ERFA

Tendered:

• Bears: DE Roy Robertson-Harris, LB Isaiah Irving, OL Rashaad Coward
• Seahawks: LB Austin Calitro, LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, C Joey Hunt, RB J.D. McKissic, CB Kalan Reed

Non-tendered:

• Bears: S DeAndre Houston-Carson (via Howard Balzer on Twitter)
• Bengals: QB Brad Kaaya (via Balzer)
• Cardinals: LB Gabe Martin, DE Zach Moore, C Daniel Munyer (via Balzer)
• Chiefs: TE Alex Ellis (via Balzer)
• Colts: S Ronald Martin (via Balzer)
• Falcons: WR Marvin Hall (via Balzer)
• Giants: DT Kristjan Sokoli (via Balzer)
• Patriots: WR Cody Hollister (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
• Raiders: CB Tevin Mitchel (via Balzer)
• Rams: LB Garrett Sickels (via Balzer)
• Ravens: OT Steven Moore (via Balzer)
• Saints: DB Rickey Jefferson (per NOLA.com’s Josh Katzenstein, on Twitter)
• Seahawks: DE Ricky Ali’ifua, DB T.J. Green, RB Tre Madden, DB T.J. Mutcherson
• Steelers: T Joseph Cheek, S Malik Golden, LB Keith Kelsey, TE Jake McGee (via Balzer)
• Vikings: OT Cedrick Lang, TE Josiah Price (via Balzer)

RFA

Tendered at second-round level: 

• Seahawks: T George Fant (per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, on Twitter)

Tendered at original-round level:

• Chiefs: S Jordan Lucas
• Saints: CB Ken Crawley (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate)
• Seahawks: DL Quinton Jefferson (via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, on Twitter)

Non-tendered: 

• Bears: LS Patrick Scales (via Balzer)
• Bengals: TE Matt Lengel (via Balzer)
• Bills: TE Logan Thomas (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
• Broncos: QB Kevin Hogan, LB Deiontrez Mount, WR Jordan Taylor (via Balzer)
• Browns: CB Juston Burris, TE Orson Charles (via Balzer)
• Buccaneers: TE Alan Cross, CB Javien Elliott, T Leonard Wester (via Balzer)
• Cardinals: LB Jeremy Cash, OT John Wetzel (via Balzer)
• Chiefs: LB Terrance Smith (via Balzer)
• Dolphins: WR Leonte Carroo (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald)
• 49ers: S Tyvis Powell (via Balzer)
• Jaguars: OG Chris Reed (via Balzer)
• Jets: DT Destiny Vaeao (via Balzer)
• Panthers: WR Damiere Byrd (via Balzer)
• Raiders: DE Shilique Calhoun (via Balzer)
• Redskins: WR Maurice Harris (per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, on Twitter), RB Rob Kelley (via Balzer)
• Saints: WR Tommylee Lewis (via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com, on Twitter)

The Colts waived Kaaya on Friday. He lands in a spot with more potential upward mobility and with a revamped coaching staff.

Cincinnati opted not to bring in a veteran backup to replace A.J. McCarron last year, and when Dalton went down last season, former sixth-round pick Jeff Driskel finished the season as the Bengals’ starter. Driskel’s 176 career pass attempts are 176 more than Kaaya has attempted.

But new Bengals HC Zac Taylor will attempt to see what Kaaya can do. New Bengals quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan likely played a role here; he was Kaaya’s position coach with the Lions in 2017.

A 2017 sixth-round pick, Kaaya will head to a fourth NFL city. The Lions, Panthers and Colts have cut ties with the former Miami quarterback who was once viewed as a possible first-round pick. Inconsistency dropped him to a Day 3 prospect.

Kaaya, 24 in September, was once viewed as the potential first overall pick in the 2017 draft, but ended up falling to the sixth round after an inconsistent final season at Miami. Since being selected by the Lions, Kaaya has bounced around the NFL via waiver claims and free agent deals, spending time with the Panthers, the Lions (again), and — most recently — the Colts. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.

Last year, the Colts waived/injured Kaaya prior to the start of the season. When he went unclaimed, he reverted back to the Colts’ IR.

