Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/17
The latest minor moves…
- Raiders defensive end Denico Autry has signed his RFA tender, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). The Raiders gave the 2014 undrafted free agent an original-round tender, leading to speculation that he could draw interest from elsewhere. Instead, Autry will return to the Raiders on the heels of back-to-back three-sack seasons. ERFAs Seth Roberts (WR) and Denver Kirkland (G) are also back in the fold, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks have re-signed linebacker Kache Palacio, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Palacio, a former fullback who went undrafted out of Washington State last year, spent most of 2016 on Seattle’s practice squad.
- Lions ERFAs Brandon Copeland (DE), Kerry Hyder (DT) and T.J. Jones (WR) have signed their tenders, tweets Birkett. Dolphins ERFAs Mike Hull (LB) and Anthony Steen (C) did the same earlier Monday, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Panthers have re-upped restricted free agent guard Andrew Norwell and a pair of exclusive rights free agents – center Tyler Larsen and punter Michael Palardy – writes Bryan Strickland of their website. Carolina used a second-round tender on Norwell, who will earn $2.746MM in 2017. Norwell combined for 29 starts over the previous two seasons and ranked 11th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 72 qualified guards last year.
- Steelers RFA cornerback Ross Cockrell has inked his original-round tender, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Cockrell went in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, so the Steelers would have been entitled to a fourth-rounder had Cockrell signed elsewhere and they elected against matching the offer. The 25-year-old caught on with the Steelers in 2015 and has since totaled 31 appearances, 23 starts and two interceptions. Cockrell started in every Steelers game last year, and his performance ranked an improve 28th among 111 qualified corners at PFF.
- Chiefs RFA kicker Cairo Santos has signed his tender, per Schefter (on Twitter). Santos, undrafted in 2014, received a low tender; as such, Kansas City wouldn’t have been entitled to compensation had he gone elsewhere. The three-year veteran has connected on 84.3 percent of field goal attempts, including 88.6 percent last season (good for fifth in the league).
- Lions offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas has signed his RFA tender, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions assigned Lucas an original-rounder tender last month, so they wouldn’t have gotten a pick had the 2014 undrafted free agent signed elsewhere and they chose not to match. Lucas is now slated to make $1.797MM this year in Detroit, where he has started in six of 35 career appearances.
- The Buccaneers have re-signed quarterback Ryan Griffin, cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah, tight end Cameron Brate, linebacker Adarius Glanton, and wide receivers Adam Humphries and Freddie Martino, per Scott Smith of the team’s website. As a restricted free agent, Griffin is the only one of the bunch who could have potentially gone elsewhere (the rest were exclusive rights free agents). The Bucs tendered the 2013 undrafted free agent at an original-round level last month, and he’ll now try to win the No. 2 role behind Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay’s previous second-stringer, Mike Glennon, is now the Bears’ starter.
- RFA defensive back Marcus Burley and ERFA running back George Atkinson III are returning to the Browns, per a team announcement. Burley, undrafted in 2013, received an original-round tender. The former Seahawk is coming off his first year in Cleveland, where he appeared in 12 games and played just under 40 percent of the Browns’ special teams snaps.
- Fullback Tommy Bohanon and receiver Larry Pinkard have signed with the Jaguars, tweets the team’s account. Bohanon is the only with NFL experience, having logged 36 appearances and 14 starts as a Jet from 2013-15.
- Speaking of the Jets, they have re-signed linebacker Julian Stanford (via Randy Lange of the team’s site). The Jets could Stanford on Friday, but both sides knew that was only a procedural move. Last season was the first as a Jet for the 26-year-old Stanford, who appeared in nine games (two starts) and played about a quarter of their defensive snaps and a third of their special teams snaps.
49ers, Bears, Jets Eager To Trade Down
The 49ers, Bears, and Jets are the clubs holding top-10 draft picks that would most like to trade down, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The problem, per King, is that few teams are interested in trading up in a draft that’s considered deep, but not necessarily stocked with elite talents.
San Francisco, particularly, is in a tricky spot at No. 2, as King writes. Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett is considered the best prospect in this year’s class, but the second-rated player varies depending on team. Solomon Thomas, Malik Hooker, Jamal Adams, Leonard Fournette, Jonathan Allen, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, Reuben Foster, Christian McCaffrey, and O.J. Howard could all claim the title as the second-best player of 2017, so convincing rival clubs to trade up to No. 2 overall is difficult.
Not mentioned in that list of players is the 2017 quarterback class, where top-end options include Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, and DeShone Kizer. The 49ers, Bears, and Jets could all use help under center, and each of those teams may believe they can move down in the first round and still acquire a long-term signal-caller. San Francisco, specifically, is known to be willing to deal its first-round pick.
The Browns, meanwhile, may want to trade back up after likely selecting Garrett first overall. Although it sounds as though King is speculating rather than reporting, Cleveland could be willing to use its stockpile of draft picks to move up from No. 12, perhaps leaping all the way to No. 2 in order to secure a long-term quarterback option.
Will Browns Trade Joe Thomas?
- Mike Klis of 9News.com believes Broncos general manager John Elway can make the “biggest draft splash of his career” by selecting Stanford running back (and Colorado native) Christian McCaffrey with the 20th-overall pick. If the team is really looking to stir excitement, the reporter suggests the team also trades their second-rounder and third-round compensatory pick to the Browns for veteran offensive lineman Joe Thomas.
- Speaking of Thomas, Troy Renck Denver7 can’t envision the Browns trading the offensive lineman (Twitter link). The reporter notes that the organization has rebuilt their offense around their lineman, so it’d be counter-intuitive to deal the best player on that unit. Reports from last season indicated that Thomas was available, although head coach Hue Jackson recently said that the veteran was staying put.
