NFL Mailbag: Willis, Patriots, Linderbaum
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag looks at the top pending free agent storyline in the league. Questions about the Patriots' receiver situation, the Broncos' new offensive coordinator setup and the best offensive lineman set to test the market are also addressed.
Phil asks:
Is this Malik Willis buzz genuine? With Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield getting around $33MM per year after quality seasons, how can teams feel comfortable handing Willis that kind of money as mostly a career backup?
It would (will?) be quite something if Willis were to land anything near that figure on an annual basis, wouldn’t it? In any case, I think his deal is going to take some fans by surprise based on how inexperienced he is.
Jalen Hurts’ Inconsistency Impacted Eagles’ OC Search?
Nick Sirianni‘s second in-house offensive coordinator promotion brought another Eagles regression. As a result, the Eagles HC fired Kevin Patullo two years after canning Brian Johnson. Sirianni’s search to replace Patullo was more difficult than his post-Johnson process.
The Eagles fired Patullo on Jan. 13 but took 18 days to name Sean Mannion his replacement. A host of higher-profile candidates were in the mix for the job, but the Eagles ended up with a former backup quarterback who has been in coaching for two years. This was the OC carousel of the former backup, as both David Blough (Commanders) and Davis Webb (Broncos) will be calling plays as first-year OCs. But the Washington and Denver coordinator searches went far more smoothly than Philadelphia’s.
Philly had Brian Daboll squarely on its radar, but the former Giants HC preferred the Tennessee job and working with Cam Ward. Mike McDaniel also interviewed for the gig, amid a busy offseason for the four-year Dolphins HC, but chose the Chargers and Justin Herbert.
Former Falcons OC Zac Robinson interviewed for the job but accepted a Buccaneers OC offer a week before the Mannion hire. Declan Doyle and LSU OC Charlie Weis Jr. withdrew from this search. Bobby Slowik took a Miami promotion, while Webb accepted a Denver OC bump after receiving an interview request late in the running.
This certainly was a difficult job to fill. Several candidates were hesitant about this gig, per Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora. Sirianni firing two coordinators after one season helps explain some of the difficulties, but La Canfora adds Jalen Hurts‘ inconsistency was a “serious” concern for some of the more experienced candidates involved in Philly’s search. Daboll’s decision to work with Ward headlined that issue.
Hurts’ career has been a rollercoaster ride. He went from unpolished passer to 2022 MVP frontrunner (before a late-season injury). After a 2023 extension started the $50MM-per-year QB boom, Hurts struggled and saw reports scrutinize his relationship with Sirianni. Kellen Moore righted the ship but did so after minimizing the QB’s role, building the offense around Saquon Barkley. Hurts still played well in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX romp before regressing once again. QBR placed Hurts 20th last year, and Patullo’s offense regressed significantly from where Moore’s was. Hurts’ approach, especially against zone coverage, drew internal criticism last season.
Despite finishing with a 25:6 TD-INT ratio, Hurts piloted the NFL’s 19th-ranked scoring offense (down from seventh in 2024). Lane Johnson‘s season-ending injury in Week 11 affected Philly’s attack, but one GM told La Canfora the Eagles realized quickly Patullo might be overmatched at coordinator.
The longtime assistant, who has since joined the Dolphins as pass-game coordinator, saw Sirianni become more involved with the offense compared to his role during Moore’s play-calling year. Calls for Patullo’s job rang out, and an egging incident occurred at the coordinator’s home. A.J. Brown gripes ensued, but those were not exclusive to Patullo’s year in charge.
Sirianni, who faced firing rumors after the 2023 season despite the Eagles reaching Super Bowl LVII, is planning to remain involved in the offense to help the 33-year-old Mannion as he takes a big responsibility leap. Mannion, however, will be the play-caller — just as each Eagles OC has been since midway through the 2021 season. Another GM indicated (via La Canfora) Sirianni’s job will be at risk, despite his 2025 extension, if the Eagles’ offense does not improve. The Eagles firing Doug Pederson three years after a Super Bowl win, with two playoff berths following that showing, occurred on GM Howie Roseman‘s watch.
