The Minnesota Vikings have amassed a stable of young talent over the past two years, though several of those players have barely had a chance to showcase their skills.

Safety Lewis Cine is at the top of that list after suffering a compound fracture to his leg in Week 4 of last season against the New Orleans Saints. The injury cost him the remainder his rookie campaign and required two surgeries to fully repair.

Minnesota selected Cine with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he appeared in just three games and played only two snaps on defense during those contests, per Pro Football Reference. Cine saw the field for a total of 34 special teams snaps before breaking his leg.

Cine’s rehabilitation appears to be coming along swimmingly based on training videos the safety posted to social media in February, which can be viewed on YouTube courtesy of the Purple FTW! Podcast.

Lewis Cine Primed for Larger Role With Vikings Secondary Under New Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores

GettySafety Lewis Cine of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before an NFL game against the Detroit Lions in September 2022.

That Cine wasn’t ready to jump into a starting role as a rookie, even before he was injured, is mildly concerning. However, NFL defenses are complicated, and players learn in different ways and at different speeds.

Cine has had the entire offseason to study the game in general, as well as to watch tape of opponents and work with head coach Kevin O’Connell’s defensive staff during practice and meeting sessions. The learning curve might reset to a degree with the arrival of Brian Flores as the Vikings’ new defensive coordinator, but that alone doesn’t mean Cine can’t explode onto the scene in a real way during his sophomore season.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Sunday, June 25, named Cine a top-eight breakout candidate among second-year players who have been “forgotten” for one reason or another, to one degree or another, after unimpressive rookie campaigns.

“While the second-year man may still be stuck behind Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum at safety, he should see the field more as a sophomore,” Knox wrote. “He could also have a real opportunity to shine as a rotational player under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. If Flores is going to use a more aggressive and diversified scheme than predecessor Ed Donatell, Cine could be a huge part of it.”

Lewis Cine Offers Optimistic Outlook Heading into Second NFL Season With Vikings

GettySafety Lewis Cine of the Minnesota Vikings participates in training camp drills in August 2022.

The Cleveland Browns spent considerable capital enhancing the wide receiver room this offseason, though the most meaningful upgrade may come from a player who was already on the roster.

The NFL has a short memory and fosters an unforgiving ecosystem of fierce competition, which allows players to tumble from the “next best thing” to “yesterday’s news” in a matter of games. Wide receiver David Bell was fairly well-hyped entering his rookie campaign, after Cleveland selected him with the No. 99 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Bell was positioned to compete with Donovan Peoples-Jones for the No. 2 spot behind leading man Amari Cooper. Instead, he finished sixth on the team in receiving with just 214 yards on 24 catches — a yardage tally that set him behind both aforementioned receivers, starting running back Nick Chubb and the team’s top two tight ends, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant.

The Browns’ addition of Elijah Moore at the cost of a second-round pick, as well as the signing of free agent speedster Marquise Goodwin and the drafting of promising rookie Cedric Tillman could push Bell further down the stat sheet. The other possibility is that their collective presence will motivate Bell to produce the kind of sophomore season that will force the doubters to forget about his underwhelming entrance onto the NFL stage last year.

David Bell Poised for Leap in 2023, Appears Big Part of Browns’ Future

GettyWide receiver David Bell of the Cleveland Browns makes a catch during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals in October 2022.

Such is the prediction of Bleacher Report’s Christopher Knox, who contended on Sunday, June 25, that Bell is among the most likely second-year players to make a leap after an unremarkable rooking campaign.

Browns fans probably haven’t forgotten about David Bell, the 2022 third-round pick who played 47 percent of the snaps as a rookie. However, outsiders probably don’t know his name.

Fans should expect the Browns to push Bell for playing time, even with the new additions in the fold. Peoples-Jones is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and Cooper could be a 2024 cap casualty.

Bell has a chance to be a big part of Cleveland’s future, and with a strong training camp, its present too.

Bell is only 22 years old and will play the second season of a four-year, $5.1 million rookie deal with the Browns in 2023.

David Bell Won’t Start for Browns Right Away, May Contribute Big Before Season Ends

GettyWide receiver David Bell of the Cleveland Browns catches a pass during an NFL preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles in August 2022.

Moore is now in the fold and presumably positioned to compete with Peoples-Jones for the No. 2 job, with the third spot falling to the loser of that competition. Given that context, Bell isn’t a good bet to start for Cleveland — at least not in Week 1.

However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported last week that Bell is all but a lock to retain a spot on the roster after training camp concludes at the end of August.

“Bell is still in great standing with the club and will make the 53-man roster,” Cabot wrote on June 22. “[Head coach] Kevin Stefanski loved him coming out of Purdue last season and still sees the same tremendous potential in him as a slot receiver in the mold of Jarvis Landry.”

There is a chance Bell will play his way into a major role in 2023, perhaps even into a starting role at some point. And, of course, there is the ever-present eventuality of injury on every NFL roster that more or less guarantees Bell will get a shot or two this year to show what he can do, assuming he remains relatively healthy.

The Golden State Warriors have never shied away from voicing extreme confidence bordering on bluster, and rookie Brandin Podziemski fits that culture seamlessly.

The Dubs selected the 6-foot-5 guard out of Santa Clara with the 19th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Despite his youth and relative lack of experience on any major stage to speak of, the 20-year-old Warrior made a couple of bold claims about the type of player he expects to become on the professional level.

“I think I bring a lot to the Warriors. I think in the NBA, I could be a triple-double guy,” Brandin Podziemski told Heavy NBA insider Sean Deveney on Thursday, June 22. “I [can] dribble, pass and shoot at a high level. Competitor, toughness. Things I bring to the table like shooting. I’ll be playing alongside the two best shooters in the world.”

Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski Hungry for Shots, Defensive Improvement During Rookie Year

GettyBrandin Podziemski poses with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected 19th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Podziemski’s confidence may border on the brash, though it’s a far cry from unearned. As a 19-year-old sophomore in the NCAA’s West Coast Conference, he averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 48.3% shooting, which included a 43.8% clip from behind the arc, per Sports Reference.

If Podziemski can find his way into the rotation next season, there are likely to be some shots waiting for the rookie after the departure of Jordan Poole, who Golden State sent to the Washington Wizards on the day of the draft in exchange for Chris Paul III. Poole hoisted 15.6 attempts per game across 82 regular season appearances in 2022-23, averaging a career-high 20.4 points per contest.

Along with touting his offensive prowess Thursday night, Podziemski didn’t shy away from the criticisms he’s faced regarding his game on the opposite end of the floor.

“People question my defense. I get to play against Draymond Green, All-Defensive player; Gary Payton [II], All Defensive player,” Podziemski said. “The room for improvement is right there, and it’s right in front of me. So I’m really excited to be a part of this organization. I think I’m a perfect fit for them, and they’re a perfect fit for me. I want to win a championship this year.”

Podziemski averaged 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per contest across 36 games played during his sophomore campaign at Santa Clara.

Warriors 2nd-Rounder Trayce Jackson-Davis Displays Similar Confidence, Heart to Podziemski

GettyForward Trayce Jackson-Davis, formerly of the Indiana Hoosiers, dunks against the Wyoming Cowboys during an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament game in March 2022.

Golden State also acquired Trayce Jackson-Davis out of Indiana on Thursday night as part of the Poole/Paul trade. The Wizards drafted the historic Hoosiers forward with the No. 57 overall pick before shipping him to the Bay Area as a stipulation of that deal.

Jackson-Davis is the only player in Indiana history to accumulate more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during his collegiate career. That is saying quite a lot considering the history of basketball success at Indiana and the long line of quality NBA players the program has produced. Jackson-Davis averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and four assists for the Hoosiers during his senior season.

That he was passed over multiple times by several franchises and ultimately selected with the second-to-last pick in the draft were a pair of facts that did not sit well with Jackson-Davis, firmly placing a chip on his shoulder as he begins his professional career.

“Ya’ll will regret it,” Jackson-Davis tweeted late Thursday night. “I promise you.”

While his draft circumstances were different than Podziemski’s, the supreme confidence and eagerness to work Jackson-Davis conveyed via his social media message offer striking similarities to his new Golden State counterpart. They also render him a seemingly perfect fit for the Warriors’ culture, which has committed clearly to winning now and winning big.

The Cheeseheads have spoken on a trade pitch that would ship a popular lineman out of town, though that doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers are going to listen.

Justis Mosqueda of SB Nation’s Acme Packing Co. floated the idea of the franchise potentially trading starting right tackle Yosuah Nijman if he happens to get beat out for that spot by second-year up-and-comer Zach Tom who saw some run at the position during minicamp.

“Tom … played well in five starts as a fourth-round rookie last season,” Mosqueda wrote on Thursday, June 22. “Tom hasn’t been able to crack the ‘starting’ lineup at right guard or center, the two other positions where he’s been practicing at so far this offseason.”

Green Bay is limited in the moves it can make ahead of September to free up more salary cap space. The franchise had around $16.5 million in cap room remaining for 2023 as of June 25.

“If Tom does end up winning the starting right tackle job, what do you do with Nijman who signed a $4.3 million second-round tender as a restricted free agent this spring?” Mosqueda continued. “Moving Nijman’s contract would give the Packers some much-needed cap relief, as it wouldn’t create any dead cap on the team’s books.”

Mosqueda offered the pitch up as the subject of a fan poll, asking for input on whether the move is something Packers Nation at large would support. The results came back an overwhelming “NO,” as just 26% of those who cast ballots got behind the notion of trading Nijman should he fall out of the starting lineup.

Yosh Nijman Offers Packers Insurance Against Further Injury to David Bakhtiari

GettyOffensive lineman Yosh Nijman of the Green Bay Packers will be an important piece in 2023, even if he doesn’t start in Week 1.

One of the stronger arguments against dealing Nijman, even if Tom steals his job, is that offensive line depth is going to be particularly important for the Packers this year.

Five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari hasn’t played a full season since 2019 and will turn 32 years old early in the upcoming campaign. Any injury to Bakhtiari in 2023 is likely to prove catastrophic to Green Bay’s postseason chances, with first-year starter Jordan Love leading one of the youngest groups of offensive skill position players in the entire league. Keeping at least one bonafide starting-caliber lineman in reserve is an insurance policy that feels better than well-bought at $4.3 million.

If Nijman does win the starting job at right tackle in training camp, then the question is rendered null and void, as the Packers aren’t going to deal their starter in what is probably the second-most important position on the offensive line — especially when the ratio of how much Nijman is being paid to how much value he’s providing on Sundays leans so favorably in the team’s direction in that scenario.

Packers Will Struggle to Sign Yosh Nijman to Long-Term Deal Next Offseason

GettyOffensive lineman Yosh Nijman (right) of the Green Bay Packers blocks defensive lineman Sheldon Day (left) of the Cleveland Browns during an NFL game in December 2021.

The strongest argument for Green Bay dealing Nijman is something that Mosqueda hit on when he published the poll results Sunday.

Keeping Nijman this season, even as a backup, is the better decision in the immediate. However, he’s a reasonably valuable asset who could walk out the door as an unrestricted free agent next March, and there may be nothing the Packers can do about it.

“Nijman is good insurance for the Packers at a premium position … but I’m unsure if the team will be able to extend him to a long-term contract with their 2024 cap situation,” Mosqueda wrote. “If the team has any doubt about left tackle David Bakhtiari’s health, though, I would also understand wanting to keep Nijman in the mix.”

David DeChant of The Athletic suggested on April 6 that Nijman could earn upwards of $20 million annually on his next contract, which would make it exceedingly difficult for Green Bay to retain him.

“Nijman is far from a household name, but he’s played left tackle (782 snaps) and right tackle (528) since 2020 at an above-average level. Those guys get paid, and paid big,” DeChant wrote. “He’s been best on the left, allowing three sacks and a 2.94 percent pressure rate, compared to five [sacks] and 4.36 [percent rate], respectively, on the right. … He could push for $17 million or more annually on his next deal.”

Former Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole let his true feelings about Draymond Green be known more or less the minute after he exited the organization via a trade earlier this week.

Athletes’ actions in the digital space have become predictors of future behavior as well as the clearest indicators of their true feelings about their teams and teammates. It was in this context that Poole communicated to Green, and the rest of the world, that he is not cool with the Dubs star a full regular season after Green struck Poole in the face during a practice session in October.

The NBA on ESPN Twitter account on June 22 posted a screen shot of Poole’s Instagram account in the immediate wake of Golden State’s decision to ship the shooting guard to the Washington Wizards as part of a trade that brought Chris Paul to the Bay Area. The tweet indicated that Poole had severed personal ties with Green at, more or less, the exact same time as the organization severed ties with Poole.

