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Steelers, Kenneth Gainwell Finalizing Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Backing up Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell has waited his turn. The four-year Eagles contributor is set to relocate but without leaving Pennsylvania.

A day after losing Najee Harris to the Chargers, the Steelers are finalizing a deal with Gainwell. The sides have agreed to a one-year deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Gainwell will be on track to team with Jaylen Warren, whom the Steelers slapped with a second-round RFA tender. Warren is set to make $5.3MM this season; that does not check in too far south of the Harris fifth-year option on which Pittsburgh passed.

The Steelers will be acquiring a running back with fairly low mileage but one that has maintained a second-string role for one of the league’s best rushing attacks. Gainwell has only compiled 280 carries in his four-year career. He holds a career 4.2-yard average and has tallied 721 receiving yards.

No extended stints as a fill-in have transpired for Gainwell, as the Eagles have seen Sanders, Swift and Barkley stay healthy over the past three years. All three parlayed those seasons into new deals, with Barkley’s coming via an Eagles extension. Gainwell has been the constant throughout this period, fending off challengers for the Philly RB2 gig in 2023 and keeping it once Barkley arrived. Gainwell has just four career starts. One of those came in Week 1 of the 2023 season, but after the 2021 fifth-round pick sustained an injury that kept him out of Week 2, Swift took over and never gave back the job.

Pittsburgh certainly could be expected to augment the position further in the draft, as Warren and Gainwell will be due for unrestricted free agency in 2026. For now, a potential Warren-Gainwell partnership has formed. This offseason may bring a big opportunity for Gainwell, who turns 26 later this week. Entering the 2025 season with more than 800 fewer carries than Harris makes this a (likely) low-cost bet on fresher legs bringing upside.

49ers To Sign WR Demarcus Robinson

March 11th, 2025 at 7:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

A multiyear cog in Sean McVay’s machine, Demarcus Robinson is not leaving California. He will head north, however, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the veteran wide receiver is joining the 49ers.

Robinson played two seasons with the Rams, playing alongside Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp; that came not long after a lengthy run with the Chiefs. The 49ers are adding the experienced pass catcher on a two-year, $9.5MM deal. He will be guaranteed $6MM, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe tweets.

The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel and may not have Brandon Aiyuk ready to go by Week 1. Robinson, 30, stands to have a shot at regular playing time alongside holdovers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. When Aiyuk returns, Robinson may slide to the WR4 role. Though, he maintained regular snaps with the Rams over the past two seasons.

Although the presence of Tutu Atwell stood to further diminish Robinson’s L.A. role, he did not see his starting job threatened, starting every Rams game last season. Robinson caught 31 passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. The 16.3-yard average doubled as a career-high number.

The Rams re-signed Robinson last year, giving him a one-year, $4MM deal. The 49ers’ rate is comparable, but Samuel’s exit and Aiyuk’s rehab timeline open the door for some playing time. Although the Rams are jettisoning Cooper Kupp, they re-signed Atwell and gave Davante Adams a $26MM guarantee Sunday night. That trio will lead the way in L.A., as Robinson — who spent six seasons with the Chiefs earlier in his career — attempts to keep going as a supporting-caster.

Robinson has four 400-plus-yard season on his resume, the first two coming in Kansas City and the third in Baltimore. The Florida alum has quietly scored 27 career touchdowns, having initially worked as an auxiliary Patrick Mahomes target during the Tyreek Hill–Travis Kelce heyday.

Broncos To Sign WR Trent Sherfield

March 11th, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos have been linked to needing significant wide receiver help, Sean Payton has mentioned a tight end or running back — a joker, in Payton parlance — as the team’s bigger need. Denver is making a lower-level receiver addition tonight, however.

Trent Sherfield is signing with the Broncos, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who indicates it is a two-year agreement. This deal comes nearly a year after the Broncos gave Josh Reynolds a similar contract. Reynolds’ checked in at $9MM; Sherfield’s is worth $8MM.

