NFL Staff Updates: Kelly, Leftwich, Fisher
Champ Kelly‘s continuous rise through the front office ranks of the NFL was put on hold last year when he took a slight step back with the Raiders after serving as their interim general manager in 2023. After parting ways with Las Vegas last month, Kelly has agreed to join the Dolphins as a senior personnel executive in 2025, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Beginning his front office career in the National Indoor Football League, in which he first served as a player and coach, Kelly entered the NFL in 2007 as a college scout for the Broncos, rising to assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and, eventually, assistant director of pro personnel. In 2015, he joined the Bears as director of pro scouting before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel.
He then moved to Vegas, where he served as assistant general manager starting in 2022, eventually filling in in an interim role after Dave Ziegler was fired. While he was still in the running for the Raiders’ official general manager role, Kelly also interviewed for the Panthers’ open position that eventually went to Dan Morgan. After missing out on both jobs, he returned to Las Vegas with a slight demotion from interim GM back to assistant general manager. This offseason, Kelly auditioned for the Jaguars’ open job which was ultimately awarded to James Gladstone.
With his new role in Miami, Kelly will work roles in both pro and college scouting for the Dolphins. He’ll set himself up once again to start working towards another general manager opportunity.
Here are a few other updates from former NFL staffers, though these men have transitioned to the collegiate level of the sport:
- After being fired in early-2023, former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich vowed to return to the NFL. Immediately following his dismissal, Leftwich interviewed for the offensive coordinator role in Baltimore that ultimately went to Todd Monken in 2023 as well as the Patriots’ head coaching gig that went to Mike Vrabel and the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator gig that went to Klint Kubiak in this last cycle. After failing to land an NFL job for the third straight cycle, Leftwich will reportedly take an assistant role with Deion Sanders at Colorado, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It’s unclear exactly what his role will be with the Buffaloes, but it will be Leftwich’s first taste of college ball since he graduated from Marshall in 2002.
- Lastly, former Titans and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has earned another head coaching gig, per HBCU Premier Sports. Five years after his NFL coaching career came to an end, Fisher took an advisor role with Tennessee State under his former running back in Tennessee and then-head coach Eddie George. With George recently accepting the head coach job at Bowling Green State, Fisher will return to Nashville to coach the Tigers as his successor. This will be Fisher’s first coaching role since 2022, when he was the head coach of the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. Since then, Fisher has served as chief advisor for an Arena Football League team while also working as that league’s commissioner.
Chiefs Re-Sign DE Charles Omenihu
Defensive end Charles Omenihu will get another opportunity in Kansas City. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Omenihu is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year deal that will be worth up to $7MM. 
Omenihu began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2019. In his first two seasons with the Texans, Omenihu played a key role as a rotational pass rusher. With five starts in 29 games, Omenihu logged seven total sacks, seven tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.
In his third season with the team, Omenihu started the first two games of the season before being relegated to coming off the bench. Eight weeks into the season, though, Omenihu found himself being traded to the 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He saw a minimal role in San Francisco the remainder of that year but showed up for his contract year the following season.
In 2022, Omenihu played in every game of the season for the first time in his career, making three starts. He recorded then-career highs with 4.5 sacks and 20 total tackles while matching his previous high of 16 quarterback hits.
Omenihu leveraged a strong contract year in San Francisco into a two-year, $16MM free agent deal with the Chiefs. Despite missing the first six games of the 2023 season while serving a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Omenihu had a career year in Kansas City. In only 11 games, Omenihu set new highs with seven sacks and 28 total tackles. He also matched career-highs in tackles for loss (5), passes defensed (2), and forced fumbles (2), while logging 11 quarterback hits.
Unfortunately, Omenihu’s strongest season yet was cut short in the postseason, when he suffered a torn ACL in the AFC Championship game in Baltimore. The injury occurring so late in the season made it difficult for Omenihu to make a return to the field in time for the 2024 NFL season. He missed the first 11 games of the season before finally making a return for the remainder of the year.
Omenihu had been eyeing a new contract shortly after his ACL tear from the 2023 season, but the injury likely complicated things. Having made it through recovery, the 27-year-old was given a second chance at a new deal. The Chiefs opted to re-sign him despite his having missed 17 games in the past two seasons. The $7MM potential of the contract is likely highly incentive-based because of that, though. Kansas City will hope to see him return to his 2023 form for a full season in 2025.
