NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/30/25
We saw another late-round draft pick signing today:
Los Angeles Rams
- RB Jarquez Hunter (fourth round, Auburn)
The Rams traded up 10 spots, giving up a sixth-round pick in the process, to take Hunter in the middle of the fourth round. Hunter joins a room that returns its three leading rushers from last year in Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, and Ronnie Rivers.
That being said, Los Angeles essentially functioned with Williams as a bell-cow in 2024, seeing as how he accounted for nearly 75 percent of the team’s rushing yards and had nearly 1,100 yards more than the next rusher on the team. Hunter will likely compete with Corum in an attempt to give the team more of an impact in the RB2 role in 2025.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/30/25
Friday’s only minor NFL moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Reverted to IR: DL Jeremiah Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DE Blake Mangelson
Ravens Sign DT John Jenkins
MAY 29: Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic) Jenkins will join the team after June 1. The veteran will thus be able to participate in many of Baltimore’s OTAs in addition to mandatory minicamp (which runs from June 17-19).
MAY 16: For seven of the last nine years, the Ravens have had a stout nose tackle in Michael Pierce plugging up the middle of the defense. Just two months after the 32-year-old retired, Baltimore will welcome a new veteran to man the middle. The Ravens announced today that John Jenkins will join the team on a one-year deal. 
At 35 years old, Jenkins has played in the NFL for 12 years. Originally a third-round pick out of Georgia, Jenkins very quickly became a main contributor on the Saints defensive line. His play plateaued a bit over the next two years, resulting in New Orleans drafting Sheldon Rankins in the first round, benching Jenkins, and ultimately, waiving him in the final year of his rookie deal. He signed a few days later with the Seahawks but only appeared in two games for the rest of the year.
After that, Jenkins bounced around the league, playing one-year deals with the Bears, Giants, Dolphins, and Bears a second time. He then spent two more years in Miami before signing with the Raiders in 2023. In his first 10 years of NFL play, Jenkins only started 30 games, 22 of which came on his rookie contract with the Saints while the remaining eight were spread over seven seasons. In Las Vegas for the past two years, Jenkins started all 34 of the Raiders’ contests.
Jenkins has never been much of a pass rusher, only collecting 4.5 sacks over his 12-year career. His best seasons, though, have been highlighted with impressive run defense. His play has dipped a bit in recent years as his snap count has increased, but luckily, he’ll return to more of a rotational role in Baltimore.
This year will see the Ravens return their main three defensive linemen from 2024. Nnamdi Madubuike led the group in playing time last season, followed closely by Travis Jones. Broderick Washington is the third contributor who saw more playing time than Pierce last year. Jenkins will likely slide in for Pierce in the rotation, and after playing 595 snaps in 2023 and 606 snaps in 2024 for the Raiders, covering Pierce’s 254 snaps from last year should be no problem.
Latest On Dolphins, CB Jalen Ramsey
It’s only been two days since we talked about the Dolphins–Jalen Ramsey trade situation, but what a two days it has been. We insinuated in our most recent post that a trade could be on hold until after June 1 for cap reasons, and a lot of signs appear to be pointing in that direction. 
The reasoning for this is fairly clear. Were the Dolphins to trade their star cornerback before June 1, the team would eat $25.21MM in dead money with Ramsey still taking up $8.55MM of cap space. If the team makes the trade after June 1, that dead money figure reduces to $6.75MM with the team also getting $9.92MM of salary cap relief.
As if to mark June 1 as a finish line, Ramsey simply posted, “5…” on his X account yesterday, likely indicating the number of days until Miami will be willing to trade him. In a string of posts today, Ramsey reiterated that targeted date, telling his followers to “finish the week strong.” He also indicated that things have “ended” and that “a new chapter awaits.”
Head coaches of two teams offered quotes today on the situation, as well. Miami’s Mike McDaniel made it clear today that his focus is on the players who are at the team’s facilities — Ramsey doesn’t appear to have any intentions of attending any offseason activities with the Dolphins. McDaniel said that he’s “very excited to coach a team” and that he’s “just worried about the players on the field today,” per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The Rams have been heavily linked as a team that could reunite with Ramsey, and head coach Sean McVay was the other coach to comment on the situation today. According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, McVay told reporters that “there hasn’t been any meaningful, tangible dialogue as of late…but that can always change pretty quickly.” “Quickly” could end up being as soon as June 1.
