Browns To Sign OL Elgton Jenkins
Despite coming off a major injury and being a Monday Packers cap casualty, Elgton Jenkins had interested suitors waiting. The Browns will win that pursuit, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Jenkins was released with a failed physical designation, but the Browns will work with the rehabbing blocker. Jenkins agreed to a two-year deal worth $24MM, per NFL.com. Illustrating the interest coming in for the former Pro Bowler, $20MM of that deal is guaranteed.
The Browns explored trading for Jenkins, whom the Packers had dangled before his eventual release. The Ravens were also involved, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Baltimore lost Tyler Linderbaum to Las Vegas (and a record-obliterating center contract) on Monday.
A two-time Pro Bowler as a guard, Jenkins has played both tackle positions and most recently stepped in at center for the 2025 Packers. Green Bay extended Jenkins (four years, $68MM) during his second Pro Bowl campaign, but with one year remaining on that contract, the former second-round pick was deemed expendable. As the Packers have pivoted to other expenses on their O-line, they moved on. The Browns continue to reshape their front with outside vets.
The Browns’ offensive line, which featured five starters and its 2025 sixth man unsigned entering free agency, is taking shape. Cleveland traded for Tytus Howard and gave the ex-Texans starter an extension. The Browns then signed former Chargers first-rounder Zion Johnson. Spot starter Teven Jenkins re-signed with the team today, and Elgton Jenkins is coming in as well. With both Johnson and Teven Jenkins entrenched as guards, it would seem the Browns will ask Elgton Jenkins to play center.
Jenkins, 30, is coming off a season shortened by a lower leg fracture and ligament damage. That injury occurred in mid-November. While Jenkins had initially hoped to return late in the season, his failed physical designation points to the injury taking longer than expected to heal. But the Browns appear unconcerned with the accomplished veteran’s 2026 status. Jenkins has only played one season of center in the pros, but Cleveland looks likely to ask for an encore.
The Browns lost four-year center Ethan Pocic to an Achilles tear in December; the veteran is going into an age-31 season. Jenkins will turn 31 in December but has been a better player. A linchpin of the Packers’ O-line to close the Aaron Rodgers era, Jenkins earned Pro Bowl acclaim in 2020 and ’22 at guard. Green Bay used him at right tackle in between those seasons before deciding guard would be the best spot for the former second-rounder. When the Pack signed Aaron Banks last year, however, they slid Jenkins to center. A raise request was then met with silence from the team, but Jenkins has landed on his feet despite the 2025 injury.
It is possible the Browns have rounded out their O-line. The Jenkinses will join Johnson along the interior as Howard — frequently used at LG — will return to his natural RT post. Dawand Jones may be given a shot to win the LT job, but he has suffered two season-ending injuries in three years. The Browns could certainly go tackle at No. 6 overall.
Steelers Sign P Cameron Johnston
Cameron Johnston is back in Pittsburgh. The veteran punter has signed a one-year deal, the team announced on Tuesday. 
Johnston was with the Steelers in 2024, but he was limited to just one game that season due to injury. The 34-year-old Australian split his time between the Bills and Giants last season, making four total appearances. He will now look to reclaim the punting gig in Pittsburgh.
Corliss Waitman has served as the Steelers’ punter since Johnston went down. That could continue moving forward, although Waitman is a pending restricted free agent. It will be interesting to see if today’s move has any impact on Pittsburgh retaining Waitman on a new deal.
Johnston is a veteran of 105 combined regular and postseason games. He had a busy stretch with the Eagles and Texans spanning 2018-23, including one year (2021) in which he led the NFL in punts (88). The former UDFA has averaged 47.7 gross yards per punt with a net of 42.0 over the course of his career.
The Steelers lined up a pair of key moves on offense Monday, agreeing to a trade for wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and a signing of running back Rico Dowdle. The team’s quarterback position is still unsettled, and arriving at a final decision on that front will of course be a key priority in the near future. In any case, the punter spot has been addressed regardless of what happens with Waitman.
Broncos To Release LB Dre Greenlaw
MARCH 10: The Broncos are planning to use one of their two allotted post-June 1 designations to make this release. Greenlaw will be cut Wednesday as a result, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson tweets. A post-June 1 move will save $8.19MM in cap space for the Broncos, though they cannot use that money until June.
MARCH 9: Agreeing to terms to bring back Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, the Broncos are bailing on their other primary 2025 linebacker. Dre Greenlaw is out after one season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Greenlaw was due to see a $2MM salary guarantee this week. The Broncos will not pay that and will instead move on from the increasingly injury-prone talent. Because of Greenlaw’s Super Bowl LVIII Achilles tear and the ensuing near-season-long absence in 2024, the Broncos were able to sign him by guaranteeing one year of a three-year contract. Denver will use the escape hatch in the deal.
