Giants To Re-Sign RT Jermaine Eluemunor
Offseason Giants negotiations with Jermaine Eluemunor will produce a deal. The two-year Big Blue right tackle starter is sticking around under John Harbaugh‘s staff.
New York is retaining Eluemunor on a three-year, $39MM deal that includes $26MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Although Eluemunor will turn 32 before year’s end, this represents by far a career-best payday for the veteran tackle.
The upcoming staff change did not affect Eluemunor much, as he was a former Ravens draftee who played two seasons under Harbaugh (2017-18). Later moving to the Patriots and Raiders, Eluemunor collected vet-minimum money or not much above it until signing a two-year, $14MM Giants pact in 2024. HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason debut revealed Eluemunor only wanted a two-year deal from the Giants; that turned out to be a smart play.
A three- or four-year pact at the time could have aged Eluemunor out of a deal in this range. Because he is hitting free agency after two healthy years at 31, he will cash in. After spending time filling in for Andrew Thomas at left tackle last year, Eluemunor stayed at RT in 2025. New York was planning to use Eluemunor at left guard during the 2024 offseason, but Evan Neal issues prompted the team to kick the UFA addition to his most familiar O-line post.
Neal was supposed to be the Giants’ answer at right tackle opposite Thomas, but the former No. 7 overall pick is on track to become one of this decade’s biggest busts. Neal is no longer under contract with the Giants, who will go with Eluemunor opposite their cornerstone (but injury-prone) left tackle. Eluemunor worked as the Raiders’ primary RT from 2022-23, starting at guard in 2021. The former fifth-round pick has now started 76 career games; he represents one of GM Joe Schoen‘s success stories — there have not been many — during his rocky tenure.
While the Giants prioritized an Eluemunor deal, they were also interested in retaining Wan’Dale Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott. Both 2022 draftees defected to the Titans, rejoining former Giants HC Brian Daboll.
Bills, CB Dee Alford Agree To Deal
The Bills’ secondary will have a number of new faces in 2026. One of them will be veteran cornerback Dee Alford.
Team and player have agreed to a three-year pact, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal is worth $21MM, he adds. Alford will collect $10MM in guarantees.
This agreement, which includes $7.88MM fully guaranteed (per OverTheCap), comes after the Bills agreed to trade slot staple Taron Johnson to the Raiders. Alford’s 2027 base salary includes a partial guarantee, with the rest locking in on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. That gives the Bills some flexibility as they make a slot cornerback change for the first time since 2018.
Johnson had resided as Buffalo’s slot corner for eight seasons. As boundary defenders and safeties came and went, Johnson was the constant in Buffalo’s secondary. But the team needed to make significant changes to move under the salary cap, especially with D.J. Moore‘s salary coming onto the payroll. As of Monday night, the Bills are still $15MM-plus over the cap.
Alford’s contract will come in a bit cheaper, though not by too much. The former Falcons slot defender’s AAV is just less than $3MM south of Johnson’s. But the Bills are also implementing a new defensive system for the first time since Sean McDermott‘s 2017 arrival. Alford will be part of Jim Leonhard‘s vision.
A former UDFA, Alford played for four defensive coordinators in four Atlanta seasons. Not being tendered as an RFA in 2025, Alford — who played for $1.5MM in 2025 — will secure a big raise after his fourth season. That slate under Jeff Ulbrich included a career-high six tackles for loss. After being charged with eight TDs allowed as the closest defender in 2024, Alford was tagged with four in 2025. His passer rating-against and completion rate-allowed numbers plummeted, though Pro Football Focus only ranked him 94th among corners last season. Nevertheless, the Bills like him for Leonard’s defense — where he will be expected to play alongside boundary CBs Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders To Sign DT Tim Settle
Tim Settle will return to Washington in 2026. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a Commanders deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
This will be a three-year pact with a base value of $24MM. The contract could max out at $25.5MM. Settle played in Washington from 2018-21, and he will now return to the fold.
The Commanders will be quite different for Settle this time around. They weren’t even the Commanders when he last played in the nation’s capital. Joining the team during Ryan Kerrigan‘s OLB era, Settle later teamed with the team’s four younger first-round D-linemen — Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, Chase Young. All but Payne are gone, and the 2018 first-rounder is in a contract year. Washington traded Sweat and Young in 2023 and cut Allen last year.