In a mailbag Q&A, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated addressed what a realistic return could look like in a Ramsey trade. Miami has plenty of incentive to get Ramsey’s salary off their books, but that probably doesn’t mean they’ll be willing to discount him too much. While teams acquiring the veteran defender will theoretically be getting three years of control, those years come with cash payouts of $21MM in 2026, $21.7MM in 2027, and $24MM in 2028.
In those final three years, Ramsey will be playing at 32, 33, and 34 years old. Breer points out that, should Ramsey’s age finally catch up to him and affect his abilities to play cornerback, there are people who believe he can transition into a top-tier safety. Even the highest-paid safeties, though, aren’t averaging $21.7MM and $24MM per year today, and the highest-paid safety over 30 years old is only averaging $6.5MM per season.
Breer speculates that this could mean that we’ll see whichever team acquires him cut the veteran after his first season with the team in order to get out of his current contract and potentially work towards a newer, cheaper one. It’s looking likely that we’ll get to find out exactly which team will have that opportunity in 5…4…
Falcons Sign RFA C Ryan Neuzil
Last year, the Falcons were able to avoid tendering center Ryan Neuzil as an exclusive rights free agent with a one-year extension. With Neuzil as a restricted free agent this offseason, Atlanta ended up tendering him. That tender is a thing of the past, though, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Neuzil and the Falcons have agreed to a two-year, $9.5MM deal. 
Neuzil signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State in 2021. After spending his rookie year on the practice squad, Neuzil made his NFL debut in Week 9 of his sophomore campaign, getting called up as a practice squad elevation. He would appear in every game for the rest of the 2022 season, appearing only on special teams, except for five offensive snaps in the team’s regular season finale.
In 2023, injuries to starting guard and primary backup center Matt Hennessy opened the door for Neuzil to climb the depth chart as the new top option to back up then-starter Drew Dalman. Neuzil entered the year playing the same special teams role in which he ended 2022, but he earned his first career start in Week 6, though only as a technicality as he was an extra lineman on the first play of the game and only played five offensive snaps.
Later in the season, though, Dalman would be forced to miss three games, opening the door for Neuzil to finally start a full game at center and earn snaps on the line during games in which he didn’t start. Ending the season with four starts under his belt likely helped him earn his extension as the primary backup to Dalman. When Dalman missed eight games with a high ankle sprain this past season, Neuzil was the one to fill in. Dalman wanted to return to Atlanta this offseason, and the two sides even met to discuss a new deal, but ultimately, Dalman ended up signing with the Bears, leaving the Falcons seemingly no choice but to sign Neuzil as the team’s new primary center.
According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Neuzil had been working out and practicing with the team without a deal signed, but likely under the impression that he would, at the very least, sign his restricted free agent tender. Now, with a new contract in hand, Neuzil officially rejoins the roster to likely serve as the Falcons’ starting center in 2025.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/28/25
Wednesday’s only minor moves:
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Chazz Surratt
- Waived: LB DaShaun White
The 49ers already swapped punters today, and strangely, that transaction was the one to make headlines. It’s likely because Surratt and White have also primarily been special teamers so far in their careers. White, an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 2023, has split the last two years between the UFL and NFL, spending short stints with the Bills and Raiders before finally seeing an active roster in San Francisco, where he made his NFL debut.
Surratt’s special teams status is a bit more surprising. After switching from starting quarterback to linebacker after a season-ending injury and a head coaching change at North Carolina, Surratt became an All-American defender, racking up 206 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks in his two years at the position. Those two impressive seasons helped convince the Vikings to draft him in the third round.
After only appearing on special teams in nine games as a rookie, Surratt was waived before his sophomore season, rebounding with the Jets. He made five starts while playing in all 17 games last year, but he’s only got 37 total tackles in his four-year career.
K Graham Gano, DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches Potential Cap Casualties
According to OvertheCap.com, the Giants are 30th in the NFL in 2025 with only $5.95MM of cap space and dead last in the NFL with an effective cap deficit of $4.51MM. Obviously, New York needs to clear up some salary cap space, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic suggested that kicker Graham Gano and defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches could end up being cap casualties. 
Gano, 38, has been with the Giants since 2020 earning two separate three-year extensions for a combined $30.5MM, but he’s only played 18 of a possible 34 games in the past two seasons. A knee injury sidelined Gano for nine games in 2023 while a groin issue held him out of seven contests last year. Along with these injuries have also come some inaccuracies. Gano missed six of 17 field goal attempts in 2023, with two misses coming from inside the 30-yard line. While he improved a bit last season, going nine for 11, one of those misses was again from inside 40 yards.