Before training camp, Greenlaw suffered a quad injury. He then sustained a separate quad injury during camp, leading to an IR placement to start the season. The former Fred Warner San Francisco sidekick then sustained a hamstring injury in December, costing him time to close the regular season. While Greenlaw returned for the playoffs, he played just eight regular-season games — losing another due to a suspension — during his time as a Bronco.
Formerly one of the NFL’s best linebackers, Greenlaw has seen his stock fall since that seminal Achilles tear. While that made a significant difference in the 49ers’ defensive plan against the Chiefs in an overtime loss, Greenlaw played only a few dozen snaps in 2024. The 49ers still out-offered the Broncos — though, it was never specified if that meant in total compensation, AAV or guarantees — for Greenlaw after an 11th-hour push in 2025, but Denver won out. But the payoff did not come.
Denver will save just more than $6MM by releasing Greenlaw, who played his age-28 season in Colorado. Even though Greenlaw’s three-year, $31.5MM deal did not pan out, he should have a chance to bounce back. Though, the former 49ers fifth-rounder’s injury issues may bring a one-year “prove it” deal at this point.
In retaining Singleton and Strnad, the Broncos will be going with two 30-something starters at linebacker. Singleton is 32, while Strnad will turn 30 this year. It would not surprise to see the defending AFC West champs add a piece early in the draft. For now, though, a Singleton-Strnad duo is in place.
Cowboys To Sign DT Otito Ogbonnia
The Cowboys continue to make moves on defense early in the negotiating period. Otito Ogbonnia is heading to Dallas on a one-year, $3MM deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. 
Ogbonnia just finished playing out his rookie contract with the Chargers. Across his four years in Los Angeles, the former fifth-round pick logged 20 starts. 17 of those came in 2024, a year in which Ogbonnia set a new career high with 37 tackles.
The 25-year-old will join a very crowded defensive front with the Cowboys. Osa Odighizuwa remains in the fold, as does Kenny Clark (whom the team acquired as part of the Micah Parsons blockbuster). Improving along the defensive interior remained a priority through the 2025 season, and Dallas acquired Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline. Further additions have nevertheless been targeted early in the negotiating period.
To little surprise, the Cowboys have focused on the defensive side of the ball so far this week. Another notable trade agreement with the Packers – this time for edge rusher Rashan Gary – has been worked out. Dallas has also lined up free agent deals with safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke. Improving at all three levels of the defense will be critical in avoiding a repeat of the 2025 season.
Ogbonnia will look to carve out a role as part of that effort. The UCLA product’s defensive snap share varied significantly during his time with the Bolts, and last season he only handed a 25% workload. It will be interesting to see how much new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker uses Ogbonnia in 2026. A strong showing in a rotational role could lead to a more lucrative pact next spring.
Cowboys, S P.J. Locke Agree To Deal
For the second day in a row, the Cowboys have lined up a safety deal. P.J. Locke is heading to Dallas, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
This will be a one-year deal, Rapoport adds. Locke will earn up to $5MM with his new team. He and Jalen Thompson are positioned to handle key roles on Dallas’ defense next season.
Locke came up as a Cowboys target just before free agency, as he has played for new Dallas DC Christian Parker previously. Parker’s time as the Broncos’ DBs coach (2021-23) overlapped with Locke’s stay as a backup and then starter. Year 3 of Parker’s work with Locke involved a promotion into a starting role — as Kareem Jackson was suspended twice for illegal hits and then released — alongside Justin Simmons, and the Broncos re-signed Locke in 2024.
A former UDFA out of Texas, Locke will return to his home state after playing out a two-year, $7MM Denver deal. The Broncos signed Brandon Jones (three years, $20MM) in 2024 but brought back Locke to start alongside the ex-Dolphin. Locke’s performance, however, prompted the AFC West team to give Talanoa Hufanga a three-year, $39MM deal in 2025. Locke worked primarily as a third safety in Denver last season.
After 23 starts from 2023-24, Locke only made three during the ’25 regular season. This came after he underwent offseason spine surgery. But the Broncos needed the sub late in the season, as Jones suffered a season-ending pectoral injury. Locke started alongside Hufanga in both Denver’s playoff games, making a crucial divisional-round interception as the Broncos staved off the Bills. The six-year veteran also forced a fumble in Denver’s overtime win, making nine tackles in the game.
