Bears Sign 22 UDFAs
The Bears have quite a big UDFA class. Chicago announced that they have signed the following 22 undrafted free agents:
- Alex Bars, OL (Notre Dame) ($35K of his base salary guaranteed, $5K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter)
- Sam Mustipher, OL (Notre Dame)
- Daryle Banfield, DL (Brown)
- John Baron II, K (San Diego State)
- Matt Betts, LB (Laval)
- Blake Blackmar, OL (Baylor)
- Ian Bunting, TE (California)
- Jomon Dotson, DB (Nevada)
- Clifton Duck, DB (Appalachian State)
- Emanuel Hall, WR (Missouri)
- Jonathan Harris, DL (Lindenwood)
- Chuck Harris, LB (Buffalo)
- Thomas Ives, WR (Colgate)
- Doyin Jibowu, DB (Fort Hays State)
- Joe Lowery, OL (Ohio)
- Lawrence Marshall, DE (Michigan)
- Adarius Pickett, DB (UCLA)
- Dax Raymond, TE (Utah State) ($30K of his base salary guaranteed with a $15K signing bonus, per Wilson on Twitter)
- Ellis Richardson, TE (Georgia Southern)
- Josh Simmons, DB (Limestone)
- Marquez Tucker, OL (Southern Utah)
- John Wirtel, LS (Kansas)
The Bears opted for a lot of small school players, adding guys from places like Limestone, Colgate, Fort Hays State, Lindenwood, and Laval. The signings of Bars and Mustipher are notable because they have a connection to the coaching staff. Both players were coached by current Bears offensive line coach Harry Hiestand when they were at Notre Dame. The Bears hired Hiestand away from Notre Dame before last season, and he knows what he’s getting in these two players.
It’s also notable that the Bears signed a kicker, because the job will be up for grabs in training camp. Chicago is looking to replace Cody Parkey after his disastrous 2018 season, and they need someone consistent. Baron was a solid college kicker at SDSU with a big leg, as his career long was 54 yards, which is pretty impressive for a college kicker. The Bears already have former AAF kicker Elliott Fry and former Tulsa kicker Redford Jones on the roster, so they’re clearly planning on having a battle royale kicking competition this offseason.
Eagles Sign LB Zach Brown
Zach Brown has found a new home. The linebacker is signing a one-year, $3MM deal with the Eagles, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link).
Brown was released by the Redskins back in March, and he’s staying in the NFC East. He’ll now get a chance at revenge against his old team twice a year. Washington tried to shop him in trade talks before cutting him, but they were unable to find a partner. Inside linebacker Jordan Hicks left Philly for Arizona this offseason, and Brown will help replace him in the middle.
Brown received extremely high grades from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their third best linebacker overall behind only Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. NFL evaluators evidently weren’t as high on his play. In 16 games and 12 starts last year, Brown racked up 96 tackles, ten for a loss, and one sack with two forced fumbles.
Originally drafted in the second round out of North Carolina back in 2012, Brown spent the first four years of his career with Tennessee. He then signed a one-year deal with Buffalo for 2016. The Redskins re-signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $24MM last March, but he ended up making it just one year into that pact.
Other than a torn pec which cost him most of the 2014 season, Brown has managed to stay pretty healthy during his career, which is good news for the Eagles. Hicks had always been solid, but was plagued by injuries the last couple of seasons.
Latest On Broncos, Chris Harris
The situation surrounding cornerback Chris Harris and the Broncos has taken several twists and turns recently. Harris is seeking a new contract, and so far the Broncos have been unwilling to meet his demands.
That led to the Broncos initiating trade talks, which had been picking up steam recently. We heard early on Friday that the Broncos were deciding between various offers, and a deal appeared imminent. It seemed like only a matter of time before Harris changed teams, and it looked like he would be shipped out sometime during the draft. The draft came and went without Harris going anywhere however, and it turns out a trade was never actually that close to happening.
Broncos GM John Elway said after the draft that the team didn’t have any contact “with Chris or about Chris” this weekend, per Lindsay Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Elway also said he’ll resume negotiations with Harris and his agent on a new contract now that the draft is over. If Elway is telling the truth, then the Broncos weren’t ever that serious about moving Harris. Denver didn’t draft any cornerbacks, so it sure seems like they’re planning on having Harris on the roster.
After demanding a new contract or a trade, Harris has toned down his rhetoric and insisted that he wants to stay with the Broncos, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas back in 2011. Harris is one of the last remaining players from Denver’s once vaunted ‘No Fly Zone’ secondary, and he’s made the Pro Bowl in four of the last five seasons.
He’s reportedly seeking at least $15MM per year on a new deal, and as of right now the Broncos are unwilling to pay that. Harris reportedly felt disrespected by Denver’s decision to give Kareem Jackson, who is older and less accomplished than Harris, a three-year, $33MM deal this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see if Harris is able to get $15MM annually, but either way it doesn’t sound like Elway plans on trading him anytime soon.
