Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/26
Today’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Segun Olubi
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Niko Lalos
Tennessee Titans
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Bryce Oliver
Seahawks RB George Holani Signs ERFA Tender
As expected, George Holani will be back in Seattle next season. The team announced that the running back has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender.
The move locks Holani into a non-guaranteed $1.075MM base salary for the 2026 campaign. The Seahawks placed the ERFA tender on the RB earlier this month.
Holani quickly caught on with the Seahawks after going undrafted out of Boise State in 2024. He spent the majority of his rookie campaign on Seattle’s practice squad. He made appearances in five regular season games for the Seahawks, with 36 of his 41 snaps coming on special teams.
He took on a somewhat larger role in 2025, serving as the team’s third running back behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The majority of the player’s production continued to come on special teams. He finished the year with 16 kick returns for 387 yards, and he also scored a touchdown while recovering Seattle’s own kickoff in Week 2.
Offensively, Holani got 24 touches, which he turned into 88 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. The second-year player also got an extended look in the playoffs after Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL. Holani ultimately got another nine touches in the postseason, compiling 44 yards.
The 26-year-old could be in line to take another step forward in 2026. Walker left for the Chiefs via free agency, and Charbonnet’s season debut will surely be delayed as he works his way back from the knee injury. The Seahawks did add former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson for depth, and the likes of Cam Akers, Kenny McIntosh, Velus Jones, and Jacardia Wright are on the offseason roster. Considering Holani’s familiarity with the organization, he’ll be given every chance for reps heading into the 2026 campaign.
Cardinals Sign DL Andrew Billings
The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defensive line this offseason, and they’re apparently not done. According to Darren Urban of the team website, the team is signing defensive lineman Andrew Billings.
It will be a one-year deal for the veteran. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported earlier today that Billings was visiting the Cardinals.
The veteran is coming off a three-year stint with the Bears, where he started 39 of his 42 appearances. A torn pectoral muscle limited him to only eight appearances in 2024, but he rebounded with a 17-game showing (14 starts) in 2025.
He finished this past year with 31 stops and one sack while getting into just about half of Chicago’s defensive snaps. While his health was a positive, his play left some to be desired. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 121st among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The site rates his last notable season as 2022, when he finished 16th among 127 qualifiers. During that one-year stop with the Raiders, Billings compiled 39 tackles and one sack. The 2016 fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bengals, where he collected 3.5 sacks in 47 games.
The Cardinals have made several notable additions to their defensive line over the past week, including Roy Lopez, L.J. Collier, and Jonah Williams. Lopez is likely penciled in for the nose tackle role in the middle of the defensive line, but Billings will help soak up some extra snaps at the position.
Panthers To Re-Sign P Sam Martin
Veteran punter Sam Martin joined the Panthers on a one-year deal last March, but he will receive more security this offseason. The Panthers will retain Martin on a two-year contract worth up to $5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Carolina is the fourth NFL stop for the 36-year-old Martin, who divided his first 12 seasons among Detroit, Denver and Buffalo. Aside from a 10-game 2017 with the Lions, Martin has played at least 16 contests in every season. Martin has averaged 46.3 gross yards per punt and 41.0 net over 811 attempts.
During his first year with Carolina, Martin punted 56 times in 17 games. At 47.2 yards per attempt, he checked in just shy of the league-average mark (47.4). His 40.5 net was also a bit below the mean (41.3), though he posted the sixth-highest percentage of punts inside the 20 (48.2). Martin also punted for a touchback on just 5.4% of attempts, easily better than the league-average figure of 7.7.
For the reigning NFC South champion Panthers, re-signing Martin means they will keep their 2025 special teams battery in place. Martin will again team with kicker Ryan Fitzgerald and long snapper J.J. Jansen.
49ers To Sign WR Christian Kirk
Not content to stop with Mike Evans, the 49ers are signing another veteran wide receiver. The team has agreed to a one-year, $6MM contract with Christian Kirk, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.
An eight-year pro who has divided his career among Arizona, Jacksonville and Houston, Kirk will join the recently signed Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins in San Francisco’s remade receiving corps.
The 49ers lost Kendrick Bourne and Skyy Moore earlier in free agency, while Jauan Jennings remains unsigned despite serving as their most productive wideout in 2025. They are also expected to lose Brandon Aiyuk via release or trade. Earlier today, Matt Barrows of The Athletic labeled the 49ers a strong candidate to make another receiver addition.
