Raiders Warming To Prospect Of Maxx Crosby Trade?
John Spytek said at the Combine he envisioned Maxx Crosby being a Raider in 2026, but the second-year GM planned to listen to offers. With a Crosby trade being a clear gateway to accelerating a Raiders rebuild before this year’s draft, the team may be warming to the prospect of moving on.
Teams in the trade market are now under the impression the Raiders are more open to trading the All-Pro edge rusher, insider Jordan Schultz notes. The Bears, Cowboys, Patriots and Seahawks have been mentioned as prospective suitors. Crosby has naturally drawn widespread interest, with a sizable chunk of the NFL checking in after his late-season IR placement began a spiral that has led to this point.
The Raiders are believed to have set a high asking price — perhaps as much as two first-rounders and a player — for the 28-year-old star rusher. Teams around the league have viewed the AFC West team’s ask as exorbitant, but with a bidding war perhaps unfolding, Spytek may be able to keep his price point around the Micah Parsons/Khalil Mack level.
As covered in our Raiders Offseason Outlook piece, Crosby’s 2025 Raiders extension represents a wrinkle in this process. The tackle-for-loss maven is signed through 2029 on a $35.5MM-per-year contract. Generally, blockbuster pass rusher trades come to pass because of contract squabbles. That was the case with Parsons and Mack, with many others in recent NFL history falling into that category as well.
Crosby being prepared to play on his current contract gives an acquiring team an advantage, as that deal — tops among edge rushers when signed last March — is now sixth in terms of AAV at the position. While Mark Davis has slammed the door on Crosby trade interest in the past, we may see a swap soon.
If the Raiders hang onto Crosby past the draft, a deal would not necessarily be dead. The Parsons and Mack swaps were executed just before the season, but the Raiders would be acquiring 2027 draft capital instead of being able to surround likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza with more help this year.
With the team missing the past four playoff brackets since Crosby’s first extension, cashing out now is a logical move. Although a few talented edge rushers are set to hit free agency, none would stand to make the kind of impact Crosby would. The next few days will be interesting on this market, as the Raiders will surely have a handful of offers by free agency.
Rams Want To Re-Sign Jimmy Garoppolo; Cardinals Still On Radar
After two years as Matthew Stafford‘s backup, Jimmy Garoppolo may be in store for a raise — as a potential return to the starter level awaits. But his current team is interested in another deal.
The Rams have had Garoppolo on $3.18MM and $3.1MM contracts over the past two years. This came after the Raiders ditched the veteran’s three-year, $72.75MM deal after one season. If a starting job could be open elsewhere, it would stand to reason Garoppolo would be leaving L.A. But the Rams want to keep him.
[RELATED: Rams To Acquire CB Trent McDuffie From Chiefs]
“I love Jimmy; I would absolutely want him back,” Sean McVay said. “I did see those reports too on Mike [LaFleur] trying to steal our guy, but no, Jimmy’s a really good player and so we would love him back.
“I’m sure he’ll have multiple opportunities and then we’ll see where we’re at. You guys know how I feel about him when we’ve spoken about him and we would love him back. I’m also not naive to the fact that he’ll probably have a lot of opportunities and if those are things that he wants to pursue that give him a chance to play, I would understand that.”
A Garoppolo-Cardinals connection emerged recently, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds Arizona is still believed to be interested. In that scenario, Garoppolo would be following LaFleur to Arizona. LaFleur spent the past two seasons coaching Garoppolo with the Rams. The Dolphins have also emerged as a potential suitor, as their upcoming Tua Tagovailoa release — which will bring a record-smashing $99.2MM in dead money spread over two years (in the expected post-June 1 scenario) — will hamstring the AFC East club.
Garoppolo, 34, was tied to a five-year, $137.5MM 49ers contract — a record at the time of signing (February 2018) — and he reunited with Josh McDaniels in Vegas. Garoppolo’s rough 2023 Raiders stay banished him to the QB2 level, but with a number of vacancies opening up this offseason, there appears to be an appetite for another opportunity — most likely as a bridge option.
The Rams are unlikely to pay Garoppolo too much more than they gave him in 2024 or ’25; in the event multiple other teams get involved, L.A. would presumably need a new backup. McVay helped Baker Mayfield rehab his career during a 2022 partnership, and the Rams moved to Carson Wentz in ’23. Stafford stayed healthy throughout this season, but the reigning MVP has played through injuries during much of his career. Garoppolo represents a much bigger risk, as the Cardinals or Dolphins would need to have a capable backup due to the former 49ers and Raiders starter’s 32 missed games due to injury from 2018-22. But he may have another shot to start somewhere again soon.
