S Julian Blackmon To Visit Panthers
One of the top safeties still on the market has a visit lined up. Julian Blackmon will meet with the Panthers today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Blackmon played out his rookie contract from 2020-23, operating as a starter for the Colts over that span. He profiled as one of the most accomplished (and youngest) safeties available in free agency last spring, but the position’s market did not produce much in the way of lucrative commitments. In April, Blackmon re-signed with Indianapolis on a one-year deal.
The 26-year-old played 16 games in 2024, delivering another productive campaign along the way. Blackmon posted three interceptions (tied for the team lead), 86 tackles and one fumble recovery while remaining a key member of the Colts’ secondary. That unit has seen a pair of major changes in free agency, however, with safety Camryn Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward each agreeing to multi-year deals with Indianapolis. Those investments could lead Blackmon elsewhere during his second stint on the open market.
Carolina has already added Tre’von Moehrig at the safety spot in free agency. The former Raider landed a three-year Panthers contract, and he will be expected to continue his career ascent after posting new personal highs in tackles (104) and pass breakups (10) in 2024. Carolina ranked last in total and scoring defense last season (albeit with a slightly better showing against the pass), so adding further in the secondary despite already having Moehrig would be a feasible approach.
The Panthers retained Nick Scott on the weekend, and he will again be in position to compete for a rotational role on defense as a result. Carolina – a team which lost Xavier Woods on the open market – currently has roughly $17.6MM in cap space, so a Blackmon deal could be affordable if today’s visit were to produce an offer.
Steelers A ‘Safe Bet’ To Sign Aaron Rodgers?
With interest from the Giants waning, the Steelers are now considered the favorite to land Aaron Rodgers.
It is reportedly a “safe bet” that Rodgers signs in Pittsburgh, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, though the unpredictable quarterback’s timeline remains unknown. He spent six hours visiting the Steelers last week, but left the team facility without a deal.
Neither side appears to be in any rush. The majority of free agency has concluded, and there’s still a month until the draft. Until then, Rodgers remains one of the biggest stories in football, much like his 2023 move to the Jets. He certainly doesn’t shy away from the attention, which will continue until he makes a decision. Florio even speculated that Rodgers could use an upcoming Pat McAfee Show in Pittsburgh as a launching pad for his tenure in black and yellow.
The Steelers, meanwhile, already signed Mason Rudolph as a veteran bridge or backup quarterback and could pursue a continue partnership with Russell Wilson. He is still a free agent and has emerged as an alternate option for Pittsburgh if they don’t sign Rodgers. In short, he is not the Steelers’ only option to start at quarterback in 2025.
The inverse, however, might be true. The Vikings are out on Rodgers, and he hasn’t been linked with the Titans or the Browns. No other team has a clear starting opportunity to offer. The NFL’s annual quarterback carousel has started to slow down, and when the music stops, Rodgers may have no choice but to accept the Steelers’ offer if he wants to start this season.
Shedeur Sanders Unlikely To Fall Out Of First Round; Jets, Giants, Browns, Steelers In Play
One of the more intriguing storylines in this year’s draft coverage is Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders’ stock and how long Sanders might have to wait to hear his name called after the draft opens on April 24. There has been some chatter that the scion of Colorado HC and NFL legend Deion Sanders could slip out of the first round entirely, though ESPN’s draft analysts do not expect that to happen.
In a subscribers-only roundup of the latest draft rumors, ESPN’s Jordan Reid says he does not anticipate Sanders falling past the Jets, who hold the No. 7 overall selection. New York saw its latest swing at a first-round QB prospect (Zach Wilson) fail spectacularly, a miss that undermined the fortunes of otherwise talented rosters and precipitated the failed Aaron Rodgers experiment.
Gang Green signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40MM contract earlier this month, and while there is still some hope that Fields can grow enough as a passer to sufficiently complement his running ability and to turn himself into an upper crust QB1, the short-term nature of the deal illustrates his current deficiencies in that regard. Sanders may be an imperfect prospect, but his reportedly poor performance in team interviews does not undo the touch, accuracy, and pocket presence he displayed on the field. It would thus not be terribly surprising to see the Jets’ new regime, with its 2025 starter already in place, take a shot at a high-upside talent.
One player who has been something of a forgotten man in the constant QB-related chatter surrounding the Jets is 2024 fifth-rounder Jordan Travis. Travis was in the midst of a terrific final season at Florida State in 2023 when he suffered a gruesome ankle injury that torpedoed his own draft stock. New York took a flier on him last year, though he redshirted his entire rookie season while rehabbing the injury.
