Vikings Re-Sign S Harrison Smith
There will be a familiar face once again in the Vikings secondary in 2025. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith will return with a new contract for a 14th season in the NFL. Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport adds that Smith is back on a one-year, $10.25MM contract that can be worth up to $14MM with incentives. 
Smith reportedly was contemplating retirement after concluding his age 35 season, as he did last year, when he and the Vikings agreed instead to a restructured deal that would allow him to play for his 13th season in Minnesota.
Smith has played 192 regular season games, the most by a defensive back amongst all Vikings players. That figure ranks eighth in franchise history, and his 37 career interceptions are the most with respect to active players. During his time in Minnesota, Smith has accumulated six Pro Bowl selections and both a first- and second-team All-Pro honor.
Re-signing Smith is big for continuity in the Vikings’ secondary after the team watched Camryn Bynum walk in free agency. It still leaves a pretty significant hole at the other safety position, though. Also, despite, Smith’s continuous rebuking of Father Time with strong analytical seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), it’s unlikely he’ll keep that up forever.
Having just turned 36, it’s hard to imagine that Smith is a confident solution for Minnesota moving forward. There are plenty of veteran options still available in free agency to pair with Smith like Quandre Diggs, Justin Simmons, Rayshawn Jenkins, and more, but one would imagine the team would prefer to find a younger option like Marcus Williams, Julian Blackmon, or K’Von Wallace. They also may look to add a top safety prospect from the draft if one catches their eye.
As for Smith, he’ll lace ’em up for another season in Minnesota. He may be joined in the defensive backfield by Josh Metellus or someone completely new, but one thing remains certain: Smith will continue to provide his usual brand of Vikings football in 2025.
Seahawks To Sign OL Josh Jones
The Seahawks are making the move to bring in a bit of depth on the offensive line this offseason. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported today that former Ravens lineman Josh Jones is expected to sign with Seattle. 
Jones’ first five years in the NFL have shown many different sides of what he can provide. A former third-round draft pick for the Cardinals out of Houston, Jones got most his playing time on special teams as a rookie. By his sophomore season, Jones had worked his way into a starting role, starting 12 games for Arizona — nine at right guard and three at right tackle.
Though he didn’t retain his starting job for the full season, Jones displayed that he could be a serviceable starter at multiple positions along the offensive front. He continued to work, and even though he didn’t begin the 2022 season as a starter, the Cardinals knew that they could turn to him to start at left tackle when D.J. Humphries went on injured reserve with a back injury. Jones started nine games for the Cardinals that season, including the final eight of the year.
The next season saw a similar circumstance after Jones was traded to Houston. Jones appeared in 13 games for the Texans, starting three. Of those three starts, one was at left guard and two were at left tackle.
Following the expiration of his rookie deal, Jones signed with the Ravens for 2024. When a lack of serviceable starters forced Baltimore to utilize their usual sixth-man of the offensive line, Patrick Mekari, as a starter for the full year, Jones’ versatility allowed them to do so without losing that valuable sixth lineman who can fill in everywhere. While Mekari has started games in the NFL at every position on the offensive line, Jones is not far behind him, having started at every position but center. Jones didn’t start any games in Baltimore, but he played in 16, often finding himself involved in jumbo packages that the run-heavy Ravens used frequently. Now both Mekari and Jones have departed from Baltimore.
In Seattle, Jones may just find an opportunity to start again. The team is set to watch starting left guard Laken Tomlinson depart in free agency, as will key backup tackles George Fant and Stone Forsythe. Even if Jones isn’t able to secure a starting role, he’s established himself as a valuable backup who can fill in at almost any position along the offensive line wherever he goes.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/25
Monday’s only tender decision in the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Jets: S Tony Adams
New York has made the decision to tender their third-year safety. Adams has started 26 games the past two years and is a year removed from nabbing three interceptions. It’s reportedly a right-of-first-refusal tender worth $3.2MM for one year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/25
Here are today’s minor NFL moves that may have been missed during an otherwise extremely busy first day of the tampering period:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: S Tarvarius Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LS Trent Sieg
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: T Matt Peart
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: T Dan Skipper
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: WR Ashton Dulin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Chuma Edoga
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LS James Winchester
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DB Lonnie Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: DT Matt Dickerson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Bubba Bolden
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Khyiris Tonga
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: DT Nathan Shepherd
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Chris Board, T James Hudson III
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: RB Patrick Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: CB Darrell Baker Jr., LS Morgan Cox, OL Andrew Rupcich
Washington Commanders
- Re-sign: P Tress Way
Panthers To Re-Sign CB Michael Jackson
The Panthers did not tell Michael Jackson to “Beat It.” After trading for the veteran cornerback just prior to the start of the 2024 season in exchange for seventh-round rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, Carolina has opted to retain the 28-year-old defender on a two-year, $14.5MM deal, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
The trade certainly worked out in Carolina’s favor as Barrett was waived just five days after the deal by the Seahawks before re-signing to their practice squad. He was then released just after the team’s season-opener and signed two days later to the Browns’ practice squad. Barrett was once again released in early-October and didn’t get signed again until the Packers brought him onto their practice squad on November 30. He was elevated by the Packers in the final week of the season but didn’t see any snaps. Barrett has not been signed to a reserve/futures deal and remains a free agent.
