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Commanders Signing OLB Von Miller

July 19th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Ely Allen

July 19: Miller’s deal is worth $6.1MM with another $4.4MM available in incentives, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His last two contracts were each worth over $19MM per year, according to OverTheCap; now, Miller will have a base APY slightly lower than his rookie contract.

The Commanders have enough cap space to absorb the deal without void years, but the team has been using them more frequently under new general manager Adam Peters.

July 16: Washington is adding a major veteran at a key position of need. After deciding not to draft a pass rusher back in April, the Commanders have moved to add a proven veteran. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, veteran pass rusher Von Miller is signing with the Commanders. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us that it’ll be a one-year deal for the 36-year-old, once terms are finalized.

After parting ways in recent years with former first-round picks Montez Sweat and Chase Young, Washington depended on a pair of former Cowboys in Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. for most of their pass rushing sets in 2024. The latter of two led the Commanders in sacks last year with 10.5 but returned to Dallas on a one-year deal in free agency back in March.

The only additions Washington made to cancel out the loss of Fowler were those of former Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise, who averages about 4.5 sacks per season and topped out at 7.5 back in 2022, and former Bears outside linebacker Jacob Martin. The team showed interest in bigger names like DeMarcus Lawrence and Joey Bosa, as well, but ultimately fell short landing either.

Edge rusher was identified as a major need for Washington leading into the 2025 NFL Draft, but this year’s crop of prospects was not viewed as a strong one, past No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter. Nevertheless, by the time the Commanders’ first pick came around, three more pass rushers had been taken off the board, with Atlanta trading three spots ahead of Washington to take their second pass rusher that night, further weakening the caliber of available prospects at the position.

The team never ended up finding a prospect at an appropriate value with their remaining four picks, leaving them to enter the 2025 season with Armstrong as a returning starter across from Wise with Martin and Clelin Ferrell coming off the bench as the primary backups. It looked like Washington was set to head into training camp with a downgraded pass rushing group, but the addition of Miller has the potential to keep that from being the case.

True, Miller has not been the double-digit sack-getter we know him as for years now; he hasn’t passed 9.5 since 2018. Still, much of that has been due to either health or role. In 2021, splitting time between two different defenses, Miller collected 9.5 sacks in 15 starts. The next season, his first in Buffalo, Miller started 11 games, racking up 8 sacks. In both cases, he was likely to reach double-digits if he played the full allotment of games in a season.

The following two years in Buffalo, though, Miller lost his role as a starter. In fact, Miller fell to fifth in the pecking order in 2023, seeing snaps in only 12 games (no starts) behind Leonard Floyd, Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, and Shaq Lawson and getting zero sacks, as a result. In 2024, though, with Floyd and Lawson elsewhere, Miller thrived as the first pass rusher off the bench, tallying six sacks in 13 games (no starts).

It’s hard to say that Miller will certainly come in and start over Wise at his age. If he can come in and start, though, he’s likely to amass more sacks than Wise would in the same snap share, despite the age gap. Even if Miller ends up just working as the first pass rusher off the bench for the second year in a row, six sacks would’ve been good for third on the Commanders defense last season. It’s an easy risk to take for the Commanders, as it likely only cost them a cheap, one-year contract laden with incentives they’ll happily pay if it means they get strong contributions from the 36-year-old.

The move reunites Miller with senior defensive assistant John Pagano, who was his outside linebackers coach in Denver for a short time, and general manager Adam Peters, who was a scout for the Broncos when the team drafted Miller in 2011. He also stands a chance at being one of two starters on the defense north of 35 years old alongside veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. One would be hard pressed to find a team with an older pair of defensive starters, assuming Miller starts.

Patriots Give Second-Round RB TreVeyon Henderson Fully Guaranteed Deal

July 18th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

When the 49ers were able to break the standstill on second-round rookies signing deals, a flurry of second-round signings was sure to follow, but it wasn’t expected to affect the second-rounders up top who were hoping to bargain for a fully guaranteed deal based off Saints quarterback Tyler Shough‘s lead. Lo and behold, Shough remains unsigned, yet the guaranteed deals are flowing in for the picks above him, the latest of which is Ohio State second-round running back TreVeyon Henderson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Henderson arrived in Columbus as a five-star recruit out of Hopewell HS (VA), the top running back recruit in the country. As a true freshman, Henderson was immediately RB1 in an offense featuring C.J. Stroud at quarterback and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka at receiver. In Year 1, Henderson led the rushing offense with 1,248 yards on 183 carries with 15 touchdowns on the ground, adding 312 yards and four more scores on 27 receptions.

