Ravens Want To Extend WR Zay Flowers
The NFL’s wide receiver market has exploded in the last few years. Nine players now make more than $30MM per year, topped by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who officially signed his $42.15 AAV deal with the Seahawks on Wednesday.
The next receiver to cash in might be the player who was drafted two slots after Smith-Njigba in the first round of the 2023 draft: Ravens Pro Bowler Zay Flowers. Picking up the 25-year-old’s fifth-year option – projected by OverTheCap to be $27.3MM – is considered a “formality,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, with Baltimore already looking forward to an extension.
Locking Flowers into a long-term deal this offseason offers a number of benefits. First and most obvious is the production, which has ascended in volume and efficiency across each of his first three years in the NFL. In 2025, Flowers ranked seventh in receiving yards, 11th in catches, and 14th in yards per target. His 2.53 yards per route run trailed only Puka Nacua ans Smith-Njigba among wide receivers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Another obvious positive is contract control. As Zrebiec notes, an early extension guarantees that Flowers does not get anywhere near free agency where other teams can lure him away with eye-popping sums of money, as the Raiders did with Tyler Linderbaum this year.
That control also has a significant financial impact. Just look to Kyle Hamilton‘s extension last summer as an example. He received a $25.1MM AAV, but he still had two years remaining on his rookie deal (including his fifth-year option). That resulted in an overall contract of six years and $121.8MM ($20.3MM per year).
Assuming that the Ravens pick up Flowers’ fifth-year option, he will be owed $31.7MM over the next two years. He has not produced at the same level as Smith-Njigba or Ja’Marr Chase, the only two receivers earning $40MM per year, nor Nacua, who will likely join them this year. But a four year extension worth $35MM annually – a top five mark for the position – would extend Flowers’ deal to $171.7MM over six years (28.6MM per year).
Flowers’ agent and the Ravens’ front office will haggle over the exact numbers, but that estimate illustrates the urgency and upside of agreeing on an extension this year.
Cowboys Sent Raiders Multiple Offers For Maxx Crosby; Latest On Ravens’ Process
Maxx Crosby is back with the Raiders, thanks to the Ravens‘ controversial nixing of a blockbuster trade. While trade talks could reignite ahead of the draft or perhaps as far down the road as training camp, the All-Pro edge rusher has reaffirmed his commitment to the Raiders.
A number of teams were in the mix for the star defender, but the Cowboys were viewed as the runners-up to the Ravens. Baltimore’s decision to give up two first-round picks won the March trade derby — before it all unraveled days later — but Dallas made an aggressive pursuit that involved a few offers.
The Cowboys initially proposed a trade of Osa Odighizuwa and the second of their two first-round picks (No. 20) for Crosby, ESPN.com’s Ryan McFadden reports, before sweetening the deal. After Las Vegas rejected the proposals with Odighizuwa, McFadden indicates Dallas submitted a deal including its top first-round choice (No. 12) to go with a third-round pick. After the Raiders rejected that, the Cowboys submitted what is believed to be their final proposal: No. 12 and a second-round pick.
Because of the Quinnen Williams deadline deal, the Cowboys do not own a second-rounder this year. The Raiders seemingly rejected an offer of No. 12 and the Cowboys’ 2027 second-rounder. Understandably, the Ravens’ offer of two firsts made the Raiders’ decision easy.
Now that the Ravens backed out of the deal due to long-term concerns about Crosby’s knee, the Cowboys and other teams are free to make another run at a trade. But the Raiders are unlikely to fetch two first-rounders for a player the Ravens — external skepticism about the team’s motivations notwithstanding — failed on a physical.
Dallas considered moving back into the Crosby running after the failed trade, per McFadden, but the team has not made another run here. Though, Jerry Jones said that door is not closed. The Cowboys have been quite active with high-profile D-line transactions over the past year. They have gone from re-signing Odighizuwa (four years, $80MM) to trading him to the 49ers for a third-round pick. That trade came about because Dallas acquired Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons deal and Williams months later. The Cowboys later reunited Clark with former Packers D-line mate Rashan Gary, who accepted a pay cut to facilitate the trade.
Gary and Crosby are in different leagues as pass rushers, with the former coming up as a Green Bay cap-casualty candidate before the Pack found a trade taker. The Cowboys also re-signed Sam Williams and used a 2025 second-round pick on Donovan Ezeiruaku.
