Broncos Re-Sign WR Phillip Dorsett
Phillip Dorsett is returning to Denver. After spending the majority of the 2023 campaign on the Broncos practice squad, the veteran wide receiver is re-signing with the team, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.
[RELATED: Latest On Broncos, WR Courtland Sutton]
The former first-round pick earned bust status during his time with the Colts, but he’s still managed to hang around the NFL for almost a decade. His best season came back in 2016 when he topped 500 receiving yards in Indy. He also didn’t look helpless during his three-year run in New England, including a 2019 season where he finished with 397 receiving yards and five touchdowns (he also had a pair of touchdowns during the Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl run).
Since hitting free agency in 2020, the receiver has bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Seahawks (two stints), Jaguars, Texans, Raiders, and Broncos. He got into 15 games with Houston as recently as 2022, although he only got into a pair of contesets for Denver last season.
Of course, the team’s receiver depth will look different in 2024. Jerry Jeudy has already been shipped out, and Courtland Sutton is away from the team as he seeks a new deal (although the receiver has not requested a trade). The team did bring in free agent Josh Reynolds and selected Troy Franklin in the fourth round, adding the duo to a group of holdovers that also includes Marvin Mims Jr. and Tim Patrick. Dorsett will likely be competing for one of the final spots on the depth chart, although there’s a chance he goes back to his familiar practice squad role.
The Broncos have also signed undrafted cornerback Quinton Newsome and waived undrafted receiver Lincoln Victor and undrafted punter Nik Constantinou. Newsome emerged as one of Nebraska’s best defenders over the past few years. The defensive back finished his college career with 147 tackles, 17 passes defended, and one interception. He also was a standout special teams player, perhaps hinting at his potential role in Denver.
Bills Hosting WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
It sounds like Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s market is heating up. After meeting with the Chargers last week, the veteran wide receiver is meeting with the Bills tonight, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
[RELATED: Chargers To Host Marquez Valdes-Scantling]
The former Packers draft pick has spent the past two seasons in Kansas City, earning Super Bowl rings in each campaign. Following a 2022 season where he compiled 687 receiving yards, Valdes-Scantling finished 2023 with a career-low 315 receiving yards. The wideout has also come up big in the playoffs, hauling in 24 receptions and three touchdowns, including one score in this past year’s Super Bowl.
The Chiefs moved on from the veteran earlier this offseason, saving the team $12MM against the cap. The veteran was set to enter the final season of a three-year, $30MM deal he signed with the Chiefs in 2022. Valdes-Scantling has been connected to the Chargers multiple times this offseason, but it’s been a relatively quiet free agency for the 29-year-old.
The WR-needy Bills would be a natural landing spot for any of the available free agent wideouts, so it’s not a surprise that they’re considering Valdes-Scantling. Both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis will be playing elsewhere in 2024, leaving the team with a questionable depth chart at the position. The team still has holdover Khalil Shakir, and they added a list of veterans (including Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool, and Mack Hollins) before selecting Keon Coleman in the second round of the draft.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/24
Front offices around the NFL continue to chip away at their draft pick signings. That was no exception today, as a number of teams inked players to rookie contracts:
Cincinnati Bengals
- DE Cedric Johnson (sixth round, Mississippi)
Indianapolis Colts
- OT Matt Goncalves (third round, Pittsburgh)
- C Tanor Bortolini (fourth round, Wisconsin)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- CB Jarrian Jones (third round, Florida State)
- OT Javon Foster (fourth round, Missouri)
- DT Jordan Jefferson (fourth round, LSU)
- CB Deantre Prince (fifth round, Ole Miss)
- RB Keilan Robinson (fifth round, Texas)
- K Cam Little (sixth round, Arkansas)
- DE Myles Cole (seventh round, Texas Tech)
New York Jets
- RB Braelon Allen (fourth round, Wisconsin)
- QB Jordan Travis (fifth round, Florida State)
- RB Isaiah Davis (fifth round, South Dakota State)
- CB Qwan’tez Stiggers (fifth round, Toronto Argonauts)
- S Jaylen Key (seventh round, Alabama)
Philadelphia Eagles
- EDGE Jalyx Hunt (third round, Houston Christian)
- RB Will Shipley (fourth round, Clemson)
- WR Ainias Smith (fourth round, Texas A&M)
Seattle Seahawks
- TE AJ Barner (fourth round, Michigan)
- CB Nehemiah Pritchett (fifth round, Auburn)
- G Sataoa Laumea (sixth round, Utah)
- CB DJ James (sixth round, Auburn)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- TE Devin Culp (seventh round, Washington)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Ross Dwelley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Cam Gill, DL T.J. Smith
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR John Jackson, DT Dashaun Mallory, LB Paul Moala, WR Freddie Swain
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Kaden Davis, TE Parker Hesse
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DL Spencer Waege
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Trente Jones
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LB Cole Christiansen
- Released: DT Matt Dickerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Chris Collins
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Ireland Brown, CB Jason Maitre
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Terrell Jennings, G Ryan Johnson, LB Jay Person, DE Jotham Russell
- Waived: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kendal Vickers
- Waived: NT John Penisini
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Elijah Chatman
- Waived: OLB Jeremiah Martin
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Hamze El-Zayat, RB Markese Stepp
- Waived: RB Jacques Patrick, DE Marquiss Spencer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Shon Stephens
- Waived: TE Noah Togiai
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: OL Kellen Diesch
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Shakel Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Nathan Pickering, LB Devin Richardson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
Ravens Wrap Up Draft Class Signings
The Ravens have officially signed their entire draft class. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the team has signed third-round linebacker Adisa Isaac, fourth-round wide receiver Devontez Walker, fifth-round running back Rasheen Ali, and sixth-round quarterback Devin Leary to their rookie contracts.
