Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Texans, Cowboys
We’ve already rounded up several draft pick signings a couple times today, but with teams and players motivated to hammer out deals, there are another handful of updates to pass along this afternoon. Let’s dive right in….
- The Chiefs have locked up third-round cornerback Phillip Gaines, his reps tell ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s James Walker reports (via Twitter) that fourth-rounder De’Anthony Thomas has also signed with Kansas City. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Gaines should receive a signing bonus worth about $549K, while Thomas’ will be worth around $420K.
- The Cardinals have agreed to terms with third-round pick Kareem Martin, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link). That would make Martin the first Arizona draftee to sign so far.
- After signing Ben Gardner earlier today, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with two more draftees, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who writes that seventh-round linebacker Will Smith has agreed to his deal, and tweets that seventh-round cornerback Terrance Mitchell has done the same.
- The Texans have agreed to terms with quarterback Tom Savage, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston’s fourth-round pick will be in line for a bonus of just over $300K, according to Fitzgerald.
- A couple agents broke their clients’ own news this afternoon, with Mike McCartney tweeting that Princeton DT Caraun Reid has signed his contract with the Lions, while Blake Baratz announced (via Twitter) that sixth-rounder Zach Moore is the first draftee to sign with the Patriots.
- The Colts have signed sixth-round linebacker Andrew Jackson, the team announced today in a press release.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Packers have signed fifth-round pick Corey Linsley. Linsley’s signing bonus should be worth $185K, based on Fitzgerald’s figures at OTC.
- The Seahawks have signed Kiero Small to his rookie contract, a source tells Curtis Crabtree of KJR in Seattle. The seventh-round fullback is the second of nine Seahawks draft picks to sign.
- The Texans and Eagles have signed seventh-rounders, according to various reports. Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston has the details on Texans cornerback Andre Hal, while Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets the new on Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen.
Giants Sign 10 UDFAs, Cut Five Players
THURSDAY, 4:26pm: USC tight end Xavier Grimble has also joined the Giants’ rookie free agent class, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
TUESDAY, 1:54pm: The Giants have cut defensive back Chaz Powell and announced another four UDFA additions, according to a team release. Here are the newest Giants’ signings:
- Charles Barnett, S, Ohio State
- Emmanuel Dieke, DE, Georgia Tech ($7.5K bonus and $7.5K in other guarantees, per Aaron Wilson)
- Dan Fox, LB, Notre Dame
- Jordan Stanton, DE, James Madison
MONDAY, 4:47pm: The Giants have announced a series of roster moves, including a first step toward paring down the excess of quarterbacks on the depth chart. According to a press release, the team has released QB Rusty Smith and waived linebacker Allen Bradford, cornerback Junior Mertile and punter Jordan Gay. New York also signed five undrafted free agents.
Smith, a former Titan, inked a deal with the Giants last month shortly after the team added Josh Freeman to the roster to complement Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, and Curtis Painter. He’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, while the other players will have to pass through waivers.
Here are the Giants’ five UDFA signings:
- Justin Anderson, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette
- Thomas Gordon, S, Michigan
- Eathyn Manumaleuna, DT BYU
- Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
- Kerry Wynn, DE, Richmond
Rams Cut Daryl Richardson, Jermelle Cudjo
The Rams have waived running back Daryl Richardson, according to the NFL’s transaction wire (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan). It was one of a handful of cuts made official by the Rams, who also parted ways with defensive lineman Jermelle Cudjo and offensive tackle Emmanuel McCray (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Richardson, 24, started the 2013 season as the Rams’ primary running back, but saw most of his carries usurped by Zac Stacy over the course of the year. There was some speculation that Isaiah Pead‘s time in St. Louis could be over after the Rams drafted another running back (Tre Mason) last weekend, but it seems that Richardson is the odd man out instead. The former seventh-round pick accumulated 690 rushing yards on 167 carries and also added 38 receptions over the course of his two seasons with the Rams.
As for the Rams’ other two cuts, Cudjo saw part-time action over the last four years as a reserve on the defensive line, while McCray was just signed earlier this week as part of the club’s undrafted free agent class. Cudjo became expendable after the Rams added Alex Carrington in free agency and drafted Aaron Donald.
Minor Moves: Pats, Jaguars, Colts, Rams
It’s been a busy week for NFL transactions, with teams looking to get their rosters in order for upcoming rookie minicamps. Here are a few of today’s minor moves, including multiple cuts of players who were signed just days ago:
- The Patriots have cut tight end Tyler Beck and long snapper Charley Hughlett, the team announced today in a press release. Neither player had a very long stint on New England’s roster — Hughlett signed less than two months ago, while Beck, who received a $1.5K signing bonus, just inked his deal on Monday.
- Quarterback Matt Scott has been waived by the Jaguars, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter). Scott spent training camp with Jacksonville last season, and was on the club’s practice squad during the season.
- The Colts have parted ways with a pair of players, cutting tackle Erik Pike and cornerback Darius Polk, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). Both rookies were part of the club’s undrafted free agent class.
- The Rams cleared a roster spot by waiving offensive lineman Graham Pocic today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Bills Sign 10 Undrafted Free Agents
THURSDAY, 3:30pm: The Bills have added Minnesota defensive back Michael Carter to their undrafted free agent class, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550AM.
