HEADLINES

Month: April 2025

Patriots, Saints To Host DT Mason Graham

April 2nd, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top prospects in this year’s draft, Mason Graham will be a candidate to go off the board early. Naturally, Shedeur Sanders‘ landing spot will be of interest to teams eyeing Graham; the Colorado QB going in the top three would keep a higher-rated prospect on the board.

Excluding positional value, Graham is rated as a higher-caliber prospect than either Sanders or Cam Ward. And teams will begin to look closely into the Michigan product. The Patriots and Saints will meet with the high-level defensive tackle prospect this week, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.

Despite the Patriots not needing a quarterback, Sanders’ landing spot is likely of particular interest to the team. If the Browns or Giants end up with this draft’s second-best QB prospect, Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter — in the likely event the Titans start the draft with a Ward investment — will be there for the Pats at No. 4. This would leave Graham available as perhaps the next-best player available.

Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com big board slots Graham fourth overall — behind Carter, Hunter and Ashton Jeanty. The 2024 Heisman runner-up is highly unlikely to be a top-four pick, due largely to positional value, pointing to Graham being the first non-QB off the board after Carter and Hunter. Declaring for the draft early, Graham combined to total 6.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. The 21-year-old interior D-lineman collected first-team All-Big Ten honors last season.

A Pats-Graham link emerged before free agency, but the team then authorized the top guarantee on this year’s market to land Milton Williams. With Christian Barmore extended, the Patriots considering Graham at 4 would represent a tremendous commitment up front. Then again, Mike Vrabel said early this offseason the lines would be a priority.

The Pats need a left tackle far more than they need D-line help, and Will Campbell‘s name will continue to circulate — arm-length concerns notwithstanding. A scenario in which Sanders remains on the board also could open the door to a trade-down move, in the event Carter and Hunter are gone by No. 4, but Graham would serve as a high-end option for a top-10 team making a best-player-available pick.

Holding the No. 9 overall pick, the Saints invested first- and second-round selections into their D-line in 2023, taking D-tackle Bryan Bresee and D-end Isaiah Foskey to start that draft. New England also dealt veteran DT Davon Godchaux to New Orleans last month. The Saints also still roster 2023 free agency additions Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd at DT, though Graham would profile as a player expected to be an early-career starter if he ended up in Louisiana.

Patriots’ Joe Milton Drawing Trade Interest; QB Interested In Being Moved

April 2nd, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned as a 2025 trade chip, Joe Milton continues to see a path back to a second Patriots season appear murky. The Josh Dobbs signing began the trade buzz involving the rocket-armed backup, and it persists.

Milton is drawing trade interest, according to MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels, who add the quarterback does not appear against a move. Milton would prefer to be dealt to a place that offers a chance to compete for a starting job, and multiple trade inquiries have come the Patriots’ way.

That is blocked in New England, but most other teams do not have open jobs. A handful do, however, and some other teams — the Rams, Saints and Giants, to name three — have older QBs in place for 2025 but questions for 2026. Milton would profile as an interesting lottery ticket, but as a sixth-round pick last year, the Tennessee alum may not be drawing interest as a potential starter option.

As it stands, Milton is unlikely to fetch a Day 2 pick in a trade, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. One game against Bills backups (and some training camp buzz last summer) likely will not overtake six years of college work that pegged him as a sixth-round talent. While carrying one of the NFL’s strongest arms, Milton still profiles as a project. Though, teams could definitely come up with much less exciting QB2 options.

“Everybody wants to play. Everybody wants to be the starter, everybody and that’s great to have that attitude,” Mike Vrabel said. “And he was ready for his opportunity there late in the season, which I commend him on, just like I would any player that sat there and went through a long season, a difficult season, and then got the opportunity, went out, won a football game, played well, helped his team win.”

“And then where that leads to, we’ll see as the draft approaches, or where Joe is on April 7 to start our offseason program. But you have to give Joe credit for being ready to go, going from the third quarterback to being able to win that football game and stay ready and stay hungry.”

