Cowboys Restructure CeeDee Lamb’s Deal
The Cowboys have restructured CeeDee Lamb‘s contract, per ESPN’s Todd Archer, creating $20MM of cap space before the new league year begins next week.
The team converted $25MM of Lamb’s 2025 salary to a signing bonus and prorated it across the next five seasons. His 2025 salary has dropped to $1.85MM, per OverTheCap, and his cap number from 2026 to 2029 will increase by $5MM in each year.
The Cowboys’ moves have clarified their cap picture heading into free agency. Dallas entered the day needing to create space to become cap-compliant and potentially accommodate a $25.1MM franchise tag for Osa Odighizuwa. The team reached an agreement on a long-term deal with Odighizuwa to avoid the tag, but Lamb’s restructure was still necessary to get below the 2025 salary cap. The Cowboys now have $17.9MM in cap space and can create more with an extension for Micah Parsons or a restructure of Dak Prescott‘s deal.
Dallas is also carrying over $18.8MM of cap room from 2024 to 2025, per Archer, though dead cap hits from Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Brandin Cooks will effectively cancel out that carryover.
The Cowboys also re-signed defensive back and special teams ace C.J. Goodwin on a one-year deal. 2025 will be his eighth season in Dallas and 10th in the NFL. The former Division II wide receiver converted to defensive back in the NFL, but he has played more than 90% of his snaps on special teams.
Vikings Will Not Franchise Tag Sam Darnold
MARCH 4: Minnesota’s decision is now official. No tag will come to pass before today’s 3pm CT deadline, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The sides will continue to discuss a deal, but Darnold is now less than a week from exploring the open market with far more momentum than he carried into 2024.
Other teams have been linked to the resurgent passer, which stands to make it difficult for the Vikings to retain him before he reaches free agency. The team has until 11am CT March 10 to negotiate exclusively with its 2024 starting quarterback. With the Vikings and Dolphins respectively passing on Darnold and Jevon Holland tags and the Cowboys re-signing Osa Odighizuwa, the 2025 tag deadline — still 20-plus minutes away — looks like it will only include two players hit with the tag (the Bengals’ Tee Higgins and Chiefs’ Trey Smith).
MARCH 3: The Vikings are not expected to place the franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Darnold was one of this offseason’s strongest tag candidates after turning his career around in Minnesota last year.
On a one-year, $10MM deal, Darnold posted career-bests in several statistical categories and ranked fifth among all quarterbacks in passing yards and touchdowns. However, he ended the season on a low note, making an already-tough decision even more difficult for the Vikings. They could tag Darnold in the hopes that he can lead them deeper in the playoffs in 2025 or let him hit free agency and risk losing a bidding war.
Minnesota seems to have chosen the latter, though the team still has interest in retaining Darnold. They will have to do so without a franchise tag, thereby eliminating the possibility of a tag-and-trade.
A Darnold franchise tag has been considered unlikely for a few weeks. At $40.2MM, the quarterback franchise tag is too high of a one-year cap burden for the Vikings. Minnesota has the seventh-most cap space in the NFL, according to OverTheCap, but they have several starters hitting free agency that they will have to re-sign or replace.
Free agency makes the most sense for Darnold, too. After playing for four different teams over the last five years, he may be looking for a long-term home in the NFL. The Vikings still see 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future, so any deal with Darnold would be a short-term pact. By hitting the open market, Darnold will have more flexibility to negotiate a long-term contract with the potential to incite a bidding war between QB-needy teams.
Vikings Want To Re-Sign Byron Murphy; CB Seeking $20MM+ Per Year
After the best season of his career, Byron Murphy is looking to cash in. The 27-year-old cornerback is seeking upwards of $20MM per year on his next contract, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.
Such a deal would make Murphy one of the six highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, though Derek Stingley and Sauce Gardner are expected to reset the market on their extensions.
The 2019 second-rounder only earned a two-year, $17.5MM contract from the Vikings in 2023 after a season-ending back injury in his final year with the Cardinals. He put together a solid debut in Minnesota before an excellent 2024 that ended with his first Pro Bowl selection. He recorded team- and career-highs with six interceptions and 14 passes defended, positioning himself as the best young cornerback to hit free agency.
However, that still may not get him the contract he desires. Murphy is expected to receive offers with an APY between $15MM and $18MM, according to Pauline, well below his preferred number. Two factors will hurt Murphy’s valuation: he has just one year of elite play on his resume, and several other starting cornerbacks will be available in free agency. If Murphy holds firm at a $20MM APY, teams may explore other options instead of breaking the bank for him.
The Vikings are still “hoping” to re-sign Murphy, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. They pushed back the void date of his contract a few weeks ago, giving the two sides more time to negotiate before free agency begins next week. Murphy turned down an extension offer last year, and his value has skyrocketed since then.
Minnesota’s decision not to tag Sam Darnold could potentially add a twist to their negotiations with Murphy. The $20.2MM cornerback franchise tag would set a high threshold for a long-term deal, but the $17.6MM transition tag could be in play. Murphy would have the opportunity to explore the market and push for his desired $20MM APY. If he doesn’t attract the offers he’s looking for, he could resume long-term negotiations with the Vikings with the transition tag as a starting point.
NFL Minor Transactions: 3/3/25
Here is today’s lone minor NFL transaction:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LB Blake Lynch
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/3/25
Teams are starting to decide on their restricted and exclusive rights free agents ahead of the start of the new league year next week. Here are the latest tender/non-tender updates:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Raiders: WR DJ Turner
The Raiders are open to re-signing Turner, but even the lowest RFA tender of $3.3MM was too expensive. The 2022 UDFA played primarily special teams in his first two seasons and didn’t record his first NFL catch until 2024. He started six games last season with 21 touches, 191 yards, and two touchdowns from scrimmage.
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Rams: C Dylan McMahon
The Rams signed McMahon off the Eagles’ practice squad last September to back up rookie center Beaux Limmer and started the last game of the regular season. He will likely continue in a backup role in 2025 while earning $960k.
Jets Expected To Release Davante Adams
Despite receiving calls from other teams regarding Davante Adams, the Jets are expected to release the three-time All-Pro before free agency begins next week, according to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.
The Jets have been expected to move on from Adams ever since they decided to do the same with Aaron Rodgers. The two first played together in Green Bay before reuniting in New York last season. In 11 games after arriving via trade, Adams recorded 67 receptions for 854 yards and seven touchdowns, though he was less efficient relative to the rest of his career.
Adams’ production and pedigree were enough for the Jets to receive trade inquiries, but his contract likely presented a major obstacle in negotiations. He is owed just over $72MM across the next two years, per OverTheCap, so any acquiring team would want the Jets to eat some of his 2025 salary. The Jets may not have been willing to do that, especially if they would only receive minimal compensation in the process.
Instead, new general manager Darren Mougey will shed Adams’ massive contract via release. A pre-June 1 cut would save $29.9MM against the cap with $8.4MM in dead money. A post-June 1 cut would allow the Jets to push $6.3MM of that dead money into 2026, resulting in $36.2MM of savings and a $2.1MM dead cap hit this year. Adams’ departure would push wide receiver up the Jets’ list of needs, especially if they also move on from Allen Lazard as expected. Garrett Wilson would be the team’s only rostered receiver with more than two years, 300 yards, or 30 catches in the NFL.
Adams’ release would add him to a free agent class with several proven veteran receivers. He is expected to prefer a team on the West Coast – where he was born, raised, and played in college – though he could also be open to a reunion with the Packers or following Rodgers to his next destination.
Saints Hire Scott Linehan, Fill Out Staff
The Saints are hiring several coaches to round out Kellen Moore‘s staff, including former Rams head coach Scott Linehan, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
The 61-year-old Linehan has 35 years of coaching experience, including several stints as offensive coordinator at top college programs (Washington, Louisville) and several NFL teams (Vikings, Dolphins, Rams, Cowboys). He also served as the Rams’ head coach from 2006-2008. The team compiled an 11-25 record before Linehan was fired due to an 0-4 start to the 2008 season.
