HEADLINES

Month: June 2025

Eagles, 49ers Finalize Bryce Huff Trade

June 2nd, 2025 at 6:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

TODAY, 6:10pm: The two teams have officially announced the trade, pending a physical. The Eagles will receive a conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-round selection based on performance conditions, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports.

While the trade may represent one of the 49ers’ final big swings of the 2025 offseason, it didn’t come out of nowhere. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the organization had been sniffing around on Huff since March.

FRIDAY, 10:20pm: While the restructure to Huff’s contract and his subsequent trade will clear more than $15MM off the Eagles’ 2025 salary cap, the team is only receiving $2.4MM in practical savings, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Originally, Huff would have counted for $7.4MM against the 2025 cap with his option bonus prorating out over the next five years. Now, the Eagles will have to absorb a $4.94MM dead cap charge this year with $16.6MM in dead money in 2026.

12:43pm: To little surprise, Bryce Huff will not remain with the Eagles for 2025. A trade agreement is in place for the veteran edge rusher.

After remaining away from the team during spring workouts, Huff is set to be on the move shortly. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a trade has been worked out which will send him to the 49ers in return for a mid-round pick. The swap will officially take place after June 1. Schefter notes a Day 3 pick will change hands in this case.

Huff has restructured his contract to facilitate the trade. As Schefter’s colleague Field Yates details, Philadelphia declined Huff’s option bonus (which was worth a guaranteed $15.58MM), giving him a 2025 base salary of the same amount. The Eagles then converted $9.05MM of that salary into a signing bonus that they will absorb as dead money across the next two years. San Francisco will take on the remaining $7.95MM in base pay for the coming campaign. Philadelphia will save more than $15MM in cap space while the 49ers become responsible for the final two years of Huff’s contract.

Expectations were high for Huff upon his arrival in Philadelphia last year, but his $51MM pact did not work out as planned. This deal will allow him to reunite with Robert Saleh after the two worked together with the Jets. Saleh was the head coach for Huff’s final three years in New York and returned to the 49ers’ defensive coordinator position this offseason.

Returning to a Saleh-coached defense could help Huff return to his 2023 form, which featured 10 sacks and a league-high 21.3% pressure rate, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 27-year-old struggled to adapt to Vic Fangio‘s scheme in Philadelphia, which demanded more versatility out of its edge defenders. In San Francisco, Huff can focus on rushing the passer, which could free up No. 11 pick Mykel Williams to take on a more variable role on third downs.

For the Eagles, this is yet another smart bit of business by general manager Howie Roseman, who pursued Huff aggressively last offseason but wasn’t afraid to admit his mistake and move on this year. The restructured contract is an example of Roseman’s creative salary cap management that allowed Philadelphia to avoid paying out the full $34MM of guaranteed money in Huff’s contract.

After letting Josh Sweat walk in free agency, the Eagles will need another edge defender to step up as a starter alongside Nolan Smith. They have multiple options to choose from after re-signing Patrick Johnson and adding Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche this offseason. 2024 third-rounder Jalyx Hunt could also earn a starting job after flashing his pass-rushing talent during the team’s playoff run last season.

Vikings OL Will Fries Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp

June 2nd, 2025 at 5:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings clearly weren’t concerned with Will Fries‘ fractured tibia, as the team handed him a lucrative five-year contract this offseason. The offensive lineman is rewarding the team’s commitment, as he’s “on track” to being fully ready for training camp, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

Fries suffered a fractured right tibia back in October, ending his final season in Indy prematurely. As Seifert notes, the guard is currently in the “final stages” of his recovery process, although he’s still not expected to do much (if any) work during spring practices.

Still, the Vikings can rest easy knowing that their investment should be in the starting lineup by the time Week 1 comes around. A former seventh-round pick, it took Fries until his sophomore season to carve out a part-time role on the offensive line. He later ran with the RG job in 2023, starting all 17 games.

