Draft Signings: Vikings, Chiefs, Eagles, Jags
We’re dedicating full posts to first- and second-round picks who sign their rookie contracts, but we’ll be recapping the remaining mid-to-late round signings in posts like this one. Here are the latest draftees to agree to terms with the clubs that selected them earlier in May:
- Vikings third round pick Scott Crichton tweeted out a picture of himself signing his rookie deal. The Oregon State defensive end racked up 22.5 career sacks in three seasons. With Crichton in the fold, Minnesota has just one unsigned rookie remaining: third-round running back Jerick McKinnon.
- The Chiefs have signed fifth-round quarterback Aaron Murray, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Kansas City is now one player away from locking up its modest six-player draft class, with only first-rounder Dee Ford left to sign.
- Fifth-round safety Ed Reynolds has agreed to terms with the Eagles on his four-year rookie contract, the club announced today (via Twitter). The Stanford product is in line for a signing bonus worth about $184K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
- The Jaguars have also signed a fifth-round pick, securing defensive end Chris Smith, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Smith went three spots ahead of Reynolds, at 159th overall, meaning he figures to receive a slightly larger bonus of about $187K.
- The Bengals inked a pair of draft picks today, signing sixth-round linebacker Marquis Flowers and seventh-round wideout James Wright to four-year deals, says Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Flowers and Wright are the first two draftees that have reached agreements with the Bengals so far this month.
Checking In On Draft Pick Signings
Under old NFL Collective Bargaining Agreements, the time between the draft and the regular season represented a period of uncertainty for many rookies, with no assurances that contracts would get signed before training camps opened in the summer. However, the current CBA has expedited the process significantly, essentially locking in signing bonus and contract values by draft slot, meaning that deals are being completed faster than ever and holdouts are becoming a thing of the past.
With the help of our list of draft pick signings by team, here are a few details on which contracts have been finalized so far, and which ones still need to be signed:
- 139 draftees have signed, or at least agreed to terms, so far. Since 256 players were drafted in total, that leaves 117 who still have to sign.
- Although more than half of this year’s draft picks have been locked up, that ratio doesn’t extend to first-rounders. Only six of those 32 players have reached agreements with their respective clubs so far — Khalil Mack (No. 5), Anthony Barr (No. 9), Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 12), Kyle Fuller (No. 14), Brandin Cooks (No. 20), and Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32). There shouldn’t be any problems with the contracts for any first-round picks, but there are a few more details to negotiate for those players, including overall guaranteed money.
- Conversely, the deals for seventh-rounders are less complicated to work out, so it’s not surprising that 33 of 41 seventh-round picks have agreed to terms on their deals. Four of those eight unsigned seventh-rounders were drafted by the Rams, who have yet to sign any of their picks.
- The Saints and Bears made quick work of the draft pick signing period, having signed all of their 2014 draftees to rookie contracts already. The Chargers, Colts, and Giants each have just one player left to lock up.
- On the other hand, several clubs are taking their time to sign their draft picks, or at least are in no rush to announce those deals — in addition to the Rams, the Broncos, Bengals, Dolphins, and Browns have yet to ink any rookie contracts.
- To check out the pick-by-pick breakdown of signing bonuses and contract values for each draft slot, be sure to visit OverTheCap.com.
Minor Moves: Eagles, Cards, Pats, Bengals
The Eagles have released wide receiver Arrelious Benn, the team announced today (via Twitter). The former second-round pick, who is returning from a torn ACL, had been set to earn a base salary of $1MM, so it’s not a real surprise that the club decided to cut him. However, multiple Eagles beat writers, including Zach Berman and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links) believe the former Buccaneer could be re-signed at a lesser salary.
Here are a few more of Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Cardinals have claimed defensive tackle Christian Tupou off waivers from the 49ers, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Another former Niner, linebacker Darius Fleming, has signed with the Patriots, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter).
- A day after he was cut by the Jaguars, quarterback Matt Scott has been claimed off waivers by the Bengals, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Scott essentially takes the spot on the depth chart vacated by Josh Johnson, who was recently released by Cincinnati.
Earlier updates:
- Just days after signing him as a rookie free agent, the Dolphins have waived defensive end Gannon Conway, the club announced today (via Twitter).
- To make room on the roster for Okoye, whose signing is noted below, the Cowboys cut linebacker Jonathan Stewart, the team announced today.
