The Cleveland Browns’ former first-round pick Greg Newsome II has been tagged as a potential trade target by those outside. While Newsome knows about the talks, he pays no attention. “I don’t pay attention, but my family and stuff tell me and ask me,” Newsome said Tuesday, via Camryn Justice of WEWS Cleveland. “What goes through my head is nothing. I feel like I’m comfortable here. I feel like AB (general manager Andrew Berry), the ownership and all my coaches know what I’m capable of. They know what I bring to this team, not just on the field, being one of those glue guys. As a guy who’s always energetic. Celebrating no matter what. I feel like they know my value, so no I wasn’t too worried about that.” The reasoning behind the trade talk is that Cleveland has Denzel Ward on a big-money contract and Martin Emerson, a former third-rounder who had a strong 2023. The Browns would be trading a powerful position to fortify other units. However, in today’s NFL, having three reliable corners is vital. Despite any rumours, Newsome continues to plan his future in Cleveland. “I told you from Day 1, I want to be one of those guys that sticks around one place their whole career,” he said. “God be willing, I’ll be here for a long time.” The Browns can decide to make on Newsome’s fifth-year option ahead of the May 2 deadline. With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching, the Browns might dangle Newsome as trade bait during the drafting process or soon after if a club does not acquire him. Regardless, the decision is not Newsome’s to make. He is just focusing on his job in Jim Schwartz’s defence unit. “I feel good. Whatever I can do to help the team win, I’ll do,” he said. “I was able to do a lot of things, you know, blitz, I was able to cover a lot more in man-to-man. I think I had a great role last year, and I’m just ready to keep getting better at it.”

The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired Jalen Hurts’ blindside protector for the near future, Jordan Mailata. Philadelphia recently came to terms with left tackle Jordan Mailata on a three-year, $66 million extension. The deal keeps him under contract through 2028. “It is an honour to be able to play at one club,” Mailata said on Friday during his press conference via the team website. “I’ve always wanted to be a player for one team and few who get to do that. To be a part of the history and part of the club and the culture we are trying to continue to build is an honour. I am very grateful to the organization.” Mailata’s journey from Australia to Philadelphia is impressive. Before joining the NFL, he grew up playing rugby before transitioning to professional football. Mailata was part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He impressed the Eagles that they chose him in the seventh round in the 2018 NFL Draft. But, Mailata suffered back injuries in his first two seasons. He recorded his first start in 2020 and finished the campaign with 10 starts in 15 matches. Since 2021, he has been a consistent starter for the Eagles, starting in 47 games over the last three seasons. Now 27, Mailata credited his run game coordinator and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland for being a figure that significantly impacted his career. “It all starts with the coach I have in that room right now and the culture that he set,” Mailata said of Stoutland. “You either sink to the bottom or rise to the top because of Coach Stout.” Mailata’s performance has improved every season. With his new three-year contract extension ($22 million per season), he now ranks fourth among left tackles, behind Laremy Tunsil, Andrew Thomas and Trent Williams. Furthermore, with Jason Kelce retiring this offseason, Mailata is ready to embrace a leadership role entering the 2024 season. “Any opportunity I can get to lead from within, I will always embrace,” Mailata said. “I am looking forward to coming back here and building something we can look forward to.” Related News: Giants’ Darren Waller has not ‘made a decision yet’ on playing in 2024.

It has been a month since Darren Waller announced that he would decide on retirement soon, and the New York Giants tight end stays in the air. Waller, is several years removed from his consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He has a downtick in performance and an uptick in injuries leading him to contemplate his NFL future. “I haven’t decided yet,” Waller recently told Forbes. “It’s just a matter of respecting the process. There’s so much that goes into the process of going from April through February of an NFL season. The commitment that it requires. I’m a guy who’s evolving, who’s growing, who’s played a lot of football and been through a lot.” Waller played last year with New York after a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, with whom he spent the past five seasons, after turning his life and career around to become a force at the tight end position. He secured 197 catches for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns in 32 matches from 2019-2020. However, he suited up for only 11 contests in 2021, resulting in 665 yards and two scores on 55 catches. A new regime under Josh McDaniels took over for Las Vegas in 2022. Waller witnessed an injury-affected year where he gathered 388 receiving yards in nine matches before he was shipped out during the offseason. The Tight End caught only one TD and collected 522 yards, with another five games lost to injury in 2023 for Big Blue. It has been a grind that will only continue if Waller is all in. “I’m at the point now where I’m like, ‘OK, how much am I willing to give to the process,’” Waller said. “If it’s not 100%, it’s a disservice to the teammates and the organization that I have. I’m still trying to decide on that and it’s tough to make one or the other out of emotion.” Meanwhile, the Giants have taken precautions, strengthening the tight end room during free agency. New York signed Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz in mid-March. Daniel Bellinger and Tyree Jackson are also on the roster from previous seasons. None of them is the calibre of player Waller is, but the position is well stocked three weeks out from the 2024 NFL Draft. The Giants could add at the position, no matter Waller’s decision. Waller counts $14 million against the cap heading into 2024. If he should retire, New York would save $6.7 million but carry $7.4 million in dead money. If he were to keep playing, he would realise an offence that ranked 30th in scoring last season desperately needs to build an identity as Daniel Jones returns from his ACL tear and the Giants experience life without Saquon Barkley. “Offensively you have to find a way to form an identity,” Waller said. “Because there’s talented guys that can make plays. It’s just finding that identity and being consistent. We would have flashes, but nowhere near good enough to give ourselves a chance. I speak on that from an offensive standpoint, because I feel defensively, there were so many times they did enough for us to win.” Waller is yet to choose if he wants to remain a part of shaping the Giants’ offensive identity. Related News: Kyle Van Noy: Re-signing with the Ravens was a “matter of when’’ rather than ‘if’.