Working alongside the foursome during its lone full season of health together (2020), Settle tallied five sacks that season. That 2020 campaign undoubtedly helped Settle cash in as a free agent. He signed a two-year, $9MM Bills deal. Buffalo, however, gave Settle a pay cut during the 2023 offseason. He then signed a two-year, $6MM Texans deal.
A starter in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense, Settle is seeing by far the biggest payday of his career. The Texans’ dominant defense assuredly helped the veteran cash in. Ryans used Settle as a full-time starter in 2025, but Settle’s more productive season came a year prior. He totaled a career-best 10 tackles for loss and matched his career high with five sacks in 2024. ESPN’s run stop win rate metric also viewed Settle as sporting the league’s fifth-best mark in 2024.
Settle will join Payne and 2025 free agency addition Javon Kinlaw at D-tackle in Washington. This has the makings of a quality two-deep, with former second-round pick Jer’Zhan Newton in place as a backup. Newton has not made a big impact yet, however, and this Settle signing may further interfere with the Illinois alum.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Cardinals To Sign QB Gardner Minshew
Nomadic quarterback Gardner Minshew has found his sixth NFL team. Minshew will sign a one-year, $8.25MM contract with the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A 47-game starter over his seven-year career, Minshew may be in the mix for playing time in Arizona. The Cardinals are moving on from longtime starter Kyler Murray, whom they plan to release. Journeyman Jacoby Brissett is on the roster as a de facto starter, but he could draw trade interest.
A 2019 sixth-rounder from Washington State, Minshew unexpectedly worked as the Jaguars’ primary starter in his rookie season. Nick Foles entered the year as the starter, but Minshew stepped in after he broke his clavicle in the opener. Foles returned later in the season, though he struggled enough that Minshew reclaimed the starting role.
While Minshew combined for 20 starts over his first two seasons, the Jaguars went just 7-13 during that stretch. Shortly before the 2021 season started, the Jags dealt Minshew to the Eagles for a sixth-round pick.
After two seasons as Philadelphia’s backup, Minshew signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Colts to join first-round rookie Anthony Richardson in 2023. With multiple injuries limiting Richardson to four games, Minshew performed well over 13 starts. The Colts remained committed to Richardson, though, leading Minshew to accept the Raiders’ two-year, $25MM offer in 2024.
Even though Minshew went into ’24 as the Raiders’ starter, he was unable to hold the job for the whole year. The Raiders released Minshew after a disappointing season. He stayed in the AFC West to work as the Chiefs’ backup behind Patrick Mahomes last year. Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in Week 15, which could have given Minshew a chance to start for the rest of the season. However, making his first Chiefs start against the Titans the next week, Minshew went down with what was believed to be an ACL tear. It turned out to be a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture.
Minshew was reportedly back to full health as of three weeks ago. The 29-year-old will now catch on with the Cardinals as the owner of a career 63.1% completion rate with 68 touchdowns, 35 interceptions and an 88.0 passer rating over 63 games.
Raiders, DE Kwity Paye Agree To Deal
Not long after agreeing to trade away Maxx Crosby, the Raiders have lined up a notable replacement along the edge. Kwity Paye is heading to Vegas.
Paye worked out a Raiders deal on Monday, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. This will be a three-year pact worth $48MM, NFL insider Jordan Schultz adds. Paye represents the second big-ticket addition for the team today, with center Tyler Linderbaum having also worked out a massive free agent deal.
This has been a big day for edge rushers, with Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe agreeing to deals (with the Panthers, Commanders and Bengals) earlier today. Paye’s contract checks in south of those three, who respectively scored $30MM, $25MM and $20MM per year. But the five-year Colt still did quite well. His 3/48 framework matches what the Bears gave ex-Indianapolis teammate Dayo Odeyingbo last year.
Slotted behind the Phillips-Oweh-Mafe trio in PFR’s top 50 (at No. 19), Paye is coming off an unremarkable contract year. But the former first-round pick fared much better in Gus Bradley‘s defense from 2023-24. Paye combined for 16.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in those seasons. His Michigan ties probably don’t hurt here, either, with Raider decision-makers Tom Brady and John Spytek being ex-Wolverines.
Last season, however, Paye only registered four sacks and nine QB hits. But he was still an active pressure artist. Paye’s 23 pressures in 2025 were a career high, and he only trailed Oweh by one in that category. Considering Paye’s better sack work in the past, the Raiders will make a midlevel ($16MM suddenly qualifies as such) bet on the power-based rusher having superior production ahead.
