Transactions News & Rumors

Panthers To Sign DT Tershawn Wharton

March 10th, 2025 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carolina is beefing up Derrick Brown‘s supporting cast, it seems. After adding Rams nose tackle Bobby Brown, the Panthers are bringing in a former sidekick of Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton.

Following a production uptick in a contract year, Wharton will cash in big. He is heading to Charlotte on a three-year, $54MM deal that comes with $30MM guaranteed, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. When compared to contracts from last year, Wharton’s deal would rank in the top 14 for what defensive tackles made annually.

Wharton signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Missouri S&T and immediately found his way into the defensive line rotation as a rookie. Over three years with the team, he started just two games, but he got consistent snap shares in every game until tearing his ACL in 2022 after just five games. When his three-year, undrafted deal ran out, Kansas City signed him back on a one-year deal, despite the recent injury. He returned to his normal production and earned another one-year deal, which he played on this year.

In 2024, Wharton surpassed Derrick Nnadi on the depth chart, earning multiple starts in a single season for the first time in his career. With 10 starts in 17 game appearances, Wharton’s production saw an uptick, resulting in career highs in sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (7), and quarterback hits (11). Of 118 players graded at the position, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Wharton at 49th. While his run defense left something to be desired, his pass rushing grade ranked 22nd for interior defenders in the league.

Along with the two Browns on the interior, Wharton will now attempt to improve a Panthers defense that finished 32nd in the league in rushing yards allowed and 31st in the league in rushing touchdowns allowed. He’ll also utilize his superior pass rush abilities to improve on a defense whose 32 sacks ranked 29th in the NFL last season.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Dolphins To Sign QB Zach Wilson

March 10th, 2025 at 5:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos reached a pre-free agency deal to retain Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson will relocate once again. The former Jets No. 2 overall pick is joining the Dolphins.

Miami is in agreement with Wilson on a one-year, $6MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The contract could reach $10MM. Wilson will return to the AFC East as a Tua Tagovailoa backup option.

Tagovailoa’s injury trouble has shined a spotlight on the Dolphins’ backup quarterbacks, as the team’s lack of production from this position sank a potential wild-card season. As Miami’s backup brigade struggled to find Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (but not Jonnu Smith), Wilson may well be stepping into an important role. This comes after an effective mid-career redshirt, as the former Jets three-year starter became the Broncos’ third-stringer.

The Jets and Broncos agreed on a trade that split Wilson’s 2024 money, but he fell behind early in a competition for the starting job. Bo Nix distanced himself in that three-way competition, but Stidham beat out Wilson for the QB2 job. Wilson was not expected to stay in Denver, but he has secured a more important role for the ’25 season.

Wilson made 33 starts for the Jets, who benched him on three occasions between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. Although the Jets managed to fare better with Wilson at the controls than Aaron Rodgers, the latter certainly outplayed him. Wilson is a career 57% passer who carries a 23-25 TD-INT ratio to Miami. Averaging just 6.3 yards per pass for his career, the BYU alum does not bring stability to the Dolphins’ backup role.

Miami chose Skylar Thompson over Mike White as its 2024 backup, after White held the role in 2023 (when Tagovailoa stayed healthy). Thompson did not prove up to the job, leading to Tyler Huntley arriving and taking the reins last season, when Tua sustained a concussion and a separate injury. The Dolphins went 2-5 in the games Tua did not finish, and they will roll the dice with Wilson — barring a draft pick being added and quickly usurping the fifth-year vet — next season.

Colts, CB Charvarius Ward Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chris Ballard‘s January comments about an organizational shift have led to big-ticket investments in outside free agents. While that has not been a Colts staple under the current GM, it has shaped the team’s start of free agency.

After the Colts added Camryn Bynum, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports they have a deal in place with Charvarius Ward. The former Chiefs and 49ers starter is heading to Indianapolis on a three-year deal worth up to $60MM. The seven-year vet will receive $35MM guaranteed, with $20MM of that including a $20MM signing bonus.

The 49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir payday pointed Ward out of town, and he indeed is done in San Francisco after three seasons. Ward, 28, helped the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII — a second-team All-Pro season for the talented boundary cornerback — and he was a key part of their top-tier defensive effort in 2022 as well. Last season did not go as well for Ward (or most other 49ers), but he still commanded considerable market interest today.

Intercepting five passes in 2023, Ward broke up an NFL-most 23 that season. Playing for two of this era’s most reliable teams, Ward has played in 17 playoff games. That includes three Super Bowls and six conference championship games. Last season’s 49ers step off the Super Bowl radar brought some potentially concerning Ward developments — during a season in which he also missed five games.

