Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/26
Today’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Segun Olubi
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Niko Lalos
Tennessee Titans
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Bryce Oliver
Seahawks RB George Holani Signs ERFA Tender
As expected, George Holani will be back in Seattle next season. The team announced that the running back has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender.
The move locks Holani into a non-guaranteed $1.075MM base salary for the 2026 campaign. The Seahawks placed the ERFA tender on the RB earlier this month.
Holani quickly caught on with the Seahawks after going undrafted out of Boise State in 2024. He spent the majority of his rookie campaign on Seattle’s practice squad. He made appearances in five regular season games for the Seahawks, with 36 of his 41 snaps coming on special teams.
He took on a somewhat larger role in 2025, serving as the team’s third running back behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The majority of the player’s production continued to come on special teams. He finished the year with 16 kick returns for 387 yards, and he also scored a touchdown while recovering Seattle’s own kickoff in Week 2.
Offensively, Holani got 24 touches, which he turned into 88 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. The second-year player also got an extended look in the playoffs after Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL. Holani ultimately got another nine touches in the postseason, compiling 44 yards.
The 26-year-old could be in line to take another step forward in 2026. Walker left for the Chiefs via free agency, and Charbonnet’s season debut will surely be delayed as he works his way back from the knee injury. The Seahawks did add former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson for depth, and the likes of Cam Akers, Kenny McIntosh, Velus Jones, and Jacardia Wright are on the offseason roster. Considering Holani’s familiarity with the organization, he’ll be given every chance for reps heading into the 2026 campaign.
Cardinals Sign DL Andrew Billings
The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defensive line this offseason, and they’re apparently not done. According to Darren Urban of the team website, the team is signing defensive lineman Andrew Billings.
It will be a one-year deal for the veteran. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported earlier today that Billings was visiting the Cardinals.
The veteran is coming off a three-year stint with the Bears, where he started 39 of his 42 appearances. A torn pectoral muscle limited him to only eight appearances in 2024, but he rebounded with a 17-game showing (14 starts) in 2025.
He finished this past year with 31 stops and one sack while getting into just about half of Chicago’s defensive snaps. While his health was a positive, his play left some to be desired. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 121st among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The site rates his last notable season as 2022, when he finished 16th among 127 qualifiers. During that one-year stop with the Raiders, Billings compiled 39 tackles and one sack. The 2016 fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bengals, where he collected 3.5 sacks in 47 games.
The Cardinals have made several notable additions to their defensive line over the past week, including Roy Lopez, L.J. Collier, and Jonah Williams. Lopez is likely penciled in for the nose tackle role in the middle of the defensive line, but Billings will help soak up some extra snaps at the position.
Cardinals To Sign LB Jack Gibbens
TODAY, 5:55pm: The Cardinals are signing Gibbens, the team announced. It will be a two-year pact for the linebacker.
SUNDAY, 8:35am: The Patriots declined to tender restricted free agent linebacker Jack Gibbens a contract earlier this week, sending him to the open market for the second straight offseason. Gibbens’ next stop could be Arizona, which will host the four-year veteran during the upcoming week, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Although Gibbens primarily worked as a starter with the Titans from 2022-24, they passed on tendering him last March. The former UDFA from Minnesota then reunited in New England with Mike Vrabel, Gibbens’ coach in Tennessee during his first two seasons.
The low-cost Gibbens pickup proved worthwhile for the Patriots, who added a solid contributor in multiple phases. Playing the first 17-game regular season of his career, Gibbens amassed 772 snaps (491 on defense, 281 on special teams) and recorded 81 tackles, eight TFL, four passes defensed, a sack and a forced fumble.
As an eight-game starter for the AFC champions, Gibbens ranked a respectable 41st among Pro Football Focus’ 88 qualified linebackers. PFF has typically given Gibbens favorable marks. The site placed him 30th among 82 qualifiers during a 13-start 2023. Gibbens then received a top-10 grade among inside linebackers in 2024, though an ankle injury limited him to 10 games.
Arizona opened up a spot at linebacker when it released Akeem Davis-Gaither before free agency began. The Cardinals relied heavily on Davis-Gaither during a 17-game, 13-start 2025, but they have not addressed the area since his exit. Gibbens would give the Cardinals another option to join Mack Wilson and 2025 fourth-rounder Cody Simon.
Broncos Eyeing Tight End Depth?
At the moment, the Broncos are set to return much of their same offensive skill players from 2025. However, if the front office has its way, that grouping will ultimately feature some new faces.
