Transactions News & Rumors

Eagles Extend T Lane Johnson Through 2027

Lane Johnson is now on the Eagles’ books through the 2027 season. The team announced that they’ve signed their long-time lineman to a one-year extension.

The one-year extension is worth $25MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Johnson still had two years remaining on his previous pact. Schefter notes that the Eagles will be paying the lineman an extra $8MM over that span, increasing his 2025 and 2026 totals to $48MM ($40MM guaranteed). When today’s reworked deal was completed, Johnson ultimately saw an additional $30MM in guaranteed money. Today’s move should also provide the Eagles with some extra breathing room under the 2025 cap.

This isn’t the first time that Johnson’s added a year (and some guaranteed money) to his contract. After inking his then-record-breaking extension in 2019, he added a year to the deal in 2023. On the other side, the Eagles have traditionally been aggressive in extending stars early. Just over a week ago, the team added two years (and more guaranteed money) to Saquon Barkley‘s existing contract.

The fourth-overall pick in the 2013 draft, Johnson has established himself as one of the franchise’s all-time greats. The veteran has earned five-straight All-Pro nods, and he won his second Super Bowl ring this past season. Despite the 2024 campaign representing his age-34 season, Johnson still finished fifth on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.

When Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retired following the 2023 season, Johnson hinted that he wanted to try playing into his 40s. At the same time, the lineman estimated that he may only “realistically” have two or three more seasons left in him. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer previously predicted today’s extension, and the reporter noted that Johnson may not finish his existing deal.

While Johnson’s future plans may be a bit murky, the Eagles can at least count on having their lineman signed for the next three seasons.

Bears To Re-Sign RB Travis Homer

Travis Homer is sticking in Chicago. The running back is re-signing with the Bears, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Homer is inking a one-year, $2MM deal.

The 26-year-old has spent the past two seasons in Chicago, appearing in 26 total games. He’s emerged as a key special teamer for the Bears, compiling 13 tackles across the two campaigns while appearing in more than 60 percent of his squad’s special teams snaps.

After getting into 16 games during his debut season in Chicago, Homer was limited to 10 appearances in 2024. He got his first offensive look with the Bears this past season, collecting 34 yards from scrimmage on nine touches. The majority of his offensive looks came when Roschon Johnson was out of the lineup.

He had much more offensive responsibility during his first four years in Seattle, where he collected 917 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 135 touches. The Bears are expected to return the same D’Andre Swift-led backfield in 2025, but with only Ian Wheeler providing current competition at RB3, Homer could see a greater uptick in offensive playing time.

Falcons Re-Sign DL Kentavius Street

Kentavius Street is set to spend at least another season in Atlanta. The Falcons announced that they re-signed the free agent defensive lineman.

Street was traded from the Eagles to the Falcons during the 2023 campaign. At the time, he was expected to be a temporary replacement for Grady Jarrett, who had suffered a season-ending injury. Street ended up playing himself into a gig for the 2024 campaign, as the team re-signed him last offseason.

The 28-year-old ended up having a significant rotational role for the Falcons last year. He collected 15 tackles and one sack in 13 games, appearing in one third of his team’s defensive snaps. A former fourth-round pick by the 49ers, the lineman’s best season came with the Saints in 2022, when he finished with 3.5 sacks and eight QB hits.

With Jarrett now out the door, there could be more opportunities for Street in 2025. The team’s current defensive line grouping features the likes of David Onyemata, Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus, and free agent acquisition Morgan Fox.

The Falcons officially announced a handful of additional moves today. Among the signings, the team revealed that cornerback/special teamer Mike Ford inked a two-year deal with the organization.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/25

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Raiders are retaining a key rotational cornerback in Darnay Holmes. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Giants, the former fourth-round pick joined Las Vegas at the end of the 2024 preseason. He ended up getting into 16 games for his new squad, collecting 30 tackles and three passes defended while appearing in about 28 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.

With Nick Caley now installed as Houston’s new offensive coordinator, the former TE/FB coach was obviously going to bring in a player at the position. He landed on a familiar face, as Caley coached Jakob Johnson when the two were together in New England. The veteran fullback has appeared in 70 career games, although he was limited to only three appearances in 2024 while bouncing on and off the Giants’ roster.

Steelers, S Juan Thornhill Agree To Deal

Juan Thornhill will remain in the AFC North for 2025. The former Browns safety has agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report.

Thornhill recently visited the 49ers, as noted by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Instead of taking a deal with San Francisco, though, the 29-year-old has elected to join a more familiar team. After a four-year run in Kansas City, he landed a three-year Browns pact in free agency.

