HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Steelers Sign DT Daniel Ekuale

March 16th, 2025 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Steelers will replace one veteran defensive tackle with another. After watching Larry Ogunjobi depart for Buffalo, Pittsburgh has signed former Patriots defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale to fill his place, according to his agent, Blake Baratz.

Ekuale entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State in 2018, signing with the Browns. After some nominal playing time in Cleveland, Ekuale’s sophomore campaign saw him start five games for the Jaguars in nine game appearances. For the second straight year, though, the team with which he finished the season, let him go in final roster cuts just prior to the next season.

This time, Ekuale landed in New England, where he would play a rotational role on the Patriots defensive line for the next two years. He started 2021, his first year with the team, coming off the practice squad, before the team began to realize his contribution potential as he tallied two sacks. After sitting out the first two games of 2022 due to a suspension, Ekuale continued in his rotational role. He played in every game for the remainder of that season logging another two sacks. He started 2023 in a similar role, but a torn bicep forced him to miss all but three games of the season.

Ekuale returned to the field in 2024 as a fill-in starter for the Patriots while Christian Barmore dealt with diagnosed blood clot issues. Ekuale ended up starting every game of the season but one last year, the first serious playing time of his career. He only tallied one sack while merely matching career highs in tackles for loss (2) and quarterback hits (3), but he vastly improved his tackling numbers with a career-high 52 combined tackles.

In his first season as a full-time starter, Ekuale graded out just above average, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking 52nd out of 118 interior defenders. If he plays up to the same level in Pittsburgh, that would be an improvement over the player he’s replacing, Ogunjobi, who hasn’t ranked higher than 52nd per PFF since his rookie season in 2017.

AFC North Contract Details: Slaton, Ricard, Bush, Harrison

March 16th, 2025 at 7:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Here is a list of some of the released contract details concerning some free agent signings from the AFC North:

  • Patrick Ricard, FB (Ravens): One year, $2.87MM. Because of the new CBA’s four-year qualifying options, players who have been with the same team for four or more consecutive seasons can earn more than they count against the salary cap. As a result, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Ricard will only count for $1.42MM against the cap. The deal includes $167.5K in guarantees in the form of a signing bonus.
  • Tylan Wallace, WR (Ravens): One year, $2.1MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Wallace’s new deal will have $1.35MM guaranteed including a $930K signing bonus. Additional void years from 2026 to 2029 will spread his cap hit out over time.
  • T.J. Slaton, DT (Bengals): Two years, $14.1MM. Per Wilson, Slaton’s contract has $5MM of guarantees. The $5MM of guarantees comes in the form of a 2025 league year roster bonus. Slaton can also earn an active roster bonus of $20K per game and a playtime incentive that could pay out an additional $500K for the year.
  • Cody Ford, G (Bengals): Two years, $6MM. Per Wilson, Ford’s deal has $1MM of guarantees in the form of a signing bonus. He can also earn an active roster bonus of $29.41K per game and an additional $500K for playing 75 percent of the team’s offensive snaps each year.
  • Marco Wilson, CB (Bengals): One year, $1.52MM. Per Aaron Wilson, Marco Wilson’s guaranteed money comes in the form of a $150K signing bonus. He’ll also be able to earn an active roster bonus of $5.88K per game.
  • Devin Bush, LB (Browns): One year, $3.25MM. Per Wilson, Bush’s contract includes $2.97MM in guarantees that are comprised of a $1.8MM signing bonus and the entirety of his $1.17MM base salary. Bush can earn an active roster bonus of $15K per game and an additional $250K through incentives. The team added four void years to the deal in order to space out his cap impact.
  • Malik Harrison, LB (Steelers): Two years, $10MM. Per Wilson, Harrison’s contract includes $4.08MM in guarantees in the form of a signing bonus.

Jets Still Interested In Tyler Conklin?

March 16th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets are interested in re-signing Tyler Conklin, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, though the veteran tight end is still available after a week of free agency.

Cimini’s report was from the first day of the legal tampering period and also mentioned that Conklin was “one of the more coveted TEs on the market.” Since then, Juwan Johnson re-signed with the Saints, Zach Ertz re-signed with the Commanders, and Evan Engram signed with the Broncos. The Jets, meanwhile, have only added ex-Charger Stone Smartt and saw 2024 backup Kenny Yeboah sign with the Lions.

That leaves Conklin as the best veteran option for the Jets, who have no tight ends with significant experience behind 2022 third-rounder Jeremy Ruckert.

New York has plenty of cap space to accommodate another contract for Conklin, who earned $6.75MM per year on his last deal. The team could be planning to invest in a strong tight end draft class and may not want to make a long-term commitment with the 29-year-old Conklin.

Still, he has been a reliable contributor to an unstable Jets offense over the last three years, making 50 appearances with 43 starts and averaging 3.4 receptions and 32.4 receiving yards per game. He was less productive in the red zone, scoring only seven touchdowns while in New York, but he remains a solid blocker and veteran presence in the locker room.

Justin Reid Chose Saints Over Titans, Eagles, Chiefs

March 16th, 2025 at 6:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints won a multi-team battle for Justin Reid last week, with the Eagles and the Titans falling short in their bid to sign the veteran safety, per Bleacher Report’s James Palmer.

The Eagles “weren’t close” to the $10.5M APY that Reid received from the Saints, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, suggesting that he was willing to take less money to join the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Reid confirmed those teams’ interest in his introductory press conference, adding that the Chiefs explored a reunion with their longtime safety as well. He added that there is “no animosity” between him and the Chiefs, but signing with the Saints “made too much sense” for the Louisiana native.

He went to college across the country at Stanford, but falling to the Texans in the 2018 draft allowed Reid to stay somewhat close to home in Houston. His three years in Kansas City pulled him farther away from Louisiana, but he will now get to play for his childhood team.

“Every kid in Louisiana dreams about playing for the Saints,” said Reid. He will reunite with fellow Louisiana native Tyrann Mathieu in New Orleans. Reid played with Mathieu in Houston in 2018 and later replaced him in Kansas City in 2022.

His new contract in New Orleans is worth $31.5MM over three years, the same as his last deal with the Chiefs. He is receiving $2MM more in guaranteed money, though his APY has not increased with salary cap inflation.

Ravens Were Top Team For WR DeAndre Hopkins

March 16th, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the new big man in town in Baltimore, and he seems to be echoing sentiments heard last year from Derrick Henry from whenever he was the big, new thing. 11 months ago, Henry told the media that “Baltimore was always (his) No. 1 option.” This week, Hopkins took a page out of Henry’s book, saying that “the Ravens were (the) top team on his list,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Hopkins cites the presence of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson as one of the main reasons for his desires to play in Baltimore. It’s something we’ve seen a number of offensive acquisitions say over the years, which says a lot considering wide receivers don’t typically boast big seasons in Baltimore due to Jackson’s ability to spread the ball out effectively throughout the offense.

Baltimore has a history of its best wide receivers being veteran free agent additions. The franchise leader in receiving yards, Derrick Mason, came to Baltimore at 31 years old after eight seasons in Tennessee. Anquan Boldin came to the Ravens at 30 years old after seven seasons in Arizona and helped deliver a second Super Bowl to Baltimore alongside contributions from another veteran free agent in the late Jacoby Jones, who joined the team at 28.

Despite spending 13 years of his career in Carolina, Steve Smith Sr. came to Baltimore at 35 years old and delivered three incredibly strong seasons. Even Mike Wallace delivered one of the three 1,000-yard seasons of his career in Baltimore after signing with the team at 30.

Baltimore has also, unfortunately, garnered a reputation as a wide receiver graveyard, a place in which aged wideouts go to die (or at least their careers do). We saw it in 2017 when a 29-year-old Jeremy Maclin delivered a career-low receiving yard total in what would be his final NFL season. Or the next year, when a 31-year-old Michael Crabtree logged a solid but overall underwhelming performance in Jackson’s rookie campaign.

A 32-year-old Dez Bryant attempted to make a comeback in Baltimore after two years away from the league, only to catch six passes for 47 yards in 2020. Most recently, a 31-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. attempted the same with better results, though still not up to the standard of his early years in the league.

At 32 years old, it will be interesting to see which side of history Hopkins falls on. 12 years with four teams may have worn Hopkins down like the second group of receivers mentioned above. He hasn’t earned Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors since his first season in Arizona in 2020, but he did deliver a 1,000-yard campaign just two years ago in Tennessee at the hands of Will Levis and Ryan Tannehill.

While Ravens receivers don’t tend to put up huge numbers — only Mark Andrews (1,361), Zay Flowers (1,059), and Marquise Brown (1,008) have delivered 1,000-yard seasons in Jackson’s tenure — Hopkins still has potential to make a lasting impact with the Ravens.

