Jaguars Made Offer To LB Devin Lloyd
The Jaguars declined linebacker Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option last spring, setting him up for a trip to the open market this offseason. While Lloyd entered the process hoping to re-sign with the Jaguars, the former first-round pick left Duval County for the Panthers’ three-year, $42MM proposal. The Jaguars at least had interest in retaining Lloyd, he confirmed (via David Newton of ESPN).
“It was offered,” said Lloyd, though he did not detail how close the Jaguars came to keeping him.
It’s worth pointing out that exercising Lloyd’s fifth-year option would have cost Jacksonville $14.75MM – a bit north of his current $14MM average annual value. The Jaguars deemed that too rich, though it was not a surprise they turned it down. A team has not picked up an off-ball linebacker’s fifth-year option since the Buccaneers did so for Devin White in 2022. Nevertheless, the NFL continues to group inside and outside linebackers together for valuation purposes.
The Jaguars stumbled to a 4-13 record in 2024, but they surprisingly orchestrated a major turnaround in the first year of the general manager James Gladstone-head coach Liam Coen reign last season. Thanks in part to a terrific season from Lloyd, the Jaguars reeled off 13 wins and took home an AFC South title. Lloyd made his first Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors after totaling 81 tackles, 25 pressures and a career-high five interceptions over 15 games. Pro Football Focus gave Lloyd an elite ranking (third) among 88 off-ball linebackers.
During his four-year run in Jacksonville, Lloyd averaged approximately 16 games, 109 tackles, seven passes defensed and two interceptions per season. That will not be easy production to replace, but Gladstone has pointed to the relatively inexperienced Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs as potential in-house successors (via Mia O’Brien of ESPN Radio). Miller, a 2023 third-rounder, missed his rookie year with a torn Achilles and then started 11 of 32 games over the past two seasons. Combs was a 2025 undrafted free agent who came off the bench in all 10 appearances last year. The vast majority of his snaps (177 of 205) came on special teams.
While Lloyd walked out the door, the Jaguars were able to retain outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck on a new contract. Details were not immediately available, but it is a two-year, $6.5MM pact with $3.15MM in guarantees and three void years, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/26
Here are the minor move from a frenzied free agency first day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Natrone Brooks, LB Christian Harris, DE Cameron Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Akayleb Evans, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Dominique Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OLB Dennis Gardeck
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to two-year deal: K Matt Gay
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Joe Cardona
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Greg Dulcich
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Chris Manhertz
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Andrew Beck
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL Esezi Otomewo
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/25
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Henry Black
- Waived: WR Makai Polk
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Kameron Cline
- Waived/injured: DE Hayden Harris
- Activated from active/PUP: RT Spencer Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Chase Cota
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Garrett Nelson
- Reverted to IR: LB Johnny Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Tre Herndon, CB Duke Shelley
- Released: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
- Placed on IR: CB David Long Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from active/PUP: LB Dennis Gardeck
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Matt Nelson
- Waived/injured: DE Alex Williams
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP: WR Mack Hollins
- Placed on IR: OT Yasir Durant
New Orleans Saints
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- Signed: P Kai Kroeger
- Waived: QB Hunter Dekkers
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from active/NFI: G Isaac Seumalo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Carter Bradley, WR Marquez Callaway, WR Andy Isabella
- Released: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Waived: OL Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Malik Knowles, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Ben Bartch
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Keydrain Calligan
- Waived: DT Thor Griffith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaden Smith
- Waived/injured: S Marcus Banks, RB D.J. Williams
Washington Commanders
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Tim McKay
The Colts added some experienced cornerback depth today in Tre Herndon and Duke Shelley. Herndon had a long stint in Jacksonville, starting 34 of his 83 appearances with the organization. Shelley has bounced around the league a bit, with his longest stint coming in Chicago between 2019 and 2021. Both players were limited to one appearance each during the 2024 campaign.
The 49ers made a long list of moves today, most notably to their wide receiver depth. Marquez Callaway was limited to two games in Tampa Bay last season, but he compiled 698 receiving yards and six touchdowns as recently as 2021. Andy Isabella has only gotten into 13 total games over the past four years, hauling in five receptions over that span. They’ll be taking the roster spots previously held by former Bears starter Equanimeous St. Brown and former Kansas State standout Malik Knowles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/25
Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Kyon Barrs
Chicago Bears
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Jaylon Johnson, QB Case Keenum, WR Jahdae Walker, RB Ian Wheeler
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on active/PUP list: TE Erick All
- Placed on active/NFI list: C Seth McLaughlin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Dennis Gardeck
New England Patriots
- Placed on active/PUP list: WR Mack Hollins, TE Austin Hooper, OT Vederian Lowe, LB Jahlani Tavai
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Carlton Davis, S Josh Minkins, WR Jeremiah Webb
New York Jets
- Placed on active/PUP list: DE Jermaine Johnson, WR Irvin Charles
- Placed on active/NFI list: LB Aaron Smith
Washington Commanders
- Placed on active/NFI list: T Timothy McKay
The Cardinals were one of the two teams Barrs visited yesterday. His free agent workout clearly went well, and he will look to carve out a roster spot during training camp. Barrs, a former UDFA, has yet to make a regular season appearance.
Every player on a PUP or NFI list can be activated at any time, but their designations mean they are not cleared to practice at the start of their respective training camps. Notably, the Patriots’ list of PUP players does not include Stefon Diggs. The free agent addition was a candidate to begin camp on the PUP list, but New England’s decision to keep him on the active roster is an encouraging sign regarding his ACL recovery.
The Jets are taking a cautious approach with Jermaine Johnson, as the former first-rounder confirmed on X. An Achilles tear limited him to two games last year, but the Pro Bowler said on Saturday he is ready for on-field work. Activation well in advance of Week 1 should be expected in his case.
Jaguars To Sign OLB Dennis Gardeck
The Jaguars are continuing to round out their 2025 squad by signing former Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Gardeck spent the first seven years of his NFL career in Arizona, totaling 96 appearances and 17 starts, though his production has been somewhat inconsistent. 13.0 of his 17.0 sacks came in 2020 and 2023; last year, he posted 3.0 sacks and six tackles for loss in seven games last season before landing on injured reserve with a torn ACL.
The 30-year-old is the second addition to Jacksonville’s pass rush in as many days; the team reunited with veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot on Tuesday. He may play a more versatile role along the Jaguars’ defensive line, but the 232-pound Gardeck is purely an edge defender. Along with 2023 fifth-rounder Yasir Abdullah, Gardeck will provide depth behind former first-round picks Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Gardeck has put together a solid career for a former Division II college player. He signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie out of Sioux Falls University and quickly established himself as a core special teams contributor. Gardeck eventually worked his way into Arizona’s OLB rotation in 2020 and impressed with 7.0 sacks in just 94 defensive snaps. He took a step back across the following two seasons with just 1.0 sack and three tackles for loss, but reemerged in 2023 with 6.0 sacks and seven tackles for loss.
In Jacksonville, Gardeck will likely continue in a rotational role on defense while remaining a mainstay on special teams, where he’s played 1,874 snaps in his career.
The Jaguars waived 2024 fifth-rounder Keilan Robinson in a corresponding move, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The former Alabama and Texas running back appeared in six games as a rookie with 51 of his 56 snaps coming on special teams.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/24
Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB Dennis Gardeck (story)
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DT DeWayne Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: WR Dee Eskridge
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DT Byron Young
Carter is dealing with a wrist injury which will require surgery. Head coach Sean McDermott indicated (via Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News) the team was initially unsure of if a stint on injured reserve would be needed. Now that the third-round rookie has been moved to IR, he will miss at least the next four games. Carter has appeared in all seven of Buffalo’s contests this year, logging a 39% snap share.
Cardinals’ Dennis Gardeck Tears ACL
Working his way up from primary special-teamer to defensive regular, Dennis Gardeck had found a role in Jonathan Gannon‘s defense. But the veteran’s progress will stop as a result of the injury he sustained Monday night.
Gardeck left the Cardinals’ Week 7 matchup, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports the seventh-year vet sustained a torn ACL. The edge rusher is in the final season of a three-year, $10MM contact.
Although Gardeck had worked as a special-teamer in Vance Joseph‘s defense, Gannon and DC Nick Rallis — as the team cut costs to start a rebuild — moved him into a regular rush role. The effort produced a team-high six sacks last season, and Gardeck had tallied a Cards-leading three early in this campaign. Gardeck has also forced a fumble and intercepted a pass for the 3-4 team.
While Gardeck did well to land the $10MM deal as a special-teamer, this setback could be a crusher as he attempted to make his case for better terms ahead of free agency. The former UDFA turned 30 this year and could have continued building a case for a starter-level contract. With the tear occurring near the midseason point, Gardeck’s value will undoubtedly take a hit.
The Cardinals used Gardeck as a three-game starter, giving him a 45% snap share on defense. He logged a 46% defensive snap rate under Gannon last season. The Cardinals have also been without BJ Ojulari this season; the 2023 second-rounder is out for the year. That will make the Gardeck injury tougher to overcome. Arizona still has former first-round pick Zaven Collins on the edge, but none of the team’s non-Gardeck OLBs have tallied a sack this season. A defense already ranking in the bottom quartile in points and yards allowed will continue an uphill battle.
Contract Details: Seals-Jones, Williams, Tomlinson, Jones, Montgomery, Gardeck, Singleton, Carter
Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to across the league:
- Ricky Seals-Jones, TE (Giants): One-year, $1.19MM. The deal, tweeted out by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a $352,500 amount guaranteed at signing. The guaranteed amount includes a signing bonus of $152,500 and $200,000 of his salary worth $1.04MM.
