- The Browns secured needed depth at offensive tackle: Injury concerns among the team's tackles make Cornelius Lucas (two years, $10 million) a valuable addition.
- The Lions retained Levi Onwuzurike at a discount: PFF projected Onwuzurike to fetch $10 million per year on the open market, but Detroit managed to re-sign the interior defender for just $5.5 million over one year.
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
We are now a few days into NFL free agency, and with the legal tampering period over, teams are officially signing players for 2025 and beyond. While there have been plenty of big deals going around (in terms of both names and dollars), it’s the under-the-radar moves that fill out rosters and often have bigger impacts than the premium free agents.
With that in mind, let’s look at five under-the-radar moves that stood out in the first week of 2025 NFL free agency.
Other Free-Agency Reading:
- 2025 NFL free agency grades for all 32 teams
- Free Agency Tracker: Signings, trades and cuts for all 32 NFL teams
- 2025 NFL Free Agency: Which teams have added the most talent?
- Ranking the best available 2025 NFL free agents
- Winners and losers from the legal tampering period
T Cornelius Lucas signs with Cleveland Browns
Contract: Two years, $10 million
Lucas gives the Browns flexibility at offensive tackle as someone who can step in and play on the left or right side. The 11-year veteran has logged 450-plus snaps in five of the past six seasons while earning a 67.6 PFF overall grade or higher in all five years.
As a member of the Washington Commanders last season, Lucas ranked 29th out of 80 qualifying tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade (79.1). He allowed just one sack across 273 pass-blocking snaps for the season.
Jack Conklin will open the 2025 season as the Browns’ starting right tackle but has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. On the left side, 23-year-old Dawand Jones figures to get the first opportunity but has also struggled with injuries, conditioning and inconsistent play.
Cleveland may look to draft a tackle in the early rounds, but either way, Lucas has shown he can step in when called upon — and he may do so again in 2025.
DI Teair Tart re-signs with Los Angeles Chargers
Contract: One year, $5.5 million
Tart had a career year in his first season as a Charger under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. His 78.1 PFF overall grade, 79.3 PFF pass-rush grade and 69.1 PFF run-defense grade were all career bests for the 2020 undrafted free agent out of FIU.
Tart will continue to be a rotational player (378 snaps in each of the past two seasons), but his impact on a per-snap basis is significant. He finished 2024 as one of the 25 most valuable interior defenders in the league, according to PFF’s WAR metric.
The 28-year-old Tart will look to prove himself again on a one-year deal. If his 2025 campaign is anything like last season, he will play a pivotal role for a young Chargers team trending up under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine signs with Miami Dolphins
Contract: Two years, $6.5 million ($3.2 million guaranteed)
Westbrook-Ikhine was a standout player on an otherwise lackluster Titans offense in 2024. The former Indiana Hoosier ranked among the top 10 wideouts in receiving touchdowns (nine) and accounted for 11 explosive plays (15-plus yards) through the air.
In Westbrook-Ikhine, the Dolphins add some desperately needed size to their wide receiver room. The 6-foot-2, 211-pound receiver is a nice complement to the smaller Tyreek Hill (5-foot-10), Jaylen Waddle (5-foot-10) and Malik Washington (5-foot-8).
His size is a plus in terms of his willingness to block and ability to make contested catches in traffic. The Dolphins haven’t gotten much production from their WR3 in recent years (most recently Odell Beckham Jr.), something Westbrook-Ikhine will hope to change in 2025.
DI Levi Onwuzurike re-signs with Detroit Lions
Contract: One year, $5.5 million
The Lions bring back one of their own on a bargain. PFF's projected contract for Onwuzurike was two years and $20 million with $13 million guaranteed — well above the one-year, $5.5 million deal he signed with Detroit. The former second-round pick struggled with injuries over his first few years but broke out in 2024, both in terms of playing time (697 snaps) and production (47 quarterback pressures and 20 defensive stops).
Onwuzurike finished the season with a 70.2 PFF overall grade, ranking 25th out of 118 qualifying interior defenders. He was a strong penetrator inside, placing among the top 15 at his position with a 12.5% pass-rush win rate.
Still just 27 years old, Onwuzurike is in the prime of his career and will have plenty of suitors next offseason if he backs up his 2024 season with another strong year in 2025.
G Kevin Zeitler signs with Tennessee Titans
Contract: One year, $9 million
The 34-year-old Zeitler showed he was still one of the top guards in the NFL in his first season with the Lions. The former first-round pick out of Wisconsin ranked third out of 77 qualifying guards in PFF overall grade (86.8) among guards. That was his best overall grade since 2014, and his 87.2 PFF run-blocking grade was a career high.
Zeitler has been a model of consistency, playing 1,000-plus snaps in every season since 2015, with the exception being 991 snaps in 2019. He has posted a 71.6 PFF overall grade or higher in nine of those 10 seasons.
In Tennessee, Zeitler will have the opportunity to work with offensive line guru Bill Callahan, who is entering his second season as the team's offensive line coach. There is a strong chance that the Titans will draft quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, so although Tennessee is in a rebuild mode, Zeitler’s presence in the short term will be important for the franchise.
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