Dolphins Will Not Relent On Trading Jalen Ramsey
The Dolphins are still planning to trade disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Miami’s standoff with the nine-year veteran has dragged on since April, when the team declared its intention to trade Ramsey after reported disagreements with head coach Mike McDaniel. No deal has materialized, in no small part because Ramsey is owed $23.2MM in guaranteed money this year. Complicating matters further is his reported desire to stay on the West Coast.
Still, Breer believes that the Dolphins and Ramsey are “past the point of no return,” and as a result, he expects a trade to “happen on the doorstep of camp.”
But assessing Ramsey’s potential destination is little more than a guessing game at this point. The Raiders, Panthers, and Vikings are not pursuing the three-time All-Pro, while the Rams are the only team that has publicly expressed interest.
A reunion with Sean McVay would not be a shocking outcome to this situation, but the Rams are not the only team in Los Angeles. The Chargers also fit Ramsey’s West Coast wants, and general manager Joe Hortiz was the Ravens’ director of college scouting when Baltimore tried to trade up for Ramsey in the 2016 draft. Unlike the Rams, however, neither reports nor comments from team personnel have linked Ramsey to the Chargers.
The Falcons could also look into acquiring Ramsey after their failed pursuit of Jaire Alexander. Ramsey’s contract will be an obstacle for a cap-strapped Atlanta front office, but as training camp approaches, the Dolphins may be willing to eat some money to finally put an end to this saga.
Patriots Deploying Marte Mapu At LB
Patriots defender Marte Mapu spent most of the team’s spring practices as a linebacker, according to The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, signaling a potential role change headed into training camp.
At 6-foot-3 230 pounds, Mapu has the size and athleticism to drop into coverage or blitz from the second level. He was listed as a safety in college but primarily played out of the slot with a secondary role in the box. During his first two NFL seasons, he played 313 snaps in the box, 221 as a free safety, and 100 in the slot, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Mapu will have to compete with Jack Gibbens and Jahlani Tavai for the backup linebacker jobs behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, who took first-team reps in the spring, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Gibbens signed with the Patriots this offseason after starting his career under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. That should give him a strong chance at making the roster, but only $300k of his $1.3MM deal is guaranteed, per OverTheCap.
Tavai, meanwhile, is recovering from a calf injury suffered in OTAs. That may threaten his roster odds, according to Volin, but he still has $2.1MM of guaranteed salary across the next two seasons that could discourage the Patriots from releasing him.
The Patriots could also choose to carry all five linebackers knowing that Mapu can also provide depth in the secondary if needed.
Vikings To Use Dallas Turner As Off-Ball LB?
The Vikings traded up in the first round for Dallas Turner last year, but his usage did not reflect the team’s apparent excitement about his talent.
Turner only played 300 defensive snaps as a rookie, notching three sacks and three tackles for loss across 16 games with a core role on special teams. He was blocked by the stellar play of the Vikings’ edge duo of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, who combined for 23.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss while both playing more than 80% of the team’s defensive snaps. Both Greenard and Van Ginkel earned Pro Bowl recognition and Defensive Player of the Year votes for their efforts, so their snap shares are unlikely go to down by much, if at all.
As a result, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores may have to show some creativity to get Turner on the field, which may include some time as an off-ball linebacker, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
“Identifying where Turner is lining up – and how much he’s contributing from an off-the-ball starting point — is a major question worth examining in the coming months,” wrote Lewis after the Vikings wrapped their spring practices.
Turner’s 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame is undersized for an NFL edge defender, but he has excellent size for a linebacker with the requisite movement skills to work from an off-ball alignment. His bigger challenge will be adjusting to the visual and mental processing in the middle of the field after spending virtually all of his career as an edge defender. Turner’s athleticism can be used to attack downhill, but his discipline and vision in coverage and run fits will be key.
It’s also important to note that teams like to experiment in spring practices, which are not necessarily indicative of what will happen in the season. Turner’s off-ball activities could be a step towards a hybrid role in 2025, or it could be an effort to give him some experience at a new position so he can line up there in case of emergency.
Donovan Jackson Leading Vikings’ LG Battle
Vikings first-round pick Donovan Jackson “has the inside track to emerge from training camp” as the team’s starting left guard, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Jackson, the No. 24 selection in April’s draft, made his first 31 college starts at left guard before moving to left tackle to replace injured then-Ohio State teammate Josh Simmons. Jackson performed admirably on the blind side, leading to some pre-draft chatter about his potential as a guard/tackle hybrid.
But with Christian Darrisaw firmly entrenched as the Vikings’ long-term left tackle, Jackson will play left guard in Minnesota. He took the majority of first-team reps during spring practices, per Seifert, though that is partially because starting right guard Will Fries is still sidelined by last season’s broken leg. Blake Brandel, who played every snap at left guard for the Vikings last year, has been working in Fries’ spot, but he will likely still compete with Jackson in training camp once Fries is back on the field.
