NFL Player News

Thompson (6'5/324) made 29 starts for the Sooners, playing left tackle as a junior and senior. He was a first-team All-Big 12 pick by the conference’s coaches in 2014, allowing just one sack despite playing through a foot injury. Long armed (34 7/8") and adequately athletic (5.30 forty, 29-inch vertical), Thompson’s weaknesses are run blocking, shoddy technique, and a reputation for laziness. If Thompson takes to NFL coaching, he could become a plus pass-protecting left tackle. If not, he could be out of the league quickly. The Vikings view Thompson as a swing tackle or guard.

Merriweather is an exclusive rights free agent who has totaled 38 tackles during his first two seasons with the Buccaneers. The former Iowa product has started seven of the 30 games he’s appeared in over his career and has played on 419 defensive snaps. Merriweather’s return gives the Buccaneers a reliable player on both defense and special teams ahead of next season.

The Patriots having a chance to pursue Godwin will depend on whether or not the Buccaneers can re-sign the veteran receiver before the start of the new league year. Godwin is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, but could fetch upwards of $25 million per year, according to Giardi. Before his injury, Godwin was playing some of the best football of his career, his 50-576-5 line over seven games had him on pace for a career-year, but how the 29-year-old will perform after returning from a nasty ankle injury is anybody’s guess. Still, an underwhelming free agent market and several wide receiver-needy teams could lead to teams over-spending to bring in the proven vet.

Playing in a limited role last season, Bell totaled 27 tackles, three TFLs, and one sack while also forcing one fumble. A former seventh-round pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Bell will be 29 at the start of next season and could catch on elsewhere as a special teams contributor.

Coburn is an exclusive rights free agent who will now return to the Titans on a one-year offer that was tendered to him. Coburn totaled 14 tackles and one TFL in 15 games last season while playing on 125 defensive snaps. He will likely continue to see work as a rotational player in the Titans’ defense next season.

Araiza was an exclusive rights free agent heading into this offseason, meaning this offer was all the Chiefs needed to do to retain him for the upcoming season. In his first season with the Chiefs, Araiza booted 62 punts, averaging 41.5 net yards per punt while landing 40.3 percent of his attempts inside opponent’s 20-yard lines. The man known as the “Punt God” didn’t quite live up to his nickname in 2024, but played well enough to earn another year with the Chiefs.

Barnes was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year. Now, the former fourth-round pick will be under contract through 2027, as the Lions return a key player who totaled 81 tackles and five TFLs during the 2023 season. Barnes was one of several Lions defenders who fell victim to the injury bug in 2024. He took a block to his knee during a Week 3 game against the Cardinals, which resulted in a torn MCL and PCL that ended his season. Although, it’s worth noting he avoided any damage to his ACL. Barnes reported in November that he was no longer on crutches, and is fully healthy heading into the offseason, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bernard becomes the second Bills player to get a long-term extension after the team gave Khalil Shakir a four-year, extension worth up to $60.2 million just over a week ago. Bernard, who was a third-round pick back in 2022, totaled 104 tackles, five TFLs, and one sack in 13 games last season, and has totaled 100-plus tackles in back-to-back seasons. A staple for a defense that ranked 11th in points allowed and 17th in total yards, Bernard is now under contract through the 2029 season.

The Raiders are doing everything they can to improve their quarterback room ahead of next season. They were in on the idea of trading for Matthew Stafford before he decided to remain with the Rams, but are still willing to explore the trade market for another veteran starter if the price is right. It’s not too often teams are willing to part with their QB1, especially if said QB gives them a chance to compete, but a handful of quarterbacks could be of interest here. One player to watch could be Geno Smith, who is in the final year of his current deal with the Seahawks and spent four seasons with Pete Carroll in Seattle. The Raiders are expected to be players for Sam Darnold, so it’s possible they don’t pursue a trade until Darnold finds a new home. Either way, it’s clear they hope to take a massive leap at quarterback in hopes of keeping pace with a division that already features Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix.

Things are getting good, here. Garrett reportedly discussed a meeting with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, only for Haslam to decline to speak with the All-Pro pass rusher. Garrett is dug in on his desire to be traded, while the Browns “from ownership to GM to coach,” per Pelissero, are dug in on not trading him. The Browns have floated the possibility of extending Garrett with a big contract to satisfy him for the foreseeable future, but Garrett’s focus seems to be solely on winning a championship that doesn’t appear to be anywhere in the Browns’ near future. How this ultimately plays out is anybody’s guess, but a split between the two sides feels increasingly likely.

“At a manageable number,” that is. We suppose stranger things have happened, but as the only available proven starting quarterback under the age of 30, a “manageable number” probably isn’t going to happen on the open market. Even if the sides do somehow manage to find the right number, all things being equal, Darnold would probably prefer a situation without J.J. McCarthy breathing down his neck. We still strongly expect Darnold to sign elsewhere next week.