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Cowboys Unlikely To Make Further RB Additions

May 17th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Rico Dowdle‘s departure in free agency will leave the Cowboys without their leading rusher from 2024 next season. A number of moves have been made this spring which were aimed at improving the team’s ground game, though.

In March, Dallas made it clear Dowdle would not be retained when Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders were signed in short order. Dowdle wound up taking a one-year, $2.75MM pact with the Panthers on the open market. Rather than matching that commitment, the Cowboys elected to rely on outside additions in the backfield.

Those veteran moves meant the team was not forced turn to the draft for 2025 contributors, but a pair of rookies were acquired nonetheless. Fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue and seventh-rounder Phil Mafah will look to compete for a depth role this year while offering contributions in the backfield in the future. With those four new running backs in the fold, ESPN’s Dan Graziano unsurprisingly reports Dallas is unlikely to be active at the position for the rest of offseason.

Williams enjoyed a strong rookie campaign, notching 1,219 scrimmage yards while operating in a backfield timeshare. The former second-rounder suffered an ACL tear early in his second season, however, and he has not been able to regain his pre-injury efficiency since then. With 158 receptions to his name, Williams could at least offer value in the passing game even if his yards per carry average remains underwhelming on his new team.

Sanders’ fourth and final year with the Eagles saw him set new career highs across the board and collect a Pro Bowl nod. Expectations were high when the 28-year-old inked a long-term Panthers deal, but he was unable to deliver on them in 2023 or ’24. It came as no surprise when he was released earlier this offseason. Just like Williams, Sanders took a one-year pact to join the Cowboys, and his value for next spring will be dictated by his ability to rebound from his poor Carolina stint.

Currently holding nearly $32MM in cap space, Dallas could certainly afford another free agent signing (with Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins among the options still on the market) or a trade acquisition at the RB spot. Training camp will see the new additions join returnee Deuce Vaughn in training camp, however, and that group can be expected to remain intact until roster cuts.

Cowboys’ Tyler Smith Changes Agents

May 15th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Smith is one of several extension-eligible players on the Cowboys’ radar for a new deal. The Pro Bowler will have new representation when his second NFL contract is signed, though.

Smith is now a client of Athletes First, per an agency announcement. Joe Panos and Todd France now represent the 24-year-old, who as expected had his fifth-year option picked up this spring. That means Smith is on the books through 2026, giving team and player plenty of time to negotiate a long-term pact.

For now, Micah Parsons represents priority No. 1 for Dallas since he is entering his option season. Making the two-time All-Pro the league’s highest-paid defender may be necessary to finalize an agreement on that front, but in any case Smith is a logical target for a lucrative pact of his own. The Tulsa product handled blindside duties as a rookie out of necessity, but since then he has primarily been used as planned at guard. Smith has missed three total games during that span, but he has collected a Pro Bowl nod each time.

Having posted top-15 PFF grades amongst guards in 2023 and ’24, Smith’s performance and age could set him up for a notable payday. As things stand, he is set to earn $21.27MM in 2026. That figure outpaces the AAV of Landon Dickerson‘s Eagles pact, the most lucrative multi-year deal in the league for guards (Trey Smith is currently scheduled to earn more on his Chiefs franchise tag this year, but an extension would change that). Having Smith in place at a $21.27MM cap charge would be challenging for Dallas, of course, creating added incentive for a long-term accord.

Dallas has invested considerable draft capital up front in recent years. The Cowboys used their top choice in 2024 on left tackle Tyler Guyton, and they went with guard Tyler Booker at No. 12 last month. Those two are in place to handle starting roles for years to come if things go according to plan, and Smith will join them as a key figure up front. Strong O-line play will be critical if Dallas is to bounce back from an underwhelming 2024 showing this year.

In addition to Smith, Athletes First represents Parsons along with quarterback Dak Prescott and recent trade acquisition George Pickens. Of that group, only Prescott’s future beyond 2026 is assured, so negotiations with those clients will be interesting to monitor over the coming weeks and months.