He seemed to be taking another step forward in 2024. After PFF ranked Fries as a middle-of-the-road guard in 2023, the 27-year-old graded out as the second-best player at his position this past season before he went down with his season-ending injury. Still, that was enough for the Colts, who handed the free agent lineman a five-year, $88MM contract in the early days of free agency.

In Minnesota, Fries will be joining his former Colts linemate Ryan Kelly on a somewhat new-look Vikings offensive line. The organization recently used a first-round pick on offensive guard Donovan Jackson, and the new trio will join holdovers Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw in the starting lineup. That latter lineman is currently recovering from a knee injury, opening the door for 2024 starter Blake Brandel and offseason acquisition Justin Skule to earn some extra reps at camp.

Titans Sign RB Tyrion Davis-Price

June 2nd, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

5:00pm: In a corresponding move to the Davis-Price addition, Bernard has been waived. In the likely event he clears waivers tomorrow, the latter will be free to sign with a new team at any time.

9:44am: Tyrion Davis-Price has lined up his next NFL opportunity. The former 49ers and Eagles running back has agreed to a two-year deal with the Titans, per his agent (h/t NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

A third-round pick of San Francisco in 2022, Davis-Price made just six appearances during his rookie campaign. He saw even less in the way of usage the following season, and in December of 2023 the 49ers moved on by waiving him. Davis-Price finished out the season on the team’s practice squad.

That was followed by a futures contract with the Eagles, one which offered the opportunity to compete for a larger workload. Davis-Price was nevertheless waived during roster cutdowns, although he immediately re-joined the team on the practice squad. The 24-year-old made only one appearance during the campaign – a Week 17 game in which he received three carries – but was again retained via a futures deal following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. One month ago, however, Davis-Price was waived.

As expected, no team put in a claim, making him a free agent. No known suitors had emerged prior to today’s news, which comes as no surprise given Davis-Price’s sparse NFL production to date. This Titans pact will allow him to join the team well in advance of training camp and thus allow him to compete for a role on his third career team.

Tennessee still has starter Tony Pollard in place at the running back spot, and the team’s backfield will once again include Tyjae Spears in 2025. The Titans also have Julius Chestnut, 2025 sixth-round selection Kalel Mullings and undrafted rookie Micah Bernard in the fold. Those three will be joined by Davis-Price this summer as they compete for a depth spot on the team’s Week 1 roster.

The Titans ranked 19th in rushing last season, but a number of changes have taken place on offense since then. Multiple new starters up front, along with No. 1 pick Cam Ward at quarterback, will raise expectations for the unit. Davis-Price will of course not be expected to elevate Tennessee’s running game to any notable extent, but he could carve out a role with his latest team over the coming months.

Cowboys’ QB2 Job Unsettled; Joe Milton, Will Grier Likely To Make 53-Man Roster

June 2nd, 2025 at 3:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Will Grier has not thrown a regular season pass since 2019, his first year in the NFL. He is, however, expected to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

The Cowboys’ cap crunch rendered them unable to re-sign backup QB Cooper Rush, who started eight games in 2024 in relief of an injured Dak Prescott and who signed a two-year deal worth up to $12.2MM with the Ravens in March. At the time, it was believed Dallas would select a signal-caller in April’s draft and have that player compete with Grier to serve as Prescott’s backup in 2025.

Instead, the Cowboys acquired Joe Milton in a pre-draft trade with the Patriots, who had made Milton a sixth-round choice in 2024. The former Tennessee standout flashed in New England’s regular season finale against the Bills, and he reportedly wanted to be dealt to a team that would allow him to compete for a starting gig.

Obviously, the Cowboys’ starting quarterback position is already spoken for, but given Milton’s youth (he just turned 25 in March) and apparent upside, he would seemingly be the frontrunner for the QB2 post in 2025 (as our Ben Levine recently suggested). However, Watkins says that is not necessarily set in stone, and he indicates it is still unclear whether Milton or Grier will be tapped as Rush’s replacement.

