Lions Add 10 UDFAs
The Lions added seven rookies to their roster via the draft. That group has been joined by the following 10 undrafted free agent signings:
- Leif Fautanu, C (Arizona State)
- Gavin Holmes, CB (Texas)
- Zach Horton, TE (Indiana)
- Jakobie Keeney-James, WR (UMass)
- Ian Kennelly, S (Grand Valley State)
- Jackson Meeks, WR (Syracuse)
- Mason Miller, G (North Dakota State)
- Caden Prieskorn, TE (Ole Miss)
- Kye Robichaux, RB (Boston College)
- Anthony Tyus III, RB (Ohio)
Meeks’ pact contains $200K in total guarantees, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. That figure includes a $20K signing bonus. After spending his first three seasons at Georgia in a depth capacity, Meeks transferred to Syracuse last offseason. That paved the way for a breakthrough campaign (78-1,021-7 statline), one which has landed him the chance to compete for a roster spot this summer.
Tyus followed a similar career path by seeing sparse usage during his three-year tenure at Northwestern. Upon transferring out of the Big Ten and into the MAC, he took on a much larger role for Ohio. The 6-1, 220-pounder rushed for nine touchdowns in 2024 (after scoring two in his first three seasons) and racked up 1,352 scrimmage yards. Tyus will look to earn a spot on special teams to avoid cutdowns at the end of training camp.
While many of the league’s most lucrative UDFA deals were coming together in the aftermath of the draft, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported Keith Cooper Jr. had agreed to a contract including a $20K signing bonus and $125K in salary guarantees. However, the Houston edge rusher is listed as as a tryout player for the Lions’ rookie minicamp. As a result, he has not yet signed a deal.
Saints Announce Derek Carr’s Retirement
The Saints have announced the sudden retirement of veteran quarterback Derek Carr due to a shoulder injury.
Reports of Carr’s injury emerged in early April, though its exact nature and impact on the 2025 season were initially unclear. Scans later revealed that Carr suffered a torn labrum with “significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff,” according to the team’s statement. The 34-year-old quarterback tried an injection and rehab, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but opted against surgery that would likely sideline him for the 2025 season with no guarantee of a full recovery.
All eyes will now turn to the Saints’ quarterback situation under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. The team was already preparing for the possibility of Carr missing most or all of this season by using a second-round pick on Louisville QB Tyler Shough in last month’s draft. Shough was considered to be one of the most pro-ready passers in this year’s class and will have a chance to start as a rookie in New Orleans. His primary competition will be 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener and 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler, both of whom stepped in for Carr during his absence last season.
[RELATED: Saints Planning Open QB Competition]
Carr’s retirement also comes with a complicated financial compromise. The 2025 compensation in his original contract included a $10MM roster bonus and a base salary of $30MM guaranteed for injury, per OverTheCap. The roster bonus became fully guaranteed for the offseason and triggered this past March, when his salary was also set to upgrade into a full guarantee. The Saints restructured his contract in March instead, converting the roster bonus and salary into a signing bonus to reduce his 2025 cap hit.
Now, that restructure seems to be reversed. Carr will keep the roster bonus, but the Saints will not be responsible for his salary in cash or cap space, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The team will also process his retirement after June 1 to spread the remaining dead money across two years. Essentially, Carr is forgoing $30MM that he would otherwise be owed whether he retired or underwent surgery and spent the season on the sidelines.
Carr was just two seasons into a four-year, $150MM contract signed in 2023. He went 9-8 in his debut season in New Orleans, but missed seven games in 2024 and finished with a 5-5 record as a starter. His financial agreement with the Saints will result in $70MM paid out for two years and 27 starts.
The Saints’ announcement also included a statement from Carr:
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with [his wife] Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League. For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
Carr is retiring after 11 years in the NFL. The first nine years of that stretch were spent with the Raiders, and the former second-rounder will be best remembered for his tenure with them. Carr earned four Pro Bowl nods as a Raider, including three straight from 2015-17. With only one playoff start to his name, though, a lack of postseason appearances and success will be a key aspect of his legacy.
The Fresno State product was reunited with former college teammate Davante Adams in 2022, but that tandem remained in place for only one year. Things did not go according to plan during brief period of the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime, and Carr’s release brought about an end to his tenure in Vegas. His previous comments about retiring rather than playing for another franchise were replaced by his Saints pact, one which did not provide the desired results.
In all, Carr made 170 starts during his career, and his passing totals rank just outside the top 20 for quarterbacks in most categories. He amassed over $195MM in earnings over the course of his NFL tenure, one which has come to a rather abrupt end.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers Didn’t Reach Consensus On QB Shedeur Sanders
The Steelers surprised many as pick after pick went by in the 2025 NFL Draft and they continued to watch Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders slide throughout the draft. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the reason Pittsburgh never made the call was because the organization “did not reach a consensus on Sanders as a slam dunk pick.” 
The Steelers came into the draft with a need at quarterback. Sure, they were (and still are) in talks with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but nothing had been signed or decided on that front, and even if it had been, Rodgers is 41 years old and is three full years removed from playing the elite level of ball we’ve come to associate him with. Securing a top passing prospect would have still been a smart move if Rodgers ends up on the roster because it would give them a student to learn and develop behind him.
Pittsburgh did end up taking a quarterback in the draft, but that selection wouldn’t come until late into Day 3, when Will Howard was selected in the sixth round. Following the departures of one-year rentals Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, Howard joins a group that contains former Steelers backup Mason Rudolph and former Dolphins backup Skylar Thompson. Both have seen time as starters in injury replacement situations in their careers, and while Rudolph has fared decently in his opportunities, neither quarterback inspires much confidence heading into the 2025 season.
This begs the question: why didn’t Pittsburgh take a swing on a quarterback earlier? Or, if they knew they were going to wait to select one, why, when they saw Sanders freefalling round after round, did they not take a flyer on his obvious potential?
One can certainly see where they liked the value they were getting for versatile Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon as a potential eventual replacement for Cameron Heyward or the hole-filling potential of third-round Iowa rusher Kaleb Johnson, who could compete with Jaylen Warren for some serious carries. But once the fourth round rolled around and Sanders, a projected first- or second-round pick, was still around, how important was it to add Jack Sawyer to blend in with a group that already contains T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig? Does Sawyer add more value to that group that Sanders would’ve to a position that only contained Rudolph and Thompson at the time? The Steelers will need to hope so.
Ultimately, Fowler tells us that the team was “comfortable with (Sanders) as a distributing point guard type,” but they couldn’t all agree that he was “a slam dunk pick.” It’s true that a knock on Sanders was his reliance on screens, quick passes, and checkdowns — only 23.7 percent of his completions at Colorado were on throws over 10 yards.
Regardless, his playing style helped him to finish fourth in the country in yards per game while throwing 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Even with three extra games on his schedule, Howard did not encroach upon Sanders’ yardage or touchdown numbers last year. But the team was undecided on whether Sanders was worth the fourth-round flyer, and that led him to his new home in Cleveland.
The Steelers are still getting a quarterback who had a great completion percentage (73.0) while throwing the ball a bit more downfield (9.5 yards per attempt) and still having an impressive touchdown-interception ratio. They’ll just have to hope that Howard (and Sawyer) contribute enough to erase any doubt of the decision they made.
Jadeveon Clowney Intends To Play In 2025
The Panthers explored a trade of Jadeveon Clowney before the draft, but nothing came about on that front. Given the team’s rookie additions, though, the possibility remained the veteran edge rusher would be let go after only one season in Carolina. 
Indeed, the team proceeded with a release on Thursday. One year remained on Clowney’s pact, but he now finds himself on the market as a post-draft free agent. As could be expected, the 32-year-old has no intention of hanging up his cleats at this point.
“I’m definitely gonna play well,” Clowney said during an interview with Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). “You can mark my word on that. I don’t care where I end up playing at, I’m gonna play extremely well… There are 31 other teams. I just hope another team gives me that opportunity so I can prove myself again. I feel like I can do that.”
After a five-year run in Houston to begin his career, the former No. 1 pick has bounced around the NFL. Clowney played for the Seahawks, Titans, Browns and Ravens prior to last year’s season spent with the Panthers. Only the Cleveland portion of that stretch (2021-22) consisted of a multi-year run in an organization. A long-term commitment can surely be ruled out once again in this case, but any number of teams could be willing to make him a depth addition for the 2025 campaign.
