2021 May - Pro Football Rumors

Colts To Consider Long-Term Deal For Eric Fisher

May 14th, 2021 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, the Colts inked Eric Fisher to a one-year, $9.4MM deal. But, if all goes well, they hope to keep him for the long haul (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4).

Of course, that all hinges on Fisher’s health moving forward. The 30-year-old was injury-free from 2014-18, but core muscle surgery derailed him in 2019. He returned to aid the Chiefs on their way to their Super Bowl victory, then wound up back on IR late last year with an Achilles tear. The Colts, knowing the risk, opted to sign Fisher to a one-year deal, but that could work to Fisher’s benefit if he turns in a 16-game slate.

“As soon as I got the call I was being cut, it was an automatic reset in my brain of I’m nowhere near being done, I feel like I got a lot of years left in me,” the two-time Pro Bowler said this week. “I was actually thinking about that this morning driving back from rehab. It’s going to be an awesome reset for myself and a fresh slate, keep working and finish the second half of my career off on a good start. I’ve been thinking about that and excited to kind of have that reset.”

For what it’s worth, Fisher’s contract technically has a voidable year in 2022, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic. The extra year puts some of the obligation on next year’s books, which gives the Colts extra incentive to extend the pact.

Bengals Sign 6 UDFAs

May 14th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have signed six undrafted free agents, per a club announcement:

CB Antonio Phillips (Ball State)
RB Pooka Williams (Kansas)
P Drue Chrisman (Ohio State)
LB Darius Hodge (Marshall)
WR Riley Lees (Northwestern)
TE Pro Wells (TCU)

Phillips capped his collegiate career with an All-MAC selection and helped Ball State beat San Jose State for the school’s first bowl game win. All in all, he notched 137 tackles, eight interceptions, and 18 pass deflections in college. Phillips fully expected to be drafted after earning an invite to the combine, but surgery for a herniated lumbar disc held him back. Now, he’ll look to earn his spot on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster.

Colts Waive S Roderic Teamer

May 14th, 2021 at 9:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have waived safety Roderic Teamer, per a club announcement. Teamer joined Indy on a reserve/futures deal back in January, but he was no longer needed after the team used a fifth-round pick to select Florida product Shawn Davis.

Teamer made six starts for the Chargers in 2019 and played on 39% of the Bolts’ defensive snaps. With action on 377 defensive plays, he was one of the season’s most active UDFAs. All in all, he notched one interception, one sack, and made 40 stops as a rookie. Pro Football Focus ranked him just 78th out of 85 full-time safeties, but Teamer still showed potential.

Then, in July, Teamer was hit with a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. The Chargers, who figured they were already set at safety, released Teamer later that summer and he spent 2020 out of the league.

Now, the Tulane product will look to sign with his third NFL team.

Cardinals Add 4 UDFAs

May 13th, 2021 at 10:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals have officially filled their 90-man roster. The team announced the signing of four undrafted free agents today:

TE Cary Angeline, North Carolina State
CB Lorenzo Burns, Arizona
TE Bruno Labelle, Cincinnati
DL Cam Murray, Oklahoma State

Angeline got a nice pay day from his new team, earning a $30K signing bonus (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). Meanwhile, Burns got a $25K signing bonus as part of his pact with Arizona (via Wilson).

The Cardinals have a loaded offense, but there could be some openings at tight end. Maxx Williams leads the depth chart, but he didn’t put up big numbers during his first season in Arizona. The team is also rostering a pair of former undrafted free agents in Darrell Daniels and Ian Bunting. If Arizona is seeking a tight end who could serve as one of Kyler Murray‘s targets, then Angeline probably has the greatest chance to contribute. The tight end hauled in 61 receptions during his three seasons at North Carolina State, including a 2020 campaign where he hauled in 27 receptions for 412 yards and six touchdowns.

Titans Sign 10 UDFAs

May 13th, 2021 at 9:40pm CST by Ben Levine

If you’re a big fan of undrafted free agents, we’ve got TEN more for you. The Titans announced today that they’ve added 10 rookies to their roster:

OL Cole Banwart, Iowa
FB Tory Carter, LSU
TE Miller Forristall, Alabama
K Blake Haubeil, Ohio State
OL Chandon Herring, Brigham Young
DL Naquan Jones, Michigan State
TE Briley Moore, Kansas State
LB Justus Reed, Virginia Tech
RB Mekhi Sargent, Iowa
P James Smith, Cincinnati

Who were the big earners? Carter earned $50K guaranteed, which includes $37.5K of his base salary (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). Jones got $45K in guaranteed money, which includes $35K in base salary and a $10K signing bonus (via Wilson), while Forristall received $23K in guaranteed money (via Wilson).

