Today’s minor transactions:
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: RB Ronnie Rivers
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: DE Jalyn Holmes
The Jets have signed former Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was first to report. Kansas City selected Nnadi in the third round of the 2018 draft, and he had spent his entire career with the club, winning three Super Bowl titles along the way.
From his rookie season through 2023, Nnadi primarily operated as a starter, and he also established a reputation for durability. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes, the soon-to-be 29-year-old defender has missed only two games due to injury in his seven-year career.
However, he did not hit the open market with much momentum. Nnadi was relegated to a reserve role in 2024 and saw just 221 defensive snaps, which was by far a career-low mark. In that limited sample, he also earned an abysmal 35.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which was even worse than his 40.6 grade in 2023.
The Jets, though, do not necessarily need Nnadi to be a world-beater. The club saw Javon Kinlaw parlay a one-year pillow contract to work as Quinnen Williams‘ primary sidekick on the interior of the defensive line into a three-year, $45MM deal with the Commanders — this despite a mediocre 53.2 PFF grade — and the hope is that Nnadi can provide a similar steady presence at a fraction of the cost.
Although financials have not yet been disclosed, Nnadi’s performance over the past several seasons would suggest New York is not breaking the bank here. As such, the signing will surely not preclude the club from pursuing additional upgrades in the draft, with Cimini classiyfing Nnadi — along with recent adds Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele — as a depth piece (we had not previously written on Tufele’s acquisition).
Phidarian Mathis — a former second-round pick of the Commanders whom the Jets claimed off waivers late in the 2024 campaign — remains in the mix as well. The entire group, of course, will take a backseat to Williams, one of the game’s best interior players who is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season.
Nnadi has amassed 233 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble in his regular season career. He has contributed 38 tackles and a sack in 18 games of postseason work.
The Dolphins are signing former Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse, as first reported by Justin Melo of The Draft Network and subsequently confirmed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds that it will be a one-year deal). Tennessee recently declined to extend an RFA tender to Stonehouse, thus sending him to the open market.
Melo classifies the Titans’ Stonehouse decision as curious, and indeed, the former undrafted find had established himself as an under-the-radar weapon over his first three seasons in the league. In his rookie year in 2022, the Colorado State product broke Sammy Baugh‘s long-standing single-season punting average mark, moving the NFL’s standard from 51.4 yards per boot (set in 1940) to 53.1. Stonehouse matched that average in 2023, though that season ended a few games early due to a torn ACL and MCL — along with a broken bone — in his plant (non-kicking) leg.
Nonetheless, Stonehouse recovered in time to handle a full slate of punting duties in 2024, and he still managed over 50 yards per kick. On the other hand, his net yards-per-punt average dropped from 44.3 in 2023 to 38.3 last year, and he pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line just 22 times in 2024 compared to 28 times in 2023, despite receiving 20 more opportunities.
The Titans elected to move on from the 25-year-old Stonehouse and bring in the 35-year-old Johnny Hekker as his replacement. Hekker, the NFL’s most-decorated active punter, has four First Team All-Pro nods to his credit, though the most recent of those accolades came in 2017.
Miami hopes that, with Stonehouse’s injury further in the rearview mirror, he can return to the elite form he displayed from 2022-23. Interestingly, the ‘Fins recently hired Craig Aukerman, who coordinated the Titans’ special teams units from 2018-23, as their own ST coordinator.
Aukerman can certainly take some of the credit for Stonehouse’s early-career success, though it was the Week 13 game in 2023 in which Stonehouse was injured — an injury that occurred on the second blocked punt of the contest — that triggered Aukerman’s in-season dismissal. The 48-year-old did not coach in 2024.
Jake Bailey has served as the Dolphins’ punter in each of the past two seasons, and he is under club control through 2025 by virtue of the two-year, $4.2MM contract he signed last March. The club can save nearly $2MM against the cap with a dead money hit of just $550K if it releases Bailey, which Jackson suggests will happen at some point.
The Broncos are in need of a new punter after Riley Dixon agreed to sign with the Bucs, but they did not have interest in Stonehouse, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. The team likewise is not presently interested in free agent specialists Pat O’Donnell and Michael Palardy.
Denver did extend an offer to Dixon, as Mike Klis of 9News reports. Clearly, it was not enough to keep him on the club.
10:12pm: Cousins’ desire to play elsewhere in 2025 remains unchanged, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated confirms. As a result, this situation could very well remain in a stalemate for the foreseeable future as the rest of the quarterback market takes shape around the league.
