Vikings, RB Aaron Jones Agree On Rework
Aaron Jones will not be a Vikings cap casualty, after all. The sides agreed on a reworked deal that positions the veteran running back to play a third season in Minnesota, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report.
The adjustment will lower Jones’ 2026 base salary to $5.6MM. Of that total, $5MM will be guaranteed (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Jones delivered a 1,000-yard rushing season in his Vikings debut, leading to a 2025 re-signing (two years, $20MM). But injury trouble intervened in 2025.
Ceding time to trade acquisition Jordan Mason last season, Jones rushed for just 547 yards — his fewest since his 2017 rookie season — and missed five games because of a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2. The Vikings dangled Jones in trade talks and were prepared to move on via release if no swap came to fruition, but barely an hour before the NFL’s cap-compliance deadline, the team found a way to retain the aging back.
Jones, 31, initially came to the Twin Cities after declining a Packers pay cut. The former fifth-round pick had already accepted a trim in 2023, but a bigger cut proved too much for the productive veteran to accept. Jones landed with the Vikes on a one-year, $7MM deal and totaled 1,546 scrimmage yards — the second-most of his career — and seven touchdowns in 2024. The seven-year Packer played a central role in the Vikings’ 14-3 season with Sam Darnold at the helm, and the team circled back on a deal that provided $11.5MM guaranteed at signing.
Jones was to earn a $9MM base salary this season; if the Vikings were to cut him, they would have saved nearly $8MM in cap space but taken on nearly $7MM in dead money. Kevin O’Connell‘s team looks set to move forward with a second season with the Mason-Jones RB tandem. The ex-49er infiltrated Jones’ backfield stranglehold, leading the Vikings with 758 rushing yards. Mason averaged 4.8 yards per carry to Jones’ 4.2.
Previously tied to a four-year, $48MM Packers deal agreed to just before the 2021 free agency period, Jones has done well to extend his career. He has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume. Mason, who backed up fellow 2017 RB draftee Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco, is signed for one more season. His two-year, $10.5MM contract calls for a $4.73MM base salary in 2026.
Patriots To Sign S Kevin Byard
The Patriots are not resting on the laurels of their elite defensive performance in 2025. Instead, they are continuing to upgrade the unit with veteran safety Kevin Byard. He is expected to sign a one-year, $9MM deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
In New England, Byard will reunite with Mike Vrabel, who was his head coach for much of his time in Tennessee.
The 2016 third-round pick earned a starting job in his second year and received a first-team All-Pro nod after le Vrabel was hired the following offseason, and Byard was a key part of his defense for the next five years. He was named an All-Pro again in 2021 and put up another strong campaign in 2022, but he was sent to the Eagles at the 2023 trade deadline after the Titans’ 2-4 start. That was also Vrabel’s last year in Tennessee.
Byard signed a two-year, $15MM contract to join the Bears in 2024 and started every game. He was one of many players to see a big jump in performance under the new coaching staff in 2025 with seven interceptions and his third first-team All-Pro selection. Chicago worked to retain him, but Byard preferred to join his former head coach and the reigning AFC champions, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.
In New England, Byard will replace Jaylinn Hawkins in the Patriots secondary after his departure to Baltimore. Hawkins started 15 games in 2025 with a team-high four interceptions, production that the veteran ballhawks should be able to replace. Byard will slot in next to rookie standout Craig Woodson, where his decade of NFL experience could foster the development of the 2025 fourth-round pick.
Falcons To Sign DL Chris Williams
The Falcons have agreed to a one-year contract with defensive lineman Chris Williams, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It’s a $2MM deal.
Undrafted out of Wagner in 2020, Williams caught on with the Colts and spent his rookie season on their practice squad. The 298-pounder went on to play sparingly with Indianapolis from 2021-22, during which he appeared in 13 games and made six tackles.
