Broncos Sign Rookie RB Royce Freeman
That’s a wrap. The Broncos have now signed every member of their 2018 draft class after inking Royce Freeman to his four-year rookie deal (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News). 
In accordance with his slot, the third-round pick will receive a signing bonus of $997K on his contract. As the No. 71 overall pick, he’s set to earn $3.46MM over the course of the deal.
Heading into the draft, Freeman felt that he deserved to be one of the top running backs selected. As it turns out, there were seven running backs drafted before him. Some evaluators believe that his 947 carries at Oregon worked against him, but Freeman doesn’t think his odometer should be viewed as a negative.
“I feel like all of that durability and all of those carries just reflected my productivity throughout my four years at Oregon,” Freeman said in May. “It is not often you get backs playing as many games or taking as many carries. I feel like the fact that I was able to do so proves I am a durable running back.”
The Broncos released C.J. Anderson earlier this offseason, leaving Devontae Booker and De’Angelo Henderson as the leading candidates to become the team’s next top running back. However, Freeman’s durability and history of production suggests that he could see a big role right off of the bat. Recently, Broncos coach Vance Joseph said that Freeman “absolutely” has a chance to wind up on top if he has a strong training camp.
Here’s the complete rundown of the Broncos’ 2018 draft class:
Brandon Boykin Retires?
Brandon Boykin‘s NFL career appears to be over. The former Eagles and Steelers cornerback is suiting up for the American Flag Football League this summer, according to Geoff Mosher of The Score. 
Boykin, 28 next week, was a fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2012. In 2013, he turned in a career year with 47 tackles, six interceptions, and 16 passes defended. In 2015, he landed with the Steelers and had his least productive year with just 21 total stops. He has not seen live action since, though he signed deals with the Panthers and Bears in 2016 and the Ravens in 2017.
Boykin has not formally announced his retirement, but it sounds like he has moved on from the NFL.
“It’s fun, man. You talk about playing flag football, that’s what you grew up doing,” said Boykin of the upstart summer league. “You can play the game in its truest form and have fun and compete with people all over the world, not have a helmet on and just enjoy the game. That’s what players want. That’s what’s so enticing about it. You can still make money playing a game that’s truly a game.”
The flag football league is made up of four teams, composed of former professional athletes. The team that wins the title will face the amateur champs July 19 in Houston in “the Ultimate Final.” Boykin is a member of Ocho, a team captained by Chad Johnson. They’ll face Michael Vick‘s Roadrunners on Saturday night in the professional semifinals.
Offset Language Holding Up Top 10 Picks
There are 15 unsigned rookies left, and seven of them are in the top 10. The holdup for this year’s highest selections is offset language, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
Players with offset language who are cut before the end of their rookie contract have the remaining guaranteed money reduced by whatever they earns elsewhere. Without offset language, players get to double dip. Top 10 picks expect to complete their rookie contracts, but it’s an important issue for agents nonetheless.
The following top 10 players are without deals and there’s a common thread in the representation for most of them:
- Browns, 1-1: Baker Mayfield, QB (Jack Mills and Tom Mills)
- Giants, 1-2: Saquon Barkley, RB (Roc Nation Sports)
- Jets, 1-3: Sam Darnold, QB (CAA)
- Browns, 1-4: Denzel Ward, CB (CAA)
- Bills, 1-7: Josh Allen, QB (CAA)
- Bears, 1-8: Roquan Smith, LB (CAA)
- 49ers, 1-9: Mike McGlinchey, T (CAA)
As Florio notes, CAA also represents No. 6 overall pick Quenton Nelson. The new Colts guard agreed to terms back in May on a deal that contains offset language, but also includes large guaranteed training-camp roster bonuses in 2019 through 2021. The presence of those bonuses effectively offsets the presence of offsets and could be a good middle ground solution for the agency’s remaining unsigned top 10 picks.
There’s no sign of real acrimony between any of these players and the teams that drafted them, but Joey Bosa‘s situation in 2016 serves as a reminder that offset language can become a real issue that can lead to a training camp holdout.
This Date In Transactions History: Lions Release Stephen Tulloch
On this date in 2016, the Lions bid farewell to one-time defensive cog Stephen Tulloch. 
Tulloch entered the league in 2006 as a fourth-round pick of the Titans. The linebacker played sparingly in his first two seasons but, eventually, he cracked the starting lineup. Between 2008 and 2010, Tulloch was first-string for 41 games with Tennessee.
When he hit free agency, old friend Jim Schwartz brought him to Detroit with a one-year deal. After he tallied three sacks from the inside linebacker position and 111 overall tackles, the Lions re-signed him to a lucrative five-year deal. Tulloch continued to hold down the fort at MLB, compiling 100+ tackles in 2012 and 135 total tackles in 2013, including a career-high 3.5 sacks.
