Philadelphia Eagles News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/25

Friday’s minor NFL moves after a busy week of transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Eagles To Sign TE Harrison Bryant

The Super Bowl champs are adding a veteran tight end to their roster. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are inking tight end Harrison Bryant to a one-year deal. The contract is worth up to $2MM.

A former fourth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic, Bryant spent four seasons in Cleveland to begin his career. The tight end saw an occasional role on offense, hauling in 89 catches for 791 yards and 10 touchdowns in his four years with the Browns. At the same time, Bryant earned a reputation as a top-end blocker, with Pro Football Focus twice ranking him in the top-five at his position for his blocking ability.

Bryant spent the 2024 season in Las Vegas, where he appeared in a career-low 213 offensive snaps while playing behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. He finished the year with nine catches for 86 yards.

Bryant may be eyeing a similar role in Philly for the 2025 campaign. Dallas Goedert will continue to lead the depth chart for the Eagles, and Grant Calcaterra has established himself as a steady backup option. That means Bryant will be competing with the likes of E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu, and Nick Muse for any leftover snaps.

Eagles To Sign CB Adoree’ Jackson

Adoree’ Jackson remained in free agency until days before the Giants’ opener last year; he will land a deal much earlier in 2025. Jackson will follow the Saquon Barkley path out of New York.

The Eagles will sign the former first-round cornerback, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. The former Titans and Giants starter will join an Eagles team that cut Darius Slay and lost Isaiah Rodgers to the Vikings.

After making the plan to designate Slay a post-June 1 cut, the Eagles had hoped to retain Rodgers. The Vikings intervened, giving the one-year Eagle contributor a two-year, $11MM deal. Jackson likely will step in at a lower rate while bringing more experience. Jackson, who is going into his age-30 season, has made 82 starts — 41 apiece in Tennessee and New York.

The CB market unfolded without a Jackson accord last spring, and he ended up on a one-year, $1.75MM deal to stay with the Giants. After four Titans seasons, Jackson had initially played out a three-year, $39MM Giants contract. As New York aimed to go young in the secondary last year, Jackson still arrived as 11th-hour insurance. He ended up starting five games for the 3-14 team.

Playing 47% of the Giants’ defensive snaps last year, Jackson fared well considering his late arrival. Pro Football Focus graded him 38th among CB regulars, and Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics charged Jackson with a 48.8 completion percentage allowed — far better than his 2023 showing (65.9). Jackson struggled in 2023, after having been reassigned to the slot in training camp before being shifted back to his usual perimeter role once Don Martindale benched Tre Hawkins, but was a key part of the Giants’ playoff trip in 2022. Allowing just 51.7% of passes his way to be completed, Jackson graded as PFF’s No. 31 corner. He missed time due to an MCL sprain but returned for the playoffs and led the effort to limit Justin Jefferson in a Giants wild-card upset.

Jackson figures to be a Rodgers replacement as a depth piece, but the Eagles have a need on the boundary (to accompany locked-in starters Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) after Slay’s Steelers signing. Jackson could compete for that role, but it would surprise if Philly did not add a starter-caliber option in the draft or perhaps via trade. While Jackson may not be the Slay replacement, the Super Bowl champs at least secured some insurance.

OL Notes: Becton, Texans, Smith, Jags, Rams

The Eagles‘ Mekhi Becton signing proved to be a highly effective one. The former Jets tackle was able to have success upon moving inside, and he helped his market after playing on a $2.75MM ‘prove it’ contract in 2024.

Becton’s preference would be to remain in Philadelphia, but he is of course an attractive option to teams eyeing upgrades up front. PFR’s No. 22 free agent in 2025 could look to capitalize on the strength of the guard market, which saw the likes of Robert HuntJonah JacksonKevin DotsonDamien Lewis and Jon Runyan Jr sign deals averaging eight figures per year in free agency. Becton will likely not be able to match many of their earnings, but an Eagles departure could still be looming.

ESPN’s Tim McManus reports there has not been tangible progress between team and player to work out a re-signing in this case. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is among those who would like to see Becton, entering his age-26 season, brought back. As the Eagles move forward with a line already featuring four lucrative deals, though, keeping him in place may not be possible.