After the Colts cut Williams in the spring of 2023, he had brief runs on practice squads in Kansas City and Cleveland. Although he did not play a snap for the Browns, they got some value from Williams in an August 2024 trade. The Browns sent Williams and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Bears for a ’25 sixth-rounder. Ian Cunningham, now the Falcons’ general manager, was the Bears’ assistant GM when they acquired Williams.
During his two-year run in Chicago, Williams played in 31 games and clearly impressed Cunningham along the way. In 2024, his lone 17-game season, Williams racked up 23 tackles, seven QB hits and three sacks on 367 defensive snaps. The 27-year-old was on the field for 14 games and 219 defensive plays last season. He finished the year with 14 tackles, two QB hits and a sack.
The Falcons’ defensive line took an obvious hit when David Onyemata left for the Jets on Monday. They have since added Williams and Cameron Thomas in low-cost moves.
Ravens To Re-Sign CB Chidobe Awuzie
Chidobe Awuzie was key member of the Ravens’ secondary in 2025. The veteran corner will remain in place for Baltimore moving forward, with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reporting a new deal has been agreed to. 
This is a one-year, $5MM pact, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds. Per Garafolo, that figure will be guaranteed in full. Awuzie, 30, played for $1.26MM in 2025, but his Baltimore showing has resulted in a considerable raise this spring.
The Ravens have Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey and 2024 first-rounder Nate Wiggins atop their cornerback depth chart. Both players had rough patches in 2025, however, something which was compounded by the failure of the Jaire Alexander experiment. That resulted in a notable workload for Awuzie, who logged five starts and handled a 59% defensive snap share during his debut Baltimore campaign.
The former Cowboy, Bengal and Titan was held with an interception over that span. Awuzie did, however, notch seven pass deflections and he allowed a completion percentage of 55.6% in coverage (the best figure in that respect since 2022). Another good season would be welcomed on a Baltimore defense seeking needed improvements against the pass in 2026 under new head coach Jesse Minter.
The Ravens underwent a slew of coaching changes following the 2025 campaign, which ended without a playoff berth. John Harbaugh will not return, nor will Zach Orr after two seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator (and further time in the organization as both a player and a position coach). Anthony Weaver is back in Baltimore and he will handle DC responsibilities, although Minter – whose stock has risen sharply as one of the league’s top defensive minds – will call plays on that side of the ball.
Orr’s unit ranked 31st against the pass in 2024 and 30th last year. Shoring up the secondary will be a priority for Baltimore, a team which is set to lose safety Alohi Gilman in free agency. Awuzie remaining a steady presence for another year would be welcomed by the Ravens, whose cornerback room could of course benefit from improved play up front. Expectations will be high in that regard, and it will be interesting to see if a stronger edge rush will aid Baltimore’s level of play against the pass.
Colts To Add DE Micheal Clemons
Another of the Jets’ Joe Douglas-era defenders is relocating. Rather than reunite with Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich, Micheal Clemons is heading to Indianapolis.
Clemons is signing a three-year, $17.5MM deal with the Colts, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets. The deal can max out at $18.5MM. The Colts were in the Trey Hendrickson market, but the Ravens prevailed there. Losing Kwity Paye to the Raiders, the Colts will bring in the former Jets contributor to be part of their edge-rushing corps.
The Colts just checked the Daniel Jones deal off their to-do list, freeing up cap space after a cap-clogging $37.83MM transition tag number was on the payroll. Some of those savings will go toward Clemons, a full-time starter in 2024 but more of a depth piece in his other three New York seasons.
One of the Jets’ many trade candidates at last year’s deadline, Clemons started six games during a disastrous 3-14 Gang Green 2025 season. Mostly playing behind Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson last season, Clemons totaled just one sack and five QB hits in 16 games. In 2024, the former fourth-round pick posted a career-best 4.5 sacks.
