Lions
New Lions OC John Morton told reporters that his previous experience with QB Jared Goff will help him as he takes over for Ben Johnson and installs the team’s offense for 2025.
“I think it’s big because it all starts with the quarterback,” Morton told Fox 2 Detroit’s Dan Miller. “Just kind of knowing him — and when I was here, I was in the quarterback room. So, I have a feel of what he likes, and what he doesn’t. That’s important as a play-caller. We’ll continue here when the players come back and stuff, so I’ll get to know more about him and the plays that he really likes a lot and what they’ve been doing good here. They’ve already established a philosophy here. It’s just my job to continue the vision of how (coach) Dan ( Campbell) wants things. We’ll tinker with things here and there, and we’ll see how we can make it better.”
- Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic notes that the team can save $6 million in cap space by letting go of former Browns DE Za’Darius Smith prior to June 1st.
Packers
- Matt Schneidman of The Athletic comments that the Packers would free up about $6.8 million in cap space by moving on from CB Jaire Alexander, who has the third-highest cap hit on the team.
Vikings
- Kevin Seifert says that the Vikings are going to sit tight when the franchise tag window opens as there is no real incentive to tag QB Sam Darnold.
- Seifert adds that the team hasn’t ruled out tagging Darnold or signing him to a multi-year deal, yet there remains a chance they could tag and trade the veteran quarterback for draft compensation.
- Also, Seifert points out that Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell was on the Patriots roster when the team franchise-tagged QB Matt Cassel and then traded him to the Chiefs in 2009.
- Ben Goessling mentions that the interior of the offensive line could likely be a focus this offseason with the team currently sitting at around $60 million of cap space in free agency and a lot of turnover is expected.
- Per Goessling, Vikings G Dalton Risner could be back on another lesser deal, similar to the one he signed last season after hoping for a bigger deal. He is the most likely to return out of the interior group.
- Goessling has guards Blake Brandel, Ed Ingram, and C Garrett Bradbury all listed as either cut or restructure candidates, with a chance the team moves on from both Brandel and Ingram for salary cap reasons.
- The Vikings would save $5.2 million by cutting Ingram and would only take on $385,000 in dead money in doing so. They would be able to save $2.58 million against the cap by cutting Brandel, who will be guaranteed a $1.65 million salary for 2025 if he is on the roster at the start of the league year so a decision on his status will likely come soon.
- As for Bradbury, he has struggled with both larger defenders and his health, which could lead the Vikings to cut him and save $3.6 million against the cap if they don’t decide to restructure his deal.
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