Clowney handled a full-time starting role in Carolina last season, and he posted 5.5 sacks. The South Carolina product totaled 18.5 sacks across the 2021 and ’23 campaigns, with a much less productive season taking place in between. Regardless of the sack output which can be expected of him, Clowney – who has 108 tackles for loss in his career – will be counted on to remain a strong contributor against the run on his next team.
The Panthers committed $12MM guaranteed on Clowney’s two-year pact last spring. Even if suitors submit less lucrative offers this time around, several teams have the cap space necessary to add him as a rotational contributor (especially on a one-year pact). Clowney will look to find a new team no later than training camp, joining the likes of Von Miller, Za’Darius Smith and Matt Judon in that regard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/25
Saturday’s minor moves:
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: LS Kneeland Hibbett
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OL Tyre Phillips
Hibbert joins Blake Ferguson as a long snapper the Dolphins have let go of recently. Miami signed longtime Patriot Joe Cardona yesterday, and this move confirms the 10-year veteran will handle deep snapping duties for the team in 2025.
Phillips will remain in the NFC East despite seeing his three-year Giants tenure come to an end. The 28-year-old has made a total of 47 appearances and 28 starts in his career, seeing time at guard and tackle along the way. He will look to earn a depth spot on a Washington O-line which has undergone multiple notable changes this offseason.
Buccaneers Sign 15 UDFAs
The Buccaneers have already signed five of their six draft picks to their rookie deals. That group has seen the addition of the following 15 undrafted free agents to the roster:
- Connor Bazelak, QB (Bowling Green)
- John Bullock, LB (Nebraska)
- Benjamin Chukwuma, T (Georgia State)
- Ryan Coe, K (Cal)
- Garrett Greene, WR (West Virginia)
- Nash Hutmacher, DL (Nebraska)
- Anthony Landphere, TE (Memphis)
- Jake Majors, C (Texas)
- Roman Parodie, CB (Ohio)
- Warren Peeples, OLB (Southeastern Louisiana)
- J.J. Roberts, S (Marshall)
- Shilo Sanders, S (Colorado)
- Ben Scott, OL (Nebraska)
- Desmond Watson, DL (Florida)
- Josh Williams, RB (LSU)
Each of the three offensive linemen in this group received a notable financial commitment from Tampa Bay. Chukwuma secured a $55K signing bonus in addition to $245K in base salary guarantees, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Scott, meanwhile, landed $265K in total guarantees including $15K up front, according to Spotrac (via Greg Auman of Fox Sports). Similarly, Wilson adds Major’s pact contains a $10K signing bonus and $250K in salary guarantees.
Auman reports Hutmacher was originally on track to sign with the Ravens, but circumstances have led him to Tampa. He spent his entire five-year career with the Cornhuskers, collecting 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss across the past two campaigns. Hutmacher will aim to demonstrate his disruptiveness during the spring and in doing earn a depth spot along the D-line.
Watson drew attention when he weighed in at 464 pounds during Florida’s Pro Day. When he signed his UDFA deal with the Bucs, he became the heaviest player in NFL history. Reducing that number will be a priority for team and player, although Watson never missed a game during his four seasons with the Gators.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/25
Saturday’s lone draft pick signing:
Houston Texans
- RB Woody Marks (fourth round, USC)
With Marks on the books, the Texans – a team which made history this week by signing Round 2 receiver Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed rookie contract – now have all but one member of their draft class under contract. Only second-round offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery has yet to put pen to paper.
Titans Sign 16 UDFA Rookies
MAY 16: The Titans gave significant guarantees to Jarris and Kimber, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharky. Both undrafted cornerbacks received around $200k in guaranteed money, among the highest amounts in team history.
Kimber ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Penn State’s pro day, but his strength and technique will need to improve to play more than special teams in the NFL.
