HEADLINES

Patriots Felt Need To Lock Down LS Julian Ashby In Draft

July 6th, 2025 at 8:54pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s not too often that a long snapper is drafted in the NFL. While the numbers are slightly skewed based on players in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s who would play other positions and also long snap, there have been, at most, 19 long snappers technically selected in the NFL draft, including two players drafted at other positions who transitioned to long snapper. So, what would’ve led the Patriots to make such a pick in the waning moments of this year’s draft?

Tyler Schmitt (drafted in 2008) is considered the first pure long snapper to be drafted, and since him, only nine pure long snappers have been drafted from 2015 to today. Of those nine, only one is still on a team today — Blake Ferguson (2020) could make it two, but he’s still a free agent at the moment. That player was also the first of those nine, Joe Cardona, whom the Patriots selected in 2015. Cardona had been New England’s longest-tenured player and was made a team captain last year after also being made the highest-paid long snapper in the NFL.

New head coach Mike Vrabel came into New England set to overhaul the team’s roster. ESPN’s Mike Reiss puts the turnover ratio at nearly 50:50. That included the release of Cardona just a year after his big payday. Cardona has since rebounded, signing with the Dolphins just a week and a half later. To replace him, the team drafted Julian Ashby out of Vanderbilt, just one round after drafting Miami (FL) kicker Andy Borregales. With the Patriots having drafted punter Bryce Baringer two years ago, they are the only team in the NFL with three drafted specialists. But why draft Ashby?

Ashby transferred to the Commodores after four seasons at Furman. Vanderbilt special teams coach Jeff LePak saw Ashby as a true specimen. In addition to his ability to consistently snap with velocity and accuracy, at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, Ashby has a unique athleticism for the position that he amplifies with work ethic and a team-first approach, per LePak. His ability to consistently deliver in a way that gave the other specialists ample time to work with helped elevate the Commodores kicker and punter, as well.

While the Patriots could’ve taken their chances vying for Ashby’s signature as an undrafted free agent, having worked him out privately, Ashby worked out privately for nine other teams and took a pre-draft visit to Chicago. While there don’t seem to be any reports detailing exactly which teams were including in the nine that worked him out, one would assume that at least one of them stood between the Patriots’ 251st pick and their 257th pick, forcing them to pull the trigger early instead of making Ashby Mr. Irrelevant.

Regardless, New England landed its guy, and though, as we pointed out before, only one long snapper drafted from 2015 to now is still playing in the NFL, the fact that that long snapper was drafted by the Patriots may be a good sign for Ashby. Ashby, Borregales, and Baringer will form a young specialist trio of drafted pedigree in 2025 and, potentially, if they prove to be worth that pedigree, for several more years to come.

Browns S Ronnie Hickman Could Earn Starting Job

July 6th, 2025 at 7:19pm CST by Ely Allen

Early this morning, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal previewed some opinions of players who could have breakout seasons for the Browns in 2025. One of these players was third-year safety Ronnie Hickman, whom Easterling believes has a chance to lock down a starting job in training camp.

Hickman came to Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State after forgoing his senior season with the Buckeyes. Despite his undrafted status, Hickman made the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and started four games in place of an injured Juan Thornhill late in the year. Last year, Hickman led the Browns in snaps aligned at safety, starting five more games for an injured Thornhill and getting plenty of time on the field in games he didn’t start.

Thornhill is gone now, having departed for Pittsburgh in free agency, so naturally, it seemed like there was going to be an opportunity for Hickman to firmly take the starting job. That was before the team signed two safeties on May 12 with extensive starting experience. Damontae Kazee signed with 63 starts in eight years with the Falcons, Cowboys, and Steelers. He’s also tallied 17 interceptions over that time, including a seven-pick performance that led the league in 2018. Rayshawn Jenkins comes in with 89 starts in eight years with the Chargers, Jaguars, and Seahawks, including five seasons in which he served as a full-time starter.

It would certainly make perfect sense for either veteran to fill in the starting role next to Grant Delpit in the upcoming season, but Hickman comes in with plenty of familiarity of the role, having shared it with Thornhill for much of last year. So far, it seems as if it’s his job to lose, forcing Jenkins and Kazee to beat him out of the spot.