Isaac followed up a breakout 2022 campaign with an even better performance in 2023. The Penn State product finished this past season with 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, earning him a first-team All-Big Ten nod. The rookie could be in line for a significant role in Baltimore, as the team currently has Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy penciled atop the depth chart at outside linebacker.
Leary was the second-to-last QB selected in the draft (ahead of Packers seventh-round pick Michael Pratt), and with Josh Johnson back for another stint as Lamar Jackson‘s backup, the rookie can spend some much-needed time as Baltimore’s QB3. Leary tossed 35 touchdowns for North Carolina State in 2021 before being limited to only six appearances in 2022. He transferred to Kentucky for the 2023 campaign and put himself back on the NFL radar, tossing 25 touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions.
The Ravens finished the draft having added nine rookies to their roster. The draft class includes:
- Round 1, No. 30: Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 62: Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 93: Adisa Isaac (EDGE, Penn State)
- Round 4, No. 113 (from Broncos through Jets): Devontez Walker (WR, North Carolina)
- Round 4, No. 130: T.J. Tampa (CB, Iowa State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 165: Rasheen Ali (RB, Marshall)
- Round 6, No. 218 (from Jets): Devin Leary (QB, Kentucky)
- Round 7, No. 228 (from Jets): Nick Samac (C, Michigan State) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 250: Sanoussi Kane (S, Purdue) (signed)
Colts Sign Seven UDFAs
After adding nine rookies via the draft, the Colts are continuing to add first-year players to their roster. The team announced that they’ve signed seven undrafted free agents, including a pair of quarterbacks:
- Jason Bean, QB/WR (Kansas)
- Trent Pennix, RB (NC State)
- Spencer Shrader, K (Notre Dame)
- Kedon Slovis, QB (BYU)
- Dalton Tucker, G (Marshall)
- Xavier White, WR (Texas Tech)
- Craig Young, LB (Kansas)
Interestingly, the Colts listed former Kansas signal caller Jason Bean as both a quarterback and wide receiver. That’s not a complete surprise considering the rookie’s running ability. In three seasons at Kansas, Bean rushed for 901 yards and nine touchdowns on 178 carries. With Anthony Richardson atop the depth chart and Joe Flacco in place as the backup, Bean’s best shot at a roster spot will surely come at a different position. Kedon Slovis will have a similar uphill battle to make Indy’s roster. The quarterback had an up-and-down college career, with his 30-touchdown campaign as a freshman in 2019 representing his career-high. He most recently got into eight games at BYU, tossing 12 touchdowns vs. six interceptions.
Among all the UDFAs, Spencer Shrader probably has the most realistic shot at a roster spot, as the rookie will compete with veteran Matt Gay for the Colts’ primary kicker spot. Shrader finished his college career having connected on only 68.3 percent of his field goal attempts, although he was 156-for-158 on his extra point tries.
49ers Sign Eight Undrafted Free Agents
The 49ers have been active signing their rookies to contracts, finalizing deals with six of their eight draft picks. The team also found time to add a group of undrafted free agents, as the team announced that they’ve signed eight rookie free agents:
- Evan Anderson, DL (Florida Atlantic)
- Jaylen Mahoney, S (Vanderbilt)
- Briason Mays, OL (Southern Mississippi)
- Tanner Mordecai, QB (Wisconsin)
- Drake Nugent, OL (Michigan)
- Terique Owens, WR (Missouri State)
- Mason Pline, TE (Furman)
- Cody Schrader, RB (Missouri)
Evan Anderson got a significant pay day to join the 49ers offseason roster. The Florida Atlantic product earned a $30K signing bonus and had $250K of his base salary guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The defensive lineman was productive in four collegiate seasons, compiling 20 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and three fumble recoveries. Elsewhere on defense, Jaylen Mahoney joins the 49ers after snagging four interceptions and collecting 17 passes defended in fives seasons with the Commodores.
Tanner Mordecai bounced around during his college career. He didn’t play much in three seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to SMU, where he tossed 72 touchdowns across two seasons. He spent the 2023 campaign at Wisconsin, where he connected on nine touchdowns in 10 games. During rookie minicamp, he’ll be joined on the offensive side by Cody Schrader, who is coming off a breakout 2023 campaign where he collected 1,818 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. The 49ers also added Terique Owens, who is the son of former 49ers star wideout Terrell Owens.
