HEADLINES

Bears, Second-Round OT Ozzy Trapilo Agree To Deal

July 17th, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

After agreeing to terms with second-round defensive lineman Shemar Turner earlier today, the Bears have now inked another one of their three Round 2 picks. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears have a “deal in place” with offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo.

[RELATED: Bears, Second-Round DL Shemar Turner Agree To Terms]

Around the league, a number of second-round picks remain unsigned as they push for more guaranteed money. Albert Breer of TheMMQB reports that Trapilo got the first two seasons of his four-year rookie pact guaranteed. The third season of that deal is 72 percent guaranteed. This is a slightly better arrangement than Turner, who only got a 35-percent guarantee on that third year.

Trapilo established himself as one of the top offensive tackles in the nation during his time at Boston College After earning second-team All-ACC honors in 2023, he got a first-team nod in 2024. Those performances helped make him the 56th-overall pick in this year’s draft. The lineman played on both sides of the offensive line during his time with the Eagles, and there’s a chance the Bears capitalize on that versatility in the NFL.

While the interior of Chicago’s offensive line should consist of all newcomers in 2025, the Bears still have holdovers Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright penciled in at the tackle spots. However, Jones is still recovering from the fractured fibula he suffered towards the end of last season, and there are rumblings that he’ll be a limited participant during training camp. That would provide an opening for the rookie to step in and run with the hob.

As second-round picks around the league remain unsigned, the Bears have made some progress today signing their rooks. Focus will now turn to receiver Luther Burden (39th overall), who represents Chicago’s final unsigned draft pick.

Ravens Sign Second-Round OLB Mike Green, Complete Rookie Deals

July 17th, 2025 at 5:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens are among the teams to complete the signings of the rookie classes in time for training camp. Second-round edge rusher Mike Green is now on the books.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier today an agreement was expected. The Ravens have since announced that a deal has indeed been signed. Green was selected 59th overall, a slot which saw 53.7% and then 54% of the four-year pact guaranteed over the past two years (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).

Details on Green’s deal have yet to emerge, but recent contracts worked out by rookies drafted around his slot strongly suggest it will not include guaranteed compensation through the final year. Nevertheless, the Marshall product is in position to occupy an important rotational role early on in Baltimore.

A depth spot at a minimum should await Baltimore’s latest draft investment along the edge. Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy are still expected to garner the majority of the snaps at the position. However, both of those veterans are impending free agents, meaning Green’s backup role may only be temporary.

The pass rusher had a breakout campaign in 2024. Green finished the season with 84 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks, leading to him earning a first-team All-American nod. That performance also helped make him a second-round pick, as the Ravens scooped him up with the 59th-overall selection in this year’s draft.

Green may have been selected higher if not for his off-the-field issues. The player has twice been accused of sexual assault, including an incident during his time at the University of Virginia. That latter accusation was followed by Green’s transfer to Marshall, although the player has continually stated that the allegations didn’t play into his decision.

As mentioned, the Ravens have now officially signed their entire draft class:

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Titans Sign RB Jordan Mims, Waive RB Tyrion Davis-Price

July 17th, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:20pm: The Mims signing is now official. In a corresponding move, Davis-Price was waived, meaning he will not take part in the looming training camp competition. Provided Davis-Price clears waivers, he will be free to sign with a new team.

10:34am: Jordan Mims has landed a deal in time for training camp. The third-year running back has agreed to a pact with the Titans, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

This will be a two-year contract, Schultz adds. Mims entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Bills, but he was among the team’s 2023 roster cuts. Immediately after being released, Mims landed on the Saints’ practice squad and he remained in the organization through the end of the past campaign.

As a rookie, the 26-year-old made a pair of appearances but played only on special teams. Mims’ first offensive touches came about in 2024, and he logged 105 snaps across 11 contests. 20 carries and 12 receptions did not produce any touchdowns, but Mims notched 141 scrimmage yards along the way.

That production helped land Mims a workout with the Browns in June, but no deal materialized. The Fresno State product will instead spend the summer in Tennessee looking to carve out a spot in the backfield. The Titans entered Thursday with more than $30MM in cap space, so this contract will not alter any other free agent plans which are in place.