Per usual with these kind of signings, the special teams additions are especially interesting. It doesn’t seem like veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski will be back, meaning Haubeil will likely be competing with 2020 undrafted free agent Tucker McCann for the kicking gig. It’d be more difficult for Smith to make the roster considering the presence of Pro Bowler Brett Kern, but the team could be starting to prepare for the veteran punter’s inevitable retirement.

Dolphins Add 4 UDFAs

May 13th, 2021 at 8:32pm CST by Ben Levine

After adding seven rookies in the draft, the Dolphins have added four more first-year players to their roster. The team announced the signing of four undrafted free agents this evening:

CB Jaytlin Askew, Georgia Tech
DT Jerome Johnson, Indiana University
G Robert Jones, Middle Tennessee State
FB Carl Tucker, Alabama

Jones ended up earning some dough from Miami. The lineman received $130K in guaranteed money, which includes $100K of his base salary (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). While the prospect was lauded for his run-blocking abilities as a tackle in college, he’s projected by scouts to be an offensive guard in the NFL.

Tucker made a name for himself during his time at North Carolina, but he never established himself as an offensive threat. He moved to Alabama during his senior season and started a handful of games as a blocking tight end. Tucker could end up sticking around the NFL at that position, but it’s worth noting that the Dolphins listed him as a fullback.

Buccaneers Add 8 UDFAs

May 13th, 2021 at 7:44pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers have been busy retaining their Super Bowl-winning starting lineup, but the team will also be welcoming a number of new faces this preseason. That includes eight undrafted rookies; the team announced the signing of the following players today:

OT Calvin Ashley, Florida A&M
K Jose Borregales, Miami (FL)
S Augie Contressa, Stony Brook
G Sadarius Hutcherson, South Carolina
CB Cameron Kinley, Navy
DL Elijah Ponder, Cincinnati
WR T.J. Simmons, West Virginia
S Lawrence White, Iowa State

Borregales was considered a potential draft pick after establishing himself as one of the best kickers in college football, as he earned the Lou Groza Award this past season. The rookie will serve as competition for Ryan Succop, who converted 90.3-percent of his field goals for the Buccaneers last year.

Meanwhile, the organization was apparently motivated to add Hutcherson. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the offensive lineman received $130K guaranteed, which includes $100K of his base salary. Pro Football Focus named the South Carolina product to their second-team All-SEC squad this past season.

Broncos Sign OL Cameron Fleming

May 13th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have added another potential option to fill in for injured right tackle Ja’Wuan James. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that Denver has signed offensive tackle Cameron Fleming. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that it’s a one-year deal worth up to $3.67MM.

Following news that James had torn his Achilles, the Broncos brought in four offensive tackles for auditions: Fleming, Bobby Massie, Dennis Kelly, and Jermaine Eluemunor. The team added Massie yesterday on a one-year, $4MM deal, but the Broncos front office is assuring they have enough depth to make up for James’ absence.

Fleming started 16 games for the Giants last year. However, the G-Men let him walk after his one-year, $3.5MM deal expired. Before that, Fleming spent four seasons in New England and two in Dallas playing under Joe Judge and Jason Garrett. From 2017-2020, Fleming played between 230-400 snaps per season, working as a part-time starter throughout that stretch.

Fleming and Massie will likely go head-to-head for the starting gig, with Calvin Anderson and Ryan Pope also competing for the job. Whoever wins the starting position will be the Broncos’ ninth Week 1 Broncos right tackle starter in nine years.

WFT Signs First-Round LB Jamin Davis, Rest Of Draft Class

May 13th, 2021 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

All 10 WFT rookies are now under contract. The team announced that they’ve signed each of their draft picks to rookie contracts.

This grouping is obviously highlighted by first-round linebacker Jamin Davis. The Kentucky product used a strong 2020 campaign to jump from a potential Day 3 pick to the No. 19 selection in the 2021 draft. Davis ultimately finished this past season with a team-leading 102 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and three interceptions. This standout performance earned him First-Team All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus. Considering the rookie’s versatility and pass-rushing prowess, it won’t be long before he’s secured a consistent role on Washington’s defense.

Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi was selected by Washington with the No. 51 pick. The former Texas standout played both right tackle and left tackle in college, so WFT offensive line coach John Matsko will have plenty of opportunities to play the rookie.

The rest of the team’s draft class includes: