2021 May - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Sign Kwity Paye, 4 Other Draft Picks

May 6th, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have jumped out to an early lead in draft pick signings. They agreed to terms with five draftees Thursday, including their top two picks — defensive linemen Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Chosen 21st overall, Paye will be expected to play a key role for the Colts as a rookie. The team entered the draft with a significant edge rusher need, and the Michigan product was viewed as one of the top outside pressure artists available. Paye ranked as Scouts Inc.’s top pass-rushing prospect in this year’s draft, and for good reason. This was thanks in part to a 2019 campaign where the Michigan product finished with 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.

While this was not viewed as a strong D-line draft class, the Colts have not re-signed Justin Houston and did not have a steady edge presence opposite him in 2020. The team doubled up at this position group to start the weekend. Chosen 54th overall out of Vanderbilt, Odeyingbo may profile as a player who operates both outside and inside — perhaps similar to Denico Autry, who departed for Tennessee in free agency. Odeyingbo, however, qualifies as a project. He may miss his rookie season, having suffered an Achilles’ tendon tear in January while training for the draft.

Only fourth-round pick Kylen Granson, a tight end, and former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger (Round 6) are unsigned from Indianapolis’ draft class. Here are the Colts’ rookie signees thus far:

Kwity Paye, DE (Michigan, Round 1)
Dayo Odeyingbo, DL (Vanderbilt, Round 2)
Shawn Davis, S (Florida, Round 5)
Mike Strachan, WR (Charleston, W.V., Round 7)
Will Fries, OL (Penn State)

Latest On Packers, Aaron Rodgers

May 6th, 2021 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the full-on stalemate between the Packers and Aaron Rodgers did not surface until last week, it has simmered throughout the offseason. Rodgers appears to have prepared teammates for his departure before that.

Following the Packers’ Jordan Love pick, Rodgers wondered if his plan of finishing his career in Green Bay was realistic. During the 2020 season, the decorated quarterback informed Packers free agents-to-be he was unlikely to play for the team in 2021, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).

The Broncos, Raiders and 49ers surfaced last week as acceptable Rodgers destinations, and he is believed to have briefed those teammates of this list of teams, per Garafolo. This did not end up leading to a Packer exodus, however. Longtime Rodgers blindside blocker David Bakhtiari signed a record extension to stay in Green Bay in November, and Aaron Jones agreed to a new deal just ahead of free agency. Of course, money obviously played the central role in these big-ticket deals. But both cornerstone Packers signed despite potentially knowing they could be playing for a team in transition in 2021.

Rodgers’ former teammates, however, are split on the notion he will leave. James Jones and John Kuhn do not believe this situation has passed the point of no return. The 37-year-old QB wants the Packers to better position themselves for a Super Bowl, per Jones, who added that Rodgers does not need GM Brian Gutekunst to be fired to return (Twitter link). Kuhn, who has spoken with Rodgers since this impasse became public, said the quarterback’s appreciation for the Packer franchise and his having seen Brett Favre‘s messy exit has caused him to be “conflicted” regarding his own apparent exit strategy, via J.R. Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Favre, on the other hand, sees his ex-backup as entrenched in his position. The future Hall of Famer should not be expected move to mend the rift between he and team management, per Favre, who said during an appearance on ESPN Wisconsin’s Wilde & Tausch (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com) he expects Rodgers to be elsewhere next season. Rodgers sitting out the season would be preferable to his returning to the Packers under unfavorable circumstances, Favre adds. Rodgers has also spoken with Favre since this matter became public, having replied, “I’ll touch base with you after all this is over,” to a Favre text.

The Broncos have emerged as the team most closely connected to the three-time MVP thus far, and prospective trade packages are surfacing. Two first-round picks and a second should be required for the Broncos to land Rodgers, league sources informed Denver7’s Troy Renck, who adds the team would likely need to give up at least one key player in the deal. While Denver now has surpluses at wide receiver and cornerback, with Courtland Sutton set to return from injury and the team loading up at corner this offseason, Renck notes the team will likely fight to keep first-round pick Patrick Surtain II out of a prospective trade offer. Of Denver’s four top corners, Surtain certainly profiles as the highest-value player.

Panthers Sign Fourth-Round RB Chuba Hubbard

May 6th, 2021 at 10:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have signed fourth-round running back Chuba Hubbard, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Per the terms of his draft slot, the Oklahoma product will earn $4.2MM over the next four years.