Despite his lack of playing time, Grier has shown enough to stick on NFL rosters or practice squads since he entered the league as a third-round pick of the Panthers in 2019. That includes a two-year run with the Cowboys as a backup/third-stringer/practice squad player from 2021-22. Dallas cut him after acquiring Trey Lance via trade in August 2023, and he ultimately split the 2023 campaign between the Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers.

He reunited with former Cowboys OC Kellen Moore by signing a one-year contract with the Eagles in March 2024, but he did not crack Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. He was retained via a taxi squad deal before a November release, and he reunited with the Cowboys shortly thereafter. He then re-signed with Dallas on a one-year pact shortly after the 2024 season ended.

Now 30, Grier’s chances of becoming a regular starter in the NFL are quite slim. Milton, on the other hand, is entering the second year of his rookie contract and could still forge a path as a QB1 somewhere. Although they did not surrender much to acquire him, the Cowboys clearly saw enough in Milton to swing a trade for him. He will nonetheless have to earn backup duties.

One way or another, it seems both players will join Prescott in Dallas’ 2025 quarterbacks room. 

Texans CB Ronald Darby Retires

June 2nd, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another retirement decision has been made today. Cornerback Ronald Darby is the latest player who has elected to end his NFL career.

Darby has informed the Texans he is hanging up his cleats, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 31-year-old signed with Houston in free agency this March. That one-year, $2.5MM pact set him up to offer an experienced presence in the team’s secondary; now though, that will no longer be the case.

The Texans have Derek Stingley Jr. in place for years to come after working out a $30MM-per-year extension with him this offseason. 2024 second-rounder Kamari Lassiter is also in the fold for 2025 and beyond, while Houston added Jaylin Smith in the third round of this year’s draft. That trio will be leaned on with Darby now no longer set to play a depth role this season.

A second-round pick in 2016, Darby handled full-time starting duties right away with the Bills. The Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up was traded to the Eagles after two seasons in Buffalo, and that move paved the way for a three-year Philadelphia stint. During that time, Darby battled injuries but operated as a starter when healthy. He was a member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII-winning team from 2017.

Another season as a first-team cover man took place in 2020 in Washington. Darby continued to bounce around the NFL during the latter stages of his career, one which also sent him to Denver (2021-22), Baltimore (2023) and Jacksonville (2024). The Florida State product never landed a Pro Bowl invitation or received an All-Pro honor, but he operated as a key defender and posted double-digit pass deflections five times in his career.

In total, Darby played 124 combined regular and postseason games. Nearly all of those were starts, and he handled a defensive snap share of at least 74% for all but one of his 10 NFL campaigns. Darby will depart the league with roughly $42.5MM in career earnings.

LT Jedrick Wills To Miss Time In 2025

June 2nd, 2025 at 1:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jedrick Wills remains unsigned deep into the offseason. The knee injury he dealt with through 2024 represents a key reason why.

The former No. 10 pick was limited to five games last season, his fifth operating (for the most part) as the Browns’ left tackle. That responsibility will likely now fall to Dawand Jones as the team moves in a different direction in terms of blindside protection. Wills has not yet been linked to a free agent suitor, and that may well remain the case for quite some time.

Fox Sports’ Jordan Schulz reports the 26-year-old plans to sit out most, if not all, of the coming campaign to recover from the knee injury. That ailment landed Wills on injured reserve in December not long after he was removed from the starting lineup. He ultimately made a total of 58 appearances (including 57 starts) with Cleveland in the regular season, adding a pair of games in the playoffs in 2020.

While the Browns have moved on, Schultz adds that multiple teams have shown interest in Wills this offseason. The Alabama product did not develop as hoped during his time in Cleveland, and his best PFF grade came in 2021 (66.1). Run blocking in particular was seen as an issue regarding his yearly evaluations, and an acquiring team will likely see him more as a swing tackle than a full-time starting option at the LT spot. It would come as no surprise if teams waited until Wills receives clearance before a deal is worked out.

