Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/17
Thursday has been chock-full of draft signings. Here are the latest rookies to ink deals:
Buffalo Bills
- Round 5 (No. 163 overall): Matt Milano, LB (Boston College)
- Round 6 (No. 195): Tanner Vallejo, LB (Boise State)
Chicago Bears
- Round 4 (No. 119): Tarik Cohen, RB (North Carolina A&T)
- Round 5 (No. 147): Jordan Morgan, OL (Kutztown)
Cleveland Browns
- Round 4 (No. 126): Howard Wilson, CB (Houston)
- Round 5 (No. 160): Roderick Johnson, OL (Florida State)
- Round 7 (No. 252): Matthew Dayes, RB (North Carolina State)
Denver Broncos
- Round 3 (No. 101): Brendan Langley, CB (Lamar)
Houston Texans
- Round 7 (No. 243): Kyle Fuller, C (Baylor)
Indianapolis Colts
- Round 2 (No. 46): Quincy Wilson, CB (Florida) [Twitter link via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star]
- Round 5 (No. 158) Nate Hairston, CB (Temple)
- Round 6 (No. 161): Anthony Walker, LB (Northwestern)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Round 7 (No. 222): Jalen Myrick, CB (Minnesota) [via John Oesher of Jaguars.com, on Twitter]
Tennessee Titans
- Round 7 (No. 236): Brad Seaton, T (Villanova) [Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle]
Steelers Sign James Conner
The Steelers have signed third-round running back James Conner, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report (via Twitter). With Conner joining fifth-round cornerback Brian Allen, sixth-round long snapper Colin Holba and seventh-round linebacker Keion Adams under contract, Pittsburgh has now signed half of its eight-pick class.
Conner, a Pennsylvania native who was among the nation’s best backs with Pitt, is now in position to make an NFL impact in his home state. Of course, the 105th overall pick also comes with an inspirational story, having bounced back from a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis (not to mention a torn MCL) in 2015 to conclude his college career with a vengeance last season. A cancer-free Conner turned in his second thousand-yard campaign with the Panthers (1,092, on 5.1 yards per carry) and combined for 20 touchdowns (16 rushing, four receiving). In parts of four seasons at Pitt, he found the end zone 56 times (52 on the ground).
With the Steelers lacking established NFLers behind starting running back Le’Veon Bell, Conner should serve as the two-time Pro Bowler’s top backup in 2017. It’s possible Conner will end up as the Steelers’ starter in 2018 if Bell walks as a free agent next offseason, but the team hopes to sign the franchise tag recipient to an extension in the coming months.
Rams Waive Aaron Murray
Just over two months after signing Aaron Murray, the Rams have waived the quarterback, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Once a star at Georgia, Murray fell to the sixth round of the 2014 draft after an ACL injury brought an early end to his senior season. Murray spent the first two years of his career in the Chiefs organization before serving on Philadelphia’s practice squad last season. He still hasn’t attempted an NFL pass.
Had he stuck with the Rams through the summer, Murray would have competed for a backup role behind 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. For now, the only non-Goff quarterback on the Rams’ roster is Sean Mannion, a 2015 third-rounder with 13 pass attempts under his belt.
Cowboys, Taco Charlton Agree To Deal
The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with their first-round pick, former Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton, per Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram (Twitter link).
Charlton saw action in all four of his years with the Wolverines, and he was particularly effective last season in racking up personal bests in tackles (40), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (10). That production helped convince the Cowboys to use the 28th pick on Charlton, who’s set to make over $10MM in guarantees – including $5.43MM-plus via signing bonus – on his rookie contract.
While the Cowboys went an NFC-best 13-3 last year, they did it without an elite pass rush, ranking a decent 13th in sacks and a below-average 26th in quarterback hurries. No one on the team finished with more than six sacks, leading owner Jerry Jones to make it clear early in the offseason that upgrading the pass rush was in order. The Cowboys’ hope is that Charlton will do that, while further defensive help could come from second- and third-round cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. They’re among eight unsigned Cowboys draft picks, with Charlton being the only member of their class with a contract.
Eagles Sign Seven Draft Picks
With the notable exception of first-round defensive end Derek Barnett, all of the Eagles’ draft picks are now under contract. The Eagles have agreed to deals with seven members of their rookie class, per a team announcement. Here’s the list:
- 2-43: Sidney Jones, CB (Washington)
- 3-99: Rasul Douglas, CB (West Virginia)
- 4-118: Mack Hollins, WR (North Carolina)
- 4-132: Donnel Pumphrey, RB (San Diego State)
- 5-166: Shelton Gibson, WR (West Virginia)
- 5-184: Nathan Gerry, S (Nebraska)
- 6-214: Elijah Qualls, DT (Washington)
The biggest name included in that group belongs to Jones, who underwent surgery on a torn Achilles in March and won’t return to the field until the fall, at the earliest. Jones’ injury, which occurred on the final rep of his pro day, caused his draft stock to slip after it appeared he’d be a first-rounder. The 6-foot, 181-pounder was a 30-game starter at Washington, where he tallied eight interceptions.
