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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/24

May 3rd, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Our first draft pick signings post for rookies taken in the third round or later:

Green Bay Packers

Philadelphia Eagles

Pratt was the final of 11 quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft last week. A four-year starter for the Green Wave, Pratt was named first-team All-AAC and the AAC Offensive Player of the year in 2023, despite failing to recreate his breakout numbers from 2022 of 27 passing touchdowns to only five interceptions with 10 more scores on the ground. He’ll compete with last year’s fifth-round pick, Sean Clifford, and Alex McGough for backup duties behind Jordan Love.

King was a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions, forgoing his senior year of football for the NFL draft. He failed to reach the success of his sophomore season, in which he tallied 21 passes defensed and three interceptions, but showed enough as a junior to warrant a late-round selection. He’s listed by the Packers as a cornerback but has the potential to add to the entire secondary’s depth as many teams saw him as a safety at the next level.

Wilson was one of two transfer wide receivers to lead the Seminoles’ offense last year, spending his first two years at Arizona State before transferring to Tallahassee. Like the two players above, his best season came in 2022, when he caught 43 balls for 897 yards and five touchdowns. After the arrival of Bills new wideout Keon Coleman last year, Wilson’s contributions lessened to 41-617-2. Wilson provides the Eagles with a massive 6-foot-6, 231-pound frame that he doesn’t always play up to but could create a number of mismatches with at the NFL level. Some thought Wilson may be a tight end as a pro, but Philadelphia has plenty of depth at the position, which could allow them to try and continue developing Wilson as a receiver as a rookie.

Eagles Sign Seven UDFA Rookies

May 3rd, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

After addressing several positions of need in their nine-man draft class, the Eagles have expanded their rookie class to 16 men. The seven undrafted rookie free agents joining the drafted players are:

*Roster exemption for International Player Pathway Program

Just like they were able to do with many of their draft picks, the Eagles were able to add some major value throughout the undrafted free agent class. Tackle was a position of need that the Eagles were unable to address through the draft, though they did sign former Jets first-round tackle Mekhi Becton to come in as a swing tackle last weekend. Here, they add three more young prospects to the position in Ayedze, Dankwah, and Vakalahi.

All three represent giant, inexperienced projects to the position room. Dankwah, 6-foot-8, 349 pounds, was selected to the All-MEAC first team in each of the last two years despite making only five starts in 2022. The Canada-native is not alone as an international addition as Vakalahi, 6-foot-5, 318 pounds, comes from Brisbane, Australia. Despite zero athletic experience in the past two years as he completed his mission service in Wellington, New Zealand, Vakalahi was discovered when Eagles international scout Chris Naeole walked past Vakalahi’s father, also a large man, while Vakalahi’s parents were vacationing in Hawai’i.

Castles caught five touchdowns for the Volunteers as a graduate transfer after time at both Cal and UC Davis. He was mainly an in-line blocker at Tennessee, but with a 6-foot-4, 244 pound frame and a basketball background, Castles could certainly find a place on an NFL roster if he improves his abilities as a receiver.

It was a surprise to see Hall go undrafted. Ranked by Dane Brugler of The Athletic as the 11th-best defensive tackle and a projected fourth-round pick, Hall somehow fell out of all seven rounds. He doesn’t play with a ton of consistency but could prove impactful as a rotational player should he make the 53-man roster.

Though the Bulldogs were led in rushing yards by Daijun Edwards (880), Milton wasn’t far behind (790) and led the team in rushing touchdowns with 14. Milton is a thumper who could find an impact as a short-yardage or goal-line back, but his significant health issues throughout college prove a major hurdle to overcome moving forward.

Sam led the Tigers in interceptions (3) as another graduate transfer. He spent his first five years of college at McNeese State followed by a season at Marshall. He initially announced he would transfer from Marshall to Tulane before switching to LSU, where he would start all 13 games for the Tigers last year. Though he plays the physical role of a strong, box safety, he has more of the size of a smaller free safety and may have to find a role on special teams in order to make the roster in Philadelphia.

