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49ers To Sign T D.J. Humphries

April 29th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a brief stint in Kansas City, D.J. Humphries will return to the NFC West. The longtime Cardinals left tackle is signing with the 49ers, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Humphries upped his career start total to 100 through two Chiefs starts, but he ended up giving way to Joe Thuney. The Chiefs kicked their All-Pro left guard outside in an effort to stabilize the position. That plan largely worked out, only for it to be exposed in Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs have since given ex-49ers swing tackle Jaylon Moore a two-year, $30MM deal; the 49ers will add Humphries from Kansas City as a possible swingman.

The 49ers will hope for a better version of Humphries, as he is now more than a year removed from the December 2023 ACL tear that ended his Cardinals stay. Humphries has battled a host of injuries during his career. In his first Chiefs start, the former first-rounder — given the starting job soon after signing — went down with a hamstring issue. He never reacquired the team’s LT job, only coming in for a Week 18 start that featured the AFC’s top seed resting most of its first-stringers.

Now 31, Humphries profiles as a swing tackle behind starters Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz. The 49ers needed Moore to close out last season, as Williams went down with an ankle injury. Considering Williams is heading into an age-37 season, acquiring a proven backup makes sense for San Francisco. Humphries has only played left tackle since 2017; he and then-Cardinals LT starter flipped sides after the 2016 season. The team had eyed converted guard Spencer Burford as a potential swing option; the fourth-year player will at least have competition for that role now.

The 49ers have not drafted a tackle since taking Moore in the 2021 fifth round. Moore moved up in the pecking order after Mike McGlinchey‘s 2023 Broncos commitment made McKivitz the new right tackle. With Moore now gone — at a price that surprised John Lynch — the 49ers needed a replacement. They have plenty of Humphries intel to go on, with the Lynch-Kyle Shanahan regime having seen the blocker in NFC West matchups from 2017-23.

Humphries’ stay as Arizona’s LT earned him two lucrative deals with the team — in 2020 and ’22. The team cut bait on the three-year, $51MM extension early in Monti Ossenfort‘s GM tenure, having designated him a post-June 1 cut last year. Pro Football Focus graded Humprhies 51st among 81 tackle regulars during a 15-start 2023. While Humphries has dealt with injuries in each of the past three seasons, he missed just one game from 2019-21. The 49ers will hope the 10-year veteran being another year removed from his most serious injury will help him back on track.

Patriots Release LS Joe Cardona

April 29th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots have now cut ties with every player who had been part of their Super Bowl core. After moving on from Jonathan Jones, David Andrews and Deatrich Wise earlier this offseason, the team is parting ways with its long snapper from the second leg of its dynasty.

New England released Joe Cardona on Tuesday. This came after the Pats used a seventh-round pick on a deep snapper Saturday. Cardona had been with the Pats for 10 seasons. He entered the offseason tied with Andrews as the team’s longest-tenured player, but a Pats draft move changed his course.

Although the team obtained the Mr. Irrelevant pick, that did not go to Cardona’s replacement. Instead, the Pats chose Vanderbilt’s Julian Ashby six spots earlier. The only team to use a draft choice specifically on a long snapper this year, the Patriots served notice Cardona’s time could be up. Rather than a competition, Cardona will have a chance to catch on elsewhere soon.

The light workload long snappers consume keeps their salaries in the NFL basement, but it also allows for long careers. Cardona’s experience certainly should put him in line for consideration elsewhere, even as he has spent his entire career in Foxborough. Bill Belichick used a fifth-round pick on Cardona in 2015, choosing him 166th overall out of Navy. He teamed with Stephen Gostkowski during the Adam Vinatieri successor’s final stretch in New England and collected two Super Bowl rings, playing in three Super Bowls in total.

Cardona signed three Patriots contracts, inking two four-year deals as a veteran. Two seasons remained on Cardona’s third New England accord — a four-year, $6.3MM pact — but the Patriots will incur only $500K in dead money from this release. While no Pro Bowls are on Cardona’s resume, it would surprise if the 33-year-old snapper did not resurface for an 11th NFL season elsewhere.

The Pats lost Jones and Wise to the Commanders in free agency, while the team cut Andrews after he missed most of last season. Although the most memorable chapter in Patriots history effectively closed when Belichick was forced out (four years after Tom Brady‘s exit changed the franchise’s trajectory), the team officially wrapped it by moving on from the above-referenced quartet of Super Bowl contributors this year.

Bengals To Exercise DB Dax Hill’s Fifth-Year Option

April 29th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dax Hill is coming off a season marred by an ACL tear, but the Bengals are still high on the former first-round pick. Rather than shift the converted safety into a contract year, the team is extending his rookie contract through 2026.

The rehabbing cornerback will see his fifth-year option exercised, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This is an interesting decision, but Hill had won a starting CB job in Cincinnati after being moved from safety last year.

