Bills S Cole Bishop On Track To Start?
Expectations were high for Cole Bishop upon arrival in Buffalo during his rookie campaign in 2024. Things did not go entirely according to plan, but a starting safety spot is available to him this offseason. 
Bishop has operated with Buffalo’s first-team defense during the outset of OTAs, as noted by Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required). That comes as little surprise given his status as a second-round pick from last year’s draft. The Bills’ other moves at the safety position this spring have pointed to a starting tandem alongside Taylor Rapp taking shape.
Rapp started each of his appearances last season, but Bishop missing most of training camp due to injury opened the door to Damar Hamlin handling first-team duties. The latter was retained on a one-year contract in March, a move which ensured continuity in the secondary but did not guarantee him a starting gig for 2025. Buffalo made an outside addition in the form of Darrick Forrest, but that veteran minimum investment will not impact the team’s defense.
During the 2025 draft, the Bills added three defensive backs. One of them – fifth-rounder Jordan Hancock – could see time at safety during his NFL tenure. The Ohio State product can be expected to primarily handle special teams work especially as a rookie, though. His presence should not impact Bishop’s ability to earn a starting spot in 2025.
Upon recovering in time for Week 2, Bishop managed to appear in each of Buffalo’s remaining regular and postseason games. The 22-year-old logged a 34% defensive snap share, and that figure will increase significantly this season if he can indeed land a starter’s role. Plenty of time remains before training camp even begins, but Bishop is off to a good start in his efforts to become a mainstay on defense for 2025 and beyond.
49ers Hoping Rookie DT Alfred Collins Can Earn Starting Role
Many expected the 49ers to address the defensive line in the first round of this year’s draft, but the team surprised many when they addressed the edge instead of the interior, taking Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams on Day 1. Perhaps, they felt comfortable waiting until Day 2 to address the position because, with its next pick, San Francisco drafted Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, whom they hope can earn a starting role on the line as a rookie, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. 
Currently, the starting tackle spots on the defensive line are manned by Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens. Elliott joined the team last year after playing out his rookie contract in Cleveland and started 13 of 15 appearances. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has never graded Elliot favorably. The former third-round pick out of Missouri has only once graded in the top 100 players at his position in the NFL and that was this past year, when he ranked 97th out of 118.
Givens, too, has struggled in the eyes of PFF’s analytics throughout his six years with the team. His roles have been mostly rotational during that time, and although he earned a starting role in 2022 (11 starts in 13 appearances), he only has three starts in his career outside of that season. Last year, Givens was one of several 49ers to miss time with injuries, sitting for nine of the final 10 games of the season as he dealt with a pectoral tear.
Because of this, San Francisco is hoping to see not only Collins, but also fellow rookie CJ West and last year’s undrafted rookie Evan Anderson, earn significant roles on the line, as well. Anderson, signing with the team out of FAU last year, started one game in 12 appearances last season and graded out most favorably of the interior defenders on the 49ers, per PFF, ranking 49th out of 118 players graded at the position. West was extremely disruptive in four years as a starter in college — three at Kent State before transferring to Indiana. He had nine sacks and 27 tackles for loss in those four seasons. Although a bit undersized, West adds some pass rushing potential thanks to an impressive arsenal of ferocious moves.
Collins, though, is the player that was singled out by the staff with hopes of a starting role, per Barrows. What West lacks in ideal size, Collins makes up for with an exceptional 6-foot-5, 332-pound frame. His wide base and long arms give him impressive length, as well. His size doesn’t do him too many favors as a potential pass rusher, but he’s quick-footed enough at his size to erase gaps across the line in run defense. He’s a sure tackler who’s durable enough to handle the workload of a starter, even as a rookie.
We’ve got about two more months until training camp, but the next two weeks will see the team’s remaining Organized Team Activities workouts and mandatory minicamp. There’s plenty of time for the youngsters to earn more opportunities for bigger roles between now and the preseason. With hopes that Collins will break through as a strong run-defending starter, the team would ideally be looking to pair him with a defender with strong pass rushing potential like Givens, West, or Anderson.
Packers Discussed Davante Adams Reunion
According to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, the team explored a reunion with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams when he became a free agent earlier this offseason. 
“I think any time you have a player of that caliber, there’s definitely conversations that go into it,” LaFleur told Kay Adams last week. “Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Adams spent the first eight years of his career in Green Bay but refused to play under a franchise tag in 2022 and requested a trade to the Raiders. Since his departure, the Packers have focused on drafting and developing young receivers rather than signing expensive veterans. They selected Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in 2022 and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks in 2023; all four have emerged as reliable targets, though none have matched Adams’ production.
