Packers Waive P Justin Vogel
The Packers are making a change at punter. After drafting punter J.K. Scott in the fifth round of this year’s draft, they waived Justin Vogel on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Vogel signed with the Packers last year as an undrafted free agent and beat out Jacob Schum for the punting job. In 2017, he averaged 44.4 yards per attempt, with a net average of 41 yards. He also put 19 of his 71 punts inside of the 20-yard line.
Vogel is not considered to be on the same level as punters like Johnny Hekker of the Rams or Marquette King of the Broncos (formerly of the Raiders), but he should be able to land a camp contract after a decent showing last year.
Seahawks Release Cliff Avril
The Seahawks announced they have released defensive end Cliff Avril with a failed physical designation. Avril lost half of the 2017 season to a neck injury which reportedly could keep him from returning to the field.
In January, Avril said that he would push to continue playing.
“I believe so,” Avril said when asked if he will return to the NFL. “Right now it’s all about recovery. I had surgery. I’m in the process of recovering. It’s a long process, a long journey. When I get to the end of that, then I’ll figure out what’s next.
“I mean, it’s something I love to do. It’s what I’ve been doing forever and, just as a competitor, I want to show that I can come back if it’s possible, you know? You do see all the injuries. You see the game from a different perspective when you’re on the sideline. And those thoughts do definitely pop into my head of ‘should I come back or not?’ But again, right now it’s all about recovery.”
Avril, a 10-year veteran, was slated to carry a cap charge of nearly $8MM in 2018. By releasing him, the Seahawks will be left with just $500K in dead money.
In 2017, Avril played only 151 defensive snaps before going down and garnered a disappointing 44.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. That was the lowest mark of Avril’s career, and he’d been an exceptional player as recently as 2015. In his nine seasons leading up to ’17, Avril totaled 73 sacks, including 20.5 between 2015 and 2016.
Right now, it’s unclear as to whether another team would risk putting Avril on the field given his recent injury history.
Raiders To Meet With LB Brian Cushing
[UPDATE: The Raiders have cancelled the meeting.]
Former Texans linebacker Brian Cushing is slated to visit the Raiders on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Raiders recently added Derrick Johnson to their linebacker group and Cushing could be the latest veteran to join. 
Cushing comes with question marks, including two career PED violations, the most recent of which cost him ten games in 2017. He has also struggled with knee issues that sidelined him in 2012 and 2013. Still, he was a significant contributor for the Texans in 2015 and 2016.
Cushing started all 104 regular season games he played with the Texans over the course of nine seasons with the team. Despite his achievements, the aforementioned bans and injuries have apparently hampered his market. We had Cushing ranked as the 12th best linebacker available heading into free agency. In retrospect, that may have been a bit too high. The 30-year-old (31 in July) met with the Seahawks in March, but left Seattle without a contract.
So far this offseason, Jon Gruden has overhauled the Raiders’ linebacking corps with the additions of Emmanuel Lamur, Tahir Whitehead, and Johnson in free agency. Meanwhile, Navorro Bowman remains in limbo.
Jets Sign 7 UDFAs
The Jets announced that they have signed seven undrafted free agents. Here’s the rundown:
- Dimitri Flowers, FB (Oklahoma)
- Reggie Flowers, CB (Jacksonville State)
- Austin Golson, OL (Auburn)
- Lord Hyeamang, DE (Columbia)
- Dakoda Shepley, G (University of British Columbia)
- Mychealon Thomas, DL (Texas Tech)
- Tre’ Williams, LB (Auburn)
Teams tend to sign at least ten UDFAs after the draft and sometimes upwards of 20, so we’re expecting the Jets to add more to the group in the coming days. The Jets reportedly have 40+ players auditioning on Friday, so it’s safe to say that a portion of those players will receive UDFA deals.
Fullbacks typically don’t get a ton of attention, but the versatility of Dimitri Flowers could appeal to the Jets. Flowers was often employed as an H-back at Oklahoma and showcased his ability to run the ball, catch passes, and block in the backfield. Flowers was called upon to serve as the Sooners’ primary ball carrier against Iowa State in 2016 and managed 115 yards off of 22 carries. Then past season, he had nine touchdowns in his final year on campus.
The signing of Williams has not been officially reported by the Jets, but Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes that he has received a sizable $47K+ guarantee to sign with the Jets. Although Williams is a bit undersized and lacks athleticism, he is a tireless worker who could project as a special teams player.
Falcons Interested In Terrell McClain
Terrell McClain is visiting with the Dolphins, but there are other clubs interested in his services. The Falcons have expressed some interest in McClain, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter), though they have yet to schedule a visit with him. 
McClain made a name for himself while with the Cowboys, particularly in 2016 when he started in 15 contests. Last year, he signed a four-year, $21MM+ free agent deal with the Redskins, but was bumped down to more of a reserve role. This week, the Redskins released him rather than keeping him on board for a (non-guaranteed) base of $3.25MM.
The Falcons are pretty well set at defensive tackle with Grady Jarrett, Jack Crawford, and rookie Deadrin Senat. Still, they could use some reinforcements after losing Dontari Poe this offseason. The recent extension for franchise quarterback Matt Ryan opened up a bit of cap space for Atlanta this season, so they have the flexibility to sign McClain to a low-cost deal.
Raiders To Sign LB Derrick Johnson
For the first time in his NFL career, Derrick Johnson will suit up for a team other than the Chiefs. The veteran linebacker has agreed to terms with the Raiders, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter). The news was first reported by Michael Silver of the NFL Network (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal, per the Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Redskins’ Bruce Allen Won’t Join Raiders]
Johnson may not be the player that he once was, but last season the 35-year-old still showed that he has something left in the tank. He also offers a great deal of experience and boasts four Pro Bowl nods and a First-Team All-Pro selection on his resume.
The Chiefs announced this offseason that they would not be re-signing Johnson, their all-time leading tackler. Since entering the league as a first round choice in 2005, Johnson has appeared in 182 games and amassed 1,262 career tackles.
The Raiders currently project to start Bruce Irvin, Tahir Whitehead, and Cory James at linebacker. It’s not clear whether Johnson will be given an opportunity to crack the starting lineup, but he could be a valuable depth piece and a mentor to younger players in the front seven.
Ravens Sign 15 UDFAs
The Ravens have signed 15 undrafted free agents. Here’s the complete list:
- Jaelon Acklin, WR (Western Illinois)
- Randin Crecelius, OL (Portland State)
- Gus Edwards, RB (Rutgers
- Justin Evans, G (South Carolina State)
- Nick Keizer, TE (Grand Valley State)
- Andre Levrone, WR (Virginia)
- Mason McKendrick, LB (John Carroll)
- Christian LaCouture, DL (LSU)
- Alvin Jones, LB (UTEP)
- Trent Sieg, LS (Colorado State)
- Mark Thompson, RB (Florida)
- Alex Thompson, C (Monmouth)
- De’Lance Turner, RB (Alcorn State)
- Kaare Vedvik, P (Marshall)
- Darious Williams, DB (UAB)
Jones started 43 games at UTEP and tallied 40 tackles for a loss over the course of his NFL career. That’s a pretty solid showing for someone who played quarterback in high school and was initially recruited to UTEP as a safety.
Five Florida Gators were drafted last week, but Thompson did not hear his name called. The talented running back will now get his opportunity to go from the Ravens’ 90-man offseason roster to their 53-man roster in the fall. In a limited sample of work, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry as a senior, though ball security was an issue for him at UF. He’ll have to keep the fumbles to a minimum this offseason as the team already has four running backs on the roster in Alex Collins, Javorius Allen, John Crockett, and Kenneth Dixon plus two other UDFA RBs in Edwards and Turner.
Vikings Sign Rookie Brian O’Neill
The Vikings officially signed second round pick Brian O’Neill, the team announced. The tackle was selected with the No. 62 overall selection.
O’Neill is now the fifth member of the Vikings draft class to ink his deal, following the signings of kicker Daniel Carlson, guard Colby Gossett, defensive end Ade Aruna, and linebacker Devante Downs on Thursday. As of this writing, Minnesota has just three rookies to go before wrapping up the entire class: cornerback Mike Hughes, defensive tackle Jalyn Holmes, and tight end Tyler Conklin.
O’Neill impressed evaluators with his athleticism during the draft process and his long wingspan should help him adjust to the game at the pro level. However, there are some concerns about consistency in his technique.
The Vikings project to start Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers at the tackle spots this year, but O’Neill will look to get in the rotation as a reserve.
Packers Sign 14 UDFAs
The Packers have officially signed 14 undrafted free agents in advance of their rookie minicamp. Here’s the full rundown:
- Jacob Alsadek, OL (Arizona)
- Parris Bennett, LB (Syracuse)
- Tim Boyle, QB (Eastern Kentucky)
- Austin Davis, C (Duke)
- Raven Greene, S (James Madison)
- Naashon Hughes, LB (Texas)
- C.J. Johnson, LB (East Texas)
- Tyler Lancaster, DT (Northwestern)
- Alex Light, OL (Richmond)
- Kyle Meadows, OT (Kentucky)
- Filipo Mokofisi, DT (Utah)
- Marcus Porter, LB (Fairmont State)
- Kevin Rader, TE (Youngstown State)
- Conor Sheehy, DE (Wisconsin)
Boyle began his collegiate career at UConn and started for the Huskies as a true freshman. Then, thanks to injuries and coaching changes, Boyle wound up on the bench for his sophomore and junior seasons. For his final NCAA year, he transferred to Eastern Kentucky and put himself on the NFL radar.
“It’s truly a dream come true,” Boyle said of signing with the Packers (via the team website). “I’ve been thinking about this moment pretty much the whole time I’ve been playing football. It’s been a long journey. A lot of ups and downs, but I’m finally here and it’s up to me now to make the most out of my opportunity.”
The Packers have Brett Hundley and DeShone Kizer behind Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart, but they did not select a QB in the draft, so Boyle may have a chance at sticking on the roster if he impresses this offseason. Hundley went 3-6 as a starter last year in Rodgers’ absence last year and coach Mike McCarthy was critical of his performance – as well as the staff’s job in preparing Hundley – when asked about the backup in February.
“Brett Hundley wasn’t ready for what he needed to be ready for,” the coach said (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “That’s something that we have to learn from, and that stings.”
Dolphins Meet With Terrell McClain
Veteran defensive tackle Terrell McClain is visiting the Dolphins today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). McClain was released by the Redskins after the draft. 
McClain was being pushed out of D.C. after the Redskins selected two defensive linemen in Da’Ron Payne (first round) and Tim Settle (fifth round). McClain appeared in 12 games with two starts for the Redskins last year, but he did not make a mark in his first season in the nation’s capital. He graded out as one of the three worst qualified defensive tackles in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus, though he did manage two sacks from the interior.
The Dolphins’ defensive line got a serious makeover this offseason thanks to the departure of Ndamukong Suh and the acquisition of Robert Quinn. Then, on Wednesday, they traded for one potential starter in defensive tackle Akeem Spence.
If the Dolphins don’t sign McClain, the Cowboys could be among the clubs to show interest in the veteran. McClain spent three years with Dallas and started in all 15 of his games in 2016. In that season, he managed 2.5 sacks from the interior and 39 total tackles.