For now, the Colts will focus on a QB depth chart headlined by Andrew Luck and trade candidate Jacoby Brissett.

Kaaya, 22, was once viewed as the potential first overall pick in the 2017 draft, but ended up falling to the sixth round after an inconsistent final season at Miami. Since being selected by the Lions, Kaaya has bounced around the NFL via waiver claims and free agent deals, spending time with the Panthers, the Lions (again), and — most recently — the Colts. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.

Despite his lack of production, Kaaya could still conceivably garner interest on the waiver wire. Any number of teams that expressed interest in Kaaya leading up to the 2017 draft — a list that includes the Bears, Giants, Dolphins, and Texans — could theoretically put in a claim. If Kaaya isn’t claimed on waivers, he’ll revert to Indianapolis’ injured reserve list.

Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett are locked in as the Colts’ top two quarterbacks, while Phillip Walker is the club’s No. 3 option. However, Indianapolis is only expected to keep two signal-callers on its 53-man roster, meaning Walker’s time on the squad will likely end soon.

It’s yet another move for the Miami product, who was drafted by the Lions and cut entering the regular season. He was then claimed by the Panthers on Sept. 3 and then released on Oct. 17. Detroit swooped in to reclaim him on Oct. 18, but was cut yet again just five days later. He rejoined the team and was assigned to the practice squad just days later and served there until the Colts snagged him.

With the Hurricanes, Kaaya appeared in 38 games in his first three seasons and amassed 9,968 yards before declaring for the draft following his junior season. Though he was projected as a third- or fourth-round pick in 2017, Kaaya slipped all the way to the sixth round.

With Andrew Luck set to return in 2018 and current starter Jacoby Brissett under contract through 2019, it seems unlikely Kaaya will contribute with the Colts in the future.

Billingsley, 24, first joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2016. A product of NAIA school Eastern Oregon, Billingsley spent the bulk of 2016 on the Lions’ practice squad and earned a promotion to the 53-man team later in the year. He did not dress for a game, however.

Kaaya, a sixth-round pick, was in the same Lions rookie class as Billingsley. In September, the Lions opted against keeping Kaaya around as a third-string project. They forged ahead with Matthew Stafford and Jake Rudock as their only QBs on the varsity squad and missed their chance to stash Kaaya on the p-squad when the Panthers claimed him. On Oct. 18, they claimed him off of waivers from the Panthers, but released him on Monday in order to make room for the return of Khyri Thornton.

It appears that Kaaya’s stock has cooled since the spring of 2016 when evaluators were drooling over his football IQ. His reps likely could not find a 53-man roster spot for him elsewhere, leading him to the Lions’ taxi squad.

Over the summer, Thornton was handed a six game suspension by the NFL for violating the league’s policy and program for substance abuse. Assuming he’s active, he’ll make his 2017 debut on Sunday against Pittsburgh.

Thornton, 28 next month, entered the league as a third-round pick of the Packers in 2014. However, it wasn’t until the next year when he finally saw live NFL action with the Lions. Last year, Thornton made 13 appearances for Detroit, including six starts. Thornton registered his first career sack and racked up 19 tackles, leading the Lions to re-sign him to a two-year, $3.3MM deal.

After appearing in 29.9 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps last year, Thornton was being counted upon as depth for Detroit on the D-Line. His ban was a source of frustration in Detroit, but on the plus side Thornton will have fresh legs as he offers support for the front four.

In the wake of Haloti Ngata‘s biceps injury, the Lions are starting A’Shawn Robinson and Akeem Spence at defensive tackle.

Kaaya first broke into the league as a sixth-round pick of Detroit in 2016. Although he didn’t have the arm strength of others in his class, scouts were enamored with his football IQ and poise. When he was displaced from the Lions’ roster in early September, the Panthers were there waiting to grab him off of waivers. Now, he’s back where he started after the Panthers booted him in favor of Garrett Gilbert.

