DeCosta: Ravens Planned On Signing Trey Hendrickson In Addition To Maxx Crosby
The Ravens remain at the heart of the NFL’s most notable (and controversial) storyline of the offseason. Shortly after backing out of the trade agreement which would have sent Maxx Crosby to Baltimore, the team agreed to terms with free agent Trey Hendrickson. 
GM Eric DeCosta spoke about the matter recently at a press conference. Notably, he said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) the Ravens’ initial plan was to sign Hendrickson while also following through on the Crosby trade. Baltimore’s push to sign the former Bengals sack artist picked up late Tuesday, a point well after the free agent negotiating window opened but before – officially, at least – the Crosby trade fell through.
DeCosta said he was “gutted” about the fact his agreement with Raiders counterpart John Spytek was not finalized. The Ravens were set to send their first-round pick in 2026 and ’27 to Vegas for Crosby, who now remains under contract with Vegas.
The All-Pro’s future is once again in question, although he appears to be on course to continue his decorated run with the franchise. Crosby continues to rehab surgery following a meniscus repair; a failed physical led to the trade being called off, though DeCosta did not specifically reference Crosby’s medical testing when reflecting on this high-profile saga.
The timing of this matter proved to be impactful, with Monday marking (as usual) the busiest point on the calendar with respect to free agent deals being agreed to. Vegas in particular was active, with edge rusher Kwity Paye among the players set to be brought in. As Hensley’s colleague Jeremy Fowler notes, Crosby’s Baltimore physical did not take place until Tuesday. Many dominoes had already (unofficially) fallen by then, a sore spot for critics of how this situation has been handled.
While no league rules were broken, the Ravens’ decision to back out of the Crosby deal has led many to expect backlash from other GMs. DeCosta said, however, that his phone has not stopped ringing with the new league year continuing to unfold. It will nevertheless be interesting to see how future dealings with Baltimore take place moving forward.
Sack production was a major issue for Baltimore in 2025, making it no surprise the Crosby trade was worked out in the first place or that a big-ticket Hendrickson deal was signed. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports Baltimore planned on restructuring Crosby’s contract (which runs through 2029 and is based heavily on base salaries) upon arrival. She adds, however, that doing so would have moved him near the top of the pass rush market and thus made a Hendrickson pact difficult to arrange given Baltimore’s cap situation.
Of course, that is now a moot point with Crosby set to continue with the Raiders or be traded to another team. Nonetheless, DeCosta’s remarks are certainly noteworthy in the wake of the criticism he has faced. Whether or not Hendrickson winds up being paired with one of the few low-cost EDGE options still on the market or a high draft choice in April will make for a storyline worth following.
NFL Mailbag: Crosby, Ravens, Murray, FA
This week's edition of the PFR Mailbag touches on plenty of free agency-related questions. Topics include the Ravens' controversial edge rush maneuvering, the Vikings' Kyler Murray addition, impacts on incumbent Patriots and Cardinals players and more.
Rick asks:
Re: [Maxx] Crosby. Who conducts the physical exams that are used in trades, signings, etc.? Are exams done in real-time or do teams swap medical evaluations? Thanks!
It’s no surprise this has come up given the events of recent days. I’ll finish with my overall thoughts on the Ravens’ handling of Crosby and Trey Hendrickson, but let’s get into this first.
Browns Re-Sign G Teven Jenkins
MARCH 13: The former second-round Bears draftee agreed to another one-year Browns deal, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the contract is worth $4MM and brings a $2MM cap hit. This pact includes $3.96MM guaranteed, per OverTheCap. As they are wont to do, the Browns are tacking four void years onto the deal to keep the cap hit low. Jenkins played for $3.1MM in 2025.
MARCH 10: Teven Jenkins will remain in place with the Browns for 2026. The veteran guard has agreed to a new Cleveland deal, per a team announcement.
After Jenkins concluded his college career with First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2020, the Bears drafted the former Oklahoma State Cowboy 39th overall the next spring. A back injury limited Jenkins to six games and two starts as a rookie, though, and the Bears shifted him to guard in his second season.
Although injuries held Jenkins to 39 of a possible 51 games from 2022-24, he racked up 36 starts. Pro Football Focus generally took a favorable view of Jenkins’ work as a guard in Chicago. The team still did not retain Jenkins last offseason, instead bringing in Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson as its new starting guards.
With his time in Chicago up, Jenkins headed to Cleveland on a one-year agreement last March. Jenkins put together the first 17-game season of his career, but the 28-year-old started just four times on a team with established guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. Bitonio played every game and barely missed any snaps, but Jenkins stepped in four times for an injured Teller.
After totaling 329 offensive snaps last year, Jenkins’ role moving forward is in flux as the Browns continue a wide-ranging overhaul up front. Bitonio may retire, while Teller is on track to leave in free agency. Knowing they would need new guard starters, the Browns traded for ex-Texan Tytus Howard (who can also play tackle) and worked out an agreement with former Charger Zion Johnson on Monday.
Earlier today, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Cleveland would still be involved in the guard market, so more outside additions could be coming. In any case, Jenkins will again be at least a depth option.
49ers To Re-Sign LB Luke Gifford
Luke Gifford will remain in San Francisco next season. The veteran linebacker and special teams ace has agreed to a new 49ers deal, Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. 
This is a two-year deal worth $5.3MM, per the report. Gifford’s most recent San Francisco pact was for one year and $1.8MM. His strong showing in 2025 has landed him a notable raise.
Gifford played out his rookie contract with the Titans and he spent 2023 and ’24 as a member of the Titans. During that span, the 30-year-old played sparingly on defense but was a special teams mainstay. In his debut 49ers campaign, Gifford earned a Pro Bowl nod for his strong third phase work. He will no doubt be expected to remain a high-end contributor in that regard moving forward.
Due to the 49ers’ injury situation at the linebacker spot, however, Gifford wound up making nine starts in 2025. The Nebraska product handled 172 defensive snaps, the second-highest total of his career. He made 35 tackles, second only to his total from the year before in Tennessee. A full-time gig should not be expected in this case, but Gifford will offer San Francisco with a familiar backup option on defense if needed.
The 49ers have been busy with respect to defensive additions in recent days. That includes a reunion with Dre Greenlaw. He and Fred Warner will be counted on to handle a heavy workload, with the likes of Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune also in the fold as well. Gifford will give the team veteran depth at the second level.
San Francisco entered Friday with roughly $27MM in cap space. As a result, this deal will not make a major impact on the team’s other roster-building moves leading up to the draft.
Eagles Unlikely To Trade WR A.J. Brown Before June?
Through the outset of the new league year, no A.J. Brown trade has been worked out. The Eagles‘ preference was to resolve this situation at the start of free agency, but much of the league’s high-profile deals have already taken place no swap has taken place. 
Any Brown trade worked out before June 1 would result in massive dead cap charges, something which of course represents motivation for patience on the Eagles’ part. According to SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora, there is now an expectation among NFL executives a swap – if one is to take place at all – will not occur until after that date. There is still interest in this case nevertheless.
The Patriots have been named as a strong suitor for Brown both before and after the free agent arrival of Romeo Doubs. New England is indeed still regarded as one of the logical landing spots for Brown, La Canfora adds, although any trade will not come at a discount. The Eagles have maintained a high asking price, and NFL evaluators contend “more than a first-round pick” will be required for GM Howie Roseman to accept an offer in the near future.
That price may be lowered after the draft, by which point the number of teams willing to acquire Brown will no doubt drop. The three-time Pro Bowler is under contract for four more years, although 2026 is the final season which includes guaranteed base pay. Brown has topped 1,000 yards in six of his seven NFL seasons, including each of his three in Philadelphia. Talk regarding dissatisfaction with the Eagles’ offense has been ongoing for a lengthy period, however, leading many to see this offseason as the time for a parting of ways.
