Reich bravely claimed, “I think his best football’s ahead of him.” Sure. Smith is coming off a year in which he ranked 29th in EPA per play, trailing only Cam Ward. He only appeared in 15 games and still led the NFL in sacks (55) and interceptions (17). A change in scenery was certainly in order for Geno, though he may be better off as a backup at this point in his career. With the Jets making an offer to Russell Wilson this week, it’s clear they aren’t satisfied with the state of their quarterback room. Geno can be penciled in as the Week 1 starter, but it’s unlikely he keeps that job through the end of the season.
Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, Easton Stick will also have a tryout during mincamp. Trask re-signed with the Bucs last offseason but failed to crack the roster at the end of training camp. He later joined the Falcons’ practice squad. The Saints currently have Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson as options to back up Tyler Shough.
Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Gladstone also noted that he expects Hunter’s usage at cornerback to rise. Hunter played 324 snaps on offense last year compared to just 164 on defense. If we’re taking Gladstone at face value, the reports of Hunter’s demise at wide receiver have been greatly exaggerated. Hunter appeared to be on the precipice of a breakout before going down with a season-ending knee injury. The team talked up his abilities as a receiver days before he posted an 8-101-1 receiving line versus the Rams. Jacksonville’s crowded receiving room may prevent him from being an every-down receiver this year, but he should still hold some fantasy value in his second season.
CBS is reportedly interested in bringing Wilson on as an anayst, and we doubt they are the only network reaching out to the former Super Bowl champion. On the other hand, Wilson visited with the Jets just after the 2026 NFL Draft, and the team is willing to bring him on as their QB2. While it isn’t a glamorous job, it might be Wilson’s last shot at playing in the NFL. For now, Cade Klubnik, Bailey Zappe, and Brady Cook are all on the able as backup options for Geno Smith this year.
Berry was hired as the director of football operations and strategy in 2023. He was then promoted in 2024. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Berry “has played a key role in player personnel, cap strategy and negotiations.” After quickly rising up the ranks in Philly, all signs point to Berry receiving GM interest from other teams in the near future. He is the twin brother of current Browns GM Andrew Berry.
Niners officials said Stribling, surprisingly taken with the 33rd pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, was a “gold helmet” rookie prospect due to his intangibles. “Our coach loved him right away. Leadership. Goal-oriented,” Ahmad said of Stribling, 23, who had a 38th percentile college target share at Ole Miss. “The passion the guy has, the work ethic, the toughness, the durability. He checks all those boxes at a high level.” Entering the league, Stribling’s production leaves a lot to be desired. He had just 811 yards and six touchdowns in his final collegiate season and was projected as a third our fourth rounder before the Niners selected him with the first pick of the second round. ESPN reported last week that Stribling would probably not function as a starting wideout to begin the 2026 regular season, leaving Ricky Pearsall as a locked-in starter alongside Mike Evans.
Stroud, according to DJ Bien-Aime, cut out all sugar and consumed nothing but “water and lean food.” This has led to some offseason weight loss as Stroud angles for a new contract with the Texans. “Expect a slimmer Stroud,” Bien-Aime said. Houston might exercise Stroud’s fifth-year option before committing to him long term after his ugly end to the 2025 season. Stroud had a solid 2025 season overall, finishing 12th in EPA per drop back — just behind Jared Goff — and 20th in QB accuracy, just ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. Stroud will likely be a distributor in a run-first Houston offense this season and a nice option in superflex leagues.
It’s a bit of a surprise the Vikings have left their GM spot open after firing former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January. Gray has been a popular name in GM searches over the past couple offseasons. He landed an interviews for the Jaguars and Titans open general manager positions in February 2025. Gray, who’s been with the Bills since 2017, would take over a front office charged with figuring out how to navigate the team’s disastrous JJ McCarthy draft pick and keeping together a defensive core that has performed well over the past two seasons.
Diggs was facing assault chargers brought forward from a private chef, allegedly involving a pay dispute. The veteran wide receiver declined to take the stand in his own defense but prosecutors were ultimately unable to prove foul play, finding the claims unfounded due to a lack of evidence. Diggs should undoubtedly find his free agent market heating up in the coming days now that his recent off-field issues are behind him, widely regarded as one of the top free agent wide receiver available on the market. The 11-year veteran played the 2025 season as a member of the Patriots, catching 85-of-102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns.
Mr. Irrelevant gets a $122,600 signing bonus as he becomes the first of seven Denver draft picks to sign his rookie contract. Rookies report to mimi-camp in Denver this weekend.
Pickens has only three starts across 29 professional appearances during his three-year NFL career, making this a depth move for a team that has almost completely overhauled their front seven this offseason. It is likely that Pickens will be competing for a roster spot this summer.
The deal includes $5.25 million in guaranteed money, all of which is held in the first year of the contract. Reader will make a maximum of $6.5 million in 2026, setting up a team-friendly contract that appears to have a clear path for the two sides to move on after the first year. Reader previously visited the Giants prior to the team trading away Dexter Lawrence, finalizing his contract in time for organized team activities later this month. The 10-year veteran should immediately enter the starting lineup after starting 32 games for the Lions the previous two seasons.
“They’re doing great,” Gutekunst said on an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Tuck’s been in here every day, and he’s obviously a little bit ahead of schedule, just because his injury happened earlier than Micah’s did. But Micah’s such a - he’s a little bit of a freak. So I think some of that has taken over, and he’s doing really well, as well.” He continued, “So, certainly expect both of those guys back early in the season. And they’ll be a big part of what we’re doing moving forward.” Both players are attempting to return from torn ACLs, with Kraft’s injury occurring in November and Parsons’ occurring in December of last season. It certainly sounds like both players could avoid the Physically Unable to Perform list this summer, which would give each player a good chance to make good on their general manager’s words and return early in the 2026 regular season.
Jackson played for the Eagles in 2025 after spending the previous four seasons with the Giants, registering 55 combined tackles and 11 passes defended in 10 starts and 14 appearances. The soon-to-be 31-year-old continued to demonstrate that he has juice left in the tank but is likely best served as a team’s third cornerback at this point in his career. The Cowboys invested heavily in their secondary this offseason, adding Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, and Cobie Durant in free agency and drafting Caleb Downs in the first round of the draft. Even so, they currently have an open spot on their initial 90-man roster and could use a veteran presence in the secondary through camp, during which Jackson would presumably be competing for a roster spot, if signed.
Chiefs front office officials said last week that they were shocked Johnson was still available in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. KC traded up to take Johnson, 22, who had 1,823 total yards in 2025 at Nebraska. Johnson enters the NFL with a 100th percentile college dominator rating along with a 99th percentile college target share. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently said he was impressed with Johnson’s pass catching and compared him favorably to LeSean McCoy. With a solid offseason Johnson could function as the Chiefs’ lead back if Ken Walker misses time in 2026.
Ridley in March restructured his contract with the Titans to remain in Tennessee for at least one more season following a terrible 2025 campaign in which he totaled 303 yards over seven games before a season-ending ankle injury. Ridley played under Daboll at Alabama before being drafted by the Falcons in 2018. “Rid is Rid,” Daboll said. “I’ve got a long-standing relationship with Rid back to 2017. He means a lot to me as a player. He was a good player for us when I was at Alabama. But as a person, we’ve developed a good relationship. It’s good to have him here. We’ve changed some stuff as we’ve went, but he’s smart. He’s a good player. He’s a good teammate. I’ve got a lot of appreciation and love for Rid.” Ridley will have to compete for WR3 duties in the new-look Tennessee offense this season with Wan’Dale Robinson and first-round rookie WR Carnell Tate shaping up as the team’s top two pass-catching options.
Kamara said he “couldn’t be happier” that the Saints signed Etienne and referenced his success splitting the Saints’ backfield with Mark Ingram. He also noted that he’s been training and has even watched film on Saints first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson. As NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill put it, “It’s incredibly clear that Alvin Kamara wants to be here and be part of the Saints.” The team may still want to adjust his contract. Kamara has a $10.4 million cap figure for 2026 with several void years in the future. Even if some accounting needs to be done, all signs point to Kamara playing football in New Orleans this year.
The SEC coach, speaking to ESPN anonymously about the 2026 quarterback class, said he was surprised Simpson was the 13th player off the draft board but compared him favorably to Matthew Stafford, who will remain LA’s starter in 2026. “It’s a great fit for him from a system standpoint, and who he’s going to be behind for a year,” the SEC coach said. “There’s a lot of similarities [with Stafford]. [The pick] was the biggest [surprise], a guy who didn’t have a ton of starts, but when he played, he played well. His long game is going to be really good.” Not every college coach was bullish on Simpson’s NFL prospects. One SEC defensive coordinator said it was more difficult to prepare for Jalen Milroe than it was to get ready to face Simpson. “He’s not ready to go be a starter in the NFL right now, he’s got work to do,” the coordinator told ESPN.
Sneed had been “charged with aggravated assault that was reduced by the grand jury to the misdemeanor offense of failure to report the commission of a felony,” according to Schefter. That could clear the way for the mega-bust to sign on with a cornerback-needy team in the coming weeks. Sneed, 29, was released by the Titans in March after signing four-year, $76.4 million deal in 2024 that included $55 million in guaranteed money. He will probably have to settle for a prove-it deal for 2026.
“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the coach told ESPN anonymously. “They’re all back-shoulder [throws]. That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.” Conversely, a Big Ten coach told ESPN Mendoza is “one of the more complete quarterback prospects he has seen.” Mendoza, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after leading the Indian Hoosiers to their first-ever college football title, is widely expected to start the season on the bench behind Kirk Cousins. How long Mendoza waits for the starting gig likely depends on Cousins’ performance in Klint Kubiak’s offense.
The coach, speaking to ESPN anonymously, expressed optimism that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy would get the most out of Allar, who was taken in the third round of the 2026 draft. “Hopefully [Pittsburgh] will be a coaching staff that can maximize what he’s good at,” the Big Ten coach said. “I’m not really sure that was the case [at Penn State].” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg said Allar, who threw 49 touchdowns over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, “would have been among the top quarterbacks drafted in 2025 if he skipped his senior season.” Allar’s final season started slowly and was cut short by an ankle injury. In Pittsburgh, he will likely sit behind Aaron Rodgers to begin the season if Rodgers finally decides to return to the Steelers for another season.
Fowler, who has bounced around the league in recent years, had 10.5 sacks just two years ago with the Commanders and will now join a Seattle defense that last season pressured the passer at one of the league’s highest rates. Fowler, 31, will likely play on a prove-it deal with the Super Bowl champs in 2026. He could be used in a rotational role in the Seahawks’ loaded front seven. Fowler has 58.5 sacks over 159 NFL games.
Less than a month ago, McNair went on record at the annual league meetings saying the Texans are “totally behind” Stroud. Now, McNair has doubled down on those comments, hoping to cast aside any speculation that the team has doubts about Stroud being the quarterback best suited to lead the Texans for the foreseeable future. The Texans have exercised the fifth-year option on Stroud, keeping him under contract through 2027, and are expected to offer him an extension sometime next year. Stroud has struggled to regain his rookie form after throwing for 4,108-23-5 in 2023, but has led them to a 28-18 record and a postseason berth in each of his three seasons. Hopefully, with more offensive weapons around him next season and an improved running game, the Texans can relieve some pressure from Stroud as he enters his fourth season.
Bell was a seventh-round pick by the Patriots in 2024 and has caught two career passes for 20 yards in 15 games. The athletic tight end who was treated as a TE/HB hybrid in college has struggled to catch on as a full-time tight end in the pros. He could have a chance to earn a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster in training camp, but it’s hard to imagine him making much of an impact on offense even if he sticks on the roster.
The Falcons continue to talk like a team expecting to be without Penix at the start of training camp, while holding out some hope that anything could change those expectations. Ryan is the latest dance around the topic, while back in March, head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team was “not gonna rush him” back to the field, and before that, it was reported that the team expects to be healthy “at some point in training camp.” For what it’s worth, Ryan did say he thinks Penix is “in a good spot right now,” but that can mean one of many things. Until he returns, Tua Tagovailoa is expected to operate as the QB1 and will likely have the inside edge to start in Week 1, the longer Penix remains out of commission.