SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Jaylinn Hawkins #21 of the New England Patriots and Craig Woodson #31 of the New England Patriots celebrate after breaking up a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New England Patriots had an active first day of the NFL’s new league as they agreed to contract terms with four external free agents while also seeing several defenders depart from last year’s squad.
With the dust settled, here’s who was impacted the most, both positively and negatively, by their moves on Wednesday.
Winners
S Craig Woodson: Last year’s fourth-round pick ended his rookie season playing some of the best football among anyone on the Patriots roster. Entering year two, he will lose running mate and former University of Cal teammate Jaylinn Hawkins, but will now get to work alongside three-time first-team All-Pro Kevin Byard. The 32-year old, who Mike Vrabel has described as having a “very calm, confident demeanor” while be a key mentor for Woodson early in his career. Byard’s work in the deep part of the field may also free Woodson up to play closer to the line of scrimmage at times next season.
ED Elijah Ponder & ED Bradyn Swinson: New England released Anfernee Jennings on Wednesday and saw K’Lavon Chaisson then sign with the Washington Commanders. Even after adding Dre’Mont Jones on the first day of the legal tampering period, the Patriots have much work to do along the edge. Where the group stands now, however, thrusts second year players Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson into elevated roles on the depth chart. Ponder, a favorite of outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, could especially be in the team’s plans as a rotational rusher next season.
Losers
S Dell Pettus& LB Marte Mapu: Beyond the addition of Byard, the Patriots also signed safety Mike Brown after the start of the league new year. Brown was with Mike Vrabel and special teams coach Tom Quinn for over a year in Tennessee where he served as a key special teamer — which included spending most of the 2023 season as the team’s personnel protector on punt coverage. In New England, that role was held by Marte Mapu last season and Dell Pettus the year prior, while Brown will also challenge Pettus on the safety depth chart.
Newly signed safety Mike Brown (No. 44) was the Titans personal protector when healthy in his first full season under Mike Vrabel and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn. pic.twitter.com/zTtM5Ebhdk
TE C.J. Dippre: A 2025 UDFA, Dippre started his rookie year on the practice squad before earning a spot on the 53-man roster — where he was active for just two games. Entering the offseason, Dippre slotted in as the top tight end under contract behind Hunter Henry. That was until Wednesday when the Patriots made a three-year commitment (pending guarantees) to Julian Hill, who’s primary strengths overlap with Dippre as a blocking tight end. The Patriots are now also expected to target the position in the draft.
Sep 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Green Bay Packers guard Elgton Jenkins (74) blocks against the Dallas Cowboys during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Cleveland Browns Free Agency Live Blog – Rumors, Signings, and More (Jared Mueller, Matthew Wilson, Thomas Moore, and Chris Pokorny) Our live blog and free agency tracker for the Cleveland Browns will be going all day long, so make sure you continue to refresh this page for the latest updates!
Browns 2026 draft order is set … for now (Thomas Moore) Cleveland has 9 selections for now, but that can change as GM Andrew Berry ponders the fate of the roster.
Browns re-sign G Teven Jenkins (clevelandbrowns.com) “The Browns are working to re-build their offensive line, beginning internally, as they have re-signed G Teven Jenkins. Jenkins first signed with the Browns…”
Vera-Tucker agreed to a three-year contract with the division rival Patriots late Monday night, according to the NFL Network. It is a three-year deal worth $42 million and worth up to $48 million, according to ESPN.
Vera-Tucker, 26, had an injury-plagued run with the Jets, but when he is healthy, he can be a very good player.
The Jets drafted Vera-Tucker in the first round in 2021. He played 16 games in that first season but suffered season-ending injuries in 2022, 2023 and 2025 that limited him to 43 games over five seasons.
A torn triceps suffered before Week 1 last year cost him the entire season.
Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker signed with the Patriots. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
The Jets need to find a guard after losing Vera-Tucker and John Simpson, who started every game at left guard last season. Simpson agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with the Ravens on Monday.
