AFC West Rumors: Bozeman, Mahomes, Rice, Raiders
The Chargers‘ interior offensive line blocking was a weakness of the team in 2024. The team addressed the right guard position by signing Mekhi Becton after the former first-round pick had a breakout season in Philadelphia. The center and left guard spots, though, are currently a bit more up in the air as Los Angeles has been experimenting with swapping Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson from the positions at which they started in 2024.
As the team has continued in this experiment, Daniel Popper of The Athletic has called into question whether or not Bozeman will start at all. While Bozeman has been a starting lineman in the NFL for most of the past four seasons, he has never graded out as one of the NFL’s best interior blockers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Bozeman filled starting roles at left guard and center for the Ravens throughout his rookie contract, but they allowed him to walk in free agency. He signed with Carolina as a backup, only earning the starting center role because of injury. The Panthers did re-sign him, but they quickly released him only a year into his three-year, $18MM deal.
After he started for a year in Los Angeles, the Chargers gave him a more reserved two-year, $6.5MM deal. Popper seems pretty sure that Johnson will be starting, though whether at center or left guard remains to be seen. He thinks Bozeman could end up starting at the other position, but the team has set themselves up well regardless. Free agent signing Andre James provides insurance at center, while Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer both started games at guard last year and could potentially step in if Bozeman struggles. The Chargers also drafted Branson Taylor out of Pittsburgh in the sixth round and worked him at left guard in rookie minicamp. Suffice it to say, Los Angeles has plenty of options as they continue to try and improve their interior offensive line.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC West, starting with a couple from Kansas City:
- There was a bit of chatter after it was decided that NFL players would be allowed to participate in flag football in the 2028 Olympics concerning which players would be best suited to represent Team USA. One player sure to show up on many people’s dream team took himself out of the running. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters he was not planning on playing, saying that he would “leave that to the younger guys.”
- Another Chiefs player is making less light-hearted news as wide receiver Rashee Rice continues in his legal struggles. Per Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Rice is now facing a third lawsuit related to the street-racing crash in Dallas back in March of 2024. Kayla Quinn is the latest person to allege that she and her son sustained physical and mental injuries as a result of the incident.
- According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Raiders have developed a reputation for traditionally operating in a cash-poor manner. New limited owner Tom Brady has reportedly made it known that he intends to change that reputation. Per Breer, Brady promised any coaching candidates in January that he and his fellow new limited partners would “materially change” the team’s spending habits.
NFL Front Office Updates: Ravens, Jets, Eagles, Raiders
The Ravens announced a number of promotions in their front office this weekend, per team editorial director Ryan Mink, with four new positions in the scouting department and two more in analytics.
In the scouting department, we saw Bobby Vega elevated from national scout to senior personnel executive. Vega started his career as a player personnel intern for two months before landing a scouting assistant role in Cleveland. Over 13 years with the Browns, Vega moved up the ladder to college scout, national scout, and eventually director of college scouting. In 2018, he reunited with Baltimore, spending seven years as a college scout before moving into his most recent role for the last two years.
Vega’s role will reportedly be filled by two staffers, Brandon Berning and Chas Stallard. Berning has been with the Ravens since 2015 after shorts stints with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, the University of Wisconsin football team, and the Giants. He most recently served as the team’s midwest/southwest area scout. Stallard joined the Ravens in 2018 as a player personnel assistant and most recently served as Baltimore’s southwest area scout.
Lastly, in the scouting department, Terrell Parker will become the team’s central area scout after serving a year as pro scout & salary cap analyst. He worked two internships with the team in 2018 and 2019 before getting hired as a player personnel assistant and moving up to scouting and salary cap analyst then elevated again to his most recent role.
In the analytics department, James Oncea has been promoted from football systems manager to director of football systems. He started with the team in 2021 as a football systems developer. Samantha Lazar also moves up in Baltimore’s analytics group. She started with the Ravens two years ago as a quantitative analyst and has been promoted to senior quantitative analyst.
Here are a few other staff updates from other teams around the NFL:
- The Jets also made recent additions to their scouting and analytics departments. Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, JaLun Morris has been hired as a scout. After time at UAB and Alabama, Morris breached the NFL ranks in Seattle before spending three years as a player personnel assistant for the Raiders. ESPN’s Seth Walder also tells us that Arjun Menon has been promoted to football analytics assistant. Menon had been working an internship with the team after his time as a data analyst on the championship-winning Michigan Wolverines team in 2023.
- Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com tells us that Ryan Myers is being promoted to director of college scouting for the Eagles. Myers has been in Philadelphia since 2013 after seven years with the 49ers, as well. Before that, he worked in the Canadian Football League, United Football League, Arena Football League, and the NFL league office. After serving in several college and pro scouting roles over his first five years with the Eagles, Myers spent four years as west coast area scout and three as assistant director of college scouting.
- Lastly, the Raiders have hired Andrew Fedele to work in the role of manager of football data science and engineering, per Seth Walder of ESPN. Fedele had previously been working with the Jaguars as senior manager of strategic research and development. Before coming to the NFL, Fedele worked analytics for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA.
Steelers Moving DeMarvin Leal To OLB
After struggling to find a positional fit in the NFL, Steelers third-year defender DeMarvin Leal will likely move to outside linebacker in Pittsburgh this season.
Leal largely played as a jumbo-sized edge rusher in college at Texas A&M, but an uptick in interior snaps in his last season led to projections of a full-time switch in the pros. He added weight for such a role as a rookie, but bounced between interior and edge work in his first two years. Leal primarily played outside linebacker in 2024 before landing on injured reserve with a neck injury.
Now, the 2022 third-rounder is poised to make that move permanent. He has been lining up at outside linebacker at the Steelers’ OTAs, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show, and will likely slot in as a backup behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Interestingly, Leal is “noticeably bigger” than last season, according to Kaboly. His weight has fluctuated somewhat since entering the league, but he is currently listed at 290 pounds on the Steelers’ website, which might not be up to date. Given his draft billing as an oversized edge defender, gaining weight to play OLB in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense doesn’t quite make sense, especially since Leal wasn’t already an elite athlete for his size.
Though he’s on the other end of the OLB weight spectrum, Highsmith has been mentoring Leal through his position switch.
“He got some experience as a rookie, and he has that experience from a couple of years ago that helps him be versatile,” said Highsmith (via Kaboly). “He is a guy who you try to continue to help to get better.”
Latest On Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Despite Tyreek Hill‘s ongoing recovery from offseason wrist surgery, the 31-year-old wideout has been an active participant at the Dolphins’ OTAs.
Hill isn’t expected to be catching passes until training camp, so he’s only taking part in positional drills. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that the veteran receiver “has done a great job being proactive once he got the surgery done and making sure he can do as much as he can with the team.”
Hill said after practice that he dealt with injuries to both wrists last season, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. He tore a ligament in his left wrist during training camp, but still started all 17 games during the regular season. He played at least 70% of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps in each game until issues with his ankle and right wrist limited him to 27 snaps in Week 18. An initial surgery in February placed pins in Hill’s left wrist that were later removed in a follow-up procedure in May. It’s unclear if he also had surgery on his right wrist, which was sporting a protective brace.
Hill said (via Wolfe) that he dropped 14 pounds this offseason and arrived at OTAs weighing in at 183 pounds. He’s still planning on racing Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles with a warm-up race scheduled for June 13 in Los Angeles. Hill added that he would rather compete in the 2028 Olympics in track than flag football, according to Wolfe.
A 100-meter sprint-off with Lyles seems like the kind of activity the Dolphins would want Hill to avoid, especially coming off multiple injuries. McDaniel declined to say if the team would allow the race to happen, partially because he was unaware of it in the first place.
“I have no idea, nor do I care,” said McDaniel (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “First, theoretically, if people are competing and it’s helping their training — as long as he doesn’t train to be a sprinter and he’s running routes while he’s doing it, that’s cool. Whether I’m going to stand and say whether I’ll allow something — I don’t even know where that stands nor did I know that it existed.”
Those comments seem to throw cold water on Hill’s track aspirations, so the preliminary race in June may be a test of the Dolphins’ willingness to let their star wideout explore non-football athletic pursuits.