Hill’s option cost likely is motivating a Bengals team, one that changed defensive coordinators earlier this year, to stick with the 2022 first-round pick. Although Hill spent more time at safety than corner during his fifth-year option, Fowler notes his option price is expected to land on the fourth tier at corner. That would call for a $12.68MM guarantee. Were Hill to be classified as a safety, the number would settle at an even more manageable $9.27MM.

Still, this is an interesting decision due to Hill having suffered an ACL tear in Week 5 of last season. The Bengals had moved him from safety to corner before OTAs last year, sliding him closer to the line of scrimmage after Chidobe Awuzie‘s free agency defection. Hill, 24, beat out former Michigan teammate DJ Turner for a starting job opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. Cincinnati’s Tuesday decision provides some momentum for Hill as he completes rehab from a major injury.

Hill had played well at corner after the switch. Pro Football Focus graded the 6-foot defender in the top quartile at the position last season, though he did not log enough snaps to qualify as a 2024 regular. This, however, differs from how the advanced metrics site assessed his play at safety. PFF graded Hill 90th out of 95 qualified safeties in 2023, as the Bengals struggled to replace Jessie Bates.

Hill only has one full season as a starter under his belt, having played behind Bates and Vonn Bell as a rookie. Hill’s 2024 injury served as part of the Cincy defense’s undoing last year, but Al Golden appears to still view him as a building block ahead of his first year as DC.

As the team prepares to reintegrate Hill into its starting lineup, Turner and Taylor-Britt remain on their rookie deals. Neither is eligible for a fifth-year option due to both having been second-round picks. One season remains on Taylor-Britt’s deal, two on Turner’s. Despite Lou Anarumo‘s defense unraveling — to deny the team a playoff berth and Joe Burrow a potential MVP award — last season, no major CB investments have come this offseason. That points to considerable faith in Hill, and Tuesday’s option decision illustrated that.

Chiefs To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis

April 29th, 2025 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis are targets for Chiefs extensions. One or both could be worked out as early as this offseason, but in any case their futures for the next two years are clear.

Kansas City will exercise the fifth-year option in both of these cases, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. For McDuffie, that sets him up to receive $17.6MM in 2026. Karlaftis will be in line to earn $15.12MM that season. Of course, long-term accords could very well be hand before that campaign begins anyway.

[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]

The Chiefs appeared at one point to be on track to lose guard Trey Smith in free agency, but using the franchise tag prevented such a development. Tagging the Pro Bowler ensures he will remain in Kansas City for at least 2025, but general manager Brett Veach recently said a Smith extension will be the team’s top post-draft priority. To no surprise, McDuffie and Karlaftis are in the team’s plans as well.

McDuffie has operated as a full-time starter during his time with the Chiefs. The Washington product does not have a Pro Bowl nod on his resume despite the fact he earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and a spot on the second All-Pro team last year. McDuffie has only managed two interceptions to date in his career, but his strong coverage performances and 13 pass deflections from last year showcase his value to the team.

The cornerback market jumped to $30MM this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Seven cover men are now attached to a pact averaging at least $20.1MM annually, and McDuffie will no doubt aim to join that group on his second contract. Team and player will have plenty of time to work out a deal with the option being picked up.

Karlaftis, 24, has seen his workload increase with each passing season. After posting 10.5 sacks in 2023, that figure fell slightly to eight last season. The Purdue alum increased his pressure totals (from 35 to 37), though, and continued development can be expected for several more years. Providing Kansas City with a consistent presence off the edge will be key for the team as defensive tackle Chris Jones moves toward the latter stages of his career.

Myles Garrett‘s trade request was rescinded when he and the Browns worked out an extension averaging $40MM per season. That represents the top of the market at this point, but the likes of Micah Parsons (Cowboys), Aidan Hutchinson (Lions), T.J. Watt (Steelers) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are all in position to ink monster new pacts of their own. That could drive up the asking price on a new Karlaftis pact once negotiations begin on that front.

The Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl every year since adding the McDuffie-Karlaftis tandem to the mix, winning the title game twice. Both members of that pairing will be counted to remain impactful starters moving forward during a stretch which will last through the 2026 campaign at a minimum.

Commanders To Sign K Matt Gay, Release K Zane Gonzalez

April 29th, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Gay‘s time as a free agent has not lasted long. The veteran kicker has agreed to a deal with the Commanders, per his agents (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network).

This will be a one-year deal worth $4.25MM fully guaranteed. That figure represents the highest locked-in total for a kicker on a one-year accord in league history. Pelissero notes Gay’s 2025 earnings can top out at $5MM via incentives.

Earlier this month, the Colts released Gay halfway through his four-year, $22.5MM pact. The 31-year-old became a free agent as a result, but to little surprise he did not line up a deal prior to the draft taking place. Like almost all teams, the Commanders did not use a draft pick on the position this past weekend. That opened the door to Zane Gonzalez remaining in place as the team’s kicker for 2025, but Pelissero reports he has been released in a corresponding move to the Gay signing.

