NFL Player News

According to Rivera, he just wants to make sure whatever job he takes is “the right one.” He also noted that he enjoyed serving as the Commanders’ defensive coordinator over the final five weeks of the season and that, in doing so, he realized how much he missed working in that capacity. Rivera’s Commanders went 4-13 in his final season at the helm. Serving as both GM and head coach, he often appeared out-matched on the field and away from it. Rivera also noted he “would’ve loved a different model” than the coach-centric one he took on under former owner Dan Snyder. Widely regarded as one of the nicest coaches the league has to offer, it’s easy to envision Rivera finding a new role before the start of 2024. With that said, a coaching position feels unlikely, although we can’t rule out anything until teams start hiring head coaches.

James signed a three-year, $24 million contract last offseason but missed time with an ankle injury in 2024 and wasn’t particularly effective when healthy. The move will save Vegas $1.5 million in cap space. With James off the roster, second-year lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson will likely take his place in the lineup. JPJ took over at left guard early in his rookie season, filled in for a hurt James, and eventually moved back to left guard.

As Russini succinctly puts it, “We’ll see.” Roussini also notes that teams have reached out to Atlanta to see if the team plans to release Cousins, and have been told no. The Falcons have no reason to hold onto a backup quarterback who is entering year two of a four-year, $180 million contract. Atlanta may be trying to recoup some of their losses by playing hardball with other teams, but it’s hard to see Cousins sticking around into Week 1. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo previously said he expects Cousins to make his inevitable trade request after the draft. This would allow him to pick a spot where he won’t be usurped by a rookie this time around. For now, Cousins, the Falcons, and other teams are all at a stalemate.

Gallup was released by the Cowboys last offseason and signed a one-year deal with the Raiders. He abruptly retired before the start of training camp and was officially released from the reserve/retired list earlier today. Gallup suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and has never been the same. He averaged 30 yards per game in the following season and that number fell to 25 in 2023. Gallup could wind up as a reserve option for a team in need of a WR5/6, but even that seems optimistic for the former Cowboy.

The 2023 sixth-round pick was waived by the Rams earlier this week. Tomlinson was a high-volume special teamer as a rookie but didn’t see the field much on defense. He missed all of the 2024 season with an undisclosed injury. Tomlinson will look to revive his career as a depth option for the 49ers.

Allen was given permission to seek a trade a few weeks ago ahead of his impending release. Nothing materialized and the Commanders cut ties with Allen to save nearly $16.5 million in cap space. The 49ers were in a similar situation with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who will be officially released with a post-June 1 designation at the start of the new league year next week. Now in need of extra firepower on the defensive line, Allen makes sense as a target for a contending 49ers squad. Allen missed nine games with a partially torn last year. He tallied three sacks and four TFLs across 11 appearances including the postseason.

Hendrickson has one year left on his deal and has requested a trade after failing to sign an extension with Cincy. The Bengals have given him permission to find a trade partner. Previous reports have the Commanders and Falcons as interested teams. Now the Cardinals can be added to the list. Arizona didn’t have a single defender total more than five sacks last year. They ranked 15th in sacks per game. Hendrickson led the league with 17.5 sacks. It was his second season in a row with as many takedowns.

Reid notes that he is expected to be fully healthy soon and will hold a private workout for teams two weeks before the draft. Johnson also skipped the NFL Combine aside from the interviews. A possible top-10 pick, Johnson missed time in his final season at Ann Arbor because of a turf toe injury. A hamstring issue after ducking the combine isn’t great for his draft stock, but the private workout will give him one final shot at impressing scouts.

The team also announced the re-signing of safety and special teamer Joey Blount. He got a two-year deal from the Cardinals. Brewer has been with the Cardinals for a decade after spending four years in Denver.

The move will create just shy of $11 million in cap space for Tennessee while leaving them with a $13.1 million dead cap charge. The Titans tried to find a trade partner for Landry but couldn’t land any takers because of his contract. The veteran defender had two seasons left on the five-year, $87.5 million contract he signed ahead of the 2022 season. Landry tore his ACL in 2022 but returned to form the following year, logging 10.5 sacks. His sack total took a slight hit last year, falling to nine. Landry will turn 29 years old before the upcoming season but is still an above-average starter at his position. Expect him to have plenty of suitors on the open market.

According to Schultz, the Vikings would like to re-sign Murphy, but the 2024 Pro Bowler is expected to test his value in free agency when the legal tampering period opens. Murphy totaled nine interceptions in his two seasons with the Vikings while racking up 138 tackles and another 27 pass breakups. At just 27 years old, he’s expected to have a strong market after last year’s breakout. His PFF coverage grade of 72.6 ranked 23rd among 117 corners (min. 300 snaps).