The team would obviously upgrade with Crosby opposite Gary in Christian Parker‘s new 3-4 defense, but as our Ely Allen pointed out recently, Dallas bringing in a player Baltimore failed on a physical (as Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper consulted with the Ravens, though he did not make the final call) stands to be a longer-odds proposition compared now that this information is out. A previous report also indicated the Cowboys are standing down.
Some in the Raiders’ building doubt the Ravens nixed the trade purely based on concerns about the eighth-year veteran’s knee, per McFadden, who adds Baltimore had a “full understanding” of Crosby’s meniscus injury and rehab timeline before making the trade. Casting further doubt on the Ravens’ much-debated plan to acquire Crosby and sign Trey Hendrickson, one GM (to put it mildly) does not believe Baltimore intended to pair both edge rushers, Jason La Canfora notes on Casino.org.
Other execs are skeptical regarding the Ravens’ decision, per McFadden, who indicates it is believed the Raiders were transparent about Crosby’s rehab timeline — one long expected to last months, not weeks. But long-term concerns about a “degenerative” knee issue, rather than Crosby’s 2026 status, have been mentioned as the reason for the trade being called off. The Ravens were hesitant to meet Hendrickson’s $40MM-per-year asking price, McFadden notes, joining others in that regard (teams viewed the ex-Bengal as more likely to land $25-$27MM-per-year range, which is roughly where this wrapped). Hendrickson’s price coming down allowed the Ravens to pivot from Crosby quickly, inviting considerable scrutiny from around the league.
An irked Crosby was back at the Raiders’ facility early the next morning, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds the longtime Las Vegas pillar appreciated both John Spytek and Klint Kubiak reaching out shortly after the failed trade. Joining our Adam La Rose in this assessment, Breer does not anticipate the Raiders trading Crosby before Week 1. The veteran reporter views the trade deadline as the more logical reevaluation point. By that point, Crosby (29 in August) will have had a chance to display full health after an expected recovery from a Jan. 7 meniscus surgery.
Additionally, some in the agent community viewed the Ravens’ conservative reputation — having never traded a first-round pick for a veteran — as a reason the Raiders should have been leery here. The opportunity for the Ravens to add Hendrickson without giving up two firsts has called many to cite this as an example of an organization getting cold feet, and the physical not taking place until Tuesday put both teams in a bind due to free agency’s peak hours unfolding before that point.
The most notable Raven or Raider transaction to occur in that time brought Tyler Linderbaum to Las Vegas on a three-year, $81MM deal (a pact essentially coming fully guaranteed) that set a record for all interior O-line accords. The Raiders may not have signed both Malcolm Koonce (one year, $11MM) and Kwity Paye (three years, $48MM) had they known Crosby would end up staying, McFadden adds. Though, the team has run into endless trouble finding complementary Crosby rushers. Perhaps this snafu could prove beneficial on that front.
While Crosby going from requesting a trade to being recommitted to the Raiders represents a fascinating development — especially with Vegas not initially seeking to trade him — more departure rumors will undoubtedly return at some point. But the Raiders may now need to see their best player rebuild his trade value. That could certainly lead to a Crosby-Paye-Koonce-Tyree Wilson EDGE setup in place to open the season.
DT Kayden McDonald Books Several Pre-Draft Visits
We are now in “30” visit season, and this year’s draft runup will feature a host of Ohio State products making such travel plans. Next month’s event could see four Buckeyes — Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate — go in the top 10. Another of the Big Ten power’s recent standouts is on the first-round radar as well.
Several teams are set to determine Kayden McDonald‘s draft stock, with the defensive tackle indicating (via SI.com’s Justin Melo) the Bears, Bengals, Commanders, Dolphins, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens and Texans have scheduled visits.
Like in free agency, this draft is not viewed as particularly strong at the position. The dearth of FA options led to a John Franklin-Myers Titans windfall. This draft’s hierarchy at the position is still taking shape, but as it stands, Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board does not include a DT among its top 32 prospects. A few sit just outside that range, however, with McDonald (39th) joining Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter (34), Clemson’s Peter Woods (35) and Florida’s Caleb Banks (36) among those vying to be the first player at the position to come off the board.
A first-team All-American in 2025, McDonald broke through in his junior Buckeyes season by making nine tackles for loss and registering three sacks. Profiling as a power rusher and run-stuffing presence, the disruptive D-lineman weighed 326 pounds at the Combine. He will be of interest to many teams who did not see a deep pool emerge at the position in free agency.
McDonald only has one season featuring notable production, with his 2024 slate — as the Buckeyes stormed to a national championship — only including 1.5 TFLs and no sacks. The bulk of the teams who have scheduled meetings with McDonald use a 4-3 scheme; Ohio State primarily used a 4-2-5 setup during McDonald’s three-year run. Field Yates’ latest NFL mock draft sends McDonald to the Raiders, who will continue using a 3-4 alignment in base sets, at No. 36.
Although the past four drafts have seen a DT go off the board in the top 16, the 2021 class did not bring a first-round investment at the position. It will be interesting to see how teams view this crop, one that may not see a top-20 pick this year.
Ravens’ Biggest Needs After Free Agent Losses
While widely accused of wrongdoing in the fallout of the Maxx Crosby trade debacle, the Ravens themselves were hurt by a delayed start to free agency. Expecting Crosby to be on their books for much of the legal tampering period, the Ravens negotiated through that time with the diminished cap in mind and watched several impact players walk away as a result. Following the polarizing reversal, Baltimore has some work to do in rebuilding its roster. 
They biggest loss was that of center Tyler Linderbaum. A 2022 first-round pick, Linderbaum had his fifth-year option declined due to the fact that the formula that calculates the value of fifth-year options groups all offensive linemen together, meaning Linderbaum would be receiving the five-year average of the third- to 20th-highest paid offensive linemen (mostly tackles) in the NFL. Because he made two or more Pro Bowls, the Ravens would’ve had to pay Linderbaum $23.4MM for the single year and, given the leader of the market at the time they opted not to exercise his option was making $18MM per year, their choice seemed justified. Little did they know Linderbaum intended to reset the market, and with the Raiders now paying him an average of $27MM for each of the next three years, that option looks like a discount in hindsight.
With Linderbaum gone, the team’s cupboard is pretty bare of centers. Currently, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, their starting center for next year is not on the roster. If the season started today, recent free agent addition Danny Pinter would be the team’s answer at the position. A fifth-round pick out of Ball State six years ago, Pinter has spent his entire career so far as a depth piece on the Colts’ offensive line. Over the years, he’s appeared in 77 games with Indianapolis but only started 10, getting experience at center, right guard, and left tackle. Pinter’s only competition at the moment appears to be Corey Bullock, an undrafted signee two years ago out of Maryland who has played almost exclusively on special teams.
The Ravens also reportedly still feel the need to add to their pass rush. After reversing the trade for Crosby, the Ravens were able to secure the top edge rusher on the free agent market in Trey Hendrickson, but the team still is looking to add another veteran contributor. Mike Green showed promise as a second-round rookie but still has room to grow, and an expected breakout season for Tavius Robinson was hampered due to injury. It’s believed Baltimore may go after another experienced veteran. Currently the top options at the position are Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and Cameron Jordan, but the Ravens could opt to reunite with Jadeveon Clowney or re-sign Kyle Van Noy after his disappointing 2025 campaign.
The Ravens will also really be in trouble if star pass-rushing defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike remains out long term. The 28-year-old defender missed 15 games with a neck injury last year, and there seems to be fear regarding whether or not he’ll ever play again. Mum’s been the word ever since he was placed on injured reserve following his Week 2 injury. The only hints have been a few social media posts indicating “good news” followed by a meeting with the team. According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the team addressed the situation at the combine.
“You keep the players’ health and long-term longevity at the forefront of anything, and so, that’s what we’ll do,” new head coach Jesse Minter told the media. “We will have multiple plans in place, but (I’m) just excited for him. He’s in a great frame of mind right now. He’s excited, so (I’m) just excited to see how it all shakes out.”
The Ravens were able to secure some defensive linemen for next year with new agreements with Travis Jones and John Jenkins, but if Madubuike isn’t returning, they’ll need to invest in the position as some point soon. Many in the building saw the loss of Madubuike last year as the main cause of their defensive struggles, so they’ll be hoping for positive news, whenever that may be expected.
Eagles’ Marquise Brown Considered Ravens Reunion
Yesterday, we saw veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown join his fourth NFL team as he heads into the eighth year of his professional career. In an appearance on the Speakeasy talk show with Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy, Brown disclosed that, before he signed with the Eagles, he considered reuniting with the team that drafted him in Baltimore. 
Appearing on the show yesterday for a short interview, Brown was asked what other teams he considered signing with. He explained that, in his second experience in free agency, his agent was the person communicating with any interested teams and that he didn’t get involved until it came down to the few teams that really seemed to want him, based on how much interest they showed his agent. He did mention, though, that he “was really considering going back to Baltimore.”
