HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Bills To Bring Back S Damar Hamlin

March 12th, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Damar Hamlin became a regular starter for the Bills again in 2024, moving back to the lineup after his injury rehab largely took him off the field in 2023. Despite Hamlin’s rookie contract expiring, the inspirational figure is staying in Buffalo.

The Bills announced they re-signed Hamlin to a one-year deal Wednesday morning. This will keep an experienced player in the fold alongside Taylor Rapp and second-rounder Cole Bishop.

Only used on 17 defensive plays in 2023, Hamlin won a starting safety job last season — after the Bills disbanded their seven-year Micah Hyde–Jordan Poyer safety partnership. Hamlin started all 14 games he played in 2024 and logged a 98% snap share, which checked in beyond his usage rate from 2022. Hamlin, 27 later this month, notched his first two career interceptions last season.

Set to hold a place in NFL history thanks to his recovery from the chest injury that caused cardiac arrest in Cincinnati, Hamlin held an uncertain place with the Bills after his comeback. The former fifth-round pick entered the Bills’ 2024 training camp on the roster bubble, as the team had drafted Bishop highly and signed Mike Edwards. Hamlin, however, beat out both to start alongside Rapp. The Pitt alum made 89 tackles and broke up five passes last season.

Bishop figures to be a threat to Hamlin’s starting position this year, as the Bills chose the Utah product 60th overall. Bishop played on 34% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last season, starting four games. Pro Football Focus also ranked Hamlin 85th among safety regulars in 2024. The Bills also have versatile backup Cam Lewis rostered entering free agency. Rapp is signed for one more season.

Regardless of Hamlin’s path back to a starting role, his journey back from the near-death scene — one that prompted the first canceled NFL game in decades and prompted the league to devise a contingency plan in case a three-loss Bills team advanced to the AFC championship game that year — will make him a revered figure in Buffalo. If nothing else, Hamlin, who had started 13 games in place of Hyde in 2022, brings plenty of experience as a potential depth player — in the event Bishop takes a step into the starting lineup.

Dolphins, LB Tyrel Dodson Agree To Terms

March 12th, 2025 at 8:51am CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins are re-signing Tyrel Dodson, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Dodson is staying in Miami on a two-year deal worth $8.25MM.

The former Bills contributor made 12 starts between his stops in Seattle and Miami last year. As they shook up their linebacking corps midway through last season, the Seahawks cut Dodson, leading him to the Dolphins. Miami will keep working with the waiver claim.

Checking in as a player the Dolphins negotiated with before the legal tampering period, Dodson saw the team up its price just a bit to seal the deal, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson adds. With Anthony Walker and Duke Riley unsigned, Dodson joins Jordyn Brooks as the top linebackers on the Dolphins’ roster.

Not long after trading Jerome Baker to the Titans in a package that brought back Ernest Jones, the Seahawks waived Dodson, who had started all nine Seattle games to that point. Dodson started three with the Dolphins, making his presence felt with turnovers. In just eight Miami games, Dodson nabbed three interceptions. He also broke up four passes during an intriguing start, even as the Dolphins were moving out of the playoff race at that point. Overall, Dodson made 107 tackles in 2024 (eight for loss).

Pro Football Focus graded Dodson as one of the league’s best coverage linebackers last season and slotted the five-year veteran 34th overall at the position. That came after the advanced metrics site ranked him first in 2023, albeit on just 549 snaps. Neither of these placements, however, created robust markets for the former UDFA. Still, Dodson has started 22 games over the past two seasons. He will attempt to secure a starting role with the 2025 Dolphins edition.

Titans To Sign WR Van Jefferson

March 12th, 2025 at 8:45am CST by Sam Robinson

After a year in Pittsburgh, Van Jefferson is on the move again. The Titans are bringing in the former Rams Super Bowl starter, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

Jefferson has since played for the Falcons and Steelers. He worked as a George Pickens sidekick in 2024. He will join a Tennessee team that lost Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (to the Dolphins) on Tuesday. Jefferson is a Nashville-area native; he will join the Titans on a one-year contract worth up to $2.5MM.

The former second-round pick was part of a low-level Los Angeles-to-Atlanta trade in 2023 and is still searching for the form that helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI despite injuries to Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. It would be difficult to expect Jefferson to approach the 869 yards he tallied with the ’21 Rams — during a season in which he added 102 more yards alongside Beckham and Cooper Kupp in the playoffs — as the Florida alum has only eclipsed 300 receiving yards in just one other season. Last year, Jefferson totaled 276 and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh.