Kyle Pitts Drawing Trade Interest; Falcons TE Has Not Requested Trade
JUNE 1: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms the Falcons are not actively shopping Pitts but are open to the possibility of a trade (video link). Pitts himself may be amenable to such a move as well, because while he has not requested a trade and is said to love Atlanta, he may prefer an offense that allows him to be more of a featured target (especially since he is entering a platform year).
MAY 30: Since a productive rookie campaign, Kyle Pitts has not lived up to expectations. The Falcons tight end remains in the team’s plans, but he has been the subject of trade talks. 
Multiple teams have reached out to speak about Pitts’ availability, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports. He adds that nothing is imminent at this time. Today’s development is not entirely new, however. Bleacher Report’s James Palmer notes the former No. 4 pick has been “relatively available” throughout the offseason.
After a strong college career at Florida, Pitts faced major expectations given his draft slot. He managed to record 1,026 yards during his debut season, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way. That campaign only included one touchdown grab, though, and improved red zone production was viewed as a source of improvement moving forward. In different offensive systems and with a number of quarterbacks in Atlanta, Pitts has been unable to match his rookie year or establish himself as a consistent touchdown threat.
Given the Falcons’ decision to pick up Pitts’ fifth-year option, he is owed $10.88MM in 2025. The pending free agent would thus represent an expensive addition on the part of any acquiring team. Swinging a trade for the 24-year-old would no doubt include at least a short extension being worked out upon arrival. To date, Pitts has not done enough to warrant a big-ticket deal or a sizable price on the trade market.
On that point, Schultz reports a Day 2 pick would need to be the starting point for any serious trade talks. He adds Atlanta’s preference would be to keep Pitts in place for at least one more season. The team’s offense also features former top-10 picks in the form of wideout Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. Expectations are high for those two to continue developing as the Falcons turn to Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback on a full-time basis on 2025.
Pitts has played a full 17 game-slate in three of his four NFL seasons, but since his encouraging rookie campaign he has only averaged between 35.4 and 39.2 receiving yards per game. Especially considering his skillset, increasing that figure will be critical in landing him a notable second contract in the NFL. That effort will likely take place in Atlanta, but an acceleration of trade discussions could pave the way for a swap taking place before the start of the season.
Lions’ John Morton Hire, Kelvin Sheppard Promotion Driven By Continuity Concerns
After three consecutive winning seasons and two straight NFC North titles, and after coming heart-wrenchingly close to a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2023 campaign, the Lions have had to come to grips with the reality that other successful franchises face: a brain drain. On the heels of its 15-2 showing in 2024, Detroit lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, as both men accepted head coaching gigs elsewhere.
However, the Lions did not search far and wide to replace them (as our 2025 coordinator tracker shows). With respect to the OC post, there were no publicly-reported interviews other than the one for John Morton, and new DC Kelvin Sheppard’s only competition for his job prior to his promotion was Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Larry Foote.
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press confirms, that was by design. Although it would be reductive to say that Morton and Sheppard landed their positions solely due to continuity concerns, Birkett says continuity was certainly a major factor.
Morton, 55, worked as the Lions’ senior offensive assistant in 2022, which was Dan Campbell’s second season as the club’s head coach and Johnson’s first as the offensive coordinator. Birkett noted in a human interest piece on Morton earlier this year that Campbell wanted to replace Johnson with someone who would retain much of the outgoing play-caller’s terminology and playbook, and that is what he will get in Morton.
After the 2022 season, Morton left Detroit to join Sean Payton’s first staff with the Broncos. The success that rookie passer Bo Nix enjoyed in Denver in 2024 helped Morton rebuild his OC stock, and the upcoming season will mark his second attempt at the position (he was the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017, when the team was quarterbacked primarily by Josh McCown). In addition to his familiarity with Johnson’s scheme, Morton will inherit a roster that returns its core group of high-end skill-position players and O-linemen. Birkett believes Morton will call for more downfield throws than his predecessor, but the offense should otherwise look quite similar.
Sheppard, 37, enjoyed an eight-year playing career, and he has quickly risen up the coaching ladder since becoming a part of Campbell’s first Lions staff in 2021 as the team’s outside linebackers coach. He has earned praise for helping revive the careers of veterans like Alex Anzalone and helping guide young draft picks like Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez, and his reputation as a rising star in the coaching world extended beyond Michigan.
While Birkett says Sheppard (a former linebacker) sees defense through a different “prism” than Glenn (a former defensive back), Sheppard will, like Morton, inherit a strong collection of returning players, including the likes of Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph. The Lions finished in the bottom half of the league in terms of total defense in 2024, but they allowed the seventh-fewest points per game.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert Never Sought Trade
Earlier this offseason, TE Dallas Goedert’s future with the Eagles was very much in doubt, and it was reported he would have to take a pay cut to avoid being traded or released. As PHLY’s Zach Berman writes, Goedert never requested a trade to avoid a reduction in 2025 pay and/or to find a team willing to authorize a new contract for him.
Instead, the 30-year-old seemingly realized he would have to take a cut, and he put forth a number he was comfortable with. Ultimately, he agreed to accept $10MM in 2025, with a chance to earn up to an additional $1MM in incentives. He was previously scheduled to take home $14.25MM.
Prior to April’s draft, Philadelphia was believed to be shopping Goedert, and trade offers did emerge. The fact that the Eagles were reportedly willing to accept 2026 draft compensation for their TE1 suggested a trade was a real possibility, but clearly a deal never materialized. The club did not select a tight end in the draft, and talks about a reworked pact accelerated thereafter.
From a purely on-field perspective, it never made much sense for the reigning Super Bowl champions to part ways with one of their better offensive players. The lack of high-end additions to the TE depth chart in free agency or the draft made it clear that, despite the trade chatter, Philadelphia was always amenable to retaining Goedert at a reduced rate, and the player likewise preferred to remain with the team that made him a second-round pick in 2018.
The pay cut did not change the term of the contract, so Goedert remains eligible for free agency in 2026. He has battled injuries in recent seasons, and he played a career-low 10 regular season games in 2024 (though he did lead the Eagles with 215 receiving yards during the team’s Super Bowl run). George Kittle recently proved that a tight end on the wrong side of 30 can still land a top-of-the-market contract, and a strong, healthy season from Goedert will give him a good case for another lucrative deal of his own.
The Eagles focused on the defensive side of the ball in the draft, and the offseason addition of Terrace Marshall notwithstanding, it appears Goedert will retain his status as one of QB Jalen Hurts’ top-three receiving options, behind wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. His blocking contributions in support of running back Saquon Barkley likely played a role in the team’s decision to keep him on the roster as well.
Aaron Rodgers Yet To Offer Steelers Assurances Of 2025 Deal?
The 2025 offseason has been filled with connections between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. No signing has taken place yet, with nothing appearing to be imminent at this point. 
Considering how Pittsburgh has handled the quarterback spot this offseason – reuniting with Mason Rudolph, not pursuing other starting-caliber free agents and waiting until the sixth round of the draft to add a rookie – many have assumed an agreement of sorts is in place between team and player in this situation. Rodgers himself hinted at that during his latest public remarks on the subject. However, it appears no assurances have been received in Pittsburgh’s case.
During a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Rodgers has “not affirmatively told the Steelers that he’s coming” (video link). Pittsburgh has clearly operated as though the 41-year-old will sign at some point, with owner Art Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin practicing patience for a decision to be made. Rodgers (who was at one point under consideration from the Giants and preferred to sign with the Vikings this spring) has not committed, at least publicly, to playing at all in 2025. The expectation still remains, though, that a Steelers deal is forthcoming.
The four-time MVP’s only free agent visit took place at the Steelers’ facility, and at least one contract offer has been made. Rodgers worked out with trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf earlier this offseason, one in which he has remained in contact with Tomlin. Each of those signs have contributed to the ongoing assumption he will handle starting duties for Pittsburgh in 2025 as the team prepares for a high draft investment next spring. That could still prove to be the case, but mandatory minicamp looms as a potential deadline for an official commitment to be made.
The Steelers have already begun OTAs with Rudolph – who was made aware of the possibility Pittsburgh could add an established starter in free agency – in the QB1 spot. Minicamp is set to begin June 10, and that could be seen as a point at which the team moves forward with its incumbent quarterbacks (along with, potentially, another veteran added late in the offseason). If the Steelers were to take that route, Kirk Cousins would increasingly become a name to watch.
