Panthers OLB Nic Scourton Suffers Collapsed Lung
Nic Scourton‘s rookie campaign may not start on time. The Panthers edge rusher is currently dealing with a collapsed lung, as noted by head coach Dave Canales. 
After suffering from heat-related symptoms, Scourton was taken to hospital in Houston, the site of Carolina’s preseason game on Saturday. Per Canales, the second-rounder is now heading (by car, rather than through the air) back to Charlotte. He added (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) Scourton is currently week-to-week.
Leading up to the draft, the Panthers were named as a strong candidate to add a pass rusher during the first round. Instead, the team went with Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8, electing to double down on the Day 2 options along the edge. Scourton was selected 51st overall, and Carolina also took Princely Umanmielen in the third round.
Given the decision to release veteran Jadeveon Clowney after one season in Carolina, both rookies are in position to handle a notable role in 2025. Scourton had a productive two-year run at Purdue, leading the Big Ten in sacks during his sophomore campaign. He spent last season at Texas A&M and added another five sacks to his career total while remaining strong against the run. The soon-to-be 21-year-old could see his early regular season usage drop in the wake of today’s development, though, in the event he is healthy by Week 1.
In addition to Umanmielen, the Panthers have D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones in position to handle a notable workload along the edge. Wonnum joined Carolina in free agency last spring, collecting four sacks in eight games. Jones followed the same path in 2025, and coming off a career-high seven sacks last season he will be counted on to provide a consistent pass rush presence on what was the NFL’s worst defense in 2024. In time, Scourton will look to develop into a key member of the team’s edge contingent; for now, though, his attention will turn to recovery.
Seahawks Moving Closer To Naming O-Line Starters
Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas and Grey Zabel are locked in as Seahawks offensive line starters. The team is still determining the routes it will take at center and right guard, however.
As it stands, incumbents look to have the best shot at fending off challengers for those jobs. Anthony Bradford has received the bulk of the first-team reps at RG and is probably the favorite for the gig, The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar notes. An injury to primary 2024 center starter Olusegun Oluwatimi has complicated the Seahawks’ center derby, but it does not appear a challenger has seized the gig yet.
[RELATED: Reviewing Seahawks’ 2025 Offseason]
Oluwatimi, who took over the position after Connor Williams‘ surprising in-season retirement last year, has missed nearly two weeks with a back injury. He did not suit up for the Seahawks’ second preseason game, against the Chiefs, leaving former UDFA Jalen Sundell more time to potentially usurp him.
Competing with Oluwatimi throughout camp and during Seattle’s offseason program, Sundell has not definitively taken the job, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson, who adds the Seahawks view Sundell as a valuable swing backup. Sundell has also seen RG reps, though Henderson concurs with Dugar in indicating the incumbent is the “heavy favorite.”
Bradford started opposite Laken Tomlinson last season, winning the job after being a Phil Haynes fill-in during the 2023 campaign. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Bradford as a bottom-10 guard option last season and viewed his 2023 performance as comparable. Tabbing Oluwatimi as a mid-pack center (19th), PFF graded Seattle’s O-line 31st last season. Weeks away from the 2025 slate, the team looks like it will return four starters from that unit. Tomlinson, whom Zabel is replacing at LG, joined the Texans in free agency.
A 2024 third-round pick, Christian Haynes has also mixed into both the center and right guard competitions. Haynes took early-camp reps at center, per the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, but his stock looks to have dipped. Haynes has been working as the backup left guard, backup right guard and third-string center during camp, Dugar adds. A backup role appears likely for a player the Seahawks hoped would win a starting job by now. Haynes did not make any rookie-year starts. Mike Macdonald said (via Henderson) Oluwatimi should return to practice next week.
A new primary tight end, thanks to Noah Fant release, will flank the O-line soon. Although second-round rookie Elijah Arroyo figures to be heard from plenty as a rookie, Dugar notes AJ Barner is positioned as the likely Week 1 starter. A solid training camp has placed Barner in this role; the fourth-round pick started six games as a rookie.
Barner logged 242 snaps as a run blocker last season. Arroyo, who spent much of his time in the slot during his breakout 2024 Miami season, will likely not be asked to do that as often. Barner also caught 30 passes for 245 yards even as Fant worked as Seattle’s regular starter, representing another option for Sam Darnold this season.
Brian Schottenheimer Did Not Expect To Land Cowboys’ HC Job; Jets, Seahawks Surfaced As OC Options
After a two-man HC search in 2020, the Cowboys again veered off the usual search playbook by conducting a four-interview operation to replace Mike McCarthy. Their choice — Brian Schottenheimer — had not been part of a head coaching interview in over a decade, and the team announced the unorthodox promotion on a Friday night.
