Chargers Agree To Terms With 21 UDFAs
The Chargers’ roster is set to look very different in 2024. With the departure of key players such as Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett, Kenneth Murray, Austin Johnson, and several others, Los Angeles had plenty of room on the roster for this summer, even after selecting a nine-man class in the 2024 NFL Draft. To fill out the roster, the Chargers turned to these undrafted free agents:
- Karsen Barnhart, G (Michigan)
- Casey Bauman, QB (Augustana)
- Luke Benson, TE (Georgia Tech)
- Akeem Dent, S (Florida State)
- Jaelen Gill, WR (Fresno State)
- Thomas Harper, S (Notre Dame)
- Zach Heins, TE (South Dakota State)
- Savion Jackson, OLB (North Carolina State)
- Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, LB (Mississippi)
- Leon Johnson, WR (Oklahoma State)
- Jaylen Johnson, WR (East Carolina)
- Robert Kennedy, CB (North Carolina State)
- Micheal Mason, DL (Coastal Carolina)
- Tremon Morris-Brash, OLB (Central Florida)
- Tyler McLellan, T (Campbell)
- Willis Patrick, G (TCU)
- Jalyn Phillips, S (Clemson)
- Tyler Smith, T (Western Carolina)
- Zamari Walton, CB (Mississippi)
- Luquay Washington, LB (Central Connecticut)
- Bucky Williams, C/G (Appalachian State)
Barnhart brings an intriguing versatility to a new Chargers offense led by offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman loves a guy who can play all over the line (see Patrick Mekari in Baltimore), and Barnhart started games at every offensive line spot but center during his time with the national champion Wolverines. In the team’s championship-winning season alone, Barnhart started eight games at right tackle, four games at left tackle, and three games at right guard en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Heins is another great fit for a Roman offense. Helping the Jackrabbits to back-to-back FCS national championships, Heins established himself as a starter due to his in-line blocking abilities. While, in his three years as a full-time starter, he only racked up 989 receiving yards, he also tallied 17 touchdowns in that same stretch.
The team adds two intriguing options at safety, as well. Harper started for the Fighting Irish as a transfer after four years at Oklahoma State. He didn’t make may plays on balls in the air but showed versatility as a nickel option and a blitzer. Dent, a one-time five-star recruit as a junior in high school, has tons of athleticism, he’s just never been able to convert it into on-field production.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Texans WR Tank Dell Suffers Minor Injuries In Shooting
Texans third-round rookie sensation Tank Dell found himself the victim in a public mass shooting Saturday night at a Sanford, Florida, nightclub, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The 24-year-old has reportedly already been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries. 
Dell, a Daytona Beach native, was back in his hometown this weekend visiting his mother. Dell was apparently uninvolved in the shooting incident at Cabana Live but was caught in the resulting crossfire. Ten civilians, including Dell, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the altercation, and Florida police took a 16-year-old suspect into custody after the shooting.
Dell had already been in the process of making a comeback from football-related injuries. The rookie standout missed the Texans’ final seven contests, including two postseason matchups, after suffering a fractured fibula. He underwent surgery to repair the fibula and has since made strides in his recovery.
Recently, Dell took part in Houston’s offseason conditioning program. He even participated in extra throwing sessions with fellow rookie standout quarterback C.J. Stroud, as well as extra training sessions with NFL trainer Justin Allen and private coach Delfonte Diamond.
Dell had previously told the media that he would be ready to participate in organized team activities when they start up in May. It’s unclear if this weekend’s incident will do anything to alter that timeline, but regardless, Dell is expected to make a full recovery and shouldn’t be affected by his injuries in the long term.
Eagles To Sign T Mekhi Becton
The Eagles are set to add to their depth at offensive tackle with Adam Schefter of ESPN reporting that the team will sign former Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. Pending a physical, Becton is in line to sign a one-year deal to head to Philadelphia. 
Becton has had a rough go over the course of his rookie contract. The 11th overall draft pick for the Jets in 2020, Becton was a starter in his rookie season and graded out relatively well, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) marking him as the 31st best offensive tackle out of 79 graded players at the position.
