Dolphins Have Not Offered Tua Tagovailoa Market-Value Contract

Jordan Love, Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa represent the next set of dominoes expected to fall within the quarterback market this summer, with the Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence deals providing early road maps for the Packers, Cowboys and Dolphins. As of now, Miami does not appear to be comfortable with where the market has gone.

Tagovailoa alluded to progress being made earlier this month while also reminding where the QB market has gone, perhaps sending a message to the Dolphins regarding his value following the extensions for Goff ($53MM per year) and Lawrence (record-tying $55MM AAV). It looks like any progress between the Dolphins and their QB has stalled, with ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington indicating during an NFL Live appearance (h/t Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald) the team has not offered a deal in step with those the Lions and Jaguars proposed to their top passers.

The Dolphins having yet to offer a market-value extension, per Darlington, certainly introduces a speedbump in these talks. But Tagovailoa turned down at least one offer from the team earlier this offseason. The sides are still working toward a middle ground, but given the form (when healthy) the former No. 5 overall pick has shown, it is difficult to see him accepting an extension south of where the Jags went for Lawrence. The latter’s prospect pedigree and growth potential aside, Tua has fared better — albeit with superior weaponry — over the past two seasons.

Miami not being on the Goff or Lawrence level with Tagovailoa does not surprise Kelly, who indicates the team is “dug in” regarding the southpaw arm’s value. This certainly creates the potential for a standoff, as the Dolphins — due to Tua’s uneven first three seasons — already dragged this process into a contract year, a place teams rarely go with first-round passers on rookie deals. The parties have been negotiating since mid-April.

The Dolphins joining the Ravens in not extending their starter after Year 3 — when these deals usually move past the goal line for first-rounders — preceded a fairly promising season from the Alabama alum. Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and threw 29 TD passes, though 14 INTs came along with those. Tagovailoa ranked third in QBR during his concussion-marred 2022 slate and 10th last season, when he played 17 games and took the snaps in Miami’s one-sided wild-card loss.

Taking a hardline stance with Tua runs the risk of the Dolphins having their quarterback move toward a 2025 franchise tag. Considering this year’s QB tag price ($38.3MM), that almost doubles as a weapon for Tagovailoa given the cap hold a 2025 tag would create for a Dolphins team that dealt with cap issues this offseason. The Dolphins, who extended Jaylen Waddle recently and appear open to revising Tyreek Hill‘s contract, are projected to be — albeit several months away from the cap-compliance deadline — $9MM-plus over the 2025 cap without any Tua money factoring into that number.

The arrivals of Hill and Mike McDaniel have undoubtedly played major roles in Tagovailoa’s emergence, but the latter proving himself a productive quarterback through his age-25 season obviously creates considerable leverage. The playoff starter missed several Dolphins offseason workouts due to his contract situation, though he showed up midway through Miami’s program. It will be interesting to see how far apart the sides are, as more than two months still remain until Week 1.

Jeff Bezos Not Barred From Commanders Bid

Before Dan Snyder sold the Commanders to a group of investors led by Josh Harris last year, there was wide speculation about who all would be taking place in the bidding process for the franchise. An obvious name came up in Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, due to his ownership in local news outlet, The Washington Post, but word came out that Bezos’s ability to bid was not a reality. Conflicting reports have surfaced of late claiming that Bezos was not blocked from the vote but was simply outbid, per Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

This insight comes from a recent article from the Financial Times which suggests that Snyder did not, in fact, block Bezos from submitting a bid. It claims that Bezos simply did not put forth a bid worth more than the $6.05BB-offer put forth by Harris and company.

Snyder certainly has had issues with the Post and its views, also voicing displeasure for Bezos himself. That being said, Snyder is reportedly not so petty that he would turn down an offer for more money if it came from Bezos. An unnamed source for the Financial Times claimed, “I don’t think Snyder would have not sold to them if Jeff came in with a bid of $7(BB).”

Business reporter Daniel Kaplan, formerly of The Athletic, dissents that perhaps Snyder was, in fact, that petty, but once the funding difficulties of the Harris group became known, Snyder became more open to the idea. Kaplan particularly notes that the potential for more money could have softened Snyder’s resolve, as well.

Florio suggests the stance that perhaps the lack of a late bid from Bezos to outdo the $6.05BB-figure was not due to an inability to match the desired amount but was more a valuation determination. He puts forth that, should Bezos shell out the money it takes to buy an NFL franchise, the Commanders would not be worth the trouble. A damaged brand, an outdated stadium, and a slew of other messy situations left by the preceding staff make Washington a tough sell.

Instead, Florio claims that the smarter move would be to wait for the next franchise, perhaps the Seahawks, to hit the market. The NFL has made it known that they certainly have interest in having Bezos as a part of their ownership group. If interest is ever to turn into reality, a franchise with far less baggage may make the most sense for the billionaire.

Latest On Colts QB Anthony Richardson

The Colts rolled into the 2023 NFL season looking forward to No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson leading their team as the quarterback of the future. Unfortunately, just over a month into the season, the Florida rookie underwent season-ending shoulder surgery with only four starts under his belt. On The GM Shuffle podcast this week, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard gave the most recent update to Richardson’s health.

Since the initial injury news, we’ve seen an in-season update confirming that Richardson would not require a second surgery to repair his AC joint injury and an update in February that he had started throwing again, shortly after the conclusion of the postseason. Most recently, we heard at the end of March that the 22-year-old was on track to participate in spring practices.

Richardson was, indeed, able to participate this spring. He was reportedly a full participant in organized team activities recently, only minimizing his workload on the final day of OTAs after two heavy throwing sessions in the days before. He was even a reported full participant on Day 1 of minicamp, though he left Day 2 early and was not in attendance on Day 3.

Reports have come in that Richardson’s lack of participation was due to shoulder soreness. While that’s reasonably understandable following two days of heavy throwing, it’s still a bit of a concern following the nature of Richardson’s injury.

Despite the implication that such soreness and reserved participation point to his injury not being 100 percent healed, head coach Shane Steichen and Richardson himself both insist that his absence was merely a precaution. The Colts maintain that Richardson’s soreness and lack of participation at the end of minicamp will have no impact on Richardson’s participation in training camp. The second-year passer is expected to be “full go” at camp this summer.

The offense around Richardson will look much the same upon his return. The main differences are that, after minimal work with All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor as a rookie, the two should get to share the field a bit more in 2024. Additionally, Richardson will have a new target in second-round receiver Adonai Mitchell. He’ll also have a new mentor as the Colts essentially exchanged primary backup quarterback Gardner Minshew for veteran Joe Flacco, both of whom served their teams well in injury replacement duty last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/26/24

Today’s only minor transaction:

Baltimore Ravens

Aside from re-signing veteran Nelson Agholor and drafting North Carolina’s Devontez Walker in the fourth round this year, the Ravens have opted not to make any big additions to their wide receiving corps after watching Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay walk in free agency. Instead, they opted to sign a number of undrafted free agent receivers with the potential to strike gold and find a role player.

Robinson was the definition of a strong role player in college. In three years at Virginia Tech and two at Kentucky, Robinson was productive in every year of play. While he consistently found himself on teams without any stars in the receivers room, he was always a main part of the contributions. The career lows of his freshman year were still an impressive 31 receptions for 404 yards and a touchdown. That said, he never rose significantly past that. He had career highs of 44 receptions (2021), 592 receiving yards (2020), and five touchdowns (2021).

Over his five years in college, all his stats stayed consistently between those numbers. Still, he was able to lead the Hokies in receptions and yards in 2020 and receptions and receiving touchdowns in 2021. He’s a proven contributor who may still be offered a chance to play elsewhere in the NFL.

Cowboys DE Sam Williams’ Role To Increase

Dan Quinn did well to raid the Cowboys’ roster, signing three of the team’s free agents. Two of those additions — edge rushers Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler — are set to serve as Commanders defensive ends as the team regroups post-Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

The Armstrong and Fowler defections wound the Cowboys’ D-line, but they do not exactly gut the unit. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain, and the Cowboys will gain a clearer picture of what they have in 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams. An earlier report pegged Williams as likely to play more in 2024; the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore indicates he is the lead candidate to be the Cowboys’ top rusher off the bench this season.

