Cowboys Sent Raiders Multiple Offers For Maxx Crosby; Latest On Ravens’ Process
Maxx Crosby is back with the Raiders, thanks to the Ravens‘ controversial nixing of a blockbuster trade. While trade talks could reignite ahead of the draft or perhaps as far down the road as training camp, the All-Pro edge rusher has reaffirmed his commitment to the Raiders.
A number of teams were in the mix for the star defender, but the Cowboys were viewed as the runners-up to the Ravens. Baltimore’s decision to give up two first-round picks won the March trade derby — before it all unraveled days later — but Dallas made an aggressive pursuit that involved a few offers.
The Cowboys initially proposed a trade of Osa Odighizuwa and the second of their two first-round picks (No. 20) for Crosby, ESPN.com’s Ryan McFadden reports, before sweetening the deal. After Las Vegas rejected the proposals with Odighizuwa, McFadden indicates Dallas submitted a deal including its top first-round choice (No. 12) to go with a third-round pick. After the Raiders rejected that, the Cowboys submitted what is believed to be their final proposal: No. 12 and a second-round pick.
Because of the Quinnen Williams deadline deal, the Cowboys do not own a second-rounder this year. The Raiders seemingly rejected an offer of No. 12 and the Cowboys’ 2027 second-rounder. Understandably, the Ravens’ offer of two firsts made the Raiders’ decision easy.
Now that the Ravens backed out of the deal due to long-term concerns about Crosby’s knee, the Cowboys and other teams are free to make another run at a trade. But the Raiders are unlikely to fetch two first-rounders for a player the Ravens — external skepticism about the team’s motivations notwithstanding — failed on a physical.
Dallas considered moving back into the Crosby running after the failed trade, per McFadden, but the team has not made another run here. Though, Jerry Jones said that door is not closed. The Cowboys have been quite active with high-profile D-line transactions over the past year. They have gone from re-signing Odighizuwa (four years, $80MM) to trading him to the 49ers for a third-round pick. That trade came about because Dallas acquired Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons deal and Williams months later. The Cowboys later reunited Clark with former Packers D-line mate Rashan Gary, who accepted a pay cut to facilitate the trade.
Gary and Crosby are in different leagues as pass rushers, with the former coming up as a Green Bay cap-casualty candidate before the Pack found a trade taker. The Cowboys also re-signed Sam Williams and used a 2025 second-round pick on Donovan Ezeiruaku.
The team would obviously upgrade with Crosby opposite Gary in Christian Parker‘s new 3-4 defense, but as our Ely Allen pointed out recently, Dallas bringing in a player Baltimore failed on a physical (as Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper consulted with the Ravens, though he did not make the final call) stands to be a longer-odds proposition compared now that this information is out. A previous report also indicated the Cowboys are standing down.
Some in the Raiders’ building doubt the Ravens nixed the trade purely based on concerns about the eighth-year veteran’s knee, per McFadden, who adds Baltimore had a “full understanding” of Crosby’s meniscus injury and rehab timeline before making the trade. Casting further doubt on the Ravens’ much-debated plan to acquire Crosby and sign Trey Hendrickson, one GM (to put it mildly) does not believe Baltimore intended to pair both edge rushers, Jason La Canfora notes on Casino.org.
Other execs are skeptical regarding the Ravens’ decision, per McFadden, who indicates it is believed the Raiders were transparent about Crosby’s rehab timeline — one long expected to last months, not weeks. But long-term concerns about a “degenerative” knee issue, rather than Crosby’s 2026 status, have been mentioned as the reason for the trade being called off. The Ravens were hesitant to meet Hendrickson’s $40MM-per-year asking price, McFadden notes, joining others in that regard (teams viewed the ex-Bengal as more likely to land $25-$27MM-per-year range, which is roughly where this wrapped). Hendrickson’s price coming down allowed the Ravens to pivot from Crosby quickly, inviting considerable scrutiny from around the league.
