HEADLINES

Raiders Were Not Prepared To Trade Up For Michael Penix Jr.

May 14th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Six quarterbacks going in this draft’s first 12 picks left the Raiders in limbo, setting up a Gardner Minshew–Aidan O’Connell competition. For a second straight year, the team did extensive work on a QB class only to pass on making a move to select one in Round 1.

The Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler power duo arranged meetings with last year’s top five QB prospects, only to stay at No. 7 and draft Tyree Wilson. This year, as a report tabbed Antonio Pierce as more eager to trade up compared to GM Tom Telesco, the Raiders were closely linked to Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. Daniels proved out of reach, despite the team being the club that most likely sent the Commanders the only offer for No. 2 overall, and Penix came off the board earlier than expected.

The Falcons’ move at No. 8 affected multiple franchises. It convinced the Broncos to stop entertaining trade-down scenarios involving Bo Nix, as the Raiders loomed at No. 13. With Nix going at No. 12, the move also will likely precede a number of Raiders connections to 2025 QB prospects. The Raiders placed a value gap between this year’s top three QBs (Daniels, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye) and the other three first-rounders, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler furthers that view by indicating the team would have considered Penix at No. 13 but was not prepared to trade up for him.

Las Vegas also viewed a trade-down option as viable for Penix, with Fowler indicating the team did not want to reach in Round 1. Trading down quickly became moot for the Raiders, as the Falcons installed Penix behind Kirk Cousins. Sean Payton correctly pegged the Vikings as being J.J. McCarthy fans, as the team moved in front of the Broncos (via the Jets) for the Michigan product, and the Raiders as being high on Penix. With the southpaw prospect in Atlanta, Las Vegas has what appears to be a transition year ahead.

Penix’s early NFL path would have certainly been much different had the Raiders deemed it a priority to come out of Round 1 with a quarterback. Rather than being on track to join Jordan Love as the only first-round QBs in the rookie-scale contract era (2011-present) to sit for more than one season, Penix almost definitely would have been set to debut in 2024 had the Raiders picked him. The six-year college QB joins Nix and Daniels as going into his age-24 season, but with $100MM in practical guarantees due to Cousins, Penix’s QB1 ETA may not be until at least his age-26 season.

A “best player available”-type pick transpired instead for the Raiders, who took Brock Bowers. Pierce denied Terrion Arnold‘s assertion the team flipped a coin to decide between the Alabama cornerback and Georgia tight end, who will follow 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer to Vegas. Bowers will be expected to become an instant contributor, creating an interesting setup for Mayer — last year’s No. 35 overall pick.

The Raiders did not need to trade up for Will Levis last year, as the Kentucky prospect tumbled out of Round 1, but were not as interested in passers as their “30” visit log suggested. A year after that smokescreen effort, Las Vegas did meet with Penix, Daniels and Nix. But the team’s long-term QB need remains unfilled.

This represents good news for Minshew, who will be the favorite to start — based on the two-year, $25MM ($15MM guaranteed) deal he agreed to hours into the legal tampering period — in 2024. By 2025, however, the Raiders should be expected to go through another exhaustive run of QB research.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/14/24

May 14th, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Teams continue to sign their draft picks to rookie contracts. We’ve collected today’s miscellaneous signings below:

Chicago Bears

  • OT Kiran Amegadjie (third round, Yale)

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

  • OT Walter Rouse (sixth round, Oklahoma)

New York Giants

  • CB Dru Phillips (third round, Kentucky)

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/24

May 14th, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Commanders To Host WR Martavis Bryant

May 14th, 2024 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

After getting cut by the Cowboys last week, Martavis Bryant will work out for a division rival. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Commanders will work out the veteran wide receiver tomorrow.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Release WR Martavis Bryant]

Bryant’s five-year ban from the NFL ended last November when the wide receiver was reinstated by the league. He subsequently caught on with the Cowboys practice squad but never made his way to the big-league roster. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the organization in January, but he was released shortly after the Cowboys added three rookies to the position.

The wideout burst onto the scene with the Steelers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He hauled in 14 touchdowns through his first two years in the NFL (plus another two playoff scores) before being sidelined for the entire 2016 campaign thanks to his second career suspension. He topped 600 yards following his return in 2017, and the Steelers quickly sent him to the Raiders for a third-round pick.

