Vikings Didn’t Pursue Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey
The Vikings did not move to acquire Jaire Alexander or Jalen Ramsey when they became available this spring despite the perception of a thin cornerback room.
Minnesota parted ways with veteran Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin this offseason and only retained Byron Murphy from last year’s starting cornerback contingent. The team then signed 2020 first-rounder Jeff Okudah and former Eagle Isaiah Rodgers to inexpensive short-term deals in free agency.
The trio of Murphy, Okudah, and Rodgers operated as the Vikings’ starting cornerbacks in spring practices, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Also taking first-team reps were 2023 third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL, and 2024 UDFA Dwight McGlothern, who made the 53-man roster as a rookie.
The Vikings are confident in that group, and as a result, acquiring Alexander or Ramsey was “always a longshot,” per Lewis. However, as Lewis notes, that does not mean that the team didn’t inquire about either player.
Alexander is now a Raven, and while Ramsey is still available, Minnesota does not appear to be a likely landing spot. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has typically avoided splashy trade acquisitions during his tenure, the lone exception being T.J. Hockenson at the 2022 deadline. The Dolphins’ desire to move Ramsey and his sizable contract have likely dropped his value to a mid-round draft pick, but the Vikings seem content in the depth and chemistry of their current cornerback corps.
Saints’ Tyler Shough Wants Fully Guaranteed Deal, Delaying Second-Round Signings
Several second-round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft remain unsigned as they seek fully guaranteed rookie contracts, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports.
Back in May, the Texans gave No. 34 pick Jayden Higgins a fully guaranteed deal, the first of its kind for a second-round pick. In past years, the first few picks of the second round have received three years of fully-guaranteed money with increasing fourth-year guarantees after each draft. The Texans’ move put pressure on the Browns to do the same with No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger, which they did the next day.
With this new precedent, Saints second-round quarterback Tyler Shough is demanding a fully-guaranteed rookie contract of his own, per Corry. That would be a sizable jump from 2024 No. 40 pick Cooper DeJean, who only received partial guarantees in his third year and none in his fourth, per OverTheCap. Shough was taken with pick No. 40, six spots after Higgins, but the recent retirement of Derek Carr has positioned him as the Saints’ starting quarterback, giving him some extra leverage in negotiations.
Knowing that, the players drafted between Higgins and Shough are waiting to sign with their teams. If Shough can get a fully guaranteed contract from the Saints, every player selected before him will have an argument to receive the same deal. However, their teams will argue that Shough’s situation – and quarterbacks in general – are unique when it comes to contract negotiations.
Players selected in the early 40s will also be “hoping to benefit from a trickle-down effect” from Shough’s negotiations, according to Corry. If he extracts a fully guaranteed deal, the next few picks will push for their first three years to be fully guaranteed and potentially ask for guarantees in the fourth year as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/25
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Sal Cannella
- Waived: TE Tre’ McKitty
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: C Joey Lombard, TE Geor’Quarius Spivey
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: RB Jonathan Ward
Canella has spent time with four different NFL teams, per Browns team writer Kelsey Russo, but he has never been able to make a regular season roster. He will look to change that in Cleveland after leading the UFL in receiving touchdowns in 2024 and earning an All-UFL nod this past spring.
To make room on the roster, the Browns waived McKitty, a 2021 third-round pick by the Chargers. He carved out a blocking role during his first two years in Los Angeles, but was released eight weeks into the 2023 season and has not appeared in a regular season game since.
Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs Aiming For Week 1 Return
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs is aiming to return to the field by the start of the regular season, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
Diggs has struggled with injuries in the past two years. He tore his ACL during a September 2023 practice and missed the rest of the year. The five-year veteran recovered in time for the regular season next fall and started the Cowboys’ first 10 games despite a lingering calf injury. However, Diggs was unable to play through another issue with his knee, which ultimately required surgery in January.
Diggs was present at the team’s mandatory minicamp last week, though he did not participate in any on-field work. He is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp, either. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in April that Diggs could even start the season on the physically unable to perform list, which would sideline him for the team’s first four games. That would give Diggs more time to get ready for the season, especially if he does not have a full ramp-up period during training camp.
However, the 26-year-old has plenty of reason to push for a Week 1 debut. Even if he stays healthy this year, Diggs could find himself a free agent next offseason, per The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf. He led the league with 11 interceptions in 2021 but has struggled to replicate that form since, though he has given up significantly fewer yards in coverage.
Diggs’ contract has no guaranteed money after 2025, per OverTheCap, and he’s due $57MM from 2026 to 2028. With escalating cap hits for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb – not to mention Micah Parsons‘ pending mega-deal – the Cowboys may elect to move on from Diggs to help balance the books.
All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland is also entering the final year of his rookie contract and could command upwards of $20MM per year on an extension. Releasing Diggs with a post-June 1 designation would save $15.5MM against the 2026 salary cap with just $2.94MM in dead money in 2025 and 2026. This future adds a key ingredient to Diggs’ latest rehab odyssey.
Josh Simmons Expected To Fully Participate In Training Camp
The Chiefs are expecting first-round pick Josh Simmons to be a full participant in training camp, according to ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
Simmons, the No. 32 selection in April’s draft, ruptured his patellar tendon last October, prematurely ending his final year at Ohio State and sidelining him throughout the pre-draft process. That led to uncertainty regarding his availability for the start of the 2025 season.
The Chiefs believe that Simmons can be their Week 1 starter at left tackle, provided he’s healthy. They have reason to be encouraged after he participated in OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Spring practices are less physically demanding than training camp, allowing Simmons to get integrated into the Chiefs offense without threatening his ongoing rehab. Once pads and contact are introduced in July, Kansas City will have a stronger idea of Simmons’ ability to take the field in Week 1.
“He’s done a nice job, he’s worked well, and we’ll just see what training camp does,” head coach Andy Reid said of Simmons. “It’s different when things are flying fast up there and you’ve got full contact and pads on.”
Third-year wide receiver Rashee Rice, who also suffered a season-ending leg injury last fall, also participated in the team’s offseason practices and is still on track to fully participate in training camp. Barring any setback, Rice should be ready for Week 1, though his availability could be threatened by a potential suspension stemming from a hit-and-run accident — one that brought eight felony charges — last March.
NFC Staff Changes: 49ers, Buccaneers, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Vikings
The 49ers announced a flurry of staff changes this week, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, including the promotions of RJ Gillen and Brian Hampton to assistant general managers.
Gillien has been with the 49ers’ scouting department since 2015. He spent the last two years as the director of player personnel and will continue leading the team’s pro scouting operations.
Hampton started as a football operations intern in 2003 and rose through the ranks to become the director of football administration and analytics in 2010. He held that position for a decade before a promotion to vice president of football administration in 2020. Hampton is primarily focused on the 49ers’ roster construction and contract negotiations, particularly relating to the salary cap.
The 49ers also made three promotions in their scouting department – Jordan Fox to player personnel scout, Jason Kwon to pro scout, and Ryan Schutta to area scout – as well as two changes in football research and development. Shravan Ramamurthy was promoted to manager, while Benjamin Klein was hired as a performance analyst. The team also promoted Corry Rush to executive vice president of player personnel.
A number of other NFC teams also made staff changes in recent weeks:
- The Buccaneers hired Ty Shiflet and Griffin Moore as scouting assistants, per Greg Auman of The Athletic. Shiflet was formerly a personnel assistant at LSU, while Moore was a college tight end at Illinois and Texas State.
- The Eagles are planning to hire LSU director of player personnel Preston Tiffany, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. He previously held the same position at Ole Miss.
- The Falcons hired Ari Glazier as a junior football data analyst, per Inside The League’s Neil Stratton. Glazier worked with the Syracuse football team for the 2024 season while pursuing degrees in sports analytics and economics.
- The Giants promoted Justin Markus to from BLESTO scout to Midwest area scout, according to Stratton. Before joining the Giants, Markus was a video intern with the Jets and a recruiting analyst at Rice University.
- The Vikings promoted Michelle Mankoff from college and pro scouting analyst to college scout, per Stratton. She previously interned with the Bills and the XFL.
Giants Expect Malik Nabers To Be Ready For Training Camp
While not rehabbing an injury on the level of Andrew Thomas‘ Lisfranc issue, Malik Nabers joined the All-Pro tackle in being a non-participant in the offseason program.
Nabers did not participate in spring practices due to a lingering toe injury, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. Brian Daboll said (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) that he is not concerned about Nabers’ status and expects him to be ready for training camp.
Nabers’ injury dates back to his time at LSU, but it has not caused him to miss a game in college or the NFL. He also participated in the Pro Bowl Games in February and is not expected to need surgery to address the lingering matter. Instead, the Giants are moving forward with a rehab plan with the goal of getting Nabers back on the practice field when the team gathers for training camp in July.
The 2024 No. 6 pick flashed immediate difference-making potential as a rookie, tallying 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns despite inconsistent quarterback play. While the Giants have almost definitely upgraded at quarterback this offseason, the new arrivals have been unable to begin work with the team’s top weapon. That will be tabled to training camp.
Nabers been unable to develop chemistry with the Giants’ new trio of passers – Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart – this spring, making training camp all the more important for getting on the same page. After all, Nabers participated in last year’s spring workouts and displayed the talent that had prompted the Giants — after their Drake Maye trade push failed — to pass on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix at No. 6.
An embattled Giants regime has plenty riding on Nabers panning out, as the team circled back to its need for a Daniel Jones QB upgrade (via Dart at No. 25) after going wide receiver in last year’s first round. That lofty investment makes this toe injury something to monitor. Extensive rest stands to help the former Jayden Daniels college target, but it will be interesting to see if this issue recurs in Year 2.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Steelers, T.J. Watt Want Extension Done By Training Camp
The Steelers have been working on a T.J. Watt extension this offseason, and both sides are hoping to get a deal done by training camp, according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager.
