Packers Notes: Lyerla, Adams, Clinton-Dix
The Packers are leaning toward signing former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reports.
Lyerla, in Green Bay at rookie orientation camp on a tryout basis after going undrafted, can be argued as the most talented rookie at his position. He stands 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds, and he ran 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. But, Lyerla left the Ducks program his junior season and was subsequently arrested for cocaine possession and feeling from the police.
“We did a lot of work on Colt,” general manager Ted Thompson said. “He’s a very talented athlete. We interviewed him at the combine. We went through all those procedures, talked to a lot of people. He’s a young man that made some mistakes, and we feel like he was worth bringing in and taking a look at.”
Without Jermichael Finley in the fold, the tight end position in Green Bay is relatively thin. Fifth-year pro Andrew Quarless was re-signed this offseason and figures to be the team’s opening-day starter, and the team used a third-round pick at the position on Cal product Richard Rogers.
More news and notes from Titletown…
- Wide receiver Davante Adams, the Packers’ second-round pick from Fresno State, is one of three rookies leading a youth infusion at the position, Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press Gazette writes. Green Bay added two more receivers on the third day of the draft with Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis (fifth found) and Saginaw Valley’s Jeff Janis (seventh round).
- In a video posted on packersnews.com, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said he is honored and happy to be wearing No. 21, which was recently occupied by Charles Woodson, now with the Raiders.
- The Packers drafted for defense with four of their nine picks, and Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said those rookies have a good chance to earn playing time on a unit that’s been struggling as of late.
- Despite a contract that is set to expire after the 2016 draft, Thompson — in his 10th year as GM of the Pack — said he’s just getting started and can’t anticipate himself doing anything different, writes Dunne.
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.
Extra Points: Johnson, Williams, Green, Mack
Texans‘ star receiver Andre Johnson and head coach Bill O’Brien have spoken this offseason, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. “We’re going to continue to communicate and we’ve had good discussions, we’ve had good talks,” O’Brien said. “We’ve spoken quite a bit and will continue to do that.”
Johnson has voiced his frustration with the team’s direction. Despite his comments, O’Brien spoke highly of the franchise’s career leader in receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Andre and his career here in Houston. The conversations that Andre and I have had have been very positive about what we’re doing here as a team and, obviously offensively, what we’re doing here,” said O’Brien. “As far as what Andre said, I’ll let him speak for himself. I can only tell you from my end we’ve had good, positive communication.”
Here are a few more notes to round out the day in the NFL:
- The Cowboys brought in former Cardinals‘ running back Ryan Williams for a workout, reports Carlos Mendez of the Star-Telegram.com. Williams was cut by the Cardinals after the draft. He was a second-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2011, after being one of the top collegiate running backs in the nation. The Cowboys did not draft a running back in this past draft, but have two veterans on the roster behind starter DeMarco Murray, and brought in two undrafted free agent options to compete as well.
- Jets‘ running back Alex Green finds himself the odd man out in the team’s backfield, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). The Jets claimed and were awarded Daryl Richardson after he was cut from the Rams. Green tweeted “Time to officially move on, life goes on regardless. #blessed.”
- Raiders‘ first-round pick Khalil Mack wanted to sign his rookie contract as quickly as possible so he could focus on football, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. With the new rookie scale basically setting the terms in stone, Mack saw no reason to wait. “I’m only focused on football and being the best player I can be,” Mack said. “I’m glad that process is done, and I’m ready to go play football.”
- Embattled Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla has a tryout with the Packers, reports Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. He will be one of 58 rookie players that will be competing at the team’s rookie training camp this weekend. Lyerla fell off draft boards after a litany of off-the-field incidents, including a cocaine-related offense.
Draft Signings: Vikings, Giants, Packers, Pats
We’re continuing to track which draft picks have signed their rookie contracts with their new NFL clubs. Here are the latest transactions:
- The Vikings have officially confirmed the signings of three draft picks, announcing the moves in a press release. While we’d already heard that the club locked up offensive lineman David Yankey, we can add cornerbacks Kendall James and Jabari Price, the 184th and 225th overall picks, to the list of Minnesota draftees who have signed.
- Two Giants draft picks have officially signed with the club, according to a team release. Fourth-round running back Andre Williams and fifth-round safety Nat Berhe have inked their rookie deals, which should put them in line for respective signing bonuses of about $454K and $193K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
- The Packers have agreed to terms with sixth-round cornerback Demetri Goodson, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan. Green Bay has now secured its final five draftees, though it still needs to sign the first four, including first-rounder Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along a pair of signings, via Twitter: The Patriots have agreed to terms with fourth-round offensive tackle Cameron Fleming on a four-year, $2.52MM deal (Twitter link), while the Saints and sixth-round tackle Tavon Rooks reached an agreement on a four-year, $2.317MM pact (Twitter link).
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.
Draft Signings: Lions, Packers, Ravens, Vikes
Several dozen of this year’s draftees have already signed their contracts, and many more will do so today. Here’s the latest round of signings for mid-to-late-round draft picks:
- The Lions have locked up a pair of draftees, signing fourth-round defensive end Larry Webster and seventh-round kicker Nate Freese, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Webster should receive a signing bonus worth a little over $300K, while Freese’ bonus will amount to about $59K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
- Fourth-round linebacker Carl Bradford has signed his four-year deal with the Packers, the team announced today in a press release. Green Bay now has four of nine draft picks under contract.
- The Ravens have agreed to terms with fourth-round running back Lorenzo Taliaferro, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Having come off the board just two picks after the Lions selected Webster, Taliaferro should be in line for an identical bonus of about $300K.
- Fifth-round offensive lineman David Yankey has signed his contract with the Vikings, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). Yankey becomes the first of 10 Minnesota draft picks to ink his rookie deal.
Packers Announce 14 UDFA Signings
FRIDAY, 11:11am: The Packers have announced one more UDFA signing, revealing today that they’ve also signed Iowa safety Tanner Miller.
TUESDAY, 4:18pm: Add one more undrafted free agent to the Packers’ list. Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette tweets that Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington passed his physical and signed with the team, and today’s NFL transaction wire confirmed the move. Fullington received a $5K signing bonus, according to Dougherty.
MONDAY, 7:28pm: The Packers have officially announced that they have signed 12 undrafted free agents, according to the team’s official website.
Here are all of the Packers’ new players:
- Jake Doughty, LB, Utah State ($5K bonus, per Pete Dougherty)
- Jayrone Elliott, LB, Toledo ($5K bonus)
- Carlos Gray, DE, North Carolina State ($4K bonus)
- Adrian Hubbard, LB, Alabama ($5K bonus)
- Jordan McCray, OG, Central Florida ($3.5K bonus)
- Rajion Neal, RB, Tennessee ($2K bonus)
- Mike Pennel, DT, Colorado State-Pueblo ($3.5K bonus)
- Justin Perillo, TE, Maine ($2K bonus)
- LaDarius Perkins, RB, Mississippi State ($3K bonus)
- Chase Rettig, QB, Boston College ($3.5K bonus)
- Joe Thomas, LB, South Carolina ($5K bonus)
- Ryan White, CB, Auburn ($2K bonus)
Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Texans, Cowboys
We’ve already rounded up several draft pick signings a couple times today, but with teams and players motivated to hammer out deals, there are another handful of updates to pass along this afternoon. Let’s dive right in….
- The Chiefs have locked up third-round cornerback Phillip Gaines, his reps tell ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s James Walker reports (via Twitter) that fourth-rounder De’Anthony Thomas has also signed with Kansas City. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Gaines should receive a signing bonus worth about $549K, while Thomas’ will be worth around $420K.
- The Cardinals have agreed to terms with third-round pick Kareem Martin, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link). That would make Martin the first Arizona draftee to sign so far.
