NFC Contract Details: McDuffie, Eagles, Oweh, Lloyd, Etienne, Giants, Packers, 49ers, Bucs
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Trent McDuffie, CB (Rams). Four years, $124MM. Although McDuffie secured $100MM guaranteed, $50MM is locked in at signing. But a rolling guarantee structure is in place. If on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, McDuffie will see his 2028 base salary ($26.32MM) shift to a full guarantee, according to OverTheCap. On Day 5 of the 2028 league year, the All-Pro cornerback will see $23MM of his $29.82MM 2029 base salary become guaranteed. A $5MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2029 league year.
- Odafe Oweh, DE (Commanders). Four years, $96MM. Oweh will receive $50.6MM guaranteed at signing, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. An additional $17.4MM is guaranteed for injury. A $1MM roster bonus is due by April 1, 2029, according to Spotrac.
- Jordan Davis, DT (Eagles). Three years, $78MM. Of Davis’ reported $65MM guarantee, OverTheCap indicates $38.94MM is the at-signing number. If Davis is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, his 2028 salary and a $24.2MM option bonus become guaranteed.
- Laremy Tunsil, LT (Commanders). Two years, $60.2MM. Tunsil secured $52.66MM guaranteed at signing on his third career extension, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Pro Bowl left tackle’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is fully guaranteed. An additional $8.85MM in 2028 compensation is guaranteed for injury.
- Travis Etienne, RB (Saints). Four years, $47MM. Etienne landed $24MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. That is tied for fifth among running backs. The ex-Jaguar secured a $4MM injury guarantee on his $12MM 2028 base salary, Terrell adds.
- Devin Lloyd, LB (Panthers). Three years, $42MM. The initial reports of $45MM covered the deal’s max value, though the reported $25MM guarantee is a full guarantee (per Wilson). This includes an $8.54MM guarantee of Lloyd’s $11.25MM 2027 base salary.
- Isaiah Likely, TE (Giants). Three years, $40MM. Likely landed $20.5MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. If the Giants move on after 2027, they would save $12MM.
- Chig Okonkwo, TE (Commanders). Three years, $27MM. The ex-Titan pass catcher scored $17.6MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The guarantee covers Okonkwo’s 2026 and ’27 compensation.
- Leo Chenal, LB (Commanders). Three years, $24.75MM. Chenal secured $12.4MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets.
- Javon Hargrave, DT (Packers). Two years, $23MM. Green Bay is giving Hargrave $10.5MM guaranteed at signing. ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky confirms, per usual with the Packers, the only guarantee comes via a signing bonus. A $3MM roster bonus is due next March.
- Alex Anzalone, LB (Buccaneers). Two years, $17MM. Anzalone’s contract includes $12MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.
- Eddy Pineiro, K (49ers). Four years, $17MM. The deal includes $8MM guaranteed at signing, with ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner indicating $10MM is guaranteed in total. Pineiro’s first two years are fully guaranteed; his 2028 base salary ($1.7MM) becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027, Wagoner adds.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams). Two years, $6MM. The initial $8MM number represents the deal’s max value, with Wilson adding $3.4MM of Higbee’s fourth contract is guaranteed.
OL Notes: Lions, Linderbaum, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Panthers, Browns, Saints
Winning a 49ers starting guard job to open last season, Ben Bartch ran into injury trouble and ultimately lost his job. The veteran interior O-lineman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, being part of another injury-riddled 49ers season. Upon return, Bartch did not reacquire his starting job. Bartch ended up suffering a foot sprain, after the 49ers used an IR activation on him, and played out his contract. The Lions have him on their radar, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the NFC North team conducted a visit recently. A 24-game starter with Jacksonville and San Francisco, Bartch is heading into an age-28 season. Detroit signed Cade Mays to fill in at center, and the team returns starters Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany from last season.
