HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

WR Adam Thielen Staying With Panthers On Revised Deal

March 12th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

We knew that veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen would be returning for his 12th season of NFL action. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he will be doing so on a revised contract. Joe Person of The Athletic confirms Fowler’s report while adding that the new deal comes with a pay bump for the 34-year-old.

After a couple of down years before his move to Carolina, Thielen was a bit of an under-the-radar addition to the Panthers’ wide receiving corps in 2023. Despite consistent inconsistency in the quarterbacks room, Thielen had a resurgent season, reeling in 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. This past year, Thielen’s impressive output for the Panthers continued as he improved on those numbers through 10 games (615 receiving yards for five touchdowns) despite a seven-game absence in the middle of the year.

Usually, when an aging skills player in their 30s has their contract revised, it’s to reduce their cap impact with a pay cut, usually rewarding them with a signing bonus or some guarantees. In this situation, the Panthers are actually rewarding Thielen for his impressive contributions in the past two seasons by giving him a higher salary.

Thielen was set to make $6.75MM in 2025, including a $1.5MM roster bonus set to take effect this weekend. Per Person, this new deal will actually add to his cap number. There are no plans to extend his time under contract, however, as Person claims that the deal should still void after this season.

It’s an unusual development for a player set to enter the 2025 season at 35 years old, but one well worth it for a player who has been a consistent rock during a turbulent two years of quarterback play. Thielen will continue to serve as a leader and mentor to last year’s rookie wide receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker.

Cardinals Signing DT Dalvin Tomlinson

March 12th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson didn’t last long on the free agent market. After getting released by the Browns at the start of the week, Tomlinson is signing with the Cardinals, per Field Yates of ESPN. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that the deal is for two years with a base value of $29MM, including $16MM in guaranteed money.

Tomlinson has been a full-time starter in the NFL ever since the Vikings drafted him in the second round out of Alabama in 2017. While he doesn’t stuff the stat sheet with sacks (only 19.0 in his career), he’s been plenty disruptive throughout his career, racking up tackles for loss (36) and quarterback hits (67) aplenty. Tomlinson really hangs his hat on being one of the more well-rounded defensive tackles in the league, often seeing his run defense grades as high as his pass rush grades on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Tomlinson had a decent year in 2024, grading out as the 32nd-best interior defender of 118 players graded by PFF. While that was certainly a strong bounce back from 2023, when he graded 57th (the worst of his career), it still hasn’t been up to par with every other season he’s played with the Giants and Vikings, when he would routinely rank in the top 20.

Tomlinson becomes the second big addition to the Cardinals’ defensive line this offseason, joining the huge, impact signing of defensive end Josh Sweat. Along with Sweat, Tomlinson joins a line that features defensive tackles Bilal Nichols, whose first year in Arizona was cut short last season with a season-ending stinger, and defensive tackle Justin Jones, who also missed most of the season with a torn triceps. They’re also joined by L.J. Collier, who re-signed with the team today on a one-year deal.

The Cardinals didn’t really get to see what their line could look like with Nichols and Jones for a full season last year, but now they’ll have a rotation including those two with Tomlinson. After being a weakness due to injury for most of last year, the defensive line is starting to look pretty strong in Arizona for 2025.

QB Mac Jones Headed To 49ers

March 12th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Former first-round quarterback Mac Jones will play for a third team after finishing out his rookie deal in Jacksonville. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jones is headed to San Francisco, where he will serve as the 49ers’ backup quarterback behind Brock Purdy. Jones joins the team on a two-year, $7MM deal that includes $5MM guaranteed and could be worth up to $11.5MM with incentives.

After being drafted 15th overall out of Alabama by the Patriots in 2021, Jones hit the ground running, starting every game as a rookie. He led New England to the playoffs with a 10-7 record, throwing for 3,801 passing yards for 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, earning himself a Pro Bowl bid and projecting ample hope for Patriots fans about their long-term future.

Unfortunately, that success didn’t last. In the 14 starts of his sophomore campaign, Jones failed to reach 3,000 passing yards while going 6-8 and throwing only 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. In his third season (and with his third offensive coordinator), Jones and the Patriots started the season 2-9 before he ultimately got benched for Bailey Zappe. In those 11 starts, he threw only 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Last year saw Jones traded to Jacksonville for the 2024 campaign, where he would officially start the year as a backup to Trevor Lawrence. When Lawrence went down with an AC joint sprain, Jones was relied upon as the starter for the remainder of the season. In those eight games down the back half of the season, the Jaguars went 2-6 as Jones threw for 1,672 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions.

