2014 May - Pro Football Rumors

West Notes: 49ers, Kaepernick, Latimer

May 15th, 2014 at 9:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov was projected to be drafted anywhere from the second round to the fifth round but he didn’t hear his name called at all on draft weekend. “Yeah, it puts a chip on your shoulder,” the 49ers rookie said, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I think everybody kind of has an idea and expectation for themselves, so when the public opinion or people’s perceptions are different than your own, then obviously you’re going to take that a little bit personally.” More out of the West divisions..

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (video link) analyzes Cardinals‘ third round pick John Brown. The Division II wide receiver signed his deal with Arizona earlier today.
Josh Johnson is back with the 49ers and he’s glad that Colin Kaepernick is the starter this time around, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Alex [Smith] was the starter then,” Johnson said of his last go ’round with SF. “Kap is the starter now. Kap is an athletic quarterback. I’m an athletic quarterback as well.”
A Broncos source told Josina Anderson of ESPN (on Twitter) that Denver had Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer ranked as the best blocking wide receiver in the 2014 class. Latimer rocketed up draft boards in the month of April and wound up going to Denver in the second round.

Minor Moves: Dolphins, Buccaneers, Williams

May 15th, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves…

The Dolphins signed free agent Stephen Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). A fifth-year undrafted free agent, Williams hasn’t caught a pass since 2010. In a related move, Miami bid farewell to wide receiver Ryan Lankford (link).
The Buccaneers signed Cal running back Brendan Bigelow, an undrafted free agent, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Bigelow didn’t impress at his NFL Combine audition and that was due in part to a sprained ankle.

Browns Notes: Gordon, Manziel, Austin

May 15th, 2014 at 8:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Getting by without the services of Josh Gordon won’t be easy, but the Browns made a pair of moves today that should make life without the rising star a little bit easier. Here’s the latest out of Cleveland..

The Browns are doing a “disservice” to Johnny Manziel by publicly announcing he’s a backup, former head coach Herm Edwards told Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. “We don’t know he’s a backup. Who said he has to be the backup? If you draft a player to be a backup, why did you draft him?” Edwards asked. “You’re drafting a guy because you think he’s worthy of being drafted at that spot, but you’re also drafting him because you think he can compete.”
With the Browns signing wide receivers after Josh Gordon‘s signing, the 49ers should pat themselves on the back for good timing, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN. San Francisco traded a fourth-round choice to the Bills for Stevie Johnson just before the Gordon news broke. Had they not pulled the trigger that afternoon, there might have been a bidding war for Johnson.
Neither Miles Austin nor Earl Bennett are of the same caliber as Gordon, but both are proven options who can help the offensive, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Austin was a two-time Pro Bowler with Dallas but has missed eleven games over the past three seasons with hamstring problems.

49ers Sign Carlos Hyde

May 15th, 2014 at 6:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed second-round pick Carlos Hyde, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hyde was the first running back to come off the board in the 2014 draft.

This wasn’t a great year for running backs in the draft but most recognized the Ohio State product as the best RB available. The 49ers aren’t short on bodies at the position but uncertainty about each of their options led them to tapping Hyde. Longtime starter Frank Gore is in the twilight of his career and entering the final year of his contract. Understudy Kendall Hunter has shown flashes at times, but it’s not clear if he can be the 49ers’ full-time guy. LaMichael James, the club’s second-round choice just two years ago, is unhappy in SF and would reportedly welcome a trade.

Between those three, Hyde, and Marcus Lattimore, the 49ers currently have five notable RBs in their stable.

Cards Sign Second-Round Pick Troy Niklas

May 15th, 2014 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals announced that they have signed second-round pick Troy Niklas, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The club also announced officially the signings of third round picks Kareem Martin and John Brown.

Niklas, a tight end out of Notre Dame, is a solid blocker but he also had 32 catches for 498 yards and five touchdowns in 2013, so opposing defenses will have to respect his pass catching ability. The Cardinals used offensive tackle Bobby Massie in jumbo packages last season, but plugging Niklas in that role in 2014 will help keep defenses honest. Arizona General Manager Steve Keim feels like he has a hybrid in Niklas and believes that he has an incredibly high ceiling. “This, to me, is a guy who could really transcend into being one of the top all-around tight ends at some point in his career,” Keim said, according to Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com.

We learned earlier today that the Cards agreed to terms with Martin, a defensive end out of UNC. Division II Pittsburg State isn’t known as a football powerhouse, but Brown, taken with the No. 91 overall pick, showed that he was NFL material during his time there. A three-time Division II All-American, the wide receiver virtually re-wrote the record books, setting new watermarks in career catches (185), receiving yards (3,330), and touchdowns (32).

Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Texans, Cowboys

May 15th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already rounded up several draft pick signings a couple times today, but with teams and players motivated to hammer out deals, there are another handful of updates to pass along this afternoon. Let’s dive right in….

The Chiefs have locked up third-round cornerback Phillip Gaines, his reps tell ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s James Walker reports (via Twitter) that fourth-rounder De’Anthony Thomas has also signed with Kansas City. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Gaines should receive a signing bonus worth about $549K, while Thomas’ will be worth around $420K.
The Cardinals have agreed to terms with third-round pick Kareem Martin, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link). That would make Martin the first Arizona draftee to sign so far.
After signing Ben Gardner earlier today, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with two more draftees, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who writes that seventh-round linebacker Will Smith has agreed to his deal, and tweets that seventh-round cornerback Terrance Mitchell has done the same.
The Texans have agreed to terms with quarterback Tom Savage, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston’s fourth-round pick will be in line for a bonus of just over $300K, according to Fitzgerald.
A couple agents broke their clients’ own news this afternoon, with Mike McCartney tweeting that Princeton DT Caraun Reid has signed his contract with the Lions, while Blake Baratz announced (via Twitter) that sixth-rounder Zach Moore is the first draftee to sign with the Patriots.
The Colts have signed sixth-round linebacker Andrew Jackson, the team announced today in a press release.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Packers have signed fifth-round pick Corey Linsley. Linsley’s signing bonus should be worth $185K, based on Fitzgerald’s figures at OTC.
The Seahawks have signed Kiero Small to his rookie contract, a source tells Curtis Crabtree of KJR in Seattle. The seventh-round fullback is the second of nine Seahawks draft picks to sign.
The Texans and Eagles have signed seventh-rounders, according to various reports. Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston has the details on Texans cornerback Andre Hal, while Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets the new on Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen.

Giants Sign 10 UDFAs, Cut Five Players

May 15th, 2014 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 4:26pm: USC tight end Xavier Grimble has also joined the Giants’ rookie free agent class, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

TUESDAY, 1:54pm: The Giants have cut defensive back Chaz Powell and announced another four UDFA additions, according to a team release. Here are the newest Giants’ signings:

Charles Barnett, S, Ohio State
Emmanuel Dieke, DE, Georgia Tech ($7.5K bonus and $7.5K in other guarantees, per Aaron Wilson)
Dan Fox, LB, Notre Dame
Jordan Stanton, DE, James Madison

MONDAY, 4:47pm: The Giants have announced a series of roster moves, including a first step toward paring down the excess of quarterbacks on the depth chart. According to a press release, the team has released QB Rusty Smith and waived linebacker Allen Bradford, cornerback Junior Mertile and punter Jordan Gay. New York also signed five undrafted free agents.

Smith, a former Titan, inked a deal with the Giants last month shortly after the team added Josh Freeman to the roster to complement Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, and Curtis Painter. He’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, while the other players will have to pass through waivers.

Here are the Giants’ five UDFA signings:

Justin Anderson, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette
Thomas Gordon, S, Michigan
Eathyn Manumaleuna, DT BYU
Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
Kerry Wynn, DE, Richmond

Dolphins Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents

May 15th, 2014 at 4:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

THURSDAY, 4:25pm: Add one more player to the Dolphins’ undrafted free agent class, as USC safety Demetrius Wright showed up on today’s transaction wire, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 10:44am: The Dolphins have signed two more undrafted free agents, bringing their total to 20. Former Arizona State defensive end Gannon Conway and Tulane running back Orleans Darkwa have also showed up on the league’s transaction wire for the Dolphins, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

MONDAY, 6:06pm: The Dolphins have made their undrafted free agent signings official today announcing their 18 new players via their official Twitter account.

Here are all the Dolphins’ signings:

Deion Belue, DB, Alabama
Steven Clarke, DB, Vanderbilt
Tariq Edwards, LB, Virginia Tech
Evan Finkenberg, OL, Arizona State
Harold Hoskins, TE, Marshall
David Hurd, OL, Arkansas
Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU
Derrell Johnson, LB, East Carolina
Kamal Johnson, DT, Temple
Ryan Lankford, WR, Illinois
Tyler Larsen, OL, Utah St.
Tevin Mims, DE, South Florida
Garrison Smith, DT, Georgia
Marcus Thompson, LB, Rutgers
Davonte Wallace, OL, New Mexico State
Damien Williams, RB, Oklahoma
Andrew Wilson, LB, Missouri
Rantavious Wooten, WR, Georgia

Rams Cut Daryl Richardson, Jermelle Cudjo

May 15th, 2014 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams have waived running back Daryl Richardson, according to the NFL’s transaction wire (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan). It was one of a handful of cuts made official by the Rams, who also parted ways with defensive lineman Jermelle Cudjo and offensive tackle Emmanuel McCray (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).

Richardson, 24, started the 2013 season as the Rams’ primary running back, but saw most of his carries usurped by Zac Stacy over the course of the year. There was some speculation that Isaiah Pead‘s time in St. Louis could be over after the Rams drafted another running back (Tre Mason) last weekend, but it seems that Richardson is the odd man out instead. The former seventh-round pick accumulated 690 rushing yards on 167 carries and also added 38 receptions over the course of his two seasons with the Rams.

As for the Rams’ other two cuts, Cudjo saw part-time action over the last four years as a reserve on the defensive line, while McCray was just signed earlier this week as part of the club’s undrafted free agent class. Cudjo became expendable after the Rams added Alex Carrington in free agency and drafted Aaron Donald.

Minor Moves: Pats, Jaguars, Colts, Rams

May 15th, 2014 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy week for NFL transactions, with teams looking to get their rosters in order for upcoming rookie minicamps. Here are a few of today’s minor moves, including multiple cuts of players who were signed just days ago:

The Patriots have cut tight end Tyler Beck and long snapper Charley Hughlett, the team announced today in a press release. Neither player had a very long stint on New England’s roster — Hughlett signed less than two months ago, while Beck, who received a $1.5K signing bonus, just inked his deal on Monday.
Quarterback Matt Scott has been waived by the Jaguars, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter). Scott spent training camp with Jacksonville last season, and was on the club’s practice squad during the season.
The Colts have parted ways with a pair of players, cutting tackle Erik Pike and cornerback Darius Polk, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). Both rookies were part of the club’s undrafted free agent class.
The Rams cleared a roster spot by waiving offensive lineman Graham Pocic today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).