Here is the latest from around the O-line groups:
- Not returning after a Week 12 neck injury, Broderick Jones underwent fusion surgery in his neck (according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly). It looked like a long shot Pittsburgh would exercise Jones’ fifth-year option ($19.07MM), and Omar Khan did not confirm Jones would be ready for training camp. That will make the left tackle position — in a stopgap scenario at the very least — one to monitor in Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Linderbaum‘s Raiders deal keeps looking more impressive. Already locked in to what is practically a three-year, $81MM fully guaranteed contract, the new Raiders center secured a no-tag clause for 2029, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No center has been franchise- or transition-tagged since the Panthers cuffed Ryan Kalil with a franchise tag in 2011. Then again, no center (or guard) has approached Linderbaum’s $27MM-AAV accord. With tackles, guards and center grouped together on the tag, a 2029 Linderbaum tender would have been highly unlikely. But, showcasing the leverage the three-time Pro Bowler held in free agency, he secured this deal point anyway.
- The Giants re-signed Joshua Ezeudu earlier today; this came after the team hosted veteran guard Ryan Bates on a visit, Wilson adds. Bates spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting only two games in two Chicago seasons, but he played out a four-year, $17MM Bills deal — one designed by Chicago via a 2022 RFA offer sheet — last season. The Giants have been stingy at guard despite making a strong push for Alijah Vera-Tucker, and options are dwindling. Though, ex-John Harbaugh Ravens charge Daniel Faalele remains available.
- Wyatt Teller played right guard throughout his Browns tenure, with LG staple Joel Bitonio in place on the other side for 12 seasons, but Wilson indicates a willingness on the new Texans signee’s part to switch sides. With 2025 Houston RG Ed Ingram re-signed, Wilson points to Teller playing left guard in 2026. Wilson also posits a scenario in which Evan Brown competes with incumbent Jake Andrews for the center position. While the Cardinals used Brown at guard over the past two seasons, he has logged full seasons at center — for the Seahawks and Lions — in the past.
- As Teller leaves Cleveland after six-plus seasons and Bitonio not certain to return, the Browns added three guard options (though, guard/tackle Tytus Howard is expected to play RT following a trade). Howard’s two-year, $45MM Browns extension includes $34.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Option bonuses exist in 2027 ($18.41MM) and ’28 ($14.36MM), and $13.5MM of Howard’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed at signing. Howard is due a $4MM roster bonus in 2028, per Spotrac. Zion Johnson‘s three-year, $49.5MM Browns deal includes $27.83MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Two option bonuses are in place here, with Wilson adding the ex-Chargers guard will be due a $3MM roster bonus if on Cleveland’s roster by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. $13.57MM of Johnson’s 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed.
- The Saints‘ Dillon Radunz deal is worth $6.9MM over two years, with ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell noting it includes $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Adding center Luke Fortner and tackle Stone Forsythe, the Panthers kept costs low for both. A 2025 Saints trade pickup, Fortner is tied to a one-year deal worth $2.75MM ($1.33MM guaranteed), Wilson adds. Coming over from the Raiders, Forsythe signed a one-year, $2MM pact with $500K guaranteed (per Wilson).
NFC Contract Details: Phillips, Saints, Evans, Bears, Cowboys, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Eagles
We covered a batch of contract details from the AFC earlier today. Here are the numbers from some of the NFC’s biggest deals from free agency’s first wave:
- Jaelan Phillips, OLB (Panthers). Four years, $120MM. Of Phillips’ $80MM guarantee, $60MM is locked in at signing (per SI.com’s Albert Breer). Phillips secured an early guarantee as well, according to OverTheCap, with $20MM of his 2028 base salary becoming guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- David Edwards, G (Saints). Four years, $61MM. Edwards secured $45MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, with $40MM at signing (via OverTheCap). The Saints gave Edwards — who was tied to a two-year, $6MM Bills deal from 2024-25 — guarantees through 2028, with Terrell indicating $10MM of the guard’s $15MM 2028 base salary is locked in at signing (Edwards’ full guarantee ranks sixth among guards). The remaining $5MM in 2028 compensation vests on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, per OverTheCap. Edwards is also due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2029 league year, Terrell adds.
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. Evans will receive $14.3MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. Two nonguaranteed option bonuses are included in the deal, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who indicates a $12.05MM option bonus is in place for 2027 and a $10.95MM bonus for 2028. Four void years are in place on the deal, which includes $4.25MM, $7.31MM and $9.7MM cap numbers. Essentially, this is a one-year, $14.3MM accord with team options.
