NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/11/25
Today’s only reserve/futures deal across the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs
Alex Singleton Expects To Be Ready By Training Camp; Sean Payton Addresses Broncos’ Skill-Position Needs
Although more offseason staff exits came on offense and in their front office, the Broncos boasted one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2024. After a woeful start to Vance Joseph‘s second tenure overseeing this unit, Denver rebounded despite losing perennial All-Pro Justin Simmons.
The Broncos managed a third-place defensive ranking despite losing their top linebacker in Week 3. Alex Singleton sustained an ACL tear, causing the team to move special-teamer Justin Strnad into a regular role alongside Cody Barton. As Barton is one of the few free agents of consequence in Denver, the team has Singleton under contract for one more season.
[RELATED: Courtland Sutton Extension Talks On Broncos’ Radar]
Singleton, who totaled 163 tackles in 2022 and 177 in ’23, is tied to a three-year deal worth $18MM. The Broncos let Josey Jewell walk in free agency partially because it had Singleton on a midlevel pact, and while the 31-year-old veteran could conceivably be a cut candidate ($5.9MM in cap savings) following his injury, the team is thin at this position. Strnad is also an impending free agent. As of now, Singleton is due back to help on the Broncos’ defensive second level.
It does not sound like Singleton will be ready for OTAs or minicamp, but the former CFL import and Eagles starter fully expects to be ready well before the season starts. He referenced (via 9News’ Mike Klis) the nine-month mark, common in ACL recoveries, as a return window. It would not make too much sense for Singleton to push it in order for full minicamp participation; the near-two-month break following offseason workouts would provide a nice window to ramp up to full speed.
The Broncos will need to make moves at their other linebacker spot, and they are fully expected to address their skill-position areas. Bo Nix finished the season with the second-most touchdown passes (29) by a rookie, but he was largely targeting a skill-position cadre dependent on Courtland Sutton. Although, Marvin Mims‘ late-season emergence could provide a sign where the Broncos will allocate their top resources this offseason.
Asked by Kay Adams about a potential Broncos wide receiver need, Sean Payton praised his young array of Sutton sidekicks while highlighting the need for an inside playmaker.
“I’d say we need a joker,” Payton said during his appearance on Up & Adams. “Now, a joker can be a tight end or a running back. We were spoiled [in New Orleans]. You had Reggie [Bush], you had Jimmy Graham, Jeremy Shockey, Darren Sproles, Alvin Kamara; those are interior, they have to be elite receivers that play tight end or running back.”
Payton said the Broncos are stronger at receiver “than some would think.” While it would be safe to assume Denver will look into adding another option to play alongside Sutton and Mims, the former is going into his age-30 season and the latter has yet to establish himself as a consistent receiving option. That said, Denver did use fourth- and seventh-round picks on Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele last year. Both played auxiliary roles in Nix’s rookie season, respectively totaling 263 and 475 receiving yards as rookies.
Not expected to re-sign Javonte Williams, the Broncos have already been connected to addressing their RB spot. Bush, Sproles and Kamara types are not especially easy to find. Though, Aaron Jones is a free agent option who has been connected to Denver. The Broncos cut 2022 third-round pick Greg Dulcich, whom Payton had previously hoped could be his joker-type playmaker, last season and have received little from their TE post over the past two years.
Receiving tight ends are even harder to come by, and the Broncos do not seem likely to see top TE prospect Tyler Warren (Penn State) fall to No. 20. Michigan’s Colston Loveland is riding back-to-back seasons of at least 575 receiving yards; NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Loveland as his No. 7 overall prospect (two spots behind Warren). LSU’s Mason Taylor, who accumulated 546 receiving yards last season, checks in as Jeremiah’s No. 34 overall prospect, with Miami’s Elijah Arroyo (590 yards in 2024) slotted 49th. As far as veterans go, Zach Ertz, Mike Gesicki, Tyler Conklin and ex-Saint Juwan Johnson lead an unremarkable free agent class.
Bills To Hire Chris Tabor As ST Coordinator
The Bills fired special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley on Super Bowl Sunday; they had a replacement in mind. They are bringing in Chris Tabor, who spent this past season out of football.
The former Panthers interim HC is signing on to be the Bills’ ST coordinator, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Tabor, 53, has been an NFL staffer since 2008. He climbed to that interim role once Carolina fired Frank Reich, and while the Panthers interviewed him for the full-time post, he was never a likely candidate.
Tabor, however, has coached special teams throughout his pro career. This includes stays as the Panthers, Bears and Browns’ ST boss. Smiley had been in place as Buffalo’s STC for the past three years and had been with the team since Sean McDermott‘s 2017 debut. As such, this will mark a major change for the Bills’ staff.
A Kansas City-area native, Tabor has not overlapped with McDermott previously. The Panthers-to-Bills pipeline has effectively dried up, as McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have been in Buffalo now for eight years. But Tabor brings considerable expertise to this post. He has coached since 1993, moving from high school to college to the pros, and had the Panthers’ special teams operating at a high level during his final full season as their ST boss. Veteran writer Rick Gosselin had the Panthers’ special teams ranked fourth in 2022. Carolina dropped to 23rd on Gosselin’s chart in 2023.
Tabor coached both Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs, overseeing the latter’s work for two years as Cleveland’s ST coordinator, and will work on overseeing a Bills team that allowed a blocked-punt touchdown and a kick-return score in 2024. Buffalo also ranked 28th in yards allowed per kick return last season. Tabor interviewed for the 49ers’ ST coordinator job last month. The Panthers had blocked Tabor from meeting with the Giants, only to not retain him on Dave Canales‘ staff, but the experienced assistant has secured another opportunity a year later.
Kevin Patullo On Eagles, Saints’ OC Radars
Even as Kellen Moore‘s stock climbed after Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles‘ OC did not opt to join the handful of coaches in rejecting the Saints to hold out for a potentially better job down the road. Moore is officially in place as the New Orleans HC, and he will now get to work on building a staff.
One of the names expected to be in play may soon have a decision to make. Both the Eagles and Saints are expected to show “strong” interest in Kevin Patullo for OC, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Patullo works as Philadelphia’s pass-game coordinator, making him a natural fit to climb into Moore’s role or follow him to New Orleans for the same role.
The Eagles did not have success when they last promoted from within at OC, firing Brian Johnson after one season on the job. Like Johnson, Patullo arrived on Nick Sirianni‘s staff during the HC’s first offseason in charge (2021). He was mentioned as a candidate to replace Shane Steichen two years ago, but the Eagles did not promote Patullo over Johnson. Patullo, 43, also met with the Jets that offseason. That marks his lone coordinator interview to date. More appear likely to come soon.
Unlike Johnson, Patullo has been an NFL staffer for many years. He previously coached Jets QBs and Colts wide receivers, also enjoying stints with the Chiefs, Bills and Titans since 2007. The Eagles bumped him up to associate HC upon losing Steichen. After Moore led the charge to revitalize Philly’s offense, Patullo clearly played a big role in assisting him — to the point a one-and-done Eagles staffer looks to have hopes of bringing him along.
An offer from the Eagles would seemingly be more intriguing than one from Moore, however, as the Super Bowl champions once again need a new play-caller. Sirianni has not called plays since early during his first season as HC, which would open the door to Patullo taking a major step forward. A play-calling gig on an offense housing Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith would stand to rocket Patullo onto the HC carousel in 2026, depending on how the team’s title defense goes. Bigger questions loom in New Orleans, which will have Moore calling plays. Both teams must satisfy the Rooney Rule, which mandates one external minority interview in-person for the gig.
Additionally, the Saints will be starting on filling out a staff much later than the other six HC-needy teams this offseason. Waiting until after the Super Bowl to make their hire, the Saints are behind on the coordinator carousels. Brandon Staley is in the mix for DC. Moore worked under Staley in 2023 with the Chargers, which would make for an interesting arrangement should a reunion come to pass. Moore oversaw Patullo for one season as well, with most of the new Saints HC’s contacts coming from the Cowboys, who employed him as OC for four seasons.
Chiefs Expecting RG Trey Smith To Depart In Free Agency
From an offensive line perspective, the Chiefs‘ Super Bowl letdown was particularly interesting. The team rolled out a quintet housing two first-team All-Pros (center Creed Humphrey, left guard-turned-left tackle Joe Thuney) and saw Trey Smith secure his first Pro Bowl accolade. Yet, the Eagles still teed off on Patrick Mahomes to remind of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV rampage.
Kansas City both built a formidable interior trio but saw its shaky tackle plan unravel at the worst time. Unlike in Super Bowl LV, when the AFC superpower played without injured starters Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, the Chiefs had their tackles healthy. They just could not hold up, with RT Jawaan Taylor continuing to struggle and the non-Thuney LT options — Wanya Morris, second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia and in-season free agency addition D.J. Humphries — deemed less acceptable compared to kicking an All-Pro guard outside.
