Chargers To Sign RB Najee Harris
MARCH 11: In terms of base value, Harris will be tied to $5.25MM in 2025, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. Incentives cover the rest of the contract. While this is more than the Chargers gave Dobbins last year, it certainly checks in as less than Harris was expected to command.
MARCH 10: The Chargers’ rumored interest in Najee Harris will produce an agreement. After four Steelers seasons, Harris is heading west on a one-year deal.
Harris will sign with Los Angeles’ AFC team on a contract worth up to $9.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A Bolts team that cut Gus Edwards and has not re-signed J.K. Dobbins will turn to Harris, who was the Steelers’ starting RB in each of their games since 2021.
This agreement comes hours after the Steelers placed a second-round RFA tender on Jaylen Warren. This will make the Harris three-year Harris change-of-pace option harder to pry away, but the Steelers will be in the running back market again now. Although the team was not believed to be out on Harris, not picking up his fifth-year option in 2024 provided a decent indication a 2025 separation would be acceptable.
A 2021 first-round pick out of Miami, Harris has played through injuries to start every game in his four-year career. After a 1,200-yard rookie season, Harris finished with 1,034, 1,035 and 1,043. Oozing consistency, Harris also does not bring much flash. Next Gen Stats rated him in the bottom third in rush yards over expected in 2022 and ’24, though the metric was oddly bullish on the between-the-tackles grinder in 2023.
Harris, 27, may well have a skillset that appears to Jim Harbaugh. The team did not see much from the player it previously sought as its power back — Edwards — but a newly run-oriented Bolts operation could generate plenty from Harris in 2025. Harris needing one-year deal does not bode well for his future value, however. Already accumulating 1,097 carries, the durable back will be set to log at least 200 more with the Bolts this season. That will wind his mileage to a potentially undesirable place come 2025.
Though, last year’s free agency showed teams willing to take chances on veterans at the position. Successful seasons already brought Saquon Barkley an extension and Aaron Jones a substantial raise. Derrick Henry, this generation’s RB outlier, also played himself into position for a Ravens pay bump after his 1,900-yard rushing season. Harris not being able to cash in now, after displaying durability and consistency, may be a worrying sign for his post-2025 earning potential.
Steelers, Kenneth Gainwell Finalizing Deal
Backing up Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell has waited his turn. The four-year Eagles contributor is set to relocate but without leaving Pennsylvania.
A day after losing Najee Harris to the Chargers, the Steelers are finalizing a deal with Gainwell. The sides have agreed to a one-year deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Gainwell will be on track to team with Jaylen Warren, whom the Steelers slapped with a second-round RFA tender. Warren is set to make $5.3MM this season; that does not check in too far south of the Harris fifth-year option on which Pittsburgh passed.
The Steelers will be acquiring a running back with fairly low mileage but one that has maintained a second-string role for one of the league’s best rushing attacks. Gainwell has only compiled 280 carries in his four-year career. He holds a career 4.2-yard average and has tallied 721 receiving yards.
No extended stints as a fill-in have transpired for Gainwell, as the Eagles have seen Sanders, Swift and Barkley stay healthy over the past three years. All three parlayed those seasons into new deals, with Barkley’s coming via an Eagles extension. Gainwell has been the constant throughout this period, fending off challengers for the Philly RB2 gig in 2023 and keeping it once Barkley arrived. Gainwell has just four career starts. One of those came in Week 1 of the 2023 season, but after the 2021 fifth-round pick sustained an injury that kept him out of Week 2, Swift took over and never gave back the job.
Pittsburgh certainly could be expected to augment the position further in the draft, as Warren and Gainwell will be due for unrestricted free agency in 2026. For now, a potential Warren-Gainwell partnership has formed. This offseason may bring a big opportunity for Gainwell, who turns 26 later this week. Entering the 2025 season with more than 800 fewer carries than Harris makes this a (likely) low-cost bet on fresher legs bringing upside.
49ers To Sign WR Demarcus Robinson
A multiyear cog in Sean McVay’s machine, Demarcus Robinson is not leaving California. He will head north, however, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the veteran wide receiver is joining the 49ers.
