HEADLINES

Month: February 2025

Colts Sign Second-Rounder Jack Mewhort

May 16th, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have locked up their fourth of five draft picks, signing offensive lineman Jack Mewhort to his rookie deal, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). Although Mewhort was the first player selected by Indianapolis, the club won’t hold a fifth-year option on the Ohio State product, since he was a second-round pick.

With Mewhort signed, the only remaining draftee who still needs to ink his contract with the Colts is third-round wide receiver Donte Moncrief. As for Mewhort, the 59th overall pick in 2014 will be in line for a signing bonus worth around $919K, while the total base value of his four-year deal should be about $3.574MM.

Draft Signings: Lions, Packers, Ravens, Vikes

May 16th, 2014 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

Several dozen of this year’s draftees have already signed their contracts, and many more will do so today. Here’s the latest round of signings for mid-to-late-round draft picks:

  • The Lions have locked up a pair of draftees, signing fourth-round defensive end Larry Webster and seventh-round kicker Nate Freese, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Webster should receive a signing bonus worth a little over $300K, while Freese’ bonus will amount to about $59K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
  • Fourth-round linebacker Carl Bradford has signed his four-year deal with the Packers, the team announced today in a press release. Green Bay now has four of nine draft picks under contract.
  • The Ravens have agreed to terms with fourth-round running back Lorenzo Taliaferro, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Having come off the board just two picks after the Lions selected Webster, Taliaferro should be in line for an identical bonus of about $300K.
  • Fifth-round offensive lineman David Yankey has signed his contract with the Vikings, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). Yankey becomes the first of 10 Minnesota draft picks to ink his rookie deal.

Packers Announce 14 UDFA Signings

May 16th, 2014 at 11:11am CST by Rob DiRe

FRIDAY, 11:11am: The Packers have announced one more UDFA signing, revealing today that they’ve also signed Iowa safety Tanner Miller.

TUESDAY, 4:18pm: Add one more undrafted free agent to the Packers’ list. Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette tweets that Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington passed his physical and signed with the team, and today’s NFL transaction wire confirmed the move. Fullington received a $5K signing bonus, according to Dougherty.

MONDAY, 7:28pm: The Packers have officially announced that they have signed 12 undrafted free agents, according to the team’s official website.

Here are all of the Packers’ new players:

  • Jake Doughty, LB, Utah State ($5K bonus, per Pete Dougherty)
  • Jayrone Elliott, LB, Toledo ($5K bonus)
  • Carlos Gray, DE, North Carolina State ($4K bonus)
  • Adrian Hubbard, LB, Alabama ($5K bonus)
  • Jordan McCray, OG, Central Florida ($3.5K bonus)
  • Rajion Neal, RB, Tennessee ($2K bonus)
  • Mike Pennel, DT, Colorado State-Pueblo ($3.5K bonus)
  • Justin Perillo, TE, Maine ($2K bonus)
  • LaDarius Perkins, RB, Mississippi State ($3K bonus)
  • Chase Rettig, QB, Boston College ($3.5K bonus)
  • Joe Thomas, LB, South Carolina ($5K bonus)
  • Ryan White, CB, Auburn ($2K bonus)

South Notes: Texans, Saints, Titans, Panthers

May 16th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have locked up a couple more draft picks, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that third-round defensive tackle Louis Nix and sixth-round defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan have agreed to terms with the club.

Nix’s case is an example of how much it can cost a player early in his career financially if he slips in the draft — heading into the second day, there were rumblings that Houston might grab the Notre Dame product with the first pick in the second round. Instead, the Texans nabbed him midway through the third round. The difference? Nix gets a signing bonus of about $575K rather than $2.358MM, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two South divisions:

  • The NFLPA has advised agents to keep their clients apprised about “potential consequences” of signing with the Saints, given the proposal currently making its way through Louisiana State Legislature, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. The proposed legislation would reduce the compensation pay for Saints players injured during OTAs or workouts.
  • According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter links), a total of about 20 undrafted free agents and non-rookies have been invited to try out at the Titans‘ minicamp this week, including linebackers D’Aundre Reed and Greg Lloyd Jr., defensive tackle Lanier Coleman, and defensive end Cordian Hagans.
  • The Panthers have formally released a list of 35 players who are participating in their minicamp on a tryout basis. Former Buccaneers safety Cody Grimm and ex-Bills punter Shawn Powell are among the invitees who have previous NFL experience.
  • Former agent Joel Corry and former team executive Ari Nissim continue to conduct mock extension negotiations between the Texans and J.J. Watt in part four of their illuminating series for the National Football Post.
  • West Texas A&M kicker Sergio Castillo is among the players in camp with the Saints on a tryout basis this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Lions Sign 12 UDFAs, Cut Eight Players

May 16th, 2014 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 10:09am: The Lions have officially signed one more undrafted free agent, inking Robert Morris offensive lineman A.J. Dalton to a contract, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Dalton received a $2.5K signing bonus, per Birkett (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 3:45pm: The Lions have signed 11 undrafted free agents to contracts, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. In order to make room for the new additions, the team also cut eight players: Cornerback Nate Ness, safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, tight end Matt Veldman, kicker John Potter, wide receiver Carlin Isles, linebacker Jon Morgan, center Sherman Carter and wide receiver Cody Wilson.

While none of those players was expected to be a real contributor in Detroit this season, there are a couple notable names in the group. Isles is a rugby speedster who was considering coming to camp with the Lions, while Potter had been expected to compete for the kicking job vacated by David Akers.

Here’s the full list of the club’s UDFA signings:

  • Chad Abram, FB, Florida State ($7.5K bonus, per Dave Birkett)
  • Alex Bullard, G, Tennessee ($500 bonus)
  • Jerome Couplin, S, William and Mary ($6K bonus)
  • James Franklin, QB, Missouri ($2K bonus)
  • Justin Jackson, LB, Wake Forest ($2.5K bonus)
  • Cornelius Lucas, OT, Kansas State ($20K bonus)
  • Gabe Lynn, S, Oklahoma ($2.5K bonus)
  • Jacob Maxwell, TE, Louisiana Lafayette ($3K bonus)
  • D.J. Morrell, G, Old Dominion ($2.5K bonus)
  • Andrew Peacock, WR, Appalachian State ($2.5K bonus)
  • Mohammed Seisay, CB, Nebraska ($5K bonus)

Jets Sign Second-Round Pick Jace Amaro

May 16th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Jets have agreed to terms on a four-year rookie contract with second-round tight end Jace Amaro, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The team confirmed the signing in a tweet shortly after Mehta made his report.

Amaro, who turns 22 next month, will join a Jets team that re-signed Jeff Cumberland earlier in the offseason, but failed to bring aboard an impact tight end in free agency, despite pursuing players like Brandon Pettigrew. Whether he’s catching balls from Michael Vick or Geno Smith in the fall, Amaro figures to step in and play a major part in New York’s offense from the get-go.

As Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap details, Amaro’s signing bonus should be worth about $1.442MM, and his four-year contract should have an overall base value of around $4.293MM.

Redskins Sign Six Draft Picks

May 16th, 2014 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Rather than announcing their 2014 draft pick signings one at a time, the Redskins nearly got the entire class locked up before making an announcement today. According to the team, six of eight Redskins draftees have officially signed their rookie contracts. That group includes guard Spencer Long, cornerback Bashaud Breeland, wide receiver Ryan Grant, running back Lache Seastrunk, tight end Ted Bolser, and kicker Zach Hocker.

With those six players under contract, only second-round linebacker Trent Murphy and third-round offensive tackle Morgan Moses remain unsigned for Washington.

Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap has the breakdown of the anticipated signing bonuses and overall contract values for the Redskins’ picks, including those that have yet to officially sign. Meanwhile, if you want to keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings, you can do so right here.

