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Insider offers update on Browns, Kirk Cousins rumors amid Steelers' uncertainty
Numerous noteworthy individuals poured cold water over the idea of the Cleveland Browns acquiring quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons this spring, even before Cleveland brought fan-favorite Joe Flacco back to the organization to compete with Kenny Pickett and a to-be-drafted rookie for its starting job.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers began the second Monday of April still not knowing if Aaron Rodgers will ultimately decide to sign a deal with them anytime soon.
On Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated addressed whether Cousins could end the month as a member of either of those AFC North clubs.
"Where could Cousins go? I think Cleveland is a lot less likely now, but not completely impossible," Breer said. "The other team I’d pay attention to is the Pittsburgh Steelers if Aaron Rodgers decides not to go there. How he fits there, with the strong personalities in that locker room, and on offense in particular, is a fair question. But you don’t have to squint too hard to envision a marriage of convenience between two sides who, once the dust settles on Rodgers, may need each other."
Shortly after a report emerged claiming that New Orleans Saints starting quarterback Derek Carr could miss at least a portion of the 2025 season because of a shoulder injury, some suggested Rodgers could be an option for that organization. Additionally, many league insiders believe the Saints will make Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders the ninth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
That's noteworthy because Cousins has a full no-trade clause attached to his contract and reportedly isn't keen on joining a team that takes a signal-caller in the first round of this year's draft after he lost the Atlanta starting job to 2024 rookie Michael Penix Jr. this past December.
"Cousins is serious about wielding his no-trade clause to prevent a move before the draft," Breer added.
There's no indication ahead of the draft that any team is in a rush to trade for Cousins, eat a portion of his salary and name him its starter for the 2025 season. However, the Steelers could become desperate to make a move if they end the draft with longtime backup Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson as the advertised best quarterbacks on the roster.
Cousins will almost certainly have to accept either serving as Penix's backup or mentoring a rookie while starting for a different club later this year. Perhaps he'll eventually welcome joining the Steelers if they don't sign Rodgers and grab a project for the future on the final day of the upcoming player-selection process.
More must-reads:
- Browns' Kenny Pickett fires warning shot to Joe Flacco, potential rookie QB
- From Broadway Joe to Megatron: The 25 greatest NFL nicknames
- The 'Active players with the most NFL starts' quiz
TODAY'S BEST
There's still a path for Jaire Alexander to be on the Packers in 2025, and while unlikely, it's technically far from impossible
Go back to March 11. That day, the San Francisco 49ers released fullback Kyle Juszczyk after eight seasons with the team. What looked like a definitive decision changed eight days later, when Juszczyk signed back with the 49ers for $600k less than the original contract. No, I'm not saying that the Green Bay Packers would or should sign cornerback Jaire Alexander back after releasing him last week. But they could. It's viable, it has happened in other instances in the NFL, and there is a realistic set of reasons why both parties would go back to the negotiating table. Why it could happen The Packers were in a difficult position in regards to Jaire Alexander. While there were no guarantees left on his deal, the salary of any player with four or more accrued seasons in the NFL becomes fully guaranteed for the season if he's on the roster by Week 1. Considering the risk of injury, especially in Alexander's case, it didn't make sense to allow Jaire to be at the team's mandatory minicamp or training camp without a contract resolution. Green Bay made an offer, but Jaire's side thought it was too low and without enough guaranteed money on it. Alexander didn't want to take a paycut to be traded either, so a deal with the Buffalo Bills fell through. Now, though, there is no contract to base negotiations out of. If the cornerback goes to the open market and doesn't get what he thought he could, and maybe the Packers decide to slightly increase the original offer to show new signs of good faith, a new deal could be reasonable for everyone. It certainly would have to include a low base salary and be incentive-heavy, but that's probably what Jaire will get from anyone anyway. Why it's not impossible As aforementioned, the 49ers did a similar thing with Juszczyk for no obvious reasons — the old contract had dead money, so the cap savings weren't high enough to justify any type of risk. During his week without a deal, Juszczyk even visited the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers themselves have had some examples of releasing and then signing the player back. A recent case was long snapper Matthew Orzech in 2023. He was released on August 29 and re-signed two days later, so the Packers could keep a player who would later be moved to the injured reserve without exposing a younger player to the waiver system. Obviously not apples-to-apples because the circumstances were different, but things change fast in the NFL. Why it's unlikely Even though it's viable and technically possible for the Packers to re-sign Jaire Alexander, it's clearly difficult for everything to happen. First, because both sides had negotiations before the release throughout the offseason and couldn't get anything done. Second, because general manager Brian Gutekunst is not a big fan of bringing players back after he makes a decision. A rare exception is Randall Cobb, because the reasons why the Packers traded for him are well-known — and it was Aaron Rodgers. Additionally, Gutekunst himself has already said that the team tried to invest in Alexander's health, and it didn't work. The last point is that, even though Alexander hasn't signed yet, there's a reasonable argument to make that he has a robust market out there. It's unclear how much money he will make, but several teams could see him being a good bet. And if that's the case, it's unlikely that his price will be low to a point where going back to the Packers becomes the best scenario. Ultimately, it's a tough proposition. But crazier things have happened in the league.
