One minor move to pass along:
Baltimore Ravens
Keith Kirkwood spent the entire 2024 campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad, but the WR still brings plenty of experience to the roster. The former UDFA has appeared in 31 games in stints with the Saints and Panthers, hauling in 24 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns.
Sione Takitaki will need to find a third team in three years. The Patriots announced Wednesday they have moved on from the 2024 free agency addition.
The former Browns draftee signed a two-year, $6.65MM deal with the Pats in 2024. Now, his release will expand the Patriots’ cap-space lead on the NFL. Cutting Takitaki will save the Patriots $2.68MM. Not that this team needed cap space, but it is now close to $130MM in available funds.
Seeing more playing time in Cleveland, Takitaki had rejoined Eliot Wolf in Foxborough. Wolf was still with the Browns when then-GM John Dorsey drafted Takitaki in the 2019 third round. Takitaki re-signed in Cleveland in 2023 but moved on last year, finding another short-term payday with the Patriots. His usage rate dropped, however, and checked in at 27% (194 snaps) on defense.
Takitaki, 29, saw an ACL tear end his initial Cleveland contract year in December 2022. While he was back on the field by Week 1 of the 2023 season, more injury issues intervened in New England. Takitaki began the season on the Pats’ reserve/PUP list, missing the first five games and then missing another contest in Week 7. A knee scope required the additional rehab time. Takitaki never gained a regular starting role, being a first-stringer in four games and clearing a 40% snap rate just twice last season.
New England, which saw its defense decline considerably after decades near the top of the league under Bill Belichick, has a host of issues to address in the offseason. The team has a historic amount of cap space, potentially more in light of Wednesday’s news the salary ceiling will check in around $280MM, but plenty of need areas. Ja’Whaun Bentley still leads the way at linebacker for the Pats, but he is coming off a season-ending injury. Jahlani Tavai led the Pats in LB snaps last season, logging 916. Tavai was among the many Wolf extension recipients last year, signing his new deal several weeks after Takitaki joined the team. Mike Vrabel can be expected to address his former position soon, however.
While Takitaki’s knee trouble provided a line of demarcation for him, he has earned more than $10MM during a six-year career. The Browns used the BYU alum as a 36-game starter from 2019-23. Takitaki notched a pick-six in 2020 and intercepted Ben Roethlisberger during the final stages of the Browns’ wild-card upset win in Pittsburgh. As a vested veteran, Takitaki passes straight to free agency.
Tuesday’s free agent tender decisions:
Tendered:
The 49ers made the decision today to tender all of their exclusive rights free agents today. The move restricts the seven players from negotiating with other teams. The players will have the choice to accept the offer and play for the 49ers or not play football in 2025.
San Francisco also has two restricted free agents: linebacker Curtis Robinson and running back Jordan Mason. It is yet to be seen what the team will do with those players who, if tendered, would be allowed to negotiate with other teams but would have to give the 49ers the chance to match any offer.
We had a number of minor moves today in the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
Las Vegas Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
For 14 years, Kevin Huber handled punting duties in Cincinnati. The team found a new contributor at the position in 2024, and he appears set to operate as Huber’s long-term successor. 
The Bengals announced on Tuesday that Ryan Rehkow has signed a two-year extension. As a result, he is on the books through 2026 and will avoid ERFA status this offseason. The former undrafted free agent proved to be the team’s top option throughout his rookie season after winning out a competition with Brad Robbins.
The latter handled punting duties in 2023, the first season after Huber’s retirement. Robbins, selected in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, began this past campaign on IR but was among the players slated as designated for return during roster cutdowns. He returned to the active roster in September, but by that point Rehkow had cemented his status as the Bengals’ preferred choice. As a result, Robbins was waived immediately after his activation.
Rehkow grossed 49.1 yards per punt on average, with a net of 43.3. Both figures represented franchise records, and over 47% of the BYU product’s punts landed inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. As a result of that performance, today’s news comes as little surprise.
At the age of 26, Rehkow has the potential to serve as the Bengals’ punter well into the foreseeable future. After he earned $795K during his rookie campaign, a modest raise is likely coming his way as a result of his new pact.
It didn’t take long for the new Jaguars regime to start adding to their roster. The team announced today that they’ve signed quarterback John Wolford and wide receiver Louis Rees-Zammit. Both players were signed to the active roster, which is a more significant commitment than the standard reserve/futures contracts you see at this time of year.
Wolford has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2018. Following stints with the Jets and in the AAF, the QB seemingly found a home with the Rams, where he spent several years serving as a backup to Jared Goff and later Matthew Stafford.
Wolford ultimately spent four years with the organization, going 2-2 in his four starts. In seven total appearances with the Rams, the QB completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 626 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. He also added another 87 yards on 16 carries.
The 29-year-old could be part of Jacksonville’s solution behind Trevor Lawrence in 2025. Mac Jones filled in admirably in 2024, but the former first-round pick is set to hit free agency. C.J. Beathard also has an expiring contract, so it could be a new-look QBs room for the Jaguars next year.
A former rugby union player, Rees-Zammit got his NFL start with the Chiefs last offseason. He later caught on with the Jaguars’ practice squad, where he spent the majority of his rookie campaign.
One reserve/futures deal to pass along:
Houston Texans
Interestingly, the Texans gave Tucker Addington some extra cash to join their offseason roster. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the long snapper got $10K in bonus money for putting pen to paper. The Sam Houston State has bounced around the NFL a bit during his career, getting into 10 games in stints with the Patriots, Commanders, and Dolphins.
