Joseph Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 3/1/25 After plenty of nonsense, and some cents, Matthew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams and the only person more excited than you is Puka Nacua. Nacua has already had a record setting season with Stafford and now has the chance for more. Check out his reaction for yourself below: Puka Nacua’s IG story 20 minutes ago https://t.co/mE93CiNfKk pic.twitter.com/TK2Iaah9qh — Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) February 28, 2025 Now, the Los Angeles Rams are back in business. Please comment on whatever you want and have a great Saturday! Source: Rams, Alaric Jackson reach 3-year, $57 million deal (espn.com) “Jackson, 26, started 14 games for the Rams last season. He was suspended for the first two games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and was also inactive for the season finale after Los Angeles clinched the NFC West. The left tackle was tied for the 26th-best pass-blocking grade among all offensive linemen (79.2) and ranked 20th among all offensive tackles in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.” BREAKING: Rams and QB Matthew Stafford are closing in on a deal for Stafford to return to LA. pic.twitter.com/l888cMkmuH — NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025 Winners and losers of Matthew Stafford staying home: Numerous quarterbacks impacted (usatoday) “INDIANAPOLIS – The NFL’s annual game of quarterback musical chairs commenced Friday … with the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford deciding to remain seated. The reigning NFC West champions put all speculation about their QB1’s future to rest by revealing “HE’S BACK” on X. According to multiple reports, Stafford also agreed to a restructured contract. He was set to make $27 million in 2025 (only $4 million of it guaranteed), the penultimate year of a deal that was well below market value for the league’s elite passers.” From our Combine coverage: A look at the QB carousel after the #Rams and QB Matthew Stafford made the decision to move forward together. pic.twitter.com/wlUEl1UUD2 — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2025
Random Ramsdom: Puka Nacua is more excited than you are
Raiders have put Michael Mayer on the trade block: Should Bengals come calling?
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Could the Bengals bring the Northern Kentucky native back to Paycor Stadium? The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty of work to do this offseason, but for yet another year of the Joe Burrow era, the tight end position is a question mark going into free agency/draft. The Bengals have seen CJ Uzomah, Hayden Hurst, Irv Smith Jr., and Mike Gesicki in the past few years, but there is no long-term starter currently on the roster yet again. With that being said, a familiar name has resurfaced with the Las Vegas Raiders putting former second-round pick and Northern Kentucky native Michael Mayer on the trade block. The Bengals passed on Mayer back in the 2023 NFL Draft for defensive end Myles Murphy but now have an opportunity to bring the 23-year-old into a pass-heavy offense with Burrow and company. Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported this: Raiders are shopping Michael Mayer and are open to other trade discussions The Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer, according to league sources. Mayer hasn’t had the impact the Raiders hoped for when he was drafted in the second round in 2023. He had just 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie. He missed six games due to personal reasons in 2024 and was delegated to a marginal role due to the ascent of tight end Brock Bowers, who was named a first-team All-Pro. The Raiders put Mayer in a tricky situation by drafting Bowers just a year after him, and the tight end room quickly became overcrowded. Could the Bengals make a move and bring in the young tight end and Northern Kentucky native for Burrow? We shall see.
