Giants Add Six Undrafted Free Agents
After picking seven rookies in this year’s draft, the Giants announced six more new additions on Thursday. Here is their undrafted class:
- Anquin Barnes Jr., DT (Colorado)
- Ben Barten, DT (Wisconsin)
- Thaddeus Dixon, CB (North Carolina)
- Ben Mann, LS (Boston College)
- Ryan Schernecke, OL (Kutztown)
- Dominic Zvada, K (Michigan)
As part of his final pre-draft rankings, Dane Brugler of The Athletic placed Dixon and Zvada among the top 300 prospects available. Dixon, who checked in at No. 196, divided the previous three years between Washington and North Carolina. Primarily an outside corner, Dixon had two interceptions and 16 passes defensed in 27 games with the Huskies. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder transferred to UNC to play under legendary head coach and defensive guru Bill Belichick in 2025.
“He could probably play any position in the secondary,” Belichick said of Dixon (via Brugler).
Unfortunately for Dixon and Belichick, an upper-body injury limited the defender to seven games last year. Dixon went without an interception, but he racked up six PDs as a Tar Heel.
Zvada, No. 257 on Brugler’s list, began his college career at Arkansas State. During his run there from 2022-23, Zvada connected on 34 of 40 field goal tries (85%) and all but one of his 72 extra-point attempts. After transferring to Michigan in 2024, he enjoyed his best college season. Zvada hit 21 of 22 field goals (95.5%) and 26 of 27 PATs. He was a first-team All-American who also took home Big Ten Kicker of the Year honors.
Last season did not go as smoothly for Zvada, who converted a personal-worst 68% of field goals (17 of 25). However, he was successful on all 43 PATs. He will now face an uphill battle to earn a roster spot in New York, which signed former Dolphin Jason Sanders in free agency and also has Ben Sauls as a holdover from last year.
Schernecke will attempt to become the eighth Kutztown alumnus to play in the NFL. The Pennsylvania-based school produced former Bills receiver Andre Reed, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Panthers Sign 10 UDFAs
In addition to signing the majority of their draft picks today, the Panthers also added a handful of undrafted players to their rookie class. The team announced the signing of 10 UDFAs:
- Haynes King, QB (Georgia Tech)
- Jaylon Guilbeau, CB (Texas)
- Aaron Hall, DT (Duke)
- Isaia Glass, OT (Vanderbilt)
- Cam Miller, CB (Rutgers)
- Parker Peterson, DT (Wisconsin)
- Kobe Prentice, WR (Baylor)
- Albert Reese, OT (Mississippi State)
- Devonta Smith, CB (Notre Dame)
- Isaiah Smith, LB (SMU)
The team also noted that Coastal Carolina wide receiver Malick Meiga is expected to sign a contract and join the Panthers next week. The signing of Haynes King was reported shortly after the draft concluded.
Aaron Hall got a chunk of money to catch on with the franchise. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that the Duke defensive lineman got a $25K signing bonus plus $247.5K of his base salary guaranteed. Hall transformed into one of Duke’s most dependable defenders over the past three years. Between 2023 and 2025, the defensive tackle tallied 7.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and 111 tackles.
Besides Tetairoa McMillan, the Panthers still lack convincing depth at wide receiver, making Kobe Prentice an intriguing addition by the Panthers. The Baylor wideout never truly broke out during his time at Alabama, leading to him transferring to Baylor for the 2025 campaign. His performance with his new squad also left some to be desired, as he finished the year with only 26 catches for 380 yards. Notably, he did haul in six touchdowns.
Colts Release S Nasir Adderley
Slot cornerback Kenny Moore was not the only defender the Colts parted with on Thursday. The team also announced that it released safety Nasir Adderley and waived linebacker John Bullock.
This ends a short stay in Indianapolis for Adderley, who came out of a three-year retirement to sign with the club on April 14. The move briefly reunited the former Charger with Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who was on Los Angeles’ staff during Adderley’s first two seasons.
