The Panthers have officially exercised the fifth-year option on Young's rookie contract, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

The anticipated move will keep the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft under contract with Carolina through the 2027 season. The 24-year-old is coming off a career year in 2025, during which he set new highs in passing yards (3,011), TDs (23), completion percentage (63.6) and passer rating (87.8), among other other categories, over the course of 16 regular-season contests. Since then, the Panthers signed Kenny Pickett to back up Young and added deep threat Chris Brazzell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, providing Young a player with upside to fortify a WR corps that returns Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette.

Coach Todd Monken hopes to identify the Browns' starting QB by the end of the team's minicamp June 9-11, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Sanders and Deshaun Watson are considered the top two candidates to land the job.

Per Cabot, Watson reportedly emerged from the team's voluntary minicamp last week with an edge over Sanders, which may give the veteran signal caller the inside track to the assignment, but Sanders does have time to make up ground before Monken makes the call. Also in Cleveland's QB mix are 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green, but Cabot suggests that they will largely be vying for the developmental third spot on the roster. In any case, this is a job competition worth closely monitoring in the coming weeks/months, with the Browns slated to approach the coming campaign with an intriguing group of pass-catchers that includes returning WRs Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond, along with TE Harold Fannin,as well as a pair of talented rookie wideouts in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

Watson reportedly emerged from last week's voluntary minicamp with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the Browns' quarterback competition, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The report notes that coach Todd Monken hopes to identify the team's starter by the end of Browns minicamp June 9-11, with Watson and Sanders viewed as the top two contenders for the role, while Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green are also in the mix to a lesser degree. Per Cabot, at this stage Watson --- who didn't see game action in 2025 due to an Achilles' injury -- appears to have the inside track to the assignment, but Sanders still has time to close the gap before Monken makes the call. In any case, the signal caller that ultimately gets the nod will be in line to helm a Cleveland passing offense that returns WRs Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, as well as TE Harold Fannin, and is also set to welcome a pair of talented rookie wideouts in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

The Ravens have agreed to terms with Fagnano, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports.

In addition to signing Fagnano, an undrafted QB out of Connecticut, the Ravens brought in another UDFA signal caller, Diego Pavia (a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist) via Vanderbilt. Per GM Eric DeCosta, the rookie duo will compete for slotting behind starter Lamar Jackson and his top backup, Tyler Huntley. During the 2025 campaign, the 25-year-old Fagnano completed 69 percent of his passes in 12 games with UConn for 3,448 yards with 28 touchdowns and one interception.

During his scheduled re-check last week, Nix underwent what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network describes as a successful and anticipated clean-up procedure on his ankle.

While Rapoport suggests that the Broncos figure to proceed deliberately with Nix this spring as a result, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com notes that the quarterback is expected to be ready for training camp. Once he's ready to practice fully, Nix will be working with a Denver pass-catching corps that was bolstered by the offseason addition of Jaylen Waddle, who arrived via a trade with the Dolphins last month.

The Rams signed Caldwell as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Caldwell is headed to Los Angeles after spending his collegiate career with four schools across five years. The 6-foot-4 quarterback spent the 2025 campaign with Texas, completing just eight of his 11 pass attempts for 85 yards and a touchdown. He could be a candidate to land on the Rams' practice squad.

The Bills signed VanSumeren (knee) to a one-year contract Wednesday, Alec White of the Bills' official site reports.

Philadelphia opted not to tender VanSumeren after his third season with the team back in March, but it didn't take long for him to get another shot with a new squad. His 2025 season ended prematurely due to a torn patella tendon during the opening kickoff of Week 1, but in the two years prior, his elite speed, strength and explosiveness allowed him to earn opportunities on special teams.

Kansas City waived Powell on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After signing Emari Demercado in March and using a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Emmett Johnson on Saturday, the Chiefs found that they didn't have room for Powell anymore. The undersized running back will now have to look for another opportunity with a different team.

The Rams signed Connors as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Connors began his career at junior college before rushing for 977 yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries during the 2025 season while at Houston. With the Rams lacking proven talent at running back behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, Connors has a chance to earn a spot on the final roster.

