NFL Player News

The Panthers signed Smith on Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Smith bounced back-and-forth between the Vikings' practice squad and active roster over the course of three-year NFL career, but he's now found a new home in Carolina. The 27-year-old defensive lineman has appeared in four games during his time in the league, recording 11 total tackles while playing 108 total snaps (86 defensive and 22 on special teams). He's expected to compete for a backup role on the Panthers' defense as the offseason advances.

The Lions signed Goff to a four-year, $212 million contract extension Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The deal contains $170 million guaranteed, and Goff is now the highest-paid player in Lions franchise history. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick of the Rams, Goff was acquired from Los Angeles in the Matthew Stafford haul prior to the 2021 season and has resurrected his career under Detroit OC Ben Johnson. In three seasons with Detroit, Goff has completed 66.5 percent of his passes, up from 63.4 percent with Los Angeles, and has thrown for 12,258 yards with a splendid 78:27 TD:INT mark. He's lowered his turnover rate with Detroit and just helped lead the team to the NFC Championship Game last season. Goff is still just 29 years old and is locked in with the Lions for at least the next few seasons.

The Patriots released Vaughn on Tuesday, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

The 27-year-old running back out of Vanderbilt signed a reserve/future contract with the Patriots back in January, but he's now been cut loose. Vaughn has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Buccaneers, recording 384 rushing yards on 103 attempts. This move comes as New England frees up space within the 90-man roster limit, and Vaughn will now seek an opportunity to compete elsewhere.

The Titans signed Vannett on Tuesday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

The veteran tight end has spent time with six different teams across his eight-year career, and he's now headed to Nashville after agreeing to terms with the Titans on Tuesday. Vannett most recently played with the Chargers, tallying 125 offensive snaps across eight games and recording one reception for three yards in 2023. Expect the 31-year-old to compete for a depth role in Tennessee's tight end room as the offseason progresses.

The Falcons signed Dwelley (ankle) on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Dwelley finished last season on injured reserve after sustaining an ankle injury, but it now seems as if he's moved past the issue. After spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the 49ers, the 29-year-old tight end has agreed to terms with the Falcons. Across his last three seasons, Dwelley has appeared in 41 games and made two starts, catching eight of his 12 targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Despite his underwhelming offensive production, the San Diego product has been a consistent contributor on special teams (619 special teams snaps over the last three years), and he's expected to compete for a similar role in Atlanta.

The Panthers signed Gill on Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

The Wagner product spent the first three seasons of his career with the Buccaneers and he will remain in the NFC South after inking a deal with the Panthers. Gill was a key special-teamer during his time in Tampa Bay, playing 768 special teams snaps (out of 952 total snaps) and recording 29 total tackles, including one tackle for loss and an additional 1.5 sacks across the last three years. He's expected to compete for another special teams role in Carolina, while also providing some extra depth to the team's pass-rushing unit.

Hendrickson is participating in the Bengals' offseason workouts despite requesting a trade in late April, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hendrickson is under contract for the next two seasons and he's set to make $15 million in 2024, but he's unhappy with the lack of long-term security that Cincinnati has been willing to offer. The 29-year-old edge rusher is coming off the most productive season of his career, putting up 43 total tackles, including a career-best 16 tackles for loss and an additional 1.5 sacks. With Hendrickson participating in the Bengals' offseason workouts, he's expected to continue wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks in 2024, whether that's in Cincinnati or elsewhere.

The Eagles waived Togiai on Monday.

Togiai has spent the last three seasons on Philadelphia's practice squad, but he was only elevated for one game in 2023 and failed to record any stats. As Togiai now heads into his age-27 season, he will need to compete for a depth opportunity elsewhere in the league.

The Bengals signed Collins as an undrafted free agent Monday.

Collins joins a backfield in need of quality depth options after the departure of Joe Mixon, where Zack Moss and Chase Brown currently stand atop the depth chart. He played a depth role at OSU after transferring from Michigan State, where he spent the first five seasons of his collegiate career.

Winfield and the Buccaneers agreed to terms Monday on a four-year, $81.1 million contract Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Winfield's contract total of $81.1 million is not only the highest figure for a defensive back in NFL history, but Schefter reports that his deal's $45 million guaranteed his also the largest such sum to be earned by a safety. Tampa Bay placed the $17.1 million franchise tag on Winfield back in March, but that transaction was always a placeholder for long-term negotiations. The Buccaneers will pay a high price to keep the the All-Pro safety in town, proof of Winfield's position as an irreplaceable pillar of the team's secondary. He piled up a career-high 122 tackles (76 solo) across 17 regular-season games in 2023, to go with six sacks, three interceptions, 12 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and four fumbles recovered.