An irked Crosby was back at the Raiders’ facility early the next morning, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds the longtime Las Vegas pillar appreciated both John Spytek and Klint Kubiak reaching out shortly after the failed trade. Joining our Adam La Rose in this assessment, Breer does not anticipate the Raiders trading Crosby before Week 1. The veteran reporter views the trade deadline as the more logical reevaluation point. By that point, Crosby (29 in August) will have had a chance to display full health after an expected recovery from a Jan. 7 meniscus surgery.
Additionally, some in the agent community viewed the Ravens’ conservative reputation — having never traded a first-round pick for a veteran — as a reason the Raiders should have been leery here. The opportunity for the Ravens to add Hendrickson without giving up two firsts has called many to cite this as an example of an organization getting cold feet, and the physical not taking place until Tuesday put both teams in a bind due to free agency’s peak hours unfolding before that point.
The most notable Raven or Raider transaction to occur in that time brought Tyler Linderbaum to Las Vegas on a three-year, $81MM deal (a pact essentially coming fully guaranteed) that set a record for all interior O-line accords. The Raiders may not have signed both Malcolm Koonce (one year, $11MM) and Kwity Paye (three years, $48MM) had they known Crosby would end up staying, McFadden adds. Though, the team has run into endless trouble finding complementary Crosby rushers. Perhaps this snafu could prove beneficial on that front.
While Crosby going from requesting a trade to being recommitted to the Raiders represents a fascinating development — especially with Vegas not initially seeking to trade him — more departure rumors will undoubtedly return at some point. But the Raiders may now need to see their best player rebuild his trade value. That could certainly lead to a Crosby-Paye-Koonce-Tyree Wilson EDGE setup in place to open the season.
WR Rumors: Tyson, Eagles, Waddle, Moore, Giants, Bears, Cowboys, Cards, Colts
One of the wide receivers expected to go off the draft board in Round 1, Jordyn Tyson did not work out at the Combine and will not participate at Arizona State’s pro day Friday. Tyson missed time with a hamstring injury last season, and it has apparently affected his pre-draft timeline. Tyson, however, will work out for teams April 17, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. That said, the former Colorado recruit will only do positional drills that day. As our Ely Allen pointed out in December, Tyson is a high-ceiling prospect but one that carries injury baggage. Knee and collarbone injuries affected Tyson in separate years with the Sun Devils, and this hamstring issue — when coupled with past maladies — could certainly affect his draft stock. But his 1,101-yard 2024 slate should provide a solid first-round floor. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Tyson 21st overall in this class.
Here is the latest from the receiver ranks:
- Regardless of their A.J. Brown decision, the Eagles will target a receiver in the draft, The Athletic’s Zach Berman notes. Howie Roseman hit with DeVonta Smith in 2021 but famously missed with Jalen Reagor (Round 1, 2020) and JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Round 2, 2019). A receiver move should be expected early, Berman adds, though he notes optimism exists among decisionmakers Smith can make another jump with a boost in targets. A Brown trade — heavily rumored to be in the works after June 1 — would create a critical need for Philly, but a rookie stepping in alongside Smith and Marquise Brown would stand to bolster the slender WR’s role within the offense.
- Marquise Brown joined the Eagles on a one-year deal worth $5MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. The former Ravens, Cardinals and Chiefs wideout can max out at $6.5MM on the contract. Brown’s $5MM is fully guaranteed, which marks only a slight discount from his 2025 Kansas City terms (one year, $7MM).
- The Broncos have already used Jaylen Waddle‘s contract to create cap space, with Wilson indicating the team converted $15.42MM of the trade pickup’s option bonus to a signing bonus. Waddle is still due $17.24MM in 2026 compensation, 9News’ Mike Klis adds, but his cap number checks in at $4.88MM. That number will jump to $27.1MM in 2027, however, with $15.2MM of Waddle’s ’27 compensation being guaranteed. Acquiring Waddle’s $28.25MM-per-year contract from the Dolphins last week, Broncos hold $18.75MM in 2026 cap space, per OverTheCap.
- The Bills also restructured their WR trade acquisition’s contract, converting $22.19MM in base salary into a signing bonus. This created $17.75MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap. D.J. Moore‘s 2026 cap hit sits at just $6.75MM, though like Waddle, he is due a hefty 2027 guarantee ($15.5MM). Buffalo holds $12.29MM in cap space.