If the Patriots cannot obtain a Day 2 pick for Milton, it is worth wondering if they will stand down. A report last month indicated a Day 2 pick as the target in a trade. Although the draft profiles as the NFL’s second trade window annually, Guregian and Daniels note a trade involving Milton likely would not happen until after the draft due to teams’ depth charts being in flux during the three-day event. A team that does not see its QB plans unfold to its liking could take a flier on Milton, who would at least bring appeal as a player signed at sixth-round money through 2027.

The Pats have Dobbs in place as their Maye backup now, and plenty of depth chart changes — a few involving former Titans — have occurred during Vrabel’s first weeks on the job. It will be interesting to see if the Pats hang onto Milton while holding out for at least a mid-round selection or if they are interested in beginning OTAs with a locked-in QB room.

Latest On Giants’ QB Situation; Team Convinced Path To Cam Ward Is Closed?

April 2nd, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Sam Robinson

Assembling an interesting quarterback room by signing Russell Wilson less than a week after bringing in Jameis Winston, the Giants have protected themselves — to a degree — ahead of a draft that would have otherwise featured a glaring need for the team. From a long-term perspective, however, that need remains going into the draft.

The Giants face the prospect of needing a young quarterback in a draft that could see its top two options — neither of which drawing prospect evaluations comparable to the 2024 class’ top arms — gone by the time the team goes on the clock at No. 3 overall. The Giants are “convinced” they will be unable to trade up for Cam Ward, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes, while some internal concerns appear to exist regarding Shedeur Sanders‘ availability.

Ward-Titans ties have strengthened in recent weeks, pointing the Miami prospect to Tennessee at No. 1. The Browns have been closely linked to Abdul Carter at No. 2, keeping the door open for a Giants-Sanders partnership. But Vacchiano adds the Giants “seem convinced” the Browns will take Sanders at 2. Although some around the league are not certain the Giants would even draft the two-year Colorado QB at 3, the team not having the option would create a situation where Wilson does not face a significant challenge for first-string work this season.

Rumblings about Giants interest in moving up to No. 1 surfaced around the Combine, a year after Joe Schoen began an effort to see what it would take to trade from No. 6 to No. 3 — an effort centered around Drake Maye. The Patriots passed on a strong offer, drafting Maye for themselves, and the Giants then punted on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix. A year later, Schoen and Brian Daboll are clinging to their jobs. Decision-makers on hot seats — after three years tied to Daniel Jones — have a chance to take a quarterback, but this has long represented a shaky draft to need one. Even Ward has been mentioned as carrying value south of last year’s first-round sextet, and Vacchiano adds Ward might have been the only one of this year’s options who would have been a top-five QB in the 2024 class.

That may reflect Ward’s rising value, but the Giants are in a difficult spot. Sanders is drawing some second-round grades from teams, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets, though that is not a universally held opinion regarding last year’s Division I-FBS completion percentage leader. Still, Sanders has seen significant questions emerge about his landing spot. Though, the second-generation NFL prospect is viewed as unlikely to fall out of the top 10.

For now, the Giants have Wilson set to assume the controls. Wilson received tremendous input into the Broncos’ 2022 offense, a doomed effort overseen by one-and-done HC Nathaniel Hackett, and drew the ire of Sean Payton on a few occasions in 2023. Wilson then clashed with Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh, though the veteran QB was still interested in a second Steelers contract before committing to the Giants on a one-year, $10.5MM deal. Daboll will now attempt to coach the potential Hall of Famer; the fourth-year Giants HC said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he watched more than 7,500 Wilson plays to determine if the two could work together.

“He makes good decisions with the football,” Daboll said of Wilson, via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “He’s athletic. He’s a little bit older, so maybe not as athletic as ’13, ’14, but certainly has the ability to use his legs, extend plays, create explosive plays, phenomenal deep ball thrower.”

