- As expected, the Eagles have re-signed receiver Arrelious Benn days after releasing him. Terms of the deal weren’t announced, but Benn’s contract was reworked in order to avoid the $1.1MM he was due this season, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. Benn, who missed last season because of a torn ACL, is not guaranteed a roster spot, however, as the Eagles added a pair of rookie receivers — second-rounder Jordan Matthews and fifth-rounder Josh Huff — to groom behind veterans Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper.
- The Steelers have inked sixth-round nose tackle Daniel McCullers (all 6-7, 350 pounds of him) and seventh-round tight end Rob Blanchflower, per Pro Football Talk. McCullers in particular has a realistic chance of carving a niche with the team, as the mammoth nose tackle with exceptionally long arms is an ideal, two-gapping anchor if he plays to his potential. He’s underachieved to this point, however, and was drafted lower than his ability dictates for a reason.
- Meanwhile, the Steelers will have to wait until June 2 to free up money to sign their top three draft picks, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
- The Buccaneers announced they’ve signed fifth-rounder Kevin Pamphile, an offensive tackle out of Purdue.
- The Ravens will sign ex-Jaguars fullback Shaun Chapas, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Chapas, 26, was a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 2011. He had a brief stint with the Lions in 2012 and spent time on Jacksonville’s practice squad and active roster last season.
A final batch of AFC notes as the weekend comes to a close…
- Like Tom Brady, Patriots rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo studied under a QB coach as he progressed, writes Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. Garoppolo’s tutor, former NFL quarterback Jeff Christensen, bases his teachings on one particular NFL signal-caller…Tom Brady. Christensen, for his part, is excited about the future for Garoppolo and the Pats, citing the young QB’s excellent work ethic. “I have zero doubts about the outcome of this one. It’s so perfect,” he said. “You have to know where you’re at in the equation, accept it, and then work like a crazy man to get great. That’s the kind of kid you want to coach.”
- Within the same piece, Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders says he is excited to replace Eric Decker in Denver. “My whole deal is when I first came out in free agency, I wanted to go to a spread attack. I like to block, but I’m not trying to block 75 percent of the time. I’m 185 pounds…All the numbers lined up, and now I’m here.”
- The Broncos coaching staff has spoken to running back Ronnie Hillman about his fumbling problem, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Hillman, expected to backup starter Montee Ball in 2014, coughed up the football four times over the past two seasons.
- The Steelers are excited about rookie pass rusher Howard Jones, who faces a tough road as an undrafted player from a Disivion II program, writes Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- Speaking of the Steelers, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review believes that despite being front seven players, Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt will help Pittsburgh’s secondary. Not only will an improved pass-rush aid the secondary in coverage, Kovacevic writes, but Shazier’s presence in particular will allow Troy Polamalu to stop moonlighting as a linebacker.
- Seantrel Henderson is aware that he needs to mature in order to succeed in the NFL, and Bills general manager Doug Whaley has made it clear that this is Henderson’s final chance. “We’ve talked to Seantrel and he knows that he’s got one shot,” said Whaley after selecting Henderson with pick No. 237. “He’s been dealing with some demons. Hopefully those demons are out of his life and why not give somebody — this is America — give somebody a chance?”
Despite the fact that he will be attending organized team activities this week, Ndamukong Suh continues to be the subject of trade rumors. According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, teams are still contacting the Lions to inquire about Suh, despite Detroit claiming that no teams have shown interest (Twitter links). A trade of the All-Pro defensive tackle would yield almost $3MM in cap space for the Lions, but Suh’s 2014 $12.55MM base salary would probably prove too costly for any team looking to acquire him. In order for a trade to take place, it would probably take a willingness from Suh to restructure his deal, along with a first- or second-round pick heading to Detroit.
More news from the NFC:
- The Cowboys have a fondness for Boise State players, so it was logical that the team surrendered its second- and third-round picks to move up and select BSU linebacker Demarcus Lawrence, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. “We like Boise guys,” said Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. “We always take a hard look at where the player has played, what kind of program [it is] and what that program is all about. They do a great job up there. It’s a very competitive program. The players that come out of there compete; they play hard. We’ve got two of them,” he said, referencing Orlando Scandrick and Tyrone Crawford.
- Jason Witten was pleased with the Cowboys draft, as he believes the selection of guard Zack Martin shows Dallas wants to improve to the running game, according to Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think it says a lot about where our football team’s headed,” said Witten. “It was huge for us, because for a long time, we didn’t have that solidified. I think it speaks volumes for where we’re at and where we’re trying to go.”
