Jaguars Extend OL Cole Van Lanen
The Jaguars are making a surprising investment in offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen after the 27-year-old stepped up as a clutch injury replacement for the team this year. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Van Lanen will remain in Jacksonville on a three-year, $51MM extension that includes $32.5MM of guarantees and could see an increase of $4MM with incentives. 
Van Lanen’s deal comes on the heels of a similar extension for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Per Michael DiRocco, also of ESPN, the Jaguars felt the need to get both deals done, as “using the franchise tag was not an option for either player.”
Van Lanen, a sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin back in 2021, only played in one game for the Packers after his hometown team drafted him. He failed to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and signed to the practice squad with just the one elevation. He did sign a reserve/futures deal with Green Bay at end of the year, but after spending the offseason and most of the preseason with the team, Van Lanen was traded to the Jaguars in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
Van Lanen served mostly as a special teamer in his first season in Duval. Jacksonville only put him on the field with the offense for 18 snaps that year, but his versatility showed early as those snaps came at left tackle (1), right guard (11), and left guard (6). In 2023, Van Lanen’s role would’ve been reduced to just special teams or, even worse, a healthy scratch in several weeks, but injuries to right tackle Cam Robinson (and a few other backup linemen) put Van Lanen at that spot for parts of two games as an injury replacement.
Last year, Van Lanen didn’t appear in a game until Week 9, playing only three offensive snaps over his first four games of the season before finally earning his first career NFL start at right tackle. Two weeks later he was forced to sub into a game very early at left tackle before starting the final two games of the season at that position, which he had held down when he was a Badger in college.
Even this season, Van Lanen began in a backup capacity, and even though he got a few snaps in Weeks 4 & 7, he didn’t actually start a game until Week 9 for Jacksonville this year. His first start came as just an extra lineman but saw him spend time at left guard, where he would start for an injured Ezra Cleveland the next week. Van Lanen then went back to starting at right tackle for two games in place of an injured Anton Harrison and subbed in for an injured Patrick Mekari at right guard for a week all before taking over for Walker Little at left tackle for the past four weeks of the season.
Van Lanen didn’t just stand in over the past five weeks for Mekari and Little. By the metrics of Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Van Lanen has seemingly outplayed the two veterans in their own positions. So much so, that even when Little returned from injury, the team continued to start Van Lanen and shifted Little inside to right guard to cover for an injured Mekari.
It will be interesting to see how the three players’ roles change into the postseason and next year. Mekari and Little have both held swing tackle roles as versatile linemen in their pasts before being named starters this year, and now Van Lanen has shown he can be more effective as a starter.
The outrageous size of Van Lanen’s extension (for a player who’s only started 12 games in his career and only the last four at left tackle) seems to indicate that he will be getting preference moving forward. The annual average value of his deal ($17MM) surpasses those of both Little ($13.5MM) and Mekari ($12.5MM) as Jacksonville continues to build a shuffleable offensive line full of versatility.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/25
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed RFA tender: S Ar’Darius Washington
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LS Zach Triner
- Designated as IPP participant: TE Thomas Yassmin
Houston Texans
- Waived: G Tremayne Anchrum Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed RFA tender: OL Cole Van Lanen
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed ERFA tender: TE Tucker Fisk
Miami Dolphins
- Designated as IPP participant: OT Bayron Matos
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated as IPP participant: OT Laekin Vakalahi
Among literal free agent additions, LS Zach Triner is the only signing on the list. The veteran brings 84 games of experience to Denver, most of which came during a long stint with the Buccaneers. Triner will likely be competing with Mitchell Fraboni for the team’s long snapper role in 2025. As Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports, Triner inked a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the league minimum ($1.17MM).
A handful of teams designated players as their International Player Pathway program participants. Each qualifying team receives one roster exemption from the start of their offseason program to final preseason cuts. Today’s commitments include Thomas Yassmin (Australia), Bayron Matos (Dominican Republic), and Laekin Vakalahi (Australia).