Gano is under contract for the next two years, but his current contract has a potential out built in that makes the dead money of his contract fairly manageable. Cutting him now would leave the team with $2.5MM of dead money and $3.17MM of cap savings; a post June-1 designation would improve those numbers to $1.25MM of dead money and $4.42MM of cap savings.
In order to cut Gano, though, the team needs somebody who can replace him. They haven’t brought in any kicking competition this offseason, though they did sign Jude McAtamney to a reserve/futures deal in January. Still, there are plenty of veteran options on the free agent market if the Giants want to pursue more experienced kickers like Nick Folk, Matt Prater, or even Justin Tucker. Younger options, such as Michael Badgley, Eddy Pineiro, Cade York, Zane Gonzalez, and Austin Seibert, are available, as well.
Unfortunately for Nunez-Roches, a similar depth issue does not exist. New York brought in veterans Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter as free agents this offseason and spent a third-round pick on Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander. The interior defensive line depth of the team does not preclude the Giants from letting Nunez-Roches go if he can’t contribute in a meaningful manner, and unfortunately, he hasn’t shown that he can.
Despite starting 15 games for the team in 2024, Nunez-Roches has not been a stout defender at his position. He doesn’t produce a ton of pressure — only two sacks, two tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits last year — and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the 99th-best interior defender in the NFL last season out of 118 qualifying players, which was only a slight improvement over his grading from last year (115th out of 130 interior defenders). The Giants reportedly admire his leadership, but if this summer shows that the team can get by with players like Robertson-Harris, Ledbetter, and Alexander around star interior defender Dexter Lawrence, that may not be enough to keep Nunez-Roches around.
Nunez-Roches is headed into the final year of a three-year, $12MM contract. Cutting him, pre- or post-June 1, would only result in $1.43MM of dead money and $3.6MM of cap savings.
Without some competition to make him expendable, Gano might end up surviving cap cuts. Cutting Nunez-Roches, though, could end up being an easy decision if the three newcomers make it clear that he’s not needed.
AFC South Notes: WRs, Anderson, Sneed
Three receivers in the AFC South are facing big seasons for different reasons in 2025, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks and Texans wideout John Metchie all are looking to have impactful 2025 campaigns in order to improve their prospects for the future.
Ridley returns to Tennessee as the team’s leading receiver from 2024, but he’ll be in a much-improved receiving corps this season. He’s been joined by veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson and rookies Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Xavier Restrepo as targets for No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward. Volin argues that, with Ridley being 30 years old, the Titans may feel comfortable moving on from Ridley in favor of their several other options in the future. Even with a post-June 1 designation, cutting Ridley would not save them any cap space this year, but if Ridley can’t prove to be a worthy asset in 2025, his contract provides a potential out that could limit his dead money to $8.02MM and increase the team’s cap savings to $18.73 for 2026, should they cut him.
After Tennessee made the decision to decline Burks’ fifth-year option, it’s certain that the 25-year-old will be headed into the final year of his rookie contract. Through three seasons, Burks has struggled mightily with injuries, missing 24 of a possible 51 games. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that he may not make it through the offseason. With the lack of production, the influx of new talent, and only $2.66MM in cash owed to him this year, Burks could face long odds of making the roster in 2025.
Metchie, unfortunately, faces similar challenges. Metchie’s health issues stem, initially, from a surprising diagnosis of leukemia that halted his rookie season before it even began. In two years since returning to the team, though, Metchie has failed to make much of an impact, despite injuries to his teammates providing plenty of opportunities for him to do so. Like Burks, Metchie is now heading into the final year of his rookie contract and dealing with an influx of new talent like veteran Christian Kirk and Day 2 rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Metchie, a Day 2 pick himself, will need to tap into the potential that got him drafted that high in order to ensure his roster status for the 2025 NFL season.
Here are a couple other rumors from around the AFC South:
- Former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. is not yet eligible for an extension, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about it. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year told reporters recently that he “most definitely” wants to remain in Houston for the rest of his career. With 18.0 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and 41 quarterback hits through two seasons, one would imagine that the feeling is mutual. The Texans will have to wait until he completes his third season of NFL play, though, until they can extend their young pass rusher with the contract that he desires.
- Two days ago, we reported that Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was progressing well in his rehabilitation but noted that there wasn’t yet a timeline for his return. There doesn’t appear to have been any new information, but Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt told fans in a mailbag yesterday that “the plan is to have him ready to go for the fall.” So, it seems Sneed will continue his recovery work for the remainder of the summer with plans to be back, hopefully, in time for training camp.