Jakeem Grant Attending Eagles Rookie Minicamp

May 2nd, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Ben Levine

After sitting out the past two seasons due to injury, Jakeem Grant will be looking to resume his career in Philadelphia. The former All-Pro special teamer will be attending the Eagles rookie minicamp, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

It wasn’t too long ago that Grant was one of the league’s top returnmen. He earned his first All-Pro nod in 2020 after returning 29 punts for 330 yards and one touchdown for the Dolphins. That season also coincided with his best offensive showing, as the part-time wideout finished the year with career-highs in receptions (36) and receiving yards (373).

He earned another All-Pro spot in 2021 after splitting the season between Miami and Chicago. He finished the year with another 300-plus punt return yards and a touchdown, and he also set a career-high with 539 kick return yards. In total, Grant has scored six career special teams tackles (four on punts, two on kicks), and he’s returned 119 punts and 110 kickoffs.

Grant signed a three-year, $14MM deal with the Browns prior to the 2022 campaign, but he didn’t end up getting into a single game with his new squad. An Achilles tear ended his 2022 season before it began, and a ruptured patella tendon wiped out his 2023 campaign.

Now, he’ll be hoping to restart his career in Philly. Second-round cornerback Cooper DeJean and fifth-round wideout Ainias Smith are assumed contenders for return spots with the Eagles. The team is also rostering veteran Parris Campbell, who returned eight kickoffs for the Giants last season. Grant will hope to parlay his minicamp appearance into a real contract, and he would then compete with that trio in training camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/24

April 30th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Waived: WR Kaden Davis, CB Quavian White

Dallas Cowboys

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: P Seth Vernon

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: DT Noah Elliss, WR Griffin Hebert, DB Tiawan Mullen, C Lecitus Smith

The Patriots have added some linebacker depth in Oshane Ximines, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants. A third-round pick in 2019, Ximines ended up getting into 48 games during his time in New York, compiling 71 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He was limited to only three games this past season while alternating between the Giants practice squad and active roster.

In New England, he’ll be reunited with outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, who previously served in the same role with the Giants. The Patriots will be hoping the new addition can provide some depth at strongside linebacker behind the likes of Matt Judon and Josh Uche.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/29/24

April 29th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Waived: LS Matt Hembrough

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: T Roy Mbaeteka

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Waived: S Tyreque Jones

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: DT Noah Elliss, WR Griffin Hebert, CB Tiawan Mullen, OL Lecitus Smith

The Eagles gave reserve/futures contracts to each of these players in January. Of this lot, only Smith — a 2022 Cardinals sixth-round pick — has played in a game. The young blocker started two games with Arizona as a rookie.

Mbaeteka will receive a second crack at developing with an NFL team through the league’s International Pathway Program. A Nigerian who did not play in high school or college, Mbaeteka spent last year on the Bears’ practice squad. Chicago cut the aspiring offensive lineman in March. Mbaeteka will not count against the Browns’ 90-man roster limit.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman Addresses 2024 Draft Strategy

April 29th, 2024 at 12:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles were busy on the trade front during this year’s draft, executing eight pick swaps over three days. That figure ties the record for the most in a single year since the event took on its current seven-round format.

[RELATED: Team-By-Team Draft Tracker]

Philadelphia’s efforts with respect to trades were notably aimed at acquiring extra draft capital in 2025. When speaking about that strategy, general manager Howie Roseman noted that the relatively shallow pool of prospects in this year’s class was a key factor. Added eligibility due to the pandemic as well as NIL deals led to just 58 underclassmen declaring for the 2024 draft.

That figure could change next year, though, something the Eagles are anticipating given their actions over the weekend. Philadelphia added three 2025 selections – a third-rounder from the Dolphins, a fourth-rounder from the Lions and a fifth-rounder from the Texans – through pick swaps. The team will also receive a second- or third-round selection next year through the Haason Reddick trade. As Roseman noted, the Eagles will also have a smaller UDFA class than usual in 2024.

