Giants Sign Beckham Jr., Three Others
The Giants have signed four more of their draft picks, most notably Odell Beckham Jr., reports Greg Salamone of Giants.com. Beckham was the team’s first-round selection, a receiver out of LSU.
The team also signed, second-round center Weston Richburg of Colorado State, fifth-round linebacker Devon Kennard of USC, and sixth-round cornerback Bennett Jackson of Notre Dame.
The only Giants’ rookie still unsigned is defensive tackle Jay Bromley out of Syracuse. The Queens, New York native Bromley was drafted in the third round.
NFC East Notes: Williams, Orton, Boone
The Cowboys worked out former Cardinals’ running back Ryan Williams, and are now in a position to sign the player, reports Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). Watkins expects that signing to become official soon, after a roster move is made to clear room for Williams.
Here are some more notes from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett expects backup quarterback Kyle Orton to be back with the team this coming season, reports Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). The team anticipates his return after having conversations with Orton.
- Former LSU receiver Kadron Boone was buried on the depth chart in college, behind first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. and second-round pick Jarvis Landry. Even still, he has been impressive and he has a great chance to make the Eagles according to one AFC personnel man, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “He’s gonna make that team. He’s not a bad receiver; he’s a pretty good receiver,” the scout said. “He just got caught up in a place that has two pretty good receivers. He’s going to be fine.”
- After Beckham, the Giants drafted a lot of players who have limited ceilings in terms of potential, writes Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com. He attributes this to the need for a group that needs a quick learning curve in order to make an immediate impact. The team was valuing on the short term over seeking long-term help.
NFC East Notes: Spencer, Martin, Smith, Moore
Cowboys veteran defensive end Anthony Spencer, recovering from microfracture surgery, will most likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list, projects ESPNDallas.com’s Calvin Watkins.
Here’s a handful more NFC East notes:
- Cowboys first-rounder Zack Martin, praised for his consistency and versatility, is working at right guard during rookie minicamp, and head coach Jason Garrett thinks it’s a natural fit, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. Meanwhile, Martin has already sought out the help of veterans, and he told Carlos Mendez of the Star-Telegram that Doug Free “is like another coach on the field.”
- “Most first-round edge rushers make mild contributions, or almost none at all, in their first year,” says the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, who writes the Eagles are prepared to be patient with first-rounder Marcus Smith if he doesn’t make an immediate impact.
- Speaking with Les Bowen on Sulia.com, Eagles seventh-rounder Beau Allen said his predraft interview with the team was more formal and organized than other teams’.
- Though defensive end was viewed as a need, the Giants did not spend a draft choice on the position, which shows some faith in second-year man Damontre Moore, writes Conor Orr in the Star-Ledger. Recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Moore hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, but says he’s 95 percent and working towards bulking up 15 pounds.
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.
Giants Sign 10 UDFAs, Cut Five Players
THURSDAY, 4:26pm: USC tight end Xavier Grimble has also joined the Giants’ rookie free agent class, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
TUESDAY, 1:54pm: The Giants have cut defensive back Chaz Powell and announced another four UDFA additions, according to a team release. Here are the newest Giants’ signings:
- Charles Barnett, S, Ohio State
- Emmanuel Dieke, DE, Georgia Tech ($7.5K bonus and $7.5K in other guarantees, per Aaron Wilson)
- Dan Fox, LB, Notre Dame
- Jordan Stanton, DE, James Madison
MONDAY, 4:47pm: The Giants have announced a series of roster moves, including a first step toward paring down the excess of quarterbacks on the depth chart. According to a press release, the team has released QB Rusty Smith and waived linebacker Allen Bradford, cornerback Junior Mertile and punter Jordan Gay. New York also signed five undrafted free agents.
Smith, a former Titan, inked a deal with the Giants last month shortly after the team added Josh Freeman to the roster to complement Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, and Curtis Painter. He’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, while the other players will have to pass through waivers.
