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Saints Re-Sign WR Austin Carr

May 9th, 2020 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

Austin Carr is heading back to New Orleans. The Saints announced that they’ve signed the wideout to a one-year deal.

The Northwestern product started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots, hauling in 14 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns during the 2017 preseason. Despite his performance, he was still waived by New England, and he quickly caught on with the Saints.

Since joining New Orleans, Carr has appeared in 21 games (five starts), hauling in 10 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. The 26-year-old has also appeared in a pair of playoff games for the Saints.

As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes, it’s been a hectic offseason for the Carr family. The receiver’s wife, Erica, tested positive for the coronavirus before giving birth to their first child last month. Carr and his child both tested negative, and the player revealed that his wife has fully recovered.

Panthers Sign No. 7 Overall Pick Derrick Brown

May 8th, 2020 at 9:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Derrick Brown was the seventh rookie to come off the board this year and the first to sign his rookie deal. On Friday, the Panthers inked the Auburn defensive tackle to his rookie contract – a four-year, $23.62MM pact, in accordance with his draft slot.

[RELATED: A Look Back At Christian McCaffrey’s Rookie Deal]

Everyone knew the Panthers were targeting defensive players in the draft, but it was still a surprise to see them go defense all throughout draft weekend. Brown was the first one up, placing a promising young talent alongside Kawann Short, a two-time Pro Bowler eager to get back to form after missing the bulk of the 2019 season.

While Short draws lots of attention, Brown will look to be a difference maker, particularly against the run. The Panthers weren’t the only team chasing him – at least a couple clubs inquired on trading into the Top 10 for his services and the Lions reportedly thought about him at No. 3, though they ultimately went with their longtime draft crush Jeff Okudah.

Brown might not have the upside of, say, Isaiah Simmons, a jack-of-all-trades defender with absolutely freakish athleticism, but he was regarded by evaluators as one of the safer picks near the top. With that high floor, he’ll look to justify GM Marty Hurney‘s big decision.

“We had them very close together, obviously,” Hurney said of Brown and Simmons after the draft (via ESPN.com). “We believed you start building from the front. Derrick not only helps [Short] and the rest of the line… he helps the linebackers. He’s a big, powerful player. He’s got a good first step. He’s a three-down player. He obviously helps against the run, but he really gets push up the middle. “

Bills Sign A.J. Epenesa, Jake Fromm

May 8th, 2020 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Bills agreed to terms with three of their picks from the 2020 NFL Draft. Second-round edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, fourth-round receiver Gabriel Davis, and fifth-round quarterback Jake Fromm are all under contract, per a club announcement. 

Epenesa was viewed as a first-round prospect, up until a shaky showing at the combine. There, the Iowa product ran a slower-than-expected 5.04-second 40-yard dash and lacked athleticism at 275 pounds. Still, he’s coming off of double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons and also profiles as a solid defender against the run.

Fromm also saw his stock slip. At one point in time, evaluators said he’d be the No. 1 overall pick. Then, last year happened – the Georgia QB completed just 60.8% of his passes and most scouts now see him as a solid backup type. That’ll be his role in Buffalo, where he’ll sit behind Josh Allen.

With this trio officially in the fold, the Bills’ only remaining straggler is third-round running back Zack Moss. Here’s the full rundown of their draft class, via PFR’s team-by-team tracker:

2-54: AJ Epenesa, DE (Iowa): Signed
3-86: Zack Moss, RB (Utah)
4-128: Gabriel Davis, WR (UCF): Signed
5-167: Jake Fromm, QB (Georgia): Signed
6-188: Tyler Bass, K (Georgia Southern): Signed
6-207: Isaiah Hodgins, WR (Oregon State): Signed
7-239: Dane Jackson, CB (Pittsburgh): Signed

Jaguars To Sign QB Mike Glennon

May 8th, 2020 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars will sign quarterback Mike Glennon, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known.

Glennon, a veteran signal caller, will sit behind Gardner Minshew on Jacksonville’s depth chart. He’ll offer a safety net – not just for injuries, but also for potential hiccups. Minshew, a 2019 sixth-round pick, showed some serious potential last year, but the mustachioed magic cooled over time. All in all, the soon-to-be 24-year-old performed well as he stepped in for Nick Foles – first for injury, then for performance reasons. In 14 games, Minshew threw for 3,271 yards and 21 touchdowns against six interceptions.

