Lions Hosting Kroy Biermann On Visit
The Lions are hosting veteran Kroy Biermann on a visit today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). To date, the edge defender has spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the Falcons. 
Last season, Biermann was expected to be a contributor in the defense rolled out by new Atlanta coach Dan Quinn. However, Biermann wound up being relegated to a smaller role and made zero starts after starting in 15 contests the previous year. For the year, Biermann recorded 51 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. In total, Biermann was on the field for less than 50% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Biermann offers experience at both defensive end and linebacker, but Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Detroit is looking at him as a defensive end. If Detroit signs Biermann, he’ll join a group of bookends that includes Ziggy Ansah, Devin Taylor, and former Cincinnati defensive end Wallace Gilberry.
In 2014, the 30-year-old started a career-high 15 games for the Falcons, racking up 77 tackles and 4.5 sacks to go along with a forced fumble. The numbers showed that he was an above-average run defender and held his own as a pass rusher. He’ll try to get back to that level of play in 2016, potentially in Detroit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Notes: McAfee, Short, Freeney, Miller
Colts punter Pat McAfee underwent offseason surgery on his non-kicking knee, as he explained to WFNI-AM this week. “I had surgery like six weeks ago, seven weeks ago on my left knee to clean it up,” McAfee said. “The first couple weeks of rehab were a little tough, but I’m on the back end of it right now.” McAfee, who has been named a first-team All Pro in each of the last two season, expects to be fully healthy by the time training camp rolls around.
Here’s more on the NFL’s two South divisions…
- Panthers head coach Ron Rivera was noncommittal when asked whether he thought Kawann Short would be at minicamp next week, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Short is currently sitting out OTAs in the hopes of hammering out a new deal. Carolina was thought to be interested in working out an extension, but talks are reportedly on hold for the moment.
- On Tuesday morning, the Falcons made a handful of roster moves that left them with 89 players on the 90-man roster. When asked by a reader to guess whom they may be holding a roster spot for, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) wondered aloud if it could be veteran Dwight Freeney, who visited the Falcons last month. Head coach Dan Quinn said that his club wouldn’t be signing the free agent edge rusher, at least right now.
- While the rest of the clubs in the AFC South made a flurry of moves, the Colts stayed quiet, re-signing tight end Dwayne Allen and kicker Adam Vinatieri while bringing in free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson. The past few months were among the least exciting of the Ryan Grigson era, and according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, that was by design.
- Offseason addition Lamar Miller will have a diverse role with the Texans, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. Miller, who inked a four-year, $26MM deal with $14MM guaranteed, averaged only 15 total touches per game in Miami. Now, he figures to play a versatile role as both an inside and outside running presence behind a more talented offensive line.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/7/16
The NFL saw quite a few minor moves today, and we’ll round them up here:
- The Browns announced the signing of third-round offensive tackle Shon Coleman. Coleman, selected with the No. 76 overall pick, was a two-year starter at Auburn. Cleveland have now signed 11 of their 14 rookies from this year’s enormous class.
- The Chiefs announced that they have signed outside linebacker Dezman Moses and safety Peni Vea. To make room, Kansas City has waived defensive back Keith Lewis and linebacker Efe Obada. Moses, a key special-teamer, has appeared in 29 games over the past two seasons for the Chiefs.
- The Steelers waived former University of Miami linebacker Tyriq McCord, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. McCord initially joined Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent. The Steelers also signed TE Paul Lang and LB Kevin Anderson while releasing tight end Jay Rome, reports Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link)
- The Falcons announced that they have signed defensive end Nordly Capi and guard Michael Huey, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Atlanta also waived defensive end Josh Dawson. Huey, who spent time with an Diego and Green Bay last season, played for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and was a three-time AFL champ.
- The Cardinals signed wide receiver Rico Richardson and waived fellow receiver Jeff Beathard, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets.
- The Saints waived LB Dominique Tovell, who signed with the team as a UDFA in May, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link). New Orleans also placed defensive end Mitchell Loewen on the Reserve/NFI list today after he cleared waivers, Woodbery tweets.
- The Lions announced they’ve signed wide receiver Damian Copeland and cut guard Andrew Zeller, Dave Birkett of The Detroit Press tweets.
- Colts guard Isiah Cage reverted to the IR after being waived-injured and clearing waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Cowboys To Meet With Brandon Boykin
6:56pm: In addition to Boykin, the Cowboys also worked out defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, defensive backs Dax Swanson and Isaiah Frey, offensive tackles Cameron Bradfield and Bryan Witzmann, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, and tight end Nate Askew, according to Archer.
3:29pm: The Cowboys will meet with free agent cornerback Brandon Boykin, according to sources who spoke with Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Boykin was signed by the Panthers in March but he has been a free agent since being released last month.
