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Coaching Notes: Raiders, Castillo, Colts

May 17th, 2023 at 8:18pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders have made four new additions to their coaching staff for the offseason, naming their Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellows. On offense, Las Vegas will be mentoring Torrey Gill. On defense, Jamie Sharper and Troy Vincent Jr. will be joining the staff. Lastly, Matt Willis was hired with a focus on special teams.

Gill is currently an offensive graduate assistant at Oregon State. He’s previously coached wide receivers at New Mexico State and Whittier College after playing the position at Itawamba Community College and NAIA Tabor College.

Sharper is former Super Bowl champion linebacker for the Ravens who spent time with the Texans and Seahawks, as well. He just finished the 2022 XFL season where he worked as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the DC Defenders. He previously worked as a scouting intern for Houston before serving as linebackers and defensive line coach for Georgetown.

Vincent is the son of NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Troy Vincent. His career has thus far consisted mainly of roles in Georgia high school football.

Willis is a former NFL wide receiver who spent time with the Ravens, Broncos, and Lions. He’s had two other stints with the fellowship, working with the Bears in 2017 and 2018.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFL:

  • The Commanders have made some minor adjustments to their offensive staff, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. Juan Castillo, who was hired to coach tight ends despite his wealth of experience with the offensive line, has been working more with the offensive line at camp recently. They expect that he will be “toggling between the two positions” under the new title of run-game coordinator. The current assistant offensive line coach, Travelle Wharton, is expected to be promoted to offensive line coach, while Todd Storm will remove the “assistant” from his title to become tight ends coach.
  • Colts head coach Shane Steichen has added a new assistant to his staff, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports. The staff now rosters Charlie Gelman, who will serve as game manager.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/16/23

May 16th, 2023 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest 2023 draftees to sign their four-year rookie deals:

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

The Browns added Tillman to a receiver room that includes Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and trade acquisition Elijah Moore. Peoples-Jones is going into a contract year. Downs joins a Colts team rostering contract-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and second-year talent Alec Pierce. The Colts lost Parris Campbell this offseason. Dell will stay in Houston, moving to a Texans team that traded Brandin Cooks to the Cowboys. The Texans did sign Robert Woods and are expected to have 2022 second-round pick John Metchie in uniform after a leukemia diagnosis wiped out his rookie year.

Donovan Smith‘s Chiefs signing looks set to place Morris on the developmental track. Kansas City has now added two free agent tackles — Smith and Jawaan Taylor — who have a combined 12 years of NFL starting experience. The Saints will pair Haener with their higher-profile Fresno State alum, Derek Carr, atop their quarterback depth chart. The team made Haener this draft’s sixth QB selection, at No. 127, and the move began a run on Day 3 QB picks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/23

May 16th, 2023 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

XFL additions and other post-rookie minicamp moves led to some action on the waiver wire Tuesday. As other teams add talent from the latest XFL effort, here are the latest NFL moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: FB Zach Ojile, OL Sam Schlueter

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

A former 60-meter dash finalist at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships, Guidry has bounced around the league. But the Jets are bringing back the young cornerback. Guidry played 28 games for the team from 2020-21. A fellow DB, Westry started two games for the Ravens in 2021; he will relocate to Cleveland.

Jackson, Jennings and Thomas all played in the XFL this season and auditioned for the Panthers at their recent rookie minicamp. The Panthers tried Thomas at both tight end and linebacker over the weekend. Although Thomas played in the most recent XFL effort, he was in Colts camp — under current Panthers HC Frank Reich — in 2021. This is Jennings’ seventh NFL stop. The former Seahawks fourth-round pick has not played in the NFL since his 2019 rookie year in Seattle.

Romo joins a Lions team carrying Michael Badgley as its incumbent kicker. The younger specialist has not yet kicked in an NFL game, but the former Virginia Tech kicker played in the XFL this season, making 17 of 19 field goal tries. This included a 57-yarder.

QB Notes: Ravens, Levis, Colts, Richardson, Rams, Bennett, Hurts, 49ers

May 16th, 2023 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens hosted Anthony Richardson on a pre-draft visit, and GM Eric DeCosta did not shoot down the idea of taking a first-round quarterback. Of course, the Ravens squashed any such contingency plan by agreeing to terms with Lamar Jackson on his record-setting extension. Had that not happened, the team is believed to have been intrigued by Will Levis. The Ravens would have considered Levis with their first-round pick had Jackson not signed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. Baltimore had pursued Baker Mayfield as well and entered draft week with neither of its top QBs signed beyond 2023. Tyler Huntley is on an RFA tender.

