Rams’ Matthew Stafford Seeking Post-2024 Guarantees

April 26th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Rams made their first Day 1 draft choice of the Sean McVay era last night, but their selection (edge rusher Jared Verse) did not produce a potential Matthew Stafford successor. The latter is in place as Los Angeles’ starting quarterback for the time being, though he is seeking an adjustment to his contract.

Specifically, Stafford is aiming to secure more guaranteed money beyond the coming season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. The 36-year-old is due a $31MM base salary in 2024, all of which is guaranteed. Two years remain on the deal beyond that, but Stafford’s salaries in 2025 ($27MM) and ’26 ($26MM) are not locked in.

Stafford (who has attended the team’s offseason program) inked a $160MM extension in the 2022 offseason, one during which fellow franchise pillars Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp landed raises. One year later, though, the Rams attempted to find a trade partner for Stafford prior to making a near-$60MM commitment for the 2023 season. This past campaign brought about a new round of questions about the two-time Pro Bowler’s future, but McVay has confirmed Stafford will serve as the team’s starter for 2024.

Los Angeles brought in a veteran backup (Jimmy Garoppolo) to occupy the QB2 role, and 2023 draftee Stetson Bennett remains in the organization. The latter could represent an eventual Stafford replacement, especially if injuries become an issue in 2024. Stafford was limited to nine contests in 2023 due to an elbow issue, and he missed a pair of contests last season.

As things stand, the former Lion is due a $5MM roster bonus in mid-March of 2025 and ’26. His cap hits for those campaigns – as well as the coming one – range between $49.5MM and $50.5MM, so a new agreement could be aimed at lowering those figures in addition to providing Stafford security beyond his fourth Rams season. He rebounded from the injury-plagued campaign one year prior in 2023, throwing for 3,965 yards and 26 combined regular and postseason touchdowns.

Still, the Rams have been linked to a quarterback addition at some point during this year’s draft, and a selection relatively early on Day 2 could indicate a willingness to keep Stafford’s contract intact as currently constructed. It will be interesting to see how the team proceeds on this front as the Rams prepare for at least one more season committed to the veteran.

Panthers To Pick Up CB Jaycee Horn’s Fifth-Year Option

April 26th, 2024 at 1:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries have marred Jaycee Horn‘s NFL career, and coaching instability has led to five HCs stopping through during the cornerback’s Charlotte run. This staff is still high on the 2021 top-10 pick.

Despite the health issues that have plagued Horn, he is set to see more guaranteed money. The Panthers are picking up Horn’s fifth-year option, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Horn will be tied to the lowest rung on the option ladder; for corners, that number checks in at $12.47MM.

Horn’s option number comes in more than $8MM south of Patrick Surtain‘s. The Broncos chose Surtain one pick later in 2021 and have seen him soar to two Pro Bowls. The Panthers will benefit from Horn being tied to a lower 2025 guarantee, but they have yet to see him justify the Scott Fitterer-Matt Rhule investment. Current GM Dan Morgan did not rejoin the Panthers until after Horn was selected, making it interesting he will pull the trigger on the option for an injury-plagued talent.

Missing 29 games over his three-year Charlotte run, Horn has shown promise when available. Had Horn logged enough defensive snaps to qualify as a regular last season, Pro Football Focus would have ranked him sixth overall among corners. He ranked as a top-30 player by that measurement in 2022, a 13-game campaign. Horn missed 14 games as a rookie due to a broken foot and was shut down for 10 last year because of a hamstring injury.

The Panthers dealt away Donte Jackson from their CB cadre and signed ex-Bills starter Dane Jackson. Horn, however, remains that crew’s centerpiece performer. DC Ejiro Evero will count on Horn staying healthy this year, and Friday’s commitment reflects the Panthers believe the 6-foot-1 cover man is not a sunk cost. This gives the team two more seasons to evaluate Horn, who intercepted three passes in 2022. Horn also secures another eight-figure guarantee despite his bad luck on the health front thus far as a pro.

Steelers View Troy Fautanu As Tackle; Team Eyeing James Daniels Extension?

