Author: Matt Lombardo

J.J. McCarthy is rising up draft boards and buzz is building that the Michigan quarterback could be chosen in the top-five picks of the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy is set to throw in front of scouts, coaches, general managers, and executives from around the league in Ann Arbor at Michigan’s Pro Day on Friday, March 22, and at least one former GM has high hopes. “After JJ McCarthy works out at Michigan today, he will add to the narrative of being the most interesting and maybe talented NFL passer in this year‘s group.” former NFL Executive of…

Derrick Henry, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency, is among the biggest beneficiaries of a resurgent running back market across the league. One year after Saquon Barkley was tagged by the New York Giants, Josh Jacobs was tagged by the Las Vegas Raiders, and free agent backs struggled to cash in, Barkley signed a $37.5 million deal with the Eagles, Jacobs inked a $48 million pact with the Packers, and Henry’s deal is a $16 million deal for the next two years in Baltimore. But, not everyone is convinced Henry is still the same dominant running back…

By most metrics, the Kansas City Chiefs are among the biggest winners of free agency, keeping some of the most important pieces to a Super Bowl-winning roster in place and adding a marquee playmaker to Patrick Mahomes’ supporting cast. Signing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and pairing him with Rashee Rice, who emerged as a legitimate threat as a rookie in 2023, on the perimeter should significantly upgrade Mahomes’ arsenal in the vertical passing game. However, ESPN believes Kansas City needs to double down on its commitment to upgrade the receiving corps, listing the position as the Chiefs’ most pressing remaining need.…

When the Seattle Seahawks acquired Sam Howell in a trade with Washington, general manager John Schneider didn’t just take a flier on a young quarterback with upside but might have also fired the starting gun on a position battle for the starting job. Seattle acquired Howell, a fourth-round draft pick (No. 102 overall) and a sixth-rounder (No. 179) in exchange for picks in the third (No. 78) and fifth (No. 152) rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft. While that might not qualify as a blockbuster trade, it certainly is a steep price to pay to simply upgrade the backup quarterback…

The San Francisco 49ers have prioritized a dominant pass rush during the franchise’s recent run of success, but general manager John Lynch might have overpaid during NFL free agency this offseason for former Carolina Panther Yetur Gross-Matos. Gross-Matos, 26, signed a two-year deal worth $18 million to potentially slide into a starting role opposite Nick Bosa along the 49ers’ front seven. But, Pro Football Focus lists Gross-Matos’ contract as one of the bigger overpays of free agency, so far. “Gross-Matos is a former second-round draft pick who is just 26 years old,” Gordon McGuinness writes for PFF. “So it’s understandable…

The Detroit Lions, thanks to a hypercompetitive culture and a young core of talented players on both sides of the ball have quickly ascended into the realm of legitimate Super Bowl contenders. After falling short of the Super Bowl this past January, falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, the Lions’ addition of interior defensive lineman D.J. Reader is the type of move that could inch Detroit closer to the promised land. NFL analyst Mike Tanier believes Reader will make a significant impact along the Lions’ defensive line, filling a pressing need on an already dominant…

The Kansas City Chiefs swung for the fences and landed a dynamic playmaker in free agency, signing Hollywood Brown to drop into quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ prolific supporting cast. Despite the Chiefs committing only $7 million, and up to $11 million with incentives to Hollywood Brown, the signing has been named one of the NFL’s biggest bargains by Pro Football Focus. “The high end of this contract comes in just below PFF’s contract projection,” Gordon McGuinness writes for PFF. “But, the real value for the Chiefs is that they have mitigated their risk against injury by having up to $4 million…

After losing Michael Thomas, the New Orleans Saints could come away from the 2024 NFL Draft with an ideal replacement and new deep-threat for quarterback Derek Carr. Thomas was released earlier this offseason, to create additional cap space ahead of free agency, but with the draft looming New Orleans could find an upgrade for Carr’s supporting cast in the vertical passing game. CBS Sports projects the Saints will keep LSU star Brian Thomas Jr. in state, selecting him with the No. 14 overall pick in the NFL Draft. “Michael Thomas is gone,” Josh Edwards writes for CBS Sports. “And that…

The Arizona Cardinals are open for business with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft. “We’re always going to be listening,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters Wednesday. “We’ll always have the conversation. We may not get to a point where the deal makes sense, whether it’s at No. 4 or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation.” If the Cardinals are willing to move back in the NFL Draft, there are several teams who make sense as trade partners, aiming to move up to select their preferred quarterback after the Chicago Bears,…

The New York Giants created significant additional cap space for the rest of this offseason, by restructuring All-Pro defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence’s contract. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, who first reported Dexter Lawrence’s restructuring, the Giants added $7.5 million in spending flexibility by converting $10 million of Lawrence’s base salary into a signing bonus. https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1770815341867790822 Lawrence, originally chosen by the New York Giants in the first-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, has quickly ascended into one of the premier defensive linemen in the league. Last season, Dexter Lawrence posted 74 total tackles with 4.5 sacks, as a matchup nightmare for…