Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/26
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB Zonovan Knight
- Signed: LS Casey Kreiter
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: C Corey Levin, LB Channing Tindall
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DE Trevis Gipson, TE James Mitchell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Jack Stoll
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Tyrus Wheat
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OLB Brenton Cox, DT Jonathan Ford
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: LS Josh Harris
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Zayne Anderson, TE Ben Sims
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Mike Brown, TE Julian Hill
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Re-signed: OT Max Mitchell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: OL Jack Driscoll
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: RB Patrick Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: LS Chris Stoll
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Malik Herring
Cowboys Trade DL Solomon Thomas To Titans
Robert Saleh is adding another familiar face. The Cowboys are trading defensive lineman Solomon Thomas to the Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It will be a seventh-round pick swap between the two squads. The Cowboys will acquire pick No. 218 for pick No. 225. The trade will create roughly $2.5MM in cap savings for Dallas while generating $750K in dead money.
Thomas recently spent three seasons playing under Saleh while the two were in New York. While the defensive lineman only started four of his 50 appearances for the Jets, he still emerged as a key defensive lineman. He had nine sacks during his tenure with the organization, including a five-sack showing in 2023.
The veteran inked a two-year, $8MM deal with the Cowboys last offseason, and he ended up starting two of his 16 appearances for his new squad. However, his 419 defensive snaps was one of the lowest totals of his career, and he finished the season shutout in the sacks column. Pro Football Focus ultimately graded him as a middle-of-the-road interior defensive lineman, ranking Thomas 59th among 127 qualifiers.
Thomas also played under Saleh when the two were in San Francisco. The 49ers selected the defensive lineman with the third-overall pick in the 2017 draft. He failed to live up to his draft billing during his time with the team, but he still tallied six sacks through his first three seasons. He was limited to two games in 2020 thanks to a torn ACL, but he managed to get into 17 games (and collect 3.5 sacks) with the Raiders in 2021.
Saleh has been busy recruiting former Jets to Tennessee. Thomas will be plenty familiar with some of his new DL teammates, as the Titans have also added former Jets Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers this offseason.
Teams Eyeing Cowboys DT Osa Odighizuwa
MARCH 11: No communication between Odighizuwa’s camp and the Bengals has taken place, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. She adds a trade is not seen as likely in this case.
MARCH 10: Only one season after inking a lucrative four-year contract, Osa Odighizuwa could be on the move. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, “teams are keeping an eye” on the Cowboys defensive tackle.
The Cowboys retained the former third-round pick last offseason, signing him to a four-year, $80MM extension. Since then, the team has added plenty of additional depth at the position. Kenny Clark was acquired as part of the Micah Parsons blockbuster, and the Cowboys later traded for Quinnen Williams. Then today, the organization added a key depth piece in Otito Ogbonnia.
Outside of Ogbonnia, Odighizuwa is the youngest of the bunch and possesses the most upside of the grouping. However, considering his contract and the increasingly crowded DT depth chart, Jones notes that rival teams believe the player “can now be traded for.”
Odighizuwa has established himself as a mainstay on the Cowboys defense. The 27-year-old has only missed a single regular season game through his five seasons in Dallas, and he’s collected at least three sacks in each of the past four years. This includes a 2025 campaign where he tallied 3.5 sacks to go along with 44 tackles and a career-high 23 QB hits. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him 42nd among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
On the flip side, Odighizuwa came off the bench for four of the team’s final six games, an indication that the organization may view him as an equal to the likes of Clark and Williams. Further, there are some questions if the DT fits in Christian Parker‘s scheme, as the new DC tends to utilize longer defensive ends on the interior defensive line.
Ultimately, it’d be a surprise if the Cowboys are willing to bail on their former draft pick so soon after extending him. However, if the team is comfortable with the rest of their current grouping (and wants to open up some extra financial wiggle room), a trade could ultimately make sense.
Cowboys Unlikely To Pursue Maxx Crosby
The Cowboys were among the teams in talks for Maxx Crosby before the Ravens agreed to acquire him from the Ravens last Friday. The Ravens were prepared to part with two first-round picks until they shockingly backed out of the deal on Tuesday night. Crosby’s status is once again in limbo as the new league year begins.
