Dolphins To Sign Josh Uche
After a one-year stint with the Eagles, edge rusher Josh Uche is returning to his native Miami. The Dolphins are signing Uche to a one-year pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
A Patriots second-round pick in 2020, Uche was at his best during an 11.5-sack outburst in 2022. He has been unable to reach those heights since then. Over the past three seasons, which he divided among the Pats, Chiefs and Eagles, Uche combined for six sacks in 40 games.
Uche has started just four of 76 games in the NFL. The 6-foot-3, 226-pounder continued in a rotational role last season in Philadelphia, where he came off the bench in all 12 appearances.
Across 244 defensive snaps, Uche registered just three QB hits and one sack. While those numbers are uninspiring, Uche accrued 23 pressures and 21 hurries, per Pro Football Focus. PFF assigned Uche an impressive 85.1 grade for his work as an Eagle.
Now that Uche is heading to Miami, he will reunite with new Dolphins linebackers coach Al Washington. He coached Michigan’s LBs in 2018, when Uche notched seven sacks during his junior year with the Wolverines.
Teaming up with Washington again, Uche could log more playing time on a rebuilding Miami club devoid of edge rushers beyond Chop Robinson. Bradley Chubb led last year’s Dolphins with 8.5 sacks, but they released him in a cost-cutting move. If Uche is successful in helping to fill Chubb’s void, he could set himself up for a better deal a year from now.
Patriots To Release Anfernee Jennings
Although the Patriots shopped outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings before last November’s trade deadline, he ended up finishing the season with the AFC champions. The team is now set to release Jennings, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
This will end a lengthy tenure in New England for Jennings, who joined what was then a Bill Belichick-led franchise in 2020. Initially an inside linebacker, the former third-rounder from Alabama made minimal impact as a reserve during his first three seasons. Jennings missed his entire second year with an undisclosed injury.
After a 16-game, three-start 2022, Jennings took on a much bigger role the next season. As a 14-game starter in 15 appearances, Jennings totaled 66 tackles and 14 TFL over 677 defensive snaps. Jennings only put up 1.5 sacks, but he was a force against the run. The Patriots were impressed enough to hand Jennings a three-year, $12MM deal during the ensuing offseason.
Jennings remained in a starting role in 2024, the Patriots’ lone season with Jerod Mayo as their head coach. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder recorded career highs in snaps (831), tackles (78), starts (16), QB hits (nine) and sacks (2.5).
In a move that helped spark a drastic one-year turnaround for the Patriots, Mike Vrabel replaced Mayo in 2025. Jennings played 14 games under Vrabel and a new staff, but his impact diminished. Across 280 snaps and three starts, Jennings logged 26 tackles, seven QB hits, five TFL and a pair of sacks. He chipped in another 16 tackles and two sacks in the Patriots’ four-game playoff run. Pro Football Focus ranked Jennings’ regular-season performance a middling 57th among 119 qualifying edge rushers, though he earned a top-20 grade against the run.
In releasing the 28-year-old Jennings, the Patriots will save around $3.8MM. The club lost edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson to the Commanders earlier Wednesday, but it prepared for his exit in agreeing to sign Dre’Mont Jones on Monday.
Cowboys Unlikely To Pursue Maxx Crosby
The Cowboys were among the teams in talks for Maxx Crosby before the Ravens agreed to acquire him from the Ravens last Friday. The Ravens were prepared to part with two first-round picks until they shockingly backed out of the deal on Tuesday night. Crosby’s status is once again in limbo as the new league year begins.
The Raiders could still move Crosby, but the Cowboys are not expected to get involved in a new round of talks, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Baltimore called off the blockbuster swap after Crosby, who is recovering from a full meniscus repair, failed its physical. Dr. Dan Cooper, the Cowboys’ team physician, has expressed concerns over Crosby’s knee, Jane Slater of NFL Network told 105.3 The Fan.
Less than a year after shipping Micah Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the Cowboys would have sent a first- and a second-rounder to the Raiders for Crosby. While a healthy Crosby would have given the Cowboys a credible Parsons replacement, they have since pivoted to Rashan Gary in another trade with the Packers. Further pass-rushing acquisitions could still be on the way for Dallas, but it appears Crosby is off the table for owner Jerry Jones & Co.
Although Crosby’s balky knee scared off the Ravens and Cowboys, the five-time Pro Bowler is off crutches and “on schedule” in his recovery, Adam Schefter of ESPN relays. The goal is for Crosby to be ready for Week 1 next season.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Crosby’s surgery, told Schefter: “Maxx Crosby is doing very well in the early part of his rehab and recovery from surgery to treat a significant meniscus tear and the related stress injury to the bone and cartilage in his knee. He is certainly on track in his planned program….he feels very well and is already much improved compared to before surgery.”
Dr. ElAttrache continued: “We truly respect the work of the Ravens staff with Maxx regarding the contract physical exam. We also understand the challenge the staff faces when tasked to provide a future risk assessment based on an evaluation early in the recovery process.”
While he added that “the apparent risk will lessen as [Crosby’s] recovery progresses,” neither the Ravens nor Cowboys are willing to make a significant investment in the 28-year-old. The Ravens moved on to fellow star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, whom they added on a four-year, $112MM deal on Wednesday. It appeared there was finally an answer on Crosby’s future last week, but now it is murkier than ever.
Dolphins To Re-Sign LB Willie Gay
The Dolphins just saw K.J. Britt agree to terms with the Patriots, but another of their role players on defense is staying. Veteran linebacker Willie Gay is coming back to Miami on a one-year deal, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson tweets.
Formerly the Chiefs’ top Nick Bolton sidekick, Gay never signed a second Kansas City contract. The Chiefs ended up preferring Drue Tranquill, re-signing him in 2024 and letting Gay walk. Gay joined the Saints that year and played last season with the Dolphins. Today marks his third straight one-year contract.
Miami had Gay on a one-year, $1.34MM deal in 2025. That represented a pay cut from his Saints rate ($3MM); it is safe to say Gay’s stock has dropped from when he was a three-time Chiefs Super Bowl starter.
Although Gay played 17 Dolphins games last season, he only started two. This came after 47 Chiefs starting assignments and eight with the Saints. Gay, 28, played just 12% of Miami’s defensive snaps in 2025.
Jordyn Brooks resides as the Dolphins’ linebacking centerpiece, and Tyrel Dodson is also under contract. A former first-round pick, Brooks is entering the final season of his three-year, $26.25MM contract. As I discussed in PFR’s Dolphins Offseason Outlook, the prolific tackler should be an extension candidate. But the Dolphins have hired new decision-makers, clouding that matter to a degree. But Jeff Hafley will use Gay as a defender/depth piece next season.
Patriots To Sign LB K.J. Britt
The Patriots are adding a veteran piece to their defense. Linebacker K.J. Britt is heading to New England on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Britt, 26, was a 2021 fifth-round pick who spent the first four years of his career in Tampa Bay. He emerged as a starter in 2024 but only received a one-year deal from the Dolphins in the following offseason. He appeared in every game in Miami last year with a backup role on defense and career-high 334 special teams snaps.
Britt will now join what has quietly become a deep off-ball linebacker room. The group is led by veterans Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, and Jack Gibbens. Marte Mapu and Chad Muma, both 2023 draft picks, provide depth and contribute on special teams.
Britt will fall into the latter category and is somewhat of a roster replacement for Jahlani Tavai, who was released on Monday after five years in New England, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The move saves $1.7MM in 2026 cap space with just under $3.5MM in dead money, per OverTheCap, though those numbers can change to $3.2MM and $2.0MM with a post-June 1 designation. Tavai still has $600k in guaranteed salary due in 2026 as well.
Tavai started 32 games in his previous two seasons in New England, but his playing time went down sharply after Mike Vrabel’s arrival last year. His 32% defensive snap share was the second-lowest of his career, and his statistics dropped accordingly. The seven-year veteran’s history of strong special teams play should ensure that he finds a new home before the season.
Bills Restructure Josh Allen’s Contract
Twelve months after inking superstar quarterback Josh Allen to a record-setting extension worth $330MM over six years, the Bills have tweaked the contract. The team has converted $15.2MM of Allen’s salary into a signing bonus, clearing $12MM in cap space for this year, according to Spotrac.
This is the latest noteworthy move the Bills have made to reach cap compliance before the new league year begins this afternoon. They agreed to a restructured contract with one of Allen’s targets, tight end Dawson Knox, on Tuesday. They reworked kicker Tyler Bass‘ deal shortly before adjusting Knox’s. The Bills are still approximately $2MM in the red, per OverTheCap.
Although the Bills are not in a favorable financial position, they nonetheless brought in high-priced wide receiver D.J. Moore in a trade with the Bears. They also re-signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52MM pact. The edge rusher-needy club has also been in on expensive defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby.
Baltimore beat out Buffalo and others to win the Hendrickson derby on Wednesday. The Hendrickson signing came after the Ravens’ agreement to acquire Crosby from the Raiders stunningly collapsed on Tuesday evening. Crosby, who is recovering from meniscus surgery, failed the Ravens’ physical. It’s unknown whether the Bills or other teams will circle back on trade talks for the five-time Pro Bowler.
Along with adding Moore and retaining McGovern, the Bills addressed their need at slot corner in agreeing to sign former Falcon Dee Alford for three years and $21MM. In addition to edge rusher, there are still holes to fill at linebacker and safety, among other areas. Even with a newfound $12MM from restructuring Allen’s contract, general manager Brandon Beane is facing an uphill battle in free agency.
Ravens Restructure Lamar Jackson’s Deal
As the Ravens make a controversial pivot from a Maxx Crosby trade to a Trey Hendrickson free agency addition, a similar cost is on tap. Either way, the team needed to make a move with Lamar Jackson‘s contract to reduce an untenable 2026 cap number.
Baltimore has done so, but no extension has been reached. The Ravens are restructuring Jackson’s deal, CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala reports. Jackson’s restructure is expected to open up around $40MM in cap space, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.
This will come from a $49.56MM base-to-bonus conversion, per Spotrac, as $39.96MM in additional funds will be available now. Jackson’s new cap number checks in at $34.54MM, according to ESPN’s Jameson Hensley, but the Ravens will need to address this contract again by next year. The final season of the deal is due to produce, after this restructure, an $84.49MM cap hit.
This move will drop Jackson’s cap hit from $74.5MM, where it had been sitting as a payroll anchor. Jackson will still be expected to work toward an extension this offseason, and it is worth wondering why the two-time MVP did not attempt to maximize his value by leveraging his high cap hit — as the Ravens needed to lower it to make room for Hendrickson and John Simpson — by pushing for a monster re-up now. But Jackson has not been a conventional negotiator during his NFL years, as his lengthy path to his second contract showed.
The Ravens had not gone to the Jackson restructure well previously. He carried a $43.5MM cap number last year. That figure falling in 2026 will give Baltimore more space to operate, but it will still cost — in all likelihood — more than $60MM per year to extend Jackson a second time. Dak Prescott‘s four-year, $260MM Cowboys deal has topped the league since September 2024. Jackson, 29, has a clear case to eclipse that — especially as the cap has climbed by nearly $50MM (to $301.2MM) since that Dallas deal was finalized.
Rumblings about a Jackson extension last year emerged, but nothing came of it. The Ravens had hoped to extend Tyler Linderbaum as well, but they ended up losing him (to the Raiders) this week. Baltimore did complete a record-setting Kyle Hamilton re-up. Although not much action occurred on the QB market last year, with Prescott’s deal not being approached, the cap climb will still put Jackson in good position. Two years remain on his contract, and this restructure will hike the dead money on the deal in the highly unlikely event the Ravens do not extend him by March 2028.
Titans To Re-Sign K Joey Slye
Joey Slye has bounced around the league in recent years, but he will stick the same team in 2026. The Titans are keeping the veteran kicker around, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the sides agreed to a one-year deal.
Playing for the Commanders in 2023 and Patriots in 2024, Slye caught on with the Titans last year. Tennessee hired a new coaching staff this offseason but retained ST coordinator John Fassel. That undoubtedly affected Slye’s 2026 status.
He of two 60-plus-yard field goals — with the Commanders and Pats — Slye connected on a 58-yard try with the Titans last season. The former Panthers kicker went 28-for-35 on FGs in 2025. Slye, 30 next month, has not been among the most accurate kickers in the league in recent years. He has not made more than 84% of his kicks since the 2021 season. He came in south of 80% in 2023 and ’24, but the strong-legged specialist will receive another opportunity under Fassel, Robert Saleh and GM Mike Borgonzi.
A former Giants UDFA, Slye succeeded Graham Gano in Carolina in 2019 but did not complete his rookie contract with the team. The Panthers waived Slye in 2021, and he spent that season with the 49ers and Texans. Slye did not initially sign with the Patriots in 2024, first committing to the Jaguars. But Jacksonville moved on after training camp, leading Slye to New England.
The Titans are team No. 8 for Slye, though he never kicked with their the Giants or Jaguars. The Titans have seen Nick Folk become the NFL’s most accurate kicker over the past three seasons; Tennessee moved on from the aging vet in 2025, turning to Slye. Folk has since left the Jets for the Falcons.
Colts Targeting Two-Year Daniel Jones Extension
More progress is coming out of Indianapolis. After reports revealed Daniel Jones and the Colts were progressing on a deal Tuesday, more momentum is forming Wednesday morning.
The Colts and Jones have made “significant progress” toward what would be a two-year extension, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report. A deal could come together today. That would be a win for the Colts, who have a lofty transition tag figure ($37.83MM) clogging their cap sheet presently. They have around $30.95MM in space, but lowering Jones’ cap number would allow them to make more upgrades to their roster.
Indianapolis made a major commitment earlier this week in agreeing to re-sign wide receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116MM contract. It appeared Pierce would test the market before his deal came together as the negotiating window opened Monday. But the four-year veteran’s desire to continue playing with Jones was among the reasons he decided to stay, according to Rapoport. As such, it is no surprise that the Colts are working diligently to get something done with Jones.
With Pierce’s help, Jones enjoyed a career year in 2025 before it ended with an Achilles tear in early December. The Colts bought relatively low on Jones, the former Giants starter and Vikings backup, in signing him to a one-year, $14MM contract last offseason. The 28-year-old rewarded them with personal-best marks in completion percentage (68.0), yards per attempt (8.1), passer rating (100.2) and QBR (63.0) over 13 games. The Colts went 8-5 in Jones’ starts and 0-4 under subs Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard.
Although the team missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year, general manager Chris Ballard is of the belief he finally has an answer at quarterback in Jones. Having traded his next two first-round picks to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner last November, Ballard does not have an avenue to find a clear solution in the draft in the near future. Between that and an uninspiring class of free agent signal-callers, Jones has leverage in talks.
Jones also had leverage in talks when he inked a four-year, $160MM extension with the Giants in 2023. Had no deal come together, the Giants would have placed the franchise tag on Jones and allowed running back Saquon Barkley to reach free agency. The Jones agreement enabled them to tag Barkley, who wound up walking in free agency a year later. Meanwhile, signing Jones proved to be a mistake for the Giants.
Jones flamed out after securing a raise in New York, leading the team to waive him in November 2024. The Colts are not expecting a similar fate for Jones in their uniform. Judging by their desire to give Jones another sizable payday, they are confident his 2025 resurgence is sustainable.
Commanders To Add DE K’Lavon Chaisson
K’Lavon Chaisson completed a midcareer breakout last season, impressing on a one-year deal with the Patriots. While a multiyear pact will not come together for the Super Bowl regular, he will receive a notable raise after boosting his stock.
After losing out on the Trey Hendrickson sweepstakes, the Commanders are adding Chaisson, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. It is a one-year deal worth $12MM, with Chaisson joining fellow free agent Odafe Oweh to refuel Washington’s defensive end corps.
This represents an appreciable increase over the one-year, $5MM pact Chaisson signed with the Patriots last March. While Chaisson was coming off a personal-best five-sack season with the Raiders then, his career had nonetheless been a disappointment. The Jaguars thought enough of the former LSU standout to use the 20th pick on him in 2020, but Chaisson managed just five sacks over four years in their uniform.
Last season was another step forward for Chaisson, who registered a new career high with 7.5 sacks in 16 games (10 starts) for the AFC-winning Patriots. He added 18 QB hits, twice as many as his previous high of nine, as well as 10 TFL and two forced fumbles. Chaisson continued to produce in the postseason, a four-game run in which he added three more sacks and a forced fumble.
Aside from taking what proved to be a successful one-year gamble on Von Miller, the Commanders did little to address their pass rush last offseason. It has been a clear point of emphasis this year, however, with Oweh and Chaisson coming aboard to join Dorance Armstrong as Washington’s top edge rushers. Miller, who led last year’s team with nine sacks despite playing just under 37% of snaps, is now a free agent.
During a bitterly disappointing 5-12 showing in 2025, the Commanders’ defense ranked 27th in the NFL in scoring and dead last in yards allowed. Head coach Dan Quinn subsequently replaced coordinator Joe Whitt with Daronte Jones in January. General manager Adam Peters has since upgraded the unit’s personnel in adding Oweh, Chaisson, linebacker Leo Chenal, tackle Tim Settle and cornerback Amik Robertson early in free agency.