It does sound like Daboll will tweak his offense for Wilson, who received an offer during his mid-March visit, Schoen said (via the Post’s Paul Schwartz). It took 12 more days for the Giants to sign him, as they continued to wait on Aaron Rodgers. Although performance and playing-time incentives can vault the contract value to $21MM, Duggan adds Wilson checks in at barely $11MM on New York’s cap sheet due to the incentives being classified as not likely to be earned.

As could be expected, Schoen said (via NFL.com) the Giants will not rule out drafting a QB at 3. A report that surfaced just before their Wilson signing did indicate an openness to going elsewhere at 3 and circling back to quarterback later. While passing on Sanders would invite significant risk, the Giants would have other options in Jaxson Dart, Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe or Syracuse product Kyle McCord. Dart, however, would likely require the Giants to trade back into Round 1 from their No. 34 spot.

Regardless of the Giants’ plan, Schoen and Daboll will likely enter the season at risk of being fired before year’s end. If they cannot land Sanders — a player some around the league believe the team wants — the power brokers’ fates will largely rest on Wilson, who will turn 37 in November.

If the Giants do end up with Carter or Travis Hunter at 3, internal fears about the next regime reaping the benefits will surely affect this decision, calling into question John Mara‘s decision to stay with Schoen and Daboll after a 3-14 season. Then again, the Giants’ Dave Gettleman regime helped out Schoen’s by acquiring a 2022 first-round pick to move down (in the Justin Fields trade process) in 2021.

Winston is signed for two seasons, but his status could become murky if Sanders arrives. The Giants still guaranteed some of Winston’s 2026 salary; the 11th-year vet’s two-year, $8MM deal calls for a $5.25MM guarantee at signing, Duggan tweets. Elsewhere on the roster, Duggan adds the Greg Van Roten deal is worth $3.8MM ($2.45MM guaranteed at signing). Linebacker Chris Board signed a two-year, $5.7MM deal that features $3.55MM at signing, per Duggan.

Brock Purdy Extension Aim Influenced 49ers’ Free Agency Approach; Team Upped Dre Greenlaw Offer

April 2nd, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

Many of the players that helped the 49ers push the Chiefs near double overtime in Super Bowl LVIII exited San Francisco this offseason. After the team traded Deebo Samuel, it let a host of talent walk.

The Broncos poached Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, while Aaron Banks‘ Packers deal eclipsed both the Denver pacts in base value. The 49ers traded Jordan Mason after slapping a second-round RFA tender on the backup running back and stood down as the Chiefs gave Jaylon Moore a $15MM-per-year deal to jump from the backup level to, in all likelihood, a starting job. The team also cut Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd while letting 2023 All-Pro Charvarius Ward join the Colts on a big-ticket deal.

While cornerstone players remain, Brock Purdy‘s fourth season at the controls will involve some new personnel. And it should be expected to come with a roster-reshaping contract. The 49ers expecting to go from paying Purdy a seventh-round salary to a top-market contract influenced their free agency approach.

“I get it. Fans care. You want to win. And when you’re in a world where everybody is watching the NFL the first week of free agency or at least the first few days of free agency, it’s a frenzy,” owner Jed York said, via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “… When you’re not overly active in that space, it gets easy to say, ‘Oh, you don’t want to win.’ … I don’t know that, as we looked at the board, that there was somebody that we felt made that type of an impact more so than making the decision to try to go pay Brock.”

The 49ers used Purdy’s rookie deal to splurge on Hargrave in 2023, doing so after carving out cap room for Ward’s free agency deal in 2022 — a deal agreed to when the expectation remained Trey Lance would eventually succeed Jimmy Garoppolo. With Purdy on track to command more than $50MM per year, sacrifices will need to be made. Identifying more rookie-deal starters will become paramount as the draft approaches.