While the Quinn connection opened the door to Fowler and Armstrong making intra-NFC East relocations, Moore adds the Cowboys deeming Williams readier for more work helped lead the older pass rushers to Washington. Despite Williams missing two games as a rookie, he logged only 30 more defensive snaps (303) in 2023. With Armstrong (468) out of the picture, the former second-round pick will be a more important part of Dallas’ pass rush this season.

Williams, 25, recorded 4.5 sacks last season; that eclipsed his 2022 number (four). Though, the Ole Miss product tallied just nine QB hits. And his 17 QB pressures did not rank in the top five among Cowboys. Williams did total 10 tackles for loss as a rookie, showing signs of potential. Leading the way for the Cowboys’ DE3 role, Williams could begin a true course for a lucrative second contract by making strides this year.

This gig netted Armstrong a three-year, $33MM Washington accord, one that came after he played out a two-year, $14MM contract following Randy Gregory‘s about-face that closed an unusual round of negotiations. A month after Gregory’s Denver departure, the Cowboys chose Williams 56th overall. The team gave Fowler another one-year contract in 2023, however, restricting Williams’ upward mobility. The ex-Quinn Falcons charge played in all 17 games, totaling four sacks as a supporting-caster.

The Cowboys placed a premium on a well-stocked pass-rushing crew, drafting Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland 56th overall. A rumored sleeper who booked 16 pre-draft visits, Kneeland joins Williams as a potential auxiliary rusher in Dallas. Williams compiled a better college resume, notching 20.5 sacks in his three Rebels seasons. Kneeland tallied 13 in five Western Michigan slates. But this duo stands to comprise Dallas’ top rotational options. It appears Williams will be asked to do more to start this season.

NFL Cancels Supplemental Draft

Decades past its relevance peak, the supplemental draft has seen several cancellations in recent years. Although 2023 did feature supplemental prospects that prompted the NFL to keep the event in place, that is not the case this year.

Once again, the league informed teams (via SI.com’s Albert Breer) no supplemental draft will take place in 2024. This will mark the fourth time in five years the league has nixed the July draft event.

The NFL did hold a supplemental draft last year, but no players were selected. Clubs must give up their corresponding pick in the following April’s draft if they chose a player, and neither of the eligible players — wide receivers Malachi Wideman nor Milton Wright — were selected. The Chargers signed Wright soon after but cut him in September 2023. Wideman received workout opportunities but did not catch on anywhere.

In existence for players whose eligibility statuses have changed in the offseason, the supplemental draft has sent high-quality talent to the NFL. Modern-era players like Josh Gordon, Ahmad Brooks and current Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson used the summer event to bound toward regular NFL work, but few such success stories exist compared to the ones that emerged decades ago.

Some crafty maneuvering gave the Browns Bernie Kosar in the 1985 supplemental draft, while Hall of Famer Cris Carter went to the Eagles in the ’87 supplemental event. College superstar Brian Bosworth (1987), along with Pro Bowlers Bobby Humphrey (’89) and Rob Moore (’90), entered the league through the supplemental draft. The Giants also tabbed Phil Simms‘ heir apparent, Dave Brown, with a first-round supplemental pick in 1992. But this route to becoming an NFL regular is seldom traveled any longer.

Thompson is the only player still active chosen in a supplemental draft. The sixth-year safety has now started 57 games with the Cardinals, remaining in place after Jonathan Gannon‘s 2023 arrival.

49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Complete Productive Meeting; No Trade Expected

Brandon Aiyuk indeed received the meeting he sought with 49ers brass. While it is not yet known which parties from the team took part in the summit with the disgruntled wide receiver, this situation seems in a more stable place coming out of it.

The sides had a “good” meeting Monday, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds Aiyuk has not submitted a trade request. Trade calls have come in, but Pelissero notes the 49ers have shut them down. The 49ers resolved their Deebo Samuel impasse — one that did involve a trade request — with an extension during training camp, and they hope to finish the Aiyuk saga in similar fashion.

Despite Aiyuk’s recent social media comments intimating the 49ers did not want him back, the team has repeatedly insisted otherwise. That is still the case, with Pelissero adding the 49ers have Aiyuk in their 2024 plans. The former first-round pick is going into a fifth-year option season; an extension would remove the option number ($14.12MM) from the equation. Numbers here have been tricky, however.

This offseason’s movement on the WR market has influenced Aiyuk’s camp, which has been connected to targeting a deal north of Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s four-year, $120.01MM Lions extension. In terms of guarantees, Aiyuk has been tied to seeking a number well past $80MM. Only two wideouts — Justin Jefferson ($110MM) and A.J. Brown ($84MM) — have secured guarantees beyond the $80MM point. With Samuel receiving $58.2MM (on a three-year extension) in 2022, Aiyuk’s reported ask probably exceeds where the 49ers are comfortable going.

Aiyuk, 26, was believed to be upset with the 49ers’ negotiating tactics, with ESPN’s Ryan Clark indicating he has taken them personally. This meeting seems to have helped on this front, though no deal is imminent. The 49ers have regularly operated on this timeline with their Kyle Shanahan-era standouts, having extended Samuel, George Kittle and Nick Bosa during camp. Samuel staged a hold-in to start the 49ers’ 2022 training camp, returning to work after signing a three-year, $71.55MM extension. If Aiyuk signs a deal, rumblings about Samuel relocating in 2025 have surfaced. Both Samuel and Aiyuk came up in trade talks during the draft; John Lynch said that topic is closed.

For now, though, the 49ers look to be aiming to run it back — as the Bengals plan to — with their formidable receiver duo. The 49ers would have the option of franchise-tagging Aiyuk in 2025, but it would take some cap maneuvering — as the defending NFC champions are projected to be more than $38MM over the 2025 salary ceiling — for that to happen. The 49ers also have Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir in contract years, with Kittle, Samuel and Brock Purdy up after the ’25 season. With the organization already planning a top-market Purdy payday, sacrifices will need to be made elsewhere.

Aiyuk led the 49ers in receiving by a wide margin in 2023, amassing 1,342 yards. Since coming into the NFL in 2020, however, the San Francisco receiver ranks 17th in receiving yardage. It is understandable the 49ers are hesitant about a contract that approaches the top of the market. CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill, the latter having already expressed an issue with a deal he signed in 2022, could further affect the market’s upper reaches. It does not appear the 49ers view Aiyuk in this class, leading to several reports depicting a lack of progress.

The sides still have some time before camp, and Aiyuk would face fines of $50K per day — though, the 49ers could waive these due to the WR being on a rookie deal — by skipping camp as Bosa did.

AFC Staff Rumors: Canada, Steelers, Shaw, Broncos, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans

The Steelers opted for an outside OC hire, adding Arthur Smith, but both halves of their interim setup from last season — Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan — remain with the team. Sullivan drew OC interest elsewhere, after calling the plays for a Mason Rudolph-led offense that ended up in the playoffs, but he is in place as a Steelers senior offensive assistant. Faulkner remains the team’s RBs coach. Smith should be considered likely to include the duo in his game plans, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, who adds ousted OC Matt Canada was not known for a collaborative approach. Canada did not receive input from staffers especially well, Kaboly notes, before becoming the historically rare Steelers assistant fired in-season.

Here is the latest from AFC coaching staffs and front offices:

  • One of the Broncos‘ HC candidates in 2023, David Shaw is now in place to work remotely as a staffer under Sean Payton and George Paton. Shaw has coached with the former (on Ray Rhodes‘ 1997 Eagles staff) and began communicating with the GM more often since the January 2023 interview. Months after the longtime Stanford HC’s interview, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes he expressed an interest to Paton regarding work in NFL personnel. During the time between his Broncos connections, Shaw interviewed for the Chargers and Titans’ HC jobs. The Paton conversations, with likely help from the Stanford ties owners Greg Penner and Condoleezza Rice have, led to the longtime Stanford coach landing with the AFC West franchise.
  • Elsewhere on the Broncos’ staff, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton notes Ty Murphy has moved from scouting intern to pro scout. Murphy initially caught on with the team in July 2023.
  • Four years ago, the Chargers were new on the analytics front. They hired Aditya Krishnan to lead that department in February 2020. Early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure, the Bolts are moving in a different direction. Krishnan, who held the title of football research and analytics director, is no longer with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Seth Walder. While new regimes shake up staffs, it will be interesting to see how Harbaugh goes about assembling an analytics department in Los Angeles.
  • The Jaguars are also losing an experienced staffer. Brian Squeglia, who worked as an area scout for the past six years and spent eight seasons in Jacksonville, is leaving the team, per Stratton. Squeglia is set to remain in the industry but is not planning to work for another team presently.
  • The Titans added two staffers recently, with Walder indicating they hired Erin Psajdl Davis and Alex Rogers as analysts. Psajdl Davis comes over from the Chiefs, having worked on the business side in Kansas City. She previously held a football-related role in Houston. Rogers interned for the Saints previously.