Smith, 27, was a serviceable edge rusher for the Buccaneers (13.5 sacks combined in 2014 and 2015) before a torn ACL shut him down just one game into the 2016 season. This fall, he was cut by Tampa Bay, freeing him up to try out for the Lions this week.

Johnson spent the 2014 season with the Lions and proved to be an effective edge rusher. They circled back to him this year and they were optimistic about what he could do.

“He’s still the same guy that works extremely hard, heavy-handed guy that can make some things happen and the rest of it we’ll see,” coach Jim Caldwell said in September. “I mean, he had an outstanding year that year, and those are hard to duplicate, but he will contribute to our team.”

Johnson had six sacks for the Lions in 2014, but he recorded just two tackles in four games for them this year.

Jones signed with Detroit on October 10, but did not suit up for the Lions in their last game. He never got to actually play for the Lions, but on the plus side, he can say that he has been with three of the NFC North’s four teams.

The 22-year-old was in the first-round discussion as recently as 2015, but a disappointing 2016 season at Miami caused him to drop to the sixth round. After the Lions opted to go in a different direction in early September, Carolina claimed Kaaya off waivers. Kaaya’s off the team now, but the Panthers may seek to stash him on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Gilbert will now serve as the No. 3 quarterback behind Cam Newton and Derek Anderson. His promotion could be a sign that another team tried to sign him to a 53-man deal off of the Panthers’ taxi squad.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Atlanta Falcons

• Signed to practice squad:
  • DB Marcelis Branch
  • OT Daniel Brunskill
  • WR Deante Burton
  • TE Alex Gray
  • WR Marvin Hall
  • DE J’Terius Jones
  • TE Joshua Perkins
  • RB Jhurell Pressley
  • DT Taniela Tupou
  • DT Joe Vellano

Carolina Panthers

• Claimed:
  • DB Demetrious Cox
  • QB Brad Kaaya (story)
• Waived:
  • FB Alex Armah
• Placed on IR:
  • CB Corn Elder
• Signed to practice squad:
  • QB Garrett Gilbert
  • WR Keyarris Garrett
  • WR Mose Frazier
  • OT Blaine Clausell
  • DE Bryan Cox Jr.
  • DE Zach Moore
  • DE Efe Obada
  • DT Eric Crume
  • S Damian Parms
  • S Dezmen Southward

New Orleans Saints

• Claimed:
  • WR Austin Carr (story)
  • QB Taysom Hill (story)
• Cut:
  • FB John Kuhn (story)
  • DE Darryl Tapp
• Signed to practice squad:
  • DL Alex Jenkins
  • OL Landon Turner
  • WR Max McCaffrey
  • OL Kristjan Sokoli
  • TE Garrett Griffin
  • LB Adam Bighill
  • OL John Fullington
  • CB Arthur Maulet
  • C Cameron Tom
  • WR Travin Dural

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Signed to practice squad:
  • DE Sterling Bailey
  • LB Riley Bullough
  • RB Russell Hansbrough
  • FB Austin Johnson
  • S Isaiah Johnson
  • G Michael Liedtke
  • T Marquis Lucas
  • WR Freddie Martino
  • CB Jonathan Moxey
  • WR Bobo Wilson

Kaaya, 21, had been in the first-round discussion as recently as 2015, but a poor 2016 campaign at Miami caused him to fall to Round 6. Detroit waived him yesterday, opting to go forward with only Jake Rudock behind starter Matthew Stafford.

Carolina only has two signal-callers — Cam Newton and Derek Anderson — on its current roster. Kaaya could either serve as the club’s third quarterback, or the Panthers could attempt to sneak him through waivers again with the intention of placing him on their practice squad.

Detroit drafted Kaaya in the sixth round out of Miami, bringing him in to develop behind Matthew Stafford and Jake Rudock. But Kaaya’s Lions progression might end early. The former Hurricanes standout will be placed on waivers and could be a Lions practice squad option if he makes it through, but that’s not a given.

Kaaya loomed as a possible Day 2 or early-Day 3 pick during the pre-draft process, but he fell to the sixth round. This cut comes shortly after reports circulated Rudock was generating trade interest, but it appears the Lions will stick with the second-year backup — a 2016 sixth-round pick.

