2016 May - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Signings: Dolphins, Raiders, Saints

May 18th, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s draft signings here:

A second-round pick who is expected to play a key role for a Dolphins cornerback corps that lost most of its starters from 2015, Xavien Howard has signed his rookie deal, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. He’s the fifth player in Miami’s eight-man draft class to sign. For Baylor last season, Howard snared five interceptions and broke up 15 passes en route to All-Big 12 acclaim. He’ll vie to join Byron Maxwell as the Fins’ starting corners.
The Saints have now wrapped up their draft class’ contracts after signing fourth-round defensive lineman David Onyemata, according to the team’s website. The first University of Manitoba player to be drafted, the Nigeria native finished with 9.5 sacks in 37 games with the Bison. A 300-pound lineman who was selected No. 120 overall, Onyemata won the J.P. Metras Trophy, which is given to the best down lineman in Canadian Interuniversity Sport football.
The Raiders announced the signing of second-round defensive lineman Jihad Ward. Ward, selected with the No. 44 overall pick, played for Illinois over the last two seasons. In his time for the Fighting Illini, Ward started all 25 games, totaling 104 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. The 6’6″, 295-pound athlete climbed up draft boards in the weeks leading up to the draft, leading to his mid-second-round selection.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/16

May 18th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Browns claimed kicker Jaden Oberkrom off waivers from the Jaguars, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Waived by the Jags on Monday to make room for veteran guard Jeff Linkenbach, Oberkrom kicked for four years at TCU, making 79-of-100 field goals for the Horned Frogs. He’ll join Travis Coons and Brad Craddock as Cleveland’s rostered kickers. However, the Browns are searching for help after Coons had four kicks blocked last season, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
The Panthers have added wide receiver Avius Capers to the roster, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Capers is a familiar face for the Panthers, having spent time with the team in training camp last year. As of this writing, Carolina has a dozen receivers on its roster.
The Colts are signing former New Mexico State corner Winston Rose following a successful private workout, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Rose boasts a 4.37-second 40-yard-dash time and his speed has led to NFL attention.
The Packers have signed safety Jermaine Whitehead, according to a source who spoke with Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Whitehead finished last season with Baltimore, who signed him late in the year off San Francisco’s practice squad.

Rams Sign Dominique Easley

May 18th, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

WEDNESDAY, 4:21pm: Easley’s signing is now official. Los Angeles waived linebacker Kache Palacio to make room for Easley on its 90-man roster, Nick Waggoner of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 6:35pm: The Rams and free agent defensive lineman Dominique Easley have agreed to a one-year deal, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). It didn’t take long for the Rams-Easley union to materialize, as the 24-year-old worked out for the team earlier Tuesday.

Easley, whom the Patriots selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft, is the fifth member of the Rams defensive line who has a first-round pedigree, joining Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn and fellow offseason free agent pickup Quinton Coples.

Despite New England’s significant investment in Easley, it moved on from the 285-pounder earlier this offseason after the two sides reportedly butted heads over “philosophical differences on following injury programs.”

Easley had difficulty staying healthy his first two years in the NFL, missing 10 of a possible 32 regular-season games because of various injuries to his hip, knee and ankle. Easley also tore his ACL at the University of Florida, but that didn’t stop the Patriots from spending a high pick on him. One former Pats teammate referred to Easley as a “locker room cancer,” though, and a team source told the Boston Globe that Easley “comes across as an entitled kid” who “thinks he’s invincible.” Moreover, Easley is currently facing a lawsuit in Palm Beach County from a man who alleges that the defender’s dog bit him.

On the field, Easley has 25 career tackles and three sacks to his credit. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave him a terrific grade for his 2015 performance. His presence in Los Angeles should help make up for the departure of Nick Fairley, who appeared in 15 games with the Rams last year before leaving as a free agent to join the Saints.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Audition William Moore

May 18th, 2016 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent safety William Moore recently worked out for the Patriots, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The former long-time starter for the Falcons was cut loose shortly after the Super Bowl and has been seeking NFL employment ever since.

Moore, a former Pro Bowler, was a starting safety for Atlanta, racking up 51 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games in 2015. Unfortunately, injuries held him back and his campaign formally ended on December 15th when he was placed on IR. In total, Moore spent seven seasons in Atlanta, playing in 76 games with 72 starts and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2012. Moore amassed 481 tackles (319 solo) with 16 interceptions, 3.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 38 passes defensed during his time with the Falcons.

