HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Eagles Sign Azeez Ojulari

March 17th, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles will look to a former Giant to help fill their edge rush void. Azeez Ojulari is heading to Philadelphia, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This will be a one-year deal worth $4MM, Fowler adds. Ojulari played out his rookie contract with the Giants, who held onto him despite interest at the trade deadline. New York has unsurprisingly allowed him to depart as a free agent, but he will remain in the NFC East for 2025. The move is now official.

The Giants have former trade acquisition Brian Burns attached to $28.2MM-per-year deal. Kayvon Thibodeaux – selected fifth overall in 2022 – is on his rookie contract for at least one more season (or two, if his fifth-year option is picked up this spring). The presence of those two starters seemed to leave Ojulari on track to find a first-team role elsewhere as a free agent. Fowler notes, though, that New York attempted to keep the 24-year-old. Instead, the Eagles’ strong push has resulted in a deal.

Ojulari flashed considerable potential during his rookie season, posting eight sacks. Injuries limited him to only 18 games across the next two years, however, and his production dropped off as a result. The former second-rounder was again sidelined in 2024, missing six games. In spite of that, he notched six sacks and recorded double-digit QB pressures for the fourth consecutive year.

With Burns and Thibodeaux on the books, the Giants were prepared to lose Ojulari (something which raised eyebrows given the fact he was not traded midway through the season despite the fact New York was not in contention). The 24-year-old drew interest from the Bengals, but they instead elected to re-sign Joseph Ossai. That move helped pave the way for Ojulari to join the Super Bowl champions.

The Eagles lost Josh Sweat in free agency, and Brandon Graham could very well retire. Their absences will be felt in an edge rush group which has Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff. The latter did not pan out upon arrival as a high-priced free agent pickup, and he is now a trade candidate. Philadelphia recently added Josh Uche along the edge, but today’s move will come with higher expectations.

As a Georgia product, Ojulari is the latest in a long line of former Bulldogs to join the Eagles. If he manages to remain healthy in 2025, he could command a notable free agent market next spring on a second Philadelphia pact or one with a new team.

Texans, CB Ronald Darby Agree To Deal

March 17th, 2025 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another Texans cornerback move has been worked out, this time in the case of an outside free agent addition. Ronald Darby has agreed to a one-year Houston deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The pact is worth $2.5MM, Schefter adds. Darby joined the Jaguars on a two-year contract last offseason, but he was cut on Friday. The veteran has not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity, though.

Darby has been a journeyman during his 10-year career, spending time with the Bills, Eagles, Commanders, Broncos and Ravens prior to his single Jaguars campaign. The 31-year-old will nevertheless bring considerable experience to Houston’s secondary; Darby has 118 appearances and 107 starts to his name. That includes 12 starts last season in Jacksonville.

During that span, Darby posted 46 tackles and nine pass deflections. His coverage statistics (including a 120 passer rating and four touchdowns allowed as the nearest defender) left plenty to be desired, though. That helps explain the Jaguars’ decision to move on and the financial terms of his latest pact. Darby collected $5.5MM guaranteed last spring on the open market, but this time around he has essentially agreed to a ‘prove-it’ deal in advance of free agency in 2026.

The Texans fielded one of the NFL’s best cornerback tandems in 2024 with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. The former agreed to a three-year, $90MM extension earlier today; that pact makes him the highest-paid defensive back in league history on an annual basis. Stingley is under contract through 2029 as a result of his new deal, while Lassiter’s rookie contract still has three years remaining on it. That pairing should remain in place for years to come as a result.

Darby will be able to serve as a veteran backup behind those on the CB depth chart. Two of Stingley’s three NFL seasons to date have included missed time due to injury, and a repeat of that in 2025 could open the door to Darby seeing notable a notable defensive role. The Florida State product has limited experience on special teams, but that could provide him with an avenue to additional playing time in Houston next season.

Ronnie Stanley Addresses Decision To Re-Sign With Ravens

March 17th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

After agreeing to a pay cut last offseason, Ronnie Stanley delivered a strong campaign and set himself up for a healthy free agent market. The Pro Bowl left tackle wound up re-signing with the Ravens before the start of the league year, however, a move he spoke about on Monday.

