HEADLINES

Raiders’ Sixth-Rounder Tommy Mellott To Play WR

May 4th, 2025 at 11:18am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders added two FCS quarterbacks in the sixth round of April’s draft, bringing Montana State’s Tommy Mellott and North Dakota State’s Cam Miller aboard. As our Ely Allen wrote at the time the picks were made, some scouts and analysts believed Mellott would transition to wide receiver at the professional level, and that is precisely what will happen.

Las Vegas has said Mellott will play WR, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. While Miller will attempt to earn a place on the QB depth chart behind Geno Smith and Aidan O’Connell, Mellott will focus his efforts elsewhere on offense and on special teams.

Mellott became Montana State’s full-time signal-caller in 2021, though his best numbers as a passer didn’t come until his final collegiate season in 2024, when he won the Walter Payton Award (the FCS award for most outstanding offensive player). Last year, Mellott threw for 31 touchdowns (his previous season-high was 10) with only two interceptions. For his career, he threw 55 TDs to only eight picks in 49 games.

Of course, it is difficult to project how FCS success will translate to the NFL, and Mellott’s rushing statistics offer a clue as to how he might thrive in the pros. In his 49 collegiate contests, he compiled 3,517 rushing yards and 43 rushing scores while sustaining a 7.2 yards-per-carry average. As ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler notes in a rather comprehensive piece detailing Mellott’s draft-day experience and his future with the Raiders, Las Vegas special teams coordinator Tom McMahon believes Mellott can become a new version of Taysom Hill, Julian Edelman, or Josh Cribbs, college QBs who found success as offensive weapons and/or special teams aces in the NFL.

As far as Day 3 choices go, Mellott was reportedly a hot commodity. McMahon knew his colleagues around the league were well-aware of Mellott, and he attempted to obscure his feelings about the former Bobcat during conversations with those colleagues. GM John Spytek also opted against using a “30” visit on Mellott to avoid alerting other clubs of the Raiders’ interest, and McMahon says as soon as the Mellott pick was announced, he received texts from other ST coaches indicating their team was about to select the talented prospect.

Mellott is a self-described fan of Edelman and noted that the Patriots icon first earned attention as a pro by excelling as a punt returner. Mellott likewise will attempt to gain recognition in whatever role Las Vegas envisions for him.

“I was a different kind of prospect going into the NFL,” Mellott said. “I wasn’t a clear-cut quarterback. … To get drafted is an honor and a privilege. The work is not even close to being done. I’m excited to go there and prove that I can contribute.”

In addition to Mellott, the Raiders tried to shore up their significant WR need by adding Jack Bech (second round) and Dont’e Thornton (fourth round) in the draft. But unless Las Vegas also signs one of the veteran wideouts still on the market, there would seemingly still be an opportunity for Mellott to carve out an ancillary role among the club’s pass-catching contingent in addition to whatever work he sees as a return specialist. 

Ameer Abdullah led Vegas with 10 punt returns and nine kickoff returns last year, but he is still a free agent. 

Dolphins To Explore Free Agency For CB Help

May 4th, 2025 at 9:03am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins released cornerback Kendall Fuller in February and are trying to trade fellow CB Jalen Ramsey. The team is therefore in need of at least one, and possibly two, starting boundary corners, and GM Chris Grier has indicated he is looking to veteran free agents to fill the void (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques).

As Louis-Jacques observes, Miami entered last month’s draft with needs along the offensive and defensive lines and at corner. While the team added several defensive tackles – including No. 13 overall selection Kenneth Grant – as well as a second-round guard, it did not nab a CB until the fifth round, when it turned in the card for Florida defender Jason Marshall Jr. 

Before the draft, Grier expressed his belief that the 2025 class of college corners was a deep one, thereby implying that quality players could be had in later rounds. Marshall brings good size and a four-year SEC pedigree to the table, but Louis-Jacques identifies him as a developmental player at this point (which is of course the norm for most Day 3 choices).

The lack of an immediate starter in the Dolphins’ rookie class and the seemingly imminent departure of one of the game’s best CBs in Ramsey increases the urgency to add established talent to the secondary. In terms of advanced metrics, Fuller was not up to his usual standard in 2024 – his first season in Miami – though he still earned a solid 66.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He struggled with concussions and played in just 11 games, but assuming there are no lingering health concerns, one wonders if the ‘Fins will circle back to Fuller on a less expensive deal than the two-year, $16.5MM accord he signed in March 2024.

While James Bradberry also remains on the market, the 2020 Pro Bowler missed all of last season due to injury. Even before that, the Eagles had shifted Bradberry to safety following a dismal 2023 effort at his natural cornerback position. As such, the soon-to-be 32-year-old does not profile as a surefire boundary starter at this stage of his career, despite his desire to return to CB in 2025.

Rasul Douglas, meanwhile, had strung together several strong seasons in a row before struggling for the Bills in 2024, surrendering a career-worst 122.0 quarterback rating on passes thrown in his direction and earning a career-worst 53.9 PFF grade as a result. And Stephon Gilmore played reasonably well as part of the Vikings’ fifth-ranked scoring defense in 2024, but the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year and late-career journeyman is reportedly giving thought to retirement. There has been no publicly-reported interest in him, Douglas, or Fuller since their contracts expired or were terminated this year.

The same is true of Mike Hilton and C.J. Henderson, two other players with significant starting experience who could pique Grier’s interest. Other recognizable names like Asante Samuel Jr.  and Shaquill Griffin are also unattached as of the time of this writing.

Packers Have Conducted Jaire Alexander Trade Talks

May 3rd, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The top offseason storyline for the Packers remains the future of Jaire Alexander. The high-priced corner is still in the organization at this point, although he was absent from Green Bay’s voluntary workouts this week.

Participation on that front should not be expected as things stand. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports Alexander and the Packers have an agreement in place where he will not report to the team until a resolution on his situation is found. That update comes as little surprise given the extent to which the two-time Pro Bowler’s future remains in the air. Anderson confirms all options are still on the table in this situation.

One of those would see Alexander remain in Green Bay for the 2025 campaign, something which did not appear likely in February. Green Bay shopped the 28-year-old in advance of free agency, but no agreement was reached around that time or during the draft. Teams around the league have done most of the heavy lifting from a roster-building perspective by now, but Alexander is among the high-profile players still available deep into the offseason.

Per Anderson, Green Bay has conducted “exploratory” trade talks involving the Louisville product. No specific suitors have emerged to date, but she adds a pair of teams have kept tabs on this situation for a lengthy period of time. If a trade is to take place, an acquiring team will need to take on the two years remaining on Alexander’s contract (which does not include any outstanding guaranteed salaries).

With Alexander set to carry cap charges of $24.64MM and $27.02MM, a restructure could be in order to facilitate a trade. The former first-rounder’s preference, however, would be a release allowing him to join a new team as a free agent. Green Bay would need to wait until after June 1 until proceeding with a cut if the team were to take that approach given the cap implications of doing so. As a result, this saga could continue for several weeks (with mandatory minicamp looming later in June).

Jalen Ramsey joins Alexander as a veteran corner available on the trade market. The latter’s injury history – single-digit games played in three of the past four years – will no doubt hinder his market to at least an extent, but interest persists at this point.

Browns Couldn’t Pass Up Value Of Shedeur Sanders Pick

May 3rd, 2025 at 9:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

It wasn’t a surprise that Shedeur Sanders ended up in Cleveland by the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, the Browns had a glaring need at quarterback and extensively scouted the Colorado product during the pre-draft process.

The real shocker was that the Browns landed Sanders on Day 3 after already picking a quarterback in the third round.

The team arrived at the conclusion that Sanders wasn’t worth the No. 2 pick, per Daniel Oyefusi and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, but he was still considered a potential target late in the first round or early in the second. That especially seemed like the case when the Browns added extra draft capital in their trade with the Jaguars, positioning them to add a quarterback on Day 2.

That theory turned out to be half-right. Cleveland drafted a QB with the 94th overall pick, but it was Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, not Sanders. His slide continued into Day 3, where the Browns decided his value was too good to pass up. They traded up to the 144th pick to select Sanders, ending his fall and landing a potential future starter in the fifth round.

“We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft,” said Berry after the pick (via Oyefusi). “Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.”

Drafting Gabriel made it seem like they had no intention of bringing Sanders to Cleveland. Browns personnel believed that other teams had a Day 2 grade on the polarizing prospect and were thus surprised when he fell past the third round. When Sanders’ name wasn’t called early on Day 3, general manager Andrew Berry started working the phones to move up, even after selecting Gabriel the day before

Cleveland’s front office didn’t spend time reevaluating Sanders’ talent or reassessing his ranking on their board. Nor were they pushed by team owner Jimmy Haslam to make the pick, at least according to Berry.

Instead, according to Oyefusi, Berry “worked hard to trade up” and eventually delivered the news to Sanders via video call. His father, Hall of Fame cornerback and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, later called Berry as well after getting to know each other during the pre-draft process. Deion also has a good relationship with Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave after playing together for the 49ers in 1994.

Deion’s legacy loomed large during the months leading up to the draft. He famously rejected a written test from the Giants during his own pre-draft interviews in 1989, confidently (and correctly) asserting that he would be drafted long before New York was on the clock.

That attitude seemed to carry over to his son. During and after Shedeur Sanders’ fall, reports emerged that he struggled in his interviews and visits with teams, especially the Giants. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Sanders approached his meetings with prospective future employers as if he was being “recruited” as opposed to being “interviewed.” That caused him to be wiped from several teams’ boards, including the Steelers.

Despite persistent links throughout March and April, Sanders was never a “real option” for Pittsburgh, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. The Steelers were more interested in Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Ohio State’s Will Howard, the latter of whom they drafted in the sixth round.

Sanders’ interactions with the Browns were reportedly more positive than with other teams, giving Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski the confidence that adding one of the most talked-about prospects of the year could only help their uncertain quarterback situation. Cleveland has no clear starter for 2025 or beyond, giving Sanders an opportunity he may not have had with another other team.

If the Browns can turn a fifth-round pick into a franchise quarterback, they’ll have cleared a major hurdle in recovering from the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade and bringing the team back to competitive relevancy.

Ikem Ekwonu Aiming For Panthers Extension

May 3rd, 2025 at 8:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ikem Ekwonu will remain with the Panthers for at least the next two seasons given the team’s recent decision on his fifth-year option. If Carolina’s left tackle starter has his way, though, he will stay in place beyond 2026.

Ekwonu took on starting duties as a rookie and he has manned the blindside for each of his three years in the league. He will finish his rookie pact in 2025, and the Panthers’ decision to pick up his option has him in line to receive $17.65MM the following year. A long-term pact could be in place by that point, something the 24-year-old would welcome.

“I have no timeline, honestly,” Ekwonu said of a potential extension (via the team’s website). “I’ll let my agent and [general manager] Dan [Morgan] and everybody kind of figure that out for themselves. “But I mean, obviously, all parties know, all parties involved know I want to be here in Carolina long term. Hopefully, we can get that done.”

Pass protection has been a sore spot for Ekwonu, and continued development in that regard will be key if he is to become a long-term mainstay up front. The NC State product’s run blocking has proven to be a strength as expected, however. A commitment beyond the intermediate term was mentioned by Morgan as something on the Panthers’ radar when the option decision was announced, so it will be interesting to see when extension negotiations take place.

Carolina has longtime right tackle Taylor Moton in place for 2025, the final year of his contract. The team’s center spot is also uncertain beyond the coming campaign with Austin Corbett being re-signed this spring and Cade Mays inking his RFA tender. At guard, by contrast, the Panthers’ plans are clear with 2024 free agent additions Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis still in the fold.

A total of 15 offensive tackles are currently attached to a deal averaging at least $20MM per year. Ekwonu has not done enough to warrant a commitment near the top of the market so far, and it would come as no surprise if the Panthers waited before engaging in contract talks. Considering a mutual interest exists on the extension front, though, this situation will be worth watching.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/25

May 3rd, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s lone draft pick signing:

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles inked four of their draftees to rookie deals yesterday, and they have taken care of another pierce of business on that front. Half of Philadelphia’s selections are yet to be signed, including each of the team’s first three picks.