The Raiders could still move Crosby, but the Cowboys are not expected to get involved in a new round of talks, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Baltimore called off the blockbuster swap after Crosby, who is recovering from a full meniscus repair, failed its physical. Dr. Dan Cooper, the Cowboys’ team physician, has expressed concerns over Crosby’s knee, Jane Slater of NFL Network told 105.3 The Fan.
Less than a year after shipping Micah Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the Cowboys would have sent a first- and a second-rounder to the Raiders for Crosby. While a healthy Crosby would have given the Cowboys a credible Parsons replacement, they have since pivoted to Rashan Gary in another trade with the Packers. Further pass-rushing acquisitions could still be on the way for Dallas, but it appears Crosby is off the table for owner Jerry Jones & Co.
Although Crosby’s balky knee scared off the Ravens and Cowboys, the five-time Pro Bowler is off crutches and “on schedule” in his recovery, Adam Schefter of ESPN relays. The goal is for Crosby to be ready for Week 1 next season.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Crosby’s surgery, told Schefter: “Maxx Crosby is doing very well in the early part of his rehab and recovery from surgery to treat a significant meniscus tear and the related stress injury to the bone and cartilage in his knee. He is certainly on track in his planned program….he feels very well and is already much improved compared to before surgery.”
Dr. ElAttrache continued: “We truly respect the work of the Ravens staff with Maxx regarding the contract physical exam. We also understand the challenge the staff faces when tasked to provide a future risk assessment based on an evaluation early in the recovery process.”
While he added that “the apparent risk will lessen as [Crosby’s] recovery progresses,” neither the Ravens nor Cowboys are willing to make a significant investment in the 28-year-old. The Ravens moved on to fellow star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, whom they added on a four-year, $112MM deal on Wednesday. It appeared there was finally an answer on Crosby’s future last week, but now it is murkier than ever.
Ravens Nix Trade For Raiders OLB Maxx Crosby
Trades cannot be official until the 2026 league year begins Wednesday, and the Raiders dropped a bombshell about their recent blockbuster. The Maxx Crosby deal is off, according to the Raiders.
The Raiders said in a statement the Ravens have backed out of the trade. Baltimore was to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas for the All-Pro edge rusher. Crosby had expressed excitement about being traded to the Ravens, but per the AFC West franchise, the deal is off.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time,” the Las Vegas statement reads.
All trades are pending physicals, and Crosby is recovering from much-publicized knee surgery. Crosby failed his Ravens physical today at the team facility, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. A month ago a report surfaced indicating Crosby underwent a full meniscus repair, rather than a trim. The eighth-year edge rusher’s recovery is expected to be measured in months, not weeks. The Ravens undoubtedly knew this, but upon examining Crosby, it appears we have one of the highest-profile instances of cold feet in NFL history.
The Ravens were to send their No. 14 overall pick and their 2027 first for the disgruntled Crosby, who is on a through-2029 contract. However, everything looks to be up in the air. Based on the Raiders releasing a statement, it would be rather unusual if the sides put the trade back on course.
Crosby, 28, never officially requested a trade but it had become well known he wanted to be dealt to a contending team. And SI.com’s Albert Breer reports Crosby did request a move privately. Crosby voiced frustration — to put it mildly — at the Raiders shutting him down with a knee injury he believed he could play through. Reports of Crosby evaluating his future escalated into full-blown trade rumors. The Raiders were believed to be setting too high a price, — as a desire for a Micah Parsons-like haul surfaced at multiple points — but a bidding war took place around the Combine.
The Cowboys were believed to be prepared to send the Raiders a first-round pick and a second, but the Ravens won the derby — as of Friday night, at least — with a two-first-rounder proposal. The Jaguars joined the Bears as other teams in the mix. The Bengals and Eagles looked to tip their toes in the water here, per Breer, though it does not appear either was too near the front of the line. The Bills were interested as well, Breer adds, but the Raiders did not deem their first-round pick being valuable enough to be the centerpiece of a trade package.
It does not look like the Bears were a frontline suitor, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the Cowboys were believed to be willing to include a player in a trade along with the first- and second-round picks. Dallas is now sounding open to trading D-tackle Osa Odighizuwa, after trading for both Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark following that March 2025 re-signing, but Fowler adds the Cowboys set limits — based on its Williams trade package — about how far they would go for this particular player.
In Crosby’s stealth trade request, Breer indicates he expressed a desire to work with the Raiders for the team to obtain the best possible deal from a contender. That is perhaps why no official trade request became public. The Raiders retained some leverage this way, even though the tea leaves pointed to a move transpiring. The Seahawks and Patriots loomed as suitors as well, though a source told Fowler minority owner Tom Brady is not expected to entertain a deal with the Patriots.
