Tag: 2025 nfl offseason

Steelers lose defensive coach to the New York Jets

Aaron Curry is leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers for the New York Jets, raising questions about potential coaching changes this offseason.

It has begun! Art Rooney II told everyone that while coaching staff changes were coming, the moves wouldn’t be “wholesale.”

Aaron Curry, who has been with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team’s inside linebackers coach since February 2023, has been hired by the New York Jets as their new linebackers coach.

While no one can deny the inconsistency surrounding the run-stopping duties of the linebacker room in 2024, Curry was hardly the problem behind the defensive struggles as a whole.

Curry is expected to play a major role on the New York Jets’ coaching staff under new head coach Aaron Glenn and new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Will more changes follow Curry’s departure from the Black and Gold? If so, will the Pittsburgh Steelers make the right decision and move on from defensive coordinator Teryl Austin? No one can deny that this 2025 offseason is shaping up to be an exciting one as January comes to a close.

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4 Free agents the Lions need to bring back in 2025

4 Free agents the Lions need to bring back in 2025, from Carlton Davis to Kevin Zeitler

With the offseason now in full focus for the Detroit Lions, decisions will start being made in regards to free agency and who the Lions want to keep and who they need to let go.

Coming off a 15-2 season, the Lions know they have a championship window. Keeping key free agents could help keep that window open a little bit longer. Here are a few free agents the Lions need to consider keeping in 2025.

CB Carlton Davis

Davis was essentially on a one-year “prove it” deal with the Lions after he was acquired via trade with the Buccaneers and he more than proved his worth, helping turn a unit that was a weakness in 2023 into a strength in 2024. Davis recorded 56 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games before a broken jaw ended his season.

DL Levi Onwuzurike

Onwuzurike provided quality play up front for the Lions with 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 37 quarterback pressures, helping the unit stay afloat after the injury to Alim McNeill. The Lions need to refill their depth behind McNeill and DJ Reader and that should start with Onwuzurike.

OG Kevin Zeitler

Zeitler will be 34 years old but, like Davis, was a huge free-agent pickup this season, being not only one of the top offensive linemen for the Lions but one of the best offensive linemen in the entire league. Zeitler graded as the 3rd-best offensive guard by Pro Football Focus, behind only Chris Lindstrom (Falcons) and Quinn Meinerz (Broncos). Even if it’s a one-year deal, Zeitler helps keep the offense intact and will keep opening holes for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

CB Kindle Vildor

The Lions will also need depth behind Davis, Terrion Arnold and Amik Robertson. Vildor was very serviceable when he was needed to fill in due to injuries. He had a pass defended, one of only two in the game, against the Commanders in the Divisional Round. He can be brought back as an extra body next season.

What is the Vikings’ cap space heading into the 2025 NFL offseason?

The Minnesota Vikings will have plenty of cap space to attract free agents in 2025.

The Minnesota Vikings had a surprising 14-3 season in 2024, finishing one game back of the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title. Unfortunately, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round, quickly getting knocked out of the playoffs.

Despite the loss, the Vikings enter the 2025 offseason with plenty of salary cap space to patch holes throughout the roster. OverTheCap projects Minnesota to have approximately $57.94 million in cap space, the seventh-most in the league.

However, the Vikings may have more flexibility than that number projects as well. They will have approximately $55.64 million in “effective cap space”. OverTheCap defines this as “the cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster.” That means Minnesota will have the fifth-most “effective cap space” in the league, giving them an edge in free agency.

The Vikings currently only have three draft picks. That means less money to spend on signing their draft class. But the money saved in not signing the draft class can also go to veterans who can plug and play to the roster, even if it’s a smaller role.

Through three seasons under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings’ pro scouting department has been great at adding veteran talent. They now have the money to sufficiently address their needs this year.

NFL offseason schedule for 2025, important dates for Lions fans to know

A look at the 2025 offseason schedule as released by the NFL.

The regular season isn’t over yet and there’s still a postseason to run through for the Detroit Lions. But eventually, the season will come to an end and teams will begin focusing on the 2025 season. Thursday saw that path unveiled as the NFL revealed key dates during the offseason. Let’s take a look at some of those dates.

January 6:

  • Clubs may begin signing free agent players for the 2025 season, including players from the CFL.
  • Earliest permissible date for clubs to renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie who was selected in any round of the 2022 NFL Draft or any undrafted rookie who signed in 2023. Any permissible renegotiated or extended player contract will not be considered a rookie contract and will not be subject to the rules that limit rookie contracts.
  • Clubs may exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

January 15:

  • Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility.

January 30:

  • East-West Shrine Bowl, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.

February 1:

  • Senior Bowl, Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.

February 18:

  • Beginning this date through 4:00 p.m., New York time on March 4, clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players.

February 24-March 3:

  • NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

March 4:

  • Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 10-12:

  • During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, on March 10 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2024 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.
  • During the above two-day negotiating period, a prospective UFA who is not represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor (“unrepresented player”) is permitted to communicate directly with a new club’s front office officials (excluding the head coach and other members of the club’s coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations. The club is responsible for confirming the player’s status as an unrepresented player.
  • No prospective unrestricted free agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

March 12:

  • The 2025 League Year and free agency signing period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
  • Trading period for 2025 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2024 contracts.
  • The first day of the 2025 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

March 30-April 2:

  • Annual League Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida.

April 7:

  • Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2024 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

April 16:

  • Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.

April 18:

  • Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

April 21:

  • Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

April 23:

  • Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets.
  • Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.

April 24-26:

  • NFL Draft, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

May 1:

  • Deadline for clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft.

May 2-5 or May 9-12:

  • Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft.

May 12:

  • Rookie Football Development Programs begin.

May 14-18:

  • NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Los Angeles, California.

May 20-21:

  • Spring League Meeting/Coach Accelerator, Minneapolis, Minnesota

June 1:

  • Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision.

June 15:

  • Deadline for club to withdraw higher qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting lower “June 15 Tender” of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).

Late June:

  • Rookie Readiness Program to be held at individual clubs.

July 15:

  • At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2025 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.

Mid-July:

  • Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies (defined as a player who has never signed an NFL player contract with a club in a prior league year) beginning seven days prior to the club’s mandatory reporting date for veteran players. A club’s preseason training camp will be deemed to have officially opened on the designated reporting date for all rookies.
  • Clubs may require first-year players (defined as a player who signed a player contract with any NFL club in a prior league year, but who does not have a pension-credited season) to report on the designated reporting date for all rookies, or at any time thereafter, including, but not limited to, the designated reporting date for veteran quarterbacks and injured players, or the designated reporting date for all other veteran players.
  • Veteran quarterbacks and “injured players” (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may be required to report to the club’s preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies.

July 21:

  • At 4:00 p.m., New York time, signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.
  • At 4:00 p.m., New York time, on July 21 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp [July 16 in 2025], whichever is later) signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a “UFA Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.

49ers should part ways with $84 million DL in offseason

The 49ers may have to part with some good players this offseason as part of a roster overhaul.

There are a handful of tough calls for the San Francisco 49ers to make in the wake of a disastrous 2024 season.

This year was one that may push the 49ers to make wholesale changes to their roster in hopes of re-opening a new Super Bowl window after the window with this year’s group appeared to close in a blaze of injuries, special teams woes and red-zone issues.

One of the biggest changes they can make is along the defensive line where parting with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave may become a necessary move for salary cap purposes.

Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million deal in the 2023 offseason and never quite hit the level of game-wrecker the 49ers hoped he would be. He did have a terrific Week 3 game vs. the Los Angeles Rams this season, but he also suffered a triceps tear in that contest that ended cut his season short.

The 49ers need an overhaul on the defensive line and letting the 31-year-old walk ahead of his Age 32 season is a step the team can take in revamping a defensive position group that, bluntly, hasn’t been good enough the last two years.

Signing Hargrave was supposed to help the 49ers replicate some of the success they had along the defensive front in the 2019 season. While the veteran defensive tackle was productive as a pass rusher with 72 pressures and nine sacks in 22 games (including the postseason) per Pro Football Focus, he wasn’t a particularly effective run defender and he didn’t make life much easier on the rest of the defensive line.

Hargrave’s release would cost the 49ers $24.86 million in dead cap next year, while saving them $3.245 million and opening a spot on the defensive line for a younger player to get snaps. Not to mention the additional $3 million in cap savings will be significant for a team that will have to carefully manage the cap with a sizable contract likely due soon for quarterback Brock Purdy.

They could also designate him as a post-June 1 cut where his dead cap number would fall to $7.375 million and the savings would leap to $20.73 million.

There’s still something in the tank for Hargrave who can still be productive on a good defensive line. The 49ers are just in a place now where the cap savings of cutting him may outweigh the reward of keeping him in red and gold for another season.

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