Colts Hoping DT DeForest Buckner Returns This Season
The Colts are optimistic that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner can recover from his neck injury in time to play again this season, per FOX59’s Mike Chappell.
Buckner went down in Week 9 and landed on injured reserve shortly after. The exact nature of his injury was not disclosed, but neck issues are always cause for concern. He has been rehabbing at the team’s facility in Indianapolis with the goal of returning this season, though the team has not issued a timeline.
Buckner, 31, was having another strong year anchoring the Colts defense with 42 sacks, four sacks, and nine tackles in nine games. He has been exceptionally consistent over his decade in the NFL. In each of the last seven years, he has put up at least 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. However, this is his second year in a row with a stint on injured reserve. He returned from an early absence in 2024 with per-game numbers that line up with the rest of his career. The Colts will be hoping for a similar result this year to give a late-season boost to their defense that could maintain their contender status heading into the postseason.
In the meantime, Neville Gallimore and Adetomiwa Adebawore will both fill Buckner’s snaps along the defensive line. It will be hard for either one to replicate his impact, but both have put in solid efforts. Gallimore has 2.5 sacks in 10 games after zero in 2024 and just four in the four years before that, and Adebawore stepped up with a career-high five tackles in Week 10.
However, having an interior disruptor of Buckner’s caliber could be crucial in the postseason. The Colts are well-positioned to qualify, but getting Buckner on the field might keep them from turning into a pumpkin in the first round.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25
Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Mike Ford, OL Kyle Hinton, DL Ta’Quon Graham, OL Elijah Wilkinson, LB Josh Woods
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Jake Hummel, WR Tylan Wallace
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Dan Chisena
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DE Cameron Sample
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Jack Sanborn
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Craig Reynolds, LB Grant Stuard
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Casey Toohill
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Neville Gallimore, OL Danny Pinter
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DB Tavierre Thomas
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Jaylinn Hawkins
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
New York Jets
- Signed: DE Rashad Weaver
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Ben VanSumeren
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Tre Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: QB Kyle Trask
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Blake Hance
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Kevon Seymour
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 Lock–Geno 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).
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.
Arizona Cardinals
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Andre Baccellia, LB Markus Bailey, LB Krys Barnes, OL Jackson Barton, RB Michael Carter, WR Dan Chisena, CB Jaden Davis, OL Marquis Hayes, OL Keith Ismael, LB Julian Okwara, WR Tejhaun Palmer, QB Desmond Ridder, TE Bernhard Seikovits, DL Ben Stille, CB Divaad Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
Signed:
- DT Neville Gallimore (story)
Claimed:
Waived:
- DT Cory Durden
Placed on IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- OL A.J. Arcuri, OL Justin Dedich, B Zach Evans, TE Miller Forristall, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Shaun Jolly, TE Nikola Kalinic, DB Cam Lampkin, DT Tuli Letuligasenoa, OL Mike McAllister, DT David Olajiga, WR Xavier Smith, WR Drake Stoops, DB Jason Taylor II, OLB Keir Thomas, LB Zach VanValkenburg, WR Sam Wiglusz
San Francisco 49ers
Signed:
- OL Ben Bartch, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., TE Eric Saubert, CB Rock Ya-Sin
Claimed:
Waived:
Placed on IR:
- OL Jon Feliciano, CB Ambry Thomas
Signed to practice squad:
- DE Jonathan Garvin, DB Chase Lucas, S Tracy Walker
Seattle Seahawks
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Artie Burns
Rams To Sign DL Neville Gallimore
Part of Tuesday’s Dolphins cut list, Neville Gallimore will not end up waiting long to land another gig. The Rams are bringing in the four-year Cowboys contributor, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.
As a vested veteran, Gallimore can bypass today’s upcoming waiver frenzy. The Rams are not bothering with a workout, being prepared to add the fifth-year defensive lineman to their 53-man roster. A former third-round Cowboys pick, Gallimore spent the offseason in Miami but was unable to stick with the team beyond cutdown day.
The Rams have an opening on their D-line, having placed Larrell Murchison on IR with a return designation. This sidelines the interior D-lineman for at least four games. Gallimore will join a team attempting to form a post-Aaron Donald defensive front.
Gallimore, 27, had joined the Dolphins on a one-year, $1.79MM deal in March. The Dolphins guaranteed that full amount at signing. Via offset language, Gallimore’s Rams deal — wherever it ends up — would stand to help the AFC East team on the dead money front. The Oklahoma alum settled in as a rotational player in Dallas, moving from rookie-year starter to backup during Dan Quinn‘s time with the team.
