NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/7/20
We’ll keep track of today’s late round signings here:
- The Ravens inked third-round pick Tyre Phillips. With the Mississippi State offensive lineman under contract, the Ravens have now taken care of seven of their ten draft picks. Phillips played tackle in college, but he’ll likely move to the inside with Marshal Yanda retiring.
- The Texans signed offensive tackle Charlie Heck, their fourth-round tackle.
- The Patriots signed third-round linebacker Anfernee Jennings (Alabama), sixth-round guard Michael Onwenu (Michigan), and seventh-round center Dustin Woodard (Memphis), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Jennings wasn’t the most athletic rusher in this year’s class, but his hard-nosed playing style and technique made him a strong fit for Bill Belichick‘s defense. BB’s relationship with ‘Bama head coach Nick Saban likely helped to lead Jennings to New England. The Pats have also inked kicker Justin Rohrwasser, linebacker Cassh Maluia, and tackle Justin Herron (all of whom are Day 3 picks), leaving only three unsigned players in their ten-player draft class.
- The Bills signed a trio of picks from the back of their draft, per a club announcement: sixth-round kicker Tyler Bass, sixth-round wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, and seventh-round cornerback Dane Jackson. Hodgins, out of Oregon State, managed 86 receptions for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final year on campus.
- The Dolphins inked a pair of fifth-round edge rushers in Curtis Weaver (Boise State) and Jason Strowbridge (UNC), as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. The bulk of their 11-man draft class still remains unsigned, so there’s more work to be done.
Toronto Argonauts Claim DeShone Kizer’s CFL Rights
If DeShone Kizer wants to take his talents north of the border, the Toronto Argonauts will be ready to talk. The Argos have claimed the former second-round pick’s negotiating rights, according to Justin Dunk of 3DownNation.com. 
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So far, Kizer’s pro career hasn’t gone according to plan. The Notre Dame product started 15 games for the Browns as a rookie and he went 0-15 on one of the league’s worst teams in league history. One year later, he was shipped to the Packers where he sat behind Aaron Rodgers and appeared in three games. All in all, Kizer has completed 53% of his passes in the NFL for 3,081 yards, eleven touchdowns, and 24 interceptions.
Kizer didn’t make the Packers cut, which led him to the Raiders. He didn’t throw a pass in 2019 and the Raiders recently dropped him during their virtual OTA period. At this point, a comeback attempt in the CFL might be his best bet.
Just a few years ago, Kizer showed potential with the Fightin’ Irish. There, he threw for 47 touchdowns against 19 interceptions over the course of two seasons, though concerns about his field vision and decision making pushed him out of the first round. In the NFL, Kizer didn’t do much to silence the critics.
Ravens Sign Second-Round RB J.K. Dobbins
The Ravens have officially signed second-round running back J.K. Dobbins, per a club announcement. In addition to the Ohio State product, the Ravens also announced the signing of seventh-round safety Geno Stone. With those two in the fold, the Ravens have just four unsigned rookies left, including first-round pick Patrick Queen.
Dobbins was viewed as one of the best pure runners in this year’s class, but he saw four other running backs – Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs), D’Andre Swift (Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), and Cam Akers (Florida State) come off the board before him. That fall might have bruised his ego, but the Ravens were happy to scoop him up at No. 55 overall.
Dobbins posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons at Ohio State and the Ravens believe that he can anchor the running game behind Lamar Jackson. Last year, he topped 2,000 yards with 23 total touchdowns. This year, he’ll fight for carries alongside Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill.
Per the terms of his slot, Dobbins will earn $5.7MM over the course of his four-year rookie deal. That pact includes a $1.7MM signing bonus and a low cap figure of $1.04MM for 2020.
