Texans To Sign RB Nick Chubb

JUNE 9: Chubb passed his physical today, Russini reports. As a result, he is in position to suit up for the Texans in 2025.

JUNE 8: Shortly after reports that the Texans would be looking into the potential of signing veteran running back Nick Chubb, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Chubb is now expected to sign with the Texans on Monday, assuming everything goes well with a workout and physical.

We’ve seen two full NFL seasons come and go since we last saw Chubb at his best. Once a perennial Pro Bowler and a constant threat to rush for 1,500 yards and double-digit touchdowns, a serious knee injury that resulted in a torn MCL and damaged ACL has plagued Chubb in the past two seasons. The 29-year-old intends to not let it keep him down, though, and he has remained an attractive free agent option as a result.

The Texans are just three seasons removed from a year in which they had the worst rushing offense in the entire league and their top rusher had 427 yards. Before Joe Mixon rushed for 1,016 yards last year, the team hadn’t seen a 1,000-yard rusher since 2019. So even after a season of relative success, in which they had a Pro Bowl running back with over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns but still finished 15th in the league in rushing, Houston sees room for improvement.

Until this potential move, the team hadn’t touched the position in free agency, mostly because they didn’t lose anyone to free agency, but they did add Woody Marks in the draft. Marks, as a fifth-year transfer at USC, had a breakout season for the Trojans, rushing for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns while showing a decent ability to catch out of the backfield. Perhaps the Texans believed Marks could compete to be an improved RB2 after Dameon Pierce rushed for only 117 yards before the team’s season finale which featured Mixon for only a single starting drive.

Additionally, some combination of Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale, J.J. Taylor, and British Brooks only added a combined 305 rushing yards and one touchdown. All this while sixth-round rookie Jawhar Jordan, out of Louisville, failed to make the initial roster and spent his rookie campaign on the practice squad.

So, ultimately, the potential of adding a veteran like Chubb to this sea of bodies has very little risk of hurting the team, while providing the potential that they can add a savvy, veteran rusher almost two full years removed from the serious injuries that sidelined him. Requiring a workout and physical will provide the team with the ability to walk away while also giving them significant information with which to inform the terms of a contract offer.

Expect a low-risk deal for the team with a potential for high rewards for Chubb should he reach certain benchmarks, if the two sides to put pen to paper tomorrow. This expectation is supported by a recent post by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who reports that “Chubb received more lucrative offers from other teams but could sign a more incentive-laden contract to join (Mixon) in Houston.”

Texans To Promote James Liipfert, Chris Blanco To Assistant GM

The Texans are the latest team to line up promotions with respect to upper management positions. James Liipfert and Chris Blanco will have new responsibilities in 2025.

Both of those executives are being promoted to assistant general manager, as first reported by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Liipfert began his front office career with the Patriots before being hired by the Texans as their director of college scouting. He and GM Nick Caserio worked together in New England, and today’s news confirms their partnership will continue in Houston.

After overseeing the Texans’ college scouting department, Liipfert took on the additional title of assistant director of personnel in 2022. The following offseason, he was promoted to executive director of player personnel. This latest move is an illustration of his success in his previous Houston positions, and an elevated role in the organization could put Liipfert on the general manager radar around the NFL.

Blanco began his time with the Texans as a pro scout. His time in that capacity was followed by a two-year stretch with the Vikings as their director of pro personnel in addition to assistant director of college scouting. When Blanco returned to the Texans’ front office in 2023, he took on the title of assistant director of player personnel. He too has seen his stock rise over the past two years, and added responsibilities will now be in play under Caserio.

The period after the draft often sees plenty of front office movement around the league. A number of teams have new front office setups in place, and the Texans are now among them as Caserio and Co. look to build off the success of the past two seasons.

Jaguars Extend P Logan Cooke

Logan Cooke‘s time in Duval County will continue for the foreseeable future. The veteran punter received a four-year from the Jaguars on Monday, per a team announcement.

Cooke was a seventh-round pick of Jacksonville in 2018, and he has handled punting duties immediately since his arrival in the NFL. The 29-year-old has only missed four games so far, and he has remained consistent when on the field. Cooke set new career highs in gross (49.4) and net (44.8) yards per punt in 2024.

Those totals helped earn him a Pro Bowl invite and a second-team All-Pro nod. Both accolades were the first of the Mississippi State product’s career and they have no doubt helped his case for another contract. Cooke was set to enter the final year of his latest extension, but he is now on the books through 2029.

