Roster News & Rumors

Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer will grab the headlines — and for good reason.

That Las Vegas Raiders tight end duo is slated to be used quite often in head coach Klint Kubiak’s offense as the play caller’s penchant to use multiple sets is well-documented.

But it goes beyond two-tight end alignments.

Kubiak isn’t shy to deploy three-tight end sets in a way that defies the traditionalist method of being a predictable running formation. Bucking the trend is a calling card for the Silver & Black’s new head honcho and while we’ll see aplenty good 12 Personnel (one running back and two tight ends) as it’s a staple of his arsenal, it’ll get really interesting if/when Kubiak trots out 13 and 23 Personnel (three tight ends) packages.

Which means, the Raiders’ depth at the position group is critical. Bowers and Mayer are undoubtedly integral to Kubiak’s operation but as we’re all too aware: Injuries can happen at any time. As such, the reserve roles behind Las Vegas young top tow tight ends is equally as vital.

By The Numbers
Raiders Tight Ends

We have re-signed TE Ian Thomas.

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/Z7K5XPJMTA pic.twitter.com/Kzt7pT6cVK

Of the six tight ends on the Raiders 90-man roster as they head into training camp later this month (July 23 for rookies, July 28 for veterans), Thomas notched the most snaps on the team in 2025. The 30-year-old blocking tight end — who is a sneaky pass catcher — logged 318 snaps on 15 games played (10 of which were as a starter) and caught 13 passes for 114 yards.

Thought to walk in free agency, Raiders general manager re-signed the veteran to a modest one-year, $1.6 million deal a month after free agency began in March. But Thomas’ sustained blocking experience and ability to catch the rock, too, adds a familiar and reliable depth piece to Kubiak’s offense.

Carter Runyon is next in terms of an incumbent who earned snaps in 2025. An undrafted free agent out of Towson, the 24-year-old notched 45 snaps on offense and was a special teamer with 206 snaps. Finishing his rookie season with just one catch for three yards in 13 games played (zero starts), Runyon was relegated to supreme depth piece behind Thomas. Like his veteran counterpart, Runyon offers sneaky receiver skills as a leak and/or play action option as the youngster is more of a receiving tight end. He’s both a vertical and horizontal threat who brings deceptive speed for his size.

Then, there’s Albert Okwuegbunam Jr., a fleet-footed veteran who logged 31 snaps on offense in the lone game he played in 2025: A 40-6 lambasting the Raiders suffered at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, on October 5. Clocking in a 4.49 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine prepping for the 2020 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos’ fourth-round pick (118th overall) has speed that rivals Bowers’. Okwuegbunam is a seam-stretcher tight end that can stress a defense but hasn’t consistently put it together.

6'5", 258 lbs.@MizzouFootball TE Albert Okwuegbunam runs a 4.49u 40-yard dash!

Would tie for fourth-fastest 40 by a tight end since 2003.

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/hGZ8nbXRVw

Lastly, there’s 2026 undrafted free agent Patrick Gurd, a well-built blocking tight end who can line up either inline or even in the backfield as a lead-blocking fullback. The 24-year-old could make a run for both reserve tight end or fullback spots but faces a steep uphill climb. Gurd profiles more as a fringe talent that would need to showcase more special teams prowess than Runyon.

That rounds out the tight end group, but there’s a darkhorse that can eat up tight end snaps when their role as the fullback isn’t on the field: Connor Heyward.

While the veteran was signed to fill the tradition fullback role and was even given a number normally reserved for backfield folk (No. 34), Heyward is primed for a return to his pass-catching roots, something he did more frequently with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie in 2022 (12 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown) and 2023 (23 catches for 167 yards) compared to the last two seasons combined (nine receptions for 61 yards, two touchdowns).

Getting back into the pass-catching mix will help both Kubiak and Heyward.

Comfortable as a move tight end and H-back, Heyward showed he can run past linebackers and defensive backs with soft hands to become a trusted target. This allows Kubiak to get creative and confuse opposing defenses by either lining up Heyward in the backfield in front of the running back or at tight end and motioning the fullback back and forth. He can run routes from the backfield or as an in-line tight end or in the slot.

Rodgers directs traffic and finds Connor Heyward in the end zone!

CLEvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/GwBLqXFu6s

Unless the Raiders move Mayer or Runyon/Gurd make heads turn in training camp, I expect Thomas to be the third tight end on the depth chart. Honestly, it’s likely safe to pencil in Heyward’s name as TE3 instead, considering the fullback has the versatility to function at both position groups and he’s a rabid special teamer — something Thomas did for only 96 snaps in 2025 (Heyward had 290 in comparison).

In fact, when comparing total career special teams snaps, Heyward nearly has double at 1,124 to Thomas’ 592 in four less season in the NFL.

I keep hearing conflicting thoughts on if a stack is better than just having good players. Like, is there some kind of evidence that stack holders are winning their leagues more often? For context, I have Kyler and Justin Jefferson, but would that be better than having Josh Allen and Jefferson? Superflex league, no TE premium

The possibility that Aaron Donald will come out of retirement to help Myles Garrett lead the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl next season first gained steam when Pat McAfee shared a text exchange between himself and the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and ESPN’s host says he “knows” the defensive tackle won’t return just to be a part-timer.

As the rumors start to feel less like rumors and more like indications of an inevitable return, the scenario which will lead Donald back to the Rams has began to take structure. How? When? What role will Donald have?

Amid this week’s rumors that Donald may not come back until the end of training camp, if not after the season has already started, McAfee shot those down by claiming he’s not speculating and that Donald wants to be a full-time player again, not a situational pass rusher.

“We assume—actually forget that. I know that if Aaron Donald comes back, he’s playing 50 snaps a game. This is not a farewell tour, rotation tour. This is Aaron Donald football.”

Say what you want about McAfee, the guy knows how to make a quote.

"The Aaron Donald situation is really interesting..

The Rams adding him back to their team would be incredible" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/KF4pV6BTwo

McAfee sees Donald, even at 35, as the guy who is going to get “Check 99” calls from the offense, meaning that teams can’t leave him one-on-one. So what does that do for Myles Garrett, another defensive lineman who will require many double and triple-teams next season?

If nothing else, it should allow Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske to eat a lot more quarterbacks.

At this point, the only person holding up the announcement is Donald. As he continues to give indications that he will eventually return to the Rams this year, perhaps only a physical setback will cause him to shut it down. Anything short of that, Donald’s workouts and messages, both to McAfee and fans, should bring him back to the NFL.

If he’s coming back to the NFL, many don’t expect him to be anything less than Aaron Donald.

Otherwise, why’s he coming back?

As soon as Aaron Donald makes his return to the Los Angeles Rams official, team history will be made.

There have never been two active Rams defenders with 100 career sacks playing on the same team. A pairing with Myles Garrett would cross that threshold for the first time.

Garrett currently ranks 28th in NFL history in career sacks with 125.5. Donald is 45th on a relatively short career with 111. It’s also generally tougher for interior players to accumulate sacks as opposed to EDGE rushers.

The closest the Rams have came to this was during the 2021 season when LA acquired Von Miller via trade. Miller is 13th on the career leaderboards with 138.5 sacks, although Donald did not cross this barrier until the following season when Miller was a member of the Buffalo Bills.

The league did not track sacks as an official stat until 1982, which eliminates the Fearsome Foursome from contention.

While this team-up would be a first in Rams history, other franchises across the NFL have hit this threshold 10 times. The San Francisco 49ers have the richest history with three instances of their own.

The most recent pairing was five years ago with JJ Watt and Chandler Jones on the Arizona Cardinals.

The Falcons defense lost Kaden Elliss during free agency, choosing to spend that money on a number of veteran and rookie linebackers over the course of the offseason. Kevin Knight and Tre’Shon Diaz discuss Atlanta’s new linebacker corps, including the shot caller in Divine Deablo and the pivotal roles to be played by Christian Harris, Kendal Daniels, and Harold Perkins. Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of the Dirty Birds and Brews podcast!

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Earlier this week, we asked Chicago Bears fans to give us their prediction for how many passing yards Caleb Williams would have in the 2026 season. There was a nice split among the top two responses (full results below), but only 5% of respondents see him failing to crack the ever-elusive 4,000-yard mark.

With the Bears being the only franchise to never have a QB hit that 4k mark, it is a sore spot for some, but head coach Ben Johnson has always been a play caller who leaned into the run game, so I would not be surprised if Williams misses it again.

I’d love for it to happen, just to put the narrative to bed, but ultimately, all I really care about is the Dub.

That said, the recent props from our partners at FanDuel Sportsbook have Caleb’s over/under passing yards a bit on the low side, if you ask me.

Here’s how they have the NFC North quarterbacks ranked.

Detroit Lions, Jared Goff: Over 4050.5 (-114), Under 4050.5 (-114)

Chicago Bears, Caleb Williams: Over 3575.5 (-114), Under 3575.5 (-114)

Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love: Over 3525.5 (-114), Under 3525.5 (-114)

Yikes, the oddsmakers having Caleb’s over/under higher than Love’s is sure to trigger some cheeseheads!

As for the Minnesota Vikings, with the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, the sportsbooks won’t set a number until one player wins the job. My guess is Murray wins the gig, and his number will be in the 3,500 ballpark, but if J.J. is named the starter, he’ll come in lower.

Besides the 4,000-yard passing milestone, the Bears have also never had a QB throw for 30 or more touchdowns. FanDuel doesn’t think Caleb will hit that this year either. Here are the NFC North props for passing TDs.

Jared Goff: Over 29.5 (-114), Under 29.5 (-114)

Jordan Love: Over 24.5 (-102), Under 24.5 (-130)

Caleb Williams: Over 24.5 (+100), Under 24.5 (-132)

As for the Williams’ props, give me the over on both yards and touchdowns!

The Dallas Cowboys defense was atrocious last year. In 2026, Dallas is banking that several additions to two key units on the defensive side will make the group, and the team, much more dangerous. We’ll break it down between the defensive line and the secondary.

Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence and Otto Ogbonnia are some of the most notable names the Cowboys brought in to bolster a defensive line that struggled to do anything positive last year. Dallas, however, has multiple issues on defense. Both the run and pass defense struggled last year, and over the last few years, the run defense has been an issue. That was bolstered after the trade for Quinnen Williams last year, and the move to the base 3-4 is designed to have more beef up front.

Gary is a veteran who is a plus defender in run defense. Lawrence is a fantastic athlete, a pass rusher who is going to be a part of a rotation that can get after the quarterback. Ogbonnia will be asked to eat up blockers and plug up the middle along with Kenny Clark and Williams. These moves give the 2026 iteration of the Cowboys defense a chance to improve mightily.

With that said, the pass rush must improve. Gone is sack leader Jadeveon Clowney, who had 8.5 sacks, 41 tackles and a forced fumble. Donovan Ezeiruaku is being counted on to fill that hole in his second year. This defensive front is a long way from being dominant, but if they can make a significant leap they could make life easier for their corners, leading to more turnovers and more stops. Pressure up front along with stout run defense would equal more wins.

The interesting thing about these discussions, in particular this one, is how connected they are. A good defensive line helps the secondary and vice versa. The idea is to get both units playing at a high level to compete for a championship instead of using one to cover up the flaws of the other, which is still good but doesn’t hold up for long.

The defensive line has been injected with talent, both veteran and young, and the secondary’s biggest additions are along the same lines. Cobie Durant and Jalen Thompson are the biggest veteran additions to the secondary. Caleb Downs is the guy all eyes will be on after the Cowboys made him their first-round pick in the 2026 draft. They are joining a secondary that only secured six interceptions in 2025 and allowed a 67.7 completion percentage to opposing QBs, one of the worst marks in the league.

For me, it’s the secondary.

Why?

Because even though the defensive line may have added bigger names, Caleb Downs completely changes Dallas’ outlook for the defensive backfield. With Downs in the fold, there is more legitimate flexibility in coverage packages, and you now have a game-breaker that moves the needle. Yet the defensive line will determine whether the defense reaches its ceiling.

Great defenses rarely rely on one position group. A disruptive defensive front and a disciplined secondary are complementary pieces as mentioned earlier. The Cowboys spent the offseason investing in both, and training camp will provide the first real glimpse of whether those investments have produced a more complete defense.

Over to you BTB. Who is the winner here and why? Let us know in the comments.

What are everyone’s thoughts on Odunze and Burden over the next 3 years? As a Bears fan I believe Rome still has the potential to be a clear WR1 even with the foot issue. But I’m also seeing a ridiculous amount of hype around Burden. Rome and Caleb’s chemistry has been proven already in my eyes, but does anyone think Luther can truly become a fantasy WR1 and more valuable than Rome?

Chris Johnson shocked the world when he revealed earlier this summer that he had been diagnosed with ALS. CJ2K was one of the most dominant athletes on the planet when he played for the Tennessee Titans. It was shocking to see how quickly the disease has affected him.

The Titans announced today that they will induct CJ into the Ring of Honor on September 13th at halftime of the season opener against the New York Jets. CJ still holds the single-season NFL record for yards from scrimmage with 2,509 in 2009. The Titans were bad that year, but CJ2K gave us a reason to watch the games every Sunday.

Here is what Amy Adams Strunk had to say about CJ’s induction:

“Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in statement. “His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration. We look forward to welcoming him home on Sept. 13 and officially inducting him into the Titans Ring of Honor.”

The Titans will honor Chris Johnson during their first game of the 2026 season.

The team announced on Friday that they will induct Johnson into their Ring of Honor during their season opener against the Jets. The announcement comes after Johnson revealed in June that he was diagnosed with ALS last year. Johnson said that he hopes going public with his condition "helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope."

"Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in statement. "His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration. We look forward to welcoming him home on Sept. 13 and officially inducting him into the Titans Ring of Honor."

Johnson was a Titans first-round pick in 2008 and was named the NFL offensive player of the year after rushing for 2,006 yards in his second season. Johnson remained with the team through 2013 and ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of his six seasons with the team. He ranks fourth in franchise history behind Eddie George, Derrick Henry and Earl Campbell with 7,965 rushing yards.

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby says four quarterbacks stand out as the hardest in the NFL to sack.

Asked in a kick.com interview who he considers the hardest to sack in the league, Crosby named Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"Mahomes has definitely got to be up there, Lamar is a freak athlete, he's so quick and fast. Josh Allen is like my size playing quarterback, but you've got to really fucking tackle him. I'd say those three are the top," Crosby said. "A sleeper one, too: Baker Mayfield. He pissed me off. I had two of them I should have had on him. He ducked under, got under them. I was fucking livid. Baker's tough. I like Baker."

Crosby never sacked Mayfield in that game (the photo accompanying this post shows one of the near-sacks that Mayfield escaped), and Mayfield threw for three touchdown passes in a 28-13 Buccaneers win. Crosby hasn't forgotten.

When and where: Week 5 in London

Key additions: DT Ruke Orhorhoro, RB Chris Rodriguez

Key subtractions: LB Devin Lloyd, RB Travis Etienne, DT Maason Smith

Last season: New head coach won the AFC South with Trevor Lawrence, just like the last guy

The question for this team: How much of 2025 was real?

New head coach Liam Coen’s first year was a huge success by Jacksonville standards. 13 wins, which was second best in Jaguars history, and a division title for only the fifth time in franchise history. After their bye they went 9-1, then lost to the Bills on a last minute Josh Allen TD. No shame in that.

But we’ve seen this story so many times: new coach arrives, does some good things that his predecessor wasn’t doing, beats up on a soft schedule, the team thinks it’s legit and doesn’t do much in the offseason, and then year two is a dud. The recipe is almost always the same: the team had a lot of things go right in the first year that can’t be counted on happening again; and they thought they had arrived and rested on their laurels in the offseason and it came back to bite them. Second part first, the Jaguars did next to nothing in the spring to improve their roster. If anything, they got worse, downgrading at RB.

The Jaguars 2025 season had some smoke and mirrors. Seven of those nine post-bye wins were against the Raiders (in OT), Cardinals (also in OT), Titans (twice), Colts (twice-the first with Daniel Jones getting injured early, the second with Philip Rivers at QB), and Jets. The defense had the second most takeaways, and had six games with at least three, four of them were the first four games of the season. Their non-divisional opponents this year are the AFC North, the NFC East, the Patriots, the Bears, and of course the Eagles. Some of those teams will be bad, but the Jaguars are almost certainly not playing six games against all of the teams picking 1 through 4 in April.

But there are also reasons to believe there isn’t a heat shield needed for the Jaguars regression to the mean. The 9-1 finish had some absolute hammerings: 41-7, 48-20, 36-19, and not just against filler: they beat the Broncos 34-20 in Denver, and the Chargers 35-6. The Jaguars had the 3rd best point differential in the league. They had a good but not unrepeatable record in one score games, going 6-4. They outgained their opponent in all but three games. They had good but not extremely beneficial health, 7th best in Adjusted Games Lost; or in penalties, they actually committed more than their opponents; and no one had a team carrying career year. In fact, most players didn’t have noteworthy seasons at all. Their leading receiver was Parker Washington, who caught just 58 passes for 847 yards. Travis Etienne was their leader in TD receptions. On the ground Etienne was just 11th in rushing yards, and 22nd in TDs. Brian Thomas looked like a star in 2024 with 1,282 yards and 10 TDs, he had 707 and 2 in 2025. Josh Hines-Allen had just 8 sacks, only one other player had more than 3.5. 

