Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/25
Today’s minor moves across the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Jaelen Gill
- Waived: K Andre Szmyt
Denver Broncos
- Reverted to IR: TE Cole Fotheringham
Detroit Lions
- Waived (with injury designation): CB Divaad Wilson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived (with failed physical designation): G Cooper Hodges
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Ben Stille
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Ife Adeyi
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Quindell Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Nate McCollum
Gill becomes the 13th wide receiver on the Browns roster. While that certainly seems like a lot, keep in mind that the Browns need to run drills for four quarterbacks and some receivers aren’t able to participate at the moment. An undrafted receiver out of Fresno State last year, Gill spent the last two months of the season on the Browns’ practice squad.
The Eagles add another undrafted rookie to their group in Adeyi. The speedy, diminutive wideout spent his final two collegiate seasons at Sam Houston State. He had 30 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown, with another score on the ground. He returned punts for the Bearkats in 2024, as well.
Jaguars To Sign OLB Dennis Gardeck
The Jaguars are continuing to round out their 2025 squad by signing former Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Gardeck spent the first seven years of his NFL career in Arizona, totaling 96 appearances and 17 starts, though his production has been somewhat inconsistent. 13.0 of his 17.0 sacks came in 2020 and 2023; last year, he posted 3.0 sacks and six tackles for loss in seven games last season before landing on injured reserve with a torn ACL.
The 30-year-old is the second addition to Jacksonville’s pass rush in as many days; the team reunited with veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot on Tuesday. He may play a more versatile role along the Jaguars’ defensive line, but the 232-pound Gardeck is purely an edge defender. Along with 2023 fifth-rounder Yasir Abdullah, Gardeck will provide depth behind former first-round picks Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Gardeck has put together a solid career for a former Division II college player. He signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie out of Sioux Falls University and quickly established himself as a core special teams contributor. Gardeck eventually worked his way into Arizona’s OLB rotation in 2020 and impressed with 7.0 sacks in just 94 defensive snaps. He took a step back across the following two seasons with just 1.0 sack and three tackles for loss, but reemerged in 2023 with 6.0 sacks and seven tackles for loss.
In Jacksonville, Gardeck will likely continue in a rotational role on defense while remaining a mainstay on special teams, where he’s played 1,874 snaps in his career.
The Jaguars waived 2024 fifth-rounder Keilan Robinson in a corresponding move, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The former Alabama and Texas running back appeared in six games as a rookie with 51 of his 56 snaps coming on special teams.
2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team
This week started with a point on the NFL calendar that has been important for decades. Although teams have not needed to wait until June to make their most expensive cuts in many years, they do not see the funds from post-June 1 designations until that point.
With June 1 coming and going, a fourth of the league has seen the savings from post-June 1 releases arrive. That has affected the NFL’s cap-space hierarchy. Here is how every team stands (via OverTheCap) following June 2 changes:
- New England Patriots: $67.34MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $53.49MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.12MM
- New York Jets: $39.8MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $36.16MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $32.11MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $32.11MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $31.88MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $31.21MM
- Tennessee Titans: $30.16MM
- Green Bay Packers: $28.94MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $27.08MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $26.83MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $26.63MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $26.54MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $25.79MM
- New Orleans Saints: $22.62MM
- Washington Commanders: $21.13MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $20.09MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $19.44MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $18.95MM
- Carolina Panthers: $18.69MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $18.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $18.2MM
- Houston Texans: $16.3MM
- Denver Broncos: $16.23MM
- Chicago Bears: $14.76MM
- Miami Dolphins: $13.81MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $10.75MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $5.02MM
- New York Giants: $3.82MM
- Buffalo Bills: $1.69MM
The Jets saw their situation change the most from post-June 1 designations, as $13.5MM became available to the team after its Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Mosley cuts. Teams have up to two post-June 1 designations at their disposals. Five clubs — the Jets, Browns, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers — used both slots. Only three other teams made a post-June 1 cut before that seminal date. The eight that made these moves will have dead money split between 2025 and 2026.
Baltimore used the cost-defraying option to release Marcus Williams and Justin Tucker, while Cleveland — in Year 4 of the regrettable Deshaun Watson partnership — used it to move on from Juan Thornhill and Dalvin Tomlinson. As the Eagles’ option bonus-heavy payroll included two hefty bonus numbers for Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the reigning Super Bowl champions released both 30-something cornerbacks. Together, Slay and Bradberry will count more than $20MM on Philadelphia’s 2026 cap sheet. As for this year, though, the Browns, Eagles, Ravens and 49ers respectively saved $9.85MM, $9.4MM, $6.3MM, $6.4MM and $5.6MM, according to Spotrac.
The Jaguars made a mid-offseason decision to release Gabe Davis, doing so not long after trading up to draft Travis Hunter — with the plan to primarily play him at wide receiver — at No. 2 overall. Off-field issues, coupled with a down 2024 season, made Tucker expendable — after the Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in Round 6. The Vikings moved off Garrett Bradbury‘s contract and will replace him with free agency addition Ryan Kelly, while Mason lasted two seasons paired with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal. The 49ers made it known early they were moving on from Javon Hargrave, while 2024 trade addition Maliek Collins also exited the team’s D-tackle room.
Derek Carr‘s retirement being processed Tuesday also changed the Saints’ funding. The team will spread the dead money ($50.13MM) across two years. Even with the number being reduced this year, the Saints will be hit with the second-highest single-player dead money hit (behind only the Broncos’ Russell Wilson separation) in NFL history as a result of the Carr exit. The Saints will only be responsible for $19.21MM of that total in 2025. As they did with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox‘s retirements last year, the Eagles will also process Brandon Graham‘s hit this way.
Eight of this year’s post-June 1 releases remain in free agency. The Patriots added Bradbury to replace the now-retired David Andrews, while the Vikings scooped up Hargrave. As the Steelers await Rodgers’ decision, they added two other post-June 1 releases in Slay and Thornhill. Tomlinson joined the Cardinals not long after his Browns release.
Travis Hunter Playing CB At Jaguars’ OTAs
Part of the Jaguars’ calculus in trading up to draft Travis Hunter was his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball. Despite much consternation regarding Hunter’s multi-positional ambitions, Jacksonville seems committed to fulfilling his dream of playing on both offense and defense in the NFL.
Hunter took reps exclusively at wide receiver during rookie minicamp, but began working at cornerback in OTAs, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. Those duties included an acrobatic PBU while in coverage on Tuesday.
A video posted by the Jaguars shows Hunter matching undrafted rookie wideout Darius Lassiter step-for-step downfield before tipping the pass and nearly coming down with an interception, though the ball appears to hit the ground.
There’s no doubt that Hunter has the natural skills to play cornerback in the NFL; in fact, some scouts believed he had a higher NFL ceiling as a defender. He’s still expected to primarily play wide receiver in Jacksonville, with his time at cornerback likely dependent on his ability to carve out a defined role in the secondary.
The Jaguars are returning their top three cornerbacks in terms of 2024 snaps: Montaric Brown, Tyson Campbell, and Jarrian Jones. The departure of Ronald Darby (who retired yesterday after signing with the Texans in March) will open up some rotational snaps for Hunter, who could see the field on third downs and in other obvious passing situations.
Jaguars To Sign DE Dawuane Smoot, WR Trenton Irwin
Dawuane Smoot left Jacksonville for a 2024 Buffalo deal, but as the Bills have retooled at defensive end once again, a reunion will come to pass. The Jaguars are bringing Smoot back, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Now 30, Smoot will join a new Jaguars regime but be part of a familiar position group. Smoot profiles as a rotational rusher behind starters Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Additionally, the Jaguars are signing wide receiver Trenton Irwin as part of a continued overhaul at the position. Wide receiver David White Jr. was waived to make room on the roster, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Smoot appeared in 11 games (four starts) for the Bills in 2024, typically lining up off the edge with some snaps as an interior rusher. The Jaguars will be hoping he can return to his previous form that yielded 22.5 sacks from 2019 to 2022, but the 30-year-old has only recorded 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss in the last two years.
