Everyone is looking for something as the NFL world descends upon Indianapolis this week.
The NFL Scouting Combine is much more than 40-yard dash times and bench press reps. Rumblings surrounding any big contract negotiation or trade on the horizon could start or intensify here. Get used to seeing general managers and head coaches in front of podiums this week, too, as they give more inclinations for how their 2025 rosters will be shaped.
Everything is worth watching, which is what The Athletic’s NFL beat writers will be doing. What will they be listening for most during this crucial week? They have thoughts for every NFL team below.
Arizona Cardinals
How will the Cardinals address the offseason’s biggest task — finding an edge rusher? General manager Monti Ossenfort has said he believes in building through the draft, and he has done well to this point. But Arizona is entering Year 3 under its new regime. The Cardinals increased from four wins to eight. It’s time to upgrade talent, which means making a major move in free agency. Per Over the Cap, the Cardinals rank fourth in the NFL with $76 million in available cap space. How will they use it to get this organization back into the postseason, which it has made once in the previous nine years? — Doug Haller
Atlanta Falcons
An explanation about Kirk Cousins. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot haven’t spoken publicly since Cousins reversed course during Super Bowl week, saying he was dealing with shoulder and elbow injuries from Week 10 through the end of the season after saying throughout the season that he was healthy. The Falcons placed Cousins on the injury report for one week, but he never appeared on it again after Week 11, and Morris echoed Cousins’ comments that he was completely healthy. Now that that story has changed, we’ll hear how Morris responds. — Josh Kendall
Baltimore Ravens
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh will be asked about kicker Justin Tucker’s status with the team, but it would be surprising if they offered much while an NFL investigation is ongoing. Otherwise, the most pressing matter for the Ravens is how they create more salary cap flexibility ahead of free agency. They have roughly $13 million of cap space, and that’s before any re-signings or restricted free agent/exclusive rights tenders. Will there be surprise cuts? Will they reach extensions with stars like Derrick Henry and Marlon Humphrey? Will they rework Lamar Jackson’s contract? There are many ways the Ravens can create space and the options they choose could rise to the forefront over the next few weeks. — Jeff Zrebiec
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have an incredibly interesting offseason on the way, without many key free agents, but having easy ways to access the most cap space they’ve had since 2022. They also know how close they were to finally getting past the Chiefs and into the Super Bowl last year. The last time the Bills felt they were this close to getting over the top in the postseason, they signed free-agent edge rusher Von Miller to a massive contract. With their defense letting them down in the AFC Championship Game, will that help facilitate their interest in Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett or some other big-name defender? Although the Bills likely won’t come out and proclaim their interest in Garrett, looking for signs of them going for a big move this offseason will be the biggest thing to track in Indianapolis. — Joe Buscaglia
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers raised eyebrows last year by signing two free agent guards — Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis — to big contracts. Rumblings about the Panthers’ plan to fortify the interior for Bryce Young first surfaced in Indy. After the Panthers allowed the most points in NFL history in 2024, could GM Dan Morgan double down at a defensive position this year? The Panthers need a nose tackle, another edge rusher, at least one safety and maybe a linebacker. That’s a lot to tackle in one offseason, especially if Morgan and head coach Dave Canales want to give Young another playmaker at WR or TE. — Joseph Person
Chicago Bears
A few years ago, former Bears coach Matt Eberflus answered questions about what traits he looks for in certain positions, specifically defensive backs and three-technique defensive tackles. This year, it will be new Bears coach Ben Johnson discussing what traits and skills he covets from his running backs, receivers and offensive linemen. Johnson’s vision for the Bears should take hold of nearly everything the team does in Indianapolis. Over the past two years, the No. 1 pick and the Bears’ plans with it dominated conversations. But with ample salary-cap space, three draft picks in the top 50 and Johnson at his side, GM Ryan Poles should still be popular at the combine. — Adam Jahns
Cincinnati Bengals
Much like at the Super Bowl, the Bengals will be a popular topic in Indianapolis. That’s because they are in contract discussions with some of the biggest stars in the sport. Tee Higgins could get an extension, get tagged or end up in tag-and-trade talks. Trey Hendrickson could get traded or extended. Ja’Marr Chase is about to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Joe Burrow spent the last two months applying pressure to the front office over keeping that group together. All eyes in the league are on the Bengals front office. Can they pull it off, what rumors are circulating about the Bengals’ stars and how does the front office view these critical negotiations? — Paul Dehner Jr.