Patriots Rumors: Moses, LG, UDFAs
At 34 years old, Morgan Moses is still playing at a level that garners the three-year, $24MM deal he signed with the Patriots. If he’s able to play out the entirety of his contract, he’ll be 37 years old when he hits free agency again; for reference, the oldest offensive tackle currently in the NFL is Trent Williams at 36.
One usually doesn’t make it this long in the NFL without a couple of bumps and bruises along the way. After only playing eight games as a rookie, Moses played in every game of every season for eight straight years. His past two seasons in Baltimore and New York, though, saw him miss three games apiece as Father Time starts to catch up to him. After missing two games early last year, Moses reportedly played through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for several weeks.
Moses was reportedly “given a clean bill of health” from the Jets’ medical staff before free agency, and according to Mike Reiss of ESPN, that came following some offseason knee surgery. As he comes back from surgery, Moses has not been participating in full-team drills at practice. Still, he’s been plenty involved despite not practicing, mentoring rookie first-round tackle out of LSU Will Cambell, who it’s presumed will be starting opposite him in Week 1.
Here are a couple other rumors coming out of New England lately:
- Last season, the left guard position became a major question for New England as Cole Strange missed all but the team’s last three games with injury and the Patriots fluctuated between Michael Jordan and Layden Robinson in his absence. Even when Strange returned from injury, he filled a need at center instead of returning to left guard. So far in early practices, that uncertainty has remained. With free agent signing Garrett Bradbury taking the center job, Strange can move back to left guard. So far, Strange has shared the position with free agent addition Wes Schweitzer, and undrafted free agent Jack Conley out of Boston College, per Reiss. Robinson is currently not a full participant, but he, too, could end up competing for the job. It’s early, but there are several potential options for the team at that position.
- While we did cover a couple of the Patriots’ top undrafted earners (Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III and UC Davis running back Lan Larison) when they announced those signings, Reiss provided some info on a few more that we were not aware of at the time. Per Reiss, Alabama tight end C.J. Dippre earned the highest guaranteed total ($264K), followed by Chism ($259K), North Carolina defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie ($218K), Larison ($175K), Cal Poly edge rusher Elijah Ponder ($115K), Conley ($110K), and Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. ($95K).
Cowboys Potential Trade Destination For CB Jalen Ramsey?
Much of the news on the potential trade situation for Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey has already been reported. Essentially, Ramsey is looking to depart from South Beach, a potential return to the Rams has gained traction, but the Dolphins’ unwillingness to retain some of Ramsey’s salary has stalled things at the moment. 
Yesterday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler claimed to have spoken to someone in the Cowboys organization who suggested that they might not be done adding players through trades this offseason. In a video provided by Brandon Loree of SB Nation, Fowler used that experience to suggest that Dallas could be a team to watch in the bidding for Ramsey, supporting that assertion by pointing out the three trades the Cowboys have already made for players on rookie contracts this offseason and saying the team could make a fourth trade on the veteran cornerback.
The connection feels like quite a bit of a stretch. The Cowboys have, in fact, made four trades this offseason already, acquiring quarterback Joe Milton and wide receiver George Pickens on offense and linebacker Kenneth Murray and cornerback Kaiir Elam on defense. While Fowler is right that the Cowboys have certainly been active on the trade market, one could argue that that might make them less likely to make another trade, considering they surrendered three draft picks in this past draft and already gave up a third- and seventh-round pick in 2026 and a fifth-round pick in 2027, as well. Dallas may not be willing to part with much more draft capital, especially whatever Ramsey will demand.
Cowboys Insider for WFAA Ed Werder voiced his own skepticism of Fowler’s assertion, stating his belief that the idea of trading for Ramsey has not “even been a topic of discussion within the Cowboys (organization) at this time.”
Cornerback had been identified as a position of need for the Cowboys this offseason. With DaRon Bland‘s injury and a down year for Trevon Diggs, nickelback Jourdan Lewis was the only bright spot of the group in 2024, and Lewis departed for Jacksonville in free agency. Still, Bland is sure to bounce back in a full year in 2025; he was still plenty good even after coming off of injury last season. And, while Diggs’ disappointing season coming off his own injuries is concerning, we’ve seen him play at a Pro Bowl level in years prior.
Even if injuries continue to doom the room, Dallas’s offseason moves of trading for Elam and drafting East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel in the third round should bolster the team’s confidence in the position a bit. That’s not to say that Dallas should be totally disregarded as a potential trade suitor for Ramsey, but at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of evidence to support that theory.