He got into eight games with Oakland before being hit with his most-recent suspension in 2018. Between that initial suspension and his 2023 comeback attempt with the Cowboys, Bryant spent time in a handful of other leagues, including stints in the CFL and XFL.

While Commanders head coach (and former Cowboys defensive coordinator) Dan Quinn didn’t deal with Bryant directly in Dallas, he did get an extended look at him at Cowboys practice. If the 32-year-old catches on with the Commanders, he’d have an uphill battle to make the active roster. Still, the team does lack experienced depth behind Terry McLaurin. Former first-round pick Jahan Dotson and third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey will likely take up two spots, but Bryant could compete with the likes of Dax Milne, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, and Olamide Zaccheaus for a job.

Rams Sign Six Draft Picks

May 14th, 2024 at 7:47pm CST by Ben Levine

After previously completing their rookie agreement with second-round defensive tackle Braden Fiske, the Rams have signed six more of their draft picks. The team announced that they’ve signed the following players to rookie contracts:

  • Round 3, No. 83: Blake Corum (RB, Michigan)
  • Round 6, No. 196: Tyler Davis (DT, Clemson)
  • Round 6, No. 209: Joshua Karty (K, Stanford)
  • Round 6, No. 213: Jordan Whittington (WR, Texas)
  • Round 6, No. 217: Beaux Limmer (C, Arkansas)
  • Round 7, No. 254: KT Leveston (G, Kansas State)

Following a breakout 2021 campaign, Corum put together one of the best two-year stretches in Michigan football history. Between 2022 and 2023, the running back compiled 2,905 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns, earning him a pair of All-American nods and Heisman Trophy consideration during his junior campaign. He finished his college career with a standout performance in the national championship, earning the game’s offensive MVP award after compiling 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He’ll land in a dynamic offensive in Los Angeles. Kyren Williams is coming off a breakout campaign, but the starter still missed five games last season. That allowed the likes of Royce Freeman, Darrell Henderson, and Ronnie Rivers to each top 100 snaps; Corum could soak up all of those backup reps in 2024.

With today’s moves, the team now has three draft picks left to sign: first-round edge defender Jared Verse, third-round safety Kamren Kinchens, and fifth-round wide receiver Brennan Jackson.

Packers Sign Six Draft Picks

May 14th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers are one step closer to completing their draft pick signings. The team announced the signing of six rookies today, with the group including:

  • Round 3, No. 88: MarShawn Lloyd (RB, USC)
  • Round 3, No. 91 (from Bills): Ty’Ron Hopper (LB, Missouri)
  • Round 4, No. 111 (from Jets): Evan Williams (S, Oregon)
  • Round 5, No. 163 (from Bills): Jacob Monk (C, Duke)
  • Round 5, No. 169: Kitan Oladapo (S, Oregon State)
  • Round 6, No. 202: Travis Glover (T, Georgia State)

Lloyd is the biggest name on the list following his breakout lone season at USC. The running back finished the season with 1,052 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns, leading to him being the fourth RB off the board. In Green Bay, the rookie will likely compete with A.J. Dillon for any backup reps behind new addition Josh Jacobs.

Hopper is another notable addition to the squad following two standout seasons at Missouri. Between 2022 and 2023, the linebacker compiled 132 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 23 games, performances that put him firmly on the NFL radar. Considering his coverage skills in college, he’ll likely be called on as a weakside LB behind Quay Walker.

The Packerspreviously signed seventh-round picks Michael Pratt and Kalen King. Following today’s moves, the Packers have three unsigned draft picks: first-round offensive tackle Jordan Morgan, second-round linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, and second-round safety Javon Bullard.

S Rodney McLeod Plans To Retire After 2024 Season

May 14th, 2024 at 5:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Rodney McLeod is intending for the 2024 campaign to be his final NFL season. The veteran Browns safety told NFL Network that he’ll be hanging up his cleats following the upcoming season.

“This is the last lap for me. It’s been a long career,” McLeod said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I’m looking forward to rocking out with my teammates this year, giving it all, and hopefully ending up where we want to be, which is the last dance at the end of the year.”

McLeod wants to go out on a high note following a 2023 campaign where he was limited to 10 games thanks to a biceps injury. The 12-year veteran acknowledged that he considered retirement following this past season, but the player pointed to “unfinished business” as a reason for a 13th year.

The veteran joined the Browns last offseason and served as a backup to Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill. He finished the season with only 29 tackles, and while he didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings, his grade would have placed him towards the bottom of the safeties list.

However, McLeod is only a year removed from ranking seventh among 88 qualifying safeties on that same list, so there could still be something left in the tank. The Browns will return the same safeties grouping in 2024, although this time McLeod will have to compete with his 2023 fill-in, D’Anthony Bell.

This season, McLeod will be looking to complete a resume that already includes a Super Bowl championship and 718 career tackles. The former UDFA has also spent time with the Rams, Eagles, Colts throughout his career.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Broncos, Kelce

May 14th, 2024 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Harbaugh talked up ex-Michigan pupil J.J. McCarthy extensively before the draft — potentially leading to the unexpected Justin Herbert trade inquiries — but the latter’s prospect status affected the Chargers‘ plans. Drake Maye going off the board at No. 3 stonewalled Chargers hopes of trading down from No. 5 overall, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Maye prompted the Giants and Vikings to propose the Patriots deals involving 2025 first-rounders. The Vikings spoke with the Chargers, but it is clear McCarthy did not drive interest the way Maye did. A trade from No. 11 to No. 5 would have cost the Vikings, who memorably interviewed Harbaugh in 2022, a future first-rounder. No major interest in the pick led to the Bolts staying at 5 and choosing Joe Alt, who is set to begin work at right tackle in Los Angeles.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • Staying with the Chargers, they will have both their Ravens RB imports at full strength during the offseason program. Following his second major injury — an Achilles tear sustained in Week 1 — J.K. Dobbins deemed himself “100%.” “I’m 100% now,” Dobbins said, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. “It was like a walk in the park, it was like a sprained ankle. It was very easy, because I had the knee [injury] — the knee was pretty hard. The Achilles was, I would say, easy, just because that’s my mentality. Got the injury-prone [label] out there, but I think that the storm is over with. I think that I’m going to take off now. There will be no setbacks.” The past injuries limited Dobbins in free agency; he signed a one-year, $1.6MM deal that comes with just $50K guaranteed. Gus Edwards landed a two-year, $6.5MM pact to rejoin Greg Roman in L.A.
  • After Sean Payton — upon the Broncos trading Jerry Jeudy — made it clear he wants an expanded Marvin Mims role on offense, ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold notes the second-year Denver HC drove the effort to draft Troy Franklin near the top of the fourth round. Payton texted Broncos GM George Paton before the fourth round about wanting to move up toward the top of the board to draft Franklin, whom the Broncos had Franklin graded much higher than his ultimate draft slot (No. 102). The Broncos traded Nos. 121, 136 and 207 to move up (via the Seahawks) for Bo Nix‘s top Ducks target. The Broncos still roster Courtland Sutton, though teams have called about a trade for the somewhat disgruntled wideout, but the team has now added a host of WRs — Mims, Franklin and Josh Reynolds chief among them — under Payton. Sutton and Tim Patrick remain from the John Elway GM era.
  • Broncos third-round pick Jonah Elliss underwent shoulder surgery late last year, but the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes the Utah alum has been cleared. Denver returns its top three edge rushers from last season (Nik Bonitto, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper), but Browning and Cooper are in contract years. Jonah Elliss, the latest son of ex-Bronco DT Luther Elliss to enter the NFL, will likely mix in as a rotational OLB to start his pro career.
  • The Chiefs signed off on a straight-up raise for Travis Kelce, as no new years are included in the superstar tight end’s latest deal. The future Hall of Famer remains signed through 2025, and SI.com’s Albert Breer notes no void years were added for cap purposes. The re-up increased Kelce’s 2024 cap number from $15.6MM to $19.6MM, per OverTheCap. Kelce’s 2025 cap number checks in at $19.8MM; the bulk of the 34-year-old pass catcher’s 2025 salary will become guaranteed on day 3 of the 2025 league year.
  • The Paton-Payton duo made a recent staff addition as well. Joey DiCresce will move from intern to full-time football data scientist with the Broncos, ESPN.com’s Seth Walder tweets.

