LB Lavonte David Will Either Re-Sign With Buccaneers Or Retire
If Lavonte David plays in 2026, it will only be for the Buccaneers. The veteran linebacker will either re-sign with Tampa Bay or retire this offseason, agent Ron Butler said during an appearance on WDAE (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
Butler made it clear that “those are the two options” while noting that David will make a decision soon. The 36-year-old is currently a free agent.
After signing a one-year, $9MM to stick in Tampa Bay last offseason, David proceeded to compile 114 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games. According to Stroud, the linebacker suffered a knee injury in 2025 that needed to be drained weekly. The veteran ended up undergoing arthroscopic surgery after the season.
The 2012 second-round pick has spent his entire career in Tampa Bay. He was a key member of the Super Bowl LV-winning squad, and he’s earned three All-Pro nods throughout his 14 years in the NFL. He’s continued to ink one-year deals with the Buccaneers since the 2023 campaign, and he’s been considering retirement for the past few years. Back in February, David admitted that he was still undecided on his decision.
“I’m genuinely undecided, like I don’t know,” David said at the time. “I don’t know. I still got a lot of football left in me. I know that for sure. I still love the game. I know that for sure. The other side is I want to spend more time with my daughter. She’s in school, so [I’ve been] taking her to school and it’s a good feeling.”
David has still been plenty productive throughout his 30s. Over the past four years, he’s averaged more than 120 tackles and four sacks per season. However, after topping out as Pro Football Focus’ third-best linebacker in 2022, David has seen his positional grade continually drop, leading to a 66th-place finish (among 88 qualifying linebackers) in 2025.
The Buccaneers have added Alex Anzalone to their linebackers corps this offseason, but the team otherwise hasn’t really invested in the position recently. The organization would surely welcome back David for another season in 2026, especially as the team navigates Mike Evans‘ noteworthy departure.
Giants To Sign FB Patrick Ricard
John Harbaugh is bringing another Raven to New York. Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard is joining the Giants on a two-year deal, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The deal is worth $7.63MM with a maximum value of $8.5MM, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, making Ricard the highest-paid fullback in the NFL. His resume – including six Pro Bowls in the last seven years – certainly supports that status. The nine-year veteran also received a first-team All-Pro nod in 2024 and second-team recognition in the years immediately before and after.
Ricard, 31, arrived in Baltimore as an undrafted defensive tackle out of Maine. He converted to fullback as a rookie but still maintained a role on the other side of the ball until 2020, when his offensive snap share jumped to 41%. It grew even more, all the way up to 64% in 2022, the Ravens’ last year with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. His successor, Todd Monken, decreased Ricard’s role, though he still played at least 39% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps from 2023 to 2025. That resulted in a pay cut on Ricard’s last contract in Baltimore, and like the rest of the team’s offense, he had somewhat of a down season after missing the start of the year due to injury.
The price point of today’s deal is a clear sign that Ricard will have a major role in New York’s offense. However, new Giants OC Matt Nagy has not historically featured a pure blocking fullback in his scheme, so he will need to find a way to integrate Ricard on the field.
The Ravens are unlikely to seek a one-for-one replacement for Ricard with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle bringing in his own scheme. However, with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar also departing in free agency, Baltimore will need to shore up that position group this offseason.
Titans To Sign DT Jordan Elliott
More Robert Saleh connections are forming on the veteran coach’s first Titans roster. After the ex-Jets HC reunited with Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers from his Jets days, Saleh’s D-line will also include a recent 49ers charge.
Jordan Elliott will follow Saleh from San Francisco to Tennessee, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to a two-year, $8MM deal that can max out at $8.5MM. Elliott spent the past two years in San Francisco, the second spent under Saleh’s tutelage.
Deployed as a near-full-time starter with the 49ers under Nick Sorensen in 2024, Elliott started every game under Saleh last season. Overall, the former Browns draftee started 29 games with the 49ers. He joins a Titans team that is reshaping its front around Jeffery Simmons. With Sebastian Joseph-Day a free agent, Tennessee traded two-year nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat to the Jets for Johnson.