Seahawks Announce 17-Man NFL UDFA Class

May 3rd, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks added one of the NFL’s largest draft classes this year with 11 rookies selected last week. After there was a heavy focus on offense in the draft (nine offensive players to just two defensive), Seattle announced a 17-man undrafted free agent signing class that leaned much more heavily towards defense (11 players) than offense (six players). Here are the 17 newest additions to the team’s 28-man rookie class:

The Seahawks are bringing in four names at edge rusher, a position of need they failed to address in the draft. They felt so strongly about O’Toole that they gave him $234K guaranteed on his undrafted rookie deal, including a $30K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. O’Toole was a mildly impactful defensive end during his time with the Utes, logging only 8.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss over his four years in college.

Ivey was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection before falling out of the draft. A former Georgia Tech transfer, his last two years with the Rebels were extremely productive, seeing him tally 12.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. Coleman was a three-year starter in six years with the Fighting Illini. Over his three years as a starter, Coleman logged 13.5 sacks, 21.0 tackles for loss, and 13 batted passes.

Woodard was projected to be a late-Day 3 pick but just slipped out. His final two years with his Rebels were extremely disruptive as he had 26.0 tackles for loss (17.0 in 2024), 21 passes defensed (16 in 2024), and five interceptions (four in 2024). His elite production in coverage could help him land a role as a pass defending linebacker in today’s pass-happy NFL.

At cornerback, Alexander was another projected early-Day 3 pick. After a couple elite seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, Alexander transferred to LSU and became an immediate starter. Though a knee injury limited him in 2023, he tallied an impressive 44 tackles, nine passes defensed and two interceptions. He kept that production alive in 2024, as well, with six passes defensed and two more picks and was rewarded by Seattle with $249K in guaranteed money, including a $15K signing bonus, per Wilson. Waxter has a chance to be an impact defender out of Nova. After elite production in 2023 that saw him log 11 passes defensed and three interceptions, quarterbacks threw his way a lot less in 2024, but that didn’t stop him from leading the team in forced fumbles and earning first-team All-CAA honors.

On offense, Maranges showed enough during his time with the Owls to earn $250K in guarantees, per Wilson. A Puerto Rico-native, Maranges qualifies for an international roster exemption as a participant of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. The IPP program stipulates that NFL teams can include a 17th player to their practice squad (normally capped at 16 players) as long as that player qualifies for the international roster exemption.

2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Texans, Browns, Williams

May 3rd, 2025 at 3:46pm CST by Ely Allen

We entered the 2025 NFL Draft in unprecedented waters as all 32 teams were set to have their own first-round picks for the first time since the AFL-NFL merger. In fact, when the Tennessee was put on the clock, all teams still had their own first-round picks. Before that, the closest the draft had ever come to starting without any first-round trades was in 1993, when the Chiefs traded their first-rounder to the 49ers for Joe Montana just five days before the draft.

While Cleveland and Jacksonville were the first teams to ruin that pristine first round with a trade, the Texans and Rams were the only teams to trade completely out of the first round. In fact, all nine of Houston’s draft picks were the results of trades. We already discussed how the team looked to move back up into the first round for Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, but on Fan Duel TV’s Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, Texans general manager Nick Caserio detailed how they were initially attempting to move up into the top half of the first round but were unable to find a partner, so they looked instead into moving down, fielding several offers.

“We tried to move up a little bit,” Caserio told Adams. “It didn’t really work out. At about the 18, 19, 20 range, we started to get some calls about our pick, so we were putting the information up on the board.”

“We had actually three different trade scenarios that were on the board at one time,” Caserio continued. “We had trade scenarios, we were prepared to pick a player…and then we were on the clock, and a pick before — I think when Minnesota picked at 24 — and after they picked, we were able to consummate the trade with the Giants. So, we scooted back there to the second round and then had the second pick there to start Friday.”

Here are a few other draft rumors from the days following the 2025 NFL Draft:

  • In a Q&A earlier this week, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated dropped an interesting tidbit about the Browns‘ potential first-round strategy last Thursday night. We’ve covered Breer’s earlier report that Cleveland attempted to get back into the first round for Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., but he has since reasoned that the team was potentially looking for Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart late in the first round. Ultimately, it was the Giants that made the move back into the 25th overall spot for Dart, but there’s a chance the Browns may have done so if New York hadn’t acted when they did.
  • Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams found himself getting drafted at the tail end of the first round by the Lions at No. 28 overall. Shortly after the draft, Williams told Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network that he believes the Bills would have taken him two picks later if Detroit hadn’t selected him. Buffalo had considered defensive tackle a serious position of need as DaQuan Jones heads into a contract year, and head coach Sean McDermott and defensive line coach Marcus West told Williams they loved his game and how he played. There’s a chance Williams could’ve been headed to northern New York had Lions general manager Brad Holmes been more receptive to the phone calls he’d received gauging his interest in trading back from the 28th overall pick.

2025 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

May 3rd, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is every team’s haul from the 2025 NFL Draft:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Read more

Ravens Sign T Joseph Noteboom

May 3rd, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens have had a busy morning of paperwork today. After announcing the signing of nine of their 11 draft picks, they’ve now announced that they’ve added some starting offensive tackle depth by agreeing to terms on a contract with Joseph Noteboom. Though contract details are not yet known, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tells us that the soon-to-be-30-year-old will be on a one-year deal in Baltimore.

A former third-round pick out of TCU, Noteboom has had a seven-year career so far, with all seven seasons coming in Los Angeles with the Rams. After spending his rookie season mostly on special teams as a backup, Noteboom began his sophomore campaign as the team’s starting left guard before suffering a torn ACL and MCL.

His 2020 season opened the same way after recovery, but he was placed on injured reserve after only two starts with a calf injury. When he was activated later that year, he started the remainder of the season filling in for an injured Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, his first starts at tackle since college. In 2021, though, the Rams returned to their reliable pair of Whitworth and Rob Havenstein as Noteboom only started two games at tackle for the year, including his first start on the right side of the line.

With the retirement of Whitworth, Noteboom opened the 2022 campaign as the Rams’ new starter at left tackle under a new three-year, $40MM extension. Unfortunately, after only six games, his season ended with a torn Achilles tendon. Los Angeles had Alaric Jackson take over the starting left tackle role in 2023, and though Noteboom began the year as the starting right guard, he was ultimately moved around the line as a swing tackle, starting three games at right guard, three games at right tackle, and two games at left tackle. Noteboom began last year starting at left tackle as Jackson served a two-game suspension, but an ankle injury knocked him out of the game in Week 1 and would limit him as he only started and played in three games for the remainder of the season.

Luckily, in Baltimore, Noteboom’s injury history isn’t of much concern. The Ravens are certainly set at the tackle positions with veteran Ronnie Stanley re-signing on a three-year, $60MM deal this offseason and the team drafting Roger Rosengarten in the second round last year. After the free agency departures of Patrick Mekari and Josh Jones, the Ravens have been in need of a swing tackle to add depth and starting experience to the line, and Noteboom fits that bill to a T.

While seemingly a minor role on the offense, the swing tackle role has become a crucial one in Baltimore. Mekari proved the importance of that position as a Swiss Army sixth-man early in his career. Mekari started games at every position along the offensive line during his six years with the Ravens, proving to be extremely valuable during a tenure that saw Stanley miss 38 games over that stretch of time.

Even with Stanley returning to health to start all 17 games last year, and with Mekari becoming a mainstay at left guard, Jones saw plenty of action as a sixth-man on the offensive line for Baltimore in 2024. Jones didn’t make any starts last season, but his versatility allowed the Ravens to use him everywhere, as he’s started games at every position but center during his NFL career. A Baltimore offense that led the NFL in rushing in 2024 often depended on jumbo sets including a sixth offensive lineman, and Jones was often the man called to fill that role.

With Mekari and Jones both gone, the Ravens will now turn to Noteboom to man that job. Noteboom has similar versatility as Mekari and Jones — he’s also missing starts at only center — and should be utilized in a similar manner. The Ravens spent two draft picks on rookie tackles Emery Jones Jr. (third round, LSU) and Carson Vinson (fifth round, Alabama A&M) this year, and both should help add depth, but Noteboom’s starting experience and versatility should prove to be incredibly valuable in 2025.

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