In San Francisco, Jones will be QB2 once again. The 49ers saw the contracts of both Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen expire this offseason, with Dobbs actually signing to Jones’ former team in New England. Purdy had been fairly consistent health-wise in his first two seasons, but he did miss two games last year.

In any case, the 49ers continue to do well in putting extremely capable backups behind Purdy in case of disaster. It’s actually quite interesting to see Jones join up with head coach Kyle Shanahan as there were reports back in 2021 that Jones was the preferred option of Shanahan over Trey Lance, whom the team drafted third overall that year.

Giants To Re-Sign G Greg Van Roten

March 12th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

It appears veteran offensive guard Greg Van Roten is returning for another year of NFL play at 35 years old. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Van Roten has agreed to a deal that will keep him with the Giants for another year.

This is a bit surprising, as the Giants signed Van Roten during training camp last year. As Evan Neal‘s timetable kept being pushed back, the Giants changed course and installed Van Roten next to former Raiders teammate Jermaine Eluemunor. Effectively important right side of the Las Vegas line, New York may have designs on running that back.

Van Roten played for $2MM last season and immediately took over as a starter at RG. Pro Football Focus graded Van Roten as a mid-pack guard, which was about the best Giants could have hoped for under the circumstances; the advanced metrics site slotted him 42nd in 2024. While the Giants no longer opted to count on Neal, Van Roten made 17 starts for a second straight season. He will enter 2025 as one of the NFL’s oldest linemen — on either side of the ball.

Vacillating between backup and starter, Van Roten has made an interesting mid-30s resurgence. A part-time starter with the 2021 Jets and a pure backup with the ’22 Bills, Van Roten earned a starting gig as a mid-offseason Raiders replacement and did the same with the Giants. The former UDFA out of Penn has made 88 career starts.

Van Roten returning gives the Giants all five of their 2024 O-line first-stringers under contract. A “for better or worse” caveat may be needed there, as it was not a particularly great line (largely sans Andrew Thomas), but continuity up front is generally a positive for teams.

While Kevin Zeitler has certainly enjoyed a better career, Van Roten matches the former first-round pick in longevity. Hours after the historically durable guard landed another gig (with the Titans), Van Roten is set to play a 14th season as well. The Giants have spent their money on defense in free agency, adding Paulson Adebo, Jevon Holland and Chauncey Golston. While they want to sign Aaron Rodgers as a high-profile bridge QB, that is still on hold. Van Roten will either be blocking for Rodgers or another bridge option in 2025, with the Giants also firmly in play to draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall (or via a trade-up).

Ely Allen contributed to this post

WR Mike Williams Returning To Chargers

March 12th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers are bringing in some help at wide receiver while bringing back a familiar face in veteran wide receiver Mike Williams, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports.

After one year away from the team, Williams will return to where he’s spent seven years of his NFL career. Williams’ deal is reportedly for one year and worth up to $6MM. The Bolts are reuniting with a player they cut amid a cap crunch last year, but Williams’ value has trended downward since.

Dangling Williams, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Keenan Allen in trades, the Chargers regrouped with Mack and Bosa — via pay cuts — and traded Allen. Williams ended up with the Jets after his release but did not prove a fit in New York. Seeing two-time Aaron Rodgers teammate Allen Lazard hold a bigger role in the Jets’ offense, Williams languished and only put up 166 yards on 12 catches. A slip that led to a late-game Rodgers interception during a narrow Monday-night loss to the Bills — after which the QB was critical of the WR — appeared to seal Williams’ fate, and the Jets dealt him to the Steelers at the deadline.

Williams, 30, did not impress in Pittsburgh, either. He caught just nine passes in nine games. Other than a game-winning TD grab against Washington, Williams did not move the needle for the then-WR-needy Steelers. They have since traded for D.K. Metcalf, making it clear Williams would move on. The Chargers, however, were loosely connected to showing interest at last year’s deadline. While they did not acquire a receiver then, their outlook has changed since Josh Palmer‘s Buffalo defection.

Palmer, whose role diminished a bit as last year’s Bolts committed more to the run, signed a $12MM-per-year Bills deal to give the Bolts a clear need alongside Ladd McConkey. The Chargers will hope Williams can provide some production on the boundary to complement their new No. 1 target, who does his best work as an inside threat. Williams may not check off every box for the L.A. passing game, but he has a history of production with the team.

The former No. 7 overall Chargers draftee has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume (2019, 2021). He led the league with 20.4 yards per catch in ’19 and was used more as a midrange weapon in ’21. Helping Justin Herbert grow into a high-end QB, Williams teamed with Allen for seven seasons and fetched a three-year, $60MM Chargers deal just before the WR boom in 2022 transformed that market. Williams’ 2023 ACL tear damaged his stock, and it came after a back injury — sustained in a meaningless Week 18 loss to the Broncos — occurred to close out his previous season.

This coming campaign may be his last chance to bounce back. Soon to be two years removed from the September 2023 tear, Williams will now be a McConkey sidekick to help Herbert in the QB’s sixth season at the controls.

Ely Allen contributed to this post

Vikings Re-Sign S Harrison Smith

March 12th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Ely Allen

There will be a familiar face once again in the Vikings secondary in 2025. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith will return with a new contract for a 14th season in the NFL. Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport adds that Smith is back on a one-year, $10.25MM contract that can be worth up to $14MM with incentives.

Smith reportedly was contemplating retirement after concluding his age 35 season, as he did last year, when he and the Vikings agreed instead to a restructured deal that would allow him to play for his 13th season in Minnesota.

Smith has played 192 regular season games, the most by a defensive back amongst all Vikings players. That figure ranks eighth in franchise history, and his 37 career interceptions are the most with respect to active players. During his time in Minnesota, Smith has accumulated six Pro Bowl selections and both a first- and second-team All-Pro honor.

Re-signing Smith is big for continuity in the Vikings’ secondary after the team watched Camryn Bynum walk in free agency. It still leaves a pretty significant hole at the other safety position, though. Also, despite, Smith’s continuous rebuking of Father Time with strong analytical seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), it’s unlikely he’ll keep that up forever.

Having just turned 36, it’s hard to imagine that Smith is a confident solution for Minnesota moving forward. There are plenty of veteran options still available in free agency to pair with Smith like Quandre Diggs, Justin Simmons, Rayshawn Jenkins, and more, but one would imagine the team would prefer to find a younger option like Marcus Williams, Julian Blackmon, or K’Von Wallace. They also may look to add a top safety prospect from the draft if one catches their eye.

As for Smith, he’ll lace ’em up for another season in Minnesota. He may be joined in the defensive backfield by Josh Metellus or someone completely new, but one thing remains certain: Smith will continue to provide his usual brand of Vikings football in 2025.

Ravens Release S Marcus Williams

March 12th, 2025 at 7:42pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have officially announced the release of veteran safety Marcus Williams, per club staff writer Clifton Brown. The two sides agreed to a restructure back in January to help facilitate this exit, and now it’s come to fruition. The move will have a post-June 1 designation, as expected.

Following a five-year run in New Orleans, Williams was one of the league’s top free agents in 2022. He inked a five-year, $70MM deal with the Ravens that year and naturally faced high expectations upon arrival. The early returns were promising, as Williams intercepted three passes in his first two games in Baltimore and ultimately finished the campaign as Pro Football Focus’ 18th-best safety out of 88 qualified players.

That said, the formerly durable defender was limited to 10 games in 2022 due to injury, and he missed six more in 2023. His health woes — along with, perhaps, the depatures of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson — conspired to tank Williams’ 2024 showing.

Williams was at less than full strength for much of last year, though his starting spot was not in jeopardy early in the season. Poor performance and missed assignments forced the Ravens to bench him as part of their midseason defensive adjustments, and from Week 11 onward, Williams appeared in a grand total of two snaps.

Baltimore’s defense performed much better after the benching, which made the decision to cut ties with Williams — who finished as PFF’s second-worst qualified safety in 2024 — even easier. The club will move forward with Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington at the safety spots, and the 28-year-old Williams will seek an opportunity to rebuild his stock and return to the form that made him a hot commodity not too long ago.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Titans Sign DL Dre’Mont Jones

March 12th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Rory Parks

The Titans have agreed to sign veteran defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It will be a one-year, $10MM deal.

Nearly two years ago to the day, Jones signed a three-year, $51MM pact with the Seahawks as one of the more sought-after D-linemen on that year’s free agent market. After a strong platform year in 2022 with the Broncos, who selected him in the third-round of the 2019 draft, Jones came to Seattle with high expectations.

He did not quite live up to those expectations, however. The Ohio State product appeared in all 17 games (16 starts) in 2023, but he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 55th-best interior defender out of 130 qualifiers. He contributed 4.5 sacks, his lowest total since his rookie campaign.

In an effort to help Jones get back to peak form, Seahawks head coach and celebrated defensive mind Mike Macdonald moved Jones around the formation during last year’s minicamp and had him line up with the outside linebackers and edge rushers as well as with the defensive tackles. Jones, who operated primarily from the interior during his first Seattle slate, had begun to see more time on the edge towards the tail end of that season, and Macdonald planned for that usage to continue in 2024.