Elliott figures to slide in as a second-string option behind Simmons and Franklin-Myers, with the latter two tied to $45MM per year combined. While Elliott has been a starter for the past four seasons, Franklin-Myers is certainly not on a three-year, $63MM deal to be a rotational option.
Also rejoining former 49ers defensive assistant Gus Bradley, Elliott is a former third-round pick with 64 career starts on his resume. Pro Football Focus has never been a big fan of Elliott’s game, but teams disagree on this point. PFF graded Elliott 97th among interior D-linemen in 2024 and 110th last season, though this will be the 303-pound player’s second veteran contract since his Browns rookie deal expired.
Eagles To Sign TEs Johnny Mundt, Grant Calcaterra
Johnny Mundt was released by the Jaguars on Monday, but the blocking tight end did not stay on the market for long. He has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Philadelphia will also be re-signing their own veteran tight end, Grant Calcaterra, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The duo will try to fill the hold left by Dallas Goedert, who has yet to sign with another team but now, does not seem likely to return to the Eagles.
Mundt, 31, signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He appeared in two games as a rookie and made the 53-man roster in his second year with a core role on special teams. He took on a bigger role as a blocker in 2019 and 2020 and was trending towards a career-high in offensive snaps before a torn ACL in 2021.
Mundt still ended the year with a Super Bowl ring, but he left Los Angeles in the offseason to join the Vikings. There, he took up a No. 2 tight end role with career-high playing time and the first significant receiving role of his career. He totaled 55 catches for 454 yards across his three years in Minnesota and moved to Jacksonville to take up a similar job in 2025.
Calcaterra, who just turned 27, was a 2022 sixth-round pick who played behind Goedert in 2022 and 2023 before stepping up as his injury replacement in 2024. Calcaterra started 13 gaems with 24 catches for 298 receiving yards on a 66% snap share. Those numbers ticked back down in 2025 after Goedert returned to the field.
The two will be competing for a role in the Eagles offense this summer, potentially even for the starting tight end job. General manager Howie Roseman is likely to add some competition, and after making multiple veteran signings, he may now look to bolster the position via April’s draft.
Bears To Sign DB Cam Lewis, DE Kentavius Street
The Bears are adding some meaningful depth to their defense. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team is signing defensive back Cam Lewis to a two-year deal. Meanwhile, Jordan Schultz reports that the Bears have also agreed to a deal with defensive end Kentavius Street.
While he never had a major role with the Bills, Lewis was a popular player in Buffalo. After going undrafted out of State University of New York at Buffalo, he caught on with the Bills in 2019. He proceeded to spend the next seven seasons with the organization, working his way up from practice squad player to part-time starter.
Lewis saw his most responsibility over the past two years, when he got into a combined 968 defensive snaps. He started 10 of his 34 appearances over that stretch, tallying 111 tackles, eight passes defended, and a pair of forced fumbles. He notably played all over the defense, spending time at safety, outside and slot cornerback, and even defensive line. He’ll likely serve a versatile role in Chicago, although the Bears secondary remains in flux with a number of players hitting free agency.
Street spent the past two-plus years in Atlanta, where he tallied four sacks in 25 games. He was cut by the team at the end of the 2025 preseason, but after catching on with their practice squad, he rejoined the active roster in November. He proceeded to make seven appearances for the Falcons down the stretch, finishing with 21 stops and two sacks. He’ll likely serve as a depth piece on Chicago’s defensive line in 2026.
Panthers To Sign C Luke Fortner
The Panthers may have found their replacement for Cade Mays. The team is set to sign veteran center Luke Fortner, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
It’s a one-year deal for Fortner, per Pelissero. The contract will pay the lineman up to $4.75MM.
The 2022 third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career in Jacksonville. He was a full-time starter through his first two years, but he was limited to only 13 offensive snaps in 17 games in 2024. Predictably, the Jaguars moved on from him following that campaign, trading him to the Saints for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Fortner returned to the starting lineup during his lone season in New Orleans, starting 10 of his 17 appearances. Pro Football Focus believed this was the best showing of the lineman’s career, ranking him 17th among 37 qualifying centers. The site ultimately credited him with three sacks allowed and 11 pressures allowed.