As Rodgers’ offseason continues to include a pressing matter related to a member of his inner circle, May has come and gone without a Steelers deal coming to pass. A resolution on that off-the-field matter would presumably accelerate his decision, something which has apparently still not been explicitly been communicated to the team yet.
Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton Expected To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Safety
Plenty of time remains for Kyle Hamilton and the Ravens to work out an extension. The All-Pro safety expectedly had his fifth-year option picked up earlier this spring. 
As a result of that move, Hamilton is on the books through 2026. The option year is valued at $18.6MM, but a long-term accord will check in at a much higher rate. Indeed, as ESPN’s Jamison Hensley writes, Hamilton is expected to become the league’s highest-paid safety whenever his extension is worked out.
After operating on a part-time basis during his rookie season, the Notre Dame product took on a starting role in 2023. Hamilton emerged as a foundational member of Baltimore’s defense that year, totaling four interceptions, 13 pass deflections and 10 tackles for loss. Those figures helped earn him first-team All-Pro acclaim and led to high expectations for this past campaign.
Hamilton endured a statistical regression in some categories in 2024, although his 107 tackles set a new career high en route to a second straight Pro Bowl nod. At the age of 24, he represents a key member of the Ravens’ secondary now but also for the foreseeable future. His second contract will no doubt reflect that, although a new pact may not be in place by the start of the coming campaign. Baltimore has other extension priorities, including fellow 2022 first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum.
The Ravens declined their center’s fifth-year option, leaving him on track for free agency next spring as things stand. Linderbaum – just like Hamilton – is a strong candidate for a new deal, but the timing of his may be accelerated by the option decision. In any event, Hamilton will be joined by first-round rookie Malaki Starks as a safety starter while remaining a critical member of Baltimore’s defense in 2025.
When Antoine Winfield Jr. inked his Buccaneers extension last offseason, he became the first safety to surpass $20MM in average annual earnings. That deal also marked the first time in which a safety was the league’s top earner amongst defensive backs. The cornerback market has since surged to $30MM per year, and Winfield has already been surpassed at the top of the pecking order for safeties. Kerby Joseph secured $21.25MM on average with his Lions extension last month.
It would come as no surprise if Hamilton were to surpass that figure whenever his next contract takes shape. In the meantime, the Ravens will look into extensions for Linderbaum and – perhaps as early as this offseason – Lamar Jackson. Those deals will offer more financial clarity on where the team stands entering the 2026 offseason. By the time it ends, Hamilton will likely account for a sizable portion of Baltimore’s finances over the course of several years.
49ers Reducing Christian McCaffrey’s Offseason Workload
Achilles and knee injuries limited Christian McCaffrey to just four games last year. The 49ers have their lead back healthy now, but to no surprise they are taking a cautious approach with his offseason workload. 
McCaffrey earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 after leading the NFL in a number of categories. That production helped earn him an extension and fresh set of guarantees but things did not go according to plan this past season. The two-time All-Pro will look to bounce back from an availability standpoint in 2025, joining other key 49ers in that regard.
“Right now, he’s as healthy as can be and we’ve got to protect him from himself,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) when speaking about how McCaffrey would be managed this spring. “He’s doing a lot less than he normally would do. I know he’s excited about how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.”
On an offense featuring a number of other notable skill-position players, McCaffrey was a focal point for the unit en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023. Expectations for a repeat of his production were high until it became clear his Achilles tendinitis would require an IR stint and several weeks of recovery during the season. Not long after making his season debut in Week 10, a PCL injury ended his campaign. Fortunately for the 49ers, the three-time Pro Bowler was fully cleared in time for the start of spring practices.
San Francisco leaned on Jordan Mason to a large extent during McCaffrey’s absence last year. Despite tendering him at the second-round level, though, the team traded Mason to Minnesota in March. That move was followed by the selection of Jordan James in the fifth round of the draft, leaving McCaffrey in place with he, Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor in the backfield. The 49ers’ depth options are all cost effective, something which represents a stark contrast to McCaffrey’s $19MM AAV.
That figure ranks second to only Saquon Barkley – who signed a new Eagles deal in the wake of his historic debut season with the Super Bowl winners. McCaffrey will again be expected to perform at an elite level in 2025, and helping ensure he is capable of doing so will no doubt continue to involve an unusually lighter practice schedule for the time being.