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Jets, LB Jamin Davis Agree To Deal

March 13th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Adam La Rose

Jamin Davis is headed to the AFC for the first time in his career. The former first-rounder has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Davis was drafted by Washington as a linebacker, and he logged 36 total starts with the team. Things did not go as planned at that position, though, and near the end of his time in the nation’s capital a switch to edge rusher was made. In spite of that move, Davis found himself on waivers midway through the 2024 campaign.

After a brief stint on the Packers’ practice squad, the Kentucky product was claimed by the Vikings as an Ivan Pace injury replacement at linebacker. Davis made four appearances with Minnesota, seeing sparse usage on defense while logging a partial special teams workload. He ended the campaign in the Jets’ organization.

This move will therefore allow Davis to remain in New York, although he will not be a familiar face to the team’s new regime (general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn). The 26-year-old’s new pact will no doubt check in near the league minimum, and he will turn his attention to competing for a roster spot during the offseason. The Jets managed to retain Jamien Sherwood on a $15MM-per-year deal, but as expected they released fellow linebacker C.J. Mosley yesterday.

Special teamer Samuel Eguavoen is a free agent after spending each of the past two seasons with the Jets. If he were to depart on the open market, Davis could attempt to fill his third phase role while offering experience as a defensive starter.

Rams To Release Cooper Kupp; Latest On WR’s Market

March 12th, 2025 at 11:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Cooper Kupp trade partner has emerged. The Rams are moving on via release, NFL.com’s Tom Pelisseso reports. Releasing Kupp after the start of the 2025 league year (3pm CT today) will allow for a post-June 1 designation.

This will make Kupp a first-time free agent, and although no trade materialized, Kupp will generate FA interest, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. At least three teams have known interest, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes. The Packers should be a team to watch here, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, mentioning the Seahawks and Titans as potential fits as well. The Raiders would also be interested, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, though they do not appear willing to make this move without a notable discount.

Kupp will join a host of accomplished early-30-something WRs in free agency. Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and Tyler Lockett are also available. None put together a season quite like what Kupp did in 2021, though his injuries since will limit his market. Kupp’s availability also stands to affect the above-referenced wideouts’ markets, as it is becoming crowded at receiver in free agency. Diontae Johnson joins this cast, but the veteran starter’s complicated 2024 has tanked his stock.

The Rams will be on the hook for a $5MM Kupp salary guarantee this year and prorated signing bonus money in 2025 and ’26. They will, however, avoid a $7.5MM roster bonus by moving on now. Kupp was due a $12.5MM base salary in 2025. The Rams can split the $22.26MM dead money bill over two offseasons with a post-June 1 designation. That expected move will create $15MM in 2025 cap savings.

Kupp, 31, said Sean McVay told him he would be traded shortly after the season. The former triple-crown winner made the Rams’ intentions public, indicating he was out after eight seasons. Although the Rams were willing to eat salary in a trade, teams waited them out and will determine FA proposals. Les Snead said Kupp’s $7.5MM bonus, which was due in a few days, served as the deadline for a decision and never made it sound like a ninth season together was in the cards.

Between the time the Rams informed Kupp he would be out of the picture soon and the actual release transpiring, the team signed Davante Adams. The three-time All-Pro will step in alongside Puka Nacua. The Rams’ Adams contract only brings 2025 guarantees, as a 2026 cut with a bit of dead money attached would be in play if that does not prove a it. Adams, however, has stayed much healthier than Kupp and has shown more consistency as a high-end receiver — even if Kupp has produced this decade’s best WR season.

The former third-round pick out of Division I-FCS Eastern Washington, Kupp made the closest push to Calvin Johnson‘s single-season receiving record. He paired 145 receptions and 16 touchdowns with the 1,947 passing yards. Kupp also trails only 2008 Larry Fitzgerald for yards in a single playoffs, having totaled 478 and six TDs — including a Super Bowl LVI game-winner — to help the Rams to a title. Significant injury trouble intervened in the years that followed, as ankle and hamstring maladies kept him off the field for 18 games over the past three seasons.

