The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a mega-contract with former Baltimore Ravens star linebacker Patrick Queen ahead of NFL free agency, in a move that significantly upgrades the middle of the defense. According to an ESPN report, Queen’s deal is a three-year pact worth $41 million. Patrick Queen cashes in following the most dominant season of his career, garnering Second-Team All-Pro recognition after producing a career-high 133 total tackles with 3.5 sacks, and one interception. One of the premier inside linebackers in the NFL, Queen was originally chosen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and…
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 Green Bay Packers agreed to terms with former NFL rushing champion Josh Jacobs, before releasing running back Aaron Jones, in a pair of moves that drew biting criticism even before free agency even officially gets underway. “The Packers decided to pay Jacobs approximately $12 million instead of paying Aaron Jones approximately $11 million,” ESPN’s Seth Walder writes. “And that is a trade I would make zero days per week.” Jones was certainly a known commodity in Green Bay, and in the Packers’ offense, even if he was coming off an injury-riddled 2023 campaign. Meanwhile, Josh Jacobs must also shrug…
The Kansas City Chiefs plan to sign veteran former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith, dropping a dangerous pass-catcher into Patrick Mahomes’ arsenal and opposite Travis Kelce in the defending Super Bowl champions’ explosive offense. Smith, 25, has battled through myriad injuries during his career, and only appeared in 12 games for the Bengals during the 2023 season. The Chiefs likely view Smith as a quality depth piece with upside, particularly in two-tight end sets opposite Kelce. Originally chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the second-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, when he has been healthy and on the field,…
The Houston Texans have found their running back, acquiring Joe Mixon in a trade with the Bengals, as the dust began to settle on a loaded free-agent market at the position. According to a report from Ian Rapoport, the Texans plucked Joe Mixon from Cincinnati in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Mixon could prove to be a fantastic fit in the Texans’ backfield alongside upstart and ascending quarterback, in former No. 1 overall pick C.J. Stroud, and young receivers Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and Noah Brown, rounding out what has the potential to be an…
The Las Vegas Raiders plan to sign Christian Wilkins to a contract befitting of the highest of high rollers who call the poker rooms along the Vegas Strip home away from home. After Chris Jones opted to stay with the Kansas City Chiefs, Wilkins was arguably the premier free agent available on the open market and the top interior defensive lineman, whom the Raiders now get to pair alongside elite pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. According to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Las Vegas Raiders’ deal for Wilkins is gargantuan. “It’s a four-year, $110 million deal with…
It’s easy to view the Las Vegas Raiders as a big winner f the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period. After all, in the aftermath of Chris Jones coming off the market and staying with the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders landed the prize of a premium position after agreeing to terms with former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. Beyond production, which Wilkins offers plenty of, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 draft’s arrival signals a new era has dawned for head coach Antonio Pierce’s Raiders. “The Raiders remain a rebuilding team that is…
The Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms with Leonard Williams hours into the NFL’s legal tampering period, on the heels of acquiring the Pro Bowl defensive lineman in a midseason trade with the New York Giants. Williams produced 41 total tackles with four sacks, nine tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits through ten games with the Seahawks last season. “The thing that stands out about Leonard,” an NFC Defensive Coach told FanBuzz when the Seattle Seahawks pulled off a blockbuster trade to add Wiliams. “Is he’s a great athlete for a big man.” Originally chosen by the New York Jets…
The Los Angeles Chargers have gotten right to work shaping the offense in new head coach Jim Harbaugh’s image. Monday, just after the NFL’s legal tampering period began and before free agency officially opened the Chargers agreed to terms with former Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards, adding a between the tackles bell-cow to Los Angeles’ backfield. Former NFL Executive of The Year, Randy Mueller, was quick to praise the Chargers for the Edwards pick up. “This is an under the radar great addition,” Mueller posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “His style matches perfectly with what Jim Harbaugh…
The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms with former Houston Texans linebacker, and ascending star Blake Cashman in the early stages of the NFL legal tampering period. A league source confirms Cashman intends to sign a three-year contract worth up to $25.5 million, to join the Vikings once free agency officially gets underway. Cashman’s deal was officially reported by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1767268814712930354 Minnesota Vikings Strong Offer Too Rich to Overcome Before agreeing to terms with the Vikings, Cashman had several teams interested in signing him but wound up returning to his home state where he played…
The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing back tight end Drew Sample on a new three-year contract extension, league sources confirm. According to multiple sources, Sample’s contract is worth $10.5 million. Sample, 27, has played his entire five-year career with the Bengals since being chosen in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Thus far, Sample has caught 80 passes for 621 yards and three touchdowns. Despite Joe Burrow suffering a season-ending injury on November 16, Sample had the most prolific season of his career in 2023. Sample caught 22 of his 27 targets last season for a career-high 163 yards…