Sherfield, 29, has played a backup role for most of his career. He started one game for the Vikings last season. While the Broncos attempted to integrate Reynolds into their offense, his IR trip for a finger injury — and later suffering injuries in a minor shooting — preceded an eventual separation. The Broncos turned to rookie-contract players to supplement Courtland Sutton after Reynolds hit IR.

Given the usage rates Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin racked up last season, it would surprise if Sherfield became a receiving regular for the Broncos. The eight-year veteran has one 300-yard receiving season on his resume, which came in 2022 as a Dolphins WR3. He totaled 86 yards with the Bills in 2023 and 83 with the Vikings last season.

Sherfield’s contract would point to him being a good bet to be on the Broncos’ 53-man roster. With Mims, Franklin and Vele all expected back and Sutton being on the team’s extension radar, the Broncos may only have one receiver spot to offer — and even that would not be a given. If the Broncos are to pursue one of the veteran wideout options — from Amari Cooper to Keenan Allen to Tyler Lockett to the cut-candidate Cooper Kupp — to aid Bo Nix, roster math may not support it.

Raiders To Sign CB Eric Stokes

March 11th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eric Stokes battled injuries for much of his Packers tenure, but the veteran cornerback is a former first-round pick who has made 32 NFL starts. The Raiders will see if he can recapture the form that intrigued front offices out of the draft.

The Raiders are adding Stokes on a one-year contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A day after the Packers poached Nate Hobbs on a top-market slot deal, the Raiders will bring in Stokes for $4MM.

Although injuries dogged Stokes in 2022 and ’23, he did suit up every Packers game last season. Stokes did not last the season as a starter, being removed from the lineup after five games, and he did not reenter the first-string mix when Jaire Alexander went down.

Still, Stokes brings elite speed, having run a 4.25-second 40-yard dash before the 2021 draft, and will be joining a Pete Carroll secondary. The accomplished coach coaxed many Seahawks cover men to success, with D.J. Reed, Shaquill Griffin and Riq Woolen faring well in Carroll’s system after Richard Sherman ascended to the All-Pro level.

Stokes, 26, has a ways to go before even being deemed a reliable starter, let alone a success story. But he will attempt to use the Raiders as a way to elevate his stock after a Wisconsin nosedive. A Lisfranc injury halted Stokes’ early-career progress midway through the 2022 season, and hamstring trouble ruined his 2023 slate. Stokes said last year overcompensation from the foot issue led to the hamstring trouble. Overall, Stokes has made three trips to IR since that 2022 injury.

Pro Football Focus viewed Stokes as a promising rookie, but he graded outside the top 100 among CB regulars in 2022 before the injury. Last season, PFF placed Stokes 74th during a 588-snap season. The Packers have seen Stokes bolt and are likely to cut Jaire Alexander, whom they are shopping. Hobbs will step into a key role in Green Bay. As far as Stokes’ path, he will vie for time with Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson. Stokes has primarily worked as a boundary corner, which would not make him a one-for-one Hobbs replacement.

Browns, LB Devin Bush Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 6:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Relocating in each of the past two offseasons, Devin Bush is staying in Cleveland. The Browns and the veteran linebacker have reached an agreement on a second contract, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports.

Formerly a Steelers first-rounder — after a rare Round 1 trade-up from the team — Bush moved on to the Seahawks in 2023 and Browns in 2024. While the second-generation NFLer has not justified his first-round pedigree, he has remained a viable starter. The Browns will give him another chance, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the sides are in agreement on a $3.25MM deal.

Bush, 26, will see a slight raise after playing last season for $1.5MM. While the Deshaun Watson mess engulfed the Browns last season, Bush quietly worked as a regular starter. This came during a season in which the Browns lost Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah midway through and played five games without fellow starter Jordan Hicks. Bush made 76 tackles, and his nine TFLs were his most since his rookie season.