April 26th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing in 11 offensive linemen on “30” visits, the Steelers did not mask their intentions in the first round. They ended up capitalizing on this tackle-rich draft class, selecting Washington’s Troy Fautanu at No. 20 overall.

Fautanu is the second straight tackle the Steelers have chosen in Round 1, as the team traded up for Broderick Jones (No. 14 overall) last year. Some teams viewed Fautanu as a player who will be a better guard, but Mike Tomlin said (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) the Steelers view their most recent addition as a player who can stick at tackle.

Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slotted Fautanu 11th, and while some clubs envisioned the Washington alum as a player who will need to move inside, the longtime draft analyst does not. Some NFL personnel agree with this viewpoint; it would appear the Steelers are in this camp. This positions Fautanu as a player who will join Jones and Dan Moore at tackle. Moore is in a contract year, and the three-year starter appears set to be out of Pittsburgh by 2025 (at the latest) as a result of this pick.

The Steelers are believed to be ready to slide Jones from right to left tackle, his primary college position. This would open up the right side for Fautanu, who spent most of his college career at left tackle (with a few guard starts mixed in). If Jones moves over, the Steelers will be asking a left tackle — either Jones or Fautanu — to shift positions. The Steelers view Fautanu, despite his arrival six spots after where Jones was chosen last year, as a better prospect compared to the Georgia alum, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes (subscription required). Trade options presented themselves for the Steelers, but they stood down due to the value they believed Fautanu can provide.

Fautanu figures to complement Pittsburgh’s guard tandem (James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo) rather than threaten one of the starters’ jobs, and Kaboly goes a step further by noting the team is likely to come to an extension agreement with Daniels before Week 1. Daniels is going into the final season of a three-year, $26.5MM deal.

Despite going into his seventh NFL season, Daniels will not turn 27 until September. The former Bears second-rounder would profile as a player who has several prime years remaining, making him a good candidate for a lucrative third contract. Pro Football Focus rated the Iowa alum 33rd among guards last season and 24th in his Steelers debut. Daniels has played both guard and center as a pro, though a Bears effort to install him at center did not last beyond the 2019 season. He has operated as the Steelers’ right guard for the past two seasons.

The Steelers have both Daniels and Semualo signed to deals south of $10MM per year; a Daniels extension would probably change that. With the Steelers having both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on low-cost deals, more flexibility to spend exists. With two rookie-contract tackles in place (and no starter-caliber center on the roster as of yet), Daniels may be set to benefit soon. The Steelers do not negotiate extensions in-season, so Week 1 would double as a deadline for the team and the contract-year RG.

Patriots, 49ers Discussed Deebo Samuel

April 26th, 2024 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers may have gone deeper in trade talks involving Brandon Aiyuk, but Deebo Samuel‘s name emerged as available Thursday night as well. Potentially aiming to split up their long-running wide receiver tandem as costs on their offense escalate, the 49ers took calls on their starters.

While the Jaguars are a team known to have asked about Aiyuk, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports the Patriots engaged in discussions with the 49ers about Samuel. New England carries a WR need going into Day 2 of the draft, having missed out on Calvin Ridley in free agency.

Pats-49ers Samuel talks can be classified as preliminary, Anderson notes, and it is unclear what the team sought for the All-Pro weapon. The 49ers wanted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk, who is two years younger than his teammate. Aiyuk also profiles as a player an acquiring team would extend; Samuel is tied to a $23.85MM-per-year deal that suddenly looks team-friendlier based on the contracts given to Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown this week. Samuel’s 2022 extension runs through 2025.

A mid-April report indicated the 49ers were rebuffing Aiyuk trade inquiries, and an anonymous GM said if Samuel would be the player to instead depart, the defending NFC champs probably would have done so by now. Samuel, 28, is tied to base salaries of $20.9MM and $16.7MM through the ’25 season.

Aiyuk led the 49ers in receiving by a wide margin last season, but the team’s fortunes changed based on Samuel’s availability. The team went 0-3 in games of consequence (not counting Week 18) Samuel did not finish during the regular season and clawed its way to a comeback win over the Packers after Samuel left the divisional-round matchup with a shoulder malady. Aiyuk also has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons to Samuel’s one, though the latter has proven valuable in the run game as well.

