Patriots To Sign S Marcus Epps
The Raiders are moving on from both their Week 1 safety starters from 2024. Marcus Epps is heading to the Patriots, doing so after suffering an ACL tear early in his second Las Vegas season.
New England is giving Epps a one-year deal worth up to $4.4MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. While this is considerably less than Epps’ two-year, $12MM Raiders pact from 2023, Epps’ knee injury explains that gap.
Earning a starting job out of training camp in 2022 with the Eagles, Epps started the entire season alongside C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Raiders took interest and handed out that $6MM-per-year deal. The Raiders snapped a 19-year drought of finishing in the bottom half of the NFL in scoring defense that year, and Epps started all 17 games for the Silver and Black. He went down in Week 3 of last season, however, hurting his value ahead of a second trip to free agency.
Epps is expected to be ready for training camp where he will compete for playing time in the Patriots’ crowded safety room. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers opened the 2024 season atop the depth chart, but injuries limited them to 19 combined games. Backups Jaylinn Hawkins and Marte Mapu combined for another 16 starts, and Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler each appeared in all 17 regular-season games.
Epps has only played 11 snaps on special teams over the last two years, but he may have to revive that part of his game if he can’t earn a starting role on defense.
Contract Details: Fries, Hargrave, Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Bengals, Bills
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to during free agency:
- Will Fries, G (Vikings). Five years, $87.72MM. Unlike other splashy Minnesota deals this week, Fries’ initial numbers were close to the true value. Fries will see $34MM guaranteed at signing. If he is on the Vikings’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, another $10MM becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Up to $6MM in incentives are also included in this deal.
- Camryn Bynum, S (Colts). Four years, $60MM. The ex-Viking will see $26MM at signing, per OverTheCap, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds $32MM is guaranteed in total. The remainder of that guarantee impacts Bynum’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries. Of Bynum’s 2026 salary ($10MM), $6MM is fully guaranteed. Of Bynum’s 2027 base ($13.47MM), $4MM is already guaranteed for injury. That $4MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the league year, giving Bynum some advanced protection.
- Carlton Davis, CB (Patriots). Three years, $54MM. This checks in $6MM south of the initial report, but Wilson notes Davis will still see $34.5MM at signing. Davis’ 2025 and 2026 base salaries are fully guaranteed, with a $15MM 2027 base nonguaranteed.
- Javon Hargrave, DL (Vikings). Two years, $30MM. Minnesota is guaranteeing Hargrave $19MM at signing, while Wilson adds $4MM of the veteran DT’s $14.2MM 2026 base salary is already locked in. Hargrave’s full guarantee on a two-year deal nearly matches Jonathan Allen‘s ($23.26MM) on a three-year pact.
- Ernest Jones, LB (Seahawks). Three years, $28.5MM. Jones will receive $10MM at signing and $15MM guaranteed in total. Of Jones’ $7.15MM 2026 base salary, Wilson notes $5MM is guaranteed for injury; that $5MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
- Mike Gesicki, TE (Bengals). Three years, $25.5MM. A $6.5MM signing bonus represents the full guarantee, as per usual for the Bengals’ non-quarterback deals (though, Cincinnati’s receivers may have something to say about this policy soon). A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
- James Daniels, G (Dolphins). Three years, $24MM. $7.26MM is fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The Dolphins guaranteed $3.48MM of Daniels’ $6.49MM 2026 base salary for injury at signing, per Wilson; that $3.48MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
- Jarran Reed, DL (Seahawks). Three years, $22MM. Seattle guaranteed Reed $8MM at signing, per OverTheCap. After a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary, $2MM of Reed’s $5.49MM 2026 base will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
- Michael Hoecht, DE (Bills). Three years, $21MM. Buffalo is guaranteeing Hoecht $13.43MM at signing. Both Hoecht’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. His $5.74MM 2027 paragraph 5 number is nonguaranteed.
Chiefs, DL Jerry Tillery Agree To Deal
The Chiefs have lost Tershawn Wharton in the early stages of free agency, but they have quickly lined up a depth addition which will help replace him. Jerry Tillery has agreed to head to Kansas City on a one-year deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.