The Rams were previously mentioned as a team to watch on the Brown front. They have since been busy, adding Trent McDuffie via trade and fellow former Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson in free agency. In spite of that, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports Los Angeles continues to monitor the situation. She cautions that conversations with Roseman about Brown have slowed since the McDuffie trade, one which saw the Rams part with one of their two 2026 first-round picks.
Los Angeles has extension candidate Puka Nacua and veteran Davante Adams in place at the receiver spot. The latter only has one year remaining on his contract, however, so adding a long-term replacement could be viable for the Rams (which was not recently mentioned as one of the teams on Brown’s wish list). The team owns pick No. 13, a far more attractive selection than New England’s No. 31. Whether or not a swap based on either of those picks can be worked out will be worth monitoring.
Jets To Re-Sign T Chukwuma Okorafor
Chukwuma Okorafor lined up a deal with the Jets early in free agency last spring. Almost exactly one year later, the veteran offensive tackle made the same choice. 
[RELATED: Jets Acquire Geno Smith From Raiders]
Another deal has been agreed to between team and player, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports. Okorafor made 14 appearances during his debut Jets season. His only playing time (45 snaps) came on special teams, however, with starting tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou each logging a full slate of games.
Both Fashanu (selected 11th overall in 2024) and Membou (seventh overall in 2025) are set as long-term pieces for the Jets. They will of course be expected to remain full-time starters moving forward. Health in each case will be critical as New York looks to make needed improvements on offense. Okorafor, 28, will offer plenty of experience as a fill-in option, however.
The former Steelers third-rounder served as a full-time starter through most of his Pittsburgh tenure (2018-23). Okorafor then spent a single campaign with the Patriots, although he made just one appearance during the regular season that year. A one-year Jets deal worth $1.34MM followed, and the terms of this latest pact will no doubt be similar.
The Jets also announced on Friday that linebacker Mykal Walker has been re-signed. Walker also made his Jets debut in 2025. The former Falcon, Steeler and Commander made 14 appearances and five starts, chipping in on defense while handling a snap share of 81% on special teams. A large third phase workload can be expected for Walker moving forward.
The Jets entered Friday with over $37MM in cap space. Neither of these deals will significantly alter that figure, so further moves could be coming as general manager Darren Mougey continues to re-shape the roster.
Dolphins Sign OL Jamaree Salyer
The Dolphins have been busy adding a number of defenders early in free agency. Miami still has a number of unanswered questions along the offensive line, however, and a move is being made to help address that. 
An agreement has been reached with Jamaree Salyer, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. This will bring about a change of scenery for Salyer, who played out his rookie contract with the Chargers. He amassed 40 starts over that period. The Dolphins have since announced the signing.
As a rookie, Salyer operated as the Bolts’ starting left tackle. He remained a first-team regular the following year but did so at the right guard position. The former sixth-rounder logged over 1,100 snaps during his second season but his PFF evaluation left plenty to be desired. Over the past two seasons, Salyer only totaled nine starts, seeing action at both guard spots but also left tackle in 2025 due to the injuries suffered by Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.
With Mekhi Becton having been released and Zion Johnson departing on the open market, losing Salyer will leave the Chargers in need of multiple O-line moves. One guard addition has already been lined up, with an agreement being reached with Cole Strange. For Miami, meanwhile, this signing may yield a starting presence at guard. Salyer, 25, could replace Strange (especially since Daniel Brunskill is a pending free agent); alternatively, he could serve as competition for 2025 second-rounder Jonah Savaiinaea.
The Dolphins have lost Strange as well as Larry Borom during the opening stages of free agency. The team still has right tackle Austin Jackson in the fold, though, after he accepted a pay cut ahead of his contract year. Depending on how Miami’s offensive line maneuvering shakes out, Salyer could find himself occupying a starting gig along the interior. At a minimum, he will serve as experienced depth up front.
Dolphins Release QB Tua Tagovailoa
MARCH 12: Tagovailoa’s release is now official. The Dolphins have designated their six-year starting quarterback as a post-June 1 cut. As a result, Miami will take on a record-smashing dead money number. Tagovailoa has secured another opportunity, landing with the Falcons.
Atlanta is planning to pit Tagovailoa against fellow left-hander Michael Penix Jr. in an open competition ahead of the 2026 season. As Russell Wilson was in 2024 (and as Kyler Murray may well be this year), Tagovailoa is expected to be tied to veteran-minimum money. The Dolphins have used both their post-June 1 designations, making the same move to jettison Bradley Chubb (who has since joined the Bills).
MARCH 9: Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins tenure is about to officially end. His release will take place at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, per a team announcement. 
“As we move forward, we will be focused on infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner,” a statement from new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan reads in part.
“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons.”
This will be a post-June 1 release, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes. That comes as little surprise, as it will allow Miami to spread out the record-breaking $99.2MM dead money charge in this case over two years. Thanks to Tagovailoa’s guarantees on his contract, he could account for $67MM a dead cap charges in 2026 as the Dolphins move forward with their full-scale roster reset.
Alternatively, that dead money figure could be split more evenly. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes, Miami’s decision on a pending option bonus will dictate how this release is processed from a financial standpoint. The team could take on $55.4MM in dead money now with the remaining $43.8MM being delayed t0 2027.
In any case, today’s news confirms Tagovailoa will be among the veteran quarterbacks on the market this week. The former first-rounder was the subject of a tanking effort from Miami leading up to the 2020 draft. With Joe Burrow off the board, the Dolphins opted for Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert, who was selected one pick later by the Chargers. Burrow and Herbert remain in place with their respective teams and are attached to monster contracts. Tagovailoa, 28, inked a mega-extension of his own in 2024 but things did not go according to plan afterwards, to say the least.
The former No. 5 pick earned a Pro Bowl nod for his level of play in 2023, a year in which he led the NFL in passing yards. Tagovailoa managed a healthy campaign leading up to his extension agreement, but that was not the case in 2024. After being limited to 11 games that year, Tagovailoa’s future, as well as that of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier was a talking point. Grier was fired in the middle of the 2025 campaign, one in which McDaniel (who was himself dismissed after the year ended) benched a healthy Tagovailoa. Since then, the Alabama product has been open to a fresh start.
Given the major guarantees present in Tagovailoa’s contract, interested teams have been willing to wait for a release before making a push to acquire him. A veteran minimum deal will now be in store from a suitor seeking an inexpensive option under center. The Vikings and Jets have been mentioned as possibilities, but more teams could be in the fold as well.
Miami, meanwhile, will seek out a new QB1 under Sullivan and former Packers colleague Jeff Hafley. The new GM-HC tandem’s Green Bay background has led to the expectation of a Malik Willis pursuit, but a less expensive option may be needed given the team’s cap situation. In any event, a new setup will be in place at the quarterback spot as a new Dolphins era begins in 2026.
49ers Acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa From Cowboys
Osa Odighizuwa will be on the move after all. A trade has been agreed to which will send the veteran defensive tackle from the Cowboys to the 49ers, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal is now official.
San Francisco will send Dallas a third-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. As such, the Cowboys will add the No. 92 selection in April’s draft. The team did not own a second- or third-rounder in 2026 prior to this agreement.
[RELATED: Cowboys Trade DL Solomon Thomas To Titans]
A report from Tuesday indicated teams were showing trade interest in Odighizuwa. Dallas already has Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams on the books. The Cowboys also lined up a deal with free agent Otito Ogbonnia, adding further to their depth at the defensive tackle spot. Inquirers from the Bengals did not yield traction, but Dallas clearly remained open to moving forward with a swap in this case. The team will create $4.75MM in cap space while generating $16MM in dead money.
