The Arizona Cardinals have signed Little to a one-year contract after he participated in this week's minicamp on a tryout basis. Little hasn't played in an NFL game since 2014.
Analysis: Little was a second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns out of North Carolina in 2011. In 54 career NFL games, 42 as a starter, he has caught 161 passes for 1,890 yards and eight touchdowns for the Browns (2011-13) and Cincinnati (2014). He was released by Buffalo at the end of the 2016 preseason.
Irving has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, the second straight year the pass rusher is facing a ban to start the season. Irving's four-game suspension to start last season was for violating league policy on performance enhancers.
Analysis: After last season's suspension, Irving had seven sacks in eight games before sustaining a concussion that kept him out the remaining four games. He has 11 1/2 sacks in 35 games over three seasons for Dallas. The first game he is eligible is Oct. 7 at Houston.
The New York Jets have signed Upshaw after a three-day tryout during minicamp.
Analysis: Upshaw spent the last two seasons with Atlanta after being a second-round draft pick by Baltimore out of Alabama in 2012. He has seven career sacks, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 215 tackles in six NFL seasons.
The Arizona Cardinals have signed Lee to a two-year contract extension through 2020. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed Thursday.
Analysis: The 35-year-old Lee averaged 47.3 yards last season, his first with Arizona, to break the franchise record and finish seventh in the NFL. Lee has a 46.4-yard average in 217 games in 14 seasons with San Francisco, Cleveland, Carolina and Arizona. He's a three-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection.
Thomas says he will skip the Seahawks' mandatory minicamp as he angles for a new contract.
Analysis: Thomas, who's entering the final year of his current deal, issued a statement on social media stating he wants "certainty in regards to the upcoming years of his career." Whether the three-time All-Pro safety gets his wish remains to be seen, as the Seahawks reportedly had discussions - most notably with the Cowboys - over possibly trading him around the time of the draft. It's a situation that could very well linger into training camp.
Hal has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the blood cells. The Texans said Friday he received the preliminary diagnosis from team physician Dr. James Muntz and has consulted with doctors at Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Texans add that Hal is "undergo testing and evaluation and is discussing his treatment options."
Analysis: Hal, 26, was selected by Houston in the seventh round in 2014. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career last season and led the team with three interceptions while ranking fourth with 71 tackles.
Johnson has reached agreement with the Browns on a three-year, $15.6 million contract extension.
Analysis: Johnson was Cleveland's top playmaker last season when the club went 0-16. The 2015 third-round draft pick from Miami led the Browns with 74 catches and 693 yards receiving. He also rushed for 348 yards and scored four touchdowns. The tough 5-foot-9, 210-pounder has at least 500 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons, joining Herschel Walker as the only players to do so.
Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy, multiple media outlets reported Thursday. Edelman is appealing the suspension, per ESPN. Should Edelman's suspension stand, he'll miss the season opener against the Houston Texans (Sept. 9), road games versus the Jacksonville Jaguars (Sept. 16) and Detroit Lions (Sept. 23), as well as a home tilt against the Miami Dolphins (Sept. 30).
Analysis: Edelman has been a favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady when healthy over the last several seasons. He caught 98 passes for a career-high 1,106 yards in 2016 before sustaining a torn ACL in a preseason game last Aug. 25.
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