“I was going to give Baltimore the best bargain that I would offer to any other team,” Stanley said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “That being said, I wanted to be happy with what I’m making and make sure I’m getting the value that I deserve.”

The former No. 6 pick has spent his entire career in Baltimore, and his tenure is set to continue on a three-year, $60MM pact. $44MM of that total is guaranteed and will be paid out across the 2025 and ’26 seasons, a notable amount and one not far from the top of the left tackle market. Stanley could very well have landed a more lucrative deal with an outside suitor given the nature of the free agent class, but he added he never reached the point of seriously considering such a move (h/t Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic).

Stanley inked a five-year, $98.75MM extension in 2020, but ankle and knee injuries kept him sidelined for extended stretches while playing out that pact. The Notre Dame product played only six games in 2020 and one the following year. Questions related to his durability remained after he missed another 10 contests from 2022-23. As this past campaign showed, though, the former All-Pro is still capable of playing at a high level when on the field. Team and player will hope his fully healthy campaign in 2024 will be repeated moving forward.

Baltimore selected Roger Rosengarten in the second round of last year’s draft as a potential Stanley successor in the future. He wound up operating as the Ravens’ right tackle starter last year, and that setup is in place to continue for the time being. If the Ravens are to duplicate last year’s success on offense (No. 1 yards, No. 3 in scoring), Stanley – who turns 31 tomorrow – will no doubt play a key role up front.

Many of the remaining O-line dominoes around the league have fallen during the opening days of free agency, although a number of teams still face questions at the position right now. Stanley would have addressed the blindside for a team prepared to make a sizable offer, but his comments confirm such a scenario was never in the cards.

Dolphins Submit Offer To Emmanuel Ogbah; No Deal Imminent

March 17th, 2025 at 2:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Emmanuel Ogbah has spent the past five years in Miami, but he is among the free agents still on the market at this point. Efforts to continue his Dolphins tenure have not yielded traction so far.

During his latest appearance on WSVN-7 Fox, agent Drew Rosenhaus noted (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) the Dolphins have submitted an offer to Ogbah. He added, however, that the sides “haven’t found common ground” yet with respect to an agreement being reached. Ogbah was cut by the Dolphins last February but he wound up re-signing in July.

Miami had a deal in place with Shaq Barrett, but his retirement decision (which ended up turning into a brief Buccaneers reunion) left the team in need of an addition along the edge. The Ogbah reunion allowed for him to handle a full-time starting role; the 31-year-old’s snap share (73%) was the highest of his Dolphins career. Ogbah posted five sacks and 19 pressures in 2024, figures which should help his market with Miami or other interested teams.

After being cut, the Oklahoma State product took a one-year deal to remain with the Dolphins. That pact contained $2MM in guarantees and included incentives which allowed Ogbah to surpass its base value of $3.25MM. A higher locked in figure could be required this time around for another deal to be reached. Having remained healthy for four of his five Miami campaigns so far, the former second-rounder could be in line for a multi-year commitment but at a minimum he will be expected to remain an important defensive figure should he re-sign once again.

The Dolphins do, on the other hand, still have Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips on the books. The former missed all of last year while rehabbing his ACL tear, while the latter was limited to four games in 2024 due to a partial ACL tear of his own. Miami used a first-round pick in 2024 on Chop Robinson, and he flashed potential during the second half of the campaign in particular. Those three represent a large portion of the Dolphins’ plans along the edge moving forward, but it will be interesting to see if that holds true for Ogbah as well.

NFL Restructures: Texans, Humphrey, Wirfs, Holcomb, Conklin

March 17th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans have restructured a number of deals in recent days to clear up some cap space for the 2025 league year.

First, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the team converted $12.33MM of Nico Collins‘ 2025 salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to the end of his deal. These moves opened of $9.86MM of cap space. Fellow wide receiver Christian Kirk also agreed to convert $14.33MM of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus while adding four void years to the end of his deal, freeing up $11.46MM of cap space, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Pelissero also reported a restructuring on the defensive side of the ball, as outside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair saw $7.83MM of his 2025 salary converted into a signing bonus with an additional void year added to the end of his deal. This last move created $6.26MM more of cap space.