As term length became a sticking point in conversations to retain McCarthy, the Cowboys did not move on until a week after Black Monday passed. This reminded of the team’s delay in firing Jason Garrett in 2020. Labeling the Schottenheimer promotion “a risk, not a Hail Mary,” Jerry Jones had said the OC being in place as an option contributed to the delay in firing McCarthy.
Dak Prescott had endorsed McCarthy, but The Athletic’s Michael Silver notes the veteran quarterback’s rapport with Schottenheimer did well to lead to this unexpected promotion. His HC interviews came after the second-generation NFL staffer expected to be heading elsewhere. Both Aaron Glenn and Mike Macdonald had contacted Schottenheimer about their respective OC positions, Silver reports.
A Jets or Seahawks move would have brought a reunion for the well-traveled coach. Schottenheimer was the Jets’ OC from 2006-11 — a stint that saw him stick around in that role in 2009, despite Rex Ryan beating him out for the New York HC job — and helmed the Seahawks’ offense from 2018-20. But the Cowboys’ interest in Schottenheimer staying — either as an OC or HC — scuttled those respective reunion prospects. While Schottenheimer had told McCarthy he was planning to head elsewhere, confirming (via WFAA’s Ed Werder) he did not view himself as a likely HC option in Dallas, but Jones made it clear he wanted to retain him.
“I’m like, ‘What’s up, Jerry?’ Schottenheimer said (via Silver) of an ensuing phone call with Jones. “And he’s like, ‘Let’s see what this would look like … at the very least, I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay here, be my play caller, and be the offensive coordinator. But let’s talk a little bit more in depth.’”
Schottenheimer, 51, had been a non-play-calling OC during McCarthy’s tenure. Even if Jones had insisted on Schottenheimer staying to call plays, that would have been a notable change. It would also not have been the first time Jones mandated a coordinator stay; upon hiring McCarthy, the Cowboys retained Kellen Moore as their play-caller. Though, Moore already called plays under Garrett for a season. Both the Jets and Seahawks’ 2025 OC gigs would have been for play-calling roles; Schottenheimer had called plays for both teams previously.
The Cowboys’ 2025 search consisted of Moore, Schottenheimer, Robert Saleh and Seahawks assistant Leslie Frazier. Moore was reported to be a frontrunner at one point, but while the Eagles were journeying to the Super Bowl LIX title, Schottenheimer impressed Cowboys brass. Three days after the Moore report emerged, word circulated the Cowboys were giving serious consideration to elevating Schotteneheimer — during a process that included two lengthy interviews with the three-year Dallas staffer.
Schottenheimer turned down avenues to become the Dolphins’ HC in 2007 — the job eventually went to Cam Cameron — and to land the Bills’ HC post in 2010 (the job went to Chan Gailey), passing on both AFC East situations. The Jets gave Schottenheimer a considerable raise to stay on as OC in 2007. He later interviewed for the Jaguars’ HC gig twice in two years, after the team hired Mike Mularkey over him in 2012 and then moved on after one season. The Bengals also reached out, according to Silver, in 2019 but backed off their pursuit before an interview occurred. Cincinnati hired Zac Taylor. A Texans rumor emerged in late 2020, but no interview commenced; Houston hired a new GM (Nick Caserio) weeks later.
The 2020 Seahawks season then featured tension between Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, and the QB’s explosive start brought internal “hero ball” accusations. An end zone interception during a November 2020 loss to the Rams prompted Carroll to tell his then-third-year OC he did not recognize the offense the team was running. After Seattle tightened the reins on Wilson after his hot start cooled, Carroll fired Schottenheimer at season’s end. A disastrous one-year fit as Urban Meyer’s Jags QBs coach transpired in 2021.
“I thought I had missed my window,” Schottenheimer said, via Silver. “It’s a young man’s game. My wife and I would sit around at night sometimes talking about it during the offseason, like, ‘Damn, it would have been cool to lead my own team at some point,’ because I knew I would be good at it. I say that humbly. I knew that I’d be good at it because of my people skills, my ability to lead. But I had to come to peace with that.”
Schottenheimer’s ascent in Dallas represents one of the most surprising hires in recent NFL history, but the seasoned HC does carry 14 years of OC experience. The Cowboys will count on him to coax better play from Prescott compared to his 2024 start. McCarthy is not currently on an NFL staff, having backed out of the Saints’ HC pursuit — which Moore won — during that process.