Kyle Van Noy had a great first year with the Baltimore Ravens, so it made sense, that he would want to do it again. Fresh off one of his best statistical seasons a decade into his NFL career, Van Noy rejoined the Ravens this week on a two-year deal, intent to keep making an impact as a mentor and former Super Bowl champion. “I bought into what we were doing last year,” Van Noy said Friday, per the team website. “I believe that we have the pieces. As a group, we need to put in a little more work. Whether it’s a little more film or a little more after practice, just a little more. “I feel honoured to wear a Ravens jersey and compete for another championship. It didn’t end the way we wanted to. Coming back with another group and going at it to get another trophy is a blessing. I had my eyes set on this place the whole time. It wasn’t a matter of if. It was a matter of when.” With the smoke cleared, the reunion is obvious. It was not always so. The Ravens did not add Van Noy in 2023 until September 27th, and that was to the practice squad before promoting him days later. Kyle repaid the confidence with a career-high nine sacks despite starting only three games, his fewest since the 2015 season. He added two forced fumbles, four passes defensed and 30 tackles, earning the second-highest PFF grade of his career (75.0) for the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense. Now 33, he will want to keep the fire lit with Baltimore in 2024 as the oldest member of a pass-rushing group that includes talents like David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh. “Those guys know that I’m going to push them, and they know I’m going to help them,” Van Noy said. “I want them to be as successful as me, if not more. I love winning.” The Ravens won many times last year. They paced the league with 13 regular-season victories to earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed but fell a game short of a Super Bowl berth. Van Noy, who won a Lombardi twice during his prime with the New England Patriots is back to help them cross that hurdle. It is what he hoped for entering free agency, and the countdown to making his return to Baltimore begins. “I knew where I wanted to be and I think the Ravens knew they wanted me back,” Van Noy said. “Why wait? Let’s get something done. Related News: OT7: When and how to watch live games on NFL Network and NFL+.

The 2024 OT7 season has begun, and this year’s coverage will be aired for the first time on NFL Network and available to stream on NFL+. The season kicks off on Saturday, April 6, with NFL Network coverage starting at 4 p.m ET and continuing on Sunday, April 7 at 4 p.m. ET. Opening weekend includes a Saturday matchup between Raw Miami and Hellstar, with top QBs KJ Lacey and Dia Bell in action, including wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Naeshaun Montgomery. The excitement continues with California Power facing Trillion Boys for the first time ever. Players to watch in that California showdown include WRs Madden Williams, Jonah Smith and Daylon Singleton of Trillion Boys, who will be catching passes from QB Ryan Rakowski, including QB Luke Fahey and WR Vance Spafford of Power. 30 four- and five-star recruits are expected to take the field over the course of the weekend. To learn more about OT7, visit here. Furthermore, fans can get the full coverage calendar of OT7 on NFL Network, visit the broadcast schedule page here. Here is what fans need to know to watch live coverage of OT7 this season: Regular-season dates: Saturday, April 6 to Sunday, May 5. Championship Weekend dates: Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9. Locations: Dallas College, Brookhaven Campus in Farmers Branch, Texas (near Dallas); Austin Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida (near Orlando); Tournament Sportsplex in Tampa, Florida. How to watch: NFL Network and NFL+ Coverage schedule: Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 — Dallas College, Brookhaven Campus, 4 p.m. ET. Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 — Dallas College, Brookhaven Campus, 4 p.m. ET. Sunday, April 28 — Austin Tindall Sports Complex, 4 p.m. ET. Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 — Austin Tindall Sports Complex, 4 p.m. ET. Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9 — Championship Weekend at Tournament Sportsplex. Learn more about OT7: OT7 team and roster info. See rule changes for 2024 season. View the full OT7 2024 schedule. Buy tickets to attend OT7 games.