“I think a big part of that is because we made a conscious decision after the season to try to get guys from team’s practice squads where we had some tape to watch,” Roseman said (via PHLY’s Zach Berman). “We felt like that was just for us kind of a unique opportunity that we wanted to try and take advantage of based on this class and knowing that this was a different class, and so it wouldn’t have a ton of the same opportunities in the undrafted market that maybe you’ll get next year…. I think it will be back to normal next year.”

The Eagles have yet to unveil their class of undrafted free agents, but Over the Cap lists the team has already having 88 players on their roster. The offseason limit in that regard is 90, so Roseman’s remarks will hold true in terms of signing free agents with the draft now in the books. Given the team’s added capital for next year, however, Philadelphia will certainly be worth watching closely in the spring of 2025.

Eagles To Sign T Mekhi Becton

April 28th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The Eagles are set to add to their depth at offensive tackle with Adam Schefter of ESPN reporting that the team will sign former Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. Pending a physical, Becton is in line to sign a one-year deal to head to Philadelphia.

Becton has had a rough go over the course of his rookie contract. The 11th overall draft pick for the Jets in 2020, Becton was a starter in his rookie season and graded out relatively well, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) marking him as the 31st best offensive tackle out of 79 graded players at the position.

In the season opener of his sophomore campaign, though, a teammate rolled up on his right leg. Becton was forced to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, and though New York never ruled him out of the remainder of the season, he failed to return for the rest of the year. His comeback the following year fell short when he reinjured the same knee in the first week at training camp, requiring major surgery that would cause him to miss the entire 2022 season.

Therefore, it felt like an accomplishment in its own right when Becton was able to start in 16 games last season. He didn’t grade out very well (66th of 81 per PFF), but being able to return and stay healthy for most of the season was a giant step in the right direction for the former first-round pick.

In Philadelphia, Becton won’t be asked to do too much too soon. The Eagles return both longtime starting tackle Lane Johnson and veteran left tackle Jordan Mailata. Some suspected that Philadelphia may be aiming to draft a tackle in the first round of the NFL Draft in an attempt to find Johnson’s eventual successor, with Johnson heading into his age-34 season, but the team opted to prioritize defense early and often this weekend, instead.

Becton won’t be asked for much with his new team. Johnson and Mailata are still expected to start, and Becton will likely act as the primary swing tackle coming off the bench. He’ll compete for that role with veterans Le’Raven Clark and Fred Johnson, but both Clark and Johnson have established careers as backups over their years in the league. Becton’s experience as a full-time starter should win out. Perhaps, if Becton shows promise, he will fulfill the team’s need at tackle when Johnson eventually retires.

Eagles To Host WR John Ross

April 28th, 2024 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles will host wide receiver John Ross during the team’s rookie camp this week, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports. Ross signed a reserve/futures deal with the Chiefs in January 2023 before announcing his retirement in July. A few months later, he had a change of heart, as Kansas City released him from the reserve/retired list so he could resume his playing career.

Ross, who is still just 28, was selected by the Bengals with the No. 9 overall pick of the 2017 draft. His athletic gifts were too tempting for the club to pass up, as the Washington product put up a 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 scouting combine, a record that held until Xavier Worthy — who was just selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2024 draft — broke it this year.

Of course, Ross never had much of an opportunity to put his speed to good use at the professional level, as injuries limited him to just 27 games over his four seasons in Cincinnati. He did show occasional flashes of promise, including a 2019 campaign in which he caught 28 balls for 506 yards, good for a whopping 18.1 yards-per-reception rate. His ability to produce those numbers in just eight games showed what he could do when he was healthy, but on the flip side, the fact that he was limited to eight games that year is indicative of how hard it was for him to stay on the field.

