Author: Matt Lombardo

The New York Jets swung for the fences in free agency, landing All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith to anchor had been one of the NFL’s leakiest offensive lines, in front of former MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Smith, 33, remains one of the more consistently dominant offensive tackles in the sport, but his arrival in the Swamps of Jersey isn’t without inherent risk due to his age and potential decline during the life of his new deal. “I feel like it’s an amazing new start,” Smith told the team’s website, after signing his new deal. “What’s being built here is amazing.…

One year removed from committing $92 million in guaranteed money to Daniel Jones, New York Giants owner John Mara isn’t necessarily committed to the quarterback currently leading his roster. Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Giants are slated to select No. 6 overall, Mara says he’s putting the decision whether to move up the board to go and select Jones’ successor in general manager Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll’s hands. “If they fall in love with a quarterback and believe that it’s worth pick No. 6 or moving up, I certainly would support that,” Mara told reporters at…

The NFL officially banned the controversial “hip drop” tackle during the league’s Annual Meeting, drawing the ire of current and former players. “Just fast forward to the belts with flags on them,” Future Hall of Fame defensive lineman J.J. Watt posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, immediately after the rule change was announced. NFL owners voted to ban the controversial tackle, which is viewed as an injury concern, despite overtures by the NFLPA objecting to penalizing defenders for attempting the move. Now, the move will draw a 15-yard penalty. NFL Players, Agents Long Opposed Hip-Drop Tackle Ban Watt’s comments…

The hype surrounding J.J. McCarthy continues to surge as the NFL Draft nears, after his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh offered the former Michigan quarterback a ringing endorsement. “He’s the best quarterback in this draft,” Harbaugh told reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting on Monday morning. “He plays quarterback the best of all the quarterbacks. He’s a winner.” Harbaugh and McCarthy, of course, won a National Championship together with the Wolverines in 2023 before Harbaugh departed to become the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach. McCarthy passed for 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns to four interceptions in his standout junior campaign,…

The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to unveil arguably the most fascinating quarterback room in the NFL this season, with a potential battle for the starting job between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields looming this summer. When the Steelers acquired Fields for the meager price of a sixth-round draft choice, on the heels of signing Wilson to a veteran-minimum contract worth $1.2 million for the 2024 season, the assumption was Wilson would walk into the role of QB1 with Fields potentially spending a season holding a clipboard and learning behind the former All-Pro. According to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin,…

The Kansas City Chiefs freed up significant cap space after trading star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans late Friday night. Already one of the most gifted rosters in the NFL, general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs are now armed with an additional $19.8 million in cap space this offseason and have ascended to the eighth-most spending flexibility in the league. Veach is never one to rest on laurels or conserve cap space, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Kansas City Chiefs come out swinging and add a potential key contributor to the franchise’s run at…

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht prioritized retaining Baker Mayfield following the quarterback’s resurgent 2023 campaign, but, it was anything but a lock that the two sides would get a deal done. Mayfield ultimately signed a three-year contract worth $100 million that includes $50 million as a colossal commitment that the former No. 1 overall pick can continue on his upward trajectory and take the Buccaneers’ offense to new heights, beginning in 2024. Baker Mayfield’s Take on Tampa Bay However, it was far from a certainty that Baker Mayfield’s contract would ultimately come to fruition. “There were times that…

The Minnesota Vikings likely are not done adding to their quarterback room, but earlier this offseason hedged their bets with one of the more quizzical signings of free agency. After spending the 2023 season in the Kyle Shanahan quarterback rehabilitation program as the San Francisco 49ers’ backup to Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold signed a one-year contract with the Vikings worth $10 million. Darnold’s deal is fringe starting quarterback money, and his arrival seems to be an insurance policy on not being able to try up to the top of the NFL Draft board to select a quarterback of the future.…

The Chicago Bears and Ryan Poles seem to have built a winning foundation through the first two weeks of NFL free agency. Marquee additions at wide receiver, along the offensive line, and fortifying the secondary could pay significant dividends after Poles and the Bears presumably select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. How Chicago Bears Can Turn Things Around in 2024 After finishing in the NFC North basement in 2023, at least one analyst believes the Chicago Bears have the pieces to make a legitimate run at the postseason, even in…

The Buffalo Bills fortified the offensive line in front of Josh Allen, by signing veteran center Will Clapp on Friday afternoon. Clapp, 27, spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he only allowed one sack in 702 total offensive snaps. As Pro Football Focus points out, Clapp only surrendered 24 quarterback pressures during the 2023 campaign. Clapp will likely compete for the role as the Bills’ swing-offensive guard while providing quality depth behind stalwart center Connor McGovern. Originally chosen by the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 NFL Draft, Clapp has appeared in 65 games thus far in…