PHOENIX — Rule changes were at the forefront of the NFL owners meeting this week, with the most notable approved proposal being a one-year rule that allows officials “to correct clear and obvious mistakes” as the league’s referees face a potential lockout.
It’s clear the NFL anticipates having to use replacement referees — and because it was a largely damaging decision last time, with the replacement refs struggling enormously in 2012 (see: the Fail Mary), the league is doing what it can to help preserve the product in the event of a work stoppage.
But there were other newsworthy items that came from coaches, execs and owners about their respective teams during the week. What potential moves might come next in the NFL this offseason? Who should we keep an eye on as we’re five months away from the start of the regular season?
Let’s dive into those items as we share our four takeaways from our time in Arizona.
1. Teams only created more burning questions around some of the league’s top wide receivers
George Pickens is among the handful of wide receivers who are in the midst of contract or trade concerns. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Henry McKenna: At any given time of year, the quarterbacks are typically the most polarizing players, a lightning rod for discussion. But it was the receivers who — for better and for worse — generated the most buzz at the NFL owners meeting.
Puka Nacua: If you look at the NFL’s receiving yards leaders, you’ll see Nacua up there at No. 2 behind Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who received an extension for four years worth $168.6 million. Nacua is eligible for a new contract, and could demand as much as Smith-Njigba. But that ignores the ways their careers have diverged off the field, with Smith-Njigba acting as a leader in the locker room and a no-nonsense professional. Nacua, meanwhile, has struggled to conduct himself with the same professionalism. This offseason, after several incidents, the Rams receiver has checked himself into rehab, his attorney confirmed.
Prior to the news that Nacua was in rehab, Rams general manager Les Snead was asked how Nacua’s off-field issues could impact a future contract.
“The impact is continuing to evolve,” Snead said at the owners meeting. “Not only as a person but as a football player. And you need to be on your P’s and Q’s in both categories to earn that type of contract. Right now we’re focused on the human being, and then we’ll get to that stuff.”
George Pickens: Pickens proved he is capable of being a WR1 in the times when CeeDee Lamb was hurt — and so that probably makes Pickens the best WR2 in the NFL. That should increase the Dallas Cowboys’ urgency to get a deal done, rather than force him to play on the franchise tag.
And yet Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Tuesday that he has not been in touch recently with Pickens’ agent, who — by the way — has a history of encouraging his franchise-tagged players to hold out.
“The franchise tag is an integral part of all teams and certainly an integral part of our strategy over the next two or three years as we look at how to keep the best players,” Jones said.
To Jones’ credit, the Cowboys are getting Pickens on a discount on the tag (one-year, $28 million). So you can see why he’d like to have the wide receiver play on those terms. It’s just unrealistic to expect that to go smoothly — and without Pickens putting up a fight. Given the way everything fell apart with Micah Parsons and Jones last offseason, you’d think the Cowboys wouldn’t want to make the same mistake twice — overcomplicating their relationship with one of their best players. But maybe that contract dispute won’t inform this one.
A.J. Brown: The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to spend the meetings working to create leverage in the trade, which now seems extremely likely. Both general manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni told reporters that “A.J. is an Eagle.” And while that’s factually accurate, it still left us without an answer about whether he’ll be an Eagle in September for Week 1. But if you listen to what New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had to say about Brown, you’ll hear a coach who is deeply interested in taking on Brown, for all his pros (outstanding play) and cons (outspokenly critical, at times).
Do I think Brown will be a Patriot? Yes. But we likely won’t know for sure until after June 1, when the receiver’s contract becomes easier to trade from a salary cap standpoint.
2. Rams’ GM Les Snead offers remedy to avoid another Maxx Crosby trade debacle
Weeks later, the failed Maxx Crosby trade remains a hot topic in the NFL. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Eric D. Williams: Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby’s rescinded trade by the Baltimore Ravens due to a failed physical over his surgically repaired left knee serves as a cautionary tale for the rest of the league.
The Ravens traded two first-round picks for Crosby, including the 14th overall selection in the upcoming draft. It marked the first time Baltimore relinquished a first-round pick for a player via trade in franchise history, so the Ravens were certainly excited to acquire Crosby.
However, less than 24 hours before the trade could become official at the start of the new league year, the Ravens informed the Raiders they were backing out after Crosby failed his physical in Baltimore.
A long-time NFL medical staff member familiar with the process of team physicals told me the issue could have been avoided had the two sides agreed to have Crosby evaluated by a Ravens team doctor before the announcement of the trade.
Count Rams general manager Les Snead as someone who believes a more uniform, collaborative process needs to be installed by the NFL.
“There’s a conundrum there, where a lot of times these things get announced, or maybe even reported before the league year,” Snead told reporters at the NFL annual meeting this week. “And then people can go and do physicals. But here’s what I would say: I think we as clubs need to be more proactive.
