Month: June 2017

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Cards, Lions

Free agent linebacker Daryl Washington says that he has been in conversations with a few clubs, though he hopes to land with his “hometown team,” the Cowboys (Twitter link via SiriusXM). In an interview on Wednesday, Washington made a case for why the Cowboys should sign him. It’s not clear if Dallas has real interest in the linebacker, particularly since he has not played a down of football since 2013. On the flipside, he was a Pro Bowl caliber player when he was at his best in Arizona.

More on Dallas and a few other NFC clubs:

  • The Giants regard Paul Perkins a three-down running back, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who points out that their opinion of Perkins explains why they didn’t make a splash at the position in free agency. Perkins averaged 4.1 yards per carry on 112 attempts during his rookie year and is now the clear favorite to start over the likes of Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa, Shaun Draughn and Wayne Gallman. “I really like what Paul Perkins has been doing so far,” said RBs coach Craig Johnson. “He ended last season playing like a guy that is ready to take over the job. There is nothing so far in the offseason to show he’s not going to be able to handle that role. But that is today. It’s a long way from today to the opening game.”
  • Cardinals GM Steve Keim says he’s still looking to add a handful of veterans to the mix this summer, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. “(Team president) Michael [Bidwill] and I talked about six to eight players, who are still on the street, who could potentially come in and help us,” Keim said in an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7. Urban speculates that Arizona could look into reinforcements at cornerback or even guard if Evan Boehm doesn’t keep moving forward. A running back could also be in order if Andre Ellington and/or Eli Penny disappoint.
  • The Cowboys will not be signing any of the players that auditioned for them on Thursday, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (on Twitter). That group included quarterback Ryan Nassib and safety Jeron Johnson. The Cowboys will stick with Zac Dysert as a third-string QB for the time being.
  • Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis has emerged as a candidate to earn a roster spot with the Lions since signing a reserve/futures contract in January, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The former Packer has impressed during OTAs, and the Lions have open spots at receiver behind Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and third-round pick Kenny Golladay. “The guy’s a really good route runner — very, very good just in terms of his ability to find open areas,” coach Jim Caldwell said of Abbrederis. “He has good spatial awareness.” The 26-year-old Abbrederis was a return man during his time at Wisconsin, which could further help his cause in cracking Detroit’s roster, notes Meinke.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/8/17

Thursday’s minor moves:

  • The Jets have waived wide receiver Quinton Patton with an injury settlement, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old offseason signing went on injured reserve earlier this week with an undisclosed ailment.
  • The Lions have added offensive tackle Tony Hills and waived guard Connor Bozick. Hills will add another body for a team whose starting left tackle, stalwart Taylor Decker, is dealing with a shoulder injury. However, Hills isn’t any kind of replacement for Decker, as he has totaled just 33 appearances and one start since 2010. Bozick didn’t last long in Detroit, where he signed last May as an undrafted free agent from Delaware.
  • The Dolphins have agreed to a contract with wide receiver Mitch Mathews, sources tell Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Mathews went undrafted out of BYU in 2016. In his collegiate career, he caught 152 passes for 2,083 yards and 24 touchdowns.
  • The Seahawks have signed tight end Steve Donatell and cut fellow TE Bryce Williams. Donatell, the brother of Seahawks quality control coach Tom Donatell, signed as an undrafted free agent from Wake Forest. Williams went undrafted last year out of East Carolina and spent some time with the Patriots and Rams.
  • The Chargers have signed cornerback Ryan Reid, an undrafted free agent from Baylor.

Patriots, Julian Edelman Agree To Extension

It’s a done deal. The Patriots and Julian Edelman have agreed to a multi-year extension, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Earlier today, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported that the two sides were nearing agreement.

The two-year, $11MM pact includes $9MM in total guarantees and $7MM in full guarantees, and will keep Edelman in New England through 2019, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Albert Breer of The MMQB (all Twitter links). The contract also comes with a $5MM signing bonus and $4MM in reachable incentives, giving it a $15MM max. Julian Edelman (vertical)

[RELATED: Patriots Sign Top Pick Derek Rivers]

Edelman, 31, turned in one of his best seasons to date last year. In 2016, Edelman set a new personal watermark in receiving yards (1,106) and also had 98 catches and three touchdowns. Even with Brandin Cooks in the mix and Rob Gronkowski back in the lineup, Edelman still figures to be a top target for Tom Brady.

Edelman was selected with the No. 232 overall pick in the 2009 draft and it’s safe to say that he has outperformed his draft slot. In his rookie season, Edelman had 37 catches for 359 yards and one score. He wasn’t utilized much in the next few regular seasons, but since 2013, he has been a key part of the Pats’ offense. Now, the new contract should allow the Kent State product to complete his career in New England.

Of course, highlighting Edelman’s regular season achievements only tell half of the story with him. Since the Super Bowl era, Edelman ranks third in career playoff receptions with 89, as James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes. He’s behind only Jerry Rice (151) and Reggie Wayne (93) on that all-time list and could very well pass Wayne before he’s through with football.

Giants Sign Corbin Bryant

The Giants have signed defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and waived interior offensive lineman Khaled Holmes, tweets James Kratch of NJ.com.

Corbin Bryant

The 29-year-old Bryant brings a fair amount of experience to New York, having appeared in 56 games with the Steelers and Bills since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Northwestern in 2011. Fifty-five of Bryant’s appearances have come in Buffalo, where he started in 16 of 24 games from 2015-16. Bryant missed half of last season, an eight-game, six-start showing, and received poor marks from Pro Football Focus for his performance. The year before, though, he saw action in each of Buffalo’s contests, piled up a career-high 45 tackles across 10 starts, and drew a positive grade from PFF.

Now, Bryant will attempt to catch on with a Giants team that lost starting D-tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Colts in free agency. Big Blue still has standout nose tackle Damon Harrison, of course, and used a second-round pick on former Alabama D-tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Backups Jay Bromley and Robert Thomas are also on hand to offer some experience, but not as much as Bryant.

Holmes, who joined the Giants on a reserve/futures deal in January, has seen his career stall since the Colts cut him after the 2015 season. The 2013 fourth-rounder started in nine of 17 appearances as a Colt over three seasons.

Nick Fairley Awaiting Third Opinion

Defensive tackle Nick Fairley signed a four-year, $28MM contract to remain with the Saints earlier this offseason, but there’s a chance his heart issue could prevent him from ever playing a down under that deal. Fairley is currently awaiting the results of a third medical opinion, according to head coach Sean Payton, and it could determine whether the 29-year-old will be able to continue his career (via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com).

Nick Fairley

The first specialist Fairley consulted with informed him that he “shouldn’t play football again,” Payton said Thursday. However, the second opinion Fairley received “was a little different.”

Continued Payton: “The things we know are this — it’s obviously something significant and serious that we’ve gotta pay attention to, obviously both for Nick and for the club. So we’re hopeful, and yet we’re guarded, because of the type of condition we’re talking about.”

Concerns over Fairley’s heart came to light at the time he was undergoing a physical after agreeing to a contract in March, per Payton. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the Saints from re-upping the six-year veteran. For now, the Saints are leery of paying the half of Fairley’s $8MM bonus that they still owe him, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). New Orleans wants more “clarity” on Fairley’s situation before it commits the money to him, according to Garafolo, who adds that the club would have a difficult time recouping the money it has already paid him if it attempted to. The reason: All 32 teams have known about Fairley’s condition since prior to the 2011 draft, in which he went 13th overall to the Lions.

Jeremy Maclin Leaves Ravens Visit

Free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin left his Ravens visit on Thursday without a deal, head coach John Harbaugh told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun and other reporters. The Ravens remain hopeful that they’ll reel in the former Eagle and Chief, but it doesn’t appear Maclin is on track to sign anywhere imminently.

Jeremy Maclin (Vertical)

“He was in here all morning into early afternoon, getting to know us, us getting to know him. He’s going to go back,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t press him to stay. Talking to his wife is really important. He’s got a wedding this weekend, so he wants a little more time to make up his decision.”