Texans guard Ed Ingram will remain in Houston rather than testing free agency.
Ingram and the Texans have agreed to a three-year contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He was slated to become a free agent this week.
The deal is reportedly worth $37.5 million, although there's no word on how that contract is structured and how much money is guaranteed.
Ingram was a 2022 second-round pick of the Vikings who never quite lived up to expectations in Minnesota, and a year ago he was traded to Houston for a sixth-round pick. He started 14 regular-season games and both postseason games for the Texans last season, and they'll pencil him in as a starting guard for this season as well.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 15: Jayden Daniels #5 and Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders celebrate during a NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on December 15, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There have been several changes to the Commanders roster since we published the last depth chart update. Here’s a quick summary of the February and March reported transactions:
Cuts:
C Tyler Biadasz
CB Marshon Lattimore
Extensions
P Tress Way
K Jake Moody
OL Andrew Wylie
OL Nick Allegretti (early extension)
DL Shy Tuttle
DL Deatrich Wise
DL Drake Jackson
WR Treylon Burks
At the time of writing, the Commanders have 56 players under contract. Expect the team to bring 90 or 91 players to training camp in July. The front office has until then to add about 35 players — with only 6 of them expected to come via April’s draft, which means the team needs to be very active in signing veteran free agents in March and undrafted college free agents after the draft in April.
With the start of veteran free agency imminent, it seems like an ideal time to take one last pre-free agency look at Washington’s roster.
The updated depth chart
Players under contract are shown in BOLD
Pending free agents are shown in italics with a grey background
Zach Ertz & Austin Ekeler have black backgrounds to indicate severe injury last season
Tyree Jackson & Chris Rodriguez have yellow backgrounds to indicate that they are Restricted Free Agents — RFAs have to be tendered by 4 p.m. ET Monday or they become unrestricted free agents
The numbers that appear beside some players’ names are 2025 cap hits per Over the Cap. I have not included cap hits below $1.5m. Newly extended players do not have cap hits listed since most have not yet been publicly reported; these will be updated as we move forward through the offseason.
The Commanders currently have 29 defensive players, 24 offensive players and 3 special teams players.
Please note that assigned positions and color coding are my own personal opinions. They do not necessarily represent the thinking of Washington’s coaches or front office, nor are they necessarily consistent with fan consensus. This chart represents my personal interpretation, and may not reflect the thoughts of other writers on Hogs Haven. Finally, when it comes to backup players, I don’t put much effort into making sure that they are on the right or left or behind the specific player that they backup. I mostly just try to fit everyone on the chart efficiently.
It’s also probably worth noting that I have retained the 4-3 “look” on the defensive side of the chart, primarily to avoid a lot of angst in trying to assign players to positions in a 3-4 alignment. After free agency, there should be more clarity and I may update the layout of the chart.
Free agent frenzy
Starting at noon on Monday, NFL teams will have a 2-day window to negotiate with agents of impending veteran free agents (or with players like Laremy Tunsil who represent themselves), though no negotiated deal can be finalized before the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 11th. It is not unheard of for players to agree to a deal during the negotiating window, then change their minds before signing the actual contract.
Rumors will be floated, and, in today’s world of immediate reporting via X/Twitter, many people seem to amuse themselves by publishing false reports that have the appearance of being legitimate. If you see a report — especially one that sounds surprising or unbelievable — check the source carefully, including the spelling of the name and number of followers, to avoid re-posting hoaxes from parody accounts or mischief-makers.
There is every reason to expect Washington’s general manager, Adam Peters, to be active in free agency — both extending Washington’s own players and signing free agents from other teams — throughout the week.
Questions at key position groups
Quarterback
Washington, of course, has clarity about the starter — it’s Jayden Daniels. The questions surround the backup and depth. Will Marcus Mariota return? If not, who will be the primary backup? Also, after 2 years of the Sam Hartman experiment, will the Commanders move on from the former Notre Dame player and (reportedly) Jayden Daniels’ good friend?
Offensive line
Having cut Tyler Biadasz, who is the starting center? Is he on the roster now or will he be signed in veteran free agency?
Will the Commanders extend last year’s starting LG Chris Paul? If so, how much does he get paid? If not, who is his replacement? Will the team rely on Brandon Coleman, or will the front office look to replace the position in veteran free agency or the draft?
Tight end
With Zach Ertz clearly not returning before mid-season, if ever, will Ben Sinnott step up to replace him or will the Commanders look for a new pass catching tight end in free agency?
Wide receiver
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that the receiver room has most of what it needs:
Terry McLaurin
Luke McCaffrey
Jaylin Lane
Treylon Burks
What’s lacking is another play-making wideout and one more depth piece. Both can be added in free agency and/or the draft. The big questions are: Who will the Commanders sign free agents or draft rookies, and, if they sign a veteran, how much do they pay him?
Related to these questions is the plan for Terry McLaurin. His contract structure suggests that 2026 could be his last season in Washington. How much does that impact the decisions at this position group this offseason?
Defense
The Commanders need several difference-makers on the re-made defense under Daronte Jones — specifically, at edge, linebacker, cornerback and safety. That’s 4 top-tier players minimum to help build a completely new identity to go with the new scheme.
Washington can probably get one of them (or an offensive player) with the 7th overall pick in the draft, but that means the team needs an infusion of 3 or 4 huge-impact defensive players covering every level of the defense.
Can the team find those players in free agency?
How much will they have to pay them to field the kind of defense that can help lead the team to playoff success?
Will Adam Peters be willing to commit to multi-year contracts to multiple veteran players from other teams this offseason to create more roster stability than the team has had so far under his leadership?
Special teams
Will Adam Peters and Dan Quinn finally bring in a 2nd (and maybe even a 3rd) kicker for training camp competition?
Strap up — it should be a fast-paced and exciting week!!
OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks celebrates after a made 3-point basket in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado
DENVER — There’s something about playing a mile high that suits OG Anunoby.
After dropping a career-best 40 points last season in Denver, the surging two-way forward again carved up the Nuggets on Friday at Ball Arena, dropping an efficient 34 as the Knicks started their West Coast swing with a blowout 142-103 win.
It was the Nuggets’ worst home loss since Michael Jordan’s Bulls beat them in 1998.
“I just think [Anunoby] likes Denver, he likes the altitude,” Josh Hart said. “That’s what he can do, defensively guard one through five, and obviously, offensively get to his spots, knock down shots, get in the paint and just be a force.”
OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks celebrates after a made 3-point basket in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado Getty Images
Anunoby shot a slick 11-for-17 and highlighted his evening with a breakaway double-pump reverse jam to end the third quarter. The move jump-tarted extended garbage time and sent Nuggets fans funneling very early to the exits, leaving the traveling Knicks faithful to dominate the arena chants. Anunoby also grabbed four steals and helped defend a frustrated Nikola Jokic, who scored 38 points but missed his first six 3-pointers.
“Defensively, he’s on another level, man,” coach Mike Brown said. “If he keeps that up, that’s Defensive Player of the Year type stuff. For sure First Team All-Defense. He’s guarding point guards. He’s guarding the muli-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Then he’s guarding everybody in between.”
Anunoby picked up the slack for an ice-cold Jalen Brunson, who only managed nine points on 3-for-13 shooting. Brunson did have 15 assists, however, representing his third straight game with double-digit dimes. Hart, playing with a sore back, added 18 points in 25 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (13 points, five rebounds) both had strong nights alternating at center.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) and center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second half at Ball Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Nuggets, injury-riddled all season, were finally at full strength, returning Aaron Gordon after a 17-game absence because of a hamstring strain. His dunk after about two minutes sent the Denver crowd into an uproar.
The environment felt ready for a Nuggets’ steamroll.
But their good health was short-lived. Jamal Murray, the star point guard, came up limping late in the second quarter after accidentally stepping on the foot of Jokic.
His left ankle turned over rather dramatically, leaving Murray unable to walk off the court without assistance. The air was removed from Denver’s sails. The Knicks, who trailed by nine in the first quarter, took off.
They led by 13 at the break, then 25 after Anunoby’s athletic jam in the third quarter. Even DNP regular Pacôme Dadiet shined in garbage time with 11 points in just eight minutes.
Anunoby has rediscovered his rhythm after his toenail avulsion, shooting 45 percent from deep in the last five games. He added seven rebounds and five assists Friday.
So Anunoby and the Knicks had no problems dealing with the high altitude in Denver, although he claimed his consecutive stellar performances at Ball Center were just “a coincidence.”
But Anunoby soared on that double-pump dunk like gravity wasn’t a problem.
Josh Hart of the New York Knicks celebrates after a made basket in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Getty Images
“I was thinking 360-degree [dunk], windmill,” Anunoby said. “Then I just thought I’ll do the double-pump.”
Historically, the Knicks have had problems with the thin air, however. They recently went 16 years without a win in the Mile High City, a streak that mercifully ended during Brunson’s first season in 2022.
New York also won last year in Denver — a 145-118 shootout led by Anunoby’s career night.
Towns said he’s more acclimated after spending most of his career in the Western Conference. He still thinks it’s a factor, however.
“Hell, yeah,” Towns said.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, right, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther, left, defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 6, 2026, in Denver. AP
While with Minnesota, Towns endured a 12-game losing streak against the Nuggets from 2018-21. They then split a pair of playoff series — in 2023 and 2024 — leaving Towns as an expert dealing with Jokic.
“He’s really damn good. That’s pretty much it, pretty much all there is to it,” Towns said. “You just go out there and compete at a high level against one of the best.”
But Anunoby was better than Jokic on Friday and everybody else on the court.
The Knicks fans behind the basket understood, chanting, “OG, OG, OG” as the final buzzer neared.
“Obviously, OG had a whale of a game for us,” Brown said.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Joki¿, left, fights for control of a rebound with Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March...
Ayton played his initial four-minute stint to start Thursday’s game before backup big man Jaxson Hayes subbed in for him at the 7:30 mark of the first.
Nikola Jokic attempting a shot against Deandre Ayton. AP
The 7-foot Ayton used one of the team’s stationary bikes after being subbed out before going back to the locker room during the first half.
The Lakers ruled Ayton out during the third quarter, with coach JJ Redick saying postgame that Ayton was dealing with left knee soreness. Ayton missed two games before the All-Star break because of right knee soreness.
Ayton was scoreless in the four minutes he played after missing his lone shot, finishing with two rebounds and had an individual plus/minus of minus-13.
“He’s down,” Marcus Smart said of Ayton, who sits next to Smart in the locker room. “It sucked for him not to be out there in the game. He tried to go and it just didn’t feel right for him and it sucks. We definitely could have used him.
“I know as of lately he’s been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and his play. He understands it. I know it might not seem like it, but he does and he wants to do good and he wants to help this team and I think that’s what more frustrating for him, because he’s trying. But the way he’s trying is not working and he’s still trying to figure it out. But he definitely was down. He just actually left talking to me, saying how he wished he could have been out there and how sorry he was. But he can’t control that he couldn’t go. Hopefully, next game, he’s ready to go and we can use him.”
With Ayton sidelined, Hayes started the second half, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and five rebounds in 28 minutes.
Backup big man Maxi Kleber wasn’t available for Thursday’s game because of back soreness.
Hayes played 16 of 24 minutes in the second half.
“He was terrific,” Redick said of Hayes. “Not having Maxi actually really hurt us. Particularly with DA out. But Jaxson, I definitely have confidence in him.”
The Lakers will host the Pacers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