2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images Noel is productive and explosive, but is he right for the Giants? We often find that bigger prospects get the most attention. However, players have repeatedly shown once they get in the NFL that size isn’t a skill set — what matters is how they use the traits they have. Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel is a short receiver at 5-foot 9 3⁄4 inches, 196 pounds, but he is also highly productive and can win in a variety of ways. Whether it’s his twitchy athleticism or savvy route running, he can be a real headache for defenses. The New York Giants might not be interested in a receiver with Noel’s stature, but they need all the help they can get on offense. Could they still pick him if the value is right? Prospect: Jaylin Noel (13)Games Watched: vs. Iowa (2024), vs. West Virginia (2024), vs. Texas (2024) Measurables Height: 5-foot 9 3⁄4 inchesWeight: 196 poundsArm length: 30 1/8 inchesHand size: 8 1⁄2 inches Strengths Best traits Quickness and agility Route running Separation Run after catch Competitive toughness Noel is a smart, compact, versatile, and athletic receiver prospect. Noel is a springy athlete with great quickness and agility, as well as solid explosiveness and long speed. He resembles nothing so much as a Jack Russell terrier on the field, and runs every route with high energy, even if he’s schemed traffic or a misdirection. And while Noel might not be a true speedster, he has enough long speed to be a deep threat. Noel primarily played out of the slot for Iowa State, though he also played out wide relatively frequently and even as an H-back on occasion. He’s a smart, savvy route runner who understands how to use every aspect of his route as a weapon against the defense. He has a varied and efficient release package and is able to get into his route easily regardless of the coverage. He’s careful to vary his stride length, as well as the tempo and pathing of his route stem to influence defenders and create opportunities to separate at the top of his routes. Noel makes full use of head and body fakes, and combines those with very quick cuts and breaks. He’s a natural separator who understands how to find the open field against zone coverage and break ankles when matched up in man coverage. Finally, he’s a dangerous player with the ball in his hands. His separation ability usually means that he has space to work with, while his explosiveness and agility allow him to break off chunk yardage. He might not outrun the fastest defensive backs, but most safeties will struggle to keep up with him. Weaknesses Worst traits Size Hand span Noel’s primary weaknesses all stem from his stature. At 5-foot 9 ¾ inches, he’s short for an NFL player, and while that does enhance his natural quickness and agility, it also imposes other limitations on his game. Most notably, Noel has a relatively small catch radius. Even with impressive adjustments and body control to contort and maximize his catch radius, it’s still lacking compared to even average sized receivers. He doesn’t allow tight coverage often, but he’ll struggle to get a handle on the ball in traffic or contested catch situations. Likewise, he has very small hands for an NFL receiver at 8 ½ inches. He’s sure-handed with just a 3% drop rate in 2024, however drops might be an issue with a bigger ball, faster game, and tighter coverage at the NFL level. Finally, while Noel is a competitive blocker and has the play strength to be a viable blocker on the perimeter, his length makes it difficult for him to control defenders. Game Tape (Noel is the Iowa State receiver wearing No. 13) Projection Noel projects as a starting slot receiver with scheme diversity at the NFL level. He’s a pro-ready route runner and he should be able to find a role in any offensive scheme. He has the speed and ball skills to be a threat in a vertical offense, while his route running and separation ability will be an asset in West Coast based schemes. He understands how to operate as a part of greater route concepts, and is unselfish without the ball in his hands. Noel is far from the most imposing receiver in the draft, however he could be one of the most dangerous. He has the potential to be an impact player if he lands in the right situation. Does he fit the Giants?Probably not Final Word: A later Day 2 value
Can you guess this Vikings cornerback in today’s in-5 trivia game?
Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Friday, February 28Thursday, February 27Wednesday, February 26 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!
Who has been the biggest standout of the 2025 NFL Combine so far?
What’s new at Pride of Detroit Direct? If you want more Lions coverage, our newsletter is the answer for you. There, we have weekly columns, deep analytical dives, and exclusive podcasts to offer comprehensive coverage of free agency, the draft, and everything in between as we prepare of a momentous 2025 Detroit Lions season.