While Barrett bounced around, unable to find any playing time, Jackson started every game of the season for the Panthers, notching career highs in total tackles (76), tackles for loss (3), passes defended (17), and interceptions (2). It was only the second time Jackson played a full season as a starter.
Like Barrett, Jackson had a similarly rough start to his NFL career. He started as a fifth-round pick for the Cowboys out of Miami, failing to make the make the 53-man roster but signing to the practice squad. He was signed off Dallas’ taxi squad to the Lions’ active roster but only made one appearance in eight weeks with the team. The team announced they were waiving him the following August but instead traded him to New England. He made the initial 53-man roster with the Patriots but was soon waived and re-signed to the practice squad, where he was elevated for the final game of the season.
In 2021, he was waived in the Patriots’ final roster cuts but signed with the Seahawks practice squad two days later, getting elevated for two games. Jackson became a surprise name in Seattle’s camp the following offseason and became a starter in the new-look secondary. He not only earned his first career start but started every game of the season, as well, though he graded out below average, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him 84th among 118 players graded at the position. Jackson saw a reduced role in 2023 for Seattle, only starting four games, but his play improved analytically, as PFF graded him as the 19th-best cornerback of 127 players.
In a return to a full-time starting role this year, and despite joining the team just two and half weeks before the season started, Jackson graded out above average, with PFF grading him as the 43rd-best corner of 116. He returns to a secondary that recently gave a big payday to Jaycee Horn. Horn and Jackson will likely continue to act as the team’s top cornerback options while some younger talent fills out the depth lost as Lonnie Johnson, Dane Jackson, and Caleb Farley all head towards free agency.
Jets Agree To Deal With S Andre Cisco
The Jets are in line to have a complete reset at their safety positions in 2025, and it looks like they’ll start by signing former Jaguars safety Andre Cisco. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cisco and the Jaguars have come to an agreement on a one-year, $10MM contract. 
A former third-round pick out of Syracuse, Cisco made himself a key part of the Jaguars secondary as a rookie in 2021. He slowly took over the job as a starter from Andrew Wingard that season before establishing himself as a full-time starter. Cisco’s best two seasons came in 2022 and 2023, in which he started all 30 games he appeared in and racked up 15 passes defensed and seven interceptions for 136 yards and a touchdown.
In those two seasons, Cisco graded just above average, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The analytics site ranked him as the 39th-best safety out of 88 graded players in 2022 and the 34th-best out of 95 in 2023. The 2024 NFL season saw a decline in analytics and production for Cisco, as PFF ranked him the 70th-best safety of 98 players graded at the position. Statistically, he only logged one interception to go along with seven passes defensed.
New York will be willing to disregard a down year likely based on Cisco’s youth. At only 24 years old, Cisco already has 47 starts under his belt and has shown he can be effective. The Jets will hope to see that potential turn back into production in 2025. With Chuck Clark, Tony Adams, Ashtyn Davis, and Jalen Mills all hitting the free agent market from New York this offseason, Cisco immediately becomes a crucial addition to the roster.
The Jaguars, on the other hand, have already filled the vacancy left by Cisco, as they’ve reportedly reached a deal to acquire former Texans safety Eric Murray. Murray will team up with Darnell Savage and Antonio Johnson to fill out the back end of Jacksonville’s secondary.
Browns To Release DT Dalvin Tomlinson
After making Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL earlier this week, the Browns are making some concessions elsewhere along the defensive line. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Browns have informed veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson that they will be releasing him at the start of the new league year. 
Schefter specifies that Tomlinson will be designated as a post-June 1 release by the team for cap purposes. If they didn’t choose to designate him that way, Tomlinson would account for $17.15MM in dead cap for Cleveland, who wouldn’t accumulate any cap savings from the transaction. Instead, as a post-June 1 designated release, Tomlinson will only take up $5.04MM in dead cap, and the Browns will save $6.41MM in cap space by clearing him from the payroll.
