NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/5/19
We’ll keep track of the latest late-round draft pick signings here:
- The Vikings announced the signing of seventh round pick cornerback Kris Boyd. With Boyd inked, the Vikings are just waiting on two more picks to sign, first round pick center Garrett Bradbury and fellow seventh-rounder long snapper Austin Cutting. Cutting is waiting for clearance from the Air Force, so it might be a while before it signs. A Texas product, Boyd is a very solid athlete who was projected by many to be a mid-round selection, but he ended up slipping to the 217th overall pick. The 2018 first-team All-Big 12 selection received a $109.7K signing bonus.
AFC Notes: Kelly, Colts, Titans, Bates, Broncos, Reed
Chad Kelly could be back on an NFL roster soon. The former Ole Miss standout passer and nephew of legendary Bills quarterback Jim Kelly has had a tumultuous road. He was kicked off the team at Clemson during his college days, and was arrested last season in a bizarre incident following Von Miller‘s Halloween party that caused the Broncos to release him. Last week we heard that he could be nearing a deal with the Colts, and we have a new development there.
Kelly hasn’t officially been signed yet, but he is attending the team’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player this week, per Mike Chappell of CBS4 (Twitter link). Kelly has struggled with injuries in addition to his off-field issues, but he managed to open the 2018 season as Case Keenum‘s backup. He played well in the preseason and had a ton of support from the team’s fanbase, and for a while it looked like he might’ve been on the verge of replacing Keenum before he was arrested. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Colts sign him as a developmental option considering current backup Jacoby Brissett is likely to pursue a starting job next offseason.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Speaking of off-field issues, Titans linebacker Daren Bates was recently charged with marijuana possession, per Terry McCormick of Titansinsider.com. The charge doesn’t sound too serious in McCormick’s recap, but he still could potentially face league discipline. Originally signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn back in 2013, Bates has been able to stick in the league thanks to his special teams prowess. Bates, who has been with the Titans since the 2017 season, played only 40 defensive snaps last year but he played 83 percent of the team’s special teams snaps. He’s heading into the final year of a three-year, $6MM deal.
- Mike Klis of Denver9News “like(s) the chances” of undrafted pass-rusher Malik Reed to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster, he tweets. Klis is very plugged in with John Elway and Denver’s front office, so this is worth noting. The Broncos gave him a $15K signing bonus, so they definitely think highly of him. Reed was very productive in college, and he had 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks with Nevada last year. With Miller and Bradley Chubb, the Broncos already have a very solid pass-rushing nucleus.
- In case you missed it, the Patriots signed ten undrafted free agents, and we broke down the class here.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/19
We’ll keep track the latest late-round draft pick signings here:
- The Ravens announced the signing of sixth round quarterback Trace McSorley. After signing three picks yesterday, the Ravens have now locked up all their Day 3 picks, and are just waiting on their first three picks to sign. McSorley set records at Penn State, but was widely viewed as being too small and inconsistent with his accuracy to be a top rated passer. The Ravens took a flier with the 197th pick, and they might experiment with him. McSorley played safety in high school, and he was by far the fastest quarterback at the combine. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has mentioned the possibility of using him on special teams and as a gadget player, and it sounds like McSorley could play a similar role with Baltimore as Taysom Hill does with the Saints. He should be fun to watch no matter where the Ravens end up using him.
Saints Sign 14 UDFAs
The Saints became the latest team to announce their undrafted free agent class, inking 14 players. A couple received notable signing bonuses:
- Carl Granderson, DE (Wyoming) ($15,000 signing bonus, $70,000 base salary guaranteed, per Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. )
- Ethan Greenidge, OT (Villanova) ($7,500 signing bonus, $30,000 base salary guaranteed, per Katzenstein)
- Nick Moore, LS (Georgia)
- Porter Gustin, LB/DE (USC
- Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR (Texas)
- Derrick Kelly, OT (Florida State)
- Darnell Holland, RB (Kennesaw State)
- Jake Powell, TE (Monmouth)
- Darrell Williams, LB (Auburn)
- Emmanuel Butler, WR (Northern Arizona)
- Chase Hansen, LB (Utah)
- Mike Herndon, OG (Pittsburgh)
- Corbin Kaufusi, DE (BYU)
- Darius Williams, DB (Colorado State-Pueblo)
New Orleans gave Granderson, the Wyoming pass-rusher, a hefty sum of $85K guaranteed. Granderson is a talented player who almost certainly would’ve been drafted if not for his ongoing legal situation. Many analysts gave Granderson a mid-round grade, but he’s facing a July trial on sexual assault charges. Granderson has denied the charges, and it will be a situation worth monitoring this summer.
