Dolphins, LB Willie Gay Agree To Deal
Although Chase Young transitioned from Saints one-year deal to a lucrative second contract with the team, Willie Gay will depart New Orleans after a 2024 one-off.
The Dolphins are signing the former Chiefs starter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. A two-time Super Bowl starter, Gay will join a Dolphins team that has done some linebacker shuffling recently.
Miami, which swapped out Jerome Baker for Jordyn Brooks last year, has been busy at linebacker this month. Re-signing the player they claimed after a Seahawks cut (Tyrel Dodson), the Dolphins also brought in K.J. Britt after his Buccaneers starter season. Gay passes both in terms of experience, and the former Nick Bolton sidekick is only going into his age-27 season.
Last year, the Chiefs prioritized Drue Tranquill over Gay, letting their longer-tenured LB walk. Gay’s market did not take off, as he joined the Saints on a one-year, $3MM deal. Gay did not emerge as a full-time Saints starter, lining up with the first-stringers in only eight of the 15 games he played. Gay only notched 28 tackles, though he did add two sacks, a forced fumble, two recoveries and three passes defensed. Gay’s 27% usage rate on defense paled in comparison to the role he played in Kansas City.
A 2020 second-round pick, Gay became a Chiefs defensive staple before Bolton’s arrival. Both players manned the Chiefs’ defensive second level in 2021, beginning a three-year partnership. Gay was a regular Chiefs starter, producing his best season in 2022 by finishing with 88 tackles (nine for loss) to go with 2.5 sacks and eight pass breakups. Pro Football Focus, which had respectively graded Gay as the 20th- and 32nd-best off-ball LB in 2021 and ’22, slotted him near the bottom during his part-time Saints season, viewing him as one of the league’s worst coverage ‘backers.
Gay played 88% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVII but saw his role reduced coming off injury in Super Bowl LVIII, when he logged a 52% snap rate against the 49ers. The Chiefs have since re-signed Bolton to pair with Tranquill, allocating far more to their LB spot than they had during most of Gay’s time in Missouri. The Dolphins have Brooks on a three-year, $26.25MM deal, while Dodson and Britt are on lower-level accords. Gay can be expected to join the latter trio in vying for a job complementing Brooks.
Dolphins Have Submitted Offer To Calais Campbell
It was recently learned the Dolphins have made an offer to keep Emmanuel Ogbah in the fold. He is not the only veteran who could find himself remaining on Miami’s defensive front next season, though. 
A standing offer is also in place for Calais Campbell, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. It remains to be seen if Campbell will play in 2025, but he said after the regular season ended he would contemplate doing so. The Dolphins inked the Hurricanes product to a one-year deal last offseason, and that signing proved to be worthwhile.
Campbell logged a 58% snap share in 2024 and he operated as a key figure along the D-line. The 2010s All-Decade Team member posted five sacks and 12 tackles for loss, showcasing his disruptive abilities against the run and pass even this deep into his career. Campbell will turn 39 in September, but he could still provide value to Miami or an interested team if he chooses to play next year.
Midway through the 2024 campaign, a trade agreement was in place to send Campbell back to the Ravens (after he played there from 2020-22). Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel vetoed the deal, though, and Campbell helped Miami remain in postseason contention through to Week 18. A scenario in which the six-time Pro Bowler was waived to allow him to join a playoff team was floated, although that did not take place. Now, the Dolphins await a decision from Campbell while making other free agent moves.
Miami ranked ninth against the run last season, and retaining Campbell could set the team up to repeat that success in 2025. In the event he were to turn down the Dolphins’ offer and depart in free agency, though, finding a replacement (likely through the draft) would become a key priority. With work still to be done to keep Ogbah in place as a veteran edge rush presence, it will be interesting to see if negotiations will take place in the near future in Campbell’s case.
S Nick Emmanwori Lines Up Pre-Draft Visits
The 2025 draft is not viewed as being deep at the safety spot, but two standouts are firmly in contention to be selected in the first round. One of them is Nick Emmanwori, who has lined up several pre-draft visits. 