Of all the wide receivers Baltimore has drafted in its 30-year tenure as the Ravens, only three have eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in Baltimore. In 1999, they found a fourth-round gem in Brandon Stokley, who would go on to see that success with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis after failing to surpass 360 yards in Baltimore. The team would have to wait another 12 years before finding another 1,000-yard receiver in the draft. In 2011, they drafted Torrey Smith in the second round, and he became their first ever drafted receiver to record 1,000 yards with the team, doing so in his third season. Brown, arriving eight years later, was the fourth first-round wideout in the team’s history and the first to record a 1,000-yard season. Zay Flowers has since joined him in that honor as the Ravens have now seen two of six first-round receivers reach that milestone.
Like Smith, Brown reached that threshold in his third year with the Ravens, but unlike Smith, Brown didn’t get another year with the team after accomplishing the feat. Despite having recorded the Raven’s first 1,000-yard season since 2016, Brown was reportedly unhappy with his usage in Baltimore and asked to be traded. the Ravens paired him with a third-round pick and sent him to Arizona, getting the Cardinals’ first-round pick in return.
Since leaving Baltimore, Brown has failed to build on the success of his 2021 season. He seemed to be on pace to continue progressing in his first year with the Cardinals, amassing 485 yards in just six games, but he would miss the next five games due to injury and struggle to get that production back, ending the year with 709 yards. His second year in Arizona saw him record 574 receiving yards in 14 games. As a free agent, Brown signed with the Chiefs, but a preseason injury would hold him out until the last three weeks of the season. In 2025, he played in 16 games for the first time since he left Baltimore and recorded 587 yards and five touchdowns in a semi-resurgent season in Kansas City.
After four years of failing to reach the heights he reached in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson, one can hardly fault Brown for considering a return to Baltimore. Doing so hints that Brown may now be able to look past the issues he had with his usage in the past, which should benefit him as he heads to Philadelphia, where A.J. Brown has had some similar complaints in recent years. With Jahan Dotson departed in free agency and Brown, perhaps, on his way out the door, as well, Hollywood is set to headline a retooled group of receivers behind WR1 DeVonta Smith.
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Addresses Collapsed Ravens Trade
Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby addressed the Ravens’ decision to back out of their trade for him on a recent episode of his podcast, The Rush, offering a detailed timeline of his brief trip to Baltimore.
Chatter regarding a potential Crosby trade gained steam in early March, but despite that, Crosby was still chocked when the Raiders and the Ravens agreed to a deal. He traveled to Baltimore on Monday and arrived at the team facility on Tuesday morning to meet staff and complete his physical.
The Ravens did their own scans to document and evaluate Crosby’s extensive injury history, and he did not meet head coach Jesse Minter or general manager Eric DeCosta until the end of the day. They informed him that there were concerns about long-term health of his knee and the team was seeking additional opinions but still wanted to acquire him.
Crosby was initially concerned that doctors had discovered a new issue with his knee, which was operated on in January to address a torn left meniscus. Crosy’s own surgeon, Neal ElAttrache, reassured him that he was ahead of schedule in his rehab, but his agent, CJ LaBoy, warned him the Ravens may back out of the trade.
Crosby also said that someone from the Ravens reassured him that the deal would go through, but shortly after, LaBoy informed him that would not be the case. Then, for the second time in five days, Crosby was the biggest story of the NFL with his name and face splashed across television and social media.
The five-time Pro Bowler was obviously unhappy with the back-and-forth, but is intent on moving forward with a retooled Raiders roster that will now have him back in the fold. He made no mention of the Ravens’ apparent intention to pair both him and Trey Hendrickson.
“No one will ever admit what the real truth is,” Crosby said. “Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. I am where I’m supposed to be.”
OL Notes: Lions, Linderbaum, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Panthers, Browns, Saints
Winning a 49ers starting guard job to open last season, Ben Bartch ran into injury trouble and ultimately lost his job. The veteran interior O-lineman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, being part of another injury-riddled 49ers season. Upon return, Bartch did not reacquire his starting job. Bartch ended up suffering a foot sprain, after the 49ers used an IR activation on him, and played out his contract. The Lions have him on their radar, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the NFC North team conducted a visit recently. A 24-game starter with Jacksonville and San Francisco, Bartch is heading into an age-28 season. Detroit signed Cade Mays to fill in at center, and the team returns starters Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany from last season.
Here is the latest from around the O-line groups:
- Not returning after a Week 12 neck injury, Broderick Jones underwent fusion surgery in his neck (according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly). It looked like a long shot Pittsburgh would exercise Jones’ fifth-year option ($19.07MM), and Omar Khan did not confirm Jones would be ready for training camp. That will make the left tackle position — in a stopgap scenario at the very least — one to monitor in Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Linderbaum‘s Raiders deal keeps looking more impressive. Already locked in to what is practically a three-year, $81MM fully guaranteed contract, the new Raiders center secured a no-tag clause for 2029, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No center has been franchise- or transition-tagged since the Panthers cuffed Ryan Kalil with a franchise tag in 2011. Then again, no center (or guard) has approached Linderbaum’s $27MM-AAV accord. With tackles, guards and center grouped together on the tag, a 2029 Linderbaum tender would have been highly unlikely. But, showcasing the leverage the three-time Pro Bowler held in free agency, he secured this deal point anyway.
- The Giants re-signed Joshua Ezeudu earlier today; this came after the team hosted veteran guard Ryan Bates on a visit, Wilson adds. Bates spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting only two games in two Chicago seasons, but he played out a four-year, $17MM Bills deal — one designed by Chicago via a 2022 RFA offer sheet — last season. The Giants have been stingy at guard despite making a strong push for Alijah Vera-Tucker, and options are dwindling. Though, ex-John Harbaugh Ravens charge Daniel Faalele remains available.
- Wyatt Teller played right guard throughout his Browns tenure, with LG staple Joel Bitonio in place on the other side for 12 seasons, but Wilson indicates a willingness on the new Texans signee’s part to switch sides. With 2025 Houston RG Ed Ingram re-signed, Wilson points to Teller playing left guard in 2026. Wilson also posits a scenario in which Evan Brown competes with incumbent Jake Andrews for the center position. While the Cardinals used Brown at guard over the past two seasons, he has logged full seasons at center — for the Seahawks and Lions — in the past.
- As Teller leaves Cleveland after six-plus seasons and Bitonio not certain to return, the Browns added three guard options (though, guard/tackle Tytus Howard is expected to play RT following a trade). Howard’s two-year, $45MM Browns extension includes $34.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Option bonuses exist in 2027 ($18.41MM) and ’28 ($14.36MM), and $13.5MM of Howard’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed at signing. Howard is due a $4MM roster bonus in 2028, per Spotrac. Zion Johnson‘s three-year, $49.5MM Browns deal includes $27.83MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Two option bonuses are in place here, with Wilson adding the ex-Chargers guard will be due a $3MM roster bonus if on Cleveland’s roster by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. $13.57MM of Johnson’s 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed.
- The Saints‘ Dillon Radunz deal is worth $6.9MM over two years, with ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell noting it includes $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Adding center Luke Fortner and tackle Stone Forsythe, the Panthers kept costs low for both. A 2025 Saints trade pickup, Fortner is tied to a one-year deal worth $2.75MM ($1.33MM guaranteed), Wilson adds. Coming over from the Raiders, Forsythe signed a one-year, $2MM pact with $500K guaranteed (per Wilson).
Free Agent TE David Njoku Visits Ravens
A free agent after nine years with the Browns, tight end David Njoku could latch on with another AFC North franchise. Njoku visited the Ravens today, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A first-round pick from Miami in 2017, Njoku turned into one of the most prolific pass catchers in Browns history. The 29-year-old ranks third among all-time Browns in receptions (384), sixth in touchdown grabs (34) and 12th in yards (4,062). Njoku earned his lone Pro Bowl nod during his best season, 2023, in which he hauled in 81 passes for 882 yards and six scores. After back-to-back injury-shortened years since then, Njoku bid goodbye to Cleveland on Instagram on Feb. 9.
Knee and ankle issues held Njoku out of six games in 2024. More knee troubles limited Njoku to 12 games in his final year with the Browns. The 6-foot-4, 246-pounder finished the season with 33 catches on 48 targets, 293 yards and four scores. With rookie third-rounder Harold Fannin emerging as the Browns’ go-to receiving tight end, Njoku will head elsewhere in 2026.
The Ravens already have a productive veteran tight end in Mark Andrews, whom they signed to a three-year, $39.3MM extension in December. However, after the departures of Isaiah Likely (Giants) and Charlie Kolar (Chargers) in free agency, Baltimore could use another complement to Andrews. The recently signed Durham Smythe is the only other tight end under contract, but the blocking specialist combined for just 13 catches from 2024-25.
Njoku, arguably the top TE left on the market, would make for a capable Likely replacement. If Njoku signs with Baltimore, he would finally have a chance to play with a franchise quarterback, Lamar Jackson, after working with a slew of lesser signal-callers in Cleveland.
