Chargers, Akheem Mesidor Agree To Deal
The Chargers have agreed to a deal with first-round edge defender Akheem Mesidor, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. As the 22nd overall pick, Mesidor inked a four-year, $20.46MM contract.
Despite his age (25) and past injury issues, Mesidor was widely expected to come off the board in the first round. He was one of the top 30 prospects available, according to both Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 26) and Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 28). The Buccaneers reportedly would have taken Mesidor 15th overall had former Miami teammate and fellow edge defender Rueben Bain Jr. not slid to them.
Mesidor is entering the NFL with plenty of experience, having played in 65 college games over six seasons. The Canada native began at West Virginia, where he tallied 70 tackles, 14.5 TFL and 14.5 sacks from 2020-21.
Mesidor was mostly an interior lineman with the Mountaineers, but he took on an edge role upon transferring to Miami in 2022. After racking up 10.5 TFL and seven sacks in 11 games in his first season with the Hurricanes, foot problems held Mesidor to three appearances in 2023. He stayed healthy in his final two seasons at Miami, though, and his production exploded during a 15-game 2025. The 6-foot-3, 259-pounder amassed 38 tackles, 17.5 TFL and 12.5 sacks en route to first-team All-ACC and second-team All-America honors.
As someone who is also a capable run defender, Mesidor projects as a three-down player in the pros, according to Brugler. He could begin his career as the third or fourth option in a talented group of edge defenders in Los Angeles.
The Chargers lost Odafe Oweh to the Commanders’ four-year, $100MM offer in free agency, but they still boast Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu as starters. Bud Dupree and Kyle Kennard are in the mix as depth. Kennard is the only member of that quartet signed past the upcoming season, but the 2025 fourth-round pick disappointed during a five-game, two-tackle rookie campaign. The Chargers will expect much better production from Mesidor during his first season. If he pans out and the Chargers extend Tuipulotu, which general manager Joe Hortiz hopes to do, they will have a formidable pass-rushing duo for the next several years.
With Mesidor under wraps, the Chargers have locked up seven rookies from an eight-player class. Fourth-round receiver Brenen Thompson is the last unsigned pick standing.
Texans Sign 1st-Rounder Keylan Rutledge
The Texans have signed first-round guard Keylan Rutledge to his four-year rookie contract. As the 26th overall pick, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket will receive a fully guaranteed deal worth $19.28MM.
The Texans entered the draft holding the 28th selection, but general manager Nick Caserio traded up two spots with the Bills to reel in Rutledge. While Rutledge did not look like a first-round lock going into the draft, at least one other team eyed him in the top 32. Tennessee, one of Houston’s AFC South rivals, tried to jump ahead of the Texans to take Rutledge. Meanwhile, an executive from an NFC team told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Rutledge, not Vega Ioane, was the best guard in this year’s class. Ioane went 14th overall to the Ravens.
Rutledge spent his first two college seasons at Middle Tennessee State, where he was the primary starter at right guard. After transferring to Georgia Tech in 2024, he remained at the position and served as a full-time starter. Rutledge became the Yellow Jackets’ first player since legendary wide receiver Calvin Johnson to earn first-team All-ACC honors in two straight seasons (h/t: Dane Brugler of The Athletic). The 6-foot-3, 316-pounder was also a first-team All-American in 2025. Caserio sees Rutledge as a perfect fit for his club.
“The things that stand out about him, toughness, violence, physicality, his playing style, his intelligence,” Caserio said (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2). “Basically, the guy wants to step on your throat on every play, which I would say sort of embodies what our football team is about, the way we play.”
While Houston expects Rutledge to emerge as a long-term starter, it may not be at his typical position. The Texans have a pair of pricey veteran guard starters in the extended Ed Ingram and free agent addition Wyatt Teller. With those two in the fold, Rutledge could battle Jake Andrews for the starting center job, according to Wilson. Rutledge lined up at center at the Senior Bowl and has also gotten first-team work there in practices with the Texans.
The Rutledge signing brings the Texans one step closer to getting all of their draft picks under contract. Fourth-round guard Febechi Nwaiwu is the lone member of their eight-player class who remains unsigned.
Cardinals Release K Joshua Karty, Sign S Isaiah Oliver
The Cardinals have brought an early end to the battle between kickers Joshua Karty and Chad Ryland. They released Karty on Thursday, per a team announcement. Arizona signed safety Isaiah Oliver in a corresponding move.
The Rams spent a 2024 sixth-round pick on Karty, a Stanford product who impressed as a rookie. Karty converted 29 of 34 field goals and 32 of 36 extra points then, but his production declined during a rough 2025 for the Rams’ special teams unit. He missed five of his 15 field goal tries and went 23 of 26 on extra points over eight games, leading the Rams to elevate kicker Harrison Mevis from their practice squad in Week 10.