Despite Pro Football Focus grading Bush as a top-10 off-ball linebacker last season, no notable market appears to have emerged. Bush has made 61 career starts, being a primary starter in Pittsburgh and Cleveland (and a backup in Seattle during Bobby Wagner‘s Seahawks farewell season). He will continue to attempt to climb up the ladder during this one-year deal, the Michigan alum’s third straight one-year agreement with a team since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option.

The Browns still have Hicks rostered, ahead of an age-33 season, and paid Owusu-Koramoah last year. The latter, however, suffered a major injury and is not certain to be ready for the 2025 season. Cleveland saving money with Bush, as it remains tied to Deshaun Watson‘s outlier contract, also makes sense, as Owusu-Koramoah is on a $12MM-AAV accord.

Titans To Add S Xavier Woods

March 11th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

After three Panthers seasons, Xavier Woods hit the market Monday. He will commit to the Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The former Dallas, Minnesota and Carolina safety will head to Tennessee on a two-year, $10MM contract. Woods is coming off playing every defensive snap for the Panthers last season.

Tennessee’s offer will keep Woods at the same pay rate, as he was attached to a three-year, $15MM Carolina contract. With the cap having gone up more than $70MM since Woods’ Panthers pact became official, this is a pay cut of sorts. But Woods is going into an age-30 season compared to being squarely in his prime at that point.

A fixture in Ejiro Evero’s Panthers defense, Woods remained an every-down player despite the current Carolina DC not being in place at the time of signing. Jeremy Chinn fell out of favor with Evero, Woods did not. Woods has logged 100% snap rates twice in his career, also doing so with the 2021 Vikings. He played at least 91% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps in 2022 and ’23. The former sixth-round pick has started every game since his second season.

Woods intercepted five passes over the past two seasons. He was more impactful as a tackler last year, totaling a career-high 119. The Titans signed both discarded Seahawk safeties — Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams — last year but moved on from Adams quickly and did not give Diggs a multiyear deal. Amani Hooker remains under contract. Although the Titans were connected to Jevon Holland, the Giants added him on a $15MM-per-year deal. Hooker is already tied to a $10MM-AAV accord. Woods appears en route to be a cost-effective starter alongside the six-year Titan.

Ravens Plan To Release Arthur Maulet

March 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens are planning to release veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

The move will save $2.25MM against the 2025 salary cap with $250k of dead money, per OverTheCap. The Ravens will save an additional $2.1MM by releasing Marcus Williams with a post-June 1 designation, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. That move has been expected since the team revised his contract in January following a rough season from the veteran safety, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Williams’ release will leave $6.7MM in dead money in 2025 and 2026.

Both Maulet and Williams played significant roles in the Ravens’ league-leading defense in 2023, but injuries to the former and regression by the latter limited their contributions in 2024. Multiple stints on injured reserve sidelined Maulet for most of the season with just three appearances and 72 defensive snaps. Williams started 10 of the team’s first 11 games, but played just two snaps for the rest of the year.

The Ravens also dealt with struggles from veteran safety Eddie Jackson, forcing an overhaul to the secondary for the second half of the season. Marlon Humphrey took up a full-time role in the slot, and Kyle Hamilton moved away from the line of scrimmage to play a more traditional safety role alongside Ar’Darius Washington.

Baltimore had high hopes for Williams when they signed him to a five-year, $70MM contract in 2022, but injuries in his first two years gave way to clear regression in his third. He was productive when healthy in 2022 and 2023, but inexplicably struggled in 2024. The Ravens had a new defensive coordinator in Zach Orr, but his scheme largely mirrored that of Mike MacDonald, under whom Williams excelled in the previous two years. He will now hit free agency looking for an opportunity to rebuild his value and earn another multi-year deal before he reaches 30 years of age.

Maulet joined the Ravens in 2023 after being cut by the rival Steelers. He appeared in 14 games as a slot corner and earned a two-year, $4MM extension after a solid debut season. A strong training camp in 2024 was negated by multiple lower-body injuries, which will force Maulet to sign a ‘prove-it’ deal this offseason.