Irwin is a former undrafted free agent who spent the first six years of his career in Cincinnati. He only saw seven targets in his first three seasons, but emerged as a rotational contributor in 2022 and 2023, catching 40 of his 55 targets for 547 yards and five touchdowns across those two seasons. In 2024, however, Irwin fell to the bottom of the Bengals’ depth chart and was not re-signed after the season.
The 29-year-old Irwin is the Jaguars’ most experienced receiver by a considerable margin, so he could quickly carve out a role in Liam Coen‘s new offense. Leading receiver Brian Thomas Jr. will continue as the team’s WR1 with No. 2 pick Travis Hunter primarily joining him on offense. Dyami Brown‘s $10MM contract indicates he’ll earn a strong target share as well. Irwin will likely have to compete with 2023 sixth-rounder Parker Washington for tertiary targets, though Washington’s youth and strong finish to the 2024 season may give him a leg up.
White signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie out of Eastern Carolina in 2024 but missed the season after tearing his ACL during spring practices.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Texans CB Ronald Darby Retires
Another retirement decision has been made today. Cornerback Ronald Darby is the latest player who has elected to end his NFL career. 
Darby has informed the Texans he is hanging up his cleats, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 31-year-old signed with Houston in free agency this March. That one-year, $2.5MM pact set him up to offer an experienced presence in the team’s secondary; now though, that will no longer be the case.
The Texans have Derek Stingley Jr. in place for years to come after working out a $30MM-per-year extension with him this offseason. 2024 second-rounder Kamari Lassiter is also in the fold for 2025 and beyond, while Houston added Jaylin Smith in the third round of this year’s draft. That trio will be leaned on with Darby now no longer set to play a depth role this season.
A second-round pick in 2016, Darby handled full-time starting duties right away with the Bills. The Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up was traded to the Eagles after two seasons in Buffalo, and that move paved the way for a three-year Philadelphia stint. During that time, Darby battled injuries but operated as a starter when healthy. He was a member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII-winning team from 2017.
Another season as a first-team cover man took place in 2020 in Washington. Darby continued to bounce around the NFL during the latter stages of his career, one which also sent him to Denver (2021-22), Baltimore (2023) and Jacksonville (2024). The Florida State product never landed a Pro Bowl invitation or received an All-Pro honor, but he operated as a key defender and posted double-digit pass deflections five times in his career.
In total, Darby played 124 combined regular and postseason games. Nearly all of those were starts, and he handled a defensive snap share of at least 74% for all but one of his 10 NFL campaigns. Darby will depart the league with roughly $42.5MM in career earnings.
Liam Coen: Jaguars Not Looking To Trade RB Travis Etienne
In the build-up to the draft, Travis Etienne was named as a potential trade candidate in the event Jacksonville selected Ashton Jeanty. Even when that did not take place, Etienne’s future was a talking point. 
The new Jaguars regime – led by head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone – was reported last month to be “not so high” on Etienne. The former first-rounder missed his entire rookie season due to injury but handled a heavy workload as Jacksonville’s lead back in 2022 and ’23. The emergence of Tank Bigsby last season led to a reduction in Etienne’s usage, but the latter should not be considered available at this time.
“He’s done a great job,” Coen said when speaking to the media about Etienne (video link). “I don’t really understand some of the stuff I’ve kind of seen out there. That’s absolutely inaccurate.”
A public rejection of the speculation surrounding Etienne’s future obviously does not represent a guarantee he will remain in place for 2025. Coen’s remarks do, however, certainly point toward that being the case. Jacksonville picked up Etienne’s fifth-year option last spring; as a result, the Clemson product is owed $6.14MM this year. As a pending free agent, Etienne’s play under Coen will of course be crucial in determining his market value.