[SOURCE LINK]
Hue Jackson "Likes Mitch Trubisky A Lot"
- While Browns head coach Hue Jackson wants the team to select Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett first overall, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, that doesn’t mean he’s against taking North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Jackson “likes Trubisky a lot,” writes Miller, who notes there’s a chance the signal-caller will still be on the board when the Browns make their second first-round selection at No. 12 (assuming Garrett’s their initial pick, of course).
[SOURCE LINK]
Browns Interested In Gareon Conley
- The Panthers, Browns, Eagles, Bengals, Lions, Titans, Saints and Jets are among the teams with the most interest in Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Conley should go somewhere between ninth and 18th overall, per La Canfora, whom one NFL decision-maker told: “Conley has always been a first-round corner, and I understand why he is the top guy on some boards. He may not be as flashy as some of the other corners, and maybe the upside isn’t quite as high, but neither is the risk. This is a clean player who started for two years and who made big plays in big games. There is a lot to like.”
Hue Jackson Wants Browns To Draft Myles Garrett
While some members of the Browns organization want the team to select North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the first pick in the draft, head coach Hue Jackson isn’t among them. Jackson has thrown his support behind Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
Considering both Jackson’s offensive background and the Browns’ lack of ideal quarterback options, it perhaps speaks volumes that he’d rather grab a defender No. 1 overall. He’s hardly alone in preferring Garrett over Trubisky, though, with one NFL personnel executive telling Cabot that “it’s not even close between Garrett and Trubisky.” However, Trubisky isn’t without his supporters – another personnel man informed Cabot he has more upside than Eagles signal-caller Carson Wentz, who went second overall last year after the Browns traded out of that spot.
The Browns have a second first-rounder, No. 12 overall, though it’s doubtful Trubisky will still be available when the time comes for them to make that pick. That means their bigwigs are going to have to make a choice between Garrett or Trubisky, which could be a problem. There’s “some discord” among the team’s decision-makers, with a clash potentially occurring between the old- and new-school members of the organization, multiple sources have told Cabot. Led by general manager Sashi Brown and chief strategy officer/former baseball executive Paul DePodesta, the Browns’ front office heavily emphasizes analytics. It doesn’t seem that everyone in Cleveland is on board with that, which bears watching for a club with a franchise-altering call to make in two weeks.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Mike Williams Visiting Browns
- Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams is currently visiting the Browns, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Williams won’t be in play for the No. 1 pick in the draft, but he could be available for the Browns’ second first-rounder, the 12th overall selection. The club did take a first-round receiver last year in Corey Coleman, though, and it signed Kenny Britt to a sizable contract in free agency a month ago.
Browns Hosted Adoree' Jackson
- USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson has met with the Titans and Browns, and has visits scheduled with the Eagles and Texans, as he tells SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Jackson could help a club on the defensive side of the ball, but he’d also add immediate value as a dynamic special teams maven. In 2016, Jackson averaged 29.5 yards on kick returns and scored two touchdowns, and posted 15.8 yards per punt return (and scored twice more).
Six Teams To Meet With Mo Alie-Cox
The jump from basketball to football may not be easy, but Mo Alie-Cox has plenty of believers in the NFL. The former Virginia Commonwealth University forward is already slated to visit the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Jets, Colts, Seahawks, and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. More teams could request to meet with the 6’7″ athlete, Rapoport adds. 
Alie-Cox held an open audition for NFL teams recently and it seems like more than half the league had scouts in attendance. In addition to the aforementioned clubs, reps from the Bears, Lions, Dolphins, Vikings, 49ers, Browns, Patriots, Redskins, and Steelers were in the house (via Lane Casadonte of WTVR on Twitter).
Despite his lack of gridiron experience, teams are intrigued by Alie-Cox’s combination of size and athleticism. He is looking to play tight end and follow in the footsteps of Tony Gonzalez, Julius Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, and other TE standouts with basketball backgrounds. At the same time, he is open to playing other positions and he took requests from scouts to perform drills that were suited for different roles.
What really sets Alie-Cox apart from other young NFL hopefuls is that he is not draft eligible and, therefore, can be signed as a free agent. A team that is really high on the hoopster could see this as an opportunity to effectively acquire a late-round draft pick for nothing.
Browns Considering Mitch Trubisky At No. 1
Conventional wisdom has the Browns selecting Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett with the first overall pick, but Cleveland has not yet made a final decision. Some in the Cleveland organization prefer UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds the Browns’ personnel team is split between Trubisky and Garrett.
[POLL: Is Myles Garrett A Lock For No. 1?]
The possibility of a Trubisky selection isn’t completely out of left field, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported last month that the Browns were strongly considering taking Trubisky first overall. The Browns — clearly — need help at the quarterback position, and while they own another pick in the first round, there’s no guarantee Trubisky will be available when Cleveland comes on the clock at No. 12.
By selecting Trubisky at No. 1, the Browns would secure a long-term option under center and still have the chance to draft a pass-rusher later in the first round. Solomon Thomas, Derek Barnett, Charles Harris, Takkarist McKinley, and others may be on the board at pick No. 12, giving Cleveland a wide selection of prospects. Plus, the Browns own five of the top 65 picks, ensuring the club plenty of chances to fill in its roster after it lands a quarterback.
Passing on Garrett isn’t a cut-and-dry decision, however. He’s viewed as a the best overall player in the 2017 class, and the Browns reportedly have an “astronomical grade” on him. Additionally, Cleveland was “blown away” by Garrett’s combine performance, which included a 4.64 40-yard dash and 33 bench press reps.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.