Browns Withdrew Five-Year Draft Rule Change Proposal
There were a number of interesting rule change proposals at the annual league meetings earlier this week. We saw an interesting progression in that process when Tom Pelissero of NFL Network announced that the Browns had withdrawn their rule change proposal. The proposal would have allowed NFL teams to trade future draft picks up to five years out, as opposed to the current limit of three. 
The understanding around the league is that the proposal was essentially dead on arrival, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead for good. Per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, multiple sources seem to believe an amended version of the rule change proposal will be reintroduced at some point in the future. While it seems a waste to propose something again that no one expected to get passed, reports seem to indicate that the Browns are not alone in their efforts of pushing this particular rule change.
Per Rodrigue, it’s not uncommon for teams to collaborate on potential rule changes. When it gets enough support to warrant discussion, the coalition of teams will designate somebody to champion the effort in order to gauge the general interest of the league. They know the rule likely won’t go through right away, but this test proposal airs out initial reactions, arguments against, and some idea of factions. While ultimately a failing endeavor, the failed proposal by Cleveland was a productive one.
Two supporters of the potential change were Rams general manager Les Snead and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff. In an appearance on the Up & Adams Show, Snead told Kay Adams that he would’ve backed the project. Demoff, too, showed his support, praising the idea of increased flexibility for several teams, those who build their teams by collecting excessive pick loads and those who build by trading away theirs.
Some coaches and front office staffers did voice a dissenting opinion. One noted that “teams structurally change too frequently over five years,” going on to add that, for some teams, entire front offices and coaching staffs will have turned over within that time. Because of this, the moves of a desperate front office staffer trying to save his job today may just handicap his successors as they attempt to dig themselves out of the holes created by their predecessors.
In reality, with the current rule, we hardly ever see picks three years out getting traded. Additionally, there are a lot of checks and balances that exist within an organization that would prevent such trades from occurring with too much frequency. It may be the Browns who continue to champion the rule change proposal in the future with some amendments, or a second team may take up the torch in order to show a shared interest worth reading into. Regardless, this may not be the last we see of this discussion.
Contract Details: Cardinals, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Lions, Pack, Rams, Saints, Eagles, Seahawks, Commanders
Here are the details on a boatload of contracts that NFC teams have given out in recent weeks. Unless specified otherwise, all information is courtesy of Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2:
Arizona Cardinals
- Jack Gibbens, LB (two years, $7.5MM): Gibbens joined the Cardinals for a guaranteed $4.5MM, per Mike Reiss of ESPN. His deal includes cap charges of $3.73MM and $4.03MM.
- Andrew Billings, DT (one year, $2.4MM): Billings received a $1.55MM salary, $700K in guarantees and a $350K signing bonus.
- Oli Udoh, OL (one year, $1.4MM): Udoh will make $1.22MM in salary, $350K in guarantees and a $50K signing bonus, according to Howard Balzer of Cardinals Wire.
Atlanta Falcons
- Da’Shawn Hand, DT (one year, $3MM): The Falcons gave Hand a matching $1.5MM salary and signing bonus.
- Chris Williams, DL (one year, $2MM): Williams landed a $1.5MM salary and a $500K signing bonus.
- Azeez Ojulari, OLB (one year, $1.4MM): Ojulari’s pact comes with a $1.22MM salary, $387,500 in guarantees and a signing bonus of $187,500.
Carolina Panthers
- Sam Martin, P (two years, $3.75MM): Martin’s contract includes $2MM in guarantees, salaries of $1.3MM and $1.55MM, and a $750K signing bonus.
- Nick Scott, S (one year, $2MM): Scott re-upped with the Panthers for a deal worth up to $3.25MM. It comes with a $1.3MM salary, $1.1MM in guarantees and a $505K signing bonus.
Chicago Bears
- Elijah Hicks, S (one year, $2.6MM): Hicks pulled in a $2.41MM salary, $1.69MM in guarantees and a $187,500 signing bonus.
