HEADLINES

CB Xavien Howard Medically Cleared

May 5th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Xavien Howard‘s time with the Dolphins is over, but he is one of the more accomplished free agents still available. The former All-Pro corner is back to full health, so his market could soon see movement.

Howard has received clearance for football activities, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The 30-year-old was limited to 13 games in 2023 as he dealt with a foot injury, but he has now recovered. Miami designated Howard a post-June 1 cut, and a reunion on a low-cost deal is not in the cards.

Few developments have been seen since Howard confirmed he will be playing on a new team in 2024. The four-time Pro Bowler has, however, expressed interest in a Texans deal. Houston was busy in free agency at the cornerback spot, bringing in C.J. Henderson, Jeff Okudah and Myles Bryant this offseason. The team also used its top pick (No. 42) on Kamari Lassiter during the draft, adding another starting-caliber option into the mix.

For that reason, Howard may need to look elsewhere in terms of potential new landing spots. The Texans do, on the other hand, have over $23MM in cap space and Howard has indicated a willingness to take less on a new deal if it allows him to join a contender. After making a surprise run to the divisional round of the postseason last year, Houston would certainly qualify in that regard.

Howard has twice led the NFL in interceptions (recording seven in 2018 and 10 in 2020), but he posted just one in each of the past two seasons. The Baylor product also surrendered four touchdowns and allowed a passer rating of 101.2 in 2022, although last season the latter figure saw a notable rebound. Many veterans take one-year pacts when signed after the draft, and it would come as no surprise if Howard were to follow suit this year. Still, it will be interesting to see if he fields offers from CB-needy teams in the near future.

Seahawks’ GM, HC Discuss Byron Murphy Pick; Team Not Expected To Trade From DL Group

May 5th, 2024 at 12:34pm CST by Rory Parks

Going into this year’s draft, guard was arguably the Seahawks’ biggest need. And as ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes, Seattle had targeted Alabama’s JC Latham, who was selected by the Titans with the No. 7 overall pick (the ‘Hawks would have slid Latham, a collegiate tackle, to the interior of their O-line, at least in the early stages of his pro career).

[RELATED: Murphy Signs Rookie Deal]

A number of this year’s top defensive prospects fell lower than expected due to an unprecedented run on offensive talent. When the Seahawks were on the clock with the No. 16 pick, only one defensive player, UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu, was off the board, and he went to the Colts at No. 15. That left Texas DT Byron Murphy II available for Seattle, whom the team saw as the best defender in the 2024 class. The ‘Hawks ultimately turned in the card for the former Longhorn.

As offensive players were flying off the board, the Seahawks — who did not have a second-round choice — were fielding trade offers that would have allowed them to move down the board and pick up additional draft capital in the process. Per Henderson, the ‘Hawks received offers from the Steelers, Eagles, Vikings, and Falcons (who were trying to trade back into the first round after surprisingly drafting QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 choice). The Packers were also interested in acquiring Seattle’s No. 16 selection, but Green Bay ultimately did not make an offer.

With Murphy still available but with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, Johnathan Hankins, and several recent draftees already on the roster, GM John Schneider was tempted to trade back. However, Seattle is not in rebuild mode, and Schneider felt that Murphy was too good to pass up.

“I’d be lying to you if I said we didn’t think about [trading back],” Schneider said. “But [Murphy], he was just too good. He influences the game, like a lot. He’s got that ability to jump off the ball and get up field. He can play edges, he can play square, he can rush the passer inside, he gets up and down the line of scrimmage.”

New head coach Mike Macdonald added, “he just plays our style of football, really. And then he’s so talented. Versatility along the front, such an aggressive player, plays violently, heavy hands for a guy [of] shorter stature, flexible, pass-rush flexibility — you name it. Yeah, just really excited to have him.”

With all of the D-linemen on the roster and the Seahawks’ shortage of cap space — per OverTheCap.com, Seattle is the only team in the red as of the time of this writing — it would be fair to expect the club to deal from its DL surplus. However, Henderson said the team has no such plans, especially since Macdonald intends to rotate his players more frequently than his predecessor, Pete Carroll.

In related news, the team is expected to have outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu back for training camp, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Nwosu, who recorded 9.5 sacks in his first Seattle slate in 2022, suffered a pectoral strain in October and missed the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He is under contract through 2026 by virtue of the three-year, $45MM extension he signed in July.

