Latest On Dolphins, CB Jalen Ramsey
It’s only been two days since we talked about the Dolphins–Jalen Ramsey trade situation, but what a two days it has been. We insinuated in our most recent post that a trade could be on hold until after June 1 for cap reasons, and a lot of signs appear to be pointing in that direction. 
The reasoning for this is fairly clear. Were the Dolphins to trade their star cornerback before June 1, the team would eat $25.21MM in dead money with Ramsey still taking up $8.55MM of cap space. If the team makes the trade after June 1, that dead money figure reduces to $6.75MM with the team also getting $9.92MM of salary cap relief.
As if to mark June 1 as a finish line, Ramsey simply posted, “5…” on his X account yesterday, likely indicating the number of days until Miami will be willing to trade him. In a string of posts today, Ramsey reiterated that targeted date, telling his followers to “finish the week strong.” He also indicated that things have “ended” and that “a new chapter awaits.”
Head coaches of two teams offered quotes today on the situation, as well. Miami’s Mike McDaniel made it clear today that his focus is on the players who are at the team’s facilities — Ramsey doesn’t appear to have any intentions of attending any offseason activities with the Dolphins. McDaniel said that he’s “very excited to coach a team” and that he’s “just worried about the players on the field today,” per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The Rams have been heavily linked as a team that could reunite with Ramsey, and head coach Sean McVay was the other coach to comment on the situation today. According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, McVay told reporters that “there hasn’t been any meaningful, tangible dialogue as of late…but that can always change pretty quickly.” “Quickly” could end up being as soon as June 1.
In a mailbag Q&A, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated addressed what a realistic return could look like in a Ramsey trade. Miami has plenty of incentive to get Ramsey’s salary off their books, but that probably doesn’t mean they’ll be willing to discount him too much. While teams acquiring the veteran defender will theoretically be getting three years of control, those years come with cash payouts of $21MM in 2026, $21.7MM in 2027, and $24MM in 2028.
In those final three years, Ramsey will be playing at 32, 33, and 34 years old. Breer points out that, should Ramsey’s age finally catch up to him and affect his abilities to play cornerback, there are people who believe he can transition into a top-tier safety. Even the highest-paid safeties, though, aren’t averaging $21.7MM and $24MM per year today, and the highest-paid safety over 30 years old is only averaging $6.5MM per season.
Breer speculates that this could mean that we’ll see whichever team acquires him cut the veteran after his first season with the team in order to get out of his current contract and potentially work towards a newer, cheaper one. It’s looking likely that we’ll get to find out exactly which team will have that opportunity in 5…4…
Falcons Sign RFA C Ryan Neuzil
Last year, the Falcons were able to avoid tendering center Ryan Neuzil as an exclusive rights free agent with a one-year extension. With Neuzil as a restricted free agent this offseason, Atlanta ended up tendering him. That tender is a thing of the past, though, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Neuzil and the Falcons have agreed to a two-year, $9.5MM deal. 
Neuzil signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State in 2021. After spending his rookie year on the practice squad, Neuzil made his NFL debut in Week 9 of his sophomore campaign, getting called up as a practice squad elevation. He would appear in every game for the rest of the 2022 season, appearing only on special teams, except for five offensive snaps in the team’s regular season finale.
In 2023, injuries to starting guard and primary backup center Matt Hennessy opened the door for Neuzil to climb the depth chart as the new top option to back up then-starter Drew Dalman. Neuzil entered the year playing the same special teams role in which he ended 2022, but he earned his first career start in Week 6, though only as a technicality as he was an extra lineman on the first play of the game and only played five offensive snaps.
Later in the season, though, Dalman would be forced to miss three games, opening the door for Neuzil to finally start a full game at center and earn snaps on the line during games in which he didn’t start. Ending the season with four starts under his belt likely helped him earn his extension as the primary backup to Dalman. When Dalman missed eight games with a high ankle sprain this past season, Neuzil was the one to fill in. Dalman wanted to return to Atlanta this offseason, and the two sides even met to discuss a new deal, but ultimately, Dalman ended up signing with the Bears, leaving the Falcons seemingly no choice but to sign Neuzil as the team’s new primary center.
According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Neuzil had been working out and practicing with the team without a deal signed, but likely under the impression that he would, at the very least, sign his restricted free agent tender. Now, with a new contract in hand, Neuzil officially rejoins the roster to likely serve as the Falcons’ starting center in 2025.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/28/25
Wednesday’s only minor moves:
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Chazz Surratt
- Waived: LB DaShaun White
The 49ers already swapped punters today, and strangely, that transaction was the one to make headlines. It’s likely because Surratt and White have also primarily been special teamers so far in their careers. White, an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 2023, has split the last two years between the UFL and NFL, spending short stints with the Bills and Raiders before finally seeing an active roster in San Francisco, where he made his NFL debut.
Surratt’s special teams status is a bit more surprising. After switching from starting quarterback to linebacker after a season-ending injury and a head coaching change at North Carolina, Surratt became an All-American defender, racking up 206 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks in his two years at the position. Those two impressive seasons helped convince the Vikings to draft him in the third round.
After only appearing on special teams in nine games as a rookie, Surratt was waived before his sophomore season, rebounding with the Jets. He made five starts while playing in all 17 games last year, but he’s only got 37 total tackles in his four-year career.
Terry McLaurin Absent From Commanders OTAs; WR Eyeing Extension
The Commanders’ OTAs began on Wednesday, and Terry McLaurin was absent. The Pro Bowl wideout was also away from the team during earlier voluntary workouts, per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. 
Plenty of veteran players skip team activities at this time of year, of course, maintaining their own schedules until mandatory minicamp. In the case of those eligible for an extension, though, absences can be notable. McLaurin is indeed known to be seeking a new deal, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes.
A $2.8MM roster bonus was paid out in March in this situation, and McLaurin is currently owed a $15.5MM base salary for 2025, the final year of his deal. The receiver market has continued to surge during the 29-year-old’s decorated Washington tenure, so a raise will be in order if another extension can be worked out. Earlier this offseason, general manager Adam Peters made it clear a new McLaurin pact was a priority.
That came as little surprise, given the Ohio State product’s consistent performances as the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver over the years. 2024 marked his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, and with Jayden Daniels at the helm last year McLaurin comfortably set a new career high with 13 touchdowns. Even with trade acquisition Deebo Samuel now in place as a starting receiver, expectations will remain high for McLaurin moving forward.
When Ja’Marr Chase inked his long-awaited Bengals deals this offseason, the number of wideouts averaging at least $30MM per year rose to eight. McLaurin – whose existing pact carries an AAV of $23.2MM – is a strong candidate to join that group on his third career deal. Making such an investment, especially while Daniels is on his rookie contract, would likely be a sound move considering the production which has been seen with a number of previous quarterbacks in the nation’s capital since 2019.
McLaurin is due to carry a $25.5MM cap charge as things stand. A long-term deal will no doubt lower that figure while ensuring a trip to free agency next spring does not become possible. It will interesting to see if negotiations pick up in a bid to get McLaurin back in the fold.
49ers Sign P Thomas Morstead, Release P Mitch Wishnowsky
4:40pm: The Morstead signing is now official, and it will not spark a punter competition. Wishnowsky was released on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The latter move will generate just $266K in cap savings for San Francisco, and in the wake of Wishnowsky’s 2024 struggles and back injury questions will be raised about his NFL future.
9:06am: Thomas Morstead looks to have secured a chance to play a 17th NFL season. Once again released by the Jets, the veteran punter appears set to land with a 49ers team that has gathered some recent Jets personnel.
The former Super Bowl-winning specialist revealed Wednesday morning a 49ers commitment looms. This will reunite Morstead with Robert Saleh and former Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. One of the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein fill-ins, Greg Joseph, is also set to vie for the 49ers’ kicker job.
Although Morstead held his Jets gig during the first several weeks of the 2025 league year, he received walking papers two weeks after the draft. The Jets dumped he and Zuerlein; the latter remains unsigned after an injury-marred season. Morstead punted in 34 games for the Jets over the past two seasons, completing a second stint with the team. The longtime Saint’s first Jets work came in Saleh’s debut season as HC (2021); Boyer coached Morstead during both his Jets tours as well.
The 49ers roster seventh-year punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who is tied to a four-year, $11.2MM contract that runs through the 2026 season. But the veteran’s 2024 season ended early due to a back injury. Wishnowsky landed on IR after nine games, the first absences of the Australian punter’s career.
Wishnowsky, 33, is set to carry a $2.25MM cap number, though the 49ers would take on nearly $2MM by releasing him due to signing bonus proration. Nevertheless, it appears he will have competition to retain his longtime role this offseason.