Steelers Faced Small George Pickens Trade Market; Latest On Cowboys’ Acquisition Plan

May 13th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

By the time George Pickens was dealt, it hardly came as a surprise given the chatter surrounding a trade from the Steelers. The Cowboys acquired him last week, but not because they won a wide-ranging bidding war.

Few teams showed interest in the pending free agent receiver, Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show reports. Acquiring Pickens as a one-year rental would have provided a boost to the passing attack of any number of suitors, but the cost of doing so would be weighed against the off-field concerns which played a key role in Pittsburgh’s decision to move on. Pickens is eligible to sign a long-term pact with Dallas, but he is not focused on that right now.

Kaboly adds the Steelers were not prepared to accept anything less than a third-round pick for Pickens; Dallas originally offered a fourth-rounder but eventually met that asking price while also swapping seventh-round picks in 2027. In spite of that marginal return relative to the 24-year-old’s on-field abilities, his absence is not expected to be an issue moving forward. Per Kaboly, multiple Steelers players became “fed up” with Pickens over the course of his three years in Pittsburgh to the point they saw retaining him as something which could be “counterproductive.”

When addressing the trade, Steelers general manager Omar Khan said the agreement with Dallas came about in short order after the draft. Selecting a rookie receiver was seen by many as a Cowboys priority, and the team did indeed have a number of prospects on its radar at the position. In the end, though, Dallas elected to take the highest-rated players at other spots during the opening rounds, thus waiting until the post-draft period to explore a receiver addition via trade.

“We had a nice list of guys that we were looking at, comparing that to what was available in the draft, and giving up the pick versus picking one,” Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “And as you know, when you pick a receiver in the draft, you get him for a good number for four years, so obviously that was one of the routes we were looking at hard.”

For now, Pickens represents a one-year investment as a wideout to complement CeeDee Lamb. The latter is attached to a $34MM-per-year pact, so finding cost-effective receivers is key for Dallas. Pickens has amassed over 2,800 yards and scored 12 touchdowns to date in his career, one which has been spent on less-than-stellar Steelers offenses. A strong showing with his new team could put the Georgia product on track for a notable payday next spring, but improvement with respect to the factors driving his trade would no doubt be required as well.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/25

May 12th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The following 2025 draft picks signed their rookie contracts today:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/25

May 12th, 2025 at 9:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: CB Jeremiah Walker
  • Placed on Exempt/International Player list: P Tory Taylor

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Jordan Turner, WR Kyrese White, LS Zach Triner, TE Cole Fotheringham
  • Waived: CB Kendall Bohler, LB K.J. Cloyd, NT Christian Dowell, TE Thomas Yassmin
  • Placed on Exempt/International Player list: P Jeremy Crawshaw

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: QB Taylor Elgersma
  • Released: OL Marquis Hayes

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: C Mose Vavao
  • Waived: DT Joe Evans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: WR Dalevon Campbell, LB Kana’i Mauga
  • Waived: OL Bucky Williams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: DT Isaiah Iton, G Mehki Butler, DT Wilfried Pene
  • Waived: OT Cole Birdow

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Signed: CB T.J. Moore
  • Waived: DB R.J. Delancey, DB Tommy McCormick

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: TE Drake Dabney,WR TJ Sheffield
  • Waived: CB Virgil Lemons, S Jerrin Thompson

Hoyland converted 79.3% of his field goal attempts for the Wyoming Cowboys across the last five years. He was ultra-consistent on extra points with 147 makes on 148 tries. Hoyland will compete with sixth-round pick Tyler Loop for the Ravens’ kicking job after the team released Justin Tucker.

Sheffield brings some much-needed experience to the Dolphins’ cornerback room, though he hasn’t started since 2020. He could provide crucial veteran depth in Miami, especially if Jalen Ramsey is traded.

Elgersma was the starting quarterback at Wilfried Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, for the last three years. In 2024, he won the Hec Crighton Trophy – the Canadian equivalent to the Heisman – and earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, the first-ever for a Canadian QB. Elgersma was drafted in the second round of the 2025 CFL Draft by the Winnepeg Blue Bombers, but a successful tryout with the Packers will give him a chance at making an NFL roster.

