Saints Restructure LB Pete Werner’s Deal
The 2026 offseason required far less in the way of salary cap gymnastics than previous years for the Saints. The team has still tweaked a few contracts, though.
The latest example on that front is linebacker Pete Werner. His pact was recently restructured, as noted by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. As a result of the move, Werner’s 2026 cap charge has been lowered from just under $8MM to $3.94MM.
Werner was one of many veteran Saints who drew trade interest in 2025. New Orleans elected to keep him in the fold, though, and two years remain on his contract. The five-year veteran is due to collect $6.25MM this season and $6.5MM in 2027, although none of the latter figure is guaranteed.
Werner’s future will thus depend in large part on how he fares in 2026. The former second-rounder has amassed 63 starts during his New Orleans tenure, and he will be expected to remain a key defensive figure for at least one more season. Werner has recorded at least 80 tackles in each of the past four year; he added career-high totals in sacks (two), pass deflections (five) and fumble recoveries (three) in 2025.
The Saints brought back Kaden Elliss this spring. The former Falcon inked a three-year, $33MM deal in free agency and he will be counted on to produce alongside Werner. Replacing Demario Davis will be no small feat in 2026, but managing to do so could help team build off its momentum from late last season and contend for a playoff berth.
With the financial wiggle room brought on by the Werner restructure, the Saints now have roughly $8MM in cap space. No major additions should be expected, but low-cost roster moves will be more viable moving forward.
Chargers, TE David Njoku Agree To Deal
David Njoku recently visited the Chargers. That summit clearly went well, as a contract agreement is now in place between Los Angeles and the veteran tight end.
Team and player have finalized a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. He adds this pact has a maximum value of $8MM. After nine years in Cleveland, Njoku’s next career phase has been lined up.
The tight end position has seen plenty of turnover this spring in the case of the Chargers. Will Dissly and Tucker Fisk are still on the market deep into the offseason. Tyler Conklin, meanwhile, left via free agency. Los Angeles added Charlie Kolar in March, but the team did not select any tight ends during the draft. That left the door open to a deal for Njoku, and one is now in place.
Over the course of his Browns tenure, Njoku regularly found himself atop the tight end depth chart. The former first-rounder battled injuries and inconsistencies along the way, but he secured a big-money deal in 2022. Njoku’s best season came one year later (81-882-6 statline) and resulted in a Pro Bowl nod. His playing time dropped in 2024 and again in 2025, however, and the Browns have Harold Fannin Jr. in place as their starting tight end for the foreseeable future after a standout rookie campaign. It has been clear since February Njoku would not be coming back to Cleveland.
Jim Harbaugh remains in place as the Chargers’ head coach, but 2026 will mark the first year of his NFL coaching career in which Greg Roman is not his offensive coordinator. Mike McDaniel is in place as the Bolts’ new OC, his first gig since being dismissed as head coach of the Dolphins. It will be interesting to see how McDaniel uses Njoku and Kolar as Los Angeles looks to find improved efficiency in the passing game this season.
The Chargers entered Monday with over $45MM in cap space. That figure will be lowered once the Njoku deal is officially in place, but it will leave plenty of available funds for further late-offseason additions.
Steelers, Chris Boswell Agree To Extension
Last summer, it became clear Chris Boswell was among the members of the Steelers who were seeking a raise. No new deal was worked out with Pittsburgh’s longtime kicker in 2025, but an agreement is now in place.
Team and player have agreed to an extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This is a four-year, $28MM deal, he adds. Boswell was set to enter the 2026 season as a pending free agent, but that will no longer be the case. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds the deal contains $14.7MM guaranteed.
Schefter notes Boswell is under contract through 2030, meaning today’s news consists of four new years being added to the final one of the two-time Pro Bowler’s existing pact. A raise is indeed forthcoming as a result of this extension as well. Boswell was previously attached to an average annual value of $5MM, but this new pact checks in at $7MM per year. That AAV mark matches the price point Brandon Aubrey recently reached with the Cowboys on his own 4/28 deal.
Boswell has handled kicking duties for the Steelers over the past 11 years, and that lengthy run will continue well into the future. The 35-year-old posted a field goal accuracy rate of just 65% in 2018 and 71.4% in 2022. Otherwise, Boswell has enjoyed consistent high-end production and given Pittsburgh stability at the position. The team is clearly comfortable with a long-term commitment in this case despite Boswell’s age.
