HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Dolphins To Sign LB K.J. Britt

March 13th, 2025 at 9:31am CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins are set to make their first outside addition at the linebacker spot this offseason. K.J. Britt has agreed to a one-year deal with Miami, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Britt played out his rookie contract with the Buccaneers, so this pact will allow him to remain in Florida for at least one more season. The former fifth-rounder primarily played on special teams during his first three seasons with the team, but late in the 2023 campaign he emerged as the Bucs’ preferred defensive option compared to Devin White. The latter’s expected free agent departure last offseason paved the way for a starting gig in Britt’s case.

Logging a 65% snap share – by far the largest of his career – the 25-year-old posted 72 tackles in 2024. He helped form an effective tandem with Lavonte David as a result of that production, but while the longtime Buccaneer has worked out another Tampa deal Britt will be on the move this spring. He will look to carve out a first-team gig in Miami.

The Dolphins added Jordyn Brooks in free agency last offseason, and he remains on the books through 2026. Miami also re-signed Tyrel Dodson on a two-year deal yesterday, and after staring three games last season he will be in the mix for a first-team role moving forward. Britt will aim to compete for playing time in that regard, but at a minimum he will provide the Dolphins with a veteran special teams presence.

Miami ranked ninth against the run in 2024, and with Brooks and Dodson still in place expectations will be high for a repeat of that strong play at the second level this coming season. If Britt manages to play a notable role in that effort, he will set himself up for a more lucrative deal on the open market next spring.

Jets, LB Jamin Davis Agree To Deal

March 13th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Adam La Rose

Jamin Davis is headed to the AFC for the first time in his career. The former first-rounder has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Davis was drafted by Washington as a linebacker, and he logged 36 total starts with the team. Things did not go as planned at that position, though, and near the end of his time in the nation’s capital a switch to edge rusher was made. In spite of that move, Davis found himself on waivers midway through the 2024 campaign.

After a brief stint on the Packers’ practice squad, the Kentucky product was claimed by the Vikings as an Ivan Pace injury replacement at linebacker. Davis made four appearances with Minnesota, seeing sparse usage on defense while logging a partial special teams workload. He ended the campaign in the Jets’ organization.

This move will therefore allow Davis to remain in New York, although he will not be a familiar face to the team’s new regime (general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn). The 26-year-old’s new pact will no doubt check in near the league minimum, and he will turn his attention to competing for a roster spot during the offseason. The Jets managed to retain Jamien Sherwood on a $15MM-per-year deal, but as expected they released fellow linebacker C.J. Mosley yesterday.

Special teamer Samuel Eguavoen is a free agent after spending each of the past two seasons with the Jets. If he were to depart on the open market, Davis could attempt to fill his third phase role while offering experience as a defensive starter.

Aaron Rodgers Still Considering Vikings; Latest On Steelers’ Effort

March 12th, 2025 at 11:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Giants and Steelers have hovered as the leaders in this unusual Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes for multiple days, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is still deliberating. Rodgers is well aware the Giants and Steelers are interested, but the third team linked to him over the weekend is still believed to be in the mix.

Rodgers remains intrigued by playing for the Vikings, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver note. Minnesota continues to evaluate its QB options, and we heard over the weekend Rodgers is one of them. While completing the Full Favre would be make for an eerie parallel for his one-time Packers successor, Minnesota has some selling points the other two suitors do not.

Kevin O’Connell is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, riding to that honor mostly as Sam Darnold went from bottom-tier starter and borderline draft bust to an original-ballot Pro Bowler who threw 35 touchdown passes in guiding the Vikings to a stunning 14-3 record. Darnold targeted All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, former first-rounder Jordan Addison and Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson. Longtime Rodgers teammate Aaron Jones also did heavy lifting for the 2024 Vikings, and he is back on a two-year, $20MM deal.

Minnesota also finished with a top-five defense last season, and during a week in which the team re-signed Byron Murphy and retained Harrison Smith, the Vikes added veteran D-linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Brett Favre joined a Vikings team that had lost a wild-card game in 2008, albeit with a much worse record than last year’s Minnesota edition; Rodgers may be interested in helping a team to a higher level. Though, the four-time MVP failing to do so in New York — ahead of a Wednesday release — offers a warning sign for the suitors.

Favre took the Vikings to the 2009 NFC championship game, delivering an MVP-caliber season at 40. That ended badly, with a reckless interception stalling a potential game-winning Vikings drive in the NFC championship game. But Favre delivered a strong season at 40, beating Rodgers’ Packers twice. Unretirement No. 3 in 2010 did not go as well, as Favre’s ironman streak ended during a 6-10 Vikes season.

Rodgers is rumored to be interested in playing two more years, which is where a Minnesota decision would become complicated. Unlike in 2009 when they recruited Favre, the Vikings have a young quarterback (J.J. McCarthy) they are planning to build around. The 2009 Vikes had seen three Tarvaris Jackson seasons, as both a starter and backup, by that point. This Vikings regime is high on McCarthy, having centered its 2024 offseason around him before a meniscus tear entrenched Darnold at QB1. Rodgers may not be too keen on serving as a bridge who faces the risk of being benched during his first season with the team.

Chances are, he would not face that reality in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are not in position to grab a starter-level QB in the draft, though one of the QBs off the Cam Ward/Shedeur Sanders tier may rise up draft boards during the pre-draft process. But Rodgers could have a path, even as he will turn 42 in December, to starting throughout for a Steelers team that has a strong defensive nucleus — and one that just acquired D.K. Metcalf to play alongside George Pickens.

The Steelers have made their offer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports, adding that money is not believed to be driving this Rodgers delay. The decorated quarterback has not publicly confirmed he even intends to play in 2025, though that has been the expectation for a bit. Although the Steelers are unlikely to essentially hand the keys to Rodgers in the way the Jets did, their hesitation on Russell Wilson does raise the stakes for this particular free agency pursuit.

Wilson looms as a Steelers backup option, but time may be ticking there, too. Wilson is visiting the Browns on Thursday and Giants on Friday. While Wilson has settled in behind Rodgers within the QB free agent hierarchy — to the point the Giants would be unlikely to sign him before they know they are out of the Rodgers derby — he remains a capable starting quarterback who could be a bridge option to a rookie.

The Vikings being in the Rodgers mix as well stands to give the 20-year veteran a good chance to remain a starter in 2025. While Rodgers is well off the 2012 Peyton Manning level in terms of free agency prize, as the all-time great’s free agency decision stalled the NFL that offseason, the Rodgers free agency is slowing the market for at least one quarterback and probably a couple more.

The two teams in this derby who do not land Rodgers figure to place an immediate call to Wilson’s camp. Options tail off soon after. Gardner Minshew is available, and Joe Flacco is interested in playing an age-40 season. The line moves to Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz and Mason Rudolph after. The Falcons continue to hold Kirk Cousins hostage, intent on keeping him for a potential trade market.

Rams To Release Cooper Kupp; Latest On WR’s Market

March 12th, 2025 at 11:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Cooper Kupp trade partner has emerged. The Rams are moving on via release, NFL.com’s Tom Pelisseso reports. Releasing Kupp after the start of the 2025 league year (3pm CT today) will allow for a post-June 1 designation.

This will make Kupp a first-time free agent, and although no trade materialized, Kupp will generate FA interest, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. At least three teams have known interest, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes. The Packers should be a team to watch here, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, mentioning the Seahawks and Titans as potential fits as well. The Raiders would also be interested, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, though they do not appear willing to make this move without a notable discount.

Kupp will join a host of accomplished early-30-something WRs in free agency. Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and Tyler Lockett are also available. None put together a season quite like what Kupp did in 2021, though his injuries since will limit his market. Kupp’s availability also stands to affect the above-referenced wideouts’ markets, as it is becoming crowded at receiver in free agency. Diontae Johnson joins this cast, but the veteran starter’s complicated 2024 has tanked his stock.