That 9-1 run was also, perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not coincidentally, without Travis Hunter, who tore is LCL in a non-contact injury in practice. Hunter was not effective as either a WR or a CB, which is not a surprise because he was, you know, a rookie, and he couldn’t practice fully as either. Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not coincidentally, Hunter played a ton and got hurt. Hunter played 69 snaps per game, which over a 17 game season would be 1,180 snaps. That not only would have led the league, but since 2012, only 2 offensive players who weren’t OL or QBs, and 6 defensive players have had at least 1,180 snaps in a season. 

Since the Jaguars have made London their second home in 2013, they have been mostly terrible. But London has been good to them, they’re 7-7 there, though 2-2 in seasons where they’ve had a winning record. The Jaguars definitely get a bit of an advantage in the institutional memory of making this trip every year for over a decade, but it’s not a decisive one. For the Eagles though, this is their first European trip since beating the Jaguars in London in 2018. Could be something.

Sidenote: London is the greatest city in the world. If you have the chance to go to this game and you’re on the fence about going, go.

Happy Friday! It’s the weekend(ish). And yes, another piece on the Seattle Seahawks’ bountiful depth chart. We as fans project, and rightly so, that the few holes that need to be plugged for our beloved squad in 2026 will be filled by players who have at the minimum shown above-average potential. Ty Okada is one of those players. Who gets the most snaps replacing Coby Bryant, we cannot say. Tho, whether it’s Ty or a wild card, you can bet the ‘Hawks will put them in a position to succeed, and will push that player throughout the season. Ergo, we gonna be okay. Dive into the links. Get smart. Thanks for being here. Go, ‘Hawks!

#np Dynamite! by The Roots

Seattle Seahawks News

Seahawks Player Rankings: Nos. 6-10 – Seaside Joe
The heart of the best defense in the NFL and the most underrated tackle in the league

Brock: Seahawks will have a top-10 offensive line in the NFL – Seattle Sports
Seattle fielded its best O-line in ages last season. Brock Huard thinks the unit will be even better in 2026.

Top 2026 Training Camp Storylines: What’s Next For Super Bowl Champion QB Sam Darnold? – Seahawks.com
After helping lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in his first season in Seattle, what does quarterback Sam Darnold do for an encore?

Where’s the Respect? Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Deserves Better Than Constantly Moving the Goalposts – Emerald City Spectrum
It’s human nature. Sometimes, we make a decision early on about something and can be virtually immovable in that opinion regardless of which direction the winds of change blow, or how hard. It’s called pride. We all have it.

Why Ty Okada Can Effectively Replace Coby Bryant in Seahawks’ Defense – si.com
The former undrafted free agent proved that he has starter capabilities in 2025.

Execs, coaches, scouts rank top NFL safeties for 2026 – ESPN.com
The 2026 NFL training camps are on the horizon, and with that in mind, ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions. This is the seventh edition of these annual rankings.

One Key Stat For Each NFC West Team – Rob & Dan With One Final Debate Before Training Camp Begins – Seahawks Forever w/ Dan Viens
Rob “Stats” Guerrera of the Gold Standard Podcast Network joins me for another edition of NFC West Mixtape, where we get together every week to break down the best division in football.

NFC West News

SB Nation’s NFL quarterback analytics list revealed – Revenge of the Birds
SBN has just published its top quarterbacks going into the 2026 season. But instead of asking everybody in the league their opinion, SBN has traveled a different route: using analytics.

The best and worst contracts on the 49ers in 2026 – Niners Nation
The 49ers have an interesting way of structuring contracts.

Build the perfect Rams defensive back – Turf Show Times
The “Build a perfect Ram” series ends with a contentious debate in the secondary

There are a lot of ways new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak can impact the offense as their new playcaller.

Helping get 2025 first-round pick, running back Ashton Jeanty is one of them. The Raiders drafted Jeanty to bring explosive plays to the offense. It didn’t work last year.

According to a recent X post by NFL analyst Ian Hartitz, the Raiders had just four rushes of 20 or more yards last season. It was tied for the fifth fewest in the league. Meanwhile, the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, where Kubiak was the offensive coordinator, had 16 such runs, which was second in the NFL. Here is the list:

How many 20+ yard rushes did your NFL team's running backs collectively have in 2025?

22: Ravens
16: Seahawks
15: Dolphins
14: Patriots
13: Lions
11: Bills, Rams, Cowboys
10: Jets
9: Colts, Bears, Titans, Falcons
8: Steelers, Broncos, Chargers, Bengals
7: Jaguars, Texans, Eagles…

Perhaps with Kubiak’s scheme and improved offensive line play, Jeanty and rookie speedster tailback Mike Washington can help increase the explosive runs in Las Vegas in 2026.

In other Raiders’ news:

Sign up for a user account and get:

Good morning, Chargers fans!

In a recent interview done on the popular Youtube show Bussin’ With The Boys, Bears tight end Colston Loveland admitted that he thought he was going to be drafted by the Chargers and reunited with his college head coach, Jim Harbaugh. In the end, Loveland never made it all that close to the Chargers at No. 22 (he was drafted No. 10) and has since found his role with Chicago as one of the up-and-coming young players at the position in the NFL.

Loveland and Justin Herbert sounded like a great match in the pros, but the Bolts eventually found their own young star at tight end in Oronde Gadsden II four rounds later.

Seems like it all worked out in the end for both teams.

And now for today’s links.

Who is the Chargers’ most important newcomer this season? (Chargers.com)

Bears tight end Colston Loveland says he expected to be draft by the Chargers (Chargers Wire)

What would it take for the Chargers to trade away some of their best players? (Charger Report)

The Chargers should take a swing and trade for this cornerback before the season begins (Bolt Beat)

These players dropped out entirely of this year’s NFL Top 100 rankings (ESPN)

George Pickens will play on his franchise tag during the 2026 season (CBS Sports)

These are the biggest remaining roster issues for each AFC team entering training camp (NFL.com)

Rookies for the Seahawks begin to report today for training camp (Pro Football Talk)

Ranking all of the starting quarterbacks ahead of training camp (Sports Illustrated)

These overlooked rookie running backs are players you should keep an eye on (Bleacher Report)

When the Green Bay Packers take the field this fall, their linebacker group will be one of the more interesting units on the roster. The team has a bona fide star on the roster, but aside from Edgerrin Cooper, the rest of the group provides far more questions than answers.

What does Zaire Franklin bring at this stage of his career, coming off his worst season as a pro? How much can the team get out of Isaiah McDuffie, a viable run-stuffer who remains a major liability in coverage? What exactly is Ty’Ron Hopper, the third-year pro who played just 59 defensive snaps last year before the team’s meaningless Week 18 game? What level of confidence does the team have in Nick Niemann or Kristian Welch to provide quality depth instead of just special teams snaps?

Cooper might be able to cover up a lot of those questions on his own. The young budding star just got named one of the NFL’s top ten linebackers by ESPN — and deservedly so — and the team sees him as a building block for the middle of the defense. Still, you have to play at least two linebackers on most defensive plays, so it’s important for Jonathan Gannon to figure out what to do next to him.

Let’s take a look at that group before we head into the weekend.

Three Concerning Questions for Packers at Linebacker After Big Change | SI.com
It’s easy to forget that Zaire Franklin was a second-team All-Pro just two years ago after he took a big step back in 2025. But then again, he was running a different defensive scheme last year and perhaps it didn’t fit his game very well.

2026 NFL trade tiers: Players worth Round 1 picks by team | ESPN
This piece suggests that Cooper is among a quartet of Packers players who would draw at least one first-round pick in a trade at this point. Obviously Jordan Love and Micah Parsons are on that list, but so is Zach Tom. I’m surprised Xavier McKinney didn’t make the cut too, however.

Who could be first-time Pro Bowlers for the Packers in 2026? | Packers Wire
It sure does feel like this year will be Cooper’s time to make an appearance.

Happy 70th season, Lambeau Field! | Packers.com
Here’s a great history of the evolution of professional football’s finest and most historic stadium.

Green Bay Packers will travel farther for the 2026 schedule than in 2025 | Packersnews.com
Farther, yes. Much farther? No.

Canadian woman caught with ball python in her bra at Schiphol Airport | NL Times
The most bizarre part of this is that the woman tried to smuggle the animal through security after supposedly finding it at her hotel.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown did not become a member of the Patriots until June, which meant he didn't get much time to work with quarterback Drake Maye before the end of the team's offseason program.

It was enough time for Brown to make a positive impression on his new teammate. Maye said at his football camp this week that he feels he has already started to build a connection with Brown and that he plans to deepen it once training camp is underway this month.

“A.J.’s been awesome," Maye said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "I’m really looking forward to playing with him. I'm looking forward to getting to camp and building some chemistry. And I know there's already some there for me. You just gotta throw it near him, and he'll make a play. He's a great teammate. He's been great so far. He loves to win, so we share that."

The Patriots were willing to wait to make a trade for Brown because they think he and Maye will take the offense beyond where it was with Stefon Diggs as the top receiver in 2025. The way that comes together will be a leading storyline for the team's preseason work.

Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!

Bleacher Report

Kaytron Allen, Washington Commanders

Nicholas Singleton wasn’t the only Penn State running back who was drafted this season. After setting a career high with 1,303 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last year with the Nittany Lions, the Washington Commanders selected Kaytron Allen at No. 187 overall.

While speaking to reporters, the 5’11”, 216-pounder said he’s eager to try to carve out a role in Washington’s offense this year:

“I’m ready to get to work right now. I feel like I’m a competitor, and me being in the room, I feel like it’s going to make everybody better for sure. I just feel like when players around me, they got no other choice but to get better around me just because of my work ethic and how I go about playing football. I love football, so I put everything into it. And I just feel like if you’re around me, you gotta love football, or if not, it’s going to show. I feel like if they draft me, that means they want me to come there and do something special, and I’m ready for it. I’m ready for the challenge, and I’m ready to get to work, man.”

The Commanders have already shown they will hand a large role in the backfield to a rookie. Last year, Jacory Croskey-Merritt went from a seventh-round pick to the lead back in the nation’s capital.

This isn’t to say Allen will immediately usurp Croskey-Merritt in that role in 2026.

But given his punishing running style, it would not be a surprise if Allen eventually claimed a larger share of the workload.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Pro Football Focus

13. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

McLaurin’s 2025 season was disrupted by injuries, ending his streak of five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Even so, he earned a career-high 87.0 PFF receiving grade despite playing just three games with star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Assuming both stay healthy, McLaurin and Daniels have shown they can form one of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterback-receiver duos.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

ESPN

Consider what it would cost if a team decided that it was willing to trade a player at a given position, as the Cowboys eventually decided with Parsons and the Browns with Garrett. And while it’s going to be virtually impossible to rack up unlimited draft picks in the first round to get the biggest deals done — especially since the current CBA only allows teams to trade picks up to three years into the future — consider that players can stand in for draft picks in these deals, as Verse did with the Garrett swap.

This is an attempt to reflect how the league views players as opposed to my personal opinion, although my thoughts are naturally going to be part of the conversation. And I’ve had to evolve after seeing how the league has approached the past 12 months. My last cut from the first-round pick tier in last year’s article was Lawrence, and I was wrong. Even after a frustrating season, he was dealt to the Bengals for the No. 10 selection. We’ve seen teams really get aggressive targeting proven pass rushers and defensive disruptors, even if they’re older than the players who would have typically landed first-round picks in the past. I’ve built that into this year’s list, which means more players will qualify for potential first-round picks this time around.

Washington Commanders

Three first-round picks and more: QB Jayden Daniels. It wasn’t a banner year for Daniels, who dealt with multiple injuries amid a frustrating 2025 season for the Commanders. Optimists who saw an unflappable playmaker at LSU witnessed Daniels immediately revitalize a moribund Commanders franchise in 2024, but teams that were worried about Daniels’ slight frame entering the draft were given further fuel for their fears last season.

One first-round pick: OT Josh Conerly Jr., LB Sonny Styles, OT Laremy Tunsil. While the Commanders were able to extract Tunsil from the Texans without giving up a first-round pick last offseason, the much-traveled tackle played well enough to justify a bump up to a first-round tier. Conerly struggled badly early in the season as a pass blocker, but the rookie right tackle improved as the season went along and could build on that performance in Year 2. And while Styles was the seventh pick in this year’s draft, it’s tough to find many off-ball linebackers who commanded first-round picks in a trade, let alone multipick hauls. If Styles’ athleticism and instincts make him a special talent, of course, that could change.

Missing out: Edge Odafe Oweh, CB Mike Sainristil. Sainristil was one of the many Commanders defenders who took a major step backward in 2025 after impressing the prior season. I wouldn’t rule out a return to form for the third-year pro, although he would need to prove that he can hold up as an outside cornerback to justify a first-round pick as a trade return.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

New All Ears is up!

McLaurin talks #Commanders offense, LA workouts & helps young people get ready for job interviews

Plus, JD5's ranking on a new QB poll, 1-on-1 with WR coach Bobby Engram, and an overdue honor for Riggo@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHailhttps://t.co/RD1MNZUVje

NFL.com

Summer bliss with Pickens and no drama in Oxnard?

Aside from some contract squabbles with George Pickens and Brandon Aubrey that were tame by Cowboys standards, this has been a drama-free offseason for Dallas. Will that change during training camp in Oxnard, California? It’s been a breath of fresh air that’s even drawn applause from one of the greatest Cowboys ever, NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith. With Dallas locked in on snapping a two-year playoff drought, the on-field focus bodes well. Avoiding major storylines might well be the biggest development of the summer for the ‘Boys. July 28 looms large for the team, as it’s when players are set to report to camp and owner Jerry Jones traditionally addresses the media in a lengthy news conference. The Cowboys have been transparent about not negotiating an extension with Pickens, who has signed his franchise tag and stated he doesn’t intend to hold out. We’ll see just how copacetic everything remains when camp kicks off.

This is Dart’s team now

At the start of last season, Jaxson Dart waited his turn behind Russell Wilson. After eventually getting handed the starting reins, the first-round pick weathered a debut campaign that saw him deal with injuries, scrutiny for his devil-may-care scrambling and the firing of head coach Brian Daboll. Daboll and interim head coach Mike Kafka took turns navigating Dart’s first season. Now it’s up to Matt Nagy to shepherd Dart’s growth. The floor for Dart is staying healthy. The ceiling is what the Big Blue faithful are most excited about. Dart’s development as a franchise signal-caller is arguably the most important factor for the 2026 Giants. Hype and hope have early expiration dates in the NFL, so Dart’s second season is already a pivotal one after the QB showed plenty of potential (24 total touchdowns) in his career-opening campaign.

What becomes of Carter?

Jalen Carter seems to be on the brink of becoming perhaps the league’s elite defensive tackle. Hence, he’s seeking a seismic extension, which has led to trade speculation. How it all plays out is sure to be headline fodder, and it wouldn’t feel right to be without some melodrama in Philly. Furthermore, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is back, and losing Carter would be a magnificent blow. A potential boon will be the additions of cornerback Tariq Woolen and pass rusher Jonathan Greenard. No matter the pedigree, not all players fit into Fangio’s scheme (see: Bryce Huff, Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland, etc.). Woolen is a physically gifted cover man who made his share of questionable plays with the Seahawks. It will be interesting seeing how the newbies fit into Fangio’s scheme, but the prevailing matter at hand for the defense is Carter’s future.

How does overhauled defense look?

When you fall from being everyone’s NFC Championship Game darling to a 5-12 struggle bus, you can run out of fingers to point. The Commanders put a massive UNDER CONSTRUCTION sign in front of a defense that finished dead last in yards allowed. They used the No. 7 overall pick on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, an athletic marvel who will draw plenty of hype as a preseason Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. General manager Adam Peters opened the check book before turning in the card to get Styles, too. Washington broke the bank to sign pass rusher Odafe Oweh, while adding plenty more veteran starters elsewhere: nickel Amik Robertson, safety Nick Cross, pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, linebacker Leo Chenal and defensive tackle Tim Settle. The Commanders added veteran depth, as well. Binging on free agents isn’t always a winning formula, of course. How quickly new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones and Washington’s cast of fresh faces get on the same page will be crucial in camp.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders over 7.5 (-130)

Washington won 12 games in 2024, when everything went right, and five games last year, when nothing did. So with Dan Quinn still inspiring the troops and Jayden Daniels healthy again, that makes the Commanders an 8.5-win team on average. Boom. Take the over. (This assumes they make some moves in the next month to add a receiver and a defensive back, because surely they have looked at their roster.)

Giants over 7.5 (-110)

I like to avoid crowds the older I get, but there’s no getting away from (blows trumpet) the most popular season-total bet of them all. Offensive guru Brian Daboll was pretty incompetent as the Giants’ coach and hit the bricks, and in walks Super Bowl winning coach John Harbaugh. He is going to have to tone down Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo — and hope Malik Nabers is back to full strength — but Harbaugh did bring along tight end Isaiah Likely to help.

Harbaugh is also being gifted a nasty pass rush on defense. A big reason why I like this one so much is I also plan to get down on Abdul Carter at 50-1 as Defensive Player of the Year. He had more maturity issues than sacks (four) as a rookie last season, but the 18 QB hits and 66 pressures were impressive.

Cowboys under 9.5 (-125)

If rookie safety Caleb Downs is a star, which is possible, we’re going to lose this one. Same goes if George Pickens isn’t a distraction all season long. The cornerbacks aren’t very good, and the offense is never as good as it should be. The Cowboys tried to address their defense and will improve on back-to-back seven-win seasons, but let’s not go wild.

Eagles over 10.5 (+120)

We might never know what happened between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, but all fantasy owners care about is whether tiny DeVonta Smith can survive as the new No. 1 wideout. We’re not so sure — same with the immediate impact of rookie receiver Makai Lemon — but those are more playoff-success type questions. There is too much talent on both sides of the ball not to win 11 games, especially if Hurts bounces back under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to prove that he is not the problem.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

“Jaxson Dart had a solid rookie season…”

“There were times he didn't SEE it the right way. And when quarterbacks can run, when they don't see it the right way, they TAKE OFF…”@GregCosell breaks down the Giants QB going into Year 2: pic.twitter.com/AE8YtdXIgj

Pro Football Talk

Crosby detailed how in a game with the Eagles last season, he wore pink shoes with roses on them as a tribute to his daughter, but the NFL made him take them off, during the game.

“The NBA does it right. They let the players do their own shit, rock their own colors,” Crosby said. “In the NFL you can’t wear any color that’s off the jersey, which is low-key lame. I wore pink cleats in Philly this year, I wore them for about two, three drives. They were on the sideline, my equipment guy was looking at me with a pair of my other cleats like, ‘You’ve got to come and take those cleats off because they’re bitching about it.’ I’m like, ‘Fuck that, I’m playing the rest of the series.’ It was third down in the red zone, I got a sack in those pink cleats, and then I had to take them off and I could never wear them again.”

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

WUSA9

The Washington Commanders cleared another major hurdle Thursday in their effort to return to the RFK campus, winning preliminary approval for their proposed new stadium from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

But members of the federal design review panel made clear they still want significant changes to some of the stadium’s most prominent architectural features before granting final approval.

The commission voted to approve the stadium concept after reviewing revised designs from the team’s architecture firm, HKS. The updated plans focused heavily on the stadium’s east and west entrances, which commissioners sharply criticized during an earlier review in March.

Among the changes unveiled Thursday was a new balcony overlooking East Capitol Street. Team representatives said the balcony would offer views of both the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. 

Commissioners praised the overall design and acknowledged that the revised entrances were an improvement over what they saw earlier this year.

McCrery and other commissioners argued the entrances require a stronger architectural presence because the stadium sits at the eastern terminus of East Capitol Street, one of Washington’s most important ceremonial corridors.

More Commanders Stadium notes:

*New 3D flyover gives 360 perspective

*West entrance now includes balcony views of U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument. Designer called it "Capitol Club" balcony, likely meaning premium ticketholders

*New rendering of Festival Plaza with mixed use pic.twitter.com/43Ll5fXbR4

Despite those concerns, the commission granted preliminary concept approval and directed the team to continue refining the east and west entrances before returning for a final review.

Project leaders said the stadium remains on schedule. Design development is expected to be completed this fall, followed by below-grade construction work beginning in early 2027. The new stadium is scheduled to open in 2030.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Tavita Pritchard was a QB Coach for the Washington Commanders before taking the HC job at Stanford. I asked him for his thoughts on former assistant David Blough who was promoted to Offensive Coordinator for the Commanders.

His thoughts: pic.twitter.com/6DoEfrWzZF

Jayden Daniels is back home in San Bernardino, CA, hosting his 2nd annual Community Day this Saturday, July 18th! 🎒

When asked how he's feeling heading into the upcoming season, QB1 is locked in: "I'm actually, I'm very excited. New year, new opportunities… I'm super excited… pic.twitter.com/Y6oQnonvW7

The Commanders announced their jersey schedule for 2026. They'll be sporting their "new" uniforms (which are really just an updated version of the unis they've worn for much of their history), plus their alternates with the arrow on the helmet. pic.twitter.com/ZNpYHjkuoM

Stef Diggs and Van Jefferson working out w legendary trainer Myron Flowers in Maryland pic.twitter.com/hRyzMefI28

The #Lions in 2021 held a team watch party as David Blough's wife, Melissa Gonzalez, competed in the Tokyo Olympics.

It went viral.

I had to ask David for the full backstory – and it's every bit as heartwarming as you'd hope. 🥹 https://t.co/0iv3cwlu7s pic.twitter.com/kjJI6WR5cZ

“If you put more horsepower on the same Toyota Prius suspension, what happens?”

“Does your ACL get any bigger when you're bigger, faster, stronger?”@ProFootballDoc on if there are more injuries now than there used to be in sports: pic.twitter.com/oGX6xXVLmo

Andrew Withworth chimed in on the Aaron Donald news and seemed to imply (or more than imply) he would be back if he were AD’s age. Whitworth is 44, AD is 35. Now, would Whitworth come back if he were Whitworth or is Whitworth saying he’d comeback if he were Donald right now?

It’s confusing I know. Either way, Whitworth will not be coming back to the Rams this year. That’s a fact. Donald might. That’s up in the air.

What is not up in the air is that we made it to another Friday. Well done. You deserve a couple days off. Please comment on whatever you want, and thank YOU! For checking out Turf Show Times!

“Former Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth has been a staunch supporter of Aaron Donald’s return to the NFL. And while he doesn’t know for sure if his ex-teammate will rejoin the Rams in 2026 to play with Myles Garrett, the 44-year-old told the Bleav Network he would unretire if he were Donald to play on this team.

“If I was his age,” Whitworth said, “there’s no question I’d be coming back.”

“Not only did adding Myles Garrett make an impressive Los Angeles Rams roster even better, it will immediately make everyone else’s life easier. That’s why his teammates are excited to take the field alongside him: they know that the looks they’re about to see, with offenses focused on Garrett, will set them up for individual success. That’s what adding the best defender in football does.“

“The only defensive starter who was on the team when Donald retired after the 2023 season is linebacker Byron Young.

Looking at the roster more broadly, the Rams have only four players left from the team that won Super Bowl LVI to cap the 2021 season: tight end Tyler Higbee, tackle Alaric Jackson, center Coleman Shelton, and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Every defensive player from that team is gone (including, for now, Donald).

Only six remain from the 2023 roster, with the four listed above, offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, and defensive tackle Larrell Murchison.“

This week, I asked you to predict how many receiving yards Wan’Dale Robinson will have for the 2026 Tennessee Titans. There is a lot of hope for Robinson here:

There is a lot to like about Robinson this season. He is coming off the first 1,000-yard receiving season of his career. The guy who designed the offense where Robinson got to 1,000, Brian Daboll, is the offensive coordinator. There is a lot of talent around him in the receiver room, and Cam Ward, who showed promise in a bad offense during his rookie season, is his quarterback.

It’s been a while since the Titans have had a good passing offense. You really have to go back to 2021 when Ryan Tannehill threw for over 3,700 yards. This group has the potential to match that if Ward takes the necessary steps forward and the receivers stay healthy.

We are less than a week from the date when rookies report to training camp. Football is almost here!

Check out FanDuel Sportsbook for all of your sports betting needs.

Welcome to today’s roundup of New Orleans Saints and NFL news.

Maybe next year can be an even better ranking.

A truly exciting group.

Who from the Saints makes the list?

No. 64 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@Saints WR Chris Olave! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/EUNS9fTlrY

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …

ESPN survey shows that the Eagles are both loaded and underrated – PhillyVoice
Wide receiver: None in top 10, DeVonta Smith “received votes.” There’s no blurb for Smith because he didn’t even get an honorable mention. In fact he finished 21st (!) in this survey. #JimmySays: Smith was behind Tyreek Hill, whose career is in question. He was behind Terry McLaurin. He was behind a rapidly declining Mike Evans. He was behind Alec Pierce. I mean Alec Pierce? Really? Smith was a better football player for the Eagles last season than A.J. Brown, in my opinion, and I don’t think it was particularly close. I don’t object to Brown being voted higher on the list, but he was ninth, and Smith was way down at 21st. I’m honestly kind of shocked that Smith is this underrated. Again, there was no commentary provided, but I’ll assume that he was knocked because of his slender frame? Is that still a thing somehow? Or have these scouts just not watched him play?

10 minutes of INSANE DeVonta Smith catches – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Which highlight is your favorite? Sure, there’s The Dagger in Super Bowl LIX and the ridiculous one-handed catch in the back of the end zone against Jacksonville, but DeVonta Smith has delivered so many insane receptions in his career that each one seems to get better and better! Watch them all now.

Eagles schedule preview: Rams – BGN
Over the past three seasons, the Rams have lost three playoff games by a combined 11 points. Their 6 point loss to the Eagles in 2024 and their 4 point loss to the Seahawks in 2025 were not just the closest games those Super Bowl champions had in the playoffs, they were the only close games those teams had in the playoffs. There is an alternate universe, not very different from our own, where this Rams team is coming off of back to back Super Bowl wins. But in our universe, they have needed a little bit more to get over the hump. Enter the two time Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett, and a two time All Pro in Trent McDuffie. It is easy to look at a team that “won the offseason” and assume that they’re going to fall flat, because they usually do. But we don’t have to look far to find a team that actually went “all in” to win a title and did: the 2024 Eagles.

Eagles offseason review, Part 2: Should they re-sign Brandon Graham, trade Tanner McKee? – The Athletic
Bring back Brandon Graham if he wants to return What happened: Graham remains unsigned. He did not return until October last year, although Graham told NFL Network last week that he would want to sign for training camp this year. The Eagles added A.J. Epenesa after mandatory minicamp, and Epenesa figures to play a Graham-like role. Graham is a franchise icon who rode off in the sunset once before deciding to return. It sounds like he wants to keep playing, but a decision by the team would need to happen soon. My view: Give Graham one more season if he’d like. He’s demonstrated that he can still contribute.

5 candidates to become Eagles training camp darling of 2026 – NBCSP
TE Dae’Quan Wrigh — It’s going to be tough for Dae’Quan Wright (6-5, 246) to make the Eagles’ 53-man roster but he could definitely turn some heads in training camp. Just this spring, he made a few notable plays already. Wright spent the last two seasons at Ole Miss after two seasons at Virginia Tech. In 2025, Wright had 39 catches for 635 yards and 5 touchdowns. He’s an unfinished product when it comes to run blocking but he has some highlight-reel catches on his resume, even after playing through a shoulder injury most of last season.

Who fell out of the NFL top-10 positional rankings in 2026? – ESPN
Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles (5): Dickerson made three consecutive Pro Bowls before last season, but evaluators were less high on his performance in 2025. He and the Eagles amended his deal after the season, and he’s now under contract through 2027, not 2028 as previously agreed to.

Dak Prescott has a stacked offense, now he needs to take it to a new level – Blogging The Boys
Most questions surrounding Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott are about what he has left to prove in his very successful career. One of the interesting questions surrounding him now, however, is whether the Cowboys have finally built the kind of offense that puts him in the best position to succeed. Let’s see what Prescott is working with in 2026. After a decade as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback, there isn’t much left to learn about Prescott. We know he can produce Pro Bowl numbers, lead one of the league’s better regular-season offenses and shoulder the expectations that come with being the quarterback in Dallas. What may be different in 2026 isn’t Prescott himself, but the talent and continuity surrounding him.

The Washington Commanders release their 2026 jersey schedule – Hogs Haven
Washington opens up the 2026-27 season by visiting the Philadelphia Eagles with their “Super Bowl Era” white jerseys. They will wear their white jerseys for six games this season, with five of those games on the road. The team’s new burgundy jerseys will get the most playing time this year, being worn nine times. The team introduced those jerseys, long with their new Hail Raiser black alternates earlier this year, completely replacing the Snyder-era collection that was widely panned by the fanbase.

Do great players make for great teams? – Big Blue View
In the end, though, it doesn’t matter. Ask Seattle if they care that only three of their players made the Top 100 list. They’ll take the ring instead. Just win, baby, as the late Al Davis said. A sufficient overall level of quality across the roster, combined with good coaching, may be more important in today’s NFL than having many of the best players at some positions but weaknesses elsewhere that can be exploited by opponents. The former is what the Seahawks had last season – quality across the board despite only a few of the biggest stars. If John Harbaugh and his staff can bring the best out of some of the draftees and free agent acquisitions who disappointed in 2025 and before, even if that “best” is only pretty good or at least competent, then 2026 may be a success in the win-loss column.

NFL Training Camp 2026: Start dates and locations for all 32 teams – SB Nation
The NFL is on its way back, and it’s a lot closer than you might think. Training camp opens as early as this week, with teams around the league beginning their quests for immortality in the 2026 season. The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will be the first to kick off camp on Friday, July 17 with their rookies getting a full week of work before the veterans need to report and join them. This is common practice, with the majority of teams having different dates for rookies and vets to report, both to emphasize more one-on-one training for the young players, while also giving the veterans a little more time off before the season kicks off in earnest. Here are the training camp dates and locations for all 32 NFL teams this year.

…

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Running backs are all the rage this offseason in fantasy football. Posting seven of the top 10 non-quarterback fantasy totals last year, the fantasy running back meta is back. The market reflects this, with 11 of the top 17 picks in average draft position (ADP) being ball-carriers.

With all the focus on running backs, it is arguably more important than ever to find value at the position. One of the clearest ways to do that is to find whose ADP is being suppressed by a poor 2025 season. This season, these bounce-back values are hard to find as the position did not have a lot of surprises in 2025.

Last year, 11 of the top 12 backs drafted finished the season in the top 14. The one outsider was Bucky Irving, who missed most of the season due to injury. As a result, 10 of last year’s top 12 in backs ADP are once again being selected inside the top 12 in 2026.

Below are four backs who could enter the top 10 at the position despite missing out last season.

Entering his second season in the league, this is more of a “bounce” in the right direction rather than a “bounce back.” For fantasy, Ashton Jeanty did not produce the numbers we were hoping for. Finishing as the RB13 in half-PPR, it was by no means a bad season for the young back. That said, what can his 2026 look like?

It may seem overzealous to see a significant bounce forward from 1,321 total yards and 10 touchdowns. However, Jeanty is one of the best running back prospects we have seen over the last decade.

Last season, Jeanty was fifth in snap share at running back and first in backfield opportunity shares. If this usage continues, all we need is for the offense to take a step forward to have a huge season.

Thankfully, the Raiders’ offense looks like it’s not just taking a step forward but a leap. With the signing of superstar offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, it was clear that the management was focused on improving the offense this year.

Not only is Linderbaum a huge upgrade, but guard Kolton Miller (who missed most of 2025) is healthy. We also have Klint Kubiak joining the team after scheming an incredibly efficient offense to a Super Bowl championship last year.

With the improvements to the team as a whole and the stranglehold that Jeanty has on this backfield, the sky is truly the limit for the second-year pro. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeanty cracks the top five at the position.

After running laps around the position in 2024, Saquon Barkley’s finish of RB14 was a shock. Despite only missing one game, he scored 214 fantasy points compared to the 339 points he scored in 2024. That’s a decrease of 37% and 7.8 fewer fantasy points per game.

The last time a star running back’s production decreased by over 100 fantasy points in back-to-back seasons while playing 14+ games in both seasons was Austin Ekeler with the Chargers in 2022 and 2023. The season after, Ekeler took another step back.

Any comparison to Barkley can be swept aside with the sole argument that he is truly a generational talent. However, there were signs that last season may not have been a fluke.

With the entire Eagles’ offense taking a step back, it was no surprise that regression was coming. That said, on the same offense, Tank Bigsby had a rushing success rate of 53.4% compared to Barkley’s 42.1%. To put it in perspective, Barkley’s 2024 success rate was 52.5%.

At the end of the day, the Eagles’ offense with Sean Mannion should be a lot better than it was with Kevin Patullo in 2025. Will Barkley be able to bounce back after an underwhelming season? Sure, it all depends on how we define bounce back. Will he bounce back to a top-five fantasy season? I don’t see it. But if he plays 14+ games, he should finish inside the top 10.

Josh Jacobs finds himself in a similar situation to Saquon Barkley, but for very different reasons. Unlike Barkley, who has a new offensive coordinator and is on a team primed to bounce back from top to bottom, Jacobs finds himself in a very similar situation to last season.

In 2025, the Packers found themselves second in their division with a 9-7-1 record. The offense scored the 14th-most points per game, three fewer than the previous season, when they were eighth in the league. With that difference in team offense, it would make sense that Jacobs fell from the RB5 to the RB12 across those seasons.

However, last season, Jacobs scored two fewer touchdowns than in 2024 and had the same number of receptions. He also saw a similar average in snaps — 36 snaps per game in 2024 and 36.2 in 2025. What changed? The answer is efficiency.

Although he was still effective, Jacobs’ 1.6 fewer fantasy points per game were a direct result of a decrease in yards per touch. This may be nothing, but it also could be a sign of deterioration. Over the last five years, only Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have had more rushing attempts. Jacobs hasn’t fallen off the cliff yet, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he is near the edge.

The biggest difference is that two of the team’s receivers from last year are now on different teams. With Romeo Doubs departing for New England and Dontayvion Wicks joining Barkley on the Eagles, there should be some extra targets to go around. Either way, we have seen a very similar involvement in the passing game from the veteran running back.

The last part of the Jacobs discussion is his offseason arrest for a domestic abuse case. No charges have been filed, and the arrest was a result of a mandatory arrest clause in the state. Still, legal expert and fantasy analyst Drew Davenport said that when an outside party calls in a domestic dispute, it usually means something alarming was going down.

That said, Davenport also doesn’t believe that Jacobs will be disciplined this season. Even if the legal matter doesn’t affect his availability this season, it is important to bring it up, as it could affect his mindset throughout the offseason.

Of the names so far, I am least confident that Jacobs will finish in the top 10. This is predominantly due to his reliance on touchdowns over the last two years, scoring 30 in 32 games. However, the Packers are one of the most stable organizations. Jacobs could return to the top 10 at the position, but he’ll need to maintain his prolific touchdown rate.

Every year, we do this dance with Breece Hall and the Jets. We once again have the talented back trying to stay afloat on a mediocre Jets offense. Thankfully, he has sorted out his contract situation this offseason and won’t have that hanging over his head.

After his RB4 season in 2023, Hall finished as the RB17 and RB18, respectively, in the last two years. In 2024, his RB17 finish was devastating for those who took him at his RB2 ADP. As for last season, he nearly returned to fantasy prominence after being selected as the RB16. This year, he is in a similar range, going as the RB15.

With Geno Smith commanding the offense, this may be the most stable quarterback Hall has played with in his young career. That said, we are also coming off a horrific season for Smith with the Raiders in 2026. The Jets also spent two first-round picks on their offense in Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. The team is clearly trying to take a step forward on offense, and should rely heavily on Hall and Garrett Wilson.

I don’t necessarily believe Hall will “bounce back,” as he seems fairly priced in drafts. That said, if this offense is functional, he should outplay his ADP. However, to crack the top 10 at the position, Hall needs the Jets to have their best offensive season in recent years.

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Happy Friday, Big Cat Country! Let’s look at some Jacksonville Jaguars highlights, hype, and more from X/Twitter posted during the past week.

Josh Hines-Allen and Branson Combs celebrated rotations around the sun:

HBD, JHA! 🎂@JoshHinesAllen | @FISGlobal pic.twitter.com/uHmDzgmPOk

Happy birthday, @BransonCombs 🥳
 @FISGlobal | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/RA0rQ6Tdn5

Hines-Allen shared his favorite memory from playing in London:

Where were you for this game-winner? 

Been there, won that 🇬🇧 Grab tickets now: https://t.co/KK0b5KczHD pic.twitter.com/9CrhufXYNo

Trevor Lawrence participated in the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe South Golf Club in Stateline, Nevada:

Wouldn't be his first @ACChampionship🏌️@trevorlawrence | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/Wx9cKqMtVl

Lawrence and Baker Mayfield at the American Century Championship:

Shake 'n Bake 👨‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/0v5wtPBN1k

The NFL shared Media Day shots of Lawrence headed into his sixth NFL season, Travis Hunter in his first and second NFL seasons, and Cam Little’s new look:

Season 6 of Trevor Lawrence coming this fall. pic.twitter.com/ASQfdANXY3

.@TravisHunterJr has been locked in 😤 pic.twitter.com/FqUYv9um6j

a new look for @cameronglittle 👀 pic.twitter.com/FpIBD4yKEl

Pro Football Hall of Fame Ambassador highlighted LeQuint Allen’s 80.8 pass blocking grade from last season, in which he ranked first amongst running backs with a minimum of 50 pass protection snaps:

LEQUINT ALLEN, @Jaguars RB
In 2025, Allen, produced a PFF Pass Blocking Grade of 80.8 – Ranking 1st among all @NFL RBs with 50+ Pass Protection Snaps (Per @PFF)#Duuuval #Jags #Jaguars #Jacksonville #NFL #NFLX #NFL2026 #NFLNews #NFLKickoff #NFLFootball pic.twitter.com/cwkPNTE0aI

I hope you have a good weekend! Not following Big Cat Country on social media? You can find us on Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARSSSSSS

Bears QB Caleb Williams misses out on winning his second ESPY award but the nominated moment is one no one will ever forget – AtoZSports.com
The play that earned Williams an opportunity was his 14-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. Ultimately, the award went to New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby for the game-winning putback he scored against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to complete the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

Caleb Williams Ranked as Just the Fourth-Best QB From His Own Draft Class – Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears
He landed 15th on a franchise players list, behind Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix, and the gap with at least two of them is tough to justify.

Bears Stadium in Illinois Given Unrealistic ’50-50′ Shot by Legislator – Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears
Illinois State Sen. Sue Rezin of the 38th District on Tuesday told Shaw Newspapers it’s even money on the in-state plan succeeding.

Bears 2026 training camp position preview: Receiver – ChicagoBears.com
Burden and Odunze finished the 2025 season with the third- and fourth-highest receiving totals, respectively, behind DJ Moore, who was traded to the Bills, and tight end Colston Loveland.

Setting goals for all 7 Bears rookies entering training camp – Chicago Sun Times
Bears rookies will walk into their new home with a task far different than their most recent predecessors — to help an established winner. In most cases, they’re not being counted on to be saviors, but merely contributors.

POLISH SAUSAGE

If Aaron Donald returns, he won’t recognize many of his teammates – ProFootballTalk

The only defensive starter who was on the team when Donald retired after the 2023 season is linebacker Byron Young.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Justin Jefferson could be the key to the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback battle – AtoZsports.com
We’ve talked seemingly nonstop about who could be the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback, but not enough about the receivers.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Five Ways it Could All Go Wrong for the Chicago Bears
Yep, @GOOCH1701 wanted to go there. Here are his 5 ways it could all go wrong for the Bears in 2026.

Question of the Day: Who Will Lead the Bears in Receiving Yards?
Football fans can’t seem to agree on who will lead the 2026 Chicago Bears in receiving yards. But what do #DaBears fans think? @BryanOrenchuk explores here.

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines – SBNation.com – We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following are not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender-based insults of any kind, racial insults, profanity, etc.

2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Bear & Balanced from Jeff Berckes and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., Bears Over Beers featuring Ryan Droste and Bryan Orenchuk, Making Monsters with Taylor Doll, The Mac & Read Show from Evan McLean and Ross Read, and an occasional T Formation Conversation from Lester; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert is another fun one.

Click on our names to follow our Windy City Gridiron and 2nd City Gridiron teams on Twitter: Gary Baugher Jr.; Jeff Berckes; Dr. Patti Curl; Sarah DeNicolo; Ryan Droste; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Dan Durkin; Taylor Doll; Donald Gooch; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Evan McLean; Dr. Ken Mitchell; Bryan Orenchuk; Ross Read: Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; Khari Thompson; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; T.J. Starman; Khari Thompson; Bill Zimmerman; 2nd City Gridiron; Like WCG on Facebook; Like 2nd City Gridiron on Facebook.

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Former 49ers safety makes bold prediction about Kyle Shanahan’s offense in 2026
“You have an All-Pro to the left (Evans) that demands double coverage,” Whitner said. “You have [TE] George Kittle—demands double coverage over the middle. You have to play the run with [RB] Christian McCaffrey, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He demands a linebacker, safety, or a corner on him. 

“Then, you have [WR] Ricky Pearsall, who was the number three separator in the NFL last year. Who do you double? You can’t double everybody….and that’s what Kyle Shanahan does better than any other coach,” Whitner continued. “He figures out who the matchup problem is, and then he’s going to figure out who your weakness is on defense, and he’s going to attack you. So, I think this will be the number one offense in the NFL this year.”

49ers roster preview: It’s now or never for Jacob Cowing
“Last offseason, Shanahan said Cowing “put in some of the most work that anyone did over the offseason.” This spring, Kyle said, “I was really excited how Jordan and Jake came back. You could tell they came back; it wasn’t just healthy. You could tell they’ve been putting work in. They’ve come here, to me, to play and work.” 