- Already reworking Terence Steele and Malik Hooker‘s contracts, the Cowboys adjusted Jonathan Mingo‘s as well. Mingo accepted a pay cut, per Wilson, who notes the former second-round pick is now on a $1.15MM deal that includes no guaranteed money. After underwhelming on his rookie deal and missing 2025 time due to injury, Mingo will vie for a roster spot. One year remains on his rookie deal.
- Darnell Mooney was tied to a three-year, $39MM Falcons deal, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes his one-year Giants pact is worth just $3MM in base value. That figure does come fully guaranteed, per Wilson, who notes the contract can max out at $10MM. Calvin Austin‘s Giants agreement comes in at just $1.5MM, according to OverTheCap, with $400K guaranteed. The slot receiver’s deal can max out at $3MM, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who notes the ex-Steeler’s playing time incentives start at a 45% snap rate; his catch incentives begin at 35, with his yardage escalators starting at 400. Meeting the minimum thresholds in each category would earn Austin $150K.
- Rounding up some other recent WR terms, the Bears are giving Kalif Raymond a one-year deal worth $3.5MM. The contract includes $3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets, and can max out at $5.1MM. The Cardinals’ Devin Duvernay deal is worth $1.85MM in base value, per Wilson, who adds $550K is guaranteed at signing. The Colts will have Nick Westbrook-Ikhine tied to a one-year, $1.4MM deal, Wilson adds, noting $438K is guaranteed at signing.
Cowboys To Sign CB Derion Kendrick
After agreeing to terms with Cobie Durant, the Cowboys are set to import another recent Rams cornerback. Derion Kendrick is joining the Cowboys on a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Splitting his time between Seattle and Los Angeles in 2025, Kendrick has 18 career starts and teamed with Durant across three seasons with the Rams. Durant agreed to a one-year, $4MM Cowboys deal; having not started a game since 2023, Kendrick is likely to come in south of that figure. This duo joins a retooling Cowboys defense under new leader Christian Parker.
Technically Super Bowl ring-eligible after playing 10 Seahawks games in 2025, Kendrick landed on waivers three times last year. The Rams cut him in June (before re-signing him soon after) and then moved on again upon trimming their roster to 53 players in August, leading to a Seahawks claim. Seattle, however, moved on in November. A Rams team struggling with corner health and consistency brought Kendrick back via a claim, but with L.A. adding Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this month, Kendrick will join Durant in relocating.
A former sixth-round pick who played at Clemson and Georgia, Kendrick is heading into an age-26 season. He used the 2025 campaign to reestablish health following a missed 2024. The 6-foot cover man suffered an ACL tear in July 2024.
Prior to that, the Rams used Kendrick as a regular starter over his first two seasons. After playing 50% of L.A.’s defensive snaps as a rookie, Kendrick logged a 76% snap share (858 plays) in 2023. The Rams demoted Kendrick late that season, however, and Pro Football Focus placed him 83rd out of 127 qualified CB options that year. Kendrick played 18% of Seattle’s defensive snaps last season (123 plays) but will be looking to secure more playing time in Dallas.
The Cowboys waived the injury-prone Trevon Diggs late last season and have DaRon Bland coming off a season-ending malady. As Bland deals with another major foot issue, the Cowboys will be hoping 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel — who missed much of his rookie year due to ACL rehab — can play a regular role. Durant will be competing for a starting job, likely being favored to play alongside Bland and Revel, while Kendrick profiles as a depth option. The Cowboys are taking a few swings at corner, having also signed ex-Packers regular Corey Ballentine this week.
In other Cowboys contract news, safety P.J. Locke‘s deal matches Kendrick’s. It’s a one-year, $4MM pact that can max out at $5MM, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. Of that total, $3.5MM is guaranteed at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds. Defensive end Sam Williams‘ second Dallas deal is worth $2.5MM in base value, per Wilson. Of that total, $2MM is fully guaranteed. D-lineman Otito Ogbonnia‘s one-year contract is worth $2.5MM, Archer notes. Of that amount, only $500K is guaranteed at signing.
