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Steelers Release Ryan Watts; DB’s Career Likely Over

April 28th, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Adam La Rose

Ryan Watts joined the Steelers as a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft. The defensive back’s time in the organization has come to an end, however, and his playing days appear to be over as well.

“Unfortunately, today we are releasing Ryan Watts from our roster,” a statement from general manager Omar Khan reads. “After consulting with our medical team, medical experts, and Ryan’s representatives, we all agree that it is in Ryan’s best interest to discontinue playing football at this time. We will continue to assist and support Ryan as he transitions to the next phase of his life.”

Watts suffered a neck injury during Pittsburgh’s preseason finale last summer. As a result, he was placed on injured reserve and was ineligible to play during the regular season. Given today’s update, the 23-year-old’s prognosis is obviously not conducive to continuing his football career.

After a pair of seasons at Ohio State, Watts transferred to Texas. He played a pair of seasons with the Longhorns, totaling 89 tackles and six pass breakups during that span. His size (6-3, 212 pounds) offered plenty of potential at the NFL level. As things stand now, though, a major turnaround with respect to his health will be required for a pro career to be possible.

The Steelers’ safety depth chart consists of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Juan Thornhill, DeShon Elliott and Miles Killebrew. At corner, Pittsburgh has the likes of Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, Brandin Echols and Beanie Bishop in the fold. Due to unfortunate health circumstances, though, Watts will not be a member of the team’s secondary moving forward.

Steelers To Release DT Montravius Adams

April 28th, 2025 at 9:52am CST by Adam La Rose

After making an addition along the defensive interior during the opening round of the draft, the Steelers are parting ways with a veteran at that spot. Defensive tackle Montravius Adams is being released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

A rotational player throughout his eight years (and seven seasons) in the NFL, Adams had been in Pittsburgh since the midway point of the 2021 campaign. He made a total of 46 appearances and 21 starts during his tenure with the Steelers, with his heaviest workload coming in 2023. Last year, the 29-year-old saw his snap share fall to 27% while playing 11 games.

During this weekend’s draft, the Steelers – which still have the likes of Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton and Logan Lee in the fold – made a pair of moves along the D-line. That included the selection of Oregon’s Derrick Harmon on Day 1 along with Iowa product Yahya Black during the fifth round. With those two now in the mix, the decision to move on from Adams comes as little surprise.

One season remained on the former third-rounder’s contract, but none of his scheduled base salary was guaranteed. As a result, Pittsburgh will yield $2.25MM in cap savings with this release while generating a dead money charge of only $875K. The team entered Monday with over $31MM in cap space, but this cut will add even further to that figure.

Adams has reached or surpassed 20 tackles on three occasions during his career, but he has eclipsed five QB pressures or one sack only once in a single season. Known to be a non-factor against the pass, he will now look to find a new opportunity with a team eyeing help against the run.

Panthers Sign WR Hunter Renfrow

April 27th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hunter Renfrow will have a chance to complete a comeback this year. Weeks after meeting with the Panthers, the former Raiders slot receiver will join the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.

Having also met with the new Raiders regime, Renfrow was viewed as unlikely to be re-signed. But the Panthers will give the former 1,000-yard pass catcher a shot. The team has since announced the one-year agreement.

Trekking to Charlotte in March, Renfrow looks to have seen dominoes fall his way in the draft. Despite the Panthers using their first-round pick on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, they will give Renfrow a chance to impress as a slot option. The duo’s skillsets do not exactly overlap, and even though Carolina drafted Colorado receiver Jimmy Horn in Round 6, Renfrow will be part of its 90-man offseason roster.

After playing in Oakland and Las Vegas previously, Renfrow will return to his home region. The Clemson product is a Myrtle Beach, S.C., native. This addition certainly does not guarantee the 5-foot-10 target will be on Carolina’s 53-man roster come September, but he has at least secured an opportunity after sitting out the 2024 season.