Jackson returns a backfield that features the bell-cow Henry, the versatile Justice Hill, and the speedy Keaton Mitchell, as well as a tight ends stable that should feature Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar. He will likely see Nelson Agholor depart in free agency, but replacing him with Hopkins, who will line up with Flowers and Rashod Bateman, gives the Ravens one of the most impressive wide receivers groups they’ve had in their short history.

It will just depend on if Hopkins is willing to find his role among the litany of offensive options and if Hopkins can bring a veteran energy akin to Mason/Boldin/Smith/Wallace versus that of Maclin/Crabtree/Bryant/Beckham.

Patriots Pursued C Drew Dalman In FA

March 16th, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots attempted to sign Drew Dalman in free agency, per Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal, but the 26-year-old center opted for a three-year, $42MM deal with the Bears.

The Patriots entered free agency with the most cap space in the NFL and still have over $100MM of room in 2025, so they certainly had the budget to afford Dalman. He was the top center on the market, but only played 23 games over the last two seasons due to injury. His per-year earnings of $14MM are the second-highest at the position, but still fall well short of Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM APY with the Chiefs.

Now, New England will need to find another center for the 2025 season after starting three different players at the position last year. 10-year veteran David Andrews started the first four games before an injury to his shoulder required season-ending surgery. He was released last week after a failed physical.

Nick Leverett – who is now a Cardinal – took over for Andrews in Weeks 4 and 5 before the Patriots signed Ben Brown off the Raiders’ practice squad. Brown started the next 10 games at center for the Patriots, followed by Cole Strange for the last two games of the season.

Brown re-signed in New England as an exclusive rights free agent in 2025, and Strange is entering the final year of his rookie deal. The two young linemen will likely enter training camp battling for the starting center job, though Strange could also be in play at guard.

Of course, the Patriots could still add another center in the coming months. Andre James is the best veteran available after being released by the Raiders, and the draft offers several young options as well.

Sam Darnold’s Contract Details Reveal Year-To-Year Structure

March 16th, 2025 at 3:49pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks used a year-to-year structure on Geno Smith‘s last contract, and they appear to have done the same with Sam Darnold.

Darnold’s new deal with Seattle contains $37.5MM in fully-guaranteed money, which will comprise his 2025 compensation, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. He will then be owed $27.5MM for 2026 and $35.5MM in 2027.

$17.5MM of Darnold’s 2026 salary is guaranteed for injury at signing and can vest to a full guarantee after Super Bowl LX. None of his 2027 money is tied to any guarantees, so the Seahawks could release him immediately after the 2025 season having paid just $37.5MM for one season.

A February release to avoid a vesting guarantee is not common practice in the NFL, but the Raiders did it with Derek Carr in 2023, per Florio. Such a move may draw criticism for being player-unfriendly, but Darnold and his representation must have recognized a one-year out as a possibility before signing the deal. He would still have to perform in 2026, as his 2027 salary is not guaranteed, offering the Seahawks another exit ramp after two years.

Darnold’s contract also includes $5MM per year in incentives, split between “individual performance” ($2MM), “postseason performance” ($2.5MM), and “team performance” ($500k).

Teams typically design their incentives as ‘Not Likely To Be Earned’ (NLTBE), meaning that the player did not meet the milestone in the previous season. After an impressive statistical showing in the 2024 regular season led to a Pro Bowl selection, Darnold’s incentives will likely be tied to things he didn’t do last year. That could include an All-Pro selection, winning a major award, winning the division, or advancing in the playoffs.

The structure of Darnold’s deal offers a wide range of outcomes in Seattle. If he fails to replicate last year’s success, the Seahawks could part ways with him after one year. However, a fruitful partnership could upgrade his APY from $33.5MM to $38.5MM per year and set him up for another big-money extension. In short, despite proving himself as a viable starter in 2024, Darnold still has plenty on the line in 2025 with his new team.

Raiders Nearing Geno Smith Extension?

March 16th, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 16: Smith has a $16MM roster bonus that is due today, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. The Raiders will pay him that money, but for accounting purposes, it can be incorporated into an extension as a signing bonus. That would also allow the Raiders to reduce his $31MM 2025 cap hit.

MARCH 14: The Raiders do not appear to be planning to hold Geno Smith to his Seahawks-constructed contract going into the season. An extension is considered likely, and it could be coming soon.