Following a 2020 season in which he was limited to only three games thanks in part to a foot injury, Ross hit free agency. He ended up catching on with the Giants on a one-year deal, catching 11 passes in 10 games for his new squad. He did not get into a game during the 2022 season, and he eventually signed the above-referenced futures contract with the Chiefs.

Obviously, an injury-plagued player who last played in an NFL game in January 2021 is a long shot to make any roster, and the Eagles boast two of the best (and wealthiest) wideouts in the game in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Behind that duo, however, the situation is a little more unsettled. Philadelphia added Parris Campbell in free agency this offseason, but he has hardly been a model of health in his career, and he failed to carve out much of a role for a receiver-needy Giants outfit in 2023.

The Eagles also signed DeVante Parker after he was released by the Patriots in March, and they added Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith on Day 3 of this year’s draft. So while there is plenty of competition in the club’s WR room, there does appear to be an opportunity for Ross to sneak onto the 53-man roster if he impresses the coaching staff enough to earn a contract and if he can stay healthy. At this point, those are two very big “ifs.”

2024 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

April 27th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is every team’s haul from the 2024 NFL Draft:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Round 2, No. 33 (from Panthers): Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
  • Round 2, No. 60: Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
  • Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): DeWayne Carter, DT (Duke)
  • Round 4, No. 128: Ray Davis (RB, Kentucky)
  • Round 5, No. 141 (from Giants through Panthers): Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (C, Georgia)
  • Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers): Edefuan Ulofoshio (LB, Washington)
  • Round 5, No. 168 (from Saints): Javon Solomon (EDGE, Troy)
  • Round 6, No. 204: Tylan Grable (T, Central Florida)
  • Round 6, No. 219 (from Packers): Daequan Hardy (CB, Penn State)
  • Round 7, No. 221 (from Panthers through Titans and Chiefs): Travis Clayton (T, England)

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Round 1: No. 1 (from Panthers): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
  • Round 1, No. 9: Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
  • Round 3, No. 75: Kiran Amegadjie (T, Yale)
  • Round 4, No. 122 (from Eagles): Tory Taylor (P, Iowa)
  • Round 5: No. 144 (reacquired from Bills): Austin Booker (EDGE, Kansas State)

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Round 2, No. 54: Michael Hall (DT, Ohio State)
  • Round 3, No. 85: Zak Zinter (G, Michigan)
  • Round 5, No. 156 (from Eagles through Cardinals): Jamari Thrash (WR, Louisville)
  • Round 6, No. 206 (from Ravens): Nathaniel Watson (LB, Mississippi State)
  • Round 7, No. 227 (from Titans): Myles Harden (CB, South Dakota)
  • Round 7, No. 243: Jowon Briggs (DT, Cincinnati)

Dallas Cowboys

  • Round 1, No. 29 (from Lions): Tyler Guyton (T, Oklahoma)
  • Round 2, No. 56: Marshawn Kneeland (EDGE, Western Michigan)
  • Round 3, No. 73 (from Vikings through Lions): Cooper Beebe (G, Kansas State)
  • Round 3, No. 87: Marist Liufau (LB, Notre Dame)
  • Round 5, No. 174: Caelen Carson (CB, Wake Forest)
  • Round 6, No. 216: Ryan Flournoy (WR, Southeast Missouri State)
  • Round 7, No. 233 (from Raiders): Nathan Thomas (T, Louisiana-Lafayette)
  • Round 7, No. 244: Justin Rogers (DT, Auburn)

Denver Broncos

  • Round 1, No. 12: Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
  • Round 3, No. 76: Jonah Elliss (EDGE, Utah)
  • Round 4, No. 102 (from Commanders through Seahawks): Troy Franklin (WR, Oregon)
  • Round 5, No. 145 (from Jets): Kris Abrams-Draine (CB, Missouri)
  • Round 5, No. 147: Audric Estime (RB, Notre Dame)
  • Round 7, No. 235 (from Seahawks): Devaughn Vele (WR, Utah)
  • Round 7, No. 256 (from Jets): Nick Gargiulo (C, South Carolina)

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