- Coby Bryant, S (Bears). Three years, $40MM. Bryant landed $25.75MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Bryant secured a Year 2 fully guaranteed base salary ($12.25MM), SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. A $500K roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2028 league year.
- Jermaine Eluemunor, RT (Giants). Three years, $39MM. Eluemunor secured a $25.45MM guarantee at signing, Wilson adds. (This comes after he played out a two-year, $14MM deal.) Eluemunor received $12.15MM of his $12.4MM 2027 salary guaranteed (via OverTheCap).
- Kaden Elliss, LB (Saints). Three years, $33MM. Of that total, Terrell notes $23MM is fully guaranteed. Both Elliss’ 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed.
- Sean Rhyan, OL (Packers). Three years, $33MM. Per Packers non-QB norms, Rhyan’s signing bonus ($11MM) represents his only fully guaranteed money. Green Bay included a $6.65MM roster bonus, which ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, Demovsky adds.
- Isaac Seumalo, G (Cardinals). Three years, $31.5MM. Seumalo secured $19MM guaranteed, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with $15MM fully guaranteed. Semualo received $3MM of his 2027 base salary ($8MM) guaranteed at signing; another $4MM of the 2027 salary locks in on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Javonte Williams, RB (Cowboys). Three years, $24MM. Williams scored $16MM at signing. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are locked in, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. There are $3MM — $1MM per year — in per-game roster bonuses.
- Riq Woolen, CB (Eagles). One year, $12MM. The deal is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Seeing as this is the Eagles, there are four void years included in this contract. If he is not re-signed before the deal voids in 2027, the Eagles would be hit with $8.59MM in dead money.
Giants To Re-Sign OL Joshua Ezeudu
Evan Neal did not impress on his rookie contract, but the Giants are giving the former first-round offensive lineman another chance. New York’s new coaching staff is also circling back to another blocker from Joe Schoen‘s first draft class.
Joshua Ezeudu, despite missing the 2025 season, is following Neal in re-signing with the Giants, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Big Blue drafted Ezeudu in the 2022 third round, and the John Harbaugh-led staff will give him another shot.
Injuries have been a problem for Ezeudu, whom the Giants placed on IR after setting their roster last August. New York gave the North Carolina alum a return designation but did not activate him before season’s end. Toe trouble has plagued Ezeudu, who missed all of the 2025 slate because of toe surgery. He went down with a season-ending toe injury in 2023 and suffered a neck injury to wrap his 2022 rookie season.
Starting 10 career games, Ezeudu has seen time at guard and tackle. The Giants used him as an Andrew Thomas left tackle fill-in during the 2023 season, though he struggled in the role and soon saw the first toe matter remove him from the equation. The Giants had expected Ezeudu to beat out Ben Bredeson for a starting guard job in 2023, but that proved to underestimate Bredeson — who later scored a nice Buccaneers payday. Ezeudu was working as the Giants’ swing tackle during the 2024 offseason.
After logging 289 rookie-year snaps at left guard, Ezeudu has primarily lined up at LT since. He has made 10 career starts. Given the fifth-year veteran’s issues staying healthy, it would surprise if this deal surpassed the vet minimum by much (Neal did not receive any guaranteed money on a one-year, $1.2MM deal, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan). The Giants, however, have not beefed up their O-line in free agency.
LG Jon Runyan Jr., a rumored cut candidate, remains on the roster. The team dropped out of the bidding for Alijah Vera-Tucker and also stood down on rumored target Wyatt Teller, who joined the Texans today. Although the team re-signed RT Jermaine Eluemunor, two-year RG Greg Van Roten‘s free agency points to a starter-level guard investment at some point. But Neal and Ezeudu should be in the mix for swing roles, carrying potential upside for more, as the offseason program nears.
In other Giants contract news, fullback Patrick Ricard‘s two-year, $7.64MM deal includes $3.54MM guaranteed at signing (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Two other ex-Ravens following Harbaugh to the Big Apple — safety Ar’Darius Washington and punter Jordan Stout — joined the team on three- and one-year deals, respectively. Washington’s one-year, $3MM pact includes $1.5MM guaranteed at signing, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. Stout’s $12.3MM accord makes him the NFL’s highest-paid punter (at $4.1MM AAV). The 2025 All-Pro will receive $6.32MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson.
Micah McFadden secured $2.9MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson, on his second Giants contract (one year, $3.75MM), while Duggan adds Jason Sanders joined the Giants on a one-year, $1.43MM deal with a $300K guarantee. That is considerably less than the team gave injury-prone kicker Graham Gano in 2023.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Visited Titans, Giants
Drafting running backs early in the first round has gone in and out of fashion over the last decade. From 2015 to 2018, six running backs were selected within the first 15 picks; since then, only three have been taken that high, all in the last three drafts.
2026 prospect Jeremiyah Love could be the fourth with apparent interest from multiple teams with top-10 selections. He visited the Titans at the beginning of March (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz) and the Giants this past weekend (also via Schultz).
The hype train for Love took off at the Combine in Indianapolis, where his 4.36-second 40-yard dash and smooth hands and footwork in pass-catching drills attracted the attention of several teams.
“The NFL loves Jeremiyah Love,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said in early March. “I spoke with execs for three different teams who said that Jeremiyah Love is the best player in this draft. The Notre Dame running back should go in the top 10, and the word I’m hearing, don’t be surprised if he goes in the top five.”
Selecting a running back with such a high pick will no doubt draw criticism based on positional value. Running backs earn significantly less than other positions like wide receiver and edge rusher that have a more direct impact on the passing game. Ashton Jeanty, taken with the No. 6 pick last year, immediately became the NFL’s 12th-most expensive running back, per OverTheCap, greatly reducing the financial advantage offered by rookie contracts.
Taking Love in the top 10 would result in a similar inefficiency. A top-five selection would result in the most guaranteed money ever for a running back being handed to a rookie before he plays a single down in the pros.
However, as Wolfe notes, the 2026 draft class is viewed as thin on truly elite prospects. Love is one of the few, so rather than pursue a less talented player at a more valuable position, teams could opt to land a potential game-changing running back with the hopes that he can have a similar impact as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have in Atlanta and Detroit, respectively.
NFL Free Agency Rumors: Giants, Aubrey, Browns, Robinson
One of the first free agent priorities for the Giants this past week was re-signing right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, ensuring that the offensive line would be returning at least four out of five starters from the 2025 season. With Eluemunor under contract, New York only needs to fill its right guard spot now, left vacant as Greg Van Roten hits the free agent market.
The team did re-sign former seventh overall pick Evan Neal, who has failed to live up to his draft status in four years with team, but they’re eyes were clearly set on bigger fish to fill the role. After analyzing the options available on the free agent market, though, the Giants may return to the familiar. In their view, the crop of guards available could certainly be serviceable starters, but they aren’t worth the price they’re going for at the moment.
One such option is former Browns starting guard Wyatt Teller. A three-time Pro Bowler who twice earned second-team All-Pro honors, Teller certainly has displayed a high level of play during his time in Cleveland. While New York would be interested in Teller filling their hole at right guard, his $10MM per year price tag has made them balk at the prospect of signing him. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan has gone so far as to say that the Giants are “no longer willing to pay a mid-tier guard,” ruling them out of signing options like Teller, Joel Bitonio, or Dylan Parham. Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York believes that, because of this, the team could revisit re-signing Van Roten off the open market.
Lastly in New York, veteran kicker Graham Gano remains on the team’s roster at this time, but Dan Duggan of The Athletic, does not believe that will be the case for long. Duggan asserts that his continued presence could be related to the Injury Protection Benefit in the players’ Collective Bargaining Agreement. Regardless, he does not believe Gano will be on the roster next year.
Here are a few other rumors concerning free agency from around the NFL:
- Since entering the NFL three years ago, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey has left no doubt that he is one of the premier placekickers in the NFL. In three years of play, Aubrey has three Pro Bowl selections, one first-team All-Pro honor, and two second-team All-Pro honors. Recognizing his greatness, the Cowboys have already offered to make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, raising the current highest annual average salary of $6.5MM with a $7.5MM offer, but no deal has gotten done, as Aubrey’s agent is asking for $10MM per year. Per Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News Aubrey was hoping that Dallas allowing him to test the market as a restricted free agent would show that other teams would match the value he’s seeking, but the second-round tender Dallas placed on him might prevent that from occurring.
- We had known that the Browns would be saying goodbye to the abovementioned Teller and veteran tight end David Njoku, and we had even speculated that a post-June 1 designation could assist the team in both transactions. Well, this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the final post-June 1 designations, and as expected, both Teller and Njoku were on that list. Cleveland will get some cap relief as a result of applying the designation to each departure.
- Former Panthers defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson was released from Carolina the day before the start of the new league year, and he immediately signed the next day with the Buccaneers. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Robinson explained that, when the Panthers granted him permission to seek a trade, Tampa Bay was one of two teams with which he communicated — the other being San Francisco. When no trade developed and he became a free agent with his release from the team, his prior experience talking to the Buccaneers laid a clear path forward.
NFL Restructures: Broncos, Bosa, Burns, Granderson, Tranquill
Teams around the NFL have been engaging in their usual financial gymnastics to create enough cap space to sign new players – or for some – simply retain the ones already under contract.
The Broncos restructured Quinn Meinerz‘s deal earlier in the week to ensure they were compliant with the 2026 salary cap by the start of the new league year on Wednesday. But with more than a dozen signings – including multi-year pacts with Alex Singleton, J.K. Dobbins, and Adam Trautman, plus a second-round restricted free agent tag signed by Ja’Quan McMillian – Denver needed to free up more cap space.
To do so, they completed a restructure of outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper‘s contract, per Luca Evans of the Denver Post. His salary was reduced to the veteran minimum with $10.2MM converted into a signing bonus that was prorated across the remaining five years of the contract, which includes two added void years. Cooper’s 2026 cap hit dropped by $8.2MM to $5.78MM as a result, with $17.55MM cap hits now scheduled for 2027 and 2028, per OverTheCap.
The Broncos also altered the contract of guard Ben Powers. He was set to earn a $500k roster bonus on Sunday, but that has instead been moved into his base salary for the season, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Powers was viewed as a potential cap casualty entering the final year of his deal, but the team affirmed their commitment to him before free agency. However, this move – pushing a financial obligation months into the future – indicates that Denver may still be open to moving on the seven-year veteran after re-signing Alex Palczewski at the beginning of the month.
Here are some other recent restructures from around the NFL:
- The 49ers restructured defensive end Nick Bosa‘s contract to clear $17.7MM in salary cap space, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. Like Cooper, his salary was reduced to the veteran minimum by converting $21.465MM to a signing bonus and prorating it across the four remaining years of the contract plus one new void year. His cap hits in each of those seasons has risen by $4.293MM as a result.
- The Giants also restructured a starting edge rusher, like the Broncos with Cooper and the 49ers with Burns, though they did not add any void years to his deal to maximize the cap savings from the move. $22.75MM of Brian Burns‘ 2026 salary was converted to a signing bonus and prorated across the remaining three years of the contract. The move yields $15.16MM in cap savings this year, though ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes that the money is for “operating funds” – such as contracts for the upcoming draft class – as opposed to another major free agency signing. Burns will now have cap hits of just over $44MM in 2027 and 2028, which will likely cause the Giants to explore another extension next offseason to reduce those obligations.
- Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill accepted a pay cut in the last year of his contract, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He was previously due a non-guaranteed salary of $6MM; now, he will make $3.5MM with $3MM of his guaranteed. The deal ensures Tranquill will remain in Kansas City in 2026, his fourth season with the team.
- The Saints already began their annual tradition of restructuring most of their top contracts to become cap-compliant before the start of the new league year, and they added another to the ledger this week with an edge rusher of their own. Carl Granderson‘s $2MM roster bonus and $9.45MM of his 2026 salary was converted into a signing bonus and prorated across the remaining four years of the contract, per Fitzgerald. Interestingly, the Saints, who have been one of the NFL’s most aggressive teams in terms of using void years, did not add another void year to Granderson’s deal (which already contained two) to maximize their cap savings, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. As a result, his 2026 cap hit was reduced by $8.59MM, creating a $20.924MM cap hit in 2027.
Giants To Sign WR Darnell Mooney
7:58pm: Fowler reports the Eagles were also involved in Mooney’s market. Philadelphia already has a pair of established starting wideouts in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, although Brown’s Eagles future remains in doubt. It will be interesting to see which remaining free agent wideouts find themselves as the subject of a pursuit from Philadelphia.
4:48pm: The Giants continue to add free agents for new head coach John Harbaugh. The newest addition will provide another weapon for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that wide receiver Darnell Mooney will be signing with New York. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Mooney plans to join the Giants on a one-year deal worth up to $10MM. 
New York has been busy retooling the roster under the leadership of Harbaugh. On offense, the team took care of business re-signing pending free agents like starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and depth pieces like offensive guard Evan Neal and wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins. Some bigger pieces have fallen through the cracks as wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger, and backup center Austin Schlottmann have all departed in free agency for Tennessee, but the Giants have done a good job of restocking positions with signees like wide receiver Calvin Austin and tight end Isaiah Likely.
Mooney becomes the newest addition to a retooled offense for Dart that now features (when healthy) Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary at running back, Pat Ricard at fullback, Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, and Mooney at wide receiver, and Theo Johnson and Likely at tight end. Dart will have no shortage of new toys to play with in his sophomore campaign under new leadership.
Mooney will head to New York after a two-year stint with the Falcons. Atlanta signed Mooney coming off his rookie contract with the Bears on a three-year, $39MM deal. The signing initially appeared to be a huge success as Mooney finished second to Drake London in all receiving categories with 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns on an offense that finished fifth in the NFL in passing yards. Year 2 told a different story for Mooney as he only recorded half the receptions total of the prior year for only 443 yards and one touchdown while catching balls from Michael Penix Jr. instead of Kirk Cousins for most of the year.
After the disappointing campaign, the Falcons opted to release Mooney in a cost-cutting move that would open up $7.42MM of cap space. In New York, Mooney will likely compete with Slayton and Austin for WR2 honors behind Nabers. All three players had similar outputs last year, but Mooney has shown a higher ceiling in his career and could be the favorite to see more snaps on the field. It will be interesting to see just how much of that $10MM maximum value is incentive-based, considering Mooney’s boom-or-bust history. Regardless, it may be hard to base success on statistics this year as, with so many weapons, the number of mouths to feed may limit individual production.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/26
Here are Friday’s minor NFL moves as free agency continues into the weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: G Corey Bullock
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Claudin Cherelus
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: TE Princeton Fant
Denver Broncos
- Signed RFA tender: CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Kurt Hinish
Miami Dolphins
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Ethan Bonner
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Zeke Correll
New York Giants
- Signed: S Elijah Campbell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: TE Ko Kieft
After making the call not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Panthers were able to come to an agreement to re-sign Cherelus. The undrafted linebacker has started six of 27 game appearances in his last two years with Carolina, logging 60 total tackles.
Unlike Cherelus, McMillian did get tendered in Denver. With 16 starts in 51 games appearances over four years with the Broncos, McMillian’s tender is worth $5.77MM for the 2026 season, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The Texans signed Hinish to a one-year deal last year, but the Notre Dame product spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Instead of holding on to him for the upcoming season, they’ve decided to cut him from the roster.
Giants To Reunite With S Jason Pinnock
The Giants are reuniting with Jason Pinnock, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The veteran safety is set to return to New York on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan adds.
Pinnock, 26, appeared in 44 games for the Giants from 2022 to 2024. He started five games in 2022 with a 49% snap share before taking on a full time role with 16 starts in each of the next two years. He recorded 85 tackles in each of those seasons – the fourth-most on the team – and a combined five sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Pinnock also pulled in two interceptions in 2023, the only picks of his career.
The five-year veteran then signed a one-year, $2.2MM to be the 49ers’ third safety in 2025. Pinnock struggled in San Francisco, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), earning the lowest grades of his career and posing the highest missed tackle rate and completion percentage allowed of his career.
Pinnock will be vying for a similar role in New York in 2025 behind Giants starting safeties Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin. That was Dane Belton‘s job in 2025, but he switched New York clubs this week and now plays for the Jets. Pinnock’s primary competition will be Ar’Darius Washington, a former Ravens safety who followed John Harbaugh to his new team on a one-year deal.
Washington’s relationship with Harbaugh – as well as new defensive coordinator and former Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson – may give him a leg up in earning a role in the defense. Pinnock clearly has fans in the building, though, and with more than 3,500 snaps of experience before turning 27 years old, he will likely find his way on the field in the Meadowlands.