With plenty of time remaining until that takes place, the likes of D.J. Humphries – who did not, as it first appeared, sign with the 49ers last month – and George Fant loom as some of the top offensive tackles still on the market. Their health situations should allow them to land a contract no later than training camp in July. For Wills, however, a lengthy recovery period is presumably in store before his next NFL gig is lined up.

Liam Coen: Jaguars Not Looking To Trade RB Travis Etienne

June 2nd, 2025 at 12:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to the draft, Travis Etienne was named as a potential trade candidate in the event Jacksonville selected Ashton Jeanty. Even when that did not take place, Etienne’s future was a talking point.

The new Jaguars regime – led by head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone – was reported last month to be “not so high” on Etienne. The former first-rounder missed his entire rookie season due to injury but handled a heavy workload as Jacksonville’s lead back in 2022 and ’23. The emergence of Tank Bigsby last season led to a reduction in Etienne’s usage, but the latter should not be considered available at this time.

“He’s done a great job,” Coen said when speaking to the media about Etienne (video link). “I don’t really understand some of the stuff I’ve kind of seen out there. That’s absolutely inaccurate.”

A public rejection of the speculation surrounding Etienne’s future obviously does not represent a guarantee he will remain in place for 2025. Coen’s remarks do, however, certainly point toward that being the case. Jacksonville picked up Etienne’s fifth-year option last spring; as a result, the Clemson product is owed $6.14MM this year. As a pending free agent, Etienne’s play under Coen will of course be crucial in determining his market value.

Fumbles emerged as an issue in Bigsby’s case last year, one in which his snap share jumped to 36%. Two more years remain on his rookie contract, so a role of some kind should be expected as the Coen era begins. The Jags’ backfield also includes fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten, and he will aim to carve out a share of the carries in 2025. Improvement on the ground will expected for Jacksonville given Coen’s success in that regard with Tampa Bay last year.

Etienne – who topped 1,400 scrimmage yards in 2022 and again the following year – will aim to return to his previous efficiency as a rusher while remaining a key contributor out of the backfield in 2025. Doing so would help his chances of landing a long-term Jacksonville commitment next spring. While it remains to be seen if that will take place, a trade between now and Week 1 has become even more unlikely.

Jonnu Smith Wants To Remain With Dolphins

June 2nd, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Adam La Rose

Jonnu Smith became the subject of trade talk last week when a report of Steelers interest emerged. While a swap remains something to watch for, the veteran tight end’s preference would be to remain in Miami.

During his usual Sunday WSVN appearance, Smith’s agent Drew Rosenhaus spoke about Smith’s situation. 2024 resulted in a career high across the board for Smith (884 yards, eight touchdowns on 88 receptions). In the wake of that production – the most in a season by any Dolphins tight end – an extension is being sought. One year remains on the Pro Bowler’s current deal.

“Jonnu would definitely like to stay in Miami,” Rosenhaus said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “That’s his first choice. This is where he lives in the offseason… His dream team is the Dolphins. Hopefully, everything works out where he can stay in Miami.”

Smith is currently owed $4.09MM in 2025, but an extension agreement would no doubt include a raise if one were to be worked out. Depending on how negotiations on that front go, however, the possibility of a trade could increase based on interest from outside teams. It came as no surprise when Pittsburgh emerged as a potential landing spot based on the presence of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The two worked together in Tennessee and again in Atlanta, so a Steelers acquisition would mark another reunion between player and coach.

Pittsburgh’s tight end depth chart is already topped by Pat Freiermuth, though, and he is on the books for another four years. Adding Smith via trade (and then, presumably, extending him) could be problematic as a result. It will be interesting to see if other suitors show interest in Smith, 29, as a starting-caliber addition late in the offseason.

In the meantime, Miami has a number of other low-cost tight end options. Pharaoh Brown is a veteran of 87 games, but he has never operated as a focal point in a team’s passing game like Smith did in 2024. The rest of the Dolphins’ TE depth chart consists of Julian Hill, Hayden Rucci and Jalin Conyers; each member of that trio entered the league as an undrafted free agent, meaning expectations will be low for whichever ones wind up earning a roster spot this summer. An opening would be created in the event Smith were to be traded, but his preference would be to avoid such a move.

Saints Hosting DL Jonathan Bullard

June 2nd, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Bullard remains on the free agent market, but that could soon change. The veteran defensive lineman has a visit lined up with the Saints today, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Bullard started his career with the Bears, and during the 2017 and ’18 seasons he spent time with Brandon Staley. The latter is now in place as New Orleans’ defensive coordinator, meaning a Saints agreement would allow for a reunion between the two parties. Bullard had not previously been linked to any suitors this offseason.

The 31-year-old had one-year stints in Arizona, Seattle and Atlanta after his Bears tenure ended. Bullard missed considerable time during his stretches with the Cardinals, Seahawks and Falcons, but he has fared much better on that front over the past three seasons. Each of those have come with the Vikings, the team which has used him at a higher rate than any other during his career. Bullard totaled 38 starts across his time in Minnesota, and he posted 108 tackles and three sacks as a Viking.

Minnesota made a number of moves along both sides of the line of scrimmage this offseason. That effort included a three-year, $51MM investment in defensive tackle Jonathan Allen following his Commanders release. As a result of that move, it comes as little surprise Bullard will not return to the Vikings in 2025. The former third-rounder will nevertheless provide his next team with an experienced option capable of starting.

Bullard played on a series of one-year deals with Minnesota, and like any other free agent still on the market at this point he can be expected to receive another one in 2025. The Saints have a full roster at the moment, but with over $22MM in cap space they could easily afford a modest investment in the Florida product. Depending on how today’s visit fares, an offer could be made in the near future.

Looking Into Patriots’ Options With WR Stefon Diggs

June 1st, 2025 at 10:21pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve seen relative silence from the NFL league office and the Patriots about a video that shows recent free agent signing Stefon Diggs holding what appears to be a pink substance while on a boat with a number of women.

While the time and date of the video are currently unknown and the substance has yet to be identified, Scott Zolak of 98.5 The Sports Hub ventured that the controversial video could lead to the wide receiver’s exit from the team, per Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. Off of this speculation, Mike Florio of NBC Sports reportedly examined Diggs’ contract to see exactly what recourse New England would have if it intended to cut Diggs without absorbing the brunt of the recently signed deal.

Florio posits that the Patriots may have a few avenues that they could address through clauses in his contract. Firstly, any guarantees are contingent on Diggs passing a physical. Considering that Diggs has not been participating in offseason activities because of the torn ACL that ended his 2024 campaign, it stands to reason that he has not been physically cleared yet. If the team physician refuses to clear him, the team could avoid paying a majority of the guarantees in the deal.

Another clause focuses on pre-existing conditions and could help the team to avoid paying $10.6MM of the remaining $12.6MM of guarantees following the first $4MM installation of Diggs’ signing bonus. Either of those two decisions could be challenged with a grievance by Diggs, something the team has seen before when they released Antonio Brown. They had refused to pay Brown $9MM of his signing bonus and ended up settling the grievance with $5MM. Florio suggests that the team could hope for a similar result with Diggs and potentially could avoid paying the majority of the costs in question.

Lastly, Florio points to two areas of the contract that deal with the default language of the contract and a provision stipulating that Diggs would not “participate…in any conduct or activity that is illegal, unlawful, or immoral.” With a league suspension unlikely, it would be hard to prove that Diggs defaulted, and the Patriots would also have to prove what the pink powder is in order to determine if Diggs’ activity was illegal. That doesn’t appear to be likely either.

Ultimately, the team may just dismiss the situation altogether and hold on to their new receiver. If they do decide, though, that they’d like to move on, it appears that there are some avenues New England could explore.

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