HEADLINES

2017 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Jaguars Sign Rookie WR Dede Westbrook

May 16th, 2017 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Dede Westbrook has formally signed his rookie deal, according to an announcement from the Jaguars. Per the terms of his slot, the former Oklahoma wide receiver will earn $3.1MM over four years with a $676K+ signing bonus. Dede Westbrook (vertical)

Westbrook probably would have gone earlier in the draft if not for two domestic violence arrests in his past. Some teams removed him from the draft board completely, but the Jaguars apparently felt that the potential reward with Westbrook was worth the risk and PR backlash. Before the draft, one AFC area scout told Albert Breer of The MMQB that the receiver is a “degenerate” and someone that he would not consider worthy of a roster spot.

The youngster has also been knocked for his lack of size, but some see shades of DeSean Jackson in his game. The speedster undeniably impressed in his final year at OU with 80 catches for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Westbrook is now the third member of the Jaguars’ 2017 draft class to sign. Seventh round cornerback Jalen Myrick (Minnesota) and seventh round fullback Marquez Williams (Miami) both inked their contracts earlier this month. The team still has running back Leonard Fournette, tackle Cam Robinson, defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot, and linebacker Blair Brown on the agenda. For a full rundown of which picks have signed and have not signed for all 32 teams, check out PFR’s running list.

Texans Sign Deshaun Watson

May 12th, 2017 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have signed the bulk of their 2017 draft class. Only third round running back D’Onta Foreman remains unsigned. Here’s the full list of every Houston draft pick who is now under contract: "<strong

The Texans were said to be targeting Watson for several weeks and we learned on draft night that it wasn’t just a smokescreen. Houston traded this year’s No. 25 overall pick and its 2018 first round choice to get the No. 12 selection from the Browns in order to take the Clemson QB. Watson was universally regarded as one of the top QBs in this year’s class and some might argue that the athletic signal caller has more upside than any of his peers. Now, the rookie might have a chance at wrestling the starting job away from Tom Savage.

Cunningham was projected by some as a first round pick and he almost went No. 23 overall when the Giants were on the clock. Luckily for Houston, the Giants wound up taking Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram at No. 23 and passed on him again at No. 55, allowing them to grab the Vanderbilt product all the way down at No. 57.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Cowboys Sign Seven Draft Picks

May 11th, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cowboys have agreed to pacts with seven draft picks, leaving third-round cornerback Jourdan Lewis as the only member of their nine-rookie class without a contract, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Dallas, which reached a deal with first-round defensive end Taco Charlton on Thursday afternoon, signed this group in the evening:

Chidobe Awuzie

Awuzie was reportedly gaining momentum as a potential first-rounder in the weeks leading up to the draft, but he ultimately come off the board late in the second. The four-year starter at Colorado had his most productive seasons from 2015-16, combining for 150 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions, and should see plenty of playing time as a rookie in Dallas. The Cowboys, who ranked a mediocre-at-best 18th in DVOA against the pass last year, lost cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne to free agency. The club will try to make up for the veterans’ departures with a corner group consisting of Orlando Scandrick, Anthony Brown, Awuzie and Nolan Carroll, among others.

Chargers Sign Forrest Lamp, Three Others

May 11th, 2017 at 6:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After locking up their top draft pick, first-round wide receiver Mike Williams, earlier Thursday, the Chargers went to work on signing a few other selections, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The club inked four more rookies to deals, including second-round pick and former Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp. Here are the others:

Forrest Lamp (Vertical)

Lamp drew plenty of first-round buzz entering the draft, but the team that seemed to like him more than anyone else, Miami, cooled on him at the 11th hour. The Chargers ended up selecting Lamp 38th overall, and he could be an immediate factor – perhaps at right guard – on a line that Football Outsiders ranked among the NFL’s worst last season.

With Lamp, King, Tevi and Rochell now under contract, only two of the Chargers’ seven picks are without deals.

Broncos Sign Jake Butt

May 11th, 2017 at 6:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos, continuing a busy Thursday, have inked fifth-round tight end Jake Butt to a contract, per a team announcement (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).

Jake Butt

Butt, the 145th overall pick, isn’t your average fifth-rounder, as he only dropped that far as a result of the torn ACL he suffered in Michigan’s Orange Bowl loss to Florida State on Dec. 30. To that point, Butt had a chance to parlay back-to-back strong seasons into becoming a first- or second-round pick. Butt combined for 97 receptions and seven touchdowns during his final two years with the Wolverines and earned first-team All-America honors in each season.

