HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Jets Sign 9 Undrafted Free Agents

May 9th, 2020 at 1:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

In this unusual offseason, teams’ UDFA classes are emerging at a slower pace. The Jets have announced theirs. Here is Gang Green’s full list:

Both wide receivers the Jets drafted transferred from other Division I-FBS schools before the 2019 season, with Cager spending most of his college career at Miami and Campbell playing at Florida State for much of his. Both will look the part in Jets camp. Cager is 6-foot-5; Campbell goes 6-4. Campbell had by far his most productive college season in 2019, averaging 24.7 yards per catch and leading the Mountaineers with seven touchdown grabs. Cager caught a career-high 33 passes in his Hurricanes season, turning those into 476 yards. The Jets drafted one wide receiver and declared Quincy Enunwa out for the year.

Hilbers was the Huskies’ starting left tackle in 2018 but lined up at right tackle last season. Huff led Memphis in sacks over the past two seasons. He recorded 9.5 as a junior to go along with 19.5 tackles for loss. Prior to moving to the Huskers’ defensive backfield and becoming a three-year starter, Jackson was a high-end high school quarterback recruit. He ranked higher than the NFL’s other Lamar Jackson in that regard.

A top-10 cornerback recruit out of high school, Carter started two years as a safety for the Crimson Tide. He returned two interceptions for scores in 2018. Guidry brings an intriguing athletic profile. The ex-high school sprint phenom’s 4.29-second 40-yard dash time trailed only Henry Ruggs‘ at the Combine. While the top pros in U.S. sprinting often do not compete at the Indoor Track and Field Championships, Guidry placed sixth in the 60-meter dash at the 2019 U.S. meet — despite Utah not having a men’s track team. On the field, the 5-9 corner started 25 games with the Utes. The Jets drafted one corner, Virginia’s Bryce Hall, this year.

Ravens Sign 20 UDFAs

May 9th, 2020 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens’ class of undrafted rookies keeps getting bigger and bigger. This week, the Ravens announced the signings of six more UDFAs, bringing their official grand total to eleven, though they’ve actually agreed to take on 19 in total. Here’s the full rundown:

Huntley, a 6’1″ quarterback out of Utah, played against Lamar Jackson as a high schooler in Florida. With the Utes, Huntley started 33 games in total and finished 2019 with a 19/4 TD/INT ratio.

Rechsteiner, a hard-nosed fullback, is a natural bruiser – he’s the son of former WCW/WWF wrestler Rick Steiner and the nephew of Scott Steiner, a.k.a. Big Poppa Pump. At Division III Kennesaw State, he averaged 8.1 yards per carry. With the Ravens, he’ll face an uphill battle in making the roster with Patrick Ricard already occupying the position.

There are also a few notable guarantees in this UDFA class, including Wolf, who received $65K between his $50K base salary and $15K signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).

Bills Sign 8 Undrafted Rookies

May 9th, 2020 at 11:42am CST by Ben Levine

After signing the majority of their draft class, the Bills announced the signing of eight undrafted rookies yesterday:

The two undrafted safeties bring plenty of accolades. Thomas had 72 tackles as an All-Sun Belt selection for Appalachian State last year, while Taylor was an All-Big Ten honorable mention at Penn State.

During his first few years at Washington, Adams was projected to be an eventual Day 2 pick. However, the lineman was limited to only 10 games between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, although he was able to return for 12 games in 2019.

Gilliam has been touted for his blocking and special teams ability, a pair of attributes that you’d generally want from your fullback. The rookie will be competing with Patrick DiMarco, who agreed to a pay cut earlier this offseason.

Saints Re-Sign WR Austin Carr

May 9th, 2020 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

Austin Carr is heading back to New Orleans. The Saints announced that they’ve signed the wideout to a one-year deal.

The Northwestern product started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots, hauling in 14 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns during the 2017 preseason. Despite his performance, he was still waived by New England, and he quickly caught on with the Saints.

Since joining New Orleans, Carr has appeared in 21 games (five starts), hauling in 10 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. The 26-year-old has also appeared in a pair of playoff games for the Saints.

As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes, it’s been a hectic offseason for the Carr family. The receiver’s wife, Erica, tested positive for the coronavirus before giving birth to their first child last month. Carr and his child both tested negative, and the player revealed that his wife has fully recovered.