Tillery started 11 games for the Vikings last year, lining up primarily along the interior of the defensive line with some snaps on the edge. He had one of the least productive seasons of his career and finished with 28 total tackles, zero sacks, and one tackle for loss.
Tillery was a 2019 first-round pick who began his career in the AFC West with the Chargers. He carved out a starting role in his second season and amassed 9.5 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss in 29 starts across his first three years in the NFL. Tillery’s production didn’t match his high snap counts, so the Chargers declined his fifth-year option after the 2021 season.
A slow start in 2022 led to Tillery’s release after seven games. He was claimed off waivers by the Raiders and appeared in the last eight games of their season with four starts. He re-signed in Las Vegas in 2023 before taking a one-year, $2.75MM contract with the Vikings in 2024.
Tiller will provided much-needed defensive line depth in Kansas City. In addition to losing Wharton, the Chiefs had three other defensive linemen hit free agency this week in Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi, and Marlon Tuipulotu. The team has yet to re-sign any and is currently only returning Chris Jones from last year’s unit.
Chiefs To Re-Sign Kareem Hunt
Kareem Hunt returned to the Chiefs last season, and his second Kansas City run will continue into 2025. The former rushing champion is re-signing on a one-year deal, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. 
This pact has a base value of $1.5MM, Schultz adds. Incentives can add another $1MM to Hunt’s earnings. After a five-year run with the Browns, the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year came back to Kansas City and handled a notable offensive workload. He will remain part of the team’s backfield plans for at least one more campaign.
Isiah Pacheco was expected to handle a heavy workload in 2024, but he was limited to seven games due to a broken fibula. His absence helped open the door for Hunt signing and then receiving 200 carries on the year; he turned that opportunity into 728 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. The 29-year-old added 176 yards in the passing game, then scored a pair of touchdowns in the playoffs.
Before the start of free agency, it became clear the Chiefs would be interested in adding a veteran running back this spring. That plan resulted in a one-year agreement with Elijah Mitchell, who missed all of last season. The former 49er nevertheless figures to have a role of some kind with Kansas City. Pacheco, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Chiefs could also look to the draft to add a long-term option at the position, something which would make sense since all three of their current top backs are pending 2026 free agents. Hunt – who saw his yards per carry average rebound slightly to 3.6 after it dropped at the end of his Browns tenure – will nevertheless compete for playing time in 2025. Regardless of how Kansas City’s backfield shakes out, the Toledo product figures to have a notable role based on the trust he has received from the organization.
Hunt made a mid-season return to the Browns in 2023 after Nick Chubb‘s season-ending knee injury. The latter is a free agent, and his departure (which would not come as a surprise at this point) would leave Cleveland in need of at least one notable addition. Today’s news confirms another new Hunt agreement will not be possible, though.
Bills To Bring Back CB Dane Jackson
Dane Jackson is headed back to Buffalo. After a single season with the Panthers, the veteran corner has a Bills deal in place, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. 
This will be a one-year deal, Garafolo adds. Jackson spent his first four seasons with the Bills, making 28 starts during that span. The former seventh-rounder landed a two-year free agent deal in Carolina last offseason, but things did not go according to plan with his new team.
Jackson was limited to nine games in 2024, and he only managed three starts. The Panthers brought him in as a familiar face to general manager Dan Morgan, but in spite of that factor the team elected to give more playing time to younger options in the secondary as the season progressed. That limited Jackson’s usage, and his overall snap share checked in at a career-low 43%. The 28-year-old was released last month.
That move allowed Jackson to sign with an interested team before free agency officially began, but it has still taken until today for a deal to be worked out. He will nevertheless give Buffalo a familiar option in the secondary as the team navigates its cornerback situation. Former first-rounder Kaiir Elam was traded to the Cowboys earlier this week, while Rasul Douglas remains unsigned.
That leaves Buffalo with Christian Benford (perhaps the next candidate for a lucrative extension) and Taron Johnson (one of the league’s highest-paid slot corners) as starters. Jackson – who logged more than 800 defensive snaps in 2022 – could step into a starting role upon returning to the team. Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes Jackson can be penciled in as a first-team option for now, although he adds Buffalo could very well continue making moves at the position as the offseason continues.
