Cardinals

The Cardinals have emerged as a candidate to take Alabama QB Ty Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft. When asked about the possibility of taking a rookie quarterback and sitting them for their opening year, HC Mike LaFleur responded that it is a nuanced topic, but they would ultimately play whoever they feel most helps the team. 

“I mean, I think there’s something to be said about that,” LaFleur said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “It seems like there’s no factual statement with what I’m about to say, but the college game and the pro game are just so different. And then where did that college player play? Was the competition as high as it was at School A compared to School B? And, so, there’s so many factors in there. Ultimately, you’re going to play the best player that you think is going to give you the best chance to win, period.”

LaFleur added that if a rookie appeared to be playing on an equal level with veterans on the roster, he would rather the rookie sit and learn. 

“If all things are equal, then yeah, you’d rather have that veteran kind of show that guy,” LaFleur said. “But, again, if we all believe as an organization that the young guy is going to give you the best chance during that 60-minute game to win, then you’re going to throw him out there.”

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort mentioned that they’ve done a lot of work on this year’s quarterback class to determine which prospects can become successful in the NFL. 

“It’s up to us to really look at those guys and project how they’re going to translate to our league,” Ossenfort said. “And, so, every year’s different, and we certainly did our share of evaluation on the quarterbacks in this year’s draft.”

Falcons

• The Falcons signed OT Jawaan Taylor to a one-year contract worth $5 million. (OTC)

Rams 

The Rams have been connected to USC WR Makai Lemon as a potential pick at No. 13 overall. Los Angeles GM Les Snead said he’s followed the Trojans closely and is a fan of Lemon.

“He’s a fun player to watch being right here,” Snead said, via RamsWire. “I have a daughter at USC. … I’ve lived and died some Trojan football. I can say this: As a fan and as a father with two kids there, it was fun when you saw the ball go up and it was heading toward Lemon’s hands, you always felt like he’d bring it down.”