Dan Morgan: Panthers Discussing Bryce Young Extension Internally
MAY 11: Executives who spoke with SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora expressed hesitancy about making a big-money commitment to Young at this time. They predicted Carolina will wait at least one more year before authorizing an extension. It will be interesting to see if a push is made by the team this summer to finalize a deal knowing there is time before one needs to be worked out.
MAY 3: The Panthers made the expected move of picking up Bryce Young‘s fifth-year option earlier this week. Attention will now turn to the matter of an extension for the former No. 1 pick.
Young is on track to collect $25.9MM in guaranteed salary for 2027 as a result of Carolina’s decision. The team could elect to wait before making a long-term commitment given the former Heisman winner’s incremental progress at the NFL level. Young himself would welcome an extension, however, and a report from last month indicated the Panthers could oblige.
GM Dan Morgan addressed the Young situation during an interview with Sirius XM’s Adam Schein (audio link). He said a multiyear deal is “something that we’re talking about here internally,” adding “we’ll do it at the right time.” It will thus be interesting to see if negotiations with Young’s camp take place during the coming weeks.
“Obviously he came into a really rough situation in terms of coaching staff, maybe you could say the talent around him wasn’t great as well,” Morgan said of Young. “I think you see him just getting better and better every single year. Understanding the offense, he’s such a good processor, and a guy that’s just a pleasure to have around the building every day. As you see him mature, you see him become a better leader every single year. And the operation’s getting faster every year. So we really feel like the arrow is up with Bryce.”
Young set a new career high in several categories during the 2025 season, although his 188 passing yards per game average and 87.8 passer rating left plenty to be desired. The 24-year-old totaled 23 touchdown passes while helping Carolina win the NFC South, but he added 11 interceptions along the way. Another step forward will be required for Young to be considered among the game’s top quarterbacks and thus justify an extension near the top of the market. 10 passers currently collect between $51MM and $60MM per year on average.
Young could look to join that group when his next deal is signed, especially with the NFL’s salary cap continuing to rise. How his asking price compares to the Panthers’ valuation will be worth monitoring closely, though. Carolina has the ability to wait out the 2026 season before engaging in serious extension talks. Whether or not Morgan and Co. choose to do so will no doubt depend in large part on how internal discussions fare over the near future.
Commanders Re-Sign Antonio Hamilton
Antonio Hamilton made 15 appearances with the Commanders in 2025. The veteran cornerback will again be in position to play for Washington this season.
Hamilton re-signed with the Commanders on Monday, per a team announcement. A veteran of six NFL teams, he will aim for some stability in 2026 by again earning a role in the nation’s capital. Provided that takes place, another heavy special teams workload can again be expected in this case.
Hamilton has previously been a regular on defense, handling a 61% snap share in that regard as a member of the Cardinals in 2022 and ’23. That was followed by a single season in Atlanta, during which time he was used primarily on special teams. Across 15 appearances with the Commanders in 2025, Hamilton was a part-time contributor on defense but saw regular usage in the third phase. The 10-year veteran has logged over 1,900 snaps on special teams during his career.
The cornerback position has seen plenty of turnover this offseason in the case of the Commanders. Marshon Lattimore remains unsigned, while Jonathan Jones and Noah Igbinoghene departed in free agency. Washington added Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon on the open market but did not select any rookies during the draft. It comes as little surprise, then, that a familiar face has been sought out regarding a depth signing late in the offseason.
The Commanders entered Monday with over $43MM in cap space. Hamilton, 33, played for $1.26MM in 2025. This latest contract can be expected to carry a similar value, so Washington will still be able to make several other roster moves moving forward.
Falcons To Sign OL Layden Robinson
Layden Robinson was among the players who took part in the Falcons’ rookie minicamp this past weekend. His showing in that regard has resulted in a deal.
Robinson and Atlanta have agreed to terms, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. This marks Robinson’s latest opportunity to compete for a roster spot in 2026. He signed a futures deal with the Raiders in January but was waived earlier this month.
A fourth-round pick in 2024, Robinson saw an immediate role with the Patriots. He made 13 appearances and 11 starts at guard as a rookie. Last summer saw him placed on injured reserve, though, and New England eventually moved on midway through the season. Robinson will now look to compete for a depth role up front in Atlanta.
The Falcons’ starting guard tandem is set with Matthew Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom. Both are under contract for 2026 (although Bergeron is a pending free agent for next spring). Robinson will aim to land a backup spot along the interior through OTAs and minicamp into training camp this summer. He saw time at left and right guard during his Patriots run in 2024.
The 25-year-old drew underwhelming PFF reviews in terms of run blocking and pass protection with New England. Robinson will attempt to rebound if he manages to secure a roster spot this summer and sees any playing time with Atlanta. The Falcons entered Monday with nearly $19MM in cap space, and this contract will no doubt check in around the league minimum. There will be room left for further roster tweaks once it is made official.