Cleveland Browns
The two biggest Browns-related stories of the offseason are also two of the league’s biggest stories: Myles Garrett’s trade request and the Browns’ search for two new quarterbacks, almost certainly one veteran and one rookie. The Browns don’t have to use the No. 2 pick on a quarterback, but the team obviously would prefer not to be picking this early again. Garrett’s request — maybe more like a demand — stems from his belief that the Browns aren’t close to being a real contender. Can the combine stir real trade talks? Can the Browns be talked into moving Garrett? And can some quarterback or group of quarterbacks in this class truly separate from the others? The Browns will be watching closely. Will they really be listening when it comes to Garrett? — Zac Jackson
GO DEEPER
Myles Garrett trade proposals: 10 teams that would make sense for Browns All-Pro
Dallas Cowboys
Do team owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones plan to be more aggressive in veteran free agency or with trades? Where things stand with Micah Parsons and his contract situation is important, but Parsons isn’t going anywhere. Not being more aggressive in building around Parsons would be an issue. Both Joneses will be around most of the week in Indianapolis. It shouldn’t be difficult to get a feel for their roster-building plan under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Dallas clearly didn’t do enough to add quality veterans to fill roster holes last year. The Philadelphia Eagles are probably the NFL’s best in this area. For the Cowboys to close the gap, the roster-building strategy needs to change and be more aggressive. But will it? — Jon Machota
Denver Broncos
How does Denver plan to build a better rushing attack around young quarterback Bo Nix? The Broncos in 2024 ceaselessly rotated running backs without ever finding someone who could provide consistent production as a runner. It was a glaring issue in their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. For all of coach Sean Payton’s talk about finding a Joker for his offense — a running back or tight end with elite receiving skills who can create mismatches in the passing game — he needs a more reliable lead back, even if he has no plans for a full bell-cow approach. This looks like a strong draft class for running backs, but how much of a priority will Denver make the position? — Nick Kosmider
Detroit Lions
There will be plenty of time to talk about prospects over the next couple of months, but this will be our first time hearing from Dan Campbell since he lost several key members of his coaching staff and replaced them with new faces. He has shown a good eye for coaching talent in his four years as Detroit’s head coach. Campbell will offer his thoughts on his new hires, and we’ll also hear from new offensive coordinator John Morton and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. These three could be the keys to Detroit finally getting over the hump in 2025. — Colton Pouncy
Green Bay Packers
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has mastered the art of saying a lot without saying much during his seven seasons at the helm of Green Bay’s personnel department. That’s why it’ll be interesting to hear his response to what running back Josh Jacobs said during Super Bowl week on radio row about the team’s need for a proven No. 1 wide receiver. Gutekunst left the door open for an outside addition during his season-ending news conference in January while emphasizing his faith in the wideouts Green Bay already has. Might his stance on the matter change given one of his best and most respected players spoke out about the pressing topic? — Matt Schneidman
Houston Texans
The Texans have to do a better job of supporting quarterback C.J. Stroud. That became clear last season as the young quarterback found himself under duress and was sacked 52 times (second most in the NFL in 2024). Coach DeMeco Ryans will offer insight into his plans for improving the team’s approach since replacing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik with former Rams pass game coordinator Nick Caley. And general manager Nick Caserio could provide hints on his plan to fortify the roster around Stroud. Cap space is limited, so Houston likely will rely heavily on the draft to meet needs. — Mike Jones
Indianapolis Colts
What’s the plan at quarterback? Anthony Richardson showed flashes of his potential with game-winning TD drives against the Jets and Patriots, but his second NFL campaign was a lot more down than up. We’ll hear more from GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen about their plan to monitor Richardson’s progress this offseason and what they believe is necessary for him to permanently turn the corner in Year 3. Ballard also mentioned at the end of the season that the team will add “competition” at QB, so does that mean signing a veteran free agent or picking a quarterback in the draft? Or both? — James Boyd
Jacksonville Jaguars
All eyes will be on rookie head coach Liam Coen, who will almost certainly get another “Duval” request at his news conference. But it’ll be interesting to hear what he says about the team now that the dust has settled from the hiring process and he’s had more time to focus on the roster with his coaching staff in place. Plus, the Jaguars have a new general manager in James Gladstone, so people around the league will surely be intrigued by the symmetry between Coen and Trent Baalke’s replacement. — Jeff Howe
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs’ offseason begins with tight end Travis Kelce, the future Hall of Famer. Once again, the Chiefs must improve their offense to remain a Super Bowl contender. But will they be able to do that knowing that Kelce is still on the roster? Or will the Chiefs move forward with the possibility that Kelce has played the final game in his illustrious career? Even if Kelce hasn’t decided by the time the combine starts, which is expected, the Chiefs will have to start figuring out what to do with his contract, which includes an $11.5 million roster bonus that is due March 15, according to Over The Cap. — Nate Taylor
