The NFL issued Williams a six-game ban without pay for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Williams will be eligible for reinstatement after Week 16. The undrafted rookie from LSU has picked up four carries for 11 yards in three games this year.
The Panthers waived White from their practice squad on Nov. 8, but the team quickly brought the veteran signal-caller back. White will continue to provide experienced depth behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He served as the Panthers’ emergency third QB in their Week 9 win over the Packers.
Even if the Jets hadn’t insisted on getting Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner deal, the second-year wideout was likely headed out of Indianapolis at the trade deadline.
However, the Jets’ desire to acquire Mitchell – and the Colts’ to acquire Gardner – made it impossible for the 2024 second-round pick to land in Cleveland. There, he could have stepped into a WR2 role right away. Of the Browns’ top six pass-catchers in terms of receptions, only one – Jerry Jeudy – is a receiver. After career-best numbers in 2024, his 22-257-0 line this season is even more disappointing considering his 54 targets. No other Browns wideout has more than 11 catches or 125 yards on the year.
That would have given Mitchell ample opportunity for more targets after averaging only two per game to start the season in Indianapolis. He should still see increased usage with in New York, as the Jets badly need a second receiver behind Garrett Wilson. He racked up 56 targets in the Jets’ first six games, and even after missing two games with a knee injury, he still has almost one-fourth of the team’s target share. Wilson hurt the same knee in Sunday’s win over the Browns, according to head coach Aaron Glenn, which could sideline him for a few more games. Mitchell should have a chance to step up in his absence, and even when his star teammate returns, there should still be plenty of targets to go around. The Jets’ other primary pass-catcher is rookie tight end Mason Taylor, who has 29 catches for 242 yards. Beyond that, the team’s next-most productive receivers are Tyler Johnson (10 catches for 187 yards) and Josh Reynolds (11 catches for 101 yards).
A glance at the Jets’ cap table shows even more opportunity for Mitchell in the future. The only receivers under contract beyond this year are Wilson, second-year UDFA Isaiah Williams, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith. Williams has just three catches for 31 yards this year, while Smith has just six for 47.
It might take Mitchell a while to get acclimated to a new scheme midseason, but a full offseason in New York won’t just help him fit into the offense. It will help his new coaching staff figure out the best ways to use him. Whether the Jets stick withJustin Fields or use their new draft capital to add a coveted veteran or rookie quarterback, they will want a better support system than what was in place for the franchise’s past signal-callers. That includes a young, athletic wideout like Mitchell who has plenty of potential and may now have the chance to show it.
The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.
In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.
All players designated for return on August 26 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations at that point.
Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 11:
NOVEMBER 8: The Browns activated Tillman from IR on Saturday, per a team announcement, clearing the way for him to return on Sunday against the Jets. Cleveland also signed safety Christopher Edmonds to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared on special teams in two games in 2024 as an undrafted rookie but has yet to take the field this season.
NOVEMBER 3: The Browns designated wide receiver Cedric Tillman to return from injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. Cleveland also released veteran safety Damontae Kazeefrom the 53-man roster.
Tillman started the first four games of the season and caught 11 of his 20 targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns. That is somewhat disappointing given his 71% snap share across those contests. The 25-year-old wideout suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 that landed him on IR, but he will return to practice this week after the Browns’ Week 9 bye. He will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR. Freeing up a 53-man roster spot right away indicates that Tillman will be activated sooner rather than later.
The Browns have struggled to get much production out of their wide receivers this season. Jerry Jeudy has regressed from his career-best production in 2024, and Jamari Thrash and Isaiah Bond have not impressed in their first NFL action. The rookie will likely step back into rotational roles when Tillman returns to the lineup.
The team’s quarterback woes are certainly a factor in their passing game struggles, as well. In theory, the return of a big-body receiver like Tillman could make life easier on Dillon Gabriel, but the 2023 third-rounder has not lived up to his draft profile of a physical deep threat with only 11.0 yards per catch and a 10.5-yard average depth of target in his career.