Fumbles emerged as an issue in Bigsby’s case last year, one in which his snap share jumped to 36%. Two more years remain on his rookie contract, so a role of some kind should be expected as the Coen era begins. The Jags’ backfield also includes fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten, and he will aim to carve out a share of the carries in 2025. Improvement on the ground will expected for Jacksonville given Coen’s success in that regard with Tampa Bay last year.
Etienne – who topped 1,400 scrimmage yards in 2022 and again the following year – will aim to return to his previous efficiency as a rusher while remaining a key contributor out of the backfield in 2025. Doing so would help his chances of landing a long-term Jacksonville commitment next spring. While it remains to be seen if that will take place, a trade between now and Week 1 has become even more unlikely.
The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History
The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job. Although some contracts handed out recently created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.
Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:
Arizona Cardinals
- Jordan Hicks; March 12, 2019: Four years, $34MM ($20MM guaranteed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Deion Jones; July 17, 2019: Four years, $54MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Roquan Smith; January 10, 2023: Five years, $100MM ($60MM guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- Matt Milano; March 12, 2023: Two years, $28.33MM ($27.15MM guaranteed)
Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees
Carolina Panthers
- Luke Kuechly; September 10, 2015: Five years, $61.8MM ($33.36MM guaranteed)
Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees
Chicago Bears
- Tremaine Edmunds; March 13, 2023: Four years, $72MM ($50MM guaranteed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Logan Wilson; August 4, 2023: Four years, $36MM ($10MM guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns
- Jamie Collins; January 23, 2017: Four years, $50MM ($26.4MM guaranteed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Jaylon Smith; August 20, 2019: Five years, $63.75MM ($35.41MM guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Brandon Marshall; June 14, 2016: Four years, $32MM ($20.1MM guaranteed)
Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee
Detroit Lions
- Jack Campbell; May 21, 2026: Four years, $81MM ($51.5MM guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers
- De’Vondre Campbell; March 14, 2022: Five years, $50MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Houston Texans
- Azeez Al-Shaair; April 30, 2026: Three years, $54MM ($45MM guaranteed)
Indianapolis Colts
- Shaquille Leonard; August 8, 2021: Five years, $98.5MM ($52.5MM guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Foye Oluokun; March 14, 2022: Three years, $45MM ($28MM guaranteed)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Nick Bolton; March 9, 2025: Three years, $45MM ($30MM guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Quay Walker; March 9, 2026: Three years, $40.5MM ($28MM guaranteed)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Donald Butler; February 28, 2014: Seven years, $51.8MM ($11.15MM guaranteed)
Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal
Los Angeles Rams
- James Laurinaitis; September 8, 2012: Five years, $41.5MM ($23.62MM guaranteed)
Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee
Miami Dolphins
- Jerome Baker; June 13, 2021: Three years, $37.5MM ($28.41MM guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Barr; March 12, 2019: Five years, $67.5MM ($33MM guaranteed)
New England Patriots
- Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)
Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money
New Orleans Saints
- Kaden Elliss; March 10, 2026: Three years, $33MM ($23MM guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Tremaine Edmunds; March 9, 2026: Three years, $36MM ($23.7MM guaranteed)
New York Jets
- C.J. Mosley; March 12, 2019: Five years, $85MM ($51MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Zack Baun; March 5, 2025: Three years, $51MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Patrick Queen; March 12, 2024: Three years, $41MM ($20.51MM guaranteed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Fred Warner; May 19, 2025: Three years, $63MM ($56MM guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Bobby Wagner; July 26, 2019: Three years, $54MM ($40.25MM guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Lavonte David; August 9, 2015: Five years, $50.25MM ($25.56MM guaranteed)
Tennessee Titans
- Cody Barton; March 10, 2025: Three years, $21MM ($13.33MM guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- Leo Chenal; March 10, 2026: Three years, $24.75MM ($12.4MM guaranteed)
Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)
AFC Staff Updates: Jaguars, Patriots, Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, Titans, Colts
With rookie general manager James Gladstone and rookie head coach Liam Coen taking over in Jacksonville, we’ve seen a mass migration of coaches and front office staff from Los Angeles to Duval this offseason. Gladstone and Coen created several connections during their time with the Rams, and Sean McVay has never been known to keep his coaches from pursuing positions with upwards mobility elsewhere.