If every 49ers player were to line up in the end zone and race to mid-field, my money would be on Cowing being the first to cross the 50. He has another gear, and you could see it in OTAs when he was behind the secondary multiple times….Cowing told reporters that he has addressed his injury issue and that it’s a thing of the past. But history isn’t on his side, and he’ll need to prove he can make it through a training camp before the 49ers can rely on him….

….Purdy’s intermediate attempts dipped to 21% last season. That, to me, is not a Purdy stat. That’s a 49ers receiver stat. You’re not going to design an offense that runs routes between 12 and 18 yards when your wideouts consist of Kendrick Bourne and Jauan Jennings.

The “swirl” routes were crossed out of the playbook because there were no vertical threats without Pearsall…last year, most cornerbacks were squatting on those routes without fear of a vertical threat.

You cannot do that with Cowing. And it’s not just stretching the field vertically. Cowing’s addition would allow the 49ers to use him on deep crossing routes where he can use his god-given ability to run away from cornerbacks.

That was on full display during OTAs. Cowing would be a couple of steps ahead of the defensive back, 15 yards down the field. Even if he is a decoy, it opens things up for the rest of the offense. And if the defense doesn’t respect it, Purdy can take full advantage.“

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby says the NFL needs to let players wear whatever color shoes they want.

Asked in a kick.com interview if he could be commissioner and change one thing, Crosby answered, "The shoe game."

Crosby detailed how in a game with the Eagles last season, he wore pink shoes with roses on them as a tribute to his daughter, but the NFL made him take them off, during the game.

"The NBA does it right. They let the players do their own shit, rock their own colors," Crosby said. "In the NFL you can't wear any color that's off the jersey, which is low-key lame. I wore pink cleats in Philly this year, I wore them for about two, three drives. They were on the sideline, my equipment guy was looking at me with a pair of my other cleats like, 'You've got to come and take those cleats off because they're bitching about it.' I'm like, 'Fuck that, I'm playing the rest of the series.' It was third down in the red zone, I got a sack in those pink cleats, and then I had to take them off and I could never wear them again."

Crosby noted that the NFL encourages players to express themselves on their shoes with the annual My Cause, My Cleats campaign, and he sees no reason players can't pick their own shoes for every game.

"NFL should just let us wear our own colors on our shoes. It's not that hard. We ain't hurting anybody," Crosby said. "We do it every year with My Cause, My Cleats. That's the only time we get to wear different colored cleats. That's one game, or two games."

Crosby's message to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is clear.

"I love the NFL, but we've got to have a little more fun, Roger."

In eight seasons, Josh Allen has won the MVP award once, finished second once and finished third twice. Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league since the Bills drafted him in the first round in 2018.

He is headed toward joining former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Like Kelly, though, Allen has yet to deliver a Super Bowl title to Buffalo. In fact, Allen has yet even to win an AFC title. He is 8-7 in the postseason, including 0-2 in the conference championship game.

Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins was asked about expectations for Allen this season, and Dawkins said the question shouldn't be about the quarterback.

"I don’t have any [expectations]," Dawkins said on NFL Network. "I don't add any more extra pressure to that kid that he already has. Josh understands what he's doing, what he's not doing. He understands what the mindset is and what we all expect. Just like we know what Josh expects from us, as well, to help him get there. When it comes down to it, Josh is Josh, and he's gonna be Josh. He's No. 1 for a reason, so I don't think that we need any more expectations than we already have."

Dawkins said the supporting cast has to be better to help Allen get the Bills their first Lombardi Trophy.

"It seems like we need all the pieces around him to continue to get better to help him get over that hump," Dawkins said. "Because if Josh is No. 1, he's at his best, right? If I'm not top 10 or I'm not No. 1, that means that I'm not at my best, which means I have to do better. Dawson [Knox], Dalton [Kincaid], Joe Brady, [James] Cook, everybody -- everybody has to do better. So we're all going to be that and do that so we can get over that hump, and we can be exactly what we want to be and stop talking about it, right? I'm ready for it. It's time."

Allen is 83-33 as the starter for the past seven seasons, with five division titles. It hasn't all clicked for the team in the postseason, though, and Dawkins is hoping it's different this season.

The Cleveland Browns have seen defensive greatness for several years now. All-World EDGE rusher Myles Garrett has won two “NFL Defensive Player of the Year” awards, and just last year, first-year linebacker Carson Schwesinger took home the “NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Year” award.

The franchise has a history of having very good defensive units going all the way back to Paul Brown. During Marty Schottenheimer’s tenure in the late 1980s, Cleveland ranked in the Top-11 all four years on this side of the ball, including being ranked #2 in 1987.  

RELATED: LINEBACKER DEPTH CHART & EXPECTATIONS

Defense has always been important to the fanbase. Coaches have relied on having a stiff core of resistance.

Any rookie who has an exceptional year in their rookie season has a leg up on the remainder of the league. But with great success comes expectations.

Now that Schwesinger is the darling of 2025, he is gearing up for the upcoming season. He is coming in with a sense of excitement to prove his worth and value, and has familiarity, having played a year at the next level.

He led every NFL rookie defensive player with 146 total tackles. He also had 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 9 QB hits, 4 knockdowns, 2 hurries, 9 pressures, 3 batted passes, 10 missed tackles, and was tied for third in interceptions.

Training camp is right on top of all of us. He told team reporter Kelsey Russo:

“I think there’s a lot of things to get better at. Whether it’s just the preparation throughout the game week and figuring out really what to watch, how to watch film, and things like that.” 

All during the offseason, Schwesinger has been at OTAs, minicamps, and working out at the facility. He has also been in attendance for the voluntary workout program the team has offered.

As much success as Schwesinger had last year, there has been plenty of change. The head coach is gone, and when the boss is let go, all of his assistant coaches are fired as well. The new head coach is able to retain any of the former staff, but usually the new guy will bring in his own people.

The Browns had plenty of defensive success with Jim Schwartz. In his place is Mike Rutenberg. For all of the defensive players, this means there is basically a clean slate going forward. Stats can be viewed in black and white, but seeing and doing in person trumps all paperwork.

Schwesinger wanted to meet his new bosses:

“Obviously, we have Rudy here and a lot of whole new coaches, so I think it’s important to get to meet them as well and understand them. I was excited to be around all the guys again and see them and be able to work with them.”

Among the changes this year is a guy the team signed in free agency that Rutenberg and the rest of the coaches are high on in fellow linebacker Quincy Williams, a seven-year veteran. In 2023, he earned First Team All-Pro honors while with the New York Jets. Despite the experience, Schwesinger will continue to carry the defensive green dot.

“For me, I just want to be able to do as much as I can and get better. But even just in this time, whether it’s improving the football knowledge, football intelligence, or just finding better ways to attack the ball and really get those punch outs. I think that’s something I’m really going to work on this year.”

New Browns head coach Todd Monken saw Schwesinger twice last year, and saw a rookie who played beyond his years, and was everywhere all the time. Monken stated:

“When we played against him, he was impressive. Run, chase, hit, very instinctual, loves football, outstanding leader, all of those things, and you’re like, well, they’re right. I’m damn glad he’s a Brown.”

When Monken was hired, he stated that the defense would pretty much remain the same. Rutenberg’s system will certainly have its own differences since he has never worked under Schwartz. Here is Monken’s quote during his introductory press conference:

“First off, my anticipation is we are not going to change the system. And I’m not gonna get into staffing. But they can rest assured that we’re gonna keep the same system. We’re still gonna let them attack. We’re still gonna let them play free. I can’t see it any other way.“

But things with the defense have already changed. Myles Garrett is now with the Los Angeles Rams. Under Schwartz, he won two “Defensive Player of the Year” awards. LB Devin Bush was shown the door despite having an exceptional season with his 125 total tackles and three interceptions. Along with Williams, DE Jared Verse is a new chess piece. And that’s even naming the drafted and undrafted rookies.

.@Browns LB Carson Schwesinger is the Defensive Rookie of the Year! @EAMaddenNFL | #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/mKNdUjcspI

But one thing is for certain: Rutenberg isn’t going to alter Schwesinger’s role of playing fast, attacking, and running the defense. The success he had as a rookie will need to continue, but it isn’t guaranteed. Many a player has suffered the dreaded “sophomore curse” where the wheels fall off in their second year.

Schwesinger will have to focus on what’s next:

“Now I guess the mindset is just, what’s next? And keep building off of it.”

And just continuing to grow with this new Browns defense in terms of being persistent behind the line of scrimmage and being able to see things, ready for the next snap.

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