Cardinals Sign Josh Jackson, Ben Niemann
After working out with the Cardinals during their minicamp this week, cornerback Josh Jackson and linebacker Ben Niemann landed spots on the team’s 90-man offseason roster. The team announced the signings Thursday afternoon.
Kliff Kingsbury indicated earlier this month the Cardinals would pursue veteran corners. That comment came not long after the news offseason addition Jeff Gladney died in a car accident May 30.
The Cardinals will be Jackson’s fourth team. The former second-round Packers draftee spent last year with the Giants, who acquired him from the Packers via trade, and the Chiefs, who gave Jackson a practice squad spot after the Giants waived him midseason. The Chiefs used Jackson in two regular-season games as well. The Iowa product’s NFL stock has dropped considerably, but he will have an opportunity to catch on with a Cards team light at corner.
Jackson, 26, started 10 games with Green Bay as a rookie in 2018 but has lined up as a first-stringer in only five contests since. He allowed a whopping 86% of the passes thrown his way to be completed in 2019, with that figure only dropping to 74% in 2020. The Packers, who drafted Eric Stokes in the 2021 first round, moved on via the trade — a straight-up swap for corner Isaac Yiadom. Jackson did not see any regular-season time with the Giants.
Niemann joined Jackson on the 2021 Chiefs and played for Kansas City throughout his rookie contract. The Chiefs used Niemann as a five-game starter in each of the past two seasons. While he did not start any of Kansas City’s playoff contests during his four-year Missouri run, the former UDFA played in each postseason game. Niemann, 27 in July, and Jackson were Hawkeyes teammates.
Arizona, which waived safety Javon Hagan on Thursday as well, has questions at corner beyond top cover man Byron Murphy. It would not surprise if the Cards signed a starter-caliber corner ahead of training camp. The team has first-rounders Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins stationed at linebacker, with the latter ticketed to start after the team’s Jordan Hicks release. The Cards did not draft an off-ball linebacker this year but have Tanner Vallejo, Joe Walker and seventh-year vet Nick Vigil rostered.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/15/22
An updated list of today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Jared Pinkney, RB A.J. Rose
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DE Alex Tchangam
Pinkney, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt, bounced around the NFL for much of the 2021 campaign, spending time with the Titans, Lions (two stints), and Rams. He got into a pair of games for Los Angeles, starting one.
Rose had a productive college career at Kentucky before going undrafted during the 2021 draft. He spent his entire rookie campaign with the Vikings organization but didn’t get into a game.
Patriots To Sign WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
While the Patriots lack a traditional No. 1-type wide receiver, the team has a host of notable options vying for spots. New England added another one Wednesday, agreeing to terms with former New Orleans contributor Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Ian Rapoport of NFLcom tweets.
Humphrey is joining the Pats on a one-year deal, adding an additional depth piece. Although it will not be automatic the fourth-year veteran makes the team’s 53-man roster, Humphrey is coming off a season that featured his first extended usage on offense.
A seldom-used backup over his first two seasons, the former Texas Longhorn played a role for the Saints on offense. New Orleans’ Michael Thomas-less season — a year in which the team started four quarterbacks — led to a host of wideouts seeing time. Humphrey averaged 19.2 yards per catch (13/249) and scored twice last season. His final Texas season produced an 86-catch, 1,176-yard, nine-touchdown stat line. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound wideout left school after that junior year.
Despite coming into the league as a UDFA three years ago, Humphrey is only going into his age-24 season. He will join a Pats receiving corps that houses holdovers Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor. New England traded for DeVante Parker and drafted Tyquan Thornton in the second round. Perennial trade candidate N’Keal Harry remains rostered, too, and the Pats also added ex-Humphrey Saints teammate Ty Montgomery this offseason.
Steelers Sign Minkah Fitzpatrick To Record-Setting Extension
The Steelers have reached agreement on an extension with All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The fifth-year defender signed a four-year contract which will pay him more than $18.4MM per year. The Steelers have announced the signing.
Schefter adds that the pact includes $36MM in guaranteed money. The deal comes as the 25-year-old was soon to begin a contract year in 2022. He was already on the books for one more season at $10.6MM, by virtue of his fifth-year option being picked up. Now, he is set be with the Steelers for the long-term.
Fitzpatrick quickly lived up to his draft stock as the No. 11 overall pick in 2018 with the Dolphins. His time in Miami was very short-lived, however, as he was dealt to Pittsburgh midway through the 2019 campaign. The Steelers paid a significant price to acquire him, sending a package which included a first-rounder, but Fitzpatrick has been worth it up to this point. Starting in all 46 contests he has appeared in with Pittsburgh, he has registered 203 tackles and 11 interceptions.
His level of play has earned him a pair of Pro Bowl nods and two appearances on the First-Team All-Pro list. As a result, the matter of an extension had long been seen as one of the top priorities for the Steelers’ front office, now led by Omar Khan. The possibility was raised of the Alabama alum conducting a ‘hold-in’ during mandatory minicamp to try and leverage a new deal, but that will no longer be necessary.
The value of this contract will make Fitzpatrick the league’s all-time highest-paid safety. Jamal Adams had held the top spot at $17.5MM-per-season, but this deal is the new watermark in a positional market which could continue to be on the rise with subsequent deals. Extensions for the likes of Derwin James and Jessie Bates will no doubt be influenced by this one.
“Minkah is one of the top safeties in the NFL and we are thrilled he will be in Pittsburgh through at least the next five years” Khan said, via the team’s website. “When we traded for him, we knew he was going to be an integral part of our defense and we look forward to that continuing as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
With fellow defensive pillar T.J. Watt under contract for the long-term already, the Steelers have another foundational player signed through the transition into the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. While questions remain on the offensive side of the ball heading into this season, the team’s pass defense will have one of its most important elements in place for the foreseeable future.
Bengals Sign Cordell Volson, Finish Signing Draft Class
The Bengals have finished signing their draft class. The team announced that they have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Cordell Volson to his rookie contract.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman set a school record at North Dakota State University by appearing in 65 career games (including 41 straight starts). His consistency earned him a pair of Associated Press FCS All-America first team nods, and he also won four FCS national championships during his six years at the school.
At 23 years old, Volson was one of the oldest prospects in the draft; he redshirted his freshman season and opted to use his extra year of college eligibility in 2021. The Bengals ultimately used the No. 136 pick in the draft to select the offensive lineman, making him the 11th offensive tackle off the board. The rookie will join a long list of newcomers on the offensive line, but unlike some of those acquisitions (center Ted Karras, right guard Alex Cappa, and right tackle La’el Collins), there’s little chance Volson starts, at least to start his career.
With this signing, the Bengals have officially completed the signing of their draft class:
Round 1: No. 31 Daxton Hill, S (Michigan) (signed)
Round 2: No. 60 (from Buccaneers through Bills) Cam Taylor-Britt, CB (Nebraska) (signed)
Round 3: No. 95 Zachary Carter, DL (Florida) (signed)
Round 4: No. 136 Cordell Volson, OL (North Dakota State)
Round 5: No. 166 (from Cardinals through Eagles, Texans and Bears): Tycen Anderson, S (Toledo) (signed)
Round 7: No. 252 Jeffrey Gunter, DE (Coastal Carolina) (signed)
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/14/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Wyatt Ray
- Placed on IR: DE/OLB Jordan Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: C Darryl Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: LB Travin Howard
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Willie Beavers, DT Justin Hamilton
Lions Sign TE Devin Funchess
Devin Funchess has not played since Week 1 of the 2019 season. The veteran pass catcher’s recent attempts to catch on with teams did not produce regular-season action, but he will receive another chance in a familiar place.
The Lions signed the former Michigan Wolverines standout and Detroit native Tuesday. They have listed the veteran as a tight end, which will mark a transition after his career outings have come at wide receiver. While Funchess, 28, was one of the NFL’s bigger wideouts, this will represent a challenge.
A four-year Panthers contributor, Funchess has been out of game action since suffering a season-ending injury in his 2019 Colts debut. Funchess signed with the Packers in 2020 but opted out of the league’s first COVID-19-impacted season. After his contract tolled to 2021, Funchess did not make Green Bay’s active roster. He spent part of last season on the 49ers’ practice squad.
In his receiver days, Funchess checked in at around 225 pounds. The 6-foot-4 target played a role on the Panthers’ Super Bowl 50-qualifying team as a rookie and led Carolina’s 2017 playoff-bound squad with a career-high 840 receiving yards; he scored eight touchdowns in that 2017 campaign. That season helped entice the Colts to sign him to a one-year, $10MM pact in 2019. A broken collarbone prevented Funchess from playing many snaps on that deal, and the ensuing developments have turned this Lions opportunity into a potential last-chance effort.
The Lions have T.J. Hockenson in place as their top tight end; unproven cogs line Detroit’s depth chart behind the starter. The team drafted James Mitchell in this year’s fifth round and signed Derrick Deese Jr. and Nolan Givan as UDFAs. Second-year UDFA Brock Wright is also on the roster. Mitchell and Deese have missed time during the Lions’ offseason program, giving Funchess an opportunity.
Ravens, DL Derek Wolfe Part Ways Via Injury Settlement
A day after Derek Wolfe revealed he underwent a second hip surgery this year, John Harbaugh said he is no longer with the Ravens. The sides parted ways Tuesday via an injury settlement, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (on Twitter).