Pro Football Focus graded Gallimore as a mid-pack D-lineman in 2023, slotting him 69th at the position. The Cowboys used him as a backup in 17 games, with his snaps falling from 403 in 2022 to 288 last season. Second-round pick Braden Fiske headlined the Rams’ effort to arrange an after-Donald D-line group, with Tyler Davis making the roster after arriving as a sixth-rounder soon after. Murchison re-signed with the team in late March. The rookies join ascending starter Kobie Turner and contract-year DT Bobby Brown on Chris Shula‘s defense.
Dolphins Reduce Roster To 53 Players
After two-straight Wild Card Round losses, the Dolphins are hoping to take another step forward in 2024. The team started prepping for a crucial campaign today, as they set their 53-man roster by making the following moves:
Released:
- LB Curtis Bolton
- LS Blake Ferguson
- DT Neville Gallimore
- DT Jonathan Harris
- DT Isaiah Mack
- RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
- CB Nik Needham
Waived:
- LB David Anenih
- WR Je’Quan Burton
- S Jordan Colbert
- DT Robert Cooper
- WR Erik Ezukanma
- WR Mike Harley Jr.
- OL Chasen Hines
- RB Zander Horvath
- LB Dequan Jackson
- WR Jadon Janke
- CB Isaiah Johnson
- OL Matthew Jones
- CB Jason Maitre
- OT Bayron Matos
- WR Kyric McGowan
- DT Leonard Payne
- S Mark Perry
- TE Hayden Rucci
Waived/injured:
- RB Chris Brooks
- OT Ryan Hayes
- WR Braylon Sanders
Placed on IR:
- WR River Cracraft (designated for return)
- LB Wyatt Ray
- CB Cam Smith (designated for return)
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- WR Odell Beckham Jr. (story)
- LB Bradley Chubb (story)
- LB Cameron Goode
- OL Isaiah Wynn (story)
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the expectation is that long snapper Blake Ferguson will end up re-upping with the Dolphins, with his release solely being for roster machinations. The former sixth-round pick has spent his entire career in Miami, with the special teamer appearing in 67 games.
Nik Needham‘s stay in Miami has come to an end after five seasons. The former UDFA started 27 of his 61 appearances with the organization, although the majority of his production came in his first three seasons with the Dolphins. Between 2019 and 2021, the defensive back hauled in six interceptions, but after returning from a 2022 season-ending injury, he only got into 71 defensive snaps in 2023.
There was some hope that Neville Gallimore could provide the Dolphins with some defensive line depth when he caught on with the organization. The former third-round pick never clicked in Dallas, but he still got into 52 games in his four years with the organization. He collected four sacks and nine QB hits over the span, and he twice managed to top 400 defensive snaps in a campaign.
Dolphins To Sign DL Neville Gallimore
Neville Gallimore is heading to Miami. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the defensive lineman is expected to sign with the Dolphins. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes it’s a one-year deal, adding Gallimore turned down slightly better offers from other teams.
Gallimore spent his entire four-year career in Dallas after being selected in the third-round of the 2020 draft. Once rated the top Canadian draft prospect, Gallimore got an extended look on defense as a rookie, starting nine of his 14 appearances. After an elbow injury limited him to only five contests in 2021, the defensive lineman has mostly seen a backup role over the past two seasons.
Gallimore started one of his 33 appearances between 2022 and 2023, with the lineman playing in 691 defensive snaps between the campaigns. He collected 16 tackles and one sack in 17 games this past season, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 69th among 130 qualifying interior defenders.
In Miami, the defensive lineman will work with defensive line coach Austin Clark, with Rapoport noting that the two have trained together during the offseason. Gallimore will be part of the team’s answer to replace Christian Wilkins, with the team having also added Isaiah Mack and Daviyon Nixon for reinforcement on the defensive line.
Restructured Contracts: Garoppolo, Bills, Wilson, Reed
Jimmy Garoppolo continues to help the Raiders carve out cap space. After reworking his deal earlier this offseason, the quarterback has once again restructured his deal, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
The move will create $17MM in cap space for the organization, making them cap compliant. As Vince Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes, the team previously converted an $11.25MM signing bonus into base salary, increasing Garoppolo‘s salary from $11.25MM to $22.5MM in the process. Bonsignore assumes the front office did some work today to reduce that newfound 2023 number.
Shortly after Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75MM deal, he underwent surgery to repair the fractured foot he sustained in early December. The Raiders’ first restructuring helped protect the organization in case the QB’s foot injury lingers into the regular season.