Selecting a quarterback at No. 22 would have both been a leverage play and certainly would have cost the team its best opportunity to add weaponry around Jackson, thus weakening the 2023 Ravens edition. A number of teams were connected to Levis coming into the draft, and trade rumors — centered around teams eyeing a move up for the falling Kentucky prospect — emerged in the late first round and early second. The Ravens now loom as a Levis “what if?” Though, they will probably not be the first team mentioned as a near-miss regarding the strong-armed prospect. Considering Jackson’s contract, Levis may barely be a footnote for the team.

Here is the latest news from the quarterback position:

  • Seeing as the Colts and Titans are in the same division, Indianapolis will probably be the top Levis “what if?” team. The Colts were tied to Levis for weeks ahead of the draft, but they successfully masked their Richardson interest. Even though Richardson’s ceiling enamored Colts brass, Fowler adds Levis had a few fans in Indy’s building. The Penn State transfer might be readier to play compared to Richardson, a one-year Florida starter, though Ryan Tannehill‘s presence in Tennessee may ensure Richardson begins his QB1 run first. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds was a Richardson skeptic at first, but fellow seventh-year Indy front office staffer Morocco Brown — who primarily scouted the Gators talent for the Colts — made near-weekly trips to Gainesville to chart the athletic prospect’s progress. Ex-Shane Steichen Eagles coworker Brian Johnson, Florida’s OC during Richardson’s freshman year (2020), also vouched for Richardson, per Fowler.
  • The Rams did not consider Levis, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, who notes they came into the draft with a goal of landing a Day 3 passer (subscription required). Despite Levis having played for 2022 Rams OC Liam Coen in 2021, team brass was split on the prospect. Los Angeles ended up with Stetson Bennett via the No. 128 overall pick. This came after the Rams hired one of their former QBs, Kellen Clemens, as a consultant to evaluate Bennett and other arms, Rodrigue adds. Clemens met with Bennett in Georgia before the draft, but even though Bennett is a 26-year-old rookie, ex-Broncos backup Brett Rypien may begin as Matthew Stafford‘s backup.
  • The Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts extension (five years, $255MM) laid the groundwork for Jackson’s, and the Ravens QB scored more fully guaranteed money ($135MM to $110MM). But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the Hurts deal jumps to $157.3MM fully guaranteed by 2025. This is because Hurts’ 2026 option bonus ($49.8MM) becomes guaranteed in stages. Hurts will see $16.5MM of that bonus become guaranteed in 2024, and $30MM of that payout locks in by 2025. These guarantees vest in March 2024 and ’25, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. The Eagles ditched Carson Wentz‘s contract less than two years after authorizing it, but they moved back into the QB-paying business with this megadeal.
  • Former Detroit and Washington practice squad QB Steven Montez spent the weekend in San Francisco auditioning at the 49ers‘ rookie minicamp, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The Colorado alum served as the Seattle Sea Dragons’ backup, behind Ben DiNucci, who has since signed with the Broncos. The 49ers have four QBs rostered and have not signed Montez.

Panthers Did Not Receive Viable Offer For No. 1 Pick

May 11th, 2023 at 10:23am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Panthers may not have been locked in on their choice at No. 1 overall upon acquiring the pick from the Bears ahead of free agency, they zeroed in on Bryce Young and will give him the keys soon. It does not sound like any team made a strong offer to bring Panthers brass into a meeting about altering this path.

The Panthers did not receive an aggressive offer to move out of the No. 1 spot, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. While trading a bounty for the Bears’ top pick and then moving back down would have been a strange maneuver, the Panthers were linked to multiple other quarterbacks during the pre-draft process.

A move back may have hinged on the Texans’ desire to secure Young’s rights. Houston was believed to have placed a value gap between Young and the field, and the league consensus tabbed the AFC South as preferring Young in this class. The Texans engaged in fairly serious talks with the Bears about moving from No. 2 to No. 1, a process that would have seen the Bears drop from 1 to 9 and the Panthers vault from 9 to 2. Once Bears-Texans talks stalled, the Panthers pounced and moved up to the top spot.

Climbing one position does not cost considerable capital, but a jump from No. 2 to No. 1 probably would have for the Texans, who ended up with C.J. Stroud. Pre-draft smoke pegged the Texans as Stroud skeptics, and the Panthers may or may not have had the Ohio State quarterback third among this class’ QBs. The Panthers made their Young decision well before draft day, but the Colts believed Carolina’s last call regarding this pick was a Young-or-Anthony Richardson choice, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com notes.