12:51pm: Today was a key date in the Kirk Cousins saga, as a guaranteed bonus on the QB’s contract was set to kick in. The Falcons won’t be avoiding the extra financial commitment, as they’ll hang on to Cousins past the 4pm deadline today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
[RELATED: Kirk Cousins Pushing For Falcons Release]
Specifically, keeping Cousins on the roster through today will trigger a guarantee on a $10MM roster bonus that is due in 2026. After collecting $62.5MM of his total contract in 2024, Cousins is due another $27.5MM in 2025. Combined with this guaranteed 2026 roster bonus, Atlanta’s total commitment to the quarterback is now at $100MM.
The Falcons have made it clear that they intend to roll with Michael Penix Jr. in 2025. Still, the organization hasn’t shown any urgency to bail on their previous blockbuster addition. Cousins will continue to be the subject of trade rumors, and today’s decision buys the Falcons as much time as they want to find a resolution.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the $10MM in guaranteed money for 2026 is subject to offset language. That means the Falcons could simply find a suitor who’s willing to pick up this portion of the bill. In other words, this temporary commitment could ultimately cost Atlanta no money if they find a willing trade partner.
Cousins was reportedly pushing for his release, and the veteran possesses some leverage with his no-trade clause. Still, GM Terry Fontenot has made it clear that he’s willing to proceed with Cousins on the roster, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero says the front office “has shown no motivation to move him.” This is surely some gamesmanship from the organization, as it’s hard to envision the Falcons rostering such a high-priced backup. Still, the team is clearly operating without any sense of urgency, whereas Cousins would surely like a resolution as soon as possible.
Cousins inked a four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons last offseason, with $90MM guaranteed at signing. The organization shocked many when they used a first-round pick on Penix, but their bold decision proved to be worthwhile when Cousins showed signs of rust. In his return from a torn Achilles, Cousins guided his new squad to a 7-7 record while tossing 18 touchdowns vs. a league-leading 16 interceptions.
Despite receiving the second-round RFA tender from the 49ers this week, Jordan Mason will not play in San Francisco next year. The fourth-year running back has been traded to the Vikings, per his agency (via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
As part of the deal, Mason has agreed to a two-year Vikings contract, Rapoport notes. The pact has a maximum value of $12MM and includes $7MM guaranteed at signing. Per Rapoport and colleague Tom Pelissero, the trade consists of a 2026 sixth-round pick being sent from Minnesota to San Francisco. The teams will also swap picks No. 160 and 187 in this year’s draft. 
Mason totaled only 83 carries during his first two seasons, but in 2024 he was a key member of the 49ers’ ground game. Christian McCaffrey‘s Achilles issues opened the door for the former UDFA to see notable usage, and he received 153 carries on the year. Mason’s success (880 scrimmage yards, three touchdowns, 5.2 yards per attempt average) made it clear San Francisco would look to keep him in the fold moving forward. The decision to apply the second-round tender appeared to lock him into a $5.3MM salary for 2025.
As a result, the 49ers would have been in line for a second-round pick as compensation in the event Mason signed an offer sheet with an outside team which they declined to match. Now, the 25-year-old will be on the move by means of a swap. San Francisco still has McCaffrey on the books, along with Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor. An addition in the 2025 draft – which features several highly-regarded RB prospects – would come as no surprise given this deal.
For the Vikings, meanwhile, Mason will allow for more of a tandem in the backfield moving forward. Aaron Jones impressed while playing on a one-year contract in 2024, setting a new career high in rushing yards. That yielded a new agreement just before the negotiating period opened, and Jones is now attached to a two-year, $20MM pact. While the Vikings expressed a desire to keep the former Pro Bowler in the fold, they also made it clear they intended to reduce his workload after Jones handled 306 touches (the most of his career) in 2024. Mason will help achieve that goal.
The latter recorded double-digit carries seven times in his 12 appearances last year. Mason suffered an ankle sprain in Week 13, however, and the injury ended his campaign. His absence will be felt on a 49ers team which lost Elijah Mitchell to the Chiefs in free agency. Even if Guerendo takes on a larger role next season (after logging 84 carries as a rookie), at least one addition in the backfield can be expected.
Instead of hitting free agency in 2026 after playing on the tender, Mason has now secured more guaranteed than he would have received with San Francisco next season. The Georgia Tech product drew interest from other teams, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. Now, he will look to duplicate his 2024 success in a new environment as the Vikings aim to provide Jones with an effective complementary rusher.
Saturday’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Velus Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
Jones’ Bears tenure ended midway through the 2024 campaign when he was waived. The former third-rounder saw time on the Jaguars’ practice squad before making a pair of appearances with the Panthers at the end of the year. Jones, entering his age-28 season, will look to compete for a roster spot in New Orleans.
Jean-Charles is signing a one-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. The 26-year-old has made 37 appearances across his time with the Packers, 49ers and Saints so far in his career. He has primarily worked on special team to date, and that will likely continue to be the case in Seattle.
Parris Campbell is set to play for a third career NFC East team. The veteran wideout has agreed to a one-year Cowboys deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Campbell struggled with injuries while playing out his rookie contract with the Colts. His final year with Indianapolis was a healthy one, however, and as a result the former second-rounder posted career highs across the board. That paved the way for a one-year Giants deal, but Campbell found himself being benched midway through the campaign.
To little surprise, a departure took place last offseason. Campbell landed an agreement with the Eagles, but he was among the team’s final roster cuts. The 27-year-old originally had no intention of signing to Philadelphia’s practice squad, but he wound up reversing course and did just that. In all, Campbell made five regular season appearances and played in three of the Eagles’ playoff games; he made a very small impact in the passing game, though.
As a result, expectations will be tempered upon arrival in Dallas. The Cowboys have been known to be in the market for a complementary receiver addition, particularly if free agent Brandin Cooks departs. Dallas was named as one of the teams interested in Cooper Kupp, but by the time he agreed to a Seahawks deal on Friday it was clear the Cowboys were not in the running to acquire him. This Campbell pact will of course check in at a much lower price tag than what Kupp landed in Seattle (three years, $45MM).
In 2021, Campbell showcased his potential as a deep threat, averaging 16.2 yards per reception. The Ohio State product has not managed to replicate that production since, and it will be interesting to see how large of an opportunity he receives with the Cowboys. CeeDee Lamb will lead the way at the WR position for years to come, but questions remain about the potential of the likes of Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Tolbert and recent re-signing KaVontae Turpin (who will primarily remain a returner moving forward, but could see his offensive usage continue to increase).
The Eagles still have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith atop their receiver depth chart, along with 2024 trade acquisition Jahan Dotson. Campbell is the latest member of the Super Bowl champions to head elsewhere, and managing to carve out a regular role on offense with the Cowboys would help his free agent prospects for 2026.
With some potential question marks in the receiving corps for 2025, the Chiefs seem to have opted to keep some familiar faces in the room for Patrick Mahomes to throw to. To that end, Kansas City will re-sign veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for the 2025 season, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. 
Since having a resurgent, Super Bowl-winning season in 2022 with the Chiefs, Smith-Schuster has struggled to make an impact in the past two seasons. Smith-Schuster’s rebound season came after he only played five games in his final year with Pittsburgh and saw him record his second-highest career receiving yards total (933), though he only registered three touchdowns.
Following his big year with Mahomes, Smith-Schuster cashed in, signing a three-year, $33MM deal with the Patriots. Unfortunately, Smith-Schuster’s rebounded success didn’t carry over in New England, as he only accumulated 260 receiving yards and one touchdown in 11 games. The team released him after only one season.
It didn’t take too long for the Chiefs to pick up their old receiver for a second stint with the team, joining free agent addition Marquise Brown and rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy as new additions in the wake of some Rashee Rice uncertainty. Despite injuries to both Brown and Rice, Smith-Schuster was unable to take advantage of more playing time, only logging 231 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
More opportunities for targets could certainly be on the way for Smith-Schuster in 2025, though. The Chiefs have already seen DeAndre Hopkins depart for Baltimore, and Mecole Hardman‘s contract with the team expired, as well. With those two gone, Smith-Schuster presumably slots in as WR4 behind Rice, Worthy, and Brown.
The aforementioned Rice uncertainty could open up even more opportunities for Smith-Schuster. While Rice is recovering from a season-ending injury, the uncertainty actually comes from two separate legal incidents from the last offseason that could see suspensions levied on Rice. First, Rice was involved in a major accident that he was allegedly responsible for before leaving the scene, and second, Rice was under investigation for an alleged assault incident. The team was reportedly bracing for a suspension for Rice before it was made known that, if a suspension was coming, it wouldn’t occur in 2024. That could mean that a suspension is still imminent for the 2025 season, though.
The team also received a second scare when Worthy was arrested on a charge of assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation. Luckily for Kansas City, Worthy was not charged after the case was declined following discussions with multiple witnesses and Worthy’s attorneys. The case was closed, and Worthy has seemingly avoided any punishment for the time being.
Still, amidst the legal troubles of their two top wide receivers, the Chiefs opted to re-sign Brown, giving him another chance to make an impact in Kansas City after missing all but two games recovering from shoulder surgery in 2024. Smith-Schuster, too, will return for the Chiefs in 2025 as the team pursues its third Super Bowl victory in four years and its fourth appearance in as many years in the big game.
The Ravens have made a move that could impact their view on needing to address the offensive line this offseason. According to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink, the team has re-signed backup offensive guard Ben Cleveland, who could get another crack at a starting role with the departure of Patrick Mekari in free agency. 
Since coming out of Georgia as a third-round pick in 2021, Cleveland has failed to live up to his Day 2 draft stock. While he appeared in every game for the Ravens in 2024, it was the first season in which he did not start a single game. He’s only started in seven contests over the four years of his rookie contract despite several opportunities to seize the job.
Cleveland saw his largest chunk of playing time as a rookie, when he started four of 12 game appearances. That rookie campaign also saw his lowest blocking grades, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which was mostly chalked up to being a rookie adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NFL game. In 2022, he opened training camp in a starting battle with Tyre Phillips for the left guard spot, which ultimately stayed with Ben Powers, the incumbent from the prior year for whom Cleveland started in the final games of the season.
When Powers departed for Denver, the battle once again opened, this time with four participants. Duking it out with Mekari, John Simpson, and Daniel Faalele, Cleveland once again became a nonfactor, falling out of a race that ended up being between Simpson and then-rookie Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, a battle Simpson would win and, like Powers, earn a big payday from.
In 2024, for the third year in a row, Cleveland was granted an opportunity to fight for two open guard spots after the departures of Simpson and Kevin Zeitler. He seemed to be in competition with Aumavae-Laulu and Andrew Vorhees as Faalele competed with second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle and Mekari was seemingly reserved for any spot that may need a starter, if necessary. Vorhees ended up winning one of the jobs, and Faalele, unable to win a tackle spot, slid inside to start at the other with Mekari starting at right tackle. Early struggles from Vorhees could’ve offered a spot for Cleveland. Instead, the Ravens moved Mekari back inside and brought the rookie, Rosengarten, into the starting lineup at tackle.
At this point, it seemingly became clear that Cleveland didn’t have a future in Baltimore. Given starting opportunities time and again, Cleveland seemingly lacked the drive or talent to take over the role despite a menacing physical build. When Cleveland became the latest former Georgia Bulldog to be involved in some traffic situation, getting arrested as a result of a DUI incident, it seemed increasingly likely that his time in Baltimore had come to an end.
Instead, the team has brought Cleveland back to perhaps continue his role as a depth piece. He was third in line for the guard spot he lost last year, and with Mekari gone, Vorhees is next in line for the job opposite Faalele. Perhaps, with Josh Jones, the team’s oft-used sixth offensive lineman in jumbo packages, departing in free agency, and having seen Cleveland work reps at tackle in the preseason, Cleveland is being retained as an emergency option who could play at both positions. Regardless, one would expect that, between his inability to claim a starting role and his recent legal troubles, the Ravens got a good deal on the signing.
The Titans have announced that they will be releasing veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. Unless it’s announced that the team is designating the move as one of its two post-June 1 releases, the team will eat $12.51MM in dead money and save $1.73MM in cap space. 
Veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky confirms this will not be a post-June 1 release, but the move obviously represents an underwhelming end to Awuzie’s time in Tennessee. The former Cowboy and Bengal inked a three-year, $36MM deal in free agency last offseason, but it did not pan out as expected. Awuzie was limited to eight games in 2024 by a groin injury, something which will no doubt hurt his market this spring.
The Titans are already on the hook for $7.51MM in 2025 compensation, but Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald writes the timing of this release means another $3.98MM in salary for this year will not need to be paid out. Tennessee entered Saturday near the top of the NFL in terms of remaining cap space with roughly $55MM available anyway, but those additional funds could be used to add a starting replacement in the secondary. The team still has 2024 trade acquisition L’Jarius Sneed and 2022 second-rounder Roger McCreary on the books at the cornerback spot.
Despite Awuzie’s absence and the fact Sneed only played five games in his debut Titans campaign, the team finished second in the NFL in passing yards allowed. The latter will be counted on to play a notable role in repeating that success in 2025, but Awuzie will be on the move once again. His four-year run in Dallas was followed by three Cincinnati seasons, a span which included his starting role being lost at the end of the 2023 campaign. The Titans deal allowed for the 29-year-old to continue working with ex-Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, but that has proven to be a short-lived arrangement.
When healthy, Awuzie handled a 77% snap share and recorded one interception and four pass breakups during his lone Titans campaign. The Colorado product’s coverage statistics (57.7% completion percentage, 89.7 passer rating allowed) were not the best of his career, but they could convince an interested team he is still capable of operating as a starter at this point in his career. Further removed from his 2022 ACL tear, it will be interesting to see how quickly Awuzie can land a new deal.
Tennessee, meanwhile, will look to address the cornerback spot in the remaining waves of free agency and/or the draft. The team’s secondary has already seen Quandre Diggs replaced by Xavier Woods at the safety spot, and further changes could be coming.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.