After a standout career at Delaware, Adderley joined the Chargers as a second-round pick (60th overall) in 2019. He played in just four games during an injury-shortened rookie year, but Adderley emerged as a full-time starter in his second season.
From 2020-22, Adderley amassed 44 starts in 46 games and totaled three interceptions. He paired with star safety Derwin James for two of those seasons. After picking off a personal-best two passes and ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 36th-best safety in ’22, Adderley unexpectedly hung up his cleats in lieu of pursuing a contract in free agency.
Now that the Colts have gone in another direction, it is unclear if Adderley will continue his comeback attempt. For the Colts’ part, Adderley’s release should not have much of an effect on their safety depth, as they added third-rounder A.J. Haulcy in the draft. He may start next to Cam Bynum as a rookie and replace Nick Cross, who signed with the Commanders in free agency. Indianapolis also counts Hunter Wohler and free agent pickups Juanyeh Thomas and Jonathan Owens among its safety options.
Bullock, 25, joined the Colts as a waiver claim from the Buccaneers in the first week of January. Despite going undrafted last year, the Nebraska product played in 15 of the Buccaneers’ games as a rookie. Bullock was on the field for just five defensive plays, but he ranked fourth on the Bucs in special teams snap share (56.98%).
QB Taylor Heinicke Announces Retirement
Taylor Heinicke is calling it a career. The veteran quarterback announced on Instagram that he’s decided to retire.
“For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football,” Heinicke wrote. “…It has taught me a lot, not only about myself, but about life as well.
“Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would’ve been able to live this life.
“Thank you to all who have supported me in this journey. Thank you all who have believed in me. And thank you to those who gave me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream.”
Following a standout career at Old Dominion that saw him win the Walter Payton Award and FCS Player of the Year in 2012, Heinicke went undrafted during the 2015 draft. He bounced around a bit during his first few years as a professional, spending time with the Vikings, Patriots, Texans, Panthers, and even the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League. Through his first six years in the NFL, he made eight appearances, including one start with the Panthers.
Heinicke caught on with the Commanders practice squad late in the 2020 season. With Dwayne Haskins getting cut and Alex Smith suffering a calf injury, Heinicke suddenly found himself under center for Washington’s Wild Card Round matchup against the Buccaneers. While the Commanders ended up losing that game, Heinicke performed admirably, completing 26 of his 44 pass attempts for 306 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also added another 46 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
He signed a new two-year deal with the franchise the following offseason and was expected to serve as the top backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick. However, the veteran starter suffered an injury in Week 1, and Heinicke proceeded to start 15 games that season. He went 7-8 as a starter in 2021, completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He also added 313 yards and a score on the ground.
Heinicke entered 2022 as the backup to Carson Wentz, but he was once again inserted into the starting lineup when the QB1 got injured. Heinicke started nine games that year, going 5-3-1 while tossing 12 touchdowns vs. six interceptions. That performance earned him a two-year, $14MM deal with his hometown Falcons, where he was expected to be the backup to Desmond Ridder. Heinicke garnered four starts during that 2023 campaign, going 1-3.
After the Falcons added both Kirk Cousins and first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. during the 2024 offseason, Heinicke was dealt to the Chargers. He spent the 2024 campaign as Justin Herbert‘s backup, and he was limited to five pass attempts in four cameo appearances. He inked a one-year, $6.2MM deal with Los Angeles during the 2025 offseason but didn’t make it to the regular season with the squad, with Trey Lance winning the backup battle. Heinicke didn’t end up getting another gig during the 2025 season.
The 33-year-old will finish his career with 42 appearances. He went 13-15-1 in his 29 starts, tossing 33 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He also added another three rushing TDs.
Panthers Sign First-Round OT Monroe Freeling
With the Panthers set to begin rookie minicamp tomorrow, the team has signed a handful of their draft picks. The team announced the signing of six rookies today, including first-round offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
The Panthers reportedly entered the first round with a “tackle or bust” mentality, and they landed one of the draft’s top positional prospects in Freeling. The Georgia product exclusively played left tackle during his collegiate career, including a 2025 campaign where he earned second-team All-SEC honors. Freeling possesses the length and athleticism that teams seek from their LTs, although scouts did note that he needs to add some weight to compete in the NFL.