“We can wait on the governing body, per se. But I think you should get into really sharing the information before you bring someone in, if you can, or you’re going to have that issue. The trade gets announced or reported. A week later, he shows up for a physical [and he fails]. … You must have the ability to put your medical individuals on with their medical individuals and make {that a} wise factor.”
Whereas Crosby says he’s staying with the Raiders for this season, that doesn’t imply different groups usually are not . Dallas was one of many groups eager about Crosby earlier than the commerce, and Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones indicated he hasn’t shut the door on the potential for looking for the gifted move rusher’s companies.
“I don’t anticipate — standing right here proper now — revisiting that state of affairs,” Jones informed reporters on the NFL homeowners assembly. “I don’t anticipate it. Is it potential? Sure.”
3. Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer has a plan to improve Dallas’ depressing protection
The Cowboys’ offense was completely high-quality in Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach. He is seeking to repair the protection in an enormous method in 12 months 2. (Picture by Ishika Samant/Getty Pictures)
Williams: With Dak Prescott main the offense, the Cowboys averaged 28 factors a recreation, good for seventh within the NFL this previous season.
Nonetheless, the protection let the Cowboys down all season, giving up a league-high 30 factors per recreation. Particularly, Dallas struggled within the again finish defensively, permitting a league-high 252 passing yards per contest, the second-most passing touchdowns within the league (35) and totaling simply six interceptions on the 12 months.
However Schottenheimer believes he’s created a possibility to enhance the protection by transferring on from Matt Eberflus and changing him with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive passing recreation coordinator Christian Parker as his new defensive coordinator.
Schottenheimer mentioned he wish to see extra pre-snap disguise and multiplicity from his protection, like Parker’s protégé Vic Fangio. That would additionally imply the Cowboys utilizing extra defensive groupings with six defensive backs. The Cowboys signed former Arizona Cardinals security Jalen Thompson, former Denver Broncos security P.J. Locke and ex-Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant in free company, including versatility and playmaking skill to the secondary.
The Rams used six defensive backs on a league-high 347 defensive performs final season, whereas the Cardinals used six defensive backs in 176 defensive performs. The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks used six defensive backs on 167 defensive snaps in 2025.
The Cowboys? They used six defensive backs on simply 4 performs final 12 months.
“The disguise ingredient to me is thrilling,” Schottenheimer mentioned after I requested for a few traits he needs to see from his protection. “It’s one of many issues I fell in love with – perhaps not fell in love with as a result of it sucks going towards Vic Fangio’s fashion of schemes – however simply the confusion that they provide you in the beginning of the snap, as a result of they’re all sitting again there on the quarter shell.
“After I hear to those guys speak, as a result of it’s nonetheless just a little little bit of a overseas language after I hearken to Christian Parker, [passing game coordinator] Derrick Ansley and [inside linebackers coach] Scott Symons discuss among the protection variations we are able to get to, what I like about it’s the skill to remove the aspect of the sector, a participant and other ways to remove the leverage of a slot receiver. Christian is a superb coach at each stage, however I believe he’s a Famous person in relation to the secondary.”
4. There is no such thing as a extra compelling experiment than Kyler Murray and Kevin O’Connell
Kyler Murray discovered a house to probably revive his profession with the Vikings after getting launched by the Cardinals. (Picture by Norm Corridor/Getty Pictures)
McKenna: Each offseason, there’s a rearranging of personnel — a change of surroundings — that has the potential to be particular. Or to fail fabulously. The Vikings‘ signing of Murray is likely to be the transaction with the best boom-bust potential.
Murray has loved legitimately elite quarterback play, however he has by no means sustained it.
And O’Connell has a observe file of doing simply that, with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold placing collectively seasons that utterly rearranged what we thought we knew about them.
On this sense, Murray must be the following man in line. It might be oversimplistic to name Murray a reclamation mission. But it surely’s honest to say he has but to understand his full potential. The issue with this narrative is that O’Connell hit his first snag in QB growth with J.J. McCarthy, a former first-round decide who was most likely the league’s worst starter in 2025. Even after two seasons within the NFL, we do not know what McCarthy can provide.
O’Connell’s status is on the road with Murray.
Murray’s profession is on the road with O’Connell.
And to make it much more compelling, Murray’s excellent mobility makes him in contrast to the pocket passers who’ve preceded him in O’Connell’s system.
“I do not assume he is gotten sufficient credit score for, you realize, taking part in in-rhythm,” O’Connell informed reporters on the homeowners assembly in Phoenix. “All of us acknowledge among the spotlight reel skill that he has, and Kyler Murray has at all times had that stage of expertise. However I believe generally what we do not acknowledge is … him play with actually, actually good approach and fundamentals both within the dropback recreation.”
Let’s see it.
