Transactions News & Rumors

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/25

Here are Saturday’s tender decisions around the league:

RFAs

Tendered:

Williams and Kohou have received the right of first refusal tender from their respective teams. That will set them up for $3.26MM in 2025, but if they depart via an offer sheet Chicago and Miami will not receive any compensation. Van Lanen has received the original round tender (which is valued at $3.41MM), as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. As a result, Jacksonville would receive a sixth-round pick as compensation in the event he signed an offer sheet from an interested team which the Jags declined to match.

Panthers Re-Sign C Austin Corbett, TE Tommy Tremble

The Panthers will have plenty of continuity up front in 2025. One day after tendering restricted free agent Cade Mays, the team has ensured Austin Corbett will be in place as well.

The latter agreed to terms on a new contract, the team announced Saturday. Joe Person of The Athletic notes it is a one-year pact. All five starters from Carolina’s 2024 offensive line are now on the books as a result of today’s move, one which comes not longer after it was learned the Panthers were in talks with both of their centers from last year.

Corbett inked a three-year, $26.25MM deal in free agency after emerging as a capable starter during his time with the Rams. The 29-year-old was limited to only five games in 2024, though, and the short-term nature of his latest pact is a reflection of the leverage he lost. Nevertheless, Corbett will be counted on to reprise his starting center gig next season as he looks to rebuild his value.

Pass protection was a major issue during quarterback Bryce Young‘s rookie campaign. The Panthers responded by signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to big-ticket free agent deals. Those two remain on the books, as do tackle starters Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. As Young looks to build off the promise he showed late in 2024, he will have the same unit in front of him next year.

The Panthers also announced they have reached agreement on a two-year deal with tight end Tommy Tremble. The 2021 third-rounder was on track for free agency with his rookie contract expiring, but he will remain in place. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports the pact includes $8MM guaranteed and has a maximum value of $16MM. Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer adds this deal’s base value is $10.5MM.

Tremble’s snap share hovered around 50% for each of his first three seasons, but it jumped to 69% in 2024. The 24-year-old missed five games (after previously being absent for only one the rest of his career), but he still managed to match his personal mark with 23 catches and set a new career high with 234 yards. If he can continue to provide Carolina with complementary production, Tremble will prove to be a worthwhile short-term investment for the team.

The Panthers entered Saturday with just over $27MM in cap space. These moves will eat into that figure to an extent, but the funds for outside additions – particularly on defense – will be available when the new league starts next week.

Saints Restructuring QB Derek Carr’s Contract

After many reported discussions concerning how the Saints and quarterback Derek Carr would handle his compensation in 2025, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that the team is expected to convert most of the $40MM due to him into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes. Per Garafolo, this transaction indicates that New Orleans has every intention of riding with Carr as their starter next season.

Carr was due a $30MM base salary which was set to become fully guaranteed next week. The longtime Raiders starter was also set to collect a $10MM roster bonus; both compensation packages have been converted into a signing bonus. Carr was scheduled to carry a 2025 cap charge of nearly $51.5MM, but today’s move will lower it to $20.4MM (h/t ESPN’s Katherine Terrell).

New Orleans – as per usual – used restructures as a means of achieving cap compliance last offseason. That included reworking Carr’s contract, but the inflated cap figure and his missed time in 2024 led to questions about his future in the organization. That remained the case after the four-time Pro Bowler made it clear he would not entertain the idea of a pay cut as part of the Saints’ financial moves this spring. Last week, however, general manager Mickey Loomis said the team planned to keep Carr in the fold for at least one more year.

As a result, today’s news comes as little surprise. Carr will remain in New Orleans for his 12th career season and third with his current team. The soon-to-be 34-year-old played a full campaign in 2023, and the Saints’ 9-8 record suggested playoff contention would be feasible with him at the helm moving forward. Things did not go according to plan this past season, though, as Carr was limited to just seven games. New Orleans dealt with a number of other injuries on offense, and the team will hope a fresh start on that front along with new head coach Kellen Moore in place will spark improvement in 2025.

