Tag: Tyler Boyd

Marcus Brady on Chargers’ wide receivers: ‘We know we have to fill the room’

The Chargers are thin at the wide receiver position.

Chargers pass game coordinator Marcus Brady gave his assessment of the wide receiver room on Monday when asked about it in his media availability:

Right now, we have a small group, as it is [laughter]. They know that, we know that. It’s still early right now. Obviously, we have the Draft coming up. We’ll see where that goes. Then, talking to [General Manager] Joe [Hortiz] and Jim [Harbaugh], obviously, we know that we have to fill the room. We’ll get to that point when the time’s right.

As Brady mentions, the draft is rapidly approaching for the team and there should be an expectation that multiple wide receivers will be added between now and OTAs. If not numerous wideouts in the draft, specifically, the Chargers have also been linked to free agents like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Boyd.

On the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Brady said they’re trying to ultimately replace the production of two players that have had “elite success” in the league.

Brady also said that the No. 1 thing they’re looking for in wide receivers is the ability to get open.

The number one thing is being able to get open, create space and give a throw for the quarterback. Guys that are great off of the line of scrimmage on their releases, if they’re getting pressed, guys that are great at top of the route, and then guys that can make those tough catches. It’s a combination of all three of those. Then, kind of go from there.

Sitting a little over two weeks from the draft, we’ll see how the Chargers evaluate some of the current class based on ability. Brady also mentioned that he “loves” working hand in hand with wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal right now in getting guys to learn the terminology early on. Surely, both coaches’ player evaluation and development skill sets could become important soon.

Steelers insider forecasts ‘ship has sailed’ on Tyler Boyd acquisition

It’s all but official that free agent WR Tyler Boyd won’t be joining the Steelers in 2024.

The thrilling first wave of NFL free agency came in and left like the wind, and it was an unprecedented one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The critical component the Steelers are still missing offensively — aside from a starting-caliber center — is at wide receiver. If general manager Omar Khan had a plan when they jettisoned Diontae Johnson, it hasn’t yet come to fruition. Even combined, Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson are not of Johnson’s talent level.

At one point early in free agency, the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd expressed mutual interest. But according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, that ship has sailed. It appears it could be because of a low-ball offer.

“I would say that it would be a long shot, at best, that the two sides come together,” Kaboly wrote in a recent Steelers mailbag. “From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers. I am pretty sure the ship with the Steelers has sailed.”

Anything can still happen, but Boyd has plenty of potential suitors, decreasing the liklihood he’s wearing the black and gold in 2024.

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Tyreek Hill teases Dolphins adding WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Tyreek Hill says “OBJ to Miami confirmed.”

In March, the Miami Dolphins hosted Odell Beckham Jr. on a visit and, according to head coach Mike McDaniel, made a contract offer to the free agent wide receiver.

Two weeks later, there’s no further indication that a deal could come together, but Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill appears to think it’s coming soon. On his Snapchat story, Hill said Friday that Beckham joining Miami is “confirmed.”

“Things went great with him,” McDaniel said of Beckham in late March. “We did make him an offer and business takes time, especially with players like Odell, who’s had a phenomenal career and still has really good football in front of him and has options. I think those conversations will be ongoing. We’ll see where they go.”

Beckham, 31, sat out the entire 2022 season after suffering an ACL tear in Super Bowl LVI, but returned in 2023 on a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. In his sole season with the team, the receiver recorded 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

In his nine seasons in the NFL, Beckham has recorded 566 receptions for 7,932 yards and 59 touchdown receptions.

While the Dolphins have a star duo of receivers in Hill and former top 10 draft pick Jaylen Waddle, the team has seen little production out of the rest of its receiving corps. Hill and Waddle combined for more than 2,800 receiving yards in 2023, but no other wide receiver on the team topped 300 yards.

In addition to their interest in Beckham, the Dolphins have reportedly kept an eye on former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

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Report: Chargers have had ‘preliminary interest’ in free agent WR Tyler Boyd

The Chargers have been a team tabbed to potentially get help in the free agent market since trading Keenan Allen.

Per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, the Chargers are amongst a group of teams that registered preliminary interest in veteran free agent slot receiver Tyler Boyd:

From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers.

The Chargers have been a team pegged to potentially get help in the free agent market since trading Keenan Allen to the Bears last month. Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh mentioned free agency in addition to the draft when discussing the wide receiver position.

Boyd will enter his ninth NFL season in 2024. It could be his first year with a team other than the Bengals. In his career, he has accumulated 719 catches for 6000 yards and 31 touchdowns.

In recent seasons, Boyd’s production has dipped, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins taking up significant roles. Last year, a season-ending injury to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also profoundly affected all offensive production.

Generally, Boyd is still a relatively reliable slot presence after he rushed for over 600 yards and two touchdowns last season. However, Boyd has seen some target metrics, like yards per route run (1.15 in 2023) and yards per reception (10.0 in 2023), dip to career lows.

If the Chargers entertain any free agent WR signings at this point, I’d expect them to likely come after the draft. They will probably want to see where they stand after day three of the draft with a wide receiver class, of which Hortiz has noted the depth. Also, post-draft free-agent signings won’t factor into the Bolts’ comp pick formula. Currently, LA is slated to get three Day 3 selections in 2025.

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd getting interest from top contenders in free agency

An update on the market for Bengals WR Tyler Boyd in free agency.

The latest update on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd in free agency sounds similar to the most recent.

