Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/23
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: P Daniel Whelan
- Waived: CB Benjie Franklin
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Jordan Murray
- Waived: P Joe Doyle
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Willie Taylor III
- Placed on IR: WR Jaylon Moore
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Tyler Hudson, S Jaiden Woodbey
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Scott Lashley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Hakeem Butler
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Alize Mack
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/17/23
The only NFL rookie to sign his four-year contract today:
Green Bay Packers
- TE Tucker Kraft (third round, South Dakota State)
Kraft helped lead the Jackrabbits to an FCS National Championship last year. The 2022 season was a bit down for him statistically after a breakout junior season, but over his last two years in Brookings, Kraft caught 92 balls for 1,121 yards and nine touchdowns. He figures to work alongside Packers second-round rookie Luke Musgrave out of Oregon State to replace the production of Robert Tonyan, who signed with the division rival Bears this offseason.
Vikings Trade Za’Darius Smith To Browns
MAY 16: Further details on Smith’s re-worked contract are in, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Field Yates. The Vikings will be on the hook for the $1.177MM signing bonus included in his deal. As for the Browns, they will see a cap charge of only $3.032M this season before Smith hits the open market. He will be able to earn a maximum of nearly $13MM in cashflow, however, meaning this swap could still prove to be a rather lucrative one.
With Smith having passed a physical, both teams have announced that the trade is now official.
MAY 12: The Vikings have come to an agreement with the Browns that will send pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to Cleveland, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The deal finally happens for Smith after he requested his release two months ago. The Browns will receive Smith, a 2025 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 seventh-round pick, while the Vikings will receive a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. 
Originally, Smith was under a three-year, $42MM contract through the 2024 season. He had a base salary this year of $9.45MM with only $5MM of it guaranteed. After changing agents and requesting a release, Smith was able to get a reworked deal that would guarantee him $11.75MM in 2023 and allow him to hit free agency a year earlier, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The new deal presumably made Smith a bit easier to trade, negating the cap hits of $15.49MM in 2023 and $21.67MM in 2024. The Browns should inherit this new contract from Minnesota, giving Smith a one-year tryout in Cleveland. The former Ravens and Packers edge defender will turn 31 just before the season begins.
In Smith, the Browns are obtaining a productive pass rusher to pair with Myles Garrett. The Browns tied for 27th in the league in sacks last year after failing to find any pressure outside of what Garrett provided. Garrett had his usual strong outing, matching his career-high of 16 sacks in 2022. The team’s second-leading pass rusher was defensive tackle Taven Bryan, who tallied only three.
Smith provides that missing fire support. Since leaving Baltimore as a prime free agent in 2019, Smith has had double-digit sack seasons in any year in which he started multiple games (he only made one appearance in 2021 due to a back injury), making the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons. In those four years (essentially three seasons), Smith has 36 sacks, 44 tackles for loss, and 84 quarterback hits, forcing six forced fumbles and deflecting seven passes for good measure.
Smith immediately stands to slot in as a starter opposite Garrett, though the Browns also signed free agent edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo from the Texans. He, Garrett and Smith will present an interesting trio. The Browns used Jadeveon Clowney as Garrett’s top sidekick for the past two years, but clashes with the coaching staff will almost definitely nix a third Garrett-Browns contract agreement. As for the Vikings, they signed one of this year’s top defensive free agents — Marcus Davenport — and the former Cameron Jordan Saints wingman now has a clear path to start opposite Danielle Hunter.
The Browns have all they can handle facing Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson twice a year. With Smith meeting Garrett at the quarterback, Cleveland has retooled itself, setting it up well for the challenges ahead while not needing to give up too much draft capital to do so.
Cowboys Sign 13 UDFAs
The Cowboys didn’t release a statement on their undrafted free agent signings like most teams, but they did release a list of 29 rookie minicamp participants and their statuses with the organization. Removing their eight draft picks, two UDFA tryouts, and previously acquired youngsters, we were able to determine this list of undrafted signees:
- WR Jose Barbon (Temple)
- T T.J. Bass (Oregon)
- T Earl Bostick (Kansas)
- CB Myles Brooks (Louisiana Tech)
- WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper (Fresno State)
- WR David Durden (West Florida)
- TE Princeton Fant (Tennessee)
- DE Durrell Johnson (Liberty)
- LB Isaiah Land (Florida A&M)
- FB Hunter Luepke (North Dakota State)
- CB D’Angelo Mandell (BYU)
- TE John Stephens (Louisiana)
- DE Tyrus Wheat (Mississippi State)
Dallas addressed the tight end position in the second round this year with a bit of project in Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker. They decided to bring in a couple more options in Fant and Stephens. Fant provides a unique versatility as a potential H-back. In addition to his career 579 receiving yards and five touchdowns, Fant rushed for five more scores and threw one as a sixth-year senior. Stephens was rostered as a receiver for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but his 6-foot-6, 232-pound frame should assist him in converting to tight end at the next level.
The Cowboys barely addressed wide receiver in the draft, so they’ve nabbed a few here, as well. Durden was a monster during his time with the Argonauts. A former draft pick for the Boston Red Sox, Durden left baseball for West Florida and dominated, catching 88 passes for 1,915 yards and 23 touchdowns with only three drops in his final two years of school. Over his entire college career, he averaged nearly 20 yards per catch. He’ll need to adjust to the NFL-caliber of opponents, but his raw athleticism and special teams ability could help cement him a spot on the roster.
Moreno-Cropper had a strong final two season with the Bulldogs, as well, with 1,985 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s had a bit of trouble with surehandedness and he’s a bit undersized, but the Cowboys haven’t minded smaller receivers like Brandin Cooks and KaVontae Turpin in recent history.
The team also added two strong depth pieces at defensive end. Johnson had a down 2021 but combined for 17.5 sacks and 38.0 tackles for loss in his 2020 and 2022 seasons. Wheat finished his three-year career with the Bulldogs with 17.0 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. They have some strong competition for potential snaps, but they provide solid depth at the position regardless.
Buccaneers Announce 19-Man UDFA Class
After selecting eight rookies in the 2023 draft, the Buccaneers added 19 undrafted rookie free agents. Here is the list:
- LB Jeremy Banks (Tennessee)
- WR Taye Barber (TCU)
- OLB Brandon Bouyer-Randle (Connecticut)
- RB Ronnie Brown (Shepherd)
- LS Evan Deckers (Duke)
- T Silas Dzansi (Virginia Tech)
- T Luke Haggard (Indiana)
- CB Keenan Isaac (Alabama State)
- S Christian Izien (Rutgers)
- WR Rakim Jarrett (Maryland)
- OLB Nelson Mbanasor (Texas State)
- S Kaevon Merriweather (Iowa)
- WR Ryan Miller (Furman)
- C Chris Murray (Oklahoma)
- T Raiqwon O’Neal (UCLA)
- CB Derrek Pitts (NC State)
- TE Tanner Taula (Illinois State)
- RB Sean Tucker (Syracuse)
- WR Kade Warner (Kansas State)
Brown was an absolute animal for the Division-II Rams this season, piling up 1,864 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns as well as 589 receiving yards for five touchdowns on 56 receptions. He and Tucker, who scored 23 rushing touchdowns in the last two years for the Orange, are the only rookie additions to a Tampa Bay running backs room that’s looking for someone to take over.
With only six receivers on the roster following the draft, the Buccaneers added several here. Miller caught 12 touchdowns last year for the Paladins as an FCS All-American. Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
On the offensive line, Haggard and O’Neal join as true left tackles with each starting over 20 games at their respective institutions. Dzansi provides some unique versatility having played all the guard and tackle spots on both the left and right sides of the ball for the Hokies. Murray provides some versatility, as well, having experience at both guard and center.
Banks provides some young depth at inside linebacker after having led the Volunteer defense in tackles last season. Bouyer-Randle and Mbanasor, both former Texas Tech transfers, provide some well-rounded depth at the outside linebacker spots. At safety, Merriweather was a second-team All-American after a stellar senior year with the Hawkeyes.
The Buccaneers also added some potential competition for long snapper Zach Triner, the team’s starter at the position for the past four years. Deckers served as the Blue Devils long snapper as a grad transfer after four years at UMass. He’ll battle with Triner for a starting job this summer.
Jaguars Sign T Anton Harrison, DE Tyler Lacy To Wrap Up Draft Class
The Jaguars became the latest NFL squad to wrap up the signing of their entire rookie class today after the reported signings of first-round Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison and fourth-round Oklahoma State defensive end Tyler Lacy. 
Harrison was a two-year starter for the Sooners, spending all but one game at left tackle. He was coddled a bit by Oklahoma’s up-tempo, RPO scheme, but was able to show quite a bit of talent at such a young age. He has some inexperienced habits to shake and will face a bit of a learning curve in an NFL-scheme, but the upside to Harrison’s game made him an easy decision in the first round. With the departure of Jawaan Taylor and Cam Robinson‘s upcoming suspension, Harrison will probably be asked to step up right away and play a crucial role in the Jacksonville’s offense as a rookie.
Lacy is a versatile defensive lineman who faced off against Harrison in the Bedlam Series twice. The four-year starter for the Cowboys saw snaps all over the defensive line, from edge to 3-tech. Mainly a stout run defender during his time in Stillwater, Lacy plugs into gaps and can become a nuisance in the pass rush if the quarterback holds on for too long. He should be able to find some work in the rotation at end behind Roy Robertson-Harris and Folorunso Fatukasi.
With the signing of Harrison and Lacy, Jacksonville becomes the fifth team to wrap up their draft class signings. Here is the Jaguars’ 2023 draft class:
Round 1, No. 27 (from Bills): Anton Harrison, OT (Oklahoma) (signed)
Round 2, No. 61 (from Panthers through 49ers and Bears): Brenton Strange, TE (Penn State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 88: Tank Bigsby, RB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 4, No. 121 (from Buccaneers): Ventrell Miller, LB (Florida) (signed)
Round 4, No. 130 (from Bills): Tyler Lacy, DE (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 136 (from Bears): Yasir Abdullah, LB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 5, No. 160 (from Giants): Antonio Johnson, S (Texas A&M) (signed)
Round 6, No. 185 (from Jets): Parker Washington, WR (Penn State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 202: Christian Braswell, CB (Rutgers) (signed)
Round 6, No. 208 (from Eagles): Erick Hallett, DB (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 7, No. 226 (from Panthers): Cooper Hodges, OT (Appalachian State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 227 (from Saints): Raymond Vohasek, DT (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 7, No. 240 (from Giants through Ravens): Derek Parish, FB (Houston) (signed)
Patriots Sign Three Undrafted Free Agents
After selecting 12 rookies in the 2023 draft, the Patriots didn’t have much roster room to spare, leading them to signing a meager three undrafted free agent rookies. Here are the three who will attempt to defy odds for a roster spot:
- QB Malik Cunningham (Louisville) (story)
- LB Jourdan Heilig (Appalachian State)
- TE Johnny Lumpkin (Louisiana)
Cunningham was a four-year starter for the Cardinals, helping Louisville to find its identity following the Lamar Jackson-era. After Jawon Pass failed to inspire much optimism in Cunningham’s freshman season, Cunningham took the reins and never looked back. Over five years, Cunningham threw for 9,664 yards and 70 touchdowns, adding 3,184 yards and 50 touchdowns on the ground. He can compete with Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley for backup duties behind Mac Jones and potentially provide as a scout team quarterback, especially for games against quarterbacks like Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Kyler Murray.
Lumpkin will be entering the NFL at 25 years old after spending two years at Hutchinson Community College and five years at Louisiana. He has ideal size at the tight end position and utilized it well for the Ragin’ Cajuns. While he didn’t light up the stat sheet, four of his 16 catches last year were for touchdowns.
Heilig is a surprising signing, even for New England. Drafted mostly off of potential, Heilig only had 34 total tackles in four seasons with the Mountaineers. He had actually entered his name in the transfer portal and was, reportedly, willing to move down to the FCS level, if necessary, to find more playing time. After not receiving any scholarship interest, Heilig took a job at Zaxby’s to make ends meet. Then, the Patriots called.
The presumption is that the Patriots intend to utilize Heilig as a dedicated special teams player. Yes, the Patriots do have plenty of those in players like Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, Cody Davis, and perhaps Chris Board, but after one of their worst special teams seasons in recent memory, New England was willing to take a flyer on Heilig. It’s really the perfect landing place for him as the Patriots lend more opportunities to specialists than any other NFL franchise.
