Ravens, G John Simpson Agree To Deal
In need of improvements at the guard spot, the Ravens are turning to a familiar face. John Simpson is on his way back to Baltimore.
An agreement has been reached on a three-year, $30MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Simpson served as a starter with the Ravens in 2023 before doing the same as a member of the Jets for the past two years. He will be counted on to again operate as a first-team staple during his second Baltimore stint.
Following a Raiders tenure that saw him alternating between the starting lineup and the bench, Simpson emerged as a true starter during his one-year stop in Baltimore in 2023. He started all 17 games that season, grading out 49th among 79 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
While that grade would signal he’s more of a situational player, it was still enough to earn him a two-year contract from the Jets in 2024. He outperformed his deal during his first season in New York, finishing the year ranked 11th among 77 qualifiers. However, his production took a step back in 2025, with PFF dropping him to 51st among 79 qualifiers. He was especially punished for penalties, where he tallied 11 flags for 106 yards.
Still, he should represent some veteran dependability for the Ravens. Considering the investment, Simpson will likely slide into his familiar spot at left guard, meaning Andrew Vorhees and Emery Jones Jr. could be left to battle for the RG job.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Panthers, Jaelan Phillips Agree To Deal
As expected, the Panthers have made a big splash early with respect to a pass rush addition. Jaelan Phillips is heading to Carolina.
Team and player have agreed to terms, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be a four-year, $120MM pact, he adds. Phillips has secured $80MM in guarantees on his second NFL contract.
Despite Phillips’ extensive injury history, the Panthers are betting big. Suffering Achilles and ACL tears in Miami, Phillips bounced back with a solid 2025 season split between the Dolphins and Eagles. Philadelphia could land a third-round compensatory pick, depending on its FA activity this year, thanks to this monster accord. The Eagles were believed to be closing in on a deal to retain Phillips, but they will stand down and let the 2025 trade pickup head to Charlotte.
Carolina missed on Milton Williams last year, being deep in talks before New England’s big offer won out for the impact free agent. The Panthers also lost Brian Burns in 2024, trading the Pro Bowl EDGE to wrap a lengthy saga. Although the Panthers drafted two edge rushers in 2025 (Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen), they will give Ejiro Evero a new lead sack artist.
PFR’s No. 3 overall free agent, Phillips only registered five sacks between his Dolphins and Eagles games last season. But he ranked 12th in pressures and submitted a strong (18.8% pressure rate that hovered far north of Trey Hendrickson or Odafe Oweh’s 2025 numbers). That keyed a huge market, with the $80MM in total guarantees representing the ninth-largest amount among edge defenders.
Phillips and Derrick Brown will be poised to provide an outside-inside tandem, as the Panthers did not feature a player eclipse five sacks in 2025. Carolina made the playoffs anyway, despite a 27th-ranked offense, but has struggled in the sack department since sending Burns to the Giants.
Going into an age-27 season, Phillips has shown better sack work in the past. He notched 6.5 in eight 2023 games, before suffering the Achilles tear on Black Friday. The 6-foot-5 EDGE also combined for 15.5 sacks over his first two seasons. Injuries have been a constant for Phillips, who briefly retired from the sport while at UCLA. Transferring to Miami, Phillips became a first-round pick. His Philly stint cemented one of the better FA cases in recent history, and the Panthers will expect an immediate pass-rushing boost as a result of this commitment.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders To Give LT Laremy Tunsil Record-Setting Extension
The Commanders have their extension agreement with Laremy Tunsil in place. Long rumored as a player Washington wanted to pay, Tunsil has secured a third career extension.
Tunsil agreed to a two-year, $60.2MM extension, insider Jordan Schultz reports. He is the NFL’s first $30MM offensive lineman. For the third time in his career, Tunsil has secured a market-setting extension. Tunsil will receive a $32.5MM signing bonus and a $61.5MM guarantee on a contract that now runs through 2028.
