Seahawks To Sign First-Round RB Jadarian Price, Wrap Draft Class Deals
The Seahawks have agreed to a deal with first-round running back Jadarian Price, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Price went 32nd overall, which carries a total value of approximately $16.78MM over four years. He is expected to sign his fully guaranteed contract today, per Pelissero.
Price was never the lead dog in his three years at Notre Dame, where he played behind Audric Estime in 2023 and Jeremiyah Love over the past two seasons. To his credit, though, Price excelled when given the ball. Over 41 games and 280 carries with the Fighting Irish, he averaged 6.0 yards per attempt and found the end zone 21 times. Price chipped in three more touchdowns as a receiver, but he caught just 15 passes in college.
Despite serving as a backup at Notre Dame, Price entered this year’s draft as the consensus second-best RB available. Love, the No. 1 option by miles, went third overall to the Cardinals. It was far from a slam dunk Price would come off the board in the first round, but the Seahawks elected to grab their replacement for Kenneth Walker with the final pick of Day 1. General manager John Schneider chose Price after an attempt to trade down fell through, and adding the 5-foot-11, 209-pounder prevented the NFC West rival 49ers from potentially doing so at No. 33. The 49ers wound up using the 33rd pick on receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and addressing running back in the third round, where they spent the 90th overall selection on Kaelon Black.
Walker, who was the Seahawks’ lead back for four seasons, won Super Bowl LX MVP honors in February and then left for the Chiefs’ three-year, $43.05MM offer in free agency. The Seahawks will largely count on Price to fill Walker’s void, especially after No. 2 back Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in a divisional round win over the 49ers in January. Charbonnet will return sometime in 2026, but he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. As he continues in his recovery, Price, free agent pickup Emanuel Wilson and George Holani are among the Seahawks’ healthy options at the position.
When Price officially puts pen to paper, it will complete this year’s draft signings for the reigning champions. Here is Seattle’s full 2026 class:
- Round 1, No. 32: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
- Round 2, No. 64: Bud Clark (S, TCU) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 99 (from Steelers)*: Julian Neal (CB, Arkansas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 148 (from Chiefs via Browns): Beau Stephens (G, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 199 (from Lions via Browns, Bengals and Jets): Emmanuel Henderson (WR, Kansas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 236 (from Packers)*: Andre Fuller (CB, Toledo) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 242 (from Bills via Browns and Jets): Deven Eastern (DT, Minnesota) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 255 (from Packers)*: Michael Dansby (CB, Arizona) (signed)
Giants Ink No. 5 Overall Pick Arvell Reese, Complete Draft Signings
The Giants announced that they have signed first-round linebacker Arvell Reese to his rookie contract. As the fifth overall pick, Reese’s fully guaranteed four-year deal is worth around $47.83MM.
Reese played three years at Ohio State, where he capped off a 43-tackle 2024 campaign with a national championship and then experienced a massive uptick in production last season. While recording 356 snaps at outside linebacker and 238 snaps as an off-ball LB, the 6-foot-4, 243-pounder tallied 69 tackles (10 for loss) and 6.5 sacks over 14 games. He earned Big Ten Linebacker of the Year honors and was named a consensus All-American.
Reese’s versatility helped make him one of the premier prospects in this year’s class. Just a few weeks before the draft, Reese was considered the favorite to go second overall to the Jets. They wound up taking former Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey with that selection. Two picks later, the Titans were down to Reese and one of his former college teammates, wide receiver Carnell Tate. They went with Tate at No. 4, leaving an easy decision for a Giants team that saw coveted ex-Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love join the Cardinals third overall. The Giants reportedly gave equal grades to Love and Reese.
While Reese could turn into a high-end outside rusher for the Giants, they already have three-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns, 2025 third overall pick Abdul Carter and 2022 fifth overall choice Kayvon Thibodeaux along the edge. Although Thibodeaux has been popular in trade rumors, it appears the Giants will keep the four-year veteran in hopes he rebounds from a 10-game, 2.5-sack showing from 2025. With Thibodeaux sticking around, the plan is for Reese to primarily play off-ball LB at the outset of his career. He will line up on the weak side and team with free agent acquisition Tremaine Edmunds as the Giants’ starting duo.
