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Titans To Trade Kenneth Murray To Cowboys

March 12th, 2025 at 4:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kenneth Murray‘s Tennessee stay looks set to end after one season. The Titans and Cowboys have a deal in place that would send the former first-round linebacker to Dallas.

The teams closed out a negotiation that appears to be a pick swap, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the clubs are expected to exchange late-round choices. The Cowboys will be taking on Murray’s two-year, $15.5MM deal. Murray is due a $5.99MM base salary — well north of his 2024 paragraph 5 number — next season. A classic pick-swap structure wrapped this deal, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adding the Titans will receive a sixth-rounder in exchange for Murray and a seventh.

This qualifies as a midlevel contract, as Murray did not justify his draft slot in Los Angeles. While teams annually pass on off-ball linebacker fifth-year options, Murray’s was not exactly a complex decision for the Bolts. They had benched the Oklahoma product at points, though a market still formed. Murray had fans in Tennessee last year, but after one season, he is out.

The Titans signed Cody Barton in free agency but also did not tender Jack Gibbens as an RFA. This comes a year after Tennessee did not extend its partnership with Azeez Al-Shaair past one year. Last season, the team also shipped August trade pickup Ernest Jones to the Seahawks for Jerome Baker, who has not re-signed. As of late, Nashville has not been a hub for linebacker continuity. The Cowboys, however, also have issues to sort out on their defensive second level.

While Pro Football Focus has never been remotely high on Murray, he was productive last season. The 2020 No. 23 pick finished with 95 tackles (eight for loss), 3.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. PFF still labeled Murray as the third-worst full-time linebacker (among off-ball regulars). PFF has graded Murray outside the top 70 at his position in four of his five seasons. The Cowboys will take what amounts to a flier here, as they have Eric Kendricks — after ex-Vikings HC Mike Zimmer‘s second Cowboys stint was a one-and-done — unsigned and DeMarvion Overshown rehabbing a serious injury.

The Chargers had benched Murray in 2021, but by his contract year, he teamed with Kendricks and played 93% of the Bolts’ defensive snaps. Murray, 26, saw action on 94% of Tennessee’s defensive plays last season. That came in a 3-14 campaign that led to GM Ran Carthon‘s ouster. Nevertheless, Murray will have a clear path to first-string work to start Dallas’ 2025 season.

Bills To Trade CB Kaiir Elam To Cowboys

March 12th, 2025 at 2:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

After three seasons with the Bills, Kaiir Elam is on the move. Buffalo has agreed to trade the former first-round corner to the Cowboys, as first reported by The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.

Dallas will send Buffalo a fifth-round pick in 2025 along with a future seventh-rounder in exchange for Elam and a sixth-round selection, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. This will give Elam a fresh start after struggling to carve out a starting role on the Bills’ defense. Presuming the Cowboys intend to decline his fifth-year option this spring, 2025 will represent his walk year. Confirming the deal, the Bills announced the seventh-round pick will be in 2026.

Elam had a strong three-year college career at Florida, and expectations were high upon arrival in Buffalo as the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft. He made six starts and 13 appearances as a rookie, collecting a pair of interceptions. That showcased his potential to an extent, but since then Elam has not developed as hoped.

The 23-year-old tore an ankle ligament prior to the start of his second Bills season, and after attempting to play through the injury he was on injured reserve for an extended stretch. Elam appeared in only three games that year, finding himself passed on the depth chart by Christian Benford (who has set himself up well to be one of the next Bills to secure a lucrative extension). Even without Tre’Davious White in the fold in 2024, Elam only handled a 35% snap share on defense, something which further fueled trade speculation.