Gonzalez was limited to six games in 2024, his first year of regular season action since 2021. The former Brown, Cardinal and Panther connected on five of seven field goal attempts for Washington when healthy, with the team cycling though numerous other options during the campaign. One year remained on Gonzelez’s contract; this release will result in $1.03MM in cap savings for the team without generating a dead money charge.

Gay’s career accuracy rate sits at 85.5%. He was unable to reach that figure (or match his Rams success) during his two seasons in Indianapolis as issues with long-range attempts proved to be key. Gay missed six field goal attempts in 2024, each of which were at a distance of 50-plus yards. From within that range, he was a perfect 31-for-31 along with a 100% success rate on extra points.

The Commanders entered Tuesday with more than $26MM in cap space, so this move will not alter the team’s post-draft free agent plans. If Gay manages to remain healthy next season, he will likely provide them with a strong option in the kicking game.

Saints Release QB Ben DiNucci

April 29th, 2025 at 10:24am CST by Adam La Rose

The addition of a quarterback via the draft added to the logjam at the position for New Orleans. The team’s depth chart has now be thinned, however.

Ben DiNucci announced on Tuesday he has been released. The 28-year-old joined the Saints in December in the wake of Derek Carr getting injured. DiNucci did not see any playing time down the stretch, and he will not have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot during training camp as a result of today’s move.

To close out the 2024 season, New Orleans used Spencer Rattler as a starter for six games. The 2024 fifth-rounder is joined by Jake Haener (selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft) as a depth option behind Carr. Of course, it remains to be seen when the Saints’ starter will be available as he weighs the option of undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

As expected, New Orleans drafted a quarterback for the third consecutive year. Tyler Shough heard his name called 40th overall, and the Louisville product will compete for the backup gig during his rookie season (provided Carr is available to start the season). With that quartet of signal-callers in place – along with Hunter Dekkers as an invitee to rookie minicamp (h/t Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football) – it comes as little surprise DiNucci has been let go.

A seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 2020, DiNucci made three appearances and one start during his rookie campaign. He has yet to see any regular season NFL action since then, and with the draft now in the books most teams’ depth charts are set for the summer. DiNucci will nevertheless turn his attention to finding a new opportunity for 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/25

April 28th, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Claimed (from Raiders): CB M.J. Devonshire
  • Signed: LB Mapalo Mwansa (International Pathway Program)

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

The Raiders’ Tom Telesco-led regime chose Devonshire in last year’s seventh round. After seeing no game action as a rookie, Devonshire will vie for a roster spot with the Panthers. Three seasons remain on Devonshire’s rookie contract.

Ricci saw extensive action for the Panthers from 2021-23, starting four games in that span. He caught eight passes for 100 yards in 2022. The Colts used a sixth-round pick on Leo in 2023; he played in four Pats games last season.

Seahawks Exercise LT Charles Cross’ Fifth-Year Option

April 28th, 2025 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks are making a bit of history with their fifth-year option decision. They will exercise Charles Cross‘ 2026 option, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, moving into uncharted territory for a team draft pick.

This is not the first time the Seahawks have exercised a fifth-year option, as they moved Noah Fant‘s rookie contract to five years previously. But Fant was a Broncos draftee; Cross will be the first Seahawk pick to have his option exercised.

[RELATED: Seahawks Select G Gray Zabel In First Round]

Fant and Cross were each part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster three years ago, with the tight end being one of three veterans sent over and Cross being one of the five draft choices sent Seattle’s way in the swap. Cross and Devon Witherspoon were the first-round pick the Seahawks made with the choices obtained in the Wilson trade; Witherspoon’s fifth-year option cost has already risen thanks to his two Pro Bowl nods. Cross has not ascended to that level at his respective position, but the former No. 9 overall pick will still see a nice 2026 guarantee as a result of Monday’s move.

This transaction will lock Cross into a $17.56MM salary guarantee for 2026. Cross having not made a Pro Bowl makes him eligible for the third option tier, which covers players who have established themselves as regular starters. Cross, 24, has started 48 games in three seasons. This includes perfect attendance in 2022 and ’24.

As right tackle Abraham Lucas has dealt with steady injury trouble, Cross has only missed three career games. The reliable left tackle, who had been closely linked to the Giants going into the 2022 draft, has moved onto the Seahawks’ extension radar. The tackle the Giants ultimately took at No. 7 that year, Evan Neal, saw his option declined Saturday night. Cross joined a Seahawks team that had both been missing a cornerstone left tackle for years, since Russell Okung‘s departure, and one that did not have a 2022 first-round pick prior to the Wilson trade (thanks to the Jamal Adams deal).

