Bills To Pick Up TE Dalton Kincaid’s Fifth-Year Option
As expected, the Bills will pick up tight end Dalton Kincaid‘s fifth-year option, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News reports. Kincaid is in line to earn $8.16MM in 2027.
After Kincaid hauled in 70 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in his final college season, the Bills traded up two spots for the former Utah standout in the 2023 draft. The Bills selected Kincaid 25th overall, though injuries have prevented the three-year veteran from maximizing his potential in the NFL.
Kincaid missed just one game during his rookie season, in which the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder racked up 73 catches, 673 yards and a pair of touchdowns. However, various maladies kept Kincaid out of a combined nine games over the past two years. The problems began when Kincaid tore his left PCL in a Week 10 win over the Colts in 2024. Kincaid, who missed a month, finished the year with a disappointing 44 catches, 448 yards and two scores in 13 games.
While continuing to play through a balky knee last season, Kincaid also dealt with oblique and hamstring issues. Although Kincaid totaled just 12 appearances, he offered quality production. The 26-year-old caught 39 of 49 targets – good for an 80% success rate – for 571 yards. He easily set career highs in yards per catch (14.6) and TDs (five). Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky combined for a spectacular 149.2 passer rating when targeting Kincaid, per Next Gen Stats. Kincaid, who led the league’s tight ends in that category, was also a factor in the playoffs. Along with a team-high two TD catches, Kincaid ranked second among Bills in receptions (nine) and yards (111) over a pair of postseason games.
It is unknown if the Bills will explore a Kincaid extension, but regardless, they are in position to keep a strong tight end group intact for at least another two seasons. The Bills gave Dawson Knox a new three-year deal earlier this month, while blocking specialist Jackson Hawes still has three seasons left on his rookie contract. Head coach Joe Brady, then Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, relied heavily on his tight ends in 2025. Kincaid only played 302 offensive snaps as a result of his injuries, but Knox (653) and Hawes (487) combined for 1,140.
Extension Talks Ongoing Between Saints, WR Chris Olave
Jaxon Smith-Njigba recently reset the receiver market with his new Seahawks deal. One of his former college teammates may soon land a second contract of his own. 
Saints head coach Kellen Moore said on Monday at the league meeting that extension talks with Chris Olave are ongoing. The sides have discussed a long-term deal as early as the start of the 2025 campaign. This offseason represents a logical time for an agreement to be reached, though.
“There’s conversations and that’s what this time of year is all about,” Moore said (via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras). “That’s obviously the business side of this thing that inevitably comes up… It’s just about a working relationship for everyone, what works best for everyone and find a good situation.”
Olave has spent his first four seasons in New Orleans. During that time, he has topped 1,000 yards on three occasions. The one exception was 2024, a year in which the Ohio State product was limited to eight games. Due to his concussion history, Olave contemplated retirement following that season. Instead, he managed a healthy campaign this past year and set new career highs in receptions (100), yards (1,163) and touchdowns (nine) while thriving in Moore’s system and establishing chemistry with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
All three will remain in place for at least one more season, since Olave is owed $15.49MM in 2026 on his fifth-year option. The Saints elected to trade away Rashid Shaheed at the deadline this past fall in a move which allowed for draft compensation in exchange for a pending free agent. Olave was mentioned as a trade target as well, but it came as little surprise when he was retained. Committing to the 25-year-old coming off a healthy season would be an understandable move in New Orleans’ case.
Smith-Njigba reached $42.15MM per season on his Seattle extension. Olave is not in position to command a deal as lucrative as that, but a considerable raise will be in order if an agreement can be reached some time this offseason. As the Saints seek out additions at the WR spot, the progress of negotiations on this front will be worth monitoring closely.
LB Sonny Styles Well Regarded By Cardinals, Giants
Ohio State figures to be well represented early in the first round of April’s draft. Linebacker Sonny Styles is among the prospects who will not need to wait long to hear their name called on Day 1. 
Styles spent his first two seasons as a safety, and he was a productive presence in that capacity for the Buckeyes. Starting with his junior campaign, he transitioned to linebacker. While operating in the front seven, Styles racked up 182 tackles, seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss. That production has led to interest from the Commanders, but he may not be on the board when Washington selects seventh overall.