As the Chiefs will need a better answer at left tackle in 2025, they are bracing for their top in-house free agent to leave. Kansas City is expected to lose Smith once the market opens, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora. Despite the Chiefs showing interest in retaining Smith at the season’s outset, his situation has trended this way for a bit.
This will break up the interior trio the Chiefs built weeks after their Super Bowl LV blowout loss, as Thuney, Humphrey and Smith began playing together — to key a successful O-line turnaround following the rough Tampa night — in 2021. With Humphrey extended and Thuney signed for one more season, Smith appears the odd man out.
The Chiefs could make a last-ditch move to ensure Smith stays by using the franchise tag on the former sixth-round find, but guards are rarely tagged. The tag formula still classifies all offensive linemen under one umbrella, meaning top centers and guards would see the same tag number as tackles. Tackle salaries thus balloon guard tag figures, paving top interior blockers’ paths to the market. There have been a couple of exceptions in recent years, with Thuney — via a 2020 Patriots tag — being one of them. Washington also cuffed Brandon Scherff for two years. But the Chiefs have other issues to address. They appear to be willing to stomach losing an impact RG talent as a result.
Kansas City already cut into one of its strengths by kicking Thuney to LT. That move had stabilized the Chiefs’ line for a stretch, but the Eagles exposed the plan on the biggest stage. The three-time reigning AFC champions already gave Humphrey a monster center extension that checks in on its own tier (four years, $72MM) at that position, and Thuney is tied to a $26.97MM cap number in a contract year. The Chiefs could look into a Thuney extension to bring that down, but the ex-Patriots draftee is also now 32. Smith is 25, which will make his expected departure sting.
As the Chiefs could look into the likes of Ronnie Stanley and Cam Robinson to help stabilize their tackle spots, they still have Taylor on the books for a guaranteed $20MM. By keeping Taylor on the roster in March 2024, the Chiefs saw the struggling RT’s 2025 base salary and $500K workout bonus lock in.
This money and the Humphrey and Thuney deals stand to limit the Chiefs up front, though one anonymous GM adds (via La Canfora) the team will likely show interest in Stanley and Robinson. Stanley is coming off his healthiest season since 2019, and that certainly would stand to make him more than a mere stopgap. The Vikings have Christian Darrisaw coming back after a season-ending injury, which would stand to point their emergency fill-in — Robinson — to the market.
The Bears have been linked to Smith, and multiple execs identified (via La Canfora) the Titans as a possible destination. Tennessee already dived into the veteran interior market last year, by signing center Lloyd Cushenberry, and used a first-round pick on left guard Peter Skoronski. The Titans still have a need at RG. A Tennessee alum, Smith should be expected to become the NFL’s fifth $20MM-per-year guard if/when he hits free agency. Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-15 option at the position in each of his four seasons, which will make a Chiefs replacement task difficult.
Jaguars To Conduct GM Interview With Terrance Gray; Internal Candidates In Play?
The list of candidates for the Jaguars’ general manager position continues to grow. As the team searches for Trent Baalke‘s replacement, internal and external staffers are receiving consideration.
Jacksonville will interview Bills vice president of player personnel Terrance Gray this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The summit will take place tomorrow, per Bovada’s Josina Anderson. This will mark the second time Gray has met with an interested team for a GM gig this year. He was a finalist for the Titans’ position before they ultimately tapped Mike Borgonzi for the job.
This is the only GM search remaining, and eight confirmed candidates are in play. Though, more may be on the horizon. Around 10 candidates are believed to be in play, per Rapoport, even though the full list is not yet known. At least one of them is an internal staffer, however. That exec’s name has yet to surface. Interim GM Ethan Waugh remains with the franchise and is playing a key role, albeit as a secondary decision-maker to new HC Liam Coen, during this process.
One of Waugh’s former 49ers coworkers, Josh Williams, will go through with his GM interview Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The San Francisco scouting director is an interesting candidate, as he worked under Baalke with the NFC West club. Baalke hired Williams during his 49ers GM tenure, and he overlapped with Waugh for several years.
The Jags are set to conduct their first round of interviews over Zoom this week, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, and they are aiming to have a GM in place by the time the Combine begins. The annual Indianapolis-based scouting event is set to start Feb. 24, with position drills beginning on the 27th.