Another pre-draft report indicated the Panthers’ call was between Young and Stroud; the latter also loomed as the betting favorite to go first weeks before the draft. But Richardson performed well during the Panthers’ interview process, Fowler adds, and may indeed have been the team’s second choice. The Panthers did not bring Frank Reich into this process until late, but the former Colts HC was believed to be high on the raw Florida prospect. While Young will attempt to solve the Panthers’ post-Cam Newton QB problem, Richardson joins Stroud and Will Levis as rookies in the AFC South.

The Raiders explored a move up to No. 1 from their No. 7 position, but Fowler adds they did not pursue this after the Panthers acquired the pick. Las Vegas’ talks with Chicago lend to an interesting alternate reality, as the AFC West team’s plan shifted to hoping Stroud and Richardson went off the board before their pick. That left the Raiders with one of their top four non-QBs, with the selection becoming Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson.

As the NFL does not have a lottery, the Texans obviously could have avoided this outcome by losing their Week 18 game to the Colts. The visitors converted a fourth-and-20 heave for a touchdown and then tacked on a game-winning two-point conversion to defeat Indy in Jeff Saturday‘s finale. But Lovie Smith‘s Houston walk-off moved the Texans to the No. 2 slot. That sequence may go down as one of the better NFL what-ifs in recent memory. Once the Texans bowed out of the Bears’ multi-trade concept, the Panthers do not appear to have seriously considered giving up their newfound draft real estate.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/23

May 9th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Chachere will rejoin Jonathan Gannon in Arizona. The San Jose State alum played two seasons with the Eagles, working as a regular special-teamer in Philly. He played 322 ST snaps for the Eagles in 2021 and 141 last season. He will accompany linebacker Kyzir White in following Gannon to the desert.

A 2019 Broncos sixth-round pick, Winfree spent the past three seasons with the Packers. He caught nine passes for 75 yards in that span. The Patriots initially picked up Hayes as a practice squad addition in December. Hayes, who played seven games with the Pats and Panthers last season, has been on six teams since being a 2019 UDFA.

Colts Meet With OL Chris Hubbard

May 9th, 2023 at 2:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Browns’ plan of making Chris Hubbard their right tackle starter fizzled in the late 2010s, the veteran blocker remained in Cleveland for five years — the final three as a backup. He may soon have another option to continue his career.

The Colts met with the nine-year veteran recently, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Hubbard, 32, mostly worked as a right tackle during his time with the Steelers and Browns but has guard experience as well. The Colts saw their long-reliable offensive line struggle last season, largely because of issues with their two non-highly paid blockers in the starting lineup.

Indianapolis did not re-sign Eric Fisher or bring in a veteran to replace him. The Colts instead moved swingman Matt Pryor into their starting lineup. Pryor was eventually benched, giving way to third-round pick Bernhard Raimann. Despite allowing seven sacks, Raimann ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 25 overall tackle last season. He is on track to keep his starting position opposite Braden Smith. The Colts also used multiple right guards last season, demoting Danny Pinter for Will Fries, a 2021 seventh-round pick. That position appears a bit more fluid compared to left tackle. Pryor is no longer on Indianapolis’ roster, but Fries and Pinter remain under contract.

A former UDFA, Hubbard saw early-career time as a Steelers guard but saw his most relevant Pittsburgh action at tackle, filling in for an injured Marcus Gilbert in 2017. The Browns gave Hubbard a five-year, $36.5MM deal in 2018. Upon changing GMs in 2020, the Browns reworked Hubbard’s contract and moved him to a swing role — behind offseason additions Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills. Despite the demotion, Hubbard re-signed with Cleveland last year. But he has only played four games over the past two seasons, missing almost the entire 2021 slate because of a triceps injury.

The Colts also drafted two tackles, including BYU’s Blake Freeland in Round 4, but given the way last season played out, it is understandable the team is looking for a veteran backup as well. As free agency’s third wave has formed, due largely to last week’s deadline for signings to affect the 2024 compensatory formula, Hubbard is on Indy’s radar.

Colts Investigating Potential Tampering Over Commanders’ Andrew Luck Inquiry

May 8th, 2023 at 9:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:47pm: Washington is not believed to have contacted Luck, his father (former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck) or his uncle, who has served an agent figure, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The Colts are seeking to confirm if an inquiry emerged through an intermediary. Despite the report of the Commanders contacting Luck emerging a year ago, Irsay appears to be pursuing this in earnest now.

