NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/8/23
Today’s draft pick signings:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- LB SirVocea Dennis (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
- TE Payne Durham (fifth round, Purdue)
- CB Josh Hayes (sixth round, Kansas State)
- WR Trey Palmer (sixth round, Nebraska)
- LB Jose Ramirez (sixth round, Eastern Michigan)
The Buccaneers have taken their time signing their draft picks; these are the first reported signings out of Tampa Bay, and the team’s top-three picks (including first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey) remain unsigned.
Of the late-round grouping, SirVoceaDennis could have the best opportunity to carve out a role as an inside linebacker. The Pittsburgh product will compete with former fifth-round pick K.J. Britt for a key role playing behind starters Devin White and Lavonte David.
Payne Durham and Trey Palmer bring strong college resumes but will need some lucky breaks to see significant playing time in 2023. Durham finished his fourth season at Purdue with 56 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, while Palmer had a breakout season at Nebraska after transferring from LSU, finishing the 2022 campaign with 1,043 receiving yards.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/8/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers: DB Kyler McMichael (from Bills)
- Signed: WR Brandon Smith
- Waived: LB Marvin Pierre
Atlanta Falcons
- Suspended: CB Breon Borders
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (from Falcons): DT Jalen Dalton (from Falcons), RB Tiyon Evans (from Rams)
Breon Borders has been hit with a two-game suspension, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). It’s uncertain what warranted the ban. Borders has seen time in 32 career games (six starts), compiling 42 tackles and one interception. He spent most of the 2022 campaign on the Bears practice squad, getting into one game with the big-league club.
The veteran cornerback just signed with the Falcons earlier this week. He’s expected to play a depth role behind A.J. Terrell, Jeff Okudah, and Mike Hughes.
Ravens RB Gus Edwards To Be “Partially Ready” For Minicamp
Gus Edwards returned from a torn ACL last season, getting into nine games for the Ravens. The team will be counting on a healthy season from the running back in 2023, and as a result, it sounds like they’re bringing him along slowly.
Coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Edwards will only be “partially ready” for next week’s minicamp and should be “fully ready” for training camp in July (per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley on Twitter). The running back was present at OTAs but didn’t participate in team drills.
“I think minicamp, partially ready I’m hearing,” Harbaugh said (via the team’s website). “Training camp he’s supposed to be fully ready.
“He just wasn’t quite ready to get back out and practice yet – no setback. Maybe they’re being a little cautious, but that’s what they’re doing.”
Edwards was a dependable member of Baltimore’s backfield for the first three seasons of his career, with the running back averaging 5.2 yards on his 414 carries while scoring 10 touchdowns. A torn ACL wiped out his entire 2021 season, and after returning this past October, Edwards added another 433 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ravens running back corps will also feature J.K. Dobbins, who made his way back from his own 2021 ACL injury to get into eight games last season. The 24-year-old also missed a chunk of last year after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Justice Hill is the only other RB with any experience on the depth chart, as the team is otherwise looking at UDFAs Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright for depth.
Jets Release DB Will Parks
The Jets have moved on from a key special teamer. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the team has cut defensive back Will Parks.
The 28-year-old spent a year-plus with the Jets, including a 2022 campaign where he got into 14 games (three starts). He finished last season with 17 tackles while seeing about 40 percent of his total snaps on special teams. Parks didn’t play enough to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings, but he would have been graded as a middle-of-the-road safety, with the site giving him particularly solid grades in pass rushing.
The former sixth-rounder had a five-year stint with the Broncos to begin his career, with the defensive back starting 15 of his 66 games with the organization. He had a career-high 51 tackles with Denver in 2017. Parks has also had stints with the Eagles, Chiefs, 49ers, and Dolphins, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he adds another team to his resume before training camp.
While Parks will surely be missed on special teams, the Jets have more than enough depth to make up for his absence on defense. The team already has Ashtyn Davis and Tony Adams as backups to Chuck Clark and Jordan Whitehead, and they also added UDFAs Trey Dean and Marquis Waters.
Falcons Sign OL Matthew Bergeron, Finish Rookie Signings
The Falcons announced that they’ve signed second-round offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron to his rookie contract. Bergeron was the team’s final draft pick to sign his rookie deal.
The lineman spent four years at Syracuse, culminating in a 2022 campaign where he earned second-team All-ACC honors and a Senior Bowl invite. Scouts lauded his run-blocking ability and versatility, and the Falcons ended up selecting him with the 38th-overall pick in the draft.
While Bergeron exclusively played offensive tackle in college, the Falcons are planning on switching him to offensive guard, where many scouts believed he’d excel. While the rookie has never played the position, the Falcons are confident that he’ll be capable of making the change.
“It’s the way he is built,” head coach Arthur Smith said (via Tori McElhaney of the team’s website). “Everybody has different philosophies in what they’re looking for in offensive linemen. And some people get so rigid on schemes or whatever it is, their cup of tea that they’re looking for with o-linemen. But when a guy is as smart as Matt and the way he has played, really for us (it’s) the vision of the way he is built.”
The Falcons will return much of the same offensive line next season, but it sounds like Bergeron is the front runner for the starting left guard gig.
The team got most of their draft picks signed before OTAs, a group that includes:
- Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse)
- Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)
Bills S Damar Hamlin Participates In Team Drills
Bills safety Damar Hamlin participated in team drills today, the first time he’s seen the field during OTAs and five months after his on-field cardiac incident. The team tweeted a photo of Hamlin, noting that the player was a full participant at practice.
Per NFL.com, Hamlin previously took part in individual drills and stretching exercises. Today, he was seen wearing a helmet and serving as a punt protector during the special teams portion of practice. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets that Hamlin briefly left the field to deal with a arm/shoulder injury but soon returned.
