Browns Sign Second-Round S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Mentioned as a possible first-round pick, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren needed to wait much longer to hear his name called in this year’s draft. The Browns swooped in to keep the Toledo prospect in Ohio, taking him off the board at No. 58.
The Browns moved up 12 spots for McNeil-Warren, who has signed his rookie contract Thursday. Like all draft deals beyond Round 1, this is a four-year deal. McNeil-Warren took a “30” visit to Cleveland, one of many for the high-end safety prospect, in March. The Browns now have nine of their 10 2026 draftees — all but first-round wide receiver KC Concepcion — signed to their rookie deals.
[RELATED: Browns Sign Spencer Fano, Seven Other Draftees]
McNeil-Warren is now set to make his home in northeast Ohio, where he will join a Browns team rostering Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman. The Browns have Delpit signed to an extension, while they applied a second-round RFA tender to Hickman in March.
Teaming with 2024 Eagles first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell in Toledo’s secondary for two seasons, McNeil-Warren intercepted five passes and forced nine fumbles with the MAC program. Our Ely Allen submitted a thorough prospect profile on the mid-major prospect before the draft, and Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board — which slotted McNeil-Warren 15th overall — viewed the Browns as landing a steal late in Round 2.
A rangy ballhawk who was sticky in coverage with the Rockets, McNeil-Warren will need to make a substantial competition jump. Mitchell had no trouble with that vault, however, and Browns GM Andrew Berry‘s twin brother (Eagles exec Adam Berry) observed that rise closely. A third-team All-American last season, McNeil-Warren clocked a 4.52-second 40 time at the Combine. The 6-foot-3 DB prospect was viewed as a player who would join Caleb Downs and Dillon Thieneman in Round 1, but he ended up needing to wait 33 picks after Thieneman to be selected. McNeil-Warren was this draft’s fourth safety chosen, also going after Arizona’s Treydan Stukes (38th, Raiders).
Cleveland traded up 12 spots (via the 49ers) for McNeil-Warren, who certainly has a path to a regular role on an experienced defense in the near future. Delpit and Hickman are in contract years, pointing to a runway for McNeil-Warren to grow into a starter by the 2027 season at the latest.
The Seahawks signed their second-round safety (TCU’s Bud Clark) to a deal that includes two fully guaranteed years, with $1.15MM of his 2028 base salary locked in as well. This year’s No. 53 overall pick, Colts LB C.J. Allen, received three years fully guaranteed plus another $638K in Year 4. McNeil-Warren could reasonably land three fully guaranteed years on this pact, as second-rounders continue to make widespread gains on the guarantee front.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/26
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Stephen Dix Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Waived/failed physical: TE Luke Lachey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Mante’ Morrow
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Terrill Davis
- Waived: OLB Jordan Botelho
New York Giants
- Signed: OLB Khalid Kareem
- Placed on IR: CB Thaddeus Dixon
New York Jets
- Waived: K Will Ferrin
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Rashad Rochelle, WR Trayvon Rudolph
- Waived: OLB Devean Deal
- Waived/failure to disclose physical condition: WR Michael Briscoe
Dixon suffered an Achilles tear during a Wednesday workout with the Giants, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Dixon was part of New York’s six-man UDFA class, joining the team after a college tenure at North Carolina. Ranked by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler as a top-200 prospect in this year’s class, Dixon will likely miss the season. A return after an injury settlement would be the only way Dixon could play for the Giants this season.
The Jets included Ferrin among their 12-man priority free agent class, but he will not make it far into the offseason with the team. New York still rosters kickers Cade York and Lenny Krieg.
Falcons Sign Round 2 CB Avieon Terrell To Fully Guaranteed Deal
Second-round draft signings annually drag on longest during the offseason. Even as the 2011 CBA implemented a slot system for rookie deals, guaranteed money represents a variable — and the second round has brought a battleground of sorts on this front for several years.
