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49ers Release K Greg Joseph

August 4th, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers made a slew of roster moves on Monday. Included among them is the release of veteran kicker Greg Joseph.

In May, the 49ers signed Joseph as a contender for the 2025 kicking gig. The 31-year-old took part in minicamp and the opening stages of training camp, but his time in San Francisco has come to an end before the preseason. As a result of today’s move, Jake Moody is the lone kicker on the roster at the moment.

Moody entered the league in 2023 with high expectations as the No. 99 pick in his draft class. He enjoyed a strong rookie campaign, connecting on 21 of 24 field goal tries and all but one of his extra point attempts. Last season, however, things took an unwanted turn. In 14 games, Moody missed 10 field goal attempts, including five from within 50 yards. Competition was sought out in response, but pending another addition at the position he is set to once again handle kicking duties in 2025.

Joseph had a three-year run with the Vikings following brief tenures in Cleveland and Tennessee. Last season, the former UDFA made appearances for three teams; in all, he went 16-for-2o on field goals and 11-for-11 on extra points. As teams around the league prepare for the preseason in advance of final roster cuts, it will be interesting to see if Joseph lands another opportunity in the near future.

The 49ers’ other Monday moves consisted of signing defensive end Bradlee Anae, defensive tackle Bruce Hector, safety Jaylen Mahoney, cornerback Fabian Moreau and offensive lineman Isaiah Prince. They will each look to carve out a depth spot over the coming weeks while (in all likelihood) seeing playing time during the preseason as the team deals with minor injuries at number of positions.

In corresponding transactions, cornerback Tre Avery, receiver Isaiah Neyor, quarterback Tanner Mordecai and tight end Mason Pline have been waived. Each member of that quartet will be available to interested teams via the waiver wire. Provided they go unclaimed, each will become a free agent.

Charles Cross Seeking Seahawks Extension; LT Undergoes Finger Surgery

August 4th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

2025 marks the first year in which Charles Cross is eligible for an extension. The Seahawks’ left tackle said in June he would be interested in a long-term pact, and that stance has not changed.

“I want to be in Seattle for my career,” the former first-rounder said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “That’s something I always thought of and wanted for myself. Hopefully we can get something done and it’ll go that way.”

Cross noted during those remarks that extension talks have yet to take place between his camp and general manager John Schneider, who agreed to another new Seahawks pact last week.. Plenty of time remains for a deal to be struck, of course. Seattle made the easy decision to pick up the Mississippi State product’s fifth-year option last spring. As a result, Cross is on the books through 2026 with a scheduled $17.56MM in compensation for that season.

A multi-year pact will cost much more considering the upward movement in the tackle market. Recent days have seen three notable pacts worked out for blindside blockers, including Rashawn Slater receiving a record-breaking Chargers pact. His new Bolts deal carries an average annual value of $28.5MM. Bernhard Raimann (Colts) and Kolton Miller (Raiders) have also inked deals north of $20MM per season. A total of 14 tackles are now at or above that AAV figure.

Cross will no doubt look to join that group on his second contract. The 24-year-old has missed only three games to date in his career, and in 2024 he received a top-10 PFF grade at his position. A new pact for right tackle Abraham Lucas – who has only one year remaining on his deal – may be seen as a more urgent endeavor for Seattle in spite of his injury issues. In any case, Cross’ case will be an interesting one to watch whenever extension talks begin.

In more immediate news, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Cross recently underwent surgery to repair a dislocated finger. The issue had been lingering, per Henderson. Given the timing of the procedure, a full recovery in time for Week 1 is expected. It remains to be seen if any traction toward a long-term contract will have been made by that point, however.

Dolphins Extend DT Zach Sieler

August 4th, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Ely Allen

AUGUST 4: Sieler’s deal is now official, per a team announcement. Full terms have not yet emerged, but agent Drew Rosenhaus said during his weekly appearance on Sports XTRA (video link) this new pact will pay out $34MM across the 2025 and ’26 campaigns. With an upgraded cashflow and long-term security, Seiler will look to remain one of Miami’s top players for years to come.

AUGUST 3: The Dolphins are getting ahead on some future contract situations by giving defensive tackle Zach Sieler the new deal he requested despite him having two years remaining on his original deal. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have agreed on a three-year, $67.75MM extension with $44MM guaranteed. With the new deal, he becomes the highest-paid player on Miami’s defense.