“Jordan Poole appears to have unfollowed Draymond Green on IG right after his trade to the Wizards 👀,” the caption said.

Tension Between Jordan Poole, Draymond Green Persisted All Season

GettyGolden State Warriors stars Draymond Green (left) and Jordan Poole (right) look on during an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns.

Golden State’s choice to deal Poole to the Eastern Conference represents a decision by the organization to prioritize the futures of Green and Klay Thompson over Poole’s in a move that was, first and foremost, a salary dump. However, the trade was also a culture cleanser in the wake of tensions that followed the physical altercation between Green and Poole, which lingered the entire season.

Top down, the organization contended all season that the team had moved past Green’s assault of Poole, though head coach Steve Kerr abandoned that narrative almost immediately after the Los Angeles Lakers ended the Warriors’ bid for a repeat title via a defeat in the Western Conference Semifinals in May.

“[Green] knows that he had a great season this year from a basketball perspective, but he knows that he also compromised things by what happened back in October,” Kerr said during a May 16 media session, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “So part of him coming back next year has to be about rebuilding some of that trust and respect that he’s earned here for a long period of time. One thing I love about Draymond is he’s always brutally honest, and he can take that sort of critique because he knows it’s the truth.”

Warriors Valued Draymond Green More Than Jordan Poole

Getty(L-R) Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors during an NBA game.

Kerr and the rest of the Warriors clearly value a lot more about Green than just his brutal honesty and ability to engage in tough conversations, as they chose his defense and experience and intensity over Poole’s offensive prowess moving forward, even despite the fact that Green is leaning into the end of his prime while the start of Poole’s remains ahead of him.

The cold, hard truth that has now been laid bare in the harsh light of the team’s offseason decisions is that Golden State has prioritized the chemistry Green has with Steph Curry and other members of the locker room over anything Poole can offer. And that’s true even despite the fact that it was Green and his actions that compromised the season, as well as embarrassed and rattled Poole into a statistical regression during his fourth NBA campaign.

That said, the benefits of the trade also extend to Poole. He is likely to be the Wizards’ top offensive option amid a rebuild that will span the entirety of his four-year, $128 million contract. Poole also will no longer need to play the part of the good solider, which he did every time he was asked about the fallout from Green’s fist.

“I don’t have no answer for you other than that we was just on the court and teammates, and we was out there trying to win games,” Poole told Logan Murdock of The Ringer in a story that was published on May 15, just days after Golden State’s playoff run ended. “It’s just business, honestly. And that’s really all it was, it is, it has been. It’s just been business. It’s been basketball.”

Business was how Poole approached a situation that was clearly personal, something his actions on Instagram last week spoke to more loudly than any of the contrary verbal narratives Poole, Green, Kerr and the rest of the Warriors put out for months.

The Golden State Warriors already had one of the best point guards in NBA history in Steph Curry. After trading for Chris Paul, they’ll head into next season with two.

Often over the course of his career, Paul’s arrival at a new destination has been accurately described via the cliché, “There’s a new sheriff in town.” But The City does, and always will, belong to Curry — one of the few guns in the NBA’s West who has been regularly quicker and more deadly than Paul over his illustrious 18-year career.

Paul participated in some brief media rounds on Thursday, June 22, which was both the day of his trade and the day of the draft. Paul said he had already spoken to Curry and was asked by Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer how that conversation went — a query was met first with a chuckle from the point guard.

“It was good,” Paul said, pausing for a brief moment. “Yeah.”

While Paul and Curry will undoubtedly play some minutes in tandem next season — including, presumably, down the stretch in tight games — Paul will, for the first time in his professional tenure, function as a backup point guard, running the offense during those minutes when Curry is off the floor.

Treading lightly, Fowler attempted to get Paul’s thoughts on the transition to the next phase of his career by asking the 11-time All-NBA selection about the role he expects to play upon joining Golden State. However, Paul — a savvy veteran both on and off the court — didn’t take the bait.

“To help us win games,” Paul responded with a smile.

Steph Curry, Chris Paul Have Heated Rivalry Stretching Back a Decade

GettySteph Curry (left) of the Golden State Warriors and Chris Paul (right), formerly of the Houston Rockets, stand on the floor during an action break in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals in May 2019.

That Curry and Paul are now teammates as they enter their mid- and late-30s, respectively, adds a fascinating twist to what has been a long and storied rivalry — and one that Curry has utterly dominated.

Paul got the better of Curry and the Dubs in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, as the Los Angeles Clippers held off the upstart Warriors to win that series 4-3. The two didn’t square off again in the postseason until Paul landed with the Houston Rockets in the 2017-18 campaign.

The teams played each other in the Western Conference Finals that season, which Golden State captured in seven games on its way to an NBA title. Curry and Paul squared off again the following year in the Western Conference Semifinals, which the Warriors won more handily in six games on the way to their third ring of the Curry era.

Regular season battles between the Dubs dynasty and Paul’s various collection of talented Western Conference squads never disappointed and were often heated. While the postseason matchups went 2-1 in Curry’s favor, the real dominance in the rivalry came from the Warriors winning four championships across six NBA Finals appearances, while Paul has played in just one NBA Finals — a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 while he was running point for the Phoenix Suns.

Despite some early playoff struggles of his own, even during winning campaigns, Curry has come to claim a clutch postseason reputation. Paul, on the other hand, has oft been criticized for his inability to close out series his teams were favored to win and capture championships with talented rosters, frequently coming up small personally in the biggest postseason moments.

Chris Paul Likely Has 1 Shot to Win NBA Title With Warriors

GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors (right) drives the ball against Chris Paul (left), formerly of the Phoenix Suns, during an NBA game in March 2023.

Despite the intensity of their rivalry and the undisputed fact that Curry — a two-time regular season MVP and one-time NBA Finals MVP — will go down in history as the superior player, Paul espoused an optimistic outlook on the next chapter of his career with the Warriors.

“Excited,” Paul said Thursday about his feelings on joining Golden State. “I got that question I don’t know how many times already, so I’m really excited.”

The 2023-24 campaign may be Paul’s best, and last, shot at the elusive ring he’s seeking to cap off his professional tenure. The Warriors flipped Paul for Jordan Poole, which was clearly a move to get off the young shooting guard’s onerous salary.

Poole is set to earn $128 million over the next four years, while Paul will make $30.8 million this upcoming season, after which the 38-year-old point guard has one year of non-guaranteed money left on his contract totaling $30 million.

While the move offers Golden State no cap relief in the upcoming campaign, it knocks an average of $32 million per season off the team’s balance sheet for the following three season, assuming they pass on Paul’s 2024-25 salary, which is all but a certainty.

The joint maneuver will allow the Warriors to re-sign Draymond Green to a long-term deal this summer after he opted out of the final year of his contract, and to extend Klay Thompson a year from now at what is likely to be a discount, though still a hefty annual number.

The Warriors have made their choice, which is to keep in-house the Big 3 that made them a dynasty through the end of those players’ respective careers. Poole was the casualty of that call, and one year of Paul will be the byproduct.

Paul could remain with the Dubs longer than one season if both sides like the fit, though he will be forced to do so at a massively reduced salary, most likely the veteran minimum.

The Cleveland Browns beefed up the wide receiver room in a big way this offseason, which may leave a recent high draft pick the odd man out in 2023.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on Thursday, June 22, contended that third-year wideout and 2021 third-round pick Anthony Schwartz “faces an uphill battle this camp with [Marquise] Goodwin taking over as the vertical stretch receiver.” However, Schwartz retains one attribute that Cabot says could spare him the offseason axe.

“His blazing speed gives him a chance,” Cabot wrote. “It’s something that can’t be coached, and if Schwartz can add in the other parts of his game — the route running, hands and toughness — he can make a case for himself.”

Another factor in Schwartz’s favor, Cabot said, is that Cleveland management isn’t known for giving up easily on players it selects out of college.

“Browns [general manager] Andrew Berry doesn’t like to part with his draft picks, especially because many of them are developmental prospects for down the road,” Cabot continued. “But Schwartz has struggled from an emotional and physical standpoint, and must prove he can handle the demands of the NFL. He’s [worked] hard on both issues in this offseason, and looked solid in OTAs and minicamp.”

Joint Practices May Determine Fate of Browns Wide Receiver Anthony Schwartz

GettyWide receiver Anthony Schwartz of the Cleveland Browns will have to earn his spot on the roster over the summer.

Schwartz struggled to find the field enough last year to make a case for himself moving forward, earning just 110 offensive snaps and 88 snaps on special teams across 11 games played, per Pro Football Reference.

As such, the live runs the Browns have scheduled this summer against the Philadelphia Eagles will be an important opportunity for Schwartz to showcase his skills and how they have developed in recent months.

“The joint practices against the Eagles in August will be a good test for Schwartz to see how far he’s come. If he can demonstrate significant improvement over last season  … he has a shot to make the roster,” Cabot wrote. “The Browns would love two world-class speedsters on the field at the same time in Schwartz and Goodwin, but Schwartz has to show he’s ready.”

Practice Squad Offers Failsafe for Anthony Schwartz Should He Fail to Make Browns 53-Man Roster

GettyWide receiver Anthony Schwartz of the Cleveland Browns is a cut candidate ahead of training camp.

Should Schwartz fail to make the 53-man roster, he could end up on the Browns’ practice squad rather than as an outright release.

Despite an abysmal statistical season in 2022, in which the wide receiver tallied just four catches on 10 targets for 51 yards and zero touchdowns, Schwartz’s speed is liable to earn him a second chance on another NFL roster should he ever find himself cut by Cleveland.

Schwartz will turn 23 years old just days ahead of the Browns’ season-opener at home against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 10. Not only does he represent the investment of a third-round pick, he is also entering the third season of his four-year, $4.9 million rookie contract.

Cabot is correct in her assessment that Berry and the rest of Browns front office have more invested in Schwartz’s success than the average training camp player, meaning his rope is likely to be longer than most. But at some point, especially after two full years in, that rope is going to run out.

The Cleveland Browns‘ linebacker room struggled to stay healthy last season — one of several reasons why the team might consider adding to the position group.

Cory Kinnan of USA Today’s Browns Wire suggested on Wednesday, June 21, that NFL journeyman linebacker Kyle Van Noy is a “realistic” free agent addition for the franchise ahead of training camp, which is slated to begin in late July.

With the late-season injury to starting SAM linebacker Sione Takitaki, the Browns are currently slated to start Tony Fields II at that spot to [begin] the season. If the team does not feel comfortable starting Fields II, who played well down the stretch in 2022, [it] could go out and get a guy who has played SAM linebacker at a high level throughout his career in veteran Kyle Van Noy.

A solid run defender who is not afraid to lower his shoulder and set a strong edge from his post, Van Noy … has also racked up at least five sacks in each of the last four seasons. The linebacker room is the worst positional group on the [Browns’] roster.

Kyle Van Noy Has Extensive NFL Experience, Including 2 Super Bowl Rings With Patriots

GettyLinebacker Kyle Van Noy, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers, celebrates after a play during an NFL game against the Las Vegas Raiders in September 2022. 

Van Noy played with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022, though he has spent the majority of his career donning a New England Patriots uniform.

The Detroit Lions selected Van Noy with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played approximately 2.5 seasons in Detroit before the Lions traded him to the Patriots in October 2016.

Van Noy finished out his rookie contract in New England before signing a two-year extension in September 2017 to remain with the franchise. The linebacker landed the heftiest deal of his career two offseasons later in March 2020, signing with the Miami Dolphins for $51 million over four years. However, the Dolphins cut bait with Van Noy the following spring to save nearly $10 million against the salary cap, which landed the linebacker on the free agent market.

The Patriots again provided a home for Van Noy in 2021, signing him to a two-year contract worth $12 million. New England released the linebacker the following March, however, at which point he linked up with the Chargers on a one-year deal.

Van Noy won contributed significantly to two Super Bowl victories in New England, the first in 2016 and the second in 2018. He started all 16 contests for the team during the second of his two title runs, posting 92 tackles, including five tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and a defensive touchdown, per Pro Football Reference.

At 32 years old, Van Noy is no longer the player he once was. However, he has been a starter for the majority of his nine-year NFL career, including last season. Van Noy has played in a total of 128 games as a professional, earning 86 starts. He produced 46 tackles, including eight tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, five sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble across 17 games played and 13 starts for the Chargers in 2022, contributing to a postseason berth.

