HEADLINES

Jeremy Gallon

Draft Signings: Jets, Pats, Saints, Chiefs

May 16th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

With many rookie minicamps underway, it’s clear that a good portion of the players drafted last week have been eager to get their contract situations taken care of so they can focus solely on football. Several more draftees reached agreements or signed their deals today, so let’s round up the latest….

  • No team drafted more players than the 12 the Jets selected last week, and few clubs have been more proactive about getting those draftees under contract. The club announced today in a press release that Jalen Saunders, a fourth-rounder, is the latest player to sign on the dotted line, meaning only first-round safety Calvin Pryor and two other Jets draft picks still need to ink their deals.
  • Fourth-round running back James White and seventh-round receiver Jeremy Gallon have signed with the Patriots, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. We heard earlier today that Cameron Fleming had also signed, so New England is putting a dent into its draft class.
  • In addition to confirming the previously reported signing of sixth-rounder Tavon Rooks, the Saints announced today that they’ve also locked up a pair of fifth-round picks, safety Vinnie Sunseri and linebacker Ronald Powell. Both players should receive four-year deals worth a little less than $2.4MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, and their signings mean New Orleans has secured half of its 2014 draft class.
  • Fourth-round running back and receiver De’Anthony Thomas is the latest draftee to sign with the Chiefs, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Thomas should be in line for a signing bonus of about $420K, per Fitzgerald.
  • Safety Ahmad Dixon became the fourth Cowboy taken in the seventh round to sign his rookie deal, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • According to Robert Herron himself (via Twitter), the former Wyoming receiver officially put pen to paper today for the Buccaneers, making him the first Tampa Bay draftee to sign his deal. The club has since confirmed Herron’s tweet, and noted that fifth-round pick Kadeem Edwards has also signed (Twitter link).

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Jets, Bills

May 11th, 2014 at 11:07am CST by Peter Sowards

Versatility was the theme of day 3 for the Patriots, as each of the seven players taken on Saturday figure to fill multiple spots on the depth chart, writes Zuri Berry of Boston.com.

“I feel like we improved our team today,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We had seven picks and we kind of had them in clumps there, but I felt like we were able to take some players that will be able to compete.

“We’ll see how it all goes.”

The Patriots‘ day 3 picks were Florida State center Bryan Stork, Wisconsin running back James White, Stanford offensive tackle Cameron Fleming, Florida guard Jon Halapio, Concordia-St. Paul defensive end Zach Moore, Georgia Tech defensive back Jemea Thomas and Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon.

Read below for more from the AFC East:

  • Boston.com’s Erik Frenz passes along a post-draft depth chart, penciling in second-round pick Jimmy Garoppolo as the third-string quarterback behind Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett.
  • The 12 draft picks by the Jets all share similarities that helped them land in New York. “There’s pretty much a common thread with these fellas,” general manager John Idzik said, via newsday.com’s Kimberley A. Martin. “They fit our profile. They’re aggressive, they have a passion for our game, they’re great teammates. They fit the Jet profile.”
  • Five trades in three days highlighted an exciting extended weekend for the Bills, wrote Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. The most notable moves were trading for running back Bryce Brown, trading away wide receiver Stevie Johnson and trading up for Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins at No. 4 overall.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald aggregated notes and feedback from media analysts on the Dolphin’s Saturday draft picks, as well as adding his post-draft thoughts, specifically his concerns at cornerback.

AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Jets

May 6th, 2014 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Tuesday items from around the AFC….

  • At The MMQB.com, Peter King’s first-round mock draft includes a few notable nuggets. King notes that the Bills “love” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and that he expects the Dolphins to try to trade up to land offensive tackle Zack Martin.
  • Sources tell Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net that tight end Eric Ebron is the Ravens‘ top target in the first round. Ebron may still not be on the board at No. 17, but Pauline hears that the Giants (No. 12) are souring a little on the tight end due to possible personality red flags.
  • The Jets are keeping in contact with quarterbacks projected to be first-round picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who suggests that perhaps the club is simply keeping its options open in case one of those players falls.
  • Amidst rumors that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam covets Johnny Manziel, Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that Haslem may not be the only team owner who could step in and push his club to draft Johnny Football.
  • Mock negotiations continue between former agent Joel Corry and former team exec Ari Nissim, who are conducting hypothetical contract talks between J.J. Watt’s agent and the Texans. Part three of the enlightening series has now been published at the National Football Post.
  • Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon tells Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that he views the Patriots and Broncos as potential fits for him, given his size and the success players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman have had in those systems.