According to Travis’ agent, Deiric Jackson, the Jets’ since-ousted staff rushed Travis’ rehab, thereby undermining his chances of seeing game action in 2024.
“His rehab with the Jets was not the best,” Jackson said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “They tried to rush him. It was too fast. There was pressure on the coaching staff and they tried to get him going sooner than the timeline really was. That caused the setback, and we had to shut him down completely.”
The nature of the setback Jackson mentioned is unclear, though Cimini says new HC Aaron Glenn and his staffers are excited to work with Travis. At the moment, the former Seminole is behind Fields and veteran Tyrod Taylor on the depth chart, and drafting a player like Sanders would immediately put Travis’ Jets future in doubt. But if the club takes a different route in the draft, Travis could get enough reps to prove himself worthy of at least a backup job down the road.
For all of the talk suggesting Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart or even Louisville’s Tyler Shough may have surpassed Sanders on draft boards around the league, Reid believes the Giants – who own the No. 3 overall pick – would be hard-pressed to pass on Sanders. With Cam Ward looking increasingly likely to go to the Titans at No. 1 overall, one AFC executive told Reid the Giants are praying the Browns take a top non-QB talent with the No. 2 pick, thus leaving Sanders available to be selected at No. 3. Just yesterday, we learned that Big Blue’s signing of Jameis Winston would not preclude the hot-seat tandem of GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll from signing a veteran passer like Rodgers or Russell Wilson and adding a QB via their top draft choice.
In the same subscribers-only piece cited above, ESPN’s Field Yates confirms Sanders has a legitimate chance to be a top-three choice and is unlikely to fall out of the top 10-15 selections (despite some sources expressing their worry about making Sanders a top-10 pick). Similarly, Yates and Reid colleague Matt Miller notes the chatter about a dramatic Sanders slide has not come from anyone employed by an NFL club.
Miller acknowledges the Browns remain a viable landing spot for Sanders, and he believes the Steelers and their No. 21 pick represent the prospect’s floor. Pittsburgh has designs on a championship run in 2025, as it recently acquired and extended WR D.K. Metcalf and is seemingly making a hard push for Rodgers. That said, HC Mike Tomlin’s famous streak of .500-or-better seasons rarely leaves the team in position to draft a premium QB prospect, and the 41-year-old Rodgers (and even the 36-year-old Wilson, if the Steelers revisit that possibility) are obviously short-term fixes. The pre-draft concerns that could lead to Sanders falling a bit could also represent a real opportunity for Pittsburgh, as was the case when its AFC North rival Ravens nabbed Lamar Jackson with the No. 32 pick in 2018.
Cowboys, Patriots Balked At Cooper Kupp’s Price; Pats Wrote ‘Blank Checks’ For Chris Godwin?
After veteran WR Cooper Kupp was released by the Rams, he generated a healthy market and quickly found a new club. Just two days after his release, the Super Bowl LVI MVP joined the Seahawks on a three-year, $45MM contract.
The $15MM average annual value on Kupp’s Seattle deal surpassed initial expectations. The Cowboys, who were known to be in the market for a pass-catching sidekick for CeeDee Lamb, were connected to Kupp, but even the $12MM AAV that was originally believed to be the asking price for the former Rams target was seen as too rich for Dallas’ liking.
Elaborating further on that point, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Lamb and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott called Kupp in an effort to recruit him to Dallas. Per Schefter, the club was indeed interested before bowing out due to financial considerations.
“[T]he Cowboys reached out about Cooper Kupp, and they were interested,” Schefter said on a recent podcast (via Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS). “Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who I understand it, were on the phone with Cooper Kupp talking to him about the idea of coming to Dallas, and it was floated out there. And then the Cowboys heard the numbers, and they were at numbers the Cowboys weren’t going to get to.”
With massive contracts for Prescott and Lamb already on the books and another one for Micah Parsons in the works – despite a current lack of traction on that front – Dallas’ reluctance to make additional notable commitments to its cap sheet has been well-documented. Nonetheless, the team does hope to compete for a postseason berth in 2025, and signing Parris Campbell one day after Kupp agreed to join the Seahawks may not have been an ideal consolation prize for the Cowboys’ QB1/WR1 duo (especially since Brandin Cooks has now rejoined the Saints).
Interestingly, the Patriots, who entered the offseason with easily the most cap space in the NFL and who still lead the league in that regard, were also unwilling to exceed a certain threshold for Kupp. New England has been on the lookout for a high-end receiver for some time and was named as a suitor for Kupp. However, just like the Cowboys, the Pats bowed out when it became clear how much money Kupp was going to command (as Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal implies).
Despite the season-ending ankle injury that Chris Godwin suffered in Week 7 of the 2024 season, New England seemingly had no reservations about his price point. We already knew the Pats were preparing to make an aggressive push for Godwin, who reportedly left money on the table to re-sign with the Bucs. As it turns out, he might have left quite a lot of money on the table.
In a recent appearance on 95.3 WDAE (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk), Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht said, “[t]here were several teams that inquired but there was one that kept writing him blank checks. We got to a point of what we could do in order to keep everything together and add some pieces here, and he took it.”
Naturally, Licht did not name the blank check writer, but as Smith notes, the Patriots are believed to have extended a very lucrative offer. We may never know how high New England was willing to go to land Godwin, though QB Drake Maye cannot fault the club for its efforts to add to his supporting cast.
With Godwin off the market, the Pats recently turned their attention to free agent wideout Stefon Diggs. As of the time of this writing, a deal with the four-time Pro Bowler is not imminent.
Contract Details For Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins parted ways with his agent towards the end of his contract year in 2024, raising eyebrows around the NFL.
Those eyebrows went even higher after Higgins signed with the same representation as fellow Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase. Four months later, Higgins and Chase both signed lucrative contracts to stay together with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati for the long-term.
“It was something that came together pretty quickly,” said FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who first broke news of the dual extensions. “The plan was always to get both done together.”
The Bengals were unable to reach a long-term agreement with Higgins last offseason, resulting in a franchise tag for the 2024 season. Over the last year, the team was also engaged in negotiations with Chase to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Once both players were represented by the same agency, it became clear that they were a package deal.
“It wasn’t one or the other,” explained Schultz. That gave the two receivers plenty of leverage to force concessions from Cincinnati, who ultimately obliged with a stronger guarantee structure than their previous non-quarterback contracts.
“The Bengals broke a lot of precedent,” Schultz continued. “It’s not something they’ve ever done other than Joe Burrow.”
Higgins still didn’t receive a WR1 salary, but he was willing to take less money than he would’ve earned on the open market to stay in Cincinnati. “He wanted to be a Bengal,” said Schultz. “Tee Higgins wanted to run it back with Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow.”
Chase was entering 2025 on his fifth-year option, so his four-year, $161MM extension will keep him in Cincinnati through 2029. The total guaranteed money is $109.8MM, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, with $73.8MM guaranteed at signing.
The deal contains a $22MM signing bonus and a $10MM roster bonus, as well as $1MM in per-game roster bonuses and $100k in workout bonuses in each year of the deal that are fully-guaranteed in 2025. Combined with his fully-guaranteed 2025 salary of $8.07MM, Chase’s first-year cash flow can reach $41.17MM. His $17.73MM salary and $15MM option bonus in 2026 are also fully-guaranteed, with void years in 2030 and 2031 to prorate those bonuses.
If Chase is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, his per-game and workout bonuses for 2026 and 2027 will become fully-guaranteed, along with his $23.9MM salary and $5MM roster bonus in 2027. If he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league year, $7MM of his $31.8MM 2028 salary will become fully-guaranteed. The contract also contains a $250k incentive in each year that can be earned if Chase plays 65% of the Bengals’ offensive snaps and the team wins the Super Bowl.
Higgins was set to earn $26.2MM in 2025 after being tagged for the second season in a row. His new contract is worth $115MM over four years for a $28.75MM APY that ranks ninth at his position. The only fully-guaranteed money at signing is a $10MM roster bonus in 2026, per Florio, though a $20MM roster bonus in 2025 was due five days after signing, making it practically guaranteed. The deal also contains $2MM in per-game roster bonuses and $100k in workout bonuses in each year.
Higgins is due a $13.8MM salary in 2025, bringing his first-year cash flow to $35.9MM. His 2026 salary of $10.9MM becomes fully-guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, but the remainder of his compensation is not guaranteed. That includes a base salary of $19.2MM and a roster bonus of $5MM in 2027 and a base salary of $27.3MM in 2026.
The contract also includes incentives for playing time and postseason success. If Higgins plays 65% of the Bengals’ offensive snaps and the team makes the Super Bowl, he will earn $1MM. If he reaches the same playing time and the Bengals win the Super Bowl, he will earn $1.7MM.
Cowboys Notes: Murray, Prescott, Overshown
Kenneth Murray‘s trade to the Cowboys came as a surprise to the 26-year-old linebacker, but he has no complaints about playing in Dallas.
“I’ve always loved the Cowboys,” said Murray (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). “I grew up a Cowboys fan. My whole family are Cowboys fans. So this is definitely a dream for me playing here.”
Murray was born outside of Houston in 1998. Though the Texans would become the NFL’s 32nd team a year later, Murray was still raised supporting America’s Team. He just wasn’t planning to play for them anytime soon.
“It was extremely surprising for me, just because I wasn’t expecting it,” continued Murray. After will compete for a starting job in Dallas as DeMarvion Overshown recovers from last season’s knee injury.
- Overshown underwent extensive surgery in December to repair a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in his right knee. The Cowboys won’t rush him back to the field, but he is planning to play next season. “I’ll be back playing football for sure in 2025,” said Overshown, per Machota. “And it won’t be in December. It will be before that.” The exact timeline for his return remains uncertain given the severity of his injury.
- Dak Prescott doesn’t have a clear timeline, either, but he is on track to return by the beginning of the regular season. “I’ll be ready for the first game and when anything matters and very, very ready,” said Prescott (via Cowboys team writer Patrik Walker). He missed most of the 2024 season with a partial avulsion of his right hamstring that required surgery.
- Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey also underwent minor shoulder surgery this offseason, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. Obviously, shoulder surgery isn’t expected to have a major impact on a kicker, but any procedure brings potential complications with it. The Cowboys know that all too well after Brandin Cooks missed multiple games last season due to a infection resulting from injections in his right knee.
- In non-injury news, the Cowboys are expected to keep Cooper Beebe at center in 2025, per Machota. Beebe primarily played left guard at Kansas State, but started 16 games at center for the Cowboys as a rookie in 2024. Brock Hoffman and Jack Anderson both have experience at the position, but neither profiles as a better starting option than Beebe.
Jihaad Campbell Underwent Shoulder Surgery After Combine
Projected first-rounder Jihaad Campbell underwent surgery after the NFL Combine to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Campbell could be seen wearing a shoulder spring during Alabama’s pro day on March 19.
It is unknown when Campbell suffered the injury. The 21-year-old linebacker played in all 13 of Alabama’s games last season, racking up 117 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks. He also impressed at the Combine with a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and a 10’7″ broad jump.
Campbell’s surgery should not dramatically affect his draft stock, though teams may want to get a better look at his medicals before investing a first round pick. The recovery period for a torn labrum can vary, but it is unlikely that Campbell will heal up in time to participate in rookie minicamp or OTAs this summer.
His status for training camp may even be in doubt, and though he may be close to full health by the start of the regular season, his new team may take a cautious approach to his initial playing time. Not only would they want to avoid a setback, but it is also notoriously difficult for college linebackers to mentally acclimate to the NFL. Missing some or all of training camp could make that transition even harder.
Even after the surgery, Campbell is widely expected to be selected in the first round of April’s draft given his upside as an uber-athletic three-down linebacker. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Buccaneers could be a potential landing spot at the 19th overall pick. The team needs to find a successor to 35-year-old Lavonte David, and doing so this year with Campbell has multiple benefits.
First, David could mentor Campbell during his rookie year, helping him learn the defense and adjust to the NFL’s level of play. David would serve as the MIKE linebacker and defensive play-caller, allowing Campbell to focus on his assignment while developing as a leader.
Campbell would also be an excellent fit under Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. His defense blitzes at one of the highest rates in the league, and Campbell’s ability to rush the passer off the edge or as an off-ball linebacker would give Bowles a versatile chess piece to scheme up pressure.
Giants Unlikely To Sign Aaron Rodgers?
The Giants made one move at the quarterback spot by adding Jameis Winston on a two-year deal. That pact does not ensure him a starting role, however, and New York remains in the market for another passer via free agency and/or the first round of the draft. 
[RELATED: Giants Among Potential Landing Spots For Shedeur Sanders]
As a result, the veterans still on the market remain worth monitoring. 2024 Steelers starter Russell Wilson is on the radar of the Giants (along with the Browns), and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio confirms a deal could be in play sending him to New York. As for Aaron Rodgers, though, the situation is somewhat different.
Florio’s report notes the Giants are still in contention for Rodgers but adds it “seems unlikely” an agreement will be reached. The 41-year-old spent the past two years with the Jets, but as expected his time with the team ended with a post-June 1 release. In the wake of the opening stages of free agency – during which the Jets replaced Rodgers with Justin Fields, leaving the Steelers to pursue a different avenue under center – Rodgers has represented the key domino on the market. A Pittsburgh visit took place on Friday, and no other meetings are planned at this point.