Graham Barton Likely To Be Bucs’ Starting Center; Tykee Smith To Play Nickel CB

May 5th, 2024 at 11:23am CST by Rory Parks

Unsurprisingly, Buccaneers rookie Graham Barton is expected to become Tampa Bay’s starting center right away, as ESPN’s Jenna Laine writes. Barton, the No. 26 overall pick in last month’s draft, will compete with Robert Hainsey for the job, but given Hainsey’s struggles at the pivot in 2023, it would be surprising if the first-year pro does not beat out his veteran counterpart. Our Ben Levine said as much when the team first turned in the card for Barton.

The Bucs won a Super Bowl with Ryan Jensen snapping to Tom Brady in 2020, and after another quality performance the following season, Jensen earned a three-year, $39MM deal with the club in March 2022. Unfortunately, he suffered a major knee injury during training camp just a few months after the ink dried on his new contract, and although he suited up for the Bucs’ lone playoff game at the end of the 2022 campaign, he never made it back onto the field. He announced his retirement back in February.

Hainsey, a 2021 third-rounder, took over at the pivot in Jensen’s stead over the 2022-23 seasons, and after a solid enough showing in 2022, he struggled mightily last year. Pro Football Focus assigned Hainsey a poor overall grade of 50.2 in 2023, which made him the fifth-worst center in the league among players with enough snaps to qualify. Laine writes that Hainsey himself was responsible for 11 sacks last season, and while PFF was more forgiving in that regard — it charged Hainsey with just four sacks — the advanced metrics site did attribute nine penalties and 27 total pressures to the Notre Dame-produced blocker.

Regardless of the numbers themselves, it is clear that Tampa Bay could do with an upgrade, and head coach Todd Bowles specifically wanted “more beef” in the interior of the O-line. Barton possesses plenty of beef, with a 6-5, 314-pound frame and the type of lower body mass that Hainsey does not have.

Barton, a Duke alum, served as the Blue Devils’ center as a freshman but operated as the team’s left tackle for the remainder of his college career. As such, his transition back to the interior of the line may not be entirely seamless, but both Bowles and GM Jason Licht are intrigued by his size, temperament, and technique.

On the other side of the ball, the Bucs see third-round rookie Tykee Smith as a nickelback, according to Laine. 2023 UDFA Christian Izien held down the fort as the club’s primary slot corner as a rookie, but his play began to slip in the middle of the season. Izien and Smith will compete for the starting nickel gig while also cross-training at safety behind starters Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead.

Ravens Received Eight Trade Offers For No. 30 Pick

May 4th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Before the Ravens scooped up one of the draft’s top defensive prospects in Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins, the team fielded many trade offers for the No. 30 pick. According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the front office rejected eight trade offers for the team’s first-round selection.

[RELATED: Ravens Sign First-Round CB Nate Wiggins]

The decision to turn down the trade offers wasn’t entirely due to the underwhelming returns. Instead, the Ravens were ecstatic to land a prospect of Wiggins’ caliber late in the first round. The organization didn’t expect the Clemson product to fall to No. 30, with GM Eric DeCosta declaring Wiggins the draft’s top CB prospect and defensive coordinator Zach Orr declaring Wiggins the draft’s top defensive prospect. So, when Baltimore was on the clock, it was unlikely that any trade suitor would pony up the necessary assets to get them to move on from the defensive back.

“For us, it was always, ‘If Nate [is] there, we [are] going to pick,'” DeCosta said (via Hensley). “In our opinion, [he’s] a guy that can be a true shutdown-type corner.”

The unprecedented run on offensive players allowed the Ravens to snag the elite defensive prospect. Wiggins was only the ninth defensive player off the board, and he was the third defensive back to hear his name called (after Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold).

The 6-2, 175-pounder faced questions about his playing weight, but his length and agility clearly appealed to the Ravens. The cornerback finished his Clemson career having compiled three interceptions and 21 passes defended, culminating in a 2023 campaign where he earned a first-team All-ACC selection.

While the organization clearly has high hopes for their first-round pick, the team has the luxury of not immediately throwing him into the fire. Baltimore has Marlon Humphrey in place as a cornerback cornerstone, and Brandon Stephens had a productive campaign on the opposite side in 2023. Stephens, however, is set to hit free agency following the 2024 campaign, so it shouldn’t take long for Wiggins to force himself into the starting lineup.