That led to rumors this offseason that the Packers were looking to add a veteran target to round out their room. They never made an offer for D.K. Metcalf, but Adams was apparently on their radar. Instead, they doubled down on their recent youthful strategy, drafting their first wide receiver in the first round since 2002, before that rookie from Texas, Matthew Golden, was even born.
Moving forward with the bodies they have in the building, though, requires them to start looking into new contracts for the players who have been leading the way the past few years. We saw that a week ago, when it was reported that Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, to “clarify (Reed)’s status” with the team. At the time, head coach Matt LaFleur was shocked to receive a question about Reed, pointing out how well the young receiver has done with taking Golden under his wing. LaFleur clarified earlier this week that he hadn’t been a part of the conversation between Rosenhaus and Gutekunst, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, and doubled down on Reed continuing to be an excellent leader.
Reed is also reportedly able to lead by example as “he’s good to go now,” despite not undergoing surgery this offseason. His season ended in Philadelphia with a dislocated shoulder and a partially torn labrum. Seemingly, surgery was not necessary for the injuries to heal as Reed claims it took “about four or five months” to remedy without a procedure, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today.
Another receiver attempting to come from injury is Watson, who suffered “a torn ACL and additional damage” in the final week of the regular season. The non-contact injury was initially expected to force some missed time in his 2025 campaign, but a timeline had not been generated in those earlier reports. While still unable to provide a timeline, per Demovsky, LaFleur remains optimistic, claiming that the 25-year-old is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and recovery.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Raiders’ Malcolm Koonce Returns To Practice
Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce returned to practice this week after missing all of the 2024 season with a knee injury, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.
Koonce was expected to build on a solid 2023 campaign heading into a contract year last summer. Instead, he tore his ACL in the team’s last practice before the start of the regular season, and the subsequent surgery sidelined him for nine months. Despite the injury, the Raiders’ new regime made the 2021 third-rounder a priority this offseason and re-signed him to a one-year, $11MM contract.
The length makes it somewhat of a ‘prove-it’ deal, but $10MM is fully-guaranteed and only an additional $1MM is tied to playtime incentives, a sign of the team’s confidence in Koonce’s recovery. Overall, it’s a strong contract coming off a major injury, especially with new leadership in Las Vegas that let other 2021 draft picks like Tre’von Moehrig and Nate Hobbs leave in free agency this offseason.
The Raiders are clearly expecting Koonce to return to his pre-injury trajectory. After just four combined sacks and tackles for loss in his first two seasons, he posted 17 in 2023, plus three forced fumbles. He started 11 games, but finished the season with just a 44% snap share, indicating that Koonce’s production has room to go with more playing time.
A smooth return to the field will slot Koonce in as a starting edge defender opposite Maxx Crosby. The Raiders don’t have much depth behind them; 2022 No. 7 pick Tyree Wilson has been a steady contributor but hasn’t lived up to his draft billing, and Charles Snowden didn’t make much of an impact in his nine starts last season. Las Vegas also signed Jah Joyner and Jahfari Harvey as undrafted rookie depth to add to 2024 UDFA Amari Gainer.
Chargers CB Cam Hart Out Until Minicamp After Shoulder Surgery
Chargers cornerback Cam Hart will be sidelined until mandatory minicamp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
Hart tore his labrum during the Chargers’ wild card loss to the Texans in January. He underwent surgery shortly after and is awaiting medical clearance before he returns to the field.
The 2024 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame started six straight regular season games in his rookie year after Asante Samuel Jr. landed on injured reserve in Week 5. Two concussions and an ankle injury limited Hart in November and December, but he returned to the Chargers’ starting lineup in the playoffs.
The Chargers have plenty of cornerback depth if Hart suffers any setbacks in his recovery, even with Samuel no longer in Los Angeles. Tarheeb Still, who was taken three picks before Hart, started 12 games last year, and 2022 sixth-rounder Ja’Sir Taylor had a 32.2% snap share. The team also signed veteran Donte Jackson this offseason; he started 31 games over the last two seasons for the Panthers and the Steelers.
If Hart can re-establish himself alongside Still later this summer, the Chargers will have a cheap starting outside cornerback duo for the next three years. That’s an excellent return on a pair of fifth-round picks and, along with Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey, represents a strong start to general manager Joe Hortiz‘s draft history
Caleb Williams Addresses Pre-Draft Bears Hesitation
Excerpts from Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book, (American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback) recently detailed the extent to which Caleb Williams originally preferred to wind up with the Vikings rather than the Bears during last year’s draft. The 2024 No. 1 pick spoke on the subject at the outset of OTAs. 
