5 under-the-radar signings in the first wave of NFL free agency

• The Browns secured needed depth at offensive Game: Hurt concerns among the Club’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 Reachable market, but Detroit managed to re-sign the interior defender for Merely $5.5 million over one year.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

We are now a few Intervals into NFL Unoccupied agency, and with the legal tampering period over, Clubs 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 Unoccupied agents.

With that in mind, let’s look at five under-the-radar moves that stood out in the Primary week of 2025 NFL Unoccupied agency.

Other Unoccupied-Agency Reading:

T Cornelius Lucas signs with Cleveland Browns

Contract: Two years, $10 million

Lucas gives the Browns Suppleness at offensive Game as someone who can step in and Action 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 Deliver-blocking grade (79.1). He allowed Merely one sack across 273 Deliver-blocking snaps for the season.

Jack Conklin will Reachable the 2025 season as the Browns’ Beginning right Game but has struggled to stay Well in recent years. On the left side, 23-year-Aged Dawand Jones figures to get the Primary opportunity but has also struggled with Impairments, conditioning and inconsistent Action.

Cleveland may look to draft a Game in the Prompt 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 Profession year in his Primary season as a Charger under Safeguarding coordinator Jesse Minter. His 78.1 PFF overall grade, 79.3 PFF Deliver-rush grade and 69.1 PFF Streak-Guarding grade were all Profession bests for the 2020 Unselected Unoccupied agent out of FIU.

Tart will continue to be a rotational player (378 snaps in All 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 Division, according to PFF’s WAR Standard.

The 28-year-Aged Tart will look to prove himself again on a one-year deal. If his 2025 campaign is anything like last season, he will Action a pivotal role for a New Chargers Club trending up under head Trainer 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 Charge in 2024. The Ex 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 Deflect 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 Shift 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 Ex second-Stage Picking struggled with Impairments over his Primary few years but broke out in 2024, both in terms of Competing time (697 snaps) and production (47 Passer pressures and 20 Safeguarding stops).

Onwuzurike finished the season with a 70.2 PFF overall grade, ranking 25th out of 118 qualifying interior defenders. He was a Powerful penetrator inside, placing among the top 15 at his position with a 12.5% Deliver-rush Secure rate.

Yet Merely 27 years Aged, Onwuzurike is in the prime of his Profession and will have plenty of suitors Upcoming offseason if he Safeties up his 2024 season with another Powerful year in 2025.

G Kevin Zeitler signs with Tennessee Titans

Contract: One year, $9 million

The 34-year-Aged Zeitler showed he was Yet one of the top guards in the NFL in his Primary season with the Lions. The Ex Primary-Stage Picking 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 Streak-blocking grade was a Profession high.

Zeitler has been a model of Steadiness, Competing 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 Participating his second season as the Club’s offensive line Trainer. There is a Powerful chance that the Titans will draft Passer Cam Ward with the Primary overall Picking in the 2025 NFL Draft, so although Tennessee is in a rebuild mode, Zeitler’s Appearance in the Brief term will be Crucial for the franchise.