2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

AFC North Notes: Clarke, Bengals, Steelers

May 27th, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

There should be a number of interesting divisional races in the NFL this season, but according to sports betting site Bovada.lv, none are currently as up in the air as the AFC North. It’s the only division in the league without a single favorites, as both the Bengals and Steelers are given equal 2/1 odds at coming out on top, while the Ravens are right behind. Even the Browns, at 5/1, aren’t viewed as as much of a long shot as most other “fourth-place” clubs around the league.

As we look forward to seeing how the AFC North plays out in 2014, let’s check in on a few of the latest updates out of the division…

In addition to confirming the signing of second-round running back Jeremy Hill, news which Hill himself broke yesterday, the Bengals also announced that they’ve signed third-round defensive end Will Clarke (Twitter link). Per Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com, the West Virginia defender will be in line for a signing bonus worth about $545K with a four-year base value near $2.8MM.
While a number of teams handed out modest signing bonuses to most or all of their undrafted free agent signings, the Bengals weren’t one of those clubs. According to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com, only four of Cincinnati’s 11 UDFA additions receiving signing bonuses, worth just $26K in total. We’ve added the new figures, including an $8K bonus for wideout Colin Lockett, to our own story on the Bengals’ post-draft signings.
As Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes in his preview of the Steelers‘ OTAs, one of the questions facing Pittsburgh is whether any additional roster moves are on the way when the team frees up $8.5MM in cap space next week due to the release of LaMarr Woodley. Robinson also examines the receiving corps and the roles that rookies like Dri Archer and Ryan Shazier will play, among other topics.

49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Thomas, James

May 23rd, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News had a pretty interesting Q&A session with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh today concerning troubled linebacker Aldon Smith. The whole article is worth a read, but one highlight came when Kawakami asked, “What’s your standard [for player behavior]? Is it ten felony counts the standard? Do you have a standard?” Harbaugh responded, “I know you probably worked really hard on asking that question. Probably stared in the mirror and thought about just the way you could [ask] that.” The 49ers find themselves in a strange position with the All-Pro standout and Harbaugh is seeking to make things work with him while maintaining a positive locker room atmosphere. More out of SF..

The 49ers have signed third-round offensive lineman Brandon Thomas to his four-year rookie contract, the club announced today in a press release. Thomas, the last of the third round’s compensatory picks, tore his ACL during a predraft workout with the Saints and isn’t expected to contribute this season, but if his recovery goes well, he could ultimately be a steal for San Francisco.
Running back LaMichael James, who is less-than-happy with his role in San Francisco, joined the team this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. James forfeited a $50K workout bonus by staying in his home state of Texas for the start of the 49ers’ offseason program in April. James would welcome a trade and the club was said to be shopping him earlier this offseason, though GM Trent Baalke issued a denial soon after. As it stands, the Oregon product could be behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and possibly Marcus Lattimore on the depth chart.
San Francisco is one of a handful of teams conducting their rookie minicamps this week, and the team has formally announced its full roster for the camp. The list features 15 non-roster players auditioning in the hopes of earning contracts, including wide receiver Jerry Rice Jr.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Steelers, Ravens

May 23rd, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted earlier today, significantly more than half of 2014’s draft picks have already signed or at least agreed to terms on contracts with their NFL teams. However, that ratio doesn’t particularly apply to the AFC North — of the division’s 32 draftees, only 13 had reached agreements coming into today, and seven of those were Baltimore picks. In this afternoon’s divisional roundup, we have word of one draftee to add to that list of signed players, along with a couple other notes. Let’s dive in….

The Bengals have signed fourth-round center Russell Bodine, the team announced today (via Twitter). Cincinnati has been busy this week, having locked up five of the club’s eight draftees within the last three days. Bodine, the 111th overall pick, is in line for a $456K+ signing bonus, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
Two of the most noteworthy players still available on the free agent market, Santonio Holmes and James Harrison, have interest in returning to the Steelers, Ike Taylor said earlier this week on his TribLive radio show (link via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). Speaking about Harrison specifically, Taylor said, “He still wants to play football, and of course his first option would be Pittsburgh. … He’s probably in the best shape of his life. Right now he looks like the Hulk. He’s been banged up, and he feels he has something to prove.”
After going undrafted earlier this month, Middle Tennessee State cornerback Sammy Seamster fielded calls from about 20 teams interesting in signing him as a free agent, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. As Wilson writes, Seamster narrowed his options to the Ravens, Dolphins, and Jaguars, and is happy that he ultimately opted to sign with Baltimore.

Draft Signings: Dolphins, Cowboys, Bills

May 23rd, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

By our count, after Trent Murphy signed his rookie contract this morning, 164 of 256 draftees had at least agreed to terms with their new NFL teams, leaving less than 100 players yet to be signed. Another handful of draft picks have reached agreements since then, so let’s round up the latest….

The Dolphins announced this morning (via Twitter) that they’ve signed sixth-round wideout Matt Hazel, and also confirmed the signing of fifth-round linebacker Jordan Tripp, which was reported yesterday. Hazel’s signing bonus will be worth nearly $106K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
In addition to signing Hazel, the Dolphins have also agreed to terms with seventh-round defensive end Terrence Fede, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). With Hazel, Tripp, and Fede locked up, the Dolphins have addressed their last four draft picks, and will now shift their focus to their earlier selections, including first-rounder Ja’Wuan James.
Fifth-round receiver Devin Street has signed his four-year rookie contract with the Cowboys, agent Andy Simms announced today (via Twitter). Like Miami, the Cowboys are working backward through their draftees — Dallas’ last six picks have now agreed to terms, while the club’s top three selections remain unsigned.
The Bills announced today in a press release that they’ve signed fifth-round tackle Cyril Richardson, leaving first-rounder Sammy Watkins and second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio as the only Buffalo draftees who still need to sign. Richardson will get a $192K signing bonus, according to Fitzgerald.

Redskins Sign Trent Murphy

May 23rd, 2014 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Redskins have signed their top draft pick, the team announced today, tweeting out word that second-round linebacker Trent Murphy has inked his rookie contract with the club. Locking up the 47th overall pick means that third-rounder Morgan Moses is the only Washington draftee who has yet to reach an agreement with the team.

Murphy, 23, was a consensus All-American in 2013, leading the NCAA with 15 sacks. Still, the Stanford alum was viewed as something of a surprising choice for the Redskins, whose roster already featured outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, and had more glaring holes elsewhere. The team may view Murphy as a long-term replacement – or at least insurance policy – for Orakpo, who appears set to play the 2014 season under the franchise tag.

Per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Murphy’s signing bonus should be worth about $1.573MM, while his overall four-year contract will have a base value in the neighborhood of $4.473MM.

Extra Points: Matthews, Gordon, Rams, Pats

May 22nd, 2014 at 9:32pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s a new day when it comes to rookie contracts in the NFL, writes former exec Andrew Brandt for The MMQB. Of course, salaries and contract length are now predetermined for every pick, taking the negotiating out of the process. Because of that, many players are questioning why they need to have an agent to handle rookie contracts at all. Here’s more from around the league..

Falcons first round pick Jake Matthews will receive a $10.269MM signing bonus on his four-year, $16.435MM guaranteed deal, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. As is the case for the rest of his fellow first-rounders, the deal for the No. 6 overall pick also includes a fifth-year option.
Browns General Manager Ray Farmer said that he doesn’t think a superstar receiver is crucial to a team’s success, which may not bode well for Josh Gordon‘s long-term future with the club, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. “I would say ‘how important are those guys?”’ Farmer told 92.3 The Fan. “Name the last big-time receiver to win a Super Bowl. Name the last mega-guy. (Gordon) matters to me because I like the guy and I think he’s a really good player, but at the end of the day, when you look at the teams that have these mega-receivers, name the last guy that won a Super Bowl?… There are none. The last guy that really helped his team get there was T.O. (Terrell Owens).”
The Rams signed undrafted free agent wide receiver Jordan Harris, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The Baylor product racked up over 2,200 yards over the last two years.
The Patriots announced that they have signed first-year defensive back Daxton Swanson out of Sam Houston State and undrafted free agent defensive lineman L.T. Tuipulotu from Utah. To make room, the Pats released rookie free agent safety Jeremy Deering (Rutgers) and first-year wide receiver Greg Orton (Purdue).
Packers free agent Jermichael Finley tweeted out that he has received “Awesome News!” with the hashtag “#IWillRiseAgain” which could be an indictation that he has been cleared to play. Finley, once regarded as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, missed the bulk of last season.

Draft Signings: Falcons, Dolphins, Bengals

May 22nd, 2014 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve been tracking all of this year’s draft pick signings by team right here, and we have a few new deals to add to that list. Here are the latest draftees to officially ink their deals, or at least agree to terms, with their new NFL clubs:

The Falcons have agreed to terms with fourth-round running back Devonta Freeman, the team announced today (via Twitter). Third-round safety Dezmen Southward is the only Atlanta draftee that has yet to reach a deal with the club.
Fifth-round tight end Arthur Lynch has signed his rookie contract with the Dolphins, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Having been picked 16 spots ahead of fellow Miami fifth-rounder Jordan Tripp, whose signing is noted below, Lynch will receive a signing bonus worth $28K+ more (about $191K).

Earlier updates:

The Bengals have now locked up half of their eight draft picks, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed fifth-round quarterback A.J. McCarron and seventh-round defensive back Lavelle Westbrooks. According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, McCarron’s signing bonus will be nearly $182K, while Westbrooks will receive a more modest bonus worth about $46K.
Third-round center Travis Swanson announced today that he has officially signed his rookie contract with the Lions, posting a photo on Instagram that shows him putting pen to paper. First-rounder Eric Ebron and second-rounder Kyle Van Noy are the only Detroit draftees who remain unsigned.
The Dolphins have agreed to terms with their first of eight draft picks, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who hears from a source that fifth-round linebacker Jordan Tripp has reached a deal with the club. The 171st overall pick should be in line for a signing bonus worth about $163K on his four-year contract, per Fitzgerald.

Seahawks Sign Justin Britt

May 22nd, 2014 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Second-round offensive tackle Justin Britt has signed his four-year rookie contract with the Seahawks, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). With Paul Richardson and Cassius Marsh also locked up, Seattle has now secured its top three draftees, and six of nine total picks.

The final player selected in the second round, Britt should receive a signing bonus worth about $834K, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com. In total, Britt’s contract will have a base value in the neighborhood of $3.457MM for the first four years of his career.

Paul McQuistan and Breno Giacomini each logged more than 550 snaps at one of the two tackle positions for the Seahawks in 2013, and departed via free agency this offseason. So while Britt may not become an immediate starter in Seattle, he could end up seeing plenty of playing time in his rookie year, given the team’s need for depth at left and right tackle.

North Notes: Ravens, Ebron, Bears, Haden

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on the latest items from around the AFC and NFC North divisions….

Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta shed some light on the Ravens‘ targets in this month’s draft, and Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com rounded up a few of his comments. According to DeCosta, he was disappointed that Baltimore didn’t have a chance to land tight end Eric Ebron, who he believes “has a chance to be a difference maker, Pro Bowl type guy.” The Ravens also liked safety Jimmie Ward and were hoping he might be there in the second round, but he was snapped up by the 49ers late in the first.
ESPN.com’s team reporters are breaking down the offseasons for the clubs they cover, and the NFC North group published their recaps today. Rob Demovsky examines the Packers, Ben Goessling sizes up the Vikings, Michael Rothstein looks at the Lions, and Michael C. Wright weighs in on the Bears.
With Brandon Marshall locked up, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wonders which Bears might be next in line for contract extensions, noting that veteran linebacker Lance Briggs represents an interesting case — the longtime Chicago starter is entering the final year of his contract, but turns 34 this fall, so a long-term deal likely won’t be in the cards. Biggs’ mailbag piece also includes discussions about several other topics, including the Bears’ special teams, rookie minicamp, and receiving depth.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com provides a few specific details on Joe Haden‘s new contract with the Browns, listing the cornerback’s annual base salaries and workout bonuses.

Draft Signings: Vikings, Chiefs, Eagles, Jags

May 21st, 2014 at 10:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re dedicating full posts to first- and second-round picks who sign their rookie contracts, but we’ll be recapping the remaining mid-to-late round signings in posts like this one. Here are the latest draftees to agree to terms with the clubs that selected them earlier in May:

Vikings third round pick Scott Crichton tweeted out a picture of himself signing his rookie deal. The Oregon State defensive end racked up 22.5 career sacks in three seasons. With Crichton in the fold, Minnesota has just one unsigned rookie remaining: third-round running back Jerick McKinnon.
The Chiefs have signed fifth-round quarterback Aaron Murray, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Kansas City is now one player away from locking up its modest six-player draft class, with only first-rounder Dee Ford left to sign.
Fifth-round safety Ed Reynolds has agreed to terms with the Eagles on his four-year rookie contract, the club announced today (via Twitter). The Stanford product is in line for a signing bonus worth about $184K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
The Jaguars have also signed a fifth-round pick, securing defensive end Chris Smith, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Smith went three spots ahead of Reynolds, at 159th overall, meaning he figures to receive a slightly larger bonus of about $187K.
The Bengals inked a pair of draft picks today, signing sixth-round linebacker Marquis Flowers and seventh-round wideout James Wright to four-year deals, says Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Flowers and Wright are the first two draftees that have reached agreements with the Bengals so far this month.

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors