Eagles Didn’t Offer DT Milton Williams Before Free Agency
After a strong season to close out his rookie contract in Philadelphia, Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams found himself on the outside looking in at his two talented, first-round pick teammates. With the Eagles looking ahead at the potential of needing to eventually extend both Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, Williams didn’t even receive an offer from the team that drafted him before departing in free agency, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. 
Realizing that the Eagles were shifting their focus to the younger Georgia duo, Williams made his desires known. While most breakout players exit their contract years seeking to cash in as much as possible on their second deals, even if it means joining a losing team, Williams expressed a desire to stay in a winning situation. In his four years with the Eagles, the team made the playoffs every season, alternating conclusions between first-round losses to the Buccaneers and Super Bowl matchups with the Chiefs.
Unfortunately for Milton, the two teams that pursued him the hardest finished the 2024 season a combined 9-25. After some early interest from the 4-13 Patriots, the 5-12 Panthers looked to be pursuing an agreement with the young defensive lineman. Ultimately, the team with the lesser record won out, and New England signed Milton to the largest free agent deal of the offseason. While quarterback Sam Darnold edged Milton out in annual average value with his move to Seattle, there was no free agent deal last year that saw a higher total value than Williams’ four-year, $104MM contract with the Patriots.
It turned out, though, that Williams was, in fact, heading to another winning situation. In coming to New England, not only did Williams find himself on a team that finished with more total wins than any other team in the league (17, including playoffs), but he also found himself heading right back to the Super Bowl. As current underdogs, Williams and his teammates will have to pull off an upset in order to secure him consecutive rings, but to even have this opportunity in February is a fortunate situation to be in.
As the years roll on, the Eagles may not necessarily regret letting Williams walk without so much as an offer as they attempt to tie themselves to Carter and Davis long term. Regardless, Williams certainly benefitted from taking the opportunity to cash in on his strong contract year and unexpectedly landed in a good situation, nonetheless.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza Not Throwing At NFL Combine
Coming off a Heisman-winning, championship season, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has become the overwhelming favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Already sitting atop most draft boards, Mendoza has chosen to pass on the opportunity to improve his stock. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Mendoza doesn’t intend to throw at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. 
Mendoza is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he led the NCAA with 41 touchdown passes. Accompanying those scores was a 72.0 completion percentage, 3,535 passing yards, and only six interceptions. In two blowout College Football Playoff games leading to a berth in the National Championship, Mendoza dominated Alabama and Oregon, throwing eight touchdowns to only five incompletions — not interceptions, incompletions.
Coming off some of his best play on college football’s biggest stages, Mendoza sees no need to go for a big day in Indianapolis in front of coaches, scouts, and general managers. “The combine, I don’t think throwing’s going to be a priority just because it’s such a quick turnaround,” Mendoza said on a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
Mendoza had previously mentioned attending the combine, so it looks like he’ll at least be in Indianapolis to interview with any teams who think he stands a chance at falling past the first pick of the draft. While drills at the combine appear to be off the table, Mendoza told McAfee and company that he intended to help his wide receiver teammates as best he could at the Hoosiers’ pro day.
“At the combine, you’re throwing to different receivers, it’s a whole different thing,” he said. “And I want to make sure I give my guys the best chance. I want to throw at pro day with my guys, with my running backs and be there with the boys.”
Mendoza is likely referring to his top targets this year, wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt, who are both projected to be Day 2 picks in April. While scouts likely would’ve appreciated seeing him throw with players he hasn’t spent the whole season with, his stock at the moment doesn’t seem to have anywhere to go but down. He’ll help his receivers look good to help them potentially improve their draft stock, but participating in the combine won’t do much to help his already sky-high stock.
NFL Mailbag: Patriots, Crosby, Dolphins, Cardinals, Rooney Rule
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag contains a Super Bowl prediction and answers questions on Maxx Crosby, the Dolphins' and Cardinals' quarterback situations and the Rooney Rule.
