Minor NFL Transactions: 3/24/25
Today’s minor moves:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): G Lecitus Smith
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): LB Curtis Jacobs
A pair of former Patriots were claimed off waivers today. Lecitus Smith started one of his eight appearances for New England in 2024, although his offensive showing was limited to only five offensive snaps. He spent the 2023 season in Arizona, where he started two of his 10 appearances.
Curtis Jacobs got into nine games (two starts) as a UDFA with the Patriots in 2024, compiling four tackles while spending the majority of his time on special teams. A Penn State product, Jacobs spent last preseason with the Chiefs.
Seahawks To Sign TE Eric Saubert
Eric Saubert is sticking in the NFC West. After spending the 2024 season with the 49ers, the veteran tight end is joining the Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Saubert is firmly at journeyman status at this point of his career, as the Seahawks will represent his 11th NFL team. Still, the former fifth-round pick has managed to get consistent work, appearing in 101 games across his eight NFL seasons.
Traditionally deployed as a blocking tight end or special teamer, Saubert has seen some work in the receiving game throughout his career. His best offensive showing came with the Broncos in 2022, when he finished with 15 catches for 148 yards.
The 30-year-old got into all 17 games (three starts) for the 49ers last season, hauling in 11 catches while splitting his nearly 700 total snaps between offense and special teams. Saubert was entrenched as the team’s TE2 in 2024, and he earned his handful of starts when George Kittle was out of the lineup.
Saubert could have a tougher path to playing time in Seattle. The Seahawks return their top-two tight ends from 2024 in Noah Fant and AJ Barner, and the team is also still rostering recent UDFA Brady Russell. Saubert’s best path to a roster spot will likely come via special teams, but he’ll need to show some offensive value if he doesn’t want to land on the practice squad.
Eagles To Sign OL Kendall Lamm
Kendall Lamm is continuing his career with the defending champs. Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager reports that the veteran lineman is signing with the Eagles. It will be a one-year deal for Lamm.
[RELATED: Dolphins T Kendall Lamm May Continue Playing]
The long-time backup spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins. After starting only five total games between 2019 and 2022, Lamm started 15 of his 32 appearances over the past two years. This includes a 2024 campaign where he got into 51 percent of his team’s offensive snaps while ranking 32nd among 81 qualifying OTs, per Pro Football Focus. His season ended in December due to a back injury that ultimately required surgery.
After contemplating retirement during the 2023 campaign, Lamm stated his intention to hang up his cleats following the 2024 season. The lineman later walked back this remarks, noting that if he feels good, “we’ll keep it going.”
The 32-year-old will apparently keep it going in Philly. The Eagles are set atop the depth chart with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, but Lamm could be in line for snaps as a swing OT. The team’s current backup options include Laekin Vakalahi and Darian Kinnard, who have a combined three games of experience (all via Kinnard). Lamm brings 119 games of experience across 10 NFL seasons and will likely be the favorite for the role heading into the preseason.
Saints Sign OL Dillon Radunz
The Saints have signed offensive lineman Dillon Radunz, per a team announcement.
The 2021 second-round pick is a four-year veteran who started 26 games for the Titans over the last two years. All 15 of his starts in 2024 came at right guard, but he saw snaps at every position except center in 2023. He will compete for a starting role along the interior of the Saints’ offensive line in 2025, likely at left guard after the departure of Lucas Patrick to the Bengals.
Radunz primarily played left tackle at North Dakota State, but he quickly developed more versatility in the NFL with snaps at both guard positions (and one start at left tackle) as a rookie. All four of his 2022 starts came at guard before a torn ACL ended his season in December. He continued to move around in 2023, starting six games at left guard, right tackle, and left tackle across the first 11 weeks of the season. Radunz settled in at right tackle, where he closed out the season with seven straight starts.
Radunz won a starting job as the Titans’ right guard entering the 2024 season. He missed two games due to minor injuries and allowed six sacks and 23 pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Radunz’s primary competition for a starting job in New Orleans will be Nick Saldivieri, who started six games at left guard before landing on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
Saints Re-Sign DB Ugo Amadi
The Saints have re-signed defensive back Ugo Amadi to a one-year deal, per a team announcement.
Amadi spent the last two seasons in New Orleans, primarily playing special teams in 2023 before emerging as a starting slot corner midway through the 2024 season. He finished the year with five starts and 527 snaps on defense, both his most since 2021. His 65 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and six tackles for loss all represented career-highs.
The seven-year veteran will enter the 2025 season in pole position to continue as the Saints’ starting nickel. He took over the role in Week 8 when Alontae Taylor moved outside to replace an injured Paulson Adebo. Now that Adebo has signed with the Giants, Taylor is a candidate to continue starting on the boundary with Amadi staying in the slot.
