Transactions - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders To Sign CB Eric Stokes

March 11th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eric Stokes battled injuries for much of his Packers tenure, but the veteran cornerback is a former first-round pick who has made 32 NFL starts. The Raiders will see if he can recapture the form that intrigued front offices out of the draft.

The Raiders are adding Stokes on a one-year contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A day after the Packers poached Nate Hobbs on a top-market slot deal, the Raiders will bring in Stokes for $4MM.

Although injuries dogged Stokes in 2022 and ’23, he did suit up every Packers game last season. Stokes did not last the season as a starter, being removed from the lineup after five games, and he did not reenter the first-string mix when Jaire Alexander went down.

Still, Stokes brings elite speed, having run a 4.25-second 40-yard dash before the 2021 draft, and will be joining a Pete Carroll secondary. The accomplished coach coaxed many Seahawks cover men to success, with D.J. Reed, Shaquill Griffin and Riq Woolen faring well in Carroll’s system after Richard Sherman ascended to the All-Pro level.

Stokes, 26, has a ways to go before even being deemed a reliable starter, let alone a success story. But he will attempt to use the Raiders as a way to elevate his stock after a Wisconsin nosedive. A Lisfranc injury halted Stokes’ early-career progress midway through the 2022 season, and hamstring trouble ruined his 2023 slate. Stokes said last year overcompensation from the foot issue led to the hamstring trouble. Overall, Stokes has made three trips to IR since that 2022 injury.

Pro Football Focus viewed Stokes as a promising rookie, but he graded outside the top 100 among CB regulars in 2022 before the injury. Last season, PFF placed Stokes 74th during a 588-snap season. The Packers have seen Stokes bolt and are likely to cut Jaire Alexander, whom they are shopping. Hobbs will step into a key role in Green Bay. As far as Stokes’ path, he will vie for time with Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson. Stokes has primarily worked as a boundary corner, which would not make him a one-for-one Hobbs replacement.

Browns, LB Devin Bush Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 6:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Relocating in each of the past two offseasons, Devin Bush is staying in Cleveland. The Browns and the veteran linebacker have reached an agreement on a second contract, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports.

Formerly a Steelers first-rounder — after a rare Round 1 trade-up from the team — Bush moved on to the Seahawks in 2023 and Browns in 2024. While the second-generation NFLer has not justified his first-round pedigree, he has remained a viable starter. The Browns will give him another chance, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the sides are in agreement on a $3.25MM deal.

Bush, 26, will see a slight raise after playing last season for $1.5MM. While the Deshaun Watson mess engulfed the Browns last season, Bush quietly worked as a regular starter. This came during a season in which the Browns lost Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah midway through and played five games without fellow starter Jordan Hicks. Bush made 76 tackles, and his nine TFLs were his most since his rookie season.

Despite Pro Football Focus grading Bush as a top-10 off-ball linebacker last season, no notable market appears to have emerged. Bush has made 61 career starts, being a primary starter in Pittsburgh and Cleveland (and a backup in Seattle during Bobby Wagner‘s Seahawks farewell season). He will continue to attempt to climb up the ladder during this one-year deal, the Michigan alum’s third straight one-year agreement with a team since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option.

The Browns still have Hicks rostered, ahead of an age-33 season, and paid Owusu-Koramoah last year. The latter, however, suffered a major injury and is not certain to be ready for the 2025 season. Cleveland saving money with Bush, as it remains tied to Deshaun Watson‘s outlier contract, also makes sense, as Owusu-Koramoah is on a $12MM-AAV accord.

Titans To Add S Xavier Woods

March 11th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

After three Panthers seasons, Xavier Woods hit the market Monday. He will commit to the Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The former Dallas, Minnesota and Carolina safety will head to Tennessee on a two-year, $10MM contract. Woods is coming off playing every defensive snap for the Panthers last season.

Tennessee’s offer will keep Woods at the same pay rate, as he was attached to a three-year, $15MM Carolina contract. With the cap having gone up more than $70MM since Woods’ Panthers pact became official, this is a pay cut of sorts. But Woods is going into an age-30 season compared to being squarely in his prime at that point.

A fixture in Ejiro Evero’s Panthers defense, Woods remained an every-down player despite the current Carolina DC not being in place at the time of signing. Jeremy Chinn fell out of favor with Evero, Woods did not. Woods has logged 100% snap rates twice in his career, also doing so with the 2021 Vikings. He played at least 91% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps in 2022 and ’23. The former sixth-round pick has started every game since his second season.

Woods intercepted five passes over the past two seasons. He was more impactful as a tackler last year, totaling a career-high 119. The Titans signed both discarded Seahawk safeties — Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams — last year but moved on from Adams quickly and did not give Diggs a multiyear deal. Amani Hooker remains under contract. Although the Titans were connected to Jevon Holland, the Giants added him on a $15MM-per-year deal. Hooker is already tied to a $10MM-AAV accord. Woods appears en route to be a cost-effective starter alongside the six-year Titan.

