0:00:00

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle did not report to the start of team offseason activities, according to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The six-time Pro Bowl selection is entering the final year of his contract and is set to earn a base salary of $14.4 million. The Iowa product put another fantastic season together in 2024, collecting 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. The 31-year-old is one of the best tight ends of his generation and has five seasons of at least 900 receiving yards on his career resume. If Kittle wants a contract extension and a raise, he has earned it. He currently ranks behind Trey McBride, Travis Kelce, and T.J. Hockenson in average salary among tight ends and is likely to take on a bigger workload after the departure of Deebo Samuel Sr.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy reported to the start of the team's offseason activities, according to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The 2022 seventh-round pick is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is slated to earn $5.35 million in base salary. Purdy, who has thrown for 9,518 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions in 40 career games, is making well below the starting quarterback market as a clear starter, and he could receive a lucrative extension this offseason. Entering 2025, Purdy will be without Deebo Samuel Sr., who was traded to the Washington Commanders. Additionally, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) could miss the start of the season after suffering a torn ACL in 2024. Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall could be his top two wideouts to begin the year, but the Niners could be aggressive in targeting a wideout in the 2025 NFL Draft.

From RotoBaller

Veteran free-agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore was at the Dallas Cowboys' facility on Tuesday, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports no signing is imminent. The former No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of South Carolina spent the 2023 campaign with Dallas before a season with the Minnesota Vikings last year. Overall, Gilmore has tallied 617 tackles (521 solo), 149 pass deflections, 32 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one sack, and two defensive touchdowns in 180 career games with the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Cowboys, and Vikings. The Cowboys could be interested in bringing the five-time Pro Bowler back, but it would likely be after the 2025 NFL Draft if they strike out on targeted cornerback prospects.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins reported to voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. His arrival was a surprise to some Falcons staffers, but his presence in the building shows the relationship between him and the organization is still cordial. The Falcons have said they are willing to pay Cousins $27.5 million to back up second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but the veteran would prefer to be traded somewhere he can start. However, starting quarterback roles around the league are now scarce, and options will be further reduced following the 2025 NFL Draft. Cousins was benched for Penix last season after throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 14 games. It remains to be seen how this situation will play out, but Atlanta could hold onto him in hopes of a fruitful trade offer at some point this offseason or during the 2025 campaign.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook did not report to the start of the organization's voluntary OTAs, according to general manager Brandon Beane. The former second-round pick out of Georgia posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season in 2024 and is seeking a contract extension worth $15 million annually. In 16 games last season, Cook posted 1,009 yards on 207 carries and caught 32 passes for 258 yards. He found the end zone 18 times. It remains to be seen if Cook is a candidate to hold out of mandatory OTAs or training camp, but for now, it's too early to have any significant takeaways. If he's the clear starter in Buffalo next season, he'll continue to have RB1 upside in an offense led by MVP quarterback Josh Allen.

From RotoBaller

In a media availability on Tuesday, Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi confirmed the team will make a selection with the No. 1 overall pick rather than trading down. "We've come to a consensus," Borgonzi said. "We'll pick at No. 1 on Thursday night." Since at least the 2025 NFL combine, the belief has been that Tennessee will select Miami quarterback Cam Ward at the top of this week's draft, and Borgonzi's statement all but confirms that will be the case. After 2023 second-round pick Will Levis struggled in 2024 with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 12 games, Tennessee is poised to bring in its franchise quarterback of the future. Ward threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his lone season with the Hurricanes and finished fourth in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting behind Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, and Dillon Gabriel.

From RotoBaller

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is the consensus top RB in a strong class in 2025, and he could very well come off the board within the first 10 picks on Thursday night. What sets Jeanty apart from the likes of North Carolina's Omarion Hampton, Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins is hit tackle-breaking ability and penchant for gaining yards after contact. Jeanty had 1,733 rushing yards after contact last season with the Broncos, while Hampton, who is considered the No. 2 back in this class, has 1,660 total rushing yards in 2024. Jeanty's total rushing yards after contact are the most by any FBS player in a season in the last five years. The Las Vegas Raiders are the obvious candidates to take Jeanty at No. 6 overall, and multiple personnel people think the Chicago Bears are hoping he falls to them at No. 10.

