QJonathon Brooks
RB CAR (7)
Wed 5/1/24 12:01 PM

Brooks (knee) remains on track to be cleared for training camp, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
EDGE Analysis
Brooks said the ACL tear he suffered in November didn't come with any damage to other ligaments -- a factor that likely contributed to the Panthers' confidence making him the first back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft (46th overall). He's begun running and plans to resume cutting soon, with the intention of participating at the start of training camp in late July, shortly after his 21st birthday. Brooks didn't play much at Texas until Bijan Robinson left for the NFL, but once he got his chance the results were impressive, with Brooks recording 1,139 rushing yards and 286 receiving yards in 11 games last season. In Carolina, he joins a backfield with veterans Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders, though it isn't clear if the latter will have a role after his poor showing last season.

Zach Wilson
QB DEN (9)
Wed 5/1/24 11:34 AM

The Broncos informed Wilson on Wednesday that they won't exercise his fifth-year team option for 2025, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Wilson, whom the Jets took with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, joined the Broncos in a trade shortly before April's draft. With Denver not in line to pick up his fifth-year option -- which would have been for a guaranteed $22.4 million -- the 24 year-old will become a free agent next March. For now, Wilson is slated to compete with first-round rookie Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham -- who started Denver's final two games of the 2023 regular season -- for the Week 1 starting assignment. While Nix is presumably viewed as the franchise's long-term answer at quarterback, in the short term, slotting at the position is up for grabs in advance of training camp.

QAnthony Richardson
QB IND (11)
Wed 5/1/24 11:22 AM

Richardson (shoulder) has resumed throwing at spring practices and looks to be healthy.
EDGE Analysis
Head coach Shane Steichen said in March that he expected Richardson to be ready for OTAs in May and June. Steichen's prediction looks to be coming to fruition, though the quarterback won't necessarily be a full participant in all activities coming off surgery on his throwing shoulder in October. He resumed throwing in February and is the unquestioned starting quarterback for an offense that just added wideout Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Ezekiel Elliott
RB DAL (7)
Wed 5/1/24 10:16 AM

Elliott's one-year, $2 million contract with the Cowboys includes $1.75 million guaranteed, and he can earn up to $1 million more via incentives, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
All of the incentives require Dallas making the playoffs, with the other parts entailing Elliott playing more than half the team's snaps ($500,000), scoring 10 touchdowns ($250,000) or reaching 1,100 yards from scrimmage ($250,000). He did all three of those things in 2021, and two of the three in his most recent season with the Cowboys (2022). A one-year sojourn to New England proved less productive, though Elliott handled some huge workloads late in the season after Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high-ankle injury, averaging 14.8 carries and 5.2 catches over the Patriots' final six games. The Cowboys probably won't call on him that often, even with their other backfield options -- Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner -- being less than stellar. The Cowboys didn't draft a running back in April, and none of their veterans besides Elliott has ever run for more than 521 yards in a season.

Khalil Shakir
WR BUF (13)
Wed 5/1/24 1:56 AM

Shakir has a new teammate in the receiving room after the Bills took Keon Coleman out of Florida State with the first pick of the second round Friday.
EDGE Analysis
This may not be a terrible thing for Shakir's 2024 outlook, as it was doubtful the Bills were going to enter the season with such a thin wideout crew, and the attention of a big target like Coleman might allow Shakir to see better looks. The latter is coming off a 39-611-2 season in 17 regular-season games, but with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis off to new locales, Shakir has room to grow his production in his third NFL season. For now, he and Coleman project as starters, while Curtis Samuel is more of a hybrid No. 3.

Zaven Collins
EDR/DE ARI (14)
Tue 4/30/24 7:38 PM6 Comments

The Cardinals have opted not to pick up Collins' fifth-year option, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
This move is somewhat of a surprise, as Collins' started all 33 games he has played the previous two seasons, and he projects to continue starting at defensive end in 2024. He did see his production decrease this past year in the tackle department, dropping from 100 (63) in 2022 to 41 (27 solo) in 2023. The 24-year-old is now heading into a contract year and will look to prove his value accordingly.

Boston Scott
RB LAR (10)
Tue 4/30/24 7:29 PM

Scott agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Rams on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
EDGE Analysis
Scott spent his first six seasons in Philadelphia, but he will now get a fresh start in Los Angeles. While he was never a major part of the Eagles' offense during his tenure, he saw his role as a third-down back shrink during the 2023 campaign. The 29-year-old will presumably be behind Kyren Williams and rookie Blake Corum on the Rams' depth chart, and Scott will compete with Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans for the No. 3 role.

Oshane Ximines
EDR/LB NE (11)
Tue 4/30/24 6:20 PM

The Patriots signed Ximines on Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Ximines was a third-round pick by the Giants back in 2019 but recorded just 6.5 sacks across five seasons with the team. He'll look to reboot his career in a new setting with New England.

Tyron Billy-Johnson
WR DAL (7)
Tue 4/30/24 6:19 PM

Johnson agreed to terms on a contract with the Cowboys on Tuesday.
EDGE Analysis
Johnson signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers following the 2022 season before being let go prior to OTAs. He subsequently landed with the Cowboys, but the pass catcher failed to make it through to the 53-man roster. However, he did spend the entire season on the team's practice squad. He will now look to make more of an impression with Dallas this training camp.

Kaden Davis
WR FA
Tue 4/30/24 6:18 PM

The Cardinals waived Davis on Tuesday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Davis spent most of the 2023 season on Arizona's practice squad. The Cardinals drafted a pair of wideouts in last week's NFL Draft, so Davis will look for work elsewhere.