St. Bonaventure HS Hires CB Troy Hill As HC
Former NFL cornerback Troy Hill has accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California.
Hill is a 10-year veteran who played for the Panthers and the Buccaneers in 2024. Though he has not officially retired, his new coaching gig signals that his NFL career is likely over.
“Troy Hill is more than just a football player–he’s a Seraph,” said St. Bonaventure principal Christina Castro in a statement from the school. “We are thrilled to welcome im home and look forward to the leadership and inspiration he will bring to our student athletes.”
Hill played football at St. Bonaventure from 2007 to 2010 before accepting a scholarship offer from the University of Oregon. After a redshirt freshman year, he started six games in 2011. He was largely a backup in his next two seasons before starting 14 games in 2014 with an FBS-high 18 passes defended.
Hill’s lack of size and athleticism hindered his projection to the pros; he went undrafted in 2015 and signed with the Bengals. After a brief stint with the Patriots, he finished his rookie year with the Rams and stayed with the team through their offseason relocation to Los Angeles. Hill worked his way up the team’s depth chart and appeared in 70 games from 2016 to 2020. He started 39 games in that span, including a full 16-game season in 2020 during which he led the league with 119 interception return yards and two touchdowns.
His emergence as a starter earned Hill a four-year, $24MM contract with the Browns, though he only started four games in 2021 and was traded back to the Rams for a fifth-round pick during the offseason. He started 12 games in his second stint in Los Angeles before signing with the Panthers for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Hill was released by the Panthers last October and quickly signed with the Buccaneers’ practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in November and appeared in two games (exclusively on special teams) before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. That likely concluded a decade-long career, an impressive feat for a player who went undrafted. Hill earned just under $20MM in his career, per OverTheCap, with 121 total appearances and 60 starts.
Hill’s return to St. Bonaventure is somewhat interesting given the less-than-ideal ending to his playing career with the Seraphs. He starred at cornerback and wide receiver during his 2009 senior year in which the team compiled an 11-2 record. However, the University of Oregon discovered that Hill was athletically ineligible after briefly attending another high school in his native Ohio, according to Derry Eads of the Ventura County Star. St. Bonaventure forfeited all of its wins, including their Channel League conference championship, though the issue did not cause Hill to lose his scholarship to play for the Ducks.
“This is where it all started for me,” said Hill. “St. Bonaventure gave my the discipline, support, support, and faith to believe in something bigger than myself. I’m excited to give back by helping shape the next generation–not just as athletes, but as young men of character and conviction.”
Hill is now the latest NFL player to return to his college or high school in a leadership role. Ex-Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is now the general manager of Stanford’s football program, while Maxx Crosby is the assistant GM at Eastern Michigan.
Broncos Notes: Barron, Williams, Webb
Jahdae Barron‘s versatility was a major reason the Broncos selected him in the first round of April’s draft. According to head coach Sean Payton, he was “too unique to pass up” at No. 20. The Texas cornerback started at nickel in 2022 and 2023 before primarily playing on the boundary in 2024. He also logged at least 140 snaps in the box in each of the last three years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
In Denver, Barron will likely line up in the slot as a rookie, according to Mike Klis of 9News. The Broncos are returning both of their outside CB starters in Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss, neither of whom have much experience at nickel. Ja’Quan McMillian filled that role last season, but Barron figures to be an upgrade who can match up with speedy slot receivers and bigger tight ends.
Barron’s multi-positional experience will give Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph plenty of options in the secondary, though he may have the rookie get comfortable at nickel before expanding his usage at different alignments.
Here is the latest out of Denver:
- The Broncos lost several key members of their front office this offseason and tried to plug the gap with new co-director of player personnel Cam Williams. The former director of college scouting for the Patriots is “seen by many as a future GM,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, though he may have to leave Denver to land such a position. Current Broncos general manager George Paton is 55 years old, has a strong track record of success in the draft, and could continue in the job for a decade or more. A near-future appearance on the GM carousel will be something to monitor, however.
- Despite the prevalence of the transfer portal in college football, the Broncos prioritized non-transfers in this year’s draft. Six of their seven picks played at least 41 games at one school, per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, with three selections – Barron, Sai’vion Jones, and Jeremy Crawshaw – staying with one program for at least 50 games. Seventh-rounder Caleb Lohner played basketball at BYU and Baylor before transferring to Utah for one season of football. Payton said (via Legwold) that the transfer avoidance was “not by accident,” and demonstrated valuable intangibles like mental toughness and loyalty.
- Jacksonville State offensive lineman Clay Webb received $225K in guaranteed money after signing with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, according to Klis. The rookie guard received $15K as a signing bonus with another $210K in guaranteed salary, signaling that Denver sees him as a player worth developing along the interior of the offensive line.
Jordan Meredith, Dylan Parham To Battle For Raiders’ LG Job
The Raiders underwent a transformation this offseason, hiring a new head coach and general manager in Pete Carroll and John Spytek and trading for Geno Smith to start at quarterback.
Their offensive line will be more of a constant with five returning players who were on the field for at least 50% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2024: Kolton Miller, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, and Delmar Glaze. Those five were also the Raiders’ starters (from left to right) to close the season.
There was some turnover; veteran center Andre James signed with the Chargers in free agency and former Bengals and Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa arrived in Las Vegas on a two-year, $11MM deal. Cappa is expected to take over at right guard with Powers-Johnson staying at center, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, setting up a competition between Parham and Meredith for the starting left guard job.
With significantly more experience as a starter, Parham should have pole position. The 2022 third-rounder started all 34 regular-season games at right guard in the first two years of his career and added 14 more in 2024. He missed two games due to injury and finished the season with 882 total snaps, which upgraded his 2025 salary to $3.656MM via the league’s Proven Performance Escalator system. Parham has minimal NFL experience at left guard, but he started 28 games there during his college career at Memphis.
Meredith didn’t earn a starting job out of training camp last year, but stepped into a starting role when Parham went down with a foot injury. He stayed in the starting lineup by moving to left guard in Week 9 after Powers-Johnson took over for James at center. Meredith finished the season with six starts (365 total snaps) at left and two starts (209 total snaps) at right guard, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He is in the final year of his UDFA contract, but can be retained as a restricted free agent for the 2026 season.
If Parham can successfully flip to the left side, he should be able to hold onto a starting job for the fourth year in a row, with Meredith likely backing up both guard spots as he did last season.
Latest On Olympic Flag Football Selection Process
In 2028, active NFL players will be eligible to participate in the Los Angeles Olympics (provided the necessary arrangements can be made, of course). That has led to plenty of speculation about how international rosters will shake out, something which could sideline veterans of the flag game at the international level.
Darrell Doucette III – who has quarterbacked Team USA at each of the past four world championships – is among the advocates for allowing experienced flag players to continue representing their countries at the Olympics despite NFL players being able to take part. During Doucette’s time, the United States has gone unbeaten at the world championship level.
“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” the 35-year-old said in an interview with Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”
The flag and tackle versions of football are of course fundamentally different in several ways. Nonetheless, many expect NFL players to be able to adapt sufficiently to represent the best options for their respective countries at the Olympics. That is certainly the case for Canada’s former national flag football coach, who stated in no uncertain terms in the Post piece he expects NFLers to replace the team’s current players at the 2028 Games.
Once the Olympics draw near, attention will increasingly turn to the process by which teams are selected. 10 players will be on each international squad, and one player per NFL team per country (in addition to those with international roster exemptions) will be eligible to participate. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently confirmed, to no surprise, the league will have no say in selecting Olympic teams (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Instead, each country’s national federation will handle that responsibility. With that said, the NFL has a role in the governance of USA Football and will therefore have at least some degree of a footprint when the time comes for the inaugural Olympic team to be selected. That endeavor will include a tryout process leading up to the Los Angeles Games, one which could include a mix of NFL and flag players if Doucette’s request for an open competition winds up being granted.
Giants, WR Gabe Davis Remain In Contact
Nearly two weeks ago, Gabe Davis took part in a free agent visit with the Giants. No deal is in place at this point, but it appears an agreement between the parties could still come about. 
