HEADLINES

Transactions News & Rumors

Steelers To Sign WR Scotty Miller

May 8th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another former Arthur Smith Falcons charge is coming to Pittsburgh. Following Cordarrelle Patterson, MyCole Pruitt and Van Jefferson‘s Steelers signings, Scotty Miller will be en route to Pennsylvania.

The Steelers and Miller agreed to terms Wednesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. It is a one-year deal. Miller played one season under Smith in Atlanta; he remains best known for his contributions in Tampa.

Miller, 26, worked as an auxiliary wideout for a Falcons team that struggled through the air. The former Bucs draftee caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns last season. That number bettered Jefferson’s Atlanta production, though the latter arrived during the season via trade, but still ranked fourth among Atlanta wide receivers.

It is clear the Steelers are giving Smith input when it comes to acquisitions, as three of his tertiary Falcons targets and a key blocking tight end are in the mix. Granted, only Patterson appears a lock to be on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster come Week 1. But each will bring scheme familiarity. The 5-foot-9 weapon could offer Pittsburgh another slot option in addition to Calvin Austin.

Miller made steady contributions to the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning team but did not factor into the final two Tom Brady-piloted passing attacks much. In 2020, however, the Bowling Green alum worked alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to give Brady a nice receiving trio in his first Tampa Bay season. Miller caught 33 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns that year. He eclipsed 70 receiving yards four times from Week 1 to Week 7. The Bucs’ turbulent Antonio Brown partnership led to Miller’s role being reduced, though the latter’s first-half-ending deep TD grab helped Tampa Bay hold off Green Bay in the 2020 NFC championship game.

A 2019 sixth-rounder, Miller has not eclipsed 200 yards in a season since that 2020 campaign. That season doubles as the most recent slate in which Miller topped 275 offensive snaps. A turf toe bout limited him in 2021. The Falcons did use Miller as a kick returner last season, though the Steelers — barring what would be a shocking Justin Fields experiment — are all but set to use Patterson there to take advantage of the recent NFL rule change.

Following their Diontae Johnson trade, the Steelers have George Pickens anchoring their receiver group and third-round pick Roman Wilson having a clear path to becoming his top sidekick. Beyond that, the team has taken a quantity-based approach. In addition to ex-Falcons, the likes of Quez Watkins, Denzel Mims and Marquez Callaway are on the Steelers’ 90-man offseason roster. This will create an interesting competition for roster spots, as this setup will require a few veterans to be denied roster spots come September.

Cowboys Expected To Sign 12-Man UDFA Class

May 8th, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys were able to address some big needs in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding to both the offensive and defensive fronts with an eight-man draft class. Thanks to 12 undrafted free agents expected to sign with Dallas on Thursday, the Cowboys anticipate heading into the summer with a rookie class of 20 players. Here are the undrafted additions:

On offense, Peat brings some serious speed to the table. After three years at Stanford and a season at Missouri, the son of two college track athletes posted a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.

Two receivers join on offense, as well. Johnson finally found the best place for his production with the Wildcats after four years at Vanderbilt and one at Arizona State, catching for 715 yards and six touchdowns in Evanston. Crooms transferred to Minnesota after two impressive years at Western Michigan, in which he combined for 1,582 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he failed to match that production with the Golden Gophers.

Croom’s teammate, Spann-Ford, comes out of free agency as one of the top run-blocking tight ends in the draft class. The Cowboys had to spend a bit to ink him, promising a $20K signing bonus and fully guaranteeing his base salary of $225K, per Aaron Williams of KPRC 2. He didn’t add much to the receiving game in Minneapolis, though. Neither did Holler in Orlando, but he did have some circus catches here and there to go along with his strong blocking profile.

Some productive players could contribute on defense, as well. Vaughns didn’t get a chance to shine at Texas but showed how disruptive he could be at Utah State and Baylor, combining for 27.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in three seasons at the two schools. At linebacker, Johnson was a tackling machine, recording three straight 100-plus-tackle seasons at Eastern Illinois in 2021 and UCF the past two years. He was one of the top undrafted linebacker options following the draft. Mogensen contributed back-to-back 100-plus-tackle seasons himself for the Coyotes.