Ravens Plan To Release Arthur Maulet

March 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens are planning to release veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

The move will save $2.25MM against the 2025 salary cap with $250k of dead money, per OverTheCap. The Ravens will save an additional $2.1MM by releasing Marcus Williams with a post-June 1 designation, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. That move has been expected since the team revised his contract in January following a rough season from the veteran safety, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Williams’ release will leave $6.7MM in dead money in 2025 and 2026.

Both Maulet and Williams played significant roles in the Ravens’ league-leading defense in 2023, but injuries to the former and regression by the latter limited their contributions in 2024. Multiple stints on injured reserve sidelined Maulet for most of the season with just three appearances and 72 defensive snaps. Williams started 10 of the team’s first 11 games, but played just two snaps for the rest of the year.

The Ravens also dealt with struggles from veteran safety Eddie Jackson, forcing an overhaul to the secondary for the second half of the season. Marlon Humphrey took up a full-time role in the slot, and Kyle Hamilton moved away from the line of scrimmage to play a more traditional safety role alongside Ar’Darius Washington.

Baltimore had high hopes for Williams when they signed him to a five-year, $70MM contract in 2022, but injuries in his first two years gave way to clear regression in his third. He was productive when healthy in 2022 and 2023, but inexplicably struggled in 2024. The Ravens had a new defensive coordinator in Zach Orr, but his scheme largely mirrored that of Mike MacDonald, under whom Williams excelled in the previous two years. He will now hit free agency looking for an opportunity to rebuild his value and earn another multi-year deal before he reaches 30 years of age.

Maulet joined the Ravens in 2023 after being cut by the rival Steelers. He appeared in 14 games as a slot corner and earned a two-year, $4MM extension after a solid debut season. A strong training camp in 2024 was negated by multiple lower-body injuries, which will force Maulet to sign a ‘prove-it’ deal this offseason.

Dolphins To Sign S Ashtyn Davis

March 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Jevon Holland‘s Giants defection, the Dolphins have made two lower-cost additions to their safety corps. After adding Ifeatu Melifonwu, the Dolphins are signing Ashtyn Davis, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reports.

Holland joined the Giants on a three-year, $45MM deal. With Jordan Poyer also not expected back, the Dolphins are needing to regroup at safety. The Davis and Melifonwu additions may not be all Miami does here, but the team does have two players with starting experience en route.

Like Melifonwu, Davis is coming off a tenure as a part-time starter. The Jets used the former third-round pick as a 22-game starter in five seasons. Davis played out a one-year deal in 2024, when he started one game. Even after Chuck Clark‘s offseason ACL tear in 2023, Davis started only five games. The Cal alum does have eight career interceptions, however. Despite starting just six games over the past two seasons, Davis nabbed five INTs.

Davis, 28, became more of a presence on special teams after his 10-start 2021. He logged at least 75% usage on the Jets’ ST plays in each of the past three seasons. Seeing as Davis’ starter work mostly occurred years ago, the Dolphins are most likely not done addressing their safety position. Melifonwu logged only four starts with the Lions, though the team had more in mind for him last season — when an ankle injury limited him to three games.

Dolphins To Sign WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

March 11th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins are signing veteran wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, per Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Westbrook-Ikhine’s 497 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 were both career-highs, earning him a two-year, $6.5MM deal with $3.2MM guaranteed in Miami. His $3.25MM APY is a significant raise on the $2MM he earned last season and a solid payday for the former undrafted free agent.

He first signed with the Titans in 2020 and split his time evenly between offense and special teams. He carved out a larger role in the passing game in 2021 and finished his time in Tennessee with 78 appearances and 39 starts.

The 6-foot-2, 211-pound wideout will bring some size and depth to a Dolphins receiver room that currently lacks both. Westbrook-Ikhine has recorded at least 25 catches, 370 yards, and three touchdowns in each of the last four seasons, giving Miami a consistent WR3 behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He lined up on the outside and in the slot in Tennessee; that versatility will fit well in the Dolphins’ motion-heavy offense.

Westbrook-Ikhine’s signing is currently expected to qualify for a compensatory pick, per OverTheCap, though the Titans’ other signings will cancel it out.

Bills To Re-Sign RB Ty Johnson

March 11th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Maintaining a role on the Bills’ offense despite Ray Davis arriving in the draft to join James Cook, Ty Johnson intends to stay in the fold. Johnson is re-signing with Buffalo, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

The veteran backup RB is sticking around on a two-year deal. This will be his third season with the Bills. Johnson is re-signing for $5MM on the two-year pact, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. This will be a raise for Johnson, who played out a one-year, $1.29MM deal.

Even with Davis making inroads into Buffalo’s backfield, Johnson still accumulated 497 scrimmage yards in 2024. That marked a significant uptick from a 194-yard 2023. The six-year veteran averaged a whopping 15.8 yards per catch. That came on just 18 receptions, though Johnson’s performance against the Lions (five catches, 114 yards) helped give Buffalo one of the 2024 season’s top wins. Johnson, 27, added four receiving touchdowns before picking up another in the playoffs.

