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2015 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Latest On Frank Clark, Seahawks

May 9th, 2015 at 4:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Seahawks took a chance drafting Michigan defensive end Frank Clark when they came to the podium with the 63rd-overall selection. Short a first-round pick thanks to the Jimmy Graham trade, the team had a long wait before making their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. They thought they hit on that pick, getting a great value with Clark, who saw his stock drop due to allegations of a domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend Diamond Hurt.

The team had been interested in Clark, but told the player they could not draft him with the investigation open, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio writes that Clark had the charges resolved “for roughly the price of a speeding ticket,” and that the team made no further inquiries into the case.

Now, new information has come to light about the incident and its aftermath. Geoff Baker and Lewis Kamp of the Seattle Times write that according to the official police report, after the incident manager Stephanie Burkhardt entered the couple’s room, when Clark told the female hotel manager, “I will hit you like I hit her,” before contacting her with his shoulder and exiting the room. Burkhardt confirmed the story to Baker and Kamp at the Seattle Times. She also tells that she was never contacted by the prosecutor before the charges were dropped.

The Seahawks conducted their own investigation, and felt comfortable enough to draft Clark under the belief that he did not hit Hurt based on their findings.

“I know they were on site the day after the incident to find out what the status was,” said Ken Bailey, a criminal defense lawyer in Sandusky, Ohio. “I don’t know the names of who they all talked to. I know they were interviewing people at the school — team members, team staff — but I don’t know who.”

The Seattle Times’ report also included the release of documents that included a hospital visit from Hurt, a breath test that put her blood-alcohol level at .000 (contrary to Clark’s statement that she had been drinking), and a witness testimony confirming that Hurt’s siblings ran out of the room saying “their sister’s boyfriend was punching her in the face.’’

According to Florio, the Seahawks have been adamant that they would not draft a player who has struck a woman. However, if information comes to light that Clark did indeed commit the crime he was accused of, there will be tremendous pressure for the team to move on from the recently drafted defensive lineman. Florio also points out a precedent in the Patriots moving on from defensive tackle Christian Peter three days after the 1996 NFL Draft, as reported by Philly.com. The Patriots claimed that they were not aware of Peter’s history at the time of drafting him, and renounced his rights. Peter was a fifth-round pick.

The Seahawks have signed four out of their six draft picks from the 2015 class so far, but second-round pick Clark is not among them. The team has also failed to sign Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett.

Draft Signings: Falcons, Cowboys, Ravens

May 8th, 2015 at 8:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some of the signings of players selected between the third and seventh round of the draft that took place today.

  • Third-round pick Carl Davis agreed to a contract with the Ravens, Wilson reports. The defensive tackle’s deal is for four years and worth $2.95MM with a 625K signing bonus. First-rounder Breshad Perriman is the team’s only unsigned player from this year’s class.
  • The Cowboys inked linebacker Mark Nzeocha and defensive end Ryan Russell to deals, reports ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. A fifth-round selection, Russell will receive a signing bonus of nearly $203K. Nzeocha, taken in the seventh round, claimed a $64K bonus.
  • The Falcons have signed fifth-round defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to his four-year rookie deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. As Over the Cap’s data shows, Jarrett’s contract will be worth about $2.528MM in total, including a $248K signing bonus.
  • Washington continues to agree to terms with its rookies, reaching a deal with sixth-round safety Kyshoen Jarrett today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jarrett will formally sign his contract when he gets into town on Sunday.
  • The Steelers have started locking up their draft picks, signing sixth-round defensive tackle L.T. Walton to his rookie contract, the club announced today (Twitter link). The first of two players drafted in the sixth round by the Steelers, Walton is in line for a signing bonus worth nearly $117K.

2015 NFL Draft Pick Signings

May 7th, 2015 at 11:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Having made their draft picks for 2015, the next step for NFL teams is to get their draftees under contract. We’ll keep tabs on which players have signed in this space, with teams listed in alphabetical order and a tally of their signed picks noted in parentheses. This page can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.”

Here’s the full list:

Arizona Cardinals (7/7):

  • 1-24: D.J. Humphries, T (Florida): Signed
  • 2-58: Markus Golden, DE/OLB (Missouri): Signed
  • 3-86: David Johnson, RB (Northern Iowa): Signed
  • 4-116: Rodney Gunter, DL (Delaware State): Signed
  • 5-158: Shaq Riddick, DE (West Virginia): Signed
  • 5-159: J.J. Nelson, WR (UAB): Signed
  • 7-256: Gerald Christian, TE (Louisville): Signed

Atlanta Falcons (7/7):

  • 1-8: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB (Clemson): Signed
  • 2-42: Jalen Collins, CB (LSU): Signed
  • 3-73: Tevin Coleman, RB (Indiana): Signed
  • 4-107: Justin Hardy, WR (East Carolina): Signed
  • 5-137: Grady Jarrett, DT (Clemson): Signed
  • 7-225: Jake Rodgers, T (Eastern Washington): Signed
  • 7-250: Akeem King, S (San Jose State): Signed