2022 saw Henderson limited to only eight games after suffering a fractured sesamoid bone, which reportedly split into three and tore ligaments and tendons around the bone. He came back with vengeance in his junior year, rebounding with a solid 926 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while missing three more games with injury. Despite a lightened load in 2024 with the arrival of fellow second-round pick Quinshon Judkins, Henderson improved his numbers from the prior year. Judkins led the team with 194 carries, 1,060 yards, and 14 touchdowns, but on 50 fewer carries, Henderson still put up 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Henderson deserves a lot of credit for how he handled himself in his four years with the Buckeyes. After having the stellar freshman All-American season, getting derailed by a major injury, and pushing through more injury as a junior, Henderson could’ve been intimidated by the arrival of Judkins from Ole Miss and ceded the offense to the newcomer. Instead, Henderson pushed Judkins every step of the way, making sure Judkins knew that they were sharing the starting role. His faith, maturity, and unselfishness made him an easy choice for team captain last year.

At 5-foot-10, 200+ pounds, Henderson is a stout runner who tends more to seek contact than make tacklers miss, though he does have a few good moves. He tends to always find tacklers off-center, allowing him to fall forward for extra yards. He’s a tough runner with great hands, highlighted by only two fumbles in four years, both of which came in his first two years and both of which didn’t result in turnovers.

In New England, Henderson will once again work in a committee, joining Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson in the Patriots backfield. The Patriots are no strangers to the running-back-by-committee approach, and Henderson should blend in well with the group. He could end up being an upgrade at RB2 over Gibson or even take over starting duties over Stevenson, or the three could form a three-headed attack that feeds the offense for young quarterback Drake Maye.

With Henderson being the last of the Patriots’ 11 rookies to sign his entry contract, the class is now complete. Here’s a final look at New England’s 2025 rookie draft class:

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/18/25

July 18th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL transactions as we head into the weekend:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

San Francisco 49ers

The Lions have added three players to the roster today after a working them out. Bootle has had a cup of coffee with a few teams in the league after going undrafted in 2021. Small didn’t see the field at all as an undrafted rookie with the Titans last year, and Russell becomes the latest undrafted rookie free agent to sign a deal this year. His tenacity has been rewarded two and a half months after the draft.

Packers Finish Rookie Signings After Inking T Anthony Belton

July 18th, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers announced today that they have signed second-round offensive tackle Anthony Belton to his rookie contract. Belton was the last Packers rookie to sign his four-year deal, meaning that Green Bay has concluded its rookie signings.

Originally coming out of high school in Tallahassee as an unranked recruit but still wanting to play football, Belton took the junior college route, attending Georgia Military, where he was teammates with Buccaneers linebacker YaYa Diaby. After two years at the institution, Belton gained a bit more traction in recruiting as a three-star JuCo prospect, fielding offers from the likes of Houston, West Viriginia, South Carolina, and TCU.

Ultimately, he committed to NC State, redshirting his first year in Raleigh as the staff helped him get into good shape with a better weight room and training staff available to him. In 2022, he took over the starting left tackle job vacated by former first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu but was benched after only eight starts. He showed improvement the following year, as he returned to the starting left tackle role, and even more improvement in 2024.

In Green Bay, the Packers have watched two tackles drafted in the fourth and seventh rounds of the 2022 draft bookend the starting offensive line. Still, for the second year in a row, the team has drafted a college left tackle in the first two rounds of the draft. And, perhaps also for the second year in a row, that left tackle may not continue playing tackle. Last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, played 121 snaps off the bench at right guard and started one game at left guard in his rookie season after playing exclusively at left tackle over his five years at Arizona. Early reports show that Belton, who also played exclusively at left tackle, has been working at right tackle and guard so far in Green Bay.

While Belton may end up shifting inside like Morgan, he stands a better chance at sticking as a tackle, with some believing that he could be one of Zach Tom or Rasheed Walker‘s heir, as both are set to play the 2025 season on a contract year. While Belton only stands at 6-foot-6 (technically five and a half), he boasts a huge frame at 336 pounds. That stout form makes him a difficult player to move, and his long arms make up for a below average lateral speed. He’s a mauler that erases defenders and an active, aggressive blocker in the run game. He may not see time early in Green Bay, but he and Morgan seem to be the budding future of the offensive line.