Going into what would be an age-39 season, Morstead averaged 47.2 yards per punt in 2024. That was down slightly from his 48.8-yard average in 2023. Wishnowsky finished at 45.2 last season. Morstead punted for the Dolphins in 2022, after splitting the 2021 season between New York and Atlanta. He is still best known for a 12-season Saints tenure, which began with the SMU alum punting for the Super Bowl XLIV-winning New Orleans squad as a rookie.
Ravens S Ar’Darius Washington Aiming For Late-Season Return
Ar’Darius Washington‘s availability for the 2025 campaign was dealt a major blow recently when he suffered an Achilles tear. The four-year Ravens safety aims to be able to play at some point this season, though. 
When speaking to the media on Wednesday, head coach John Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) Washington suffered a clean Achilles tear. Surgery has already taken place, and the lengthy rehab process associated with the injury has begun as a result. Harbaugh added that Washington hopes to return to action in November or December.
Given the nature of Achilles tears and their associated recovery timelines, it would come as little surprise if the former UDFA were to be sidelined for the entire campaign. Getting Washington back in any capacity in time for the stretch run and/or the postseason would of course be a welcomed development for the Ravens. Midway through the 2024 season, adjustments on defense resulted in him taking on a full-time starting role.
Taking over from Marcus Williams, Washington appeared in every game last year and made 11 total starts. His 727 regular season snaps on defense came after he totaled just 145 over the course of his first three years in the league. The 25-year-old helped stabilize a struggling Baltimore pass defense when on the field, recording a pair of interceptions and eight pass deflections. Washington was retained via an RFA tender this offseason.
That move set him up to remain a key member of the Ravens’ secondary for one more year before landing a notable deal on the open market next spring. Instead, much of the coming campaign will be focused on rehabbing his injury; any playing time in 2025 would obviously help to rebuild his free agent value to an extent. At least a rotational role should be in store whenever the TCU product is back to full health.
The Ravens still have All-Pro Kyle Hamilton in place at the safety spot, but veteran Eddie Jackson was released midway through last season and Williams was cut in March. Those moves, while expected, created a notable vacancy at the position in advance of the draft. The team’s first pick was used on Malaki Starks, and the Georgia product is in line to operate as a starter right away with Washington set to miss at least some of the 2025 season. If the latter can return as he hopes, though, Baltimore’s defense will receive a boost during the winter.
Cardinals Place CB Sean Murphy-Bunting On NFI List
MAY 27: A knee injury will send Murphy-Bunting to the NFI list, Jonathan Gannon said. The former Buccaneers and Titans cornerback needed to have surgery to repair the malady, which occurred away from the Cardinals’ facility (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban).
MAY 22: Sean Murphy-Bunting has landed on the reserve/non-football injury list, per the transactions wire. As a result, the Cardinals corner will miss the entire 2025 campaign. 
Murphy-Bunting began his career with the Buccaneers, and he made 36 starts during his time in Tampa Bay (although only five of those came during his final year with the team). That spell was followed by a one-year Titans pact, and the former second-rounder returned to full-time starting duties. His Tennessee performance resulted in a much stronger free agent market.
The Cardinals inked Murphy-Bunting to a three-year, $22.5MM deal last March. $17.39MM of that figure consisted of guarantees, including the entirety of the 27-year-old’s 2025 base salary ($7.7MM). This news will leave Arizona without a first-team option at the cornerback spot after Murphy-Bunting started all 15 of his appearances last year. He notched three interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles along the way, and the Cardinals will be tasked with replacing that production this season.
Arizona has finished mid-pack against the pass over each of the two years with Jonathan Gannon in place as head coach and Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator. Murphy-Bunting delivered positives and negatives in terms of coverage in 2024; the Central Michigan product allowed a passer rating of 84.1 as the nearest defender (the second-lowest of his career) but also surrendered a 70.7% completion percentage (the second-highest of his career). His attention will now turn to recovery in advance of the 2026 season, in which none of his base salary is guaranteed.
The Cardinals have made a number of draft investments at the cornerback spot in recent years. That includes Garrett Williams in the third round in 2023; after seeing his snap share jump to 76% last season, another notable workload can be expected for the Syracuse product. Arizona then added Max Melton and Elijah Jones on Day 2 of last year’s draft, and the team double-dipped once again (Will Johnson, Denzel Burke) in April.
