Transactions News & Rumors

Rams To Sign DL Poona Ford

March 10th, 2025 at 1:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Poona Ford will remain in Los Angeles next season, but he will not be a member of the Chargers. The veteran defensive lineman has a deal in place with the Rams.

This will be a three-year pact, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. The deal is worth just under $30MM and includes $17MM in guarantees. That marks a notable raise compared to Ford’s one-year Chargers contract from last year.

Not seeing too much time with the Bills in 2023, Ford played a much bigger role with the Bolts. Logging a 32% snap share in 2023 with Buffalo (in eight games), Ford stepped in as a starter on Jim Harbaugh’s low-cost defensive line. The former Seahawk stood out, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 overall interior defender.

Ford, 29, matched his career high with eight tackles for loss and contributed three sacks to help Jesse Minter’s defense climb to No. 1 in points allowed. The Bolts relied on other low-cost cogs to make this ascent — after underachieving during Brandon Staley’s time in charge — but Ford was quite important, starting every game the team played during a rebound season. The seven-year vet also batted down five passes and intercepted another.

Quietly running his career start total to 81 (after a four-season run as a Seattle first-stringer), Ford did well to reestablish his value before it was too late to fetch a quality contract. This deal also dwarfs his two-year, $12.4MM Seattle pact from earlier this decade. Ford will join a Rams team that lost two-year nose tackle Bobby Brown to the Panthers. Ford will be in position to play alongside Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske up front with the Rams.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Panthers Expected To Sign Tre’von Moehrig

March 10th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Rory Parks

The Panthers lost out to the Patriots in the battle to sign coveted free agent DT Milton Williams, but another big fish is still on the line. Safety Tre’von Moehrig looks to have an agreement in place with Carolina, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Schultz says Moehrig is set to receive a three-year, $51MM pact. While the incumbent Raiders were interested in retaining him, the 25-year-old will find himself on the move once the contract is finalized. Moehrig’s new pact can top out at $60MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds.

A second-round pick of Las Vegas in the 2021 draft, Moehrig has been in the starting lineup since Week 1 of his rookie campaign. The TCU alum made a successful transition from Gus Bradley’s defense in 2021 to Patrick Graham’s in the subsequent three seasons, and he saved the best for his walk year. Marcus Epps going down in Week 3 of the 2024 slate allowed for Moehrig to play near the line of scrimmage more frequently (439 box snaps in 2024 compared to 326 in ’23), and he responded with a career-best 104 tackles to go with five TFLs and a sack. Moehrig also snared two interceptions, giving him five over the past two seasons.

Per Pro Football Focus, Moehrig ranks in the top-15 among safeties in terms of INTs and forced incompletion rate from 2023-24. That production set him up as one of the most desirable DBs on this year’s free agent market, and he landed at No. 24 on our list of 2025’s Top 50 FAs.

Carolina, which finished dead last in terms of total defense and in the bottom-10 in terms of passing yards allowed in 2024, was known to be targeting defensive reinforcements for DC Ejiro Evero‘s unit. That agenda triggered the pursuit of Williams and Moehrig, and the Panthers have also agreed to sign edge rusher Patrick Jones and D-linemen Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton.

The Raiders, perhaps knowing they were going to lose Moehrig to another club, agreed to terms with fellow safety Jeremy Chinn earlier today.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Vikings To Sign CB Isaiah Rodgers

March 10th, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the wake of the Eagles releasing corners Darius Slay and James Bradberry, it seemed Isaiah Rodgers was in line to step into a notable role. Instead, he will be on the move.

Rodgers has agreed to terms on a two-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact is worth $15MM and includes $8MM fully guaranteed. Rodgers has come back from a season-long suspension to earn multiyear pact, winning a Super Bowl ring between his gambling ban and this agreement.

Receiving an indefinite suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy while with the Colts, Rodgers missed the 2023 season but resided as an Eagles stash that year. With Vic Fangio taking over, the ex-Colts starter/kick returner played a supporting role as the Eagles broke in two rookies (Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean).

Using Rodgers as a three-game starter, the Eagles gave him 328 defensive snaps for a CB corps that stayed mostly healthy. Rodgers, who had worked as a Colts boundary defender in 2022, broke up three passes in the playoffs for the Eagles last season. The team had eyed another agreement with the 27-year-old cover man, but it does not seem like it was quite prepared to go where Minnesota did.

As the Vikings have Murphy back in the fold and slot defender Josh Metellus under contract, Rodgers will be positioned to vie for the boundary job Stephon Gilmore may be vacating. Gilmore is considering retirement after his age-34 season. The Vikings, who sported a top-five defense last season, may still lose three secondary charges, as stalwart safety Harrison Smith is now 36 and also contemplating walking way. Rodgers, then, could become a key presence on Brian Flores’ third Vikes defense.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Lions To Sign CB D.J. Reed

March 10th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carlton Davis‘ free agency defection (to the Patriots) will not go unanswered for even an hour. The Lions have a deal in place with another high-end free agent at the position.

D.J. Reed is heading from Aaron Glenn‘s current team to his former team, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Viewed by many as the top cornerback in this class, Reed secured $48MM over three years. Although the Lions used first- and second-round picks on corners last year, the team still prioritized a veteran to replace Davis.

PFR’s No. 9 overall free agent, Reed rated as our top corner available. The three-year Sauce Gardner sidekick delivered solid work in New York, but the team has the All-Pro on its extension radar and gave Michael Carter a top-market slot deal last summer. That left Reed set to explore the market, and he will land a second lucrative deal in free agency.

Reed, 28, has shown the value of agreeing to a three-year deal during his first crack at free agency. The former 49ers and Seahawks contributor hit the market a second time and parlayed his age and performance into a raise from the Lions. Reed, who will not turn 30 until November 2026, played out a three-year, $33MM deal with the Jets.

Among boundary corners to start at least 10 games last season, Reed ranked 11th in yards per target (6.4). The same measurement in 2023 places Reed (6.6) 12th. Pro Football Focus ranked Reed 16th among CB regulars in 2023 and 31st in ’24. Gardner soared to the All-Pro level immediately, but Reed provided a solid complementary piece. He will now work opposite Terrion Arnold in Detroit, as the Lions will place a veteran CB deal in a secondary housing rookie contracts at corner and safety (Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph).

The Lions are transitioning to a new DC for the first time in Dan Campbell‘s run, but they ensured continuity in Kelvin Sheppard. Reed brings an important piece for a Lions team that ran into injury trouble in the secondary — via Davis’ late-season broken jaw — and along its defensive line. As Aidan Hutchinson makes his way back to a team that is also hoping Marcus Davenport shakes his recent string of injuries, Sheppard’s secondary could be an imposing one in 2025.

Patriots, Morgan Moses Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Morgan Moses will not play for the Jets in 2025 but he will remain in the AFC East. The veteran right tackle has an agreement in place with the Patriots.

This is a three-year, $24MM deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The pact has a maximum value of $28.5MM. Even at the age of 34 and despite the injuries Moses played through this past season, he has landed a notable commitment.

For a mid-30s tackle, Moses has done quite well. He has now enjoyed a lengthy run in Washington, two stops in New York and time in Baltimore during Lamar Jackson‘s rise. Moses has been an enduring right tackle presence throughout his career, making 158 starts. He logged 14 for the Jets last season, helping out as Tyron Smith again ran into injury trouble. Pro Football Focus slotted Moses ranked Moses 52nd overall among tackle regulars, however.

The Jets and Moses were believed to be in talks about another deal, but as the team breaks in Justin Fields at quarterback, it will be looking for a new RT starter. The Ravens had traded Moses back to the Jets, with whom he played in 2021, early in free agency last year. He started two seasons for Baltimore.

This year’s market did not bring much in the way of right tackle help, as a few LTs — Ronnie Stanley, Alaric Jackson, Cam Robinson, Dan Moore, Jaylon Moore — were out of contract. The Patriots were targeting Stanley, but he did not reach the market, with the Ravens re-signing the ex-Moses teammate. PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list did not include a right tackle this year, but left tackle had been a bigger New England trouble spot during Drake Maye‘s rookie season. The Pats will still have work to do, though Robinson remains available.

Moses’ arrival will help Michael Onwenu settle in at right guard. The Pats have yo-yoed Onwenu from RT to RG during his career. Last season, Onwenu split his time at the two positions but played more inside. This signing would appear to at least halt Onwenu’s run of position switches for a bit. Though, it will be worth monitoring if Moses can keep up solid play into his mid-30s.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Patriots To Sign CB Carlton Davis

March 10th, 2025 at 12:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots are beginning to do work with their league-leading cap-space figure. After adding Harold Landry and Robert Spillane, secondary help is coming.

Carlton Davis is joining the Patriots on a three-year, $60MM deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported during a TV appearance. This marks a second cornerback domino from the legal tampering period, as the Giants have agreed to terms with Paulson Adebo.

PFR’s No. 16 free agent, Davis has extensive postseason experience and was in solid form before going down with a broken jaw for a Lions team that finished 15-2. The Lions were unable to keep Davis, though they used first- and second-round picks on corners last year. Davis was also linked to the Jaguars before the market opened, but he will head to Boston to play alongside All-Pro Christian Gonzalez.

Well versed in zone- and man-based designs, the former second-round pick started in Super Bowl LV and has lined up as a first-stringer in eight other playoff games. The Buccaneers had re-signed Davis on a three-year, $44.5MM pact in 2022 but traded him to the Lions for a third-round pick last year. Joining D.J. Reed, Rasul Douglas, Charvarius Ward and Byron Murphy as CBs seeking a third contract, Davis has done very well. He becomes the eighth $20MM-per-year corner, following Jaycee Horn‘s record-setting deal from earlier today.

Davis, 28, reduced his completion percentage, passer rating and yards per target figures (55.3, 77.0, 7.5) from 2023-24 despite the Lions having no dependable pass rusher after Aidan Hutchinson’s injury. The 6-foot-1 cover man has started 88 career games. He, Landry and Spillane’s medium-term deals will overlap with Drake Maye‘s rookie pact.

After Bill Belichick had given the Patriots a perennially reliable defense, the team’s performance dropped significantly last season. New England ranked 22nd in both points and yards allowed, falling far despite Gonzalez’s first healthy season producing an All-Pro nod. Landry and Davis will be stepping in as 2025 pillars against the pass.

Titans To Add LT Dan Moore Jr.

March 10th, 2025 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The left tackle market is moving. After the Rams and Ravens respectively re-signed their options, the Chiefs took Jaylon Moore off the market. Now, the Titans are adding Dan Moore Jr.

Moore agreed to a four-year, $82MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported during a TV appearance. The four-year Steelers LT will receive $50MM guaranteed. This marks a massive agreement for Moore, whom the Steelers had effectively informed would not be back thanks to back-to-back first-round tackle draft choices.

PFR’s No. 13 overall free agent, Moore will outdo Stanley’s $20MM-per-year number. The Titans will bet big on a player who allowed the NFL’s most sacks (12) last season. Some of that most likely was due to Moore blocking for two sack-prone QBs — in Justin Fields and Russell Wilson — but the Titans are bringing in Moore to play on a line featuring two first-round picks (Peter Skoronski, JC Latham) and high-priced center Lloyd Cushenberry.

Pro Football Focus has never been high on Moore, ranking the former fourth-round pick outside the top 40 at tackle in each of his seasons. But Moore thwarted challenges to his Pittsburgh blindside job in each of the past two years. The Steelers are still moving Broderick Jones to left tackle, with Troy Fautanu slated to man the right side.

A 66-game starter, Moore is going into his age-27 season. With Jackson off the market, the Titans have decided on Moore over a more proven option in Cam Robinson, who will turn 30 this year. This move would appear to mean Tennessee is readying to move Latham from left to right tackle. Latham had ended his college career at RT but became one of the many rookie tackles to change sides last season. PFF graded Latham 56th among tackles in 2024.

The Titans’ 2025 starting quarterback is not yet known, but it appears it will be Moore guarding his blindside. The Titans have four locked-in starters up front, with only their right guard position up for grabs. And, as the Steelers made it clear Moore would be a one-contract player, the Texas A&M alum will land on his feet.

Jaguars To Sign CB Jourdan Lewis

March 10th, 2025 at 12:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

After eight years with the Cowboys, Jourdan Lewis is on the move. The veteran slot corner has a deal in place with the Jaguars, Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager of NFL Network report.

This will be a three-year deal worth $30MM, Rapoport notes. Lewis will receive $20MM guaranteed and $12.5MM in 2025. The pact continues a recent trend regarding the upward movement in the slot corner market. For Lewis, this is a massive pay bump; he was tied to a one-year deal worth $2.83MM last season.

Lewis is leaving Dallas after eight seasons, disbanding the team’s CB trio that has placed DaRon Bland on the perimeter opposite Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys have been unable to keep that troika healthy all at once, with Bland having previously replaced Lewis after he suffered a career-threatening foot injury. Lewis made it back from that malady in 2023 and has played 16 games in each of the past two seasons.

The slot market now includes eight-figure AAVs for a handful of players, including Kenny Moore, Taron Johnson and Michael Carter. Lewis and Nate Hobbs (Packers) rounded out the group Monday, as the cap’s $24MM spike has impacted this undervalued position. Pro Football Focus graded Lewis 29th last season, one spot in front of Moore, as he has displayed good health after the 2022 foot setback.

The Jags will pay the going rate for Lewis despite the former Cowboys third-rounder heading into his age-30 season. Moore, Johnson, Carter and Hobbs were each younger when they signed for eight figures on average. It will be interesting to see if Lewis can sustain his solid play in Jacksonville into his early 30s, as cornerback primes tend to run shorter than their receiver counterparts’.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

CB Paulson Adebo To Join Giants

March 10th, 2025 at 12:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s free agency market features a host of cornerbacks seeking a second free agency payday, but the Giants are adding a first-time UFA. Paulson Adebo is joining the Giants, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reported during a TV appearance. It is a three-year deal. Adebo will collect $18MM per year with $36MM guaranteed, per a Garafolo update.

Joining Asante Samuel Jr. as a CB regular taking his first shot at free agency, Adebo also joins the four-year Charger in coming off an injury-marred season. Adebo sustained a broken femur last October, halting a strong run for a player who had seen extensive time as New Orleans’ No. 1 corner due to Marshon Lattimore‘s injury trouble.

Adebo’s last healthy season (2023) produced notable improvements in coverage. While we still do not have tremendously reliable metrics to measure coverage, Adebo was charged with yielding only 6.7 yards per target and allowing a 55% completion rate as the closest defender in 2023. He allowed one touchdown pass that year and yielded merely a 62.7 passer rating. In 2024, Adebo allowed a 60% completion rate and only a 71.9 passer rating as the closest defender.

Traditional metrics back Adebo’s case more, as he has been a consistent turnover-forcing presence. Adebo combined for seven interceptions over the past two seasons, breaking up 28 passes in that span. The Saints relied on the 6-foot-1 defender for extended stretches in that span, as the organization grew frustrated with Lattimore’s injury recovery paces. After trading Lattimore, the Saints had shown interest in retaining Adebo. But New Orleans’ annual cap issues may have impacted that effort.

The Giants have not seen their recent first-round pick, Deonte Banks, grow into a consistent option. They have questioned Banks’ work ethic, going so far as to bench him briefly last season. As Banks has struggled, the Giants now have a better option in Adebo to play alongside the 2023 draftee and slot Dru Phillips. With the team still housing a formidable pass-rushing trio in Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it will hope a better cover man can round out a pass defense that ranked 24th last season.

That said, the Giants were eighth in passing yards allowed. While teams did not run into many shootouts in Giants matchups during a dreadful Big Blue season, Shane Bowen’s defense was not the lead area to fix. That domino will fall later for the Giants, whose current regime’s futures likely depend on how the quarterback situation is addressed. For now, though, an early defensive addition could move the needle, as Adebo is not expected to be a candidate to end up on the reserve/PUP list following his broken leg.

Patriots To Sign LB Robert Spillane

March 10th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Robert Spillane established himself as a starter during his Raiders tenure, and Pete Carroll expressed interest in retaining the veteran linebacker. But free agency will lure him out of Las Vegas.

The Patriots will use their league-leading cap-space figure to bring in Spillane, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported (via NFL Network). It is a three-year, $37.5MM deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Spillane will see $20.6MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur tweets.

After Spillane’s two-year, $7MM deal came following a 59% usage-rate Steelers season, the Raiders were correct in buying low. He started all 34 games he played over the past two years, posting 97 and 98% snap rates in those seasons. The Patriots will pay up for his age-29 and age-30 seasons. Spillane made 158 tackles last season and 148 in 2023, stuffing box scores despite the Raiders failing to improve in this span.

While still better as a thumper type, Spillane showed coverage skills with five INTs and 11 passes defensed in that span. The former UDFA also registered 5.5 sacks in his two Las Vegas years, delivering in just about every facet for struggling teams. Pro Football Focus did observe a disparity between Spillane’s run- and pass-defending skills, ranking him sixth among ILBs in run stoppage and in the bottom third against the pass.

Although Spillane will not be working under Josh McDaniels, this does bring a reunion between a productive Raider and the coach who was in charge when Las Vegas brought him in during the 2023 offseason. Spillane joins a few defenders to stop through New England early in free agency, accompanying Harold Landry, Milton Williams and Carlton Davis. Not landing contracts on the level those higher-end free agents did, Spillane still secured a significant raise from his Raiders pact and will be asked to play a starting role alongside them in Foxborough next season.

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