This is nothing the five-time playoff-qualifying HC has not faced before, but there will be plenty of pressure on him once again. Sirianni made two more staff changes recently. The Eagles are hiring Montgomery VanGorder as assistant QBs coach and Beyah Rasool as a defensive assistant, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz notes. VanGorder was an Eagles quality control assistant last year and previously served as QBs coach at Georgia. Previously a quality control staffer at Florida coaching cornerbacks, Rasool was on the Raiders’ staff last year.
Bears’ D.J. Moore, Gervon Dexter Drawing Trade Interest
A number of potential trades could be worked out shortly in the Bears’ case. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has been given permission to seek a change of scenery, while backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has been the subject of attention from suitors. 
Other Chicago players could soon find themselves on the move as well. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that wideout D.J. Moore as well as defensive tackle Gervon Dexter have mentioned during trade calls. Moore in particular is seen as being “available for the right price,” per Schultz.
Over the course of his three years in Chicago, Moore has remained a full-time starter. However, 2025 saw a notable drop-off in his production (682 yards) and usage (85 targets) compared to previous years. The former Panther still managed six touchdowns and was on the field for 85% of the team’s offensive snaps, showcasing his value in the event he is retained. As general manager Ryan Poles recently noted, though, the door is open to a trade.
“We want him here,” Poles said of Moore when speaking at the NFL Combine (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “We thinking highly of him… But this is the time now where we have to look at all the scenarios that will allow us to put the best team out there… He’s a guy we want here but we have to look at all the scenarios.”
One of those scenarios is a trade which would yield $16.5MM in cap savings (and generate a dead money charge of $12MM). As things stand, Moore is due to carry a cap hit of $28.5MM in 2026 absent a restructure or extension aimed at lowering that figure. On March 15, $15.5MM of the former first-rounder’s base salary for next season will become guaranteed. Clarity on this front will no doubt emerge before that date.
Dexter was a member of the Bears’ 2023 draft class, meaning he is now eligible for an extension. The Florida product was a rotational presence during his rookie season, but since then he has served as a full-time starter. Dexter has totaled 11 sacks over the past two years, and at the age of 24 he will be expected to remain productive for the foreseeable future. That will help his bargaining power on the extension front, but it will also make him an attractive trade target.
Dexter has one year remaining on his rookie pact. The benefits of a trade in his case would be negligible compared to a swap involving Edmunds or Moore, though. The chance of Chicago moving on from at least one veteran contract will be something to watch for as the new league year approaches.
Commanders To Cut C Tyler Biadasz
Tyler Biadasz had one year left on a three-year, $30MM contract. The Commanders are instead moving on early. They are releasing the veteran center, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
This move comes shortly after the team re-signed Andrew Wylie. Despite Wylie working as a backup last season and Biadasz being a starter throughout his two-year Washington stay, the latter is out. The former Cowboys draftee should generate immediate interest as a street free agent. Because of this release, Biadasz can sign anywhere immediately — whereas UFAs must wait until March 9 when the legal tampering period begins.
A former fourth-round pick, Biadasz became a full-time starter for the Cowboys in his second season and parlayed that run into an eight-figure-per-year Commanders contract in 2024. Biadasz joined Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler in following Dan Quinn from Dallas that year. He missed only three games from 2024-25, giving the Commanders stability at center.
Pro Football Focus viewed Biadasz as a middling center during his Washington tenure, ranking him 19th at the position in 2024 and 12th in 2025. The Commanders have used free agency to plug holes since Chase Roullier‘s career ended early in the 2022 season. Roullier had been Washington’s center from 2017-22. After giving Nick Gates an opportunity in 2023, the Commanders pursued Biadasz in free agency.
Because two void years are present in this contract, the Commanders are not in position to save much money. They are poised to add just $2.89MM in cap space and see $8.1MM in dead money. A post-June 1 release would spread the latter figure over two years; it would also keep Biadasz from becoming a free agent until the new league year begins March 11.
This move comes after Biadasz suffered a knee injury on Christmas Day against the Cowboys. He finished the season on IR. The Wisconsin alum came up as a possible Commanders extension candidate weeks ago, but the team instead will change course at snapper.