At a minimum, Jackson could offer the Bills experienced depth at what will no doubt be a low cost. After the Pitt alum inked a contract averaging $4.25MM per year last offseason, this latest pact should check in at a lower rate. Still, Jackson could help his 2026 free agent prospects with a strong second Buffalo stint.
NFL Announces 2025 Compensatory Picks
MARCH 14: In an unusual step, the NFL has awarded the Saints a seventh-round compensatory pick and stripped one from the Dolphins. The Saints’ pick appears to check in in front of the Browns and Chargers’ Nos. 254 and 255 slots, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes Cleveland and Los Angeles’ last 2025 picks will slide down one spot. The Dolphins will retain their other seventh-round comp pick, however.
MARCH 11: The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2025 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2024 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 35 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2025 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Vikings (No. 97 overall), Dolphins (98), Giants (99), 49ers (100)*, Rams (101)*, Lions (102)*
Round 4: Dolphins (135), Ravens (136), Seahawks (137), 49ers (138)
Round 5: Bills (169), Cowboys (170), Cowboys (171), Seahawks (172), Bills (173), Cowboys (174), Seahawks (175), Ravens (176)
Round 6: Chargers (209), Ravens (210), Cowboys (211), Ravens (212), Raiders (213), Chargers (214), Raiders (215), Browns (216)
Round 7: 49ers (249), Packers (250), Chiefs (251), 49ers (252), Dolphins (253), Browns (254), Chargers (255), Dolphins (256), Chiefs (257)
By team:
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Dallas Cowboys: 4
- Miami Dolphins: 4
- San Francisco 49ers: 4
- Los Angeles Chargers: 3
- Seattle Seahawks: 3
- Buffalo Bills: 2
- Cleveland Browns: 2
- Kansas City Chiefs: 2
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2
- Detroit Lions: 1
- Green Bay Packers: 1
- Los Angeles Rams: 1
- Minnesota Vikings: 1
- New York Giants: 1
* = special compensatory selection
Vikings, LB Eric Wilson Agree To Deal
Eric Wilson is set to return to where his career began. The veteran linebacker has agreed to a deal with the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Wilson spent his first four years in Minnesota, logging 25 starts during that span. In 2020, he occupied a full-time first-team role and collected 122 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions. In spite of that production, the former UDFA has not managed to secure a multi-year deal during his free agent tenures.
After splitting his time between the Eagles and Texans in 2021, Wilson enjoyed a three-year run with the Packers. He missed four contests during his debut Green Bay season, but since then he has been a regular in the team’s lineup. The 30-year-old started 12 games last year, and his 72 tackles were the second-highest total of his career. Wilson added a pair of sacks and an interception, a sign of the production he will be capable of upon returning to Minnesota.
The Packers re-signed Isaiah McDuffie earlier this month, preventing him from reaching free agency. That two-year deal ensures Green Bay will have continuity at the linebacker spot with Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper still in the fold. The McDuffie move opened the door for Wilson to depart, but this news means the latter will now play his former team twice in 2025.
The Vikings have been active on defense so far this offseason, but the Wilson reunion represents the team’s first outside addition at the linebacker spot. Minnesota still has Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace on the books as starters, but Wilson will offer an experienced rotational option as well as a veteran special teams presence. Kamu Grugier-Hill is a free agent, and this Wilson move could lead him to head elsewhere as the offseason continues to unfold.
Seahawks To Host Teven Jenkins
Upgrading along the offensive line is known to be a priority for the Seahawks, and the team will host one of the top remaining free agent options soon. Teven Jenkins will visit Seattle on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Jenkins played out his rookie contract with the Bears, a spell which included an underwhelming tenure at right tackle but improved play at guard afterwards. The former second-rounder attempted on multiple occasions to enter into Bears extension talks, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Chicago looked to be on track to move in a different direction this spring, and that has proven to be the case.
Prior to the start of the new league year, trade agreements were worked out for guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney; both moves are now official, and the former has even worked out a Chicago extension. The Bears have also been aggressive at the center spot, signing Drew Dalman to a three-year deal including $28MM guaranteed. Chicago’s moves up front have made it clear Jenkins will be on the move in 2025.
The 27-year-old split his time between both guard spots across the 2022 and ’23 seasons and then worked exclusively at left guard this past season. Jenkins started all 14 of his appearances (the most games he has played in a season to date) and ranked 13th amongst qualifying guards in terms of PFF evaluation. His grades have been strong since moving inside, and expectations will be high upon arrival with his next team. The Oklahoma State product ranked 19th on PFR’s Free Agent list.
Seattle has Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas at the tackle spots, but the team’s interior O-line play was a major sore spot in 2024. To date, the Seahawks’ only addition up front has been a deal for Josh Jones, who will likely handle swing tackle duties. Moves aimed at improving the guard spot are still needed, especially with Laken Tomlinson having departed in free agency.
Jenkins could provide Seattle with an effective guard, although his market will be hindered by his injury issues. Monday’s visit will allow the team to conduct a physical, and it will be interesting to see if a deal is worked out.
Lions Re-Sign WR Tim Patrick
Tim Patrick‘s return to the NFL resulted in a strong season with the Lions in 2024. The veteran wideout will remain in Detroit for at least one more campaign. 
The Lions announced on Friday that Patrick has been re-signed. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports this will be a one-year deal worth up to $4MM. A complementary role will again be in store on a Detroit team led by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams at the receiver position.
Patrick had a successful run with the Broncos from 2018-21, but two major injuries derailed his career. The former UDFA suffered an ACL tear in 2022, and he missed the entire campaign as a result. Patrick was set to return the following year, but an offseason Achilles tear left him sidelined for 2023 as well. His Denver release during roster cutdowns this past summer came after talks on a Saints trade did not produce a deal.
In spite of that, Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity. The Utah product took a deal on the Lions’ practice squad, and after being elevated three teams he found himself as a regular presence in the lineup. Patrick handled a 59% snap share, operating as a key role player on the league’s highest-scoring offense. He posted 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns during his debut Detroit campaign, and similar production will be expected moving forward.
Fellow receiver Allen Robinson is open to re-signing with the Lions, but the former Pro Bowler is also giving thought to retirement. Robinson hardly made an impact in 2024, but if he elected to hang up his cleats (or sign elsewhere as a free agent) Patrick’s continued presence would provide important continuity on offense as the team enters the post-Ben Johnson era on offense. Patrick, 31, could help his 2026 free agent stock with another productive Lions campaign, and it will be interesting to see if he takes on an even larger role in the passing game next season.
Saints Interested In Cooper Kupp
As the Cooper Kupp sweepstakes unfold, the list of known suitors continues to grow. The Saints have emerged as the latest team to watch. 
New Orleans is “making a push” to sign the former Rams All-Pro, Mike Silver of The Athletic reports. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football confirms the Saints have been involved in Kupp’s market. A decision is expected as early as today, so it will be interesting to see if this latest development is followed by movement indicating a Kupp deal is feasible for the team.
Kupp is believed to prefer remaining on the West Coast after spending his first eight years in the NFL in Los Angeles. The Yakima, Washington, native has – to no surprise – been linked to the Seahawks in the time since his release. Seattle is indeed interested in pursuing a deal. Other suitors (a list which does not include the Jaguars and does not appear to have the Cowboys high on it, at all) are in play, though, with the Patriots and Broncos emerging yesterday as potential contenders.
Until recently, the Saints found themselves projected to be well over the 2025 cap ceiling. As usual, the team executed a number of restructures aimed at reducing the immediate cap hits of several veterans. New Orleans therefore entered Friday with roughly $19.7MM in cap space, enough for a modest addition while taking into account future costs like the incoming draft class. Kupp’s asking price (which has been floated as being between $12MM-$14MM per season) has been seen as too high to date, and Underhill adds it is unlikely the Saints would engage in a serious bidding war in this case (or for any other option).
New Orleans has Chris Olave atop the receiver depth chart, but his three-year career has been marred by concussion issues; the 2022 first-rounder was limited to eight games this past season. Rashid Shaheed has one year remaining on his deal, although the meniscus tear which ended his campaign in October threatens to lead to missed time next season. The Saints have not added a new receiver so far in free agency, whereas Marquez Valdes-Scantling has agreed to a Seahawks contract.
Tight end Juwan Johnson was in danger of departing as well, but he wound up re-signing with the Saints on a lucrative three-year deal. That pact ensures there will be continuity at the skill positions in 2025 for New Orleans, but the team’s pass-catching group could soon see a notable addition.