Unfortunately, his career took a weird turn in 2014. In Week 3, Tulloch took down Aaron Rodgers with a thunderous sack. He then busted out a sack celebration which went horribly wrong. Tulloch tore his ACL, ending his season in September.
Afterwards, Tulloch was asked if he had any regrets about the doomed dance.
“Hell, no,” Tulloch said. “I’d do it again, brother. You do it every time. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. Just a matter of time. I’ve played a long time in this league and I understand you’re susceptible to this kind of injury when you go out there and play. Nine years without missing a game is kind of crazy, but like I said I’m positive because I believe in my hard work, I believe in my training and what I do in the offseason and how I approach things, so I know I’ll be back even better than before.”
Unfortunately, that was not the case. On paper, Tulloch had an alright 2015 as he started all 16 games, registered 108 total tackles, and came up with two fumble recoveries. However, he wasn’t quite an every-down player, as he saw time on less than 70% of the Lions’ defensive plays. Tulloch also graded out relatively poorly in Pro Football Focus’ rankings, placing as the No. 54 inside linebacker among 97 qualifiers.
Late in the summer of 2016, Schwartz re-connected with him yet again as the Eagles inked him to a one-year, $3MM deal. Tulloch wound up as a reserve for the first time in years and had only seven tackles on the year. That proved to be Tulloch’s last season, as he announced his retirement in April of 2017.
If not for that fateful game against the rival Packers, the Lions might not have released Tulloch two years ago today.
Extension Candidate Series
Throughout the summer, we’ve been running down some of the league’s most intriguing extension candidates. In cased you missed it, here are the players we’ve covered thus far:
July 16 Marks NFL’s Franchise Tag Extension Deadline
This year, the deadline for teams to reach extensions with franchise tagged players falls on July 16. If the following four players do not agree to new contracts in the coming days, they will be ticketed for free agency in 2019:
- Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell
- Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah
- Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence
- Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner
For Bell, the absence of a deal all but guarantees that he will be allowed to explore the open market next season. That’s because this is the second year in a row that Bell has been hit with the tag. He’ll make $14.544MM this season if no extension deal is reached, but a third tag would cost Pittsburgh more than $20MM. For the rest, the possibility of a second franchise tag remains, though the requisite 20% increase could prevent teams from applying the tender.
The rules of the franchise tag dictate that teams have until mid-July to hammer out an extension with players. If not, the two sides are barred from engaging in contract talks until after the season has concluded.
From 2013-2017, 16 of the league’s 33 franchise tagged players agreed to extensions before the summer deadline. This year, it’s hard to say whether deals will be reached for any of the players in question. Bell is looking for a deal that will reflect his production as a top running back and a No. 2 wide receiver. The defensive ends, Ansah and Lawrence, know that teams are willing to overpay for quality edge rushers in free agency. Joyner, meanwhile, may be content to let the Rams control his fate since he’ll either make $11MM+ this year and hit free agency, or earn $25MM through two franchise tags and reach the open market in 2020.
Then again, a serious injury could derail any member of this quartet, so there’s something to be said for financial security over monetary upside. Joyner, in particular, could be quietly eager to sign a multi-year deal after watching a dismal free agent safety market play out this offseason.
What we do know for sure is that the next 12 days will be worth monitoring.
Follow @HoopsRumors For The Latest NBA News
If you haven’t noticed, we are in the midst of one of the craziest offseasons in NBA history. LeBron James left the Cavs to sign with the Lakers, DeMarcus Cousins shocked the world by joining up with the talent-stacked Warriors, and there’s still plenty of drama on the horizon. To keep up with all of the twists and turns, visit our sister site HoopsRumors.com and follow them on Twitter, @HoopsRumors.
The Lakers are angling to trade for Kawhi Leonard, but the Spurs are asking for a boatload in order to part with their star small forward. Meanwhile, plenty of impactful free agents remain, including Clint Capela, Zach LaVine, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart, and Isaiah Thomas. Only three teams have significant cap room to work with at this stage of the offseason, but other clubs have the flexibility needed to carve out additional space.
Whether you’re a hardcore NBA fan, or just a casual one, you’ll want to keep tabs on all the action by following Hoops Rumors today.
Falcons Sign First-Round Pick Calvin Ridley
Who says nothing happens in the NFL on the Fourth of July? On Wednesday morning, Calvin Ridley‘s agents took to Twitter to announce that the wide receiver has signed his rookie deal with the Falcons. Ridley, selected with the No. 26 overall pick, has received a four-year, $10.9MM deal, as dictated by his slot. 
First-round picks have been slower to sign that the rest of this year’s selections, including those taken near the end of the first round. That’s because Seahawks rookie running back Rashaad Penny agreed to a lower fourth season salary guarantee than last year’s No. 27 overall pick, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. Those selected near the end of the first round often don’t get the entirety of their fourth season base salary guaranteed, but agents can push for a decent chunk of it to be guaranteed. Penny’s reps apparently settled for less, which may have emboldened teams near the back of the order.