Big Blue View mailbag: Matthew Stafford fallout edition
Gregory DiDonato asks: Aaron Rodgers rumors are flying. With the brutal schedule this year, and potential to be drafting near the top again in a better QB class, which path would you best prefer and why? Option 1: sign Rodgers for 2/$50M and take the best available player at 3rd overall ( Hunter, Carter, Graham, Campbell) and take a flier on a later round QB on day 2 or 3. Option 2: sign a lesser QB (flier on Fields, Jameis Winston short term deal) and draft a QB at 3 or move up if necessary for Ward or Sanders. Ed says: Sign someone else. Anyone else other than Rodgers. Sign the best bridge you can and take the big swing for Cam Ward in the draft. I am not going to go deep into my reasons for that here. I spent 12 hours driving home from Indianapolis on Friday and haven’t had time to do it yet, but I am going to post all of my quarterback thoughts at some point on Saturday or Sunday. including my reasons for not wanting anything to do with Rodgers. Andre Banks says: “Thank God Matthew Stafford has signed? with the Rams” would be a statement that I would make with an exuberant heart… if the next thing I read wasn’t now they’re pivoting toward Aaron Rodgers. Now that I’ve gotten that off of my chest, can you tell me what UPSIDE there would be bringing a 40 something year old quarterback (who doesn’t mentor young talent)? Wouldn’t Russell Wilson be a far better option on a short list of not very good options? Ed says: Aaron, I know what Dianna Russini reported and I know that she is well-sourced. I don’t, and won’t, believe the Giants would sign Rodgers until it happens. The information I have is that the Giants are doing their homework on every available quarterback. Adam Schefter’s report is exactly what I was also told. Also, to my knowledge it has been Rodgers trying to kick down the Giants’ door. Still, anything is possible. Until it’s not. Anthony Cantore asks: I read your recent mock draft. In it you pick several developmental players. What young players has Brian Daboll developed — Hyatt, Banks, Schmitz, Neal, Ezeudu, etc. Even players previously drafted that had some success have regressed Thibodeaux, Bellinger, etc. Do you have any confidence that Daboll will be able to now begin to develop players and players will actually get better as the season goes on? Ed says: Anthony, every draft pick is a developmental player at some level. When you blame Brian Daboll for lack of development, you have to understand that the coordinators and especially position coaches work more closely with these players and are more responsible for their day-to-day work. Sometimes, the fact that players don’t develop is their own fault. Sometimes it is scheme, situation, coaching. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. I would take issue with a couple of the players you mentioned. John Michael Schmitz was far better in Year 2 than Year 1. Kayvon Thibodeaux didn’t regress — he got hurt. Daniel Bellinger didn’t regress — he got replaced by a player in Theo Johnson the Giants think is going to be better. Myung Lee asks: There seems to be frequent changes to Brian Daboll’s coaching staff. Any guess as to why this is so? Is Daboll considered a difficult HC to work for among assistant coaches? What is your view of Daboll’s ability to attracting veteran coaches who can develop draftees and FAs into competent NFL players. Do you see the current coaching staff capable of developing another Zeke Mowatt or David Diehl? Ed says: Myung, I would be curious to know why you choose Mowatt and Diehl for your examples of players developed in years gone by. But, that is really beside the point. Brian Daboll and ex-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has a personality clash, and Martindale didn’t want to treat Daboll like he was the boss — which he was. There has been some discussion that Daboll is hard, maybe too hard, on assistant coaches. That is criticism I know he is aware of. Coaching in the NFL is a vagabond lifestyle. Many of these assistant coaches move every couple of years when their contracts end. They do it for what they see as career advancement opportunities. They do it simply to go back to a place they are more comfortable, or to work with a head coach they might have a pre-existing relationship with. They might do it for family reasons. It doesn’t always mean they dislike working for the head coach. From everything I know and have heard, there are a lot of highly-regarded position coaches on the Giants’ staff. John Kozel asks: Since Tennessee sits in the catbird seat to get a QB if they really like one, why don’t the Giants make a play for Will Levis? He seems like the big, gunslinger to a fault, Josh Allen type who we hear Brian Daboll can mold and win with. Should be able to get him for cheap and if it doesn’t work, they are looking for a quarterback next year when the choices are better. Then they can take best player or trade back this year. Thoughts? Ed says: Why wouldn’t the Giants make a play for Will Levis? Because he isn’t very good. Daboll and Schoen are in a situation where there is a lot of heat on them entering 2025, and I can’t see them putting their futures in the hands of a kid Tennessee seems to be trying to replace just two years after they drafted him. Vincent Moody asks: It seems almost certain that the Giants will be bringing a veteran quarterback onboard. When do you think that happens? If they miss out on Stafford, do they make signing a quarterback a priority in the first day of free agency? Ed says: Vincent, nothing can happen officially until free agency starts.
Can you guess this Giants cornerback in today’s in-5 trivia game?
Think you can figure out which Giants player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! We’re back for another day of the Big Blue View in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form. Today’s Big Blue View in-5 game Previous games Friday, February 28Thursday, February 27Wednesday, February 26 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Big Blue View in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Giants player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!