[RELATED: Cowboys Not Interested In Dwight Freeney]
Despite not seeing significant playing time in Pittsburgh, Boykin ranked as a top-40 cornerback in 2015 (out of 111 qualified players), per Pro Football Focus. The diminutive corner has always shown flashes of upside, particularly in his six-interception 2013 campaign, but has never really gotten the opportunity to be a full-time player with just seven career starts. Now, he’ll look to join the Cowboys as a low-cost slot cornerback with upside.
While Boykin didn’t earn a spot on PFR’s top 50 free agent list, we placed him sixth among free agent cornerbacks when we broke down 2016’s top defensive free agents, placing him ahead of veterans like Leon Hall and Patrick Robinson due to his relative youth and upside. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked Boykin as the fifth-best free agent still left on the board, ahead of names like Mike Neal, Chris Culliver, and Antrel Rolle.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucs Sign Kicker Roberto Aguayo
The Buccaneers announced that they have signed second-round pick Roberto Aguayo. With the kicker under contract, the Bucs have now signed every member of their 2016 draft class. 
Some were surprised when the Bucs traded into the second-round of this year’s draft to grab the FSU kicker, but it turns out that the team thinks even more highly of his leg than that. Recently, GM Jason Licht claimed that he had first-round grades on three of his rookies this year, including Aguayo. Along with Aguayo, the GM feels that he snared first-round talents in cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and defensive end Noah Spence.
Hargreaves, meanwhile, inked his rookie contract roughly one month ago. The No. 11 overall pick was the second cornerback to come off the board in the 2016 draft, having been selected one spot behind Eli Apple, after the Buccaneers traded down from No. 9 to No. 11. The University of Florida product will 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.
To recap, here is the full list of the Bucs’ 2016 draft class:
- 1-11: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB (Florida): Signed
- 2-39: Noah Spence, DE (Eastern Kentucky): Signed
- 2-59: Roberto Aguayo, K (Florida State)
- 4-108: Ryan Smith, DB (North Carolina Central): Signed
- 5-148: Caleb Benenoch, T (UCLA): Signed
- 6-183: Devante Bond, LB (Oklahoma): Signed
- 6-197: Dan Vitale, FB (Northwestern): Signed
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Sign Rookie Cardale Jones
The Bills have now signed every rookie in their 2016 class after inking fourth-round pick Cardale Jones. The Ohio State quarterback, who was taken with the No. 139 overall selection, knows that he may have to wait awhile before he can see real playing time. 
“I am going in here knowing that that Tyrod [Taylor] is our starter,” Jones told Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. “I am going in here knowing that EJ [Manuel] is our backup. I am going in here learning, working as hard as I can working with Coach [David] Lee in the film room, on and off the field. Whatever happens after that I guess is just a product of great circumstances.”
Jones is undefeated as a college starter with a perfect 11-0 record, but he only threw a total of 270 passes while with the Buckeyes. Prior to the draft, one NFL offensive coordinator told NFL.com that Jones has more physical tools than Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr, but he “can’t touch their poise and leadership as young quarterbacks.”
Here’s the complete rundown of the Bills’ 2016 draft class:
- 1-19: Shaq Lawson, DE/OLB (Clemson)
- 2-41: Reggie Ragland, LB (Alabama)
- 3-80: Adolphus Washington, DT (Ohio State)
- 4-139: Cardale Jones, QB (Ohio State)
- 5-156: Jonathan Williams, RB (Arkansas)
- 6-192: Kolby Listenbee, WR (TCU)
- 6-218: Kevon Seymour, DB (USC)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Notes: Welker, Jordan, Fitzpatrick
Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph says he has given no thought to what position Dion Jordan would play if he is reinstated, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets. Jordan, a defensive end, could theoretically be moved to linebacker since the team seems pretty set at DE. A position change could also give him a much needed shot in the arm: the former No. 3 overall pick has totaled just three sacks in 26 career games.
Here’s more out of the AFC East:
- Wide receiver Wes Welker turned up at Dolphins OTAs and appeared to be working with the team’s wide receivers. However, head coach Adam Gase said that the team will not be signing the veteran wide receiver as a player (link via CBSSports.com’s David Dwork). Welker, a five-time Pro Bowler, recently indicated that he is unsure about whether to continue playing. It’s also not clear if Welker has any clubs interested in his services as a player.
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com weighed in on the Jets‘ ongoing battle with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Corry says that the Jets may come to regret their heavy-handed approach with Fitzpatrick since he is represented by Jimmy Sexton, who handles some of the biggest names in the sport. At the same time, he says that a one-year, $12MM deal is not realistic. To break the impasse, Corry suggests a deal that pays $12MM in year one, but $9MM in each the next two years instead of $6MM. The deal could also include incentives that could boost its max to about $45MM.
