Patriots Showed Interest In LT Cam Robinson
Using a few options at left tackle last season, the Patriots have not yet filled that post this year. The team did not have a chance to make a true pitch to Alaric Jackson or Ronnie Stanley, as both of whom re-signed with their respective teams (the Rams and Ravens) before the legal tampering period. A pursuit of Dan Moore Jr. also ended with a big-ticket Titans deal.
It would stand to reason the Pats also looked into Cam Robinson, who lingered in free agency for several days. New offensive line coach Doug Marrone was also in position as Jaguars HC when the team drafted Robinson (in the 2017 second round). Marrone’s new team did indeed show interest in Robinson, as ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss indicates the Pats were in that mix.
However, the eight-year left tackle’s market settled with a one-year Texans agreement. Robinson signed with Houston on a one-year deal believed to include $12MM in base value and up to $14.5MM in max value. While Marrone’s presence and the Patriots’ need could have been a draw for Robinson, Reiss adds he preferred the Texans.
Linked to Stanley and Jackson before free agency and having almost definitely upped Moore’s market past $20MM per year, the Patriots certainly could have attempted to outmuscle the Texans for Robinson. They entered free agency with the most cap space and still sit on the NFL’s top number. Not doing so points to the team being fairly confident it can address its need for a blindside starter in the draft.
Our No. 5 overall free agent, Robinson has made 101 career starts. His value stemmed from the Jaguars and Vikings allowing a free agency trek, something that did not come to fruition for peers Dion Dawkins, Taylor Decker and Garett Bolles. Each of those players, coming into the league between the 2016 and ’17 drafts, signed second extensions to stay with their respective teams last year. The Jaguars did not extend Robinson, instead trading their longtime LT to the Vikings — as Christian Darrisaw insurance — and then paying Walker Little. Jacksonville allowing Trent Baalke to extend Little, shaping their LT plan for the future, and then firing him not long after marked a strange sequence. The team still let Robinson go in a pick-swap trade at the 2024 deadline.
A zero-time Pro Bowler, Robinson missed time due to injuries from 2022-23 and served a PED suspension in the latter season. However, he was on the field for 18 games (counting the Vikings’ wild-card cameo) last season. Pro Football Focus ranked the Alabama alum 53rd among tackle regulars last season, though the advanced metrics site viewed him as a slightly better option (between Nos. 44-48) from 2021-23. That came after a four-season stretch in which Marrone coached him in Jacksonville. Not wowing in terms of pass block win rate in 2024, either, Robinson will have a chance to set a new market in 2026 — barring a Texans extension.
The Pats would have the option to draft LSU’s Will Campbell at No. 4 overall, but the high-end prospect does not quite check in on the level Joe Alt did to top last year’s tackle contingent. Campbell’s arm measurement at the Combine (32 5/8 inches) also generated concern about his tackle viability in the pros.
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah also ranks Missouri’s Armand Membou 11th on his latest big board, but if the Pats have Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter available at No. 4, they likely table their tackle need to Round 2 and beyond. The team adding Stefon Diggs on Tuesday lessens the need to add a receiver in the first two rounds as well. Membou, however, came up as a player drawing Pats interest recently.
Still rostering Vederian Lowe, 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace and waiver claim Demontrey Jacobs at tackle, the Pats have Morgan Moses ready to be a right tackle stopgap. Likely Hall of Famer Tyron Smith remains available, as does former Browns first-rounder Jedrick Wills. It would not surprise to see the Patriots linked to either as insurance, but after no Robinson-Marrone reunion took place, the team is still on the hunt to find a long-term answer at this high-profile spot.
Giants To Sign QB Russell Wilson
The Giants’ depth chart at quarterback is coming into focus. Despite adding Jameis Winston, the team will bring in Russell Wilson. After visiting the Giants in back-to-back years, Wilson is coming aboard, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Wilson has since confirmed the agreement.
Wilson will receive $10.5MM guaranteed on a one-year deal, per Schefter, who adds the nine-time Pro Bowler can earn up to $21MM via incentives. Wilson had been waiting to sign for a bit, standing behind Aaron Rodgers in line among veteran quarterbacks.
This move effectively takes the Giants out of the Rodgers market. It had become fairly clear Rodgers did not view the Giants as a desirable destination, despite the team making what is believed to be his top offer this offseason. Nevertheless, the Vikings and Steelers have been more closely tied to the all-time QB talent compared to a team coming off a 3-14 season. And the Giants will move on. The Steelers had expected Rodgers to visit the Giants, via SI.com’s Albert Breer, but that no longer appears to be in play.
