NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Chase Young signing with Saints: Former No. 2 overall pick lands one-year, fully-guaranteed $13 million deal

    Chase Young signing with Saints: Former No. 2 overall pick lands one-year, fully-guaranteed $13 million deal

    Getty Images

    The New Orleans Saints are adding one of the top remaining free agents, as they have agreed to terms with former San Francisco 49ers defensive end and former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young on a one-year, fully-guaranteed $13 million deal, according to CBS Sports HQ senior NFL insider Josina Anderson.

    Young was dealt from the Washington Commanders to the 49ers at last year’s trade deadline, with San Francisco sending Washington a compensatory third-round pick. Young played nine games for the 49ers in 2023, recording 10 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks and six quarterback hits. He also recorded 11 combined tackles in the playoffs, and one sack in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

    As a top pick of the Commanders in 2020, Young won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl after recording 44 combined tackles, 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits to go along with…

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  • Browns sign former Ravens Pro Bowl QB Tyler Huntley

    Browns sign former Ravens Pro Bowl QB Tyler Huntley

    Despite already adding Jameis Winston, NFL rumors indicate the Cleveland Browns are not done at the quarterback position yet. This time, they add former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley on a one-year deal.

    Huntley made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2022 after filling in for Lamar Jackson for four starts. That season, Huntley had a statline of 658 yards passing, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He added another touchdown and 137 yards rushing as well.

    A year ago, the Browns were forced to start five different quarterbacks, somehow stringing out 11 wins on the season. They appear ready to make sure history does not repeat itself in 2024 should starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffer another setback with his shoulder.

    First, they added perhaps the best backup quarterback on the market in Jameis Winston, and now, they have added a former Pro Bowl quarterback in Huntley. They now have four quarterbacks on the roster including Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

    While the hope is that Watson plays all 17 games, and plays well, the Browns are in a much better position in their quarterback room than they were a year ago.

    Story originally appeared on Browns Wire

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  • Bears mock draft: Ryan Poles bolsters trenches after Justin Fields, Keenan Allen trades

    Bears mock draft: Ryan Poles bolsters trenches after Justin Fields, Keenan Allen trades

    Bears mock draft: Ryan Poles bolsters trenches after Justin Fields, Keenan Allen trades originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

    The Bears were one of the busiest teams in the NFL this week as they made two headline-grabbing trades and continued to fill out their roster through free agency. Sending Justin Fields to the Steelers and bringing in star wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Chargers sent shockwaves through the league, but lesser-heralded moves like signing center Coleman Shelton could be just as impactful when the regular season rolls around.

    Given all that’s happened, it stands to reason that the Bears’ draft priorities have changed. Namely, how do they acquire more picks?

    As things stand, the Bears only have four selections this year. But GM Ryan Poles is no stranger to draft day deals, so that could change. Here’s a mock draft where he’s as active as ever.

    As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. Nor is it meant as a recommendation of what the Bears should do. This mock draft is meant to be a fun way to discuss wild ideas, dig into some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and project how those players may fit in Chicago.

    The Fields trade ensures the Bears will draft a rookie QB. The Bears still need to see Williams’ medical info and need to spend more time with him in private meetings. Barring any surprises there, he’ll be the pick. Williams’ college tape is as good as it gets.

    For all our coverage on the QB phenom, click here.

    TRADE! BEARS SEND NO. 9 PICK, 2025 SIXTH-ROUND PICK TO SAINTS FOR NOS. 14, 45, 168 PICKS.

    With plenty of top-level talent still available, Poles uses the opportunity to move back a few spots to recoup a few picks. The Saints take stud right tackle Taliese Fuaga to better protect Derek Carr.

    TRADE! BEARS SEND NO. 14 PICK TO DOLPHINS FOR NOS. 21, 55 PICKS

    Brock Bowers is still on the board…

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  • Notre Dame football recruiting: Jerome Bettis Jr., son of Hall of Famer and ex-Fighting Irish RB, commits

    Notre Dame football recruiting: Jerome Bettis Jr., son of Hall of Famer and ex-Fighting Irish RB, commits

    247Sports

    Notre Dame landed a commitment Sunday from 2025 wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr., the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Fighting Irish running back Jerome Bettis. The three-star wide receiver from Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, picked Notre Dame over a plethora of major college offers, including Texas A&M, NC State and Arkansas. 

