Dolphins, Steelers Exploring Jonnu Smith Trade; TE Seeking New Contract
10:27pm: Smith isn’t the only offensive playmaker about whom the Steelers have inquired. The team has has “preliminary conversations” with multiple teams as they search for another weapon alongside Metcalf, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Schultz’s report indicates that Pittsburgh will complete a trade in the coming months. After adding a third-rounder in the Pickens trade, the team now has eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft with the potential to add four more via the compensatory pick system.
2:06pm: The Dolphins and the Steelers are exploring a trade that would send tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The trade talks stem from Smith’s desire for a new contract. He arrived in Miami on a two-year, $8.4MM last offseason and quickly outplayed his value with the best receiving numbers of his career and his first Pro Bowl selection. Smith led the Dolphins with 88 catches and eight receiving touchdowns, and his 884 receiving yards trailed only Tyreek Hill. Those numbers were also the best of any tight end in franchise history.
Smith is set to earn $4.1MM this year with additional money available via incentives, per OverTheCap, a bargain relative to his recent production. However, 2024 was his first year with more than 35 yards per game, so the Dolphins may not want to overpay for what could be an outlier season.
Enter the Steelers, who remade their pass-catching corps this season by trading for D.K. Metcalf and sending George Pickens – their leading receiver since 2022 – to the Cowboys. Pittsburgh did sign 2021 second-round tight end Pat Freiermuth to a four-year extension last September, but Smith was the more productive player in 2024. He ranked fifth among all tight ends with 1.95 yards per route run, while Freiermuth’s 1.42 YPRR ranked 20th, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Steelers’ lack of WR depth may encourage them to invest in another tight end, especially one who is so familiar with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Arthur Smith was the Titans’ tight ends coach when they drafted Jonnu Smith in the third-round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The former FIU standout started 25 games across his first two years, largely as a blocker, but became a bigger part of the passing game once Arthur Smith took over as offensive coordinator in 2019. Jonnu Smith started 28 games over the next two years, catching 76 of his 109 targets for 887 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. That earned him a four-year, $50MM contract with the Patriots, while Arthur Smith was hired as the Falcons’ head coach.
An underwhelming two years in New England led to Jonnu Smith’s release during the 2023 offseason. He reunited with Arthur Smith on a two-year, $15MM deal in Atlanta, where he posted career-highs with 50 receptions and 582 receiving yards in 2023. Despite his performance, Jonnu Smith was released after the season, likely because of Arthur Smith’s firing. Now, the two could be on the verge of another reunion that would allow the veteran coach to use his trademark two tight end formations.
However, Jonnu Smith would prefer to remain in Miami with a revised contract, per Schefter. If the Dolphins are unwilling to commit to him past this season, the two sides could find a middle ground via an increased salary, some new guarantees, and/or additional incentives to raise Smith’s earning potential.
Ravens Sign Round 1 S Malaki Starks
Ravens first-round safety Malaki Starks has signed his four-year, fully guaranteed rookie deal, per a team announcement.
Starks, the No. 27 overall pick in April’s draft, will receive $16.58MM on his first NFL contract including a $8.7MM signing bonus, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson. The Ravens also have a fifth-year option they can exercise in 2028 that will keep Starks under contract through 2029.
The former Georgia Bulldog was already expected to have an impactful rookie year as a versatile third safety in defensive coordinator Zach Orr‘s scheme. An Achilles injury to 2024 starter Ar’Darius Washington will likely press Starks into a full-time role, something head coach John Harbaugh mentioned after Wednesday’s practice.
“It’s a lot on his plate right now,” said Harbaugh. “He’s going to have to step up, but that’s why we drafted him in the first round.” The longtime head coach added that he had yet to see Starks make a mistake on the field.
Having Starks on a cost-controlled rookie contract for the next four years should allow the Ravens to make Hamilton the highest-paid safety in the NFL sometime in the next year. The team picked up the 2022 first-rounder’s fifth-year option, ensuring he will stay in Baltimore for at least two more seasons, but general manager Eric DeCosta‘s history of rewarding his best players suggests that Hamilton will be a Raven for a long time. That will allow him to mentor Starks as the two develop chemistry with the intention of becoming the best safety duo in the NFL.
