Giants To Sign FB Patrick Ricard
John Harbaugh is bringing another Raven to New York. Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard is joining the Giants on a two-year deal, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The deal is worth $7.63MM with a maximum value of $8.5MM, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, making Ricard the highest-paid fullback in the NFL. His resume – including six Pro Bowls in the last seven years – certainly supports that status. The nine-year veteran also received a first-team All-Pro nod in 2024 and second-team recognition in the years immediately before and after.
Ricard, 31, arrived in Baltimore as an undrafted defensive tackle out of Maine. He converted to fullback as a rookie but still maintained a role on the other side of the ball until 2020, when his offensive snap share jumped to 41%. It grew even more, all the way up to 64% in 2022, the Ravens’ last year with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. His successor, Todd Monken, decreased Ricard’s role, though he still played at least 39% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps from 2023 to 2025. That resulted in a pay cut on Ricard’s last contract in Baltimore, and like the rest of the team’s offense, he had somewhat of a down season after missing the start of the year due to injury.
The price point of today’s deal is a clear sign that Ricard will have a major role in New York’s offense. However, new Giants OC Matt Nagy has not historically featured a pure blocking fullback in his scheme, so he will need to find a way to integrate Ricard on the field.
The Ravens are unlikely to seek a one-for-one replacement for Ricard with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle bringing in his own scheme. However, with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar also departing in free agency, Baltimore will need to shore up that position group this offseason.
Giants To Sign K Jason Sanders
Missing all of last season due to injury, Jason Sanders will have another chance. The Dolphins cut the veteran kicker, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a Giants signing is coming to pass.
Sanders agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants, who are overhauling their special teams under John Harbaugh. He already brought Jordan Stout, his hand-picked punter in Baltimore, to New York, for a record-breaking sum on Monday. Stout will hold Sanders’ kicks, and Harbaugh will surely land his preferred long-snapper, too. He declined to retain longtime Giant Casey Kreiter and could pursue a reunion with Morgan Cox, who he coached in Baltimore for eight seasons.
Sanders, 30, was drafted by the Dolphins in 2019. He won Miami’s kicking job over undrafted rookie Greg Joseph in training camp and held onto it for the next seven years. His first four alternated between elite and below-average, a period which included a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. But in the following three years, Sanders was one of the most consistent kickers in the league, peaking with another excellent season in 2024. He ranked ninth in the NFL with a 90.2% make rate and buried 12 of his 14 attempts from beyond 50 yards.
Sanders suffered a hip injury during the 2025 preseason that landed him on the shelf. There was initial optimism for his return, but the kicker ended up missing the entire season. The Dolphins turned to Riley Patterson as a fill-in in 2025 and landed free agent Zane Gonzalez for 2026.
Sanders will now have an opportunity to revive his career with a new-look Giants squad. He was among the notable free agent kickers, a list that also includes the likes of Daniel Carlson, Matt Prater, and Nick Folk (who has already joined the Falcons).
Jags Not Open To Brian Thomas Jr. Trade?
MARCH 10: It appears the Jaguars have not actually changed their stance from the fall. The team is not believed to be interested in moving the third-year wide receiver, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. With Hunter moving to more of a cornerback role, the Jags appear set to see if Thomas can bounce back alongside Meyers and Washington.
MARCH 9: Arriving during Trent Baalke‘s final draft as Jaguars GM, Brian Thomas Jr. enjoyed a promising rookie season before submitting to a sophomore slump. With a new regime running the show now, Thomas’ standing in Duval County may be a bit shaky.
The Jaguars are believed to be listening to offers on Thomas, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. Teams called the Jags about Thomas at last year’s deadline — the Giants, Jets and Steelers among them — but the team was not open to dealing the 2024 first-rounder. It appears the AFC South club is now more willing to hear what Thomas can bring in a trade.
The Steelers called the Jags on Thomas last year, but they agreed to trade for Michael Pittman Jr. earlier today. The Jets added Adonai Mitchell in their Sauce Gardner trade. The Giants lost Wan’Dale Robinson to the Titans in free agency, though they still roster Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. Thomas played with Nabers at LSU, and Slayton’s contract can be shed fairly easily in 2027.