Bills Waive Three
The Bills have waived a pair of cornerbacks, Marcus Cromartie and Marcus Roberson, as well as wide receiver Corey Washington, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
Both Cromartie and Washington joined the Bills earlier this offseason, but they apparently became unnecessary to the organization in the wake of the draft. The Bills used their first-round pick on ex-LSU cornerback Tre’Davious White, thus helping to push Cromartie out. The team then spent its second-rounder on former East Carolina receiver Zay Jones, which spelled the end for Washington. Neither Cromartie nor Washington has accomplished much in the NFL, with the former having started in one of 21 appearances and totaling 18 tackles as a 49er from 2014-16; meanwhile, the latter’s only action came during a 14-game, five-catch 2014 with the Giants.
Like Cromartie and Washington, Roberson also carries a fairly unimpressive pro resume (and White’s selection didn’t do him any favors, either). Roberson first signed with the Bills last year and picked up a meager two tackles in seven games. He saw more time with the Rams from 2014-15, starting in six of 25 games and picking off his lone pass in the first of those two years.
Chargers Sign Mike Williams
Unlike last year, there won’t be a drawn-out contract dispute between the Chargers and their first-round pick. The club has signed wide receiver Mike Williams, the seventh overall selection, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Williams thrived at Clemson, particularly during a 98-catch, 1,361-yard, 11-touchdown 2016 campaign that concluded with a national championship. He’s now in line to earn just under $20MM in guarantees on a four-year contract, including a signing bonus worth upward of $12.5MM, and join an impressive Bolts receiving corps that also includes Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin and Dontrelle Inman.
Ideally, the Chargers will get a full rookie season from Williams, which wasn’t the case with their first-rounder a year ago. The Chargers chose ex-Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa third overall in 2016, but he didn’t sign until late August because of an ugly contract battle. As a result, Bosa didn’t debut until October, though he still turned in an excellent rookie year with 10.5 sacks in 12 games.
Packers Sign Top Pick CB Kevin King
The Packers have signed rookie cornerback Kevin King (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Green Bay traded down from the No. 29 selection and acquired picks at No. 33 and No. 108. King, taken with the first pick in the second round, is their top draft pick in the 2017 class. 
As a senior, King totaled 44 tackles (including 3.5 tackles for a loss) and two interceptions. At 6’3″, King offers great height for the cornerback position and he boosted his stock in his final year on campus by having his first ever slate of perfect attendance. Some evaluators worry that he doesn’t have enough speed to be a standout CB, but Green Bay’s front office clearly disagrees.
With ten draft picks in this year’s class, the Packers have even more work to do in the coming days.
Redskins Sign Jonathan Allen
The Redskins have signed first-round pick Jonathan Allen along with eight of their other nine draft picks. The lone holdout, so to speak, is third round cornerback Fabian Moreau. The full list of signed rookies is below: 
- 1-17: Jonathan Allen, DL (Alabama)
- 2-49: Ryan Anderson, LB (Alabama)
- 4-114: Samaje Perine, RB (Oklahoma)
- 4-123: Montae Nicholson, S (Michigan State)
- 5-154: Jeremy Sprinkle, TE (Arkansas)
- 6-199: Chase Roullier, C (Wyoming)
- 6-209: Robert Davis, WR (Georgia State)
- 7-230: Josh Harvey-Clemons, S (Louisville)
- 7-235: Joshua Holsey, S (Auburn)
Allen, an Alabama product, was regarded by many prognosticators as a top five talent in this year’s class. However, on draft night, he slipped all the way to Washington at No. 17. His slide might have been tied to his medical situation as he is said to have symptoms of arthritis in both of his shoulders. Allen says that the shoulders are not an issue now, but he did concede at the combine that the issue could cause trouble down the road. As a senior, Allen had 69 tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss. He also had 10.5 sacks, nearly matching his 12 sack total from 2015.
Sprinkle made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he shoplifted from a Belk department store days before Arkansas played in the Belk Bowl. Despite the embarrassing incident, teams still viewed the tight end as an NFL talent after he had 33 catches for 380 yards and four touchdowns in eleven starts for the Razorbacks. We could see Sprinkle in two tight end sets with top TE Jordan Reed this season.
Bears Release WR Eddie Royal
The Bears announced that they have released wide receiver Eddie Royal. In related news, the team has also waived offensive lineman Cornelius Edison, fullback Paul Lasike, and defensive lineman Will Sutton. 
[RELATED: Bears Willing To Trade TE Zach Miller?]
Royal, 31 later this month, was an expected cap casualty after the March signing of Kendall Wright. The veteran had one year remaining on his contract, but his $5MM salary was completely non-guaranteed. Royal underwent surgery in late December to fix his turf toe issue and the fact that his release was formalized today could be an indication that he is able to pass a physical and suit up for a team.
Royal appeared in nine games last season for the Bears until he was placed on IR. In his injury-shortened season, he hauled in 33 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns. The receiver first made a name for himself in Denver where he caught passes from Jay Cutler in the 2008 season. Now, both men are out of Chicago.
The Bears are projected to have Cameron Meredith, Wright, Kevin White, and Markus Wheaton as their top four receivers this year.