Prior to last year, Butt purchased a loss-of-value policy which enabled him to collect compensation for his draft fall. All told, he ended up with a guaranteed $380K and could earn another $2.7MM-plus, including a $300K signing bonus, if he sees his rookie contract through. He’s the seventh member of the Broncos’ eight-player class to sign, leaving second-round defensive end DeMarcus Walker as the lone straggler.

Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/17

May 11th, 2017 at 5:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thursday has been chock-full of draft signings. Here are the latest rookies to ink deals:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • Round 4 (No. 119): Tarik Cohen, RB (North Carolina A&T)
  • Round 5 (No. 147): Jordan Morgan, OL (Kutztown)

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Round 3 (No. 101): Brendan Langley, CB (Lamar)

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Round 7 (No. 222): Jalen Myrick, CB (Minnesota) [via John Oesher of Jaguars.com, on Twitter]

Tennessee Titans

  • Round 7 (No. 236): Brad Seaton, T (Villanova) [Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle]

Steelers Sign James Conner

May 11th, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Steelers have signed third-round running back James Conner, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report (via Twitter). With Conner joining fifth-round cornerback Brian Allen, sixth-round long snapper Colin Holba and seventh-round linebacker Keion Adams under contract, Pittsburgh has now signed half of its eight-pick class.

James Conner

Conner, a Pennsylvania native who was among the nation’s best backs with Pitt, is now in position to make an NFL impact in his home state. Of course, the 105th overall pick also comes with an inspirational story, having bounced back from a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis (not to mention a torn MCL) in 2015 to conclude his college career with a vengeance last season. A cancer-free Conner turned in his second thousand-yard campaign with the Panthers (1,092, on 5.1 yards per carry) and combined for 20 touchdowns (16 rushing, four receiving). In parts of four seasons at Pitt, he found the end zone 56 times (52 on the ground).

With the Steelers lacking established NFLers behind starting running back Le’Veon Bell, Conner should serve as the two-time Pro Bowler’s top backup in 2017. It’s possible Conner will end up as the Steelers’ starter in 2018 if Bell walks as a free agent next offseason, but the team hopes to sign the franchise tag recipient to an extension in the coming months.

Cowboys, Taco Charlton Agree To Deal

May 11th, 2017 at 4:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with their first-round pick, former Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton, per Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram (Twitter link).

Taco Charlton

Charlton saw action in all four of his years with the Wolverines, and he was particularly effective last season in racking up personal bests in tackles (40), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (10). That production helped convince the Cowboys to use the 28th pick on Charlton, who’s set to make over $10MM in guarantees – including $5.43MM-plus via signing bonus – on his rookie contract.

While the Cowboys went an NFC-best 13-3 last year, they did it without an elite pass rush, ranking a decent 13th in sacks and a below-average 26th in quarterback hurries. No one on the team finished with more than six sacks, leading owner Jerry Jones to make it clear early in the offseason that upgrading the pass rush was in order. The Cowboys’ hope is that Charlton will do that, while further defensive help could come from second- and third-round cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. They’re among eight unsigned Cowboys draft picks, with Charlton being the only member of their class with a contract.

Eagles Sign Seven Draft Picks

May 11th, 2017 at 4:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With the notable exception of first-round defensive end Derek Barnett, all of the Eagles’ draft picks are now under contract. The Eagles have agreed to deals with seven members of their rookie class, per a team announcement. Here’s the list:

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The biggest name included in that group belongs to Jones, who underwent surgery on a torn Achilles in March and won’t return to the field until the fall, at the earliest. Jones’ injury, which occurred on the final rep of his pro day, caused his draft stock to slip after it appeared he’d be a first-rounder. The 6-foot, 181-pounder was a 30-game starter at Washington, where he tallied eight interceptions.

Chargers Sign Mike Williams

May 11th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Unlike last year, there won’t be a drawn-out contract dispute between the Chargers and their first-round pick. The club has signed wide receiver Mike Williams, the seventh overall selection, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Mike Williams

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Williams thrived at Clemson, particularly during a 98-catch, 1,361-yard, 11-touchdown 2016 campaign that concluded with a national championship. He’s now in line to earn just under $20MM in guarantees on a four-year contract, including a signing bonus worth upward of $12.5MM, and join an impressive Bolts receiving corps that also includes Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin and Dontrelle Inman.

Ideally, the Chargers will get a full rookie season from Williams, which wasn’t the case with their first-rounder a year ago. The Chargers chose ex-Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa third overall in 2016, but he didn’t sign until late August because of an ugly contract battle. As a result, Bosa didn’t debut until October, though he still turned in an excellent rookie year with 10.5 sacks in 12 games.

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