HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Bears To Audition DB Quinten Rollins

May 4th, 2019 at 9:31am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Quinten Rollins might have another crack at an NFL gig. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports (via Twitter) that the Bears will audition the defensive back this weekend.

Rollins was a second-round pick of the Packers back in 2015, and he proceeded to play three seasons for the organization. The cornerback looked solid during his first two years in the league, combining for 72 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions in 27 games (14 starts). Rollins was third on the Packers’ depth chart heading into 2017, but a leg injury ended up limiting him to only six games.

Last preseason, the Packers tried moving the cornerback to safety, and they also gave him some reps as a punt returner. Rollins couldn’t emerge in either role, and following a hamstring injury at the end of the preseason, he was placed on injured reserve. Green Bay ended up releasing him with an injury settlement, and he quickly caught on with the Cardinals. However, he didn’t see the field before being released in mid-December.

The Bears have already added a pair of defensive backs via free agency in safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and cornerback Buster Skrine. If Rollins were to join Chicago, he’d be competing with the likes of Sherrick McManis, Kevin Toliver, and Jonathon Mincy to be the team’s fourth corner.

Patriots Sign 10 UDFAs

May 4th, 2019 at 8:39am CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have added 10 undrafted free agents. Here is the team’s full list:

The Patriots also announced the signing of defensive lineman Nick Thurman, who was a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Houston.

The Patriots surprised some when they didn’t draft a rookie tight end to replace Rob Gronkowski. However, the team seemingly has high hopes for Beck; Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports (via Twitter) that the Patriots gave the Texas product $115K in guaranteed money (the highest among the team’s undrafted free agents). The former linebacker had a breakout offensive season in 2018, hauling in 28 receptions for 281 yards and two touchdowns.

The team also gave $85K guaranteed to both Gant and Hall. Gant, a former walk-on at Marshall, finished his collegiate career with a pair of standout seasons, including a 2018 campaign where he tallied 95 tackles and two interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Hall was equally productive at Missouri, where he finished 2018 with 71 tackles and five sacks.

Considering New England’s lack of receiver depth, the team’s signing of Meyers is noteworthy. The former quarterback transitioned to wideout back in 2016, all leading to a 2018 season where he hauled in 92 receptions for 1,047 yards and four scores.

49ers Sign Third-Round WR Jalen Hurd

May 3rd, 2019 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers, who made the league’s first 2019 draft pick signing, got even more deals done to close out the week. The following players are officially in the fold:

Hurd, naturally, is the biggest name in the bunch. The wide receiver had an extended journey through the college ranks after spending three years with Tennessee as a running back before transferring to Baylor, where he moved to wide receiver. Hurd had to sit out the 2017 season, but he made up for lost time in 2018 with 69 catches for 946 yards and four touchdowns. He also got some work out of the backfield where he averaged 4.4 yards per carry and added another three TDs.

With those five plus punter Mitch Wishnowsky under contract, the Niners have only two to go – first-round pick Nick Bosa and second round wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/19

May 3rd, 2019 at 7:34pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track the latest late-round draft pick signings here:

Raiders Sign 5 Of 9 Draft Picks

May 3rd, 2019 at 7:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders already have the majority of their draft class under contract. The following players have signed (all links to go Twitter):

Johnson, a converted wide receiver, notched two interceptions in each of his final two seasons at Houston. Heading into the draft, there was some buzz about him going as high as the second round, so the Raiders were undoubtedly thrilled to land him in the fourth.

“Boy, we love him,” GM Mike Mayock said after the draft. “We’re a press corner team. Jimmy O’Neil, our defensive backs coach, he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. So now we have some long, press corners that go along with Gareon and everybody else that we have. Gareon Conley, Daryl Worley, and all our guys. Bottom line, we’re ecstatic with those corners.”