Bills’ Larry Ogunjobi On Roster Bubble
Bills defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi could be on the chopping block when 53-man roster cuts roll around in less than two weeks.
There are a number of reasons Buffalo may want to part ways with the eight-year veteran despite adding him earlier this offseason. The first is a PED suspension the team did not know about when upon signing Ogunjobi. Both Ogunjobi and defensive end signing Michael Hoecht were given PED bans shortly after their Bills deals, but the team was aware of Hoecht’s beforehand.
Ogunjobi will be sidelined for the first six games of the season, during which time he can be placed on the reserve/suspended list to open up a roster spot. Ogunjobi has also had a quiet training camp, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, mixing in with the Bills’ second- and third-team defenses. If the ninth-year veteran doesn’t have a clear role waiting for him when he comes off suspension, it might not be worth carrying him on the 53-man in the first place.
Releasing Ogunjobi would also clear $1.25MM in 2025 cap space, per OverTheCap, not an insignificant amount this close to the season. At barely $1.3MM, the Bills rank last in available funds. Ogunjobi, 31, has not been especially productive as an interior pass rusher in recent years. He posted 1.5 sacks in 2022 and ’24 and has not cleared 10 QB hits since that ’22 Pittsburgh debut. Still, the Steelers gave him a three-year, $40.5MM deal after the 2022 slate. They cut bait early this offseason, leading to the Buffalo landing.
A younger Bills option make be changing Ogunjobi’s outlook, opening the door for a second 2025 release. The team also has a fairly crowded D-tackle group, with recent third- and fourth-round picks (DeWayne Carter, Deone Walker) behind starters Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones. Buffalo also drafted T.J. Sanders in this year’s second round.
Chosen 41st overall out of South Carolina (after the Bills traded up 15 spots in Round 2), Sanders has enjoyed a strong camp, Buscaglia adds. The Bills have used him as a three-technique option regularly; such a role would eat into Ogunjobi’s playing time when his suspension ends. While Sanders resides as Oliver’s top backup, Buscaglia notes situations could call for the two interior rushers playing alongside each other. Passing downs would seemingly present opportunities for the duo to work together. And it will now be interesting to see if the Bills merely drop Ogunjobi rather than keep both he and Hoecht on their reserve/suspended list.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland Hoping For Extension Before Week 1
Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland indicated this week (via Clarence Hill of All City DLLS) that he wants to finalize a contract extension before the regular season.
The 2022 fifth-rounder is entering the final season of his rookie contract and his representation has been negotiating with the team this summer.
Former Day 3 picks are sometimes willing to accept a more team-friendly deal in exchange for an upfront signing bonus that can be worth many multiples of their entire rookie contract. Bland has made less than $3MM to date, per OverTheCap; he outplayed that figure in his rookie year alone, not to mention his All-Pro 2023. The potential of cashing in this summer rather than next spring may incentivize him to get a deal done quickly.
However, Bland will be receiving an upgraded salary of $5.346MM this season as a result of the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator program. That may allow for a little more patience as he tries to capitalize on a cornerback market that exploded this offseason. A stress fracture in training camp last year sidelined Bland until Week 12, and he wasn’t the same playmaker in coverage compared to his first two years when he got back on the field. A healthy season at his pre-injury form could drive his price higher if a deal isn’t struck before the season, giving the Cowboys some motivation to find some common ground as well.
The Cowboys may have one other piece of cornerback business to address before Week 1. With Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel both weeks away from taking the field, the secondary lacks a clear third starting cornerback behind Bland and Kaiir Elam, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. That could bring about a veteran signing before the regular season depending on second-year corner Caelen Carson‘s ability to recover from a knee injury.
Browns Unlikely To Make QB Roster Cuts
Throughout the offseason, Browns general manager Andrew Berry has publicly stated a willingness to carry four healthy quarterbacks on the regular season roster. As the cutdown deadline looms, it appears Cleveland will indeed take that route. 
Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are safe with respect to making the team’s 53-man roster, although it was recently learned Gabriel was the subject of trade interest immediately after he was drafted. The Oregon product has been ahead of Sanders through the offseason, but he – like Kenny Pickett – has missed time during camp due to a hamstring issue.
As a result of Pickett’s missed time and the inexperience of the Browns’ other options, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot writes Joe Flacco represents the top candidate to begin the season as QB1. It would certainly come as no surprise if the 40-year-old handled starting duties at least early in his second stint with the team, especially with Pickett on the mend. Sanders is dealing with an oblique strain, meanwhile, making it unlikely he suits up for Cleveland’s second preseason contest.