Browns’ Starting Linebackers Ravaged by Injury Last Season

GettyLinebacker Anthony Walker Jr. #5 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after making a tackle for loss during an NFL game in 2022. 

Van Noy’s consistent production and history of winning offers real value to a Browns linebacker room that lacks both.

Takitaki and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah were the 36th- and 38th-best linebackers in the league out of 81 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position in 2022, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). However, both missed significant chunks of time due to injuries (five and six games, respectively).

Anthony Walker had the best PFF marks of the Browns’ bunch, posting an impressive overall grade of 82.7 that included a 90.0 grade in pass coverage. But those advanced stats came with a caveat, as Walker went down for the season in Week 3 due to a torn quad.

The Browns brought back all three of the aforementioned starters for the 2023 campaign but after missing a combined 25 of 51 games between them, the status of the position group is shaky, to say the least.

Fields, who Kinnan mentioned Wednesday as the linebacker Van Noy would likely usurp on the depth chart should the Browns choose to sign him, posted an overall PFF grade of just 50.0 last season. None of the other fill-ins at linebacker performed much better, and one in Jacob Phillips played considerably worse.

Cleveland had nearly $16.9 million in remaining salary cap space as of June 22 and all things considered, a couple million on a flier for Van Noy reads like a small price to play for some depth and insurance at what is arguably the Browns’ least reliable position heading into the upcoming season.

The Chicago Bears have been wheeling and dealing all offseason long, but as training camp approaches the franchise remains absent a bonafide pass-rushing threat.

Field Yates of ESPN predicted on Wednesday, June 21, that Chicago’s final major roster move ahead of the season will be to add an edge rusher to the defense. However, considering the Bears’ reticence to sign one of the several qualified candidates available via free agency despite several months worth of opportunity to do so, Yates projected that a trade is the more likely path to Chicago’s preferred acquisition.

“The Bears have not shied from stating the desire to beef up their edge room — they are light on established pass rushers,” Yates wrote. “The free agent market features more players who would be designated pass rushers in the Bears’ scheme (think Yannick Ngakoue) than every-down candidates, which leads me to wonder whether the Bears would be better served to find a trade for an edge player. Pretty much any name at the position that has come up as a potential trade/cut candidate has been linked to the Bears.”

One of those names is Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Danielle Hunter — the most established and successful edge rusher in the NFL who remains a candidate to swap uniforms ahead of September.

Danielle Hunter is Holding Out for New Contract or Trade From Vikings

GettyMinnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter is seeking a new contract in 2023 and could end up a trade candidate for the Chicago Bears ahead of training camp in late July. 

Hunter has been building toward a new contract and/or trade demand all offseason long.

The three-time Pro Bowler skipped voluntary workouts in May before blowing off mandatory minicamp in June, the latter move costing him tens of thousands of dollars in an effort to make his point. Before all that, Hunter wiped Vikings imagery from his social media accounts in the fashion of former teammate Za’Darius Smith, who Minnesota eventually traded to the Cleveland Browns for a couple of fifth-round picks.

Hunter is entering into the final season of a five-year, $72 million contract with the Vikings. However, due to the way the deal is structured, he is scheduled to make only $5.5 million in guaranteed salary and bonuses in 2023.

The outside linebacker has a recent history of injury, missing the entirety of 2020 with a neck issue that required surgery before tearing his pectoral in 2021. The latter injury cost him the final 10 contests of the campaign.

That said, Hunter is also a three-time Pro Bowler (2018, 2019, 2022). He led the Vikings with 10.5 sacks last season, adding 34 quarterback hits and 22 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Reference. Hunter will turn 29 years old in October and is looking to secure a long-term deal to protect him against further injury as well as the decline in compensation NFL players often suffer after they hit the age of 30.

Bears Have Draft Capital Necessary to Trade for Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter

GettyEdge rusher Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings rushes the quarterback during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in January 2023. 

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on June 12 that the Vikings would prefer to hold onto Hunter, which means that negotiations on a trade are likely to start at a second-round pick and go up from there.

The Bears currently hold the rights to eight draft choices in 2024, including two first-rounders (their own and one from the Carolina Panthers) as well as one second-round selection, one third-round pick and two fourth-round choices (their own and one from the Philadelphia Eagles), per NBC Sports Chicago.

The amount of draft capital at the Bears’ disposal makes the second-round pick that Fowler is predicting as a necessity to nab Hunter an asset with which Chicago can afford to part. A second- and a fourth-round pick is probably too steep of a package for Hunter given his injury concerns. Though, a second-rounder and a sixth-rounder in 2024 is a price the Bears can pay for a player who would walk into training camp on day 1 as the team’s best pass-rushing threat by a wide margin.

The Green Bay Packers lay claim to a young and exciting wide receiver group that is entirely devoid of experience and could desperately use a veteran presence.

Field Yates of ESPN suggested on Wednesday, June 21, that the franchise supplement its corps of youthful wideout talent with free agent Jarvis Landry, most recently of the New Orleans Saints.

“The Jordan Love and youth movements are on in Green Bay in the post-[Aaron] Rodgers era, with the team investing five draft picks on wide receivers and tight ends in April. I’m already getting excited about this offense’s potential,” Yates wrote. “I understand that very few veteran pass-catchers available right now have a chance to be a major impact player on the field, but I do think there is a spot for a player who brings leadership qualities to make his mark. As an example, while the team might want as many snaps for the youngsters who can play in the slot as possible, I do think Jarvis Landry’s presence would bring instant lessons in preparation that would pay off.”

Past His Prime, Jarvis Landry Can Still Offer Needed Elements to Packers Offense

GettyWide receiver Jarvis Landry, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, celebrates after a reception during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2022.

A Pro Bowler in five consecutive seasons during a run split between the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, the 30-year-old Landry is no longer the go-to option he once was. That said, he’s a sure-handed leader who can still be counted on to make plays in big spots — say, for instance, on 3rd-down with five yards to gain while lined up on the 50-yard line of the Minnesota Vikings‘ U.S. Bank Stadium come Week 17 this December.

More importantly, though, Landry can prepare a player like rookie Jayden Reed to make that same play in that same big spot through year of expert tutelage. And it won’t just be the wide receivers who need a little guidance of the sort which Landry is capable of providing.

Love is entering his fourth NFL season in 2023, but he’s started all of one game in his career (a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2021 when Rodgers was forced out due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols) and played meaningful minutes in just one half of football last year (against the Philadelphia Eagles in November when Rodgers exited during the third quarter due to a rib injury).

Landry has played with a host of quarterbacks during his nine-year professional tenure, most of whom rated somewhere between average and subpar. Love will be both one of the least experienced and potentially most talented members of that group. Currently absent a veteran wide receiver for Love to lean on during the inevitable growing pains to come, a player like Landry may prove as important to the Packers during practice and in the locker room setting as he can on the field on Sundays.

Jarvis Landry Offers Packers Quality Slot Complement to Big-Play Wideout Christian Watson

GettyWide receiver Christian Watson of the Green Bay Packers runs with the football during an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.

Should Reed get injured or prove less than ready to hop into a starting role as his rookie season commences, Landry remains a viable option alongside projected starters Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.

Landry caught 39 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown in 2022, per Pro Football Reference, but was limited to just nine games played. He made 52 grabs for 570 yards in 12 contests the year prior and hauled in 72 passes for 840 yards in across 15 games two seasons past. Landry was a Pro-Bowl selection in every campaign that came before, save for his rookie year in 2014.

If healthy, Landry has plenty to offer Love on the field. That will be doubly true if Watson continues to draw the kind of attention he did as a rookie and duplicates the success he had despite all the tight coverage.

Jim Wyman of Pro Football Focus on May 30 identified Watson as the second-best receiver in the NFL in the category of contested catch rate, after the wideout hauled in 9-of-12 passes thrown his way that qualified as contested targets.

“The youngest receivers placed quite highly on this list, as three rookies cracked the top 10,” Wyman wrote. “Christian Watson, George Pickens and Jahan Dotson were all 2022 draftees who made defenders think twice with the ball in the air.”

Considering everything Landry can offer Green Bay, and what the Packers can offer him in return, a union ahead of this season makes sense. Landry played last year in New Orleans on a one-year deal worth $3 million and can likely be acquired for a similar price in 2023.

The Packers had nearly $16.6 million in available cap space as of June 21, and an investment of less than 20% of that to add a meaningful player to a young offense in need of a veteran appears more than worth the cost.

The Cleveland Browns have spent heavily to revamp a defensive front that was, to be kind, porous last season. However, the work on the line may be one move shy of complete.

Field Yates of ESPN predicted on Wednesday, June 21, that the Browns will add a second defensive tackle alongside Dalvin Tomlinson, who the team signed to a four-year contract worth $57 million this offseason. Yates mentioned a couple of recognizable names the Browns might pursue, though the standout candidate is five-time All-Pro Ndamukong Suh.

“The Browns’ roster once again looks to be in good shape heading into training camp, but defensive tackle feels like an area to address,” Fields wrote. “While the team added a star in Dalvin Tomlinson and a massive run-stuffer in Siaki Ika in the third round of the draft, one more contributor to solidify the rotation would go a long way, especially since 2022 fourth-rounder Perrion Winfrey feels like a roster-bubble player right now. There are quality options available, including Shelby Harris and Ndamukong Suh.”

Ndamukong Suh Capable of Bolstering Browns Run Defense

GettyDefensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, warms up prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers in November 2022.

At this point in his career, Suh doesn’t read like a long-term signing. He didn’t join the Philadelphia Eagles until midway through the season, as he held out for a multiyear offer that never came.

Suh will turn 37 years old in January and has 13 seasons of NFL experience under his belt. Despite his age and tread, however, the defensive tackle has been wildly durable since joining the league as the No. 2 overall pick of the Detroit Lions in 2010. Prior to the 2022 campaign, Suh missed just two regular season contests due to injury across his entire career.

His production has fallen off some in recent years, though Suh remains a quality run-stopper. He posted an above-average grade of 68.9 as a run defender during his work as a rotational player with the NFC champions in Philly last year as well as a respectable overall player grade of 64.2, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Browns Should Seek to Sign Ndamukong Suh to Short-Term Contract

GettyDefensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Suh is presumably looking for something longer than a one-year contract after playing half of a season plus a playoff run with the Eagles on a $2 million deal. He played the two campaigns prior with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on one-year deals for $8 million and $9 million, respectively.

Cleveland is split between long-term and short-term commitments on the defensive line, holding multiyear agreements that will keep Tomlinson and edge rusher Myles Garrett on the roster for the next four seasons. The Browns traded with the Minnesota Vikings for edge rusher Za’Darius Smith this offseason, reworking his contract so as to pay him just north of $11.7 million in 2023 before allowing him to hit unrestricted free agency next March.

A one-year contract for Suh, or perhaps a two-year deal with a team option for 2024, feels like the appropriate range for a player who wasn’t a starter for the first time in his career last season. The five-time Pro Bowler isn’t the player he once was, but he offers a clear upgrade over defensive tackle Jordan Elliott who figures to start in 2023 if the team doesn’t add any new personnel to the position group.

Elliott started all 17 games as a third-year player last season and agreed to a new deal this month, the parameters of which essentially guarantee that he will remain on the roster throughout the year.

The Cleveland Browns boasted maybe the best one-two running back punch in the NFL last year and can do so again this season with a new supporting actor behind leading man Nick Chubb.

Former rushing champion Kareem Hunt isn’t walking through that door in 2023, but Cleveland doesn’t really need him to in order to remain one of the sport’s top rushing attacks. In reality, the franchise probably doesn’t need to add another high-level running back of any kind to the mix to claim one of the more formidable position groups in the league. That said, if the Browns sign Dalvin Cook, they will create a rushing tandem that is at the very least heads — and possibly also shoulders — above any other in the NFL.

There are a variety of reasons the pairing is unlikely, though there are also a few that render it sensible if Cleveland can get up the necessary cash to make a deal happen. The first is a connection between Cook and head coach Kevin Stefanski, who ran the Minnesota Vikings offense during the running back’s first of four consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns back in 2019. Cook, who will turn 28 years old ahead of this season, continues to retain significant steam and is already familiar with how the Browns play offense.

“Cook’s been running in a zone scheme his entire career. He catches the ball at a high level,” Pete Smith of Browns Digest tweeted on Monday, June 19. “I don’t need him to be a superstar, but as a second option to Chubb, he could be.”

Dalvin Cook Offers Browns Run-Game Security Behind Nick Chubb

GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is a natural fit with the Cleveland Browns offense.