The latter’s departure will clear up $2.57MM in cap space for the Bills. That figure represents Elam’s 2025 salary as he looks to build his value during the final year of his rookie contract. Earning at least a rotational role in a secondary which is set to lose longtime slot starter Jourdan Lewis would give the Cowboys a cost-effective option at the cornerback spot. Dallas still has Trevon Diggs on the books through 2028 (as his knee rehab continues), while fellow perimeter cover man DaRon Bland is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Last August, the Cowboys made a similar move in trading for cornerback Andrew Booth. The former Vikings second-rounder had a modest role on defense with Dallas in 2024, and he too is set to see his rookie deal expire after the coming campaign. It will be interesting to see if the buy-low approach with Elam pans out and leads to a long-term commitment from his new team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/25

March 11th, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Anger is a 13-year veteran who has spent the last four years in Dallas, which included Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2023. He will stay with the Cowboys on a two-year deal, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Tonyan had a few strong seasons in Green Bay earlier in his career, but he has struggled to produce over the last two years. He spent 2024 in Minnesota, but only played 15 snaps on offense with zero targets. He will add tight end depth in Kansas City.

Stoops received a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will be eligible to participate in training camp and preseason games, but will be sidelined for the first two games of the regular season.

McNichols is staying in Washington on a one-year deal, according to Pelissero. The seven-year veteran appeared in 17 games for the Commanders in 2024 and rushed for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 55 attempts. McNichols will likely continue as Washington’s RB3 behind Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler.

Cowboys To Sign DE Payton Turner

March 11th, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cowboys are signing former Saints first-rounder Payton Turner to a one-year contract, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.

The deal is worth $3MM with $2MM guaranteed, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, reflecting Turner’s need to prove himself after battling injuries to start his career. He played in just 15 games across his first three seasons before staying healthy for 16 games in 2024. In Dallas, Turner will serve as a backup edge rusher behind Micah Parsons, Sam Williams, and Marshawn Kneeland.

Turner was a surprising first-round pick in 2021 after entering the draft with a Day 2 projection. The Saints used the 28th overall pick on him anyway, but Turner played in just five games as a rookie before landing on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He was healthier in 2022, but his inconsistent production left him sidelined for several games as a healthy scratch. A case of turf toe that required surgery sidelined Turner for most of 2023, and the Saints declined to pick up his fifth-year option during the following offseason.

The former Houston Cougar managed to stay healthy in 2024, appearing in 16 games with a career-high 335 snaps on defense. He also saw increased time on special teams with 231 snaps. The increased opportunity did not yield commensurate improvements in Turner’s production. He finished the season with nine pressures, two sacks and three tackles for loss, similar statistics to his first two seasons that featured significantly less playing time.

At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Turner has the requisite frame to be an impact edge rusher in the NFL, but he has struggled to reach his potential in the NFL. The Cowboys have a decent history of developing pass rushers, and opposing offensive lines will be more concerned with Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa, so Turner has a chance to improve in Dallas and earn a stronger contract next year.

Cowboys Re-Sign KaVontae Turpin

March 11th, 2025 at 1:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

KaVontae Turpin has managed to land a deal keeping him in place with the Cowboys. The pending restricted free agent will not need a tender after all.

Turpin and the Cowboys have agreed to a three-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. The pact is worth $18MM, Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater of NFL Network add. As a result, Turpin will become the NFL’s highest-paid special teamer once the pact is finalized. That has now taken place, per a team announcement.

$18MM represents the maximum value of the pact, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes. He adds Turpin’s annual compensation has the potential to jump from $6MM to $8MM, meaning incentives are present in the deal. Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports this agreement includes a $3MM signing bonus. There are a total of $5.5MM in guarantees, ESPN’s Todd Archer adds.

Last week, it was reported the Cowboys were prepared to use the second-round RFA tender to prevent Turpin from reaching the market. That would have locked him into a $5.3MM payday for 2025. Instead, the 28-year-old will remain in the fold for the foreseeable future at a slightly higher rate.

Turpin earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie based on his production as a returner. That has remained his most important trait since, with the 2024 campaign consisting of a league-leading 33.5 yards per return average on kickoffs. Receiving a second Pro Bowl invite in addition to a first-team All-Pro nod this past year certainly helped the TCU product’s leverage in negotiations. With this pact in hand, he will be counted on to remain a dynamic playmaker on special teams.

With that said, Turpin’s offensive snap share has increased with each passing season; in 2024, it checked in at 27%. The Cowboys are in the market for a complementary receiver (particularly if Brandin Cooks departs in free agency), but Turpin could find himself occupying a larger role in the passing game as this deal plays out. In any case, Dallas has taken care of an important piece of in-house business.

Cowboys, Solomon Thomas Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

Solomon Thomas is set to join a fourth career team. The veteran defensive tackle has a two-year deal in place with the Cowboys worth up to $8MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The former No. 3 overall pick will join a fourth NFL team, having made his way from San Francisco to Las Vegas to New York previously. The three-year Jets contributor has settled onto the role-player tier, having not come especially close to living up to his draft slot. But the ex-49ers draftee remains a useful D-lineman. And the Cowboys need lower-cost solutions both due to their monster contracts on offense but because of the deal they gave Osa Odighizuwa at the franchise tag deadline.

This is a homecoming of sorts for Thomas, who went to high school in the Dallas area. Trekking to Stanford, Thomas captured the attention of the 49ers, who traded down one spot (to give the Bears Mitchell Trubisky) in the first Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch draft. Thomas has a history playing outside and inside, but he has settled into more of a D-tackle as his career as progressed.

Over the past two seasons, Thomas has combined to register 8.5 sacks. Five of those, to go with seven tackles for loss, came in 2023; that effort helped the Jets rank fourth defensively. Thomas has only started nine games over the past six seasons, having settled into his auxiliary role, and Pro Football Focus has rated him as a bottom-end (among regulars) interior D-lineman for several years now. Teams regularly disagree with the advanced metrics website, however, and the Cowboys will be one in this case. Also delivering durability as a selling point, Thomas has missed just one game over the past four seasons.

Dallas is keeping Odighizuwa but has lost Chauncey Golston from its front (to the Giants) and has Linval Joseph unsigned after an age-36 season. The team has former first-rounder Mazi Smith going into Year 3. Thomas should be expected to step in as a backup behind Odighizuwa and Smith, and the Cowboys will aim for the once-coveted prospect still having good football left. Thomas will turn 30 before season’s end.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/25

March 10th, 2025 at 10:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL moves that may have been missed during an otherwise extremely busy first day of the tampering period:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Cowboys To Sign G Robert Jones

March 10th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

A 17-game Dolphins starter last season, Robert Jones observed James Daniels commit to Miami earlier Monday night. Hours later, the four-year Dolphin is joining the Cowboys.

Dallas is adding Jones on a one-year deal worth up to $4.75MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. With Isaiah Wynn missing all of last season due to an injury sustained in 2023, the Dolphins used Jones as their full-time left guard. He joins a Cowboys team that just lost future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin to retirement.

Unlike wideout Zay Jones, Robert Jones is not related to 1990s Cowboys linebacker Robert Jones. The Robert Jones the Cowboys added Monday night has worked as a guard regular for the Dolphins. Jones joined Liam Eichenberg as Dolphins guards who hit free agency today, and the Miami LG will take what amounts to a “prove it” deal. Jones also started seven games in 2022 and five in 2023. Pro Football Focus slotted Jones 58th among guards last season.

Ahead of his age-26 season, Jones still has some time to convince teams he is worth a better deal down the road. The Cowboys, however, could eat as much as $26.5MM in dead money from Martin void years — depending on how the team processes the seven-time first-team All-Pro’s retirement. With a cap hit of some sort from the Martin decision coming, the Cowboys will suddenly have a line flooded with low-cost contracts.

The team has Terence Steele on a higher-end right tackle deal but used first- and third-round picks on starters last season (Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe). Immediate returns on those investments did not emerge, but the Cowboys also have All-Pro guard Tyler Smith still on a rookie deal. It will be interesting to see if the team attempts to work out an early extension for the former first-round pick this offseason.