The South Carolina product will meet with the Falcons in the near future, he announced on Tuesday (h/t Josh Kendall of The Athletic). Atlanta still has 2023 free agent addition Jessie Bates on the books, but Justin Simmons is a free agent. The latter (who did not match his previous level of play with the Broncos during his debut Falcons season) hopes to re-sign, but as expected he has reached the open market.
In the event Simmons departs, adding a starting-caliber safety would become a draft priority. The Falcons (who are set to select 15th overall) are far from the only team line up an Emmanwori visit, though. As Kendall notes, he is also set to meet with the Panthers, Seahawks, Bengals and Dolphins.
Carolina made several splashy additions on defense last week, including a three-year deal for Tre’von Moehrig. The former Raider will look to replace Xavier Woods, who joined the Titans in free agency. Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott are unsigned at this point, and losing both could leave the Panthers in the market for a draft addition at the position (although doing so at No. 8 would come as a surprise).
Cincinnati and Seattle are slated to pick 17th and 18th, respectively. Both teams could stand to improve in the secondary in 2025, and the Bengals in particular will need to emphasize defensive additions via the draft with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins attached to lucrative new deals. Adding Emmanwori in that range could very well be on the table; the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Seattle selecting him at No. 18.
Miami has frequently been linked to drafting a safety this spring with Jevon Holland departing on the open market and Jordan Poyer unlikely to be re-signed. Many have pointed to Georgia’s Malaki Starks (the other Day 1 safety prospect in the class) as a logical target as a result. Indeed, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah mocks Starks to the Dolphins at No. 13 with Emmanwori going 24th.
The latter spent three years with the Gamecocks, operating as a full-time starter during that spell. Emmanwori earned all-conference honors in 2024 along with a first-team All-American nod after posting 88 tackles and four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns). He will face high expectations upon arrival in the NFL, and the coming weeks will no doubt include visits with other interested teams.
Dolphins Submit Offer To Emmanuel Ogbah; No Deal Imminent
Emmanuel Ogbah has spent the past five years in Miami, but he is among the free agents still on the market at this point. Efforts to continue his Dolphins tenure have not yielded traction so far. 
During his latest appearance on WSVN-7 Fox, agent Drew Rosenhaus noted (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) the Dolphins have submitted an offer to Ogbah. He added, however, that the sides “haven’t found common ground” yet with respect to an agreement being reached. Ogbah was cut by the Dolphins last February but he wound up re-signing in July.
Miami had a deal in place with Shaq Barrett, but his retirement decision (which ended up turning into a brief Buccaneers reunion) left the team in need of an addition along the edge. The Ogbah reunion allowed for him to handle a full-time starting role; the 31-year-old’s snap share (73%) was the highest of his Dolphins career. Ogbah posted five sacks and 19 pressures in 2024, figures which should help his market with Miami or other interested teams.
After being cut, the Oklahoma State product took a one-year deal to remain with the Dolphins. That pact contained $2MM in guarantees and included incentives which allowed Ogbah to surpass its base value of $3.25MM. A higher locked in figure could be required this time around for another deal to be reached. Having remained healthy for four of his five Miami campaigns so far, the former second-rounder could be in line for a multi-year commitment but at a minimum he will be expected to remain an important defensive figure should he re-sign once again.
The Dolphins do, on the other hand, still have Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips on the books. The former missed all of last year while rehabbing his ACL tear, while the latter was limited to four games in 2024 due to a partial ACL tear of his own. Miami used a first-round pick in 2024 on Chop Robinson, and he flashed potential during the second half of the campaign in particular. Those three represent a large portion of the Dolphins’ plans along the edge moving forward, but it will be interesting to see if that holds true for Ogbah as well.
Dolphins To Sign CB Artie Burns
Artie Burns is the next player to land a new deal in the secondary waves of free agency. The veteran corner has agreed to a one-year Dolphins pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
This represents a homecoming for Burns. The Miami native played for the Hurricanes during his college career, one which ended with a six-interception junior campaign. That production helped make Burns a first-round pick, but his four seasons with the Steelers did not go according to plan.