This also puts the Raiders in a tighter spot. Although the team carried an NFL-leading cap-space figure into free agency, that was contingent on Crosby’s 2026 cap number being off the books. The Raiders have run wild in free agency, adding several starters — most notably with a record-smashing accord for Ravens Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum — to prepare for the arrival of Fernando Mendoza‘s rookie deal. Las Vegas was to hold the No. 14 pick to supplement its incoming quarterback as well. Now, a fascinating pivot will need to take place.
The Raiders also added Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Jalen Nailor on Monday. None of these moves can be announced until the new league year begins at 3pm CT Wednesday. This waiting period usually is a nonfactor, as players almost always follow through on their commitments. But failed physicals are certainly nothing new. This one will go down in trade infamy, though, due to the two-first-rounder return the Raiders were to receive.
Even with this shocking turn of events technically placing Crosby’s 2026 cap number back on the Raiders’ payroll, it is unlikely the team would bail on its Day 1 FA deals. The Raiders will seemingly proceed to another team here. Though, it is quite possible a 2027 first-rounder will not be attainable.
Another team could pass Crosby on a physical, but he is going into an age-29 season. That has long made it iffy in terms of a two-first-rounder haul, as Parsons and Khalil Mack were respectively swapped at 26 and 27. That said, both those All-Pros required new contracts. Crosby was set to play on his 2025 Raiders extension, helping the Raiders secure their desired trade return.
Crosby viewed the Raiders as sitting him in order to secure the No. 1 pick, and Breer adds that while a meeting with Klint Kubiak went well, it did not move the needle with regard to the impact edge rusher wanting to stay. GM John Spytek said at the Combine the Raiders planned on retaining Crosby, but it is not exactly stunning to see such an about-face occur based on Combine pressers. And a report soon after had the Raiders warming to a trade.
The Raiders also did a deal with a team that, as our Ely Allen pointed out, had never traded a future first-round pick for a player in its 30-year history. The Ravens also are not usually big spenders at edge rusher, having mostly used low-cost vets and first-rounder Odafe Oweh since Matt Judon‘s 2021 departure.
Considering what a typically risk-averse franchise was giving up, trepidation regarding Crosby’s knee rehab makes sense. Still, the Raiders needing to go back to the drawing board four days after reaching the trade agreement represents one of the crazier developments in modern NFL history. The Ravens backed out of a deal with wide receiver Ryan Grant in 2018 and, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out, a contract with safety Brock Marion was nixed on Baltimore’s end in 1997.
While Terrell Owens did not fail a physical back in 2004 — when an arbitrator called off a Baltimore-San Francisco trade, leading the future Hall of Fame receiver to Philadelphia — this Crosby non-trade will remind of that near-miss. Observing where a second Crosby trade market goes, and how Baltimore fills its EDGE need (after ranking 30th in the NFL in sacks last season), will be must-follow storylines for NFL fans moving forward.
QB Sam Howell To Sign With Cowboys
Sam Howell is set to join his fifth team since the 2023 campaign. The quarterback is signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A 2022 fifth-round pick by the Commanders, Howell made his first career NFL start against the Cowboys during the regular season finale of his rookie campaign. That next season, the North Carolina ended up being a full-time starter for Washington. He went 4-13 in his 17 starts, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and a league-leading 21 interceptions. He also showed some talent running the ball, compiling 263 yards and five touchdowns on 48 touches.
With the Commanders snagging Jayden Daniels with the second-overall pick of the 2024 draft, the team moved on from Howell, sending him to the Seahawks for mid-round pick swaps. He served as Geno Smith‘s primary backup during that 2024 campaign, getting into two total games. With Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, and rookie Jalen Milroe joining the squad last offseason, the Seahawks dealt him to the Vikings.
He didn’t make it to the regular season with his next squad, as Minnesota dealt Howell to the Eagles towards the end of the 2025 preseason. Tanner McKee was Jalen Hurts‘ primary backup last year, with Howell failing to get into a game.
Now, he’ll be joining another deep QB grouping in Dallas. He’ll be competing with Joe Milton and Will Grier to be Dak Prescott‘s primary backup in 2026.