Last year saw a slew of second-rounders receive fully guaranteed contracts, as the Saints’ decision to give No. 40 overall pick Tyler Shough four guaranteed years forced the hands of a few teams. The line of demarcation for fully guaranteed rookie contracts is moving well beyond No. 40 this year, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the Falcons’ agreement with second-round cornerback Avieon Terrell will be fully guaranteed.
Atlanta announced Terrell’s signing earlier this afternoon, but the guarantee component is certainly the most notable takeaway here. The Falcons chose Terrell 48th overall. By striking a fully guaranteed agreement with the Clemson product in mid-May, the Falcons will box in a handful of teams who made picks between Nos. 41 and 47. The agents for those players will have clear paths to ensure their clients land fully guaranteed rookie contracts.
The Falcons have also signed fourth-round defensive linemen Anterio Thompson to his rookie contract, per a team announcement. This completes Atlanta’s rookie-class signings. The team did not hold a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but it will set an interesting precedent for a player with a close connection to a former Falcons first-rounder. Avieon enters the NFL six years after brother AJ did. The Terrells will headline Atlanta’s CB room moving forward.
Trading their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams to move up 20 spots (for James Pearce Jr.) in the 2025 first round, the Falcons made Avieon Terrell the centerpiece of their ’26 draft. The younger Terrell has a path to starting alongside his brother, who has been Atlanta’s No. 1 corner for many years. Viewed as a player who may fit best in the slot, Avieon Terrell earned second-team All-American acclaim at Clemson last season. The first Tigers All-American CB in nine years, Terrell earned this accolade without notching an interception. He did, however, force five fumbles to bring his career total to eight.
Avieon, 21, is nearly seven years younger than AJ. The younger Terrell CB sibling is also an Atlanta native. Expectations will be relatively high for the younger Terrell, though with the Falcons rostering AJ and other vets at the position, an onramp exists here. Atlanta has Mike Hughes as a starter option opposite AJ Terrell, while 2025 draftee Billy Bowman saw extensive slot time during an injury-plagued rookie season.
When the 2011 CBA reshaped rookie-scale deals, that year’s first-round group did not all receive fully guaranteed pacts. As recently as 2024, no second-rounder secured one. The Saints’ Shough decision has become transformative, as after eight second-rounders received fully guaranteed accords in 2025, the Terrell contract positions this year’s second round on track to have at least 16 such players.
The prospects chosen between Nos. 41 and 47 (Bengals EDGE Cashius Howell, Saints DT Christen Miller, Dolphins LB Jacob Rodriguez, Lions EDGE Derrick Moore, Ravens EDGE Zion Young, Buccaneers LB Josiah Trotter and Steelers WR Germie Bernard) will have Terrell’s camp to thank for favorable terms soon.
Seahawks Agree To Terms With Round 2 S Bud Clark
Last year saw dramatic increases in guarantees for Day 2 draft picks, with eight second-rounders receiving fully guaranteed contracts for the first time. The trend is continuing in 2026.
Seahawks second-round pick (No. 64 overall) Bud Clark has agreed to his rookie contract, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, which will pay him $7.88MM over the next four years.
The rookie pay scale is set by the league, but draftees are empowered to negotiate payment schedules and guarantees. Clark will receive $5.47MM in guarantees, comprised of a $2.2MM signing bonus, his 2026 and 2027 salaries, and $1.15MM of his 2028 salary.
Clark’s guarantees represent 69.4% of his total deal, a substantial increase from last year’s No. 64 pick, Andrew Mukuba. $4.2MM of his $7.16MM deal (58.6%) with the Eagles came guaranteed (via OverTheCap), which included $343K in his third year, a first for his draft slot. For additional context, the No. 64 pick in 2024, Renardo Green, signed a rookie contract with 52.4% guaranteed with none in Year 3.
This signing continues a trend of eight-pick jumps in guarantee increases. Tyler Shough, the No. 40 pick in 2025, received a fully guaranteed contract, putting him on par with the No. 32 pick in 2024. The second-rounders behind him then sought similar bumps commensurate to the players selected eight picks earlier the year prior, as reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Accordingly, Clark’s percentage of guaranteed money lands between that of the 56th and 57th overall picks in 2025.