It was not enough to prevent Jones, 28, from losing his starting job to rookie first-rounder Byron Murphy halfway through the season, which suggested he would not finish out his Seahawks contract. He was indeed released as part of a cap-related purge last week, though his age and his ability to generate a pass rush from the interior indicated he would not be unemployed for too long.

The Titans’ D-line was one of the team’s bright spots in a generally disappointing 2024 season, and Tennessee agreed to re-sign Sebastian Joseph-Day just two days ago. The trio of Joseph-Day, 2024 second-rounder T’Vondre Sweat, and three-time Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons make for a strong unit, and Jones will add a high-upside, versatile piece that will give DC Dennard Wilson the ability to deploy the optimal defensive front depending on down-and-distance.

Panthers Sign RB Rico Dowdle

March 12th, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Rico Dowdle has found his next opportunity. The former Cowboys running back has a one-year deal in place with the Panthers, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer reports. The pact (which is now official) has a maximum value of $6.25MM, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds.

After the Cowboys lined up a deal with Javonte Williams, it became clear Dowdle would be on the move. The latter will earn base salary of $2.75MM, Joe Person of The Athletic notes. Upon arrival in Carolina, Dowdle will join a running backs room featuring one established starter along with a 2024 draftee seen as being a long-term solution at the position.

The Panthers have Chuba Hubbard on the books for years to come after he inked an extension midway through the 2024 campaign. Hubbard topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time last season, and he can be expected to handle lead back duties for at least the short-term future. Jonathon Brooks – selected in the second round last April – made only three appearances as a rookie after rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his college career. During that stretch, Brooks suffered a second tear, however, so he will miss time in 2025.

That will allow Dowdle to handle at least a rotational role with his new team. The 26-year-old saw sparse usage during his first three Dallas campaigns, but the decision to allow Tony Pollard to depart after playing on the franchise tag allowed Dowdle to see a starter’s workload. He posted 1,338 yards from scrimmage while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Those figures (along with his low mileage) were insufficient to earn the former UDFA a multi-year pact, though.

This short-term arrangement will nevertheless pave the way for a homecoming. Dowdle is an Asheville, North Carolina native and he spent his college career at South Carolina. Coming off the most productive campaign of his pro tenure, it will be interesting to see how he fares with his hometown team. Teams still in search of veteran backfield depth, meanwhile, now have an even thinner pool of options to choose from.

Jets Release LB C.J. Mosley

March 12th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, C.J. Mosley‘s time with the Jets has come to an end. The Pro Bowl linebacker has been released, per a team announcement.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes this move comes with a post-June 1 designation. As a result, the cap hit which remained for 2025 (the final year of Mosley’s deal) will be spread out across two years. The Jets will see $4MM in cap savings this year while incurring a dead money charge of $8.78MM. The remaining $7.65MM of dead money will hit the cap next year.

Mosley, who was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2014 draft, earned Pro Bowl acclaim in four of his five seasons in Baltimore, setting himself up for a lucrative payday after he played out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal in 2018. He signed a five-year, $85MM contract with the Jets in March 2019, which shattered the then-record for inside linebackers and which felt like an overpay at the time, even when taking his Pro Bowl accolades into account.

Gang Green felt the financial burden of Mosley’s deal even more acutely when the Alabama product played in just two games of the 2019 season due to injury and exercised his COVID opt-out for 2020. However, he settled in nicely over the following three seasons, averaging nearly 160 tackles per year and earning another Pro Bowl nod in 2022. Last season, the advanced metrics finally placed him among the ranks of the game’s elite middle linebackers, as Pro Football Focus assigned him an 82.9 overall grade that was good for the sixth-highest mark out of 82 qualified players.

Last offseason, Mosley – who was originally slated to be a free agent after the current campaign – agreed to a brief extension that keeps him under club control through 2025. By signing that deal, Mosley agreed to a pay cut in exchange for additional guarantees, though just over half of his $8.25MM salary for 2025 is guaranteed. The guarantees proved effective for Mosley when his 2025 season unceremoniously ended in in Week 7 after only three starts in four appearances. He intended to make a comeback later in the season, as he dealt with a herniated disc, but he didn’t end up suiting up again for New York.

Mosley joins a free agent class that has seen nearly all of the most-talented linebacker options already sign new deals. At 32 years old, he’s definitely the oldest free agent linebacker option, but if he can get healthy, he could be a steal this late in free agency. He’ll be available with remaining free agents like Isaiah Simmons, De’Vondre Campbell, Kyzir White, E.J. Speed, Eric Kendricks, and others.

The Jets, on the other hand, secured their future at the position by re-signing the man who filled in admirably for Mosley this past year. New York signed Jamien Sherwood to a three-year, $45MM deal just prior to the start of free agency this past weekend.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

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