Rams, QB Matthew Stafford Progressing On Extension
Matthew Stafford did not consider retirement for too long this offseason, revealing during his MVP acceptance speech he would play an 18th NFL season. As Sean McVay rejoiced, the Rams were aware they needed to complete another round of negotiations with their star quarterback.
Reaching reworked deals with Stafford in 2024 and ’25, the Rams are likely to complete a true extension with their five-year starter this year. Considerable progress has been made on that front, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Stafford’s latest revised deal runs through the 2026 season. The QB has reported for the start of Rams voluntary workouts, Rapoport adds.
Agreeing to a Rams-friendly extension weeks after leading the team to a Super Bowl LVI conquest, Stafford came to regret that choice — which resulted in a four-year, $160MM 2022 re-up — and came to the table in 2024 and ’25. The 2025 rework came after the Rams let Stafford speak with other teams about a trade. The Giants and Raiders lined up guarantee packages covering north of $90MM, but Stafford ultimately decided to stay with McVay. That decision proved wise, as he soared to an MVP nod that could eventually be the deciding factor in his Hall of Fame case.
The Rams and Stafford agreed on a two-year, $80MM revision that included a $40MM guarantee at signing. Another $40MM guarantee vested on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. A $24MM 2026 option bonus was also split into four parts, according to Spotrac.
The team will assuredly flood Stafford’s next agreement with void years and perhaps include more option bonuses to keep cap hits low, setting up for a big dead money blow when this partnership concludes down the road. Given Stafford’s play over the past three seasons — after a multi-injury 2022 that brought a half-season of work — the Rams will gladly make this sacrifice.
This figures to be an eventful offseason for the Rams on the contract front. They already imported the Chiefs’ starting cornerback tandem by trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson. In-house extension decisions remain. In addition to a Stafford call — one that will lower the QB’s $48.27MM 2026 cap hit — the Rams have seen Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Steve Avila and Warren McClendon become extension-eligible. None of those players’ deals includes a fifth-year option, giving the Rams plenty of work to do on an impact 2023 draft class.
Ahead of the draft, the Rams hold just more than $26MM in cap space. Although Nacua’s standing appears murkier thanks to some offseason headlines, the All-Pro wideout is viewed as a top extension priority (though, no deal is imminent). Nacua’s rehab stay notwithstanding, the fourth-year standout did report for the start of voluntary Rams workouts Monday. He will once again team with Stafford and Davante Adams, with the Rams being connected to a possible first-round receiver addition as well. Our Ely Allen has them selecting Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson at No. 13.
With the Rams trading No. 29 (and other draft assets) for McDuffie, the prospect of the team adding a Stafford heir apparent in this draft diminishes. Stafford’s high level of play will make tabbing a successor difficult, with the Rams presumably set for late draft slots as a result. McVay has said he believes his starter can play multiple additional seasons. While Stafford is year-to-year at this point, he will lead another Super Bowl-contending team this coming season. He will likely do so with a new contract on the books.
Patriots Remain A.J. Brown’s Expected Destination Following Eagles Trade
A.J. Brown has long been viewed as a trade candidate, and the Eagles‘ actions this offseason have pointed to a parting of ways. Philadelphia is still considered likely to proceed with a swap later this offseason, and the team most often named as a destination remains the presumed landing spot for Brown.
A trade taking place on or just after June 1 is “still tracking to happen,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. To no surprise, he adds the Patriots are the presumed destination for Brown. New England has frequently been mentioned as the likeliest team to acquire Brown, even in the wake of Romeo Doubs‘ free agent signing. A Patriots acquisition would result in a reunion between Brown and head coach Mike Vrabel.
The two were together in Tennessee from 2019-21. That stretch was followed by the trade which sent Brown to Philadelphia, a move which proved to be highly effective from the Eagles’ perspective. Brown collected three second-team All-Pro nods during his time with the team, topping 1,000 yards and scoring at least seven touchdowns each year along the way. Expectations will be high for the 28-year-old if/when he winds up in New England with the Patriots aiming to repeat the success of 2025.
Monday marks the beginning of the Eagles’ offseason program. As could be expected considering where this situation now stands, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports Brown is absent from the team. The Ole Miss product is not expected to return, meaning he is set to miss voluntary work including OTAs. Mandatory minicamp will not start until after June 1, and Schefter confirms trade negotiations are set to pick up prior to that date. Waiting until after the upcoming draft to add picks in 2027 or ’28 is not seen as an issue, per Schefter.
Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes there have not been recent trade negotiations regarding Brown. The Eagles and Patriots (or any other suitor) are free to agree to the parameters of a swap at any time, though, so progress toward an agreement after the draft will be something to watch for. Any trade which is processed after June 1 would spread the dead money associated with the deal across two years and lessen the financial impact of the move for Philadelphia.
Four years remain on Brown’s contract, and he is set to carry a cap charge of $23.39MM in 2026. The Patriots remain near the top of the league in spending power, so absorbing that figure would be easier for them than it would for most other teams considering a high-profile WR move deep into the offseason.
Chiefs Re-Sign P Matt Araiza
Matt Araiza will remain in place with the Chiefs for 2026. A one-year deal has been worked out between the punter and Kansas City, per his agents (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
Araiza was drafted by the Bills in 2022, but allegations of his involvement in a gang rape incident at San Diego State resulted in his Buffalo tenure being short-lived. The former sixth-rounder was the subject of an investigation, and criminal charges were ultimately dropped. Araiza was also eventually dropped from a civil suit on the matter.
Efforts to return to the NFL led to a Chiefs signing in 2024. Araiza handled punting duties that season, serving as Tommy Townsend‘s replacement. He averaged 48.8 gross yards per punt, with a net average of 41.8. Araiza was tendered as an exclusive rights free agent last spring, setting him up to operate as Kansas City’s punter once again.
Following another full campaign in that capacity, Araiza is now in position to spend a third season with the Chiefs. The 25-year-old averaged 47.6 yards per punt in 2025, and he will be counted on to deliver a similar performance moving forward. Araiza earned the league minimum during each of his first Kansas City seasons, and he is in line to do the same for 2026 (with $1.08MM due to be collected).
The Chiefs entered Monday near the bottom of the league in cap space, and signing their incoming draft class will limit their ability to make major offseason moves through the summer. As a low-cost contributor, however, Araiza will provide continuity on special teams without significantly altering Kansas City’s financial outlook.
Giants Eyeing Mid-Round Pick In Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade?
APRIL 20: A trade involving Thibodeaux is now less likely given the Lawrence blockbuster, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Trade calls have indeed taken place recently, but a strong enough offer has yet to be presented. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan confirms the Giants will not accept a Day 3 pick to move on from Thibodeaux, so he may remain in the fold through at least the draft.
APRIL 18: Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s name has frequently been mentioned in trade speculation, and the draft looms as a logical window for a deal to be worked out in his case. The Giants will be worth monitoring as they weigh their options on the Thibodeaux front.
It was reported in March that the Giants’ preference would be to move on in this case, and it became clear at the Combine the team would be open to fielding offers. No Thibodeaux swap was worked out ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. New York could elect to keep him in the fold to play out his fifth-year option, but a trade remains something to watch for over the coming days.
Casino.com’s Jason La Canfora writes it would be “quite surprising” if Thibodeaux were to still be with the Giants by the end of next week’s draft. A general manager he spoke with said New York hopes to secure a third-round pick in a trade but would be willing to accept an offer of a fourth-rounder. Any return in that range would of course represent a highly underwhelming end to the former No. 5 selection’s time as a Giant.
Thibodeaux has started all 55 of his combined regular and postseason appearances for New York, but his production and playing time has fluctuated across his four NFL seasons. 2025 saw his snap share drop to a career-low 72%, and the Oregon product’s 2.5 sacks were also a personal low. Thibodeaux has played a full campaign only once, and the Giants have a starting edge rush tandem in the form of Brian Burns and Abdul Carter for 2026 and beyond.
Those factors help explain New York’s aversion to a long-term Thibodeaux contract but they will also limit his trade value. The 25-year-old is owed $14.75MM for next season, making him an expensive rental option. An acquiring team could attempt to work out an extension, but doing so could be challenging given Thibodeaux’s career arc to date. Still, an edge rusher at his age could be an intriguing buy-low target for any number of suitors.
The Giants are currently set to experience a wide gap between their second pick (No. 37) and third one (No. 105). Acquiring a third-round selection would help bridge that divide and provide additional draft capital to improve a defense in need of upgrades with or without Dexter Lawrence in the fold.
