Vikings Sign Tommy Armstrong
It looks like Tommy Armstrong has finally received that long-awaited contract from the Vikings. According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), the team has added the former Nebraska quarterback to their roster. To make room, the team has waived receiver Mitch Mathews.
The undrafted free agent participated in the Vikings’ rookie minicamp, although the organization wasn’t eyeing Armstrong as a quarterback. Rather, the coaching staff auditioned the 23-year-old as a running back, and they later shifted him to safety. Despite the apparent versatility, the team didn’t sign Armstrong following the conclusion of minicamp.
Armstrong had a successful collegiate career at quarterback. In 45 games, the four-year player converted 53.3-percent of his passes for 8,871 yards, 67 touchdowns, and 44 interceptions. Armstrong also showed talents in the running game, collecting 1,819 yards and 23 touchdowns on 423 attempts (good for a 4.3-yard average).
Mathews has bounced around the league since going undrafted out of Brigham Young in 2016. Besides Minnesota, the 6-foot-6 receiver also spent time with the Chiefs and Browns. In 41 career collegiate games, Mathews hauled in 152 receptions for 2,083 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Extra Points: Carr, Barrett, Cowboys
Derek Carr emphasized today that he has no interest in discussing a contract extension with the Raiders once training camp starts.
“I wouldn’t even answer my phone,” Carr said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez). “The money isn’t the thing that drives me. … What drives me is making sure I’m giving everything that I have with my abilities, and making sure that we win. And I don’t want anything distracting my thought process at all.
“Now, that’s not a jab, or anything like that. That’s just me saying I’m not going to deal with anything that’s not helping me just focus on winning.”
The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he’s certainly in line for a significant raise on the $1.15MM he’s set to make this year. Last season, the quarterback completed 63.8-percent of his passes for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Let’s check out some additional notes from around the NFL…
- Broncos outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett is expected to miss the rest of the offseason after suffering a hip injury, reports Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (via Twitter). The 24-year-old hasn’t missed a game over the past two seasons, compiling 86 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles. While the defender will presumably be ready for the regular season, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post wonders (on Twitter) if the team might pursue a replacement, citing the team’s lack of linebacker depth.
- The Cowboys learned last week that defensive end David Irving is facing a four-game ban after failing a test for performance enhancing drugs. That was followed by yesterday’s news that cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Predictably, executive vice president Stephen Jones wasn’t particularly happy with these developments. “We just have to continue to try to educate these young men that there’s consequences and there’s accountability that you have to have for the bad decisions you make,” Jones said during an interview on the team’s website (via Jon Machota of the Dallas News). “Then we have to move forward and do the very best we can. We know it’s frustrating and disappointing to our fans and all the people who support us…At the same time, they have to know that we’re dealing with young people who aren’t going to be perfect, and we’ll obviously try to continue to draft the right kind of guys, but the right type of guy can make a bad decision every now and then as well.”
- The Cowboys lost a pair of team leaders this offseason in safety Barry Church and cornerback Brandon Carr. Following the news of Irving’s potential suspension and Carroll’s arrest, David Moore of the Dallas News writes that the team isn’t “off to a good start replacing” those veterans’ positive locker room presence.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/30/17
Today’s minor moves:
- The Lions announced today that they have signed offensive guard Connor Bozick. The lineman didn’t catch on with a team following the conclusion of his four-year career at Delaware. The two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association recipient made 46 career appearance during his collegiate career. To make room on the roster, the team has waived-injured Brandon Chubb. The former Wake Forest standout has also had stints with the Rams and 49ers, although he’s yet to make an NFL appearance.
- The Panthers announced that they swapped linebackers today, signing Zeek Bigger and waiving Alex Bazzie. Bigger, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of East Carolina, participated in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Bazzie joined the organization earlier this month following a brief stint with the Colts. The former undrafted free agent out of Marshall previously spent three seasons playing for the BC Lions of the CFL.