A number of options will therefore be in place for the Cardinals as they look to replace Murphy-Bunting internally. Taking another step forward and reaching the postseason in Year 3 of the regime led by Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort will require further improvement on defense (and other areas), though, and this news represents a blow. If Arizona seeks an outside addition at the CB spot, one will certainly be feasible given the team’s $32MM in cap space.
Dolphins OLBs Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips Nearing Full Strength
Although Tua Tagovailoa‘s health and Tyreek Hill‘s mercurial trajectory overshadowed the Dolphins’ lack of edge rusher availability last season, the latter storyline lingered throughout 2024 in Miami. Bradley Chubb missed all of last season, while Jaelan Phillips‘ recovery from a 2023 Achilles tear produced a handful of games before another major setback.
The Dolphins reworked Chubb’s extension this offseason, a move that amounted to a pay cut for a player once acquired in a blockbuster trade, and have Phillips in a contract year. While 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson is in place, the Dolphins will need their veteran duo to return. In some rare good news involving the team’s OLB corps, both are on the homestretch of their respective recovery efforts.
Mike McDaniel said (via Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero) Wednesday have been able to participate in “most things most days.” Considering where both starters were last year, each being nearly recovered before minicamp represents significant progress. Chubb has not played since suffering an ACL tear — the second of his NFL career — in Week 17 of the 2023 season; Phillips followed up a November 2023 Achilles tear with an October 2024 ACL tear.
These injuries have prevented the Dolphins from being able to bank on a long-term future featuring these two. Phillips is in a contract year — on a fifth-year option Miami exercised in the time between his Achilles and ACL tears — while Chubb saw his $19.45MM 2025 base salary slashed; no guaranteed money remains on the former top-five pick’s deal following 2025. The Dolphins have Robinson signed through 2027, and they will need to see some positive returns from their more experienced OLBs in order to justify 2026 employment.
Phillips’ recovery from his second major injury as a pro involved harvesting his patellar tendon, according to The Athletic’s Dan Pompei, who details the injuries and past surgeries — while Phillips was at UCLA — that had doctors advising him to retire. Phillips sustained a major wrist injury in a moped accident, leading to multiple operations — including one removing three bones. Phillips also endured multiple concussions before transferring to Miami. This coming season will be pivotal for the 2021 first-round pick, who was enjoying a breakthrough year (6.5 sacks in eight games) in 2023 before suffering the Achilles tear in the Dolphins’ Black Friday game.
Acquired in a trade headlined by a first-round pick going to the Broncos, Chubb signed a five-year, $110MM extension days later. He remains on a through-2027 contract, but having spent all of last year on the reserve/PUP list has brought a derailment. The Dolphins had expected Chubb (29 in June) to return late last season and designated him to practice, but no activation commenced as Miami’s playoff hopes waned.
Chubb already missed most of the 2019 season with an ACL tear, and a two-ankle-surgery 2021 limited him to seven games (and no sacks) that year. Moving back on track in 2022 prompted the Dolphins to pay the high trade price, and while Chubb reached 11 sacks in 2023, the Dolphins entered the playoffs decimated on the edge and did not see their situation improve last year.
In addition to missing Chubb for the full season and Phillips for 13 games, the Dolphins signed Shaq Barrett and then saw him retire before suiting up. Barrett ended the season back with the Buccaneers. Despite this run of misfortune at outside linebacker, the Dolphins focused on other areas in the draft and free agency. They will count on Chubb and Phillips’ returns. Having both back alongside Robinson should raise the ceiling for Anthony Weaver‘s defense, but each’s injury past has certainly become a concern as the DC readies for his second season in charge.
Packers Offer Restructured Deal To CB Jaire Alexander
Efforts to keep Jaire Alexander in Green Bay continue. The Packers have submitted an offer on a restructured pact to the Pro Bowl corner, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports (subscription required). 
Earlier this offseason, signs pointed to a parting of ways between team and player in this case. A trade was discussed in advance of free agency and the draft, but no agreement was reached with an interested team. Uncertainty continues to surround this situation, with the Packers interested in retaining Alexander but only at a reduced rate. Earlier this month, it was reported he would remain away from the team until a resolution – in whatever form that took – emerged.