Reese was the first of seven picks in the 2026 draft for the Giants, who now have their entire class under contract. Here is the list:
- Round 1, No. 5: Arvell Reese (EDGE/LB, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 10 (from Bengals): Francis Mauigoa (T, Miami) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 37: Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 74 (from Chiefs via Browns): Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 186: Bobby Jamison-Travis (DT, Auburn) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 192 (from Dolphins): JC Davis (T, Illinois) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 193 (from Cowboys): Jack Kelly (LB, BYU) (signed)
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Steelers Restructure TE Pat Freiermuth’s Contract
Even after the Jonnu Smith release and Connor Heyward Raiders defection, Mike McCarthy‘s first Steelers roster is fairly deep at tight end. The team returns Darnell Washington to go with fifth-round rookie Riley Nowakowski. Pat Freiermuth remains the veteran presence among this group.
The Steelers gave Freiermuth a four-year, $48.4MM extension before the 2024 season, and they are using this contract to create some mid-offseason cap space. The team restructured Freiermuth’s deal this week, according to Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti.
Pittsburgh’s recent move will free up $4.25MM in cap space. The team was just shy of the NFL’s salary ceiling prior to this restructure, though more work will need to be done to carve out room to complete rookie signings. The Steelers are more than $1MM in the red in terms of effective cap space, per OverTheCap. The Steelers have not signed third-round quarterback Drew Allar yet.
This conversion reduces Freiermuth’s 2026 base salary to the veteran minimum and trims his cap number to $6.9MM. No void years are being added here, so future Freiermuth cap numbers are going up. He will count for $14.2MM against the Steelers’ 2027 cap and $12.6MM on the team’s 2028 payroll. The ’27 and ’28 figures are each increasing by $2.13MM, per OverTheCap.
Seeing Washington become a more prominent pass-game component and using Heyward regularly, the Steelers reduced Freiermuth’s snap share by a significant amount last season. He closed the campaign with a career-low eight starts and played 51% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps. The former second-round pick, who had logged a 69% snap rate in 2024, had never played fewer than 62% of the team’s offensive snaps.
Teams expressed trade interest in Freiermuth in early March; this report came before Pittsburgh released Smith, who remains a free agent. Washington, who played 57% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps last season, is viewed as an extension candidate. No guaranteed money remains on Freiermuth’s deal beyond 2026. This restructure would make a 2027 separation a bit more costly; a trade next year would tag the team with nearly $9MM in dead money.
The Steelers also added two high-profile receiving pieces this offseason, trading for Michael Pittman Jr. — and giving the possession receiver a two-year, $35MM extension — and using a second-round pick on slot target Germie Bernard. Smith and Heyward’s exits point to Freiermuth seeing a usage uptick under McCarthy, but how the team proceeds with Washington will be worth monitoring regarding Freiermuth’s future ahead of his age-28 season.
Giants Fear WR Gunner Olszewski Tore Achilles
Spending two seasons as the Giants’ primary punt returner, Gunner Olszewski re-signed with the new-look team this offseason. But another season-altering injury looks to have occurred.
Olszewski, who missed all of the 2024 season, went down with a noncontact injury at Giants OTAs today. The team fears the veteran special teams presence suffered an Achilles tear, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The former first-team All-Pro returner is undergoing testing to confirm this.
[RELATED: Giants DL Roy Robertson-Harris Tears Achilles]
Re-signing with the Giants on a one-year, $1.4MM deal that included $300K guaranteed, Olszewski has been with the team since 2023. The Giants added him that year after a Steelers stint. Olszewski, 30, began his career with the Patriots in 2019. This could be his second season-nullifying injury in three years.
The Giants used Olszewski as their top punt returner in 2023, signing him in November of that year after the Steelers cut him in-season. Olszewski, who earned his All-Pro slot with the Patriots in 2020, returned a punt for a score in his first season with the Giants. He re-signed in 2024 but landed on IR that September and was never activated. A groin injury sidelined the veteran special-teamer two years ago, but the Giants brought him back in July 2025.
He played in 16 games for the team last season, seeing more time on offense for a team that lost Malik Nabers to an ACL tear and played without Darius Slayton for a chunk of the campaign. In addition to his punt-return duties, Olszewski caught a career-high 10 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. As kick returns became a notable NFL sequence thanks to a pivotal offseason rule tweak, Olszewski also worked as New York’s top kick-return option in 2025.
Big Blue made three key receiver additions this offseason, signing Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin before trading up for Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields in the third round. Austin will be an option in the punt-return game, having played extensively in that role with the Steelers from 2023-25. His presence did not make Olszewski a roster lock in Harbaugh’s first year, with the Giants — who lost Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency — still rostering Slayton. Nabers is not a lock to return from injury in Week 1, but it is too early to call him a reserve/PUP list candidate.
Steelers, Senior Special Teams Coach Derius Swinton Part Ways
The Steelers are moving on from one of Mike McCarthy‘s new staff hires well before the season. Senior special teams coach Derius Swinton is out, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.
Swinton is believed to have engaged in workplace misconduct, ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor notes. The Steelers hired Swinton as a right-hand man for special teams coordinator Danny Crossman in February. Swinton, 41, has been an NFL assistant since the 2009 season.
Crossman joined the Steelers as their Danny Smith replacement; Smith, who is now with the Buccaneers, was a target to retain under McCarthy. But Crossman became the team’s pick once Smith left for Florida, leading to Swinton’s hire soon after. Now, Pittsburgh is without a top lieutenant for its new ST boss.
Swinton finished last season as the Raiders’ interim ST coordinator, taking over in that role after Pete Carroll fired Tom McMahon in November. A 2023 Josh McDaniels hire retained by Carroll, Swinton worked with new Steelers DC Patrick Graham during his time in Las Vegas. Swinton, however, had not previously worked on a McCarthy staff or with Crossman.
The lack of connections to the new Pittsburgh HC and ST coordinator made for an interesting fit, but Swinton has been coaching in the NFL since 2009. The Steelers were his ninth NFL employer. He had been a special teams coordinator twice — with the 49ers in 2016 and with the Chargers in 2021 — but mostly has resided on the assistant STC level. He has held that role for the Raiders, Cardinals, Bears and Broncos prior to his appointment in Pittsburgh.
QB C.J. Stroud Addresses Potential Texans Extension
Throughout the offseason, signs have pointed to the Texans waiting until after the 2026 season takes place before authorizing a C.J. Stroud extension. Houston’s QB1 appears to be content with that approach, although he feels he has done enough to warrant a second contract.
Having played three years in the NFL, this offseason marks the first time during which Stroud could sign an extension. His rookie deal runs through 2026, while the Texans made the obvious decision of exercising his fifth-year option. That leaves the former Offensive Rookie of the Year under team control through at least the next two seasons.
When speaking to reporters, Stroud acknowledged the matter of an extension has been discussed within his camp. A big-money commitment has also been weighed by the Texans, and the team made one to fellow 2023 draftee Will Anderson Jr. earlier this spring. No serious negotiations with Stroud are known to have taken place so far, however.
“I let my agent handle that. If it’s time to do it, then it is,” the 24-year-old said (via ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime) when speaking about the possibility of an extension. “My job is football. That’s what I’m focused on, just getting better. I think I’ve held my bargain up. Whatever happens, happens.”
The penultimate sentence from those remarks certainly suggests Stroud feels an extension would be warranted. During his tenure – which has overlapped with that of head coach DeMeco Ryans – Houston has managed double-digit wins every season and reached the divisional round of the playoffs each time. Postseason shortcomings have increasingly become a talking point for the Texans, though, and Stroud’s play in 2025 in particular led to criticism.
The Ohio State product committed seven total turnovers across two playoff games this past season. Stroud also missed three contests in 2025 due to a concussion, but otherwise he has been largely durable in the NFL. Any long-term deal would check in at or near the top of the quarterback market (currently $60MM per year) given his age and production to date. Houston waiting one season could, on the other hand, not end up costing much more with the QB market not expected to see another surge in the immediate future.
Anderson and many of the Texans’ other key defensive players remain attached to lucrative deals. Earlier this week, the team authorized a short-term bump in pay for top receiver Nico Collins. Those financial commitments need to be kept in mind, of course, when general manager Nick Caserio and Co. contemplate the terms of a second Stroud contract. It will be interesting to see if traction is gained ahead of training camp with respect to negotiations or if Houston continues to opt for patience.
Rams’ Puka Nacua Resumes On-Field Work
The Rams were among the teams whose OTAs began this week. Puka Nacua has been present for offseason work since April, so to no surprise he has also been a participant in early on-field practices.
Nacua spoke to reporters on Thursday, marking his first public comments since being sued by a woman over allegations of making an “unprovoked antisemitic statement” and later biting her on the shoulder during a Dec. 31, 2025 incident. Nacua checked himself into a rehab center in March. He addressed the lawsuit simply by referring to it as an “ongoing legal battle” but also spoke about his recent time away from the team.
“I’ve been really grateful for the support from the organization, especially my teammates,” the 25-year-old said (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop). “Some of the things I feel like I’ve learned is it’s OK to ask for support and then to recognize the platform that I have and being a professional football player and trying to use that for the betterment of myself and for those around me. There’s been a lot of good things in the midst of some of these things that have been challenging for me, but it’s been a great improvement in my life.”
Nacua is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. The former fifth-round pick has emerged as one of the game’s top receivers during his time with the Rams, racking up nearly 4,200 yards and 19 touchdowns to date. Nacua’s 129 receptions and 107.2 yards per game from 2025 led the NFL, and he will be expected to remain a focal point on offense for Los Angeles during the coming campaign. Off-field concerns have played a role in preventing a big-ticket extension from being agreed to so far, however.
On that note, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirms (video link) this situation is being viewed as a reset of sorts for Nacua. A strong showing on the field, along with the absence of any further legal matters or other off-field issues, would create the circumstances for a blockbuster second contract. Davante Adams is a pending 2027 free agent, and electing not to retain him – or trade for another veteran wideout – would point further to a lucrative commitment in Nacua’s case. The top of the receiver market now stands at $42.15MM per year thanks to Jaxon Smith-Njigba‘s extension.
A deal carrying a similar value is not forthcoming for Nacua as things stand. He said an extension is not a concern at this time, but it will be interesting to see if talks on a new deal pick up at some point in the future.
Texans, WR Nico Collins Agree On Reworked Deal
MAY 29: $57MM of the $60MM total from this two-year arrangement is fully guaranteed, as detailed by Over the Cap. That includes a $27MM signing bonus. Collins’ cap charge for the coming year was lowered to $14.94MM by the new deal, while his 2027 hit is set to check in at $42.12MM. $16.2MM in money present during the deal’s void years has been added.
MAY 26: The Texans shot down Nico Collins trade rumors during the draft, and they are now taking care of their top wide receiver. Collins and the team agreed on a reworked deal Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Collins will receive raises in 2026 and ’27 as a part of this agreement, per Schefter, who notes the sixth-year veteran will see a $9MM cash influx in 2026 and an $8MM bump in 2027. Both Collins’ 2026 and ’27 salaries are now guaranteed.
[RELATED: Texans Give Azeez Al-Shaiir Top-Five ILB Deal]
Houston’s May 2024 extension agreement with Collins has aged extraordinarily well. He is tied to a three-year, $72.75MM deal. Even at the time, that contract looked team-friendly, as A.J. Brown had moved the receiver market to $32MM per year weeks earlier. Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and now Jaxon Smith-Njigba have taken the market onto new tiers since the Collins contract was finalized. The Texans’ top skill-position talent, in terms of AAV, had been tied to a salary nearly $20MM south of Smith-Njigba’s market-setting pact ($42.15MM per year).
No new years are being added to Collins’ deal, but the raises here are substantial — as are the guarantee bumps. Collins was due $20MM in guaranteed compensation this year but had no guarantees in place for 2027. Collins was tied to a nonguaranteed $21.25MM salary next year. That number will rise considerably, and it continues a pattern of Texans proactivity on the contract front.
Texans GM Nick Caserio gave Derek Stingley Jr. a market-resetting extension in March 2025 and did the same for Will Anderson Jr. this offseason. The team also has shown a willingness to guarantee cornerstone players’ money in future years. The Texans have extended Danielle Hunter twice on one-year bumps and reupped Dalton Schultz for an additional year in March. Collins will loom as a 2027 extension candidate in Houston, but Caserio has again rewarded a productive player with a significant guarantee increase.
The pay hikes agreed to Tuesday will move Collins near $30MM in compensation this year and next. That still puts him outside of the top five at his position, with the NFL’s $30MM-AAV receiver club now consisting of nine players (though, a 49ers Brandon Aiyuk release would trim it to eight). Collins is entering an age-27 season and is coming off three straight 1,000-yard campaigns. Although C.J. Stroud has not made big strides since his rookie-year breakthrough, the Texans have found a gem in Collins — a 2021 third-round pick.
Collins finished with 1,117 receiving yards in 2025 and cleared 1,000 yards (1,006) in just 12 games in 2024. The Michigan product broke out in 2023, tallying 1,297 yards after previously failing to eclipse 500 in each of his first two seasons.
The Texans added Stefon Diggs via trade in 2024 but saw him suffer an ACL tear midway through his only season with the team. Tank Dell missed all of last season because of a severe knee injury sustained late in the 2024 slate. The Texans have since made moves to complement Collins with young players, adding Iowa State’s Jayden HIggins and Jaylin Noel on Day 2 of last year’s draft.
Dell is tracking to return this season, which will give the Texans interesting depth around Collins and the ex-Cyclones. But the team’s top playmaker is not in question entering 2026. Collins wants to stay with the Texans long term, and the team certainly showed appreciation for his work today. It is notable no extension has been reached, but the raise looks to settle this matter for 2026.
G Michael Onwenu Agrees To Revised Patriots Deal
2026 remains the final year of Michael Onwenu‘s Patriots contract. A revision was recently agreed to by the veteran guard, however.
Onwenu has signed a new pact covering the coming season, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The 28-year-old was not previously owed any guaranteed money for 2026, but that has now changed. Onwenu’s cap charge has been reduced by $7.5MM as a result of this new deal, but he is now set to collect $10MM in salary and bonuses.
As detailed by Over the Cap, Onwenu’s 2026 compensation includes $8.95MM guaranteed. Of that figure, $6MM has already been paid out. This arrangement will thus create cap relief for the Patriots while providing short-term security to Onwenu. The seventh-year veteran has spent his entire career in New England so far, but that could very well change next spring.
Recent indications have suggested the Patriots are likely to allow Onwenu to depart on the open market in 2027. An extension obviously would have ensured a longer run for the Michigan product’s New England tenure. Instead, a compromise covering his walk year has been worked out. The Pats made a big-money guard investment in the form of Alijah Vera-Tucker in March, and a lower cost at the right guard spot beginning in 2027 can be expected.
Onwenu has seen time at right tackle over the course of his NFL career (including as recently as 2024). Last season, though, the former sixth-rounder operated exclusively at right guard, his most common spot for New England. That should remain the case for 2026, and another top-10 PFF evaluation among guards would come as little surprise after he posted one on four previous occasions. That could set Onwenu up for a payday on the open market, but it is increasingly clear his next contract will come from a new team.