The NFL has informed clubs that the supplemental draft will return and take place on July 11, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday.

This will be the first year a supplemental draft has taken place since 2019.

One prospect, Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright, has been confirmed to teams as eligible as of now.

The original supplemental draft, held in 1977, was created to serve prospects who were not eligible for the annual spring draft for various reasons.

The last player picked in a supplemental draft was safety Jalen Thompson, who was selected with a fifth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals. He was the only selection that year. Thompson has been a starter for the Cardinals since his rookie year, recording 110 tackles last season.

Wright’s issue has been a lack of academic achievement.  Gene Chamberlain of SI.com:

Wright had an impressive career on the field with the Boilermakers with 18 catches for 288 yards and a TD as a freshman, 24 receptions for 305 yards and two TDs as a sophomore and 57 receptions for 732 yards with seven TDs as a junior in 2021.

However, Wright was academically ineligible and skipped spring football in 2022 in an attempt to become eligible. He had also missed the Music City Bowl against Tennessee in December of 2021 because of academic issues. Wright failed to become eligible again in 2022. So in a year when Wright was expected to ascend to replace Cleveland Browns receiver David Bell as the Boilermakers’ No. 1 pick, he couldn’t play.

The supplemental draft is for players who weren’t eligible for the regular draft for several reasons and Wright fits into this category.

DETROIT

LB JAMES HOUSTON overperformed his 6^th round selection as a 2022 rookie.  He doesn’t think he has reached his apogee yet.

Going into his sophomore season, Lions linebacker James Houston understands the importance of continuing to make a name for himself.

After being drafted by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Houston played in a total of seven games (starting two) in his first year in the NFL. But even though he did not have a lot of opportunities to show what he is capable of, he made the most of it. Now Houston hopes this year, if given the chance, he can demonstrate how his versatility can be an asset and make a substantial impact on defense in 2023.

“For me, I’ve got to get on the field,” Houston said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t know what that looks like, but I got to figure something out. Just like last year, it was just like they didn’t really know where to put me. I feel like it’s kind of similar, the same way. They don’t really know where to put me, and so I’m kind of that guy, hopefully I can be a chess piece and not too much of a liability, I guess, where I really can only play one position, where you can move me in different ways and put me on the field. So that’s really my goal, to get the team to be able to trust me enough to get to that point.”

During his rookie season, Houston recorded 11 solo tackles and quarterback hits each, eight sacks and one forced fumble, an impressive start for the young linebacker helping make way for a powerful defense that includes defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who made an impact himself with his own incredible rookie year in Detroit.

As Houston eagerly waits to see what his role will look like at the start of the new season, the 24-year-old is self-assured that his talents should not go unnoticed, although the unknown has affected him.

“I know I did some pretty spectacular things (last season), but it was really just a confidence boost for me knowing that I can do it at this level because I knew I could do it, it was just, I never knew if I was going to get the opportunity, one, and I never knew if the timing was right,” Houston said. “If the cards were going to play out for me. But things ended up being what they were and by the grace of God, he blessed me to be able to do what I did and I just got to continue to build upon that. He gave me these blessings, I need to fulfill it.”

Now, as training camp leads to preseason, which leads to when it finally counts in September, Houston must do everything he can to prove his ability to start and make an impact going up against any offense.

WASHINGTON

Ben Standig of The Athletic with this update on QB SAM HOWELL:

You want to hear about whether Sam Howell is ready to take command of this offense and propel Washington to NFC contender status. I get it.

What you won’t get is me ginning up unjustified enthusiasm to make the fan base happy. I’m still not ruling out Jacoby Brissett as the Week 1 starter. If the team won’t, why should I?

However, I come bearing optimism. The second-year quarterback passed the initial offseason tests. While Ron Rivera said it is still a competition, Howell maintained the pole position for QB1 honors.

Nothing will annoy coaches more than a player not doing the work, especially at the sport’s most important position. No issue here with Howell, according to teammates and coaches, including Rivera. Howell’s arm talent — accuracy and strength — flashed, especially on underneath and sideline throws to tight end Logan Thomas and others.

Howell’s footwork has improved since last season. His mobility and gritty mindset will lead to gains on the ground. Teammates recognized growth with the QB taking control of the huddle. All the praise is warranted, even if the offense ran with training wheels while learning new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s playbook.

“He’s shown improvement,” Rivera said, “and that’s probably the biggest thing that we’re excited about.”

None of this will stop the doubters from wondering why Washington planned on turning the offense over to a 2022 fifth-round pick with one career start. Nor should it, not yet.

The Commanders won Howell’s only start, as his appearance sparked a victory over the Cowboys. He also threw only 19 passes, completing 11 for 169 yards with one touchdown. He tossed an interception in the end zone, with three defenders around the receiver. Versions of that poor decision showed in practices, particularly on throws down the field.

Any grading of these sessions must note the ample trial and error, and facing a defense that knows the offense is passing. But turnovers won’t win games, and Howell had them daily. “He is still learning to make those decisions,” Rivera said.

Howell did plenty of good in May and June. The pressure increases when the team practices in July and August. Rivera will continue stating it’s a competition but don’t expect Howell and Brissett to split reps. This is Howell’s job to lose.

Suppose he continues progressing through the two joint practices at Baltimore (Aug. 15-16) ahead of Washington’s second preseason game. In that case, Howell will be on the FedExField for Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.

That’s not the same as having the team vying with the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants for the NFC East crown. Nah, we’re not there yet.

NEW ORLEANS

This from DE CAMERON JORDAN for Father’s Day on how his dad’s example made him the kind of player who is still going strong after 13 seasons.

Cameron Jordan has forged a legendary career in New Orleans as one of the NFL’s premier iron men.

The Saints defensive end has collected 115.5 career sacks to become the franchise’s all-time leader, a feat he accomplished in 2022 during his 12th season in the league. Jordan has done it all having missed just two games along a Hall of Fame-worthy career, and the 33-year old knows exactly where he got that dependable trait.

During SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Generations” series this week, Jordan reflected on how his father, former Minnesota Vikings tight end Steve Jordan, instilled in him the staunch work ethic necessary to be such a reliable force, even if it sometimes disrupted his days as a youthful soul.

“As much as you’d want to complain, you see this man getting it,” Jordan said of his father. “He’s running 50-yard sprints, 75-yard sprints, he’s got a whole system running these old Viking workouts, which was really the key. I stole them the first two years just because he was always in shape. He was always running, he was doing these NFL iron man workouts or whatever it is, so I couldn’t complain too much. And here we are doing two or three gassers and he’s doing a full gambit of them.

“So, you have to eat that and realize that there’s a reason why he made the league, there’s a reason why he played for 13 years, there’s a reason why he was a six-time Pro Bowler.”

Steve Jordan had 498 receptions for 6,307 yards and 28 touchdowns during a 13-year NFL career, all of which played in Minnesota. His finest seasons were from 1986 to 1991, where he made six consecutive Pro Bowls and missed just four games along that stretch. Steve Jordan remains as the Vikings’ all-time leading tight end in receptions and receiving yards.

Cameron Jordan explains that he wasn’t the only one benefiting from his dad’s weekly workouts as Steve Jordan welcomed anyone to join his routine, which is yet another example of his fatherly support.

“When I was growing up, people used to like love coming to our house on a Saturday cause they knew we’d be going to a park somewhere and we’d be running sprints, we’ll be running routes, if we’re playing basketball we’re shooting shots, we were doing some sort of activity or technique work after we did chores,” he said. “Now, for friends, they’d love to come over and for me, you’d fear Saturday. Like, I just want to play video games. I had been at school Monday through Friday, track practice, football practice, wrestling, trying to join the swim team — all these other extra curriculars — and come Saturday I’m really just trying to chill. And you wake up, sneak some video games, Pops would come down you’d have to clean the living room, do the bathrooms, all this other stuff and then it would be, ‘It’s time to go to the park.’ And it’s not a park in Colorado, or Texas or even Louisiana — it’s Arizona. This is like prime 110 degrees by, you know, May. It’s march and it’s 95 degrees. So we’re in the mid-morning, middle of the day and it’s 110 degrees outside. Where do you want to be? You don’t want to be outside, but here we are.”

Father-son relationships are often the backstory to many NFL careers. From the incredible story of the Manning family to the new generation of NFL talent that includes the Porters, the Warners and even the Belichicks.

As he enters his 13th season in the NFL, Cameron Jordan is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel of his playing career. And he hopes to draw one final inspiration from his father by recently saying he hopes to retire with the team that drafted him in 2011.

To remember – Steve Jordan, now 66:

He attended college at Brown University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Brown University School of Engineering in 1982. In addition to his engineering coursework, he tried out for the football team and made the varsity lineup his sophomore year. Although the Brown coaching staff originally thought he would not play “a minute of varsity ball,” Jordan was twice named to the first-team All-Ivy League squad and he also made All-America honorable mention.

After his retirement from the NFL, Jordan worked as a civil engineer for M.A. Mortenson of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was elected to the Brown University Board of Trustees in 1993.

ARIZONA

T PARIS JOHNSON has done a good job earning the respect of veteran T D.J. HUMPHRIES.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Cardinals used the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Paris Johnson, who might be their left tackle of the future. But their left tackle of the present, D.J. Humphries, is happy to have Johnson around.

Humphries is rehabbing a back injury, which gave Johnson plenty of snaps at left tackle, and Humphries said he was impressed with how eager Johnson is to learn from him.

“I like him a lot, man. He’s a student. He got a lot of student to him,” Humphries said, via ESPN. “He’s not a young hunk that’s kind of like, ‘I got this figured out. You old guys get out the way and hold my water.’ He doesn’t have any of that to him. He’s very like, ‘I want to know, am I doing this right? How can I do this better? How do you do this? What are you thinking about when you’re doing this?’”

The Cardinals haven’t figured out where Johnson is going to play along their offensive line as a rookie, with both of last year’s starting tackles, Humphries and Kelvin Beachum, back this year. But Humphries thinks Johnson will do what it takes to fit in.

LAS VEGAS

We are being told repeatedly that we shouldn’t make a big deal of Tom Brady’s ownership stake in the Raiders. Adam LaRose of ProFootballRumors.com:

With Tom Brady retired for the second and final time, his post-playing future is set on multiple fronts. The future Hall of Famer is set to begin a broadcasting career next fall, but by that time he will likely have begun an ownership tenure with the Raiders.

The deal for Brady to purchase a minority stake in the franchise has yet to be formally approved by the NFL, but that ratification is expected to take place. Presuming it does, the 45-year-old will be able to transition to the front office for the first time, beginning a new partnership with owner Mark Davis. The pair already work together with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, though this Raiders arrangement will not involve heavy-handedness on Brady’s part.

“[When] the opportunity came about to become a minority owner in the Raiders, it was a dream come true for me,” Brady said, via Brooke Lefferts of the Associated Press. “I’ll be playing a very passive role. This is something that I’m interested in doing for the rest of my life. This is not something that I’m into it for a year or two years. You know, I’ve got a lot of responsibility with my FOX job, which I take very seriously.”

Brady appeared set to take over the No. 1 analyst job at FOX in 2023, after he agreed to a 10-year, $375MM deal. Instead, he will wait one year before beginning life behind the microphone. That will turn attention back towards his Raiders position, one which will not involve any return to the playing field. As Brady alluded to, his front office endeavor is one he is hoping will play out over the long term, and that he will be able to reflect on in an encouraging way.

“If I’m looking over the course of my life, to have the opportunity to be involved in the NFL is a dream come true,” he added. “And if I could help the NFL and continue to contribute in a positive way, then you know, that’s been a very enjoyable part of my life.”

Scrutiny from the league – especially in light of the Dolphins tampering scandal Brady was connected to last offseason – could threaten or at least delay the confirmation of the seven-time champion’s position in Vegas. If he stays true to his word upon completion of the vetting process, though, Brady figures to have a small but notable voice at the franchise’s table for many years to come.

Does “something I’m interested in doing for the rest of my life” equal “a very passive role”?  They are literally in consecutive sentences.

– – –

EDGE CHANDLER JONES is looking to be a leader.  Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com:

It was a decidedly slimmed-down Chandler Jones who arrived for the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason program this spring, the result of not being able to lift weights as he rehabbed from the left elbow injury he suffered on Christmas Eve that ended his season with two games to play.

The good news? He did not require surgery.

“I’m little lighter this year, I feel a little faster, a little bit stronger, but I’m just trying to perfect my craft,” the 11-year veteran edge rusher said during voluntary OTAs.

“As I was rehabbing, I kind of took my time, as opposed to just jumping into weights and trying to gain muscle right away. So, got back healthy, then I started working out, lifting, and that’s where I am. I’m kind of just building muscle right now. So, you kind of just shed the leaves off the tree and then [start] growing them back on.”

When Jones went down — the injury was so painful he had to be carted to the locker room from the sidelines — he had been playing his best football in an otherwise forgettable first season with the Raiders after signing a three-year, $51 million free agent contract.

Four of Jones’ 4.5 sacks had come in the three games before the injury, and he had that unlikely 48-yard walk-off touchdown as time expired against the New England Patriots — when now-teammate Jakobi Meyers inexplicably lateraled the ball to him — a week before the injury.

“I gave him a little smirk, that’s all,” Jones said of crossing paths with his new Raiders teammate. “That’s all he got from me.”

But there’s more. Much more.

There’s a hint of unfinished business to this sleeker version of Jones, who said he was in the 250- to 255-pound range, though he looked much lighter (his playing weight is listed at 260). Even as some see the Raiders’ selection of edge rusher Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall draft pick as a referendum, of sorts, on Jones and what the 33-year-old has remaining in his tank.

Still, Jones was all for the pick of Wilson, refusing to see it as a slap in his face. Rather, it’s an opportunity to pay it forward.

“Where I am now as a player, it’s my job to grab guys like Tyree, Adam Plant — another guy you might not have heard of — these guys are young and they have such a high ceiling,” Jones said of the Raiders’ first-round draft pick and an undrafted rookie from UNLV. “They can go so far.

“When I was a young player, I had Vince Wilfork, but he wasn’t much of a pass-rusher, but I wish I had a Maxx Crosby, a Chandler Jones in my room as a rookie. It’s our job as a player to pass that down, and the things that we can share … I mean, looking at [Tyree], I’m excited to have him on the team. … He’s going to be good for us.”

Jones, with 112 career sacks and four Pro Bowl nods along with a pair of first-team All-Pro selections, might be headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when all is said and done. Yet those numbers, Jones and his coaches insist, can be misleading.

Consider: while Jones’ 4.5 sacks ranked second on the Raiders to Crosby’s 12.5 sacks last season, three came in one game, a Week 13 defeat of the Los Angeles Chargers, when Jones had five QB hits and was named AFC defensive player of the week.

Otherwise, Jones was being roundly critiqued and criticized for a seeming lack of production. Enter Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Jones’ position coach with the Patriots in 2012, his rookie season.

“Chan is like my favorite,” Graham said with a laugh. “Don’t tell anybody, though.

“The things he did last year, in terms of putting pressure on the quarterback, playing the run, I mean I’m just so proud of him … because you just see the growth of a true technician, a true professional in terms of the way he can explain the game, the way he executes out there, the way he can see it and his leadership ability. He’s working hard every day and we’ll see how it all plays out, but Chan is a great player. … I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”

Still, taking away his 2020 season, in which he was limited to five games, Jones had career lows in sacks (4.5), tackles (38), tackles for a loss (3) and forced fumbles (1) last season.

And therein lies the rub, when it comes to numbers, right?

“Football, especially at this level, statistics are very tricky,” Jones said. “You can sit there and stare at stats, but at the end of the day as long as you’re grading out well by the coaches and you’re doing your job, and you might be freeing up other guys, as long as you’re putting the team first, that’s all that matters.

“Do I want more stats? Of course. Is that my goal? Of course. I would be selling myself short if I didn’t. But you can’t go chasing them.”

He’ll stick to chasing quarterbacks, while imparting wisdom to the next generation of Raiders pass-rushers.

HOUSTON

WR NOAH BROWN, from the Ohio State University and a former Cowboy, likes what he sees of rookie QB C.J. STROUD.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Receiver Noah Brown spent six seasons in Dallas playing with Dak Prescott. Brown was the Cowboys’ No. 2 wideout last season — at least statistically — with career highs in receptions (43), receiving yards (555) and touchdowns (three).

Brown, though, now is in Houston with a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud, and sees some of Prescott’s qualities in Stroud already.

“They’re both great quarterbacks — great arm talent,” Brown said, via Coty Davis of SI.com. “That’s a great class to be in. I think he has all the potential to live up to that, maybe even surpass it. So, you know, I’m rooting for C.J., and I’m willing to have his back on anything.”

Frankly, the Texans and Stroud should have expectations for Stroud to be better than Prescott. Stroud was the second overall pick. Prescott was a fourth rounder in 2016.

Brown was long gone from Ohio State when Stroud played there, but he watched enough of Stroud’s games and talked to enough people in Columbus to see great things in the quarterback’s future. And Stroud didn’t do anything in the offseason program to suggest otherwise.

“I know C.J. has great arm talent,” Brown said. “The little bit of time I’ve been here working with him, he’s picked up the offense fast, taken ownership of his reps. I think that can only lead to positive things.”

Stroud finished his college career with 8,123 passing yards, a 69.3 completion percentage, 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

BUFFALO

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com digs (pun intended) into what is eating at Buffalo’s best wide receiver:

The Stefon Diggs drama in Buffalo provided plenty of entertainment and intrigue for roughly 24 hours last week, before Bills coach Sean McDermott shifted into full-blown nothing-to-see-here mode.

Of course there is plenty of see. We saw it play out on Tuesday. A truce somehow was negotiated between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, a surely tentative middle ground that McDermott dared not disrupt by inadvertently blurting out the truth.

For most of last week, there were no reports regarding the source of Diggs’s obvious displeasure. On Sunday, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe filled the void with this nugget regarding the situation: “Diggs’s frustration is with his role in the offense and his voice in play-calling, per a league source close to the Bills’ locker room.”

The situation had been hiding in plain sight since the 17-point playoff loss to the Bengals. He gesticulated in frustration on the field late in the game. He stood before quarterback Josh Allen with arms spread and profanities likely flying. Diggs left the post-game locker room before meeting with reporters.

He skipped all of the voluntary portion of the offseason program, a fact that didn’t trouble Bills fans as much as it should have. Last week, the boiling point was quickly reached after Diggs showed up for mandatory minicamp, attended meetings with McDermott and G.M. Brandon Beane on Monday and Tuesday — and then left before the first mandatory minicamp practice started on Tuesday.

It’s still not clear whether Diggs stormed out or whether he was asked/told to leave. Diggs complained on social media about someone lying; it’s possible he left only after someone suggested that he do so.

Whatever the explanation for the mechanism of the departure, something went haywire to cause him to go. A disagreement. An argument. A confrontation. Raised voices. Something.

Volin’s report brings it back to the offense, which makes sense. Diggs got a new contract last year; it’s unlikely that his concerns are financial.

During Super Bowl week, Diggs explained in an appearance with Dan Patrick that the frustrations that became obvious during the playoff loss had been building for weeks.

The challenge now becomes fixing whatever it is that Diggs is upset about, while doing so in a way that does not disrupt the team’s broader objectives. Fortunately for the Bills, the expectations are lower than they were a year ago, when they were the preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, a franchise carrying the crippling burden of sky-high hopes without even getting to the AFC Championship the prior year.

The Diggs dilemma increases the pressure. Although this basic reality of life in the NFL makes some folks within the organization a little antsy, it’s a basic fact that chronic failure to get the most out of one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL will eventually get ownership to consider whether others need to be responsible for getting the most out of said quarterback, before his career ends.

Chris Simms and I have discussed this point from time to time on PFT Live. Something is missing. It’s either talent or the utilization of it. So the blame for the failure to get closer to the top of the mountain goes to the front office or the coaching staff. If the Diggs situation isn’t solved and if the Bills don’t get to the divisional round (or perhaps to the AFC Championship), the only way to keep Diggs happy for 2024 could be to make major changes around Allen and his No. 1 receiver.

Obviously, targets are a simple metric on Diggs role in the offense, but in the 16 games he played in 2022, the Bills directed nearly 10 passes per game his way (154). That total was 5^th in the NFL and only Justin Jefferson and Davante Adams topped the 10 targets per game mark (Jefferson was about 10.8 per game).

NEW YORK JETS

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com goes through the positions on the Jets offense, starting with the big improvement at quarterback:

Even though he missed some practice time because of a strained right calf, quarterback Aaron Rodgers made enough impressive throws in OTA practices to fuel the New York Jets’ overflowing optimism. It wasn’t just his arm strength or accuracy that grabbed their attention; it was more nuanced than that.

It was the way he used his eyes to manipulate defenders, the way he anticipated open receivers because he recognized the coverage and the leverage. The man has played approximately 14,000 snaps in his career, so those eyes have seen a lot. He gave his new team a glimpse of what high-level quarterback play really looks like.

“It’s a different vibe,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said of Rodgers’ impact. “He sets the bar. He sets the expectations with his résumé, with his name and the way he approaches the game every single day.”

Rodgers’ mere presence makes the offense better than last season, which ended with an embarrassing string of inept performances. The Jets scored only 15 points combined over the final three games, resulting in big changes. Out went offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, in came Nathaniel Hackett, whose hire was a turning point because it helped lure Rodgers out of possible retirement and set up the eventual Jets-Green Bay Packers trade.

The question is, can the addition of Rodgers turn the Jets — 29th in scoring last season — into a high-functioning offense?

“[We’re] far away. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Hackett, assessing the state of the offense after the final practice. “I think the guys have gotten the nuts and bolts of it during this offseason. There’s a lot of guys that haven’t been out there that we need to see and be able to evaluate and see how they fit in, but there’s a lot of work still to be done.”

Let’s compare the 2022 offense to the projected 2023 unit:

Quarterback

Returnees: Zach Wilson, Chris Streveler

Losses: Mike White, Joe Flacco

Additions: Rodgers, Tim Boyle

Better, worse or the same: Much better

You’d be hard-pressed to find a position group across the NFL that improved as much as this one. The Jets went from an overwhelmed Wilson, who has 15 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions in 22 careers starts, to a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. That said, Rodgers still has some questions to answer.

He’s coming off his worst season — a career-low 39.3 QBR. A fractured right thumb and an inexperienced cast of receivers probably had a lot to do with that. There’s also the health question: Is the calf injury, suffered in pre-practice warm-ups on May 23, an outlier or an ominous harbinger? When healthy, Rodgers takes the Jets to a level at quarterback they haven’t reached since Brett Favre in 2008.

From all indications, Wilson has embraced his demotion, saying the opportunity to learn from Rodgers will benefit his career. There’s no reason to doubt that, but what happens if Wilson is forced into action, like, now? His footwork has improved and he’s “a lot more accurate” than last season, according to coach Robert Saleh. The key, of course, is how he responds in the face of a pass rush — something that can’t be answered until he’s in a game. When under pressure, his career QBR is a historically poor 3.4 — 34th out of 34 qualified passers over the past two years, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Running back

Returnees: Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Nick Bawden (FB

Losses: Ty Johnson, James Robinson

Additions: Israel Abanikanda (R), Travis Dye (R)

Better, worse or the same: Same

They’d be in the “better” category if there was more certainty with Hall’s surgically repaired left knee. Saleh said Hall already is hitting 22 mph on GPS tracking, creating optimism he will be ready for Week 1, but ACL injuries can be hard to predict. While Hall has regained his pre-injury top speed, the metric we don’t know is his rate of acceleration — one of the keys to full recovery. When Hall is right — he averaged 5.8 yards per carry in limited action — he’s a playmaker.

The RB2 position is up for grabs between Carter, Knight and Abanikanda, a fifth-round pick with Hall-like speed. Don’t be surprised if he emerges as an early factor because of his home run ability; he averaged 6.0 yards per carry for Pitt last season. Can the Jets count on Carter and Knight for significant roles? Consider: In one key metric — rushing yards over expected per carry — Carter and Knight ranked 50th and 51st, respectively, out of 52 running backs last season (minimum: 80 attempts), per NFL Next Gen Stats.

Wide receiver

Returnees: Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Irvin Charles, Malik Taylor, Diontae Spencer

Losses: Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, Jeff Smith

Additions: Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Mecole Hardman Jr., Jason Brownlee (R), Xavier Gipson (R), Jerome Kapp (R), T.J. Luther (R)

Better, worse or the same: Better

They’re bigger, more explosive and more experienced than last season. Basically, the Jets added a starter on the outside in Lazard and swapped out slot receivers Moore and Berrios for Cobb and Hardman. With Wilson, Lazard and Davis on the outside, and Cobb or Hardman inside, they have the makings of a very good receiving corps. One stat to watch is yards after the catch. When Hackett was the Packers’ coordinator from 2019 to 2021, they ranked second in YAC per reception (6.0).

Of course, the star is Wilson, the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He already has impressed Rodgers, who said: “I love Garrett. [He’s an] awesome, awesome young kid. The whole world [is] in front of him. He’s got all the talent and ability.”

Neither Cobb nor Hardman practiced in the spring as they recovered from injuries, so their health bears watching. Other questions: What kind of role will Davis have? Is there room for Mims?

Tight end

Returnees: Tyler Conklin, C.J. Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert, Kenny Yeboah

Losses: None

Additions: Zack Kuntz, (R) E.J. Jenkins (R), Izaiah Gathings (R)

Better, worse or the same: Better

The top four haven’t changed, but we’ll lean toward “better” over “same” because of Ruckert’s expected improvement. Slowed by plantar fasciitis, he was a nonfactor as a rookie (one reception). He moved better and looked more confident in OTA practices, sparking optimism that he’s ready for a jump in Year 2. The Jets could use more big plays out of the entire group; the tight ends combined for only four red zone receptions in 2022.

Offensive line

Returnees: Duane Brown, Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Mekhi Becton, Max Mitchell, Adam Pankey, Chris Glaser, Greg Senat

Losses: George Fant, Nate Herbig, Dan Feeney, Cedric Ogbuehi, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Mike Remmers

Additions: Joe Tippmann (R), Carter Warren (R), Wes Schweitzer, Billy Turner, Trystan Colon, Yodny Cajuste, Brent Laing (R)

Better, worse or the same: Same

This group has the potential to be better than last year, but it’s hard to take that leap right now because there are so many questions. Three spots are up in the air — left tackle (Brown vs. Becton), center (McGovern vs. Tippmann) and right tackle (Mitchell vs. Turner). Becton has made it clear he wants to play left tackle, but there’s little chance of him unseating Brown.

Best-case scenario: Becton embraces right tackle, stays healthy and wins the job; Tippmann outplays McGovern and nails down the pivot. Tippmann and Becton would add youth and much-needed strength to the line. McGovern was the team’s lowest-rated lineman in ’22, based on ESPN’s run and pass block win rates relative to each position.

Becton, a 2020 first-round pick, is the biggest wild card. He has dropped about 50 pounds, but durability is an issue. He has missed 33 of the past 34 games because of knee injuries.

“I think, from what I’ve seen of him, he has shown a really good maturity,” line coach Keith Carter said. “He’s made some really good decisions outside football to get to where he is right now. It’s exciting to see where that leads.”

THIS AND THAT

MESSI VS. NFL

Lionel Messi is on the very tail-end of an amazing career – and he’s cleaning up with a huge compensation package from MLS.  Mike Florio compares it to the NFL’s elite:

Although soccer has become more and more popular in America over the past several decades, the NFL remains the undisputed king of all U.S. sports. Still, an aging soccer player is about to trump the highest-paid football player.

Alex Silverman of Sports Business Journal reports that Inter Miami of Major League Soccer will give Lionel Messi a compensation package worth $50-60 million per year. The amount includes signing bonus, salary, and equity in the franchise.

Yes, equity in the franchise. Something no NFL player has. Something no NFL player will ever get. Even if a player such as (to name just one name) Patrick Mahomes deserves it.

Messi turns 36 on Saturday. His best days on the pitch are behind him. And yet he’ll still make more than the best players in the NFL, including a piece of an ever-appreciating asset.

The problem for NFL players (and the saving grace for NFL owners) is the salary cap. The importance of having money to pay other players keeps players like Mahomes from wanting what they deserve. It changes their perspective from money to legacy, sacrificing what they should desire for what they crave.

It’s a great scam, something the players agreed to more than 30 years ago when the landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement was put in place. It gave players true free agency with the caveat of the franchise tag. It also gave owners the built-in sob story that if they pay one player too much, they won’t have enough to pay everyone else.

With the compensation for players fully and completely transparent (if only ownership revenues were so easily known), the owners benefit from the ability of media and fans to criticize a player who blows the curve and, in turn, knocks the team’s salary cap out of whack.

The MLS has a salary cap, too. But its Beckham Rule allows for the rules to be disregarded when necessary to attract star players, like Messi.

Imagine if the NFL had something like that. Something that would acknowledge that the greatness of a given player transcends the team-by-team spending limit. That a player has such inherent value to the league that the normal rules will be ignored in order to get and to keep the player under contract.

Of course, the NFL doesn’t need that. There are no stars to be attracted from other leagues in other countries, no true competitor for Big Shield. The NFL grows its own stars — and then it keeps those starts from getting what they should with a salary cap that chokes off their expectations under the guise of team.

It’s brilliant. It’s foolproof. The media and the fans line up behind it, and the best players have no choice but to accept that they’ll never get truly and fairly compensated for what they bring to the game. So they abandon that pursuit and focus instead on winning as many championships as possible.

After all, it doesn’t cost the team very much in the grand scheme of things to buy the player and his teammates a big, fancy ring that, for the best and most important player on the team, becomes an inexpensive replacement for the money he should be making, but isn’t.

It sure sounded like the NFL’s Miami team wanted to give Tom Brady some equity in the last few years.

BROADCAST NEWS

J.J. Watt has bought a part interest in English soccer team, Burnley – headed to the Premier League in 2023-24.

And now, he is considering his options calling American football on the telly.  Daniel Chavkin in Sports Illustrated:

As J.J. Watt approaches his first fall in retirement, he has many options for his next career move as football season approaches. The former All-Pro defensive end has multiple offers on the table to join TV networks as an analyst, per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

CBS is the favorite to potentially land Watt in what would be a part-time role at first, while NBC and the NFL Network also have expressed interest, according to Marchand. CBS would be adding Watt to its current group of analysts instead of having him replace someone else, which allows him to have what Marchand described as an “elastic deadline.”

Last month, it was reported that Watt was being targeted by NBC to be part of its Big Ten TV coverage.

However, it remains unclear whether Watt wants to enter the TV world, especially so soon int retirement. After he retired in January, Watt opened up about his potential future on Twitter, saying he would consider getting into TV even though he previously never thought he would.

“Early in my career I said I would never do it, but I love the game too much to not be around it in some capacity,” Watt said.

At the time, Watt added that he also would consider coaching but lamented all the “other stuff” that goes along with the profession beyond just working with players.

Throughout the offseason, Watt has been considering different options in retirement, including potentially starting a podcast with his brother, T.J. Additionally, Watt and wife Kealia recently became minority owners of the Burnley Football Club in England.

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Shannon Sharpe, no longer “Undisputed”, hints he has something else in the works.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Shannon Sharpe made his exit last week from FS1’s Undisputed. He’ll be making an entrance to another morning show soon, apparently.