Here are some offensive line notes from around the league:

  • The Eagles, of course, have a deal in place to add a guard in the form of Kenyon Green. The former Texans first-rounder is one of three O-linemen the team is moving on from as part of its offseason plans. Veteran Shaq Mason was recently released, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil is on his way to the Commanders. The offensive line group increasingly became a problem in Houston last season, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. Tunsil is respected in the organization, Breer adds, but making sweeping changes up front this offseason allowed the Texans to avoid a third lucrative commitment to the 30-year-old. Houston will look for a noticeably different combination and a new culture along the O-line in 2025.
  • Colts general manager Chris Ballard said at the Combine right tackle Braden Smith intended to continue playing in 2025. That will indeed be the case, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting an agreement has been reached on a restructured contract. The pact will pay out a $2MM roster bonus next week in addition to a $3.96MM base salary, per Over the Cap. Smith, 29 later this month, has served as a full-time starter since his arrival in 2018 but he missed the last five games of the 2024 campaign due to an undisclosed personal matter. He will still be a free agent next spring as things stand, but Smith’s return (at a cap charge of $10.4MM) will be welcomed on a Colts O-line which is set to lose Ryan Kelly and Will Fries after they both agreed to Vikings deals this week.
  • The Ravens managed to take care of one of their most important offseason priorities with the re-signing of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. That three-year, $60MM deal features $44MM in guarantees. The latter figure includes a $20.25MM signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 details. Stanley has dealt with several injuries in his career, but this latest pact guarantees $22MM in pay for 2025 and ’26, according to Over the Cap. The two-time Pro Bowler is also scheduled to collect a $4.04MM option bonus next March.
  • Prior to the Stanley deal, Alaric Jackson agreed to a three-year pact to remain with the Rams. The deal can reach a maximum value of $60.75MM and includes $35.43MM in guarantees, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes. $30MM is fully guaranteed at signing, with most of Jackson’s compensation over the next two years locked in. $1.45MM in per-game roster bonuses are present in every year of the deal, and a $5.43MM injury guarantee will shift to a full one if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year.
  • Patrick Mekari parlayed his Ravens tenure into a three-year Jaguars contract at the outset of the negotiating period. That pact features $22.5MM in guarantees, including a $10MM signing bonus, per Wilson. The former UDFA has $10.5MM in 2026 salary locked in for injury, and remaining on the roster early in the 2026 league year will lead to further guarantees. Per-game roster bonuses totaling nearly $30K along with a $500K Pro Bowl incentive are present in every year of the deal.

Eagles, Josh Uche Agree To Deal

In need of new depth along the edge, the Eagles will look to Josh Uche. The former Patriot and Chief has a one-year deal in place with Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Uche flashed potential at times during his New England tenure. The former second-rounder recorded 11.5 sacks in 2022, but he was never able to carve out a anything more than a rotational role, instead operating as a third-down specialist. Uche regularly found himself attached to trade talk, and in 2024 a deal was made.

The Michigan product was dealt to Kansas City as a rental addition for the second half of the campaign. Uche wound up making six appearances with the Chiefs, but he saw a snap share of only 22%. After failing to record a sack and producing only one QB pressure, the team elected not to use him during the playoffs. Uche will now look to compete for a regular role with the Eagles.

To no surprise, Philadelphia was unable to retain Josh Sweat. The top edge rusher on the market landed a four-year deal with the Cardinals including $41MM in guarantees. His loss will be felt after a strong regular season in 2024 and a memorable performance in Super Bowl LIX. Brandon Graham, meanwhile, is dealing with another triceps tear as he contemplates retirement.

Presuming Graham hangs up his cleats, his absence (along with Sweat’s) will leave plenty of snaps available along the edge. Uche, 26, will provide upside as a potential sack artist, although his underwhelming Chiefs spell will temper expectations upon arrival in Philadelphia. To say the least, the Eagles will hope this deal pans out better than last offseason’s lucrative free agent deal for Bryce Huff.