Here are a few other restructured deals from around the NFL:

  • In Baltimore, Brian McFarland of RussellStreetReport.com detailed how the Ravens did a max restructure of cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s contract. His $18MM base salary was reduced to the veteran minimum as $16.74MM was converted into a signing bonus. The team also added two void years to the end of his deal, ultimately opening up $13.39MM of cap space.
  • Per Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs agreed to a restructured deal that would see his $26MM base salary reduced to the veteran minimum with $24.83MM converted into a signing bonus. The move created $19.86MM of cap space.
  • Pelissero also reported on a restructured deal for Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb. While details of the restructuring have yet to be released, we know the deal will clear $5MM of cap space, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler brings us our final restructured deal of the day for Browns right tackle Jack Conklin. The revised contract reportedly removes a year — making Conklin a free agent in 2026, instead of 2027 — and pays him $10MM this year with $9MM in guarantees and $2MM available in incentives. Cap influences from this deal have not yet been reported.

Dolphins To Sign CB Artie Burns

March 17th, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Adam La Rose

Artie Burns is the next player to land a new deal in the secondary waves of free agency. The veteran corner has agreed to a one-year Dolphins pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

This represents a homecoming for Burns. The Miami native played for the Hurricanes during his college career, one which ended with a six-interception junior campaign. That production helped make Burns a first-round pick, but his four seasons with the Steelers did not go according to plan.

By the end of his Pittsburgh run, Burns had gone from a full-time starter to a rotational defender tasked with handling special teams duties. After being out of the league in 2020, he returned on a one-year Bears contract which saw him handle a 39% defensive snap share. In the three years since then (in Seattle), though, the 29-year-old has earned primarily his playing time with his third phase contributions.

Miami has Jalen Ramsey atop the CB depth chart for next season, and holdovers Kader Kohou and Cam Smith are also set to play a role moving forward. The Dolphins have seen safety Jevon Holland depart in free agency as expected, and Jordan Poyer is considered unlikely to be retained. Former Lion Ifeatu Melifonwu was added last week, and he is in line to serve a notable role in the secondary as a result.

The Dolphins also retained Elijah Campbell, putting him on track to reprise his role as a key special teams presence. Burns will look to join him in that regard while attempting to boost his value ahead of free agency next spring.

Bengals Reach Extensions With WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

March 16th, 2025 at 9:56pm CST by Ely Allen

It appears the Bengals have made good on recent rumblings as Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins exclusively informed him that they’ve agreed to contract extensions to stay with their team.

Schultz reports that Chase will receive a four-year, $161MM extension with $112MM guaranteed, while Higgins’ deal is for four years and $115MM. The first two years of Higgins’ contract — an undisclosed amount, at the moment — will be guaranteed, as well. The early predictions of the two’s contracts combining to eclipse $70MM per year is not quite accurate, as they appear to combine to equal $69MM per year.

Chase’s deal surpasses that of Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Higgins’ contract reportedly makes him the highest-paid WR2 in NFL history, surpassing Miami’s Jaylen Waddle. While Higgins would move up two spots from the 10th-highest paid receiver in the league to the eighth-highest, Chase’s catapult up to the top of the list moves him back down to the ninth-highest paid receiver in the NFL. Only the Dolphins (Tyreek Hill & Waddle) match them with two in the top 10, and the Commanders (Deebo Samuel & Terry McLaurin) and the Buccaneers (Chris Godwin & Mike Evans) join with two in the top 20.

We saw major progress as this week started with Chase and Cincinnati far apart on extension terms before producing “significant progress” two days ago. Chase had turned down a Bengals offer this year, but after the team was unable to extend him before the 2024 season, the market shifted quite a bit. After the Raiders eclipsed Justin Jefferson‘s previous non-QB AAV mark by paying Maxx Crosby $35.5MM per year, the Browns gave Myles Garrett a whopping $40MM per annum to back off his trade request. By getting these signings of Chase and Higgins done, the Bengals avoid the price driving up even more, as T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, and Aidan Hutchinson could all adjust that number again this offseason.

Once the exact numbers and structure come through, we should become aware of just how much the Bengals’ cap situation has improved — and it should be a significant improvement. Cincinnati was sitting at just over $26MM in cap space before these two deals transpired. Higgins’ $26.2MM franchise tag cap hit should disappear, as should Chase’s $21.8MM fifth-year option cap hit; both will be replaced with new, much lower cap numbers that will rise in the later years of their new contracts.

By securing Chase and Higgins for another four years, Cincinnati has locked down a receiving duo that has combined for 658 catches for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns over the past four years. During the time the two have played together, they have combined to account for 44 percent of quarterback Joe Burrow‘s completions, 56 percent of Burrow’s yardage, and 58 percent of his touchdowns. With Burrow locked in through the 2029 season, as well, the potent Bengals offense doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

And Cincinnati better hope that their prolific offense continues to produce. A big reason why the Bengals failed to make the postseason in 2024, despite Burrow leading the league in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns and Chase winning the receiving Triple Crown, was a defense that ranked 26th is points per game and 25th in yards per game.

While Chase and Higgins are celebrating their new extensions, star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson continues to reside in limbo waiting for any developments on his extension or trade potential. Cincinnati reportedly wants at least a first-round pick for the 30-year-old pass rusher and perhaps more, though rival execs view that ask as “ridiculous.”

Hendrickson’s issues with his contract situation date back to a trade request a year ago, similar to Higgins. Higgins made the savvy move of dropping his representation and pairing up under Chase’s agency, making it clear that a Chase deal was not possible without a Higgins deal, as well. Hendrickson, on the other hand, seems to have been left in the cold here, as the extensions reported today will make it extremely difficult for Cincinnati to give a long-term pact to him, as well.

Regardless, Bengals fans can let out a long sigh of relief knowing that Chase, Higgins, and Burrow will be around to continue putting up record offensive numbers in the years to come. Whether dedicating $124MM per year to three offensive players will ultimately handicap a team desperately needing to improve on defense is to be determined. For now, though, Cincinnati can take pride in being sure it’s done what it can to make its stars happy.

Joe Flacco ‘In Play’ For Steelers, Browns, Vikings

March 16th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The NFL’s annual quarterback carousel is still spinning, and Aaron Rodgers seems to have his hands on the controls. Multiple teams are pursuing the four-time MVP, and his decision will have a cascading effect on the rest of the market.

Russell Wilson is ready to sign and will likely be the next domino to fall, leaving Joe Flacco as the top veteran option on the market.

Flacco is already receiving interest from multiple teams. He is “in play…for jobs with the Steelers, Browns, and Vikings,” per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. It’s easy to see Flacco end up in any of those destinations. He’s been a mercenary ever since he left Baltimore and spent the last three years with three different teams.

In Pittsburgh, Flacco would have a winnable battle with Mason Rudolph for a starting job after he re-signed with his old team last week. The Steelers may also look to add a quarterback through the draft, though their first-round pick (No. 21 overall) is likely too late for a top prospect. If Flacco wants a legitimate shot at starting, Pittsburgh may be his best bet.

The Browns are similarly bereft at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson could miss the entire 2025 season after tearing his Achilles for a second time, which would leave Flacco to take on fellow former first-rounder Kenny Pickett for the starting gig. Flacco also spent the 2023 season in Cleveland, which was his best since leaving Baltimore. The Browns went 4-1 in his five starts, which featured 323.2 yards per game and 13 touchdowns. Flacco’s previous success in Cleveland and familiarity with Kevin Stefanski and much of his offensive line could motivate the 40-year-old to return to a previous team for the first time in his career.

Minnesota seems to offer the least upside. Flacco could start over J.J. McCarthy at the beginning of the season, but unless he truly thrives, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings sacrificing another year of development for the 2024 No. 6 overall pick. But if Flacco wants to win, Minnesota might be the place to do it. They retained pending free agents like Aaron Jones and Byron Murphy while making upgrades in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Intends To Play In 2026; Team To Retain TE Tyler Higbee, RT Rob Havenstein For 2025

March 16th, 2025 at 9:28pm CST by Rory Parks

Before the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes got underway this offseason, a competition in which the Raiders and Giants emerged as the top contenders to acquire the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback via trade, Stafford first had to determine whether he was even going to continue his playing career in 2025. A little over a week after Los Angeles’ divisional-round loss to the Eagles, Stafford told his club he would not be retiring.

Both player and team knew after their 2024 restructure that Stafford’s contract would need to be revisited again if their relationship was to continue, and this year, the Rams gave the veteran passer permission to speak with other teams to determine his value. Although both Las Vegas and New York were prepared to part with draft capital and authorize a two-year contract featuring up to $100MM in guarantees, Stafford decided to stay with the Rams on another reworked pact.