“I know both sides are really motivated to get something done here,” said Schrager during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “They don’t want to go into training camp and have this thing drag on.”
Players are set to report to Pittsburgh’s training camp on July 23, giving the Steelers a month to reach an agreement with Watt. If the two sides cannot come to terms, Watt could stage a hold-in by refusing to participate in practices until he gets an extension. He already skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp, incurring more than $100k in fines for the latter.
Both sides will be closely monitoring other edge rusher negotiations around the league. Micah Parsons is expected to become the highest-paid defender in the NFL, while Trey Hendrickson has resumed extension talks with the Bengals. Watt is unlikely to surpass Parsons’ deal, but his age and recent production are similar to Hendrickson’s. As a result, the Steelers may want to their top edge rusher signed before the Bengals do the same.
Schrager believes that will be the case, but noted that players like Myles Garrett have financially benefitted by waiting for their positional market to develop. If Watt is looking to squeeze every dollar out of what could be his last multi-year extension, he may draw out his negotiations with the Steelers to ensure that he beats Hendrickson’s price tag.
Ravens Expected To Adopt Bills’ Approach To Lamar Jackson Extension
The Ravens could adopt the Bills’ approach to Josh Allen‘s extension when pursuing a similar deal with Lamar Jackson this year.
“The sense here around the league is that Baltimore could follow the blueprint that Buffalo put together back in March when they extended Josh Allen, even though he had multiple years left on his contract,” said ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler during a recent SportsCenter appearance (via Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker). “The feeling is, get ahead of that huge quarterback market money in three or four years from now, just pay your guy now when he’s got multiple years left on his current deal.”
Earlier this offseason, Allen signed a six-year, $330MM contract that replaced his 2021 extension, which had four years remaining. The deal brought him back to the highest tier of the quarterback market after a dozen quarterbacks surpassed his $43MM APY in the last four years; it also provided Buffalo with financial flexibility for the rest of the decade.
Jackson and the Ravens are in a similar situation. He was the league’s highest-paid quarterback when he signed his first extension in 2023; now, he ranks 10th. The two-time MVP is only set to earn $122.75MM in base salary over the next three years ($40.9MM per year), per OverTheCap, but his cap hits will total $192.5MM in the same period, including a whopping $74.5MM in both 2026 and 2027. An early extension would offer Jackson more money in the immediate future while giving the Ravens plenty of room to manage the salary cap for the foreseeable future.
Fowler’s comments suggest that the Ravens will adopt the Bills’ approach when it comes to to Jackson’s contract, but it is unclear if that means ripping up his first extension and replacing it with a brand-new deal like Allen. An extension could create $15.8MM of cap space in 2025, which Baltimore could use for summer signing and in-season contingencies. More importantly, a new deal for Jackson will lower his cap hits in 2026 and 2027, which will help the Ravens retain key talent approaching the end of their contracts.
Jackson was asked about his contract status at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, but maintained his past approach of staying mum on the topic. He only offered a “sounds good” when asked about John Harbaugh‘s expectation that Jackson will once again be the highest-paid player in the league whenever he signes a new deal.
Jets’ Jermaine Johnson Expected To Be Ready For Week 1
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is anticipating a Week 1 return from edge rusher Jermaine Johnson after he missed most of the 2024 season due to a ruptured Achilles, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Johnson did not participate in spring practices and will likely be placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp in July. He will have plenty of time to ramp up before rejoining the Jets’ new-look defense under Glenn.
The 2022 first-round pick injured his Achilles in Week 2 last year, interrupting his ascension after a 7.5-sack performance in 2023. Johnson underwent surgery from the same doctor that repaired then-teammate Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear in 2023, per Cimini, and spent the rest of year on the sidelines. The pass rusher even acknowledged that the former Jets QB helped him “so much” as he navigated his introduction to rehab.
“The first thing he said was, ‘You’ll be good, you’ve got a 10-year-plus career. You’re all right, chalk it up,'” Johnson said (via Cimini). “It just kind of let me calm down a little bit and be able to gather myself, take it on the chin and handle it, and do a good job at it. So that’s how I’ve attacked it, and Aaron’s been a huge help.”
The Jets got little production from their other edge rushers during Johnson’s absence last year outside of 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald. McDonald took over a starting role after Johnson’s injury and broke out with a team-high 10.5 sacks after recording just three as a rookie.
While Johnson is sidelined during practice, the Jets can get an extended look at their depth options. The team used a fifth-round pick on Tyler Baron, and the Miami product could be penciled in as the first edge rusher off the bench. The team is also rostering the likes of Michael Clemons, Eric Watts, and Braiden McGregor.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.