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Panthers Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents

May 10th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Panthers have added the following 19 undrafted free agents to their rookie class:

Fitzgerald was thought to be a potential Day 3 pick after a stellar senior year at Florida State. He converted all 13 of his field goal tries with a 100% conversion rate that led all FBS kickers with at least 12 attempts. Fitzgerald was also perfect on his 14 extra points. He will compete with Matthew Wright for the Panthers’ kicking job in training camp.

Harrison-Hunte went undrafted despite a strong showing at the Combine. He’s an older prospect who will turn 25 by the start of his rookie year, but he had just one season of sustained production at SMU after five years at Miami. Still, he earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2024 with 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks and will push for a roster spot in Carolina as an athletic interior disruptor.

Hudson was a rotational target at Auburn in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to UCF, where he emerged as a starter over the last three years. He scored 19 touchdowns across 34 starts at UCF, but his lack of elite athleticism and ball skills will necessitate further improvements in route-running in the NFL. Hudson will compete with several young Panthers receivers for a roster spot this summer.

Kandra started 24 games at right guard for Cincinnati over the past two years with second-team All-American honors in both seasons and a team captaincy and a first-team All Big-12 nod in 2024. He is a strong, fast blocker with a brawler’s mentality in the trenches, but his lack of flexibility and agility will limit him in the NFL. His physical traits and experience will have him pushing for a roster spot, but he may have to develop center versatility to see playing time early in his career.

The Panthers were aggressive in bringing in some of these rookies who just slipped out of the draft. Two of the cornerbacks, Thornton and Reid, received increased guarantees on their deals to ensure they sign. Thornton’s contract included $150K in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, while Reid’s deal contained $100K. George, the former Hurricanes receiver, was perhaps the most sought-after of Carolina’s signees. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tells us that he received $215K in guaranteed money to sign with the Panthers, which is more in guarantees than he would’ve received had he got drafted in the sixth round.

Bills Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents

May 10th, 2025 at 11:46am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills have signed the following 12 undrafted free agents to bring their rookie class to 21 players:

Bayer is an experienced center with 46 collegiate starts under his belt – 22 at Lamar and 24 at Arkansas State. He earned first-team All-SBC honors in 2023, but suffered a torn ACL in the spring of 2024. He made an extremely quick recovery, only missing the first game of the season and finishing the year with a second-team All-SBC nod. Bayer will push for a roster spot as a depth center behind Connor McGovern and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.

Shand is a multi-sport athlete who played for Canada’s U16 National Team in 2017. He then began his football career at Arizona before transferring to LSU in 2023. He wasn’t especially productive in college, but he has the requisite size to play defensive end in Buffalo’s 4-3 scheme.

Jenkins played a hybrid safety role at Virginia Tech but will convert to linebacker in the NFL. He fits the Bills’ mold as a speedy, undersized linebacker who excels in coverage, the likes of whom have found success in Buffalo in recent years.

Porter is the son of former NFL defensive back Daryl Porter, who played for the Bills from 1998 to 2000. His son started 35 games across his collegiate career at West Virginia and Miami.

Browns Sign LB Carson Schwesinger, RB Dylan Sampson To Rookie Deals

May 9th, 2025 at 10:08pm CST by Ely Allen

Like many other teams in the NFL, the Browns got started with signing some of their 2025 NFL Draft picks today. The team announced this evening that second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger and fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson have signed their four-year rookie contracts. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Schwesinger’s rookie deal will be fully guaranteed, making him only the second second-round pick to sign such a deal in NFL history, after Houston’s Jayden Higgins.

Starting his collegiate career as a walk-on at UCLA, Schwesinger didn’t become a starter for the Bruins until this past year. After only logging 27 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack in his first two years in Los Angeles, Schwesinger exploded onto the scene in 2024. In 10 starts, he tallied 136 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, three passes defensed, and a forced fumble.

Though Devin Bush is dealing with an assault and harassment charge, he, Jordan Hicks, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Mohamoud Diabate are all set to return as main contributors at the position in 2024. While Owusu-Koramoah (7th), Bush (9th), and Hicks (11th) all graded out extremely well out of 84 players graded at the position in 2023, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Diabate (74th) could easily be improved upon this year.

Owusu-Koramoah is currently working his way back from a neck injury that held him out of the team’s final nine games of the season. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, though, even if Owusu-Koramoah were healthy, Schwesinger still would’ve been the pick in the second round. Cleveland will now count on Schwesinger to push Diabate for that role as a fourth linebacker, fill in should Bush miss any time because of his legal issues, or fill in should Owusu-Koramoah not get back to full health in time to start the season.

Like Schwesinger, Sampson didn’t become a starter until this past season. Despite only starting zero games as a true freshman, he logged 397 yards and six touchdowns on just 58 carries. The next year, he only started one game but toted the ball 106 times for 604 yards and seven touchdowns. Finally a full-time starter in 2024, Sampson ran the ball 258 times for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns in 13 games.

After a year in which the Browns ranked 29th in rushing and failed to see a running back eclipse 600 yards on the ground, Sampson enters a wide-open situation. Jerome Ford returns as the lead back from last year with Nick Chubb unlikely to return, as does Pierre Strong, who will play on the final year of his rookie deal. Sampson will compete with fellow rookies Quinshon Judkins (second round) and Ahmani Marshall (undrafted) to push Ford and Strong for big roles in 2024.

Here’s a look at the Browns’ draft class including the two new signees:

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/25

May 9th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

We saw a busy day of 2025 NFL Draft pick signings today. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who inked their four-year rookie deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Falcons Sign First-Round OLB Jalon Walker

May 9th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons have one of the NFL’s smaller classes to sign after taking only five rookies in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they’ll open up their signings with their top draft selection, outside linebacker Jalon Walker. The versatile defender’s first NFL contract will be a four-year, $20.56MM deal.

For much of the pre-draft process Walker was considered a top prospect at both off-ball linebacker and pass rusher. The 21-year-old spent time all over the defense throughout his time at Georgia. His first two seasons in Athens saw him spend more time on the edge than in the box. His final year with the Bulldogs, though, saw him shift to more of an off-ball role, though he still spent about 40 percent of his time on the edge.

When Atlanta announced his selection two weeks ago, they intentionally labeled him as a “defensive end,” giving some insight into how he could be used at the next level. He and fellow first-round, former-SEC pass rusher James Pearce should push Leonard Floyd and Arnold Ebiketie for some starting snaps on the edge. Even if they can’t unseat the veterans, their presence still provides a significant improvement in the depth of the position for the Falcons.

While lacking ideal size, Walker has good length and speed to rush on the outside, and his eye for the ball and change of direction ability make him much more useful than just a pure pass rusher in the backfield. He works well through the mesh of blocks along the line, but when in a one-on-one matchup, he can often get erased. Still, his tenacity and room for growth make for a strong potential future in Atlanta.

The team announced later in the day that third-round Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, fourth-round Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman Jr., and seventh-round Wisconsin tackle Jack Nelson all signed their rookie deals today, as well. After deciding not to bring Justin Simmons back, following a disappointing 2024 campaign for the veteran, Atlanta brought in two of the draft’s top-five safeties. Watts isn’t nearly as big as former teammate Kyle Hamilton, but he tries to play with a similar aggression that can cost him at times. Still, Watts was considered a fringe-Day 1 talent who projects to push free agent addition Jordan Fuller for a starting job soon.

Bowman seems to be a perfect complement to Watts. With his smaller size and quickness, Bowman excels where Watts can struggle: in the slot. He, too, can play a bit overaggressive, but when he gets the ball, he can be a danger to score. He’ll need to improve his tackling at the NFL level, but Bowman’s recognition and coverage ability could earn him a role as a nickelback early. Nelson is a typical, homegrown Wisconsin lineman. At 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds, Nelson looks like the usual product that the Badgers produce. He doesn’t excel in any one area, but he has a lot of good traits that good coaching and development could turn into a real steal of a pick.

With this being the team’s first draft pick signing of the class, here’s a look at the work they still have to do:

  • Round 1, No. 15: Jalon Walker (LB, Georgia) (signed)
  • Round 1, No. 26 (from Rams): James Pearce (DE, Tennessee)
  • Round 3, No. 96 (from Eagles): Xavier Watts (S, Notre Dame) (signed)
  • Round 4, No. 118: Billy Bowman Jr. (S, Oklahoma) (signed)
  • Round 7, No. 218 (from Browns through Chargers): Jack Nelson (T, Wisconsin) (signed)

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/25

May 9th, 2025 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor NFL transactions to close out the week:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Received roster exemption (international player): OL Valentin Senn

Atlanta Falcons

  • Received roster exemption (international player): K Lenny Krieg
  • Waived: DT Junior Aho

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Received roster exemption (international player): S Dante Barnett

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Waived (with failed physical designation): WR Jeff Foreman

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

  • Received roster exemption (international player): P Oscar Chapman

New York Jets

  • Received roster exemption (international player): G Leander Wiegand

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Dyson was cut from the team after news that running back Jonathon Brooks‘ placement on the physically unable to perform list would, in fact, still count him against the 90-man roster limit. They initially were told by the league that he would not count, but the updated guidance today necessitated that they lose a man.

Jackson joins Seattle’s undrafted free agent rookie class after they announced their 17 signees almost a week ago. A successful rookie minicamp tryout led to him securing a contract.

Similarly, Bentley, for whatever reason was also announced separately from the Colts’ UDFA class, even though the class was announced only a few hours before his signing. The 24-year-old hasn’t been a lead back since his 2020 season at SMU, but in three years apiece at SMU and Ole Miss, Bentley never averaged below five yards per carry in a season.

Saints Sign Round 1 T Kelvin Banks Jr., Five Other Draftees

May 9th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

With rookie minicamp season upon us, a flood of draft signings has naturally followed. In its 15th year, the rookie-scale contract system has removed most of the drama — save for maybe some offset language buffs — associated with signing first-round picks. Many have put pen to paper over the past two days, and the Saints now have their top draftee under contract.

Kelvin Banks Jr. signed his rookie deal Friday, the team announced. Chosen ninth overall, Banks will be tied to a fully guaranteed deal worth $27.7MM. Banks will be expected to start immediately in New Orleans, which has used first-round picks on tackles in each of the past two years, having added Taliese Fuaga in 2024.

Making that could be interpreted as a late rise during the pre-draft process, Banks appeared to command a bit more respect from within the league compared to outside draft experts. The Saints made the Texas product the third tackle taken. The Raiders and Jets had been linked to Banks, with Las Vegas appearing ready to pull the trigger in the event Ashton Jeanty had gone in the top five. Instead, Banks will make his way to Louisiana to block for a team that features a muddled quarterback situation.

The Saints have made premium investments to update their tackle situation, having also used a first-round pick (in 2022) on Trevor Penning. The contract-year blocker, thanks to the Saints declining his fifth-year option, appears set for a demotion from his right tackle spot.

As most high-end tackle prospects do, Banks operated as a left tackle in college. The Longhorns used the first-team All-American as a three-year LT starter. This could make for an interesting New Orleans O-line configuration, as the team had moved Fuaga — a college RT — to the left side before his rookie season.

Banks will step as the team’s highest-drafted lineman since Kyle Turley (No. 7 overall, 1998). New Orleans, however, has regularly gone to this well in Round 1 under Mickey Loomis. Dating back to their Andrus Peat pick in 2015, the Saints have used six first-round picks on O-linemen. Their 2025 roster will house four of them, with Cesar Ruiz still manning the team’s right guard post. While Derek Carr‘s 2025 status remains murky, he or Tyler Shough (or Spencer Rattler, perhaps) will take snaps behind a reloaded O-line.

The Saints also signed linebacker Danny Stutsman (Round 4, No. 112), cornerback Quincy Riley (Round 4, No. 131), running back Devin Neal (Round 6, No. 184), tight end Moliki Matavao (Round 7, No. 248) and defensive end Fadil Diggs (Round 7, No. 254) to rookie deals. Only the team’s three Day 2 draftees — Shough, Vernon Broughton, Jonas Sanker — remain unsigned from this draft class.

Broncos To Release P Matt Haack

May 9th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

No punting competition appears on tap in Denver. If one does eventually form this offseason, it does not appear it will involve Matt Haack. The Broncos released the veteran punter Friday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

This move comes shortly after the Broncos drafted Florida punter Jeremy Crawshaw in the sixth round. Crawshaw is now the only punter on Denver’s roster. A journeyman specialist, Haack had joined the team as a free agent before the draft.

Teams who select a punter in a draft generally plan for that player to land the job. The Broncos, as of now, do not look to be making any secret of their plans to install Crawshaw as their punter in 2025 and beyond. Crawshaw’s rookie contract will run through 2028. Haack’s job status certainly changed near the end of the draft, as he would have at least been in line to compete for the gig had Denver not been the first team to draft a punter this year.

Denver made two interesting picks to close the draft, trading down to draft Crawshaw at No. 216 and then using its final choice (No. 241) on seldom-used Utah tight end Caleb Lohner, a converted basketball player. Lohner figures to be competing for a roster spot, while Crawshaw will not. The Broncos have drafted two punters over the past decade, adding Riley Dixon in the 2016 seventh round. Dixon returned to Denver in 2023, but as recent Saints interim HC Darren Rizzi takes the reins as Broncos special teams coordinator, Crawshaw will replace him.

Haack, 30, has punted for five teams over the past four seasons. The former multiyear Dolphins option punted for the Bills, Colts, Browns and Giants from 2021-24. He punted in only five games over the past two seasons, serving as a fill-in option for the past three; the Colts had added Haack as a late-summer replacement for the injured Rigoberto Sanchez.

The Broncos also cut long snapper Zach Triner, Tomasson notes. Triner came in as a temporary option while regular snapper Mitchell Fraboni recovered from back surgery. Fraboni, who became the Denver deep snapper in 2022, was expected to be ready for training camp. It is possible Triner returns, per Tomasson, as the Broncos needed to clear two roster spots by this weekend’s rookie minicamp. Triner spent five-plus seasons in Tampa before a 2024 Miami cameo.

Texans, Second-Round WR Jayden Higgins Reach Fully Guaranteed Deal

May 9th, 2025 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a move that will force the hands of at least one other team, the Texans will make draft history. Houston is fully guaranteeing Jayden Higgins‘ second-round contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

The first part of the Texans’ all-Iowa State receiver mission on Day 2 will bring an important distinction into the NFL. Higgins will become the first second-round pick to see his contract fully guaranteed.

The Texans have been known to provide friendly guarantee structures to their second-round picks, thus moving the NFL forward on this front, and their move for a player chosen 34th overall effectively boxes the Browns in while likely complicating negotiations for teams that made mid-30s selections in last month’s draft. The Texans added Higgins after trading down from No. 25 (via the Giants).

Cleveland chose Carson Schwesinger at No. 33; Houston’s decision will lead to the former UCLA linebacker’s camp mandating a fully guaranteed contract. Higgins’ will be worth $11.7MM over four years. This draft slot brought a near-full guarantee in 2024, with $9.19MM of Ladd McConkey‘s $9.99MM rookie deal locked in at signing. Even last year’s No. 33 overall choice (Bills wideout Keon Coleman) did not quite secure fully guaranteed terms, but second-rounders have been making inroads on this front for years.

It took until the 2022 draft for all first-round contracts to become guaranteed, so it makes sense the NFL has seen its second-rounders land locked-in deals. The league has come a long way in terms of guaranteed percentage for second-rounders. When the rookie scale debuted in 2011, that year’s No. 33 overall pick (the Patriots’ Ras-I Dowling) saw just $2.36MM of his $5.3MM rookie contract guaranteed. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks (Nick Emmanwori) and Browns (Quinshon Judkins) move the full guarantee line beyond No. 34 this year.

Higgins and third-rounder Jaylin Noel, who also signed his rookie contract (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), will become the rare college receiver duo to each join the same NFL team in a draft. The Cyclones relied on their Jayden-Jaylin tandem last season, and after the Texans could not swing a trade-up to reunite C.J. Stroud and Emeka Egbuka in Round 1, they focused on the Big 12 program’s passing attack the following night.

The No. 46 player on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Higgins broke through for 87 receptions, 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Standing 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Higgins will complement Noel’s slot skillset in Houston just as he did in Ames. The No. 79 overall pick, Noel (No. 50 on Jeremiah’s board) narrowly topped Higgins’ 2024 production by accumulating 1,194 yards last season — to go with eight TDs. Noel played four seasons at Iowa State, while Higgins transferred from Eastern Kentucky in 2023.

The Texans invested heavily at the receiver position after seeing Tank Dell suffer another major injury — this one threatening to sideline him throughout the 2025 season — and allowing Stefon Diggs to defect (to the Patriots) in free agency. Houston also lost complementary cog Robert Woods (to Pittsburgh). Even though it used a 2022 second-round pick on John Metchie, the team has not seen the Alabama product become a dependable piece yet. The ex-Cyclones will aim to become Nico Collins‘ top sidekicks this year.

49ers To Waive DE Drake Jackson

May 9th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

A knee injury has sidetracked Drake Jackson‘s career, and the former second-round pick will no longer move forward as a 49er. The team is waiving the young defensive end, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Jackson missed the entire 2024 season with a patella tendon injury sustained in 2023. While Schefter adds the USC product is expected to be cleared by training camp, the 49ers are moving on via a failed physical designation Friday. One season remains on Jackson’s rookie contract.

Although Jackson had not secured a starting role before his knee injury, the issue stalled his development midway through the 2023 season. Jackson played in 15 games as a rookie but only eight in 2023. Jackson, 24, will undoubtedly generate interest as a second-chance candidate. He would be available to teams on the waiver wire until 3pm CT on Monday.

The 49ers chose Jackson 61st overall in 2022. At the time, he joined Arik Armstead and a revolving door of Nick Bosa complements. Jackson registered three sacks as a rookie and showed a bit more promise in Year 2, tallying three more during his abbreviated season. Jackson still only totaled five tackles for loss in his first 23 games, but any hope at becoming a more prominent part of San Francisco’s D-line rotation ended after the injury kept him off the field for the past 1 1/2 seasons.

Placing Jackson on IR in early November of 2023, the 49ers stashed him on the reserve/PUP list to open last season. They did not activate him, effectively creating a crossroads situation for the former well-regarded prospect. Jackson was the first 49ers pick in a 2022 draft that did not include a first-round pick (thanks to the Trey Lance trade-up). This roster move now means the 49ers are done with each of their three Day 2 draft picks from that year; the team had already cut third-rounders Tyrion Davis-Price and Danny Gray.

The 49ers will take on barely $350K in dead money, stemming from signing bonus proration, as a result of this decision. Even if Jackson clears waivers (while teams wait for his return to full strength), it would surprise if he did not land elsewhere before the 2025 season. The 49ers signaled their interest in moving on by using their No. 11 overall pick on a D-end (Mykel Williams). Although the team released Leonard Floyd after one season, Yetur Gross-Matos remains on the roster as a Bosa complementary piece.

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