Brendel struggled in 2024 with 46 quarterback pressures allowed, the second-most among starting guards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That gives Jackson a clear opening to seize the starting job by demonstrating better pass protection during the preseason.
The Vikings turned over their offensive line depth this offseason, so there are no other obvious candidates to push Jackson and Brendel for the starting left guard job.
Seahawks Holding Starting C, RG Battles; Grey Zabel A ‘Sure Thing’ At LG
Injuries forced the Seahawks to rotate through several different offensive line groupings in 2024. By the end of the season, they had surrendered the third-most sacks in the NFL while generating the fifth-fewest rushing yards.
Seattle will be hoping for a healthier, more consistent season from the unit in 2025, starting with stability at offensive tackle. Charles Cross is entering his fourth season as the team’s starting left tackle while Abraham Lucas seems to have put his knee issues behind him on the right side.
First-round pick Grey Zabel “appears a sure thing” at left guard, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. He took all the first-team reps next to Cross during spring practices, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Selecting the North Dakota State standout with the 18th overall selection in April’s draft was a clear sign that the Seahawks envisioned him starting as a rookie. The only question was where after Zabel primarily lined up at offensive tackle in college with some time at guard and Senior Bowl reps at center. He has landed at left guard in Seattle with minimal competition for the starting gig, as 2024 sixth-rounder Sataoa Laumea has been working with the second-team.
The Seahawks’ starters at center and right guard remain up in the air. In spring practices, Olusegun Oluwatimi split first-team center reps with Jake Sundell, though the former should have a leg up on the latter. In 2024, Oluwatimi started Seattle’s last eight games at center, while Sundell only played 57 offensive snaps all year as an undrafted rookie.
New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called the right guard battle “wide open” (via team reporter John Boyle). First-team action in the spring was split between last year’s Week 1 starter Anthony Bradford and 2024 third-rounder Christian Haynes. However, head coach Mike Macdonald indicated that Sundell and Laumea could factor into the right guard competition depending on how other spots shake out.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a two-man race right now,” said Macdonald (via Condotta). “It’s more open.”
As always, OTAs and mandatory minicamp offer a strong idea of what a team is planning for the season, but as Macdonald noted, the real test will be when pads come on during training camp. That will give the several players competing for the center and right guard jobs a chance to separate themselves as starters heading into the season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/26/25
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Andre Szmyt
New England Patriots
- Released: DT Wilfried Pene
Szmyt signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie in 2023, but did not make the 53-man roster. In 2024, he played for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks, converting 19 of his 21 field goal attempts with a long of 61 yards. Szmyt then joined the Browns’ practice squad at the end of the 2024 season and signed a reserve/futures contracts for 2025. He was waived in early June to make room for wide receiver Jaelen Gill and now finds himself back on the roster after the team’s release of Ogbo Okoronkwo.
NFL No Longer Distributing Non-Player Salary Data To Teams
The NFL will no longer share non-player salary data with teams, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
In past years, the league shared the high, low, median, and average salary for “every job in every NFL team,” per Florio. The decision to end that practice comes on the heels of the collusion arbitration ruling regarding guaranteed money in player contracts and appears to be an effort by the league to avoid future collusion accusations by non-players.
Indeed, as Florio reports, “the official position is that the information is no longer being provided for legal reasons.” Non-player employees could argue that it limits their ability to push for higher salaries at their current or other teams contrary to existing antitrust law.
Florio claims that the practice is “per se coordination/collusion,” arguing that the NFL is implicitly encouraging teams to adhere to league-wide standards instead of offering higher salaries to attract talent in a competitive labor market. Eliminating the information-sharing can protect the league from future legal action by non-player employees, though the same policy in past years may still leave them exposed.
Non-player salaries are not officially released by teams, and even finding reliable data on more prominent staff like general managers, head coaches, and coordinators can be difficult.
Cole Strange Leading Patriots’ LG Battle
The Patriots’ 2025 offensive line is largely set with Will Campbell at left tackle, Garrett Bradbury at center, Michael Onwenu at right guard, and Morgan Moses at right tackle.
The only spot without a clear starter is left guard, where Cole Strange “appears to be the front-runner” coming out of spring practices, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. The 2022 first-rounder started every game at left guard as a rookie and 10 of the team’s first 15 games in 2023 before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee. The injury sidelined him until December 2024, when he was able to start at center for the Patriots’ last two games of the season.
With Bradbury arriving this offseason on a two-year, $9.5MM contract, Strange is returning to his original position where he faces plenty of competition. Sidy Sow, Layden Robinson, and Tyrese Robinson all took first-team reps this spring, per Volin, suggesting that the battle for the starting job will continue well into training camp.
Sow, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started 13 games at right guard as a rookie and profiles as the biggest threat to Strange. Sow was set to start at left guard in 2024 before a preseason ankle injury sidelined him for the first three games. He played every snap at left guard in Week 4, but did not start another game for the rest of the season.