Patriots Sign Nine UDFAs
Bill Belichick had a penchant of rostering unheralded UDFAs throughout his long tenure in New England. In fact, at least one undrafted free agent made the Patriots opening-day roster for 19-straight seasons before the streak ended last season. Jerod Mayo, Eliot Wolf, and co. will be looking to restart that habit in 2024, with the team adding nine undrafted free agents to the roster:
- DeShaun Fenwick, RB (Oregon State)
- Kaleb Ford-Dement, CB (Texas State)
- Zuri Henry, OT (Texas-El Paso)
- Jontrey Hunter, LB (Georgia State)
- John Morgan, DE (Arkansas)
- Dell Pettus, S (Troy)
- Charles Turner, C (Louisiana State)
- Mikey Victor, CB (Alabama State)
- Jacob Warren, TE (Tennessee)
Jontrey Hunter finished his six-year stint at Georgia State with his best season, finishing the campaign with 96 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. The linebacker showed the ability to get after the quarterback in college and could get a look on the edge for the Patriots. The team also added a notable pass rusher in John Morgan, who compiled 14 sacks at Pitt between the 2019 and 2022 seasons. His numbers dropped following a transfer to Arkansas in 2023, with the defensive end compiling only 15 tackles and a pair of sacks.
On the other side of the ball, Jacob Warren provides some intrigue at tight end. The six-foot-six, 246-pound rookie had a consistent role at Tennessee over the past three years, averaging 15 receptions for 177 yards and more than two touchdowns per season. DeShaun Fenwick saw his collegiate career turn around following a transfer to Oregon State in 2021. Over the past three seasons, the RB collected 1,621 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns.
Falcons Add DB Dane Cruikshank, DL Bradlee Anae
The Falcons are adding a pair of defenders to their offseason roster. The team is signing defensive back Dane Cruikshank and defensive lineman Bradlee Anae, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The duo auditioned for the Falcons yesterday.
Cruikshank is the more experienced of the two, with the defensive back having appeared in 54 career games (plus four playoff appearances). The majority of that playing time came with the Titans, where the former fifth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career.
After compiling a career-high 43 tackles in 2021, Cruikshank has bounced around the NFL over the past couple of years. The defensive back joined the Bears in 2022, primarily appearing on special teams before landing on IR midway through that season. He was released by the Jets last offseason before catching on for his second stint with the Titans, where he got into a pair of games.
Cruikshank’s versatility makes him a valuable back-of-the-depth-chart option for a team. However, considering the Falcons will return much of their secondary depth in 2024 (plus the fact that they also added former Cardinals part-time starter Antonio Hamilton), Cruikshank’s best chances of making the roster would come via special teams.
Anae was a fifth-round pick by the Cowboys in 2020 and got into 11 games across two seasons with the organization. He’s spent the past two seasons bouncing between the Jets practice squad and active roster.
Bengals’ Trey Brown Declines Patriots Interview
The Patriots have kicked off their search for a “top football executive,” but one of the team’s targets has already rejected an interview. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown has declined an interview for the Patriots’ de facto GM job.
[RELATED: Patriots Begin Top Executive Search]
A move to New England would be a bit of a reunion for Brown, as the 39-year-old started his front office career as a Patriots scout. He followed that up with a long stint in Philadelphia, where he eventually climbed to the role of Eagles director of college scouting. Brown had brief stints in the AAF and XFL before joining the Bengals as a scout in 2021. Following one year with the organization, he was promoted to his current role of senior personnel executive.
Brown’s rise through the Bengals organization coincided with the team’s on-field turnaround, and the executive garnered plenty of praise for his role in the operation. He first popped up on the GM carousel in 2022 when he earned an interview for the Raiders GM job. He got another look for the Raiders job this offseason but walked away empty handed. Considering his track record, Pelissero notes that Brown will remain a top GM candidate during next year’s hiring cycle.
While the Patriots have continually signaled that they’ll eventually be conducting a search for a front office leader, today’s development still comes as a bit of a surprise. After moving on from head coach/de facto GM Bill Belichick, the team basically handed the reins to Eliot Wolf, who retained his title of director of scouting. While the new-look Patriots relied on a group effort to fill the Belichick-sized void, Wolf played a major role in the team’s free agency and draft approach. With the roster pretty much set (and the organization having made a significant decision with Drake Maye at No. 3), the team will now curiously consider another executive to lead the way.
With that said, Wolf’s presence may cause some issues for Robert Kraft and the Patriots’ top decision makers. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes, the Patriots may have a tough time convincing candidates that Wolf isn’t “a lock to get the job.” For what it’s worth, Volin notes that the Patriots have already complied with the Rooney Rule in regards to their GM vacancy.
The Patriots haven’t employed a traditional GM since Kraft took over ownership of the organization. It sounds like the long-time owner is once again considering a creative approach to his front office.