The Saints did sign veteran corner Isaac Yiadom to a three-year deal, so he could compete for a starting job on the outside and potentially push Taylor back into the slot. In that case, Amadi would likely provide depth across the Saints’ secondary as a backup nickel and rotational safety, his listed position on the team website.
Amadi was originally drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He appeared in 47 games with 12 starts across his first three years in Seattle before being traded to the Eagles during training camp in 2022. He was then dealt to the Titans less than two weeks later and played in two regular season games before being waived. He spent the rest of the season on the Chiefs’ practice squad and finished with a Super Bowl victory.
Bears Sign CB Nick McCloud
Nick McCloud has lined up his next NFL opportunity. The veteran corner has signed with the Bears, his agency announced on Monday. 
McCloud made a pair of appearances with the Bengals during his rookie season, but most of his 48 career games have come with the Giants. The former UDFA was in New York from 2022 to the midway point of this past campaign, one in which he was waived. McCloud made five starts in 2024, but it was clear the Giants were interested in moving on after a request to take a pay cut to the veteran minimum was turned down.
No teams put in a claim, but it did not take McCloud long to find a new home. He signed with the 49ers to close out the season, one in which the team fell short of expectations and missed the playoffs. During his eight San Francisco contests, the 26-year-old played sparingly on defense and made more of an impact on special teams. That could prove to be the case in Chicago.
The Bears have Jaylon Johnson attached to a lucrative long-term deal, while Kyler Gordon has proven to be an effective slot corner. He too could soon have an extension in place soon, creating the need for inexpensive options elsewhere on the depth chart. Chicago has Tyrique Stevenson attached to his rookie deal for two more years, and after starting 14 games last season he can be expected to handle a heavy workload moving forward.
As a result, McCloud’s path to earning a roster spot during training camp will likely consist of carving out a backup role on defense in addition to his third phase contributions. The Notre Dame product has posted only one interception and 10 pass deflections in his career, but he has logged nearly 1,200 special teams snaps to date. He will look to use that experience with the Bears in 2025.
Chiefs Re-Sign DT Mike Pennel
Last March, Mike Pennel re-signed with the Chiefs on a one-year pact. The veteran defensive tackle will remain in Kansas City for 2025 as well. 
[RELATED: Chiefs Re-Sign Charles Omenihu]
Pennel has a new Chiefs deal in place, the team announced on Monday. The 31-year-old’s first stint in Kansas City took place from 2019-20, and he returned in 2023. Pennel was limited to only three games during his first season back with the team, but the decision to keep him in place last spring proved to be a fruitful one.
Logging a full 20-game slate (between the regular season and playoffs), the former UDFA logged a 30% snap share on defense in 2024. In spite of that usage rate, Pennell set a new career high in sacks with three; he added 25 tackles and a forced fumble. Given that level of production, it comes as little surprise Kansas City has again elected to keep him in the fold.
Tershawn Wharton was among the top free agents along the defensive line this spring, and he took a deal with the Panthers on the open market. The Chiefs lost a five-year D-line contributor in the process, one who made 10 starts and handled a career-high 62% snap share last season. Pennel could be in line to help fill the void generated by Wharton’s departure as a low cost Chris Jones partner.
Kansas City ranked eighth against the run last season, and expectations will be high to repeat that success next year. Pennel does not offer the same pass-rushing upside that Wharton does, though, so next month’s draft could be used for the Chiefs to add in that regard along the defensive line.
Bills’ Damar Hamlin Addresses Free Agent Interest; Latest On S’s Contract
Damar Hamlin operated as a full-time starter again in 2024, and as a result he had the opportunity to take a notable free agent deal with an outside team this offseason. Instead, the four-year veteran safety elected to remain with the Bills on a one-year pact. 
Hamlin managed to recover in full from the cardiac arrest which ended his 2022 season, making 14 appearances last year. He recorded the first two interceptions of his career while adding 89 tackles as a key member of Buffalo’s secondary, and a notable defensive workload could be in play for 2025 as well. Hamlin did generate a market outside of Buffalo based on his 2024 performance, though.
“We had a lot of conversations and a lot of interest, which was pretty cool,” the 27-year-old said (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “I’m coming from not knowing if I’d be able to play football again, so to know I had what it took, go after that and chase it, go out there and for teams to respect my body of work after going through so much, I was appreciative of everything.”
The negotiating period allowed for Hamlin’s agent to speak with outside teams, but on the morning of March 12 – hours before the start of the new league year – his new Bills pact was already in place. The former sixth-rounder received $2MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. That represents more than double the annual average rate of his rookie contract, but it hardly guarantees a starting spot for 2025.
Cole Bishop, selected in the second round last year, could step into a larger workload next year alongside veteran Taylor Rapp. Bishop handled a defensive snap share of 34% as a rookie, and taking on more duties in that regard could come at the expensive of Hamlin’s playing time. In any case, the latter is set to remain in Buffalo for 2025; he hopes for that continue well beyond next year.
“It feels amazing to be back,” the Hamlin added. “This is home, this is all I know as a pro. I’m connected to this place on a totally different level. So this is the place I want to be, where I want to spend my whole career if I can.”
No Deal Imminent Between Patriots, WR Stefon Diggs
MARCH 24: Confirming a sense of urgency does not appear to be in place for either side in this situation, ESPN’s Mike Reiss adds that Diggs is ahead of schedule in his ACL rehab. That factor could help him land a deal relatively soon, but it remains to be seen if one will send him to New England.
MARCH 21: Stefon Diggs is one of several veteran wideouts still on the market in the second wave of free agency. He visited the Patriots yesterday, but a deal should not immediately be expected at this point. 
Nothing is imminent in the case of Diggs and New England, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. Team and player will remain in contact with one another, though, he adds. This week’s summit included a physical, something which will no doubt be key in determining the Patriots’ willingness to make a commitment for 2025.
Adding in the passing game has long been seen as a priority, although New England’s many moves to date in free agency have not yielded a major signing on that front. The team has re-signed tight end Austin Hooper and brought in receiver Mack Hollins, but room exists for a move at the top of the WR depth chart. Diggs posted six straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2018-23, but to little surprise his Bills tenure came to an end last offseason. His trade to Houston was followed by a contract restructure which made him a free agent in 2025, but things did not go according to plan during his debut campaign.
Diggs suffered an ACL tear midway through the 2024 season, an injury which hindered his market value and left Houston without a key member of the WR room. His absence was later compounded by Tank Dell‘s season-ending injury, one which has 2025 availability in doubt. The Texans already have Nico Collins attached to a lucrative long-term deal, but general manager Nick Caserio said last month the team would consider keeping Diggs in the fold on a new contract. That could still take place depending on how his market unfolds over the coming days.
New England was a key suitor for Calvin Ridley in free agency last spring, and strong interest was known on both the Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin fronts this time around. Without any of those pass-catchers in place, the Patriots have Hollins along with a group of incumbents led by Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Javon Baker on the depth chart as things stand. Diggs, 31, would add a notable track record of production to that group, although questions about his upside at this point in his career will linger in the wake of his ACL tear.
The four-time Pro Bowler averaged 62 yards per game in eight Texans contests last season, scoring three touchdowns before he went down. Expectations would be relatively high upon arrival in New England (on what could very well be a short-term deal given his health situation), but at this point a pact keeping him in Houston or sending him to a different team is still in the cards.
Titans Sign K Joey Slye
With Nick Folk unsigned, the Titans are bringing in a veteran kicker. Joey Slye has agreed to a Tennessee deal, per his agent (via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). 
Slye has seen regular season game action with five teams during his career. He finished the 2021 campaign as the Commanders’ kicker, and his success in that brief stretch allowed him to continue in the role for another two seasons. Slye departed in free agency last offseason, joining the Patriots in May shortly after his Jaguars release.
That move set up a competition between the Virginia Tech product and Chad Ryland for training camp and the preseason. Slye won out, and as a result he served as New England’s kicker for the campaign. He connected on 26 of 33 field goal attempts, yielding a success rate under 80% for the second year in a row. For his career, the 28-year-old has converted 81.7% of his field goal tries and connected on 89.6% of his extra point attempts.
Folk’s seven-year New England run came to an end in the 2023 offseason when the Patriots (having drafted Ryland) traded him to the Titans. That move gave Tennessee a strong option in the kicking game, as Folk missed only one field goal during his debut campaign with the team. The 40-year-old re-signed last March, and he led the NFL in field goal percentage once again in 2024 with a 95.5% conversion rate. Folk is still a free agent; he intends to continue playing next season and would welcome another Titans contract.
In addition to Slye, though, Tennessee also has Brayden Narveson in the fold at the kicker position. The latter was waived by the Titans and began the 2024 campaign in Green Bay, but he was quickly let go once again. That led Narveson back to Tennessee on a practice squad deal, and he made one regular season appearance before signing a new deal in December. Today’s move means Slye and Narveson will be in place to compete during the offseason while it remains to be seen where Folk will play in 2025.