Broncos Sign Jake Butt
The Broncos, continuing a busy Thursday, have inked fifth-round tight end Jake Butt to a contract, per a team announcement (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).
Butt, the 145th overall pick, isn’t your average fifth-rounder, as he only dropped that far as a result of the torn ACL he suffered in Michigan’s Orange Bowl loss to Florida State on Dec. 30. To that point, Butt had a chance to parlay back-to-back strong seasons into becoming a first- or second-round pick. Butt combined for 97 receptions and seven touchdowns during his final two years with the Wolverines and earned first-team All-America honors in each season.
Prior to last year, Butt purchased a loss-of-value policy which enabled him to collect compensation for his draft fall. All told, he ended up with a guaranteed $380K and could earn another $2.7MM-plus, including a $300K signing bonus, if he sees his rookie contract through. He’s the seventh member of the Broncos’ eight-player class to sign, leaving second-round defensive end DeMarcus Walker as the lone straggler.
Eagles Sign 10 UDFAs
The Eagles have announced the signings of 10 undrafted free agents, including a pair of previously reported players in former Wisconsin running back Corey Clement and ex-Oklahoma defensive tackle Charles Walker. Here are the other eight:
- DT Winston Craig (Richmond)
- QB Jerod Evans (Virginia Tech)
- CB Randall Goforth (UCLA)
- P Cameron Johnston (Ohio State)
- C Tyler Orlosky (West Virginia)
- S Tre Sullivan (Shepherd)
- WR Greg Ward (Houston)
- CB Jomal Wiltz (Iowa State)
Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/17
Thursday has been chock-full of draft signings. Here are the latest rookies to ink deals:
Buffalo Bills
- Round 5 (No. 163 overall): Matt Milano, LB (Boston College)
- Round 6 (No. 195): Tanner Vallejo, LB (Boise State)
Chicago Bears
- Round 4 (No. 119): Tarik Cohen, RB (North Carolina A&T)
- Round 5 (No. 147): Jordan Morgan, OL (Kutztown)
Cleveland Browns
- Round 4 (No. 126): Howard Wilson, CB (Houston)
- Round 5 (No. 160): Roderick Johnson, OL (Florida State)
- Round 7 (No. 252): Matthew Dayes, RB (North Carolina State)
Denver Broncos
- Round 3 (No. 101): Brendan Langley, CB (Lamar)
Houston Texans
- Round 7 (No. 243): Kyle Fuller, C (Baylor)
Indianapolis Colts
- Round 2 (No. 46): Quincy Wilson, CB (Florida) [Twitter link via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star]
- Round 5 (No. 158) Nate Hairston, CB (Temple)
- Round 6 (No. 161): Anthony Walker, LB (Northwestern)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Round 7 (No. 222): Jalen Myrick, CB (Minnesota) [via John Oesher of Jaguars.com, on Twitter]
Tennessee Titans
- Round 7 (No. 236): Brad Seaton, T (Villanova) [Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle]
Steelers Sign James Conner
The Steelers have signed third-round running back James Conner, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report (via Twitter). With Conner joining fifth-round cornerback Brian Allen, sixth-round long snapper Colin Holba and seventh-round linebacker Keion Adams under contract, Pittsburgh has now signed half of its eight-pick class.
Conner, a Pennsylvania native who was among the nation’s best backs with Pitt, is now in position to make an NFL impact in his home state. Of course, the 105th overall pick also comes with an inspirational story, having bounced back from a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis (not to mention a torn MCL) in 2015 to conclude his college career with a vengeance last season. A cancer-free Conner turned in his second thousand-yard campaign with the Panthers (1,092, on 5.1 yards per carry) and combined for 20 touchdowns (16 rushing, four receiving). In parts of four seasons at Pitt, he found the end zone 56 times (52 on the ground).
With the Steelers lacking established NFLers behind starting running back Le’Veon Bell, Conner should serve as the two-time Pro Bowler’s top backup in 2017. It’s possible Conner will end up as the Steelers’ starter in 2018 if Bell walks as a free agent next offseason, but the team hopes to sign the franchise tag recipient to an extension in the coming months.
Rams Waive Aaron Murray
Just over two months after signing Aaron Murray, the Rams have waived the quarterback, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Once a star at Georgia, Murray fell to the sixth round of the 2014 draft after an ACL injury brought an early end to his senior season. Murray spent the first two years of his career in the Chiefs organization before serving on Philadelphia’s practice squad last season. He still hasn’t attempted an NFL pass.
Had he stuck with the Rams through the summer, Murray would have competed for a backup role behind 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. For now, the only non-Goff quarterback on the Rams’ roster is Sean Mannion, a 2015 third-rounder with 13 pass attempts under his belt.
Cowboys, Taco Charlton Agree To Deal
The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with their first-round pick, former Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton, per Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram (Twitter link).
Charlton saw action in all four of his years with the Wolverines, and he was particularly effective last season in racking up personal bests in tackles (40), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (10). That production helped convince the Cowboys to use the 28th pick on Charlton, who’s set to make over $10MM in guarantees – including $5.43MM-plus via signing bonus – on his rookie contract.
While the Cowboys went an NFC-best 13-3 last year, they did it without an elite pass rush, ranking a decent 13th in sacks and a below-average 26th in quarterback hurries. No one on the team finished with more than six sacks, leading owner Jerry Jones to make it clear early in the offseason that upgrading the pass rush was in order. The Cowboys’ hope is that Charlton will do that, while further defensive help could come from second- and third-round cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. They’re among eight unsigned Cowboys draft picks, with Charlton being the only member of their class with a contract.
