NFL Player News

With Ryan Jensen facing a long-term absence after suffering a knee injury early in camp, the Bucs are scrambling a bit at center. A third-round pick last year, Hainsey is the next man up. “Every day he’s facing Akiem Hicks and Vita Vea,” coach Todd Bowles told King. “If that can’t get you ready for the season, I don’t know what will.” The coach added he is not particularly worried about the situation. Still, this is an uncertain situation for a team squarely in win-now mode. It would not be surprising if the Bucs look to a free agent like J.C. Tretter to shore up the depth chart.

Houston was claimed off waivers from the Lions in November, and the 26-year-old finished 2024 with just one sack in 11 games between Cleveland and Detroit. He’s just two seasons removed from a rookie campaign that saw him procure eight sacks, so there’ll likely be interest in the defender on a prove-it deal for 2025.

Rodriguez will likely be back with the Commanders, but the 25-year-old tailback will be in a role that offers zero fantasy consequence.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the news. Edwards was a disappointment in 2024 with just 365 yards and four scores, but could see a market for a team looking for a complimentary short-yardage back. The 29-year-old is now free to sign with any club.

The Seahawks traded Smith to the Raiders on Friday for a third-round pick, and if they have their druthers, they’ll replace him with Darnold. The 27-year-old quarterback is looking for a three-year deal, and with Seattle having nothing else in the pipeline — and a draft pick that likely won’t allow them to target a signal-caller — it’s likely they’ll be willing to honor that task. While Darnold’s final two games were less-than-ideal, he was impressive in helping the Vikings make the postseason, and there’s no denying the upside in his right arm.

Ian Rapaport of NFL.com was first to report the deal, and multiple outlets report that the signal-caller is expected to get a new contract with the trade. Mike Garofolo writes that it’s the 92nd pick of the draft, as the Raiders had multiple third-round selections. Smith finished his third year as the starter for the Seahawks with 4,320 yards passing, a 70.4 percent completion percentage and a 20/14 TD/INT over 17 starts. The 34-year-old will head to Las Vegas to be the starter, and it’s fair to say that the weapons at his disposal — with all due respect to Brock Bowers — are a downgrade over what he had in Seattle. Still, it’s a reunion with former coach Pete Carroll, and he’ll get a chance to help the Raiders try and compete in the vaunted AFC West. The big question now is what Seattle does to address the quarterback position.

Turner has been a strong special teams contributor for the Lions, and he’ll remain in that role for the 2025 campaign.

ESPN’s Jenna Laine reports that the deal contains $9 million in guaranteed money. David, 35, is coming off a season where he procured 122 tackles and 5.5 sacks while helping the Buccaneers win the NFC South. The 13-year veteran should again be a strong option up the middle for the Tampa Bay defense, even if he isn’t quite the same player he was a few years ago.

James signed a three-year, $24 million contract last offseason but missed time with an ankle injury in 2024 and wasn’t particularly effective when healthy. The move will save Vegas $1.5 million in cap space. With James off the roster, second-year lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson will likely take his place in the lineup. JPJ took over at left guard early in his rookie season, filled in for a hurt James, and eventually moved back to left guard.

As Russini succinctly puts it, “We’ll see.” Roussini also notes that teams have reached out to Atlanta to see if the team plans to release Cousins, and have been told no. The Falcons have no reason to hold onto a backup quarterback who is entering year two of a four-year, $180 million contract. Atlanta may be trying to recoup some of their losses by playing hardball with other teams, but it’s hard to see Cousins sticking around into Week 1. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo previously said he expects Cousins to make his inevitable trade request after the draft. This would allow him to pick a spot where he won’t be usurped by a rookie this time around. For now, Cousins, the Falcons, and other teams are all at a stalemate.

Gallup was released by the Cowboys last offseason and signed a one-year deal with the Raiders. He abruptly retired before the start of training camp and was officially released from the reserve/retired list earlier today. Gallup suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and has never been the same. He averaged 30 yards per game in the following season and that number fell to 25 in 2023. Gallup could wind up as a reserve option for a team in need of a WR5/6, but even that seems optimistic for the former Cowboy.