However snaps are handled over the coming weeks, Cabot notes each member of the Flacco-Pickett-Gabriel-Sanders quartet can be expected to survive roster cuts. Deshaun Watson remains in the organization, of course, but as he recovers from a second Achilles tear he is highly unlikely to play in 2025. That leaves recent signing Tyler Huntley in the fold for now, although his return to Cleveland came about in the wake of other injuries under center.
Huntley did not make it to Cleveland’s Week 1 roster during his first stint with the team, and that will no doubt be the case once again in 2025. Even if he is released shortly, however, the Browns’ QB room is set to remain crowded into the fall.
Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins
For a team that has made two playoff appearances over the past three years and has not lost 10 games since 2019, vibes sure don’t seem great in Miami. Mike McDaniel has moved closer to the hot seat, despite coaxing dramatic Tua Tagovailoa improvement and leading the Dolphins to back-to-back playoff berths for the first time since Dave Wannstedt‘s tenure more than 20 years ago. GM Chris Grier also has not enjoyed a banner year, having seen his Tyreek Hill rework and Jalen Ramsey extension not prove fruitful.
The Dolphins have battled cap trouble in multiple offseasons, and this one brought a historic dead money charge thanks to the Ramsey trade. McDaniel may need a third playoff berth in four seasons to keep his job — as odd as that sounds for a franchise that booked two playoff appearances from 2002-21 — pointing to Tagovailoa’s health potentially determining the HC’s long-term fate. Regardless of Tua’s status, the Dolphins have some questions to answer after some notable offseason roster subtractions and storylines.
Trades:
- Traded CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, 2027 seventh-round pick to Steelers for S Minkah Fitzpatrick, 2027 fifth-round pick
- Acquired TE Darren Waller, 2027 seventh-round pick from Giants for 2026 sixth-rounder
Reminding of the 2019 Odell Beckham Jr. trade that belatedly included an Olivier Vernon–Kevin Zeitler swap, the Dolphins and Steelers folded the Smith transaction into the Ramsey-Fitzpatrick blockbuster. Almost six years after he forced his way out of Jacksonville, Ramsey burned more bridges in Florida. After it was over, the former All-Pro cornerback set a non-quarterback dead money record, tagging the Dolphins with $35.86MM — spread between 2025 and ’26.
The latest Ramsey chapter of discontent emerged in April, when the Dolphins and the aging defender agreed to pursue a trade. This came months after Grier had signed off on a market-topping extension, representing the second time Ramsey had become the top CB earner.
Extended soon after Patrick Surtain reset the market in September, Ramsey played reasonably well in 2024. Pro Football Focus ranked him 11th among corners, but considering he missed nearly half the 2023 season, the nine-year veteran did not justify Grier’s decision to both rework his Rams deal upon arrival and then sign off on a new one 18 months later.
Grier has become the rare GM to cave repeatedly to disgruntled players. It was not even known if Ramsey was even disgruntled last year, but after Grier reworked the Xavien Howard and Tyreek Hill deals to throw significant guarantees their way, he paid Ramsey ahead of an age-30 season. Ramsey is tied to a three-year, $72.3MM extension that runs through 2028. This reminded of the Howard and Hill adjustments since Ramsey also had multiple seasons (two) left on a contract. The Dolphins doing that extension and then trading him less than a year later proved quite costly.
Teams balked at taking on all of Ramsey’s guaranteed money for 2025, depressing the value of a player probably headed to the Hall of Fame. More significantly, Ramsey was believed to be at odds with McDaniel’s leadership style, potentially calling into question the atypical HC personality’s fit in the locker room. The draft-day report called the Ramsey-McDaniel relationship “irreparably broken,” and the former Super Bowl winner had harbored issues with the Dolphins’ (in his view) “willingness to accept mediocrity.” but the team needed — rather than see the Ramsey dead money hit the 2025 payroll exclusively — to drag this out until after June 1.
While the buildup did not look great for the Dolphins, Grier crafted an interesting solution. The Dolphins agreed to pay $7MM of Ramsey’s 2025 compensation, sweetening the deal for the Steelers, who are paying nearly $20MM to the soon-to-be 31-year-old CB. This was a somewhat surprising salary split, but the Dolphins took on more money by reacquiring Fitzpatrick. That became the most fascinating component of that two-trade day, seeing as the Dolphins — in Grier’s first months as a GM with roster control — traded Fitzpatrick early in his second season.