The team also adds three capable safety options. DeBerry was one of the top secondary players in the ACC at Boston College before transferring to College Station. Johnson spent six years at Nevada but only got to start in 2023 for the Wolf Pack. He made the most of the opportunity with 99 tackles, three picks, and four passes defensed. Lastly, Wood was a menace for the Pirates in two years as a starter, delivering bone-crunching hits and showing a strong nose for the football at East Carolina.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/8/24

May 8th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s draft pick signings:

Denver Broncos

Estime spent three years with the Fighting Irish. Though he only started 14 games, he combined in his last two seasons to accumulate 2,261 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns. He joins a backfield that featured Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine in 2023 and returns all three.

Vele comes to the NFL after reeling in 98 catches for 1,288 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his final two years with the Utes. He led Utah in receiving yards this past season and was second on the team in 2022, coming in behind tight end Dalton Kincaid. He helps replenish a wide receiving corps in Denver that lost Jerry Jeudy and still might see Courtland Sutton traded away.

Gargiulo arrived in Columbia after earning his degree in four years at Yale. Gargiulo was a versatile lineman for both the Bulldogs and Gamecocks, spending time at both guard and center for both schools. Much won’t be asked of Gargiulo as a rookie, but he adds versatile depth to the Broncos offensive line.

Saints Waive QB Kellen Mond, OL Tommy Kraemer

May 8th, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints have started culling the roster a bit as the ebb and flow of roster spots continues in the wake of the NFL Draft. Today’s adjustments came with the waivings of backup quarterback Kellen Mond and backup lineman Tommy Kraemer, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

Mond was a third-round selection for the Vikings out of Texas A&M. He was the seventh passer taken in a draft that led off with a franchise QB in Trevor Lawrence but otherwise stumbled out of the gates with Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Kyle Trask, and Mond following. As the third-string passer in Minnesota as a rookie behind Kirk Cousins and Sean Mannion, Mond made one appearance in garbage time during a late-season loss to the Packers, completing two of three passes for five yards. He has failed to appear in an NFL game since, spending time on rosters or practice squads for the Browns, the Colts, and, most recently, the Saints since then.

Kraemer was an undrafted lineman out of Notre Dame in 2021, initially signing with the Lions. He started the year on the practice squad in Detroit but would eventually get promoted to the active roster and start three of nine game appearances as a rookie. Thanks to a back injury, Kraemer didn’t end up seeing the field at all in 2022, and he signed with the Saints during camp last year. He went back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster in 2023, appearing in four games for the Saints, mostly playing on special teams.

Mond became superfluous with fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler joining last year’s fourth-round pick Jake Haener on the depth chart behind starter Derek Carr. The team also has utility man Taysom Hill still under contract, as well. Likewise, the team’s recent additions of depth linemen like Shane Lemieux, Justin Herron, and Oli Udoh meant less space on the roster for Kraemer.

Cowboys To Release WR Martavis Bryant

May 8th, 2024 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing in Martavis Bryant as a flier who could potentially help as a supporting-caster late last season, the Cowboys never ended up activating the ex-Steelers starter.

Despite signing the formerly suspended wideout in early November, the Cowboys ultimately did not view Bryant as ready to contribute. The team gave Bryant a reserve/futures contract in January, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes the team is releasing him Wednesday.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Meet With WR Zay Jones]

Bryant’s stock has not approached the level that once featured him being traded for a third-round pick, as the 6-foot-4 weapon has not played in a regular-season game since 2018. But Pelissero adds other teams have shown interest. While it would not necessarily surprise to see Bryant given another opportunity, he is running out of time to reignite his NFL career at age 32.

The NFL reinstated Bryant from a yearslong suspension on November 4, 2023. This came years after the NFL loosened its drug policy — which led Bryant out of the league in the late 2010s — to cut down on suspensions for non-PED offenses. The 2010s featured harsher punishments for substance abuse, and Bryant ran afoul of these standards at multiple points during his initial NFL run. He missed four games in 2015 due to substance-abuse ban and was sidelined throughout the 2016 season. Bryant’s subsequent penalty — levied in December 2018 — ended up lasting for nearly five years. The ex-Ben Roethlisberger target scored 17 touchdowns from 2014-17 as a Steeler, adding a spectacular TD grab in the 2015 wild-card round.

