HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Bears To Sign WR Tajae Sharpe

May 11th, 2022 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears’ new regime has been busy at receiver this offseason, adding a host of veteran auxiliary options to what promises to be a Darnell Mooney-centered position group. They made another move Wednesday.

Tajae Sharpe agreed to terms on a one-year Chicago deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bears will be Sharpe’s fifth team, and he will rejoin ex-Chiefs teammate Byron Pringle on Chicago’s new-look receiver depth chart. The Bears hiring ex-Chiefs front office staffer Ryan Poles as GM likely provided a clearer route for Sharpe to Chicago.

A former Titans fifth-round pick back in 2016, Sharpe spent last season with the Falcons. The 6-foot-2 receiver caught 25 passes for 230 yards with Atlanta, which saw its receiving corps take a major hit from Calvin Ridley‘s midseason exit. Sharpe, 27, has bounced around since his Titans rookie contract expired in 2020. The Vikings and Chiefs brought him in that year, though he did not catch a pass for Minnesota and did not suit up for a game with Kansas City. The Chiefs stashed Sharpe on their practice squad to close out the 2020 season and re-signed him last year, but they cut bait shortly after the draft.

Allen Robinson left the Bears as a free agent, joining the Rams, and Poles has gone with a quantity-driven approach around Mooney this offseason. Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and David Moore joined the Bears as free agents. The team also used a third-round pick on Tennessee wideout Velus Jones.

Raiders, WR Keelan Cole Agree To Deal

May 11th, 2022 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are adding another prospective Davante Adams complementary piece. Former Jaguars and Jets wideout Keelan Cole will head to Las Vegas on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Cole will join Adams, Demarcus Robinson and Mack Hollins as Raider receiver additions this offseason. The team still rosters Bryan Edwards, who is going into his third season. Hunter Renfrow is entrenched as Vegas’ slot player. The Raiders did not draft a wideout last month.

A Division II success story, Cole caught on with the Jaguars out of Kentucky Wesleyan in 2017. With Allen Robinson going down early that season, Cole led the Jags with 748 yards as a rookie — for a team that made a surprise venture to the AFC championship game. Cole, 29, has only missed two games throughout his career — both coming last season.

The Jets gave Cole a one-year deal worth $5.5MM last year. Given the timing of this pact, it is unlikely Cole’s Raiders agreement surpasses that price. Cole caught 28 passes for 449 yards and a touchdown with the Jets. He scored a career-high five touchdowns in his Jaguars contract year in 2020.

Latest On Broncos WR KJ Hamler

May 11th, 2022 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

In addition to the knee surgery KJ Hamler underwent after suffering a torn ACL in Week 3, the young Broncos wide receiver needed a hip operation.

Hamler suffered the hip injury on the same play he tore the ACL, and Mike Klis of 9News notes the Broncos initially feared the former second-round pick suffered a Bo Jackson-type injury. It turned out not to be in that ballpark, one that saw Jackson’s football career end and eventual hip-replacement surgery become necessary.

The Broncos’ No. 4 wideout has long been reported ahead of schedule in his rehab. News of this hip procedure adds to the remarkability of the Penn State product being in position to catch passes from Russell Wilson shortly after the quarterback’s arrival. Hamler is not yet a full participant in Broncos offseason workouts, though Klis notes he is running and cutting at full speed, but he expects to be ready for full work in training camp. This was Hamler’s second ACL tear; he suffered the first during his senior year of high school.

Denver included Noah Fant in the Wilson trade but kept its top four wide receivers. With Jerry Jeudy a former top-15 pick and Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick now attached to eight-figure-per-year deals, Hamler is positioned to be an off-the-bench contributor. Jeudy and Sutton’s injury trouble in recent years, and the Broncos’ interest in seeing what they have in Hamler, should lead to the speed merchant receiving extensive work in his third season. The 5-foot-9 wideout caught 30 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2020.

Vikings Sign First-Round S Lewis Cine

May 11th, 2022 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The closeout pick on the Georgia defense’s banner night, Lewis Cine signed his rookie contract Wednesday. The Vikings have their first-round safety signed to his four-year pact.

Cine’s rookie contract, which can run through 2026 via the fifth-year option, is fully guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It is worth $11.5MM.

Georgia’s dominant defense produced five first-round picks — Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Cine — and had representation on all three levels. Cine was the only Bulldogs secondary cog selected in Round 1, and it came after the Vikings traded back 20 spots to allow the Lions to move up for Jameson Williams. Minnesota acquired the Nos. 32 and 34 overall picks from its division rival, before trading down from No. 34 to enable the Packers to grab wideout Christian Watson to start the draft’s Friday session. The Vikings picked up two Packers second-rounders to do that, and new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used that ammo to move up in Round 2 for Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth.

ESPN.com’s No. 41 overall prospect, Cine established new career-high marks in tackles (73) and passes defensed (nine) as a junior to both help the Bulldogs to a 14-1 national championship-winning season and move himself toward the first-round radar. Cine earned second-team All-SEC acclaim last season and became the Vikings’ first Round 1 safety pick since Harrison Smith 10 years ago. Cine figures to team with Smith in Minnesota’s starting lineup soon.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/22

May 11th, 2022 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s late-round signings here:

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: TE Nick Muse (sixth round, South Carolina)

New England Patriots

  • Signed: DT Sam Roberts (sixth round, Northwest Missouri State)

Bears Sign QB Nathan Peterman

May 11th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

After three-plus seasons with the Raiders, Nathan Peterman has found a new team. The Bears signed the veteran quarterback to a one-year deal Wednesday.

Although the once-maligned quarterback is best known for making disastrous starts during his Bills tenure, which included a Week 1 start ahead of Josh Allen in 2018, Peterman has stabilized his career as a reserve. He caught on with the Raiders during Jon Gruden‘s first year, and after signing a 2019 reserve/futures contract, the Pitt product continued to work as one of Derek Carr‘s understudies.

Peterman primarily played behind both Carr and Marcus Mariota in Las Vegas. The 2017 fifth-round pick signed a one-year, $1MM pact to stay with the Raiders last year, and he finished the year on the Raiders’ practice squad. Since his Bills tenure wrapped midway through the 2018 season, Peterman has attempted eight regular-season passes. He still carries a career 3-12 career touchdown pass-to-interception ratio and a 34.0 passer rating.

The Bears previously carried one of the most experienced sets of second- and third-string quarterbacks in NFL history, rostering Andy Dalton and Nick Foles. Dalton has since signed with the Saints, and the Bears cut Foles shortly after the draft. The 10-year veteran remains a free agent. Trevor Siemian joins Peterman behind Justin Fields now; the team waived second-year QB Ryan Willis on Wednesday.

Jaguars Waive K Matthew Wright, Claim OL Wes Martin

May 11th, 2022 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after the Giants cut Wes Martin, the fourth-year guard is on his way to a third team in three years. The Jaguars added the former Washington draftee via waiver claim Wednesday.

Jacksonville also waived Matthew Wright, who served as the team’s primary kicker last season. Wright, who came to the Jaguars after spending part of the 2020 season with the Steelers, put together a solid season in Jacksonville and could well generate interest elsewhere.

Wright made 21 of 24 field goal attempts last season, his first run as a full-time kicker. This included a 4-for-6 success rate from 50-plus yards — including two in the team’s London win over the Dolphins. The Central Florida product made a 56-yard try. Jacksonville did not draft a kicker but did add one as a UDFA (Andrew Mevis). The team also has Ryan Santoso rostered. Santoso kicked in four games with the Panthers and Lions last season, being cut after one Panthers game before resurfacing with the NFC North franchise.

Martin joins the Jags after two years in Washington and one in New York. A former fourth-round pick out of Indiana, Martin made 10 starts with Washington from 2019-20 but just one for a Giants team that ran into early-season trouble on its interior offensive line. The Giants signed Martin off Washington’s practice squad in late September. One season remains on Martin’s rookie contract.

The Jags also claimed edge defender Rashod Berry off waivers from the Lions. A former UDFA out of Ohio State, Berry has played in eight NFL games in two seasons.

Broncos Sign Second-Round LB Nik Bonitto

May 11th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The final pick of this year’s second round is under contract. Oklahoma edge rusher Nik Bonitto agreed to terms on his four-year Broncos deal Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

This move comes in advance of the Broncos’ rookie minicamp, which begins Thursday. Bonitto was Denver’s highest draft pick this year, after the team traded its first- and second-round choices as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson deal. The No. 64 overall selection will attempt to contribute to Denver’s pass rush early.

Denver did not necessarily need an edge rusher early in this draft, having added Randy Gregory to a stable that includes Pro Bowler Bradley Chubb and frequent fill-in starter Malik Reed. But the latter two are entering contract years. Gregory is also rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. The Broncos, despite being thinner at inside linebacker, are also trying 2021 third-rounder Baron Browning as an edge player this offseason.

One of the quicker edges to enter the draft in recent years, Bonitto combined for 16 sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The 248-pound linebacker, who clocked a 4.54-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine, also finished with 26.5 tackles for loss between his sophomore and junior years. Coming to the Broncos via the second-round pick obtained in the Von Miller trade, Bonitto represents a lower-cost successor of sorts to the future Hall of Famer.

The Broncos also signed sixth-round defensive lineman Matt Henningsen and seventh-round cornerback Faion Hicks, per the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran and Klis (Twitter links). Both Day 3 picks are Wisconsin alums.

Texans Sign Round 2 S Jalen Pitre

May 11th, 2022 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans signed the first of their two second-round picks — safety Jalen Pitre — to his four-year rookie contract Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Pitre’s $8.95MM deal includes three years fully guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). This marks a step forward under the current slot system, with the No. 34 overall pick being last year’s cutoff line for full guarantees. Pitre went off the board 37th overall.

Houston later traded up for Alabama wideout John Metchie in Round 2 but used its own pick to nab Pitre, who played both linebacker and safety at Baylor. The Bears moved Pitre to safety in 2020, when he became a regular on their defense. Pitre returned both of his interceptions that season for touchdowns. He forced three fumbles during his 2021 senior season, en route to first-team All-America acclaim. Despite the move from linebacker, Pitre weighed just 198 pounds at the Combine.

Longtime Texans safety starter Justin Reid departed early in free agency, signing with the Chiefs as a Tyrann Mathieu replacement. This clears a path for Pitre to be an instant starter in Houston, should the in-state product prove ready.

Latest On Jets’ Carl Lawson

May 11th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets were without one of their top free agent signings throughout the entire 2021 season, but it doesn’t appear that will be the case again this year. Carl Lawson has recovered from his torn Achilles and said today the he “expects to be back for training camp” (Twitter link via Connor Hughes of the Athletic). 

Lawson, who will be 27 by the start of the season, suffered the injury this past August. That ended what would have been his first year with New York before it even began. His arrival had led to optimism surrounding the team’s pass rush, given his production across four years in Cincinnati.

A fourth round pick of the Bengals in 2017, Lawson made an immediate impact in his rookie season. Despite starting only one of 16 games, he recorded 8.5 sacks. As his playing time increased year by year, he was never able to match that figure, but remained a consistent, disruptive presence on the team’s defensive front. With 20 total sacks to his name, and plenty of upside given his age, he signed a three-year, $45MM deal with the Jets last offseason. Due to the injury, though, the next regular season game he suits up for with New York will be his first.

“I’m going to be good to go, but it’s kind of up to the organization, how they want to play it, what they want me doing and stuff like that” Lawson said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I’ll be ready to go at any time on a moment’s call.”

When he makes his Jets debut, Lawson will join an edge group also featuring the recently re-signed John Franklin-Myers and 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson. Much will be expected of that trio, as they look to contribute on what the Jets hope will be a much-improved defense this season.

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