Mainly, it’s a slow market for the veteran.

That, and that popular-theorized fit with the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t going to pan out.

Mark Kaboly of The Athletic provided the latest update, which includes mention of other teams with a possible interest in Boyd:

I would say that it would be a long shot, at best, that the two sides come together. From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers. I am pretty sure the ship with the Steelers has sailed.

Boyd was an obvious fit with his hometown Steelers in more than one way. But a lot of factors — including a very deep wideout draft class this month — have slowed the market, leaving the likes of Boyd waiting.

It will be interesting to see if Boyd lands somewhere before the draft or elects to wait and then pick from the teams that still need help, but it’s clear there are several contenders who might be in the mix.

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Dolphins have reportedly shown interest in free agent WR Tyler Boyd

The Dolphins are reportedly among the teams that have been in contact with former Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd.

The Miami Dolphins have shown interest in free agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.

“From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with,” Kaboly wrote in a Tuesday column. “Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers. I am pretty sure the ship with the Steelers has sailed.

Boyd, 29, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals before hitting the free agency market last month. In 120 career games, Boyd has 513 receptions for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdown receptions.

While the Bengals have a dynamic receiving duo in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, they received very little production from any other player at the position in 2023. Tight end Durham Smythe was the team’s third leading receiver with 366 yards and both Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Braxton Berrios finished with less than 300 yards.

For now, Berrios is penciled in as the Dolphins’ third receiving option. In March, the team hosted free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on a visit.

It’s unclear how much Boyd is hoping to receive on the market, but the Dolphins don’t have a ton of room to make a big deal work. Over The Cap currently estimates Miami to have about $4.8 million in cap space, but just $1.8 million in effective space when considering the room needed to sign its rookie class.

Boyd finished the 2023 season with 67 receptions for 667 yards and two touchdowns.

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PFN identifies Steelers as best fit for WR Michael Gallup

So far this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have traded away their top wide receiver Diontae Johnson and signed three veterans to replace him. But I’m not sure anyone views Van Jefferson or Quez Watkins as starters in this offense and Cordarrelle …

So far this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have traded away their top wide receiver Diontae Johnson and signed three veterans to replace him. But I’m not sure anyone views Van Jefferson or Quez Watkins as starters in this offense and Cordarrelle Patterson is as much a running back and kick returner as anything else.

The free-agent market for wide receivers isn’t nearly as robust as it was at the start of free agency but there are still some names who could have an impact on the new-look Steelers offense. The one we all hear about is former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd but Pro Football Network targeted a different receiver as the best fit for the Steelers and that’s former Dallas Cowboys pass catcher Michael Gallup.

Michael Gallup hasn’t been the same player since tearing his ACL in 2022 but has a 1,000-yard campaign (2019) on his ledger. The 6’1″, 200-pounder can give the Steelers more size on the perimeter and wouldn’t prevent them from drafting an early-round WR. Gallup has drawn free agent interest from the Panthers and Ravens since being released by the Dallas Cowboys in early March.

At this point, it’s Boyd or nobody for us. We would much rather see Pittsburgh draft a player in the second or third round of the 2024 NFL draft than roll the dice on a player who has lost a step or two since his ACL injury.

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Steelers offer stands for FA wide receiver Tyler Boyd

The Steelers have reportedly made an offer to Tyler Boyd and are sticking with it.

According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, the Steelers still have an interest in signing free-agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd. This is in spite of the Steelers signing three veteran wide receivers already and scouting several top receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL draft.

However, according to Kaboly, the initial offer the Steelers made to Boyd is what they are sticking with. This means Boyd is going to have to decide if he’s willing to join the Steelers for whatever they have offered or try and do something else better.

The Steelers have already signed Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason but none of that should preclude Pittsburgh from pursuing Boyd. Boyd is the only guy who would be a true No. 2 receiver to pair up with George Pickens. If the Steelers add Boyd, that would put Jefferson and Watkins immediately on the roster bubble but wouldn’t diminish the interest in drafting a playmaker.

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Steelers hit roadblock with signing Bengals FA WR Tyler Boyd

The Steelers are looking to wait out Tyler Boyd.

At this point in free agency, the most coveted players are gone. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have had a plan when they traded Diontae Johnson, but we’ve not yet seen it come to fruition. That’s not to say it won’t still happen if the play was to sign Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd but according to Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo, the two sides aren’t agreeing on money, so Pittsburgh is going to try to wait him out.

They’re trying to wait out Tyler Boyd. I’m not quite sure how that’s going to end up going down here. I know that he wants to get paid more than they’re offering him. 

Boyd isn’t the only free-agent receiver left on the market but his ties to Pittsburgh seem to make him the one the Steelers want the most. The Steelers have dedicated significant resources to scouting some of the top receivers in the 2024 NFL draft which we assume is Plan B if Boyd and Steelers can’t reach an agreement prior to the draft.

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10 best available free agents to fit Raiders needs

10 best available free agents to fit Raiders needs

It’s Friday, which means the end of the work week. It also means it’s been two work weeks since the free agent market opened for business. The Raiders handled their number one business, which was to land top free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. His addition along with the return of Adam Butler and John Jenkins helped to solidify the definsive interior, but that still leaves them with plenty to do to get this team in good shape headed into the draft.

They have some $28.3 million in cap room with which to try and add some upgrades, competition, and insurance at several position still in need. And there is still some talent out there who could provide what they need.

This is the top ten free agents still on the market who could come in and fill a need position for the Raiders.