Tony Pollard recorded his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in 2024, and he remains in position to lead the way at the running back spot for Tennessee this season. Tyjae Spears will again operate as a pass-catching backup, while three others backs (Kalel Mullings, Julius Chestnut and Tyrion Davis-Price) are set to compete for a roster spot during training camp. Mims will join that group when players report on July 22.

Broncos Sign Second-Round RB RJ Harvey, Complete Draft Class Deals

July 17th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday continues to see second-round rookies agree to deals around the league. Running back RJ Harvey is among them.

Harvey and the Broncos have agreed to terms, Mike Klis of 9News reports. As the No. 60 pick in April’s draft, his four-year pact is worth a total of $7.36MM and includes a $1.99MM signing bonus. After missing the first day of training camp (for rookies), Harvey is now in the fold in time for the start of padded practices.

Guarantees were, like in all other cases in 2025, the sticking point between team and player. That draft slot saw a 53% guarantee in the past two years, as noted by Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. In addition to the signing bonus and salary in the first two years of the pact being guaranteed, per standard practice, Klis reports Denver locked in 47.7% of Harvey’s Year 3 earnings to finalize the agreement.

Now that Harvey is in the fold, he can turn his attention to training camp. Denver’s backfield will be a unit to watch closely as the pecking order gets determined. The UCF product topped 1,600 scrimmage yards in each of his final two college campaigns. Harvey totaled 42 touchdowns over that span, production which helped make him one of many high-profile RB prospects in this year’s class.

The Broncos were clear about their intent to draft a running back fairly early, and doing so puts Harvey in place to handle a notable role as a rookie. Free agent addition J.K. Dobbins is also in the mix after a long-running communication period with the team. Those two, along with returnees Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime, will spend training camp carving out their respective roles as the Broncos aim to improve their ground game.

With Harvey on the books, the Broncos’ entire 2025 draft class is now signed. Here is how that group looks:

Vikings WR Jordan Addison Enters Plea Agreement In DUI Case

July 17th, 2025 at 2:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

July 15 was set to mark the start of the trial process stemming from Jordan Addison‘s 2024 DUI citation. The case has instead come to an end by means of a plea agreement.

Addison entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of reckless driving with the involvement of alcohol – known more commonly as a “wet reckless” charge – as detailed in a statement from his attorney. As a result, the 23-year-old will pay a fine and complete two online courses in addition to a probationary period of up to one year.

“[Addison] has kept the organization apprised throughout these legal proceedings, and will continue in his full commitment to being a valuable member of his team,” the statement from his attorney reads in part. The NFL noted (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) that this situation remains under review.

With the legal matter now settled, league discipline could be handed down in the near future. As Seifert notes, standard practice in the case of DUI situations (for the first offense) is a three-game suspension. Missing that time would leave Minnesota without a key receiver but it would also have financial consequences. Addison would forfeit more than $88K for each game missed through suspension, and violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy would void the remaining guarantees on his first-round rookie contract (h/t Spotrac).

Another two years are in place on Addison’s deal, but the Vikings could keep him in the fold through 2027 by exercising his fifth-year option after the coming campaign. Considering the Pitt/USC alum’s production to date – 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns on 133 catches – it would come as no surprise if that were to take place. For the time being, though, attention will be focused on the length of any potential suspension for the 2025 campaign.

When available, Addison is positioned to remain a full-time starter and a strong complementary option to Justin Jefferson in the passing game. The possibility still exists, however, that he will miss time in the fall.

Bears, Second-Round DL Shemar Turner Agree To Terms

July 17th, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Alfred Collins became only the third second-round pick from this year’s draft to sign his rookie deal yesterday. Another defensive lineman taken in that round has now done the same.

 Shemar Turner and the Bears have agreed to terms, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Texas A&M product was selected 62nd overall. That slot has seen 52.9% and 52.6% of the four-year contract guaranteed over the past two years (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).

Full details with respect to guarantees in this case are unknown at this point, but it certainly stands to reason Turner will not receive his entire pact fully locked in. Indeed, a 35% guarantee for the third year of the contract has been included in this agreement, Mike Klis of 9News reports. It will be interesting to see if that helps to serve as another benchmark for the other second-rounders who have yet to sign with training camps looming.

