HEADLINES

2022 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Bears Sign 16 UDFAs

May 9th, 2022 at 9:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

May 9, 9:22pm: The Bears aren’t finished adding. Following rookie minicamp this past weekend, the organization added another six UDFAs:

May 6, 10:00am: The Bears announced on Friday that they have signed the following undrafted free agents:

One of the intriguing additions on offense is Scarver. He was named an All-American and received the Jet Award in 2018 for his production as a returner. Over the course of his career, he averaged over 27 yards per runback on kickoffs, tying the all-time NCAA record for return touchdowns with seven. His offensive production was lacking compared to that of third-rounder Velus Jones, but he should be able to compete for a special teams role.

Teague, meanwhile, will be a familiar face for quarterback Justin Fields, as the two played together at Ohio State in 2019 and 2020. It was in the former season that Teague set a career-high in scrimmage yards, with 849. The following campaign, he led the Buckeyes in rushing touchdowns with eight. He will compete with sixth-rounder Trestan Ebner for a depth role at the position.

Door Shut On Jarvis Landry Browns Return?

May 9th, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jarvis Landry may need to find a third NFL employer soon. After a report indicated the former Pro Bowler’s path back to Cleveland is narrowing, it now may be shut off.

The door appears to be closed on a Landry return to the Browns, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes, adding that the team does not have any other veteran wideouts on its radar presently. This will leave Amari Cooper as the sole veteran presence among Cleveland’s receivers, but Cabot adds the Browns are confident Deshaun Watson‘s arrival will elevate the likes of young holdovers Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz.

Cleveland cut Landry in March, after failing to find a trade partner, but has been linked to both re-signing him or pursuing another veteran. Landry visited the Falcons and was believed to be discussing an Atlanta partnership with Watson — before the Browns’ monster offer led the quarterback to Ohio. The Louisiana native later visited the Saints, though that was before their Chris Olave trade-up. It would seem Landry would still make sense on a Browns team that made a veteran quarterback upgrade, but the plan for now appears to be rolling with a young Cooper supporting cast.

Peoples-Jones did nearly hit 600 receiving yards last season, despite the Browns’ passing attack cratering as Baker Mayfield attempted to play through a significant injury. That total topped Landry’s (570 yards, two touchdowns), though the four-year Browns contributor missed five games. Landry eclipsed 1,100 yards in 2019 and was the team’s No. 1 wideout during its 2020 playoff run. A September MCL injury plagued Landry throughout last season.

The Browns drafted Purdue’s David Bell in Round 3, putting perhaps the final piece of their receiver puzzle in place. They would have taken Alabama’s John Metchie in the second round, per Cabot, had they not reached an agreement to trade back with the Texans. Houston added Metchie after moving up to No. 44 overall.

Lions Sign No. 2 Pick Aidan Hutchinson

May 9th, 2022 at 10:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The list of rookies to sign their first NFL contracts continues to grow, and now includes the draft’s second overall pick. The Lions have signed Aidan Hutchinson to his rookie deal, as confirmed by his agent, Mike McCartney. 

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport details (on Twitter) that the contract has a fully-guaranteed value of just over $35.7MM across four (or, with a team option, five, years), and includes a signing bonus of nearly $23.2MM. Hutchinson becomes the second top-five pick to ink his inaugural deal, joining Ahmad Gardner of the Jets.

The Michigan native followed in his father’s footsteps playing for the Wolverines in college. His career started to take off during his sophomore season, as he totalled 69 tackles, including 11 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. That led to heightened expectations for the following campaign, but it was cut short by a fractured leg.

While Hutchinson was again the subject of optimism for an overall strong Michigan defense going into this past season, he wasn’t in the conversation to be in consideration for the top pick. That changed week by week, as he authored one of the most productive campaigns in school history, setting a program record with 14 sacks, adding 16.5 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles. That made him a finalist for the Heisman trophy, as well as a candidate for Jacksonville with the No. 1 pick.

