Lions GM Brad Holmes Addresses Pending Aidan Hutchinson Extension
Entering the 2025 offseason, Nick Bosa led the way in terms of annual compensation amongst edge rushers. His 49ers deal averages $34MM per season, a figure which has been surpassed more than once this spring. 
Maxx Crosby‘s new arrangement with the Raiders is worth $35.5MM per year, and Myles Garrett quickly moved past that figure. The latter’s Browns trade request was rescinded with a four-year, $160MM extension being worked out. Garrett now leads the pack for edge rush compensation, although Ja’Marr Chase‘s Bengals pact makes him the top earner for non-quarterbacks at $40.25MM annually.
If the Lions are to work out a deal with Aidan Hutchinson, surpassing both Garrett and Chase may very well be necessary. The EDGE market could see further movement at (or at least near) the top, a factor which could continue to drive up the asking price on an extension for the 2022 draft’s second overall pick. General manager Brad Holmes and the Lions are well aware of what a Hutchinson pact will cost, though.
“It is what it is,” Holmes said of the rising cost of elite edge rushers, (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I mean, we had it in that range kind of already when we do our future planning and budgeting, but then obviously when it goes up it just goes up and that’s just what you got to prepare for.”
Indeed, the rising salary cap led to the expectation Bosa’s pact would be overtaken as the most lucrative one for pass rushers this spring. Likewise, Justin Jefferson‘s run as the top earner for receivers (and non-QBs) was relatively short-lived. Chase could be surpassed in that regard once one of the next pending mega-deals for edge rushers is in place. Hutchinson is joined by Micah Parsons (Cowboys), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and T.J. Watt (Steelers) as players in line to receive a major raise on their next deals.
The 24-year-old enjoyed a strong rookie campaign with 9.5 sacks, and he upped that total to 11.5 the following season. Expectations were high for Hutchinson in particular and the Lions in general entering 2024, and he looked to be on his way toward Defensive Player of the Year consideration with 7.5 sacks in five games. A broken fibula ended his campaign, however, and he was unable to return to action for the playoffs. With a full recovery expected, though, the Michigan product is a clear extension priority for the Lions.
Detroit made a number of lucrative commitments on the offensive side of the ball last offseason. Quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker all received multi-year deals, locking them in for the foreseeable future. Keeping the running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery intact past the next few years will soon become more expensive than it currently is, and finding the funds for a second Jameson Williams contract could prove to be challenging.
Nonetheless, Hutchinson and safety Kerby Joseph represent key goals with respect to in-house moves for this offseason. The Lions will no doubt pick up Hutchinson’s 2026 fifth-year option, valued at $20.86MM. A multi-year accord will cost much more than that, but Detroit is firmly in play to be the next team to make a massive investment along the edge.
Wes Welker To Join Commanders’ Staff
Wes Welker‘s tenure on the Dolphins’ coaching staff came to an end this offseason, but he has a new opportunity lined up for 2025. A deal is in place for him to join the Commanders, as first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. 
Welker transitioned from playing to coaching shortly after his retirement. The five-time Pro Bowler spent a pair of seasons with the Texans before working on the 49ers’ staff from 2019-21 as their receivers coach. During that span, Welker worked closely with Deebo Samuel, who was acquired by Washington via trade this offseason.
After Mike McDaniel parlayed his San Francisco tenure into the Dolphins’ head coaching position, Welker followed him to Miami. He remained in place for three seasons but was fired shortly after the 2024 campaign came to an end. As the Patriots were overhauling their staff, Welker received consideration for the role of receivers coach. Instead, New England tapped Todd Downing for the job.
In spite of that development, Welker will have a gig in the nation’s capital for next season. The 43-year-old will hold the role of personnel analyst, per Reiss’ colleague John Keim. He will work alongside Washington’s personnel and coaching staffs in his new position. Welker represents a familiar face to general manager Adam Peters based on his time in New England and Denver during Welker’s playing days; the pair also worked together in San Francisco.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also has a connection to Welker since the two were teammates in college. That level of familiarity could help the latter succeed in his new gig as he aims to help the Commanders duplicate their surprising level of success from the 2024 season.
