HEADLINES

Derek Carr Gauged Market Before Retiring

May 16th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Derek Carr and the Saints found clarity with the recent decision for the veteran quarterback to hang up his cleats. That move came after potential opportunities outside New Orleans were sought out.

Carr’s representatives reached out to at least two teams in the market for a signal-caller this offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Katherine Terrell report. The 34-year-old had not received formal permission to seek a trade, per the report, but the possibility loomed during the spring that a parting of ways could be in store. New Orleans had Carr on the books for 2025 and beyond, and the team did not see informal contact with suitors as an issue.

Conversations with potentially interested teams did not reach a serious point, something which seemed to set the stage for a third Carr campaign as the Saints’ starter. The four-time Pro Bowler declined to accept a pay cut, making his contract a cumbersome one for suitors to take on in a trade. As new head coach Kellen Moore prepared for his first season at the helm, it remained unclear whether or not Carr would be in place. The report notes minimal communication took place between team and player this offseason, one in which Carr did not take part in voluntary workouts despite a new offense being installed.

A left hand injury was noted during the 2024 campaign as Carr missed the end of the year. Nothing was mentioned during or after the season, however, about the issue affecting his throwing shoulder which ultimately ended his playing days. Barring something unforeseen, Carr is not expected to return to the NFL after 11 years in the league. The report notes the shoulder injury was not a topic of conversation during talks with outside teams while adding retirement was still under consideration even before knowledge of the ailment became widespread.

Once the commitment was made on the former Raider’s part to end his career, talks on a financial agreement took place shortly before the draft. Carr wound up retaining his $10MM roster bonus from this year, but he will not receive the $30MM in guaranteed salary he was owed for the campaign. A source close to him noted “integrity” prevented Carr from choosing to collect that money during a season in which he will not play.

In the end, the Saints are now in position to transition at quarterback after planning on one more year with Carr under center. Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and second-round rookie Tyler Shough will take part in an open training camp competition as the team looks to find a new young core to build around. That effort may well have started next offseason, but the unexpected Carr departure has accelerated it at the QB spot in particular.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/16/25

May 16th, 2025 at 8:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s only mid- to late-round draft pick signing from the 2025 NFL Draft:

Cleveland Browns

Fannin holds outstanding potential as a third-round pick for Cleveland. After a quiet freshman year for the Falcons, Fannin earned first-team All-MAC honors despite missing two games in his sophomore campaign with 44 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns. In 2024, Fannin took his impressive play even further as he outpaced all of the NCAA’s best receivers with a nation-leading 119.6 yards per game, a nation-leading 117 receptions, a nation-leading 1,555 yards, and 10 touchdowns. For comparison, first-round tight ends Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren averaged 58.2 and 77.1 yards per game, respectively.

Regardless, Fannin was the sixth tight end taken off the board. A reason for that is likely because he lacks the size to be an effective in-line blocker in the NFL. Fannin’s best use would likely be as a type of H-back, thanks to his explosiveness as a pass catcher.

The Browns already have David Njoku, who made a Pro Bowl just two years ago, but they also got some disturbing déjà vu when he missed six games last year. Njoku hasn’t played in every game of a season since his first two years in the league. Since then, Njoku has missed 26 out of 100 possible games. He’d been better from 2021-23, missing only four games over that three-year span, but last year was a reminder of what’s ailed the Browns offense in the past, and Fannin may be an attempt to prevent too much lost production should Njoku struggle with his health again.

Fannin is the first of Cleveland’s seven drafted rookies to sign their initial four-year contracts.

49ers Add K Greg Joseph

May 16th, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers grabbed quite a few headlines when they used a third-round pick on Michigan kicker Jake Moody two years ago. Through two seasons, Moody has not exactly inspired confidence in his long-term prospects at the position. According to NFL agent Brett Tessler, San Francisco has signed his client, Greg Joseph, as some offseason competition for Moody on a one-year deal.

Joseph has been in the NFL since 2018, playing for six teams in that time, including three in just the last year. Counting teams he rostered with but failed to play for, the 49ers will be his 12th team overall and his sixth since August 2024. His longest stay in one place came during a three-year stretch with the Vikings. from 2021-23.

Perhaps the reason why he’s struggled to stick anywhere, Joseph has often struggle with accuracy and consistency. While he made all 11 of his extra point attempts last season, he’s missed 16 in his career. He’s also only missed one field goal attempt inside of 40 yards, but outside of that, Joseph is a disappointing 44 of 68 (64.7%) — 27 of 38 (71.1%) from 40-49 yards and 17 of 30 (56.7%) from 50+.

