NFL Player News

Watkins checks in at 6-foot-1, 209 pounds and didn’t have the kind of impact pro day performance he was hoping for, rating in the 28th percentile for his 4.55 second 40-time. His vertical of 32" (eighth percentile), broad jump of 116" (17th), 4.39 second short shuttle (19th) and 7.35 second 3-cone (third) were all woeful marks. Watkins led the nation in deep targets in 2019, as the UAB wideout is a menace down the field, averaging just over 19 yards per reception on 57 catches. He has exceptional hands and is a good route runner, but these pro day metrics do not bode well for his NFL projections since he is going to have a hard time creating downfield separation running a 4.55 40-yard dash. Watkins is firmly in the Day 3 conversation and should come off the board in the sixth round range.

Campbell has mulled retirement for the last several seasons but is now set to join the Dolphins on what is likely a one-year deal. The soon-to-be 38-year-old totaled 6.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in his lone season with the Falcons and is now ready to return to Miami, where he played in college ball from 2005-2007. Campbell should provide immediate help along the interior for a defense that lost defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to the Raiders via free agency and continues to play at a high enough level to be an impact player. Amongst defensive linemen who played at least 300 snaps last season, Calais ranked 39th with a defensive grade of 80.0.

Lawrence gets $200 million in guaranteed money with this deal, with $142 million guaranteed at signing. His $55 million AAV ties Joe Burrow for the highest of any player in the league. It’s a steep but not surprising price to pay for Lawrence, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Jaguars in 2021. Lawrence has thrown for 11,770 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions in 50 career games and has led his team to a 17-16 record in two years under current head coach Doug Pederson. Lawrence will play under the terms of his rookie deal in 2024 and under a fifth-year option in 2025, meaning the base salary for his new deal won’t kick in until 2026.

Issues concerning Young’s neck became public shortly after he signed with the Saints, who said they were aware of the injury prior to signing the former No. 2 overall pick. Young totaled 7.5 sacks and seven TFLs last season while splitting time between the Commanders and the 49ers. He underwent a surgical procedure to correct the issue and is expected to undergo more tests in about six weeks, per Fowler. Young signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Saints and is hoping a successful 2024 can lead to a big payday next offseason.

The Seahawks signed Jones to a three-year, $51 million contract last offseason. He went on to appear in all 17 games for them while totaling 4.5 sacks and five TFLs but did little to help a defense that allowed the second-most rushing yards per game and the third-most yards overall. According to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, Jones’ restructured deal creates $7.4 million in cap space for the Seahawks, while they also added two void years for 2026 and 2027.

The Packers replaced long-time starting LT David Bakhtiari with 2022 seventh-round draft pick, LT Rasheed Walker last year, who admirably produced a 74.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. Walker’s 56.3 PFF run-blocking grade reflects his incomplete profile though, giving the well-rounded Morgan an advantage over the incumbent. Morgan’s first-round draft capital also works in his favor. Packers coaches are surely hoping Morgan asserts himself as the team’s best blindside protector before Week 1 kicks off.

According to Harbaugh, Humphrey is dealing with “nagging things.” The veteran corner dealt with a foot surgery that limited him at the start of last season and missed four games with a calf injury. After being sidelined in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, Humphrey returned to play in 13 snaps of the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs. Humphrey earned a PFF coverage grade of 62.7 last season but surrendered just 236 yards and one touchdown on 19 receptions. The soon-to-be 28-year-old remains one of the premiere corners in the league when healthy.

The Patriots used the No. 37 pick on Polk in hopes of bolstering a wide receiver unit that is amongst the worst in the league. The former Washington Husky caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns last season and was instrumental in leading them to a national championship title berth against Michigan. Polk has a chance to immediately earn snaps out the outside opposite Kendrick Bourne, who is still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 8. Bourne hopes to be ready for training camp, but Polk should continue to see plenty of offseason reps in his absence.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Barton’s deal is fully guaranteed. The rookie center has big shoes to fill, as he’ll officially be tasked with replacing the now-departed Ryan Jensen, who retired after last season due to a knee injury he suffered in July 2022. Barton earned a PFF blocking grade of 75.9 last season while allowing two sacks and 11 pressures.

In hopes of bolstering a pass rush that lost two of its premiere players to Achilles injuries last season, the Dolphins went out and added Robinson to the mix. The 21-year-old rookie totaled 11.5 sacks in his three collegiate seasons while also racking up 20 TFLs. Robinson’s deal includes a $7.7 million signing bonus.

Harris was reportedly excused from Tuesday’s practice but did not participate in Wednesday or Thursday’s practices despite being present. Mike Tomlin assured Pryor that Harris’ absence is “not anything that’s going to be an issue whatsoever, regarding health.” Tomlin furthered the point by sharing his view that minicamp is best used to learn more about lesser-known players. Whatever Harris’ issue is, it is not expected to impact his Week 1 availability at this time. Harris has one year remaining on his contract with the Steelers declining his fifth-year option this offseason.