Here’s the full rundown of the Ravens’ class, where Queen, Duvernay, Harrison, and Phillips stand as the only unsigned rookies:
1-28: Patrick Queen, LB (LSU)
2-55: J.K. Dobbins, RB (Ohio State): Signed
3-71: Justin Madubuike, DT (Texas A&M): Signed
3-92: Devin Duvernay, WR (Texas)
3-98: Malik Harrison, LB (Ohio State)
3-106: Tyre Phillips, OL (Mississippi State)
4-143: Ben Bredeson, G (Michigan): Signed
5-170: Broderick Washington Jr., DT (Texas Tech): Signed
6-201: James Proche, WR (SMU): Signed
7-219: Geno Stone, S (Iowa): Signed
Titans Sign 14 UDFAs
On Thursday, the Titans officially welcomed 14 undrafted rookies to the fold:
- Aaron Brewer, OL (Texas State)
- Cale Garrett, ILB (Missouri)
- Tommy Hudson, TE (Arizona State)
- Khaylan Kearse-Thomas, ILB (Arizona State)
- Brandon Kemp, T (Valdosta State)
- Mason Kinsey, WR (Berry College)
- Tucker McCann, K/P (Missouri)
- Anthony McKinney, T (TCU)
- Cameron Scarlett, RB (Stanford)
- Kobe Smith, NT (South Carolina)
- Teair Tart, DT (Florida International)
- Nick Westbrook, WR (Indiana)
- Kristian Wilkerson, WR (Southeast Missouri State)
- Kyle Williams, WR (Arizona State)
Kinsey didn’t garner tons of attention out of Division III Berry College, but he did rack up 3,300+ receiving yards and 50 touchdowns over the course of his career in the Southern Athletic Association. Smith, a defensive tackle out of South Carolina, had more eyeballs on him as he lined up next to Javon Kinlaw. Over the course of his 48-game run with the Gamecocks, Smith tallied seven tackles for a loss.
Garrett is one of the more interesting names on this list – he lost the bulk of his final season with a pectoral tear, but he still managed three interceptions and three defensive touchdowns in five games.
Meanwhile, the Titans are reportedly still in the mix for Jadeveon Clowney. However, we learned this week that they may have some new competition with interest from the Eagles and Ravens.
Seahawks GM: “We’d Discuss” Marshawn Lynch Return
The Seahawks “would discuss” a new deal with running back Marshawn Lynch, GM John Schneider told Jason La Canfora of 105.7 The Fan (Twitter link). Schneider also said that the Seahawks “wouldn’t say no to anything” though his comments indicated that any talks to this point have been preliminary. 
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Recently, Lynch said that his agent has been in touch with Seattle about a new deal that would bring Beast Mode back to Seattle in 2020. Late last year, Lynch stepped in when the Seahawks’ RB group was completely decimated by injuries. Between his lone regular season game and two postseason contests, Lynch averaged just 2.3 yards per carry, though he did score four touchdowns. Afterwards, Pete Carroll was asked about the possibility of a Lynch return and said, “never say never.”
This time around, the Seahawks aren’t as desperate for backfield help. They’re expecting Chris Carson to be ready to go for the start of the season while Rashaad Penny should be able to suit up at some point following ACL surgery. They’ve also got Travis Homer, who averaged 6.3 yards per tote in a limited sample size as a rookie last year. And, just last month, they added fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas to the group, plus a pair of undrafted rookies.
For his career, Lynch has racked up 10,413 yards, 85 touchdowns, and five Pro Bowl selections.
NFL Won’t Change Supplemental Draft
With the upcoming NCAA football season in limbo, some have wondered whether the summer’s supplemental draft could see a massive influx of players, including the top prospects ticketed for the 2021 NFL Draft. That won’t be the case, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). 
The league won’t alter the rules to accommodate players who are facing the prospect of a shortened or cancelled season. Instead, the usual rules will apply. Players who were barred from entering the regular draft but are no longer able to continue their collegiate can enter, but it’ll have to be for the usual reasons – academic issues, suspensions, and similar snags.