The Rams had given Kupp two extensions, with the second coming less than two years after the first. Kupp agreed to a three-year, $47.25MM extension in 2020 — after he had bounced back from a 2018 ACL tear with a 1,000-yard 2019 — and he inked a three-year, $80.1MM deal months after Super Bowl LVI.

Kupp ultimately could not deliver on the second payday, though he still showed he has starter-level form in his tank. He posted 710 receiving yards and six TDs in 12 games last season, though the team did not turn to him much down the stretch. We will soon find out how other clubs value him, especially on a crowded market.

Broncos To Sign TE Evan Engram

March 12th, 2025 at 11:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The AFC West duel that formed for Evan Engram has broken the Broncos’ way. After meeting with the Broncos and Chargers, Engram is heading to Denver.

The two-time Pro Bowl tight end is committing to the Broncos on a two-year deal, according to his agency (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). It is unclear if the Bolts submitted an offer, but they scheduled a visit with the eight-year veteran. Engram will join a Broncos team that featured a greater need for a receiving tight end.

Engram’s deal comes after another former Payton-era Saint, Juwan Johnson, signed a three-year, $30.75MM deal to stay in New Orleans. It would stand to reason the Broncos pursued Johnson, who is going into his age-29 season. They will land a player who has proven more as a receiver, but one going into an age-31 season. The Broncos are giving Engram $23MM over two seasons, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reporting $16.5MM will be fully guaranteed. This is a nice haul for a player the Jaguars cut last week.

Fetching more than Johnson and Mike Gesicki on a per-year basis, Engram also has done well for guarantees. This certainly points to the Broncos fending off competition for a player who has two Pro Bowls on his resume. The Jags bailed on Engram’s three-year, $41.25MM extension with one year left, and the Broncos will hope the former first-round pick can address a yearslong issue.

Including Noah Fant in their 2022 Russell Wilson trade, the Broncos have not come especially close to replacing the middling TE’s production. Injuries significantly limited Greg Dulcich in Denver, and the former third-round pick did not prove a fit in Sean Payton’s offense. While the Broncos re-signed ex-Saints draftee Adam Trautman last year, he posted just 188 receiving yards; that led Denver tight ends in 2024. The Chargers may have possessed a need as well, but 2024 addition Will Dissly nearly reached 500 yards last season.

Not profiling as a prolific red zone threat (25 touchdowns in eight seasons), Engram still helped the Jaguars during most of his stay. Given a one-year deal in 2021, Engram broke Jacksonville’s single-season TE receiving yardage record — with 766. That led to a franchise tag and an extension, as Engram added seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Jags’ wild-card comeback win over the Bolts that year. Engram’s 963-yard season in 2023 came on 114 catches — second-most in Jaguars history. A hamstring issue and a labrum tear slowed Engram in 2024, limiting him to nine games.

Surpassing 650 yards twice as a Giant, Engram was inconsistent during Eli Manning‘s final seasons and Daniel Jones‘ early years. A more refined version of the playmaker should have a chance to make noise in Denver, which did not boast much receiving consistency outside of Courtland Sutton last season. Engram will join Sutton and younger receivers for Payton, who appeared to have placed the Broncos’ TE and RB needs over perceived desire to add a starter-level WR.

Commanders Agree To Sign DE Deatrich Wise

March 12th, 2025 at 11:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders continue to rebuild their defensive line for the 2025 NFL season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the team will add defensive end Deatrich Wise on a one-year, $5MM contract.

After watching Jonathan Allen depart for Minnesota in free agency and seeing the contracts of Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler expire, Washington was going to need to address a defensive line that, despite the return of Daron Payne, Dorance Armstrong, and Jer’Zhan Newton, lacked depth and experience. The team started with the huge, impact addition of defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and followed that up today with another defensive tackle in Eddie Goldman and Wise.

Wise has resided in New England ever since the Patriots drafted him in the fourth round in 2017. Over an eight-year career in New England, Wise appeared in 126 of a possible 131 games and made 61 starts. He’s pretty consistently averaged just over 4.5 sacks per season while totaling 34 tackles for loss and 90 quarterback hits. Early in his career, as a rotational rusher, Wise consistently got after the quarterback, with 9.5 sacks and 35 quarterback hits in his first two seasons. It took him another three years to pass three sacks in a season after that.

Over his eight years in the NFL with the Patriots, Wise only spent two years (2022 & 2023) as a full-time starter. He took advantage of that first season, seeing career highs in sacks (7.5), total tackles (59), and tackles for loss (7) while adding 11 quarterback hits. In 2023, though, his time as a full-time starter was less effective, only resulting in 4.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits. He had a resurgent 2024 campaign, despite missing two games, totaling five sacks, five tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits.

Due to a lack of depth and options, Wise projects to be a starter across from Armstrong at the moment in Washington. Additional free agent or draft additions could certainly change that outlook, though, and put Wise back into position as a rotational rusher.

In New England, the Patriots aren’t losing too much along the defensive line besides Wise, and they’ve added a significant piece in former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams and a depth piece in former Cardinals defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga. It’s not apples and apples, but the presence of those two along the defensive front should give New England plenty of alignment options with the staff they now have.

Commanders To Sign DT Eddie Goldman

March 12th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eddie Goldman has unretired twice, having sat out the 2022 and ’23 seasons. The former Bears mainstay, however, made a return stick last season and did enough to secure a signing early in free agency.

The Commanders are bringing in the veteran nose tackle, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Once the recipient of a big-ticket Chicago extension, Goldman managed to earn an extended chance from Atlanta despite entering the 2024 season having missed three of the previous four years. That certainly makes this Washington agreement noteworthy.

Despite entering the league in 2015, Goldman is still just 31. That undoubtedly helped keep teams interested, but Goldman is coming off a 10-start season. The Falcons had signed him in 2022, only to see him retire. They allowed Goldman to come off the reserve/retired list in 2023; he re-retired. Last year, though, Goldman played in all 17 Falcons games and stuck around even as a new coaching staff arrived.

Although a new coaching staff came in, the GM that had both drafted and extended Goldman in Chicago (Ryan Pace) remained in Terry Fontenot‘s front office. Goldman and Pace will separate now, with the split coming after the resurgent D-tackle played 331 snaps. That nearly matched his total from his final Bears season. The Bears cut Goldman early in Ryan Poles‘ GM tenure, but after Pace helped bring him to Atlanta, he will move on and join a Commanders team that has seen changes at this position.

Washington released Jonathan Allen after eight seasons; that move came months after the team cut Phidarian Mathis. A door seemingly swung open for Johnny Newton, but the Commanders gave ex-49ers first-rounder Javon Kinlaw a three-year, $45MM deal. Newton may join Goldman as a second-stringer next season, should Goldman make the Commanders’ 53-man roster. An 83-game starter, the former second-round pick will attempt to play an eighth NFL season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2025 league year begins, here are the Wednesday tender decisions involving restricted and exclusive rights free agents:

RFAs

Tendered:

Nontendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Nontendered:

The Ravens have discussed an extension with Washington, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. For now, the safety is on Baltimore’s cap sheet at $3.26MM. A second-round tender would have cost the Ravens $5.35MM and brought back a second-round pick if the team did not match an offer sheet elsewhere. An unmatched Washington offer sheet now would not bring the Ravens any compensation. Washington started 10 games for the Ravens last season.

WR Adam Thielen Staying With Panthers On Revised Deal

March 12th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

We knew that veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen would be returning for his 12th season of NFL action. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he will be doing so on a revised contract. Joe Person of The Athletic confirms Fowler’s report while adding that the new deal comes with a pay bump for the 34-year-old.

After a couple of down years before his move to Carolina, Thielen was a bit of an under-the-radar addition to the Panthers’ wide receiving corps in 2023. Despite consistent inconsistency in the quarterbacks room, Thielen had a resurgent season, reeling in 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. This past year, Thielen’s impressive output for the Panthers continued as he improved on those numbers through 10 games (615 receiving yards for five touchdowns) despite a seven-game absence in the middle of the year.

Usually, when an aging skills player in their 30s has their contract revised, it’s to reduce their cap impact with a pay cut, usually rewarding them with a signing bonus or some guarantees. In this situation, the Panthers are actually rewarding Thielen for his impressive contributions in the past two seasons by giving him a higher salary.

Thielen was set to make $6.75MM in 2025, including a $1.5MM roster bonus set to take effect this weekend. Per Person, this new deal will actually add to his cap number. There are no plans to extend his time under contract, however, as Person claims that the deal should still void after this season.

It’s an unusual development for a player set to enter the 2025 season at 35 years old, but one well worth it for a player who has been a consistent rock during a turbulent two years of quarterback play. Thielen will continue to serve as a leader and mentor to last year’s rookie wide receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker.

Cardinals Signing DT Dalvin Tomlinson

March 12th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson didn’t last long on the free agent market. After getting released by the Browns at the start of the week, Tomlinson is signing with the Cardinals, per Field Yates of ESPN. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that the deal is for two years with a base value of $29MM, including $16MM in guaranteed money.

Tomlinson has been a full-time starter in the NFL ever since the Vikings drafted him in the second round out of Alabama in 2017. While he doesn’t stuff the stat sheet with sacks (only 19.0 in his career), he’s been plenty disruptive throughout his career, racking up tackles for loss (36) and quarterback hits (67) aplenty. Tomlinson really hangs his hat on being one of the more well-rounded defensive tackles in the league, often seeing his run defense grades as high as his pass rush grades on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Tomlinson had a decent year in 2024, grading out as the 32nd-best interior defender of 118 players graded by PFF. While that was certainly a strong bounce back from 2023, when he graded 57th (the worst of his career), it still hasn’t been up to par with every other season he’s played with the Giants and Vikings, when he would routinely rank in the top 20.

Tomlinson becomes the second big addition to the Cardinals’ defensive line this offseason, joining the huge, impact signing of defensive end Josh Sweat. Along with Sweat, Tomlinson joins a line that features defensive tackles Bilal Nichols, whose first year in Arizona was cut short last season with a season-ending stinger, and defensive tackle Justin Jones, who also missed most of the season with a torn triceps. They’re also joined by L.J. Collier, who re-signed with the team today on a one-year deal.

The Cardinals didn’t really get to see what their line could look like with Nichols and Jones for a full season last year, but now they’ll have a rotation including those two with Tomlinson. After being a weakness due to injury for most of last year, the defensive line is starting to look pretty strong in Arizona for 2025.

QB Mac Jones Headed To 49ers

March 12th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Former first-round quarterback Mac Jones will play for a third team after finishing out his rookie deal in Jacksonville. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jones is headed to San Francisco, where he will serve as the 49ers’ backup quarterback behind Brock Purdy. Jones joins the team on a two-year, $7MM deal that includes $5MM guaranteed and could be worth up to $11.5MM with incentives.

After being drafted 15th overall out of Alabama by the Patriots in 2021, Jones hit the ground running, starting every game as a rookie. He led New England to the playoffs with a 10-7 record, throwing for 3,801 passing yards for 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, earning himself a Pro Bowl bid and projecting ample hope for Patriots fans about their long-term future.

Unfortunately, that success didn’t last. In the 14 starts of his sophomore campaign, Jones failed to reach 3,000 passing yards while going 6-8 and throwing only 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. In his third season (and with his third offensive coordinator), Jones and the Patriots started the season 2-9 before he ultimately got benched for Bailey Zappe. In those 11 starts, he threw only 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Last year saw Jones traded to Jacksonville for the 2024 campaign, where he would officially start the year as a backup to Trevor Lawrence. When Lawrence went down with an AC joint sprain, Jones was relied upon as the starter for the remainder of the season. In those eight games down the back half of the season, the Jaguars went 2-6 as Jones threw for 1,672 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions.

In San Francisco, Jones will be QB2 once again. The 49ers saw the contracts of both Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen expire this offseason, with Dobbs actually signing to Jones’ former team in New England. Purdy had been fairly consistent health-wise in his first two seasons, but he did miss two games last year.

In any case, the 49ers continue to do well in putting extremely capable backups behind Purdy in case of disaster. It’s actually quite interesting to see Jones join up with head coach Kyle Shanahan as there were reports back in 2021 that Jones was the preferred option of Shanahan over Trey Lance, whom the team drafted third overall that year.

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