- The Jets signed wideout Chris Harper today. The former Cal star appeared in nine games (two starts) for the 49ers last season, hauling in 13 receptions for 133 yards. He also spent time with the Patriots, spending time on their active roster and practice squad. To make room, tight end Braedon Bowman has been waived. The 23-year-old appeared in three games for the Jets last season. He was originally claimed off waivers by the organization in September.
- The Bears have released wide receiver Jhajuan Seales, reports Alex Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The Oklahoma State product finished his senior season with 37 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns. He signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this month.
Chiefs Sign LB Marcus Rush
After releasing Tourek Williams last week, the Chiefs have filled his roster spot by signing linebacker Marcus Rush (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
Following a collegiate career that saw him win a Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl, the undrafted free agent out of Michigan State initially joined the 49ers practice squad, where he spent two seasons. He was signed by the Jaguars in December, but he was ultimately released by the organization in May. The 25-year-old was a standout during the 2016 preseason, leading the league with six sacks, so the defender clearly has what it takes to compete in the NFL.
Of course, Rush still has an uphill battle to make the Chiefs roster. There are a number of linebackers competing for a reserve spot on the squad, including Tamba Hali, Frank Zombo, Dadi Nicolas, Ukeme Eligwe, Justin March-Lillard, Terrance Smith, and D.J. Alexander.
Speaking of Williams, ESPN’s Adam Caplan notes (via Twitter) that the team released the linebacker with the rare “failure to disclose physical condition” designation.
Buccaneers Sign Two Defensive Ends
The Buccaneers have added some reinforcement to their defense today, as the team has signed a pair of defensive ends. Mike Kaye of First Coast News reports (via Twitter) that the organization has signed Tavaris Barnes, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the Bucs added Sterling Bailey.
Barnes, a former undrafted free agent out of Clemson, has spent time with the Saints and Seahawks. He ended up appearing in 12 games for Seattle during the 2015 season, compiling five tackles. Kaye had reported that the defensive end was working out for the team earlier today.
Meanwhile, Bailey joined the league as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 2016. The 24-year-old has had brief stints with the Colts, Seahawks, and Vikings, but he’s yet to make an NFL appearance.
The two players will be joining a crowded Buccaneers defensive end depth chart. Behind starters William Gholston and Robert Ayers, the team is currently rostering Noah Spence, Jacquies Smith, DaVonte Lambert, Ryan Russell, Channing Ward, and George Johnson. Of course, Ayers, Spence, Smith, and Russell are currently recovering from injuries, so today’s acquisitions might solely be intended for additional depth during OTAs.
Saints Release OL Khalif Barnes
Khalif Barnes joined the Saints less than three weeks ago, but his tenure with the team has already come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the organization has released the offensive lineman. Nick Underhill of The Advocate notes (on Twitter) that the move was made to accommodate the one-day contract of Lance Moore, who subsequently retired with the organization. Underhill expects Barnes to re-sign with the team.
The Saints have clearly been enamored with Barnes for some time, as the organization signed the veteran four separate times during the 2016 campaign. However, the 35-year-old didn’t up making a single appearance last season. He ended up inking another contract with the Saints earlier this month, but the lineman didn’t even make it through OTAs this time around.
A team seeking leadership and versatility could certainly use Barnes. The 12-year veteran has more than 151 career games under his belt, including 117 career starts. His ability to play both offensive tackle and offensive guard will presumably make him ideal for a reserve role.
Barnes was competing with several lineman for backup offensive line reps. Behind the five starters, the Saints are currently rostering Zach Strief, Senio Kelemete, Landon Turner, and Jack Allen.
Bears Reverse Course, Won’t Waive QB Connor Shaw
The Bears announced earlier today that they had waived quarterback Connor Shaw in order to create a roster spot for wide receiver Victor Cruz. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that fellow quarterback Mark Sanchez suffered a knee injury today, and the team subsequently rescinded the waiver.
