Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/26
Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Oli Udoh
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Feleipe Franks, OLB Nick Hampton
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: DL Sam Kamara
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: T Luke Tenuta
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: C Ryan McCollum
The versatile Udoh has played every offensive line position but center since his career began with the Vikings in 2019. Udoh was a 16-game starter for the Vikings in 2021, during which he mostly lined up at right guard. He has otherwise worked as a backup for the Vikings, Saints and Titans. The 29-year-old started three of 17 appearances last season in Tennessee, which used him at both tackle spots.
Undrafted from Stony Brook in 2021, Kamara played in eight games with the Bears as a rookie. Since then, Kamara has yo-yoed between the Browns’ practice squad and roster. Over 18 games in Cleveland, including four last season, the 28-year-old has picked up 28 tackles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/26
Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Teagan Quitoriano
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT James Lynch
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: OLB Julian Okwara
- Signed: S Daniel Thomas
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Tycen Anderson
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DE Sam Okuayinonu
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: WR Cody White
Okwara returns to Cleveland after spending the entire 2025 season on the practice squad. The former third-round pick has 10.0 sacks in his six years of NFL play with five coming in his sophomore campaign. The addition of Thomas provides the Browns with a veteran special teams contributor.
The 49ers are bringing back Okuayinonu after the fourth-year defender filled in for 12 starts and two postseason starts with San Francisco last year. He’s recorded three sacks in each of the past two years for the 49ers.
NFC Contract Details: Phillips, Saints, Evans, Bears, Cowboys, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Eagles
We covered a batch of contract details from the AFC earlier today. Here are the numbers from some of the NFC’s biggest deals from free agency’s first wave:
- Jaelan Phillips, OLB (Panthers). Four years, $120MM. Of Phillips’ $80MM guarantee, $60MM is locked in at signing (per SI.com’s Albert Breer). Phillips secured an early guarantee as well, according to OverTheCap, with $20MM of his 2028 base salary becoming guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- David Edwards, G (Saints). Four years, $61MM. Edwards secured $45MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, with $40MM at signing (via OverTheCap). The Saints gave Edwards — who was tied to a two-year, $6MM Bills deal from 2024-25 — guarantees through 2028, with Terrell indicating $10MM of the guard’s $15MM 2028 base salary is locked in at signing (Edwards’ full guarantee ranks sixth among guards). The remaining $5MM in 2028 compensation vests on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, per OverTheCap. Edwards is also due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2029 league year, Terrell adds.
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. Evans will receive $14.3MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. Two nonguaranteed option bonuses are included in the deal, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who indicates a $12.05MM option bonus is in place for 2027 and a $10.95MM bonus for 2028. Four void years are in place on the deal, which includes $4.25MM, $7.31MM and $9.7MM cap numbers. Essentially, this is a one-year, $14.3MM accord with team options.
- Coby Bryant, S (Bears). Three years, $40MM. Bryant landed $25.75MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Bryant secured a Year 2 fully guaranteed base salary ($12.25MM), SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. A $500K roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2028 league year.
- Jermaine Eluemunor, RT (Giants). Three years, $39MM. Eluemunor secured a $25.45MM guarantee at signing, Wilson adds. (This comes after he played out a two-year, $14MM deal.) Eluemunor received $12.15MM of his $12.4MM 2027 salary guaranteed (via OverTheCap).
- Kaden Elliss, LB (Saints). Three years, $33MM. Of that total, Terrell notes $23MM is fully guaranteed. Both Elliss’ 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed.
- Sean Rhyan, OL (Packers). Three years, $33MM. Per Packers non-QB norms, Rhyan’s signing bonus ($11MM) represents his only fully guaranteed money. Green Bay included a $6.65MM roster bonus, which ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, Demovsky adds.