Dolphins To Sign S Ashtyn Davis

March 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Jevon Holland‘s Giants defection, the Dolphins have made two lower-cost additions to their safety corps. After adding Ifeatu Melifonwu, the Dolphins are signing Ashtyn Davis, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reports.

Holland joined the Giants on a three-year, $45MM deal. With Jordan Poyer also not expected back, the Dolphins are needing to regroup at safety. The Davis and Melifonwu additions may not be all Miami does here, but the team does have two players with starting experience en route.

Like Melifonwu, Davis is coming off a tenure as a part-time starter. The Jets used the former third-round pick as a 22-game starter in five seasons. Davis played out a one-year deal in 2024, when he started one game. Even after Chuck Clark‘s offseason ACL tear in 2023, Davis started only five games. The Cal alum does have eight career interceptions, however. Despite starting just six games over the past two seasons, Davis nabbed five INTs.

Davis, 28, became more of a presence on special teams after his 10-start 2021. He logged at least 75% usage on the Jets’ ST plays in each of the past three seasons. Seeing as Davis’ starter work mostly occurred years ago, the Dolphins are most likely not done addressing their safety position. Melifonwu logged only four starts with the Lions, though the team had more in mind for him last season — when an ankle injury limited him to three games.

Dolphins To Sign WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

March 11th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins are signing veteran wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, per Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Westbrook-Ikhine’s 497 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 were both career-highs, earning him a two-year, $6.5MM deal with $3.2MM guaranteed in Miami. His $3.25MM APY is a significant raise on the $2MM he earned last season and a solid payday for the former undrafted free agent.

He first signed with the Titans in 2020 and split his time evenly between offense and special teams. He carved out a larger role in the passing game in 2021 and finished his time in Tennessee with 78 appearances and 39 starts.

The 6-foot-2, 211-pound wideout will bring some size and depth to a Dolphins receiver room that currently lacks both. Westbrook-Ikhine has recorded at least 25 catches, 370 yards, and three touchdowns in each of the last four seasons, giving Miami a consistent WR3 behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He lined up on the outside and in the slot in Tennessee; that versatility will fit well in the Dolphins’ motion-heavy offense.

Westbrook-Ikhine’s signing is currently expected to qualify for a compensatory pick, per OverTheCap, though the Titans’ other signings will cancel it out.

Bills To Re-Sign RB Ty Johnson

March 11th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Maintaining a role on the Bills’ offense despite Ray Davis arriving in the draft to join James Cook, Ty Johnson intends to stay in the fold. Johnson is re-signing with Buffalo, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

The veteran backup RB is sticking around on a two-year deal. This will be his third season with the Bills. Johnson is re-signing for $5MM on the two-year pact, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. This will be a raise for Johnson, who played out a one-year, $1.29MM deal.

Even with Davis making inroads into Buffalo’s backfield, Johnson still accumulated 497 scrimmage yards in 2024. That marked a significant uptick from a 194-yard 2023. The six-year veteran averaged a whopping 15.8 yards per catch. That came on just 18 receptions, though Johnson’s performance against the Lions (five catches, 114 yards) helped give Buffalo one of the 2024 season’s top wins. Johnson, 27, added four receiving touchdowns before picking up another in the playoffs.

Johnson totaled 41 carries for 213 yards, finding a home despite Cook soaring onto the extension radar. Three seasons remain on Davis’ rookie deal. Barring something drastic with Cook amid his top-market extension push, the Bills look to have their backfield set for next season.

Johnson’s best season remains his 2021 Jets effort, when a 372-yard receiving year produced 610 from scrimmage and four touchdowns. The Jets had claimed Johnson off waivers (from the Lions) in 2020 but cut him in 2023. That led to the Bills swooping in, and they have been pleased with the returns since that initial investment.

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