GM Adam Peters said a Tunsil deal was a priority. Considering the four-pick haul the Commanders sent the Texans for the Pro Bowl blocker, that made sense. Tunsil’s deal aligns with Jayden Daniels‘ rookie contract, and Washington entered Monday among the league’s leaders in cap space. Tunsil managing to score another market-topping deal ahead of his age-32 season burnishes his credentials as one of this era’s savviest negotiators.
Rumblings about an extension push emerged in December. The Texans paid the former first-rounder in 2020 and 2023. Tunsil played the 2025 season tied to a three-year, $75MM deal. That pact was set to expire after the 2026 season. The Texans not prioritizing a Tunsil deal in 2024 led them to move on, and after the Commanders saw Tunsil primarily protect Marcus Mariota last season, they will secure his rights beyond 2026 to block for Daniels.
Pro Football Focus ranked Tunsil seventh among qualified tackles in 2025, ranking him as the NFL’s second-best pass blocker. While a Pro Bowl nod did not follow this time, Tunsil secured five of those prior to his Washington arrival. He shrewdly leveraged his 2019 trade price — which included two first-round picks — in 2020 Texans negotiations, scoring a $22MM-per-year deal. After the tackle market did not move much between 2020 and ’23, Tunsil signed that 3/75 Houston extension — one that included $50MM at signing. He continues to do well on this front; the Commanders will need the decorated blocker to keep at his current pace to justify the latest windfall.
Washington released Tyler Biadasz last week, and while they were linked to Tyler Linderbaum, the team already has a higher-end guard salary (Sam Cosmi‘s). It will be interesting to see if Linderbaum joins a line that already has a tackle-record deal as of Monday morning.
Rams To Sign CB Jaylen Watson
After acquiring Trent McDuffie from Kansas City last week, the Rams have now taken another of the Chiefs’ top cornerbacks. The Rams have agreed to a contract with Jaylen Watson, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. It’s a three-year, $51MM deal with $34MM in guarantees, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
This is another bold strike by the Rams, who have poured significant resources into their secondary over the past couple months. Before adding McDuffie in a blockbuster trade and agreeing to terms with Watson, they re-signed safeties Quentin Lake and Kamren Curl to extensions worth up to $81MM combined.
Los Angeles went 12-5 and won two playoff games in 2025, but its defensive backfield was in clear need of improvement entering the offseason. The Rams ranked a below-average 19th in pass defense in the regular season, and an inability to stop the Seahawks’ aerial attack torpedoed them in the NFC title game. Quarterback Sam Darnold went 25 of 36 for 346 yards for three touchdowns, while No. 1 wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a score.
Corners Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon and Roger McCreary are among the Rams’ free agents, while Darious Williams retired over the weekend. Durant started in 15 of 17 games and led Rams corners in snap share (72.99%) in 2025, but the Rams look to have added a pair of upgrades in two-time Super Bowl champions McDuffie and Watson.
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Watson spent most of his first two seasons as a reserve. After winning Super Bowl LVII to cap off the 2023 season, the Chiefs traded starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to Tennessee. Sneed’s exit opened up a full-time spot for Watson, who went on to start in his final 21 games with the Chiefs.
A broken leg suffered in October 2024 limited Watson to six regular-season games, but he made it back during the Chiefs’ latest run to the Super Bowl. He played in two postseason games, including a Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles. Watson went on to enjoy a career year in 2025. Over 15 games (all starts), the 27-year-old tallied 64 tackles, six passes defensed and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded Watson 17th among 112 qualifying corners.
Watson, who ranked as PFR’s No. 13 free agent, is now the latest high-profile corner to leave Kansas City in the past several years. Along with McDuffie, Watson and Sneed, Steven Nelson, Marcus Peters, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward all exited during the Andy Reid era. The Chiefs have seldom missed a beat, but now coming off a six-win season, they are down two major contributors at the back end of their defense.
Bucs To Re-Sign TE Cade Otton
Instead of testing the market during his first trip to free agency, Cade Otton will choose to remain in place. A new Buccaneers pact is being finalized with the fifth-year tight end, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Otton has landed a three-year deal, Ari Meriov of the 33rd Team reports. The pact has a base value of $30MM, and it contains $20MM in guarantees. That $10MM AAV now ranks 15th among tight ends, with his guarantees ranking 14th at the position.