As for Purdy’s next contract, Wagoner floats a deal between $53MM and the $55MM number authorized for Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love last year as a potential sweet spot. That said, Purdy has accomplished more than both. Convincing the former Mr. Irrelevant to settle south of the Jaguars and Packers starters after the cap spiked by another $24MM — and after Dak Prescott reset the QB market at $60MM per year — may be difficult. The 49ers are confident they will sign Purdy, rather than allow him to play out his rookie contract, and negotiations have begun.

While the team is believed to be shying away from Prescott territory, a number north of $50MM per year — as should be expected — is firmly in play. The team has needed to go into training camp (or near Week 1) to extend George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk in recent years. The 49ers appear to be aiming to avoid that timeline with Purdy, but nothing is imminent. Plans for a monster re-up are obviously in place, as the 49ers have not wavered from a stance in which the Iowa State alum remains in place for many years. That aim has already reshuffled the roster.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the 49ers attempted to retain Greenlaw before the legal tampering period, but the team saw him sign a three-year, $31.5MM Broncos accord. Denver has an out after Year 1, in guaranteeing only $11.5MM at signing, protecting itself after Greenlaw’s recent injury trouble.

San Francisco also kept its Greenlaw effort going after his Denver commitment, and the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reports Lynch and Shanahan flew to Greenlaw’s home in Texas to continue recruitment. The 49ers upped their offer before seeing Greenlaw keep his pledge to join the Broncos. The 49ers power brokers flew out after Greenlaw had agree to Broncos terms, Gabriel adds, representing a more serious attempt to flip a commitment during the legal tampering period.

In addition to Greenlaw’s injury playing a central role in the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss, it may well have led him to the market. 49ers interest in retaining Greenlaw was known late last season, and the sides discussed terms in February. Had the longtime Fred Warner sidekick not suffered an Achilles tear, the team presumably would have made a stronger effort to retain him before he became free agency-eligible March 10. Sean Payton viewed (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) Greenlaw’s Achilles setback as a key reason he was available.

It is not like the 49ers stood down entirely in free agency. The team gave backup tight end Luke Farrell a three-year, $15.75MM deal and added safeties Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant. Returning Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha, the 49ers added the safety depth pieces at low rates. Pinnock could be more than depth, after starting 32 Giants games from 2023-24, but he signed with the 49ers for just $2.2MM over one year. The contract is fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. An ex-Falcons starter, Grant signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal, Wilson adds. Only $345K is guaranteed.

D.K. Metcalf Made Previous Trade Requests; WR Was Uninterested In Patriots Fit

April 2nd, 2025 at 8:48am CST by Sam Robinson

D.K. Metcalf recently caught passes from Aaron Rodgers, who has been a Steelers free agent target for weeks. Although Metcalf scored his coveted extension, being part of Pittsburgh’s Rodgers recruitment did not appear to be his goal upon hitting the trade market in earnest this offseason.

The Steelers came up as a Metcalf suitor before last year’s deadline, but the Seahawks shot down talks. Metcalf, however, made it known he wanted a trade prior to requesting one this year, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson reports. Pittsburgh also did not emerge as the Pro Bowl wideout’s preferred destination.

With the Steelers lacking quarterback clarity, it makes sense they were not the seventh-year veteran’s priority landing spot. Though, Metcalf also made it known, per Henderson, he did not want to be traded to the Patriots. Despite New England now having a long-term QB hopeful in Drake Maye, Metcalf was not interested in a deal that sent him there. He follows Brandon Aiyuk in passing on such a deal.

The Patriots showed interest this year, which is unsurprising given their enduring effort to upgrade at wide receiver, but they did not ultimately make an offer. That may well be the case because Metcalf made it known he did not want to end up in Foxborough. The Pats were prepared to pursue him in a trade, Henderson adds. This fit not coming to fruition follows a summer Aiyuk effort that involved the Pats being linked to a $32MM-per-year offer — the highest known extension price during those trade sweepstakes — only to not land on the WR’s list. The Steelers instead emerged as Aiyuk’s top 49ers competition, with the Commanders being a destination as well.