The three other players highlighted by Easterling were wide receiver Kaden Davis, defensive tackle Michael Hall, and defensive end Isaiah McGuire. While Jerry Jeudy is obviously stealing the spotlight at workouts in Cleveland, Davis has been taking advantage of the absences of Cedric Tillman and Michael Woods II, catching the eyes of head coach Kevin Stefanski and wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea. The coaches have praised his work this offseason, and even if Tillman and Woods are back for training camp, the four-man quarterback race should still afford Davis several opportunities to be seen.

Hall’s rookie campaign was limited by a five-game suspension resulting from a domestic violence arrest and injury. As last year’s top draft pick in Cleveland, the Browns will be expecting a big jump for Hall in Year 2, and he should be running in the interior two-deep with rookie No. 5 pick Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, and Shelby Harris. After earning three starts in 16 appearance last year, McGuire is an easy pick to break out. With a strong sample of play in his time last year, the coaching staff thinks “very highly” of McGuire entering training camp, and he could end up with a starting job.

Jags’ Dyami Brown In Line For Starting Role

July 6th, 2025 at 3:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Dyami Brown was unable to make an impact during most of his four-year Commanders tenure. The closing stages of the 2024 campaign and the team’s surprise playoff run demonstrated a potential to handle starting receiver duties, however.

The 25-year-old had a notable uptick in usage late in the regular season and then totaled 229 yards and one touchdown on 14 catches during the playoffs. That showing did not do enough to land Brown a second contract in Washington, but he did take a deal with the Jaguars. That one-year pact has a base value of $10MM, $9.5MM of which is guaranteed in full.

$2MM in incentives are present in the contract along with per-game bonuses. Given the nature of Jacksonville’s investment, a No. 3 role in the team’s offense would come as no surprise. That is indeed set to take place in Brown’s case after the Jaguars traded away Christian Kirk and released Gabe Davis. Brown is positioned to work as a starter alongside 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Brian Thomas Jr. and 2025 second overall pick Travis Hunter.

“You didn’t really see him work the intermediate that much [in Washington], and I think over the course of this spring, [quarterback] Trevor [Lawrence] and him have gained a little bit of a chemistry on some of those intermediate in-breakers, curls, maybe outcuts,” head coach Liam Coen said of Brown (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco).

“Part of the selling point to have him come here was, ‘Man, we really want to continue to diversify your route tree and have you do more. You’re not just a screen, jet sweep, vertical threat.'”

Drafted in the third round in 2021, Brown was one of several wideouts the Commanders added in the hopes of finding a long-term complement to Terry McLaurin. Brown and quarterback Sam Howell played together at North Carolina, but their one season in the NFL with the latter handling starting QB duties did not produce the desired connection. Neither Howell nor Brown are in the nation’s capital anymore, and the Commanders will rely on Deebo Samuel to serve as an experienced pass-catcher for at least one season.

The Jags, meanwhile, will have high expectations for Thomas after he posted 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Hunter remains on track to see time on both sides of the ball during his rookie campaign, and that will no doubt include a notable role at the WR spot. Brown will nevertheless aim to build off the momentum he generated late in the 2024 season. Doing so will set him up for a strong free agent market next spring.

Packers Plan To Use Nate Hobbs, Other Top CBs Interchangeably

July 6th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Parks

Over the course of his four seasons in the NFL, new Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs has played more than twice as many snaps in the slot than on the boundaries. So, when the 2021 Raiders draftee left Las Vegas for Green Bay this offseason by way of a four-year, $48MM contract, our Sam Robinson noted that Hobbs had set a new high-water mark for slot defenders if the Packers indeed plan to deploy him in that capacity.

While Hobbs will surely see plenty of action in the slot in Wisconsin, the club has something of a hybrid role in mind for him, as detailed by Jason Wilde of Channel3000.com. Per Wilde, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley wants to compensate for the roster’s lack of a true shutdown corner by using Hobbs, Keisean Nixon, and Carrington Valentine interchangeably. 

During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Hobbs sometimes lined up across from Nixon on the boundary in base packages. In nickel looks, Valentine came onto the field and played outside the numbers while Nixon and Hobbs shared time in the slot and out wide.