Jefferson played on a one-year, $1.29MM deal with the Steelers last season. He started 12 games for the team, one that pursued veteran receivers for months before landing on Mike Williams at the deadline. Williams’ presence cut into Jefferson’s role, and the Steelers finally landed their impact receiver addition by acquiring D.K. Metcalf via trade Sunday night.

The Titans most likely have more work to do at receiver, having traded DeAndre Hopkins midway through last season and having seen Tyler Boyd return to free agency Monday. Calvin Ridley is signed for three more seasons, and Treylon Burks‘ rookie contract covers one more — as the 2022 first-rounder’s fifth-year option will almost definitely not be exercised.

Broncos To Bring Back LB Justin Strnad

March 12th, 2025 at 8:41am CST by Sam Robinson

Dre Greenlaw is now the Broncos’ top linebacker, though Alex Singleton is on the way back from his ACL tear. Justin Strnad, however, is coming back after increased 2024 usage.

Strnad is re-signing with the Broncos on a one-year, $2.7MM contract, DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens tweets. Strnad, who backed out of a Panthers deal in 2024 to stay in Denver, worked alongside Cody Barton as a regular last season.

Having gone two seasons without a start, Strnad also played zero LB snaps in 2022 and ’23. The 2020 Denver draftee, however, became needed after Singleton’s Week 3 injury. Jonas Griffith, who had competed with Barton for the role alongside Singleton in training camp, also went down to leave Strnad as an emergency option. He ended up starting eight games and playing a career-high 676 defensive snaps for a Broncos team that surprised most by making the playoffs.

The usual special-teamer was productive in his increased role, registering eight tackles for loss and three sacks last season. Making 73 tackles in total, Strnad also broke up three passes. Neither Barton nor Strnad was a plus player in coverage for a Broncos team that had also lost Josey Jewell in last year’s free agency, and Pro Football Focus rated Strnad as a bottom-10 LB regular in 2024. But Denver will keep him around as a backup once again. This marks Strnad’s second one-year Broncos accord.

Greenlaw agreed on a three-year, $35MM contract to follow ex-49ers teammate Talanoa Hufanga to Denver. The Broncos will hope the former Fred Warner sidekick is healthy, after a Super Bowl LVIII Achilles tear marred the 49ers’ championship fortunes and the LB’s 2024 season, but they have Strnad back as an option behind two veteran players coming off injuries. This signing also comes after the Broncos have settled on an ILB role for hybrid ‘backer Drew Sanders.

Bills To Sign DT Larry Ogunjobi

March 12th, 2025 at 8:09am CST by Sam Robinson

A second high-profile D-line cap casualty is heading to Buffalo. After agreeing to terms with Joey Bosa on Tuesday night, the Bills have reached a Wednesday-morning agreement with Larry Ogunjobi.

The recent Steelers release will join the Bills on a one-year, $8.3MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Incentives could bump the number to $10MM for Ogunjobi, who spent the past three seasons with the Steelers.

This will be Ogunjobi’s first trip outside the AFC North. The eight-year veteran has played for the Browns, Bengals and Steelers, becoming a quality interior pass rusher. The 108-game career starter will join a Bills team that features Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones at D-tackle. Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips, each acquired in-season last year, are free agents.

Ogunjobi’s sack numbers have tailed off in recent years, but he does have three seasons with at least 5.5. These came with Cleveland and Cincinnati. With Pittsburgh, Ogunjobi tallied six sacks in three combined seasons. The Steelers did see the Cameron Heyward sidekick post 15 tackles for loss and 26 QB hits in that span, one that included the Steelers giving him a three-year, $40.5MM contract. Ogunjobi became a release candidate, however, and Pittsburgh cut bait with a season left on the contract.

Working as a starter for the Bengals team that eventually ventured to Super Bowl LVI, Ogunjobi suffered a season-ending foot injury during the team’s wild-card win. An ensuing physical led the Bears to nix a deal with the former Browns third-rounder the following March, as Ogunjobi landed in Pittsburgh on a one-year, $8MM deal. He played well enough to command the above-referenced Steelers extension, and enough of a market formed over the past two days to bring the Bills past $8MM.

Playing on an extension he signed in 2023, Oliver operates as Buffalo’s top interior pass rusher. The former first-round pick posted a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2023 and has combined to deliver 29 QB hits over the past two seasons. Jones, conversely, is the Bills’ top interior run stuffer. It would stand to reason Ogunjobi will play behind this duo as a high-end reserve option. This is certainly a lot to pay such a player, pointing to Bills confidence Ogunjobi can excel as a frequently used second-stringer.

Ogunjobi’s career-high sack total (seven) came with the Bengals in 2021, and he combined for 20 TFLs between the 2018 and ’19 seasons as a Brown. Chosen in the same draft as Cleveland added Myles Garrett, Ogunjobi has never been an advanced metrics darling. But the 48.3 overall grade he received from Pro Football Focus for his 2024 work was especially low and positioned him as the 94th-best interior DL out of 118 qualifiers. Still, the Bills will bet he has quality football left.

Russell Wilson Still In Play As Fallback Steelers Option; Aaron Rodgers Down To Two Teams?

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

The Steelers’ preference entering the negotiating period was to keep Justin Fields in place instead of Russell Wilson. That plan is no longer an option since the former agreed to a two-year Jets deal on Monday.

Wilson is still on the market, and he would obviously be a familiar option after spending the 2024 season as Pittsburgh’s starter (when healthy). The Steelers have become one of the suitors for Aaron Rodgers, however, and a deal could be in place soon. As talks on the Rodgers front continue, Wilson is not out of Pittsburgh’s plans yet.

Should the Rodgers negotiations break down, Wilson resides as a fallback option at this point, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. That might be a humbling position for a playoff team’s primary starter to reside, but Wilson looks to have other options. The Giants and Titans are believed to be interested, though New York is also in on Rodgers, who cannot officially be released until Wednesday afternoon. The Browns are also believed to still be eyeing a veteran, despite their Kenny Pickett acquisition.

A report Monday night indicated a Rodgers-Steelers deal could go down today, and SI.com’s Albert Breer said during a Rich Eisen Show segment the Steelers were fairly confident as of Monday that Rodgers would select them. The Giants remain in the mix, and Breer expects Rodgers to end up in Pittsburgh or to switch locker rooms at MetLife Stadium. The Giants have made their pitch and are indeed waiting on Rodgers’ decision, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes.

Although a weekend report connected the Vikings to Rodgers — in what would be an eerie parallel to the Brett Favre career path — Breer indicates he would be surprised if the future Hall of Famer ends up in Minnesota. That said, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano does not view the Vikings as out of this mix yet. This situation differs from last year’s Wilson decision and what could happen if the Falcons cut Kirk Cousins, as Rodgers could see a notable salary in 2025. The Broncos were already paying Wilson’s salary, while Cousins’ 2025 money is guaranteed as well.

The Steelers and Vikings are coming off playoff seasons and would be better positioned to complement Rodgers this year; that said, the Giants have been busy in free agency, most notably re-signing Darius Slayton and adding Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo. While Minnesota has J.J. McCarthy and New York holds the No. 3 overall pick, Pittsburgh may be committed to a full season of Rodgers if he is to sign. The Steelers not holding a pick in the top 20 would stand to give them an advantage for Rodgers, who would not need to look over his shoulder at a prospect — in all likelihood — were he to choose Pittsburgh.

As for Wilson, waiting on Rodgers’ talks with the Steelers may not sit too well. The younger of the two aging options finished two spots higher in QBR (23rd to 25th) last season and piloted the team to the playoffs. The Steelers’ late-season collapse, however, has not reflected well on Wilson, who appears behind Rodgers with the Giants as well.

Decisions should come soon, but Rodgers having this much say in how the QB market plays, at 41 and coming off an underwhelming Jets tenure, is interesting. But teams are still intrigued by the all-time QB talent. He has a clear route to play a 21st season and remain a starter.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post

Colts, Daniel Jones Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 11:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Daniel Jones was known to be facing a Vikings-or-Colts decision and he has made his choice. The former Giants starter is heading to Indianapolis on a one-year deal, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Stephen Holder confirmed Jones was down to either remaining in Minnesota or heading to Indianapolis. Both teams were waiting to see which direction he went, with the call deciding how each would operate under center for the rest of the offseason. After taking Monday to weigh his options, Jones has made a commitment.

This pact will be worth $14MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. That figure represents the base value of the contract, as Pelissero notes Jones can earn up to $17.7MM. The Colts have their veteran Anthony Richardson competition in place for 2025. $13.15MM is fully guaranteed, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, with Pelissero adding that number is comprised of a $6.5MM signing bonus and $7MM in guaranteed salary. The maximum value of the deal can be unlocked via $850K in active roster bonuses ($50K per game) and playing time/wins/playoffs incentives.

The Vikings made a push to retain Jones, Rapoport reports. To little surprise, though, the chance to earn a starting gig represented a key factor for the former No. 6 pick. Richardson has not developed as planned early in his career, and Colts GM Chris Ballard made it clear his inconsistent play and injury troubles would lead to a veteran addition capable of handling QB1 duties. At a minimum, Jones will able to provide the team with an experienced backup, though Pelissero confirms an open competition is on tap. Indeed, Jones confirmed he was told he would have an opportunity to compete with Richardson (via James Boyd of The Athletic (subscription required)).

