HEADLINES

Month: April 2025

Saints Unlikely To Target Shedeur Sanders

April 25th, 2025 at 4:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shedeur Sanders‘ stock was a talking point throughout the opening round of the draft, and after he was not selected last night that remains the case on Friday. Uncertainty continues to loom over where the Colorado quarterback will wind up.

The Giants succeeded in moving back into the Day 1 order after retaining the No. 3 pick. New York’s quarterback pursuit resulted in Jaxson Dart being picked 25th overall, a move which came after teams previously listed as potential Sanders suitors – including the Steelers – chose to go in a different direction. The Browns and Saints, as expected, used their top-10 selections along the line of scrimmage instead of taking a QB.

New Orleans is therefore among the hypothetical landing spots for Sanders or another Day 2 option. However, ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry reports the team should be expected to again steer clear of the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year tonight (video link). The second or third round looms as a feasible spot for a QB move to be made, but it was clear prior to the opening round New Orleans had done more work on Dart than Sanders. With the former no longer available, it will be interesting to see how the Saints proceed.

Derek Carr is set to handle starting duties on paper for 2025, the first season with Kellen Moore in place as head coach. Carr’s shoulder injury continues to cloud his availability for next year, though, with surgery looming as an option. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener are both attached to their rookie contracts, and Rattler made six starts in 2024 while filling in for Carr. One or both of them could receive further looks, but it would come as no surprise if another option (such as Texas product Quinn Ewers) were to be added.

Provided that move does not consist of a Sanders selection, the list of suitors on that front will shrink. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones predicts a drop out of the second round will not be in store (video link), but he also confirms there is uncertainty regarding when Sanders’ name will be called. The Browns own picks 33 and 36, meaning they will have the opportunity to make him their long-term attempt to find a Deshaun Watson replacement. The Rams – who will need to identify a Matthew Stafford successor sometime soon – moved down to 46 last night, and they could be a team to watch regarding an addition under center.

Of course, Ewers, Jalen Milroe (Alabama) and Tyler Shough (Louisville) are other options on that front for teams eyeing a move tonight. Sanders may or may not go ahead of that trio, but it remains to be seen which strong suitors are targeting him. In any case, the Saints should not be counted among them.

Steelers Sought Aaron Rodgers Answer During Draft Week

April 25th, 2025 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:40pm: Dialogue between team and player continues in this case, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. She adds there is still no timeline in place for a decision to be made, so attention will remain focused on Pittsburgh’s draft moves (if any) under center.

12:02pm: Aaron Rodgers received an offer to start for the Steelers at free agency’s outset. That was more than six weeks ago. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has not determined if he will play in 2025, even as previous reports pointed to it. The Steelers are also not believed to be Rodgers’ first choice.

As the Vikings have stiff-armed the ex-Packers and Jets starter, while they wait to see if J.J. McCarthy can seize the Week 1 job, the Steelers still would provide a clear-cut path for Rodgers to remain a starter. The 41-year-old QB said last week, during his first Pat McAfee Show appearance since his Jets release, he would not attempt to dictate any draft move an interested team made. But the Steelers, after choosing Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon at No. 21, are still in dire need of a quarterback.

[RELATED: Some Among Steelers Souring On Rodgers Play?]

It would make sense if the team received some degree of assurance Rodgers would sign, but that still does not appear to be the case. The Steelers also are believed to have reached out for clarity before the draft, as The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports the team communicated with Rodgers this week in hopes he would give an answer at least 48 hours before the draft. The Steelers’ Harmon pick could be a sign the team received the answer it wanted, but considering how Rodgers has played his free agency so far, his top suitor may well remain in the dark.

The Steelers enter Day 2 of the draft without a second-round pick, having dealt it to the Seahawks for D.K. Metcalf. This limits the team’s chances to add one of the top remaining quarterbacks. Connections to Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart came out during the pre-draft process. Dart went to the Giants at No. 25, while Sanders remains on the board.

Although the Colorado QB’s stock has undeniably dipped since the Buffaloes’ season ended, it would still surprise if Sanders were available by the time the Steelers’ third-round pick (No. 83) went on the clock. That would put a trade-up into play, though an early Jalen Milroe connection emerged as well. The Steelers also did work on Quinn Ewers, Will Howard and Kyle McCord. Each member of trio may well be there by No. 83, though Milroe is not expected to fall that far. Pittsburgh adding Ewers, Howard or McCord, however, would call into question the team’s plan for 2025.

If Rodgers continues to pause a Steelers signing, the organization may be forced to act. Kirk Cousins has come up at multiple junctures for the AFC North team, but a roster with both he and Rodgers would not make sense. Cousins is not believed to be interested in waiving his no-trade clause for a team that adds a potential rookie starter.

The Steelers could attempt to thread the needle by adding a third-round QB or using a Day 3 pick on the position, keeping the door open for Cousins or Rodgers to accompany Mason Rudolph. But the team will run the risk of losing out altogether — depending on the Falcons’ decision (which still involves a team taking on a sizable chunk of Cousins’ money) and Rodgers’ retirement call. The Steelers are believed to want to make their QB draft investment this year or next, but they held off on Dart and Sanders last night, having been burned by a QB reach (for Kenny Pickett) recently.

While Mike Tomlin has said he would feel comfortable starting Rudolph, that probably should not even be considered Plan B for the Steelers. Cousins or a Day 2 rookie probably would be the team’s preferred starter, if Rodgers refuses to sign. Art Rooney II said the team is OK waiting on Rodgers and expressed confidence at the owners meetings Rodgers would sign. But this draft news does confirm some understandable impatience on the organization’s part. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers proceed tonight.

Bryce Young Pushed For Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan Selection; Rams Showed Interest

April 25th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Many expected the Panthers to explore trading down during last night’s opening round. Failing that, a defensive addition was seen as a logical target. Wideout Tetairoa McMillan emerged as a name to watch, however, and the Arizona wideout was taken with the No. 8 pick.

In the wake of that decision, further details have emerged on the McMillan pick. Carolina elected to draft a wideout for the second offseason in a row, after general manager Dan Morgan and Co. went with Xavier Legette in 2024. McMillan had a strong advocate in the form of quarterback Bryce Young, something he touched on shortly after hearing his name called.

“Going into Mr. Morgan’s office, going into coach [Dave] Canales’ office and really just sitting on the table for me and telling them, ‘Hey, man, we need to pick this guy,’” McMillan said, via Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). “Although I feel like I did what I needed to do to be in this position, I give credit to Bryce for vouching for me and ultimately for them taking a chance on me.”

Over the course of his three years in college, the All-American demonstrated a strong ability with respect to contested catches in particular. While questions linger about McMillan’s deep speed and ability to separate at the NFL level, his skillset will be welcomed on a offense which ranked 30th in passing yardage last season. It will be interesting to see how Young and McMillan operate together given the former No. 1 pick’s role in the latter’s arrival in Charlotte.

Morgan said (via Person) there was trade interest in the Panthers’ top pick, which comes as no surprise. The Rams were among those looking to move up the board, with Person’s colleague Dianna Russini reporting McMillan was viewed as the target for that effort. Los Angeles moved on from Cooper Kupp this offseason, leaving Puka Nacua and free agent addition Davante Adams atop the depth chart at the WR spot. After seeing McMillan (along with fellow wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden) hear their names called on Day 1, the Rams ultimately traded out of the first round.

For the Panthers, meanwhile, McMillan will be expected to handle a notable workload right away alongside Legette and (for at least one season) veteran Adam Thielen. If he develops as planned, the team could have a strong receiver tandem in place for years to come.

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

April 25th, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

  1. DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  2. DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
  3. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
  4. CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
  5. OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
  6. T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
  7. T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
  8. WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM)
  9. T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM)
  10. WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM)
  11. WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
  12. WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
  13. DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM)
  14. S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM)
  15. G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM)
  16. WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
  17. G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM)
  18. WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM)
  19. T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
  20. QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM)
  21. CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($17.6MM)
  22. LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Likely to be declined
  23. CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM)
  24. G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
  25. C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM)
  26. DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
  27. LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM)
  28. DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM)
  29. G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM)
  30. DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM)
  31. DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($9.27MM)
  32. S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Steelers Making Calls On George Pickens; Packers Among Intersted Teams?

