Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts reportedly put the full-court press on Kirk Cousins early this offseason, ultimately convincing the Pro Bowl quarterback to take his talents to Atlanta. Kirk Cousins, who signed a colossal $180 million contract, has been rumored to have been joking around with the Pro Bowl tight end about who would get to wear the No. 8 if they both wound up on the same roster. According to a report from Pro Football Talk, the two previously discussed the jersey number quandary in recent weeks. It would officially be tampering if Pitts spoke to Cousins directly before…
Author: Matt Lombardo
Matt Lombardo
Matt Lombardo is a seasoned NFL reporter, with over 12 years of experience covering the league. In addition to his work at Gridiron Heroics, Lombardo covers the NFL for Heavy.com, is an on air sports contributor for FOX29 Philadelphia, and writes an NFL Substack "Between The Hashmarks." Lombardo is the former Senior NFL Insider of FanBuzz, and prior to taking that role was a national NFL reporter at FanSided where he hosted a weekly podcast "The Matt Lombardo Show." A former beat reporter for NJ Advance Media (Parent company of NJ.com and the Newark Star Ledger), Lombardo covered the Philadelphia Eagles from 2011 through the 2017 season before moving to cover the New York Giants for the Star Ledger for two seasons from 2018 through 2020. During his career to date, Lombardo has covered five Super Bowls, four NFL Drafts, multiple NFL Combines, and has had his work frequently featured in publications such as Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, and more. In addition to his journalism work, Lombardo is a strong on air presence and is a former sports talk radio host on 97.5 FM The Fanatic, Philadelphia's first FM Sports Station and the radio home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Chicago Bears are going to trade quarterback Justin Fields at some point this offseason, that’s the prevailing wisdom across the NFL, presuming general manager Ryan Poles can find an interested trade partner. Former NFL executive and current ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick has that part of the equation all figured out. “Go and get Justin Fields #Seahawks …. I have been saying it all day. You have one QB on the roster. Let him compete.” Riddick posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. While the market for Fields hasn’t quite met the expectations the Bears might have harbored before…
The Kansas City Chiefs are on a mission this offseason to add a substantial upgrade to the wide receiver corps in Patrick Mahomes’ arsenal. Unfortunately for general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs were iced out of one of the biggest wide receiver trades to go down so far in the NFL offseason. When the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Panthers, Carolina was able to drop an elite playmaker into Bryce Young’s supporting cast in hopes of the embattled former No. 1 overall draft pick finding his footing in his second season. According to NFL Network’s…
Few moves in the early stages of NFL free agency are more polarizing than the Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to sign veteran quarterback Russell WIlson. Wilson was released by the Denver Broncos, following two tumultuous and wildly disappointing seasons in the Mile High City, but the Steelers are betting that a bargain bin contract will pay off with a renaissance season for the 35-year-old. After all, the Pittsburgh Steelers picked Wilson up on a $1.2 million deal thanks in part to the Broncos releasing him before his contract extension even begins. Even after a forgettable, and brief, run in Sean Payton’s…
The theme of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offseason to date has been taking care of their own. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht came out of the chute swinging, signing All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans to a deal that should keep him in Tampa Bay for the remainder of his career, and followed it up by ensuring it will be quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing him passes for at least the life of that deal. Defensively, But, an underrated signing by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the commitment made to one of the franchise’s stalwart leaders and more consistently dominant linebackers in…
The New England Patriots have signed veteran defensive tackle and former Pittsburgh Steeler Armon Watts, according to multiple league sources. Watts, 27, as developed into a steady interior pass-rush presence through the first five seasons of his career, logging 8.5 sacks while producing 140 tackles over that span. Adding Watts gives the New England Patriots a solid veteran presence along the defensive line capable of consistently contributing quality snaps. Pro Football Focus points out that Watts added 16 quarterback pressures last season, which will give him the chance to see meaningful playing time along a rebuilt front seven for the…
The Baltimore Ravens couldn’t have possibly mined a better scheme fit to drop into the backfield alongside MVP-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson than Derrick Henry. Henry is both the kind of battering ram who can elevate the Ravens’ short-yardage and goal-line offense, as well as an explosive runner in the open field who will tax opposing defenses and must account for the perimeter speed of wide receiver Zay Flowers and the possibility that Jackson can sprint out of the pocket for a big play on any given snap. Good luck slowing that offense down. CBS Sports lists Henry as one of…
The wide receiver market got a little bit deeper as NFL free agency officially began after the New York Giants opted not to tender Isaiah Hodgins. According to a report from ESPN’s Giants insider Jordan Raanan, the Giants will let the 25-year-old test the market rather than use the restricted free-agent level tender. https://twitter.com/JordanRaanan/status/1767999396593930352 Hodgins carved out a niche in the New York Giants’ passing game over the past three seasons, catching 58 passes for 622 yards with seven touchdowns. During a 2022 season that was wildly inconsistent for the New York Giants’ offense, Hodgins was a bright spot in…
The Buffalo Bills have added a field-stretching wide receiver to quarterback Josh Allen’s supporting cast, agreeing to terms with Mack Hollins, a league source confirms. News of Hollins’ deal was first reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Hollins, 30, is one year removed from the most productive season of his career when he caught 57 passes for 690 yards and four touchdowns. In addition to his production in the passing game, Hollins has developed a strong reputation as a special teams ace. Since being chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Hollins has…
The New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen pulled off what has the potential to be one of the more impactful moves of the first day of the legal tampering period, by acquiring All-Pro pass rusher Brian Burns in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers. Schoen pried away Burns for a meager second-round and fifth-round draft pick, adding a player who many around the league believe to be one of the premier players at his position. Last season, the Panthers turned down the opportunity to trade Burns for at least a first-round pick. Burns now arrives in East…
