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Patriots Sign Second-Round Pick Josh Uche

May 6th, 2020 at 1:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh Uche is now officially a member of the Patriots. On Wednesday, the second-round linebacker inked his rookie contract, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. 

Uche notched 8.5 sacks in 2019 to lead the Wolverines in the category for yet another year. Pro Football Focus had him rated as one of the very best in the nation at generating pressure and that was further evidenced by his 11.5 tackles for loss.

Leading up to the draft, there was some concern about Uche’s size for the NFL level and some evaluators wondered whether he could last as a linebacker. That didn’t ward off the Patriots, who saw him power through blocks over and over in his highlight reel. Uche isn’t the biggest ‘backer out there, but he seems to find a way. Just ask first-round tackle Jedrick Wills:

“It was Josh Uche,” said Wills when asked to name his toughest matchup in college (video link). “He was a really good pass rusher. Has some counter moves, some speed to him. So it was a good matchup that I went against.”

With the No. 60 overall pick signed, the Patriots have many more deals to go. Here’s the full rundown of the Patriots’ draft class, via PFR’s team-by-team tracker:

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

Cowboys To Sign Cameron Erving

May 6th, 2020 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year deal with Cameron Erving, according to a source who spoke with Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The deal with the former Chiefs offensive lineman will be totally finalized with a passed physical. 

Erving saw his playing time dip towards the end of the 2019 season, but he did take the field for KC’s Super Bowl victory in February. He came to the Chiefs by way of a trade with the Browns in 2017. In 2018, he started in 13 of his 14 games for his new club. After the season, he inked a brand new two-year deal, though the Chiefs did not exercise his option for 2020.

Erving’s versatility should be a major plus for the Cowboys. With experience at tackle, guard, and center, Erving could theoretically backstop the offensive line at all five spots. He may also get a chance to compete for the starting center job. Currently, the Cowboys have Joe Looney, Connor McGovern, and Connor Williams vying for the gig.

With that said, head coach Mike McCarthy said in April that he was comfortable with his in-house center options.

“I think Travis [Frederick] is a player that’s had a great career,” McCarthy said. “But when we look at our current depth with the offensive line, you start off with Joe Looney and the two Connors. I think we’ve got great competition, great depth…I think the fact that we have that much experience with the veteran group that we have here, I feel very good about moving forward.”

Redskins To Sign Mike Liedtke

May 6th, 2020 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have agreed to sign offensive lineman Mike Liedtke, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The 28-year-old was non-tendered by the Bucs earlier this year, making him a free agent.

[RELATED: Redskins Decline Reuben Foster’s Option]

The deal marks Liedtke’s sixth NFL stop, though it’s his first in the NFC East. The 28-year-old spent 2016-2019 with the Bucs, bouncing between the active roster and practice squad. In 2018, he suited up for a career-high nine. He missed the entire 2019 campaign thanks to shoulder surgery, but he was reportedly near 100% health at the time of the non-tender in March.

Liedtke went undrafted out of Illinois State in 2015 but went on to spend time with the Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets, Browns, and Bucs. With the Redskins, he’ll try to find a spot behind Brandon Scherff, Morgan Moses, Wes Schweitzer, and the rest of the O-Linemen in D.C.

Without Trent Williams on the field last year, the Redskins’ front five surrendered the fifth-highest sack total in the NFL. Now, after trading Williams in San Francisco, they’ll have to find ways to protect the pocket and create running lanes with what they’ve got. Fourth-round tackle Saahdiq Charles may help on the outside, though he’ll have to work on his overall strength before making a dent at the pro level.

Raiders Waive QB DeShone Kizer

May 5th, 2020 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders will cut quarterback DeShone Kizer, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, Kizer will hit the waiver wire, where the Bengals hold the top priority. 

[RELATED: Raiders Sign Sam Young]

A second-round selection in 2017, Kizer was pegged as a green talent that had high upside. Unfortunately for him, he was taken by the Browns, who proceeded to lose every game that season. At year’s end, he was shipped to Green Bay. Last year, the Packers dropped him before the final cut to 53, leading him to the Raiders. Unless he circles back to the Packers or Browns, he’ll join the fourth team of his NFL career.

Kizer is still only 24, but Jon Gruden & Co. didn’t see a place for him on the roster with Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, and Nathan Peterman already in the QB room. Mariota, who joined on a two-year, $17.6MM deal, will be one freak or blown play away from taking the field in Las Vegas. Peterman, who was retained with a $2MM+ tender as a restricted free agent, figures to be the QB3.

Kizer has made 18 appearances over the course of his NFL career, most of which came during the Browns’ winless season. All in all, he’s got eleven touchdowns against 24 interceptions.

In addition to Kizer, the Raiders have also waived tight end Paul Butler, defensive end Kendall Donnerson, offensive lineman Kyle Kalis, and linebackers Te’Von Coney and Quentin Poling.

Broderick Washington Inks Ravens Deal

May 5th, 2020 at 3:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive tackle Broderick Washington was the 170th player selected in this year’s NFL Draft. Today, he became the first place to formally sign his rookie deal, per an announcement from the Ravens. 

[RELATED: Ravens Re-Sign Pernell McPhee]

The Texas Tech product will receive a four-year pact worth roughly $3.6MM, according to Over The Cap‘s slot estimates. For reference, Ravens first-round linebacker Patrick Queen – taken with the No. 28 overall pick – is set to earn $12.16MM over the same four year period. And, in case you were wondering, No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow will collect $36.2MM on his rookie deal with the Bengals.

