HEADLINES

Transactions News & Rumors

Texans Sign Six Undrafted Free Agents

May 11th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Texans have signed six undrafted free agents, bringing their rookie class to 15 players. Here are Houston’s UDFA signings:

  • Austin Brinkman, LS (West Virginia)
  • Eli Cox, C (Kentucky)
  • Alijah Huzzie, CB (North Carolina)
  • Daniel Jackson, WR (Minnesota)
  • K.C. Ossai, LB (Louisiana)
  • Junior Tafuna, DT (Utah)

The Texans let longtime long snapper Jon Weeks walk in free agency, so Brinkman will compete with reserve/futures signing Tucker Addington for the LS roster spot this summer. His three-year contract includes $110k in guaranteed money, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Cox was a four-year starter along Kentucky’s offensive line with experience at center (35 starts) and right guard (12 starts). He showed off excellent athleticism at the Combine, but lacks ideal length and power for the NFL. His movement skills and football I.Q. could make him a solid fit in the zone-based scheme of new Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley. Cox will receive $250K in total guarantees on his first NFL contract, according to Wilson.

Huzzle was an early riser at the East-West Shrine Bowl, but tore his ACL during team practice, sidelining him for the rest of the pre-draft process and likely his rookie year. That tanked his draft stock, but Huzzle still has potential as a playmaker in the secondary and on special teams. He recorded 12 interceptions and 42 passes defended across 30 games at East Tennessee State before transferring to North Carolina, where he posted 18 passes defended and four picks in the last two years. Huzzle’s size (5-foot-10, 30-inch arms) will likely keep him in the slot in the NFL, though he has experience on the outside as well. He also brings upside as a punt returner.

Ossai is the younger brother of Bengals edge rusher Joseph Ossai. His contract with the Texans includes $175k in guarantees ($15K signing bonus and $160k guaranteed salary), per Wilson.

Tafuna is a 6-foot-4, 308-pound defensive tackle who received some early praise from Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans at rookie minicamp (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). He wasn’t especially productive at Utah, recording only 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 45 career games (45 starts), but still earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2022 and 2023 with an All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2024. Tafuna is a strong, agile defensive lineman who can eat blocks in the trenches, even if he doesn’t post eye-popping statistics. He received $200k in total guarantees from the Texans, according to Wilson.

Bengals Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents

May 11th, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals announced 13 undrafted free agent signings to bring their rookie class to 19. Here are Cincinnati’s 2025 UDFAs:

The Bengals signed Barnett through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Born in Birmingham, England, he spent three years at the NFL Academy in Leicester before a year of Division III ball at Dickinson College. Barnett will need to figure out a positional fit in Cincinnati; at 6-foot-1 and 275 pounds, he’s too small for the interior but lacks the get-off of an edge rusher.

Cross was a consistent presence on Notre Dame’s defensive line over the past four years, including second-team All-American nods in the last two under new Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden. He has an explosive first step but struggles to control encounters due to his 6-foot-1, 285-pound frame and lack of elite strength to compensate. Cross’ size may limit him in the pros, but his intangibles – handed down from his father and former Giants tight end Howard Cross – will endear him to coaches and give him a chance at a roster spot.

Etienne is a 6-foot-6, 329-pound tackle who brings a promising athletic profile to the NFL. He struggled on the right side of BYU’s offensive line in 2023 but thrived on the blindside in 2024 and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. He has excellent length with 36-inch arms, but he has to find more ways to maximize his physical gifts with better technique and footwork.

McLaughlin spent four years at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State in 2024. As a Buckeye, he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and won the Rimington Trophy, given out annually to the best center in college football. That was despite missing the end of the season due to a torn Achilles, which required surgery and sidelined him throughout the pre-draft process. He fell out of the draft as a result, he’s an experienced, technically sound center with a reputation as a smart, dedicated worker on and off the field. With a smooth recovery, he could turn into one of the steals of the 2025 class with the potential to succeed Ted Karras as the Bengals’ starting center.

Steelers, RB Trey Sermon Agree To Deal

May 11th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers have lined up a backfield addition deep into free agency. Pittsburgh has agreed to a one-year deal with Trey Sermon, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

A third-round pick of the 49ers in 2021, Sermon only lasted one season in San Francisco. He did not survive roster cuts in advance of his second NFL campaign, with the 49ers placing him on waivers. The Eagles claimed him, although that did not yield a workload of note. Sermon handled a total of just 12 snaps in Philadelphia, and he found himself on the move the following year.

Shortly after being released in the summer of 2023, Sermon inked a practice squad deal with the Colts. His debut Indianapolis campaign resulted in 160 scoreless rushing yards, but the free agent departure of Zack Moss opened the door for an increased workload. At one point, Sermon seemed to be in position to handle RB2 duties behind Jonathan Taylor. In the end, though, the Ohio State product only saw a marginal uptick in carries (56 compared to 35).

As a result, this Steelers pact will no doubt be a small commitment on Pittsburgh’s part. The Steelers leaned heavily on former first-rounder Najee Harris over the past four seasons. As many expected, Harris departed in free agency this spring, leaving Jaylen Warren atop the depth chart. The latter is attached to a second-round RFA tender for 2025, and he will look to play his way into a long-term pact with Pittsburgh or another team next offseason.

The Steelers used a third-round pick (their second selection of the draft) on running back Kaleb Johnson. The Iowa product enjoyed a highly successful college career and he is in line to compete for a notable role alongside Warren and free agent signing Kenneth Gainwell as a rookie. Sermon, 26, could earn a place as the team’s No. 3 or 4 option in the backfield, although he does not have considerable experience on special teams (something which would likely be necessary for someone in that role to earn a roster spot).

The Steelers entered Sunday with more than $34MM in cap space, so today’s deal will not alter their other roster-building plans. Sermon will turn his attention to competing for a depth gig on his latest team during the summer.

Lions Add 10 UDFAs

May 11th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions added seven rookies to their roster via the draft. That group has been joined by the following 10 undrafted free agent signings:

Meeks’ pact contains $200K in total guarantees, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. That figure includes a $20K signing bonus. After spending his first three seasons at Georgia in a depth capacity, Meeks transferred to Syracuse last offseason. That paved the way for a breakthrough campaign (78-1,021-7 statline), one which has landed him the chance to compete for a roster spot this summer.

Tyus followed a similar career path by seeing sparse usage during his three-year tenure at Northwestern. Upon transferring out of the Big Ten and into the MAC, he took on a much larger role for Ohio. The 6-1, 220-pounder rushed for nine touchdowns in 2024 (after scoring two in his first three seasons) and racked up 1,352 scrimmage yards. Tyus will look to earn a spot on special teams to avoid cutdowns at the end of training camp.

While many of the league’s most lucrative UDFA deals were coming together in the aftermath of the draft, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported Keith Cooper Jr. had agreed to a contract including a $20K signing bonus and $125K in salary guarantees. However, the Houston edge rusher is listed as as a tryout player for the Lions’ rookie minicamp. As a result, he has not yet signed a deal.

Saints Announce Derek Carr’s Retirement

May 10th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints have announced the sudden retirement of veteran quarterback Derek Carr due to a shoulder injury.

Reports of Carr’s injury emerged in early April, though its exact nature and impact on the 2025 season were initially unclear. Scans later revealed that Carr suffered a torn labrum with “significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff,” according to the team’s statement. The 34-year-old quarterback tried an injection and rehab, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but opted against surgery that would likely sideline him for the 2025 season with no guarantee of a full recovery.

All eyes will now turn to the Saints’ quarterback situation under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. The team was already preparing for the possibility of Carr missing most or all of this season by using a second-round pick on Louisville QB Tyler Shough in last month’s draft. Shough was considered to be one of the most pro-ready passers in this year’s class and will have a chance to start as a rookie in New Orleans. His primary competition will be 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener and 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler, both of whom stepped in for Carr during his absence last season.