Bryant remained in redevelopment mode as of late November of last year, and the Cowboys went with other options as CeeDee Lamb wingmen. The team released Bryant from its practice squad in early January but circled back via the futures deal. The Titans also had Bryant on their radar last year. It will be interesting to see if the Clemson alum — who also stopped through the CFL, XFL and Fan Controlled Football League — receives another NFL opportunity.

This move clears a spot for Jones, who is visiting the Cowboys today. The son of Robert Jones — a former Super Bowl starter for the Cowboys in the 1990s — Zay is a Dallas native who has seen one of his free agency doors (the Titans) seemingly close due to the Brian Callahan–Tyler Boyd reunion. The Cowboys still have Brandin Cooks in place as their top Lamb complement, but they remain on the hunt for more help.

Broncos To Waive QB Ben DiNucci

May 8th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Ben DiNucci‘s season back in the NFL came in Denver, with the Broncos giving the former Cowboys backup-turned-XFL starter another shot. A 2024 overhaul of the team’s QB room will change its plans regarding DiNucci.

The team will waive the reserve passer, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Broncos added both Zach Wilson and Bo Nix to their QB room during draft week, and Jarrett Stidham remains on the roster. DiNucci’s exit will leave three QBs on Denver’s 90-man roster.

Catching on with the Broncos in May 2023, DiNucci came over after a season in the third XFL incarnation. A member of the Seattle Sea Dragons, DiNucci led XFL 3.0 in passing yards (2,671) while throwing 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 10 starts. The spring-league opportunity created NFL interest, and the Broncos kept DiNucci around throughout last season. Denver gave DiNucci a reserve/futures contract in January.

The Broncos had taken care of DiNucci, 27, after he made the decision to stay with the team rather than move to the Saints’ active roster. New Orleans had attempted to poach DiNucci off Denver’s P-squad following a Derek Carr injury last season, but DiNucci opted to remain the AFC West team’s emergency third-stringer behind Russell Wilson and Stidham. The Broncos ended up elevating DiNucci to their active roster three times, covering the QB, as he would have been required to remain on the Saints’ active roster (and see game checks that come with that status) for at least three weeks had he left for New Orleans.

Last seeing regular-season action in 2020 with the Cowboys, DiNucci saw preseason time for the Broncos last year. While the Broncos could need a fourth QB at some point this offseason, each of their three options are healthy. Nix’s development will define Denver’s spring and summer, and the coaching staff will also need to focus on training Wilson in Sean Payton‘s system. This move will leave Stidham as the only Denver QB with previous experience in the current scheme.

A former seventh-round Cowboys pick out of James Madison, DiNucci spent the 2022 season out of football after being a Dallas cut that summer. The former Pittsburgh recruit would profile as a player of interest to the newly formed United Football League, but that season is more than halfway over. Not being claimed on the waiver wire could stall DiNucci’s career.

Giants Claim QB Nathan Rourke

May 8th, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 8: The Falcons joined the Giants in submitting a claim, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes. The Giants finishing with a worse 2023 record (6-11) compared to the Falcons (7-10) gave them the priority here. Atlanta’s QB situation has generated far more attention over the past two weeks, but the team also has a starter (Kirk Cousins) coming off a major injury.

As Cousins rehabs his Achilles tear, the team has Michael Penix Jr. and Taylor Heinicke as healthy options for offseason work. The team also reached an agreement with UDFA John Paddock (Illinois). Rourke would have become a fifth QB on Atlanta’s 90-man offseason roster.

MAY 7: Nathan Rourke has not yet turned his CFL production into regular-season NFL work, but teams continue to show interest in the Canadian quarterback.

Being waived by the Patriots on Monday, Rourke will make his way to New York. The Giants submitted a successful waiver claim to add the QB, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will be team No. 3 for Rourke, who has spent time with the Jaguars and Pats during his young NFL career.

[RELATED: Drew Lock In Play To Win Giants’ QB1 Gig?]

Rourke, 25, is a British Columbia native who played at Ohio University in the late 2010s. He ventured back north of the border in 2020 and became a successful passer for the BC Lions. The early-2020s production in Canada drew attention from nearly half the NFL. Twelve teams worked out Rourke from December 2022 to January 2023. The Giants were among them; they will now get a closer look at the aspiring NFL backup.

