NFL Player News

Slay underwent knee surgery ahead of Week 15 and has been sidelined ever since. The procure was a knee scope and didn’t land Slay on injured reserve, so he should be able to return before the end of the season. The Eagles will remain a surprisingly soft defense in Slay’s absence.

Tart racked up 20 tackles, 16 QB pressures and one sack in his first season with the Chargers last year. Both his tackle and sack totals are the second-best figures of his five-year career. The signing helps solidify a Chargers defensive line that recently released DE Joey Bosa.

The deal carries a maximum value of $3.5 million through incentives, making it extremely likely that Williams initially serves as a backup behind Rico Dowdle. The Cowboys were highly likely to address running back in some fashion through free agency considering the only other back on the roster behind Dowdle was the undersized Deuce Vaughn, but the monetary value of Williams’ contract does not inspire much confidence in dynasty managers stuck riding him out this offseason.

Rapoport says the deal is worth “up to” $24 million, meaning the base value will come in short of that number. Hoecht started all 17 games in 2023 and totaled 6.5 sacks. The Rams made major additions to their defensive line via the draft last year, relegating Hoecht to a part-time role in 2024. As expected, his numbers fell across the board and he was held to just three sacks. Hoecht should play a larger role for the Bills, they he may be typecast as a pass-rush specialist going forward.

Davis-Gaither made just 11 starts in five years with the Bengals while contributing primarily to special teams. Expect Davis-Gaither to initially serve in a similar capacity with the Cardinals.

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels previously coached Hollins to a career-best season back in 2022, when McDaniels held the Raiders’ head coaching position. Hollins’ 89 targets, 57 receptions and 690 receiving yards from that year are all career-highs. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that Hollins can earn up to $10.4 million on the new contract. While Hollins is unlikely to produce as a weekly WR3, he provides the offense with needed speed and can be counted on for a few big games this season.

Gallup was released by Dallas last offseason and signed with the Raiders. He ultimately retired before training camp but is now attempting to make a comeback. Gallup played under now Commanders head coach Dan Quinn in Dallas when Quinn served as the team’s defensive coordinator. His familiarity with the staff could get his foot in the door as a depth option, but Gallup’s play has declined drastically since he suffered a torn ACL in 2021. It’s unclear how much, if anything, he has left in the tank.

Slayton remains with the Giants on a solid three-year deal after leading the team in receiving in four of his six years with the franchise. Even so, the speedster has peaked at 50 receptions (twice) and 770 yards during that time as a primary deep threat, leaving his fantasy value in the WR4 range for fantasy managers in deep leagues.

Burks signed a one-year deal with the Eagles last offseason and saw the bulk of his regular season snaps on special teams. However, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes, Burks stepped into a starting role during the postseason and thrived. He totaled three TFLs, two forced fumbles, and one sack across three postseason starts plus a fourth appearance. The move to Cincy will give him a starting role for the first time in his career after filling depth roles for the Packers, 49ers, and Eagles.

Jackson was acquired just before the start of the 2024 regular season in a trade with the Seahawks and now remains with the Panthers on a new two-year deal. He played all but 13 defensive snaps for the Panthers a season ago and should remain the team’s top perimeter cornerback option moving forward.

The transaction will be finalized when the new league year starts on Wednesday, at which point Tomlinson will be free to sign with any team. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Tomlinson will be designated as a post-June 1 cut. His release will create $6.4 million in cap space while leaving the Browns with a $5 million dead cap charge. Tomlinson had two years left on his four-year, $57 million contract with the Browns. The big man notched three sacks and six TFLs in 2024 with a nearly identical stat line in 2023. While not an elite defender, Tomlinson is a solid interior lineman who should earn a multi-year deal on the open market.