Giants To Sign FB Patrick Ricard
John Harbaugh is bringing another Raven to New York. Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard is joining the Giants on a two-year deal, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The deal is worth $7.63MM with a maximum value of $8.5MM, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, making Ricard the highest-paid fullback in the NFL. His resume – including six Pro Bowls in the last seven years – certainly supports that status. The nine-year veteran also received a first-team All-Pro nod in 2024 and second-team recognition in the years immediately before and after.
Ricard, 31, arrived in Baltimore as an undrafted defensive tackle out of Maine. He converted to fullback as a rookie but still maintained a role on the other side of the ball until 2020, when his offensive snap share jumped to 41%. It grew even more, all the way up to 64% in 2022, the Ravens’ last year with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. His successor, Todd Monken, decreased Ricard’s role, though he still played at least 39% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps from 2023 to 2025. That resulted in a pay cut on Ricard’s last contract in Baltimore, and like the rest of the team’s offense, he had somewhat of a down season after missing the start of the year due to injury.
The price point of today’s deal is a clear sign that Ricard will have a major role in New York’s offense. However, new Giants OC Matt Nagy has not historically featured a pure blocking fullback in his scheme, so he will need to find a way to integrate Ricard on the field.
The Ravens are unlikely to seek a one-for-one replacement for Ricard with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle bringing in his own scheme. However, with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar also departing in free agency, Baltimore will need to shore up that position group this offseason.
Eagles To Sign TEs Johnny Mundt, Grant Calcaterra
Johnny Mundt was released by the Jaguars on Monday, but the blocking tight end did not stay on the market for long. He has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Philadelphia will also be re-signing their own veteran tight end, Grant Calcaterra, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The duo will try to fill the hold left by Dallas Goedert, who has yet to sign with another team but now, does not seem likely to return to the Eagles.
Mundt, 31, signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He appeared in two games as a rookie and made the 53-man roster in his second year with a core role on special teams. He took on a bigger role as a blocker in 2019 and 2020 and was trending towards a career-high in offensive snaps before a torn ACL in 2021.
Mundt still ended the year with a Super Bowl ring, but he left Los Angeles in the offseason to join the Vikings. There, he took up a No. 2 tight end role with career-high playing time and the first significant receiving role of his career. He totaled 55 catches for 454 yards across his three years in Minnesota and moved to Jacksonville to take up a similar job in 2025.
Calcaterra, who just turned 27, was a 2022 sixth-round pick who played behind Goedert in 2022 and 2023 before stepping up as his injury replacement in 2024. Calcaterra started 13 gaems with 24 catches for 298 receiving yards on a 66% snap share. Those numbers ticked back down in 2025 after Goedert returned to the field.
The two will be competing for a role in the Eagles offense this summer, potentially even for the starting tight end job. General manager Howie Roseman is likely to add some competition, and after making multiple veteran signings, he may now look to bolster the position via April’s draft.
Lions To Re-Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin
Rock Ya-Sin emerged as a key part of the Lions’ secondary in 2025, and he is now set to reprise his role in 2026. The veteran cornerback is expected to sign a one-year, $4MM deal to remain in Detroit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ya-Sin, 29, first signed with the Lions last offseason on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. That turned out to be an excellent value, especially given the injuries that plagued their secondary throughout the season. Ya-Sin appeared in every game, making six starts and commanding a 55% snap share. He put up a career-high nine passes defended, allowed a career-low 74.7 passer rating when targeted, and chipped in 47 tackles, his most since his rookie year.
With Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw both recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery, re-signing Ya-Sin ensures some continuity for Detroit’s pass defense. He will return to the unit alongside D.J. Reed. Both, though, will turn 30 this year, so the Lions may still look to add a cornerback in April’s draft. Rakestraw has only appeared in eight games in his career, and Arnold was trending downward in 2025 before his injury.
Ya-Sin has changed teams in each of the last four offseasons, but his agreement with the Lions will ensure that trend ends this year. Originally a Colts second-round pick in 2019, the former Temple Owl quickly carved out a starting role as a rookie. He largely held onto it over the next three years, but missed seven games due to injury.
Ya-Sin was traded to the Raiders for Yannick Ngakoue during the 2022 offseason, and he took up a starting job in Las Vegas. Injuries remained an issue, as he appeared in only 11 games. He then took one-year deals with the Ravens and the 49ers in the next two offseasons to add depth to their cornerback rotations, though he barely played in San Francisco.
Ya-Sin played a full season in 2025, the first of his career. A repeat effort would offer Detroit excellent value on their investment.
Giants To Sign K Jason Sanders
Missing all of last season due to injury, Jason Sanders will have another chance. The Dolphins cut the veteran kicker, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a Giants signing is coming to pass.
Sanders agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants, who are overhauling their special teams under John Harbaugh. He already brought Jordan Stout, his hand-picked punter in Baltimore, to New York, for a record-breaking sum on Monday. Stout will hold Sanders’ kicks, and Harbaugh will surely land his preferred long-snapper, too. He declined to retain longtime Giant Casey Kreiter and could pursue a reunion with Morgan Cox, who he coached in Baltimore for eight seasons.
Sanders, 30, was drafted by the Dolphins in 2019. He won Miami’s kicking job over undrafted rookie Greg Joseph in training camp and held onto it for the next seven years. His first four alternated between elite and below-average, a period which included a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. But in the following three years, Sanders was one of the most consistent kickers in the league, peaking with another excellent season in 2024. He ranked ninth in the NFL with a 90.2% make rate and buried 12 of his 14 attempts from beyond 50 yards.
Sanders suffered a hip injury during the 2025 preseason that landed him on the shelf. There was initial optimism for his return, but the kicker ended up missing the entire season. The Dolphins turned to Riley Patterson as a fill-in in 2025 and landed free agent Zane Gonzalez for 2026.
Sanders will now have an opportunity to revive his career with a new-look Giants squad. He was among the notable free agent kickers, a list that also includes the likes of Daniel Carlson, Matt Prater, and Nick Folk (who has already joined the Falcons).
Panthers To Sign LB Devin Lloyd
Devin Lloyd is heading to Carolina. The former first-round pick is inking a three-year deal with the Panthers, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The three-year contract is worth $45MM and includes $25MM in guaranteed money. Lloyd may not have reached the very top of the linebacker market at $20MM per year as he was hoping (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), but he will still come in with the fourth-highest annual pay at the position after receiving Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro recognition in 2025.
Lloyd, 27, was a highly-touted prospect out of Utah in 2022 who landed in Jacksonville via the No. 27 overall pick. He took over a starting job as a rookie, but struggled mightily in his transition to the NFL. Lloyd finished the 2022 season with a 48.1 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the ninth-worst among starting linebackers.
Two years of improvement followed. Then, in 2025, Lloyd emerged as a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball. Though his tackle production lagged relative to his first three seasons, he recorded a career-high five interceptions, allowed just a 57.1 passer rating when targeted, and added 28 pressures as a pass rusher, the third-most among off-ball linebackers.
The Panthers, who also inquired after Tremaine Edmunds before he signed with the Giants, will be banking on Lloyd to have a similar impact. He will slot in as Carolina’s starting linebacker next to Trevin Wallace, a 2024 third-rounder who has shown promise but missed nine games due to injury since being drafted.
Lloyd will likely take over the green dot role in a Panthers defense will also feature edge Jaelan Phillips in 2026. The two former first-rounders will hope to continue the unit’s ascension in Carolina’s third year under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Ben Levine contributed to this story.
Giants To Sign DB Ar’Darius Washington
When John Harbaugh arrived in New York after being fired by the Ravens, he quickly brought many of his staffers with him. Those moves created an expectation that the Giants would pursue Harbaugh’s former players in free agency, and that has indeed been the case.
The latest is defensive back Ar’Darius Washington, who spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore. He is expected to sign a one-year, $3MM contract with the Giants, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.
The former TCU standout went undrafted in 2021 due to his 5-foot-9 frame, but made the Ravens’ 53-man roster later that summer. Injury concerns proved to be an issue, as Washington only appeared in eight games in his first three seasons with long absences due to foot and chest injuries. The 26-year-old broke into the starting lineup in 2024 as part of Baltimore’s midseason secondary switch-up. Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson were benched, and Washington joined Kyle Hamilton to stablize the back end of the defense.
Washington’s success built hype for his follow-up campaign in 2025. He was expected to reprise his starting role even after the Ravens drafted Malaki Starks in the first-round, with Hamilton set to return to a nickel/star role closer to the line of scrimmage. But a torn Achilles during offseason training altered those plans. Washington still made an impressive recovery and made his season debut just seven months after his injury, but he played just 61 snaps in his four appearances.
The Giants’ offer is appropriate given Washington’s injury history. He will serve as the team’s third safety behind Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland and will likely take on some duties in the slot, too. Washington could thrive in those roles in the defense of Dennard Wilson – his onetime secondary coach in Baltimore – but only if he can stay healthy.
Jets To Sign S Dane Belton
Giants safety defections in free agency have become commonplace, and with a new coaching staff now in place, another exit is on tap. But Dane Belton will not need to relocate. The Jets are picking up the fifth-year player, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
It’s a one-year, $4MM deal with a max of $6MM. The former fourth-round pick will follow Julian Love, Xavier McKinney and Jason Pinnock in leaving Big Blue’s safety corps over the past three offseasons.
Belton, 25, carved out a consistent rotational role in the Giants defense in his first two seasons and took on more playing time towards the end of his third year. That would have set him up for a full-time starting role in 2025, but Jevon Holland‘s arrival in free agency pre-empted that. Belton still appeared in every game with a strong 63% snap share and nine starts with both Holland and Tyler Nubin missing time due to injury.
Both veterans are remaining in New York under John Harbaugh, so Belton will switch locker rooms at the Meadowlands, likely to serve as the Jets. No. 3 safety. Minkah Fitzpatrick will take on a starting role after arriving via trade from Miami, and 2025 fourth-rounder Malachi Moore will likely start alongside him after an impressive rookie campaign. All three can line up as a free safety, man the slot, or play down in the box, giving Aaron Glenn and new defensive coordinator Brian Duker plenty of ways to configure their 2026 secondary.
Cardinals To Sign WR Kendrick Bourne
The Cardinals are making another addition in free agency. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is headed to Arizona on a two-year, $11.47MM deal, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, with an additional $5MM available in incentives.
Bourne, 30, appeared in 16 games for the 49ers in 2025, his second stint in San Francisco. He filled key snaps in the receiver rotation during the team’s injuries at the position and finished the year with 37 catches for 551 yards. Those numbers represented somewhat of a bounce-back for Bourne after three straight seasons in New England with fewer than 450 receiving yards.
The 49ers were interested in retaining Bourne with the Dolphins also competing for his signature, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Instead, he will land in Arizona under new head coach Mike LaFleur, where he will be catching passes from Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew. Bourne will join a young Cardinals wide receiver room headlined by 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison, who has disappointed in his first two years in the NFL, and Michael Wilson, who put forth a surprising 1,006-yard campaign in 2025.
Bourne’s experience will round out that group. The nine-year veteran first joined the 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington in 2017. He carved out a consistent role in the next four years and signed with the Patriots in 2021. After a 800-yard debut in New England, Bourne’s numbers decreased in his next three seasons, leading to his release last offseason. A reunion with the 49ers helped Bourne revive his value, and he will now remain in the NFC West to play his former team twice a year.
Saints To Sign TE Noah Fant
The Saints are signing free agent tight end Noah Fant to a two-year deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. After stints with the Broncos, Seahawks, and Bengals, the 2019 first-round pick will join his fourth team in New Orleans.
Fant, 20, appeared in 15 games in 2025 as Cincinnati’s No. 2 tight end behind Mike Gesicki. He finished the year with 34 catches for 288 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games, the lowest production of his career. With it, though, came improved run-blocking relative to the rest of his career. He received a 58.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), his second-highest in seven years behind a career-best 59.6 grade in 2023.
That element of Fant’s game will be crucial to his ability to extend his career since he has never broken through as a high-end pass-catcher. In New Orleans, he will operate alongside Juwan Johnson, who ranked third among NFL tight ends in 2025 with 889 receiving yards. The Saints used Foster Moreau and Jack Stoll as their blocking tight ends, but Fant will bring more receiving upside to that role.
First drafted by the Broncos in 2019, Fant never lived up to his billing as an elite receiving threat. He put up solid numbers in his first three years in Denver and could very well have been on his way to more if not for the Russell Wilson trade. Fant went to Seattle in the deal, and he languished in a Seahawks offense that did not prioritize its tight ends. Johnson ate up almost all of the Saints’ targets at the position in 2025, but Fant might be more capable of taking advantage of mismatches in the passing game than his predecessors.
Chargers To Sign TE Charlie Kolar
After playing out his rookie contract in Baltimore, Charlie Kolar has secured a major raise on his next deal. A notable agreement with the Chargers has been worked out.
Team and player agreed to terms on a three-year contract Monday, Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. This $24.3MM pact will include $17MM guaranteed, per the report. That will make Kolar the NFL’s highest-paid blocking tight end at $8.1MM per year. He is following in the footsteps of Josh Oliver, who cut his teeth as a blocker in Baltimore and earned a solid payday in free agency from the Vikings as a result.
The former Iowa State standout was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth-round of the 2022 draft, 11 picks ahead of fellow Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely. Likely emerged as the better pass-catching tight end over the last four years, earning himself a three-year, $40MM contract with John Harbaugh‘s Giants. Kolar, who primarily proved himself as a blocker, will also be going to a popular destination for former Ravens in Los Angeles, where Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has added many players he once scouted in Baltimore.
Kolar has plenty of untapped receiving potential in his 6-foot-6, 265-pound frame. In fact, he was better known as a pass-catching threat coming out of college and made huge strides as a blocker in Baltimore. He will pair with 2025 rookie breakout Oronde Gadsden – who is not as strong of a blocker – to form a young, high-upside tight end duo. Kolar can take on a bigger role as an inline tight end to free Gadsden up to exploit mismatches in the slot, both against slower linebackers in the pass game and smaller defensive backs in the run game.
The Chargers’ move to sign Kolar for a premium price indicates that they will continue to use plenty of two-tight end packages on offense in 2026 despite the departure of offensive coordinator Greg Roman (who coached Kolar as a rookie in 2022). His replacement, Mike McDaniel, did not feature tight ends heavily in the passing game, but used them extensively as blockers, indicating there will be plenty of work for Kolar in Los Angeles.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.