- After signing Ben Gardner earlier today, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with two more draftees, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who writes that seventh-round linebacker Will Smith has agreed to his deal, and tweets that seventh-round cornerback Terrance Mitchell has done the same.
- The Texans have agreed to terms with quarterback Tom Savage, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston’s fourth-round pick will be in line for a bonus of just over $300K, according to Fitzgerald.
- A couple agents broke their clients’ own news this afternoon, with Mike McCartney tweeting that Princeton DT Caraun Reid has signed his contract with the Lions, while Blake Baratz announced (via Twitter) that sixth-rounder Zach Moore is the first draftee to sign with the Patriots.
- The Colts have signed sixth-round linebacker Andrew Jackson, the team announced today in a press release.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Packers have signed fifth-round pick Corey Linsley. Linsley’s signing bonus should be worth $185K, based on Fitzgerald’s figures at OTC.
- The Seahawks have signed Kiero Small to his rookie contract, a source tells Curtis Crabtree of KJR in Seattle. The seventh-round fullback is the second of nine Seahawks draft picks to sign.
- The Texans and Eagles have signed seventh-rounders, according to various reports. Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston has the details on Texans cornerback Andre Hal, while Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets the new on Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen.
Extra Points: Finley, Texans, Hurst, Falcons
A Tuesday report on ESPN.com suggested that when the NFL announces its new drug policy, it will include relaxed rules involving the use of marijuana, but a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that’s not necessarily the case. While adjustments to the rules regarding marijuana use were discussed, a change was never formally proposed by other side and isn’t slated to be part of the tentative agreement that hinges on a solution for HGH testing.
Florio concedes that the current proposal could be modified to include an increase in the threshold required for a positive marijuana test or a decrease to the penalties for a violation, but for now, such an adjustment isn’t part of the deal.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Following the draft, Packers GM Ted Thompson suggested the team hadn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back tight end Jermichael Finley, and head coach Mike McCarthy echoed those comments yesterday in an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, as Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com details. “[Finley] is going through a tough medical situation,” McCarthy said. “I think we all recognize that it was a serious injury. My understanding is he is doing everything and beyond to get himself ready. We’ll continue to watch that.”
- In Mike Florio’s view, the Texans are more likely to trade or release disgruntled receiver Andre Johnson during the 2015 league year than to do anything with him this year. Florio cites an increasing base salary, though I believe by reaching escalators in previous seasons, Johnson’s 2014 salary is now $10MM, up from $6.5MM. In any case, I’m inclined to agree with Florio, since it would be much easier to find a potential trade partner when teams haven’t already addressed the receiver position, and Houston would be on the hook for less dead money in 2015.
- North Carolina offensive tackle James Hurst went undrafted, but he certainly had no shortage of teams interested in him. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that Hurst chose to sign with the Ravens as a rookie free agent over 17 competing offers.
- Catawba quarterback Danny O’Brien is among 24 players being invited to the Falcons‘ rookie minicamp to audition for a roster spot this week, the team announced today in a press release.
- Buffalo receiver Fred Lee will participate in the Bills‘ rookie minicamp this week, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
Draft Signings: Reaser, Chiefs, Packers
Here’s a rundown of tonight’s draft signings from rounds 3-7. For a look at the signings that went down earlier today, check out our previous post..
- The 49ers have signed fifth-round pick Keith Reaser, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The cornerback out of Florida Atlantic might have gone higher if he hadn’t suffered a torn ACL last October. Despite not being able to compete in on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, Reaser put up 22 reps of the 225-pound bench press.
- The Chiefs signed sixth-round offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). After Tennessee guard Zach Fulton agreed to terms yesterday, Duvernay-Tardif became the second KC rookie to sign. The 6’5″ offensive tackle out of McGill in Canada was the 200th overall pick and looks to be competing for the Chiefs swing tackle spot with starters Eric Fisher and Donald Stephenson already on either side.
- The Packers have signed seventh-round pick Jeff Janis, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Press-Gazette (on Twitter). The receiver out of Saginaw Valley State was the third wideout taken by Green Bay in the draft.