Minor Moves: Bowanko, Broncos, Rice Jr.
Here are an assortment of moves on this Monday afternoon…
- The Jaguars have announced the signing of sixth-round pick Luke Bowanko, according to the team’s Twitter account. His signing bonus will be worth $94,052, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- The Panthers have signed punter Jordan Gay and cut offensive linemen Travis Bond, Michael Jasper and Phillipkeith Manley, according to the team’s Twitter account. Gay was waived by the Giants last week.
- The Broncos have signed a trio of players, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter): Charles Mitchell, Chase Vaughn and Greg Hardin. Mitchell is a former draft pick of the Falcons and Vaughn has been in the UFL since 2010. Hardin was announced as an undrafted free agent signee last week.
- The Broncos also waived injured defensive end John Youboty, according to Lindsay Jones of USA Today (via Twitter). The former practice squad participant suffered an achilles injury and is expected to be placed on the IR after clearing waivers.
- The Bears have released running back Willie Carter, writes ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright.
- Jerry Rice Jr. will join the 49ers for the rookie minicamp, the player announced on his twitter. The son of legendary receiver Jerry Rice will be a non-roster player, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
NFC Rookie Minicamp Notes: Jones, Lucas, Starr, Moses, Norwood
Bears undrafted free agent Christian Jones worked at strong-side linebacker during the team’s rookie minicamp, according to Adam Hoge of 670 AM/CBSChicago.com. Jones, a physically gifted linebacker, played a prominent role for national champion Florida State, seeing snaps at all three linebacker spots as well as rushing the passer. He was projected as a third-round pick based on talent evaluation, but a failed drug test caused him to tumble out of the draft entirely. Thin at linebacker, the Bears pounced on Jones, who says he stands to benefit from focusing on one position. He also revealed what gave the Bears the edge when it came time to choose a team: Jones’ father played with Bears linebackers coach Reggie Herring at FSU.
In other news from various NFC minicamps. . .
- The Lions see big upside in 6-9, 328-pound undrafted free agent offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas, writes Carlos Monarrrez in the Detroit Free Press. Lucas, a two-year starter at Kansas State, suffered a stress fracture in his left foot two weeks before the combine, but his rare size and eye-popping 88-inch wing span piqued the interest of the Lions, who “did show the most interest in him and began contacting him when the fourth round of the draft began as they attempted to land a steal in the priority free-agent market.” As ESPN’s Michael Rothstein points out, Lucas’ developmental value is noteworthy considering defensive line coach Jim Washburn was able to turn undrafted free agent LaAdrian Waddle into an eight-game starter.
- Falcons seventh-rounder Tyler Starr is a longshot worth keeping an eye on, writes ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, who says Starr “has a quick first step and plays with some power. He even beat first-round pick Jake Matthews around the edge on Sunday while showing a burst not typical of a late-round pick.” Starr lacks ideal speed and power, but the Missouri Valley’s Defensive Player of the Year is a high-motor defender whose 6.64-second three-cone drill bested all pass rushers at the combine.
- Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay spoke with Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota and said the team had a third/fourth-round grade on seventh-rounder Terrance Mitchell, a cornerback out of Oregon.
- ESPN’s John Keim took in Redskins minicamp and gave brief thoughts on the team’s draft picks, including third-round tackle Morgan Moses, who could require some patience.
NFC Roundup: Suh, Cowboys, Bears, Eagles
Despite the fact that he will be attending organized team activities this week, Ndamukong Suh continues to be the subject of trade rumors. According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, teams are still contacting the Lions to inquire about Suh, despite Detroit claiming that no teams have shown interest (Twitter links). A trade of the All-Pro defensive tackle would yield almost $3MM in cap space for the Lions, but Suh’s 2014 $12.55MM base salary would probably prove too costly for any team looking to acquire him. In order for a trade to take place, it would probably take a willingness from Suh to restructure his deal, along with a first- or second-round pick heading to Detroit.
