Patriots WR Ja’Lynn Polk On Roster Bubble?

The Patriots are facing a roster crunch at wide receiver, and there’s a chance they may move on from a recent second-round pick as they resolve their depth. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes, Ja’Lynn Polk is among the players competing for a final spot in the receivers room.

Reiss believes that each of the team’s offseason acquisitions, a grouping that includes Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams, are “viewed as safe,” and the writer also includes holdover DeMario Douglas in that grouping. Assuming the team will only hold six WRs, that leaves two more spots for at least four players.

In addition to Polk, the players fighting for a roster spot include Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, and 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker. Bourne brings the track record, and Boutte flashed some potential as a sophomore, but Polk’s recent draft pedigree may make him the most surprising inclusion on this list.

A former Washington standout, Polk was the 37th-overall pick in last year’s draft. Thanks in part to inconsistent QB play and an ever-evolving receivers room, the rookie struggled to carve out a role in 2024. Polk finished the campaign with 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns, and he ranked seventh on the team in total targets.

The Patriots are expecting another leap from Drake Maye in 2025, and it would make some sense to pair the young signal-caller with a young, high-upside receiver. However, with additional depth and a new coaching staff in place, Polk might not have that opportunity in New England.

Sticking with Patriots receivers, Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston revealed that Diggs still hasn’t taken a physical with the organization as he continues to rehab his torn ACL (via The Rich Eisen Show on YouTube). As a result, the wide receiver also hasn’t received his signing bonus, which is dependent on the player passing the physical.

NFL Minor Transactions: 6/12/25

Today’s minor moves:

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

The Jets made a handful of moves at the bottom of their roster, bringing in a pair of lineman on both sides of the ball. Kingsley Jonathan brings the most experience, as the defensive end has appeared in 20 career games, with the majority of his playing time coming on special teams. Marquis Hayes, a former seventh-round pick by the Cardinals, has yet to appear in an NFL game.

OT Kolton Miller Wants To Spend Rest Of Career With Raiders

Kolton Miller is one of the Raiders’ longest-tenured players, but the veteran lineman is heading into the 2025 season with lame-duck status. While it seems unlikely that the impending free agent will ink an extension before Week 1, Miller is making it clear that he wants to spend the rest of his career with the organization.

“I want to be a Raider for life,” Miller told Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I love it here. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

Miller inked a three-year, $54MM extension with the Raiders back in 2021 that would keep him with the organization through the 2025 campaign. According to Bonsignore, the two sides aren’t close on a new deal, and Miller is currently attached to no guaranteed money. Still, the veteran was present for the start of mandatory minicamp earlier this week.

A former first-round pick, Miller has appeared in 109 games for the organization through seven professional seasons. He’s remained relatively healthy throughout his career, missing only seven regular-season contests. After being limited to a career-low 13 appearances in 2023, Miller rebounded by starting all 17 games for the Raiders this past season. Pro Football Focus ended up grading him 13th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles in 2024.

While Miller will still anchor the Raiders offensive line in 2025, the team may have started preparing for his potential exit. The team used a third-round pick in this year’s draft on Charles Grant, and this followed their 2024 third-round selection of OT Delmar Glaze. That latter lineman ended up starting 14 games as a rookie and is penciled in as the starting right tackle heading into the 2025 campaign.

Rams Sign OT D.J. Humphries

D.J. Humphries has found a new home. The offensive tackle is signing with the Rams, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

[RELATED: No Deal In Place Between 49ers, LT D.J. Humphries]

It’s been a bit of a turbulent offseason for the lineman. A late-April announcement from Humphries’ agency claimed that the lineman was joining the 49ers, but we later learned that there was no deal in place between the two sides. A contract didn’t end up coming to fruition, and now the 31-year-old will be heading to another NFC West squad.

Humphries brings plenty of experience to Los Angeles, with the former first-round pick having appeared in 100 career regular season contests. He had a long stint in Arizona to begin his career, although most of his Cardinals tenure was highlighted by injuries. To his credit, he remained mostly healthy from 2019 through 2021, but the injury bug started popping back up in 2022.

