The New Orleans Saints must have a productive 2025 NFL Draft. Kellen Moore, in his first offseason, has a ton of draft capital between the first two days to bolster a roster that is aging on both sides of the football.
Trevor Penning was an improved player on the offensive line for New Orleans a season ago. That being said, upgrading in the trenches will certainly be on Moore's mind when it comes to his newest rookie class this offseason.
According to Adam Schefter, New Orleans is visiting with Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons on Monday. Simmons is regarded as one of the most talented tackle prospects in the class, but he missed most of last season with a leg injury.
Some visits:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2025
Ohio St. OT Josh Simmons is visiting today with the Saints today and Tuesday with the Cardinals.
South Carolina DT TJ Sanders is visiting today with the Bengals and Tuesday with the Bills.
Miami OL Jalen Rivers is visiting today with the Bengals.
Georgia…
If New Orleans could land Simmons in the early second round or even with a trade back into the end of round one, I think it would be awesome for the Saints.
For my money, he has a very good chance to become the best NFL tackle in this class as long as his medicals check out. There have not been any negative reports about his recovery, which is certainly a plus for his long-term outlook.
Truthfully, I enjoyed Simmons's film. He has some of the best tools in this class, and his technique looked much improved from last season, particularly in pass protection. I wasn't exaggerating when I said he might be the best pure pass protector in this tackle class.
There are some minor things to tick off and note, but it was starting to become too much of a reach to call them true "weaknesses" on his film. He dominated lower competition this season and didn't leave a lot of doubts on the film. Had he not been injured, I have no doubt we'd be talking about him as an easy top-10 selection right now.
-- AJ Schulte
#OhioState OT Josh Simmons. 6’5, 311.
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) February 5, 2025
Excellent fluidity. Natural athlete. Great punch timing + hand placement. Plus in the 2nd level/screen game. ++ Stunt recognition.
Top-25 player imo. pic.twitter.com/TQXe8NHchD
Taking Simmons at ninth overall would hold plenty of risk, though. While I think he doe possess that sort of talent in this prospect pool, the recent injury scare and overall unknown about him as a prospect throws a shadow over that scenario.
Regardless, he is on Kellen Moore's radar for this year's draft. If they want him, they cannot wait too long to grab him. Moore knows a thing or two about impressive OL play, not to mention.
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The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh clubbed his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels, not only extending his major league lead but also making him the first player in baseball to reach the 40-home run mark this season. It also helped him make some history. With his 40th home run, Raleigh became both the first catcher and the first switch-hitter in baseball history to reach the 40 home run mark before the end of July. Here is a look at his 40th home run. He is already in the process of having one of the best seasons ever for a Mariners player, and also one of the best seasons ever for a catcher, for any team. Especially when you add in his defense, where he is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. His only serious competition for the American League MVP Award remains New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. But with Judge sidelined for some time now due to an elbow injury, it might open the door for Raleigh to put himself in the lead for that award.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.