Layden Robinson was drafted in the fourth round last year and closed out his rookie season with five starts at left guard. He bears no relation to Tyrese Robinson, a 2022 undrafted free agent who made his NFL debut in 2024 with Week 18 action for the Patriots at right guard.
Patriots third-round rookie Jared Wilson was described as a “wild card” by Volin, but he rarely lined up at guard in college and missed spring practices with an injury. That will severely lessen the former Bulldog’s chances of winning a starting job as a rookie; overall, Wilson seems more likely to take over from Bradbury at center in 2026 or 2027.
Players Exploring Legal Options After Collusion Ruling
Multiple NFL players are exploring their legal options after the revelation of a 61-page arbitration ruling in the NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the league regarding fully-guaranteed contracts, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Players could pursue action against the league (based on the collusive behavior described in the ruling) or the players’ union (based on their representation in the grievance). One of Florio’s sources specifically named Justin Herbert as an ideal potential plaintiff after the ruling revealed communication between Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell regarding fully guaranteed quarterback contracts.
The ruling first became public on Tuesday, more than five months after it was issued by league system arbitrator Christopher Droney. Still hidden, per Florio, is a list of 594 additional players who were included in the grievance behind Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson. Both the timeframe and the scope of the ruling will play a fundamental role in the future of any new cases.
For Murray, Jackson, and Wilson, the case is decided. The NFL would likely argue the same is true for the other 594 players listed in the grievance, though the discovery process only covered the three quarterbacks. That could give credibility to an argument against the union that they did not properly represent all of the players who were party to the grievance.
The players not listed in the grievance could also have trouble launching cases of their own due to the 50-day window in the league’s collective bargaining agreement, according to Florio. That window has expired due to the apparent decision by the NFL and the NFLPA to keep the ruling out of the public eye when it was issued.
Clearly, this is a developing issue with unknown ramifications, but there is clearly potential for further action by players against collusive behavior within the league.
Lamar Jackson Sought Fully Guaranteed Contract From Ravens
The bombshell arbitration ruling in the NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the NFL regarding fully guaranteed contracts has revealed additional details regarding Lamar Jackson‘s previous negotiations with the Ravens.
Jackson “asked for a fully guaranteed contract” as far back as the 2022 offseason, according to the ruling, though it did not specify if his demand came before or after Deshaun Watson‘s deal with the Browns. Then-NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith also advised Jackson to stick to that demand.
[RELATED: Russell Wilson Asked Broncos For Fully Guaranteed Deal In 2022]
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta testified at the arbitration hearing that he is not opposed to all fully guaranteed contracts, just longer ones with guarantees “pushed out to later years,” due to the risk of injury. As a result, the Ravens extended multiple non-fully guaranteed offers in 2022, but Jackson declined — after having set a pre-Week 1 negotiating deadline — and elected to play on his fifth-year option.
Negotiations resumed the next offseason, but the two sides quickly found themselves at the same impasse. Jackson once again requested a fully guaranteed deal, but missing the end of a second straight season due to injury did not help his case. The Ravens offered “two different three-year contracts that Mr. DeCosta considered to be fully guaranteed,” but Jackson again turned them down and requested a trade. Baltimore then applied the non-exclusive franchise tag to allow Jackson to negotiate a new contract with other teams.
It seemed at the time that Jackson had little chance of leaving Baltimore, and the arbitration ruling arrived at the same conclusion. DeCosta received little trade interest before using the franchise tag, and no teams reached out to Jackson when he was available to negotiate after the tag was applied. The ruling also determined that Jackson “was not actually committed to playing elsewhere” after declining to provide DeCosta with a list of preferred teams after publicly requesting a trade.
The ruling confirmed the previously assumed reasons that other teams did not try to acquire Jackson. DeCosta and Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti testified that the league’s apparent lack of interest in an MVP quarterback was due to the investment his acquisition would require in terms of cash, cap space, and draft picks. The Ravens could also match any offers Jackson received, risking other teams’ relationships with their quarterbacks should they publicly pursue another player and fail. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, whose team publicly announced its disinterest in acquiring Jackson, echoed concerns about cap flexibility and noted Jackson’s injury history as another factor.
Eventually, Jackson agreed to a five-year, $260MM extension shortly before the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the highest-paid quarterback in the league at signing. Interestingly, DeCosta had been preparing for a future without his star quarterback and said that he was surprised when Jackson accepted the offer.
Teams seem to have won the initial battle against fully guaranteed contracts, but Jackson has resumed negotiations with the Ravens ahead of massive scheduled cap hits in 2026 and 2027. After winning his second MVP in 2023 (and nearly a third in 2024), Jackson could renew his push for a fully guaranteed contract, though the team will likely resist such a deal and extend negotiations into 2026.