That season, Humphries was limited to eight games thanks to a back injury. He managed to return for 15 starts in 2023, but he suffered a torn ACL late in the season that put his 2024 availability in doubt. That ACL injury ultimately spelled the end of the player’s tenure in Arizona, as he was cut by the Cardinals last offseason.

He remained unsigned through the 2024 offseason and for the first few months of the season, but he eventually caught on with the Chiefs in November. He ended up appearing in a pair of games for Kansas City, and he made another pair of appearances during the postseason.

The Rams continue to load up on offensive line depth, especially at the tackle position. The team already added David Quessenberry as a dependable backup to Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein. Humphries will provide the team with yet another option at the position, and the veteran could end up pushing someone like former fifth-round pick Warren McClendon off the roster.

CB Shaquill Griffin Visits Raiders

Shaquill Griffin remains unsigned, but he’s apparently drawing some interest from his former coach. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the veteran cornerback visited the Raiders.

Griffin was a third-round pick by the Seahawks back in 2017 and proceeded to spend the first four seasons of his career playing under Pete Carroll. He left the Seahawks for a lucrative three-year offer from the Jaguars but he only made it through two seasons of that pact before getting released.

Since hitting free agency for the second time in his career in 2023, Griffin has bounced around the NFL a bit, spending time with the Texans, Panthers, and Vikings. He got into all 17 games for Minnesota this past season, collecting 41 tackles and a pair of interceptions while appearing in about half of his team’s defensive snaps.

Following the completion of his one-year deal with the Vikings, it’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the 29-year-old. He was briefly connected to a potential reunion with the Seahawks, although it’s been more than a month of zero progress on that front. Now, the veteran is apparently considering a reunion with his former head coach.

Besides the obvious connection to the coaching staff, Griffin would also fill a bit of a need for the Raiders. The team’s currently sorting through their options at cornerback, with the group including free agent acquisition Eric Stokes, rookie Darien Porter, and former starter Jakorian Bennett.

Titans’ Treylon Burks Ahead Of Schedule; Lloyd Cushenberry Targeting Week 1 Return

Treylon Burks faces this year’s training camp as a pending free agent. The former first-rounder expectedly had his fifth-year option declined this spring, a move which came about in no small part due to his injury history.

Burks is rehabbing an ACL tear, the latest ailment to leave him sidelined in his career. After suffering the injury in October, it was eventually determined surgery would be required. The timing of the procedure led to questions about Burks’ availability for the offseason and the start of the 2025 campaign.

When speaking about the progress made so far in rehab, though, head coach Brian Callahan offered an encouraging update. Burks is ahead of schedule, Callahan said during this week’s minicamp (via team reporter Jim Wyatt). He added the 25-year-old is essentially at 80% right now, preventing him from participating in on-field work in a full capacity.

Callahan said he is hopeful Burks will be cleared in time for training camp next month. That would be a critical development for the Arkansas product, who might not be considered a roster lock at this point. Burks has played just 27 games to date, and his rookie campaign (33-444-1 statline) has been his most productive so far. Acquired to replace – at least in part – A.J. Brown, he has been unable to do so. A healthy camp could at least allow for Burks to carve out a role alongside the likes of Calvin Ridley and free agent pickup Tyler Lockett.

In other injury news, center Lloyd Cushenberry is making steady progress in his own rehab. A November Achilles tear ended the veteran center’s debut campaign in Tennessee and began a lengthy road to recovery. Cushenberry is aiming to be available in time for Week 1 of the 2025 season, though.

“I feel good, man,” the former Broncos starter said (via Wyatt). “I am close to being back, cleared and healthy and ready to go. The offseason has been good, I am locking in on my diet, getting in the best shape as I can. I am doing well.”

Cushenberry will reprise his role atop the center depth chart when he is cleared. Improved play up front will be a target for the Titans in 2025 after the team added left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency. Getting Cushenberry – who signed a four-year, $50MM pact last March – back in the fold would be key for Tennessee’s offense. It will be interesting to see if he manages to receive clearance in time to participate in training camp on at least a part-time basis.

Browns Discussed Re-Signing Nick Chubb Before Draft

Once the 2025 draft had taken place, it was essentially guaranteed Nick Chubb would find himself on a new team this season. That is now officially the case, with his one-year Texans pact in place.

Chubb will collect a base value of $2.5MM, and incentives will allow him to double that figure. It comes as no surprise the four-time Pro Bowler was only able to land a pact of that nature given the uncertainty surrounding his health status. Chubb managed to briefly return from his massive knee injury in 2024, but his showing when on the field fell well short of his previous production.

That was a key factor in the expectation Cleveland would move on this offseason. Shortly after the draft, Browns general manager Andrew Berry all-but confirmed Chubb would not be back for an eighth season with the team. Few eyebrows were raised once it became clear the 29-year-old was headed to Houston as a result, but Cleveland did engage in talks about a new deal in this case.

The Browns discussed a re-signing with Chubb and his camp prior to the draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Team and player were unable to reach agreement, though, and in the wake of that development Cleveland’s attention turned to the highly-regarded pool of RBs in this year’s class. The team wound up adding Quinshon Judkins in the second round and then Dylan Sampson in the fourth. Both of them are now in place for the next four years as a result.

The Browns also have Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong as returnees from last year. Ford in particular should have a notable role in 2025, but a new Chubb agreement would have allowed him to continue operating as a key member of the backfield. Retaining the latter is something Myles Garrett lobbied for during his offseason talks with Berry, as Garrett recently noted (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). Conversations related to the direction of the franchise were part of Garrett’s offseason, one in which his trade request was rescinded in the wake of a $40MM-per-year extension being worked out.

No agreement came to bear in Chubb’s case, however, leaving him to remain on the open market deep into free agency. The four-time 1,000-yard rusher will look to regain his previous form in Houston while the Browns attempt to find an effective short- and long-term replacement for him in the backfield.

LT Charles Cross Hoping For Long-Term Seahawks Tenure; No Extension Imminent

Charles Cross has handled left tackle duties throughout his three seasons in Seattle. His performance in that role made it little surprise when his fifth-year option was exercised this spring.

That decision marked the first time the Seahawks picked up the option on a player they drafted. As a result, Cross is set to earn $17.56MM in 2026. That figure is guaranteed, but a long-term deal will cost more given the nature of the tackle market.

It remains to be seen if team and player will enter into negotiations on an extension as early as this offseason. The parties have plenty of time to work out an agreement, but Cross – who attended and took part in OTAs and minicamp – would welcome a long-term pact. Remaining in the Emerald City beyond 2026 is a stated goal of his.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but Seattle,” Cross said when asked about his future (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). “I love the fans here. I love the team. One of the greatest organizations in the NFL. I like it here a lot.”

Selected ninth overall in 2022, Cross has started each of his 48 appearances. Having missed only three games to date in his career, the 24-year-old has certainly enjoyed better luck on the health front than right tackle Abraham Lucas. The latter has missed double-digit games each of the past two years, making an extension commitment a difficult one for the Seahawks. Lucas is a pending 2026 free agent, so working out a new deal in his case could be seen as a more urgent matter if Seattle is content to wait until at least next offseason to negotiate with Cross.

The Mississippi State product has shown notable year-over-year improvement in terms of PFF grades. Cross posted an overall mark of 82.5 in 2024, good for ninth amongst qualifying tackles. Another strong outing this year would help his value on a long-term arrangement. A total of 15 offensive tackles (including 12 blindside blockers) are currently attached to a deal averaging $20MM or more per year, and Cross will no doubt look to join that group on his second NFL contract.

It will be interesting to see when serious talks on a long-term pact begin in this case (it should be noted Cross now has an agent for the first time in his career). Regardless, his preference would be a long-term stay in Seattle rather than a foray into free agency following the 2026 campaign.

Breece Hall: Jets HC Aaron Glenn Dispelled Trade Rumors

Breece Hall was the subject of trade speculation for a portion of the offseason, but he remains with the Jets. The pending 2026 free agent recently revealed details on how his short-term future was confirmed by the team’s new head coach.

Hall was never actively shopped prior to the draft, but leading up to the event the fourth-year running back was mentioned as a candidate to be moved. No deal was worked out, and the Jets did not add a rookie to their backfield. As Hall noted during his first public remarks on the matter, conversations with Aaron Glenn in late April assured him a trade would not take place.

“At first, I just kind of like, OK, we’ll just see what happens,” Hall said (via the team’s website). “And then, [Glenn] called me and told me: ‘Breece, you think I want to trade you?’ And I was like, I don’t know. He’s like, ‘Breece, I don’t want to trade you. I want you to be here. You’re going to be here, you’re our running back.’ And so that felt really good.”

Unlike fellow 2022 draftees Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, Hall is not seen as a clear extension priority for New York. As a result, questions about his future beyond the coming campaign will likely persist. The 24-year-old flashed potential during his rookie season before ACL and meniscus tears ended his it. Hall has been able to handle a starter’s workload in each of his two years since, but his yards per attempt averages (4.5, 4.2) have fallen short of the efficiency before the injury.

Hall is nevertheless in position to handle RB1 duties in 2025. The Iowa State product has topped 1,300 scrimmage yards in each of his two full seasons, scoring a total of 17 touchdowns during that time. Hall’s ability as a receiver was no doubt a factor in the Jets’ decision to turn their attention away from a potential trade following the draft. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis remain in place as options in what Glenn has stated will be a committee approach in the backfield.

How Hall fares within that setup – which will include, the Jets hope, improved play up front in addition to a new offensive coordinator in the form of Tanner Engstrand – will be key in determining his value. By next offseason, Gardner and/or Wilson could have long-term deals near the top of their respective markets in hand. Whether or not Hall joins then in landing a new contract will be interesting to see. At a minimum, he can be assured of his place atop the depth chart for one more year.

Aaron Rodgers Addresses Steelers Signing; Rams Showed Interest

Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers were connected to one another well before a deal was actually signed. The future Hall of Famer will handle quarterback duties for 2025 after it remained unclear whether or not he would continue his career.

Rodgers was linked to a small number of potential landing spots while he contemplated retirement. Once Russell Wilson and Justin Fields departed in free agency, though, it became abundantly clear a commitment to the 41-year was a strong possibility for the Steelers. That held especially true with Matthew Stafford proving to be unavailable via trade.

“There was conversations with other organizations, for sure,” Rodgers said when speaking to the media following his first Pittsburgh practice (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “But, again, the rapport that fell in between me and [head coach] Mike [Tomlin] made it to where, as I was going through my personal stuff, there wasn’t any other option for me. It was here or not play.”

After Rodgers was released from the Jets, he spoke with both the Giants and Vikings. It was reported at one point during his free agency that Minnesota represented the 41-year-old’s preferred destination. Having seen Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones take starting gigs (or at least the chance of one, in the latter’s case), however, the Vikings are set for J.J. McCarthy to handle QB1 duties. New York, meanwhile, was leery of Rodgers’ age and injury history (including a 2023 Achilles tear) when contemplating a deal.

When speaking to the media, Rodgers confirmed (via Mark Maske of the Washington Post) he was in talks with the Vikings and Giants. He added the decision to play one more year was not “super clear-cut,” but ongoing conversations with Tomlin played a key role in his commitment to Pittsburgh. Team and player arranged for the signing to officially take place in time for mandatory minicamp, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirmed to little surprise during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (video link).

Interestingly, the Rams were also a possibility at one point in Rodgers’ case. When appearing on Good Morning Football Wednesday morning (video link), head coach Sean McVay said the longtime Packers star was the subject of conversations in the organization as a Stafford contingency plan. In the end, Stafford worked out another short-term arrangement which will keep him in Los Angeles, allowing the team to continue with its preferred starter.

Rodgers will carry a $14.15MM cap hit in 2025 as the Steelers look for their first postseason win since 2016. Incentives are present to add to the four-time MVP’s $13.65MM in base pay, but even at its maximum this Pittsburgh agreement falls well short of his previous contracts. Rodgers is certainly not lacking in career earnings, and with a Super Bowl to his name already he could have easily chosen to hang up his cleats. Instead, Rodgers will look to enjoy a brief third chapter in his NFL career.

“For my ego, I don’t need it to keep playing,” he added (via Maske). “A lot of decisions that I’ve made over my career and life from strictly the ego — even if they turn out well — are always unfulfilling. But the decisions made from the soul are usually pretty fulfilling… I felt like being here with Coach T. and the guys they got here and the opportunity here was best for me. I’m excited to be here.”