Free Agent DB Tracy Walker Suspended 12 Games
Tracy Walker has been searching for a gig since getting cut from the 49ers practice squad last September. If he has any chance of playing in the NFL again, it would have to wait until late November.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the free agent safety has been suspended for the first 12 games of the 2025 campaign. It’s uncertain why Walker was banned. The veteran is allowed to join a team before his suspension is through, but he won’t be able to take the field until Week 13.
A former third-round pick, Walker emerged as a useful player in Detroit. He averaged close to 100 tackles per season between 2019 and 2021, but a torn Achilles limited him to only three games in 2022. He managed to return in time for the start of the 2023 campaign and got into all 17 games that season while appearing in half of his team’s defensive snaps.
Walker was cut during the 2024 offseason, providing the Lions with more than $5MM in cap relief. He caught on with the 49ers and landed on their taxi squad following final cuts, but he lasted a month before earning his walking papers.
While it’s uncertain why the player was suspended, the length would indicate a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
- Waived/injured: LB Baylon Spector
Chicago Bears
- Waived/injured: TE Jordan Murray
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: CB Anthony Kendall
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Isaiah Neyor
- Placed on IR: G Travis Glover
- Reverted to IR: WR Sam Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Quintez Cephus
- Waived/injured: WR Johnny Johnson III
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: TE McCallan Castles
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Hunter Dekkers
- Waived: P Matthew Hayball
New York Jets
- Released from IR: S Jaylin Simpson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DL Seth Coleman
- Waived/injured: WR Montorie Foster
Bills LB Baylon Spector suffered a calf injury earlier this week that ultimately cost him his roster spot, but he seems destined to ultimately land on the team’s injured reserve. Buffalo was quick to add Jimmy Ciarlo as the replacement. The former West Point captain spent most of his rookie campaign with the Jets, and he garnered auditions with the Giants and Patriots after getting let go by Gang Green in May.
The Texans added some depth at wide receiver in Quintez Cephus, although it came at the expense of Johnny Johnson III. The former Lions draft pick lasted three seasons in Detroit, where he hauled in 37 receptions for 568 yards and four touchdowns. Cephus was banned for the 2023 campaign for violating the league’s gambling policy, and he’s since had stints with the Bills, Texans, Rams, and 49ers. Following his first gig in Houston, he had a brief stint playing under Nick Caley in Los Angeles.
Lions Still In Contact With Za’Darius Smith
Za’Darius Smith remains unsigned, but the veteran pass rusher has already made it clear that he hopes to continue his stay in Detroit. That sentiment appears to be mutual, although it doesn’t sound like any deal is imminent.
[RELATED: Za’Darius Smith Wants To Return To Lions]
While speaking with reporters, Lions general manager Brad Holmes stated that he’s maintained contact with the player’s camp and is hoping to extend the partnership.
“Za’Darius did a lot of good things last year for us and we said we’re going to keep in contact with his agent, but everything’s not just one-sided,” Holmes explained (via Will Burchfield of 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit). “Za’Darius has expectations, the team has expectations, so sometimes it takes a while for those things to get on the same page. Especially a guy that’s been in the league as long as he has, I’m not saying that he doesn’t want to be in training camp, but if he misses some time, there’s obviously still interest there and we’ve been keeping in touch.”
Holmes seems to be hinting that there may be some disagreement on compensation between the two sides. Smith is coming off a two-year, $23MM extension he inked with the Browns in 2024, a deal the Lions ducked out of before a $7MM bonus was due. Since the defensive end was release back in March, there have been numerous reports connecting the player to a new Detroit contract, with Smith noting that he wants to win a Super Bowl before calling it a career. At the same time, there haven’t been any reports of other suitors stepping up, so the veteran may be running out of leverage if he hopes to secure his desired payday.