“Really proud of him to take that next step,” general manager Brandon Beane told reporters (including Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News). “Obviously, you guys have seen him out here working out. … Just so proud of him and thrilled for where he’s at in his journey.
“We’re just upping or building his reps up. He’s great. He’s mentally ready to go. He knows the defense. It’s Year 3 into it. The next thing is going to be we’ve got to put pads on, and it’ll be at training camp. But I thought it was really important for him if he could and felt he was ready. You know, this is a two-way communication. This is not us saying, `You’ve got to do this.’ … He’s worked really hard on the mental side of this. Physically, he’s all cleared. But this is a real deal from a mental standpoint after you’ve been to where he was.”
Hamlin has continually stated his desire to continue his NFL career. He was cleared to resume playing back in April, and since then, he’s been spending time at the Bills facility preparing for the upcoming season. As Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes, the Bills haven’t given any indication that they plan to use “any reserve listing” for Hamlin, a small hint that the player should be good to go come training camp.
The 25-year-old was thrust into a starting role last year while filling in for Micah Hyde, who missed most of last season with a foot injury. Hamlin ended up finishing the campaign with 91 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 15 games (13 starts), with Pro Football Focus grading him as one of the league’s top pass-rushing safeties. With Hyde back and Jordan Poyer signed to a new deal, the Bills have the luxury of bringing Hamlin along slowly.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/23
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: QB Nolan Henderson
Buffalo Bills
- Released: RB Isaiah Bowser
Nolan Henderson joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Delaware. He finished his 2022 season with a UD single-season record 32 touchdowns, and there’s some hope he can stick around the NFL. However, he had limited opportunities for practice reps in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Anthony Brown, and Josh Johnson ahead of him.
Isaiah Bowser, a Central Florida product, joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent last month. The running back had more than 1,500 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons.
49ers Sign DL Darryl Johnson
The 49ers have added a veteran defensive lineman. Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Darryl Johnson has signed a one-year deal with the 49ers. To make room on the roster, the team waived wideout Shae Wyatt.
Johnson, a former seventh-round pick out of North Carolina A&T, got into 31 games with the Bills through his first two seasons in the NFL. He was traded to the Panthers prior to the 2021 campaign, but a hamstring injury limited him to only three games.
He was snagged off waivers by the Seahawks at the end of the 2022 preseason. He collected four tackles in four games (one start) for Seattle before a foot injury ended his season early.
The 49ers have been busy adding to the defensive line this offseason. They selected USC defensive end Drake Jackson in the second round, and they gave veteran Javon Hargrave a four-year, $84MM contract. Despite adding top-end depth to a defensive line that already includes Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, the 49ers could still keep Johnson around as a back-of-the-depth-chart option and special teamer.
Wyatt went undrafted before signing with the 49ers back in May. The receiver had a standout season at Tulane in 2022, finishing with 35 receptions for 692 yards and seven touchdowns.
Vikings Sign RB DeWayne McBride, Complete Draft Pick Signings
The Vikings have officially signed their entire draft class. The team announced that they’ve inked seventh-round running back DeWayne McBride to his four-year rookie pact.
McBride spent three years at UAB, including a 2022 campaign where he earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Year honors after collecting 1,723 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns. This performance followed a breakout 2021 season where he rushed for more than 1,300 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.
His fumbling issues and lack of pass-catching ability led to him slipping to the seventh round of the draft. Fortunately for the rookie, he could have a chance to contribute with Dalvin Cook potentially out the door. Alexander Mattison would likely get the starting role if/when Cook is gone, but McBride could compete with 2022 fifth-round pick Ty Chandler for backup reps.
The Vikings finished the draft having selected six rookies, and each of those first-year players have now been signed to contracts. That grouping includes:
- Round 1, No. 23: Jordan Addison, WR (USC) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 102 (from 49ers): Mekhi Blackmon, CB (USC) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 134 (from Chiefs): Jay Ward, S (LSU) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 141 (from Raiders through Colts): Jaquelin Roy, DT (LSU) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164 (from 49ers): Jaren Hall, QB (BYU) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 222 (from Broncos through 49ers): DeWayne McBride, RB (UAB)
Tyron Smith Expected To Play Right Tackle
The Cowboys current first-team offensive line may look a whole lot different come Week 1, but we’re starting to get clarity on some of the team’s plans. As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets, “it would be a surprise” if Tyron Smith isn’t starting at right tackle. Meanwhile, Clarence Hill of the Dallas Star-Telegram writes that the Cowboys are “focused” on keeping Tyler Smith at left tackle.
The Cowboys have stated all offseason that they intend to start their best five offensive lineman, regardless of position. That five-man grouping should eventually include Terence Steele, who is still working his way back from a torn ACL. He could get a look at right tackle and left guard, potentially pushing one of Matt Farniok or Tyron Smith out of the lineup.
However, it sounds like the team intends to stick with the veteran Smith at RT, assuming the lineman is healthy enough to play. The 32-year-old has been limited to only 17 regular season games over the past three years, including a 2022 campaign where he appeared in only four games thanks to a torn hamstring. That injury kept Smith off the field until December, and by the time he returned, he had been pushed out of his normal LT role by Tyler Smith.
The younger Smith was thrust into the LT role after being selected in the first round of last year’s draft. He more than held his own during his rookie campaign, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after starting all 17 games (plus two playoff contests). He ended up finishing the season as Pro Football Focus’ 25th offensive tackle (among 81 qualifying players), with the site preferring his run blocking over his pass blocking.
Elsewhere on the line, Chuma Edoga is expected to get a look at left guard, per Hill. Zack Martin has his position secure at right guard, while Tyler Biadasz will return for his third season as the Cowboys’ starting center.