Las Vegas Raiders
Will the Raiders sign a QB and draft one? Sam Darnold likely is the best free-agent QB available, but there will be other veterans for the new regime of Tom Brady, Pete Carroll and John Spytek to consider. Kirk Cousins? Meh. The name to watch is Matthew Stafford if the Rams trade him. Less exciting cases could also be made for free agents Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Marcus Mariota to pair with a quarterback in this year’s draft. The connection between Brady and Shedeur Sanders has been well-documented, and while there is a chance Sanders could slide to the No. 6 pick, maybe a more aggressive path would be to trade up a couple of spots to get him. The Raiders could also wait for a young gun in the draft, depending on their impressions of Jalen Milroe, Kyle McCord and Tyler Shough. — Vic Tafur
Los Angeles Chargers
Who are they prioritizing in free agency? The Chargers are projected to have the fifth-most effective cap space in the league this offseason, according to Over The Cap. Unlike last offseason, coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz can be very aggressive when the negotiating window begins March 10. Which top-of-the-market free agent are they going to prioritize? Is it Chiefs guard Trey Smith? That would shore up the interior of their offensive line. Is it Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat? That would provide a replacement for Joey Bosa, a potential cap casualty. It will be fascinating to see how Harbaugh and Hortiz spend their space. We’ll be searching for any indication of their plan in Indy. — Daniel Popper
Los Angeles Rams
First, Matthew Stafford — then, finding tackles and a receiver. Before the rest of their roster puzzle starts getting put together, the Rams need clarity with their veteran starting quarterback. If they get a deal done, how much will it either help or limit the rest of their spending plans? If they part ways, what is their contingency plan and how will they use their returned capital? After all of that … the biggest needs on this roster will be left and right tackle, then receiver. Alaric Jackson, last season’s starting left tackle, will be a free agent and probably will have a competitive market. Veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein is entering the last year of his contract, and the Rams have made clear their intent to move on from veteran receiver Cooper Kupp. But all of these items come second to the quarterback situation. — Jourdan Rodrigue
Miami Dolphins
Salary cap conundrums. Even after their latest cuts, the Dolphins enter the offseason about $1.5 million below the estimated salary cap threshold, according to Over The Cap. The cap rose more than expected, so the situation isn’t as dire as it could have been for the Dolphins, but they’re going to be doing cap gymnastics all offseason to remain compliant while making the necessary additions to bolster their roster after a disappointing 8-9 season. But just what will their maneuvers be? More cuts? Trades? Restructures? Extensions? Miami has some tough decisions to make about its future, including on the fates of a few of its high-priced veterans (Terron Armstead, Bradley Chubb and Tyreek Hill). — Jim Ayello
Minnesota Vikings
The decision regarding Sam Darnold, and what that will mean in terms of how the Vikings shape their 2025 roster. Darnold will become a free agent if the Vikings don’t extend or franchise him. In that scenario, Minnesota must then turn to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy and a potential veteran option (like Daniel Jones). The Vikings also have plenty of needs to tend to. They want to improve their interior offensive line and interior defensive line. There are questions at cornerback, running back and safety. Darnold’s departure would leave the Vikings with ample cap space to fill some of these holes; conversations in Indianapolis will dictate how they’ll allocate their money. — Alec Lewis
New England Patriots
Quarterback chatter. After winning their (meaningless) final game last season, the Patriots fell from the No. 1 pick in the draft to No. 4. Now, if they want to improve their defense with top-end talent, they need two quarterbacks (Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders) to be taken in the first three picks. That would ensure one of Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter falls to the Patriots, which would be a massive get for a team that lacks game-breaking talent. — Chad Graff
New Orleans Saints
This seems less about April’s draft and more about developing a plan around players on the roster for new coach Kellen Moore and his staff. The Saints are perennially behind the eight ball with their salary cap, which includes questions on whether the team will move forward with quarterback Derek Carr, defensive end Cam Jordan, jack of all trades Taysom Hill and others. It still feels so new with Moore being hired after Super Bowl LIX. The news of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley happened during this past week. — Larry Holder
GO DEEPER
NFL beat writer mock draft 2025: Giants, Raiders secure their futures at QB
New York Giants
Can you be sick of asking about a nonexistent quarterback? We’re about to find out when it comes to the Giants, who don’t have a viable starter let alone an option at the position on their roster. We’ll be monitoring trade rumors (uh, hello Matthew Stafford), free-agent targets and how the top of the draft class (Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders) perform. It’s a quarterback-driven league, and the quarterback conversation will dominate the Giants’ combine experience. — Charlotte Carroll
New York Jets
What to do at quarterback. The Jets at least know their quarterback won’t be Aaron Rodgers. But headed into Indianapolis, the Jets will be working to figure out who would be realistic targets in trades or free agency — or if they like any prospects in this draft class enough to trade up or pick them at No. 7. Remember, in 2023, the Jets had meetings with Derek Carr and were trying to find out if Rodgers would be interested in joining their team as he partook in a darkness retreat. This next QB decision will go a long way toward deciding how successful the new Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey regime will be. — Zack Rosenblatt
