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Patriots To Release LB Ja’Whaun Bentley

March 28th, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots have made some linebacker payments this offseason, adding Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens and matching the Raiders’ Christian Elliss offer sheet. One of their holdovers will be an odd man out.

Ja’Whaun Bentley is expected to be released Friday, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets. Bentley is under contract for one more season; the Pats would see $4.35MM in cap savings by moving on. Bentley, 28, has started 68 games in New England. The three-time team captain tweeted a goodbye message Friday.

This release comes weeks after the Pats did not re-sign Jonathan Jones. With David Andrews gone as well, Patriots ties to their Super Bowl teams — among non-specialists, that is — are done. Deatrich Wise signed with the Commanders earlier this month. While Bentley has been a Patriot since 2018, he also missed 15 games last season due to injury. That will not give the second-level Pats mainstay much momentum going into free agency.

Attached to a two-year, $13.5MM extension, Bentley suffered a torn pec in Week 2 of last season. This marked the former fifth-round find’s second NFL season with three games or fewer; Bentley went down three games into his rookie season as well. The Pats had used Bentley as a two-game starter that year, providing a sign of stability to come. Bentley started 62 games from 2020-23, earning the extension during Bill Belichick‘s final year in charge.

Set to turn 29 before the 2025 season begins, Bentley will be an interesting free agency option for LB-needy teams. He posted three straight seasons with at least 109 tackles. This stretch also included quality work as a blitzer. The Purdue alum totaled three sacks in 2022 and 4.5 in 2023. He also forced three fumbles in 2021, helping the Pats to the playoffs during a season in which Pro Football Focus ranked Bentley eighth among off-ball linebackers. Belichick signed off on two Bentley extensions, previously giving him a two-year, $6MM deal.

Only long snapper Joe Cardona remains from New England’s Super Bowl teams. Mike Vrabel has begun to reshape the roster, with he and Eliot Wolf making several additions in free agency. Gibbens and EDGE Harold Landry followed Vrabel from Tennessee, while Spillane signed a three-year, $33MM deal. The Patriots, who released Sione Takitaki earlier this offseason, still have 2024 extension recipient Jahlani Tavai and ex-Titans LB Monty Rice at the position.

Vikings Sign WR Rondale Moore

March 28th, 2025 at 8:26am CST by Ben Levine

MARCH 28: The Vikings are bringing in Moore on a one-year deal worth $2MM, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. While Moore’s attached to a $1.1MM base salary, the Vikings only guaranteed him $250K. After a full-season absence, Moore will still have to earn a roster spot. But a market did form for the slot receiver this offseason.

MARCH 19: After drawing interest from a number of suitors, Rondale Moore has chosen his next team. The Vikings announced that they’ve agreed to terms with the free agent wide receiver.

Moore’s free agency tour kicked off in Minnesota last week. The wideout later took meetings with the Bears, Jets, and the Titans, with that latter visit taking place today. Ultimately, Moore decided to head to the Vikings to resume his NFL career.

The former second-round pick suffered a season-ending injury during Falcons training camp last year. Despite the extended absence, Moore clearly didn’t lack for suitors, and he’ll ultimately beat higher-profile names like Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett to the transaction log.

Moore established himself as a versatile offensive option during his time in Arizona. He averaged 45 receptions per season between 2021 and 2023, and he also garnered 52 total carries (for 249 yards) over that span. He even got an extended look as a returner during his rookie campaign, so the veteran could fill a number of holes for his new squad.

The Vikings are set to return their top three wide receivers in 2025, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor leading the depth chart. There’s room for reps behind that trio, and considering Moore had the entire 2024 campaign to recover, he should be ready to compete for a WR spot.

Falcons To Sign German-Born K Lenny Krieg

March 27th, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Falcons are signing German-born kicker Lenny Krieg to a three-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

The 22-year-old Krieg is a converted soccer player who previously played in professional football in Europe. He drew the attention of NFL scouts when he converted all 14 field goal attempts at the Combine, the only kicker to do so. He impressed once again at the NFL’s International Player Pathway pro day on Wednesday and scheduled visits with multiple teams.

Atlanta was his first and ultimately only stop. Expecting competition for Krieg’s signature, the Falcons offered him a three-year deal with a signing bonus and a base salary guarantee, per Garafolo. He will enter training camp competing with Younghoe Koo to be the team’s kicker in 2025.

Koo emerged as one of the league’s best kickers after his first three years in Atlanta, earning a five-year, $24.25MM extension to become one of the highest-paid players at his position. He took a step back over the next three years, culminating in a disappointing 2024 season. He ended the year on injured reserve after converting just 73.5% of his field goal attempts, his lowest in six years with the Falcons.

Krieg’s arrival in Atlanta – especially on a multi-year deal with guaranteed money – is a clear sign that Koo’s time as a Falcon may soon come to an end. The 30-year-old is due $8.75MM over the next two years, significantly less than Krieg is likely to earn on his contract. The Falcons would save $4.25MM in 2025 cap space by moving on from Koo after June 1, with $2.5MM in dead money split between 2025 and ’26.

Eagles To Reunite With OL Matt Pryor

March 27th, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Eagles are reuniting with offensive lineman Matt Pryor, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pryor will sign a one-year deal to return to Philadelphia, where he started his NFL career as a sixth-round pick in 2018.

Pryor made the Eagles’ 53-man roster as a rookie but did not play in any games. He appeared in 12 games in 2019 exclusively on special teams before emerging as a versatile starter in 2020. Injuries to the Eagles offensive line pressed Pryor into action for 10 starts: six at left guard, three at right tackle, and one at right guard.

Pryor was then deemed surplus to requirements during final roster cuts in 2021 and traded to the Colts as part of a late-round pick swap. He started five games in Indianapolis, including three at left tackle to add even more versatility to his resume.

The Colts re-signed Pryor to a one-year, $5.5MM deal for the 2022 season. He started nine games across three different positions, but poor performance hurt his free agency stock, forcing him to take a veteran-minimum deal with the 49ers. He only played 42 snaps on offense in San Francisco and signed with the Bears in 2024. He took over the starting right guard role from Nate Davis in Week 3 and put together one of the strongest seasons of his career.

Pryor was interested in staying in Chicago after changing teams for three years in a row, but he will instead reunite with legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland in Philadelphia. The 30-year-old will likely compete for the starting right guard spot left vacant by the departure of Mekhi Becton to the Chargers.

Jets To Sign WR Josh Reynolds

March 27th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets are signing veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds to a one-year deal worth up to $5MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The deal includes $2.75MM in fully guaranteed money with another $2.25MM available via incentives, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The Jets’ new regime is very familiar with Reynolds. General manager Darren Mougey helped bring Reynolds to Denver during free agency last year when he was the Broncos’ assistant GM. Reynolds spent the previous 2.5 seasons in Detroit, where he worked closely with then-Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Engstrand is now the Jets’ offensive coordinator under new head coach Aaron Glenn, who also overlapped with Reynolds in Detroit.

After releasing Davante Adams and letting Tyler Conklin walk in free agency, the Jets needed to add an experienced pass-catcher to their offense. The team is expected to release Allen Lazard after June 1, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, and the rest of their wideouts outside of Garrett Wilson have combined for 12 career starts.

Reynolds fits the bill with 55 starts across eight years, plus an understanding of what Engstrand wants to do on offense. Two of the best seasons of Reynold’s career came in Detroit in 2022 and 2023 before a hand injury hampered him in 2024. Finding a similar role in New York may help the 30-year-old build on the success he found the last time he played under Engstrand.

The 6-foot-3 wideout has spent most of his time on the outside, though he also has plenty of experience lining up in the slot. He is also known as a strong run blocker, another plus for a Jets offense that figures to take a run-heavy approach with their young backfield of Justin Fields, Breece Hall, and Braelon Allen.

Since Reynolds was released by the Jaguars earlier this month, his signing will not count towards the compensatory pick formula (if his APY even qualified).

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/26/25

March 26th, 2025 at 8:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Titans Sign QB Tim Boyle

March 26th, 2025 at 5:47pm CST by Ben Levine

While the Titans continue to move closer to selecting a quarterback with the first-overall pick, the team has added some veteran help at the position. The Titans announced today that they’ve signed quarterback Tim Boyle.

A 2018 UDFA, Boyle has settled into a clear backup role at this point of his career. The veteran has appeared in 23 career games, spending time with the Packers, Lions, Bears, Jets, Texans, Dolphins, and Giants. He’s gone winless in his five career starts, tossing four touchdowns vs. nine interceptions in those outings.

The 30-year-old bounced around the league a bit in 2024. He was cut by the Texans at the end of the preseason before landing on Miami’s practice squad. He got into two games with the Dolphins but was ultimately cut in October. He landed with the Giants, where he’d finish the season. In total, Boyle got into three games last year, completing 27 of his 50 pass attempts for 276 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

The Titans already brought in another veteran QB this offseason in Brandon Allen, and the two acquisitions join holdover Will Levis on the depth chart. A 2023 second-round pick, Levis wasn’t drafted by the current Titans regime, and the addition of a second clear backup could signal that Levis will inevitably be shuttled off the roster. There’s also a chance the Titans skip the QB position or trade out of the No. 1 pick, although that’s seeming increasingly unlikely as the team prepares for a second meeting with Cam Ward.

Commanders’ Andrew Wylie Accepts Pay Cut

March 26th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Veteran offensive tackle Andrew Wylie agreed to a revised contract with the Commanders that reduces his 2025 compensation by $3.75MM, according to OverTheCap.

In return, the Commanders guaranteed $3.5MM of Wylie’s existing money, per ESPN’s John Keim, including a $1MM signing bonus and a fully-guaranteed $2.5MM base salary for the 2025 season. The seven-year veteran can earn $255k in per-game roster bonuses and and $250k in workout bonuses, $50k of which is new money.

Wylie will now count for $6.6MM against the Commanders’ salary cap, bringing the team to over $28MM in available cap space.

The renegotiated contract represents a growing trend around the NFL of teams asking veteran players to take a pay cut in the final year of their contract when little or none of their salary is guaranteed. Players often have little leverage in these situations, especially after the first wave of free agency has passed. Other teams have less money to spend with fewer needs to fill, meaning a smaller market if the player is released. Players also may not want to change teams after multiple years in the same city due to their familiarity with their coaches, teammates, and scheme, as well as personal and family considerations.

Wylie, however, had a legitimate argument to reject the pay cut and stay at his previous salary after starting 29 games for the Commanders over the last two years. He is not considered an elite tackle, but his $10.4MM cap hit still represented a solid value for a proven veteran at a premium position. The Commanders also have plenty of cap space remaining to sign their 2025 draft class and fill out their roster, even after trading for Deebo Samuel and making several signings in free agency.

Instead, Wylie opted to stay in Washington for additional guarantees, though the deal does not contain incentives that would allow him to make up the lost money. He is still slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season.

Broncos To Re-Sign FB Michael Burton

March 26th, 2025 at 12:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michael Burton has a path to playing an 11th NFL season. The well-traveled fullback will stay put with the Broncos, who are bringing him back for what would be a third season with the team.

The team is re-signing Burton on a one-year deal, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel and Luca Evans report. Burton is going into his age-33 season. While the Broncos will enter the draft with an eye on adding a starter-caliber running back, they will ensure fullback continuity for another season. Burton played last season for the veteran minimum.

Like a few others on Denver’s roster, Burton has a New Orleans past. Playing for Sean Payton with the 2020 Saints, the well-traveled blocking back reunited with the veteran HC in Denver two years ago. Burton also began his career with the Lions, who employed current Broncos OC Joe Lombardi when Burton arrived as a 2015 fifth-round pick. Burton has also made career stops in Chicago, Washington and Kansas City.

The Broncos used Burton on just 180 offensive snaps last season. That is not exactly out of step with the modern fullback workload (non-Kyle Juszczyk division), as the position has declined in importance for many years now. Pro Football Focus, however, ranked Burton first among FBs in 2024. PFF also ranked Burton first among fullbacks in 2023, and the Broncos will aim to deploy the niche player again in 2025. Burton has also played at least 62% of Denver’s special teams plays in each of his two seasons with the team.

Collecting a Super Bowl ring with the 2022 Chiefs, Burton is now the longest-tenured Broncos back — now that Javonte Williams joined the Cowboys in free agency. Denver still rosters Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin, the latter joining the team as a UDFA weeks after Burton in 2023, along with reserve Tyler Badie. Blake Watson, a 2024 UDFA, is on the roster as well. The team, however, will undoubtedly be looking to this deep draft class to replace Williams, who moved on after four seasons.

Giants To Sign QB Russell Wilson

March 25th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants’ depth chart at quarterback is coming into focus. Despite adding Jameis Winston, the team will bring in Russell Wilson. After visiting the Giants in back-to-back years, Wilson is coming aboard, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Wilson has since confirmed the agreement.

Wilson will receive $10.5MM guaranteed on a one-year deal, per Schefter, who adds the nine-time Pro Bowler can earn up to $21MM via incentives. Wilson had been waiting to sign for a bit, standing behind Aaron Rodgers in line among veteran quarterbacks.

This move effectively takes the Giants out of the Rodgers market. It had become fairly clear Rodgers did not view the Giants as a desirable destination, despite the team making what is believed to be his top offer this offseason. Nevertheless, the Vikings and Steelers have been more closely tied to the all-time QB talent compared to a team coming off a 3-14 season. And the Giants will move on. The Steelers had expected Rodgers to visit the Giants, via SI.com’s Albert Breer, but that no longer appears to be in play.

Wilson, 36, had viewed the Giants as a viable landing spot dating back to early February, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Back in 2021, he had also placed the Giants as a team he was interested in landing with via trade. He visited the team briefly in 2024, instead joining the Steelers while the Giants made a final attempt to make the Daniel Jones contract work. With Jones long gone, Wilson will be all but certain to start in Week 1 for the 2025 Giants.

Winston is now in place as a quality backup, and the team will undoubtedly still look into QB prospects. Though, a report earlier today indicated the Giants may be OK signing another vet and looking at passers available after No. 3 overall. Part one of that scenario is now complete.

For Wilson, this provides a landing spot after he had been forced by the Giants and his 2024 team to wait on Rodgers. The Steelers had aimed to re-sign Justin Fields, but they could not keep Wilson’s primary 2024 backup off the market. Fields joined the Jets, and Wilson will now follow his former teammate to the Big Apple. The Rodgers watch continues, but it will now be Steelers, Vikings or retirement for the 20-year veteran.

This agreement should qualify as a relief for Wilson, who was effectively deemed a replaceable option by the Steelers, who ranked Fields and Rodgers ahead of him. Wilson has not closely resembled his superstar Seattle version since departing in a 2022 blockbuster trade, though he has shown flashes. This includes a five-game win streak with the 2023 Broncos and having the Steelers — with an early assist from Fields — at 10-3 last season. But Pittsburgh sank to 10-8, losing a one-sided wild-card game in Baltimore. This prompted a reexamination from the Steelers, who have made it known they are willing to wait on Rodgers. With the Giants out of the way, that should probably embolden the Steelers, who clearly have some confidence Rodgers — his Vikings preference notwithstanding — remains in play.

The Browns joined the Giants in hosting Wilson, while Joe Flacco also visited New York about being a Giants bridge. A weekend report indicated the Giants would still pursue veterans even after Winston’s two-year, $8MM deal came to pass. This should offer protection in the event the draft board does not fall the Giants’ way.

It is not a lock Shedeur Sanders will be available at No. 3 overall, with the Colorado product linked closely to Cleveland as well. The Giants have shown interest in trading up to No. 1 overall, but Titans-Cam Ward ties are increasing. Ward may not be available, and while the Giants have been continually tied to Sanders, Wilson could offer some cover in the event an embattled Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime goes with a non-QB move in Round 1.

After a shocking decline marred Wilson’s 2022, he showed signs of life under Sean Payton in 2023. Wilson, who battled multiple injuries in 2022, did not miss any starts due to injury in ’23. He ranked eighth in passer rating, but QBR only slotted him 21st. While a slimmed-down Wilson showed an increased interest in running during his ill-fated season with Payton, the Broncos attempted to move his guarantee vesting date — to no avail — during a messy divorce that began midway through the ’23 season. Wilson remained the Broncos’ starter for 15 games, but the team benched him to protect an injury guarantee from vesting in Week 17. Denver then took on a record-smashing $83MM-plus in dead money to drop Wilson in March 2024.

QBR placed Wilson 22nd last season. Wilson had won the starting job over Fields to start the season, but the accomplished vet aggravated a training camp calf injury that led to six missed games. Select Steelers staffers and players voiced support to keep Fields in the starting lineup, but Mike Tomlin overruled them, installing Wilson. At first, the longtime Steeler HC’s choice proved correct. Wilson piloted Pittsburgh to six wins in his first seven starts. Rumblings about a Steelers re-signing emerged during that stretch, one that included a game-winning TD pass (to Mike Williams) to down the resurgent Commanders and a 414-yard outing against the Bengals. As the competition stiffened, however, the Steelers wilted. This led them to go another way, installing Wilson as a fallback option.

Having previously rostered another QB on the Hall of Fame fringe, in New York icon Eli Manning, the Giants now look to have another. Wilson may have done enough to secure Canton access in Seattle, but his Denver decline invited some doubt. As Wilson has declined athletically, his penchant for taking sacks has been under the microscope. Wilson’s 560 sacks taken are fourth all time, though Rodgers’ 571 top the list. A Giants O-line that has been unable to rely on All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas will now be tasked with protecting a historically sack-prone passer.

That said, Wilson being the first QB in NFL history to pair 40,000 passing yards with 5,000 rushing yards will help his eventual Canton case. A two-time Super Bowl starter who powered the Seahawks to eight playoff berths in his 10-season Seattle stay, Wilson also remains fourth in NFL history for rushing yards by a quarterback (5,462). The former third-round pick’s best rushing days are certainly far behind him.

Armed with another chance to submit quality work, the 14th-year passer will now play with Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton in New York. The Giants are likely on the hunt for more tight end help, but they re-signed Slayton and chose Nabers over J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix last year. Wilson is now the Giants’ bridge while Schoen and Co. assess the 2025 draft class.

Warming the seat for Sanders would represent new territory for Wilson, who has never needed to fend off a rookie for his job. The Steelers gave Wilson assurances upon signing he would be their Week 1 starter; only injury prevented that. How the Giants proceed in the draft will determine how long of a leash Wilson likely has, but despite a down Steelers ending, he has secured a chance to add to his 199-start total.

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