Minor Moves: Sunday
Today’s minor moves…
- Former Alabama and Winston-Salem State quarterback Phillip Sims has agreed to a deal with the Cardinals after he participated in the club’s rookie tryout, according to Matt Zenitz of the Alabama Media Group (Twitter link).
- After working out with the Raiders over the weekend, Emporia State receiver Austin Willis has signed a contract with the team, tweets Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com. Emporia State, a Division II school located in Kansas, also produced former Cowboy Leon Lett.
Earlier updates:
- After holding their rookie minicamp this weekend, the Lions have decided to offer three players contracts, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (all Twitter links). Safety Nathan Lindsey (Fort Hays State), receiver Erik Lora (Eastern Illinois), and receiver Jarred Haggins (Florida State) all scored deals with Detroit.
- The Colts have signed running back Abou Toure, reports Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (via Twitter). The Tennessee-Martin (and Utah State) product had previously been signed to a tryout contract. As a senior, Toure ran for 1,160 yards and eight touchdowns.
- The Colts have also waived outside linebacker Terrell Hartsfield, reports Holder. The rookie was signed as an undrafted free agent last week. The former Cincinnati Bearcat compiled nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss last season.
- The Giants have signed running back Kenny Harper, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Temple product ran for 1,113 yards and 17 touchdowns on 269 attempts during his four-year career.
- The Falcons offered a contract to offensive tackle Matt Huffer, Wilson reports (via Twitter). The former South Dakota Coyote tried out for Atlanta last week.
Extra Points: Fowler, Jordan, Giants, Bolts
Although Jaguars defensive end and third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. tore his ACL in rookie camp earlier this week and won’t play in 2015, don’t expect the team to shortchange him on his first contract. Fowler, who is currently unsigned, will still receive the deal he was originally going to get, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
The injury to Fowler might bring about a change in the structure of his contract, not the value, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. That could include an offset clause in Fowler’s deal, meaning the Jags would owe him less money in the event that they release him down the line. Further, in the wake of Fowler’s injury, Corry believes agents could insist their unsigned clients sit out rookie minicamp in the future.
Here’s other news from around the league as Saturday wraps up:
- Linebacker Dion Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in 2013, has an uncertain future with the team after his most recent suspension, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. While the Dolphins stood by Jordan in the past, head coach Joe Philbin isn’t committed to having him back in 2016.
- It isn’t set in stone that ninth overall pick Ereck Flowers will be the Giants’ starting right tackle in 2015, according to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. “Justin Pugh, right now, is the starting right tackle for the Giants,” said McAdoo, per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
- If Flowers doesn’t end up on the right side, there’s a chance he could be the Giants’ solution at left tackle. “We believe that he has a skill set to play left tackle in this league,’’ McAdoo said, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “We will give him opportunities to train at multiple spots.’’
- Chargers team president Dean Spanos met with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer earlier this week. That might be a sign negotiations on a new stadium are picking up, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams expects the Chargers to give an update on their situation in two weeks at the league’s owners meetings. If a new stadium deal isn’t reached between the Chargers and San Diego by the end of next season, the team will be able to relocate. Carson, Calif., is its likely destination.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Giants To Sign One Pick, Two Tryout Players
7:27pm: In addition to their earlier signings today, the Giants have agreed to a contract with Southern Connecticut defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, tweets Vacchiano. Taylor tried out for the Giants during their rookie minicamp this week.
6:35pm: The Giants have gotten a little closer to signing their draft class, having agreed to terms of a contract with sixth-round pick Geremy Davis, reports Paul Schwart of the New York Post (via Twitter). The wide receiver out of Connecticut will join a crowded receiving depth chart that includes Odell Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle, and Victor Cruz.
Davis is the fourth Giants draft pick to sign his rookie contract. The team has already signed third-round pick Owa Odighizuwa, fifth-round selection Mykkele Thompson, and seventh-rounder Bobby Hart. The Giants’ top two selections, Ereck Flowers and Landon Collins, are their only unsigned picks.
The Giants are also planning to sign Stonybrook tight end Will Tye, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Tye tried out with the Giants during the mini-camp this weekend.
New York had already brought in six undrafted free agents, and now has a very crowded roster. Vacchiano writes that the Giants have only one roster spot available, and if they wanted to sign more than one more player out of the group that tried out, they would have to cut a current player to make room for them on the roster (via Twitter). Vacchiano opines that the Giants will be signing more than one of the tryout players, so expect more cuts from the team that already let go of Kevin Ogletree and Terrell Manning.
NFC Notes: Lions, Giants, Panthers
Lions safety James Ihedigbo is seeking a new contract, and the 31-year-old will not be attending his team’s voluntary workouts as he presumably negotiates a new deal.
While Ihedigbo isn’t breaking any rules by not attending, that doesn’t mean he isn’t drawing the ire of his coach. On Friday, Jim Caldwell talked to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his desire to have a full team at workouts.
“What I try to do is to make certain that they understand that, in our business, it’s unique. They have things that they have to look at from their vantage point, what they think is best. My business is to make certain we’ve got the best team we possibly can. So my interest is getting him here, and getting him here pronto, right?
“I’d like to have every guy here. But the fact of the matter is it doesn’t always happen that way. Guys got to look at things. He’s been around long enough and make his own determination and make his own decisions in that regard. But he’s not mandated to be here at this point in time, so we’ll see when he is mandated, what happens.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the NFC…
- Birkett wonders if undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Boone could make the Lions roster. While the Duke product would have to leapfrog veterans Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore for the backup gig, one of his former coaches is confident he’ll make the leap. “Anthony’s real smart,” David Cutcliffe said. “He’s going to pick the system up quickly. And I told Anthony: Odds are, you’re probably a backup quarterback, which means you’ve got to be able to know the system and perform well without a lot of snaps, period. That’s the National Football League. And I think he’s capable of being that. I really, really do.”
- After missing most of last season with an injured knee, Giants defensive back Bennett Jackson is looking forward to competing for a roster spot. It appears that his coaching staff appreciates the player’s versatility, as Newsday’s Tom Rock writes that the cornerback has been asked to play safety in 2015. “I didn’t ask any questions,” Jackson said. “I was all for it.”
- Panthers second round pick Devin Funchess tweaked a hamstring and was carted off the field yesterday, reports ESPN.com’s David Newton (via Twitter). The severity of the injury is not yet known.
Draft Signings: Bears, Ravens, Pats, Giants
A number of mid- to late-round draft picks have agreed to terms with their respective teams so far today. Here’s the list of draftees who have been locked up by their teams, along with four-year contract information, via Over The Cap:
- Baltimore Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, DE/OLB (fourth round). $2.763MM, including signing bonus of $483K (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Carolina Panthers: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB (fifth round). $2.446MM, including signing bonus of $166K (Twitter link via David Newton of ESPN.com).
- Chicago Bears: Hroniss Grasu, OL (third round). $3.042MM, including signing bonus of $762K (Twitter link via Bears’ official account)
- New England Patriots: Tre’ Jackson, G (fourth round). $2.724MM, including a signing bonus of $444K (Twitter link via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal).
- New York Giants: Owa Odighizuwa, DE (third round). $3.021MM, including signing bonus of $741K (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post).
- Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Murphy, S (seventh round). $2.333MM, including signing bonus of $53K (Twitter link via agent Adam Snyder)
- Washington: Jamison Crowder, WR (fourth round). $2.826MM, including signing bonus of $546K (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
- Washington: Tevin Mitchell, CB (sixth round). $2.413MM, including signing bonus of $133K (Twitter link via Keim).
Draft Signings: Dolphins, Jets, Ravens
Here at PFR, we’re giving individual posts to players from the first and second-round that sign with their respective clubs. You’ll find news on the guys from rounds 3-7 in the roundups. Here are the latest..
- The Ravens agreed to a deal with fourth-round running back Buck Allen, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Packers signed another sixth-round pick in tight end Kennard Backman, Silverstein tweets. Green Bay now has five picks under contract with three to go.
- The Giants announced the signings of fifth-round pick Mykkele Thompson and seventh-round choice Bobby Hart, according to Dan Graziano of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Dolphins have agreed in principle on a deal with fifth-round cornerback Bobby McCain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). McCain will receive roughly $2.5MM over the course of his four-year deal and a $228K signing bonus.
- Not long after that, the Dolphins wrapped up their entire draft class by signing fourth-round guard Jamil Douglas, fifth-round safety Cedric Thompson, and fifth-round wide receiver Tony Lippett, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
- The Jets announced that they have signed fifth-round offensive guard Jarvis Harrison, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Ravens inked fifth-round tight end Nick Boyle, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Boyle also auditioned for the divisional rival Browns during the draft process.
- The Packers have signed Christian Ringo, a defensive tackle taken in the sixth round, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).
Giants Sign Six UDFAs
The Giants announced the signing of six undrafted free agents this evening. The newest prospective members of Big Blue are listed below, along with contract information from Jordan Raanan of NJ.com:
- Justin Currie, S, Western Michigan ($5K signing bonus)
- Sean Donnelly, OT, Tulane ($15K bonus, plus $15K guaranteed salary)
- Cole Farrand, LB, Maryland ($5K bonus)
- Brad Harrah, DE, Cincinnati ($5K bonus)
- Akeem Hunt, RB, Purdue ($12.5K bonus, plus $7.5K guaranteed salary)
- Matt LaCosse, TE, Illinois ($5K bonus, plus $5K guaranteed salary)
As senior in 2014, Currie started in 13 games and led the Broncos in both total (105) and solo (69) tackles. Harrah’s uncle, Toby Harrah, played for the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers and is in the Rangers Hall of Fame.
In related moves, the Giants bid farewell to Kevin Ogletree and Terrell Manning earlier today.
Giants Cut Kevin Ogletree, Terrell Manning
Clearing room to officially sign their undrafted free agent class, the Giants parted ways with a pair of veterans today, announcing that they’ve cut wide receiver Kevin Ogletree and linebacker Terrell Manning (Twitter link).
Ogletree, who memorably grabbed a pair of touchdown passes during the Cowboys’ Week 1 game in 2012, has bounced around since then, spending time with the Lions and Buccaneers before joining the Giants. In 2014, he appeared in seven games for New York, catching five balls for 50 yards.
As for Manning, the former Packers fifth-rounder has also jumped from team to team during his three-year NFL career, with stops in Chicago, Cincinnati, and New York last season. The 25-year-old saw a little action on special teams along with a single defensive snap for the Giants.
Because he’s a vested veteran, Ogletree will immediately hit the open market, free to sign with a new team right away. Manning will be subject to waivers, and will only become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed. Both players had been set to earn minimum salaries, so the cap savings for the Giants will be limited.
La’el Collins Rumors: Tuesday
2015’s most noteworthy undrafted free agent is generating plenty of headlines again today, as teams around the NFL consider making a play for him. Here’s the latest on former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins:
- The Giants continue to monitor Collins’ situation and remain “in the mix” for the LSU lineman, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Another former LSU teammate of Collins, Panthers guard Trai Turner, is doing his best to recruit the rookie to Carolina, as David Newton of ESPN.com details. We noted below that a number of Dolphins players who used to play at LSU are also making an effort to woo Collins.
- NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that NFL clubs are prohibited from visiting Collins at his campus or residence until final exams conclude at LSU. According to Florio, that will happen on May 9, which explains why Collins’ reps say no formal meetings are happening for now.
Earlier updates:
- According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, Collins’ agents are calling teams to let them know who’s in and who’s out in the race for their client. “This is a football decision and that is what we will focus on in helping La’el find the best team for him in the future,” a source in Collins’ camp tells Wilson.
- On the other hand, an Associated Press report (via The Denver Post) cites agent Deryk Gilmore as saying that his client isn’t meeting with NFL teams about his pro football future at this time. That doesn’t necessarily contradict Wilson’s report — Gilmore, Collins, and co. may simply be narrowing down their options before making formal visits. Of course, Collins also met with many teams during the pre-draft process, so he may not need to make repeat trips to some cities.
- While teams may not be officially meeting with Collins at this point, that hasn’t stopped individual players from recruiting him. According to Chad Sabadie of Fox 8 in New Orleans (Twitter link), current Dolphins – and Collins’ former LSU teammates – Jarvis Landry, Anthony Johnson, and Kelvin Sheppard are meeting with the lineman today.
- Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is “pushing hard” for Collins to come to Tampa Bay, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Getlin writes that the No. 1 overall pick has reached out to Collins “multiple times” over the last 24 hours to sell him on the idea of joining the Bucs.
- Earlier today, we heard that Washington isn’t expected to be a serious suitor for Collins.
NFC East Notes: Collins, Kendricks, McClain
As teams finalize their undrafted free agent signings and create room on their rosters for their new players, let’s round up a few items from around the NFC East….
- While virtually every team in the NFL has expressed at least some level of interest in undrafted LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, many of those clubs are more realistic potential suitors than others. According to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Washington is not among Collins’ likely destinations — Keim was told the club isn’t expected to pursue the lineman.
- After initially not reporting to the Eagles‘ offseason workouts, linebacker Mychal Kendricks is in attendance for the second phase of the team’s program, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. I imagine Kendricks would still like some more long-term security, but the fact that Chip Kelly denied shopping him and other players during the draft seems to be enough for the time being.
- Alabama prosecutors are dismissing charges against Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, stemming from an incident that took place over two years ago (Associated Press report via ESPN.com). McClain was convicted on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in city court in 2014, and appealed to state court for another trial, which now won’t take place.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com outlines how the Giants made a number of their decisions during last week’s draft.