- Maxx Williams, TE (Cardinals): One-year, $1.27MM. The deal has a salary of $1.12MM, according to Wilson. Regardless of whether or not he is active, he’ll receive a $15,000 bonus for any game for which he is on the roster. If he is active for any game, he’ll receive an additional $52,500 roster bonus. He’ll also receive a per game active bonus of $5,000 for a potential season total of $85,000.
- Eric Tomlinson, TE (Broncos): One-year, $1.44MM. The deal has an amount of $1MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The guaranteed amount includes a $400,000 signing bonus and $600,000 of his salary worth $1.04MM.
- DaQuan Jones, DT (Bills): Two-year, $14MM. The deal has an amount of $10.63MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The guaranteed amount consists of a $5.5MM signing bonus, the full first-year salary of $1.75MM, and $3.38MM of the second-year salary, which is set at $6.75MM. The contract includes a voidable year for 2024 that voids automatically 23 days before the 2024 league year begins.
- Ty Montgomery, RB (Patriots): Two-year, $3.6MM. The deal has an average annual salary of $1.8MM with an amount of $300,000 guaranteed consisting entirely of the dual-position player’s signing bonus, according to Wilson. Included in that AAV of $1.8MM are a first-year salary of $1.16MM, a second-year salary of $1.36MM, roster bonuses of $280,000 in year one and $340,000 in year two, and workout bonuses of $50,000 in each year. The former wide receiver will earn a per game active bonus of $20,000 for a potential season total of $340,000. The deal holds an annual playtime incentive of up to $300,000. The deal also holds a potential out after the 2022 NFL season that would leave a dead cap number of $150,000.
- Dennis Gardeck, LB (Cardinals): Three-year, $10MM. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $3.75MM, according to Wilson. $3.25MM of that amount is guaranteed at signing with a $2MM signing bonus and the first-year salary of $1.25MM being fully guaranteed. $500,000 of the second-year salary, worth $3.27MM, guarantees on the fifth league day of the 2023 season (injury guaranteed at signing). The third-year salary is worth $2.46MM. Gardeck will also receive a per game active bonus of $20,000 for a potential season total of $340,000. The deal includes an annual playtime incentive of $250,000 and an escalator based on sack total that can be worth up to $625,000. A potential out after the 2022 season would leave a dead cap number of $1.33MM.
- Alex Singleton, LB (Broncos): One-year, $1.12MM. The deal has a salary of $965,000 with a guaranteed amount of $150,000 fully consisting of Singleton’s signing bonus, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Singleton will have a playtime incentive based on snap-percentage. At the end of the year, if he has played 65% of the team’s defensive snaps, he’ll receive $250,000, $500,000 if he plays 70%, and $750,000 if he plays 75%.
- Lorenzo Carter, OLB (Falcons): One-year, $3.5MM. The deal has a salary of $1.5MM with a guaranteed amount of $2MM fully consisting of Carter’s signing bonus, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. The deal includes a 2023 dummy year that will be voided 23 days before the 2023 league year. It will leave the Falcons with a dead cap number of $1M for Carter.
Cardinals Re-Sign Dennis Gardeck
“The Barbarian” is heading back to Arizona. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Cardinals have re-signed linebacker and special teams ace Dennis Gardeck.
It’s a three-year deal worth $12MM for Gardeck.
An undrafted free agent in 2018, Gardeck has spent his entire four-year career with the Cardinals. He was a key member of Arizona’s special teams unit through his first three seasons in the NFL, collecting 34 tackles in 44 games.
Gardeck saw a larger role on defense in 2021, getting into a career-high 19 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Coupled with his usual special teams duties, the 27-year-old managed to finish with a career-high 23 tackles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/21
Here is Saturday’s batch of minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: LB Dennis Gardeck
- Promoted: S Chris Banjo, OL Eric Smith
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: CB Cam Lewis
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: S Kenny Robinson, RB Rodney Smith
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: WR Malik Turner
- Promoted: DT Austin Faoliu, DT Justin Hamilton, RB Nick Ralston, TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: LB Curtis Robinson, OL Austin Schlottmann
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: K Ryan Santoso
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Placed on IR: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (story)
Houston Texans
- Promoted: QB Jeff Driskel, DB A.J. Moore, LB Hardy Nickerson
- Activated from IR: K Ka’imi Fairbairn
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DB Dicaprio Bootle
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from IR: LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
- Promoted: RB Buddy Howell, LB Justin Lawler
- Waived: S J.R. Reed
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: C Cameron Tom
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: G Dakota Dozier, CB Parry Nickerson
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: C Will Clapp, T Jordan Mills, WR Kenny Stills
New York Giants
- Promoted: C Jonotthan Harrison
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: S Ashtyn Davis, S Sharrod Neasman
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
- Waived: RB Josh Adams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: OL Jack Driscoll, CB Josiah Scott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OT Chaz Green, WR Cody White
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL Maurice Hurst
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Pierre Desir, TE Codey McElroy, CB Rashard Robinson
- Waived: DL Khalil Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Amani Bledsoe, FB Tory Carter