Greenidge also got significant guarantees, and the Saints could view him as a good longterm developmental option on the offensive line. Gustin was another player many thought had a chance to be drafted, and he was productive in college. In just six games at USC last season, he had 7.5 sacks. He’s struggled with injuries each of the past two seasons, but if he can stay healthy he should have a good shot at making the team.
The Saints sometimes struggled for consistent receiving options behind Michael Thomas last year, and Humphrey had 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns for Texas last season, so he could be worth a look.
Vikings Notes: Rudolph, Cutting, Badet, Kearse
The Vikings made a splash last week in the draft, when they took Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. 50th overall. Smith was considered by many to be the third best tight end in the draft behind the Iowa standouts, and the Vikings are hoping he can turn into a consistent third option behind Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen in the future. But the move could have more immediate implications for one current member of the team, tight end Kyle Rudolph. The selection “appeared to foreshadow that Rudolph’s days in Minnesota could be numbered,” writes Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com.
Additionally, sources told Cronin that the Vikings “fielded interest” before and during the draft about a potential trade for Rudolph. We heard in March that the Vikings had asked Rudolph to take a pay cut, but his representatives then pushed back forcefully on that and denied the report. His reps also said at the time that the team had told them Rudolph would be on the roster in 2019, but that’s looking like far from a sure thing now. Last month Albert Breer of SI.com speculated that the Patriots could be interested in adding Rudolph. With New England looking thin at tight end after Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, it wouldn’t be a shocker.
Here’s more from Minnesota:
- New Vikings long snapper Austin Cutting, a seventh round pick of the team, will report to rookie minicamp but has signed an “injury protection agreement” instead of his rookie contract, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Cutting is an Air Force product, and he’s not signing “out of respect to letting the Air Force eventually give a final decision of if he can play in 2019,” Tomasson writes. Cutting could possibly have to leave the team for two years to fulfill his service requirements, but we won’t know for sure for a little while longer.
- Receiver Jeff Badet spent last season on the Vikings’ practice squad, and he signed a reserve/futures deal with the team after the season ended. But he almost didn’t end up back with the Vikings, as he was courted by the Jets, according to Tomasson. Minnesota ended up giving the Oklahoma product a $75K bonus to stick around, which swayed him. Badet, an undrafted rookie last year, became the second player to almost defect to the Jets before coming home after Anthony Barr‘s heavily publicized free agency ordeal.
- The Vikings are looking to convert safety Jayron Kearse to a weakside linebacker this offseason, sources told Tomasson. Kearse was taken by the Vikes in the seventh round back in 2016. A Clemson product, Kearse played linebacker in high school before being switched to safety in college. Kearse played around 20 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps last season and was a key player on special teams, so he’s got a significant role. It’ll be interesting to see how his transition turns out.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/19
The latest minor moves from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB D’Juan Hines, DE Lenny Jones (injury settlement)
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: OG Dustin Stanton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: FB Aaron Ripkowski, DT Henry Mondeaux, WR Josh Crockett
Ripkowski is notable for being the Packers’ fullback for three seasons from 2015-17. None of Mondeaux, Crockett, or Stanton have ever appeared in a regular season game. Hines appeared in 13 games with the Browns last season playing exclusively on special teams, while Jones has been bouncing around various practice squads the past few years.
Browns Sign 15 UDFAs
The Browns are the latest team to formally announce their undrafted free agent class. Overall, Cleveland inked 15 additional rookies to supplement their draft class, which did not include a first round pick.
- Dorian Baker, WR (Kentucky)
- David Blough, QB (Purdue)
- Stephen Carlson, TE (Princeton)
- Brian Fineanganofo, OT (Idaho State)
- Jamie Gillan, P (Arkansas Pine-Bluff)
- Darrin Hall, RB (Pittsburgh)
- J.T. Hassell, S (Florida Tech)
- D.J. Montgomery, WR (Austin Peay)
- Jarrell Owens, DE (Oklahoma State)
- Jermaine Ponder, CB (Saint Francis Pa.)