The coming season included a scheduled base salary of $2.87MM and a cap charge of $3.92MM. This new pact is worth $16MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That represents a $1MM raise in terms of annual value compared to Cooke’s latest deal in addition to long-term security.

Jacksonville has Pro Bowl long snapper Ross Matiscik on the books for another two years. Kicker Cam Littlemeanwhile, is attached to his rookie contract through 2027. Given today’s Cooke extension, the Jags’ special teams will have continuity now and in the future.

Colts Confirm New Ownership Structure

The Colts’ new ownership arrangement is officially in place. The team announced on Monday how the front office will operate moving forward.

Jim Irsay‘s recent passing set in motion the transition of power to his three daughters. In the aftermath of his death, it appeared as though Carlie Irsay-Gordon would take over as the Colts’ controlling owner. That is now officially the case, and her title also includes that of chief executive officer.

Casey Foyt will take on the role of executive vice president in addition to her status as a co-owner. Kalen Jackson, meanwhile, while operate as chief brand officer and president of the Colts Foundation. Since joining the organization, much of Jackson’s time has been spent working on her father’s mental health initiatives, so today’s news comes as no surprise.

Irsay-Gordon, 44, handled the Colts’ day-to-day operations when her father was suspended in 2014. She has spent the time since then acclimating to the workings of the organization in numerous ways, positioning herself as Irsay’s heir apparent. With the team’s succession plan now in place, Irsay-Gordon will take on the responsibility of overseeing the Colts on a full-time basis as expected.

Chief operating officer Pete Ward and chief legal officer Dan Emerson have both been in place for decades in Indianapolis. They will each will stay on as the Colts transition to this new ownership structure, one which keeps the organization in the same family it has belonged to since 1972.

Texans Host CB Damon Arnette

Damon Arnette‘s efforts to return to the NFL have resulted in at least one visit. The former first-round cornerback worked out with the Texans on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

Arnette was unsuccessful in his bid to play in the UFL last year, but he did manage to do so this spring. While operating as a key member of the Houston Roughnecks’ defense, he totaled 18 tackles, five pass breakups and a pick-six. That production led to recent inquiries from multiple NFL teams.

With the Roughnecks’ season over, Arnette is free to join an interested suitor at any time as he looks to return to the NFL. The 28-year-old played a total of 13 games with the Raiders across the 2020 and ’21 seasons. He was released after a video surfaced which showed him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun. Arnette wound up signing with the Dolphins before taking a futures deal with the Chiefs, but he never saw any game time with those teams.

The Ohio State product was indicted by a grand jury on assault with a deadly weapon and firearm-related charges in May 2023. Arnette wound up reaching a plea bargain agreement and has not faced charges since then. As Wilson details, he was arrested in January 2024 but that stemmed from a matter in which Arnette did not have the proper documentation for prescription medication with him at the time.

With the UFL and (to an extent, at least) the NFL satisfied in Arnette’s ability to avoid a repeat of his legal issues, it would come as no surprise if he were to land a deal before training camp. The Texans have a strong cornerback duo in the form of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, but the recent retirement of Ronald Darby has created the need for a depth addition. Depending on how today’s workout went, Arnette could be in line for the opportunity to earn a backup role this summer.

Steelers Pursued WR Chris Godwin In Free Agency; Latest On Patriots’ Offer

Chris Godwin re-signed with the Buccaneers in free agency in a move which will allow him to remain a member of the only NFL team he has played for. The Pro Bowl wideout elected to do so despite notable interest from multiple suitors.

The Patriots were known to be in the market for a notable free agent addition at the WR spot. New England eventually inked Stefon Diggsbut before that the team also made a strong push for Godwin. The Pats wrote “blank checks” in the latter’s case, and further details on that front have emerged.

Godwin told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei New England offered him $30MM per year (subscription required). His latest Bucs pact, by contrast, carries an AAV of $22MM. Choosing to remain in Tampa Bay involved turning down considerably more money from the Patriots (whose offer could have increased even further), but three other key suitors were involved in this case as well.

The Steelers were one of them, Godwin added. That comes as little surprise, of course, given Pittsburgh’s long-running pursuit of a high-profile wideout. Well before their D.K. Metcalf acquisition, the team was heavily involved in efforts to land Brandon AiyukChristian Kirk was also a target ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. With George Pickens no longer in place, the Steelers have signed Robert Woods but they are still in the market for pass-catching help.