In the season opener of his sophomore campaign, though, a teammate rolled up on his right leg. Becton was forced to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, and though New York never ruled him out of the remainder of the season, he failed to return for the rest of the year. His comeback the following year fell short when he reinjured the same knee in the first week at training camp, requiring major surgery that would cause him to miss the entire 2022 season.
Therefore, it felt like an accomplishment in its own right when Becton was able to start in 16 games last season. He didn’t grade out very well (66th of 81 per PFF), but being able to return and stay healthy for most of the season was a giant step in the right direction for the former first-round pick.
In Philadelphia, Becton won’t be asked to do too much too soon. The Eagles return both longtime starting tackle Lane Johnson and veteran left tackle Jordan Mailata. Some suspected that Philadelphia may be aiming to draft a tackle in the first round of the NFL Draft in an attempt to find Johnson’s eventual successor, with Johnson heading into his age-34 season, but the team opted to prioritize defense early and often this weekend, instead.
Becton won’t be asked for much with his new team. Johnson and Mailata are still expected to start, and Becton will likely act as the primary swing tackle coming off the bench. He’ll compete for that role with veterans Le’Raven Clark and Fred Johnson, but both Clark and Johnson have established careers as backups over their years in the league. Becton’s experience as a full-time starter should win out. Perhaps, if Becton shows promise, he will fulfill the team’s need at tackle when Johnson eventually retires.
Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa Participating In Seahawks Rookie Camp
After going undrafted in this weekend’s NFL Draft, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is set to participate in the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp next weekend, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The younger brother of the Dolphins’ starter, Tua, will attempt to make an NFL roster after starting five years for the Terrapins.
Tagovailoa transferred to Maryland after backing up his older brother at Alabama as a true freshman. He only got to start four games of Maryland’s five-game, pandemic-shortened season, but then he went on to start 37 games over his final three seasons with the Terps. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in his final two collegiate seasons.
The Seahawks are currently set to head into the summer with three quarterbacks on the roster. Geno Smith returns as the team’s primary starter following two Pro Bowl seasons. The team also acquired former Commanders starter Sam Howell in a trade that included the exchange of several draft picks, as well. Other than that, the only other passer reported to be on the roster is Chevan Cordeiro, who Garafolo reports has signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State.
Tagovailoa may simply be a camp arm for the Seahawks next weekend, but he will use the opportunity to attempt to show NFL teams that he has what it takes to throw at a professional level. Howell is likely guaranteed into the QB2 role, but there’s always a chance he could beat out Cordeiro for the emergency third quarterback role and earned a contract himself.
Panthers Sign UDFA Missouri K Harrison Mevis
After the draft this weekend, the Panthers made the call to bring in some competition for their specialists group. Specifically, the team made the call to sign undrafted free agent kicker Harrison Mevis or, as he was better known at Missouri, the “Thicker Kicker,” according to Joe Person of The Athletic. 
Mevis, earning his nickname due to his 5-foot-11, 243 pound stature, served as the Tigers’ primary kicker for the last four years. Over his four-year collegiate career, Mevis made 147 of 148 extra point attempts while converting 86 of 103 (83.5%) of his field goals attempts.
He gained popularity after his first two seasons with the team, in which he made all 69 extra points that he attempted and missed only five of 45 field goal attempts. Over his final two years in Columbia, though, Mevis missed six kicks in each season. Some of his recent struggles with accuracy came from the team’s expanded trust in his range. Mevis was known for his big leg, making 12 successful kicks over 50 yards. He even booted a game-winning 61-yarder as time expired to avoid overtime and walk off a ranked Kansas State team in his senior year.
In Carolina, he arrives to provide competition to the Panthers’ kicker of the past two years, Eddy Pineiro. Pineiro is entering the second year of a two-year contract he earned after converting 33 of 35 field goal attempts in his first season with the team in 2022. Pineiro has a conversion percentage of 89 in his career and is known for having a big leg himself, topping out at 56 yards in the NFL. After starting his career a perfect five-for-five from over 50 yards, Carolina tested him this year, and he responded by making five-of-seven from that distance.
Still, after seeing Pineiro miss four field goals last year and five extra points over the last two, it appears they find it useful to bring in a bit of competition. Pineiro reportedly was not in attendance for Carolina’s voluntary minicamp last week, per Person, so bringing in some added competition may be intended to light a fire under Pineiro and get him back and working on his craft.
Not only is Mevis being signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent, though, but he’s also being signed to a multi-year deal. So, it appears that he will get a real chance to earn the kicking job. Regardless, Mevis will come into camp looking to show the NFL that he can kick in the big leagues.
Tulane QB Michael Pratt Goes No. 245 Overall To Packers
The 11th quarterback off the board will be Tulane passer Michael Pratt. After waiting around for six rounds, Pratt gets selected at No. 245 overall in the seventh round by the Packers.
In college, Pratt was a four-year starter for the Green Wave. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2020, starting nine games during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season. His most productive season came two years later when Pratt earned second-team All-AAC honors with 3,010 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and only five interceptions, adding 478 yards and 10 scores on the ground. He followed that up with first-team All-AAC and ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors, despite not matching his prior year numbers.
In Green Bay, Pratt will work to earn a role as a backup behind starter Jordan Love. Pratt’s game matches up decently with Love’s style of play, but he’ll have to compete with fellow seventh-round pick Alex McGough, who came out of Florida International in 2018, and last year’s fifth-round pick Sean Clifford out of Penn State. McGough has yet to make an NFL appearance despite getting drafted six years ago. Clifford took the primary backup position for the Packers in 2023, making two regular season, garbage time appearances as a rookie and doing the same in the team’s win over the Cowboys in the postseason.
Pratt will have an opportunity to push Clifford for the backup role. Despite his late-Day 3 selection, he was projected to go in the third or fourth round, so the talent is clearly there. If he fails to beat out Clifford, Pratt should have a decent chance to beat out McGough for a practice squad spot and a chance to be elevated on gamedays as the Packers’ emergency quarterback.
Ravens Draft Kentucky QB Devin Leary At No. 218
The Ravens are bringing in an extra arm at the back end of the sixth round, drafted Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary, marking the tenth passer taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Leary adds a big arm to a quarterbacks room in Baltimore that contains reigning MVP Lamar Jackson.
Leary spent six years at the collegiate level, playing the first five years at NC State. He took over as the Wolfpack’s starter halfway through his redshirt freshman season in Raleigh and, after missing the final seven games of the next year, finally got his first full season as a redshirt junior in 2021. He threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns with only five interceptions, breaking Philip Rivers‘ school-record for most touchdown passes in a season.
After once again missing over half the season with an injury as a redshirt senior, Leary opted to hit the transfer portal for his final year of college eligibility, making his way to Kentucky. In his lone season with the Wildcats, Leary completed only 56.3 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He can make throws at every level of the field but will need to learn some touch at the NFL level. His strong arm can cost him accuracy and catchable balls at times.
In Baltimore, Leary faces an uphill battle to dress on gamedays. Obviously, he stands no chance at unseating Jackson as the starter, but even current backup quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham sit pretty comfortably at their spots on the depth chart. At 38 years old, Johnson is one of the league’s most experienced backup passers and already has experience starting a game for the Ravens in place of Jackson.
Cunningham, on the other hand, only has a one-year head start on Leary, but benefits from the fact that his style of play matches Jackson’s much better. Cunningham came to Louisville in Jackson’s last collegiate season, taking over as the starter two years later. His nearly 10,000 passing yards and over 3,000 rushing yards at the collegiate level show just how similar his game is to Jackson’s.
Entering his rookie year at 25 years old, though, Leary will want to try an unseat Cunningham as QB3 for the Ravens. If he can secure that role, Leary will likely end up as a practice squad passer who will often get called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation.