Turner spent four years with the Aggies, and he posted six sacks during his junior campaign. Expectations were high for a repeat of that production last year, but he only managed a pair of sacks and six tackles for loss (after recording 11 the previous season). Still, Turner was one of several highly-regarded interior defenders in the 2025 class, and it came as little surprise when he was selected in the second round.

The Bears added Grady Jarrett in free agency, and the longtime Falcon will handle starting duties with his new team. Chicago also has the likes of Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens and Andrew Billings in place along the defensive line. Turner will look to carve out a rotational role during his rookie season and develop into a notable contributor over time.

Chicago still has two more second-rounders to sign over the coming days: receiver Luther Burden (taken 39th overall) and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (56th). With Turner’s pact taken care of, the team will look to get the other two signed before Saturday’s rookie reporting date for training camp.

Chargers Place RB Najee Harris On NFI List

July 17th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 17: As expected, Harris will indeed open camp on the active/NFI list. The Chargers officially moved him to the list on Thursday. Further clarity on his recovery timeline will likely come about once the team’s staff evaluates the extent of the injury.

JULY 16: Najee Harris‘ injury sustained in a fireworks accident will delay his start to Chargers training camp. Although the free agency addition is expected to begin the season on time, his work with his new team is on hold.

The Chargers are expected to place Harris on their NFI list, GM Joe Hortiz said (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper). Harris will land on Los Angeles’ active/NFI list, a training camp-only designation. The Chargers do not need to decide on a reserve/NFI list placement — which requires a four-game absence — for more than a month.

The former Steelers 1,000-yard back has never missed a game as a pro, and early expectations point to that durability persisting into Year 5. Harris suffered an eye injury earlier this month and has been receiving treatment at Stanford, Popper adds. He will soon begin working with Chargers doctors at the team facility. That said, Hortiz added (via ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) neither he nor the team’s medical staff have seen the extent of Harris’ injury.

“Surface-level injury,” Hortiz said, via Rhim. “Obviously around the eye, so I’m sure there’s bruising and all that. We haven’t seen him, so we’ll get more clarity when he gets in here and our doctors see him.”

An NFI stay to open camp would cover this issue, as Harris was injured in a non-football activity. The active/PUP list covers football-related health issues heading into camp; Harris has not seen any of those keep him off the field as a pro. Harris was 68-for-68 in regular-season attendance in Pittsburgh, playing in all the Steelers’ playoff games during this period as well. He delivered four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, splitting time with Jaylen Warren for much of his tenure.

Even as Harris proved reliable in Pittsburgh, the former first-rounder never posted a 1,200-yard rushing season and did not command a big market. The Chargers added him on a one-year deal that included $5.25MM in base value. They then used a first-round pick on North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, the consensus second-best back in the draft. Harris’ placement on the active/NFI list will give Hampton more time to work with the Chargers’ first-stringers. Veterans reported to Bolts camp Wednesday.

Texans’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson Was Informed By Eagles Of Decision To Move On

July 17th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s return to the Eagles lasted only one season. After helping Philadelphia win the Super Bowl in 2024, the veteran safety was traded to the Texans in a deal which included guard Kenyon Green changing teams and Day 3 picks being swapped.

The move came as a surprise to Gardner-Johnson, who has two years remaining on his contract. Finances were cited by the Eagles as the reason for the trade, with the team extending a number of key members from the 2024 squad on more lucrative pacts while preparing future big-money moves. Gardner-Johnson took issue with that assessment last month, offering a partial explanation for the move from his perspective. The 27-year-old spoke in greater detail during an appearance on The Pivot podcast (video link).

“Scared of a competitor,” Gardner-Johnson said of the Eagles when reflecting on his second stint with the team (one which ended when, as he recalled, general manager Howie Roseman told him he would be released or traded at the outset of free agency). “Simple as that… You can’t program a dawg.”

The former fourth-rounder led the NFL with six interceptions in 2022, his first Philadelphia campaign. Gardner-Johnson departed in free agency on a one-year Lions deal, but he returned to the Eagles last spring. Despite being limited to three contests with Detroit due to injury, the Florida product landed a $27MM commitment from Philadelphia and delivered on the expectations that contract entailed. Gardner-Johnson again notched six picks during the regular season and remained a full-time starter through the team’s championship run. The differences in the way his actions amongst teammates were handled by coaches and management staff proved to be an issue, however.