NFL Restructures: Clark, Packers, Meinerz, Falcons, Saints, Eagles
As the Cowboys made another trade to acquire a higher-end Packers defender salary (Rashan Gary‘s four-year, $96MM deal), they are restructuring the one they added last summer. Dallas is reducing Kenny Clark‘s 2026 cap number with a restructure, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. As Connor Byrne’s Cowboys Offseason Outlook detailed, Clark was due an $11MM roster bonus Friday; Dallas is moving that into a signing bonus to open up $8.8MM in cap space. This will drop Clark’s cap number well south of its $21.5MM place, though it would create more dead money if he is not extended by the 2027 league year. An extension is on the Cowboys’ radar, even as the former first-round pick goes into an age-31 season. With Clark signed through 2027, however, it is possible this restructure will table any extension talks.
With the cap-compliance deadline less than 24 hours away, here are more restructure decisions:
- Trading Gary to the Cowboys and cutting Elgton Jenkins, the Packers are busy at work with cost-shedding moves. They also completed an Xavier McKinney restructure, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The move will save more than $9MM in space for Green Bay. McKinney will also secure an additional $11.54MM guaranteed — on top of his $23MM guarantee from March 2024 — according to Wilson, who adds the Pack included three void years to defray the bonus money. McKinney’s cap hit is down to $9.86MM.
- The Broncos have mostly used free agency to retain their own talent thus far, but the team is adding eight figures of cap space as of Tuesday. Denver is restructuring Quinn Meinerz‘s deal, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, who notes this is a simple restructure of the All-Pro guard’s 2026 base salary. Moving it to a signing bonus, the Broncos will free up around $11MM. The Broncos sit mid-pack in cap space, holding more than $23MM.
- Troy Andersen will be part of the 2026 Falcons. At least, he will have an opportunity to contribute, with SI.com’s Garrett Chapman reporting the linebacker agreed to a restructure to avoid his contract tolling from 2025. Andersen missed all of last season, spending it on the reserve/PUP list. A player who spends the season on the PUP can see his contract toll in the final year of a deal; a knee injury sidelined the former second-round pick last season. This amounts to a de facto re-signing, since Andersen’s four-year rookie deal was set to expire Wednesday. The team confirmed the restructure, per Falcons.com’s Tori McElhaney and Will McFadden.
- One of the NFL’s long-running restructure hubs, the Saints are adding another before the league year begins. New Orleans is saving $7.36MM in cap space by restructuring Erik McCoy‘s deal, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. One void year is being added to the center’s contract. McCoy’s deal runs through 2027; three void years are now included.
- The Jaguars completed a simple restructure of center Robert Hainsey‘s deal, according to Spotrac, with the move saving the team $4MM in cap space. Three void years are now on Hainsey’s deal, Wilson adds.
- Michael Carter II will stay with the Eagles in 2026, but it sounds like he has agreed to a pay cut. Carter’s deal is being restructured in order for the 2025 trade acquisition to remain on the roster, The Athletic’s Zach Berman tweets.
Cowboys To Sign DT Otito Ogbonnia
The Cowboys continue to make moves on defense early in the negotiating period. Otito Ogbonnia is heading to Dallas on a one-year, $3MM deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. 
Ogbonnia just finished playing out his rookie contract with the Chargers. Across his four years in Los Angeles, the former fifth-round pick logged 20 starts. 17 of those came in 2024, a year in which Ogbonnia set a new career high with 37 tackles.
The 25-year-old will join a very crowded defensive front with the Cowboys. Osa Odighizuwa remains in the fold, as does Kenny Clark (whom the team acquired as part of the Micah Parsons blockbuster). Improving along the defensive interior remained a priority through the 2025 season, and Dallas acquired Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline. Further additions have nevertheless been targeted early in the negotiating period.
To little surprise, the Cowboys have focused on the defensive side of the ball so far this week. Another notable trade agreement with the Packers – this time for edge rusher Rashan Gary – has been worked out. Dallas has also lined up free agent deals with safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke. Improving at all three levels of the defense will be critical in avoiding a repeat of the 2025 season.
Ogbonnia will look to carve out a role as part of that effort. The UCLA product’s defensive snap share varied significantly during his time with the Bolts, and last season he only handed a 25% workload. It will be interesting to see how much new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker uses Ogbonnia in 2026. A strong showing in a rotational role could lead to a more lucrative pact next spring.