Ravens To Sign OL Danny Pinter
Dealt a significant blow when Tyler Linderbaum rejected a market-topping offer to join the Raiders (on a deal that smashed through the center salary ceiling), the Ravens have not re-signed two-year left guard starter Daniel Faalele. The AFC North team is adding an experienced depth option, however.
Six-year Colts spot starter/swingman Danny Pinter is heading to the Ravens, the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson notes. The former fifth-round pick met with the Ravens recently, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec adds.
The Colts had used Pinter as a Week 1 starter in 2022, after having let previous right guard regular Mark Glowinski join the Giants in free agency, but the experiment didn’t take. Although Indianapolis benched Pinter in Week 4 of that season, the sides continued to work together even as a new coaching staff arrived.
Pinter, 29, played on $1.22MM (2024) and $1.67MM (2025) contracts over the past two seasons. The Colts re-signed Pinter last year after he missed all of 2023 due to a broken ankle. Overall, the Ball State alum has made 10 career starts — including three over the past two seasons. Although Frank Reich‘s staff stationed Pinter at RG, Shane Steichen slotted him at center over the past two years. Pinter worked as a Ryan Kelly sub in 2024 and backed up Tanor Bortolini last season.
The Ravens would seem unlikely to give Pinter the first crack at replacing Linderbaum, but they are limited in terms of options presently. Baltimore did sign Jovaughn Gwyn, who played for new O-line coach Dwayne Ledford in Atlanta, and has third-year UDFA Corey Bullock at the position as well. Neither has made a career start. While the Ravens could be connected to centers in the draft, Linderbaum’s four-year employer has multiple veteran options in play a week after his Las Vegas defection.
AFC Contract Details: Mafe, Titans, Raiders, Dean, Bills, Texans, Jets, Pats, Steelers, Jags, Ravens
With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, it is time to take stock of the full numbers given to some of this year’s top targets. Here are the details on some of the top contracts awarded by AFC teams:
- Boye Mafe, DE (Bengals). Three years, $60MM. The Bengals gave Mafe $19MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Seahawk is projected to land $43.3MM over the deal’s first two seasons, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Alontae Taylor, CB (Titans). Three years, $58MM. Taylor received $42MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Saints CB will receive $22MM in 2026, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Titans). Four years, $70MM. Robinson secured $36.98MM guaranteed at signing, Breer tweets. Neither of Robinson’s 2028 or ’29 base salaries contain guarantees or guarantee mechanisms. Each year carries $2MM in incentives, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
- Kwity Paye, OLB (Raiders). Three years, $48MM. Paye secured $31.28MM guaranteed, per Wilson; of that total, $25.34MM is locked in at signing (according to OverTheCap). Paye landed $10MM of his $15.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing; the remainder of his ’27 salary vests on Day 4 of 2027 league year.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Bills). Three years, $43.5MM. Of Chubb’s previously reported $29MM guarantee, Wilson notes $21.74MM is guaranteed at signing. Chubb will see a $4MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2028 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G (Patriots). Three years, $42MM. Vera-Tucker’s $21MM signing bonus represents his guarantees at signing, Wilson tweets, though the team has included a notable wrinkle. Vera-Tucker will earn $250K for each game he is active, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting this is among the highest per-game roster bonus figures in NFL history.
- Ed Ingram, G (Texans). Three years, $37.5MM. Receiving $20MM guaranteed at signing, the former second-round pick secured $5MM of his $8.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing. The rest shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’27 league year, per Spotrac.
- Jamel Dean, CB (Steelers). Three years, $36.75MM. Keeping with Steelers non-QB/T.J. Watt norms, Dean’s guarantee is his signing bonus ($12MM). Dean would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson notes.
- Nakobe Dean, LB (Raiders). Three years, $36MM. Nakobe Dean scored $20MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The former Eagles linebacker, who missed 12 games due to injury in 2023 and six in ’25, will see $8.5MM of his $11.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed. The remainder becomes guarantee on Day 3 of the ’27 league year (via Spotrac).
- Joseph Ossai, OLB (Jets). Three years, $34.5MM. Ossai will receive $22.49MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. Ossai’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
- Montaric Brown, CB (Jaguars). Three years, $31.8MM. Brown landed $20.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The former seventh-round pick secured $8.15MM of his $9.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing.
- John Simpson, G (Ravens). Three years, $30MM. Simpson secured $17.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson notes. This includes $5.5MM of an $8MM 2027 salary.