Linehan has spent the last five years coaching at the college level. He was LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2020 before taking offensive analyst positions at Missouri (2021-2023) and Montana (2024). Now, he’s set to join Moore’s staff, likely in a role under offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
Linehan has plenty of familiarity with his new colleagues. He was the Lions’ offensive coordinator when they signed Moore as an undrafted rookie quarterback in 2012. Linehan recognized Moore’s potential as a coach and began mentoring him in Detroit, per Nick Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Linehan then brought Moore with him to Dallas when he took over as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator in 2015.
Linehan was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Idaho in 1992 and 1993 when Nussmeier was the Vandals’ starting quarterback. Nussmeier has also served as an assistant coach on Linehan’s staff with the Rams and the Cowboys.
The Saints are also adding to their defensive staff with expected hires of Grady Brown and Robert Blanton, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Brown is a veteran defensive backs coach who spent the last four years with the Steelers and interviewed for the Falcons’ defensive coordinator vacancy this year.
Blanton is a former NFL safety who briefly overlapped with Moore when both played for the Cowboys in 2017. He has spent the last four years as the defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach at Miami University (Ohio).
Giants Looking At Aaron Rodgers, Other Veteran QBs
After their failed pursuit of Matthew Stafford, the Giants are “shifting their interest” to Aaron Rodgers, per The Athletic’s Diana Russini.
Rodgers has been reaching out to teams since the Jets decided to release him, including multiple calls to the Giants, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The Giants have been discussing the possibility of signing Rodgers “all week,” according to Russini.
Acquiring Rodgers would be considerably less expensive than trading for Stafford. The Giants were prepared to give up significant draft capital and give Stafford a contract exceeding $50MM per year, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. Rodgers, meanwhile, will be a free agent once the Jets formalize his release with a post-June 1 designation. He is unlikely to command a top-of-the-market salary and signing him would not require the Giants to part with any draft picks.
Rodgers is not the Giants’ “leading candidate,” according to FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacciano. The team is discussing other free agent quarterbacks, per Hughes, including Russell Wilson, Sam Darnold, and Justin Fields. The Giants had interest in Darnold last offseason, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, but he was too expensive at the time. His value has certainly risen in the last year, but so has the Giants’ need for a quarterback.
After playing for four different teams over the last five years, Darnold may be looking for a long-term situation if he hits free agency. That could clash with the Giants’ vision for the position. They would prefer to pair a veteran signing with a top rookie from this year’s draft, according to Hughes.
Rodgers might fit better into those plans. The team views the four-time MVP as a “viable option” for one season, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The Giants could then use a first-round pick on a quarterback prospect who would sit behind Rodgers as a rookie before taking over in 2026.
That rookie would likely be either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, who are generally considered the top two quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class. The Giants currently hold the No. 3 pick, but are exploring a trade with the Titans to acquire the first overall pick that they would then use on their preferred quarterback prospect.
Clearly, the Giants’ pursuit of a new quarterback remains fluid. Stafford was the first domino to fall, and other signings and trades will certainly impact the team’s plans. They will have to balance the financial investment of a free agent signing with the draft capital required to secure their top choice in April. The Falcons were criticized last year for signing Kirk Cousins to a massive contract in free agency and using the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix a month later. That has left Atlanta at an impasse with Cousins after moving to Penix during the season, something Schoen will likely consider as he navigates the quarterback market in free agency and the draft.
2025 NFL Franchise/Transition Tags
The NFL has officially set the 2025 salary cap at $279.2MM, a figure that will shape teams’ financial plans as they navigate the offseason.
The salary cap doesn’t just dictate how much money teams can spend; it also factors into the calculation of franchise and transition tags. For more than three decades, teams have been able to use a franchise or transition tag on one player during the offseason to retain them on a one-year deal. The value of the franchise tag is based on the top five salaries at each position, while the transition tag is calculated using the top 10 salaries at each position.
Teams have already been able to tag players since February 18, but now they know exactly how much that decision will cost. The Chiefs, for example, moved forward with placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith. That will cost them $23.4MM this year, though the two sides are expected to continue negotiations on a long-term extension.
Other teams who were considering tags – including the Vikings with Sam Darnold and the Dolphins with Jevon Holland – will now have exact numbers to work with. Here are those figures for the non-exclusive franchise tag (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero):
- Quarterback: $40.24MM
- Running back: $13.64MM
- Wide receiver: $23.96MM
- Tight end: $13.83MM
- Offensive line: $23.4MM
- Defensive end: $22.06MM
- Defensive tackle: $25.12MM
- Linebacker: $25.45MM
- Cornerback: $20.19MM
- Safety: $18.6MM
- Kicker/punter: $6.31MM
However, the new tag figures will not apply to players who were tagged last season, like the Bengals’ Tee Higgins. Those players can be tagged for 120% of last year’s salary. The Bengals are expected to use a second tag on Higgins, which would pay him $26.2MM in 2025. The rest of 2024’s tagged players all signed long-term extensions, making them ineligible for a tag this year.
Teams rarely use the exclusive franchise tag, which costs more than the non-exclusive tag as it prevents players from negotiating with other teams. The non-exclusive tag is more frequently used, which allows players to negotiate and sign offer sheets with other teams. The player’s previous team can then match that offer sheet to retain the player or decline to match and receive two first-round picks from the player’s new team. That process rarely plays out in full; instead, franchise tags typically lead to players signing long-term extensions with the team that tagged them.
The transition tag is similar to the non-exclusive tag in that it allows players to negotiate and sign offer sheets with other teams. The previous team maintains the right to match such offer sheets, but if they decline, they are not entitled to any draft pick compensation.
Here are the 2025 transition tag numbers:
- Quarterback: $35.38MM
- Running back: $11.07MM
- Wide receiver: $21.44MM
- Tight end: $11.71MM
- Offensive line: $21.27MM
- Defensive end: $19.87MM
- Defensive tackle: $20.85MM
- Linebacker: $20.86MM
- Cornerback: $17.6MM
- Safety: $15.03MM
- Kicker/punter: $5.73MM
It’s worth noting that the NFL maintains two archaic positional designations in its calculations for franchise and transition tags (as well as fifth-year options.) All offensive linemen are grouped together, rather than separating centers, guards, and tackles. All linebackers also fall under one category, meaning that inside linebackers fall under the same category as outside linebackers, even those who are primarily edge rushers. These distinctions have made it difficult for teams to tag interior offensive linemen and inside linebackers due to the significantly larger salaries of offensive tackles and edge rushers, though the Chiefs didn’t let it stop them this year.
Raiders Won’t Place RFA Tender On Desmond Ridder, Looking Into Justin Fields
The Raiders are not planning to place a restricted free agent tender on quarterback Desmond Ridder, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Ridder appeared in six games for the Raiders in 2024 with one start. He completed 52 of his 85 passing attempts for 458 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, resulting in a career-low 73.6 passer rating. That performance made it clear that Ridder is not a starting-caliber quarterback, but an RFA tender could have kept him in Las Vegas as an inexpensive backup.
However, the new Raiders regime has more ambitious plans for the position. In addition to moving on from Ridder, they are also expected to release Gardner Minshew as they search free agency and the draft for their next quarterback. Las Vegas has already been linked with Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson, and they are also expected to explore signing Justin Fields, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Ridder, meanwhile, will join a backup quarterback market in free agency that includes experienced veterans like Jacoby Brissett and Marcus Mariota as well as younger options like Zach Wilson and Trey Lance.
Originally a Falcons’ third-round pick in 2022, Ridder earned a starting job by the end of his rookie year. He continued as the starter for most of the 2023 season, but was deemed surplus to requirements after Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins. Ridder was then traded to the Cardinals, where he ended up on the practice squad after losing the backup quarterback battle in training camp.
The Raiders then signed Ridder off of the Cardinals’ practice squad to serve as Minshew’s backup after Aidan O’Connell landed on injured reserve. Ridder came in for Minshew after he broke his collarbone in Week 12, but O’Connell took over the starting job when he returned from IR the following week. O’Connell’s struggles in Week 14 gave Ridder a chance to finish the game under center and start in Week 15. He played the entire game, but completed less than 60% of his passes and threw two interceptions. The Raiders went back to O’Connell in Week 16, and Ridder played just three snaps for the rest of the season.
Ridder’s step back in Las Vegas will hurt his free agent stock this spring. Like last year, he may enter training camp competing for a roster spot as the No. 2 quarterback.