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Contract Details: Fries, Hargrave, Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Bengals, Bills

March 14th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to during free agency:

  • Will Fries, G (Vikings). Five years, $87.72MM. Unlike other splashy Minnesota deals this week, Fries’ initial numbers were close to the true value. Fries will see $34MM guaranteed at signing. If he is on the Vikings’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, another $10MM becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Up to $6MM in incentives are also included in this deal.
  • Camryn Bynum, S (Colts). Four years, $60MM. The ex-Viking will see $26MM at signing, per OverTheCap, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds $32MM is guaranteed in total. The remainder of that guarantee impacts Bynum’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries. Of Bynum’s 2026 salary ($10MM), $6MM is fully guaranteed. Of Bynum’s 2027 base ($13.47MM), $4MM is already guaranteed for injury. That $4MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the league year, giving Bynum some advanced protection.
  • Carlton Davis, CB (Patriots). Three years, $54MM. This checks in $6MM south of the initial report, but Wilson notes Davis will still see $34.5MM at signing. Davis’ 2025 and 2026 base salaries are fully guaranteed, with a $15MM 2027 base nonguaranteed.
  • Javon Hargrave, DL (Vikings). Two years, $30MM. Minnesota is guaranteeing Hargrave $19MM at signing, while Wilson adds $4MM of the veteran DT’s $14.2MM 2026 base salary is already locked in. Hargrave’s full guarantee on a two-year deal nearly matches Jonathan Allen‘s ($23.26MM) on a three-year pact.
  • Ernest Jones, LB (Seahawks). Three years, $28.5MM. Jones will receive $10MM at signing and $15MM guaranteed in total. Of Jones’ $7.15MM 2026 base salary, Wilson notes $5MM is guaranteed for injury; that $5MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Mike Gesicki, TE (Bengals). Three years, $25.5MM. A $6.5MM signing bonus represents the full guarantee, as per usual for the Bengals’ non-quarterback deals (though, Cincinnati’s receivers may have something to say about this policy soon). A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • James Daniels, G (Dolphins). Three years, $24MM. $7.26MM is fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The Dolphins guaranteed $3.48MM of Daniels’ $6.49MM 2026 base salary for injury at signing, per Wilson; that $3.48MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
  • Jarran Reed, DL (Seahawks). Three years, $22MM. Seattle guaranteed Reed $8MM at signing, per OverTheCap. After a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary, $2MM of Reed’s $5.49MM 2026 base will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • Michael Hoecht, DE (Bills). Three years, $21MM. Buffalo is guaranteeing Hoecht $13.43MM at signing. Both Hoecht’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. His $5.74MM 2027 paragraph 5 number is nonguaranteed.

Bengals Seeking More Than First-Round Pick For Trey Hendrickson; Latest On Tee Higgins

March 14th, 2025 at 12:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Hendrickson remains with the Bengals, but another record-setting contract — for Myles Garrett — has affected the edge rusher market. With T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons in contract years, the cost of deploying an elite player on the edge is rising. That will interfere with the Bengals’ Hendrickson situation.

While not an open-and-shut candidate to land a deal close to where Garrett went, Hendrickson is the reigning NFL sack leader who is in a contract year. As the Bengals have let Hendrickson shop for a trade, they have made it clear Tee Higgins will be their preferred extension recipient behind Ja’Marr Chase. Nothing has transpired on the Higgins front, and the Bengals have set a high price on Hendrickson.

Cincinnati wants at least a first-round pick for the 30-year-old pass rusher, with NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reporting the AFC North franchise wants more than that. In speaking with a GM about the Bengals’ Hendrickson price, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates that exec views it as “ridiculous.”

Teams are prepared to pay Hendrickson the new going rate on the edge, Russini adds, but Cincinnati’s asking price in trades has complicated this market. As it stands, Hendrickson is tied to his one-year, $21MM add-on agreed to in 2023. He is due a $15.8MM salary next season. For now, the Bengals can accommodate that, but it will be interesting to see where this goes. The Bengals are not one to give into player demands, as they shut down Hendrickson, Higgins and Jonah Williams trade requests over the past two years.

