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5 Key Stories: 8/3/25 – 8/10/25

August 10th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Preseason is in full swing around the NFL. As the countdown to Week 1 continues, key developments on a number of fronts have taken place recently. In case you missed any of this week’s top stories, here is a quick recap:

  • Chargers Reunite With Allen, Lose Slater: Shortly after taking a free agent visit with the Chargers, Keenan Allen agreed to return to his original team. While playing out the 2024 season in Chicago, the six-time Pro Bowler remained a productive starter and expressed a willingness to remain with the Bears or return to Los Angeles. By taking the latter route, Allen will continue adding to his decorated Bolts tenure in a receiver room which lost Mike Williams to retirement this summer. In unwanted news for the team, left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn patellar tendon in practice. The recently-extended Pro Bowler will miss the season as a result. Joe Alt represents an enviable contingency option on the blindside, but losing Slater marks a massive blow for the Chargers’ offense.
  • Sieler Lands Dolphins Raise: Over the course of his Dolphins career, defensive tackle Zach Sieler has emerged as one of the team’s most important defenders. The 29-year-old represented an extension candidate this offseason as a reflection of his high-end production, and one was in fact worked out. Team and player agreed to a three-year, $67.75MM pact despite the fact Sieler still had two years remaining on his previous contract. The former seventh-round pick has notched 10 sacks in each of the past two seasons, and with $34MM in cashflow covering 2025 and ’26 he will be expected to remain one of the league’s standout interior defenders for years to come.
  • NFLPA Taps White As Interim Leader: The NFLPA has sought stability in the wake of Lloyd Howell and, shortly thereafter, J.C. Tretter, resigning from their respective positions. A search for Howell’s interim replacement as executive director resulted in David White being hired for the role. White was the runner-up to Howell during the hiring process in 2023, and he will now get the opportunity to lead the union on at least a short-term basis. Numerous scandals led to an abrupt end for Howell and Tretter, and White will be tasked with restoring trust from the NFLPA’s members while at the helm. The search for a full-time executive director will begin shortly and include each team’s player representative along with the union’s senior committee members.
  • Rams Extend Williams: Throughout the 2025 offseason, signs pointed to an extension being worked out between running back Kyren Williams and the Rams. To no surprise, then, an agreement was reached with plenty of time before Week 1. Williams landed a three-year, $33MM pact containing $23MM in guaranteed money. Los Angles’ lead back is under contract through 2028 as a result, and he is thus positioned to remain a focal point on offense for years to come. Williams, 24, received 260 offensive touches in 2023 and 350 last season. He will be counted on to continue in a workhorse role while attempting to return to his previous mark in terms of efficiency. Now seventh in the position’s pecking order for average annual value, Williams is set to serve as a core member of the Rams’ offense for the foreseeable future.
  • McGary, Falcons Agree To Extension: The Falcons extended left tackle Jake Matthews in March, and they did the same with right tackle Kaleb McGary ahead of his seventh Atlanta campaign. The latter took a two-year, $30MM deal to remain in place through 2027. McGary has emerged as one of the league’s top run blockers and has been a mainstay up front for the Falcons throughout his tenure. The former first-rounder secured a raise in terms of AAV on his third career contract, and his ongoing presence will allow for continuity along Atlanta’s O-line. It will be interesting to see if the team’s notable investments in the unit will help allow for a playoff berth in 2025.

Offseason In Review: Minnesota Vikings

August 9th, 2025 at 10:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having allowed Kirk Cousins to depart in free agency to take on a multiyear tenure atop the Falcons’ quarterback depth chart – or so he thought – the Vikings began a new era under center in 2024. First-round rookie J.J. McCarthy did not wind up seeing any regular-season action due to meniscus surgery, however, so his acclimation period in the NFL was delayed for one year.

As McCarthy rehabbed his knee, one-year rental Sam Darnold enjoyed what was (at least up to the final two weeks of the campaign) a stellar season for the Vikings. A 14-3 record preceded a highly underwhelming playoff exit, but the Kevin O’Connell-Kwesi Adofo-Mensah regime earned a new commitment from the organization in the process. With Minnesota’s HC and GM in place for the long term, McCarthy’s stint in the QB1 role is set to begin.

Trades:

Mason played sparingly during his first two 49ers campaigns, but 2024 saw Christian McCaffrey limited to just four games. In his place, Mason took on a starting role prior to suffering his own season-ending ailment. When on the field, the former UDFA averaged an intriguing 5.2 yards per carry.

San Francisco’s decision to apply the second-round RFA tender on Mason appeared to ensure he would remain in place for at least the 2025 campaign. However, the trade brought about a change of scenery in this case. Upon arrival in Minnesota, the 26-year-old agreed to a two-year, $10.5MM extension. Roughly three-quarters of that figure is guaranteed, and incentives could increase his earnings with rush totals of 800 yards or more. Mason racked up 793 last year despite missing five games, so upping his compensation could certainly be attainable.

A full-time starting gig will not be available unless Aaron Jones misses time while playing out his new Vikings pact. Nevertheless, Mason should manage to find success at least as a short-yardage and goal line option with Minnesota. Of course, a heavy emphasis on the passing game will always be expected with O’Connell and as talented a receiver tandem at his disposal. The ground game will nevertheless be worth watching with Mason now in the fold.

Howell’s time in Seattle proved to be short-lived. The former Commanders draftee spent a single campaign in the Emerald City, making two brief appearances while backing up Geno Smith. The Seahawks’ quarterback renovations included trading away Smith but also reuniting with Drew Lock. That move helped make Howell a trade candidate, and a parting of ways became even more likely once Jalen Milroe was selected during the third round of the draft.

One day after Milroe arrived in Round 3, the Howell swap took place. One season remains on the 24-year-old’s rookie contract, so his addition could prove to simply be a rental. With only one year as a starter at the NFL level, Howell is far from an experienced passer for McCarthy to rely on as he begins his tenure atop the depth chart. That was not for lack of interest in veteran signalers, however.

The Vikings were named as a Joe Flacco landing spot shortly after the start of free agency. The former Super Bowl MVP has bounced around the league following the end of his Ravens tenure taking on a number of (primarily) QB2 gigs, although he has totaled 15 starts across the past three years. That figure could increase in 2025 during his second Browns stint. Ryan Tannehill – who last played in 2023 – also received consideration from Minnesota. In lieu of adding one of those veterans, Howell will be counted on to occupy the backup gig while McCarthy acclimates to the starting role.

The Texans’ primary objective this offseason was a major retooling along the offensive line. That effort included the release of Shaq Mason and trades which sent out fellow guard Kenyon Green as well as left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Ingram was not considered likely to be retained for 2025 after losing his starting spot last season. In Houston, the pending free agent will look to rebuild his value for next spring. If the Vikings see a depth addition as being necessary late in the offseason, a familiar face in the form of Dalton Risner remains available.

Free agency additions:

An inexpensive quarterback room — a Vikings first since before Sam Bradford‘s 2016 arrival — headlined by McCarthy’s remaining term on his rookie deal allowed for the Vikings to spend aggressively at other positions. Indeed, the team has committed nearly $350MM in total cash to this year’s roster. Several new faces will be expected to contribute early and often in 2025.

As was also the case with the Bears this spring, upgrading on both sides of the line of scrimmage emerged as a clear priority for the Vikings. Fries received the longest free agent deal around the NFL this offseason, a noteworthy feat considering the tibia fracture which limited his 2024 season to just five games. The 27-year-old had a solid 2023 campaign and drew strong PFF evaluations when healthy last season, so he still found himself amongst the top guards on the market. Interest from teams such as the Giants and Seahawks came in, but Fries will play out his second NFL contract with the Vikings.

The former seventh-round pick can up his earnings by as much as $6MM via incentives. Even if Fries is unable to collect on those, though, his ranking ninth in terms of average annual value amongst guards certainly represents a successful first trip to free agency. Age will be a concern with any future deals if/when he hits the market again, but for the time being a lengthy Minnesota stay should be in store.

Fries has the potential to offer the Vikings stability at the right guard spot for several years. He is certainly being counted on to do so, given the terms of his deal, and a strong debut campaign would go a long way in ensuring McCarthy transitions to the QB1 role effectively. Of course, Fries is not the only newcomer up front for whom that can be said.

Hitting free agency as the most accomplished center available (by a wide margin), Kelly expectedly joined a contender when selecting his second career team. The four-time Pro Bowler did not see any of his 2026 salary guaranteed at signing, however, meaning the Vikings could move on after a signing season. If things go according to plan, Kelly should manage to avoid such a situation.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard publicly stated his intention to deviate from the team’s philosophy of largely retaining in-house players in lieu of high-priced outside additions. That helped open the door to a Kelly departure, although the 32-year-old did discuss re-signing with Indianapolis. Instead of continuing on what would have been a third Colts contract, the 121-game starter will look to upgrade – at least on a short-term basis – the center spot with Minnesota.

The possibility of Allen being released emerged this offseason, and Washington elected to part ways with the veteran D-tackle after eight years in the nation’s capital. That cost-shedding move made the two-time Pro Bowler an attractive option in free agency given his durability (up until the 2024 season) and relatively consistent production. The 49ers explored including him in the Deebo Samuel trade, but that did not come to pass. Instead of signing with San Francisco (a team which remained interested) on the open market, Allen headed to Minnesota.

At the age of 30, concerns about a drop-off in production will be present in Allen’s case. The former first-rounder has notched at least 7.5 sacks three times in a season, but he posted 5.5 in his last full campaign and three when healthy in 2024. Allen returning to his previous form would be critical for a Vikings defensive front which has undergone a slew of changes over the past two offseasons. That would also generate financial benefits given the incentives based on playing time and sack totals present in his deal.

The 49ers’ interest in adding Allen through trade or free agency was based in part on their decision to release Hargrave. At the end of the 2024 campaign, GM John Lynch made it clear the former Steeler and Eagle would be cut with a post-June 1 designation. Hargrave earned one of his two Pro Bowl nods during his two-year stint in the Bay Area, maintaining his status as one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders on his third team. A pectoral tear resulted in only three games played last season, however, causing the 49ers to restructure his pact before cutting ties.

The first major injury in Hargrave’s nine-year career limited his latest pact to two years, but a healthy guarantee illustrates Minnesota’s investment in his continued production for at least the immediate future. The 32-year-old has started 115 games and been on the field for no fewer than 58% of his team’s defensive snaps each season since 2019. Serving as a mainstay with the Vikings would help a defense which has ranked top-eight against the run during both of Brian Flores’ DC seasons. It could also shift how Flores operates moving forward.

In 2023 and again in ’24, the Vikings led the NFL in blitz percentage. With an experienced tandem of Allen and Hargrave at the DT spots along with a returning top trio of edge rushers, though, Flores could rely more on four-man rushes this season in an attempt to aid Minnesota’s secondary. In any case, the team’s defense will remain a major factor in deciding whether or not the coming campaign is a success. It will still be interesting to see if a slightly different approach is explored along the way.

A gambling suspension sidelined Rodgers for the entire 2023 season and ended his tenure with the Colts. A one-year flier offered by the Eagles proved to be beneficial for both parties; the former sixth-rounder played a rotational role on defense while also chipping in on special teams for the Super Bowl winners. Philadelphia was interested in keeping Rodgers – especially considering Darius Slay’s release and subsequent intra-Pennsylvania move to the Steelers – but ended up losing both cover men during the spring.

A starting spot is available for Rodgers, 27, who could enjoy a notable career turnaround compared to where things stood two years ago. He and Okudah (a former No. 3 pick who has played double-digit games in a season just twice so far) could find themselves making key contributions in Minnesota’s secondary in 2025. One or both could thus prove to be effective buy-low additions from the team’s perspective.

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Offseason In Review: Atlanta Falcons

August 8th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 offseason put the Falcons’ most significant pieces in place. A year later, Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins are still coexisting. Cousins’ attempts to be released or traded have failed. For now, Atlanta is keeping the high-priced veteran as a disgruntled backup. As the Penix era begins in earnest, the Falcons used their top 2025 offseason resources on defense.

After Atlanta used its 2024 first-round pick on Penix, it doubled down on an area it has been unable to staff for the better part of a decade. The team will hope its two first-round edge rushers can make an immediate difference, as it has now been eight years since the franchise’s last playoff appearance.

Extensions and restructures:

Before its Cousins retention and OLB draft choices, the Falcons locked down their reliable left tackle. No longer a blindside presence thanks to Penix joining Tua Tagovailoa as the NFL’s only southpaw starting quarterbacks, Matthews nevertheless sits as an important piece to open a new period. This is Matthews’ fourth contract. A spotless track record placed the NFL legacy in position to enter the $20MM O-line club at 33. Matthews has missed one career game, lining up for every Falcons contest over the past 10 seasons.

The 2014 first-round pick protected Matt Ryan‘s blind side for eight years. With Grady Jarrett off the roster, Matthews is the last remaining Falcon from their Super Bowl LI season. None of Matthews’ teammates arrived before 2019; Thomas Dimitroff was midway through his GM tenure when he tabbed Matthews to protect Ryan. That selection did not give the Falcons a top-flight tackle; Matthews has just one Pro Bowl and zero All-Pro accolades on his resume. Despite this and no ties to the current coaching staff or GM, Matthews collected a new deal that came in beyond the Dion Dawkins–Taylor Decker–Garett Bolles tier established last year.

Finalizing this re-up hours before free agency, the Falcons have their LT signed through 2028. Acting early probably helped, as Matthews may have demanded more in light of middling LT Dan Moore Jr. fetching $20.5MM per year a day later. Still, Matthews is on track to enter Week 1 as the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid player at the position.

McGary’s late-summer extension gives the Falcons three O-linemen earning at least $15MM per year; All-Pro guard Chris Lindstrom is at $20.5MM AAV. These contracts join Matthew Bergeron‘s rookie deal and Ryan Neuzil‘s RFA tender on the Falcons’ payroll.

Part of a high-end 2023 crop of free agent right tackles, McGary has held his own despite not being deemed as valuable as Mike McGlinchey or Jawaan Taylor (believe it or not) that year. Pro Football Focus has graded McGary as a top-30 tackle in each of the past three seasons, slotting him 29th last season. McGary’s run-blocking ability has helped Bijan Robinson start fast, after the former first-round tackle’s work boosted Tyler Allgeier during a run-obsessed 2022 Falcons season. He has been an asset, but this deal signified the Falcons do not identify him as an upper-crust RT.

McGary’s AAV jumps from $11.5MM to $15MM, but the latter figure checks in 12th among right tackles. It is interesting McGary opted to lock in money now, as another free agency bid would have probably bettered his situation. McGary has not dealt with major injury trouble, missing just six games in six seasons, but he did turn 30 this year. The Falcons will capitalize on their six-year RT opting not to test the market again.

Free agency additions:

Atlanta eyed the draft as the route out of its edge rusher predicament, but the team first brought in an experienced veteran. Ahead of an age-33 season, Floyd could either act as a bridge for James Pearce Jr. or operate as an experienced rotational piece. Floyd followed Jarrett in landing on his feet following a release. He managed the same AAV his 49ers contract carried.

Floyd received an early San Francisco release despite an 8.5-sack season. That slate continued a stretch as one of the NFL’s steadiest edge rushers. From 2020-24, Floyd has not missed a game and has recorded between 8.5 and 10.5 sacks each season. The Falcons will hope for at least one more productive year from the former first-round pick.

Ryan Pace‘s front office presence presumably impacted Floyd’s path. In place as Bears GM when the team drafted Floyd in the 2016 top 10, Pace has been in the Falcons’ front office since 2022. Terry Fontenot retained Pace, who had also added Eddie Goldman after a Chicago release. Floyd fared better with the Rams, serving as Aaron Donald‘s pass-rushing wingman, and delivered (career-high 10.5 sacks) on a modest Bills deal in 2023. Tallying between 16 and 22 QB hits in the decade’s first five seasons, Floyd — an Atlanta native who attended Georgia — profiles as a strong stopgap for a team that has seen just one 8.5-sack season (Vic Beasley‘s 2016 All-Pro year) since John Abraham‘s 2013 exit.

Deablo joined Tre’von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs and Robert Spillane in relocating from the Raiders’ defense. Deablo did not rival his former teammates’ contracts but has considerable experience. The former third-round pick made 42 starts on his Raiders rookie deal. Deablo tallied snap rates of at least 75% in each of his four seasons and finished with 106 tackles during a 2023 slate that brought the Raiders’ only top-half scoring defense in the past 22 years.

Deablo is undersized (at 223 pounds) but expected to step in for ex-second-rounder Troy Andersen, who opened camp on the Falcons’ active/PUP list due to a knee injury that ended his 2024 season. Andersen is not a lock to open the season on time, which would hurt his contract-year stock and free up a spot alongside Kaden Elliss in Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense.

Mooney joins Andersen on the mend, being set to miss weeks after suffering a shoulder injury early during camp. Chark agreed to terms before that development, pointing to Falcons interest in adding receiver depth. Chark is now on a fifth team in five years, settling as a supporting-cast mercenary. Chark is coming off a down Chargers season, catching only four passes after beginning the year on IR. He did provide solid tertiary work in Detroit (502 receiving yards) and Carolina (525), combining for eight touchdown receptions in that span. The former 1,000-yard Jaguar will be expected to complement Mooney, Drake London and Kyle Pitts, providing a potential fourth option for Penix. But Chark is not viewed as a roster lock.

While Fox and Fuller were Rams teammates, the former did not play for Raheem Morris in Los Angeles. Fox spent the past three seasons as a Joey Bosa–Khalil Mack sidekick, totaling 15.5 sacks as an interior rusher in that span. Heading into his age-31 season, Fox will be in place as a cheap veteran supplementary rusher alongside Floyd, Pearce and Jalon Walker.

Fuller did play under Morris in L.A., working as a starter for the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning team. Pro Football Focus graded the former sixth-round find as a top-20 safety that year, but he has struggled to stay healthy since. A late-season injury kept Fuller out of that Super Bowl, and he missed 14 games in 2022 and eight last season with Carolina. PFF graded Fuller 82nd among safety regulars in 2024; well-versed in a scheme Panthers DC Ejiro Evero uses as well, now profiles as a bridge option for third-rounder Xavier Watts.

Krieg, 22, is a converted soccer player who previously played in professional football in Europe. He drew the attention of NFL scouts when he converted all 14 field goal attempts at the Combine, the only kicker to do so. He and Koo, who is signed to a five-year extension worth $24.25MM, have been competing in camp.

Koo, 31, has been the Falcons’ kicker for the past six seasons. The one-time Pro Bowler remains the favorite, and although his $5.5MM cap number is much higher than Krieg’s ($843K), he would be a candidate to land elsewhere immediately if the untested Krieg wins the job.

Re-signings:

The Falcons have been unable to find a regular No. 2 cornerback opposite AJ Terrell. Even after the Hughes re-signing, the team pursued Jaire Alexander. That suggests some uncertainty regarding Hughes, who transitioned from logging a combined 455 slot snaps from 2022-23 to being a near-exclusive boundary option last season. Hughes played all of one slot snap in 2024. Based on their offseason, the Falcons will ask the former first-round pick to remain in that role opposite Terrell.

PFF graded Hughes’ transition well, ranking him as a top-30 option at corner. This came after a 107th-place ranking in 2023, when he was a part-time starter with Atlanta. This marks Hughes’ best contract since his Vikings rookie deal. He played for $2.25MM in 2022 and played out a two-year, $7MM Falcons pact following that accord.

Alford is still present as a slot option, but the Falcons did not prioritize him, as evidenced from being nontendered (as an RFA) and accepting this light guarantee, and are giving fourth-round rookie Billy Bowman slot time. Still, Alford (69% 2024 snap rate) has handled the role for the team for the better part of his Georgia stay.

Atlanta ranked 22nd against the pass last season. While the team’s pass rush was again an issue, its coverage work outside of Terrell and Jessie Bates does not include much in the way of proven defenders. Beyond Bowman, the team is hoping a similar blueprint can excel at corner in Morris’ second season.

Hodge has continued to prove useful, most notably after his overtime catch-and-run against the Buccaneers brought a walk-off TD. Hodge, 30, is still in place as a backup receiving option. But his special teams contributions represent his primary Atlanta role. That brought Pro Bowl recognition last season. This will be Hodge’s fourth Falcons season. He stands as insurance against one of Atlanta’s starting WRs going down. With Mooney out for the time being, Hodge has played over Chark as a first-teamer.

Notable losses:

No Falcon came out of Super Bowl LI looking better than Jarrett, who broke through with three sacks of Tom Brady during that otherwise ignominious night for the franchise. That turned into a preview of Jarrett’s Atlanta importance; it preceded two extensions, the second of which a three-year, $49.5MM deal. Jarrett’s pass-rushing production has cooled down, and he spent much of 2024 rehabbing an ACL tear. The Falcons shopped the 10-year veteran, but no trade emerged. A minimal dead money hit ($4.13MM) then came as a result of a release.