Once the season – one in which Dennis Allen was dismissed – had ended, Loomis said the Saints’ next head coach would have a role in shaping how they proceeded at the quarterback position. Despite being a rookie HC, Moore thus faced a key decision upon arrival. His input has resulted in a short-term confirmation that Carr will stay in place. He is on the books for 2026 with a non-guaranteed $50MM salary. The Fresno State product was already due to carry a cap charge of roughly $61.5MM before the restructure; that number will spike with future cap hits being moved into the future.

2023 fourth-round selection Jake Haener and 2024 third-rounder Spencer Rattler remain in place as backup options should Carr miss time next season. With the QB depth chart intact for at least one more year, Moore and the Saints will aim to bounce back from a disappointing run last campaign. As the start of the new league year approaches, the team still needs to free up approximately $10MM in additional funds to achieve cap compliance.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Giants Extend P Jamie Gillan, Re-Sign Tommy DeVito

The Giants shored up two under-the-radar positions today, locking down both punter Jamie Gillan and quarterback Tommy DeVito to return in 2025. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Gillan is staying in New York on a three-year extension, while DeVito’s signing was announced by Dan Salomone, the senior managing editor of Giants.com.

According to Pelissero, Gillan’s deal is worth up to $10.2MM over the three-year period, placing him somewhere in the top five highest-paid punters in the NFL, depending on what the final numbers turn out to be. If the face value of the deal ends up being over $9MM, he will be in the top four.

Gillan just finished his sixth year in the NFL, splitting his time almost evenly between New York and Cleveland, where he first started. The Scotland-native signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2019. He took over punting duties as a rookie, demonstrating a strong leg and an ability to pin opposing offenses inside the 20 with regularity. Near the end of his third season with the Browns, Gillan was waived after sitting out of two games, and he signed with the Bills’ practice squad, though he failed to appear in any games with them.

When that season ended, the Giants signed him to a reserve/futures deal, and he became their primary punter in 2022. He’s held the role ever since, aside from four games last year when Matt Haack filled in due to injury. Gillan took his job back after returning to health, and with today’s extension, it looks like he’ll spend another three years in New York.

Quarterback doesn’t seem like an under-the-radar position to lock down, but DeVito’s role on his renewed deal will likely continue to be as a backup. DeVito shined in backup duty as a rookie, filling in for an injured Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. In six starts, he went 3-3, throwing eight touchdowns to just three interceptions. He lost both of his starts last year as a fill-in, completing 70.5 percent of his passes but failing to register a touchdown or interceptions.

DeVito was set to be an exclusive rights free agent, but the team tendered and re-signed the former undrafted Illinois product, barring him from communicating with other teams on the market. While DeVito and Drew Lock return as the top two passers on the roster, it’s unlikely that either will be the preferred starter by the time the season swings around.

Lions Re-Sign DE Marcus Davenport

Former first-round pick Marcus Davenport has bounced around in the last couple years since his contract with the Saints expired, but it looks like he’ll remain in Detroit for a second season in 2025. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Lions have re-signed Davenport to a one-year deal worth up to $4.75MM.

Unfortunately, this new contract doesn’t come from the team recognizing and rewarding a strong performance but instead comes from a second chance to make a first impression in Detroit. Davenport signed initially with the Lions last year after a disappointing prove-it year in Minnesota. Unfortunately, a season-ending elbow injury sidelined the 28-year-old after only the third week of the season.

The UTSA product has had issues with health throughout his career, never playing a full season. Since getting drafted, Davenport has only appeared in 69 of a possible 116 games. He’s flashed at times, totaling 10.5 sacks over his first two seasons with the Saints and tallying a career-high nine sacks in 2021 after having his fifth-year option exercised. That fifth year in New Orleans only produced half a sack in nine starts, though, leading to his one-year tryout with the Vikings, in which he only appeared in four games.

The Lions, unfortunately, don’t have the luxury of passing up on potential due to injury history. Last year saw the team’s Super Bowl hopes fall apart along with their defensive line as star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson only made five starts due to a season-ending leg injury. Several other injuries across the defense forced Detroit to make a number of signings and trades to accommodate.

In the aftermath of last season, bring back Davenport makes a lot of sense. The team can’t really pass up on the potential Davenport offers to the defense, and they knew Davenport wanted to come back. He would’ve had all season to rehab with the team’s doctors, so they should have a very good understanding of where he’s at in his recovery process and health journey. Davenport will hope to reward their faith with the comeback season that has eluded him these last few years.

Chiefs To Re-Sign WR Marquise Brown

Two of the Chiefs’ wide receiver starters were set to hit free agency, but a Saturday agreement will chop that total to one. Marquise Brown is re-signing with the team, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Brown agreed to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $11MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero add. This deal comes after Brown missed 15 regular-season games due to a shoulder injury. Although injury trouble has become a regular occurrence for Brown, the former Ravens and Cardinals wideout will attempt to bounce back in an offense he learned last year.

Free agency brought Brown to Kansas City last year, as the former first-round pick signed for just $7MM in base value. While incentives were part of the deal, Brown lost out on that route after suffering an SC joint injury that required surgery. Brown did make his return in Week 16, but he did not make much of an impact in the playoffs for a Chiefs team that saw its threepeat bid end with a blowout Super Bowl loss.

Brown, 28 this year, caught nine passes for 91 yards in his two regular-season games with the Chiefs. He added just five catches for 50 yards in the team’s three playoff games. The Chiefs will bet on the 5-foot-9 receiver showing better form next season, when the team will hope for better luck on the health front for the former Ravens and Cardinals starter.

Coming into the NFL with a first-round pedigree, the Oklahoma alum’s stock has trended downward since a 1,000-yard season in 2021. The Ravens managed to trade Brown for a package that included a first-rounder, but he missed eight total games with the Cardinals and did not clear 800 yards in a season. Brown was with Arizona during its period that brought Kyler Murray ACL rehab; the Cardinals lost Murray in December 2022 and did not have him back until November 2023. Brown also dealt with health trouble, suffering a foot fracture in 2022 and a heel injury that nagged him in 2023. Brown topped out at 709 yards during his two-year Arizona tenure.

The Chiefs have seen their post-Tyreek Hill receiver plans largely fail to pan out. The Chiefs have struggled at this position over the past two years, seeing injuries and underperformance reduce a former offensive juggernaut to a station-to-station offense that grew to rely more on a better defense and late-game escapes. Kadarius Toney did not pan out, and Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4 last season. DeAndre Hopkins largely did not impress after being a trade pickup. Although Rice and Xavier Worthy respectively came on down the stretches of the 2023 and ’24 seasons, both have been arrested over the past year. Worthy’s domestic violence arrest Friday places him on the suspension radar along with Rice.

These issues leave the Chiefs in need of having available receivers. Brown is far from a beacon of availability, but the Chiefs may need to lean on him more when Rice’s likely suspension commences and if Worthy ends up facing a ban as well.

Bengals To Re-Sign TE Mike Gesicki

Playing for three teams over the past three years, Mike Gesicki has been unable to land a lucrative deal despite being franchise-tagged in 2022. That will change soon for the veteran tight end.

The Bengals have a deal in place to retain Gesicki, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds it is a three-year contract worth $25.5MM. This marks a change of pace for Gesicki, who had signed one-year deals (with the Patriots and Bengals) after his Dolphins franchise tag season.

Cincinnati had gone from C.J. Uzomah to Irv Smith Jr. to Hayden Hurst to Gesicki at tight end over the past four seasons. As his Dolphins days show, Gesicki is the best receiving option out of this group. He showed that form last season, accumulating 665 receiving yards (10.2 per catch) and two touchdowns. This represented an important offseason for Gesicki, who will turn 30 in October. He was running out of time to secure a notable multiyear deal.