April 25th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 25: As the team did not draft a quarterback at No. 21 overall, it enters Day 2 with a glaring need and no second-round pick. As the Steelers attempt to navigate this issue, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirms the team is open to trading Pickens. Calls continue to come in for the talented wideout, whose contract-year salary is just $3.66MM.

APRIL 23: The Steelers have an established history of centering their wide receiver groups around one notable payment, while making other pass catchers one-contract players. Hines Ward and Antonio Brown served as cornerstones, and the team surrounded Diontae Johnson‘s extension with rookie-contract cogs.

D.K. Metcalf now serves as the Steelers’ receiving anchor, having secured a big-ticket extension upon arrival via trade. This leaves George Pickens with an uncertain Pittsburgh future. It would appear the talented wideout will be auditioning for his next contract in 2025, but the Steelers might be OK moving on before that point. They are making calls and taking them on Pickens, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

Our Adam La Rose profiled Pickens as a trade candidate before the Metcalf acquisition, Pickens has produced in stretches. Not unlike Johnson, maturity issues have impacted his three-year run in Pennsylvania. Teams still stand to be interested in the team’s former No. 1 receiver, and Schultz adds the Packers are one of them. Calling the Steelers “more serious” than people know about moving Pickens now, an AFC GM informed Schultz Green Bay is among the teams involved in this developing trade sweepstakes.

Green Bay has four notable rookie-contract receivers on its payroll, but Romeo Doubs is now in a contract year. So is Christian Watson, whose walk year will not begin until maybe midseason due to the ACL tear he sustained in Week 18. Two years remain on Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks‘ rookie deals, but calls for the team to acquire a higher-ceiling receiver have come out; Josh Jacobs has been one of those who mentioned this. Famously not choosing a first-round receiver since Javon Walker in 2002, the Packers have resisted such moves. They have found tremendous second-round value, via Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. Reed is carrying that baton now.

Also a former second-round pick, Pickens came into the NFL with maturity concerns. But he has also displayed a penchant for acrobatic catches. Despite working with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph in 2023, Pickens led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception. He followed that 1,140-yard season 900 last year, though he missed three games due to injury. The Georgia product has otherwise shown perfect attendance during his NFL career.

The Steelers have gotten ahead of contract-year WR matters by trading the likes of Johnson, Chase Claypool, Santonio Holmes, Martavis Bryant. Conversely, they let Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders walk in free agency. Pickens, 24, could be valuable on a fourth rookie-deal season for Pittsburgh — especially if Aaron Rodgers or a first-round QB enters the picture — but he also could fetch a premium draft pick, being 3-for-3 in 800-yard seasons.

The Steelers have regularly addressed their receiving corps on Day 2 of a draft, doing so most recently with Roman Wilson last year. The team did not see much from Wilson during an injury-plagued rookie year, and it surrendered a second-round pick in the Metcalf deal. These factors offer potential complications in a Pickens swap, but it is fairly clear the team is gauging the market — likely as a way to see if a Day 2 pick can be recouped — ahead of the draft.

Giants Draft Fallout: Wilson, Dart, Daboll, Sanders, Schoen, Browns, Rams, Pack, Vikes

April 25th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Post-draft, Brian Daboll confirmed Russell Wilson will remain the Giants‘ starter entering the season. Considering Jaxson Dart‘s profile, it should not be expected the former Ole Miss and USC passer would have a good chance to overtake Wilson before the season. But Daboll and GM Joe Schoen’s New York fates are almost definitely tethered to Dart now.

After passing on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix last year, the Giants traded three Day 2 picks to land Dart at No. 25. They did not view any of the non-Cam Ward QBs in this class as worthy of No. 3 overall, where Abdul Carter went as expected. But the decision to go with Dart over Shedeur Sanders provided a signature sequence during this draft’s opening night.

A pre-draft report indicated the Giants were split on Sanders (as the Dart pairing gained steam), and while the QB still had support in the building going into the draft, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicates the Colorado prospect’s momentum cooled as the coaches became involved in the evaluation process. Rumblings of Daboll preferring Dart look to have been accurate. The Giants did more work on Sanders compared to Dart, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard, who indicates Schoen scouted on in-person Dart performance. Conversely, a pre-draft assessment tabbed the fourth-year Giants GM as having “lived in Boulder.”