Kirk, a Texas A&M product who came off the board in the second round in 2018, averaged 59 catches, 726 yards and four touchdowns per season on his four-year rookie contract. That was enough to earn a four-year, $72MM contract with the Jaguars in March 2022.
Playing the second 17-game season of his career, Kirk posted personal highs in catches (84), yards (1,108) and touchdowns (eight) in his first year in Jacksonville. However, both his production and health have fallen off since then. After Kirk combined for 84 grabs, 1,166 yards and four scores over 20 games from 2023-24, the Jaguars traded the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder to the Texans for a 2026 seventh-rounder.
Kirk went through another injury-limited year in 2025, during which hamstring troubles held him to 13 games. The 29-year-old lined up in the slot for 73.2% of snaps and hauled in 28 of 52 targets for 239 yards, a career-low 8.5 YPC and a score. Those numbers did not help Kirk’s cause during a platform year, though he turned heads in the Texans’ wild-card round win over the Steelers. In a 30-6 blowout, Kirk torched Pittsburgh for eight receptions on nine targets, 144 yards and a TD. While Kirk only caught two of six targets for 20 yards in a loss to the Patriots in the divisional round, he picked up another score in what will go down as his last game as a Texan.
Barring an unexpected development, San Francisco’s addition of Kirk could close the door on Jennings’ five-year tenure with the franchise. PFR’s 18th-ranked free agent, Jennings is surprisingly still on the market in the wake of back-to-back strong seasons.
Buccaneers Re-Sign OL Dan Feeney
Dan Feeney is set to spend another year in Tampa Bay. The veteran offensive lineman re-signed with the Buccaneers on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Feeney joined the Bucs shortly after the start of the 2025 regular season. The loss of Cody Mauch required a veteran addition, and he became a regular presence up front. Feeney logged 10 starts in his 12 appearances for Tampa Bay. He worked exclusively at right guard during that period.
The 31-year-old has also seen plenty of time at left guard during his career. Feeney has operated as a center as well during certain stops, but with Graham Barton in place for Tampa Bay that should not be expected for 2026. Instead, Feeney will aim to provide guard depth for the Buccaneers as the team hopes for a return to full health on Mauch’s part.
During his stretches as a first-team presence, Feeney has not drawn strong PFF reviews. That remained the case in 2025 when he stepped in for Mauch. The Bucs will no doubt prefer this to be a veteran depth move rather than one setting up another lengthy run in the starting lineup.
The former third-rounder signed for $1.26MM when joining Tampa Bay last year. Another one-year deal worth a similar amount will likely be in store for 2026. The Buccaneers entered Monday with over $40MM in cap space, so this re-signing will not drastically impact the team’s other plans for the remainder of free agency.
Dolphins Sign OLB David Ojabo
The Dolphins continue to shape their roster under a new decision-making tandem. David Ojabo is Miami’s latest arrival. 
Ojabo was signed on Monday, per a team announcement. The fifth-year edge rusher hit the market once his Ravens rookie contract expired. A change of scenery may prove to be a welcomed development in this case, given how Ojabo’s Baltimore tenure played out.
The Michigan product suffered an Achilles tear during his Pro Day leading up to the 2022 draft. His stock fell as a result, and Ojabo remained on the board until the second round. His rookie season was limited to just two games, and a rebound from a health perspective did not prove to be possible the following year.
Knee and ankle ailments led to Ojabo being shut down after only three games in 2023. Through his first two NFL campaigns, therefore, he had only managed a pair of sacks in very limited action. Ojabo managed to turn a corner with respect to injuries afterwards, logging 13 games in 2024 and another 14 this past season. Over that span, however, he was unable to emerge as a full-time defensive presence. Ahead of roster cuts in the summer, his Ravens future was far from certain.
Ojabo totaled 2.5 sacks across the past two years. He will look to improve in that department on a new team. Miami’s edge rush depth chart was topped by Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips entering 2025, but it will look much different next season. Phillips was traded away at the deadline, while Chubb was one of many veterans cut by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley have been busy adding new roster pieces since free agency began.
Miami’s new-look pass rush will no doubt include a notable workload for 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson. The team has also added Josh Uche and Robert Beal in free agency while retaining Cameron Goode. At least one notable draft investment next month would certainly not come as a surprise. Ojabo will spend training camp looking to carve out a role with the Dolphins once their EDGE setup becomes clearer.
Entering Monday, Miami was near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space. Like the Charlie Heck signing from earlier today, though, this Ojabo deal will not be an expensive one. The Dolphins should still have a degree of financial flexibility moving forward as a result.
