Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: QB Jalan McClendon
- Waived: DT Kalil Morris
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Isaiah Johnson
- Waived: CB D.J. Killings
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Joe Horn Jr.
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: OL Nico Falah
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Dadi Nicolas
- Waived/injured: CB Jamal Peters
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Boogie Roberts
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Chase Hansen
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers from Patriots: T Calvin Anderson, WR Xavier Ubosi
- Waived: T Dieugot Joseph, WR DeAngelo Yancey
Colts’ Leonard, Ebron Undergo Surgeries
Two key Colts will not be participating in workouts for a bit. Both Darius Leonard and Eric Ebron are coming off offseason surgeries, Chris Ballard said Tuesday (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell, on Twitter).
Leonard underwent a procedure last week to repair his left ankle, which was a problem spot during his standout rookie season. Ebron had groin surgery earlier this offseason.
It is safe to say Leonard will not be taking part in Colts OTAs or minicamp, with Ballard adding this particular surgery will require approximately six weeks of rehab. But with Colts training camp around 10 weeks away, the second-year linebacker figures to be fine by the time the team reconvenes.
The ankle injury caused Leonard to miss one game last season, a Week 5 nationally televised tilt in New England, but still earned first-team All-Pro acclaim. Ebron played a 16-game slate for the second straight year, voyaging to his first Pro Bowl after a 14-touchdown season. Both were among the best players at their respective positions and are set to be cornerstone players for a 2019 Colts team with higher expectations.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/19
We’ll keep track of today’s lower round draft pick signings here:
- The Lions inked fourth-round defensive end Austin Bryant, sixth-round running back Ty Johnson, seventh-round tight end Isaac Nauta, and seventh-round defensive tackle P.J. Johnson. Bryant, a Clemson product, is a pass rush specialist who routinely used his length to get to the quarterback. He put himself on the map with 8.5 sacks as a junior and followed that up with another eight sacks as a senior. There are questions about whether his pass-rush ability is enough to offset his deficiencies against the run, but the Lions were more than happy to take a chance on him in the fourth round.
- The Colts signed fourth-round safety Khari Willis and fifth-round defensive back Marvell Tell III. Willis was one of Michigan’s top high school players as a running back, but found his calling in the secondary at Michigan State. Tell, meanwhile, made three interceptions as USC’s starting free safety last year.
- The Giants signed a pair of fifth-round picks: wide receiver Darius Slayton and linebacker Ryan Connelly. The Giants still have a lot of work ahead for them in signing their draft class, including first-round picks Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence.
Gunther Cunningham Dead At 72
Former Chiefs head coach and longtime NFL assistant Gunther Cunningham has died at the age of 72. Cunningham, who most recently served as a senior coaching assistant with the Lions, was beloved around the league. 
“Gunther Cunningham will forever be remembered as one of the great men of our game,” the Lions said in a statement. “He left a lasting impact on every person who was fortunate enough to work alongside him during his more than 47 years as a coach – including 34 years in the National Football League, the final eight of which were spent here in Detroit. Our organization is truly honored and proud to have been included in his distinguished coaching legacy. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, René, and their entire family.”
Cunningham began his coaching career at the University of Oregon in 1969 and moved to the pro ranks in 1982 with the Lions. In 1995, he got his big break when the Chiefs appointed him as their defensive coordinator. Four years later, he was elevated to the head coaching position, where he went .500 over two years before being fired. Along the way, he also had stops with the Colts, Titans, Chargers, and Raiders.
Years later, Cunningham would return as the Chiefs’ DC and took on the same job with the Lions between 2009-2013.
We here at PFR extend our condolences to Cunningham’s loved ones.
Colts 'Seriously' Pursued C.J. Mosley
While the Colts have shown considerable restraint in free agency during Chris Ballard‘s three offseasons as GM, continuing this year despite the team’s league-high cap space figure, they did identify a position they wanted. They just didn’t fill it until the draft. Previously mentioned as one of C.J. Mosley‘s many suitors, the Colts made a “serious” run at the inside linebacker in March, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Clearly, Ballard was not prepared to go as high as the Jets did — $17MM AAV — for the sixth-year linebacker. The Colts were not mentioned as a finalist for Mosley, with the Ravens increasing their offer before Mosley opted for New York.
