Browns Rookie QBs Likely To Receive Fewer Reps In OTAs
As the Browns look forward to Organized Team Activities, head coach Kevin Stefanski reflected on what he’s seen thus far in the team’s offseason program. According to ESPN’s Tony Grossi, Stefanski seemed to indicate that the narrative that all four quarterbacks will be competing for the starting job is losing steam. 
Technically, Cleveland rosters five quarterbacks. Incumbent starter Deshaun Watson remains under contract with the Browns, but there’s a decent chance he won’t be available in 2025. The 29-year-old’s lackluster 2024 campaign ended when he suffered an Achilles tendon tear, and when news of a second Achilles tear surfaced in January, his availability for next season immediately came into question. He can’t be entirely ruled out, though, as we saw reports this week that Watson had shed his walking boot and resumed throwing.
That being said, Watson will not be a factor during the remainder of the team’s offseason program. The four passers participating this summer are veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. With so many low-dollar contracts involved, one would think that he starting job is up for grabs and anyone’s to take. That doesn’t appear to be the case, per Stefanski’s comments.
When asked how reps will be divided among the four, Stefanski gave the impression that it will not be done with an even 25 percent split. “It’s not going to be that way,” he told reporters. “The big thing for us is making sure we give the guys enough reps that they need, making sure they have enough for both learning the system and developing and for us to evaluate them.”
It looks like the veterans, Flacco and Pickett, will get the majority of the reps, and Gabriel and Sanders will need to make up for their lack of playing time with virtual reality technology via the team’s new virtual walk-through room. It seems the virtual reality trend, made popular by Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, is extending its reach. Daniels adopted the practice at LSU and made its implementation a requirement for any team that drafted him. As a result, Daniels turned in one of the greatest rookie seasons we’ve seen out of a quarterback, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and taking Washington to the NFC Championship.
The Browns will count on this technology now to help bring their rookies up to NFL speed. “VR can be a big tool, especially for young players,” Stefanski said. “It’s really dependent on the player, how they like it. That’s something we’ll definitely be working with the next three weeks.”
Stefanski didn’t give a timeline for when the team will make its decisions. Grossi points out that two-day joint practice sessions with other teams serve as crucial practices for Stefanski’s decision-making, and the Brown will get two such sessions before their preseason games with the Panthers and Eagles. He did say, though, that the staff would make a plan for training camp based on what they see in the next month or so.
At the moment, it seems Flacco’s experience gives him the edge. The 40-year-old passer has 17 seasons of NFL play under his belt, has won a Super Bowl, and has successful experience as the starting quarterback in Cleveland’s system. From there, the next few weeks will be crucial for Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders to establish themselves and gain ground in the position battle.
Roger Goodell: No CBA Talks Planned
The current collective bargaining agreement runs through 2030, leaving plenty of time for negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA to take place on several issues. Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear when speaking at the recent owners meetings an effort to begin serious talks on the next CBA are not lined up. 
“There are no formal plans on any discussions,” Goodell said (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “We obviously continue to be in close communication with the union on a variety of matters, but no start of negotiations have been set or are under consideration really at this point.”
[RELATED: Latest Goodell Extension Expected To Receive Approval]
Goodell has made no secret about the league’s key goals for the next CBA. Expansion to an 18-game regular season is among them, although the players association as expected is not looking to agree to that without significant concessions being made. Increasing the NFL’s international footprint is also high on the agenda. Staging as many as 16 regular season games outside the United States annually within the next five years was named as a target by Goodell this week.
Goodell said he and the owners spoke “at length” about two key matters. The first was the salary cap, and the second was the ongoing spike in costs with respect to owning and operating NFL franchises. The cap ceiling was $120.4MM when the 2011 CBA was signed; that figure stands at $279.2MM for the coming campaign. Further surges are expected in the near future once the newest round of media rights deals are agreed to.
With the cost of roster building continuing to increase and franchise values spiking, a number of teams have turned to private equity funds for an infusion of cash. Stakes of up to 10% in NFL teams recently became permissible, and a small list of equity firms are in position to take on a non-controlling share in franchises. It would come as no surprise if the trend of such transactions continued over the coming years.
In the meantime, owners will look into measures related to the salary cap and operating expenses (which will no doubt include, crucially, the share of revenue between the league and the PA). Goodell noted no discussions about expanding the schedule took place this week in Minneapolis, but that topic can be expected to remain a point of emphasis moving forward. When a strong push to open up CBA talks is made, it will be interesting to see how the NFLPA responds.
Cowboys RB Javonte Williams Addresses Knee Recovery
Javonte Williams showed plenty of potential during his rookie season. A 2022 knee injury which included ACL and LCL tears has proven to be a major hindrance since then, however. 