Tomlinson has been a full-time starter in the NFL ever since the Vikings drafted him in the second round out of Alabama in 2017. While he doesn’t stuff the stat sheet with sacks (only 19.0 in his career), he’s been plenty disruptive throughout his career, racking up tackles for loss (36) and quarterback hits (67) aplenty. Tomlinson really hangs his hat on being one of the more well-rounded defensive tackles in the league, often seeing his run defense grades as high as his pass rush grades on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Tomlinson had a decent year in 2024, grading out as the 32nd-best interior defender of 118 players graded by PFF. While that was certainly a strong bounce back from 2023, when he graded 57th (the worst of his career), it still hasn’t been up to par with every other season he’s played with the Giants and Vikings, when he would routinely rank in the top 20. Still, Tomlinson enters free agency as one of the top defensive tackle options available, especially with Milton Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, D.J. Jones, Poona Ford, Jarran Reed, and Tershawn Wharton coming off the board already.
As for the Browns, they’ll likely be looking to fill out their interior defensive line this offseason. Tomlinson will join Maurice Hurst on the free agent market, leaving Shelby Harris as the only returning starter. The team could see last year’s second-round rookie, Michael Hall, step into a bigger role in 2025, but after he only played eight games last season, nothing is certain.
QB Jameis Winston In Conversation With 49ers, Chargers
It’s looks like West Coast could be the best coast for veteran quarterback Jameis Winston, as senior NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that the recent backup has been in conversation with the 49ers and Chargers for potential backup roles. While it doesn’t appear that he’s a priority in New York, Anderson notes that the Giants could get involved here, too, depending on the outcome of talks with other passing options.
The former No. 1 overall pick from the 2015 NFL Draft has slowly seen a demotion in his NFL career, going from a full-time starter in Tampa Bay to part-time starting roles in New Orleans and Cleveland. During a five-year stint to start his career with the Buccaneers, Winston had started most every game that he was available, aside from a short period in 2018 as he served a suspension for allegedly groping a female Uber driver and had to win his job back from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
In 2020, he signed with the Saints as a backup to Drew Brees but took over the starting job the next year, before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. The following two years saw him serve in New Orleans as a backup to Andy Dalton and Derek Carr. This past season, he signed on with the Browns to serve as a backup to Deshaun Watson, ultimately finding himself in the starting lineup once again when Watson was ruled out for the season with an Achilles tendon tear.
Both situations in San Francisco and Los Angeles are obvious backup situations behind young quarterbacks who have an extremely solid hold on their starting jobs. The Chargers recently gave Justin Herbert an extension that, at the time, made him the highest-paid player in the NFL, though he was quickly surpassed by Joe Burrow. Brock Purdy isn’t quite there yet, though he will finally make multi-millions in 2025, but the 49ers have been in conversations about extending him for some time now.
In San Francisco, the 49ers would be bringing in Winston as an improvement over Tanner Mordecai, as Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen head to free agency this week. The Chargers are simply looking to fill their depth chart at the position as they currently don’t have anyone under contract behind Herbert; Taylor Heinicke and Easton Stick are set to be free agents, as well.
The Giants have several options on the table as the explore options with veteran free agents like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson after watching other options like Sam Darnold and Justin Fields come off the market. Winston would actually be a smart signing for them as they’ve also been heavily linked to using their No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a quarterback. If they do draft a passer in the first round, Winston has proved he can be an effective starter to bridge the gap until the rookie is ready to take over.
Browns Extend DE Myles Garrett
Despite seemingly being at an impasse, the Browns and defensive star Myles Garrett have reportedly found their way back together. After trade demands rang loud not long ago, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that Garrett will now remain in Cleveland on an extension that will pay him $40MM per year with $123.5MM in guaranteed money. The four-year extension will keep the 29-year-old in Cleveland through the 2030 season and makes Garret the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. 
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the six years left on the contract have a total value of $204.8MM, including $100MM paid out in the first three years, $88.8MM fully guaranteed, and $122.8MM in total guarantees.