- The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, the veteran’s agents told ESPN’s Adam Caplan. The former 10th overall pick was a longtime starter for the Texans before joining the Bears for the 2011 season. Okoye saw limited action in Chicago during the 2012 season and missed the entire 2013 campaign due to health issues, but the Cowboys have long had interest in him, having checked in on him last summer.
- Shortly after he was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley State, offensive tackle Tevon Conrad has been waived, according to the team (via Twitter).
- The Bills have cut wide receiver Brandon Kaufman, the club announced today in a press release. Kaufman joined the Bills last summer, was waived before the regular season, then rejoined the team’s practice squad in December before inking a futures deal at season’s end.
Minicamp Notes: Jets, Packers, Bears, Colts
Most of the NFL’s 32 teams will be conducting rookie minicamps this weekend, where clubs will get a first look at their draftees, and undrafted prospects and unsigned free agents will have a chance to make their case for a roster spot. Let’s check in on the latest links related to these rookie camps:
- The Jets‘ rookie minicamp is underway and the team has announced that 37 players are in attendance on a tryout basis, vying for spots on the roster. Former Buccaneers defensive back Ahmad Black is among the notable names on the list.
- Tight end Colt Lyerla, who was plagued by off-field issues at Oregon, is among the free agents getting a chance to audition for a roster spot at the Packers‘ rookie minicamp this week. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter) shares a photo of Green Bay’s full minicamp roster.
- Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter) provides a PDF link to the Bears‘ rookie minicamp roster, which includes 38 invitees auditioning for a spot on the team.
- In a series of four tweets, Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star lists the unsigned players brought in by the Colts to participate in the club’s rookie minicamp.
- The Buccaneers‘ rookie minicamp roster includes five players from the University of South Florida, as Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune notes before listing the participants.
- Don’t expect to hear any updates about a Giants‘ rookie minicamp. The club is one of two teams – the Bengals are the other – that elected to bypass the rookie minicamp this year, as head coach Tom Coughlin explains to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The Giants opted to immediately mix its new additions in with the veteran players instead.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Burfict, Savage
In this week’s chat, a reader asked Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News which Dallas professional sports coach will be the first to get fired. While Rangers skipper Ron Washington is in some trouble, Cowlishaw believes there’s even more pressure on Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to succeed. Another 8-8 season wouldn’t bode well for Garrett’s future but at the same time, Jerry Jones is very fond of him. More from around the NFL..
- Reps for Vontaze Burfict met with the Bengals this week and sides are making progress on a new deal, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). As it stands, the linebacker is set to earn $570K in 2014 before reaching restricted free agency.
- Tom Savage‘s deal with the Texans is a four-year pact worth $2.52MM, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). As previously reported, Savage’s signing bonus is just over $300K. The fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh picked up interest from a number of teams in April including the Patriots, but ultimately Houston snagged him. Now, Savage will vie with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and T.J. Yates for playing time under center.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) runs down the rookies who will be attending camp with the Eagles: linebacker Blaze Caponegro, tight end Jamie Childers, linebacker Ryan Donohue, linebacker Anthony Larry, center Mackey MacPherson, defensive back Davon Morgan, and tackle Baker Steinkuhler.
- Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that Billy Turner, a third-round tackle out of North Dakota State, will play guard. Hickey went on to say (link) that first-round Ju’Wuan James was a highly-targeted player for the Dolphins, which was a bit of an open secret heading into the draft. Miami is expecting the athletic, strong tackle to “play right away.”
Pompei’s Latest: McCarron, Browns, Pead
In his latest Read Option column for Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei leads off by examining the Bengals‘ selection of A.J. McCarron in last week’s draft. As head coach Marvin Lewis explains, the McCarron pick could allow the team to avoid changing its backup quarterback so frequently.
“Each and every year we have been in that one-year, two-year backup quarterback model,” Lewis said. “We kind of wanted to make sure we got somebody who could fit that role for a longer period of time if that’s what they ended up being, if that’s what their lease on life was…. We had [Ryan] Fitzpatrick here, [Jon] Kitna here, and nobody wants to be the backup. Everybody wants to go somewhere and start. The only way to get a backup quarterback for longer than a year or two is to draft one.”
Of course, things could change quickly in Cincinnati if the team can’t reach a long-team agreement with current starter Andy Dalton, or if McCarron pushes for a starting job of his own after a year or two. Here’s more from Pompei:
- The Bengals appear to have gotten good value with the McCarron pick, at the very least. Pompei says he polled 10 front office sources about the Alabama signal-caller prior to the draft, and all 10 gave him at least a third-round grade, including three who said he was a first-rounder.
- Although the Browns quickly shot down a report that suggested they were ready to draft Teddy Bridgewater at No. 22 before tearing up the card and replacing him with Johnny Manziel at the very last minute, Pompei hears from another team’s source that the Browns had two cards filled out prior to the pick, and that one was torn up.
- Had the Steelers not drafted linebacker Ryan Shazier at No. 15, he likely would have been the Cowboys‘ pick at No. 16. The Cardinals were also trying to trade up and were believed to be targeting Shazier, according to Pompei, though he says the club may also have been interested in grabbing C.J. Mosley or Calvin Pryor. All three players were gone when Arizona’s No. 20 pick rolled around, prompting the Cards to trade down.
- The Rams‘ drafting of Tre Mason may signal the end of Isaiah Pead‘s time in St. Louis — the 2012 second-round pick was the subject of some trade talks during the draft, according to Pompei.
- While Timmy Jernigan provided a diluted sample at his combine draft test, he took another test within a couple weeks of the combine and passed it, which may have contributed to his not falling too far in the draft, says Pompei. The Florida State defensive tackle went 48th overall to the Ravens.
2014’s Most Balanced And Unbalanced Drafts
Teams entered last week’s NFL draft with many different positions and areas they planned to focus on, but depending on how the draft played out, many clubs didn’t end up addressing all their needs. For instance, few would have guessed heading into the draft that neither the Panthers nor the Ravens would come out of the weekend having added an offensive tackle.
Whether intentional or not, a handful of teams ended up specifically focusing on one area of the ball in the draft, selecting far more offensive players than defensive players, or vice versa. Listed below are the teams who had the most offensive-heavy drafts, teams who had defensive-heavy drafts, and the clubs who managed to perfectly balance their picks. Let’s check out the lists….
Most offensive-heavy drafts:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6 offense, 0 defense): After spending big to add defensive end Michael Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner in free agency, the Buccaneers were the only NFL team not to draft at least one defensive player. Instead, the club focused on adding weapons for new quarterback Josh McCown, including wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6 offense, 3 defense): It wasn’t until they drafted their fifth player, in the fourth round, that the Jaguars eventually selected a defensive player, having focused early on landing a quarterback (Blake Bortles) and pass-catchers (Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson).
- New England Patriots (6 offense, 3 defense): After nabbing defensive tackle Dominique Easley in round one, the Patriots turned to offensive players for their next five picks, including second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo.
- Washington Redskins (5 offense, 2 defense): The Redskins picked a couple defenders in the first four rounds, grabbing linebacker Trent Murphy and cornerback Bashaud Breeland, but they tipped the scales by leaning heavily toward offensive players with their late-round picks.
Most balanced drafts:
- New York Jets (6 offense, 6 defense)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4 offense, 4 defense)
- Carolina Panthers (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Cleveland Browns (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Denver Broncos (3 offense, 3 defense)
- San Diego Chargers (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Tennessee Titans (3 offense, 3 defense)
Most defensive-heavy drafts:
- Atlanta Falcons (7 defense, 2 offense): Offensive and defensive lines were viewed as two of the top priorities for the Falcons, but after addressing those positions in the first two rounds, Atlanta went on a linebacker frenzy in the mid-to-late rounds, snatching up four of them.
- Dallas Cowboys (7 defense, 2 offense): The Cowboys reportedly had three defensive players on their wish list in the first round, but when Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, and Ryan Shazier came off the board, the team picked offensive tackle Zack Martin instead. Dallas remedied that by making seven of its final eight picks defensive players.
- Minnesota Vikings (7 defense, 3 offense): The Vikings made defense their focus in the mid-to-late rounds — their last five picks were defenders, including three defensive backs. Minnesota also selected a defensive player with its first pick, drafting linebacker Anthony Barr ninth overall.
- Oakland Raiders (6 defense, 2 offense): The Raiders’ approach looked similar to the Vikings’, as Oakland grabbed a linebacker (Khalil Mack) with its top-10 pick, then used its last five picks on defenders, with a couple offensive players sandwiched in between.
- Philadelphia Eagles (5 defense, 2 offense): Losing DeSean Jackson made wide receiver a priority for the Eagles in the draft, so the team snatched up Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff in rounds two and three. Outside of those two picks though, it was an exclusively defensive draft for Philadelphia.