Paye, 27, will not remind Raiders fans closely of Crosby. The team, which looks to have missed on 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson, also has Malcolm Koonce unsigned. Las Vegas is effectively starting over in terms of pass rush, as the team memorably cut high-priced D-tackle Christian Wilkins in 2025.
The Colts have now lost Paye and Odeyingbo in consecutive offseasons, and Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis are also UFAs. The Colts have Laiatu Latu in place as Lou Anarumo’s top edge rusher, with DeForest Buckner still anchoring the team’s D-line. But Indy may need another piece after losing a five-year starter.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Jaguars Listening To Offers For WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Arriving during Trent Baalke‘s final draft as Jaguars GM, Brian Thomas Jr. enjoyed a promising rookie season before submitting to a sophomore slump. With a new regime running the show now, Thomas’ standing in Duval County may be a bit shaky.
The Jaguars are believed to be listening to offers on Thomas, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. Teams called the Jags about Thomas at last year’s deadline — the Giants, Jets and Steelers among them — but the team was not open to dealing the 2024 first-rounder. It appears the AFC South club is now more willing to hear what Thomas can bring in a trade.
The Steelers called the Jags on Thomas last year, but they agreed to trade for Michael Pittman Jr. earlier today. The Jets added Adonai Mitchell in their Sauce Gardner trade. The Giants lost Wan’Dale Robinson to the Titans in free agency, though they still roster Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. Thomas played with Nabers at LSU, and Slayton’s contract can be shed fairly easily in 2027.
Although the Jags are prepared to shift Travis Hunter to more of a cornerback-first role, they saw Thomas fail to make a big impact in Liam Coen‘s debut. The big-bodied target slumped to a 48-catch, 707-yard season. That would not exactly qualify as a woeful campaign, but Thomas posted 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. He caught just two TDs last season, and trade pickup Jakobi Meyers checked in as a more reliable option in Coen’s offense. The Jags have since given Meyers a three-year, $60MM extension.
It would seemingly take at least a Day 2 pick — possibly with another choice sprinkled in — to convince the Jags to move off a player with a 1,200-yard rookie season in his recent past. Two years remain on Thomas’ rookie contract, increasing his value. No extension talks can commence until 2027. As it stands, the Jags do not look likely to ever initiate those.
Coen and GM James Gladstone gutted Baalke’s pass catcher setup last year, trading Christian Kirk and cutting Evan Engram, Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay. Dyami Brown also played out his 2025 contract. If the Jags are to seriously entertain trading Thomas, they would need at least one more option. That said, Parker Washington took a step forward last year and led the division-winning team with 847 receiving yards. Though, he is now in a contract year. Thomas’ status will be a storyline to monitor as teams fill their receiver rooms in free agency.
49ers To Sign T Vederian Lowe
With Trent Williams‘ future in the air, the 49ers are making a depth addition at the offensive tackle spot. Vederian Lowe has agreed to a two-year San Francisco deal worth up to $12MM, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He will collect $5.75MM guaranteed.
Lowe would certainly bring a massive step down from Williams; the 49ers will likely plan to have him as their swing tackle no matter what happens with the future Hall of Famer. Benched after being the Patriots’ primary left tackle starter in 2024, Lowe played out his rookie contract as a backup for the AFC champions.
The Patriots acquired Lowe via trade during Bill Belichick’s final year at the controls. He worked as an eight-game starter in 2023 and lined up with Pats first-stringers 13 times in 2024. The returns were not good for the Pats’ O-line in ’24, leading to a 2025 overhaul that brought four new starters. Pro Football Focus graded Lowe as the NFL’s third-worst qualified tackle in 2023 and slotted him outside the top 65 in ’24; Will Campbell arrived to supplant him as the No. 4 overall pick last year.
Lowe served as Campbell’s injury sub during the high-profile rookie’s IR stretch. A former Vikings sixth-round pick, Lowe will at least provide the 49ers with a 25-start resume. This signing comes after the team tried a few tackles behind Williams and Colton McKivitz in 2025. The 49ers signed Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere; the team was near a deal with D.J. Humphries, but the veteran LT ultimately chose the Rams.
Guard/swingman Spencer Burford is unsigned for San Francisco, though the team tendered backup tackle Austen Pleasants as an ERFA. The 49ers owe Williams a $10MM option bonus on April 1, providing a deadline of sorts. The team may have opened the door to a trade Monday, and the 16-year vet is tied to a $38.8MM cap number in his contract year. A resolution will come soon, but if not, the 49ers will have a glaring tackle need — as Lowe will be unlikely to start in a non-injury situation.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders, Odafe Oweh Agree To Deal
Another one of the major pass rush dominoes around the NFL has fallen. Odafe Oweh will neither return to the Ravens nor remain in place with the Chargers.