With Jones and Hufanga due back in Denver, Locke is leaving for a potential starting role. Though, his contract could lead to a competition or another reserve opportunity. Thompson agreed to a three-year, $33MM accord, and the Cowboys have Malik Hooker on a reworked deal. Hooker is now tied to a one-year, $5MM contract. That could pit him against Locke in a competition. Locke’s past with Parker should help ahead of an age-29 season.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Jets To Sign CB Nahshon Wright
Nahshon Wright came through with a big contract year, doing so after being previously discarded. Wright’s market did not heat up to the point teams are completely sold, but the veteran cornerback will see a 2026 raise.
The Jets are adding Wright on a one-year deal worth up to $5.5MM, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets. It certainly seems teams expressed considerable skepticism at Wright’s five-interception Bears season, as this amounts to a “prove it” contract.
A former Cowboys third-round pick, Wright played a key role for a division-winning Bears team. The 6-foot-4 corner benefited from Jaylon Johnson’s early-season injury, starting 16 games. Once Johnson returned from injury, the Bears continued to deploy Wright as a starter by reducing former second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson‘s role. But Wright’s past looks to have made a big investment a tough sell for some teams. Wright was interested in re-signing with the Bears, but it does not appear the interest was mutual.
The Cowboys gave up on Wright during their 2024 training camp, trading him straight up for Vikings second-round corner Andrew Booth. The latter is now in the UFL. Minnesota also released Wright in April 2025, leading to his Chicago stop. The would-be Bears depth piece impressed with his coverage instincts, compensating for suboptimal speed. The Bears used the reclamation project on 97% of their snaps, far outpacing Stevenson’s workload.
This represents a raise for Wright, who played for just $1.1MM in 2025, but it also may be costly. Wright is heading into his age-28 season; the Oregon State will need to submit a quality Jets campaign to drive a market in 2027 — or through an extension — and he is running out of time on that front.
New York has disbanded its strong CB trio from the Robert Saleh years, trading both Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II and letting D.J. Reed walk (to the Lions) last year in free agency. Aaron Glenn‘s team acquired Jarvis Brownlee from the Titans early last season, doing so after signing ex-Ravens CB2 Brandon Stephens to a $12MM-per-year deal. The team used a third-round pick on Azareye’h Thomas last year as well. This setup did not deliver much in Year 1, as the Jets’ defense cratered, but Wright should bring some upside — especially at this low price.
Lions, Malcolm Rodriguez Agree To Deal
Alex Anzalone will not be back with the Lions in 2026. The opposite is true for Malcolm Rodriguez, though, with NFL insider Jordan Schultz reporting he has agreed to a one-year deal.
As a sixth-round rookie in 2022, Rodriguez was a “Hard Knocks” star who ended up a 15-game starter in the regular season. The Oklahoma State product totaled 87 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble then, but it was not enough to hold down a starting job.
In 2023, Rodriguez’s only 17-game season, he played just 10.99% of defensive snaps. On the other hand, he recorded the Lions’ third-highest special teams snap share (67.92%).
Rodriguez saw more action as a defender than a special teamer in his third season, but he was one of many Lions defenders to suffer a serious injury that year. A torn ACL ended his season in late November. Rodriguez finished 2024 with 43 tackles and a career-high two sacks over 10 games and six starts.
After Rodriguez went through a year-long recovery from his knee injury, the 5-foot-11, 230-pounder came off the PUP list last November. He played 160 special teams snaps and 72 on defense over seven games. Rodriguez made 12 tackles during his late-season return.
With Anzalone on his way to Tampa Bay, Gonzalez could be a bigger factor in Detroit’s defense in 2026. As things stand, Rodriguez, Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes are the only Lions linebackers under contract.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Panthers To Re-Sign LB Isaiah Simmons
Isaiah Simmons will remain in place with the Panthers in 2026. The veteran linebacker has agreed to a new Carolina deal, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.
As a Swiss Army knife at Clemson, the 6-foot-4, 238-pound Simmons logged at least 100 snaps at five positions: inside linebacker, slot corner, free safety, outside linebacker and strong safety. In 2019, his last college season, Simmons took home the Butkus Award for the nation’s best linebacker and earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Simmons’ success at Clemson convinced the Cardinals to draft him eighth overall in 2020. The Panthers considered Simmons at No. 7, but they wisely chose defensive tackle Derrick Brown instead. Brown remains a cornerstone defender in Carolina, while Simmons has not made the type of impact most expected when he entered the league.
