NFL Draft Signings: 6/2/21
We’ll keep track of today’s late-round signings here:
Chicago Bears
- DT Khyiris Tonga (seventh-round, BYU)
Cincinnati Bengals
- DE Joseph Ossai (third-round, Texas) (story)
Bengals Sign Ja’Marr Chase
It’s officially official. On Wednesday, the Bengals formally signed first-round wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. They also inked third-round defensive end Joseph Ossai, completing their ten-man draft class. 
Chase opted out of the 2020 season at LSU, but that didn’t bother NFL evaluators much. In the previous year, Chase set SEC single-season records in receiving yards (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20). That same Burrow-led offense produced three skill position players that went in the first round of the 2020 draft, including Justin Jefferson. Chase, according to many scouts, is an even better prospect.
“I thought Chase was on a different level [than Jefferson],” one scout told The Athletic earlier this year. “Watching what Jefferson did this year (with the Vikings), that just makes me say, ‘Good Lord.’ Honestly, I thought (Chase) was the best receiver in the class last year.”
All in all, Chase’s 27 career games (21 starts) saw 98 catches for 2093 yards and 23 TDs. He also notched eight career 100-yard receiving games, including three 200-yard showings.
Here’s the full rundown of the Bengals’ 2021 draft class — now signed from top to bottom:
- Round 1: No. 5 Ja’Marr Chase, WR (LSU)
- Round 2: No. 46 (from Patriots) Jackson Carman, OT (Clemson) (signed)
- Round 3: No. 69 Joseph Ossai, DE (Texas)
- Round 4: No. 111 Cameron Sample, DE (Tulane)
- Round 4: No. 122 Tyler Shelvin, DT (LSU)
- Round 4: No. 139 D’ante Smith, OT (East Carolina)
- Round 5: No. 149 Evan McPherson, K (Florida)
- Round 6: No. 190 Trey Hill, C (Georgia)
- Round 7: No. 202 (from Dolphins through Texans) Chris Evans, RB (Michigan)
- Round 7: No. 235 (from Lions through Seahawks) Wyatt Hubert, DE (Kansas State)
This Date In Transactions History: Chiefs Release Jeremy Maclin
Four years ago today, the Chiefs shocked everyone with their release of Jeremy Maclin. Despite a down 2016, Maclin still profiled as one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL and was slated to enter the year as the Chiefs No. 1 wideout. Instead of waiting to see what the 29-year-old could do, they opted for more cap space and more targets for their younger receivers, including second-year pro Tyreek Hill. 
At the time of his release, Maclin was not far removed from his 1,000+-yard 2015 season, or even his stellar 2014 with the Eagles, when he set a career high of 1,318 yards. His 2015 debut with Kansas City was, in some respects, even more impressive – Maclin caught 70.2% of his targets, easily topping his career 61.3% mark.
Still, the Chiefs saw an opportunity to save in an area where they already had a surplus of talent. Dropping Maclin saved the club $10MM in cap room with just $2.4MM left in dead money. The move made sense from a club perspective, but the timing was less-than-fair for the veteran.
Had he been released in March, Maclin would have had an opportunity to secure a solid multi-year payday. The league wasn’t all that juiced about the free agent WR market that offseason – Alshon Jeffery led the way with a one-year, $14MM deal and Terrelle Pryor settled for a one-year, $6MM deal, despite his camp’s best efforts to position him as an eight-figure salary player. In June, he was viewed as the bell of the ball, ahead of options like Anquan Boldin, Steve Johnson, Eddie Royal, and Marquess Wilson. But, most of the money had already dried up. He wound up signing with the Ravens on a two-year, $11MM deal.
Maclin never got the opportunity to justify his hefty five-year, $55MM pact in KC, and he clearly wasn’t the same player when he moved on to Baltimore. He finished out with just 40 catches for 440 yards for an average of eleven yards per grab – all career lows. Then, an injury wiped out his 2018 season. In 2019, Maclin wasn’t able to scare up much interest as a free agent, so he retired at the age of 30.
The decision to drop Maclin was puzzling at the time, but it’s hard to argue with the call in retrospect. Hill went on to have a breakout 2017 with 75 catches, 1,183 yards, and seven touchdowns. And, in the last two years, their explosive offense has propelled them to two AFC titles and one Super Bowl ring.
49ers Cut Josh Johnson
The 49ers have released quarterback Josh Johnson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In a related move, the Niners have added wide receiver Andy Jones to their 90-man offseason roster.
Johnson, who just turned 35, hooked on with the 49ers last November. Previous to that, he was last seen with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL. He could have been on an NFL roster sooner — the Lions offered him a contract, but the XFL stepped in and blocked it.
Over the years, Johnson has signed deals with 13 different teams. That includes multiple stints with the 49ers in 2012, 2014, and 2020. It remains to be seen whether Johnson will pursue another season in the league, but there’s always a market for experienced QBs like him.
Of course, Johnson’s odds of making the final cut weren’t all that great anyway. The 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo installed as their starter with first-round pick Trey Lance waiting in the wings. That leaves Nick Mullens and Josh Rosen to compete for one — or perhaps zero — QB spots on the 53-man roster.
Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger On Pay Cut, Future
Ben Roethlisberger is back for his 18th season with the Steelers. It’s fair to wonder if this is his last, but Big Ben says he’s taking things one step at a time, like always. 
“I’m going to approach this like I do every season: like it’s my last,” Roethlisberger said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Aditi Kinkhabwala). “I think that’s the approach you have to take, and you don’t approach it that way because it could be your last, but you approach it because every single play in the game of football could be your last…That just means I’m going out to give it everything I have. I’ve never looked toward the future. I’ve always looked toward the right here and now. That’s what’s important for me for this season is giving everything I have right here and right now for this group of guys.”
After being limited to just two games in 2019, Roethlisberger struggled throughout 2020. After the season, he agreed to slash his salary by $5MM. Many believed that the Steelers would have gone in another direction otherwise. But, according to Big Ben, he volunteered to do it.
“(The pay cut) was my idea,” he said. “I told them I wanted to help the team out however we can, and so I went to them and told them I would do whatever I could to help the team sign the guys that are going to help us win football games….I wanted to come back to be a part of what I think is a special football team that everyone’s overlooking. In order to do that, to help get guys here, I felt that it was necessary to do that.”
Whether it was the Steelers’ idea or Big Ben’s idea, the speculation can be put in the rear view mirror. Roethlisberger is set to lead the way once again in 2020 and, thanks to JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s own home team discount, he’ll have his top target along for the ride.
Ravens Work Out Darius Kilgo
Defensive tackle Darius Kilgo worked out for the Ravens on Tuesday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Kilgo, who spent the bulk of last year on the Broncos’ taxi squad, profiles as a low-cost and low-risk addition for the Ravens’ 90-man roster.
[RELATED: Ravens Eyeing Julio Jones?]
A 2015 sixth-round pick, Kilgo was a member of that Broncos Super Bowl-winning squad. The 29-year-old hasn’t done a whole lot since getting released by Denver during the ’16 season, however — he compiled five tackles in eleven games for the Titans in 2018, but hasn’t seen live action outside of that. In recent years, he’s also had stints with the Patriots (where he earned a second Super Bowl ring), Jaguars, Titans, and Lions.
In other Ravens news — they could be a team to watch in the Julio Jones sweepstakes. Granted, they’ll only make a move if the price is right. At last check, the Falcons have set the asking price at a first-round pick. Meanwhile, some believe that Jones will want his new team to give him a new deal with more in the way of guarantees.
49ers Audition Delanie Walker
Delanie Walker could be set for another stint with the 49ers. On Wednesday, the free agent tight end will workout for head coach Kyle Shanahan & Co., according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). 
In August of last year, the Ravens and Patriots both expressed interest in Walker. However, he skipped the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave him an opportunity to get back to 100% health. That’s good news, because the final couple of seasons with the Titans were marred by injuries.
A late-bloomer, Walker never did a ton as a receiver during his first seven years in the NFL with the 49ers. Then, in 2013, he hooked on with the Titans and became one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL for a half decade, making three straight Pro Bowls from 2015-17.
An ankle injury limited him to only one game in 2018, and more ankle issues limited him to seven in 2019. In his last healthy season in 2017, he had 74 catches for 807 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll turn 37 in August, but he could be a solid supporting TE to star George Kittle.
Texans Sign Rex Burkhead
The Texans have signed Rex Burkhead, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. The ex-Patriots running back will join fellow newcomers Mark Ingram and Phillip Lindsay in the Texans’ new-look group.
Burkhead, 30, ended the season on IR, thanks to a November ACL tear. Before that, he was enjoying another solid season as the Pats’ change-of-pace back. Through ten games, the 30-year-old collected 274 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries. He also had 25 receptions for 192 yards and three scores.
The Texans now count seven RBs on their 90-man offseason roster. Burkhead works to carve out a role, he’ll have plenty of familiar faces around. Texans GM and longtime Patriots exec Nick Caserio has imported lots of players from New England, including offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, wide receiver Donte Moncrief, and defensive end Derek Rivers.
David Johnson and Ingram still project to serve as the lead backs, with support from Lindsay. Assuming all three stick, there’s probably only one more RB spot up for grabs in Houston.
Bills, Stefon Diggs Rework Contract
The Bills converted $11.7MM of Stefon Diggs‘ base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). In turn, the Bills now have $7.8MM in extra cap space for 2021, though that amount will be pushed onto the 2022 books. 
[RELATED: Bills Make Reid Ferguson Top-Paid LS]
The Vikings signed Diggs to a five-year, $72MM extension in July 2018. However, Diggs’ $14.4MM-per-year salary was too much for Minnesota given their cap crunch. The Bills traded for him last year, surrendering a first-round pick in the swap. The Bills’ thrilling run to the AFC Championship Game probably wouldn’t have happened without Diggs, one of the league’s most exciting wide receivers.
The Bills gave Diggs a small pay bump/advance on his money upon acquiring him, so he was happy to reciprocate this week. Despite all the changes, he remains locked up through 2023 on a manageable contract. Diggs, who won’t turn 28 until November, registered 127 catches and 1,535 receiving yards last year to lead the NFL.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Tyler Newsome
New York Jets
- Waived: DL Sharif Finch
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/Injured: TE Daniel Helm