Commanders DT Johnny Newton Undergoes Foot Surgery

May 14th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 14: Shedding some light on Newton’s latest foot injury, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz confirms it is a Jones fracture. Newton underwent his second 2024 foot surgery Monday. Given the timetable associated with this injury, it will be months before the No. 36 overall pick is ready to suit up again for the Commanders. The team is, however, optimistic Newton will be ready for Week 1.

MAY 12: A foot surgery helped lead to Johnny Newton sliding out of the first round following a first-team All-American season. Another such procedure will be necessary, stalling the second-round defensive tackle’s development with his NFL team.

After undergoing a procedure to repair an injury to his right foot in January, the Commanders defensive tackle will need another foot procedure done — this time to address an issue with his left foot. Dan Quinn confirmed (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) the No. 36 overall pick will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The latest Newton foot surgery is expected to occur this week.

Newton sustained a partial foot fracture that led to the January procedure; this operation caused a weekslong delay in Newton’s pre-draft preparation. He did not participate in Combine workouts but did recover in time to hold a belated pro day in mid-April. That timeline provides a positive sign the Commanders will have the first of their three second-round draftees available by Week 1, though it is not certain exactly what injury Newton sustained to his other foot.

This draft’s third defensive tackle chosen, Newton did not participate in Washington’s rookie minicamp. The high-level prospect said upon being drafted he was fully healed, making his absence from the Commanders’ weekend workouts interesting. A recent checkup revealed the new issue, and it will produce another run of rehab work. Newton played through the partial fracture during the second half of his final Illinois season, but the Commanders will attempt to have him at 100% by the time be debuts as a pro.

Despite rostering Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne — along with 2022 second-round D-tackle Phidarian Mathis — Washington chose Newton with its second draft choice this year. He produced a career-high 7.5 sacks last season, collecting Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year acclaim — the first Illinois player to do so in 29 years — and first-team All-American honors. While Newton undergoing surgery now will help his chances of debuting on time for the Commanders, a rookie undergoing procedures on both feet in the months before his NFL debut is a bit of a concern.

Cardinals Sign Round 2 CB Max Melton

May 14th, 2024 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The current CBA has largely removed holdout-driven drama from the NFL offseason, but the wiggle room regarding second-round picks does add some intrigue to the rookie signing process. The Cardinals’ Tuesday signing will help influence this year’s guarantee structures.

Arizona agreed to terms with its second-round pick — Rutgers cornerback Max Melton — Tuesday, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds the deal includes three fully guaranteed years and part of the DB’s 2027 salary being locked in at signing. The Cardinals are guaranteeing $50K of the No. 43 overall pick’s 2027 salary.

This follows the Rams’ Braden Fiske deal, which Wilson reported guarantees 15% of the Florida State defensive lineman’s 2027 base salary. Fiske went No. 39. The Rams and Cardinals’ deals show more progress being made by second-rounders. Last year’s class did not see its No. 39 overall pick (Jonathan Mingo) secure any Year 4 guarantees. The Cards giving Melton three fully guaranteed years and some 2027 guarantees will mandate this year’s Nos. 40-42 picks (cornerbacks Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Kamari Lassiter) receive some contract-year security.

Last year’s guarantee arc did not require the Jets to guarantee all of No. 43 overall pick Joe Tippmann‘s Year 3 salary, and No. 42 overall choice Luke Musgrave also did not receive three full years guaranteed. The Cardinals’ Melton agreement will continue to move the baseline for second-round guarantees, and the former Big Ten corner will get to work in attempting to carve out a significant role as a rookie in Arizona.

Checking in 50th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Melton is viewed as a player who could be a fit outside or in the slot. He intercepted eight passes over the past three seasons at Rutgers, returning one for a score. Melton also notched 10 passes defensed as a junior in 2022. The 5-foot-11 cover man added to his draft profile by running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.

Arizona has been in need at corner for years, with Byron Murphy‘s 2023 exit for Minnesota amplifying the issue. The team’s group at the position will look different in 2024, as three CBs — Melton, third-rounder Elijah Jones and seventh-rounder Jaden Davis — join free agency addition Sean Murphy-Bunting as new faces here. The Cardinals did improve in pass defense last season, ranking 13th in Jonathan Gannon‘s debut; they will aim to make more gains with their new pieces this year.

The Cardinals also agreed to terms with third-rounder Isaiah Adams, a guard out of Illinois. Adams was part of a four-third-rounder haul for Arizona this year.

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