- Despite the presence of veteran corners Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings, Bears first-rounder Kyle Fuller is expected to contribute in 2014, specifically because of the spread offense. “Typically, at least half of the snaps that you’ll play in the season will be with five defensive backs in the game,” said defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. “And sometimes you’ll go into game weeks or games and almost every snap will be in sub personnel…A third corner is like a starter. A third corner plays as much if not more than your third linebacker in a 4-3″ (per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times).
- Eagles second-rounder Jordan Matthews is expected to replace Jason Avant in the slot, and fellow rookie receiver Josh Huff isn’t thought of as a field-stretcher, but that hasn’t stopped the DeSean Jackson comparions, writes Martin Frank of USA Today.
- 49ers coach John Harbaugh is known as a quarterback guru, and after San Francisco added Josh Johnson to compete for the third QB role, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com ran through the extensive list of signal-callers that Harbaugh and company have brought in over the past three seasons.
SUNDAY, 9:36pm: The Raiders have brought in another undrafted free agent, Utah State LB Bojay Filimoeatu, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
FRIDAY, 12:54pm: The Raiders have become the last of the 32 NFL teams to formally announce their rookie free agent signings, revealing in a press release that they’ve added 11 undrafted players to the roster. Here’s the list of the newest Raiders:
- George Atkinson III, RB, Notre Dame
- D.J. Coles, WR, Virginia Tech
- Mike Davis, WR, Texas
- Carlos Fields, LB, Winston-Salem State
- Noel Grigsby, WR, San Jose State
- Dan Kistler, OT, Montana ($12.5K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Erle Ladson, OT, Delaware
- Jake Murphy, TE, Utah
- Seth Roberts, WR, West Alabama
- Scott Simonson, TE, Assumption
- Karl Williams, FB, Utah
The Saints have been busy today — New Orleans not only became the third team to sign its first-round pick (receiver Brandin Cooks), but added two undrafted free agents, upping its total UDFA haul to 20. Let’s look at some more notes from New Orleans and the rest of the NFC South:
- Falcons seventh-round linebacker Tyler Starr (who signed a contract today) impressed during Atlanta’s rookie minicamp, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, and did so while utilizing a four-point stance (both hands on the ground). “In college…I just kind of started thinking [about] the four-point, and it gave me a little more weight in the back of my hips so I could get a little more torque out of my stance,” Starr said. “And it also helped me come out at more of a horizontal level so I could play with my hands out in front of me.” The Falcons are transitioning to a 3-4 base defense in 2014, so Starr’s versatility could come in handy.
- Running back Devonta Freeman (like Starr, a Day 3 pick of the Falcons) could also prove useful in 2014, and Orlando Ledbetter of the Orlando Journal-Constitution labels the fourth-rounder “a keeper.” “Devonta is a fast and quick guy,” said head coach Mike Smith. “He has very good vision and he’s able to stick his foot in the ground and transition into a different direction.”
- In a separate piece, Ledbetter passes along some Falcons injury news, noting that receiver Julio Jones and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will both be held out of team activities until the start of training camp.
- Several notable players with NFL experience were included in the Saints’ rookie minicamp over the weekend on a tryout basis, with defensive end Jamaal Anderson (the No. 8 pick in 2007), receiver Armanti Edwards, and center Samson Satele among them, according to Andrew Lopez of the Times-Picayune.
- Rookie Kelvin Benjamin is the closest thing the Panthers have to a No. 1 receiver, writes David Newton of ESPN.com in his latest mailbag. I would expect Carolina to run quite a bit of “11” personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs), with Benjamin and Jerricho Cotchery on the outside, and Jason Avant in the slot.
7:57pm: In addition to Hull, the Saints have signed former Tulane defensive back Derrick Strozier, according to Strozier’s Twitter. Per Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune, Strozier, who also played a little offense in college, tried out for New Orleans as a running back.
SUNDAY, 4:43pm: The Saints have also signed former Illinois receiver Steve Hull, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
WEDNESDAY, 4:24pm: The Saints added one more undrafted free agent to their haul, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who tweets that Akron DT Moses McCray signed with the club.
MONDAY, 11:53am: The Saints have become the latest club to formally announce their undrafted free agent class, confirming in a press release that they’ve agreed to terms with 17 new players. Here’s the complete list:
- Matthew Armstrong, OL, Grand Valley State
- Brandon Coleman, WR, Rutgers
- Brian Dixon, DB, Northwest Missouri State
- Kasim Edebali, OLB, Boston College
- Tim Flanders, RB, Sam Houston State
- Spencer Hadley, LB, Brigham Young
- Je’Ron Hamm, TE, Louisiana-Monroe
- Nic Jacobs, TE, McNeese State
- Seantavius Jones, WR, Valdosta State
- Logan Kilgore, QB, Middle Tennessee State State
- Brandon McCray, DL, Louisiana-Lafayette
- Micajah Reynolds, OL, Michigan State
- George Uko, DL, USC
- Chidera Uzo-Diribe, OLB, Colorado
- Lawrence Virgil, DL, Valdosta State
- Pierre Warren, S, Jacksonville State
- Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State
Cardinals GM Steve Keim says that he has not ruled out a Week 1 return for injured defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, according to Brent Sobleski of USA Today. After having an impactful start to his rookie campaign last season, Mathieu tore both his ACL and LCL in his left knee in a Week 14 matchup against the Rams. Lets look at a few other news bits from around the league:
- In a mailbag post, John Clayton of ESPN wrote that rookie wide receivers were impressive around the league during rookie mini-camps. He noted that Sammy Watkins of the Bills and John Brown of the Cardinals shined particularly brightly.
- The Ravens gave UDFA Jerry Rice Jr. good feedback following his workout with the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Although the UNLV product was not offered a deal, he is on the Ravens’ emergency list should they look further for additional receiving options.
- The Ravens also are impressed with former North Carolina tackle James Hurst. Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times, points out that Hurst, who plays left tackle, would join the likes of Justin Tucker and Priest Holmes if he were to catch on as a major contributor with the Ravens as an UDFA.
- Former BYU standout receiver Cody Hoffman is hoping to catch on with the Redskins, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.
The 2014 NFL draft was surely never short of intrigue. The draft featured defensive Jadeveon Clowney, described by Todd McShay as “the most physically talented defensive lineman I’ve ever evaluated.” It saw Johnny Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, fall to the Browns at the 22nd overall pick — the same exact pick that they used to take eventual bust Brady Quinn out of Notre Dame in the 2007 draft. Brandin Cooks, the 2013 Biletnikoff Award winner for college football’s best wide receiver, was drafted by Saints. Many speculate that the explosive Cooks could mesh very quickly with the Saints’ signature offensive air attack.
Additionally, Teddy Bridgewater, considered a year ago to be a near-lock to go at the very top of the first round, slipped to the Vikings, who traded up for the 32nd overall pick to select the Louisville product. To top it all off, on the draft’s third and final day, Michael Sam, the first openly gay man ever to enter the NFL draft, was selected by the Rams 249th overall in the seventh round.
With the draft over, the eyes of the NFL shift to September and the upcoming season. Which of these rookie storylines do you find most compelling as we approach the 2014 season? If you think another rookie storyline will be even more compelling next season, please share and discuss below!
Head coach Pete Carroll was very impressed with the incoming Seahawks’ rookie class after the team’s three-day mini-camp. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Carroll spoke highly of both the draft picks and UDFA players that participated in the camp. Carroll spoke about several rookies in particular, so let’s check in on the highlights:
- Carroll envisions fourth-round draft pick Cassius Marsh perhaps eventually stepping into a role similar to the one currently being performed by the recently re-signed Michael Bennett.
- Justin Britt will compete immediately with Michael Bowie to become the team’s swingman on the offensive line.
- Second-rounder Paul Richardson, a wide receiver out of Colorado, suffered from a sore shoulder in Friday’s practice, but that the injury was only day-to-day.
- Carroll also loved what he saw from fullback Kiero Small, a seventh-round pick from Arkansas. He said that the back had a “really good accelerator,” and that “he can catch the ball really well.”
SUNDAY, 4:55pm: The Patriots have added one more undrafted free agent in the form of Maine receiver Derrick Johnson, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com. The Pats roster now stands at 87, three shy of the 90-player maximum.
FRIDAY, 4:17pm: The Pats have added three more undrafted free agents, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, who tweets that the club has officially signed Rutgers defensive back Jeremy Deering, Iowa linebacker James Morris, and Harvard long snapper Tyler Ott.
MONDAY, 3:17pm: The Patriots have signed nine rookie free agents, according to a team release. Here’s the full list of the undrafted free agents who will be heading to New England:
- Tyler Beck, TE, Bowling Green ($1.5K bonus, per Mike Reiss)
- Roy Finch, RB, Oklahoma ($5K bonus and $5K in other guarantees)
- Shamiel Gary, S, Oklahoma State ($5K bonus and $5K in other guarantees)
- Cameron Gordon, LB, Michigan ($15K bonus and $20K in other guarantees)
- Travis Hawkins, DB, Delaware ($5K bonus and $5K in other guarantees)
- Stephen Houston, RB, Indiana ($7.5K bonus and $15K in other guarantees)
- Justin Jones, TE, East Carolina ($5K bonus and $10K in other guarantees)
- Deontae Skinner, LB, Mississippi State ($5K bonus)
- Asa Watson, TE, North Carolina State ($3K bonus and $17K in other guarantees)