Sharpe tweeted this on Monday: “l’m enjoying my early morning workouts, late breakfast, and break from wearing a suit every morning… But just for a little while. I’ll be back on [TV] in the morning’s soon.”

It’s unknown where he will land. ESPN makes sense, especially since multiple ESPN personalities have publicly lobbied for the network to hire him.

Sharpe previously worked for CBS. He was hired by FS1 in 2016, two years after exiting CBS.

OVERBLOWN OR NOT GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION

Thoughts on current stories from Erik Edholm of NFL.com:

We’re just past the midpoint between the end of the NFL draft and the start of training camp. Even for a sport that truly has no offseason, this is clearly the calm before the storm.

Therein lies a problem: People love talking football, yet this upcoming stretch is traditionally quietest when it comes to actual news. Rumors, speculation, projection — they’re our greatest tools when battling this stage of offseason ennui.

That naturally means big stories become overinflated and mid-level narratives bump up to take their place. We can’t help gazing at the contrails left from another dizzying spate of offseason movement.

Of course, offseason conjecture is a zero-sum game. Talking more about certain things likely means we’re ignoring other worthy NFL topics we should be talking more about.

So, let’s navigate some notable offseason stories, both ones overblown and those deserving of more attention.

OVERBLOWN

1) QB battles

Soon we’ll set some plotlines regarding quarterbacks and the open jobs at that position, but it appears to me that they’re mostly either settled already, for all intents and purposes, or not that buzzworthy to begin with.

Several involve rookies, namely those who went high in the 2023 NFL Draft. But would it shock anyone if the three quarterbacks drafted in the top four overall are all starting by Week 1 — or shortly thereafter?

I don’t expect Bryce Young to sit long, if at all, in Carolina. Same with C.J. Stroud in Houston. Anthony Richardson has to beat out Gardner Minshew in Indianapolis, but whether he does so in Week 1 or Week 5 isn’t ultimately all that consequential. It might be a different story in Tennessee, depending on how Will Levis fares with Ryan Tannehill possibly in his final season there, but the pizzazz is muted with Levis falling to Round 2.

Among battles not involving rookies, it’s even more drab. Should we be drumming up Sam Howell versus Jacoby Brissett as a heavyweight fight in Washington? Is Baker Mayfield versus Kyle Trask a gladiator showdown in Tampa? Perhaps Mayfield is due for a Geno Smith-like revival, or Howell or Trask can revive their college glory, but those feel like stretches.

Sorry, folks. I suspect this just isn’t the year for sizzling QB competitions to burn up your screens.

2) Mac Jones drama

The intrigue around the relationship between Mac Jones and Bill Belichick ramped up in the Patriots’ Week 7 loss to the Bears last season. Even with Jones coming back from injury, it was still surprising to see Jones get benched in that game. Fans shouting Bailey Zappe’s name thereafter upped the weirdness factor.

Things got more awkward when Belichick seemingly declined to anoint Jones the starting QB at one point this offseason. While owner Robert Kraft publicly supported Jones, Belichick’s comments only fueled speculation that the coach was ready to stage a Zappe-led mutiny in time.

Belichick apparently has said enough magic words publicly on Jones, who is receiving most of the starter reps so far, to quell that chatter. Jones and new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien are reportedly working well together.

For all we know, Jones might be closer to what we saw during last year’s struggles than what he showed during an encouraging rookie year. The team could move on from him if he struggles again. But Jones also could bounce back, and he and Belichick don’t need to have weekly tea parties to make it all work again.

3) Eagles losing both coordinators

Super Bowl losers tend to draw suspicious eyes annually, with talk of curses haunting teams that fail to win the previous season’s big game. That was a real trend for many years, after all. But there are more recent counterexamples of Super Bowl losers performing well the year following, which is why this shouldn’t be a question we reflexively default to every offseason.

Take this year’s Eagles. On paper, they could be even better than a year ago, keeping the bulk of the roster intact, adding four quality draft picks in the top 66 overall and having most of their stars in their primes.

Losing both coordinators, Shane Steichen (Colts) and Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals), can’t go overlooked. But it can be overblown, and I think that’s what’s happening here.

Steichen helped Jalen Hurts develop, but QB coach-turned-coordinator Brian Johnson should step into that role seamlessly and could himself be a head-coaching candidate one day. Plus, let’s not forget head coach Nick Sirianni is a pretty gifted offensive mind, too, and this offense is still his baby.

Also, I won’t be shocked at all if the defense doesn’t miss a beat following Gannon’s departure. The group could be as good, or maybe even better, under new coordinator Sean Desai, especially with first-round picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith joining the lineup.

If losing both coordinators is the Eagles’ biggest worry now, these should be considered first-world problems for an NFL team to have.

4) 49ers’ QB situation

Admittedly, the 49ers are in an unusual spot at quarterback. Then again, it always seems to be that way for Kyle Shanahan’s teams.

Brock Purdy deserves a shot to start. That’s what going 5-0 down the stretch and leading the Niners to the NFC Championship Game should earn him, no matter his draft provenance. Still, Purdy’s elbow injury has slowed him this offseason and triggered a smidge of long-term doubt.

There’s also the Trey Lance matter. He struggled in the only full game he played in 2022 before sustaining a season-ending right ankle injury that required a second in-season surgery to fix. Don’t forget that the franchise traded a massive tranche of draft picks to land Lance in the 2021 draft. The other quarterback in the mix to start is former first-round pick Sam Darnold, which is somehow fitting after his strange, wayward career to this point.