The Cardinals “love” Styles, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora writes. Arizona is set to draft third overall. A defensive addition could prove to be highly beneficial, although many have pointed to the offensive line as a unit which the Cardinals should prioritize. La Canfora predicts Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa will be the pick, matching a number of projections in that respect. He adds, however, that if general manager Monti Ossenfort elects to focus on a defensive prospect, Styles will likely be the choice.
Elsewhere in the top five, La Canfora notes new Giants head coach John Harbaugh “has a thing for” Styles. New York has been linked on more than one occasion to fellow Ohio State start Caleb Downs, who is widely expected to be the first safety taken in the draft. More recently, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has emerged as a potential target for the Giants. Both of those prospects could be available when New York is on the clock at No. 5, but adding Styles to the fold would be expected to yield a considerable upgrade to the second level of the team’s defense.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Styles third overall. Positional value will no doubt be a talking point as teams contemplate when to select him, but it comes as no surprise the Cardinals and Giants can be counted among his suitors.
49ers Unlikely To Sign DE Joey Bosa
Shortly after Joey Bosa‘s 2025 release, the 49ers naturally showed interest. Nick Bosa‘s team could make another push at reuniting the brothers this time around, but that should not be expected. 
Joey Bosa took a one-year deal to join the Bills for this past season. The longtime Charger operated as a full-time starter and managed 17 combined regular and postseason appearances. He remains on the open market at this time, but a trip to the Bay Area is not something 49ers general manager John Lynch is anticipating.
“I know that would make Mama Bosa happy,” Lynch said at the league meeting (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic), “but I don’t know if we can afford him.”
San Francisco currently has over $31MM in cap space. That figure can change dramatically if a new deal can be worked out with left tackle Trent Williams, something Lynch said could be coming soon. A Brandon Aiyuk trade or release will also significantly alter the 49ers’ financial situation, and moving on prior to June 1 would lower the team’s cap space for 2026. Clarity on those fronts will go a long way in determining the moves Lynch can make over the remainder of the offseason.
Finding a long-term complement for Nick Bosa has long been a challenge for the 49ers. The former No. 2 pick has been productive when healthy, although he was limited to just three games in 2025. Injuries have been a concern in Joey Bosa’s career as well. The older of the brothers only logged 13 games between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, but he proved to be more durable during his final Bolts season and his lone year in Buffalo.
Nick Bosa and 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams will be counted to anchor the 49ers’ pass rush when on the field in 2026 and beyond. Joey Bosa – who secured $12MM in guarantees from the Bills – would offer plenty of experience along the edge and a San Francisco signing would reunite him with his brother for the first time since they were in high school. A deal elsewhere in the NFL appears to be more likely, though.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman Addresses A.J. Brown Trade Talk
Trade speculation continues to surround Eagles receiver A.J. Brown. To no surprise, general manager Howie Roseman was asked about the situation on Monday at the league meeting. 
“I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story,” Roseman said (via ESPN’s Tim McManus). “I, unfortunately, don’t have a home under a rock. But my answer to any question on A.J. Brown is A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles. From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I’m going to go right back to that answer.”
Roseman has previously offered stronger statements on the subject during the lead-up to free agency. The Eagles’ reported preference was to have a Brown resolution in place by the start of the new league year, but deep into March his status is still unclear. No trade request has been issued by the three-time Pro Bowler, but talk of a move ending his Eagles tenure has been long-running and has not been quieted through the offseason. The Patriots in particular loom as landing spot many have pointed to for Brown.
Given the cap implications of working out a trade prior to June 1, an expectation has emerged that one will only take place after that date. Plenty of things can and will change from a roster-building perspective in the meantime, thanks in large part to next month’s draft. It was nevertheless recently deemed “inevitable” a trade will eventually be worked out in Brown’s case. The 28-year-old has topped 1,000 yards in each of his four Philadelphia campaigns, making him an attractive option for any number of suitors. Taking on the remainder of Brown’s contract (which runs through 2029) late in the offseason will be a challenge in most cases, though.