Giants Will Bring In OL Mike Remmers For Second Visit
Now that the draft is officially over, attention will again turn to the veteran free agents left on the market. Offensive lineman Mike Remmers is one of the more high profile players still available, and it sounds like he could be getting closer to finding a home.
Speaking at his post-draft press conference, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said the team would bring in Remmers for a second visit, per Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com (Twitter link). We heard last week that Remmers had undergone back surgery this offseason, which is what has been delaying his signing. According to Dunleavy, Gettleman said the team wants to “check on his rehab” and make sure his back is alright.
The two sides met toward the beginning of free agency, but nothing materialized at that point. Remmers was with the Vikings during the 2017 season when current Giants coach Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota, so there’s some familiarity there.
Remmers had been a tackle his first handful of years in the league but the Vikings converted him to guard, and he ended up starting all 16 games at right guard for Minnesota last year. Despite that, the team didn’t show much interest in bringing him back. The 2012 undrafted free agent graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 48th-best guard last year.
He’s also spent time with the Broncos, Buccaneers, Chargers, Rams, and Panthers, appearing in 65 games and starting 64. He has a decent amount of starting experience, and fortunately for him, it sounds like the Giants are genuinely interested. We should have an update on his situation soon.
Chargers Sign 19 UDFAs
As teams officially announce their undrafted free agent classes, we’ll be posting them. The Chargers are the second team to announce, following the Steelers. Los Angeles inked a massive group, bringing in 19 players:
- Chris Brown, G (USC)
- Eurndraus Bryant, DT (N.C. State)
- Blake Camper, OT (South Carolina)
- Josh Corcoran, LB (Northern Illinois)
- Jeremy Cox, RB (Old Dominion)
- Kemon Hall, CB (North Texas)
- Daniel Helm, TE (Duke)
- Reggie Howard, DT (Toledo)
- Bradford Lemmons, CB (Furman)
- Koda Martin, G (Syracuse)
- Jason Moore, WR (Findlay)
- Tyler Newsome, P (Notre Dame)
- Chris Peace, DE (Virginia)
- Rodney Randle, DB (Lamar)
- Matt Sokol, TE (Michigan State)
- Roderic Teamer, S (Tulane)
- Trevion Thompson, WR (Clemson)
- Tanner Volson, C (North Dakota State)
- Elijah Zeise, LB (Pittsburgh)
As the Chargers pointed out in their release, they’re annually one of the best teams at unearthing solid undrafted free agents. They’ve had an undrafted rookie make the team for 22 consecutive seasons, which is the longest streak in the NFL. In each of the last four seasons, they’ve had at least three undrafted rookies make the team.
One of their best undrafted finds in recent years, Tyrell Williams, just inked a huge four-year, $44MM deal with the Raiders. With their huge class this year, they opted for a lot of small school and FCS prospects. Tyler Newsome is an interesting signing since the Chargers had a terrible punting situation all of last year. They ended up releasing Drew Kaser in the middle of the year, and Newsome should have a good chance to make the team. Volson was the center for Easton Stick, who the Chargers just drafted in the fifth round, during their time at North Dakota State.
Steelers Sign 10 UDFAs
Now that the NFL draft is over, teams are beginning to sign undrafted free agents. As teams officially announce their entire UDFA classes, we’ll be posting them. The Steelers became the first team to make such an announcement, inking a crop of ten players:
- Dravon Askew-Henry, S (West Virginia)
- Ian Berryman, P (Western Carolina)
- Garrett Brumfield, G (LSU)
- Jay Hayes, DE (Georgia)
- Fred Johnson, G (Florida)
- Travon McMillan, RB (Colorado)
- Alexander Myres, CB (Houston)
- Chris Nelson, DT (Texas)
- Trevor Wood, TE/LS (Texas A&M)
- Matthew Wright, K (Central Florida)
The Steelers didn’t sign any of the biggest names available, but a few of the signings are notable. McMillan spent the first three years of his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Colorado, and he had a very productive senior season. Last year he carried the ball 201 times for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns. The last Colorado running back to sign as an undrafted free agent was Phillip Lindsay, and he ended up making the Pro Bowl. McMillan will be competing for a backup spot behind James Conner.
Wright is the all-time career points leader at UCF. The Steelers signing a kicker is notable because Chris Boswell struggled mightily last season. Boswell had been widely regarded as one of the league’s best kickers, but he collapsed last year. There was talk of the Steelers replacing Boswell mid-season during the 2018 campaign, and Wright should have a legitimate shot at unseating him in training camp.
Steelers Release LB Jon Bostic
Right after the draft ended, the Steelers made a signifiant move. Pittsburgh is releasing linebacker Jon Bostic, the team announced in a tweet.
