Multiple Starting Jobs Up For Grabs On Texans OL
With Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green all missing from the roster in 2025, the Texans had an interesting challenge in filling out their offensive line this offseason. There are lots of new faces, only one returning full-time starter, and according to Mike Jones of The Athletic, almost every starting job appears to be up for grabs. 
The lone returning full-time starter is Tytus Howard. While he’s likely certain to be destined for a starting job, Houston has been working Howard at both right guard and right tackle in the offseason. This isn’t new to Howard, though. Since getting drafted in the first round in 2019, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle for the Texans.
Right guard would be a new position, but Howard has swapped sides and positions for the team frequently in the past. He likely won’t be going back to left guard, though, since free agent addition Laken Tomlinson seemingly has that job locked down.
When Howard’s working at right guard, rookie second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery and last year’s second-round tackle, Blake Fisher, have been splitting snaps at the position. Ersery has also been splitting snaps with veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson on the blind side.
Robinson has spent his entire NFL career as a left tackle, and it’s hard to imagine the team is paying him $12MM this year to sit on the bench. More likely, Robinson is expected to start at left tackle while Ersery is competing for the right tackle job and cross training at left tackle to either prepare for a role as a swing tackle or prepare to start there in case Robinson gets injured. Last year was only the second time in Robinson’s eight-year career that he played in every game of a single season.
The majority of Ersery’s experience at Minnesota was at left tackle; he started one game at right tackle in his COVID-shortened freshman year. Fisher was almost the opposite. His first ever start for the Fighting Irish came a left tackle before starting at right tackle for the rest of his collegiate career. This could give Fisher the edge over Ersery in that position battle, but so far, there doesn’t appear to be a clear leader.
Much like the last two seasons in Houston, the center position seems extremely undecided. In 2023, Michael Deiter and Jarrett Patterson split time at the position, while in 2024, it was Patterson and Juice Scruggs splitting time. Patterson and Scruggs are back to compete for the job in 2025, but the Texans claimed former Patriots center Jake Andrews off of waivers back in April, and he has tossed his hat into the ring, as well.
The good news is that whoever wins the starting job, the Texans should have plenty of depth. The loser of the tackle competitions will be a capable backup, the losers of the center battle will be available to fill in as backups on the interior, and if Howard shifts in across from Tomlinson at guard, trade acquisition Ed Ingram will be a backup with 41 starts under his belt. The bad news is that, if nobody is convincingly winning a starting job, the winner might not pan out as a starter.
In summation, Robinson and Tomlinson likely have the left side locked down. Ersery or Fisher could win the right tackle spot, pushing Howard inside to right guard, but if neither player proves capable of starting, Howard could bookend the line with Robinson with Ersery and Fisher as backups. If Howard isn’t starting at guard, Ingram and the losers of the center battle can compete at right guard, and of course, the winner of the center battle — whomever that may be — with be the center.
Another year, another new-look offensive line in Houston. After allowing the third-most sacks in the NFL last season, it makes sense that they’d want it to look significantly different, but now they have the rest of the summer to determine just what the line will look like in 2025.
Dolphins Will Not Relent On Trading Jalen Ramsey
The Dolphins are still planning to trade disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Miami’s standoff with the nine-year veteran has dragged on since April, when the team declared its intention to trade Ramsey after reported disagreements with head coach Mike McDaniel. No deal has materialized, in no small part because Ramsey is owed $23.2MM in guaranteed money this year. Complicating matters further is his reported desire to stay on the West Coast.
Still, Breer believes that the Dolphins and Ramsey are “past the point of no return,” and as a result, he expects a trade to “happen on the doorstep of camp.”
But assessing Ramsey’s potential destination is little more than a guessing game at this point. The Raiders, Panthers, and Vikings are not pursuing the three-time All-Pro, while the Rams are the only team that has publicly expressed interest.
A reunion with Sean McVay would not be a shocking outcome to this situation, but the Rams are not the only team in Los Angeles. The Chargers also fit Ramsey’s West Coast wants, and general manager Joe Hortiz was the Ravens’ director of college scouting when Baltimore tried to trade up for Ramsey in the 2016 draft. Unlike the Rams, however, neither reports nor comments from team personnel have linked Ramsey to the Chargers.
The Falcons could also look into acquiring Ramsey after their failed pursuit of Jaire Alexander. Ramsey’s contract will be an obstacle for a cap-strapped Atlanta front office, but as training camp approaches, the Dolphins may be willing to eat some money to finally put an end to this saga.
