HEADLINES

Cyril Richardson

Draft Signings: Dolphins, Cowboys, Bills

May 23rd, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

By our count, after Trent Murphy signed his rookie contract this morning, 164 of 256 draftees had at least agreed to terms with their new NFL teams, leaving less than 100 players yet to be signed. Another handful of draft picks have reached agreements since then, so let’s round up the latest….

  • The Dolphins announced this morning (via Twitter) that they’ve signed sixth-round wideout Matt Hazel, and also confirmed the signing of fifth-round linebacker Jordan Tripp, which was reported yesterday. Hazel’s signing bonus will be worth nearly $106K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
  • In addition to signing Hazel, the Dolphins have also agreed to terms with seventh-round defensive end Terrence Fede, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). With Hazel, Tripp, and Fede locked up, the Dolphins have addressed their last four draft picks, and will now shift their focus to their earlier selections, including first-rounder Ja’Wuan James.
  • Fifth-round receiver Devin Street has signed his four-year rookie contract with the Cowboys, agent Andy Simms announced today (via Twitter). Like Miami, the Cowboys are working backward through their draftees — Dallas’ last six picks have now agreed to terms, while the club’s top three selections remain unsigned.
  • The Bills announced today in a press release that they’ve signed fifth-round tackle Cyril Richardson, leaving first-rounder Sammy Watkins and second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio as the only Buffalo draftees who still need to sign. Richardson will get a $192K signing bonus, according to Fitzgerald.

Draft Notes: Wright, Robinson, Reilly

April 20th, 2014 at 6:38pm CST by Peter Sowards

When the Seahawks selected linebacker K.J. Wright with the No. 99 overall pick in 2011, no trumpets sounded or ticker-tape parades held — that’s about where he was slated to go, writes Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. But, since draft day three years ago, Wright has proven himself to be an anchor of an underrated linebacking corps, earning the No. 18 spot of the top 25 best Seahawks draft picks of all time. Wright has the third-most tackles of any defender from the 2011 draft class (164), behind Tampa Bay’s Mason Foster (199) and Houston’s J.J. Watt (192).

More draft notes below…

  • Auburn offensive lineman Greg Robinson will meet with the Rams, holders of the No. 2 overall pick, writes Joel A. Erickson of AL.com. But, since the Rams have already met with Robinson at the team’s facilities in St. Louis, the meeting will take place at Auburn or at Robinson’s high school in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
  • Utah end/linebacker Trevor Reilly is one of 11 prospects chronicling his journey to the NFL Draft for USA TODAY Sports. In this piece published today via Tom Pelissero, Reilly speaks of his recent team workouts and updates us on the condition of his knee:

“My workouts with the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars two weeks ago were positive. Both coaches were awesome. The linebacker coaches came out and worked me out, and we got in the film room. My body feels good and my knee feels good, and I think during the workouts, I showed I can move around well even though I’m a pretty tall guy.”

“My knee is 100 percent now. It’s never felt better. If there were a football game tomorrow, I’d be fine. I don’t even think I’ll have a brace going into my first practice of rookie minicamp. The reason why I wore it last year is I came back so early from ACL surgery – I had the surgery in December and I was back in August – my head coach and my trainer made me wear it just as a precaution. But to me it was more of an insurance policy. It wasn’t that I needed it. It was to make sure I didn’t reinjure myself. I think my surgeon did a great job with my ACL and with the cleanup of the meniscus, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

  • Lindenwood cornerback Pierre Desir may come from a small school, but he plays with great size and experience, writes Arjuna Ramgopal of WEEI.com.
  • Baylor guard Cyril Richardson could be a depth pick for the Bears offensive line, but holes on defense might preclude the team from taking an offensive lineman that high, per CSNChicago.com.