The Eagles are also receiving a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Patriots in exchange for Brown. After spending months waiting for this trade to become official, the two sides finalized things shortly after the post-June 1 deadline took effect on Monday, sending Brown to the Patriots and giving Drake Maye an elite WR1 to pair with Romeo Doubs and company. Brown grew increasingly frustrated with his role in Philly’s run-heavy offense last season, which made him a likely trade candidate this offseason if the team could find a suitor. With Stefon Diggs no longer in Foxborough and Maye ascending the ranks of NFL quarterbacks, pairing Brown with Maye for the foreseeable future seemed like a no-brainer for the Patriots, who were able to avoid dealing their 2027 first-round pick. Brown will turn 29 this offseason, but has totaled 1,000-plus yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles, helping them to their second Super Bowl title in 2024. He’ll profile as a fringe WR1/WR2 in fantasy leagues and should see a nice increase in targets next season.
We will all breathe a collective sigh of relief when this trade is completed. Schultz said the two sides have “had deep discussions” on a potential trade, and also confirmed previous reports from The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane that the deal would include a 2028 first-round pick going back to the Eagles. It truly feels like only a matter of time before this deal gets done, as we all continue to wait for the post-June 1 deadline to officially take effect. It wouldn’t be surprising if this deal became official before the end of the day.
Monken said the only thing he was assured of when taking the job as the Browns’ head coach was what was written on his contract. That doesn’t seem great. Garrett has been the subject of offseason trade rumors after the Browns modified the language in his contract earlier this offseason, and has notably been a no-show at team activities thus far. Should he not report to mandatory minicamp next week, it would be the most obvious sign yet of a clearly disgruntled player who could be looking for a way out. Garrett signed a massive four-year, $130 million contract extension last offseason, but now, it’s possible the 30-year-old pass-rusher would like to have a chance winning something on the football field while still in the prime of his career. Garrett set an NFL record 23 sacks last season on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year honors. If he were to become available, it’s safe to say there would be plenty of teams lining up for a chance at his services.
Shortly after Browns HC Todd Monken declined to comment on whether or not he expects Garrett to report to mandatory minicamp, we now have our answer. The 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and single-season sacks record holder is now taking his talents to Los Angeles to help Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford’s push for a second Lombardi Trophy. Speculation around a possible trade for Garrett began swirling earlier this offseason after the team re-worked the language in his contract to make him more feasible to trade, and now, after months of insisting Garrett would be a Brown for life, Cleveland has dealt him away. It goes without saying that Garrett will provide a major boost to a defense that finished 10th in points allowed last season and fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance, even if it does come at the cost of losing a young star in verse. Garrett signed a four-year, $130 million extension with the Browns last offseason and remains under contract through 2030, putting him under the Rams’ control for the next four seasons. Browns GM Andrew Berry said shortly after the deal was announced that talks were ongoing and nothing was official yet, but this seems like a done deal despite Berry’s best poker face.
Verse is a rising star in the league who has totaled 12 sacks in 34 regular season games. The 25-year-old, however, became a key part in the deal that sent Myles Garrett to the Rams, as GM Les Snead reportedly wouldn’t take no for an answer in his endeavors to acquire the 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Verse is a former first-round draft pick from the 2024 class and has two years left on his rookie deal plus a fifth-year option that the Browns will need to decide on whether or not to pick up next offseason. He won’t completely fill the void left by Garrett, but verse has displayed a good knack for getting after the quarterback, generating 157 QB pressures and another 35 hits since entering the league, per PFF.
It’s been a busy Monday for the Giants, who have now added three receivers to the roster with the signing of Smith-Schuster. The 29-year-old pass-catcher has spent the last two seasons with the Chiefs as a role player, catching 51 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns over that span. The receiver-needy Giants also added Braxton Berrios and Odell Beckham Jr. to give them what is quickly becoming one of the older wide receiver rooms in the league. Much like the other two players signed before him, there’s little reason to believe Smith-Schuster will make any sort of meaningful fantasy impact in 2026, if he makes the roster.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was quick to point out that Wilson “may not be retiring,” but it would be surprising if the former ten-time Pro Bowler and 2013 Super Bowl champion returned at this point. Wilson was on a Hall of Fame trajectory early in his career, earning the starting job for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks over Matt Flynn as a third-round rookie in 2012. With the help of the legendary Legion of Boom defense, Wilson and the Seahawks dominated the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVII to bring the franchise their first championship title, and fell just short of repeating as champions in 2014. A trade to the Broncos in 2022 didn’t work out as either side had hoped, as Wilson’s five-year, $245 million contract quickly turned into one of the worst deals in the league. After officially moving on to the Steelers in 2024, Wilson played marginally better in his 11 starts, but not well enough to come back in 2025. A forgettable six-game stint with the Giants last season, in which he threw for 831-3-3 on 119 passes, may be the last we see of Mr. Unlimited on the gridiron, as he now prepares to join CBS as a member of their Sunday pregame show. Wilson and the Jets were rumored to have interest in one another earlier this offseason, but this move to TV had been foreshadowed for a while, so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
How much does a 33-year-old receiver who missed all of 2025 have left in the tank? We’re about to find out. After rumors of mutual interest between the Giants and OBJ, the two sides have officially reunited on what is presumably a one-year deal. It’s been a forgettable few years for Beckham, who hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2019, and managed just nine catches for 55 yards in 2024 and generated little to no interest last offseason while also being handed a six-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. While he’s undoubtedly the most decorated pass-catcher in the Giants’ receiver room, Beckham joins a cast of seasoned vets to go along with Malik Nabers, who is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered last season. He’ll likely face legitimate competition for snaps and seems unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact for managers in 2026.
Berrios was one of four receivers to work out for the Giants on Monday, with the most notable being free agent Odell Beckham Jr. Whether or not Berrios’ signing will have an impact on OBJ joining the team remains to be seen, but unlike Beckham, Berrios was actually in the league last season. The 30-year-old receiver caught six passes for 37 yards for the Texans last season, and perhaps most importantly, has a lengthy resumé on special teams. After losing return man Gunner Olszewski to a torn Achilles last week, the Giants are in need of help in the return game. Berrios has a 191 combined kick and punt returns for his career and was a First-team All-Pro as a return man in 2021.
Toure is a former seventh-round draft pick who spent parts of last season with the Broncos and Saints. He appeared in just one game last season, catching 1-of-3 targets for nine yards, and has a career receiving line of 14-163-1. Toure will have to battle for a spot on the 53-man roster this season, and faces an uphill battle to make the team even if A.J. Brown is traded.
The drum beat continues to grow louder for an OBJ/Giants reunion. The star receiver was recently spotted at Brian Burns charity softball game over the weekend, and has remained in constant contact with the team this offseason. At 33 years old, it’s hard to imagine OBJ offering much upside in reality and in fantasy land. Beckham didn’t play in 2024 and had a forgettable 2023 season with the Dolphins, catching nine passes for 55 scoreless yards. In addition to Beckham, the Giants are also working out JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios, and Anthony Miller on Monday. Smith-Schuster caught 33 passes for 345 yards and one touchdown last season with the Chiefs.
Lewis believes that “in the long haul, the Vikings project a potentially game-breaking role.” Thus far, Claiborne’s new teammates have taken to addressing him by his childhood nickname, “Lightning.” And, Lewis, in an admittedly over-the-top manner, describes Claiborne’s lateral movements as “the closest thing you’ll find to real-life teleportation.” Hyperbole aside, beat reporters do not always take the time to write features on sixth-round rookies. Given Lewis’ short-term stipulations, it sounds as though Claiborne might be given the chance to compete for a role in the passing game this summer. Starting RB Aaron Jones is entering his age-31 season, and RB Jordan Mason, 27, is a one-dimensional rusher. The two veterans are ahead of Claiborne on the depth chart, no doubt, but this is not an elite one-two punch. Keep an eye on Claiborne this summer.
Others reported seeing Skattebo sporting a jersey and helmet, talking to OC Matt Nagy and working with trainers. Stapleton’s phrasing sort of makes it sound like Skattebo literally snuck off and took a few reps. Either way, he seems to have made it through today’s organized team activities session just fine. This is the first time reporters have seen Skattebo suited up for practice since he suffered his season-ending injury. He has maintained that he will be on the field for the Giants in Week 1. He is seemingly on track to do so.
Olave is up to about 200 pounds, but expects to lose five pounds during training camp. Saints QB Tyler Shough said Olave looks “better than I’ve ever seen him,” noting Olave maintained his speed and change of direction despite his increased size. Head coach Kellen Moore noted Olave’s physical transformation as well, saying Olave has had an “awesome” offseason. Olave, 25, is due for a contract extension with one year remaining on his rookie deal, but he believes it will be handled soon and is “not really worried about it.” He’s a fantasy WR1 in an ascending offense.
Watkins drew positive reviews as a rookie last summer, but September ankle and calf injuries stunted his development, pushing him to the bottom of the depth chart. Cowing’s second NFL season was derailed by a recurring hamstring strain. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows listed him as a standout at Thursday’s practice, but he caught just four passes as a 2024 rookie. Expectations for him must be tempered. Watkins is worth monitoring for deep-league managers.
Dulcich, 26, chipped in as a small-time contributor in the second half of the year in 2025. For those bold enough to stream him in Week 17 championships, he turned in 16.1 PPR points. Per Kelly, Dulcich is “seemingly developing chemistry” with QB Malik Willis, but Kelly still wonders whether Dulcich can become a reliable run blocker and pass protector after four NFL seasons. It’s a fair question. Still, if Dulcich can carve out a role as a featured pass catcher, he will be a worthwhile dart throw in best ball formats.
Kelly’s assessment might just be an indictment of the Dolphins’ other wide receivers. To be fair, Kelly also notes that Washington “has been praised in the past for his ability to learn and execute the offense.” Regardless, Washington seems to be in the driver’s seat at the moment. If he is going to be anything more than a matchup-based WR5/FLEX slot receiver, though, Washington will need to earn a role in two-wide receiver sets. Keep an eye on him this summer.
Fowler adds that “there is some interest in potentially coming back there,” and suggests the two sides might be able to agree to a revised deal. Fowler’s commentary is convoluted, and New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill points out that Fowler may have misinterpreted Kamara’s current contract numbers as well. Regardless, we believe Fowler is saying that Kamara would like to remain a Saint, but the team has not been interested in the suggested resolutions coming from Kamara’s camp. Per Over The Cap, the team would save only $376,000 by releasing him after June 1st. Beat reporters have recently opined that releasing Kamara would create the need for outside help at the RB2 spot. Retaining Kamara on a revised deal could benefit both sides.
The two sides are currently “working on” trade terms. The Patriots hope to get the deal done shortly after the league calendar rolls over at 4:01 pm Eastern tomorrow, at which time, the Eagles can spread out Brown’s salary cap over two seasons instead of one. Per Fowler, the Patriots “have not been overly crazy” about meeting the Eagles’ first-round-pick asking price. He wonders if the Eagles would be comfortable accepting a conditional pick for Brown, or if they might be willing to send a pick of their own to New England. Ending this saga as quickly as possible would likely be best for all involved, because it ends the storyline for the Eagles and allows Brown to begin studying his new playbook before training camp.
The 49ers voided Aiyuk’s 2026 guarantees in November and will only be required to pay him if he remains on the roster on September 1st. Fowler said a trade is still possible, but questions remain about Aiyuk’s surgically repaired knee. He also has not spoken to the organization for some time. It’s an unfortunate situation that could drag on for a while.
Moore sort of bumbled his way through a status check from Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald. Initially, the veteran wide receiver said things are “going good,” before talking his way into an up-and-down write-up. Growing pains are expected, especially in the spring, but we sure hope Moore tells us things really are “perfect” a few weeks from now. Moore, 29, has a chance to resume operating as a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver with his new team. The Bills have lacked a difference-making perimeter threat for years. If he can master the playbook, a stable WR3 season could be in play for him.
It is important to remember that first-team usage in team drills generally tells us more than what we see in positional drills. That said, positional drill ordering can sometimes reflect the position’s depth chart. Douglas was, in no way, the Patriots’ No. 1 wide receiver last year. In fact, his productivity was limited by his slot-bound, No. 3 deployment. We suspect Douglas is most likely competing for the No. 3 role again, behind WR Romeo Doubs and wind-sprinter WR Mack Hollins, as the roster currently stands. Do not rush to conclusions about a breakout year from Douglas. For now, just file this one away and check back to see what Douglas is doing in the coming weeks. He has a long way to go before we can view him as more than a boom-bust FLEX.
The Patriots hosted two organized team activities (OTAs) sessions last week, one of which was open to reporters. Gonzalez was not present. Reiss notes that Gonzalez “had participated in the team’s voluntary offseason program each of the prior three seasons.” His absence “coincides with this offseason marking the first time Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension.” The Patriots exercised Gonzalez’s fifth-year option late in April, keeping him under contract through 2027. When dealing with established starters, teams frequently sign players to long-term extensions after picking up the fifth-year option. Perhaps the two sides are working on an extension at the moment.
Raanan’s assessment comes after Giants LB Brian Burns’ charity softball game. Beckham attended and signed autographs for fans. This doesn’t give us a ton to go on, but Beckham is at least spending time with the team off the field. If he were to sign in New York, it is unlikely that he would be able to return FLEX value on a weekly basis, but he would deepen the pass-catching corps for QB Jaxson Dart.