Jaguars Sign RB Ameer Abdullah
Ameer Abdullah has lined up his next gig. The journeyman running back signed with the Jaguars on Monday, per a team announcement.
Abdullah has seen playing time with five different teams over the years. He will now look to carve out a role on a sixth during offseason work in Jacksonville. A special teams role will no doubt represent his path to a roster spot.
The Jags lost Travis Etienne during free agency, bringing in Chris Rodriguez on the open market. Deejay Dallas – another veteran heavy on special teams experience – was re-signed. Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen are also in place, giving Jacksonville plenty of options in the backfield. 2025 undrafted free agent Ja’Quinden Jackson has been waived as a corresponding move to the Abdullah signing.
Residing in the NFC North during the early stages of his career, Abdullah split most of his time from 2015-21 between the Lions and Vikings. He was in Carolina to close out the 2021 campaign. That was followed by three years as a Raider and then one with the Colts. Abdullah, 33 next month, has not handled a heavy rushing workload in any time recently, but he has contributed in the passing game and on special teams. That will be expected to remain the case in 2026 he if survives roster cuts in Jacksonville.
On Monday, the Jags also announced they have re-signed offensive lineman Sal Wormley. His return resulted in fellow O-lineman Jordan White being placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move. As noted by Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, White was absent from rookie minicamp despite having recently signed as an undrafted free agent. The injury will end his Jaguars tenure before it begins.
Buccaneers To Sign LS Scott Daly
Plenty of unsigned veterans attended rookie minicamps around the NFL this past weekend on a tryout basis. Long snapper Scott Daly was among them.
Daly was in place with the Buccaneers during their rookie camp, as noted by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. His time there clearly went well, seeing as an agreement has been reached. Auman reports Tampa Bay is signing Daly, and by doing so allowing him to compete for the team’s long snapper position.
Undrafted rookie Wesley Brown was also in place for minicamp, but today’s news certainly points to an uphill battle in his case for remaining on the roster through cutdowns at the end of the summer (if not earlier). Daly will now join incumbent Evan Deckers as a long snapper on the Buccaneers’ roster. Deckers has been in place with Tampa Bay for the past two years.
Daly spent three seasons in Detroit before a two-year run in Chicago. The Notre Dame product was limited to eight games in 2023, but he has otherwise been healthy during his career. Daly, 32, is a veteran of 78 combined regular and postseason contests. That makes him a more experienced option than Deckers, who has totaled 28 games to date.
The Buccaneers found themselves near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space entering Monday. This Daly deal will use up some of the team’s $9.35MM in available funds, but it will no doubt check in at or near the league minimum. Tampa Bay is now in position to carry multiple long snappers into training camp, regardless of what happens with Brown.
Bills Sign OLB Mike Danna
Mike Danna‘s Bills visit has resulted in a deal. The veteran edge rusher signed a one-year contract with Buffalo on Monday, per a team announcement.
Available in free agency since his Chiefs release, Danna did not generate a strong market early in the spring. His recent Bills visit was his only known summit with an interested team. It comes as little surprise an agreement has now been reached, though, with Buffalo seeking further depth along the defensive front.
Buffalo will change to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. That will lead to returnees Greg Rousseau and Michael Hoecht, free agent signing Bradley Chubb and second-round rookie T.J. Parker handling pass rush duties. Danna, 28, will look to chip in on that front with his new team.
The six-year Kansas City contributor might also be used inside, though. The Bills have Ed Oliver and T.J. Sanders on the defensive tackle depth chart, with 2025 third-rounder Landon Jackson a candidate to be used as a defensive end. Danna may also be used in that regard. Either way, he will look to bounce back from an underwhelming two-year span. Danna posted 6.5 sacks in 2023, but that figure fell to 3.5 the following season and just 1.5 in 2025.
That decline in output played a part in the Chiefs’ decision to move on from Danna in a cost-shedding move. Instead of playing out 2026 as the final year of his Kansas City pact, the former fifth-rounder will begin the next phase of his career. Buffalo finished 28th against the run last season, and improving in that regard will be key during Parker’s first year as DC. An uptick in sack production would also be welcomed after the Bills ranked 20th in that regard, though.
Buffalo entered Monday with just over $10MM in cap space. This Danna contract will no doubt represent a low-cost addition, leaving the team with room for further roster tweaks as the offseason continues.
Bears Could Still Add Pass Rusher; Team Was High On CB Colton Hood
The Bears entered the 2026 draft with a major pass rushing need, and our mock draft predicted Chicago would address that need in the first round. However, the team did not use any of its seven picks on a pass rusher, so as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, it would not be surprising to see the Bears fortify their Montez Sweat-fronted EDGE contingent with a veteran at some point in the near future.