The 27-year-old raised eyebrows when he received a four-year, $160MM Giants deal in 2023. That pact – authorized by a Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime which did not draft him – did not pan out as planned, and midway through the past campaign his benching was followed up by his release. Minnesota added him on the practice squad with the potential to remain in place for 2025.

That especially remained true in the wake of Sam Darnold turning his Pro Bowl Vikings season into a lucrative Seahawks agreement. With Jones now out of the fold, though, Minnesota is set to rely on 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy as their starter moving forward. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie campaign due to a meniscus tear, but he will be healthy in time for the 2025 season. A modest free agent signing can be expected to operate as his backup.

Richardson earned the starting gig right away as a rookie, but he was limited to only four games that year due to a shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 4 pick managed 11 appearances this past season, but he was temporarily benched in favor of Joe Flacco as the Colts offense underperformed. Richardson, 22, posted a completion percentage of just 47.7% and a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio last season. A notable step forward will be required in 2025, and the first step in his efforts in that regard will involve winning an offseason competition with Jones.

Bills, DE Joey Bosa Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 11:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

A wild-card contender will ride to victory in the Joey Bosa sweepstakes. Rather than a 49ers deal to play with his brother, Bosa is heading to Buffalo.

The Bills and Bosa have a one-year, $12.6MM deal in place, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This reminds of the 2022 Von Miller sweepstakes, when a supposed Cowboys-Rams duel ended with the future Hall of Famer choosing the Bills. Soon after Buffalo released Miller, Bosa will be on track to play opposite Gregory Rousseau.

[RELATED: Bills Give Josh Allen Record-Setting Guarantee]

Also rostering A.J. Epenesa in the second season of a two-year contact, the Bills will be expected to keep the former second-round pick on the bench. Bosa received natural interest from the 49ers, who were the rumored favorites due to Nick Bosa‘s presence on the team. Similar to the 2021 J.J. Watt free agency, a dynamic brother tandem will not form. Joey Bosa also will spurn his hometown team, as the Dolphins showed interest as well. He will join a five-time reigning AFC East champion that continues to be denied Super Bowl berths.

Buffalo will land the older Bosa brother ahead of his age-30 season. Unlike Miller at the time, Bosa has a steady history of nagging injuries that ended up leading to a Chargers release. (That said, Miller did miss all of 2020 and had an ACL tear on his resume previously.) The Bolts re-signed Khalil Mack, despite the potential Hall of Famer being four years older than Bosa. The latter will attempt to prove he can stay healthy with the Bills, whose pass rush could receive a jolt if Bosa is healthy.

The former No. 3 overall pick made it through 14 Chargers games last season but was limited to five in 2022 and nine in 2023. The Chargers gave Bosa pay cut in 2024. He made the Pro Bowl last season but only registered five sacks; his 19 pressures ranked 68th last season. While injuries have taken Joey Bosa off the top tier on which his brother resides, he remains a formidable blocking assignment. His presence figures to boost Rousseau, though the latter will not exactly be viewed as a sidekick the way Mack, Uchenna Nwosu and Melvin Ingram were opposite Bosa with the Chargers. Continuing to invest in their early-2020s draftees, the Bills just gave Rousseau a four-year, $80MM extension.

Five Pro Bowls appear on Bosa’s resume. His career does not closely rival Miller’s at the time of a Bills signing, as it will not take anything close to Miller’s terms (6/120 with guarantees into Year 3) to land the 10th-year veteran. But Bosa has four double-digit sack seasons on his resume. The most recent came in 2021, a season that included seven of Bosa’s career 17 forced fumbles.

Although the Bills have separated from Miller, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reported earlier tonight the team has continued to talk with the veteran’s camp about a potential deal at a lower rate. While this Bosa signing could nix that, Wolfe indicated the Bills wanted Miller back and to add another quality edge rusher. Bosa (again, if healthy) would qualify for the latter role, so it will be interesting to see if the team is still interested in working something out to bring Miller back as a rotational rusher. Miller posted six sacks last season, bouncing back from a 2023 slate marred by his injury recovery.

Buffalo has already added ex-Rams pass rusher Michael Hoecht as well. Given an $8MM-per-year deal, Hoecht has worked as a versatile piece during his career. He will come to Buffalo with 13 career sacks. Hoecht and Epenesa may well be Buffalo’s second-string defensive ends, which would seemingly leave little room for Miller. Though, the soon-to-be 36-year-old may not be out of the equation entirely just yet.