More news from the NFC:
- The Cowboys have a fondness for Boise State players, so it was logical that the team surrendered its second- and third-round picks to move up and select BSU linebacker Demarcus Lawrence, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. “We like Boise guys,” said Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. “We always take a hard look at where the player has played, what kind of program [it is] and what that program is all about. They do a great job up there. It’s a very competitive program. The players that come out of there compete; they play hard. We’ve got two of them,” he said, referencing Orlando Scandrick and Tyrone Crawford.
- Jason Witten was pleased with the Cowboys draft, as he believes the selection of guard Zack Martin shows Dallas wants to improve to the running game, according to Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think it says a lot about where our football team’s headed,” said Witten. “It was huge for us, because for a long time, we didn’t have that solidified. I think it speaks volumes for where we’re at and where we’re trying to go.”
- Despite the presence of veteran corners Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings, Bears first-rounder Kyle Fuller is expected to contribute in 2014, specifically because of the spread offense. “Typically, at least half of the snaps that you’ll play in the season will be with five defensive backs in the game,” said defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. “And sometimes you’ll go into game weeks or games and almost every snap will be in sub personnel…A third corner is like a starter. A third corner plays as much if not more than your third linebacker in a 4-3″ (per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times).
- Eagles second-rounder Jordan Matthews is expected to replace Jason Avant in the slot, and fellow rookie receiver Josh Huff isn’t thought of as a field-stretcher, but that hasn’t stopped the DeSean Jackson comparions, writes Martin Frank of USA Today.
- 49ers coach John Harbaugh is known as a quarterback guru, and after San Francisco added Josh Johnson to compete for the third QB role, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com ran through the extensive list of signal-callers that Harbaugh and company have brought in over the past three seasons.
Bears Sign 11 Undrafted Free Agents
MAY 18: The Bears continue to add to their UDFA crop, signing former Louisville running back Senorise Perry (per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) and cornerback Marcus Trice, formerly of North Texas (per Grice’s agent Josh Thomas (via Twitter). Both attended the Bears’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
MAY 11: The Bears have signed nine undrafted free agents, according to a series of tweets from the team. The list of players headed to Chicago is as follows:
- Cody Booth, T, Temple ($1K bonus, per Brad Biggs)
- James Dunbar, G, TCU ($1.5K bonus)
- Brandon Dunn, DT, Louisville ($8K bonus)
- Ryan Groy, G, Wisconsin ($8K bonus)
- Christian Jones, LB, Florida State ($7K bonus)
- DeDe Lattimore, LB, South Florida ($1.5K bonus)
- Jordan Lynch, RB, Northern Illinois ($3K bonus)
- Tana Patrick, LB, Alabama ($750 bonus)
- Lee Pegues, DT, East Carolina ($3.5K bonus)
NFC North Notes: Kromer, Packers, Lions
Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer may not call the plays in Chicago (noted offensive mastermind/head coach Marc Trestman performs that duty), but that doesn’t mean his impact on offensive production is limited. Working mostly with the offensive line, Kromer molded a unit that was among the league’s worst in 2012 into one of 2013’s elite lines. The Bears’ line, infused with talent in the forms of Jermon Bushrod and Kyle Long, gave up only 30 sacks (fourth-fewest in the NFL), and finished with a fifth-best 5.5% adjusted sack rate (per Football Outsiders).
Kromer will expand his duties in 2014, writes Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, as the coordinator aims to work more with the Bears’ quarterbacks and receivers. “It’s given myself a chance to broaden my horizons and not spend 100 percent of my time with the offensive line when it comes to practice and meeting time,” said Kromer. “Sometimes an offensive line coach can get pigeon-holed into just doing that job.”
More items from the NFC North:
- Packers general manager Ted Thompson doesn’t sound like he’s ready to leave Green Bay just yet, telling reporters he’s “just getting started” after the conclusion of the draft, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Reports surfaced earlier this month that indicated Thompson might be nearing the end of his tenure in Green Bay.
- Retired NFL kicker Jason Hanson was at the Lions’ rookie minicamp over the weekend, primarily to help seventh-round kicker Nate Freese, who had a 86.4% field goal-conversion rate while at Boston College, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- In a separate piece, Twentyman writes that Lions second-year receiver Corey Fuller has an extra reason to want to make the Detroit roster: to play against his brother (and now, divisonal rival), Bears first-round corner Kyle Fuller.