Ultimately, the Jaguars made Travon Walker the top selection, leaving the dream scenario in play for Detroit. The Lions didn’t hesitate to pick Hutchinson, making him an immediate anchor of the team’s defense. He – alongside third-rounder Josh Paschal – will look to boost the Lions’ pass rush and continue the overall progress made at the end of the 2021 campaign.

Not long before the Hutchinson signing was announced, the Lions inked their final 2022 draftee. Seventh-rounder Chase Lucas agreed to terms on his rookie deal, per Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo (Twitter link).

Seahawks To Hold QB Competition, Did Not View Malik Willis As NFL-Ready

May 7th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

To the surprise of most, the Seahawks have stood pat at quarterback since trading Russell Wilson. They did re-sign Geno Smith, who has been a backup for seven years, and are prepared to give him a legitimate shot to succeed Wilson.

Smith and Drew Lock are engaged in an open competition for the job, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Pete Carroll has praised Lock throughout the offseason and said during a KJR 93.3 appearance (via Pro Football Talk) Lock would have been the first quarterback taken had he been in this year’s draft.

[RELATED: Carroll Does Not Envision Seahawks Trading For QB]

Lock, who went 42nd overall to the Broncos in 2019, is entering a contract year. He has largely struggled as a starter, and while the ex-Mizzou prospect did play in two offensive systems in his first two years, Teddy Bridgewater beat him out for Denver’s QB1 job last year and held him off throughout the Broncos’ time in playoff contention. Lock replaced an injured Bridgewater in a close Week 15 game against the Bengals; the Broncos lost that game and their final three to finish 7-10. This came after the strong-armed passer tied for the 2020 interception lead, with 15, despite missing three-plus games.

Seattle also has ex-Indianapolis draftee Jacob Eason on its roster, but Lock-Smith appears to be the battle. Refusing to capitalize on the non-Kenny Pickett QB prospects’ collective freefall, the Seahawks did not select a QB with their nine draft picks. A player they were connected to, Malik Willis, did not appeal to them. Seattle did not view the Liberty prospect as close to NFL-ready, Henderson adds. Seattle passed on Willis, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral three times on Day 2.

Smith, 31, has made five starts over the past seven seasons. Three of those came last season, his third with the Seahawks. The former second-round pick did show some promise, completing 68% of his passes on 7.4 yards per attempt — numbers superior to his Jets-era work, albeit in a small sample size — and finishing with a 5-to-1 TD-INT ratio. But he has been a backup on four teams since 2015.

If the Browns end up releasing Baker Mayfield, the Seahawks will surely look into adding him to this mix. They were connected to the four-year starter earlier this offseason, and he would seemingly give the team a better chance to win this season. For now, however, Lock has a legitimate opportunity to snag another starting gig.

Jets Sign Round 1 CB Sauce Gardner

May 7th, 2022 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first of the Jets’ draft picks is under contract, with the team leading off its 2022 round of pick signings by inking Sauce Gardner to his four-year rookie accord Saturday.

Gardner’s deal includes the customary fifth-year option, giving the Jets a half-decade to determine his path. Gardner living up to his draft slot would mean a monster extension one day, and Gang Green would likely be fine with this outcome. For at least three seasons, however, Gardner will be tied to his rookie contract. Gardner’s four-year deal is worth a fully guaranteed $38.7MM, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.

The team has swung and missed on a few cornerbacks in recent years — from its second Darrelle Revis contract to Trumaine Johnson‘s deal — and largely opted against notable investments at the position under GM Joe Douglas. That changed this year, when the team used the No. 4 overall pick on Gardner, who did not allow a touchdown while in coverage at Cincinnati. Gardner was a key reason Cincinnati broke the Group of Five barrier by earning a College Football Playoff slot, leading a brigade of Bearcats in being drafted last week. Gardner, 21, intercepted nine passes during his three-year career at the American Athletic Conference school.