Detroit Lions
- D.J. Wonnum, DE (one year, $3MM): Wonnum received $2.27MM in guarantees, a $1.37MM salary and a $900K signing bonus.
- Rock Ya-Sin, CB (one year, $3.2MM): Ya-Sin is staying in Detroit for $2.64MM in guarantees, a $1.64MM salary and a $1MM signing bonus.
Green Bay Packers
- Skyy Moore, WR (one year, $2.5MM): Moore, who reeled in a $1MM signing bonus, will earn a $1.22MM salary.
- Nick Niemann, LB (one year, $2.25MM): The Packers handed Niemann a $500K signing bonus, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The contract has $750K in incentives, a max of $235K in per game roster bonuses and a $200K workout bonus.
Los Angeles Rams
- Grant Stuard, LB (two years, $4.45MM): The max value of Stuard’s deal checks in at $5.05MM. It carries $3.5MM in guarantees, including $1.8MM in full guarantees, salaries of $1.5MM and $2MM, and a $300K signing bonus.
New Orleans Saints
- Ryan Wright, P (four years, $14MM): Wright’s base salaries in 2026 ($1.25MM) and ’27 ($3.25MM) are fully guaranteed, Katherine Terrell of ESPN relays. He’s due to collect a $3.5MM base salary in both 2028 and ’29; $1MM of that is guaranteed for injury in ’28. The Saints gave Wright $7MM in full guarantees and a $2.5MM signing bonus.
- John Ridgeway, DT (two years, $6.2MM): Ridgeway earned a matching $1.65MM signing bonus and guaranteed money total, per Terrell.
- Chris Rumph, DE (one year, $2MM): Rumph re-upped for a $1.22MM base salary and a $785K signing bonus, both of which are guaranteed (via Terrell).
Philadelphia Eagles
- Arnold Ebiketie, OLB (one year, $4.3MM): Ebiketie went from the Falcons to the Eagles for a $3MM signing bonus and a $1.3MM salary. General manager Howie Roseman tacked four void years on the contract.
- Jonathan Jones, CB (one year, $2MM): This deal also includes four void years. Jones received $2MM in guarantees, a $1.3MM salary and $500K at signing.
- Dameon Pierce, RB (one year, $1.29MM): As part of a veteran salary benefit agreement, Pierce will earn a $1.22MM salary and count $1.15MM against the cap. The Eagles gave him $250K in full guarantees.
Seattle Seahawks
- Brady Russell, FB (two years, $4.8MM): Russell’s agreement features $2.15MM in total guarantees, salaries of $1.5MM and $1.79MM, and a $1MM signing bonus.
- Jack Stoll, LS (two years, $2.91MM): Stoll picked up $1.2MM in fully guaranteed money and a $500K signing bonus, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.
- Noah Igbinoghene, CB (one year, $1.81MM): Along with a $1.22MM salary, Igbinoghene will collect $750K in full guarantees, including a $250K signing bonus.
Washington Commanders
- Jeremy Reaves, S (one year, $6.45MM): The Commanders added a 2028 void year to Reaves’ extension, which includes $4.15MM in guarantees, salaries of $1.3MM and $2.10MM, and a $1.65MM signing bonus.
- Dyami Brown, WR (one year, $1.75MM): Returning to Washington for a second stint, Brown signed for a $1.22MM salary and a $250K bonus.
- Jake Moody, K (one year, $1.5MM): Moody raked in $125K at signing. He will collect a $1.25MM salary.
- Jeremy McNichols, RB (one year, $1.49MM): McNichols will earn a $1.3MM salary ($1.262MM cap hit), $562,500 in total guarantees and a $162,500 signing bonus.
- Jerome Ford, RB (one year, $1.4MM): Washington gave Ford a $1.22MM salary ($1.262MM hit), $437,500 in total guarantees and a $137,500 signing bonus.