Raheem Mostert faced an uncertain future after the end of the 2024 campaign, but that has now been resolved. The veteran running back will not be back with the Dolphins next season. 
Mostert has been informed by the Dolphins that he will not be retained for 2025 (as noted by agent Brett Tessler). One year remained on his pact, but instead Miami will move forward with a release. This marks a notable turn of events compared to where things stood between team and player one year ago.
[RELATED: Dolphins Cut Kendall Fuller, Durham Smythe]
Returning to Miami on a one-year free agent deal in 2022, Mostert gave head coach Mike McDaniel a familiar option in the backfield after they worked together with the 49ers. Mostert was a key figure on offense with 891 rushing yards; his 4.9 yards per carry average indicated he could remain a leading contributor in the backfield for years to come. As such, it came as no surprise when the Dolphins re-signed him on a two-year, $5.6MM pact.
That investment proved to be highly effective in 2023, a campaign in which Mostert topped 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time in his career. The former UDFA led the NFL in rushing (18) and total (21) touchdowns, playing a central role in Miami’s ground attack. That year also saw rookie De’Von Achane emerge as an important member of the team’s backfield, however, so questions loomed about Mostert’s position in the organization in spite of another new deal being agreed to last year.
In 2024, Achane took over lead back duties with 203 carries. Mostert, by contrast, saw his usage plummet to just 85 attempts; as a result, today’s news does not come as a surprise. By releasing the 32-year-old, Miami will free up $2.95MM in cap space while generating a dead money charge of $1MM. The Dolphins were among the teams which entered Friday over the projected 2025 salary cap, so more cost-shedding moves will be required.
Mostert’s attention will now turn to free agency, and once his release becomes official he will be able to sign with a new team before the league year begins in March. Veteran running backs have generally struggled to land long-term deals on the open market in recent years, although several teams made notable backfield commitments last spring. That could help the Purdue product find a new team, but on the other hand the 2025 draft class is seen as having a number of high-profile running backs. Another short-term opportunity will likely await Mostert as a result.
The Dolphins have Achane on the books through 2026, and he will be expected to continue handling RB1 duties over at least the near future. 2024 fourth-rounder Jaylen Wright is another young backfield option the team can plan around, but veteran Jeff Wilson is a pending free agent. A departure by the latter, coupled with Mostert’s release, would leave Miami in need of a depth addition this offseason.
The Steelers have released veteran outside linebacker Preston Smith, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, clearing $13.4MM in 2025 cap space and $14.1MM in 2026. Pittsburgh will not have to account for any dead money from the move since they acquired Smith at the trade deadline in 2024. He had no guaranteed money left on his deal, and the Packers were already responsible for the remaining prorations of his signing bonus. 
It was reported just over two weeks ago that the team was expected to release the veteran pass rusher. Smith played in eight games, registering just two sacks and two quarterback hits, but he was not active for Pittsburgh’s playoff elimination in Baltimore. Joining a group of outside linebackers that already included the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, Smith didn’t end up contributing much as a trade acquisition.
The Steelers had Smith working on a four-year, $52.5MM contract, the deal Green Bay awarded him in 2022 upon moving on from Za’Darius Smith. Staying in Green Bay for five and a half seasons, Preston Smith racked up 44.0 sacks with the team. This included four seasons with at least eight sacks; a 12.0-sack 2019 — when the Packers returned to the NFC championship game — headlined this successful stay. As the Packers wanted to free up more playing time for Lukas Van Ness, they moved on from Smith for a mere seventh-round pick.
Smith, 32, had requested a trade months after the Packers had shifted to a 4-3 scheme. Smith had played in 3-4 looks in Washington and during his first five seasons in Green Bay. While he slid into a second-string role in Pittsburgh’s long-held alignment (after starting nine games with the Packers last season), no major impact occurred to justify the Steelers signing off on a $12MM 2025 salary. While the Steelers could have tried to dangle Smith in trades, his seventh-round trade value midseason probably didn’t improve with his lack of a role in Pittsburgh.
As a free agent, Smith likely won’t fetch a contract similar to what he recently held, but as an experienced veteran, he’s likely to get some looks. As he approaches retiring age, Smith may consider how close a team is to contending for a Lombardi Trophy. Otherwise, he may search exclusively for a 3-4 scheme in which he can once again thrive.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
The Bills announced the unfortunate news today that offensive tackle Tommy Doyle has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to team reporter Maddy Glab. Doyle made the decision to medically retire from the sport after not appearing in a game since Week 3 of the 2022 season.
Doyle was a 2021 fifth-round selection for the Bills out of Miami (OH). Though he earned some sparse playing time on offense and special teams as a rookie, his most memorable NFL moment came when he was on the receiving end of a Josh Allen touchdown pass in the team’s Wild Card victory over the Patriots.
The following season, Doyle missed all but one game after being placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Coming off of the season-ending injury, Doyle pushing to make an impact in his third NFL season when he suffered a severe leg injury in the Bills’ second preseason game of 2023. That severe injury reportedly left Doyle with nerve damage.
“I was really battling and competing and working to come back from that (ACL) injury, only to be kind of struck with an even more disastrous injury,” Doyle explained when discussing his decision. “…I put a lot of time, effort, and energy to try to get back on the field, but ultimately, that’s really not the plan God has for me, and I know that to be true. I feel that this is the time to announce it and move on.”
While his time in the NFL wasn’t able to work out, we at Pro Football Rumors wish Tommy Doyle the best in his future endeavors.