NFC West Notes: Greenlaw, Seahawks, Rams
Not only did the Broncos manage to withstand an 11th-hour 49ers push for Dre Greenlaw, the AFC West team appears to have won out for the talented linebacker despite submitting a lesser offer. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch trekked to Greenlaw’s Texas home to convince the longtime Fred Warner wingman to stay, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch notes this mid-March meeting involved the team topping the Broncos’ offer. It is not known if San Francisco beat Denver’s overall number ($31.5MM) or guarantee at signing ($11.5MM), but Branch points to Greenlaw’s injury history keeping the 49ers from a substantial effort to retain the six-year veteran, who was on the team’s radar for a third contract. Greenlaw, 27, missed most of the 2021 season with a groin injury and played only a handful of snaps after suffering an Achilles tear in the first half of Super Bowl LVIII.
The Broncos will bet on Greenlaw and ex-49ers teammate Talanoa Hufanga returning to full strength, while the 49ers have Dee Winters — a 2023 sixth-round pick who started 10 games last season — in place as the top internal option to complement Warner. The draft could change this equation, but the 49ers have stood down on the veteran front after their regrettable De’Vondre Campbell stopgap investment in 2024.
Here is the latest from the NFC West:
- Not on the level of Greenlaw’s departure, Laken Tomlinson‘s Texans defection still leaves the Seahawks with a guard need once again. The team hosted Teven Jenkins, Lucas Patrick, and John Schneider also said (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson) a meeting with Jaguars RFA Cole Van Lanen occurred. No offer sheet emerged for Van Lanen, who has three career starts. The Jags gave Van Lanen the low-end RFA tender ($3.26MM). Seattle still has RG starter Anthony Bradford contracted, but Schneider said no veteran addition would be likely until after the draft. That is when Tomlinson arrived last year, but the draft will be a place to look here for the Seahawks.
- Cooper Kupp‘s three-year, $45MM Seahawks deal features an important 2026 date. The team guaranteed the former All-Pro receiver $17.5MM at signing, but $26.5MM in total. Kupp will see the remaining $9MM shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer notes. Seattle could escape the Kupp contract, should the homecoming not prove a fit, for $8MM in 2026 dead money (due to signing bonus proration).
- Additionally, the Rams did not designate Kupp a post-June 1 cut, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds. This created a $22.26MM dead money bill for the team. It had been assumed the Rams would attempt to halve that by using the post-June 1 option, which would have spread part of the bill into the 2026 offseason. Although this is a lofty single-player dead cap hit, the Rams will be free of the Kupp contract after this year.
- The Seahawks will deviate from their usual approach by adding a fullback, it appears. Importing Klint Kubiak‘s offense will mean a likely fullback inclusion, as Schneider said (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) the team is looking to add one via the draft or free agency. While the likes of Mack Strong and John L. Williams once thrived in Seattle, the team has not used a fullback regularly in many years. Kubiak’s offense, derived from his father’s attack, does make use of the niche position, however.
- Returning to the topic of Seahawks contracts, they made a much cheaper receiver investment by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The brief Kubiak Saints option agreed to a one-year deal worth $4MM in base value ($3MM guaranteed), per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. While this is far less than MVS played for in Kansas City, it beats his Buffalo and New Orleans pacts.
- The Cardinals‘ second Zay Jones contract also checked in south of the initially reported value. Pegged at $4.4MM, Jones’ deal is worth $2.4MM in base value, Balzer notes. Arizona guaranteed the veteran only $1.3MM. Jones, who turned 30 last week, caught just eight passes for 84 yards with the Cards last season.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/25
Here are Saturday’s tender decisions around the league:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bears: DT Chris Williams
- Jaguars: OL Cole Van Lanen
- Dolphins: CB Kader Kohou
Williams and Kohou have received the right of first refusal tender from their respective teams. That will set them up for $3.26MM in 2025, but if they depart via an offer sheet Chicago and Miami will not receive any compensation. Van Lanen has received the original round tender (which is valued at $3.41MM), as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. As a result, Jacksonville would receive a sixth-round pick as compensation in the event he signed an offer sheet from an interested team which the Jags declined to match.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/12/24
Friday’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Tim Jones, CB Gregory Junior, OL Cole Van Lanen
Jean-Charles spilt his time between the 49ers and Saints in 2023, finishing the campaign in New Orleans. He was used all-but exclusively on special teams during that time, which has also been the case throughout the rest of his career. The 25-year-old will have the chance to carve out a larger role in his first full season with New Orleans if he can make the active roster at the start of the 2024 campaign.