That stance would only open the door to fines if it continued into mandatory minicamp in June. Per Schneidman, Alexander does plan to attend in advance of minicamp even if his future is still unclear at this point. With no arrangement coming about in the wake of the restructure offer, all options remain on the table at least for now. If the mutual interest in continuing this relationship cannot lead to a financial agreement, a trade or release will again come into play. The 28-year-old’s preference would be the latter move, as it would allow him to join his next team via free agency.
When healthy, Alexander has remained one of the league’s top corners during his career. The former first-rounder was limited to only four games in 2021, however, and during each of the past two campaigns he has made seven regular season appearances. That lack of availability makes his scheduled cap hits of $24.64MM in 2025 and $27.02MM in ’26 cumbersome for the Packers. A restructure would no doubt consist of reduced salaries aimed at lowering Alexander’s cap charges while also providing him with a new round of guarantees (since none of his remaining base compensation is locked in).
Releasing or trading Alexander after June 1 would be beneficial from Green Bay’s perspective in terms of its financial impacts, and the chance of that taking place will of course remain until this situation becomes clear. As today’s update illustrates, though, the Packers still intend to keep him in the fold for at least one more year.
Kenny Pickett Holds Early Lead In Browns’ QB Competition; Dillon Gabriel Next In Line?
Roughly two months remain until training camp, and minicamp is still weeks away. But the Browns’ quarterback competition will begin to take shape at OTAs, which started today.
A player the Eagles did not deem a priority, as Tanner McKee is set to move into their QB2 role, is expected to take the first reps with the starters at OTAs. Kenny Pickett indeed will enter Cleveland’s on-field voluntary work receiving the first crack in the starting role, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes.
Pickett starter buzz, despite his quick Pittsburgh exit and uninspiring Philadelphia stay, has picked up recently. OTAs do not provide any padded reps, but they are certainly part of the conversation. The Browns have one of the more complicated quarterback situations in many years, especially considering the Deshaun Watson component, and Pickett is suddenly a key presence after effectively hovering off the radar at Eagles OTAs last year.
[RELATED: Who Will Lead Browns In 2025 QB Starts?]
Affirming Pickett will see the first work at OTAs, Cabot offered an update that Dillon Gabriel is likely set to be the second QB in this mix. Kevin Stefanski recently said Browns QB reps will not be doled out equally this offseason, and the May and June work will be important here. Training camp does not offer a setup where a four-man QB competition can realistically be conducted, due to time constraints, so it is certainly possible one member of this mix will be eliminated from a realistic starter path by that point. Through this lens, Gabriel’s OTA status becomes more noteworthy.
The Browns prioritized Gabriel in the draft, ranking him ahead of Jalen Milroe and new teammate Shedeur Sanders. GM Andrew Berry deemed the six-year college QB a better fit compared to Sanders; of course, that was before the team then circled back to the freefalling Colorado passer in Round 5. While ownership making its stance known re: Sanders is certainly possible, he is part of the competition along with Pickett, Gabriel and Joe Flacco. Sanders’ status also will overshadow Gabriel, who is in the historically strange position of seeing a QB drafted later by his own team dwarf his popularity.
Viewed as a Day 3 pick, Gabriel — who started at Oregon, Oklahoma and Central Florida — went off the board 50 spots before Sanders. Going at No. 94, the 5-foot-11 prospect appeared a handpicked option — whereas Sanders profiled as a value play. Sanders’ presence complicates Gabriel’s Cleveland future, but for now, the two-year Buffaloes starter resides in the background in Cleveland. He and Flacco, in some order, are set to enter OTAs in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, Cabot offers. The Browns guaranteed Flacco $3MM, while cutting Pickett (and seeing no team claim him) would bring a $2.6MM cost.
All four will receive plenty of reps during OTAs, as concurrent QB drills will commence, but the team will need to make a plan for training camp. Team work once in training camp will begin to shape the competition ahead of the regular season, with the preseason providing the final evaluations. Teams rarely carry four passers on a 53-man roster, though it is not unprecedented. That said, the Browns either keeping all four or presenting a roster with two rookie draftees on the final 53 would mark a rare occurrence.
Watson’s status will still be worth monitoring, as he has resumed throwing, but the trade bust is not viewed as part of the current competition. His second Achilles tear is expected to lead to a placement on the reserve/PUP list, after residing on the active/PUP list (a camp-only designation) while the other four QBs vie to replace him as Cleveland’s starter. Even though Flacco and Sanders are bigger names than Pickett and Gabriel, the latter contingent appears to have the upper hand early.