DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches Reunites With Buccaneers
After a three-year stay in New York, veteran defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches has agreed to a deal that will bring him back to Tampa Bay. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers are bringing Nunez-Roches back on a one-year contract.
Breaking news, refresh for updated information…
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/3/26
Here is Friday’s only minor NFL move in the wake of today’s big transaction:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed ERFA tender: S Tristin McCollum
After Vegas tendered him as an exclusive rights free agent, McCollum didn’t have much of a choice but to sign in order to play in the 2026 NFL season. In doing so, he returns to provide the Raiders with some solid safety depth and special teams experience. As an undrafted rookie with the Eagles out of Sam Houston State, McCollum only saw specials teams work in two games before getting a chance for playing time on defense in the regular season finale. In Year 2 in Philadelphia, McCollum earned two starts on the defense and saw significant defensive snaps in four more games.
After getting waived at the roster cut deadline last year, McCollum was claimed by the Raiders. He didn’t earn any starts in his third year of play, but he was a core special teamer and saw a significant share of defensive snaps in three games. With the departure of Lonnie Johnson Jr. to Miami in free agency, McCollum has a chance to step into a key third safety role behind Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn in 2026.
David Bailey Visits Cardinals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets
6:35pm: Bailey also visited the Jets, Rapoport adds. They are looking for a young edge rusher to pair with 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald after trading Jermaine Johnson to the Titans. New York holds the No. 2 pick, which is the earliest Bailey could be drafted with the Raiders all but certain to select Fernando Mendoza first overall.
5:03pm: Texas Tech edge rusher and projected first-round pick David Bailey has made his rounds around the NFL during the pre-draft process. He first visited the Cardinals in early March with trips to the Chiefs and the Cowboys this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bailey, 22, is widely expected to be selected in the first 10 picks of April’s draft. He began his college career at Stanford with solid production from 2022 to 2024. In 2025, he transferred to Texas Tech and mounted an All-American campaign in Lubbock with an FBS-high 14.5 sacks and a Big 12-high 19.5 tackles for loss.
That production, combined with an excellent performance at the Combine, vaulted Bailey to the top of a strong draft class at his position. Among edge rushers, his 4.50-second 40-yard dash trailed only fellow projected top-10 pick Arvell Reese, and his 10-foot-9 broad jump ranked third.
With BJ Ojulari and Baron Browning in the last year of their contracts, the Cardinals could use a foundational edge rusher to build their defense around. Bailey is arguably the best one available, and the shorter-than-average arms of his primary competition, Rueben Bain, might scare Arizona away from using the No. 3 pick on him. Bailey brings no such length concerns, though his slim frame and lack of elite power are knocks on his game.
The Chiefs, who hold the ninth overall pick, could also use another high-upside edge rusher opposite 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis. Bailey’s speed-rushing capabilities could complement Karlaftis’ power and ensure that Kansas City’s pass rush continues to thrive even if Chris Jones retires in the next few years.
The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Packers just before the 2025 regular season, and his absence loomed large all year long. Dallas has built some depth off the edge with Rashan Gary joining Sam Williams and 2025 second-rounder Donovan Ezeiruaku, but none can match Bailey’s long-term upside. No one player can truly replace Parsons, but adding an explosive pass rusher like Bailey would be a good start.
Browns Looking To Add FB, Tried To Sign Patrick Ricard
Browns head coach Todd Monken was not as aggressive as Giants head coach John Harbaugh in signing former Ravens in free agency. Four players went from Baltimore to New York, but only wide receiver Tylan Wallace followed Monken to Cleveland.
Those results, however, were not for lack of trying. The Browns attempted to sign Patrick Ricard, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, but he instead took a two-year offer from the Giants to become the highest-paid fullback in the league.
Ricard, 31, first came to prominence as a key blocker in Greg Roman‘s offense during the Ravens’ first few years with Lamar Jackson. His playing time peaked in 2022 with a 64% snap share, but Monken’s arrival from the University of Georgia raised questions about Ricard’s future. The Ravens had just re-signed him to a three-year contract in 2022, but the deal only had guaranteed money in the first year. As a jumbo-sized fullback, Ricard may not fit in every offense, and Monken’s scheme at Georgia did not feature such a player.
However, the veteran coach’s calling card is his ability to design his offense around his talent and he did just that with Ricard. The six-time Pro Bowler saw a small decrease in playing time – his snap share hovered around 40% during Monken’s tenure – but he still maintained a crucial role as a versatile blocker.
After missing out on Ricard, the Browns are looking to add a fullback, Monken said this week. Finding a similar player to Ricard – who Monken recently called a “unicorn” – will not be easy, and the current crop of free agents at the position are not nearly as proven. Cleveland may instead look to the draft, where there are a number of blocking tight ends that could fit their new scheme.
Bears Planning Caleb Williams Extension
The 2011 CBA prevented teams from discussing extensions with drafted players until after their third seasons, and the 2020 CBA maintained that setup. While UDFAs can ink extensions after two years, players drafted must wait longer.
But teams can certainly prepare extension plans ahead of players’ eligibility to sign second contracts. The Bears are one of the franchises at work, and they are doing some early planning on what promises to be a landmark deal for the franchise.
Fifth-year GM Ryan Poles is delegating responsibility of outlining a Caleb Williams extension this offseason. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick cannot be paid until January 2027. The Bears will have more intel on what a Williams extension will look like after the 2026 season, but after the former Heisman winner’s breakthrough 2025 slate, Chicago will be spending this offseason looking into how a second QB contract — a rare development for this particular franchise — will be arranged.
“It’s really a summer project,’’ Poles said, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. ‘‘[Bears VP of football administration] Matt Feinstein is digging into it now. We’ve had some preliminary [internal] conversations because we want to take some of these things into consideration as we build the team.”
Chicago has run into problems at quarterback for ages. No second contracts were given to first-rounders Justin Fields and Mitchell Trubisky, and Rex Grossman only signed a one-year deal in 2008 after underwhelming on his rookie pact. Cade McNown, a 1999 first-rounder, fared worse than that trio. Chicago received eight years from Jay Cutler after a blockbuster trade, but the rocket-armed passer was rarely viewed as an upper-crust option. Williams represents the latest swing, coming via Poles’ savvy 2023 trade-down move that gave the Panthers Bryce Young, and his 2025 brought considerable optimism.
Leading the Bears to an overtime period in the divisional round, Williams finished his second season with 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He averaged only 6.9 yards per attempt, however, and completed just 58.1% of his passes — down four percentage points from a shaky 2024 showing — while ranking 16th in QBR. But Williams certainly showed progress on the whole under new HC Ben Johnson. The Bears will have another season to evaluate the former Lincoln Riley pupil.
Four- and five-year deals are the norm among quarterbacks as of late. Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year extension represents an extreme outlier, while no one else has matched even Josh Allen‘s six-year deal since the Bills authorized that in 2021. Poles was with the Chiefs when they constructed the atypical Mahomes deal (10 years, $450MM). It featured a unique structure that brought rolling guarantees for the superstar passer, and that structure has benefited the Chiefs annually. Williams’ camp will be unlikely to go for a team-friendly accord, however.
Williams’ camp made some headlines in 2024 and ’25 related to his Bears status. The QB’s team attempted to have the Bears include a no-franchise tag clause in his rookie deal; that proved to be a nonstarter for the team. Williams, who does not have an agent, also attempted to skirt tax implications from his rookie deal in 2024.
Reports coming out of a Seth Wickersham book (American Kings: A Biograph of the Quarterback) also indicated Caleb’s father Carl Williams attempted to steer the QB clear of Chicago due to the Bears’ struggles developing passers. Carl Williams discussed this with Archie Manning, who famously helped Eli Manning avoid the Chargers in 2004, and expressed issues with the NFL’s rookie wage scale.
But the Bears having a quarterback worthy of an extension will be a win in itself. It will mark a new roster-building chapter for Chicago, which has ridden with rookie QB deals (excepting the Mike Glennon year) for nearly a decade. However, once the team can begin negotiating with Williams in earnest next year, eventful talks figure to commence. Although the Bears extended Cutler twice, they will be in for a new challenge with Williams given the skyrocketing QB market in the years since.
