Bears Add Eight UDFAs
The Bears have submitted eight undrafted free agent signings to the NFL office, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Here’s the list:
- TE Ben Braunecker (Harvard)
- OL Dan Buchholz (Duquesne)
- CB Taveze Calhoun (Mississippi State)
- LB Don Cherry (Villanova)
- LB Roy Robertson-Harris (UTEP)
- WR/KR Derek Keaton (Georgia Southern) [$3k signing bonus, Biggs tweets]
- OL John Kling (Buffalo)
- TE Joe Sommers (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) [$7,521 signing bonus, tweets Biggs]
Extra Points: Bradford, Jets, Giants, Falcons, Lions
Given quarterback Sam Bradford‘s unhappiness in Philadelphia, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined the seemingly far-fetched possibility of the 28-year-old retiring – at least temporarily. Bradford would have to surrender the $11MM signing bonus he received from the Eagles earlier this offseason if he were to walk away, but he would offset that loss somewhat by avoiding any fines or forfeitures that would accompany a potential holdout.
The appeal of retiring from Bradford’s point of view is that he could wait for another team’s starting quarterback to suffer an injury, whether it be this year or in 2017, thus leading that club to approach the Eagles about a trade. It would be similar to the situation Carson Palmer found himself in five years ago as a disgruntled member of the Bengals. Early in the 2011 season, the Raiders lost starter Jason Campbell to an injury and then made a trade with the Bengals to bring Palmer out of his short-lived retirement.
Most teams’ starting quarterback situations are set right now, and the Eagles haven’t shown a willingness to move Bradford in the wake of trading up to No. 2 in the draft for Carson Wentz and signing Chase Daniel, so Florio opines that retirement could be his most sensible option.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- There was potential for a New York-New York trade in the first round of last week’s draft, according to the New York Daily News’ Gary Myers, who reports that the Jets offered their first- (20th overall) and second-rounders to the Giants for No. 10. The Jets had their sights set on Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, but the Giants didn’t want to move down and risk losing out on Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple. Had the Giants accepted the Jets’ offer, they would have either taken TCU wideout Josh Doctson or the best cornerback available (likely Houston’s William Jackson III) at No. 20, per Myers. Doctson ultimately went 22nd to Washington and Jackson landed with the Bengals two picks later. Meanwhile, instead of nabbing Tunsil, the Jets kept their top two picks and used them on Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee and Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
- The Falcons are currently mulling whether to sign free agent cornerback Leon Hall, who visited them this week, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Hall would add depth to a Falcons defensive backfield in need of it, especially given the four-game suspension the league handed Jalen Collins, as McClure writes. The ex-Michigan standout’s entire NFL career has thus far been spent in Cincinnati, where he totaled 26 interceptions from 2007-15, though it doesn’t appear he’ll return to the Bengals. Aside from the Falcons, Hall has also visited the Giants, Cardinals and Cowboys this offseason, but his age (31) and injury history (he has torn both Achilles) are seemingly working against him in landing a contract.
- With the draft in the books, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com took a look at six Lions veterans whose jobs could now be in jeopardy. Meinke points to quarterback Dan Orlovsky, center Travis Swanson, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, defensive tackle Gabe Wright and long snapper Don Muhlbach as players who aren’t locks to remain in the Motor City.
Draft Pick Signings: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Colts
Checking in on the latest rookie signings from around the NFL…
- Two offensive linemen – third-rounder Isaac Seumalo and fifth-rounder Halapoulivaati Vaitai – have agreed to deals with the Eagles, the team tweeted. Seumalo went 79th in the draft after playing various positions, mostly center, along Oregon State’s O-line. Vaitai, the 164th pick, made 30 starts at tackle (primarily on the right side) during his TCU tenure.
- The Colts have signed fourth-round linebacker Antonio Morrison, the 125th overall choice, according to a team press release. Morrison was a four-year starter at Florida.