In 2024, the former UDFA led the NFL with 41 made field goals. Boswell reached that mark on 44 attempts while going 35-for-35 on extra point kicks. That success resulted in a Pro Bowl nod along with first-team All-Pro honors. Boswell delivered another strong season this past year, including success on nine of 11 field goal tries from 50 yards and beyond. Sustained accuracy from long distance will be expected given the term and finances of this extension.
The top of the kicker market sat at $6.4MM at the onset of the 2026 offseason. Since then, Ka’imi Fairbairn has worked out a $6.5MM-per-year deal with the Texans, something which was followed by Aubrey’s Cowboys extension. There are now two kickers at the $7MM AAV mark, with seven others earning over $5MM annually.
Boswell has totaled 178 regular and postseason appearances during his Steelers tenure. That figure is set to increase substantially over the coming years while he plays out his third consecutive four-year pact. Pittsburgh will have a new punter for 2026 after Corliss Waitman departed in free agency. Cameron Johnston will be back in the fold for next season, while Christian Kuntz is in position to remain the team’s long snapper. That special teams familiarity will include a continued runway for Boswell in 2026 and beyond.
Jets Sign 12 UDFAs
The Jets will be counting on their rookies in 2026, especially their three first-round picks. The team added some more youth to their roster via the addition of 12 undrafted free agents:
- Mory Bamba, CB (BYU)
- Kendrick Blackshire, LB (UTSA)
- Chase Curtis, TE (TCU)
- Will Ferrin, K (BYU)
- Garrison Grimes, LS (BYU)
- Xavier Hill, OL (Colorado)
- Caullin Lacy, WR (Louisville)
- Malik McClain, WR (Arizona State)
- Sam Scott, RB (Wyoming)
- DT Sheffield, WR (Rutgers)
- Chip Trayanum, RB (Toledo)
- Nathan Voorhis, EDGE (Ball State)
Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Caullin Lacy got a chunk of money to join New York, as the wideout earned a $15K signing bonus and had $247.5K of his base salary guaranteed. Lacy had a standout stint at South Alabama, including a 2023 campaign where he collected 1,316 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. He took his talents to Louisville in 2024, and after playing a small offensive role during his first year at the school, he saw more work in 2025. He finished this past year with 75 touches for 688 yards and two touchdowns.
Lacy wasn’t the only undrafted WR to join the Jets. The team also signed Arizona State’s Malik McClain and Rutgers’ DT Sheffield. McClain had his best collegiate showing in 2025, finishing with 31 catches for 441 yards. Sheffield was a standout in 2024 when he finished with 908 yards and 12 touchdowns, but those numbers fell to 577 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.
Interestingly, the team added BYU’s kicker and long snapper. Will Ferrin is coming off a productive college career where he connected on 81.7 percent of his field goal tries and 99.2 percent of his XP tries. The UDFA will certainly be in the mix at kicker, where the Jets are also rostering Cade York. Ferrin will be joined on the offseason roster by BYU long snapper Garrison Grimes.
Dolphins Announce 11-Man UDFA Class
The Dolphins can tout the largest draft class, as the team selected 13 players. The organization wasn’t done adding rookies, however, as Miami announced the signing of 11 undrafted free agents:
- Jim Bonifas, C (Iowa State)
- Kevin Cline, OT (Boston College)
- Mark Gronowski, QB (Iowa)
- Anthony Hankerson, RB (Oregon State)
- Rene Konga, DL (Louisville)
- Donaven McCulley, WR (Michigan)
- Rodney McGraw, EDGE (Western Michigan)
- Louis Moore, S (Indiana)
- Le’Veon Moss, RB (Texas A&M)
- Mason Reiger, EDGE (Wisconsin)
- Kahlil Saunders, DL (Kentucky)
Mason Reiger was among the players to earn some notable guarantees from the Dolphins. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the rookie edge defender got a $25K signing bonus along with $150K of his base salary guaranteed. Reiger spent three seasons at Louisville to begin his college career. He sat out the 2024 campaign due to injury before transferring to Wisconsin for his senior season. He finished this past year with five sacks and six tackles for loss.