The full-season absence came after the Raiders used a post-June 1 release designation on the five-year veteran last March. The Raiders had given Renfrow a two-year, $32MM extension, but he did not prove a fit in Josh McDaniels‘ offense. Despite McDaniels and then-GM Dave Ziegler signing off on the deal, Renfrow fell out of favor a year after leading the Raiders in receiving. Renfrow had joined Darren Waller as pillars of a Raiders pass-catching group that had sustained multiple setbacks — via the Antonio Brown misstep and Henry Ruggs‘ release following his involvement in a fatal car accident. Renfrow finished the 2021 season with 1,038 yards; he amassed barely half that across the following two seasons.

Renfrow, 29, caught 36 passes for 330 yards in 2022. That came in an injury-shortened season, but in 17 2023 games, the former Jon Gruden-era staple totaled just 255 yards as the Raiders transitioned from McDaniels to Antonio Pierce in charge. The short-lived Pierce-Tom Telesco regime, after trade rumors produced no takers, released him soon after. No close connections between Renfrow and teams emerged while he was on the market last year.

The Panthers moved on from both Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo in-season, but they held onto Adam Thielen. The 13th-year veteran agreed to return on a deal that does not guarantee a roster spot, as it carries just $1.75MM guaranteed. McMillan and Horn join 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette and UDFA find Jalen Coker among the Panthers’ receiving corps, which also houses backup David Moore. Renfrow will join the likes of Dan Chisena, Dax Milne and others vying for roster spots this offseason.

Jaguars Bring In 20 UDFAs

April 27th, 2025 at 9:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are the latest team to announce their UDFA haul. Here is Jacksonville’s 20-man contingent of post-draft signees:

Striggow is joining the Jaguars for a hefty guarantee. The AFC South team is giving the Big Ten product $254K guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That is certainly on the higher end for UDFAs, but Striggow was productive as a pass rusher over the past two seasons for the Golden Gophers. He combined to reach 11 sacks in that span, accumulating 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles during his final two seasons in Minneapolis as well.

Wormley will receive a $110K guarantee to sign, Wilson adds. This covers a $100K base salary guarantee and a $10K signing bonus. A Nittany Lion going almost as far back as the Saquon Barkley days, Wormley started three seasons as the team’s right guard. Playing six seasons at Penn State, Wormley made 42 starts. This included 16 made during the Nittany Lions’ 2024 season, which ended in the CFP semifinals. The Jags also drafted a guard, West Virginia’s Wyatt Millum, in Round 3.

Dane Brugler’s The Athletic big board placed Henigan 14th among QBs, while ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slotted him 15th at the position. Henigan started four years for Memphis; although the American Athletic Conference has not been around too long, the 6-foot-3 QB leaves as the league’s all-time passing leader (14,266). This worked out to between 3,300 and 3,900 passing yards each season, and Henigan threw 32 TD passes as a junior in 2023. He finished with a 104-31 TD:INT ratio. He will join a QB depth chart housing Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens and John Wolford.

Scouts Inc. ranked Downs as the top prospect in this Jags UDFA group, slotting him 286th in the 2025 class. A two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection, Downs produced 30 TFLs from 2022-24. He added 12 sacks in that time. He comes to Jacksonville having not used his fifth year of college eligibility, which is now atypical for NFL UDFAs in the post-COVID era.

49ers Announce 6 UDFA Signings

April 27th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After tying for a league-high 11 draft picks over the weekend, the 49ers have added another six players to their 2025 rookie class. Here are the team’s undrafted free agent signings:

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Neyor ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, where he also posted elite numbers in the broad and long jumps. Despite his enticing athletic profile, he went undrafted due to injuries and a lack of production in college. After redshirting as a freshman in 2019, the former Wyoming Cowboy emerged as a deep threat in 2020 and 2021. He transferred to Texas in 2022, but suffered a torn ACL in the preseason that he re-injured in 2023, limiting him to just one game as a Longhorn. Neyor transferred once more, this time to Nebraska, but struggled to produce in 2024 with just 34 catches for 455 yards in 10 games. His intriguing size/speed combination makes him a strong blocker and could translate into special teams duties in the NFL as he develops as a receiver.

Moss started at right tackle for two years at Lamar before transferring to Colorado State in 2023. He started at right tackle during his first season in Fort Collins before playing his best ball at right guard in 2024. His arm length will likely restrict him to the interior in the NFL, but his versatility, experience, and grit will help him battle for a roster spot.