[RELATED: Broncos, TE Adam Trautman Agree To Deal]
According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the Broncos may not “done yet” at the tight end position. The reporter adds that the team did have interest in Dallas Goedert before he re-upped with the Eagles. Breer also notes that David Njoku remains unsigned, although the reporter doesn’t go as far as to report any definitive interest.
To the Broncos credit, they attempted to address the position last offseason when they gave Evan Engram a three-year, $23MM deal. While the veteran was coming off a nine-game showing in 2024, he topped 100 receptions as recently as 2023. While the free agent acquisition did get into 16 games for his new squad, he disappointed when he was on the field.
His 28.8-yards-per-game mark was the second-lowest of his career, and his 3.1 receptions per game represented a new career-low. He ultimately finished the campaign with 50 catches for 461 yards and one touchdown. He was limited to only 42 percent of his team’s offensive snaps, the first time in his career he finished below the 50-percent mark.
The Broncos ended up leaning heavily on Adam Trautman at TE, and the veteran continued to perform as one of the league’s elite blockers at the position. The team showed their commitment to the 29-year-old by handing him a three-year deal last week. However, Trautman would never be confused with an offensive threat, as his best pass-catching season saw him haul in 27 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns with the Saints in 2021.
If the Broncos are looking for a legitimate pass-catcher at the position, then Njoku would likely be the best bet. Otherwise, the team is eyeing the likes of Jonnu Smith, Darren Waller, and an injured Zach Ertz. The team could also look to the draft, where Kenyon Sadiq would be a logical target. However, considering the Oregon product is the only tight end with a definitive first-round grade, the Broncos would likely have to move up from No. 30 to acquire the prospect.
Panthers To Re-Sign P Sam Martin
Veteran punter Sam Martin joined the Panthers on a one-year deal last March, but he will receive more security this offseason. The Panthers will retain Martin on a two-year contract worth up to $5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Carolina is the fourth NFL stop for the 36-year-old Martin, who divided his first 12 seasons among Detroit, Denver and Buffalo. Aside from a 10-game 2017 with the Lions, Martin has played at least 16 contests in every season. Martin has averaged 46.3 gross yards per punt and 41.0 net over 811 attempts.
During his first year with Carolina, Martin punted 56 times in 17 games. At 47.2 yards per attempt, he checked in just shy of the league-average mark (47.4). His 40.5 net was also a bit below the mean (41.3), though he posted the sixth-highest percentage of punts inside the 20 (48.2). Martin also punted for a touchback on just 5.4% of attempts, easily better than the league-average figure of 7.7.
For the reigning NFC South champion Panthers, re-signing Martin means they will keep their 2025 special teams battery in place. Martin will again team with kicker Ryan Fitzgerald and long snapper J.J. Jansen.
49ers To Sign WR Christian Kirk
Not content to stop with Mike Evans, the 49ers are signing another veteran wide receiver. The team has agreed to a one-year, $6MM contract with Christian Kirk, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.
An eight-year pro who has divided his career among Arizona, Jacksonville and Houston, Kirk will join the recently signed Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins in San Francisco’s remade receiving corps.
The 49ers lost Kendrick Bourne and Skyy Moore earlier in free agency, while Jauan Jennings remains unsigned despite serving as their most productive wideout in 2025. They are also expected to lose Brandon Aiyuk via release or trade.
Kirk, a Texas A&M product who came off the board in the second round in 2018, averaged 59 catches, 726 yards and four touchdowns per season on his four-year rookie contract. That was enough to earn a four-year, $72MM contract with the Jaguars in March 2022.
Playing the second 17-game season of his career, Kirk posted personal highs in catches (84), yards (1,108) and touchdowns (eight) in his first year in Jacksonville. However, both his production and health have fallen off since then. After Kirk combined for 84 grabs, 1,166 yards and four scores over 20 games from 2023-24, the Jaguars traded the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder to the Texans for a 2026 seventh-rounder.
Kirk went through another injury-limited year in 2025, during which hamstring troubles held him to 13 games. The 29-year-old lined up in the slot for 73.2% of snaps and hauled in 28 of 52 targets for 239 yards, a career-low 8.5 YPC and a score. Those numbers did not help Kirk’s cause during a platform year, though he turned heads in the Texans’ wild-card round win over the Steelers. In a 30-6 blowout, Kirk torched Pittsburgh for eight receptions on nine targets, 144 yards and a TD. While Kirk only caught two of six targets for 20 yards in a loss to the Patriots in the divisional round, he picked up another score in what will go down as his last game as a Texan.
Barring an unexpected development, San Francisco’s addition of Kirk could close the door on Jennings’ five-year tenure with the franchise. PFR’s 18th-ranked free agent, Jennings is surprisingly still on the market in the wake of back-to-back strong seasons.
