Buccaneers Sign Josiah Trotter, Complete Draft Class Signings
The Buccaneers have wrapped up their draft pick signings. The team announced that they’ve inked second-round linebacker Josiah Trotter to his rookie deal.
Trotter, the son of former Pro Bowl LB Jeremiah Trotter, earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year following a standout season at West Virginia in 2024, and he continued his NFL trajectory after transferring to Missouri. The linebacker earned First-team All-SEC honors this past year after finishing with 84 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
That performance established Trotter as one of the top linebacker prospects in the nation, and he was ultimately the fourth player selected at his position when Tampa Bay used the 46th-overall pick on him. With Alex Anzalone switching over to the weakside linebacker role, the rookie will immediately have an opportunity to contribute at the Mike linebacker spot.
As mentioned, the Bucs have now signed their seven draft picks to rookie deals. The group includes:
- Round 1, No. 15: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)
- Round 2, No. 46: Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri)
- Round 3, No. 84 (from Packers): Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)
- Round 4, No. 116: Keionte Scott (CB, Miami)
- Round 5, No. 155: Demonte Capehart (DT, Clemson)
- Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers): Billy Schrauth (G, Notre Dame)
- Round 6, No. 185 (from Raiders): Bauer Sharp (TE, LSU)
Chiefs Sign Round 2 DE R Mason Thomas
Connected to first-round edge rushers, the Chiefs instead allocated their top draft resource toward a cornerback by trading up for Mansoor Delane. The team then chose Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29 overall. Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. served as a Chiefs Delane backup plan, but after the LSU cornerback became ticketed for Missouri, the Chiefs tabled their defensive end need until the second round.
Kansas City drafted Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas at No. 40. The Chiefs have signed Thomas to his rookie deal, according to Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. Thomas’ draft slot will ensure this contract comes fully guaranteed.
Tyler Shough‘s camp successfully negotiated for a fully guaranteed deal in the No. 40 draft slot last year, and the bar has moved into the late 40s this offseason. Falcons cornerback Avieon Terrell received a fully guaranteed deal at No. 48, which will effectively require all second-rounders chosen before him to land such terms. Thomas will be tied to a $12.2MM contract that runs through the 2029 season.
The Chiefs went 6-8 in Patrick Mahomes‘ starts before losing their final three games after the superstar quarterback’s season-ending knee injury. That allowed them rare draft real estate. Kansas City entered a draft with a top-10 pick for the first time since it held the No. 1 overall choice in 2013, and the 6-11 record allowed for favorable second-round status as well. Enter Thomas, who will be expected to grow into a starter opposite George Karlaftis.
Kansas City looks to have missed on Felix Anudike-Uzomah, drafted 32nd overall in 2023. He has been a nonfactor since going off the board in Round 1 three years ago, and the Chiefs predictably declined his fifth-year option this month. Anudike-Uzomah remains on K.C.’s roster, but the team moved on from D-ends Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna this offseason. The Chiefs drafted Ashton Gillotte in Round 3 last year, but Thomas’ pedigree points to a higher ceiling.
Thomas had a quiet first two seasons at Oklahoma, where he combined for 1.5 sacks in 19 games from 2022-23. The edge rusher’s production increased dramatically during his junior season, in which he totaled 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 contests. Thomas added another two FFs last year, though his TFLs (9.5) and sacks (6.5) understandably dipped during a 10-game season. Thomas checked in 44th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. He visited the Browns, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Patriots and Seahawks during the pre-draft process.
As an aside, the “R” in the second-rounder’s name does not stand for anything; it comes from a family tradition. While it will make for an interesting addition to the Chiefs’ roster, the team will hope the former Big 12 recruit-turned-SEC standout will be known for more than his unusually structured name soon.
Dolphins Extend RB De’Von Achane
MAY 21: For full guarantees, Achane’s contract comes in well south of the previously reported $32MM number. It contains $17.38MM guaranteed at signing, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That ranks 13th among running backs. Another $3MM — from Achane’s 2028 salary ($14.23MM) — will vest in March 2027. That $3MM number is part of a $10MM 2028 guarantee; the remaining $7MM will lock in by March 2028, Florio adds.