Patriots Notes: Stidham, McDaniels, Winovich

May 9th, 2020 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

Jarrett Stidham will likely be taking over for Tom Brady next season, and his former college coach is optimistic that the 2019 fourth-rounder will be successful.

“It definitely helped him to learn under the best and see what that looks like, but he’s the kind of young man, too, this is what he’s been waiting on,” Auburn’s Gus Malzahn told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I’ll tell you, the moment won’t be too big for him. He’ll be up to the challenge, that’s what I expect.

“Even when he got here, before he played his first game, you could just kind of tell he was a mature young man. Like a gym rat, always at the complex trying to learn, study film. When he got drafted by the Patriots [in 2019], I thought it was a perfect spot for him system-wise — spreading the field. He’s so good with protections, changing protections, and scheme-wise everything that goes with it, and just the flexibility the scheme gives him. I think that really applies to his strength.”

Stidham played a pair of seasons at Auburn, including a 2017 campaign where he connected on 66.5-percent of his passes for 3,158 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Here are some more notes out of New England:

  • We’ve heard this plenty of times, but Joseph Person of The Athletic reiterates that Cam Newton won’t be landing with the Patriots. In fact, the reporter notes that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels wasn’t “necessarily high” on Newton when he interviewed for the Panthers’ head coaching gig.
  • Speaking of McDaniels, SI.com’s Albert Breer writes that a successful 2020 campaign (particularly from Stidham) could go a long way in the OC getting more head coaching interviews next offseason. If McDaniels does leave New England, Breer hints that he may take Patriots pro director Dave Ziegler with him; McDaniels planned to recruit the executive when he was interviewing with Cleveland.
  • Patriots defensive end Chase Winovich is recovering from hernia surgery, reports Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe. The 25-year-old underwent the procedure back in February. The 2019 third-rounder had a solid rookie season for New England, compiling 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
  • Marqise Lee‘s new one-year deal with the Patriots is worth the veteran minimum, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The deal could be worth up to $1.0475MM, and it includes $300K in guaranteed money. If Lee makes the team, he’ll have a cap hold of $887.5K.

Bengals Won’t Look To Sign Veteran QB

May 8th, 2020 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals aren’t looking to sign another veteran quarterback to play behind No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, head coach Zac Taylor says. “We’re set,” Taylor said. (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby). 

After the draft, the Bengals parted ways with longtime starter Andy Dalton after months of fruitless attempts to trade him. For months, Dalton said that he was focused on playing as a QB1 in 2020. He eased up on that stance this spring, but it’s not clear whether he was willing to take enough of a pay cut in Cincinnati to make that work, or whether the Bengals even made him a realistic offer. Ultimately, Dalton found a vibrant market for his services once he was let go – the Patriots, Jaguars, and Jets all considered the veteran before he joined up with the Cowboys (while he backstops Dak Prescott, Dalton says he’ll be aiming to start in 2021).

For now, the Bengals have Ryan Finley and 2019 UDFA Jacob Dolegala as the backups behind Burrow. Finley, a fourth-round pick last year, posted a dismal 47.1% completion rate with an average of 5.4 yards per attempt in three starts. After that, the Bengals turned things back over to Dalton, who at least got to leave Cincinnati as a first-stringer in his final game.

Burrow – who completed 76.3% of his passes for an NCAA-record 60 touchdowns last year with only six interceptions – will be expected to carry the load in his first pro season.

Panthers Sign No. 7 Overall Pick Derrick Brown

May 8th, 2020 at 9:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Derrick Brown was the seventh rookie to come off the board this year and the first to sign his rookie deal. On Friday, the Panthers inked the Auburn defensive tackle to his rookie contract – a four-year, $23.62MM pact, in accordance with his draft slot.

[RELATED: A Look Back At Christian McCaffrey’s Rookie Deal]

Everyone knew the Panthers were targeting defensive players in the draft, but it was still a surprise to see them go defense all throughout draft weekend. Brown was the first one up, placing a promising young talent alongside Kawann Short, a two-time Pro Bowler eager to get back to form after missing the bulk of the 2019 season.

While Short draws lots of attention, Brown will look to be a difference maker, particularly against the run. The Panthers weren’t the only team chasing him – at least a couple clubs inquired on trading into the Top 10 for his services and the Lions reportedly thought about him at No. 3, though they ultimately went with their longtime draft crush Jeff Okudah.