“I’m sure it’ll present challenges,’’ Poles said of Williams’ future negotiations. ‘‘We haven’t gotten that far. But if and when we get to that point, we’ll embrace that challenge. Our offense is going to slowly get really expensive. You want to continue to have young talent to come in and help us out on defense.”
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Will Not Face NFL Suspension
Following Rashee Rice‘s six-game 2025 suspension in connection with felony charges from a hit-and-run incident, the Chiefs wide receiver faced ugly allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-girlfriend.
The alleged victim, Dacoda Jones, filed a civil suit accusing Rice of repeatedly assaulting her between December 2023 and July 2025. In January, she displayed photos of injuries that Rice allegedly inflicted on her. Jones, who has two children with Rice, claims most of the alleged abuse occurred when she was pregnant.
On Friday, however, the NFL concluded Rice “has not engaged in conduct that violates the personal conduct policy,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. No suspension is coming at this time, per Schefter. This will be welcome news for Rice and the Chiefs, who have certainly run into a few high-profile off-field issues over the past several years. One season remains on Rice’s rookie contract.
Given the timing of this report, it certainly qualifies as a Friday news dump. Although the 25-year-old receiver was never charged with a crime, the NFL’s personal conduct policy has brought suspensions for players not charged criminally in the past. In this case, though, Rice will not enter a second straight season with a suspension.
Jones’ civil suit indicated “Rice has grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, thrown, scratched, hit, and headbutted Ms. Jones, as well as hit her with inanimate objects.” Rice’s attorney, however, released a statement indicating that on October 9, 2025, “Ms. Jones stated under penalty of perjury in a sworn Affidavit for a Non-Prosecution that ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me.'”
Jones had alleged Rice physical abuse taking place for years; it is unclear if any cooperation issues interfered with this NFL investigation. That was the case when the league opted not to suspend then-Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill in 2019, after a second wave of domestic violence allegations surfaced against the All-Pro. Hill’s ugly college domestic violence incident, which brought a guilty plea, preceding the 2019 accusations allowed the Chiefs to construct a team-friendly extension with the star receiver. Kansas City signed Hill to a three-year, $54MM extension with a favorable (for the club) guarantee structure. Rice is now extension-eligible, and because he was a second-round pick, no fifth-year option exists on his rookie contract.
The Chiefs drafted Rice a year after trading Hill to the Dolphins, and Rice helped make up for Skyy Moore‘s failed development as a second-rounder. Rice made a big impact for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII-winning team in 2023, totaling 938 yards and seven touchdowns. An LCL tear sustained in Week 4 of the 2024 season derailed the SMU product, who was down for over a year thanks to the six-game ban taking place to start the 2025 campaign. While the possession receiver returned and played well last season, he was active for just eight games; the Chiefs placed him on IR after a concussion. Though, the team parked a few key players on IR — including Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson — late in a lost season.
Had Rice been suspended under the personal conduct policy a second time, he would have been looking at an absence that covered more than half his contract year. Kansas City’s top receiver not being banned represents a break for the team, though off-field troubles that extend back to his time at SMU may still influence the Chiefs in this draft. Kansas City holds two first-round picks this year, the second obtained from the Rams in the McDuffie trade, and has seen Rice run into frequent trouble.
In May 2024, weeks after the street-racing accident, Rice was the subject of an investigation for alleged assault on a photographer. The accuser did not press charges, but it continued a trend of off-field problems dating to Rice’s time in college. During the 2023 pre-draft process, NFL teams became aware of an alleged incident in which Rice or a member of his party fired multiple shots into an empty car belonging to a member of SMU’s basketball team.
Rice faces a pivotal 2026 season, as he may be auditioning — based on how the Chiefs proceed early in the draft — for other teams as a prospective 2027 free agent. But the Chiefs have shown a high tolerance for off-field issues under Andy Reid. Rice being cleared today points to him being available to open the season and craft an extension case. The Chiefs hold exclusive negotiating rights with the wideout until March 2027.