Team and player have remained in contact in this case, SNY’s Connor Hughes writes. Davis obviously represents a familiar face for head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen after they worked together during their time in Buffalo. The recent visit would have allowed New York to evaluate the status of Davis’ knee as he recovers from meniscus surgery.
That procedure ended the 26-year-old’s debut campaign with the Jaguars. Davis came to Duval County as an established deep threat based on his tenure with the Bills, but he was unable to duplicate his production when healthy for Jacksonville. In 10 games, the former fourth-rounder only recorded 20 receptions and averaged a career-low 12 yards per catch. The Jaguars’ new regime decided to release him despite two years remaining on his contract.
The Giants’ receiver depth chart will be led by Malik Nabers in 2025, and the Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist will have several familiar faces around him. Darius Slayton – long attached to trade rumors – re-signed on another two-year pact. Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, meanwhile, are still in place on their rookie pacts. New York’s offseason additions included the free agent signings of Zach Pascal and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
As a result, Davis would have plenty of competition for playing time in the event he were to sign with the Giants. The 49ers (the other team which he has also visited) have substantially more cap space as things stand, but if talks with New York continue a deal could still be on the table allowing Davis to reunite with Daboll and Schoen.
Commanders’ Jonathan Jones, Trey Amos To Compete For Starting CB Role
One starting spot amongst the Commanders’ perimeter corners is assured of with 2024 trade acquisition Marshon Lattimore. Mike Sainristil, meanwhile, will again handle first-team duties in 2025 but it remains to be seen if he will find himself on the outside or in the slot. 
Determining where best to use the latter will of course take into account the competition for the other starting cornerback gig. On that note, Washington is in position to have a free agent addition and a rookie vying for that role. Jonathan Jones and Trey Amos offer different skillets, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig writes one of them should wind up in the starting lineup for 2025 (subscription required).
Jones inked a one-year deal in March to head to the nation’s capital. That pact – which has a base value of $5.5MM and includes $1MM in incentives – ended his nine-year run with the Patriots. The 31-year-old had expressed a willingness to remain in New England, but the team spent big on the open market to add Carlton Davis at the cornerback spot. Now, Jones will look to earn a starting spot on his second career team and help his 2026 market value along the way.
The former UDFA totaled 71 starts during his Patriots tenure, including 44 across the past three seasons. He would thud offer considerable experience to the Commanders if he were to handle first-team responsibilities, although at 5-9 Jones would likely be tasked with operating in the slot. That, in turn, would push Sainristil (who is himself 5-10) to the boundary, where he finished the 2024 season. That transition elevated Noah Igbinoghene to a starting spot on the inside, and having re-signed with Washington the former first-rounder is again a candidate to see playing time in 2025.
Amos was selected 61st overall in last month’s draft, making him the Commanders’ second choice of the event. The Ole Miss product dealt with a back injury leading up to the draft, something which is believed to have affected his stock to an extent. Given his size – 6-1, 195 pounds – and success as a press cover corner in college, Amos is suited to handle starting duties on the perimeter at the NFL level. As Standig notes, the ideal trio would see him operate right away on defense opposite Lattimore with Sainristil moving back to the slot.
Plenty of time remains for a Jones-Amos competition to take place, and its result will inform the Commanders’ decisions in the secondary ahead of the campaign. With nearly $23MM in cap space at the moment, Washington will be able to make a cornerback addition if one is deemed necessary.
Jets Could Make S Addition?
The Jets currently find themselves with just over $25MM in cap space. The team can therefore afford at least one notable addition during the late stages of free agency. 
If one is to be made between now and training camp, the secondary could be a place to watch. Connor Hughes of SNY writes the safety spot could be a point of focus on the free agent front. 2024 starter Chuck Clark remains unsigned, while Ashtyn Davis departed on the open market to sign with the Dolphins.
New York brought in former Jaguar Andre Cisco, adding him on a one-year, $8.5MM pact. That will provide the team with one new starter, while Tony Adams – who was retained via an RFA tender – could again find himself handling a notable defensive workload in 2025. As Hughes notes, though, Adams’ standing in the organization is something of a question mark after he “fell out of favor” with the Jets’ previous regime last year.
