HEADLINES

Author: Luke Adams

Lions Sign Taylor Decker, Eight Draftees, 12 UDFAs

May 6th, 2016 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have officially locked up nearly all of their draft class, along with a dozen undrafted free agents, the team announced today in a pair of press releases. The most notable name in the group is Ohio State offensive tackle Taylor Decker, who was Detroit’s first-round pick, but the team has also signed eight other draftees to go along with its 12 new UDFAs.

Of Detroit’s 10 draft picks, only second-round defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson remains unsigned for now. Here’s the complete list of draft picks secured by the Lions:

And here are the 12 undrafted free agents who signed contracts with the Lions:

Packers Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents

May 6th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have announced their undrafted rookies, confirming in a press release that they’ve added 19 college free agents to their 90-man roster. The team has added four wideouts to its already-crowded receiving corps, and also signed three cornerbacks. Here’s the full breakdown of the 19-man UDFA class for Green Bay:

Buccaneers Sign Vernon Hargreaves

May 6th, 2016 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Four first-round picks have now formally signed their rookie contracts, with cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, the 11th overall pick last Thursday, joining Laremy Tunsil, Eli Apple, and Keanu Neal. Hargreaves signed his deal with the Buccaneers earlier today, the team announced via its website.Vernon Hargreaves

Hargreaves, who played his college ball at Florida, was the second cornerback to come off the board in the 2016 draft, having been selected one spot behind Apple, after the Buccaneers traded down from No. 9 to No. 11. He’ll compete for a starting job in Tampa Bay’s secondary this summer, joining free agent signee Brent Grimes at or near the top of the club’s new-look cornerback depth chart.

The four-year contract signed by Hargreaves comes with a fifth-year option for 2020, as is the case for all rookie deals for first-round picks. The overall value of Hargreaves’ pact is about $14.178MM, with a signing bonus worth $8.511MM, according to Over the Cap’s data.

In addition to locking up Hargreaves, the Buccaneers also confirmed that they’ve signed linebacker Devante Bond, the first of two players the team selected in the sixth round on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Washington Signs 14 Undrafted Free Agents

May 6th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

As rookie minicamps open around the NFL, more and more teams are officially announcing their undrafted free agent signings. Washington did so this morning, adding 14 new players to the 90-man roster, according to the team’s official website. Here’s the complete list of the UDFAs headed to D.C.:

Giants Sign Eli Apple, Other Draftees, 14 UDFAs

May 6th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy morning for the Giants as their rookie minicamp opens. The team announced today that it has signed four draft picks, including first-round cornerback Eli Apple, along with 14 undrafted free agents.Eli Apple

In addition to locking up Apple, the Giants have signed second-round wide receiver Sterling Shepard, fifth-round running back Paul Perkins, and sixth-round tight end Jerell Adams. Only the team’s third- and fourth-round picks – safety Darian Thompson and linebacker B.J. Goodson – remain unsigned.

Apple’s four-year rookie contract will feature a fifth-year option for 2020, and is worth $15.152MM in total, including a $9.22MM signing bonus. The other rookie deals are far more modest, including Shepard’s, which has a total value of $5.945MM, with a $2.523MM signing bonus.

Here’s the complete list of 14 undrafted free agents that have joined the Giants:

Dolphins Sign Laremy Tunsil, 12 UDFAs

May 6th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have locked up their first-round pick, announcing today (via Twitter) that offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil has signed his rookie contract. The team also confirmed that seventh-round quarterback Brandon Doughty has signed his deal, as reported on Thursday.Laremy Tunsil

Tunsil, the 13th overall pick last Thursday, had been expected to be the No. 1 overall pick before the Titans sent that selection to the Rams in a pre-draft trade. Tunsil continued to slip on draft night when, less than an hour before the event got underway, a video surfaced of the former Ole Miss tackle smoking marijuana out of a gas-mask bong.

While the Dolphins were thrilled to have Tunsil fall to them, there’s still some lingering concern within the organization about how he may have been affected by the pre-draft leak, and whether that leaker may continue to attempt to do damage, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Still, those concerns aren’t significant enough to postpone Miami’s signing of Tunsil, and the rookie lineman’s contract contains no unique clauses to protect the team, says Werder.

In addition to signing Tunsil, the Dolphins also announced that they have added 12 undrafted free agents to their roster. Here’s the full list of Miami’s UDFAs:

Bengals Announce 13 UDFA Signings

May 6th, 2016 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals formally announced their undrafted free agent signings this morning, tweeting out a list of 13 new rookie additions to their roster. After splitting their draft class fairly evenly between offensive and defensive players, the Bengals’ group of UDFAs leans more toward offense, with only four defenders among them. Here’s the full list:

Jets Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents

May 6th, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Jets’ rookie minicamp gets underway today in Florham Park, New Jersey, and there will be several undrafted free agents joining the seven players the team selected in last weekend’s draft. In addition to inviting 22 tryout players to audition for the team over the weekend, Gang Green has also confirmed 13 UDFA additions to the 90-man roster.

The Jets’ 13-man UDFA group primarily consists of pass-catchers, defensive ends, and special teams players. Here’s the full list of rookies signed by the club:

Seahawks Place Marshawn Lynch On Reserve/Retired List

May 5th, 2016 at 8:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Marshawn Lynch‘s retirement, announced earlier in the offseason, has become official today. The Seahawks announced in a press release that they’ve placed the standout running back on the reserve/retired list, formally removing him from their 90-man roster.Marshawn Lynch (vertical)

Seattle general manager John Schneider had indicated earlier this week that this move was coming at some point prior to June 1st, since the team prefers to take on Lynch’s entire cap hit this year, rather than spreading it out over 2017 as well. Assuming the Seahawks don’t attempt to recoup a portion of the signing bonus on the running back’s last contract – and they’re not expected to – the club will carry $5MM in dead money on its books for Lynch in 2016.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Lynch was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2012, and has a Super Bowl ring. For his career, the former first-round pick racked up a total of 9,112 rushing yards for the Seahawks and Bills, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and totaling 83 touchdowns. While his final season was cut short by injuries, he had earned four consecutive Pro Bowl nods prior to 2015.

With Lynch’s retirement official, the Seahawks are expected to turn to Thomas Rawls as their primary back in 2016, assuming he’s healthy. Rawls was impressive in Lynch’s place in 2015, averaging an NFL-best 5.6 yards per carry on 147 attempts, but he fractured his ankle in December and is still on the mend. The team also drafted a trio of running backs last week, nabbing C.J. Prosise in the third round, Alex Collins in the fifth, and Zac Brooks in the seventh.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rams Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents

May 5th, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After including a handful of their 2016 draft picks in the trade package that allowed them to move up to No. 1 to snag California quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams only drafted six players last week, with all of them but Goff coming off the board on Day 3. However, Los Angeles has supplemented its draft class by adding 19 undrafted free agents to its roster.

Here’s the complete list of new Rams from Myles Simmons of TheRams.com:

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