HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

AFC Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/19

May 10th, 2019 at 10:04pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The latest 2019 draft pick signings from around the AFC:

  • The Jets agreed to terms with two more rookies, signing fifth round linebacker Blake Cashman and sixth round cornerback Blessaun Austin. Cashman had 104 tackles at Minnesota last year, including 15 for a loss. He earned a second-team All-Big Ten selection for his work last year. Only third overall pick Quinnen Williams and third-rounders Jachai Polite and Chuma Edoga remain unsigned for New York.
  • The Chargers inked two more players to their rookie deals, signing fifth round quarterback Easton Stick and fourth round linebacker Drue Tranquill. Stick, a North Dakota State product, was highly productive as a runner in college and many analysts projected a potential position change in the pros. That being said, the Chargers have said they plan on keeping Stick at quarterback. Tranquill is now wrapped up, and the Chargers can hopefully get his Notre Dame teammate, Jerry Tillery, signed soon. Most of the Chargers’ draft class remains unsigned as they just inked their first player earlier today.
  • The Bengals signed a crop of five players, representing half of their class. They wrapped up fourth-rounders Renell Wren and Michael Jordan, sixth round running backs Trayveon Williams and Rodney Anderson, and seventh round cornerback Jordan Brown. Jordan, a Miami product, has some potential upside and could help replenish Cincinnati’s secondary. Williams, from Texas A&M, and Anderson, from Oklahoma, will be battling it out for a role behind Joe Mixon in the Bengals’ backfield. Anderson used to be seen as one of the nation’s top running backs, but injuries have derailed his career. This draft class will always be a monumental one for the Bengals, as it represents the first year of the post-Marvin Lewis era.

Sylvester Williams Gets Try Out From Saints

May 10th, 2019 at 9:17pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A former big name is resurfacing this week. Defensive tackle Sylvester Williams is joining the Saints’ rookie minicamp as a tryout player.

Williams was an All-American at North Carolina, which helped him become a first round pick of the Broncos back in 2013. Williams spent the first four years of his career with Denver, but didn’t have his fifth-year option picked up. He signed a three-year pact with the Titans, but was released after just one year.

He then got a one-year, $3.5MM deal from the Lions, but he was released in October of last year. He then signed with the Dolphins and spent the remainder of the season in Miami. The Saints worked him out last year after Detroit cut him, so there’s some familiarity there.

Between Miami and Detroit he appeared in 14 games last season, making four starts. He’s managed to be a decent run-stuffer in the past, and is still only 30. The Saints had one of the league’s best defensive lines and run defenses last year, but standout defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins tore his Achilles right at the end of the year. He might not be ready for next season, and the Saints could use some depth. It wouldn’t be shocking if Williams were signed after the minicamp.

Seahawks Sign Al Woods

May 10th, 2019 at 8:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks are making a late free agency move. The team has signed defensive tackle Al Woods, his representatives announced in a tweet.

Tom Pelissero followed up with a tweet, reporting that it’s a one-year, $2.25MM pact. It’s a solid chunk of change for Woods to land this late in the process. Woods met with the Seahawks last month, but it took a while for things to materialize. In all likelihood, the Seahawks were waiting for the deadline for signings to count toward the compensatory pick formula to pass.

He also met with the Lions back in March. Woods originally entered the league as a fourth round pick of the Saints back in 2010, and has bounced around the league ever since. The journeyman has been a member of six different teams, and finally settled in Indianapolis on a two-year, $4MM deal he signed in March of 2017. He played around 36% of the defensive snaps for the Colts last year, and started eight games. A run-stuffer primarily, he finished with 24 tackles and one pass defended.

Woods had a brief stint in Seattle back in 2011, so there’s some familiarity here. He’s also been with the Steelers, Buccaneers, and Titans during his time in the league. He turned 32 in March, and the Seahawks will likely use him in a situational role on running downs. He ended last year on injured reserve with a foot injury, but there’s no indication that it’s still bothering him.

Cardinals Sign Five Draft Picks, Wrap Up Draft Class

May 10th, 2019 at 7:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

After signing Kyler Murray and a handful of others yesterday, the Cardinals wrapped up the rest of their picks today. Arizona announced the following signings:

With that, every 2019 Cardinals draft pick is officially under contract. In Isabella and Butler, the Cards got two new weapons for Murray. Isabella is a speed-demon who played at a small school, but put up monster numbers. Undersized but blazing fast, Isabella racked up 102 receptions for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Minutemen.

Many people thought Butler would end up going earlier than he did, and a lot of mock drafts had him going sometime in the second round. He slipped to the fourth, where Arizona got him with the 103rd pick. Butler was also very productive in college, putting up 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns in his junior season at Iowa State before declaring for the draft.

Thompson is another player who had a notable tumble on draft day. For a while the Alabama product was considered one of the top safeties in the class, and a bunch of analysts thought he would go sometime on Day 2. He’ll now have a big chip on his shoulder, as he lasted all the way to the 139th pick.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/19

May 10th, 2019 at 7:02pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve got a whole bunch of minor transactions from today as we head into the weekend:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: RB Wes Hills, CB Nate Brooks
  • Released: WR Bryant Mitchell, CB Jonathan Moxey, RB Brandon Wilds

Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints

  • Waived: RB Martez Carter, LB Chase Hansen, TE Jake Powell

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Jay Liggins

Seattle Seahawks

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed: WR Brian Burt

Orchard, the former second round pick of the Browns, is probably the biggest name on this list. He was cut to make room for Ziggy Ansah, who the Seahawks officially announced today. Orchard had signed a one-year pact last month that didn’t contain any guaranteed money. It’s a pretty bad sign for his NFL future that he was apparently at the very bottom of the 90-man roster in Seattle.

 

 

 

Jason Pierre-Paul Won’t Have Surgery, Expects To Play In 2019

May 10th, 2019 at 5:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The last we heard, it was looking like Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul might miss the entire 2019 season. Pierre-Paul was involved in a serious car accident last week that resulted in a severe neck injury. Fortunately, things appear to be headed in the right direction. 

Pierre-Paul will not have surgery, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport posted in a follow-up tweet that Pierre-Paul “expects a midseason return.” The original reporting was that the injury was likely to require surgery, and likely to knock him out for the whole year. With surgery no longer an option, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets “the plan is to recheck” on Pierre-Paul’s fractured vertebra “at the 4-month mark.”

Pelissero also writes the “expected timeline is 5-6 months, if not sooner,” on when he’ll return to the field. As Greg Auman of The Athletic pointed out in a tweet, four months from JPP’s injury would coincide almost exactly with the time when the Bucs would need to decide whether or not he’ll open the season on the 53-man roster or the non-football injury list.

From a football perspective, it’s a huge blow for the Bucs. In his first season in Tampa last year Pierre-Paul had a very productive season, notching 12.5 sacks, the second-highest total of his career. The team is expected to either release or trade Gerald McCoy, so the defensive line was already going to be thin even before JPP’s injury.

The Bucs were hoping for a revitalized defense in the first year of the Bruce Arians era, and this certainly isn’t what they were looking for. If he can return on the early side of the 5-6 month timetable, he could be back in October and only miss the first month or so of the season. We’ll keep you posted on the situation.

Chiefs Cut WR Sammie Coates

May 10th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Sammie Coates‘ stint with the Chiefs didn’t last very long. Kansas City is releasing the receiver, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The Chiefs signed Coates back in February, and he only lasted a few months with his latest team. Coates entered the league as a third round pick of the Steelers back in 2015, and he initially showed some promise in Pittsburgh. In 2016 he started five games, and racked up 435 yards and two touchdowns.

He then got injured and was subsequently buried in Pittsburgh’s deep wide receiver group, so he was traded to the Browns just before the start of the 2017 season. He appeared in 12 games and started one in Cleveland, but ended up catching just six passes for 70 yards in Cleveland’s winless year.

After being released last March he latched on with Houston, and spent most of 2018 with the Texans. He caught only one pass last year, and the fact that he couldn’t stick on a 90-man roster through May isn’t a great sign for his NFL future. His phone won’t be ringing off the hook.

 

Patriots Sign Jarrett Stidham, Three Other Draft Picks

May 10th, 2019 at 4:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The day after signing Benjamin Watson, the Patriots have wrapped up most of their draft class. The team announced the signing of four of their remaining picks today. After inking second round pick Joejuan Williams and two others yesterday, only first round receiver N’Keal Harry and third-rounders defensive end Chase Winovich and running back Damien Harris remain unsigned.

  • 4-118: OL Hjalte Froholdt (Arkansas)
  • 4-133: QB Jarrett Stidham (Auburn)
  • 5-163: P Jake Bailey (Stanford)
  • 7:252: CB Ken Webster (Ole Miss)

The Patriots’ drafting of Stidham of course raised some eyebrows because of the position he plays. Stidham had a down year at Auburn in 2018, but many observers chalked that up more to the poor offense he was playing in rather than anything he was doing wrong. After his 2017 season the former Baylor transfer was thought of as a potential Day 2 pick, but his stock took a bit of a tumble last year. 

He’ll now get the chance to develop behind Tom Brady, and could potentially position himself as the heir apparent if he shows well. The Patriots have drafted a handful of quarterbacks in recent years, as early as the second round with Jimmy Garoppolo back in 2014. They drafted Jacoby Brissett in the third round in 2016, and both quarterbacks ended up getting traded.

Bailey was a bit of a surprising pick in the fifth round because the Patriots already had an established punter. Ryan Allen has been the team’s punter since 2013, and he just recently re-signed with the team in March. The drafting of Bailey so early would seem to suggest they aren’t entirely sold on Allen.

Froholdt is a Denmark native who has a lot of experience at both guard and center. New England has invested heavily at center this offseason, and Froholdt could be a nice developmental piece.

 

Bucs Shut Down Kendell Beckwith

May 10th, 2019 at 3:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Kendell Beckwith‘s season ended before it could even start. On Friday, the Buccaneers placed the linebacker on the reserve/non-football injury list. 

Beckwith showed promise as a rookie in 2017 as he notched 73 tackles, one sack, two passes defensed, and a forced fumble. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to build off of that in 2018 thanks to a car accident that mangled his ankle. His surgically-repaired ankle continues to keep him off of the field and it’s not clear whether he’ll be able to resume playing in the future.

Beckwith has overcome adversity in the past – that standout rookie season game on the heels of an ACL tear that ended his final LSU campaign prematurely. Hopefully, he’ll be able to battle through his ankle injury and get on the gridiron again.

Jets Waive Rashard Robinson

May 10th, 2019 at 3:37pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Jets waived cornerback Rashard Robinson. Pink slips were also handed to wide receiver Stacy Coley and defensive lineman Charles Tapper. 

[RELATED: Jets Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents]

The Jets acquired Robinson prior to the trade deadline in 2017 and gave up a 2018 fifth-round choice in the deal. Robinson went on to appear in 16 games for the Jets between ’17 and ’19, but tallied just nine tackles in total.

The Jets still need veteran help at the cornerback position, but they were unwilling to keep Robinson around at a paltry $2MM cap hit. By cutting him, the Jets will take that entire obligation off of the books.

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