For Glennon, this marks a return to the Sunshine State. The former Buccaneers passer will have a chance to see his old friends when they square off in the preseason this summer.

Glennon profiled as one of the best veteran quarterbacks left on the market, even if he wasn’t the most accomplished of the bunch. Cam Newton and Joe Flacco are still looking for work; ditto for Blake Bortles, the former No. 3 overall pick of the Jaguars.

Glennon, entering his eighth year in the league, came into the NFL as a third-round choice of the Bucs in 2013. After signing a lucrative and ill-fated free agent deal with the Bears in 2017, he hooked on with the Cardinals in 2018. Last year, he joined up with the Raiders and lobbed a grand total of ten passes. For his career, the 6’6″ vet owns a 6-16 record as a starter.

Patriots Sign Third-Round TE Devin Asiasi

May 8th, 2020 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are making headway on their 2020 draft class. They’ve signed third-round pick Devin Asiasi, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). 

On Day 3, the Pats moved up from No. 100 to the Raiders’ No. 91 choice for the UCLA product. With Asiasi, they filled a major need at tight end and netted their first offensive player of the weekend.

Asiasi offers speed and solid blocking technique, but scouts say he needs to spend some time in the gym in order to adjust to the pro game. He could wind up as the Patriots’ No. 1 tight end, ahead of Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, and fellow third-round pick Dalton Keene. Then again, there are several notable vets left in free agency and the Patriots could explore their options between now and the start of the season.

With Asiasi officially in the fold, the Patriots have now signed seven of their ten draft picks. The only rookies left to sign are second-round safety Kyle Dugger, third-round tight end Dalton Keene, and sixth-round guard Michael Onwenu. Here’s the full rundown, via PFR’s tracker:

2-37: Kyle Dugger, S (Lenoir-Rhyne)
2-60: Josh Uche, LB (Michigan): Signed
3-87: Anfernee Jennings, OLB (Alabama): Signed
3-91: Devin Asiasi, TE (UCLA): Signed
3-101: Dalton Keene, TE (Virginia Tech)
5-159: Justin Rohrwasser, K (Marshall): Signed
6-182: Michael Onwenu, G (Michigan)
6-195: Justin Herron, T (Wake Forest): Signed
6-204: Cassh Maluia, LB (Wyoming): Signed
7-230: Dustin Woodard, C (Memphis): Signed

Browns Officially Re-Sign Rashard Higgins

May 8th, 2020 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have re-signed Rashard Higgins, per a club announcement. The wide receiver will return on a one-year deal, giving him an opportunity to prove himself before trying his hand in free agency next year. 

Higgins came into the league as a fifth-round pick of the Browns and he’ll return to Cleveland for his fifth pro season. Over the past four years, he’s tallied 76 catches for 1,016 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, necessarily, but he did shine in 2018 when he finished out with 39 grabs for 572 yards and four scores.

Last year, a knee injury kept him from building on that performance, but a healthy season could put him back on the right track. Most of Baker Mayfield‘s targets will be going to the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and new addition Austin Hooper, but Higgins could benefit from the double teams against those stars.

In addition to Landry and OBJ, the Browns’ WR depth chart also features JoJo Natson and sixth-round rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones. Higgins is the longest-tenured player of the group.

In a corresponding move, the Browns have also waived defensive tackle Brandin Bryant.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/7/20

May 7th, 2020 at 6:40pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s late round signings here:

