The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding quality veteran depth, signing underrated cornerback Tavierre Thomas, according to multiple reports Monday. Thomas, 28, spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans and appeared in nine games during the 2023 campaign while finishing with 51 total tackles with two forced fumbles. What Tavierre Thomas Brings Tampa Bay Buccaneers As Pro Football Focus points out, Thomas held opposing wide receivers to 10.3 yards per reception, when they went against him, while garnering a 69.5 coverage grade from the outlet. Thomas really excels playing out of the slot, and with physicality up near the…
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 Las Vegas Raiders are kicking the tires on a possible replacement for Josh Jacobs, hosting Alexander Mattison for an NFL free-agency visit. News of Alexander Mattison’s visit was first reported by Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Mattison, 25, saw the most significant workload of his career during the 2023 season while rushing for a career-high 700 yards. The Raiders have a significant need to fill at running back, after allowing Jacobs to walk via free agency and ultimately sign with the Green Bay Packers. Through the first five seasons of his career, all in a Vikings uniform, Mattison has averaged…
NFL free agency has turned the page into the second wave, and there are still several teams with significant cap space at their disposal to continue filling needs with players who may ultimately be viewed as value signings, or veterans betting on themselves with “prove it” deals. Here’s a breakdown of the five best remaining free agents and one perfect fit for each. 1. Chase Young, EDGE Chase Young has never quite lived up to the expectations of being a former No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but, seemed to find a home with the San Francisco…
The Washington Commanders added quality veteran cornerback depth by signing former Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Michael Davis on Monday morning. Davis, 29, adds some versatility to Washington’s secondary under new head coach Dan Quinn, especially given the fact that he is not afraid to throw his weight around up near the line of scrimmage against the run or blitzing off the edge. Last season, Davis posted 62 tackles with one interception, in his seventh season in a Chargers uniform. After going undrafted during the 2017 NFL Draft, Davis became a bit of a mainstay in the Chargers’ secondary after…
Justin Fields is the newest Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, joining a revamped quarterback room alongside Russell Wilson, which suddenly creates significant optionality for the organization at the position. After acquiring Fields in a trade on March 16, the Steelers almost unquestionably upgraded the backup quarterback position and possibly created very real competition for Wilson as the starting quarterback in 2024 and beyond. Justin Fields Trade Details Following a trade that sent former first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for Fields became predictable. What wasn’t so easy to anticipate was the price to acquire Fields,…
The Minnesota Vikings’ decision to ship a pair of second-round picks and a fifth-round selection to the Houston Texans in exchange for a package that includes the No. 23 overall pick in this year’s draft reveals a clear and bold strategy by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. All signs point to the Vikings moving up for a quarterback. There’s no reasonable other explanation for making a trade to acquire an additional first-round pick more than a month away from the NFL Draft getting underway. Following the March 15 trade, the Vikings now own the following selections in the first four rounds…
It isn’t inconceivable that the Buffalo Bills take a significant step back in 2024, and if that comes to pass, how general manager Brandon Beane has handled free agency may be the beginning of the end of the franchise’s run as a Super Bowl contender. In fairness to Beane, the Bills entered the offseason with one of the most difficult salary cap positions in the league, and Buffalo deserves high marks for restructuring quarterback Josh Allen’s contract in order to create some additional spending flexibility in 2024 and future years. However, the Buffalo Bills are going to be without some…
Justin Fields will most likely be on the move this offseason, but after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ blockbuster trade sending Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia, a new dance partner for the Chicago Bears just might have emerged. Pittsburgh, of course, signed Russell Wilson to a one-year contract, and after trading Pickett away, the path is clear for the former Super Bowl champion to ascend to the starting role without any competition. However, it would likely take a Herculean season from Wilson to emerge as the long-term solution in the Iron City. Fortunately for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Justin Fields is likely available on…
Dynamic wide receiver Calvin Ridley signing with the Tennessee Titans sent shockwaves through the AFC South. Ridley now becomes a favorite to become quarterback Will Levis’ favorite target, following a strong season in Duval as the most dangerous weapon in Jacksonville Jaguars signal caller Trevor Lawrence’s arsenal. After putting pen to paper on his new four-year contract worth $92 million, Ridley addressed moving on from one division rival to another. “I really wanted to honestly be with the Jags, but there was a lot of things that wasn’t working out for me,” Ridley told reporters during his introductory news conference…
The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t need to be big spenders on external free agents to be in a position to make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl three-peat, but in securing Chris Jones and Drue Tranquill returns, it’s all but ‘mission impossible’ for general manager Brett Veach. Jones became the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, and Tranquill’s return makes sure that a key piece to the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant front seven remains in the fold. Pro Football Focus lists the Chiefs’ dynamic defensive duo among the biggest winners of the early stages of NFL free agency. “Jones…
