Steelers Sign DT Javon Hargrave
The Steelers announced that they have signed third-round defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Now that Hargrave is inked, the Steelers have successfully signed every player in their 2016 draft class. 
Hargrave, a product of FCS program South Carolina State, offers major strength with his 6’1″, 309 pound frame. While Hargrave did not face the best of the best in college, his dominating performances and strong showing at the combine ensured that he would be a third or fourth-round draft pick. In 2014, Hargrave tallied 16 sacks and followed it up with 13.5 sacks last year.
The Steelers’ draft class was headlined by first-round cornerback Artie Burns who signed earlier this week. When his name was called in April, the former University of Miami standout became the first corner selected by Pittsburgh in the first round since Chad Scott in 1997.
Here’s the complete rundown of the Steelers’ 2016 class:
- 1-25: Artie Burns, CB (Miami)
- 2-58: Sean Davis, DB (Maryland)
- 3-89: Javon Hargrave, DT (South Carolina State)
- 4-123: Jerald Hawkins, T (LSU)
- 6-220: Travis Feeney, LB (Washington)
- 7-229: Demarcus Ayers, WR (Houston)
- 7-246: Tyler Matakevich, LB (Temple)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Notes: Bills, Ryan, Patriots, Dobson
Recently, Bills coach Rex Ryan denied that he has been given an ultimatum by ownership to make the playoffs in 2016. Count Bills legend Jim Kelly among those who don’t buy it.
“I think we need to do it. I think we have to do it,” Kelly said (link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW). “If we don’t, I think Rex is probably looking for another job, too. I think everybody knows that, including Rex…We’ve got a heck of a football team, but you can’t win if you’re not on the football field competing and playing,” Kelly said. “I just hope we stay healthy, because if we do, and we don’t make it, there’s no excuses whatsoever.”
Here’s more out of the AFC East:
- Wide receiver Aaron Dobson is on the Patriots‘ roster bubble, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. The 2013 second-round draft choice out of Marshall came into the league as a highly-touted prospect but injuries have altered his path in the NFL. When asked to assess his play in practice so far this year, the 6’3″, 205 pound receiver gave a positive review of himself. Julian Edelman (foot) and Danny Amendola (knee, ankle) have been sidelined so far, which has given Dobson a chance to work with the team’s top group of receivers.
- If track paid as well as the NFL, Bills wide receiver and Olympic hopeful Marquise Goodwin told The MMQB’s Emily Kaplan (Facebook link) that it would be an easy choice. “I would definitely do track and field, man,” Goodwin said (transcript from Buscaglia). “Football was my opportunity to advance my life… kind of get a head start on life and put my family in a position to where they wouldn’t want for as much. I felt like track and field wouldn’t grant me that opportunity, being that I had a greater chance at making the amount of money that I do playing football, as opposed to going to track and field, and I would make it a lot sooner. Not saying I wouldn’t make it in track and field, but, I would make it pretty much at a guaranteed rate in football.” Goodwin is hoping to be a part of the 2016 games in Rio and the Bills have been supportive of his pursuit. If Goodwin gets to the Olympics and qualifies for the finals, the earliest he could get back to the team would be on August 15, which may not be enough time to show the team he is worthy of a roster spot. Goodwin is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is slated to hit the open market after the ’16 season.
- Recently, former agent Joel Corry suggested a compromise for the Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
- Earlier this week, it was reported that the Dolphins are not prioritizing free agent Arian Foster.
NFC Notes: Lotulelei, Brees, Greenway
Here’s a look at the NFC:
- Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei says the Panthers have not approached him about a long-term extension, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. However, he made it known in his own way that he wants to stay. “It’s a great organization and a great team. I’ve grown to love this place,” said Lotulelei, who had his ~$6MM fifth-year option exercised for the 2017 season. “I’m going to play as hard as I can, work as hard as I can and we’ll see what happens.”
- Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com took a stab at projecting the NFL’s next big-money contracts, including that of Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Brees, who turned 37 in January, would cost the team a whopping $43.09MM if they were to use the franchise tag on him next offseason. Unless the Saints want to move on from the veteran in 2017, they have to do a multiyear extension. The two sides have been discussing a deal for some time and recently, two league sources told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports that Brees could see in excess of $65MM in guarantees on a four-year contract worth between $95MM and $100MM in total.
- This season will almost certainly be Chad Greenway‘s farewell tour with the Vikings and with that in mind, one reader asked Ben Goessling of ESPN.com about the team’s plan to replace him at weakside linebacker. Emmanuel Lamur would seem to be the in-house solution and Goessling says he might not have to wait until 2017 to get that chance. Lamur joined Minnesota on a two-year, $5.5MM deal this spring. The former Cincinnati outside linebacker is a favorite of coach Mike Zimmer. Of course, if the team feels the need to use Lamur elsewhere or things don’t work out, they could be in the market for a different WLB solution next year.