Robinson played two seasons with the Rams, playing alongside Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp; that came not long after a lengthy run with the Chiefs. The 49ers are adding the experienced pass catcher on a two-year, $9.5MM deal. He will be guaranteed $6MM, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe tweets.
The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel and may not have Brandon Aiyuk ready to go by Week 1. Robinson, 30, stands to have a shot at regular playing time alongside holdovers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. When Aiyuk returns, Robinson may slide to the WR4 role. Though, he maintained regular snaps with the Rams over the past two seasons.
Although the presence of Tutu Atwell stood to further diminish Robinson’s L.A. role, he did not see his starting job threatened, starting every Rams game last season. Robinson caught 31 passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. The 16.3-yard average doubled as a career-high number.
The Rams re-signed Robinson last year, giving him a one-year, $4MM deal. The 49ers’ rate is comparable, but Samuel’s exit and Aiyuk’s rehab timeline open the door for some playing time. Although the Rams are jettisoning Cooper Kupp, they re-signed Atwell and gave Davante Adams a $26MM guarantee Sunday night. That trio will lead the way in L.A., as Robinson — who spent six seasons with the Chiefs earlier in his career — attempts to keep going as a supporting-caster.
Robinson has four 400-plus-yard season on his resume, the first two coming in Kansas City and the third in Baltimore. The Florida alum has quietly scored 27 career touchdowns, having initially worked as an auxiliary Patrick Mahomes target during the Tyreek Hill–Travis Kelce heyday.
Broncos To Sign WR Trent Sherfield
Although the Broncos have been linked to needing significant wide receiver help, Sean Payton has mentioned a tight end or running back — a joker, in Payton parlance — as the team’s bigger need. Denver is making a lower-level receiver addition tonight, however.
Trent Sherfield is signing with the Broncos, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who indicates it is a two-year agreement. This deal comes nearly a year after the Broncos gave Josh Reynolds a similar contract. Reynolds’ checked in at $9MM; Sherfield’s is worth $8MM.
Sherfield, 29, has played a backup role for most of his career. He started one game for the Vikings last season. While the Broncos attempted to integrate Reynolds into their offense, his IR trip for a finger injury — and later suffering injuries in a minor shooting — preceded an eventual separation. The Broncos turned to rookie-contract players to supplement Courtland Sutton after Reynolds hit IR.
Given the usage rates Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin racked up last season, it would surprise if Sherfield became a receiving regular for the Broncos. The eight-year veteran has one 300-yard receiving season on his resume, which came in 2022 as a Dolphins WR3. He totaled 86 yards with the Bills in 2023 and 83 with the Vikings last season.
Sherfield’s contract would point to him being a good bet to be on the Broncos’ 53-man roster. With Mims, Franklin and Vele all expected back and Sutton being on the team’s extension radar, the Broncos may only have one receiver spot to offer — and even that would not be a given. If the Broncos are to pursue one of the veteran wideout options — from Amari Cooper to Keenan Allen to Tyler Lockett to the cut-candidate Cooper Kupp — to aid Bo Nix, roster math may not support it.
Chargers To Meet With TE Evan Engram
Both the Broncos and Chargers carried similar issues into the playoffs, as both teams made surprise postseason voyages with top-heavy skill-position groups. Where the Broncos relied on Courtland Sutton, the Chargers depended on Ladd McConkey.
Neither team carries much at tight end, but they may be vying for Evan Engram. Following his Jaguars release, Engram visited the Broncos but left without a deal. The Chargers are throwing their hat in this ring, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicates they have booked an Engram visit.
Hayden Hurst played out a one-year deal with the Bolts, who enjoyed better production from their tight end spot than the Broncos. No Bronco TE surpassed 200 yards last season, while Will Dissly took over as the Bolts’ leading pass catcher at the position. The ex-Seahawk posted a 481-yard season and remains under contract. Stone Smartt (208 yards) has not yet been tendered as an RFA.
The Jags moved on from Engram despite the ex-Giants draftee breaking and then re-breaking a franchise record for single-season tight end yardage. After a 766-yard 2023 that featured Engram scoring a touchdown in the Jaguars’ wild-card shootout/collapse against the Chargers, he posted 963 yards in 2024. Engram caught 114 passes in 2023, after signing a three-year extension; only Jimmy Smith‘s 1999 featured more catches (116) by a Jaguar.