The 2019 second-round pick has shown himself to be one of this era’s best run-after-catch players, though it would be interesting to see if the 49ers dangled him in deals — rather than the 26-year-old Aiyuk, who has been a more durable player as a pro — moving forward. San Francisco’s equation stands to change next year, with a Brock Purdy extension on the radar. This season may mark the end of the line for the Samuel-Aiyuk tandem, which has been in place since the latter came to the Bay Area as a 2020 first-rounder. The 49ers have since used another first-round pick on a wideout — ex-Aiyuk college teammate Ricky Pearsall.

The Patriots re-signed ex-49er Kendrick Bourne, despite his 2023 ACL tear, this offseason and added ex-Vikings slot K.J. Osborn. The team still appears to have a glaring need for a high-end wideout to pair with Drake Maye. The team’s JuJu Smith-Schuster deal did not pan out, and it submitted an offer Robert Kraft viewed as competitive with the Titans’ for Ridley, who signed a four-year, $96MM deal. De facto GM Eliot Wolf, however, said Tennessee’s proposal indeed outflanked New England’s. The Pats will go into tonight’s second round with clear needs at receiver and left tackle around their new prized QB investment.

49ers Sought Mid-First-Round Pick For WR Brandon Aiyuk

April 26th, 2024 at 9:27am CST by Sam Robinson

The first round’s penultimate pick added more intrigue to the trade drama between the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk. The defending NFC champions selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at No. 31, bringing in a rookie-contract receiver — albeit one that did not receive much buzz as a Round 1 option — hours after a report surfaced indicating the team held talks involving Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.

No trade materialized, and the 49ers’ ask calls into question how viable a move will be after Round 1’s conclusion. The 49ers targeted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. Aiyuk has not requested a trade, but extension talks between he and the 49ers have not progressed, which remind of the team’s drama with Samuel two years ago.

Aiyuk is seeking a deal worth at least $25MM per year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch; following the $30MM-plus agreements for A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown, it would not surprise if his price has climbed this week.

The best tradeoffer to emerge included a second-round pick, Barrows adds. A 2022 Jets offer for Samuel included the No. 10 overall pick, though that was not a straight-up offer — as it included pick swaps — but Aiyuk remains a 49er after Thursday night brought another chapter to this saga. Aiyuk even congratulated GM John Lynch (via text) on choosing Pearsall, whom he played with at Arizona State back in 2019.

“You never close the door on a trade,” Lynch said, via Branch. “You always listen. And we have. But we like our group as it stands.”

The Jaguars were among the teams to inquire about Aiyuk, Barrows adds. Jacksonville ended up with LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. after trading down (via Minnesota), taking one suitor off the board. The Steelers, who chose an O-lineman in Round 1, also inquired about Aiyuk before the draft. Another team that held a mid-first-round pick discussed swapping choices in an Aiyuk deal, per Barrows, but no offer emerged. It should be difficult for the 49ers to pull off a deal involving Day 2 picks, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner offers, though it perhaps should not be deemed impossible.

It is possible Pearsall profiles as a player who will eventually — perhaps as soon as 2025 — replace either Aiyuk or Samuel. The 49ers have Aiyuk tied to a fifth-year option worth $14.12MM. Lynch said before the draft he would not anticipate an Aiyuk trade, and while the eighth-year GM has spoken of the financial difficulties in play here, the team could opt to keep Aiyuk on the option and reassess this situation in 2025 — perhaps via a tag-and-trade scenario.

Pearsall joins Aiyuk, Samuel and Jauan Jennings as San Francisco’s top WR. The Arizona State and Florida product’s rookie deal will run through 2028, via the fifth-year option. With Brock Purdy extension-eligible in 2025, the 49ers may need to make an Aiyuk-or-Samuel choice, as the contracts of George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey expire in 2026.

Aiyuk, 26, still profiles as a player the 49ers will need if they want to navigate that elusive Super Bowl hurdle; it will be interesting to see if more trade talks emerge on Day 2 or following the draft, as a post-draft extension — along the lines of how the Samuel saga ended in 2022 — may not be in the cards based on the Pearsall pick.

Patriots, Vikings Inquired About Trade For Chargers’ Justin Herbert

April 26th, 2024 at 8:36am CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the six teams to end up with quarterbacks in the first round, the Patriots and Vikings began new chapters Thursday night. Extensive Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy ties to both organizations emerged during the pre-draft process, and each is tied to a rookie deal that could run through 2028 via the fifth-year option.

That did not stop both teams from a Hail Mary trade pitch for the NFL’s second-highest-paid player. The Pats and Vikings each contacted the Chargers about the prospect of trading for Justin Herbert, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. New GM Joe Hortiz confirmed inquiries emerged for the star quarterback earlier this offseason, indicating he “quickly” shot down such interest.

Increased QB movement this decade has resulted in trades for the likes of Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers over the previous three offseasons. But extenuating circumstances brought about those moves. A move for Herbert would have been among the most shocking deals at this position in NFL history, though the Bolts have made major changes this offseason. Watson is the only QB traded for three first-round picks since the mid-1970s; without any off-field baggage, Herbert would have commanded more in a haul.

The Chargers traded Herbert’s top wide receiver and released their longtime WR2 to move under the cap just before the 2024 league year. The team also passed on adding a top-flight WR prospect in the wake of the Keenan Allen and Mike Williams moves, drafting Joe Alt — confirming a run of rumors involving the Notre Dame tackle this offseason — over the likes of Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. The Chargers have some work to do to build around their franchise centerpiece.

Still, Herbert’s presence represented a draw for HC candidates this offseason. Franchise-caliber QBs in their mid-20s (Herbert is going into his age-26 season) are not regularly tied to teams with HC vacancies, and the former No. 6 overall pick helped attract Jim Harbaugh — after nine years back in the college game — to make the move to the NFL. Herbert will be a different caliber of quarterback for Harbaugh — at least in the pros, as the ex-Stanford HC did mentor Andrew Luck — though a trade could have reunited the longtime Michigan coach with recent pupil McCarthy, whom he has raved about this offseason. But Herbert represents one of the NFL’s safest bets, whereas McCarthy will be among the rookies tasked with developing into a Hebert-level player. Not many QBs able to reach that level.

These inquiries coming at the Combine add intrigue to the deal, as the Chargers had not yet disbanded their wideout corps around a coaching staff expected to place a much higher priority on the run game in 2024. A Herbert trade also would have proved quite costly for the Chargers. Dealing the 2021 Pro Bowl starter would have brought a $63MM dead money charge, as the Chargers’ then-Tom Telesco-run front office handed the four-year veteran a five-year, $262.5MM extension in July 2023. Due to Herbert’s fifth-year option being picked up, that deal runs through the 2029 season. Among QBs, only Patrick Mahomes is signed to a longer-term accord.

The Bolts did well to find Herbert shortly after Philip Rivers‘ free agency defection. Since the Tyrod Taylor pregame injection drama brought the Oregon alum into the lineup in Week 2 of the 2020 season, Herbert has shown himself to be among the NFL’s most talented passers. The Bolts’ issues around their QB talent led to late-season GM and HC firings, but given his accomplishments thus far, it is unsurprising Harbaugh and Hortiz quickly dismissed this prospect.

The Pats carried more than $100MM in cap space at one point this offseason; they would have been able to accommodate Herbert’s deal, though New England’s roster would not have necessarily aligned with a high-priced QB. Minnesota’s would, given the presences of Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. The Vikes also are carrying a $28.5MM dead money hit stemming from Kirk Cousins‘ free agency exit, making a rookie-deal passer valuable for a team unable to hammer out a fourth Cousins extension in 2023.

While it will be interesting to see how the Bolts finish off assembling a skill-position corps around Herbert, they do have what could become a top-tier tackle tandem in Alt and Pro Bowl LT Rashawn Slater. This Herbert mini-storyline stands to become a notable NFL “what if?”

Eagles Extend WR A.J. Brown

April 25th, 2024 at 11:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles have DeVonta Smith on the books through a lucrative extension, but the same is now true of fellow wideout A.J. Brown. The latter has agreed to a three-year, $96MM extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The team has since announced the move.

This deal – which Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested earlier Thursday night would become public – carries the highest AAV in league history amongst wideouts ($32MM). Rapoport adds Brown will collect $84MM in total guarantees, which is also a new watermark at the position. The three-time Pro Bowler is now under contract through the 2029 campaign.

Philadelphia became the first team in NFL history to extend a first-round wideout in his first year of eligibility during the fifth-year option era when they inked Smith to a three-year, $75MM pact. That contract comes in addition to his 2025 option year, and eyebrows were raised when he landed an AAV matching that of Brown. The latter had been attached to the four-year, $100MM pact he signed upon arrival from the Titans during the first round of the draft two years ago.

The $25MM annual average value of that agreement placed Brown in a tie for fourth amongst receivers as of the Smith agreement being worked out. As the position’s market continues to point upward (as demonstrated by yesterday’s decision by the Lions to extend Amon-Ra St. Brown), Brown will once again benefit. The 26-year-old has proven to be a vital member of the Eagles’ offense, posting 2,952 yards and 18 touchdowns in two Philadelphia seasons.

Considering his production, Brown’s scheduled 2024 cap hit of $12.38MM represents a bargain. It will be interesting to see if that figure changes as a a result of this new deal, but in any event future cap numbers could be reduced. Heading into Thursday, the Ole Miss product was due to count $26.5MM and $41.5MM in 2025 and ’26, respectively. Flattening out those hits will likely be a by-product of today’s move.

In any case, this agreement marks the latest of several massive investments made by the Eagles on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. Along with Smith, Brown joins left tackle Jordan Mailata and left tackle Landon Dickerson in landing monster new contracts recently. He will be counted on to continue producing top-tier production in the passing game, and the ongoing presence of many of Philadelphia’s foundational offensive contributors makes it likely that will be the case.

Panthers Acquire No. 32, Select WR Xavier Legette

April 25th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills are trading down once again. Buffalo is sending picks No. 32 and No. 200 to the Panthers for No. 33 and No. 141. The Panthers have traded up one pick to select South Carolina WR Xavier Legette. Although Carolina famously traded what became the No. 1 overall pick to Chicago in last year’s Bryce Young swap, the rebuilding team ended up making a pick tonight after all.

This comes after some pre-draft connections between Carolina and the regional product. Legette, who had risen up draft boards this offseason, will join a Panthers team retooling on offense yet again.

While new HC Dave Canales attempted to downplay the team’s interest in Legette, the South Carolina alum said he met with the Charlotte-based NFL team four or five times during the draft run-up. Legette will follow trade pickup Diontae Johnson to the Panthers, who still roster Adam Thielen and 2023 second-rounder Jonathan Mingo.

Legette blazed to a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, doing so at 221 pounds, and notched a 40-inch vertical jump. He is coming off a career that included four unremarkable seasons and a fifth-year breakthrough. Legette only delivered one remotely productive season in five years with the Gamecocks — a 1,255-yard 2023 that came after four sub-200-yard campaigns — but late during the pre-draft process, the big-bodied target was being viewed as a first-rounder. Although they moved up just one spot, the Panthers became the team to make that prediction accurate.

Last year, the Panthers entered the season with a shaky skill-position corps. The team did not do enough to surround Young with a quality cast, with the group becoming dependent on a 33-year-old Thielen. Two seasons remain on Thielen’s three-year, $25MM deal; the longtime Viking is due a $6.5MM salary guarantee this year. What could be Thielen’s Panthers finale could include a mentorship experience, with Legette joining Mingo as recent SEC standouts who will attempt to provide Young at least auxiliary options around the team’s two veteran targets.

The Bills exited Day 1 of the draft having made two moves down the board, sliding out of No. 28 and then No. 32. The four-time reigning AFC East champions will enter Day 2 with a gaping hole at wide receiver. It should be expected the AFC power will take steps to address that area Friday night.

49ers Select WR Ricky Pearsall At No. 31

April 25th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Ben Levine

With Brandon Aiyuk trade speculation swirling, the 49ers have certainly raised some eyebrows with their selection at No. 31. With the second-to-last pick of the first round, the 49ers haves selected wide receiver Florida WR Ricky Pearsall.

Following a breakout campaign at Arizona State in 2021, Pearsall transferred to Florida in 2022. After putting up similar numbers during his first season with the Gators, the wideout took a major step forward in 2023. Pearsall finished this past season with 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns, putting him firmly on the NFL map.