The thing is, Moody hasn’t been too much better. The third-year kicker is much more reliable on extra points (90 of 92 in his career), but the 2024 season saw him struggle mightily from distance. Like Joseph, Moody only has one miss (out of 30 attempts) from inside the 30-yard line. As a rookie, Moody only had three misses from longer than that — two from 40-49 and one from 50+. In his sophomore campaign, though, Moody missed half of his 20 attempts from 40 yards or over — five from 40-49 and five from 50+. A high ankle sprain suffered in Week 5 of the season is thought to have made an impact on his sophomore slump.

Regardless, 49ers new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer has been encouraged by his small bit of offseason time spent with Moody. Per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, Boyer validated that he, too, had Moody as the No. 1 kicker in the 2023 draft class, saying, “He’s as talented of a kid as it gets.” He also feels the addition of long snapper Jon Weeks, who is set to replace Taybor Pepper at the position, will potentially help Moody, as well.

Moody was the highest kicker drafted since Roberto Aguayo went in the second round in 2016 and was only the fifth kicker since 2000 to be drafted in the third round or sooner. Investing that kind of draft capital in a specialist comes with an expectation of elite play, and Moody has failed to deliver on those expectations so far. San Francisco hasn’t given up on him yet, but it appears they’ll bring in some competition, at the very least, to motivate their struggling 25-year-old.

They already brought in undrafted kicker Kenneth Almendares, who capped off a seven-year collegiate career at Louisiana by winning the 2024 Lou Groza Award, given to the best kicker in the NCAA, for a rookie minicamp tryout, but apparently, no deal was reached. Now Joseph will have his turn to push Moody to retain his job.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/25

May 16th, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor NFL moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

Every team has, at this point, officially announced their initial list of undrafted free agent rookie signings. Still, undrafted rookies continue to find opportunities here and there in the wake of the draft.

Since the departure of Alex Mack, the Falcons have been unable to find stability at the center position. Since then, Matt Hennessy, Drew Dalman, and Ryan Neuzil have been tasked with filling the role. Dalman was a dependable option for a bit, but injury caused him to miss 11 games in the past two years. Neuzil filled in for eight starts last year, and the former undrafted free agent stands to take the starting job in 2025.

Atlanta will provide him no shortage of competition, though, with depth at the position coming in the form of Gonzalez, former seventh-round pick Jovaughn Gwyn, and former undrafted free agent Matthew Cindric. Gonzalez also brings some versatility to the line after starting games at both guard and tackle at Louisville.

Fletcher transferred to Appalachian State after four years at Michigan State. He never really got on the field much with the Spartans, only earning three starts, but he immediately made an impact for the Mountaineers. In his two years with the team, Fletcher tallied 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

S Jamal Adams Interested In Jets Reunion

May 16th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jamal Adams is five years removed from the trade which ended his Jets tenure. The veteran safety is now eyeing a return to the team which drafted him, however.

“I would love to be back with the Jets and, obviously, finish it the right way,” Adams said during an exchange with Jets fans on X (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “Man, that would be a dream come true, just to patch up that relationship and kind of make it right.”

Adams spent his first three years with the Jets, establishing himself as one of the league’s top defensive backs over that span. The former No. 6 pick earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and ’19, along with one spot on each of the first- and second- All-Pro teams along the way. A trade request sparked in part by Adams’ desire to become the league’s highest-paid safety led to a trade sending him to the Seahawks. He noted, via Cimini, he has reached out to former Jets GM Joe Douglas to apologize for the way the saga unfolded.

That swap saw New York receive a pair of first-round picks and saw Adams land a $70MM deal with the Seahawks. The LSU product recorded 9.5 sacks in 2020 en route to a third straight Pro Bowl nod. After that, however, Adams struggled with a decline in play in coverage and, later, injuries. He (along with Quandre Diggs) was released in a cost-shedding move last spring.

The Titans wound up adding Adams, but in late October the team granted his request to be released and become an in-season free agent. That led to a practice squad arrangement with the Lions, allowing Adams to spend time with then-Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Glenn is now the Jets’ head coach, so a return to New York would double as a reunion between those two.

As the Lions dealt with a number of injuries on defense, Adams only made a pair of appearances and played just 20 defensive snaps. A regular role would not be expected if a Jets pact were to worked out to add him to a safety room including returnee Tony Adams, free agent addition Andre Cisco and fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore. A move to linebacker has been floated in the past in Adams’ case, and such a transition would involve a spot behind Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams on the depth chart.

