2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons Notes: Dobbins, Southward, Castillo

June 12th, 2014 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, in the wake of Sean Weatherspoon‘s season-ending Achilles injury, I examined the Falcons’ options for potential linebacker replacements. While Atlanta isn’t likely to find a player capable of replicating Weatherspoon’s production, there are several in-house candidates to play more snaps. Still, I concluded that the Falcons would probably increase their pursuit of an outside option, perhaps bringing in a veteran via free agency. It didn’t take long for reports to confirm that the club was exploring that possibility, with a story last night suggesting Pat Angerer, Jonathan Vilma, and Tim Dobbins were among the Falcons’ potential targets.

Here’s the latest from out of Atlanta:

Dobbins, who last played for the Texans, is expected to pay a visit to the Falcons today, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Even if Atlanta is impressed by Dobbins and signs him to a contract, that doesn’t mean he’ll be penciled in as Weatherspoon’s replacement, according to McClure, who points out that the club has been impressed by rookies Prince Shembo and Marquis Spruill.
The Falcons have signed third-round safety Dezmen Southward to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. Southward, the 68th overall selection last month, was the last of nine Atlanta draftees to ink his deal, so the club now has all its picks under contract.
Kicker Sergio Castillo has also signed a contract with the Falcons, according to the team’s Twitter account. As McClure notes in a tweet, the move means there’s now one opening left on Atlanta’s 90-man roster, potentially for a veteran linebacker like Dobbins or Vilma.

North Notes: Browns, West, Lions, Steelers

June 11th, 2014 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up a few notes on the Bengals earlier today, but there’s plenty more happening within Cincinnati’s division, and across the way in the NFC North. Let’s check in on the NFL’s two North divisions and round up the latest…

Half of the NFL’s 32 teams have locked up all their 2014 draft picks to rookie contracts, but coming into today, the Browns had only signed two of their six draftees. However, third-rounder Terrance West appears to have become the third player to put pen to paper for Cleveland — the former Towson running back posted a photo on Instagram today that shows him signing his deal, with the caption announcing he’s “officially a Cleveland Brown.”
Kellen Moore says he’s “certainly” ready to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback if given the opportunity, but the team’s offseason search for an alternative option clouds Moore’s future in Detroit, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Before addressing a few questions from readers, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses Jason Worilds, Maurkice Pouncey, and the Steelers‘ remaining unsigned draft picks. It may take some time for the club to sign second- and third-round picks Stephon Tuitt and Dri Archer, says Bouchette, though he adds that there’s no concern about either player.

Broncos Sign First-Rounder Bradley Roby

June 10th, 2014 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have signed first-round cornerback Bradley Roby to his rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move ensures that Denver has now locked up its entire 2014 draft class, as Roby was the last of the club’s six selections to put pen to paper.

“When we looked at the board, No. 1, he was the top guy on our board,” GM John Elway said of Roby during the draft. “When we talked about immediate help and a talented guy like that, he’s the guy that would have the biggest impact on us. So that even made it more of a thrill for us that he was still there.”

The 31st overall pick last month, Roby is in line for a signing bonus worth about $3.376MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com. The overall four-year value of the contract for the Ohio State product will be in the neighborhood of $6.953MM, and the deal will include a fifth-year club option for 2018.

As our draft pick signing tracker shows, with Roby now under contract, only 12 first-round picks remain unsigned.

Minor Moves: Steelers, Jags, Browns, Cards, Pats

June 9th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a fairly quiet day for transactions around the NFL, but a number of teams have completed minor moves, including signing mid-round draft picks. We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions right here:

The Steelers now have seven of their nine draftees under contract, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve officially signed fourth-round receiver Martavis Bryant. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that Pittsburgh was close to locking up Bryant, who will receive a signing bonus worth about $439K, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com,
The Jaguars also signed one of their draft picks today, as third-round guard Brandon Linder formally inked his rookie deal, per John Oesher of Jaguars.com (via Twitter). Jacksonville has essentially been working backward through its picks, so first-round quarterback Blake Bortles and second-round receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson remain unsigned.
2013 sixth-round defensive back Jamoris Slaughter has been cut by the Browns, the team confirmed today (Twitter link). Slaughter didn’t appear in a game for Cleveland during his rookie season. Meanwhile, the Browns added a couple new players to their roster (Twitter link), signing offensive lineman Alex Parsons and kicker Jake Rogers, who was let go by the Redskins last month.
Veteran center John Estes, who signed with the Cardinals in March and was cut in May, is back with the team on a new contract, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Offensive lineman Christian Johnson was waived to make room.
The Patriots have signed former New Hampshire tight end Kyle Auffray and cut undrafted rookie receiver Derrick Johnson, according to a team release.

Eagles Sign Marcus Smith, Lock Up Draft Class

June 9th, 2014 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have signed first-round edge defender Marcus Smith to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Eagles were closing in on an agreement with Smith, whose deal will also include a fifth-year team option for 2018.

Smith’s selection at 26th overall was viewed as a bit of a surprise, considering the Eagles already have Trent Cole and Connor Barwin at the outside linebacker spots in their 3-4 defense. Brandon Graham also played well when given the opportunity last season. Still, Smith had an excellent senior season at Louisville in 2013, racking up 14.5 sacks and being named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia picked up the selection used to draft Smith in a trade with the Browns — the Eagles sent Cleveland the No. 22 pick and also received the No. 83 pick in the swap.

As Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap details, Smith’s signing bonus comes in at just under $4MM, while his four-year total amounts to nearly $7.8MM. Based on what we’ve seen from first-round signings so far, most – but not all – of that money should be guaranteed.

By signing Smith, the Eagles have now locked up all seven members of their 2014 draft class. To keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings, be sure to check out our tracker.

Jadeveon Clowney, Texans Agree To Terms

June 6th, 2014 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

More than half of 2014’s first-round picks have already reached agreements with their new NFL clubs, and now we can add the No. 1 overall selection to that list. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Texans have agreed to terms with Jadeveon Clowney on his four-year rookie contract, which will include a team option for 2018.

After a dominant sophomore season at South Carolina, Clowney’s junior campaign didn’t go quite as smoothly, as he missed two games due to injury and some observers questioned his work ethic. Still, his pure athleticism and talent made him the consensus No. 1 overall pick last month. As a sophomore, Clowney helped lead South Carolina to a 11–2 record, setting the school record for sacks (13.0) and tackles for loss (23.5) while also registering 54 tackles and three forced fumbles. In 2013, Clowney finished his junior season with 35 tackles, 10.5 for a loss of yardage, and three sacks.

Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Clowney’s four-year rookie contract will have an overall value of about $22.273MM, including a signing bonus of approximately $14.519MM. With Clowney locked up, the Texans have now reached agreements with nine of their 10 draft picks. As our tracker shows, only second-round guard Xavier Su’a-Filo remains unsigned.

Minor Moves: Chiefs, Raiders, Bears

June 5th, 2014 at 9:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves..

The Chiefs have signed former Troy quarterback and wide receiver Deon Anthony and former Richmond cornerback Justin Rogers, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). To make room, Kansas City waived defensive tackle Risean Broussard.
The Raiders announced the signing of third-round offensive lineman Gabe Jackson, tweets Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. With Jackson in the fold, the Raiders have now signed all of their 2014 draft picks, as shown in PFR’s running list of draft pick signings.
To make room for the newly-signed Jimmy Clausen, the Bears waived linebacker Lawrence Wilson, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. The former UConn standout has spent time with the Bears and Panthers practice squads but has yet to see the field in the regular season.

Lions Sign Kyle Van Noy

June 5th, 2014 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

THURSDAY, 3:45pm: ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein has some details on Van Noy’s contract (via Twitter). The player’s signing bonus will be worth just over $2MM, while he’s guaranteed just north of $3MM. His cap number next season will be worth a bit about $972K.

WEDNESDAY, 5:44pm: The Lions announced that they have signed second-round pick Kyle Van Noy, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. With Van Noy in the fold, first round pick Eric Ebron is the last player left to sign, as shown in PFR’s running list.

The Lions were high on Van Noy and traded their No. 45, No. 111 (fourth round), and No. 227 (seventh round) picks to Seattle to acquire the No. 40 selection. The BYU star saw his stock rise in the weeks heading into the draft and with the Broncos and others hot on his tail, Detroit wasn’t willing to take any chances. The Ravens, Jaguars, and Falcons also met with Van Noy and some saw him as a first-round talent.

Van Noy has been praised for his instincts and his leadership ability. However, some have expressed concern about his lack of athleticism, and that could be what ultimately kept him out of the first round.

AFC Notes: Kirksey, Ridley, Pats, Gilreath

June 5th, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With few, if any, impact free agents left on the board and the draft behind us, most rosters around the league are starting to resemble what we’ll see during the 2014 regular season, at least once teams have made their cuts. But that doesn’t mean that those rosters aren’t without their holes. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Tom Gower of Football Outsiders breaks down the AFC West, looking at the remaining needs for the Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders. Those most notable holes are on the offensive side of the ball for the Chiefs (pass-catcher) and Raiders (offensive lineman), and on defense for the Broncos (middle linebacker) and Chargers (cornerback).

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Browns have agreed to terms with third-round linebacker Christian Kirksey, the team confirmed today (via Twitter). The agreement, which includes a signing bonus worth about $663K was first reported by Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Patriots running back Stevan Ridley is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but he told reporters today, including Albert Breer of the NFL Network, that he’s focused on playing “mistake-free” football rather than on his contract situation (Twitter link).
Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com has the details on James Anderson‘s minimum salary benefit contract with the Patriots, which includes a $15K signing bonus and a $50K roster bonus if he makes the team.
The Raiders have signed former Wisconsin wideout David Gilreath, agent Sean Stellato tells Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Gilreath recorded his first and only career NFL reception during the 2012 season for the Steelers.

Panthers Sign Kelvin Benjamin, Trai Turner

June 4th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers have become the 11th team in the NFL to lock up their entire 2014 draft class, announcing today (via Twitter) that first-round receiver Kelvin Benjamin and third-round guard Trai Turner have signed their rookie contracts. The club had previously locked up second-rounder Kony Ealy and its three other late-round draftees.

As the 28th overall pick in the draft, Benjamin is in line for a signing bonus worth $3.894MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. Benjamin, a former Florida State standout, will also have a fifth-year option on his deal which the team can exercise for the 2018 season. As for Turner, per Fitzgerald’s numbers, his signing bonus is a more modest $540K, with an overall four-year value of about $2.796MM on this deal.

As I noted this morning, coming into today, only 52 draft picks remained unsigned. With Benjamin and Turner now under contract, only 50 more still need to put pen to paper. You can follow the progress with our tracker.