Godwin would have provided New England or Pittsburgh with an upgrade at the receiver position, but he will instead remain a key factor in Tampa Bay’s passing game. The 29-year-old has topped 1,000 yards four times in his Bucs tenure, and he was averaging over 82 yards per game (the second-highest figure of his career) before his 2024 campaign came to an end. Despite the injury to his ankle – among other ailments – he was recovering from, Godwin drew plenty of interest as a potential free agent. His preference was to remain in a familiar setting and by doing so continue his partnership with fellow wideout Mike Evans.

“It’s not always the case that you are surrounded by a ton of good people who care about the right things, who have similar goals and treat people with respect,” Godwin said. “The first thing for me is I want to work with people that I enjoy it with.”

Evans is under contract for one more season, so his productive tandem with Godwin will continue in 2025. The latter will stay in place beyond the coming campaign given his latest commitment to Tampa Bay, one which included turning aside lucrative opportunities from a number of suitors to depart.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio On 49ers DE Bryce Huff

The Eagles’ free agent splurge on edge defender Bryce Huff in the 2024 offseason did not go as planned, and the reigning Super Bowl champions recently agreed to a trade sending Huff to the 49ers, cutting bait after just one season. While it was clear that Huff was not a good fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system, Fangio himself was gracious in his comments about his former charge.

Fangio recently told reporters, including PHLY’s Zach Berman, that he believed Huff was showing improvement before suffering a wrist injury that required him to play two games with a hard cast on his hand. Huff was placed on injured reserve in November so he could undergo a wrist procedure and was activated for the final two games of the regular season.

“I think the one thing is, he was getting better, and when he hurt his hand, he tried to play with it for a couple weeks,” Fangio said. “It wasn’t going good because he was reluctant to use his hand.”

Interestingly, though, Huff appeared in a season-low (to that point) six snaps the game before he began wearing a hard cast, and he notched one of his 2.5 sacks during his first game with the cast. When he returned to the field following the wrist operation, he still had to wear a cast, which Fangio says further limited his effectiveness.

“Then when they operated on it, he had to play with a big cast on his hand, which basically rendered his hand useless and then rendered his arm useless because you can’t use your hand,” Fangio added. “That really had an effect on him.”

Fangio went on to reiterate that Huff’s inability to properly use his hand and arm negatively impacted his performance before adding, “I think he’ll do fine in San Francisco.”

Of course, there is no reason for Fangio to offer anything but niceties for a player who was simply unable to meet expectations. The 49ers, though, hope there is at least some truth to Fangio’s words and that a return to full health will allow their trade acquisition to recapture the form that made him a desirable commodity on last year’s market.

Huff, 27, will be reunited with Robert Saleh, who served as the Jets’ head coach during Huff’s breakout platform campaign with Gang Green in 2023, in which he recorded 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits despite appearing in just 42% of the team’s defensive snaps. Saleh, who was fired by the Jets during the 2024 season, returned to the 49ers this offseason to reprise his role as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, a position he held from 2017-21.

Huff will certainly benefit from playing opposite Nick Bosa, though he will have to compete for reps with first-round draftee Mykel Williams.

WR Gabe Davis To Visit Saints

The Gabe Davis 2025 offseason tour continues. Since being released by the Jaguars a month ago, Davis has met with the 49ers, Giants, and Steelers. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Davis is now headed to New Orleans where he’ll meet with a Saints team that could certainly use a receiver of his makeup.

After impressive contributions for four years as a WR2 in Buffalo, Davis was rewarded in free agency with a three-year, $39MM contract with the Jaguars. Through 10 games with his new team, though, Davis was averaging a career-low 23.9 yards per game and was on track for the lowest touchdown total of his career, as well. His struggles deepened when a meniscus tear required him to undergo season-ending surgery, and Jacksonville cut bait two years early despite the massive dead money doing so stuck them with.

In New Orleans, the Saints fielded a bottom-10 pass offense in the NFL last season, and with Derek Carr‘s retirement, improving on that in 2025 won’t be easy. New Orleans will have three young, inexperienced quarterbacks battling it out for the right to lead the offense this season, so having an experienced receiving corps could be extremely beneficial for the winning quarterback’s chances for success.

In 2024, the team’s leader in receiving yards was tight end Juwan Johnson, followed closely by running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Foster Moreau, and only then a wide receiver. The next three leading receivers were Chris Olave, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Rashid Shaheed, and none of the three played more than half the season. This underlines the team’s need for a reliable receiver.

The Saints are currently headed into the season with Olave, Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks as their top three receivers. Beyond that is a mix of receivers who have shown inconsistent hints of talent in the past (Cedrick Wilson, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Dante Pettis) or have relatively little experience (Bub Means, Kevin Austin, Mason Tipton, Chris Tyree, and Moochie Dixon). Adding Davis would give New Orleans another receiver in the frame of Wilson or Peoples-Jones but with more deep ball ability and more consistent results.

Rapoport points out that, with approximately $11.5MM still due to Davis from Jacksonville, the 26-year-old will likely command only a one-year deal from his new team. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football goes a step further in saying that “Davis will almost certainly get” the league minimum.

If that holds true, and Davis does not, in fact, force a bidding war between the teams he’s visited and remained in contact with, then Davis’ decision will likely come down to team fit. If the Saints decide that they want to bring Davis into the fold, they’ll likely need to demonstrate how he fits in the offense and the locker room. Depending on how the visit goes, Davis could end up one step closer to his next NFL home.

Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Moving Outside After Rookie Struggles

The Lions added cornerback Ennis Rakestraw in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft last year, but a look into the rookie’s first full season brings about questions concerning whether or not he was worth the draft stock used on him. A bit of position change and some new competition should give him a chance at redemption in 2025, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

As a rookie, Rakestraw’s primary focus was playing as a slot cornerback. The 23-year-old claims that he was even in line to start the team’s Week 2 contest before suffering a pulled hamstring in pregame warmups. After a sports hernia from his days at Missouri limited him in training camp and the pulled hamstring forced him to miss two games early, the injuries compounded, and an eventual strained hamstring sent him to injured reserve for the last seven games of the season.

Even when he was healthy, though, Rakestraw struggled to get on the field as a rookie. Through eight game appearances, Rakestraw only saw 46 defensive snaps. He did see more than double that number of snaps on special teams, but a second-round pick is an expensive price to pay for a special teamer.

So far, in summer activities this year, Rakestraw has been working exclusively as an outside cornerback. Per Birkett, “he took first-team reps at left cornerback last week and should compete for the top backup” role behind returning starter Terrion Arnold and free agent addition D.J. Reed. The slot should be perfectly fine without Rakestraw as Amik Robertson returns as the primary nickelback and another free agent addition, Avonte Maddox, should back him up.

Cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend adds that he thinks Rakestraw should benefit from being able to solely focus on playing outside cornerback. His competition for the CB3 job will be Khalil Dorsey and Rock Ya-Sin. Dorsey has been in Detroit the last two seasons. He’s started three games in that span, but outside of those three games, he’s hardly seen the field. Still, the Lions signed him to a new two-year deal this offseason.

Ya-Sin, another free agent addition this offseason, hasn’t seen significant playing time since 2022. Also a former second-round pick, Ya-Sin was traded from the Colts to the Raiders for the final year of his rookie contract, starting 38 games in his first four years. In the two years since, Ya-Sin has spent a year each with the Ravens and 49ers coming off the bench and playing mostly on special teams.

Rakestraw will have a lot to prove in his sophomore season in order to quiet the critics. Some renewed health, a move to the outside, and some real competition should help push him to improve in his second year.

Texans Looking Into RB Nick Chubb

The Texans have been “looking at [the] running back market” and could pursue former Browns RB Nick Chubb, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Chubb, a seven-year veteran, hit free agency this offseason for the first time in his career after playing just 10 games in the last two years due to injury. A torn ACL robbed him of most of the 2023 season; he worked his way back to the field for eight games in 2024 before going down once more with a broken foot. Chubb expressed a desire to stay in Cleveland, but the Browns declined to re-sign him and instead pursued younger options for their backfield.

Houston signed ex-Bengals running back Joe Mixon last offseason and could look to add another former AFC North ballcarrier in Chubb. Both Mixon and his backup, Dameon Pierce, missed at least three games last year with minimal production from Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale further down the depth chart.

Chubb’s 41.5 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry in 2024 were well below his career standards, but he was one of the most efficient running backs in the league before his 2023 injury. This late in the offseason, he will likely have to sign a one-year deal close to the veteran minimum to prove his health, which could offer significant upside for the Texans.

Fowler said on SportsCenter (via Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters) that a return to Cleveland is “not totally off the table” but remains unlikely after the Browns selected two running back in April’s draft. That aligns with Fowler’s previous report on ESPN Cleveland that Chubb is not expected to re-sign with his longtime “barring some sort of surprise or injury.”

Fowler also mentioned the Commanders and the Bears as potential suitors at the end of May. The Commanders are returning their 2024 backfield, making Washington a less likely destination than Chicago. The Bears missed out on their preferred running backs in the draft and do not have a clear No. 2 behind D’Andre Swift.