Mark Gronowski was one of the best QBs in the FCS during his time at South Dakota State, where he won a pair of National Championships and earned a pair of Offensive Player of the Year awards. He transferred to Iowa for the 2025 campaign and got the starting spot, and he held his own against better competition. Gronowski finished this past year having completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,741 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also compiled 545 yards and a conference-leading 16 touchdowns on the ground.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/26
Today’s draft pick signings:
Detroit Lions
- EDGE Derrick Moore (second round, Michigan)
- LB Jimmy Rolder (fourth round, Michigan)
- CB Keith Abney II (fifth round, Arizona State)
- WR Kendrick Law (fifth round, Kentucky)
- DT Skyler Gill-Howard (sixth round, Texas Tech)
- DT Tyre West (seventh round, Tennessee)
Houston Texans
- S Kamari Ramsey (fifth round, USC)
- WR Lewis Bond (sixth round, Boston College)
- LB Aiden Fisher (seventh round, Indiana)
Los Angeles Chargers
- C Jake Slaughter (second round, Florida)
Los Angeles Rams
- OT Keagen Trost (third round, Missouri)
- WR CJ Daniels (sixth round, Miami)
New York Giants
- CB Colton Hood (second round, Tennessee)
Jets, RB Breece Hall Agree To Extension
TODAY: The Jets have officially announced the extension. We’ve also learned that the base value of the contract actually comes in at $43.5MM, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
MAY 8: Breece Hall‘s Jets tenure will continue beyond 2026. The franchise-tagged running back has worked out an extension agreement with New York.
Team and player have struck a three-year deal, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He adds this extension is worth up to $45.75MM. Instead of only being in place for one more season due to the tag, Hall will now be on the books through 2028.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes $45.75MM represents the base value of this deal. As such, Hall’s average annual value checks in at $15.25MM. That figure ranks third in the NFL among running backs, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. The position’s landscape could change soon with Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson each eligible for extensions of their own this offseason. In any case, Hall’s outlook has now become much clearer.
The transition tag loomed as an option for New York to keep Hall in the fold for 2026. However, interest in offer sheets would have emerged had the Jets used the less-expensive one-year tender. Indeed, the Broncos were among the teams which would have pursed Hall in that scenario. As such, New York wound up applying the non-exclusive franchise tag. That set Hall up for $14.29MM in guaranteed 2026 earnings, but a long-term arrangement has now taken the place of the tag. The upfront payments in this new deal will be interesting to see.
On that note, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports Hall will receive $29MM guaranteed. That figure essentially matches what he would have collected by playing on two straight franchise tags. Connor Hughes of SNY adds that locked-in money will be paid out over the next two years, with no guarantees present for 2028. This agreement is therefore a $14.5MM-per-year pact for now with incentives present in Year 3 which could increase Hall’s overall earnings.
Hall, who will turn 25 later this month, expressed a desire to remain in place with the Jets and a general confidence that he would eventually land a deal near the top of the running back market. Both goals have now been achieved. After the tag was applied, a period following the draft emerged as a target for a multiyear extension to be finalized. GM Darren Mougey expressed optimism a deal would be reached, and that has proven to be the case in time for spring practices.
As a rookie, Hall flashed plenty of potential before suffering an ACL tear. Since returning to action, the former second-rounder has handled a heavy workload and been a regular presence in the passing game along the way. Hall topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in 2025, but he recorded more than 1,300 scrimmage yards for the third year in a row while doing so. The Iowa State product will once again be joined by Braelon Allen in the backfield next season, although another large offensive role for Hall can be expected.
The Jets will have Garrett Wilson in place once again for 2026, and he too is under contract for the future. Mougey has been busy adding at the skill positions, selecting tight end Mason Taylor in last year’s draft and trading for receiver Adonai Mitchell as part of the Sauce Gardner blockbuster. Last month, New York used two of three first-round selections on another tight end (Kenyon Sadiq) and an additional wideout (Omar Cooper Jr.). Those players, led in large part by Hall, will serve as an offensive nucleus moving forward.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/26
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DT Ross Blacklock, LB Daveren Rayner
- Waived: TE Brandon Frazier, DT Ben Stille, WR Deven Thompkins, RB Carlos Washington
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: CB M.J. Devonshire
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Kyron Hudson, LB Wayne Matthews III, LB Jon Rhattigan
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Michael Coats Jr.