Can you guess this Eagles tight end in today’s in-5 trivia game?
Think you can figure out which Eagles player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! We’re back for another day of the Bleeding Green Nation in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. Today’s Bleeding Green Nation in-5 game If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Friday, February 28Thursday, February 27Wednesday, February 26 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Bleeding Green Nation in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Eagles player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game appears in slot #3 of the BGN layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively. Additionally, there is a more general version of this at SBNation.com, which features a variety of random players that do not necessarily have Eagles history. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!
Giants news, 3/1: Stafford stays in LA, Aaron Rodgers, Jaxson Dart, more headlines
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images New York Giants news for Saturday Good morning New York Giants fans! From Big Blue View Quarterback news: Matt Stafford returns to the Rams… Aaron Rodgers to the Giants? Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart Speak on Their NFL Futures Greg Cosell: Cam Ward worthy of No. 1 pick in 2025 NFL Draft 2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina Previewing the 2025 NFL Combine: Which defensive backs and tight ends to watch New York Giants 2025 free agency | New York Giants 2025 Draft | New York Giants 2025 coaching tracker Other Giant observations What’s going into Giants’ franchise-altering Cam Ward decision as 2025 NFL Draft looms | New York Post The Giants were scheduled to be in Seattle the first week of October and so it made sense for Joe Schoen to be scouting on the West Coast that weekend. He wanted to get a look at Miami quarterback Cam Ward and so he attended the game against California in Berkeley. Report: Rodgers has called Giants multiple times “There certainly has been interest from Aaron Rodgers’ side” – NFL Insider @jjones9 on the Giants-Rodgers rumors. pic.twitter.com/FMSPfq451L — NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) February 28, 2025 Giants shift interest to Aaron Rodgers after Rams retain Matthew Stafford: Sources | The Athletic Should the Giants land Rodgers, his arrival could also add an interesting wrinkle to a quarterback room that may feature a top pick in this year’s NFL Draft. New York holds the No. 3 pick and has been linked to top prospects Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Eli Manning ‘huge role model’ for Jaxson Dart | Giants.com “He’s been a huge role model for me,” Dart said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Somebody who has shed a lot of wisdom throughout my time at Ole Miss. … [He’s someone] I’ve really looked up to. We’ve definitely had those conversations. He’s a legend. Anytime when you’re around that Hall of Fame style of a player, you want to take little pieces and learn as much as you can.” What Jets’ coaches told Big Blue staff The Giants & members of their coaching staff have touched base with former members of Jets coaching staff to discuss working with Rodgers the last two years. They received rave reviews. Public perception of Aaron Rodgers the person, teammate very different from those who worked… https://t.co/Xo0ZR9EP5F — Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) February 28, 2025 Penn State TE Tyler Warren: Giants’ Theo Johnson helped me ‘a lot’ | USAToday.com “We have some similarities, we have some differences,” Warren said when comparing himself to Johnson. “Theo is as athletic of a tight end as you’ll find, can run great routes, and he’s a really fast guy. So, he might be a little higher up on that scale, and I do a little bit more of everything. But he helped me out a lot and I couldn’t say enough good things about Theo and what he’s meant to me through my process of being a football player.” Cam Ward gives scouting report on Giants Cam Ward points to Malik Nabers and the Giants’ defense when evaluating the team: “From a situation standpoint, all teams looking for quarterbacks are going to be good situations” pic.twitter.com/GQzd10ouoe — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) February 28, 2025 Jermaine Eluemunor defended the Giants’ OL after outside criticism | The Record That commentary from ESPN’s Damien Woody, specifically about the offensive line, did not sit well with Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who shot back at Greenberg on X and challenged him to come watch film. “I’m not one to make excuses but before [OT Andrew Thomas] went down we were dogging some of the best DLs in the league, go watch the tape,” Eluemunor wrote. “We can sit down and watch the tape together, my