Cowboys To Sign RB Javonte Williams

March 10th, 2025 at 6:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:58pm: As it turns out, this signing does look like it will send Dowdle elsewhere. The Williams move is expected to ensure the Cowboys move on from their primary 2024 starter, the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore tweets. Dowdle has spent the past five years with the Cowboys.

6:22pm: The Cowboys took plenty of heat for running back apathy last year. They will attempt to change course early this offseason, as a young starter is coming in on Day 1 of free agency.

Javonte Williams is relocating from Denver to Dallas, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting the former second-round pick will do so on a one-year deal worth $3MM. The contract can max out at $3.5MM.

Although Williams expressed interest in staying with the Broncos, they were not expected to bring him back. After a promising rookie season, Williams suffered ACL and LCL tears during an October 2022 game in Las Vegas. While the North Carolina alum made it back by Week 1 of the ’23 season, he did not quite resemble his previous version. With Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime signed, the Broncos will part ways with a player they traded up for in 2021.

Williams’ rookie season brought 1,219 scrimmage yards, even as he had to share time with Melvin Gordon. That season included Angry Runs recognition for a carry against the Cowboys, a game in which the Broncos upset the favored hosts. Williams’ 111-yard day in Dallas notwithstanding, he saw his role reduced in Denver during Sean Payton’s second season. The bruising runner averaged 3.6 and 3.7 yards per carry, respectively, over the past two seasons. He did reach 1,002 scrimmage yards in 2023 and 859 in ’24, but there is a reason the Cowboys have him locked into this modest rate.

Dallas received a decent season from Rico Dowdle, who quickly usurped the re-signed Ezekiel Elliott as the team’s primary rusher. Dowdle is unsigned, and this Williams deal would not seem to impede a reunion. The two would bring complementary skillsets. The Cowboys have shown interest in keeping Dowdle, but it will be interesting to see if a player who can blend a quality season with low mileage can fetch notable offers elsewhere.

Broncos, LB Dre Greenlaw Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are investing heavily in recent 49ers defensive standouts. Dre Greenlaw will be joining Talanoa Hufanga in Denver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

This agreement ends a six-season Greenlaw stay in San Francisco. Like Hufanga, Greenlaw saw the back end of his Bay Area stay marred by injuries. The Broncos will take a chance on another standout starter (when healthy) and one whose setback played a central role in a Super Bowl outcome.

Greenlaw will join the Broncos on a three-year, $35MM accord, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Despite a seminal Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII and barely playing last season, Greenlaw will score a much better deal than he did when he signed a 49ers extension (two years, $16.4MM). In need at linebacker, the Broncos will bet on the form Greenlaw showed alongside Fred Warner.

A strong coverage player before suffering the Achilles injury — one sustained while trotting onto the field during the first half against the Chiefs — Greenlaw combined to make 147 tackles from 2022-23. He and Warner became a top-tier linebacking duo, but injuries have been an issue for Greenlaw beyond that Super Bowl. The former fifth-round find missed 14 games in 2021 due to a groin injury. Last season, Greenlaw did not debut until December; he logged just 30 snaps upon being activated.

While an argument exists Greenlaw’s injury cost the 49ers a championship, a player Pro Football Focus tabbed a top-25 linebacker (ninth in 2022) will attempt to help a Broncos team that lost Cody Barton (to the Titans) earlier today. Denver lost Alex Singleton to an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season, using Barton and special-teamer Justin Strnad as its primary LBs. Strnad is also a free agent, while Singleton is going into an age-31 season coming off a major injury. The Broncos probably are not done at ILB, but Greenlaw profiles as their new centerpiece there.

The Titans, Texans and Cowboys showed preliminary Greenlaw interest, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, but the Broncos will come out of Day 1 with two ex-49ers bastions.

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