- Waived: TE Sal Cannella
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Paul Manning, WR Michael Woods
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Evan Hull
- Waived: TE Luke Lachey
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Cameron McGrone
- Waived: WR Brenden Rice
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: FB DJ Herman
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Bangally Kamara, DL Smith Vilbert
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Xavier Holmes, S Peter Manuma
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Brock Rechsteiner
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Jaden Keller
- Waived: LB Ochaun Mathis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C Greg Crippen
- Waived: OT Sataoa Laumea
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Larry Worth III
- Waived: LB Milo Eifler
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): LB John Bullock
- Waived: LS Wesley Brown, WR Noah Short, LB Benton Whitley, RB Owen Wright
Broncos Add 13 UDFAs
The Broncos were active following the draft, as the organization added 13 more players to their rookie class. The team announced the addition of the following 13 undrafted free agents:
- Brent Austin, CB (California)
- Luke Basso, LS (Oregon)
- Ahmari Harvey, CB (Georgia Tech)
- Kolbe Katsis, WR (Northern Arizona)
- Dane Key, WR (Nebraska)
- Joseph Manjack, WR (TCU)
- Dasan McCullough, LB (Nebraska)
- Tyler Miller, OT (Iowa State)
- Gavin Ortega, OL (Weber State)
- Parker Robertson, S (Oklahoma State)
- Cameron Ross, WR (Virginia)
- William Wright, CB (Tennessee)
- Taurean York, LB (Texas A&M)
Taurean York earned the highest chunk of guaranteed money among Denver’s UDFA class. Per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, the Texas A&M linebacker earned a $25K signing bonus and $300K of his base salary guaranteed. The linebacker was productive for the Aggies over the past three seasons, collecting 229 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. Among the team’s other pricey UDFAs signings were Tyler Miller ($275K), Dasan McCullough ($245K), Gavin Ortega ($142.5K), and Ahmari Harvey ($110K), per Tomasson and Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.
McCullough has a funj connection to Sean Payton. As Tomasson passes along, Payton was an Eagles assistant in 1997 when the team was rostering Deland McCullough, Dasan’s father. The younger McCullough bounced around a bit during his collegiate career, spending time at Indiana, Oklahoma State, and eventually Nebraska. During that final stop in 2025, the linebacker compiled 21 stops, five tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks.
The Broncos were busy adding to their WR depth chart, as the team signed four UDFAs at the position. The team actually would have had a fifth, as they initially agreed to terms with Charlotte’s Sean Brown. However, the rookie wideout ended up failing his physical, per Luca Evans of the Denver Post. Brown continues to recover from a Jones fracture he suffered in February.
Bengals Sign 10 UDFAs
The Bengals left the draft with seven rookies, five of which were selected on the final day. The team added some competition to that grouping, as they announced the signing of 10 undrafted free agents:
- Liam Brown, G (Montana)
- Kentrel Bullock, RB (South Alabama)
- Jack Dingle, LB (Cincinnati)
- Eric Gentry, LB (Southern California)
- Jamal Haynes, RB (Georgia Tech)
- Christian Jones, OT (San Diego State)
- Josh Kattus, TE (Kentucky)
- Corey Robinson II, OT (Arkansas)
- Noah Thomas, WR (Georgia)
- Ceyair Wright, CB (Nebraska)
Jack Dingle is probably plenty familiar to Bengals fans, as the linebacker spent four years playing for the hometown Bearcats. The linebacker turned into one of Cincinnati’s top defenders as a sophomore, and over his final three collegiate seasons, he tallied 151 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and four sacks. He wasn’t the only UDFA linebacker to catch on with the Bengals, as the team also signed USC’s Eric Gentry. The six-foot-six prospect is more known for his height, although he did average more than five tackles for loss and two sacks per season during stint with the Trojans.
There’s another Cincy connection among the grouping, as Josh Kattus is the son of former Bengals player Eric Kattus. The younger Kattus is coming off a four-year stint at Kentucky where he hauled in 38 catches for 505 yards and six touchdowns.
The team also added a pair of RBs in Kentrel Bullock and Jamal Haynes. Bullock gradually saw more work through his career at South Alabama, culminating in a 2025 campaign when he finished with 1,138 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns. Haynes, meanwhile, peaked as a sophomore, when he compiled 1,210 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. He found the end zone 12 times in 2024, but he was limited to only five touchdowns and 788 yards in 2025.