Jets Release LB C.J. Mosley
As expected, C.J. Mosley‘s time with the Jets has come to an end. The Pro Bowl linebacker has been released, per a team announcement. 
ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes this move comes with a post-June 1 designation. As a result, the cap hit which remained for 2025 (the final year of Mosley’s deal) will be spread out across two years. The Jets will see $4MM in cap savings this year while incurring a dead money charge of $8.78MM. The remaining $7.65MM of dead money will hit the cap next year.
Mosley, who was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2014 draft, earned Pro Bowl acclaim in four of his five seasons in Baltimore, setting himself up for a lucrative payday after he played out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal in 2018. He signed a five-year, $85MM contract with the Jets in March 2019, which shattered the then-record for inside linebackers and which felt like an overpay at the time, even when taking his Pro Bowl accolades into account.
Gang Green felt the financial burden of Mosley’s deal even more acutely when the Alabama product played in just two games of the 2019 season due to injury and exercised his COVID opt-out for 2020. However, he settled in nicely over the following three seasons, averaging nearly 160 tackles per year and earning another Pro Bowl nod in 2022. Last season, the advanced metrics finally placed him among the ranks of the game’s elite middle linebackers, as Pro Football Focus assigned him an 82.9 overall grade that was good for the sixth-highest mark out of 82 qualified players.
Last offseason, Mosley – who was originally slated to be a free agent after the current campaign – agreed to a brief extension that keeps him under club control through 2025. By signing that deal, Mosley agreed to a pay cut in exchange for additional guarantees, though just over half of his $8.25MM salary for 2025 is guaranteed. The guarantees proved effective for Mosley when his 2025 season unceremoniously ended in in Week 7 after only three starts in four appearances. He intended to make a comeback later in the season, as he dealt with a herniated disc, but he didn’t end up suiting up again for New York.
Mosley joins a free agent class that has seen nearly all of the most-talented linebacker options already sign new deals. At 32 years old, he’s definitely the oldest free agent linebacker option, but if he can get healthy, he could be a steal this late in free agency. He’ll be available with remaining free agents like Isaiah Simmons, De’Vondre Campbell, Kyzir White, E.J. Speed, Eric Kendricks, and others.
The Jets, on the other hand, secured their future at the position by re-signing the man who filled in admirably for Mosley this past year. New York signed Jamien Sherwood to a three-year, $45MM deal just prior to the start of free agency this past weekend.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Jets To Sign C Josh Myers
One of the top remaining centers on the market has found a new home. Josh Myers has a deal in place with the Jets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
This will be a one-year contract, Fowler adds. Myers will collect $3.5MM after serving as Green Bay’s center starter over the course of his rookie contract. This marks New York’s second offensive line addition of the day, with tackle Chukwuma Okorafor also being added.
Neither addition will likely move the needle much for fans. Despite both players bringing a litany of starting experience with them to New York, neither player has graded out very favorably over the years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Out of 40 centers graded this year, PFF ranked Myers at 38th. His best season analytically came when he ranked 26th of 36 graded players in 2022.
This is less important for Myers than for Okorafor. The team’s starting center from this past season, Joe Tippmann, graded out as the seventh-best center in the NFL, per PFF. Returning guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson also graded out favorably as the ninth- and 11th-best guards in the league, per PFF.
The Myers signing is interesting for a team that saw such strong seasons analytically from its three interior linemen. The team will be replacing both offensive tackle spots, though, as Tyron Smith is a free agent (and possibly a retiree), and Morgan Moses has signed with the Patriots. Okorafor and last year’s first-round pick Olu Fashanu are currently slotted for those starting roles on the outside.
Without a starting spot for Myers, it’s assumed that he’ll come in as a potential sixth-man for the offensive line. He doesn’t have the experience to perform as a swing tackle, having played center in college, as well, but he could serve as a fourth interior lineman with extensive starting experience in case of injury.
Green Bay will have a vacancy to fill at center now. They may opt to slide Elgton Jenkins into the role, as he’s started there for them in the past, or they may turn to the draft or other free agents to fill the role externally.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Commanders To Sign CB Jonathan Jones
Jonathan Jones will be on the move for the first time in his career this offseason. The longtime Patriots corner has a one-year deal in place with the Commanders, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This leaves David Andrews as the last player left from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years, as Jones had become a quick fixture on the Pats’ most recent three such seasons. As Mike Vrabel aggressively turns over the roster, Jones is moving on. This deal has a maximum value of $6.5MM, per Fowler.
