HEADLINES

Seahawks To Re-Sign DT Johnathan Hankins

April 29th, 2025 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering the NFL shortly after his 21st birthday has helped Johnathan Hankins enjoy a long career. The Seahawks will give the veteran defensive tackle a chance at a 13th season.

The team is re-signing Hankins, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Hankins, now 33, played in all 17 Seattle games last season and worked as a part-time starter. The Seahawks are Hankins’ fifth team, but he has a connection stemming from stop No. 4.

Seattle hired Aden Durde as DC last year, and the team brought in one of his former charges from Dallas. Previously the Cowboys’ D-line coach, Durde mentored Hankins from 2022-23. That partnership continued in Seattle last year, as the Seahawks used the big-bodied defender as an eight-game starter. Hankins did not miss a game during his first Seahawks season.

This will reequip the Seahawks with a true nose tackle. The team has Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams up front, but Hankins will be back as a complementary piece who will help allow that pass-rushing trio better opportunities. Hankins played 35% of Seattle’s defensive snaps last season, logging 390.

Originally a Giants second-round pick in 2013, Hankins made his way into the team’s then-Tom Coughlin-led team’s starting lineup by Year 2. Helping the team to the playoffs in 2016, the 325-pound NT scored a three-year, $27MM commitment from the Colts. Indianapolis, however, cut bait on that deal after one season. The NFL then collectively viewed Hankins as a lower-value player, though he has continued to land gigs.

The Raiders gave Hankins four contracts during a partnership that lasted nearly five seasons; none of the deals topped $4.5MM per year. (Hankins played for $2.1MM on his first Seahawks contract.) The team traded Hankins to the Cowboys during the 2022 campaign, and he helped Dallas against the run during a 12-5 season. The Cowboys then used him as a 14-game starter in 2023. He registered three sacks that year, but as the Cowboys transitioned to Mike Zimmer‘s defensive scheme in 2024, Hankins rejoined Durde out west.

Last season, Hankins tallied five tackles for loss — his most since 2019 — and batted down a pass. He added an interception against the 49ers in Week 11. Not many players remain active from the 2013 draft, but a handful of second-round picks that year have signed one-year deals this offseason. Zach Ertz, Darius Slay and Robert Woods caught on, while Geno Smith — as QB careers can obviously last longer — scored a two-year Raiders extension earlier this month.

Chargers Place UFA Tender On J.K. Dobbins

April 29th, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers’ offseason blueprint included two significant running back investments. The team added Najee Harris on Day 1 of free agency and then used its first-round pick on Omarion Hampton. This represents a more committed effort compared to last year, when two ex-Ravens RBs reunited with OC Greg Roman.

J.K. Dobbins rebounded from an injury-marred Baltimore stay to become the Bolts’ primary starter last season, but he has not signed anywhere as a free agent. With Monday being the deadline for signings affecting the 2026 compensatory formula, the Chargers made a move that could net them a compensatory pick if Dobbins were to depart.

The Bolts joined the Browns in using a UFA tender, with Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer noting the AFC West team used one on Dobbins. If Dobbins is unsigned by July 22, the Chargers would retain exclusive negotiating rights on him. The Ohio State alum would be attached to a $1.1MM tender (110% of his 2024 salary). This comes as the Browns placed a UFA tender on wide receiver Elijah Moore.

Having suffered ACL and Achilles tears during his time in Baltimore, Dobbins reemerged last season by rushing for 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for a newly run-oriented Chargers team. An ankle injury sidelined Dobbins, but his IR stint only covered four games. He returned to help the team to the playoffs, but the Bolts cut Gus Edwards and have not re-signed Dobbins. They added Harris on a one-year deal (worth $5.25MM), with Hampton’s fully guaranteed first-round contract positioning him to be the club’s long-term starter.

This setup would leave little room for Dobbins, but the Chargers will be tied to him for a bit longer. If Dobbins signs elsewhere before July 22, he could factor into the Bolts’ compensatory formula for the 2026 draft. The team hired ex-Ravens exec Joe Hortiz as GM last year; no club prioritizes comp picks more than Baltimore. That undoubtedly factors into this tender decision. A team signing Dobbins, however, will likely do so at a low rate due to the former second-rounder’s 46 missed games over the past four seasons.