Sieler’s come a long way since his humble beginnings. Unranked as a high school recruit, Sieler travelled about two hours north to attend college at Ferris State University, where he made the decision to walk on to the football team. After a redshirt year, Sieler helped the Bulldogs win their conference two years in a row in 2014 and 2015. In the latter year, he won the conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year honors. He repeated those honors in 2016 but opted to sit out the 2017 season, after having earned his degree, to prepare for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Though obviously talented, Sieler was considered a bit of a wildcard after having spent a year away from football. Regardless, he was chosen by the Ravens with the 238th pick of the draft in the seventh round — Ozzie Newsome‘s final pick as the team’s general manager. In an emotional draft day phone call, Newsome informed him of that fact and Sieler told the legendary GM, “I’ll make you proud.”

That pride may not have come right away for Newsome. After appearing in only two games as a rookie, Sieler failed to make Baltimore’s initial 53-man roster in 2019 and ended up on the practice squad. He got signed back to the active roster in October, but the team waived him again two months later.

This time, when he hit the waiver wire, the Dolphins kept him from returning to the Ravens’ practice squad, claiming Sieler the next day. In just three games (including his first career start) to close out the season with Miami, Sieler played more snaps than his entire first year and a half in Baltimore. The Dolphins signed him on for another year and Sieler appeared in every game, starting eight, while tallying 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

The disruptive lineman was doing so well that season that he earned himself a two-year, $7.63MM extension partway through the season. In those next two years, Sieler would start 24 of 34 game appearances, notching 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 132 tackles as he blossomed into am eventual full-time starter. In that 2021 season, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the third-best interior defender in the NFL.

In 2023, the Dolphins quickly extended Sieler for another three years at $30.75MM. With a year still remaining on his prior deal, this new extension would keep him under contract through the 2026 season. After that contract came through, Sieler really turned it on. Starting every game for the first time in his career, Sieler tallied career highs in sacks (10.0) and tackles for loss (22) while adding 63 tackles, four pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

Last year, he kept it going. Despite missing two games with injury, Sieler matched his sack total from the prior year while totaling 19 tackles for loss, 55 tackles, two pass deflections, and another interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery. His 2024 performance had him graded as the 11th-best interior defender in the league, per PFF.

Having totaled double-digit sacks in each of the past two seasons, Sieler made it known that he was interested in a new deal, despite his remaining years. A day after seeing Zach Allen get a four-year, $102MM extension, the Dolphins have followed suit, perhaps realizing that Sieler may just make himself even more expensive with another double-digit sack performance.

It’s safe to say, at this point, that Newsome is probably proud, even if Sieler isn’t on his team anymore. In fact, Schefter points out that Newsome’s final rookie class — including (in draft order) tight end Hayden Hurst, quarterback Lamar Jackson, offensive tackle Orlando Brown, tight end Mark Andrews, cornerback Anthony Averett, safety DeShon Elliott, center Bradley Bozeman, Sieler, undrafted cornerback Darious Williams, and undrafted running back Gus Edwards — has now generated more money in future contracts than any draft class in NFL history.

While Newsome gets to be proud, Sieler deserves every bit of credit for where he ended up. From walking on to a Division II football team to sneaking into the last 19 picks of the NFL draft to making a name for himself with double-digit-sack seasons in Miami, Sieler continues to surpass expectations at every step of his career.

Roger McCreary Aims To Remain With Titans

August 4th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Adam La Rose

Roger McCreary has served as a mainstay in the Titans’ secondary during his three years in the league. The team’s slot corner is eligible for a new deal, and an extended stay in Tennessee would be welcomed in this case.

“The Titans drafted me, I feel like this is always home for me, so I’ll always be happy to come back,” the 25-year-old said (via veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky). “But I feel like it’s really not my decision – it’s in the upper room. So I’ve got to come out and just keep playing and if it comes it comes… If I play good, that’s going to come.”

Selected in the second round during the 2022 draft – then-GM Jon Robinson‘s final one at the helm, as it turned out – McCreary saw plenty of time on the outside during his rookie season. A shift inside began to take effect the following year, though, and last season he played almost exclusively in the slot. That will remain the case for 2025 with Jarvis Brownlee having played his way into a starting role on the perimeter.

Robinson was replaced by Ran Carthon, but that proved to be a short-lived setup. Carthon’s firing paved the way for Chad Brinker to take on the general manager role this offseason, although Chad Brinker resides as the Titans’ top decision-maker regarding roster moves. As Kuharsky notes, Brinker said at the start of training camp that no extension talks have taken place with McCreary to date. No deadline is in place for any potential negotiations to be cut off, however.

McCreary graded out as PFF’s No. 69 corner during his rookie season, but a step forward took place in 2023 (resulting in a 34th-place finish amongst qualifying players). Last year (as the Titans dealt with L’Jarius Sneed‘s absence for mush of the campaign but still managed a strong showing against the pass), he regressed and received a career-worst PFF grade of 61.3. The Auburn product would help his value considerably with a strong showing in 2025.

Sneed represents a potential cut candidate next spring based on his injury issues and the financial implications of moving on. Releasing the former Chief would eliminate the Titans’ most lucrative contract amongst defensive backs, something which could pave the way for a McCreary investment. It will be interesting to see if serious contract talks take place in the closing stages of the offseason.

Brandon Beane: Bills Still Discussing Extension With RB James Cook

August 4th, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Adam La Rose

James Cook took part in mandatory minicamp in June and participated in the opening practices of training camp. The extension-seeking running back elected not to take part in Sunday’s practice, however.

That shift to a hold-in drew questions about whether or not it would continue. Indeed, ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg notes Cook is present for Monday’s practice but not in uniform. The Bills declined to offer a comment on the situation yesterday, but general manager Brandon Beane has since spoken publicly about Cook.

“I wish we weren’t here,” Beane said during an appearance on WGR550 Monday morning (via Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News) when speaking about Cook’s decision to hold in. “This is my ninth season here, we’ve never had a player miss due to a contract or anything like that, so that’s disappointing for me.”

Beane added he and the team became aware of Cook’s shift in participation shortly before Sunday’s practice. It remains to be seen if electing not to take part will bring about traction on the negotiating front. Team and player have discussed a deal throughout the offseason, one in which a quartet of other key Bills players (Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Christian Benford, and Terrel Bernard) have each received second contracts. Beane noted communication is still ongoing between the Bills and Cook’s camp as the team looks to prevent a potential free agent departure next spring and the two-time Pro Bowler aims to become one of the league’s highest-paid running backs.

$15MM publicly emerged as Cook’s asking price earlier this offseason. Only three players at the position – Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry – are attached to a deal with that high of an AAV. That trio has combined to collect four first-team All-Pro nods and their respective track records outpace what Cook has achieved so far. At the age of 26, though, the Georgia product can be expected to remain one of the NFL’s top backfield producers throughout the length of any new deal he signs.

“We’ll see if we can get something done,” Beane said while confirming it remains the Bills’ objective to keep Cook in the fold past the coming campaign. “If not, he knows that we would try again after the season. So, just if we don’t get something done now, doesn’t mean that we can’t get it before he’s a free agent.”

Time still remains for a deal to be struck, but in the absence of an extension Cook’s willingness to suit up without a new pact – along with his performances, of course – would become a major Bills storyline for 2025. As the team prepares for its latest bid to reach the Super Bowl, this situation remains one worth monitoring.

NFLPA Names David White Interim Executive Director

August 4th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Adam La Rose

Uncertainty has loomed over the immediate and long-term future of the NFLPA following the abrupt changes made in recent weeks. Following the resignations of both Lloyd Howell and J.C. Tretter, the search process began for an interim executive director.

That effort has now resulted in a hire. David White has been named the union’s new leader on an interim basis, per an NFLPA announcement. White is a former SAG-AFTRA executive director who is currently the CEO of 3CG Ventures, a coaching and strategic firm. In 2023, when Howell was elected, White was the only other finalist for the position (and was supported 10-1 by the NFLPA’s executive committee in a straw poll). After being the runner-up last time, he will take charge of the union for the time being.

“We have full faith in David to take the union forward and operate in the best interests of our membership,” a statement from NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin reads. “David has spent much of his career fighting for collectively bargained rights in the labor movement and is committed to putting players first in all the union does. We are confident that he will inspire solidarity and provide the necessary stability during this period of transition.”

The past two weeks saw a number of candidates interviewed for the position. Internal and external options received consideration, ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler report. NFLPA chief player officer Don Davis as well as former quarterback Charlie Batch were among the finalists for the interim role, per the report. Interestingly, the ESPN duo adds a recent league memo which contained the name of five finalists for the interim executive role did not include White.

Howell appeared to be in position to lead the union through negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement. This offseason has witnessed a number of scandals, however, and it ultimately came as little surprise when he stepped down last month. Since that decision, attention has turned to an ongoing federal investigation into the actions of OneTeam Partners, the group co-founded by the NFL and MLB Players Associations and which Howell sat on the board of governors for prior to his resignation.