- Isaac Seumalo, G (Cardinals). Three years, $31.5MM. Seumalo secured $19MM guaranteed, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with $15MM fully guaranteed. Semualo received $3MM of his 2027 base salary ($8MM) guaranteed at signing; another $4MM of the 2027 salary locks in on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Javonte Williams, RB (Cowboys). Three years, $24MM. Williams scored $16MM at signing. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are locked in, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. There are $3MM — $1MM per year — in per-game roster bonuses.
- Riq Woolen, CB (Eagles). One year, $12MM. The deal is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Seeing as this is the Eagles, there are four void years included in this contract. If he is not re-signed before the deal voids in 2027, the Eagles would be hit with $8.59MM in dead money.
Fallout From Vikings’ Kyler Murray Signing; Team To Re-Sign Carson Wentz?
The Vikings entered the offseason seeking competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose first year as a starter went awry. They found it in signing former Cardinals franchise signal-caller Kyler Murray to a one-year, prove-it deal last Wednesday.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort tried to find a trade partner for Murray before releasing him, but it was too difficult to pull off because of the two-time Pro Bowler’s bloated contract. Had Murray been on someone’s roster on March 15, $19.5MM of his 2027 salary would have vested. Nobody was willing to take that chance on Murray, who struggled during a limited 2025. He played just five games, none after Week 5, as a result of a Lisfranc injury.
Murray’s tenure in Arizona did not go as planned, though the 2019 No. 1 overall pick was open to staying there before the team released him. While Murray was “genuinely surprised” the Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, he approved of the hiring of Mike LaFleur as his replacement, Albert Breer of SI.com writes. But it turns out Murray will not play for LaFleur, who will try to lead a franchise turnaround after Gannon mustered a disastrous 15-36 record in three years.
By the time the Cardinals officially cut Murray last Wednesday, he and agent Erik Burkhardt had already identified the Vikings as their ideal option, per Breer. Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski and head coach Kevin O’Connell quickly invited Murray and Burkhardt to Minnesota for a visit.
Murray was among a “handful” of experienced signal-callers the Vikings studied, according to Breer, but it appealed to both team and player that he could be more than a one-year solution. An inexpensive pact between the sides came together in short order, which prevented other clubs from meeting with Murray.
“O’Connell made sure he got first crack at him,” one GM told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray is not the Vikings’ QB1 yet. He still has to beat out McCarthy, 23, for the role. Although the Vikings invested the 10th pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy, multiple “high-level NFL offensive coaches” informed La Canfora that they expect Murray to win the job. If that happens, the O’Connell-led Vikings will hope for a Sam Darnold-like revival from Murray.
Darnold resurrected his career during his one season in Minnesota in 2024, but with the Vikings ready to turn the keys over to McCarthy, they let him walk in free agency a year ago. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025, while the Vikings fell from 14-3 to 9-8 and missed the playoffs. McCarthy posted rough numbers over 10 starts and missed seven games with injuries to his ankle, head and hand.
While Murray and McCarthy will do battle this summer, they may have company in Minnesota’s QB derby. Carson Wentz, who spent 2025 with the Vikings, is among free agent possibilities. Even after the Vikings added Murray, there is “mutual interest” between the team and Wentz, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Wentz, a late-August signing last year, filled in for an injured McCarthy for five starts. The 33-year-old journeyman was the more productive of the pair, but he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late October. Wentz’s injury left McCarthy and overmatched rookie Max Brosmer as the Vikings’ starting QB choices for the rest of a disappointing campaign.
Cardinals Sign DL Andrew Billings
The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defensive line this offseason, and they’re apparently not done. According to Darren Urban of the team website, the team is signing defensive lineman Andrew Billings.
It will be a one-year deal for the veteran. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported earlier today that Billings was visiting the Cardinals.
The veteran is coming off a three-year stint with the Bears, where he started 39 of his 42 appearances. A torn pectoral muscle limited him to only eight appearances in 2024, but he rebounded with a 17-game showing (14 starts) in 2025.