It would appear Daboll drove the bus for Dart, as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz offers, and teams’ reported issues with Sanders’ attitude look to have included a Giants encounter. A Daboll-Sanders pre-draft meeting did not go well, according to The Ringer’s Todd McShay (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). A quarterback who had entered the pre-draft process as a fairly safe top-10 pick fell out of the first round, with Giants and Steelers decisions defining the second-generation NFL prospect’s night. The Steelers chose Oregon D-lineman Derrick Harmon four picks before the Giants moved back into Round 1 for Dart.

The Giants initially contacted other teams about trading up, as Duggan adds Schoen saw some of his offers to move back up rejected. We heard midway through the first round the Giants had launched their effort to move back into Round 1 — a rumored pursuit that we now know was Dart-based — but he did not see the offers gain much traction until around 22.

The Steelers passing undoubtedly intensified the Giants’ effort to land their second-favorite QB in this class (after Ward trade efforts failed). The Chargers passed to draft Omarion Hampton, but the Texans allowed the Giants to move up three spots later. It cost the team Nos. 34, 99 and a 2026 third-round pick. The Giants held a second third-rounder this year, helping move the trade across the goal line.

Green Bay and Minnesota turned down trade offers for the Nos. 23 and 24 overall picks, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman and the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. It is safe to assume Schoen made calls to both NFC North teams, as he was leery of another QB-needy club swooping in. The Browns, Saints and Rams had been connected to making a move at this juncture of the draft, while the Steelers’ need remained after their Harmon pick.

Several teams made the Packers offers, Brian Gutekunst said. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said talks intensified shortly before his team’s No. 24 pick. In addition to the QB-needy lot, the Falcons were angling to move up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr., which they did (via the Rams) at No. 26. That move cost a first-round pick, while the Giants escaped without needing to part with their 2026 first.

New York’s move came in part because of a fear the Browns were eyeing Dart, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Other teams shared this view, even though a draft-day report connected the Steelers, Rams and Saints to Dart. Though, the Browns were able to keep their Travis Hunter negotiations with the Jaguars quiet for weeks; they look to have done the same with Dart. Holding the top pick in Round 2 and a second selection three spots later (thanks to the Hunter swap), Cleveland now has its choice of the remaining QBs. The team could have put together an enticing package to move up, but it stood down. The Giants just made sure the AFC North club could not choose Dart. The Rams were not a factor for Dart, per Raanan and SNY’s Connor Hughes.

Although the Giants were still meeting on QBs this week, per Schoen, Leonard adds Daboll and Dart had begun texting daily after the Giants sent a sizable contingent to Ole Miss’ mid-March pro day. That communication understandably cooled before the draft, leaving Dart in the dark, but he will be asked to do what Daniel Jones could not. (That said, Jones was still a six-year Giants starter.) His tenure, however, moved Daboll and Schoen to the hot seat. Considering Jones was a Dave Gettleman pick, it had always seemed logical — despite the Wilson and Jameis Winston signings — this regime would tab its QB in this draft.

The Giants will aim to give Dart a full-season redshirt, Duggan adds. A previous plan did not get off the ground, as Jones replaced Eli Manning in Week 2 of his rookie season. Wilson’s post-Seattle play also may not be enough to hold off Dart, but the RPO-based college passer will almost definitely require some in-season acclimation time. Calls for the rookie will likely be loud, especially as the Giants’ schedule includes eight games against the NFC North and AFC West — not to mention the four against the teams that played for the NFC title last season.

The Schoen-Daboll regime also stands to be eager to sink or swim with a quarterback it drafted, rather than allow Wilson to steer the ship too far off course while John Mara evaluates the current power structure’s future. Going into training camp, however, Wilson will have a firm grip on the job. This will be new territory for the potential Hall of Famer, however, as he has not needed to fend off a highly drafted rookie previously.

