NFL Player News

Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze all worked out with new Bears QB Caleb Williams in April, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Williams and Odunze weren't on the team at the time, though in Williams' everyone knew he'd be going to Chicago with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 Draft. The Bears then took Odunze eight picks later, completing a fearsome WR trio with Allen and Moore. It's a situation that will make it nearly impossible for Allen to match his target volume from his years in San Diego and Los Angeles, even if Odunze needs some time to adjust to the pro game. Allen celebrated his 32nd birthday during the draft and is entering the final year of his contract, with GM Ryan Poles having said in March that he expected the veteran WR to sign an extension at some points. It's unclear if the Odunze selection changes the expectation for Alllen to sign a multi-year deal, as the Bears have enough cap flexibility to keep all three WRs for the next few seasons if that's what they choose to prioritize.

The Falcons figure to be heavily reliant on Mooney and Drake London at wide receiver, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

The Falcons have sent multiple signals that they expect Mooney to bounce back from a quiet 2023 in Chicago, first giving him $26 million guaranteed on a three-year, $39 million contract and now waiting until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft before taking a wide receiver (Casey Washington). There's no serious competition for the No. 2 WR job, though it is possible Mooney ends up a distant fourth behind London, RB Bijan Robinson and TE Kyle Pitts in terms of prioritization in Atlanta' offense. Still, it's not a bad spot to be in, especially for a thin, fast receiver who projects better as a deep threat than as a high-volume guy.

GM Nick Caserio said Tuesday that he expects Pierce to be "a big part" of the Houston offense this upcoming season, Tyler Milner of Sports Radio 610 reports.

The 2022 fourth-round pick ran for 939 yards in 13 games his rookie season but then managed just 416 yards in 14 games last year. Pierce nosedived from 4.3 YPC to 2.9, losing his starting job to Devin Singletary in the process. Singletary is with the Giants now, but Pierce nonetheless appear destined for a backup role after the Texans traded for Joe Mixon and gave him an extension. The team then waited until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft to select a running back, taking a player (Louisville's Jawhar Jordan) who six months older than Pierce and might only be used as a kick return specialist. In other words, Pierce has a nice opportunity to keep the second spot on the depth chart despite his lousy performance last season, though Dare Ogunbowale remains a threat to get playing time in obvious pass situations.

Paye had the fifth-year option on his contract exercised Thursday, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Paye had a successful third NFL season in 2023, recording career highs across the board, with 52 combined tackles, including 8.5 sacks. He also forced and recovered two fumbles. The Michigan product should now remain an integral part of the Colts' pass rush for the next two seasons.

Stokes (hamstring) will not have his fifth-year option exercised by the Packers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Stokes had a successful rookie campaign after Green Bay selected him in the first round of the 2021 Draft, but he's had trouble staying on the field since. The Georgia product appeared in just three games in 2023, while suiting up nine times in 2022. If he can remain healthy this season though, he should be able to make an impact in Green Bay's secondary and is expected to start opposite Jaire Alexander at corner.

Farley (back) will not have his fifth-year option exercised by the Titans, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Farley has struggled to stay on the field, missing all of his 2023 campaign due to a back injury, so the news doesn't really come as a surprise. He's also suited up just 12 times between his first and second seasons, making two starts and recording 14 combined tackles.

Onwenu is slated to be the Patriots' starting right tackle in 2024, Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal reports.

Owenwu has bounced around New England's offensive line playing guard and tackle for the last two seasons, but that is no longer the plan for the 26-year-old. The 2020 sixth-rounder recently signed a three-year, $57 million contract extension with the team, whose new coaching staff views the Michigan product as exclusively a tackle.

The Steelers declined their 2025 option on Harris' contract, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

This comes as somewhat of a surprise after Harris has posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since being selected 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Most impressively, Harris has never missed a game at a position that sees so many injuries. He's been a model of toughness and durability, even if the stats haven't particularly jumped off the page with a career 3.9 yards-per-carry average. Harris, however, did rush for a career-best eight touchdowns last season, averaging a three year-best 4.1 yards per carry. Harris is now tentatively schedule to hit free agency next March, though Adam Schefter of ESPN notes that the Steelers aren't ruling out reaching a deal with the 26-year-old running back before then.

Smith-Schuster's role with Patriots is unclear after the team selected a pair of wideouts in the 2024 NFL Draft, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Over the course of 11 regular-season games in his first year with the Patriots, Smith-Schuster recorded a 29-260-1 line on 47 targets in 2023. The veteran wideout is under contract with the team through 2025, and he's presumably past the ankle issue that landed him on IR in December. Even so, New England's additions of free agent K.J. Osborn and a pair of 2024 draftees (second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker) to a wide receiver mix that also includes returnees Kendrick Bourne (knee) and Demario Douglas clouds Smith-Schuster's depth chart standing ahead of training camp. With that in mind, both Callahan and Chad Graff of The Athletic suggest that the 27-year-old pass catcher could end up moving on as the offseason progresses.

The Chargers exercised Slater's 2025 fifth-year option, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

This was a no-brainer for new Chargers GM Joe Hortiz. After missing most of 2022 with a torn biceps, Slater returned to start all 17 games last season. As a 2021 rookie, Slater finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, made the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro selection. The Chargers hope Slater can return to his dominant rookie-year form.