Holmes also indicated that there isn’t any urgency to get the player signed any time soon. The Lions aren’t as desperate for pass-rush help as they were when the acquired Smith from the Browns in November. Both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are healthy atop the depth chart, and the team is still rostering two of their three 2024 positional snap leaders in Josh Paschal and Al-Quadin Muhammad.
Smith would initially be eyeing a limited role on the 2025 iteration of the Lions, but it sounds like the two sides could be fine with that arrangement. Smith was productive in his short stint in Detroit, compiling four sacks and 10 QB hits in eight games (he added another five sacks and seven QB hits in nine games with Cleveland). Those nine total sacks represented a step forward from his 5.5-sack showing in 2023, and he compiled 10 sacks during his comeback season with the Vikings in 2022.
Preseason injuries could increase Detroit’s urgency to add some depth at the position, and Paschal (who’s been dealing with an undisclosed injury of his own) has been mentioned as a cut candidate. However, considering the team’s on-paper depth, it may still be some time until a deal comes to fruition.
Ravens Sign DL Brent Urban
August 2: Urban’s workout must have gone well, as the Ravens announced his signing on Saturday morning.
Urban was one of the five defensive linemen on Baltimore’s 53-man roster to start the 2024 regular season, but he will likely be competing with Jenkins if the team carries the same number this year.
July 31: Brent Urban could be back in Baltimore for yet another season. The veteran defensive lineman is set to work out for the Ravens “in the upcoming days,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
The veteran will be seeking his fourth-consecutive one-year contract from Baltimore. That latest stint has seen Urban appear in 46 total games, with the defensive lineman compiling 63 tackles and four sacks while appearing in about one fourth of his team’s defensive snaps. The 34-year-old has also gotten into five playoff games over that span.
A former fourth-round pick, the Virginia product spent the first five seasons of his career in Baltimore, starting 19 of his 41 games. He spent the 2019 season between the Titans and Bears, and after collecting a career-high 2.5 sacks in Chicago in 2020, he spent the 2021 campaign with the Cowboys. He reunited with Baltimore ahead of the 2022 season.
As Zrebiec notes, Urban remains “an organizational favorite,” and his familiarity with John Harbaugh and the coaching staff would obviously make him a natural fit for the 2025 iteration of the Ravens. Baltimore is set to return the same main DL grouping of Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, and Broderick Washington next season, and the team added the likes of John Jenkins and sixth-round pick Aeneas Peebles for some depth. Urban would likely slide in towards the bottom of the depth chart if he garners another contract from the team.
Commanders’ Terry McLaurin Requests Trade
The staredown between the Commanders and Terry McLaurin has resulted in a trade request. According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the star wide receiver has requested a trade out of Washington. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed the report.
[RELATED: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Reports To Camp]
McLaurin seemed to quiet the ongoing trade chatter after he reported to training camp earlier this week, ending his brief holdout. After showing up to the Commanders facility, the wideout was placed on the active/PUP list as he nursed a lingering ankle injury. Of course, there’s been plenty of speculation that McLaurin simply showed up to avoid fines, and his phantom injury was simply part of his hold-in strategy.
It sounds like the two sides made some effort to return to the negotiating table. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that talks have “stalled,” leading to today’s sudden trade request. James Palmer of Bleacher Report notes that the Commanders don’t appear to be “moving” from their existing offer, while Albert Breer of TheMMQB says there hasn’t been any progress in talks for a month.
McLaurin has one year remaining on a three-year, $71MM deal he signed with the Commanders back in 2022. The $23.3MM average annual value now ranks 17th among wide receivers, and the former All-Pro is naturally seeking a new deal that would put him towards the top of the positional market. While McLaurin hasn’t explicitly stated what kind of money he’s seeking in his new deal, there’s been a belief that he’s pushing for a contract that would pay him around $32MM to $33MM per year. That would put him just outside the top-three AAVs among wide receivers (behind Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb).