With over $23MM in cap space, the Jets could certainly afford a low-cost flier on Adams. It will be interesting to see if the team’s new regime led by Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey reciprocates his interest in a contract.

Rams Add Anthony Robinson To Front Office

May 16th, 2025 at 2:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 16: The Robinson addition is now official, per a team announcement. He will operate as a national scout, a notable step down in title compared to his Titans stint. Robinson will nevertheless provide Los Angeles with considerable experience in the scouting department.

MAY 13: The Titans’ offseason moved one of Ran Carthon‘s assistant GM hires (Chad Brinker) to the top of Tennessee’s personnel pyramid, following Carthon’s firing, and the other (Anthony Robinson) out of the picture altogether. Robinson, though, has bounced back.

Months after his Titans ouster, Robinson is heading back to the NFC. The two-year Titans assistant GM will join the Rams’ front office, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Robinson agreed to leave the Falcons, his employer for 15 years, for an opportunity to become assistant GM in Tennessee. The Titans gave Robinson that title weeks after hiring Brinker in 2023. Both held the assistant GM title entering 2025, but a significant restructure left Brinker in charge. Robinson was soon fired, as Brinker — now the Titans’ president of football operations — led the way in hiring Mike Borgonzi as GM.

As it turned out, Robinson only participated in one draft with the Titans, who had hired him shortly after the 2023 draft. Teams regularly keep staffs together through the draft, as the Jaguars did with assistant GM Ethan Waugh (before moving on earlier this month), but Robinson received the boot shortly after Carthon.

Prior to coming to Nashville, Robinson had served as a long-running exec in Atlanta. A Thomas Dimitroff Falcons hire during the GM’s first year with the Falcons (2008), Robinson became a full-time scout in 2011 and had worked his way up to the team’s college scouting director gig by 2019. Current Falcons GM Terry Fontenot kept Robinson aboard for two-plus years, before his Titans defection. The Rams, who also have former GM Ray Farmer on Les Snead‘s front office roster, will give the veteran staffer another shot.

Seahawks Informed Sam Darnold Prior To Jalen Milroe Selection

May 16th, 2025 at 2:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks have their quarterback of the present in the form of Sam Darnold along with a familiar face in the QB2 spot (Drew Lock). That did not stop the team from adding a signal-caller fairly early in last month’s draft, though.

Seattle selected Jalen Milroe with the No. 92 pick, adding the Alabama product to the mix. Given the decision to trade away Sam Howell, Milroe is in line to operate as the team’s third-string quarterback with no thought being given to a position change or a hybrid role. Nether Darnold nor Lock were caught off guard by the selection.

“Yeah, [head] coach Mike Macdonald gave Sam a heads up,” general manager John Schneider said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (video link). “It was kind of in that period just coming down the pike, like, ‘Hey, this isn’t about you. This is about acquiring an impact player, in our opinion.

“So, Mike talked to Sam. I was able to communicate with Drew. And, obviously, we were communicating with Sam Howell all throughout the weekend as well.”

Shortly after Geno Smith was dealt to the Raiders, Darnold inked a three-year, $100.5MM pact in free agency. The one-year Vikings starter cashed in based on his strong play in 2024, but his Seattle deal leaves the door open to a parting of ways after the coming campaign. Specifically, a $15MM roster bonus is due five days after Super Bowl LX. A window of opportunity will exist for the team to cut bait – albeit by taking on $25.6MM in dead cap charges – if the 27-year-old’s debut season in the Emerald City does not go according to plan.

Lock returned to Seattle on a two-year pact, although his $2.25MM in guarantees only cover the coming season. Seattle could move on next spring with just a $500K dead money hit, something which could be informed in part by the team’s evaluation of Milroe. The latter drew praise in the pre-draft process based on his intriguing blend of size, athleticism and arm strength but questions linger about his upside as a passer at the NFL level.

While the Seahawks prepare for at least one year of Darnold atop the depth chart, the former No. 3 pick will enter the campaign without having been blindsided by the team’s draft approach at the position (as has been the case in other similar situations around the league, of course). It will be interesting to see how Seattle’s long-term plan under center takes shape.

Jets Release K Greg Zuerlein

May 16th, 2025 at 1:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Greg Zuerlein‘s three-year run with the Jets has come to an end. The veteran kicker was released on Friday, per a team announcement.