After finishing eighth in the 2019 Heisman Trophy voting, Hubbard caught the attention of scouts everywhere. He also made an impression on Julie Rhule, the wife of Panthers head coach Matt Rhule. Julie encouraged her husband to take the 6’0″ tailback and got her wish on Saturday.

This past year, Hubbard rushed for just 625 yards and saw his yards-per-carry figure drop from 6.4 to 4.7. Still, he compiled four straight 100-plus-yard outings, which gave him a good enough platform to go pro. And, just one year ago, he was a 2,000-yard rusher. Late last year, Scouts Inc. had him slotted him as the third best RB in this year’s class, behind only Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Alabama’s Najee Harris.

Now, Hubbard will fight for reps behind star Christian McCaffrey. Veteran RBs Trenton Cannon and Reggie Bonnafon are also in the mix for Carolina.

Lions, Frank Ragnow Agree To Record Extension

May 6th, 2021 at 9:09am CST by Zachary Links

Lions center Frank Ragnow has agreed to a brand new four-year deal (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The extension will position Ragnow as the highest-paid center in NFL history and keep the young center in Detroit through 2026.

On average, Ragnow will make $13.5MM per year (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). In total, the deal is worth approximately $70MM with $25.5MM fully guaranteed and $42MM in total guarantees. That’s not chump change, but new Lions GM Brad Holmes has long said that he’d be willing to pay the price.

“It’s extremely important. We already view him as a long-term piece and he is a foundational piece because Frank is a guy that plays the game the right way,” Holmes said (via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com). “He’s everything that we look for and what we want as a Lion. I’ll never forget when it first got announced that I got the job, Frank reached out immediately. I told him, ‘Man, huge fan of you and you play the game the right way.’ So, very important to get it done. Not going to comment on timetable right now — that would be a little bit premature — but we’re not sitting back and waiting on that one.”

Ragnow has been first-string for the Lions ever since he was taken with the No. 20 overall pick in 2018. At first, the Lions used the Arkansas product at left guard. In 2019, they shifted him to the middle. He’s started in every game since, save for three missed contests due to injury.

Earlier this spring, the Lions made the easy call to pick up Ragnow’s fifth year for $12.657MM. Now, Ragnow has a fresh deal to top Chargers center Corey Linsley for the richest contract at the position.

Dolphins To Cut Bobby McCain

May 6th, 2021 at 9:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have informed safety Bobby McCain that he’ll be released today (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). By cutting the team captain, the Dolphins will nix the final two years of his four-year, $27MM deal.

McCain was set to count for $7.14MM against the 2021 cap. The Dolphins will be left with just $1.48MM in dead money while saving $5.66MM on the books. At least, that’ll be the breakdown if he’s formally released. NFL teams will occasionally leak word of an impending release in order to stir up trade talks. That could the case here, with the Dolphins aiming to get something in return for McCain before the end of the business day.

McCain, a 2015 fifth-rounder, has been a staple of the Dolphins’ defense over the last six years. All in all, he’s started in 55 of his 87 games, collecting seven interceptions and four sacks along the way.

Last year, McCain was first-string for 15 of his 16 games, notching one INT, 46 stops, and five passes defensed. However, his performance left something to be desired — he ranked just 55th out of 94 qualified safeties, per Pro Football Focus. Ultimately, the Dolphins chose to go younger and cheaper. One way or another, they’ll shed McCain’s contract while working third-rounder Jevon Holland into the rotation.

Without McCain, the Dolphins project to use Eric Rowe, Brandon Jones, and Holland as their top safeties.

Chiefs Sign Kamalei Correa

May 6th, 2021 at 8:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have signed linebacker Kamalei Correa, according to Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star. The Jaguars cut Correa in February, but he’s found a home well in advance of training camp.

Correa, a sixth-year pro, has bounced around throughout his career, including two trades. The Ravens dealt the outside linebacker to the Titans just before the 2018 season. The former second-round pick went on to play 32 games for Tennessee, making nine starts and tallying 8.5 sacks. Then, in October of last year, the Titans traded him to the Jaguars in a swap of late-round picks.

The veteran played in three games for the Titans and started six games for the Jaguars before going on the reserve/left squad list in December. Now, Correa will look to find a spot in the LB rotation alongside Willie Gay, Anthony Hitchens, and new second-round pick Nick Bolton.