The Commanders, meanwhile, have been hesitant about offering a contract that exceeds a $30MM AAV. While 2019 Day 2 classmates D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown both earned contracts that place them in the top-six of their position, the Commanders have been wary of offering a similar pact to the older McLaurin. The 2025 campaign will represent McLaurin’s age-30 season, and it sounds like the front office is using that factor against their star wideout.
On the flip side, it’s stunning that the Commanders have let the stalemate get to this point. The organization is coming off their most successful season in decades, with 2024 second-overall pick Jayden Daniels quickly establishing himself as a franchise quarterback. While the team brought in the likes of Deebo Samuel and Michael Gallup this offseason, McLaurin is still far and away their most dynamic playmaker, and the team’s immediate outlook would take a significant hit if the wideout is playing elsewhere in 2025.
While it was publicly known that a gap existed between the Commanders and McLaurin, the front office has resisted trade inquiries so far. According to Schefter, rival teams have considered making a run at the wideout, and it remains to be seen if today’s development will change the organization’s approach.
It’s not surprising that suitors would be lining up for McLaurin’s services. The former third-round pick has been one of the most consistent players at his position since entering the league in 2019. McLaurin has topped 1,000 receiving in each of the past five seasons, and he’s coming off one of the most productive campaigns of his career. The 29-year-old finished 2024 with 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Still, the most likely outcome sees the Commanders ultimately relenting to McLaurin’s demands. From Samuel to Tee Higginsto Brandon Aiyuk, we’ve seen plenty of wideouts request trades that didn’t (immediately) come to fruition. Considering how much the Commanders have to lose in this situation, that appears to be the likeliest outcome here, although this will obviously be a situation to watch over the next month.
NFL Minor Transactions: 7/31/25
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Henry Black
- Waived: WR Makai Polk
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Kameron Cline
- Waived/injured: DE Hayden Harris
- Activated from active/PUP: RT Spencer Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Chase Cota
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Garrett Nelson
- Reverted to IR: LB Johnny Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Tre Herndon, CB Duke Shelley
- Released: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
- Placed on IR: CB David Long Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from active/PUP: LB Dennis Gardeck
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Matt Nelson
- Waived/injured: DE Alex Williams
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP: WR Mack Hollins
- Placed on IR: OT Yasir Durant
New Orleans Saints
-
- Signed: P Kai Kroeger
- Waived: QB Hunter Dekkers
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from active/NFI: G Isaac Seumalo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Carter Bradley, WR Marquez Callaway, WR Andy Isabella
- Released: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Waived: OL Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Malik Knowles, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Ben Bartch
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Keydrain Calligan
- Waived: DT Thor Griffith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaden Smith
- Waived/injured: S Marcus Banks, RB D.J. Williams
Washington Commanders
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Tim McKay
The Colts added some experienced cornerback depth today in Tre Herndon and Duke Shelley. Herndon had a long stint in Jacksonville, starting 34 of his 83 appearances with the organization. Shelley has bounced around the league a bit, with his longest stint coming in Chicago between 2019 and 2021. Both players were limited to one appearance each during the 2024 campaign.
The 49ers made a long list of moves today, most notably to their wide receiver depth. Marquez Callaway was limited to two games in Tampa Bay last season, but he compiled 698 receiving yards and six touchdowns as recently as 2021. Andy Isabella has only gotten into 13 total games over the past four years, hauling in five receptions over that span. They’ll be taking the roster spots previously held by former Bears starter Equanimeous St. Brown and former Kansas State standout Malik Knowles.
La’el Collins To Work Out For Cowboys
As the Cowboys navigate a number of injuries on their offensive line, they’re targeting a familiar face for some depth. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, veteran lineman La’el Collins will work out for the team on Friday.
This would represent Collins’ third stint with the organization, with his first spanning seven seasons. The former UDFA quickly established himself as a starter in Dallas. The LSU product started 11 games at guard as a rookie and was limited to only three games as a sophomore, but he later settled in as the starting right tackle between 2017 and 2019. Prior to that latter campaign, the lineman inked a five-year, $50MM deal with the Cowboys.
Collins ended up missing the entire 2020 campaign after dealing with a long list of injuries, and the beginning of his 2021 campaign was derailed by a substance abuse suspension. He ended up starting 11 of his 12 appearances that season, but his declining play ultimately led to his release.
The lineman caught on with the Bengals via a three-year contract, but his first season ended a bit early thanks to a torn ACL. He was released early in the 2023 season and finally caught on with the Cowboys practice squad towards the end of the campaign, but he didn’t end up getting into a game. He signed with the Bills last offseason but was among the team’s final cuts, and he didn’t get another job throughout the 2024 campaign.
It’s now been two full seasons since Collins has seen the field for a regular season game, but the Cowboys can’t be too picky at this point. As Archer points out, the team has seen four linemen suffer injuries over the past week: Tyler Guyton (knee), Rob Jones (neck), Matt Waletzko (ankle), and Hakeem Adeniji (concussion). Guard Tyler Smith also left practice early today with knee soreness.
Unsurprisingly, Collins has the support of some of his former teammates. Dak Prescott told reporters that the 32-year-old lineman is in the best shape of his life, with the quarterback hoping that Collins “kills this workout” (per Jon Machota of The Athletic).
Trey Hendrickson To Report To Bengals Training Camp
Trey Hendrickson‘s showdown with the Bengals took another turn this evening, as the star pass rusher is transforming his holdout into a hold-in. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hendrickson is planning to report to Bengals training camp tomorrow. However, the two sides are not any closer to a deal. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that the player is currently en route to Cincinnati.
[RELATED: Trey Hendrickson Rejects Bengals’ Latest Offers]
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that it’s unlikely Hendrickson will actually practice with his team until he inks a new contract. However, today’s development is clearly a positive step forward for the two sides, and having the edge rusher in the building should only help build momentum towards an eventual resolution. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic says the player and the Bengals intend to continue working on a deal after negotiations recently broke down.
We heard last week that the player had retreated to Florida after rejecting a pair of offers from the Bengals, and Hendrickson seemed prime to engage in his long-threatened holdout. That absence ended up lasting less than a week, with the pass rusher incurring daily fines of $50K for being a no-show.
Hendrickson’s brief trip to Florida threw cold water on the building optimism in Cincinnati. Owner Mike Brown and de facto general manager Duke Tobin both expressed recent optimism that the two sides would soon come to an agreement. However, later reports indicated that there was still a sizable gap in negotiations. While Hendrickson and the Bengals were reportedly in agreement on the average annual value of an extension, the team was still unwilling to meet the player’s core demands of length and guarantees.
Specifically, Hendrickson has reportedly been seeking locked-in money for the first three years of his extension. The Bengals, who have only recently backed down from their refusal to hand out future guarantees to veterans, were only willing to include guaranteed money in the first year of their offer. This stalemate ultimately led to Hendrickson departing Cincinnati for Florida.
It remains to be seen if the two sides can bridge that gap, although it seems unlikely that the stare down ends in a trade. Hendrickson recently made it clear that he wants to stick in Cincinnati, and he said that sentiment is shared by the organization. Today’s development is a good sign as the two sides look to repair their relationship, although Hendrickson’s impending hold-in will likely cause new distractions for the organization.
Hendrickson represented the last player to engage in a training camp holdout. Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin reported to camp the other day without a deal, and Hendrickson will now follow suit. Courtland Sutton engaged in his own pseudo-hold-in and was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension yesterday.
Christian Wilkins Avoided Surgery On Second Foot Injury
Since Christian Wilkins was cut by the Raiders last week, we’ve heard a handful of explanations for the sudden divorce. Primarily, there was an apparent disagreement over the player’s handling and/or recovery from a foot injury. Later, we heard reports of a locker room incident where Wilkins reportedly kissed a teammate on the head, leading to an HR complaint.