Instead, he will head to the nation’s capital. A four-year deal has been agreed to with the Commanders, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be a $100MM pact including $68MM guaranteed, Schefter adds.
This represents a big-ticket payday for another of this market’s edge rushers. Jaelan Phillips secured a four-year, $120MM Panthers deal earlier today, and Oweh will do very well for another team in need of pass-rushing support. The Commanders largely ignored their EDGE need in 2025, settling for an aging Von Miller just before training camp. While Miller was productive (team-high nine sacks), the team set out to do better this offseason. Oweh checks a key box.
Recording 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons, Oweh joined Phillips and Trey Hendrickson as this market’s top edge rushers. The four-year commitment will help inflate Oweh’s guarantee, and $68MM tops where the Chiefs went for George Karlaftis on his 2025 extension. The cap climbing past $301MM this offseason is benefiting players today. Oweh, 27, is the NFL’s 13th-highest-paid edge rusher as a result of this agreement. That checks in just south of the Broncos’ Nik Bonitto pact.
Oweh joined Phillips and Kwity Paye as edge rushers to play out their fifth-year option seasons. Like Phillips, Oweh was traded during his. The five-year veteran’s Chargers stay helped ignite his free agent market. After a sackless five games in Baltimore, Oweh recorded 7.5 QB drops during his Chargers run. That turned out to be a rental period.
Although the Chargers expressed interest in re-signing Oweh, they agreed to terms with Khalil Mack and have a Tuli Tuipulotu extension to negotiate this offseason. Oweh almost definitely, based on where the Tuipulotu payday will land, priced himself out of L.A.’s comfort zone.
No Oweh six-sack seasons transpired from 2021-23, but the Ravens still picked up his fifth-year option. Baltimore saw Oweh register 10 sacks in 2024, and he closed out his rookie contract by combining for 41 QB hits from 2024-25. The Commanders still have Dorance Armstrong tied to his three-year, $30MM contract, but after regarding him as a de facto A-side rusher, Washington looks set to have Oweh in that role moving forward.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears To Re-Sign QB Case Keenum
Case Keenum will indeed remain in place with the Bears next season, but he will not do so as a coach. The veteran quarterback has agreed to a new contract.
Keenum is set to re-sign on a two-year deal with a base value of $5.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact can max out at $8MM. Keenum could of course still be a coaching candidate in the future, but for now his playing days will continue.
More to come…
Cowboys To Sign S Jalen Thompson
Jalen Thompson emerged as a name to watch regarding the Cowboys on Monday. The veteran safety is indeed heading to Dallas.
ESPN’s Todd Archer recently reported the Cowboys were in contact with Thompson. A deal has now been struck, according to Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater of NFL Network. This will be a three-year contract worth up to $36MM.
This deal will provide $22MM guaranteed over its first two seasons, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, with OverTheCap listing its base value at $33MM. Dallas is guaranteeing Thompson’s 2027 salary ($8MM), providing the longtime Cardinals starter some security.
A modern-day rarity as a supplemental draft choice that panned out, Thompson was a regular Cards starter for the past five seasons. The Budda Baker sidekick helped Arizona form one of the NFL’s top safety tandems. With Baker on two near-top-market contracts during Thompson’s time in the desert, the latter played out a three-year extension worth $36MM. This will represent a pay cut of sorts due to inflation, as the cap resided at $208MM when the Cardinals extended Thompson (it is at $301.2MM now).
Thompson is only entering an age-28 season. As we’ve seen numerous times in recent years, players are agreeing to shorter-term deals in hopes of cashing in again after cap spikes. Pro Football Focus graded Thompson between 26th and 36th among safeties over the past three seasons. He has not intercepted a pass since 2023, but he nabbed four that season. Thompson also has two 100-plus-tackle seasons on his resume.
The Cowboys have not re-signed Donovan Wilson, and Malik Hooker surfaced recently as a cut candidate. It looks like Hooker will be staying, as the former first-rounder agreed to a restructure earlier Monday. Markquese Bell remains on Dallas’ roster as well. Thompson’s contract will make him Dallas’ top safety priority, representing a change after all those seasons playing alongside Baker in Arizona.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.