The Commanders came into the day holding more than $73MM in cap space; this release will add a bit to that total. The Biadasz release follows the Titans’ Lloyd Cushenberry cut. Cushenberry disappointed on a big-ticket 2024 contract. Those two join Cade Mays, Connor McGovern and Ethan Pocic among the Tyler Linderbaum consolation prizes on this free agent market.
Linderbaum is expected to break a center record with his second contract. The rest of the crop will not be positioned to rival where the three-time Pro Bowler goes contractually. With 84 career starts and not being set to turn 29 until November, Biadasz will likely land another starting opportunity elsewhere soon.
Giants Not Planning Dexter Lawrence Trade; Contract Talks On Tap
Dexter Lawrence did not play up to his standard last season, and the Giants both changed their coaching staff and their front office reporting structure in the offseason. The team appears interested in gauging Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s trade market, but John Harbaugh slammed the door on Lawrence being available.
“He’s super, super important,” Harbaugh said, via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “He’s a cornerstone football player. He’s not really a cornerstone — he’s more like the middle stone. He’s right in the middle and he’s a very big stone and he’s a very active, athletic stone … We want him. We need him.”
[RELATED: Assessing Giants’ Offseason Blueprint]
Lawrence was by far the top asset exchanged in the 2019 Odell Beckham Jr. trade, being the first-round pick the Giants obtained for Beckham that year. The Giants extended the All-Pro defensive tackle in 2023, handing out a four-year, $90MM deal that included $46.5MM guaranteed at signing.
Lawrence, 28, earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2022 and ’23 before tallying a career-high nine sacks in 2024. Last season, the Clemson product only registered a half-sack and tallied a career-low eight QB hits (after recording at least 16 from 2022-24).
While Dave Gettleman drafted Lawrence, Joe Schoen completed the extension. That was a recurring trend early in Schoen’s GM run, with Andrew Thomas and Daniel Jones being paid in 2023 as well. Lawrence’s deal, however, paid out its guarantees last year. As a result, Schoen said (via Duggan) he will meet with Lawrence’s camp this week.
With a trade seemingly off the table — though, Schoen confirmed (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he will answer calls — extension would allow the Giants to reduce a $26.96MM Lawrence cap number.
“I’m not sure the elbow was great all (of 2025); I think that bothered him a little bit,” Schoen said. “The defense, as a whole, I felt like could have played better. So it’s definitely not Dexter. Nine sacks might have been an outlier before so the expectation rises. That’s rare for a nose tackle. That’s insane for a nose tackle to get nine. It’s in there. He still has a lot of good years left.”
A dislocated elbow sidelined Lawrence late in the 2024 season, with the standout NT reaching nine sacks in just 12 games. The Giants added incentives to Lawrence’s deal last summer. With some updates on the D-tackle market taking place over the past two offseasons, Lawrence’s $22.5MM AAV now ranks 11th among interior D-linemen. Praise from Harbaugh and Schoen this week will do well to arm Lawrence’s camp, even though his down 2025 season does not create considerable momentum for a new deal.
Lawrence’s cap number could do some of the work for him, however. The Giants could also complete a restructure on this contract, but they have historically been against joining the void years trend. That could be good news for Lawrence. Since Aaron Donald‘s retirement and the Raiders’ quick Christian Wilkins cut, the DT market features a gulf between Chris Jones ($31.75MM AAV) and the field; Milton Williams‘ $26MM-per-year contract is second at the position. A Lawrence extension would presumably land in that valley.
Browns, Titans Interested In WR Wan’Dale Robinson?
If the Colts are to reach an agreement with Alec Pierce to keep him off the market, other free agent wide receivers can adjust their asking prices. Wan’Dale Robinson would be among those who would benefit, even if the undersized Giants contributor’s skillset differs from Pierce’s.
Robinson could end up in a familiar offense. The Titans are believed to be interested in the former second-round pick, Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline notes. Robinson spent four seasons in Brian Daboll‘s offense; despite extensive Eagles interest, Daboll became the Titans’ OC last month. Additionally, Pauline indicates the Browns are an interested party for Robinson.
Tennessee came up recently as a team set to pursue wideouts in free agency. The Titans held the NFL cap-space lead before cutting Lloyd Cushenberry and Xavier Woods. They are projected to hold more than $97MM, per OverTheCap. Tennessee is expected to add more than $13MM to that total, as a Calvin Ridley cut is expected. It is worth wondering if the Titans will try to trade the Ran Carthon signee, but he has underwhelmed on a $23MM-per-year deal and is now 31 and coming off a seven-game 2025.
The Browns saw Jerry Jeudy‘s production nosedive last season. After a 1,229-yard 2024 slate, the former Broncos first-rounder tallied 602 yards and committed some costly drops. While Jeudy has never enjoyed a plus quarterback situation, he did not perform like an upper-crust receiver last season. The Browns have Jeudy signed through 2028, with option bonuses making a separation rather difficult this year.
Cleveland, which is expected to let David Njoku walk, is thin beyond Jeudy at receiver. No other Cleveland wideout cleared 350 yards last season, with rookie UDFA Isaiah Bond second among Browns receivers in yardage (338). The Browns hold a projected $3MM-plus in cap space, but they will (again) restructure Deshaun Watson‘s contract to create another chunk.
Robinson is coming off a 1,014-yard season, though his height (5-foot-8) will likely be an issue for some teams. Still, he will command a hefty salary as a first-time free agent. He joins Pierce, Jauan Jennings, Romeo Doubs, Deebo Samuel and Rashid Shaheed as the top receivers on a market that will not include George Pickens — set for a Cowboys franchise tag.
The 2022 second-round pick is also a Kentucky alum from the state, potentially making a Tennessee trek appealing. The Giants are not expected to merely let Robinson walk, with a recent report going as far to indicate they are “likely” to retain him. But New York changed coaching staffs and has Darius Slayton tied to a three-year, $36MM deal (with guarantees for 2026) alongside Malik Nabers‘ rookie deal. The Giants are running out of time here, though. They exclusive negotiating rights with the talented slot receiver expire March 9, when the legal tampering period begins.
NFL Could Allow Teams To Trade Draft Picks Five Years In Advance
FEBRUARY 26: The Browns have made this proposal, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Cleveland, which previously proposed a measure to push the trade deadline back (which eventually passed), would need 24 votes in the ownership ranks for this to pass. Depending how owners proceed, more trade opportunities could emerge beginning this offseason.
FEBRUARY 10: As things currently stand, NFL teams are permitted to trade draft picks no further than three years into the future. That could soon change. 
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link), ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported there will be a push from at least one team to extend the range for draft picks being dealt. Efforts will be made for selections as many as five years down the road to be allowed in trades, per Schefter. This will be something to monitor during next month’s league meetings.
Any expansion of trade flexibility would represent a shift in the direction of the NBA. That league’s rules allow for picks up to seven years in the future to be dealt. It should be kept in mind, though, that the Stepien Rule applies limits to how often teams can trade away a first-round pick. As a result of the rule, NBA teams cannot trade future first-round selections in consecutive years.
No such rule currently exists in the NFL. If things were to change this spring, however, a similar provision may receive consideration. Any widening of the range for draft capital to be traded – and its associated conditions – could of course lead to a change in roster-building strategy. Largely speaking, teams around the NFL attempt to remain competitive from one year to the next (due in large part to the requirement they spend close to the salary cap over any three-year period).
That approach could be altered to an extent if collecting large amounts of draft capital over an extended period became a viable option for rebuilding franchises. On the other hand, it would be interesting to see if contending teams became increasingly willing to part with picks in the distant future to facilitate win-now moves on a more frequent basis. Recent years have seen an uptick in trades leading up to the deadline, while blockbuster swaps in the offseason will no doubt remain possible in any given year no matter the circumstances.
The most recent case which saw an NFL team trade picks three years into the future was the Browns-Texans Deshaun Watson deal. Cleveland sent Houston a package highlighted by first-round selections in three consecutive years. The team would have been able to spread those picks out over a longer period (provided the Texans had been amenable to it, of course) had the range for pick trades been longer. When rule changes are considered during the spring, the potential for things to change on this front will be something to watch closely.
Browns To Conduct Open QB Competition; Outside Options In Play
The Deshaun Watson contract is in its final year. Because of the numerous restructures the Browns have made on the disastrous fully guaranteed deal, it is widely expected to remain on Cleveland’s payroll in 2026. Because of the void years-driven restructures, Cleveland is positioned to carry considerable dead money from the deal in 2027.
Jimmy Haslam admitted the 2022 trade/extension sequence was a mistake, but because of how costly it would be for the Browns to release Watson this year, he remains on the roster. This is the closest thing the NFL has seen to a bloated MLB-like contract clogging a team’s payroll, and other teams will use the deal as evidence they do not need to authorize fully guaranteed long-term accords. But Watson may not be done as a Browns player yet.
Todd Monken confirmed the embattled QB will be part of an open competition for the 2026 job. While Shedeur Sanders finished the 2025 campaign as Cleveland’s starter, Monken did not commit to him in his first year on the job.
“I don’t know why it wouldn’t be an open competition,” Monken said (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) at the Combine. “And I don’t mean that harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, ‘Boy, we have a starter at quarterback’ yet.
“… I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skillset at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again.”
Watson’s woeful performance has called many to label the Browns’ 2022 trade, when factoring in the contract component, as the worst in NFL history. While the Broncos managed to escape their Russell Wilson albatross contract and reach back-to-back playoff brackets despite the record-setting dead money number, the Browns cannot do the same with Watson. If they cut the nine-year veteran this offseason, it would bring $131.16MM in dead money. Even spread over two years, that is untenable. So, the Browns essentially have no choice but to see if the former Texans Pro Bowler can make an impact in an age-31 season.
Watson’s 33.1 cumulative QBR since the 2022 season ranks as the worst among qualified options in this span, per ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi. He is tied to an $80.72MM cap number. The Browns will once again, per Oyefusi, restructure the deal. That will mean a lower 2026 cap number but more dead money once Watson is off the roster in 2027.
This contract undoubtedly influenced the Browns’ coaching search, with a few names — Jesse Minter, Mike McDaniel and Grant Udinski — dropping out of the running. Monken’s job will be tougher for two years as a result, but for now, the new Cleveland HC will at least include the 30-year-old QB in a competition along with Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
It would be a surprise if Watson won the job, though the Browns do not have a good avenue to an upgrade. Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to go first overall to the Raiders, and this draft class features a gulf between Mendoza and the field at QB. GM Andrew Berry said the Browns would look for an outside starter, rather than limiting the competition to a Sanders-Gabriel-Watson derby, but said it is “to be determined” when asked if the Browns have a realistic path to adding a viable veteran.
The Browns, who have been linked to Malik Willis and Alabama’s Ty Simpson thus far this offseason, are projected to hold barely $3MM in cap space. They also do not have any of their 2025 O-line starters under contract. The team chose Gabriel two rounds before trading up for Sanders, calling many to wonder how invested Berry and then-HC Kevin Stefanski were in the two-year Colorado starter. Gabriel will not be ruled out of the competition.
“He may be forgotten externally, but he’s not forgotten to us,” Berry said, via Oyefusi. “Look, Dillon, he’s working. He’s going to handle everything that’s within his control, and we love all of our players and our home roster. Dillon’s a guy that has a bright future in this league.”
Sanders usurping Gabriel last season may precede the Browns adding a starter-level option in free agency or via trade or selecting a developmental option in the draft. Gabriel should be considered a trade candidate, per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, who expects the Browns to deal the diminutive quarterback this offseason.
The Browns traded two QBs (Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco) after having both in camp last year, but they may not have room for both Sanders and Gabriel on the roster — with Watson’s contract keeping him in place — if another QB is added this spring.
Further exposing Pro Bowl accolades as a modern measure of success, Sanders received an invite after throwing 7 TD passes and 10 INTs in eight games (seven starts). Sanders completed just 56.6% of his passes, though he went 3-4 as a starter. Gabriel played in front of Sanders throughout training camp and received the first crack following the Flacco trade. He finished with a 7-2 TD-INT ratio and completed 59.5% of his throws (Sanders, though, fared better in yards per attempt — 6.6 to 5.1 — than his rookie teammate).
Watson, who suffered two Achilles tears since October 2024, did return to practice late last season but was never activated. He will be expected to participate in the Browns’ offseason program, where Monken and Co. will evaluate the latest Cleveland QB competition.
Jermaine Johnson Sought New York Exit; More Joe Douglas-Era Jets Available?
Aaron Glenn confirmed previous suspicions that he will be calling plays on defense this season. The Jets’ second-year coach indicated (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) that will be case, with new DC hire Brian Duker being in place as a game-planning lieutenant. This offseason change probably helped influence today’s Jermaine Johnson–T’Vondre Sweat trade.
Johnson is reuniting with Robert Saleh in Tennessee. He follows Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams as Joe Douglas-era defensive pillars shipped out via trade since deadline day. Unlike Gardner and Williams, Johnson remains on his rookie contract.
One season, a fifth-year option the Jets exercised in 2025, remains on Johnson’s deal. While Johnson stands to be a better scheme fit with the Titans, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes he had quietly sought a New York exit. This came after a report a 2026 Jets extension was unlikely.
A Nashville reunion with Saleh was one of Johnson’s preferred destinations, per Fowler. The Titans will be running Saleh’s scheme, which has included a 4-3 alignment in San Francisco and New York, while the Jets will be transitioning to a 3-4 look as Glenn takes the reins on defense, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes. Sweat will certainly be a better fit as a 3-4 nose in New York; he served in that capacity for the past two seasons in Tennessee.
As Johnson joined Williams in seeking a Jets exit, Sweat was falling out of favor in Tennessee. Sweat could not consistently keep his weight where the Titans wanted it, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky. He will now be part of an overhauled Jets front seven, one that still features Will McDonald as an EDGE pillar. But the Jets have moved on from Williams, Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, Haason Reddick and Bryce Huff since the 2024 offseason. With Micheal Clemons a free agent, McDonald is about all that is left from Joe Douglas‘ regime on that unit.
With Johnson out of the picture, the Jets will be closely connected to using the No. 2 overall pick — presuming the Raiders follow through on their long-rumored Fernando Mendoza selection — on an edge defender. Ohio State’s Vell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey certainly did not do anything to lower their draft stocks at the Combine today. One could be added to complement McDonald come April. The Jets viewed McDonald as the higher-value player compared to Johnson last year, with the latter struggling in his first season following an Achilles tear.
The Jets may not be done trading assets acquired under Douglas, with Hughes adding talk at the Combine points to internal interest in unloading more players from the previous regime. This does not include Breece Hall, whom Gang Green plans to tag before next week’s deadline. But the dwindling number of Douglas-Saleh-era pieces may thin out further soon, as the deadline showed no one added prior to the Glenn-Darren Mougey duo’s arrival is particularly safe here.
Garrett Wilson isn’t going anywhere, and Cimini adds center/guard Joe Tippmann may be an extension candidate. Sliding to right guard (in place of the injured Alijah Vera-Tucker) after the Josh Myers signing, Tippmann has full-season starter experience at center and RG. The Jets’ two-year left guard starter, John Simpson, is a free agent. Being acquired under Douglas would make him less likely to return, but Tippmann looks to be a player this regime wants to keep working with beyond 2026.
The Jets are riding a 15-year playoff drought, by far the NFL’s longest skid, and 2025 trade acquisition Harrison Phillips said recently Glenn inherited a “cancerous, truculent” group. Phillips remains under contract, making this an interesting stance to take ahead of an April return to work. But the Jets were worse last season than in the final three Saleh years, continuing an extended period of futility.
“I think AG inherited a very cancerous, truculent group — whole, top to bottom,” Phillips said during an interview with Roundtable Sports (via Cimini). “It’s not individual people’s fault. I was there for one season — it was a very difficult season — and I almost wanted to waver on some of my thoughts and my beliefs and my optimism. So, I can’t imagine being there for year after year after year after year and not seeing the results that you wanted, and it tainted people.”
Amid that struggle, Glenn canned DC hire Steve Wilks — last season’s play-caller — and was tied to being close to hiring Don Martindale as his next DC. Rumblings about Woody Johnson changing that plan (and having Glenn call plays) surfaced. Glenn naturally defended his boss, noting (via Cimini) the owner — known as a meddlesome figure — is “not pushing me to pick coaches.”
Glenn’s seat is certainly much hotter after a 3-14 debut; he and Duker — a Lions assistant under Glenn from 2021-23 before a Miami relocation — will be tasked with turning around a unit that regressed considerably after Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich‘s exits.
Another former Glenn charge appears to be on the Jets’ radar. Alex Anzalone, who overlapped with Glenn in Detroit and New Orleans, is in play for the Jets, per Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline, who notes mutual interest in a signing is present. A third-round Saints pick in their tide-turning 2017 class, Anzalone followed Glenn to Detroit in 2021. He started five seasons with the Lions, but the NFC North team — which has a slew of extension candidates based on its recent drafts — did not agree on an extension for the veteran linebacker last year.
The Lions were believed to have interest in re-signing Anzalone, but Pauline adds a market is developing for the 93-start player. Anzalone, 31, played out a three-year, $18.75MM deal. During his Detroit tenure, the Lions used a first-round pick on Jack Campbell and re-signed LB Derrick Barnes. These developments look to point the nine-year veteran elsewhere, and there could be a fit in New York — where Saleh-era piece Quincy Williams is nearing free agency.
The Jets also have safeties Andre Cisco and Tony Adams set to hit the market, and Pauline indicates the team is expected to pursue veteran help on the market next month. Jets meetings with agents representing safety UFAs-to-be are expected to take place this week, as the team’s Week 1 defense is poised to be vastly different from what it looked like to open last season.
Seahawks OLB DeMarcus Lawrence Considering Retirement
Going from missing most of the 2024 season with a Lisfranc injury to being part of a dominant Super Bowl LX-winning defense, DeMarcus Lawrence completed a career turnaround this past season. He is under contract for two more years, but the Seahawks edge rusher does not look to have committed to playing in 2026.
The longtime Cowboys defensive end starter has not informed the Seahawks if he is returning, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson said during an appearance on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. Those in Lawrence’s camp are also not certain of the player’s plans, per Henderson. Lawrence is tied to a three-year, $32.5MM contract.
[RELATED: Examining Super Bowl Champions’ Offseason Blueprint]
Seattle took a chance on the 12-year veteran, who reunited with DC Aden Durde via his free agency commitment, and was rewarded. Lawrence finished with six sacks and two fumble-sixes, scoring both his touchdowns in the same half of a game against the Cardinals, and he then registered sacks in both the Seahawks’ NFC playoff wins.
The regular-season work earned Lawrence a Pro Bowl invite, representing a resurgence after his 2024 season ended four games in (the Pro Bowl nod brought an additional $500K). Lawrence worked as the Seahawks’ OLB starter opposite Uchenna Nwosu, who had also battled injury problems in recent years. The team has both under contract for 2026. Lawrence, 34 in April, is due $8.15MM in base salary; of that total, $5MM is guaranteed. The Seahawks would be left with a few million in dead money if Lawrence passed on that 2026 salary and retired on top.
Drafted shortly after the Cowboys released DeMarcus Ware, Lawrence was later franchise-tagged twice after becoming Dallas’ lead pass rusher. He transitioned to a sidekick role once the Cowboys obtained Micah Parsons, but the veteran still earned two Pro Bowl nods — the second of which as an alternate — during his Parsons partnership. Lawrence has 67.5 career sacks and has been solid against the run during his career as well.
Losing Lawrence would give the Seahawks a bit of a need on the edge. The team dangled Boye Mafe in trades during his contract year, benching the previously productive pass rusher with Nwosu and Lawrence staying healthy. Mafe is two weeks away from free agency, but the Seahawks still have Derick Hall under contract for one more season. Seattle pursued Von Miller even after signing Lawrence last year. It would stand to reason, especially with Mafe unsigned, the team would seek OLB help if Lawrence walks away.