Hendrickson’s Bengals situation differs from his 2024 issue, as the team — which has shown more interest in a Higgins extension that it did last year — has let Hendrickson shop. But teams are waiting to see if the Bengals will drop their asking price, Wolfe adds. Cincy will carry a major need at edge rusher if it does move on from Hendrickson, as longtime starter Sam Hubbard retired. The team did re-sign Joseph Ossai on a one-year, $7MM deal and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway adds a pursuit of four-year Giants EDGE Azeez Ojulari commenced before the Ossai deal. Though, Conway classifies the Bengals’ Ojulari interest as preliminary. Ojulari remains in free agency.

In confirming the Bengals want at least a first-rounder for Hendrickson, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder offers that it is highly unlikely the Colts reunite him with DC Lou Anarumo. The Colts did let Dayo Odeyingbo walk (to the Bears) but still have Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu and Samson Ebukam rostered. They also have a big-ticket DeForest Buckner extension and an eight-figure-per-year Grover Stewart contract on their books. The Colts also deviated from their Chris Ballard-era free agency blueprint by giving big-money deals to DBs Camryn Bynum and Charvarius Ward this week.

Higgins is “not happy” with being re-tagged, Wolfe adds, indicating talks with the Bengals on an extension have not progressed. This continues a refrain for Higgins. Although he has expressed interest in staying with Chase and Joe Burrow, he views himself as a WR1. The market appears to as well, as $30MM-per-year prices were thrown around when Higgins was viewed as a potential free agent target. The Bengals have set a “crazy” asking price on a Higgins trade, per Wolfe, and teams have called about a player that was once viewed as likely to leave Cincinnati in 2025.

With a Burrow-driven push seemingly changing the Bengals’ Higgins view, he remains on the team’s extension radar. As Hendrickson keeps looking around — after the Falcons and Commanders showed early interest — the Bengals will need to ramp up their efforts on a Higgins extension soon. Even though the Bengals have until July 15 to extend Higgins, the team exited the 2024 season having not seriously negotiated with its high-end WR2 since the first half of 2023. A show of good faith would stand to help that relationship, as Higgins has now been denied two free agency trips.

A new deal would drop Higgins’ 2025 cap number (currently at $26.2MM), while a Chase contract would reduce his $21.82MM figure. New contracts for the wideouts could allow the Bengals to keep Hendrickson in a contract year, but that obviously would not go over well with a player who wants to be extended — after back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons — before age diminishes his value.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

Bengals To Re-Sign CB Marco Wilson

March 11th, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals are re-signing cornerback Marco Wilson on a one-year, $1.52MM deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Wilson appeared in 10 games for the Patriots in 2024 before being claimed by the Bengals off waivers in November. He played six games in Cincinnati with 36 snaps on defense and 48 on special teams.

Originally a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2021, Wilson started 37 games in Arizona across the first three years of his career. He carved out a starting role as a rookie and made significant improvements in 2022, allowing a 57.5% completion rate and 77.1 passer rating when targeted.

Wilson regressed significantly in 2023 and lost his starting job by November. He was waived by the Cardinals a few weeks later. The Patriots claimed him off waivers, but only played him for 10 snaps in the last game of the season.

The former Florida Gator found a rotational role in New England’s defense in 2024, but was again deemed surplus to requirements and waived in November. He impressed the Bengals enough to earn another year in Cincinnati, where he will compete for a role in their secondary.

The Bengals have a number of young players who will likely block Wilson on the depth chart, but he will be one of the team’s most experienced cornerbacks, especially if they do not re-sign Mike Hilton.

Bengals To Sign RB Samaje Perine, LB Oren Burks

March 10th, 2025 at 7:53pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bengals are reuniting with a familiar face. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Cincinnati has agreed to sign running back Samaje Perine, who spent part of the 2019 season and all of the 2020-22 campaigns with the team, to a two-year contract worth up to $3.8MM. The team is also making an addition to the defensive side of the ball, agreeing to sign linebacker Oren Burks to a two-year, $5MM deal (via Garafolo’s NFL Media colleague, Ian Rapoport).

Operating as a Joe Mixon understudy during his time in the Queen City, Perine proved to be a productive part of the Bengals’ offense, averaging roughly 4.4 yards per carry across the 2020-22 seasons. He eventually established himself as a trustworthy target in the passing game as well, catching 65 balls for 483 yards and five scores from 2021-22.

Perine, 29, spent the last two seasons in the AFC West. After a 2023 slate that saw the Broncos deploy him in a familiar complementary capacity (53 carries and a career-high 50 catches), the Chiefs did not give him as much action as a runner in 2024 (just 20 carries, his lowest total since 2019). He was efficient with those carries, though, averaging 4.6 yards per tote. He also caught 28 balls for 322 yards, and he should slip seamlessly back into an RB room that features Chase Brown and (for now, at least) Zack Moss.

Burks, who will turn 30 later this month, has also spent the entirety of his career as a reserve player, never starting more than five games in a season or seeing a snap share above 34%. Nonethless, Rapoport says the former Packers draftee will get the chance to start for Cincy.

Filling in for an injured Nakobe Dean during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run earlier this year, Burks tallied 25 tackles (three TFL), a sack, two QB hits, and one pass defensed across four postseason games. That showing was perhaps enough to convince the Bengals — who must be cost-conscious given the percentage of the salary cap they are devoting (or will soon devote) to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins — to give Burks a shot at a starting gig.

This development perhaps signals that Germaine Pratt, who requested a trade last month, will be on the move.

Bengals, DT T.J. Slaton Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Slaton is set to be on the move. The Bengals have an agreement in place to add the defensive tackle, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Slaton will sign a two-year, $15.1MM deal, Pelissero adds. That marks a notable raise for the former fifth-rounder compared to his rookie contract. Having served as a full-time starter over the past two years, though, he could prove to be a worthwhile addition to Cincinnati’s defense.

Joining Bobby Brown as a young nose tackle paid Monday, Slaton exited the 2024 season ranked as the top run-stopping D-tackle, according to ESPN’s run stop win rate metric. Slaton placed ninth among interior D-linemen in this metric in 2023, establishing himself as a player with a valuable skill. Considering the Packers only used Slaton as a two-year starter, these assessments show he has made the most of his chances.

Going into his age-28 season, Slaton will join a Bengals team that let run stuffer D.J. Reader walk in 2024. The team ranked 25th in scoring defense and 19th against the run last season. Cincinnati also agreed to re-sign B.J. Hill today while adding linebacker Oren Burks. Slaton, however, has a clear role to play in the Queen City. He will be slated (no pun intended) to line up at nose tackle in Al Golden’s defense.

It is looking unlikely the Bengals will retain Trey Hendrickson, though they are setting a high price, and Sam Hubbard retired last week. The Bengals, however, did check their DT box off the to-do list — starters anyway — on Day 1 of free agency.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Bengals To Re-Sign DT B.J. Hill

March 10th, 2025 at 11:38am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals unraveled defensively last season, squandering an All-Pro-caliber Joe Burrow season and an actual All-Pro campaign from Ja’Marr Chase. The team overhauled its defensive staff as a result, but at least one free agency piece from Lou Anarumo’s unit is staying.

Former trade acquisition B.J. Hill is rejoining the Bengals on a three-year, $33MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Hill will earn $16MM guaranteed as part of this agreement.

Monday’s agreement marks Hill’s second with the Bengals, who had benefited from their 2021 trade with the Giants in obtaining the former New York regular. Hill has started 50 games with the Bengals during his four-year Cincinnati stay. He previously secured a three-year, $30MM deal, having played a key role during the Bengals’ Super Bowl LVI season.

Hill fared better in 2023, having smashed his previous career high by posting 21 QB hits. The former Giants draftee has no other seasons with more than 12; he tallied nine in 2024. While Hill only added three sacks to his career total (23.5) last season, he also finished with a career-best seven tackles for loss. While little went right for the Bengals defensively in 2024, Hill showed enough to convince a new defensive staff he was worth bringing back at an eight-figure-per-year rate.

Cincinnati saw its Sheldon Rankins investment bust, amplifying Hill’s value. The team has also since agreed to terms with nose tackle TJ Slaton, who is on track to operate as a D.J. Reader nose tackle successor. The onus will be on Hill, then, to provide interior pressure, as Slaton is primarily a run defender. It remains to be seen — though it seems unlikely — if these two will play alongside Trey Hendrickson in 2025.

Commanders, Falcons Interested In Trey Hendrickson; Bengals Made Extension Push

March 9th, 2025 at 9:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 9: Updating the situation, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes that the Bengals are talking to several teams and asking for “significant” compensation in a trade. Even if it is not Hendrickson, the Commanders want to add a defensive end, per ESPN.com’s John Keim. Josh Sweat and Khalil Mack headline the list, though Joey Bosa is now available. Younger rushers like Azeez Ojulari and Malcolm Koonce are also set for free agency.

MARCH 6: As the Bengals — perhaps at their quarterback’s urging — have changed their messaging on Tee Higgins, a tricky situation emerged due to Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson also being in contract years. With Joe Burrow on a top-market deal, it appeared something had to give. Right now, it looks like that piece will be Hendrickson.

A year after shooting down Hendrickson’s trade request, the Bengals have given their top pass rusher permission to find a new team. With Sam Hubbard retiring Wednesday and Joseph Ossai on the cusp of free agency, the Bengals could need a new plan at defensive end soon. As could be expected, Hendrickson suitors are out there.

[RELATED: Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase Not Close On Deal]

The Commanders are among the several interested teams, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who adds the Falcons are also monitoring this situation. With the edge rusher market soaring past $35MM per year, Hendrickson will have a chance to parlay his sack title into a windfall. This comes ahead of the former Saints draftee’s age-31 season, representing an important stage to secure a big payday.

Hendrickson’s camp will have a chance to work out an extension with another team, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes. This would separate the Hendrickson matter from last year’s Haason Reddick situation, when the Jets sent a third-rounder to the Eagles for a player they did not intend to extend — at least, not immediately. The Hendrickson situation would appear to be smoother, as Conway adds the trade compensation part would come next.

The Bengals had negotiated with Hendrickson, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the standout D-end did not view the team’s market as in step with his value. Maxx Crosby just signed the NFL’s richest non-quarterback contract, at $35.5MM per year. Hendrickson is tied to a one-year, $21MM deal — agreed to while he was on a four-year, $60MM pact. The market has moved considerably since the latter deal came to pass. Although rumblings of the team being willing to pay Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson emerged, that seemed like wishful thinking.

It probably is no coincidence the Hendrickson trade news is coming not long after. The market could move significantly this offseason, as T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson join Hendrickson in being on the extension radar. Hendrickson now joins Garrett as a trade candidate.

Chase is set to become at least the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, and a whopping $40MM-per-year number — after his triple-crown season — has been floated. Higgins was tied to a $30MM-plus number at multiple points this offseason, when it looked like free agency was a realistic possibility. As Burrow has turned up the heat on the organization, Higgins has received a second franchise tag. After an extended stretch where it looked like the Bengals would extend Chase and either find a Higgins trade partner — in a tag-and-trade scenario — or merely separate in free agency, the team looks much more serious about extending its high-end No. 2 wideout. That leaves Hendrickson a trade chip.

While the Bengals are not known for third contracts, they did hand those out to both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins in the late 2010s. Hendrickson technically signed a third Cincy deal, a one-year add-on in 2023, but he is seeking a true extension. He had kept the door open to his next deal coming from another team, and the Bengals are now willing to listen on trade offers.

The Falcons have been in search of a quality edge rusher for many years. Their Matt Judon trade did not produce Patriots-like production from the veteran talent, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter reports the Falcons will not re-sign Judon before free agency. Judon, 32, will hit the market for a second time. Lorenzo Carter is also set for free agency, again bringing a major need for Atlanta at this premium position. GM Terry Fontenot was also in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hendrickson.

Washington received surprising production from Dante Fowler‘s latest Dan Quinn reunion; the former No. 3 overall pick totaled a Commanders-high 10.5 sacks last season, outproducing $10MM-per-year teammate Dorance Armstrong (five). Fowler is heading back to free agency. While Frankie Luvu has helped out in a pass-rushing role in Carolina and Washington, the team has a need at defensive end. With Jayden Daniels‘ rookie contract opening the door for additions — and the team is preparing to make them on defense — Washington would be a prime destination for a disgruntled D-end.

Bengals To Re-Sign OL Cody Ford

March 9th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cody Ford has served in a number of capacities over the past two seasons with the Bengals. The veteran offensive lineman is set to continue doing the same.

Ford has avoided free agency by re-signing with the Bengals, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. This will be a two-year deal, he adds. Ford logged 16 appearances and nine starts last season, and he will represent a familiar face for the team at multiple O-line positions moving forward.

The former second-rounder did not develop as planned during his time with the Bills, and he started only three games during his one-year run with the Cardinals. Ford took a one-year pact worth just over $1MM to join the Bengals in 2023, and despite playing only 79 snaps that year he was retained on another (slightly more lucrative) pact. The 28-year-old’s performance from 2024 has now earned him a multi-year commitment.

Ford’s 689 snaps from last season were the second-most of his career, trailing only his rookie pact. The Oklahoma product saw most of his time at left tackle, although he also worked at the other tackle spot as well as left guard. He will be able to compete for a first-time gig on the inside this offseason or operate as an experienced swing tackle depending on how the Bengals address their O-line this spring.

Cincinnati cut Alex Cappa after three years as a full-time starter. Cordell Volson is a pending 2026 free agent, meanwhile, so the team could look to make multiple guard additions between the open market and the draft. Even if new competition for starting gigs emerge in the coming months, Ford will remain in place as (presumably) a low-cost depth option capable of stepping into a larger role as needed. .

Bengals To Re-Sign TE Mike Gesicki

March 8th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Playing for three teams over the past three years, Mike Gesicki has been unable to land a lucrative deal despite being franchise-tagged in 2022. That will change soon for the veteran tight end.

The Bengals have a deal in place to retain Gesicki, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds it is a three-year contract worth $25.5MM. This marks a change of pace for Gesicki, who had signed one-year deals (with the Patriots and Bengals) after his Dolphins franchise tag season.

Cincinnati had gone from C.J. Uzomah to Irv Smith Jr. to Hayden Hurst to Gesicki at tight end over the past four seasons. As his Dolphins days show, Gesicki is the best receiving option out of this group. He showed that form last season, accumulating 665 receiving yards (10.2 per catch) and two touchdowns. This represented an important offseason for Gesicki, who will turn 30 in October. He was running out of time to secure a notable multiyear deal.

Gesicki’s career veered off course after the Dolphins tagged him in 2022. Despite unholstering the tag to keep the productive pass catcher in the fold, Mike McDaniel did not turn to him much in his first season. As Tyreek Hill took over Miami’s passing game, Gesicki shifted to a tertiary role. He went from 780 yards in 2021 to 362 in 2022. That set up a modest 2023 market, as the Patriots added the former second-round pick for just $4.5MM. That checked in well behind what Hurst fetched from the Panthers.

Another substandard season (29 catches, 244 yards) for Gesicki led to a worse 2024 contract — a one-year, $2.5MM Bengals deal. The Penn State product was able to reverse this trend, as the Bengals are committing to keeping Joe Burrow‘s troops in-house. After endless rumors indicating Tee Higgins would leave in 2025, the longtime Cincy No. 2 receiver has been re-tagged while an extension is now planned. Gesicki represents more capital devoted to the team’s pass-catching group, but the Bengals no longer appear likely to pay Trey Hendrickson. The reigning sack king is free to explore trades with the aim of being paid elsewhere.

Never much of a blocker, Gesicki still provided the Bengals with their most receiving yards by a tight end since Jermaine Gresham in 2012. This will give the Bengals a key weapon to keep going alongside Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, though the price is skyrocketing for a team that had Chase and Gesicki on bargain rates last season.

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