Williams was limited to just four games in his second Broncos campaign as a result of the injury, and he was unable to regain his previous efficiency during the 2023 and ’24 seasons (3.6, then 3.7 yards per carry). While the former second-round wanted to remain in Denver, it came as little surprise when he departed in free agency. The Cowboys added him on a one-year, $3MM pact as part of their backfield renovations.
The terms of that deal illustrate the extent to which Williams’ value was impacted by the injury and its lingering effects. The 25-year-old managed to play 16 games in his first season upon returning to action and he appeared in every contest last year. Williams nevertheless feels better now than he did at any point over the past two years.
“I feel completely like myself,” he said (via the team’s website). “I probably can get more flexible and things like that, but as far as healing up, that I feel like is done. It just depends on who you are, it depends on your body… mine might take this amount of time, but somebody else might be different.”
There are of course plenty of examples of players enjoying a true return to form during their second season after a major injury like an ACL tear. Williams’ underwhelming showing in 2024 (859 scrimmage yards, four total touchdowns) came about while he handled a similar snap share to the other three years of his career, however. With a drop in workload not contributing to his statistical output, the North Carolina product will aim to spark a resurgence in Dallas another year removed the injury.
The Cowboys also inked Miles Sanders to a one-year pact, meaning he will look to help replace Rico Dowdle‘s production in 2025. Rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will provide depth to a backfield which is unlikely to see any further additions at this point in the offseason. If Williams is able to rebound this year, a much more lucrative free agent market will await him next spring.
Panthers Part Ways With DPP Cole Spencer, Scout Robert Haines
One of several teams making front office changes in the wake of the NFL draft, the Panthers have reportedly parted ways with director of player personnel Cole Spencer and long-time college scout Robert Haines, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
Starting his football career in football operations and coaching at Eastern Illinois, Spencer entered the NFL as a scouting intern for Washington in 2010. A year later, he was promoted to a regional scouting role, and he spent the next eight years scouting the northeast, midwest, and southeast regions. He spent his last two years in Washington as a national scout. Spencer left the Football Team to join the Panthers in 2021 as director of college scouting. Carolina promoted him to director of player personnel in 2023.
A local product, Haines has been with the Panthers for all 22 seasons of his career. He first started in Carolina with the team’s video department. In 2005, he moved into the personnel department as a college scouting assistant, getting promoted to pro scouting assistant in 2007, combine scout in 2008, and regional scout in 2010. For 11 seasons, Haines covered the northeast area (the source of Boston College product Luke Kuechly) before moving to the southeast area in 2021. In the final three seasons of his career, Haines served as a national scout.
While no announcements have been made as of yet, Person adds that the Panthers intend to “absorb” these positions internally with no immediate plans to replace Spencer or Haines. This means their responsibilities could end up just falling to existing personnel like director of college scouting Jared Kirksey and assistant director of college scouting David Whittington.
Chiefs Promote Mike Bradway, Chris Shea To Assistant GM
This offseason saw the Chiefs lose assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi as he earned his first general manager role with the Titans. In the wake of Borgonzi’s exit, Kansas City made a number of promotions, using two of them to fill Borgonzi’s vacated role, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. 
The assistant general manager role will now officially be shared by Mike Bradway and Chris Shea. Bradway joined the organization in 2018 after 10 years in the Eagles front office. He made a lateral move to join the team his father, former Jets general manager Terry Bradway, worked for from 1992-2000, accepting the assistant director of personnel position. In 2020, he shared the assistant director of player personnel role with current Bears general manager Ryan Poles, getting promoted to director in 2021. He’s served the last three seasons as senior director of player personnel and is now a step closer to following in his father’s footsteps of landing a general manager job.
A licensed attorney in the state of New York, Shea has worked in football for 34 years, starting as a coach in minor roles at Boston College and Harvard before shifting to recruiting in a return to Boston College, where he earned his Bachelors. He also spent time as an operations/equipment intern in the Panthers’ inaugural season. While earning his law degree at Hofstra, Shea returned to the NFL, serving as a pro personnel assistant for the Jets then a scouting consultant for the Cowboys. For a short time after, Shea worked for the NFL Management Council, focusing on player grievances and litigation.
In 2008, Shea return to a front office role, joining the Dolphins and serving as player personnel coordinator, player personnel administrator, and eventually, assistant director of pro personnel. Utilizing his scouting and legal experience, Shea coordinated scouting, legal, salary cap management, information technology, and analytics efforts for the Dolphins. He then joined the Eagles as director of scouting administration/strategic management in 2015 before changing his focus from strategic management to personnel scout for the two following seasons.