Brown might not have the upside of, say, Isaiah Simmons, a jack-of-all-trades defender with absolutely freakish athleticism, but he was regarded by evaluators as one of the safer picks near the top. With that high floor, he’ll look to justify GM Marty Hurney‘s big decision.

“We had them very close together, obviously,” Hurney said of Brown and Simmons after the draft (via ESPN.com). “We believed you start building from the front. Derrick not only helps [Short] and the rest of the line… he helps the linebackers. He’s a big, powerful player. He’s got a good first step. He’s a three-down player. He obviously helps against the run, but he really gets push up the middle. “

Saints Release Larry Warford

May 8th, 2020 at 9:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints released guard Larry Warford on Friday in a move that cleared $7MM+ from the salary cap. As expected, the multiple-time Pro Bowler is already drawing interest from teams. The Texans are one club that’s already considering Larry Warford, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Same goes for the Bears, who would offer considerably more upside than new pickup Germain Ifedi.

[RELATED: Saints To Be Sanctioned for Tommy Stevens Pursuit?]

Warford, 29 in June, has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last three seasons. However, the Pro Bowl selection process for offensive linemen tends to be less than scientific, and Sean Payton was less than thrilled with his performance in 2019. The Saints made that crystal clear late last month when they drafted interior lineman Cesar Ruiz in the first round. Ditto for their re-signing of Andrus Peat on a five-year, $57.5MM deal in March. Ruiz will now battle with Erik McCoy – a center, by trade – for a starting guard spot on the line.

Before the release, Warford was set to play out the final season of the four-year, $34MM deal he inked as a free agent in 2017. Now released, Warford will count for $5.125MM in dead money against the cap, but they’ll save $7.75MM in cap dollars.

Warford scored that deal off of the strength of his play in Detroit. As a third-round pick of the Lions, he went on to start in all 57 of his games and he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 20th-best guard in his walk year.

The Texans could use a guy like Warford, who could supplant Zach Fulton as their top right guard.

Eagles, Jason Peters Discussing Return

May 8th, 2020 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Peters has discussed a new deal with the Eagles, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The 38-year-old isn’t rushing the process, however, and Schefter hears he’s keeping his options open. 

[RELATED: Eagles Interested In Jadeveon Clowney?]

The Eagles have left the door open for the nine-time Pro Bowler, but they still have other needs to consider this offseason. On the whole, they have solid flexibility for the 2020 salary cap, even though they’ve over-committed to spending for 2021. Next year’s books shouldn’t affect their consideration of Peters much – at his age, he’s probably not seeking, demanding, or expecting a multi-year deal.

Peters, meanwhile, has been working out throughout the offseason – despite the obvious limitations of the past few months – and says he wants to play this year. A new deal would mark Peters’ 17th season as an NFL pro, giving him a chance to build on a resume that already includes two First Team All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl ring. Recently, we learned that Peters would be willing to play on the right side of the line for a team in Super Bowl contention.

Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Peters as the NFL’s sixth-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers. It was an emphatic comeback from a down 2018 season and an injury-marred 2017 campaign.

Bills Sign A.J. Epenesa, Jake Fromm

May 8th, 2020 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Bills agreed to terms with three of their picks from the 2020 NFL Draft. Second-round edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, fourth-round receiver Gabriel Davis, and fifth-round quarterback Jake Fromm are all under contract, per a club announcement. 

Epenesa was viewed as a first-round prospect, up until a shaky showing at the combine. There, the Iowa product ran a slower-than-expected 5.04-second 40-yard dash and lacked athleticism at 275 pounds. Still, he’s coming off of double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons and also profiles as a solid defender against the run.

Fromm also saw his stock slip. At one point in time, evaluators said he’d be the No. 1 overall pick. Then, last year happened – the Georgia QB completed just 60.8% of his passes and most scouts now see him as a solid backup type. That’ll be his role in Buffalo, where he’ll sit behind Josh Allen.

With this trio officially in the fold, the Bills’ only remaining straggler is third-round running back Zack Moss. Here’s the full rundown of their draft class, via PFR’s team-by-team tracker:

2-54: AJ Epenesa, DE (Iowa): Signed
3-86: Zack Moss, RB (Utah)
4-128: Gabriel Davis, WR (UCF): Signed
5-167: Jake Fromm, QB (Georgia): Signed
6-188: Tyler Bass, K (Georgia Southern): Signed
6-207: Isaiah Hodgins, WR (Oregon State): Signed
7-239: Dane Jackson, CB (Pittsburgh): Signed

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