guy.” Around the league Where the NFL sees Daniel Jones going from here with career at crossroads | New York Post Dallas Cowboys will meet free agent DeMarcus Lawrence’s reps at combine | Blogging The Boys Brian Schottenheimer on possible Osa Odighizuwa contract: ‘A lot of ongoing conversations’ | NFL.com Eagles willing to “make a big swing” for Myles Garrett | Bleeding Green Nation Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler joins Philadelphia Eagles as QB coach | The Athletic NFL salary cap set at $279.2m; Washington Commanders have $82m | Hogs Haven Rams, OT Alaric Jackson agree to terms on three-year, $57 million contract | NFL.com Raiders will not tender Desmond Ridder as a restricted free agent | Pro Football Talk Are the Seahawks planning to give QB Geno Smith an extension? | ESPN.com Texas QB Quinn Ewers fully healthy after playing through injuries last season | Pro Football Talk Could the Ravens consider trading tight end Mark Andrews? | ESPN.com Buccaneers reinstating Jon Gruden into team’s Ring of Honor | NFL.com NFL releases franchise, transition tag values for 2025 | Pro Football Talk BBV mailbag Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to [email protected] and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag. BBV YouTube You can find and subscribe to Big Blue View YouTube from the show’s home page BBV on X: Follow @BigBlueView | Ed Valentine: @Valentine_Ed | Threads: @ed.valentine | Bluesky: @edvalentine BBV on Facebook: Click here to like the Big Blue View Facebook page BBV on YouTube: Subscribe to the Big Blue View YouTube channel BBV on Instagram: Click here to follow our Instagram page
Should the Dolphins give up on Tyreek Hill – The Splash Zone 3/1/25
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been a hot topic of discussion since the season came to an end. After the Dolphins season finale, Hill basically stated he wanted out of Miami and then we learned that Hill took himself out of the game, giving up on his teammates. Hill has come out since and apologized for his actions, but honestly an apology shouldn’t be enough. Even if the Dolphins won their final regular season game, they weren’t making the playoffs. It’s easy to get frustrated after an up and down season which contained a ton of heartbreak. But you just don’t give up on your team, even when you know their is no hope. So in your opinion, is it time to move on from Tyreek Hill? You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below. Tyreek Hill Gave Up On The Dolphins And They Should Give Up On Him | OutKickThe Miami Dolphins should trade finesse receiver Tyreek Hill after he quit in the 2024 season-finale as part of a program to add size, strength and character. Dolphins Tight Ends Miami Dolphins meet with under-the-radar player at NFL Combine who could be a weapon for Mike McDanielThe Dolphins are kicking the tires on a productive ACC standout Dolphins Secondary NFL draft outlook: Why Miami Dolphins picking Georgia safety Malaki Starks seems obvious – Yahoo SportsGeorgia safety Malaki Starks could fill a starting need for the Miami Dolphins with the 13th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Miami Dolphins Now Know Cost of Tendering Kohou and Tagging HollandThe official numbers for RFA tenders and franchise/transition tags are out Phinsider News You May Have Missed Terron Armstead mulling NFL future – The Splash Zone 2/27/25 – The PhinsiderWelcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. Back-to-Back: Miami Dolphins Rank 1st in 2025 NFLPA Report Cards – The PhinsiderHang the banner because the Miami Dolphins have once again been ranked the league’s top team according to the NFLPA’s annual survey. #FinsUp OFFICIAL: The 2025 NFL salary cap is set – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins have a budget of $279.2 million Phinsider Question Of The Day: The Combine Edition – The PhinsiderWe ask Miami Dolphins fans for their thoughts on the NFL Combine. 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Can the Miami Dolphins afford to pass on a top tight end or cornerback? – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins must invest in the offensive line… unless… MAREK’S MOCK: Full Miami Dolphins 7-round 2025 NFL Draft mock version 2.0 – The PhinsiderWho should the Miami Dolphins select in the 2025 NFL Draft? 2025 NFL free agents: Miami Dolphins review Jake McQuaide – Walk, tag, or re-sign? – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins cycled through long snappers in 2024. What should they do with Jake McQuaide heading into 2025? How should the Miami Dolphins fix their backup quarterback problem? – The PhinsiderWould you trust a rookie quarterback in a must-win season? Phinsider Victory Of The Week Open Thread Vol. 623 – The PhinsiderJoin us on Friday evenings to share your victories from the past week and discuss the Miami Dolphins.