Rams WR Puka Nacua Checked Into Rehab Facility In March
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua checked into a luxury treatment center in Malibu, Calif., in early March, Edward Lewis of the California Post reports. The center specializes in helping patients battling drug and alcohol addiction, chronic pain and mental health issues, Lewis writes. Nacua is “scheduled to be there for a while longer,” attorney Levi McCathern told Lewis. He is there to focus on “personal growth,” per TMZ.
A woman recently accused Nacua of biting her twice, making an antisemitic remark, and exhibiting “rude or vulgar, threatening, violent, and harassing conduct” on Dec. 31, 2025. However, Nacua had already been in the facility for “a substantial period of time before any of these allegations broke,” according to his attorney.
The alleged victim dropped a request for a temporary restraining order against Nacua, but she filed a lawsuit against him last week. Although McCathern has accused her of “continu(ing) to make up stories trying to turn this minor episode into big dollars,” the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is investigating her claims, per Lewis.
With the Rams’ OTAs scheduled for May, Nacua will be back “in plenty of time,” McCathern revealed to TMZ. One of the NFL’s premier receivers over his three-year career, Nacua earned first-team All-Pro honors and his second Pro Bowl nod last season. The 24-year-old became eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
Jadeveon Clowney Interested In Ravens
Despite sitting on the free agent market until mid-September last season, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney emerged as a rare bright spot on a porous Cowboys defense. Playing on a one-year, $3.5MM deal, Clowney notched 41 tackles (12 TFL), 8.5 sacks and four passes defensed in 13 games.
A return to Dallas looked like a strong possibility toward the end of the season, but it may not be in the cards after the hiring of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. As things stand, the Cowboys do not see Clowney as the right fit in Parker’s system, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports.
If the 33-year-old Clowney signs elsewhere, he could join his eighth team ahead of his 13th season. Along with the Cowboys, the 2014 No. 1 overall pick has spent time with the Texans, Seahawks, Titans, Browns, Ravens and Panthers. In 2023, his only year in Baltimore, Clowney put together his lone 17-game campaign and tied a career high with 9.5 sacks. Three years later, Clowney would be willing to rejoin the Ravens.
“They got a lot of good guys that I can relate to in that locker room,” he told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. “I’ll definitely be open to going back to Baltimore, playing with Lamar Jackson now. It was a great time for me.”
It is unclear if the Ravens are interested in Clowney, especially after replacing former head coach John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter. But the Ravens have emphasized upgrading their pass rush this offseason, and Clowney is among the top choices left in free agency. After a blockbuster Maxx Crosby trade with the Raiders collapsed, the Ravens pivoted to free agent Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112MM agreement. General manager Eric DeCosta has insisted (to much outside skepticism) Baltimore wanted both Crosby and Hendrickson. Meanwhile, Dre’Mont Jones left for the Patriots in free agency, and Kyle Van Noy remains unsigned.
As of now, Tavius Robinson, 2025 second-round pick Mike Green and 2024 third-rounder Adisa Isaac are the Ravens’ main complements to Hendrickson. Considering Baltimore has 11 picks, including No. 14 overall, it would not be a surprise to see DeCosta add at least one pass rusher in the draft. The Ravens also have $29.54MM in cap space, giving them ample room to pay Clowney if they are interested in a reunion.
Bills, WR Brandin Cooks Have Had Talks
Nomadic wide receiver Brandin Cooks didn’t join the Bills until late November last year, but he may have made a strong enough impression to stick with the team in 2026. While Cooks is still unsigned, general manager Brandon Beane said the two sides have had conversations. Beane added that an answer on Cooks’ future might not come until after the draft, per Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News.
A veteran of six teams over a dozen years in the NFL, Cooks has piled up 734 catches, six 1,000-yard seasons and 60 receiving touchdowns since the Saints chose him 20th overall in 2024. Those are excellent numbers, though the 32-year-old’s production has slowed down significantly in recent seasons. In 15 touchdown-less games between Buffalo and New Orleans last year, Cooks caught just 24 passes for 279 yards.
Having been part of four trades, Cooks is tied for the most in league history in that category. The Saints tried to add to the total before last November’s trade deadline, though they were unable to find a taker. They wound up waiving Cooks a couple of weeks later. The receiver-needy Bills quickly added Cooks after he cleared waivers.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Cooks only caught five of 11 targets in five regular-season games with Buffalo. However, with 22.8 yards per catch, the speedster gave the Bills’ offense a much-needed field-stretching element. He added another five receptions for 78 yards in two playoff games, including a crucial 36-yard grab late in a 23-20 wild-card round win over the Jaguars.
Unfortunately for Cooks and the Bills, his inability to haul in a deep ball from Josh Allen in the divisional round will be the lasting memory of his season. With Buffalo and Denver tied at 30 in overtime, Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian wrestled away what would have been a 43-yard grab for Cooks and turned it into an interception. Had Cooks secured it, the Bills would have gone on to attempt the winning field goal. Instead, the Broncos took possession, drove for a 33-30 victory and advanced to the conference title game.
The Bills fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott after losing to the Broncos, but they stayed in-house with the promotion of offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Along with his familiarity with Brady, Cooks has past experience with new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. Cooks played under Carmichael in New Orleans during his first three seasons, in which he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark twice. While that type of production is a pipe dream at this stage of Cooks’ career, he could still fight for a complementary role with the Bills or another team.
Buffalo made a major investment at receiver when it traded a second-round pick to the Bears for D.J. Moore last month, but there is still room for at least one more addition. If Beane doesn’t bring in anyone via the draft, it could increase Cooks’ chances of re-signing with the Bills.
Bears ‘In Communication’ With NFL Over Ian Cunningham Comp Picks
The NFL’s Rooney Rule, originally instituted in 2002 to expand opportunities for minority coaches, has expanded and evolved over the last two decades.
Among the changes are the inclusion of top front office positions and a compensatory system that rewards teams who develop minority coaching or executive talent. Clubs who lose a minority coach or executive to another team will receive third-round compensatory picks in each of the next two drafts.
The Bears would seem to fall into that category after losing assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, who took the Falcons’ GM job. However, the NFL initially ruled that Chicago would not receive comp picks since president of football operations Matt Ryan, not Cunningham, is designated as the primary football executive in Atlanta.
The Bears are pushing back. Team president Kevin Warren said (via CHGO Bears) that Chicago has “been in communication” with the NFL regarding the matter. He used some very specific language when explaining the nature of those talks.
“I wouldn’t say ‘change their mind,’ ” Warren continued. “We’re just trying to follow up with them, just a normal protocol within the NFL to send in a response to say that we feel that we deserve the compensatory picks.”
Warren joined Bears owner George McCaskey and general manager Ryan Poles in a recent trip to New York to make their case directly to commissioner Roger Goodell, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times. With only a few weeks before the draft, a decision will need to come quickly if the Bears are to receive a third-rounder this year.
“We did what the league wants every member club to do,” McCaskey said at league meetings this week. “We identified diverse talent, we recruited him, we created a position for him.”
The Falcons believe that the Bears should receive compensatory picks from Cunningham’s departure, as does Cunningham himself. McCaskey noted that the league may be hesitant to set a new precedent that could force them to award comp picks in similar situations in the future.
But refusing to give Chicago those picks would be setting a different and presumably more dangerous precedent. Though the Falcons are supportive of the Bears in this situation, other teams may not be as charitable. They could see a new loophole in which they name someone other than their general manager hire as the primary football executive so that the new GM’s original team does not receive comp picks. Depriving a competitor of extra draft capital would not be out of bounds for a league that is frequently referred to as a business when discussing issues of this nature.
Raiders Could Pursue Kirk Cousins
A successful starter for the majority of his 14-year career, free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins may have to settle for a backup job if he plays in 2026. The Raiders are potential suitors for the 37-year-old, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Las Vegas is the overwhelming favorite to use the No. 1 pick in the draft on Indiana Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is already learning the team’s offense. Still, there is room on the roster for a veteran mentor. Aidan O’Connell, the Raiders’ lone QB under contract, does not fit the description. Cognizant of that, the Raiders attempted to sign 41-year-old Joe Flacco before he re-upped with the Bengals, according to Fowler.
Having struck out on Flacco, the Raiders’ attention could soon turn to Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler has also been linked to the Packers, Rams and Steelers since the Falcons released him. The Packers (Jordan Love) and Rams (Matthew Stafford) have high-end starters, while the Steelers’ job is open. They are awaiting an answer from free agent Aaron Rodgers, their starter during an AFC North-winning 2025 campaign. If the 42-year-old Rodgers retires, Cousins may prefer to land in Pittsburgh. Considering career backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 seventh-rounder Will Howard are the Steelers’ only QBs, Cousins will be the favorite to start if he signs with them.
Although expectations are the Raiders will plug Mendoza in immediately, new head coach Klint Kubiak has left the door open for a veteran to start Week 1.
Discussing rookie signal-callers this week, Kubiak stated (via Myles Simmons of PFT): “I think in a perfect world, he’s watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team. But, the situation is, you might have that player, you might not have that veteran to show him the way. So he might come in and have to play immediately. But you’d rather him learn, learn before he gets in the game.”
That answer may appeal to Cousins, as could his familiarity with Kubiak and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko. A Viking from 2018-23, Cousins spent part of his run in Minnesota working with both coaches. Kubiak combined for three years as the Vikings’ QBs coach (2019-20) and offensive coordinator (2021). Janocko succeeded Kubiak as Minnesota’s QBs coach in 2021. Cousins earned his third Pro Bowl nod that year after amassing 4,221 yards, tossing 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and posting a 103.1 passer rating.
While Cousins put up big numbers in both Minnesota and Washington earlier in his career, his performance has declined since he suffered a torn Achilles in 2023. Although Cousins reeled in a whopping four-year, $160MM contract with the Falcons in 2024, he only got halfway into the deal before they cut the cord. Cousins lost his starting spot to then-rookie Michael Penix Jr. late in his first season with the Falcons. Penix remained the Falcons’ starter until he partially tore his ACL in Week 11 last season, leading to Cousins regaining his old job to finish the campaign. Over 10 games and five starts, Cousins completed 61.7% of passes, threw 10 TDs against five INTs, and registered an 84.8 rating.
Titans Sign RB Michael Carter
The Titans have made three signings, per reports from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Adam Schefter of ESPN: Running back Michael Carter and wide receivers K.J. Osborn and Lance McCutcheon have all inked deals with the team.
The 26-year-old Carter will reunite with head coach Robert Saleh, whom he played under in New York over his first two-plus NFL seasons. The Jets used a 2021 fourth-round pick on Carter, who had his most productive season as a rookie. Carter set career highs in carries (147), rushing yards (639) and touchdowns (four) over 14 games that year. He also chipped in 36 catches for 325 yards.
Carter started in 10 of 16 appearances in his second season, though he ran for just 402 yards on 114 attempts (3.5 YPC). The 5-foot-8, 201-pounder posted a personal-high 41 receptions, but with Breece Hall returning from a knee injury in 2003, Carter fell out of favor. The Jets cut him after he accrued a mere nine carries in eight games.
After the Jets moved on from Carter, he landed in Arizona and wound up spending the past two-plus years there. Carter did not take on a significant role, however, as he totaled only 149 carries, 613 yards (4.1 YPC) and two TDs in 22 games with the Cardinals.
Heading to Tennessee, Carter will join Tyjae Spears, Kalel Mullings and Julius Chestnut as backups behind Titans starter Tony Pollard. However, the Titans may soon make a much bigger addition to their backfield in Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, whom they could draft fourth overall. Tennessee is considered a strong possibility to select Love, who visited the team last month.