[RELATED: Saints Planning Open QB Competition]

Carr’s retirement also comes with a complicated financial compromise. The 2025 compensation in his original contract included a $10MM roster bonus and a base salary of $30MM guaranteed for injury, per OverTheCap. The roster bonus became fully guaranteed for the offseason and triggered this past March, when his salary was also set to upgrade into a full guarantee. The Saints restructured his contract in March instead, converting the roster bonus and salary into a signing bonus to reduce his 2025 cap hit.

Now, that restructure seems to be reversed. Carr will keep the roster bonus, but the Saints will not be responsible for his salary in cash or cap space, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The team will also process his retirement after June 1 to spread the remaining dead money across two years. Essentially, Carr is forgoing $30MM that he would otherwise be owed whether he retired or underwent surgery and spent the season on the sidelines.

Carr was just two seasons into a four-year, $150MM contract signed in 2023. He went 9-8 in his debut season in New Orleans, but missed seven games in 2024 and finished with a 5-5 record as a starter. His financial agreement with the Saints will result in $70MM paid out for two years and 27 starts.

The Saints’ announcement also included a statement from Carr:

“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with [his wife] Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League. For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”

Carr is retiring after 11 years in the NFL. The first nine years of that stretch were spent with the Raiders, and the former second-rounder will be best remembered for his tenure with them. Carr earned four Pro Bowl nods as a Raider, including three straight from 2015-17. With only one playoff start to his name, though, a lack of postseason appearances and success will be a key aspect of his legacy.

The Fresno State product was reunited with former college teammate Davante Adams in 2022, but that tandem remained in place for only one year. Things did not go according to plan during brief period of the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime, and Carr’s release brought about an end to his tenure in Vegas. His previous comments about retiring rather than playing for another franchise were replaced by his Saints pact, one which did not provide the desired results.

In all, Carr made 170 starts during his career, and his passing totals rank just outside the top 20 for quarterbacks in most categories. He amassed over $195MM in earnings over the course of his NFL tenure, one which has come to a rather abrupt end.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post. 

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/25

May 10th, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Miami Dolphins

  • Waived: LS Kneeland Hibbett

Washington Commanders

Hibbert joins Blake Ferguson as a long snapper the Dolphins have let go of recently. Miami signed longtime Patriot Joe Cardona yesterday, and this move confirms the 10-year veteran will handle deep snapping duties for the team in 2025.

Phillips will remain in the NFC East despite seeing his three-year Giants tenure come to an end. The 28-year-old has made a total of 47 appearances and 28 starts in his career, seeing time at guard and tackle along the way. He will look to earn a depth spot on a Washington O-line which has undergone multiple notable changes this offseason.

Buccaneers Sign 15 UDFAs

May 10th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers have already signed five of their six draft picks to their rookie deals. That group has seen the addition of the following 15 undrafted free agents to the roster:

Each of the three offensive linemen in this group received a notable financial commitment from Tampa Bay. Chukwuma secured a $55K signing bonus in addition to $245K in base salary guarantees, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Scott, meanwhile, landed $265K in total guarantees including $15K up front, according to Spotrac (via Greg Auman of Fox Sports). Similarly, Wilson adds Major’s pact contains a $10K signing bonus and $250K in salary guarantees.

Auman reports Hutmacher was originally on track to sign with the Ravens, but circumstances have led him to Tampa. He spent his entire five-year career with the Cornhuskers, collecting 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss across the past two campaigns. Hutmacher will aim to demonstrate his disruptiveness during the spring and in doing earn a depth spot along the D-line.

Watson drew attention when he weighed in at 464 pounds during Florida’s Pro Day. When he signed his UDFA deal with the Bucs, he became the heaviest player in NFL history. Reducing that number will be a priority for team and player, although Watson never missed a game during his four seasons with the Gators.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/25

May 10th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s lone draft pick signing:

Houston Texans

With Marks on the books, the Texans – a team which made history this week by signing Round 2 receiver Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed rookie contract – now have all but one member of their draft class under contract. Only second-round offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery has yet to put pen to paper.

Titans Sign 16 UDFA Rookies

May 10th, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Ely Allen

MAY 16: The Titans gave significant guarantees to Jarris and Kimber, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharky. Both undrafted cornerbacks received around $200k in guaranteed money, among the highest amounts in team history.