He ended up completing two of those three seasons, with the defensive back starting 11 games in both 2023 and 2024. A calf injury was the culprit in both campaigns, although he managed to return from injury this past season and appear in 10 of Cleveland’s final 11 games. He was getting into about half of the Browns’ defensive snaps down the stretch, and he ultimately finished the campaign with 49 tackles, his lowest total since 2020.

Thornhill was released last month, ending his Cleveland tenure and leaving him free to join a new team prior to the start of the new league year. He found a home with a division foe, as the 29-year-old will now join Pittsburgh’s secondary. Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott soaked up the majority of the snaps in 2024 and will continue to lead the depth chart in 2025. This means Thornhill will be stepping into more of a backup role, and it’s notable that Damontae Kazee, the team’s third safety in 2024, remains unsigned.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Vikings Release C Garrett Bradbury

MARCH 17: As expected, no trade partner was found in Bradbury’s case. As a result, Pelissero and Rapoport report he has been released with a post-June 1 designation. This move will create $5.25MM in cap space (which will not be available until after that date) while generating a dead money charge of just $814K.

MARCH 13: With Ryan Kelly now in place, the Vikings will be moving on from their previous starting center. If a trade partner cannot be found for Garrett Bradbury, he will released, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.

The Vikings were aggressive in pursuing additions on both sides of the line of scrimmage early in free agency. In addition to the Kelly deal, fellow former Colts O-lineman Will Fries received a Minnesota pact. The latter’s signing helped inform today’s Ed Ingram trade. Once Bradbury is no longer in the fold, the Vikings will look noticeably different up front next season.

One year remains on Bradbury’s contract; he is owed a $4.9MM base salary but none of that figure is guaranteed. A trade or release (presuming it does not carry a post-June 1 designation) would result in $3.62MM in cap savings for the Vikings while generating a dead money charge of $2.44MM. Bradbury was set to carry a cap charge of just over $6MM in 2025, but the Kelly deal (two years, $18MM) will lead to a fresh start.

Selected in the first round in 2019, Bradbury started all 88 of his Vikings games. The North Carolina State product remained mostly durable during his tenure with the team, but his PFF evaluations left plenty to be desired. Bradbury ranked 11th amongst qualifying centers in 2022, but in each of his other campaigns he slotted in between 23rd and 29th at the position.

Kelly, along with Drew Dalman and Josh Myers, have already lined up new deals in the early portion of free agency. Few experienced centers are left on the market as a result, a factor which could help Bradbury find a new home in short order. It would come as a surprise if teams showed much interest in trading for the 29-year-old, but he could line up a deal as a free agent shortly after his (likely) release takes place.

After playing out his rookie contract, Bradbury inked a three-year, $15.75MM deal. He will no doubt have to settle for lesser terms on his next pact, but it will be interesting to see where he lands for 2025.

Eagles Sign Azeez Ojulari

The Eagles will look to a former Giant to help fill their edge rush void. Azeez Ojulari is heading to Philadelphia, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This will be a one-year deal worth $4MM, Fowler adds. Ojulari played out his rookie contract with the Giants, who held onto him despite interest at the trade deadline. New York has unsurprisingly allowed him to depart as a free agent, but he will remain in the NFC East for 2025. The move is now official.

The Giants have former trade acquisition Brian Burns attached to $28.2MM-per-year deal. Kayvon Thibodeaux – selected fifth overall in 2022 – is on his rookie contract for at least one more season (or two, if his fifth-year option is picked up this spring). The presence of those two starters seemed to leave Ojulari on track to find a first-team role elsewhere as a free agent. Fowler notes, though, that New York attempted to keep the 24-year-old. Instead, the Eagles’ strong push has resulted in a deal.

Ojulari flashed considerable potential during his rookie season, posting eight sacks. Injuries limited him to only 18 games across the next two years, however, and his production dropped off as a result. The former second-rounder was again sidelined in 2024, missing six games. In spite of that, he notched six sacks and recorded double-digit QB pressures for the fourth consecutive year.

With Burns and Thibodeaux on the books, the Giants were prepared to lose Ojulari (something which raised eyebrows given the fact he was not traded midway through the season despite the fact New York was not in contention). The 24-year-old drew interest from the Bengals, but they instead elected to re-sign Joseph OssaiThat move helped pave the way for Ojulari to join the Super Bowl champions.

The Eagles lost Josh Sweat in free agency, and Brandon Graham could very well retire. Their absences will be felt in an edge rush group which has Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff. The latter did not pan out upon arrival as a high-priced free agent pickup, and he is now a trade candidate. Philadelphia recently added Josh Uche along the edge, but today’s move will come with higher expectations.

As a Georgia product, Ojulari is the latest in a long line of former Bulldogs to join the Eagles. If he manages to remain healthy in 2025, he could command a notable free agent market next spring on a second Philadelphia pact or one with a new team.