Indianapolis wanted a three-down linebacker to pair with Darius Leonard and is encouraged by third-round pick Bobby Okereke‘s outlook early, Breer adds. Known more (at this point) for Pat McAfee’s announcement of his Colts arrival, Okereke being longer and bigger than Devin White or Devin Bush (though not by much at 6-foot-1, 239 pounds) was important to Ballard’s staff — just as Leonard’s frame appealed to the Colts last year.
- Continuing with the Colts, the team’s decision to trade out of the first round and pick up a 2020 second-rounder in the process earned praise by multiple NFL executives as the best move of the draft, Mike Sando of ESPN.com writes (ESPN+ link). The Colts acquiring the Redskins’ 2020 second-rounder strikes the anonymous execs as a value move, given that Washington’s picks are likely to be higher than Indianapolis’ next year, and labeled moving out of a late first-round spot this year was savvy given the top-heavy makeup of the 2019 class. The Colts chose Rock Ya-Sin, Ben Banogu and Parris Campbell in the second round.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/5/19
Here are today’s minor moves. We’ll update this list throughout the day:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: K Cole Hedlund, DT Sterling Shippy, LB Tre Thomas, CB Shakial Taylor
- Waived: Clayton Hatfield, CB Chris Rayford, DE Anthony Winbush
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Tenny Adewusi (UDFA/Delaware), P Ryan Anderson (UDFA/Rutgers), DE Alex Jenkins
- Placed on IR: Nate Harvey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Austin Walter
Chad Kelly At Colts' Minicamp
Chad Kelly could be back on an NFL roster soon. The former Ole Miss standout passer and nephew of legendary Bills quarterback Jim Kelly has had a tumultuous road. He was kicked off the team at Clemson during his college days, and was arrested last season in a bizarre incident following Von Miller‘s Halloween party that caused the Broncos to release him. Last week we heard that he could be nearing a deal with the Colts, and we have a new development there.
Kelly hasn’t officially been signed yet, but he is attending the team’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player this week, per Mike Chappell of CBS4 (Twitter link). Kelly has struggled with injuries in addition to his off-field issues, but he managed to open the 2018 season as Case Keenum‘s backup. He played well in the preseason and had a ton of support from the team’s fanbase, and for a while it looked like he might’ve been on the verge of replacing Keenum before he was arrested. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Colts sign him as a developmental option considering current backup Jacoby Brissett is likely to pursue a starting job next offseason.
Colts Sign 5 NFL Draft Picks
Thanks to trades, the Colts have a larger-than-average draft class to address. The good news is, they were able to ink half of those rookies on Friday: 
- 2-49: Ben Banogu, LB (TCU)
- 5-164: E.J. Speed, LB (Tarleton State)
- 6-199: Gerri Green, DE (Mississippi State)
- 7-240: Jackson Barton, T (Utah)
- 7-246: Javon Patterson, C (Ole Miss)
Banogu put himself on the NFL radar with two First Team All-Big 12 nods and two Honorable Mentions for Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. In his final season on campus, Banogu notches a team-high 18 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, which made evaluators excited about his potential. Still, many scouts feel that the ‘backer needs to add more moves to his arsenal. As the No. 49 overall pick, he’ll earn $5.9MM over the course of his four-year deal.
In other Colts news, Indy added nine undrafted free agents on Friday morning.
Colts Sign 9 UDFAs
The Colts announced their undrafted free agent class today, and it was a bit smaller than most other teams’ that we’ve seen so far. Indianapolis inked the following nine players:
- Ashton Dulin, WR (Malone)
- Penny Hart, WR (Georgia State)
- Clayton Hatfield, K (Texas Tech)
- Hale Hentges, TE (Alabama)
- Jegs Jegede, DE (Valdosta State)
- Jamal Peters, CB (Mississippi State)
- Chris Rayford, CB (Mississippi State)
- Johnny Robinson, DT (Charleston Southern)
- Jordan Thompson, DT (Northwestern)
The Colts clearly had positions of emphasis, as they double-dipped at three positions in only a nine member class. Peters and Rayford played alongside each other at Mississippi State, and could be battling it out for one spot in the secondary. Since the Colts already have Adam Vinatieri, Hatfield will likely be little more than a camp leg. Hart was highly productive at Georgia State, racking up 1,109 yards as a freshman and sometimes dominating in the Sun Belt. Even though the Colts added a few wide receivers this offseason, he could make some noise in camp.