More financial notes from around the NFL…
- The Bills opened a chunk of cap space today. The team opened $4.5MM in cap space by restructuring the contracts of guard Ryan Bates and cornerback Taron Johnson, per Yates. Bates turned into a full-time starter for the Bills in 2022, while Johnson has started 41 games for Buffalo over the past three seasons.
- Cedrick Wilson Jr. reworked his contract with the Dolphins prior to cutdown day, per Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. The veteran wideout lowered his base salary to $2MM while receiving a $3MM signing bonus, equaling his $5MM in guarantees from last season. With incentives, Wilson can earn up to $7.25MM on his reworked contract.
- The Vikings recently reworked the contract of guard Chris Reed, according to ESPN’s Ben Goessling. The offensive lineman’s base salary is now fully guaranteed at $1.165MM, an increase from the $1.4MM ($600K guaranteed) pact he was previously attached to. This was the second time this offseason that Reed agreed to a reworked contract.
- Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills restructured his deal recently, converting $2.28MM of his base salary into a signing bonus, per Yates. The new deal also has three new void years, opening around $1.8MM in cap space.
- The Cowboys restructured Neville Gallimore‘s contract, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The defensive tackle’s salary was reduced from $2.7MM to $1.5MM, and he can now earn $750K via incentives.
Cowboys Activate Randy Gregory, Neville Gallimore From IR
The Cowboys will have their starting defensive ends in uniform together for the first time since Week 1. Dallas moved Randy Gregory back onto its active roster Saturday.
Both Gregory and defensive tackle starter Neville Gallimore are back from IR. Gregory missed time because of a calf injury, while Gallimore has seen a more severe injury shelve him for the entire season. The second-year defensive tackle has missed all of the 2021 slate due to a dislocated elbow.
Gallimore, a 2020 third-round pick who started nine games as a rookie, returned to practice last week. Gregory’s IR-return window opened ahead of Week 14. The Cowboys will have both in uniform when they face Washington on Sunday. They will team with DeMarcus Lawrence, who returned in Week 13 after having missed 10 games, on a suddenly healthy defensive front.
Gregory has missed time for both this calf ailment and a COVID-19 contraction this season, but he has avoided more off-field trouble. The former 2015 second-rounder has been quite productive in his seven games this season. The oft-unavailable pass rusher has five sacks and 12 QB hits, setting himself up potentially for a payday in 2022. Gregory is due for free agency in March. The Cowboys are not planning to finalize any deals with their 2022 UFAs until season’s end.
Dallas being able to deploy its preferred Lawrence-Gregory defensive end duo will allow rookie dynamo Micah Parsons to spend more time at linebacker. The Cowboys’ edge unavailability has forced Parsons to play up front extensively, though the Penn State product has thrived pretty much wherever he has lined up.
Cowboys’ Randy Gregory Returns To Practice
An important piece to the Cowboys’ defensive front may be on the way back. Randy Gregory returned to practice Wednesday, according to NFL.com’s Jane Slater (Twitter link). 
The pass rusher had been placed on IR with a calf injury he suffered in a practice drill one month ago. That was a major blow to an improved Cowboys defense, and an interruption in Gregory’s most successful season to date. In seven games, he has recorded five sacks to go along with 12 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
The news is the latest welcome sign for Dallas’ defensive line, as two-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence was activated from IR last week. If Gregory is able to return for Sunday’s game against Washington, it would mark the first time since Week 1 that both of the Cowboys’ starting defensive ends were available.
With second-year nose tackle Neville Gallimore also returning to practice, the potential for a healthy defensive line would have an impact on standout rookie Micah Parsons. An off-ball linebacker by trade, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft has been forced to play on the edge for long stretches this year, recording 10 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Cowboys Designate Neville Gallimore For Return
The Cowboys have designated Neville Gallimore for return, per a club announcement. The move opens up a 21-day practice window for the defensive tackle, paving the way for his eventual return.
[RELATED: Cowboys Place Steele On Reserve/COVID-19 List]
Gallimore, a 2020 third-rounder, started nine games in his rookie campaign and was expected to serve as a starter again this year. Unfortunately, a dislocated elbow has shelved him all year. Now, at minimum, he’ll serve as a valuable rotational piece on the interior.
In theory, Gallimore can suit up for Thursday night against the Saints, but it’s not clear if he’ll be ready in time. Ditto for Randy Gregory and two-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence, who is aiming to return from his foot fracture.
The Cowboys would like to have all three linemen back in action ASAP. After dropping their last two, the Cowboys are 7-4 and still in danger of losing the NFC East lead.