Pearsall was one of the more rapid risers in recent weeks. The Florida product saw his stock rise from probable Day 2 pick to surefire Day 2 pick to late first-round selection. With five WRs already being selected this evening, the 49ers didn’t want to press their luck and ended up opting for the wide receiver a bit higher than projections suggested.

With Aiyuk seeking a lucrative extension, the 49ers have continually stated that they wanted to retain the former first-round pick. However, reports from yesterday suggested that the front office was discussing the wide receiver (along with teammate Deebo Samuel) in trades.

While Aiyuk remains on San Francisco’s roster at the moment, the Pearsall pick will only add fuel to the fire. With the first round having passed, a window for the 49ers to unload Aiyuk or Samuel closed. It will be interesting to see if the team would accept Day 2 compensation for one of its standout wide receivers. With the Bengals not expected to trade Tee Higgins — his request notwithstanding — attention could be focused on Aiyuk. Then again, the 49ers have relied on their WR duo to help Brock Purdy. This Pearsall move could potentially be a bridge to the Samuel-Aiyuk duo separating in 2025.

The 49ers could extend Aiyuk and push their cap predicament to 2025, so Pearsall might not immediately step into a major role. Still, the rookie should be the clear-cut WR3 if both Deebo and Aiyuk stick around, with Jauan Jennings and Ronnie Bell representing the team’s other options at the position.

Ravens Select Clemson CB Nate Wiggins At No. 30

April 25th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens have added to their secondary. The team has selected Clemson defensive back Nate Wiggins with the No. 30 pick. Baltimore has thrown numerous mid- to late-round picks at the cornerback position over the years, hitting on the likes of Anthony Averett (fourth round) and Brandon Stephens (third round), but they finally pull out the big guns, making Wiggins their highest-drafted cornerback since Marlon Humphrey went 16th overall in 2017.

Wiggins became a full-time starter for the Tigers as a sophomore last season. In eleven starts, Wiggins led the team with 14 passes defended and added on a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown. While Pro Football Focus (subscription required) didn’t tout his 2022 season as elite, Wiggins was still credited as a first-team All-ACC selection by some publications, though not by the Conference itself.

That honor would have to wait until 2023, when Wiggins was named by the Conference as a first-team All-ACC cornerback. That status was reflected in Wiggins’ PFF ranking which saw him elevate all the way up to the 25th highest ranked cornerback in the nation. Wiggins once again leads his defense with 11 passes defensed and two interceptions, one of which he returned 46 yards for another touchdown. He also showed off other playmaking abilities in 2023 with a sack and two forced fumbles, both of which occurred on chases that ended on the one-yard line.

Wiggins has prototypical length at the cornerback position with a long, 6-foot-2 frame and arm length and body control that grant him an easy advantage on contested balls. He’s not too thin at 185 pounds, though he played closer to 170 at Clemson, and while he may not have strong initial quickness, he was considered the school’s fastest player and possesses great recovery speed to stay with receivers downfield. He’ll need to get stronger at the next level in order to compete against physical NFL wideouts.

In Baltimore, Wiggins figures to work into the defense sooner rather than later, though it will be interesting to see exactly how. Humphrey and Stephens expect to open the 2024 season as the starters outside. The team liked Ar’Darius Washington in the slot last year before he landed on injured reserve for much of the season.

Without Washington, the team leaned on safety Kyle Hamilton frequently in the slot, though with their former third safety, Geno Stone, now in Cincinnati, they’ll likely feel less free to let Hamilton roam. Though, if Wiggins comes on strong early, the Ravens could move Stephens back to safety, a position he’s played for them before, giving them a new third player at the position. The team also returns Arthur Maulet, who played a significant role in injury replacement last year.

Wiggins should be a priority on the outside. He didn’t display outstanding initial quickness to stay with slot receivers, but his recovery top speed should make him feel at home on the exterior and downfield. Stephens is entering a contract year, so perhaps Wiggins may just need to wait a year to become a full-time starter. Otherwise, he should factor in heavily in three-cornerback formations should the team keep Stephens at safety.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

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