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.
Cardinals Re-Sign OLB Baron Browning
The Cardinals didn’t get to see a ton from outside linebacker Baron Browning after trading for him last year. Regardless, they brought him in for a reason and, with that in mind, they will reportedly bring him back in 2025, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The new contract is a two-year, $15MM deal that can be worth up to $19MM. The team has since announced the news.
Howard Balzer of CardsWire commented on an interesting note that the early reports of the deal fail to mention any guaranteed money. While the numbers will eventually come out, the guaranteed numbers may not be super favorable for Browning as he still has plenty to prove after a relatively down 2024 season.
Browning originally came to the NFL as a third-round pick out of Ohio State. The former five-star recruit earned plenty of starts over his first three seasons, logging 26 starts in 38 appearances. As a rookie, the Broncos played Browning exclusively as an off-ball linebacker. He was fairly average in the position, totaling 58 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit.
A year later, Denver moved Browning to an edge rushing role. With eight starts in 14 games at his new position, Browning tallied five sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits. In his second year at the new spot, Browning started nine of 10 game appearances, logging 4.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits. Despite slightly lesser stats, albeit in four fewer games, Browning’s analytical evaluation improved greatly in that second year as a pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Despite the early promise Browning showed, Denver seemed to move on from Browning last year in favor of players like Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, and Dondrea Tillman. Browning had reportedly been seeking a role as a starter that he wasn’t getting in Denver, and the Broncos were not likely to re-sign him. They opted, instead, to trade Browning midseason to the Arizona in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
The Cardinals followed Denver’s lead, keeping Browning as an edge rusher. Playing in the rotation, the fourth-year player logged two sacks, four tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in eight games with Arizona. The team was intrigued by what he brought to the table and expressed interest in bringing him back. They’ve now done so, and they’ll see what he has to offer over the next two seasons.
Bills To Release DE Von Miller
Shortly after securing their future at the pass rushing position, the Bills are moving on from a veteran at the same position. According to a joint report from NFL Network reporters Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Buffalo is releasing pass rusher Von Miller. It’s a cost-cutting move as the Bills take advantage of a potential out built into the 35-year-old’s contract. 
Miller was three years into a six-year, $120MM extension, but a potential out was built in after the third year of the deal. At this point in the contract, Miller had no remaining guarantees, and the Bills are able to cut him with $15.42MM of dead money and $8.4MM in cap savings. If the team were to have designated him as a post-June 1 release, they could’ve lessened the dead money to $6.37MM, increasing the cap savings to $17.44MM, but Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports that this is just a regular, pre-June 1 release.
Though, Miller is set to turn 36 before the next regular season starts, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that Miller “plans to play” in 2025 for his 15th year of NFL football. While multiple reports have claimed that both Buffalo and Miller are open to a reunion on a cheaper deal, Miller will have the option to explore opportunities with other contending teams now that he has been released. Miller would be in pursuit of his third Super Bowl victory.
Miller is one of the most accomplished pass rushers in NFL history. Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Miller ranks 16th all-time with 129.5. Just eight more sacks would put him in the top 10. With three teams, he’s been a three-time first-team All-Pro, a four-time second-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler. He also won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 as the No. 2 overall pick out of Texas A&M and was a Super Bowl MVP.
It’s been a long time since many of those accolades occurred, though. In fact, they all came during his 11-year tenure in Denver. After sitting out the entire 2020 season with injury, Miller was traded midseason to the Rams, with whom he won his second Super Bowl. He hasn’t reached double-digit sacks since 2018, and he only has six total over the past two years in Buffalo, with all six coming this past season.
With that six-sack season, he was able to display that he still has the talent to be a situational pass rusher in the NFL, but he’ll likely need to lower his expectations on compensation. Miller was due to earn $17.5MM in cash this season with Buffalo, $20MM in 2026, and $30MM in 2027. With the numbers he’s put up in recent years, combined with his age and injury history, wherever Miller goes, he won’t be sniffing that kind of money.
If he truly wants to land with a contender, there are certainly options. In the AFC, the Chiefs are perennial title favorites. He could always return to Buffalo on a more favorable deal or head to the AFC North and visit the Ravens or Bengals. In the NFC, the Eagles and Lions have been powers in the last few years, and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post pointed out an intriguing connection with the Commanders. Washington’s general manager, Adam Peters, was serving as a national scout in Denver when the Broncos drafted Miller.
While he may not fetch a stellar price, Miller should have plenty of options to return to the field in 2025. His potential as a pass rusher should be enough, but the expertise he brings to the game can help mold younger, developing pass rushers, as well. While the pass rushing success of young players in Buffalo like Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa can’t be fully attributed to Miller, his presence surely didn’t hurt.
Miller joins a crowded free agent position group, though. Teams looking to grab an impact pass rusher will likely go after the likes of Josh Sweat, Khalil Mack, Malcolm Koonce, Chase Young, Haason Reddick, DeMarcus Lawrence, and others before coming to him.
QB Sam Darnold Seeking Multiyear Deal
Recent reporting on the pending free agency of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has claimed that he is seeking some modest commitment with a three-year contract, per Diana Russini of The Athletic. A more up-to-date report from senior NFL insider Josina Anderson tells us that Darnold is not limiting his opportunities to three-year deals, instead remaining open to multiple opportunities in hopes of landing any sort of multi-year deal. 
The desire for consistent job security is an understandable one for a quarterback who hasn’t been given much of a chance anywhere he’s been. One could argue that the Jets gave Darnold three years after drafting him No. 3 overall in 2018 out of USC, but in reality, after two decent seasons that showed improvement, Darnold was traded away after one bad year.
As a rookie in New York, Darnold didn’t win many games as a starter — rookie quarterbacks rarely do. Still, with a 4-9 record in 13 games played, Darnold threw for 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while only completing 57.7 percent of his passes. At the time, he was throwing to Robbie Chosen, rookie fourth-round tight end Chris Herndon, Quincy Enunwa, and Jermaine Kearse, while his 26th-ranked run game was buoyed by Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell, and Elijah McGuire.
In his sophomore campaign, despite the acquisition of Le’Veon Bell — fresh off a year of not playing football — the Jets’ rushing attack ranked even worse at 31st in the league. An improved receiving corps of Chosen, Jamison Crowder, Demaryius Thomas, and the receiving back, Bell, helped improve Darnold’s individual performance, though. Going 7-6 in 13 games played, Darnold improved his completion percentage to 61.9 while throwing for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
For Darnold’s third year at the helm, the Jets brought in a new veteran running back in Frank Gore, who did not quite capture the success he had held in San Francisco with New York. Once again, he was throwing to a new group of receivers as Crowder, Breshad Perriman, Braxton Berrios, and Denzel Mims were his new main targets. Darnold regressed a bit with this group, completing only 59.1 percent of his passes for 2,208 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 12 starts, going 2-10 in those games.
The Jets traded Darnold to the Panthers the following year, where he finally had a decent running back, though Christian McCaffrey would only play in seven games that year before Chuba Hubbard ultimately filled in. Darnold also finally had a playmaking receiver in D.J. Moore, but behind him and Chosen, McCaffrey’s seven-game output and third-string running back Ameer Abdullah were the next top receiving performances for the year, so his stats didn’t much improve from the prior year.
The next season, Carolina brought in Baker Mayfield to start, benching Darnold until the final six games of the season. Finally being provided a top-10 rushing attack, though still throwing to a lackluster group, Darnold led the Panthers to a 4-2 record in those six starts, throwing seven touchdowns to only three interceptions and showing just a hint of what he could do with a decent supporting group.
After a year as strictly a backup in San Francisco, Darnold arrived in Minnesota, where he unceremoniously earned the starting job thanks to an injury to rookie first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. Given a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in his career and by far the best group of receivers he ever worked with, led by superstar Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and tight end T.J. Hockenson, Darnold shined. With this elite group, Darnold delivered career highs in completion percentage (66.2), passing yard (4,319), and touchdowns (35) while only throwing 12 interceptions.
Darnold showed the league that he was not a bust of a No. 3 overall pick. He showed the NFL that when a team invested in putting an offense around him with good weapons, he was a Pro Bowler capable of winning 14 games and falling just a game short of the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It makes sense, then, that, wherever he goes next, be it Seattle, Tennessee, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, or maybe even New York again, the 27-year-old will want more than a year and, ideally, enough time for a team to put some major supporting pieces around him.
Ravens To Re-Sign LT Ronnie Stanley
It looks like Ronnie Stanley‘s time in Baltimore is not over quite yet. Surprisingly, the Ravens were the first to announce the deal on X. Diana Russini of The Athletic quickly followed to inform us that Stanley is signing a three-year, $60MM extension with $44MM guaranteed at signing. Stanley was the fourth-ranked player on our list of the Top 50 Free Agents in 2025. 
Returning Stanley to the fold is huge for the Ravens, as this is not the year to be wanting for a left tackle. In free agency, after Stanley, the top options at left tackle are now Dan Moore, Cam Robinson, and an aging Tyron Smith, who has been reportedly mulling retirement. In the draft, a concern has been raised about needing tackles as many of the graduating tackles in the draft have been seen as better fits for the interior line by many evaluators.
Another reason this is huge for Baltimore is that it helps them to avoid doing a full offseason overhaul of their offensive line for the second year in a row. Last year, the team went to work in the offseason in order to replace both starting guards (John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler) and their starting right tackle Morgan Moses.
They attempted to fill the guard spots with Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees, with their sixth-man of the offensive line Patrick Mekari filling in at right tackle. When Vorhees struggled, they shifted Mekari into the left guard spot and started rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten at right tackle for the rest of the season. Mekari is still currently on track for free agency, but the team has shown how much they value his versatility in the past. Even if he does leave, filling an interior lineman spot will be a much less Herculean task than if they had let Stanley walk.
This isn’t the first time the Ravens have extended Stanley, and they are likely praying that this time goes much smoother. After picking up Stanley’s fifth-year option back in 2019, the team made Stanley the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL following an All-Pro season in which Pro Football Focus graded him the second-best tackle in the league and named him the best pass blocking tackle in the NFL. The five-year, $112.8MM extension came partway through the 2020 season.
Two days later, Stanley was carted off the field with a season-ending ankle injury. The next season, after playing in the season-opener, Stanley was once again placed on injured reserve after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. He wouldn’t return until Week 5 of the 2022 season, after having missed 29 of the 30 games since he signed his extension. After shaky seasons in 2022 and 2023, Stanley started every game last year, making his first Pro Bowl appearance since that All-Pro season in 2019.
Knowing this injury history and seeing as how Stanley is set to turn 31 before the 2025 season, Baltimore was reportedly hesitant to get to $20MM per year, according to Russini’s colleague Jeff Zrebiec. But seeing the other options, and the likely overpayment that is sure to occur for those secondary options, the Ravens will likely feel pretty good about the price they paid for their tried-and-true blindside blocker, especially as the negotiating period starting Monday was sure to bring in much higher offers. Stanley’s pact will see $44MM paid out over the first two years, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, those other options, namely Moore and Robinson, could both command up to $15MM per year in the open market now. For tackles that PFF (subscription required) graded out as the 42nd- and 53rd-best tackles in the league, respectively, that’s a steep price to pay.
Stanley was reportedly drawing significant interest from the Patriots, Chiefs, and Commanders. With the Ravens keeping Stanley off the open market, New England, Kansas City, and Washington will likely be duking it out for the Moore, Robinson, and perhaps Jaylon Moore, who’s started 12 games for the 49ers in the four years of his rookie deal.
With Stanley putting pen to paper, the Ravens have officially checked off perhaps the biggest task on their to-do list for the offseason. Key free agents like Mekari, fullback Patrick Ricard, and cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Tre’Davious White are set to hit the open market soon, and the team still would like to improve at the cornerback, pass rusher, and interior offensive line positions. With free agency and the draft looming, the Ravens are set up well to make a push next season in an effort to get Lamar Jackson that elusive Super Bowl with his blindside tackle beside him.
Giants To Target CB In Free Agency
Free agency is just around the corner, and after four years with Joe Schoen at the helm as general manager, the Giants are still looking for additions to their roster that can take them to the next level. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan did a deep dive yesterday on some of the players and positions New York will be focusing on in the coming weeks. 
Internally, Raanan identified the Giants’ top free agents as wide receiver Darius Slayton, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, safety Jason Pinnock, and right guard Greg Van Roten. Of the four, Raanan notes that it looks likely that most, if not all, will hit the open market.
Slayton is looking to join a contender on his next deal. While he hasn’t caught more than five touchdowns in a season since his rookie year, Slayton has surpassed 700 receiving yards in four his six seasons. Receiver-hungry teams like the Chargers and Steelers are likely to seek services like his.
Ojulari has never quite broken out, only averaging 5.5 sacks per year and missing notable time in each of the past three seasons. That could hurt his market, especially with several notable veterans (including the likes of recent cuts Joey Bosa and Harold Landry) available in free agency. Still, while teams which are unable to make a notable addition in the coming days could look to a highly regarded draft class in the pass-rush department, the 24-year-old Ojuari could be an attractive option on a short-term deal.
Pinnock and/or Van Roten departing would create vacancies in the secondary and offensive line, areas which are already in need of help for the Giants. Raanan notes a starting-caliber addition will be sought out at the guard spot, even if Evan Neal (who has not developed as hoped at right tackle) is moved inside. A modest investment at safety can also be expected, whether that consists of retaining Pinnock or signing one of the middle class free agent options.
With respect to priorities for outside addition, cornerback will be a position to monitor. Raanan reports the Giants are looking to make a free agent move at the top of the market. Adding a cover man like D.J. Reed, Paulson Adebo, Charvarius Ward or Byron Murphy – names listed by Raanan as targets New York has looked into (or likely will) – will be expensive. Bringing in any of those veterans to lead a depth chart featuring Deonte Banks and Dru Phillips would, though, go a long way in helping a defense which ranked 31st in the NFL in interceptions last year.
Another potential target could be Isaiah Rodgers. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports the 2024 Eagles pickup is worth watching as free agency approaches. Rodgers, 27, only logged a 36% snap share on defense for the Super Bowl winners but he played a key role on special teams and could secure a larger workload on a new deal. Philadelphia has moved on from Darius Slay and James Bradberry, creating the opportunity for Rodgers to work as a starter if he re-signs.
The Giants currently find themselves with $45.62MM in cap space, a figure which will drop slightly once the new deal for punter Jamie Gillan becomes official, but plenty of funds will be available to make a notable splash at the cornerback position. It will be interesting to see who the team targets at the onset of the negotiating window.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Saints Restructuring QB Derek Carr’s Contract
After many reported discussions concerning how the Saints and quarterback Derek Carr would handle his compensation in 2025, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that the team is expected to convert most of the $40MM due to him into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes. Per Garafolo, this transaction indicates that New Orleans has every intention of riding with Carr as their starter next season. 
Carr was due a $30MM base salary which was set to become fully guaranteed next week. The longtime Raiders starter was also set to collect a $10MM roster bonus; both compensation packages have been converted into a signing bonus. Carr was scheduled to carry a 2025 cap charge of nearly $51.5MM, but today’s move will lower it to $20.4MM (h/t ESPN’s Katherine Terrell).
New Orleans – as per usual – used restructures as a means of achieving cap compliance last offseason. That included reworking Carr’s contract, but the inflated cap figure and his missed time in 2024 led to questions about his future in the organization. That remained the case after the four-time Pro Bowler made it clear he would not entertain the idea of a pay cut as part of the Saints’ financial moves this spring. Last week, however, general manager Mickey Loomis said the team planned to keep Carr in the fold for at least one more year.
As a result, today’s news comes as little surprise. Carr will remain in New Orleans for his 12th career season and third with his current team. The soon-to-be 34-year-old played a full campaign in 2023, and the Saints’ 9-8 record suggested playoff contention would be feasible with him at the helm moving forward. Things did not go according to plan this past season, though, as Carr was limited to just seven games. New Orleans dealt with a number of other injuries on offense, and the team will hope a fresh start on that front along with new head coach Kellen Moore in place will spark improvement in 2025.
Once the season – one in which Dennis Allen was dismissed – had ended, Loomis said the Saints’ next head coach would have a role in shaping how they proceeded at the quarterback position. Despite being a rookie HC, Moore thus faced a key decision upon arrival. His input has resulted in a short-term confirmation that Carr will stay in place. He is on the books for 2026 with a non-guaranteed $50MM salary. The Fresno State product was already due to carry a cap charge of roughly $61.5MM before the restructure; that number will spike with future cap hits being moved into the future.