    Listed at 6-feet-2 and 190 pounds, Bettis is ranked as the No. 83 wide receiver in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports ratings and the No. 671 overall player in the 247Sports Composite. He played both ways for a Woodward Academy program that pushed for a state championship in the ultra-competitive state of Georgia. 

    “What made the school so special for me is the feeling I get when I’m there and the comfortability and sense of home that makes the place super special,” Bettis Jr. told 247Sports. 

    Bettis is just the latest standout to join Notre Dame’s loaded 2025 recruiting class. The Fighting Irish rank No. 1 in the nation with 18 commits, including four members of the Top247 rankings. Bettis is the third wide receiver to join the class. 

    Jerome Bettis Sr. played three years of college football at Notre Dame, rushing for 1,912 yards and 27 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he set the Notre Dame record with 23 total touchdowns in a season. He was selected in the first round (10th overall) in the 1993 NFL Draft and rushed for more than 13,000 yards with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, eventually winning a Super Bowl and landing in the Hall of Fame. 

    Notably, Bettis returned to Notre Dame…

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  • Russell Wilson joins Steelers: Here’s why QB thinks he can help Pittsburgh ‘win now’

    Russell Wilson joins Steelers: Here’s why QB thinks he can help Pittsburgh ‘win now’

    Three of the NFL’s six highest-paid quarterbacks play in the AFC North. Then, you have Russell Wilson, who is slated to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 while playing under a veteran’s minimum salary.

    Wilson signed a one-year, $1.21 million deal with the Steelers, while the Broncos are paying him $39 million not to play for them this season. The amount of money Pittsburgh is saving isn’t lost on Wilson, who said that his cheap salaries is one of the biggest benefits of joining the Steelers.  

    “When you think about it, to be released but then to come here and to know that it’s not going to cost very much,” Wilson said with a laugh during an interview with Steelers.com. “The best part about it is we get to add more players and do more things, and really, go win. Go win now and that’s our focus.”

    Wilson’s signing is already paying dividends. After signing Wilson, the Steelers went out and signed former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million deal. They also signed veteran safety DeShon Elliott to a two-year, $6 million deal and veteran wideout Van Jefferson to a one-year deal. 

    The Steelers aren’t done yet, either. With about $15 million in cap space, Pittsburgh is still in the market for a veteran wideout. There is reportedly mutual interest between Pittsburgh and Tyler Boyd, who is drawing interest from several teams. The Steelers could also choose to pursue Mike Williams, the Chargers’ former 1,000-yard wideout who was recently released. 

    The extra cap space will also give the Steelers the ability to sign players in-season if a notable player somehow become available. Injuries are inevitable, so having extra money to sign someone in a pinch is never a bad thing. 

    Wilson’s contract allowed the Steelers to acquire Justin Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears. The Steelers will pay less than $4.5 million this season for both Wilson and Fields. 

    While…

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  • Can Rutgers football slow down Virginia Tech’s offensive momentum in 2024?

    Can Rutgers football slow down Virginia Tech’s offensive momentum in 2024?

    For Rutgers football, their Week 3 match-up at Virginia Tech is likely to be a make-or-break game for their season. A win at the Hokies, much like this past year, and Rutgers has the chance to be bowl-eligible. But there is some hype around Virginia Tech’s football team heading into 2024 with the Hokies returning several key pieces on their offense from last season.

    Virginia Tech’s quarterback Kyron Drones, running back Bhayshul Tuten, and wide receivers Ali Jennings, Da’Quan Felton, Stephen Gosnell, and Jaylin Lane will all return in 2024. This is quite an array of offensive talent.

    Athlon Sports recently placed Virginia Tech as sixth in their ACC Power Rankings. They hyped up the offense in their latest power rankings update:

    “Can the Hokies build off last season’s strong finish? This unit averaged 33.5 points a game in November – largely fueled by the emergence of quarterback Kyron Drones – and posted 41 in the bowl victory over Tulane.”

    The Scarlet Knights and the Hokies faced off last season with Rutgers defeating Virginia Tech 35-16. Rutgers’ 2023 victory was the first time since 1992 that the Scarlet Knights defeated the Hokies, breaking a 12-game skid in the series.

    Drones recorded 84 yards on 22 attempts, averaging 3.4 yards per carry in his first collegiate start. The redshirt junior added 19 completions on 32 attempts for 190 yards with one touchdown and an interception in a losing effort.

    The Scarlet Knights will try to make it consecutive winning seasons as they prepare to face a creative and explosive Virginia Tech offense. Rutgers finished the 2023 season as the No. 7 ranked defense within the Big Ten Conference and with many key pieces returning the Scarlet Knights’ defense will continue to stay strong in 2024.

    Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire

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  • New 49ers CB Yiadom has eye-popping success in press coverage

    New 49ers CB Yiadom has eye-popping success in press coverage

    New 49ers CB Yiadom has eye-popping success in press coverage originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    The 49ers might have acquired a hidden gem when they agreed to terns with veteran free-agent cornerback Isaac Yiadom on a one-year contract Friday.

    Yiadom, a six-year NFL veteran, ranks among the league’s best in press coverage and is a low-risk, high-reward option for new 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen’s evolving unit.

    A scatter plot graph of Pro Football Focus data constructed by Arjun Menon offers a clear visual for what Yiadom brings to San Francisco following a career year with the New Orleans Saints.

    Yiadom, 6-foot-1, stands out on the graph’s right peak beyond stars Sauce Gardner and A.J. Terrell, strongly performing with a press coverage rate of over 40 percent.

    During the 2023 NFL season, Yiadom was a force in close-contact situations with wide receivers, owning a 30.4-percent incompletion rate.

    He also tied for the seventh-most passes defended (14) despite only starting eight games. His new 49ers teammate, Charvarius Ward, led the NFL with 23 PDUs over 17 starts.

    Yiadom made a name for himself on the Saints by only allowing 23 receptions on 47 targets. He finished 22nd in PFF’s coverage grading (80.4) and 14th in overall grading (81.1).

    And of course, Yiadom’s tape supports his numbers.

    The 28-year-old mainly served as a standout special teamer in New Orleans before breaking out as a tight coverage connoisseur. Yiadom played 515 defensive snaps last season while making 267 special teams appearances — his versatility presumably is valuable to San Francisco.

    The former Saint is a journeyman who also has suited up for the Broncos, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans after being selected No. 35 by Denver in the 2018 NFL Draft.

    Ideally for the 49ers, Yiadom’s one-year “prove it” deal will turn into an extended partnership down the line.

    The Boston College product has posted 26 PDUs, two interceptions and 158 total tackles in…

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  • Former Titans scout, Arkansas State player charged with two counts of first-degree murder, per report

    Former Titans scout, Arkansas State player charged with two counts of first-degree murder, per report

    USATSI

    Blaise Taylor, who starred at defensive back at Arkansas State from 2014-17 and served as a scout for the Tennessee Titans and staffer at Utah State, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder after his girlfriend and unborn baby died in early 2023, per The Tennesseean. 

    Jade Benning, the girlfriend of Taylor, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Feb. 23, after Taylor called 911 to report that she was having some sort of allergic reaction. Benning died in the hospital on her 25th birthday, March 6, while her unborn child, who Taylor is thought to have fathered, died on Feb. 27.

    Following an investigation, crime lab scientists and a medical examiner determined that Benning was, “poisoned without her knowledge.” A Nashville grand jury returned an indictment against Taylor on Wednesday, and he was then arrested in Utah. 

    Taylor worked as a pro scout for the Titans for four years. According to the Titans’ official website, his role included, “advance scouting for upcoming opponents, as well as evaluating potential free agents for the free agency period every spring.” Taylor served as a defensive analyst at Utah State in 2023, and reportedly was hired by Texas A&M for the same position earlier this month, per Football Scoop. Taylor’s father, Trooper Taylor, was hired by Texas A&M as their associate head coach and running backs coach. 

    Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko released a statement following Taylor’s arrest, per ESPN.

    “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking situation, including the family and friends of the victim. It’s…

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