Since the Chiefs released Maclin last weekend, he has had two-day meetings with both the Bills and Ravens. The Eagles and Browns have also drawn connections to Maclin, but the former isn’t pursuing him and the latter hasn’t booked a visit with the 29-year-old. Buffalo and Baltimore, on the other hand, clearly want Maclin. One of Maclin’s former Eagles teammates, Bills running back LeSean McCoy, has tried to sell him on Buffalo. Retired receiver Steve Smith Sr. has acted as a recruiter for the Ravens, meanwhile, and Maclin watched Game 3 of the NBA Finals with some of his potential Baltimore teammates on Wednesday.

Of course, money will likely play a significant role in where Maclin signs. It’s unclear whether either the Bills or Ravens have made offers, but it’s worth pointing out their cap situations. Buffalo has just over $12.41MM in available room, beating out Baltimore’s $5.62MM.

Bills WR Walter Powell Hit With Suspension

Bills wide receiver/kick returner Walter Powell suspended for the first four games of the season, according to a team announcement. Powell has violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. Walter Powell (vertical)

Powell, 25, first entered the league as a sixth round pick of the Cardinals in 2014. Since then, he has bounced around the league quite a bit including stints with the Jets, Raiders, and Bills (twice). Powell was hoping to bounce back in 2017 after last year’s campaign was cut short by a November ankle injury.

The Bills are looking a bit thin at wide receiver, particularly when considering how injury prone top receiver Sammy Watkins is, but Powell still didn’t figure to be a major contributor this season. Although Powell had a chance at making the 53-man roster due to his return acumen, it’s not likely that he’ll make the final cut now. The Bills have several other receivers under contract, including free agent additions Corey Brown, Andre Holmes, Rod Streater, and Jeremy Butler.

Cardinals Sign Rookie Haason Reddick

The Cardinals announced that they’ve signed first round pick Haason Reddick. The linebacker was selected with the No. 13 overall pick. Haason Reddick (Vertical)

Reddick, a Temple product, was one of the most incredible stories of this year’s draft class. Reddick first came to school as a preferred walk-on and eventually blossomed into a starter by the time his junior season came around. As a senior, he turned in his best season ever, tallying 65 tackles and 9.5 sacks for the Owls. Reddick even added one interception, three passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. In the months leading up to the draft, Reddick shot up draft boards everywhere to the point where he had some top ten buzz.

As Deone Bucannon recovers from ankle surgery, it seems possible that Reddick could crack the Week 1 starting lineup. The Cardinals project to start Chandler Jones and Markus Golden at the OLB spots with free agent pickup Karlos Dansby and Bucannon in the middle. Free agent outside linebacker Jarvis Jones also figures to see a decent number of snaps.

The Cardinals have now signed all seven members of their draft class. Here’s the complete list of Arizona’s 2017 draft picks:

Patriots Sign Top Pick Derek Rivers

The Patriots’ top pick is officially under contract. Defensive end Derek Rivers has inked his rookie deal, according to his agents (on Twitter). Derek Rivers (vertical)

The Pats selected Rivers with the No. 85 overall pick in the draft, their top selection thanks to the Brandin Cooks trade with New Orleans. The Youngstown State product finished school in style, tallying 14.0 sacks and garnering attention from talent evaluators all over the league. Rivers could be a factor at defensive end behind Kony Ealy and Trey Flowers this year, but we could also see him get some reps at outside linebacker where he can learn from Rob Ninkovich.

The Patriots have now signed all four members of their 2017 draft class. Here’s the full rundown of New England’s rookie class:

Bengals Wrap Up Draft Class

The Bengals have signed third round pick Jordan Willis, according to a team announcement. With the defensive end signed, the Bengals now have all eleven members of their draft class under contract. Jordan Willis (vertical)

Willis, a former standout at Kansas State, had 11.5 sacks in his final season on campus. Now with the Bengals, the 2016 Big 12 defensive player of the year figures to contribute as a reserve behind starting bookends Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap. Will Clarke, Wallace Gilberry, and trade acquisition Chris Smith are also on the DE depth chart. Willis, who has been widely praised for his versatility, may also see time at outside linebacker.

Here’s the full rundown of the Bengals’ draft class: