Eagles To Sign T Mekhi Becton
The Eagles are set to add to their depth at offensive tackle with Adam Schefter of ESPN reporting that the team will sign former Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. Pending a physical, Becton is in line to sign a one-year deal to head to Philadelphia. 
Becton has had a rough go over the course of his rookie contract. The 11th overall draft pick for the Jets in 2020, Becton was a starter in his rookie season and graded out relatively well, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) marking him as the 31st best offensive tackle out of 79 graded players at the position.
In the season opener of his sophomore campaign, though, a teammate rolled up on his right leg. Becton was forced to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, and though New York never ruled him out of the remainder of the season, he failed to return for the rest of the year. His comeback the following year fell short when he reinjured the same knee in the first week at training camp, requiring major surgery that would cause him to miss the entire 2022 season.
Therefore, it felt like an accomplishment in its own right when Becton was able to start in 16 games last season. He didn’t grade out very well (66th of 81 per PFF), but being able to return and stay healthy for most of the season was a giant step in the right direction for the former first-round pick.
In Philadelphia, Becton won’t be asked to do too much too soon. The Eagles return both longtime starting tackle Lane Johnson and veteran left tackle Jordan Mailata. Some suspected that Philadelphia may be aiming to draft a tackle in the first round of the NFL Draft in an attempt to find Johnson’s eventual successor, with Johnson heading into his age-34 season, but the team opted to prioritize defense early and often this weekend, instead.
Becton won’t be asked for much with his new team. Johnson and Mailata are still expected to start, and Becton will likely act as the primary swing tackle coming off the bench. He’ll compete for that role with veterans Le’Raven Clark and Fred Johnson, but both Clark and Johnson have established careers as backups over their years in the league. Becton’s experience as a full-time starter should win out. Perhaps, if Becton shows promise, he will fulfill the team’s need at tackle when Johnson eventually retires.
Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa Participating In Seahawks Rookie Camp
After going undrafted in this weekend’s NFL Draft, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is set to participate in the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp next weekend, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The younger brother of the Dolphins’ starter, Tua, will attempt to make an NFL roster after starting five years for the Terrapins.
Tagovailoa transferred to Maryland after backing up his older brother at Alabama as a true freshman. He only got to start four games of Maryland’s five-game, pandemic-shortened season, but then he went on to start 37 games over his final three seasons with the Terps. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in his final two collegiate seasons.
The Seahawks are currently set to head into the summer with three quarterbacks on the roster. Geno Smith returns as the team’s primary starter following two Pro Bowl seasons. The team also acquired former Commanders starter Sam Howell in a trade that included the exchange of several draft picks, as well. Other than that, the only other passer reported to be on the roster is Chevan Cordeiro, who Garafolo reports has signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State.
Tagovailoa may simply be a camp arm for the Seahawks next weekend, but he will use the opportunity to attempt to show NFL teams that he has what it takes to throw at a professional level. Howell is likely guaranteed into the QB2 role, but there’s always a chance he could beat out Cordeiro for the emergency third quarterback role and earned a contract himself.
Bills Sign WR Quintez Cephus
Wide receiver Quintez Cephus, who was cut by the Lions last year — immediately after the NFL handed him an indefinite suspension for violating its gambling policy — was reinstated earlier this month. Cephus now has a new employer, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the Wisconsin product has agreed to sign with the Bills.
After trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans and allowing Gabriel Davis to depart in free agency, Buffalo had a major need to fill at wide receiver going into this weekend’s draft (despite having added Curtis Samuel to its WR room). The club was linked to a blockbuster trade for 49ers star Deebo Samuel before the second round of the draft got underway, and it ultimately landed Florida State wideout Keon Coleman with the first pick of Round 2.
A Deebo Samuel trade no longer appears likely (at least not in the immediate future). And while the Coleman selection and the Cephus signing may not entirely silence the chatter that the Bills need to add more receiving talent, the fact that the team did not pull off a major deal for a player of Deebo Samuel’s caliber does give Cephus a seemingly decent chance of cracking the roster.
Now 26, Cephus was selected by Detroit in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. He caught 20 passes for 349 yards as a rookie and 15 balls for 204 yards in 2021, scoring two TDs in each season. He spent much of the 2022 campaign on IR but had one more year remaining on his rookie deal when the Lions cut him.
Cephus will compete for reps with the likes of fellow offseason pickups Mack Hollins and KJ Hamler and 2023 fifth-rounder Justin Shorter in support of the presumptive starting trio of Khalil Shakir, Coleman, and Curtis Samuel.
Jaguars To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne
Much of the attention around the football world has been focused on the draft in recent days, but the deadline on fifth-year option decisions is approaching. The Jaguars had a pair of calls to make regarding quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne. 
In both cases, the options will be picked up, general manager Trent Baalke said during his post-draft press conference. Lawrence will therefore collect $22.66MM in 2025, while Etienne will receive $6.14MM. With respect to the former in particular, though, this decision could easily serve as a placeholder for a long-term extension.
Talks on a new deal with Lawrence are ongoing, and the monster extension recently worked out with edge rusher Josh Allen has cleared a major item of the Jags’ offseason to-do list. Next up will likely be a second pact with Lawrence, as ascending passers have increasingly been extended within their first offseason of eligibility. Baalke is optimistic something can worked out, though he has preached patience with respect to terms being finalized.
Like the rest of the team, Lawrence struggled as a rookie under head coach Urban Meyer. The arrival of Doug Pederson as a replacement sparked a major uptick in production and a run to the divisional round of the playoffs. Injuries throughout the 2023 campaign limited the 24-year-old’s success and led to missed action for the first time in his NFL tenure. Even when at full strength, though, Jacksonville’s offense struggled and the team wound up outside the postseason picture.
Last offseason saw four young QBs – Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts – surpass $50MM in terms of the annual average value of their extensions. Many have pointed to Lawrence as the next in line to approach the top of the market, although the generally underwhelming nature of his time in Duval County to date could hurt his value. In any case, Lawrence will lock in an AAV much higher than the value of his option if a Jags extension can be agreed to in the near future.
Etienne was selected late in the 2021 first round to continue his time alongside Lawrence. The pair formed a dynamic duo at Clemson, and expectations were high for Etienne once he was able to take the field at the NFL level. After missing his rookie season due to injury, the 25-year-old had a strong showing in 2022 (1,125 yards, five touchdowns on the ground; 316 receiving yards). This past campaign saw a notable drop in efficiency, though – Etienne averaged 3.8 yards per carry, down from 5.1.
Jacksonville is aiming to share the load more in the backfield this season, with Etienne having logged 580 touches to date. The team’s draft efforts in that regard consisted of adding Keilan Robinson in the fifth round. Regardless of how the workload is divvied up, Etienne will no doubt be counted on as a key figure in the Jags’ offense for the foreseeable future knowing he will be in place over at least the next two years.
Jets Pick Up OL Alijah Vera-Tucker’s Fifth-Year Option
When healthy, Alijah Vera-Tucker has been a critical member of the Jets’ offensive line. His injury history led to some questions about whether or not the team would exercise his fifth-year option, but they have taken the expected route in this case. 
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Vera-Tucker’s 2025 option will be picked up, general manager Joe Douglas announced in his post-draft press conference. As a result of this decision, the 24-year-old will receive $15.31MM guaranteed that season. Considerable missed time prevented him from attaining a higher slot in terms of option value.
The USC product has split his time between guard and tackle with New York as the team has dealt with availability and performance issues up front. Vera-Tucker would ideally settle into a role on the interior, and the Jets’ actions so far this offseason suggest that will be possible moving forward. Tackle upgrades have been a priority for Douglas and Co. in free agency and the draft.
New York signed Tyron Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers‘ blindside, and the team reunited with Morgan Moses at the right tackle spot. Both veterans have dealt with injuries, though, and their age led to many believing a long-term investment would be needed this weekend. Indeed, New York used the No. 11 selection on Olu Fashanu. The Penn State product could see the field as a rookie if Smith and/or Moses miss time, but he profiles as a starter no later than 2025.
Vera-Tucker was limited to seven games in 2022, and this past season saw a repeat of considerable time spent on the sidelines. An Achilles tear ended his 2023 campaign, though he is expected to be healthy in time for the start of the regular season. In that case, the Jets would have a key member of their new-look offensive line in place ahead of the 2024 season, one in which better luck on the health front will be critical.
Across his three seasons to date, Vera-Tucker has drawn consistent PFF grades; run blocking in particular has been a strength. A healthy season in 2024 during which his level of performance was maintained could very well put him on the extension radar, but for now his intermediate future is clear.
Broncos To Acquire DL John Franklin-Myers From Jets
7:30pm: When speaking about the trade during his post-draft press conference, Jets general manager Joe Douglas confirmed (via Brian Costello of the New York Post) the Reddick acquisition necessitated moving on from Franklin-Meyers. Keeping both players in the fold through 2024 would have been a tall order in terms of cap commitments, a factor which no doubt affected the low price paid by the Broncos to acquire him.
1:57pm: We have a veteran being dealt on Day 3 of the draft, though the return will not involve a pick in this draft. The Broncos are acquiring defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers from the Jets, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.
The Jets, who have chosen defensive ends in the past two first rounds and traded for Haason Reddick in March, are picking up a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Broncos. This marks a second Broncos-Jets swap this week, with Franklin-Myers following Zach Wilson to Denver.
With Reddick in the fold, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Jets gave Franklin-Myers permission to seek a trade. He spent five seasons with the Jets, coming over as a waiver claim in 2019. While the Jets let Bryce Huff walk in free agency, they replaced him with Reddick. The team will now move its third-highest cap charge ($16.4MM) off the roster.
On that note, Fowler adds the Broncos and Franklin-Myers have agreed on a new deal — two years, $15MM — ahead of his Denver arrival. The former Rams draftee will receive $10MM guaranteed ($8MM fully guaranteed) as part of his second NFL extension. Franklin-Myers reached out to Broncos GM George Paton, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, who adds the sides reached extension parameters several days ago.
Franklin-Myers, who emerged from a player the Rams cut after one season into a starter who earned a Jets extension, will add a versatile presence to the Broncos’ front seven. The veteran has shown the ability to play inside and outside. That will be an interesting skillset in Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 defense. While the Jets used first-rounders on edge rushers in 2022 (Jermaine Johnson) and 2023 (Will McDonald), Franklin-Myers started all 34 games over the past two seasons.
The six-year veteran was attached to a four-year, $55MM contract that ran through 2025. Moving Franklin-Myers, 27, will stick the Jets with some dead money. Gang Green will be tagged with $9MM-plus in dead cap but pick up more than $7MM in savings from the JFM deal.
Pro Football Focus rated Franklin-Myers as a top-20 edge defender in 2021 and 2022; the Jets got ahead of this by extending him before the 2021 season. The former Rams fourth-rounder totaled 17.5 sacks in four Jets seasons, including five- and six-sack slates in 2021 and ’22. Franklin-Myers totaled a career-high 20 QB hits in 2022. This marks the second Broncos-Jets trade involving and edge rusher in 18 months, with the sides exchanging Jacob Martin at the 2022 deadline.
Franklin-Myers carries a higher pedigree by comparison and will join a Broncos team now deep on the edge. Denver’s Randy Gregory and Frank Clark moves did not work out, but the team still rosters its top three edges from last season — Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto — and chose Jonah Elliss in the second round Friday night. Franklin-Myers’ ability to work up front could be of use, with the Broncos needing more help along their D-line, where Zach Allen and D.J. Jones reside as the team’s top cogs.
Colts Sign QB Kedon Slovis As UDFA
Once the seventh round of the 2024 draft concluded, reports quickly emerged regarding undrafted free agents agreeing to deals. A number of quarterbacks have already found a home, and that includes Kedon Slovis agreeing to terms with the Colts (h/t NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). 
The 23-year-old began his career at USC, and he stormed onto the scene in 2019. That season, he threw for 3,502 yards while recording a 30:9 touchdown-to interception ratio. As a result of that production, Slovis earned Freshman Player of the Year honors and was named a freshman All-American. Things did not go according to plan after that point, however.
Slovis was limited to 15 games over the following two seasons due to the pandemic and a leg injury. That was followed by a transfer to Pitt, and a single campaign there did not yield the desired results. Slovis then transferred once again, moving to BYU. He again struggled with turnovers as a Cougar while missing four games due to injury in 2023. To little surprise, then, he did not hear his name called this weekend.
Indianapolis already has the QB1 gig accounted for with Anthony Richardson. The team lost effective backup Gardner Minshew in free agency, something which prompted the signing of veteran Joe Flacco. The latter will be counted on to provide capable play under center should Richardson once again miss time through injury in 2024. Slovis will compete for the No. 3 role alongside 2021 sixth-rounder Sam Ehlinger.
Not content to only bring Slovis into the fold at the QB, the Colts have also brought in Jason Bean. The North Texas and Kansas alum has also been signed as a UDFA, per his agency. Bean made 30 starts in college, and 2023 marked his best season with the Jayhawks (2,130 yards, 18 touchdowns) He and Slovis will look to earn a roster spot on what is suddenly a crowded quarterback depth chart in Indianapolis.
Jets Select DB Jaylen Key As 2024’s Mr. Irrelevant
The Jets had the honor of closing out the 2024 draft. Using pick No. 257, New York has selected Alabama defensive back Jaylen Key, making him this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.
Key began his college career at UAB, spending four seasons there. He made only 11 appearances across his first three campaigns at the Conference-USA program, but in 2022 he delivered a strong showing. Key played 13 games that year, posting 60 tackles and adding three interceptions. That production was followed up by a transfer to Alabama last offseason.
During his single campaign with the Crimson Tide, Key matched his total in terms of stops from the previous year, producing 1.5 tackles for loss. He picked off just one pass and added a pass deflection, limited ball production which can be explained by the other corners playing ahead of him on the depth chart. Key shared the field with Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, both who whom were (as expected) selected much earlier this weekend.
Now, Key will join a Jets team which is already set atop the depth chart at the cornerback spot (and which used a fifth-round selection earlier today on former CFLer Quan’Tez Stiggers). The 6-2, 210-pounder could attempt to see time in a depth role at safety, however. At a minimum, Key will look to carve out a roster spot as a special teams contributor and in doing so become a full-time NFL player to pair with a moniker which will stick with him for years to come.
Ravens Draft Kentucky QB Devin Leary At No. 218
The Ravens are bringing in an extra arm at the back end of the sixth round, drafted Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary, marking the tenth passer taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Leary adds a big arm to a quarterbacks room in Baltimore that contains reigning MVP Lamar Jackson.
Leary spent six years at the collegiate level, playing the first five years at NC State. He took over as the Wolfpack’s starter halfway through his redshirt freshman season in Raleigh and, after missing the final seven games of the next year, finally got his first full season as a redshirt junior in 2021. He threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns with only five interceptions, breaking Philip Rivers‘ school-record for most touchdown passes in a season.
After once again missing over half the season with an injury as a redshirt senior, Leary opted to hit the transfer portal for his final year of college eligibility, making his way to Kentucky. In his lone season with the Wildcats, Leary completed only 56.3 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He can make throws at every level of the field but will need to learn some touch at the NFL level. His strong arm can cost him accuracy and catchable balls at times.
In Baltimore, Leary faces an uphill battle to dress on gamedays. Obviously, he stands no chance at unseating Jackson as the starter, but even current backup quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham sit pretty comfortably at their spots on the depth chart. At 38 years old, Johnson is one of the league’s most experienced backup passers and already has experience starting a game for the Ravens in place of Jackson.
Cunningham, on the other hand, only has a one-year head start on Leary, but benefits from the fact that his style of play matches Jackson’s much better. Cunningham came to Louisville in Jackson’s last collegiate season, taking over as the starter two years later. His nearly 10,000 passing yards and over 3,000 rushing yards at the collegiate level show just how similar his game is to Jackson’s.
Entering his rookie year at 25 years old, though, Leary will want to try an unseat Cunningham as QB3 for the Ravens. If he can secure that role, Leary will likely end up as a practice squad passer who will often get called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation.
Patriots Select QB Joe Milton At No. 193
New England already added at the quarterback spot at the top of the first round, but the team has doubled down at the position. The Patriots have selected Tennessee QB Joe Milton with the 193rd pick. 
Drake Maye – selected with the third overall pick on Thursday night – is in place as New England’s signal-caller of the future. Milton represents another developmental option for new head coach Jerod Mayo‘s staff to work with. The latter spent six seasons in college, though his only full-time starting gig came in 2023.
Milton gained and then lost the No. 1 spot in Michigan before transferring to Tennessee. Upon arrival with the Volunteers, he held down first-team duties prior to being overtaken by Hendon Hooker. Hooker was selected in last year’s draft, which paved the way for Milton to regain the starter’s gig. In 2023, the 24-year-old threw for 2,813 yards while posting a 20:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He added 299 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
At the Combine, Milton showed off his arm strength, something which will be a key factor in his ability to earn a roster spot at the NFL level. Playing time will be hard to come by in New England given the list of other options on the depth chart for the time being, however. Bailey Zappe is a returning passer from last year, but the arrival of two rookies could see him on the move. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes Zappe is “likely” available in a trade.
Moving on from Mac Jones this offseason, the Patriots signed Jacoby Brissett to serve as a veteran option while developing a rookie. He could begin the campaign as New England’s starter before the reins are turned over to Maye. While the status of those two quarterbacks will be an intriguing storyline during the summer, Milton will be in place as another passer aiming to earn a 53-man roster spot.