Kazee, a nine-year veteran, signed a one-year deal with the Browns during the offseason. He appeared in four games this year with 11 snaps on defense and 37 on special teams. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes this parting of ways was a mutual decision, with Kazee forfeiting his remaining guarantees (more than $200K) to allow for a fresh start.
The NFL’s latest trade deadline featured eight Tuesday trades, but a total of 22 in-season swaps occurred this year. Some teams made multiple trades; several others stood pat. Two of the biggest trades in deadline history went down this week.
As we detailed Wednesday in the latest Trade Rumors Front Office post, the Jets’ perspective brought strong value for young players toiling on a downtrodden team. The three first-rounders plus the 2026 second will give New York’s new decision-makers a chance to retool while having assets to either find a quarterback in the draft or trade for a veteran. While it will be difficult to replace Gardner and Williams, the Jets’ Darren Mougey-Aaron Glenn regime made the decision to cash in their top assets to launch a true rebuild — one that suddenly features plenty of QB ammo.
From the Colts’ perspective, Gardner brings an accomplished starter at a young age. Indianapolis received a player signed through 2030, though New York’s contract structure on the July extension limited the Gardner dead money to $19.75MM — far less than the Dolphins just took on for Ramsey or what the Saints absorbed upon trading Marshon Lattimore last year.
The Colts, after building from within for years, now have three high-cost DB contracts added this year in the Gardner accord and those given to Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum. Tied for the best record in the AFC (at 7-2), the Colts made a move and watched the Patriots, Broncos, Bills and Chiefs hold off on buyer’s trades.
Dallas’ stance is a bit more complicated. The Cowboys went from trading Micah Parsons for two first-rounders ahead of his age-26 season to acquiring Williams, who will turn 28 in December. The team still has three first-round picks between 2026 and ’27, but sending the higher-value ’27 first to the Jets strips away a prime asset for a player not on Parsons’ level.
Jerry Jones harped on the team’s run defense upon acquiring Kenny Clark in the Parsons trade, but that unit has faceplanted this season. Williams joins Clark and Osa Odighizuwa in a suddenly pricey Dallas D-tackle corps, and the longtime Jet had angled for a contract rework — something the Cowboys may now have to navigate.
The Cowboys also addedLogan Wilson, after trying to grabQuincy Williams from the Jets in a two-brother trade, but the younger Williams brother represents the obvious talking point here. Dallas’ interior D-line is well stocked. Will Quinnen Williams help transform a sub-.500 Cowboys team in the way Amari Cooper did after the team surrendered a first at the 2018 deadline?
Meyers will help the Jags replace Travis Hunter and provide some stability in a receiving corps also dealing with a Brian Thomas Jr. injury. Shaheed joins a surging Seattle squad, reuniting with 2024 New Orleans OC Klint Kubiak, and will be an interesting complementary piece for All-Pro candidate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With Smith-Njigba, Shaheed, Cooper Kupp and rookie Tory Horton, the Seahawks look to have one of the NFL’s best receiving cadres.
Jacksonville also engaged in a cornerback swap, prying contract-year cover man Greg Newsomefrom the Browns in October. Newsome has started two games with the Jags and has incentive to perform well this season, as he is uncontracted for 2026. Tyson Campbell is signed through 2028, giving the Browns some cost certainty — albeit now carrying two upper-crust CB contracts, along with Denzel Ward‘s — at a premium position.
Cleveland did not aggressively sell, keeping its guards, David Njoku and other rumored trade assets, though they did do Joe Flacco a solid — to Mike Tomlin‘s chagrin — by trading the demoted QB within the division. Flacco immediately became the Bengals’ starter and has rejuvenated Cincy’s offense.
The Rams quietly bolstered their CB contingent by obtaining Titans contract-year slot playerRoger McCreary, while Tennessee also sent Dre’Mont Jones to Baltimore. The Ravens added Jones and Alohi Gilman, the latter becoming an immediate starter and helping maximize All-Pro Kyle Hamilton. Jones, who has 4.5 sacks this season, replaces Odafe Oweh — traded to the Chargers in the Gilman swap — in Baltimore’s OLB rotation. A former 3-4 defensive end, Jones gives Baltimore some pass rush options after Gilman supplied them with a deep safety. Gilman is also in a contract year.