New York’s Gardner pick ran counter to the way Robert Saleh‘s defenses were staffed in San Francisco and how Seattle fills its cornerback posts, with each team preferring to bet on mid- or lower-level corner investments rather than use top draft capital on the position. But the Jets ranked last defensively in both yards and points allowed in Saleh’s debut. They have both added Gardner in the draft and signed ex-49er and Seahawk D.J. Reed to address the previously understaffed position.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/6/22

May 6th, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest draft pick signings:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears 

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

  • DB Tariq Woolen (fifth round, Texas-San Antonio)
  • LB Tyreke Smith (fifth round, Ohio State)
  • WR Bo Melton (seventh round, Rutgers)
  • WR Dareke Young (seventh round, Lenoir-Rhyne)

Washington Commanders

Ravens Sign 17 UDFAs

May 6th, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The next team to announce their class of undrafted free agents is the Ravens. Here are their additions:

Brown’s college career had produced little in three years at Boston College. His transfer to Oregon, however, led to a rise in his stock. In 2021, he led the Ducks to a 10-win season and the Pac-12 championship game. Along the way, he set career highs in passing yards (2,989), completion percentage (64.1) and total touchdown (28). He is unlikely to unseat fellow former UDFA Tyler Huntley as the team’s backup QB, but will compete for the No. 3 role.

Another notable takeaway from the list is the number of receivers. More specifically, size is an element shared by most of the wideouts; other than Bolden, they range from six-foot-two to six-foot-five. Some were surprised by the fact the Ravens didn’t add to the position despite seeing Sammy Watkins leave in free agency, waiving Miles Boykin and trading away Marquise Brown. That should leave the door open for a prospect like Polk (who posted 105 catches for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021) in particular to fill out the depth chart.

Chiefs Sign First-Rounder George Karlaftis

May 6th, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs had two picks to work with on Day 1 of last week’s draft. The first was used to help bolster their secondary, while the second, edge rusher George Karlaftis, will add to their front seven. Kansas City has agreed to terms with him on his rookie deal, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 

Karlaftis had a productive three-year career at Purdue. His freshman season was his best, as he totalled 54 tackles, including 17 for a loss, as well as 7.5 sacks. While he was limited to just two games the following year, he bounced back in 2021, earning Third-Team All-American honors.

One of the best power rushers in this year’s class, the Greece native has the frame (six-foot-four, 275 pounds) to hold up against NFL competition. Given his build and lack of fluidity relative to other edge players, though, there are questions surrounding where he would best be served to line up, especially early in his career. Still, his combination of size, technique and upside left no one surprised when the Chiefs selected him 30th overall.

In Kansas City, Karlaftis will join an edge group headed by Frank Clark. The team’s recent decision to use a UFA tender on veteran Melvin Ingram points to a re-signing in the near future, but Karlaftis should still be able to see significant playing time right away and throughout his four- (or five-) year tenure on his rookie deal.

Packers Sign Round 1 LB Quay Walker

May 5th, 2022 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after agreeing to terms with the second of their two first-round picks, defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt, the Packers locked down their other first-rounder.

Wyatt’s ex-Georgia teammate, linebacker Quay Walker, is now under contract, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Although the modern-era rookie signing process features far fewer complications than the negotiations before the 2011 CBA, with a slot system now in place, the Packers moved past any complications very early in this process. Walker and Wyatt’s signings coincide with the beginning of the Packers’ rookie minicamp.

Green Bay deviated considerably from a path of not devoting significant resources to its off-ball linebacker spots, selecting Walker 22nd overall a few weeks after giving 2021 free agency flier De’Vondre Campbell a big-ticket deal. Walker and Campbell represent the Packers’ biggest commitment to these two positions in over a decade.

Walker worked as a Bulldogs regular over the past three years, with his most significant contributions coming for the national champions’ dominant 2021 defense — one that saw five of its cogs drafted in the first round. Walker was the third of those Georgia defenders taken. The 6-foot-3 linebacker registered a career-best 65 tackles (5.5 for loss) as a senior last year. Via the fifth-year option that could later be exercised, Walker can be controlled on this rookie deal through 2026.

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