Apparently, the Falcons and Ridley’s camp were able to meet somewhere in the middle. Both sides are hoping that minutia like Ridley’s guarantee in 2021 and the offset language contained in the deal will be a non-factor.
Ridley joins a loaded Falcons offense as he slots behind Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. After racking up 224 passes for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns at Alabama, the Falcons believe that Ridley will be able to hit the ground running in 2018.
“What I’ve seen is excellent transition in and out of breaks, it’s as good as anybody I’ve been around,” quarterback Matt Ryan said recently. “He’s got very good hands. He’s smart, we put a lot on these guys early in OTAs as far as knowing different positions, knowing where to line up, different route combinations, adjustments that we have versus certain coverages. He’s picked up all that stuff really well. You can tell he’s been well coached prior to coming into the NFL.”
Extension Candidate: Geno Atkins
This offseason, we have (rightfully) heard a great deal about potential extensions for star defenders Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, and Jadeveon Clowney. That discussion has overshadowed Geno Atkins, to some extent, as he pushes for a new deal. 
The defensive tackle inked a five-year, $53.3MM extension with the Bengals back in 2013, which has him in place through the 2018 season. The deal has proved to be a winner for both sides. For the Bengals, the deal allowed them to keep a top performer under contract at roughly $10.6MM per year while the market advanced at a sharp rate. Atkins, meanwhile, made more cash than he could ever hope to spend and is now primed to do it all over again at the age of 30.
When Atkins’ deal began in 2014, he was the NFL’s third-highest paid 4-3 defensive tackle with a $9MM cap number. Today, his $9.5MM cap figure for 2018 places him seventh in the same category. After finishing the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 ranked interior defender – behind only Donald – something has to change.
Like Donald, Atkins is a stout run defender with the ability to also disrupt opposing quarterbacks from the interior. Atkins has notched at least nine sacks in each of the last three seasons, and, save for the 2013 season cut short by an ACL tear, he has never missed a game. Donald is still three years younger and in a class of his own, but Atkins has been far more dominant than many outside of Cincinnati realize.
If Donald signs first, Atkins’ camp will have a favorable comp to work off of, even though his deal will be worth less. The Bengals aren’t technically on the clock here, but they may want to get a deal done sooner rather than later.
A new deal for Atkins will definitely cost eight figures per year, but it remains to be seen how far the Bengals will go. With a fluid cap situation both this year and next, you can expect the Bengals to lock up Atkins on a multi-year deal worth around $12MM per season.
This Date In Transactions History Series
For the last several weeks, we’ve been commemorating some of the NFL’s most interesting moves with our “This Date In Transactions History” series. In case you missed any of them, here’s a rundown of every entry:
- May 17 – NFL Suspends Seahawks’ Bruce Irvin
- May 19 – Patriots Sign UDFA Malcolm Butler
- May 25 – Jerry Rice Joins The Broncos
- May 26 – Will Allen Signs New Deal With Dolphins
- May 27 – Giants Cut Ryan Clark
- May 28 – Andre Hastings Leaves Steelers, Joins Saints
- June 1 – Rams Cut Kurt Warner
- June 2 – Terrell Owens Inks Extension With Cowboys
- June 4 – 49ers Sign Colin Kaepernick To New Pact Worth $126MM
- June 5 – 49ers Add Six Years To Joe Staley’s Contract
- June 7 – Rams Great Issac Bruce Retires
- June 8 – Patriots, Gronk Agree To Extension
- June 9 – Chargers Sign Corey Liuget To Regrettable Extension
- June 10 – Jets Sign Mark Sanchez To Massive Rookie Deal
- June 11 – Dolphins Sign Chad Johnson
- June 12 – Falcons Release Michael Vick
- June 16 – Packers Sign Tim Couch
- June 17 – Panthers Sign Jake Delhomme To Extension
- June 18 – Bengals Cut Terrelle Pryor
- June 19 – Texans, Falcons Complete Trade
- June 21 – Ravens Sign Dennis Pitta, Arthur Jones
- June 22 – Redskins Sign Terry Crews
- June 23 – Marc Bulger Moves On
- June 24 – Patriots Sign Matt Cassel To Rookie Contract
- June 25 – Joe Horn Retires
- June 26 – Panthers’ Julius Peppers Inks Tender
- June 27 – Vikings Sign Desmond Bishop
- June 28 – Ravens Sign Ed Reed To Record-Breaking Deal
- June 29 – Colts Make Andrew Luck The NFL’s Highest-Paid Player
- June 30 – NFL Hands Rolando McClain 10-Game Suspension
- July 2 – NFL Suspends Gates, McClain, Richardson
- July 3 – NFL Suspends Dolphins’ Dion Jordan