Steelers To Add RB Rico Dowdle
Although the Steelers were interested in re-signing Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren will have a new running mate in 2026. Pittsburgh is adding Rico Dowdle, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
This move will reunite Dowdle with new Steelers HC Mike McCarthy. A 2020 UDFA, Dowdle played in McCarthy’s system for his first five seasons. It’s a two-year, $12.25MM deal, Schultz adds.
The former Cowboys rusher spent last season with the Panthers. Dowdle has gained 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons. Gainwell agreed to terms with the Buccaneers earlier today. As this 1-B back carousel spins, Dowdle will go from complementing/usurping Chuba Hubbard to working with Warren in 2026.
Dowdle is going into his age-28 season, but as a former third-stringer behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Dallas, he only has 567 career carries. This is a similar strategy to how Pittsburgh proceeded in 2025, with Gainwell a career Eagles backup. Dowdle has more tread on his tires by comparison, but he is also a much more accomplished back.
Playing on back-to-back one-year contracts, Dowdle has impressed. He replaced Pollard as Dallas’ starter in 2024, rushing for 1,079 yards and then overtook Hubbard — despite Hubbard’s 2024 Panthers extension — and totaled 1,076. Both seasons brought 4.6 yards per carry. Dowdle lost some of his workload back to Hubbard late in the year and was planning to target a team that would give him a regular role. The Steelers have Warren, but Gainwell’s season showed an opening exists for carries.
The Steelers voted Gainwell team MVP after he amassed 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Gainwell is a year younger than Dowdle and has only 394 carries, but the Bucs will go with him to complement Bucky Irving. Rachaad White is a free agent.
Pittsburgh used a third-round pick on Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson last year. It would stand to reason Johnson will have a chance at a bigger role, but then again, a new coaching staff has arrived and McCarthy’s most recent RB1 is coming to town. Dowdle will give the Steelers a proven option, representing a late-blooming back after tallying just seven carries over his first three seasons.
Jets To Sign S Dane Belton
Giants safety defections in free agency have become commonplace, and with a new coaching staff now in place, another exit is on tap. But Dane Belton will not need to relocate. The Jets are picking up the fifth-year player, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
It’s a one-year, $4MM deal with a max of $6MM. The former fourth-round pick will follow Julian Love, Xavier McKinney and Jason Pinnock in leaving Big Blue’s safety corps over the past three offseasons.
Belton, 25, carved out a consistent rotational role in the Giants defense in his first two seasons and took on more playing time towards the end of his third year. That would have set him up for a full-time starting role in 2025, but Jevon Holland‘s arrival in free agency pre-empted that. Belton still appeared in every game with a strong 63% snap share and nine starts with both Holland and Tyler Nubin missing time due to injury.
Both veterans are remaining in New York under John Harbaugh, so Belton will switch locker rooms at the Meadowlands, likely to serve as the Jets. No. 3 safety. Minkah Fitzpatrick will take on a starting role after arriving via trade from Miami, and 2025 fourth-rounder Malachi Moore will likely start alongside him after an impressive rookie campaign. All three can line up as a free safety, man the slot, or play down in the box, giving Aaron Glenn and new defensive coordinator Brian Duker plenty of ways to configure their 2026 secondary.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this story.
Cardinals To Sign WR Kendrick Bourne
The Cardinals are making another addition in free agency. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is headed to Arizona on a two-year, $11.47MM deal, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, with an additional $5MM available in incentives.
Bourne, 30, appeared in 16 games for the 49ers in 2025, his second stint in San Francisco. He filled key snaps in the receiver rotation during the team’s injuries at the position and finished the year with 37 catches for 551 yards. Those numbers represented somewhat of a bounce-back for Bourne after three straight seasons in New England with fewer than 450 receiving yards.
The 49ers were interested in retaining Bourne with the Dolphins also competing for his signature, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Instead, he will land in Arizona under new head coach Mike LaFleur, where he will be catching passes from Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew. Bourne will join a young Cardinals wide receiver room headlined by 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison, who has disappointed in his first two years in the NFL, and Michael Wilson, who put forth a surprising 1,006-yard campaign in 2025.
Bourne’s experience will round out that group. The nine-year veteran first joined the 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington in 2017. He carved out a consistent role in the next four years and signed with the Patriots in 2021. After a 800-yard debut in New England, Bourne’s numbers decreased in his next three seasons, leading to his release last offseason. A reunion with the 49ers helped Bourne revive his value, and he will now remain in the NFC West to play his former team twice a year.
Braxton Jones To Re-Sign With Bears
With Ozzy Trapilo expected to miss much of the 2025 season, the Bears are pivoting to their former starter. Braxton Jones is staying in Chicago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
The parties are in agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $10MM. Despite Jones losing his LT job in a contract year, he will give it another go as a Bear.