Chicago, of course, has revamped its quarterback room this offseason: not only did the Bears sign two free agent signal-callers in Mike Glennon and Sanchez, but they moved up in the draft to select North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky at No. 2 overall. With Glennon and Trubisky set to take most of the practice reps over the next few months, the Bears likely didn’t see the need to carry a fourth quarterback on the roster.
The Bears originally acquired the 25-year-old Shaw off waivers from the Browns last summer. Shaw, who has one career start under his belt, subsequently broke his leg during the preseason and spent the entire 2016 campaign on injured reserve.
Shaw will now see third-string reps during OTAs as Sanchez recovers from his injury. Sanchez has only appeared in 15 games over the past three seasons, including a pair of appearances with the Cowboys in 2016. Over that span, the 30-year-old veteran has completed almost 64-percent of his passes for 3,127 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times reports (via Twitter) that Sanchez is expected to be ready for training camp.
Draft Pick Signings: 5/30/17
The latest draft pick signings from around the NFL:
- The Vikings announced four draft pick signings today (via Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com): third-round center Pat Elflein, sixth-round tight end Bucky Hodges, seventh-round linebacker Elijah Lee, and seventh-round safety Jack Tocho. Meanwhile, a source indicated that seventh-round wideout Stacy Coley also agreed to a contract and is expected to sign his deal later on Tuesday. Having seemingly signed five more rookies, that leaves running back Dalvin Cook as the Vikings’ lone unsigned pick. However, a source said that the second-round pick is expected to sign his rookie contract at some point this week.
- The Giants signed fourth-round pick Wayne Gallman today, reports Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (via Twitter). It’s a four-year deal worth $2.8MM, with a signing bonus worth more than $400K. The former Clemson standout previously earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and the organization is hoping that those talents will translate to the NFL. As Schwartz notes, this leaves first-round pick Evan Engram as the team’s lone unsigned rookie. The tight end finished his final season at Ole Miss with 65 receptions for 926 yards and eight touchdowns.
Browns Sign Christian Kirksey To Extension
The Browns announced they signed linebacker Christian Kirksey to a four-year contract extension. It’s a four-year, $38MM deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Will Mitch Trubisky Be The Highest-Impact Rookie Quarterback?]
The new deal makes Kirksey the fifth-highest paid player in Cleveland. After Kirksey led the team with 140 tackles – putting him nearly 50 tackles ahead of the next-highest producer – it was no surprise to hear that the Browns were working to extend him this spring. He also graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 22nd best LB last season, putting him ahead of notables such as Brian Cushing, Mark Barron, Ryan Shazier, and Danny Trevathan.
First round picks in the 2014 draft will have to wait one more year before signing extensions with their respective teams, but Kirksey was able to get himself some security this offseason as a former third rounder. His selection proved to be one of the best things to happen to the team under the watch of former GM Mike Lombardi.
This year, the Browns will move Kirksey from inside linebacker to the weak side in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams‘ 4-3 scheme. According to Over The Cap, if the deal were to kick in today, it would make Kirksey the third highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL.
Latest On Redskins RB Matt Jones
Running back Matt Jones continues to stay away from the Redskins’ voluntary offseason practices as the second week gets underway. Apparently, that’s not going to change anytime soon. Jones is instead working out in Florida after coaches informed him that he is not a part of the team’s plans for 2017, a source tells Mike Jones of The Washington Post. 
This year, the Redskins are expected to lean heavily on Rob Kelley while rookie Samaje Perine gets a decent cut of the carries. In addition to those two, Chris Thompson projects as the pass-catching specialist and Keith Marshall and/or Mack Brown should be able to make the final cut. That leaves Jones without a real role. He had some hype not long ago, but he was a healthy scratch most of last year and he was dangled prior to the draft in April.
Jones is a powerful back, but he has struggled to hold on to the football having fumbled four times as a rookie and twice in 2016. Other teams, we imagine, would have serious interest in claiming him if Washington decides to put him on the waiver wire.