Philadelphia Eagles
How Nick Sirianni fills out his coaching staff and explains his decisions so far. Sirianni hasn’t yet talked about promoting Kevin Patullo to offensive coordinator — an internal hire after Kellen Moore, an external hire, helped supply the concepts needed to reach Super Bowl LIX. In terms of personnel, Philadelphia’s offense should look almost the same in 2025. But how many defensive standouts do the Eagles intend to retain? And, if not, who will fill their spots? Linebacker, edge rusher and interior defensive line are all in play for a franchise that can at the very least draw confidence from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio not going anywhere. — Brooks Kubena
Pittsburgh Steelers
Speculation and uncertainty swirl around the Steelers’ QB situation for the second year in a row. Steelers general manager Omar Khan said at last year’s combine that he had “full faith” in Kenny Pickett, while also going on to say it was his duty to explore every possible option. It turned out the second part of that statement was more telling. For what it’s worth, team president and owner Art Rooney II is on the record saying that his “preference” is to re-sign either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. The Steelers are likely to hold their cards close to the vest yet again, but this will be one of the last chances to see what Khan says publicly before free agency opens. — Mike DeFabo
Brock Purdy’s contract extension is one of the more notable storylines for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers
Whether the 49ers have met yet with Brock Purdy’s agent. Indianapolis is often where large-scale contract negotiations begin, sometimes over dinner at one of the city’s steakhouses. Colin Kaepernick’s agents, for example, sat down with the 49ers’ brass for dinner in late February 2014. The quarterback’s six-year extension was completed a little more than three months later. It also will be interesting to see whether the 49ers meet with the agents for upcoming free agents Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. The team can sign them to extensions before the new league year begins on March 12. If they don’t get that process started in Indianapolis, however, those players will at least hit the open market. — Matt Barrows
Seattle Seahawks
The quarterback plan. Geno Smith would like a new contract. He has one of the 10 highest cap hits in the league. Seattle is several million over the salary cap. One of the ways to clear cap space to improve the roster would be to extend the 34-year-old Smith, who is on record saying he believes he’s one of the top players at his position. Does Seattle general manager John Schneider feel the same way about his quarterback, who is coming off a statistically down year? If Schneider disagrees, then what? — Michael-Shawn Dugar
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nothing is more important to the Bucs this offseason than the Chris Godwin contract situation, and it could come to a head in Indianapolis. What appears certain is the Bucs want Godwin back and he wants to be back. What is uncertain is whether they can reach a middle ground on a new deal before the wide receiver becomes a free agent in March. Earlier this week, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reported an agreement had been reached to change Godwin’s contract so it voids March 12 instead of Feb. 18. That’s an indication both sides are hopeful a deal can be reached, and that talks are in the works. It’s also an indication that the Bucs have confidence in Godwin’s recovery from a dislocated ankle. It should not be forgotten that the Bucs used the franchise tag on Godwin twice (in 2021 and 2022) and could do it again. — Dan Pompei
Tennessee Titans
Any and all hints about what the Titans plan to do with that No. 1 pick. People went a little too far with president of football operations Chad Brinker’s comment to reporters that the Titans “won’t pass on a generational talent” in the draft, taking it as confirmation the Titans are out on a QB. What does it really mean? If you want to hold Brinker to a strict definition of that word, just one player, Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, is frequently discussed in that way. New GM Mike Borgonzi will be asked about Hunter, Abdul Carter and quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders every which way he can be asked. And then you have head coach Brian Callahan, realistically on the hot seat entering his second season. He’s looking at a second opportunity to prove he’s a QB whisperer — perhaps with win-total challenges — or getting a veteran to better help reverse the bottom line. It’s time to parse every word! — Joe Rexrode
Washington Commanders
Big swing alert. The Commanders’ surprise run to the NFC Championship Game accelerates Washington’s rebuild timeline — as does sensational quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Offensive Rookie of the Year has two years on his rookie contract before becoming eligible for a contract extension. Does GM Adam Peters attack this significant opportunity or keep the methodical building plan heading into his second season with the franchise? Trading for Myles Garrett would significantly improve a limited defense while signing a free-agent wide receiver would give Daniels another playmaker. Given the significant salary cap space and their draft picks, it’s doable but also goes against Peters’ preferred roster-building route. The roster had holes beyond 28 free agents, but significant salary cap space and seven draft picks are available. — Ben Standig
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photos: Justin Casterline, Stacy Revere, Jason Miller, Kevin Sabitus, Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
#watching #NFL #combine #Myles #Garrett #trade #rumors #carousel
Leave a Reply