Ravens Host Several Former Players For Scout School
Two things that we’ve witnessed in the last 30 years are the Ravens’ elite draft history between general managers Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta and the propensity for NFL players to return to the sport in coaching and scouting roles when their playing careers are over. Newsome himself was a Hall of Fame tight end before making a case to become a future Hall of Fame executive. Now, DeCosta and the Ravens are actively working to merge those aforementioned two things with the Legends Scout School. 
Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink provided details on the recent event about two weeks ago. The event was a two-hour, virtual crash course that the team’s director of legacy engagement, Matt Little, organized in tandem with the player personnel department. Named similarly to the Reese’s Senior Bowl’s Scout School, the Ravens’ version was developed as Little continuously saw more and more former Ravens express interest in getting into scouting.
The group of 21 players included former starting contributors like recently retired defenders Michael Pierce and Jimmy Smith, journeyman players whose time in Baltimore was brief like Antwan Barnes and Terrence West, and draft picks that never quite found their place on the roster like Prince Daniels and Aaron Mellette. The players ranged from Baltimore’s earliest days to its most recent season. Former NFL running back Earnest Byner was in attendance — his last two seasons of a 14-year career were Baltimore’s first two seasons as a franchise — as was Pierce, who retired shortly after catching his first career interception this past season.
The event started with a brief introduction from DeCosta, followed by an overview of the staff from director of player personnel Mark Azevedo, who then went over the role of a player personnel assistant. Then, director of college scouting Andrew Raphael provided a crash course on the college scouting process, followed by a similar breakdown of the pro scouting process by assistant director of pro personnel Corey Frazier. Vice president or football administration Nick Matteo closed the learning period by going over salary cap and contract management.
After all of that, Azevedo returned to go over the league’s Nunn-Wooten scouting fellowship program. The NFL created the program in 2015 to expose interested and qualified candidates to a career in professional scouting. One former player who expressed interest in applying for the fellowship was Marcus Smith. Smith, who had attended Mobile’s three-day event in 2024, claimed to have taken more away from Baltimore’s school in just two hours.
It’s certainly an interesting offseason project for the Ravens. While similar events, like the Senior Bowl’s, have been available before, this is the first known event like this designed by a team for its former players. It’s the latest advancement we’ve seen in the NFL’s efforts to improve the quality of life for players once their playing days are over, and it’s a welcomed sight.
Here’s a full list of players who attended the event with their Baltimore tenures:
- OLB Antwan Barnes (2007-2009)
- DT Levi Brown (2014)
- RB Earnest Byner (1996-1997)
- G Chris Chester (2006-2010)
- WR Terrance Copper (2008)
- RB Prince Daniels (2006-2008)
- OL Steve Edwards (2007)
- T Jared Gaither (2007-2010)
- TE Terry Jones (2002-2005)
- FB Jason McKie (2010)
- WR Aaron Mellette (2013)
- C Quentin Neujahr (1996-1997)
- DT Michael Pierce (2016-2019,2022-2024)
- C Matt Skura (2016-2020)
- CB Jimmy Smith (2011-2021)
- WR Marcus Smith (2008-2011)
- G Tre Stallings (2008-2009)
- WR Travis Taylor (2000-2004)
- RB Terrence West (2015-2017)
- LB Kenny Young (2018-2019)
- C Jeremy Zuttah (2014-2016,2017)
Browns Announce 8 Hires, 7 Promotions In Front Office
Yesterday, the Browns announced more than a handful of new hires and promotions in their operations, player personnel, and analytics departments. Operations had one new hire and one promotion, player personnel had four new hires and four promotions, and analytics had three new hires and two promotions.
The biggest ticket items were in the player personnel department, so we’ll start there. With Dan Saganey‘s departure and subsequent hiring in Tennessee, Adam Al-Khayyal steps into Saganey’s old role as director of player personnel. Al-Khayyal has been in Cleveland for the past 10 years, starting as an intern in 2015 before getting promotions to assistant director of pro personnel and director of pro scouting.
Matt Donahoe was elevated from southeast area scout to national scout. Having joined the Browns six years ago after time with the Chiefs, Donahoe enters his 12th season of NFL work. Filling in as a new area scout will be John Nussman, though he will cover the midwest region. This is the second straight year of promotions for Nussman, who was named NFS scout for the team last year after four seasons as a scouting assistant. Stepping into the newly vacant NFS scout role will be Tyler Habursky, who was hired last year as a scouting assistant.