Mevis thrived after his promotion and never gave the job back to Karty, whom the Rams cut in late November. While they brought him back a few days later as a member of their practice squad, the Cardinals signed him away on Dec. 23. Karty did not get into either of the Cardinals’ last two games, but they retained him as an exclusive rights free agent.
Barring another outside addition, the Cardinals will continue with Ryland, who re-signed on a one-year deal in March. The former Patriot has made just 76.7% of field goals during his three-year career, though he has converted 86 of 88 extra points. He nailed all 36 PATs in 2025.
The 6-foot, 202-pound Oliver entered the league in 2018 as a second-round pick of the Falcons. Oliver became a starter in his second season, but he has mostly worked as a backup since a knee injury limited him to four games in 2021. He stuck with the Falcons through 2022, left for the 49ers in 2023, and then spent the past two seasons with the Jets. As part of a New York defense that failed to intercept a pass in 2025, Oliver got into 14 games, made two starts and recorded 55 tackles. The 29-year-old’s season ended in mid-December as a result of a knee injury.
Overall, Oliver has totaled 110 appearances (53 starts), 42 passes defensed and three picks during his eight-year career. The Phoenix native will now try to earn a spot in a Budda Baker-led safety group that also includes Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, free agent pickup Andrew Wingard, Joey Blount, Kitan Crawford and undrafted rookie Wydett Williams Jr.
Lions Not Close To Extension Agreement With RB Jahmyr Gibbs
JUNE 4: When speaking to the media on Thursday, Gibbs said (via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard) he is not worried about agreeing to a new deal in time for the upcoming season. He added he is also not concerned about the possibility of Robinson signing his extension earlier. It will be interesting to see how the timing shakes out with those two backs, and the impact one deal will ultimately have on the other.
MAY 30: The Lions have finalized one big-money second contract with a member of their 2023 draft class (linebacker Jack Campbell). Three other notable players from that group are eligible for extensions, including Jahmyr Gibbs.
A payday for Detroit’s lead back has long been on the team’s radar. It would come as little surprise if Gibbs were to find himself securing a new deal relatively soon as he appears to be the next in line for one. There is plenty of work still to be done on that front, however.
During an appearance on NFL Live yesterday (video link), ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported there has not yet been much progress during negotiations between Gibbs and the Lions. Plenty of time remains for an agreement to be reached before the start of training camp, of course. Detroit also has the option of remaining patient in this case with Gibbs under team control through 2027.
A key factor as it pertains to Gibbs will no doubt be the movement seen in the running back market as early as this summer. Fowler noted, to no surprise, a pact averaging $20MM or more per year is likely for Gibbs. Saquon Barkley‘s pact currently leads all running backs with an average annual value of $20.6MM, but the bar could move multiple times in short order. Bijan Robinson is a strong candidate to become the league’s highest-paid back; he and Gibbs have become two of the NFL’s most productive at the position across the past three years.
A report from last month indicated Robinson is expected to land a more valuable extension than Gibbs. According to Fowler, however, some around the league view Detroit’s RB1 as being better than Atlanta’s. That could result in Gibbs moving to the top of the financial pecking order. In any case, the timing of extensions being worked out will no doubt be critical, and each fourth-year producer could prefer to wait until the other signs a deal.
Gibbs split carries with David Montgomery during his rookie season in particular, but he has taken on a major workload on the ground and through the air since arriving as a first-round pick. The 24-year-old has amassed over 5,000 scrimmage yards to date while scoring 49 total touchdowns. Any commitment made by the team will ensure Gibbs remains in the Motor City while making him one of several offensive players attached to a big-ticket deal.
The likes of quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and left tackle Penei Sewell are already on the books at a large cost for Detroit. Tight end Sam LaPorta is a pending 2027 free agent, and the Lions are also interested in a new contract in his case. Fitting Gibbs into that financial setup will carry challenges, but an uptick in negotiations to work out a long-term pact is likely to take place over the coming weeks.
Jaguars Sign CB Dane Jackson, OL Trystan Colon; CB Keith Taylor Placed On IR
The Jaguars have added a pair of veterans ahead of minicamp. Cornerback Dane Jackson and offensive lineman Trystan Colon have been signed, the team announced on Thursday.
In corresponding moves, cornerback Keith Taylor has been placed on injured reserve while offensive lineman Sal Wormley has been waived (meaning he will hit the wire before becoming a free agent if unclaimed). Players moved to IR at this stage of the offseason are guaranteed to miss the entire campaign, so today’s news is a major blow for Taylor. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports the veteran recently suffered a pectoral tear while weightlifting.
Jackson was one of several members of Buffalo’s secondary who was released in March. Being cut brought an end to his second Bills stint; the six-year veteran has played five totals seasons with the team. A one-year run with the Panthers which did not go according to plan preceded Jackson’s Buffalo return for 2025. The 29-year-old will look to provide an injury replacement for Taylor and offer Jacksonville with depth in the secondary.