Zuerlein enjoyed a strong pair of seasons upon arrival in New York, connecting on 86.7% of his field goal attempts over that stretch. The Jets aimed to keep him in the fold last spring, and a two-year pact was indeed agreed to in March. Instead of collecting a $4.1MM salary for 2025, though, Zuerlein will hit free agency late in the offseason.

Cutting the 37-year-old will create $2.42MM in cap savings for New York. The team will incur a $2.31MM dead charge as a result. Of course, finances are not the only factor which drove this decision. Zuerlein struggled during his eight appearances last season while spending much of the year on the sidelines due to injury. This move comes with a failed physical designation, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes.

A large audition period was held in the middle of the campaign as a result of Zuerlein’s struggles and ailments. That led to deals for Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader in October, although neither of them remain on the team at this point. The only other experienced kicker currently on the Jets’ roster is Anders Carlson, who split his time between San Francisco and New York last season following his brief Packers tenure. The 26-year-old connected on eight of 10 field goal attempts in five games for the Jets before signing a futures deal in January.

New York did not draft a kicker last month, although Caden Davis was among the 15 undrafted free agents added to the team’s rookie class recently. The Ole Miss product will compete with Carlson during the summer, although more options could be added before training camp. Zuerlein, meanwhile, will likely struggle to generate a market given his age and poor showing when on the field last year. The former All-Pro could nevertheless get a look in the event of injuries or underwhelming showings around the league in the near future.

This marks the second key special teams move in recent days for the Jets. On Tuesday, the team cut veteran punter Thomas Morstead. A new group of specialists will be in place for 2025.

Broncos Promote Reed Burckhardt To Assistant GM

May 16th, 2025 at 12:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos’ front office has seen a few notable departures this offseason. That includes Darren Mougey taking over as the Jets’ new general manager, a move which ended his tenure in Denver.

The Broncos are going internal to replace Mougey as their assistant GM. Reed Burckhardt is being promoted to that role, as first reported by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. The move is now official, per a team announcement. Burckhardt’s most recent title was director of player personnel.

Burckhardt spent 13 years with the Vikings prior to his arrival in the Mile High City. When he joined the Broncos in 2022, he represented a familiar face to general manager George Paton based on their shared time in Minnesota. At that point, Mougey had just been promoted to AGM, and Burckhardt took over his former role leading the player personnel department.

As a result, it comes as no surprise Paton has tapped Burckhardt for a promotion to Mougey’s old gig. Continuity will be in place in the front office for 2025, a year in which the Broncos will aim to build off their playoff run from last season. The Vikings aimed to keep Burckhardt when he left for Denver, an illustration of the fact he is held in high regard. Expectations will no doubt reflect that as he takes on a new gig.

In addition to losing Mougey, the Broncos have also seen Mark Thewes and Brian Stark make an intra-divisional move to the Raiders this offseason. The latter became Vegas’ new assistant general manager shortly after the draft as part of the various front office alterations which take part around the league during this part of the offseason. As Denver looks to replace Thewes and Stark, Paton will have a familiar face operating as his top lieutenant moving forward.

Giants OLB Victor Dimukeje Suffers Torn Pec

May 16th, 2025 at 9:27am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Giants outside linebacker Victor Dimukeje sustained a torn pectoral during offseason workouts with the team, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

The 2021 sixth-rounder will have to spend the summer rehabbing the injury, though he could be healthy by the start of the regular season. Dimukeje recorded 4.0 sacks in 2023 for the Cardinals, but went sack-less in his other three seasons in Arizona. He signed a one-year, $1.34MM contract with the Giants this offseason that contains just under $170k in guaranteed money.

Missing time during training camp will negatively impact Dimukeje’s chances of making the 53-man roster. The Giants have three potential starting edge rushers in Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and No. 3 pick Abdul Carter, but their depth is questionable. Free agent signing Chauncey Golston broke out with 5.5 sacks last year but has little experience playing as a 3-4 outside linebacker as required in Shane Bowen‘s defense. The ex-Cowboy profiles more as a designated pass-rusher, which would leave Dimukeje and Tomon Fox competing for the OLB4 roster spot. Both have been unproductive in their careers thus far.

The Giants also signed undrafted rookie Trace Ford, an athletic edge-rusher out of Oklahoma who recorded 7.5 sacks in two college seasons before a 2021 injury and just 2.5 since. He tested well at his pro day and could make his case for a roster spot while Dimukeje is recovering.

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