The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Washington earned the trust of Tom Brady as a rookie, when he finished with 42 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns. He continued that production when Baker Mayfield took over under center, with Otton emerging as a key target on a talented offense.
He had his best showing in 2024, when he hauled in 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. His follow-up showing wasn’t as impressive, especially as the Buccaneers navigated a number of injuries on offense. Still, Otton finished the year with another 59 catches for 572 yards and one touchdown. The 26-year-old has also graded out as an above-average pass blocker in recent years.
Otton will continue to lead the depth chart in 2026. He could theoretically see an increased target share following the departure of Mike Evans. However, with the likes of Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson still around, it’s more likely Otton will see a similar offensive role in 2026.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers To Re-Sign LB Cole Holcomb
Cole Holcomb will be remaining in place with Pittsburgh next season. The veteran linebacker has agreed to a new Steelers pact.
A two-year, $5MM pact has been agreed to, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Earlier today, Ari Meriov of the 33rd Team reported a deal was expected on this front. Holcomb bounced back from in 2025 after missing the previous season, and he will remain a key figure in Pittsburgh’s defense moving forward.
Holcomb’s first season in Pittsburgh was cut short by a serious knee injury. He ended up having to sit out the entire 2024 campaign, but he was back on the field for the start of the 2025 season. He ended up getting into 14 games (three starts) for the Steelers, finishing with 37 tackles. He didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings, but his final grade would have landed him in the top-30 among linebackers.
The former fifth-round pick once showcased his potential in Washington. This included a 2021 campaign where he compiled 142 tackles, seven passes defended, one sacks, and two interceptions. Following another productive season in 2022, Holcomb inked a three-year, $18MM deal with the Steelers.
While Pittsburgh didn’t get a whole lot from the linebacker on his first contract, they’re hoping for a bit more on this current pact. He’ll likely continue serving as a key special teamer, but he could also see an uptick on his 21-percent defensive snap percentage in 2026.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Patriots To Sign OLB Dre’Mont Jones
Adding along the edge was known to be a priority for the Patriots early in free agency. It has not taken long for a deal to be worked out on that front.
Dre’Mont Jones is heading to New England, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. This will be a three-year, $39MM pact, he adds. A strong showing split between two teams in 2025 has resulted in a notable payday for Jones. The max value of this New England pact is $39.5MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network; he adds $14.5MM will be paid out in the first year.
Jones has never garnered more than 800 defensive snaps in any of his seven NFL seasons, but he’s still proven to be a reliable pass-rusher when he’s on the field. He’s compiled at least 3.5 sacks each year of his career, including 18 total sacks with the Broncos between 2020 and 2022. That run earned him a three-year contract with the Seahawks in 2023. After tallying only 8.5 sacks between 2023 and 2024, the Seahawks moved on before the final year of Jones’ contract.
He inked a one-year, $10MM prove-it deal with the Titans last offseason and was productive in nine starts, collecting 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was traded to the Ravens in November for a conditional fifth-round pick, and he proceeded to add another 2.5 sacks down the stretch for his new squad. He ultimately finished the year ranked 64th among 119 qualifying edge defenders on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
The Patriots were a clear suitor for a pass rusher after finishing this past year without a 10-sack player. Harold Landry joined the Patriots via a similar deal last offseason and paced New England with 8.5 sacks. Landry’s knee injury may be a concern heading into 2026, so Jones could help soak up any necessary snaps. Jones may also be a potential replacement for K’Lavon Chaisson, who is hitting free agency following his 7.5-sack showing in 2025.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Raiders To Re-Sign Eric Stokes
11:13am: A deal is in place. The Raiders are keeping Stokes, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who reports the sixth-year corner is back onboard via a three-year deal worth $30MM. Of that total, Stokes will see $20MM guaranteed. This marks a massive raise from Stokes’ one-year compensation from 2025.
10:52am: The legal tampering period begins in a few minutes, opening the door for free agents-to-be testing the market. With other offers on tap, Eric Stokes is receiving internal interest before the final bell of Raiders exclusive negotiation rights.
Las Vegas is making a push to re-sign the veteran cornerback, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports. The former Packers first-round pick completed a bounce-back season in Vegas, avoiding injuries and working as a full-time starter. He was one of the few bright spots during a 3-14 season, likely raising his price in the process. The sides are believed to have made some progress, per Zenitz.
Stokes, who battled injuries for most of his Green Bay stay, started 16 games under Pete Carroll and saw Pro Football Focus assign him a 20th-place overall ranking among corners. The speedy former first-rounder will almost definitely command a deal well north of his one-year, $3.5MM terms from 2025. The Raiders, after the Maxx Crosby trade, lead the NFL in cap space and need to do work to reach the salary floor (measured over a three-year period). Stokes could be one of the beneficiaries.
The 16 starts brought a career-high mark for Stokes, who missed 14 games in 2023 after suffering a season-ending injury midway through the 2022 season. Foot and hamstring trouble were the primary impediments for Stokes in Green Bay, and the Packers did not use him as a primary starter in Jeff Hafley’s 2024 DC debut. The Raiders were light on cornerbacks after letting Nate Hobbs join the Packers in free agency, but Stokes gave them a locked-in answer — as just about everything else on the roster fell apart.
It will be interesting to see what Stokes will command — from the Raiders or another team — as a second-time free agent. Even if Stokes re-signs, the Raiders have more work to do at corner as a new DC (Rob Leonard) takes over.
Falcons, Olamide Zaccheaus Agree To Deal
Olamide Zaccheaus will return to Atlanta in 2026. The veteran wideout has agreed to terms with the Falcons, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Zaccheaus spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta, where he eventually emerged as a key target. He had his best showing with the Falcons in 2022, when he hauled in 40 catches for 533 yards and three touchdowns. He joined the Eagles following that showing, but his lone season in Philly saw him haul in only 10 catches.
He opted for a gig with the Commanders in 2024 and had arguably his best NFL season, finishing with 45 catches for 506 yards and three scores. He also contributed on special teams, where he returned 17 punts for 179 yards.
He joined the Bears ahead of the 2025 season but was less efficient despite a career-high 65 targets. He finished this past year with 39 catches for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He added another score in the postseason.
Zaccheaus will now look to revive his career in Altanta. The 28-year-old is joining a new-look receiver corps that also features newcomer Jahan Dotson next to WR1 Drake London.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Texans To Re-Sign DT Sheldon Rankins
As the Texans hoped, Sheldon Rankins will be in the fold next season. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a new Houston deal.
Rankins is signing a two-year contract with the Texans, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The pact includes $12MM in guarantees. Rankins will be counted on to remain a key presence on the team’s elite defense moving forward as a result of today’s news. An average annual value of “well over” $6MM is present in this new pact, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Rankins caught on for his second stint with the Texans last offseason, when he inked a one-year, $5.25MM deal. It was a bounceback season following his seven-game showing with the Bengals in 2024. Rankins finished the 2025 campaign with 35 tackles and three sacks while starting every game for the Texans. He also was a standout during Houston’s playoff win over the Steelers, when he returned a fumble for a touchdown. He ultimately finished the year ranked 27th among 127 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
The former Saints first-round pick has had an up-and-down career, leading to him bouncing around the NFL a bit following his departure from New Orleans. Following a pair of forgettable seasons with the Jets, Rankins had been one of the best showings of his career with the Texans in 2023. He finished that year with 37 tackles and six sacks. That performance earned him a two-year deal with the Bengals, but he missed 10 games while nursing a hamstring and recovering from an illness in 2024. He was cut by Cincy last offseason.
Now, he’s seemingly found a home in Houston. Rankins will retain his starting gig next to Tommy Togiai in 2026. Tim Settle‘s departure could open up a depth role on the defensive line, so Rankins should have a relatively long leash.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.