Payton: Broncos Did Not Seek Trade-Up, Eyeing RB Depth In Draft

April 25th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

Higher-profile storylines — particularly Shedeur Sanders‘ destination — will take shape on Day 2, but the Broncos making a best-player-available pick Thursday night will ramp up some pressure on the team to add to their skill-position group. But their rumored effort to trade up may well have been a second straight Round 1 smokescreen for the team.

Payton, who admitted to playing a lead role in a 2024 smokescreen effort related to the team’s first-round strategy, said post-draft (via the Denver Post’s Troy Renck) the Broncos were not interested in moving up. Calling eventual No. 20 overall pick Jahdae Barron “too unique to pass up,” the third-year Broncos HC pointed to this class’ running back depth as a reason they went with the Texas cornerback.

The Chargers chose Omarion Hampton two spots after the Broncos passed on him to strengthen their secondary, and Denver does not hold another pick until No. 51. This runs the risk of the AFC West team missing out on more RB targets, as Ohio State backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins — both of whom logged “30” visits with the Broncos, joining Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson in doing so — could be off the board by then. Payton has shown an early pattern of trading up on Day 2, having climbed for both Marvin Mims and Riley Moss. The team may need to consider a move up if it intends to land one of the top remaining RBs.

George Paton said before the draft the team would select a running back this year, and the fifth-year Denver GM reaffirmed that pledge after the Barron pick. Paton also indicated one back drew the team’s interest in a trade-down scenario, 9News’ Mike Klis adds. Hampton was the only non-Ashton Jeanty RB to be taken on Day 1, but the Broncos could have eyed one of the above-referenced backs had they moved down from No. 20.

Rumblings about the Broncos moving up surfaced early in the week, but trade-down rumors then emerged. After it appeared that would be Denver’s aim, another batch of trade-up rumors came in just before Round 1. This convoluted messaging about the team’s route reminded of 2024, when the team was connected to an aggressive trade-up — with All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain potentially involved in a package — to land a quarterback. Payton later admitted he helped orchestrate that scheme, only to eventually nix any trade-down talk when the Falcons chose Michael Penix Jr. The Broncos stayed at 12 and chose Bo Nix.

The team likely wants a starter-level back to lead a group housing former UDFA Jaleel McLaughlin and 2024 fifth-rounder Audric Estime, who did not see much time as a rookie. Wide receiver also came up for the Broncos, but they chose Barron over former Texas teammate Matthew Golden. As Barron will prepare to join Surtain and Co. in Denver’s secondary, the team’s RB need will take center stage Friday night.

WR Will Be Travis Hunter’s Primary Position; Latest On Jaguars’ Trade-Up Move

April 25th, 2025 at 10:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Jaguars provided a shocker early in the draft by trading up for Travis Hunter, they had worked out terms of this swap with the Browns weeks ago. Ownership involvement became necessary, but The Athletic’s Michael Silver reports GMs James Gladstone and Andrew Berry agreed to the swap for No. 2 overall April 7.

Rumblings surfaced about a deal midway through the week, gaining steam as draft day progressed, but Gladstone initially approached fellow Jags bigwigs — HC Liam Coen and Hall of Fame tackle-turned-exec Tony Boselli — about trading up. Shad Khan then signed off on the move, which cost the Jags their second-rounder and 2026 first. The sides agreed, per Silver, on the trade only on the condition the Titans began the draft with Cam Ward, explaining why the Browns needed to go on the clock before the deal became official.

The trade helps arm the Browns with a key future asset, in the event they do not land their quarterback of the future Friday night. Hunter, meanwhile, will head to Jacksonville — after it had been assumed for weeks he would be Cleveland-bound. At least one other team discussed No. 2 overall with the Browns, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. We heard this week the Raiders connected to trading up from No. 6, though a stealth suitor may well have been in the mix along with the Jags.

“We had a pretty good idea for probably the last couple of weeks that this was going to likely come to fruition,” Gladstone said, via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco. “Obviously, you never know until it actually does in fact take place, but we’re certainly happy that it did.”

