Minor NFL Transactions: 4/22/16
Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Patriots have signed linebacker Tony Steward and long snapper Christian Yount, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Steward, whom the Bills released earlier this week, appeared in seven games and made two tackles as a sixth-round rookie last season. Yount, on the other hand, has 60 NFL games under his belt, including 48 in a row with the Browns from 2012-14.
- The Eagles have signed wide receiver T.J. Graham to a one-year contract, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Graham, who worked out for the Eagles earlier this week, came into the league as a third-round pick of the Bills in 2012 and has also logged regular-season action with the Jets and Saints. The 26-year-old caught four passes in as many games for New Orleans last season, giving him 61 receptions in 47 career contests.
- The Falcons have reached injury settlements with tight end Beau Gardner and guard Adam Replogle, both of whom had undisclosed injuries, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gardner joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent from Northern Arizona last year, but he didn’t suit up in any games for the team. Replogle entered the league undrafted out of Indiana in 2013 and has spent his entire pro tenure with the Falcons, though he never appeared in a game with the organization.
Falcons Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Desmond Trufant
The Falcons have become the latest team to formally exercise their fifth-year option on a 2013 first-round pick. The team announced today (via Twitter) that it has exercised cornerback Desmond Trufant‘s option for 2017. Trufant had indicated earlier this week that he wasn’t thinking much about his option, but that he hopes to remain in Atlanta for the long term.
“That’s just for my agent to handle,” Trufant told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “I’m here. I plan on being here a long time. And I’m just here working, bonding with the team. But I know, that’s my agent. They’re going to handle all that. But I’m just here ready to work.”
[RELATED: 2017 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]
The Falcons’ decision to exercise Trufant’s 2017 option comes as no surprise. The 25-year-old cornerback, who hasn’t missed a game (or a start) in his three seasons in Atlanta, earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015.
Trufant recorded 42 tackles, an interception, a sack, and a pair of fumble recoveries last season, and placed 13th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks according to Pro Football Focus’ grades. PFF also ranked Trufant as a top-five defender against the run, among corners.
Trufant’s 2017 option salary will be worth $8.026MM, though he and the Falcons could reach a long-term agreement at any time before or during the ’17 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kenny Lawler Worked Out For Falcons
- Cal wide receiver Kenny Lawler has worked out for the Saints, Falcons, Cowboys, Eagles, and Colts in the weeks leading up to the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Lawler is also believed to have met with the Titans and Jets last month.
Falcons Open To Trading Down; Keanu Neal Likes Atlanta Fit
The Falcons currently the hold the No. 17 pick in the first round, but they are open to trading down, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com detail. GM Thomas Dimitroff has been aggressive in moving up the draft board in past years, but with this draft class being extremely deep, a move down is more enticing.
“We’ve looked at all the different scenarios, of course, and having few picks this year gives us an opportunity,” Dimitroff said of the Falcons’ strategy. “We think the draft has some really good strength from No. 15 on — obviously, as well as at the front of the draft. But we think there’s some good opportunities all the way through into the third round. So, it does present options to potentially move back.”
- Former Florida safety Keanu Neal says the Falcons would be the ideal fit for him, as McClure writes in a separate piece. “For me, schematically, yes,” Neal said. “I feel like that’s a great fit for me and my style of play. The coaching staff is authentic. I can tell they really care about each other and the program. I feel like [secondary coach] Marquand Manuel can really help me out as a person and a player. And Coach [Dan] Quinn, he’s a tremendous head coach. Getting under him, getting under his wing and learning will skyrocket my career.”
Falcons Not Pursuing Josh Norman
- Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff says the team is not interested in signing Norman, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “We are not going in that direction,” Dimitroff said.
- The Falcons are also in on Norman, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. He adds that the bidding for Norman is likely to go higher than Janoris Jenkins’ free agent deal of $62.5MM over five years.