Lions Trade Up, Move To No. 189
The Lions have moved up in the 2024 NFL Draft, trading up to No. 189 overall. With their new sixth-round pick, Detroit is adding LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo. In return for the move, the Texans will be receiving the Lions’ No. 205 pick in the sixth round and No. 249 pick in the seventh round.
Wingo marks the third defensive tackle to come out of Baton Rouge in this draft alone, following college teammates Maason Smith (2nd round, 48th overall) and Jordan Jefferson (4th round, 116th overall) who were both selected by the Jaguars. Wingo wasn’t always Smith and Jefferson’s teammate, transferring to LSU after a freshman season at Missouri that saw him earn SEC All-Freshman team honors.
Wingo became an immediate factor once he got to Baton Rouge. Starting 13 games as a sophomore, Wingo earned second-team All-SEC and third-team All-American honors. As team captain last year, Wingo missed the last five games of the season after groin injuries. He is incredibly disruptive but doesn’t always convert that to production in the backfield.
The Lions added some starting power to the lineup in D.J. Reader, who will set up on the inside next to Alim McNeill. In 2023, Pro Football Focus ranked McNeill and Reader as the seventh and 11th best interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
Wingo arrives in Detroit coming off the season-ending injuries from 2023. The talented 21-year-old could work his way into a rotation on the line, but 2024 may just be a season for Wingo to get healthy and get used to the speed of the NFL game. With McNeill in a contract year and set to earn a decent sum, though, Wingo come represent the future for the Lions at defensive tackle.
Packers Trade Up To No. 163, Draft Duke C Jacob Monk
The Packers saw the need to move up five spots in the 2024 NFL Draft today, sending the Bills pick Nos. 168 and 219 in the fifth and sixth round, respectively. The move up resulted in Green Bay adding Duke center Jacob Monk to the roster.
Monk was a five-year starter for the Blue Devils, utilizing his extra year of eligibility thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season. He started 58 of 59 game appearances during his time at Duke. Not only does he bring extensive starting experience, but he also brings experience all along the right side of the offensive line. After starting all 12 of his freshman year games at right tackle, he spent the next two years starting at right guard before splitting his time over his last two seasons between right guard and center.
The Packers have Josh Myers as their starting center as the last three years. He’s never graded out phenomenally, according to Pro Football Focus, but he’s not bad enough that Monk should be expected to start in 2024. Monk likely comes in as a backup center and a sixth-man on the offensive line.
Due to his versatility at Duke, Monk has the ability to fill in in a pinch at any position on the line as a backup. If he develops strongly over the next year, there’s a chance that he can take over for Myers, who is playing in a contract year. This gives Green Bay a year to determine its plan at center moving past the 2024 season.
Bears Trade Back Into Draft At 144, Draft Edge Austin Booker
The Bears were seemingly done with the 2024 NFL Draft today, but the team brass decided to trade back in to draft Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker. For moving out of the 144th overall pick in the fifth round, the Bills will receive a 2025 fourth-round pick from Chicago. This pick was the fifth-rounder that Buffalo originally acquired from the Bears when they traded center Ryan Bates to Chicago. The Bears got their pick back.
Booker started his career at Minnesota, redshirting in 2021 and playing sparingly in his second year with the Golden Gophers. As a result, he entered the transfer portal and found his way to Kansas. Booker exploded onto the scene in his lone year with the Jayhawks. Winning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earning first-team All-Big 12 honors, Booker led the team in sacks (8.0), tackles for loss (12.0), and forced fumbles (2) despite only making one start in 12 game appearances.
The Bears are getting a project here in the fifth round. They’re well set up to do so with Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker returning at defensive end. They add a little bit of depth with third-year end Dominique Robinson, but the cabinet is a bit bare after that with Khalid Kareem and Jacob Martin failing to make much of an impact in the NFL thus far.
Booker figures to work into the rotation, nonetheless. His impressive single-season production in Lawrence shows that, while he’s still developing, he can absolutely be effective. The Bears will fill out his frame the right way and will attempt to help coach him into a starting pass rusher with a new bag of tricks that Booker has yet to access. Despite his raw makeup, the Bears saw fit to trade back into the draft to acquire him.