Gesicki’s career veered off course after the Dolphins tagged him in 2022. Despite unholstering the tag to keep the productive pass catcher in the fold, Mike McDaniel did not turn to him much in his first season. As Tyreek Hill took over Miami’s passing game, Gesicki shifted to a tertiary role. He went from 780 yards in 2021 to 362 in 2022. That set up a modest 2023 market, as the Patriots added the former second-round pick for just $4.5MM. That checked in well behind what Hurst fetched from the Panthers.

Another substandard season (29 catches, 244 yards) for Gesicki led to a worse 2024 contract — a one-year, $2.5MM Bengals deal. The Penn State product was able to reverse this trend, as the Bengals are committing to keeping Joe Burrow‘s troops in-house. After endless rumors indicating Tee Higgins would leave in 2025, the longtime Cincy No. 2 receiver has been re-tagged while an extension is now planned. Gesicki represents more capital devoted to the team’s pass-catching group, but the Bengals no longer appear likely to pay Trey Hendrickson. The reigning sack king is free to explore trades with the aim of being paid elsewhere.

Never much of a blocker, Gesicki still provided the Bengals with their most receiving yards by a tight end since Jermaine Gresham in 2012. This will give the Bengals a key weapon to keep going alongside Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, though the price is skyrocketing for a team that had Chase and Gesicki on bargain rates last season.

Bills Extend DE Gregory Rousseau

The Bills are checking several items off their to-do list before free agency. After extending Khalil Shakir and Terrel Bernard, they have a deal in place with Gregory Rousseau.

Buffalo’s top pass rusher agreed to terms on a four-year, $80MM extension Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Rousseau will see $54MM guaranteed. The Bills have announced the extension. This will keep a cornerstone piece in Buffalo through 2029, which coincides with the timelines Shakir and Bernard’s contracts created. Rousseau was going into his fifth-year option season.

Although the Bills looked to have Von Miller humming as their top pass rusher during his 2022 season, the future Hall of Famer’s Thanksgiving ACL tear changed the equation. Miller has not closely resembled his pre-tear form, but Rousseau coming along gave the Bills vital support during that period. With Miller’s future in Buffalo uncertain, Rousseau is staying on what could be a team-friendly deal.

Rousseau’s $20MM AAV checks in 13th among edge rushers. His $54MM total guarantee comes in ninth. While Rousseau has yet to make a Pro Bowl roster or post a 10-sack year, he is only going into his age-25 season. The Miami product is likely only coming into his prime. It is quite possible the Bills will generate considerable value on this pact, which was agreed to after another cap spike ($24MM).

In terms of rate as his position, Bernard has fared the best among the three early Bills extension recipients. James Cook is asking for a high-end running back contract, and Christian Benford will command an upper-crust CB salary. But Rousseau and Shakir did not approach the top tier at their respective positions.

Rousseau matched his career high with eight sacks last season but established a new personal standard with 24 QB hits and 16 tackles for loss. Even as Miller returned to usable form, after a woeful 2023, Rousseau remained the Bills’ D-end anchor. The team still has A.J. Epenesa signed as well and has been mentioned as a Myles Garrett suitor (in the event the Browns relent on their no-trade stance), but this extension shows faith in Rousseau.

The Bills now have both their cornerstone D-linemen on what look like favorable contracts. They inked Ed Oliver to an extension in 2023; the former first-rounder’s deal now checks in 17th among D-tackles. Rousseau opted to avoid a contract year and potential 2026 franchise tag by taking a $20MM-per-year deal now. That might not have been the best value play, but it will ensure he is a long-term Buffalo cog. The $54MM guarantee is not anything to scoff at, either.

Cowboys, Osa Odighizuwa Agree To Deal

MARCH 7: Odihizuwa will receive $52MM guaranteed in total, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The blossoming DT’s first two base salaries are guaranteed at signing, with Archer adding $13MM of his 2027 base salary ($20MM) shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’27 league year.

In terms of fully guaranteed money, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio sets that number at $39MM. Odihizuwa’s total guarantee number sits 11th among D-tackles; his full guarantee places 14th.