Wilson, 36, had viewed the Giants as a viable landing spot dating back to early February, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Back in 2021, he had also placed the Giants as a team he was interested in landing with via trade. He visited the team briefly in 2024, instead joining the Steelers while the Giants made a final attempt to make the Daniel Jones contract work. With Jones long gone, Wilson will be all but certain to start in Week 1 for the 2025 Giants.
Winston is now in place as a quality backup, and the team will undoubtedly still look into QB prospects. Though, a report earlier today indicated the Giants may be OK signing another vet and looking at passers available after No. 3 overall. Part one of that scenario is now complete.
For Wilson, this provides a landing spot after he had been forced by the Giants and his 2024 team to wait on Rodgers. The Steelers had aimed to re-sign Justin Fields, but they could not keep Wilson’s primary 2024 backup off the market. Fields joined the Jets, and Wilson will now follow his former teammate to the Big Apple. The Rodgers watch continues, but it will now be Steelers, Vikings or retirement for the 20-year veteran.
This agreement should qualify as a relief for Wilson, who was effectively deemed a replaceable option by the Steelers, who ranked Fields and Rodgers ahead of him. Wilson has not closely resembled his superstar Seattle version since departing in a 2022 blockbuster trade, though he has shown flashes. This includes a five-game win streak with the 2023 Broncos and having the Steelers — with an early assist from Fields — at 10-3 last season. But Pittsburgh sank to 10-8, losing a one-sided wild-card game in Baltimore. This prompted a reexamination from the Steelers, who have made it known they are willing to wait on Rodgers. With the Giants out of the way, that should probably embolden the Steelers, who clearly have some confidence Rodgers — his Vikings preference notwithstanding — remains in play.
The Browns joined the Giants in hosting Wilson, while Joe Flacco also visited New York about being a Giants bridge. A weekend report indicated the Giants would still pursue veterans even after Winston’s two-year, $8MM deal came to pass. This should offer protection in the event the draft board does not fall the Giants’ way.
It is not a lock Shedeur Sanders will be available at No. 3 overall, with the Colorado product linked closely to Cleveland as well. The Giants have shown interest in trading up to No. 1 overall, but Titans-Cam Ward ties are increasing. Ward may not be available, and while the Giants have been continually tied to Sanders, Wilson could offer some cover in the event an embattled Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime goes with a non-QB move in Round 1.
After a shocking decline marred Wilson’s 2022, he showed signs of life under Sean Payton in 2023. Wilson, who battled multiple injuries in 2022, did not miss any starts due to injury in ’23. He ranked eighth in passer rating, but QBR only slotted him 21st. While a slimmed-down Wilson showed an increased interest in running during his ill-fated season with Payton, the Broncos attempted to move his guarantee vesting date — to no avail — during a messy divorce that began midway through the ’23 season. Wilson remained the Broncos’ starter for 15 games, but the team benched him to protect an injury guarantee from vesting in Week 17. Denver then took on a record-smashing $83MM-plus in dead money to drop Wilson in March 2024.
QBR placed Wilson 22nd last season. Wilson had won the starting job over Fields to start the season, but the accomplished vet aggravated a training camp calf injury that led to six missed games. Select Steelers staffers and players voiced support to keep Fields in the starting lineup, but Mike Tomlin overruled them, installing Wilson. At first, the longtime Steeler HC’s choice proved correct. Wilson piloted Pittsburgh to six wins in his first seven starts. Rumblings about a Steelers re-signing emerged during that stretch, one that included a game-winning TD pass (to Mike Williams) to down the resurgent Commanders and a 414-yard outing against the Bengals. As the competition stiffened, however, the Steelers wilted. This led them to go another way, installing Wilson as a fallback option.
Having previously rostered another QB on the Hall of Fame fringe, in New York icon Eli Manning, the Giants now look to have another. Wilson may have done enough to secure Canton access in Seattle, but his Denver decline invited some doubt. As Wilson has declined athletically, his penchant for taking sacks has been under the microscope. Wilson’s 560 sacks taken are fourth all time, though Rodgers’ 571 top the list. A Giants O-line that has been unable to rely on All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas will now be tasked with protecting a historically sack-prone passer.
That said, Wilson being the first QB in NFL history to pair 40,000 passing yards with 5,000 rushing yards will help his eventual Canton case. A two-time Super Bowl starter who powered the Seahawks to eight playoff berths in his 10-season Seattle stay, Wilson also remains fourth in NFL history for rushing yards by a quarterback (5,462). The former third-round pick’s best rushing days are certainly far behind him.