He finished this past year with 31 stops and one sack while getting into just about half of Chicago’s defensive snaps. While his health was a positive, his play left some to be desired. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 121st among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The site rates his last notable season as 2022, when he finished 16th among 127 qualifiers. During that one-year stop with the Raiders, Billings compiled 39 tackles and one sack. The 2016 fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bengals, where he collected 3.5 sacks in 47 games.
The Cardinals have made several notable additions to their defensive line over the past week, including Roy Lopez, L.J. Collier, and Jonah Williams. Lopez is likely penciled in for the nose tackle role in the middle of the defensive line, but Billings will help soak up some extra snaps at the position.
Cardinals To Sign LB Jack Gibbens
TODAY, 5:55pm: The Cardinals are signing Gibbens, the team announced. It will be a two-year pact for the linebacker.
SUNDAY, 8:35am: The Patriots declined to tender restricted free agent linebacker Jack Gibbens a contract earlier this week, sending him to the open market for the second straight offseason. Gibbens’ next stop could be Arizona, which will host the four-year veteran during the upcoming week, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Although Gibbens primarily worked as a starter with the Titans from 2022-24, they passed on tendering him last March. The former UDFA from Minnesota then reunited in New England with Mike Vrabel, Gibbens’ coach in Tennessee during his first two seasons.
The low-cost Gibbens pickup proved worthwhile for the Patriots, who added a solid contributor in multiple phases. Playing the first 17-game regular season of his career, Gibbens amassed 772 snaps (491 on defense, 281 on special teams) and recorded 81 tackles, eight TFL, four passes defensed, a sack and a forced fumble.
As an eight-game starter for the AFC champions, Gibbens ranked a respectable 41st among Pro Football Focus’ 88 qualified linebackers. PFF has typically given Gibbens favorable marks. The site placed him 30th among 82 qualifiers during a 13-start 2023. Gibbens then received a top-10 grade among inside linebackers in 2024, though an ankle injury limited him to 10 games.
Arizona opened up a spot at linebacker when it released Akeem Davis-Gaither before free agency began. The Cardinals relied heavily on Davis-Gaither during a 17-game, 13-start 2025, but they have not addressed the area since his exit. Gibbens would give the Cardinals another option to join Mack Wilson and 2025 fourth-rounder Cody Simon.
Cardinals To Sign WR Devin Duvernay
The Cardinals released quarterback Kyler Murray earlier this week, but now they are signing one of his relatives. The team has agreed to a one-year, $2.5MM deal with wide receiver/returner Devin Duvernay, per veteran insider Jordan Schultz. Murray and Duvernay are first cousins.
A third-round pick in 2020, Duvernay is already joining his fourth team. The former Texas Longhorn spent 2020-23 with the Ravens before one-year stints with the Jaguars and Bears. Duvernay went to two Pro Bowls and earned a first-team All-Pro selection for his work as a return man in Baltimore. The 28-year-old has averaged a strong 11.8 yards per punt return and taken back two kickoffs for touchdowns across six seasons in the NFL.
While Duvernay has impressed on special teams, his offensive impact has dropped off in recent years. He opened his career with three straight seasons of at least 20 catches, including a career-high 37 in 2022. Duvernay also logged personal bests in targets (49), yards (407) and receiving touchdowns (three) that year. Since then, though, Duvernay has combined for just 17 catches and 123 yards over three seasons and 43 games. He caught two passes for 26 yards with the Bears in 2025, his first 17-game campaign.
During his only season in Chicago, Duvernay ranked fifth in the league in kickoff returns (40) and yards (1,069). He also averaged 11.0 yards on 21 punt returns. Duvernay may end up as the top return option in Arizona, where he could replace Greg Dortch. Although Dortch was the Cardinals’ leading returner in 2025, the team has not re-signed the unrestricted free agent.