Specifically, the matter of passing a resolution which would allow for OneTeam governors to be paid for their services on the board – separate from their existing compensation – is the subject of scrutiny. The ongoing probe, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, could reveal details about efforts on the part of Howell and other board members to allow for payment (which does not currently take place). In any case, the past several months have seen Howell’s NFLPA tenure come to an abrupt end and he has also resigned from his consulting position at one of the private equity firms eligible to purchase a stake in an NFL team.

Representatives from all 32 teams took part in Sunday night’s vote to install White as Howell’s temporary replacement, per the ESPN report. The search for a permanent executive director will begin soon, according to Reeves-Maybin, and that process will also include representation from each team when a final vote takes place.

Bills RB James Cook Holding In?

August 3rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Parks

5:00pm: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes (video link) Cook’s camp and the Bills have remained in consistent contact regarding extension talks, adding that the parties are not believed to be far apart. That makes today’s move somewhat surprising, and it remains to be seen whether the nature of negotiations will shift in the near future and whether missed regular season action becomes a real possibility.

12:43pm: Bills running back James Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking a lucrative extension. However, he fully participated in Buffalo’s first training camp practice, and reports at the time indicated he would continue to do so and would not ‘hold in.’

That appears to have changed. Cook did not practice on Sunday, and when asked why, he simply replied, “business” (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). When asked if he would practice Monday, he answered, “business.” Per Getzenberg, he kept repeating the word “business” in response to follow-up questions. The team, meanwhile, indicated it has no comment on the matter, per Getzenberg.

Prior reports suggested the Bills and Cook were still discussing a new deal, although we had also heard there was little traction in negotiations since Cook’s asking price of $15MM per year became public. That AAV would place Cook in a third-place tie with Derrick Henry in the league’s running back hierarchy, and while Cook (26 in September) is over five years younger than Henry with considerably less mileage on his odometer, he does not have nearly the same track record as a game-changing talent.

Still, since taking over as the Bills’ RB1 in 2023, Cook has earned two Pro Bowl nods and has averaged an impressive 4.8 yards per carry across 444 totes. He has also demonstrated a nose for the end zone, recording a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns last season as part of a Buffalo offense that finished 10th in yards and second in scoring. He is therefore justified in making a big ask, and it is unclear whether his apparent new stance reflects some sort of regression in contract talks.

The Bills have busy on the extension front this offseason. The likes of Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Christian Benford, and Terrel Bernard have each received lucrative second contracts keeping them in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. General manager Brandon Beane has previously suggested Cook would need to replicate his previous production from the 2024 campaign before the team makes a similar commitment to him, however. Today’s development is another sign that could be the case.

In addition to Cook, Buffalo has veteran Ty Johnson and 2024 fourth-rounder Ray Davis set to return in the backfield. The presence of those two as depth options could once again prevent Cook from handling a true three-down role this season, something which would in turn hinder his market value on a second Bills pact or one sending him to a new team.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Falcons Owner Arthur Blank Endorses GM Terry Fontenot, HC Raheem Morris

August 3rd, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Rory Parks

In early April, a few weeks prior to this year’s draft, Falcons owner Arthur Blank addressed the status of general manager Terry Fontenot. At the time, Blank did not offer a public vote of confidence, though he did stop short of describing the 2025 season as a make-or-break year for the front office boss.

After his club’s second training camp practice last week, Blank expressly endorsed both Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris, who is entering his second season as Atlanta’s full-time HC.

“I definitely think we have the right people,” Blank said (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi). “I think they continue to demonstrate that, I think, during this offseason, and how they built during free agency and particularly decisions … in the draft. And I think continuing to reflect on the coaching staff, making some changes on the coaching staff. And if the emperor has no clothes, you’ve got to say the emperor has no clothes. And I think our leadership team has done that, and I think that’ll make us better.”

Blank said in April that the Falcons needed to focus on the defensive side of the ball in the draft, and his most recent comments suggest he is pleased with Fontenot’s decision to select edge rusher Jalon Walker with the No. 15 overall pick and then aggressively trade back into the first round to land another EDGE, James Pearce Jr. Atlanta’s attempts to bolster its pass rush in recent years have not yielded consistent results, and Blank appreciates the concerted effort to address the team’s biggest weakness (which also included adding Leonard Floyd and Morgan Fox in free agency).

The 82-year-old owner also seems to respect the difficult decision Morris had to make in cutting ties with former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and replacing him with Jeff Ulbrich.

“My feeling … is that we’re in a better place now, teamwise, coachingwise, totally across the board than we’ve been in a number of years,” Blank said. “And so, I look forward to the season and a different set of results at the end of the season.”

Blank has long touted the importance of front office and coaching continuity, so it is not surprising that, despite having failed to deliver a postseason berth since assuming the GM post in 2021, Fontenot is still in the fold. But in second-year passer Michael Penix Jr., the team finally has the player it realistically hopes will be the long-term successor to Matt Ryan. If Penix should struggle, and if the Falcons miss the playoff bracket again, it would be fair to wonder about the job security of Fontenot and Morris, regardless of Blank’s feelings on continuity.

For now, however, Blank is striking an optimistic tone while openly backing his top power brokers.

49ers Sign WR Robbie Chosen Following Workout

August 3rd, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Ely Allen

After hosting him for a workout yesterday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the 49ers have opted to add veteran free agent receiver Robbie Chosen to their roster for training camp. To make room for Chosen on the roster, another wide receiver, Marquez Callaway, was released.

Chosen — who originally entered the NFL as Robby Anderson, then Robbie Anderson, and then was briefly known as Chosen Anderson — has had a rollercoaster of a career in football. After changing positions from cornerback to wide receiver at Temple and overcoming academic eligibility issues, Chosen went undrafted in 2016, signing initially with the Jets. Immediately, the undrafted rookie became an impact WR3 on the offense before leading the Jets in receiving for the next two seasons, despite having a different quarterback throwing to him all three years.

After playing the 2019 season on a second-round tender, Chosen signed a two-year, $20MM deal with the Panthers. In the first year of the deal, he put up his first 1,000-yard season, earning a two-year, $29.5MM extension on top of his original deal. But, when reunited with Sam Darnold in the second year, his receiving yards were limited to 519 yards. Chosen opened his third year in Carolina with a strong 102-yard performance but struggled in the games that followed. After getting into an in-game argument with the team’s wide receiver coach, then-interim head coach Steve Wilks kicked Chosen out of the game.

The next day, Chosen was traded to the Cardinals, and his career has been in decline ever since. In 10 games with Arizona, Chosen caught seven balls for 76 yards and was released in the offseason. He spent the 2023 season in Miami, and though he caught a 68-yard touchdown in his first game appearance, Chosen only caught three more passes in eight games for the rest of the year. Around this time last year, he signed a first time with San Francisco but failed to make the 53-man roster and signed back with Miami’s practice squad, appearing in two games and catching one ball for five yards before being released.

Chosen likely doesn’t stand much of a chance at making the 49ers’ 53-man roster this time around, either. In all likelihood, he’s a camp body that brings a bit more experience and upside than Callaway. The 32-year-old should get plenty of opportunities in the preseason, though, as San Francisco is likely to be careful with its group of pass catchers heading into the regular season, given recent injury histories at the position.

Jaguars OL Dennis Daley Retires

August 3rd, 2025 at 8:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Early this morning, the Jaguars announced that they have placed offensive lineman Dennis Daley on the reserve/retired list. Not much information has followed the announcement, but it appears Daley is hanging up his cleats at only 28 years old.

Daley came into the league as a sixth-round pick out of South Carolina in 2019. After injuries to the interior offensive line forced the team to move starting left tackle Daryl Williams inside to cover and Greg Little, the rookie second-round tackle called in to replace him, went down, as well, Daley stepped into the starting left tackle role for nine games of his rookie year.

After starting Year 2 injured, Daley made three starts (two at right guard, one at left tackle) in five game appearances before getting placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the year. His third year in Carolina saw him continue to shuffle around, starting nine of 15 game appearances at right guard, left guard, and left tackle.

In 2022, the Panthers traded Daley and a seventh-round pick in 2024 to Tennessee in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round selection. When Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan went down on the first play of the team’s Week 2 matchup with a season-ending knee injury, Daley was inserted and started the remainder of the season as the Titans’ blindside blocker. Though the line helped running back Derrick Henry to finish second in rushing yards that year, Daley tied for the most sacks allowed in the NFL that season, and the line as a whole was considered one of the league’s worst.

In free agency, Daley signed a two-year, $3.2MM contract in Arizona. He ended up on IR just before the start of the regular season and only ended up playing in four contests with one start. The Cardinals released him in training camp last year, and he landed on the Jaguars’ practice squad. Ending the season with no game appearances, Daley signed a reserve/futures deal to spend the offseason with Jacksonville. In the end, he’ll never appear in a game with the Jaguars, now that he’s calling it a career.

In his short time with the NFL, Daley did more than a lot of sixth-round picks get to do. Starting 37 games in 54 appearances at multiple positions across the line, Daley made himself a reliable backup option despite a few major injuries of his own.

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