The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft finished with Washington State’s Jalen Thompson as the only player selected. The Cardinals used a fifth-round supplemental pick on the wide receiver and, per the supplemental draft’s rules, they forfeited the equivalent pick in the 2020 NFL Draft as a result. In the past, the NFL Supplemental’s Draft has brought some notable talents into the league, including Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon. This year’s draft may include similar talents, but you won’t see stars like Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II up for grabs this summer.
Raiders To Sign Devontae Booker
The Raiders have agreed to sign Devontae Booker, according to Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 (Twitter link). On Thursday morning, the deal was also confirmed by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
Booker, formerly of the Broncos, will look to stick as a backup to Josh Jacobs. The Raiders also have third-round rookie Lynn Bowden on hand, so there are no more than two spots up for grabs on their RB depth chart. Jalen Richard and Rod Smith are also vying for their spots.
Booker was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2016 draft and went on to have an inconsistent run with the Broncos. As a rookie, he started in six games and finished out with 31 catches and 877 all-purpose yards. After that, he continued to play a role on passing downs, but his workload fluctuated over time and his carries dwindled. Last year, Booker suited up for all 16 games, but finished out with just two totes and six catches.By comparison, he had 105 catches and 289 carries from 2016-2018.
NFL Lays Out Plan For Reopening Facilities
On Wednesday night, the NFL laid out its potential plan for reopening facilities in a memo to teams, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With permission from state government authorities, the league hopes to resume business as usual – or something close to it – soon. 
The memo also details protocols including: temperature screening, the establishment of an infection response team for each club, and social distancing. At the same time, Roger Goodell has discouraged team officials from discussing hypothetical timelines.
“It is impossible to project what the next few months will bring,” Goodell wrote. “Uninformed commentary that speculates on how individual clubs or the league will address a range of hypothetical contingencies serves to constructive purpose and instead confuses our fans and business partners, complicates the operations of other clubs, and distracts from the careful planning that is needed right now.”
Then, Goodell’s memo gets into greater detail for a “safe and phased reopening.” Phase 1 would allow for up to 50% of a team’s non-player employees to occupy the facility on any given day, up to a maximum of 75. No players would be permitted in the building, unless resuming a course of rehabilitation that was already underway when facilities were first closed. That phase could begin as soon as Friday, May 15th. After that, the league will weigh its options for Phase 2, though teams are encouraged to refine their own policies in accordance with local law and fluctuating conditions.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/6/20
We’ll keep track of today’s late-round signings here:
- The Dolphins signed fourth-round offensive lineman Solomon Kindley, according to a team press release. Kindley, a redshirt junior out of Georgia, was able to make up for his so-so technique with 330+ pounds of bulk and a hard-nosed approach in the trenches. At the pro level, he’ll need some serious seasoning before becoming a regular. On the plus side, he held his own against South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw last year; Kinlaw was selected No. 14 overall by the Niners for his ability to overwhelm most offensive linemen. As the No. 111 overall pick, Kindley will collect roughly $4.1MM over the course of his four-year deal.
Ravens Sign Three NFL Draft Picks
The Ravens are working fast to get their 2020 NFL Draft class under contract. One day after inking fifth-round pick Broderick Washington, they’ve signed third-round defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, fourth-round guard Ben Bredeson, and sixth-round wide receiver James Proche. 
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Madubuike, who stands at 6’3″ weighs in at 304 pounds, led the Aggies with 11.5 tackles for loss last year, plus 5.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He also recorded his first interception in a win over Arkansas.
He doesn’t have ideal size for the interior line, but he does have better-than-average speed for the position, plus solid moves to shed blocks. Evaluators also see pass rushing potential in Madubuike, thanks in part to his larger-than-expected wingspan.
The Ravens’ 3-4 scheme will feature defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, nose tackle Brandon Williams, and veteran defensive end Calais Campbell up front. Madubuike figures to see time as well, but he’ll be eased into things as a rookie. Ditto for Bredeson, though he’ll also be behind third-round lineman Tyre Phillips, who will be moved from the outside to the interior.