Cowboys, S P.J. Locke Agree To Deal
For the second day in a row, the Cowboys have lined up a safety deal. P.J. Locke is heading to Dallas, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
This will be a one-year deal, Rapoport adds. Locke will earn up to $5MM with his new team. He and Jalen Thompson are positioned to handle key roles on Dallas’ defense next season.
Locke came up as a Cowboys target just before free agency, as he has played for new Dallas DC Christian Parker previously. Parker’s time as the Broncos’ DBs coach (2021-23) overlapped with Locke’s stay as a backup and then starter. Year 3 of Parker’s work with Locke involved a promotion into a starting role — as Kareem Jackson was suspended twice for illegal hits and then released — alongside Justin Simmons, and the Broncos re-signed Locke in 2024.
A former UDFA out of Texas, Locke will return to his home state after playing out a two-year, $7MM Denver deal. The Broncos signed Brandon Jones (three years, $20MM) in 2024 but brought back Locke to start alongside the ex-Dolphin. Locke’s performance, however, prompted the AFC West team to give Talanoa Hufanga a three-year, $39MM deal in 2025. Locke worked primarily as a third safety in Denver last season.
After 23 starts from 2023-24, Locke only made three during the ’25 regular season. This came after he underwent offseason spine surgery. But the Broncos needed the sub late in the season, as Jones suffered a season-ending pectoral injury. Locke started alongside Hufanga in both Denver’s playoff games, making a crucial divisional-round interception as the Broncos staved off the Bills. The six-year veteran also forced a fumble in Denver’s overtime win, making nine tackles in the game.
With Jones and Hufanga due back in Denver, Locke is leaving for a potential starting role. Though, his contract could lead to a competition or another reserve opportunity. Thompson agreed to a three-year, $33MM accord, and the Cowboys have Malik Hooker on a reworked deal. Hooker is now tied to a one-year, $5MM contract. That could pit him against Locke in a competition. Locke’s past with Parker should help ahead of an age-29 season.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Packers To Trade Rashan Gary To Cowboys
Until today, it remained unclear if the Packers would be moving on from Rashan Gary. The former first-rounder will in fact be playing elsewhere next season, though.
Gary is being traded to the Cowboys, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. A Day 3 pick in the 2027 draft will be heading the other way; NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies it will be a fourth-round selection. Dallas was a runner-up in the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, leaving the team to explore other edge rush options. Instead of waiting for free agency to commence, the Cowboys have already swung a deal in that regard.
This agreement will allow for a reunion between Gary and new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Parker was a defensive quality control coach with Green Bay during Gary’s rookie campaign. A prominent role should await Gary, whose contract runs through 2027. This trade will create just under $11MM in cap savings for the Packers while generating a dead money charge of $17MM.
Gary said his Instagram account was hacked when a goodbye message emerged from it Friday, but rather than being released, the seven-year Packer generated (minimal) trade value. Gary comes over after a season as Micah Parsons‘ edge rush tandem partner but will now rejoin Kenny Clark — the player sent to the Cowboys in the blockbuster Parsons swap — in Dallas.
Two years remain on Gary’s four-year, $96MM contract, and this trade comes after the Cowboys were mentioned as interested in free agents Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe. The Cowboys fielded an abysmal defense and could conceivably add one of those options, but Gary is 28 and fills a need — even if he has not lived up to this $24MM-AAV extension. This marks the second time since August the Cowboys have taken on a Packers deal worth at least $22MM per year. Clark has since come up as an extension candidate, as the Cowboys will look to bring down his 2026 cap number.
After trading Parsons, the Cowboys have 2025 edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney, Sam Williams and Dante Fowler unsigned. The team used a second-round pick on Donovan Ezeiruaku last year and then tragically saw 2024 second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland pass away during the season. More work will need to be done at OLB for the Cowboys, and they will have a player who — despite playing as a 4-3 DE over the past two years — did his best work in a 3-4 scheme.
Gary registered 9.5 sacks in 2021 and nine in 2023, garnering a Green Bay payday. He still combined for 15 sacks over the past two seasons but came up as a name to monitor with regards to a release or trade. The Packers used a 2023 first-round pick on Lukas Van Ness but have not seen that move pay off yet. While Van Ness could see more playing time as a result of Gary’s exit, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes the Packers should be expected to target defensive linemen soon after making two trades — the other sending Colby Wooden to the Colts — that cut into the unit’s depth.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.