Smith is expected to agree to a new deal this week, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reports. Smith negotiated with the Seahawks this offseason, but the sides were far apart on terms. As Smith’s camp pushed for a deal north of $40MM per year, the Seahawks offered him a similar contract to the one they gave Sam Darnold (three years, $100.5MM). The value gap led Seattle to trade Smith to Las Vegas, which will now be tasked with pinpointing the middling quarterback’s price.

Proving more valuable than his current contract suggests, Smith is coming off a season where he eclipsed his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year campaign in passing yards (4,320) and completion percentage (70.4) while matching his yards-per-attempt number (7.5) from that breakout season. He is tied to a deal in QB no-man’s land (three years, $75MM). No quarterback is within $5MM AAV of Smith either way, with Justin Fields (two years, $40MM) and the Darnold/Baker Mayfield range being the closest to the new Raiders starter.

The Seahawks not moving close to $40MM per year for Smith illustrates their view of the ex-Russell Wilson backup. While Smith has not been connected to approaching the $50MM-per-year club, that ballooning contract tier has raised the market as a whole. Smith exited last season as the NFL’s 18th-highest-paid QB; Darnold’s deal bumped him to 19th.

Smith is going into his age-35 season, which offers another complication. The Raiders, however, are likely to authorize an extension that covers at least three years in length, Reed adds. Smith is joining a Las Vegas team that had slogged through two grim years at quarterback following the team’s December 2022 Derek Carr benching, one that led to a release weeks later. Carr had kept the Raiders’ QB1 reins longer than anyone in team history, and the Josh McDaniels regime did not effectively replace him, as Jimmy Garoppolo did not play well despite being given a three-year deal that nearly matched Smith’s Seattle numbers.

The Raiders aggressively pursued Matthew Stafford, though Smith’s age and familiarity with Pete Carroll probably makes him a better fit. Stafford is heading into an age-37 season. With the Raiders finishing 4-13 after Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell operated as the primary passers and playing in a division that sent three teams to the playoffs and one to Super Bowl LIX, identifying a starter who could be in place for a few seasons probably lined up better than trading for a year-to-year QB who would have still drawn a guarantee in the $100MM range.

Smith secured only $27.3MM at signing from the Seahawks, who had paid him just $3.5MM in 2022 and lower rates before that. Mayfield received $50MM guaranteed in total ($40MM at signing), while Darnold’s locked-in number likely rivals that. If the Raiders give Smith a deal in the $40MM-per-year range, the guarantee will need to come in higher than where Mayfield’s settled last year. Regardless of where that number comes in, the Raiders will soon be back in the franchise-QB contract game.

Jets Sign DT Derrick Nnadi

March 16th, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets have signed former Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was first to report. Kansas City selected Nnadi in the third round of the 2018 draft, and he had spent his entire career with the club, winning three Super Bowl titles along the way.

From his rookie season through 2023, Nnadi primarily operated as a starter, and he also established a reputation for durability. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes, the soon-to-be 29-year-old defender has missed only two games due to injury in his seven-year career.

However, he did not hit the open market with much momentum. Nnadi was relegated to a reserve role in 2024 and saw just 221 defensive snaps, which was by far a career-low mark. In that limited sample, he also earned an abysmal 35.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which was even worse than his 40.6 grade in 2023.

The Jets, though, do not necessarily need Nnadi to be a world-beater. The club saw Javon Kinlaw parlay a one-year pillow contract to work as Quinnen Williams‘ primary sidekick on the interior of the defensive line into a three-year, $45MM deal with the Commanders — this despite a mediocre 53.2 PFF grade — and the hope is that Nnadi can provide a similar steady presence at a fraction of the cost.

Although financials have not yet been disclosed, Nnadi’s performance over the past several seasons would suggest New York is not breaking the bank here. As such, the signing will surely not preclude the club from pursuing additional upgrades in the draft, with Cimini classiyfing Nnadi — along with recent adds Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele — as a depth piece (we had not previously written on Tufele’s acquisition).

Phidarian Mathis — a former second-round pick of the Commanders whom the Jets claimed off waivers late in the 2024 campaign — remains in the mix as well. The entire group, of course, will take a backseat to Williams, one of the game’s best interior players who is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season.

Nnadi has amassed 233 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble in his regular season career. He has contributed 38 tackles and a sack in 18 games of postseason work.

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