There are still a number of recognizable names on the market, including players like Jadeveon Clowney, Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa, Von Miller, and Haason Reddick. We recently heard Clowney is drawing interest, though it is presently unclear which teams are considering him. As Breer observes, Clowney fits the mold of the long, rugged pass rusher that Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen favors, and Jordan and Allen spent a number of years together with the Saints. Either of those players could be a fit for Chicago, even if (as Breer suggests) such a deal might not come together until we get closer to training camp.
Meanwhile, the team will continue to evaluate Dayo Odeyingbo, whose first season with the Bears was cut short by a torn Achilles. Through eight games in 2025, the former Colt recorded just one sack, and 2024 fifth-rounder Austin Booker – another key piece of Chicago’s pass rushing plans last season – missed time due to injury as well. Booker ultimately posted 4.5 sacks in 10 games, and the Bears tallied the fifth-fewest sacks in the league.
That led to the speculation that GM Ryan Poles would add a true pass rushing talent this offseason, but that has not happened yet (although Poles did at least explore the possibility of acquiring Maxx Crosby from the Raiders). Despite winning the NFC North and narrowly missing a trip to the NFC championship game in 2025, the Bears finished in the bottom-10 in terms of both total defense and scoring defense, so an established EDGE player or two would surely help spur another deep postseason run.
Poles did authorize eight-figure contracts for safety Coby Bryant and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore in free agency, and he further fortified those positions in the draft with S Dillon Thieneman (No. 25 overall) and DT Jordan van den Berg (No. 213). According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears believe they got a steal in both players, as they did not expect Thieneman to fall to them and think van den Berg was one of the most talented DTs in his class (his sixth-round status notwithstanding).
Fowler says Chicago was also interested in cornerback Colton Hood, whom the Giants selected with the No. 37 choice. If Thieneman was unavailable, as the Bears thought he would be, Hood may have been the selection at No. 25.
5 Key Stories: 5/3/26 – 5/10/26
May marks the beginning of voluntary practices around the NFL, with rookie minicamps kicking things off. Plenty of unanswered questions remain with respect to veterans, but the past few days have seen a number of interesting developments. In case you missed this week’s top stories, here is a quick recap:
- Hall, Jets Agree To Extension: To help ensure outside teams would not submit an offer sheet this offseason, the Jets placed the franchise tag on Breece Hall. GM Darren Mougey pointed to the post-draft period of the spring as a target for an extension to be worked out, though, and a deal is now in place. Hall agreed to a three-year, $45.75MM contract which will take the place of his tag. The pact contains $29MM in guarantees, all of which will be paid out across 2026 and ’27. The final year of the pact is thus far from assured, but Hall is in line to receive roughly the same as he would have by playing on two straight tags. His effective average annual value of $14.5MM ranks fourth among all running backs and marks a sharp rise from his rookie contract. Hall, 25 later this month, is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign and he will be counted on as an offensive focal point moving forward.
- Broncos Extend Paton: 2026 represented the final year of Broncos general manager George Paton‘s deal, and an extension loomed as a distinct possibility during the offseason. As expected, a new agreement has been reached. Paton finalized a five-year contract to remain in Denver, where he has been leading the front office since 2021. The Broncos’ run of losing seasons continued during Paton’s first three years, but the team has steadily improved recently. Denver reached the playoffs in 2024 and topped the AFC’s regular-season standings last year. A strong tandem between Paton and head coach Sean Payton has yielded success, and those two will continue working together well into the future.
- Colts Follow Through With Moore Release: Earlier this offseason, Kenny Moore requested a trade. No swap took place, setting up the Colts to proceed with a release in his case. The nine-year veteran asked to be cut following the draft, and the team has granted the request. Moore, 30, saw his role diminish during Lou Anarumo‘s first year in place as defensive coordinator. A new scheme fit will be sought out deep into the offseason. Moore earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and has been a regular in the slot throughout his career. Teams eyeing cornerback depth could show interest at least around the time when training camps begin.
- Jennings Signs With Vikings: One player who did not wind up staying on the market through to July is Jauan Jennings. The veteran wideout has taken a one-year deal with the Vikings. Minnesota authorized $8MM in base pay for Jennings, who can earn up to $13MM in 2026. It became clear this spring a return to the 49ers would not be taking place in this case, and the five-year San Francisco contributor remained unsigned thanks to a tepid market. The Vikings already have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in place at the WR spot, but Jennings will look to serve as a productive complementary option in the passing game. Minnesota’s offense currently faces uncertainty at the quarterback position, of course. Nevertheless, strong play under center could set Jennings up for a robust free agent spell in 2027.