Shea joined Bradway in his leaving the Eagles for Kansas City in 2018. He served three years as football operations counsel and personnel executive, three years as vice president of football operations/team counsel, and last year as senior vice president of football operations and strategy. Based on their different areas of expertise and experience, it looks like Bradway will focus more on the scouting side of things as assistant GM while Shea focuses on a litany of areas ranging from salary cap management to analytics in his role as assistant GM.
In addition to the promotions of Bradway and Shea, the Chiefs saw two slightly more nominal promotions as Tim Terry and Ryne Nutt both were elevated to vice president of player personnel. Terry and Nutt were already in position as directors of player personnel with Terry’s focus on pro personnel and Nutt’s focus on college scouting. While the promotions aren’t likely to change their responsibilities with the team, the title change probably serves as an opportunity to give each staffer a substantial raise.
The Chiefs also reportedly hired Dru Grigson to serve in the role of senior college/pro scouting executive. The son of Vikings senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson, Grigson will rejoin an NFL front office after seemingly sitting out the 2024 NFL season following his parting of ways with the Cardinals, where he last worked as player personnel director.
Lastly, Breer reports that the Chiefs have promoted Marc Richards from football research analyst to director of football research and development. Richards previously worked in the NBA in the strategic planning group in basketball operations for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He joined the Chiefs in his prior role in 2022.
NFC North Notes: Reed, Bears, Lions, Vikes
Since trading Davante Adams to the Raiders in 2022, the Packers have relied on the draft to add wide receivers rather than pursuing veteran talent.
They did so once again this year, drafting Matthew Golden with the 22nd overall pick and double-dipping with Savion Williams in the third round (No. 87 overall). Those picks raised questions about the future of their current receiver corps. Both Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are entering the last year of their rookie contracts, and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are schedule to hit free agency after the 2026 season.
That uncertainty caused Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to meet with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst in an effort to “clarify the wide receiver’s status in Green Bay,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Reed was the team’s leading receiver in his first two NFL seasons, and the Packers intend to keep him in that role moving forward.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed surprise when asked about Reed by NBC Sports’ Chris Simms and praised the 2023 second-rounder’s leadership and production in Green Bay.
“He’s coaching up Matthew Golden, so he’s a guy I don’t worry about,” said LaFleur.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- Isaiah Simmons‘ versatility was one of the main reasons that he was a top-10 pick in 2020, but he has struggled to find a positional fit in the NFL. He signed with the Packers this offseason and will play linebacker in Green Bay, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. Simmons spent his first five years in the NFL in a hybrid box/slot role; streamlining his responsibilities at LB could help him unlock his athleticism and finally live up to his draft billing.
- Lions second-round pick Tate Ratledge primarily played guard at Georgia and will compete for starting jobs with veteran Graham Glasgow and 2024 sixth-rounder Christian Mahogany as a rookie, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley added that Ratledge would also see time at center during OTAs to train for a backup role to Frank Ragnow.
- Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said that rookie Shemar Turner will focus on playing along the interior of the defensive line before the team tests his edge versatility (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network). Turner lined up off the edge at Texas Tech in 2022 and 2023 before bulking up for interior work in 2024. Chicago has depth at both spots this year, but they’re thinner at DT in the long-term, which is where Turner will spend most of his time. Still, his athleticism and experience should give him a chance to contribute as an edge defender at some point in his NFL career.
- A jury trial for Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has been scheduled for June 16 in the Superior Court of California, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Addison received a citation for a DUI in July 2024 and pleaded not guilty in December.
NFL Contract Notes: OL Award, Olympics, Rookie Bonuses, Collusion
MAY 24: Protector of the Year will be determined by a prestigious panel of former NFL offensive linemen based on the following five criteria (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe): “skills, metrics, impact, leadership, ability, and strength of the opponents.”
Whitworth, who helped developed the award, will be on the panel. It also includes Orlando Pace and Will Shields, who are already in the Hall of Fame, and Jason Kelce, who is all but certain to join them once he’s eligible. The last two members, LeCharles Bentley and Shaun O’Hara, are less legendary offensive linemen, but both earned at least two Pro Bowls in their career and have remained connected with the league since their retirement.
MAY 23: The NFL is creating a new end-of-year award for offensive linemen called Protector of the Year, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said that current Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins and former Rams and Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth were key advocates for establishing the new honor.
Protector of the Year will be a welcome addition to the NFL’s annual awards season, which has largely focused on quarterbacks for Most Valuable Player and skill positions for Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. Offensive linemen typically have to settle for for Pro Bowl or All-Pro nods, as they almost never contend for the main awards slate despite their impact on the field.