UFA tenders have led to separations in the recent past. The Chiefs and Ravens placed them on Melvin Ingram and Justin Houston, respectively, in 2022 and saw each sign elsewhere before the July 22 deadline. The Patriots slapped one on LeGarrette Blount in 2017 and saw him join the Eagles soon after. The Giants, however, used the tender on Markus Golden in 2020 and reunited with him — after he signed it that July. (The Giants traded Golden to the Cardinals that October.) There would seem to be no place for Dobbins on Los Angeles’ 2025 roster, but he remains loosely tied to the team during free agency.

49ers To Sign T D.J. Humphries

April 29th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a brief stint in Kansas City, D.J. Humphries will return to the NFC West. The longtime Cardinals left tackle is signing with the 49ers, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Humphries upped his career start total to 100 through two Chiefs starts, but he ended up giving way to Joe Thuney. The Chiefs kicked their All-Pro left guard outside in an effort to stabilize the position. That plan largely worked out, only for it to be exposed in Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs have since given ex-49ers swing tackle Jaylon Moore a two-year, $30MM deal; the 49ers will add Humphries from Kansas City as a possible swingman.

The 49ers will hope for a better version of Humphries, as he is now more than a year removed from the December 2023 ACL tear that ended his Cardinals stay. Humphries has battled a host of injuries during his career. In his first Chiefs start, the former first-rounder — given the starting job soon after signing — went down with a hamstring issue. He never reacquired the team’s LT job, only coming in for a Week 18 start that featured the AFC’s top seed resting most of its first-stringers.

Now 31, Humphries profiles as a swing tackle behind starters Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz. The 49ers needed Moore to close out last season, as Williams went down with an ankle injury. Considering Williams is heading into an age-37 season, acquiring a proven backup makes sense for San Francisco. Humphries has only played left tackle since 2017; he and then-Cardinals LT starter flipped sides after the 2016 season. The team had eyed converted guard Spencer Burford as a potential swing option; the fourth-year player will at least have competition for that role now.

The 49ers have not drafted a tackle since taking Moore in the 2021 fifth round. Moore moved up in the pecking order after Mike McGlinchey‘s 2023 Broncos commitment made McKivitz the new right tackle. With Moore now gone — at a price that surprised John Lynch — the 49ers needed a replacement. They have plenty of Humphries intel to go on, with the Lynch-Kyle Shanahan regime having seen the blocker in NFC West matchups from 2017-23.

Humphries’ stay as Arizona’s LT earned him two lucrative deals with the team — in 2020 and ’22. The team cut bait on the three-year, $51MM extension early in Monti Ossenfort‘s GM tenure, having designated him a post-June 1 cut last year. Pro Football Focus graded Humprhies 51st among 81 tackle regulars during a 15-start 2023. While Humphries has dealt with injuries in each of the past three seasons, he missed just one game from 2019-21. The 49ers will hope the 10-year veteran being another year removed from his most serious injury will help him back on track.

Patriots Release LS Joe Cardona

April 29th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots have now cut ties with every player who had been part of their Super Bowl core. After moving on from Jonathan Jones, David Andrews and Deatrich Wise earlier this offseason, the team is parting ways with its long snapper from the second leg of its dynasty.

New England released Joe Cardona on Tuesday. This came after the Pats used a seventh-round pick on a deep snapper Saturday. Cardona had been with the Pats for 10 seasons. He entered the offseason tied with Andrews as the team’s longest-tenured player, but a Pats draft move changed his course.

Although the team obtained the Mr. Irrelevant pick, that did not go to Cardona’s replacement. Instead, the Pats chose Vanderbilt’s Julian Ashby six spots earlier. The only team to use a draft choice specifically on a long snapper this year, the Patriots served notice Cardona’s time could be up. Rather than a competition, Cardona will have a chance to catch on elsewhere soon.

The light workload long snappers consume keeps their salaries in the NFL basement, but it also allows for long careers. Cardona’s experience certainly should put him in line for consideration elsewhere, even as he has spent his entire career in Foxborough. Bill Belichick used a fifth-round pick on Cardona in 2015, choosing him 166th overall out of Navy. He teamed with Stephen Gostkowski during the Adam Vinatieri successor’s final stretch in New England and collected two Super Bowl rings, playing in three Super Bowls in total.

Cardona signed three Patriots contracts, inking two four-year deals as a veteran. Two seasons remained on Cardona’s third New England accord — a four-year, $6.3MM pact — but the Patriots will incur only $500K in dead money from this release. While no Pro Bowls are on Cardona’s resume, it would surprise if the 33-year-old snapper did not resurface for an 11th NFL season elsewhere.

The Pats lost Jones and Wise to the Commanders in free agency, while the team cut Andrews after he missed most of last season. Although the most memorable chapter in Patriots history effectively closed when Belichick was forced out (four years after Tom Brady‘s exit changed the franchise’s trajectory), the team officially wrapped it by moving on from the above-referenced quartet of Super Bowl contributors this year.

Ethan Waugh Out As Jaguars’ Assistant GM

April 29th, 2025 at 2:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite being tied to the Trent Baalke regime, Ethan Waugh took part in the Jaguars’ round of interviews to replace him. But Baalke’s right-hand man is out in Jacksonville as well.

The Jags are moving on from Waugh as assistant GM, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton reports. Hiring Waugh just after the 2022 draft, the Jags also named him interim GM following Baalke’s January firing. With James Gladstone now in place as GM, it certainly makes sense a key new hire will take place as restructuring continues under the ex-Rams exec.

Teams often wait until after the draft to make these moves, in order to not disrupt continuity within the front office after extensive scouting work has been completed. Waugh ended up working through the draft, a memorable one for the Jaguars, who traded a 2026 first-rounder as part of a package that secured them (via the Browns) Travis Hunter‘s draft rights.

Gladstone is credited with putting those trade talks in motion, doing so weeks ahead of the draft. Waugh was still with the team at this point. Waugh arrived days after the 2022 draft and had been playing out the string this year. The veteran exec had worked in San Francisco for an extended period, overlapping with Baalke there. It will be expected he lands elsewhere soon, even if Baalke has not.

Despite Baalke’s 49ers ouster after the 2016 season, John Lynch retained Waugh and eventually elevated him to VP of player personnel in 2021. This came months after the Jaguars named Baalke GM, though he held that title while Urban Meyer ran football ops. Post-Meyer, the Jags elevated Baalke to the top of their personnel period. They then added Waugh from the 49ers.

The Baalke-Waugh pairing completed an eventful offseason in 2024, giving out the three most lucrative contract extensions — for Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell — in team history. This came after the team gave Gladstone and Co. an ascending talent by drafting Brian Thomas Jr. in Round 1. Last year’s Jags season skidded off track early, however, as a host of close losses turned into a 4-13 record — during a season that brought Lawrence’s first extended absence. Hunter will be brought in to team with Thomas.

Bengals To Exercise DB Dax Hill’s Fifth-Year Option

April 29th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dax Hill is coming off a season marred by an ACL tear, but the Bengals are still high on the former first-round pick. Rather than shift the converted safety into a contract year, the team is extending his rookie contract through 2026.

The rehabbing cornerback will see his fifth-year option exercised, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This is an interesting decision, but Hill had won a starting CB job in Cincinnati after being moved from safety last year.

Hill’s option cost likely is motivating a Bengals team, one that changed defensive coordinators earlier this year, to stick with the 2022 first-round pick. Although Hill spent more time at safety than corner during his fifth-year option, Fowler notes his option price is expected to land on the fourth tier at corner. That would call for a $12.68MM guarantee. Were Hill to be classified as a safety, the number would settle at an even more manageable $9.27MM.

Still, this is an interesting decision due to Hill having suffered an ACL tear in Week 5 of last season. The Bengals had moved him from safety to corner before OTAs last year, sliding him closer to the line of scrimmage after Chidobe Awuzie‘s free agency defection. Hill, 24, beat out former Michigan teammate DJ Turner for a starting job opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. Cincinnati’s Tuesday decision provides some momentum for Hill as he completes rehab from a major injury.

Hill had played well at corner after the switch. Pro Football Focus graded the 6-foot defender in the top quartile at the position last season, though he did not log enough snaps to qualify as a 2024 regular. This, however, differs from how the advanced metrics site assessed his play at safety. PFF graded Hill 90th out of 95 qualified safeties in 2023, as the Bengals struggled to replace Jessie Bates.

Hill only has one full season as a starter under his belt, having played behind Bates and Vonn Bell as a rookie. Hill’s 2024 injury served as part of the Cincy defense’s undoing last year, but Al Golden appears to still view him as a building block ahead of his first year as DC.

As the team prepares to reintegrate Hill into its starting lineup, Turner and Taylor-Britt remain on their rookie deals. Neither is eligible for a fifth-year option due to both having been second-round picks. One season remains on Taylor-Britt’s deal, two on Turner’s. Despite Lou Anarumo‘s defense unraveling — to deny the team a playoff berth and Joe Burrow a potential MVP award — last season, no major CB investments have come this offseason. That points to considerable faith in Hill, and Tuesday’s option decision illustrated that.

Chiefs To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis

April 29th, 2025 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis are targets for Chiefs extensions. One or both could be worked out as early as this offseason, but in any case their futures for the next two years are clear.

Kansas City will exercise the fifth-year option in both of these cases, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. For McDuffie, that sets him up to receive $17.6MM in 2026. Karlaftis will be in line to earn $15.12MM that season. Of course, long-term accords could very well be hand before that campaign begins anyway.

[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]

The Chiefs appeared at one point to be on track to lose guard Trey Smith in free agency, but using the franchise tag prevented such a development. Tagging the Pro Bowler ensures he will remain in Kansas City for at least 2025, but general manager Brett Veach recently said a Smith extension will be the team’s top post-draft priority. To no surprise, McDuffie and Karlaftis are in the team’s plans as well.

McDuffie has operated as a full-time starter during his time with the Chiefs. The Washington product does not have a Pro Bowl nod on his resume despite the fact he earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and a spot on the second All-Pro team last year. McDuffie has only managed two interceptions to date in his career, but his strong coverage performances and 13 pass deflections from last year showcase his value to the team.

The cornerback market jumped to $30MM this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Seven cover men are now attached to a pact averaging at least $20.1MM annually, and McDuffie will no doubt aim to join that group on his second contract. Team and player will have plenty of time to work out a deal with the option being picked up.

Karlaftis, 24, has seen his workload increase with each passing season. After posting 10.5 sacks in 2023, that figure fell slightly to eight last season. The Purdue alum increased his pressure totals (from 35 to 37), though, and continued development can be expected for several more years. Providing Kansas City with a consistent presence off the edge will be key for the team as defensive tackle Chris Jones moves toward the latter stages of his career.

Myles Garrett‘s trade request was rescinded when he and the Browns worked out an extension averaging $40MM per season. That represents the top of the market at this point, but the likes of Micah Parsons (Cowboys), Aidan Hutchinson (Lions), T.J. Watt (Steelers) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are all in position to ink monster new pacts of their own. That could drive up the asking price on a new Karlaftis pact once negotiations begin on that front.

The Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl every year since adding the McDuffie-Karlaftis tandem to the mix, winning the title game twice. Both members of that pairing will be counted to remain impactful starters moving forward during a stretch which will last through the 2026 campaign at a minimum.

Titans To Add Dan Saganey To Front Office

April 29th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Adam La Rose

11:37am: Saganey’s title will be vice president of player personnel, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. This represents a lateral move as a result. As for Gardner, meanwhile, Stratton notes he and the Titans have parted ways. Tennessee will remain a team to watch for further front office moves this offseason.

9:40am: Once the draft concludes, movement often takes place amongst NFL front office and scouting personnel. In the case of the Titans, an addition is set to be made in the scouting department.

With Dan Saganey‘s Browns tenure coming to a close, he is headed to Tennessee. Cleveland’s former player personnel director is expected to be hired by the Titans, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky. Saganey will take on a “high-level scouting role” upon arrival, Kuharsky adds.

In recent years, the Titans have seen plenty of executive turnover. This offseason has included the firing of general manager Ran Carthon, who was replaced by Mike Borgonzi. The latter led the way during the draft, but president of football operations Chad Brinker will serve as the organization’s top decision-maker in many other areas. Saganey – who had been in his post since 2016 – will join the fold as Tennessee continues to make moves in the front office.

Per Neil Stratton of Inside the Lines (via Kurhasky), the Titans recently moved on from A.J. Highsmith as their scouting director. He had been in that spot for only one year, but with changes coming at the top of the organization that department will also have a new face for 2025. Saganey is obviously a candidate to take over Highsmith’s role (although college scouting director Jon Salge as well as pro scouting director Brian Gardner remain in the organization and are candidates to be promoted).

Tennessee followed up the Borgonzi hire by adding a pair of former general managers to the fold. Reggie McKenzie and Dave Ziegler will each play a notable role with the team moving forward. The same is set to be true of Saganey.

Commanders To Sign K Matt Gay, Release K Zane Gonzalez

April 29th, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Gay‘s time as a free agent has not lasted long. The veteran kicker has agreed to a deal with the Commanders, per his agents (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network).

This will be a one-year deal worth $4.25MM fully guaranteed. That figure represents the highest locked-in total for a kicker on a one-year accord in league history. Pelissero notes Gay’s 2025 earnings can top out at $5MM via incentives.

Earlier this month, the Colts released Gay halfway through his four-year, $22.5MM pact. The 31-year-old became a free agent as a result, but to little surprise he did not line up a deal prior to the draft taking place. Like almost all teams, the Commanders did not use a draft pick on the position this past weekend. That opened the door to Zane Gonzalez remaining in place as the team’s kicker for 2025, but Pelissero reports he has been released in a corresponding move to the Gay signing.

Gonzalez was limited to six games in 2024, his first year of regular season action since 2021. The former Brown, Cardinal and Panther connected on five of seven field goal attempts for Washington when healthy, with the team cycling though numerous other options during the campaign. One year remained on Gonzelez’s contract; this release will result in $1.03MM in cap savings for the team without generating a dead money charge.

Gay’s career accuracy rate sits at 85.5%. He was unable to reach that figure (or match his Rams success) during his two seasons in Indianapolis as issues with long-range attempts proved to be key. Gay missed six field goal attempts in 2024, each of which were at a distance of 50-plus yards. From within that range, he was a perfect 31-for-31 along with a 100% success rate on extra points.

The Commanders entered Tuesday with more than $26MM in cap space, so this move will not alter the team’s post-draft free agent plans. If Gay manages to remain healthy next season, he will likely provide them with a strong option in the kicking game.

Saints Release QB Ben DiNucci

April 29th, 2025 at 10:24am CST by Adam La Rose

The addition of a quarterback via the draft added to the logjam at the position for New Orleans. The team’s depth chart has now be thinned, however.

Ben DiNucci announced on Tuesday he has been released. The 28-year-old joined the Saints in December in the wake of Derek Carr getting injured. DiNucci did not see any playing time down the stretch, and he will not have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot during training camp as a result of today’s move.

To close out the 2024 season, New Orleans used Spencer Rattler as a starter for six games. The 2024 fifth-rounder is joined by Jake Haener (selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft) as a depth option behind Carr. Of course, it remains to be seen when the Saints’ starter will be available as he weighs the option of undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

As expected, New Orleans drafted a quarterback for the third consecutive year. Tyler Shough heard his name called 40th overall, and the Louisville product will compete for the backup gig during his rookie season (provided Carr is available to start the season). With that quartet of signal-callers in place – along with Hunter Dekkers as an invitee to rookie minicamp (h/t Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football) – it comes as little surprise DiNucci has been let go.

A seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 2020, DiNucci made three appearances and one start during his rookie campaign. He has yet to see any regular season NFL action since then, and with the draft now in the books most teams’ depth charts are set for the summer. DiNucci will nevertheless turn his attention to finding a new opportunity for 2025.

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