MAY 10: The success of the Titans’ 2025 rookie class will likely hinge almost entirely on the success of their No. 1 overall pick, Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Regardless, they hit on several other positions of need with the rest of their nine-man draft class and have announced the signing of an undrafted crop that will bring their rookie group to 25. Here are the 16 undrafted free agents who signed deals with Tennessee:
- Micah Bernard, RB (Utah)
- Philip Blidi, DT (Auburn)
- Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, T (Florida)
- Desmond Evans, OLB (North Carolina)
- David Gbenda, LB (Texas)
- Jermari Harris, CB (Iowa)
- Garnett Hollis Jr., CB (Western Kentucky)
- Cam Horsley, DT (Boston College)
- Jalen Kimber, CB (Penn State)
- Virgil Lemons, CB (West Florida)
- Clarence Lewis, CB (Syracuse)
- Devonte O’Malley, DE (Northern Illinois)
- Isaiah Raikes, DT (Auburn)
- Xavier Restrepo, WR (Miami)
- Davion Ross, CB (Memphis)
- Jerrin Thompson, S (Auburn)
A lot of the focus with the UDFAs was on defense, but all three offensive signees were notable. Crenshaw-Dickson was expected to be a late-Day 3 pick based on impressive measurables (6-foot-7, 316 pounds). After three years as a starter at San Diego State splitting time between both tackle spots (18 at left, 18 at right), Crenshaw-Dickson transferred to the Gators, with whom he would start 11 games at right tackle. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tennessee gave Crenshaw-Dickson $245K in guaranteed money, including a $20K signing bonus, to ensure that he would land in Nashville.
Based on film and production, Restrepo was expected to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round, but a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at his pro day may have cost him. Intangibles are the name of the game with Restrepo, who, despite his lack of ideal speed or size, holds school records for the most career receptions (200) and receiving yards (2,844), over such names as Reggie Wayne, Michael Irvin, and Santana Moss. Restrepo uses instincts to feel out soft spots in coverage, physicality to block and churn out extra yards, balance and body control to get open and make tough catches, and pure competitiveness to succeed. As Ward’s No. 1 target in Coral Gables, he stands a strong chance of making the 53-man roster if that chemistry continues.
On defense, the Titans are bringing in two notable linemen. Horsley was a four-year starter in five seasons with the Eagles. He doesn’t get to the quarterback much (only 3.5 sacks in his collegiate career), but he’s shown plenty of disruption in the past three years with 15.5 tackles for loss and seven passes defensed over that time. A stout run defender in the middle, Horsley was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection as a nose tackle. Raikes held a similar role with the Tigers last year after four years at Texas A&M. The Titans gave Raikes $85K guaranteed with a $10K signing bonus on his rookie deal, according to Pelissero.
In the secondary, Harris comes from Iowa to compete for a roster spot on defense. After redshirt and pandemic-shortened seasons in Iowa City, Harris started 28 games in his final three years with the Hawkeyes. In that time, he racked up 27 passes defensed and eight interceptions.
Saints Will Hold Open QB Competition
The news of the day in the NFL has centered today around the retirement of Saints (and former Raiders) quarterback Derek Carr. Naturally, there have been several questions surrounding the foreknowledge the team had concerning this decision and how it affects the team moving forward. 
In speaking to the media, new head coach Kellen Moore revealed a couple things that give us some insight into the situation. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football tells us that Moore claimed Carr’s decision “is something that came together recently.” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell recalls that, though the Saints were seeking clarity on the Carr situation prior to the draft, Moore has said “multiple times that the communication was great” throughout the process.
With that in mind, Moore also told the media that the team’s knowledge of the Carr situation impacted the Saints’ decision to draft Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, per Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio. Shough now joins two other passers on their rookie deals in New Orleans’ quarterbacks room. With the absence of a veteran in the group, Moore was asked if they would look to add one. Per John Hendrix of Athlon Sports, Moore responded that the team would “certainly have awareness to it…if the opportunity presents itself.”
Without a veteran in the building, though, Moore has made it clear that Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener will all be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job, per Underhill. Taken with the 40th overall pick this year, Shough was drafted higher than both Rattler (150th in 2024) and Haener (127th in 2023). In fact, Shough is the team’s highest-drafted quarterback since New Orleans selected Archie Manning No. 2 overall in 1971. There were 18 quarterbacks drafted by the Saints between Manning and Shough, and only one (Garrett Grayson in 2015) was selected before the fourth round; Grayson was a third-round pick.
