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Author: Ely Allen

Bills Wrap Up Draft Class Signings, Ink TE Dalton Kincaid

By | at May 13, 2023 3:20 pm

The Bills today became the fourth team to wrap up their draft pick signings. The first tight end taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid has officially signed his four-year rookie contract, with a fifth-year option, becoming the last of the Bills’ rookies to sign. He also becomes the latest in the recent run of first-rounders to ink their deals.

Many had pegged the Bills as candidates to vie for a first-round receiver, but they opted for the draft’s best receiving tight end instead. Some posited that Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer was the position’s best prospect due to some injury history with Kincaid, but Kincaid may have jumped back up draft boards after being medically cleared in the days leading up to the draft.

Buffalo clearly had their eye on Kincaid as the draft progressed. General manager Brandon Beane and company got a little antsy as their time drew near and feared that the Cowboys might have their eyes on the Utah tight end. They resolved to ensure they got their guy by trading up in the first round for Kincaid.

Kincaid’s skillset should mashup well with returning Bills tight end Dawson Knox. Knox doesn’t blow away with his receiving ability but is a strong asset in the redzone and a good blocker, as well. Kincaid should be able to add a bit more receiving yards across the middle and has the ability to stretch the field on linebackers and safeties. Here is the entire 2023 draft class for Buffalo:

Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)

2 comments 2023 NFL Draft Buffalo Bills Transactions

Dolphins Sign 21 UDFAs

By | at May 13, 2023 12:44 pm

The Dolphins had to add a large number of undrafted free agents after finishing the 2023 draft with only four selections. Here are the rookies that will join the four-man draft class:

The Dolphins added a number of prospects who played in the South Florida area, either in college or high school. Scaife did both, starting 52 games for the Hurricanes at guard and tackle after a high school career at Miami Southridge. His teammate, Agude, only spent one season as a Hurricane after transferring over from UCLA. Charlton was a high school teammate of Scaife’s and spent time at UCF before transferring to Mississippi State.

Additionally, Blackman went to high school just south of Lake Okeechobee in South Bay before making starts at Florida State and Arkansas State. The lanky quarterback comes in as QB4 behind Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, and Skylar Thompson. Davis went to Deerfield Beach in South Florida before transferring from Oregon to Western Kentucky. Davis brings some interesting versatility, playing cornerback for the Ducks before catching 15 touchdowns over two years as a Hilltopper receiver. Finally, Smith grew up in West Palm Beach before transferring from Ole Miss to Kentucky.

After Thomas Morstead‘s short stint as the team’s punter, Miami signed former Patriot Jake Bailey. Bailey missed some time in New England with both injury and suspension, so perhaps Turk’s signing here is a backup plan to stash on the practice squad in case Bailey misses more time next season.

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Titans Sign 14 Undrafted Free Agents

By | at May 13, 2023 12:44 pm

The Titans have added to their six-man draft class to bring in 20 total rookies. Here are the 14 undrafted free agents vying for a roster spot this summer:

Murphy is an intriguing addition to a Titans defense that had some good pass rush performances in 2023 but nothing elite with the absence of Harold Landry. Murphy was virtually unblockable while leading Ferris State to two consecutive Division-II national titles. He put up two monster performances for the Bulldogs in those seasons, combining for 40.0 sacks and 60.5 tackles for loss over the last two years. He has the potential to provide to the rotation and compete for snaps behind Landry and Denico Autry with Arden Key and Rashad Weaver.

McClendon will compete as well after tallying six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss for the Colonels last year. Reese could surprise as a contributor at inside linebacker. He was a tackling machine for the Rebels, finishing second on the team last year with 84.

Copeland and McClelland will be joining their respective drafted teammates, sixth-round tackle Jaelyn Duncan and fifth-round tight end Josh Whyle, at minicamp. Jackson will join McClendon as a Mountaineer addition after leading the defense with 87 total tackles last year. He’s also a Nashville native, having attended high school at Hillsboro.

Tennessee inked another pair of teammates in Jones and Ojukwu. Ojukwu brings a strong resume after earning All-Mountain West first-team honors in each of the past two seasons as the Broncos starting left tackle. Jones has experience throughout college at both safety and nickelback.

Wolff comes in with the intention of battling Caleb Shudak for the responsibility of replacing Randy Bullock. Shudak only appeared in one game of his rookie year out of Iowa last season. He made three of four kicks, missing a 35-yard attempt. Wolff converted 42 of 52 field goal attempts and 107 of 110 of his PATs as a Red Raider. They’ll likely face off for kicking duties this summer.

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Seahawks Add 25 UDFAs

By | at May 13, 2023 12:44 pm

Much like their division rivals in LA, the Seahawks signed a gigantic undrafted free agent class about two weeks after drafting 10 rookies in Kansas City. Here is the group of rookies looking to earn a roster spot this summer:

Adding Ahlers gives Seattle three quarterbacks on the roster. He started five games for the Pirates as a true freshman before starting every game for his hometown school for the next four years. The lefty left an indelible mark on Greenville, setting 10 school records and six conference records. He gives the Seahawks a strong third-string option behind Geno Smith and Drew Lock.

First-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is likely to start alongside D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but behind them, the Seahawks felt the need to bolster the receiving corps with some undrafted talent. Bobo had a standout year for the Bruins as a grad transfer from Duke. Landers also had a breakout year as a transfer after bouncing from Georgia to Toledo to Arkansas. He brings elite size at six-foot-5, 200 pounds. Johnson was one of Ahlers favorite targets at ECU, especially in the redzone, as evidenced by the 10 touchdowns between them last year.

The Seahawks have three strong contributors at safety after seeing Julian Love deliver a strong performance in relief of Jamal Adams last year. Still, Seattle felt the need to draft New Mexico safety Jerrick Reed II in the sixth round and sign four more safeties after the draft. All four bring some sort of versatility. Osling III covered a variety of roles over his six years in Los Angeles. Young and Sutherland can both shadow Adams as players who can split the difference in the hybrid role between safety and linebacker. Okada on the other hand can double in a nickel role, if needed.

With Carson Tinker and Tyler Ott‘s contracts expiring, the Seahawks didn’t have a long snapper on the roster. Stoll comes in as the de facto starter with about four months to show he can handle the job. He’s one of 35 rookies on the Seahawk’s 90-man roster (which currently holds 89 players). They should all have strong opportunities to find a roster spot with the chance they’ve been given this summer.

4 comments Seattle Seahawks Transactions

Bills Sign 7-Man UDFA Class

By | at May 12, 2023 10:00 pm

With rookie minicamps underway, the remainder of the undrafted free agent classes are finding their way to the surface. Here is Buffalo’s seven-man class:

After drafting Florida’s Justin Shorter in the fifth round, the Bills stacked the wide receiver room with undrafted talent. All four bring an interesting element to a receiving corps led by Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis. Johnson is a smaller deep ball threat with return abilities. Shavers not only has elite size at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, he also can contribute on special teams, as evidenced by the three blocked punt returns for touchdowns in his college career. Wayne was super productive in Mobile catching 111 passes for 1,446 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two seasons at South Alabama.

Mims was also ultra productive in college. As a first-team All-Mountain West running back for Fresno State, the stout back had 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground as a fifth-year senior. Mims joins a crowded room that has some young talent and some veteran leadership but no bell-cow.

Dale didn’t light up the stat sheet as a defensive tackle, but he started 12 games as a senior for the Crimson Tide and had 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss over his career in Tuscaloosa. He’ll have to shine in order to break through a rotation that could include Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Jordan Phillips, Tim Settle, Poona Ford, and Eli Ankou.

Gouraige joins his line-mate, Bills second-round guard O’Cyrus Torrence, and Shorter as the third rookie Gator at mini-camp. Gouraige started his last two seasons as Florida’s blindside tackle. He brings an impressive athleticism having played both offensive and defensive line, as well as basketball, in high school.

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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/23

By | at May 12, 2023 9:09 pm

Rookie minicamps started today and more rookies put the names on the dotted line of their four-year contracts. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who signed today:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

2 comments 2023 NFL Draft Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Houston Texans Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints Pittsburgh Steelers Transactions Washington Commanders

Bengals Finish Draft Class With Wave Of Signings

By | at May 12, 2023 7:49 pm

Trailing only the 49ers and Cowboys (who didn’t have a pick in the first two rounds to sign), the Bengals were the third team this year to announce the signing of their entire rookie class. All this despite only having signed one pick coming into today, announcing the second before noon earlier in the day. Having already agreed to rookie deals with first-round defensive end Myles Murphy and fifth-round running back Chase Brown, the team’s announcement today reveals the signing of six other draft picks.

Cincinnati double-dipped on outside playmakers on both sides of the ball in this year’s draft. They used their second-round pick to select Michigan cornerback DJ Turner and their seventh-round pick on Miami cornerback DJ Ivey. Turner provides some immediate starting ability on both the perimeter and at nickel. Ivey may not project as an immediate starter, but he has an ideal frame and can contribute if given enough opportunity. Also in the secondary, third-round safety Jordan Battle should be able to compete with Daxton Hill for a starting spot alongside Nick Scott in the defensive backfield.

They doubled-up on wide receivers, as well, selecting Purdue’s Charlie Jones in the fourth round and Princeton’s Andrei Iosivas in the sixth. The Bengals are pretty set in their starting wideouts with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, but Jones and Iosivas provide some strong backup options. Jones, a former walk-on at Iowa who led the country in receptions last year at Purdue, should have a strong path to a roster spot as a backup receiver and returner. He should be able to challenge Trent Taylor and Trayveon Williams for returning duties on both punts and kicks. Iosivas provides the Cincinnati offense with yet another tall, lengthy receiving option on the outside.

