Breaking down Ravens’ decision to cut Justin Tucker, plus ranking least impactful 2025 draft classes

Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! 

We’re officially eight days away from the release of the 2025 NFL schedule, and since you’re now probably wondering, yes, I have a countdown clock on my desk. In just over 192 hours, the 2025 schedule will be here and if you need something to do to pass the time, you can read today’s newsletter. 

We’ll be breaking down the Ravens’ decision to cut Justin Tucker, plus we’ll be grading every NFC West team based on how they’ve done this offseason. 

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. 

1. Breaking down the Ravens’ decision to cut Justin Tucker

After 13 seasons in Baltimore, Justin Tucker’s time with the Ravens came to a surprising end on Monday when the team decided to release him. Tucker scored a total of 1,775 points with the Ravens, which is a franchise record. 

Here’s what you need to know about Baltimore’s decision to cut Tucker: 

• Why it was a somewhat surprising decision. Tucker is facing allegations of sexual misconduct after being accused by 16 massage therapists of acting inappropriately. Due to those accusations, the NFL opened an investigation into the situation. The Ravens had said in early April that they wouldn’t be making a decision on Tucker’s future until the NFL investigation was complete, so the fact that they let him go before the process played out is somewhat of a surprise. To be clear: It’s not a shock that he was cut; the only surprise is the timing of the team’s decision. The Ravens said the move was a “football decision,” but if that were the case, then they would have let Tucker compete with Loop for the job at training camp. The fact of the matter is that the Ravens might have violated the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement if they had cut Tucker over unproven allegations, so they made the only move they could: They cut him for “football” reasons. 
• Writing was on the wall for Tucker. Not only was Tucker dealing with his legal situation, but he’s also coming off the worst season of his career. The five-time All-Pro hit just 73.3% of his field goals in 2024, marking the first time in his career that he finished below 85%. Between his legal troubles and his on-field struggles, the Ravens didn’t try to hide the fact that they might look to replace him. 
• Ravens are now committed to Tyler Loop. The 2025 NFL Draft marked the first time in franchise history that the Ravens selected a kicker, and that came in the sixth round when they grabbed Arizona’s Tyler Loop. The new kicker got on an NFL field for the first time over the weekend at Baltimore’s rookie minicamp, which ran from May 3-5. It’s probably not a coincidence that Tucker was cut on the final day of that camp. My guess is that the Ravens liked what they saw from Loop after officially getting to see him up close for the first time and that made them comfortable enough to dump Tucker. 
• Ravens likely to add another kicker. Although Tucker is now gone, the Ravens might still have two kickers once they get to training camp. According to The Athletic, the team is expected to sign another rookie in Wyoming’s John Hoyland. 

Tucker could end up going down as the best kicker in NFL history: He currently holds multiple records, including longest field goal (66 yards). He’s also the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a field goal conversion rate of 89.1%. Despite those accolades, he now has the shadow of some serious accusations hanging over his head and those could certainly tarnish his legacy. 

It’s not easy to find a reliable kicker in the NFL, and with Tucker now on the market, it won’t be surprising if some team out there decides to go after him. We’ve got the full story on Tucker’s release here. 

2. Ranking the least impactful draft classes: Three NFC teams at the top of the list

In Monday’s newsletter, we ranked the 10 most impactful draft classes from 2025, so today, we’re going to do the opposite: CBS Sports NFL Draft guru Josh Edwards is here to rank the least impactful draft classes. 

Basically, the teams below better have some solid veterans, because their rookies probably aren’t going to help much this year. 

Let’s take a look at the three least impactful classes: 

1. VIKINGS
Impactful rookies: OG Donovan Jackson, WR Tai Felton, DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, LB Kobe King, TE Gavin Bartholomew
Edwards’ take: “Minnesota only had five selections and Jackson may be the only starter to come out of the class.”

2. BUCCANEERS
Impactful rookies: WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Benjamin Morrison, CB Jacob Parrish, EDGE David Walker, EDGE Elijah Roberts, WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
Edwards’ take: “The Egbuka selection was a bit of a surprise because almost no one viewed wide receiver as a position of need for a Buccaneers team that will see Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan all returning. … Walker is making a big transition going from Central Arkansas to the NFL. Johnson is an anomaly at 154 pounds.”

3. GIANTS
Impactful rookies: EDGE Abdul Carter, QB Jaxson Dart, DT Darius Alexander, RB Cam Skattebo, OT Marcus Mbow, TE Thomas Fidone II, CB Korie Black, 
Edwards’ take: “Carter will be an impact performer but New York also has pass rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns to shoulder the load. Dart will likely spend a portion — and potentially of the large variety — of the season in the shadows of Russell Wilson. Mbow was a good value pick, but that is more of a long-term play. Fidone is a good developmental prospect.“

By the way, just because a draft class is on this list doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a bad draft class. For instance, with the Giants, Carter and Dart could have both have a huge impact down the road, but not much of an impact in Year 1, which is why New York is in the third spot in Josh’s rankings. 

If you want to check out Josh’s entire list of least impactful draft classes, which consists of seven teams, be sure to click here.

3. One reason of optimism for every team following the draft and free agency

Tyler Sullivan is easily the most optimistic NFL writer here at CBS Sports, so we had him come up with one reason why every team in the NFL should be feeling optimistic following free agency and the draft. 