“Nate can play outside and Nate can play inside. So we’re going to have him do both,” Hafley said. “When you’re getting ready for free agency and you’re evaluating tape, it’s one thing that you love about him. He’s had a lot of success inside, and I thought his tape outside was equally as good.”

The Packers had hoped that Jaire Alexander, who landed a then-CB-record four-year deal worth $84MM in May 2022, would serve as their No. 1 corner for the long haul. Unfortunately, Alexander’s injury problems contributed to his release last month, thus increasing the pressure on Green Bay’s current top trio.

Nixon, 28, has played nearly 2,000 defensive snaps over the past two seasons thanks in large part to Alexander’s lack of availability, and he has acquitted himself reasonably well. Last season, one year after spending most of his time in the slot, he led the Packers in snaps as a boundary corner and limited opposing passers to a 57.5% completion percentage and 78.9 QB rating as the nearest defender. He also earned First Team All-Pro acclaim for his work as a kick returner in the 2022-23 seasons.

Valentine, a 2023 seventh-rounder, has been pressed into starting duty in each of his two pro seasons, lining up almost exclusively outside the numbers. It sounds as if the club will give him a greater opportunity to show off his versatility this year, and 2024 second-rounder Javon Bullard remains an option to see extensive work as a nickel CB, just as he did as a rookie (although Bullard is not mentioned in Wilde’s piece).

Despite the impressive AAV on his new contract, Hobbs received only $16MM in guaranteed money. So, while Green Bay would take on a $12MM dead money hit if it were to part ways following the 2025 slate, such a maneuver would not be prohibitive and would actually yield a modicum of cap savings. To preserve his future earning power, then, Hobbs will need to live up to his team’s hopes for his multifaceted skill set.

For right now, that does not appear to be a concern.

“He is competitive, he’s tough, he is physical, he plays the game fast,” Hafley said of Hobbs. “You can tell he loves it. It just jumps off the tape. That versatility, where you can move him around and again, I’m a big fan of that.”

Free Agent S Quandre Diggs Hopes To Continue Playing Career

July 6th, 2025 at 9:53am CST by Rory Parks

Free agent safety Quandre Diggs saw his 2024 season cut short by a Lisfranc injury, which put a damper on what was already likely to be a tepid free agent market in 2025. As of the end of May, Diggs still had not received medical clearance to return to the field, as he revealed during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link).

The 32-year-old does not sound as if he is contemplating retirement at this point. There have been no reports of interest in him this offseason, which he attributes to his health situation and his resulting inability to work out for clubs. He did not say when he expects to be cleared, merely saying, “I’ll be ready to go when it’s that time to go.”

He added that he had been playing well prior to last year’s foot injury, although there is some disagreement on that point. In eight games as a member of the Titans, Diggs allowed a 73.7% completion percentage and a whopping 137.2 quarterback rating as the nearest defender, per Pro Football Reference. Both of those troubling metrics represented career-highs, albeit with the small sample size caveat.

On the other hand, Pro Football Focus’ assessment of Diggs more closely aligned with his self-evaluation. PFF considered him the 20th-best safety out of 98 players with enough snaps to qualify in 2024, with only his efforts in the pass rush department receiving a subpar grade.

Still, after being released by the Seahawks in a cost-cutting move in March 2024, Diggs did not find another opportunity until early August, when he caught on with Tennessee via a modest one-year, $3MM pact that featured a veteran minimum base salary of $1.21MM. His PFF marks notwithstanding, his performance in a half-season of play last year, combined with his age and recent Lisfranc injury, make him a candidate for another low-cost accord this season.

Unsurprisingly, the Texas product indicated he would like to join a contender, and he suggested his $54.2MM of career earnings render whatever money he makes on his next contract a secondary concern. And, given his career accomplishments, it would not be surprising to see a contending team consider him for at least a depth role at some point.

The former sixth-round pick of the Lions became a full-time starter by his third professional campaign in 2017, and he signed a three-year, $20.4MM extension prior to the final year of his rookie contract. After only six games under his new deal, though, Detroit traded Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. Seattle then doubled down on the safety position by swinging a blockbuster trade for Jamal Adams the following summer.