The big new hire in the player personnel department is Shaun Herock, who comes in as the team’s new senior college personnel advisor. Herock started in the NFL as a scouting intern for the Falcons in in the ’90s. In 1994, Green Bay hired him after a short internship with them, and he eventually rose through the ranks to become assistant director of college scouting, serving in the role for 11 seasons. He left to serve as director of college scouting for the Raiders, serving as interim general manager in his last season with the team following the dismissal of Reggie McKenzie. When he, too, was let go at the end of the 2018 season, he joined the Browns as a scout and, eventually, was promoted to national scout. He returned to the Raiders as a personnel advisor in 2022, but he departs from the Raiders for Cleveland once more after three years away.
The other three new hires in the player personnel department are all new scouting assistants. Josh Meyer, Andrew Nimo-Sefah, and Ryan Smith were all hired to serve in that role. Meyer joins the team after working as a player personnel & recruiting analyst at his alma mater, Michigan, a role he earned after working as a recruiting intern as a student. Nimo-Sefah interned for the Cardinals in various roles as a student before working for the NFL GSISS support team and as a stats analyst for ESPN after that. Smith has experience with the team as an external film analyst in the team’s past two drafts, but he’ll now be paid directly by the team in his new position.
In operations, the new hire is the big-ticket item as James Cook joins the team as senior director of player development. Cook began his career in the NFL’s London office, working in several international projects like the International Player Pathway Program, flag football, the NFL Academy, and NFL Africa. Most recently, Cook served as head of player development for the league’s newest Academy based in Asia-Pacific. The promotion in operations looks a bit more like a lateral move. Hajriz Aliu, who has served the team as a scouting assistant for the past three seasons, is changing departments and will serve now as a football operations assistant in 2025.
In analytics, the two promotions see Abby Protin named senior software developer of football information systems and Jacqueline Roberts named coordinator of coaching logistics. Protin joined the team in 2022 as a software developer after time as a data analyst for the University of Maryland baseball team. Roberts joined the Browns last year as an intern within team logistics. She came in with experience in coaching operations from her work at the Senior Bowl.
Protin’s group adds two new junior software developers in Evan Stanislaw and John Michael Tran. Stanislaw has some work experience in sports from his time working for the NHL’s Dallas Stars, while Tran comes to Cleveland after internships at NASA and Amazon. Lastly, Ethan Weissman has been hired to the group as a football research analyst. This comes after the Harvard graduate served the past two years as a research & strategy intern for the team.
Patriots Deploying Marte Mapu At LB
Patriots defender Marte Mapu spent most of the team’s spring practices as a linebacker, according to The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, signaling a potential role change headed into training camp.
At 6-foot-3 230 pounds, Mapu has the size and athleticism to drop into coverage or blitz from the second level. He was listed as a safety in college but primarily played out of the slot with a secondary role in the box. During his first two NFL seasons, he played 313 snaps in the box, 221 as a free safety, and 100 in the slot, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Mapu will have to compete with Jack Gibbens and Jahlani Tavai for the backup linebacker jobs behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, who took first-team reps in the spring, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Gibbens signed with the Patriots this offseason after starting his career under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. That should give him a strong chance at making the roster, but only $300k of his $1.3MM deal is guaranteed, per OverTheCap.
Tavai, meanwhile, is recovering from a calf injury suffered in OTAs. That may threaten his roster odds, according to Volin, but he still has $2.1MM of guaranteed salary across the next two seasons that could discourage the Patriots from releasing him.
The Patriots could also choose to carry all five linebackers knowing that Mapu can also provide depth in the secondary if needed.
Vikings To Use Dallas Turner As Off-Ball LB?
The Vikings traded up in the first round for Dallas Turner last year, but his usage did not reflect the team’s apparent excitement about his talent.
Turner only played 300 defensive snaps as a rookie, notching three sacks and three tackles for loss across 16 games with a core role on special teams. He was blocked by the stellar play of the Vikings’ edge duo of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, who combined for 23.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss while both playing more than 80% of the team’s defensive snaps. Both Greenard and Van Ginkel earned Pro Bowl recognition and Defensive Player of the Year votes for their efforts, so their snap shares are unlikely go to down by much, if at all.
As a result, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores may have to show some creativity to get Turner on the field, which may include some time as an off-ball linebacker, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
“Identifying where Turner is lining up – and how much he’s contributing from an off-the-ball starting point — is a major question worth examining in the coming months,” wrote Lewis after the Vikings wrapped their spring practices.
Turner’s 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame is undersized for an NFL edge defender, but he has excellent size for a linebacker with the requisite movement skills to work from an off-ball alignment. His bigger challenge will be adjusting to the visual and mental processing in the middle of the field after spending virtually all of his career as an edge defender. Turner’s athleticism can be used to attack downhill, but his discipline and vision in coverage and run fits will be key.