Chargers Hosting TE Tyler Conklin
It’s a bit surprising that veteran tight end Tyler Conklin remains unsigned at this point in free agency. The sure-handed 29-year-old has established himself as a dependable, though not electric, tight end over his seven-year career. As the top remaining free agent tight end, Conklin is sure to be receiving some calls in the coming days, but he’ll start with the Chargers, who are hosting him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 
Conklin was already one of the top free agent tight ends when free agency opened, along with Juwan Johnson, Zach Ertz, Tommy Tremble, and Austin Hooper. All of Johnson, Ertz, Tremble, and Hooper re-signed with their most recent teams to come off the board, as did Ertz’s teammate John Bates, leaving Conklin alone as the best available tight end.
As a fifth-round pick out of Central Michigan in 2018, it took Conklin a few years to catch on in Minnesota. Coming in as a rookie behind established veteran Kyle Rudolph, Conklin didn’t get much run time, even falling behind Irv Smith Jr. on the depth chart during his sophomore campaign. Rudolph’s departure from the Vikings and a torn meniscus for Smith shoved Conklin into the limelight in the final year of his rookie contract.
That contract year, in which he caught 61 balls for 593 yards and three touchdowns, saw Conklin earn a three-year, $20.25MM deal with the Jets. Conklin’s first two seasons in New York saw him finish as the team’s second-leading receiver behind only Garrett Wilson. In 2024, quarterback Aaron Rodgers utilized his old receivers a bit more, spreading the ball between Wilson, Davante Adams, and Allen Lazard. Conklin (449 yards, four touchdowns) finished fifth on the team in receiving yards, behind those three and running back Breece Hall, and fourth in receiving touchdowns behind Wilson, Adams, and Lazard.
In Los Angeles, the Chargers have their leading tight end, Will Dissly, under contract for another two seasons. Dissly’s two backups from last year, Stone Smartt and Hayden Hurst, both saw their contracts expire this offseason, so Conklin would add some much-needed depth to the position. Neither Dissly nor Conklin are high-volume tight ends, so they may split time together at tight end well in Los Angeles.
The Jets are set to head into 2025 with Jeremy Ruckert and Smartt, signed in free agency from the Chargers, as their top tight ends. It was reported that they had no intention of retaining Conklin, but they’ve since expressed interest in his return. We’ll see where his free agency progresses after his visit to Los Angeles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/25
Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Feleipe Franks
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB Tony Brown
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: CB Khalil Dorsey
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: OLB Jeremiah Moon , CB James Pierre
Seahawks Rework Uchenna Nwosu’s Deal
The Seahawks agreed to a reworked contract with outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, creating $9.4MM in 2025 salary cap space, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Nwosu signed a three-year, $45MM extension in July 2023 that tied him to the Seahawks through 2026. He was set to earn a base salary of $14.48MM in 2025 with a $6MM injury guarantee that would have vested into a full guarantee earlier this month. The two sides agreed to push back that vesting date as they worked on a revised contract that would lower Nwosu’s $21.2MM salary cap hit.
That new deal features a $6.99MM pay cut with $6.98MM in guaranteed money via a $4MM signing bonus and a fully-guaranteed $2.98MM base salary in 2025. Nwosu’s cap hits are now $11.8MM in 2025 and $20MM in 2026. Since none of his $11MM 2026 salary is guaranteed, he will be a cap casualty candidate next offseason.
Originally a Chargers second-round pick in 2018, Nwosu played a rotational role on defense in his first three years before emerging as a starter in 2021. That earned him a two-year, $19MM deal with the Seahawks in 2022 where he took over as a starting outside linebacker.
Nwosu impressed with 9.5 sacks in his debut season in Seattle, but injuries limited him to 12 games and 3.0 sacks in the last two years. Though the Seahawks have plenty of cap space, even after signing Sam Darnold, Nwosu’s cap hit was still too high given his lack of availability and production.
The revised contract allows him to stay in Seattle for the 2025 season as part of a four-man edge rotation. Derick Hall and Boye Mafe are returning after combining for 25 starts, while new signing DeMarcus Lawrence will likely eat into Nwosu’s snap share.
Titans Sign OLB Lorenzo Carter
The Titans have signed edge rusher Lorenzo Carter, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt.
Carter is a seven-year veteran with 62 starts, 21.5 sacks, and 35 tackles for loss in his career. He spent the 2024 season with the Falcons, but struggled to produce across his 13 appearances and 409 snaps with zero sacks and two TFLs. The 29-year-old will provide much needed depth on the edge after the Titans parted ways with Harold Landry earlier this month.