Broncos To Feature ‘Wide Open’ RB Competition; TE Lucas Krull’s Role To Expand

Javonte Williams‘ October 2022 ACL and LCL tears upended the Broncos’ running back plan. The ill-fated Melvin Gordon partnership ended weeks later, and although Williams returned in time for Week 1 last year, the former second-round pick did not deliver too many reminders of his promising rookie season. As a result, his starting role is no longer guaranteed.

The Broncos are set to feature a wide-open running back competition that will include the three holdovers from last season — Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin — along with fifth-round pick Audric Estime and UDFA Blake Watson, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel writes. Williams and Perine are going into contract years, with the former not acquired during Sean Payton‘s time with the team.

Payton being present for the other four RBs’ acquisitions creates an interesting outlook for Williams, a difficult tackling assignment but a player who averaged just 3.6 yards per carry behind a mostly healthy offensive line last season. Williams, who totaled 1,219 scrimmage yards as a rookie despite splitting time with Gordon, surpassed 50 rushing yards just twice over the 2023 season’s final eight games. Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric slotted Williams (minus-83) in the bottom 10.

Perine operated as a key passing-down presence for Russell Wilson, making important contributions during Denver’s midseason five-game win streak. He is tied to a two-year, $7.5MM deal. Neither Perine nor Williams has any guaranteed money remaining.

The Broncos saw some promise from Watson in this department during their offseason program. An Old Dominion recruit who transferred to Memphis in 2023, Watson amassed 480 receiving yards on 53 receptions during his final college season. While Watson could potentially clear waivers en route to the Broncos’ practice squad, McLaughlin is the latest reminder — following the likes of ex-Broncos Phillip Lindsay and C.J. Anderson — UDFA RBs can force their way onto 53-man rosters. The 5-foot-7 back averaged 5.4 yards per carry, totaling 410, as a rookie.

Payton making the decision to carry three running backs and fullback Michael Burton would also stand to put Williams and McLaughlin at risk, even though both have shown promise at points. Although Estime missed offseason time due to a knee injury, the rookie is expected back for training camp. Estime’s 4.71-second 40-yard dash time — the worst among RBs in Indianapolis — likely cost him in the draft. (Though, he clocked 4.58 seconds at Notre Dame’s pro day.) But the Fighting Irish product is coming off a 1,341-yard, 18-touchdown season.

During OTAs, The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider noted Williams, Perine and McLaughlin would face challenges to maintain their 2023 roles. With the Broncos potentially only keeping three RBs, this sets up an interesting competition.

Running back features more options than tight end in Denver, as the team is still counting on Greg Dulcich to shake his injury issues. Battling chronic hamstring trouble, the former third-round pick did not practice fully during the team’s offseason program. While Dulcich is expected to resurface during training camp, Payton alluded to a role expansion for former UDFA Lucas Krull.

Someday soon, they’re going to know who No. 85 is,” Payton said (via Gabriel) of Krull. “He has good vertical speed. He’s young, so we think there is room to grow. That was one of the reasons we signed him.”

Not technically a Payton import from New Orleans, Krull did initially land in the NFL as a Saints UDFA. That arrival came in 2022, months after Payton’s departure, though the Saints’ coaching staff identifying the former Florida and Pitt tight end probably played a role in the Broncos adding him to their practice squad in August 2023. Krull did not make the Saints’ 53-man roster last year and joined Payton in Denver soon after.