A dispute between Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins led to his exit after just 18 games. The 2018 first-round pick (and his mother) objected to the Flores-led coaching staff using Fitzpatrick as a box player during the team’s 2019 training camp. This came after Miami primarily used Fitzpatrick at corner as a rookie.
While 2019 featured Grier at the controls, previous front office boss Mike Tannenbaum drafted Fitzpatrick. Grier traded him — days after giving the player’s camp permission to seek a trade — as the Dolphins continued a teardown that included swaps involving Ryan Tannehill and Laremy Tunsil. Six years later, Fitzpatrick joins a team that made strides in this rebuild but has not approached the ultimate goal.
Fitzpatrick, 28, should have more good football left than Ramsey. The three-time first-team All-Pro combined for 15 interceptions from 2019-22, excelling as a deep safety while helping to elevate the Steelers’ defense into a perennial top-10 unit. Over the past two years, the Steelers became underwhelmed by Fitzpatrick’s lack of splash plays; he has one INT since the start of the 2023 season. The 2023 slate, however, brought an increase in box snaps compared to his usual free safety role. Last season did not reverse Fitzpatrick’s downward playmaking trend, but he suited up for 17 games and will have a chance to play a lead role in a Dolphins team that lost Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones over the past two offseasons.
As a Dolphins rookie in 2018, Fitzpatrick primarily played corner. He rotated between the boundary and the slot, playing more inside. That will not be his role this time around. Set to deploy Fitzpatrick at safety, the Dolphins also reworked his contract.
Previously attached to a four-year, $72.98MM deal, the eighth-year vet is now on a two-year, $33.1MM accord that provided a new signing bonus and dropped his 2025 cap hit to $4.5MM. That provided a cash influx for a player who had played out the guarantees on his Steelers deal. Despite Grier trading him so early in his career, Fitzpatrick is now interested in a long-term Miami future.
The Dolphins showed interesting hesitation about paying Smith, whose Miami debut doubled as his best season. Smith smashed career-high marks with 88 receptions, 884 yards and eight TDs last year, helping a Dolphins team that saw Hill’s production nosedive and Jaylen Waddle regress as Tagovailoa missed time.
The Steelers came up as a Smith suitor in May, and while the veteran tight end expressed a desire to stay in Miami while the sides discussed an extension, the parties could not hammer out one. Roughly a month after the initial rumor, Jonnu and Arthur Smith — the former Titans OC and Falcons HC — reunited yet again.
This marks the second time an Arthur Smith team traded for Jonnu Smith, but this trade preceded an extension. Jonnu Smith had been tied to a two-year, $8.4MM deal — one agreed to after the Falcons made him a cap casualty soon after firing Arthur Smith. The Steelers gave Jonnu a one-year, $12MM extension, pushing his deal through 2026. The trade brought less than $3MM in Dolphins dead cap, but it leaves a significant question at tight end. With limited options in terms of proven receiving TEs by early July, the Dolphins threw a Hail Mary of sorts.
Waller, 33 next month, retired last summer after rumors pointed to an exit for weeks. The former Raiders Pro Bowler burned the Giants, having sustained another hamstring injury (leading to a five-game absence) and retired after the 2024 draft. No word about a Waller comeback had surfaced, but after the Dolphins acquired his rights via the pick-swap trade, Waller let it be known he wanted to play in Miami or stay retired.
The Dolphins stashed Waller on their active/PUP list for ramp-up purposes. Miami has him on a one-year, $2MM deal with no guarantees. While this profiles as a flier, the Dolphins’ TE depth chart is desperate for this Waller reemergence to commence in earnest. Miami did not draft a tight end and has none on the roster who have delivered a 210-yard season. Waller accumulated 552 in a disappointing Giants season and is among a select few with two 1,100-yard years on his resume.
The Dolphins will almost definitely not be getting prime Waller form, but something in the range of his Giants work would be a lifeline for a team desperate at this position. Waller missed eight Raiders games due to hamstring trouble in 2022, following a $17MM-per-year extension agreement, and some Las Vegas staffers expressed frustration about his slow recovery. Waller also missed six games in 2021. This is a buyer-beware situation, making the Dolphins’ visit with Noah Fant — who signed with the Bengals soon after — rather interesting.
Extensions and restructures:
- Reached three-year, $67.75MM extension ($44MM guaranteed in total) with DL Zach Sieler
- Bradley Chubb agreed to pay cut; OLB now tied to three-year, $54.49MM ($8.7MM guaranteed)
- Restructured RT Austin Jackson‘s contract, creating $7.8MM in cap space
Add Sieler to the list of Dolphins Grier has extended with more than one year left on a previous deal. Sieler did not hold in but let it be known he wanted a new deal after back-to-back 10-sack seasons. Because this extension is tacked onto a through-2026 pact, the veteran D-tackle is now signed through 2029.