Buccaneers Officially Add A.Q. Shipley, Thad Lewis To Coaching Staff

May 5th, 2021 at 10:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers have officially added two more popular names to their coaching staff. James Palmer of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed Thaddeus Lewis as assistant wide receivers coach and A.Q. Shipley as an offensive assistant.

Lewis was kind of, sort of on the Buccaneers coaching staff in 2020; he served as as “assistant to the offense” via the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellow program. According to the team website, he’d spend time catching for the quarterbacks, and he’d work with the receivers on reacting to the QBs’ cues. He’ll now have an official role in Tampa Bay, filling the gig that was previously held by Antwaan Randle El.

Following a successful collegiate career at Duke, Lewis put together a seven-year NFL career as a quarterback. He only saw time in seven games (six starts), throwing for 1,296 yards and five touchdowns. Following his playing career, Lewis worked under Chip Kelly at UCLA during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Shipley managed to stick around the NFL for a decade despite being a seventh-round pick. The offensive lineman was a favorite of Bruce Arians, having played with the coach in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Arizona. So, it wasn’t a huge surprise when Shipley joined the Buccaneers last offseason, but a spinal cord injury ultimately finished his career in November.

Shipley stuck around the organization as an unofficial coach for the remainder of the 2020 campaign, and he’ll now have an official role heading into 2021.

WFT Signs TE Deon Yelder, CB Linden Stephens

May 5th, 2021 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

The Washington Football Team added a pair of veterans today. The team announced this evening that they’ve signed tight end Deon Yelder and cornerback Linden Stephens.

Yelder is the notable name in this grouping, as the tight end appeared in 26 games for the Chiefs over the past three seasons. This included a 2020 campaign where he set career-highs across the board, including games played (14), receptions (seven), receiving yards (36), and offensive snaps (194). He also has four playoff games (including three in 2019) and a Super Bowl ring on his resume.

Logan Thomas sits atop the depth chart in Washington, meaning Yelder will end up battling with the likes of Temarrick Hemingway, John Bates, Marcus Baugh, Tyrone Swoopes, and Sammis Reyes for backup reps.

Stephens has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2018, spending time with the Saints, Rams, Broncos, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Seahawks (second stint). He saw time in 13 games for Seattle last season, appearing mostly on special teams.

Lions To Waive RB Kerryon Johnson

May 5th, 2021 at 6:53pm CST by Ben Levine

Kerryon Johnson‘s stint with the Lions has come to an end. Detroit is waiving the running back, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

The 2018 second-round pick was a major part of the Lions offense as a rookie, compiling 854 yards from scrimmage and four scores. He saw a similar workload in 2019 before succumbing to a knee injury after only eight games (seven starts).

When Johnson returned from injury in 2020, he was no longer atop the depth chart. The team seemed to priortize 2020 second-round running back D’Andre Swift over Johnson, with the third-year pro also having to battle Adrian Peterson for snaps. Ultimately, Johnson finished this past season with only 368 yards from scrimmage in 16 games, although he did earn praise for his pass-blocking ability.

While Peterson won’t be back next season, the team did add former Packers running back Jamaal Williams on a two-year deal. The team also added Jermar Jefferson in the seventh round of the draft, meaning Johnson wasn’t even guaranteed a spot as a third running back.

Now, the 23-year-old Johnson will hit the waiver wire, and there’s a solid chance he’s scooped up by another squad. Johnson still has a year left on his rookie contract, with his contract counting $2MM against the cap. The Lions save about $1.3MM with this move.

NFC West Teams Add Players Via International Player Pathway Program

May 5th, 2021 at 6:49pm CST by Ben Levine

This year was the NFC West’s turn to participate in the International Player Pathway program, which allows teams to carry an additional international player on their practice squads. This year’s players include (via NFL.com):

Cardinals: TE Bernhard Seikovits, Austria
49ers: OL Alfredo Gutierrez, Mexico
Rams: OL Max Pircher, Italy
Seahawks: LB Aaron Donkor, Germany

Per the league’s website, the “program aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.”

These players will sit on their respective team’s roster until the end of training camp, at which time the teams will be granted “an international player practice squad exemption.” Assuming these players land on the practice squad, they’ll be ineligible to be activated during the 2021 campaign.

Each of the four players from the 2020 program will head into the preseason with the same teams: OT Isaac Alarcon (Cowboys), DE David Bada (Washington), DE Matt Leo (Eagles) and RB Sandro Platzgummer (Giants).