Now 28, Osborn had a highly productive stretch as a Justin Jefferson complement in Minnesota from 2021-23. Osborn missed just one game in that span and averaged 53 catches, 615 catches and five TDs per season. But Osborn’s stock has plummeted since he combined for a meager seven receptions for 57 yards in eight games between New England and Washington in 2024. Osborn finished last season on the Falcons’ practice squad, but he did not get into a game.
McCutcheon, 27, was on and off the Titans’ taxi squad in 2025. After seeing no game action, McCutcheon announced his retirement earlier this offseason, per Rapoport. He has since had a change of heart, though, and will compete for a spot on the Titans’ roster. His only appearances came in 2022 as a member of the Rams, with whom he played 10 games and recorded 166 snaps (110 on special teams, 56 on offense). The former UDFA from Montana State has never caught a pass in the NFL.
Falcons To Re-Sign LB DeAngelo Malone
The Falcons are re-signing linebacker and special teams ace DeAngelo Malone to a one-year contract, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Malone, 26, has been a core special teams contributor in Atlanta for the last four years. Despite the team’s coaching change, he will return for a fifth season under new head coach Kevin Stefanski and special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman.
Originally the 82nd overall pick in the 2022 draft, Malone appeared in 15 games as a rookie with exactly 216 snaps on defense and special teams. In his next three seasons, though, he played just 111 defensive snaps with a core role on special teams.
Malone’s special teams snap share stayed above 75% from 2023 to 2025. He appeared in every game in the first two seasons, but was limited to nine last year due to a broken ankle suffered in November. That was the first major injury and IR placement of his career. The Falcons were best-positioned to evaluate Malone’s rehab, and their decision to re-sign him indicates confidence in his recovery.
Malone did explore a move to another NFC South team. He recently visited the Buccaneers, who could stand to add special teams talent after uninspiring results last year. That meeting may very well have created some urgency in Atlanta to re-sign him rather than let him join a division rival.
Titans To Sign QB Hendon Hooker
The Titans are adding some quarterback depth behind Cam Ward. Former Lions third-round pick Hendon Hooker is headed to Tennessee, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Hooker, 28, was selected with the No. 68 pick in the 2023 draft after tearing his ACL in his final season at Tennessee. He spent most of his rookie season rehabbing in the hopes of taking over as Jared Goff‘s backup in 2024.
Hooker beat out Nate Sudfeld for Detroit’s QB2 job during training camp. He closed out three blowout wins – his only regular-season action to date – but the Lions reunited with Teddy Bridgewater in December as a more proven insurance policy in advance of the postseason. The move was indicative of the team’s lack of confidence on Hooker if Goff were to miss any time.
The Lions put Hooker on notice by signing Kyle Allen to compete for the backup gig last spring. During training camp, head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that Hooker had not developed in Detroit as the team hoped. That foreshadowed his release during roster cut-downs after a rough preseason that featured five turnovers, 4.7 yards per attempt, and a 55% completion rate.
Hooker spent time with the Panthers and Jets last season as they contended with injuries in their quarterback rooms, though he did not appear in a game.Now, he returns to the state in which he played college ball, though his new team is located in Nashville, not Knoxville.
The Titans already have Mitchell Trubisky and Will Levis as depth behind Ward. Trubisky is clearly the backup after signing a two-year deal with $6.8MM guaranteed. That will leave Levis as Hooker’s competition for a back-end roster or practice squad spot.
Levis is in the final year of his rookie contract. He struggled mightily in his first two seasons and did not play a single game last year. Journeyman Brandon Allen was instead tapped for the 49 snaps Ward missed as a rookie. That is not a good sign for Levis’ future in Tennessee, and the addition of Hooker suggests that the Titans are open to moving on from their 2023 second-round pick.