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Discussion: Which positions are realistic first-round options for the Detroit Lions?
How the Chiefs can get stronger at wide receiver this offseason
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Buffalo Bills 2025 offseason positional review: Wide receivers
Buffalo saw several new additions to their receiving corps last year. The Bills drafted Keon Coleman, traded for Amari Cooper, and signed Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins in free agency. It was a marked change following the trade of Stefon Diggs. During the season, Khalil Shakir made the greatest impact on Buffalo’s offense. Shakir led the Bills in receptions (76), targets (100), and receiving yards (821). The Boise State product was second in receiving touchdowns with four. Shakir was third in the NFL in YAC (597), only behind De’Von Achane and Ja’Marr Chase. Hollins was arguably the biggest surprise from last year. He became a major component of Buffalo’s culture. He was a standout on special teams. More importantly, Hollins put together a surprising season as a boundary receiver. The veteran led the Bills with five touchdown receptions. Hollins caught 31 passes for 378 yards. Coleman had a tale of two seasons. Coleman flashed at times, but his major turning point was when he suffered a mid-season injury against the Miami Dolphins. Coleman missed multiple weeks was largely an afterthought for the final portion of the year. All told, Coleman registered 29 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns. Samuel also struggled in his first season in Buffalo. Samuel entered the season with a toe injury, and he was slow to produce for the Bills offense. Samuel reeled in 31 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. Buffalo acquired Cooper to act as the team’s No. 1 receiver. However, much like the other receivers who did not put up the expected production, Cooper fought through multiple ailments. In eight games with the Bills, Cooper caught 20 passes for 297 and two touchdowns.
Dolphins met with West Virginia tight end prospect at Hula Bowl
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images West Virginia tight end Kole Taylor spoke with The Draft Network about his experience at the Hula Bowl. Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland have dominated early draft conversations, but tight end is considered a strength of the 2025 NFL Draft. Miami Hurricanes tight end Elijah Arroyo stole the show at the Senior Bowl, and more prospects will gain traction at the NFL Combine. .@WVUfootball TE Kole Taylor was a consistent pass-catching threat in 2024!@OrlandoHulaBowl standout had notable meetings w/ #Dolphins, #Chiefs, #49ers, #Ravens, #Cardinals, #DUUUVAL , #TB, #Lions, #ATL, #Bears.@KoleTaylor3 on @TheDraftNetwork:https://t.co/WLWjK2qRXE — Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) February 23, 2025 Currently unlisted in the Mock Draft Database, West Virginia tight end Kole Taylor caught 43 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns last season. The 6’7”, 255-pound Mountaineer participated in the Hula Bowl — an All-Star game featuring 120 seniors — and shared his experience with The Draft Network. “I had a good meeting with the Miami Dolphins,” Taylor told Justin Melo. “I met with them early in the week. We watched some film together and I thought that went really well. I was able to highlight who I am as a football player during that session. I got a great vibe from them.” Tight end isn’t necessarily a need for Miami, as Jonnu Smith just set single-season franchise records with 88 receptions, 884 yards, and eight touchdowns. That said, the Dolphins still lack a capable blocker and physical receiving threat at the position. Miami traded its third-round pick to draft Jaylen Wright last season but is expected to receive a compensatory pick at the end of the round. The Dolphins will start day three with two picks in the fourth and fifth rounds. Taylor’s college career began at LSU, where he caught 17 passes over three seasons. He transferred to WVU and hit the ground running with a team-high 35 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. “Every game I played in at West Virginia, I recorded at least one catch,” Taylor said. ”I carved out a role for myself early and I was able to consistently help the offense however I could. I ranked first on the team in receptions in 2023. This past year, I was second in receptions and receiving yards.” Taylor added that he spoke with more than 10 teams at the Hula Bowl, a common practice at pre-draft All-Star events. A tight end isn’t urgently needed, but Miami has the mid-round ammunition to jump around the draft order for the right player.
Is it possible for Rams, Stafford to reconcile their differences?