The day after Moore was released, agent Andy Ross claimed that his client had already received “a few calls” from teams inquiring about his client. As far as we know, that supposed interest did not materialize in a workout with any club until this week’s New England audition. The Patriots seem pretty set at safety, so it’s not clear how interested they might be in signing Moore at this time.

Earlier today, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the best remaining free agents on defense. Moore did not make the cut.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Place Archer On Did Not Report List

May 18th, 2016 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

One of the newest members of the Bills has apparently gone AWOL. The team announced that running back Dri Archer has been placed on the reserve/did not report list.

Archer, 25 in August, was claimed off waivers from the Jets roughly one week ago. Known for his speed, Archer owns the second-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.26 seconds) in NFL history and the team was hoping to utilize his quickness in the return game. The reason for Archer’s absence is not yet known, but it’s possible that the tailback is daunted by the team’s running back depth chart.

The Bills’ group of running backs is headlined by LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams at tailback with two other promising young players behind them in Mike Gillislee and fifth-round running back Jonathan Williams. James Wilder Jr., who came to the club on a reserve/future deal in January, is also in the mix. Archer probably didn’t have a great chance of seeing significant carries in Buffalo and his place on the roster was far from guaranteed to begin with.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints Working Out Hakeem Nicks, Other WRs

May 18th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

2:49pm: Nathan Palmer is also amongst the wide receivers working out for New Orleans, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Palmer was waived by Chicago on Monday.

1:02pm: Along with Nicks, the Saints are also working out wide receivers Denarius Moore and Vincent Brown, Schefter tweets.

12:35pm: The Saints are working out a group of wide receivers today, including Hakeem Nicks, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

This isn’t the first time that the Saints have looked at the veteran. New Orleans auditioned Nicks last September, just after he was released by Titans. However, he went on to sign with the Giants in an effort to recapture the glory of his salad days. In his second stint with Big Blue, Nicks didn’t exactly return to stardom as he caught seven passes for 54 yards across six games.

Nicks, still only 28, spent the first five years of his career in New York with the Giants, enjoying the most productive stint of his career with the team. Posting consecutive seasons of 75+ receptions and 1,000+ receiving yards in 2010 and 2011, Nicks totaled 311 catches, 4,622 yards, and 27 TDs from 2009 to 2013.

However, prior to the 2014 season, the former first-round pick signed a one-year deal with the Colts, and struggled to get much going with Andrew Luck and company, establishing new career-lows in receptions (38) and yards (405).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys Sign Ezekiel Elliott

May 18th, 2016 at 1:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have formally signed their presumptive running back of the future. The team announced today that No. 4 overall pick Ezekiel Elliott has put pen to paper.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, the Cowboys were heavily connected to both Elliott and FSU defensive back Jalen Ramsey with their top pick. Ultimately, Jerry Jones’ fondness for the Ohio State product won out, giving the Cowboys a well-rounded tailback to join veterans Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris. Elliott will receive a four-year deal worth nearly $25MM in accordance with his draft slot.

That deal comes with a healthy $16.3MM signing bonus and a cap number of $4.5MM that escalates all the way to $7.94MM in the fourth and final year. Of course, as a first-round selection, the Cowboys will reserve the right to retain Elliott for an additional year via his fifth-year option.

In addition to Elliott, the Cowboys have also inked sixth-round picks Darius Jackson, Anthony Brown, and Kavon Frazier.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Notes: Belichick, Easley, Brady

May 18th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Bill Belichick sees a “strong trend” in the NFL with hybrid defensive players, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. This year, the Patriots followed that trend when they selected Kamu Grugier-Hill of Eastern Illinois in the sixth-round, a player who played linebacker in college but could play safety in the NFL.

“I think that you are definitely seeing a strong trend in the league towards corners that play safety or corner-type athletes that play safety, bigger safeties that play linebacker. Both of those are trends,” Belichick said during the draft.

At 6’2″ and 215 pounds, Grugier-Hill is on the bigger side for a safety but light for a linebacker in the team’s base defense. The Patriots wil likely move him between both positions, depending on their needs throughout the season and during each drive.

