Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Cam Grandy was primarily a blocking tight end when used on offense, but he actually did very well on special teams. The Cincinnati Bengals have signed tight end Cam Grandy to a one-year contract extension through the 2025 season, the team announced Tuesday. Grandy, who will be a second-year player in 2025, was originally a college free agent signee of the Bengals in 2024 out of Illinois State, where he was an FCS All-American. He played in eight games with six starts in his rookie season and caught five passes for 28 yards. Primarily used as a run-blocking tight end on offense, Grandy finished the 2024 season with a respectable 63.5 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus. He earned a 65.6 run-blocking grade in 39 attempts and a 74.9 pass-blocking grade in five attempts. Grandy was also an impact player on special teams, earning an 82.7 special teams grade, narrowly beaten by Shaka Heyward (83.0) for the best mark of any Bengals special teams player. He had 57 total special teams snaps, 41 coming as a blocker on the kickoff return unit. Grandy also had 10 snaps on the field-goal kicking unit and six more on punt coverage. All of this came from Week 10 on as Grandy played every game down the stretch of the regular season.
Bengals re-sign one of their top special teams players
A Couple of Vikings Coaching Updates
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images What’s going on so far? There have been a couple of new developments pertaining to the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff since we updated you yesterday, so let’s get everyone caught up on those. First off, our friends over at Pats Pulpit are reporting that the New England Patriots have interviewed Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski for their vacant offensive coordinator position. Udinski has done a virtual interview with the Seattle Seahawks for the OC job there and has been given an opportunity to do a second interview with them. It appears that this is his initial interview with the Patriots, so we’ll have to see if anything develops from that. On the Brian Flores front, our friends at Big Cat Country have reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars have named a trio of candidates that they will be bringing back for second interviews, and Flores is not among them. Their three candidates are Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. That makes two of the three teams that Flores did interviews with last week that have ruled out the possibility of hiring him, with the Chicago Bears hiring Ben Johnson yesterday. The other team he interviewed with is the New York Jets, and they appear to be in hot pursuit of Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who they’ve got in town for an interview today. Flores has not yet interviewed with any of the other three teams who still have head coaching vacancies: the Dallas Cowboys, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New Orleans Saints. That isn’t to say that he can’t or won’t interview with any of those teams, but he hasn’t yet. It’s appearing more and more likely, at least at this stage, that Flores will be back for a third season as the defensive coordinator of the Vikings under Kevin O’Connell. We will obviously be keeping an eye out for any news to the contrary, and if any comes down we will pass it along to you.
10 highest-graded players from the divisional round
The NFL’s divisional round brought out the best in the league’s top stars, with game-changing performances across the board. 10 highest-graded players from the divisional round 2S82G3E Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson (69) in action during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) By Lauren Gray Posted Jan 21, 2025 10:35 am EST • Eagles’ Landon Dickerson was dominant: Dickerson allowed just one hurry on 30 pass-blocking snaps to earn an 81.4 pass-blocking grade, the second-best mark of the week. He shined even brighter in the run game, earning a 90.1 grade on zone runs and finishing with a 91.7 overall run-blocking grade. • Five Lions make the list: Brian Branch, Christian Mahogany, Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown all played exceptional football in the divisional round. • 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team. Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes The NFL’s divisional round brought out the best in the league’s top stars, with game-changing performances across the board. From dominant displays in the trenches to highlight-reel moments in the passing game, here are the 10 highest-graded players from an action-packed weekend of postseason football. To ensure the most accurate reflection of standout play, we focused on players who logged 50 or more snaps, ensuring that grades weren’t overly influenced by one or two big plays across a limited sample. 1. G Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles (94.0) Dickerson allowed just one hurry on 30 pass-blocking snaps to earn an 81.4 pass-blocking grade, the second-best mark of the week. He shined even brighter in the run game, earning a 90.1 grade on zone runs and finishing with a 91.7 overall run-blocking grade. Heading into Championship Sunday, Dickerson stands as the highest-graded guard in the postseason (90.4), and he’s the only guard with a run-blocking grade above 80.0 (89.4). 2. S Brian Branch, Detroit Lions (92.9) Branch delivered an elite all-around performance in the divisional round, leading all safeties with a 93.3 coverage grade and an 85.6 run-defense grade. He allowed just five completions for 34 yards while also recording two run stops and two quarterback hurries. Notably, Branch is the only safety this postseason to earn 90.0-plus coverage grades in both single coverage (90.2) and zone coverage schemes (93.4). 3. G Christian Mahogany, Detroit Lions (92.3) In just his second start of the season filling in for Kevin Zeitler, Mahogany shined as a run blocker, earning a position-leading 91.9 run-blocking grade in the divisional round. While he allowed three pressures on 47 pass-blocking snaps, his 78.6 pass-blocking grade was solid. Across his two starts, Mahogany has earned an impressive overall grade of 88.1, fueled by his dominant 88.0 run-blocking grade. 4. DI Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles (90.3) Los Angeles had no answer for Carter, who consistently disrupted the backfield with seven total pressures, including two sacks, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble early in the fourth quarter. Carter’s postseason dominance is reflected in his 81.1 PFF grade, the second-highest among interior defenders. 5. T Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions (90.2) Sewell dominated in the run game, leading all tackles with a 91.9 run-blocking grade. He was equally impressive in pass protection, allowing just one pressure on 26 true pass sets. Through the postseason, Sewell is the highest-graded tackle and the only one to earn 80.0-plus grades in both pass and run blocking. 6. WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans (85.5) Collins hauled in five of eight targets for 81 yards against Kansas City, with every reception resulting in a first down. Two of his catches went for 15-plus yards in the fourth quarter, and he thrived in the intermediate range, securing four catches for 57 yards. Over his playoff run, Collins earned an impressive 89.9 receiving grade, finishing with 12 receptions for 203 yards, one touchdown and 11 first downs. 7. QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (85.3) Stroud suffered a knee injury on the game’s opening drive but battled until the end, finishing 19-of-28 for 245 yards. He moved the chains 15 times but was under duress all day, as Kansas City was able to sack him eight times. When kept clean from pressure, the Texans signal-caller completed 13-of-17 passes for 166 yards and two big-time throws, earning a 94.6 passing grade. Despite his injury, he was still able to rush six times for 42 yards and three first downs, gaining 20 yards after contact. Stroud wraps up the playoffs ranked fourth at the position in PFF grade (74.0). He completed 41 passes for 527 yards, threw one touchdown against one interception and finished top two in both big-time throws (4) and turnover-worthy plays (5). 8. QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (83.9) Jackson completed 18-of-25 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the divisional round. He earned a 92.1 passing grade from a clean pocket, completing 14 of 16 such attempts. On the ground, Jackson rushed six times for 39 yards, forced two missed tackles and picked up three first downs, including 38 yards after contact and two runs of 10-plus yards in the second quarter. Through the divisional round, Jackson is the highest-graded quarterback (92.3). He completed 34 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns, producing five big-time throws against two turnover-worthy plays. Additionally, he led all quarterbacks with 120 rushing yards and eight first downs. 9. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions (81.4) Gibbs was electric against Washington, rushing 14 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He forced five missed tackles, gained six first downs, and led all running backs with five carries of 10-plus yards, including a 33-yard burst. In the passing game, Gibbs caught six of 10 targets for a position-leading 70 yards. Gibbs’ 88.2 rushing grade is tied for the highest among running backs through the divisional round. 10. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (80.4) St. Brown caught
Ravens projected to receive four compensatory picks in 2025 NFL Draft
Ravens projected to receive four compensatory picks in 2025 NFL Draft glenn erby The Baltimore Ravens are all about building their roster through the NFL draft, and one key to their success has been the accumulation of compensatory draft picks. The formula used to award compensatory draft picks, developed by the NFL Management Council, is as follows. [A] Compensatory Free Agent (“CFA”) shall be defined as an Unrestricted Free Agent (“UFA”) who: (i) signed with a new Club during the prior free agency signing period […] prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Monday following the NFL Draft for that League Year1 […]; and (ii) ranked within the top 35%2 of all League players […]. Clubs that lose to other Clubs a greater number of CFAs than they sign or acquire from other Clubs shall be eligible to receive a Compensatory Draft Selection in the College Draft to be held in the following League Year subject to the provisions set forth below. Nick Korte of Over The Cap makes a yearly projection for compensatory picks. This April, he has the Ravens getting four compensatory picks: a fourth, two fifths, and a sixth. The Ravens will receive picks for Patrick Queen (Steelers), Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers), Geno Stone (Bengals), and Kevin Zeitler (Lions). Baltimore will pick 27th overall in the first round, and they could have as many as 11 draft picks.