At safety, Detroit has starters Glover Quin — who is in a contract year — and Tavon Wilson, with backups Miles Killebrew and Don Carey behind them. It’s a thinner situation than cornerback looks, as Roster Resource details, but Meinke notes Carter is no lock to make the team. More is expected of Killebrew, a 2016 fourth-round selection, in Year 2, and Carey is a constant on special teams. Jim Caldwell identified Carter’s frame, at 6-foot and 205 pounds, as a reason for the move.

Here’s more out of the Motor City.

• The Chiefs made one of the more surprising moves of the offseason by making Jeremy Maclin an old-school, June 2 cut. Maclin immediately vaults to the top of the UFA wide receiver contingent, and the Lions could still be in need of a third reliable wideout after Anquan Boldin‘s contract expired. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com weighs the fit for Maclin in Detroit, noting the salary would have to be right. Maclin just saw the Chiefs move on from a five-year, $55MM contract. That said, Maclin, at 29, probably profiles as a player who will want a role more substantial than as a No. 3 behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones. Tate earns $6.2MM per year, and Jones averages $8MM annually. A Maclin commitment may be untenable. Boldin fits that description better, but the sides haven’t talked a deal in a while.
• June 1 passing means the Lions do, however, gain $5.99MM in cap space after the funds from DeAndre Levy‘s release became available, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap notes. The Lions now possess $8.638MM in cap space. Levy’s deal will saddle the team with $4.8MM in 2017 dead money.
• Third-round wide receiver Kenny Golladay remains the only Lions draft choice unsigned. This is due to the CBA’s cloudier language regarding third-round picks, with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noting third-rounders’ base salaries in Years 2-4 of their contracts can fluctuate compared to players chosen in every other round of the draft. Golladay, though, is working out with the team and expected to be signed by training camp.
• Jarrad Davis signed a fully guaranteed rookie deal worth $10.969MM, Birkett reports. Davis receives a $6.117MM signing bonus. Tabor, assigned to travel from Florida to the Motor City a round after Davis, saw the Lions fully guarantee the base salaries in his first two seasons. Tabor’s signing bonus came in at $1.647MM, per Birkett. Both ex-Gators will have $465K base salaries as rookies.
• Sixth-round quarterback Brad Kaaya signed for four years and $2.523MM after being a one-time Day 2 prospect, Birkett reports, with a $123K signing bonus. None of the Lions’ draft choices received any additional bonuses beyond their signing bonus.

When the Cowboys drafted Prescott, there was little expectation he’d garner significant playing time right away, let alone thrive from the get-go, with Tony Romo on the roster. But debilitating summer injuries to Romo and backup Kellen Moore opened the door for Prescott, who’s now firmly entrenched under center in Dallas. Romo, realizing he wasn’t going to start again for the Cowboys, is now working for CBS.

While it’s hard to imagine any rookie quarterback from this year’s 10-man class bursting on the scene in Prescott-like fashion, it stands to reason at least some will get opportunities to do so. Like last year, three passers went in the first round of the 2017 draft, though immediate playing time isn’t a guarantee for any. For now, Mitch Trubisky (No. 2 overall, Bears), Patrick Mahomes (No. 10, Chiefs) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12, Texans) are in understudy roles.

Trubisky, a one-year starter at North Carolina for whom Chicago somewhat controversially traded up a spot to select, reportedly won’t see the field as a rookie unless free agent investment Mike Glennon flops. Considering Glennon previously held a starting job in Tampa Bay but didn’t do enough to keep it, he very well could struggle enough for Trubisky to grab the reins in 2017.

Watson might also take the helm sooner than later, as the ex-Clemson national championship winner whom the Texans traded up 13 spots to draft is behind a veteran, Tom Savage, who’s almost completely untested. Given that the Texans have sullied quality rosters with subpar quarterbacks in recent seasons, it could behoove them to plug in Watson if Savage, he of two career starts and zero touchdown passes, looks like another Brock Osweiler this year.