Pro Football Rumors’ list of draft results by team was used in the creation of this post.
Bengals Announce 11 UDFA Signings
TUESDAY, 1:00pm: The Bengals have officially signed an 11th free agent, Mississippi running back Jeff Scott, the team announced today (Twitter link). Scott received a $2K signing bonus, per ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey.
MONDAY, 4:13pm: The Bengals have made their undrafted free agent signings official today, announcing their 10 new players in a press release. Here are the newest Bengals:
- James Davidson, LB, Texas-El Paso
- Curtis Feigt, OT, West Virginia
- Dan France, G, Michigan State
- Ryan Hewitt, TE/FB, Stanford ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Trey Hopkins, G, Texas
- Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
- Colin Lockett, WR, San Diego State ($8K bonus, per Coley Harvey)
- Alex Neutz, WR, Buffalo
- Nikita Whitlock, FB, Wake Forest
- James Wilder Jr., RB, Florida State ($6K bonus, per Wilson)
Minor Moves: Seahawks, Cowboys, Colts, Chiefs
With teams adding draft picks and undrafted free agents, cuts may have to be made in order to clear spots on 90-man rosters for the new arrivals. We can expect those cuts to dominate today’s list of minor transactions. Here are the latest moves, with updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- A little over a month after signing a three-year deal with the Seahawks, long snapper Jorgen Hus is on waivers, having been cut by Seattle, per Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
- Guard Chris DeGeare, defensive tackle Frank Kearse, wide receiver Lance Lewis, defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo, linebacker Quinton Spears, and linebacker Jabara Williams have been cut by the Cowboys, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Earlier updates:
- The Colts have waived four players, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter): Linebacker Alan Baxter, fullback Stephen Cambell, tight end Martell Webb, and kicker Carson Wiggs.
- Wideout Rashad Ross has been waived by the Chiefs, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- After adding a quarterback (A.J. McCarron) in the draft, the Bengals have released Josh Johnson, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have also parted ways with a quarterback, cutting Jordan Rodgers, the younger brother of Aaron Rodgers, the team announced today (via Twitter). In addition to Rodgers, wide receiver Michael Rios was also waived.
- The Bills have released running back Anthony Allen, according to a team release. Allen had signed a futures contract with the club in January.
- The Bills are waiving offensive tackle Jamaal Johnson-Webb, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Johnson-Webb spent some time on Buffalo’s practice squad last season and signed a futures contract with the club after the season.
- The Chiefs are cutting fullback Eric Kettani, according to Wilson. Like Johnson-Webb, Kettani didn’t actually see any playing time for his club, having signed a futures contract following the 2013 season. Wilson notes that the Navy product is expected to draw some interest in free agency, however.
- Defensive back Charles Mitchell has been waived by the Broncos, the team announced today (via Twitter). The former Falcon didn’t appear in a regular season game for Denver.
Poll: Best Late Round Quarterback?
Just because they don’t have the fanfare of a Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t mean the day three quarterbacks are destined to be career backups. A handful of high-caliber NFL quarterbacks do get selected in the later rounds.
Not every quarterback drafted in the sixth round is going to turn into Tom Brady–most first-round quarterbacks won’t accomplish half of what Brady has–but many if not all of these fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round quarterbacks will have a chance to push for a starting job at some point in their career, either by performance or by injury.
The question is, which of these quarterbacks is going to have the best chance to find success as a starter in the NFL? That takes a combination of talent and opportunity, where some of these draftees have definite roadblocks in front of them in the form of quarterbacks entrenched as starters.
Of course, a few more quarterbacks will still come off the board in the next 50+ picks, and a couple more will be snagged as undrafted free agents. Maybe Stephen Morris of Miami, Tahj Boyd of Clemson, Garrett Gilbert of SMU, Keith Price of Washington, Brett Smith of Wyoming, or Connor Shaw of South Carolina ends up being the best of the group, although they are still waiting to hear their names called.
Which day three quarterback will have the most NFL success?
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Aaron Murray, Georgia - Chiefs 22% (178)
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A.J. McCarron, Alabama - Bengals 21% (171)
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David Fales, San Jose St. - Bears 19% (158)
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Tom Savage, Pitt - Texans 13% (110)
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Zach Mettenberger, LSU - Titans 11% (89)
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Logan Thomas, Va. Tech - Cardinals 5% (40)
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Not Drafted Yet 5% (38)
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Keith Wenning, Ball St. - Ravens 4% (31)
Total votes: 815