Jones, Junior and Van Lanen were each tendered as exclusive rights restricted free agents, so their respective deals come as no surprise. Seattle’s OTAs began this week, and each member of the trio will now be in place to take part in on-field work when that takes place before competing for roster spots in training camp.
Jaguars To Acquire OL Cole Van Lanen From Packers, Waive G Wes Martin
8:10pm: The Packers acquired a 2023 seventh-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
11:46am: A year into his career, Cole Van Lanen is being traded. The Packers are sending the 2021 sixth-round pick to the Jaguars, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.
Jacksonville will create a roster spot by cutting guard Wes Martin, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). Not yet a vested vet, Martin generated waiver interest earlier this year and will head back to the wire.
The Packers will receive an undisclosed draft pick for Van Lanen, a Green Bay native. A Wisconsin alum, Van Lanen played in one game with the Packers, despite a flood of injuries along their offensive line in 2021. The Jaguars will take a flier here.
Wisconsin’s primary left tackle from 2019-20, Van Lanen earned second-team All-Big Ten acclaim in ’19 and first-team honors in the truncated 2020 season. The Packers had been using Van Lanen at tackle and guard during his short stay with his hometown team, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Packers drafted offensive linemen in the third, fourth and seventh rounds this year (Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker).
Both the Chargers and Commanders put in claims for Martin in May, when the Giants cut him. Washington originally drafted Martin in the 2019 fourth round and used him as a starter at points during his first two seasons. Martin, 26, started 10 games for Washington from 2019-20 and played in seven Giants games last season.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/25/22
Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:
Arizona Cardinals
- P Nolan Cooney
Green Bay Packers
- QB Kurt Benkert, WR Chris Blair, CB Kabion Ento, QB Danny Etling, S Innis Gaines, LB La’Darius Hamilton, C Michal Menet, K J.J. Molson, OL Cole Van Lanen, LB Ray Wilborn
Miami Dolphins
- DB D’Angelo Ross
New England Patriots
Tennessee Titans
- DB Shyheim Carter, DB Rodney Clemons, LB Nate Hall
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated for return: LB Tanner Vallejo, LB Ezekiel Turner
- Released: P Ryan Winslow
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Matt Barkley
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: CB Xavier Crawford, S Teez Tabor
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: OG Xavier Su’a-Filo
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: WR Noah Brown, WR T.J. Vasher, OT Josh Ball
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: OT Cole Van Lanen
- Activated from IR: CB Jaire Alexander
Houston Texans
- Extended: S Grayland Arnold
- Placed on IR: OG Cole Turner, WR Phillip Dorsett
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return: RB Jerick McKinnon
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Justin March-Lillard, LB Kyle Wilber
- Designated for return: TE Derek Carrier
Los Angeles Chargers
- Designated for return: LB Kyler Fackrell, S Mark Webb
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return: LB Brennan Scarlett
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: QB Kyle Sloter
- Designated for return: TE Ben Ellefson
- Placed on IR: WR Adam Thielen
New England Patriots
- Designated for return: LB Harvey Langi
New York Giants
- Designated for return: LB Trent Harris
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Javin White
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21
Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Andy Lee
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Devon Kennard
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Jonathan Bullard, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Willie Beavers
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chris Board, LB Tyus Bowser, LB Justin Houston, S Geno Stone, LB Kristian Welch
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT David Sharpe, QB Christ Streveler
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley, WR Gabriel Davis, DE A.J. Epenesa, OL Jon Feliciano
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Dennis Daley, G Pat Elflein
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Austin Larkin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Haason Reddick, QB P.J. Walker
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mike Thomas
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Germaine Pratt
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Trysten Hill, S Malik Hooker
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB JaQuan Hardy, WR Brandon Smith
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Lloyd Cushenberry
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Calvin Anderson, WR Tim Patrick, S Caden Sterns