Originally a waiver claim (from the Ravens) in December 2019, Sieler arrived to close out Grier’s first year as the team’s front office boss. Sieler operated as more of a Christian Wilkins sidekick from 2020-22, and the Dolphins did well to extend him at what turned out to be a below-market rate. Paying Sieler before being unable to come to terms with Wilkins, Miami observed its waiver-claim find combine for 24 TFLs over the past two seasons.
Grier’s latest early raise bumps Sieler from barely $10MM per year (31st among interior D-linemen) to over $22MM AAV. Sieler, 30 next month, is now being paid more than Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams and Daron Payne. This is quite the level jump for a former seventh-round pick, and the Dolphins will count on him once again ahead of an age-30 season. Though, he should have more help thanks to some returning edge rushers.
Chubb was delivering on the November 2022 trade/extension sequence. He posted 11 sacks — his most since a rookie season (12) opposite Von Miller — and led the NFL with six forced fumbles in 2023. Chubb, though, suffered an ACL tear late in a blowout loss to the Ravens in Week 17 of that season. He then missed all of last season, joining OLB mate Jaelan Phillips in seeing injury issues reshape his Miami trajectory. As a result of the missed season, an accepted pay-cut request transpired.
The Dolphins included incentives in Chubb’s rework, and since the former top-five pick missed all of last season, the escalators will be considered not likely to be earned — thus giving Miami 2025 cap relief. Chubb’s cap hit is down to $12.33MM. The two-time Pro Bowler is on track to return for the Dolphins, who have EDGE questions but more depth at the position compared to their Chubb- and (largely) Phillips-less 2024. Phillips, who suffered an ACL tear early last season, also avoided the active/PUP list ahead of training camp.
The veteran duo will accompany 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson, giving Miami an intriguing pass-rushing boost — provided Chubb and Phillips stay on the field. Miami will be expected to either give Chubb another pay cut in 2026, when his cap hit balloons to $31.2MM, or release him. This will be a critical season for the 29-year-old pass rusher’s value. Phillips is tied to a $13.25MM fifth-year option, cashing in between his Achilles and ACL tears. This will be a pivotal year for him as well.
Free agency additions:
- James Daniels, G. Three years, $24MM ($7.26MM guaranteed)
- Zach Wilson, QB. One year, $6MM ($6MM guaranteed)
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR. Two years, $5.99MM ($3.2MM guaranteed)
- Larry Borom, T. One year, $2.5MM ($2.5MM guaranteed)
- Ifeatu Melifonwu, S. One year, $3MM ($2.45MM guaranteed)
- Ashtyn Davis, S. One year, $2.5MM ($1.23MM guaranteed)
- K.J. Britt, LB. One year, $1.34MM ($1.2MM guaranteed)
- Willie Gay, LB. One year, $1.34MM ($1.2MM guaranteed)
- Alexander Mattison, RB. One year, $1.34MM ($1.2MM guaranteed)
- Joe Cardona, LS. One year, $1.42MM ($484K guaranteed)
- Mike Hilton, CB. One year, $1.42MM ($168K guaranteed)
- Ryan Stonehouse, P. One year, $1.73MM ($75K guaranteed)
- Pharaoh Brown, TE. One year, $1.36MM ($20K guaranteed)
- Artie Burns, CB. One year, $1.36MM
- Germain Ifedi, T. One year, $1.26MM
- Daniel Brunskill, G. One year, $1.17MM
- Matt Dickerson, DL. One year, $1.17MM
- Kendall Sheffield, CB. One year, $1.17MM
- Jack Jones, CB. One year, $1.1MM
- Chris Myarick, TE. One year, $1.1MM
- Ben Stille, DL. One year, $1.1MM
After Isaiah Wynn joined Bradley Chubb in seeing a 2023 injury cost him the full 2024 season, the Dolphins retooled with a player who missed most of that campaign. Daniels would have been a less affordable option had he not suffered an Achilles tear in Week 4. While this is technically a three-year deal, it is more of a “prove it” pact due to its structure.
Even with three void years included in this accord, the Dolphins can cut Daniels (due a $3.48MM guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year) for just a $4.8MM dead money charge in 2026. Despite being a seven-year veteran, Daniels had age on his side. The former second-round pick heads into an age-28 season. If he can recapture his pre-injury form, the Dolphins will gain considerable value.