Krull, who accumulated 451 receiving yards during his final college season, caught just eight passes for 95 yards in limited duty last year. He joins the re-signed Adam Trautman, a Payton draftee in New Orleans, and Dulcich as the Broncos’ top TEs. Denver looked into tight ends in free agency but did not add anyone, and after Trautman’s 204 yards led Broncos tight ends last season, this profiles as an area of concern. If Dulcich is unable to stay healthy, Krull stands to be an important part of the Broncos’ first Bo Nix-centered offense.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Love

Last year, the Bears became the Eagles’ gateway to Jalen Carter by trading down one spot and picking up an additional fourth-rounder from the NFC East team. GM Ryan Poles referenced this transaction when contacting Falcons GM Terry Fontenot during Round 1 this year. The third-year Chicago front office boss called the fourth-year Atlanta decision-maker about a move from No. 9 to No. 8, via The33rdteam.com’s Ari Meirov, with the aim to lock down Rome Odunze draft real estate. With plans on selecting Odunze’s college QB at No. 8 — to the surprise of most — Fontentot declined Poles’ offer and chose Michael Penix Jr.

The Jets (at No. 10) were also interested in Odunze, shifting to the offensive line once the Bears chose the high-end WR prospect at 9, with Poles undoubtedly aware of the AFC East club’s aim of adding another Aaron Rodgers weapon. A pre-draft report also pointed to the Colts’ interest in trading up for a playmaker; GM Chris Ballard confirmed he made “big offers” to move up from 15. After a dominant final season at Washington, Odunze rounds out a promising Bears receiving corps that includes D.J. Moore and trade pickup Keenan Allen. The Bears, who experimented with Odunze as a punt returner during their offseason program (per ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin), could have the Pac-12 product on a rookie deal through 2028 via the fifth-year option.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • For a second straight offseason, Dalton Risner‘s market underwhelmed. This led to the sixth-year guard changing agents, per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, as he sought an upper-echelon agreement only to see nothing close come his way. The Vikings blocker called this a “frustrating” offseason, noting (via KSTP’s Darren Wolfson) he was surprised how little interest came his way — during an offseason that featured five free agent guards sign for at least $10MM per year. This mirrored his 2023 offseason, which did not see a deal come together until September. Risner started four seasons in Denver and worked as an 11-game Minnesota starter, with the Vikes trading Ezra Cleveland to the Jaguars, last season. Risner, 29 next month, is attached to a one-year, $2.41MM deal that includes playing time-based incentives.
  • While Risner will compete with Blake Brandel for Minnesota’s left guard job, Jordan Addison is a locked-in starter. Addison impressed despite Kirk Cousins‘ injury last season, and SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the former USC and Pitt wideout’s offseason growth has turned heads at the Vikings’ facility. During a season that featured an extended Justin Jefferson absence and the Vikes starting four QBs, Addison totaled 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. The 2023 first-rounder’s rookie deal will now pair with Jefferson’s market-setting extension, and Sam Darnold — before a likely baton pass to J.J. McCarthy — will have a promising WR duo to target this season.
  • The Bears drafting Odunze meant a long wait for defensive help, and the team extended the wait after taking O-lineman Kiran Amegadjie in Round 3 and punter Tory Taylor in Round 4. Montez Sweat is in place as Chicago’s pass-rushing anchor, and Andrew Billings is poised to start once again. Beyond that, the Bears feature some question marks. A late-summer addition at DE and/or DT may be something the team will consider, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain, if they do not see enough early in training camp. A Yannick Ngakoue reunion could be on the table. Chicago has Gervon Dexter and veteran DeMarcus Walker on track for regular roles, with Fishbain adding veteran pickup Jacob Martin‘s fit will also determine whether the team needs to make another move.
  • Although Jordan Love is expected to join the $50MM-per-year club, the Packers QB is only going into his second starter season. On that end, Matt LaFleur added 7-on-7 periods during practice to help his passer’s development, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes. LaFleur has resisted implementing this common offseason drill due to the lack of a pass rush impacting decisions, noting an emphasis on Love’s footwork for dusting off the passing period.