Colon saw sparse usage across a three-year Ravens stint to begin his career. The former undrafted free agent then spent a pair of seasons in Arizona, totaling 11 starts. Colon was with the Lions for 2025 and made 12 appearances (including four starts) as Detroit worked through a number of injuries up front. He has seen over 300 snaps at center along with both guard positions over the course of his career. A depth role on the interior will be sought out this summer.
Jacksonville entered Thursday with roughly $9.5MM in cap space. The additions of Jackson and Colon can be expected to check in at or near the veteran minimum. Further roster shuffling in advance of training camp – along with mandatory minicamp, which will run from June 15-17 – should be possible as a result.
Tyler Guyton, Nate Thomas Competing For Cowboys’ LT Position
Tyler Guyton has totaled 21 starts at left tackle early in his career. It is not certain he will remain atop the depth chart heading into his third Cowboys season, however.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Thursday (via ESPN’s Todd Archer) Guyton and Nate Thomas will compete for the starting gig at left tackle this offseason. Spring workouts are underway already, but the evaluation for offensive and defensive linemen in particular will of course truly begin during padded practices in training camp. That period will be critical for Guyton.
Schottenheimer offered praise for the 2024 first-rounder based on how things have gone so far in offseason work. Guyton will nevertheless need to earn his first-team position this summer. Penalties and sacks allowed were issues during his rookie campaign. While the Oklahoma product managed to improve in both areas in 2025, his PFF evaluation for last year left plenty to be desired.
Guyton will enter training camp as the favorite to retain starting duties at left tackle, Jon Machota of The Athletic writes. 2026 will mark his age-25 season, and improved play would be critical in stabilizing the blindside for Dallas now and in the future. It would also make the Cowboys’ fifth-round option decision easier in Guyton’s case, of course; a call on that front will need to be made next spring.
Thomas was also taken in the 2024 draft, joining Dallas as a seventh-rounder. After not playing during his rookie campaign, Thomas appeared in all 17 games last season (totaling four starts). The Louisiana alum drew poor PFF grades for his pass protection in particular, so expectations would be tempered in the event he were to begin 2026 on the blindside. Machota writes fourth-round rookie Drew Shelton could also see looks at left tackle if needed.
A contingency could be for the Cowboys to move Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith to left tackle. As Smith recently told Schottenheimer (via the team’s website), though, his preference would be to remain on the inside on a permanent basis. Machota confirms Smith playing at tackle is a scenario neither team nor player would prefer. As a result, the performances of Guyton and Thomas will be worth monitoring closely over the course of the summer.
Lions WR Kendrick Law Suffers ACL Tear
Kendrick Law will not be available to the Lions in 2026. Head coach Dan Campbell said on Thursday (via team reporter Tim Twentyman) the rookie receiver tore his ACL in practice earlier this week.
Law was the second of two players selected in the fifth round of April’s draft by the Lions. The Alabama and Kentucky product experienced a significant uptick in production during the 2025 season, his first and only as a member of the Wildcats. Law posted 540 yards on 53 catches during his final college campaign.
A depth role awaited him upon entry into the NFL, but Law’s attention will now turn to a lengthy recovery period instead. The soon-to-be 23-year-old will attempt to rehab in time for spring workouts and training camp next year and in doing so allow himself to carve out a roster spot in 2027. Law’s rookie contract runs through 2029.
Detroit’s passing attack will once again lean heavily on Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams this season. Both veterans remain attached to big-ticket deals, and their performances will be key in allowing the Lions to return to the playoffs in 2026. Isaac TeSlaa – taken in the third round of last year’s draft – along with free agent signings Greg Dortch and Cedrick Wilson round out the top spots on the WR depth chart.
Law will be headed to injured reserve as confirmation his rookie campaign ended well before it began. Meanwhile, the Lions signed another wideout in the form of Kyre Duplessis on Thursday, per a team announcement. He will look to fill in for Law in terms of competing for a backup/special teams role over the course of the summer.
Chiefs To Host CB L’Jarius Sneed
L’Jarius Sneed has been a free agent since March when his Titans tenure came to an expected end. The veteran cornerback could soon be lining up a reunion with his former team, though.
Sneed will visit the Chiefs today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Over the first four seasons of his career, Sneed was a key figure in Kansas City’s secondary. The team’s standard practice of avoiding big-ticket CB deals came into play in his case during the 2024 offseason, however. Sneed received the franchise tag before being traded to the Titans.
Tennessee immediately worked out a four-year, $76.4MM extension as part of the deal to acquire Sneed. That contract did not work out as planned, to say the least. The former fourth-rounder was limited to only 12 games across his two Tennessee seasons. When on the field, Sneed was held without an interception and allowed a passer rating of 107.7. That represented a sharp decline compared to his work in coverage when in Kansas City.
An alleged incident from December 2024 originally resulted in Sneed facing an aggravated assault charge. The case was ultimately heard by a grand jury, and an indictment emerged in November. By that point, Sneed was only charged with failure to report a felony. One month ago, that charge was dropped and the case was dismissed as a result. No developments on the free agent front had emerged prior to today’s news.
The Chiefs opted once again to move on from a high-end CB producer this spring rather than making a long-term commitment in the case of Trent McDuffie. He was traded away, while fellow starter Jaylen Watson departed in free agency. Their absences left cornerback as a position of need leading up to the draft. To no surprise, the Chiefs traded up to No. 6 and selected Mansoor Delane with their top pick.
The LSU standout will be counted on to serve as a starter right away, but Kansas City could use further depth in the secondary. Sneed, 29, would offer the team a familiar and experienced presence, while his next contract will of course cost far less than his $19.8MM-per-year Titans deal. The Chiefs currently have roughly $12.5MM in cap space, so taking a flier on Sneed would be feasible from a financial standpoint.
Steelers, TE Robert Tonyan Agree To Deal
Robert Tonyan‘s recent Steelers workout has resulted in an agreement. The veteran tight end is signing with Pittsburgh on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports.
Tonyan is a familiar face to head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers based on their time together in Green Bay. A reunion between those three has now been arranged in short order. Tonyan will be in the fold as he aims to compete for a roster spot during training camp.
Carving out a role will be challenging given Pittsburgh’s existing depth at the tight end position. Pat Freiermuth – whose contract was recently reworked – is set to lead the way once again in 2026. Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward are no longer in the fold, but Darnell Washington agreed to a $42MM extension yesterday. He will be joined by fifth-round rookie Riley Nowakowski as a key blocking presence in particular on the Steelers’ offense.
Tonyan, 32, spent his first five seasons in Green Bay. He remained in the NFC North for another two years following that run, spending the 2023 campaign in Chicago before playing in Minnesota the following year. That Vikings stint was limited to only five games, but Tonyan managed to enjoy a full season in 2025 while serving in a depth role for the Chiefs.
The Indiana State product topped 50 catches twice in a season, with both of those occasions coming during his time in Green Bay. Expectations will no doubt be tempered for Tonyan upon arrival in Pittsburgh, though. He caught 11 touchdown passes in 2020 but has managed a total of four since then. It will be interesting to see how many reps he receives during training camp while trying to establish himself as a depth pass-catching option.
The Steelers entered Thursday at the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space with $4.29MM available. This Tonyan pact will no doubt be worth the veteran minimum, so it will not greatly affect any further moves Pittsburgh plans to make during what has proven to be a busy period on the contract front.
Jim Schwartz Addresses Browns Departure
Shortly after the Browns fired Kevin Stefanski, it became clear Jim Schwartz was interested in replacing him as head coach. The veteran defensive coordinator was among the candidates to conduct a second interview with Cleveland.
Schwartz seemed to be in the lead regarding the Browns’ HC search at points during the process, and the team’s preference was to keep him in the organization in one capacity or another. In the end, though, Todd Monken wound up being hired as the new head coach. The former Ravens OC’s arrival led to Schwartz eyeing a departure, and he resigned in early February.
“Anybody that’s in any business, you get passed over for promotion when you’ve done a really, really good job in your job, and you think you were in line for that promotion, it’s time to go,” Schwartz said when reflecting on his decision during an appearance on the “Ryan Ripken Show” (h/t Matt Moret of The Athletic). “I mean, a forced marriage isn’t going to work in the NFL… And I didn’t feel like I could do my job after getting passed over for the head coaching job.”
Upon arrival in Cleveland, Monken was noncommittal on the topic of retaining Schwartz. The veteran defensive mind had been in place with the Browns since 2023. Cleveland posted a top-four finish in points allowed twice in that span, but that was not enough for Schwartz to get the nod for what would have been a second NFL head coaching opportunity. The 60-year-old is set to spend 2026 out of coaching before a potential return elsewhere next season.
Schwartz added it “wouldn’t have been good” for himself or Monken to have him remain in place for the coming campaign. The possibility of split loyalties to the head coach and defensive coordinator among players was mentioned by Schwartz as something worth avoiding when speaking about his decision. His presence (and now absence) certainty had an impact, as Schwartz’s resignation was a factor in Myles Garrett‘s decision to waive his no-trade clause and facilitate his recent move to the Rams.
Monken wound up hiring former Falcons defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg for the DC position. 2026 will mark his first stint as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels, and he will be tasked with maintaining a high level of play leading a defense which no longer has Garrett in the fold. When it comes to the 2027 hiring cycle, meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how strong Schwartz’s market winds up being.