Mays joined the Lions yesterday on a three-year deal, and with center/guard Austin Corbett also unsigned, the Panthers had a major hole on their offensive line. Fortner will surely be penciled in for the starting gig entering training camp, but he could face some competition from special teamer Nick Samac or any other offseason acquisition.
Teddy Bridgewater To Rejoin Lions
Teddy Bridgewater is not heading back to retirement. The high school coach-turned-Buccaneers backup is heading back to Detroit. Bridgewater will rejoin the Lions, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Bridgewater’s first stint with the Lions came in 2023, when he barely saw the field as Jared Goff‘s primary backup. He opted to retire following that campaign and became a high school football coach. However, he returned to Detroit late in the 2024 season, bumping Hendon Hooker from his role as QB2. Bridgewater made a brief cameo during the team’s Divisional Round loss to the Commanders, but he otherwise didn’t play that season.
Instead of returning to his HS coaching gig, Bridgewater decided to continue his playing career in 2025. He signed with the Buccaneers in late August and spent the season serving as Baker Mayfield‘s top backup. Bridgewater got playing time in four contests, connecting on eight of his 15 pass attempts for 62 yards.
Now, he’ll return to a familiar spot in Detroit. Besides his first stint with the organization, Bridgewater also has a connection to Dan Campbell, who was on the Saints coaching staff during the QB’s stint in New Orleans. The Lions needed some depth at the position following the loss of backup QB David Montgomery Kyle Allen, and they landed on a familiar face.
Goff hasn’t missed a game since the 2021 season, so the Lions may be content entering the regular season with only the two veteran signal callers. Of course, in the scenario where Goff is forced to miss time, it seems unlikely that Bridgewater can keep the offense humming. The 33-year-old last started a game in 2022 with the Dolphins. His last full-time starting gig came with the Broncos in 2021. That season, Bridgewater guided his squad to a 7-7 record in his 14 starts, connecting on 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Still, the Lions clearly value Bridgewater’s veteran savviness, and the team is obviously operating under the assumption that they won’t have to lean on their QB2 in 2026.
Lions To Re-Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin
Rock Ya-Sin emerged as a key part of the Lions’ secondary in 2025, and he is now set to reprise his role in 2026. The veteran cornerback is expected to sign a one-year, $4MM deal to remain in Detroit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ya-Sin, 29, first signed with the Lions last offseason on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. That turned out to be an excellent value, especially given the injuries that plagued their secondary throughout the season. Ya-Sin appeared in every game, making six starts and commanding a 55% snap share. He put up a career-high nine passes defended, allowed a career-low 74.7 passer rating when targeted, and chipped in 47 tackles, his most since his rookie year.
With Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw both recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery, re-signing Ya-Sin ensures some continuity for Detroit’s pass defense. He will return to the unit alongside D.J. Reed. Both, though, will turn 30 this year, so the Lions may still look to add a cornerback in April’s draft. Rakestraw has only appeared in eight games in his career, and Arnold was trending downward in 2025 before his injury.
Ya-Sin has changed teams in each of the last four offseasons, but his agreement with the Lions will ensure that trend ends this year. Originally a Colts second-round pick in 2019, the former Temple Owl quickly carved out a starting role as a rookie. He largely held onto it over the next three years, but missed seven games due to injury.
Ya-Sin was traded to the Raiders for Yannick Ngakoue during the 2022 offseason, and he took up a starting job in Las Vegas. Injuries remained an issue, as he appeared in only 11 games. He then took one-year deals with the Ravens and the 49ers in the next two offseasons to add depth to their cornerback rotations, though he barely played in San Francisco.
Ya-Sin played a full season in 2025, the first of his career. A repeat effort would offer Detroit excellent value on their investment.
Commanders To Add LB Leo Chenal
After four seasons with the Chiefs, Leo Chenal will join former teammates Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti in Washington. The Commanders are signing the young linebacker, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
Chenal is signing a three-year, $24.75MM Commanders pact. Although this year’s linebacker class is deep, Chenal is one of the youngest options — at 25. The Chiefs re-signed Nick Bolton last year and have Drue Tranquill tied to a deal he inked in 2024. Kansas City, which is reshaping its secondary over the past week, will now lose another key defender.
PFR’s No. 39-ranked free agent, Chenal played a career-high 53% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in his contract year. Used in multiple capacities by DC Steve Spagnuolo, Chenal made between 58 and 65 tackles over the past three seasons while starting 44 games in that span. Spagnuolo preferred to use Tranquill over Chenal alongside Bolton over the past two campaigns, but Chenal’s work rate has never the less increased.
Pro Football Focus ranked all three of the Chiefs’ LB regulars in the top 20 at the position last year, and Chenal also submitted a 2023 season with eight tackles for loss. The former third-round pick has five playoff starts under his belt as well. An effective blitzer (seven career sacks), Chenal will be a key piece for new Washington DC Daronte Jones. Though, Chenal’s most memorable NFL contribution came when he saved the Chiefs from a November 2024 home loss to the Broncos by blocking Denver’s game-winning field goal attempt.
Washington has hybrid player Frankie Luvu in a contract year and has not re-signed Bobby Wagner, who has not missed a game during his two Commanders seasons. Chenal will be poised to become a full-time linebacker for the first time, regardless of who Washington puts around him on its defensive second level.
The Chiefs how lost Chenal, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook and Joshua Williams off their defense. The team released defensive lineman Mike Danna recently as well. Spagnuolo’s eighth Kansas City unit will look drastically different than his seventh.
Eagles To Add CB Riq Woolen
Riq Woolen‘s role on a Super Bowl-winning Seahawks defense will not result in a big-ticket multiyear deal, but the free agent cornerback is receiving a notable opportunity. The Eagles are signing him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
It is a one-year deal worth up to $15MM for the four-year Seattle regular. Philadelphia pursued Alontae Taylor, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, but that market settled with a three-year, $60MM Tennessee deal. A lower-cost commitment will commence with Woolen, who is being given a higher-end “prove it” deal.
The Seahawks discussed Woolen at the trade deadline and preferred to retain Josh Jobe, who arrived under Mike Macdonald. Woolen was a Pete Carroll-era fifth-rounder who played better under the previous Seattle HC. The 6-foot-4 corner blazed to a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, boosting his draft stock ahead of a six-INT rookie season — one that lost out to Sauce Gardner‘s debut for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.
Woolen intercepted 12 passes on his rookie deal and broke up 53, ranking in the 93rd percentile in forced incompletions (per Pro Football Focus). Still, Macdonald used Jobe in front of Woolen during the season’s second half, when the taller CB only topped 70% usage in one of the team’s final eight regular-season games. He still allowed a passer rating of 78.5, ranking 25th among 200-plus-snap CBs in 2025.
Woolen did clear the 70% snap barrier in both Seattle NFC playoff games, notably being whistled for a costly taunting penalty before allowing a third-quarter Rams touchdown. Woolen also defensed two passes against the 49ers and Rams in the postseason. This is a bit of a disappointment for Woolen, market-wise, but the Eagles will land a talented player going into an age-27 season.
Howie Roseman was not running the Eagles when they signed ex-Legion of Boom Seahawk CB Byron Maxwell in 2015 — that was the Chip Kelly-in-charge year — but this Roseman addition will supply an interesting former Super Bowl-winning Seahawk to join first-team All-Pros Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Woolen addition should allow DeJean to focus on his slot post, though The Athletic’s Zach Berman envisions more safety time for the standout cover man in base sets.
Philly tried a few measures to fill its No. 2 outside cornerback post last season. Neither Adoree’ Jackson nor Kelee Ringo was a strong option opposite Mitchell, and a midseason trade for Jaire Alexander preceded the former first-rounder stepping away from football. The Eagles are retaining ex-Jets slot Michael Carter II, but it looks like he has accepted a pay cut (Jackson is unsigned for 2026). It would now surprise if Woolen were not the starter alongside Mitchell and DeJean. Sliding the Iowa alum to safety in base formations would be a way to keep all three CBs on the field more often.
The Seahawks have now lost Woolen, Coby Bryant, Boye Mafe and Kenneth Walker from their Super Bowl LX roster. Seattle did re-sign Rashid Shaheed, however. Extensions will be on tap for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon, and the defending champions’ free agency effort will be cognizant of those upcoming megadeals.