With Belton wrapping up the rookie signings in Green Bay, here’s a final look at the Packers’ rookie draft class:

Bears Sign No. 39 Pick Luther Burden To Fully Guaranteed Rookie Contract

July 18th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

No. 39 pick Luther Burden is signing a 100% fully guaranteed rookie contract with the Bears, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, becoming the latest pick in the history of the draft to do so.

News of Burden’s deal came two hours after No. 37 pick Jonah Savaiinaea received a fully guaranteed contract from the Dolphins, continuing a cascade of second-round pick signings as teams being to gather for training camp. Burden, once a projected first-round pick, will still secure a fully guaranteed rookie deal after falling into the second round.

Burden was an interesting case study during his time in Columbia. As a five-star freshman with the Tigers, coming in as the top-ranked receiver in the Class of 2022, Burden started 10 games but only amassed 375 yards. Still, he showed flashes in Year 1 with a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown and even a one-year rushing score, but the fact that he had more drops (7) than touchdowns (6) was an early sign of the volatility one could expect from him.

His sophomore season put him on the map for scouts everywhere. A second-team All-American season showed Burden break onto the scene with 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, while reducing his drops to only four despite seeing twice the targets. Scouts were licking their chops for his 2024 film, but Burden rewarded them only with a bit of regression, giving them 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns. He did continue to display his electric, play-making abilities, though, with two more rushing touchdowns, including one for 61 yards.

Because of his quickness, Burden functions primarily as a slot receiver, and at 6-foot, 206 pounds, he’s an imposing slot. Mizzou almost exclusively worked to get the ball in his hands within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. His 10 catches of 20 yards or more last year ranked 110th for receivers in the NFL. A big reason for that was his struggles with route-running. With footwork and an upright running style making separation hard to come by downfield, the Tigers relied on his quickness to get him the ball closer to the line of scrimmage.

That is where Burden shined. Burden was a yards after catch machine in college. Impressive foot speed, body control, and change of direction made him a menace with the ball in his hands, which is why Missouri fed him day and night to the tune of 192 career receptions — good for fourth all-time in school history — in only three years. Those same skills make him a dangerous gadget rusher and return man, as well, though he had issues with ball security during his time at Mizzou.

With D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze catching passes on the outside from Caleb Williams, Chicago had quite a few players vying for snaps in the slot like Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay, and Tyler Scott. Drafting Burden potentially saves them the position battle. Though he’ll still have to earn the job, Burden’s pedigree and big-play ability should make him a favorite to be on the field in three-receiver sets with Moore and Odunze.

All eyes will now turn to No. 40 pick Tyler Shough. His holdout for a fully guaranteed deal as the Saints’ projected starting quarterback is one of the main reasons that so many second-rounders remained unsigned by their rookie reporting dates. Now that every pick ahead of Shough has signed a fully guaranteed deal – except for Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins, who is facing a misdemeanor battery charge in Florida – the 25-year-old quarterback should be able to extract similar terms from the Saints.

The Bears’ rookie class is due to report on Friday, and after reaching an agreement with the team on a four-year, $10.965MM contract, Burden will be among them. The former Missouri standout will now compete with a deep group of pass-catchers for targets in Ben Johnson‘s new-look offense. Here’s a final look at Chicago’s eight-man rookie class:

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Dolphins Sign Second-Round OL Jonah Savaiinaea To Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal

July 18th, 2025 at 4:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins have agreed to terms on a 100% fully guaranteed rookie contract with second-round offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

The deal makes Savaiinaea the first No. 37 pick and the fifth second-round pick to receive a fully guaranteed contract in league history. He received significant increases over the guarantees of 2024 No. 37 pick Ja’Lynn Polk, who had 30% of his Year 4 salary and 84.7% of his total deal guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Savaiinaea received 15.3% more guaranteed money overall with a massive 70% increase in Year 4 guaranteed salary.

Savaiinaea did not report with the rest of the Miami’s rookie class on July 15 as one of several second-round picks holding out for fully guarantee rookie contracts after the Texans set new precedent with No. 34 pick Jayden Higgins. No. 35 pick Nick Emmanwori signed a fully guaranteed deal with the Seahawks on Thursday, giving Savaiinaea leverage to demand similar terms. Savaiinaea is also projected to replace Liam Eichenberg as the Dolphins’ starting right guard after they traded up for him in April’s draft, so it was important to get him on the field to build chemistry with his new teammates.

By giving in to Savaiinaea’s demands, the Dolphins will continue the domino effect of second-round pick signings. No. 39 pick Luther Burden signed a fully guaranteed contract with the Bears shortly after Savaiinaea put pen to paper, which should lock No. 38 pick TreVeyon Henderson into a similar deal with the Patriots. Saints rookie quarterback and No. 40 pick Tyler Shough should also be able to secure the fully guaranteed deal that he has been pursuing.

Normally, Savaiinaea’s signing would also ensure that the pick before him gets a fully guaranteed deal. However, No. 36 pick Quinshon Judkins remains unsigned as he faces a charge of misdemeanor battery after a domestic incident in Florida. The Browns are in no rush to sign him to his rookie deal, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, as the team wants their second-round pick’s focus to remain on his legal issues.

Savaiinaea’s signing completes the Dolphins’ eight-man draft class before training camp kicks off next week.

Lions Agree To Terms With Second-Round OL Tate Ratledge

July 18th, 2025 at 3:40pm CST by Ben Levine

July 18: The Lions guaranteed 66% of Ratledge’s Year 3 salary, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Comparatively, Chris Braswell, the No, 57 pick in 2024, only received guarantees for 16.4% of his Year 3 salary (and 57.2% of his total contract).

Ratledge’s deal represents another significant leap in guarantees for second-round picks as the 2025 class continues to sign their rookie contracts.

July 17: Tate Ratledge will be in the building when the Lions start their training camp in full this weekend. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Lions have agreed to terms with their rookie offensive lineman.

Like many teams around the league, the second rounder represented the Lions’ only unsigned draft pick. Detroit’s rookies reported to training camp yesterday.

Ratledge was the 57th pick in this year’s draft following an illustrious college career at Georgia. He established himself as a starter in 2022, and he was part of the championship-winning squads in 2023 and 2024. The lineman earned All-SEC and All-American nods in each of his final two seasons with the Bulldogs.

Ratledge exclusively played right guard in college, and there’s a chance he sticks at either one of the guard positions during the 2025 campaign. The rookie will also compete to replace the retired Frank Ragnow at center. While Ratledge didn’t play the position in college, he served as Georgia’s backup center in practices. The rookie was also spotted snapping for the Lions during spring practices, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

With the signing, the Lions’ entire draft class is now under contract:

Raiders Place Christian Wilkins On Active/PUP List; DT Making Progress In Recovery

July 18th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Christian Wilkins will not be available for at least the start of training camp. The high-priced defensive tackle was placed on the active/PUP list by the Raiders on Friday.

Wilkins can be activated at any time, which would not have been the case had he been given the reserve/PUP designation leading up to training camp. If the 29-year-old is not moved to the active roster by the time final cutdowns take place, he will be forced to miss the first four weeks of the campaign. That should not be expected in this case, however.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes Wilkins has been making “sound progress” while rehabbing the Jones fracture in his foot. The recovery process in this situation has proven to be long and arduous, with head coach Pete Carroll noting this spring it has been “challenging” for Wilkins to return to full health. As recently as late June, the former Dolphin had yet to shed a walking boot.

As a result, it comes as little surprise Wilkins will be unavailable for at least a portion of training camp. The Clemson product’s absence is nevertheless notable given the timing of his injury. Wilkins went down in Week 5 during the 2024 campaign, his first in Vegas. After a five-year run in Miami, he landed a free agent deal including $57.5MM fully guaranteed. Needless to say, expectations have not been met so far.

There is of course still plenty of time for Wilkins – who notched a career-high nine sacks in his final Dolphins campaign and posted double-digit tackles for loss each year from 2021-23 – to serve as a foundational member of the Raiders’ defensive interior. Returning to full health will be key as he prepares for the 2025 season, though, and there is clearly still work to be done on that front over the summer.

Seahawks Sign Second-Round TE Elijah Arroyo, Complete Draft Class Deals

July 18th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Last night, Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori became the third member of the 2025 draft class taken in the second round to secure a fully guaranteed rookie contract. Fellow Round 2 selection Elijah Arroyo has not managed to do the same, but he has signed with Seattle.

Arroyo signed his four-year, $8.81MM contract on Friday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the pact contains $6.87MM in guarantees, meaning 78% of the deal is locked in. In the past two years, the No. 50 slot (where Arroyo was selected) has seen guarantees of 61.6% and 68.3%, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.

This is, to no surprise, therefore a step in the direction of players taken in the middle of the second round receiving full guarantees down the road. That trend has emerged in recent days with much of the logjam created by 30 unsigned second-rounders being cleared in time (more or less) for training camp. Both Emmanwori and Arroyo will be in the fold by the time Seattle’s first camp practice takes place.

The 2025 draft class had a pair of tight ends seen as locks to be selected on Day 1; that wound up holding true in the case of Colston Loveland (Bears) and Tyler Warren (Colts). The next tier of prospects at the position included Arroyo, though, so it was no surprise when he came off the board with Seattle’s second pick of the round. The Miami product made only 11 catches across his first three years in college, but 2024 saw a major uptick in production. Arroyo posted a 35-590-7 statline during his one and only campaign playing with No. 1 pick Cam Ward.

The Seahawks will be banking on that performance translating to the NFL. Seattle still has Noah Fant in place for 2025, but the coming season is the final one of his contract. Arroyo could carve out a part-time role during his rookie campaign before stepping into a starting spot in the event Fant were to depart in free agency next spring. In any case, it will be interesting to see how that tandem fares this year.

Here is a final look at Seattle’s draft class with each member now on the books:

  • Round 1, No. 18: Grey Zabel (OL, North Dakota State) (signed)
  • Round 2, No. 35 (from Titans): Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina) (signed)
  • Round 2, No. 50: Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami) (signed)
  • Round 3, No. 92 (from Lions through Jets and Raiders): Jalen Milroe (QB, Alabama) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 142 (from Jaguars through Texans and Vikings): Rylie Mills (DT, Notre Dame) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 166 (from Bills through Texans): Tory Horton (WR, Colorado State) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 175*: Robbie Ouzts (TE, Alabama) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 192 (from Dolphins through Bears): Bryce Cabeldue (G, Kansas) (signed)
  • Round 7, No. 223 (from Saints through Eagles and Steelers): Damien Martinez (RB, Miami) (signed)
  • Round 7, No. 234: Mason Richman (T, Iowa) (signed)
  • Round 7, No. 238 (from Chargers through Patriots)*: Ricky White (WR, UNLV) (signed)

Jets, Second-Round TE Mason Taylor Agree To Terms

July 18th, 2025 at 10:36am CST by Adam La Rose

Tight end Mason Taylor is the latest second-round rookie to agree to terms on their rookie deal. He and the Jets have an agreement in place ahead of training camp.

Taylor’s four-year deal is worth $10.46MM. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that $9.56MM (or 91.4%) of that figure is guaranteed. As a result, Taylor will not join the first three players selected on Day 2 in securing a fully locked in pact. Nevertheless, the No. 42 pick will receive a considerable commitment in terms of guarantees.

Over the past two years, players taken in that slot received guarantees of 77.1% and 78.7%, per Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. This Taylor agreement is a major step in the direction of a fully locked in deal, and like in the case of many other second-round draft slots, it will no doubt serve as precedent moving forward for more guarantees. In any event, Taylor will be in place when the Jets’ rookies report to camp tomorrow.

A three-year contributor at LSU, Taylor was a productive member of the team’s pass-catching group. His junior campaign was his best, with 546 yards on 55 receptions. The two touchdowns scored that year brought his career total to six, and operating as a red zone target would be key in allowing Taylor to contribute right away with the Jets. Even if that is not the case, though, he should be able to handle at least a part-time role on offense.

Finding production from the TE position has proven to be a challenge in recent years for the Jets, a team which has wideout Garrett Wilson in place through 2030. He will serve as the anchor of New York’s passing game during that span, but finding complementary options will be key. Taylor – who will spend camp competing for playing time with the likes of Jeremy Ruckeret and Stone Smartt – should feature in that effort over the coming years.

With the Taylor deal done, here is a complete look at the Jets’ draft class:

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