2023 fourth-round selection Jake Haener and 2024 third-rounder Spencer Rattler remain in place as backup options should Carr miss time next season. With the QB depth chart intact for at least one more year, Moore and the Saints will aim to bounce back from a disappointing run last campaign. As the start of the new league year approaches, the team still needs to free up approximately $10MM in additional funds to achieve cap compliance.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Giants Extend P Jamie Gillan, Re-Sign Tommy DeVito
The Giants shored up two under-the-radar positions today, locking down both punter Jamie Gillan and quarterback Tommy DeVito to return in 2025. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Gillan is staying in New York on a three-year extension, while DeVito’s signing was announced by Dan Salomone, the senior managing editor of Giants.com. 
According to Pelissero, Gillan’s deal is worth up to $10.2MM over the three-year period, placing him somewhere in the top five highest-paid punters in the NFL, depending on what the final numbers turn out to be. If the face value of the deal ends up being over $9MM, he will be in the top four.
Gillan just finished his sixth year in the NFL, splitting his time almost evenly between New York and Cleveland, where he first started. The Scotland-native signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2019. He took over punting duties as a rookie, demonstrating a strong leg and an ability to pin opposing offenses inside the 20 with regularity. Near the end of his third season with the Browns, Gillan was waived after sitting out of two games, and he signed with the Bills’ practice squad, though he failed to appear in any games with them.
When that season ended, the Giants signed him to a reserve/futures deal, and he became their primary punter in 2022. He’s held the role ever since, aside from four games last year when Matt Haack filled in due to injury. Gillan took his job back after returning to health, and with today’s extension, it looks like he’ll spend another three years in New York.
Quarterback doesn’t seem like an under-the-radar position to lock down, but DeVito’s role on his renewed deal will likely continue to be as a backup. DeVito shined in backup duty as a rookie, filling in for an injured Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. In six starts, he went 3-3, throwing eight touchdowns to just three interceptions. He lost both of his starts last year as a fill-in, completing 70.5 percent of his passes but failing to register a touchdown or interceptions.
DeVito was set to be an exclusive rights free agent, but the team tendered and re-signed the former undrafted Illinois product, barring him from communicating with other teams on the market. While DeVito and Drew Lock return as the top two passers on the roster, it’s unlikely that either will be the preferred starter by the time the season swings around.
Lions Re-Sign DE Marcus Davenport
Former first-round pick Marcus Davenport has bounced around in the last couple years since his contract with the Saints expired, but it looks like he’ll remain in Detroit for a second season in 2025. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Lions have re-signed Davenport to a one-year deal worth up to $4.75MM. 
Unfortunately, this new contract doesn’t come from the team recognizing and rewarding a strong performance but instead comes from a second chance to make a first impression in Detroit. Davenport signed initially with the Lions last year after a disappointing prove-it year in Minnesota. Unfortunately, a season-ending elbow injury sidelined the 28-year-old after only the third week of the season.
The UTSA product has had issues with health throughout his career, never playing a full season. Since getting drafted, Davenport has only appeared in 69 of a possible 116 games. He’s flashed at times, totaling 10.5 sacks over his first two seasons with the Saints and tallying a career-high nine sacks in 2021 after having his fifth-year option exercised. That fifth year in New Orleans only produced half a sack in nine starts, though, leading to his one-year tryout with the Vikings, in which he only appeared in four games.
The Lions, unfortunately, don’t have the luxury of passing up on potential due to injury history. Last year saw the team’s Super Bowl hopes fall apart along with their defensive line as star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson only made five starts due to a season-ending leg injury. Several other injuries across the defense forced Detroit to make a number of signings and trades to accommodate.
In the aftermath of last season, bring back Davenport makes a lot of sense. The team can’t really pass up on the potential Davenport offers to the defense, and they knew Davenport wanted to come back. He would’ve had all season to rehab with the team’s doctors, so they should have a very good understanding of where he’s at in his recovery process and health journey. Davenport will hope to reward their faith with the comeback season that has eluded him these last few years.