Although the Jags are prepared to shift Travis Hunter to more of a cornerback-first role, they saw Thomas fail to make a big impact in Liam Coen‘s debut. The big-bodied target slumped to a 48-catch, 707-yard season. That would not exactly qualify as a woeful campaign, but Thomas posted 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. He caught just two TDs last season, and trade pickup Jakobi Meyers checked in as a more reliable option in Coen’s offense. The Jags have since given Meyers a three-year, $60MM extension.
It would seemingly take at least a Day 2 pick — possibly with another choice sprinkled in — to convince the Jags to move off a player with a 1,200-yard rookie season in his recent past. Two years remain on Thomas’ rookie contract, increasing his value. No extension talks can commence until 2027. As it stands, the Jags do not look likely to ever initiate those.
Coen and GM James Gladstone gutted Baalke’s pass catcher setup last year, trading Christian Kirk and cutting Evan Engram, Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay. Dyami Brown also played out his 2025 contract. If the Jags are to seriously entertain trading Thomas, they would need at least one more option. That said, Parker Washington took a step forward last year and led the division-winning team with 847 receiving yards. Though, he is now in a contract year. Thomas’ status will be a storyline to monitor as teams fill their receiver rooms in free agency.
Giants To Re-Sign LB Micah McFadden
Linebacker Micah McFadden will return to the Giants for a fifth season. McFadden is re-signing on a one-year pact, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. It’s a $3.75MM deal that carries a max value of $5.75MM, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
The Giants lost four members of their 2022 draft class – receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, tight end Daniel Bellinger and safety Dane Belton – to free agency on Monday. McFadden, a fifth-rounder that year, will stick around in hopes of bouncing back from an injury-wrecked 2025.
The 26-year-old McFadden played just 11 defensive snaps last season. He was carted off the field in Week 1 after suffering a foot injury while tackling Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. McFadden underwent surgery a few days later.
A former Indiana Hoosier, McFadden amassed 35 starts in 47 games over his first three seasons. He exceeded 100 tackles as a full-time starter in both 2023 and ’24. In the second of those seasons, McFadden posted a career-high three sacks. He was unable to build on it last year, which no doubt hindered his earning power going into free agency.
McFadden spent his two seasons as a starter playing alongside Bobby Okereke, but that will change in 2026. The Giants released Okereke last week and brought in Tremaine Edmunds as a replacement on Monday.
Giants To Sign CB Greg Newsome
The Giants’ roster overhaul is ongoing, and it will continue into Tuesday. Shortly after learning Cor’Dale Flott will depart, a cornerback addition has been arranged.
New York is expected to sign Greg Newsome, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. This will be a one-year deal, he adds. Newsome is headed to the NFC after playing out his rookie contract in Cleveland and Jacksonville. He will collect up to $8MM in 2026 with $3MM in guarantees, per Connor Hughes of SNY.
The Browns spent the 26th pick in the 2021 draft on Newsome, a former Northwestern standout. Over his first three seasons, Newsome started in 39 of 41 games and combined for 29 pass deflections. Newsome’s only two interceptions during that span came in 2023, after which the Browns exercised his $13.37MM fifth-year option for 2025.
Newsome added another pick in 2024, but the Browns demoted him to a slot role in sub-packages during a 13-game, three-start season. With Martin Emerson taking his starting job on the outside, Newsome recorded a career-low 53.04% snap share. Pro Football Focus ranked Newsome’s play an unsightly 106th out of 117 qualifying corners.
While trade rumors swirled over Newsome at last year’s draft and in the summer, he stayed put to begin the season. The Browns reinstalled Newsome as a starter for their first five games, but they finally pulled the trigger on a trade in early October. The team shipped Newsome to the Jaguars in a corner-for-corner swap that delivered Tyson Campbell to Cleveland.
Newsome started in 11 of 12 games during his short stay in Jacksonville, which let him walk and re-signed Montaric Brown instead. Between the Browns and Jags, Newsome totaled 52 tackles, nine pass deflections and an INT in the first 17-game season of his career. PFF had a more favorable outlook on Newsome’s performance in 2025, though he still ranked a subpar 89th among 112 CBs.