Bengals to interview Al Golden Wednesday, per report
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images It looks like things may start to move fast now. Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is expected to interview Notre Dame’s Al Golden for the team’s open defensive coordinator job on Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. The Bengals fired Lou Anarumo after they finished with a disappointing 9-8 record and missed the playoffs despite Joe Burrow’s MVP-caliber season and Ja’Marr Chase winning the Triple Crown. Golden, Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator, and former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham emerged as the two front runners. It appears, though, as if the team has set its sights set on Golden. The Fighting Irish fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday night in the National Championship Game by a score of 34-23. An interview with the Bengals on Wednesday allows Golden to put a bow on things in South Bend before he moves on to another job. In all likelihood, the Bengals will be announcing Golden as their new DC in the next 48 hours. Stay tuned for updates.
Raiders season in review: Rookie watch
Brock Bowers | Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images There was a lot to like Let’s look at how the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie class fared in the 2024 season and what to expect moving forward: Brock Bowers: Yeah, the first-round pick did pretty good. The No. 13 overall pick had the greatest season by a rookie tight end in NFL history and it wasn’t close. He was an incredible record breaker. He finished the season with 112 catches for 1,194 yards and no rookie wide receiver ever even had as many catches as Bowers did. He’s an incredible talent who will be the centerpiece of this offense for years to come. Jackson Powers-Johnson: The second-round pick looks like a keeper. He started at both guard and center. He graded out very nicely and he has a strong future, which will likely be at center. D.J. Glaze: The third-round pick quickly developed and became the right tackle. Assuming he fits what new offensive scheme, the third-round pick should be considered the starter for 2025. Decamarion Richardson: The fourth-round pick was forced into the lineup because of injuries. opponents often picked on him as it was clear he wasn’t to play as much as he did. The Raiders will likely make Richardson a backup again in 2025 and hope he develops without the pressure of having to play as much as he did as a rookie. Tommy Eichenberg: The fifth-round pick from Ohio State played just 80 defensive snaps all season and none in the final eight games of the season. He was a draft favorite of the former regime. If he doesn’t fit the new defensive scheme, Eichenebrg could have a hard time making the 2025 roster. Dylan Laube: The sixth-round pick was a training-camp star, but he did little in the preseason or in the regular season. He was mostly a special teamer when he did hit the field. He may have a difficult time making the 2025 roster with the new regime like Eichenberg. Trey Taylor: The seventh-round pick played in nine games. While other young safeties earned the chance to play on defense, the Air Force product was just a special teamer. Perhaps he can so growth in Year 2. Not on roster Seventh-round pick, cornerback M.J. Devonshire was cut and is on the practice squad. He did sign a 2025 future contract, so he will get a chance impress the new staff. Undrafted free agents: Linebacker Amari Gainer, defensive tackle Jonah Laulu, safety Thomas Harper and wide receiver Ramel Keyton. Gainer was a preseason star and was a core special teamer during the season. Laulu became a big part of the rotation at defensive tackle. Laulu, claimed off waivers from Indianapolis, has a chance to be a key player if he fits the new system and continues to improve. Harper showed some juice on defense down the stretch and the waiver claim from the Chargers could carve out a role in 2025. Keyton will likely have to fight for a roster spot in training camp.