Armed with another chance to submit quality work, the 14th-year passer will now play with Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton in New York. The Giants are likely on the hunt for more tight end help, but they re-signed Slayton and chose Nabers over J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix last year. Wilson is now the Giants’ bridge while Schoen and Co. assess the 2025 draft class.
Warming the seat for Sanders would represent new territory for Wilson, who has never needed to fend off a rookie for his job. The Steelers gave Wilson assurances upon signing he would be their Week 1 starter; only injury prevented that. How the Giants proceed in the draft will determine how long of a leash Wilson likely has, but despite a down Steelers ending, he has secured a chance to add to his 199-start total.
Aaron Rodgers Informed Vikings They Are His Preferred Team
Although Steelers confidence re: Aaron Rodgers has emerged, the allure of a Vikings landing spot persists. Minnesota is standing down on Rodgers for the time being. The team intends to give J.J. McCarthy the first crack at starter reps during its offseason program.
This places Rodgers in a bit of a bind, and it also could stall the Steelers and Giants and potentially force one or both teams to blink as this holding pattern continues. Rodgers has gone as far as, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, informing the Vikings they are his preferred destination.
Rodgers, 41, has been careful not to rule out teams; doing so would decrease his leverage. He views the Giants as a viable option, even though New York’s offer — one believed to be the best the future Hall of Famer has received this offseason — is unlikely to produce a deal. The Steelers hosted Rodgers on a visit Friday, but they have not upped their offer made at the beginning of free agency. Nevertheless, some around the league view it as a safe bet the Steelers will end up with Rodgers. Though, he may well continue to wait on Minnesota rather than force a Pittsburgh fit.
If Rodgers waits, more comparisons to his Packers predecessor will undoubtedly emerge. After the Jets relinquished Brett Favre‘s rights — due to a poison-pill provision in the Packers-Jets trade from 2008 — in 2009, Favre spent more than three months in free agency. The Vikings added him on August 18, 2009. The Vikings did not receive word Favre would unretire for a third time until August 18, 2010. The Giants and Steelers will almost definitely not wait that long on Rodgers this offseason, but the Vikings may be willing to hold here due to the McCarthy onramp they are creating.
McCarthy did stop short of confirming the Vikings guaranteed him the starting job, telling Kay Adams he has not been told he will begin the season as the starter. With no veteran on the roster — despite organizational support for adding Rodgers after a 14-3 season — and a No. 10 overall pick invested, it is safe to say McCarthy is in the driver’s seat to be the NFC North team’s Week 1 signal-caller. Minnesota did make an offer to Daniel Jones, which would have removed the team from the Rodgers market, but the bridge option opted to sign with Indianapolis instead.
“And I’m happy they didn’t, because I try to earn it every single day,” McCarthy said of the starting job (during an Up & Adams appearance) And I never want that to be given to me. it’s such a privilege and opportunity to give me that chance, and I’m just going to make the most of it every single day.”
The Vikings have left open the prospect of signing Rodgers this summer, Seifert adds, presumably after looking at McCarthy during OTAs and minicamp. This would leave roughly seven weeks for the Vikes to reconsider Rodgers, though he may already have a new home by then.
Then again, a Vikings-or-retirement rumor surfaced during this saga. It is not a lock Rodgers would play in Pittsburgh or New York, but it certainly appears the Steelers believe he would delay retirement to play for them. Doing so would preempt a partnership with his top option, however. That could cause Rodgers to keep waiting, even though the Steelers — as of now, at least — will present a better chance for him to start throughout the 2025 season.
Bengals Taking Trey Hendrickson Trade Off Table?
The Bengals satisfied Joe Burrow‘s request at wide receiver, extending Tee Higgins after a slew of departure rumors followed the veteran No. 2 wide receiver leading into this offseason. Burrow also expressed hope the Bengals would pay Trey Hendrickson, the NFL’s reigning sack leader. The team had made Hendrickson available in trades, but not much has come out here since free agency started.
Suitors had viewed the Bengals’ ask as exorbitant, and a future in which the team moves forward with Hendrickson now appears in play again. Even though the Bengals’ extension structures for Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase did not produce much in the way of 2025 cap savings, they are ready to work with Hendrickson on a new deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes (video link).
This has reached the point where a trade is “off the table,” Schultz adds. This would be a significant development for the Bengals and teams eyeing Hendrickson in trades. Although a new contract is paramount to the sides extending this partnership to five seasons, a future in which the Bengals employ Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson in 2025 looks far more realistic than it did earlier this month.
Cincinnati is believed to have asked for more than a first-round pick for Hendrickson, who will turn 31 later this year. The team allowed Hendrickson to seek a trade March 6, doing so after negotiations broke down. But the sides have ramped up talks, resuming them even before the Chase and Higgins extensions. Coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, Hendrickson obviously wants to cash in while his value remains high. The Bengals have him under contract for one more season.
Hendrickson has seen the EDGE market move considerably already this offseason, and more dominoes are set to fall outside of Cincinnati. The Raiders, Browns and Texans respectively paid Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter. Although Hendrickson would not have a good chance to eclipse Garrett’s $40MM-per-year payday, Hunter securing a one-year Houston add-on worth $35.6MM may certainly be within reach. Hunter is also 30, despite coming into the NFL two years before Hendrickson, and has a comparable resume.
Then again, Hendrickson may be looking for more than a one-year add-on; he already signed a one-year extension in 2023. He has not explored free agency since becoming a steady pass rusher, having built on a Saints contract-year breakout with four strong Bengals seasons. The market has since shifted. Hendrickson is also running short on time to be viewed as a prime-years asset, due to his age. If the Bengals are unable to strike a deal soon, this situation could become messy once again. Hendrickson is tied to a $15.8MM base salary and $18.67MM cap number this year.
The market should be expected to include monster extensions for T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons by the offseason’s end. Aidan Hutchinson also being extension-eligible could provide another shakeup. The Bengals already found themselves on the back end of the receiver market, waiting until Chase’s contract year to give him a $40.25MM-per-year deal. Acting earlier on Hendrickson would make sense, especially now that a franchise often labeled frugal created some distance from that reputation by paying Chase and Higgins. While negotiations could break down again and reignite a trade market, Hendrickson may soon see his desired extension come from the Bengals.
AFC West Notes: Bolts, Broncos, Wilkins
Retaining Najee Harris was believed to still be a Steelers option this winter, but the team had declined its starting running back’s fifth-year option last May. Passing on that opened the door to the 2021 first-rounder becoming a one-contract Steeler, and Harris said (via ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) he began to believe late last season he was on his way out. The Steelers do not negotiate with players in-season, but serious re-signing talks did not emerge this offseason. Harris landed a one-year, $5.25MM deal with the Chargers.
The Miami alum said Jim Harbaugh was a lead reason he signed with the Bolts. The team ramped up its run-game usage last season and has since cut Gus Edwards. Primary starter J.K. Dobbins is also a free agent. He of four 1,000-yard seasons, Harris is almost definitely set to start for the Bolts this season. The Steelers slapped a second-round RFA tender on Jaylen Warren and signed ex-Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell in free agency.
Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- Staying on the running back beat here, the Broncos have not replaced Javonte Williams (who signed with the Cowboys). With a deep running back draft approaching, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson views it as a near-certainty the team will bolster this position come April. The Broncos hold picks in the first three rounds for the first time since 2021, before the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton trades depleted their draft capital. Having addressed linebacker, safety and tight end in free agency, Denver should have a clearer runway to add to its backfield during the first three rounds.
- Elsewhere on Denver’s roster, the team already turned to Jonathon Cooper‘s contract — agreed to at the midseason point — as a restructure avenue. The team moved Cooper’s $4MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, per the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel, who adds the team created $3.2MM in cap space via the adjustment. The Nik Bonitto sidekick remains signed, at $13.5MM per year, through the 2028 season.
- The Broncos also replaced fired inside linebacker coach Michael Wilhoite, hiring former college DC Jeff Schmedding, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Schmedding, 47, comes over after two seasons as Washington State’s DC. He was Auburn’s DC in 2022 and Boise State’s from 2019-20. This Broncos ILB post will be Schmedding’s first NFL job.
- Back to the restructure topic, the Raiders cleared out cap room by turning to Christian Wilkins‘ monster deal. Las Vegas converted Wilkins’ $20.5MM roster bonus, which was due earlier this month, into a signing bonus. That will spread out the D-tackle’s cap hits over the life of the contract and free up 2025 cap room, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore indicating the team created $15MM in space. The Raiders hold $50.9MM in cap space as of Tuesday, according to OverTheCap.
- Winding up some Chargers contract matters, the team added two defenders on low-end deals. The Bolts’ accord with defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand is for one year and $2.35MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, adding $1.93MM is guaranteed. Hand can earn another $1MM via playing-time incentives. Hand, 29, started two games for the Dolphins last season; he had previously gone since 2020 without starting a game. Linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips‘ Bolts deal is worth $2MM over one year, per OverTheCap. The team is guaranteeing Phillips $700K, between a $400K signing bonus and a partial salary guarantee, Wilson adds. Phillips, 28, will reunite with Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, who was a Ravens exec during the reserve LB’s two-year run in Baltimore.
Latest On Giants, Russell Wilson; Team Open To Adding QB After No. 3 Overall?