After allowing 56.8% and 54.1% completion rates as the closest defender in 2022 and ’23, Ward yielded 61.5% accuracy last season. This corresponded with a rise in passer rating allowed (116.6 – up from 2023’s 64.5 number). PFF had rated Ward as a top-six corner in both 2022 and ’23, but it dropped him to 93rd during Nick Sorensen’s season in charge. New Colts DC Lou Anarumo faced Ward on a few occasions during the latter’s Kansas City stay, and he certainly appears to believe more quality play will be in store on the former UDFA’s third contract.

Monday will bring a high-end talent to a secondary in need, as Ward joins slot staple Kenny Moore at corner while Bynum will accompany breakout performer Nick Cross at safety. After the Colts dropped to 26th in pass defense last season, Ballard is backing up his talk on adding reinforcements to a largely homegrown roster.

Texans, Darrell Taylor Agree To Deal; Team To Add WR Justin Watson

March 10th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans already have Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter along the edge, but they are bringing in a short-term veteran for depth. Darrell Taylor has agreed to a one-year, $5.25MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport adds Houston also has an agreement in place with Justin Watson. The veteran wideout has plenty of experience as a special teams contributor but he logged a heavy offensive workload in Kansas City this past year in particular. Watson will be able to serve as a complement to Nico Collins and recent trade addition Christian Kirk.

Taylor comes to Houston after a lengthy Seattle stay and a one-season Chicago stopover. For a player who totaled 24.5 sacks over his first five seasons (one of them erased by injury), Taylor is fairly affordable. Although he only collected three last season, Taylor totaled six sacks in his 2021 debut — after a season-nullifying injury in 2020 — and added 9.5 to help the 2022 Seahawks to the playoffs. Taylor added four forced fumbles that season.

After Taylor finished the 2023 season with 5.5 sacks in a part-time role, the Seahawks traded him to a the Bears in a low-end swap that only brought back a 2025 sixth-round pick. Taylor, 28 later this month, did not start any games for the Bears during a rather turbulent season for the NFC North franchise.

A former Buccaneers backup, Watson is relocating after being a tertiary Patrick Mahomes option for a few seasons. As the Chiefs were trying to force Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore into regular roles, the experiments failed and forced the megastar quarterback to lean on other options. Watson posted a career-high 460 yards and three touchdowns that year. He added six catches for 90 yards in the playoffs. During Kansas City’s injury-plagued 2024 season at receiver, Watson came through with 22 catches for 289 yards.

Watson, 29, joins a Texans team that has Tank Dell almost certain to miss much of the 2025 season — after a brutal knee injury in Week 16 at Arrowhead Stadium — and one that may lose Stefon Diggs. Robert Woods is also a free agent.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Patriots To Sign QB Josh Dobbs, Open To Trading Joe Milton

March 10th, 2025 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

A busy day for the Patriots now includes a backup quarterback addition. Josh Dobbs is headed to New England on a two-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

This pact has a maximum value of $8MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes. He adds Dobbs will collect $3.8MM guaranteed. The journeyman will be in position to serve as an experienced backup for Drake Maye moving forward, a role Jacoby Brissett held at the end of the 2024 campaign.

The Patriots will continue Dobbs’ journey around the NFL. While not exactly close to Josh Johnson territory, Dobbs is heading to a ninth NFL team. He comes to New England after a season as San Francisco’s third-string quarterback. Brock Purdy sitting out Week 18 last season did led to a Dobbs start, however, and he impressed. Dobbs completed 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions.

While Dobbs dropped a notable performance to close out the season, he was never viewed as likely to re-sign with the 49ers. The team added him last year but bumped 2023 third-stringer Brandon Allen up to QB2, leaving Dobbs — a starter for the Cardinals and Vikings in 2023 — an afterthought until that inconsequential Week 18 game. Dobbs will replace Brissett as Maye’s backup, coming after Brissett had shown pessimism about being back in New England.

Dobbs, 30, has made stops with the Steelers, Jaguars, Browns, Lions and Titans before his three-team 2024. The Titans had used Dobbs as a late-season starter, playing him in front of Malik Willis late in the ’22 season on short notice. The Browns traded Dobbs to the Cardinals just before the 2023 season, and he started eight games for the rebuilding team. Dobbs was needed soon on short notice yet again, as the Vikings turned to him shortly after a deadline-day trade. Dobbs’ Titans tenure is relevant once again, as Mike Vrabel will bring him back despite only coaching him for two games.

