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Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/25

July 23rd, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Ely Allen

With several training camps underway, here are today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravend

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): DE K.J. Henry

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Houston fans may be discouraged to see a few big names on injured lists, but all is not lost. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mixon’s “medical outlook is positive” as the team plans to gradually increase his activity throughout camp. Likewise, Autry is expected to ease his way back into camp workouts, as well. Pierce, on the other hand, is expected to be ready to come off the list at the start of camp.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, Cosmi likely won’t see much time on the field in camp, but he appears to be hitting all the mile markers en route to being healthy for the start of the regular season. With McLaurin officially beginning his holdout yesterday, the team has made the corresponding roster move. McLaurin will rack up fines of $50K per each day missed, but if the team can come to terms on an extension, they can make sure those fines are nullified.

NFL Legal Notes: Browns, Rice, Ruggs

July 20th, 2025 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

In keeping with her prior update on first-year running back Quinshon Judkins, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed Judkins did not report to training camp with the rest of the Browns’ rookies on Friday. Veterans are due to report on Tuesday, with the first full-squad practice scheduled for Wednesday.

Judkins, a second-round pick, was expected to compete for a significant workload right away, as only Jerome Ford was penciled in above him on the depth chart. Judkins may still see a great deal of action in 2025, but a misdemeanor domestic battery charge has put his NFL career on hold. For now, Cleveland wants Judkins to focus on resolving his legal issues, and it sounds as if the team will not sign him to his rookie contract until that happens.

And, when the legal matter is resolved, Judkins could face discipline from the NFL. Until then, players like fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson and holdover Pierre Strong will get more reps.

Let’s take a look at a few more legal matters impacting players around the league:

  • As expected, Browns LB Devin Bush was arraigned on charges of simple assault and harassment on Friday, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. After making 16 appearances (10 starts) in his first year in Cleveland in 2024, Bush re-signed with the club on a one-year pact in March. Although the addition of Carson Schwesinger in this year’s draft will eat into Bush’s playing time, the former first-round pick of the Steelers should remain involved in at least a rotational capacity. He will have a pre-trial hearing on August 15.
  • Despite a February DUI charge, and despite having failed to earn a role as a regular starter over his first four years in the league, the Ravens re-signed OL Ben Cleveland to a one-year deal this offseason. Baltimore appears to appreciate Cleveland’s ability to back up multiple spots on the O-line and is prepared to once again carry him on the roster as a reserve. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Cleveland’s trial has been postponed to November 13. He has pleaded not guilty.
  • Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was facing three civil suits stemming from the street-racing crash that took place in March 2024 (the criminal component of the incident was recently resolved, with Rice receiving a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation). Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star says Rice settled one of the civil matters for $1.086MM, which will accrue interest until paid. Rice, a 2023 second-rounder, has no guaranteed money remaining on his rookie deal, and he stands to lose roughly $70K for every week he misses due to suspension in 2025 (h/t Spotrac, which also notes the club could seek repayment of a portion of Rice’s signing bonus — roughly $23K per week).
  • Like Rice, Texans RB Joe Mixon had a civil suit to resolve. As Sheree Paolello of WLWT 5 reports, Mixon settled a lawsuit involving a teenage boy who was shot with a real bullet while playing Nerf Wars near Mixon’s home in March 2023, when Mixon was still a member of the Bengals. As Paolello detailed in a full-length piece a few months after the incident, the shots were allegedly fired by the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, though the victim’s family believed the gun and ammunition were owned by Mixon. The details of the settlement will not be released. 
  • Jordan Addison recently entered into a plea agreement in his DUI matter. While the Vikings’ wide receiver did consider going to trial, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link), he did not want the issue creating a distraction during training camp. He could still receive a suspension from the league, of course.
  • We heard in May that former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs, currently imprisoned for a drunk-driving incident that resulted in the horrific death of a woman and her dog, is eyeing an NFL return. He will be eligible for parole in August 2026, and if he is granted parole, Albert Breer of SI.com believes an NFL club could give him another chance. Breer says it is unclear whether the league would suspend Ruggs; a league official told Breer the matter would be “reviewed” when the time comes.

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/17/25

July 17th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: OT Ryan Nelson

Seattle Seahawks

Ravens Sign Second-Round OLB Mike Green, Complete Rookie Deals

July 17th, 2025 at 5:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens are among the teams to complete the signings of the rookie classes in time for training camp. Second-round edge rusher Mike Green is now on the books.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier today an agreement was expected. The Ravens have since announced that a deal has indeed been signed. Green was selected 59th overall, a slot which saw 53.7% and then 54% of the four-year pact guaranteed over the past two years (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).

Details on Green’s deal have yet to emerge, but recent contracts worked out by rookies drafted around his slot strongly suggest it will not include guaranteed compensation through the final year. Nevertheless, the Marshall product is in position to occupy an important rotational role early on in Baltimore.

A depth spot at a minimum should await Baltimore’s latest draft investment along the edge. Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy are still expected to garner the majority of the snaps at the position. However, both of those veterans are impending free agents, meaning Green’s backup role may only be temporary.