  • The Ravens inked third-round pick Tyre Phillips. With the Mississippi State offensive lineman under contract, the Ravens have now taken care of seven of their ten draft picks. Phillips played tackle in college, but he’ll likely move to the inside with Marshal Yanda retiring.
  • The Texans signed offensive tackle Charlie Heck, their fourth-round tackle.
  • The Patriots signed third-round linebacker Anfernee Jennings (Alabama), sixth-round guard Michael Onwenu (Michigan), and seventh-round center Dustin Woodard (Memphis), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Jennings wasn’t the most athletic rusher in this year’s class, but his hard-nosed playing style and technique made him a strong fit for Bill Belichick‘s defense. BB’s relationship with ‘Bama head coach Nick Saban likely helped to lead Jennings to New England. The Pats have also inked kicker Justin Rohrwasser, linebacker Cassh Maluia, and tackle Justin Herron (all of whom are Day 3 picks), leaving only three unsigned players in their ten-player draft class.
  • The Bills signed a trio of picks from the back of their draft, per a club announcement: sixth-round kicker Tyler Bass, sixth-round wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, and seventh-round cornerback Dane Jackson. Hodgins, out of Oregon State, managed 86 receptions for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final year on campus.
  • The Dolphins inked a pair of fifth-round edge rushers in Curtis Weaver (Boise State) and Jason Strowbridge (UNC), as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. The bulk of their 11-man draft class still remains unsigned, so there’s more work to be done.

Ravens Sign Second-Round RB J.K. Dobbins

May 7th, 2020 at 6:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have officially signed second-round running back J.K. Dobbins, per a club announcement. In addition to the Ohio State product, the Ravens also announced the signing of seventh-round safety Geno Stone. With those two in the fold, the Ravens have just four unsigned rookies left, including first-round pick Patrick Queen.

Dobbins was viewed as one of the best pure runners in this year’s class, but he saw four other running backs – Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs), D’Andre Swift (Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), and Cam Akers (Florida State) come off the board before him. That fall might have bruised his ego, but the Ravens were happy to scoop him up at No. 55 overall.

Dobbins posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons at Ohio State and the Ravens believe that he can anchor the running game behind Lamar Jackson. Last year, he topped 2,000 yards with 23 total touchdowns. This year, he’ll fight for carries alongside Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill.

Per the terms of his slot, Dobbins will earn $5.7MM over the course of his four-year rookie deal. That pact includes a $1.7MM signing bonus and a low cap figure of $1.04MM for 2020.

Here’s the full rundown of the Ravens’ class, where Queen, Duvernay, Harrison, and Phillips stand as the only unsigned rookies:

1-28: Patrick Queen, LB (LSU)
2-55: J.K. Dobbins, RB (Ohio State): Signed
3-71: Justin Madubuike, DT (Texas A&M): Signed
3-92: Devin Duvernay, WR (Texas)
3-98: Malik Harrison, LB (Ohio State)
3-106: Tyre Phillips, OL (Mississippi State)
4-143: Ben Bredeson, G (Michigan): Signed
5-170: Broderick Washington Jr., DT (Texas Tech): Signed
6-201: James Proche, WR (SMU): Signed
7-219: Geno Stone, S (Iowa): Signed

Titans Sign 14 UDFAs

May 7th, 2020 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Titans officially welcomed 14 undrafted rookies to the fold:

Kinsey didn’t garner tons of attention out of Division III Berry College, but he did rack up 3,300+ receiving yards and 50 touchdowns over the course of his career in the Southern Athletic Association. Smith, a defensive tackle out of South Carolina, had more eyeballs on him as he lined up next to Javon Kinlaw. Over the course of his 48-game run with the Gamecocks, Smith tallied seven tackles for a loss.

Garrett is one of the more interesting names on this list – he lost the bulk of his final season with a pectoral tear, but he still managed three interceptions and three defensive touchdowns in five games.

Meanwhile, the Titans are reportedly still in the mix for Jadeveon Clowney. However, we learned this week that they may have some new competition with interest from the Eagles and Ravens.

Raiders To Sign Devontae Booker

May 7th, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have agreed to sign Devontae Booker, according to Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 (Twitter link). On Thursday morning, the deal was also confirmed by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

Booker, formerly of the Broncos, will look to stick as a backup to Josh Jacobs. The Raiders also have third-round rookie Lynn Bowden on hand, so there are no more than two spots up for grabs on their RB depth chart. Jalen Richard and Rod Smith are also vying for their spots.

Booker was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2016 draft and went on to have an inconsistent run with the Broncos. As a rookie, he started in six games and finished out with 31 catches and 877 all-purpose yards. After that, he continued to play a role on passing downs, but his workload fluctuated over time and his carries dwindled. Last year, Booker suited up for all 16 games, but finished out with just two totes and six catches.By comparison, he had 105 catches and 289 carries from 2016-2018.

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