Davis asks:
How improbable has this Patriots Super Bowl run been? Is this more a masterful coaching job by [Mike] Vrabel and strong GM effort by Eliot Wolf or an example of a good, not great team catching enough breaks to make it this far? Also, who wins Sunday?
Let’s start by setting the scene at the onset of the 2025 season. New England’s longtime Bill Belichick successor (Jerod Mayo) lasted only one year as a head coach and much of the staff present for his disastrous 4-13 season was replaced. Vrabel, Josh McDaniels (again) and Co. took over a team not carrying much in the way of postseason expectations.
Poll: Who Will Win Super Bowl LX?
Eleven years after the Malcolm Butler interception, the Patriots and Seahawks will reconvene to decide an NFL champion. Super Bowl LX is the Patriots’ 12th Super Bowl appearance and the Seahawks’ fourth, but none of the players who played in Super Bowl XLIX are involved here. A small percentage of these rosters carry Super Bowl experience, but for the most part, retooled teams will vie for this year’s title.
The Patriots have completed one of the great turnarounds in NFL history, moving from 4-13 in back-to-back seasons to a 14-3 record en route to the AFC’s No. 2 seed. Drake Maye trailed Matthew Stafford by one first-place vote in the MVP race, as the QBs contested the closest vote since 2003. The Patriots added some veterans around their QB’s rookie contract, as the Seahawks did 11 years ago around Russell Wilson‘s, but their coaching moves became the most significant alterations.
Mike Vrabel is set to coach in his first Super Bowl after playing in four with the Pats from 2001-07. The former linebacker/goal-line pass catcher joined Ben Johnson as the top HC candidates available last year, and while interest from other teams emerged, Vrabel committed to a New England return quickly. Robert Kraft made a mistake in not conducting a coaching search in 2024, committing years before to promote Jerod Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick, and the owner acknowledged that miss by firing him after one season. Vrabel has played the lead role in restoring the Pats to a Super Bowl team.
Vrabel’s decision to bring back Josh McDaniels for a third Patriots OC stint has made a considerable difference as well. Fired in-season by two AFC West teams, McDaniels is unlikely to earn a third HC opportunity. No interviews came this year, despite Maye’s ascent to the MVP precipice. McDaniels topping out on the OC tier would be a boon for the Patriots, as they could ensure Maye play-calling continuity with a defensive head coach. That is rather rare in the modern NFL.
McDaniels, 49, could provide a tremendous advantage for the underdog Pats on Sunday night. The veteran staffer is set for his sixth Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator. This ties Steve Spagnuolo — McDaniels’ former Rams boss — for the most Super Bowls by a coordinator. But McDaniels was with the Patriots for their Super Bowl XLVI appearance, rejoining the team under OC Bill O’Brien after his Rams one-and-done, and he was on Belichick’s staff for the Pats’ first three Tom Brady-era Super Bowls.
The Pats do not have any players left from their Brady-years Super Bowl berths, having bid farewell to Jonathan Jones, David Andrews, Deatrich Wise and Joe Cardona this past offseason. But the Vrabel-McDaniels pairing stands to help in a game where the AFC champion looks to have the inferior roster.
New England used its cap space to add ex-Vrabel Titans edge rusher Harold Landry and win the Milton Williams sweepstakes. No 2025 FA (Sam Darnold included) received a bigger at-signing guarantee than Williams’ $51MM. The Pats also signed O-line starters Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury. With Maye and Christian Gonzalez on rookie deals, the Pats gave Carlton Davis a three-year, $48MM accord.
Seeing Chris Godwin reject a strong offer, the Patriots inked Stefon Diggs, who has led a third team in receiving during an 11-year career. The team’s K’Lavon Chaisson flier (one year, $3MM) has paid dividends as well, with the former Jaguars first-round bust upping his free agency stock with a 7.5-sack season. The team’s 2025 draft class yielded four starters — left tackle Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson and safety Craig Woodson, kicker Andres Borregales — and oft-used RB2 TreVeyon Henderson. Campbell, Henderson and Wilson helped the Maye-led offense rank first in EPA per play.
It is certainly worthwhile to mention the Patriots’ favorable schedule to reach this point. New England’s docket included just one victory over a team with a winning record (an October victory in Buffalo), and its playoff slate brought unimpressive offensive work. That postseason schedule featured a Texans team missing Nico Collins (and then second-leading receiver Dalton Schultz), and the Broncos losing Bo Nix late in their divisional-round win may well have altered the Super Bowl matchup, as the Pats limped to a 10-7 win over a Jarrett Stidham-quarterbacked team.
New England will face a more formidable opponent in Seattle. The Seahawks went 14-3 and led the NFL in DVOA; the Patriots ranked ninth. Seattle’s defense ranked first in scoring and second in EPA per play.
Mike Macdonald‘s team beat six regular-season opponents with winning records. While the Seahawks feasted on an injury-battered 49ers team in Round 2, the NFC’s No. 1 seed left no doubt with a 41-6 dismantling. The Seahawks then outdueled MVP Matthew Stafford in a thrilling Rams rubber match; DVOA slotted Los Angeles second this season.
The Seahawks did well to bail on Geno Smith extension talks when they did, foisting another declining quarterback on an AFC West team. John Schneider‘s previous such move — the 2022 Russell Wilson blockbuster — armed the Seahawks with an eight-asset package that helped set up this Super Bowl team. The Broncos ended up trading two top-10 picks, which became left tackle Charles Cross and Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Schneider, who became the Seahawks’ lead decision-maker via Pete Carroll‘s 2024 firing, has moved toward a Hall of Fame-caliber resume thanks to these two trades and guiding a team back to a Super Bowl berth with a fresh nucleus.
Seattle’s Klint Kubiak OC hire helped the team lure Darnold to town, and the team did well to sign the 2024 Vikings Pro Bowler to a three-year, $100.5MM deal. Darnold only received $37.5MM guaranteed at signing; another $17.5MM is due days after the Super Bowl. Given Darnold’s performance, it is safe to assume he will remain on the roster when that guarantee vests next week.
While the Seahawks only boasted one receiver with more than 600 yards, Jaxon Smith-Njigba‘s 1,793 led the NFL and earned him Offensive Player of the Year acclaim. Schneider also made a savvy deadline addition with Rashid Shaheed, acquiring the contract-year deep threat/return man from the Saints for fourth- and fifth-round picks. Shaheed has returned a kickoff and a punt for a score while providing Seattle with a solid auxiliary receiving option alongside Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
Macdonald’s defensive expertise has illuminated the value defense-oriented HCs can bring — amid annual quests for offense-oriented leaders — and additions DeMarcus Lawrence and Nick Emmanwori have made impacts. Emmanwori joins guard Grey Zabel as pivotal 2025 draft choices for the NFC champs, who also have benefited from re-signing Leonard Williams (2024) and Ernest Jones (2025) after trades. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues with Shaheed.
The Seahawks are currently 4.5-point favorites over the Patriots. Will Seattle win championship No. 2 and avenge the Butler sequence, or will New England break a tie with Pittsburgh to claim its seventh Super Bowl crown? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the matchup in the comments section.
RB Kenneth Walker Wants To Re-Sign With Seahawks
In November, a report surfaced indicating Kenneth Walker was not a clear-cut re-signing target for the Seahawks. But circumstances have changed since. The team has advanced to Super Bowl LX, and Zach Charbonnet is out after suffering an ACL tear in the divisional round.
Charbonnet is under contract for one more season but is now rehabbing a major injury. Walker is set for free agency, and Mike Macdonald recently expressed interest in the former second-round pick staying. Walker, 25, also wants to remain in the Pacific Northwest.
“I’ve been here four years, so you know I’ve gotten to know a lot of stuff about Seattle, and you know a lot of the city, and I feel like they feel good about me as well,” Walker said, via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “So if it was my choice, though, I’d definitely stay.”
Considering the talent gap between Walker and his healthy backups, it would behoove the Seahawks to enter into contract talks. The team has barely a month left of exclusive negotiating rights with its starting running back. Walker is poised to join Breece Hall and Travis Etienne as the top RBs available on this year’s market. Hall has been connected to a possible franchise tag, which is projected (via OverTheCap) to come in around $14.5MM. A transition tag, which brings no compensation in the event of an unmatched offer sheet, is projected to cost more than $11MM.
The Seahawks are in great shape, cap-wise, having signed Sam Darnold to what looks like a wildly team-friendly contract. They are projected to hold more than $73MM in cap space. The team will likely enter extension talks with Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but talks with DB Coby Bryant did not produce a deal. Defenders Boye Mafe and Riq Woolen also are expected to hit free agency next month. Walker could suddenly profile as a player at or near the top of the NFC champions’ priority list.
Walker stayed healthy this season, playing 17 games, and posted his second 1,000-yard slate (1,027) but has seen injury trouble affect him during periods on his rookie contract. And the team gave Charbonnet a bigger role in 2025. Charbonnet tallied a 49% snap share this season to Walker’s 47%. The 2023 second-round pick had previously held more of a true backup role, but he impressed in training camp this year and secured the trust of Klint Kubiak and Co. Charbonnet will now be a candidate to begin next season on the reserve/PUP list; that would strengthen Walker’s leverage in Seahawks talks.
The Hawks have re-signed RBs in the past, inking Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny to second contracts. They also re-signed Marshawn Lynch under GM John Schneider in 2015. Both Carson and Penny ran into injury trouble on their second deals, however. The team drafted Walker months after Carson’s career-ending neck injury. Seattle will need to pony up more money if a second Walker pact is to commence, but it would now make sense for the team to show interest.
Rams To Hire Kliff Kingsbury
As the coordinator carousel spins, Kliff Kingsbury was connected to a few of the jobs that opened up this offseason. But it looks like the recent Commanders OC will land in a popular spot.
The Rams are planning to add Kingsbury to their offensive staff, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Peter Schrager report. It does not appear this is for the OC job Mike LaFleur vacated, though the ESPN duo does not specify what position Kingsbury will take on Sean McVay‘s staff.
This staff has been a launching pad for upward mobility, and Kingsbury has seen a recent Los Angeles stopover reignite his career as well. Kingsbury moved back onto the coordinator radar after coaching quarterbacks at USC in 2023.
McVay’s staff just sent three-year OC Mike LaFleur to the head coaching ranks. Prior to that, McVay OCs Matt LaFleur and Kevin O’Connell landed HC jobs, as did quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor. Previous McVay OC Liam Coen is now a head coach, and McVay-era Rams DCs Brandon Staley and Raheem Morris enjoyed HC chances as well.
McVay’s recent comments on his OC situation point to an internal promotion. The 10th-year HC said (via Stu Jackson of the team website) the Rams have “great candidates in-house.” Pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase is the top candidate to become the next Rams OC, having pledged to stay in Los Angeles after losing out on the Browns’ HC job. Scheelhaase received more HC interviews than Mike LaFleur did, and it should be expected he will become McVay’s fifth OC.
As for Kingsbury, Schrager notes he and McVay have been in talks for more than two weeks. Kingsbury, 46, was in the mix for the Giants’ OC job; once that went to Matt Nagy, a clearer path back to L.A. formed. Kingsbury’s stay with the Trojans lasted just one season, when he coached Caleb Williams. It reignited his career, leading to a host of OC interest in 2024. Based on the interest of the past three offseasons, his four-year run as Cardinals HC and McVay’s history of losing staffers to promotions elsewhere, Kingsbury should be expected to receive extensive HC interest again in 2027.
Kingsbury opted to stay in Washington after his first season as Commanders OC produced a stunning NFC championship game berth. But an injury-plagued Jayden Daniels second season brought disagreements between Kingsbury and his bosses. Adam Peters was said to have issues with Kingsbury, while Dan Quinn looked to have lost some faith in his play-caller as well. This led to a dismissal. Kingsbury then interviewed for the Ravens and Titans’ head coaching jobs. He later circled back to both teams as an OC candidate, interviewing for the Giants’ OC position as well.
The former Texas Tech HC’s only two NFL jobs have been on the HC and OC levels, which will make this an interesting fit. But McVay and Kingsbury have been friends for a while, making it unsurprising the two will link up for at least one season. Kingsbury’s six combined seasons of HC/OC experience at the NFL level stands to help the Rams, who have an advantage when it comes to recruiting assistants due to McVay’s stellar track record of sending them up the league ladder.
It will be interesting to learn Kingsbury’s role. It is possible he takes Scheelhaase’s pass-game coordinator position if/once the latter is promoted to OC. Neither will call plays, as McVay operates in that role. But Scheelhaase is 11 years younger than Kingsbury, making for an interesting dynamic.
This hire also could set up a 2027 scenario where McVay loses two offensive assistants to HC jobs. That has not happened yet, and it is rare when a team hires a non-coordinator for a head coaching job. Taylor’s move from QBs coach to Bengals HC is one of the exceptions, however.
NFC Staff Updates: Cardinals, 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur quickly hired Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator, and he is now looking for coaches to run his defense and special teams.
Arizona is interviewing a number of candidates for defensive coordinator, while Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has emerged as a leading candidate to take over as special teams coordinator, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Ghobrial, 37, has spent the last two years with the Giants. Before that, he served as the Jets’ assistant special teams coordinator on Robert Saleh‘s staff, overlapping for two years with LaFleur. Ghobrial previously worked for a number of college programs as well as the Lions in 2017.
The Giants had a solid year on special teams in 2025. They ranked fifth in yards per kickoff return (27.7) and 10th in average starting field position (31.3). Cornerback Deonte Banks also recorded one of the NFL’s five kick return touchdowns last year.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks across the NFC:
- Elsewhere in the NFC West, the 49ers are hiring former Dolphins offensive assistant Roman Sapolu to their staff, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He previously served as Hawaii’s offensive coordinator and Fresno State’s run game coordinator. He is also the son of former NFL offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu, who won four Super Bowls with the 49ers between 1983 and 1997.
- The 49ers also promoted team president Al Guido to Chief Executive Officer, per a press release. Guido first arrived in San Francisco in 2014 as the Chief Operating Officer before his promotion to president.
- The Cowboys are retaining Jamel Mutunga, who spent the 2025 season in Dallas via the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He will be the team’s assistant running backs coach moving forward, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
- The Lions are promoting assistant offensive line coach Steve Oliver to tight ends coach, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will replace Tyler Roehl, who left Detroit to become Iowa State’s offensive coordinator.
- The Buccaneers are making internal promotions to replace cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross (fired) and safeties coach Nick Rapone (retired), according to Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Rashad Johnson will take over Ross’ role while Tim Atkins will succeed Rapone. Both served as assistant secondary coaches in 2025.
More Changes To Eagles’ Offensive Staff Expected
The Eagles are making some changes to their offensive coaching staff under new coordinator Sean Mannion.
Packers wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey is moving to Philadelphia as the Eagles’ new run game coordinator, per Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mahaffey is replacing former Eagles assistant Jeff Stoutland, who served as the team’s run game coordinator for the last eight seasons in addition to his role as offensive line coach.
The 38-year-old former fullback has worked closely with Green Bay’s receiving corps in the last two years; before that, he served as the team’s assistant offensive line coach (2022-2023) and offensive quality control coach (2021). Mahaffey will also take on the role of tight ends coach in Philadelphia.
The Eagles may also be moving on from quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler. If they do, Raiders quarterbacks coach and interim head coach Greg Olson is a likely candidate, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He coached Mannion while he was on the Rams in 2017 and the Seahawks in 2023, his final year as a player.
Olson, 62, has a long history in the NFL with offensive coordinator stints with five teams and QBs coach jobs with three more. Most recently, he worked with Geno Smith in both Seattle and Las Vegas, Derek Carr (also in Vegas), and Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff in Los Angeles.