Jags, Travon Walker Agree On Extension
Not long after James Gladstone expressed confidence some Jaguars extensions would be doled out, the highest-profile player included in that group has a deal in place. The Jags are extending Travon Walker, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
The sides agreed on a four-year, $110MM extension, Rapoport adds, confirming $77MM will be guaranteed and $50MM locked in at signing. This deal comes two years after the previous Jacksonville front office agreed to terms with Josh Hines-Allen.
Details of these agreements regularly trickle out slowly, but we have the key particulars upfront. That certainly indicates satisfaction with the terms from the player’s side, with Walker’s agency confirming the details.
At $27.5MM per year, Walker becomes the 12th-highest-paid edge rusher. This market settles far south of where last year’s boom moved the EDGE market, with Aidan Hutchinson — chosen one spot after Walker in 2022 — being one of the key parties in that 2025 sea change. It also comes in below where the Trent Baalke regime settled with Hines-Allen, who is tied to a five-year deal that averages $28.25MM per annum.
Considering Trevor Lawrence is on a $55MM-per-year deal, extending a second edge rusher in this realm represents a substantial commitment from the Jaguars. Walker also is coming off a down season. That certainly stood to help the team in negotiations, and Rapoport indicates talks have taken place for weeks. Walker also checks in 12th in full guarantees but 10th in total guaranteed money. It will be important to know what the early guarantee triggers are on this deal — if any exist.
A report coming out of the league meetings indicated preliminary Jags talks with Walker, Parker Washington and Brenton Strange were unfolding. We certainly made it far past the preliminary stage, as Walker’s camp accepted an offer. It is worth wondering if the former No. 1 overall pick would have been amenable to a deal outside the top 10 at his position had he stayed on the trajectory he was on from 2023-24.
Leading off a brigade of Georgia defenders chosen in the 2022 first round, Walker broke through in 2023 with 10 sacks and 19 QB hits. Although the Jaguars declined in 2024, Walker stayed on track by racking up career-high marks in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (13). While the Jags rocketed to a 13-4 season in 2025 under Liam Coen, Walker regressed. He totaled 3.5 sacks, eight TFLs and 13 QB hits. His 19 QB pressures ranked 66th last season.
When Hines-Allen signed his five-year, $141.25MM extension, the salary cap stood at $255.4MM. It is now at $301.2MM. Had Walker come through with a third straight double-digit sack season, the Jags would have been unlikely to keep his second contract under $30MM per year. Jacksonville will pay Walker more than Denver authorized for two-time Pro Bowler Nik Bonitto in 2025 (four years, $106MM). That is a notable win here for a player without any Pro Bowl accolades.
It is impossible to examine Walker’s career without Hutchinson comparisons. We heard before the draft the Jags were split on choosing Walker’s upside over Hutchinson’s higher floor, one that stemmed from high-end production at Michigan. Baalke went with Walker, and the Lions benefited.
Hutchinson has two Pro Bowls on his resume and came back from a 2024 broken leg with a career-high 14.5 sacks to go with 35 QB hits last season. During the 2025 campaign, Hutchinson signed a monster Detroit extension (four years, $180MM). That deal, which included a defender-record $141MM guaranteed, trails only Micah Parsons among defensive players.
Baalke’s misstep gave the Lions a dominant pass rusher; it also helps the Gladstone regime sign a more affordable extension here. Walker still brings upside at 25, but he and Hutchinson certainly appear to be in different tiers as impact players.
This move is for a Baalke draftee, but it represents the third significant extension for Gladstone, who paid trade acquisition Jakobi Meyers weeks after landing him at the deadline. Meyers was brought in under Gladstone and Coen, while Walker joins offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen as a Baalke investment paid by the current regime.
The 2024 Jags offseason brought extensions for Lawrence, Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell. Jacksonville’s current front office managed to move off the Campbell deal in a deadline trade for Greg Newsome, who has since signed with the Giants. Taking the Campbell contract off the payroll, the Jags also let Devin Lloyd walk in free agency. These decisions helped create room to afford Walker’s second contract. Walker was headed into a fifth-year option season ($15.2MM).
Gladstone and Coen will bet on Walker bouncing back in 2026. Hines-Allen, 28, has not notched a double-digit sack season since his franchise-record 17.5-sack slate in 2023. But he rebounded as a pressure artist under Anthony Campanile, tallying 48 — fifth in the NFL. The Jags will hope Walker (23rd and 22nd in pressures in 2023 and ’24, respectively) has a similar gear to reach in this defensive scheme.
Cardinals, Titans, Chiefs Meet With LB Arvell Reese
The lack of quarterback depth in this year’s draft class has minimized potential trade-up talk, as the Raiders are all set to select Fernando Mendoza to open the draft. But some interesting pass-rushing prospects check in behind the Heisman winner in this year’s prospect pool.
While others are more accomplished rushers, Arvell Reese carries perhaps the biggest upside. That has led the Ohio State hybrid performer to be mocked to the Jets at No. 2 overall frequently. If the Jets are to determine Reese’s developmental track is not for them, other teams in the top 10 would await. A few are doing research on the standout linebacker.
We already heard of Reese meetings with the Jets, Giants, Saints and Cowboys. He has now also met with the Cardinals, Titans and Chiefs, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Reese would fill needs in Arizona, Tennessee and Kansas City. The three-year Buckeyes cog is far from the only high-end pass-rushing prospect available, but he is probably the most unique player among this group.
As our Ben Levine noted in January, Reese mostly played linebacker last season at Ohio State. He only logged 97 snaps at the EDGE position in 2025 but still ranked seventh in Division I-FBS pressure rate (18.5%). Reese, who joins linebacker mate Sonny Styles (an ex-safety) in having some positional versatility, has expressed a preference to work as a pass rusher in the NFL. Considering his limited reps there, teams will need a clear plan to develop a high-ceiling prospect. But Micah Parsons‘ ascent will undoubtedly be on teams’ minds when evaluating Reese; Abdul Carter also turned a linebacker background into a No. 3 overall draft selection after moving to an EDGE role.
The Cardinals have been regularly given Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa in mock drafts. The recent national championship game starter would fill a glaring right tackle need opposite Paris Johnson Jr., but the Cards could also use help opposite Josh Sweat on the edge. Arizona has a history of selecting hybrid linebacker types, though those choices came under previous GM Steve Keim. Still, the Cardinals drafted the likes of Deone Bucannon, Haason Reddick, Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins and used each at multiple positions.
A veteran evaluator recently informed SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora that Reese will be at his best in a 3-4 EDGE role. Neither the Chiefs nor Titans use that scheme, creating some questions about his fit. Though, any team that drafts Reese — thanks to the proliferation of nickel and dime sets — will regularly use him as an edge rusher in a four-man front. The Chiefs and Titans will just use that as their base defense.
Kansas City finished with just 25 sacks last season and has Chris Jones going into an age-32 season. The team, which has not seen 2023 first-round defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah show much, needs help opposite D-end George Karlaftis. The Titans hired Robert Saleh as HC and have seen him bring in four former Jets defensive linemen this offseason. Tennessee may still need a rusher opposite trade pickup Jermaine Johnson, however.
Jets Meet With RB Jeremiyah Love
While the Jaguars and Seahawks respectively let Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker leave in free agency, the Jets kept Breece Hall off the market via the franchise tag. Hall extension talks are slated for after the draft.
It would stand to reason the Jets will go just about anywhere but running back at No. 2 overall, and a few tantalizing options await the rebuilding team in that draft slot. New York has been primarily linked to pass rushers there. But the team is still doing its due diligence on the top prospects who will be available at 2.
[RELATED: Jets Hopeful About Hall Extension]
Running back Jeremiyah Love met with the Jets over breakfast recently, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Saquon Barkley and Reggie Bush are the only running backs to be drafted in the top two over the past 20 years, and while Love’s floor may be the Commanders at No. 7 (with the Giants viewed as heavily in play at 5), it would be a near-shocking development to see him go to the Jets at No. 2.
A scenario in which the Jets trade down slightly from 2 and select Love could conceivably be in play, though a team with many needs doubling up at running back would be a questionable roster-building route. Then again, this Jets regime did not draft Hall. A tag-and-trade transaction would stand to be in play if the Jets made the unlikely decision to draft Love, but teams will have largely filled their running back needs by the time the draft ends. If the Jets were going to make such a move with Hall, striking before free agency would have been the better plan. But it seems likely an extension comes to fruition.
Scoring 40 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Love amassed 1,652 scrimmage yards in 2025 and 1,362 in 2024. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry in both seasons and exits South Bend with 433 carries, keeping his mileage relatively low for a prospect on this level (Barkley left Penn State with 671 career totes).
The Jets have been more closely tied to Arvell Reese or David Bailey at No. 2, with previous intel pointing to — especially after the Jermaine Johnson trade — New York going with an edge rusher with this premium draft slot. The Jets met with Reese last week. Love will be likely to follow Bijan Robinson as a top-eight pick, but if he is to head to the Big Apple, it will be more likelier he dons a blue uniform for his home games than a green one.
Panthers Open To 2026 Bryce Young Extension?
Although Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud became extension-eligible this offseason, early buzz pointed to neither 2023 first-round quarterback signing an extension this year. Nothing appears to have changed on the Stroud front, but Young may not be completely closed off with regards to an early Panthers deal.
Were the 2023 No. 1 overall pick eager to sign a second Panthers contract before this season, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes the team could be amenable to accommodating him.
A February report indicated the Panthers were more likely to wait until after 2026 — when they see more from the diminutive passer — to make a decision on paying him, but the team could certainly have an opportunity to give the inconsistent player a club-friendly deal before the 2026 season begins. Though, Jones notes 2027 still seems the more likely point when Young will sign a Carolina extension — if, in fact, that comes to fruition.
Paying a quarterback early for this purpose would still bring quite the risk, seeing as the cost and guarantees would be high — even if Young would not approach the top of the soaring QB market. He quarterbacked the NFL’s 27th-ranked offense last season and needed 16 starts to (barely) clear 3,000 passing yards. His 6.2 yards per attempt represented a career-high mark, illustrating where the former Heisman winner was to start his career. Both parties might be better off by waiting here. The Panthers are picking up his $25.9MM fifth-year option, buying more time.
Young doing an extension now would seemingly be a bet against himself. A stronger 2026 season would catapult the Alabama alum into better position to score a true upper-crust QB extension, when the cap will probably be — based on its recent growth — beyond $320MM. The Panthers will also have a better chance to maximize Young in 2026 — provided new play-caller Brad Idzik proves capable — by having him on a rookie contract.
Traditionally, teams pay first-round quarterbacks after their third seasons. The player receives a sizable guarantee ahead of Year 4, rather than being tied to a rookie salary when a new deal is allowed, and the team lands security. But Young’s uneven play looks like it will move him to the Tua Tagovailoa route. The Dolphins waited until Year 5 to extend Tagovailoa, who had submitted uneven work through three seasons and struggled from a health standpoint. Young has not faced issues on the latter front, but his 22nd-place QBR finish in 2025 marked a career high. The Panthers, who also waited until Year 5 to pay Cam Newton, should want to see if the scrutinized QB can at least replicate that season before making a big offer.
The Newton deal — agreed to during Jerry Richardson‘s ownership tenure and with Dave Gettleman as GM — aged far better than the Tagovailoa contract. A rising QB market led the Dolphins to give Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.4MM extension that came with $93.17MM fully guaranteed $167.17MM guaranteed in total. That came after the Dolphins had more information (via Tua’s fourth-year performance), compounding a misstep.
The Panthers seeing Young deliver another unremarkable season could move them to a Tagovailoa-like decision, but the fallout ($99.2MM in dead money) from that recent divorce will undoubtedly serve as a reminder to front offices about QB overpays. The Panthers have plenty to consider when determining Young’s value over the next year or so.
Young, 24, even being in the extension conversation does represent growth after Carolina benched him two games into his second season. Trade rumors followed. Young proving worthy of a new deal would bring a comeback victory of sorts for a Panthers franchise that took plenty of heat for drafting him over Stroud — largely based on influence from owner David Tepper. But the Tagovailoa development serves as a warning for the Panthers and other teams contemplating big-ticket contracts for marginal QBs. This season will need to reveal plenty about Young’s upside, or the Panthers may need to consider moving on — a la the Buccaneers and Titans (Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota) after those passers played out fifth-year option seasons.