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images How likely is Matthew Stafford’s return? Is it time to worry? After the Los Angeles Rams granted Matthew Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams, it’s now time to question the likelihood of the quarterback’s return for the 2025 season. Many in the Rams community on social media and elsewhere have cautioned that there’s nothing to worry about since the latest report—that this maneuver simply allows the player and team to gauge worth outside of Los Angeles. But the fact that we’ve gotten to this point means that it’s time to worry if you want Stafford back with the Rams this season. Stafford’s agent wouldn’t be allowed to talk with other teams if it was a certainty that he’d be in Los Angeles for next season. If the Rams haven’t contemplated moving on, then we wouldn’t be here at this stage. I’m sure that the team does want Stafford back, but they are attempting to thread a needle between (1) the short-term nature of Stafford’s remaining career, (2) maintaining salary cap flexibility for the career primes of Jared Verse and Puka Nacua, and (3) finding a quarterback that can grow with the rest of an otherwise young roster. How likely is is that Stafford will return to the Rams? Let’s take a look at the scenarios from all angles. Measuring value is more complicated than it seems: Speaking with other teams to gauge value introduces more complex variables, such as return trade compensation if say the New York Giants wanted to acquire the quarterback and give him a new contract. While in a vacuum the Giants might be willing to pay Stafford $60M annually over three years, for example, they also must weigh the cost of any draft capital they’d sent to LA in a trade. Would New York still be willing to commit to Stafford at that aforementioned mark if they also have to give the Rams an early second young pick? Other teams are going to look at the package as a whole, and the more they have to give up as part of a trade the less favorable Stafford’s potential contract extension could become. How this can work out from Rams’ perspective: With that in mind, the structure of involving other teams might actually work in the Rams’ favor. Stafford and his representation probably have a value in mind for a new contract, but seeing that other teams aren’t willing to go to that mark when it also costs them draft capital might show the player that his best option is to return to Los Angeles. If Stafford leaves the Rams, he should go to a contending team with a #1 WR and a good, young defense, like the Rams. https://t.co/Aic72E8MjT — Joe Dolan (@FG_Dolan) February 22, 2025 Stafford’s best chance to succeed—depending on how important that is to him in his range of priorities—is with the Rams. He has the support of an elite play caller and offensive designer in Sean McVay. He’d have a number one receiver with Puka Nacua, and an offensive line that has been revamped in recent years. That doesn’t even mention the young talent on defense that carried LA in some games last season. By letting Stafford speak with other teams, the Rams are betting on their offer and hoping the player comes to terms with the idea he’s not leaving significant money on the table and he’ll be well suited to succeed in LA. This can all still go south, and pretty quickly: Desperate times call for desperate measures, and there are a couple quarterback-needy teams that might pull out all the stops to land Stafford—the Rams should let them in that case. Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen have one more season to save their jobs in New York. A veteran option would give them their best shot, and they could talk themselves into mortgaging the future to set the team up for short-term success. Something to keep an eye on, per sources: the persuasiveness of Tom Brady as a recruiter for the @Raiders. It will make things interesting during free agency. And maybe even in the trade market. It’s why you can’t rule out Matthew Stafford as an option. — Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) February 23, 2025 Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders is another situation worth keeping an eye on. Carroll is one of the older head coaches in football. He might not have the benefit of time to draft and develop a quarterback, and with Tom Brady in the ownership group, there may be pressure to be good sooner than later. While the Rams deserve credit for being a process-oriented organization that is often on the bleeding edge of league trends, not every team operates in that way. If someone is willing to offer a big trade package to acquire Stafford and follow that up with stupid money, the Rams have to let it happen. They might not have a real choice now that they’ve allowed other parties into the conversation. Final thoughts: Don’t listen to individuals who tell you there’s nothing to worry about now that Stafford’s agent is talking to other teams. The longer this process draws out, the more likely it is that the quarterback is wearing a new uniform next season. The Rams are expected to talk with Stafford’s camp this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. There could be real updates on the negotiations in the coming days, and we could have a conclusion sooner than later. However, if no news breaks into the middle part of next week, it’s probably time to mentally prepare yourself for the idea of the Rams without Stafford.
