Corey Hilliard

Jets Add Nine UDFAs; Corey Hilliard Retires

9:12pm: The Jets also added cornerback Greg Henderson, an undrafted free agent out of Colorado, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini on Twitter.

12:32pm: The Jets have been busy today, announcing several roster moves as their rookie minicamp gets underway. In addition to signing eight undrafted free agents, the team has also cut two players, and will be working out former first-round wide receiver A.J. Jenkins this weekend.

The team has also seen an offseason addition decide to retire — offensive tackle Corey Hilliard, who signed with the Jets in March, has elected to call it a career.

The 30-year-old saw his 2014 season come to an early end when he sustained a Lisfranc foot injury and tore ligaments in that foot during the Lions’ Week 1 game. It was the second time in three years that he missed essentially an entire season, which likely prompted his early retirement, but he had been effective as a swing tackle when he was healthy. In 2013, Hilliard played 459 offensive snaps for Detroit, starting seven games at right tackle for the team.

Here are the rest of the roster moves for the Jets:

Undrafted free agents:

  • Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
  • Durell Eskridge, S, Syracuse ($8.5K bonus, plus $5K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Julian Howsare, LB, Clarion
  • Taiwan Jones, LB, Michigan State
  • Demarkus Perkins, S, Florida International
  • Wes Saxton, TE, South Alabama
  • Davon Walls, DL, Lincoln ($15K bonus, per Wilson)
  • Jordan Williams, DE, Tennessee

Cut:

Jets Sign Corey Hilliard

The Jets have added some depth to their offensive line, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed free agent offensive tackle Corey Hilliard. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported last week that Hilliard was paying a visit to the Jets.

Hilliard, who turns 30 in a few weeks, saw his 2014 season come to an early end when he sustained a Lisfranc foot injury and tore ligaments in that foot during the Lions’ Week 1 game. It was the second time in three years that he missed essentially an entire season, but he has been effective as a swing tackle when he’s healthy. In 2013, Hilliard played 459 offensive snaps for Detroit, starting seven games at right tackle for the team.

For the Jets, it’s their fourth free agent signing on the offensive line this offseason. The club also brought in James Carpenter and James Brewer, and re-signed veteran guard Willie Colon.

Terms of the agreement aren’t yet known.

FA Notes: Dolphins, Jackson, Selvie, Newman

Having decided not to match the Bills’ offer sheet for tight end Charles Clay, the Dolphins may be prepared to spend the money saved on Clay on some other free agents. According to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), in addition to hosting wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Miami is also having quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and center J.D. Walton in for visits.

Jackson, in particular, is an intriguing potential fit for the Dolphins. The team still needs a veteran backup behind Ryan Tannehill, and while Miami’s preference may be to re-sign Matt Moore, Jackson could come a little cheaper.

Here are a few more free agent notes from around the NFL:

  • Defensive end George Selvie, who has reportedly drawn interest from the Buccaneers and Vikings so far in free agency, is visiting the Giants today, according to Art Stapleton of The Record (Twitter link).
  • The Vikings and cornerback Terence Newman have discussed some contract figures, but weren’t close to a deal as of late last night, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). If the veteran corner were to join the Vikings, he’d reunite with former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
  • Free agent offensive tackle Corey Hilliard is paying a visit to the Jets, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Hilliard, a former Lion, is a solid swing tackle when he’s healthy, but injuries have derailed his last two seasons.
  • In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at the players who have done the best and worst so far in free agency.

NFC Links: Saints, Falcons, Eagles, Lions, Bears

Whether you are watching the NBA All-Star Game, SNL 40, or something else, here is a roundup of some NFC links you might have missed today:

Injury Notes: Lions, Raiders, Browns, Cowboys

We don’t cover every single injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll always keep tabs on the more significant ones that may force a team to make a roster move or two to add reinforcements. Let’s round up the latest injury news that falls into that category…

  • Lions offensive lineman Corey Hilliard is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season with a foot injury, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). That helps to explain why the club re-signed Garrett Reynolds this morning, and it means Hilliard will likely head to IR. Having already added a lineman to the 53-man roster today, the Lions could fill Hilliard’s roster spot by signing a cornerback, since the secondary is a little short-handed as well.
  • Raiders special teams ace Taiwan Jones became the first 2011 draftee to sign a contract extension earlier this offseason, but now he’s set to miss a month or two of action. According to Bill Williamson and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, the recovery timeline for Jones’ foot injury will be about four to eight weeks. If Oakland believes the timeline will be closer to eight weeks than four, Jones could be a candidate for the team’s IR-DTR spot.
  • The Browns expect running back Ben Tate to be out for two to four weeks with a knee sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Cleveland might add another back to the active roster or practice squad for depth purposes, but I doubt any major move is coming, since Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell played well after Tate left Sunday’s game.
  • Having already lost Sean Lee for the season, the Cowboys saw another linebacker go down on Sunday, as Justin Durant figures to miss the next three or four weeks with a groin injury, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. An outside addition is possible for Dallas, though the club could also turn to in-house options like Kyle Wilber or the recently-claimed Korey Toomer.