Linked to being interested in trading up to No. 1 overall, the Giants may see such a path blocked off thanks to the Titans’ increased interest in Cam Ward. As the Titans schedule another meeting with the Miami quarterback, other teams may need to come to grips with the possibility last year’s No. 4 Heisman finisher will not be available.
The Giants continue to wait on Aaron Rodgers, but as of Sunday, they still look to be sitting third here. Rodgers has visited the Steelers and has been closely tied to the Vikings, who have him on hold for what could be an extended period. The Giants are not viewed as likely to sign Rodgers, but SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates their Jameis Winston addition would not preempt a deal with the four-time MVP.
This is similar to what emerged over the weekend, but Breer does stop short in confirming the Giants would have interest in adding Russell Wilson after the Winston signing. With the Browns potentially waiting on Kirk Cousins, Wilson may be waiting a while, Breer adds. Still eyeing a veteran — even if it is not Rodgers — the Vikings could conceivably loom as a landing spot. For now, however, they will evaluate J.J. McCarthy with their first-stringers during the offseason. The Steelers also loom as a Wilson landing spot, having placed him behind Rodgers in their QB hierarchy.
While Wilson is ready to sign somewhere, having visited the Giants and Browns, it is possible the potential Hall of Famer will need to prepare for an extended stay in free agency. Clearer pictures of teams’ depth charts will emerge post-draft, but that also opens the door to the possibility of teams filling their spots and being less interested in a surefire starter to block a prospect’s path. Then again, this is not viewed as a good quarterback draft.
The Giants did send a sizable contingent to Ward’s pro day Monday, with Breer adding Joe Schoen, assistant GM Brandon Brown, player personnel director Tim McDonnell, OC Mike Kafka, QBs coach Shea Tierney and tight ends coach Tim Kelly were on-hand. (The Hurricanes also have a higher-end tight end prospect in Elijah Arroyo.) Schoen and Tierney, however, were in Louisville today for Tyler Shough‘s pro day, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline adds.
Shough has generated some recent buzz, having already scheduled visits with the Browns and Seahawks. The Giants would not seemingly be in play for Shough at No. 3, but they are not committed to taking a quarterback there. Some around the league view the Giants as in play to sign another veteran and draft a quarterback after No. 3 overall, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. Considering Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s tenuous job statuses, it would be an incredible gamble to leave the first round without a quarterback. But the team would — in the event the Titans go with Ward — be positioned to add either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter at No. 3 if it stays put.
New York could also trade down from 3, and with either Hunter or Carter on the board, offers figure to come in during a draft that may well feature a talent drop-off after that duo. The Giants sliding down the board a bit could give them a chance to add assets — potentially for a QB in the 2026 draft — or select one of this class’ other QB prospects.
Linked closely to Shedeur Sanders, the Giants moving out of No. 3 could nix a partnership with the Colorado product. Though, the Browns have also been linked to Sanders at 2. The draft starting QB-QB would leave the Giants in an uncertain position. Moving down would open the door to Shough, Jaxson Dart or Quinn Ewers. Shough has created enough pre-draft noise to cause teams to circle back to the work they did on him during the season, Dunleavy adds.
Shough’s momentum aside, Daniel Jeremiah and Matt Miller‘s latest NFL.com and ESPN.com big boards respectively do not have the 2024 Louisville starter — a seven-year college athlete — in the top 50. Dart has received some first-round buzz, and he ranks 40th on Jeremiah’s big board and 43rd on Miller’s.
The Giants attempted to trade up for Drake Maye last year, but the Patriots declined a strong offer. Big Blue then passed on McCarthy, Michael Penix and Bo Nix. Miller ranked each member of that trio higher than Ward on a composite prospect rankings list earlier this month, running the risk of the Giants — as they did with Daniel Jones — choosing their QB in the wrong year. With Schoen and Daboll on hot seats, it would seem likely they leave Round 1 with a quarterback. If not, the team holds the No. 34 overall pick and two third-round choices.
As for the Giants’ other options if Rodgers says no, Wilson has now visited twice in two offseasons. The team also hosted Joe Flacco on a visit this month. Drew Lock, who played out a one-year Giants deal, remains in free agency as well. Plenty of moving parts still exist for the Giants, though they have not yet made a move that truly takes them out of the Rodgers running.