The Giants thought they had a deal with Flott before Titans head coach Robert Saleh talked him into moving to Tennessee on Monday. A day later, the Giants have the 25-year-old Newsome in the fold as a potential starter opposite Paulson Adebo.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Patriots To Add G Alijah Vera-Tucker
Alijah Vera-Tucker has seen three seasons heavily impacted by injuries, but he found a taker on Day 1 of free agency. The former Jets first-round pick is heading to the Patriots, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
The Giants were negotiating with the ex-Jet guard’s camp, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, but the NFC East club could not close the deal. Vera-Tucker instead will join the defending AFC champions. The Giants may have balked at the price, per Hughes, and it appears a few teams were willing to bet on upside here.
The Pats are giving Vera-Tucker a three-year, $42MM deal that could climb to $48MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Guarantees are not yet known, but it looks like the injury-plagued blocker has done well for himself.
Vera-Tucker has moved between guard and right tackle as a pro, though the USC alum has shown his best stuff inside. Pro Football Focus ranked the 2021 first-rounder ninth overall among guards in 2024. Unfortunately, he could not build on that momentum. A third season-ending injury transpired in 2025, hurting Vera-Tucker’s extension case — a cause also affected by the Jets’ organizational turnover.
Encountering triceps tears in both arms, Vera-Tucker also sustained an Achilles tear during his rookie contract. He missed 41 games as a Jet. The team viewed the former No. 14 overall pick as a Pro Bowl-caliber guard, but injuries impeded him. Still, Vera-Tucker is heading into an age-27 season. The Patriots will bet on upside, though it is worth wondering how much they’re betting.
PFR’s No. 44-ranked free agent, Vera-Tucker probably would have been the top guard this year had he endured one or two season-ending maladies. But the second triceps tear wiping out all of his 2025 season made this an unpredictable market. New England has probably secured one of the highest-upside plays this year, though it comes with obvious risk.
As Ben Levine’s Patriots Offseason Outlook noted, 2025 left guard starter Jared Wilson was a college center. With the Pats trading Garrett Bradbury to the Bears, it is possible Wilson slides there and Vera-Tucker camps at LG. Vera-Tucker was primarily a right guard as a Jet; Michael Onwenu plays there for the Pats, though he has proven malleable as well. As for the Jets, they are down to one player from their five-first-rounder contingent from 2021-22. Garrett Wilson remains, while Zach Wilson, Vera-Tucker, Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson are gone.
The Giants have been connected to a few guards. Two of those rumored options — Wyatt Teller, Daniel Faalele — remain unsigned as we wind down an explosive first day of the legal tampering period.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/26
Here are the minor move from a frenzied free agency first day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Natrone Brooks, LB Christian Harris, DE Cameron Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Akayleb Evans, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Dominique Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OLB Dennis Gardeck
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to two-year deal: K Matt Gay
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Joe Cardona
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Greg Dulcich
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Chris Manhertz
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Andrew Beck
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL Esezi Otomewo
Giants To Sign DB Ar’Darius Washington
When John Harbaugh arrived in New York after being fired by the Ravens, he quickly brought many of his staffers with him. Those moves created an expectation that the Giants would pursue Harbaugh’s former players in free agency, and that has indeed been the case.
The latest is defensive back Ar’Darius Washington, who spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore. He is expected to sign a one-year, $3MM contract with the Giants, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.
The former TCU standout went undrafted in 2021 due to his 5-foot-9 frame, but made the Ravens’ 53-man roster later that summer. Injury concerns proved to be an issue, as Washington only appeared in eight games in his first three seasons with long absences due to foot and chest injuries. The 26-year-old broke into the starting lineup in 2024 as part of Baltimore’s midseason secondary switch-up. Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson were benched, and Washington joined Kyle Hamilton to stablize the back end of the defense.
Washington’s success built hype for his follow-up campaign in 2025. He was expected to reprise his starting role even after the Ravens drafted Malaki Starks in the first-round, with Hamilton set to return to a nickel/star role closer to the line of scrimmage. But a torn Achilles during offseason training altered those plans. Washington still made an impressive recovery and made his season debut just seven months after his injury, but he played just 61 snaps in his four appearances.
The Giants’ offer is appropriate given Washington’s injury history. He will serve as the team’s third safety behind Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland and will likely take on some duties in the slot, too. Washington could thrive in those roles in the defense of Dennard Wilson – his onetime secondary coach in Baltimore – but only if he can stay healthy.
Giants To Re-Sign WR Isaiah Hodgins
After losing Wan’Dale Robinson via free agency earlier today, the Giants are retaining another one of their free agent wideouts. According to Jordan Schultz, the Giants are re-signing wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.
Hodgins will be sticking in New York via a one-year deal, according to Schultz. The wideout will now continue his second stint with the organization for at least another year.
Hodgins started the 2025 campaign on the Steelers practice squad, but he was signed to the Giants active roster in November. He ended up getting into seven games (five starts) for New York, hauling in 10 of his 19 targets for 115 yards and one touchdown. In those seven games, Hodgins got into more than 75 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.
A former sixth-round pick by the Bills, Hodgins made a name for himself once he joined the Giants via waivers in 2022. He caught touchdowns in four of the team’s final five games that season, with the receiver ultimately finishing with 351 yards in eight games. He also showed up in the playoffs, when he hauled in 105 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight catches in a Giants win over the Vikings.
Hodgins got a full season in New York in 2023, when he finished with 21 catches for 230 yards and a pair of scores. He was waived after the 2024 preseason and spent most of that season on New York’s practice squad. He later inked a futures deal with the 49ers, and he eventually joined the Steelers practice squad prior to his second stint with the Giants.
The 27-year-old will likely continuing serving in a back-of-the-depth-chart role for the Giants in 2026. Malik Nabers will lead the grouping when he’s healthy enough to play, and Darius Slayton will continue to command targets. The team will surely continue adding to the position throughout the offseason, but Hodgins is currently set to compete with the likes of Gunner Olszewski, Xavier Gipson, Jalin Hyatt, and Ryan Miller for reps.
Giants To Re-Sign RT Jermaine Eluemunor
Offseason Giants negotiations with Jermaine Eluemunor will produce a deal. The two-year Big Blue right tackle starter is sticking around under John Harbaugh‘s staff.
New York is retaining Eluemunor on a three-year, $39MM deal that includes $26MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Although Eluemunor will turn 32 before year’s end, this represents by far a career-best payday for the veteran tackle.
The upcoming staff change did not affect Eluemunor much, as he was a former Ravens draftee who played two seasons under Harbaugh (2017-18). Later moving to the Patriots and Raiders, Eluemunor collected vet-minimum money or not much above it until signing a two-year, $14MM Giants pact in 2024. HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason debut revealed Eluemunor only wanted a two-year deal from the Giants; that turned out to be a smart play.
A three- or four-year pact at the time could have aged Eluemunor out of a deal in this range. Because he is hitting free agency after two healthy years at 31, he will cash in. After spending time filling in for Andrew Thomas at left tackle last year, Eluemunor stayed at RT in 2025. New York was planning to use Eluemunor at left guard during the 2024 offseason, but Evan Neal issues prompted the team to kick the UFA addition to his most familiar O-line post.
Neal was supposed to be the Giants’ answer at right tackle opposite Thomas, but the former No. 7 overall pick is on track to become one of this decade’s biggest busts. Neal is no longer under contract with the Giants, who will go with Eluemunor opposite their cornerstone (but injury-prone) left tackle. Eluemunor worked as the Raiders’ primary RT from 2022-23, starting at guard in 2021. The former fifth-round pick has now started 76 career games; he represents one of GM Joe Schoen‘s success stories — there have not been many — during his rocky tenure.
While the Giants prioritized an Eluemunor deal, they were also interested in retaining Wan’Dale Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott. Both 2022 draftees defected to the Titans, rejoining former Giants HC Brian Daboll.