Head coach Sean McVay recently confirmed that, just as the parties did last year, compensation due later in Stafford’s contract was accelerated to this season, and that is what facilitated an agreement. The exact financial details are not yet known, but what is clear is that Stafford’s thru-2026 deal was not extended. As such, if and when the parties find themselves in the same position next offseason – which McVay expects – there will be no more future years from which to borrow money. In other words, an actual extension and/or raise will need to be hammered out to keep Stafford with the Rams in 2026 and perhaps beyond.

Of course, that assumes the 37-year-old passer will want to keep playing in 2026. While a player’s thoughts can always change, Stafford does not sound as if he intends to again contemplate retirement after the upcoming campaign.

On a recent episode of Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, Stafford said, “I’m going to be [with the Rams] at least another year, and hopefully some after that” (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

Stafford went on to call this offseason’s uncertainty “a little nerve-wracking,” and though such uncertainty appears to await next year as well, it may be entirely contract-related rather than retirement-related. Although Stafford always preferred to remain with McVay and the team that has employed him for the last four seasons, his use of the word “hopefully” indicates he still may not finish his career with the Rams.

The beyond-2025 futures of Los Angeles TE Tyler Higbee and RT Rob Havenstein are also uncertain, as both players are entering platform years. McVay recently confirmed, however, that both will be back with the club this season (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic).

As Rodrigue notes, the fact that Higbee and Havenstein have one season left on their existing deals warranted such confirmation from the head coach (as did the fact that both of them are coming off injury-impacted seasons). Higbee, 32, has operated as the Rams’ full-time starter at tight end since 2017, but he sustained a torn ACL and MCL in the 2023 postseason that delayed his start to the 2024 slate (he also suffered a chest injury in this year’s wildcard round, though he returned for the divisional-round matchup, catching seven balls for 54 yards and a score).

Havenstein, who is entering his age-33 season, has been a stalwart at right tackle since joining the Rams as a second-round pick in 2015. He has never earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod, but he has started all 141 games in which he has appeared and has consistently generated good to excellent marks from Pro Football Focus. His return will be key for an aging QB and a team that has designs on another postseason run.

Ravens Sign QB Cooper Rush

March 16th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have a new backup in place for QB Lamar Jackson. Per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Baltimore is signing Cooper Rush to a two-year deal worth up to $12.2MM.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rush will receive $4.2MM in guaranteed money, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes the true value of the two-year accord is $6.2MM. Rush can earn an additional $6MM in incentives (including playing time incentives) that presumably will only be hit if Jackson sustains an injury.

Luckily for the Ravens, their star passer and two-time MVP has been able to play a full slate of games over the past two years, so the club’s decision to invest minimally in the backup QB position with players like former UDFA Tyler Huntley and noted journeyman Josh Johnson has been a non-issue. That said, Zrebiec reported earlier this month that Baltimore could be in the market for an upgrade (subscription required), and the team has found one in Rush.

Cowboys QB1 Dak Prescott missed five games due to injury in 2022 and nine more in 2024, and Rush capably filled in for him on both occasions. In 14 career starts, the Central Michigan alum has compiled a 9-5 record, including a 4-4 mark last season. In 2024, Rush completed just over 60% of his passes for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns against five interceptions.

As that TD:INT ratio suggests, the 31-year-old has been lauded for his ability to avoid mistakes. He does not offer much in the running game, so in the event he needs to relieve Jackson and his dual-threat abilities, offensive coordinator Todd Monken will need to adjust the offense accordingly. Still, Rush is a quality backup that can keep a club afloat for a stretch, and despite the strong rapport that Johnson and Jackson established, the Ravens clearly felt a more significant expenditure was necessary (though Zrebiec does leave open the possibility that Johnson could return as a third-stringer).

In light of Prescott’s market-topping contract and the massive extension for Micah Parsons that is looming on the horizon — to say nothing of CeeDee Lamb‘s high-end deal — Cowboys COO Stephen Jones recently indicated Dallas would allow Rush and fellow signal-caller/reclamation project Trey Lance to seek greener pastures elsewhere. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News believes the club will add a passer on Day 3 of next month’s draft and allow that player to compete with Will Grier for the backup gig in 2025.

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