Bostic signed a two-year, $4MM deal with the team last March, but was unable to make it all the way through the pact. The Steelers traded up to draft inside linebacker Devin Bush from Michigan, which meant they no longer had any need for Bostic. After Ryan Shazier suffered his horrific injury during the 2017 season, inside linebacker became a huge need for the Steelers. They signed Bostic last offseason hoping he would be able to help vill the void, but things didn’t work out.
Bostic appeared in all 16 games last season and started 14, but he fell out of favor with the coaching staff down the stretch. The journeyman had said back in February he was hoping to stay in Pittsburgh in 2019 even with his reduced role. The Steelers wanted to address the position more permanently, and made the move up to get Bush.
Last year Bostic had 73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three passes defended while earning average marks from Pro Football Focus. Wherever he ends up signing next, it’ll be his fifth team. Bostic was originally drafted in the second round by the Bears back in 2013, but has bounced around ever since. He’s spent time with Chicago, New England, Detroit, and Indianapolis, and always seems to end up starting games while underwhelming.
Still only 27, he should resurface somewhere else before too long. Ever since Shazier went down, Pittsburgh’s run defense has been very vulnerable. They moved up to the tenth overall pick in order to get Bush, and the hope is he’ll stabilize things for the foreseeable future.
As for the financial implications, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic tweets that the Steelers will save $1.8MM in cash by cutting Bostic. There will be $700K of dead money, so they’ll only save $1.1MM against the cap. Kaboly points out that the Steelers now have a whopping $26.5MM of cap space committed to players not currently on the roster.
Colts To Pick Up Ryan Kelly’s Fifth-Year Option
The 2019 draft is officially in the rearview mirror. Coaches and front office heads are holding post-draft press conferences, and some news is beginning to trickle out of them.
Colts GM Chris Ballard said at his press conference that the team will pick up the fifth-year option on center Ryan Kelly‘s contract, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Kelly was taken by the Colts 18th overall back in 2016. This isn’t too surprising, as Kelly has been a starter since his rookie season. We don’t know the exact terms of the option yet, but it’ll pay him somewhere close to $10MM.
The fifth-year option is only guaranteed for injury, so it doesn’t actually ensure Kelly will be with the team at that price in 2020. Kelly has been a bit banged up the past couple of years, missing four games in 2018 and nine games in 2017. But he’s been solid when he’s been able to stay on the field, earning Pro Football Focus’ 14th-best grade among all centers last year.
Indianapolis’ offensive line took a major step forward last year, and was a huge part of the team’s success. Keeping Andrew Luck upright is the most important thing for the team, and they clearly view Kelly as the longterm answer at center. An Alabama product, Kelly will turn 26 next month.
Teams have until May 3rd to pick up the options on their 2016 first round picks. You can view the tracker with each team’s decision here.
Brian Robison Retires From NFL
Brian Robison is hanging them up. The longtime Vikings defensive end is officially retiring from the NFL today, the team announced in a video they posted to Twitter.
In the video, which is worth a watch, Robison reflects on his career and his journey in Minnesota. The 2007 fourth round pick spent all 11 years of his career with the Vikings before the team cut him last September. Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted that Robison signed a one-day contract with Minnesota to officially retire as a member of the team.
Robison will finish his career with 60 sacks, which has him tied for ninth on the franchise’s all-time list. Robison played only a rotational role his first few years in the league, but then blossomed into a full-time starter. He was very reliable, and only missed one start from 2011 through 2016. In 2017 he had his role reduced to again become a reserve, and he was released at the beginning of last season.
Robison will turn 36 in a couple of days and he spent the entire 2018 season out of football, so his decision to call it quits isn’t too surprising. A Texas product, Robison had a run of three straight years with at least eight sacks from 2011 through 2013. Robison’s emotional thank you to Vikings fans in the tribute video show why he became such a fan favorite during his time in Minnesota.
49ers Exercise DeForest Buckner’s Fifth-Year Option
The 49ers are officially keeping one of their best players in the fold. Unsurprisingly, the team has exercised the fifth-year option for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, they announced in a tweet.
An Oregon product, Buckner was drafted seventh overall by the 49ers back in 2016. Just last week we heard Buckner isn’t likely to land an extension this offseason, so he’ll have to wait a while before getting a new deal. That was a departure from a report that came out toward the end of this past season, which indicated the two sides would discuss a deal this spring.
Buckner is coming off a breakout 2018 campaign, and will be looking to cash-in soon. Last season Buckner graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 23rd-best defensive lineman. He started all 16 games, and racked up 12 sacks while also being a force against the run. The fifth-year option is slated to pay Buckner $12.378MM in 2020.
The 49ers drafted Solomon Thomas third overall in 2017 to put next to Buckner, but so far Thomas hasn’t panned out. San Francisco picks second overall tomorrow night, and many observers expect them to draft another defensive lineman. They’ve been heavily linked to both Nick Bosa of Ohio State, and Quinnen Williams of Alabama.