The Falcons offered to keep Jarrett on a pay cut, but he bet on a big market being there. Despite the ACL tear and the veteran interior D-lineman entering an age-32 season, he was right. The Bears gave him a three-year, $42.75MM contract that included a surprising $27.25MM guaranteed at signing. This represented one of the softer landings for a cap casualty in recent history.

While Jarrett has been durable (full attendance in all but one of the past six seasons) and earned Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and ’20, his next eight-sack season will be his first. The Falcons will hope Fox can help fill the void created by their longtime D-line anchor’s departure.

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Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Chargers

August 6th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

As he had done at his other career stops, Jim Harbaugh orchestrated a turnaround season in his Chargers debut. The Bolts returned to the playoffs and transformed their defense. While a more run-focused attack minimized Justin Herbert, the star quarterback operated efficiently despite limited weaponry. The team still has questions to answer in the pass-catching department, but a more significant running back retooling effort commenced this offseason.

The Chargers made a host of affordable free agency moves, through retention and outside acquisitions, and budgeted for a record-setting extension. They will operate in a historically loaded division for coaching achievement, with Harbaugh suddenly the only AFC West leader without a Super Bowl title. Last season established the Chargers as a rejuvenated operation; how will they take the next step?

Extensions and restructures:

Although Slater was extension-eligible in 2024, the Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz regime made the former Tom Telesco first-rounder wait. While the Bolts received an additional year of rookie-contract control on the 2021 first-rounder, his price naturally rose this offseason. Slater’s resume does not match those of Tristan Wirfs or Penei Sewell, but he is now the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. Waiting a year brought that to fruition, and Slater’s benchmarks compare favorably to the other top left tackle contracts.

In addition to his record-setting $28.5MM AAV, Slater commanded the second-highest guarantee at signing (behind only Andrew Thomas). Thomas needed to give the Giants five years of control to get his $67MM at-signing guarantee. Slater’s $92MM in total guarantees beat Wirfs’ previous highwater mark ($88.24MM).

Slater, 26, received the top one- and two-year cash flows for any O-lineman. The Chargers also gave Slater a rolling guarantee structure, which will lock in his 2027 and ’28 base salaries one year early. This provides considerable protection for a player who had made a calculated gamble before, having joined Sewell and Micah Parsons in opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 cloud. Slater skipped this year’s Bolts OTAs but had a deal in place before training camp.

The Chargers had seen their LT situation become unstable in between King Dunlap‘s final season (2016) and Slater’s debut, but the Northwestern product gave the team an upper-crust blindside protector for Herbert. Slater is a two-time Pro Bowler who bounced back from a three-game 2022 to play in 32 regular-season games from 2023-24. Pro Football Focus rated Slater second among all tackles last season and has never graded him outside the top 20 in a campaign. The Chargers’ second-year regime is buying in, and they now have him signed through 2029.

The Dupree commitment is obviously modest by comparison, but the move keeps the former first-rounder as a quality No. 3 edge rusher. Although the Chargers do look weaker here on paper due to the Joey Bosa release, Dupree backing up Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu presents a workable situation.

Dupree notched six sacks and 10 QB hits as a full-time backup last season. While extending a 32-year-old pass rusher after retaining a 34-year-old EDGE does introduce age concerns at this premium position, Dupree is a 99-start player who can easily step in as a sidekick in the event Mack or Tuipulotu miss time.

Free agency additions:

Harbaugh did not dismiss an Allen reunion when asked in April, but it did not sound promising at that point. Midway through training camp, however, circumstances had changed and Harbaugh was eager to bring back the second-leading receiver in franchise history. Allen had said he would only delay retirement for a Bears re-signing or a Los Angeles return. Even after the Cal alum-turned-decorated Charger had been offered a pay cut before being traded to Chicago last year, he and the Bolts made peace and will reunite at an interesting juncture. Mike Williams‘ retirement may have pried the door open for a team that would have otherwise relied on unproven players alongside Ladd McConkey.

Allen’s 10,530 yards trail only Antonio Gates (11,841) in Chargers history; the 2025 Hall of Fame inductee also played 16 seasons to accumulate that total. Allen is now 33, but he remains a quality starter. The six-time Pro Bowler did not add a seventh 1,000-yard season to his resume last season, but he still drew 121 targets and turned them into 744 yards and seven TD grabs during a disjointed Bears season. Multiple teams considered Allen, who left the Chargers as their No. 1 target but will return as a McConkey complementary piece.

Allen’s most recent Chargers season was one of his best; with Williams sidelined with an ACL tear, the slick route runner averaged a career-high 95.6 yards per game during a 1,243-yard season. While Allen and Williams fit together seamlessly, his place in a McConkey-centered attack will be interesting.

Regardless of a slot overlap, Allen is a proven target who meant plenty during Justin Herbert‘s ascent. The Tom Telesco draftee/two-time extension recipient could be a missing piece, having provided a significant boost to Herbert- and Philip Rivers-piloted attacks throughout his first Chargers stint. Allen’s presence stands to help the Chargers, whose lack of weaponry helped lead to a 19th-place 2024 pass-game ranking.

The Chargers did not overreach in free agency, but they look to have upgraded in certain areas nonetheless. Harris may not be a clear upgrade on J.K. Dobbins, but the draft rounded out a two-pronged backfield plan. Dobbins resides as one of the NFL’s top injury risks, while Harris never missed a game in four seasons. Of course, the fireworks accident the veteran RB encountered July 4 does offer some concern about his unblemished durability record.

Harris is believed to have suffered a “surface-level” eye injury in the accident. Initially, Harris began working with doctors at Stanford; he transitioned to the Chargers’ medical team once training camp began. The Bolts have conveyed confidence about Harris’ expected regular-season availability, but after he began camp on the active/NFI list (as Hortiz announced neither he nor Chargers doctors had observed the damages firsthand until that point), this situation is a bit murky.

After a 4-for-4 stretch of 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Harris certainly hoped last year’s running back resurgence would garner him more than $5.25MM. The 2021 first-rounder did note that by late last year he did not expect the Steelers to re-sign him. Pittsburgh passed, having placed a near-identical value (via second-round RFA tender) on Jaylen Warren. Kenneth Gainwell and third-round pick Kaleb Johnson round out Pittsburgh’s new backfield.

Harris, 27, is more of a grinder; that style fits Harbaugh’s approach. Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric ranked Harris (minus-3) in the bottom half last season (while Dobbins checked in at 115 RYOE). Harris’ 1,277 career touches undoubtedly affected his market, but not benefiting from the likes of Alvin Kamara, Rhamondre Stevenson, James Conner and Chuba Hubbard being signed beforehand did prove interesting. The Miami alum will try to reestablish value in L.A.

Interior O-line issues plagued the Chargers last year; they added some new options as a result. The Chargers have not abandoned starters from 2024, re-signing Bradley Bozeman and retaining Trey Pipkins, but they have at least one new guard starter and an interesting buy-low piece at center.

Becton rebuilt value with the Eagles, but his market made it clear teams were still skeptical. Becton played one game between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, after weight concerns surfaced during an otherwise promising rookie year. He lobbed salvos at the Jets to proclaim himself their best left tackle option in 2023; despite significant weight loss and a return to the starting lineup (at RT and LT), Becton landed just $2.75MM from the Eagles. He finally started to make strides in Philly, winning the team’s right guard job and mixing in on the NFL’s top offensive line. The Eagles’ commitments at the other four O-line positions never made it realistic Becton would be retained, however.

PFR’s No. 22 free agent — albeit with a bit of a wild-card profile — ranked 20th (per PFF) among guard regulars last year. The NFL effectively labeled Becton a “prove it” case, but if he can show the Chargers his 2024 tackle-to-guard transition was no fluke, the Bolts have him at a favorable rate. If he cannot, the team has an easy out in 2026. The Bolts can cut Becton with just $2.5MM in dead money next year.

James landed in PFR’s top 50 entering the 2024 free agency period, and the Raiders re-signed him on a three-year, $24MM deal. The four-year Las Vegas starting center appears underpriced at a vet-minimum number. James, 28, made 59 starts in that time. PFF graded James as the NFL’s ninth-best center in 2023 but dropped him to 33rd last year. James played for six play-callers since 2021, and Vegas’ new regime dropped a player paid during Telesco and Jon Gruden‘s stays. If nothing else, the experienced blocker offers the Bolts high-end depth.

Running back was not the only position bringing substantial turnover. The Chargers let Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton go while adding Jackson and St-Juste. Jackson landed on his feet, via a second notable free agency deal, despite being graded poorly in coverage during his Steelers one-off. Although PFF graded the 2024 Pittsburgh trade pickup as a bottom-10 CB last year, he intercepted five passes as a 15-start player. Coverage metrics still have a ways to go in terms of reliability, but PFF ranked Jackson outside the top 60 at corner from 2021-24.

Jackson has worked as a boundary corner throughout his career, signing two Panthers contracts before being traded straight up for Diontae Johnson — a deal that produced a surprising Steelers win on the judges’ scorecards. The Chargers will hope the 5-foot-10 cover man (30 in November) has some quality football left; they certainly coaxed good work from unlikely sources in 2024.

St-Juste has seen far more slot work compared to Jackson, logging 441 snaps inside in 2023. The Chargers are almost shorting PFF at this point, as the advanced metrics site graded the Canadian talent 112th (just behind Jackson) last season. St-Juste is more of a flier, given his price, but he made 45 starts in Washington. The Chargers have 2024 draftee Tarheeb Still primed for a big role. Jackson’s contract points to him starting, leaving St-Juste and Cam Hart‘s roles less certain. L.A. carries some moving parts here, but the team should have more depth at corner entering this season.

The Chargers met with Evan Engram and offered him a similar contract to his Broncos proposal (two years, $23MM, $16.5MM guaranteed), but the former Giants and Jaguars pass catcher chose Denver and may have a de facto WR2 role on tap. Conklin outproduced fellow Jets 2022 signee C.J. Uzomah, playing fairly well with Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson. Conklin tallied a career-high 621 yards (10.2 per reception) in 2023 and posted 449 (8.8 YPC) last year. Two other 550-yard seasons are on Conklin’s resume.

Unspectacular, yes, but the Chargers saw Will Dissly lead their TE group with 449 yards in 2024. Nearing 30 and without the blocking credentials Dissly has, Conklin looks like a placeholder — perhaps in the event fifth-rounder Oronde Gadsden II, a dynamic threat at Syracuse, does not develop.

Harbaugh’s initial Bolts QB2 plan did not work, leading to the team replacing the re-signed Easton Stick with Taylor Heinicke via trade last August. Heinicke is now battling Lance for that gig. Wildly overvalued as the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, Lance has still logged an alarmingly low usage rate since his 2017 high school finale. Since 2019, Lance has just 460 pass attempts.

Redshirted at North Dakota State, Lance shredded Division I-FCS opposition — albeit as part of the level’s best program — in 2019 but saw the pandemic keep him off the field in 2020. The 49ers used Lance as a four-game starter, but their 2022 plan to build around him involved regrouping with Jimmy Garoppolo as insurance; Lance’s fractured ankle also pried the door open for Brock Purdy, leading the unseasoned talent to Dallas in 2023.

Lance threw all of 41 passes in two Cowboys seasons, even with Dak Prescott missing half of 2024. Harbaugh will attempt to derive some value from Lance, who is still just 25. A package role also could intrigue here, due to Lance’s run-game skills. That would seemingly appeal to Greg Roman, who coached Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson, but it would also involve taking Herbert off the field. The Hall of Fame Game outing did bring an encouraging start for the bust-turned-backup hopeful.

Re-signings:

Mack shook off his one injury-plagued season (2021) and became the Chargers’ lead option following a 2022 trade. The Bolts could not rely on Joey Bosa, counting on Mack continuing as an OLB regular into his mid-30s.

Mack, 34, considered retirement this offseason but had seen the Bolts aggressively pursue him despite having handed him a 2024 pay cut. The former Defensive Player of the Year had been tied to a six-year Bears-designed/Chargers-updated contract. While that limited Mack from cashing in on a notable multiyear deal in his prime, the 11-year vet has still earned more than $179MM. He will approach $200MM via this Chargers re-signing.

Aging players typically slide down our free agent rankings, or are omitted altogether, but Mack has continued to deliver and stay healthy. Slotted 25th in PFR’s 2025 FA offering, Mack indeed did well on a one-year deal. Among non-quarterbacks and franchise-tagged players, Mack’s $18MM guarantee represents the third-highest amount on a one-year deal (behind only Danielle Hunter and Andrew Van Ginkel‘s 2025 extensions) in NFL history. Mack can use this extra Chargers year to build on his Hall of Fame case. The All-Decade-teamer may be a decent bet, but his 107.5 sacks sit 32nd in the sack era (1982-present). Mack may need more work.

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Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

August 5th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The 2024 NFL season became one to forget for the Titans, who matched a franchise low with 14 losses. Despite fielding a defense that allowed the second-fewest yards in the NFL last year, the Titans permitted the third-most points to opposing offenses. The 460 points allowed was the second-most for the franchise in a single season in its 65-year history. On offense, each of the last three years saw the Titans finish a season no better than 26th in yards or points as Tennessee moved past the Ryan Tannehill era.

Last year also started a Brian Callahan HC stint; the debut proved inauspicious. Weeks after the season wrapped, the Titans quickly paired their first-time head coach with a new GM in Mike Borgonzi. The offseason strategy appeared to center around a bit of roster (and front office) purging with an emphasis on building up an improved offensive line and arsenal of weapons for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, who the Titans hope will become a franchise quarterback for years to come.

Trades:

At one point a first-round prospect of a caliber to make the Chargers trade second- and third-round picks to move back into the Round 1 to draft him, Murray has since fallen from grace. As a rookie in Los Angeles, Murray led the team with 107 tackles, but in Year 2, an ankle injury derailed his progress.

Murray returned to the starting lineup in 2022, but a below-average performance pushed the Chargers to decline his fifth-year option. After a contract year in which he recorded 107 tackles, again, and three sacks, Murray signed a two-year, $15.5MM deal with Tennessee and led the Titans in tackles (95) last season, adding a career-high 3.5 sacks.

The thing with Murray is, despite his leading a couple of defenses in tackles and being a full-time starter for most of his career, the defenses he’s led have ranked in the bottom third of the league. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is especially critical of the 26-year-old. As the Titans’ leading tackler in 2024, Murray graded out as the NFL’s 82nd-best linebacker out of 84 players graded at the position.

Part of the aforementioned purge, Tennessee packaged Murray with a seventh-round pick in exchange for the sixth-round pick it would use to draft Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, saving $4.91MM of cap space in the process. The move followed the Titans making 2023 leading tackler Azeez Al-Shaair a one-and-done.

Free agency additions:

There was a clear and concerted effort in free agency to improve on the offensive line. The center spot will be covered in the next section, but tackle JC Latham and left guard Peter Skoronski — the two top-performing linemen on a bad O-line last year — are the two sure returning full-time starters in 2025.

The Titans made Moore the third-highest-paid player on the team to shore up the left tackle spot after he started all four years of his rookie contract at the position in Pittsburgh. This allows Latham to return the right tackle spot, where he played both of his years as a starter at Alabama. With Latham returning to his natural position and working to improve his weight, the Titans are strengthening both tackle spots with one signing by bringing in Moore, who is now the NFL’s 10th-highest-paid LT.

Moore drew middling PFF reviews throughout his career, though he ranked 11th in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric last year, but he benefited as a young tackle option (26) and from both Ronnie Stanley and Alaric Jackson being taken off the market days before free agency. The Patriots pursued Moore as well, but the Titans — as they did with Calvin Ridley last year — eclipsed New England in a high-stakes FA battle. Moore will be asked to stop a revolving door, one that opened with Taylor Lewan‘s injury trouble, for Tennessee at LT.

Zeitler’s perennial status as one of the game’s top guards grows more and more impressive each year. Tennessee will be hoping that 35 years old is not the age that will finally bring a Zeitler decline, as he slots in opposite Skoronski. Zeitler made 16 starts with the Lions last season, running his career total to 197. Among guards, that is tied for eighth all time. With 10 starts in 2025, Zeitler can move to third on that list.

Although only a one-time Pro Bowler, Zeitler has proven ultra-dependable. He has played at least 15 games in a season every year since 2014. The former Bengals first-rounder graded as PFF’s No. 3 overall guard during his Lions one-off, helping to create another nice market in free agency. Zeitler will earn a raise from his Detroit salary ($6MM) via this deal.

Barton comes in as the plug to fill the hole left by the Murray trade. The second-leading tackler on a stifling 2024 Broncos defense, Barton’s three seasons as a starter have produced 363 tackles, five interceptions, and 12 passes defensed. In a base 3-4 defense that, more often than not, subs out the second inside linebacker with a defensive back, Barton figures to be the mainstay linebacker for Tennessee in 2025.

Barton will be looking to stick with the same team for the first time since his Seahawks rookie contract expired. Since that point, the ex-Bobby Wagner apprentice has made one-year stops in Washington and Denver. This is by far Barton’s best contract, and the $7MM-per-year deal provides some security — Tennessee’s recent penchant for ditching its highest-profile linebacker after one season aside — a 2026 roster spot will await.

Historically a strong performer in his eight years of play, Woods is coming off his worst season, per PFF. Despite leading a last-place Carolina defense in tackles (119), interceptions (three), and interception return yards (70) last year, Woods finished the season ranked 77th out of 98 players graded at the position. Both Woods and Amani Hooker have become safeties who roam in the box and slot, but Woods has more experience early in his career as a deep safety and should take that role in Tennessee.

To address a defense that finished 2024 tied with the third-fewest sacks in the NFL and lost its top pass rusher, the Titans brought in Jones and Lorenzo Carter. When Carter announced his intentions to retire two months after signing, the team pivoted to picking up another veteran OLB piece in Ward. The composite of the two doesn’t nearly make up for the loss of Harold Landry, so Tennessee will need to hope Arden Key and Jeffery Simmons continue to provide solid rush support while the new additions provide support.

The Titans searched young and old to fill out their receiving corps with capable weapons for their rookie passer. Three years removed from his prime, Lockett brings vast veteran experience in his first year out of Seattle since he was drafted. Jefferson showed flashes early in his career with the Rams as a potential WR2 but has stumbled at two stops since. The two will compete with a slew of rookies for targets behind Ridley and the tight ends.

The Seahawks cut Lockett as they overhauled their passing attack, trading D.K. Metcalf and Geno Smith. Lockett is the second-leading receiver in Seattle history, playing 10 years with the team. Four 1,000-yard seasons are on Lockett’s resume. He remained the Seahawks’ No. 2 weapon in 2023, but as Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke through last year, Lockett slid into the No. 3 role. Lockett, 33, still compiled 600 receiving yards — after an 894-yard 2023 ended his four-season 1,000-yard streak — and will step in months after the Titans traded DeAndre Hopkins. Lockett, who helped Russell Wilson develop into a star, said Ward’s presence drew him to Nashville.

Proche joins as a free agent receiver addition, as well, but his path to the roster is likely on specials teams. He’ll be competing with incumbent returners Julius Chestnut and Jha’Quan Jackson for the opportunity. Also, on special teams, the Titans will sport two new specialists at kicker and punter.

Jones landed in Nashville before Lockett; his Seattle tenure was certainly much shorter. Given the highest AAV ($17MM) of any free agent in Seahawks history, Jones ended up playing more as an edge rusher than expected. The ex-Broncos 3-4 defensive end gives the Titans options, having split time between the interior and edge in 2022 and ’23 before a near-full-time OLB role last season.

Jones posted between 5.5 and 6.5 sacks each year from 2020-22 in Denver, combining for 25 tackles for loss in that time. His production dipped two Seattle seasons (nine combined sacks, 12 TFLs). At 281 pounds, Jones gives the Titans an interesting option alongside Simmons or as a Key complementary piece on the edge.

Slye brings a bigger, younger leg (two 60-plus-yard field goal makes in his career) to Nashville, though he sacrifices some accuracy in his big swings. Hekker brings a bit more efficient finesse to the punting game than the Titans had last year. One of the most decorated punters in NFL history, Hekker is a four-time first-team All-Pro. The former Rams option collected a Super Bowl ring in Los Angeles and spent the past three seasons in Carolina. At 35, Hekker should still have some time left to add to his sterling resume.

Lastly, the team signed Allen and Boyle to hopefully back up Ward. At first, the two were likely competing for a QB3 spot behind Ward and Will Levis, but a season-ending shoulder surgery for Levis cleared the way for both to compete for QB2. Last year’s group of Levis, Mason Rudolph, and Trevor Siemian (practice squad) featured better second and third options, but Tennessee is hoping Ward will be the biggest improvement to the room this year. If we’re seeing Allen or Boyle for any serious snaps in 2025, something has gone terribly wrong.

Re-signings:

After Lloyd Cushenberry tore his Achilles tendon eight weeks into last season, Daniel Brunskill filled in for the remainder of the year. Cushenberry is working his way back — though he’s still on the active/PUP list at the moment. With Brunskill following ousted GM/ex-49ers exec Ran Carthon out of town, Levin returns alongside the free agent additions — Mustipher and Jaimes — to add depth at the position. Cushenberry should start, as long as he’s ready, and he’s making good progress, but should the team need a backup starting to open the season, it’ll be Levin’s longevity and experience in Tennessee versus Mustipher’s starting experience (40 starts in three years in Chicago).

The Titans appreciated what Joseph-Day brought to a front three that most often was composed of he, Simmons, and T’Vondre Sweat. According to PFF, the three are the highest-ranked returning starters on Tennessee’s defense in 2025, so re-signing Joseph-Day helps the team secure their anchor unit up front, while re-signing Lynch adds some depth on the interior behind Sweat and Simmons.

Like Lynch, Baker and Brown return as key backups. Both defensive backs were forced into bigger roles last year with injuries to Diggs and L’Jarius Sneed, and both performed admirably in relief. Baker will likely slot into a CB3 role, if Sneed is back in the picture, and while Tennessee likely hopes it won’t have to turn to Brown as frequently in 2025, it knows it can.

One of only nine active players with 15 or more seasons of experience under his belt and sporting the sixth-most games played in the NFL of currently active players, Cox is back for another year as the Titans’ long snapper. Returning to his home state and the state of his alma mater in 2021 after 11 years in Baltimore, Cox enters his fifth year as a Titan at 39 years old.

Diggs checks in as a late-summer addition once again. After an early-August signing last year, the former Seahawks Pro Bowler is back. Diggs, 32, looks to be competing for a depth role behind Amani Hooker, Xavier Woods and third-round pick Kevin Winston Jr. Still, Diggs — back after a lengthy Lisfranc rehab — could provide a stopgap presence while Winston develops. He has made 120 career starts, and an eight-game sample in 2024 drew a No. 20 PFF placement (among safety regulars).

Notable losses:

On offense, the Titans were willing to bring back Rudolph, but ultimately, he returned to a Steelers team that drafted him. Pretty much every loss on that side of the ball was pretty thoroughly addressed through the draft or free agency.

The real losses came on defense. Tennessee was willing to eat some $12.51MM in dead money to avoid paying Awuzie’s salary next year. This brought a quick exit for the former Cowboys and Bengals starter, who fetched a surprising three-year, $36MM deal in free agency last year. Awuzie, however, joined Sneed in missing extensive time in 2024. Awuzie, 30, played in just eight Titans games last season. He landed in Baltimore on a low-cost deal.

After failing to find a trade partner for Landry, the team made the move to release him and freed up $10.95MM of cap space, despite eating $13.1MM in dead money. Landry landed on his feet, rejoining Mike Vrabel — on a three-year, $43.5MM deal ($26MM guaranteed at signing) contract — in New England.

Landry, 29, had been tied to a five-year, $87.5MM Titans contract. The team moved on despite two years remaining on that deal. Landry had rebounded after missing the 2022 season with an ACL tear. As the Titans struggled for years to identify a Landry OLB wingman, they could count on solid production from their top edge rusher. Post-surgery, Landry combined for 19.5 sacks and 36 QB hits over the past two seasons.

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5 Key Stories: 7/27/25 – 8/2/25

August 2nd, 2025 at 8:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The past few days have seen the NFL’s preseason get underway along with a number of high-profile developments. In case you missed the top stories from this week, here is a quick recap:

  • Slater Signs Record-Breaking Chargers Extension: The left tackle (and thus offensive line) market has a new leader from a financial standpoint. Rashawn Slater inked a Chargers extension which is worth $114MM over four years. The pact carries an annual average value of $28.5MM, which surpasses the figure from Penei Sewell and Tristan Wirfs‘ 2024 deals. $92MM in guarantees are present, and Slater, 26, will receive a record-breaking cashflow for O-linemen over one, two and four years while playing out this accord (which keeps him on the books through 2029). Slater earned a second Pro Bowl nod in 2024, and he will be counted on to remain an anchor up front for Los Angeles through the foreseeable future on this contract.
  • Allen, Sutton Land New Broncos Deals: Defensive lineman Zach Allen and wideout Courtland Sutton have long loomed as two of the Broncos’ top extension candidates this offseason. Within a matter of days, both have new deals in place. Allen will collect $44.25MM fully guaranteed on his new, four-year pact. The former Cardinal earned second-team All-Pro acclaim with a career-best 8.5 sacks last season, and he has been rewarded with a $102MM accord. Sutton, meanwhile, will continue his lengthy Denver tenure thanks to a four-year, $92MM extension. The 29-year-old will receive $27MM in new guaranteed money and he is on the books through 2029 to reprise his role as the Broncos’ No. 1 receiver.
  • Parsons, McLaurin Submit Trade Requests: This time of the year always contains drama associated with extension talks (particularly those which do not go smoothly). Micah Parsons (Cowboys) and Terry McLaurin (Commanders) have been embroiled in negotiations which have yet to produce a deal, and both have issued a trade request as a result. Such a move is commonplace amongst players looking to increase pressure on their teams to finalize a new pact, and in both cases consideration is not being given to a trade. Parsons is a strong candidate to reset the edge rush market – which would require a pact averaging more than $41MM per year on his second contract. McLaurin, meanwhile, is reported to be seeking a third Washington pact with an AAV at or around $33MM. Both players are pending 2026 free agents.
  • Seahawks To Extend Schneider: The 2024 season was the first in which John Schneider had final say on roster moves for the Seahawks. Seattle was unable to reach the playoffs to begin the post-Pete Carroll era, but coming off a 10-win campaign and a busy offseason Schneider has agreed to an extension which keeps him in place through 2030. The 15-year GM’s resume includes the Seahawks’ lone Super Bowl title, and he will be expected to engineer future contenders as the organization’s top decision-maker. As head coach Mike Macdonald prepares for Year 2 in his position, Schneider will enter the campaign with a lengthy track record as well as long-term security.
  • Colts, Raimann Agree To Extension: Talks on a new deal between Bernhard Raimann and the Colts left a gap between the parties at first. Common ground was reached with time to spare for the start of the season, however. Indianapolis’ left tackle landed a four-year, $100MM extension including $60MM in guarantees. The 27-year-old Austrian has handled blindside duties for nearly all of his three-year career so far, and remaining one of the top blockers in the league will be critical for the team’s O-line. A free agent departure next spring would have left a major vacancy up front for the Colts, but Raimann is now on the books for the foreseeable future.

Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks

July 31st, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hovering somewhere between the Saints and Steelers in the NFL’s middle class over the past few years, the Seahawks made significant offseason changes. They swapped out two known commodities on offense, dealing away Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf before adding less reliable figures to replace the two cornerstones. Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp‘s performances will go a long way toward determining if the Seahawks can make a level jump this year.

Beyond that, John Schneider‘s second offseason with full roster control led to a major offensive line investment in the draft. In a division with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, the Seahawks have an annually difficult task. Will their offensive adjustments move the needle in what should be a more difficult NFC West compared to 2024?

Trades:

Smith’s contract became an issue for a second straight offseason. While the Seahawks were ready to renegotiate this year — not the case in 2024 — they moved on. This wrapped a six-year partnership with Smith, who had moved from a low-priority player — the Seahawks cut the former Russell Wilson backup for roster-rearranging purposes in 2019 — to a starter who had clearly established himself as a midlevel option. The Seahawks were just not ready to greenlight an upper-middle-class payday to retain the late-blooming arm.

Mike Macdonald endorsed a second Smith starter-level payday coming off a 10-7 season, and early expectations pointed to that eventually happening after talks began in February. Smith, though, tabbed his value in a different salary bracket than the Seahawks wanted to enter.

After evaluating Smith for three-plus years (counting an injury fill-in stretch in 2021), Schneider deemed him worthy of a slight raise — but not one that would have vaulted the QB near the $50MM-per-year club. Smith was believed to be eyeing a deal between $40 and $45MM per annum. That is now well off the top tier, thanks to the $50MM-AAV club’s expansion, but the Seahawks are believed to have offered Smith a deal that resembled the Darnold terms (three years, $100.5MM). Smith rejected it, and the team moved on.

Smith, 35 in October, did not land the contract he sought from the Raiders. His reunion with Pete Carroll brought a two-year, $75MM extension. A key difference between Smith and Darnold’s deals, though, involves fully guaranteed money. Smith secured $58.5MM at signing. Not only is that north of where the Seahawks went for Darnold, it marks a sizable bump from what Smith received on his previous Seattle pact. Carroll and Schneider signed off on a three-year, $75MM contract in 2023. This was essentially a pay-as-you-go deal, as it contained only $27.3MM at signing.

Smith hovered in no-man’s land in terms of QB AAV on that contract, checking in north of backup money but well south of true franchise-level dough. The Seahawks rebuffed Smith’s hopes of an adjustment last year, as two seasons remained on his contract, but he did not escape the QB middle class even after securing a coveted update. Smith is set to enter the season as the NFL’s 17th-highest-paid passer (his previous deal would have checked in 20th). Only Darnold and Baker Mayfield, the latter having outplayed his 2024 Buccaneers contract, are in his neighborhood. Considering Smith’s age and atypical profile, moving toward $45MM AAV was not realistic.

Although Smith posted better marks compared to his Comeback Player of the Year season in completion percentage (70.4) and passing yards (4,320), the season came with an interception uptick (a career-high 15). Initially being placed in a competition with Drew Lock following the Wilson blockbuster trade, Smith surprised most by reemerging as an NFL starter. The Seahawks could not ultimately land great value in a trade for the elevated asset, though using the third-round pick on quarterback Jalen Milroe brings symmetry.

Raiders trade talks included a Seahawks offer of Smith and Metcalf in a package that would have brought back Maxx Crosby. Unsurprisingly, Las Vegas declined. But days after the Smith swap, Seattle moved Metcalf. The big-bodied weapon had requested a trade, and while Schneider said this situation did not feature animosity or a major value discrepancy, the team bailed on a six-year contributor. Metcalf, 27, had requested a trade in the past. The Steelers rewarded him with a four-year, $131.99MM extension ($60MM at signing). That dwarfed his Seattle terms (3/72); Metcalf is now the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid receiver.

That placement is bullish on a player who is 2-for-6 in Pro Bowl nods and one who was not a regular red zone threat during Smith’s time. Metcalf has three 1,000-yard seasons on his resume and has never finished south of 900, representing consistency. An argument can be made the Steelers paid higher-end WR1 money for a second-tier wideout, but the AFC North team had pursued Metcalf in 2024 — a year filled with Pittsburgh WR inquiries. This worked out well for Metcalf, who followed college teammate A.J. Brown in already collecting a second extension out of the 2019 second round.

The Seahawks had targeted a first-round pick for Metcalf, but the wide receiver eyeing an extension that surpassed $30MM per year stood to limit the return. Unsurprisingly, Seattle pulled off a deal after reducing its asking price. Metcalf played a lead role in Wilson’s late-prime years — a stretch that may need to be isolated if the declining QB is to reach the Hall of Fame — and delivered quality (if unspectacular) work with Smith.

Metcalf’s durability also factored into the trade price, as fellow 2019 second-rounder-turned-contract-year trade piece Deebo Samuel only brought the 49ers a fifth. As Metcalf moved toward a contract year, however, Schneider pivoted and will build around Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Howell has been traded twice in two years; he became expendable after Lock’s return. The team waited until it acquired Milroe to make the move, sending Howell to Minnesota. Smith played all 17 Seahawk games last season, keeping Howell on the sideline after he started all 17 Commander tilts in 2023. The former fifth-round pick is in a contract year, being set to back up J.J. McCarthy after an uneventful Seattle stop.

Free agency additions:

The Raiders did not think highly of Darnold, leading to the Smith trade. Shortly after that swap, however, it became known the Seahawks would make an aggressive push for PFR’s No. 1 free agent. Darnold’s Minnesota breakthrough attracted several teams’ interest — in a year featuring unexciting free agents and, beyond Cam Ward, a maligned draft crop — but ended up with a franchise that did not have a need at the position until just before free agency.

An Aaron Rodgers rumor surfaced re: Seattle, as Schneider was in Green Bay when the team drafted the future Hall of Famer, but a Darnold deal was done less than 24 hours later. The Mayfield contract shaped his 2018 draft classmate’s. The Buccaneers have their starter on a three-year, $100MM deal. Though, the former No. 1 overall pick’s better track record led to a $40MM guarantee at signing. Darnold did not reach that point, and the Seahawks designed a Derek Carr-like deal that created an out next February.

An additional $17.5MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LX. That matches the Raiders’ 2022 Carr deal. The AFC West team escaped the contract shortly after Super Bowl LVII; will the Seahawks send Darnold back to free agency after one season?

Darnold’s 35-touchdown pass season also brought outlier numbers, based on Darnold’s Jets and Panthers work, in completion rate (66.2%) and yardage (4,319). He powered the Vikings to a 14-3 season and elevated Kevin O’Connell to Coach of the Year honors. A rough ending to the season also became part of the Darnold free agency package, as the Lions and Rams routed the Vikings — the QB took nine sacks in the wild-card loss. The Vikings also had J.J. McCarthy readying to take over, and even though Darnold would have brought far more 2025 certainty, Minnesota passed on a franchise tag.

Teams showed interest in Darnold. The Steelers and Giants were among them. Darnold’s shaky run in New York and Carolina clearly limited his market, as no true multiyear guarantee appeared available to the former No. 3 overall pick. Darnold sought a bigger guarantee, but this pay-as-you-go Seattle deal looked to be the best he could muster. Thus, a “prove it” year will either be the bridge to another Seahawks contract or lead a regressing passer to the 2026 market.

Darnold’s Seattle success will need to feature regular contributions from Kupp, who will return to his native Washington. Drafted out of Division I-FCS Eastern Washington in 2017, Kupp emerged as a go-to target for Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. His 2021 season remains one of the greatest in the history of the receiver position. The slot performer won the triple crown and both approached Calvin Johnson‘s regular-season receiving record and Larry Fitzgerald‘s postseason mark. Kupp’s 2,425 combined receiving tally is the most in a season, and the Super Bowl LVI MVP parlayed that dominant performance into a three-year, $80MM extension that included a substantial guarantee.

Kupp’s compensation became an issue quickly, after injury-plagued 2022, ’23 and ’24 seasons. Missing 18 games from 2022-24, Kupp was due a $7.5MM roster bonus in March. The Rams cut bait and replaced him with Davante Adams. Kupp, though, commanded widespread interest. He was linked to the Patriots, Jaguars, Broncos, Packers, Titans, Raiders, Saints and Cowboys. But an opportunity to come home and replace Metcalf appealed to the 32-year-old wideout, whose contract also allows for the Seahawks to move on fairly cleanly after one season.

February 13 will be a seminal Seahawks date. The same day the team must decide on Darnold’s $17.5MM guarantee will bring a Kupp call, as a $9MM guarantee will vest on that date. The team has Kupp on a fairly favorable deal; his injuries and age suppressed his value here. Kupp is NFL’s 25th-highest-paid receiver. Injury leeriness is baked into this deal, with ankle and hamstring trouble sidelining Kupp since his impact Super Bowl. An ACL tear also appears on Kupp’s medical sheet. He will attempt to work as a Smith-Njigba complementary piece.

Lawrence landed on his feet still and will reunite with ex-Cowboys position coach Aden Durde. The second-year Seahawks DC coached Lawrence from 2021-23. Going into his age-33 season, Lawrence commanded interest beyond the “prove it” level his Lisfranc injury seemingly could have required. Prior to the truncated 2024, however, Pro Football Focus graded Lawrence as a top-12 edge defender six times in the previous seven years.

The well-rounded defensive end secured two Cowboys extensions but lost value after missing 13 games last season. Lawrence anchored Dallas’ D-line before Micah Parsons‘ arrival and transitioned into a high-end sidekick under Durde. Lawrence also stayed healthy in 2022 and ’23, playing 17 games in each season. The Seahawks also protected themselves in case the four-time Pro Bowler does not pan out. In only guaranteeing 2025 salary, Seattle would owe barely $4MM in 2026 dead money in the event of a release. Like Darnold and Kupp, the Seahawks managed a careful contract here.

Fresh off hijacking the Giants’ hopes at landing Ward at No. 1 overall (via a Week 17 upset win over the Colts), Lock returned to Seattle on a pay cut. He played for $4MM with the 2023 Seahawks and $5MM with the ’24 Giants. He is now at $2.5MM per annum.

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Offseason In Review: New Orleans Saints

July 28th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ stay as an NFL middle-class bastion ended last season. Two Derek Carr injuries helped sink a 2024 edition that had already seen HC Dennis Allen fired. Mickey Loomis was believed to be against an in-season Allen ouster, but ownership kept the enduring GM on to make a third coaching hire. Kellen Moore is now in command, marking a full separation from the Sean Payton era.

Ensuing developments brought the Saints closer to the elusive rebuild Loomis has delayed for years. Although another batch of restructures took place — three involving players who later retired — the team enters the 2025 season with expectations lower than anything in the Payton or Allen eras. Tyler Shough will be favored to make the bulk of the quarterback starts after Carr’s retirement, but the topic of a potential QB investment in 2026 looms as well.

Coaching/Front Office:

Even as the Jaguars’ search drifted off track, the Saints were the last team to hire a head coach in this year’s cycle. They waited on Super Bowl LIX for Moore, and the field thinned by that point. New Orleans initially sought an Aaron Glenn reunion. Glenn had been the Saints’ DBs coach from 2016-20; that would have brought Loomis another Payton assistant — albeit one he passed over for Allen in 2022.

The team then considered a Mike McCarthy Louisiana comeback; the former Packers and Cowboys HC had been Jim Haslett‘s OC from 2000-04. Loomis overlapped with even that tenure, beginning as GM in 2002. Kliff Kingsbury also drew Saints interest, but he has been understandably hesitant given his current setup and his swift unraveling in Arizona. Ex-Payton assistant Joe Brady also came up during this process.

The Jets’ Glenn hire preceded McCarthy, Brady and Kingsbury withdrawing their names from consideration. New Orleans did not present an ideal setup for a new coach, seeing as the team’s annually dicey cap situation accompanied a middling quarterback (at the time) and Loomis’ overarching presence. The New Orleans fixture has managed these yearly odysseys toward cap compliance, yet serious firing rumors have never cropped up — even as four straight non-playoff seasons have occurred.

This did not present the greatest job profile, and a handful of candidates opted to stay put rather than seriously commit themselves to a fixer-upper. Moore also interviewed for the Cowboys’ HC job, but Jerry Jones made the odd decision to promote Moore’s OC successor (Brian Schottenheimer) despite the second-generation coach not generating interest elsewhere for HC positions in over a decade.

Even as options narrowed, Moore’s decision was somewhat surprising. While the “there are only 32 of these jobs” cliche applies, Moore had rebuilt his stock after a Cowboys firing and a Chargers one-off. He had an elite offensive foundation, as the Eagles battered the Chiefs in a revenge tilt after a 55-point outing in the NFC championship game.

Jobs with established quarterbacks could have opened in 2026 or even ’27. Kingsbury is counting on that, but Moore opted not to parlay his time at the helm in Philly into a long-game play. He stayed in the New Orleans race, and while he certainly could have beaten out some of the above-referenced names who didn’t, the Saints’ preference became clear weeks before the official hire transpired.

On the other hand, Moore has seen his stock fluctuate since he was a regular HC interviewee earlier this decade. The former Dallas play-caller under McCarthy and Jason Garrett was off the HC carousel in 2023 and ’24, and although he is still young (36), the QB-turned-OC took the job offered to him. Given Moore’s 2024 work, he will carry considerable power in New Orleans. Though, Glenn and Liam Coen bring less coordinator experience and carry more weight in their respective organizations. Ditto Ben Johnson in Chicago. Moore not waiting for 2026 figures to draw scrutiny, especially as the Saints may be set for a poor 2025 ahead of a long-overdue rebuild.

Moore’s teams produced top-seven offensive finishes in four of his six years as an OC, and he operated as Nick Sirianni‘s full-time play-caller. The Eagles rebounded from their steep 2023 freefall to submit one of the highest peaks in the Super Bowl era, crushing the Commanders and Chiefs after Saquon Barkley‘s 2,000-yard rushing season. Jalen Hurts operated more efficiently compared to his 15-INT 2023, and he sliced up a top-five Kansas City defense committed to containing Barkley. Moore did not check in as a Johnson-level candidate, but he played a lead role in the Eagles’ second Super Bowl title.

Nussmeier, 54, is aboard as a non-play-calling OC. The Saints’ top two offensive minds both graduated college in Idaho — Moore at Boise State, Nussmeier at Idaho — though the two did not join forces until Dallas. Nussmeier coached in Dallas from 2018-22, moving from tight ends coach to QBs coach. He followed Moore to Los Angeles and Philly (both as QBs coach).

While Nussmeier did interview for the Ravens’ OC job in 2023, that marked his only such meeting before this hire. The Saints also had Eagles staffer Kevin Patullo on their OC radar, but Philly promoted him to replace Moore. Nussmeier’s presence figures to make a potential 2026 Saints QB investigation interesting, as his son (Garrett) could land as a first-round pick next year out of nearby LSU. This is also a reunion for Doug, a 1994 Saints QB draftee who spent four seasons as a backup with the team.

The Saints employing the core of the staff from a poor 2023 Chargers season — one that resulted in mass firings — felt underdiscussed this offseason, and Staley will now work for the coach he hired two years ago. That represents an interesting dynamic, and the three-year Chargers HC is set for only his second DC season.

A 49ers staffer last year, Staley had initially attracted the Bolts’ attention by leading a No. 1-ranked Rams defense in 2020. He did not, however, deliver a top-20 season (in scoring defense) with the Chargers, whose defense took a massive step forward under Jesse Minter last year.

Staley, 42, also shifted the Saints to a primary 3-4 defense for the first time since “Dome Patrol” was at work in the early 1990s. Staley is a Vic Fangio disciple, representing a good reference here due to the accomplished DC being the linebackers coach for that famed unit more than 30 years ago. D-line staples like Cameron Jordan and Chase Young are shifting to OLB posts, while former first-rounder Bryan Bresee is now a 3-4 D-end. Base defenses have certainly seen their relevance decline, but this is one of the more interesting pivots due to how long New Orleans used a 4-3 scheme.

Moore beat out Rizzi for the HC job, with the interim leader generating support during the process. Rizzi went 3-5 as the Saints’ interim boss. He went 0-4 without Carr, however, to close the season. Antonio Pierce‘s disastrous showing after having his interim tag removed also could hurt temp leaders’ chances — seeing as he was the first such promotion since 2017 — in the near future. While the Saints reunited a recent Chargers staff, Rizzi predictably followed Payton and Pete Carmichael to Denver.

Free agency additions:

Reid and Mathieu did overlap as teammates with the 2018 Texans; otherwise, the former third-round pick keeps replacing the All-Decade-teamer. The Texans used Reid as a starter after Mathieu’s Chiefs defection in 2019. The Chiefs signed Reid as a younger option in 2022; Mathieu went back to Louisiana weeks later. The Honey Badger’s recent retirement now leaves Reid replacing the standout safety once again, though Blackmon is also aboard following the 12-year veteran’s July exit. The Saints outbid the Chiefs, Eagles and Titans for Reid.

PFR’s No. 18 free agent, Reid fetched a third contract that matches his second. The Chiefs also gave Reid a three-year, $31.5MM pact; the Saints, though, authorized slightly more guaranteed at signing ($22.25MM to $20.49MM).

Reid maintained this value, even if this is a slight pay cut in the grand scheme due to the 2024 and 2025 cap spikes, by being an essential Steve Spagnuolo chess piece. The versatile DB played at least 160 snaps at free safety, in the box and in the slot last season and at least 250 in all three spots in 2023. Pro Football Focus graded Reid as a top-10 safety, and being set for an age-28 season — the benefits of the three-year second contract strike again — also boosted Reid’s FA stock.

Moore and Cooks did not overlap in Dallas, but this is obviously a reunion move for the veteran pass catcher. The Saints drafted Cooks in the 2014 first round, but the then-deep threat became an auxiliary piece in a Michael Thomas-fronted receiving corps by 2016. Cooks’ trade odyssey began when Loomis and Payton flipped him to the Patriots for a first-round pick that became Ryan Ramczyk. Cooks then migrated to the Rams, Texans and Cowboys as one of the NFL’s few players to be traded four times. Ahead of an age-32 season, Cooks is in decline. But he has remained a usable piece.

Recording 1,000-yard seasons for the Saints, Pats, Rams and Texans, Cooks did not approach that benchmark with the Cowboys. Cooks, 31, has not eclipsed 700 yards in a season since 2021. After helping Dak Prescott to a second-team All-Pro season in 2023 (with 657 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches), Cooks averaged a career-low 10.0 yards per reception (259 total) in an injury-shortened 2024.

He still commanded a decent market and will give the Saints a reasonable third option alongside Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. The Saints, who hosted Gabe Davis and were linked to Cooper Kupp, will still roll out a top trio of WRs coming off injury-shortened seasons (each missed at least seven 2024 games).

Blackmon has been unable to command a multiyear deal since his Colts rookie contract expired. After a one-year, $3.7MM Indianapolis re-up, Blackmon will be ticketed to start alongside Reid. Though, PFF slotted Jordan Howden 34th among safety regulars last season — after New Orleans cut Marcus Maye. PFF, though, ranked Blackmon 30th on more than twice as many snaps (1,084). The former third-rounder is going into an age-27 season and has made 62 career starts.

Yiadom has only put together notable defensive work in New Orleans. The 49ers used him as a spot starter (five games) last season, while the former third-rounder never stuck with the Broncos, Giants, Packers or Texans. In 2023, however, Yiadom saw extensive run under Dennis Allen despite initially being added on a practice squad deal. Making eight starts in ’23, Yiadom posted a career-high 14 passes defensed and allowed a completion percentage of just 48.9%.

With Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo gone, the Saints will likely need Yiadom to start again. At $3MM per year, starter-level work would be a bargain from the eighth-year journeyman. Yiadom, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor residing as New Orleans’ top CBs will give Staley a tough-looking task as he prepares to call a defense again.

Re-signings:

With Adebo committing to the Giants early during the legal tampering period, the Saints carried cash — via their latest jagged odyssey toward cap compliance — to hand to their other top in-house target. Young did not seem a lock to land a multiyear deal, given his injury past, but he parlayed a “prove it” contract into a nice midcareer guarantee.

The former No. 2 overall pick stood perhaps as the PFR top 50’s biggest wide card. Settling in at No. 20, Young still carried good value by having flashed brightly when healthy and only heading into his age-26 season. With Jordan’s career winding down, Young is now the Saints’ top edge-rushing talent.

The Saints missed on Payton Turner and have not seen Isaiah Foskey (zero sacks in 27 games) pan out; enter Young, who opted to stay on a team with low expectations. The ex-Heisman runner-up posted a career-high 21 QB hits (to go with 5.5 sacks and eight TFLs) last season, doing so despite working as an overqualified DE3 behind Jordan and Carl Granderson. The Saints still gave Young a 63% snap share and will ask more of him in 2025. Young made a successful recovery from a neck injury that nagged him in 2023 and is nearly four years removed from a career-altering knee setback.

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Offseason In Review: Chicago Bears

July 27th, 2025 at 10:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thanks to the Bryce Young blockbuster, the Bears owned the No. 1 selection in last year’s draft. As expected, general manager Ryan Poles and Co. used that as an opportunity to move on from Justin Fields and reset at the quarterback spot. 2024 marked the beginning of the Caleb Williams era.

The ensuing campaign was littered with missteps on the part of Matt Eberflus’ coaching staff, however, and notable sideline changes transpired at multiple points. Finding a coach capable of maximizing Williams’ potential was a central priority entering the offseason, and the Bears managed to land the top candidate on the market. Poles has since received a new commitment to continue overseeing the rebuild he took on in 2022. The progress of that effort will be measured largely by how this campaign plays out.

Coaching/Front Office:

Over the course of his three seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator, Johnson established himself as one of the top offensive minds in the NFL. That led to widespread interest over multiple years and the expectation a jump to a head coaching gig would come relatively soon. Going deep into the hiring process in 2024, Johnson instead chose to remain in place for another year.

As expected, the Lions were again one of league’s most balanced and productive offenses. Johnson’s unit led the NFL in scoring while ranking top six in both rushing and passing yardage. The timing and frequency of Detroit’s many trick plays drew criticism on more than one occasion – including the Lions’ upset loss in the divisional round of the playoffs. Still, Johnson emerged as the top prize during the 2025 hiring cycle.

The 39-year-old interviewed with the Jaguars, Raiders and Patriots prior to his Bears hire. Johnson’s meetings with Chicago obviously drew interest leading up to his decision to head to the Windy City but they were also part of a very wide-ranging search. The team was connected to a number of high-profile pro and college coaches, including an unsuccessful attempt to speak with (and potentially trade for) Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The Chicago opening was of interest to Bill Belichick, but no interview took place with the now-North Carolina staffer.

The Bears did speak with previous (and, in two cases, active) NFL HCs in the form of Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel, Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera during their search process. Brown also received one interview for the full-time gig before ultimately joining the Patriots. In the end, Johnson received a deal averaging a reported $13MM per year – more than double Eberflus’ rate as a fellow first-time head coach when he was hired – to lead the way for Williams and Co. In 2025 and beyond, he will be counted on to provide stability on the sidelines and maximize the former Heisman winner’s potential.

At the time of Johnson’s hire, Poles had two years remaining on his pact. Having been brought in only two days before Eberflus, he was a far more central figure in the search process which brought in Johnson. A February report indicated Poles was expected to receive a new deal, and he is indeed now aligned with Johnson from a contract perspective.

The Eberflus era failed to produce any winning seasons, but in his three years at the helm Poles has succeeded in turning over much of the roster and cleaning up the team’s finances. A largely young core is in place for years to come and Chicago’s offense in particular has a notable amount of potential moving forward. Of course, moves like the ill-fated Chase Claypool trade illustrate the downside of Poles’ GM run.

A lack of emphasis along both sides of the line of scrimmage also proved costly in 2024. Before finding out how this year’s moves fare in term of rectifying the situation, though, Chicago’s front office authorized a new Poles commitment. President and CEO Kevin Warren outranks Poles in the current power structure, something which can be expected to continue for the foreseeable future. If this sign of confidence – premature, some would argue – proves to be fruitful, though, a high degree of stability at all levels of the organization will be possible over a lengthy tenure.

Mass turnover is common around the NFL once new head coaches are brought in. Given the nature of Chicago’s staff both before and after the in-season dismissals made in 2024, it came as no surprise that was the case in this situation. Shortly after being installed, Johnson made it clear there would be new faces in several positions on his staff.

Beatty is among them, although he will not call plays. The former Saints assistant spent the past two years coaching the Broncos’ tight ends, and he could find himself regularly working with that position group in his new gig as well. In any case, Beatty’s time in New Orleans makes him a familiar face for Allen, who will provide the Bears with an ex-NFL head coach during Johnson’s first year in that role.

After his run in charge of the Raiders ended, Allen spent nearly seven full seasons leading the Saints’ defense. The 52-year-old was promoted to head coach after Sean Payton’s 2022 departure, but he was unable to lead the team to the playoffs. Improvement from seven to nine wins across his first two years suggested Allen could enjoy continued progression in 2024. Midway through an injury-plagued campaign, however, the Saints sat at 2-7 and Allen was dismissed.

A third opportunity as an NFL head coach does not seem plausible at this point for Allen. Still, expectations will be high for his unit. From 2020-23, the Saints ranked between fourth and ninth in points allowed with a top-seven finish in total defense during three of those years. Especially if Allen can help oversee an improvement against the run, his hire will prove to be worthwhile.

Randle El worked together with Johnson in Detroit; in addition to his new title he will maintain his familiar role as receivers coach. A key element of the Bears’ success on offense will be the development of the team’s wideouts not named D.J. Moore, so that unit will be worth watching closely. Barrett is another member of the staff who followed Johnson from Detroit to Chicago.

Just as the Bears have head coaching experience at one coordinator spot, they will also have ex-coordinators serving as position coaches in 2025. Bieniemy spent 2024 in the college ranks, but a mutual decision was made to part ways with UCLA after the campaign. A return to the NFL was sought as a result, although the former Chiefs offensive coordinator’s stock was in a worse spot than it was when he took charge of the Commanders’ offense for one year.

Nevertheless, Bieniemy met with the Patriots about their OC gig before it went (for the third time) to Josh McDaniels. In the end, the 55-year-old joined the Bears in a move which will see him oversee a unit in need of improved production in 2025. D’Andre Swift averaged a career-worst 3.8 yards per carry during his debut Chicago campaign; increasing that figure and/or establishing a strong backfield tandem could help the team’s offense but also increase Bieniemy’s chances at another play-calling gig in the NFL.

Last offseason, the Jaguars cleaned house on the defensive side of Doug Pederson’s coaching staff. The offense remained largely intact, and Taylor maintained his role calling plays for Jacksonville last season. That arrangement drew scrutiny from then-general manager Trent Baalke and carried into the campaign as a source of tension between the two. Taylor joined Pederson in departing Duval County following the season, and Baalke did the same after it appeared he would be safe.

Taylor (along with Pederson) was unable to help quarterback Trevor Lawrence meet the expectations associated with his draft pedigree and $55MM-per-year extension. It would thus come as a surprise if Zac Taylor’s brother were to receive another coordinator opportunity – or at least one with play-calling responsibilities – in the near future. This Bears stint could also result in a rebound in terms of coaching stock, though.

The Colts’ day-to-day operations (among other things, of course) were greatly impacted by owner Jim Irsay’s passing this offseason. The situation was different in the Bears’ case, as McCaskey’s son George has chaired the team’s board of governors since 2011. Nevertheless, Virginia McCaskey’s death means the coming season will be the first since 1982 without her in place atop the ownership group.

The McCaskey family still has an 80% stake in the franchise, and that will not change any time soon. The Bears could, however, sell off the non-controlling share which belonged to the late Andrew McKenna Sr. at some point in the future. A number of teams around the league have taken the private equity route for an influx of cash, and Chicago could be among them.

Trades:

Prior to free agency, it became clear upgrading the interior of the offensive line was a major Bears priority. Familiarity played in a role in both cases with respect to targeting new guards, of course. Ben Johnson previously worked alongside Jackson in Detroit and Ryan Poles was a member of the Chiefs’ front office in 2021 when Thuney signed with Kansas City in free agency that year.

During his four years in Detroit, Jackson operated as a full-time starter. The former third-rounder managed to play double-digit games every year, but that was not the case upon arrival with the Rams in 2024. Jackson dealt with a shoulder injury during his debut Los Angeles campaign, and the ailment caused him to miss time during the middle of the season. Upon returning to full health, though, he only played another two games; Jackson finished the year as a backup after a brief trial period at center.

Even though the Rams signed him to a three-year, $51MM pact last spring, it came as little surprise when they allowed Jackson to seek a trade. The Bears swap took place prior to March 12, which was key based on the timing of an $8.5MM roster bonus in 2025. Chicago took on the remaining money on the Ohio State product’s pact and then added another year via an extension. Jackson received $7MM in a new, full guarantee for 2026 with another $5.25MM guaranteed for injury.

Expectations will be high during his time in Chicago as a result. Jackson will handle right guard duties on his new team, something which he has not done much of to date in his career. Provided he can provide consistent play at that spot for the coming years, however, the Bears’ decision to reunite him with Johnson will prove to be worthwhile.

At 32, Thuney is four years older than Jackson. He will nevertheless be counted on to an even larger extent to serve as a high-end performer up front. Thuney already had a strong track record upon arrival in Kansas City, but during his tenure with the Chiefs he collected three Pro Bowl nods. In each of the past two seasons, the former Patriot has landed on the All-Pro first team at left guard. Even considering Thuney’s rough ending — as a left tackle fill-in — to his Chiefs tenure, Thuney has been one of the NFL’s best O-linemen this decade.

Maintaining that level of play will be a key aspect of Chicago’s retooling efforts up front. Thuney has graded out as a top-10 guard in terms of Pro Football Focus grade every year since 2018 and he has missed just two games over that span. The Bears are counting on that remaining the case for a few more years; a two-year extension surfaced in May. As a result of the new deal, Thuney is owed $51MM over the next three years, with the guaranteed money included in that figure to be paid out this season and next.

Just like Jackson, Thuney is on the books through 2027. That duo will be the subject of scrutiny if things do not go according to plan, but if each of its members plays to their potential they – alongside established right tackle Darnell Wright – will help offer stability to a unit where it has been lacking in recent years. Johnson’s ability to bring about improvements to the offense in general will of course depend on the success of Poles’ efforts to provide him with a stronger unit up front than his predecessor had to work with.

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Poll: Who Will Win Saints’ QB Competition?

July 20th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Speculation about Derek Carr’s Saints future came to an end when he elected to retire in lieu of undergoing shoulder surgery. The procedure would have kept him from playing in New Orleans (or elsewhere) in 2025, so the four-time Pro Bowler brought his career to an end and began the team’s next era under center.

Carr handled starting duties for a pair of campaigns with the Saints after his Raiders tenure came to a close. The arrival of new head coach Kellen Moore brought about questions regarding a departure, but that is of course a moot point now. This year’s training camp will see Moore and his staff evaluate New Orleans’ four remaining signal-callers to determine the pecking order.

That quartet includes undrafted free agent Hunter Dekkers. Like in essentially any case regarding UDFAs, he profiles as a practice squad candidate once roster cuts are made at the end of the summer. The Saints’ other three quarterbacks – Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener – are positioned to battle for the starting gig.

In the wake of the Carr retirement, Moore left the door open to a veteran addition under center. None came about during the late stages of free agency, though, so the Shough-Rattler-Haener trio is set to take part in an open competition. New Orleans has drafted a quarterback during each of the past three years, leaving each contender short on experience.

Shough emerged as a name to watch for the Saints during the pre-draft process as the team sought out a Carr successor capable of playing as early as this year. Entering the league as a 25-year-old, he certainly profiles as a candidate to see the field early at the NFL level. Over the course of his seven years in college, however, Shough only had one full campaign as a starter.

The Oregon/Texas Tech/Louisville product dealt with a number of injuries before managing to remain healthy for a full campaign in 2024. Shough’s size and arm strength made him an intriguing option in this year’s quarterback class, one which is not held in high regard compared to next year’s. Nevertheless, New Orleans could turn to him right away in a bid to evaluate his candidacy as a long-term answer under center.

2025 has seen a notable uptick in guaranteed compensation for second-round rookies. Shough, taken 40th overall, was a figure to watch as he joined the players selected around him in seeking a fully guaranteed pact. He recently succeeded in doing so, securing a favorable structure in terms of the payment schedule. That commitment does not ensure Shough will begin his career atop the depth chart, of course, but it illustrates how he will be a member of New Orleans’ QB setup for years to come.

Rattler fell to the fifth round of his draft class despite being the first signal-caller selected after the six first-rounders in 2024 came off the board. The Oklahoma and South Carolina product saw time after Carr was injured, recording a total of six starts. The Saints lost each of those contests while dealing with a number of other absences and ultimately finishing out the campaign under interim head coach Darren Rizzi. Rattler reached 240 passing yards only twice during his time as a starter, and he threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four).

Expectations are certainly muted entering Year 2 as a result, although Rattler, 24, represents at least an affordable backup option for the remainder of his rookie contract. The arrival of Moore as head coach will offer him a fresh start after last year’s poor showing. A stretch with better health up front and at the receiver position could allow for a better evaluation of Rattler’s ceiling in the NFL. Whether or not he is capable of handling starting duties will be determined to a large extent in 2025, and training camp and the preseason will be key in Rattler’s assessment.

Haener did not see the field during his rookie campaign, one which included a PED suspension. The 26-year-old made one start after Carr’s injury last season, a one-point loss despite his 49 passing yards on four completions. If Moore and Co. keep Haener behind Rattler in the pecking order, the QB2 spot is the best-case scenario for the Washington/Fresno State alum.

Winning the starting gig is certainly a possibility entering camp, but Haener is also candidate to operate as the Saints’ emergency third quarterback if Shough and Rattler are still healthy by Week 1. It will be interesting to see if he can alter the depth chart based on how it stood during his first two NFL seasons.

How do you think New Orleans’ competition will play out? Vote in PFR’s latest poll on who you think will emerge as the team’s Week 1 starter and have your say in the comments section below.

Who will win the Saints' QB Competition?
Tyler Shough 59.65% (720 votes)
Spencer Rattler 35.29% (426 votes)
Jake Haener 5.05% (61 votes)
Total Votes: 1,207
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