Shon Coleman

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/7/16

The NFL saw quite a few minor moves today, and we’ll round them up here:

  • The Browns announced the signing of third-round offensive tackle Shon Coleman. Coleman, selected with the No. 76 overall pick, was a two-year starter at Auburn. Cleveland have now signed 11 of their 14 rookies from this year’s enormous class.
  • The Chiefs announced that they have signed outside linebacker Dezman Moses and safety Peni Vea. To make room, Kansas City has waived defensive back Keith Lewis and linebacker Efe Obada. Moses, a key special-teamer, has appeared in 29 games over the past two seasons for the Chiefs.
  • The Steelers waived former University of Miami linebacker Tyriq McCord, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. McCord initially joined Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent. The Steelers also signed TE Paul Lang and LB Kevin Anderson while releasing tight end Jay Rome, reports Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link)
  • The Falcons announced that they have signed defensive end Nordly Capi and guard Michael Huey, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Atlanta also waived defensive end Josh Dawson. Huey, who spent time with an Diego and Green Bay last season, played for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and was a three-time AFL champ.
  • The Cardinals signed wide receiver Rico Richardson and waived fellow receiver Jeff Beathard, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets.
  • The Saints waived LB Dominique Tovell, who signed with the team as a UDFA in May, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link). New Orleans also placed defensive end Mitchell Loewen on the Reserve/NFI list today after he cleared waivers, Woodbery tweets.
  • The Lions announced they’ve signed wide receiver Damian Copeland and cut guard Andrew Zeller, Dave Birkett of The Detroit Press tweets.
  • Colts guard Isiah Cage reverted to the IR after being waived-injured and clearing waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Draft Rumors: Jaylon Smith, Cowboys, Broncos

Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith – once considered a sure bet to be one of the top picks in this year’s draft – is expected to sit out next season as a result of the torn ACL and MCL he suffered New Year’s Day, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Smith’s medical re-check Friday didn’t look much different than the report from the combine, when he failed multiple teams’ physicals, tweets Rapoport. The news isn’t necessarily a death knell to Smith’s career, however, as Rapoport adds that “many teams” believe he’ll return to full strength come 2017. While Smith’s first-round hopes appear dashed, he’s still a possibility for Day 2 (the second or third round), per Rapoport (via Twitter). That, however, will hinge largely on a team’s willingness to make a high-risk, high-reward selection in the early going.

Here’s more of the latest draft news:

  • The Cowboys have visited with and/or worked out Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shepard put up tremendous production last season (86 catches, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns) and could be a fit for the Cowboys in the second round.
  • In addition to the previously reported Lions, Auburn offensive tackle Shon Coleman has visited the Buccaneers, Panthers, Patriots, Titans and Vikings, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
  • Clemson second-team all-ACC linebacker B.J. Goodson has had six visits, three of which have been with the Jaguars, Broncos and Dolphins (reported earlier this week), writes Wilson.
  • The Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers and Chiefs are all interested in Bowling Green receiver/returner Ryan Burbring, per Wilson (on Twitter).
  • Arizona State guard Christian Westerman has worked out for the Bengals and Saints, he told Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, adding that he has an upcoming workout for the Broncos (Twitter link).
  • The Texans are showing “steady interest” in William & Mary linebacker Luke Rhodes, Wilson writes. They also have interest in Toledo defensive lineman Orion Jones, a source told Wilson.
  • Connecticut safety Junior Lee has privately worked out for both New York teams – the Giants and Jets – as well as the Colts, reports Wilson (Twitter link).

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Lions

The latest out of the NFC:

  • Defensive end Jason Jones is still in play for the Cowboys, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). However, the deal would have to be similar to the one-year, $1.1MM deal that Jack Crawford agreed to with Dallas on Monday.
  • Former Dolphins linebacker Kelvin Sheppard visited the Giants on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Giants brought in offensive linemen Ben Ijalana and Byron Stingily for a visit on Monday, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Lions‘ pre-draft visits are underway, and the team looked at offensive line prospects on Monday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that tackles Jerald Hawkins (LSU), Shon Coleman (Auburn), Caleb Benenoch (UCLA), and Jason Spriggs (Indiana) are meeting with the Lions.
  • Bowling Green center-guard Alex Huettel worked out for the Lions, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
  • Ohio State safety Vonn Bell has (or has had) meetings, workouts, or visits with the Cardinals and Vikings as well as the Jaguars, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Saints conducted private workout for Cal wide receiver Darius Powe on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Powe didn’t have any drops, according to a source, and drew praise from New Orleans brass.
  • The Eagles are hosting Florida wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson on a visit, a source tells Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (on Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.