- The Lions have changed their approach with regards to undrafted free agents, according to Justin Rogers of MLive.com. While the team had previously waited until the sixth- or seventh-round to make contact with potential UDFAs, Detroit now starts placing calls to prospects as early as the fourth round. This strategy of displaying early interest in a players aided the Lions in signing Kansas State offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas.
- In his latest mailbag, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling opines that the battle for the Vikings starting QB job between Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel could play out much like the Russell Wilson–Matt Flynn situation during Seattle’s 2012 training camp.
Minor Moves: Sunday
We will keep an eye on any minor transactions from today and update this post with news of any such transactions (most recent news on top).
- The Patriots have signed sixth-round cornerback Jemea Thomas, tweets his agency, Universal Sports Management. Thomas played college football at Georgia Tech.
- The Saints will sign edge player Cheta Ozougwu, who spent the past two seasons with the Bears before being waived about a month ago, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).
Earlier Updates:
- The Colts have waived WR Greg Moore and signed WR Ryan Lankford, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
- The Bears will release punter Drew Butler, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The release was confirmed via Twitter by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The release leaves the door open for new draftee Pat O’Donnell to become the team’s punter.
Volin On Roster Crunches: Roos, Hardy, Hali
The more successful franchises in the league always have an eye towards the so-called “second wave” of free agency when they construct their draft boards and begin drafting players. They can determine the potential cap casualties and the players who might be released from another squad simply because of a roster crunch, and they can identify which of those players might fill a need on their club that was not necessarily addressed via the draft. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe takes a look and those players whose security with their current club took a hit after last week’s draft. Some of the highlights:
- Michael Roos: Roos is perhaps the most obvious name of the group, given that the Titans signed Michael Oher in free agency and selected Taylor Lewan in the first round of the draft. That’s not to mention Roos’ $6.62MM salary cap number and the fact that Tennessee would not take on any dead money by releasing him.
- Matt Forte: Forte’s inclusion on this list is somewhat surprising, and although Volin notes he will almost certainly remain with the Bears this season, Volin goes on to say that the tread on Forte’s tires, along with his $8.8MM 2015 cap number and the team’s drafting of Ka’Deem Carey, could lead to Forte’s release after the season.
- Jeremy Maclin: “The writing is on the wall for Maclin,” as Volin points out that the Eagles gave Riley Cooper the long-term deal while handing out a one-year contract to Maclin, and then went on to draft Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff on the second day of the draft.
- Tamba Hali: Hali is another player who will remain with the only team he has ever known in 2014, but the Chiefs drafted Dee Ford in the first round of the draft and Hali has a $12MM cap number in 2015 (his contract expires at the end of 2015).
- Greg Hardy: obviously Hardy is safe for 2014, having signed the franchise tender worth over $13MM, but Volin writes the Panthers will have to reevaluate the future of their star defensive end considering his legal troubles this offseason and the selection of Kony Ealy in the second round of the draft.
Ditka Talks Rookies, RBs, Michael Sam
With the NFL Draft and the majority of free agency in the rearview mirror, former Bears tight end and coach Mike Ditka explores the weeks from now until in his weekly writing, “Four downs with Ditka,” for the Chicago Sun-Times. Among the topics touched on by the Hall of Famer were the Bears’ new punter, the disappearance of the elite running back and Michael Sam.
On what the coaches will be looking for from rookies in minicamp:
“The coaches have done their homework and watched all the film on these guys. Now they are looking for how they adapt to what the Bears are doing. They have to fit them in to the way the Bears play their system on offense and defense. What happens now, it’s more or less an educational system for these players to understand they have to play in a certain system that’ll likely be different than the one they played in college.”
On the days of the featured running back being over:
“The game has evolved now to where it’s more of a passing game, and teams look at the running back as not being that instrumental. But I know this: If you don’t have a good one, you have a problem. I know we had a good one in Walter Payton, who was the greatest one I have ever seen. All the great teams over the years, except for the Patriots, usually had a pretty good running back — the Steelers, Cowboys, Rams. The good teams have always had a bell cow running back. I don’t know why teams are suddenly going away from this. It’s probably because they feel it’s a position they can get lower in the draft.”