Involved in a three-man competition with Trapilo and Theo Benedet in training camp last year, Jones held off the younger blockers to keep his job. But he did not make it through the season in the role. The former fifth-round Bears find lost his job to Benedet in early October, and trade rumors followed Jones in the ensuing weeks. An IR placement, due to a knee injury, ended any trade talk.
Chicago used an IR activation on Jones but did not have the four-year vet active for its divisional-round game, further pointing to a 2026 separation. The Bears kicked Joe Thuney to LT, following the Chiefs’ lead, and used Jordan McFadden at guard against the Rams following Trapilo’s wild-card setback. But Jones will have another chance with Ben Johnson‘s coaching staff soon.
From 2022-24, Jones worked as Chicago’s full-time left tackle. The Southern Utah product started 40 games during those three seasons, holding the job throughout Matt Eberflus‘ time at the helm. Pro Football Focus graded the Division I-FCS product as a top-25 tackle in both 2022 and ’24, assigning him a top-35 placement in 2023. As the Bears changed systems in 2025, PFF viewed Jones — who did not qualify as a regular due to limited playing time — outside the top 70.
A 2025 second-round pick, Trapilo suffered a patellar tendon tear and is expected to be out for most of the season. Benedet is still under contract. The Bears may be prepared to hold a two-man competition for the Week 1 gig, though Benedet logged more starts (eight) than Jones under Johnson last season. The Bears have been dealt multiple unexpected blows in 2026, with Drew Dalman‘s retirement at 27 following the Trapilo news. Chicago traded for Garrett Bradbury to replace Dalman.
Raiders To Re-Sign DL Malcolm Koonce
Malcolm Koonce is sticking in Las Vegas. The free agent defensive end is re-signing with the Raiders, according to Josina Anderson.
The 2021 third-round pick is signing a new one-year contract, per Anderson. The deal is worth $11MM.
Koonce is inking a one-year deal for the second-straight offseason. Last year, he re-upped with the Raiders on a $12MM contract. After missing the entire 2024 season thanks to a knee injury, he bounced back in 2025 with 30 tackles and 4.5 sacks. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him 83rd among 119 qualifying edge defenders.
Koonce graded much better during his last healthy season in 2023. That breakout campaign saw the pass rusher compile eight sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 17 QB hits, earning him a 22nd-place showing by PFF. He had a standout performance during a Week 16 win over the Chiefs, when he tallied eight pressures and three sacks on Patrick Mahomes.
The Raiders have been busy adding to their defense today, signing the likes of Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Kwity Paye. Still, with the departure of pass rusher Maxx Crosby, Koonce could once again find himself playing a significant role on the Raiders defense in 2026.
Browns To Add LB Quincy Williams
Quincy Williams will not land with Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich. Instead, the former Jets All-Pro linebacker is bound for Cleveland.
The veteran is joining the Browns on a two-year deal worth up to $17MM, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets. Williams is reuniting with one of Cleveland’s staffers, however, with new Browns DC Mike Rutenberg being the Jets’ linebackers coach from 2021-24.
Although the current Jets regime has largely dismantled that defensive core, the Saleh-Ulbrich-Rutenberg trio powered a top-five unit in back-to-back years. Williams was at his best in those seasons, earning first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2023.
The Jets had re-signed Williams on a three-year, $18MM, but the Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey regime then inked less accomplished holdover Jamien Sherwood to a three-year, $45MM pact. Williams played out his deal last season, being mentioned in trade rumors. A Cowboys trade along with brother Quinnen nearly went down, but the Jets instead retained the older Williams brother to finish out a dreadful 2025 slate.
Williams saw his playing time decrease under Glenn, and it was not believed to be a cozy partnership. But the speedy linebacker excelled under Rutenberg. Grading Williams 77th overall among off-ball LBs in 2025, Pro Football Focus slotted him ninth during the ’23 season — when the Jets ranked third in total defense. New York ranked fourth in scoring and yardage in 2022, with Williams and C.J. Mosley manning the LB spots under Rutenberg.
Formerly a waiver claim after the then-Urban Meyer-led Jaguars cut bait, Williams has four 100-tackle seasons and has been effective as a blitzer (12.5 career sacks). He is heading into an age-30 season. Quite productive in 2025 under Jim Schwartz, Bush joined the Bears on a three-year, $30MM deal earlier today. Williams will play alongside Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, with Rutenberg giving him a chance to bounce back after a down 2025.
Texans To Sign S Reed Blankenship
The Eagles are losing yet another defensive free agent. This time it’s safety Reed Blankenship, who is signing with the Texans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Blakenship is signing a three-year deal with Houston, per Schefter. The contract is worth $24.75MM.