Wolfe has been with the Ravens since signing as a free agent in 2020. While he played 14 games during that season, hip and back trouble sidelined the veteran defensive lineman for all of the 2021 season. The Ravens opened Wolfe’s IR-return window but did not end up activating him, leading to a full-season IR stay.
Wolfe, 32, will still walk away with some guaranteed money. His contract called for $3.6MM guaranteed in 2022. But the longtime starter’s career may be coming to a close. Post-surgery, Wolfe said he is looking to “live a normal life,” potentially pointing to his career wrapping after 10 years. Though Wolfe was on pain medication while making his statement, it is easy to see him walking away after this lengthy ordeal. The Cincinnati alum was considering retirement after the first of his two 2022 hip operations.
The former Broncos second-round pick has 116 starts on his resume. Wolfe has played through injuries for much of his career and missed Denver’s stretch run to Super Bowl XLVIII after being hospitalized due to seizure-like symptoms. He returned for the 2014 season, reclaiming his starting post, and teamed with Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Malik Jackson to form a dominant pass rush that took over the AFC championship game and Super Bowl 50 to close out the 2015 season.
Just prior to those playoffs, Wolfe signed an extension to stay in Denver. Although the Broncos did not give him the third contract he sought in 2020, Wolfe scored two deals with the Ravens. The interior D-lineman has earned more than $50MM during his career.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/13/22
Two players signed their rookie contracts today:
Baltimore Ravens
- P Jordan Stout (fourth round, Penn State)
Stout transferred to Penn State after two fairly inactive years at Virginia Tech. Stout served double-duty in Happy Valley kicking both punts and field goals. Stout kicked 100 punts during his time as a Nittany Lion, as well as converting 16 of 23 field goals and 34 of 36 extra points. Stout will be asked to fill big shoes after long-time Ravens punter Sam Koch announced his retirement last month. Stout will likely also be able to save All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker‘s leg a little stress, as Stout served as the kickoff specialist during his time at both Virginia Tech and Penn State.
Los Angeles Chargers
- S J.T. Woods (third round, Baylor)
Woods’s role as a safety changed a bit over his time in Waco. His first two years saw him play a bit more in the box, as he recorded 2.0 sacks and three fumble recoveries. He developed a bit of range in his next two years as a Bear, totaling eight interceptions over that time period. Woods even had a knack for being dangerous with the ball in his hands, averaging 25.13 return yards per interception. He showed true play-making ability as a senior recording 4.5 tackles for loss while also returning both an interception and a fumble for a touchdown. He adds safety depth to a Chargers roster with Nasir Adderley, Derwin James, and Alohi Gilman at the top of the depth chart.
Bears Release Jeremiah Attaochu, Sign Mike Pennel
The Bears made a roster swap of eight-year veterans today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, releasing linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu and signing defensive tackle Mike Pennel. Both defenders have spent their careers as role players, earning starts here and there without ever consistently serving as a starter on defense. 
Attaochu was a second-round pick for the Chargers back in 2014. He made an immediate impact in his NFL debut, recording a strip sack and a blocked punt. He had the best year of his career in his sophomore season. Attaochu started 12 games that year, recording a career-highs in sacks (6.0), tackles for loss (15.0), quarterback hits (17), and tackles (44 solo and 11 assisted). He added a forced fumble and one pass defensed for good measure. In his last season with the Chargers, Attaochu only started one game and was limited to eight appearances due to ankle and foot injuries.
Attaochu signed as a free agent with San Francisco but was released before the season started. He was quickly picked up by the Jets but was only used in a limited capacity recording 2.0 sacks in eleven games. The next offseason, Attaochu signed with the Chiefs as a free agent but, once again, was released on September 1st, before the season.
Attaochu stayed unsigned a bit longer this time, finally joining the Broncos in October of the 2019 NFL season. He did enough during his first year with the Broncos to get re-signed on another one-year deal. During his two-year tenure in Denver, Attaochu started ten games, recording 8.5 sacks, 11.0 tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits, also forcing and recovering one fumble a piece.
His resurgence in Denver led the Bears to sign Attaochu to a two-year deal last offseason. He played fairly limited snaps as a Bear in five games before suffering a pectoral tear that would sideline him for the rest of the season. By waiting to cut Attaochu after June 1, the Bears reduced their dead money over the next two years from $2.25MM to $1.05MM.
In a corresponding move, the Bears brought in the 31-year-old Pennel. After going undrafted in 2014, Pennel has stayed an impressive eight years in the league, starting as a bit of a reserve defensive lineman before evolving into more of a rotational contributor over the last five years of his career. Pennel has 16 starts over his career, along with 2.0 sacks and 176 total career tackles. He’ll likely compete with Khyiris Tonga for playing time behind Angelo Blackson and Justin Jones in Chicago.