A team still making option history in 2025 is rather alarming, as the Seahawks had passed on its other first-rounders’ options since the first wave of option calls emerged in 2014. The team declined fifth-year options on James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Penny, L.J. Collier and Jordyn Brooks. This is a long-running trend, but the Wilson trade helped the team move in the other direction. Fant played out his rookie contract and signed a two-year, $21MM deal in 2024. It will cost far more for the Seahawks to extend Cross.

The lack of a Pro Bowl on Cross’ resume may leave him without a real case to become the NFL’s highest-paid LT, as Tristan Wirfs holds that title (at $28.13MM per year). Cross would stand to see his price rise toward that point, however, with a strong 2025. The Seahawks have no significant O-line commitment on their books, and the cap continues a steady rise. The NFL’s salary ceiling has climbed by a staggering $71MM since Cross came into the league. He profiles as the Seahawks’ top extension candidate right now, though Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be in that mix come 2026.

Packers To Sign LB Isaiah Simmons

April 28th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers are signing former No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Simmons will head to Green Bay after two years in New York.

Not coming especially close to living up to his draft slot, Simmons still maintained his status a role player for the Giants. This comes two weeks after Simmons paid a free agency visit to Green Bay.

After acquiring him in a 2023 trade from the Cardinals, the Giants deployed Simmons in all 34 of their games over the past two seasons. He only started five, but the former Clemson hybrid performer still carries some value heading into a sixth NFL season.

Simmons logged 377 defensive snaps in 2023 but saw that number drop 181 last season. Having experience at safety and in the slot, Simmons will come to Wisconsin as one of the NFL’s most versatile defenders. Of course, the former high-end prospect not being able to establish himself as a dependable starter at any of those spots over the long haul has led to a steep value decline.

The Giants re-signed Simmons on a one-year, $2MM deal in 2024. This marked a sharp reduction for a player who locked in a fully guaranteed $20.66MM as a Steve Keim-era first-round pick. Months after Keim’s Arizona exit, replacement Monti Ossenfort traded Simmons — during a three-trade day for the rebuilding team — for just a 2024 seventh-round pick. The Giants stint did not boost Simmons’ value much, but the Packers will see what he can provide.

Simmons, 26, is the rare linebacker to be given a regular slot role. The Cards stationed him in the slot on 409 plays in 2022. Eighty-six of Simmons’ 181 defensive snaps last season also came in the slot. It will be interesting if the Packers, who slid Keisean Nixon to more of an outside role last season, attempt to tap into this unusual skillset as well.

The Cardinals did not pick up Simmons’ fifth-year option in 2022, though that has become commonplace — as off-ball linebacker options are annually being declined due to a formula that groups on- and off-ball linebackers under one umbrella. But Simmons’ play fell well short of option consideration.

The Packers are likely to decline Quay Walker‘s fifth-year option by Thursday’s deadline, though they are still open to working out an extension — likely at a reduced rate. The team used two draft choices on off-ball LBs last year, adding Edgerrin Cooper in Round 2 and Ty’Ron Hopper in Round 3. Cooper became an every-down player, while Hopper settled in as a backup. Simmons’ steadiest role for the Giants came on special teams, though they had designs on deploying him as a DB. It will be interesting to see how the Packers use Simmons, who will likely be positioned as a depth piece heading into OTAs.

Steelers To Sign Veteran WR Robert Woods

April 28th, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers are signing wide receiver Robert Woods to a one-year, $2MM deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, adding some veteran depth to the team’s pass-catching corps.

Woods recently celebrated his 33rd birthday and is entering his 13th NFL season. He is an experienced receiver with 145 career starts and 48.1 yards per game in his career. However, he has not been the same player since suffering a torn ACL during the 2021 season. He averaged 4.6 receptions and 56.6 yards per game before the injury and just 2.5 receptions and 25.1 yards per game in three seasons since.

However, Woods’ special teams’ prowess, toughness as a run-blocker, and versatility to play on the outside or in the slot helped him maintain a role in Tennessee in 2022 and Houston in the past two seasons. Those traits likely endeared him to the Steelers, a run-heavy team that has long appreciated tough wideouts who will mix it up as blockers when lined up in the slot. The Steelers re-signed Ben Skowronek, who has a similar profile, to a two-year deal earlier this offseason. Woods will join Skowronek, D.K. Metcalf, George Pickens, Calvin Austin, and Scotty Miller in Pittsburgh’s receiver room this season.

Woods expressed interest in re-signing with the Texans after the 2024 season ended, but Houston opted to sign Christian Kirk, Braxton Berrios, and Justin Watson before using two Day 2 draft picks on Iowa State wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. That left Woods as one of several veteran wideouts to remain a free agent through the league’s major signing period. Pittsburgh came calling after the draft, albeit for the lowest single-season compensation in Woods’ career.

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