“With the guys that we have in our room, they’re truly interchangeable,” said defensive passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt said. “[We’re] trying to get the best guys on the field. Whatever that position is, or how we get them on the field, that’s what it’s all about.”

Drake Maye, Jacoby Brissett To Compete For Patriots’ QB1 Job

May 4th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Even before the Patriots pulled the trigger on Drake Maye with the third-overall pick, it was assumed that free agent acquisition Jacoby Brissett would keep the seat warm for most (if not all) of the 2024 campaign. However, it sounds like the organization is willing to give their rookie quarterback every chance to compete for the starting job.

[RELATED: Patriots Select QB Drake Maye At No. 3]

While speaking with reporters this week, head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged that the team hasn’t made a decision on their Week 1 quarterback starter.

“Look, Jacoby understands, he’s a mentor,” Mayo said (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe). “He’s very smart, has great leadership skills, and hopefully Drake can learn something from him, as well. I would say we’re going to compete all spring, we’re going to compete during training camp, and the best player will start.”

After moving on from three-year starter Mac Jones, the Patriots scooped up old friend Brissett via free agency. The veteran would never be confused with a top-end quarterback, leading many to rightfully assume that the organization was going to select a QB at No. 3.

However, Brissett has shown that he can be competent when given the opportunity to start; he went 7-8 as a full-time starter for the Colts in 2019, and he’s since gone 6-10 in stints with the Dolphins and Browns. Considering that performance as a fill-in, Brissett has earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier backup QBs.

As Wolfe notes, many scouts were critical of Maye’s “inconsistency in accuracy and overall NFL readiness,” leading many to believe that the veteran would be the QB1 until his younger teammate was ready to go. That could still end up being the case, especially considering Brissett’s former Cleveland OC Alex Van Pelt is now leading the Patriots offense. But following New England’s worst showing in decades, there’s a chance that Robert Kraft and co. want to generate some enthusiasm with their squad, resulting in Maye leading the depth chart.

The Patriots found themselves in a similar situation back in 2021. That season, Jones was expected to temporarily take a back seat to 2020 starter Cam Newton, but the rookie ended up winning the job in the preseason. While Brissett will surely be sticking around regardless of this current outcome (Newton was ultimately cut), there’s a chance the Patriots immediately start their first-round QB for the second time in a post-Tom Brady era.

Latest On Steelers’ WR Situation

May 4th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to the draft, the Steelers were frequently connected to a wide receiver trade. No such move took place over the weekend, though, and Pittsburgh has not been active in the post-draft wave of free agency to date.

The Steelers placed a heavy emphasis on the offensive line, using first- (tackle Troy Fautanu), second- (center Zach Frazier) and fourth- (guard Mason McCormick) round selections up front. The team also added a wideout by taking Michigan alum Roman Wilson in the third round, but there is room in the lineup for an experienced pass-catcher to play opposite George Pickens. As veteran dominoes have fallen in recent days, however, Pittsburgh has not added at the position.

Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. have each landed one-year deals this week, thinning out the pool of available options. With a blockbuster trade involving either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel no longer an option based on 49ers general manager John Lynch‘s recent comments, it would come as a surprise if Pittsburgh pulled off a player swap at this time. Indeed, Steelers GM Omar Khan confirmed during a Pat McAfee Show appearance that nothing is currently imminent regarding a receiver addition (video link).

One of the top free agents still on the market is Tyler Boyd, who was linked to his hometown team early in free agency. Pittsburgh now faces plenty of competition for the ex-Bengal’s services, though, and the team’s price point on a contract offer remains too low for a deal to be worked out. On that point, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic notes the Steelers are not prepared to offer a multi-year pact, something Boyd is seeking (subscription required). For that reason, Kaboly confirms a Boyd-to-Pittsburgh agreement is still “highly unlikely” at this time.

In addition to Pickens and Wilson, the Steelers’ WR room features the likes of Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims. With over $18MM in cap space, the team could afford to bring in another option, but it will be interesting to see if Khan pursues one of the remaining veterans or allows the current group to compete for roster spots in training camp.

Bears Open To Re-Signing DE Yannick Ngakoue?

