NFL Player News

Josh McDaniels gets a deal done with his former boss. Herron, a four-year starter at Wake Forest before being drafted by New England late in the 2020 draft, will join a Vegas offensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s 15th best pass blocking unit and eighth worst run blocking unit.

Hamstring injuries have limited Woods to just 15 games through his first two seasons — all of which were played in 2022. Last year’s hamstring injury sidelined Woods for all of 2023, but the third-year tight end is reportedly healthy and playing well this offseason. The Indy Star’s Joel A. Erickson pointed out in a recent article that Woods has focused specifically on working out his legs and strengthening his hamstrings, quads, and hips in hopes of limiting these types of injuries going forward. Woods, who ran a 4.61 at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, caught 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie and caught eight passes for 98 yards against the Steelers that season. He’s an athletic tight end capable of turning in big performances if he’s able to stay healthy and put everything together. Woods could make for a sneaky late-round flyer in fantasy drafts starts to tap into his potential in 2024.

Jefferson is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. His $140 million extension includes $110 million in guaranteed money and an AAV of $35 million. Jefferson, 24, has arguably been the best receiver in the league since being drafted No. 22 overall in 2020, racking up 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns over his first four seasons. His 5,899 yards are the most by any receiver in league history through their first four seasons, and he’s one of just five receivers to surpass 5,000 yards over that same span. Jefferson is now under contract through 2028 and will be in line for another lucrative deal after his age-29 season. His deal all but sets the market for guys like Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, and Tee Higgins, who are also in search of new deals from their respective teams.

The most we’ve seen of Waller this offseason came from a music video he posted last week. The Giants haven’t given a deadline for Waller to announce his decision, but according to Raanan, he “is likely to make a decision by next week’s mandatory minicamp about his playing future,” adding that people close to the team believe he’ll opt to walk away. Waller caught 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown over 12 games last season and has played in 12 or fewer games in each of his last three seasons. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has dealt with multiple injuries over the years. Third-year tight end Daniel Bellinger would presumably get the first crack at the starting job if Waller does retire. In two seasons, Bellinger has caught 55 passes for 523 yards and two touchdowns and could have some streaming upside on a team short on receiver talent.

McManus has been accused of sexual assault by two different women. The alleged incidents occurred on the Jaguars’ team plane last season. McManus has maintained his innocence, but the team has decided to move on rather than deal with a lengthy legal process. It’s quite possible the 32-year-old has played his final NFL contest.

White took to his Instagram on Sunday to announce the news. The rookie out of Western Carolina University, who totaled 819 yards and two receptions in his two seasons with the Catamounts, is expected to be placed on injured reserve and could have a chance to compete for a roster spot next season.

Eberflus seems high on Swift’s ability to play on any down and distance, saying Swift was somebody they needed to “operate on third down and even on first or second down and be a weapon in the deep part of the field and the short part of the field and take it the distance.” Eberflus also mentioned the possibility of splitting Swift out wide, noting that he can “run the full route tree.” Swift is in an offense that appears chock full of playmakers, with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze all expected to see significant work in the passing game, but the Bears’ commitment to Swift (three-year, $24 million contract) suggests he’ll see plenty of work as the team’s lead back. He’s not expected to be a complete workhorse, as Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson are also expected to see touches, but for a guy currently going as a low-end RB2 in fantasy drafts, there’s a good chance Swift out-performs his ADP it what should be a much-improved Bears offense.

Cimini believes Lazard’s lack of special teams value could end up sealing his fate. He also reports Lazard looked “shaky” in the last OTA practice open to the media last week. This, after Lazard was frequently a healthy scratch down the stretch in 2023. It sounds like it’s time for the Jets to cut their losses on this one.

Franklin gets a four-year deal worth a maximum of $4.874 million and an $854,836 signing bonus, bringing his year-one cap hit to $1.008 million. Franklin enters camp behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims but could force the issue as far as playing time goes with a solid camp and preseason.

Haack signed with the Bills earlier this offseason after joining their practice squad in January. The veteran punter appeared in just one game for the Browns last season, attempting three punts while averaging 41.7 net yards per punt. He’s bounced around four different teams since being let go by the Dolphins after the 2020 season but has enough experience to catch on elsewhere and compete for a job in camp.

Steveson doesn’t have a football background but won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 125kg freestyle. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher compiled an 85-2 career record in college and won two NCAA titles in his weight class. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Steveson will play defensive line and first put on a pair of cleats a few weeks ago when he worked out for the Bills. We’ll see how this plays out in camp, but the 24-year-old champ faces an uphill battle to make the roster.