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Minor NFL Transactions: 3/25/25

March 25th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Tuesday’s minor transactions:

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Thomas’ seven-year stay in Carolina has come to an end. After not missing a game for the first five years of his career, Thomas has missed half the games over the past two seasons. Despite making 54 starts in 99 games over that time, Thomas has never excelled as a receiving tight end, totaling just 1,062 yards in his career and not scoring a touchdown since 2020. He has made his name, mostly, as a strong pass blocker and will likely continue in that role in Vegas with the Raiders already rostering one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL.

Stinnie, a six-year veteran, has started 15 games in his career. Most of those came in 2023 with the Buccaneers, but he did make three starts for New York near the end of the season while appearing in 16 games.

Sims has journeyed throughout the NFL in his six-year career, playing for four teams over that time. While he made moderate receiving contributions during his early years in the league, Sims has mostly functioned as an option in the return game for the teams he’s played with.

Over the course of his rookie contract, Opeta started 10 of 38 game appearances for the Eagles, including six starts in 2023. He signed with the Buccaneers for his second NFL contract last year, but a torn ACL kept him out of the 2024 season.

Patriots To Match Raiders’ Christian Elliss Offer Sheet

March 25th, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 25: The Raiders designed a two-year, $13.5MM offer sheet, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. With the Patriots matching it, the proposal now doubles as a significant New England raise for the young linebacker.

MARCH 24: Christian Elliss signed an offer sheet with the Raiders last week, leaving the Patriots in position to either match it or allow him to depart without any compensation coming back. New England has taken the former route.

The Patriots will match the Elliss offer sheet, as first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The move locks in the two-year deal which would have otherwise sent him to Vegas. Elliss will carry a cap charge of $4.84MM this season, one in which he was originally slated to earn $3.26MM on his RFA tender.

Elliss began his career with the Eagles, operating as a key special teams presence during his time with them. He was waived late in the 2023 campaign, though, and the Patriots’ decision to claim him set him up for a New England stint. The 26-year-old made five starts across his 16 appearances last season, and while he remained a core special teams contributor he took on a defensive workload as well. Elliss logged 513 defensive snaps in 2024, by far the most of his career.

The Idaho product received the original-round tender to prevent him from reaching unrestricted free agency. That move set Elliss up for a cost-effective 2025 deal, but it opened the door to an offer sheet since no compensation would have been included for the former undrafted free agent (which would have been the case had New England applied the more expensive second-round tender). The Raiders lost Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo in free agency, and Elliss would have been able to handle a notable defensive role aimed at helping to replace them at the second level of the team’s defense.

Instead, Vegas will look elsewhere on the free agent market and the draft to address the linebacker position. Elliss, meanwhile, will remain in place on a Patriots team which added Spillane on a three-year deal and reunited head coach Mike Vrabel with former Titan Jack Gibbens. Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai are in place as holdovers from last season, and Elliss will look to carve out a role among the mix of new additions and returnees.

He will do so with financial security for the next two years, though, and it will be interesting to see how he is used moving forward. The Patriots entered Monday with more than $80MM in remaining cap space, so they will easily be able to afford the added cost of keeping Elliss in place.

Ravens Sign CB Chidobe Awuzie

March 25th, 2025 at 12:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chidobe Awuzie‘s Titans stay lasted one season, as the team took on some dead money to move on from a player given a healthy guarantee in 2024. Awuzie has found a new home.

Set to return to the AFC North, the former Bengals cornerback signed with the Ravens on Tuesday. The team announced Awuzie, an eight-year veteran, is Baltimore-bound. It is a one-year deal.

Although the market for third CB contracts reset thanks to the deals handed out to Charvarius Ward, Carlton Davis, D.J. Reed and Byron Murphy earlier this month, that group had seen three previous vets — Awuzie, Darius Slay, James Bradberry — jettisoned. Awuzie’s came after he had signed a three-year, $36MM deal that came with $19MM guaranteed at signing. The Titans (again) changed GMs this offseason and shed that contract from their payroll, incurring a $12.51MM dead money hit in the process.

The Ravens let 2024 starter Brandon Stephens walk in free agency, where he received a somewhat surprising three-year, $36MM Jets contract — one that came with $22.98MM guaranteed at signing. Never viewed as likely to pay Stephens in that range, the Ravens are adding a proven veteran on the cheap. As the Titans will be paying most of Awuzie’s salary, minus what will likely be a veteran-minimum Ravens pact that will subtract from Tennessee’s dead money total (via offset language), Baltimore will bet on Awuzie bouncing back from another season-altering injury.