Omar Khan Addresses Steelers’ Decision To Trade George Pickens

May 9th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Questions about George Pickens‘ future (at least for 2025) were put to rest earlier this week with the trade sending him to the Cowboys. Production was not an issue during his time in Pittsburgh, but it still came as little surprise when the team elected to move on.

Pickens was the subject of trade calls before and during the draft, although with no deal being worked out it appeared the Steelers would retain him for 2025. Doing so likely would have set them up for the 24-year-old to depart in free agency next spring, and instead of waiting on a 2027 compensatory pick Pittsburgh took a trade package including a third-round selection in next year’s draft. On Friday, general manager Omar Khan confirmed Pickens did not ask to be moved while shedding light on the timing of the agreement.

“The trade sort of happened quickly. We had some people inquire during the draft. Nothing that really made sense. The Cowboys reached out earlier this week,” Khan said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). “They proposed something for us to think about. We had conversations internally.

“We also had some conversations with George’s agent… We discussed where things have been with George, where they are and where things could go with George. And this trade made sense for everyone… We just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”

Issues related to attendance for practices and games in Pickens’ case “sucked some of the life out of the locker room” for Pittsburgh, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted during a Rich Eisen Show appearance (video link). Head coach Mike Tomlin‘s public admission the Georgia product needed to “grow up” was certainly an indication the Steelers were not on board with extending him. With trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf attached to a monster deal, retaining Pickens on a long-term pact would have proven to be challenging.

Pelissero adds Pickens – who clashed with Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks at times – strongly preferred Russell Wilson remain in place as starter over Justin Fields. Neither passer is in the fold anymore, of course, with Aaron Rodgers looming as the Steelers’ presumed starter (in the event he signs with the team). The four-time MVP (who has already worked out with Metcalf this spring) was not made aware of the Pickens trade in advance, Pelissero adds to no surprise.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Peter Schrager painted a different picture of Pickens’ locker room presence (video link). The former second-rounder was not disliked by the team, per Schrager, an indication finances were the driving factor in the deal. Pittsburgh has a long history of making only one lucrative commitment at the WR spot at any given time, and that will remain the case in 2025.

Pickens, meanwhile, intends to play out the coming season as a pending free agent. His market value will depend in large part on his performance on the field but also his actions off of it as Dallas contemplates retaining him while also carrying CeeDee Lamb‘s pact for years to come.

Cowboys Pursued Ravens’ Rashod Bateman In Trade

May 9th, 2025 at 10:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ long-running search for an upper-crust No. 2 wide receiver appears to have ended with the George Pickens trade. Although Dallas does not have assurances Pickens will be more than a one-year rental, the team has an intriguing CeeDee Lamb complementary piece for 2025.

Dallas and Pittsburgh had begun discussing Pickens before the draft, and the NFC East team upped its offer — to one headlined by a 2026 third-round pick, as opposed to a fourth — to seal the deal. Prior to that agreement, however, the Cowboys are believed to have called the Ravens about one of their Zay Flowers supporting-casters.

[RELATED: Omar Khan Addresses Pickens Trade Decision]

Rashod Bateman drew Dallas interest, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. The Cowboys and Ravens discussed Bateman, though Schultz adds the conversation did not progress too far. Bateman has not delivered Pickens-level production yet, but the Ravens have shown faith in the 2021 first-round pick.

The sides agreed on an extension last year, after Baltimore let Odell Beckham Jr. walk in free agency, and Bateman’s second contract likely led to a higher asking price coming from the AFC North team. The former first-round pick is signed through 2026 at just $6.4MM per year.

Bateman’s production would not warrant a lofty asking price; Pickens has the Minnesota alum lapped there. At 25, Bateman is also more than a year older and carries a notable injury history that Pickens does not. But the Ravens expressed confidence in the former No. 27 overall pick’s trajectory by extending him. The Ravens saw Bateman help Lamar Jackson to a third first-team All-Pro season by posting a career-high 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The latter number smashed Bateman’s career-best mark, as he had not previously surpassed two TDs in a season.

Not bringing the maturity concerns Pickens does, Bateman also carrying a through-2026 contract — with base salaries of just $3.75 (guaranteed) and $6.5MM (nonguaranteed) — would make him a player that would command a reasonable asking price in a trade. The Ravens also did not add a wide receiver until Round 6 in this year’s draft, which came after the team replaced Nelson Agholor with DeAndre Hopkins in free agency.