The Giants passed on adding a quarterback in the draft, despite exhaustive research on this year’s class, but did send the Patriots a substantial trade-up proposal for No. 3 overall. The offer, which included Nos. 6 and 47 overall and a 2025 first-rounder, was believed to be so the Giants could select Drake Maye. New England balked and drafted Maye, leading the Giants to take Malik Nabers. This kept Daniel Jones as the team’s QB centerpiece.

Rourke will join Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito in the Giants’ QB room. Teams regularly carry four QBs into offseason programs and into training camp. The Giants now have three healthy QBs on their roster; Jones remains on the rehab route post-ACL surgery. The five-year starter is expected to be back come training camp. The NFL also increased flexibility regarding the game’s premier position, allowing a non-roster player to serve as the emergency third QB.

Rourke spent most of last year with the Jags, signing a futures deal and spending time on both their active roster and practice squad. The Pats claimed Rourke off waivers in December; they beat the Texans to the punch there. But after making major changes to their QB room this offseason, the Pats moved on.

Titans, WR Tyler Boyd Agree To Deal

May 7th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Boyd‘s free agency is set to come to an end. The veteran wideout has agreed to a one-year deal with the Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This agreement has a maximum value of $4.5MM, Fowler adds. Boyd is the latest receiver to find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency, after the likes of Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. signed deals of their own last week. This agreement will allow Boyd to continue working with Brian Callahan.

The latter worked alongside Boyd during his time as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator before taking on Tennessee’s head coaching gig this offseason. His debut season at the helm of the Titans will include a familiar face operating in the slot. Boyd – who included the Titans on his list of free agent visits – had spent his entire eight-year career in Cincinnati prior to today’s news.

With Tee Higgins in need of the franchise tag (and/or a long-term extension) and Ja’Marr Chase set to receive one of the league’s most lucrative receiver deals in the near future, though, signs have long pointed to Boyd heading elsewhere this offseason. The 29-year-old was reported to have a mutual interest in a deal sending him to his hometown Steelers, but the sides could not find common ground on contract terms. That left him free to pursue deals with other teams, and a number of potential suitors emerged.

Tennessee already made a massive investment at the receiver position this offseason, prying Calvin Ridley away from the Jaguars and Patriots. The former first-rounder landed a four-year, $92MM featuring almost $47MM guaranteed at signing. The Ridley addition, in turn, came just one year after the Titans added DeAndre Hopkins; the latter is under contract for one more season. The team also has 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks in the fold, but Boyd will look to compete for a starting role.

The former second-rounder topped 800 yards each season between 2018-21, twice eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark during that span. With Chase and Higgins taking on a major share in the Bengals’ passing game, though, Boyd has seen his usage and production decline in recent years. In 2023, he posted 667 yards, the second-lowest total of his career in a full season. The low cost of this Titans deal illustrates how his market was viewed around the league.

A strong season from Boyd will help his chances of landing a more lucrative accord next offseason, but for now he will turn his attention to serving as a dependable complementary option for quarterback Will Levis. Tennessee also hosted wideout Zay Jones yesterday, but this Boyd deal will likely take them out of the running for further free agent additions.

Cardinals To Sign LB Markus Bailey

May 7th, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Columbus native who attended Purdue before being drafted by the Bengals, Markus Bailey will soon take up residence outside the Midwest. Winter clothing will be far less relevant for the veteran special-teamer.

The Cardinals are adding the linebacker/ST presence, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Agreeing to a one-year deal with the NFC West club Tuesday, Bailey will head to the desert as a likely second-string presence and soon-to-be regular for Arizona’s specialty units.

For the most part, Bengals DC Lou Anarumo pointed Bailey’s focus toward special teams. The former seventh-round pick only passed the 100-snap barrier on defense in one of his rookie-contract seasons. On special teams, Bailey exceeded 275 snaps in each of the past two seasons. He topped out at 309 ST plays last year.

A 2021 Logan Wilson injury did lead to the Bengals using Bailey as a fill-in starter. Bailey made three starts during the Bengals’ Super Bowl LVI-qualifying season. He ended up playing 26 snaps against the Rams in that season’s decider.

Arizona was not especially aggressive at linebacker this offseason, but the team still has some pieces from 2023. Kyzir White remains under contract, as does Krys Barnes. The Cards added Mack Wilson last month as well, and fifth-rounder Owen Pappoe is going into his second season. Bailey, 27, will mix in with this group, likely set to work as a backup and ST regular for a second team.

Load More Posts