The pass rusher had a breakout campaign in 2024. Green finished the season with 84 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks, leading to him earning a first-team All-American nod. That performance also helped make him a second-round pick, as the Ravens scooped him up with the 59th-overall selection in this year’s draft.

Green may have been selected higher if not for his off-the-field issues. The player has twice been accused of sexual assault, including an incident during his time at the University of Virginia. That latter accusation was followed by Green’s transfer to Marshall, although the player has continually stated that the allegations didn’t play into his decision.

As mentioned, the Ravens have now officially signed their entire draft class:

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/16/25

July 16th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Ely Allen

With rookies starting to report for training camp, we’ve got a good number of minor moves for the first time in a while today:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Smith, a former fourth-round pick out of Northern Iowa for the Giants, has decided to hang up his cleats, putting an end to an unfortunately injury-marred career at 26 years old. After opening up his rookie season on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury early in training camp, Smith played eight games as a rookie before suffering a neck injury that sent him back to IR. New York held out hope, activating him off of IR eight games into his sophomore campaign, but ultimately, Smith returned to IR after only five more games.

After the Giants waived him early in training camp in 2023, Smith found his way to the Jets’ practice squad in mid-October but was released at the turn of the month. Three weeks later he signed to the practice squad of the Raiders, with whom he would finish the season and sign a reserve/futures deal. Las Vegas, though, waived him with an injury designation before finalizing their 53-man roster for 2024. Smith rebounded once more with the Browns, and thanks to two gameday practice squad elevations, Smith played in two games last season — his first since 2022 — and signed a futures deal in Cleveland.

Injuries to his legs and neck early in his career derailed a career for Smith that was never really able to get going. Unfortunately, the former first-team FCS All-American’s playing time has come to an early end.

Ross reportedly asked for his release from the Chiefs, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The once promising Clemson star who totaled 1,000 yards with nine touchdowns as a freshman and 865 yards with eight touchdowns as a sophomore continues to struggle in his return to football stardom. After missing the 2020 season due to surgery addressing a congenital fusion condition of his neck and spine, Ross only amassed 524 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his final year with the Tigers before going undrafted in 2022.

Despite injuries leaving the Chiefs pretty thin at receiver at times in the past few years, Ross never was able to step up and take a spot on the offense. When his undrafted contract expired and he’d only seen action in 12 games and caught six passes totaling 53 yards, Ross signed the exclusive rights tender the team placed on him, as his only other option would’ve been to not play in 2025. Instead, he approached Kansas City with a request to be released, and the Chiefs acquiesced. The 25-year-old will go to the waiver wire, and if no teams claim him, he’ll be able to sign anywhere he wants.

Ravens Received Trade Interest In Mark Andrews, Hope To Extend Isaiah Likely

July 15th, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite months of trade speculation, Mark Andrews remains on the Ravens roster and is expected to stick with the squad for the 2025 season. While the team held on to their long-time star tight end, the front office was clearly open to making a trade. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, the Ravens indeed received trade inquiries on the veteran, but no team was able to meet Baltimore’s asking price.

Zrebiec still leaves the door open for a potential departure, with the writer wondering how the Ravens front office would proceed if a TE-needy team comes knocking during the preseason. GM Eric DeCosta, head coach John Harbaugh, and quarterback Lamar Jackson have all endorsed Andrews sticking with the organization for at least the 2025 campaign, although the tight end’s expiring contract (and his recent playoff failures) have led to the veteran being firmly on the trade block.

Andrews has struggled to replicate his first-team All-Pro performance from 2021, when he finished with 107 catches for 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns. The 2024 campaign actually represented one of his most productive recent performances, as the 29-year-old finished the year with a career-high 11 touchdowns. Of course, Andrews drew plenty of blame for his postseason showing, including a playoff loss to the Bills when the tight end fumbled the ball on a crucial drive and dropped a game-tying two-point conversion.

The former third-round pick is entering the final season of a four-year, $56MM extension, and he’s due to carry a lofty cap charge of $16.91MM in 2025. A trade would have provided the organization with some cap relief ($11MM), although those savings aren’t nearly as important now that the offseason is all but over.

While Andrews may be preparing for his final season in Baltimore, the team is apparently focused on retaining another impending free agent tight end. Zrebiec writes that the Ravens are expected to “make a push” to extend tight end Isaiah Likely. The former fourth-round pick is coming off his most productive NFL season, with the third-year player hauling in 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns.

Considering Andrews’ precarious spot on the roster, Likely could be in line for an even bigger role in 2025. With a true breakout within the realm of possibilities, the Ravens may be hoping to extend the tight end before his value shoots up.

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement 

2016

2017

2018

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Extension Candidate: Lamar Jackson

July 8th, 2025 at 10:36pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens return 19 of 22 starters from the team they fielded in Buffalo six months ago. This is mostly good luck, as the team avoided too many expiring contracts to impact players, but that luck shifts pretty hard in the other direction in 2025 with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Tyler Linderbaum, Odafe Oweh, Travis Jones, Ar’Darius Washington, and many others heading into contract years.