The biggest addition to the contract drawing attention from the league media: a no-trade clause. Garrett had two years remaining on his previous deal, but a lack of guaranteed money in those years was a major sticking point for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
A little over a month ago, Garrett sent NFL rumors flying in every direction by requesting a trade. Just over a week ago, Garrett seemingly closed the door on a return to Cleveland, with reports coming out that he was “not open” to an extension with the Browns. Even two days ago, we got reports that team owner Jimmy Haslam declined to even meet with Garrett. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Garrett had made it clear that it wasn’t about the money, that he was adamant about leaving Cleveland because of a lack of belief in the Browns’ direction. Clearly, offering Garrett $40MM per year was the correct direction.
ESPN’s John Keim adds that, when Garrett first made his trade demands, the rest of the league felt it was just about working leverage for the extension. Cleveland never seemed to have any desire to trade their star defensive end. Regardless, the offers came flying in from around the league, with many first-round picks being made available to the Browns. The Browns brass was reportedly “confident all along,” per Mike Jones of The Athletic, that they would work out an extension rather than trade Garrett. They were right.
Garrett’s big payday comes only three days after the Raiders made defensive end Maxx Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL with an average annual value of $35.5MM. Garrett’s mark blows that out of the water, but even that might not last long. Elite pass rusher paydays continue to be on the way with the likes of Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt, and Aidan Hutchinson all in or approaching a period in which extensions will be considered.
Specifically on the hotseat are the Cowboys and Bengals, both of whom have made recent claims that they are prepared to make a star player the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Cincinnati would be doing so for wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase at a position which set a high, new bar when Justin Jefferson set the mark with $35MM per year last year.
Dallas has now backed themselves into a corner for the third time in a row on paying a big player. Last year, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys waited too long to extend both quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. By the time they finally worked out terms, several other players at those positions had continually pushed up the market price, forcing Dallas to settle for even more in their deals with Prescott and Lamb. Similarly, the team’s insistence on waiting until the last second to extend a star player has seen the price they would need to pay to hold on to Micah Parsons rise significantly.
As for Garrett, the price is well-deserved. With four first-team All-Pro selections, two second-team All-Pro selections, and six Pro Bowl selections, Garrett is widely recognized as a top pass rusher in the game. In the last four seasons, he’s finished as the top pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), three times, finishing second this year. He has the most sacks in the league over the last three years (44.0) and the second-most in the league since he was drafted in 2017 (102.5) behind only Watt (108.0). His 102.5 sacks are also a franchise high for the Browns.
Garrett will continue to be an anchor on the Browns defense. Rumors that he wanted to join a contender will fall by the wayside for now as he returns to a defense that finished 28th in points allowed and 13th in sacks. The offense may be headed in another direction, though, as the team seems ready to move on from their last huge contract, given to quarterback Deshaun Watson, perhaps in pursuit of a rookie option. Regardless, Garrett will continue to do his job and dominate.
T Morgan Moses Cleared Medically Prior To Free Agency
MARCH 9: The Jets are working to re-sign Moses, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. She adds, however, that a trip to free agency is expected in this case. Moses’ health will of course play a large role in determining his market amongst outside suitors, but another New York pact could be in the cards.
MARCH 8: Pending free agent offensive tackle Morgan Moses turned 34 years old this week, yet it seems he’s coming back for another year of football. It takes a lot for an offensive tackle to keep playing at a starting level at that age, and Moses has certainly been dealt his lumps, but according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Moses was “given a clean bill of health from the Jets’ medical staff” today. 
In 11 seasons of NFL play, Moses has not been known for missing time with injuries. While he has missed three games in each of the past two seasons, those were his first missed games since his rookie season in Washington in 2014, when he missed time due to a Lisfranc injury.
Last year, Moses missed two games early with a reported grade 2 MCL sprain and a bone bruise. Later on, following his return to the field, it was reported that Moses had been playing through the MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for several weeks. The veteran lineman had been sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and rehabbing around the clock in order to get into playing shape each week, despite the Jets being fairly out of range of playoff contention.
While, at 34, it’s not likely that Moses’ clean bill of health will last through another full season, his warrior-like mentality to battle through injuries will not be necessary to start the year. Wherever he plays in 2025, he won’t be working through anything to start the year.
In regard to where he’ll play, ESPN’s Rich Cimini communicated that New York has remained in contact with Moses. Cimini points out that the Jets lack a serviceable replacement for Moses on the roster at the moment and that the free agent market at the position in extremely thin. The NFL draft doesn’t stand to be much help either, as many of the NCAA’s best tackles entering the draft are being viewed as likely interior options at the next level.
The importance that Moses has to the roster is a good sign for his likelihood to re-sign with the Jets. Especially since New York has already cleared him medically, while passing a physical elsewhere might not be as smooth of a process, all signs seem to be pointing to another season with the Jets.