Kimber ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Penn State’s pro day, but his strength and technique will need to improve to play more than special teams in the NFL.

MAY 10: The success of the Titans’ 2025 rookie class will likely hinge almost entirely on the success of their No. 1 overall pick, Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Regardless, they hit on several other positions of need with the rest of their nine-man draft class and have announced the signing of an undrafted crop that will bring their rookie group to 25. Here are the 16 undrafted free agents who signed deals with Tennessee:

A lot of the focus with the UDFAs was on defense, but all three offensive signees were notable. Crenshaw-Dickson was expected to be a late-Day 3 pick based on impressive measurables (6-foot-7, 316 pounds). After three years as a starter at San Diego State splitting time between both tackle spots (18 at left, 18 at right), Crenshaw-Dickson transferred to the Gators, with whom he would start 11 games at right tackle. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tennessee gave Crenshaw-Dickson $245K in guaranteed money, including a $20K signing bonus, to ensure that he would land in Nashville.

Based on film and production, Restrepo was expected to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round, but a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at his pro day may have cost him. Intangibles are the name of the game with Restrepo, who, despite his lack of ideal speed or size, holds school records for the most career receptions (200) and receiving yards (2,844), over such names as Reggie Wayne, Michael Irvin, and Santana Moss. Restrepo uses instincts to feel out soft spots in coverage, physicality to block and churn out extra yards, balance and body control to get open and make tough catches, and pure competitiveness to succeed. As Ward’s No. 1 target in Coral Gables, he stands a strong chance of making the 53-man roster if that chemistry continues.

On defense, the Titans are bringing in two notable linemen. Horsley was a four-year starter in five seasons with the Eagles. He doesn’t get to the quarterback much (only 3.5 sacks in his collegiate career), but he’s shown plenty of disruption in the past three years with 15.5 tackles for loss and seven passes defensed over that time. A stout run defender in the middle, Horsley was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection as a nose tackle. Raikes held a similar role with the Tigers last year after four years at Texas A&M. The Titans gave Raikes $85K guaranteed with a $10K signing bonus on his rookie deal, according to Pelissero.

In the secondary, Harris comes from Iowa to compete for a roster spot on defense. After redshirt and pandemic-shortened seasons in Iowa City, Harris started 28 games in his final three years with the Hawkeyes. In that time, he racked up 27 passes defensed and eight interceptions.

Bears Announce 10-Man UDFA Class

May 10th, 2025 at 3:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bears enjoyed a draft that saw them make four of the first 62 draft picks (one in the first round and three in the second). This week, they announced that they have added 10 undrafted free agents to their existing eight-man draft class. Here are the 10 new rookie signees:

The biggest name of note here is Echols. In fact, Chicago was willing to give Echols $130K in total guarantees in order land his signature in undrafted free agency, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Echols is a hard worker who was a three-year starter for the Tar Heels. His first two seasons saw him accumulate 205 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, five pass defensed, and two interceptions. While his senior season saw a dip in his tackle numbers (76 total, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks), his coverage ability showed improvement as he logged 7 passes defensed and a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown.

That coverage ability will be tested at the NFL level, though. Part of the reason Echols slid out of the draft, despite his tenacity and effort, was because his 5-foot-11 frame will make it difficult for him to cover tight ends at the next level and his lack of top end speed (4.73 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine) will make it difficult for him to cover running backs at the next level. We’ve seen plenty of undersized backers find success in the NFL, though, and Echols will get his opportunity in Chicago.

The team also will take a chance with two specialists in Elkin and Kim. Kim faces a tall task of landing a roster spot, despite having a collegiate long of 58 yards and coming off of a year in East Lansing in which he made 19 of 21 kicks. Cairo Santos has held down the kicking job in the Windy City since 2020 with admirable consistency. He signed a four-year extension in 2023 intended to keep him in place through the 2027 NFL season, and he rewarded them last year by making eight of nine attempts from over 50 yards.

Elkin, on the other hand, stands a better shot at making a roster. The former Hawkeye will come in to compete with 31-year-old Scott Daly, who will be playing on his second one-year deal with the Bears.

Load More Posts