All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton will be expecting a new deal sometime soon, as well. While the Ravens will surely be working towards extension offers for many of them, there’s one player they’ve already claimed is at the forefront of their priorities for an extension.

So many quarterbacks have gotten new deals in the last two years that Lamar Jackson‘s once-record-setting five-year, $260MM extension from 2023 feels like a distant memory. Thanks to recent new deals for Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Brock Purdy, and Josh Allen, Jackson’s formerly league-leading $52MM annual average salary has sunk all the way down to 10th-highest in the NFL. Head coach John Harbaugh indicated at league meetings that Jackson could be back on top soon.

While it may seem counterintuitive to prioritize a Jackson extension when he still has three years remaining on his contract and the Ravens have so many players on contracts that expire sooner, getting Jackson on a new deal could serve a crucial role in helping to team to secure some of his talented teammates long-term. After this season, the final two years of Jackson’s contract have him sporting an untenable cap hit of $74.5MM. In order to help keep some of his teammates in Baltimore, Jackson and the Ravens could pursue an extension in the fashion of the man who beat him out for MVP last year.

Allen signed a six-year, $330MM extension in March despite the fact that his prior deal still had four years remaining. Instead of simply tacking on new years with more money to grant Allen his extension, the Bills essentially scrapped the terms of his original contract, giving their MVP a raise while keeping some flexibility in the team’s salary cap for years to come.

Allen and Buffalo may have paved the way for Jackson and many quarterbacks expecting raises in the future. The Ravens could create $15.8MM of cap space in 2025 with an extension, and scrapping the terms of the original deal could help significantly lower Jackson’s cap hit in 2026 and 2027, as well. The Ravens supposedly always planned to return to the negotiation table before reaching Jackson’s obscene cap hits, and the Bills may have provided them with the perfect solution.

One key point of difference could come in the cash and guarantee structures. Allen and the Bills chose an extremely straightforward method in which Allen’s cash receipts vary relatively little from year to year, ranging from $52.5MM to $58MM. In contrast, Jackson’s current contract saw him receive $80MM in Year 1 and $31.79MM in Year 2. In Allen’s deal, his full guarantees come from a modest signing bonus ($56.75MM), his first- and second-year base salaries, and $34.5MM of his third-year base salary. Jackson pushed hard for a fully guaranteed deal in 2023 but ended up settling for a signing bonus of $72.5MM, his first- and second-year base salaries, and some bonuses in Years 2 and 3.

It’s hard to know just how much the Ravens could follow in Buffalo’s footsteps with a Jackson deal or just how much Jackson is willing to follow in Allen’s. The team may love the structure, but Jackson may want more money up front, like with his last deal. Jackson may also see the value in spreading out his cash flow in order to ensure that the Ravens can continue to surround him with talented players.

The time is right for Baltimore to try to make something happen, before training camp and the preseason take Jackson away from the table. Regardless, they’ll need to get something done in the next nine months if they want to avoid getting stuck with one player taking up a projected 24.26 percent of the team’s salary cap space in 2026.

Release Candidate: David Ojabo

July 8th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

David Ojabo entered the NFL with high expectations despite the Achilles tear he suffered shortly before being drafted. The Ravens edge rusher has not developed as hoped, however, and his ability to retain a roster spot this summer will be worth watching.

During Michigan’s Pro Day, Ojabo suffered his torn Achilles. That injury hurt his draft stock, but Baltimore selected him in the second round in 2022. His recovery process resulted in just three combined regular and postseason contests as a rookie, a span which included only one sack. Hopes were high from team and player for a step forward in Year 2, but a knee/ankle injury shut Ojabo down after three games.

This past season saw the 25-year-old appear in 13 games as he managed a much healthier campaign than his first two. Ojabo only handled a 33% snap share, however, and that rotational role resulted in limited production. Two sacks and nine pressures were a reflection of his workload but also an inability to move up the depth chart (which was led by Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh). With one year remaining on his rookie contract, this summer will be critical for Ojabo.

As The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes (subscription required), Van Noy and Oweh remain in position as starters for 2025. Baltimore’s pass rush group also includes returnees Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac, along with second-round rookie Mike Green. Those five can be considered roster locks, whereas Ojabo enters training camp on the bubble. Per Zrebiec, Ojabo could “very easily” find himself on a new team in 2025.

As things stand, Ojabo is set to carry a cap charge of $2.52MM for the final year of his pact. Cutting or trading him would create $1.78MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of only $733K. It would come as a surprise to see a notable trade market in this case, given Ojabo’s missed time and limited production when on the field. In the event he were to be waived, though, teams looking for a depth addition with upside based on age could show interest in a modest deal following roster cuts.

Van Noy is entering the final season of his pact while Oweh is slated to play on his fifth-year option as things stand. Keeping one or both in the fold beyond 2025 would be an understandable goal for the Ravens after each member of that tandem produced double-digit sacks last season. Robinson, Isaac and Green will each be on their rookie deals for at least two more years, so they can be expected to remain in place for that time. Ojabo, on the other hand, could find himself on the move in the near future.

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