Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): DE Kameron Cline
New York Giants
- Waived: S Terrell Burgess (with failed physical designation), G Solomon Kindley
MAY 5: Details on the pact are in, courtesy of the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. Ford can earn up to $3.25MM this season, based on playing time and sack incentives. His guarantee amount checks in at $1.5MM, and his cap hit will be $2.25MM. Ford will look to provide the Bills with a relatively low-cost veteran along the interior, but a strong showing this season could earn him another multi-year contract, either from Buffalo or elsewhere next year.
MAY 2: With the Seahawks bringing in two new defensive tackle starters, Poona Ford will head elsewhere. The veteran interior defensive lineman agreed to terms with the Bills on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Bills have since announced the signing.
Ford will sign a one-year contract to join the Bills, with Pelissero adding the sixth-year defender declined at least one more lucrative offer in order to land with the AFC East contender. The Bills did not allocate any draft resources to their interior D-line; Ford will join an experienced group in Buffalo. GM Brandon Beane said the team planned to draft a defensive tackle but noted the value never added up with the board.
The Bills re-signed Jordan Phillips this offseason and still roster former first-round pick Ed Oliver, ex-Washington inside rusher Tim Settle and veteran DaQuan Jones. Ford, who made 63 starts in Seattle from 2019-22, will commit to Buffalo hours after the NFL’s deadline for signings to affect the compensatory formula. Moves past 3pm CT Monday do not affect 2024 compensatory picks. With this date annually spurring a third wave of sorts in free agency, the Bills are taking advantage and beefing up their defensive front.
Ford, 27, re-signed with the Seahawks in March 2021, inking a two-year contract with that signed him as a UDFA back in 2018. Ford played out that two-year, $12.35MM pact last season, and the Seahawks have changed up their interior D-line once again. Seattle released both Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods, signing Dre’Mont Jones and reuniting with Jarran Reed. The team also used two Day 3 picks on D-linemen this year.
Pro Football Focus graded Ford as one of the NFL’s top run-defending D-tackles in 2020 and ’21, slotting him as a top-20 player at the position overall in each season. Last season, PFF was down on Ford’s performance and ranked him outside the top 75 at the position. Seattle, however, had switched from its longtime 4-3 alignment into more of a 3-4 look under DC Clint Hurtt. Ford, who finished with three sacks last year and combined for 25 tackles for loss from 2019-22, will return to a 4-3 setup in Buffalo.
ESPN’s run stop win rate included both Oliver and Jones in the top 10 among D-tackles, and the Bills finished last season fifth against the run. But the Bengals mashed the Bills’ front in a one-sided playoff matchup. Cincinnati’s 172-yard outing in the snow played a significant role in the Bills being ousted at home. And the team, which lost Harrison Phillips in 2022, still has many long-term questions at the position.
Oliver is entering his fifth-year option season. Ford will now join Settle, Jones and Phillips as Bills inside D-linemen unsigned beyond this season. For 2023, however, Buffalo boasts a deep contingent at this spot. Von Miller‘s ACL recovery overshadows the other components on this line, but the Ford pact stands to help the unit as the future Hall of Famer aims to return to form.
MAY 4: Murray will join the Bills on a veteran-minimum deal. The central New York native committed to the Bills on a one-year, $1.17MM deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. This is the highest league-minimum threshold, with Murray having at least seven years’ service time. Buffalo will guarantee the 11th-year vet $650K, Wilson adds.
MAY 1: The first of several veteran free agent running backs still on the market following the draft has found a new home. The Bills announced on Monday that they have signed Latavius Murray to a one-year deal. 
Buffalo hosted the 33-year-old earlier this month, so it comes as little surprise that a contract has now been agreed to. Running back was seen by many as an area of need for the Bills this offseason, and the team declined to make any additions at the position during the draft. They will now take the veteran route in an effort to boost their ground game.