Rams Sign OT David Quessenberry
The Rams have signed veteran offensive tackle David Quessenberry to a one-year deal, per a team announcement.
Quessenberry played for the Vikings in 2024, his seventh NFL season. He appeared in every game as Minnesota’s swing tackle, but logged only 110 snaps during the regular season. He filled in for left tackle Christian Darrisaw after his injury in Week 8 and was expected to take over the starting job until the Vikings traded for Cam Robinson. Quessenberry played most of the game in Week 12 after Robinson left with an injury and added another 14 snaps in relief of right tackle Brian O’Neill in Week 15. He also closed out the Vikings’ wild card loss in January after O’Neill tore his Achilles during the game.
The 34-year-old Quessenberry will likely fill a similar role in Los Angeles backing up starting tackles Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein. His experience on the blind side will be crucial to the Rams after the departure of Joseph Noteboom this offseason. The team’s other backup OT, Warren McClendon, primarily played right tackle in college and his first two NFL seasons with just 52 snaps at left tackle last year.
Quessenberry has played a handful of snaps at guard in his career, though not since 2022. The Rams have more depth along the interior of their O-line, so he likely wouldn’t be needed there unless an emergency arises.
Originally a Texans sixth-round pick in 2013, Quessenberry spent his rookie year on injured reserve due to a foot injury. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma during the following offseason; his treatment sidelined him for three years. He finally made his NFL debut in 2017 with two appearances for the Texans. He didn’t play in 2018 and eventually landed with the Titans in 2019. Quessenberry took over Tennessee’s starting left tackle job halfway through the 2020 season and started all 17 games at right tackle in 2021. He then started three games for the Bills in 2022 before signing with one-year deals with the Vikings in 2023 and 2024.
Micah Parsons Not Present At Cowboys OTAs
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that Micah Parsons is not participating in the team’s second set of OTAs, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
The All-Pro edge rusher did attend the first day of OTAs last week, but was not present for subsequent practices.
All eyes have been on Parsons’ ongoing contract negotiations this offseason. Extensions for Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby have turned up the pressure on Dallas to get a deal done. Parsons has said that he wants to finalize an agreement before training camp so he can “hit the ground running,” but he is prepared to stage a hold-in if that doesn’t happen.
The Cowboys last set of OTAs is scheduled for the first week of June, followed by mandatory minicamp the week after. The team will then break until training camp starts in July, which should give the two sides plenty of time to reach an agreement that will likely make Parsons the NFL’s highest-paid defender (and perhaps the highest-paid non-quarterback).
Parsons’ negotiations appear to be taking a similar progression to those of CeeDee Lamb. Lamb skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp last year and staged a holdout well into training camp until he finally signed a four-year, $136MM deal. However, Lamb had to compete for the Cowboys’ attention with Dak Prescott also demanding a new contract last summer, while the team has no such distractions this year.
At this point, it’s unclear what gap remains in negotiations. Parsons has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the best defenders in the league and the market at his position has been clearly defined this offseason. One report in April indicated that the two sides had agreed on the framework of an extension, but the Cowboys’ lack of communication with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, could be holding up a finalized agreement on the contract’s exact structure and guarantees.
Details Revealed Regarding Shemar Stewart-Bengals Contract Dispute
TODAY, 7:25pm: As expected, Shemar Stewart didn’t participate in the first day of Bengals OTAs, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. However, the rookie defensive lineman was in the building, and he appeared to be taking in the first practice from the sideline.
SATURDAY, 1:15pm: More details have emerged regarding the contract dispute between the Bengals and their first-round pick, Shemar Stewart, who has yet to sign his rookie deal.
Stewart has not participated in any on-field practices since being drafted, though he has attended team meetings. He sat out rookie minicamp and is poised to remain on the sidelines when OTAs kick off next week unless his demands are met.
Initial reports indicated that the timing of bonus payments were the source of the dispute. Cincinnati proposed a payment schedule that did not match that of Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims, the team’s first-round picks in 2023 and 2024. That issue seems to have been resolved, but the two sides still disagree on default language.