Washington was taken two rounds after Texas A&M’s Justin Madubuike to further strengthen the Ravens’ interior line. The Ravens see the 6’2″, 305-pound lineman as a solid run stuffer who can help them beef up in the trenches.

With Washington signed, we’ll be waiting on the signings of 254 more NFL Draft picks. To spare your Twitter feed, we’ll group most of these signings in daily posts here at Pro Football Rumors. For first-rounders and other notable signings, we’ll provide a more detailed breakdown.

Raiders To Sign Sam Young

May 5th, 2020 at 3:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have agreed to sign offensive lineman Sam Young, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. 

Young, 33 in June, had a cup of coffee with the 49ers last year. Outside of those four games in the fall, he was out of the NFL and showing his stuff on the workout circuit. That tour included a visit with the Dolphins, where he spent the 2016-2018 seasons.

The veteran tackle has 92 career appearances to his credit, including 21 starts. He’s suited up for the Cowboys, Bills, Jaguars, Dolphins, and 49ers in the past. Now, he’ll try to stick in Las Vegas as a depth OL addition.

Meanwhile, the Raiders claim that they’ll keep longtime starter Gabe Jackson in the fold, despite all the speculation to the contrary. The right guard has three years left on his deal with base salaries of approximately $9.3MM per year. The Raiders were unable to find a deal for him on draft week, even though their asking price was reportedly very low. Mike Mayock says he’s staying put, but a release remains possible since there is no guaranteed money left on his deal.

Jets Place Quincy Enunwa On Reserve/PUP List

May 5th, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are placing Quincy Enunwa on the Reserve/PUP list, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Fellow wide receiver Josh Bellamy will also be parked on PUP. 

[RELATED: Jets Sign Frank Gore]

After signing a four-year, $36MM extension with the Jets in late 2018, Enunwa was expected to be a primary target for quarterback Sam Darnold. Sadly, those plans came to a halt when Enunwa suffered the second neck injury of his career in the 2019 season opener against the Bills. Later on, the Jets restructured his deal, keeping him in the fold as he works his way back. Thankfully, Enunwa’s extension gave him financial security, including $10MM in fully guaranteed money.

Injuries have plagued Enunwa throughout his career, but he showed serious promise when he was healthy. In 2016, he played in all 16 games and tallied 58 catches for 857 yards. After missing the ’17 campaign, he looked like his old self in ’18. Hopefully, he’ll be able to resume his career sometime soon, though that will probably not be with the Jets. Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets are likely to cut Enunwa after the 2020 season.

Bellamy, who turns 31 later this month, joined the Jets in 2019 on a two-year deal. Previous to that, he spent four seasons with the Bears and notched at least 200 receiving yards in three of those Chicago seasons. Even though his offensive numbers took a step back in 2018, he’s shown to be a valuable special teamer. Last year, he appeared in seven games for Gang Green before landing on IR with a shoulder injury.

The Jets’ current WR depth chart includes free agent pickup Breshad Perriman, second-round pick Denzel Mims, former Redskins Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson, and one-time Patriots speedster Braxton Berrios.

Ravens Re-Sign Pernell McPhee

May 5th, 2020 at 12:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are bringing Pernell McPhee back. The outside linebacker has re-upped on a one-year deal, per a club announcement. 

Roughly one year ago today, McPhee inked a one year deal with Baltimore to return back to where it all started. He was a 2011 fifth-round pick and an oft-featured sub for the Ravens before moving on to the Bears in free agency. He entered and went out with a bang in Baltimore – McPhee notched six sacks as a rookie and tallied a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014, his contract year. McPhee parlayed that success into a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with Chicago, but injuries cost him 12 regular season games over a three-year stretch. Still, he managed 14 sacks for Chicago.

Unfortunately, injuries also slowed him last year. A triceps tear shelved McPhee in October, taking him out of action after 260 snaps, the second-highest total on the team at the time.

McPhee, 31, has 34 career sacks across nine seasons with the Bears, Redskins, and Ravens. Despite his name recognition and substantial career earnings, he’s started in just 30 of his 116 NFL games.

Jets Sign RB Frank Gore

May 5th, 2020 at 10:21am CST by Ben Levine

Frank Gore‘s AFC East tour has taken him to New York. The veteran running back is signing a one-year deal with the Jets, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

In New York, Gore will be reunited with head coach Adam Gase, who served as the Dolphins head coach during the running back’s stint in Miami. Gase was also an offensive assistant in San Francisco during Gore’s run with the 49ers.

In fact, ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe tweets that Gase tried to recruit the veteran to the Jets last offseason, so the coaching staff clear has a role for him. Gore will instantly become the second running back on the depth chart behind Le’Veon Bell. The Jets are also rostering the likes of Kenneth Dixon, Josh Adams, and fourth-round rookie La’Mical Perine.

After starting 14 games for the Dolphins in 2018, Gore signed with the Bills last offseason. He ended up seeing a significant role for Buffalo, starting eight of his 16 games while rushing for 599 yards and two scores. However, Gore averaged a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry, but he’s not far removed from his 4.6 YPC campaign in Miami.

Gore sits third on the all-time rushing list with 15,347 yards and third on the all-time carries list with 3,548. While his stats in Buffalo were underwhelming, the veteran isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The soon-to-be 37 year old has only missed a pair of games since 2011.

Earlier this offseason, Gore indicated that he wanted to play in 2020 instead of hanging up his cleats. He hinted that a reunion in Miami could be a possibility, but he hadn’t been definitively connected to any teams over the past few months.

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