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.
Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is headed to free agency, a “right” the 25-year-old told Kay Adams he’s “earned.”
The Colts couldn’t come to an agreement with Pierce on a new long-term deal before Tuesday afternoon and opted to place the transition tag on Daniel Jones, leaving Pierce headed to the open market.
And when Pierce, 25, joined “Up & Adams” on Wednesday, he seemed set on hitting free agency.
"I love Indy… but at this point, I've kind of earned the right to explore free agency. See what's out there."
“At this point now, it’s like, I love Indy. I’ve loved playing there — great organization, great people in the city,” Pierce said. “Just a ton of support. I know we haven’t been as good as we could be, and I know we can be. But, yeah, at this point, I’ve kind of earned the right to explore free agency, see what’s out there. Just make a decision that’s best for my career and for my family.”
Pierce is coming off a season where he recorded a career-best 1,003 receiving yards on 47 catches.
He finished the 2025 season with six touchdown receptions, one less than he had the year before.
Alec Pierce makes a catch for a touchdown as cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. defends during the 49ers’ win over the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 22, 2025. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Reports have suggested that the Colts have not abandoned hope and that they and Pierce’s representatives have continued to talk.
Rapoport indicated one thing that was important to Pierce was the quarterback situation in Indy.
Alec Pierce leaves the field after the Colts’ blowout loss to the 49ers on Dec. 22, 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
“Quarterback Play and stability,” Pierce said when asked what was important to him. “Stability in a franchise, winning culture. Things like that I’d say are probably the most important. … I think [the Colts are] on the way to figuring that out with Daniel [Jones] if they can get a long-term deal done.”
He added: “I’ve understood the battles that come with not having that stability.”
In usual circumstances, the Lakers wouldn’t have played a competitive game against the Pelicans on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Because in most seasons, a team like the Pelicans, who entered the matchup with the league’s sixth-worst record, would be tanking with the hopes of falling in the standings to secure the best possible draft lottery odds.
But this season hasn’t been typical, with the Pelicans, who won six of their last nine games entering Tuesday, still looking to be competitive in light of trading away their 2026 first-round pick during a highly-scrutinized transaction that moved them up in the 2025 draft to select rookie big man Derik Queen at No. 13.
LeBron James goes up for a layup over DeAndre Jordan. AP
So the Lakers had to fight all the way to the end for the 110-101 victory over the Pelicans.
“We knew we weren’t playing against their record,” LeBron James said. “It’s the first time they’ve been whole in quite awhile. And we know when they’ve been whole what kind of team they’ve been. We didn’t come in with the notion that we were playing against their record. We came in with the notion that we were playing a very athletic team that’s been playing exceptional basketball of late.”
The Lakers came back from an eight-point deficit and closed the game on a 22-7 run to seal the victory.
“Frankly, that’s not a win we’ve had since probably November,” Coach JJ Redick said. “Where we’re down. A lot of those early wins when we started 15-4, we had a number of double-digit deficits in the second half, and just stuck with it and kept playing. It was a good win for our group to be able to do that again.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. James had 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
They moved to 37-24 on the season, getting closer to having an identical home record (18-12) as road record (19-12).
Turning point
When after falling behind 94-86, the Lakers ran Stack 2 against the Pelicans’ hedging defense to open up a dunk for Jaxson Hayes assisted by Doncic, which started the Lakers’ late run.
Biggest offensive possession of the game. Lakers go to their stack 2 formation.
Pels put two on the ball. Watch Luka extend the trap, fake the pass to AR and open the jam for Jaxson. pic.twitter.com/04I1bLgRPK
Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot for most of Tuesday (15 points on 4-of-15 shooting) made a 3-pointer with 5:04 left to give the Lakers a 96-94 lead. They led for the remainder of the game.
MVP: Marcus Smart
His 3-of-9 shooting doesn’t stand out.
But the veteran guard made the dagger 3-point to put the Lakers up 105-98 with 1:34 left.
And he made multiple game-changing defensive plays that ignited the Lakers’ offense.
Marcus Smart before tip-off. NBAE via Getty Images
“Smart was incredible,” Redick said. “Him and Jaxson [Hayes] in the second half, when we got him back in the game defensively, they helped us win the game. They changed the game.”
Smart finished with 10 points, seven assists, four steals, three blocked shots and three rebounds, and had the best individual plus/minus among the starters.
Stat of the game: 22
That was the number of turnovers the Lakers committed against the Pelicans.
It was the 11th time they had at least 20 giveaways, with the Lakers entering Tuesday 4-6 in games they had at least 20 turnovers.
Notably, it was just the third time the Lakers had at least 20 turnovers in a game Doncic, LeBron and Reaves all played, with the last one being the Feb. 5 win over the 76ers that Doncic left at halftime during.
The Dec. 1 loss to the Suns was the last time the Lakers had 20 turnovers in a game all three star players finished.
Up next
The Lakers will kick off their upcoming back-to-back in Denver when they play the Nuggets on Thursday night at Ball Arena.
They’ll close out the back-to-back on Friday against the Pacers at Crypto.com Arena, which will kick off a five-game homestand.
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 24: The San Antonio Spurs poses for a team photo as part of the NBA Paris Games 2025 at the Eiffel Tower on January 24, 2025 in Paris, France. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While the San Antonio Spurs were amassing one of the greatest months in franchise history, the Spurs Organization was over the pond in Paris, France building on the relationship launched last season.
Per a Spurs press release:
The San Antonio Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) held two sports leadership events as part of the ongoing “Spurs Week Paris” initiative. The Spurs and PSG hosted an executive learning session for their leadership teams, followed by the second iteration of Spurs Community Leadership Institute (SCLI) Paris, serving a diverse group of French women leaders in sport. This transformative collaboration is the result of the deep relationship that has grown between the two clubs, both known as leaders in the globalization of sport, which tipped off in 2025 with the Spurs competing in the NBA Paris Games.
The Spurs x PSG Executive Learning Session brought both organizations together offering a leadership development program with expert panels and hands-on workshops.
The Spurs Community Leadership Institute hosted a one-day leadership summit involving 50 women leaders in sports, government officials and community. The event centered on advancing women in sports, leadership development and leveraging sports as a catalyst for social impact.
Patricia Mejia, chief impact & inclusion officer for the San Antonio Spurs shared,
“From day one, our relationship with Paris-Saint Germain has been driven by innovative thinking, collaborative conversations and a shared commitment to community impact. Through innovative initiatives like these, in collaboration with highly regarded organizations like PSG, the Spurs will continue to build lasting relationships in France and inspire the next generation of leaders and changemakers in the global sports industry.”
Spurs Week Paris, a week-long in-person fan engagement activation across the city, continued to expand its presence in France on and off the court.
The Spurs commitment to growing the game of basketball globally involved a full week including aSpurs Skills Challenge Clinic, exclusive retail experiences, a newly renovated basketball court in Nanterre, and a public game watch party.
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