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Deiondre’ Hall

Extra Points: Broncos, Redskins, Raiders

March 26th, 2017 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos were reportedly all but out of the Tony Romo sweepstakes as of Friday, and nothing has occurred at the NFL owners meetings to suggest otherwise. Broncos general manager John Elway hasn’t engaged in any trade talks at the meetings with Cowboys CEO and fellow competition committee member Stephen Jones, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “We’ve been here all week and his name never came up,’’ said Elway, who also gave further votes of confidence to Denver’s current top two QBs, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, per Klis. Even if the Cowboys end up releasing Romo, the expectation is Elway will still pass on the soon-to-be 37-year-old, notes Klis, who nonetheless cautions to “never say never.”

More from around the league:

  • It looks as though the Redskins will go without a general manager for a while longer. Team president Bruce Allen indicated Sunday that they won’t make any front office additions until after the draft, and it’s not even a lock a new hire will take on the GM role, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. That seems to jibe with the notion that the Redskins have had difficulty finding a suitable replacement for the fired Scot McCloughan.
  • There’s reportedly a “good shot” the Giants will re-sign free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who has encountered a surprisingly tepid market for his services, and owner John Mara revealed Sunday that they do want to keep him. However, Big Blue would like to do so “without being irresponsible,” he told Tom Rock of Newsday. At this stage, it’s highly doubtful anyone will sign Hankins to an onerous contract, which could work in the Giants’ favor. Mara went on to call Hankins “an important part of our team” and “a great kid,” further fueling the possibility that the two sides will reach an agreement.
  • Chargers owner Dean Spanos, who relocated his franchise earlier this year, has publicly thrown his support behind the AFC West rival Raiders’ goal to leave Oakland for Las Vegas. Spanos said Sunday that the Las Vegas Raiders would be a “great thing,” and that he’ll vote to make a Sin City franchise a reality Monday, tweets Troy Renck of Denver7. Patriots owner Robert Kraft also used the word “great” to describe the idea of the Raiders in Nevada, while the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones promised that Monday will be an “exciting day for Las Vegas” (Twitter links here). It’s becoming clear that Raiders owner Mark Davis will secure the necessary 23 approval votes from the league’s other 31 owners and leave Oakland behind.
  • Bears cornerback Deiondre’ Hall and Packers corner Makinton Dorleant were arrested together Saturday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa, according to the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office (via KWWL). Hall is facing three misdemeanor charges – suspicion of interference, disorderly conduct and public intoxication – and was tasered, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Dorleant, meanwhile, was booked for suspicion of interference. Hall and Dorleant, who were college teammates at Northern Iowa, entered the pros last season. Hall, a fourth-round pick, appeared in eight games as a rookie and picked up five tackles as an interceptions. Dorleant went undrafted and then made one tackle in four games.

Draft Pick Signings: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Colts

May 6th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Checking in on the latest rookie signings from around the NFL…

  • Two offensive linemen – third-rounder Isaac Seumalo and fifth-rounder Halapoulivaati Vaitai – have agreed to deals with the Eagles, the team tweeted. Seumalo went 79th in the draft after playing various positions, mostly center, along Oregon State’s O-line. Vaitai, the 164th pick, made 30 starts at tackle (primarily on the right side) during his TCU tenure.
  • The Colts have signed fourth-round linebacker Antonio Morrison, the 125th overall choice, according to a team press release. Morrison was a four-year starter at Florida.
  • Packers general manager Ted Thompson announced the signings of four draftees — fourth-rounders Blake Martinez (linebacker, Stanford) and Dean Lowry (defensive end, Northwestern), fifth-rounder Trevor Davis (receiver, California) and sixth-rounder Kyle Murphy (offensive tackle, Stanford). Those four were Green Bay’s final picks of this year’s draft. The team still has to lock up its top three selections, including first-round defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
  • The Bears inked fourth-round defensive back Deiondre’ Hall to a four-year deal worth $2.85MM, including a $510,982 signing bonus, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hall, the 127th pick, piled up 13 interceptions during his four years at Northern Iowa.
  • The Vikings have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Willie Beavers and fifth-round linebacker Kentrell Brothers, per a team press release. Beavers was a stalwart at left tackle for Western Michigan before the Vikings grabbed him with the 121st choice, while Brothers – the 160th selection – was a prolific defensive playmaker at Missouri.
  • The Steelers announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Travis Feeney, a former University of Washington standout and the 220th overall pick.

South Notes: Jaguars, Reed, Panthers, Falcons

March 24th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

While Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell appears confident that the team has improved its pass rush this offseason, it sounds like head coach Gus Bradley wouldn’t mind adding another pass rusher or two, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union details. Caldwell pointed to Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., and Sen’Derrick Marks as three players capable of getting after the quarterback that essentially weren’t a part of last year’s team (in some cases due to injuries). Bradley, meanwhile, suggests that Jacksonville will keep an eye on pass rushers during and after the draft.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s South divisions:

  • In another O’Halloran piece, the Times-Union scribe notes that the Jaguars appear to have offered punter Bryan Anger a multiyear contract before signing Brad Nortman. Anger ultimately signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay.
  • The Panthers met with and worked out Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed this week, and will have him in for a visit next month, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Reed coming off the board at No. 19 to Buffalo, 11 spots before the Panthers’ first pick.
  • Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee is working out for the Falcons today, telling Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that it’s the first workout on his schedule. “From what they told me at the combine, they need a lot of speed on the defensive side of the ball,” Lee said. Interestingly, McShay’s mock draft from today has Atlanta nabbing Lee with the 17th overall pick.
  • The Titans are taking a close look at a couple University of Florida prospects, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, who writes that the team has worked out and met with inside linebacker Antonio Morrison and defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. Per McCormick, Tennessee has also put Northern Iowa cornerback Deiondre’ Hall through a workout.
  • Before his pro day, Campbell defensive tackle Greg Milhouse had a dinner meeting with the Saints, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Head coach Sean Payton said this week that adding to the defensive line is a top priority for New Orleans heading into the draft.