Simmons did not find a home at either safety or linebacker in Arizona, though he mostly served as a starter there from 2020-22. The Cardinals sent Simmons to the Giants for a seventh-round pick before the 2023 campaign. The Giants shifted Simmons back to linebacker, where he played in 34 straight games over two seasons, but did not re-sign him in free agency last year.
Simmons joined the Packers last April, but he was unable to earn a roster spot. Three months after the Packers cut him in late August, the 27-year-old signed with the Panthers’ practice squad at the end of November. Simmons appeared in five regular-season games, though just one of his 88 snaps came on defense. In the Panthers’ lone playoff game, a wild-card round matchup against the Rams, Simmons came up with a well-timed blocked punt late in the fourth quarter. It nearly helped the Panthers to an upset, but they dropped a 34-31 nail-biter.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Patriots To Sign WR Romeo Doubs
Wide receiver Romeo Doubs is leaving Green Bay for New England. The Patriots are signing Doubs to a four-year, $80MM contract, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal comes with a base value of $68MM, Albert Breer of SI.com relays.
The Commanders were among the teams the Patriots beat out for the 6-foot-2, 204-pound Doubs, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. It was a “very close” race between the two, per Schultz, but the Commanders will have to look elsewhere for a complement to No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin.
The Patriots have come up most frequently in trade rumors centering on Eagles receiver A.J. Brown. The Doubs signing does not rule out a Brown acquisition, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. But the Patriots may now be “less inclined” to meet the Eagles’ asking price, writes McLane, who adds there has been a “gulf” in negotiations.
Doubs is not on Brown’s level, but the four-year veteran has nonetheless put together a solid career. The 2022 fourth-rounder from Nevada started in 50 of 59 games in Green Bay. Doubs has averaged roughly 15 games, 51 catches, 80 targets, 606 yards and five touchdowns per season. He started in 15 of 16 games in 2025 and hauled in 55 of 85 targets for a career-best 724 yards and six scores.
Only two members of last season’s AFC champion Patriots, receiver Stefon Diggs and tight end Hunter Henry, caught more passes and totaled more yards than Doubs. The Patriots informed Diggs of his release last week, making it all the more obvious they would target receiving help for quarterback Drake Maye this spring. The team was in on Alec Pierce before he re-signed with the Colts on a four-year, $116MM contract on Monday. It pivoted to Doubs, PFR’s 11th-ranked free agent, on a less lucrative agreement a day later.
Further acquisitions could be in store for the Patriots’ receiving corps between today and the draft. As of now, though, Doubs will join Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism to comprise the group.
As for the Packers, they are losing the receiver they relied on most in 2025. Doubs easily paced their wideouts in snap share (74.22%) and led the team in most major pass-catching categories.
The Doubs-less Packers still have a number of in-house options, including a pair of high 2025 picks in first-rounder Matthew Golden and third-rounder Savion Williams. Although their rookie production fell flat, they are in line to rejoin veterans Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks in 2026. The Packers will also count on a healthier season for tight end Tucker Kraft, who thrived before tearing his ACL in Week 9.
Texans To Sign RT Braden Smith
After eight years with the Colts, right tackle Braden Smith is signing with the AFC South rival Texans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. It’s a two-year, $25MM agreement with $13.5MM in fully guaranteed money, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Once the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL, Smith wrapped up a four-year, $72MM contract in 2025. Until now, the 6-foot-6, 312-pound Smith spent his entire career with the Colts.
As the 37th overall pick in 2018, the ex-Auburn Tiger became a full-time starter in his rookie season. He came off the bench twice that year, but Smith has started in the rest of his 105 appearances in the league. However, availability has been an issue throughout Smith’s career. Smith has missed a total of 26 games, and he put together his lone full season back in 2019.
Five of Smith’s absences came while he left the Colts to seek treament for obsessive compulsive disorder in 2024. Smith told his wife he would have retired had the issue persisted. Fortunately, Smith was able to continue his career last season. He played in 13 games, his most since 2022, but his year ended with a stint on IR. The Colts shut Smith down in mid-December as a result of a concussion and neck injury. He finished as Pro Football Focus’ 48th-ranked tackle out of 84 qualifiers.
The Smith pickup is the first outside O-line acquisition this offseason for the Texans. The team traded guard/tackle Tytus Howard to Cleveland and shipped interior lineman Juice Scruggs to Detroit last week. The Texans have since re-signed tackle Trent Brown and brought back right guard Ed Ingram. The bulk of Howard’s work came at right tackle last season, but Smith could slide in as his replacement next to Ingram.