Specifically, the Bengals want to include a clause in Stewart’s contract “that causes a default in the current year to trigger a default in all remaining years,” per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Essentially, if Stewart were to default in one year of his contract, the rest of his contract would automatically default, voiding the remaining money on his fully guaranteed rookie deal.
Mims does not have the same language in his contract, though he was taken with the 18th pick in 2024 and Stewart was drafted one spot earlier at No. 17 this year. The recently signed contracts of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins don’t contain a similar default clause, either.
Defaults are rare in the NFL. They happen when a player breaches the terms of his contract, typically by sustaining an injury while participating in a prohibited activity or committing conduct detrimental to the team. Stewart certainly has no intention of triggering a default, but it remains a possibility against which he wants to protect himself.
But why refuse to participate at all over a relatively minor contract detail? Stewart could still sign his rookie waiver and get on the field, but he appears to be standing on principle and holding the Bengals to their contract precedent. Cincinnati has typically lagged behind the rest of the NFL when negotiating with players, particularly in terms of guaranteed money. Stewart is witnessing firsthand the struggle of fellow edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to reach a favorable agreement with the team and is sending a clear message that he will not accept a contract with unfavorable terms, now or in the future.
Stewart also has leverage in this situation. If Hendrickson refuses to budge, the Bengals could be without their best defensive player heading into the regular season. At that point, Stewart would be called upon to step up as a pass rusher and may struggle to produce if he misses valuable developmental time this summer. His profile as a raw athlete with unrefined technique suggests that Cincinnati has extra motivation to get him practicing as soon as possible.
Bengals, Cordell Volson Agree To Revised Contract
MAY 27: Volson’s base salary for the year has been reduced to $1.5MM as a result of the restructure, per Over the Cap (h/t Baby). He is now set to collect $500K in guarantees, and a total of $600K in per-game roster bonuses are present in the new deal. Volson’s 2025 cap charge is now $3.1MM.
MAY 23: The Bengals have agreed to a revised contract with offensive guard Cordell Volson, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Volson started 48 games across the first three years of his career, qualifying him for the Level Two Proven Performance Escalator and boosting his 2025 salary to $3.656MM, though none is guaranteed.
That would normally be a bargain for a starting guard, but Volson was benched twice last season for Cody Ford, who re-signed in Cincinnati on a two-year, $6MM deal this offseason. The Bengals added even more guard depth by signing veteran Lucas Patrick and drafted Dylan Fairchild (third round, No. 81) and Jalen Rivers (fifth round, No. 153). Of the five, Volson had the biggest 2025 cap hit and the least guaranteed money remaining, putting him at risk of missing the 53-man roster if he didn’t emerge as a starter in training camp.
With more competition along the interior of the Bengals’ offensive line, Volson accepted the team’s offer of a reduced salary in exchange for guaranteed money, per Baby. Precise details have yet to be reported, but Volson may have the opportunity to earn additional money if he can hold down a starting guard job.
Volson has only played left guard in the NFL, so that’s likely his best path to starting. Ford started two games there in 2024, along with seven at tackle, while eight of Patrick’s 10 starts came at left guard for the Saints with the remaining two at center. Cincinnati’s rookies will offer some competition, too; both logged at least 850 snaps at left guard during their college careers. Fairchild was Georgia’s starting LG in 2023 and 2024, while Rivers started there in 2022 with another 219 snaps last season.
With a lower cap hit and added guaranteed money, Volson’s new contract should give him a better chance of hanging onto a roster spot even if he can’t carve out a starting role, though the versatility of his veteran competition may force him to develop some of his own.
Packers’ Anthony Belton To Work At RT, G
After primarily playing left tackle in college, Packers rookie Anthony Belton is expected to develop versatility at right tackle and guard in the NFL, according to WISC-TV’s Jason Wilde.
At this point, learning a new position is practically a rite of passage for rookie offensive lineman in Green Bay. Former general manager Ted Thompson established a pattern of drafting college left tackles and developing them at other spots along the O-line in the NFL. A few, like David Bakhtiari, stayed at LT, but most, like Bryan Bulaga and JC Tretter, flipped to right tackle or moved inside to guard.