Broncos Sign XFL QB Ben DiNucci
After hosting the Seattle Sea Dragons quarterback for rookie minicamp, the Broncos have officially signed Ben DiNucci to their offseason roster, according to JL Sports agency. The XFL’s passing yards leader returns to the NFL after a year in the alternative league. 
DiNucci was a seventh-round pick for the Cowboys in 2020 out of James Madison, after transferring over from Pitt. He played and started in relief of Andy Dalton that year to discouraging results, completing only 53.3 percent of his passes for 219 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in three game appearances.
Garrett Gilbert, a more experienced backup passer, overcame him on the depth chart, leading to DiNucci’s release in the final roster cuts leading into the 2021 season. He remained on the team’s practice squad for that year and was finally released for good in final roster cuts leading into the 2022 season.
Being drafted by the Sea Dragons in the XFL’s draft, DiNucci joined former Bengals, Raiders, and Texans quarterback A.J. McCarron as the only XFL quarterbacks with NFL experience. He would go on to lead the fledgling league in passing yards in 2023 with 2,671 while throwing 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 10 starts.
It’s unclear where DiNucci will fit into the pecking order at quarterback after nailing his audition in Denver. Behind starter Russell Wilson, the Broncos have two relievers in Jarrett Stidham and Jarrett Guarantano. Stidham started the final two games of the season for the Raiders last year against two teams that would make conference championship games, including a three-point loss to the 49ers. In those two starts, he completed 64.29 percent of his passes for 584 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also added 84 yards on the ground on 14 rush attempts. Guarantano doesn’t have any NFL time after a disappointing end to his college career.
Likely, DiNucci will battle with Guarantano for the QB3 role, but DiNucci’s recent experience as a starter may give him a chance to push Stidham for QB2. We’ll be able to glean more once all the quarterbacks are in town for OTAs, but DiNucci should have a strong opportunity at winning a roster spot in Denver.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/23
Today’s minor moves to wrap up the weekend:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Slade Bolden, S Clifford Chattman, LB Andre Smith
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Isaiah Bowser, LB Travin Howard, DE Shane Ray
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR David Moore, OLB Markees Watts
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB LJ Davis
Ray is making a long-awaited return to the NFL. When he finished out his rookie contract with the Broncos after the 2018 season and failed to make the Ravens roster for the next year, Ray was away from professional football for about a year and a half. After a long hiatus, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The Bills will give Ray a chance to return to the NFL, reuniting him with Von Miller from their days in Denver.
Ray saw early success in Denver, racking up 12.0 sacks in his first two years. But after earning a starting job in 2017, Ray suffered a season-ending wrist injury after only eight games. In 2018, another wrist surgery would force him to miss five more games. His injury problems did not leave him in Canada, as a torn bicep would force him to miss the Argonauts’ Grey Cup victory. He’ll hope to stay healthy in his NFL return.
Texans To Sign CB Shaquill Griffin
After getting an early release from his three-year, $40MM deal in Jacksonville, veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin will reportedly be signing a one-year deal with the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal has a reported maximum value of $4.5MM and includes $3MM of guarantees, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. After the Jaguars failed to find a trade partner for Griffin, they’ll face him twice this season as a division opponent. 
Griffin signed with Jacksonville after finishing out his rookie contract in Seattle. He produced at a high level from the jump but really gained recognition in 2019 when he was voted to the Pro Bowl and ranked as the 10th best cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
He initially rewarded the Jaguars with another strong season, ranking as the 19th best cornerback in the NFL, according to PFF. In 2022, though, injuries tanked his season. Already underperforming a bit through six weeks, Griffin’s season ended when he suffered a season-ending back injury. The Texans are hoping he will bounce back for a strong performance in 2023.
Griffin could slot in as another new starter for a new-look defense that is expected to field rookie defensive end Will Anderson, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, rookie linebacker Christian Harris, linebacker Denzel Perryman, and safety Jimmie Ward as starting newcomers. He’ll compete with Desmond King and Steven Nelson for starting snaps opposite Derek Stingley.