Not missing a game due to injury over the past two seasons, Bateman has created some distance from the concerns that developed after an injury-marred 2022 campaign. With Hopkins not delivering too much for a Chiefs team in need at receiver last season, the Ravens will again count on Bateman as their top Flowers sidekick.

As we covered in our latest Trade Rumors Front Office piece, the Steelers have established a decades-long trend of not having two wideouts tied to lucrative contracts. Despite having no franchise-QB salary on their books, the Steelers agreed to part with Pickens for a package headlined by only a third-round pick. Pickens follows Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Martavis Bryant and Santonio Holmes as Mike Tomlin-era receivers traded in a contract year. (Pittsburgh also traded Antonio Brown, but he was not in a walk year in 2019.)

Pittsburgh had effectively determined it would not extend Pickens, a player Dallas brass will now evaluate. Rather than having Bateman for two more seasons, the Cowboys have Pickens contracted for one and hold exclusive negotiating rights with him until March.

George Pickens Planning To Play Out Cowboys Contract Year

May 8th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 8: When speaking to reporters for the first time since the trade, Pickens confirmed (via NFL Network’s Jane Slater) his focus is not on his contract situation at this point. Playing out the 2025 campaign as a pending free agent would certainly add a layer of intrigue to his debut Dallas season.

MAY 7: The Cowboys are now the team evaluating George Pickens regarding an extension, having acquired the contract-year wide receiver from the Steelers on Wednesday morning. With CeeDee Lamb already on Dallas’ payroll at $34MM per year, Pickens should not be considered a lock to receive his second contract in Dallas.

Sending the Steelers a trade haul headlined by a third-round pick, the Cowboys should certainly be considered open to a Pickens extension. As of now, however, Pickens may not be overly interested in one. The fourth-year wideout is not believed to be interested in an immediate payday, according to AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill. The trade pickup sounds prepared to increase his value in Dallas.

Pickens, 24, could certainly boost his stock by thriving as a Lamb complementary piece with Dak Prescott targeting him. Russell Wilson‘s eventual Hall of Fame case notwithstanding, Prescott is a better option than the former Super Bowl winner’s age-36 season presented Pickens. A player previously tied to Wilson, Justin Fields and Kenny Pickett during his Pittsburgh run, Pickens wanting to show he can put up better numbers with Prescott makes sense. A Cowboys team that has been known to delay high-profile extensions is familiar with such patience, even as prices rise.

Steelers hesitancy regarding a Pickens extension cropped up months before the trade. The Georgia product entered the NFL with maturity concerns, and he has not dispelled those. The Steelers dealt with Pickens’ occasional issues while using him as their No. 1 wide receiver last season. A position group that housed Pickens and the mercurial Diontae Johnson together for two years proved challenging for the Steelers, who have remade their receiver room around D.K. Metcalf‘s $33MM-per-year contract. Going all the way back to the Hines Ward days, the Steelers have refrained from giving two receivers notable extensions. Ward, Antonio Brown and, briefly, Johnson held slots as extended Steelers wideouts. Metcalf now steps into that role, one Lamb holds in Dallas.

The Cowboys had the opportunity to extend Lamb in 2023, his first year of eligibility, and drew criticism for not doing so and letting the market rise. Justin Jefferson‘s deal drove up Lamb’s price, and he eventually agreed on a four-year, $136MM contract. Though, Lamb also did not sound overly eager to land an extension before his fourth season. The 2020 first-rounder reshaped his market by posting a first-team All-Pro season in 2023. Pickens may not have that ceiling in Dallas, assuming Lamb stays healthy, but his work with Pickett, Fields and Wilson point to upside — especially as the proven deep threat enters only his age-24 season.

The receiver market has seen two boom periods since Pickens’ debut, as the 2022 and ’24 offseasons brought fireworks. Ja’Marr Chase has since taken the market past $40MM per year. This ceiling lift probably will not closely impact Pickens, but Tee Higgins having secured $28.75MM per year could. With a $40MM-plus-AAV Micah Parsons accord — to top Chase as the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB — likely coming before Week 1, the Cowboys may have a difficult time paying Pickens, especially if the former No. 52 overall pick is committed to betting on himself.