- Packers general manager Ted Thompson announced the signings of four draftees — fourth-rounders Blake Martinez (linebacker, Stanford) and Dean Lowry (defensive end, Northwestern), fifth-rounder Trevor Davis (receiver, California) and sixth-rounder Kyle Murphy (offensive tackle, Stanford). Those four were Green Bay’s final picks of this year’s draft. The team still has to lock up its top three selections, including first-round defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
- The Bears inked fourth-round defensive back Deiondre’ Hall to a four-year deal worth $2.85MM, including a $510,982 signing bonus, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hall, the 127th pick, piled up 13 interceptions during his four years at Northern Iowa.
- The Vikings have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Willie Beavers and fifth-round linebacker Kentrell Brothers, per a team press release. Beavers was a stalwart at left tackle for Western Michigan before the Vikings grabbed him with the 121st choice, while Brothers – the 160th selection – was a prolific defensive playmaker at Missouri.
- The Steelers announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Travis Feeney, a former University of Washington standout and the 220th overall pick.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/6/16
Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Ravens have waived wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and running back Terrence Magee, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Magee is the only one of the pair who has appeared in an NFL game, having amassed two carries in three contests with the Ravens last season.
- The Jets waived offensive tackle Sean Hickey, per a team announcement (on Twitter). Hickey signed a futures deal with the Jets in January after spending time with the Saints and Patriots last season.
Bernard Pierce, Jace Davis Receive Suspensions
6:16pm: Free agent wideout Jace Davis has also received a suspension, reports Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The league has given Davis a harsher punishment than it handed Pierce, suspending him for four weeks. The Broncos waived Davis in February after a DUI arrest, per Zac Jackson of PFT. Davis, 24, hasn’t recorded any stats during his NFL career.
5:52pm: The NFL has suspended free agent running back Bernard Pierce for the first two weeks of the 2016 season, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). No reason has been given yet for Pierce’s suspension. It’s worth noting, though, that he has dealt with substance abuse issues in the past, having been arrested on a DUI charge last offseason.
Pierce appeared in seven games with the Jaguars in 2015 and totaled just six carries for 11 yards. The 24-year-old spent the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens after they used a 2012 third-round pick on him, and he showed significant promise as a rookie. That year, the ex-Temple Owl averaged 4.9 yards per rush on 108 attempts. Pierce added a combined 802 rushing yards the next two seasons in Baltimore, but on a meager 3.3 yards per carry. As a free agent, he hasn’t publicly drawn interest from any NFL teams this offseason.
Chiefs Sign Six Draft Picks, Seven UDFAs
The Chiefs have officially locked up the majority of their nine-player draft class, having signed six selections to contracts, the team announced. Along with the previously reported Chris Jones (second-round pick), the Chiefs inked the followers players to deals:
- 4-105: Parker Ehinger, OL (Cincinnati)
- 4-126: Demarcus Robinson, WR (Florida)
- 5-162: Kevin Hogan, QB (Stanford)
- 6-178: D.J. White, DB (Georgia Tech)
- 6-203: Dadi Nicolas, LB (Virginia Tech)
The Chiefs traded out of the first round this year, making third-round defensive back Keivarae Russell their most significant unsigned draft pick as of now. The team also officially signed seven undrafted free agents, including three cornerbacks:
- G Jake Bernstein (Vanderbilt)
- C Ben Clarke (Hawaii)
- CB Vernon Harris (Dartmouth)
- CB Tre Jones (Mount Union)
- WR Mitch Mathews (BYU)
- CB Shak Randolph (SMU)
- LB Terrance Smith (Florida State) [15K bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle]
Additionally, Kansas City waived Lithuanian-born linebacker Tautvydas Kieras, per a team announcement (Twitter link).
Cardinals Sign Robert Nkemdiche, Two Other Draftees
The Cardinals have officially signed three draft picks, locking up first-round defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and a pair of fifth-rounders – Midwestern State safety Marqui Christian and Harvard offensive tackle Cole Toner – the team announced (Twitter link).
Nkemdiche is obviously the most notable player of the trio, having earned a first-team all-SEC selection and second-team 
All-America honors at Ole Miss last season. The 21-year-old is one of two major pass-rushing additions the Cardinals have made this offseason, joining trade acquisition Chandler Jones. Nkemdiche’s draft stock fell because of past off-field transgressions, enabling the Cardinals to snag him at No. 29. If those issues are behind him, Nkemdiche should help boost a Cardinals defense that finished just 20th in the NFL in sacks last season.
Nkemdiche’s four-year rookie deal will be worth upward of $8.6MM, including more than $4.45MM in guarantees, according to data from Over the Cap. As a first-rounder, his contract will also include a fifth-year option, though its worth won’t be known until 2019.
With Nkemdiche, Christian and Toner now under contract, the Cardinals have nearly half of their draft class signed. Four remaining draftees – including third-round cornerback Brandon Williams – still have to ink deals.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Pack, Lions, Cards
The Cowboys believe they got an elite prospect when they chose injured Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round (34th overall). In fact, the team graded Smith as a top-five prospect in this year’s draft, according to owner Jerry Jones. Said executive vice president Stephen Jones, “He may not football play this year. What he is ultimately going to be he is definitely worth our second-round pick” (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Prior to tearing his ACL and LCL on Jan. 1, Smith was seen as a surefire first-rounder and a likely top-10 pick.
More from the NFC:
- The Packers’ third-round selection of Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell should bring about the end of the Mike Neal era in Green Bay, Neal tweeted. Neal, who has spent his entire career with the Packers since they used a second-rounder on him in 2010, is still without a contract despite accumulating at least four sacks for the fourth straight season.
- Having taken two offensive linemen and a defensive lineman during the first two days of the draft, the Lions may look to add depth at the skill positions on Saturday, GM Bob Quinn said Friday (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). However, the best-player-available approach still figures to win out on day three, Quinn cautioned.
- The Eagles don’t have a fourth-rounder entering the final day of the draft and executive VP Howie Roseman expects it to stay that way (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). As of now, they’re scheduled to pick five times Saturday – twice in both the fifth and seventh rounds and once in the sixth.
- Head coach Bruce Arians doesn’t expect the Cardinals to have to sign another veteran cornerback to their roster, but said the team will “wait and see” if a move is required (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Draft Rumors: Jets, Cravens, Pats, Ravens
The Jets’ second-round selection of Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg won’t affect their pursuit of free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick, general manager Mike Maccagnan said Friday (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Maccagnan added that he wouldn’t rule out carrying four QBs if the team does re-sign Fitzpatrick, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Fitzpatrick, who reportedly hasn’t had meaningful contract discussions with the Jets in weeks, would be at the helm of a signal-calling corps that also includes Hackenberg, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty.
Here’s the latest on the draft with the second day in the books:
- USC linebacker Su’a Cravens said he was surprised to end up with Washington, which took him 53rd overall. He expected to land with the Patriots, who picked 60th (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic).
- The Ravens tried unsuccessfully to get back into the second round after selecting Boise State edge defender Kamalei Correa at No. 42, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- Had the Giants not taken Boise State safety Darian Thompson with the 71st pick, the Bears would’ve scooped him up at No. 72, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (on Twitter).
- The Eagles considered moving back from 79th overall – where they selected Oregon State center Isaac Seumalo – but they became uncomfortable as names were sliding off the board and decided to stay put, reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Dolphins Acquire 86th Pick From Vikings
10:07pm: If the Dolphins get a fourth-round compensatory pick next year, they’ll be able to send that to the Vikings, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
9:44pm: The Dolphins have acquired the 86th pick from the Vikings and selected Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo, according to Jenna Laine (Twitter link). In return, the Vikings will receive a sixth-rounder (No. 186) from Miami this year and two selections in 2017 – a third- and fourth-rounder – per Tom Gower of Football Outsiders (Twitter link).
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Carroo had a strong three-year career at Rutgers, where he caught 122 passes, averaged 19.5 yards per reception and hauled in 29 touchdowns. He’ll join a Dolphins receiving corps that lost Rishard Matthews in free agency, but has the solid trio of Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills in place.