Previously tied to a three-year, $41.25MM deal, Engram joined Christian Kirk as prominent Trevor Lawrence weapons shipped out this month. Engram has two Pro Bowls (2017, 2020) on his resume and is going into an age-31 season. Juwan Johnson just scored a Saints deal worth just more than $10MM per season. Although he is going into an age-29 campaign, Engram has outperformed Johnson. He will probably be eyeing a comparable contract, as this is not a strong tight end market.
Raiders To Sign CB Eric Stokes
Eric Stokes battled injuries for much of his Packers tenure, but the veteran cornerback is a former first-round pick who has made 32 NFL starts. The Raiders will see if he can recapture the form that intrigued front offices out of the draft.
The Raiders are adding Stokes on a one-year contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A day after the Packers poached Nate Hobbs on a top-market slot deal, the Raiders will bring in Stokes for $4MM.
Although injuries dogged Stokes in 2022 and ’23, he did suit up every Packers game last season. Stokes did not last the season as a starter, being removed from the lineup after five games, and he did not reenter the first-string mix when Jaire Alexander went down.
Still, Stokes brings elite speed, having run a 4.25-second 40-yard dash before the 2021 draft, and will be joining a Pete Carroll secondary. The accomplished coach coaxed many Seahawks cover men to success, with D.J. Reed, Shaquill Griffin and Riq Woolen faring well in Carroll’s system after Richard Sherman ascended to the All-Pro level.
Stokes, 26, has a ways to go before even being deemed a reliable starter, let alone a success story. But he will attempt to use the Raiders as a way to elevate his stock after a Wisconsin nosedive. A Lisfranc injury halted Stokes’ early-career progress midway through the 2022 season, and hamstring trouble ruined his 2023 slate. Stokes said last year overcompensation from the foot issue led to the hamstring trouble. Overall, Stokes has made three trips to IR since that 2022 injury.
Pro Football Focus viewed Stokes as a promising rookie, but he graded outside the top 100 among CB regulars in 2022 before the injury. Last season, PFF placed Stokes 74th during a 588-snap season. The Packers have seen Stokes bolt and are likely to cut Jaire Alexander, whom they are shopping. Hobbs will step into a key role in Green Bay. As far as Stokes’ path, he will vie for time with Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson. Stokes has primarily worked as a boundary corner, which would not make him a one-for-one Hobbs replacement.
Browns, LB Devin Bush Agree To Deal
Relocating in each of the past two offseasons, Devin Bush is staying in Cleveland. The Browns and the veteran linebacker have reached an agreement on a second contract, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports.
Formerly a Steelers first-rounder — after a rare Round 1 trade-up from the team — Bush moved on to the Seahawks in 2023 and Browns in 2024. While the second-generation NFLer has not justified his first-round pedigree, he has remained a viable starter. The Browns will give him another chance, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the sides are in agreement on a $3.25MM deal.
Bush, 26, will see a slight raise after playing last season for $1.5MM. While the Deshaun Watson mess engulfed the Browns last season, Bush quietly worked as a regular starter. This came during a season in which the Browns lost Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah midway through and played five games without fellow starter Jordan Hicks. Bush made 76 tackles, and his nine TFLs were his most since his rookie season.
Despite Pro Football Focus grading Bush as a top-10 off-ball linebacker last season, no notable market appears to have emerged. Bush has made 61 career starts, being a primary starter in Pittsburgh and Cleveland (and a backup in Seattle during Bobby Wagner‘s Seahawks farewell season). He will continue to attempt to climb up the ladder during this one-year deal, the Michigan alum’s third straight one-year agreement with a team since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option.
The Browns still have Hicks rostered, ahead of an age-33 season, and paid Owusu-Koramoah last year. The latter, however, suffered a major injury and is not certain to be ready for the 2025 season. Cleveland saving money with Bush, as it remains tied to Deshaun Watson‘s outlier contract, also makes sense, as Owusu-Koramoah is on a $12MM-AAV accord.
Titans To Add S Xavier Woods
After three Panthers seasons, Xavier Woods hit the market Monday. He will commit to the Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The former Dallas, Minnesota and Carolina safety will head to Tennessee on a two-year, $10MM contract. Woods is coming off playing every defensive snap for the Panthers last season.
Tennessee’s offer will keep Woods at the same pay rate, as he was attached to a three-year, $15MM Carolina contract. With the cap having gone up more than $70MM since Woods’ Panthers pact became official, this is a pay cut of sorts. But Woods is going into an age-30 season compared to being squarely in his prime at that point.
A fixture in Ejiro Evero’s Panthers defense, Woods remained an every-down player despite the current Carolina DC not being in place at the time of signing. Jeremy Chinn fell out of favor with Evero, Woods did not. Woods has logged 100% snap rates twice in his career, also doing so with the 2021 Vikings. He played at least 91% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps in 2022 and ’23. The former sixth-round pick has started every game since his second season.
Woods intercepted five passes over the past two seasons. He was more impactful as a tackler last year, totaling a career-high 119. The Titans signed both discarded Seahawk safeties — Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams — last year but moved on from Adams quickly and did not give Diggs a multiyear deal. Amani Hooker remains under contract. Although the Titans were connected to Jevon Holland, the Giants added him on a $15MM-per-year deal. Hooker is already tied to a $10MM-AAV accord. Woods appears en route to be a cost-effective starter alongside the six-year Titan.
Dolphins To Sign S Ashtyn Davis
Following Jevon Holland‘s Giants defection, the Dolphins have made two lower-cost additions to their safety corps. After adding Ifeatu Melifonwu, the Dolphins are signing Ashtyn Davis, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reports.
Holland joined the Giants on a three-year, $45MM deal. With Jordan Poyer also not expected back, the Dolphins are needing to regroup at safety. The Davis and Melifonwu additions may not be all Miami does here, but the team does have two players with starting experience en route.
Like Melifonwu, Davis is coming off a tenure as a part-time starter. The Jets used the former third-round pick as a 22-game starter in five seasons. Davis played out a one-year deal in 2024, when he started one game. Even after Chuck Clark‘s offseason ACL tear in 2023, Davis started only five games. The Cal alum does have eight career interceptions, however. Despite starting just six games over the past two seasons, Davis nabbed five INTs.
Davis, 28, became more of a presence on special teams after his 10-start 2021. He logged at least 75% usage on the Jets’ ST plays in each of the past three seasons. Seeing as Davis’ starter work mostly occurred years ago, the Dolphins are most likely not done addressing their safety position. Melifonwu logged only four starts with the Lions, though the team had more in mind for him last season — when an ankle injury limited him to three games.
Bills To Re-Sign RB Ty Johnson
Maintaining a role on the Bills’ offense despite Ray Davis arriving in the draft to join James Cook, Ty Johnson intends to stay in the fold. Johnson is re-signing with Buffalo, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
The veteran backup RB is sticking around on a two-year deal. This will be his third season with the Bills. Johnson is re-signing for $5MM on the two-year pact, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. This will be a raise for Johnson, who played out a one-year, $1.29MM deal.
Even with Davis making inroads into Buffalo’s backfield, Johnson still accumulated 497 scrimmage yards in 2024. That marked a significant uptick from a 194-yard 2023. The six-year veteran averaged a whopping 15.8 yards per catch. That came on just 18 receptions, though Johnson’s performance against the Lions (five catches, 114 yards) helped give Buffalo one of the 2024 season’s top wins. Johnson, 27, added four receiving touchdowns before picking up another in the playoffs.
Johnson totaled 41 carries for 213 yards, finding a home despite Cook soaring onto the extension radar. Three seasons remain on Davis’ rookie deal. Barring something drastic with Cook amid his top-market extension push, the Bills look to have their backfield set for next season.
Johnson’s best season remains his 2021 Jets effort, when a 372-yard receiving year produced 610 from scrimmage and four touchdowns. The Jets had claimed Johnson off waivers (from the Lions) in 2020 but cut him in 2023. That led to the Bills swooping in, and they have been pleased with the returns since that initial investment.