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trinity Benson, T Matt Nelson, WR Quintez Cephus
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Michael Brockers, G Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Geronimo Allison
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT Cole Van Lanen
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Henry Black, TE Tyler Davis, DL Kingsley Keke, P Cody Bojorquez
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jayson Stanley
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Maliek Collins, WR Brandin Cooks, K Ka’imi Fairbairn, LB Jonathan Greenard, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Jordan Jenkins, DL Jaleel Johnson, DL Roy Lopez, DB A.J. Moore, S Eric Murray, LB Derek Rivers, LB Eric Wilson, C Justin Britt, G Lane Taylor
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Ron’Dell Carter, WR Chris Moore
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Mark Glowinski, G Quenton Nelson, DE Kemoko Turay, DB Rock Ya-Sin, TE Farrod Green
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB James Morgan, TE Eli Wolf
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaydon Mickens, LB Dylan Moses, LT Cam Robinson, S Johnathan Ford
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Travis Kelce, K Harrison Butker, CB Rashad Fenton, P Tommy Townsend, S Armani Watts
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Darius Harris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Jermaine Eluemunor, CB Brandon Facyson, S Roderic Teamer
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Kendal Vickers, TE Darren Waller (story)
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Lester Cotton, G Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Joey Bosa, WR Jalen Guyton, CB Kemon Hall, C Corey Linsley, DB Trey Marshall, LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kenneth Murray, T Storm Norton
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cethan Carter, CB Justin Coleman, G Robert Jones, OL Greg Mancz, LB Duke Riley, WR Lynn Bowden
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Spencer Pulley
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Dalvin Cook
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Tye Smith
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Patrick Jones II
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OLB Harvey Langi
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB Matt Judon
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Demario Davis, QB Taysom Hill, QB Trevor Siemian, LB Kwon Alexander, LB Kaden Elliss, S J.T. Gray, OT Jordan Mills, OG James Carpenter, DT Christian Ringo, TE Adam Trautman, S Jeff Heath
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Williams
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Keion Crossen, DB Adoree’ Jackson, WR John Ross
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Dexter Lawrence
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Carter II, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, QB Joe Flacco, DL Jonathan Marshall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen, TE Kenny Yeboah
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Noah Dawkins, CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tanzel Smart
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Ken Webster
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Le’Raven Clark, T Andre Dillard, DE Tarron Jackson, DE Ryan Kerrigan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bryan Mone, CB D.J. Reed
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Jackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamel Dean, WR Mike Evans, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, WR Breshad Perriman
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Taylor Lewan, DB Elijah Molden, G Rodger Saffold
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: ILB Jayon Brown, OLB Bud Dupree, WR Julio Jones, DB Buster Skrine, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Darryl Roberts
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Beau Benzschawel, T David Steinmetz
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/21
Here are the NFL moves from Christmas Eve:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: T Bobby Hart, WR Isaiah Hodgins
- Placed on IR: DB Tre’Davious White
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: S Adrian Colbert, G Hjalte Froholdt, DE Joe Jackson, CB Herb Miller, S Jovante Moffatt, QB Nick Mullens, K Chris Naggar, DE Curtis Weaver
- Waived: WR Lawrence Cager, TE Miller Forristall
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: OL Cole Van Lanen
- Placed on IR: LB Ty Summers, WR Malik Taylor
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Tommylee Lewis, C Cameron Tom
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: C Mason Cole
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Rashard Robinson, WR Justin Watson
Washington Football Team
- Placed on IR: DB Landon Collins, DE Daniel Wise
- Place on reserve/NFI: DB Deshazor Everett
- Waived: DL Akeem Spence