Category: NFL News

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus knew not all of his players would be thrilled to lose quarterback Justin Fields, so before the trade that sent Fields to Pittsburgh, Eberflus called Fields’ close friends on the team to touch base with them.

That included Bears tight end Cole Kmet, who said he was planning to go out for a St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration in Chicago until Eberflus called him, at which point he decided he wasn’t in a mood to celebrate.

“I was planning to hit the city and go out, but then I got a call from Flus and the people with the Bears, and decided to stay in after the news with Justin,” Kmet said on the CHGO Bears podcast. “Obviously, really upsetting that it came to that, and where it was at that moment, but you kind of felt like the writing was on the wall with that.”

Still, Kmet said he appreciates that Eberflus was willing to talk to him about the situation.

“I don’t expect them to call me for that kind of thing, but it’s always nice when they do reach out,” Kmet said. “I think that’s a classy move by them to let guys who have been with Justin and are close with Justin let them know about the decision and why they made the decision. So I’m definitely grateful that they do that, and it’s not something they have to do, by any means.”

Kmet believes that the Bears are in a good position to win with a rookie quarterback, likely USC’s Caleb Williams.

“I still think, really exciting times for the Bears here,” Kmet said. “This is really exciting times and with whatever rookie they decide to go with, looks like that’s the direction that it’s going, what a great opportunity. What a great opportunity for a young kid to come in here with an infrastructure in place and be ready to go win football games from the get-go.”

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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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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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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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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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One of the top remaining free agents is off the board, as CBS Sports HQ senior NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that the New York Jets will sign former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith to a one-year deal. New York is working to upgrade its offensive line, which allowed 64 total sacks in 2023, tied for fourth-most in the league.

Smith explained his decision to sign with New York on the phone to Anderson. 

“I would’ve love to have stayed home in Dallas, but as we all know it’s a business the way it works,” Smith said. “I still feel like the Jets have an opportunity to win it, and anything I can do for the team to help them out, I’m going to do me best to do it.”

The 33-year-old has spent his entire career with the Cowboys, as Smith was selected by Dallas with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of USC. It was reported earlier this month that Smith was not expected to return to the Cowboys, as The Dallas Morning News said it became clear at the NFL Combine that the two sides stood drastically apart when it came to financial framework.

Smith has started in all 161 career games played, and is a five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler. While injuries have affected Smith’s availability recently, he has been great when in the lineup. In 2023, PFF awarded Smith an 88.6 pass-blocking grade, the highest in the entire league among offensive linemen to play 100 or more snaps. 

Upgrading the offensive line to keep Aaron Rodgers healthy was likely the No. 1 item on New York’s offseason to-do list, and Smith is excited to block for a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

“I feel like it’s going to be amazing,” Smith said. “Of course me being with Dallas, he’s kicked our butts twice in the playoffs — so I know what he’s capable of. Honestly, I’m just excited about the opportunity.”

This unit struggled mightily in 2023, and was also hit hard by injuries….

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Bryce Huff keeping undrafted mindset after major payday with Eagles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There were 255 players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Bryce Huff was not one of them.

So even after becoming a very rich man this week, putting pen to paper on his three-year, $51.5 million contract, Huff said being undrafted is something that will “definitely” never leave him.

“Just the fact that you came out and not a single team thought you were worthy of a draft pick, it kind of just stays in the back of your mind,” Huff said on Thursday during his introductory press conference with the Eagles.

“Even with having a new contract, just knowing that most of the guys on the team were drafted and were pinned as automatically just better than you. It’s definitely going to stick with me.”

Heck, with Huff it’s even deeper. Coming out of Memphis as a senior, Huff wasn’t invited to the combine and he didn’t even get an invite to the Senior Bowl, which is held in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.

Huff has had to work for everything.

And because of his undrafted status, it took a while for Huff to earn a spot in the Jets’ rotation but eventually he did and he began to shine. Even though he had just 7 1/2 sacks through his first three seasons, there were some pretty strong signs in the advanced numbers that foretold a breakout season.

Huff got that breakout season in 2023, leading a good Jets defensive line with 10 sacks while playing just 42% of their defensive snaps.

How did Huff pull that off?

“Just being consistent as far as my work and my process throughout the week,” he said. “Really honing in on my opponent’s weaknesses, listening to my coaches as far as a rush plan, working together with my teammates on the D-line and just working like a team to beat the opposing offensive line as opposed to just winning 1-on-1s.”

While Huff’s per-snap win-rate was among the league leaders over the last two seasons with the Jets, he still…

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The 2024 NFL free agency period has already been chock-full of lucrative deals, from Kirk Cousins’ $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons to Christian Wilkins’ $110 million haul from the Las Vegas Raiders. But the best free agent signings aren’t necessarily the priciest. Sometimes, it’s actually the low-risk, high-upside bets — the “bargain deals” — that end up paying off better than anticipated.

With that in mind, here are some of our favorite value deals to start free agency:

Reported terms: 1 year, $1.2 million

Is Wilson past his prime? The numbers and eye test suggest as much. But Pittsburgh is literally paying him less than what the Buffalo Bills are paying Mitch Trubisky to sit behind Josh Allen. At 35, with a pretty deep ball still in the arsenal, the ex-Seahawks star is built to operate the Steelers’ old-school offense, leaning on the run and play-action. Odds are Pittsburgh will be back to square one in a year or two, but Wilson at least registers as an upgrade on Kenny Pickett. If he simply proves competent, keeping the club in the playoff mix a la Baker Mayfield with the Buccaneers, he’ll have easily out-earned this trial-run deal.

Reported terms: 1 year, $7 million

Why move on from Dalvin Cook only to add another aging ball-carrier one year later? For one, Jones still appears to have a second gear, fresh off a hot finish to 2023, in which his multipurpose juice helped propel a surprise Packers playoff run. Minnesota appears to be more focused on the long haul, considering its quarterback pivot, but you could do a lot worse for a one-year rental. Durability is a question, but for barely top-10 running back money, pairing Jones with youngster Ty Chandler could be truly dynamic.

Reported terms: 2 years, $6.5 million

Los Angeles needed someone to headline a backfield sans aging pass catcher Austin Ekeler, and all Edwards has ever done is push the ball forward. His…

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