Chubb is a four-time Pro Bowler in his own right and in the conversation as one of the best three running backs currently suiting up on Sundays. Jerome Ford, a 2022 fifth-round pick, is slated as his backup.

Ford has almost no experience rushing the ball at a professional level, notching just eight carries for 12 yards during a rookie campaign that was almost entirely limited to special teams work. He needs to cut his teeth in the backfield at some point, but the Browns are under a considerable amount of pressure to win now considering the way they’re spending as a franchise. Because of that, running out Ford as the team’s only real option behind Chubb is unquestionably a risk.

That is precisely why Cleveland is openly searching for another player to add depth at the position, and Cook is the best available insurance policy by a wide margin.

Dalvin Cook’s Price Main Obstacle to Reunion With Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland

GettyHead coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns served as running back Dalvin Cook’s offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019.

The only real problem with signing Cook is the contract he’s likely to command.

In general, running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL, and that relative price tag is growing cheaper by the year. Cook is a prime example of that, as the Vikings cut him in June despite his fourth straight 1,100-yard rushing campaign and a 39-catch season that resulted in 295 yards and two scores through the air. The move saved Minnesota $9 million against its 2023 salary cap and got the team off of Cook’s five-year, $63 million deal after just two seasons.

Cook isn’t going to command that kind of annual salary or that number of contract years this offseason, but he remains an elite-level running back and has been open about his desire to be valued like one and compensated as such. The Browns boast one of the better offensive lines in the league, which could well frame Ford — or some other less expensive back looking for a new home — as a greater talent than he actually is. That reality argues for Cleveland pursuing a cheaper option than Cook who also offers more experience than Ford.

But there are zero questions about Cook’s ability as it has been displayed. The unknowns are how long he can continue at his current pace of production with six seasons of NFL tread on his tires and two years left until he hits the daunted age of 30, which has marked the beginning of precipitous declines for so many other running backs throughout the recent history of the sport.

If the Browns can get Cook to agree to a one- or two-year deal, then a flier is probably worth taking. Spotrac projects his market value at $8.7 million annually over the course of a two-year contract. That number is probably too high for Cleveland, even despite the team’s nearly $17 million in available cap space as of June 20. The encouraging notion is that Spotrac’s valuation of Cook is probably too high for just about any team in the league.

Chubb’s $36.6 million contract expires two years from now and includes a team out following this season. If Cleveland was more likely to move on from Chubb after the 2023 campaign, a two- or three-year deal for Cook would make more sense. He isn’t likely to get more than three years anywhere and given the late stage at which Cook finds himself a free agent, a one-year deal that would be logical for the Browns could eventually end up on the table.

There are other teams that might offer an extra season or a bit more money to acquire Cook, namely the Miami Dolphins or the Dallas Cowboys. But a short-term deal for the running back, if it’s possible, is an avenue the Browns should explore. That is particularly true as quarterback Deshaun Watson’s on-field reliability represents a relative unknown heading into a season in which Cleveland intends to win, and win big.

The Golden State Warriors appear likely to reshuffle the deck this summer, but it’s crucial the team is proactive, not reactive, in regards to the coming changes.

Some decisions reside outside the franchise’s control, such as Draymond Green’s choice on Monday, June 19, to opt out of the final year of his contract and enter unrestricted free agency. Others, however, are entirely the Dubs’ to make — such as the terms of the multiyear deal they are all but certain to offer Green, and who that decision places in the hot seat between Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole should Green accept.

Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo of The Ringer discussed on Sunday, June 18, what they believe is a necessity on the part of the Warriors organization to cut bait with one of the three aforementioned players. Out of that discussion emerged a trade pitch from Simmons that would send Poole to the Washington Wizards in return for Chris Paul III, whom the Wizards acquired from the Phoenix Suns on Sunday as part of a trade centered around Bradley Beal.

“If you’re Golden State, do you feel good about the Jordan Poole contract?” Simmons posed. “You have Draymond you’ve gotta pay … I’ve got Klay Thompson for $40 million. There’s some ‘[Jonathan] Kuminga is actually gonna be good this year’ buzz. [Steph] Curry’s contract goes up every year. Like, if I could turn Jordan Poole into a year of Chris Paul and figure out what that looks like … I think that would be really interesting, to watch a true point guard play with Steph.”

Legitimate Questions of Fit Surround Warriors’ Potential Trade for Chris Paul

GettyFormer Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul remains a potential trade option for the Golden State Warriors after the Suns dealt him to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal on June 18, 2023. 

The salaries of Poole and Paul matchup up closely, with Poole about to enter the first season of his second NBA contract — a four-year, $128 million extension he signed after functioning as a key cog in the Warriors’ 2021-22 title run and before a disappointing campaign last season.

Paul, meanwhile, is set to earn $30.8 million next year if the Wizards don’t waive him by June 28, in which case Washington would pay the point guard the more than $15 million fully-guaranteed portion of his deal to go away, allowing Paul to then seek employment with a different franchise.

While Simmons was bullish on a potential one-for-one deal that moves Poole off the Warriors’ books long-term, replaces him with Paul for one season and then gives Golden State some much-needed financial flexibility in 2024-25 and beyond, Russillo took issue with Paul’s fit in the Bay Area.

“I don’t think Chris Paul fits with what the [Warriors] … wanna do on offense,” Russillo responded. “It’s about movement, and I don’t think high ball screen pick and roll while Steph watches with Klay … I just don’t think [Paul’s] approach is exactly what the Warriors [want]. It’s not even close.”

Warriors Remain Among Top Contenders to Land Chris Paul

GettyChris Paul (right), formerly of the Phoenix Suns, defends Steph Curry (left) of the Golden State Warriors during an NBA game.

If Paul lands with the Warriors, he will certainly play alongside Curry for a portion of his minutes. However, it is more likely that Paul’s primary role will be to run the Dubs’ offense during the time that Curry sits on the bench.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9 that the Warriors are among the top-four candidates to land Paul this offseason.

“If Chris Paul is out there as a free agent this summer, look at the two teams in L.A., the Clippers and Lakers, the Knicks in New York, the Golden State Warriors — those would all be potential destinations for Chris Paul, who would then sign a deal at a much lower number,” Wojnarowski said.

None of that has changed just because Paul is now a member of the Wizards.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported earlier that same day on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast that Paul will favor playing with one of the California franchises to be closer to his family, assuming he doesn’t re-sign with the Suns after being waived or traded, the latter of which occurred on Sunday.

Paul is also looking to join a contender and capture the championship ring that has eluded him throughout his 18-year NBA career. The Warriors can offer him that.

And, as far as Golden State is concerned, trading with Washington for Paul could be ultimately prove a more beneficial scenario if the Dubs want to move off of Poole’s contract. If the Warriors decide instead that they’d prefer to deal Thompson, or if they throw financial caution entirely to the wind and try to retain Green, Thompson and Poole along with Curry, then the better outcome is the Wizards waiving Paul.

In that scenario, the 11-time All-NBA point guar may decide to join Golden State for as little as the veteran’s minimum with the intent of nabbing a title before riding into the sunset of his illustrious career.

The Cleveland Browns appear stacked at the wide receiver position heading into this season, though that could change quickly.

Personnel uncertainty will permeate Cleveland’s roster for the next four years due to the remainder of QB Deshaun Watson’s fully-guaranteed $230 million contract. One of the most likely salary cap casualties due to that deal is wide receiver Amari Cooper, as the Browns can trim nearly $12.5 million off of the wide receiver’s approximately $23.8 million cap hit in 2024 by cutting or trading him after this season.

Should Cooper find himself playing elsewhere a year from now, the Browns will have a handful of quality targets in the passing game without boasting anything like a true No. 1 option. That is where former sixth-round pick Donovan Peoples-Jones factors into the equation. Peoples-Jones is a player the team must seriously consider extending long-term now in order to soften the blow of the potential loss of Cooper next spring.

Donovan Peoples-Jones Went From Potential Odd Man Out in Cleveland to Possible No. 1 Option in 2024

GettyWide receiver Amari Cooper #2 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a touchdown alongside teammate Donovan Peoples-Jones #11.

Peoples-Jones ending up, at the very least, a bridge savior to the Browns’ next big-name pass-catcher isn’t a notion that can be proposed absent a twinge of irony. The fourth-year wideout was mentioned numerous times as potentially the odd man out in Cleveland should the franchise pursue free agent DeAndre Hopkins, a former Pro-Bowl teammate of Watson’s with the Houston Texans.

Adding Hopkins now reads as a pipe dream, more or less, for Browns fans, particularly in contrast to the sobering reality that Peoples-Jones and Elijah Moore may be WR Nos. 1 and 2 as early as one year from now. But that scenario isn’t as dire as it might appear at first glance.

Peoples-Jones’ trajectory as an NFL player is encouraging. His target totals, receptions and receiving yards have all increased with each passing season, capping out at career-highs of 61 grabs for 839 yards and three touchdowns on 96 looks across 14 games played in 2022, per Pro Football Reference.

Furthermore, those numbers were produced primarily with Jacoby Brissett and what was presumably a subpar version of Watson under center attempting to shake off nearly two years of sideline rust on the fly. There is no reason to expect that Peoples-Jones, who established himself as a legitimate No. 2 option last season, can’t make another leap in 2023.

That, combined with the confidence he would glean from a new contract and more targets via the potential exit of Cooper, lines up to render Peoples-Jones far better than the worst candidate for a top receiver job that the NFL as a whole can produce.

Donovan Peoples-Jones Should be Among Browns’ Top Priorities Ahead of 2023 Season

GettyWide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones of the Cleveland Browns reacts after making a first-down catch during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in November 2021.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report contended on Monday, June 19, that Peoples-Jones is the most important player for the Browns to extend before the 2023 campaign begins in September.

The Cleveland Browns took steps to revamp their receiving corps this offseason, signing Marquise Goodwin, trading for Elijah Moore and drafting Cedric Tillman. Because of this, extending 2024 free agent Donovan Peoples-Jones may seem counterintuitive.

However, extending Peoples-Jones could be a vital part of maintaining offensive continuity moving forward. … While Peoples-Jones might not be suited to take over the No. 1 role, he emerged as a dependable second option last year.

Peoples-Jones is the longest-tenured Brown in the receiver room and has spent his entire career under head coach Kevin Stefanski. He can take over as the veteran leader in the receiver room if Cooper departs, but the Browns run the risk of losing both wideouts if they don’t extend him now.

Cleveland had approximately $17 million in cap space at its disposal as of June 19 and a roster stacked with talent across most other units, rendering an extension for Peoples-Jones relatively painless should the franchise choose to pursue it.

The Chicago Bears are priming Justin Fields for a big step forward in 2023, but they remain one move shy of securing their franchise QB’s future success.

Before the blockbuster deal for D.J. Moore this offseason, ahead of the mid-season move for Chase Claypool at last year’s trade deadline and prior to the season-ending injury to Darnell Mooney, there was stalwart tight end Cole Kmet. The 6’6″, 260-pound headache for opposing defenses led Chicago in every major receiving category in 2022 as Fields’ most reliable target start to finish.

The Bears added former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan on a one-year deal, but there’s no question who the alpha dog is in the position group. Chicago would be wise to pay Kmet as such this offseason and lock him in long-term, as the team’s trajectory from the NFL’s cellar is ready to travel a sharp incline.

Cole Kmet Arguably Most Crucial Extension for Bears This Offseason

GettyTight end Cole Kmet and quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears celebrate a touchdown during a game against the Miami Dolphins in November 2022.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Monday, June 19, described Kmet’s as the most important extension for Chicago to complete ahead of the regular season.

Extending tight end Cole Kmet, who will be a free agent in 2024, is the next logical step for Chicago. The 24-year-old emerged as Fields’ most reliable target in 2022 and developed chemistry with his quarterback throughout the season.

Kmet led the Bears in receptions (50), receiving yards (544) and receiving touchdowns (7) last year. He also provided a quarterback rating of 105.0 when targeted. Over the past two years, Kmet has averaged 55 receptions, 578 yards and four touchdowns.

Keeping Kmet should be among the team’s top priorities. With a league-high [$32 million] in cap space, Chicago can and should extend him a year before hitting the open market becomes a possibility.

Kmet, a former second-round pick (No. 43) overall in 2020, is entering the final season of his four-year, $7.6 million rookie contract. Spotrac projects his market value at $11.3 million annually over another four-year contract.

Bears QB Justin Fields Poised to Make Leap in 3rd NFL Season

GettyChicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy believes Justin Fields is ‘light-years ahead’ of where he was in 2022.