12:46pm: The Commanders are firmly committed to Sam Howell as their starting quarterback in 2023, but they faced a pressing need at the position last offseason. That ultimately led the team to make an interesting – and perhaps controversial – inquiry.

Washington made a wide-ranging effort to secure a veteran signal-caller in 2022, and that included talks with the Colts over two quarterbacks. One was Carson Wentz – whom the Commanders ultimately acquired via trade – and the other was Andrew Luck. Conversations concerning the latter were very brief and didn’t make a difference with respect to his lack of a playing future, but they re-surfaced recently and caught the attention of the Colts.

ESPN’s John Keim – who detailed the Luck-centered discussions last March – referenced those talks this past weekend in a piece detailing the Commanders’ confidence in Howell, their 2022 fifth-rounder. The specifics regarding Luck inquiries could reveal whether or not tampering occurred, something Colts owner Jim Irsay acknowledged in response to the Washington news coming up again.

“If any NFL Team attempted to contact Andrew Luck [or any associate of him]… to play for their Franchise,” Irsay wrote, ” it would be a clear Violation of the League’s Tampering Policy” (Twitter link).

Luck has been retired since 2019, but three years remained on his contract when he made the surprising decision to walk away from the game. The 33-year-old’s pact tolled, and as a result the Colts still hold his rights, as detailed by Keim’s colleague Stephen Holder. Indianapolis would thus need to be made aware of any attempts made by other teams to lure him out of retirement, though that remains all but certain not to happen. Luck is focused on his post-football life and is not eyeing a return to playing.

Holder adds that the Colts are currently “unclear about the nature of the conversations” Washington had regarding Luck, and are “seeking to learn more about what exactly transpired and whether any tampering occurred.” While that takes place, Washington will continue to move forward with Howell in place as Wentz’s successor, after the team made the expected move of releasing the latter following a disappointing one-and-done campaign in the nation’s capital.

Interestingly, Keim notes that Washington would have considered selecting Hendon Hooker in this year’s draft had he still been available by their third-round pick. That wasn’t the case, so the Commanders remain set with Howell and veteran backup Jacoby Brissett as their top two signal-callers. It will be interesting to monitor what developments, if any, take place after the Colts’ investigation into their Luck inquiries is completed.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/8/23

May 8th, 2023 at 6:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: WR Tyler Adams, WR Kody Case, T Matthew Vanderslice, DT Jamal Woods
  • Waived: WR Cody Chrest, CB Tyler Richardson, RB Titus Swen, WR Braxton Westfield

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Hatcher and Moultrie join cornerback William Hooper in landing Packers deals after the team’s rookie minicamp. Despite the Packers cutting Coco, Hatcher still has competition to become Green Bay’s long snapper. Matt Orzech, who spent the past two years as the Rams’ deep snapper, remains the favorite for the Packer gig after receiving a $300K signing bonus this offseason, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Orzech had been on Green Bay’s radar for years; the team tried to claim him off waivers in 2021.

Colts Announce 15-Man UDFA Class

May 5th, 2023 at 8:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Colts added some important pieces in their 12-man 2023 draft class last weekend and added more today with the announcement of 15 undrafted free agent rookie signings. Here are the undrafted names joining a rather large rookie contingent:

Indianapolis invested a strong $100,000 guaranteed amount to lure Mutin out of Houston, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Mutin concluded his five-year career with the Cougars leading the team in total tackles in both of the last two years. The physical linebacker’s smaller stature (6-0, 230 pounds) didn’t stop him from making big plays at the college level as he concluded his time in Texas with 18.0 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four passes defensed, three sacks, and an interception.

Ekiyor was a three-year starter with the Crimson Tide as a guard. He was coming off of an injury to start his redshirt senior season but still managed to start 12 of Alabama’s 13 games. A physical presence on the interior line, Ekiyor led a talented offensive line with 31 knockdown blocks.

The Colts added a few pass catchers to a wide receiving corps rife with opportunities. King adds some legitimate size at 6-foot-4. Chrest was an All-WAC second-team selection in each of the last two years after tallying 1,252 receiving yards and seven touchdowns over those two seasons. Scott is an intriguing weapon who was as much a threat rushing the ball for the Black Bears in 2022 (371 yards, four touchdowns) as he was catching the ball (434 yards and a touchdown).

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