First-rounder Jadarian Price is now the only Seahawks draft pick who has yet to sign his rookie deal. He will receive a fully guaranteed contract, so he will be looking for improvements elsewhere in the deal. He will become the first player at his draft slot to receive over 50% of his rookie deal as a signing bonus, and he may also seek a more advantageous pay schedule via roster bonuses. The exact amount of Price’s increases will depend on the 11 unsigned picks ahead of him.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/26
Wednesday’s draft pick signings from the 2026 NFL Draft class:
Cincinnati Bengals
- CB Tacario Davis (third round, Washington)
Houston Texans
- LB Wade Woodaz (fourth round, Clemson)
After inking Davis, the Bengals now have only to sign second-round defensive end Cashius Howell to complete the signing of their 2026 rookie class. Before considering this as pretty much done, though, it may be worth remembering how long it took Cincinnati to sign its top draft pick last year.
Raiders Sign DT Benito Jones
The Raiders officially signed veteran defensive tackle Benito Jones, per a team announcement, reuniting the 28-year-old with defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
Leonard was the Dolphins’ assistant defensive line coach when Jones arrived in Miami as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Jones appeared in six games as a rookie while being coached directly by Leonard. In 2021, though, Leonard was moved to outside linebackers and Jones did not see the field.
The Dolphins waived Jones during roster cuts in 2022. He was claimed by the Lions and immediately stepped into a rotational role along their defensive line, appearing in all 17 games with a 27% snap share. He emerged as Detroit’s primary nose tackle in 2023 and started 15 games while playing 52% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Jones returned to Miami in 2024 and made another 15 starts. He saw less playing time last year with just a 30% snap share before he landed on injured reserve in December. Like many massive nose tackles, he has not stuffed the stat sheet in his career with just 83 tackle, 3.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss across 71 games. In Las Vegas, Jones will replace Brodric Martin, who was waived with an injury designation in a corresponding move.
The Lions traded up to select Martin in the third round of the 2023 draft. He only appeared in five games across his first two seasons, which included an IR stint in 2024 due to a knee injury. He was waived during roster cuts last year and made his way to the Chiefs’ practice squad. The Steelers plucked him out of Kansas City and used him for one game before waiving him in December.
The Raiders claimed Martin (and his contract), keeping him on the roster heading into 2026. However, his waived/injured designation indicates that he could not pass a physical during the team’s offseason program. With just five games and 65 total snaps to his name, the 26-year-old seems unlikely to attract interest on waivers and may need to wait until he’s healthy for an offer from another team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/26
Today’s midweek minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Raiders): WR Brenden Rice
Houston Texans
- Waived (with injury designation): OLB Xavier Thomas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Reverted to IR: CB Jeremiah Wilson
New York Jets
- Waived (with injury settlement): S Chris Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Makari Paige
Jets, RB Breece Hall Agree To Extension
MAY 13: The deal will include $29MM guaranteed over its first two years, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweets. While it is not known if this figure is fully guaranteed, that is likely the case due to what Hall would have made on two franchise tags. If the $29MM is locked in at signing, it will rank fourth among RBs (and second among non-rookie-contract deals at the position). Two void years are included in the contract, per Breer. Hall will carry cap hits of $11.48MM (2026), $14.48MM (2027) and $15.48MM (2028).
There are $1.5MM in incentives present as well. Hall reaching seven rushing touchdowns, surpassing 1,426 scrimmage yards or being named to the Pro Bowl would carry a $250K bump in each season, Breer adds. Hall if the first of this year’s three franchise-tagged players to sign an extension.
MAY 11: The Jets have officially announced the extension. We’ve also learned that the base value of the contract actually comes in at $43.5MM, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
MAY 8: Breece Hall‘s Jets tenure will continue beyond 2026. The franchise-tagged running back has worked out an extension agreement with New York.
Team and player have struck a three-year deal, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He adds this extension is worth up to $45.75MM. Instead of only being in place for one more season due to the tag, Hall will now be on the books through 2028.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes $45.75MM represents the base value of this deal. As such, Hall’s average annual value checks in at $15.25MM. That figure ranks third in the NFL among running backs, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. The position’s landscape could change soon with Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson each eligible for extensions of their own this offseason. In any case, Hall’s outlook has now become much clearer.
