprising first two campaigns in New Orleans. Since leaving the Ravens, his production has been minimal, so it will likely take a stellar tryout to convince the next team to sign him.

Here are a few more workout updates from around the AFC:

  • The Texans continue to work out cornerbacks as the offseason carries on. After the team hosted former Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette on Monday, Houston welcomed Duke Shelley and Keenan Isaac in the days after, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Shelley, a six-year veteran, has 11 starts in his career over time with the Bears and Vikings. The last two years, though, have seen him relegated to specials teams with the Rams and the practice squad of the Giants. Isaac, a former undrafted signee for Tampa Bay in 2023, spent this past United Football League season with Arnette on the Houston Roughnecks.
  • Lastly, the Browns worked out former Saints running back Jordan Mims, per Wilson. With a deep, young group of rushers already on the roster, Mims potential signing would add some camp depth with the possibility of him contributing on special teams as a returner.

Bucs’ Jacob Parrish Could Start At Nickel

June 15th, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish took first-team reps in the slot during spring practices, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, giving the third-round pick a chance at a starting role as a rookie.

Parrish played the vast majority of his college snaps at Kansas State on the boundary, but his 5-foot-10 height led some draft experts to predict a move to the slot in the pros. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles pushed back on those projections during rookie minicamp, saying (via Auman) that Parrish is “an outside corner first and then a nickel second.”

But as the team’s secondary has taken shape this spring, Parrish has emerged as a potential starting nickelback. Tampa Bay largely used safeties in the slot last season, led by 2024 third-rounder Tykee Smith with 2023 UDFA Christian Izien and veteran Jordan Whitehead in a rotational role. Smith is expected to play a more traditional safety role this season, and the Buccaneers allowed Whitehead to hit free agency in March.

That leaves Izien as the primary candidate to compete with Parrish to start in the slot, a job he won out of training camp as an undrafted rookie in 2023. Izien played a more versatile role last year, but struggled in his 205 snaps at nickel, allowing 1.75 yards per coverage snap, the fourth-highest among all defenders with at least 100 snaps in the slot, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The Buccaneers are returning both of their starting outside cornerbacks from last season, so Parrish will not be needed on the boundary (barring an injury). With the slot open, Tampa Bay could get him on the field as a rookie and keep Izien as a multi-positional backup at safety and nickel.

Colts LB Jaylon Carlies Expected To Start

June 15th, 2025 at 3:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Colts are expecting second-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies to take over a starting role under new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

The team let veteran E.J. Speed walk this offseason and could not find a replacement in free agency or the draft, according to Joel Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.

Instead, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said (via Erickson) that Carlies “can really ascend” in 2025 after completing a transition from college safety to NFL linebacker as a rookie. The 2024 fifth-round pick started six games and appeared in four more, playing a total of 353 snaps across defense and special teams. Carlies did not stuff the stat sheet, but he was reliable in the open field with just two missed tackles all year.

The 23-year-old’s health will be a key factor in his push for a starting job. Carlies missed seven games last year with a leg injury, and shoulder surgery earlier this offseason sidelined him for spring practices, delaying his acclimation to the team’s new defensive scheme. However, as Erickson notes, Carlies’ history as a defensive back at Missouri could make him an excellent fit for Anarumo’s matchup-driven system.

“If the offense puts out a certain personnel group, you want to be able to match it with what they’re doing. Especially on third down,” explained Anarumo (via Erickson), adding, “putting linebackers on tight ends is not ideal for the defense.”

Anarumo’s philosophy could lead to a three-down role for Carlies in 2025. He may be listed as a linebacker, but he has the length and speed of a safety, which could help him cover NFL tight ends. More than 60% of his rookie snaps on defense came against the run, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), though he earned a team-high 83.1 grade on his 86 coverage snaps, indicating he has more to contribute to the Colts’ pass defense.

Carlies is expected to be ready for training camp, where he will likely take first-team reps alongside Zaire Franklin with minimal competition from a thin Colts linebacker room.

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