Broncos Plan To Retain G Ben Powers; DL John Franklin-Myers Expected To Depart
Today’s Broncos agreement to extend Alex Palczewski will not put him on a path to becoming the team’s new left guard starter, after all. Ben Powers, mentioned as a trade candidate for weeks, is now expected to stay in Denver.
The Broncos are not planning to trade or release Powers, per 9News’ Mike Klis; the team will also not ask the eighth-year guard for a pay cut. This places Powers on track to earn $11.99MM in base salary this season — the final year of his contract. More notably, this will give the Broncos an offensive line featuring five players earning at least $12MM per year.
[RELATED: Looking Into Broncos’ Offseason Outlook]
Denver extended left tackle Garett Bolles (four years, $80MM) and right guard Quinn Meinerz (four years, $72MM) in 2024, doing so before re-upping center Luke Wattenberg (4/48) in November 2025. Powers, however, started Sean Payton‘s O-line overhaul, signing a four-year deal worth $52MM early during the 2023 legal tampering period. RT Mike McGlinchey soon signed a five-year, $87.5MM pact. Powers, who is tied to a $18.16MM 2026 cap number, is the only player Denver starting blocker unsigned for 2027. McGlinchey, Meinerz and Powers sit as the Broncos’ top three cap hits.
Palczewski is now locked in through the ’27 season, perhaps giving the Broncos an heir apparent at LG. The former UDFA looks to reprise his role as the Broncos’ swingman/sixth O-lineman in 2026. Powers, 29, has operated as Denver’s left guard starter throughout his tenure. A biceps injury, however, sidelined the ex-Raven for nine games last season. In 2024, however, Powers led all interior O-lineman in run block win rate.
The 2026 season also represents a new chapter for the Broncos, as it is a gap year of sorts between the Russell Wilson dead money period and Bo Nix‘s extension eligibility. Nix cannot sign an extension until 2027, giving the Broncos a chance to bolster their team around a rookie deal this year. It looks like part of that effort will be retaining all five pricey O-line starters; Pro Football Focus ranked Denver’s front first overall last season.
While Powers is due back, the Broncos are expected to lose John Franklin-Myers. Set to test free agency Monday, Franklin-Myers has not engaged in offseason talks with the Broncos, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. This situation has been headed this way for a while, as Franklin-Myers — despite expressing interest in staying — has long been expected to leave. This year’s market places the veteran D-lineman in commanding position to score a monster raise.
Placed sixth on PFR’s top 50 free agents list, Franklin-Myers is viewed as by far the best interior D-lineman set to be available Monday. Sent to Denver in a Jets salary dump during the 2024 draft, Franklin-Myers (29) combined for 14.5 sacks as a full-time starter as a 3-4 D-end for the Broncos — who formed two top-three defenses during the supporting-caster’s two seasons. Franklin-Myers, who had been tied to a four-year Jets deal worth $55MM prior to the April 2024 trade, is seeking a three- or four-year contract, per Tomasson.
Bears To Release LB Tremaine Edmunds
Although a report indicated Tremaine Edmunds was drawing trade interest, the Bears will not end up unloading this contract as they will D.J. Moore‘s. Chicago will release Edmunds, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The Bears will save $15MM by making this move. Between the Moore trade and Drew Dalman‘s retirement, the Bears will create (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates) around $44MM in cap space. Of course, Chicago now needs a center. While Dalman’s retirement was stunning, the Bears looked set to move on from Edmunds for a bit now.
[RELATED: Examining Bears’ Offseason Blueprint]
Granted permission to seek a trade during the Combine, Edmunds will instead be moved off his lucrative contract. The Bears gave the former Bills first-round linebacker a four-year, $72MM deal that included a whopping $41.8MM guaranteed at signing in 2023. One of that year’s top free agents, Edmunds has been a key piece for Chicago’s defense over the past three years. But the Bears, who extended LB T.J. Edwards in 2025, will ditch this big-ticket deal and devote money elsewhere.
Edmunds was set to earn $13.9MM in base salary during the final year of his contract, with a cap number coming in at $17.5MM. The Bears decided they no longer wanted to carry that deal, one authorized before Ben Johnson‘s arrival. The Bears have used the Edmunds-Edwards tandem at linebacker for three seasons, but the team will need a replacement to play alongside the former Super Bowl starter next season.
Pro Football Focus graded Edmunds 35th overall among off-ball LBs in 2025; that came after two assessments outside the top 50. Edmunds, though, tallied 112 tackles despite missing four games. Only three of those were for loss, with the eight-year vet combining for just six TFLs over the past two seasons.
Although the coming season will be Year 9 for Edmunds, he is only 28. He played the 2018 campaign at age 20, being a full-season starter for the Bills. While Devin Lloyd is unlikely to be knocked off his perch as the top ILB available this offseason, Edmunds should still fare reasonably well on the open market. An $18MM-per-year windfall will not recur, but interest will emerge. Edmunds, 28 in May, does not need to wait until free agency opens Monday; since the Bears cut him, he passes straight to the market and can sign with another team immediately. The Bears did him a solid in that regard.
Entering the week over the cap, Chicago is expected (per OverTheCap) hold around $33MM in available funds soon. The Bears are set to save $10MM in 2026 cap space because of Dalman’s retirement, OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald adds. Chicago will be hit with a $4MM dead money charge due to the proration of Dalman’s $6MM signing bonus. The Bears could, however, aim to recoup that remaining $4MM of Dalman’s signing bonus. The team will hold the 2025 UFA signee’s rights in the event he comes out of retirement.
Bills Inquired On Eagles’ A.J. Brown; Patriots, Ravens In Play For WR?
Days before free agency’s outset, the Bills made an early strike by agreeing to acquire D.J. Moore from the Bears. This move cost a second-round pick , but it secured them a talented wide receiver — a former Joe Brady Panthers pupil — who is signed through 2029. Buffalo may not be done at the need area.
Before acquiring Moore, the Bills asked about a bigger fish. They are believed to have checked in with the Eagles on A.J. Brown, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Philly is eyeing a Quinnen Williams-type trade package, which would feature a first-rounder and a second — with the first potentially coming in 2027.
As Connor Byrne’s Eagles Offseason Outlook noted, the team owes Brown a $4MM 2027 guarantee on March 13. Moving on before that date would make the six-time 1,000-yard receiver responsible for that guarantee. While a $4MM number may not represent a good enough reason for the Eagles to make a hasty decision with their No. 1 receiver, plenty of smoke has emerged regarding a Brown relocation.
The Patriots and Ravens are viewed as the most likely destination for Brown, according to McLane, who adds the Eagles do not appear to be planning to trade their top pass catcher to an NFC team. It would be historically punitive for Philly to move on from Brown before June 1; that explains why the team is asking for a monster trade package — even when teams may be viewing the eighth-year WR to be worth a second-rounder-centered offer. With Moore going for what he did after a 682-yard season, Howie Roseman is unlikely to move off his asking price.
If Brown is still an Eagle next season, he will count an affordable $23.39MM against their salary cap. On the other hand, trading Brown before June 1 would level the Eagles with a 43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for his position. They would also lose $20.12MM in spending room.
The Eagles filled Brown’s contract with option bonuses, keeping cap hits low but increasing the damage in a trade this early in a through-2029 contract. An acquiring team would owe Brown $29MM guaranteed for 2026 and be responsible for the $4MM 2027 guarantee. That seems reasonable for a player of Brown’s abilities, even though the ex-Titans draftee has proven to be a high-maintenance weapon.
This marks the first Ravens-Brown connection. The team is not known for such splashy moves, and it has Zay Flowers contracted for two more years — once his fifth-year option is exercised. Baltimore also extended Rashod Bateman last year, giving him a three-year deal worth $36.75MM.
Flowers is also extension-eligible. Although the Ravens can backload a deal for the 2023 first-rounder, they also have a quarterback on a big-ticket contract to go with eight-figure AAVs at running back and tight end. The Ravens, as PFR’s Nikhil Mehta noted in his Offseason Outlook, will try to extend Lamar Jackson this year. A restructure would need to take place otherwise, as Jackson is due to count an untenable $74.5MM on the 2026 cap.
The Patriots do not have these issues. After the news of Stefon Diggs‘ impending release, the defending AFC champions no longer have a notable contract at receiver. Hunter Henry is signed to a team-friendly TE deal, while Rhamondre Stevenson is also south of $10MM per year.
Most importantly, the Pats have Drake Maye at a rookie rate. That will likely change in 2027, but such a deal can/will be backloaded. That opens the door for some spending, and the Diggs exit creates a major need. While a report indicated the Patriots may be unlikely to pursue big trades, that surfaced before the Diggs cut. Brown also spent three seasons playing for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.
As for the Bills, Moore will join Khalil Shakir as Josh Allen‘s lead receivers. Buffalo may not be done, with Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline noting the team plans to add another WR piece via free agency or the draft. The Bills are presently $31MM-plus over the cap, with restructures coming soon to reach compliance. The Moore contract will make matters a bit tight for the AFC East power to keep adding, but Pauline adds Romeo Doubs has been mentioned as a player the Bills are expected to target.
Ranked 11th among PFR’s top 50 free agents, Doubs brings an age advantage on fellow FA wideouts Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans. While Alec Pierce will be the market’s top receiver, Doubs (26 in April) should do well next week. The four-year Packer has three 600-plus-yard seasons on his resume, including a career-high 724 (on 13.2 yards per catch) in 2025. The Bills will not be alone in pursuing the 204-pound WR.
Rams To Re-Sign TE Tyler Higbee
No tight end has more receiving yards as a Ram than Tyler Higbee, and the 10-year contributor will have a chance to create more distance between himself and the field.
The Rams are re-signing Higbee, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. The sides agreed to a two-year, $8MM deal to keep Higbee off the free agent market (the $8MM represents a max value, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Sean McVay said Tuesday the Rams were interested in retaining Higbee. This will be the veteran’s fourth Rams contract.
As Los Angeles leaned into three-tight end packages extensively — after years as primarily a three-wideout offense — last season, Higbee played a key role along with Colby Parkinson and rookie Terrance Ferguson. Higbee missed seven games last season, which came after a near-season-long 2024 absence. But the Rams will sign up for another go-round with the former fourth-round pick — chosen a year before McVay’s L.A. arrival.
Suffering an ACL tear in the Rams’ wild-card loss to the Lions in 2023, Higbee missed 14 games in 2024. He then went down with an ankle injury last November. The Rams saved an IR activation for their long-tenured tight end, activating him for Week 18. Higbee played in all three Rams playoff games, totaling four receptions for 84 yards. In the 2025 regular season, Higbee caught 25 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns from MVP Matthew Stafford.
Formerly pairing with second-round Rams draftee Gerald Everett, Higbee became the team’s preferred long-term tight end. The Rams extended Higbee in 2019, giving him a four-year deal worth $29MM. The parties huddled up for a third contract (two years, $17MM) in September 2023. Higbee’s fourth contract comes in well south of these agreements, but injuries have kept him off the field for much of the past two seasons. The Western Kentucky product also turned 33 in January, limiting his market value.
This franchise has employed superstar wide receivers. As Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Henry Ellard, Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch shined in Los Angeles and St. Louis, the tight end position has been overlooked here for ages. Higbee ranks 14th in Rams history in receiving (3,949 yards). That is nearly 2,000 more than any other pure TE in franchise history. With Rob Havenstein now retired, Higbee also will enter the 2026 season as the longest-tenured player on the Rams’ roster.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/5/26
Here are today’s RFA and ERFA tender calls:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Cardinals: RB Emari Demercado
- Falcons: DL Sam Roberts
- Jets: WR John Metchie
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Buccaneers: LS Evan Deckers
- Cowboys: CB Josh Butler
- Jets: DT Jowon Briggs, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- Raiders: S Tristin McCollum, C Will Putnam, DE Charles Snowden
- Titans: G Garrett Dellinger, DL C.J. Ravenell
Broncos To Re-Sign OL Alex Palczewski
7:04pm: Palczewski’s two-year deal is worth $9.5MM, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. Of that total, $5.6MM is guaranteed. The contract can max out at $11MM.
1:38pm: The Broncos are expected to re-sign offensive lineman Alex Palczewski, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 26-year-old was set to be a restricted free agent but will instead stay in Denver on a two-year deal.
Palczewski signed with the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in 2023 but missed the entire season due to injury. He made the 53-man roster in 2024 and took over at right tackle after an early-season injury to starter Mike McGlinchey. A high ankle sprain put Palczewski on the shelf for three games, and he only played 16 snaps on offense for the rest of the year.
In 2025, he emerged as a key piece of Denver’s offensive line after starting left guard Ben Powers landed on injured reserve due to a biceps injury. Palczewski logged 10 starts (Weeks 7-17), though he only received a 53.8 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and Powers took back over at left guard after he came off IR at the end of the regular season.
Details of Palczewski’s deal are unknown, but it will likely land somewhere between the second-round and right-of-first-refusal RFA tags, valued at $6.26MM and $3.82MM, respectively (via OverTheCap). That could be a bargain if he takes over a starting job in 2026, a distinct possibility considering Powers’ contract situation.
Powers is owed $13MM in non-guaranteed compensation this year with Denver’s third-largest cap hit at $18.15MM. A pre-June 1 cut would yield $8.38MM in savings with $9.78MM in dead money, while a post-June 1 cut would change those numbers to $12.73MM and $5.43MM with the rest of the dead money pushed to 2027. Powers has been mentioned as a trade candidate on multiple occasions.
The Broncos currently have a little over $25MM in cap space, so they do not need to release Powers before the new league year. That would give them time to explore his trade value after starting 52 games in the last five seasons. They could also elect to designate him as a post-June 1 cut for maximum 2026 savings. It would not kick in until after June 1, and the Broncos would have to carry Powers’ cap hit in the meantime, but they can afford to do so. They can then use the extra money to sign their rookie class and fill any remaining roster needs with summer signings.
However, re-signing Palczewski does not necessarily mean that the Broncos are looking to move on from Powers. Depth at offensive line is key, especially players who are able to back up multiple spots.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/5/26
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: DT Perrion Winfrey
New England Patriots
- Signed to reserve/futures deal: OLB Jesse Luketa
New York Giants
- Re-signed: WR Gunner Olszewski
New York Jets
- Re-signed: TE Jelani Woods
Olszewski is coming back to the Giants even after their coaching staff and front office changes. Olszewski, 29, has spent the past three years with New York, serving as the team’s primary kick returner in 2025. A 2020 All-Pro returner as a Patriot, Olszewski also caught a career-high 10 passes for 145 yards last season.
Woods reunites with Jets OC Frank Reich, the Colts’ head coach when the tight end was drafted in the 2022 third round. Woods never played a down for Shane Steichen, missing all of the 2023 and ’24 seasons. The Colts waived the Virginia alum in August 2025, leading him to the Jets’ practice squad.
Colts Shopping LB Zaire Franklin
Linebacker Zaire Franklin‘s eighth year in a Colts uniform may have been his last. In an effort to get under the salary cap, the Colts are discussing a Franklin trade with other teams, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Factoring in the $37.83MM transition tag for quarterback Daniel Jones, the Colts are approximately $4.72MM over the cap. They are also trying to re-sign wide receiver Alec Pierce, though he plans to test the free agent market. As PFR’s second-ranked free agent-to-be, Pierce may price himself out of Indianapolis on a mega-deal.
The possibility of the Colts moving on from Franklin first came up last week. General manager Chris Ballard was complimentary toward Franklin, but he was also noncommittal on the soon-to-be 30-year-old’s future. Ballard gave Franklin a three-year, $31.26MM extension back in March 2024. He still has two years’ control left as a result. Trading or releasing Franklin before June 1 would save the Colts $5.76MM in cap space at the cost of $2.5MM in dead money.
Franklin’s career began when the Colts chose him in the seventh round out of Syracuse in 2018. After mostly serving as a special teamer in his first three seasons, he took over as a regular starter in 2021. Franklin has missed just one game since then. He amassed over 170 tackles in each season from 2022-24. During a career year in 2024, Franklin posted 173 tackles, 11 TFL, and personal bests in sacks (3.5) and interceptions (two).
Franklin earned Pro Bowl honors and a second-team All-Pro selection for his efforts two years ago, but he was not as effective last season. He put up 125 tackles, seven TFL and two sacks. Pro Football Focus ranked Franklin 87th among 88 qualifying linebackers. Primary running mate Germaine Pratt, now a pending free agent, checked in at No. 41. Both players could soon be on their way out of Indianapolis, which would set up an overhaul at linebacker.
At least one of the Giants or Jets will be involved in trade talks for Franklin, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post contends. The Giants may pursue Franklin to replace the released Bobby Okereke. The Jets, who are transitioning to a 3-4 base defense, need another inside linebacker to pair with Jamien Sherwood. Franklin could fit the bill.