Daniels finished ninth in pass block win rate in his 2022 Steelers debut and was second only to Quenton Nelson in run block win rate before going down last season. PFF ranked Daniels 33rd among guard regulars in 2023. He will be an upgrade from Robert Jones; the Dolphins hope the three-year Steelers starter can return to a form that saw him miss only two games from 2021-23.
Wilson nearly fetched as much guaranteed as Trey Lance and Mac Jones combined, representing a lingering belief in the former No. 2 overall pick’s arm talent. Even as Wilson did not threaten Jarrett Stidham for Denver’s backup job last season, he has made 33 career starts. Highlighting Wilson’s experience may not be the best way to go here, considering the Jets benched him three times — at one point demoting him to the third-string level — during an erratic tenure. Despite being supported by a top-five defense in 2022 and ’23, Wilson went 12-21 as a starter in his three-year New York run. The Jets needed to take on rookie-contract money in order to fetch a Day 3 draft pick from the Broncos last year.
The Jets saw a failure to add a veteran behind Aaron Rodgers prove costly in 2023, as Wilson’s reset program returned to center stage. Tua Tagovailoa‘s unreliability makes this situation resemble the Jets’ 2023 blueprint, but Wilson having shown more evidence in incapability that year makes this Miami setup perhaps even shakier.
If Tua goes down again, the Zach Wilson Experience will hit South Beach. That is a frightening proposition. But the Dolphins pounced on Wilson on Day 1 of the legal tampering period, rather than waiting out the veteran QB2 market. This points to McDaniel belief he can coax better play from the one-time top prospect, though the Dolphins were believed to be interested in Andy Dalton before he re-signed with the Panthers. Wilson, 26, is definitely another way to go.
A touchdown machine in 2024, Westbrook-Ikhine will almost definitely be an upgrade on last year’s Odell Beckham Jr. version. The tertiary Titans target caught nine TD passes on just 32 receptions. While that will be difficult to sustain, Westbrook-Ikhine (10 combined TDs from 2021-23) played a regular Tennessee role (between 370-480 yards each year from 2021-24) and is qualified to operate as Miami’s WR3 alongside Hill and Waddle. This is a much more affordable option than Cedrick Wilson Jr., who flopped on a three-year, $24MM deal. NWI’s consistency should matter for a Dolphins team that may need more from this spot after trading Jonnu Smith.
Disagreement On Suspension Length Leading To September Rashee Rice Hearing?
AUGUST 15: The league proposed a suspension spanning double-digit games in this case, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (video link). The NFLPA and Rice’s representatives took issue with such a ban given the lack of precedent for suspensions of that length in situations such as his. Time still remains for a compromise to be worked out, but in the absence of one the wait for finding out the exact length of Rice’s absence will stretch well into the campaign.
AUGUST 14:Rashee Rice is expected to be suspended for a chunk of the 2025 season. The Chiefs wide receiver’s criminal discipline has been levied, and it had been assumed an NFL suspension would be handed out before the season.
Now, Kansas City could have its top wideout to open the year but be without him for much of the midseason stretch. An NFL disciplinary hearing is set for September 30; the wideout’s suspension length will almost definitely emerge in the wake of that summit. While Rice’s case is certainly different from Deshaun Watson‘s high-profile 2022 suspension saga, the hearing component is similar.
The NFL, NFLPA and Rice’s camp could not agree on discipline in this case, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports, leading to the hearing. The Sept. 30 date stemmed from disciplinary officer Sue Robinson’s availability. Robinson’s availability potentially determining which games Rice is available for certainly represents an interesting wrinkle here. Based on the lack of agreement here, it can be assumed the NFL is intending to suspend Rice for a significant stretch.
Rice was hit with eight felony charges in connection with a March 2024 hit-and-run incident. His criminal case concluded last month with a sentence of five years probation and a 30-day prison term. Rice received deferred adjudication, so completing the probation process will close the case and allow him to avoid serving time in prison.
However, Rice also was accused of punching a photographer at a nightclub following that freeway street-racing incident. While Rice was at SMU, Rice or a member of his party fired gunshots into an empty vehicle belonging to a Mustangs basketball player. That was believed to have been on the table to be folded into an NFL investigation. Although the accuser in the nightclub assault matter declined to press charges, these two lower-profile incidents may impact his NFL suspension duration.