Falcons Sign Four Rookies

May 3rd, 2019 at 6:49pm CST by Zachary Links

More than half of the Falcons’ draft class is under contract. The following players have put pen to paper, according to a team announcement:

The Falcons still have first-round guard Chris Lindstrom (Boston College), first-round tackle Kaleb McGary (Washington), and fourth-round cornerback Kendall Sheffield (Ohio State) to go. The first rounders may take more time than the rest, but GM Thomas Dimitroff managed to clear a good deal off of his plate with these four deals.

The Falcons were high on Cominsky heading into the draft and gave up a seventh-round pick in a trade with the Raiders in order to move up two spots for him. Cominsky, the 2018 Mountain East Defensive Player of the Year, made 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last year.

Miller, meanwhile, will have a familiar face in Atlanta once former teammate McGary signs. He showed that he can be a quality NFL player in his own right after securing two interceptions last year.

Vikings Sign Three Draft Picks

May 3rd, 2019 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings got ahead of the game on Friday by signing the following draft choices (all Twitter links from Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press):

Smith, who grew up in sunny California, will have to get used to the cold weather in Minnesota. He didn’t impress with his measurables in workouts, but he has proven to be a savvy defender in live action. In 2017, he led the Trojans with 112 tackles, with 11 tackles for a loss. He was slowed somewhat by injuries last year, but still managed 81 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in ten games.

Watts measures in at 6’5″ and roughly 300 pounds, so he already has the size to compete in the NFL. In accordance with his slot, he’ll receive a four-year, $2.687MM deal with a $167K signing bonus.

Colts Sign 5 NFL Draft Picks

May 3rd, 2019 at 6:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Thanks to trades, the Colts have a larger-than-average draft class to address. The good news is, they were able to ink half of those rookies on Friday: 

Banogu put himself on the NFL radar with two First Team All-Big 12 nods and two Honorable Mentions for Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. In his final season on campus, Banogu notches a team-high 18 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, which made evaluators excited about his potential. Still, many scouts feel that the ‘backer needs to add more moves to his arsenal. As the No. 49 overall pick, he’ll earn $5.9MM over the course of his four-year deal.

In other Colts news, Indy added nine undrafted free agents on Friday morning.

Browns Sign 5 Draft Picks

May 3rd, 2019 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are wasting little time in getting their rookies on board. On Friday, the Browns inked five of their seven draft picks, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Here’s the rundown: 

Wilson, taken with the No. 155 overall pick, says he’s on a mission to prove that he is the best linebacker in the entire 2019 draft class.

“That chip is going to always be on my shoulder,” said Wilson, who anticipated being drafted no later than the third round. “I’m going to always think about it. I feel like I have to prove people wrong, but I just want to show that in this draft, I was the best linebacker. There were 31 teams that slipped up on me, and somebody is going to have to feel all the pain that I built up these past few days.”

After registering 113 total tackles and six interceptions across 33 games at Alabama, Wilson has a right to be disappointed in his draft slot. Of course, that won’t matter much in the long run if he can prove himself at the pro level.

With those five under contract, the Browns have only two stragglers to go: LSU cornerback Greedy Williams (second round) and BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki (third round).

Ravens Sign Gerald Willis, 16 Other UDFAs

May 3rd, 2019 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Stationed on ESPN’s “best available” graphic for hours on Day 3 of the draft, Gerald Willis found a home in Baltimore. The Ravens made the defensive lineman part of their UDFA contingent. Here is the rest of the team’s 17-man group:

Rated as the No. 76 overall prospect on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board, Willis earned second-team All-American honors by finishing with 18 tackles for loss and four sacks last season. However, character issues likely led to his slide. Florida dismissed the talented defender earlier in his career, and some Miami coaches were skeptical of his NFL future.

The Ravens are continuing their rookie-heavy approach to staffing their wide receiver spots, this trio following Marquise Brown and third-round pick Miles Boykin. Smith, who had his best college season (a 60-catch, 980-yard, seven-touchdown 2017) when playing with Lamar Jackson, will rejoin the developing passer. Wesley’s 1,410 receiving yards ranked third in Division I-FBS last season.

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