In the sixth round, the Bengals also went after Michigan punter Brad Robbins. The team relied on practice squad punter Drue Chrisman last year after moving on from long-time punter Kevin Huber. Robbins should provide some strong competition for Chrisman for the starting punter duties. Here is Cincinnati’s 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)

1 comment 2023 NFL Draft Cincinnati Bengals Transactions

Browns, Ravens, Vikings Interested In OLB Trent Harris; Broncos On Radar

By | at May 10, 2023 9:56 pm

Houston Roughnecks outside linebacker Trent Harris recently received reported interest from the Broncos in the form of a rookie minicamp invitation. The report also indicated that other teams were showing interest, as well, and we now have the names of teams we can tie to Harris, thanks to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

According to Tomasson, some of the other teams that extended an invitation to Harris include the Vikings, Ravens, and Browns. The Browns and the Vikings make sense as both teams finished last season in the bottom half of the NFL in sacks. Cleveland was only able to get consistent pressure out of star defensive end Myles Garrett. Behind Garrett’s 16.0 sacks, the Browns’ next highest sack total came from defensive tackle Taven Bryan, who had three.

Minnesota had a much more balanced attack, getting double-digit sack totals out of Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith. They were even able to get eight more combined sacks out of backups D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones. All are under contract through at least this year, with Hunter and Wonnum entering contract years. Perhaps the Vikings’ interest in Harris is as an eventual replacement for one of the two.

While Baltimore tied with the Saints for fifth in the league in sacks last year, their sack numbers did not consistently come from the outside linebacker position. Aside from Justin Houston, who is no longer with the team, the Ravens’ top sack-getters were defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (5.5), defensive tackle Calais Campbell (5.5) (also no longer with the Ravens), inside linebacker Patrick Queen (5.0), and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (3.0). New defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald seemingly took a page out of former defensive coordinator Don Martindale‘s playbook by manufacturing a pass rush from all over the field.

Landing a strong pass-rushing outside linebacker like Harris could add to the production of a Ravens outside linebacker group that contains Tyus Bowser, Odafe Oweh, and David Ojabo. Harris spent almost two weeks in camp with Baltimore last year, spending all but three days on injured reserve before being released prior to the start of the regular season.

Despite the additional interest, Tomasson reports that the “ball looks as if it will be in (the Broncos’) court.” With XFL players eligible to sign NFL deals this coming Monday, May 15, Harris seemed to say that, if Denver wants him, he’ll be a Bronco. In reference to his Broncos tryout, Harris told the media, “I would assume that if I have a good workout and they want to sign me, I’d stay there.”

1 comment Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Minnesota Vikings XFL

Josh Harris-Commanders Deal Faces Hurdles

By | at May 10, 2023 8:56 pm

The situation surrounding Dan Snyder‘s potential sale of the Commanders seemed nearly over as reports appeared to be pointing towards a sale to the Josh Harris-led group last month. As a result of the NFL finance committee’s review of the potential sale, questions have been raised about the integrity of the deal, according to Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. The main concerns lie on two fronts: 1) the number of limited investors involved in the deal and 2) the amount and source of the debt involved in the deal.

The NFL currently has a set cap for how many limited partners may be involved in an ownership group, currently set at 25. The Harris group contains approximately 17 limited partners. While that group is under the league’s cap, each investor requires extensive vetting and, with some investors located internationally, the vetting process becomes that much more cumbersome.

As for the debt involved, “buyers of teams can borrow up to $1.1 billion secured against the franchise,” something Harris proposes he will do. The problem stems from the fact that he also intends to borrow more with debts secured against the other sports teams in which he holds stake, the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, and Crystal Palace FC of the English Premier League.

Similar deals have been made in the NFL with limited partners. Snyder’s original purchase of the team included this method of sourcing debt. The issue lies in the fact that it is the controlling partner, Harris, who is borrowing against his own businesses. If a limited partner defaults on his loans, it wouldn’t affect the controlling party, but the committee has concerns about the possibility of Harris defaulting on his debts as the controlling partner.

It’s not the opinion of the public that the deal will be rejected over these issues, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, but the additional hurdles may push the timeline of the deal, making it “increasingly unlikely the owners can vote to approve the transaction, even on a conditional basis, during their May 22-23 meeting in Minneapolis.” Some solutions that have been proposed are the result of the deal’s extenuating circumstances. For instance, a suggestion that Snyder himself may extend a loan to the Harris group in hopes of getting the deal over the finish line. The loan would be approximately $200MM.

Another thought was that the league may conditionally approve a rise in the allowance of debt. Due to the recent skyrocket of franchise prices (Panthers for $2.28 billion in 2018, Broncos for $4.65 billion in 2022), the NFL figured that it would become increasingly difficult for buyers to acquire teams under the current debt rules. There are still some potential bidders who may be able to go through with the purchase under the current rules, but with rising prices, that only makes an already extremely selective process that much more difficult.

There’s still optimism the deal with get approval, in due time. A source close to Harris aptly said, “It’s dragging through the NFL because they’ve never had to evaluate this type of bid. The NFL’s choice is getting Dan out (by) working through Josh’s complexity. I think they’ll find a way, but no guarantees.”

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