The Chiefs’ September slate consists of games against the Chargers, Eagles, Giants and Ravens. The six games following the hearing go: Jaguars, Lions, Raiders, Commanders, Bills and Broncos. While Rice stands to be available for the three-time reigning AFC champions’ early slate, his reemergence from an LCL tear would then be paused due to a ban. The sides could preempt a hearing by reaching a settlement beforehand, however. That is how the Watson matter produced an 11-game ban, as the NFL was aiming to have the Browns trade acquisition suspended for all of the 2022 season. A compromise stopped the offseason-overshadowing matter from dragging on even longer than it had. In her role with the NFL, Robinson has only heard the Watson case.
The Chiefs have seen a number of regulars run into off-field trouble during Andy Reid‘s time at the helm; only some produced suspensions. While Tyreek Hill‘s domestic violence arrest occurred while he was in college, a separate scandal led to a 2019 NFL investigation. A lack of cooperation by a Kansas district attorney’s office, however, helped keep the wideout from being suspended. The Chiefs also waived Kareem Hunt — who has since returned to the team — after video surfaced of him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. Hunt’s eight-game ban came when he was with the Browns in 2019. The Chiefs, however, saw Frank Clark banned two games midway through the 2022 season in connection with two gun-related arrests. One of their post-Clark options, free agent signee Charles Omenihu, was suspended six games for a domestic violence arrest to open the ’23 season. Backup wideout Justyn Ross also landed on the commissioner’s exempt list in 2023 for a domestic battery incident.
If/when Rice is suspended, the Chiefs will — as they did last year during his injury hiatus — lean on Xavier Worthy. Marquise Brown is also positioned to be available this year, after he missed most of last season. Those two will be Kansas City’s primary receiving weapons alongside Travis Kelce. It will be interesting to see if Rice joins these pass-game principals in Week 1 or reaches a resolution to serve his ban to open the season.
Theo Benedet Enters Bears’ LT Competition
One of the Bears’ top training camp battles has come at the left tackle spot. The competition is ongoing, and a fourth contender appears to have emerged.
[RELATED: Recapping Bears’ Offseason]
Theo Benedet has seen time with the starting offense during three practices this week, as detailed by ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. The 2024 undrafted free agent spent last season on Chicago’s practice squad, but with the left tackle competition being labeled wide open by new head coach Ben Johnson, opportunities have presented themselves recently. Benedet worked at left and right tackle during the Bears’ preseason opener.
“He’s right in the middle of it,” Johnson said. “I’ve been very, very excited about Theo and what he’s done both on the right and the left side. He was probably overlooked to start this competition, but the longer this thing’s gone on, there’s a strong argument for what he’s put on tape.”
Benedet entered the NFL after playing collegiately in Canada. The University of British Columbia product has yet to play a regular season snap, so it would certainly come as a surprise if he were to land the Week 1 job. Still, the fact that Benedet, 23, has inserted himself into the conversation is noteworthy. Incumbent Braxton Jones recently received full medical clearance and he has also seen time with the starters up front during camp.
Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo has worked at both tackle spots this summer. The Boston College alum primarily operated as a right tackle in college, but he could find himself on the blindside depending on how the coming weeks play out. 2024 third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie has been in the mix, although he found himself with the third-team offense on Wednesday (h/t Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). The Yale product has missed considerable time this summer with a leg injury, hindering his chances of winning the starting gig. Johnson aims to have a clear-cut winner in place soon, and the upcoming preseason game could prove to be telling.
“We’ll go as long as we need to go to find the right guy,” Johnson said (via Cronen). “But we’d like to see someone go ahead and make it clear to us that he is that guy and we just haven’t seen that yet as a staff. There’s been too much up and down.”
Each of the candidates for the left tackle gig could see action on Sunday against the Bills. It will be interesting to see how Benedet in particular fares as the Bears seek out clarity regarding the overall depth chart up front.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/25
Friday’s minor moves around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Reverted to IR: OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Buffalo Bills
- Reverted to IR: WR Jalen Virgil
Chicago Bears
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Jordan Murray
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Micah Abraham
- Waived (with injury designation): CB Gregory Junior
Houston Texans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Johnny Johnson III
Los Angeles Chargers
- Reverted to IR: CB Jordan Oladokun, WR Dez Fitzpatrick
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Jordan Petaia
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Shakel Brown
- Released: TE Ross Dwelley
Dwelley’s second stint in the Bay Area has ended before roster cuts, let alone the start of the regular season. The 30-year-old spent his first six NFL seasons with the 49ers, serving as a special teams presence while chipping in offensively. After a single Atlanta campaign in 2024, Dwelley will now hit the open market in mid-August and seek out his next opportunity.