Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/25

Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Jadon Janke

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans

Williams, who recently worked out for Houston without getting a contract, turned a workout with the Patriots into a roster spot for the summer. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, New England also worked out former Saints running back Jordan Mims, but Williams walked away with the deal.

Titans Add CB Amani Oruwariye, DE Carlos Watkins

The Titans made a handful of changes to the bottom of their roster today, adding a trio of defenders in the process. For starters, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the team has signed cornerback Amani Oruwariye. The team later announced that they claimed linebacker Amari Burney off waivers from the Raiders.

The Titans also added defensive end Carlos Watkins, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. To accommodate these moves, the team waived defensive tackle Abdullah Anderson (per Wilson).

Oruwariye will add some veteran depth to Tennessee’s secondary, as the veteran has appeared in 61 games over the past six seasons. Following a brief stint as one of the Lions’ starting cornerbacks, Oruwariye has bounced around a bit. He most recently got into seven games (four starts) for the Cowboys in 2024, compiling 29 tackles and three passes defended.

Oruwariye earned headlines last season after mishandling a blocked punt that led to an eventual game-deciding score. His special teams coach in Dallas, John Fassel, is now serving in the same role in Tennessee, and there’s a good chance the new free agent acquisition will likely be playing a similar special teams-centric role in 2025.

Watkins was also in Dallas last season, as the veteran defensive tackle compiled 12 tackles in 15 games. While he’s likely been added as a ST option for Fassel, Watkins actually saw more time on defense in 2024, getting into 225 snaps. The former fourth-round pick has appeared in 87 career games, collecting 151 tackles and six sacks.

Burney also brings some experience, as the former sixth-round pick got into 24 games for the Raiders over the past two seasons. This included a 2024 season where he appeared in a career-high 17 games while compiling 17 tackles and one sack. The defensive lineman was waived by the Raiders yesterday.

Anderson has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Bucknell in 2018. He spent most of last year on Tennessee’s practice squad, and he didn’t record a tackle in his four appearances with the big-league club.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/25

The following 2025 draft picks signed their rookie contracts today:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/25

Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: CB Jeremiah Walker
  • Placed on Exempt/International Player list: P Tory Taylor

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Jordan Turner, WR Kyrese White, LS Zach Triner, TE Cole Fotheringham
  • Waived: CB Kendall Bohler, LB K.J. Cloyd, NT Christian Dowell, TE Thomas Yassmin
  • Placed on Exempt/International Player list: P Jeremy Crawshaw

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: QB Taylor Elgersma
  • Released: OL Marquis Hayes

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: C Mose Vavao
  • Waived: DT Joe Evans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: WR Dalevon Campbell, LB Kana’i Mauga
  • Waived: OL Bucky Williams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: DT Isaiah Iton, G Mehki Butler, DT Wilfried Pene
  • Waived: OT Cole Birdow

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Signed: CB T.J. Moore
  • Waived: DB R.J. Delancey, DB Tommy McCormick

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: TE Drake Dabney,WR TJ Sheffield
  • Waived: CB Virgil Lemons, S Jerrin Thompson

Hoyland converted 79.3% of his field goal attempts for the Wyoming Cowboys across the last five years. He was ultra-consistent on extra points with 147 makes on 148 tries. Hoyland will compete with sixth-round pick Tyler Loop for the Ravens’ kicking job after the team released Justin Tucker.

Sheffield brings some much-needed experience to the Dolphins’ cornerback room, though he hasn’t started since 2020. He could provide crucial veteran depth in Miami, especially if Jalen Ramsey is traded.

Elgersma was the starting quarterback at Wilfried Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, for the last three years. In 2024, he won the Hec Crighton Trophy – the Canadian equivalent to the Heisman – and earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, the first-ever for a Canadian QB. Elgersma was drafted in the second round of the 2025 CFL Draft by the Winnepeg Blue Bombers, but a successful tryout with the Packers will give him a chance at making an NFL roster.

Titans Sign 16 UDFA Rookies

MAY 16: The Titans gave significant guarantees to Jarris and Kimber, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharky. Both undrafted cornerbacks received around $200k in guaranteed money, among the highest amounts in team history.

Kimber ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Penn State’s pro day, but his strength and technique will need to improve to play more than special teams in the NFL.

MAY 10: The success of the Titans’ 2025 rookie class will likely hinge almost entirely on the success of their No. 1 overall pick, Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Regardless, they hit on several other positions of need with the rest of their nine-man draft class and have announced the signing of an undrafted crop that will bring their rookie group to 25. Here are the 16 undrafted free agents who signed deals with Tennessee:

A lot of the focus with the UDFAs was on defense, but all three offensive signees were notable. Crenshaw-Dickson was expected to be a late-Day 3 pick based on impressive measurables (6-foot-7, 316 pounds). After three years as a starter at San Diego State splitting time between both tackle spots (18 at left, 18 at right), Crenshaw-Dickson transferred to the Gators, with whom he would start 11 games at right tackle. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tennessee gave Crenshaw-Dickson $245K in guaranteed money, including a $20K signing bonus, to ensure that he would land in Nashville.