By the end of his Pittsburgh run, Burns had gone from a full-time starter to a rotational defender tasked with handling special teams duties. After being out of the league in 2020, he returned on a one-year Bears contract which saw him handle a 39% defensive snap share. In the three years since then (in Seattle), though, the 29-year-old has earned primarily his playing time with his third phase contributions.
Miami has Jalen Ramsey atop the CB depth chart for next season, and holdovers Kader Kohou and Cam Smith are also set to play a role moving forward. The Dolphins have seen safety Jevon Holland depart in free agency as expected, and Jordan Poyer is considered unlikely to be retained. Former Lion Ifeatu Melifonwu was added last week, and he is in line to serve a notable role in the secondary as a result.
The Dolphins also retained Elijah Campbell, putting him on track to reprise his role as a key special teams presence. Burns will look to join him in that regard while attempting to boost his value ahead of free agency next spring.
Dolphins Sign P Ryan Stonehouse; Broncos Did Not Have Interest
The Dolphins are signing former Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse, as first reported by Justin Melo of The Draft Network and subsequently confirmed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds that it will be a one-year deal). Tennessee recently declined to extend an RFA tender to Stonehouse, thus sending him to the open market.
Melo classifies the Titans’ Stonehouse decision as curious, and indeed, the former undrafted find had established himself as an under-the-radar weapon over his first three seasons in the league. In his rookie year in 2022, the Colorado State product broke Sammy Baugh‘s long-standing single-season punting average mark, moving the NFL’s standard from 51.4 yards per boot (set in 1940) to 53.1. Stonehouse matched that average in 2023, though that season ended a few games early due to a torn ACL and MCL — along with a broken bone — in his plant (non-kicking) leg.
Nonetheless, Stonehouse recovered in time to handle a full slate of punting duties in 2024, and he still managed over 50 yards per kick. On the other hand, his net yards-per-punt average dropped from 44.3 in 2023 to 38.3 last year, and he pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line just 22 times in 2024 compared to 28 times in 2023, despite receiving 20 more opportunities.
The Titans elected to move on from the 25-year-old Stonehouse and bring in the 35-year-old Johnny Hekker as his replacement. Hekker, the NFL’s most-decorated active punter, has four First Team All-Pro nods to his credit, though the most recent of those accolades came in 2017.
Miami hopes that, with Stonehouse’s injury further in the rearview mirror, he can return to the elite form he displayed from 2022-23. Interestingly, the ‘Fins recently hired Craig Aukerman, who coordinated the Titans’ special teams units from 2018-23, as their own ST coordinator.
Aukerman can certainly take some of the credit for Stonehouse’s early-career success, though it was the Week 13 game in 2023 in which Stonehouse was injured — an injury that occurred on the second blocked punt of the contest — that triggered Aukerman’s in-season dismissal. The 48-year-old did not coach in 2024.
Jake Bailey has served as the Dolphins’ punter in each of the past two seasons, and he is under club control through 2025 by virtue of the two-year, $4.2MM contract he signed last March. The club can save nearly $2MM against the cap with a dead money hit of just $550K if it releases Bailey, which Jackson suggests will happen at some point.
The Broncos are in need of a new punter after Riley Dixon agreed to sign with the Bucs, but they did not have interest in Stonehouse, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. The team likewise is not presently interested in free agent specialists Pat O’Donnell and Michael Palardy.
Denver did extend an offer to Dixon, as Mike Klis of 9News reports. Clearly, it was not enough to keep him on the club.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/25
Friday’s minor NFL moves after a busy week of transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Keith Taylor
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: G Kendrick Green
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Kenny Yeboah
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: S M.J. Stewart, T Zachary Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Corey Ballentine
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: DT Larrell Murchison
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR Dee Eskridge
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
New York Jets
- Signed: P Austin McNamara
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Kylen Granson, LS Charley Hughlett, LB Patrick Johnson, RB Avery Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: WR Cody White
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: P Jack Browning
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: C Corey Levin
Washington Commanders
- Signed ERFA tender: RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Dolphins To Sign TE Pharaoh Brown
The Dolphins are signing veteran tight end Pharaoh Brown, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The seven-year veteran will add some depth to a thin tight end room behind 2024 breakout Jonnu Smith. The Dolphins moved on from Durham Smythe last month, leaving Julian Hill as the only other tight end on the roster with any NFL experience.