The transition tag loomed as an option for New York to keep Hall in the fold for 2026. However, interest in offer sheets would have emerged had the Jets used the less-expensive one-year tender. Indeed, the Broncos were among the teams which would have pursed Hall in that scenario. As such, New York wound up applying the non-exclusive franchise tag. That set Hall up for $14.29MM in guaranteed 2026 earnings, but a long-term arrangement has now taken the place of the tag. The upfront payments in this new deal will be interesting to see.
On that note, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports Hall will receive $29MM guaranteed. That figure essentially matches what he would have collected by playing on two straight franchise tags. Connor Hughes of SNY adds that locked-in money will be paid out over the next two years, with no guarantees present for 2028. This agreement is therefore a $14.5MM-per-year pact for now with incentives present in Year 3 which could increase Hall’s overall earnings.
Hall, who will turn 25 later this month, expressed a desire to remain in place with the Jets and a general confidence that he would eventually land a deal near the top of the running back market. Both goals have now been achieved. After the tag was applied, a period following the draft emerged as a target for a multiyear extension to be finalized. GM Darren Mougey expressed optimism a deal would be reached, and that has proven to be the case in time for spring practices.
As a rookie, Hall flashed plenty of potential before suffering an ACL tear. Since returning to action, the former second-rounder has handled a heavy workload and been a regular presence in the passing game along the way. Hall topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in 2025, but he recorded more than 1,300 scrimmage yards for the third year in a row while doing so. The Iowa State product will once again be joined by Braelon Allen in the backfield next season, although another large offensive role for Hall can be expected.
The Jets will have Garrett Wilson in place once again for 2026, and he too is under contract for the future. Mougey has been busy adding at the skill positions, selecting tight end Mason Taylor in last year’s draft and trading for receiver Adonai Mitchell as part of the Sauce Gardner blockbuster. Last month, New York used two of three first-round selections on another tight end (Kenyon Sadiq) and an additional wideout (Omar Cooper Jr.). Those players, led in large part by Hall, will serve as an offensive nucleus moving forward.
Saints Place OL Nick Saldiveri On Reserve/PUP
After a knee injury knocked Nick Saldiveri out for the entire 2025 campaign, the guard is set to miss another season. The Saints placed the offensive lineman on the reserve/PUP list, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.
Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football clarifies that the reserve/PUP list is different than the active/PUP list that’s often used at the beginning of training camp. Today’s designation means Saldiveri will not be able to suit up for New Orleans during the upcoming season.
It’s an unfortunate development for the 2023 fourth-round pick. The guard worked his way back from calf and shoulder injuries early in his career, eventually starting six of 11 appearances as a sophomore. That 2024 campaign ended early thanks to a first knee injury, but Saldiveri seemed to have established himself as at least a dependable depth piece for the Saints.
Saldiveri suffered his second knee injury during last year’s training camp, landing him on season-ending injured reserve. That same injury will now erase his 2026 campaign. The 25-year-old will be a free agent next offseason.
The Saints recently used a fourth-round pick on Jeremiah Wright, and the team could end up depending on the rookie behind Cesar Ruiz and David Edwards. New Orleans is also still rostering versatile lineman Dillon Radunz, who started 10 games for New Orleans in 2025.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/26
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Shane Zylstra
- Waived: K Maddux Trujillo
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Paul Manning, WR Michael Woods
- Waived: RB Deuce Vaughn, CB Will Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: DB M.J. Devonshire (from Bills), TE Luke Lachey (from Texans)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Johnny Pascuzzi, S Myles Purchase, OT Laekin Vakalahi
- Waived: OLB Niles King, TE Tanner McLachlan, TE Thomas Yassmin
- Waived/injured: CB Jeremiah Wilson
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserved/retired list: RB Le’Veon Moss
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived/failed physical: CB Cory Trice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Caden Fordham