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Following the success of “Quarterback,” Netflix will release “Receiver” this summer, featuring Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Only a few more positions until Bill Belichick’s “Long Snapper.” Today:
Over to Dianna for yesterday’s biggest news.
What Dianna’s Hearing: Jets land their guy
The Jets and WR Mike Williams agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. Despite visits scheduled with the Steelers and Panthers, he never made it out of New York. If Williams can return to his pre-ACL form, the 29-year-old offers a talented No. 2 option for GM QB Aaron Rodgers. Also remember the Jets landed veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith on Friday.
Back to you, Jacob.
Yesterday’s Headlines: Jerry Jeudy’s BIG extension
The Browns and WR Jerry Jeudy agreed to a massive, three-year extension. Despite not playing a snap in a Browns uniform — and being under contract through 2024 — Jeudy secured $58 million with $41 million guaranteed.
It’s not as pricey as it sounds. Cap analysts believe those numbers include Jeudy’s already-guaranteed $13 million fifth-year option, so this extension adds three more years at ~$14 million per season. That puts the 24-year-old just above Gabriel Davis and Darnell Mooney. Somewhere, Steve Smith Sr. is speechless.
The Bengals and T Trent Brown agreed to a one-year deal. The 6-8, 370-pound tackle joins the 6-8, 345-pound Orlando Brown Jr. as the Bengals build the Space Jam Monstars to protect Joe Burrow.
NFL 2024 Free Agency’s Biggest Winners
Yesterday, we covered the five biggest losers (and liars) after the first wave of free agency. Today, we’re looking at the five winners (so far):
🥇 Houston Texans: After setting a franchise record for sacks in 2023 (46), they added the best available pass rusher in DE Danielle Hunter. Hunter, newly acquired DE Denico Autry and Will Anderson Jr. are a terrifying trio.
They also added LB Azeez Al-Shaair, who finished fifth in the NFL with 163 combined tackles last season, and (slightly overpaid for) RB Joe Mixon’s receiving acumen out of the backfield. They are capitalizing on star QB C.J. Stroud’s rookie contract and moved to fourth in Josh Kendall’s updated NFL Power Rankings.
🥇 Atlanta Falcons: No team rose higher in Kendall’s rankings than the Falcons, who jump from 29th to 17th. Kirk Cousins is a perfect fit for OC Zac Robinson’s offense, which should feature a fast-paced scheme that gives skill players room to create. After a season in which the advanced stats painted Cousins as one of the NFL’s best, we could easily see his career year.
They also added Randy Mueller’s second-ranked free agent WR in Darnell Mooney and can use the No. 8 draft pick to reinforce their defense.
🥉 Green Bay Packers: Signing two of Randy Mueller’s top 10 free agents is a good start to any free agency period.
It helped that they addressed their biggest need by adding 24-year-old Xavier McKinney, whom PFF graded as the NFL’s best safety in coverage (91.2 coverage grade) last year. They also improved at running back, replacing Aaron Jones (age 29) with the three-years-younger Josh Jacobs (26) on a four-year deal, including a convenient out after year one.
🥉 Cincinnati Bengals: Despite losing key players in D.J. Reader, Mixon and Tyler Boyd, the Bengals improved. They addressed glaring needs by adding former Ravens S Geno Stone and seeing S Von Bell return. DT Sheldon Rankings replaces Reader, while TE Mike Gesicki is an under-the-radar addition who offers Burrow a new weapon.
They reduced the cap hit and increased the explosiveness of their ground game with RB Zack Moss, plus have refused to overpay Tee Higgins. They still have $30 million in cap room. As Paul Dehner Jr. explains, the Bengals are younger and better (or the same) at almost every spot.
🥈 Pittsburgh Steelers: When you improve your quarterback room while adding draft picks and lowering the salary hit, it’s called magic.
It also helps that they addressed one of their most pressing needs with LB Patrick Queen. They sit at 22nd in the Power Rankings and could still make a splash at WR, with the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk reportedly of interest …
Mailbag: Can head coaches take a year off?
Last week, we ran Scoop City’s first reader mailbag and got questions that prompted great answers from our staff. Here’s the first:
Q: Is it possible that Sean Payton is the problem in Denver? My take is that NFL coaches who leave the game have had little success upon re-entering the league. The one example who comes to mind is Dick Vermeil. – Charles M.
As Broncos beat writer Nick Kosmider explains, a successful second act isn’t unprecedented in recent history:
“Doug Pederson took a year off after being fired by the Eagles and then immediately led the Jaguars to the playoffs in his first season. Mike McCarthy was fired by the Packers, took a year off and has since guided the Cowboys to a 62.7 winning percentage in four seasons. Bill Parcells took two years off for health reasons after leading the Giants to a championship in 1990 and later returned the Patriots to the Super Bowl stage.”
That’s well and all, but what about Sean Payton?
“None of that is to suggest Payton isn’t going to be under the microscope now that he’s taken firm control of the franchise. The 60-year-old coach is chasing history, trying to be the first coach ever to win Super Bowls for two different franchises.
“Ownership in Denver knows it will take some time for Payton to chart that course, but if there’s not clear progress in 2025, he’ll be feeling the Mile High heat.”
Around the NFL
RB Saquon Barkley hasn’t lost sight of the legacy he wants to leave. He’s been healthier — missing just eight regular-season games in the last three seasons — and returns to his home state with everything he wants still ahead of him. Eagles reporter Brooks Kubena has the story.
DE Romeo Okwara of the Lions is stepping away from the NFL after eight seasons. Okwara, 28, was once viewed as Detroit’s best pass-rusher before suffering an Achilles injury in 2021. He was a free agent this offseason.
WR Odell Beckham Jr. is one of two receivers in Mike Jones’ list of 10 potential difference-making free agents still available.
Jacob’s Picks
📕 2024 NFL Draft consensus Big Board. The biggest March riser was Florida State DT Braden Fiske, who moved up 44 spots, while his former teammate, WR Keon Coleman, dropped 11 to No. 38. The updated board is now live. 👉 (The Athletic)
📺 “I felt like I got kind of duped,” said former Patriots Devin McCourty when discussing the new documentary “The Dynasty: The New England Patriots” with fellow ex-Patriot Rodney Harrison. Each spent five-plus hours recording answers for the doc, yet only a few minutes of negativity were used. “They missed a lot of the great stories.” (YouTube)
🎙 Post-Film Review of the 2024 QB Class. Matt Waldman, the creator of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, shared his perspective in a brief outline of each of the 20 quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. This changed my opinion on Michael Penix Jr. (Spotify, Apple)
Now, explain to me how we fix salary distribution in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill should not make more money than any non-quarterback in league history, right?
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(Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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