Texans, CB Ronald Darby Agree To Deal

Another Texans cornerback move has been worked out, this time in the case of an outside free agent addition. Ronald Darby has agreed to a one-year Houston deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The pact is worth $2.5MM, Schefter adds. Darby joined the Jaguars on a two-year contract last offseason, but he was cut on Friday. The veteran has not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity, though.

Darby has been a journeyman during his 10-year career, spending time with the Bills, Eagles, Commanders, Broncos and Ravens prior to his single Jaguars campaign. The 31-year-old will nevertheless bring considerable experience to Houston’s secondary; Darby has 118 appearances and 107 starts to his name. That includes 12 starts last season in Jacksonville.

During that span, Darby posted 46 tackles and nine pass deflections. His coverage statistics (including a 120 passer rating and four touchdowns allowed as the nearest defender) left plenty to be desired, though. That helps explain the Jaguars’ decision to move on and the financial terms of his latest pact. Darby collected $5.5MM guaranteed last spring on the open market, but this time around he has essentially agreed to a ‘prove-it’ deal in advance of free agency in 2026.

The Texans fielded one of the NFL’s best cornerback tandems in 2024 with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. The former agreed to a three-year, $90MM extension earlier today; that pact makes him the highest-paid defensive back in league history on an annual basis. Stingley is under contract through 2029 as a result of his new deal, while Lassiter’s rookie contract still has three years remaining on it. That pairing should remain in place for years to come as a result.

Darby will be able to serve as a veteran backup behind those on the CB depth chart. Two of Stingley’s three NFL seasons to date have included missed time due to injury, and a repeat of that in 2025 could open the door to Darby seeing notable a notable defensive role. The Florida State product has limited experience on special teams, but that could provide him with an avenue to additional playing time in Houston next season.

NFL Restructures: Texans, Humphrey, Wirfs, Holcomb, Conklin

The Texans have restructured a number of deals in recent days to clear up some cap space for the 2025 league year.

First, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the team converted $12.33MM of Nico Collins‘ 2025 salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to the end of his deal. These moves opened of $9.86MM of cap space. Fellow wide receiver Christian Kirk also agreed to convert $14.33MM of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus while adding four void years to the end of his deal, freeing up $11.46MM of cap space, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Pelissero also reported a restructuring on the defensive side of the ball, as outside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair saw $7.83MM of his 2025 salary converted into a signing bonus with an additional void year added to the end of his deal. This last move created $6.26MM more of cap space.

Here are a few other restructured deals from around the NFL:

  • In Baltimore, Brian McFarland of RussellStreetReport.com detailed how the Ravens did a max restructure of cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s contract. His $18MM base salary was reduced to the veteran minimum as $16.74MM was converted into a signing bonus. The team also added two void years to the end of his deal, ultimately opening up $13.39MM of cap space.
  • Per Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs agreed to a restructured deal that would see his $26MM base salary reduced to the veteran minimum with $24.83MM converted into a signing bonus. The move created $19.86MM of cap space.
  • Pelissero also reported on a restructured deal for Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb. While details of the restructuring have yet to be released, we know the deal will clear $5MM of cap space, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler brings us our final restructured deal of the day for Browns right tackle Jack Conklin. The revised contract reportedly removes a year — making Conklin a free agent in 2026, instead of 2027 — and pays him $10MM this year with $9MM in guarantees and $2MM available in incentives. Cap influences from this deal have not yet been reported.

Dolphins To Sign CB Artie Burns

Artie Burns is the next player to land a new deal in the secondary waves of free agency. The veteran corner has agreed to a one-year Dolphins pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

This represents a homecoming for Burns. The Miami native played for the Hurricanes during his college career, one which ended with a six-interception junior campaign. That production helped make Burns a first-round pick, but his four seasons with the Steelers did not go according to plan.

By the end of his Pittsburgh run, Burns had gone from a full-time starter to a rotational defender tasked with handling special teams duties. After being out of the league in 2020, he returned on a one-year Bears contract which saw him handle a 39% defensive snap share. In the three years since then (in Seattle), though, the 29-year-old has earned primarily his playing time with his third phase contributions.

Miami has Jalen Ramsey atop the CB depth chart for next season, and holdovers Kader Kohou and Cam Smith are also set to play a role moving forward. The Dolphins have seen safety Jevon Holland depart in free agency as expected, and Jordan Poyer is considered unlikely to be retained. Former Lion Ifeatu Melifonwu was added last week, and he is in line to serve a notable role in the secondary as a result.

The Dolphins also retained Elijah Campbell, putting him on track to reprise his role as a key special teams presence. Burns will look to join him in that regard while attempting to boost his value ahead of free agency next spring.