Washington did not come up for Metcalf, but Henderson indicates Houston and Los Angeles did. The Texans and Chargers instead emerged as the wideout’s preferred destinations, confirming a previous report that the receiver had eyed those AFC squads. Though, the Seahawks needed to both find a Metcalf landing spot that appeased the receiver, one willing to meet the team’s price point and one willing to sign off on an upper-crust extension. The Steelers ended up checking those boxes, giving Metcalf a $32.99MM-per-year deal — one coming with $60MM at signing — to end their lengthy WR pursuit.

Given Metcalf’s success in Seattle, it is interesting he requested a move. The team had seen Geno Smith morph from roster afterthought to Comeback Player of the Year. Metcalf’s numbers vacillated during Smith’s time as Seattle’s starter. After a 1,300-yard season in Russell Wilson‘s final healthy Seahawks slate, Metcalf posted two sub-1,000-yard years (2021, 2024).

Last season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerged as Seattle’s top weapon — to the point Mike Macdonald prioritized an OC who would help reignite Metcalf. Now, he and Smith are out of the picture. Macdonald’s OC search highlighted an interest in retaining Metcalf, but Henderson adds the team weighed the WR’s unhappiness with what it would take to extend him for a second time.

The Texans already have Nico Collins on a big-ticket extension; his $24MM-per-year price — which matches Metcalf’s previous AAV — now looks like a steal. The Chargers jettisoned their two high-priced WR contracts (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams) weeks into Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure. While the Bolts previously came up as a team to watch for Metcalf, Harbaugh’s outfit has kept costs low at the position. Recommitting to the run game, the Chargers did ultimately reunite with Williams this offseason. Not contributing much after the Steelers added him in a trade, the former top-10 pick is back in L.A. on a one-year deal worth only $3MM.

The Pats have temporarily addressed their receiver situation by signing Stefon Diggs, a perennial Pro Bowler the Texans showed interest in retaining. While Diggs has an extensive production history, he is also a depressed asset due to coming off an ACL tear at 31. New England’s long-term WR search will likely continue, and the Aiyuk and Metcalf storylines show the difficulties the team has had recruiting here post-Tom Brady.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk On Track For Midseason Return; Trade Unlikely To Happen After 4/1?

April 2nd, 2025 at 8:33am CST by Rory Parks

APRIL 2: Lynch effectively confirmed the 49ers do not intend to trade Aiyuk. As the Tuesday bonus vesting date has come and gone — meaning the $76MM fully guaranteed to Aiyuk has now triggered (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) — San Francisco will move forward with its 2024 extension recipient.

MARCH 30: A report from FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz several days ago indicated the 49ers, who have seen salary cap constraints trigger a mass exodus of talent this offseason, are open to trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Given the lucrative extension Aiyuk signed in August and the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in October, the Niners would be selling low if they were to move him, and an unofficial deadline in that regard is fast approaching.

As Schultz observed in his report and as ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed on a recent episode of his podcast (h/t Kyle Posey of Niners Nation), Aiyuk has a $22.85MM roster bonus due on April 1. Schefter cannot envision a scenario in which San Francisco pays out that bonus and then trades Aiyuk at any point in 2025, particularly when the wideout’s value is at its nadir.

Instead, assuming the April 1 “deadline” passes without a trade having been consummated, Schefter expects the 49ers will simply wait for Aiyuk to get healthy and display the same high-end ability that landed him a four-year, $120MM contract last year and that made him such a sought-after trade commodity prior to the contract being signed. The Niners have already traded Deebo Samuel, and their WR depth chart outside of Aiyuk presently consists of 2024 draftees or veteran ancillary targets, so a healthy and productive return for Aiyuk would, if nothing else, dramatically improve the club’s 2026 outlook.

On that point, Schefter says noted surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache is pleased with the progress Aiyuk has made in his recovery. It appears as if the 2020 first-rounder is on track to return to the field by the middle of the upcoming campaign, which should give San Francisco plenty of time to evaluate his future in the organization.