Berry confirmed (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the 2026 quarterback class was “tangentially related” to this exchange. The Browns still have Deshaun Watson‘s albatross contract on their books through 2026, and although an insurance measure on the QB’s sunk-cost contract could provide notable cap relief, Cleveland will face a dead money record — thanks to four restructures on the deal — if it releases Watson next year. They will have some prime opportunities, beginning tonight, to add premium rookie-scale assets.

As for the Jaguars’ plans, Gladstone said they will begin Hunter at wide receiver. Berry had said, when it looked like the Browns would draft Hunter, he would play receiver in Cleveland. But Boselli made clear (via Silver) the team has designs on capitalizing on Hunter’s two-way skillset. Surpassing 700 snaps on both offense and defense last season, Hunter offers the Jags a player who should immediately upgrade their passing attack alongside Brian Thomas Jr. while also eventually providing help at cornerback when paired with Tyson Campbell.

A Florida State recruit who flipped to Jackson State in 2022, Hunter followed Deion Sanders to Colorado last year. After a 721-yard receiving season in his Buffaloes debut — an injury-shortened, nine-game year — the 6-foot-1 weapon posted 1,258 receiving yards and totaled 16 touchdowns during a Heisman-winning 2024 slate. The Jags, who moved on from Christian Kirk and Evan Engram this offseason, will now pair Thomas and Hunter’s rookie contracts with Trevor Lawrence‘s $55MM-per-year deal. The Jags will have this package secured at a rookie-deal rate through 2028, with a fifth-year option in place to move the deal through decade’s end.

This trade-up effort partially explains why the Jaguars did not conduct “30” visits, and Hunter said during the draft he only spoke with the Jags at the Combine. A “30” visit with Hunter would have tripped some alarms, and while it is still interesting Jacksonville’s new regime passed on these key meetings altogether, the club made probably the splashiest move in its 31-draft history by obtaining Hunter via this trade-up.

The deal represents an obvious swing for Gladstone, a 34-year-old exec hired after Khan backtracked on retaining Trent Baalke. The Jags had kept the embattled GM on to run their coaching search, one that had sputtered after Coen initially turned down a second interview. Gladstone is working alongside the empowered HC, but it appears he drove the bus on this trade. For the foreseeable future, the ex-Rams staffer will be judged on how it works out.

Meanwhile, Berry’s tenure — the Browns’ two playoff berths notwithstanding — is defined by the Watson miss. Jimmy Haslam has stuck with his GM, representing a course change from the owner’s early years in charge, but Berry added a notable legacy point Thursday night by passing on Hunter, whom he had likened to MLB all-time great Shohei Ohtani. The Browns will attempt to make their draft haul count, as they still consider a quarterback move to move the Watson saga toward its conclusion.

“We obviously had a strong affinity for Travis, no different than we had strong affinity for a number of players at the top,” Berry said, via Cabot. “I think the thing for us is there are a lot of good players in every class, and as much as we liked Travis or Abdul (Carter) or Ashton Jeanty, or whoever that may be, the opportunity still to get a premier prospect and add significantly to our resources, which gives us added flexibility to build the team, we felt like it was an opportunity that made sense.”

Lions To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams

April 25th, 2025 at 9:12am CST by Sam Robinson

Extension-eligible this offseason, Aidan Hutchinson is poised to land a monster payday despite missing most of last season due to injury. As the standout edge rusher is readying to return from the broken leg he sustained in October, the Lions will construct a bridge toward a potential market-setting payday.

They will make the easy decision to exercise Hutchinson’s fifth-year option Friday, ESPN.com’s Field Yates reports. Detroit had been expected to make the same move for Jameson Williams, and Yates adds that will take place as well. This will move both 2022 first-rounders’ contracts through 2026.

The Lions hit big when they chose Hutchinson second overall in 2022, benefiting from the Jaguars’ potential-over-production selection of Travon Walker at No. 1. While Walker has certainly not been a bust, Hutchinson has moved into a higher tier among pass rushers thus far during his career. The Michigan alum led the NFL in pressures in 2023 and had launched a Defensive Player of the Year campaign by producing 7.5 sacks in fewer than five full games. Going into his age-25 season, Hutchinson has already established himself as one of the NFL’s best pass rushers.

