Gardner Minshew
QB LV (13)
Mon 4/29/24 4:26 PM

Minshew remains poised to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job this offseason, with the Raiders not having added to the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reports.
EDGE Analysis
Minshew joined Las Vegas early in free agency back in March, and while it looked like the team was a candidate to add a rookie via April's draft, six quarterbacks came off the board before the Raiders' first-round selection of tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall. Las Vegas also boosted the O-line with premium picks, selecting second-round guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and third-round tackle Delmar Glaze, so whichever of Minshew or O'Connell ultimately wins the starting role looks to be in a notably better position to succeed.

Damien Wilson
LB DAL (7)
Mon 4/29/24 4:20 PM

Dallas signed Wilson to a one-year contract Monday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Cowboys added Wilson to their practice squad late last season, and he now will be under contract for at least one more go around. He played 207 snaps on special teams versus 198 on defense in 2023.

Kyren Williams
RB LAR (10)
Mon 4/29/24 3:52 PM

Rams coach Sean McVay said Saturday that third-round pick Blake Corum reminds him a lot of Williams (hand), Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.
EDGE Analysis
McVay isn't the first to make that comparison, and while it's arguably a compliment that the Rams sought out a similar player, it also means Williams could cede more work to backups than he did last year. The comparison between the two players is imperfect, with Corum being an inch shorter yet 11 pounds heavier (based on combine measurements) and having enjoyed a far more prolific college career in terms of rushing stats. On the other hand, Williams was much more active as a pass catcher in his college days, and he's since proven to be a quality player at the NFL level, scoring 15 TDs in 12 games last season while averaging a league-high 95.3 rushing yards per game. He thus figures to remain the lead back, though he now has much lower odds to match the massive snap shares he handled last season (90 percent or higher five times, 77 percent or higher nine times). The hand fracture Williams suffered in a playoff loss to Detroit shouldn't impact his preparation for 2024.

Gus Edwards
RB LAC (5)
Mon 4/29/24 3:49 PM

Following the recent NFL Draft, Edwards profiles as the Chargers' lead back as the 2024 season approaches, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
In the wake of the offseason departure of prior lead back Austin Ekeler, the Chargers backfield has undergone an overhaul, with Edwards and J.K. Dobbins -- both former Ravens -- arriving via free agency and Kimani Vidal through this year's draft, joining returnee Isaiah Spiller, a 2022 fourth-rounder. In that context, Popper suggests that Edwards, who GM Joe Hortiz described as a "bell cow" back in March, is in line to get the bulk of the team's work out of the gate this season as Dobbins bounces back from his Achilles' injury and Vidal and Spiller make their cases to carve out complementary roles in the Los Angeles offense.

QJaelan Phillips
EDR/LB MIA (10)
Mon 4/29/24 3:43 PM

Phillips (Achilles) had his fifth-year option on his rookie contract exercised by the Dolphins on Monday.
EDGE Analysis
Phillips expects to be ready by Week 1, and it was previously reported by Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com that Miami picking up his option was the plan, according to GM Chris Grier. The 2021 first-round selection was on pace to smash all his career-best totals before tearing his right Achilles in Week 12 and now will look to build off of that going into 2024 with two years now left on his contract.

Christian Darrisaw
MIN (13)
Mon 4/29/24 3:42 PM

The Vikings exercised Darrisaw's 2025 fifth-year option.
EDGE Analysis
The 24-year-old was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and has started 39 of 41 games he's appeared in since entering the league. Darrisaw has yet to make a Pro Bowl or be named an All-Pro, but he's an above-average, rock-solid left tackle and will either protect Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy's blind side this upcoming season.

Rico Dowdle
RB DAL (7)
Mon 4/29/24 3:42 PM

The Cowboys are signing Ezekiel Elliott to join Dowdle in a backfield that otherwise lacks experienced players and early draft picks, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Zeke reunion has been in the works for weeks, but most people still expected the Cowboys to add at least one running back during the 2024 NFL Draft. They ultimately didn't select one, leaving Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, Snoop Conner and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn as the competition behind Elliott and Dowdle. An undrafted free agent or two likely will be added to that mix, but it should still be a favorable situation for Elliott and Dowdle to earn playing time.

Jaylen Waddle
WR MIA (10)
Mon 4/29/24 3:40 PM

The Dolphins officially exercised Waddle's fifth-year option Monday.
EDGE Analysis
Miami has made no secret of plans to pick up Waddle's fifth-year option this offseason, and the move is now official prior to Thursday's deadline. That keeps the third-year standout under contract for two more seasons and provides the Dolphins more time to negotiate a long-term deal with Waddle. The team added depth to the wideout room in the form of late-round rookies Malik Washington and Tahj Washington during the 2024 NFL Draft, but Waddle and Tyreek Hill remain the clear top targets for Tua Tagovailoa, with incumbents Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft available to split No. 3 duties.

Jameson Williams
WR DET (9)
Mon 4/29/24 3:30 PM

Williams is part of a WR room that didn't add any new bodies during the 2024 NFL Draft.
EDGE Analysis
It's a subtle vote of confidence in the 12th overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, as Detroit's roster otherwise has a slew of fourth-receiver types behind Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, namely Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green and Tre'Quan Smith. The No. 2 receiver spot may not be a high-volume task in an offense with ARSB, TE Sam LaPorta and an excellent RB duo, but it's nonetheless a positive sign for Williams that the Lions didn't prioritize adding competition for him this offseason. While he made a bunch of big plays down the stretch last season, Williams has played only 522 regular-season snaps on offense to this point in his career and has never caught more than five passes in a game.

James Cook
RB BUF (13)
Mon 4/29/24 3:27 PM

Cook is slated to be joined by rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis in the Bills backfield this coming season, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
Cook is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he carried 237times for 1,122 yards and two TDs to go along with 44 catches for 445 yards and four more scores in 17 games. With veteran backs Latavius Murray and Damien Harris no longer in the mix, Davis should have an opportunity to step into a complementary role behind Cook, while potentially claiming a share of the team's short-yardage work. Also in the team's backfield mix are Ty Johnson, Darrynton Evans and reported UDFA signing Frank Gore Jr., though none is likely to prevent Cook from maintaining steady enough volume in his third pro season.