Wickersham’s book notes how Williams’ father sought out ways to avoid heading to Chicago given the franchise’s history of poor QB development. A Combine meeting with Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings, by contrast, created a strong desire for Williams to begin his NFL career in Minnesota. Of course, that proved impossible when the Bears – who only hosted one quarterback prospect last spring – informed the former Heisman winner they would select him first overall.
“There hasn’t been a 4,000-yard passer [in Bears history],” Williams said when reflecting on his initial trepidation about joining the team (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times). “There’s all these different things that come up. Being able to have those thoughts is, I think, fair.”
The 23-year-old made it clear in his remarks that his thoughts on the situation shifted following his top 30 visit with the Bears. Williams turned his attention away from seeking out ways to avoid being drafted by Chicago and instead focused on helping end the team’s struggles. Things did not according to plan in 2024, but plenty of time remains for improvement individually and as a team to take place.
“I think you think about all of the options and you look at the history and the facts and all of these different things,” Williams added. “Those are thoughts that go through your head in those situations. All of those are thoughts. And then after I came on my visit here, it was a… deliberate and determined answer that I had: I wanted to come here.”
The Oklahoma and USC product was sacked a league-leading 68 times during his rookie campaign. The Bears have re-shaped the interior of their offensive line this offseason, one in which skill-position players (tight end Colston Loveland, receiver Luther Burden) were added with Chicago’s first two draft picks. Especially with Ben Johnson now in place as head coach, expectations will be high for the team’s offense in 2025. Williams’ development will be a central factor in the Bears’ success on that side of the ball, and a strong showing in Year 2 would of course help lead to questions and speculation about his pre-draft approach subsiding.
Vikings Extend GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Kevin O’Connell landed an extension this offseason, ensuring the Vikings will have their head coach in place for years to come. The same is now true of their general manager. 
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has agreed to a multi-year extension, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal – which the team has since announced – was signed last night, per the report. 2025 had represented the final year of Adofo-Mensah’s pact, but he will not enter the campaign in a lame duck situation.
“Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success,” a statement from co-owner Mark Wilf reads. “His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the highest level as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell arrived together in Minnesota in 2022. Their first season together produced a 13-4 record, but a home wild-card loss marked an underwhelming end to the campaign. During the following year – one in which quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles tear – Minnesota went 7-10 while cycling through a number of replacements under center to close out the season. The defining aspect of last spring for the Vikings was their decision to allow Cousins to depart in free agency and draft a long-term replacement in the form of J.J. McCarthy.
That move was another example of the extent to which Minnesota’s core has been been revamped over the past three years. In 2024 (with free agent signing Sam Darnold in place and McCarthy recovering from meniscus surgery), the Vikings went an impressive 14-3 while playing in the highly competitive NFC North. While the season again ended in the wild-card round – this time via a lopsided neutral site loss to the Rams – it came as no surprise when O’Connell received Coach of the Year honors in addition to his extension. The Vikings will keep the tandem including he and Adofo-Mensah in place while aiming to find postseason success.
That effort will see McCarthy handle starting duties despite missing his entire rookie season. The first-rounder will take charge of an offense featuring a strong skill-position group, an offensive line which has undergone multiple changes this offseason and O’Connell (who has established himself as one of the league’s top offensive minds). On defense, a unit which saw the free agent arrival of Jonathan Allen along with continued additions via the draft, expectations will remain high moving forward.
Today’s news ensures the Vikings will have stability not only on the sidelines but also in the front office. Adofo-Mensah is not the only executive affected by Friday’s developments, though. Pelissero reports Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington are each being promoted to assistant general manager. Both have operated as key aids to Adofo-Mensah during his Vikings tenure.
Grigson interviewed with the Jets for their general manager vacancy this winter. Already on the GM radar, this promotion will no doubt help him generate attention for future openings. For at least one more season, though, he and Washington will remain in place with Minnesota. Adofo-Mensah, meanwhile, is assured of continuing in his role at the helm of the Vikings for several more years.
Cowboys’ DaRon Bland Working At Slot CB; Jalen Ramsey Not On Team’s Radar
The Cowboys are dealing with a number of injuries at the cornerback position and, as a result, they have one of their best cornerbacks working outside of his usual position. Last week, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reported that All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland had been working out as a slot cornerback at Organized Team Activities. 
The team’s other usual starting corner, Trevon Diggs, is currently dealing with an injury and doesn’t have a clear timeline for his return, but it’s assumed at the moment that he will not be back for the start of training camp and may not be ready when the regular season rolls around. Additionally, third-round rookie Shavon Revel fell as far as he did, despite potential first-round talent, because of a torn ACL that forced him to miss most of his final season at East Carolina. While Revel could make his way back by camp, he’s not been available so far this summer.
These absences are not helpful at a time when the team is looking to fill a nickelback role that it had perfectly squared away in 2024. Last year, Jourdan Lewis played 606 snaps in the slot, and the next closest player didn’t even reach 100 snaps. Lewis, though, departed for Jacksonville in free agency, so now Dallas will need to find someone to replace him.
After Lewis, the next six players with the most slot snaps in 2024 were safeties and linebackers. Diggs was the next closest corner, and he only saw 28 snaps at nickel; Bland was the next cornerback with 16. Two of those safeties were starters Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker, so they’re not really options to take the role, but the third safety was backup Israel Mukuamu, who could be also an option to step up there in 2025. Watkins noted that another backup safety, Juanyeh Thomas, saw some work in the slot during OTAs, as well.
Bland prefers to play at outside cornerback, and there’s two good reasons why. The first, and most obvious, is that he’s played extremely well there. In his first two seasons, Bland reeled in 14 interceptions, returning five for touchdowns in 2023 alone. Last year didn’t see the same returns as he came back from a foot surgery that caused him to miss 10 games, but he still saw five passes defensed and graded out favorably, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in comparison to his teammates.
The second reason is that he’s heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Especially after the injury-limited season he delivered last year, Bland is going to want to make the most of his 2025 campaign, and he’ll want to do so at the more lucrative position as a boundary cornerback, a position at which he’s shown extreme aptitude. Per Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer understands where Bland’s coming from but told the media that “it is still early” and that “they don’t have all their guys out there” at the moment, so versatility is necessary.
Watkins claims that the ‘Boys have two problems to solve this summer: “another starter opposite Bland and slot corner.” One option that the team has seemingly ruled out is Dolphins trading chip Jalen Ramsey. Per Hill, a source with the team claimed that “there is nothing to the” rumors that Ramsey could be traded to Dallas.
Bills Announce Front Office Changes
Today, the Bills announced a number of promotions to their personnel and analytics staffs. While we’ve already covered a few of them, let’s go over the new information provided this morning.
So, we noted a week ago that the Bills had hired Mk Collins as player personnel coordinator, a role previously held by Andrea Gosper, because Gosper had reportedly been promoted, but at the time, we didn’t have any additional information on Gosper’s new role. Now, we know that Gosper has been promoted to assistant to the general manager.
Gosper got her start with the Bills after meeting general manager Brandon Beane and then-assistant general manager Joe Schoen at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. Thinking about going to grad school for sports nutrition at the time, she informed the two that she was interested in interning for them, if possible, and she later received a call from Schoen for a full-year role in the scouting department. Schoen’s leap of faith worked out as Gosper continues to climb the ladder in Buffalo.
Last year, R.J. Webb filled Keith Jennings‘ role as BLESTO college scout after Jennings was promoted to college area scout. A year later, Webb follows Jennings once again as he’s earned a promotion to a role as a college area scout covering the west coast. Webb started with the Bills in a scouting fellowship in 2018. His first full-time job was as player personnel coordinator before being elevated to pro scout. He held that role for four years before last year’s promotion. This time, Webb will be followed in the role of BLESTO college scout by Jay Hill. Hill formerly served in the role of scouting coordinator.
In the analytics department, Dennis Lock was promoted to vice president of football research, Luis Guilamo was promoted to senior director of application development, Warren Zorilla was promoted to assistant director of application development, and Santino Parlato was promoted to football analyst.
Lock has been with Buffalo for six years — three as director of football research & strategy and three as senior director of football research — after working for the division rival Dolphins for almost five years. Guilamo was part of the team’s initial push into analytics, joining the franchise in 2018 as director of analytics and application development. Zorilla was added shortly after Guilamo as senior developer. Parlato joined the team as a football research analyst last July.
The operations department saw a promotion, too, as Ryan Moore was named manager of football administration and operations. Moore started in Buffalo as a community relations graduate assistant for the team in 2017, serving time as community relations youth programs coordinator and COVID protocol coordinator on his way to joining the operations department as football administration & operations coordinator. He served in that role for the last three years.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/30/25
We saw another late-round draft pick signing today:
Los Angeles Rams
- RB Jarquez Hunter (fourth round, Auburn)
The Rams traded up 10 spots, giving up a sixth-round pick in the process, to take Hunter in the middle of the fourth round. Hunter joins a room that returns its three leading rushers from last year in Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, and Ronnie Rivers.
That being said, Los Angeles essentially functioned with Williams as a bell-cow in 2024, seeing as how he accounted for nearly 75 percent of the team’s rushing yards and had nearly 1,100 yards more than the next rusher on the team. Hunter will likely compete with Corum in an attempt to give the team more of an impact in the RB2 role in 2025.