Cowboys Re-Sign CB Corey Ballentine
Corey Ballentine is sticking in Dallas. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the veteran cornerback is re-signing with the Cowboys.
Ballentine had a busy start to his 2025 campaign. After signing with the Colts last offseason, he was cut by the team at the beginning of August. He subsequently caught on for a second stint with the Packers but was among Green Bay’s final roster cuts, leading to him joining the Patriots practice squad. He made his way onto the active roster for a single game before he was cut in late September.
He quickly signed with the Cowboys practice squad, and he proceeded to get into five games with his new organization. He was limited to only 70 total snaps during his time in Dallas, with the majority of those reps coming on special teams.
The 2019 sixth-round pick has bounced around the NFL, with the Cowboys representing his ninth team. Besides some brief flashes as a rookie with the Giants, Ballentine’s most notable stint came with the Packers, including a 2023 campaign where he collected 43 stops, seven passes defended, and an interception.
Ballentine will likely be eyeing a similar ST-centric role in Dallas in 2026. The Cowboys added Cobie Durant to a grouping of CB holdovers like DaRon Bland, Reddy Steward, Shavon Revel, and Caelen Carson. The organization moved on from both Kaiir Elam and Trevon Diggs last season without figuring out a true contingency plan, and perhaps Ballentine could work his way into a role with a strong summer showing.
NFC Contract Details: Lions, Franklin, Cross, Cardinals, Cowboys, 49ers, Bears, Saints
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Cade Mays, C (Lions). Three years, $25MM. Mays secured $6MM of his $7.7MM 2027 base salary fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Four void years are included in the deal, per the Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers, with Mays’ 2026 cap hit sitting at $2.77MM. A $7.39MM option bonus is in place for 2028; the Lions bailing before that is due would result in a $3.89MM dead money hit, Rogers adds.
- Zaire Franklin, LB (Packers). Two years, $18MM. Two years remained on Franklin’s Colts-constructed contract — initially a three-year, $31.26MM deal. The Packers reworked it. Franklin received a $3.75MM signing bonus on his post-trade agreement, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That is the only guarantee here, though Franklin’s 2026 salary ($4.24MM) will lock in just before Week 1 due to the LB being a vested veteran.
- Nick Cross, S (Commanders). Two years, $13MM. The deal includes $6.1MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. None of Cross’ 2027 money is guaranteed.
- Neville Gallimore, DT (Bears). Two years, $10.13MM. Gallimore will see $5MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. The Bears included a $375K roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Benjamin St-Juste, CB (Packers). Two years, $10MM. St-Juste received just $3MM at signing, Wilson adds. The signing bonus represents the guarantee, though a $1.5MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- Noah Fant, TE (Saints). Two years, $8.75MM. The former first-round pick secured $4.5MM guaranteed at signing, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. No guarantees are in place for 2027.
- Elijah Wilkinson, OL (Cardinals). Two years, $6.25MM. Wilkinson’s contract comes with $3.1MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The veteran blocker played for less than $1.5MM during both his Falcons seasons.
- Gardner Minshew, QB (Cardinals). One year, $5.75MM. This deal comes in far south of Minshew’s two-year, $25MM Raiders pact from 2024, and the initially reported $8.25MM represented a max value. Minshew will see $5.14MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Minshew’s deal checks in just below Jacoby Brissett‘s for AAV; Brissett is on a two-year, $12.5MM accord.
- Larry Borom, T (Lions). One year, $5MM. Borom’s deal comes almost fully guaranteed, with Wilson noting the at-signing number is $4.9MM. This contract is double his Dolphins deal from 2025.
- Malik Hooker, S (Cowboys). One year, $5MM. Hooker’s reworking will bring a $3MM guarantee, per OverTheCap. Hooker was going into the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract.
- Olamide Zaccheaus, WR (Falcons). Two years, $4.5MM. The ex-Matt Ryan target will return to Atlanta — under the leadership of the team’s new front office boss — for $2.3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds.
- Cobie Durant, CB (Cowboys). One year, $4MM. Durant’s deal includes just $1.5MM guaranteed at signing, via OverTheCap, though another $1.75MM (the ex-Ram CB’s base salary) will lock in just before Week 1.
