The Raiders knew they needed help in the secondary in the 2026 NFL draft, which is why they selected four defensive backs. The last of those four, fifth-round cornerback Hezekiah Masses, is making an early impression.
Masses is in the mix for a starting outside cornerback job, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
At the Raiders’ minicamp, Masses was alternating first-team reps with Darien Porter, a 2025 third-round pick who started 10 games as a rookie last season. Reporters said Masses looked good in offseason practices that were open to the media.
Masses played three seasons of college football at FIU before transferring to Cal in 2025, where he was named first-team All-ACC.
The Raiders also drafted another cornerback, Jermond McCoy, and safeties Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson. They’ll have a young secondary this season, and they’ll need those young defensive backs to be ready in a hurry.
Raiders Clips
In Tom Brady’s first full season as a minority owner of the Raiders, the Raiders stunk. They were bad enough to earn the first overall pick in the draft.
What does he expect in 2026?
“I would expect a lot of improvement from where it’s been,” Brady said on the Stick to Football podcast. “Last year, we just underperformed in every area. And it’s everybody’s fault. That’s the reality. There’s nobody who did a good job. There’s not one player in the organization, there’s not anybody involved that did the job to the level that it needs to be done at. And everybody needs to improve. And it starts with me, and it filters down to the rest of the players on the field, and they’ve got to go out there, and ultimately they’ve got to perform at a high level.”
(Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers possibly would beg to differ with Brady.)
When pressed for a specific number of wins Brady expects, he kept it general.
“A massive improvement,” Brady said. “And I would expect daily improvement, and I’d expect hourly improvement. I really would. Every day that goes by, when you’re on a good team, every day and every week goes by, you should be better. Like, a good team should be better at the end of the season than the beginning of the season, or you’re not a good team. If you have more time together and more practice and you’re getting worse, something’s wrong.
“If you have more time, more practice, you should be getting better. Now the problem’s the offseason, you change players, you change coaches, and now you’ve got to rebuild to where you were. Like, a lot of the teams I played on, the best game we played all season was the last game of the year. That says to me a lot about what the team’s all about.”
The problem is that Brady isn’t in position to grab an oar and row the boat, because he works for Fox calling games. The best way for him to hold the team truly accountable would be to embrace his role and be there for the daily — and hourly — improvement he expects to see.
It’s one thing for a former player or a broadcaster to comment on matters that fall within the realm of rights and obligations negotiated between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. It’s quite another for an owner to do it.
Tom Brady owns a piece of the Raiders. He’s part of management. In a recent podcast appearance, Brady shared his views on one of the collectively-bargained realities of playing in the NFL — the fine system for on-field infractions.
And Brady took a distinctly anti-management and pro-player position.
“What they start doing is they start fining you $50,000, $75,000,” Brady said on the Stick To Football podcast. “And I’m saying, like, I hate that. I hate the fact that, like, you sign a contract for $2 million a year, $5 million a year, and it’s so easy for someone to say, ‘Give me $75,000. Give me $50,000. Oh, it’s your second offense? That’s $100,000. That’s your third offense, $200,000.’ . . .
“What job is like that in the world? Where you make a mistake at your job, and they come in, they go, ‘Hey, we’re gonna take your salary away.’ And then people are like, ‘Yeah, you should take his salary away.’”
The NFL Players Association would wholeheartedly agree with this specific NFL owner. That’s the thing Brady needs to remember. Even when he’s not wearing his ownership hat, he’s still a member of ownership. And the NFL doesn’t like it when owners start saying things that could weaken certain rights the league has under the CBA.
Which means that, the next time Brady does an interview, someone should ask him what he thinks about grass versus turf. Or 18 regular-season games. Or reducing the players’ share of the revenue pie.
And the NFLPA should be paying close attention, and it should be taking notes.
Former NFL running back Doug Martin died last October, after becoming unresponsive in the custody of Oakland, California police. Martin’s parents are now suing Oakland over Martin’s passing.
Via the San Francisco Chronicle, Martin’s parents filed a wrongful-death action in federal court on Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges that Oakland police used excessive force while detaining Martin.
The paramedic company, Falck Northern California, also was named as a defendant. Martin’s parents contends that first responders took too long to respond and failed to provide proper care.
Attorney John Burris told the Chronicle that an independent pathologist has concluded Martin likely died from “restrained asphyxia,” due to officers allegedly pushing his face into the floor and pressing on his back.
“You’d like to think that when police are called to a situation for somebody who is having a mental breakdown, the person doesn’t wind up dead,” Burris said.
Burris added that the official autopsy and toxicology report have not been released by the Alameda County coroner. Burris said he hopes the lawsuit will compel the authorities to disclose the information.
“The most important thing here is to find out what happened,” Burris said. “It’s not knowing that’s the difficult part for [Martin’s family].”
A first-round pick in 2012, Martin played six years for the Buccaneers and one for the Raiders. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro in 2015.
Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins is crediting first-year head coach Klint Kubiak with running an offseason program that laid the foundation for rebuilding a moribund franchise.
Cousins, who wrapped up the 15th offseason program of his NFL career, said in an interview with Andrew Siciliano that Kubiak showed the players throughout the offseason how to handle their business.
“He’s a very hard worker, very humble, he’s got a great way about him. He’s serious, there’s not a lot of time for tomfoolery,” Cousins said of Kubiak. “I told him after OTAs, ‘Coach, this is probably the most urgent and most productive OTAs I’ve ever been a part of.’ That starts with him as a head coach. He created a sense of urgency from Day One, all the way through the 10-week program, and I thought we got a lot of work done. We’ve got a long ways to go, but we laid a good foundation.”
Asked about Kubiak being one of the NFL’s quieter coaches, Cousins said that’s true, but that in only a few words he makes his expectations for the players clear.
“He doesn’t need to be a man of many words — quieter is a fair assessment,” Cousins said. “But that’s different than lacking conviction or lacking that intensity. I think his intensity, his conviction, his belief in what he’s doing, having an identity — there’s no confusion from us in the locker room of what he expects from us, what he wants our football team to look like. I would never confuse that with just being quiet. I think there’s a certainty there that’s comforting to a player.”
Who does the GOAT consider to be the GOAT?
Tom Brady, in an appearance on the Stick To Football podcast, gave a strong endorsement of Aaron Rodgers.
“I think there’s no greater passer of the football than Aaron Rodgers,” Brady said, via Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. “There’s certain people, you see everyone do it, and then you see one person throw the ball that much better. Aaron Rodgers was incredible.”
Brady says it like Rodgers isn’t still playing. For at least one more year, Rodgers will continue to be spinning it for the Steelers.
"[It’s] hard to put into words how incredible he passes the ball,” Brady said. “The way it comes out of his hand, the way it spins and delivers with the pace and the accuracy. . . . There’s only probably three people in the history of the NFL that could do it like him.”
Of course, throwing the ball is just part of what it takes to play quarterback. For whatever reason (and it’s possibly as simple as Rodgers not having enough help around him), he has been to and won only one Super Bowl. Brady has won seven Super Bowls, and he’s been to 10.
It’s also worth noting that, when Brady’s Raiders were looking for a quarterback in 2025, they did not pursue Rodgers, opting instead for a run at Matthew Stafford and then a trade for Geno Smith.
Rodgers’s claim to GOAT status comes from an uncanny touchdown-to-interception ratio (527 to 123 in the regular season) and the general sense that he has the rare ability to put extra mustard on his throws, with the ball making a different kind of sound as it slices through the air.
He’ll have at least one more chance to parlay his arm talent into winning a second ring.
Matt Foley lived in a van down by the river. Bill Foley wants to put a basketball team in a stadium down by the casino.
Yes, after years of professional sports leagues avoiding Las Vegas, Sin City could be completing the superfecta of franchises. Vegas already has the NHL’s Golden Knights and the NFL’s Raiders. The A’s of Major League Baseball are expected to move there in 2028.
And the NBA is likely next.
Golden Knights owner Bill Foley has announced that he will be pursuing an NBA franchise. Foley has hired Morgan Stanley to serve as the “exclusive financial adviser” in an effort to “structure an ownership platform” that will be built around his existing holding.
“Las Vegas has earned its place among the great sports cities in America, and an NBA team belongs here,” Foley said.
Earlier this year, the NBA decided to target Las Vegas and Seattle as the locations for a pair of expansion franchises.
“This is the NBA’s decision to make,” Foley said. “Our job is to provide the league a Las Vegas option that is ready, credible, and built to last.”
Obviously, other potential owners could get involved. In the end, it likely will come down to money. Likely, a whole lot of it; the expansion fee is expected to land between $7 billion and $10 billion.
The final number will become highly relevant to the valuation of NFL franchises when they are sold — and to the expansion fee the NFL would charge if/when expansion is on the table.
Recently, UFL co-owner Mike Repole casually said the NFL is “talking about two more expansion teams,” as if it were already a given. The NFL has officially (or unofficially) said nothing about expanding.
Given the current push for more inventory, expansion could be as inevitable as an 18th regular-season game.
The offseason programs around the league have largely wrapped up for 2026, with players and coaches around the league now experiencing some time off.
But training camps are just a few weeks away from opening.
The NFL announced the camp report dates for all 32 teams on Monday, with the first ones opening up in less than a month.
Below are the camp locations and report dates:
Arizona Cardinals: State Farm Stadium | Rookies: 7/22 | Veterans 7/22
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
Baltimore Ravens: Under Armour Performance Center | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
Buffalo Bills: St. John Fisher University | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Carolina Panthers: Bank of America Stadium | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/22
Chicago Bears: Halas Hall | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Cincinnati Bengals: Paycor Stadium | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Cleveland Browns: CrossCountry Mortgage Campus | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Dallas Cowboys: Marriott Residence Inn Oxnard | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Denver Broncos: Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit | Rookies: 7/22 | Veterans: 7/28
Detroit Lions: Meijer Performance Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Green Bay Packers: Lambeau Field | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Houston Texans: Houston Methodist Training Center | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Indianapolis Colts: Grand Park | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Jacksonville Jaguars: Miller Electric Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Kansas City Chiefs: Missouri Western State University | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Las Vegas Raiders: Intermountain Health Performance Center | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Los Angeles Chargers: The Bolt | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Los Angeles Rams: Loyola Marymount University | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/25
Miami Dolphins: Baptist Health Training Complex | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Minnesota Vikings: TCO Performance Center | Rookies: 7/26 | Veterans: 7/28
New England Patriots: New Balance Athletics Center | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/24
New Orleans Saints: Ochsner Sports Performance Center | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
New York Giants: Quest Diagnostics Training Center/The Greenbrier | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
New York Jets: Athletic Health Jets Training Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Philadelphia Eagles: Jefferson Health Training Complex | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Pittsburgh Steelers: Saint Vincent College | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
San Francisco 49ers: SAP Performance Facility | Rookies: 7/18 | Veterans: 7/25
Seattle Seahawks: Virginia Mason Athletic Center | Rookies: 7/17 | Veterans: 7/24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: AdventHealth Training Center | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Tennessee Titans: Vanderbilt Health Football Center | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Washington Commanders: Commanders Park | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
The NFL has announced the full list of joint practices that will take place during training camps this summer.
The first set of them will take place on August 11 in four different locations. The Cowboys and Rams will practice in Los Angeles, the Colts will visit the Patriots, the Bucs will work out at the Jets’ facility and the Titans will go to Santa Clara to practice with the 49ers.
All in all, there will be 28 teams working in joint sessions in August. The Lions, Steelers, Chiefs and Broncos are the teams that will not hold joint practices.
The full list of joint practices is below with the host team listed second. If there are multiple practices scheduled, the date of the first practice is listed.
August 11 — Cowboys-Rams; Colts-Patriots; Buccaneers-Jets; Titans-49ers.
August 12 — Dolphins-Commanders.
August 13 — Jaguars-Saints.
August 18 — 49ers-Chargers; Raiders-Texans; Saints-Cowboys.
August 19 — Falcons-Colts; Ravens-Vikings; Panthers-Jaguars; Eagles-Patriots.
August 20 — Bills-Browns; Bears-Bengals; Saints-Rams; Giants-Dolphins.
August 21 — Seahawks-Titans.
August 25 — Buccaneers-Jaguars.
August 26 — Cardinals-Packers; Texans-Panthers; Commanders-Ravens.
August 27 — Bears-Titans.
Police reportedly have investigation an assault allegation against Jets quarterback Geno Smith.
The incident emerged over the weekend, with a woman named “Kristen” claiming that Smith “beat my ass” in a video posted on social media. The 85-second clip includes multiple images of Smith. At the end, he’s speaking to police officers.
TMZ says the situation is currently under review. Andy Slater of Fox Sports South Florida reports that the case has already been closed.
Via the California Post, a spokesperson for the Davie, Florida police department said officers arrived at Smith’s residence at 4:40 p.m. ET on Sunday. The spokesperson said no one was taken into custody at the scene.
The Jets declined comment to the Post. Smith has not yet addressed the matter.
Smith was a second-round pick of the Jets in 2013. He played for the Jets through 2015. After stints with the Giants, Chargers, Seahawks, and Raiders, the Jets brought Smith back earlier this year in trade with Las Vegas. Smith, who has 98 regular-season starts in 12 NFL seasons, is expected to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2026.