The latest staff members we see making the move are former national scout Brian Hill and former director of draft management JW Jordan. Per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com, Hill is set to become the new director of college scouting in Jacksonville. Hill had been with the Rams since 2013, spending two years as a scouting assistant and ten years as an area scout responsible for the Midwest region. He had just been promoted to national scout in March, but he will pass up the opportunity for an even bigger elevation with the Jaguars.
Jordan has been with the Rams for 13 years, spending the last six in his role as director of draft management and serving as a scouting consultant before that. His new role has not yet been announced, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that it will be an executive role.
Here are some other staff updates from around the AFC:
- Stratton also gave us two recent updates for the Patriots scouting staff. Just over a week after Tennessee moved on from scouting director A.J. Highsmith, he has found a role in New England as the new director of pro scouting. The move puts Highsmith on the same team as his father, Alonzo Highsmith, who is entering his second season as a senior personnel executive with the Patriots. Stratton also informed us that southeast area scout Josh Hinch will not be returning to the team in 2025.
- After four years with the Steelers, it appears Mike Sullivan will not be back next season. It’s unclear if something occurred, but ESPN’s Brooke Pryor pointed out that he no longer appears on the team’s website. The 58-year-old spent three years as Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks coach before moving to a senior offensive assistant role last year. Additionally, the Steelers have hired Luke Smith to serve as a quality control coach for the team in 2025. The nephew of Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith, Luke has spent the past eight years as the wide receivers coach at nearby Duquesne, per Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. This will be Smith’s first position in the NFL.
- Stratton gave us another front office update recently, pointing out a change to the LinkedIn profile of Jets assistant director of pro personnel Kevin Murphy. Murphy seems to have indicated on the account that his time with New York has come to an end. The profile currently does not indicate any next steps for the pro personnel specialist who spent time with the Texans, Bills, and Jets over the last 19 years.
- Jordan Happle has been hired as a new player personnel scout for the Dolphins. According to Stratton, the former collegiate safety who played at both Boise State and Oregon was recently added to Miami’s website in the new position.
- Stratton also tells us that the Titans are hiring former Pitt director of college scouting Alex Kline to their scouting department this season. Kline began his football career as a wide receiver at John Caroll University before becoming a grad assistant and, eventually, a coach and coordinator at Saint Vincent College. He worked for a year at Pitt as an offensive quality control coach before leaving for a recruiting role at Akron. He returned to Pitt as the wide receivers coach before leaving once again for the director of player personnel job at Memphis. He returned once more to Pitt in 2022 in his most recent role before making the trip back to Tennessee. It stands to be seen whether or not he’ll attempt to continue his back-and-forth career movement between coaching and personnel.
- Lastly, Seth Walder of ESPN informs us that Ashleigh Prugh is joining the Colts as a football analytics fellow. This will be Prugh’s first position in the NFL following an internship with SumerSports.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/25
Today’s minor transactions:
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): DT Eric Johnson II
- Waived: S Marcel Dabo
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: TE Patrick Murtagh
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived/injured: RB Keaontay Ingram
- Released from IR: WR Justin Lockhart
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: CB Garnett Hollis Jr.
Today’s move by the Colts is a bit of a reunion, as Eric Johnson II was a fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2022. He spent his first two seasons in Indy, appearing in 28 games while compiling 18 tackles and one sack. He was waived at the end of the 2024 preseason and landed in New England, where he proceeded to get into 11 games for his new squad.
While Johnson has been buried on the depth chart and occasionally stuck on special teams throughout his career, he has gotten some run on defense. He got into a career-high 265 defensive snaps in 2023, although that dropped to 178 defensive snaps during his time with the Patriots.