The Falcons top two sack-getters last year (Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree) are currently free agents. And while free safety Jessie Bates‘ first season in Atlanta went swimmingly with career highs in tackles (132), forced fumbles (3), and interceptions (6), as well as Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, he seemed to be the only player showing up each Sunday for the Falcons. With all this in mind, it’s no surprise to hear that adding draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball is expected to be a major focus for Atlanta come this week’s draft, according to Adam Caplan of Pro Football ..read more

The Browns will soon have a decision to make on Greg Newsome‘s fifth-year option. A recent report indicated Cleveland is expected to pick up the 23-year-old cornerback’s option, and general manager Andrew Berry‘s public comments on his future point further in that direction. During a pre-draft press conference, Berry said (via 850 ESPN’s Tony Grossi) he does not wish to trade Newsome. Given the latter’s age and status as a starting member of the Browns’ secondary, that comes as little surprise. Still, The Browns already have one lucrative commitment at the cornerback spot in Denzel Ward ..read more

Despite the draft routinely having 32 first-round picks, one for each NFL team, most draft rooms will not have 32 players with first-round grades. This makes things especially difficult for playoff teams who, barring a trade, always pick at the back end of the first round. One of those teams this year is the Bills, who reportedly do not have 28 players with first-round grades despite holding the 28th overall pick, according to Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News. Most NFL teams will, on average, have somewhere from 18 to 24 players with first-round grades. For teams that fall outside the first 24 ..read more

The Browns have added depth to their offensive line ahead of the upcoming draft. Germain Ifedi signed with Cleveland on Thursday, per a team announcement. Ifedi spent his first four seasons in Seattle, seeing time at both right guard and right tackle. The former first-rounder did not develop as hoped despite serving as a full-time starter, though, and the team’s decision to decline his fifth-year option led to a free agent departure in 2020. Ifedi played on a pair of one-year contracts with the Bears following his Seattle tenure. The 29-year-old saw 23 starts and 25 total appearance ..read more

Here are some minor moves from around the NFL today: Cleveland Browns Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Justin Murray Miami Dolphins Signed: LB Cam Brown Seattle Seahawks Placed on reserve/retired list: P Jon Ryan Murray has been a journeyman lineman since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2016. While his most productive season came over three years with the Cardinals during which he started 20 games in 30 appearances, Murray has spent time in Denver, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Oakland, Buffalo, Las Vegas, and Tennessee. Most recently, he signed to the Browns’ practice squad ..read more

Both wideout Rashard Higgins and linebacker Christian Kirksey have officially decided to hang up their cleats, but they will do so as members of the team which drafted them. Both players will sign one-day contracts with the Browns, the team announced on Tuesday. Higgins spent his first six years in Cleveland, serving as a complementary receiver along the way. His best campaign came in 2020, when he posted 37 catches for 599 yards and four touchdowns. His 16.2 yards per catch average demonstrated his ability as a vertical threat, but by 2022 signs pointed to a free agent departure. Indeed ..read more

Here are Monday’s minor moves: Cincinnati Bengals Re-signed: LB Joe Bachie Signed ERFA tender: LS Cal Adomitis Cleveland Browns Re-signed: LB Sam Kamara Waived/failed physical: G Drew Forbes Detroit Lions Signed ERFA tender: OL Kayode Awosika, LB James Houston, RB Craig Reynolds Green Bay Packers Signed ERFA tender: P Daniel Whalen, RB Emanuel Wilson Jacksonville Jaguars Signed: TE Patrick Murtaugh Waived: S Ayo Oyelola Los Angeles Rams Signed ERFA tender: RB Ronnie Rivers New Orleans Saints Re-signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles New York Giants Signed RFA tender: CB Nick McCloud Ne ..read more

The Browns and Titans have pulled off a minor swap in advance of this month’s draft. Cleveland has sent offensive tackle Leroy Watson to Tennessee in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round selection (No. 227). Both teams announced the move Friday. Watson entered the league as an undrafted free agent. He joined the Patriots’ practice squad ahead of the 2022 season, but in matter of days he took a spot on the 49ers’ taxi squad. San Francisco signed him to a reserve deal at the end of the campaign, one in which he did not see playing time. Watson was waived during 2023 roster cutdowns, but ..read more

Nearly dealt to the Texans, Keenan Allen will soon team with D.J. Moore on the Bears. Only Malcom Floyd enjoyed a longer WR tenure with the Chargers, who surprised Allen (per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) by requesting a pay cut after a 1,243-yard season (career-high 95.1 per game). The process that ended with Allen shipped to Chicago for a fourth-round pick stunned the 11-year veteran, whose camp presented the Bolts with a counteroffer that would have made the 31-year-old talent one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. The team quickly rejected that proposal, Rhim adds. Cutting Mike Williams to move u ..read more

Ahead of free agency, signs pointed to Nick Chubb remaining with the Browns as he continues to recover from the major knee injury which ended his 2023 campaign. That will indeed be the case, with team and player working out a revised contract for the upcoming season. The four-time Pro Bowl running back has agreed to a restructured deal, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. Chubb has lowered his base salary ($11.78MM) for 2024, the final year of his contract. ESPN’s Jerey Fowler notes that figure will now check in at $6.28MM. His scheduled cap hit – $15.83MM – will u ..read more