It’s also important to note that teams like to experiment in spring practices, which are not necessarily indicative of what will happen in the season. Turner’s off-ball activities could be a step towards a hybrid role in 2025, or it could be an effort to give him some experience at a new position so he can line up there in case of emergency.
K Justin Tucker Issued 10-Game Suspension
JUNE 27: During a Friday press conference, Michael Belsky – one of the attorneys representing 13 of the 16 accusers – said he is “still determining the next steps” for his clients (h/t ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). While Tucker’s situation with respect to his NFL outlook has thus been clarified, legal action stemming from his alleged misconduct could still be coming.
JUNE 26: Justin Tucker has already seen his Ravens tenure come to an end, and he will be unavailable to his next team for much of the season in 2025 if he is to line up a deal. The All-Pro kicker was issued a 10-game suspension on Thursday.
Mark Make of the Washington Post notes today’s news is not the result of an arbitrator’s ruling. This case never proceeded to a hearing in front of Sue Robinson (which did happen with Deshaun Watson, for instance). Instead, the length of this ban was agreed upon between the parties involved. 
The suspension will take effect on August 26, since that represents the roster cutdown deadline around the league. Tucker will first be eligible for reinstatement on November 11. A free agent at the moment, he is still allowed to sign with an interested team at any point (although today’s news certainly hinders the chances of that taking place).
In February, allegations of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions went public against Tucker. The 35-year-old has denied the claims on more than one occasion, but a league investigation was launched into the matter. Today’s findings conclude a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy took place, leading to the suspension.
Prior to the draft – with the NFL probe ongoing – the Ravens faced the possibility of moving on from Tucker. The team intended to wait until the investigation concluded to make a decision on that front, but once Tyler Loop was selected in the sixth round it appeared to be a guarantee a Tucker release would indeed take place. Early last month, Baltimore moved forward with a post-June 1 cut.
At the time of Tucker’s release, the Ravens insisted the move was strictly football related. The seven-time Pro Bowler posted an field goal rate no lower than 82.5% during his first 12 years in the league (all spent with Baltimore). Tucker experienced a notable downturn in accuracy midway through this past season, though, and his overall success rate on field goals dropped to 73.3%. Cutting ties with three years remaining on his contract was a move no doubt partially informed by the dip in performance, but Baltimore’s decision also implied news such as this could be coming.
Now that Tucker is set to miss much of the coming campaign, his chances of landing a new opportunity in the NFL have taken a hit. A free agent pact prior to the NFL’s investigation concluding was always unlikely, and today’s ban -which will not be appealed – could very well lead to a full season spent on the sidelines.
“We are disappointed with the NFL’s decision,” a statement from Tucker’s agent reads in part (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network). “Justin has always strived to carry himself in a way that would make his family and community proud. He stands by his previous statements. In order to put this difficult episode behind him and get back on the field as soon as possible, we have advised Justin to accept this resolution and close this matter.”
A Super Bowl champion in 2012, Tucker owns a number of all-time records and has amassed over $51MM in career earnings. That figure could continue to climb at some point, but especially in the wake of today’s suspension his NFL future is unclear.
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby Fully Recovered From Ankle Surgery
2024 saw Maxx Crosby miss regular season action for the first time in his career. The Raiders All-Pro dealt with an ankle injury early in the campaign which ultimately required season-ending surgery. 
Crosby managed to recover in time for spring workouts, however, and The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes he has returned to his normal summer routine (subscription required). That is of course a welcomed development for team and player as training camp approaches. Having Crosby back to full strength for the start of Year 1 of the franchise’s new regime will be key.
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Changes on the sidelines and in the front office have been a constant during Crosby’s time with the Raiders. The four-time Pro Bowler has expressed a desire to remain with the team throughout his career, and an extension was worked out in March would provided a new round of guaranteed money. That deal briefly gave him the title of the league’s highest-paid defender (and top earner for all non-quarterbacks) and ensured Crosby will be in place for the beginning of head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady‘s time in Vegas.
“It’s an honor, obviously, having the Raiders with a new staff and new regime come in and show me that type of respect,” Crosby said when speaking about his new deal (via Reed). “It means the world. Like Spytek said, it’s not about what I’ve done, it’s about what I’m about to do.”