- There’s tons of talk about Malcolm Butler right now, but Dont’a Hightower is the most important player for the Patriots to keep long term, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com writes. Hannable notes that since Hightower entered the league in 2012, the Patriots have a regular season record of 42-12 in games Hightower appears in, but just 6-4 in games he doesn’t play. Also, the Pats allowed 3.65 yards per carry when Hightower was on the field last year but they surrendered 4.5 yards per carry when he wasn’t. Hightower is slated to hit the open market for the first time following this season. Hannable suggests that Danny Trevathan‘s four-year, $24.5MM deal ($6.1MM/year) with the Bears could be a good comp.
Saints To Sign Roman Harper
Safety Roman Harper is re-signing with the Saints, according to his representatives at SportsTrust Advisors (Twitter link). Harper played for New Orleans from 2006-2013. 
Harper, whom the Saints took in the second round of the 2006 draft, spent his first eight seasons in New Orleans before signing with the division-rival Panthers in 2014. The 33-year-old proved to have a fair amount left in the tank last season for the NFC champions, starting all 19 of their games (playoffs included) while grading 53rd out of 89 qualifying safeties at Pro Football Focus.
While with the Saints, Harper earned two consecutive Pro Bowl nods in 2009 and 2010 and helped the team win the Super Bowl following the ’09 season. After appearing in just five regular season games in his rookie campaign, Harper started just about every game for the Saints from 2007 onwards. In February 2014, Harper and other notable Saints vets were released to help ease the team’s cap situation. Saints GM Mickey Loomis was quick to admit that the team was not wild about having to jettison some of its most beloved players.
“These were not easy decisions to make,” said Saints GM Mickey Loomis in a statement after waiving Harper and others. “Since we acquired them, Jabari [Greer], Roman, Will [Smith] and Jonathan [Vilma] have all been excellent players on the field for us. Each of them were integral parts in turning this program around and winning a Super Bowl…. However, a new NFL year is about to begin and, with the start of free agency in March, these difficult moves allow us to position our team under the salary cap to move forward for 2014.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fletcher Cox Reports To Eagles Minicamp
Just as the Eagles had hoped, Fletcher Cox has reported to the Eagles for the start of their mandatory June minicamp. The defensive tackle, who actually arrived on Monday, issued a statement to the press just minutes ago: 
“I’m happy to be back in Philadelphia to get back to work with my teammates and coaches. I’m excited for this upcoming season and I can’t wait to get on the field for mini-camp this week, learn our new defense, and do whatever I can to help our team win. Any discussion about my absence from the offseason program or my contract will be handled privately between me, my agent and the Eagles organization,” Cox said in the statement.
[RELATED: Darren Sproles Reports To Eagles]
As a first-round pick in 2012, Cox is currently under contract for one more season, with a fifth-year option for 2016 worth $7.799MM. The Eagles, of course, do not want to see him test the open market next spring.
Marcell Dareus‘ contract with the Bills will likely be a point of comparison in the Cox extension talks, and the Cox could ultimately top that Dareus deal to become the second highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, behind Ndamukong Suh. Dareus’ contract with the Bills averages $15.85MM per year, with $60MM in total guarantees ($42.9MM fully guaranteed).
Cox skipped voluntary OTAs last month as the two sides wrestled over potential contract terms. Had Cox continued his holdout through this week, he would have faced upwards of $76K in fines. Eagles GM Howie Roseman is on record as saying Cox is a “huge part” of the team’s future, but it will cost Philly an awful lot to make that a reality. One report earlier this year claimed that the two sides were closing in on a long-term deal with more than $52MM in guarantees while another report indicated that no deal was close. Many weeks later, there’s still no agreement between the standout defensive lineman and Philadelphia.
Cox, still only 25, had arguably the best season of his four-year career in 2015, setting a new career high with 9.5 sacks. He also racked up 71 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. The performance earned Cox his first Pro Bowl nod, along with a top-10 spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings of interior defenders — the Eagles standout placed ninth out of 123 qualified players.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Titans waived wide receiver Nick Harwell and waived/injured linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets, adding that Cudjoe-Virgil could revert to injured reserve if he clears waivers.
- The Colts signed tackle Mitchell Van Dyk and waived/injured guard Isiah Cage, Mike Chappell of CBS4 tweets.
- The Cardinals signed wide receiver Rico Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The former Jackson State player previously spent time with Tennessee.
- The Raiders signed former University of Washington receiver Marvin Hall, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Hall had been a tryout player at Oakland’s rookie mini-camp last month.
- The Saints cut former Arkansas tight end Mitchell Loewen with a non-football injury designation and signed former Air Force tight end Garrett Griffin, reports Wilson (Twitter links).
- After being cut by the 49ers a month ago today, quarterback Dylan Thompson has signed with the Rams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who notes that Los Angeles could be stockpiling arms in anticipation of trading or releasing Nick Foles.