Bengals, DT Dexter Lawrence Agree To One-Year Extension
The trade sending DT Dexter Lawrence from the Giants to the Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in this week’s draft also featured a revised contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report that Lawrence has inked a one-year, $28MM extension that will keep him under the Bengals’ control through 2028.
A report that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the trade suggested the Giants did make an effort to retain Lawrence even after the Bengals put the No. 10 pick on the table. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post corroborates that report and confirms Big Blue made offers that would have resulted in a sizable raise for Lawrence, which the 28-year-old obviously declined.
Connor Hughes of SNY.tv adds that the Giants’ proposals included an average annual value “near” $28MM, but in exchange, they wanted to add more years to Lawrence’s existing deal (which had two seasons remaining). Per Hughes, Lawrence’s camp did not even make a counteroffer, which – combined with the relatively modest terms of his Cincinnati extension – make it plain that the player simply wanted a fresh start elsewhere.
Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk passes along a full breakdown of Lawrence’s Cincinnati deal. He was due $42MM over the final two seasons of his Joe Schoen-constructed contract, and the $28MM add-on makes it a three-year, $70MM agreement. The $23.33MM average annual value places Lawrence 10th among defensive tackles, just one spot higher than he was before the trade (though he will get some near-term raises; he was previously scheduled to earn $20MM in 2026 and $22MM in 2027, but he is now due $22MM in ‘26, $25MM in ‘27, and $23MM in ‘28, as Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano summarizes).
Lawrence’s potential impact on a Cincinnati defense that has undermined the club’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs in recent seasons, together with a financial commitment that does not shoot their new acquisition particularly high up the league’s DT hierarchy, help to justify the Bengals’ uncharacteristic aggressiveness here. That said, league sources still believe the Giants did well to land the No. 10 choice.
Hughes spoke with several coaches who were “stunned” by the return. Those coaches agreed that Lawrence is a very good player but pointed to his age and conditioning as cause for concern, as well as the fact that he needs to be kept on something of a snap count to maximize his production. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan says the Giants themselves were surprised by the strength of the Bengals’ offer, and Raanan’s colleague, Jeremy Fowler, hears no one was going to top it.
Lawrence is coming off a down year – albeit one Schoen partially blamed on the elbow injury the three-time Pro Bowler sustained late in 2024 – and even though their gamble is mitigated to some degree by the nature of the extension, the Bengals are clearly banking on a return to elite form. In a statement issued after the trade became official, director of player personnel Duke Tobin made sure to thank much-maligned owner Mike Brown for greenlighting the transaction and added that he expects Lawrence to elevate the players around him (the full statement is available here, courtesy of SI’s Jay Morrison).
Lawrence is the centerpiece of an offseason defensive overhaul in the Queen City that also includes the additions of Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Kyle Dugger. The Giants, meanwhile, could consider one of the top DT prospects in the draft as a Lawrence replacement, and they now have two top-10 selections to aid in their quest for a return to contention.
Eagles Still Preparing For A.J. Brown Trade
A report from mid-March suggested a trade sending wide receiver A.J. Brown out of Philadelphia is seen as “inevitable,” and no subsequent reporting has offered any real pushback on that notion. Consistent with the prevailing thought on the matter ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (video link) says the Eagles will be navigating this week’s draft as if Brown will be dealt (a post-June 1 transaction has always felt like the most logical move given the dead money charges Philly would incur if it were to consummate a trade prior to that date).
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports echoes those sentiments and uses GM Howie Roseman’s offseason additions of Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, and Dontayvion Wicks to a WR room that already includes DeVonta Smith (and, for the time being, A.J. Brown) as further evidence that the three-time Pro Bowler will soon be on the move. Robinson hears the Eagles have especially high hopes for Wicks, whom they believe can unlock another level in Philly after showing flashes over his three seasons in Green Bay. Roseman acquired Wicks from the Packers in exchange for two Day 3 selections and then authorized a one-year, $12.5MM extension that keeps him under club control through 2027.
Darlington cautions that his report does not necessarily mean the Eagles will add a receiver in the draft, although they certainly have the ammunition to do so. The club currently holds the No. 23 overall pick as well as three Day 2 choices (Nos. 54, 68, and 98), and prior rumblings have suggested Roseman will be targeting WR help early in the draft. In terms of physicality and skillset, Washington’s Denzel Boston is something of an A.J. Brown comp, and Roseman could consider him with the No. 23 selection, as former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum posits in the above video report.