Although Hutchinson fell short of the 50% snap threshold last season, his 2023 original-ballot Pro Bowl nod makes him eligible for the second tier among defensive end options. If the Lions classify Hutchinson as a D-end — which would be the cheaper move, a la the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons 2024 designation — he would be tied to a $19.87MM 2026 salary. That doubles as the transition tag number. The linebacker number is $20.86MM.

Hutchinson’s broken leg gutted the Lions’ pass rush, as they still saw their ace EDGE lead the team (by a significant margin) in sacks. Detroit also lost top Hutchinson sidekick Marcus Davenport to a season-ending injury. Although Davenport is back at a reduced rate, the team still has a need at the position. The two-time defending NFC North champs have not re-signed Za’Darius Smith, and nothing is in the works just yet. Hutchinson finishing the 2023 season with 11.5 sacks and being on pace for a much better season last year is more impressive considering the Lions’ lack of a complementary rusher. Tonight represents an avenue for the team to add an important piece there, as that player would be tied to a rookie-level deal through 2028.

The extensions given to Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett likely moved Hutchinson’s asking price past $40MM per year, and the Parsons, T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson markets stand to influence the price point as well. The Lions are certainly budgeting for a long-term Hutchinson extension, and while they have some time thanks to this option, the price could rise significantly as the offseason continues. The Lions were early on Penei Sewell‘s payday last year, giving the 2021 first-rounder a record-setting extension before the draft. Will they act early on Hutchinson to beat the Parsons- and Watt-generated market bump?

Brad Holmes shot down Williams trade rumors after the draft, and while that scenario could conceivably be in play thanks to Williams’ rocky Detroit run and the Lions’ escalating roster costs, the team saw the former No. 12 overall pick reward its patience via a 1,000-yard 2024 season. Williams showed electric ability, and his deep-threat skillset complements Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s work well.

Williams will be tied to a $15.49MM salary in 2026 via this option call, and that decision will buy the Lions time regarding a potential long-term fit. Considering Williams’ two suspensions (under the gambling and PED policies) and 2024 gun-related incident — which did not ultimately produce an arrest and will not bring an NFL ban — it would surprise if the Lions signed off on a extension without seeing more.

Lions GM: No Conversations About Trading Jameson Williams

April 25th, 2025 at 9:08am CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions doled out another market-setting extension this week, making Kerby Joseph the league’s highest-paid safety. Last April, the team gave Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell position-record extensions during an offseason in which Jared Goff, Taylor Decker and Alim McNeill scored big-ticket extensions.

As the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs have either reached extension eligibility or are moving toward it, Detroit will need to make tough decisions. One potential avenue to recoup value for a player potentially not in the team’s long-term plans surfaced this week, with a Jameson Williams trade rumor coming out. As of now, however, GM Brad Holmes said nothing along those lines is in the offing.

“That’s something that we have never entertained,” Holmes said (via Detroitfootball.net’s Justin Rogers). “I don’t know where that report came from, but that’s not a conversation that me and Dan [Campbell] have ever had.”

Williams has shown flashes of high-end talent, most notably during a 2024 season in which he posted 1,001 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns, but he has also run into off-field trouble. The 2022 first-rounder has been suspended under the NFL’s PED and gambling policies, and an arrest last fall — a gun-related incident not expected to produce an NFL suspension — transpired as well. The former Alabama and Ohio State pass catcher also missed most of his rookie season due to ACL rehab, but the Lions still started to see their 2022 plan for the receiver come to fruition via his 2024 performance.

The Lions can keep the 24-year-old weapon signed through 2026 by exercising his fifth-year option by next week’s deadline, and Holmes confirmed last month the team will likely do so. That would tie Williams to a fully guaranteed $15.49MM 2026 salary, which would impact the receiver’s trade value. The Lions could land a notable asset by moving the deep threat, but having a rookie-scale asset to complement St. Brown for another season may be too valuable to pass up — especially as costs rise at other spots on the roster.

Williams’ past points to the Lions proceeding cautiously regarding a potential extension, even as his price could spike with another 1,000-yard season in 2025. The Lions have the former No. 11 overall pick tied to a $2.64MM base salary in 2025, and the fifth-year option would give the team more evaluation time — as St. Brown’s cap numbers rise.

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