The safety was a key find by the Eagles front office, as Blankenship joined the Eagles as a UDFA out of Middle Tennessee in 2022. He emerged as a starter during his sophomore campaign and proceeded to spend the next three years in Philly’s lineup. He had a standout campaign in 2023, finishing with 113 tackles and three interceptions, and he added another four picks during the team’s Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2024. That year, he was part of a defense that allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFL (174.2).
He started all 16 of his appearances this past season, finishing with 83 stops and one interception. After grading out as at least a top-30 safety through his first three NFL seasons, Pro Football Focus ranked him 89th among 91 qualifiers this past year. That grade was entirely brought down by his coverage score, although he graded much better as a run stopper.
While Calen Bullock was a mainstay in the lineup in 2025, the Texans shuffled through their other safeties, with all of M.J. Stewart, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jaylen Reed, and K’Von Wallace getting into at least one game where they appeared in 90-plus percent of Houston’s defensive snaps. Blankenship will provide some stability to that unit, where he’ll likely slide next to Bullock in the starting lineup. This move also allows Jalen Pitre, who got in 51 snaps at the position last season, to play as the full-time slot CB.
Meanwhile, the Eagles continue to endure some key subtractions from their defense. Fellow starters Jaelan Phillips (Panthers) and Nakobe Dean (Raiders) have also departed Philly via free agency today.
Cardinals To Sign DT Roy Lopez
Following a one-season stop in Detroit, Roy Lopez is heading back to Arizona. The Cardinals have agreed to a contract with the free agent defensive tackle, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It will be a two-year deal for Lopez, according to Rapoport. The contract is worth $11.5MM, including $7MM guaranteed.
Lopez inked a one-year, $4.65MM deal with the Lions last offseason. While he didn’t start any of his 17 games, he still got into about 40 percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps. The 28-year-old ended up finishing the season with 30 tackles and two sacks, with Pro Football Focus grading him 33rd among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
After spending two seasons in Houston to begin his career, Lopez spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Arizona. After starting five of his 14 appearances during his first year with the organization, he started all 16 of his games in 2024. He ended up finishing his first Cardinals stint with 70 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Now, Lopez is back in Arizona, where he should play a significant role on the Cardinals defensive line. The team already moved on from Dalvin Tomlinson, who accounted for 555 snaps in Arizona last season. Lopez will likely soak up those snaps while joining Dante Stills and Darius Robinson as the team’s DT trio.
Cardinals To Sign G Isaac Seumalo
It’s uncertain who will be under center for the Cardinals to begin the 2026 campaign, but the team is adding some certainty on the offensive line. The team has agreed to a deal with free agent guard Isaac Seumalo, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s a three-year, $31.5MM deal for the recent Steelers starter, per Rapoport.
A 2016 third-round pick, Seumalo had a long stint in Philly to begin his career. The lineman spent seven seasons with the Eagles, although much of his tenure was highlighted by injury. He was limited to only 12 combined appearances between 2020 and 2021, but he did rebound with a 17-game showing in 2022.
He ended up parlaying that performance into a three-year, $24MM deal with the Steelers in 2023, and he remained relatively healthy during his tenure with the team. Seumalo missed only seven regular season games across his three campaigns in Pittsburgh, and he earned a Pro Bow nod during his second year with the organization. He continued his production in 2025, with Pro Football Focus grading him 16th among 79 qualifying guards.
Now, he’ll be taking his talents to Arizona. Evan Brown seems to have a firm hold on the LG gig in Arizona, meaning Seumalo will likely bump Isaiah Adams out of the RG job. However, the Cardinals offensive line remains in flux. Tackles Jonah Williams and Kelvin Beachum are free agents, as is oft-injured guard Will Hernandez.
Cardinals To Re-Sign DL L.J. Collier
L.J. Collier is once again re-signing with the Cardinals. The defensive lineman is signing a new one-year deal with Arizona, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
This is the fourth-straight offseason that Collier is inking a one-year deal with the Cardinals. This newest pact will pay the veteran $2.5MM, per Fowler.
A former first-round pick by the Seahawks, Collier only lasted four seasons in Seattle. He spent only one of those campaigns as a full-time starter, and he finished that 2020 campaign with 22 stops and three sacks. Otherwise, Collier didn’t start any of his other 29 appearances with the organization.
He joined the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 campaign but was limited to a single game after suffering a season-ending biceps injury in Week 1. He returned in 2024 and had his most productive NFL season, finishing with 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games (15 starts). After re-signing with the Cardinals last offseason, Collier suffered a knee injury in Week 2. He returned towards the end of the regular season and ultimately finished the campaign with only four appearances.
The Cardinals will surely be hoping for improved health from the defensive lineman in 2026. Fellow defensive lineman Calais Campbell is also a free agent, so perhaps Collier could be in line for more work depending on the outcome of free agency.