Talks Between Cardinals, Jimmy Garoppolo ‘Hit A Snag’
Then preparing to end the Kyler Murray era, the Cardinals reportedly entered free agency eyeing veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The sides did engage in discussions, but their talks “hit a snag,” according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Garoppolo remains unsigned late in the first week of free agency, but the Cardinals moved on to another on-again, off-again starting option. After their pursuit of Garoppolo did not go as planned, the Cardinals picked up journeyman Gardner Minshew on a one-year, $8.25MM deal on Monday. Between Minshew and Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals have two experienced candidates to win their starting job. They officially released Murray on Wednesday, leading him to Minnesota.
Had the 34-year-old Garoppolo gone to Arizona, he would have reunited with general manager Monti Ossenfort and rookie head coach Mike LaFleur. When the Patriots spent a second-round pick on Garoppolo in 2014, Ossenfort was their director of college scouting. The two overlapped in New England until the team traded Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-rounder in 2017.
Garoppolo spent six seasons in San Francisco, and LaFleur was its passing-game coordinator for four of those years. The pair worked together again with the Rams over the past two seasons. Garoppolo was the Rams’ backup to Matthew Stafford, while LaFleur served as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator.
Twelve years into his career, it is fair to say Garoppolo enjoyed his greatest success teaming with LaFleur and head coach Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Over 55 regular-season starts with the 49ers, Garoppolo helped the team to a 38-17 mark while registering a 99.2 passer rating. In his best season, 2019, Garoppolo completed 69.1% of passes and threw for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 49ers went 13-3 in the regular season and won the NFC, but the Chiefs upended them, 31-20, in Super Bowl LIV.
Garoppolo remained the 49ers’ starter until he broke his foot in December 2022, paving the way for Brock Purdy to usurp the job. Between the end of his 49ers stint and his time with the Rams, Garoppolo endured a bitterly disappointing year with the Raiders. After signing a three-year, $67.5MM contract with Las Vegas in 2023, Garoppolo made just seven mostly lackluster starts with the team. The Raiders benched Garoppolo, who later incurred a PED suspension, and released him a few months later.
While Garoppolo has attempted just 41 passes since the Raiders cut him, the Rams are interested in re-signing him. For now, the untested Stetson Bennett is the only signal-caller on their roster behind Stafford.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/26
Here are Friday’s minor NFL moves as free agency continues into the weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: G Corey Bullock
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Claudin Cherelus
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: TE Princeton Fant
Denver Broncos
- Signed RFA tender: CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Kurt Hinish
Miami Dolphins
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Ethan Bonner
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Zeke Correll
New York Giants
- Signed: S Elijah Campbell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: TE Ko Kieft
After making the call not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Panthers were able to come to an agreement to re-sign Cherelus. The undrafted linebacker has started six of 27 game appearances in his last two years with Carolina, logging 60 total tackles.
Unlike Cherelus, McMillian did get tendered in Denver. With 16 starts in 51 games appearances over four years with the Broncos, McMillian’s tender is worth $5.77MM for the 2026 season, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The Texans signed Hinish to a one-year deal last year, but the Notre Dame product spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Instead of holding on to him for the upcoming season, they’ve decided to cut him from the roster.
Cardinals To Sign OL Elijah Wilkinson
After emerging as a full-time starter with the Falcons in 2025, Elijah Wilkinson is heading to Arizona. The free agent offensive lineman is signing with the Cardinals, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
The former UDFA has held steady gigs throughout his career, but injuries were recently disrupting recent seasons. Wilkinson landed on injured reserve three times between 2020 and 2023, forcing him to miss 24 games over that span. That stretch included a brief stint with the Falcons, where he started nine games.
After getting into only two games in 2024, the lineman rebounded by starting a career-high 17 games in Atlanta this past season. Pro Football Focus graded him 54th among 84 qualifying OTs, with the site favoring his run blocking over his pass blocking.
This move will be a reunion for the 31-year-old, who started nine of his 10 appearances with the Cardinals in 2023. He mostly played guard during that first stint, but he could be an option for Arizona opposite Paris Johnson at offensive tackle. The team moved on from versatile lineman Evan Brown earlier today, so there will surely be some kind of role for Wilkinson in 2026 either way.