Eagles Sign Seven Draft Picks
With the notable exception of first-round defensive end Derek Barnett, all of the Eagles’ draft picks are now under contract. The Eagles have agreed to deals with seven members of their rookie class, per a team announcement. Here’s the list:
- 2-43: Sidney Jones, CB (Washington)
- 3-99: Rasul Douglas, CB (West Virginia)
- 4-118: Mack Hollins, WR (North Carolina)
- 4-132: Donnel Pumphrey, RB (San Diego State)
- 5-166: Shelton Gibson, WR (West Virginia)
- 5-184: Nathan Gerry, S (Nebraska)
- 6-214: Elijah Qualls, DT (Washington)
The biggest name included in that group belongs to Jones, who underwent surgery on a torn Achilles in March and won’t return to the field until the fall, at the earliest. Jones’ injury, which occurred on the final rep of his pro day, caused his draft stock to slip after it appeared he’d be a first-rounder. The 6-foot, 181-pounder was a 30-game starter at Washington, where he tallied eight interceptions.
Bills Waive Three
The Bills have waived a pair of cornerbacks, Marcus Cromartie and Marcus Roberson, as well as wide receiver Corey Washington, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
Both Cromartie and Washington joined the Bills earlier this offseason, but they apparently became unnecessary to the organization in the wake of the draft. The Bills used their first-round pick on ex-LSU cornerback Tre’Davious White, thus helping to push Cromartie out. The team then spent its second-rounder on former East Carolina receiver Zay Jones, which spelled the end for Washington. Neither Cromartie nor Washington has accomplished much in the NFL, with the former having started in one of 21 appearances and totaling 18 tackles as a 49er from 2014-16; meanwhile, the latter’s only action came during a 14-game, five-catch 2014 with the Giants.
Like Cromartie and Washington, Roberson also carries a fairly unimpressive pro resume (and White’s selection didn’t do him any favors, either). Roberson first signed with the Bills last year and picked up a meager two tackles in seven games. He saw more time with the Rams from 2014-15, starting in six of 25 games and picking off his lone pass in the first of those two years.
Chargers Sign Mike Williams
Unlike last year, there won’t be a drawn-out contract dispute between the Chargers and their first-round pick. The club has signed wide receiver Mike Williams, the seventh overall selection, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Williams thrived at Clemson, particularly during a 98-catch, 1,361-yard, 11-touchdown 2016 campaign that concluded with a national championship. He’s now in line to earn just under $20MM in guarantees on a four-year contract, including a signing bonus worth upward of $12.5MM, and join an impressive Bolts receiving corps that also includes Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin and Dontrelle Inman.
Ideally, the Chargers will get a full rookie season from Williams, which wasn’t the case with their first-rounder a year ago. The Chargers chose ex-Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa third overall in 2016, but he didn’t sign until late August because of an ugly contract battle. As a result, Bosa didn’t debut until October, though he still turned in an excellent rookie year with 10.5 sacks in 12 games.
Extra Points: Eagles, Walker, Mangold, Vikes
Newly minted Eagles defensive tackle Charles Walker drew criticism for leaving Oklahoma’s football team last year before its season ended (head coach Bob Stoops essentially called him a quitter), but it turns out he had a good reason. Walker’s early exit came because of a battle with depression, which he explained in a letter to all 32 NFL teams prior to the draft, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). Walker also notified clubs that taking medication has helped curb his depression. Despite that positive development and Walker’s high upside, nobody took a flier on him during the seven-round draft.
More from around the game:
- Free agent center Nick Mangold, unemployed since the Jets released him in February, told Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday that he’s “trying to get ready” for 2017, but it doesn’t appear retirement is out of the question for the 33-year-old. When asked if he has ruled out walking away from football, Mangold said, “We’re still trying to see what the options are.” Although he has an outstanding track record, there has been scant interest in the seven-time Pro Bowler this offseason. It’s possible that’ll change shortly, however, as New Orleans may be on the lookout for help in the middle of its offensive line.
- After a four-year stint as Nebraska’s quarterback, the undrafted Tommy Armstrong is going to have to change positions if he wants to make the Vikings. Armstrong, who’s currently unsigned, entered the Vikings’ rookie minicamp trying out at running back. Minnesota then shifted him to safety, and he intrigued the club enough to earn an invitation to organized team activities, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Said Armstrong, whose college career included 90 touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing): “I met with (defensive backs coach Jerry) Gray after practice Sunday, and he said, ‘We’re going to fly you back up here (next) Sunday and we’ll give you a playbook. He said he’d call me in a few days. They also like the way I’ve been playing special teams.’’
- Upward of 12 players in the Spring League have been invited to NFL minicamps. CEO Brian Woods says he’s happy with the way things have played out since the league’s inaugural season wrapped up. “We were pleased with the NFL turnout for sure,” Woods said (via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com). “It was overwhelming and we were happy to have it. I was talking as it wrapped up with some of our coaches, and we feel like this league is in position to help quarterbacks as much as anything, and we all know that’s an ongoing priority for the NFL.” Generally, though, NFL execs have told Seifert that they wished the league was younger as a whole. Running back Ben Tate, 28, apparently turned in the best performance of any of the league’s players.
Zach Links contributed to this post.