Kiner is a smaller, compact back at 5-foot-9 and 203 pounds who enters the NFL after back-to-back years with over 1,000 rushing yards at Cincinnati. He originally committed to LSU, but transferred to his hometown Bearcats after just one year in Baton Rouge. Kiner runs with balance and strength to break tackles, but his speed and acceleration are below typical NFL standards at the position. He lacks the physical profile and experience of a special teams contributor, but showed some promise as a pass-catcher in 2024 by catching all 16 of his targets.

Jaguars To Sign DE Emmanuel Ogbah

April 27th, 2025 at 3:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars are signing former Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Ogbah is a nine-year veteran with 87 starts and 47.5 sacks in his career. He spent the last five seasons in Miami with 16 starts and 5.0 sacks in 2024, as well as nine tackles for loss that tied a career-high.

The Jaguars were in need of an experienced third edge defender, and Ogbah will provide depth behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Jacksonville only spent a sixth-round pick on the position over the weekend, adding Auburn’s Jalen McLeod. Like new teammate Yasir Abdullah, McLeod is an undersized outside linebacker whose football smarts and versatility will be his best path to playing time.

Jacksonville will be Ogbah’s fourth home in the NFL after beginning his up-and-down career in Cleveland as a second-round pick in 2016. He flashed with 5.5 sacks as a rookie, but a fractured foot sidelined him after 10 games in 2017 and his production decreased the year after.

With Ogbah entering the last year of his rookie contract, the Browns traded him to the Chiefs for safety Eric Murray during the 2019 offseason. Ogbah once again suffered a season-ending injury after 10 games – this time a torn pectoral – but he recorded 5.5 sacks before his injury and earned a Super Bowl ring at the end of the season.

Ogbah signed a two-year, $15MM contract with the Dolphins in free agency and exploded for 9.0 sacks in back-to-back years in Miami. That earned him a four-year, $65MM extension, though he has only started 20 games with 11.5 sacks on that contract, due in part to a torn triceps in 2022.

The Jaguars will be hoping they’re getting the healthy, productive version of Ogbah that emerged in his first two years in Miami. Though his contract is worth up to $5MM, the base value is likely lower with incentives to make up the difference.

Saints Sign 11 UDFA Rookies

April 27th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints drafted nine players this weekend, and they’ll brings their rookie class to 20 with their undrafted free agent crop. The 11 UDFAs joining the rookie group are:

The Saints’ most prominent signing is Yarns, a two-year starter with breakaway speed that helped him rack up 6.4 yards per carry and 34 total touchdowns in his career. He was expected to be a late-Day 3 pick, but his smaller frame may have dropped him out of the draft. He doesn’t play with the physicality to make up for his size, which comes with durability concerns after he missed two games during the 2024 season. However, his potential as a home-run hitter and natural receiving abilities will give him a chance to make the 53-man roster in the Saints’ thin running back room.

After four strong seasons at Alabama, Burnip is looking to continue the trend of Australian-born punters finding success in the NFL. He averaged 45.4 yards per punt in 2024, good for fourth in the SEC and ninth in the nation, while opposing returners averaged a national-low of 1.00 yard per return against the Crimson Tide. Burnip should have a good chance of winning the Saints’ punting job as a rookie.

Simpkins emerged as one of the best offensive linemen in the FCS over his 35 games at North Carolina Central –31 at center, four at right guard – before transferring to South Carolina to cut his teeth against SEC-level competition. He earned a team captaincy in his first year with the Gamecocks and held up well at right guard across his 13 starts in 2024, culminating in a third-team All-SEC selection.

Kilty also started his career in the FCS with starts at right guard, right tackle, and left tackle for North Dakota State. He transferred to Kansas State in 2024 and started 13 games at left tackle with second-team All-Big 12 honors. His 32-inch arms may limit him at tackle in the NFL, but offensive line coaches will appreciate his versatility.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this story.

Steelers Announce 7 UDFA Signings

April 27th, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Ely Allen

After drafting seven rookies this weekend, the Steelers double their rookie class with their undrafted free agent signings. Here are the seven additions to the team’s rookie class:

A two-year starter for the Tigers, Taylor had a productive last two seasons, catching 135 balls for 2,053 yards and six touchdowns, but he had a bit of an issue with nine drops over that period.

Williams spent six seasons in Duluth, not making an appearance until his third year after redshirting and sitting out the COVID-19 2020 season. In 2022, he took over the starting left tackle position for the Bulldogs, starting 32 games over the next three seasons and earning second-team All-NSIC honors in 2022 and 2023 and first-team honors in 2024.

Castro had some Day 3 buzz, likely due to a stellar 2023 campaign in which he had 11 passes defensed, three interceptions, and eight tackles for loss. His 2024 season was pretty disappointing, though, as his passes defensed dropped to two and his interceptions dropped to one while he allowed five touchdowns in coverage.

Lastly, Sauls gets to stay in his home stadium, after going 52-64 on field goal attempts in the last three years with the Panthers. The left-footed kicker had a long this season of 58 yards. With Chris Boswell under contract for another two years, though, and having just led the NFL with 41 converted field goals (only missing three attempts — as many as he had in 2023, as well), Sauls will likely spend the preseason auditioning for other teams who may need a kicker in 2024.

Vikings Sign 19 UDFAs

April 27th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings owned the NFL’s smallest draft class with only five selections this year, so naturally, they added a good amount of undrafted free agents to form a 24-man rookie class. Here are the 19 UDFAs the team signed:

An undersized runner, Stewart had an incredible year for the Gamecocks. In fact, with 1,678 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns in 2024, Stewart joined top ten pick Ashton Jeanty as the only two FBS backs with over 1,600 yards and 25 scores on the ground.

After two strong years at Oregon State, Bolden wasn’t very productive as a receiver for the Longhorns. He was extremely productive, though, as a punt returner, notching 315 yards on 30 returns and scoring a touchdown. His return abilities netted him $205K in guaranteed money on his UDFA contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Brown is a surprising get post-draft, considering he was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection. Likely a significant injury history kept him available to this point. Huber was another likely Day 3 selection. He started 13 games at right tackle at Cincinnati before transferring and shifting inside. He started as left guard in 2023 and right guard in 2024 for the Badgers. Despite only playing offensive line since 2019, Huber’s versatility was able to net him $210K guaranteed on his UDFA deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Chambliss was impressive in his final season at Georgia with 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, but his route to a 53-man roster will likely have to come through special teams contributions. Impressive length and production should give Vaughn a chance at the opening day roster. In five years at Utah (one redshirt season), Vaughn tallied 27 passes defensed, three interceptions, three sacks, and 14.0 tackles for loss.

Chargers Announce 18 UDFA Signings

April 27th, 2025 at 9:34am CST by Ely Allen

After adding nine players throughout this weekend’s draft, the Chargers still had plenty of room for rookie additions. Los Angeles announced their 18-man undrafted free agent signing class shortly after the event closed, disclosing these players as signees:

After slightly favoring offense (five players to four on defense) during the draft, Los Angeles evens things out by favoring the defense (10:8) in the undrafted class, giving them 13 offensive rookies and 14 defensive rookies in 2025.

Once heralded as the quarterback of the future set to take over the Clemson program after Trevor Lawrence, Uiagalelei ends up in Los Angeles after stops with Oregon State and the Seminoles. Sanders was expected to be a late-Day 3 selection. Sanders rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 for Arkansas before injuries limited him in 2023. He transferred to South Carolina and tallied 881 yards and 11 scores on the ground, adding 316 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air.

The team loaded up on flyers in the secondary this year. After drafting safeties with each of their last two picks, the Chargers added one more in free agency and signed four undrafted cornerbacks. Reed is maybe the most capable of the group. One of Deion Sanders‘ cast-outs at Colorado, Reed transferred to Oregon for two strong years, collecting 26 passes defensed and five interceptions in his four years of college. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Reed’s UDFA contract includes $100K of base salary guaranteed plus a $15K signing bonus.

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