What we learned from the Bills’ AFC divisional win vs. Ravens
What we learned from the Bills’ AFC divisional win vs. Ravens The Bills brought their 2024 brand of football into the divisional round. After leading the NFL in turnover differential in the regular season, it was more of the same against the Ravens. Baltimore turned it over three times while the Bills didn’t commit a turnover. Coach Sean McDermott values the fundamentals of taking care of the ball, which has proved effective. The Bills haven’t turned it over yet in the postseason. And, the other three teams that will be playing on championship Sunday haven’t turned it over in the postseason either. According to NFL on CBS, Josh Allen has played the cleanest football of any QB in NFL history. This season he has the lowest percentage of plays with a sack, fumble, or interception since the merger (4.2%). Because they’re taking care of the ball, the Bills find themselves in the AFC title game. It will be strength vs. strength, as the Chiefs haven’t committed a turnover in eight straight games.
2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Tate Ratledge, OG, Georgia
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Could Ratledge be the Giants’ right guard of the future? The New York Giants’ offensive line was significantly improved for the 2024 season. However, the Giants still don’t have a true long-term answer at right guard as Greg Van Roten is a 35-year-old free agent. Georgia right guard Tate Ratledge could be the answer. He’s highly experienced and has played 2,070 snaps over the last three seasons, 2,066 of which have come at right guard. He’s garnered a reputation as a reliable pass protector and a strong run blocker on one of the best offensive lines in the nation. Could the Giants target Ratledge to continue building their offensive line? Prospect: Tate Ratledge (69)Games Watched: vs. Clemson (2024), vs. Ole Miss (2024), vs. Tennessee (2024), vs. Texas (2024)Red Flags: Sprained MCL and sprained ankle (underwent tightrope surgery) – 2024 Measurables Height: 6-foot-6 (estimated)Weight: 320 pounds (estimated) Strengths Best traits Play strength Competitive toughness Technique Run blocking Ratledge is a big, strong, and experienced guard prospect who boasts a number of traits that teams should covet. Ratledge is tall for a guard at 6-foot-6, but also has adequate bulk for his height at 320 pounds (both school measurements). He carries his weight well and has enough flexibility in his lower body to maintain good pad level and leverage against interior lineman. Ratledge also has the play strength expected of a player his size, and is able to anchor against power as well as create movement in the running game. He’s also a surprisingly good athlete, giving him the versatility to appeal to multiple schemes at the next level. Ratledge has enough hip fluidity to routinely pull or execute inside zone blocks, as well as enough foot speed to stay in phase in outside zone blocks. His size also belies surprising speed in space for a big man. He’s quick to the second level – arriving with bad intentions for linebackers or safeties – and is an effective blocker downfield on screen plays. Ratledge has solid hand usage, allowing him to control defenders as well as effectively deal with games along the line of scrimmage. Likewise, he has solid footwork, allowing him to move laterally as well as diffuse power from bullrushes. Finally, Ratledge plays with great competitive toughness. He consistently strives to sustain his blocks, look for work if he doesn’t have anyone to block, and finish his blocks with the defender on the ground. Weaknesses Worst traits Pad level consistency Explosiveness Ratledge is a big, long guard, and while that’s an asset in many areas of his game it can also be a liability. He has to pay particular attention to maintaining his pad level on every play, and it’s apparent when he doesn’t do so. He struggles to maintain his play strength against interior defenders when he allows his hips to rise. That either makes him vulnerable to power rushes or leads to him being stood up when run blocking. Ratledge can also be prone to lunging at defenders when he lets his knees straighten, which is usually the root cause for inaccurate blocks or whiffs at the line of scrimmage. And while Ratledge is a very strong blocker, he doesn’t appear to be particularly explosive. He has good speed in the open field, but isn’t a “twitchy” athlete and needs a step or two to get going. Likewise, he can find himself needing to recover and re-anchor against more explosive defenders, relying on his footwork and technique to buy him time. Teams will want to do their due diligence on the knee and ankle injuries that cost him games midseason. Ratledge suffered a sprained MCL and ankle, and underwent tightrope surgery to help facilitate healing in the ankle. Game Tape (Ratledge is the Georgia right guard, No. 69) Projection Ratledge projects as a starting guard at the NFL level, and considering almost all of his collegiate experience at right guard, that’s where he should play. Ratledge was well coached at Georgia and doesn’t rely solely on his size and strength to overwhelm defenders. He has a solid technical foundation and understands how to rely on it to maximize his physical traits. That, of course, makes it readily apparent on those occasions when his technique fails and he loses leverage or makes an inaccurate block. Those instances are relatively uncommon, but they do show that there’s room for continued growth. Ratledge may always be vulnerable to defenders with better natural leverage and explosiveness. That said, he also has the potential to be a good starter for a long time in the NFL. Does he fit the Giants?Yes Final Word: A Day 2 value
Vikes Views: Jayden Daniels or Jalen Hurts?
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Us Minnesota Viking fans that are still watching Championship Weekend, have two very good QB matchups. Patrick Mahomes, the next GOAT, vs Josh Allen is going to be epic and a lot of fun. It will be the QB matchup everyone talks about. However, it is overshadowing a very intriguing matchup in the 1st game. Jalen Hurts v Jayden Daniels is going to be awesome. I am certainly biased in this conversation, as I am a big fan of Daniels and I am not a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. I do admire Hurts determination over his career. Jayden Daniels The 2nd overall pick in 2024’s draft, Daniels was expected to be good. I don’t know if anyone expected him to be this good this fast. He is clutch in the 4th quarter with four comebacks in the regular season and another in the Wild Card round against Tampa Bay. Only Patrick Mahomes had more 4th quarter comebacks this year (some ref aided). Daniels is 46 for 66 with 567 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INTs. The passer rating of 122.9 against Detroit was video game like. He’s the leader the Washington Commanders have lacked for 30+ years. Jayden Daniels has a 97.0 PFF Grade UNDER PRESSURE during the playoffs Ice in his veins pic.twitter.com/14hGLK8Uk8 — PFF (@PFF) January 21, 2025 Jalen Hurts Jalen Hurts sneaks up on a lot of people. I also liked Hurts a lot coming out of the draft. I was surprised he fell to the 2nd round. Hurts knows how to put his team in a position to win. He’s 46-20 in his first 5 seasons in the league. Hurts’ AY/A this year was 3rd to Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff. Not only is he an efficient passer, he is part of the best short yardage package the NFL has ever seen. Hurts has 52 rushing TDs in the last 4 seasons with all four 10+ TD years. He has Saquon Barkley rushing for over 2,000 yards to help, so his bulk passing stats aren’t great. Hurts knows how to take a step back and provide what the team needs. Jalen Hurts is 12-0 in his last 12 games he’s started and finished. – 29 TDs– 3 turnovers– 113.1 passer rating pic.twitter.com/5aMZ4h0Qf8 — Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) January 20, 2025 Long term, I think the answer is easily Jayden Daniels. He has more upside and seems to already have some of the same leadership qualities that make Hurts good. However, Jalen Hurts has been there. He’s been benched in a National Championship game and still stood by his coach and team. He’s taken his team to the Super Bowl and felt like he lost the game for them. Hurts knows how to bounce back. I won’t be shocked to see a strong performance from Daniels again on Sunday, but I think the surrounding cast will help Hurts.
Lions Game Ball, Unsung Hero: Jahmyr Gibbs offers hope for future
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Handing out the game ball and unsung hero from the Lions’ heart-breaking loss against the Commanders. The Detroit Lions’ magical season came to a shockingly abrupt end with a 45-31 loss at the hands of the Washington Commanders. The Lions couldn’t keep rookie Jayden Daniels in-check, as they allowed more than 34 points for only the second time in their last 29 games. Offensively, they snowballed, turning the ball over five times (only the second time this season with more than two turnovers in a games). This loss felt even more painful than the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco last year, given this season’s accomplishments and the lofty postseason expectations,. Despite all that, there were still some worthy candidates for my final game ball and unsung hero of the season. Game Ball: Jahmyr Gibbs Although Jahmyr Gibbs got his backfield partner in crime David Montgomery back for this game, he still produced at an incredibly efficient level and was deserving of the last game ball. A strong case could be made that Gibbs has been the Lions’ best player, in general, over the last four games. Since Week 16, Gibbs has had four straight 100+ rushing yard games, four straight games with 150+ yards from scrimmage, and totaled 412 touches, 662 total yards (6.8 total yards/touch), and eight touchdowns. Against the Commanders, Gibbs was nearly unstoppable, particularly in the first half. In his fourth career playoff game, and only his 36th career game, Gibbs recorded 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries, while he had 70 receiving yards on six receptions. Gibbs was the Lions most reliably dynamic game-breaking player. He averaged 8.75 yards/touch in the game, broke six tackles (per PFF), and gained 11 of the Lions’ 30 first downs (36.67%). Up until the Lions’ first turnover of the game, a Jared Goff dropback fumble, it appeared Detroit was going to take a 14-3 lead, and that Gibbs was going to jettison them to another 40-burger victory at Ford Field. By halftime, with the Lions trailing by 10 points, Gibbs had 133 total yards as the team’s most productive player. The Lions’ five turnovers and ensuing trailing game script mitigated the full impact that Gibbs was able to make on the game. The Lions were only able to get one drive in the third quarter, and the Commanders run defense stepped up after halftime, leading to Gibbs only generating 9 yards on five carries in the second half. He was, however, valuable in the passing game, with three catches for 33 receiving yards. Gibbs’ 175 yards from scrimmage were the fourth most by a running back in a playoff game in the last five seasons. Performances like these will be a reminder for Lions fans, during this long offseason, to be insanely excited for Jahmyr Gibbs in Year 3 next season. Unsung Hero: Penei Sewell The Lions’ mammoth franchise pillar, who provides the team with pregame pump-up speeches, was painting a picture of his efforts in pass protection. He caps off a second consecutive First Team All-Pro season with one of his best performances of the season to earn my Unsung H/ero. Sewell was an absolute rock in pass protection, allowing only one quarterback hurry on 44 pass block reps, including 26 true pass pro sets. Sewell helped to ensure that Goff, who faced continuous pressure up the middle on the day, didn’t have to worry about heat coming from his throwing-arm side. Overall, the passing offense, despite the litany of turnovers, produced 19 passing first downs and 9.4 air yards/attempt. Sewell’s stability on edge was a big factor in that. The standout right tackle was also a road grader in the run game. Gibbs had seven runs to the right side for 63 rushing yards, including four of his five 10+ yard runs, while Montgomery had two carries for 12 rushing yards to that side. Another of Sewell’s biggest contributions in the playoff loss was his ability to help Christian Mahogany in his second career start. With Mahogany starting at right guard for the first time in his NFL career, Sewell helped him seamlessly slide in and play like a multiple-year veteran. Frank Ragnow also deserves a ton of credit for helping with Mahogany on multiple combo blocks. It’ll be interesting to see if Mahogany is entrenched as the starting right guard next season, or if the dependable Kevin Zeitler is brought back, and Mahogany is entrenched as the starting left guard.