NFL Player News

Merriman has five tackles and no sacks through two games. NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi observed that Merriman “does not show the power he once had,” and his explosive burst was already long gone. With Arthur Moats back healthy, the Bills would be smart to decrease Merriman’s playing time going forward.

“While he was Denver’s leading rusher with 513 yards, he had his share of struggles and is not the same player he was before suffering a serious knee injury in October 2022,” Tomasson writes. Yup, that about sums it up. Tomasson writes that Jaleel McLaughlin will be back as a reserve but that the Broncos “likely will look for a potential starter in free agency or the draft.” It sure seemed like the way the Broncos managed the running back room this year that they didn’t have a real No. 1 back on the roster, and this report pretty much confirms that finding.

This sounds more like Schefter’s opinion than a known fact, but there’s something to be said for Kingsbury still not interviewing with a team despite multiple requests to speak with the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. Kingsbury, who said he won’t take an interview as long as the Commanders are in the playoffs, also went on record saying he was “very happy” with his current role while adding it “would take a lot” for him to leave Jayden Daniels. The Commanders are one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1991. If they advance past the Eagles next week, it’s possible Kingsbury won’t speak to a team regarding a head coaching vacancy until after the Super Bowl.

With Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson the hottest coaching names on the market, it makes sense that alignment-seeking front offices would turn Lance Newmark into a hot GM candidate. Newmark also has an interview lined up with the Raiders. This could be read as a sign that the Jets have moved to Aaron Glenn as the team’s No. 1 choice for their head coaching vacancy. Newmark originally interviewed with the Jets on January 11th.

The Raiders have bet big on their chances of getting Ben Johnson, with an interview with former Lions executive Lance Newmark the latest sign that they are hoping to create a coalition around what Johnson wants. It appears the Ben Johnson silly season will come to a close soon with the Bears and Jaguars also circling. However, Reed writes that the big question that remains is “whether Johnson would take the job,” as the Raiders lack talent compared to the other two squads, especially at quarterback. Carroll would be a strong rebound hire despite his advanced age. He had a strong 14-year run with the Seahawks and would likely bring some semblance of stability to an organization that has had trouble instilling that.

It sounds likely that the Texans will be on the lookout for some supplemental help at receiver with Stefon Diggs (torn ACL) a free agent and only John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson on contracts behind Nico Collins. C.J. Stroud campaigned for the team to keep Diggs. The truth of the matter is that the Texans are going to need at least one more major receiver addition ahead of the 2025 season if they can’t count on Dell to play at all this season. By not putting a timeline on it, what they are saying is that they hope to be happily surprised.

This interview was forecasted last week, but now the two sides officially appear ready to speak. Per Underhill, the “logistics are still being set,” and the weather could play a factor in when the meeting takes place. Regardless, McCarthy will have a chance to make his pitch about how he can fix the Saints, who finished the year with a 5-12 record after getting off to a 2-0 start with back-to-back 40-point games. McCarthy has already met with the Bears and is rumored to be one of their top candidates, with Detroit’s Ben Johnson being the other.

Hardman played in 12 regular season games, catching 12 passes for 90 yards while adding another 5-62-1 on the ground. Hardman caught three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in last year’s Super Bowl against the 49ers but has been little more than a role player and returner for the last three seasons. The decision to activate him from injured reserve would require the Chiefs to cut a player from their 53-man roster or find an excuse to place somebody on injured reserve. Unless there’s an injury to a receiver that would open the door for Hardman to return, there’s a good chance he’ll remain sidelined through the postseason.

As you’d expect, Lynn is yet another addition to this search with Cowboys ties, as he was their running backs coach in 2005-2006 during the Bill Parcells Era. Jerry Jones really seems to be going out of his way to make sure he hires somebody who either coached for the team previously or played for them during his ownership tenure. ESPN’s Adam Schefter also broached Lynn as a possibility on their Sunday pre-game show. It’s hard to argue that the Commanders have run the ball well in 2025, but it isn’t like Lynn gets to pack up Jayden Daniels with him.

Alexander speculates that the close relationship that Slowik and DeMeco Ryans have will likely help save the embattled coordinator’s job for 2025, but also posits that the Texans might need to add support staff and that “Chris Strausser’s days as the offensive line coach are likely numbered.” The Texans badly needed to find a better way to support C.J. Stroud on passing downs last year, both in terms of hot reads and offensive line play — particularly when it came to picking up stunts. We’re not surprised that the Texans are slowplaying firing Slowik, but it will likely leave the Texans passing game in an untenable fantasy football situation in 2025.