“You want me to be a leader and outspoken but then you want me to sit back,” Gardner-Johnson added. “There’s nowhere been a locker room where I had a single issue with a teammate.”

In Houston, a fresh start will provide Gardner-Johnson with the opportunity to play on a contending team, something he requested upon finding out from Roseman he would be dealt. The Texans have been busy this offseason in an attempt to join the AFC’s elite. Strong play from Gardner-Johnson and the team’s secondary will be key in that effort, and it will be interesting to see if he can play his way into a long-term stay in Houston.

Jets, CB Sauce Gardner Agree On Extension

July 17th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Nikhil Mehta

JULY 17: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Gardner’s locked in compensation includes a $13.75MM signing bonus along with annual workout and roster bonuses (many of which are guaranteed upfront or are set to vest one year early). His base salaries in 2025 ($1.25MM) and ’26 ($5.25MM) are locked in. A $20MM 2026 option bonus is included and is guaranteed in full; the 2027 option bonus ($10MM) is guaranteed for injury and shifts to a full guarantee one year early. The same is true of Gardner’s base salaries for 2027 ($13.95MM) and ’28 ($19.2MM). His pay for the final two years of the pact is not guaranteed.

JULY 15: One day after extending star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets are signing All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension, per Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Gardner himself announced on social media that an agreement had been reached. His deal has the same structure as Wilson’s extension, per Schefter.

With a $30.1MM AAV, Gardner is now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, beating out the $30MM per year deal signed by fellow 2022 first-rounder Derek Stingley Jr. earlier this year. However, Gardner’s $85.653MM in total guarantees (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) do not quite reach Stingley’s $89MM.

It will be interesting to see where the full guarantees fall here; Stingley holds that standard — with $48MM — as well. Gardner agreeing to a four-year deal should allow him to eclipse that number, as Stingley is tied to a three-year extension.

The Jets have now spent $250MM in the last two days to lock down cornerstone players on both sides of the ball in a solid start for new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. Past offseasons in New York have been marked by quarterback drama and contract standoffs with key veterans, but the new regime avoided such pitfalls by signing Justin Fields early in free agency and getting the Wilson and Gardner extensions done before training camp.

Mougey has now been part of two record-setting cornerback extensions since September. The former Broncos assistant GM was in place when the team inked Patrick Surtain on a then-record $24MM-per-year deal. Despite Surtain’s Defensive Player of the Year season, he has already fallen to fifth in the cornerback pecking order. This effectively illustrates timing, rather than merit, reigns in NFL contract matters. Gardner and Stingley do owe Surtain for breaking through the ice formed over a two-plus-year period in this market.

Prior to Surtain’s agreement, the CB market had not seen anyone top Jaire Alexander‘s four-year, $84MM Packers pact — one agreed to in May 2022. Corners have seen wide receivers move into a higher tax bracket over the past several years, and even safeties — via Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s four-year, $84.1MM accord — had passed them by last year. But Surtain’s contract brought a thaw, and Jalen Ramsey‘s third contract — one already traded — came a day after the standout Broncos defender’s deal emerged.

This offseason then brought Jaycee Horn to the $25MM-per-year level. The Panthers cover man reached that place despite no All-Pro honors (to Surtain’s two). But the salary cap having jumped by another $24MM, after a record $30.6MM spike in 2024, set the stage for an overdue market boom. After all, Ja’Marr Chase elevated the WR ceiling past $40MM per year in March. Stingley and Gardner have made significant inroads for their position, creating a new tier in terms of AAV this year.

Gardner benefited by waiting, and he can perhaps owe that to the Jets changing regimes this offseason. But his rookie-contract play warranted a substantial commitment. The former No. 4 overall pick arrived under Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh‘s watch and played a lead role in vaulting the Jets’ defense — a last-ranked unit in 2021 — to fourth place (in scoring and yardage) in 2022. The physical corner earned first-team All-Pro honors for his work as a rookie, and he matched that showing in 2023.

Pro Football Focus ranked Gardner first and third among CB regulars in 2022 and ’23, respectively, but observed a drop-off in 2024. Although Gardner checked in 31st on the advanced metrics website’s list last year, issues with his tackling were apparent during a season that saw Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense take a step back (20th in points allowed). Gardner saw his yards-per-target number rise from 6.0 to 9.3 from 2023 to ’24 — a non-Pro Bowl season — creating a rebound opportunity under Glenn. But Tuesday’s agreement showed the Jets’ new power brokers did not need to see how Gardner fit into Glenn’s defense before making a historic commitment.

The Jets had never wavered from their plan to pay Gardner, having let D.J. Reed walk in free agency (after extending Michael Carter at the lower slot rate), and the team eyed the post-draft period as the window for true negotiations. Gardner had expressed interest in remaining a Jet long term, and the team had made an offer by mid-June. Although Mougey and Glenn brought in Brandon Stephens at $12MM per annum in March, the team will not let Gardner come close to a contract year. This is now the NFL’s only team with three eight-figure-per-year corners on the payroll.

New York had cooled on paying CBs since its whiffs on Darrelle Revis (the second stint) and Trumaine Johnson. But Gardner’s early-career form meant that pattern needed to end. The team’s chaotic 2024 has preceded a calmer ’25, as Aaron Rodgers is out and news of Woody Johnson meddling has drifted off the front burner. Wilson and Gardner’s paydays signal a willingness to reward Douglas-era draftees, and the moves leave Jermaine Johnson — who is coming off a season-ending injury — as the only member of the Jets’ 2022 first-round trio still on a rookie deal. Post-Rodgers, Wilson and Gardner will be asked to be the franchise’s centerpiece players as it attempts to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Bengals, Shemar Stewart Remain At Impasse On Rookie Deal

July 16th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Bengals rookies are supposed to report to the team’s facilities this coming Saturday, with Wednesday standing as the start date for training camp, so the next few days will be crucial for getting past the contract situation between the team and first-round defensive end Shemar Stewart. According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, “there has been no progress made on” either side of the negotiations.

To recap quickly, Cincinnati is attempting to build new language into its rookie contracts that would void all guarantees in future years if a player does something to void guarantees in any year of the contract, as opposed to only voiding the guarantees in the year that something occurred. Stewart does not appreciate being the guinea pig for the Bengals’ innovative concept, one that can really only stand to hurt him. This has led to an extreme holdout that could still end in several interesting ways.

Stewart’s argument stems from the fact that last year’s first-round pick, Amarius Mims, was taken 18th overall, and Mims doesn’t have that language in his contract. Stewart was taken 17th overall back in April, so how does it make sense that he would receive worse terms in a deal than Mims? Stewart and his representation have challenged the Bengals, saying that, as this is a negotiation, and Cincinnati is asking Stewart to accept a not insignificant concession, the team should be will to offer him something in return.

Unfortunately, rookie contracts are pretty set in stone; the slots have predetermined values, and for a while now, first-round contracts have all been fully guaranteed. Pretty much any negotiating power is typically in the payment structure of the rookie’s signing bonus. Per Conway, the Bengals typically push out the signing bonus in two installments: one on the day the rookie signs the contract and the other 60 days later. She believes that, were Cincinatti willing to agree to pay the whole signing bonus all at once, that would be enough of a concession for Stewart to seriously consider signing the deal.

Unfortunately, though, the Bengals have not made such an offer. In fact, they’ve made zero offers, sticking to their guns about the contract they’d already extended as the final version. Stewart has refused to accept this and left the state, as a result, returning to his alma mater. He’s working out at the Texas A&M facility at the moment, since he cannot practice with the team without a contract.

As Nikhil Mehta wrote earlier today, the Bengals still control Stewart’s rights until next year’s draft. Stewart can refuse to sign and participate in the 2026 NFL Draft, in which the Bengals would not be allowed to select him again, but in that case, he wouldn’t be able to play in college in 2025 and would just be sitting for a year outside of the game. For a player who was drafted more for his potential than his production, sitting out a year could be detrimental for his development.

The best case for both sides is to work out a deal and get Stewart on the field. Stewart needs every bit of work he can get as a developing rookie, and the Bengals need every piece they have to improve a defense that cost them a lot of success last season. It will likely come down to which side breaks first, and with neither party willing to cede any ground, we remain at an impasse.

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