After playing for five different teams in his career, Brown will bring plenty of experience to Miami. He has appeared in 87 games with 54 starts, though he has primarily served as a blocker with a career average of 8.6 receiving yards per game.
Brown began his career as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon and signed with the Raiders after the 2017 draft. He didn’t make the 53-man roster, but still appeared in two games as a rookie. He didn’t play at all in 2018, partially due to a shoulder injury, then carved out a rotational role as a blocker in 2019 with the Browns.
Brown then joined the Texans in 2020 and started 21 games over the next two years. He was then released three games into the 2022 seasons and returned to Cleveland for the rest of the year.
The 30-year-old signed with the Patriots in 2023, where he caught 13 of 15 targets for a career-high 208 receiving yards and his first touchdown since 2020. He also carved out a role on special teams, which helped him earn a one-year, $3.2MM contract with the Seahawks in 2024. Brown picked up a similar role as a blocking tight end and special teams contributor in Seattle, something he will likely continue in Miami.
Contract Details: Fries, Hargrave, Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Bengals, Bills
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to during free agency:
- Will Fries, G (Vikings). Five years, $87.72MM. Unlike other splashy Minnesota deals this week, Fries’ initial numbers were close to the true value. Fries will see $34MM guaranteed at signing. If he is on the Vikings’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, another $10MM becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Up to $6MM in incentives are also included in this deal.
- Camryn Bynum, S (Colts). Four years, $60MM. The ex-Viking will see $26MM at signing, per OverTheCap, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds $32MM is guaranteed in total. The remainder of that guarantee impacts Bynum’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries. Of Bynum’s 2026 salary ($10MM), $6MM is fully guaranteed. Of Bynum’s 2027 base ($13.47MM), $4MM is already guaranteed for injury. That $4MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the league year, giving Bynum some advanced protection.
- Carlton Davis, CB (Patriots). Three years, $54MM. This checks in $6MM south of the initial report, but Wilson notes Davis will still see $34.5MM at signing. Davis’ 2025 and 2026 base salaries are fully guaranteed, with a $15MM 2027 base nonguaranteed.
- Javon Hargrave, DL (Vikings). Two years, $30MM. Minnesota is guaranteeing Hargrave $19MM at signing, while Wilson adds $4MM of the veteran DT’s $14.2MM 2026 base salary is already locked in. Hargrave’s full guarantee on a two-year deal nearly matches Jonathan Allen‘s ($23.26MM) on a three-year pact.
- Ernest Jones, LB (Seahawks). Three years, $28.5MM. Jones will receive $10MM at signing and $15MM guaranteed in total. Of Jones’ $7.15MM 2026 base salary, Wilson notes $5MM is guaranteed for injury; that $5MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
- Mike Gesicki, TE (Bengals). Three years, $25.5MM. A $6.5MM signing bonus represents the full guarantee, as per usual for the Bengals’ non-quarterback deals (though, Cincinnati’s receivers may have something to say about this policy soon). A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
- James Daniels, G (Dolphins). Three years, $24MM. $7.26MM is fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The Dolphins guaranteed $3.48MM of Daniels’ $6.49MM 2026 base salary for injury at signing, per Wilson; that $3.48MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
- Jarran Reed, DL (Seahawks). Three years, $22MM. Seattle guaranteed Reed $8MM at signing, per OverTheCap. After a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary, $2MM of Reed’s $5.49MM 2026 base will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
- Michael Hoecht, DE (Bills). Three years, $21MM. Buffalo is guaranteeing Hoecht $13.43MM at signing. Both Hoecht’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. His $5.74MM 2027 paragraph 5 number is nonguaranteed.
NFL Announces 2025 Compensatory Picks
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