The Freeling selection could also lead to some interesting roster decisions for the franchise. The team is returning longtime RT Taylor Moton and is still rostering LT Ikem Ekwonu on a fifth-year option. Ekwonu is set to miss the beginning of the 2026 season, but the team seemingly filled that temporary hole by signing Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal worth just $4MM. Depth is never a bad thing, but it will be interesting to see how the OL ultimately shakes out, and the team’s surplus of OTs could potentially lead to some moves.
The team’s other signings today included:
- Round 3, No. 83: Chris Brazzell II (WR, Tennessee)
- Round 4, No. 129 (from Bears): Will Lee III (CB, Texas A&M)
- Round 5, No. 144 (from Titans via Panthers): Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State)
- Round 5, No. 151 (from Dolphins): Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State)
- Round 7, No. 227 (from Dolphins): Jackson Kuwatch (LB, Miami (OH))
This leaves the Panthers with only one unsigned draft pick: second-round DT Lee Hunter. While it’s notable that the Texas Tech product wasn’t included among the team’s other signings, there’s a chance he quickly inks his deal to be in attendance for tomorrow’s minicamp.
DE Mike Danna Visits Bills
Defensive end Mike Danna has sat on the free agent market since the Chiefs released him in late February. Buffalo, one of Kansas City’s AFC rivals, could be his next destination. Danna recently visited the Bills, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
A fifth-round pick in 2020, Danna spent the first six years of his career as a member of the Chiefs, with whom he won two Super Bowls. He emerged as a full-time starter in 2023, the Chiefs’ most recent title-winning campaign. Danna logged career highs in defensive snap share (74%), tackles (50), QB hits (13), TFL (seven) and sacks (6.5) over 16 games that year. He is now coming off a 15-game, 14-start season in which he registered 25 tackles, a sack and his first interception. Danna’s snap percentage dropped to 42%, the second-lowest mark of his career.
With a chance to save $8.94MM in cap space, the Chiefs deemed Danna expendable before the start of the new league year. The 6-foot-2, 260-pounder ended his KC tenure with 87 games, 49 starts and 21.5 sacks. He also chipped in a pair of playoff sacks, one of which came in the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Bills in a January 2025 AFC title game matchup.
If the 28-year-old Danna heads to Buffalo, he could join an edge defender contingent led by outside linebackers Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, second-round pick T.J. Parker and Michael Hoecht. While those four are locked in as the Bills’ top OLBs, there is less certainty at defensive end as the team transitions to a 3-4 base under new coordinator Jim Leonhard. Danna could provide an established option to join the likes of Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders and Landon Jackson. Oliver is a proven commodity, but Sanders and Jackson offered minimal production during injury-shortened rookie seasons in 2025.
Wyc Grousbeck, Vinod Khosla Emerge As Expected Bidders For Seahawks
As the Commanders and Broncos did before them, the Seahawks are expected to produce an American sports-record sale price. The NBA’s Boston Celtics broke the Commanders’ mark last year, going for $6.1 billion. Two parts of that Boston deal have emerged on the Seattle radar.
Wyc Grousbeck, who sold the Celtics last year, is preparing to enter the bidding for the Seahawks, Sportico’s Scott Soshnick reports. A Celtics investor, Aditya Mittal, is expected to join Grousbeck’s ownership group attempting to buy the NFC West franchise. Vinod Khosla, a 49ers investor, is on track to prepare a separate bid, according to Soshnick and Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams.
The Celtics went for $6.1 billion last August. Grousbeck had been the team’s controlling owner from 2002-25. The 64-year-old billionaire, present for the Celtics’ most recent two championships, is looking to follow Josh Harris — who owns the Philadelphia 76ers — in making the NBA-to-NFL jump. Harris still owns the Sixers but bought the Commanders for a then-record-smashing price ($6.05 billion) in 2023.