Despite having just been drafted, Shough, having spent seven years in college (three at Oregon, three at Texas Tech, and one at Louisville), is not the youngest of the current group of passers; Rattler is 24, Shough is 25, and Haener is 26.
After sitting on the bench for two years in Eugene, Shough took over for Justin Herbert as the Ducks’ starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. After seemingly losing his job to Boston College transfer Anthony Brown, he transferred to Texas Tech, earning the starting job in Lubbock immediately. Injuries limited Shough to just 13 starts in three years with the Red Raiders, though, and he found his way to Louisville via the Transfer Portal last year. With the Cardinals, Shough went 8-4, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He showed decent, though not impressive, mobility throughout his collegiate career, as well.
Rattler started six games for the Saints as a rookie last year. New Orleans lost all six games as he completed only 57.0 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and five interceptions. After sitting out his entire rookie season, partially due to a six-game suspension, Haener didn’t fare much better in his only starting opportunity last year. After Rattler’s initial 0-3 stretch earlier in the season, Haener got the nod to replace an injured Carr in Week 15 of last year. After a first half that saw Haener complete only four of 10 pass attempts for 49 yards and a touchdown, the Saints went to the locker room down 14-0 and came out with Rattler as the starter for the remainder of the season.
Though it seems his days as a quarterback are long gone, Swiss Army tight end Taysom Hill also resides in the room. In 2020 & 2021, Hill started nine games under center with the team going 9-2 with him as a quarterback. In those games, he completed 63.75 percent of his passes for just under 200 passing yards per game. He scored 14 touchdowns (eight passing, six rushing) and threw six interceptions as a starter. Since those years, though, Hill has only attempted 34 passes over the last three years (including just four in 2024). He’s likely not a factor in the starting competition, but his presence on the roster does warrant mentioning.
More likely, the three young passers will be duking it out throughout the offseason in order to earn QB1 honors. Moore will rotate all three of Shough, Rattler, and Haener on the first-team offense until somebody takes hold of the job and refuses to let go.
Bears Announce 10-Man UDFA Class
The Bears enjoyed a draft that saw them make four of the first 62 draft picks (one in the first round and three in the second). This week, they announced that they have added 10 undrafted free agents to their existing eight-man draft class. Here are the 10 new rookie signees:
- Major Burns, S (LSU)
- Xavier Carlton, DE (California)
- Power Echols, LB (North Carolina)
- Luke Elkin, LS (Iowa)
- Deion Hankins, RB (Texas State)
- Tysheem Johnson, S (Oregon)
- Jonathan Kim, K (Michigan State)
- JP Richardson, WR (TCU)
- Jereme Robinson, DE (Kansas)
- Jahdae Walker, WR (Texas A&M)
The biggest name of note here is Echols. In fact, Chicago was willing to give Echols $130K in total guarantees in order land his signature in undrafted free agency, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Echols is a hard worker who was a three-year starter for the Tar Heels. His first two seasons saw him accumulate 205 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, five pass defensed, and two interceptions. While his senior season saw a dip in his tackle numbers (76 total, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks), his coverage ability showed improvement as he logged 7 passes defensed and a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown.
That coverage ability will be tested at the NFL level, though. Part of the reason Echols slid out of the draft, despite his tenacity and effort, was because his 5-foot-11 frame will make it difficult for him to cover tight ends at the next level and his lack of top end speed (4.73 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine) will make it difficult for him to cover running backs at the next level. We’ve seen plenty of undersized backers find success in the NFL, though, and Echols will get his opportunity in Chicago.
The team also will take a chance with two specialists in Elkin and Kim. Kim faces a tall task of landing a roster spot, despite having a collegiate long of 58 yards and coming off of a year in East Lansing in which he made 19 of 21 kicks. Cairo Santos has held down the kicking job in the Windy City since 2020 with admirable consistency. He signed a four-year extension in 2023 intended to keep him in place through the 2027 NFL season, and he rewarded them last year by making eight of nine attempts from over 50 yards.
Elkin, on the other hand, stands a better shot at making a roster. The former Hawkeye will come in to compete with 31-year-old Scott Daly, who will be playing on his second one-year deal with the Bears.