HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Texans Reach Agreement With Derek Stingley Jr.

May 13th, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Adam La Rose

The top cornerback in this past draft is officially joining the Texans. Houston has agreed to terms with Derek Stingley Jr., per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). 

The Texans raised some eyebrows by selecting the LSU alum third overall, making him the first defensive back to be taken off the board. A top-three draft slot wouldn’t have come as a surprise, of course, had he been able to maintain his level of play throughout all three seasons he spent with the Tigers.

Stingley burst onto the scene during his freshman season in 2019. He made 38 tackles, adding six interceptions and 15 pass breakups as a key part of the team’s run to the national title. His performance had him squarely on the first-round radar, but staying on the field became an issue from then on. The six-foot-one, 195-pounder only played 10 games between his sophomore and junior campaigns, failing to record another pick during that span.

That led many to believe he could still be worth a high Day 1 pick, but that Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner would be the first corner to hear his name called. Just before the draft, though, it came out the Texans were seriously considering Stingley at No. 3, as they had him rated above Gardner, the eventual fourth overall selection by the Jets. Risky as the pick has been labelled by some, the team has the potential to reap the rewards if Stingley can stay healthy in the NFL.

Stingley will receive a $22.385MM signing bonus, per Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). Overall his four-year rookie deal carries a total value of $34.6MM; the team will also, of course, have the fifth-year option available.

Giants Sign 13 UDFAs

May 13th, 2022 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have become the latest team to announce their UDFA signings. Here are the players they have brought in to fill out their offseason roster:

Before the team confirmed these signings, reports had come out regarding guaranteed money for some of them. The biggest investment was made into Hinton, who will receive $100K in base salary, coupled with a $15K signing bonus, per Dan Duggan of the Athletic (Twitter link). In three seasons with the Wolverines, he played a rotational role, making a career-high 32 tackles this season for the Big Ten champions.

Duggan also reports that Corbin will likewise receive $100K in base pay, along with a $10K signing bonus. After two years at Texas A&M, he transferred to Florida State. His first year with the Seminoles saw him produce 516 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns, but he took a step forward this season. In 2021, he led the ACC in yards per carry with 6.2, showcasing on a number of occasions his home-run ability with long touchdown runs en route to earning Third-Team all-conference honors. He will compete with Antonio Williams, Gary Brightwell and Sandro Platzgummer for the final spots on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida.

Panthers Still Considering Re-Signing QB Cam Newton

May 12th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers are still monitoring the Cam Newton situation. After having been connected to the veteran quarterback throughout the offseason, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said that the front office is keeping “lines of communication” with the QB’s camp.

“I think we’re still having thoughts,” Fitterer said during an appearance on PFTPM (passed along by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “We have to see how this works out here throughout the spring. I just happened to be up at the [Kentucky] Derby last weekend and Cam was up there. We’re texting a little bit. The lines of communication are open. I know Coach Rhule has spoken with him. We are going to have a discussion at some point but we’re just not quite there yet, but we’ll see how it goes. The more competition we have at that position the better.”

Newton always seemed like a fallback option for the organization. Even after losing out in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, the organization has still been connected to the likes of Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo. There’s a good chance that the Panthers will wait out both of those situations before committing to Newton, and the former MVP’s return to Carolina would surely be contingent on the organization not adding another veteran at the position.

In nine seasons in Charlotte from 2011 to 2019, Newton earned two Pro Bowls and led the team to a Super Bowl after a 15-1 campaign in 2015. His production has tailed off considerably since then, however. After getting cut by the Patriots following an underwhelming one-year stint in New England, Newton caught on with the Panthers in November. He ended up getting into eight games (five starts) for Carolina, completing 54.8 percent of his passes for 684 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. He added another 230 rushing yards and five scores on 47 carries.

At the moment, former third-overall pick Sam Darnold leads the Panthers depth chart, although the organization did add some competition at the position after drafting Matt Corral in the third round of the draft. The team is also still rostering P.J. Walker, who’s won both of his starts across two seasons with the team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/22

May 12th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Released: WR Cyrus Holder, WR Henry Litwin

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Broncos Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents

May 12th, 2022 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have been busy signing their draft picks in recent days, but that didn’t stop the front office from adding 13 undrafted free agents to their roster:

Allen got a chunk of money to join Denver, earning $180K in guaranteed money (per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com on Twitter). The linebacker had a productive collegiate career, earning two National Championships during his time at Alabama. He also earned a second-team All-SEC nod in 2020 after finishing with 24 tackles and six sacks. He missed his entire rookie season after suffering a broken foot, leading to him going undrafted.

Meanwhile, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that McMillian got $75K, while Mauga got $60K guaranteed (Twitter link).

Falcons Sign First-Round WR Drake London

May 12th, 2022 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons first-round pick has officially signed his contract. The team announced that they’ve signed receiver Drake London to his rookie pact. The first four years of London’s contract are fully guaranteed.

London was the first receiver off the board after the Falcons used the No. 8 pick on the USC product. This feat came despite London appearing in only eight games this past season, as a fractured ankle ended his season prematurely. London still put up impressive numbers, reeling in 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns. Before he missed any time, he led the NCAA in receiving yards, contested catches (19), and missed tackles (22) and was the highest-graded receiver according to Pro Football Focus.

At the time of his injury, London was widely considered a top wide receiver in college football, and the injury clearly did nothing to impact his draft stock. Fortunately, the wideout didn’t suffer any ligament damage, so his recovery and future outlook are both promising.

The Falcons offense will look a whole lot different next season with Matt Ryan no longer in Atlanta. Veteran Marcus Mariota will replace him under center, and London should instantly be one of his preferred targets, especially with Calvin Ridley suspended. The Falcons used their 2021 first-round pick on tight end Kyle Pitts, and the offensive weapons should highlight Atlanta’s offense for years to come.

The Falcons have now inked half of their draft picks to contracts after signing running back Tyler Allgeier (fifth round), offensive guard Justin Shaffer (sixth round), and tight end John FitzPatrick (sixth round).

Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy Arrested

May 12th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:20pm: Jeudy did not commit domestic violence, Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said, calling the charge a “very low misdemeanor.” The incident involved only property, via CBS4’s Michael Spencer (Twitter links).

The domestic violence-related charge was issued because the woman involved is the mother of Jeudy’s one-month-old child, via Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). The woman involved accused Jeudy of withholding medical records, her wallet and the baby’s car seat, Klis tweets. Jeudy accused the woman of taking one of his three phones, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post adds (on Twitter). Jeudy went into police custody without incident and will meet with a judge Friday morning, Spencer tweets.

3:44pm: Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was arrested and booked into the Arapahoe County (Colo.) Detention Center this afternoon, authorities announced. The third-year wideout is being held on a no-bond hold, according to the Arapahoe Sheriff (Twitter link).

Authorities have charged Jeudy with second-degree criminal tampering with a domestic violence enhancer. In Colorado, that means tampering with another’s property with the intent to cause “injury, inconvenience, or annoyance to that person or to another.” Jeudy can be released from jail upon approval from a judge, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com noting such a meeting is likely to occur within the next 24 hours (Twitter link). He was arrested around noon Thursday.

This is not a felony charge, with Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com noting (via Twitter) it is a Class 2 misdemeanor that carries a punishment of a $1K fine and up to a year in prison. It still will fall under the purview of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, which could result in a Jeudy suspension at some point.

Jeudy, 23, came to the Broncos as a first-round pick in 2020. He led the team in receiving as a rookie and posted 467 receiving yards in an injury-shortened 2021 season. The Alabama alum is expected to be a central part of the Broncos’ first Russell Wilson-led offense this season.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/22

May 12th, 2022 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Thursday has featured several rookie deals finalized. Here are the mid- and late-round draftees to sign their four-year contracts today:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • WR Montrell Washington (fifth round, Samford)

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • RB Snoop Conner (fifth round, Ole Miss)
  • CB Gregory Junior (sixth round, Ouachita Baptist)
  • CB Montaric Brown (seventh round, Arkansas)

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Jaguars Sign Round 1 LB Devin Lloyd

May 12th, 2022 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars made a tremendous commitment to their off-ball linebacker positions this offseason. The highest-profile addition is now under contract.

First-round pick Devin Lloyd agreed to terms on his rookie deal Thursday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. The No. 27 overall pick, Lloyd will score a fully guaranteed rookie contract — one that can run through 2026, via the fifth-year option. The Utah product, for whom the Jags traded up six spots (via the Buccaneers) to land, will earn more than $13MM on his rookie pact.

Jacksonville now has both its first-round picks under contract, having signed No. 1 overall choice Travon Walker earlier Thursday. Lloyd figures to be fast-tracked to the Jags’ starting lineup. The team made Myles Jack a cap casualty and will have a third defensive coordinator in three years (Mike Caldwell). The Jags paid up for ex-Falcons starter Foyesade Oluokun, giving the productive linebacker a three-year deal worth $45MM, and then drafted Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma in Round 3. It is safe to say the Jags viewed this position as a weakness entering the offseason.

Lloyd delivered a dominant senior season with the Utes, recording 111 tackles and registering seven sacks. He added four interceptions and 22 tackles for loss, offering up Micah Parsons-type versatility. Lloyd also tallied 6.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2019. It remains to be seen if Lloyd will be capable of a Parsons-esque NFL debut, but a Jags Lloyd-Oluokun three-down linebacker pairing presents the opportunity for a major upgrade from recent years.

Lions Sign Round 1 WR Jameson Williams

May 12th, 2022 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jameson Williams agreed to terms on his fully guaranteed rookie contract Thursday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Lions now have both their 2022 first-rounders signed, after having inked No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson to his rookie deal earlier this week.

The No. 12 overall pick, Williams will be tied to his rookie deal for at least three seasons and can be under Lions control through 2026 (via the fifth-year option). He is set to earn around $17.5MM on this contract.

Detroit traded its Nos. 32 and 34 picks to Minnesota to climb up for Williams, who zoomed onto the draft radar after his dominant season at Alabama. Williams joins DJ Chark as key offseason receiver additions for a Lions team that featured one of the NFL’s worst wideout situations in 2021.

Playing behind the likes of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave at Ohio State, Williams transferred to an Alabama squad that had just lost DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. The Crimson Tide put the slender speedster to work immediately, and Williams posted a monster season — 79 receptions, 1,572 yards, 15 touchdowns — as a junior to help the SEC powerhouse to another national championship game.

The torn ACL Williams suffered in that loss to Georgia did not impact his draft stock much, but the 179-pound pass catcher is expected to begin the season on the PUP list. Many NFL evaluators expect Williams to be out until November, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, though the rebuilding Lions are likely fine playing the long game with the recovering prospect.

In addition to signing Williams, the Lions and third-round safety Kerby Joseph agreed on the terms of his rookie contract. The Lions took Jones 97th overall out of Illinois. His four-year deal is worth just more than $5MM, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes.

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