NFL Player News

Johnson and the Saints agreed to terms Tuesday on a three-year, $30.75 million contract, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The initial report suggests the deal maxes out at $34.5 million and includes $21.25 million guaranteed. It looks like an overpay relative to other tight ends with similar receiving production, especially when considering how little Johnson offers as a blocker. A weak free-agent class may have been a factor, as Johnson would've been one of the better options amongst a weak crop if the Saints hadn't locked him up before he hit the open market. The 28-year-old averaged 2.6-2.8 receptions and 28-33 receiving yards per game each of the past three seasons, buoyed by strong finishes in 2023 and 2024 after not doing much for most of the year.

Turpin and the Cowboys reached agreement Tuesday on a three-year contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports

The report notes that Turpin will become the "highest-paid special teams player in NFL history", although part of the motivation for re-signing him is that he's also a significant contributor on offense. He caught 31 of 52 targets for 420 yards and two TDs last season, adding 16 carries for 92 yards, 18 punt returns for 187 yards (with one TD) and 27 kick returns for 904 yards (and another TD). Turpin is a late bloomer who went undrafted back in 2019 and didn't make a regular-season appearance until 2022, which explains why he'll be 29 years old at the start of his fourth NFL campaign come September. He'll presumably land somewhere between third and fifth on the depth chart at wide receiver, in addition to returning both punts and kickoffs.

Jones agreed to a one-year, $4.4 million deal with the Cardinals on Tuesday, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Jones recorded eight receptions for 84 yards in 11 games this past season after serving a five-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The veteran receiver only recorded two starts and was primarily used as a fourth wideout behind Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch, a group that figures to see additional competition added either via free agency or draft picks in the coming weeks.

The Colts re-signed Dulin to a two-year contract Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The deal is worth up to $8.5 million. Dulin doesn't contribute much on offense, but he's a stalwart on special teams for the Colts. Dulin has a total of 35 catches for 517 yards and four touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Malone.

Hollins is slated to signed a two-year, $8.4 million contract with the Patriots, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Hollins thus will reunite with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, under whom the wide receiver had a career-best campaign in 2022 in Las Vegas with a 57-690-4 line on 94 targets in 17 regular-season games. He combined for 49-629-5 on 80 targets in 30 contests between the Falcons (2023) and Bills (2024) over the last two years. In a receiving corps with all of DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne under contract and more reinforcements possible this offseason, it's unclear what kind of role Hollins can expect in a Drake Maye-led offense.

Slayton re-signed with the Giants on a three-year, $36 million contract Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Slayton will remain with the only organization he's known since being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 Draft. Through six seasons, he's surpassed 700 receiving yards four times and 40 catches on four occasions while scoring 21 touchdowns in 92 regular-season games. The primary question mark is who will be throwing passes to Slayton and fellow WRs Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson in 2025, as Tommy DeVito currently is the only QB under contract with the Giants.

The Rams are expected to release Kupp after the beginning of the new league year Wednesday, barring a trade coming to pass, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Through eight pro campaigns, Kupp has only two 1,000-yard seasons to his name, but his 146-1,947-16 line on 191 targets from 2021 will serve as one of the greatest years for a wide receiver in NFL history. Since then, he's missed 18 games while averaging a 67-753-5.7 line on 97.7 targets per season from 2022-24. The arrival of fifth-round pick Puka Nacua in 2023 resulted in a changing of the guard as the top pass catcher in the Rams offense, and Sunday's signing of Davante Adams gives the team an upgrade at No. 2. L.A. has been seeking to trade Kupp since at least early February, but considering his recent returns and age (he turns 32 in June), the Rams haven't garnered any notable interest as of yet. In any case, clarity on his situation figures to arrive in the near future.

Watson is in line to sign with the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Watson is coming off a 2024 regular season in which he caught 22 passes (on 32 targets) for 289 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games with the Chiefs. The looming addition of the 28-year-old is slated to boost a Houston wideout corps that is currently led by Nico Collins along with trade acquisition Christian Kirk, while Stefon Diggs (knee) is a pending free agent and Tank Dell (knee) is a candidate to miss much, if not all, of the 2025 season.

Palmer agreed Monday to a three-year contract with the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The initial report has it as a three-year, $36 million deal with half the money guaranteed. A 2021 third-round pick, Palmer never had more than 769 receiving yards or four TDs in a season for the Chargers, but he capably handled different roles under three offensive coordinators. In 2022, he had a 72-769-3 line on 107 targets at an 8.7 aDOT. In 2024, he had a 39-584-1 line on 65 targets at a 15.2 aDOT. The Bills need a downfield presence more so than another possession receiver, but it's nonetheless tough to predict exactly how they'll use Palmer, apart from the size of his contract suggesting he's expected to be a starter and play a lot of snaps. Then again, the same thing was said when they signed Curtis Samuel to a three-year, $24 million deal last offseason. Palmer at least is much younger than Samuel, turning 26 in September, and there's been no indication that Palmer's foot injury from late in the 2024 campaign will be an issue for 2025.

Brown and the Jaguars reached agreement Monday on a one-year, $10 million contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

It's a large contract relative to Brown's production -- at least if the initial figures prove semi-accurate -- but it perhaps shouldn't be a total surprise in light of his performance during the 2024 playoffs. After averaging 0.9 catches for 12.4 yards in 63 career regular-season games, Brown exploded for a 14-229-1 line on 18 targets during Washington's three-game playoff run. He's a 2021 third-round pick with 4.46 speed and only 25 years old, so there's reason to think Brown can help the Jacksonville offense even though he's unlikely to draw a lot of targets. The Jaguars recently released WR Christian Kirk and TE Evan Engram, leaving WRs Brian Thomas, Gabe Davis (knee) and Parker Washington and TE Brenton Strange as the top returning pass catchers from last season.