NFL Player News

Reaves (5’11/204) was a three-year starter and four-year contributor in the Jaguars’ secondary, logging eight career interceptions and winning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He also earned PFF College’s No. 6 safety grade in the entire nation in 2017, yet was still snubbed for a Combine invite. His Pro Day results were sub-par with a 4.66 forty and 31-inch vertical. Despite his outstanding career against lower-level competition, Reaves’ athletic results lower his probability of finding a starting home in the NFL. He should be plus special teams contributor.

Brutal but not surprising. Burton was drafted No. 80 overall by the Bengals last season as a high-risk, high-reward dart throw. The talented rookie out of Alabama caught just four passes for 107 scoreless yards in 2024 and was held out of the team’s season-finale against the Steelers due to a coach’s decision. He was already considered to be on the roster bubble before this quote from Tobin, which came at the Senior Bowl, but this seems to add another layer to his uncertain future with the organization. Tobin went on to point out that the Bengals knew they “were taking a risk” when they drafted Burton and added that they thought they “could help him through some of the challenges he’s had in the past” but also said Burton is “going to have to start doing something quickly.”

Graham suffered a torn triceps in the Eagles’ Week 12 win over the Rams and missed the remainder of the regular season. With a little less than two weeks to go before the Super Bowl, Graham will now have a chance to practice in hopes of suiting up for the Eagles as they aim to end the Chiefs’ hope of a three-peat. In addition to Graham, the Eagles also designated TE C.J. Uzomah for return and signed RB Lew Nichols to their practice squad.

Covington spent last season as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator but first joined their staff in 2017 as a coaching assistant. He was promoted to their DL coach in 2020 and served in that role until 2023. It was reported earlier that Covington, who interviewed earlier this month for the Bengals’ defensive coordinator vacancy, was not expected to return to the Patriots after they went out and hired Mike Vrabel as head coach. Now, he’ll have a chance to start over in Green Bay. In addition to Covington, the Packers also hired former quarterback Sean Mannion as their quarterbacks coach.

Tobin said a new deal for Ja’Marr Chase is a top priority this offseason but added that the team is also interested in signing Higgins to an extension. “It’s going to be hard” to keep both players, Tobin noted, but he’s hopeful the Bengals and Higgins can agree to something comfortable for both sides based on his experience, playing time, and production over the first five seasons. The Bengals are saying all of the right things, but a number that might be “right” for the Bengals may not necessarily be right for Higgins, who is expected to field several lucrative offers on the open market. There will be plenty of time for the two sides to negotiate before free agency kicks off later this year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Higgins opted to test free agency regardless.

Tafur also points out that the Raiders still have to bring in other candidates to interview for the position, but Bevell continues to be the leader in the clubhouse. The long-time Seahawks’ offensive coordinator (2011-2017) has a great relationship with new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and saw his offense finish in the top 10 in scoring in four of his eight years with the team. Bevell also had brief stints with the Lions (2019-2020) and the Jaguars (2021) as offensive coordinator and currently works as the Dolphins QB coach and passing game coordinator.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first. After previous reports that the Raiders were “working on a deal” to bring Graham back, things became official overnight. Graham has served as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator since 2022 and interviewed for a handful of head coaching positions this offseason before finding his way back to Vegas. Last season, Graham’s defense ranked 25th in points allowed but 15th in total yards allowed. They also ranked in the top 16 in both EPA per play and success rate. The advanced stats suggest Graham’s defense was far better than the 25.5 points per game they allowed in 2024. With head coach Pete Carroll and Tom Brady taking on a bigger role as a part-owner, the best days could be ahead for Graham, who should have a much better roster to work with in 2025.

The Jaguars are beginning to build out their staff around new head coach Liam Coen. Pritchard is a former Stanford quarterback who was also a long-time coach in various positions for the Cardinal. He spent the last two seasons as quarterbacks coach for the Commanders, including working with rookie Jayden Daniels. The Jaguars seem to believe Pritchard played a big hand in Daniels’ development and are interviewing him for offensive coordinator. If hired, Pritchard would have a chance to work with Trevor Lawrence to bring the Jaguars offense back from the brink.

Janocko was the Saints’ quarterback coach last season, working with the likes of Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener through a middling 2024 season. With the Saints still searching for a head coach, ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports they would like to keep Janocko but are allowing more coaches to interview for lateral jobs. If he does leave for Seattle, Janocko would reunite with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to work with Geno Smith.

Stafford turns 37 in February but plans to play in 2025, according to Rapoport. The veteran finished the season with 3,762 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions as the Rams lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Though he is under contract through 2026, Stafford is slated to make a non-guaranteed $27 million next season. The Rams and Stafford will likely revisit that so he has more guaranteed money under his belt heading into year No. 17 in the NFL.