While Adams largely struggled to stay on the field during his Emerald City tenure, Diggs proved to be more durable, and he earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2020-22 (he also registered at least three interceptions every year from 2017-22). In the midst of that stretch of productive play, the ‘Hawks rewarded him with a three-year, $40MM extension, ultimately cutting bait before what would have been the final year of that deal.

Diggs and Adams reunited in Nashville last season, although Adams saw action in just three Titans contests before being released again. Like his former running mate, Adams has not generated any reported interest this offseason.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow Says Throwing Wrist Still Not 100%

July 6th, 2025 at 8:20am CST by Rory Parks

Much of the discussion surrounding the Bengals this offseason has been focused upon new deals for wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (the Hendrickson matter continues to drag on with no obvious end in sight). Star quarterback Joe Burrow, meanwhile, has taken advantage of his status with the franchise and in the league to advocate for extensions for Higgins – who once appeared unlikely to stay in Cincinnati given the investment the club knew it would be making in Chase – and Hendrickson.

During mandatory minicamp last month, Burrow also talked about his own performance and his hopes for the upcoming campaign. Interestingly, he said the torn ligament he suffered in his right (throwing) wrist in November of 2023, which ended that season prematurely, continued to impact him last year.

“I think I talked about it last year – I still wasn’t quite back to throwing it the way that I expect,” Burrow said (via SI.com’s Jay Morrison). “It’s improved this year, and it will continue to improve. As long as I keep making those reps, taking the extra time to get that rhythm back, it will continue to improve.”

Those comments are surprising for several reasons. One, even though the timing and nature of the injury threatened Burrow’s availability for the Bengals’ offseason program in 2024, the two-time Pro Bowler was already throwing by early May of 2024. Additionally, Burrow was terrific last season, leading the league with 4,918 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions in a full slate of games. He did that while maintaining a 70.6% completion percentage and finishing third in the NFL in both quarterback rating (108.5) and QBR (74.7).

That performance led to a fourth-place finish in MVP voting, which may have been impacted by the fact that Cincinnati did not qualify for the playoffs. Still, the team would surely sign up for a repeat of his 2024 showing, albeit with more success in the win-loss department.

The Bengals’ inability to return to the postseason over the past two years is partially attributable to their poor starts. The club lost its first two contests of the 2023 slate and its first three games in 2024 and eventually proved unable to make up that ground. Morrison suggests those slow starts, in turn, were a function of Burrow’s health.

The former Heisman Trophy winner suffered a calf strain in training camp in 2023 and did not post a QB rating over 85.6 until Week 5 of that season. Last year, of course, he was still dealing with wrist rehab, but his play was mostly elite from Week 2 onward, despite the nagging wrist issue.

While acknowledging his team’s need to avoid digging an early hole, Burrow noted his wrist continues to heal.

“We’re getting there,” he said. “I think I’m learning new things every single day and refining my motion, refining everything about what I’m doing out there. That’s exciting for me to feel that improvement.”

When asked how he would handle the layoff between the end of mandatory minicamp last month and training camp, which opens on July 23, Burrow added, “I’m feeling good right now. I’ll just take it as my body’s telling me. If I need a couple days off, I’m gonna take a couple days off. But I’m feeling good, and we’ll keep grinding and take it day by day.”

As the Hendrickson dilemma dominates Bengals-related headlines and invites increased scrutiny of the team’s negotiation practices, Cincinnati at least knows it has an enviable quarterback situation, one that theoretically could get even better as Burrow’s wrist gets better.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

CB Kaiir Elam Expected To Play Big Role In Dallas

July 5th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys’ front office has been busy during the offseason, sending away lots of draft capital to bring in players like George Pickens, Kenneth Murray, Joe Milton, and Kaiir Elam. Pickens was clearly brought in to be WR2 across from CeeDee Lamb, Murray will fill in for the loss of Eric Kendricks, and Milton will be QB2 behind Dak Prescott. Elam, though, comes into an interesting situation. While he was never a full-time starter during his three years in Buffalo, Elam is expected to have a significant role on the Cowboys defense, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

While Elam never quite lived up to his first-round status with the Bills, he put forth fairly consistent performances each season. Though injuries have caused him to miss significant time (22 of a possible 51 games) in Buffalo, Dallas will be hoping he can come through during a time when injuries are hitting the team hard.