Originally a Giants third-round pick in 2018, Carter quickly emerged as an impact defender with 8.5 sacks and 13 TFLs in his first two years. A torn Achilles sidelined him for most of the 2020 season, but he came back strong in 2021 with 5.0 sacks and six TFLs.
That production was only able to earn him a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Falcons in 2022. He played in all 17 games with a career-high 909 snaps, the fourth-most of any Falcons defender. He re-signed in Atlanta for $9MM over two years, but saw his role and production decrease across 2023 and 2024.
Carter will be looking to rebuild his value in Tennessee as one of their primary edge defenders. The Titans are returning starter Arden Key, but their remaining outside linebackers have little starting experience. They are likely to augment the position through the draft, potentially by using the No. 1 overall pick on Abdul Carter.
Falcons To Sign WR/KR Jamal Agnew
The Falcons are signing wide receiver and returner Jamal Agnew, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The seven-year veteran spent the 2024 season on the Steelers’ practice squad, but did not appear in any games. In Atlanta, he will compete for a roster spot as a primary returner and rotational receiver who can operate on the outside or out of the slot.
Agnew was a cornerback and returner at the University of San Diego before he was drafted by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He began cross-training as a wide receiver while thriving on special teams in his rookie year. He forced three fumbles and led the league as a punt returner with two touchdowns and 15.4 yards per return, earning him recognition as a first-team All-Pro and a member of the PFWA’s All-Rookie team. He also appeared in three games on defense while taking a handful of snaps on offense.
Agnew continued a similar role in 2018 and 2019 before completing his transition to wide receiver in 2020, catching 13 of his 20 targets for 89 yards. He maintained his role as a returner with a 19% snap share on offense, but was not re-signed before hitting free agency in 2021.
Awaiting him was a three-year, $14.25MM deal in Jacksonville, where Agnew took over returning duties and recorded career-highs as a receiver. His role on offense decreased in 2022 and 2023, but he remained the Jaguars’ primary returner. A broken leg late in the 2023 season limited his interest in free agency during the following offseason. Agnew remained unsigned until November, when he joined the Steelers’ practice squad.
Lions To Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin
The Lions are signing cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Ya-Sin spent the 2024 season with the 49ers, appearing in 13 games with a majority of his snaps on special teams. He was targeted three times on defense, allowing a three-yard touchdown and breaking up the other two passes. He will provide experience and depth to a Lions defense that already added D.J. Reed earlier this month.
Ya-Sin is a six-year veteran who began his career as a 2019 second-rounder selected by the Colts. He started 29 games over his first three seasons before being traded to the Raiders for Yannick Ngakoue in 2022.
Ya-Sin started nine games in silver and black before landing on injured reserve. He then signed a one-year, $4MM deal with the Ravens in 2023 and played a rotational role on defense and special teams.
The veteran signings will round out a Detroit secondary that added cornerbacks with their first two picks in the 2024 draft. First-rounder Terrion Arnold started 15 games, while second-rounder Ennis Rakestraw mostly played special teams before an injury in November forced him onto the IR.
Patriots Pursued LT Dan Moore Jr.
Despite entering the offseason with a runaway lead in cap space, the Patriots have not added a starting left tackle yet. The draft may become New England’s avenue to address this high-level need, but the team does look to have contributed to framing a pricey market the Titans closed.
Dan Moore Jr. led the way on the tackle front this year, outdoing Ronnie Stanley, Alaric Jackson and Cam Robinson in free agency thanks to his four-year, $82MM Titans contract. This monster deal did not feature an inflated early report or any “up to” misdirection; it cost the Titans a true $82MM ($42.5MM guaranteed at signing) to land the four-year Steelers LT.
Not viewed as an upper-echelon player at the position, PFR’s No. 13 free agent cashed in due to a combination of age (26), experience (66 career starts) and durability (two missed games). Moore also may have scored the deal he did because of Patriots market participation. The Patriots launched what sounds like an aggressive pursuit of Moore, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, only to stand down as the bidding soared.
Mike Vrabel spoke of bolstering his lines this offseason, but the Pats did not opt to stay in the Moore and Drew Dalman markets to the end. A New England Dalman pursuit ended with the ex-Atlanta starter signing with Chicago (three years, $42MM). The Patriots have answered some of their O-line questions, but neither came with a high price tag. The Pats added Morgan Moses on a three-year, $24MM deal that includes $11MM at signing. Despite going into his age-34 season, the veteran right tackle will see $4.5MM of his $6.5MM 2026 base salary already guaranteed, Breer adds.