There was a visceral reaction to my recent decision to place the 49ers No. 3 on the list of the NFL’s most complete teams, with the most common naysayer refrain boiling down to: “But they don’t even have a quarterback!” Folks: Let’s try to be objective here.

Purdy has shown encouraging strides back. Lance has drawn praise for how he’s seemingly improved. Even Darnold has impressed.

These things have a way of working themselves out. Plus, the 49ers have a great team that went 6-0 against division opponents last season. If there’s a roster that can survive some QB bumps and thrive without consistently elite play there, it’s the 49ers. They proved that last season.

5) The Cowboys’ play calling

It’s hard to find an offseason, any offseason really, where the Cowboys are not tied to a major storyline. This year is no different, as Mike McCarthy taking over play calling has become one of the big narratives to dissect.

There are a few layers to this, including the surprise exit of former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, the question of whether McCarthy’s preferred offensive system can work in today’s NFL and what it all means for the futures of Dak Prescott, a Super Bowl-hungry Jerry Jones and a roster that looks built to win now.

But on the day McCarthy was hired in Dallas in 2020, would it have been a shock then to suggest he might want to call plays eventually? Even with Moore considered a rising star in the business, that possibility always seemed like one to not completely rule out.

Could this be a bigger story if the Cowboys struggle offensively? Of course. And it’s completely fair to have a dash of suspicion at the rebranded “Texas Coast” offense. But if Dak and CeeDee Lamb continue thriving, Tony Pollard continues his ascension and, most importantly, the Cowboys win more games, all the offseason bluster will be rendered pretty moot.

DESERVE MORE ATTENTION

1) Kyler Murray’s future

I realize the Arizona Cardinals don’t draw the national attention that other franchises do, but it still baffles me that Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona isn’t a bigger story.

When he signed his extension less than a year ago — which included a bizarre “independent study” clause that was later removed — I felt it had the potential to blow up in the Cardinals’ faces down the road. The amount of guaranteed money Murray received ($160 million), especially for a player who still had a lot to prove, was eye-opening.

Murray has been hot and cold, at times looking anywhere on the spectrum between game-changing talent to passable starter. Now he’s coming off an ACL tear that puts a healthy start to the season in doubt. Oh, and did I mention Murray has six years left on a deal that could make it very hard to move on from him next year?

The Cardinals have stripped down significantly this offseason. They’re in rebuild mode. They could be in line for one of the top picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and, for good measure, also hold Houston’s No. 1 pick. Could the Cardinals decide to make a change at quarterback one year into the Monti Ossenfort-Jonathan Gannon regime? And would any team potentially take on Murray’s contract?

All those questions are swirling aimlessly around the desert air until we get more clarity on Murray.

2) The Browns are a sneaky contender

Last offseason, the Browns were one of the most talked about teams after trading for Deshaun Watson and signing him to a fully guaranteed contract.

This year, the Browns seem to have slipped into the background. That’s the effect of one highly disappointing season. Watson struggled during his six starts after returning from suspension, and Cleveland quickly descended back to also-ran status.

Yet, if there’s a last-to-first-place possibility (not named the Jets) I’m fascinated by, it’s the Browns. I couldn’t quite wedge them into my list of the 10 most complete rosters, but I’m already prepared to regret that decision.

If Watson can play anywhere close to the way he did during his Texans career, when he went to three straight Pro Bowls, the Browns will win. There’s no need to make excuses for his 2022 play, but strictly from a football perspective, I expect a vastly improved performance.

The roster is in good shape, with their offseason moves precisely geared at targeting weaker spots and avoiding short-term fixes. That’s a sounder approach, and they still managed to do well in the draft despite lacking first- and second-round picks.

Either way — if Watson thrives or struggles — the Browns are a story in 2023. If they struggle, even in a tough division, it could result in major ramifications. But this seems like a sleeper team. In a way, they remind me a bit of the Vikings heading into last season, when Minnesota won 13 games. A similar one-year flourish in Cleveland won’t stun me.

3) The QB transition in Green Bay

It’s not surprising that Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are positioned to become one of the biggest success stories of the 2023 season — or perhaps the biggest flops. One way or another, the Rodgers-Jets storyline is huge. But new starting quarterbacks don’t come around often in Green Bay, so it’s a bit shocking there hasn’t been more national chatter about Jordan Love taking over.

Perhaps it was like this back in 2008, when Rodgers took over for Brett Favre (a Jet then, of course). But I was expecting to hear more when it comes to discussing Love — outside of Wisconsin, anyway. The parallels alone between Favre-Rodgers and Rodgers-Love make it an easy connection and the lowest hanging of fruit, which makes it even more surprising that the conversation seems to be muted.

What do we know about Love? The 2020 first-round pick has started one regular-season game, had cups of coffee in a handful more and is roughly the same age now that Rodgers was when he first took over. We just haven’t seen Love much in the spotlight.

This could be the start of another generation of QB royalty in Green Bay, and in a start-them-early era of NFL quarterbacking, Love succeeding after a protracted incubation would provide a fascinating counterargument. Or, likewise, if Love struggles, would the Packers start immediately looking for his replacement after spending so much time cultivating him?

Everything seems to be on the table in this new era in Green Bay. More people should be talking about it.