The Rams will be on the hook for a $5MM Kupp salary guarantee this year and prorated signing bonus money in 2025 and ’26. They will, however, avoid a $7.5MM roster bonus by moving on now. Kupp was due a $12.5MM base salary in 2025. The Rams can split the $22.26MM dead money bill over two offseasons with a post-June 1 designation. That expected move will create $15MM in 2025 cap savings.

Kupp, 31, said Sean McVay told him he would be traded shortly after the season. The former triple-crown winner made the Rams’ intentions public, indicating he was out after eight seasons. Although the Rams were willing to eat salary in a trade, teams waited them out and will determine FA proposals. Les Snead said Kupp’s $7.5MM bonus, which was due in a few days, served as the deadline for a decision and never made it sound like a ninth season together was in the cards.

Between the time the Rams informed Kupp he would be out of the picture soon and the actual release transpiring, the team signed Davante Adams. The three-time All-Pro will step in alongside Puka Nacua. The Rams’ Adams contract only brings 2025 guarantees, as a 2026 cut with a bit of dead money attached would be in play if that does not prove a it. Adams, however, has stayed much healthier than Kupp and has shown more consistency as a high-end receiver — even if Kupp has produced this decade’s best WR season.

The former third-round pick out of Division I-FCS Eastern Washington, Kupp made the closest push to Calvin Johnson‘s single-season receiving record. He paired 145 receptions and 16 touchdowns with the 1,947 passing yards. Kupp also trails only 2008 Larry Fitzgerald for yards in a single playoffs, having totaled 478 and six TDs — including a Super Bowl LVI game-winner — to help the Rams to a title. Significant injury trouble intervened in the years that followed, as ankle and hamstring maladies kept him off the field for 18 games over the past three seasons.

The Rams had given Kupp two extensions, with the second coming less than two years after the first. Kupp agreed to a three-year, $47.25MM extension in 2020 — after he had bounced back from a 2018 ACL tear with a 1,000-yard 2019 — and he inked a three-year, $80.1MM deal months after Super Bowl LVI.

Kupp ultimately could not deliver on the second payday, though he still showed he has starter-level form in his tank. He posted 710 receiving yards and six TDs in 12 games last season, though the team did not turn to him much down the stretch. We will soon find out how other clubs value him, especially on a crowded market.

Browns, Giants To Meet With Russell Wilson

March 12th, 2025 at 11:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Russell Wilson may be behind Aaron Rodgers in the free agent QB pecking order, another team is showing interest. The Browns are preparing to meet with the 13-year veteran.

Wilson will travel to Cleveland tonight for a Thursday meeting, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds the passer’s second Giants meeting in two years is set for Friday. The Giants have been linked to Wilson for a while, but they join the Steelers in waiting for a Rodgers answer.

When the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot indicated the ex-Steelers first-rounder would not automatically be the veteran that steers the ship while Deshaun Watson is out and before it is known a rookie QB is Cleveland-bound. The Browns are still believed to be looking into vets, and Wilson will qualify. Given teams’ preference of Rodgers over him, Wilson will also not stand to be a particularly pricey option at this stage of his career.

The Browns have been more closely connected to Kirk Cousins than Wilson, but as the 2025 league year begins and a $10MM Cousins payment is due, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot is sticking to his guns on cuffing the QB as a high-priced backup. Teams were split on if that Atlanta strategy will continue, but Cousins is not coming up in trades and is not yet a free agent. Despite Kevin Stefanski’s past with Cousins, the 2012 fourth-round pick’s status may well be leading the Browns to look into a 2012 third-rounder.

Certainly not one to cool down drama, Rodgers is taking his time on a potential Pittsburgh-or-New York decision. That has affected Wilson, who is not believed to be a Titans target. The Vikings are also in the mix for a veteran stopgap, but a Browns fit would be quite interesting given the makeup of the team’s QB room. The Browns are needing to keep costs low because of their 2022 decision to give Watson a fully guaranteed $230MM. That trade came barely a week after the Broncos sent two first-rounders, two seconds and other assets to the Seahawks for Wilson. The Browns are considering carrying both players on the same roster.

Wilson, 36, is certainly more than a failed trade piece. He is a nine-time Pro Bowler who sits third all time in QB rushing yards. Mike Tomlin, against the wishes of some in the Steelers organization, installed Wilson as his starter for 11 games last season. Wilson threw 16 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Wilson finished 23rd in QBR, two spots ahead of Rodgers, and posted a better yards-per-attempt number (7.4) than the older great (6.7) as well. Never in Rodgers’ league as a pure passer, Wilson being five years younger may not matter too much right now for teams, either. But the Browns will consider Wilson ahead of a season when Watson figures to land on the reserve/PUP list.

The Giants met with Wilson before his Broncos release last year. The quick visit pertained to a QB who could push Daniel Jones, but Wilson became intrigued by a clearer shot to start in Pittsburgh. The Giants admitted defeat on Jones midway through last season and now need at least two QBs, as Tommy DeVito is the only one contracted. Despite Rodgers underwhelming as a Jet, the Giants are fairly desperate. If Rodgers chooses the Steelers or retires, the Giants may need to give Wilson strong consideration while they determine a draft path.

Broncos To Sign TE Evan Engram

March 12th, 2025 at 11:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The AFC West duel that formed for Evan Engram has broken the Broncos’ way. After meeting with the Broncos and Chargers, Engram is heading to Denver.

The two-time Pro Bowl tight end is committing to the Broncos on a two-year deal, according to his agency (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). It is unclear if the Bolts submitted an offer, but they scheduled a visit with the eight-year veteran. Engram will join a Broncos team that featured a greater need for a receiving tight end.

Engram’s deal comes after another former Payton-era Saint, Juwan Johnson, signed a three-year, $30.75MM deal to stay in New Orleans. It would stand to reason the Broncos pursued Johnson, who is going into his age-29 season. They will land a player who has proven more as a receiver, but one going into an age-31 season. The Broncos are giving Engram $23MM over two seasons, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reporting $16.5MM will be fully guaranteed. This is a nice haul for a player the Jaguars cut last week.

Fetching more than Johnson and Mike Gesicki on a per-year basis, Engram also has done well for guarantees. This certainly points to the Broncos fending off competition for a player who has two Pro Bowls on his resume. The Jags bailed on Engram’s three-year, $41.25MM extension with one year left, and the Broncos will hope the former first-round pick can address a yearslong issue.

Including Noah Fant in their 2022 Russell Wilson trade, the Broncos have not come especially close to replacing the middling TE’s production. Injuries significantly limited Greg Dulcich in Denver, and the former third-round pick did not prove a fit in Sean Payton’s offense. While the Broncos re-signed ex-Saints draftee Adam Trautman last year, he posted just 188 receiving yards; that led Denver tight ends in 2024. The Chargers may have possessed a need as well, but 2024 addition Will Dissly nearly reached 500 yards last season.

Not profiling as a prolific red zone threat (25 touchdowns in eight seasons), Engram still helped the Jaguars during most of his stay. Given a one-year deal in 2021, Engram broke Jacksonville’s single-season TE receiving yardage record — with 766. That led to a franchise tag and an extension, as Engram added seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Jags’ wild-card comeback win over the Bolts that year. Engram’s 963-yard season in 2023 came on 114 catches — second-most in Jaguars history. A hamstring issue and a labrum tear slowed Engram in 2024, limiting him to nine games.

Surpassing 650 yards twice as a Giant, Engram was inconsistent during Eli Manning‘s final seasons and Daniel Jones‘ early years. A more refined version of the playmaker should have a chance to make noise in Denver, which did not boast much receiving consistency outside of Courtland Sutton last season. Engram will join Sutton and younger receivers for Payton, who appeared to have placed the Broncos’ TE and RB needs over perceived desire to add a starter-level WR.

Commanders Agree To Sign DE Deatrich Wise

March 12th, 2025 at 11:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders continue to rebuild their defensive line for the 2025 NFL season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the team will add defensive end Deatrich Wise on a one-year, $5MM contract.

After watching Jonathan Allen depart for Minnesota in free agency and seeing the contracts of Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler expire, Washington was going to need to address a defensive line that, despite the return of Daron Payne, Dorance Armstrong, and Jer’Zhan Newton, lacked depth and experience. The team started with the huge, impact addition of defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and followed that up today with another defensive tackle in Eddie Goldman and Wise.

Wise has resided in New England ever since the Patriots drafted him in the fourth round in 2017. Over an eight-year career in New England, Wise appeared in 126 of a possible 131 games and made 61 starts. He’s pretty consistently averaged just over 4.5 sacks per season while totaling 34 tackles for loss and 90 quarterback hits. Early in his career, as a rotational rusher, Wise consistently got after the quarterback, with 9.5 sacks and 35 quarterback hits in his first two seasons. It took him another three years to pass three sacks in a season after that.

Over his eight years in the NFL with the Patriots, Wise only spent two years (2022 & 2023) as a full-time starter. He took advantage of that first season, seeing career highs in sacks (7.5), total tackles (59), and tackles for loss (7) while adding 11 quarterback hits. In 2023, though, his time as a full-time starter was less effective, only resulting in 4.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits. He had a resurgent 2024 campaign, despite missing two games, totaling five sacks, five tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits.

Due to a lack of depth and options, Wise projects to be a starter across from Armstrong at the moment in Washington. Additional free agent or draft additions could certainly change that outlook, though, and put Wise back into position as a rotational rusher.

In New England, the Patriots aren’t losing too much along the defensive line besides Wise, and they’ve added a significant piece in former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams and a depth piece in former Cardinals defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga. It’s not apples and apples, but the presence of those two along the defensive front should give New England plenty of alignment options with the staff they now have.

Commanders To Sign DT Eddie Goldman

March 12th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eddie Goldman has unretired twice, having sat out the 2022 and ’23 seasons. The former Bears mainstay, however, made a return stick last season and did enough to secure a signing early in free agency.

The Commanders are bringing in the veteran nose tackle, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Once the recipient of a big-ticket Chicago extension, Goldman managed to earn an extended chance from Atlanta despite entering the 2024 season having missed three of the previous four years. That certainly makes this Washington agreement noteworthy.

Despite entering the league in 2015, Goldman is still just 31. That undoubtedly helped keep teams interested, but Goldman is coming off a 10-start season. The Falcons had signed him in 2022, only to see him retire. They allowed Goldman to come off the reserve/retired list in 2023; he re-retired. Last year, though, Goldman played in all 17 Falcons games and stuck around even as a new coaching staff arrived.

Although a new coaching staff came in, the GM that had both drafted and extended Goldman in Chicago (Ryan Pace) remained in Terry Fontenot‘s front office. Goldman and Pace will separate now, with the split coming after the resurgent D-tackle played 331 snaps. That nearly matched his total from his final Bears season. The Bears cut Goldman early in Ryan Poles‘ GM tenure, but after Pace helped bring him to Atlanta, he will move on and join a Commanders team that has seen changes at this position.

Washington released Jonathan Allen after eight seasons; that move came months after the team cut Phidarian Mathis. A door seemingly swung open for Johnny Newton, but the Commanders gave ex-49ers first-rounder Javon Kinlaw a three-year, $45MM deal. Newton may join Goldman as a second-stringer next season, should Goldman make the Commanders’ 53-man roster. An 83-game starter, the former second-round pick will attempt to play an eighth NFL season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2025 league year begins, here are the Wednesday tender decisions involving restricted and exclusive rights free agents:

RFAs

Tendered:

Nontendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Nontendered:

The Ravens have discussed an extension with Washington, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. For now, the safety is on Baltimore’s cap sheet at $3.26MM. A second-round tender would have cost the Ravens $5.35MM and brought back a second-round pick if the team did not match an offer sheet elsewhere. An unmatched Washington offer sheet now would not bring the Ravens any compensation. Washington started 10 games for the Ravens last season.

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