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NFL Announces 2025 Compensatory Picks

March 14th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 14: In an unusual step, the NFL has awarded the Saints a seventh-round compensatory pick and stripped one from the Dolphins. The Saints’ pick appears to check in in front of the Browns and Chargers’ Nos. 254 and 255 slots, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes Cleveland and Los Angeles’ last 2025 picks will slide down one spot. The Dolphins will retain their other seventh-round comp pick, however.

MARCH 11: The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2025 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2024 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.

This year, the NFL awarded 35 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.

Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2025 compensatory selections:

By round:

Round 3: Vikings (No. 97 overall), Dolphins (98), Giants (99), 49ers (100)*, Rams (101)*, Lions (102)*

Round 4: Dolphins (135), Ravens (136), Seahawks (137), 49ers (138)

Round 5: Bills (169), Cowboys (170), Cowboys (171), Seahawks (172), Bills (173), Cowboys (174), Seahawks (175), Ravens (176)

Round 6: Chargers (209), Ravens (210), Cowboys (211), Ravens (212), Raiders (213), Chargers (214), Raiders (215), Browns (216)

Round 7: 49ers (249), Packers (250), Chiefs (251), 49ers (252), Dolphins (253), Browns (254), Chargers (255), Dolphins (256), Chiefs (257)

By team:

  • Baltimore Ravens: 4
  • Dallas Cowboys: 4
  • Miami Dolphins: 4
  • San Francisco 49ers: 4
  • Los Angeles Chargers: 3
  • Seattle Seahawks: 3
  • Buffalo Bills: 2
  • Cleveland Browns: 2
  • Kansas City Chiefs: 2
  • Las Vegas Raiders: 2
  • Detroit Lions: 1
  • Green Bay Packers: 1
  • Los Angeles Rams: 1
  • Minnesota Vikings: 1
  • New York Giants: 1

* = special compensatory selection

Cowboys To Sign Miles Sanders

March 13th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys are adding another veteran to their new-look backfield. The team has agreed to terms with free agent running back Miles Sanders, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It’s a one-year deal for Sanders.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Sign RB Javonte Williams]

Sanders entered the offseason still attached to the four-year, $25.4MM deal he inked with the Panthers in 2023. The running back was reportedly prepared to rework his deal to stick with Carolina, but with the two sides unable to find common ground, the organization moved on from the veteran earlier this week. The move generated $5.23MM in cap space for the Panthers while incurring a dead money charge of $2.95MM.

A former second-round pick by the Eagles, Sanders topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three of his four seasons in Philly. This included a 2022 campaign where the running back earned his lone Pro Bowl nod after finishing with 1,347 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.

He was expected to provide an experienced counter to Chuba Hubbard in Carolina, but the younger RB ran with the top job, limiting Sanders to 586 scrimmage yards during his debut season with the organization. Hubbard took another step in 2024, and Sanders finished the campaign with career-lows in touches (79) and yards from scrimmage (353).

After finishing with a bottom-six rushing attack in 2024, the Cowboys have been looking to improve the unit for 2025. The team already brought in Javonte Williams to lead the depth chart, although that move apparently came at the expense of Rico Dowdle, who isn’t expected back in Dallas next season. Sanders will likely slide into a backup role with the Cowboys, although he could face some competition from the likes of Deuce Vaughn or Malik Davis (or even prospect Ashton Jeanty, who is taking a top-30 visit with the team).

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/25

March 13th, 2025 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

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: 3/11/24

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.

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