The Lions exercised Gibbs' fifth-year option for the 2027 season Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

It was a no-brainer move for the Lions, and Gibbs will collect a fully guaranteed $14.293 million salary in 2027. That still puts him well below the $20.6 million per year Saquon Barkley is earning as the league's highest-paid running back. As long as Gibbs keeps producing like he has since coming into the NFL as the 12th overall pick in 2023, he should become the league's top-earning back soon enough. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has totaled 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground across three campaigns. In addition to his dynamic ability as a runner, Gibbs has secured 181 of 228 targets for 1,449 yards and 10 scores in 49 regular-season contests. With David Montgomery now out of the picture, replaced by Isiah Pacheco, the ceiling is even higher for Gibbs headed into 2026.

Brooks (knee) said Tuesday that he's been fully cleared to participate in the Panthers' offseason program, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Brooks said he feels "close to 100 percent" after tearing his right ACL for the second time in Week 14 of the 2024 campaign. Brooks missed the entirety of 2025 but appears ready to contribute this season. The offseason has set up nicely for Brooks to have a significant role after Rico Dowdle left in free agency, leaving only Chuba Hubbard ahead of him on the depth chart. AJ Dillon was added as well, but he's barely played over the last two seasons, and Trevor Etienne mainly played special teams as a rookie in 2025.

The Patriots released Mitchell on Tuesday, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

The 27-year-old running back from Louisiana inked a reserve/future contract with New England in early February, but it now appears the team has decided to move in another direction. Mitchell's last in-game action came with the Chiefs in 2025, when he appeared in one contest and failed to catch his lone target across seven offensive snaps.

Pickens has officially signed his franchise tag with the Cowboys, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Pickens signing the tag was expected, and now the wideout is guaranteed $27.3 million for the 2026 season. As things stand, the Cowboys have a clear-cut 1-2 punch atop their WR depth chart in CeeDee Lamb and Pickens. Regarding speculation that the team could consider moving Pickens, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes that Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones made it clear after Day 1 of last week's draft that the team has no interest in trading the 2022 second-rounder. In his first season with Dallas, Pickens recorded a fantasy-friendly 93/1,429/9 receiving line across 17 regular-season contests.

The Chargers exercised Johnston's fifth-year option for the 2027 season Tuesday.

The No. 21 overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Johnston has gotten his career on track after what was a subpar rookie season. Across 29 regular-season games over the past two seasons, Johnston has secured 106 of 175 targets for 1,446 yards and 16 touchdowns as Justin Herbert's top downfield perimeter wideout. Johnston has improved his yards-per-catch average every season and finished 21st in the NFL at 14.4 yards per reception during the 2025 campaign. With Keenan Allen still unsigned, there's room for Johnston's role to grow this upcoming season.

Harris could have competition for his spot on the depth chart after the Chargers selected Brenen Thompson with the 105th overall pick during the 2026 NFL Draft.

New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel reportedly had significant interest in Thompson because of his blazing 4.26 40-yard dash, reminiscent of the wide receiver archetype he valued as a head coach in Miami. It's hard to tell if the Chargers will have designated plays for Thompson, or if they will continue to feature Harris, the 2025 second-round pick who made his bones at the collegiate level as a RPO specialist. Harris' rookie year was relatively mundane (30-324-1) despite playing all 17 regular-season games, but with Keenan Allen potentially on his way out, there overall could be more opportunities available in Los Angeles in what figures to be a more pass-happy scheme.

Jennings is visiting with the Vikings on Tuesday and Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Now that the NFL Draft has passed, signings no longer count toward the compensatory formula for 2027. That should lead to a flurry of activity around the league for its remaining big-name free agents, as Jennings hadn't drawn much interest on the open market until now. The 28-year-old had a productive five seasons in San Francisco, amassing 210 catches for 2,581 yards and 22 touchdowns as a trusted third-down and red-zone weapon. He'd be a potential upgrade on Jalen Nailor, who's now with the Raiders, as the Vikings' No. 3 wideout behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

The Cowboys signed Johnson to a one-year deal Monday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Johnson played in 12 games for the Jets in 2025, catching 12 balls for 197 yards and one touchdown. The addition of Marquez Valdes-Scantling means there is yet another wide receiver Johnson will need to outperform in training camp to remain on the active roster. If the 27-year-old can win a role, he likely will maintain his 2025 production level.