Obviously, using a premium pick on a wideout like Boston would be yet another indication that a Brown trade is in the offing, but even if Roseman does not make such a move, Darlington would not take that as a sign that Brown will remain in Philly. It still appears the soon-to-be 29-year-old has already played his last snap with the Eagles – as a majority of PFR readership believes – and the Patriots remain the frontrunner for his services.
New England added Romeo Doubs in free agency this offseason, but the reigning AFC champs are squarely within the window of opportunity afforded by quarterback Drake Maye’s rookie contract and have the cap space to absorb Brown’s contract. Even in a down season defined by struggles throughout the Eagles’ offense, Brown managed to catch 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven TDs.
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Contributions To Thin 2026 NFL Draft Class
The 2026 NFL Draft is certainly looking like it will be one of the stranger such events in recent years. Positions that usually are cautious first-round considerations have certain top 10 prospects. A lack of elite tackle prospects has the potential to bring out several effects. This year’s prospect pool has been deemed unusually thin, and Ben Volin of The Boston Globe provided some league insight on the situation.
The parameters of the draft are set; 32 picks in each of the first two rounds, 252-62 picks in total, depending on compensatory outcomes. Players will have definitive statuses dependent on where they fall ranging from first-round pick to undrafted free agent. When evaluating prospects, though, NFL front offices tend to use similar classifications that don’t necessarily align with the stricter labels of the draft. That’s why there’s a difference in draft discussions between first-round grades and first-round picks and between draftable and drafted players.
Per Volin, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta reported that their personnel department has draftable grades on 197 players. Chiefs GM Brett Veach reported 215 on his team’s board, while Jason Licht, the Buccaneers GM, limited his team’s figure to 150. On a smaller scale, DeCosta told the media that after “the first round, there’s definitely a drop off probably midway through the round, in terms of talent.” That’s generally how a draft can be considered thin.
Luckily for the Ravens, they have the 14th pick — just inside the first half of the first round. If they were to trade back to, say, the 28th overall pick in the draft, they would still take a first-round player, it would just be unlikely that player would fall within their list of 16 or so players with a first-round grade. Similarly, the Bucs have three draft picks that come after 150 players have been selected. There’s a chance all 150 of Licht’s draftable players could be gone by then, but the team would still have to either use or trade those picks that must be made.
We’ve talked a bit before on Pro Football Rumors about the impact that the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness rules have on the makeup of recent draft classes. Frequently, in prior years, some underclassmen would have a strong performance, and even though they’d been told they didn’t have a very high draft grade, they would still declare for the draft against advice. Some players were worried about potential injury preventing them from ever reaching the league. Some believed they had already reached their ceiling and that it was their best chance to go pro.
NIL has virtually eliminated those concerns. Because players can make NIL money in college, they are much more willing to risk injury with extended time in the NCAA, and NIL has even made it advantageous in some situations for players to make the most of their eligibility and stay in school as long as they can. This concept has taken several underclassmen out of recent draft classes as they pursue improved draft stock while still getting paid at the collegiate level. Volin points out that this year’s class has only 42 underclassmen, compared to 69 three years ago and 106 in 2018.
This year’s class has also seen more older prospects, with multiple 25-year-old players set to hear their names over the first two days of the draft. Some of this is still due, in part, to the extra year of eligibility granted to players enrolled in college during the 2020 COVID-affected season, but even without that extra year moving forward, it’s become common for players to wring every last bit of eligibility they can from the NCAA before going to the NFL as complete of a prospect as they can be.
The thin level of top-end talent could also result in positional runs, which we’ve seen rumors of already. Whereas trades usually take place for quarterbacks and pass rushers, opposite situations of too few or many usable options make it unlikely that teams will trade up for those positions. At offensive tackle, though, there aren’t any prospects considered to be especially elite, but there are a few top tier options and several more less certain prospects who still have the potential to be Day 1 starters. As a result, a run of offensive tackles in the early first round is expected to take place as team’s jockey to trade up to acquire the options with the most promise and least risk.
