HEADLINES

D.J. Humphries

Cardinals Sign D.J. Humphries

June 1st, 2015 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals have become the latest team to finish signing their draft picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that first-round offensive tackle D.J. Humphries has inked his rookie contract with the team.

The 24th overall pick in this year’s draft, Humphries was initially expected to start at right tackle for the Cardinals, across from Jared Veldheer. However, head coach Bruce Arians recently indicated that the right tackle job is Bobby Massie‘s to lose, so Humphries will have to impress the team in training camp to earn a shot at regular playing time.

Per Over The Cap, Humphries’ four-year contract is worth about $8.912MM, with a signing bonus of about $4.742MM. The Cardinals will also hold a fifth-year option on the former Florida Gator, giving the club the opportunity to extend his deal through the 2019 season.

To keep tabs on all of this year’s rookie signings, be sure to check out our tracker.

AFC Notes: S. Brown, Texans, Pats, Titans

April 22nd, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent safety Stevie Brown, who is said to be close to deciding on where to sign, visited the Texans yesterday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Houston already signed one free agent safety this offseason, adding Rahim Moore, so we’ll see if the club makes a play for Brown, who may prefer the Giants if everything is equal.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Georgia running back Todd Gurley is in New England today to meet with the Patriots, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gurley is widely considered a strong bet to come off the board in the first round, so he may not last until the Pats’ pick at the very end of the first.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk doesn’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that the Titans would draft a wide receiver with the second overall pick next Thursday.
  • The Broncos are hosting Florida offensive lineman D.J. Humphries and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on pre-draft visits today, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
  • Offensive lineman Chris Hairston got a $25K bonus on his new minimum salary deal with the Chargers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Taiwan Jones, who started his career with the Raiders as a running back before moving to cornerback in 2013, will return to running back this year, according to Oakland’s official site. Whether he’s listed on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, Jones contributes primarily as a special teamer.
  • Intriguing Hobart guard Ali Marpet is visiting the Browns today, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

Extra Points: Winston, Gregory, Suh

April 16th, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston‘s off-field troubles persist, with the former Heisman Trophy winner being sued over a sexual assault allegation, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Matt Baker on Twitter.

The suit was filed by the same woman who accused Winston of rape in December 2012, citing claims of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and “intentional infliction of emotional distress arising out of forcible rape,” Baker reports.

Attorneys for the woman filed a civil suit against Florida State in January. The Tallahassee Police Department did not charge Winston.

Here are some additional news items from around the league on Thursday.

  • Randy Gregory will visit the Titans on Friday, reports the Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt on Twitter. The Titans have already worked out pass-rushers Vic Beasley, Dante Fowler Jr., and Shane Ray.
  • The Lions hosted Florida offensive lineman D.J. Humphries and all-purpose runner, receiver and returner Marcus Murphy of Missouri on pre-draft visits, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Humphries is viewed as a probable first-round pick, while Murphy may be a late-rounder or an undrafted free agent.
  • Utah offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi has drawn interest from at least 15 NFL teams, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. According to Caplan (via Twitter) that Poutasi has visits with the Buccaneers, Colts, Eagles, and others, and workouts with the Panthers, Chargers, Raiders, Giants, Titans, and 49ers. Caplan adds (via Twitter) that most clubs project the Utah product as a right tackle or left guard in the NFL.
  • Colorado State-Pueblo pass-rusher Darius Allen‘s been busy in his quest for an NFL shot, despite hailing from a Division II school. The outside linebacker/defensive end has visited the Cardinals and Colts and worked out for the Seahawks and Cowboys in addition to doing so for the aforementioned franchises, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
  • Western Carolina safety Ace Clark has been invited to participate in the Ravens‘ local pro day on Tuesday, Wilson reports.
  • Also from Wilson: Purdue running back Raheem Mostert had a private workout for the Chiefs (Twitter link).
  • CBS Sports’ Joel Corry examined how the recent mega-contracts for Ben Roethlisberger and Ndamukong Suh will affect the upcoming quarterback market, including the 2012 draft class. The former agent said agents of yet-to-be extended quarterbacks will use the Suh extension to their advantage, given that the new Dolphins defensive tackle is being paid like a high-level signal-caller. Suh’s $59MM fully guaranteed cash is far more than top-market QBs Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees received in their recent extensions.
  • Hoping for clarity heading into the draft on suspended wideout Justin Blackmon, the Jaguars received none from the NFL, according to Ryan O’Halloran from the Florida Times-Union on Twitter. The league office reportedly gave the NFL Players Association no timetable. Blackmon’s been suspended since November 2013.

Luke Adams contributed to this report

South Notes: Winston, Titans, David, Draft

April 9th, 2015 at 6:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is expected to be selected by the Buccaneers with the draft’s first overall pick, but the Titans, owners of the No. 2 pick, are covering all their bases. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Winston will be in Nashville on Monday to meet with Titans. Tennessee met with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota today, so the club is certainly exploring every avenue when it comes to signal-callers.

Let’s take a look at more from the South divisions…

  • One of the top outside linebackers in the NFL, Lavonte David isn’t tied to a fifth-year option given that he was selected in the second round. Now that David is entering the final year of his rookie deal, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht says extending the star OLB will be a top priority for the club following the draft (Twitter link via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune).
  • Licht also allowed that the Buccaneers will probably look to select offensive lineman in the draft, noting that scheme fit will be a key concern, per Cummings (on Twitter).
  • Like the Bucs, the Panthers are in need of offensive line help, and Carolina native D.J. Humphries could be available at the end of the first round. The Florida product seems excited about the possibility of returning home, telling reporters, including David Newton of ESPN.com, that “being in Charlotte would be awesome.”
  • Given that the Titans already re-signed Derrick Morgan and brought in Brian Orakpo, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com examines whether it makes sense for the club to target an edge rusher in the draft.

Draft Updates: Monday

January 5th, 2015 at 8:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As one of the top offensive lineman available, Stanford tackle Andrus Peat is a projected first-round pick in the 2015 draft, but there’s one catch — he hasn’t officially declared yet. However, multiple sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that the junior is expected to enter the draft, so we’ll probably hear an announcement before the January 15 deadline. Here’s more updates on NCAA underclassmen…

  • Like Peat, fellow offensive lineman Ronnie Staley hasn’t yet declared for the draft, and he remains truly undecided, per Getlin (via Twitter). The Notre Dame product would rank as the No. 1 OT in the draft, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld.
  • Rice defensive lineman Christian Covington has declared for the 2015 draft, according to Joe Schad of ESPN (Twitter link). Covington, who underwent knee surgery in November, is the seventh-rated DT on CBSSports.com’s rankings.
  • Penn State tight end Jesse James will forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 draft, according to a press release. James holds the record for touchdown catches by a Nittany Lion TE.
  • Announcing the news himself via Twitter, Florida offensive tackle D.J. Humphries revealed he’ll skip his senior season and enter the draft. A highly-sought after high school player, Humphries had trouble staying healthy in Gainesville, and is rated as the 20th overall tackle per WalterFootball.com.
  • Washington State defensive end Xavier Cooper told CougFan.com that he’ll enter the 2015 draft. Cooper, a three-year starter who racked up five sacks last season, said he expects to be a third- or fourth-round pick.
  • Kansas receiver Nigel King has declared for the 2015 draft, the school announced via press release. King, who caught 29 balls for 518 yards in 2014, could go undrafted, as he isn’t ranked on CBSSports.com’s list of the top 150 WRs.