2 weeks agoLeague sources think that the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are the two likeliest landing spots for Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold, but the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could also go after him. Tagging Darnold and trading him for premium draft capital would be the best-case scenario but that's unlikely to happen now that the Vikings aren't expected to use the franchise tag on the 27-year-old. The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes that it only makes sense to re-sign Darnold if his free-agent market is more depressed than expected. It will be more of a luxury since they have plenty of other holes to fill on the roster and don't want to hinder quarterback J.J. McCarthy's (knee) progression after they took him in the first round of last year's draft. Lewis says that the Vikes think the better plan is paying Daniel Jones around $10 million instead of paying Darnold around $35 million.Source: The Athletic - Alec Lewis
2
weeks
agoArizona
Cardinals
head
coach
Jonathan
Gannon
has
high
hopes
for
running
back
Trey
Benson
as
he
heads
into
his
second
NFL
season
in
2025.
James
Conner
re-signed
with
the
Cardinals
after
posting
a
career-high
1,094
rushing
yards
inread more...
2 weeks agoThe Cincinnati Bengals announced on Monday that they released offensive guard Alex Cappa. While Cappa has been solid for the Bengals, starting all 50 games at right guard that he appeared in since joining the team in 2022, the team simply has too many other free agents they are trying to retain this offseason. In addition to trying to spend big money to keep star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Cincinnati has prioritized keeping offensive linemen B.J. Hill, Trent Brown and Mike Hilton. The 30-year-old was a third-round selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2018 NFL draft out of Humboldt State and spent the first four years of his career with the Bucs before joining the Bengals in 2022. With seven years of NFL experience while playing at a high level, Cappa should generate plenty of interest on the open market.Source: Cincinnati Bengals
2 weeks agoThe Green Bay Packers re-signed linebacker Isaiah McDuffie to a two-year, $8 million deal on Monday, sources tell ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. With incentives, McDuffie will have the upside to earn a total of $9.5 million. He will return to Green Bay after recording a career-high 97 tackles (46 solo), half a sack, three tackles for loss, three QB hits, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in 17 regular-season starts in his fourth year in the NFL with the Packers. The 25-year-old former sixth-round selection in 2021 out of Boston College is expected to serve as the team's top backup inside linebacker again in 2025 behind Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper. He has a total of 228 tackles (129 solo), one sack, eight tackles for loss, six QB hits, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 63 games (26 starts) in his four years in Green Bay.Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 weeks agoThe Las Vegas Raiders are not tendering restricted free-agent wide receiver DJ Turner (knee) this offseason, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. While Turner will now be an unrestricted free agent and free to sign with any team, the Raiders are open to re-signing him. The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent caught 16 of his 29 targets for 158 yards and a touchdown in 12 games (six starts) for Vegas in 2024 before landing on Injured Reserve with a knee injury. He added five carries on the ground for 33 yards and a touchdown. Although he didn't move the fantasy needle at all in his third year in the NFL, it was a notable increase in role for Turner after he had just a single target in 19 games (no starts) in his first two years with the Raiders. Regardless of where Turner ends up playing in 2025, he's likely to remain well off the fantasy radar.Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 weeks agoBuffalo Bills reserve tight end Armani Rogers (Achilles) will require surgery after recently tearing his Achilles, according to a league source. The quarterback turned tight end signed a Reserve/Futures deal with the Bills in January after stints with the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, but now he'll be forced to miss all of the 2025 season. The 27-year-old made his NFL debut in 2022 with the Commanders after going undrafted out of college, but he hasn't appeared in an NFL game since. In his 11 games (three starts) back in 2022, he caught just five of six targets for 64 yards and no touchdowns in D.C. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox remain Buffalo's top two tight ends, while Quintin Morris will be an unrestricted free agent after the Bills chose not to tender him. Zach Davidson is currently the No. 3 TE.Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