From RotoBaller

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was invited to attend this weeks' NFL draft in Green Bay, but ESPN's Peter Schrager writes that it doesn't mean the NFL expects him to be picked in the first round on Thursday night. The league invited Milroe to the draft because he's one of the top QB prospect, and even if he's not selected in Round 1, he could be in attendance on Friday night. Even though the 22-year-old might end up being a Day 2 pick, plenty of NFL teams are intrigued by him. "Rare physical talent," Browns general manager Andrew Berry said of Milroe. "Maybe the only quarterback who's faster than Lamar Jackson." The 6-foot-2, 217-pounder has the best speed at the QB position in this year's class, but in order to take the next step at the NFL level, he is going to need to improve as a passer, which is why teams might be skeptical on using a first-round pick on him.

From RotoBaller

There has been a lack of teams willing to trade up in the 2025 NFL draft so far, but ESPN's Peter Schrager writes that the Denver Broncos are one of the teams perhaps looking to move up. They have made multiple inquiries about moving up in Round 1 on Thursday night, according to sources. While there may not be many other teams besides the Broncos that are currently looking to move up within the first round, that could change quickly once the draft starts and players start falling. Denver currently has the 20th overall pick in the first round, but they may not be willing to wait that long to have a chance to a running back, possibly Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, who could come off the board in the top 10 picks. Denver's backfield was extremely disappointing in 2024, and they also let Javonte Williams walk in free agency, so they are fully expected to target the position in this year's draft.

From RotoBaller

Many people expect the Indianapolis Colts to take either Penn State tight end Tyler Warren or Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 14th overall pick in the first round of Thursday night's 2025 NFL draft, and general manager Chris Ballard said this week that he'd like to find a TE who can block in the run game and catch in the passing game. Ballard also stressed that this year's tight end class is deep, so perhaps the Colts won't go for either Warren or Loveland early on. But one thing is pretty clear: The Colts will take a tight end at some point in the draft later this week to add to a lackluster TE room that already includes Drew Ogletree, Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods and Will Mallory, among others. If Indy takes Warren or Loveland, they would be expected to be the Colts' primary pass-catching TE right away in 2025.

From RotoBaller

SNY's Connor Hughes writes that Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is a name to watch for the New York Giants as a trade-up option near the end of the first round of Thursday night's 2025 NFL draft. Sources are saying that head coach Brian Daboll is high on Dart as one of the top QB prospects in this year's class behind Miami's Cam Ward. Dart's toughness is something that Daboll values when he looks for a signal-caller. Other NFL teams are in on Dart, too, which is why the Giants may want to trade back into the first round if they really like him. At No. 3 overall, Hughes writes that there's not much out there connecting Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to New York, and the hype has cooled dramatically from where it was in December. If the Giants were to land Dart late in the first round or early in the second round, he could push veteran Russell Wilson for the starting job in training camp this summer.

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will begin competing for the starting role in 2025 when their offseason program begins on Tuesday. Both Richardson and Jones are former top-10 picks that haven't lived up to their draft stock so far in their careers. Richardson has elite rushing upside, but he needs to improve as a passer and has missed 17 of a possible 34 games due to two injuries. "You don't want to begin with an end in mind," general manager Chris Ballard said. "If I'm a betting man, at some point, both of them will help us." Richardson was going through the draft process before his rookie year and was recovering from shoulder surgery last offseason, so he'll have his first normal offseason to prepare going into the 2025 campaign. He has more pure fantasy upside due to his rushing ability, but his draft stock is way down with the possibility that both Jones and Richardson are making starts.

From RotoBaller

When asked if the situation surrounding free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have any effect on what the Pittsburgh Steelers do in this week's NFL draft, head coach Mike Tomlin said, "It does not." "All options are on the table to acquire those last two [quarterbacks]," general manager Omar Khan said. The Steelers plan on taking four QBs into offseason workouts, but right now they only have Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Pittsburgh has the No. 21 overall pick in the first round on Thursday night, and it's very possible they'll select a signal-caller in that spot, especially if Colorado's Shedeur Sanders falls all the way down to them. Taking Sanders wouldn't necessarily prevent the Steelers from signing Rodgers to be their starting QB in 2025, though. While signs had been pointing to Rodgers signing with Pittsburgh a while ago, retirement also remains on the table.

From RotoBaller

The New Orleans Times-Picayune's Jeff Duncan writes that he doesn't know who the New Orleans Saints are targeting with pick No. 9 in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night, but he thinks he can safely say that it won't be Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders if he falls that far. It's unclear if current starter Derek Carr (shoulder) will be ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall, but most people close to the Saints believe they will be prioritizing an offensive or defensive lineman with their first-round pick this year. There have been rumblings that the Saints are very interested in Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart and may even prefer him over Sanders, but No. 9 overall is considered too much of a reach for him in the first round. If the New York Giants don't take Sanders at No. 3 overall, there's a good chance that he could fall to the back end of the first round or out of the first round entirely.

From RotoBaller

The Cleveland Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, and the New York Giants, who sit at No. 3 in this year's NFL draft, both inquired about the possibility of trading up to No. 1 overall with the Tennessee Titans, but the Titans have resisted the overtures and are fully expected to hold onto their pick to take Miami quarterback Cam Ward. This has been the case for a while, with the Titans having fallen in love with Ward as their future franchise signal-caller after they saw former second-rounder Will Levis flop in a starting role in 2024. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of movement as far as trades before this week's draft is what evaluators perceive to be the lack of blue-chip QB prospects. While there is a lot of uncertainty as to what might happen outside of the top three picks in this year's draft, everyone is pretty certain the Titans will call Ward's name at No. 1.

From RotoBaller

There is skepticism that the New Orleans Saints will take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders if he's available at their pick at No. 9 overall in this year's NFL draft on Thursday night, even with Derek Carr's (shoulder) availability in question for the start of the 2025 season this fall. The Saints are believed to be more interested in taking an offensive or defensive lineman with their first-round pick this year. However, there is a belief that they do want to select a QB this year, just maybe not at No. 9 overall. "I don't think New Orleans is taking Shedeur. I think they're hot and heavy on Jaxson Dart," a personnel executive said. Still, it would be a surprise to see New Orleans take Dart at No. 9 overall. The Ole Miss product could be squarely in the mix to be taken with the Saints' second-round pick, though, at No. 40 overall -- according to sources, the Saints have already made calls about trading up in the second round.

From RotoBaller

The Atlanta Falcons have said publicly that they aren't interested in trading quarterback Kirk Cousins but that they'd entertain offers if the right deal is on the table. According to sources, they've privately had talks with other teams and have asked for a lot in return. Specifically, the Falcons have asked any acquiring team to pay $20 million of the $37.5 million worth of guarantees left on Cousins' contract. No team has been willing to do that to date, and no teams are expected to be willing to. However, what happens during this week's NFL draft could influence how much guaranteed money a team might be willing to take on from the 36-year-old veteran's contract. The Vikings or Steelers could be willing to pay down to around $10 million for Cousins. He did not look good in his first season coming off a torn Achilles in 2023 and was eventually benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16 last year.

From RotoBaller

The Athletic's Josh Kendall thinks that it wouldn't be a surprise if the Atlanta Falcons select a tight end on Day 2 of this year's NFL draft, and he projects that they'll select LSU tight end Mason Taylor in third round at pick No. 81. Kyle Pitts, the former fourth overall pick in 2021, is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have been clear that 2025 is a critical season for Pitts. Backup Charlie Woerner has just 18 catches in five NFL seasons. Taylor, who is 6-foot-5, 246 pounds, could be the eventual replacement for Pitts if he doesn't figure it out next season. He is Dane Brugler's No. 3 TE and the No. 33 overall prospect in this year's class. In his three seasons with the Tigers, Taylor had 129 catches for 1,308 yards.

From RotoBaller

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac said on The Rich Eisen Show that the Pittsburgh Steelers really like both Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. "I will tell you Rich that they have a first-round grade on Jaxson Dart, and they really like Shedeur Sanders," Dulac said. "Despite whatever post was put out there that he had a terrible meeting (and) it did not go well. Nothing could be further from the truth. They like the guy. They had a great meeting with him." Pittsburgh has yet to sign future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and have only Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on their QB depth chart heading into the draft, so many are predicting that they will address the position with the 21st overall pick in the first round on Thursday night. However, Dulac thinks the team prefers to go with a defensive lineman with their first-round pick. There's a greater chance that Sanders is gone by pick No. 21.

From RotoBaller

The Las Vegas Raiders have been heavily linked to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL draft, and new general manager John Spytek made it clear that he's a big believer in taking a RB high in the draft. "I mean we just saw Saquon Barkley just change the Eagles in one year," Spytek said. "There's certain ways to build a team, and I don't know where we got to a place where we don't feel like running backs are valued." ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Raiders taking Jeanty at No. 6 overall on Thursday night in his latest mock draft. The Heisman finalist had a "good formal" visit with the Raiders at the combine in February. Spytek was at the 21-year-old's Pro Day, and the Raiders held a top-30 visit with Jeanty. He ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Broncos in 2024 and would become Vegas' immediate starting RB if the Raiders take him in the top 10.

From RotoBaller