Thompson’s successor, Brian Gutekunst, has continued the draft-and-convert practice during his tenure. Since 2020, eight of his 14 offensive line picks have been college left tackles, though only current starter Rasheed Walker has remained on the blind side in the pros.
The reasoning is simple: college programs often put their best, most athletic offensive linemen at left tackle. Those players may not always have the size – in particular, arm length – to stay at tackle in the NFL, but they typically have better physical tools than prospects at other positions. The Packers then develop those athletic traits into starting-quality performance at other spots while maintaining a steady supply of backup left tackles, one of the league’s most important positions.
“That’s been a big emphasis for us,” said Gutekunst (via Wilde). “We like to have guys that can play both. You’re either going to be a tackle/guard swing guy, a guard/center swing guy or a tackle/center swing guy. You’ve got to be able to play multiple spots.”
The Packers hope that Belton will fit into one of those three categories, most likely the first. With a 6-foot-6, 336-pound frame and 34.625-inch arms, he has prototypical size for left tackle, where he played all but 11 of his snaps at North Carolina State over the last three years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That could keep Belton at OT in Green Bay, backing up right tackle Zach Tom as a rookie and potentially succeeding him when his contract expires at the end of the season. (Walker is also in the last year of his contract; if he leaves Green Bay in 2026, Belton would be a candidate to replace him.) Belton’s power and length would also be beneficial at guard, though he may be too big to add snapping the ball as a center to his repertoire.
The Packers drafted another college left tackle this year in Cincinnati’s John Williams, who started 12 games on the blind side in each of the last two years. He has no experience along the interior, but will likely be asked to learn at least one new O-line position in Green Bay this summer.
St. Bonaventure HS Hires CB Troy Hill As HC
Former NFL cornerback Troy Hill has accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California.
Hill is a 10-year veteran who played for the Panthers and the Buccaneers in 2024. Though he has not officially retired, his new coaching gig signals that his NFL career is likely over.
“Troy Hill is more than just a football player–he’s a Seraph,” said St. Bonaventure principal Christina Castro in a statement from the school. “We are thrilled to welcome im home and look forward to the leadership and inspiration he will bring to our student athletes.”
Hill played football at St. Bonaventure from 2007 to 2010 before accepting a scholarship offer from the University of Oregon. After a redshirt freshman year, he started six games in 2011. He was largely a backup in his next two seasons before starting 14 games in 2014 with an FBS-high 18 passes defended.
Hill’s lack of size and athleticism hindered his projection to the pros; he went undrafted in 2015 and signed with the Bengals. After a brief stint with the Patriots, he finished his rookie year with the Rams and stayed with the team through their offseason relocation to Los Angeles. Hill worked his way up the team’s depth chart and appeared in 70 games from 2016 to 2020. He started 39 games in that span, including a full 16-game season in 2020 during which he led the league with 119 interception return yards and two touchdowns.
His emergence as a starter earned Hill a four-year, $24MM contract with the Browns, though he only started four games in 2021 and was traded back to the Rams for a fifth-round pick during the offseason. He started 12 games in his second stint in Los Angeles before signing with the Panthers for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Hill was released by the Panthers last October and quickly signed with the Buccaneers’ practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in November and appeared in two games (exclusively on special teams) before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. That likely concluded a decade-long career, an impressive feat for a player who went undrafted. Hill earned just under $20MM in his career, per OverTheCap, with 121 total appearances and 60 starts.
Hill’s return to St. Bonaventure is somewhat interesting given the less-than-ideal ending to his playing career with the Seraphs. He starred at cornerback and wide receiver during his 2009 senior year in which the team compiled an 11-2 record. However, the University of Oregon discovered that Hill was athletically ineligible after briefly attending another high school in his native Ohio, according to Derry Eads of the Ventura County Star. St. Bonaventure forfeited all of its wins, including their Channel League conference championship, though the issue did not cause Hill to lose his scholarship to play for the Ducks.
