Bengals Sign Rookie RB Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon is officially a member of the Bengals. The team announced that the running back has inked his four-year rookie deal. 
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From a talent perspective, Mixon was one of the best running backs available in this year’s class. However, his baggage dragged him further down the boards of several teams and completely off the board for some. Mixon, of course, was caught on video striking a woman while on campus at Oklahoma. Mixon and the woman reached a civil settlement one week before the draft, but that was not enough to quell the concerns of teams around the league. Ultimately, the Bengals took a chance on Mixon at No. 48 overall.
“In making our decision, we took a risk. In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said. “We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen. Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps – if given a chance – Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of.”
Without the off-field concerns, Mixon would have been a mortal lock for the first round. In 2016, Mixon rushed for 1,274 yards and ten touchdowns on the ground for the Sooners, adding another 538 yards and five scores in the passing game.
Mixon is the ninth of the Bengals’ eleven draft picks to sign. Third round defensive end Jordan Willis and fifth round offensive lineman J.J. Dielman are the remaining stragglers.
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Chris Johnson Wants To Continue Playing
CJ2K says that he still has some yards left in him. The veteran running back made it clear today that he wants to continue playing in 2017. 
“I want to play. A few teams are interested and we’ve stayed in close contact with the Cardinals,” Johnson told SiriusXM (Twitter link).
Johnson, 32 in September, has taken a backseat to David Johnson in the Arizona backfield as of late. Before going on injured reserve with a groin ailment last October, CJ accrued just 25 carries in four games. Back in February, the veteran indicated that there was mutual interest between him and the Cardinals, but he wanted to see if he could find a club that would give him more playing time.
“I need to be involved,” the speedster said. “At this point in my career, I don’t want to sit on the sideline. I want to get in the game.”
Be that as it may, it doesn’t sound like Johnson was able to find much in the way of outside interest. CJ2K has six 1,000-yard seasons (including a 2,000-yard campaign) and three Pro Bowl nods on his resume, but teams probably feel that he’s a bit limited at this point in his career. His desire for playing time is understandable, but his best and only chance at that will be to hook on as a third or fourth running back and wait for an injury.
In addition to starter David Johnson, the Cardinals also have running backs Kerwynn Williams and rookie T.J. Logan on the roster. Andre Ellington remains with the team, but Arizona plans to convert him to wide receiver.
Dwight Freeney To Return To Falcons?
Dwight Freeney isn’t done with football just yet. Although he does not have a team for 2017, it sounds like that could change rather quickly. 
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“I’ve already been talking to the coaches and going back and forth here and there with the draft picks and free agents,” Freeney said (via Alex Marvez of The Sporting News). “That line of communication is still very open. They say they’re still very interested. I’m planning to reach out to them here soon and hopefully we both believe they want me back and playing for them.”
The Falcons will receive a $4.3MM salary cap credit on Friday and a chunk of that could go towards re-signing Freeney. At one point, that didn’t seem likely at all. Coach Dan Quinn is on record as saying that Freeney would have to participate in the team’s offseason program if he did want to return, but it now sounds like they’ll make an exception for the future Hall of Fame inductee. The good news is that Freeney, who would be entering his 16th NFL season, says that he has been staying in shape with workouts that are not overly strenuous on his joints.
Last season, Freeney played on roughly a third of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in 2016, and posted three sacks and 18 hurries. He can be a valuable edge rusher in a part-time capacity for Atlanta while also helping to mentor younger players like rookie Takkarist McKinley.
AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Fins, Jets
Broncos second-year safety Will Parks is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a March 31 arrest, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Parks, charged with harassment and non-violent domestic violence, has a court date in Brighton, Colo., on June 30. His ex-girlfriend told police that Parks started making threats against her because he believed she stole his social security card, birth certificate, football rings and football jerseys. Parks claims he never threatened her, but she nonetheless filed a restraining order against him. The Broncos knew about Parks’ arrest before it became public knowledge, the team informed Klis. “We became aware of the issue involving Will Parks immediately after it occurred in April,” stated the club. “It was promptly reported to the league office and we are continuing to monitor the matter.” The NFL is currently determining whether Parks violated its personal conduct policy, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
More from the AFC:
- Browns quarterback Brock Osweiler has emerged as a serious candidate to start Week 1 because he has exceeded head coach Hue Jackson‘s expectations since joining the team via trade in March, relays Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Osweiler’s performance last year in Houston was ugly, and he even came with behind-the-scenes concerns that led to wariness from Jackson. But Osweiler “has been outstanding in our building, and that’s what’s most important,” noted Jackson, who has teamed with quarterbacks coach David Lee to help tighten up the 6-foot-8, 235-pounder’s delivery. “I told him this yesterday — I went back and watched a little bit of film of him from last year, and he looks much better right now,” said Jackson. “He’s more compact. He’s throwing the ball with a lot more velocity. He’s doing a lot of good things.”
- The Dolphins and wide receiver Jarvis Landry have discussed a contract extension, but the talks haven’t gotten serious, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “We’ve talked back and forth but there’s nothing really going on,” said Landry. “We’re just really focusing on right now today.” Landry has no plans to hold out as he enters the last year of his rookie contract, per the Miami Herald’s Adam H. Beasley, who expects him to sign a deal worth upward of $12MM per annum at some point. As Beasley notes, no NFLer has caught more passes in his first three years in the league than Landry, who hauled in 288 from 2014-16.
- The Jets traded safety Calvin Pryor to Cleveland on Thursday in part because they wanted him out of their locker room, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. There was a belief within the organization that Pryor “had an inflated opinion of himself” and didn’t buy into head coach Todd Bowles‘ program, per Cimini.
Draft Pick Signings: 6/1/17
The latest NFL rookies to put pen to paper on their first contracts:
- The Saints signed their two third-round picks, linebacker Alex Anzalone (pick No. 76) and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (No. 103), as well as sixth-round DE Al-Quadin Muhammad (No. 196) on Thursday (via Anzalone’s Twitter account and Herbie Teope of NOLA.com). Thanks in part to shoulder injuries, Anzalone didn’t pick up significant playing time at Florida until last season, when he totaled 53 tackles and three sacks. Despite his relatively modest output with the Gators, Anzalone has the talent to be a three-down starter in the pros, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Hendrickson, meanwhile, was quite productive at Florida Atlantic, where he tallied 41 tackles for loss and 29.5 sacks from 2013-16. Most of the damage came over the previous two years, as Hendrickson combined for 30 TFL and 23 sacks in that span. Muhammad, yet another prospect who played his college ball at a Florida-based institution (Miami), is coming off a troubled tenure with the Hurricanes. He missed all of 2014 on account of a suspension stemming from an altercation and then incurred yet another ban last year, one that led to his dismissal from Miami, for a violation of NCAA rules. The last time Muhammad took the field, in 2015, he put up 54 tackles (8.5 for loss) and five sacks.
- The Packers have signed fourth-round running back Jamaal Williams (No. 134), leaving only one of their 10 picks – third-round defensive tackle Montravius Adams – without a contract. Williams, the first of three running backs the Packers drafted this year, was a two-time 1,200-yard rusher at BYU. He finished his Cougars tenure with a career year in 2016, amassing 1,375 rushing yards (with a 5.9 yards-per-carry average) and 12 touchdowns in 10 games.
NFC Notes: Redskins, Bears, Lions
Running back Matt Jones, who’s not in the Redskins’ plans, would like the team to trade or cut him, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, the Redskins have no plans to cut the two-year veteran, according to Keim, though he notes that teams around the NFL ultimately expect that to happen. Although he averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry on 99 attempts last season, the fumble-prone Jones is now at the bottom of Washington’s backfield depth chart.
More from two other NFC cities:
- Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a thumb ligament injury Thursday that will keep him out until training camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s the second OTA casualty for Chicago, joining quarterback Mark Sanchez, who suffered a knee injury earlier this week. Meredith is clearly the more important player for the Bears, having posted 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns as a second-year man in 2016.
- The Bears’ newest receiver, Victor Cruz, can earn up $4MM on his one-year contract, relays Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cruz’s deal includes a $500K signing bonus, $500K in per-game roster bonuses and a chance to rake in $2MM in incentives.
- The Lions are done deploying a fullback, head coach Jim Caldwell revealed Wednesday (via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press). Caldwell’s announcement came a day after the Lions waived fullback Michael Burton, who only played 95 offensive snaps last season. “The reason why Burton’s no longer here is because that position as you’d call it (designated as a) fullback, is not part of how we function,” Caldwell said. “We find a way to get done with other positions, tight end and things of that nature.”
- As a guest on “The Carriker Chronicles” podcast, Lions starting running back Ameer Abdullah opened up about the foot injury that ended his season in Week 2 last year. “I ended up tearing my Lisfranc the second game of the season against the Tennessee Titans, separating my foot, so that was a bummer for me,” Abdullah told former NFLer Adam Carriker (per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “But I’m shaking back good now. It’s helped me understand my body more, so I’m a lot more penciled in on what I need to do as far as recovery, make sure I’m [doing all the] right things for my body to make sure I’m ready for this 2017 season.”
Jets Sign Shamarko Thomas
The Jets have announced the signing of defensive back Shamarko Thomas. Additionally, the club has waived linebacker Jevaris Jones.
Primarily a strong safety, Thomas spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He started in two of 14 appearances as a rookie, but he came off the bench in the rest of his games (34) with the team from 2014-16.
Thomas has just 30 career tackles (none last year) and is coming off a season in which he played only five defensive snaps in eight games. The 26-year-old was a bigger part of Pittsburgh’s special teams unit in 2016, playing 126 snaps, and will likely function in an ST role if he makes a Jets club that has no shortage of defensive backs on hand.
Jones, who played his college ball at Division II Shorter University, signed with the Jets on May 9 but didn’t even last a month with the team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/17
A slew of minor moves to kick off June…
- The Giants have signed wide receiver Jerome Lane, an undrafted rookie from Akron. He is the son of former Pitt basketball star Jerome Lane, whose backboard-shattering dunk in 1988 led to Bill Raftery’s famous “Send it in, Jerome!” call. The younger Jerome Lane was a standout college athlete in his own right, as he hauled in 101 receptions (on 17.8 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns with the Zips from 2015-16.
- The Browns have signed running back Terrence Magee and waived fellow RB Darius Jackson with an injury designation for his knee. Magee combined for five carries with Baltimore and Seahawks from 2015-16. Jackson didn’t see any action as an undrafted rookie in 2016, but the former Eastern Michigan standout generated some interest after the Cowboys cut him in December. Along with the Browns, who plucked Jackson off waivers, the Eagles, Giants and 49ers put in claims.
- The Chiefs have signed a pair of players – tight end Orson Charles and safety Damariay Drew – and waived receiver Jamari Staples and safety Devin Chappell. The 26-year-old Charles is the most notable member of the group, having combined for 31 games and nine catches with Cincinnati and Detroit across the 2012, ’13 and ’16 seasons. Drew went undrafted this year out of Cal, while Staples (Louisville) and Chappell (Oregon State) also went unpicked this spring.
- The Bills have added cornerback Greg Mabin and cut defensive back Jonathan Dowling. Mabin, undrafted from Iowa, spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this spring. Dowling, who has been in and out of the Buffalo organization since 2015, hasn’t appeared in a game since 2014, when the then-Raider played in seven contests.
- The Giants have waived corner SaQwan Edwards and re-signed fellow corner Nigel Tribune, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Edwards, a 2015 undrafted free agent who hasn’t yet played a regular-season game, only spent two-plus weeks with the Giants after they added him in mid-May. Tribune, undrafted from Iowa State, first signed with Big Blue on May 11.
Eagles Sign Derek Barnett
The Eagles have signed their first-round pick, defensive end Derek Barnett, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). As the 14th selection, Barnett’s four-year contract is worth upward of $12.85MM, including a $7.49MM signing bonus.
Barnett starred in all three of his years at Tennessee, where he notched 52 tackles for loss and 32 sacks. Last season was his best, though, as Barnett made 19 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and took down opposing quarterbacks 13 times en route to first-team all-SEC honors. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com likens the 6-foot-3, 259-pound Barnett to Packers pass rusher Nick Perry, who posted 11 sacks in 2016.
With Barnett under contract, the Eagles have locked up all eight of their draft picks. Here’s a refresher on their other selections:
- 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)