- New NFLRA CBA Agreement Reached: The threat of replacement officials handling NFL games has been removed. The league and the NFL Referees Association have finalized a new collective bargaining agreement. Recent progress resulted in a deal being struck; an increase in pay to officials will be taking place over the course of the seven-year pact. The league managed to secure several objectives, such as increases in access to officials during the offseason, a bench of new referees and larger sway in giving playoff assignments based on performance over seniority. The two sides traded public barbs earlier this offseason in a sign a deal was not imminent, with plans being laid for replacements to be called upon. That will no longer be necessary, however.
Latest On Texans OL Keylan Rutledge; Team Explored Trade Back Into Round 1 For DT Kayden McDonald
With their first selection (No. 26 overall) in the 2026 draft, the Texans added Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge, who was seen as a reach in certain circles. NFL.com draft guru Daniel Jeremiah had Rutledge as the 47th-ranked player on his board, and we recently heard some members of the Seahawks’ front office graded Seattle fifth-round pick Beau Stephens more highly than Rutledge.
Still, the division-rival Titans were prepared to make Rutledge a first-round choice as well, and one NFC executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the former Yellow Jacket was the top guard in the class (ahead of even Vega Ioane, who went to the Ravens at No. 14 overall). Fowler – who reported prior to the draft that Houston had done a great deal of work on Rutledge – says Texans brass “identified him as a favorite.”
General manager Nick Caserio’s other offseason moves (which included signing longtime Browns guard Wyatt Teller and re-signing 2025 RG1 Ed Ingram) make it unclear exactly where Rutledge will line up as a rookie or if he will begin his pro career as a reserve. If a guard spot is not an option, he could compete with Jake Andrews for the starting center job.
Just as Caserio traded up several spots in the first round to secure the opportunity to select Rutledge, he did the same in the second round to grab Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald at No. 36. Caserio swung a deal with the Raiders to move up from No. 38, but as Fowler reports, the Texans GM was prepared to go as high as No. 33 and even explored a trade back into the first round after selecting Rutledge.
That underscores the Texans’ belief in McDonald, who should find a notable role in the club’s DT rotation alongside returnees Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai. Houston, which boasted perhaps the best defense in the league in 2025, lost Tim Settle to free agency, thereby opening an immediate vacancy for McDonald.
Consistent with a report made by NFL insider Jordan Schultz when the Texans turned in the card for McDonald, Fowler says there was some belief the Giants – who had traded DT Dexter Lawrence before the draft and who held the No. 37 choice – may be a threat for the Ohio State alum. Perhaps out of fear of losing one of his top targets to another team, Caserio made sure to leapfrog Big Blue, though a New York source told Fowler that CB Colton Hood was the player they wanted all along.
Texans Sign 12-Man UDFA Class
On Friday, the Texans announced the signing of 12 undrafted free agents. After focusing the majority of their eight draft picks on the offensive line and defensive front seven, Houston used undrafted free agency to add depth at a number of other positions. Here are the 12 UDFAs that complete the team’s 20-man rookie class:
- Dominic Bailey, DT (Tennessee)
- Sam Hagan, OL (South Dakota State)
- Stephen Hall, CB (Missouri)
- Sabastian Harsh, DE (NC State)
- James Neal III, OL (Iowa State)
- Joshua Pitsenberger, RB (Yale)
- Treyvhon Saunders, WR (Colgate)
- Daniel Sobkowicz, WR (Illinois State)
- Jack Stonehouse, P (Syracuse)
- Jalen Walthall, WR (Incarnate Word)
- Noah Whittington, RB (Oregon)
- Collin Wright, CB (Stanford)
Houston shelled out decent money to land some if its UDFA class. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Hall received $175K in guaranteed money, including a $15K signing bonus, on his UDFA deal. Similarly, per Wilson, Bailey’s deal has $150K of guarantees as well as a $10K signing bonus. The five-year Volunteer finished with career highs in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (7.5) in 2025.
The Texans also landed a couple UDFAs who were expected to be gone by the conclusion of the draft. After notching four interceptions and nine passes defensed in his last two years with the Cardinal, Wright was receiving sixth-round grades from some analysts. After a four-year career at Oregon (and a six-year collegiate career overall), Whittington’s 5.7 yards per carry average as a Duck was thought to make him draftable near the end of Day 3, as well.
Lastly, Houston brought in some competition for punter Kai Kroeger, who spent his rookie season punting in New Orleans. Stonehouse set records during his time with the Orange, and as the son and cousin of former NFL players, he has the pedigree to be an NFL punter. Head coach DeMeco Ryans sees a punting competition playing out between the two youngsters over the course of the offseason, per Wilson.