NFL Player News

Rypien signed his one-year exclusive rights tender Monday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Rypien spent the majority of the 2021 season as the Broncos' No. 3 signal-caller behind Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, appearing in just one game and logging three snaps in total. Even with Bridgewater (Miami) and Lock (Seattle) in new locations, Rypien's outlook won't change much in 2022. The Broncos acquired Russell Wilson from the Seahawks earlier in the offseason, while Josh Johnson looks like the favorite for the backup role after he was brought aboard in March on a one-year, $1.3 million deal.

Texans coach Lovie Smith said Monday that Mills is the team's quarterback, while offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton used the term "potentially our starting quarterback," Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

The 2021 third-round pick won just two of 11 starts last season, but both came in the final five weeks -- a stretch where he completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 7.4 YPA with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions. While he may have done enough to earn his shot as the Week 1 starter, Mills doesn't offer much fantasy upside for single-QB leagues, as he rarely runs (18 carries for 44 yards last year) and is stuck on one of the worst rosters in the NFL. The Texans have had a quiet offseason in terms of veteran additions, mostly settling for discount additions like RB Marlon Mack and WR DaeSean Hamilton. They did sign Brandin Cooks to an extension, locking in Mills' favorite target from last year, and the draft will bring more talent after trades netted Houston extra picks in Rounds 1, 3 and 4. The problem for Mills is that one of those picks could be a QB who threatens his starting spot, be it this summer or later down the line.

Dobbs agreed to a one-year deal with the Browns on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Dobbs had a tryout with the Ravens earlier in the week, but he'll sign with another AFC North team. He hasn't taken the field since 2020 since he missed last season due to a toe injury, but he's healthy heading into the offseason and will compete for a depth role behind starter Deshaun Watson heading into 2022.

The Buccaneers re-signed Gabbert on Wednesday.

By bringing back Gabbert, who spent the past two seasons as Tom Brady's primary backup, the Bucs have retained all four quarterbacks they carried either on their active roster or practice squad last year. Gabbert won't necessarily retain his status as the No. 2 option on the depth chart, however, as 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask is a candidate to push him for the top backup role in training camp.

Jones (neck) said he's "feeling good" and "ready to go" as the Giants begin their offseason program this week, Michael Eisen of Giants.com reports.

The 24-year-old struggled to recover from a neck strain at the end of last season, ultimately missing the final six games. Even so, he's been running and throwing since the second week of January, and It sounds like he's not expecting any more trouble from the injury going forward. Jones can now turn his focus to learning a new offense from former Bills OC Brian Daboll, who chose former Chiefs passing game coordinator Mike Kafka to be the offensive coordinator in New York. It's unclear if the Giants intend to exercise the fifth-year option on Jones' contract before the May 2 deadline.

Dobbs (toe) received a tryout with the Ravens on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Dobbs missed the 2021 season with a toe injury, but it appears the injury is behind him. The 27-year-old last suited up for the Steelers in 2020, where he played a total of nine snaps. The Ravens currently have no one behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on their quarterback positional depth chart, so there is room for Dobbs on the roster, if he impressed enough in his workout.

Las Vegas signed Mullens to a contract Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Mullens looks primed to compete with Garrett Gilbert for the No. 2 gig behind Derek Carr. Last season, Mullens completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 147 yards and one score in his lone appearance with the Browns.

General manager Brad Holmes wouldn't firmly commit to Goff being the Lions' long-term solution at quarterback, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports. "Sure, I could see some advantage of there [being] a young quarterback that can learn under Jared," Holmes said Tuesday at the NFL's annual league meeting.

Despite a number of signal-callers signing lucrative deals this offseason, the cap hits on Goff's contract remain in the top 10 among all quarterbacks for each of the next three seasons. However, no guaranteed money is owed to Goff after 2022, and the Lions own plenty of draft capital to potentially use on a developmental prospect this spring, including the Nos. 2, 32, and 34 selections. While Goff should continue as the team's starter for the upcoming campaign, he'll probably need to show dramatic improvement in order to stick around in Detroit any longer than that.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan would't commit to Lance being the team's starting quarterback in 2022 when asked about the matter Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports..

While Shanahan's unwillingness to appoint Lance to the starting role may seem worrisome to those in redraft or dynasty leagues who have invested in the 2021 first-round pick, at the same time, the coach also expressed confidence in the second-year signal-caller's ability to handle the starting job if called upon in 2022. In all likelihood, Shanahan's comments are a means of drumming up trade value for Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder), who still remains in San Francisco while the market for starting quarterbacks around the league has mostly settled at this point in the offseason. Garoppolo already noted earlier in the offseason that he didn't expect to remain in San Francisco in 2022, and it wouldn't make much sense from a cap-management standpoint for San Francisco to keep the veteran and his massive $27 million cap hit around past the June 1 deadline to cut him with minimal financial repercussions. The possibility exists that the 49ers could ask Garoppolo to restructure his deal at a more palatable salary, but even in that scenario, the 30-year-old wouldn't be guaranteed to retain the starting gig. Even in the unlikely event that Garoppolo is still on the San Francisco roster by the summer, the smart money would still be on Lance getting the keys to Shanahan's offense in 2022.

Dalton agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million with the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Schefter reports that Dalton's deal includes $3 million guaranteed. The 34-year-old, who logged six starts for the Bears in 2021, gives the Saints an experienced backup option behind presumed starter Jameis Winston (knee). Taysom Hill will primarily see snaps as a tight end instead of at quarterback in 2022.