The 49ers are currently sitting on Aiyuk’s contract, which now has all of its future guarantees voided. They have reportedly been looking for a trade partner, though there’s no chance a team trades for a player whom the 49ers GM John Lynch himself has said is done with the team. Aiyuk is currently on the reserve/left squad list, meaning the 49ers don’t have to pay him anything right now. He could force their hand by showing up to OTAs. In Barrows’ cutting words, “Maybe Aiyuk’s most effective move is something he failed to do last season — show up for work.” Assuming he does that, the 49ers will release him, at which point he would be likely to sign with the Commanders, if previous reports are to be believed.
Al-Shaair was set to play out the final year of his current contract this season. Instead, Houston keeps him locked in with a long-term deal. Al-Shaair has been with the Texans for two years, starting all 27 regular season games he has been active for. In 2025, Al-Shaair totaled two interceptions, one forced fumble, and a team-high 103 combined tackles.
“Deshaun looks great by the way, he’s done a great job, he looks healthy, he’s in a great head space,” Johnson said during a Wednesday radio interview, acknowledging an “ongoing competition” between Watson and other Cleveland QBs, including, presumably, Shedeur Sanders. “If [Watson] is our starting quarterback, I know there are people who won’t be supportive. But they should be supportive as much as they can.” Watson, 30, is coming off who torn Achilles tendons and is slated to make $34.9 million in 2026. He’s played in 19 regular season games since 2021, due in part to legal troubles related to alleged sexual misconduct during this time with the Texans. The Watson vs. Sanders competition will be closely watched in the coming months.
Concepcion, taken by the Browns with the 24th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, said he visited with Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes when he transferred schools following his sophomore season at NC State. “He’s a great guy, a great leader,” Concepcion said of Sanders. “I just can’t wait to build that relationship and build that connection with him.” That Concepcion is excited about playing with Sanders in Cleveland could be noteworthy as Sanders competes with Deshaun Watson — coming off multiple Achilles injuries — for Week 1 starting duties. Sanders in 2025 ranked 38th out of 38 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per drop back and 36th in accuracy.
The Titans are in for more shakeup in their front office as Brinker steps down. The 46-year-old spent 13 years in the Packers’ organization before joining the Titans as assistant general manager in 2023, followed by two seasons as the team’s president of football operations. Tennessee had already re-structured the front office, with general manager Mike Borgonzi reporting directly to ownership while new head coach Robert Saleh would report to Borgonzi. Brinker said he has a “renewed conviction” to return to personnel management and he will “pursue other opportunities” as the Titans undergo another change in leadership.
Nix had a schedule re-check of his ankle with Dr. Norman Waldrop last week, during which Rapoport reports he had a clean-up procedure. The 26-year-old initially broke is ankle in the Broncos’ divisional round victory and has been progressing as schedule in his recovery. The Broncos are expected to be conservative with Nix’s participation in the team’s offseason program but Rapoport adds he is “firmly on track to be ready for the start of training camp.”
Gill was signed by the Falcons to a reserve/future deal in January. He is a former seventh-round pick of the Bears and spent two years in Chicago, followed by a half-season punting for the Buccaneers. Gill did not punt at all in 2025 and now hits free agency again as the Falcons move forward with Jake Bailey as the punter on their roster.
Gibbs will be under contract for $14.23 million in 2027 per OverTheCap’s projections. Gibbs and the Lions will undoubtedly continue to discuss a long-term extension over the summer and perhaps in to training camp, with Gibbs and Bijan Robinson expected to reset the market at the running back position. Gibbs and Robinson, coincidentally, are the two most obvious 1.1 candidates in most fantasy football leagues.
The fifth-year option and franchise tag grouping of positions strikes again. Campbell would have received $21.9 million if Detroit picked up the option due to the amount of pure EDGE players that are factored into the equation — it’s essentially the same reason why the Packers declined Quay Walker’s fifth-year option last year and lost him in free agency. The Lions reportedly were trying to strike a long-term extension with Campbell — this doesn’t seem like a true signal on that so much as the natural outcome of not wanting to head into negotiations with that figure over Brad Holmes’ head.
The Jets were tied to other team’s backup quarterbacks for a lot of the offseason, as well as Carson Wentz before Wentz re-signed with the Vikings. This is the resignation stage. Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys in Week 2 last year. That actually happened. Also he played some other games that weren’t as good before being benched for Jaxson Dart. On a talent level, there are probably teams with worse backups, but a 37-year-old Russell Wilson probably isn’t anything more than a bar for fourth-rounder Cade Klubnik to try to clear.
Johnston will make a fully-guaranteed $18 million in 2027. It’s probably a bit rich given his production so far, but not a drastic overpay. GM Joe Hortiz shot down trade rumors about Johnston ahead of the draft and this transaction clearly signals some confidence in him developing further under new OC Mike McDaniel. With very little new in the wideout room, Johnston could be on the WR3/WR4 radar in fantasy in 2026.
Gonzalez will get a one-year, $18.1 million deal for 2027. The Patriots have reportedly been in extension talks with him at various points this offseason, so while nothing has gotten done yet, it’s certainly likely to be a point of discussion ahead of the season. New England’s No. 1 corner has developed into one of the best in the NFL in his first three seasons with the club.
“Neither side is committed to it, but both I believe are expected to make it happen ... It’s not going to be hard to get done. The Eagles are open to moving him, the Patriots want him, and I believe in the end it will involve a future first-round draft pick. My guess is 2028,” Schefter told the man who only wears tank tops. It makes sense that the 2027 first-round pick would be off limits as it’s expected to be a much better and deeper draft class. The Athletic’s Chad Graff filed a post-draft 53-man roster projection in which Kayshon Boutte is a “substitution for ... Brown” and believes Boutte is the “most likely receiver to head to Philadelphia in a trade.” We still have another month before this can finally just happen.
It was almost a three-month stay on New England’s offseason roster. Seventh-rounder Jam Miller appears to have taken Mitchell’s spot on the depth chart, though Terrell Jennings is likely the third back in the pecking order behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
So it was a good visit today. The Saints needed veteran help, having never filled the void of Alontae Taylor after Taylor signed with the Titans this offseason. Quincy Riley and Isaac Yiadom are also candidates to start for the Saints this year.
Kelly (6’5/256) logged 29 pressures on 201 rushes (14.4 pressure pressure rate) with 3.0 sacks and 7 sacks created, adding a very respectable 17.1 percent third-down pressure rate that highlights his situational pass-rush utility. Kelly’s long-arm usage and stride length allow him to stress tackles early in the rep, but his lack of bend and suddenness shows up when trying to corner or close at the top of the arc. Though his 90th percentile jumps are a positive data point, his athletic limitations are reflected in his 4.76s shuttle (13th percentile), 7.62s 3-cone (26th percentile) and 4.88s forty, which combine for an uninspiring 5.79 RAS. Against the run, he posted 60 tackles with 12.5 TFL, 8 run stops and 18 havoc plays, though his 84.5% tackle rate and inconsistent stack-and-shed technique reflect his need for added play strength. UCF’s pressure leader flashes the ability to disrupt both phases with his length and motor, but his rush plan and counter sequencing remain underdeveloped, leading to streaky production. Kelly has subpackage upside with a pathway to rotational value if his power, hand usage and finishing ability improve.
Pavia was slated to join the Ravens for a tryout camp, but per Adam Schefter, was signed in advance. Pavia and Joe Fagnano will compete to see who will be the third quarterback behind Tyler Huntley in training camp. It bodes well for Pavia’s chances of at least landing on the practice squad that he was signed quickly here. The Heisman finalist will undoubtedly be asked to carry the NFL Content Machine in the third week of the preseason.
Williams played two seasons with TCU before transferring to the Sooners, and he was a productive -- though far from dominant -- player at both schools. He finished with at least 4.5 tackles for loss in all four campaigns, and he finished 2025 with 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his final collegiate season. The 6-foot-1, 305-pound defender gets positive reviews about his versatility with the ability to line up over center or in the baps, and he’s shown the ability to beat blocks. Scouts worry about his lateral quickness, however, and he isn’t likely to provide much pressure to the quarterback at the highest level. He’ll likely need to stand out during the exhibition season to guarantee a roster spot.
Ball was one of the few Razorbacks who didn’t completely disappoint in 2025, as he started all 11 games while picking up 4.5 tackles for loss in his redshirt senior season. He was much more productive as a junior, however, with 47 tackles and 1.5 sacks over his 13 games. While there are concerns about his ability to shed blocks, Ball (6’3/310) does have the quickness necessary to not allow said blocks to take place, and there’s enough athleticism to believe he someday could help both against the run and the pass. Ball will need to impress over the summer and in the exhibition season to make the roster, but there might be more upside in his game than the typical fifth-year senior prospect.
Smith (6’1/322) was a six-year college player, and he spent his first four seasons with Duke before moving west to UCLA. He finishes 2025 with 40 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack while being an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference defender. He’s the definition of a space eater; one who profiles best as a nose as he uses his frame to shed blocks and take on double teams. He lacks later quickness and there isn’t much range here, so it’s hard to see Smith playing three downs, and the lack of versatility means he may not be anything more than a rotational player at best.
The Panthers let Rico Dowdle walk in free agency and replaced him only with AJ Dillon in what could be interpreted as a sign of confidence that Brooks could play a real role behind Chuba Hubbard in 2026. Trevor Etienne is the other main player in Carolina’s backup RB derby. Brooks has lost most of his NFL career to date to a pair of ACL tears and while we’re hopeful he can come back, he should be approached skeptically for fantasy football purposes.
Williams, 23, measured 6’2/231 at the NFL Scouting Combine and 6’2/243 at Texas A&M’s Pro Day. He did not participate in athletic testing at either event. Injuries have been an issue for him over the past three seasons. He missed one game due to an undisclosed injury in 2023, two games due to a knee injury in 2024 and six games due to injuries in both ankles in 2025. His ticket to an NFL roster might be through special teams. Aaron Wilson reports Williams got $210,000 in guaranteed base salary, indicating there was a market for Williams’ services as an undrafted free agent.
The former five-year college player spent the 2021 season at Oklahoma and the 2022 season at USC before transferring to Houston in 2023. McCutchin earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last year, totaling 51 tackles, three TFLs, one sack, one forced fumble and 10 passes defended. He has zero career interceptions. McCutchin, 23, stands 6’2/191 and tested very well at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Titans added a ton of defensive back help this offseason, perhaps enough to keep McCutchin from making the team. He’ll need a strong camp.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports that the Giants are aware surgery “could eventually be necessary, but they don’t believe it’s a certainty.” He cites Tyler Linderbaum’s 2024 training camp — he missed most of camp but was able to play all 17 games in the regular season. Reading between the lines, we’re expecting Mauigoa’s offseason to be truncated in some way, and Duggan adds it’s possible Mauigoa gets surgery after the season if his back bothers him during his rookie year.