While the Dolphins did not dive into full sales mode, retaining Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb, after parting with longtime GM Chris Grier, they did obtain a third-round pick for Phillips — who is in his fifth-year option season. The Chargers also added two more trades before the 3pm buzzer Tuesday, most notably addingTrevor Penning — a three-position starter for the Saints — for a late 2027 draft choice. A contract-year blocker, Penning will be an option for a battered Bolts’ tackle corps.
The Steelers’ long-rumored wide receiver quest did not lead to a deal, but the team did add veteran safetyKyle Dugger, who had fallen out of favor with the Patriots despite signing an eight-figure-per-year extension as a transition-tagged player in 2024.
Who do you think did the best job at this year’s deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
DePodesta, 52, was hired by the Browns in 2016. He spent the preceding two decades in a variety of front office roles around the MLB, starting with the Cleveland Indians in 1996. DePodesta is perhaps best known for his stint as the assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics from 1999 to 2004.
During that time, he was a pioneer of sabermetrics and helped bring data analytics into the sports mainstream. He later introduced analytics into many aspects of the Browns organization. He was one of the main individuals featured in Michael Lewis’ bestselling book, “Moneyball,” and Jonah Hill earned an Oscar nomination for playing a DePodesta-based character in the film adaptation. DePodesta was hired in 2004 to be the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was fired after just two seasons. He then spent five years each with the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets in top front office positions before making the leap to the NFL with the Browns.
The Browns went 3-13 in 2015, their worst record since 2000. They fired general manager Ray Farmer and hired DePodesta as CSO and future general manager Andrew Berry as the vice president of player personnel. General counsel Sashi Brown – now the team president of the Ravens – became the vice president of football operations and de facto general manager. The team then went 1-31 over the next two seasons; Brown was fired and John Dorsey took over as general manager in December 2017.
Having amassed a lot of draft capital, including back-to-back No. 1 picks that they used on Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield, the Browns dug themselves out of the AFC North cellar to finish third in the division in 2018 and 2019, albeit with losing records. Dorsey was replaced with Berry, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski led the 2020 squad to an 11-5 record, the best finish since the team was re-established in 1999.
A step back in 2021 inspired the Browns to move on from Mayfield and trade three first-round picks to the Texans for Deshaun Watson. Watson was then handed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230MM extension. The move, driven in part by DePodesta, drew criticism at the time and has not aged well.
Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his Browns tenure, and the team went 7-10 that year. An 11-6 finish and playoff berth in 2023 offered a glimmer of hope, but Cleveland has won just five games since. Watson suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2023 (shoulder fracture) and 2024 (Achilles tear) and now appears to be out of the team’s future plans, though his contract will still be on the books for a few more years.
An 11-6 record and a playoff berth in 2023 offered a glimmer of hope in Cleveland, but the team has won just five games since. They now appear to be looking for their next franchise quarterbacks in the next two drafts, for which they should have ample draft capital. The Browns will now continue their seemingly endless rebuild without DePodesta guiding the team’s high-level roster strategy.
The Rockies’ present situation is strikingly similar to the Browns’ when they hired DePodesta. The Rockies went 43-119 in 2025, tied for the third-most losses in Major League Baseball history and their third straight season with at least 100 losses. They have not made the playoffs since 2018 and have never won their division, the National League West.
DePodesta will now be charged with turning the hapless franchise around after precious few successful seasons since their inception in 1993. Owner Dick Monfort has been roundly criticized for a lack of financial investment in the team’s roster and management infrastructure, making DePodesta’s ‘Moneyball’ history particularly relevant. However, his track record since leaving Oakland – in essence, the performance of the teams he has helped run – is not very encouraging.
The Browns paid Njoku in 2022, authorizing a four-year extension worth $54.75MM after franchise-tagging the former first-round pick. Njoku has seen the Browns’ quarterback carousel affect him, but he has remained a useful player amid another Cleveland descent. Njoku has started seven games this season and exits the Browns’ bye at 27 catches, 260 yards and two touchdowns.