Now attached to an AAV of $35.5MM, Crosby – who drew trade interest from at least the Seahawks and Patriots this spring – will again be counted on to anchor Vegas’ defense in 2025. The 27-year-old has racked up 59.5 sacks and 105 tackles for loss to date, and high-end production will be required if the Raiders are to contend for a postseason spot this year. Malcolm Koonce re-signed on a one-year pact while the team also has Tyree Wilson in the fold. Those two could handle complementary roles in 2025, but a Raiders defense which has undergone a number of changes at other spots will of course depend greatly on Crosby’s level of play.
The Eastern Michigan product’s health will be central in determining how well he is able to perform in 2025. A full recovery from the ankle procedure should set him up for normal participation in training camp this summer and thus the regular season.
TE Dallas Goedert Addresses Decision To Remain With Eagles
Dallas Goedert was a trade candidate for much of the spring, and his future remained uncertain past the draft. With no agreement being made to send him to a new team, though, the veteran tight end wound up remaining with the Eagles on a restructured deal. 
Originally scheduled to earn $14.25MM in 2025, Goedert will instead collect $10MM in base pay with another $1MM available through incentives. He remains a pending free agent, meaning a Philadelphia departure could still be in store next spring. Goedert’s preference was to stay in place for 2025, however, something he recently spoke about.
“Yeah, so when I got drafted a year after [the Eagles] won the Super Bowl, I was able to experience the fun parts of a Super Bowl the year after winning the Super Bowl,” the 30-year-old said during an appearance on ESPN’s NFL Live (via NFL.com). “After we won and the opportunity to run it back again to see the banner drop, it just wouldn’t have felt — it would have felt I was missing on a lot not being there to see all that stuff.
“I got a lot of love for the city of Philadelphia… So, I figured for me it was best to work out a deal, so I could stay there and be with the people I find that are important and try to win another one.”
2024 saw Goedert limited to just 10 regular season games and 496 receiving yards (the second-lowest total of his career). The eighth-year veteran will nevertheless be counted on to operate as a full-time starting member of the Eagles’ lauded skill position group. Goedert, along with running back Saquon Barkley and wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, will return in 2025 as part of the team’s Super Bowl defense.
Given his age, Goedert’s market on a Philadelphia re-up or a deal sending him to a new team could be relatively limited next spring. The former second-rounder has, on the other hand, topped 700 yards twice in his career while proving to be a solid blocker in the run game. A trade would have likely accompanied a similar restructure to the one worked out with the Eagles, something which makes Goedert’s decision to stay in place a reasonable one. It will be interesting to see if he plays his way into a new Philadelphia agreement this season – something which will no doubt be influenced by the team’s success – as a number of other key roster decisions are contemplated moving forward.
Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips Expected To Be Cleared For Regular Season
Expectations will be high in the pass rush department for the Dolphins in 2025 if they can see their top three options on the depth chart stay healthy. Bradley Chubb missed all of last season while Jaelan Phillips suffered an ACL tear which limited to just four games. 
In both cases, the past several months has seen considerable progress made in the rehab process. Chubb and Phillips were able to take part in individual work during OTAs and minicamp, although the latter was sidelined for team drills. With plenty of time remaining until Week 1, ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques writes both veterans are expected to be back at full strength in time for the regular season.
“Obviously, I went through a lot over the last couple of years, so I felt like I needed to take a little bit of time to regather myself,” Phillips said when addressing his recovery. “It allowed me to come back with a lot more clarity and focus and just motivation. I feel like right now I’m in a really good place. Feeling great obviously physically, but also from a mental standpoint just ready to get after it.”
Chubb accepted a pay cut this offseason, and with no guaranteed salary on his deal beyond 2025 this season will be key in determining his Miami future. The two-time Pro Bowler recorded just 2.5 sacks in eight games upon arrival from Denver when he was traded 2022. During his first full Dolphins campaign, though, Chubb posted 11 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles. His practice window was opened late in the 2024 season, but it was decided he would not be able to reach full strength while rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his 2023 run.
Phillips finds himself as a pending free agent given Miami’s decision to pick up his fifth-year option last spring. The UCLA product is thus one of nine players set to play on the option as things stand. A long-term investment on the part of the Dolphins would be risky given Phillips’ injury history – which dates back to his college days and includes an Achilles tear from 2023 – so his performance will be interesting to monitor this year. At 26, Phillips could form a strong tandem alongside Chop Robinson for the foreseeable future if things go according to plan in his case.
Miami’s first-round pick in 2024, Robinson had a slow start to his rookie campaign but flashed his potential toward the end of the season. He is on the books for at least another three years, but who he will be joined by on the edge past 2025 will depend on how well Chubb and Phillips manage to return to the previous form. In both instances, a clean bill of health in time for September remains the expectation.