NFC Contract Details: Golston, Giants, Bucs, Cowboys, Cards, Panthers, Seahawks, Eagles
Here are more contract details from some recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFC in free agency:
- Poona Ford, DT (Rams). Three years, $27.6MM. While not quite as high as the $30MM initial report, Ford’s contract includes $15.6MM guaranteed at signing, via OverTheCap. This comes after Ford played the 2024 season for $1.79MM in total. The Rams guaranteed $3.75MM of Ford’s $5MM 2026 base salary at signing. If on Los Angeles’ roster by Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Ford will see the other $1.5MM lock in. If the 29-year-old DT is still on L.A.’s roster on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, a $2.25MM roster bonus is due.
- Chauncey Golston, DE (Giants). Three years, $18MM. This is slightly less than initially reported, but The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicates it comes with $12MM fully guaranteed. The Giants guaranteed Golston’s 2025 and ’26 money.
- Baron Browning, LB (Cardinals). Two years, $15MM. Receiving $10MM guaranteed at signing, Browning will see part of his 2026 base salary guaranteed. $2MM of the trade pickup’s $4.39MM 2026 base is locked in at signing, per Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer, who adds a $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. The bonus is not guaranteed at signing. If Browning reaches eight sacks in 2025, his 2026 base salary increases by $2MM. Five sacks represents Browning’s highwater mark thus far.
- Patrick Jones, LB (Panthers). Two years, $15MM. This is down from the initial report as well, but the ex-Vikings rotational rusher will see $10.25MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. Another $4MM is available via performance-based incentives, per OverTheCap.
- Evan Brown, G (Cardinals). Two years, $11.44MM. The Cardinals are guaranteeing Brown $6MM at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. If the veteran interior O-lineman is on Arizona’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he is due a $500K roster bonus.
- Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB (Cardinals). Two years, $10MM. Arizona is guaranteeing Davis-Gaither $5MM at signing, Wilson tweets. The veteran linebacker’s $4.39MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed, giving the Cardinals an out after one year.
- Anthony Nelson, LB (Buccaneers). Two years, $10MM. The Bucs guaranteed Nelson $5.5MM to re-sign, Wilson tweets. Tampa Bay included a $500K roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
- Markquese Bell, S/LB (Cowboys). Three years, $9MM. Bell will be guaranteed $6.2MM at signing, Wilson adds; this covers the young defender’s signing bonus and 2025 and ’26 base salaries.
- Jamie Gillan, P (Giants). Three years, $9MM. Down a bit from initial reports, Gillan’s deal includes $4MM guaranteed, Duggan adds. The deal includes $1.2MM via incentives.
- Solomon Thomas, DL (Cowboys). Two years, $6MM. The Cowboys guaranteed the former No. 3 overall pick $3MM, Wilson tweets. That covers a signing bonus and his 2025 base salary. An additional $2MM is available through playing time- and sack-based incentives.
- Josh Jones, OL (Seahawks). One year, $4MM. Jones will see $3MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. This is up from his $665K guarantee with the Ravens last year.
- Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (Rams). One year, $3MM. The Rams secured Garoppolo for a second season, doing so despite authorizing a pay cut. Garoppolo played out a one-year, $3.19MM deal in 2024. Like in 2024, Garoppolo’s deal is fully guaranteed.
- Josh Uche, DE (Eagles). One year, $1.92MM. The Eagles guaranteed Uche $1.25MM, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane tweets. $500K in sack-based incentives are available. Uche played for $3MM in 2024. Despite this low-value deal, Philly included four void years.
Ravens Sign CB Chidobe Awuzie
Chidobe Awuzie‘s Titans stay lasted one season, as the team took on some dead money to move on from a player given a healthy guarantee in 2024. Awuzie has found a new home.
Set to return to the AFC North, the former Bengals cornerback signed with the Ravens on Tuesday. The team announced Awuzie, an eight-year veteran, is Baltimore-bound. It is a one-year deal.
Although the market for third CB contracts reset thanks to the deals handed out to Charvarius Ward, Carlton Davis, D.J. Reed and Byron Murphy earlier this month, that group had seen three previous vets — Awuzie, Darius Slay, James Bradberry — jettisoned. Awuzie’s came after he had signed a three-year, $36MM deal that came with $19MM guaranteed at signing. The Titans (again) changed GMs this offseason and shed that contract from their payroll, incurring a $12.51MM dead money hit in the process.
The Ravens let 2024 starter Brandon Stephens walk in free agency, where he received a somewhat surprising three-year, $36MM Jets contract — one that came with $22.98MM guaranteed at signing. Never viewed as likely to pay Stephens in that range, the Ravens are adding a proven veteran on the cheap. As the Titans will be paying most of Awuzie’s salary, minus what will likely be a veteran-minimum Ravens pact that will subtract from Tennessee’s dead money total (via offset language), Baltimore will bet on Awuzie bouncing back from another season-altering injury.
A groin injury sustained in Week 3 kept Awuzie out nine games. The Titans had paired the former second-round pick with high-end trade acquisition L’Jarius Sneed, but the duo barely played together. Sneed also missed most of his first Titans season. While Tennessee will hope Sneed bounces back, Awuzie will aim to do so in Baltimore. Awuzie, who also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet, will turn 30 in May.
Awuzie will enter the 2025 season having made 81 career starts. The Cowboys let the 6-foot boundary corner walk in 2021, leading to a Bengals commitment (three years, $21.75MM). The Colorado alum suffered an ACL tear on Halloween 2022, after having started for Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI-bound team, and did not solidify his job upon returning in 2023. Awuzie, however, recaptured a Bengals starting post down the stretch in 2023; that led to the Titans’ lucrative investment in a player PFR ranked as the No. 39 free agent last year.
Pro Football Focus ranked Awuzie as a top-15 corner in 2021 and had him near that level before his 2022 injury. After an inconsistent 2023 season, PFF slotted Awuzie 61st during his injury-interrupted Titans campaign. As far as coverage numbers, Awuzie was viewed (via Pro-Football-Reference) as improving on his 2023 numbers. He allowed a 57.7% completion rate as the closest defender and 7.2 yards per target, working out to an 89.7 passer rating in coverage. The Ravens will give Awuzie a shot to start alongside Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, with 2024 draftee T.J. Tampa looming in a potential competition.
Teams Contact Vikings On J.J. McCarthy; Minnesota Standing Down On Aaron Rodgers
MARCH 21: The idea of a Rodgers signing received support from “many” within the Vikings’ organization, Russini’s colleague Alec Lewis confirms (subscription required). Uncertainty over McCarthy’s upside for 2025 looms as a reason for pursuing a short-term veteran option, and the Minnesota breakdown of Rodgers’ performance from last year yielded a strong evaluation of his play in the pocket. The door is of course not entirely closed to a Vikings-Rodgers partnership at this point, and it is clear one would be welcomed from a strong contingent in the building.
MARCH 19: Even at 41, Aaron Rodgers had stalled the quarterback market. The Vikings hovered at the forefront of this stoppage, as the connection between Rodgers and Minnesota proved enough to halt delay the future Hall of Famer’s decision and impact other dominoes from falling.
While the Vikings do not appear to be definitively out on giving Rodgers the chance to complete the Brett Favre career arc, it does sound like they are prepared to stand down. The team is staying out of the Rodgers chase for the time being, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Although the Vikes are still planning to add a veteran passer, it is unlikely to be Rodgers.
[RELATED: Steelers Believe They Remain In Running For Rodgers]
As could be expected, the Vikings have also informed teams J.J. McCarthy is not available via trade. Multiple McCarthy trade calls have commenced this offseason, Pelissero adds. It was rumored late last season, as questionable free agent and draft crops loomed for QB-needy teams, McCarthy would bring trade interest. Seeing as the Vikings centered their 2024 offseason around the No. 10 overall pick and that the team had let Sam Darnold walk in free agency, entertaining trade offers appeared a non-starter.
The Steelers and Giants should be positioned to, even considering Rodgers’ glacial pace this offseason, hear an answer soon. Both teams have made offers, but the Vikings had muddied the market due to presenting intrigue after a 14-3 season with Darnold at the controls. Minnesota’s current stance may not be final, but it will put Rodgers, Pittsburgh and New York to decisions. The Vikings are merely not ready to commit to Rodgers right now, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who indicates the NFC North club “strongly considered” the aging QB. Though, unless Rodgers wants to wait out McCarthy’s offseason work, he will need to make a decision.
Rodgers taking an extended period before choosing would not exactly be out of character, especially at this stage of his career, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds no indication has emerged this Vikings development will accelerate the Rodgers market. But the Giants and Steelers will soon need answers in order to have some clarity moving forward. The Vikings’ early call here should move the Russell Wilson market along and perhaps give Kirk Cousins a clearer picture about his future. The top option caught in the crosshairs here, Wilson has visited the Browns and Giants and is believed to be ready to join a team soon.
A report from The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson emerged previously indicating some Steelers optimism on Rodgers, who had become a target for the team days before the legal tampering period began. While the Giants were connected to Rodgers first, the Steelers — as their efforts to keep Justin Fields from testing the market failed — soon became a suitor. Nearly nine days into free agency, Anderson adds the Steelers feel like they are “getting closer” on a Rodgers resolution.
The Vikings appear to be aiming lower for a McCarthy bridge, which makes sense given the team’s investment in the former national championship-winning arm. Seeking a player who can start “if needed,” per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, the team has not been tied to Wilson, and while a Cousins reunion would be interesting (seeing as the QB’s $28.5MM dead money figure is now off the books), the Falcons passer has a no-trade clause and passed on being a bridge option for his longtime employer last season.
Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston, Drew Lock, Carson Wentz and Minnesota native Trey Lance remain available. The Vikings nearly cut off this extended Rodgers link by re-signing Daniel Jones, but he chose the Colts due to a better chance to be an extended starter.
A Rodgers signing would have all but buried the opportunity for McCarthy to start in Week 1; the Vikings are clearly hopeful the Michigan product will be able to take over immediately. A lower-profile stopgap would bring insurance rather than a true bridge. The Vikings’ current stance will brighten the spotlight on McCarthy’s form to start the team’s offseason program, which does not begin for multiple weeks. In the meantime, the Giants and Steelers will want to know who their Week 1 starter will be.
The Giants are believed to have submitted the best Rodgers offer, though the Steelers have conveyed their interest and present the best chance for the 20-year veteran to hold onto a starting job throughout the season. The returning Mason Rudolph would profile as a clear Rodgers backup, and the Steelers holding the No. 21 overall pick (compared to the Giants’ No. 3 spot), would limit them in the draft.
The wait continues, and it will be interesting to see if Rodgers actually makes a call or forces his lead suitors to blink early by further delaying his decision. Favre memorably did not give the Vikings QB clarity until mid-August 2009, signing with Minnesota late in training camp. The Packers’ decision to go with Rodgers a year earlier did not become final until early August 2008, and that move uprooted previous Jets starter Chad Pennington, thus updating three teams’ (including the Dolphins) QB plans during camp. It would be stunning if the Giants and Steelers were comfortable with any comparable delay. Their futures with Rodgers should be known fairly soon.
Giants Eyed Mason Rudolph As QB Option
It is unclear where the Giants reside in the Aaron Rodgers race, but most indications do not have them in the lead. The Vikings may well have been in front, and their decision to stand down for the time being may not accelerate Rodgers’ interest in taking a Pittsburgh or New York off-ramp anytime soon.
The Giants and Steelers will understandably want clarity soon, as we are winding down the second week of free agency. While these teams are competing for Rodgers, they also waged a lower-stakes battle for a backup recently. As the Giants have met with both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes they were also wanting to speak with Mason Rudolph. The Steelers foiled those plans.
[RELATED: Steelers Willing To Wait On Rodgers’ Decision]
Rudolph agreed to return to Pittsburgh after a season in Tennessee, rejoining the Steelers on a two-year, $8MM deal. Rudolph closed the 2023 season as Pittsburgh’s starter, usurping Kenny Pickett, but he is not expected to reprise that role — at least, that does not appear Plan A or Plan B for the AFC North team. But Rudolph represents insurance in the event the Rodgers proceedings do not go Pittsburgh’s way.
It appears the Giants assessed this situation similarly, and it is certainly worth noting that Rudolph appeared on their radar as a backup option as Drew Lock remains in free agency. While a generally erratic passer, the former Broncos starter did deliver an impressive effort in an upset win over the Colts. He spent last season in Brian Daboll‘s system and is among the top QB options left unsigned. Rudolph made five Titans starts last season, going 1-4 and finishing with a 9:9 TD-INT ratio. This still secured the former third-round pick a raise — up from a one-year, $2.87MM Tennessee deal — for 2025.
A Rudolph signing would have likely preceded a flood of rumors tying the Giants to a first-round quarterback pick. Had New York’s Matthew Stafford plan worked, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan writes the team would have been unlikely to add an early-round QB as a developmental option (subscription required). It is then worth wondering if a Rodgers addition would impede the Giants in an effort to draft a first-round QB.
Although the Giants are desperate for a long-term solution, Rodgers would become a surefire starter. And he may not be overly eager to join a team that would identify his replacement weeks after signing him. With Rodgers turning 42 before year’s end, such luxuries may not be afforded. After all, Daboll and Joe Schoen are on scorching-hot seats. Still, the Giants landing Rodgers may make them less inclined to use their No. 3 overall pick on a QB. Wilson, Winston or Joe Flacco joining the team, though, may not quiet noise about a Round 1 investment at the position.
Rudolph, 29, may soon be either Rodgers or Wilson’s backup. The seven-year veteran played that role behind Ben Roethlisberger and had fallen to the third-stringer during Mitchell Trubisky‘s stopover. The latter struggling led Rudolph into the Steelers’ lineup. Until Rodgers decides, however, Rudolph’s true outlook remains a bit foggy ahead of his second stint in Pittsburgh.