Falcons Have Talked To Dominique Easley
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said he’s spoken with free agent defensive tackle Dominique Easley, but no signing appears imminent, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Quinn coached Easley at Florida, so the connection makes some sense on the surface. Easley, of course, was somewhat surprisingly waived by New England last week.
Easley, 24, was selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft by the Patriots, despite the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL at the time. Although he made it back to the field for his rookie season, he was limited to just 11 games, and played in only 11 more in 2015, having been plagued by hip, knee, and ankle issues.
Before he landed on injured reserve in December of 2015, Easley picked up 15 tackles and two sacks in his sophomore NFL season, and received a solid Pro Football Focus grade. Given his decent play when he was healthy, his first-round pedigree, and the fact that he still had guaranteed money remaining on his contract, Easley’s release came as bit of shock, despite his injury woes.
However, later reports indicated that injuries weren’t the only factor that led to Easley’s release. Injury protocols, an outstanding lawsuits, and a penchant for aggressive dogs were all listed as reasons for the split, and locker room issues could have also come into play. Sources said Easley is “unreliable and immature,” and an unnamed former teammate referred to him as a “locker room cancer.” Said one source to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe:“I think he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He comes across as an entitled kid. He reneges on everything. He thinks he’s invincible.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Eye Joe Dahl, Clay DeBord, Lawrence Thomas
- Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) adds the Falcons, Lions, and Titans to the long list of teams that either worked out Washington State offensive lineman Joe Dahl or hosted him for a visit. Earlier this month, a report indicated that 10 other teams had interest in Dahl, with many of those clubs planning visits or workouts.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes that the Titans and Bengals were among the teams that hosted Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah for pre-draft visits.
- The list of clubs that Eastern Washington offensive lineman Clay DeBord has worked out for or visited includes the 49ers, Lions, Jets, Falcons, Buccaneers, Titans, and Cardinals, tweets Rand Getlin.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press provides a couple updates on local prospects, tweeting that Michigan State defensive lineman Lawrence Thomas has worked out for the Lions, Patriots, Falcons, and Titans, and adding (via Twitter) that Central Michigan tight end Ben McCord has previously visited the Dolphins. McCord is participating in the Lions’ local workout day, while Thomas isn’t.
Falcons Re-Sign Chris Chester
3:51pm: Chester’s one-year deal will be worth a maximum of $2.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
2:06pm: The Falcons have brought back one of the starts from their 2015 offensive line, announcing today in a press release that they’ve re-signed veteran guard Chris Chester. Terms of Chester’s new deal have not yet been reported.
Chester, who signed a one-year deal with the Falcons last May, started all 16 games for the fifth straight season, serving as Atlanta’s full-time right guard. Since entering the league in 2006, the 33-year-old has spent time in Baltimore, Washington, and now Atlanta, starting 127 of his 153 total regular-season games, with eight playoff contests under his belt as well.
A report earlier this month indicated that Chester underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in the offseason, suggesting he may not be healthy until June. However, the Falcons were apparently confident enough that he’ll make a full recovery that they didn’t want to wait until then to lock him up.
In 2015, Chester ranked as the 24th-best guard out of 81 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus’ grades. PFF assigned the veteran lineman a somewhat mediocre pass-blocking grade, but he scored very well as a run blocker.
Chester currently projects as the Falcons’ starter at right guard again in 2016, though the team could add some competition via the draft.
Desmond Trufant Wants To Stay In Atlanta For "Long Time"
- The Falcons have yet to officially exercise the fifth-year option for cornerback Desmond Trufant, but that’s essentially a formality, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The Pro Bowl corner intends to remain in Atlanta “for a long time,” as he tells McClure. Trufant is one of more than 20 players whose teams haven’t yet announced decisions on their options for 2017, as our tracker shows.
Falcons Hosted Virginia Tech Edge Defender Dadi Nicolas
- The Falcons hosted Virginia Tech edge defender Dadi Nicolas for a pre-draft visit today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Nicolas has also visited Washington, per Aaron Wilson of NFPost.com, and made previously reported trips to Arizona and Pittsburgh this month.