In addition to Huff, the Super Bowl champions have 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith and 2024 third-round selection Jalyx Hunt on the books. Uche’s ability to fit in with that group (one which, given general manager Howie Roseman‘s track record, will likely include at least one draft addition next month) will determine his success in Philadelphia and his earning power in 2026.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew LockGeno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/25

As the 2025 league year begins, here are the Wednesday tender decisions involving restricted and exclusive rights free agents:

RFAs

Tendered:

Nontendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Nontendered:

The Ravens have discussed an extension with Washington, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. For now, the safety is on Baltimore’s cap sheet at $3.26MM. A second-round tender would have cost the Ravens $5.35MM and brought back a second-round pick if the team did not match an offer sheet elsewhere. An unmatched Washington offer sheet now would not bring the Ravens any compensation. Washington started 10 games for the Ravens last season.

Eagles To Sign RB AJ Dillon

The Eagles are signing former Packers running back AJ Dillon, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Dillon will come over after five Packers seasons, though 2024 did not involve any playing time. It is a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus tweets.

A four-year Aaron Jones complementary back, Dillon held a regular role in Green Bay as a power threat inside. Although no doubt existed about Jones’ status as the Packers’ 1-A option, Dillon did not go away — much to some fantasy GMs’ chagrin — as a between-the-tackles grinder and frequent red zone option. He will now join an Eagles team with a potential RB2 opening.

Philly lost longtime backup Kenneth Gainwell to a Pittsburgh deal Tuesday. The team’s backfield obviously still revolves around Saquon Barkley, a recent extension recipient, but Gainwell worked as the primary backup to he and D’Andre Swift over the past two seasons. Will Shipley could be in store for a bigger role, though the Clemson alum does not exactly share a skillset with Dillon.

Dillon, 27 in May, produced three 600-plus-yard seasons in Green Bay. Not efficient on Jones’ level, but Dillon still delivered similarly productive seasons in 2021 and 2022, totaling 803 yards in ’22 and 770 in ’23. The former second-round pick combined for 12 touchdowns in that span, helping the Packers transition to a younger receiving corps in that period. After a slightly less productive 2023, the Boston College alum suffered an injury that kept him off the field throughout 2024.

The Packers re-signed Dillon last year but did on the seldom-used four-year qualifying offer. Dillon was tied to a $2.74MM deal last season, but he resided on IR all year. This contract may not even match that, but the Eagles obviously present a great opportunity for running backs. Barkley stayed healthy last year, but the ex-Giant has certainly dealt with a host of injuries during his career. Barkley also led the NFL with 378 touches last season, potentially sounding some alarm bells. Dillon will attempt to earn a backup role, which may be quite important for the 2025 Eagles.

Eagles To Trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson To Texans For Kenyon Green

The Texans’ efforts to renovate their offensive line continue. The team has a trade agreement in place to send guard Kenyon Green to the Eagles, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. Houston is receiving defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in return. In total, the swap consists of Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-rounder next year.

Houston swung a trade with the Commanders yesterday which will see left tackle Laremy Tunsil head to Washington. That move – coupled with the previous release of guard Shaq Mason – leaves the team with several question marks up front. Improving their pass protection was seen as a major priority for the Texans, and general manager Nick Caserio is making a slew of changes to the unit in the hopes of taking a step forward in 2025.

Gardner-Johnson, meanwhile, is entering his seventh year in the league and the Texans will mark his fourth team. The former Saints draftee was traded to the Eagles in 2022, and he played a key role in Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl with a league-leading six interceptions. Instead of parlaying his production into a lucrative second contract, tough, Gardner-Johnson took only a one-year deal with the Lions.

A one-and-done stint in Detroit was followed by a return to the Eagles, this time on a three-year, $27MM pact. Gardner-Johnson is owed $8.5MM in 2025 and another $10.5MM the following year, although his scheduled cap hit for the coming campaign ($4.91MM) was certainly manageable for the defending champions. This move will generate a dead money charge of $4.7MM for Philadelphia while resulting in just $211K in savings. The Texans will pay $1.5MM of Green’s $2.88MM 2025 base salary, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That helped make a trade more palatable for the Eagles.

Gardner-Johnson again served as a full-time starter during his second Eagles stint, racking up six interceptions and 12 pass deflections. His eight touchdowns allowed in coverage could be a cause for concern for the Texans, but the 27-year-old will be counted on to serve as a playmaker in a Texans secondary which proved to be effective last year with the cornerback tandem of Derek Stingley Jrand Kamari Lassiter. Houston ranked sixth against the pass in 2024, and continued success in that department can be expected.

This move marks further changes in the Eagles’ secondary, meanwhile. Philadelphia has decided to release Darius Slay and James Bradberry, and on Monday fellow corner Isaiah Rodgers agreed to a deal with the Vikings. With Gardner-Johnson set to be on the move (the trade cannot be finalized until the new league year begins tomorrow, of course), Philadelphia will need to make a number of moves during the secondary waves of free agency and the draft to restock the defensive backfield.

Green entered the NFL with high expectations as a first-round pick. The Texas A&M product served as a full-time starter during his rookie campaign, but he was sidelined for the entire 2023 season due to a shoulder injury. Green returned to action this past year, logging nine starts and 12 appearances at left guard. Much like his rookie slate, though, his PFF evaluation left plenty to be desired. Green’s overall grade of 38.6 ranked second-last amongst qualifying guards.

Presuming the Eagles decline his fifth-year option, one year will remain on Green’s rookie contract. The soon-to-be 24-year-old will provide the team with a cost-effective option along the interior. Mekhi Becton upped his free agent value considerably as a guard starter in 2024, and his departure could allow for Green to compete for a first-team gig. At a minimum, he will be able to fill in as a spot-starter as needed on an otherwise expensive O-line.

Eagles To Trade Kenny Pickett To Browns

7:09pm: This is not expected to be the only veteran move the Browns make at quarterback. The team is likely still in the market for a vet to join Pickett, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets. This could drop Pickett to the third-string level quickly, depending on how the Browns proceed in the draft.

4:37pm: Kenny Pickett is headed back to the AFC North. The former Steelers first-rounder spent one season with the Eagles, but he is being traded once again.

Pickett is being dealt to the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Eagles will receive fellow quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson as well as a 2025 fifth-round pick from Cleveland.

The Browns are in historically unprecedented shape at quarterback, having Deshaun Watson‘s guarantees still on the books through 2026. Watson has bombed spectacularly in Cleveland, and the Browns just completed another restructure — one that creates 2025 cap space but balloons his 2026 cap number to $81MM and his dead money number (in the event of a release) to $135.4MM. Cost conservation is more necessary for the Browns at QB.

This, of course, will be Pickett’s second time in two offseasons being dealt. The Browns are quite familiar with the 2022 first-round pick, as he was the Steelers’ primary starter for two seasons. The Steelers bailed on Pickett shortly between their Russell Wilson and Justin Fields pickups last year. Pittsburgh’s Pickett trade haul did include a third-round pick coming back, in a deal sending other selections back to Philly, but the Eagles are moving on ahead of the Pitt alum’s contract year.

Pickett, 27 in June, played in five Eagles games last season and started one. A rib issue sidelined the ex-Steeler, giving way to Tanner McKee, who appears set to have a shot to back up Jalen Hurts in 2025. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in a loss to the Commanders, throwing a costly interception but also leading two fourth-quarter scoring drives. Starting for Hurts the following week, Pickett saw a previous rib issue become too much of a hindrance. He did not play again until mop-up time in the NFC championship and Super Bowl LIX.

With the Steelers, Pickett drew immediate scrutiny as an underwhelming Ben Roethlisberger successor. He managed only seven touchdown passes in 13 games as a rookie and threw just six in 12 sophomore-season contests. While Matt Canada’s offense drew criticism (ahead of an ultra-rare in-season Steelers coach dismissal), Pickett did not inspire confidence after some late-game success down the stretch as a rookie. The Steelers benched him for Mason Rudolph late in the 2023 season and were not exactly pleased with how he handled it. Pickett preferred a scenery change after the Wilson arrival, and the Steelers granted it early during the 2024 offseason.

The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick and have been linked to quarterbacks, along with Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter (whom Cleveland deems a wide receiver). Pickett would not generate much optimism as the Browns’ bridge, making the prospect of another veteran addition logical before the draft decision. Thompson-Robinson holds a ghastly 1-10 TD-INT ratio, having struggled in five starts. The Browns gave the former UCLA starter a few chances but ultimately did not see much production. The Eagles will take a flier, likely as a third-string option, nonetheless.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.