Tre’Davious White has found a second home in the NFL. The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback is joining the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year deal worth up to $10 million. This is a big-name signing for Los Angeles as they seek to reconfigure their defensive setup, now that Aaron Donald has retired, it is an opportunity for White to revive his once-ascendant career. White started his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills in 2017 and finished in second position for Rookie of the Year. He led the league with six interceptions in 2019, his lone All-Pro campaign and first Pro Bowl season, and made the Pro Bowl again the next season with another three picks. He played 61 games in his first four seasons. Eleven matches into 2021, he ripped his ACL on Thanksgiving. He worked his way back to play in six regular-season matches in 2022, then got another brutal blow when he tore his Achilles four games into 2023. White who was ridden with injuries, played in only 21 matches in the past three years. He piqued interest when he became a cap casualty when Buffalo cut players in early March. Now White’s comeback journey will start with the Rams, where he will play alongside Cobie Durant and the newly-signed Darious Williams on a secondary that ranked 20th in passing yards allowed last season. He has 18 career interceptions, with 63 passes defended, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. The extent of his talent has never been in doubt, it was just recent injuries that stalled his growth.  Hopefully, White will get back on track with the Rams in 2024. Related News: Cowboys Dak Prescott to play on current contract for 2024 season.

The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott are ready to play out the final year of his contract. Dallas and Prescott agree that his contract will not be adjusted entering the 2024 season, per a report by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.  It was assumed the Cowboys would extend Prescott’s contract this offseason to reduce the massive salary cap figure. However, the club and Dak found it best to play out the deal and figure things out on the other end of the campaign. Early this month, Dallas converted a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, scrapping $4 million off Prescott’s salary cap figure. That number is still a staggering $55.445 million. They also added two extra void years through 2028. Prescott signed a four-year $160 million contract in 2021, no-trade and no-tag clauses. With no extension forthcoming, Dak is on his journey to free agency in 2025. If the Cowboys do not sign him to an extension, he would still count  $40.46 million against the 2025 salary cap. In 2021, Prescott had all the leverage after Dallas used back-to-back franchise tags on the quarterback. This leverage allowed him to negotiate a shorter, four-year deal than the five-year pact the Cowboys wanted. Due to this massive cap number, Prescott still has a ton of leverage. Instead of succumbing to this power, the team is content with letting things play out. There is still time for both sides to iron out the details, and owner Jerry Jones does not seem concerned about the future, saying Tuesday, “We are where we are. We have our contract. We’re locked and loaded for this year, and we can see as we move along how we are thinking.” Related News: Rams sign Tre’Davious White to one-year deal worth up to $10 million.

Chris Jones is staying with the Super Bowl champs. Jones and the Kansas City Chiefs have entered a five-year deal that practically includes $95 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, per Jones’ agent Katz Brothers Sports. The final numbers are still being worked out, Rapoport added. Jones who according to some witnesses has passed Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as the league’s top interior defensive lineman, was only a few days from hitting the open market, but the Chiefs want to bring back their game-changing defender for a run at a three-peat. It is maybe no accident that Jones’ extension is after the Baltimore Ravens and defensive lineman Justin Madubuike accepted a huge deal. Jones’ deal should make him the highest-paid defensive tackle at around $32 million per year, Rapoport reported. That is higher than Donald, who is presently making $31.6 million a year, per Over the Cap. Jones, Gregg Rosenthal’s No.1 free agent, has never shied away from mentioning that he wanted to stay with the Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach said recently at the NFL Scouting Combine that re-signing his versatile DL was “at the top’’ of his priority list.  Now, it has come to pass. Jones, 29, is a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion. He has recorded consecutive double-digit-sack seasons and has a penchant for coming up clutch in big matches which are common for Kansas City. An offseason ago, Chris Jones also wanted a long-term re-up with the Chiefs but instead, he held out until a new one-year deal was worked out. Therefore, while Jones and the Chiefs got Super Bowl success once again, another unavoidable contract situation was always looming. Jones held out through a Week 1 defeat to the Detroit Lions this season, but in 2024, he is set to be on the field for the Chiefs’ season opener, beaming with a lucrative new contract. Related NFL News: NFL reporter Chris Mortensen dies at 72.