Operating in the slot and on the outside for the Pats, Jones had been a staple for the team under Bill Belichick and then Jerod Mayo. Jones has made an atypical late-career transition, sliding from perennial slot stopper to a boundary corner. After playing almost all of his 2022 snaps outside, Jones earned a two-year, $19MM deal to stay in what turned out to be Belichick’s finale. The Pats paid up for Carlton Davis, however, and the pricey free agency addition will complement Christian Gonzalez in 2025.
Jones, 31, continued on the outside over the past two years but will probably be better remembered for his slot defense, seeing as those years overlapped with the close of a dynasty. The Patriots added Jones as a 2016 UDFA and immediately put him to work. Jones predated Stephon Gilmore in Foxborough, complementing Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan in 2016. Belichick led Butler, Ryan, Gilmore and J.C. Jackson leave but prioritized Jones, giving him two veteran contracts to stay.
Jones played 132 regular-season games with the Pats and was on the field for eight more playoff contests. Jones joined Butler in not playing in Super Bowl LII, though the former’s absence was not controversial as it came due to injury. While Butler’s absence will be talked about for a while, Jones’ goes overlooked during Nick Foles‘ masterpiece. Jones was open to staying in New England, but MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian had reported he would hit the market.
“I would love to (stay),” Jones said. “It’s rare for a guy to be in one place his entire career. Especially after being undrafted, being here my entire career, I feel indebted to be here.”
Jones will join a Commanders team that let Benjamin St-Juste leave for a Chargers deal. Washington has Mike Sainristil as a potential long-term slot option, and Marshon Lattimore‘s recently acquired contract runs through 2026. With Michael Davis and Noah Igbinoghene unsigned, Jones will have a clear route to a starting role. Considering Lattimore’s run of recent injury trouble, Jones figures to be an important addition.
Chargers To Re-Sign LB Denzel Perryman
Denzel Perryman served as a full-time starter in 2024, his return season with the Chargers. The veteran linebacker will remain in place for 2025. 
Perryman plans to re-sign on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This will be a $3.65MM pact. The former Pro Bowler was limited to 11 games last season, but he operated as a key figure on defense during that time while also chipping in on special teams.
Perryman began his career with the Chargers as a second-round pick out of Miami while the team was still in San Diego. Injuries were a limiting factor for Perryman back then, as well, as he only played in 69 of a possible 96 games in his six seasons with the team.
Perryman departed Los Angeles in 2021 as a free agent, signing with the Panthers, but he was traded to Las Vegas before the season even started. With the Raiders that season, Perryman had the healthiest season of his career, starting in all 15 game appearances.
Finally able to put together a full season, Perryman showed what he could do when healthy, earning his first and only Pro Bowl selection with 154 total tackles (6th in the league that season). Despite only appearing in 12 games the next year, Perryman put forth another strong performance, with 83 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. He signed a one-year deal to join the Texans in 2023, starting 11 of 12 game appearances for the second straight year.
Last season, he made his return to Southern California. In his age-32 season, Perryman’s contributions were average as he served more importantly as a veteran leader for young linebackers like Troy Dye and Daiyan Henley. Dye joins Perryman as a re-signed linebacker, while Nick Niemann departed for Houston in free agency and Shaquille Quarterman, another depth/special teams piece is a free agent, as well. Henley and Perryman should continue to work as starters with Dye spelling Perryman in obvious pass situations.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Lions To Re-Sign DT Levi Onwuzurike
Levi Onwuzurike will not be heading elsewhere as a free agent. An agreement has been reached which will keep him with the Lions. 
Onwuzurike has a one-year deal in place with Detroit, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The pact is worth $5.5MM, he adds. After a career-year in 2024, the former second-round defensive tackle will earn a notable raise compared to his rookie contract.
Playing through a back issue during his rookie campaign, Onwuzurike managed to make 16 appearances but only managed one sack. He sat out the following season due to the issue, and as a result questions were raised about his NFL future. The Washington product has played in 26 games across this past two years, though.
That span includes 2024, in which Onwuzurike logged 10 starts a 61% snap share, by far the largest workload of his career. The 27-year-old posted only one sack but added 22 pressures, demonstrating his disruptive presence when healthy. The Lions will be counting on another campaign with that kind of performance as they prepare for at least one more season with both Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill in place.
The latter is attached to a four-year, $97MM extension and he will remain in place for the foreseeable future as a result. The Lions will increasingly depend on cost-effective players elsewhere on their defense, though, so Onwuzurike is in line to continue playing an important role for at least one more season. If he manages to duplicate or improve upon his output from 2024, it would come as no surprise if a long-term Detroit commitment (or one from an outside team) came to bear next spring.
Browns To Sign DT Maliek Collins
Maliek Collins was let go by the 49ers earlier this week. The veteran defensive tackle did not need to wait long to find a new home, however. 
Collins has agreed to a two-year deal with the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The contract is worth $20MM and includes $13MM fully guaranteed, he adds. Collins will now join a Browns D-line which no longer features Dalvin Tomlinson.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes the deal is still being worked on. Presuming it is finalized, though, Collins will be expected to handle a starting role on his fifth career team. The 29-year-old has operated as a first-team presence throughout his career, which has included time with the Cowboys, Raiders, Texans and 49ers.
San Francisco traded for Collins last offseason, and he started all 17 games with the team. The former third-rounder recorded five sacks along the way, but that production was not enough to keep him in place. The 49ers elected to cut Collins as part of their efforts to reset along the defensive interior. The same remained the case for Javon Hargrave, who was designated as a post-June 1 release.
The Browns used Tomlinson as a full-time starter for each of the past two seasons. The former Giant and Viking posted three sacks in each of his Cleveland campaigns, and halfway through his contract the Browns elected to move on. Tomlinson’s pact averaged $14.25MM per season; this Collins one checks in at a lower figure but it will still carry notable expectations on a Browns defensive front which will still include Myles Garrett in 2025.
The All-Pro’s saga saw a trade request replaced by a record-breaking extension on Sunday. Garrett will be counted on to remain an elite producer along the edge moving forward as a result. Collins will look to serve as a complementary pass-rushing presence along the interior.
Steelers, CB Brandin Echols Agree To Deal
After four years with the Jets, Brandin Echols is set to be on the move this offseason. The veteran corner has a deal in place with the Steelers, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. 
Echols joined the Jets as a sixth-rounder in 2021. Over the course of his rookie contract, he racked up 19 starts (including 14 during his rookie campaign). Since that point, he has operated as a rotational defender while handling a notable special teams workload. That will likely remain the case with his newest team.
The Steelers will be working with a new-look cornerbacks group in 2025. They saw Donte Jackson leave for a deal with the Chargers, and Cameron Sutton, C.J. Henderson, and James Pierre all saw their contracts expire, as well. Joey Porter Jr. and Beanie Bishop return as impact players from last year, while Cory Trice returns in support.
The team also signed veteran Darius Slay today, and Slay will likely take over the starting job across from Porter, while Bishop should continue to take the majority of the reps in the slot. Echols spent most of his defensive snaps on the outside, so he’ll likely continue to contribute there behind Porter and Slay.
The Jets have seen Echols joined by D.J. Reed as free agent departures, but they were able to re-sign slot specialist Isaiah Oliver. They have signed former Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens, who should step into a starting role for New York.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Bills To Trade CB Kaiir Elam To Cowboys
After three seasons with the Bills, Kaiir Elam is on the move. Buffalo has agreed to trade the former first-round corner to the Cowboys, as first reported by The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson. 
Dallas will send Buffalo a fifth-round pick in 2025 along with a future seventh-rounder in exchange for Elam and a sixth-round selection, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. This will give Elam a fresh start after struggling to carve out a starting role on the Bills’ defense. Presuming the Cowboys intend to decline his fifth-year option this spring, 2025 will represent his walk year. Confirming the deal, the Bills announced the seventh-round pick will be in 2026.
Elam had a strong three-year college career at Florida, and expectations were high upon arrival in Buffalo as the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft. He made six starts and 13 appearances as a rookie, collecting a pair of interceptions. That showcased his potential to an extent, but since then Elam has not developed as hoped.
The 23-year-old tore an ankle ligament prior to the start of his second Bills season, and after attempting to play through the injury he was on injured reserve for an extended stretch. Elam appeared in only three games that year, finding himself passed on the depth chart by Christian Benford (who has set himself up well to be one of the next Bills to secure a lucrative extension). Even without Tre’Davious White in the fold in 2024, Elam only handled a 35% snap share on defense, something which further fueled trade speculation.
The latter’s departure will clear up $2.57MM in cap space for the Bills. That figure represents Elam’s 2025 salary as he looks to build his value during the final year of his rookie contract. Earning at least a rotational role in a secondary which is set to lose longtime slot starter Jourdan Lewis would give the Cowboys a cost-effective option at the cornerback spot. Dallas still has Trevon Diggs on the books through 2028 (as his knee rehab continues), while fellow perimeter cover man DaRon Bland is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Last August, the Cowboys made a similar move in trading for cornerback Andrew Booth. The former Vikings second-rounder had a modest role on defense with Dallas in 2024, and he too is set to see his rookie deal expire after the coming campaign. It will be interesting to see if the buy-low approach with Elam pans out and leads to a long-term commitment from his new team.
Commanders To Re-Sign QB Marcus Mariota
Marcus Mariota will remain in Washington for the 2025 campaign. The journeyman quarterback has a new Commanders agreement in place, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
This will be a one-year pact worth $8MM, Pelissero adds. That marks a slight raise compared to Mariota’s first Commanders contract. After a successful year backing up Jayden Daniels, he will do so again next season.
Pelissero notes Mariota drew interest from outside teams, but he turned that down to remain in the nation’s capital. The former No. 2 pick bounced around the league following his five-year run with the Titans, spending time with the Raiders, Falcons and Eagles before signing with the Commanders last offseason. Mariota made just three appearances in 2024, but he gave the team a veteran mentor for Daniels as he put together an exceptional rookie campaign.
Daniels’ strong play ensured Mariota would have needed to head elsewhere if he intended to compete for a starting gig. The 31-year-old’s last stint atop a depth chart came with the Falcons in 2022, when his passer rating (88.2) fell short of his career average. Failing to secure a long-term opportunity as a starter in Atlanta set Mariota up for a one-year spell as the Eagles’ backup prior to his intra-divisional move to the Commanders last spring.
That signing was seen as an indication the Commanders’ preference was to select Daniels with the No. 2 pick in the draft given Mariota’s mobility. Washington did indeed go in that direction, and the team’s success on offense led to renewed head coaching interest for OC Kliff Kingsbury. The former Cardinals coach ultimately withdrew from the 2025 hiring cycle, citing his satisfaction of working with Daniels. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, Daniels will have both his offensive coordinator and QB2 back with him next season.
As expected, the first two days of the negotiating window brought about considerable movement at the quarterback position. That has continued into Wednesday, with the official start of free agency looming this afternoon. Mariota’s decision to remain in place has taken one more veteran passer off the market.
Colts, Daniel Jones Agree To Deal
Daniel Jones was known to be facing a Vikings-or-Colts decision and he has made his choice. The former Giants starter is heading to Indianapolis on a one-year deal, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Earlier today, ESPN’s Stephen Holder confirmed Jones was down to either remaining in Minnesota or heading to Indianapolis. Both teams were waiting to see which direction he went, with the call deciding how each would operate under center for the rest of the offseason. After taking Monday to weigh his options, Jones has made a commitment.
This pact will be worth $14MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. That figure represents the base value of the contract, as Pelissero notes Jones can earn up to $17.7MM. The Colts have their veteran Anthony Richardson competition in place for 2025. $13.15MM is fully guaranteed, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, with Pelissero adding that number is comprised of a $6.5MM signing bonus and $7MM in guaranteed salary. The maximum value of the deal can be unlocked via $850K in active roster bonuses ($50K per game) and playing time/wins/playoffs incentives.
The Vikings made a push to retain Jones, Rapoport reports. To little surprise, though, the chance to earn a starting gig represented a key factor for the former No. 6 pick. Richardson has not developed as planned early in his career, and Colts GM Chris Ballard made it clear his inconsistent play and injury troubles would lead to a veteran addition capable of handling QB1 duties. At a minimum, Jones will able to provide the team with an experienced backup, though Pelissero confirms an open competition is on tap. Indeed, Jones confirmed he was told he would have an opportunity to compete with Richardson (via James Boyd of The Athletic (subscription required)).
The 27-year-old raised eyebrows when he received a four-year, $160MM Giants deal in 2023. That pact – authorized by a Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime which did not draft him – did not pan out as planned, and midway through the past campaign his benching was followed up by his release. Minnesota added him on the practice squad with the potential to remain in place for 2025.
That especially remained true in the wake of Sam Darnold turning his Pro Bowl Vikings season into a lucrative Seahawks agreement. With Jones now out of the fold, though, Minnesota is set to rely on 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy as their starter moving forward. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie campaign due to a meniscus tear, but he will be healthy in time for the 2025 season. A modest free agent signing can be expected to operate as his backup.
Richardson earned the starting gig right away as a rookie, but he was limited to only four games that year due to a shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 4 pick managed 11 appearances this past season, but he was temporarily benched in favor of Joe Flacco as the Colts offense underperformed. Richardson, 22, posted a completion percentage of just 47.7% and a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio last season. A notable step forward will be required in 2025, and the first step in his efforts in that regard will involve winning an offseason competition with Jones.