It’s unclear if Protector of the Year will have any more value for its recipients than league-wide recognition. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement only allows specific awards to be used as player incentives in contracts, as noted by OverTheCap’s Nick Korte. The new award is not listed in the current CBA and could only be added if the NFLPA agrees.
Here is the latest news pertaining to contracts from around the league:
- The NFLPA will also have to navigate player participation in flag football at the 2028 Olympics, which owners unanimously approved earlier this week. “We look forward to working with the league, IFAF, and Olympic authorities on the terms of their participation to ensure players who compete will do so with protections to their health, safety, and job,” said NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell in a statement (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). Those protections will be central to negotiations between the league and its players, who want to play in the Olympics without losing the financial security of their contracts.
- NFL rookies are receiving significantly larger signing bonuses in 2025 compared to previous years, according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. For example, No. 3 pick Abdul Carter received a $29.5MM signing bonus from the Giants, more than Caleb Williams got from the Bears as the first overall pick last year. Fourth and fifth overall picks Will Campbell and Mason Graham are also expected to surpass Williams’ signing bonus when they put pen to paper on their first pro contracts. The league’s undrafted rookie reservation – each team’s pool of signing bonus money for UDFAs – went up to $206K this year, a more-than 25% increase from 2024, per Corry. Teams have rarely used up all of their UDFA bonus money, instead preferring to guarantee base salary with offsets if a player is waived and signed by another team, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald.
- The NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the NFL regarding fully-guaranteed contracts for quarterbacks has been resolved, according to Florio. An arbitrator found that the league “encouraged teams not to do guaranteed contracts,” but that did not result in a significant impact on players – namely, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray. In short, the ruling indicates that the NFL did engage in collusion to avoid fully-guaranteed contracts, but those efforts did not hurt players enough to trigger damages.
Texans To Keep Aireontae Ersery At OT
The Texans are planning to keep second-round pick Aireontae Ersery at offensive tackle to begin his NFL career, though he may not earn a starting job right away.
“Really liked his tape in college at tackle,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans of his rookie offensive lineman (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). “He played left tackle, so we’ll start him out at tackle and see how he does there. My vision for him was always he can help us at tackle.”
The Texans believe that Ersery could be their next franchise left tackle after trading Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders this offseason. Cam Robinson is earning $12MM and will likely start this year, but his one-year deal indicates that the team doesn’t see him as a long-term option. Same goes for Trent Brown, who only has $550k of guaranteed money and will likely have to earn a roster spot as a swing tackle, not a starter.
Enter Ersery, who started 38 straight games at left tackle to end his career at Minnesota. His height and weight meet NFL standards for offensive tackles, but his 33.5-inch arms are shorter than the rest of his 6-foot-6, 331-pound frame suggest. Ersery’s performance at the Combine, including a 5.01-second 40-yard dash, showed that he has the athleticism to keep playing tackle in Houston.
“With Tae, we add a guy who brings that physicality, that mindset, that I really think helps offensive linemen be good at their job,” continued Ryans. “He’s done a great job at playing left tackle and still has room to grow and develop. I’m excited about adding him.”
Ideally, Ersery would spend his rookie season improving his technique and adjusting to NFL competition before taking over on the blind side in 2026. He could then pair with 2024 second-rounder Blake Fisher – who took over for Tytus Howard at right tackle last season after Houston’s Week 14 bye – in 2026 and beyond. Finding bookend tackles in the second round in consecutive years would be an excellent way to revamp C.J. Stroud‘s protection unit at an affordable price tag as he nears extension eligibility.
Could Ersery play guard? His offensive line coach at Minnesota, Brian Callahan (no relation to the Titans’ head coach) thinks so.
“I’m sure he could,” said Callahan (via Wilson) . “I think he’s a tackle, but I do think that he has the ability to play elsewhere. I feel like he could definitely play guard, for sure.”
Houston shored up their guard depth by trading for Ed Ingram and signing Laken Tomlinson this offseason. Howard started the final five games of the season at left guard, too, so Ersery would only flip inside in an emergency. He might be too tall to develop at guard in the long-term, though the Ravens converted Daniel Faalele, another behemoth former Minnesota OT, to right guard last summer.
The Texans will hope that their current guard depth is enough to get through the whole season without deploying Ersery on the interior, allowing him to focus on developing at left tackle with an eye on the future.
Brock Purdy Addresses 49ers Extension
Much of the 49ers’ offseason contract work has been taken care of well before training camp. That includes the long-term extension recently worked out with quarterback Brock Purdy. 