Moore secured $50MM through the first two years of his Titans deal, Breer adds. Tennessee and New England reside in similar positions, payroll-wise, as the Titans have a rookie QB contract (Will Levis‘). They also may be set to restart that clock by drafting Cam Ward first overall. The Patriots took Drake Maye at No. 3 last year and have him under rookie-deal control through at least 2026. But the team is still searching for its biggest O-line piece, as only an aging Moses and a Vikings cap casualty (center Garrett Bradbury) are en route to help.
With the open market as an advantage for Moore, he managed to go from oft-scrutinized Steelers option to receiving the fifth-highest full guarantee number among LTs. In terms of total guarantees, Moore’s $50MM trails only Christian Darrisaw, Andrew Thomas and Laremy Tunsil. Moore’s resume can certainly open the door to overpay criticisms, but as the Titans prepare to kick JC Latham back to his primary college position (RT), the retooling AFC South team checked a big need off its list.
Beyond their O-line contracts, we have a few more Pats financials to pass along. New backup quarterback Josh Dobbs will be tied to a two-year, $8MM deal. The Pats, however, did not guarantee anything beyond Year 1, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The team could move on for a $1.1MM dead money charge in 2026. Though, the Pats’ openness to trading Joe Milton this offseason points to a multiyear Dobbs partnership.
Elsewhere on the Pats’ payroll, Mack Hollins‘ deal checks in at two years and $8.4MM. The journeyman WR will see $3.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Like Dobbs, no Hollins money is guaranteed beyond Year 1. A $1MM receptions incentive is in place, however, per Wilson. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins‘ agreement to stay in Foxborough is a one-year, $1.8MM pact, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets. Hawkins, who started seven Pats games last season, will see $650K guaranteed at signing.
Commanders Sign WR Michael Gallup
4:25pm: Unsurprisingly for a player making an NFL comeback, Gallup will sign with the Commanders on a one-year veteran minimum contract worth up to $1.335MM, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. With six accrued seasons, his base salary will be $1.17MM, indicating that the deal includes $165k in incentives, though full contract details have not yet been reported.
12:38pm: Add another ex-Cowboy to Dan Quinn‘s Commanders roster. After making a visit to Washington early in free agency, Michael Gallup signed with the Commanders on Thursday.
Gallup visited the Commanders last week and scheduled a Seahawks meeting as well, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Gallup will make his comeback attempt for a team rostering a few former Cowboys. Noah Brown is among them, as the ex-Dallas wideout re-signed with Washington last week.
The Commanders’ receiver room is becoming crowded. Beyond the two former Cowboy cogs, the team traded for Deebo Samuel and re-signed K.J. Osborn. Third-round pick Luke McCaffrey is going into his second season. Gallup could add an interesting piece to the Commanders’ Terry McLaurin support stable, but he had trended downward before a 2024 retirement.
Signing with the Raiders after becoming a Cowboys cap casualty, Gallup did not end up playing in Las Vegas. He instead stepped away from the game before training camp. While this did give Gallup a year to rest up — well after an ACL tear came to define his career — his recent exit may provide an uphill battle regarding a spot on Washington’s 53-man roster. But Gallup has shown a gear Brown and the other batch of tertiary options in Washington have not.
Gallup posted an 1,107-yard season with the Cowboys, moving into four-digit territory (his only such season) in 2019. This came before the Cowboys drafted CeeDee Lamb. Still, Lamb’s arrival did not diminish Gallup’s role too much. Despite Dak Prescott going down early in the 2020 season, Gallup totaled 59 receptions for 843 yards and five touchdowns. These two seasons enticed Dallas to re-sign Gallup on a five-year, $57.25MM deal in 2022. Dallas re-signed Gallup rather than keep Amari Cooper for a third season; that became the wrong decision, as the former third-round pick could not live up to his midlevel WR deal.
A December 2021 ACL tear sidetracked Gallup, who missed eight games that year due to multiple injuries. Although Gallup returned in Week 4 of the 2022 season, he has not flashed the same form since the setback. After catching 39 passes for 424 yards and four TDs in 2022, the 6-foot-1 wideout totaled just 418 yards and two scores in 2023. This prompted the Cowboys to move on, as big-ticket Lamb and Prescott paydays loomed. Gallup will look to recapture some of his pre-injury form, and he is running out of chances.
Samuel will be in position as Washington’s No. 2 receiver next season, leaving McCaffrey, Osborn and the ex-Cowboys to vie for auxiliary roles. Gallup brings success in the past and impressed the Commanders at last week’s visit in order for the NFC runner-up to circle back and greenlight a comeback opportunity.