Cardinals, Trey McBride Agree On Record-Setting TE Extension
APRIL 8: McBride’s deal includes $32.5MM locked in at signing, as detailed by Over the Cap. That figure includes a $16.75MM signing bonus as well as his base salaries for 2025 and 2026, along with a ’26 option bonus. A $1.5MM roster bonus will vest if McBride is on the roster for the fifth day of the league year in 2029, the final year of the pact. Annual per-game and roster bonuses are present in the pact.
APRIL 3: Trey McBride loomed as a Cardinals extension candidate, and the team will take care of this important business early. The sides are in agreement on a record-setting deal.
The Cardinals are giving McBride a four-year, $76M extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This deal, which includes $43MM guaranteed, brings the tight end market to $19MM AAV. NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo had reported during an appearance with PHNX Sports a deal was close.
A gargantuan gap still exists between the wide receiver market and tight ends, one that has grown over the past several years, but McBride will become the league’s highest-paid TE by nearly $2MM per year. The Chiefs’ 2024 Travis Kelce raise had elevated the market to $17.1MM AAV; otherwise, no other tight end was attached to a deal that surpassed $16.5MM. While still arguably underpaid, tight ends have at least now approached $20MM-per-year territory. A once-TE-desperate team, which received a long-awaited boost via McBride, is authorizing it.
Between moving to Phoenix in 1988 and acquiring Zach Ertz in 2021, the Cardinals had never seen a tight end eclipse 570 receiving yards in a season. Eventual Cowboys Super Bowl winner Jay Novacek had held the franchise’s top Arizona-years TE yardage number (569) for 33 years prior to Ertz narrowly eclipsing it (574). Taking over for Ertz as the team’s top tight end midway through the 2023 season, McBride smashed through that ceiling by accumulating 825 yards. He became only the second tight end in team history — following St. Louis-years great Jackie Smith — to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season by reaching 1,146 last season.
A second-round pick during Steve Keim‘s final draft at the helm, McBride is 10 years younger than Kelce; the 25-year-old pass catcher represents a central part of the Cardinals’ passing attack, accompanying 2024 top-five pick Marvin Harrison Jr. as the team’s aerial cornerstones. Harrison is tied to a rookie-scale deal through at least 2026; that period will now overlap with the guarantees on McBride’s accord. Though, the Cardinals are likely eyeing a true long-term partnership with their long-awaited TE find.
Though establishing himself as a prolific receiving option in the desert, McBride only totaled five combined touchdowns from 2023-24. Drawing the ire of fantasy GMs, the Cardinals did not see a McBride TD occur until Week 17 last season. He added another in Week 18. The Colorado State alum had posted three 100-yard games, however, and his 111 receptions in 2024 sit second only to DeAndre Hopkins‘ 2020 total (115) in the Cardinals’ 100-plus-year history.
The NFL saw Rob Gronkowski‘s Patriots-friendly extension (six years, $54MM) gridlock the tight end market for most of the 2010s; it took until 2020 for a player at the position (Austin Hooper, interestingly enough) to reach $10.5MM per year. Kelce accepting Chiefs-friendly deals (in 2015 and 2020) also played a role in restricting this market while WR paydays soared.
Even during Gronk’s stranglehold on the market, receivers and tight ends were not nearly as far apart in value as they are today. Ja’Marr Chase‘s new Bengals deal more than doubles McBride’s, leaving the next wave of TEs with work to do. McBride’s contract closed a small portion of this gap, however, and it can still be argued — due to the fourth-year player’s importance in Arizona’s passing attack — this is a Cards-friendly agreement.
The Cards are still waiting for Kyler Murray to show the Pro Bowl-level form he did earlier in his career, but the team has two high-end weapons for the well-compensated passer to target. And Thursday’s agreement ensures no concerns will be in place about the duo’s status as long-term linchpins going into the Cardinals’ offseason program.
Steelers Remain Optimistic About Aaron Rodgers Deal; Latest On Vikings’ Interest
During the recent league meetings, Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed signs continue to point to Aaron Rodgers signing with the team. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has yet to make a decision on his future, but Pittsburgh continues to loom as his likeliest destination. 
[RELATED: Titans Did Not Pursue Rodgers]
The Giants are out of the running having signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston; the former operated as Pittsburgh’s starter for much of last season. Backup Justin Fields was known to be a priority for the Steelers, but early in free agency he took a two-year pact with the Jets. That led to a pivot on Pittsburgh’s part, and the team’s reunion with Mason Rudolph has him atop the QB depth chart for the time being.
The Steelers made an offer early in free agency, and with a clear lack of other suitors in play it has not yet been increased. Pittsburgh is prepared to wait for a unknown period of time, but the draft looms as a logical deadline for an agreement to be reached. As the NFL world continues to wait on this front, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Steelers are still “optimistic” about a Rodgers signing taking place (h/t Bleacher Report). He adds, though, that no movement has taken place since Rooney’s remarks pointed to a contract being on the horizon.
Retirement looms as a possibility for Rodgers, although the 41-year-old preferred to remain with the Jets for at least the 2025 campaign. Hanging up his cleats was mentioned as an option for the four-time MVP at the time the Vikings were a possible landing spot, something which technically remains the case at this point. Even though Rodgers made it known to the team Minnesota was his preferred destination, Fowler confirms the Vikings are out of the running unless the parties circle back to one another in the summer.
It was learned last week Rodgers reached out to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell to relay his interest in playing for Minnesota. Several conversations took between the two, and Fowler’s colleague Kevin Seifert notes a number of players – including projected 2025 starter J.J. McCarthy – were made aware of those talks. O’Connell also spoke with the likes of wideout Justin Jefferson and right tackle Brian O’Neill about the prospect of signing Rodgers. Such a move had support from some in the organization, but it would now come as a surprise if it were to take place.
On the topic of retirement, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports it should be considered unlikely at this point (video link). He confirms no progress toward a Rodgers-Steelers agreement appears to have been made over the coming days, although Rodgers’ recent throwing session with trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf has continued to fuel the belief one will come into play at some point this offseason. If that proves to be the case, Pittsburgh’s short-term setup at the QB spot will be secure, while the Vikings will continue to be in the market for a veteran insurance option.
Raiders To Host RB Ashton Jeanty
Like all other teams, the Raiders are busy hosting several prospects in advance of this month’s draft. One of the players headed to Vegas this week is the top running back in the 2025 class. 
The Raiders are set to host Ashton Jeanty, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. He adds the Heisman runner-up will fly in tomorrow. Vegas owns the sixth overall pick in the draft, and as a result the team will likely be within range to select Jeanty.
Several mock drafts have linked team and player in this case, given the Raiders’ struggles on the ground last season. Year 1 of the post-Josh Jacobs era did not go according to plan, with Zamir White averaging only 2.8 yards per carry. Alexander Mattison was not much more efficient, and he has departed in free agency. Vegas added Raheem Mostert last month after he was cut by the Dolphins. The veteran figures to have a role on offense in 2025, but it would come as no surprise if a notable draft investment were to be made in the backfield.
Jeanty enjoyed an extremely productive tenure at Boise State, winning the Mountain West’s Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2023 and again last season. After totaling 2,729 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2024, Jeanty earned All-American honors and took home the Maxwell Award. The three-year Broncos contributor headlines a strong running back class, one which is expected to see North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton also hear his name called on Day 1.
Having already met with the Bears and Cowboys, Jeanty is not expected to fall outside the top 15-20 picks. He will likely be off the board well before that range, and the Raiders are certainly among the teams to watch with respect to selecting him. How the team proceeds will of course depend in part on how the upcoming visit goes.
Rapoport adds that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is also slated to visit the Raiders. Vegas’ starting situation has been assured with the decision to trade for and extend Geno Smith, but the team could of course be in the market for adding a rookie past the opening round of the draft. Ewers – whose final Longhorns season included injuries and less-than-expected production – is one of many Day 2 prospects in the 2025 class; the Raiders own one pick in each of the second and third rounds.
Jaguars Exercise DE Travon Walker’s Fifth-Year Option
The No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft will remain in place for at least two more years. The Jaguars announced on Monday that defensive end Travon Walker‘s fifth-year option has been exercised. 
As a result of today’s decision, Walker will remain under team control through 2026. The Georgia product qualifies for the playtime (or second-highest) tier regarding fifth-year options, meaning he is now in line to collect $14.75MM during the ’26 campaign. With that said, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes an expectation exists a long-term extension will ultimately be worked out in this case.
Over the course of his college career, Walker flashed considerable potential but managed only 9.5 sacks across three seasons. That stood in contrast to the production of Aidan Hutchinson, viewed in advance of the ’22 draft as more of a known commodity and thus a prospect with a higher floor. Jacksonville gambled on Walker’s athletic upside, though, while Hutchinson wound up being selected second overall by the Lions.
Walker operated as a full-time starter during his rookie campaign, one in which he managed 3.5 sacks and 21 quarterback pressures. Since then, the 24-year-old has taken a step forward in terms of production. Walker posted 10 sacks in 2023, and added another 10.5 to his career total last season. Over the past two seasons, his 59 pressures and 23 tackles for loss illustrate his disruptiveness at the NFL level. Continued growth can be expected, and if that proves to take place Jacksonville will have a strong tandem along the edge.
The Jags made Josh Hines-Allen one of several core players who received an extension last offseason. The former first-rounder is attached a $28.25MM-per-year deal which runs through 2028. If a long-term investment is to be made in Walker, Jacksonville will have one of the league’s most expensive pass-rush groups. Especially with quarterback Trevor Lawrence attached to one of the NFL’s most lucrative deals at that position, Walker’s situation will be key in determining the team’s financial outlook for several years.
The edge rush market has already seen both Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett secure record-breaking deals from their respective teams. The likes of Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt and Hutchinson are eligible for new contracts this offseason. As a result, the top of the pecking order could move past the $40MM AAV mark it currently stands at. Walker will not approach that figure on a second Jaguars accord, but he could certainly stand to benefit from the upward movement of the market.
Jacksonville has a new coaching and front office staff in place from the end of last year. Liam Coen and James Gladstone will be tasked with helping the team rebound from 2024’s disappointing performance, and Walker will play a role in that effort now and (quite likely) for several years to come.
Workout Notes: Griffin, Fant, Charles
Shaquill Griffin could be returning to where it all started. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, the veteran defensive back visited the Seahawks today.
It’s been quiet on the Griffin front, with today’s news representing his first reported visit of the offseason. In a free agent CB class that still features a handful of notable names (including Rasul Douglas, Asante Samuel Jr., and Mike Hilton), it’s notable that Griffin is starting to make some noise.
The former Seahawks draft pick has bounced around the NFL a bit since leaving Seattle after the 2020 season. He got a multi-year deal from the Jaguars but only lasted two campaigns in Jacksonville, and he later got into games with three teams between 2023 and 2024 (Texans, Panthers, Vikings).
He did manage to get into all 17 games for the Vikings in 2024, collecting 41 tackles and a pair of interceptions while appearing in about half of his team’s defensive snaps. While Griffin will soon hit his age-30 season, he showed that he can still be a useful depth piece. The Seahawks are set to return their same CB starters next season (Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe, and Devon Witherspoon), but he could compete with the likes of Nehemiah Pritchett for any leftover snaps.
More workout notes from around the NFL…
- George Fant was mentioned earlier tonight as a mentor to Colin Granger, but the veteran is also looking to continue his own playing career. According to Tony Pauline of Sportkeeda.com, Fant worked out for the Ravens today. It sounds like the lineman/tight end is being particular about where he continues his career, with Pauline cautioning that Fant is only eyeing teams that deliver “the right fit.” After getting into only two games with the Seahawks last season, Fant would likely be competing for a final roster spot in Baltimore.
- The Cowboys worked out veteran offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles on Friday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Charles suddenly retired last August, but Garafolo notes that the lineman is already considering a comeback. A former fourth-round pick by the Commanders, Charles got into 35 games across his four seasons in Washington, including a 2023 campaign where he started a career-high 10 games. While Charles played OT early in his career, he could join Brock Hoffman and Robert Jones as options to replace Zack Martin.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/7/25
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed RFA tender: DL Chris Williams
- Signed ERFA tender: DL Jonathan Ford, DL Daniel Hardy, OL Bill Murray, DB Ameer Speed
Cleveland Browns
- Signed ERFA tender: TE Blake Whiteheart
Denver Broncos
- Signed ERFA tender: TE Lucas Krull
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: DE Arron Mosby
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed ERFA tender: DT Matthew Butler, LB LB Kana’i Mauga, G Jordan Meredith, DE Charles Snowden, CB Sam Webb
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: CB Nahshon Wright
Patriots Notes: Barmore, Van Pelt, Milton
Christian Barmore missed most of last season with recurring symptoms from blood clots, but he’s expected to be a full participant at Patriots practices. Mike Vrabel told reporters (including ESPN’s Mike Reiss) that Barmore has been given clearance to participate in the team’s voluntary offseason program, which started today.
“He popped in the other day to see the doctors. When he walked into the training room, just his energy and presence, so I know that he’s feeling better,” Vrabel said last week (via Reiss).
“We’ll continue to evaluate him. It’s something very serious. We take the health of our players extremely serious, especially when you’re talking about something like blood clots, and we’re going to have a great plan for him.”
Barmore inked a four-year, $92MM deal ($41.8MM guaranteed) last offseason, but he proceeded to miss the first 10 games of the season after being diagnosed with blood clots. He returned for four games late in the year, but he subsequently landed on the non-football illness list after experiencing recurring symptoms.
Fortunately, it sounds like Barmore will be able to resume his NFL career in 2025. The defensive lineman had a breakout season when he was last healthy in 2023, compiling 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. The Patriots will presumably pencil Barmore in next to free agent acquisition Milton Williams on the defensive line.
More notes out of New England…
- The Patriots have made plenty of additions to their roster this offseason, but the team is still searching for help at certain positions. Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston expects the team to make an addition to their running backs corps, a group that currently consists of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald notes that Vrabel has also expressed interest in adding to the position via the draft, while ESPN’s Mike Reiss wonders if the team could eye a versatile, pass-catching RB that resembles former Patriots mainstays like Kevin Faulk, James White, and Danny Woodhead.
- Former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt only lasted one season in New England, and the organization’s decision to change coaching staffs will cost a pretty penny. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, the Patriots still owe Van Pelt a little under $6MM over the next two years. Many of the other departed coaches on Jerod Mayo‘s staff still had one year remaining on their contracts.
- The timing of the recent Joe Milton trade was plenty deliberate by the Patriots. According to Reiss, the organization wanted to deal the quarterback before the start of the team’s voluntary offseason program. Specifically, Vrabel believes this is an important date for “establishing team culture and the dynamic that ideally unfolds within each position group”…a pretty clear hint that the team wanted to avoid any type of QB controversy, no matter how unlikely. The Patriots dealt the 2024 r0okie for a fifth-round selection, leaving Joshua Dobbs as the clear backup to hopeful franchise QB Drake Maye.
Panthers Sign Former College Basketball Player Colin Granger
The Panthers are turning to the hardwood for some help at tight end. The team announced today that they’ve signed former Division I college basketball player Colin Granger as a TE.
Granger spent five seasons playing basketball at Ohio, Western Carolina and Coastal Carolina, where he totaled 414 points and 322 rebounds. As ESPN’s David Newton notes, Granger was eligible to sign with any team since he’s five years removed from high school.
Granger hasn’t played football since the eighth grade, but he has the size to compete at the tight end spot. The rookie is listed at 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, and he’s instantly the tallest player on the Panthers roster. Considering his size, it shouldn’t be a surprise that plenty of teams considered adding Granger as a prospect.
According to Tony Pauline of Sportkeeda.com, there was “legitimate interest in his talents,” and six teams attended Granger’s Pro Day last Friday. In addition to the Panthers (who actually hosted Granger on an official-3o visit), the attendees included the Falcons, Texans, Eagles, Seahawks, and Vikings, per Pauline.
Ultimately, the Panthers’ efforts worked out, and Granger will now join a growing list of former basketball players who are hoping to follow the successful paths laid out by Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jimmy Graham. As Newton points out, Panthers head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan had success with a previous project when George Fant made the Seahawks as a tackle/tight end. According to Newton, Fant has worked with Granger and informed the Panthers leadership of his ability.
The Panthers have plenty of depth at tight end, but the team will presumably consider all of their options as they look to squeeze any production out of the position. The team’s current grouping includes the likes of Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews, James Mitchell, and Dominique Dafney.