Schultz’s report noted the 49ers had discussed an Aiyuk trade with several teams. That jibed with an earlier report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who said — on the same day Samuel was traded — that Aiyuk was also drawing trade interest.

Schefter appears to deviate from his fellow pundits by saying there has not been much external interest in Aiyuk’s services due to his contract and injury concerns. That leads him to believes a trade will not happen, but if a WR-needy club is willing to roll the dice, the ESPN reporter confirms it would not take a significant offer to convince GM John Lynch to pull the trigger.

If such an offer does not come in the next two days, though, it seems fair to expect Lynch to retain Aiyuk through the 2025 season.

NFL Owners Approve Expanded Replay Assist, Amended OT Format

April 1st, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday brought about a number of rule changes to be enforced starting in 2025. Among them are an expansion to the use of replay assist, along with a tweak to the overtime format.

It was known well in advance of this week’s league meetings that consideration would be given to broadening the use of replay assist. To no surprise, then, the league has committed to doing so. Expanded use of video replay to help on-field officials was experimented with in 2024, and that will continue next year, as detailed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

As a result, penalties issued for calls such as roughing the passer, intentional grounding and unnecessary roughness are now subject to review (without a coach’s challenge being needed). Video officials can correct calls by nullifying penalties when clear evidence overturning the original decision exists. With that said, today’s changes do not allow for penalties to be issued upon review for plays where no flag is thrown.

The NFL recently amended playoff overtime rules to ensure both teams receive the ball at least once in the extra frame. That change brought about the expectation it would soon be duplicated in the regular season. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes both teams will have possession even in the event of a touchdown being scored by one of them in regular season contests.

In spite of that tweak, OT during the regular season will still consist of a 10- (rather than 15-) minute quarter. That could result in time constraints for the second team to receive the ball depending on how long the first team’s touchdown drive lasts. Nonetheless, the result of the coin toss at the beginning of the extra frame will carry less weight in the wake of today’s change.

These two changes come on the same day that the NFL’s dynamic kickoff was approved on a full-time basis (with touchbacks being moved up five yards to encourage further upticks in the rate of returns). Consideration to amending onside kicks will take place later this offseason; the same is also true of the tush push play.

Browns Not Expected To Trade Up To No. 1

April 1st, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

A few weeks ago, we saw Browns defensive end Myles Garrett make an about face on his stance for the team’s chances for contention on their current trajectory. While it hasn’t been said exclusively, one may assume that, in the team’s meetings and negotiations with Garrett, Cleveland gave him some insight into the team’s plans for becoming contenders.

One would also assume that that would indicate some sort of improvement at the quarterback position, but so far, the Browns have exchanged Jameis Winston for Kenny Pickett and watched Deshaun Watson‘s rehab activities stall due to a second Achilles tendon tear that could hold him out for the 2025 NFL season.

[RELATED: Jimmy Haslam Admits Mistake On Deshaun Watson Trade]

One way that Cleveland could improve at the position is by drafting a talented rookie, but at No. 2 overall, the Browns sit just out of reach of the class’s best quarterback, Miami’s Cam Ward, who’s expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Titans. While one might think it wouldn’t take too much to move up and exchange places with Tennessee, general manager Andrew Berry said at league meetings this week that the team is “unlikely” to trade up for Ward, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

In fact, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam seemed to indicate that they may not add a quarterback at all, telling the media that they’re “not going to force it,” per Cabot. Instead, Cleveland may address Garrett’s position group by adding Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, who is widely seen as the top prospect in the class. Despite recent news of a stress reaction in Carter’s foot, Berry made it clear that the team is not concerned by the injury, stating that it shouldn’t “be prohibitive to a long, successful career,” per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.

By not further addressing the quarterback position, the Browns would be setting themselves up to enter the 2025 NFL season with only Watson — who is questionable to be healthy by that time — and Pickett as options at QB1. That doesn’t seem to worry Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who told the media today that he believes in Pickett to be the team’s Week 1 starter “if it lands that way.” Over three years with the Steelers and Eagles, Pickett has a 15-10 record as a starter in the NFL with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Vote On Tush Push Ban Postponed

April 1st, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to Tuesday’s vote on banning the so-called ‘tush push’ play, it was clear opinions were split on the matter. That opened the door to a vote being tabled for the future, which has indeed taken place.

No vote will be held on banning the play today, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. That comes as little surprise considering where things stood entering the final day of the league meetings. Reports from Russini as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz noted there were not enough votes present to approve a ban, leading to the expectation of a delay.

The Eagles and Bills have enjoyed considerable success with the tush push, but Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was among the Competition Committee members in favor of banning the play. Debate on injury risk and the specific wording of the proposal sparked debate on both sides prior to the scheduled vote, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. In all, a 16-16 split existed between the two sides, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Like with all other rule changes, at least 24 votes will be required to ban the play. In other words, those in favor of doing so will need to use the coming weeks to secure at least eight more votes and move forward with a ban. As Russini notes, today’s decision could allow for the wording of the rule regarding the play to be tweaked, something which could sway opinions one way or the other. The tush push could remain in place for 2025, but the door is open to the play being fundamentally altered depending on how the pending vote shakes out.

In May, owners will convene for the next round of meetings. Coaches and general managers will not be present (unlike now), though, and it will be interesting to see how many minds are changed between now and then about supporting or banning the tush push. Maintaining the status quo, eliminating the play or tweaking it remain options at this point.

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB?

April 1st, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

As of last week, it appeared as though no extension offer had been made by the Cowboys to Micah Parsons. That has apparently changed, and the team is willing to go to record-breaking lengths to get a deal done.

Dallas has submitted an offer which will make Parsons the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports. That title currently belongs to receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose Bengals extension averages $40.25MM per year. Amongst edge rushers in particular (and defenders in general), Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett leads the way at $40MM annually.

Interestingly, Hill adds an agreement is in place following a meeting between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones. Serious extension talks were not believed to have ocurred prior to this latest update. A sticking point with respect to a contract being signed, however, is the fact the summit between Jones and Parsons did not involve the latter’s agent, David Mulugheta. No talks with Mulugheta present have taken place since the Combine, per Hill.

“Some guys want to visit,” EVP Stephen Jones recently said when speaking about Parsons’ situation (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “And some guys don’t want to visit about their money. We respect both ways. But if players want to come in and talk to us, we got an open-door policy, whether it’s Jerry or myself. Micah likes to visit, so that’s a good thing.”

Jerry Jones confirmed on Tuesday that multiple meetings with Parsons have occurred and that an agreement is in place on several contract-related fronts (h/t ESPN’s Todd Archer). Nothing is imminent at this time, however. Nevertheless, it is clear considerable progress has been made toward ensuring the 25-year-old remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Parsons has racked up between 12 and 14 sacks each year to date. He is under contract for 2025 as a result of the team’s decision to pick up his $24.01MM fifth-year option, but a long-term pact will of course be much more expensive. The four-time Pro Bowler has been attached to an asking price of $200MM on his extension, although it is unclear how long such a pact would be. Hitting that total on a five-year deal would match Garrett’s AAV; if the Cowboys are indeed prepared to move Parsons to the top of the defensive pecking order, though, his new deal will need to be shorter or reach an even higher total value.

The Cowboys made a pair of monster long-term commitments in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason. It quickly became clear a new Parsons accord would need to wait until 2025, and the Penn State product’s initial goal of working out a deal before free agency was pushed back to training camp. Given today’s development, hitting that new target certainly seems feasible.

The team has previously spoken to Parsons about attending voluntary workouts this spring. On that point, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Archer) he expects that to be the case. Dallas’ offseason program begins April 7, and Parsons attending could represent another sign an agreement is close.

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