NFC North Notes: Bears, Ramirez, Vikings
Earlier this week, offensive lineman Manny Ramirez decided to call it a career after nine NFL seasons rather than go for No. 10 with the Bears. The veteran offensive says his body told him it was time to retire and it was a decision that was a long time coming.
“It is something I have been thinking about the last few weeks and I have been in prayer about it,” Ramirez, 33, told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s not a decision I made randomly. It’s something I have been dealing with and when it’s time, it’s time. When your body tells you something, you can’t really go against it. This isn’t a game where you can just try to make it. I respect the game too much to try to do something like that and there is too much at risk. When your body doesn’t want to do what is required at this level, I wanted to play it smart. I always told myself the day I feel that way is the day I will walk away. Definitely feel at peace about it. It is time to move on and I feel God has bigger and better things for me.”
Here’s more out of the NFC North:
- The Vikings and Harrison Smith likely followed the model of the Earl Thomas contract as they negotiated his $50MM+ extension, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. While the overall numbers are impressive, Fitzgerald notes that both players received new full guarantees that were essentially nothing more than the signing bonus and their current year salaries which were either already guaranteed or virtually guaranteed to be earned. Fitzgerald also wonders if Smith’s team should have waited to see if the Chiefs and Eric Berry inked a lucrative new deal between now and the July deadline. At that point, Smith could have used that as a data point in a new negotiation since Berry seems likely to get $10MM+/year on his next deal.
- This could be the last hurrah for the Packers‘ talent offensive line featuring right guard T.J. Lang, left guard Josh Sitton, and left tackle David Bakhtiari, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. “We’ve got a lot of guys up and if I’m gambling, I’m going to bet that not all of us come back,” Bakhtiari said. “That’s just how the nature of the beast is. But that’s something you don’t want to think about and that shouldn’t be our topic of conversation.” Bakhtiari could command $10MM/year or more next spring if the Packers don’t lock him up before then before then while Sitton could see a big money deal after earning consecutive All-Pro nods. Last year, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Lang as the fifth-best guard in the NFL and Sitton as the sixth-best.
- Yesterday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com explained why Giovani Bernard‘s new deal with the Bengals could bode well for Lions running back Theo Riddick.
Pigskin Links: Nkemdiche, Foster, Eagles, Colts
Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.
We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.
Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:
- NFL Draft Report gave us the skinny on Cardinals rookie Robert Nkemdiche.
- Total Sports Live wonders if Arian Foster could be a fit for the Eagles.
- Last Word On Sports says Foster should sign with the Colts.
- NFL Spin Zone wonders if Rueben Randle can shed the “bust” label.
- Nuts & Bolts discussed Baylor and privilege in collegiate sports.
- NFL Girl UK interviewed Bengals kicker Mike Nugent.
- Wayniac Nation gave us some ridiculously early predictions on the Packers.
- Falcons Eye View pitted coaching schemes vs. coaching flexibility.
Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.
Broncos Sign Paxton Lynch
5:06pm: Lynch’s deal, which is now official, includes $600K in guarantees for the fourth year. This is the first time anyone picked in Lynch’s slot range (26th overall) has secured guaranteed money for Year 4, reports James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link).
10:21am: Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch will put pen to paper on his contract today, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. Lynch was selected with the No. 26 overall pick in April. 
[RELATED: Latest On Von Miller]
Lynch is being counted upon to be the Broncos’ quarterback of the future following Peyton Manning‘s retirement and Brock Osweiler‘s departure via free agency. The question is, will he also be the Broncos’ primary quarterback of the present? Denver traded for Mark Sanchez this offseason with the idea that he could either serve as the team’s starter or No. 2 QB in 2016, depending on how the rest of the offseason unfolded. Given his experience, Sanchez would seem to have the upper hand on the starting job for Week 1, but the two QBs will be in competition this summer. This week, the Broncos had Sanchez working with the first team, second-year QB Trevor Siemian with the second team, and Lynch with the third unit. Of course, that order is not expected to last.
As directed by his slot, Lynch will earn $9.5MM over four years, plus a fifth-year option. He’ll also earn a signing bonus worth roughly $5.1MM.
Of course, the Broncos weren’t the only team looking to take Lynch late in the first round. The Cowboys worked feverishly to move up for the Memphis quarterback and proposed a trade to the Jets that would have given them the No. 20 selection.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/9/2016
Today’s minor moves:
- Pass rusher Kevin Anderson, whom the Steelers waived/injured on Wednesday, has cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- The Bears signed quarterback Dalyn Williams and released fellow QB Matt Blanchard, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Williams, a UDFA from Dartmouth, threw for 2,592 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, completing 64% of his passes. The Bears liked Blanchard, but he has no more practice squad eligibility.