Let’s see what Sullivan has to say about four teams that that most people aren’t feeling so optimistic about: 

• Browns: They still have Myles Garrett. “While their quarterback situation will need to be sorted out with five signal-callers on the depth chart, one person they don’t need to worry about any longer is Myles Garrett. Despite a trade request, Garrett and the Browns were able to reconcile with a monster four-year, $160 million extension.”
• Jaguars: Arrival of Travis Hunter. “Hunter will be one of the more fascinating prospects to track throughout his rookie season. At Colorado, Hunter was a star wide receiver and cornerback, and it looks like Jacksonville will give him a shot to play both ways at the NFL level. It’s going to be must-see TV on how the Jags use him.”
• Patriots: Mike Vrabel is changing the tone. “New England has gone through quite the roster overhaul this offseason. After Mike Vrabel was hired as the organization’s newest head coach, the Patriots have seemingly gone out of their way to pave the way for new blood and new leadership. … This offseason, the Patriots have parted ways with five of their six captains from 2024. This is a clear effort by Vrabel to set a new tone after back-to-back 4-13 seasons, which should be a welcome development throughout the building and region.”
• Cowboys: Dak Prescott is returning to full health. “Last season, Dak Prescott was limited to just eight games due to a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve, but he is expected to be healthy for the 2025 season.”

We have plenty of more optimistic takes from Sullivan, and you can check them out here. 

4. Three things that could happen in the NFL this season that seemed impossible a year ago

It has been a wild year in the NFL and things have gotten so crazy over the past 365 days that Cody Benjamin decided to take a look at a few things that could happen in the NFL this season that would have seemed unbelievable just one year ago. 

1. Aaron Rodgers throws a pass to Steelers teammate DK Metcalf. “Rodgers is still without a team, publicly undecided on his NFL future after wrapping up an admittedly ugly two-year stint with the Jets. All signs point to the former MVP landing in Pittsburgh if he does suit up, however. And his No. 1 target would be Metcalf, who entered 2024 coming off two straight 1,000-yard seasons in Seattle.”

2. Jameis Winston replaces Russell Wilson on the Giants. “Is it surprising that Winston is wearing new colors as a journeyman backup? Not necessarily. The fact he’s set to back up Wilson, who’s now become a journeyman of his own, is certainly notable, given that they’re both in New York.”

3. Daniel Jones beats out Anthony Richardson for Colts QB job. “In 2024, the electric but banged-up Richardson was just entering his second season as the Colts’ former No. 4 overall draft pick. All of a sudden he might not even be guaranteed a job … It’s not inconceivable that Jones will win out due primarily to availability.”

Cody has a few more unbelievable things that you can check out here. 

5. NFL offseason grades: 49ers almost fail out with lowest grade in NFC West

We’re going to be spending the next few days grading every NFL team based on how they’ve done this offseason, and today, we have the NFC West. 

Let’s check out the grades: 

• Rams: A-. “The two big moves the Rams made this offseason were keeping Matthew Stafford and signing Davante Adams. The star wideout is not washed yet, and even recorded 1,000 receiving yards last season for the fifth straight year.”
• Seahawks: B. “It was likely a tough decision to trade your QB1 (Geno Smith) and WR1 (DK Metcalf) away while releasing one of the best wide receivers in franchise history, but credit to Seattle’s front office for pivoting quickly. Sam Darnold was probably the best quarterback to hit free agency, and the Seahawks didn’t have to overpay to acquire him, either. … I really liked Seattle’s draft. [Grey] Zabel will be a Day 1 starter, [Nick] Emmanwori was a steal at No. 35 overall and [Elijah] Arroyo is an intriguing pass-catching tight end.”
• Cardinals: B-. “The Cardinals spent most of their money on the defensive side of the ball, with their free agency headline being former Eagles pass rusher Josh Sweat. What’s surprising is that Arizona did not chase a starting-level wide receiver in free agency, and did not draft a single receiver, either.”
• 49ers: D+. “The 49ers had the worst free agency of any NFL team, but general manager John Lynch said they had a plan, and that “big things are coming our way.” Is that the Brock Purdy extension, or was it their plans in the draft? It didn’t feel like San Francisco necessarily hit the draft out of the park despite making 11 selections.”

Of the 16 team grades we’ve handed out so far, the 49ers are the only team that’s earned a grade in the “D” range. 

If you want the full explanation for each team’s grade, you can check out Jordan Dajani’s story here.  

6. Extra points: Matthew Stafford’s contract is finally done

It’s always a busy time in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that’s happening, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 

• Matthew Stafford finally finalizes his new contract. Back in February, Stafford and the Rams agreed to terms on a new deal and more than TWO months later, that new deal is now finalized. The QB is getting a two-year, $84 million deal that includes $44 million in guarantees that he’ll get during the 2025 season. We’ve got the full details on his new deal here. 
• Steelers and Chargers will be getting a new alternate helmet for first time. At least five NFL teams will be unveiling a new alternate helmet this summer with the Browns, Chargers, Saints, Steelers and Commanders all expected to release one before the end of July (per SportsLogos.net). The Steelers and Chargers are the most notable teams on this list because this will be the first time they’ve unveiled an alternate helmet since the NFL started allowing them in 2022. 
• Jon Gruden returns to professional football. After nearly four years out of football, Jon Gruden is making a return. The Super Bowl-winning coach has joined the ownership group of the Nashville Kats, an arena team that plays in Arena Football One (AF1). He’ll be joining former Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who is the majority owner of the team. If you want to know what Gruden’s role will be, we’ve got the full story here. 
• Browns make no-risk signing with Diontae Johnson. We mentioned last week that the Browns were going to be signing Diontae Johnson and the move now looks smarter, because it involves zero risk. According to ESPN, Johnson is getting a one-year, $1.17 million deal that includes ZERO dollars in guaranteed money. Johnson played for three teams during a 2024 season where he didn’t seem to get along with anyone. The Browns will now be hoping he can revert back to his 2021 form, which was a season where he made the Pro Bowl after catching 107 passes for 1161 yards. You can read more about Johnson here.