MARCH 3: The franchise tag will not be needed in the case of Osa OdighizuwaThe fourth-year defensive tackle has reached agreement on a pact which will keep him in place with the Cowboys well beyond 2025.

Team and player have agreed to terms on a four-year, $80MM contract, per Odighizuwa’s agent. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the deal contains $58MM in guarantees including a $20MM signing bonus. He will be on the books through 2028. The team has since announced the deal, one which Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes will include $22.25MM in compensation this year.

Contract talks were known to be ongoing in this situation, and Odighizuwa represented a logical priority for the Cowboys with respect to in-house players being retained. A long-term deal was a target for both parties, but this afternoon’s franchise tag deadline loomed as a key checkpoint. Dallas was prepared to use the tag to prevent Odighizuwa from hitting the market, but that will no longer be necessary.

Applying the tag would have come at a cost of $25.12MM, and the Cowboys would have been required to carry that figure on their cap sheet had no mult-year agreement been worked out. Odighizuwa had been connected to an asking price around $20MM, though, and today’s pact will allow for Dallas to meet it while also having the flexibility brought about by a long-term deal. At the age of 26, expectations will be high for continued production moving forward.

Odighizuwa handled a steady workload across his first three seasons, and his output remained consistent during that span. In 2024, the former third-rounder saw his playing time jump to 78% and he responded with new personal highs in a number of categories. Odighizuwa racked up 4.5 sacks, 33 pressures and 23 quarterback hits, a sign that further development as a disruptive interior presence could be coming in 2025 and beyond.

Between his age and his upside, the UCLA product was on course to be among the free agents on the market this spring. Odighizuwa was arguably the top defensive tackle option, a title which will likely now fall to the Eagles’ Milton Williams. The latter’s market will be increasingly interesting to monitor once the negotiating window opens next week now that Odighizuwa is no longer available.

The Cowboys’ front seven was a sore spot in 2024. The team ranked 29th against the run, so changes along the defensive interior and/or at the linebacker positions will be required for improvement to be seen. The scheme used by new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus relies heavily on having a disruptive three-technique, however, and with Odighizuwa’s future now assured the Cowboys will continue having that up front.

Dallas has former first-rounder Mazi Smith attached to his rookie contract, but the rest of the team’s DT depth chart could see changes this offseason. Veterans Carlos Watkins and Linval Joseph are pending free agents, and their departures would create the need for inexpensive replacements in free agency or the arrival of rookies during the draft. Given this investment, a lucrative deal elsewhere along the defensive front (where DeMarcus Lawrence and other edge rushers could soon depart) would come as a surprise.

The defensive tackle market has surged in recent years. 14 players at the position are attached to a contract averaging at least $21MM per season; Odighizuwa has not quite reached that mark but this deal represents a massive raise compared to his rookie pact. After taking less (in terms of annual earnings) than what one or two franchise tags would have paid out, his future for several years is now secure.

Seahawks To Trade Geno Smith To Raiders

Rumored to be still looking into trades after the Matthew Stafford push failed, the Raiders have found a solution. Pete Carroll will be reuniting with a QB — just not via free agency.

Rather than a Russell Wilson signing, the Raiders are trading for Geno Smith, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. The Raiders will send the Seahawks a 2025 third-rounder for Smith, Seattle’s former Wilson backup-turned-three-year starter. Suddenly, it is the Seahawks who need a quarterback.

[RELATED: Seahawks Want D.K. Metcalf Trade Done By Draft]

While we mentioned Smith as a prospective solution minutes ago, it is still fairly stunning the Seahawks are parting with a proven starter. One season remains on Smith’s three-year, $75MM contract. This trade will almost definitely bring a Smith extension, as the Raiders were on the cusp of giving Stafford a monster guarantee package.