Bengals tabbed a potential suitor for Osa Odighizuwa in free agency
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Could the Bengals bring in a free agent superstar to bolster the defensive line? The Cincinnati Bengals have their hands full already in the building with guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, and Tee Higgins due for new deals. The Bengals also have a ton of work to do in the upcoming NFL Draft and free agency to help revamp the defense. The defense has numerous names set to hit free agency as well like Mike Hilton, BJ Hill, Joseph Ossai, and even Germaine Pratt (via trade). The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher believes the Bengals could be a suitor for Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. Mosher also listed the Giants and Commanders as potential suitors. “He led all interior defenders in quarterback hits this season and is a force as a pass rusher despite less-than-stellar sack totals. He is on the smaller side for a defensive tackle, but teams prioritizing pass-rush ability and durability will fall in love with Odighizwua this offseason,” Mosher wrote. “Look for Odighizuwa to earn a contract worth at least $20 million per season. Given the lack of depth at defensive tackle in free agency, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earned significantly more. We saw Christian Wilkins sign a deal worth upwards of $27 million last year, and Odighizuwa is younger and far more durable.” Odighizwua is only 26 years old and could bring a ton of talent to a struggling defensive tackle room in Cincinnati. The Bengals could lose BJ Hill with this signing, but the team seems to have high hopes for Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson entering their second season. Cincinnati has already cut ties with Sheldon Rankins and could use some of those savings to bring in a guy like Odighizwua.
The Vikings are the Favorites to Trade for Matthew Stafford for Some Reason
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images I don’t understand it, either We know that the quarterback situation for the Minnesota Vikings is the one that will dominate the offseason until we get some sort of resolution here in the next couple of weeks. However, there are some stories about it that are so absurd that they merit a mention simply for their level of absurdity. The people who put together sports betting odds have put together their list of teams they feel could trade for Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford should he move on to a new destination, and for reasons that I’m not exactly sure of, the Vikings are at the top of the list. Here are the top five teams on the list: Vikings +200 Giants +300 Raiders +400 Colts +500 Jets +700 Now, the Vikings have their own quarterback issue with Sam Darnold and whether or not the team will tag him or just let him walk in free agency. A potential trade for Stafford makes absolutely no sense from a number of perspectives. First off, the asking price for Stafford is reported to be a first-round pick. Given that the Vikings only have four picks in this year’s draft (counting the projected third-rounder they should get for Kirk Cousins’ departure), it would make just about no sense for them to use the most valuable of those four picks on a quarterback when they have numerous other holes to fill. Second, if the plan for the Vikings is to turn things over to J.J. McCarthy this coming season, why would the Vikings bring in a guy who is not going to want to play backup for a first-time starter? That doesn’t sound like a formula for success to me. If the Vikings wanted to do something like that, they could just as well stick with Darnold or even try to keep Daniel Jones in the fold to transition things to McCarthy. In line with that, Stafford’s contract wouldn’t be cheap. The Rams would have to eat a lot of dead cap if they traded Stafford away, but he would still incur a significant cost to his new team. As we’ve talked about before, the Vikings have done a lot of work to clear off bad contracts and open up cap space for this coming season, and it would make just about no sense to get back on the veteran QB treadmill with someone like Stafford, even if it’s just for a season or two. I’m not sure why the sportsbooks are of the impression that the Vikings would be a prime trade destination for Matthew Stafford, but those are the odds they’ve put forth as of today.
Phinsider Question Of The Day: Who Do You Want Edition
Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images As many of you know, the NFL’s 2025-2026 League Year begins in just a few weeks, on March 12th. Before that date, on March 10th, teams may initiate discussions with other teams’ impending free agents they wish to sign on or after the 12th, also known as the “Legal Tampering Period.” Now that the NFL has raised the estimated cap number higher than expected, our Miami Dolphins should enter the league year slightly under the cap following the three cuts they have already made. However, this does not give the team enough cap space to sign their future draft picks, let alone any free agents or enough players to fill the 53-man roster. I expect that over the next three weeks, we will see some players cut, others extended, and others renegotiated in an effort to enter free agency with a reasonable amount of cash to spend. The bigger question is what positions they should target in free agency and which free agents at those positions they should target. Sportrac has a comprehensive list of all the players who will become free agents on March 12th, providing that their current team does not re-sign them before that date. You can easily change the menu at the top of the list to change the position of players that you are looking for. CLICK HERE So tonight’s question of the day is, which free agents do you want to see or believe should be a priority for our Miami Dolphins to sign? Please give us your thoughts and answers in the comments section below-
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders won’t throw at the Combine
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Sanders will focus on interviews instead of throwing Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will not throw at the 2025 NFL Scouting combine, per a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Sanders, widely considered one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been one of the most common picks for the New York Giants in pre-combine mock drafts. Sanders accepted the invitation to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl, but elected to abstain from practices and the game. Instead, he sat for interviews with the teams who are interested in him. Sanders’ decision to not practice at the Shrine Bowl or throw at the Combine is a strategic one. As of now, he’s generally regarded as one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft class. However, he also likely has the weakest arm of the top quarterback prospects. Visibly coming up short in comparison to his peers would only hurt his draft stock and add fuel to the growing perception that Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart is a better prospect. Instead, Sanders has opted to talk to teams and is likely leaning on his football IQ as a separating factor. It has previously been reported that the Giants had scouts and executives in attendance for Colorado practices, as well as their games. Sanders isn’t the only quarterback in whom the Giants have shown significant interest. They heavily scouted six top quarterback prospects during the season, including several players who elected to go back to school for the 2025 season. Sanders has since said that he has a “Top 30” interview scheduled with the Giants. The Giants are expected to be very interested in this year’s quarterback class. As of this writing they don’t have a single quarterback under contract for the 2025 season and multiple NFL insiders have publicly stated the believe that the Giants will be selecting a quarterback in April’s draft.
Should the Ravens consider drafting a quarterback in the middle rounds?
Should the Ravens consider drafting a quarterback in the middle rounds? paulbanks The Baltimore Ravens did select a quarterback in last year’s NFL Draft, Devin Leary, out of Kentucky in the sixth round, but it didn’t work out too well. Leary was cut in the preseason and then signed to the practice squad. He did not see any action in the 2024 season, and last month, he was signed to a reserve/future contract. As of now, he is not the Ravens’ third-string quarterback, as they do not have one. Their second string is Josh Johnson, who is 38 and has only made five pass attempts since 2021. In other words, the Ravens should be looking at depth behind Lamar Jackson in both free agency and the draft this offseason. They won’t take a QB in the first round, and it’s doubtful they’ll grab one in rounds two or three. However, here are some names for them to consider in rounds four through seven. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon His stock is lower simply because of his size. Gabriel put up Heisman-worthy numbers in the Pacific Northwest, but pro scouts regard him as too short. Well, Doug Flutie overcame that issue and had a solid career. Drew Brees wasn’t a shrimp or anything, but he’s far below the prototypical height you want in an NFL quarterback. He went on to have a career that ranks among the elitists of the elite. Maybe Gabriel will be the next to follow this pattern. Taylor Elgersma, Laurier Elgersma is not just an intriguing quarterback but a historical one. He could become the first player from a Canadian college to be selected in the NFL Draft. He’s already become the first player from a Canadian school to play in the Senior Bowl, where he was most impressive. “I have a ton of confidence, but these players I am going against here are truly the best in the nation,” Elgersma said in an exclusive with RG. “The top guys in this NFL Draft class, so obviously, I have to step up from what I’m used to. We’ve got some studs out there in Canada too, but this is definitely a step up for sure.” It will be interesting to see if he translates his game from the Canadian gridiron to the American version. Will Howard, Ohio State A solid height/weight/speed guy who just won a natty, it’s puzzling why his stock isn’t higher right now. For some mysterious reason, he’s not really regarded as all that elite, but his measurables, stats, and track record of winning all check out. And for what it’s worth, his stock seems to be rising right now, so if Baltimore wants him, they might have to spend their third or one of their fourths on him. You know the painfully tedious draft cliche “day one starter?” Well, Howard looks the part of a day one-second string. Quinn Ewers, Texas Making the right call by declaring now because you have to sell when your stock is at its highest price. After all, as the soda pop commercials have shown us, he’s the Deputy of Fansville! Ewers leaves school with a CV that shows some inconsistency, as he didn’t truly show up in some of the biggest games. However, he was also likely not going to accomplish anything beyond what he already did in school, so the time was right. Plus he has all the talent in the world to impress scouts and GMs during the process.