Given Kmet’s age, durability and consistent production over his first three professional campaigns, a new deal should be a no-brainer. Despite the addition of Moore and Tonyan, there is an argument to be made that Kmet’s numbers will continue to improve as Fields develops into the best version of himself.

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy spoke with the media on June 7, during which he lauded the quarterback’s development over the last several months.

“Justin is someone that is super focused, works his tail off in every aspect of it — the physical part of it, the on-field part of it, the training part of it. And then in the meeting room, he is focused,” Getsy said. “The types of conversations we’re having now in that room are really [on] a different level than they were last year as far as where he can go with his growth.”

Fields was already near-historic as a rusher from the quarterback position in 2022, amassing 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on a league-leading 7.1 yards per carry, according to Pro Football Reference. Chicago has since built an entirely new right side of the offensive line, signing guard Nate Davis and drafting rookie tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick.

While there remains some reason for apprehension on Fields’ blindside, the Bears are clearly committed to easing their quarterback’s path to stardom, and locking Kmet into that equation is the next move up.

The Minnesota Vikings have spent the last two years focused on bolstering the secondary, but the work remains unfinished.

Byron Murphy Jr. and Andrew Booth Jr. should make for a formidable starting duo come September, assuming both can remain healthy. However, Murphy and Booth missed eight and 11 games in 2022, respectively. Minnesota’s backup cornerbacks are second-year player Akayleb Evans, who missed seven games in his rookie season due to concussion issues, and third-round rookie Mekhi Blackmon who has yet to play an NFL snap.

The Vikings aren’t overly flush with salary cap space, with roughly $17.8 million at their disposal as of Sunday, June 18. But a value contract for a veteran cornerback makes sense for a young defensive backfield that has serious health issues in its recent past. Perhaps the perfect candidate in this regard is Anthony Brown, most recently of the Dallas Cowboys.

Anthony Brown Developed From Low-Round Draft Pick Into Bonafide NFL Starter

GettyThe Dallas Cowboys are unlikely to re-sign long-time starting cornerback Anthony Brown.

Brown is a longtime starter with the Cowboys who has spent the entirety of his seven-year career in Dallas since the team selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

He became an every-Sunday starter alongside two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs two seasons ago after inking a three-year, $15.5 million deal in 2020. Brown had a highly productive 2021 campaign and was playing well again last season before tearing his ACL in December.

The injury appears to have derailed any plans the Cowboys might have had to bring Brown back into the fold on another multiyear deal after he played out his contract in 2022, though it opens a window for a team like the Vikings to add Brown on a value contract.

Anthony Brown Among Top Free Agents Remaining in 2023 Class

GettyCornerback Anthony Brown #30, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, is congratulated by Steven Parker #40 and Jaylon Smith #54 after returning a fumble for a touchdown against the New York Giants during a game in October 2020.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on June 14 listed Brown among his top-10 players under the age of 30 still available in free agency, noting that bad injury luck is all that has stood between the cornerback and a new deal in 2023.

[His] injury is the only reason that Brown remains unsigned this late into the offseason. There are a number of corners who have already signed new deals and found new homes who don’t have Brown’s ability or resume.

Two years ago, Brown was a 16-game starter for the Cowboys. He topped 70 total tackles, intercepted three passes and even scored a touchdown. Brown allowed just 65 of 122 passes thrown in his direction to be completed in 2021 and posted a passer rating against of 78.4.

For the record, that passer rating against is lower than Trevon Diggs’ was last year and Darius Slay of the [Philadelphia] Eagles. Brown’s numbers weren’t quite as good in 2022, but he was still a solid NFL starter.

Brown will play nearly the entirety of the 2023 campaign at 29 years old is in need of a landing spot where he can re-establish his value as a legitimate NFL starter. In this scenario, the Vikings hold the majority of the leverage in any potential negotiations and can likely ink the starting-caliber cover corner to a team-friendly deal for a duration of one or two seasons.

It isn’t the perfect solution for Minnesota’s secondary, but it is an affordable one that brings another quality player into a unit that has been a priority for the franchise over the past two offseasons.

The Chicago Bears are far from set in the secondary and a veteran difference maker remains available for the taking in free agency.

Ronald Darby has been a starting cornerback since his career began as a second-round pick (No. 50 overall) of the Buffalo Bills in 2015, including in every game he’s played over the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos as a member of one of the league’s premier defenses.

Despite a wealth of experience that includes a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Darby won’t turn 30 years old until January 2024. Given his age and résumé, it’s hard to figure how Darby is still available with training camps just around the corner — until his injury history comes up in discussion.

Darby suffered an ACL tear last October that has sidelined him since and resulted in Denver releasing him in March to save $9.6 million against its salary cap. While the injury renders Darby a considerable risk, it also lowers his price point and makes him a sensible fit for a team like the Bears who have an incomplete secondary and more than $32 million in remaining cap space.

Ronald Darby Was Elite in Coverage With Broncos in 2022

GettyFormer Denver Broncos cornerback Ronald Darby breaks up a pass during an NFL game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Darby signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Broncos in 2021 after a healthy season in Washington that saw him defend 16 passes in 16 starts and surrender a collective completion percentage of just 54.1% to opposing quarterbacks, per Pro Football Reference.

But the cornerback’s health didn’t hold once he landed in Denver. Darby appeared in fewer than half of the Broncos’ regular season games over the next two years, playing in and starting 16 out of a possible 34 contests.

The ACL tear robbed him of the final 11 games of the campaign, marking the third time in the last six years that Darby failed to register double-digit appearances during a regular season. Two of the three years during that stretch in which he has hit double digits, Darby capped out at 11 total games played.

While that all might sound like more of an argument for the Bears not to pursue Darby, there is a value play to be made by inking him to a one- or two-year contract. The cornerback played in 29 of 32 contests across his first two seasons in the league and has spent the last eight months rehabilitating his knee. He should be available on a relatively cheap contract, the terms of which Chicago will have the leverage to dictate.

Beyond that, Darby was exceptional in 2022 when he was on the field. He recorded 14 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble, as well as held opposing quarterbacks to a combined completion percentage of 38.9% and a rating of 69.9 on 17 targets. Darby afforded opposing offenses just 73 yards gained through the air and one touchdown.

If the cornerback can muster 12 starts, give or take, in 2023 and produce a similar stat line, he will be worth considerably more to the Bears than whatever contract number it ultimately takes to sign him.

Ronald Darby Can Meaningfully Help Bears Secondary if Healthy

GettyCornerback Ronald Darby, formerly of the Denver Broncos, tackles wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., formerly of the Cleveland Browns, during an NFL game.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, June 13, named Darby the sixth-best available free agent under 30 years old. He was also the top cornerback on the list and the second highest-rated defensive back behind safety John Johnson III, most recently of the Cleveland Browns.

Darby hasn’t been a fringe starter. At his best, he was among one of the NFL’s better players in coverage. Big plays have never been his thing (eight career interceptions), and durability has been an issue at times … but in each of the past three seasons Darby has posted a passer rating against of less than 85. Before getting hurt last year, Darby was playing some of the best football of his career.

Darby isn’t going to land the sort of contract the Broncos gave him back in 2021 … but if he can show his rehab is progressing well, there are a number of teams who would benefit from a steadying veteran presence in the secondary.

Chicago clearly numbers among those teams, as ESPN currently lists cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson as the team’s two starters. Stevenson is a second-round rookie out of Miami who has yet to play a snap in the NFL, while Johnson is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal and has yet to sign an extension after tallying just one interception in his professional career.

New Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will face his first monumental personnel decision just days after accepting the job, and it will regard Draymond Green.

One of the franchise’s greatest and most polarizing players, Green has the option to opt out of the final year of his current contract and hit free agency this summer. According to ESPN’s Marc Spears Jr., Dubs team sources believe it is all but a certainty that Green will forego the final season of his four-year, $99.67 million contract (worth nearly $27.6 million in 2023-24) and test the market.

“The Warriors expect Draymond Green to opt out of the final year of his … contract, I’m being told. But [owner] Joe Lacob, Dunleavy, the Warriors are going to do everything in their power, if he does as expected, to bring him back,” Spears said on the Friday, June 16 edition of NBA Today, per Bleacher Report. “Golden State is also getting calls on [Jonathan] Kuminga … [and] Jordan Poole. They have the 19th pick in next week’s draft, so Mike Dunleavy Jr. isn’t getting no training wheels going into this job.”

Los Angeles Lakers Among Potential Free Agent Destinations for Draymond Green

GettyDraymond Green (right) of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being called for a foul against Anthony Davis (left) of the Los Angeles during Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals in May 2023.

Green’s offensive game is not what it once was, but the Warriors forward continues to dominate the other side of the court as one of the best defenders in the NBA.

Green has earned either first-team or second-team All-NBA defensive honors in eight of the last nine seasons, having been named to each squad four times. He also won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2016-17 season and has finished second twice (2014-15, 2015-16) and third once (2020-21).

One notable change over Green’s last handful of years in the league, aside from a dip in his points per game average, has been a growing relationship with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James — both as a friend and as a business partner. As a result, the Lakers are expected to be one of the teams likely to inquire with Green about his interest in changing franchises this offseason.

James mentioned last year on an episode of his HBO series “The Shop” that if he wasn’t playing with the Lakers, he’d like to play with the Warriors. James shouted out Green by name during his comments.

“It would be Golden State,” James said. “I would love to get into a pissing match with Draymond. I love when someone cussing me out.”

While it will be difficult for Golden State to absorb James’ estimated base salary of approximately $47 million next season, especially considering the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that goes into effect this summer, the growing affinity between the two players has led to widespread speculation that Green might be willing to jump ship in the Bay Area and ride south for Los Angeles.

“Hard to say what you could get for Draymond at this point because he can be a free agent, and everyone assumes he’s going to the Lakers next summer,” an NBA executive told Heavy Sports insider Sean Deveney in February.

Draymond Green Holding to Narrative That He Wants to Remain With Warriors

Getty(R-L) Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.

Despite the reports and rumors, Green continues to state publicly that his desire is to remain in Golden State with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for the remainder of his career.

“We’ll see what happens as far as my contract goes. Obviously, I have an opt-out. Everybody knows about that,” Green told reporters following the Warriors’ elimination from the playoffs at the hands of the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals in May.

“But as I’ve told you guys for years, I want to be a Warrior for the rest of my life. I wanna ride out with the same dudes I rode in with,” Green continued. “I think we’ve put the work in to make that happen, and here we are with our worst season as a whole since 2014 and yet, we had a chance to make another run. It’s never as bad as it seems, it’s never as good as it seems.”

Green’s fourth-year option carries a deadline of Thursday, June 29.

The Minnesota Vikings have two serious problems — an edge rusher who wants a new deal and no long-term plan at QB. They may be able to solve both with one blockbuster move.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade that would ship outside linebacker Danielle Hunter to the San Francisco 49ers in return for quarterback Trey Lance and a 2024 fourth-round draft pick.

Davenport laid out his argument as part of an article published on Tuesday, June 13, which consisted of the points that the Niners don’t necessarily need to continue paying Lance to remain a Super Bowl contender, while Lance offers the Vikings a reasonable alternative to quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2024 and beyond.

The prevailing opinion appears to be that once Brock Purdy’s elbow is healthy, he will again start for the Niners. And Lance (the player the 49ers traded three first-round picks to obtain in 2021) will be the NFL’s most expensive (in terms of draft capital) clipboard-holder.

An extension for Hunter would be tricky for the 49ers, who still have to extend Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk. But tricky isn’t impossible, and pairing Hunter and Bosa outside and [Javon] Hargrave and Arik Armstead inside would be a terrifying front four.

Assuming [Vikings head coach] Kevin O’ Connell believes he can turn Lance around, a Vikings team that appears to be rebuilding on the fly could get a successor to Kirk Cousins, who will be a free agent in 2024 — a successor under team control through 2026 at a reasonable (for a quarterback) salary.

49ers Value Edge Rushers Enough to Render Danielle Hunter, Trey Lance Trade Legitimate Possibility

GettyQuarterback Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers visits the dugouts before the start of an MLB game between the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers in May 2023.

Davenport also cited Kyle Madson of USA Today’s Niners Wire, who noted that the pass-rush upgrade represented by Hunter can make real sense in San Francisco, especially after the team added quarterback Sam Darnold to the roster this offseason.

“If San Francisco’s coaching staff and front office have truly seen enough of Lance to believe he won’t be their starter at any point, then it’s easy to see them prioritizing their pass rush, making that move and relying on a Purdy-Darnold-[Brandon] Allen trio to get them through the season,” Madson wrote.