An early path to playing time appears less clear for Mahomes, even though Kansas City paid a high price to go up 17 places to secure him. At the moment, the ex-Texas Tech gunslinger looks like a good bet to red shirt 2017 behind Alex Smith as the Chiefs take at least one more kick at the Super Bowl can with the steady (albeit non-elite) veteran at the helm.

Perhaps more than any other QB in this year’s class, Browns second-rounder DeShone Kizer stands out as someone who looks destined to amass playing time as a rookie. The 52nd pick and former Notre Dame dual threat has impressed in the very early going in Cleveland. Moreover, his main competitors for the Browns’ open starting job, Osweiler and Cody Kessler, aren’t exactly Otto Graham and Bernie Kosar.

As Prescott and 2012 third-rounder Russell Wilson have shown in the past half-decade, a quarterback doesn’t necessarily have to come off the board at the top of the draft to star right away. That’s surely heartening to the Giants’ Davis Webb (third round, No. 87), the 49ers’ C.J. Beathard (third round, No. 104), the Steelers’ Joshua Dobbs (fourth round, No. 135), the Bills’ Nathan Peterman (fifth round, No. 171), the Lions’ Brad Kaaya (sixth round, No. 215) and the Broncos’ Chad Kelly (seventh round, No. 253). Barring injuries, though, Webb, Dobbs and Kaaya have virtually no chance to earn starting roles at any point in 2017, as each is behind an established veteran. On the other hand, there’s no Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger or Matthew Stafford on any of the rosters of the 49ers, Bills and Broncos, which could give Beathard, Peterman and Kelly a glimmer of hope. Still, for various reasons, all three look like major long shots to break out as rookies. Then again, the same could’ve been said about Prescott 12 months ago.

Photos via USA Today Sports Images and Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Draft Signings:

• 1-21: Jarrad Davis, LB (Florida) 
• 2-53: Teez Tabor, CB (Florida)
• 4-124: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Tennessee
• 4-127: Michael Roberts, TE (Toledo)
• 5-165: Jamal Agnew, DB (San Diego)
• 6-205: Jeremiah Ledbetter, DT (Arkansas)
• 6-215: Brad Kaaya, QB (Miami)
• 7-250: Pat O’Connor, DE (Eastern Michigan)

UDFAs:

• Brandon Barnes, TE (Alabama State)
• Alex Barrett, DE (San Diego State)
• Dontez Ford, WR (Pittsburgh)
• Tion Green, RB (Cincinnati)
• Nick James, DT (Mississippi State)
• Leo Koloamatangi, OL (Hawaii)
• Desmond Lawrence, CB (North Carolina)
• Storm Norton, OT (Toledo)
• Michael Rector, WR (Stanford)
• Maurice Swain, DT (Auburn)
• Noel Thomas, WR (UConn)
• Josh Thornton, CB (Southern Utah)
• Robert Tonyan, TE (Indiana State)
• Jeremiah Valoaga, DE (UNLV)

As far as draft picks go, Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay is the only player that has yet to put pen to paper. The reason for the delay is not known, but third round picks often take longer to sign than other picks as things are less rigid in those slots.

Davis was said to be a target of the Dolphins at No. 22, so it’s a good thing that the Lions were up at No. 21. Davis impressed scouts at his Pro Day when he posted a 4.56 40-yard dash and 38.5 inch vertical jump. As shown on Roster Resource, Davis may be in for a starting role in 2017.

Tabor fell to the Lions at No. 53 but some draft analysts, like NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, felt that he should have gone much higher. The Florida product suffered a hamstring injury during his workout with Detroit and was unable to audition for other teams, so that might explain why he was still available. Then again, we’ve seen “pretend injuries” before, so it’s possible there was a wink-wink deal between Tabor’s team and the Lions.

Kaaya was said to have one of the highest football IQs of any quarterback in this year’s class. It remains to be seen whether he has the arm to make it as an NFL quarterback, but the Lions believe that he can be a solid backup QB, at minimum.

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter), Valoaga got $22K guaranteed ($12K bonus, $10K base) to sign with Detroit. Typically, UDFAs get around $5K, so that’s a sign that Valoaga had at least a few teams interested in adding him to the 90-man roster.