HOF QB Sonny Jurgensen Passes Away
Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen passed away Friday at the age of 91, his family announced.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our husband, father, and grandfather, Sonny Jurgensen,” Jurgensen’s family stated. “We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm, but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the greats in Canton.”
A former Duke Blue Devil whom the Eagles chose in the fourth round of the 1957 draft, Jurgensen evolved into one of the greatest signal-callers in the history of the sport. After serving as a backup over his first four seasons, including to fellow Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin during Philadelphia’s championship-winning campaign in 1960, Jurgensen became a full-time starter in 1961.
In his first year leading the Eagles’ offense, Jurgensen broke through with league highs in completions (235), yards (3,723) and touchdown passes (32). He earned his first of four All-Pro selections and his first of five Pro Bowl nods that season.
Jurgensen again led the league in passing in 1962, but the Eagles spiraled to a 3-10-1 record after going 10-4 the previous year. The team posted another dismal record of 2-10-2 in 1963, including a 1-6-1 mark in Jurgensen’s starts, and traded him to Washington for quarterback Norm Snead and defensive back Claude Crabb in the ensuing offseason.
The move to Washington rejuvenated Jurgensen, who played his last 11 seasons with the team formerly known as the Redskins. He spent his first seven seasons in Washington as a starter. Jurgensen went to four Pro Bowls and led the league in passing three times during that span. He wound down his career as Billy Kilmer‘s backup from 1971-74 before retiring at the age of 40.
Jurgensen, who became a member of Washington’s Ring of Fame, ranks second in franchise history to Joe Theismann in completions, attempts, yards and touchdown passes. With 31 TD passes in 1961, he continues to hold the single-season franchise record 65 years later. The team retired his No. 9 in 2022.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said. “He was a brilliant leader, Hall of Fame quarterback, and had one of the best arms the game has ever seen. … Our hearts and prayers are with Sonny’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him.”
Also a member of the Eagles’ Hall of Fame, Jurgensen sits fifth on their all-time TD passes list. Despite playing during the pre-1978 “Dead Ball” era, Jurgensen ranks 26th all-time in TD tosses (255) and 51st in yards (32,224). He led all “Dead Ball” era QBs in passer rating (82.62). Jurgensen is a member of the 1960s All-Decade Team who earned enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. He enjoyed a 38-year career as a broadcaster after he hung up his cleats.
Packers To Hire Penn State WRs Coach Noah Pauley
The Packers are expected to hire Penn State wide receivers coach Noah Pauley for the same job in Green Bay, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
2025 was Pauley’s first season at Penn State. He did not have much immediate success with the Nittany Lions’ wide receivers, but his previous work at Iowa State and North Dakota State are much stronger parts of his resume.
As the Cyclones’ wide receivers coach from 2022 to 2024, Pauley played an instrumental role in the development of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The two made huge strides under Pauley’s tutelage and combined for 167 receptions, 2,377 yards, and 17 touchdowns in their final college season. Both were drafted by the Texans last April – Higgins with the 37th overall pick, Noel with the 79th – and put up solid but unspectacular rookie seasons.
In a way, it is surprising that the Texans have not looked into hiring Pauley considering their investment of the players he developed in college. Houston also drafted Xavier Hutchinson in 2023, a year after Pauley coached him to career- and Big 12-high stats of 107 receptions and 1,171 receiving yards.
Before Iowa State, Pauley coached now-Packers wide receiver Christian Watson at North Dakota State. The two will reunite in Green Bay, though Watson is in the last year of his contract. So are Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, while Matthew Golden and Savion Williams were both drafted last year.
It seems like the Packers will not be signing Romeo Doubs, and the cap hits of quarterback Jordan Love, edge rusher Micah Parsons, and right tackle Zach Tom will get bigger and bigger in the coming years. The team will also need to extend tight end Tucker Kraft, so extending multiple receivers may be out of the question. Pauley will therefore be crucial to the Packers’ continued strategy of drafting and developing young wide receivers while avoiding pricey extensions and free agent contracts. His main task will be getting Golden, the No. 23 pick last year – back on track after his disappointing rookie year.