Wease will have plenty of competition in the wide receiver room during training camp, as the Dolphins added three receivers in the 2026 Draft, Matt Sullivan of sportingnews.com reports.

Wease played substantial snaps at wide receiver for the Dolphins' last three contests of the 2025 season. He caught six of his 10 targets for 130 yards and one touchdown over the three-game span. The team drafted Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell (ACL) in the third round of the 2026 draft, as well as Kevin Coleman in the fifth round. With all three new receivers set to compete throughout the preseason, Wease may have to show out to remain on the roster.

Seattle signed Bryant on Wednesday, Ari Horton of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The details of the deal are unknown at this point, but Bryant fits with the Seahawks' recent approach of seeking out hard-nosed tight ends. 2024 fourth-rounder AJ Barner, 2025 second-rounder Elijah Arroyo and veteran Eric Saubert are all likely to make Seattle's 53-man roster to start the 2026 season, but there's a decent chance the team keeps four tight ends, meaning one of Bryant or Nick Kallerup could potentially make the opening roster too.

The Eagles waived Bell on Tuesday, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

Bell signed a reserve/future deal with the team in January but is headed to waivers. The 2024 seventh-round pick spent time with both Philadelphia's and Pittsburgh's practice squads during the 2025 campaign, and he will now look to catch on with a new team.

The Rams signed Jones as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Jones, who was with Arkansas in 2025, finished his collegiate career with 80 catches for 1,352 yards and 20 touchdowns. While he will likely face an uphill battle to make the team's final roster, he's a candidate to land on the practice squad.

The 49ers signed Dinkins as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Dinkins caught 37 passes for 399 yards and seven touchdowns across his four seasons at Penn State. With George Kittle (Achilles) and Jake Tonges (foot) both dealing with injuries, Dinkins has a chance to make the team's final roster.

The Jaguars signed Connor as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Connor played three collegiate seasons at Troy, producing 31 receptions for 397 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns over 11 games in his final season. The tight end comes in at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, making him smaller than the other depth-level tight ends currently on the Jaguars' roster. With marginal receiving upside and a smaller frame, it will likely be difficult for Connor to work his way up the depth chart and would take an exceptional showing at the team's camp for him to be considered for the 53-man roster.

The Chargers signed Svoboda as an undrafted free agent Saturday.

Svoboda was originally a quarterback at Wyoming before switching over to tight end in 2025. He caught 11 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown during the 2025 campaign. Svoboda was one of two tight ends the team added as undrafted free agents alongside Jerand Bradley.

The Packers selected Smack in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 216th overall.

Smack joins Green Bay via the final pick of the sixth round as the first kicker off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. As a freshman with Florida in 2022, he operated in a specialist role before taking over as the Gators' starting kicker from 2023-25, a three-year span in which he compiled an 82.8 percent field-goal conversion rate. Smack boasts a big leg, having converted 10 of 13 field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards, and he'll have an opportunity to compete with Brandon McManus and Lucas Havrisik for the Packers' starting kicker gig this offseason.

General manager Chris Ballard said Monday that Shrader (knee) will kick with the team during training camp in July, JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site reports.

Shrader tore the ACL in his plant leg when he was run into on an extra-point attempt in Week 5 of the 2025 season versus the Raiders, but he appears to be progressing well in his recovery. Per Ballard, he recently made a 54-yard field goal during a workout. He performed well as Indianapolis' starting kicker last year before suffering the season-ending injury, making 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts and all 14 of his extra-point tries over five games, but Blake Grupe, who signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Colts in March, will be tough competition for the club's starting kicker job this summer.

General manager Brandon Beane said this week that Bass, who missed the entire 2025 campaign due to a pelvic injury that required surgery, is close to full health again. "If he's not 100 (percent), he's right at it," Beane said Monday as reported on the Bills' official site.

Bass has handled the Bills' kicking duties since being drafted in 2020, but the team was forced to go with Matt Prater and Michael Badgley in 2025. Bass never came close to suiting up due to a sports hernia that ultimately required surgery in November. Neither Prater nor Badgley is with the team any longer, so it looks like the Bills are comfortable with Bass being their main guy next season. He could prove to be a sleeper if he gets forgotten about due to his lack of 2025 stats, as well as the fact that the Bills have a new offensively minded head coach in Joe Brady to boost their Josh Allen-led attack.

Aubrey agreed to terms Monday on a four-year, $28 million contract extension with the Cowboys that includes $20 million guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Aubrey's new deal with Dallas is record-setting, and as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports makes him the first kicker in NFL history to earn $7 million annually on average. Across 17 regular-season appearances in 2025, Aubrey converted 36 of his 42 field-goal attempts and was especially clutch from 50-plus yards, going 11-for-17. The Cowboys initially assigned Aubrey a second-round tender as a placeholder to work out a long-term deal.

Karty signed his one-year ERFA tender offer with Arizona on Tuesday.

Karty will return to the Cardinals after the team poached him off the Rams' practice squad prior to Week 17 of last season. He suited up for eight regular-season games with Los Angeles in 2025 but struggled in that span, converting just 10 of 15 field-goal tries and 23 of 26 PATs. He'll provide Arizona with depth behind Chad Ryland at the kicker position this offseason.

Szmyt signed his exclusive-rights free-agent tender with the Browns on Monday.

Szmyt had a successful first NFL campaign last season, converting 24 of 27 field-goal attempts (including 5-for-6 from 50-plus yards) and 25 of 26 extra-point tries. He didn't miss a field goal following the Browns' Week 9 bye, going 14-for-14 over the team's final nine games. Szmyt will head into training camp as Cleveland's clear primary kicker.

Fotu and the Giants agreed on a one-year contract Wednesday, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

Fotu will head to New York after recording 11 total tackles (three solo), including 1.0 sacks, over eight regular-season contests with the Texans and Raiders last year. The 28-year-old will provide the Giants with an additional veteran option at defensive tackle in 2026.

The Vikings signed Johnson on Wednesday, Lindsey Young of the team's official site reports.

The details of the contract are unknown at this point, but Johnson will be linking up with his third team in as many years. He played a depth role on the interior of Indianapolis' defensive line in 2025, logging 131 defensive snaps over 12 games. He joins rookie first-rounder Caleb Banks (foot) and rookie third-rounder Domonique Orange as recent acquisitions meant to beef up Minnesota's defensive front.

Detroit signed Tufele on Wednesday.

Tufele appeared in 12 games in a depth role with the Jets in 2025, but now he's moving on to his third team in as many seasons. It looks like the Lions are going to be without veteran starter DJ Reader, so it's not hard to imagine Tufele earning a spot on the team's 53-man roster for 2026.

The Lions signed Bachie on Wednesday.

Detroit will be Bachie's fourth team in as many years. He's logged regular-season snaps, mostly on special teams, in each of his seven seasons since he made his pro debut with Philadelphia in 2020. The Lions lost veteran starter Alex Anzalone to the Buccaneers in free agency back in March, so there could be room for Bachie to stick on the 53-man roster in a depth role in 2026.

The Jets picked up the fifth-year option on McDonald's (knee) rookie contract Wednesday, Eric Allen of the team's official site reports.

McDonald has tallied 18.5 sacks in 32 games over the last two seasons, so it comes as little surprise that the Jets have opted to keep him under their control through the end of the 2027 season. Even though the club recently used the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on defensive end David Bailey, McDonald figures to get about as much work as he can handle during the upcoming campaign.

The Giants signed Harris to a one-year contract Wednesday, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports.

Harris will turn 35 in April, but he's coming off a 2025 season with Cleveland in which he played 507 snaps, racking up 32 tackles (15 solo), including 1.0 sacks. The Giants recently dealt three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati in exchange for the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving a big hole on the interior of its defensive line that Harris now figures to play a significant role in helping to fill.