Last season, the Cowboys saw both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland miss significant amounts of time. Bland quickly got back up to speed and began to show signs of returning to the All-Pro greatness he displayed in 2023. Diggs, though, is working his way back from knee surgery, and while he is aiming for a return by the time the season opener rolls around, his timeline for return is certainly in question. Mix in the loss of Jourdan Lewis to Jacksonville in free agency after a strong year in the slot, and the team has several questions to answer at the cornerback position.

Part of the solution could be third-round draft pick Shavon Revel, who was receiving first-round buzz prior to suffering a torn ACL early into his final season at East Carolina. Revel should be ready to play by the time the regular season begins, but he’s not projected to return until sometime mid-training camp.

With things the way they are, Machota makes it clear: “Bland is one starter, Elam is another.” As we discussed at the end of May, Bland has been working more this offseason in the slot. He’s excelled both inside and outside during his short time in Dallas, which makes him extremely valuable to the team in this situation. In a contract year, Bland likely isn’t going to want to establish himself as a nickelback, considering the highest-paid nickelback in the NFL (Taron Johnson, $10.25MM per year) makes just over half the salary of the highest-paid outside cornerback (Denzel Ward, $20.1MM per year). He’ll need to hope, instead, that the Cowboys will reward him for his flexibility and versatility.

So, Bland and Elam are starting, then when an additional cornerback comes on, it could be Revel that comes in, shifting Bland inside. Or it could be Israel Mukuamu coming into the slot, keeping Bland out wide. Mukuamu has never really played significant snaps in any season, but last year, he saw more time at nickelback than he did at any other secondary position.

When Diggs comes back, things will be clearer. He and Bland will start together, and Bland can shift inside whenever Elam or Revel come in for sets that require more defensive backs. Until then, though, Elam is expected to play a major role in stabilizing the position group to open up the season.

Extension Candidate: Zach Allen

July 5th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

A central reason the Broncos were able to make the playoffs despite the record-shattering Russell Wilson dead money bill, Zach Allen has played his best football since relocating to Denver in 2023. The short-term J.J. Watt Cardinals sidekick has been one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior D-linemen in two Broncos seasons.

Allen signed a three-year, $45.75MM contract on Day 1 of the 2023 legal tampering period, following Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey as part of Sean Payton‘s aggressive transactional start to his Broncos tenure. While McGlinchey and Powers are respectively on five- and four-year deals, Allen is in a contract year. The former Cardinals third-round pick, who entered the NFL in Vance Joseph‘s first Arizona offseason, resides in a good position to cash in.

[RELATED: Top 2025 Salary Cap Hits For Defenders]

Allen recorded a whopping 40 QB hits last season; that not only led the NFL in 2024, it ranks near the top among modern pass-rushing seasons. Throughout the 2020s, only Nick Bosa‘s 2022 (48) and T.J. Watt‘s 2020 (41) delivered more QB hits than Allen’s 2024 brought. Even if the range is moved to cover the past 10 seasons, Allen’s 2024 showing still ranks eighth (J.J. Watt‘s peak was quite good). Allen also tallied 47 QB pressures last season; only Trey Hendrickson (54) produced more at any position.

A spring report pointed to Allen and Nik Bonitto being higher Broncos extension priorities compared to Courtland Sutton, who has been waiting for a deal longer. This is Bonitto’s first offseason of extension eligibility. Having spent his entire career in Joseph’s scheme, Allen represents a fairly safe bet for the Broncos. Going into only his age-28 season also represents a plus here, whereas Sutton will turn 30 in October. Allen has also expressed interest in a Broncos extension.

It can be argued Allen’s presence catalyzed Bonitto’s breakout. Both players zoomed to second-team All-Pro status, as Bonitto broke through for 13.5 sacks. Allen’s 8.5-sack total does not jump out as much, even with a Week 1 safety also landing on his resume, though Bonitto’s pressure numbers (36 to go with 24 hits) were not on the interior rusher’s level. Bonitto heading into his age-26 season will help his cause, but the Broncos also have the franchise tag to use in 2026.

Wilson’s punitive dead money penalty ending in 2025 would free up a tag slot for next year, and Bo Nix must remain on a rookie contract through at least 2026. Denver has John Franklin-Myers as a more affordable extension option in a contract year, and the team traded up for 3-4 DE Sai’Vion Jones in Round 3. It would seem unlikely, though, that the franchise — one set to rely on a top-tier defense once again — would chance moving on from Allen after one contract given his recent form and experience under Joseph.

The Broncos will be looking at a sizable raise here, as the defensive tackle market has moved twice since Allen’s March 2023 accord. As a second tier formed behind Aaron Donald‘s outlier deal in the spring and summer of 2023, four players (Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams) scored extensions between $22.5MM and $24MM per year. Chris Jones then used Donald’s deal as a springboard to gouge the Chiefs two days before the 2024 tampering period. Jones lifted the DT spot’s ceiling to $31.75MM per year and $60MM guaranteed at signing. Capitalizing on a Jones-less market, Christian Wilkins landed $27.5MM per year and $57MM at signing from the Raiders in 2024.

This year, Milton Williams became the NFL’s third-highest-paid interior D-lineman by commanding $26MM per year and $51MM at signing from the Patriots. Williams is nearly two years younger than Allen, but the ex-Eagle has not produced a season on the latter’s level. Even Allen’s 2023 featured 24 QB hits and 27 pressures. He has never been a sack maven, having tallied more than 5.5 just once. Williams’ next 5.5-sack season will be his first, however, while Wilkins and Nnamdi Madubuike each delivered outlier sack seasons in their 2023 contract years. Wilkins was also 28 when he signed his big-ticket Las Vegas deal.

Hitting free agency helped Wilkins and Milton Williams, and Allen could certainly bet on himself and do well in 2026. (Though, he will be negotiating ahead of an age-29 season in that scenario.) The Broncos will undoubtedly work to prevent that from happening, but even as the seventh-year vet can only negotiate with one team for the time being, that Payne-Lawrence-Simmons-Quinnen Williams tier should be a reasonable floor.

That is a steep hike from $15.25MM AAV, but the salary cap has ballooned from $224.8MM to $279.2MM since those 2023 extensions commenced. Allen’s camp will likely cite the Wilkins and Milton Williams deals as comps, making the previous DT second tier a logical compromise.

The Broncos extended four players — Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain, Jonathon Cooper and Garett Bolles — between July 16 and December 12 last year. GM George Paton also paid Sutton in-season back in 2021, and a potential in-season Bonitto payday could be on track. The Broncos will surely ramp up discussions with their top two front-seven pieces before Week 1. Carrying a high-pressure/modest-sack resume, Allen’s negotiations will be a key storyline to follow as the Broncos attempt to firmly establish themselves as contenders after last season’s surprising playoff trek.

Chase Claypool Healthy, Eyeing 2025 Deal

July 5th, 2025 at 9:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

A toe injury resulted in Chase Claypool landing on injured reserve last August. He was waived with an injury settlement by the Bills, something which allowed him to hit free agency.

The Canadian wideout did not land an opportunity in 2024, however. As a result, Claypool spent the year rehabbing in preparation for his next NFL gig. A recent Instagram post confirmed he is now fully healthy as he eyes a contract in advance of training camp.

“I tore a ligament and a tendon in my second toe and have been rehabbing, working out, and recovering every day for the past year,” Claypool wrote. “I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves.”

During his first two seasons with the Steelers, Claypool flashed considerable potential. The Notre Dame product posted 860-plus yards both years while totaling 11 touchdowns over that span. Things took a turn in 2022, however, with his Pittsburgh tenure ending by means of a trade to the Bears. The price Chicago paid – a second-round pick – to acquire Claypool proved to be exorbitant after he made just 14 scoreless catches in seven games with the team.

Following an unproductive start to the 2023 campaign, Claypool remained away from the Bears while a trade was sorted out. His arrival in Miami did not yield a notable role on offense, and to no surprise he was not retained last spring. Claypool’s brief Bills stint came about via a one-year, $1.23MM pact. A similar deal will be expected if he is to line up a gig in advance of training camp.

At the age of 27 (as of Monday), the 6-4, 238-pound Claypool could offer modest upside as a depth option for interested teams this summer. The Saskatchewan Roughriders currently own Claypool’s CFL rights, but his attention remains focused on securing another deal south of the border.

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