Of course, plenty of changes in the front office and on the sidelines have taken place this offseason. Darren Mougey is in place for his first general manager opportunity alongside rookie head coach Aaron Glenn. That pairing brought in depth at the safety spot during the draft in the form of fifth-rounder Malachi Moore. 2024 fifth-round selection Jaylin Simpson and undrafted rookie Dean Clark round out the current depth chart.
Veterans such as Justin Simmons, Julian Blackmon, Jordan Poyer and former Jet Jordan Whitehead are available as free agents as things stand. New York will thus have a number of options to choose from if a starting-caliber addition does indeed wind up being targeted over the coming weeks.
Ravens To Hold LG Competition
Four of the five starters from the Ravens’ 2024 offensive line are still in place for the coming campaign. As expected, though, Patrick Mekari departed in free agency. 
The former UDFA – who saw time at all five O-line spots over the course of his Baltimore tenure – helped his value with a strong left guard showing last year. As a result, he secured a three-year Jaguars contract which includes $22.5MM in guarantees. The Ravens thus enter OTAs with a first-team vacancy up front.
During free agency (in which veteran swingman Josh Jones also departed) the Ravens were quiet with respect to additions along the offensive line. That leaves Baltimore’s incumbent blockers as well as the members of the team’s rookie class to compete to replace Mekari. To no surprise, Baltimore’s preferred option from last season looks to have the early lead.
Andrew Vorhees finds himself as the frontrunner for the 2025 starting gig at this point, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes (subscription required). The former seventh-rounder’s draft stock took a hit when he suffered an ACL tear during the 2023 Combine, an injury which sidelined him for his entire rookie campaign. Vorhees was healthy by this time last year, however, and he saw plenty of first-team reps at left guard through the summer. In Week 1, he joined Daniel Faalele as a starting guard.
An ankle injury suffered in Week 3 took Vorhees out of the lineup, though, and he never returned. The ailment led to Mekari moving inside after rotating with Roger Rosengarten at right tackle; the latter handled RT duties on a full-time basis after the Vorhees injury. That can be expected to continue in 2025, and Faalele’s performance on the inside (after starting his career as a tackle) has earned him an extended look as a starter.
Given Vorhees’ lack of experience – 268 regular season snaps on offense – he is far from certain to land another Week 1 gig. Baltimore also has Ben Cleveland in place after he re-signed on a one-year deal. The 26-year-old has made 54 appearances with the Ravens, but that total only includes seven starts (none of which came in 2024). Cleveland will nonetheless receive another opportunity to secure a starting spot this summer.
Three of the Ravens’ 11 draft picks from last month were used on offensive linemen. Carson Vinson is in position to compete for the swing tackle role, but third-rounder Emery Jones could (when healthy) look to start at left guard as a rookie. One of Jones’ LSU teammates – Garrett Dellinger – was drafted by Baltimore in the seventh round, although a depth or practice squad spot is of course a more realistic expectation in his case. Nevertheless, several in-house candidates will be in place to replace Mekari atop the depth chart.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon Expected To Run Colts
MAY 26: Ward will indeed carry on as COO, The Athletic’s James Boyd confirms (subscription required). As a result, he will continue to oversee the Colts’ non-football operations. Ward and other veteran executives will play central roles in helping Irsay-Gordon assume controlling status of the organization moving forward.
MAY 22: Following the sudden passing of owner Jim Irsay earlier this week, the Colts’ succession plan is now in the limelight. All three of Irsay’s daughters have been listed as “vice chair/owner” for more than a decade, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the late owner’s oldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, is expected to be the “new person in charge.”
[RELATED: Colts Owner Jim Irsay Passes Away At 65]
ESPN’s Stephen Holder echoes this sentiment, noting that Irsay-Gordon has seemingly been preparing for this role for years. The 44-year-old once ran day-to-day operations while her father served his league-imposed suspension following a 2014 DUI arrest. Since then, she has reshaped “the business side of the franchise in terms of structure and personnel,” according to Holder.