With that said, nothing is considered imminent on the Rodgers front for the Steelers or any other team. The Vikings gave serious thought to signing him, but at this point an offer should not be expected. The Giants have already submitted one to Rodgers, and it is believed to be stronger than the one the Steelers made early in free agency and have not yet altered. New York has roughly $17MM in cap space at the moment, putting the team near the bottom of the league in terms of spending power.
The Steelers, by contrast, have nearly $41MM available. Pittsburgh has reunited with Mason Rudolph at the quarterback spot with Wilson looming as a fallback option should a Rodgers deal not be worked out. The Giants no longer representing a strong suitor for the latter would point even further to the Steelers being his top potential landing spot for 2025.
Panthers Interested In OLB Mykel Williams?
The Panthers have not done much to add along the edge so far this offseason. Patrick Jones represents the only free agent signing so far, and while further moves could be coming the draft looms as a means of making a long-term investment. 
Carolina owns the No. 8 pick in next month’s draft, and the flashes shown by second-year quarterback Bryce Young and the team’s offense at the end of last season led the team to focus on defensive additions earlier this month. Deals for the likes of safety Tre’von Moehrig along with defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown should help the Panthers improve the league’s worst total and scoring defense from 2024.
With little having taken place on the open market regarding the edge rush group, the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum will remain key figures in that regard. Jones – who notched a career-high seven sacks last season – will also be counted on to improve Carolina’s 32 sacks from 2024. A number of options will be on the board when the Panthers use their first selection in the draft, though.
With that in mind, Joe Person of The Athletic writes Carolina has a “real interest” in Mykel Williams (subscription required). The Georgia product is one of several edge rushers viewed as strong candidates to be selected in the first round, and he will be among the top options left when Abdul Carter hears his name called (which will no doubt happen before the Panthers are on the clock barring a trade up the order). Williams is among the prospects likely to be considered at No. 8, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda adds.
A former five-star recruit, Williams’ size (6-5, 260 pounds) and athleticism give him some of the highest upside amongst edge rushers in the 2025 class. He posted 4.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, but a lingering ankle injury limited his production in 2024. Williams recorded five sacks and nine tackles for loss, figures short of what many other Day 1 prospects managed but enough for a second-team All-SEC nod. Still, a top-10 selection will be on the table if Carolina’s interest in him holds through the rest of the pre-draft process.
Pauline’s latest mock draft (along with that of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.) has the Panthers looking to Georgia with their top pick but instead selecting hybrid linebacker/edge rusher Jalon Walker. He will be worth watching closely as Carolina continues to line up top-30 visits over the coming days, but the same is also true of Williams.
Raiders Not Close To Free Agent WR Addition
The Raiders’ offense has undergone several changes this offseason, with the trade for quarterback Geno Smith being the most impactful one. Questions still loom at the receiver position, but movement on that front does not appear to be close. 
[RELATED: Raiders, Smith Could Be Close To Extension Agreement]
Nothing is imminent regarding a free agent receiver signing, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes. Upgrading at the position is seen as a need given the team’s post-Davante Adams setup at the position, and with more than $50MM in cap space affording a veteran would not be a problem. Vegas could instead elect to wait until the draft to add at the skill positions, Bonsignore adds.
In general, the Raiders have not been active regarding splashy additions so far this offseason (with the exception of Smith, of course). That approach has been by design, with The Athletic’s Vic Tafur noting the team did not view the 2025 free agent class as an overly attractive one (subscription required). That view was popular amongst many in the NFL, as showcased by the number of notable players who re-signed before the negotiating period even began.
Vegas has seen the likes of Tre’von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs, Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo depart on defense in free agency. Replacements like Jeremy Chinn, Eric Stokes and Elandon Roberts represent short-term options, but they were not acquired via big-ticket deals. As Tafur notes, the new regime led by general manager John Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll and minority owner Tom Brady prioritized adding 2026 compensatory picks when planning its spending for free agency. As such, future moves involving a large financial commitment would come as a surprise.
The trade which sent Adams to the Jets left the Raiders with Jakobi Meyers as their top receiver, and he is under contract for one more season. Tre Tucker and Kyle Phillips are also on the books, but they are best suited to complementary roles behind Meyers and an addition on the WR depth chart. Options still on the market include Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper; many have pointed to the Raiders as a landing spot for Tyler Lockett following his Seahawks release since that would allow him to reunite with Carroll.
A modest, short-term investment in one of those veterans is certainly feasible given the Raiders’ cap space. If one is not made soon, though, the draft will become an increasingly important avenue to upgrade the team’s passing game.