Baltimore Ravens (9/9):

  • 1-26: Breshad Perriman, WR (UCF): Signed
  • 2-55: Maxx Williams, TE (Minnesota): Signed
  • 3-90: Carl Davis, DT (Iowa): Signed
  • 4-122: Za’Darius Smith, DE/OLB (Kentucky): Signed
  • 4-125: Buck Allen, RB (USC): Signed
  • 4-136: Tray Walker, CB (Texas Southern): Signed
  • 5-171: Nick Boyle, TE (Delaware): Signed
  • 5-176: Robert Myers, G (Tennessee State): Signed
  • 6-204: Darren Waller, WR (Georgia Tech): Signed

Read more

Draft Signings: Dolphins, Jets, Ravens

May 7th, 2015 at 10:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Here at PFR, we’re giving individual posts to players from the first and second-round that sign with their respective clubs. You’ll find news on the guys from rounds 3-7 in the roundups. Here are the latest..

  • The Ravens agreed to a deal with fourth-round running back Buck Allen, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • The Packers signed another sixth-round pick in tight end Kennard Backman, Silverstein tweets. Green Bay now has five picks under contract with three to go.
  • The Giants announced the signings of fifth-round pick Mykkele Thompson and seventh-round choice Bobby Hart, according to Dan Graziano of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have agreed in principle on a deal with fifth-round cornerback Bobby McCain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). McCain will receive roughly $2.5MM over the course of his four-year deal and a $228K signing bonus.
  • Not long after that, the Dolphins wrapped up their entire draft class by signing fourth-round guard Jamil Douglas, fifth-round safety Cedric Thompson, and fifth-round wide receiver Tony Lippett, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
  • The Jets announced that they have signed fifth-round offensive guard Jarvis Harrison, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
  • The Ravens inked fifth-round tight end Nick Boyle, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Boyle also auditioned for the divisional rival Browns during the draft process.
  • The Packers have signed Christian Ringo, a defensive tackle taken in the sixth round, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).

Panthers Sign Shaq Thompson

May 7th, 2015 at 7:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers announced that they have signed three of their five draft picks, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). First-round linebacker Shaq Thompson, fourth-round tackle Daryl Williams, and fifth-round linebacker David Mayo are now under contract.

Thompson has exceptional speed and agility for a linebacker and he originally arrived at Washington as one of the most highly-ranked safeties in the nation. At the combine, Thompson ran a 4.64 40-yard-dash, faster than a lot of his peers at the position. Some projected Thompson as a second-round pick, but the Panthers ID’d him as the best player there in the first.

The Panthers had only five picks this year, so they only have two unsigned players left to go.

Vikings Sign Entire Draft Class

May 7th, 2015 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Well, that was pretty easy for the Vikings. While most teams tend to sign their draft choices in drips and drabs, the Vikings announced that they have signed their entire 2015 draft class. Those ten rookies are:

  • Round 1, CB Trae Waynes
  • Round 2: LB Eric Kendricks
  • Round 3: DE Danielle Hunter
  • Round 4: OL T.J. Clemmings
  • Round 5: TE Mycol Pruitt
  • Round 5: WR Stefon Diggs
  • Round 6: OL Tyrus Thompson
  • Round 6: DL B.J. Dubose
  • Round 7: OL Austin Shepherd
  • Round 7: LB Edmond Robinson

The signing of Waynes was leaked out earlier today by Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The eleventh player selected in the 2015 draft, Waynes will earn nearly $13MM over the life of his rookie contract, and will have the opportunity to make several extra million in 2019 if Minnesota exercises his fifth-year option. Because he just missed the cutoff to be a top-10 pick, Waynes’ fifth year won’t be as pricey as it otherwise would’ve — those amounts aren’t known yet, but for 2016 options, the difference in salaries between a top-10 cornerback and a corner picked between 11th and 32nd exceeded $3.5MM.

Kendricks was last season’s Butkus Award winner, giving him the crown of best collegiate linebacker in the country. Kendricks’ brother, Mychal, plays for the Eagles and father Marvin Kendricks, played running back at UCLA and enjoyed a stint in the CFL.

With ten UDFAs also in the fold, the Vikings’ roster is now at 90 players, according to the press release.

Dolphins To Sign Second-Round Pick Jordan Phillips

May 7th, 2015 at 5:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have agreed to terms with second-round pick Jordan Phillips, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins now have their top two picks signed to deals after first-round choice DeVante Parker agreed to terms earlier today.

Phillips, a defensive tackle, was chosen with the No. 52 overall pick. The Oklahoma standout is considered to be a little bit rough, but he’ll be learning from the absolute best at the position when he lines up alongside Ndamukong Suh. Recently, GM Dennis Hickey told reporters, including Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, that the war room was overjoyed about picking Phillips.

“He truly was the best player available on our board,” Hickey said. “We took him and we almost had an earthquake up there, the defensive coaches trying to break down the walls, they were so excited.”

In addition to Phillips, the Dolphins have signed fifth-round running back Jay Ajayi, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

Draft Pick Signings: Thursday

May 7th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the next few weeks, as the league’s 32 teams lock up their draft picks, we’ll dedicate individual posts to first- and second-round picks reaching agreements with their respective clubs. Already today, for instance, we’ve passed along word of Trae Waynes signing with the Vikings and Nelson Agholor reaching a deal with the Eagles.

However, given the lack of drama involved in rookie contract negotiations under the new CBA, news on players who were selected in the third round or later will be relegated to round-up posts. Here are Thursday’s mid- to late-round picks who signed their deals, with any additional updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

4:52pm:

  • In addition to confirming the signing of Deon Simon (noted below), the Jets also announced the signings of third-round outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin and fourth-round quarterback Bryce Petty, per a team release.
  • The Vikings are gradually agreeing to terms with nearly their entire draft class over the course of the day. Chris Tomasson (Twitter links) has updates on two more, reporting that fifth-round tight end MyCole Pruitt, fifth-round wideout Stefon Diggs, and seventh-round offensive lineman Austin Shepherd have all reached deals with the club.
  • The Ravens have signed fifth-round guard Robert Myers and sixth-round wide receiver Darren Waller, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
  • The Seahawks have signed fifth-round cornerback Tye Smith, tweets Terry Blount of ESPN.com.

3:50pm:

  • The Vikings have officially added three more draftees to the roster, agreeing to terms with sixth-round defensive lineman B.J. Dubose and seventh-round linebacker Edmond Robinson, according to reports from Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links). In addition to those late-rounders, fourth-round offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings has signed his deal, tweets agent Mike McCartney.
  • Sixth-round lineman Kristjan Sokoli has signed his four-year rookie deal with the Seahawks, tweets agent Brett Tessler. A defensive lineman at Buffalo, Sokoli will be moving over to the offensive line in Seattle.
  • Jets seventh-round defensive tackle Deon Simon and Patriots seventh-round defensive end Xzavier Dickson have signed their rookie deals, according to tweets from their respective agencies. Simon will get a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $73K, while Dickson’s bonus will be worth about $53K.

2:43pm:

  • Sixth-round offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson has agreed to terms with the Vikings and will officially sign when he arrives at the team’s facility, tweets Darren Wolfson of KSTP. Thompson is the second Vikes draftee to reach a deal with the club.
  • Another Packers draftee has agreed to terms with the team, per Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Post-Gazette, who tweets that the club has struck a deal with sixth-rounder fullback Aaron Ripkowski. Ripkowski was the first of three players selected by the Packers in the sixth round, and is also the first one to reach an agreement with the team.
  • The Browns have signed sixth-round tight end Randall Telfer, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Telfer will receive a signing bonus of just under $118K.

1:48pm:

  • The Packers have agreed to terms on four-year rookie contracts with fifth-round quarterback Brett Hundley and fourth-round linebacker Jake Ryan, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links). Green Bay is expected to lock up most or all of the rest of its late-round picks by the end of the day, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • The Ravens have agreed to contract terms with fourth-round defensive back Tray Walker, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link). The final player selected in the fourth round, as a supplemental pick, Walker will count for about $521K against the cap in 2015.
  • Seventh-round center Austin Reiter has agreed to terms on his rookie contract with Washington, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. Reiter will receive a signing bonus worth just under $75K.

Browns Agree To Terms With Nate Orchard

May 7th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Second-round edge defender Nate Orchard has agreed to terms on his rookie contract with the Browns, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

The Utah defensive end, the 51st overall pick in the draft, will have a cap number of $812K in his first season with the Browns. Assuming he plays out his full four-year deal with the team, he’ll earn a total of about $4.466MM, including a signing bonus worth more than $1.5MM.

Orchard was the Browns’ third draftee last week, coming off the board on day two after Cleveland grabbed defensive tackle Danny Shelton and offensive lineman Cameron Erving in the first round. Both of those first-rounders remain unsigned for now.

Ravens, Maxx Williams Agree To Deal

May 7th, 2015 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have reached a deal with second-round tight end Maxx Williams, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Williams is the second Baltimore draftee known to have struck an agreement with the club, following fourth-round cornerback Tray Walker.

Williams, the 55th overall pick last Friday, could become an immediate contributor in Baltimore given the uncertain health status of veteran tight end Dennis Pitta and the offseason departure of last year’s starter, Owen Daniels. The Ravens felt strongly enough about Williams to give up a fifth-round pick to move up three spots in the second round to make sure they landed him.

Per Over the Cap’s draft pool figures, Williams will make just over $4MM on his four-year deal with Baltimore, including a signing bonus of about $1.21MM

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