NFL Mailbag: WRs, Vikings, McDuffie, LBs
In this week's edition of the PFR Mailbag, questions on a pair of high-profile receivers are addressed. The recent Trent McDuffie trade, the Vikings' pending quarterback decision and more are also explored.
Josh asks:
The Eagles cannot realistically trade A.J. Brown now, right? The dead money would be really damaging, and they would have a huge hole on offense. Do you think the sides make peace to ride this out for another year or would a trade be possible in the summer?
For anyone unaware, a trade in this case prior to June 1 would result in over $43MM in dead money charges for the Eagles. That’s $20MM more than what the team would be responsible for by simply keeping him on the roster.
Lions Plan To Release LT Taylor Decker
Taylor Decker agreed to put off retirement earlier this offseason, but it looks like the veteran left tackle will be seeking a second NFL employer.
The 10-year blocker announced on Instagram he is being released by the Lions (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Decker was set to earn $14.9MM in base salary next season; none of that amount was guaranteed. As our Detroit Offseason Outlook piece indicated, Decker was due a $1.5MM salary guarantee on March 15. Decker’s post reveals requested this release.
It sounds like the Lions were angling for a Decker pay cut, as the former first-round pick notes discussions were ongoing about his contract. Decker, 32, was tied to a three-year, $60MM deal that ran through the 2027 season. The Ohio State product played through injury last season, only missing three games. A year after the Lions lost center cornerstone Frank Ragnow, they are splitting up their Pro Bowl Decker-Penei Sewell tackle tandem.
This release will save Detroit $11.6MM in cap space, though it will also leave a significant void at a premium position. Decker has started 140 career games with the Lions since being the No. 16 overall pick in 2016. Decker’s 140 starts are the third-most by a tackle in Lions history — behind Jeff Backus and Lomas Brown.
An essential part of Dan Campbell‘s turnaround in Detroit, Decker made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 — after signing his $20MM-per-year extension. That was Decker’s third Lions contract, after he had signed a four-year, $59.65MM deal in 2020. Decker said after the season he would take extensive time to determine if an 11th NFL slate was in the cards for him. Although Decker recently announced he intends to play, it is worth wondering if he is open to continuing his career outside of Detroit.
When Decker missed much of the 2021 season, the Lions used then-rookie Sewell at left tackle. That could be an option once again, but Sewell has established himself as a dominant right tackle. Sewell suddenly represents the last man standing from the 2023 O-line that powered the Lions to the playoffs. Pro Football Focus graded Decker as the league’s No. 39 overall tackle last season and has been high on his play throughout his Detroit decade. He ranked ninth, per the advanced metrics site, in 2023 and landed his second Lions extension in July 2024.
In the spring, Decker underwent surgery to relieve pain in his shoulder caused by bone spurs in his rotator cuff. He began training camp on the active/PUP list as a result, and though he suited up for the start of the regular season, he did miss three last season due to a shoulder ailment. It will be interesting to see if Decker lands elsewhere soon,
Offseason Outlook: New York Jets
As a Jets cornerback for the first eight seasons of his 15-year NFL career, Aaron Glenn intercepted 24 passes and earned two Pro Bowl trips from 1994-2001. Glenn is now considered one of the greatest corners in Jets history. On the other hand, Glenn is light years from being considered one of the greatest head coaches in Jets history.
In the wake of an unsuccessful foray into the Mike Vrabel derby in January 2025, the Jets turned back to Glenn 24 years after he last donned their colors. Glenn was coming off a well-regarded run as the Lions' defensive coordinator from 2021-24, but Year 1 as a head coach could not have gone much worse.
The Jets went 3-14 to extend their league-high playoff drought to 15 years. Their minus-203 point differential ranks as the second-worst mark since the league introduced a 17-game schedule in 2021. Gang Green's noncompetitive showing was still not enough to secure the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. The Jets finished as runners-up to the Raiders in the race to the bottom, severely jeopardizing their chances of finding a much-needed franchise quarterback this spring.
Owner Woody Johnson hired Glenn three days before he tabbed longtime Broncos executive Darren Mougey as his general manager. Looking for a starting signal-caller in their first offseason together, Glenn and Mougey added former first-rounder Justin Fields on a two-year, $40MM contract with $30MM guaranteed. The mobile Fields, who did not establish himself as the answer in either Pittsburgh or Chicago, flopped in New York. Glenn pulled him for backup Tyrod Taylor in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers in Week 7. A day after the Jets fell to 0-7, Johnson publicly lambasted Fields while calling Glenn "the real deal."