A groin injury sustained in Week 3 kept Awuzie out nine games. The Titans had paired the former second-round pick with high-end trade acquisition L’Jarius Sneed, but the duo barely played together. Sneed also missed most of his first Titans season. While Tennessee will hope Sneed bounces back, Awuzie will aim to do so in Baltimore. Awuzie, who also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet, will turn 30 in May.

Awuzie will enter the 2025 season having made 81 career starts. The Cowboys let the 6-foot boundary corner walk in 2021, leading to a Bengals commitment (three years, $21.75MM). The Colorado alum suffered an ACL tear on Halloween 2022, after having started for Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI-bound team, and did not solidify his job upon returning in 2023. Awuzie, however, recaptured a Bengals starting post down the stretch in 2023; that led to the Titans’ lucrative investment in a player PFR ranked as the No. 39 free agent last year.

Pro Football Focus ranked Awuzie as a top-15 corner in 2021 and had him near that level before his 2022 injury. After an inconsistent 2023 season, PFF slotted Awuzie 61st during his injury-interrupted Titans campaign. As far as coverage numbers, Awuzie was viewed (via Pro-Football-Reference) as improving on his 2023 numbers. He allowed a 57.7% completion rate as the closest defender and 7.2 yards per target, working out to an 89.7 passer rating in coverage. The Ravens will give Awuzie a shot to start alongside Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, with 2024 draftee T.J. Tampa looming in a potential competition.

Chargers To Re-Sign S Tony Jefferson

March 24th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Tony Jefferson is sticking in Los Angeles. The veteran safety is re-signing with the Chargers, according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It’s a one-year deal for Jefferson.

Jefferson announced his retirement following the 2022 season and quickly caught on with the Ravens scouting department. He spent a year in that role before reversing course and attempting a comeback. This signing will reunite Jefferson with Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, a former Ravens exec. Jefferson both played for the Ravens and spent a year on their scouting staff.

He ended up catching on with the Chargers, although he was stashed on the practice squad after not making the initial 53-man roster. He got into eight games (four starts), compiling 27 tackles. He also came up big in the playoffs, collecting three tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the Wild Card Round. For his efforts, Jefferson garnered a pair of Comeback Player of the Year votes.

After cutting his teeth in Arizona, Jefferson made a name for himself in Baltimore, where he started all 30 of his appearances between 2017 and 2018. A torn ACL ended his 2019 campaign early, and since sitting out the 2020 season, Jefferson has settled into more of a backup role with the 49ers, Ravens (second stint), and Giants.

Jefferson saw most of his work last season when Alohi Gilman was on IR, and the veteran stuck in the lineup when Elijah Molden went down with a season-ending injury. That duo (along with top safety Derwin James Jr.) will be back in 2025, so Jefferson will likely be competing for a back-of-the-depth-chart job come training camp.

Raiders To Sign DL Leki Fotu

March 24th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have added some veteran depth to their defensive line. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders have signed defensive tackle Leki Fotu.

2024 was mostly a lost campaign for Fotu. After signing with the Jets last offseason, the defensive lineman started the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He was activated in October and got into two games (one start) for his new squad, but he quickly landed back on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Prior to his one-year stop in New York, Fotu was a reliable option on the Cardinals defensive line. A former fourth-round pick, the defensive lineman spent four seasons in Arizona, starting 21 of his 56 appearances. He started 18 of those games between 2022 and 2023, and he finished that latter campaign with career highs in sacks (2.5) and tackles for loss (five).

Fotu will be joining a relatively deep DL in Las Vegas. After inking a $110MM deal with the Raiders last offseason, Christian Wilkins was limited to only five games in 2024. He’ll be penciled in atop the depth chart, joining Jonah Laulu, who earned the majority of the snaps at the position down the stretch. The Raiders will also return Adam Butler, who led the position grouping in snaps in 2024.

John Jenkins remains unsigned, so there could be a spot for Fotu towards the back of the depth chart. Most likely, the 26-year-old will compete with the likes of Matthew Butler, Zach Carter, and Tyler Manoa for playing time.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/24/25

March 24th, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

A pair of former Patriots were claimed off waivers today. Lecitus Smith started one of his eight appearances for New England in 2024, although his offensive showing was limited to only five offensive snaps. He spent the 2023 season in Arizona, where he started two of his 10 appearances.

Curtis Jacobs got into nine games (two starts) as a UDFA with the Patriots in 2024, compiling four tackles while spending the majority of his time on special teams. A Penn State product, Jacobs spent last preseason with the Chiefs.

Seahawks To Sign TE Eric Saubert

March 24th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Eric Saubert is sticking in the NFC West. After spending the 2024 season with the 49ers, the veteran tight end is joining the Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Saubert is firmly at journeyman status at this point of his career, as the Seahawks will represent his 11th NFL team. Still, the former fifth-round pick has managed to get consistent work, appearing in 101 games across his eight NFL seasons.

Traditionally deployed as a blocking tight end or special teamer, Saubert has seen some work in the receiving game throughout his career. His best offensive showing came with the Broncos in 2022, when he finished with 15 catches for 148 yards.

The 30-year-old got into all 17 games (three starts) for the 49ers last season, hauling in 11 catches while splitting his nearly 700 total snaps between offense and special teams. Saubert was entrenched as the team’s TE2 in 2024, and he earned his handful of starts when George Kittle was out of the lineup.

Saubert could have a tougher path to playing time in Seattle. The Seahawks return their top-two tight ends from 2024 in Noah Fant and AJ Barner, and the team is also still rostering recent UDFA Brady Russell. Saubert’s best path to a roster spot will likely come via special teams, but he’ll need to show some offensive value if he doesn’t want to land on the practice squad.

Eagles To Sign OL Kendall Lamm

March 24th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Kendall Lamm is continuing his career with the defending champs. Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager reports that the veteran lineman is signing with the Eagles. It will be a one-year deal for Lamm.

[RELATED: Dolphins T Kendall Lamm May Continue Playing]

The long-time backup spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins. After starting only five total games between 2019 and 2022, Lamm started 15 of his 32 appearances over the past two years. This includes a 2024 campaign where he got into 51 percent of his team’s offensive snaps while ranking 32nd among 81 qualifying OTs, per Pro Football Focus. His season ended in December due to a back injury that ultimately required surgery.

After contemplating retirement during the 2023 campaign, Lamm stated his intention to hang up his cleats following the 2024 season. The lineman later walked back this remarks, noting that if he feels good, “we’ll keep it going.”

The 32-year-old will apparently keep it going in Philly. The Eagles are set atop the depth chart with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, but Lamm could be in line for snaps as a swing OT. The team’s current backup options include Laekin Vakalahi and Darian Kinnard, who have a combined three games of experience (all via Kinnard). Lamm brings 119 games of experience across 10 NFL seasons and will likely be the favorite for the role heading into the preseason.

Saints Sign OL Dillon Radunz

March 24th, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints have signed offensive lineman Dillon Radunz, per a team announcement.

The 2021 second-round pick is a four-year veteran who started 26 games for the Titans over the last two years. All 15 of his starts in 2024 came at right guard, but he saw snaps at every position except center in 2023. He will compete for a starting role along the interior of the Saints’ offensive line in 2025, likely at left guard after the departure of Lucas Patrick to the Bengals.

Radunz primarily played left tackle at North Dakota State, but he quickly developed more versatility in the NFL with snaps at both guard positions (and one start at left tackle) as a rookie. All four of his 2022 starts came at guard before a torn ACL ended his season in December. He continued to move around in 2023, starting six games at left guard, right tackle, and left tackle across the first 11 weeks of the season. Radunz settled in at right tackle, where he closed out the season with seven straight starts.

Radunz won a starting job as the Titans’ right guard entering the 2024 season. He missed two games due to minor injuries and allowed six sacks and 23 pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Radunz’s primary competition for a starting job in New Orleans will be Nick Saldivieri, who started six games at left guard before landing on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Saints Re-Sign DB Ugo Amadi

March 24th, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints have re-signed defensive back Ugo Amadi to a one-year deal, per a team announcement.

Amadi spent the last two seasons in New Orleans, primarily playing special teams in 2023 before emerging as a starting slot corner midway through the 2024 season. He finished the year with five starts and 527 snaps on defense, both his most since 2021. His 65 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and six tackles for loss all represented career-highs.

The seven-year veteran will enter the 2025 season in pole position to continue as the Saints’ starting nickel. He took over the role in Week 8 when Alontae Taylor moved outside to replace an injured Paulson Adebo. Now that Adebo has signed with the Giants, Taylor is a candidate to continue starting on the boundary with Amadi staying in the slot.

The Saints did sign veteran corner Isaac Yiadom to a three-year deal, so he could compete for a starting job on the outside and potentially push Taylor back into the slot. In that case, Amadi would likely provide depth across the Saints’ secondary as a backup nickel and rotational safety, his listed position on the team website.

Amadi was originally drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He appeared in 47 games with 12 starts across his first three years in Seattle before being traded to the Eagles during training camp in 2022. He was then dealt to the Titans less than two weeks later and played in two regular season games before being waived. He spent the rest of the season on the Chiefs’ practice squad and finished with a Super Bowl victory.

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