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NFL free agency begins on Monday, and thereās a lot to get to. Letās jump right in.
šæ Player movement underway
The Commanders acquired former All-Pro WR Deebo Samuel from the 49ers for a fifth-round pick. The Niners, with QB Brock Purdy due a new contract soon, shed Samuelās big salary, while Washington has plenty of cap space for a swing like this. The move will become official on the start of the new league year next Wednesday. Deebo said itās ānothing but loveā between him and the 49ers as he moves on.
49ers know where I stand with them and itās nothing but love. Love John and Kyle to death no bad blood no way shape or form. They know Iām more than appreciative of everything they done for me as a player and a man nothing but love ā¤ļø.
ā Deebo (@19problemz)
11:26 PM ā¢ Mar 3, 2025
Rams QB Matthew Stafford is staying in Los Angeles after days of speculation over his future. The Giants and the Raiders were heavily involved in talking to Staffordās agent to see if they could get something done and then acquire the veteran, but the 37-year-old decided to remain with Sean McVay and the Rams. Additionally, LA signed OT Alaric Jackson to a three-year extension.
Ultimately, the biggest controversy surrounding Stafford were conflicting reports between NFL reporters Ian Rapoport and Jordan Schultz (the son of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz) regarding the extent of Raiders minority owner Tom Bradyās meeting with Stafford, leading to a verbal confrontation at Starbucks at the Combine.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is also back, returning for his 13th NFL season following major uncertainty over his future. Kelce said he wouldnāt have liked the way he went out if he retired after Super Bowl LIX. Kansas City placed the franchise tag on star G Trey Smith, further solidifying the past championship core for 2025.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins broke the news that heās being franchise tagged for the second consecutive year. The Vikings will not place the franchise tag on QB Sam Darnold but are still interested in re-signing him.
The Jets intend to trade star WR Davante Adams, and theyāll release the former All-Pro if no team trades for him. The new Jets regime appears set to undo a lot of what happened over the past couple of years. It sounds like Adams might again re-unite with QB Aaron Rodgers if Rodgers is able to landing a starting gig this offseason.
Finally on the move? Star CB Jaire Alexander is available for trade after a rocky couple of years that have included previous trade rumors, injury, and a suspension. Also available for trade:
Veteran releases: The Eagles are moving on from CB Darius Slay Jr., saving $4.3 million against the cap; the Bengals released G Alex Cappa; and the Lions are releasing LB and special teams standout Jalen-Reeves Maybin.
šØ 2025 NFL Combine highlights
While you donāt want to read too much into athletic testing and on-field drills at the Scouting Combine, there were some prospects who might have helped themselves from Thursday-Sunday.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe impressed people with his ability to throw the ball (which shouldnāt have been surprising).
Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston led the way with a 4.28 40-yard dash, with Texas WR Matthew Golden (4.29) right behind him with the other sub-4.30 run.
Georgia S Malaki Starks impressed with a very smooth on-field workout (more on him below).
As for news from the Combine: Colorado star Travis Hunter confirms he wants to play both ways in the NFL, the Titans are open to trading the No. 1 pick, the Browns are expected to take a quarterback at No. 2, and Penn State DE Abdul Carter does not need foot surgery and plans to work out at his Pro Day this month.
š° NFL news and notes
OT Jason Peters is officially retiring from the NFL after 19 seasons and 248 career games.
Peters is joining the Seahawks front office as a veteran mentor.
The stalwart left tackle spent 2009-2020 with the Eagles and was one of the best players in the game, being named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
Peters was undrafted by the Bills in 2004, ultimately transitioning from TE to OTāand now the Pro Football Hall of Fame is already making it known that heās eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029.
The 2025 NFL salary cap is officially set at $279.2 million per club. The NFLPA released their latest team report card rankings.
A little late? The NFL will now implement an electronic system to measure first downs this season. The chain gang will remain as a backup measurement option.
The Buccaneers are reinstating Super Bowl-winning HC Jon Gruden to their Ring of Honor.
Injury updates: Broncos QB Bo Nix dealt with turf toe part of last year, Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is undergoing wrist surgery to repair a ligament issue, and itās unclear if Panthers WR Xavier Legette (foot surgery) will be ready for OTAs.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson will work out with Josh Allen this offseason ahead of a critical Year 3.
Lions S Kerby Joseph comically defended QB Jared Goff after new Bears HC Ben Johnson said heās never had a QB who can create like Caleb Williams.
Coaching news from the past week: Bowling Green HC Scot Loeffler left to become the Eagles QBs coach, and 49ers QBs coach Brian Griese stepped away from coaching.
Hall of Fame HC Jimmy Johnson is retiring from FOX Sports after 31 years with the network.
For this weekās Consigliere Corner, weāre sharing our scouting report on Georgia S Malaki Starks. We see the versatile defender as a top-10 prospect who can potentially be had late in Round 1.
Overview
Position: S
College: Georgia
Class: Junior
Age: 21
Measurables
Height: 6ā0 7/8ā
Weight: 197 lbs.
Arm length: 31 5/8"
Hand size: 9 1/2"
Athletic Testing
40-yard dash: 4.50 sec.
10-yard split: 1.51 sec.
Vertical jump: 33.0"
Broad jump: N/A
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: 7.26 sec.
Short shuttle: 4.45 sec.
Strengths
High-end playmaking ability as a deep safety. Prototype overall size and length. Elite football intelligence and awareness. Outstanding ability to diagnose plays. Phenomenal instincts and reaction time. Seems to see things before everyone else. Excellent speed and acceleration. Extremely smooth movement skills and covers a ton of ground in the backpedal. Very fluid flipping his hips in space. Terrific range as a centerfielder. Top-tier ball skills. High-points and attacks the ball in the air. Able to make acrobatic plays on the ball. Looks to rake at the ball at the catch point. Comfortable defending from the trail position versus simple routes in man coverage. Fast playing vertical routes. Sticks to slot fades. Very good skillset to defend tight ends in man coverage. Better in man coverage playing underneath routes with a cushion. Does a nice job working through traffic to get to his man in coverage. Doesnāt tip his hand at all as a blitzer from the slot. Experience lining up over tight ends in the box. Aware and in the right position to play the run. Technically sound coming down to tackle. Consistently looks to wrap. Always filtering towards the ball. Exceptional pursuit and speed to the sideline. Very willing to get into the action as a tackler. Aggressive helping to clean up tackles. Plus strength taking on tight ends in the running game. Tremendous effort to get off blocks. Will disengage and make the tackle. Shows tons of pre-snap communication.
Weaknesses
Not his game but has been exposed in man coverage versus wide receivers in the slot. Gets fooled by misdirection and more complex routes in man coverage. Needs to be better keeping outside contain to prevent runs getting bounced and missing with a lunging attempt. Struggled to get off a couple of blocks from Alabama wide receiver Kendrick Law (2024). Allowed Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe outside for big gains (2024). Struggled with missed tackles in general versus Alabama (2024).
Conclusion
Overall, Starks is a playmaking free safety that is at his best in zone coverage with his eyes on the quarterback. In addition to the top-tier ball skills and intelligence, Starksā superstar potential is boosted by his versatility and willingness as a tackler.
Other Sports Updates
šŗ Hard Knocks College: No NFL team was interested following the Giants looking bad on offseason Hard Knocks last year, so Bill Belichick and North Carolina will be featured.
ā¾ļø President Trump says heās giving baseball legend Pete Rose, who died last year, a complete pardon, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says heās considering a petition to remove Rose from baseballās ineligble list.
š NHL Stadium Series: The Blue Jackets defeated the Red Wings, 5-3, at The Shoeāin a game attended by Kirk Herbstreitās dog Peter.
The #StadiumSeries content you didn't know you needed. š¶
Peter Herbstreit, also known as the Director of Snuggles, is taking in the game!
šŗšø: @espn ā”ļø plus.espn.com
šØš¦: FX & @TVASportsā NHL (@NHL)
1:51 AM ā¢ Mar 2, 2025
š Penn State great Trace McSorley has been named the programās assistant QBs coach.
ā³ļø Jake Knapp shot the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
š¤Æ WWE went viral for having John Cena turn heel at Elimination Chamber.
š„ Gervonta Davis fought to a very controversial majority draw versus Lamont Roach Jr., with Davis taking a ninth round knee that was not ruled a knockdown.
š In college baseball, Portland SP Ryan Rembisz threw a perfect game.
šŗ Found on wolfsports.com
2025 NFL Draft Big Board 2.0 (š)