Buccaneers Re-Sign OL Dan Feeney
Dan Feeney is set to spend another year in Tampa Bay. The veteran offensive lineman re-signed with the Buccaneers on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Feeney joined the Bucs shortly after the start of the 2025 regular season. The loss of Cody Mauch required a veteran addition, and he became a regular presence up front. Feeney logged 10 starts in his 12 appearances for Tampa Bay. He worked exclusively at right guard during that period.
The 31-year-old has also seen plenty of time at left guard during his career. Feeney has operated as a center as well during certain stops, but with Graham Barton in place for Tampa Bay that should not be expected for 2026. Instead, Feeney will aim to provide guard depth for the Buccaneers as the team hopes for a return to full health on Mauch’s part.
During his stretches as a first-team presence, Feeney has not drawn strong PFF reviews. That remained the case in 2025 when he stepped in for Mauch. The Bucs will no doubt prefer this to be a veteran depth move rather than one setting up another lengthy run in the starting lineup.
The former third-rounder signed for $1.26MM when joining Tampa Bay last year. Another one-year deal worth a similar amount will likely be in store for 2026. The Buccaneers entered Monday with over $40MM in cap space, so this re-signing will not drastically impact the team’s other plans for the remainder of free agency.
Dolphins Sign OLB David Ojabo
The Dolphins continue to shape their roster under a new decision-making tandem. David Ojabo is Miami’s latest arrival. 
Ojabo was signed on Monday, per a team announcement. The fifth-year edge rusher hit the market once his Ravens rookie contract expired. A change of scenery may prove to be a welcomed development in this case, given how Ojabo’s Baltimore tenure played out.
The Michigan product suffered an Achilles tear during his Pro Day leading up to the 2022 draft. His stock fell as a result, and Ojabo remained on the board until the second round. His rookie season was limited to just two games, and a rebound from a health perspective did not prove to be possible the following year.
Knee and ankle ailments led to Ojabo being shut down after only three games in 2023. Through his first two NFL campaigns, therefore, he had only managed a pair of sacks in very limited action. Ojabo managed to turn a corner with respect to injuries afterwards, logging 13 games in 2024 and another 14 this past season. Over that span, however, he was unable to emerge as a full-time defensive presence. Ahead of roster cuts in the summer, his Ravens future was far from certain.
Ojabo totaled 2.5 sacks across the past two years. He will look to improve in that department on a new team. Miami’s edge rush depth chart was topped by Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips entering 2025, but it will look much different next season. Phillips was traded away at the deadline, while Chubb was one of many veterans cut by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley have been busy adding new roster pieces since free agency began.
Miami’s new-look pass rush will no doubt include a notable workload for 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson. The team has also added Josh Uche and Robert Beal in free agency while retaining Cameron Goode. At least one notable draft investment next month would certainly not come as a surprise. Ojabo will spend training camp looking to carve out a role with the Dolphins once their EDGE setup becomes clearer.
Entering Monday, Miami was near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space. Like the Charlie Heck signing from earlier today, though, this Ojabo deal will not be an expensive one. The Dolphins should still have a degree of financial flexibility moving forward as a result.
Troy Aikman To Stay With Dolphins In ‘Some Capacity’
Two months after parting with general manager Chris Grier, the Dolphins brought in Hall of Fame quarterback and career-long Cowboy Troy Aikman to consult in their GM search. Former Cowboys and Dolphins head coach Jimmy Johnson, who won two Super Bowls with Aikman in Dallas, recommended him to Miami.
A little over a week after Aikman joined the Dolphins, they tabbed former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan as their GM. With the team still in need of a head coach to replace the fired Mike McDaniel, Aikman remained on board in an advisory role. The Dolphins went on to hire ex-Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to replace McDaniel.
Miami’s new leadership has been in place for approximately two months, but Aikman has not gone anywhere. The 59-year-old told the Rodeo Time podcast that he will stay with the franchise in “some capacity” (via Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic).
It is unclear how involved Aikman will be with the Dolphins, but continuing to work with them will not affect his status as the color commentator on “Monday Night Football.” Aikman and play-by-play man Joe Buck are set to announce their seventh Super Bowl as a duo next February.
“It’s been awesome,” Aikman said of his 22-year run as a broadcaster. “I don’t know how much longer that will go — hopefully, a long time — but yeah, life’s good right now.”
Aikman and fellow Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady are in the unique positions of assisting with teams while also serving as broadcasters. As the highly influential part-owner of the Raiders, Brady has more responsibilities than Aikman. Although there have been conflict-of-interest concerns with Brady, he is on track to return as Fox’s lead color commentator for a third season in 2026.