The Bills did not see Miller’s prime extend beyond his 2022 ACL tear, and they will bet on Bosa still having some of his left. Rousseau’s arrow is pointing upward, but the former first-rounder has topped out at eight sacks in a season thus far. The Bills were unable to consistently disrupt Patrick Mahomes in the AFC championship game, allowing a Chiefs team they defeated by two scores in the regular season to post its only 30-plus-point game of the season. As the Bills attempt to finally push their Josh Allen-driven nucleus to a Super Bowl, Bosa will be asked to play a central role.

Eagles To Trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson To Texans For Kenyon Green

March 11th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans’ efforts to renovate their offensive line continue. The team has a trade agreement in place to send guard Kenyon Green to the Eagles, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. Houston is receiving defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in return. In total, the swap consists of Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-rounder next year.

Houston swung a trade with the Commanders yesterday which will see left tackle Laremy Tunsil head to Washington. That move – coupled with the previous release of guard Shaq Mason – leaves the team with several question marks up front. Improving their pass protection was seen as a major priority for the Texans, and general manager Nick Caserio is making a slew of changes to the unit in the hopes of taking a step forward in 2025.

Gardner-Johnson, meanwhile, is entering his seventh year in the league and the Texans will mark his fourth team. The former Saints draftee was traded to the Eagles in 2022, and he played a key role in Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl with a league-leading six interceptions. Instead of parlaying his production into a lucrative second contract, tough, Gardner-Johnson took only a one-year deal with the Lions.

A one-and-done stint in Detroit was followed by a return to the Eagles, this time on a three-year, $27MM pact. Gardner-Johnson is owed $8.5MM in 2025 and another $10.5MM the following year, although his scheduled cap hit for the coming campaign ($4.91MM) was certainly manageable for the defending champions. This move will generate a dead money charge of $4.7MM for Philadelphia while resulting in just $211K in savings. The Texans will pay $1.5MM of Green’s $2.88MM 2025 base salary, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That helped make a trade more palatable for the Eagles.

Gardner-Johnson again served as a full-time starter during his second Eagles stint, racking up six interceptions and 12 pass deflections. His eight touchdowns allowed in coverage could be a cause for concern for the Texans, but the 27-year-old will be counted on to serve as a playmaker in a Texans secondary which proved to be effective last year with the cornerback tandem of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. Houston ranked sixth against the pass in 2024, and continued success in that department can be expected.

This move marks further changes in the Eagles’ secondary, meanwhile. Philadelphia has decided to release Darius Slay and James Bradberry, and on Monday fellow corner Isaiah Rodgers agreed to a deal with the Vikings. With Gardner-Johnson set to be on the move (the trade cannot be finalized until the new league year begins tomorrow, of course), Philadelphia will need to make a number of moves during the secondary waves of free agency and the draft to restock the defensive backfield.

Green entered the NFL with high expectations as a first-round pick. The Texas A&M product served as a full-time starter during his rookie campaign, but he was sidelined for the entire 2023 season due to a shoulder injury. Green returned to action this past year, logging nine starts and 12 appearances at left guard. Much like his rookie slate, though, his PFF evaluation left plenty to be desired. Green’s overall grade of 38.6 ranked second-last amongst qualifying guards.

Presuming the Eagles decline his fifth-year option, one year will remain on Green’s rookie contract. The soon-to-be 24-year-old will provide the team with a cost-effective option along the interior. Mekhi Becton upped his free agent value considerably as a guard starter in 2024, and his departure could allow for Green to compete for a first-team gig. At a minimum, he will be able to fill in as a spot-starter as needed on an otherwise expensive O-line.

Bengals To Re-Sign CB Marco Wilson

March 11th, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals are re-signing cornerback Marco Wilson on a one-year, $1.52MM deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Wilson appeared in 10 games for the Patriots in 2024 before being claimed by the Bengals off waivers in November. He played six games in Cincinnati with 36 snaps on defense and 48 on special teams.

Originally a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2021, Wilson started 37 games in Arizona across the first three years of his career. He carved out a starting role as a rookie and made significant improvements in 2022, allowing a 57.5% completion rate and 77.1 passer rating when targeted.

Wilson regressed significantly in 2023 and lost his starting job by November. He was waived by the Cardinals a few weeks later. The Patriots claimed him off waivers, but only played him for 10 snaps in the last game of the season.

The former Florida Gator found a rotational role in New England’s defense in 2024, but was again deemed surplus to requirements and waived in November. He impressed the Bengals enough to earn another year in Cincinnati, where he will compete for a role in their secondary.

The Bengals have a number of young players who will likely block Wilson on the depth chart, but he will be one of the team’s most experienced cornerbacks, especially if they do not re-sign Mike Hilton.

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