“This is where it all started for me,” said Hill. “St. Bonaventure gave my the discipline, support, support, and faith to believe in something bigger than myself. I’m excited to give back by helping shape the next generation–not just as athletes, but as young men of character and conviction.”
Hill is now the latest NFL player to return to his college or high school in a leadership role. Ex-Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is now the general manager of Stanford’s football program, while Maxx Crosby is the assistant GM at Eastern Michigan.
Broncos Notes: Barron, Williams, Webb
Jahdae Barron‘s versatility was a major reason the Broncos selected him in the first round of April’s draft. According to head coach Sean Payton, he was “too unique to pass up” at No. 20. The Texas cornerback started at nickel in 2022 and 2023 before primarily playing on the boundary in 2024. He also logged at least 140 snaps in the box in each of the last three years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
In Denver, Barron will likely line up in the slot as a rookie, according to Mike Klis of 9News. The Broncos are returning both of their outside CB starters in Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss, neither of whom have much experience at nickel. Ja’Quan McMillian filled that role last season, but Barron figures to be an upgrade who can match up with speedy slot receivers and bigger tight ends.
Barron’s multi-positional experience will give Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph plenty of options in the secondary, though he may have the rookie get comfortable at nickel before expanding his usage at different alignments.
Here is the latest out of Denver:
- The Broncos lost several key members of their front office this offseason and tried to plug the gap with new co-director of player personnel Cam Williams. The former director of college scouting for the Patriots is “seen by many as a future GM,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, though he may have to leave Denver to land such a position. Current Broncos general manager George Paton is 55 years old, has a strong track record of success in the draft, and could continue in the job for a decade or more. A near-future appearance on the GM carousel will be something to monitor, however.
- Despite the prevalence of the transfer portal in college football, the Broncos prioritized non-transfers in this year’s draft. Six of their seven picks played at least 41 games at one school, per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, with three selections – Barron, Sai’vion Jones, and Jeremy Crawshaw – staying with one program for at least 50 games. Seventh-rounder Caleb Lohner played basketball at BYU and Baylor before transferring to Utah for one season of football. Payton said (via Legwold) that the transfer avoidance was “not by accident,” and demonstrated valuable intangibles like mental toughness and loyalty.
- Jacksonville State offensive lineman Clay Webb received $225K in guaranteed money after signing with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, according to Klis. The rookie guard received $15K as a signing bonus with another $210K in guaranteed salary, signaling that Denver sees him as a player worth developing along the interior of the offensive line.
Jordan Meredith, Dylan Parham To Battle For Raiders’ LG Job
The Raiders underwent a transformation this offseason, hiring a new head coach and general manager in Pete Carroll and John Spytek and trading for Geno Smith to start at quarterback.
Their offensive line will be more of a constant with five returning players who were on the field for at least 50% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2024: Kolton Miller, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, and Delmar Glaze. Those five were also the Raiders’ starters (from left to right) to close the season.
There was some turnover; veteran center Andre James signed with the Chargers in free agency and former Bengals and Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa arrived in Las Vegas on a two-year, $11MM deal. Cappa is expected to take over at right guard with Powers-Johnson staying at center, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, setting up a competition between Parham and Meredith for the starting left guard job.
With significantly more experience as a starter, Parham should have pole position. The 2022 third-rounder started all 34 regular-season games at right guard in the first two years of his career and added 14 more in 2024. He missed two games due to injury and finished the season with 882 total snaps, which upgraded his 2025 salary to $3.656MM via the league’s Proven Performance Escalator system. Parham has minimal NFL experience at left guard, but he started 28 games there during his college career at Memphis.
Meredith didn’t earn a starting job out of training camp last year, but stepped into a starting role when Parham went down with a foot injury. He stayed in the starting lineup by moving to left guard in Week 9 after Powers-Johnson took over for James at center. Meredith finished the season with six starts (365 total snaps) at left and two starts (209 total snaps) at right guard, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He is in the final year of his UDFA contract, but can be retained as a restricted free agent for the 2026 season.
If Parham can successfully flip to the left side, he should be able to hold onto a starting job for the fourth year in a row, with Meredith likely backing up both guard spots as he did last season.