May 4th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Yannick Ngakoue‘s debut Bears campaign came to an abrupt end due to a broken ankle. He remains unsigned following the draft, but a return to health could lead to an uptick in interest.

Ngakoue operated as a full-time starter in 2023 upon signing a one-year Bears pact. He racked up four sacks as a member of Chicago’s underwhelming edge contingent before needing to undergo season-ending surgery. The journeyman thus posted less than eight sacks for the first time in his career, but a video he posted this week demonstrates his ankle has healed. It will be interesting to see if his market picks up as a result.

Chicago added Montez Sweat at the trade deadline, and that move was followed up by a four-year, $98MM extension. The Bears still have room to improve along the edge, though, and The Athletic’s Adam Jahns writes it “wouldn’t be surprising” if Ngakoue was brought back on a low-cost agreement (subscription required). The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $10.5MM deal last offseason, but his injury will hinder his market value this time around.

Ngakoue has bounced around the NFL over his eight-year career, spending time with the Jaguars, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders, Colts and Bears. Chicago has one major edge commitment on the books in the form of Sweat (who posted a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2023, including six with the Bears), but a veteran addition could see notable playing time this season. Ngakoue is best suited as a complementary option specializing on third downs, a role he could fulfill on a new Bears agreement.

Chicago’s only draft addition along the edge was fifth-rounder Austin Booker. The Kansas product saw little playing time in his first two college seasons, but his lone campaign with the Jayhawks upon transferring produced eight sacks. Booker could operate in a rotational capacity as a rookie, but first-team reps should not be expected right away. As things stand, veteran DeMarcus Walker is in line to start opposite Sweat. Walker (who is on the books for two more years at cap hits of $8.67MM and $5.92MM) posted 3.5 sacks last season, leaving plenty of room for improvement in that department moving forward.

The Bears have nearly $23MM in cap space, so they are better positioned than most teams to make a notable post-draft free agent addition. Ngakoue has not been linked to any potential suitors so far, but it will be worth watching to see if the Bears pursue a reunion.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/24

May 4th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Kansas City Chiefs

Christiansen began his career with the Chargers in 2020, and he spent his first two seasons in the league as a core special teamer. The 26-year-old had been with Kansas City since 2022, making six total regular season appearances and playing three postseason games this year. Christiansen was tendered in March, but today’s decision makes him an unrestricted free agent.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/24

May 4th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s lone draft pick signing:

Philadelphia Eagles

Keegan spent five seasons with the Wolverines, serving as a full-time left guard starter from 2021-23. He was a key member of Michigan’s O-line (a unit which won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive front in 2021 and ’22) and he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season. With Landon Dickerson locked into the left guard spot in Philadelphia, Keegan will look to compete for playing time at the opposite guard position. The Eagles have now signed two members of their nine-man draft class.

NFL Front Office Updates: Panthers, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Raiders

May 4th, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Oftentimes, when there are staff and front office changes on NFL teams, a Black Monday-type of exodus can happen following the NFL Draft. With mere months or even weeks between the time of a new staff’s hiring and the draft, it can be advantageous to utilize the scouting and personnel department already in place. Though, after the draft concludes, those same teams may opt to clear house and in their own preferred employees.

The Panthers are one such team, with Joe Person of The Athletic reporting that both director of pro scouting Rob Hanrahan and assistant director of pro scouting Tyler Ramsey have been let go. Hanrahan had been with the team for seven years, while Ramsey had been there for three.

The two weren’t alone as Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com reported the departure of northeast area scout Michael Coe and senior personnel executive Jeff Morrow, as well. New general manager Dan Morgan had forecasted changes after the draft, which we’re seeing now.

Here are some other changes in NFL personnel departments:

  • Stratton also informs us that the Cardinals have parted ways with director of college scouting Josh Scobey. The former Arizona running back had just finished his second year in the role after 12 seasons as a part of the team’s scouting department.
  • The Buccaneers have also moved on from personnel department employees with Stratton reporting that neither veteran scout Mark Ellenz nor assistant director of pro scouting Alex Smith will return in 2024. Smith had been with the team for seven years and was elevated to his most recent position after four seasons as a pro scout.
  • The Raiders are the next team mentioned by Stratton with director of scout development Keith Kidd reportedly being removed from the team’s website.
Load More Posts

NFL News & NFL Rumors