2 weeks agoThe Buffalo Bills have elected not to tender an offer to restricted free-agent tight end Quintin Morris, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, the Bills would like to re-sign Morris, who started three games in 2024. Without receiving a tender off from Buffalo this offseason, the 26-year-old will now become an unrestricted free agent and will be able to sign with any team. The Bowling Green product worked behind Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox in his third year in the NFL in 2024 and caught just five of his eight targets for 36 yards and one touchdown in 16 regular-season games. Morris has been well off the fantasy radar since debuting in 2022, and that should continue to be the case in 2025, even if he signs somewhere else. In his three seasons, he has 15 receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns on 22 targets.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe Minnesota Vikings are not expected to place the franchise tag on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold by Tuesday's deadline, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, all parties are working through their options to potentially keep him in Minnesota. Rapoport describes Darnold's situation as fluid with free agency right around the corner. Last year's first-rounder, quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) missed all of his rookie season after injuring his knee in the preseason, and then Darnold went on to have a career year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. If the Vikings think McCarthy might need another full year of development, it would make sense that they're considering re-signing Darnold for 2025. The 27-year-old won't have a shortage of suitors in free agency, though, with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders perhaps going after him the hardest.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe New York Jets are expected to target Detroit Lions impending free-agent wide receiver Tim Patrick in free agency this offseason because of his ties to new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who was an assistant coach with the Lions last year, sources tell The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. In addition to Patrick, Rosenblatt mentions Los Angeles Chargers impending free-agent receiver Joshua Palmer. The 31-year-old Patrick had a few injury-plagued seasons with the Denver Broncos before bouncing back with the Lions in 2024, when he caught 33 of 44 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns in 16 regular-season games (nine starts). Palmer, 25, has averaged 15 yards per catch the last two seasons for the Bolts and is projected to receive a two-year, $13 million deal in free agency by PFF. Rosenblatt doesn't expect the Jets to go on a major spending spree in free agency.Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that the New York Jets are unlikely to pursue an early contract extension with running back Breece Hall, who will be a free agent in 2026. It doesn't mean that won't change, but the Jets have to promising young backs in Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, who are both under contract through 2027. Hall, who tore his ACL in his rookie season in 2022, took a slight step back in 2024 with 876 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 209 rushing attempts in 16 starts, adding 57 receptions on 76 targets for 483 yards and three additional scores through the air. The 23-year-old running back still has RB1 upside in fantasy heading into his fourth NFL season, but he finished as the RB17 in half-PPR scoring a year ago, and the jury will be out on his 2025 fantasy value until we know who the Jets will be starting at quarterback.Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
2
weeks
agoNew
York
Jets
wide
receiver
Garrett
Wilson
is
willing
to
discuss
signing
a
long-term
contract
extension,
according
to
The
Athletic's
Zack
Rosenblatt.
Wilson
is
expected
to
push
for
top-10
receiver-type
money,
which
would
mean
something
in
the
range
of
$26-30
million
per
year.read more...
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt reports that there is mutual interest between the New York Jets and linebacker Jamien Sherwood on getting a new deal done, potentially before Sherwood even hits free agency. Sherwood had a breakout season in 2024 in his first year as a full-time starter while filling in for the injured C.J. Mosley, recording 158 tackles (league-leading 98 solo), two sacks, 10 tackles for loss and three pass breakups in 17 games (16 starts) in his fourth year in the NFL. If the 25-year-old former fifth-rounder reaches free agency, he's likely to be coveted by at least the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers due to connections with former coaches Jeff Ulbrich and Robert Saleh. The expectation is that Sherwood will command a deal in the range of three years and $8-10 million per season. It could cause an interesting dynamic with fellow linebacker Quincy Williams, who has outplayed the three-year, $18 million deal he signed in 2023.Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
2
weeks
agoThe
Athletic's
Zack
Rosenblatt
writes
that
Minnesota
Vikings
impending
free-agent
quarterback
Sam
Darnold
is
not
viewed
as
a
realistic
target
for
the
New
York
Jets,
both
because
of
his
projected
price
and
the
unlikelihood
that
he'd
want
to
return
to
the
team
that
draftedread more...
2
weeks
agoThe
Athletic's
Michael-Shawn
Dugar
writes
that
Seattle
Seahawks
general
manager
John
Schneider
wants
to
select
a
quarterback
in
this
year's
NFL
draft,
but
he
won't
force
a
pick
because
of
how
strongly
the
front
office
feels
about
current
starter
Geno
Smith.
Seattle
also
continuesread more...
2 weeks agoThe Athletic's Jeff Howe writes that it doesn't sound likely that the Seattle Seahawks would make wide receiver DK Metcalf available in a trade this offseason. There's been plenty of speculation that teams are already reaching out to Seattle, though, since Metcalf is entering the final season of his three-year, $72 million deal. The Athletic's Matt Schneidman shot down a report late last week that the Green Bay Packers have already made an enticing offer to Seattle for Metcalf, and it makes little sense for the team to trade away one of their best players. The Seahawks may be listening to calls on Metcalf, but all the messaging they've sent from the end of the 2024 season is that they failed to adequately involve him in the offense during Jaxon Smith-Njigba's breakout. Seattle is currently focused on making sure Metcalf is more involved in 2025, so a bounce-back season in fantasy is very much possible if he stays in town.Source: The Athletic - Jeff Howe