Clemons, 28, has never posted more than eight QB hits in a season. Although the Texas A&M product was not a regular starter last season, his snap share (55%) outpaced his 2024 number (54%). Last season, DC Steve Wilks used Clemons inside more frequently than Saleh and Ulbrich did. The Colts have regularly turned to their DEs (notably Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis) as hybrid players, though that was under Gus Bradley. Lou Anarumo enters his second season as Indianapolis’ DC.
The Jets, who lost Johnson for the year in 2024 to clear a path for Clemons, are rebooting on their D-line. After trading Quinnen Williams at the 2025 deadline, New York dealt Johnson to Tennessee for T’Vondre Sweat. Ex-Bengal Joseph Ossai is now Big Apple-bound, being set to play opposite McDonald while Sweat takes over as the nose tackle in Aaron Glenn‘s 3-4 front. A career-long 4-3 D-end, Clemons will join Laiatu Latu, JT Tuimoloau and free agency addition Arden Key in Indy.
Seahawks To Re-Sign OT Josh Jones
Josh Jones won a Super Bowl in his debut year in Seattle as the Seahawks’ swing tackle. He will continue in that role in 2026 on a new, one-year contract, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Jones, 28, has changed teams in each of the last three offseasons. He began his career as a Cardinals third-round pick in 2020 and started multiple games at right guard, right tackle, and left tackle in his first three years.
Despite a solid season on the blind side in 2022, he was traded to the Texans during roster cuts in 2023. Jones could not carve out a role in Houston and took a one-year, $1.8MM deal with the Ravens to rebuild his value. Baltimore’s healthy offensive line largely kept Jones off the field, though he did feature as the sixth offensive lineman in ‘jumbo’ packages.
That helped Jones earn a $4MM deal in Seattle. An injury to starting left tackle Charles Cross pressed him into duty for the last three games of the season, and he held up enough for the Seahawks to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
Also staying with the reigning champs is long snapper Chris Stoll, who has landed a two-year deal (via Pelissero). The 27-year-old signed in Seattle as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and won the long snapping job in training camp. He has played in every game since, including February’s Super Bowl win, but did not receive a restricted free agent tag after the season. Instead, he will stay with the Seahawks for at least the next two seasons.
Jets To Sign K Cade York
Losing Nick Folk after a quality reunion season, the Jets are moving to a much younger option. They are adding Cade York on a one-year deal, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. 
York’s lone full NFL season was his rookie campaign. The 2022 Browns draftee played 17 games, but his eight missed field goals and two missed extra points left plenty to be desired. York was let go during roster cutdowns in 2023, and he has hardly seen any game time since then.
The 25-year-old made a single appearance in 2024 with the Commanders along with five as a member of the Bengals. York has seen plenty of time on and off various practice squads and active rosters over the course of his career. Most recently, he had a brief stint with the Saints but was not used in game action.
During his return to the Jets in 2025, Folk missed a total of only one kick. The 41-year-old led the NFL in field goal accuracy for the third season in a row, so replacing him will be no small feat for the team. York’s lack of experience stands in sharp contrast to Folk’s track record at the NFL level. It would certainly come as no surprise if another kicker were to be added later this offseason to set up a training camp competition.
This York agreement will no doubt check in at or near the league minimum. That will leave the Jets with plenty of financial flexibility as their roster overhaul continues.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Dolphins To Sign Josh Uche
After a one-year stint with the Eagles, edge rusher Josh Uche is returning to his native Miami. The Dolphins are signing Uche to a one-year pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
A Patriots second-round pick in 2020, Uche was at his best during an 11.5-sack outburst in 2022. He has been unable to reach those heights since then. Over the past three seasons, which he divided among the Pats, Chiefs and Eagles, Uche combined for six sacks in 40 games.
Uche has started just four of 76 games in the NFL. The 6-foot-3, 226-pounder continued in a rotational role last season in Philadelphia, where he came off the bench in all 12 appearances.
Across 244 defensive snaps, Uche registered just three QB hits and one sack. While those numbers are uninspiring, Uche accrued 23 pressures and 21 hurries, per Pro Football Focus. PFF assigned Uche an impressive 85.1 grade for his work as an Eagle.
Now that Uche is heading to Miami, he will reunite with new Dolphins linebackers coach Al Washington. He coached Michigan’s LBs in 2018, when Uche notched seven sacks during his junior year with the Wolverines.
Teaming up with Washington again, Uche could log more playing time on a rebuilding Miami club devoid of edge rushers beyond Chop Robinson. Bradley Chubb led last year’s Dolphins with 8.5 sacks, but they released him in a cost-cutting move. If Uche is successful in helping to fill Chubb’s void, he could set himself up for a better deal a year from now.
Patriots To Release Anfernee Jennings
Although the Patriots shopped outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings before last November’s trade deadline, he ended up finishing the season with the AFC champions. The team is now set to release Jennings, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
This will end a lengthy tenure in New England for Jennings, who joined what was then a Bill Belichick-led franchise in 2020. Initially an inside linebacker, the former third-rounder from Alabama made minimal impact as a reserve during his first three seasons. Jennings missed his entire second year with an undisclosed injury.
After a 16-game, three-start 2022, Jennings took on a much bigger role the next season. As a 14-game starter in 15 appearances, Jennings totaled 66 tackles and 14 TFL over 677 defensive snaps. Jennings only put up 1.5 sacks, but he was a force against the run. The Patriots were impressed enough to hand Jennings a three-year, $12MM deal during the ensuing offseason.
Jennings remained in a starting role in 2024, the Patriots’ lone season with Jerod Mayo as their head coach. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder recorded career highs in snaps (831), tackles (78), starts (16), QB hits (nine) and sacks (2.5).
In a move that helped spark a drastic one-year turnaround for the Patriots, Mike Vrabel replaced Mayo in 2025. Jennings played 14 games under Vrabel and a new staff, but his impact diminished. Across 280 snaps and three starts, Jennings logged 26 tackles, seven QB hits, five TFL and a pair of sacks. He chipped in another 16 tackles and two sacks in the Patriots’ four-game playoff run. Pro Football Focus ranked Jennings’ regular-season performance a middling 57th among 119 qualifying edge rushers, though he earned a top-20 grade against the run.
In releasing the 28-year-old Jennings, the Patriots will save around $3.8MM. The club lost edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson to the Commanders earlier Wednesday, but it prepared for his exit in agreeing to sign Dre’Mont Jones on Monday.
Dolphins To Re-Sign LB Willie Gay
The Dolphins just saw K.J. Britt agree to terms with the Patriots, but another of their role players on defense is staying. Veteran linebacker Willie Gay is coming back to Miami on a one-year deal, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson tweets.
Formerly the Chiefs’ top Nick Bolton sidekick, Gay never signed a second Kansas City contract. The Chiefs ended up preferring Drue Tranquill, re-signing him in 2024 and letting Gay walk. Gay joined the Saints that year and played last season with the Dolphins. Today marks his third straight one-year contract.
Miami had Gay on a one-year, $1.34MM deal in 2025. That represented a pay cut from his Saints rate ($3MM); it is safe to say Gay’s stock has dropped from when he was a three-time Chiefs Super Bowl starter.
Although Gay played 17 Dolphins games last season, he only started two. This came after 47 Chiefs starting assignments and eight with the Saints. Gay, 28, played just 12% of Miami’s defensive snaps in 2025.
Jordyn Brooks resides as the Dolphins’ linebacking centerpiece, and Tyrel Dodson is also under contract. A former first-round pick, Brooks is entering the final season of his three-year, $26.25MM contract. As I discussed in PFR’s Dolphins Offseason Outlook, the prolific tackler should be an extension candidate. But the Dolphins have hired new decision-makers, clouding that matter to a degree. But Jeff Hafley will use Gay as a defender/depth piece next season.