None of the teams on Brown’s wish list have been heavily linked to an acquisition so far. That could change, of course, but a key factor with respect to any suitor will be the trade price set by Roseman. A first-round pick and more has been seen as a requirement for the Eagles to consider moving on in this case; no offers at that level are known to have been submitted.
Philadelphia has added Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore to the WR depth chart in free agency. Moore and A.J. Brown were teammates for one year at Ole Miss, although Roseman said factors such as familiarity were not taken into consideration when the team made its offseason moves. How the team’s setup at the position shakes out will remain a storyline to monitor as the spring unfolds.
NFC Contract Details: Evans, 49ers, Kirk, Commanders, Wentz, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, Seahawks, Falcons, Lions
Here are the key details from some of the free agency deals agreed to around the NFC:
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. More details are in on Evans’ deal, which is essentially a one-year, $14.3MM pact. Four separate $1.5MM escalators for 2027 are in place. If Evans finishes in the top 10 in receptions, yards or receiving touchdowns, he would earn $1.5MM for each such placement. The 49ers must make the playoffs for any of these escalators to kick in, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. San Francisco winning a postseason game this season also would trigger $500K, with any additional playoff wins carrying the same bump (though, $1.5MM is the max Evans can earn from the win-based playoff component of this deal). Evans must play at least 75% of the 49ers’ regular-season offensive snaps to hit the playoff-win incentive, Florio adds. The same escalator steps cover the 2027 season and Evans’ potential 2028 compensation.
- Amik Robertson, CB (Commanders). Two years, $15MM. While Robertson’s signing brought $9MM guaranteed in total, OverTheCap notes $7.35MM is locked in at signing. Robertson’s 2026 cap number sits at $5MM, his 2027 number at $10MM, via ESPN.com’s John Keim. His 2027 base salary ($6.35MM) is nonguaranteed.
- Roy Lopez, DT (Cardinals). Two years, $10.5MM. Lopez’s Arizona return will bring $6MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Lopez, who did not receive any 2027 salary guarantees at signing, will be due a $250K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Dre Greenlaw, LB (49ers). One year, $6MM. This deal is fully guaranteed, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. Greenlaw’s cap number checks in at $3.55MM, as four void years are included here. Greenlaw, who missed nine games as a Bronco in 2025 and was down for almost all of the 2024 season, will see $850K of his third 49ers contract tied to per-game roster bonuses.
- Josh Jones, OL (Seahawks). One year, $4MM. Jones secured $3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The base value and guarantee match Jones’ 2025 Seattle terms.
- Christian Kirk, WR (49ers). One year, $3MM. The former Cardinals, Jaguars and Texans wideout will see $2.78MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. The deal can max out at $6MM.
- Chris Paul, G (Commanders). One year, $3MM. The 2025 starter will see $2.48MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson.
- Carson Wentz, QB (Vikings). One year, $3MM. The former No. 2 overall pick will see $2.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. This is more than double what the Vikings paid Wentz in 2025.
- Sam Howell, QB (Cowboys). One year, $2.5MM. Howell landed $2MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes. The deal maxes out at $3MM, with a $500K incentive pertaining to a Cowboys playoff berth included.
- Samson Ebukam, OLB (Falcons). One year, $2.77MM. Ebukam played out a three-year Colts deal worth $24MM; he will see $700K guaranteed on his Falcons accord, Wilson notes.
- Malcolm Rodriguez, ILB (Lions). One year, $2.75MM. Rodriguez is staying put for $2.7MM fully guaranteed (via Wilson). Because this is the rare four-year qualifying offer, Rodriguez will count just $1.4MM toward the Lions’ cap. The cap number reflects the veteran minimum for a player with four years of service time, with the CBA stipulating a maximum bump from a four-year qualifying contract is $1.55MM.
- Rachaad White, RB (Commanders). One year, $2MM. While the Buccaneers gave Kenneth Gainwell a two-year deal worth $14MM to replace White alongside Bucky Irving, White’s contract will max out at $4MM (per Wilson). The Commanders authorized a $1.72MM guarantee at signing.
- Isiah Pacheco, RB (Lions). One year, $1.81MM. Pacheco’s bounce-back attempt will include a sub-$2MM contract, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicates the deal is fully guaranteed.