Trades like these should help some teams in the back of the first round as offensive tackles without first-round grades move ahead and push some of the few players with first-round grades back to those who maybe didn’t expect them to fall that far. It will be interesting to see what other effects the general lack of elite prospects and late-round depth have on the decision-making process of each NFL team.
LB Alex Anzalone Turned Down Better Offers To Sign With Bucs
After five years in Detroit, linebacker Alex Anzalone left the Lions this offseason and took a two-year, $17MM deal with the Buccaneers. He could have earned more elsewhere, but his existing connection to Tampa Bay made it an easy decision.
“It actually means something to play in Tampa.” Anzalone told NFL insider Jordan Schultz this month. He and his wife already have a house in the area where they are raising their children, so signing with the Buccaneers was a homecoming of sorts.
Anzalone also expressed excitement about playing in Todd Bowles‘ defense, calling it a “perfect fit.” He has spent most of his career playing under coaches who served with or under Bowles at some point in his career. That list that includes both Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn.
The 31-year-old linebacker’s experience will be crucial. He has big shoes to fill following franchise legend Lavonte David‘s retirement this offseason after 14 years in Tampa Bay. Anzalone will start next to SirVocea Dennis, though the Buccaneers could stand to add a young linebacker to develop next to Anzalone in the draft.
While money was not the primary motivator behind Anzalone’s arrival in Tampa Bay, it was the driving force of his exit from Detroit. He sought a raise heading into 2025, a contract year but did not receive one, an indicator that the Lions were not planning to sign him to another deal.
“It literally just came down to finances and what [the Lions] could and couldn’t afford,” Anzalone said. “It’s the nature of the beast. It’s the business. Their front office made decisions of where they wanted to invest money, and it wasn’t in me, and it is what it is.”
Anzalone earned just over $24MM during his five seasons in Detroit. That is a relatively small sum for a veteran starter on a defense that ranked among the best in the league multiple times. In Tampa Bay, he will make about two-thirds of that amount in just two years.
Monroe Freeling, Max Iheanachor, Kadyn Proctor Rack Up Pre-Draft Visits
It is exceeding difficult to find high-quality offensive tackle play outside of the first round, so teams searching for starters in next week’s draft will have to prioritize the position early on.
Miami’s Francis Mauigoa seems to have locked up OT1 status. Behind him are Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, Western Michigan’s Max Iheanachor, and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, who are all expected to go in the first round.
Freeling, 21, has only one full season as a starter under his belt, and all of his starts have come at left tackle. He earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2025, but teams may still have to be patient with his development. Freeling previously visited the Chiefs and has also met with the Browns, Dolphins, and Rams, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Cleveland is searching for their next long-term left tackle, but with Dawand Jones already on the roster, they could allow Freeling to sit for a year as he gets his bearings in the NFL, if needed. Miami has Patrick Paul on the blind side, but right tackle Austin Jackson took a pay cut this offseason and is in the last year of his contract. Freeling would have a year to sit as he transitions to right tackle with the hopes of taking on the starting job in 2027. Los Angeles has a glaring hole at right tackle, but asking Freeling to switch as a rookie could be a tough task given his lack of experience. On the other hand, perhaps he is not so ingrained at the left tackle position and can quickly learn how to play on the right side.
Iheanachor may also need to develop in the pros. He had a long list of visits, including the 49ers, Bengals, Packers, Bears, Patriots, Eagles, Panthers, Ravens, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Bengals, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The 49ers need to find a successor to Trent Williams, as do the Eagles to Lane Johnson. The Bears only re-signed Braxton Jones on a one-year deal, and the Cardinals do not have a clear RT starter right now. The Bengals, Panthers and Ravens seem to be set with their offensive tackles, but they all have one expensive, aging starter. They would be able to give Iheanachor time to season before he takes on starting duties.
Proctor was a three-year starter at Alabama, making him a potential fit for Detroit, who parted ways with longtime left tackle Taylor Decker this offseason. The Lions, met with Proctor during the pre-draft process, as did the 49ers, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles, and Cardinals, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
For the Eagles specifically, The Athletic’s Zach Berman believes that Freeling or Proctor would be their preference in the first round. This makes sense for a team that has invested heavily in SEC talent, particularly out of Georgia. But with the No. 23 pick, Philadelphia may have to trade up to ensure they secure one of their two desired prospects.