Here’s more out of New England:

The Patriots have offset language on Dominique Easley’s $1.084MM salary, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (Twitter links) points out. The Patriots now only owe Easley the difference between that figure and what the Rams pay him. The minimum salary for Easley is $600K, so at most, the Patriots will owe him roughly $484K.
If Tom Brady and the NFLPA successfully get U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to give them another hearing, then the quarterback will likely avoid any suspension for the 2016 season as the legal proceedings drag on. However, even if the Second Circuit denies the petition, the Pats QB still has a path by which he can further delay his suspension, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first step then would be for Brady to ask the Second Circuit for a stay of the suspension while an appeal to the Supreme Court is prepared. If that request is denied, Brady would present the question of whether the suspension will be stayed not to the Supreme Court justice assigned to the Second Circuit, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If Ginsburg were to issue a stay, Brady would not be suspended until 2017, at the earliest.
Earlier this week, Dwight Freeney told Peter King of The MMQB that he would not rule out joining up with the Patriots.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants, Bengals Tried To Claim Mettenberger

May 18th, 2016 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers claimed Zach Mettenberger off waivers on Tuesday, but two other teams also tried to land the quarterback. The Giants and the Bengals also put in claims, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, but the Chargers had higher priority on the waiver wire.

The Giants’ depth chart at quarterback has gone largely untouched for the last few years with Ryan Nassib backing up Eli Manning. Had the Giants successfully claimed him, Mettenberger could have competed with B.J. Daniels for the No. 3 spot on the team’s depth chart. The Giants’ real motive in making a play for Mettenberger could have been to give themselves insurance in case they did not re-sign Nassib following his contract year in 2016. Mettenberger potentially could have allowed the Giants to entertain trade options for Nassib as well.

The Bengals also appear to be pretty set at quarterback with Andy Dalton as starter and A.J. McCarron – a capable backup – slotted in as his understudy. McCarron completed 66.4% of his passes last season, throwing six touchdown passes compared to two interceptions in three starts in relief of Andy Dalton. Teams inquired on the Alabama product over the offseason and while head coach Marvin Lewis said that he was not interested in trading him, owner Mike Brown did not rule it out. It’s possible that the Bengals were curious to see if Mettenberger could have performed well enough over the summer to make them comfortable enough to move McCarron. Or, maybe they were only looking to put some additional competition for the No. 3 spot alongside with Keith Wenning and undrafted rookie Joe Licata.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC East Notes: DRC, Giants, Eagles, Daniel

May 18th, 2016 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

After adding Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple this offseason, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com opines that the Giants should look into trading Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. DRC is unlikely to be on the Giants’ roster in 2017 given that he’s slated to carry an $8.5MM cap number in a year that the Giants have Jenkins at $15MM. So, if Apple shows that he’s ready to start right away, why not consider trading Rodgers-Cromartie?

The two-time Pro Bowler is set to earn a modest $5.98MM salary this year and there are plenty of teams that could use help at corner. At the same time, the Giants’ big need is really at the nickel spot since their top three corners are all better suited to play on the outside. Graziano notes that free agents Leon Hall, Brandon Boykin, and Trumaine McBride could all conceivably fill that role for Big Blue. However, even if Apple proves to be NFL-ready, Rodgers-Cromartie would provide the team with valuable depth at a reasonable price.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

While everyone is paying attention to Sam Bradford and his feelings on Carson Wentz, we haven’t heard much about fellow Philly newcomer Chase Daniel. When Daniel signed with the Eagles this offseason, he was told he could compete with Bradford for the starting role. Now, with the No. 2 overall pick in the mix, Daniel’s path to playing has gotten a whole lot tougher. Still, Daniel says he’s taking everything in stride. “There’s a reason they brought me here. It wasn’t necessarily to just sit on the bench and not push people for starting jobs,” Daniel said Tuesday, according to Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. “But I think there’s a fine line there. I’m a professional. I’ve been in about every situation you could possibly be in. . . . So I have a clear view of what’s expected of me and the funny thing is I expect even more out of myself.”
In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News about the Giants‘ timetable for pondering life without Eli Manning. Vacchiano believes that the Giants should start considering the future of their quarterback position soon, though he’s not so certain that they will. In theory, the Giants could do what Green Bay did with Aaron Rodgers and draft a promising QB to learn from the veteran starter. However, it today’s NFL, it’s tougher to talk a high-end rookie quarterback into taking the scenic route.
On Tuesday, Washington released wide receiver Andre Roberts in a move that will save them $3MM in cap room.