That five-year, $265MM pact ties Purdy to San Francisco through 2030 and ensures his earnings on his second NFL pact will vastly outweigh his first. The former ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ will receive a $40MM signing bonus, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details. Other notable payouts include option bonuses due in 2026 ($37.75MM), 2027 ($15MM) and 2028 ($20MM).
Purdy is assured of $100MM at signing, and the outstanding money which is not already locked in for 2027 ($15.35MM) will shift from an injury to a full guarantee on April 1, 2026. A $55.05MM injury guarantee exists for 2028, but $5MM of that total will be fully locked in early if Purdy handles at least a 50% snap share and the 49ers win the Super Bowl this year or next. Of his 2029 compensation, $7.15MM will become a full guarantee on April 1, 2028, with the remaining $5MM vesting one year later. Workout and roster bonuses are present throughout the deal, which includes a non-guaranteed base salary of $49.05MM in its final year.
With an average annual value of $53MM, this deal moves Purdy near the top of the market for quarterback compensation. His pact nevertheless falls short of similar ones signed before this offseason, and considering the trend of QB contracts leapfrogging each other as the cap continues to surge this can be viewed as a team-friendly arrangement. That is particularly true in 2027 when it comes to cashflow – which will stand at $110MM in new money at that point – as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes.
“We want to make sure that we’re working together with our organization and setting up everybody for success,” Purdy said when speaking to the media about his extension (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “It’s not just for me to get all the money as much as I can, but also, hey, let’s surround yourself with a great team and players and a great locker room, and all those things mattered.”
In addition to a major spike in pay and a series of rolling guarantees, Purdy’s deal contains a no-trade clause. A number of other terms had been agreed to in the days leading up to the agreement, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Just prior to the deal being signed, though, other elements – one of those likely being the clause – came up in negotiations. Franchise quarterbacks receiving no-trade clauses is nothing new, but Purdy’s deal is the first in 49ers history to include one.
“I think it’s important, yes, but also that’s something that my agent and I had discussed with what other quarterbacks have around the league and stuff in their contract,” the 25-year-old added during his press conference (via Florio). “But, for me, was it going to be a determining factor in signing it or not? No. We were very grateful that we had it in there, but… everything else that the contract entails we’re extremely excited about, so we’re just grateful how it turned out.”
Given the structure of the deal, the 49ers will have Purdy in place atop the depth chart for at least the next three seasons. San Francisco’s first opportunity to move on from the Iowa State product will come during the 2028 offseason before his next round of guarantees kicks in, as a release would yield over $41MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of only $16MM. If things go according to plan for team and player, though, such a move will not receive consideration.
Lions, Aidan Hutchinson Likely To Accelerate Extension Talks
Aidan Hutchinson confirmed yesterday that he has received full medical clearance. That positive but expected development will allow his attention to turn to the matter of a Lions extension. 
The expectation remained amongst team and player that a full recovery would take place well in advance of the 2025 campaign. With that now being official, a long-term pact can be sought by both parties. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes that while some extension talks have already taken place, they can be expected to heat up given Hutchinson’s full recovery (video link).
Given the Lions’ decision to pick up the former No. 2 pick’s fifth-year option, plenty of time remains for a deal to be worked out on that front. However, the 2025 offseason has already seen the top of the edge rush market jump twice (with Maxx Crosby, then Myles Garrett, signing extensions). $40MM annually now represents the top price point at the position, and other veterans such as T.J. Watt (Steelers) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are in line to secure new pacts soon.
Whereas Garrett, Watt and Hendrickson are each entering their age-30 seasons, Hutchinson will only be 25 by Week 1. That age gap makes Micah Parsons a better comparable situation in this case. The Cowboys’ top extension priority will turn 26 next week, and he is in position to remain one of the league’s top sack artists over the course of his next contract. If the Lions are confident the same will hold true of Hutchinson in 2025 and beyond, a monster accord should be in store.
When speaking about the direction of the pass rush market earlier this offseason, general manager Brad Holmes noted Detroit was anticipating such a jump while budgeting for a Hutchinson extension. A deal at or around the top of the pecking order will take into account the Michigan alum’s production to date – 28.5 sacks, 119 QB pressures in 39 games – while also anticipating further development into an All-Pro performer. That should not prove to be much of a logical leap, considering the fact Hutchinson was in the early Defensive Player of the Year conversation prior to suffering a broken leg five games into the 2024 campaign.
Finding a consistent complementary edge rusher during Hutchinson’s career has proven to be a challenge for the Lions. Even if Marcus Davenport manages to put together a healthy season in 2025, though, much of the team’s success on defense will depend on Hutchinson’s level of play. It will be interesting to see if he will have a new deal in hand by the time the campaign begins.