Based on film and production, Restrepo was expected to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round, but a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at his pro day may have cost him. Intangibles are the name of the game with Restrepo, who, despite his lack of ideal speed or size, holds school records for the most career receptions (200) and receiving yards (2,844), over such names as Reggie Wayne, Michael Irvin, and Santana Moss. Restrepo uses instincts to feel out soft spots in coverage, physicality to block and churn out extra yards, balance and body control to get open and make tough catches, and pure competitiveness to succeed. As Ward’s No. 1 target in Coral Gables, he stands a strong chance of making the 53-man roster if that chemistry continues.

On defense, the Titans are bringing in two notable linemen. Horsley was a four-year starter in five seasons with the Eagles. He doesn’t get to the quarterback much (only 3.5 sacks in his collegiate career), but he’s shown plenty of disruption in the past three years with 15.5 tackles for loss and seven passes defensed over that time. A stout run defender in the middle, Horsley was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection as a nose tackle. Raikes held a similar role with the Tigers last year after four years at Texas A&M. The Titans gave Raikes $85K guaranteed with a $10K signing bonus on his rookie deal, according to Pelissero.

In the secondary, Harris comes from Iowa to compete for a roster spot on defense. After redshirt and pandemic-shortened seasons in Iowa City, Harris started 28 games in his final three years with the Hawkeyes. In that time, he racked up 27 passes defensed and eight interceptions.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/25

We saw a busy day of 2025 NFL Draft pick signings today. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who inked their four-year rookie deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Giants Made Draft-Day Attempt To Acquire No. 1 Pick

To no surprise, the Giants were one of two teams which exited the opening night of this year’s draft with a quarterback, with the Titans being the other. Just before Cam Ward officially became the top pick, the teams discussed a trade.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen called counterpart Mike Borgonzi to discuss the first overall pick, as shown in the debut episode of the team’s Giants Life documentary (video link). The conversation proved to be rather brief, with Schoen remaining convinced the Titans turned aside the last-minute trade interest to select Ward. Minutes later, they did just that.

Moving out of the No. 1 slot was seen as a distinct possibility early in the offseason as a result of Tennessee’s myriad roster needs and the less-than-stellar nature of this year’s QB class. Over time, though, Ward distanced himself as the top option for signal-callers and a strong showing during the pre-draft process convinced the Titans to stand pat. That left suitors for the top selections – such as the Giants – to move in a different direction during the draft.

Just like Cleveland (which originally owned the second overall pick), New York (No. 3) showed interest well before the start of the draft in moving up to the top spot. A report from March linked both the Giants and Jets to pursuing a trade for the No. 1 pick, but by the start of April it appeared Schoen and Co. were convinced doing so would not be possible. That proved to be the case, albeit not without a last-minute attempt on the part of the Giants.

Schoen left the door open to a quarterback being selected third overall, although by the time edge rusher Abdul Carter heard his name called that move came as no surprise. After retaining the No. 3 selection, New York ultimately swung a deal to move back into the Day 1 order and select Jaxson Dart 25th overall. The Ole Miss product will spend his rookie season on a depth chart which also includes free agent additions Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

Dart gained traction as a first-round prospect in the build-up to the draft, and he found himself the second passer to come off the board. Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have their potential long-term answer under center in the fold as a result while their respective tenures remain a question after three years at the helm. It will be interesting to see how Dart’s New York tenure unfolds against the backdrop of the team’s continued efforts to acquire Ward prior to selecting him.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/7/25

Wednesday’s minor moves in the NFL:

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: QB Taylor Elgersma

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee Titans

Though the Ravens and Packers have both already announced their undrafted free agent rookie class signings, both teams added an additional name to their groups today via rookie minicamp tryouts.

Martin, a smaller defensive back with impressive speed, transferred to Louisiana after two years at Youngstown State. He became a full-time starter for the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2023, tallying 109 total tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defensed during his two seasons in the starting lineup.

Coming out of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, CAN, Elgersma went undrafted in the NFL draft but was selected in the second round of the 2025 draft for the Canadian Football League. He was also invited for a rookie minicamp tryout in Buffalo but will no longer attend after turning his Green Bay invite into a roster spot.

2025 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

Here is every team’s haul from the 2025 NFL Draft:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Read more

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

  1. DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  2. DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
  3. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
  4. CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
  5. OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
  6. T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
  7. T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
  8. WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
  9. T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
  10. WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
  11. WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
  12. WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
  13. DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
  14. S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
  15. G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
  16. WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
  17. G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
  18. WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
  19. T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
  20. QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
  21. CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($13.63MM): Exercised
  22. LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
  23. CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
  24. G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
  25. C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
  26. DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
  27. LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  28. DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
  29. G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
  30. DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
  31. DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
  32. S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Show all