NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/19
We’ll keep track the latest late-round draft pick signings here:
- The Ravens announced the signings of running back Justice Hill (fourth round), guard Ben Powers (fourth round), cornerback Iman Marshall (fourth round), and defensive tackle Daylon Mack (fifth round). With that, the Ravens have just four stragglers left to go.
- The Giants inked defensive back Julian Love (fourth round), tackle George Asafo-Adjei (seventh round), and defensive tackle Chris Slayton (seventh round).
- The Packers, as of this writing, have four draft picks under contract – sixth-round cornerback Dexter Williams and seventh-round linebacker Ty Summers signed their deals, following the lead of the club’s first round picks.
Packers Sign 11 UDFAs
The Packers revealed their UDFA class on Friday. Here are the players who will try to take the long way to making Green Bay’s roster.
- Curtis Bolton, LB (Oklahoma)
- Matt Eaton, WR (Iowa State)
- Kabion Ento, CB (Colorado)
- Javien Hamilton, CB (Ole Miss)
- Davis Koppenhaver, TE (Duke)
- Yosh Nijman, T (Virginia Tech)
- Randy Ramsey, LB (Arkansas)
- Greg Roberts, LB (Baylor)
- Nydair Rouse, CB (West Chester)
- Manny Wilkins, QB (Arizona State)
- Larry Williams, G (Oklahoma State)
The three linebackers join seventh-round pick Ty Summers in adding to Green Bay’s defensive second level depth. Bolton was a one-year starter at Oklahoma, with Ramsey having been a two-season starter at Temple. Ramsey also saw action on the Owls’ defensive line. A 26-game Baylor starter, Roberts received a $7K signing bonus and $65K base salary guarantee, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).
Wilkins was the Sun Devils’ starting quarterback for three seasons. Joining Aaron Rodgers, DeShone Kizer and 2018 UDFA Tim Boyle, Wilkins represents the Packers’ only offseason QB addition. In addition to throwing 52 touchdown passes in three seasons, Wilkins rushed for 20 TDs and gained 1,035 yards on the ground.
Packers Sign Rashan Gary
The Packers officially have both of their first round picks on board. The day after signing 21st overall pick Darnell Savage Jr. to his rookie contract, Green Bay has agreed to terms with Rashan Gary, the team announced in a release.
The Packers drafted the Michigan pass-rusher twelfth overall. Savage was the first of the 2019 first round picks to sign, and the Packers are making quick work of signing their draft picks. The Packers have made a bunch of big moves to upgrade their defense this season, starting in free agency.
They signed pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith away from the Ravens, and safety Adrian Amos from the Bears. Then they drafted Gary and Savage last week, and all four should start next season. It’s safe to say Green Bay’s defense will look radically different in 2019. Gary formed his own agency before the draft, which raised some eyebrows. Clearly it didn’t complicate negotiations at all, as he got his deal done pretty quickly.
Gary is an insane athlete who was widely regarded as one of the top defensive players available in the draft. There was some concern about his lack of statistical production with the Wolverines, but the Packers weren’t bothered. Green Bay reportedly plans to use him at outside linebacker. We won’t know for sure for a while, but so far the first offseason of the Matt LaFleur era seems to be going nicely for the Packers.
Gary’s contract will be a standard four-year pact with a fifth-year option, and he will earn $15.877MM over the first four years of the deal. His signing bonus should be right around $9.567MM.
Packers Sign Darnell Savage Jr.
The Packers have already signed first-round draft pick Darnell Savage Jr. to his rookie contract, as NFL Insider Adam Caplan tweets. Savage is the first 2019 first-round choice to put pen to paper.
Savage was Green Bay’s second choice in the first round, and the Packers traded two fourth-round selections to move up nine spots to land the Maryland product with the No. 21 overall pick. Savage, a safety, has a great chance to become an instant starter alongside free agent acquisition Adrian Amos and should help solidify the Packers’ defensive backfield. He represents yet another example of the Packers’ attempts to shore up their defense this offseason.
Savage’s stock rose pretty dramatically in the weeks leading up to the draft. He put himself on the map as a junior with 59 tackles, eight pass breakups, and three interceptions, and he delivered yet again last year with four picks, two pass breakups, and 52 tackles (5.5 tackles for loss). He really impressed in workouts, however, and evaluators began to see him in a whole new light.
At 5’11 and 198 pounds, Savage lacks ideal size for the next level. However, the Packers feel that his athleticism, combined with his football IQ and his instincts, will make him a success story in the NFL.
Savage’s contract will be a standard four-year pact with a fifth-year option, and he will earn $12.5MM over the first four years of the deal.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/29/19
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: C Kyle Friend
Denver Broncos
- Signed: K Taylor Bertolet (AAF)
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OL Nico Siragusa, DB Jason Thompson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: C Tejan Koroma
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Kolone
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: WR Steven Dunbar, DB Godwin Igwebuike, CB Tarvarus McFadden, LB James Onwualu, WR Jordan Smallwood, P Justin Vogel, S Terrell Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- K Phillip Anderson, LB Riley Bullough, DE Hunter Dimick, P Hayden Hunt, DE Nick Thurman
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: NT Darius Kilgo
Seahawks Trade No. 21 To Packers
The Packers are moving up. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that Green Bay has acquired pick No. 21 from the Seahawks. In exchange, Seattle will receive No. 30, No. 114, and No. 118.