On the Bears taking punter Pat O’Donnell in the sixth round:
“I don’t see any problem with that. Here’s why they did it, I think: They didn’t have anyone else on their board that really jumped out at them. And they wanted a punter because they needed one for competition and they don’t have one. I think you have to be realistic at that point of the draft and say, ‘How many of those guys will really make your team?’ A few do, but it’s not a high percentage. I don’t see any problem with taking a punter at that point.”
On if Michael Sam was drafted lower because of his sexuality:
“Look, if a guy is a good football player — and I assume he is; he had a pretty good track record at Missouri — you would think that people would have taken him earlier. So now, when you get to that point in the draft and [Rams coach] Jeff [Fisher] sees him sitting there, and he knows he has talent, and he knows he has the ability to rush the passer and everything else, he jumps up and takes him. You have to look at it this way: Either Jeff got a steal, or the rest of the teams dropped him for other reasons.”
Bears Notes: Lynch, Jones, Palmer, Britton
Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch didn’t get a chance to hear his name called at the NFL Draft last week, but he is committed to making an NFL roster with the Bears, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. Lynch lined up in the backfield as a running back during the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend, fitting in with the other running backs just fine.
“Jordan’s a real football player, there’s no doubt about it,” said head coach Marc Trestman. “In Day 1, he certainly didn’t look out of place.
“It wasn’t tough at all,” Lynch said of his new position. “I’m a football player. I love football, and I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the NFL. I guess the toughest thing is some footwork drills playing running back and just trying to pick up on little things with special teams and running back.”
Here are some more notes from Bears’ rookie minicamp:
- Trestman said the team is closely following the play of undrafted free agent linebacker Christian Jones our of Florida State, reports Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter). Trestman noted his athleticism as an asset for the team.
- Although sixth-round pick David Fales is practicing at the team’s rookie minicamp, Trestman still believes Jordan Palmer will be Jay Cutler‘s backup in 2014, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).
- Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer believes the starting five on the offensive line is solid, and that Eben Britton will be competing to be the sixth lineman, reports Jahns in a separate tweet. “We feel good about our starting five,” said Kromer.
NFC North Notes: Bears, Houston, Packers, Vikings
Following one of the worst defensive seasons in team history, the Bears’ scheme under defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will “undergo significant alterations in 2014,” says ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “There are some significant changes in terms of techniques that we’re going to play; how we’re going to fit the run, some of our alignments,” Tucker said. “We’ll have some alternative fronts that we’ll play. I’m not sure how much of a difference you’ll see during the OTAs and things like that because we’re going to work to lay the foundation on our base principles and techniques, which will allow us to do pretty much anything we want down the road.” Wright also mentions that the team plans to cross train all of the defensive linemen in an effort to achieve better flexibility and versatility.
In other NFC North notes. . .
- Lions veteran cornerback Chris Houston had toe surgery earlier this week, and the team is uncertain if he’ll be ready for the start of training camp, writes Dave Birkett in the Detroit Free Press.
- The Packers drafted four defensive rookies. Of the group, first-round safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and third-round defensive lineman Khyri Thornton are expected to contribute as rookies. “There’s a reasonable chance Clinton-Dix will be plugged in as a starter on Day 1 of training camp,” says Tyler Dunne in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Thornton, while raw, was taken in the third round for a reason. Green Bay envisions him adding rotational juice to the defensive line.”
- Because of an NFL rule, Vikings rookies Anthony Barr, Scott Crichton and David Yankey can’t join the team full-time until next month, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. The players’ schools — UCLA, Oregon State and Stanford, respectively — are on quarters instead of semesters, and the players are required to return to school until the term ends in June.
- Meanwhile, the Vikings envision third-round pick Jerick McKinnon, an option quarterback at Georgia Southern, as the type of complimentary, all-purpose back that has thrived in so many of offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s units, writes ESPN’s Ben Goessling.