[RELATED: Incident With Raiders Teammate May Have Triggered Christian Wilkins’ Release]
Now, we’re hearing that Wilkins may have been cut because of an entirely different foot injury than the Jones fracture that ended his 2024 campaign prematurely. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the defensive tackle suffered another injury in the same foot that delayed his return to the field. That second injury has left Wilkins in a boot for months, but despite doctors’ suggestions that he should go under the knife, Wilkins has refused surgery.
That disagreement ultimately led to the deterioration of the relationship between the two sides. It’s uncertain how any suitors will handle this new injury, and Breer suggests that Wilkins could simply find a doctor who clears him to play football. The player could also stick it to his former club and undergo surgery after inking a contract, although that would mean his new team wouldn’t get his on-field production until at least the second half of the 2025 campaign.
Then, there’s the bizarre kissing incident. While this may seem innocuous on the surface, the Raiders may cite that incident as a reason for their decision to void Wilkins’ guaranteed money. As a source told Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders could point to a “pattern of conduct” that culminated in this locker room ordeal. The writer also notes that Wilkins wasn’t cut with an injury designation despite being on the physically unable to perform list. That decision could point to the release being more about conduct than any injury.
Either way, Bonsignore expects Wilkins’ grievance to be a lengthy process, with the writer wondering if the dispute may not be resolved until next spring. The timing is of some importance to the Raiders. As Bonsignore notes, the Raiders will be slapped with a cap hold worth 40 percent of the “amount being grieved,” which comes out around $14.8MM. If the matter isn’t resolved until the spring, the Raiders may have to carry that cap hit into next year’s free agency.
If the Raiders did truly move on from Wilkins for conduct, it might not come as a surprise to some. According to Armando Salguero of Outkick.com, the player’s “unserious” approach to the game dates back to his time at Clemson, when he reportedly use to “grab opponents” in “private areas.” One scout once described the player as “irreverent,” and Salguero opines that the Raiders surely knew of his reputation when they handed him a lucrative contract last offseason.
Regardless of the reason for the release, Wilkins is now definitively out of Las Vegas and is seeking his next team. One team that won’t be involved in the bidding is the Giants, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. While the organization pursued him hard via free agency in 2024, Duggan says there’s too much to unpack with “health, finances and whatever else is going on.” Meanwhile, the Patriots could have some interest in the defender, as Mike Vrabel told reporters that the organization will “have a conversation” about pursuing the free agent (per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston).
Broncos, John Franklin-Myers Haven’t Discussed Extension
With Courtland Sutton now attached to a lucrative new deal, the Broncos front office will shift focus to other veterans. While the likes of Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen have been attached to potential Denver extensions, there’s at least one veteran who will likely play out the 2025 campaign as an impending free agent.
[RELATED: Broncos Extend WR Courtland Sutton]
According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, there haven’t been any contract negotiations between John Franklin-Myers and the Broncos. The writer notes that the defensive end doesn’t envision completing a new deal before the start of the regular season.
Franklin-Myers is entering the final season of a four-year, $55MM deal ($30.2MM guaranteed) that he inked with the Jets back in 2022. The defensive lineman completed half of that contract in New York before he was dealt to Denver last offseason for a future sixth-round pick.
The veteran proceeded to have one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2024. The 28-year-old finished the year with a career-high 40 tackles and seven sacks while appearing in about 46 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ranked him 12th among 118 interior defenders, including a top-five positional grade for his pass-rushing prowess.
Franklin-Myers skipped OTAs as he pursued a new deal, and the veteran later took to social media to warn the Broncos that both the Rams and Jets regretted moving on from him. The defender was later in attendance for the start of training camp, and it sounds like he’s now given up on securing a new deal ahead of next offseason’s free agency.
Assuming Allen does secure a new contract, the Broncos may feel set with their current depth at the position moving forward. The team used a third-round pick on LSU’s Sai’vion Jones in this year’s draft, and they’re also still rostering Jordan Jackson, who got into 310 snaps for Denver in 2024.