Fannin, who put together a monster senior season at Bowling Green, has outproduced Njoku thus far as a pass catcher. The MAC product has 38 receptions for 352 yards and two scores. Pro Football Focus views neither as a particularly effective run blocker, though the advanced metrics site ranks Njoku as one of the NFL’s worst run-blocking tight ends this season. Fannin is signed through 2027 and profiles as a potential long-term piece in Cleveland. Will the Browns attempt to ensure Njoku stays alongside the younger player?
Njoku, who amassed 628 receiving yards in 2022 and a career-high 882 in ’23, sits third in Browns history for receiving yards by a tight end (4,029). That total is less than 200 behind Milt Morin for second in franchise history — behind Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome. Passing Morin would also mean Njoku moves into the top 10 for receiving yardage at any position in Browns annals. Despite being a 2017 draftee, Njoku is only 29. He figures to generate considerable interest as a free agent.
Making it clear he wants to stay with the Browns is interesting given their post-Baker Mayfield quarterback direction. Dillon Gabriel has struggled early, and the team has not exactly shown signs Shedeur Sanders starts are in its plans. The Browns have an extra first-round pick in 2026 to potentially target a quarterback, but that position is uncertain for the time being. Njoku could target teams with more established passers, as Cleveland has not enjoyed any kind of QB1 longevity here since Mayfield — and he went through an up-and-down career in Ohio.
The Browns are still on the hook for Deshaun Watson money in Year 5 of that calamitous contract, one the team has restructured several times. Those restructures ballooned the overpriced QB’s 2026 cap figure to $80.72MM, which would smash an NFL record. The Browns, per OverTheCap, are projected to be more than $12MM over the 2026 salary ceiling. And that is without either of their starting guards under contract.
Barring an extension, Njoku will join a few veteran tight ends in free agency come March. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz and Tyler Higbee are unsigned. Njoku is younger than that lot. Among first-time UFAs at the position, Cade Otton, Chig Okonkwo and Isaiah Likely stand out. The Ravens will likely take one of their top two tight ends off the market, with Likely on their extension radar. The Browns have until the March legal tampering period to negotiate exclusively with Njoku, but it does not sound like he is a threat to leave Cleveland without giving the Browns a chance to match an open-market offer.
The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. While the Cowboys and Steelers’ George Pickens swap showed moves can be made at other points on the NFL calendar, early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. On that note, it is a good time to check in on what has transpired on the trade market ahead of today’s deadline.
Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2025:
Months after the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV, they used the 32nd overall pick in the draft on Tryon-Shoyinka in 2021. The former Washington Huskie spent his first four years in Tampa Bay, where he started in 45 of 66 appearances and collected 15 sacks. That wasn’t enough to prevent the Buccaneers from allowing Tryon-Shoyinka to walk in free agency last winter.
Tryon-Shoyinka’s first trip to the open market led him to Cleveland on a one-year, $4.75MM pact. Despite appearing in all eight of the Browns’ games this season, Tryon-Shoyinka wasn’t much of a factor before the trade. The 26-year-old combined for just 89 snaps between defense and special teams. The majority of his snaps (58) came as part of the ST unit. He totaled nine tackles and no sacks with the out-of-contention Browns, who are now moving in another direction.
The Bears, 5-3 and in playoff contention, are unsurprisingly adding to their defensive line after losing end Dayo Odeyingbo to a season-ending Achilles tear in a 47-42 win over the Bengals in Week 9. Considering Odeyingbo led Bears D-linemen in snaps, it’s possible the Bears will aim for further additions before the deadline.
With the Bears ranking toward the bottom of the league in sacks (17), 26th in total defense, and 29th in points per game allowed, Tryon-Shoyinka may not move the needle much for Chicago. Nevertheless, the Bears will hope Tryon-Shoyinka can make more of an impact in their uniform than he did with the Browns. If Tryon-Shoyinka does prove to be a solid buy-low pickup for the Bears, they could re-sign him before he returns to free agency next offseason.