For his career, the QB/rocket scientist is a 62.7% passer who has gone 3-12 in starts. A rebuilding Cardinals operation is largely responsible for tanking Dobbs’ win/loss record. He has managed to remain a viable option for several years, moving up from the practice squad level as of late. The Patriots no longer need a Maye bridge, but they will slide Dobbs in behind the prized prospect on their depth chart.

As Dobbs will settle in as the Pats’ QB2, the team is interested in seeing what it could land for Joe Milton. The cannon-armed passer, who started for Maye in Week 18, is coming up in trades, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. While the Patriots are high on the 2024 sixth-round pick, Maye is the team’s unquestioned starter and Dobbs is now on track to back him up. Three years remain on the Tennessee prospect’s rookie contract, and the Patriots have discussed him with teams already.

Adam La Rose contributed to this report.

Titans To Sign LB Cody Barton

March 10th, 2025 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cody Barton is on the move once again. Following one-year stints with the Commanders and Broncos, the veteran linebacker has a deal in place with the Titans, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.

Barton is headed to Tennessee on a three-year deal, per Garafolo. This pact is worth $21MM, which represents a major raise compared to his previous deals. The 28-year-old collected $3.5MM in Washington and then $3.75MM in Denver. Now, Barton has landed a multi-year commitment and a $7MM AAV, by far the highest of his career.

Alex Singleton‘s Week 3 ACL tear moved Barton to the Broncos’ three-down LB centerpiece last season. Barton had gone from battling Jonas Griffith in a training camp competition to start alongside Singleton to being Denver’s lead presence on its defensive second level. Singleton is on his way back from an ACL tear, and the Broncos added Dre Greenlaw after losing Barton.

This marks Barton’s fourth team in four seasons, but the former third-round Seahawks pick did better for himself on this contract than his Broncos deal (one year, $2.5MM). Barton, 28, is coming off three straight 100-plus-tackle seasons. He topped out at 136 for a suddenly Bobby Wagner-less Seahawks team in 2022, adding six pass breakups that year. He added 121 tackles for the Commanders in 2023 but became a cap casualty as a new Washington regime took over.

Pro Football Focus rated Barton 46th among linebackers. He has logged at least a 91% snap share in each of his post-Seattle seasons, doing so after not breaking through as a Seahawks starter until his fourth season. The Titans should be expected to plug in Barton alongside 2024 FA addition Kenneth Murray, as Jack Gibbens and 2024 trade pickup Jerome Baker are unsigned.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Panthers, DL Bobby Brown Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 4:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers made it a priority to upgrade along the defensive interior early in the lead-in to free agency. A Milton Williams agreement did not come to pass, but the team has managed to pivot quickly.

Bobby Brown has a deal in place, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The former Ram will not offer the impact against the pass that Williams would have, but he will provide a run-stopping presence for his new team. The 24-year-old handled starting duties with Los Angeles for each of the past two seasons.

Providing further details, Rapoport notes Brown will collect $21MM on a three-year pact. With a maximum value of $27MM (thanks to incentives), this deal marks quite the raise from his rookie contract. Brown slotted in at No. 48 on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agent List, and he has not needed to wait long to secure a significant pact.

Pro Football Focus graded Brown as a top-30 run-defending DT during Aaron Donald‘s final season and last year, after the all-time great retired. The Panthers, whose defense spiraled to a last-place finish in 2024, will bet on Brown to help their run defense. Brown’s deal checks in south of where the Broncos went to retain nose tackle D.J. Jones late last night. With Brown not turning 25 until August, the Panthers have some upside here.

Brown is also familiar with Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, though perhaps somewhat indirectly. Evero was in place as Rams DBs coach during Brown’s rookie season, which doubled as the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning campaign. Carolina will pair Bobby Brown with the recovering Derrick Brown in 2025. While the Panthers need to revamp their outside linebacker contingent, the two Browns figure to matter plenty up front.

Raiders To Re-Sign Malcolm Koonce

March 10th, 2025 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Malcolm Koonce represented one of the more interesting free agents in this year’s group of edge rushers. Rather than taking a deal with a new team, though, he will remain in Vegas.

Koonce has agreed to re-sign with the Raiders on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Even though he missed all of the 2024 campaign, this deal is worth $12MM. A short-term approach makes sense from the team’s perspective, but that is a notable financial commitment in the wake of Maxx Crosby‘s new deal.

The Raiders were unable retain Tre’von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs or Robert Spillane today, despite Pete Carroll expressing interest in each prior-regime investment sticking around. But the team is bringing back Koonce and Adam Butler, whom Las Vegas re-signed Sunday night. They will continue as Crosby complementary pieces.

For Koonce, this will be a “prove it” deal. The Raiders have good reason for putting Koonce to a test (albeit a well-paid one). Other than a second-half eruption in 2023, the former third-round pick does not have much to show statistically for his NFL career. But as the Raiders’ Chandler Jones signing revealed itself to be one of the decade’s worst moves, Koonce stepped up ahead of top-10 pick Tyree Wilson.

Koonce finished the 2023 season with eight sacks; the Buffalo alum compiled all those from Week 9 on. Peaking with a three-sack performance during a Raiders Christmas Day upset of the Chiefs, Koonce also added two more in the Raiders’ 63-21 romp over the Chargers — one that ultimately led Tom Telesco to Vegas. Telesco is already out as GM, and after Koonce did not have a chance to build on his 2023 season (thanks to a season-ending knee injury sustained in a late-summer practice), Carroll, John Spytek and Tom Brady will observe his 2025 progress.

Playing on a defensive front housing Crosby and Christian Wilkins‘ monster contracts, it is possible Koonce will be auditioning for a 2026 free agency bid this coming season.

Packers, CB Nate Hobbs Agree To Terms

March 10th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned as a player who could move toward the top tier of the slot cornerback market, Nate Hobbs has done so. The Packers are adding the four-year Raiders regular.

Hobbs is heading to Green Bay on a four-year, $48MM deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The veteran slot defender will see $16MM guaranteed. This comes after a season that featured Keisean Nixon playing more on the outside. If the Packers indeed have a slot-only role for Hobbs planned, this is that market’s new ceiling. Incentives could take the deal to $50MM, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky adds.

The only slot corner included on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list, Hobbs has drawn trade interest in the past. The 49ers were among the teams to pursue him, but no deal came to pass, keeping Hobbs in Las Vegas. The Raiders have now lost three of their free agent defenders, seeing Tre’von Moehrig join the Panthers and Robert Spillane agree to terms with the Patriots.

A decade after All-Decade slot corner Chris Harris moved past $8MM per year, the slot market still resided south of $10MM AAV entering the 2024 offseason. Movement took place involving veterans Kenny Moore and Taron Johnson, with younger Jets slot Michael Carter topping both. Hobbs’ Packers deal, AAV-wise at least, checks in $1.75MM north of where Carter took the market last summer.

The 6-foot corner played roughly three-fourths of his 2024 snaps inside; he was also slot-focused in 2023, logging 504 of his 775 defensive snaps there. Pro Football Focus ranked Hobbs 73rd among CB regulars in 2024 but has placed him higher (42nd in 2023, fifth in 2021) in the past. If Hobbs is indeed the Pack’s slot preference, Javon Bullard‘s role would stand to change.

Hobbs, 25, will join a Packers team widely expected to bid farewell to Jaire Alexander‘s $21MM-per-year contract. The Packers have shopped the high-priced corner to no avail. The team still has Nixon and Carrington Valentine rostered, but work may remain as underwhelming first-rounder Eric Stokes joins Corey Ballentine in hitting free agency.

Jaguars, Robert Hainsey Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars continue to use the opening day of the negotiating period to along the offensive line. Patrick Mekari has already worked out a deal, and the same is now true of Robert Hainsey.

The latter has a three-year agreement in place, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal is worth $21MM and includes $13MM guaranteed, he adds. Hainsey played out his rookie contract with the Buccaneers, including the 2024 campaign with new Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen.

Although Coen only stopped through Tampa for one season, he is bringing Hainsey — who did not work as a regular starter last year — with him. Hainsey’s starter run came from 2022-23, as Ryan Jensen‘s training camp knee injury sidetracked his career and forced the Bucs into replacing him. Hainsey started all 34 Bucs games at center from 2022-23.

Initially placed as a guard in Tampa, Hainsey ended up giving way to 2024 first-round pick Graham Barton at center. Coen, however, did coach the former Tampa Bay starter last season. Despite Hainsey’s 2024 stay as a backup, the former third-round pick did not come especially cheap. He will collect $7MM per year and a nice guarantee, accompanying Mekari as unorthodox starter solutions. Mekari is heading south after a playing at least 200 snaps at all five O-line positions in Baltimore.

Brandon Scherff played out his big-ticket Jaguars deal — one agreed to during the 2022 free agency period — and the team saw Mitch Morse retire this month. Ezra Cleveland remains in place at Jacksonville’s other interior O-line spot; Hainsey and Mekari and on track to join him.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

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