Johnson totaled 41 carries for 213 yards, finding a home despite Cook soaring onto the extension radar. Three seasons remain on Davis’ rookie deal. Barring something drastic with Cook amid his top-market extension push, the Bills look to have their backfield set for next season.

Johnson’s best season remains his 2021 Jets effort, when a 372-yard receiving year produced 610 from scrimmage and four touchdowns. The Jets had claimed Johnson off waivers (from the Lions) in 2020 but cut him in 2023. That led to the Bills swooping in, and they have been pleased with the returns since that initial investment.

Rams To Bring Back C Coleman Shelton

March 11th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a year in Chicago, Coleman Shelton is returning to Los Angeles. The Rams are re-signing their former starting center, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Shelton is coming back to L.A. on a two-year deal. This comes soon after one of the Rams’ 2024 center options, Jonah Jackson, has been traded to the Bears. Jackson had been in talks with the Rams for more than a day, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes.

This will bring back a player who started 17 games for the 2023 Rams, and Shelton went on to start 17 games for the Bears last season. Although the Rams closed last season with Day 3 rookie Beaux Limmer as their starting center, Shelton will bring far more experience and durability to the post.

The Rams had both attempted to slide Steve Avila and then Jackson to center last year, but neither plan ended up sticking. Jackson ended up benched for Limmer, a sixth-round pick. Limmer, who is under contract for two more seasons, started 14 Rams games as a rookie and played all 916 of his snaps at center.

ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted Shelton 15th among interior O-lineman last season, though the Bears are overhauling their interior O-line. After trading for Jackson and Joe Thuney, the Bears paid up for Drew Dalman to come over from Atlanta. That trio will complement rookie-contract tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Shelton, 29, is heading back to L.A. to potentially reclaim his old job.

Cardinals To Sign QB Jacoby Brissett

March 11th, 2025 at 4:37pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett is planning to sign with the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The 32-year-old will serve as Kyler Murray‘s backup in Arizona in 2025.

Brissett has 53 career starts under his belt, per Fowler, including 11 in Cleveland in 2022 when Drew Petzing was the Browns’ quarterbacks coach. Petzing took over as the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator in 2022 and will now reunite with Brissett as his QB2.

Brissett’s contract in Arizona will be two years in length, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Cardinals are his sixth team since 2020, with his most recent stint coming in New England as Drake Maye‘s backup in 2024. Brissett appeared in eight games with five starts last year, completing 95 of his 161 passing attempts for 826 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

He was originally a Patriots third-round pick in 2016, but was traded to the Colts after his rookie year in exchange for Phillip Dorsett. Brissett then started in place of an injured Andrew Luck in 2017 but returned to a backup role upon Luck’s return in 2018. The former No. 1 pick’s surprise retirement during the 2019 preseason put Brissett back as the starter with one year remaining on his rookie contract. The Colts signed him to a one-year, $28MM extension in September 2019, but moved onto Philip Rivers in 2020 after a disappointing year from Brissett.

Brissett then signed with the Dolphins in 2021, kicking off the second half of his career as one of the league’s top backup/bridge quarterback. He played the same role for the Browns in 2022 and the Commanders in 2023 before reuniting with the Patriots in 2024. Brissett sought more security on his latest contract, opting for a two-year deal rather than the single-season contracts he played on over the last four years.

Saints, S Justin Reid Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 4:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Reid enjoyed a successful three-year run with the Chiefs, but he will be on the move in 2025. The veteran safety has a deal in place with the Saints, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

This will be a three-year pact, Schefter adds. Reid is set to collect up to $31.5MM with $22.5MM in guarantees. He will now join former Chief Tyrann Mathieu in New Orleans’ secondary.

Mathieu spent time with the Texans before a run in Kansas City which included a Super Bowl win. Reid – who played out his rookie contract in Houston and then won a pair of Super Bowls as a Chief – has followed a remarkably similar career path. A Prairieville, Louisiana native, Reid will head to his hometown team just as Mathieu did in 2022.

New Orleans has emphasized retaining several veterans (especially on defense) in recent years while constantly executing restructures to attain cap compliance. In-house players have been a priority this offseason as well, with edge rusher Chase Young and tight end Juwan Johnson securing new contracts. Reid represents a lucrative outside addition worked out early in the offseason, however.

The 28-year-old served a full-time starter during each of his three Kansas City seasons, missing only two games during that span. Reid remained a key presence in the secondary for all three runs to the Super Bowl, making him one of the safeties in particular and players in general on the market. He checked in at No. 18 on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agent list.

Mathieu, 32, has faced question about his playing future but he made it clear late in the 2024 campaign that he planned on playing at least one more season. Now, he and Reid (signed by the Chiefs as a Mathieu replacement) will be paired together for 2025 and potentially beyond.

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