With Higgins off the board as a potential 2026 free agent, Pickens could become the WR market’s prize next year. As it stands, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are out of contract in 2026. So are Mike Evans and Courtland Sutton. Being much younger than this group, however, will stand to vault Pickens to the top of the line. With no Cowboys WR2 extension imminent, Pickens appears to be aiming to land a No. 1-level deal after a season in Dallas.

Steelers Trade George Pickens To Cowboys

May 7th, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming up as a team interested in George Pickens ahead of the draft, the Cowboys are indeed moving forward with a trade to land him. The Steelers will cut bait on Pickens a year early; they are sending him to Dallas, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Todd Archer report.

The Cowboys will obtain the contract-year wide receiver in exchange for a third-round pick. Here are the terms of the now-official trade:

Cowboys receive:

  • Pickens
  • 2027 sixth-round pick

Steelers receive:

  • 2026 third-round pick
  • 2027 fifth-round pick

Shortly before the draft, Jerry Jones had said his team was working on multiple trades. Closely linked to Tetairoa McMillan, Dallas left the draft without acquiring a CeeDee Lamb complementary target. This led to the owner confirming his team was still hunting for help at the position. The team has secured it. Pickens will relocate ahead of his contract year, becoming the latest WR talent the Steelers will pass on extending.

[RELATED: Pickens Planning To Play Out Contract Year]

The teams had discussed Pickens since before the draft, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports, and Dallas is believed to have upped its offer to move the trade across the goal line. Previously, Dallas had offered only a fourth-rounder, per Russini; a third proved enough to headline a successful offer. 105.3 The Fan’s Bobby Belt was the first to report the Cowboys had zeroed in on Pickens. Unlike Diontae Johnson last year, Pickens did not request to be moved, The Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly adds.

The Cowboys have searched for a high-end Lamb complementary piece for years, and they will now trade for one. The Cowboys continue to turn to the trade market to land receiving talent. This move comes after swaps involving Brandin Cooks and Amari Cooper; the latter’s departure helped create a years-long need in Dallas. Although Jones has swung and missed on big-ticket trades for receivers in the distant past — for Joey Galloway and Roy Williams — the Cooper move panned out. A belated replacement will arrive in the form of Pickens, whose impending relocation may well nix a rumored Cooper reunion.

Dallas dealt Cooper to Cleveland in March 2022, only obtaining fifth- and sixth-round picks for him. Cooper then delivered two 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Browns while nothing comparable occurred alongside Lamb with his previous team. The Cowboys became closely connected, mostly via Jones, to Odell Beckham Jr. that year. No signing took place, and the Cowboys played out the string without much help for Lamb.

Michael Gallup‘s December 2021 ACL tear sidetracked the former 1,000-yard playmaker’s career, and while Cooks still delivered reasonable production in 2023 following a trade, he missed a chunk of last season due to injury. Cooks returned to New Orleans as a free agent, leaving little alongside Lamb. Pickens joining holdover Jalen Tolbert in a contract year changes that equation ahead of Brian Schottenheimer‘s HC debut.

Having followed through with a rumored Pickens trade, the Steelers are now the team with a wide receiver need. This comes, of course, as the team is wooing Aaron Rodgers for what would likely be a one-and-done stay. Rodgers has not publicly committed to Pittsburgh, but he did throw passes to Metcalf and remains in communication with Mike Tomlin. The Steelers have remained confident the future Hall of Famer will ultimately sign, but his potential receiving corps is now suddenly much thinner.

That said, the Steelers have bolstered their 2026 draft arsenal. With Rodgers (or Kirk Cousins, potentially) only being a short-term fix, Pittsburgh will need better ammo in the event 2026 becomes the next draft featuring a bona fide QB1 investment. The AFC North team had been aiming to make an early-round move in either this draft or the next for a passer. After the team passed on doing so this year, by only adding Will Howard in Round 6, 2026 now looks like the draft the team will seek to acquire its belated Kenny Pickett replacement.

The Steelers still trail the Browns and Rams in terms of 2026 capital, with those teams acquiring future first-rounders in this year’s draft. Pittsburgh, however, is now projected to hold three third-round picks, two fourths and two fifths (via this trade and the compensatory process) in ’26. More work may still remain for GM Omar Khan, whose team’s ultra-high floor annually prevents a draft slot in the upper half of a first round, but this represents a start. Though, a Steelers team that struggled to find a Pickens supporting-caster last year returns to familiar territory.

Metcalf arrived a day before free agency but months after the Steelers failed to acquire Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers. The teams had trade terms and an extension worked out. Even though the extension was worth less than what the Browns and Patriots proposed, Aiyuk had the Steelers as his safety team in case a 49ers deal did not work out. Aiyuk ended his trade derby by signing a San Francisco extension, and Pittsburgh attempted to address its receiver need with a Mike Williams trade at last year’s deadline. That move did not produce much of consequence, and Williams has since returned to the Chargers. After years of Tyler Lockett working as a quality supporting-caster, Metcalf now comes to Pennsylvania without a notable WR2 presence.

Known for making receiver investments on Day 2 in the draft, the Steelers passed on doing so this year. They left the draft with their 2022 second-round find still rostered, but incessant trade rumors clouded Pickens’ future. He will now follow the likes of Johnson, Santonio Holmes, Martavis Bryant and Chase Claypool as a wideout dealt ahead of a contract year.

The modern-era Steelers have made a habit of having just one wideout tied to a notable second contract at a time. As Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, Johnson and now Metcalf (four years, $131.99MM) cashed in, moving parts abounded. Pickens had become a player to monitor as a one-contract Steeler for months, and a post-draft report pointed to no Pittsburgh extension coming, and another Pittsburgh WR search will be a storyline to follow in the coming months.

Pickens, 24, has flashed brightly during his first three seasons. He became the latest Steelers receiver find from Day 2, leading the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch (1,140 in total) in 2023 despite inconsistent quarterback play. Pickens posted 900 yards last season, doing so despite missing three games and having a low-ceiling Russell Wilson–Justin Fields tandem targeting him. Pickens is the NFL’s only player to generate three straight seasons north of 16 yards per reception and accumulated over 2,000 since 2022, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

As Dak Prescott recovers from a significant hamstring injury and enters his age-32 season, he will become the top QB tied to Pickens, who has produced some of the NFL’s most acrobatic catches during his short time in the NFL. While the latter’s contract year will unfold in Texas on a team that has already paid Lamb, Prescott targeting him should prove a welcome sight for a player who will be eager to cash in — as a Cowboy or a 2026 free agent.

Maturity concerns have mounted with Pickens, undoubtedly factoring into both Steelers WR trades this offseason, but the Cowboys will take a chance on a talented player entering his mid-20s. The Cowboys will have the Georgia alum tied to a $3.66MM 2025 base salary. They will hold exclusive negotiating rights with Pickens until March 2026. Although the Cowboys have dragged their feet on extension talks in recent years, they will have a higher-profile player to evaluate regarding a long-term fit once again.

While two lofty WR payments may be too steep for a Cowboys team that will likely enter Week 1 with monster deals for Prescott, Lamb and Micah Parsons on its cap sheet, the team has upgraded its 2025 receiver cadre in exchange for third- and fifth-round picks. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers regroup.

NFL Minor Transactions: 5/7/25

May 7th, 2025 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves in the NFL:

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: QB Taylor Elgersma

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee Titans

Though the Ravens and Packers have both already announced their undrafted free agent rookie class signings, both teams added an additional name to their groups today via rookie minicamp tryouts.

Martin, a smaller defensive back with impressive speed, transferred to Louisiana after two years at Youngstown State. He became a full-time starter for the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2023, tallying 109 total tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defensed during his two seasons in the starting lineup.

Coming out of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, CAN, Elgersma went undrafted in the NFL draft but was selected in the second round of the 2025 draft for the Canadian Football League. He was also invited for a rookie minicamp tryout in Buffalo but will no longer attend after turning his Green Bay invite into a roster spot.

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