Smith is not in Stafford’s skill class, but he is two years younger. Going into his age-35 season, Smith likely has secured another starter year without the threat of an immediate QB heir apparent coming in. Indeed, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports Smith is likely to land a new deal in Vegas; he has been seeking a contract between $40-$45MM per year. The Seahawks came in at around $35MM per year, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Smith entered the offseason as the NFL’s 19th-highest-paid QB, with no one really around his $25MM AAV.

The 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, Smith is due a $14.8MM base salary in 2025. That money is not guaranteed, but again, it would be quite surprising if the 12th-year veteran were still attached to that deal by Week 1. This represents a major swing by a Raiders team that has shuffled through QBs since benching Derek Carr in December 2022. Smith is one year older than Carr, but he has displayed durability since replacing Wilson in Seattle.

Smith stunned the football-following world by being far more than a mediocre Wilson successor, rising from longtime backup — a player who had drawn low-end salaries from the Seahawks for four years — to the NFL’s completion percentage leader. Smith broke Wilson’s single-season Seahawks passing yardage record in 2022, also throwing 30 TD passes, and then re-broke it this past season. He finished with 4,320 passing yards last season, though the 15 interceptions brought concerns for the Seahawks, who had passed on acquiring an heir apparent for multiple offseasons. Smith ranked just 21st in QBR last season, after coming in at seventh (2022) and 14th (2023) in his other Seattle starter years.

Talks had begun between Smith and the Seahawks, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the sides did not make much progress. This will end a six-season partnership, one that brought three winning seasons — including a 10-7 2024 season — and a playoff berth with Smith at the wheel. The Seahawks are now exploring a Sam Darnold addition, providing a tremendous shakeup to the QB market days before free agency. Smith had pushed for an extension in 2024, but the Seahawks did not greenlight one.

Seattle’s shocking Smith trade comes after John Schneider had said there was no doubt the QB would remain at the controls in 2025. The deal also comes two days after D.K. Metcalf requested a trade. The Seahawks, who cut Tyler Lockett minutes before the Metcalf news surfaced, are making wholesale changes after back-to-back playoff misses. Seattle had not previously missed two straight postseasons since the 2008-09 seasons — before Carroll and Schneider arrived.

Metcalf is believed to be targeting a deal to a warmer-weather team, with Russini indicating during a radio interview with Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. that the standout receiver also wants more QB stability. Metcalf has since seen the Seahawks deal a proven starter, as the team joins a handful of clubs in pursuit of a free agent. Effectively, the Raiders and Seahawks have swapped places. This is a long time coming for the Raiders, who have come off back-to-back seasons featuring struggles staffing the position.

The Raiders cut Carr and signed Jimmy Garoppolo. After Garoppolo became a post-June 1 release — following another injury-plagued season that involved a midyear benching — the team gave Gardner Minshew a two-year, $25MM deal. Also benched, Minshew sustained a season-ending injury and will follow Garoppolo in being a post-June 1 cut. Aidan O’Connell remains on the roster, but he no longer has a realistic path to the starting job. This will at least buy the Raiders time, as they could now — barring a renewed Cam Ward trade-up effort — wait for a better offseason to strike. This has widely been viewed as an unspectacular QB draft class.

Las Vegas picked up an extra third-rounder via the Davante Adams trade, closing the book on the wide receiver’s two-plus years with the team. The Raiders carried more than $80MM in cap space entering Friday; some of that figures to go to Smith’s extension, but the team will have necessary funds to improve around him, after a 4-13 season cost Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco their jobs. In stepped Tom Brady, who has been a central presence in the Raiders’ QB pursuit.

Carroll is on a three-year contract, coming in as a hopeful culture-resetting presence after tumult consumed the Raiders following Jon Gruden‘s forced resignation. Carroll had stumped for Smith during the months between the Wilson blockbuster and the 2022 season, and Smith beat trade pickup Drew Lock for the starting job. He was unchallenged for the position in 2023 and ’24, but Mike Macdonald and new OC Klint Kubiak will be working with a new passer in 2025. Kubiak had said Smith was a “huge draw” to bring him to Seattle; Smith will now get to work in Chip Kelly‘s offense.