The Cowboys will clear Odighizuwa’s $16.25MM salary in 2026 as a result of this trade. The 49ers, meanwhile, will take on the remainder of his contract; the pact runs through 2028. Odighizuwa inked a four-year, $80MM deal last offseason, but the arrivals of Clark and Williams threatened to cut into his playing time. A heavy workload will await him in the Bay Area, while Dallas will not face the challenge of maintaining three DTs attached to large contracts.
As Schultz confirms, the 49ers were among the runners-up for free agent John Franklin-Myers. The former Bronco wound up agreeing to a lucrative deal with the Titans. San Francisco has pivoted in short order. In addition to wideout Mike Evans, this constitutes certainly a significant addition on the part of general manager John Lynch early in the new league year.
Jordan Elliott lined up an agreement with Tennessee during the early stages of free agency, thinning out the 49ers’ defensive line. Odighizuwa will help serve as a replacement, and he will be counted on to remain a strong contributor against the pass in particular on his new team. The 27-year-old has recorded between 3.0 and 4.5 sacks each season since his rookie campaign. He totaled 64 QB pressures over the past two years, and disruption on that level would be welcomed in San Francisco.
The injury-ravaged 49ers ranked last in the NFL in sacks this past season. A healthy year from Nick Bosa and others would of course go a long way in helping the team bounce back in that regard. Nevertheless, Odighizuwa’s arrival should provide a pass rush boost along the interior for 2026 and beyond.
Jaguars To Sign RB Chris Rodriguez
The Jaguars have lost a running back in Travis Etienne, but they are adding back to the position in free agency. Jacksonville has agreed to a deal with former Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. This is a two-year pact, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. DiRocco’s colleague Jeremy Fowler adds that the contract has a base value of $10MM with $6.2MM fully guaranteed and a maximum value of $12MM. 
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had to say goodbye to his backfield mate of the past eight years, but the goodbyes seemingly began after an uncharacteristically poor 2024 campaign in which Etienne totaled only 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns despite starting 15 games. That performance likely resulted in the team opting to draft Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen in the fourth and seventh rounds last year, respectively.
There was a good amount of buzz around Tuten who looked to steal a decent share of carries as a rookie out of Virginia Tech. Ultimately, Etienne reclaimed backfield dominance, thanks in part to the timely trade of Tank Bigsby to the Eagles just after the Jaguars’ season opener. Etienne looked much closer to being on par with how he had performed in his first two years of NFL play, but he was never able to top the rushing total of his first season or the touchdown high of his sophomore campaign.
With Etienne gone, Tuten appears to be the heir apparent to RB1 duties in Jacksonville, but Rodriguez now enters the picture with experience in a crowded backfield. Rodriguez just finished off what was a bit of a comeback campaign in Washington. As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Kentucky, Rodriguez was limited as RB3 behind Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson and ended the season on injured reserve with concussion symptoms. His rookie contract was scrapped when he failed to make the 53-man roster in Year 2 and cleared waivers to end up on the practice squad.
Rodriguez did find his way off the taxi squad late in the 2024 season and even delivered some strong performances as he averaged 4.9 yards per carry on limited playing time to close the year. He entered 2025 as the RB2 in a traffic-jammed running backs room that included Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He earned the first two starts after Ekeler went down with a season-ending injury two games into the year, but Croskey-Merritt took the baton for five games after that. The hot hand swung back and forth between the two for the remainder of the season, and over the last few weeks of play, they ended up seeing a pretty similar number of touches.
Rodriguez ended the season with a career-high 500 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. While Duval’s running back’s room isn’t nearly as crowded as D.C.’s was, Rodriguez still finds himself in a good position to compete for RB1 or RB2 duties. Jacksonville may be comfortable moving forward with Tuten as RB1, or they may push him to earn the job over Rodriguez, who put up a good competition in the regular season all last year. With an average annual value of $5MM, though, it seems Rodriguez is expected to contribute.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.