- The Eagles placed linebacker Ty Powell on the reserve/retired list, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets.
- The Browns signed third-round pick Cody Kessler, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Kessler, a USC product who went 93rd overall, had less hype than other quarterbacks in this year’s class but wound up being taken earlier than some big names at the position.
- Linebacker Jerrell Harris, waived/injured by the Cowboys on Wednesday, is now on their IR after clearing waivers, tweets Wilson.
Rams Sign Entire Draft Class
The Rams announced that they have signed their entire 2016 draft class. It was long expected that the Rams would all sign their rookies on the same day in June, as the team has done in recent years. 
This morning, word leaked out that the Rams and No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff had agreed to terms on his contract. Of course, thanks to the rookie slotting in the latest CBA, contract negotiations are, by and large, pretty painless. The only exception to that is in the third round where there is a little more wiggle room between players and teams, but the Rams did not have any third-round picks in this year’s draft thanks to the massive haul of picks they sent to the Titans in order to select Goff.
After Goff, the Rams’ next highest draft pick was Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee. In the weeks leading up to the draft, Higbee made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he was charged with second-degree assault. One scout expressed concern about Higbee shortly after he was selected by L.A.:
“He is a major partier,” said the anonymous scout. “That was his big problem, despite the arrests. He has a lot of maturing to do, and I’m not sure he can mature fast enough.”
The 23-year-old was considered a potential third-round talent, but the charges predictably impacted his stock. Higbee caught 48 passes for 563 yards and eight touchdowns last season but missed five games due to a knee injury. When asked about the injury at his pro day, the WKU product told reporters he was 75-80% recovered.
Here is the complete rundown of the Rams’ entire 2016 draft class:
- 1-1: Jared Goff, QB (California)
- 4-110: Tyler Higbee, TE (Western Kentucky)
- 4-117: Pharoh Cooper, WR (South Carolina)
- 6-177: Temarrick Hemingway, TE (South Carolina State)
- 6-190: Josh Forrest, LB (Kentucky)
- 6-206: Mike Thomas, WR (Southern Mississippi)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bears Working Out Tony Moeaki
The Bears are looking to shore up the tight end position and their auditions today included a familiar name. Chicago is taking a look at a group of TEs, including Tony Moeaki, a source tells Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Undrafted free agent Terenn Houk (BYU) and former Packers tight end Ryan Taylor are also being auditioned by Chicago. The other tight ends in the workout are not known at this point. 
Moeaki, 29, appeared in 11 games with the Falcons last season. The veteran first burst on the scene in 2010 when he caught 47 passes for 556 yards and three touchdowns. After losing his 2011 season to a torn ACL, Moeaki rebounded in 2012 to catch 33 passes for 453 yards and one score. The former third-round pick has also had stints with the Bills and Seahawks.
Houk played wide receiver in college, but Biggs says the Bears asked him to add some weight and focus on his blocking after rookie minicamp so that he could transition to wide receiver. Across the last two seasons at BYU, Houk recorded 58 receptions for 731 yards and four touchdowns. Taylor, 28, played for Green Bay from 2011 until fall of 2014 and appeared in 50 games during that span. Taylor hooked on with the Browns and Ravens in 2014, but he has not been in the NFL since.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Roddy White Only Wants To Play For Contender
Roddy White is still waiting on a phone call from an NFL team, but that doesn’t mean that he’s desperate for an offer. The wide receiver says that he only wants to play for a team that can win the Super Bowl in 2016. 
“When my agent and I went down the list and I saw the teams that really needed wide receivers, I was like, ‘Wow, I really don’t want to go there,’”White told Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I knew I couldn’t win with any of those teams. At this point of my career, I don’t want to be dragging my feet in Week 13 just to have an opportunity to be 4-10 next week.”
Of course, everyone’s definition of a contending team varies. For White, he says that there are “maybe six teams” that he would consider signing with for this season. If one of those six teams don’t come calling, he says that he is prepared to retire. He’s also not planning on dragging things out for too long.
“I’ll let it go into the season, maybe Week 4 or 5,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be putting my cleats on a power line, just like Marshawn Lynch.”
White, 34, made four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2010, when he caught a career-high 110 passes for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns. In early March, the Falcons bid farewell to White and, soon after, his agent pointed the finger at offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
“There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” rep Jonathan Feinsod said. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.”
Here at PFR, we listed White as an honorable mention when ranking the best players still available on the open market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.