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Skyler Howard

Minor NFC Transactions: 5/15/17

May 15th, 2017 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we rounded up some minor moves out of the AFC. In the interest of equal time, we turn our attention to the NFC:

  • The Rams signed two Northwestern State alums in wide receiver Shakeir Ryan and running back De’Mard Llorens, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports. In addition to the skill-position talents from the Natchitoches, Louisiana-based program, the Rams added another small-school product in Mary Hardin-Baylor linebacker Teidrick Smith. The two Division I-FCS talents and Division III defender will displace two Rams in defensive back Jared Collins and offensive lineman Shaq McMeans, per Gonzalez. Their roster currently houses 89 players.
  • Former Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas signed with the Saints, who also added guard Josh LeRibeus and running back Trey Edmunds, Nick Underhill of The Advocate reports. The 5-foot-11 Thomas operated as a dual-threat quarterback with the Yellowjackets and probably would convert positions for an NFL opportunity. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore in the program’s run-centric offense and threw for 18 touchdown passes that season. In the two subsequent slates, Thomas combined to throw 21 TDs. The son of former Dolphins Pro Bowl tight end Ferrell Edmunds, Trey Edmunds served as a reserve at Virginia Tech and Maryland.
  • On a busy Monday, the Saints signed Drew Iddings, a source tells Underhill (on Twitter). Iddings, a former defensive lineman, will be trying to stick as an offensive guard. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound athlete has no significant experience on offense, but New Orleans believes that the powerful lineman can make a smooth transition. In college at South Dakota, Iddings appeared in 46 games and totaled 149 tackles and eight sacks.
  • The Seahawks cut quarterback Skyler Howard and fullback Brandon Cottom and signed fullback Kyle Coleman and wide receiver Speedy Noil, per a team announcement. Noil entered the draft early out of Texas A&M. He caught just 42 passes combined the past two seasons.
  • Giants signed wide receiver Kevin Snead, a Carson-Newman product, after his tryout. Snead, a former track star, reportedly ran a sub-4.3-second 40-yard-dash. To make room, the team waived offensive lineman Martin Wallace.
  • The Lions have signed free agent offensive tackle Arturo Uzdavinis and waived tackle Pierce Burton.
  • The Vikings signed guard Freddie Tagaloa after a successful rookie minicamp tryout, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Cardinals signed wide receiver Larry Clark.

Seahawks Sign 8 UDFAs

May 12th, 2017 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have always placed an emphasis on signing undrafted free agents that can make a difference and they hope they have unearthed a few gems in this year’s class. Today, the Seahawks announced the signing of eight UDFAs, along with deals for four of their draft picks. Here’s the full rundown:

UDFAs:

Draft signings:

Roos will receive a larger-than-usual $20K package for signing with Seattle, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Roos, a 6’4″, 302 pound guard out of Purdue, was a four-year starter for the Boilermakers. Even though he was not invited to the NFL combine, the Seahawks kept an eye on him and quickly scooped him up after the draft.

As detailed by Matthew Martinez of the Star Telegram, Howard took an unorthodox route to the NFL. Coming out of high school in Texas, Howard didn’t garner any college consideration. After establishing himself at a JUCO college in California, Howard found his way to West Virginia where he finally got attention on a national level.

“I knew I was going to play in college, whether I had offers or not,” Howard said. “I knew it was going to happen, I just didn’t know the winding road would take me to West Virginia and I’d come full circle to train for the draft in my own backyard.”