Dolphins Sign OT Charlie Heck
After playing for the Buccaneers in 2025, offensive tackle Charlie Heck is moving to one of Florida’s other franchises. The Dolphins have signed Heck, per a team announcement.
A 2020 fourth-round pick from North Carolina, Heck spent the first four years of his career in Houston. He totaled a career-high 13 starts in his second season. Since the Texans released him in August 2024, Heck has gone through short stints with the Cardinals, 49ers and Bucs. The 29-year-old has started in 29 of 67 games, including six during a full campaign in Tampa Bay.
Heck lined up for 458 snaps at right tackle in 2025 while subbing for the injured Luke Goedeke. Pro Football Focus was unimpressed with Heck, whom it ranked 82nd among 84 qualified tackles.
Almost all of Heck’s work in the NFL has come at right tackle, where he will back up the oft-injured Austin Jackson in Miami. Jackson dealt with a toe issue that limited him to six games last season, the second straight year in which he missed significant time. The Dolphins relied on Larry Borom to fill in for 11 starts and 664 snaps in Jackson’s place in 2025, but he left for the Lions’ one-year offer last Monday.
Commanders To Re-Sign RB Jeremy McNichols
Jeremy McNichols will remain in place with the Commanders for 2026. The veteran running back is re-signing on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
McNichols has been with Washington since 2024, head coach Dan Quinn‘s first season at the helm. Kliff Kingsbury guided the Commanders’ offense for each of the past two years, but David Blough will handle OC duties in 2026. His unit will once again include McNichols as a depth option.
The 30-year-old handled 55 carries during his first Washington campaign; that figure fell to 44 this past season. McNichols has totaled five rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt during his limited offensive opportunities in the nation’s capital. A split between offensive and special teams usage can be expected moving forward.
Washington lost Chris Rodriguez during the opening stages of free agency last week. The team lined up the addition of former Buccaneer Rachaad White during that same period, however. Jerome Ford is also set to play for the Commanders in 2026. Those two, along with incumbent Jacory Croskey-Merritt, will be tasked with handling much of the offensive workload in the backfield this season. McNichols could chip in if needed while offering depth at the running back spot.
Austin Ekeler remains unsigned at this point. The Commanders’ outside additions along with this re-signing point to a departure in his case. Washington, meanwhile, entered Monday with over $61MM in cap space. This latest McNichols pact will not affect that figure to a large extent, of course. Another deal at or near the veteran minimum can be expected in this case, one which will offer the Commanders with a familiar depth contributor on offense.
Cowboys’ Rashan Gary Accepts Pay Cut
One of the many defensive additions made by the Cowboys last week was the trade for Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary. The veteran agreed to a pay cut to help facilitate the deal. 
Gary reduced his compensation for 2026 and ’27 to $16MM, as detailed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He was originally owed $19.5MM this season and $22.5MM for the final year of his contract, but none of that was guaranteed. Gary received a signing bonus of $13.2MM, per Pelissero, locking in most of his pay for his debut Cowboys campaign.
$1MM in active roster bonuses are present in both years of this new pact, ESPN’s Todd Archer adds. Gary’s 2026 cap charge has dropped to $5.4MM as a result of the restructure, which includes the addition of void years. The 28-year-old is on course to receive a $15MM base salary in 2027, but without any of that figure guaranteed at signing Gary’s future in Dallas will depend solely on how he performs next season.
Adding in the pass rush department was seen as a key priority for the Cowboys as part of their overall renovations on defense. Gary was acquired for a fourth-round pick, a sign of Green Bay’s willingness to move on from the remainder of his contract but also the former first-rounder’s poor finish to the 2025 campaign. A rebound would help Dallas’ production along the edge while also increasing the chances of Gary’s Cowboys stint lasting more than one season.
The team heavily pursued a Maxx Crosby trade leading up to free agency, and the Raiders All-Pro is still available at this point. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has not closed the door to renewed Crosby interest, but Dallas has been busy on multiple fronts with respect to defensive contracts. That includes the re-signing of Sam Williams, one of the team’s many edge rushers whose contracts recently expired. Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler and Payton Turner remain unsigned at this point.
With nearly $19MM in cap space, the Cowboys have the ability to make more defensive additions during the second wave of free agency. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Gary will be counted on to serve as a key EDGE presence. It will be interesting to see if he can play his way into an extended Dallas tenure.