QB Coach: Browns Owner Involved In Trade For Manziel

May 16th, 2014 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

Although general manager Ray Farmer and the Browns have repeatedly denied that owner Jimmy Haslam exerted any influence in the team’s draft room last week, quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains suggests that’s not quite the case. Appearing on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly on ESPN Radio in Arkansas, Loggains said that a text from Johnny Manziel inspired Haslam and the Browns to trade up for him.

“We’re sitting there and they keep showing Johnny on TV,” Loggains said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “And Johnny and I are texting and he shoots me a text and he says, ‘I wish you guys would come get me. Hurry up and draft me because I want to be there. I want to wreck this league together.’ When I got that text, I forwarded it to the owner and to the head coach (Mike Pettine). I’m like, ‘This guy wants to be here. He wants to be part of it.’ As soon as that happened, Mr. Haslam said, ‘Pull the trigger. We’re trading up to go get this guy.'”

Although the Browns eventually made a deal with the Eagles to move up to the No. 22 spot, the team also talked to the Titans (No. 11) and Cowboys (No. 16), Loggains confirmed. The quarterbacks coach also suggested that the Browns felt they had to get ahead of the Chiefs at No. 23: “We knew they would draft him.”

As for Haslam’s role in making the deal, it certainly sounds like he was very much involved in the decision, even if he didn’t necessarily have to overrule his staff to get it done. Previous reports have suggested that the Eagles had several offers for that 22nd overall pick, and that the Browns only landed the pick after sweetening their proposal to include a third-rounder. Based on Loggains’ comments, it sounds as if Philadelphia may have ended up trading with one of those other clubs had Haslam not provided the push to get something done.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Burfict, Savage

May 15th, 2014 at 10:04pm CST by Zachary Links

In this week’s chat, a reader asked Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News which Dallas professional sports coach will be the first to get fired. While Rangers skipper Ron Washington is in some trouble, Cowlishaw believes there’s even more pressure on Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to succeed. Another 8-8 season wouldn’t bode well for Garrett’s future but at the same time, Jerry Jones is very fond of him. More from around the NFL..

  • Reps for Vontaze Burfict met with the Bengals this week and sides are making progress on a new deal, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). As it stands, the linebacker is set to earn $570K in 2014 before reaching restricted free agency.
  • Tom Savage‘s deal with the Texans is a four-year pact worth $2.52MM, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). As previously reported, Savage’s signing bonus is just over $300K. The fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh picked up interest from a number of teams in April including the Patriots, but ultimately Houston snagged him. Now, Savage will vie with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and T.J. Yates for playing time under center.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) runs down the rookies who will be attending camp with the Eagles: linebacker Blaze Caponegro, tight end Jamie Childers, linebacker Ryan Donohue, linebacker Anthony Larry, center Mackey MacPherson, defensive back Davon Morgan, and tackle Baker Steinkuhler.
  • Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that Billy Turner, a third-round tackle out of North Dakota State, will play guard. Hickey went on to say (link) that first-round Ju’Wuan James was a highly-targeted player for the Dolphins, which was a bit of an open secret heading into the draft. Miami is expecting the athletic, strong tackle to “play right away.”

Draft Signings: 49ers, Jets, Johnson, Boyd

May 15th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

There have been a flood of draft signings so far today, and you can get caught up on the earlier ones with our previous roundups. We’ll be keeping track of signings from rounds 3-7 in these posts while dedicating individual posts to players taken in the top two rounds. The latest signings..

  • The Texans have agreed to sign sixth-round fullback Jay Prosch (Auburn), according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).
  • The 49ers have agreed to terms on a deal with fourth-round pick cornerback Dontae Johnson, a source tells Adam Caplan of NFL.com (on Twitter). The corner is known mainly for his speed and versatility and can play pretty much any position in the secondary.
  • The Jets have signed sixth-round pick Tajh Boyd to a four-year deal, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Clemson quarterback will look to hook on as the club’s third option behind incumbent Geno Smith and free agent pickup Michael Vick.
  • The Jets also signed fourth-round wide receiver Shaq Evans, tweets Caplan. The 6’1”, 213-pound UCLA product boasts solid hands, route running abilities, and overall instincts.
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