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Transactions News & Rumors

Chargers To Sign Tyler Conklin

March 21st, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers have agreed to terms with veteran tight end Tyler Conklin on a one-year deal, per his agent Mike McCartney.

Conklin visited the Chargers today with the team needing to add depth at the position. The team is returning 2024 starter Will Dissly, but had to replace the 488 snaps vacated by Stone Smartt, Hayden Hurst, and Eric Tomlinson. Smartt signed with the Jets, and though Hurst and Tomlinson are still available, Conklin is a clear upgrade.

The seven-year veteran played 16 games for the Jets in 2024, logging 51 catches for 449 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. The Jets were reportedly interested in retaining Conklin, but he drew little interest in the first week of free agency. But after Evan Engram and Juwan Johnson signed new contracts, Conklin became the best available tight end on the market.

The Chargers, meanwhile, only had Dissly and Tucker Fisk under contract for 2025. Dissly appeared in 15 games with a 50.6% snap share, while Fisk played 19.3% of the team’s offensive snaps in a rotational role. Conklin will likely slot in as the TE2 in Los Angeles though offensive coordinator Greg Roman frequently uses multiple tight end formations.

Conklin has put together a solid career for a former fifth-rounder, landing with his third NFL team after being drafted by the Vikings in 2018 and signing a three-year deal with the Jets. Conklin was unable to land another multi-year deal as a 29-year-old, indicating that he will likely play on a year-to-year basis for the remainder of his career.

While Conklin fills the Chargers’ short-term need, they may still target a strong draft class at the position in April to find a long-term tight end for Justin Herbert.

Texans To Sign OT Trent Brown

March 21st, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Texans are continuing their offensive line overhaul by signing offensive tackle Trent Brown to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Brown’s deal is worth up to $3MM. He opened the 2024 season as the Bengals’ starting right tackle before tearing his patellar tendon in Week 3. The 31-year-old has a lengthy injury history, with just three fully-healthy seasons in his 10-year career. Brown has been an effective tackle when he is able to play and has plenty of experience at both tackle spots. His experience and versatility will be valuable in a Texans offense that has gone through major renovations this offseason.

In the past two weeks, Houston has traded starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Eagles and starting right guard Kenyon Green to the Commanders. The team then signed Cam Robinson to replace Tunsil and Laken Tomlinson to replace Green.

Brown will figure into the new unit as well. He could compete with Tytus Howard and Blake Fisher to start at right tackle. If Brown doesn’t win that job, he will likely enter the season as the Texans’ swing tackle.

Originally a 49ers seventh-round pick in 2015, Brown has multiple connections to the Texans coaching staff. Head coach DeMeco Ryans began his coaching career with the 49ers in 2017, Brown’s last year in San Francisco. He was then traded to the Patriots, where now-Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley was the tight ends coach from 2017 to 2022. Brown signed with the Raiders in 2018, but was traded back to New England in 2021, reuniting him with Caley.

Lions Sign Avonte Maddox

March 21st, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Avonte Maddox‘s time with the Eagles has come to an end. The veteran defensive back has agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions, his agent announced on Friday.

Maddox joined the Eagles in 2018, and he quickly emerged as a key member of their secondary. The former fourth-rounder handled a snap share between 65% and 75% in each of his first five Philadelphia campaigns. Things took a turn for the worse during the 2023 season, however.

A torn pectoral muscle limited Maddox to just four games that year. Despite one season remaining on his contract, the Eagles released him in cost-shedding move last March as a result. Team and player wound up reuniting, though, and that pact allowed the Pitt alum to play one more campaign as an Eagle. Maddox played in every game for Philadelphia en route to the team’s Super Bowl victory.

That included only three starts on defense, however, and Maddox’s 33% snap share represented by far the lowest mark of his career. Second-round rookie Cooper DeJean took over starting duties in the slot midway through the campaign, a move which left Maddox to shift his attention more to special teams duties. Fellow standout rookie Quinyon Mitchell will be a mainstay along the perimeter for years to come, although Darius Slay‘s release and subsequent departure has created a first-team vacancy. Maddox’s absence will also be felt in the secondary next year.

The Lions lost Carlton Davis on the open market but brought in D.J. Reed as a starting replacement. The team also has recent draftees Terrion Arnold and Brian Branch in place as long-term pieces in the secondary. Maddox has seen some time at safety in his career, but with Branch and Kerby Joseph set to continue starting there, his best path to playing time in Detroit will likely be as a slot corner.

Seahawks, S D’Anthony Bell Agree To Deal

March 21st, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

D’Anthony Bell is on the move for the first time in his career. The safety/special teams ace has agreed to a one-year deal with the Seahawks, Jordan Shultz of Fox Sports reports.

Bell entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2022, signing with the Browns. He remained with the team over the past three years, occupying a sparse role on defense during that time. Bell has, however, emerged as a core third phase contributor.

The West Florida product logged a 60% special teams snap share during his rookie campaign. That figure rose to 70% the following season and again to 85% in 2024. As Schultz notes, Bell received interest from a number of suitors based on his performances in that regard. His decision to sign with Seattle will come with expectations as a special teams mainstay, but it could also open the door to a defensive workload as well.

Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald uses a scheme which often employs three-safety looks, something which could be beneficial in Bell’s case. The 28-year-old has made seven starts across his 50 career appearances to date, with his most impactful defensive season coming in 2023 (28 tackles, two interceptions, four pass deflections). Bell could play a role in a unit which ranked 11th against the pass in 2024, Macdonald’s debut season as an NFL head coach.

The Seahawks have 2023 free agent addition Julian Love, along with recent draftees J.T. Woods and Jerrick Reed in place on the safety depth chart. Rayshawn Jenkins was among the veterans let go in cost-cutting moves earlier this month, though, and K’Von Wallace is unsigned at this point. It thus comes as no surprise a safety addition has been made, and Bell will look to help his 2026 market value with a strong campaign in Seattle next season.

Giants Sign WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

March 21st, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

Lil’Jordan Humphrey reunited with Sean Payton over the past two years, but he will be on the move this offseason. The veteran receiver is joining the Giants on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team has since announced the pact.

Humphrey began his career working under Payton with the Saints. The former UDFA played sparingly on offense during his first two New Orleans campaigns, but in 2021 he flashed potential as a deep threat with a 19.2 yards per catch average. A one-year spell with the Patriots did not produce a notable output, and as a free agent in 2023 Humphrey was one of several ex-Saints who joined Payton’s Broncos.

During his debut Denver campaign, the Texas product logged a 40% offensive snap share and scored a career-high three touchdowns. Humphrey did not survive roster cuts last summer, but he immediately joined the Broncos’ practice squad and was designated a gameday elevation multiple times. Appearing in all 18 of the team’s combined regular and postseason games in 2024, the 26-year-old set a new personal mark in catches (31) and yards (293).

That production kept the Broncos interested in another Humphrey pact, with his agent noting (via 9News’ Mike Klis) a Denver offer was made. The Giants’ proposal was more lucrative, however, and he will now head to New York. Humphrey will join a WR corps led by 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Malik Nabers and which also includes the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.

The presence of those three wideouts led to a renewed expectation that Darius Slayton would depart on the open market. Instead, the veteran re-signed on a three-year, $36MM pact, giving New York continuity at the position. Humphrey – who does not have much in the way of special teams experience – will spend the summer competing for a depth receiving role with the Giants.

Browns Sign G Teven Jenkins

March 20th, 2025 at 11:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns have signed guard Teven Jenkins, per a team announcement.

Jenkins started 38 games over the last four years for the Bears, who drafted him with the 39th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He started his rookie season on injured reserve and returned to the field in December to start two games at left tackle.

After struggling on the outside, Jenkins moved to right guard in 2022 and started 11 games to significantly better results. He opened the 2023 season on the IR, but recovered to start 25 games at either guard spot across the next two years.

Jenkins visited the Seahawks last week, but instead came to terms with the Browns. Cleveland is already set at guard with veteran starters Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio, but both are entering the final season of their contracts. Jenkins may not be able to earn a starting job right away, but a multi-year deal with the Browns could position him to take over either guard spot in 2026.

Jenkins was signed surprisingly late in the free agency cycle after emerging as a solid guard over the last three seasons. The Chargers’ signing of Mekhi Becton last Friday left Jenkins as the best available guard.

Jenkins’ price tag was reportedly too high for the Giants, but signing with the Browns without a clear starting job available suggests that he reduced his demands. If Cleveland wants to clear a spot for Jenkins and get younger along their offensive line, they could look to trade Teller. Such a move would likely have to come after June 1 due to the dead money remaining on his contract.

NFL Staff Updates: Kelly, Leftwich, Fisher

March 20th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Champ Kelly‘s continuous rise through the front office ranks of the NFL was put on hold last year when he took a slight step back with the Raiders after serving as their interim general manager in 2023. After parting ways with Las Vegas last month, Kelly has agreed to join the Dolphins as a senior personnel executive in 2025, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Beginning his front office career in the National Indoor Football League, in which he first served as a player and coach, Kelly entered the NFL in 2007 as a college scout for the Broncos, rising to assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and, eventually, assistant director of pro personnel. In 2015, he joined the Bears as director of pro scouting before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel.

He then moved to Vegas, where he served as assistant general manager starting in 2022, eventually filling in in an interim role after Dave Ziegler was fired. While he was still in the running for the Raiders’ official general manager role, Kelly also interviewed for the Panthers’ open position that eventually went to Dan Morgan. After missing out on both jobs, he returned to Las Vegas with a slight demotion from interim GM back to assistant general manager. This offseason, Kelly auditioned for the Jaguars’ open job which was ultimately awarded to James Gladstone.

With his new role in Miami, Kelly will work roles in both pro and college scouting for the Dolphins. He’ll set himself up once again to start working towards another general manager opportunity.

Here are a few other updates from former NFL staffers, though these men have transitioned to the collegiate level of the sport:

  • After being fired in early-2023, former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich vowed to return to the NFL. Immediately following his dismissal, Leftwich interviewed for the offensive coordinator role in Baltimore that ultimately went to Todd Monken in 2023 as well as the Patriots’ head coaching gig that went to Mike Vrabel and the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator gig that went to Klint Kubiak in this last cycle. After failing to land an NFL job for the third straight cycle, Leftwich will reportedly take an assistant role with Deion Sanders at Colorado, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It’s unclear exactly what his role will be with the Buffaloes, but it will be Leftwich’s first taste of college ball since he graduated from Marshall in 2002.
  • Lastly, former Titans and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has earned another head coaching gig, per HBCU Premier Sports. Five years after his NFL coaching career came to an end, Fisher took an advisor role with Tennessee State under his former running back in Tennessee and then-head coach Eddie George. With George recently accepting the head coach job at Bowling Green State, Fisher will return to Nashville to coach the Tigers as his successor. This will be Fisher’s first coaching role since 2022, when he was the head coach of the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. Since then, Fisher has served as chief advisor for an Arena Football League team while also working as that league’s commissioner.

Chiefs Re-Sign DE Charles Omenihu

March 20th, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Defensive end Charles Omenihu will get another opportunity in Kansas City. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Omenihu is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year deal that will be worth up to $7MM.

Omenihu began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2019. In his first two seasons with the Texans, Omenihu played a key role as a rotational pass rusher. With five starts in 29 games, Omenihu logged seven total sacks, seven tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.

In his third season with the team, Omenihu started the first two games of the season before being relegated to coming off the bench. Eight weeks into the season, though, Omenihu found himself being traded to the 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He saw a minimal role in San Francisco the remainder of that year but showed up for his contract year the following season.

In 2022, Omenihu played in every game of the season for the first time in his career, making three starts. He recorded then-career highs with 4.5 sacks and 20 total tackles while matching his previous high of 16 quarterback hits.

Omenihu leveraged a strong contract year in San Francisco into a two-year, $16MM free agent deal with the Chiefs. Despite missing the first six games of the 2023 season while serving a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Omenihu had a career year in Kansas City. In only 11 games, Omenihu set new highs with seven sacks and 28 total tackles. He also matched career-highs in tackles for loss (5), passes defensed (2), and forced fumbles (2), while logging 11 quarterback hits.

Unfortunately, Omenihu’s strongest season yet was cut short in the postseason, when he suffered a torn ACL in the AFC Championship game in Baltimore. The injury occurring so late in the season made it difficult for Omenihu to make a return to the field in time for the 2024 NFL season. He missed the first 11 games of the season before finally making a return for the remainder of the year.

Omenihu had been eyeing a new contract shortly after his ACL tear from the 2023 season, but the injury likely complicated things. Having made it through recovery, the 27-year-old was given a second chance at a new deal. The Chiefs opted to re-sign him despite his having missed 17 games in the past two seasons. The $7MM potential of the contract is likely highly incentive-based because of that, though. Kansas City will hope to see him return to his 2023 form for a full season in 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/25

March 20th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seahawks Rework Uchenna Nwosu’s Deal

March 20th, 2025 at 5:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks agreed to a reworked contract with outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, creating $9.4MM in 2025 salary cap space, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

Nwosu signed a three-year, $45MM extension in July 2023 that tied him to the Seahawks through 2026. He was set to earn a base salary of $14.48MM in 2025 with a $6MM injury guarantee that would have vested into a full guarantee earlier this month. The two sides agreed to push back that vesting date as they worked on a revised contract that would lower Nwosu’s $21.2MM salary cap hit.

That new deal features a $6.99MM pay cut with $6.98MM in guaranteed money via a $4MM signing bonus and a fully-guaranteed $2.98MM base salary in 2025. Nwosu’s cap hits are now $11.8MM in 2025 and $20MM in 2026. Since none of his $11MM 2026 salary is guaranteed, he will be a cap casualty candidate next offseason.

Originally a Chargers second-round pick in 2018, Nwosu played a rotational role on defense in his first three years before emerging as a starter in 2021. That earned him a two-year, $19MM deal with the Seahawks in 2022 where he took over as a starting outside linebacker.

Nwosu impressed with 9.5 sacks in his debut season in Seattle, but injuries limited him to 12 games and 3.0 sacks in the last two years. Though the Seahawks have plenty of cap space, even after signing Sam Darnold, Nwosu’s cap hit was still too high given his lack of availability and production.

The revised contract allows him to stay in Seattle for the 2025 season as part of a four-man edge rotation. Derick Hall and Boye Mafe are returning after combining for 25 starts, while new signing DeMarcus Lawrence will likely eat into Nwosu’s snap share.

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