- Wyatt Ray, DE (Boston College)
- Anthony Stubbs, LB (Prairie View A&M)
- Trevon Tate, C (Memphis)
- Willie Wright, C (Tulsa)
- Dedrick Young II, LB (Nebraska)
Many analysts thought that Ray would get drafted, so he might have one of the best chances of making the team. He was productive for Boston College last season in his first year as a starter, notching 11.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Gillian is another interesting player in this class. Nicknamed the ‘Scottish Hammer’, he’s extremely versatile and handled both punting and kicking duties in college.
The Browns did just draft kicker Austin Seibert in the fifth round and most people project Gillian as more of a punter in the pro game. He should have the chance to battle it out with Britton Colquitt in camp. Baker didn’t see too much action because of Kentucky’s run-first offense, but he’s a big receiver who’s very strong, and he could be a decent flyer.
Packers Sign Rashan Gary
The Packers officially have both of their first round picks on board. The day after signing 21st overall pick Darnell Savage Jr. to his rookie contract, Green Bay has agreed to terms with Rashan Gary, the team announced in a release.
The Packers drafted the Michigan pass-rusher twelfth overall. Savage was the first of the 2019 first round picks to sign, and the Packers are making quick work of signing their draft picks. The Packers have made a bunch of big moves to upgrade their defense this season, starting in free agency.
They signed pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith away from the Ravens, and safety Adrian Amos from the Bears. Then they drafted Gary and Savage last week, and all four should start next season. It’s safe to say Green Bay’s defense will look radically different in 2019. Gary formed his own agency before the draft, which raised some eyebrows. Clearly it didn’t complicate negotiations at all, as he got his deal done pretty quickly.
Gary is an insane athlete who was widely regarded as one of the top defensive players available in the draft. There was some concern about his lack of statistical production with the Wolverines, but the Packers weren’t bothered. Green Bay reportedly plans to use him at outside linebacker. We won’t know for sure for a while, but so far the first offseason of the Matt LaFleur era seems to be going nicely for the Packers.
Gary’s contract will be a standard four-year pact with a fifth-year option, and he will earn $15.877MM over the first four years of the deal. His signing bonus should be right around $9.567MM.
Colts Sign 9 UDFAs
The Colts announced their undrafted free agent class today, and it was a bit smaller than most other teams’ that we’ve seen so far. Indianapolis inked the following nine players:
- Ashton Dulin, WR (Malone)
- Penny Hart, WR (Georgia State)
- Clayton Hatfield, K (Texas Tech)
- Hale Hentges, TE (Alabama)
- Jegs Jegede, DE (Valdosta State)
- Jamal Peters, CB (Mississippi State)
- Chris Rayford, CB (Mississippi State)
- Johnny Robinson, DT (Charleston Southern)
- Jordan Thompson, DT (Northwestern)
The Colts clearly had positions of emphasis, as they double-dipped at three positions in only a nine member class. Peters and Rayford played alongside each other at Mississippi State, and could be battling it out for one spot in the secondary. Since the Colts already have Adam Vinatieri, Hatfield will likely be little more than a camp leg. Hart was highly productive at Georgia State, racking up 1,109 yards as a freshman and sometimes dominating in the Sun Belt. Even though the Colts added a few wide receivers this offseason, he could make some noise in camp.
Former 11th Overall Pick Anthony Davis Attempting Comeback
Anthony Davis is attempting another comeback. Not the NBA superstar, but the former 49ers offensive tackle. Davis is un-retiring and has filed paperwork to be reinstated by the league, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. 
Davis was the 11th overall pick of the 49ers back in 2010, so this is pretty notable. The Rutgers product became an immediate starter in San Francisco, starting all 16 games at right tackle in each of his first four seasons in the league. He started for the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. After the 2014 season, Davis announced his intention to retire, citing his health as the main reason for walking away.
He briefly attempted a comeback after the 2015 season, and returned to the 49ers. He played in just one game in 2016 before stepping away again. Davis sent a letter to commissioner Roger Goodell explaining his decision, which Florio obtained. In it, he seemed to indicate that concerns about concussions were at least partially what was keeping him away.
“On January 24, 2019, I read articles by 3 different sources pertaining to there being a significant decrease in concussions in the NFL, down by 29 percent in the 2018 season,” Davis wrote. “Excited to see that the changes you and your staff have made to the rules, and the allowance of safer equipment to be worn has had a positive effect, I confided with my family and on January 28, 2019 I made the decision that I’d love to play in the NFL again.”
Davis sustained a concussion in Week 1 of 2016, so this makes sense. He hasn’t played in a few years, but he’s still only 29. He’s always been high on talent, so he should be able to get a look from somebody assuming he follows through with his decision.