Achane’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is guaranteed at signing. His 2029 and 2030 base salaries ($14.23MM, $15.72MM) are nonguaranteed, giving the Dolphins a realistic out after the 2027 season. Though, Achane’s camp did well to secure the early guarantee on part of his 2028 salary.
MAY 13: After months of discussions and trade rumors, the Dolphins have closed the deal to extend running back De’Von Achane. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Miami rusher has agreed to a four-year, extension worth up to $68MM with $32MM in guaranteed money.
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Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN clarified that Achane’s new deal has a base value of $64MM with bonuses worth up to $4MM. His annual average value ($16MM per year) and guarantee total are both all-time highs for running backs coming off their rookie deal. Achane is now set to enter the 2026 season with the position’s third-highest AAV, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, and fourth-most guarantees, behind Barkley and recent top draft picks Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love.
Achane came to the NFL after three years at Texas A&M. Despite sitting second on the depth chart behind Isaiah Spiller for two years in College Station, Achane broke out in his sophomore season as RB2. After averaging 8.5 yards per carry as a true freshman in limited time, Achane continued that outrageous efficiency with more touches, averaging seven yards per carry en route to a 910-yard, nine-touchdown season. Unfortunately, Achane’s lone season leading the backfield for the Aggies was the 12th Man’s only losing season since 2009, but he continued to produce with 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns rushing.
In a loaded draft class for running backs, Achane received high grades, but his short, stout frame caused him to slip far behind the first-round ranks of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. After getting selected in the third round by Miami, Achane joined a backfield that had struggled through the 2022 season led by Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Chase Edmonds, Salvon Ahmed, and Myles Gaskin. With Achane spelling him, Mostert excelled in a starting role, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and leading the league in rushing touchdowns with 18.
Used to coming off the bench with efficiency, Achane was not slowed down by the transition to the NFL. After receiving one carry in the team’s first two contests, he exploded onto to the scene with rushing lines of 18 carries-203 yards-2 touchdowns, 8-101-2, and 11-151-1 in his next three games before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. Despite the time missed due to injury, Achane finished the year with 800 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
Achane took lead back duties from Mostert the following year, but a far less effective all-around unit resulted in Achane finishing with just 907 yards and six touchdowns rushing, though he added a new element to his game with 78 catches for 592 yards and six more scores. Last year, Achane bounced back much closer to the expectations that followed his explosive start in 2023. Starting all 16 games for Miami, he totaled 1,350 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, adding 488 yards and four touchdowns receiving.
Unfortunately for Achane, as he’s gotten healthier and returned to form, the Dolphins have backslid into what looks now to be a rebuild. Former starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was released, shouldering Miami with record-setting dead money, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was released, and WR2 Jaylen Waddle has been traded away. While the Dolphins were okay parting ways with those key assets, it seemed Achane was where they drew the line.
As the team’s 2025 campaign finally began to come to a close, Achane made it known that he intended to stay in Miami, telling reporters he was seeking an extension. As a lack of team success spurred several teams to inquire about potential assets the Dolphins might be willing to move, the team made it clear that Achane was not available. The 24-year-old was absent from voluntary team activities once April came, but extension talks were well underway by then and really starting to gain traction. He’s landed his new deal now and become a key building block for the franchise.
To ease the financial pains of the transactions that removed Tagovailoa, Hill, and Waddle, Achane and center Aaron Brewer agreed to restructured deals. Well, according to Louis-Jacques, Brewer is believed to be one of two other players expected to follow Achane’s lead to a new extension. The other player Louis-Jacques beileves could land a new deal soon is veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
Lions Extend LB Jack Campbell
Extension talks between the Lions and Jack Campbell have produced an agreement. The All-Pro linebacker announced on Thursday that he has signed a new deal with Detroit.
The Lions recently declined Campbell’s fifth-year option, but an extension remained the team’s goal in this case. The Lions have since confirmed today’s news of a long-term pact being finalized. Campbell will remain on the books through 2030 as a result of this deal.
This marks the first Lions action with regards to one of their impact 2023 draftees. The team came away with Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch in the first two rounds of the ’23 draft. The team exercised Gibbs’ fifth-year option, buying more time on that front, but off-ball linebacker options are annually declined. Detroit followed suit, but this move differentiates the Lions, as several teams have lost first-round ILBs in free agency after declining an option.
Since the Buccaneers exercised Devin White‘s option in 2022, no team has picked up a non-rush linebacker’s. This has led to subsequent free agency defections from Patrick Queen, Jordyn Brooks, Quay Walker and Devin Lloyd over the past three offseasons. Lloyd and Walker respectively left Jacksonville and Green Bay in March. The Lions’ proactivity with Campbell — whose option, thanks to the NFL grouping rush and non-rush ‘backers together in the option formula, checked in at $21.93MM — will bring a course change at this position and ensure a 2025 All-Pro talent remains in place with the team that selected him.
Detroit drew criticism coming out of the 2023 first round, as both picks went to players at non-premium positions. But Gibbs has become one of the NFL’s most electric running backs; Campbell made 2025 a breakout season. The Iowa product, chosen 18th overall in 2023, zoomed to first-team All-Pro acclaim after finishing the season with 176 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss. Campbell is the first player to record 160-plus tackles and five-plus sacks in a season in more than 20 years.
He became the first Lions linebacker to claim first-team All-Pro honors since Chris Spielman‘s 1991 season. Because of Campbell’s original-ballot Pro Bowl nod, his option number increased to nearly $22MM.
Campbell, 25, has never missed a game as a pro. This ironman run proved tremendously beneficial for the Lions in 2024, when their 15-2 squad lost several defenders — including linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez — to major injuries. The Lions re-signed Barnes to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2025 but let Anzalone play out his contract. The longtime starter joined the Bucs in free agency. Rodriguez re-signed with the Lions (one year, $2.75MM) in March.
Although the Lions could not negotiate with Campbell on a new deal until January, a re-up has been on the team’s radar for a while. We heard in November a likelihood the team would act here, and steady buzz has built in the months since. GM Brad Holmes called Campbell, Gibbs, LaPorta and Branch priorities in January, and the team has now taken care of one key contractual matter. It would surprise if a Gibbs payday does not follow suit, potentially leaving the Lions with a LaPorta-or-Branch decision. Holmes, however, has done well to extend core players drafted during his tenure.
This Campbell extension follows the deals given to Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph, Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson. With Jared Goff also extended, the top of the Lions’ payroll is becoming a bit crowded. Considering the struggles the franchise endured in the period prior to Holmes’ arrival, this represents a good problem to have.
The NFL only features two off-ball linebackers on $20MM-per-year deals — All-Pros Fred Warner and Roquan Smith — while Azeez Al-Shaair ($18MM AAV) and Zack Baun ($17MM) are the only ILBs north of $15MM per annum. This is a good time to pay an inside ‘backer, with the market stagnating during the 2020s. Al-Shaair’s extension earlier this year could certainly be relevant for Campbell, and it would surprise if the ascending player did not join this group as a top-five salary player at the position.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
WR Collin Johnson Retires
Collin Johnson announced his retirement on Thursday. The receiver’s NFL career has therefore come to an end at the age of 28.
“Football has shaped my life in more ways than I can put into words,” Johnson’s announcement reads in part. “It taught me faith, discipline, resilience, leadership, and how to compete at the highest level. I’m thankful for every teammate, coach, organization, and person who helped me along the way.”
Johnson entered the league as a Jaguars draftee in 2020. The former fifth-round pick spent his rookie season with the Jaguars, but only ended up playing one year in Jacksonville. Johnson would go on to see time with the Giants and Bears over the course of his career. The Texas product’s last regular-season game came with Chicago in 2024.
Instead of aiming to land on a roster this summer, Johnson will turn his focus to academic and business pursuits. His announcement states he will enroll at MIT Sloan this fall with the intent of graduating with an MBA. Johnson is the founder and CEO of Beyond-Sports, and his company is set to expand by launching Founders Academy to assist current and former athletes with business ventures.
In total, Johnson made 38 appearances in the NFL. He amassed roughly $3.6MM in career earnings along the way. Attention in his case will now turn to a clearly-defined next chapter.
Vikings Sign DL Isaiahh Loudermilk
Isaiahh Loudermilk is changing teams for the first time in his career. The sixth-year defensive lineman signed with the Vikings on Thursday, per a team announcement.
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Loudermilk entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Steelers. He handed a 29% snap share as a rookie but did not take on an increased role over time. Ahead of roster cutdowns in 2024, Loudermilk’s spot was in question. He remained in the fold for the final season of his rookie contract but was again used in a rotational capacity.
The Wisconsin product re-signed with Pittsburgh last spring. The 2025 season did not provide a boost to Loudermilk’s value, however. He was limited to just two games after being injured in September. That, coupled with limited production when healthy, contributed to a lengthy stay on the open market in 2026.
The defensive interior has undergone a number of changes in the case of the Vikings this spring. Both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were released in cost-shedding moves prior to free agency. They were largely replaced not by other veterans but rather by rookies during last month’s draft. The Vikings added Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange in the first and third rounds of the event, respectively. Loudermilk will spend spring practices as well as training camp competing for a depth role along with the other newcomers.
The Vikings entered Thursday with roughly $11.5MM in cap space. This Loudermilk deal will no doubt check in at or near the league minimum, so it will not have a significant impact on any other roster-building moves made in the near future.
Jaguars Sign TE Nate Boerkircher, Complete Rookie Class Signings
The Jaguars announced today that they have concluded the process of signing their picks from the 2026 NFL Draft. They saved the best of their 10-man draft class for last, finishing with second-round Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher.
Boerkircher took a longer road to the NFL, turning down a number of Division II offers to walk on at his home-state dream school. After failing to see the field as a true freshman and only playing in three games in Year 2, Boerkircher finally began to find a role as a redshirt sophomore. By the end of his redshirt senior season in Lincoln, he had started 17 of 39 game appearances but only recorded 19 receptions for 219 yards and one touchdown.
Buried on the Cornhuskers’ depth chart with one remaining year of eligibility, thanks to the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Boerkircher transferred to Texas A&M, teaming up with Theo Melin Öhrström to form an intriguing tight end duo in College Station. While most of the Aggies’ passing attack ran through three main options at receiver in KC Concepcion, Mario Craver, and Ashton Bethel-Roman, Boerkircher and Öhrström supplemented the offense as a pair of athletic targets.
Still, Boerkircher’s receiving totals didn’t blow away. He finished his sixth year of school with 19 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns, but in that short sample, he demonstrated strong hands capable of reeling contested catches with as much consistency as can be determined in a 19-catch sample. With good size and effort, he showed plus abilities as a blocker, as well. He should have an opportunity to compete for the TE2 role in Jacksonville.
After a six-year preamble to the NFL, Boerkircher will be a 25-year-old rookie. He was projected to be a likely fourth-rounder, but coming off the board as TE3, two picks after Eli Stowers, Boerkircher kicked off what would end up being an unprecedented Day 2 run of eight tight ends taken in the second and third rounds.
With all 10 picks signed, here’s a final look at Jacksonville’s rookie draft class:
- Round 2, No. 56: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 81 (from Lions): Albert Regis (DT, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 88: Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 100 (from Lions)*: Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 119 (from Panthers): Wesley Williams (EDGE, Duke) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164: Tanner Koziol (TE, Houston) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Chiefs via Patriots): Josh Cameron (WR, Baylor) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 203 (from Eagles via Texans and Eagles): CJ Williams (WR, Stanford) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 233 (from Lions): Zach Durfee (EDGE, Washington) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 240: Parker Hughes (LB, Middle Tennessee State) (signed)
Bears To Sign RB Salvon Ahmed, S Anthony Johnson Jr.
The Bears are signing running back Salvon Ahmed and safety Anthony Johnson Jr., per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, adding depth to position groups that were quietly low on experience.
Ahmed, 27, signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie in 2020 and amassed 646 yards on 152 touches across 18 games in his first two seasons. He only saw 51 touches for 221 yards in 2022 and 2023. Ahmed was waived by the Dolphins during the 2024 preseason and spent time with the Broncos and Colts during the regular season, though he did not appear in a game. He then signed a reserve/futures contract in Indianapolis for the 2025 season, but went down with a season-ending ankle injury during training camp.
The Bears’ running back room is headlined by six-year veteran D’Andre Swift and 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, who took all but seven of Chicago’s backfield touches last year. Travis Homer, who is now in Pittsburgh, appeared in 10 games with all but six snaps coming on special teams, and Roschon Johnson and Brittain Brown combined for 10 games and 19 offensive snaps. Further down the depth chart, the Bears also have 2025 UDFA Deion Hankins and undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett.
Ahmed has more experience than all of Chicago’s current running backs other than Swift, giving him somewhat of an advantage over his competition for a roster spot. However, he will still need to show he is recovered from last year’s injury and can still contribute either on offense or special teams to make the team.
Johnson, 26, was a Packers seventh-round pick in 2023 who appeared in 12 games with a 40% snap share as a rookie. He was waived during final roster cuts in 2024 and made his way to the Giants. He played nine games in New York with 113 of his 135 snaps coming on special teams and spent the following year on injured reserve.
In Chicago, Johnson will join a revamped Bears safety room that is without last year’s starters, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. The team let both walk in free agency and signed former Seahawks fourth-round pick Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40MM deal. They also retained 2022 seventh-rounder Elijah Hicks, drafted Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in April’s draft, and signed Oregon State’s Skyler Thomas as an undrafted rookie. Also returning from last year’s practice squad are Gervarrius Owens and Dominique Hampton.
Similar to Ahmed, Johnson will immediately become one of the Bears’ most experienced players at his position, though all of his playing time came in 2024 or earlier. His health will also be crucial to his ability to earn a roster spot this summer.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/20/26
Wednesday’s mid- to late-round signings from the 2026 NFL Draft:
Denver Broncos
- RB Jonah Coleman (fourth round, Washington)
- OL Kage Casey (fourth round, Boise State)
Kansas City Chiefs
- S Jadon Canady (fourth round, Oregon)
After combining for 1,811 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Coleman is seen as a potential steal for Denver. He reportedly fell to the fourth round due to concerns about the durability of his knee, but there’s a chance that the Washington product could challenge for snaps in a backfield that currently features J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. By inking Coleman and Casey, the Broncos only remaining unsigned pick is third-round Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim.
Canady brings versatile experience to the secondary in Kansas City. Starting his collegiate career as an outside cornerback at Tulane, Canady worked more in the slot in order to find the field after transferring to Ole Miss. In his final year of eligibility, Canady found himself in a roaming safety role with the Ducks, spending most of his time in the slot with a good chunk at deep safety, as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/26
Today’s midweek minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Heinrich Haarberg
- Waived (with injury settlement): RB Montrell Johnson
- Waived: OLB Jamil Muhammad
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Brodric Martin
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Travis Shaw
- Released: LS Niko Lalos
The Panthers are adding some tight end help in the form Haarberg, a converted quarterback during his time at Nebraska. Starting as an in-state, three-star passing prospect, Haarberg first found the field as a redshirt sophomore, after the Cornhuskers began his transition to tight end. In his second game, though, the team’s starter went down with injury, and Haarberg started 8 games under center, going 5-3. He returned to his tight end role the next two seasons but saw more action rushing than receiving, serving as a bit of a Taysom Hill-type of weapon.
The Patriots add another undrafted rookie to their class in Shaw. The North Carolina-transfer played for the Longhorns in his final year of eligibility but didn’t see much improvement in playing time after three years as a rotational piece for the Tar Heels.