The Packers will use their new pick to select Maryland safety Darnell Savage. The defensive back was a three-year starter with the Terrapins, including a 2018 campaign where he compiled 38 tackles and four interceptions. Savage also has limited experience returning punts.
Standing at 5-foot-11, Savage is a bit undersized for safety. However, the prospect makes up for his lack of size with blistering speed and an ability to read receivers. In passing situations, Savage should use his ball-hawking ability to break up passes. In running situations, the safety has shown the ability to smother the ball carrier.
Savage will join a young defensive backs corps that includes a pair of 2018 picks in cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. The rookie should start immediately alongside free agent addition Adrian Amos.
Drew Lock An Option For Packers?
Fourteen years ago, the Packers bypassed top help for Brett Favre by taking Aaron Rodgers. After being far more active in free agency this offseason than they were in Ted Thompson‘s first as GM in 2005, would Brian Gutekunst use a similar strategy?
After using a 30 visit on Drew Lock, the Packers indeed like the former Missouri quarterback, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Green Bay also tried to meet with Daniel Jones but could not set up a visit. However, Lock might not be an option for the team with their initial first-round pick.
The Packers hold picks No. 12 and No. 30, and in reporting the team’s interest in Lock is real, Albert Breer of SI.com notes going quarterback might be a strategy for the Packers if Lock starts falling on Thursday night. Both Breer and NBC Sports’ Peter King sent tight end Noah Fant to the Packers at No. 12 before giving Rodgers more help at No. 30 with a wide receiver.
As of last week, Lock’s stock was believed to be dropping — to the point he might be an option late in the first round. The four-year Mizzou starter will not fall out of Round 1, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. He could then be a consideration for teams that passed on a quarterback with their first pick, with JLC adding there is no shortage of teams at the end of Round 1 willing to trade out of the first round. This would help a quarterback-needy team, with Round 1 securing 2019 prospects’ rights through the 2023 season.
Having vacillated between the second and fourth quarterback prospect in this draft, Lock visited the passer-needy teams. If it’s true his value resides closer to the end of the first round than the middle of it, seeing which team makes the move will make the final picks of opening night much more interesting.
Packers To Exercise Kenny Clark’s Option
The Packers intend to exercise the fifth-year option on Kenny Clark‘s contract, GM Brian Gutekunst says (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). The Packers technically have until the May 3 deadline to formally make the move. 
“He’s a dominant player on the defensive front,” Gutekunst said of the defensive tackle.
Last year, Clark enjoyed a solid third pro season. The 23-year-old (24 in October) put up a career-high six sacks and matched his 2017 tackles total with 55. Unfortunately, his season was halted by an elbow injury in December, but he was Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked interior lineman in the NFL when he was placed on IR.
After a strong showing in 2018, picking up Clark’s option was something of a no-brainer for Green Bay brass. With the move, the young standout will be under contract through the 2020 season.
You can keep track of every fifth-year option decision in the NFL with PFR’s handy tracker.
Packers Notes: TE, Little
The Packers will bring back veteran tight ends Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis in 2019, but that given that both players are over the age of 30, tight end must be a priority for Green Bay in next weekend’s draft, opines Jim Owczarski of PackersNews.com. Given that they own 10 picks and possess the fourth-most draft capital, the Packers will certainly have an opportunity to find a youthful tight end. With the 12th overall selection, Green Bay could theoretically target Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson, while fellow Hawkeye Noah Fant or Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. could be in play with pick No. 30. The 2019 draft class is exceptionally deep at tight end, so the Packers should have plenty of chances to add to the position throughout the weekend.
- Speaking of the Packers‘ draft, Green Bay recently hosted Ole Miss offensive tackle Greg Little, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Not to be confused with the former Browns receiver of the same name, this Little is anything but at 6’6″, 325 pounds. Viewed as a potential Day 2 selection, Little could help reinforce a Packers offensive line that took a step back in 2018. While left tackle should be manned by David Bakhtiari for the foreseeable future, right tackle Bryan Bulaga is entering the final year of his contract.
Packers Claim K Sam Ficken
The Packers have claimed kicker Sam Ficken off of waivers from the Seahawks, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ficken now appears poised to compete for the club’s kicking job alongside Mason Crosby. 
Ficken served as Greg Zuerlein‘s injury replacement, but the Rams cut him prior to Zuerlein recovering. Ficken’s brief trial period ended after he missed two of three field goal tries between Weeks 3 and 4.
Crosby, meanwhile, has been the Packers’ kicker since entering the league in 2007. On the whole, Crosby has been very solid, but he had some shaky moments last year, including four missed field goals in a 31-23 loss to the Lions in October.
For his career, Crosby has converted on 80.4% of his field goal tries and 98% of his extra point attempts.