“It’d be a pretty significant risk, but the 49ers have made it clear how valuable they think game-wrecking pass rushers are,” Madson continued.

49ers’ Decision to Sign 2 Free Agent QBs in 2023 Indicates Trey Lance May Be Available to Vikings

GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell (left) of the Minnesota Vikings talks to quarterback Kirk Cousins (right) prior to a game against the Chicago Bears in January 2023. 

The 49ers added Allen in May, bringing their QB total to four on the depth chart. Allen’s one-year deal is worth $1.23 million total and includes $200,000 guaranteed, which is a strong indicator he will be on either the 53-man roster or the practice squad for much, if not all, of the upcoming season.

Allen has four years of experience on active NFL rosters, one with the Denver Broncos in 2019 and the last three with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has produced a 2-7 career record as a starter in the league, throwing for 1,611 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, per Pro Football Reference.

The Niners signed Darnold to a one-year deal worth $4.5 million, which positions him firmly in the salary range of a typical NFL backup QB in 2023. Darnold has started 55 games across five professional seasons with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. His signing in San Francisco led to increased speculation that Lance might be available via trade, as insiders didn’t believe Darnold was interested in signing anywhere as a third-string quarterback, even with a contender like the 49ers.

Lance, meanwhile, is due north of $9 million next season in the third year of his rookie deal. The quarterback is a Minnesota native and a dual pass/run threat who could spend 2023 learning the Vikings’ offense under O’Connell while insulated from immediate pressure to perform due to Cousins’ occupation of the starting role.

Minnesota has plenty of salary cap space (more than $17.8 million as of June 17) to absorb Lance’s contract. The Vikings’ available space would also increase by $5.5 million were the team to trade Hunter, now that the June 1 deadline has passed.

The Green Bay Packers face a somewhat difficult decision on one of their top performers, though a deal should get done if he can demonstrate adequate health over the coming months.

Edge rusher Rashan Gary numbers among the unfortunate test cases that explain why stars holdout for multiyear deals and loathe the franchise tag, as essentially nothing is fully-guaranteed in the NFL, including lucrative contracts even after they are signed.

Rob Demovsky of ESPN on Thursday, June 15, reported that Gary remains in line for a massive extension from the Packers, but only if he can prove he has bounced back after suffering a devastating mid-season knee injury against the Detroit Lions in 2022.

Gary was looking at a massive payday before he tore the ACL in his right knee [November] 9 at Detroit. That’s now on hold until the Packers are sure Gary can come back as the same player who ranked among the top 10 linebackers in sacks, quarterback hits and pressures through the first nine games last season.

The Packers wouldn’t mind lowering his $10.892 million cap number based on his fifth-year option, and a contract extension would do that. Don’t be surprised if that gets done as soon as the Packers know he has recovered from his knee injury, possibly by the start of the regular season.

Green Bay picked up Gary’s fifth-year option ahead of the 2022 season, which NFL teams are allowed to do with former first-round picks. The Packers edge rusher played out the fourth and final year of his initial $15.9 million rookie contract last season.

Rashan Gary Crucial to Packers’ Pass Rush This Season

GettyLinebacker Rashan Gary of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session in May 2023.

Gary’s trajectory has been beyond encouraging, as he has steadily improved on the stat sheet with each passing year.

The outside linebacker tallied 47 quarterback pressures, 28 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles during his third professional campaign in 2021, per Pro Football Reference. Through eight games and change in 2022, Gary had already amassed 17 pressures, 12 QB hits and six sacks.

Then the knee injury hit.

As impressive as the edge rusher has been on the field, perhaps even more evidence of how crucial Gary is to Green Bay’s defense came by way of his absence during the second half of last season. The Packers finished tied with the Cleveland Browns for 27th in the league in total sacks in 2022, tallying just 34 as a team.

Packers’ First-Round Pick Lukas Van Ness Should Add Sacks in 2023

GettyDefensive lineman Lukas Van Ness of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session in May 2023.

Gary still finished second on the roster in total sacks, despite missing the latter half of the 2022 campaign. The only player to out-do him in that category was fellow outside linebacker Preston Smith, who produced 8.5 sacks on the year.

The Packers wasted literally no time adding help in that regard during the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting edge rusher Lukas Van Ness out of the University of Iowa with the No. 13 overall pick. Van Ness tallied 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks across 26 games for the Hawkeyes over the previous two years, per Football Reference.

A versatile defender, Van Ness is expected to make an immediate impact on a pricey Green Bay defense that may need to carry the load for a team with an inexperienced set of skill players projected to line up at several key positions on the offensive side of the football in 2023.

The Cleveland Browns are built to win now. If they don’t, some of the most prominent heads in the organization are likely to roll, starting with head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus on Thursday, June 15, listed Stefanski’s seat as the hottest in the NFL heading into the 2023 campaign.

“It’s not necessarily his fault, but the Browns have heaped a whole lot of pressure on themselves with their moves over the last couple of seasons, and Stefanski will likely be the first sacrificial lamb if none of it works out,” Monson wrote.

The key to both the Browns’ success and Stefanski’s job security will be the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has four seasons remaining on a five-year, $230 million contract that management fully guaranteed last offseason.

“Deshaun Watson played his first games for the team last season and was disastrous, earning a 55.3 overall PFF grade, marginally worse than Desmond Ridder’s and Sam Ehlinger’s scores,” Monson continued. “Watson may have thrown seven touchdowns to five interceptions but recorded just three big-time throws to nine turnover-worthy plays. Cleveland did major work this offseason to improve the defense and continues to add weaponry on offense, but if Watson doesn’t bounce back in a significant way and the Browns [don’t] challenge for the division, it’s tough to see Stefanski making it to the 2024 season.”

Browns Have Regressed Since Making Playoffs During Kevin Stefanski’s First Year as Head Coach

GettyHead coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns is under pressure to perform in 2023.

Stefanski opened his career in Cleveland with a bang but has regressed every year since.

The Browns finished the 2020 campaign with an 11-5 record, earning a berth in the postseason and the franchise’s first playoff win since 1994. That the victory was a 48-point showing on the road over the AFC North Division rival Pittsburgh Steelers was merely icing on the cake. Cleveland was competitive in the divisional round of the playoffs the following week, falling to the eventual AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs by just five points.

Since then, however, the Browns have produced 8-9 and 7-10 seasons, respectively. The franchise took a monster swing and a monster risk adding Watson last year while the QB was still mired in civil and legal issues stemming from dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct.

The public relations hit the Browns suffered after making the deal was even greater than the hit on the field, where Jacoby Brissett filled in for Watson through the first 11 games. Watson returned for the final six contests, completing just over 58% of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns compared to five interceptions, per Pro Football Reference.

Browns’ Spending Spree on Top-Level Talent Adds to Pressure on Kevin Stefanski This Season

GettyHead coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.

The heat the franchise took for inking Watson and subsequently failing to adequately replace him after the NFL suspended the quarterback fell on the shoulders of both Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry, as well as team ownership.

However, after a spending spree that has included the acquisitions of wide receiver Amari Cooper last offseason as well as edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and wide receiver Elijah Moore this offseason, there will be nowhere for Stefanski to hide if the team underachieves.

Moore struggles through locker room issues with the New York Jets over his first two years in the NFL, while Smith is on the wrong side of 30 and slowed down significantly during the second half of a Pro-Bowl campaign with the Minnesota Vikings last season. That said, it’s hard to argue that Berry hasn’t built one of the more talented rosters in a stacked AFC.

Watson returning to the Pro-Bowl form that defined his career from 2018-20 is still the most crucial element to the Browns’ success this season and beyond. But Cleveland hired Stefanski due to his offensive acumen after a one-year stint as the Vikings offensive coordinator in 2019 that followed two years as that franchise’s quarterbacks coach.

If Stefanski can’t coax Watson’s best version out of the QB this season, then perhaps it is time the Browns start searching for someone who can.

The Chicago Bears still lead the NFL in cap space but that hasn’t stopped the team from being discerning with where it spends its money.

Central to that discussion is cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who is heading into the fourth and final season on his rookie contract and has yet to sign an extension in Chicago. Some drama has unfolded in that regard since organized team activities (OTAs) began last month. Johnson skipped some of those workouts in May, a move that was flanked by both preceding and subsequent comments from general manager Ryan Poles and Johnson, respectively, about the cornerback’s status with the Bears long-term.

Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported on Thursday, June 15, that a new deal for Johnson in Chicago remains uncertain given his performance across the last three years and Poles’ tendencies toward pre-regime change players since joining the franchise last offseason.

Johnson said his absence from the first two weeks of OTAs in May stemmed from wanting to spend time with his 3-year-old daughter and fundraise for his nonprofit foundation, not because the 24-year-old does not have a new contract. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has yet to re-sign any player drafted by Chicago before his arrival in 2022, but he did say in April that Johnson, a second-round pick in 2020, is a player he hopes he’ll get “to keep here for a while.”

When he returned for the final week of OTAs, Johnson also expressed his desire to stay with the Bears long-term and said he is planning to find a new agent. Johnson’s one interception over three seasons may affect how much the Bears, with an estimated $32.5 million in cap space, are willing to spend.

Actions of Jaylon Johnson, Bears Indicate Contract Extension for CB Unlikely Ahead of 2023 Season

GettyCornerback Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears in action during a game against the San Francisco 49ers in September 2022. 

Despite the words on both sides of the contract standoff, the actions speak louder.

Johnson would have needed to show up for only five days of workouts in the month of May and another on June 1 to display a level of commitment to the franchise. In the meantime, Poles could have made a meaningful and good-faith contract offer to Johnson, even if said offer would have come in under Johnson’s asking price, and made that news public. That neither happened/has happened means more than whatever lines Johnson and Poles are currently selling to the media.

The cornerback and franchise presumably have yet to even sit down across from one another at the negotiating table, based on Cronin’s report that Johnson is seeking a new agent. If no agreement is reached, Johnson will play out the last year of his $6.5 million rookie deal in 2023. Spotrac projects his market value at $7.7 million annually over a three-year deal should Johnson sign a new contract now, though that projection could rise or fall based on the cornerback’s performance this season.

Jaylon Johnson Has Started Every Game He Has Played for Bears Across Last 3 Years

GettyCornerback Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears is eligible for a contract extension heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2023.

Johnson’s production has been short of outstanding and represents a failure to live up to his draft position after Chicago selected him No. 50 overall in the second round in 2020.

The cornerback has played in and started 39 of a possible 50 regular season games over his three-year NFL career. He has just one interception, as Cronin noted, and has registered 125 tackles, including three tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups and two forced fumbles during his professional tenure.

Johnson surrendered a collective completion percentage of 58.8% and a collective quarterback rating of 94.6 to opposing QBs across 11 starts in 2022, per Pro Football Reference. He has also allowed 8.9 yards per target in two of his three seasons and a total of 11 receiving touchdowns in pass coverage since entering the league.

The Chicago Bears are looking to make a huge leap forward in 2023, which could begin with a couple of emerging stars on the roster.

Heavy’s NFL insider Matt Lombardo produced a list of the next first-time All-Pro selections at every position, which included two Bears players, one on each side of the football — middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and left guard Teven Jenkins.

Chicago signed Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract in March, which qualifies easily as the team’s biggest blockbuster add on defense this offseason. Jenkins, meanwhile, is entering his third season with the team after a somewhat tumultuous start to his NFL career, which has included injury issues and a position change from right guard to left guard for the upcoming year.

Tremaine Edmunds Poised to Leap From Pro Bowler to All-Pro After Joining Bears

GettyMiddle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds of the Chicago Bears stretches during OTAs in May 2023.

Edmunds has been a starter since entering the NFL as a first-round pick (No. 16 overall) with the Buffalo Bills in 2018. He has missed only eight regular season games across his five-year career, starting all 74 of the contests in which he has played.

The linebacker is a two-time Pro Bowler, earning those honors in 2019 and 2020. He is strong against the run and the pass, amassing 35 pass breakups, 18 quarterback hits, 6.5 sacks, five interceptions and two forced fumbles over the course of his professional tenure, per Pro Football Reference.

“Edmunds arrives in Chicago coming off the most dominant season of his prolific career. Once again surpassing 100 total tackles, Edmunds produced a team-high 101 [tackles] while holding opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of just 87.1. All that, only to leave Buffalo without a contract extension,” Lombardo wrote. “Given Edmunds’ productivity, his talent and the added motivation that comes with being spurned by your former team, expect big things from the centerpiece of the Bears’ revamped defense in 2023.”

Bears to Rely Heavily on Teven Jenkins to Boost Offense This Season

GettyChicago Bears offensive guard Teven Jenkins blocks during a game against the Minnesota Vikings in December 2021.

Jenkins has bounced around Chicago’s offensive line since the Bears selected him in the second round (No. 39 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.

He started off his career playing at the offensive tackle position, appearing in six games and earning two starts. Last season, Jenkins played in 13 games, starting 11 of those, and primarily functioned as the team’s right guard. He will transition to left guard in 2023 after Chicago signed Nate Davis, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, to a three-year, $30 million deal in March.

Jenkins proved the Bears correct in their decision to transition him to the inside of the offensive front, as he earned an overall player grade of 80.7 from Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2022, which included a run-blocking grade of 82.2 and a pass-blocking grade of 65.9. Those analytics ranked Jenkins as the third-best guard in the NFL out of 77 players who played enough snaps to qualify at the position.

“Teven Jenkins is a road grader up front in the running game, a tactician in pass protection and one of the anchors of the Chicago Bears‘ offensive line,” Lombardo wrote. “Last season, Jenkins only allowed 2.0 sacks and 12 quarterback pressures. He’s already on the cusp of breaking through as an All-Pro, and if the Bears’ offense makes major strides, this could be his season to crack the list.”

Lost somewhat in the shuffle of a busy offseason for the Minnesota Vikings have been the team’s future plans for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Minnesota made something of conflicting statements on their long-time starter by first rejecting an offer from Cousins’ team to take a discount on a multiyear extension this offseason, then forfeiting the chance to select either Will Levis or Hendon Hooker in the NFL Draft — both of whom remained available when the Vikings selected at No. 23 in the first round.

Cousins, who will earn $30 million on the final year of his contract in 2023, hasn’t spoken much about his negotiations with the franchise other than to say that he would like to remain in Minnesota long-term. However, the quarterback broke that relative silence on Wednesday, June 14, offering a public update on the status of his contract talks with the team.

“I think we’ll probably talk about the contract next March,” Cousins told reporters as minicamp concluded, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “Until then, [we’ll] just focus on this season and the job to do right now.”

“In this league, there should never be entitlement,” Cousins added. “You’ve always got to go play, and teams can do whatever they want to do. That’s their prerogative. You just go to work. You do the best you can. I’m encouraged and excited because I do feel like I’ve got a lot of good football ahead of me.”

Rookie Jaren Hall Represents Vikings Only Long-Term Option at QB Other Than Kirk Cousins

Courtesy of VikingsMinnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Jaren Hall throws a pass during team activities in summer 2023.

Cousins’ commentary makes clear that the Vikings’ long-term future at quarterback will remain murky throughout a 2023 season being billed by the franchise as a competitive rebuild.

Minnesota selected quarterback Jaren Hall out of BYU in the fifth round of this year’s draft, with whom head coach Kevin O’Connell has been enamored early in Hall’s tenure with the team. At 25 years old, Hall is potentially a candidate to replace Cousins as early as the 2024 season, though his viability in that regard is almost certain to develop significantly one way or another throughout the course of both this summer and the regular season.

The only other quarterback on the Vikings’ depth chart currently is Nick Mullens. Mullens has significant starting experience in the NFL, earning a record of 5-12 for his career, but has proven himself more of a backup option as he enters his sixth professional campaign.

Kirk Cousins Represents Safety Valve for Vikings at QB in 2024

GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after a play during a game against the New York Giants in October 2019.

Should Hall fail to prove his readiness for the starting position under center over the course of 2023, Cousins will remain the surest and most likely bet to retain the helm of the Vikings’ offense in 2024 and potentially beyond. That said, Minnesota is running a serious risk by waiting until March of next year to make a decision on the QB’s future with the franchise.

Cousins will officially hit free agency on March 15 of next year, at which point he will potentially gain significant negotiating leverage over the Vikings, especially if he puts up another Pro Bowl-caliber season.

The quarterback will turn 35 years old less than one month before the start of the upcoming campaign and has earned Pro-Bowl nods in each of the last two years, as well as in three of the previous four. Cousins almost never gets injured and has proven himself more than competent as an NFL starter, amassing a career record of 72-63-2 and leading the Vikings to the playoffs in 2022 for the second time during his five-year stint with the team.

Unless his production falls off dramatically or he suffers a catastrophic injury, there will be a significant market for Cousins next offseason. The Vikings have the upper hand in negotiations if they enter into them now, but Minnesota will put its rebuild at risk should the team lose Cousins in 2024 without a viable option to replace him.

The franchise could face similar problems if it is forced to make Cousins an offer of too much money over too many years due to losing negotiating leverage based on the same scenario.

The Minnesota Vikings have spent much of this offseason trimming the budget, but that’s all about to change.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported on Thursday, June 15, that the franchise intends to extend tight end T.J. Hockenson on a long-term contract, though it could still be a matter of weeks before those talks significantly heat up. The Vikings traded with the Detroit Lions for Hockenson ahead of the 2022 deadline.

The free agent signing of tight end Josh Oliver, who was fully guaranteed $8.2 million, raised eyebrows about the Vikings’ long-term commitment to Hockenson. Since then, however, it has become clear that coach Kevin O’Connell wants two viable tight ends to maximize his scheme. O’Connell said that pairing Oliver and Hockenson “actually gets you really excited about how versatile we can be … [and how] we can reinvent ourselves in staying true to our football philosophy.”

While the Vikings’ financial attention has been occupied elsewhere this offseason, most notably in a complicated contract negotiation with All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, it’s clear they plan to address Hockenson’s deal as well. Progress is more likely to take place later this summer.

T.J. Hockenson Positioned to Earn 2nd-Largest TE Contract in NFL History From Vikings

GettyTight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after a play against the New York Giants during an NFC Wild Card playoff game in January 2023.

The Lions selected Hockenson with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The University of Iowa product played out the fourth year of his $19.8 million rookie deal last season. However, as a first-round selection, the Vikings have Hockenson under contract through 2023 on a fifth-year team option that will pay the tight end just shy of $9.4 million for the year.

Spotrac projects Hockenson’s market value at $14.4 million per season across a four-year contract, for a total value of more than $57.7 million. The projection appears relatively accurate to scale, as it would be the second-largest tight end contract in history behind the five-year, $75 million agreement George Kittle signed with the San Francisco 49ers two years ago.

Hockenson earned the second Pro-Bowl nod of his four-year NFL career last season after amassing 86 catches for 914 yards and six touchdowns. A total of 60 of those catches, along with 519 yards and three scores, came during his 10 games with the Vikings, per Pro Football Reference.

Vikings Expected to Extend Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson on Record Deal

GettyWide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after making a catch against the Indianapolis Colts during a game in December 2022.

While Hockenson is likely to be wildly expensive to extend, his pass-catching counterpart on the outside of the offense figures to sign an historic contract extension sooner than later.

Jefferson is a three-time Pro Bowler who earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2022 after leading the NFL in both catches (128) and receiving yards (1,809). Those totals also broke all-time franchise records.

The wideout will play the fourth season of his four-year, $13.1 million rookie deal in 2023. Minnesota exercised its fifth-year team option on the former first-rounder’s contract, locking Jefferson in through 2024 at the price of $19.7 million.

Jefferson is pushing for a contract extension now, as his value is at an all-time high. The longer the team waits, the greater the risk of the receiver losing leverage due to either reduced production or an injury issue.

The Vikings currently have north of $17.8 million in salary cap space after cutting running back Dalvin Cook earlier this month. The team could clear more room by trading pass rusher Danielle Hunter, should it choose to travel down that path.

The Chicago Bears haven’t had to concern themselves with savvy value plays thus far in free agency, but there’s no reason to scorn low-risk bargains amid a rebuild.

That’s exactly the type of play that former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown can offer any franchise willing to take a shot on him following a serious injury he suffered late in the 2022 campaign. Brown tore his Achilles tendon against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 after starting the entire year up to that point for the playoff-bound Cowboys.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN criticized the Bears on May 30 for failing to use any of their 10 draft picks or $75 million in salary cap space to select or sign a top-end left tackle or edge rusher. He also noted a lack of attention paid to the defensive backfield by general manager Ryan Poles.

“The secondary didn’t see much help, either, as the only significant addition was second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson,” Barnwell wrote.

Stevenson was penciled in as a starter on Chicago’s depth chart as of Wednesday, per ESPN, though the two players the team ultimately decides to start at cornerback are likely to solidify their positions during training camp, which doesn’t begin until the end of July.

The Bears can use some depth and experience in what is otherwise a young secondary, and Brown is a free agent they can pursue on a short-term value contract, as he rehabilitates from his Achilles injury and attempts to re-establish his value as a starting cornerback on a contending NFL roster.

Anthony Brown Has Been Quality NFL Starter Over Past 2 Seasons With Cowboys

GettyWide receiver Nelson Agholor, formerly of the New England Patriots, catches a pass in front of cornerback Anthony Brown, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, during a game in October 2021.

Brown is a good bet to fight his way back to health and on-field prosperity next season. Drafted in the sixth-round (No. 189) by Dallas in 2016, Brown worked to eventually carve out a role on the front end of the depth chart, starting all 16 games he played in 2021 and the first 12 contests of 2022.

Over that span, Brown amassed 113 tackles, including two tackles for loss, 24 pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown. The cornerback surrendered completion percentages of 53.3% and 52.9% in the last two seasons, respectively, as well as collective passer ratings of 78.4 and 89.7 to opposing quarterbacks, per Pro Football Reference.

Brown will play almost the entirety of the 2023 campaign at the age of 29 and will be essentially undertaking a season-long tryout for another lucrative future contract, as he is unlikely to sign a big deal coming off such a serious injury. Brown played out the final campaign of a three-year, $15.5 million contract last year, which he signed with the Cowboys in 2020.

Bears Can Sign Former Cowboys CB Anthony Brown to Deal While Still in His Prime

GettyCornerback Anthony Brown, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, celebrates a defensive touchdown with cornerback Trevon Diggs during a game against the New York Giants in October 2021.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, June 14, listed Brown as the ninth-best unsigned free agent under the age of 30, emphasizing that the cornerback wouldn’t be on the list at all had he remained healthy through the end of last season.

Make no mistake — that injury is the only reason that Brown remains unsigned this late into the offseason. There are a number of corners who have already signed new deals and found new homes who don’t have Brown’s ability or resumé.

Brown allowed just 65 of 122 passes thrown in his direction to be completed in 2021 and posted a passer rating against of 78.4. For the record, that passer rating against is lower than Trevon Diggs‘ was last year. And Darius Slay of the [Philadelphia] Eagles. Brown’s numbers weren’t quite as good in 2022, but he was still a solid NFL starter.

With more than $32.5 million in remaining cap space, the Bears will not jeopardize their chances to add a quality edge rusher to the defense by signing Brown to a one- or two-year deal.

The Cleveland Browns have one of the best offenses in the NFL — at least on paper — but even the best things eventually fall apart.

Such was the message from Jacob Roach of USA Today’s Browns Wire on Wednesday, June 14, when he predicted two-time Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller would be the team’s most likely trade candidate.

“Though I don’t see anything happening until next year, I think the most likely [trade] candidate is Wyatt Teller,” Roach wrote in response to a mailbag question. “He hasn’t been as good as he was when the extension was given, and [the Browns] have so much money invested in the rest of the line. It will be telling next offseason if they sign a veteran guard in free agency that they are leaning [toward moving] on. Teller is good, but he is much better as a run blocker than a pass blocker, and the offense will be throwing the ball a lot more going forward.”

Wyatt Teller Has Earned 2 Pro-Bowl Nods Since Signing Contract Extension With Browns

GettyRight guard Wyatt Teller of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in November 2022.

Teller signed a four-year extension worth $56.8 million in November 2021, with a little more than half of that money ($29.1 million) fully guaranteed. The deal keeps the offensive lineman under contract through 2025, though the Browns have an out following the upcoming season. Releasing Teller would cost Cleveland $7.65 million in dead money.

Roach’s position that Teller hasn’t been as good since signing his extension is a hard sell, considering the guard went on to earn his first Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and followed it up with another last year. He has also won second-team All-Pro honors twice in his career (2020, 2021).

Teller will turn 29 years old in November, as he nears the end of his sixth professional campaign. He has been fairly reliable from a health standpoint, appearing in 58 of 66 regular season contests over the past four seasons and starting 52 games during that span.

The offensive lineman finished 2022 with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall grade of 70.3, which included a run-blocking grade of 70.3 and a pass-blocking grade of 67.9. Teller’s numbers rendered him the 18th best guard in the NFL last season out of 77 players who played enough snaps to qualify at the position.

Browns Likely to Extend Jedrick Wills Jr. Long-Term Despite Struggles

GettyOffensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. of the Cleveland Browns.

PFF ranked Teller’s counterpart, left guard Joel Bitonio, as the second-best guard in the league, while the analytics-based website listed center Ethan Pocic as the third-best player at his position.

The Browns were weaker at the tackle spot, with right tackle Jack Conklin coming in with a grade of 66.7 — good enough for the 45th spot out of 81 qualifying players. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. had the lowest grade of Cleveland’s offensive line starters, pulling a 62.7, which ranked him as the 56th-best tackle in the league in 2022.

High-quality tackles are a little harder to come by in the NFL than guards because the position requires a rangier skill set to protect the quarterback against opposing pass rushers on the outside. Roach is right that the Browns’ offensive evolution is likely to include a greater emphasis on the air attack with quarterback Deshaun Watson expected to start Week 1 at home against the AFC North Division rival Cincinnati Bengals on September 10.

Those two facts combine to make it harder for the Browns to move either Conklin or Wills, despite Conklin’s significant injury history and Wills’ failure to live up to his draft position as a 2020 first-round pick (No. 10 overall). Cleveland has displayed its loyalty to both players, inking Conklin to a four-year, $60 million extension last December and picking up its fifth-year option on Wills’ rookie deal, locking him in through the 2024 campaign at a cost of nearly $14.2 million that season. The Browns are also projected to sign Wills long-term, per Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report.

Bitonio and Pocic are each signed through 2025 and unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon after finishing near the top of their respective positions in 2022, based on PFF’s analytics model. All of this does point to Teller potentially being the odd man out in Cleveland, though it remains difficult to get there.

The Browns will still focus heavily on their ground game next season, with four-time Pro Bowler Nick Chubb starting at running back. At some point, Cleveland will need to roll back its spending, as Watson’s $230 million fully guaranteed deal is going to strap the team’s salary cap each of the next four years. That could mean parting with a highly valued player still in his prime next offseason.

That said, Cleveland will have several options from which to choose if and when the franchise decides it needs to trade one of its higher-end, higher-paid players. Should Teller produce his third consecutive Pro-Bowl campaign in 2023, Browns fans can expect management to look elsewhere to employ cost-cutting measures.

Should the Minnesota Vikings ultimately decide to trade Danielle Hunter, there will be no shortage of suitors and the return will be substantial.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler offered educated speculation on two elements of a potential Hunter swap. The most important is that the Vikings would “prefer to retain” their 2022 sack leader, though Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be ready to deal if a rival franchise comes correct with a real offer. The second is that said offer likely starts with a second-round pick in return, or a player of equal value, and goes up from there.

With that value assumption as a baseline, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, June 13, examined a handful of potential trade partners for Hunter. The most substantial draft package Minnesota might receive in one of these hypothetical deals comes from the New York Jets and while it doesn’t include a second-round pick, it is a sizable haul for Hunter.

Trading Danielle Hunter to Jets in Line With Vikings’ Recent Personnel Trend

GettyOutside linebacker Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings sacks quarterback Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders during a game in September 2019.

Davenport’s pitch would see the Jets send the Vikings a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2024 as well as a fifth-round selection in 2025. New York would then be able to team Hunter up with Quinnen Williams and rookie first-rounder Will McDonald (No. 15 overall) along its defensive front.

The Jets also have veterans Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers and second-year pro Jermaine Johnson on the roster. But Lawson has been a massive bust and is in the last year of his contract, and Johnson was OK at best in limited time as a rookie.

Thanks to the conditions of the [Aaron] Rodgers trade, the Jets can’t offer the Vikings a second-rounder in 2024. But the team has a pair of fourth-rounders this year. Using at least one (or even both) of those picks along with a third-rounder could tempt the Vikings enough to get a deal done.

At this stage of his career, Hunter makes more sense for a franchise like the Jets than one like the Vikings. The edge rusher will turn 29 years old in late October and has a recent injury history of some significance. He missed the entirety of the 2020 campaign due to a neck surgery and sat out another 10 contests in 2021 after suffering a torn pectoral.

Hunter was a Pro-Bowl selection in 2018, 2019 and last season, showing that he can still put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and proving that he can stay healthy as he approaches the vaunted age of 30 — often regarded as a veteran benchmark in the NFL for almost every position save for quarterback.

In 2022, Hunter amassed 10.5 sacks and 34 QB pressures, per Pro Football Reference. Kicking that kind of production out the door is a risky move for Minnesota after saying goodbye to 10 sacks from Za’Darius Smith via a trade with the Cleveland Browns in May.

But a draft haul like the one Davenport proposed probably makes that risk worth it to a franchise that doesn’t need to win big in 2023, or even in 2024, for the general manager and head coach to keep their jobs. Adofo-Mensah has focused on making his roster younger and less expensive since he took the helm, so it is only logical that the Vikings will continue on that path in a mediocre NFC North Division.

Vikings Can Inflate Trade Return for Danielle Hunter With Team Like Jets

GettyWide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before a game against the New York Giants in December 2022.

If Minnesota is patient and plays competition for Hunter against itself, the Vikings can probably up the draft package Davenport proposed. The Jets are clearly all-in over the next couple of years after dealing for Rodgers this offseason, but they remain shy of sure-fire bets at left tackle and off the edge of the defense. Minnesota, meanwhile, is in the midst of what the franchise is billing as a competitive rebuild.

While the Jets are playing the short-game, the Vikings are clearly restructuring for the long-haul. If the team is so inclined, it might be able to pry a second-round pick out of New York in 2025 in exchange for Hunter to go along with a third-rounder and fourth-rounder in 2024, or a pair of fourth-round selections that draft.

Moving Hunter via a trade now will clear only $5.5. million off the Vikings’ salary cap in 2023, but it will also keep an eight-figure salary off of the books for several years into the future. That will help the Vikings sign wide receiver Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson to long-term deals, both of which are expected to be lucrative. It will also aid the team in 2024 as it searches for a franchise quarterback, with those savings amplified by the likely departure of Kirk Cousins.

The Green Bay Packers owned the Chicago Bears during QB Aaron Rodgers‘ 15-year run, and one Bears’ defender has a lot to say about that, as well as Packers fans.

Defensive tackle Justin Jones joined Chicago last season after four years with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was introduced to the rivalry in Week 2 when the Bears visited Green Bay. Jones and company left Lambeau Field carrying wounds sustained on the business end of a 27-10 loss.

Jones was asked about how the complexities of the rivalry have changed since Rodgers’ departure to the New York Jets during a press conference on Tuesday, June 13. During his answer, the Bears defensive tackle said he wished the four-time MVP hadn’t split for the AFC East Division and took a shot at Green Bay fans in the process.

“I wish he was playing one more year with Green Bay, honestly. We went up there and we played a pretty good game, you know, but they got away from us at the end, obviously. And they won, but their fans are really sh***y,” Jones said, per a tweet from FOX NFL reporter Carmen Vitali. “I want to play them, and I want to beat them. I want him to be there so he can see it. But the fact that he’s gone now, you know, I mean, it’s cool. I guess it’s better for him not to be here. But yeah, I’m ready to take it over. I mean, it’s a good time to be a Bear fan. I’m not gonna lie to you.”

Packers, Bears Rivalry to Begin New Chapter Next Season Under QB Jordan Love

GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, is pursued by defensive tackle Justin Jones of the Chicago Bears during a game in September 2022.

Green Bay also bested Chicago at Soldier Field in December by a score of 29-18, during which Rodgers infamously trolled Bears fans by yelling, “I still own you!” after completing a two-point conversion following a game-winning touchdown that capped a 13-point comeback.

Jones won’t be able to exact any revenge on Rodgers, who will play next season, and presumably the remainder of his career, in a different shade of green in New York. How the Bears defense will matchup against new Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love, however, will be an interesting storyline in 2023.

Love has started just one game over the course of his career, though he looked beyond competent playing on the fly in the second half against the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road last November after Rodgers left the game with an injury to his rib cage.

Fans on both sides of the Packers/Bears rivalry won’t have to wait long to find out, as Love and company open the season in Chicago on Sunday, September 10.

Packers Will Field Young, Dynamic Offense Week 1 Against Bears

GettyWide receiver Christian Watson of the Green Bay Packers attempts to catch a pass over cornerback Jaylon Jones of the Chicago Bears during a game in December 2022.

What the Packers offense lacks in experience, it should make up for in dynamic playmaking. Love will undoubtedly suffer through a learning curve, though his talent is evident, as is the talent around him.

Wide receiver Christian Watson emerged as one of the NFL’s most dangerous big-play threats in his rookie season in 2022, scoring nine times including a three-touchdown performance in a must-win game against the Dallas Cowboys. Starting wideout Romeo Doubs began his career in quality fashion before suffering an ankle injury that cost him four games and has emerged as Love’s favorite target early in OTAs.

Green Bay also used much of its high-end draft capital this year to add tight end Luke Musgrave (No. 42 overall) and wide receiver Jayden Reed (No. 50 overall) in the second round, as well as tight end Tucker Kraft (No. 78) in round three.

All five pass-catchers the Packers have selected in rounds two, three and four over the last two drafts are expected to play significant roles in the team’s passing attack in 2023, with three, or potentially even four, earning starting roles by the time the Packers kick off the season at Soldier Field less than three months from now.

The Cleveland Browns have taken a handful of huge personnel swings this offseason, and some of them are bound to miss the mark.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo had a career year in 2022 after the Houston Texans moved him into the defensive end position. The pass rusher amassed five sacks and 24 quarterback pressures over the final six games of the season, per Doug Farrar of USA Today’s Touchdown Wire. Okoronkwo’s performance slotted him inside the NFL’s top-10 in both categories across that span.

The result was a three-year, $19 million deal in Cleveland that positioned Okoronkwo as a starter on the Browns’ defensive line until the team traded with the Minnesota Vikings for three-time Pro Bowler Za’Darius Smith. However, that the Browns felt they needed Smith at all points to reasonable questions about Okoronkwo’s production projections for 2023.

Jake Rill of Bleacher Report predicted on Monday, June 12, that Okoronkwo will take a step back as an edge rusher in his first season with the Browns and finish the year with fewer than three sacks.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo’s Playing Time Will be Limited Due to Browns’ Trade for Za’Darius Smith

GettyFormer Houston Texans edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo signed a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns in 2023.

Okoronkwo is a physical specimen at 6-feet, 2-inches tall and 253 pounds who played his first three NFL seasons at the linebacker position. He will also play the entirety of the upcoming campaign, his fifth as a professional, at the age of 28. As noted previously, Okoronkwo also had the best season of his life in 2022 — another factor that points to the Browns’ new acquisition as a player still on the rise.

Rill’s argument for a turndown in Okoronkwo’s production in 2023 is less about his talent or trajectory, and more about the fact that the addition of Smith is likely to limit Okoronkwo’s playing time.

The edge rusher could still get considerable time on the field, but not nearly as much now that Smith is in the fold.

Okoronkwo doesn’t have a long track record. He … had only 4.5 [sacks] total in 33 games over the previous three years with the Los Angeles Rams. He also had never started a game until starting eight in 2022.

While [Okoronkwo] is a solid player, it’s going to be tough for him to get five sacks again in his first year in Cleveland, where [Myles] Garrett, Smith and the starting [defensive tackles] are all likely to get plenty. Because of that, his sack total won’t be nearly as impressive this upcoming season.

Browns May Look to Add Another Pass Rusher in Yannick Ngakoue

GettyFormer Indianapolis Colts defensive end Yannick Ngakoue says he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender during the 2023 season.

Cleveland still has nearly $16.9 million in salary cap space available, which means that another edge rusher could potentially join Okoronkwo, Smith and Garrett on the defensive line.

Free agent Yannick Ngakoue makes the most sense, as a sack specialist from the defensive end position who is a natural fit with the Browns’ 4-3 base defensive scheme. Ngakoue will play next season at the age of 28 and has never finished any of his seven NFL seasons with fewer than eight sacks, per Pro Football Reference.

The Browns are relatively set on offense, unless they decide to add another wide receiver or a second-string running back behind Nick Chubb. If the team chooses not to add an offensive weapon, depth on the edge or at defensive tackle makes sense as a place to spend its remaining cap space.