Mittal was part of the group that bought the Celtics last year, contributing approximately $1 billion to that effort. Mittal is a London resident, according to Soshnick, who would only live in Seattle part-time if he and Grousbeck’s bid ends up winning. Mittal, 50, was part of a group that purchased an Indian cricket franchise this week for approximately $1.65 billion. Khosla, 71, was part of a group that purchased a 49ers stake — north of $8.5 billion — in 2025.
Sportico values the Seahawks at $6.59 billion, which ranks 14th among the site’s NFL valuations. The price to buy the franchise from Jody Allen, sister of the late Paul Allen, may check in a bit higher. A $7 billion price tag is viewed as the floor, though some pushback emerged on an earlier report that pegged the potential number at around $10 billion. Jody Allen officially put the Seahawks on the market after Super Bowl LX.
More bidders emerging would naturally drive up the price. These two groups are the first known entrants into the derby. A recent report indicating Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and former Apple CEO Tim Cook has been debunked. Los Angeles Clippers owner/Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was mentioned as a prospective Seahawks suitor. Ballmer, who owns property in the Seattle area, entering the fray would obviously add intrigue to this pursuit. But some key players have emerged since his name surfaced as a possibility here. More may soon follow in the NFL’s third sale this decade.
Chad Alexander, John McKay, Dave Ziegler, Others Receive Vikings GM Interview Requests
2:38pm: It is certainly possible more candidates emerge, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Gray and the five candidates to emerge today represent the full list of external options in the Vikings’ search.
12:59pm: The Vikings’ mid-offseason GM interview search is forming. After Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray received the first known request Wednesday, the Vikes have sent out a host of interview slips.
Minnesota is focusing on the assistant GM level; five more execs with that title join Gray among the NFC North franchise’s list of hopeful meetings. A second-chance candidate — a rarity in the modern NFL — is on Minnesota’s list, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting the team sent Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler a request.
Rams assistant GM John McKay, 49ers AGM R.J. Gillen, Chargers AGM Chad Alexander and Seahawks AGM Nolan Teasley also received interview slips from the Vikings, according to Pelissero, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Alexander, Gillen and McKay have been part of GM interview processes before; this is a first for Teasley. Gray joins this quintet among candidates, with the Vikes’ current top front office decisionmaker — interim GM Rob Brzezinski — likely to receive an interview as well.
Ziegler teamed with Josh McDaniels with the Raiders, but Mark Davis short-circuited this regime’s plans by firing both less than two years in. Ziegler, who established himself as a GM candidate by working with the Patriots and Broncos, landed as the Titans’ assistant GM in January 2025. Considering Ziegler’s abrupt Las Vegas ouster and the Titans’ 2025 performance, it is a bit surprising the Vikings are interested.
That said, Ziegler did work closely with Bill Belichick and now-Texans GM Nick Caserio in New England, which won three Super Bowls during Ziegler’s time in the front office. This is Ziegler’s first interview request since his Vegas dismissal. After both Tom Telesco and Trent Baalke received pink slips in 2025, the NFL does not have any second-chance GMs in place presently.
Gillen and McKay each interviewed for the Dolphins’ GM post this year. That marked the first such meetings for both NFC West execs. Gillen climbed to the AGM level in San Francisco in 2025, coming up through the scouting ranks to become the team’s player personnel director in 2023. Gillen has been with the 49ers since before John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s arrivals, being hired during Trent Baalke‘s GM tenure.
McKay joined the Rams a year before Sean McVay, joining Les Snead‘s front office as a scouting assistant. The McVay-era Rams have certainly represented a launching pad for HC and GM candidates. Ex-Ram staffers Brad Holmes (Lions) and James Gladstone (Jaguars) are currently in GM roles.
Alexander has more interview experience than his California AGM counterparts. The Chargers exec joined Gillen and McKay in the Dolphins’ search and competed with Gladstone for the Jags’ gig last year. The Raiders also brought in Alexander for a meeting in 2025. Alexander has been with the Chargers since shortly after Joe Hortiz‘s 2024 GM hire, coming over from the Jets.
Teasley’s name may be the most interesting here, seeing as the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX. Teasley climbed to the AGM level in 2023 but has been with the Seahawks under John Schneider since 2013. Schneider having won Super Bowls 12 years apart, with two completely different rosters, sets him apart in NFL history. Considering how impressive the Seahawks’ post-Russell Wilson retooling effort has been, it is unsurprising Teasley is on the GM radar. If the Vikings do not end up hiring him, the longtime Seattle staffer figures to be a prime candidate for roles come winter 2027.
The Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January and went through the draft with Brzezinski in place in the interim. The team held off on conducting a search until after the draft. With that point having arrived on the NFL calendar, Minnesota’s next FO boss figures to emerge this month.
Buccaneers Sign Round 1 EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
Rueben Bain Jr. was not viewed as likely to be available at No. 15. The Buccaneers were believed to have given the Miami defensive end a top-five grade on their board. Tampa Bay entered the draft in need of EDGE help, and the team exited Round 1 with one of the top prospects at the position.
The Bucs have made quick work of signing Bain to his rookie contract. The sides agreed to terms on Bain’s first-round slot deal Thursday, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Bain’s deal comes fully guaranteed — worth $22.79MM — and will include a fifth-year option for the 2030 season.
[RELATED: Bucs Exercise DL Calijah Kancey’s Fifth-Year Option]
Tampa Bay was in the Trey Hendrickson market, something GM Jason Licht confirmed this week, and pursued Jonathan Greenard via trade. but ended up with a lower-cost option (Al-Quadin Muhammad — at one year and $4MM) in free agency. As Muhammad profiled as a stopgap alongside contract-year rusher YaYa Diaby, the Bucs now have Bain in place as a high-end developmental option behind the veterans. Diaby is an extension candidate, and Bain’s rookie deal would complement a second contract for the team’s top incumbent edge rusher nicely.
Linked to trading down from No. 15, the Bucs were “over the moon” to come away with Bain in that spot. Bain was mentioned as a candidate to go in the top 10, but potential EDGE-seeking teams Kansas City and New Orleans went in different directions.
An arm-length issue, albeit one that may not have been as clear-cut as it seemed, impacted Bain’s draft stock. He was also involved in a car accident in which one of the passengers in the vehicle he was driving died. The latter issue did not bring charges, only a careless driving citation, and it was not believed to have much effect on the ex-Hurricane’s perception among teams entering the draft; teams had known about the incident for longer than the public.
Diaby hit as a third-round pick for the Bucs, but the team has not seen a player eclipse eight sacks in a season since Shaquil Barrett‘s 2021 campaign. The team whiffed on first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and its 2025 Haason Reddick free agency addition did not work out. Diaby’s seven sacks paced the Bucs last season; no one else reached the five-sack mark. That has been a theme for Tampa Bay in recent years, even as Vita Vea has been one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles in this span.
Bain, 21, registered 7.5 sacks as a freshman in 2023 and tallied 9.5 to help Miami reach the CFP championship game. Bain racked up 15.5 tackles for loss last season, earning All-America acclaim. While an edge rusher by trade, Bain worked as an inside disruptor at points for the Hurricanes as well. That would give Tampa Bay some options.
The Chiefs were believed to view Bain as their backup plan to Mansoor Delane, but Kansas City left Bain on the board when Cleveland greenlit a trade that sent the draft’s top cornerback prospect to Missouri. Staying in Florida, Bain will attempt to give the Bucs a dependable edge-rushing presence after falling to 15.
Colts Release CB Kenny Moore
Coming up in trade rumors before the draft, Kenny Moore had asked to be moved. Following draft weekend, the veteran Colts slot cornerback asked the team for a release. The Colts have granted it, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A former Pro Bowler, Moore has been in place in Indianapolis since Chris Ballard‘s first offseason as GM (2017). As pricey Colts DB contracts have emerged over the past 1 1/2 years, Moore’s $10MM-per-year deal will be coming off the books. The Colts have since announced the separation. This came after Moore was absent for the start of voluntary workouts last month.
Ballard had stuck by his core for many years, with Moore being a central component in the GM’s nucleus. Moore joined defensive tackle Grover Stewart, tight end Mo Alie-Cox and long snapper Luke Rhodes as the only Colts left from Ballard’s first offseason in charge (Rhodes arrived under Ryan Grigson in 2016). Now, the veteran cornerback follows longtime Colts Braden Smith, Zaire Franklin and Michael Pittman Jr. out the door this offseason.
We covered in this space last fall how the Colts had been tied to their core longer than any other team, and Ballard’s enduring presence certainly has plenty to do with that. Moore was in place since the Andrew Luck era, having been a waiver claim (from the Patriots) in 2017. Moore, 30, quickly became a dependable slot presence. As the Colts struggled to identify long-term boundary options at the position, they could count on their slot ace. Moore signed an Indianapolis extension in 2019 and then re-signed with the team as a free agent in 2024.
The Colts and Moore mutually agreed to part ways in early April, with a trade being Indy’s preferred exit strategy here. Moore was due a $9.49MM base salary in 2026, the final year of his three-year, $30MM contract. None of the money was guaranteed, but that number undoubtedly affected a trade aim. It is unclear if the Colts passed on a potential low-level deal — along the lines of what the Bills landed for slot staple Taron Johnson in March — to accommodate a cornerstone veteran, but the team is moving on without compensation. The Colts will add $7.1MM in cap space, though three void years being in place on this deal will produce a dead cap hit of $6.1MM.
Upon arrival in Indiana nine years ago, Moore quickly became one of best slot corners in the game. Indianapolis shuffled through pieces on the perimeter but rewarded Moore twice with market-setting deals. The team signed the former UDFA to a four-year, $33.3MM extension in his third offseason and gave him the 3/30 pact ahead of his age-29 campaign.
The Colts re-signed several key players in 2024, including Pittman and Stewart, in an attempt to build around Anthony Richardson‘s rookie contract. That plan did not work out, and Indy is back in the high-priced QB game after giving Daniel Jones a two-year, $88MM extension. The team offloaded Pittman’s contract — in a late-round pick-swap agreement with Pittsburgh — to afford the Jones transition tag and Alec Pierce‘s second contract (the team had traded Franklin to the Packers days before). Moore will follow Smith, an eight-year right tackle starter, in departing; Smith joined the Texans in free agency.
Indy’s secondary blueprint changed considerably in 2025, when Ballard indicated a willingness to deviate from a roster-building tenet by handing out some free agency dollars for outside help. Safety Camryn Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward joined the team last March, and as the Colts were chasing their first playoff berth since 2020 at the trade deadline, the team sent the Jets two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell for Sauce Gardner.
The team now has Gardner’s $30.1MM-per-year extension on the books to go with Bynum and Ward’s pacts — both north of $15MM AAV. This moved the Colts to stand down on re-signing Nick Cross, and they will now part with Moore while moving forward with the pricey Gardner-Ward-Bynum trio.
Moore has 21 career interceptions, notching four-INT seasons in 2020 and ’21. The latter season brought the 5-foot-9 cover man’s only Pro Bowl invite. Moore returned two of his three 2023 picks for TDs in 2023 and graded as a top-20 corner (in the view of Pro Football Focus) three times. PFF ranked Moore 37th among 112 qualified corners last season, when he allowed a career-best 62% completion rate as the closest defender. As Lou Anarumo took over as DC, though, the Colts reduced Moore’s playing time. He went from playing at least 92% of Indy’s defensive plays from 2018-24 to a 76% snap share in 2025.
Although Moore is entering an age-31 season, he stands to generate interest in free agency. He is unlikely to command a $10MM-per-year salary, but contenders eyeing slot help will surely look into the proven option now that he’s on the market.