Irsay-Gordon has also put in a concerted effort to understand every facet of the organization. Holder notes that she could often be seen on the sidelines wearing a headset to have “an up-close-and-personal view of coaches and players at work.” Those actions haven’t gone unnoticed.
“Carlie, specifically, will be the perfect modern-day owner,” a rival executive told Holder. “Carlie has been embedded in the business for probably over a decade at this point. She’s smart, a continuous learner, rigorously works to understand football from a scouting and coaching perspective.
“She also has the rare blend of appreciating tradition and professional expertise but not being bound by it because she is a progressive thinker. Very good people skills as well. She will be a great steward of the organization.”
Holder notes that two long-term executives are expected to help Irsay-Gordon with the transition. This exclusive grouping includes chief operating officer Pete Ward, who has spent more than four decades with the Colts, and chief legal officer Dan Emerson, who has been advising the family for nearly as long.
Holder adds that there are still a handful of unanswered questions surrounding the organizational hierarchy, specifically how much of a say the other sisters will have on major decisions. Casey Foyt has been working with the team for nearly 20 years, and she played a role in helping bring NFL games to London. Kalen Jackson joined the Colts a few years after her sisters, and she’s been responsible for leading many of her father’s mental health initiatives.
Jim Irsay saw a similar path through the ranks after his father, Bob Irsay, purchased the then-Baltimore Colts in 1972. Since Jim took over sole ownership following his father’s passing, he’s made it clear that the organization will remain in his family for years to come. Now, the time has come for his daughters to take the mantle.
49ers’ Brock Purdy Sought $65MM/Year Deal; No Trade Interest In QB
The 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy recently agreed to an extension that moves the former seventh-rounder near the top of the quarterback market in terms of average annual value ($53MM) but still outside the top five earners at his position. Cowboys passer Dak Prescott still leads the way with a $60MM AAV, and when negotiations between San Francisco and its own signal-caller commenced, Purdy tried to shatter Prescott’s number.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, in an appearance on UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio, Purdy sought a yearly payout of $65MM at the outset of contract talks (via David Bonilla of 49ersWebZone.com).
“Yes, that was his initial asking price, 65 [million],” Schefter said. “But you know what? Everybody’s initial asking price should be high. That’s how it should be, and his was. I don’t know that he thought he was going to get that, but you might as well start high. Nothing abnormal or unusual about that at all.”
Given Purdy’s regression in 2024 and the fact that rival clubs have been rumored to view his surprising success largely as a function of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system, it was always unlikely he would approach his $65MM/year overture. However, contrary to prior suggestions that an overly-ambitious ask could throw a wrench in negotiations, it seems that was not the case.
Club brass never wavered on its long-held goal of finalizing an extension for Purdy, and after conversations got underway in February – Purdy was not eligible for a new contract until this offseason – there was no whisper of a hiccup or any other development that would delay an agreement. Rather, all public reports published after that date indicated the two sides were making good progress, and that progress culminated in a five-year, $265MM accord on May 16.
It thus appears that neither player nor team ever injected the notion of a trade into these proceedings, and Schefter confirms as much.
“I remember talking to teams, and just being like, ‘Hey,’ as they were trying to solve their quarterback needs, ‘any interest in Brock Purdy?'” Schefter said. “And they were like, ‘Great player, but he’s a great player for them.’ So they didn’t see it that way. So that was the opinion of other teams.”
Schefter’s statement does seem to validate the above-referenced belief that other teams see Purdy as a Shanahan product who would not do as well in a different offense. Perhaps aware of that reality, Purdy & Co. came down quite a bit from their initial proposal and ultimately “settled” for a contract well below their $65MM shot across the bow (the deal does come with a no-trade clause and favorable short-term cash flow, though the new money figures become more team-friendly in the second year of the extension term).
With his contract situation now resolved, Purdy and the Niners will attempt to regroup from a significant departure of talent this offseason – which was triggered in no small part by the QB’s impending big-money deal – and launch a bounceback 2025 campaign.