Report: Blackhawks Looking to Trade Third Overall Pick
The Chicago Blackhawks have been one of the NHL’s bottom-feeder teams for quite some time now, failing to reach 30 wins in each of the last five seasons. With just one playoff appearance in the last eight years, the Blackhawks are done floundering at the bottom of the NHL rankings and want to take a big swing towards Stanley Cup contention. According to Frank Seravalli on the Daily Faceoff Rundown, the Blackhawks are willing to move on from their first-round selection at the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, which happens to be the third-overall pick. “I don’t think they are going to be out spending crazy money,” Seravalli said. “But I do think that they want to be really active one the trade market and I do think that the No. 3 overall pick is in play.” Obviously, if the Blackhawks are willing to sell such a high draft pick, they’re going to need a legit NHL talent in return. Seravalli says the Blackhawks want a “real difference maker” in return. “We’re not going trade it to just get just a guy to plug in our lineup,” Servalli said. Seravalli went on to mention the Buffalo Sabres as a possible trade partner in this situation, considering that the list of teams willing to move on from a “difference maker” for a future asset is slim. The Sabres are a viable option as sellers, as too are the Pittsburgh Penguins and certain players on the Dallas Stars roster. Is there anyone on one of those teams worth a third-overall pick? Possibly, the Penguins might have to consider their options with a guy like Bryan Rust, and the Stars are floating Jason Robertson on the trade block. The Blackhawks are looking to return as one of the NHL’s powerhouses and do it quickly. Connor Bedard didn’t have an outstanding sophomore season and needs all the help he can get to continue developing into the can’t miss superstar he is expected to be.
Controversial Canadiens Prospect Logan Mailloux Involved in Blockbuster Trade Talks Per Several Reports
Logan Mailloux has shown flashes of being a solid player in the NHL, but now, the controversial young defenseman has officially been placed on the trade block. The Montreal Canadiens had a fantastic season in 2024/25, taking a major step forward on the back of some great campaigns from young names, especially Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson. Now, optimism is high for the future, with the belief around the league being that Montreal could move one or both of their first round picks as they look to add firepower to their roster ahead of another Stanley Cup Playoffs push in 2025/26. One player that has now reportedly joined trade conversations has been young defenseman Logan Mailloux, who posted 2 goals and 4 points in 7 games with the Canadiens last season, all while playing very well for the Laval Rocket in the AHL. According to reporter Jimmy Murphy, Mailloux's name has been all over the rumour mill in the NHL in recent times, leading many to believe that the 22-year old will be on the move in the summer. 'Logan Mailloux's name is all over the trade rumors right now in the NHL.' While Mailloux has talent and production at the AHL level behind him, he was a very controversial draft pick for the Canadiens in 2021, so any team acquiring him will have more to think about before making the move, but with the NHL allowing him to play, there likely won't be much to hold teams back. For now, it's all but confirmed that Montreal are major buyers in this market as they look to significantly upgrade their roster ahead of next season, and with some solid blue liners already in the NHL and on the way, don't be shocked to see Mailloux moved this off-season.
Maxx Crosby Details Key Differences for Raiders Before 2025 Season
The Las Vegas Raiders gave defensive end Maxx Crosby a record-breaking three-year, $106.5 million extension in March just before free agency. Despite a regime change that brought in new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll, the new brass felt that the two-time All-Pro should be compensated like the other great non-quarterbacks in the NFL. Just because Crosby has been paid, however, does not mean that the Raiders will be an entirely different team. They won just four games in 2024 and still have a ways to go if they want to be a legitimate contender in a brutal AFC. Crosby seems to think that this team can compete right away, however. He spoke on a recent episode of "Glory Daze" with Johnny Manziel about a few key differences for Las Vegas heading into the 2025 season. "It's awesome when you don't have to be the only guy. I don't have to go and (expletive) the offense every other day, like I've had to in the past," Crosby said. "You got a guy like Geno (Smith), who's a real leader, he's got his (expletive) guys. He's got their group. Then you got our O-Line, Jackson Powers(-Johnson), he's a young dude, but he's stepping up as a leader. ... That's what you need to win." This offseason brought massive upgrades in the form of quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty, and it seems like those players have instilled confidence in players like Crosby as well. Jackson Powers-Johnson should also settle in at center this year and become one of the best in the league at his position right away. Las Vegas had the worst rushing attack in the league last season, and arguably the worst quarterback situation as well. However, Spytek seems to have found remedies for both the talent and leadership issues that the Raiders endured last season. Navigating through the AFC West will still be difficult, as the Chiefs, Broncos and Chargers each won at least 10 games in 2024 en route to a playoff berth. Crosby is coming off his lowest sack total since the 2020 NFL season, but he missed five games in 2024, marking the first year that he has missed time during his professional career. However, he has been a full participant in the team's offseason program and should be ready to take this Raiders team to new heights in 2025.
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