NFL Dictates Plan For Replacement Officials
Tonight was the first night of the annual NFL Owners Meetings, and the big topic of the night was the ongoing labor dispute between the league and the NFL Referees Association that represents the employees that make up the NFL’s officiating crews. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the NFL has a plan in place “to begin hiring replacement officials before…May 31…if no agreement is struck with the NFLRA.” 
Per Pelissero, the aim of the owners is to not be “unprepared.” Nicki Jhabvala of the Athletic adds that the league “has begun to ‘identify and recruit’ potential replacement officials from the college level.” The early action post-expiration of the union’s CBA is seen as necessary in order to onboard and train the replacement officials over June and July with enough time to deploy them to training camps and the preseason. Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS reports that negotiations with the NFLRA will only get more complicated after that point because the cost to onboard all of those replacement officials will be considered within the costs of a new CBA.
The most recent planned negotiations before the annual league meeting were supposed to take place Wednesday in Florida, but after the NFLRA presented a counter to the league’s offer at that time, the NFL immediately rejected it and claimed that no one present was authorized to respond or negotiate any further at that point, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. The league’s representatives then promptly exited, ending the negotiations before noon. NFLRA executive director Scott Green called it “a common negotiation tactic used by the league to seek unreasonable concessions,” per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller’s response (via Peliserro) asserted that the NFL was “ready to continue negotiations” but accused the union of refusing “to engage in a meaningful way.”
At this point in the process, it seems the NFL has made new offers to the NFLRA, offers that haven’t been met with much fervor. Per Jones, the league is offering a 6.45% annual “pay increase each year over the course of a six-year CBA offer,” but the officials are pushing for 10%, and it’s become a main sticking point. The NFLRA is also pushing for an additional “$2.5MM for marketing fees the league regards as worthless,” according to Pelissero.
Another issue with the deal drawn up by the league concerns the NFL’s offer to make referees (but not other officials) full-time employees, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post. Pelissero reports that this offer was met with “staunch resistance” from the NFLRA. He asserts the officials’ union wants to see a pay increases “without any substantive changes to their jobs or hours and with a system that rewards seniority, not performance.”
Jets Name QB Geno Smith Starter For Now
Since the end of the 2025 NFL season, the Jets have almost completely turned over their quarterbacks room. After shuffling three starting quarterbacks last year, head coach Aaron Glenn has named his starter for the 2026 campaign early, according to Judy Battista of NFL Network. 
Traded away is Justin Fields, while Tyrod Taylor and Hendon Hooker have walked in free agency, leaving only undrafted rookie Brady Cook remaining from last year’s roster. The first to join Cook in the room was former Patriots starting quarterback Bailey Zappe. After leaving New England, Zappe had gone back and forth between the Chiefs and Browns over the past two years before signing a reserve/futures deal with the Jets in February.
The final passer to join the room was a familiar face as the Jets traded a sixth-round pick to Las Vegas for a seventh-rounder and the quarterback they drafted in the second round out of West Virginia 13 years ago. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010 season. In the 15 campaigns since then, New York has had a losing record in all but three of those seasons. The first was an 8-8 campaign the season immediately after they last made the playoffs. The second and third occurred with Geno Smith on the roster, when he led his team to an 8-8 record as a rookie in 2013 and when he backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015’s 10-6 campaign. It’s been 10 straight losing seasons since then.
After rediscovering success in Seattle, where he earned Pro Bowl honors in two straight years and helped the Seahawks to three winning seasons, Smith fell back to earth during his lone year in Vegas. He failed to reach 20 touchdowns for the first time since reestablishing himself as a starter in the NFL, led the league with 17 interceptions and 55 sacks taken, and worst of all, won only two of 15 games as a starter, leading to the Raiders receiving the No. 1 overall pick, which they will use to draft his eventual replacement.
Despite the down year, Glenn has expressed the utmost confidence in the veteran. In an interview with Battista, Glenn called Smith a “bonafide starter,” going on to say that “there is no doubt in (his) mind that (they) brought a competent starter” to the team. When Battista sought further clarity that Smith was being named the starter, Glenn quickly replied, “No doubt about it, he’s our guy.”
According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, while Smith may be the starter for the Jets this year, the 35-year-old is clearly not the team’s future at the position. Despite the team hosting such passers as Ty Simpson and Drew Allar in recent weeks, Hughes asserts that this year’s draft will likely be used to build a talented team around outside the quarterback position, and the future at quarterback will be whoever they decide to draft in 2027.
For now, though, Smith is the bridge starter to carry the team until his successor is drafted and, perhaps, until his successor is ready after sitting and learning for a bit. Returning back to where his journey first began, Smith has an opportunity to pave a successful pathway for the Jets’ next potential franchise quarterback, helping them avoid the trials and tribulations he faced as a talented young passer who just needed time to bloom.
Browns’ Deal For DE A.J. Epenesa Falls Through After Physical Concerns
The AFC North is becoming a tough division to get into. In the wake of the Ravens-Maxx Crosby reversed trade, the Browns have decided not to sign former Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa. The two sides came to a one-year, $5MM agreement about a week and a half ago. Per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, the team was not “comfortable finalizing the deal after his physical.” 
The news comes as a bit of a surprise as the six-year veteran has never missed more than three games in an NFL season. While he’s only appeared in every game of a season once, Epenesa’s absences each year have, for the most part, been limited to one or two games. No injury information accompanied today’s announcement, so any specifics will have to be disclosed in future reports.
Epenesa joined the Bills as a second-round pick in 2020. Coming out of Iowa, Epenesa brought experience in a role off the bench from his time as a sophomore Hawkeye, when he registered 10.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, four batted passes, and four forced fumbles without making a single start. After putting up similar numbers as a junior year starter, Epenesa declared for the NFL draft and found his way to Buffalo.
Over the course of his rookie contract, Epenesa’s experience contributing off the bench came in handy. Entrenched behind a starting lineup that, over the years, featured Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes, Greg Rousseau, Shaq Lawson, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, and Joey Bosa, Epenesa only saw more than two starts in one of his six seasons in Buffalo. After a slow rookie year, Epenesa began to generate more pressures with his opportunities in Year 2. Over the final two years of his rookie contract, Epenesa logged 6.5 sacks each year despite only starting two of 30 game appearances.
Epenesa’s best season came two years ago, when he was tasked with a bigger role. Appearing in every game for the only time in his career and making 13 starts, Epenesa recorded six sacks and saw career highs in tackles (39), tackles for loss (8), and quarterback hits (11), tacking on a safety, as well, for good measure. The arrival of Bosa last year pushed Epenesa back to a rotation role, and he saw his lowest pass rushing production since his first two years in the league.
Without a deal with the Browns, Epenesa will head back to the open market where several teams are still looking for pass rush help. Any future deal will depend on him passing a physical, though, so it will be interesting to see if we get any more information on what concerns caused Cleveland to back out here.
49ers Likely To Draft Competition For Left Guard Job
The 49ers started three different players at left guard last season, and the leader – 2022 fourth-round pick Spencer Burford – signed with the Raiders in free agency.
That left 2025 seventh-rounder Connor Colby (six starts, 454 snaps) and veteran Ben Bartch (two starts, 195 snaps) as the main candidates for the starting job in 2026. The team then signed former Dolphins starter Robert Jones in free agency as additional competition, and more is expected to come.
“We’re not done yet,” general manager John Lynch said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur), indicating that San Francisco could target the position in the draft.
It is a good year to need guard talent. Penn State’s Vega Ioane is considered an elite prospect at the position, and Utah tackle Spencer Fano has been tabbed for a move to the interior due to his arm length. Both are expected to be drafted in the first round, with a slew of guards (or potential tackle-guard converts) available on Days 2 and 3 as well.
With a starting competition on tap, the 49ers may not feel compelled to use their first-round pick (No. 27 overall) on a guard, if Ioane or Fano are even available. Their second-rounder (No. 58 overall) might make sense for Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon or Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis, but both will likely be drafted by that point.
But Lynch has indicated that one of the 49ers’ four Day 3 picks – all in the fourth round – will be used on an offensive lineman who can factor in the guard competition. There are no shortage of options, though San Francisco will no doubt be looking for fleet-footed blockers who best fit Kyle Shanahan‘s zone scheme.