Murray began the 2022 season in New Orleans, where he had previously played in 2019 and ’20, but spent most of the campaign in Denver. The Broncos turned to him as their lead back after losing Javonte Williams to an ACL tear and eventually releasing Melvin Gordon. Murray took advantage of that opportunity, leading the team with 703 rushing yards (on an average of 4.4 per carry) and scoring five touchdowns.
That led to the expectation he would remain in the Mile High City, and in doing so reunite with former Saints head coach Sean Payton on a more permanent basis. Denver added Samaje Perine as a backup, but even that move seemed to leave the door open to Murray inking a pact with the Broncos. Instead, the latter will look to carve out a rotational role in the Bills’ new-look backfield.
Devin Singletary departed in free agency, leading the Bills to sign former Patriot Damien Harris in free agency. Buffalo had previously traded for Nyheim Hines and used a second-round pick in last year’s draft on James Cook. Murray profiles closer to Harris than the latter two in terms of skillset, and snaps could be hard to come by if the team’s RB room remains healthy. Still, Buffalo appears to be making a concerted effort to increase their production in the run game in a way which lessens quarterback Josh Allen‘s workload, and the addition of Murray could prove to be an effective step in that direction.
A key party in a few teams’ early-round draft machinations, the Cardinals played a particularly important role in what could be long-term AFC South roster construction. They made deals with both the Texans and Titans, equipping each with potential 2020s pillars.
Both teams discussed prospective trades with the Cardinals before the draft. The Titans did not have to give up what it would have cost to move from No. 11 to No. 3 — a climb Tennessee was continually connected to attempting — but they had C.J. Stroud in mind. The new Texans quarterback was the Titans’ target at No. 3, with Albert Breer of SI.com confirming the team dropped out of trade talks after Houston took the Ohio State passer at 2.
The Titans were viewed as high on Stroud, and with the Texans believed to be planning to take a momentous risk — tabling their quarterback need yet again to select an edge rusher — it looked like Tennessee could have a clear path to trading up for its preferred passer. But Nick Caserio confirmed (via NBC Sports’ Peter King) his team had decided on Stroud at No. 2. That decision ran counter to just about every Texans-centric report leading up to the draft. Though, reports of Houston’s defensive end intent were not entirely inaccurate, given how the team proceeded at No. 3.
Although Caserio taking Stroud at No. 2 removed a buyer for 3 in the Titans, the Texans still traded a monster haul to land the Cardinals’ No. 3 choice. Houston gave up No. 33, along with first- and third-round picks in 2024. The Texans held two 2024 firsts, thanks to the historic Deshaun Watson package, and Houston’s first — not Cleveland’s — now belongs to Arizona. The Texans’ lengthy rebuild process has involved top-three draft real estate in each of the past three drafts, running a risk the team gave a prime draft asset for a non-quarterback in Will Anderson Jr. Two of the three Browns first-rounders acquired in the Watson trade ended up going toward Anderson.
Caserio and former Patriots coworker Monti Ossenfort had engaged in pre-draft talks about a trade involving the Nos. 3 and 12 picks, Breer adds, and King confirms the Cards and Texans agreed to the swap with “close to a minute left” on the clock.
“It helped that I had a personal relationship with Nick Caserio in Houston,” Ossenfort said during an appearance on the Dave Pasch Podcast (via AZCardinals.com). “… There was some back and forth there and the clock’s going, the clock’s going, and I think it was around two-and-a-half minutes where we have a couple of [different] deals up written up on the board [with] a couple of teams and it’s ‘OK, Nick, I think we’re at a spot where we are close here. It’s this and this for this, this and this. Are you in?’ ‘Yeah, I’m in.’ And it’s ‘OK, great, call it in.'”
Ossenfort had planned on trading back up and called multiple teams in order to secure Paris Johnson draft real estate. After talks with fellow former coworker Dave Ziegler did not produce a deal with the Raiders, Ossenfort found a taker in the Lions, allowing them to avoid taking Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 6.
The Cardinals and Titans revisited their talks Friday, and GM Ran Carthon pivoted to the freefalling Will Levis. The Titans had discussed a deal to move back into Round 1, with Levis as the target, with Breer adding they discussed the move with the Bills — at No. 27 — late Thursday night. The Titans were one of many teams trying to move back into the first round, and teams also made offers to the Steelers for 32. The Titans may well have been one of those to send the Steelers a proposal for 32, but they ended up trading 2023 and 2024 third-rounders to climb eight spots to 33 for the Kentucky QB.
This draft brought some notable what-ifs regarding the non-Jaguars wing of the AFC South, seeing as the Colts were tied to Levis for weeks only to have been preparing an Anthony Richardson pick for a while. Should Stroud, Richardson and Levis become surefire starters, this will certainly go down as one of the most pivotal drafts in the AFC South’s 22-year history.
As the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)
Baltimore Ravens
Round 1, No. 22: Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College) (signed)
Round 3, No. 86: Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson) (signed)
Round 4, No. 124: Tavius Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 5, No. 157: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (Stanford) (signed)
Round 6, No. 199: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Browns): Andrew Vorhees, G (USC) (signed)
Buffalo Bills
Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)
Carolina Panthers
Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)
Chicago Bears
Round 1, No. 10 (from Saints through Eagles): Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 2, No. 53 (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter, DT (Florida) (signed)
Round 2, No. 56 (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB (Miami) (signed)
Round 3, No. 64: Zacch Pickens, DT (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 4, No. 115 (from Saints): Roschon Johnson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 4, No. 133 (from Eagles): Tyler Scott, WR (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens): Noah Sewell, LB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 5, No. 165 (from Saints through Eagles): Terell Smith, CB (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7, No. 218: Travis Bell, DT (Kennesaw State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 258: Kendall Williamson, S (Stanford) (signed)
Cincinnati Bengals
Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)
The Commanders made a move up the board early in Round 5. They are acquiring No. 137 overall from the Bills, who will add No. 150 and No. 215, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
With the pick, Ron Rivera‘s team chose Clemson edge rusher K.J. Henry. This marks the third Clemson D-lineman to be chosen in this draft, following first-rounders Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee. Overall, the Tigers have seen four front-seven standouts chosen in this draft, with the Ravens taking linebacker Trenton Simpson in Round 3.
This pick proves interesting for the Commanders, given their present defensive line situation. The four first-round D-linemen chosen from 2017-20 — Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, Chase Young — remain on the team. But Washington now has both Sweat and Young going into contract years. The Commanders passed on Young’s fifth-year option this week.
Henry posted 13 sacks over the past four seasons and finished with a career-high nine tackles for loss in 2022. The Commanders used former seventh-round pick James Smith-Williams as Young’s primary fill-in last season; Young’s 2021 ACL tear — a complex injury that led to the option decline — has given Smith-Williams considerable run opposite Sweat. But Washington will bring in some additional depth in Henry.
After moving from No. 24 to No. 25, the Jaguars are sliding back once again. This time, they’re trading with the Bills, sending No. 25 to Buffalo for picks No. 27 and No. 130, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Buffalo made the trade to select the draft’s first tight end in Utah’s Dalton Kincaid. 
With the Cowboys — a team frequently linked to drafting a seam-stretcher on Thursday — set to pick at No. 26, this slot represents a logical trade-up spot for the Bills. Buffalo was named as a team to watch with respect to a receiver addition, but the recent run at that position left Kincaid available. That development could pay significant dividends for Buffalo.
Kincaid emerged as a red zone threat in 2021 by scoring eight touchdowns. He matched that figure last year, while taking on a larger role in the team’s offense. The 6-3, 246-pounder recorded 890 yards on 70 receptions in 2022, making a strong case as the top pass-catching tight end in the 2023 class, one which has been the source of considerable praise during the pre-draft process.
Michael Mayer has often been listed as the most well-rounded TE available, but the Notre Dame product remains on the board. Kincaid thus has the distinction of the top player at the position but also finds himself entering an enviable situation with respect to the offense he will now be joining.
The Bills boast one of the league’s most productive passing attacks, but much of their success comes from the receiver position. Kincaid will provide the team with a complimentary option to veteran Dawson Knox in the middle of the field, and should be able to form a formidable tandem with him for many years to come. With the Bills still searching for a consistent No. 2 option on the perimeter, they have at least exited Day 1 with a noteworthy addition to their offense.
Jahmyr Gibbs continues to generate first-round buzz, and it sounds like a pair of AFC contenders have their eye on the Alabama product. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, both the Bills and Bengals have been tied to the running back.
Gibbs has continued to climb up draft boards in recent weeks following a productive season at Alabama. After transferring from Georgia Tech, Gibbs put together a 1,370-yards, 10-touchdown season with the Crimson Tide. Almost a third of his total yards came in the receiving game, leading scouts to assume that he’ll serve in a Swiss Army Knife-type role in the NFL.
While there have been some concerns regarding his 5-11, 200-pound frame, Gibbs has emerged as the draft’s clear No. 2 RB behind Texas prospect Bijan Robinson. ESPN’s Todd McShay recently wrote that Gibbs has received continued attention around the NFL from evaluators, and it’s gotten to the point where he is expected to be drafted in the first round.
The valuation of running backs has made it difficult to project the range for high-end prospects at the position. However, McShay noted that some teams have little in the way of a gap in ranking between Gibbs and Robinson, and both players are expected to hear their names called later tonight.
Buffalo (No. 27) would be a natural landing spot for Gibbs considering their uncertain depth chart, while Cincinnati (No. 28) would have to get creative with his usage considering the presence of Joe Mixon. Of course, they’re not the only teams with their eye on the player. Breer reiterates previously reported interest from the Giants and Chiefs, and the Dolphins have also been mentioned as a suitor.
Jalen Carter visited all six teams holding a pick between Nos. 5 and 10. That sextet continues to be connected to the higher-risk prospect ahead of the draft. The Bears and Eagles are believed to be on board with the former Georgia dynamo, but the Seahawks (No. 5) and Falcons (No. 8) — barring another team’s trade-up maneuver or Carter going in the top four — would have first dibs.
Seattle is believed to be split on Carter, per ProFootballNetwork.com’s Tony Pauline. Although a report earlier this week indicated Pete Carroll is ready to pull the trigger, the Seahawks are not certain to do so. The prospect of Carter playing in Atlanta, which is near Athens, has emerged as a Falcons red flag, per Pauline, who adds Carter having left the scene of the accident that killed two members of Georgia’s program has injected more doubt from teams. Carter reached a plea deal and will not serve any jail time in connection with the two misdemeanor charges he faced. While some teams are believed to have taken the top-flight talent off their draft boards, Carter said some of his visits did not include questioning about the January night in which he was at the scene of the aforementioned fatal car accident.
Here is the latest from the draft:
- One of the few players who may be drafted ahead of Carter, Tyree Wilson has generated some concern regarding his injury past. The former Texas Tech edge rusher is coming off a Lisfranc fracture, and Pauline adds he underwent a second surgery this offseason. Some teams, including the Cardinals and Texans, have passed Wilson on a physical. Not all did, and Pauline adds teams have looked into the back trouble he experienced last season as well. Wilson remains on track to be a top-10 pick, but his health will be worth monitoring as he begins his NFL career.
- Staying on the topic of edge defenders, Pauline adds the Bills have done some late work on Iowa State prospect Will McDonald. Scouts Inc.’s No. 25 overall prospect, McDonald may be in range for the Bills, who hold the No. 27 pick. The Bills have been calling coaches on Iowa State’s staff to gather more intel leading up to the draft. McDonald finished as the Cyclones’ all-time sack leader (34). The Bills have taken defensive ends in two of the past three first rounds, choosing Gregory Rousseau and Boogie Basham. Von Miller is also coming off an ACL tear and not a lock to be ready for Week 1. Buffalo’s pass rush also struggled without the future Hall of Famer last season.
- Closely tied to this year’s top wide receivers, the Giants may have a receiver-cornerback hierarchy going into the draft. Mentioned as preferring Jordan Addison and Zay Flowers, the Giants could pivot to corner if both are off the board at No. 25. But a corner is likely the Giants’ Plan B in Round 1, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano (on Twitter). The Giants have Adoree’ Jackson going into a contract year, and the team is unlikely to extend him before next year, and Aaron Robinson is coming off a season-ending injury. Big Blue did sign ex-Lion Amani Oruwariye to a low-cost deal, but this is one of the team’s neediest areas. The Giants are fans of Michigan corner DJ Turner, per Pauline, but he would not appear to represent Round 1 value. Scouts Inc. grades Turner 56th overall.
- The Dolphins have looked into Dalvin Cook and may still be in the mix for a player not certain to be with the Vikings much longer, but the team is in on this rookie running back crop. The Dolphins have spent a lot of time with Texas A&M’s Devon Achane — he of a 4.32-second 40-yard dash — over the past two weeks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. The Dolphins do not have a pick until No. 51; Scouts Inc. grades Achane 78th overall and fifth among this class’ backs. The consensus second-best back in the draft — Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs — also interests the Dolphins, per NBC Sports’ Peter King, but a major trade-up would likely be necessary for Gibbs.
The Bears have already moved back once in the first round, sending the No. 1 pick to the Panthers for a package that included the No. 9 pick in Thursday’s draft. While the front office was able to restock their draft capital, the team could still look to move back a second time. According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, the Bears “probably would like to trade down” as they pursue more picks.
Volin suspects that the organization likes Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers but has no intention of taking him in the top 10. By trading back in the first round, Ryan Poles and co. can continue to collect assets while also selecting their preferred prospect in a more palatable spot. Volin also suggests that the front office could simply look to deal some of their non-firsts to trade into the back end of the first round, with the writer suggesting a package of picks No. 53, No. 61, and No. 64.
The Bears made a clear commitment to Justin Fields when they traded out of the first selection, eliminating any shot at adding one of the draft’s top QB prospects. The team’s apparent pursuit of Flowers emphasizes their desire to surround Fields with as many talented playmakers as possible, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the organization adds a handful of skill players before the draft is complete.
More notes leading up to Thursday’s draft…
- A league executive told Peter King of Football Morning in America that the Eagles “love” Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith, and the writer believes there’s a chance the organization selects the prospect with the 10th-overall pick. While many pundits have assumed the Eagles would select someone like Northwestern lineman Peter Skoronski, King notes that the organization generally hasn’t used high draft picks on offensive guards. Further, the team’s grouping of edge rushers (Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat) are pushing an average age of 30, so it wouldn’t be a shock if they add some youth to the grouping.
- The Bills like North Carolina wideout Josh Downs, according to King. Scouts believe the receiver could start in the slot from Day 1, providing Josh Allen with another talented pass-catcher outside of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Downs averaged nearly 100 yards per game over the past two seasons.
- A number of teams believe the Ravens will be eyeing wide receivers when it’s their turn to pick at No. 22, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. While the organization added Odell Beckham to a grouping that also includes Rashod Bateman, the team could be looking for another burner to pair with Lamar Jackson. Breer points to Flowers as a “potential interesting fit.”
- The Chiefs have made calls about moving up from the No. 31 pick, according to Breer. While teams believe Kansas City is simply looking for a “discounted way” to move up the board, Breer notes that the organization wouldn’t make such a move unless they had their eye on a particular prospect. Once again, Flowers comes up as a potential target, and Breer also points to Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt, and Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith as options.