As for Gray, he has been on the GM interview circuit for a bit. In addition to his Titans meetings, the veteran Bills exec met with the Chargers and Raiders last year. He was among the execs to decline a Patriots interview, as a few minority staffers correctly assumed the meetings were to check a Rooney Rule box in order to officially promote Eliot Wolf. Gray has been with the Bills since the first Sean McDermott-Brandon Beane offseason (2017) and has held his current title since 2022.
With Buffalo having won five straight AFC East titles and qualified for the playoffs in seven of the eight seasons since the top duo’s arrival, it makes sense teams continue to look into their staffers. Gray is set to make his case for another AFC team. Via PFR’s GM Search Tracker, is how this process looks as interviews begin:
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interview requested
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interview requested
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interview requested
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interview requested
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): Interview requested
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): To interview 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): One of top candidates?
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): To interview 2/11
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Patriots Re-Sign DT Jeremiah Pharms
Jeremiah Pharms was on track for exclusive rights restricted free agency this offseason. Instead, he will be remaining with the Patriots. 
The former undrafted defensive lineman has agreed to a two-year deal with New England, his agency announced. ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes the pact is expected to included a $100K signing bonus and $250K in overall guarantees. If he remains on the roster through next season, restricted free agency in 2026 will be avoided.
Pharms signed to the Patriots’ practice squad following roster cutdowns in 2022. He did not see any playing time that season, but he remained in the organization via a futures contract. The 28-year-old wound up making 12 appearances in 2023, handling rotational duties along the D-line. This past season, Pharms took on a much larger role.
With Christian Barmore being limited to four games in 2024, plenty of opportunities existed for players further down the depth chart to see playing time in New England. That allowed Pharms to log a 40% snap share, and his increased workload resulted in a spike in production (33 tackles, two sacks, five quarterback hits). He could again find himself handling a notable part-time defensive role with the Patriots next season.
New England is currently set to select fourth in this year’s draft, and addressing the offensive line is a goal which could be achieved in large part by using that pick to provide better protection for quarterback Drake Maye. Another option near the top of the board would be to add one of the many highly-touted defensive linemen in the 2025 class, something which could threaten Pharms’ playing time. For the time being, though, he is set to remain a rotational contributor with the Patriots.
Jaguars Extend President Mark Lamping
The Jaguars’ front office and coaching staffs have seen plenty of change this offseason. Continuity will be in place with respect to president Mark Lamping, however.
The team announced on Tuesday that Lamping has agreed to a contract extension. As a result, he will continue in his current capacity through the 2030 campaign. Lamping has served as the Jags’ president since Shad Khan took over as owner in 2012.
“As we look ahead at what will be crucially important years for the Jaguars off the field, especially given all that involves the Stadium of the Future project, the leadership of Mark Lamping is needed more than ever,” a statement from Khan reads. “I’m very happy and proud to say that Mark will continue to serve as our team president, and I thank Mark for his commitment to making the Jacksonville Jaguars a model business organization throughout the NFL and in all of sports.”
Lamping has led the Jaguars’ business operations since his arrival, and he landed a five-year extension in 2020. Prior to his time in Jacksonville, he worked as president of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals from 1994-2008 and then the CEO of MetLife Stadium. Lamping also holds the title of non-executive director of Fulham FC, the English Premier League team owned by Khan.
Jacksonville moved on from head coach Doug Pederson after the 2024 season ended. That decision was expected by many to include general manager Trent Baalke also being dismissed, but Khan elected to initially keep him in the fold. Things changed rather quickly midway through the hiring cycle, though, with Baalke’s firing being followed by Liam Coen accepting the head coaching position.
The Jaguars still have a GM vacancy, with Coen’s preferred choice (former Buccaneers colleague Mike Greenberg) withdrawing from consideration. The organization’s new-look staff – which now includes Hall of Fame left tackle Tony Boselli – will continue in its search for a general manager over the coming days. Regardless of how that process plays out, Lamping will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Saints Expected To Name Kellen Moore As HC
FEBRUARY 11: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms the Moore hire should be finalized shortly (video link). He adds that Nussmeier is indeed the top name to watch regarding New Orleans’ offensive coordinator spot, while Staley is firmly in contention to handle defensive coordinator duties. In the wake of winning their second Super Bowl in franchise history, the Eagles will soon need to find a new OC.
FEBRUARY 9: Once Mike McCarthy withdrew his name from consideration for the Saints’ head coaching job – the only such vacancy that remains in this year’s cycle – Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore became the clear favorite for the post. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, Moore is indeed expected to be named as New Orleans’ next HC.
Of course, Moore will first try to win a championship ring today as Philadelphia seeks to prevent a Chiefs three-peat and avenge its narrow loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. In Moore’s first (and likely only) year with the club, the Eagles finished seventh in points scored and eighth in total offense, a performance that bolstered his already strong head coaching stock.
In three of his four seasons as Cowboys offensive coordinator from 2019-22, Dallas ranked sixth or better in scoring, and Moore became a popular name on the head coaching circuit as a result. While he did not end up landing an HC gig, he never fell below the coordinator ranks, taking a job as the Chargers’ OC in 2023 before moving on to the Eagles in 2024. He was even rumored to be the frontrunner for the Dallas HC post that McCarthy (his former boss) just vacated, before Jerry Jones surprisingly pivoted to Brian Schottenheimer.
Given the Saints’ middling roster, uncertain quarterback situation, and familiar salary cap woes, the New Orleans opening is not considered an especially attractive one, so landing a sought-after candidate with strong credentials can reasonably be classified as a coup for GM Mickey Loomis & Co. One of Moore’s first tasks as the Saints’ sideline general will be to shape the club’s direction at quarterback, including how to proceed with incumbent Derek Carr .
Another clear indicator that Moore will remain in New Orleans after today’s Super Bowl in the Superdome is the fact that the 36-year-old was making calls to potential staffers prior to Super Bowl week (via FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz). ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (subscription required) names 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards as potential defensive coordinator candidates.
Staley was Moore’s boss in 2023 when the former served as the Chargers’ head coach, though neither he nor Edwards received a defensive coordinator interview this year. Just as the Eagles’ playoff success delayed Moore’s eligibility to join another club and may have forced the Cowboys to go in a different direction at head coach, that delay also could have prevented Moore from landing some of his preferred assistants.
Klayton Adams and Matt Eberflus, who recently accepted Dallas’ offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator jobs, respectively, were also seen as strong candidates for Moore’s first staff, according to Fowler. Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, who has worked with Moore in Dallas, Los Angeles, and now Philadelphia, is seen as a potential OC option for the Saints if they move forward with the Moore hire.
Brandon Graham To Contemplate Retirement; Mekhi Becton Open To Remaining With Eagles
Brandon Graham managed to rehab in time to play in last night’s Super Bowl. The Eagles stalwart may well have played his final game in New Orleans on Sunday, but a final decision has yet to be made on the retirement front. 
Graham said in July he would hang up his cleats after the 2024 campaign was over. This past season represented his 15th with the organization, something which is without precedent in Eagles history. As a result, it appeared the 36-year-old’s NFL tenure was over when he suffered a triceps tear in November. Graham did not confirm his retirement plans at that point, and that remained the case this past weekend.
The former first-rounder is expected to take roughly one week to contemplate his future, as noted by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (video link). A retirement decision would come as no surprise in the wake of his second career Super Bowl victory, but it would mark another major loss for the Eagles in terms of experience. Two of the franchise’s ‘Core Four’ players (Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox) retired last offseason, leaving Graham and Lane Johnson in the fold.
There is now a strong chance Philadelphia’s right tackle starter will be the final remaining member of the team’s decorated quartet. If Graham – who signed a two-year pact in 2021 and inked one-year deals for 2023 and ’24 – does indeed call it a career, the Eagles will have a notable void along the edge. With over $98MM in career earnings and now a pair of titles, though, he certainly has cause to turn down the chance of playing in 2025 to begin his post-playing days.
Another pending Eagles free agent is right guard Mekhi Becton. The former Jets first-rounder struggled with injuries during his New York tenure, and his first trip to the open market resulted in only a $2.75MM pact on a one-year Eagles commitment. The decision to move Becton inside to guard (after seeing time at both tackle spots) proved to be effective, as he handled starting duties all season and thrived in that role.
As a result, the 25-year-old is on track to have a much stronger free agent market this time around. Garafolo notes Becton seems to be open to a new Eagles contract, although a raise will obviously be needed for that to be feasible. As the team begins its offseason preparation in the wake of its Super Bowl LIX victory, Graham and Becton will be among the players worth monitoring over the coming days and weeks.