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/6/26
Friday’s RFA and ERFA tender decisions:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Broncos: TE Lucas Krull
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Chargers: RB Kimani Vidal
- Vikings: LB Bo Richter, RB Zavier Scott
After a strong campaign backing up an injury-depleted running backs room, Vidal gets the most obvious ERFA tender of all time. Starting 10 of 13 game appearances, Vidal rushed for 643 yards and three touchdowns after injuries to Najee Harris, Omarion Hampton, and others.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/6/26
Here are today’s NFL minor moves as we head into the final weekend before the start of free agency:
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: RB Tyler Badie, DT Jordan Jackson, S Devon Key, OLB Dondrea Tillman
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: S M.J. Stewart
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: RB Jaret Patterson, S Kendall Williamson
New York Giants
- Released: T James Hudson
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: K Jake Moody
Initially opening the season as a starter on the line in New York in place of Andrew Thomas, Hudson was benched after struggling in a first-string role. He had been signed to serve as a swing tackle for the Giants, but after his early-season struggles, he failed to see much playing time for the remainder of the season.
After getting waived by the team that drafted him in the third round, Moody landed on the Bears’ practice squad before the Commanders signed him to their active roster. Washington made the move after watching Moody connect on eight of nine field goal attempts in two games for Chicago then watched Moody convert 10 of 11 for their team over the final six weeks of the season. Not willing to pay the prices on a restricted free agent tender, the Commanders opted not to tender him but continued on the path to a new deal as an unrestricted free agent.
Browns Plan To Place Second-Round Tender On S Ronnie Hickman
Three years ago, the Browns signed safety Ronnie Hickman as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State. Fastforward three years and Hickman has established himself as a starting safety in Cleveland. With Hickman becoming a restricted free agent this offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Browns plan to place a second-round tender on the 24-year-old safety. 
Restricted free agents are free to negotiate and sign with other teams, but the original team can assign a tender that affects what needs to happen for the restricted free agent to be moved. With a second-round tender, the Browns have committed Hickman to at least a one-year, $5.81MM deal to stay in Cleveland.
Hickman will still be able to negotiate with other teams and potentially get a bigger deal, though. If he does find a better deal, Cleveland will get the option to match the new team’s offer sheet, If the Browns choose not to match the new team’s offer, they will be granted a second-round pick from the new team. As long as the transaction takes place more than two days before the draft, the second-round pick must be exchanged in the same offseason.
Hickman immediately found a role on the Browns as a rookie. His ability to fill in at safety allowed for Grant Delpit to roam around the defense and serve as a bit of a Swiss Army knife. In the two years since, Hickman has established himself as the team’s stalwart in the defensive backfield. His continued constancy as a deep safety in the past two years has helped the Browns defense establish itself as one of the league’s better units.
On fewer rotations in his first two years, Hickman combined for 70 total tackles, an interception, and four passes defensed. In 2025 alone, Hickman’s 103 total tackles was good for third on the team, and he saw career highs in interceptions (2) and passes defensed (7). The second-round tender is a fairly strong endorsement from the Browns who clearly wish to retain their young starting safety moving forward. We’ll now wait to see if any other teams decide to risk their second-round pick for the opportunity to lure Hickman away from Cleveland.
Dolphins Release K Jason Sanders, FB Alec Ingold
A busy day ahead of the start of free agency continues as it was announced today that the Dolphins will be parting ways with kicker Jason Sanders (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter) and fullback Alec Ingold (per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). The Dolphins had attempted to rework the deals of both veterans to help them stay in Miami, but with no deals coming to fruition, Sanders and Ingold will head to free agency. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the pair of transactions will put the Dolphins’ cap space at about $5MM. 
Sanders had been the Dolphins answer in the kicking game for seven years before this past season. Drafted in the seventh-round out of New Mexico in 2018, Sanders immediately put an end to what had been a consistent rotation of kickers on one- or two-year stays dating back to a four-year tenure of Dan Carpenter. Though not asked to do much, Sanders delivered as a rookie only missing two field goal attempts and one extra point attempt. He saw a few more misses in his sophomore campaign but reestablished himself in 2020 with a first-team All-Pro performance.
In the final dying days of the 2025 preseason, it was disclosed that Sanders was dealing with a hip injury that was expected to keep him out for the first four or five weeks of the season, necessitating a temporary replacement. When 12 weeks of the season had come and gone, and Sanders was still nowhere to be seen, newer reports out of Miami indicated that there was no sense of whether or not Sanders was any closer to a return or whether or not he would return at all.
In Sanders’ absence, the Dolphins turned to young journeyman kicker Riley Patterson to fill in. Only 26 years old, Patterson made the Dolphins the sixth NFL team of his career. He’d previously spent time with the Lions, Jaguars, Browns, Jets, and Falcons and had only kicked an entire season with a team once — 2022 in Jacksonville. Patterson was outstanding in replacement duty, converting 27 of 29 field goals attempts and 34 of 35 extra point attempts.
Per Jackson, the Dolphins have not been actively pursuing a new contract with Patterson. Not wanting to pit the two specialists against each other, Miami focused their efforts first on trying to convince Sanders to restructure at a lower rate. Now that a deal with Sanders is no longer being pursued, it stands to reason that the Dolphins may now pursue a renewed agreement with Patterson.
Ingold’s time in Miami comes to an end after four years with the team. Joining the Dolphins after an initial first three years with the Raiders, Ingold has found plenty of use on one of the few teams left still utilizing a fullback. Starting 47 of 66 game appearances, Ingold got most of his use as an extra run blocker, though he has contributed in the pass game, as well. A team captain who was chosen three times to be the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Ingold’s biggest impact may have been in the locker room and the community.
As the Dolphins clear out some low-hanging fruit to clear up a bit of cap space ahead of free agency, Sanders will see free agency for the first time, and Ingold will now look to find a new NFL squad looking to utilize a fullback.
Raiders Release OL Alex Cappa
Alex Cappa‘s reunion with Tom Brady and John Spytek did not lead to a full-time starting job. The veteran guard will be a one-and-done in Las Vegas.
The Raiders announced Cappa’s release Friday. The move will create just more than $5MM in cap space for the AFC West team. The veteran guard did log some center snaps in 2025, playing there more often than at guard, but the Raiders will call it a day despite also having four-year guard starter Dylan Parham unsigned.’
[RELATED: Assessing Raiders’ Offseason Outlook]
Cappa signed a two-year, $11MM deal following his 2025 Bengals release. The Raiders used the former Brady Buccaneers teammate as an eight-game starter. Cappa, 31, is an eight-year veteran with 104 starts on his NFL resume.
Formerly Tampa Bay’s Ali Marpet guard mate, Cappa did not end up starting in Super Bowl LV due to his only notable injury with the Bucs. The 2018 third-round pick returned in 2021 but left for a Bengals deal in 2022. As Cincinnati overhauled its O-line after a 2021 Joe Burrow sack parade, Cappa inked a four-year, $35MM deal and joined Ted Karras and La’el Collins as veteran imports that offseason. The Bengals cut Collins after one year, while Karras remains with the team.
Lining up as the Bengals’ right guard for three seasons, Cappa received a pink slip before his final year on that $35MM pact. Asked to play a new position with the Raiders, Cappa struggled. As run lanes for rookie Ashton Jeanty were sparse last season, Pro Football Focus graded Cappa as the NFL’s third-worst center (among those with enough snaps to qualify). The Raiders have Jordan Meredith (PFF’s sixth-worst 2025 center) and Jackson Powers-Johnson — a Rimington award winner who has been asked to play guard in the pros — contracted among interior O-linemen. Parham can begin speaking to other teams Monday.
Texans To Extend TE Dalton Schultz
Less than 24 hours after agreeing to a one-year extension with Danielle Hunter, the Texans have a deal in place with Dalton Schultz. Like Hunter, it is a one-year bump.
Schultz is extending his contract through 2027 at a rate of $12.6MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Between the 2026 and ’27 seasons, Schultz is now due $17.6MM guaranteed. Schultz is heading into his fourth Texans season, and this extension positions the former Cowboys draftee to play a fifth in Houston. This move comes hours after the Texans created $8MM in cap space by releasing Joe Mixon.