TUESDAY, 12:23pm: The Bills have signed nine undrafted free agents, the team announced today on its website. All nine of the newest Bills are defensive players. Here’s the full list:
- Derek Brim, S, Buffalo
- Deon Broomfield, S, Iowa State
- James Gaines, LB, Miami (FL)
- Damien Jacobs, DT, Florida
- Bryan Johnson, LB, West Texas A&M
- Darrin Kitchens, LB, Florida
- Kenny Ladler, S, Vanderbilt
- Darius Robinson, CB, Clemson
- Colby Way, DL, Buffalo
Minicamp Invites: Vikings, Cowboys, Jaguars
We’ve been diligently documenting all the undrafted free agents signed by NFL teams in the wake of the draft, but those players – and this year’s draftees – won’t be the only participants in upcoming rookie minicamps. Other undrafted rookies and veteran free agents will get a chance to audition for roster spots on teams around the league. Here are a few updates on those players participating in minicamps on a tryout basis:
- Several local players, including former Minnesota tackle Roland Johnson, are participating in the Vikings‘ minicamp this week, writes Mark Craig of the Star-Tribune.
- The Cowboys signed 24 rookie free agents to deals earlier this week, and the team will also have another 15 invitees in camp auditioning for roster spots, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, who provides the full list of players.
- 27 minicamp invitees will be working out for the Jaguars, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that veterans Brian Price, Antoine Caldwell, and Greg Childs will be among the players in attendance.
- While he doesn’t yet have a full list of participants in the Seahawks‘ minicamp, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times adds a few names to Seattle’s group of players trying out.
Browns Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents
THURSDAY, 3:05pm: The Browns have added Nebraska-Kearney defensive end Elhadji Ndiaye to their undrafted free agent class, according to the team (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 3:33pm: After an eventful draft that saw the Browns make multiple trades and land Johnny Manziel, the team has also added 11 undrafted free agents to its roster. Here’s the full list, courtesy of the team (Twitter link):
- Ray Agnew, FB, Southern Illinois
- Calvin Barnett, DL, Oklahoma State
- Darwin Cook, DB, West Virginia
- Isaiah Cromwell, RB, Alabama State ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Anthony Dima, OL, Massachusetts
- Chandler Jones, WR, San Jose State
- Jonathan Krause, WR, Vanderbilt ($10K bonus, per Wilson)
- Michael Philipp, OL, Oregon State
- Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina
- Kenny Shaw, WR, Florida State
- Willie Snead, WR, Ball State
Raiders Sign Khalil Mack
The Raiders have signed outside linebacker Khalil Mack to his rookie contract, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mack, the fifth overall selection last Thursday, becomes the highest draft pick to ink his deal so far.
As a first-round pick, Mack will receive a four-year contract and the Raiders will hold a fifth-year option on the deal. According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, slot money for the fifth overall pick should ensure that Mack receives a signing bonus of more than $11MM, and that the base value of his four-year pact works out to about $18.677MM.
In addition to being the highest-picked player to sign his deal to date, Mack is also the first of eight Oakland draftees to be locked up. You can follow the progress of this year’s draft pick signings right here.
Draft Signings: Bills, Colts, Jets, Seahawks
After a handful of draft picks agreed to terms with their respective teams this morning, several more have done so this afternoon. You can check out our tracker to keep tabs on which players have signed. Here’s the latest:
- Fourth-round Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell was one of three Bills to sign his contract with the club today, according to the team. Seventh-round picks Randell Johnson and Seantrel Henderson have also inked their deals.
- The last of five Colts picks, seventh-round offensive tackle Ulrick John, has signed with Indianapolis, per Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). John should receive a signing bonus of about $58K on a four-year contract worth $2.278MM, as Jason Fitzgerald’s numbers at OverTheCap.com show.
- The Jets continue to put a dent into their draft class of 12 players, signing sixth-rounders Quincy Enunwa and IK Enemkpali today, according to a pair of press releases. Having been chosen back to back at Nos. 209 and 210, Enunwa and Enemkpali should be on identical four-year contracts, which include signing bonuses of about $79K (link via Fitzgerald).
- 7 Sports Group, the agency for former San Diego State safety Eric Pinkins announced today (via Twitter) that their client has agreed to terms with the Seahawks on his rookie deal. The sixth-rounder will be in line for a signing bonus of about $88K, according to Fitzgerald.
Extra Points: Finley, Texans, Hurst, Falcons
A Tuesday report on ESPN.com suggested that when the NFL announces its new drug policy, it will include relaxed rules involving the use of marijuana, but a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that’s not necessarily the case. While adjustments to the rules regarding marijuana use were discussed, a change was never formally proposed by other side and isn’t slated to be part of the tentative agreement that hinges on a solution for HGH testing.
Florio concedes that the current proposal could be modified to include an increase in the threshold required for a positive marijuana test or a decrease to the penalties for a violation, but for now, such an adjustment isn’t part of the deal.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Following the draft, Packers GM Ted Thompson suggested the team hadn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back tight end Jermichael Finley, and head coach Mike McCarthy echoed those comments yesterday in an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, as Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com details. “[Finley] is going through a tough medical situation,” McCarthy said. “I think we all recognize that it was a serious injury. My understanding is he is doing everything and beyond to get himself ready. We’ll continue to watch that.”
- In Mike Florio’s view, the Texans are more likely to trade or release disgruntled receiver Andre Johnson during the 2015 league year than to do anything with him this year. Florio cites an increasing base salary, though I believe by reaching escalators in previous seasons, Johnson’s 2014 salary is now $10MM, up from $6.5MM. In any case, I’m inclined to agree with Florio, since it would be much easier to find a potential trade partner when teams haven’t already addressed the receiver position, and Houston would be on the hook for less dead money in 2015.
- North Carolina offensive tackle James Hurst went undrafted, but he certainly had no shortage of teams interested in him. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that Hurst chose to sign with the Ravens as a rookie free agent over 17 competing offers.
- Catawba quarterback Danny O’Brien is among 24 players being invited to the Falcons‘ rookie minicamp to audition for a roster spot this week, the team announced today in a press release.
- Buffalo receiver Fred Lee will participate in the Bills‘ rookie minicamp this week, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.