- Nate Hobbs, CB (49ers). One year, $3.5MM. The previously reported $4.5MM number represents the deal’s max value. Hobbs will see $3.11MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner tweets.
Cowboys Pursued LB Devin Lloyd
The Cowboys entered the offseason with a need at middle linebacker, but they have done nothing to address it so far. It hasn’t been for lack of effort. Along with the previously reported pursuits of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, the Cowboys “made a push” to sign Devin Lloyd at the outset of free agency, per Todd Archer of ESPN.
The Cowboys lost out on Dean and Walker to the Raiders, who pulled in the duo as part of their big-money shopping spree in the first wave of free agency. Meanwhile, Lloyd left the Jaguars for the Panthers. All three players secured three-year deals worth between $36MM and $42MM.
With Dean, Walker, Lloyd and several other free agent possibilities off the board, inside linebacker options have dwindled. But the open market still features at least a few notable veterans. To name two prominent examples, Commanders free agent Bobby Wagner and career-long Buccaneer Lavonte David remain unsigned. However, the Cowboys have not gone after either member of the grizzled duo, according to Archer. Bobby Okereke, Germaine Pratt and Shaq Thompson are a few others without teams, but it is unclear if the Cowboys have interest.
In 2025, a year in which the Cowboys’ defense allowed the most points and third-most yards in the NFL, Kenneth Murray recorded the highest snap share (78.86%) among their linebackers. Murray is also among current free agents, but the Cowboys are not expected to re-sign him, Archer reports. He and in-season trade pickup Logan Wilson will go down as one-and-done additions for Dallas.
The Cowboys acquired Murray from the Titans in a late-round pick swap last March, but Pro Football Focus wound up ranking him a ghastly 86th among 88 off-ball LBs in 2025. While Wilson only cost the Cowboys a seventh-rounder, they were so unimpressed with the former Bengal’s work that they waived him last month. Although Wilson is just 29, he retired earlier this week.
As things stand, DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron are new defensive coordinator Christian Parker‘s in-house choices as he transitions the Cowboys to a 3-4 base. Overshown is a shoo-in to start if healthy, but injuries have undermined him throughout his three-year career. He has played in just 19 of a possible 51 games. James posted a 49.14% snap share and made a team-high 91 tackles as a fifth-round rookie, though PFF placed him just two spots higher than Murray in its rankings. Meanwhile, as an undrafted rookie last year, Barron did not play a defensive snap in either of his two appearances.
Considering what they have on hand, Dallas seems likely to pick up another starting-caliber off-ball linebacker in either free agency, a trade or the draft. With the Cowboys owning two first-round picks (No. 12 and 20), they could be waiting until late April to land an impact player at the position.
No Progress In Cowboys’ Talks With George Pickens, Brandon Aubrey
Having placed the $27.3MM franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens and the second-round restricted free agent tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey, the Cowboys are positioned to keep the pair for at least another season. A multiyear arrangement may be optimal in both cases, but there has not been any progress on either front, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports.
A productive Steeler during his first three NFL seasons, Pickens performed like a star in 2025 after joining the Cowboys via trade. The 25-year-old finished top 10 in the league in receptions (93; eighth), yards (1,429; third) and touchdowns (nine; eighth). With that in mind, it came as no surprise when the Cowboys tagged Pickens to stop him from hitting the open market unfettered. While losing Pickens to an offer sheet would entitle the Cowboys to two first-round picks, odds are heavily against a team presenting one.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to reach a multiyear deal with Pickens. Barring that, it seems likely the former second-rounder will play under the tag next season. He would become the first player to do since Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in 2024. Higgins went on to secure a four-year, $115MM extension with the Bengals last March.
Pickens has a strong argument to sign for more than Higgins, especially with the cap continuing to rise. He may eventually end up with a payday similar to teammate and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb, who landed his own four-year pact in August 2024. Lamb sits third among receivers in total value ($136MM), guarantees ($100MM) and average annual salary ($34MM).
The 31-year-old Aubrey, meanwhile, is on track to earn $5.76MM in 2026 without a new contract. The Cowboys have tried to extend Aubrey since last summer, but they resorted to tendering him after coming up short. As Watkins notes, Aubrey’s $10MM annual asking price blows past what the Cowboys are willing to pay (a little under $7MM). However, Dallas has not lost interest in extending Aubrey, per Watkins.
Although the big-legged Aubrey has only been in the league for three years, he already has a stacked resume. The ex-soccer player has earned a Pro Bowl nod and picked up All-Pro honors in each season. Both team and player agree Aubrey deserves to surpass the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker as the league’s highest-paid kicker, but there is a clear gap in negotiations. Butker is on a four-year, $25.6MM accord with a $6.4MM average salary.
If the sides don’t find common ground, odds are still high that Aubrey will stay in Dallas next season. There is little chance another team will sign Aubrey to a record-setting contract and give up a second-rounder for a kicker.
WR T.Y. Hilton Announces Retirement
Longtime Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has not played in the NFL since 2022, and he has now made his retirement official with an announcement on social media.
Hilton, 36, was one of the NFL’s most consistently productive receivers in the 2010s with five seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and four Pro Bowls from 2013 to 2018.
Originally a third-round pick out of Florida International, Hilton was drafted by the Colts in the same year as Andrew Luck and quickly emerged as one of the young quarterback’s most reliable targets. After a productive rookie year, Hilton took the torch from Reggie Wayne in 2013 with a team-high 1,083 yards and five touchdowns through the air. He led Indianapolis in receiving for six years in a row with a career- and league-high of 1,448 yards in 2016.
Luck’s sudden retirement in 2019 predictably led into a huge statistical drop for Hilton. Over the next three years, he appeared in just 35 games and averaged just 531 yards per season. Hilton hit free agency in 2022 and signed with the Cowboys late in the season. He appeared in five games in Dallas (including the playoffs).
Hilton will retire with 146 appearances (121 starts), 638 receptions, 9,812 receiving yards, and 53 touchdowns to his name. He also has just over $77MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap.
Former Bengals, Cowboys LB Logan Wilson Retires
Early this afternoon, linebacker Logan Wilson took to Instagram to bid farewell to his brief NFL career. After only six years of play at the professional level, the 29-year-old defender has announced his retirement. 
Growing up in Wyoming, Wilson was an All-State athlete starting in his sophomore year of high school. By his junior and senior seasons, Wilson was earning All-State honors on offense (WR), defense (S), and special teams (P). Even though he was an All-State athlete, the fact that that state was Wyoming limited the amount of interest he received from colleges. He only received scholarship offers from Weber State and Wyoming and chose to stay in-state with the Cowboys. After redshirting his freshman season, Wilson was a full-time starter as a redshirt freshman and continued in that role for three years after that. His 421 total tackles are the fourth-most in school history.
The Bengals drafted the first-team All-Mountain West linebacker in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft. Though he only started two games as a rookie, he was constantly rotating in, and by the midpoint of the season, he was on the field for over half team’s defensive snaps. By the start of Year 2, Wilson had replaced Josh Bynes as a starting linebacker, and he finished the season as the team’s leading tackler, a feat he would repeat in each of the next two years, earning a four-year, $37.25MM extension. He likely would’ve accomplished the feat for four straight years, but a season-ending knee surgery ended his 2024 campaign after just 11 games.
Injuries had needled Wilson over the course of his NFL career, but that season-ending injury was the first time he had missed more than three weeks in a row. He only ever participated in every game of a season once, in 2023. That year he recorded career highs in total tackles (135), tackles for loss (5), passes defensed (9), and interceptions (4).
In 2025, Wilson started the season as a starter at inside linebacker, but as the team started limiting his time and giving more opportunities to Clemson fourth-round rookie Barrett Carter, Wilson requested a trade, and Cincinnati moved him to the Cowboys to honor that request, receiving just a seventh-round pick in the process. While he didn’t regain a starting role in Dallas, he was able to retain a decent rotation. In the aftermath of the season, the Cowboys waived Wilson to free up a considerable amount of cap space from the remaining years of his extension.
Over the course of his brief career, Wilson proved to be an effective, versatile linebacker when healthy. He finishes his NFL career with 565 total tackles, 11 interceptions, 26 passes defensed, seven forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 18 quarterback hits. In his retirement post, Wilson expressed thanks for getting to live out his NFL dream as a kid from Wyoming.
OL Notes: Lions, Linderbaum, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Panthers, Browns, Saints
Winning a 49ers starting guard job to open last season, Ben Bartch ran into injury trouble and ultimately lost his job. The veteran interior O-lineman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, being part of another injury-riddled 49ers season. Upon return, Bartch did not reacquire his starting job. Bartch ended up suffering a foot sprain, after the 49ers used an IR activation on him, and played out his contract. The Lions have him on their radar, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the NFC North team conducted a visit recently. A 24-game starter with Jacksonville and San Francisco, Bartch is heading into an age-28 season. Detroit signed Cade Mays to fill in at center, and the team returns starters Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany from last season.
Here is the latest from around the O-line groups:
- Not returning after a Week 12 neck injury, Broderick Jones underwent fusion surgery in his neck (according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly). It looked like a long shot Pittsburgh would exercise Jones’ fifth-year option ($19.07MM), and Omar Khan did not confirm Jones would be ready for training camp. That will make the left tackle position — in a stopgap scenario at the very least — one to monitor in Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Linderbaum‘s Raiders deal keeps looking more impressive. Already locked in to what is practically a three-year, $81MM fully guaranteed contract, the new Raiders center secured a no-tag clause for 2029, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No center has been franchise- or transition-tagged since the Panthers cuffed Ryan Kalil with a franchise tag in 2011. Then again, no center (or guard) has approached Linderbaum’s $27MM-AAV accord. With tackles, guards and center grouped together on the tag, a 2029 Linderbaum tender would have been highly unlikely. But, showcasing the leverage the three-time Pro Bowler held in free agency, he secured this deal point anyway.
- The Giants re-signed Joshua Ezeudu earlier today; this came after the team hosted veteran guard Ryan Bates on a visit, Wilson adds. Bates spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting only two games in two Chicago seasons, but he played out a four-year, $17MM Bills deal — one designed by Chicago via a 2022 RFA offer sheet — last season. The Giants have been stingy at guard despite making a strong push for Alijah Vera-Tucker, and options are dwindling. Though, ex-John Harbaugh Ravens charge Daniel Faalele remains available.
- Wyatt Teller played right guard throughout his Browns tenure, with LG staple Joel Bitonio in place on the other side for 12 seasons, but Wilson indicates a willingness on the new Texans signee’s part to switch sides. With 2025 Houston RG Ed Ingram re-signed, Wilson points to Teller playing left guard in 2026. Wilson also posits a scenario in which Evan Brown competes with incumbent Jake Andrews for the center position. While the Cardinals used Brown at guard over the past two seasons, he has logged full seasons at center — for the Seahawks and Lions — in the past.
- As Teller leaves Cleveland after six-plus seasons and Bitonio not certain to return, the Browns added three guard options (though, guard/tackle Tytus Howard is expected to play RT following a trade). Howard’s two-year, $45MM Browns extension includes $34.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Option bonuses exist in 2027 ($18.41MM) and ’28 ($14.36MM), and $13.5MM of Howard’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed at signing. Howard is due a $4MM roster bonus in 2028, per Spotrac. Zion Johnson‘s three-year, $49.5MM Browns deal includes $27.83MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Two option bonuses are in place here, with Wilson adding the ex-Chargers guard will be due a $3MM roster bonus if on Cleveland’s roster by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. $13.57MM of Johnson’s 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed.
- The Saints‘ Dillon Radunz deal is worth $6.9MM over two years, with ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell noting it includes $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Adding center Luke Fortner and tackle Stone Forsythe, the Panthers kept costs low for both. A 2025 Saints trade pickup, Fortner is tied to a one-year deal worth $2.75MM ($1.33MM guaranteed), Wilson adds. Coming over from the Raiders, Forsythe signed a one-year, $2MM pact with $500K guaranteed (per Wilson).