[RELATED: Texans To Acquire David Montgomery From Lions]
Initially joining the Texans on a midlevel deal (one year, $6.25MM), Schultz impressed in C.J. Stroud‘s rookie season and reupped on an upper-crust pact (3/36). That came shortly before free agency in 2024. Two years later, Schultz became a Texans priority again after another strong season.
Catching a career-high 82 passes, Schultz totaled 777 yards and three touchdowns last season. While the former fourth-rounder’s yards-per-reception number dropped to 9.5 — his first such season since 2020 — Schultz operated as Stroud’s No. 2 target behind Nico Collins during a season in which Houston again featured a subaverage ground attack.
Schultz, 30 in July, was set to carry a $15.9MM cap number in 2026. That will drop thanks to this extension. Should Schultz play out this deal, he will have split his career into five-year runs with Dallas and Houston. The Cowboys turned to Schultz after their Blake Jarwin extension did not pan out, with the former ultimately becoming the team’s Jason Witten successor. The Cowboys prioritized Schultz via a franchise tag in 2022, but like Mike Gesicki in Miami, no extension came to pass before that July’s deadline. A disagreement on term length between Schultz and the Cowboys led him to the market in 2023, and he has not tested it since.
While Schultz’s career-best yardage season remains his 808-yard 2021 in Dallas, he put up 635 yards in his Houston debut to help Stroud to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. After a 535-yard 2024, the pass-catching tight end bounced back to help the team return to the divisional round in 2025. The Texans are a defense-powered operation, but they now have Schultz and Collins signed beyond 2026. Those deals pair with the team’s pair of Iowa State-developed wideouts — Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel; both players are tied to rookie contracts through 2028.
Browns Restructure QB Deshaun Watson’s Contract
It is that time of year again. The Browns are stuck with Deshaun Watson‘s albatross contract, and as expected, they are restructuring it once again.
This could be the final such transaction, as the contract expires after the 2026 season. The Browns are converting most of Watson’s base salary into a signing bonus, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. This move would stand to, once again, bring the quarterback’s salary to the veteran minimum and max out the restructure-driven cap space allowed.
The team’s latest restructure will save $36MM in cap space, per Cabot. The Browns gave Watson a fully guaranteed $230MM back in 2022, acquiring him from the Texans in what almost certainly is the worst trade in NFL history (given the contractual ramifications and draft capital exchanged). This marks Cleveland’s fourth restructure on the five-year deal, which is set to bring astonishing dead money in 2027.
If the Browns had a realistic out on the deal this year, they assuredly would take it. But they do not. If Cleveland were to designate Watson as a post-June 1 cut this year, $131.16MM would be spread over two offseasons. Despite the quarterback not coming remotely close to living up to the trade/extension, he will stay on the roster for 2026. In 2027, though, the bill is coming.
The remaining cap charges will be moved to void years from 2027-29, Cabot adds. Watson, 30, is technically part of Cleveland’s latest quarterback competition this offseason. Coming off two Achilles tears, Watson will vie for the job against Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and perhaps a QB to be named later. Considering how poorly Watson played before his first Achilles tear in 2024, it would surprise if he won the job. But Todd Monken is installing a new offense, and Sanders — his Pro Bowl alternate invite notwithstanding — did not exactly seize the job last season.
This season will be Watson’s last in Cleveland. Jimmy Haslam admitted the trade was a mistake last year, before Watson spent the season on the reserve/PUP list. In 2027, however, Watson’s exit will bring an $86.2MM dead money bill. The Browns have structured the contract to create a post-June 1 release scenario in 2027, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Watson’s cap hit will drop from $80.72MM to $44.96MM, per OverTheCap. The team now holds just less than $19MM in cap space.
That is an important note, as Watson’s dead money will be spread over two offseasons. In the likely post-June 1 release scenario, Fitzgerald notes Watson would count $34.67MM against Cleveland’s 2027 cap and $51.54MM in 2028. While this will help the Browns avoid the worst single-year dead money hit in NFL history, it also means the team will have to live with the deal on its books for an extra year. By the end of this saga, Cleveland will have carried this contract on its payroll for seven years.
The Browns kept GM Andrew Berry employed despite the veteran exec being in place for the Watson trade. Cleveland changed coaching staffs, and Monken will be aboard for the worst chapter of the contract — as the Browns will be carrying considerable dead money in 2027 and ’28.