Here are the Giants’ five UDFA signings:
- Justin Anderson, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette
- Thomas Gordon, S, Michigan
- Eathyn Manumaleuna, DT BYU
- Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
- Kerry Wynn, DE, Richmond
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Cousins, Giants
Although the Cowboys had one of the more defense-heavy drafts in the NFL, the team waited until the seventh round to address its safety position, which was viewed as a weakness heading into the draft. That doesn’t bother executive VP Stephen Jones, however. On a conference call with season ticketholders, Jones indicated that the team doesn’t view safety as a significant area of need, as some observers do. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk has the quotes from Jones, who praised the Cowboys’ current crop of safeties along with seventh-round pick Ahmad Dixon.
Here are a few more updates from around the NFC East:
- Appearing on 106.7 The Fan in Washington yesterday, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Browns offered the Redskins a fourth-round pick for Kirk Cousins during the draft, an offer Washington turned down (Twitter link). Cleveland ultimately used its fourth-rounder to select Lindenwood cornerback Pierre Desir.
- Since exercising his fifth-year option, the Giants have yet to engage in any talks with cornerback Prince Amukamara about a long-term deal, which Amukamara is fine with, as Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger writes. “I don’t expect them to [work on an extension now],” Amukamara said. “I don’t think I really gave them a return on their investment yet. And with that being said, I plan on this year being a huge year for me. I’m just focused on playing ball.”
- Although he admits that he hates the draft, Giants receiver Victor Cruz – a former undrafted free agent – was pleased with the team’s addition of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Cruz had previously suggested he wanted the Giants to draft a wideout to help make up for the loss of Hakeem Nicks, who signed with the Colts in free agency.
Assortment of Rookies Invited to Minicamps
We’ve been keeping track of team’s official undrafted free agent signings (today we had signings by the Jets, Bears and Colts). Considering the number of prospects available, team’s will also invite players to their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
There have been a handful of successful players who had to initially audition for teams, including Hall of Famers Night Train Lane and Marion Motley. Of course, it’s very unlikely for a player to overcome such adversity, but the signings are still notable.
Below is a list of players who will be brought in for mini tryouts, most coming from The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson:
- Cowboys invited Citadel defensive back Brandon McCladdie (Twitter).
- Redskins invited Maine outside linebacker Michael Cole (Twitter).
- Giants invited East Carolina strong safety Chip Thompson (Twitter).
- Raiders invited Central Washington guard Mike Nelson (Twitter).
- Raiders invited Memphis defensive tackle Johnnie Farms (Twitter).
- Packers invited Oklahoma State linebacker Shaun Lewis and Memphis quarterback Jacob Karam (via Twitter of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein).
Post-Draft Notes: Sam, Vikings, Bills, Jets
The 2014 NFL draft is now behind us, and you can check out the results sorted by chronological order and by team. In the wake of the draft, rumors and reports of undrafted free agents signing or agreeing to terms with NFL teams are flying fast and furious. However, most of these signings aren’t official, meaning a player could still decide to sign with another club, or an agreement could fall through due to a failed physical. Additionally, some players announcing they’ve signed with a team may in fact just have a tryout with that club.
In the interest of accuracy, we’ll be holding off on passing along news of undrafted free agent signings until the moves have been formally confirmed by teams or the league itself. In the meantime, here are some other notes from the aftermath of the NFL draft:
- One of the newest members of the Rams, Michael Sam, said if he had gone undrafted, he would have considered free agent offers from the Rams, Giants, Bears, and Ravens, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Vikings general manager Rick Spielman could make a few roster moves to provide room for more undrafted free agents without going over the 90-contract limit, reports Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- According to Bills’ general manager Doug Whaley, the team has been trying to trade for Bryce Brown for a year and a half, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). Whaley finally pulled off the trade today during the draft. The Eagles confirmed earlier that the Bills had been calling about Brown for a while.
- Jets‘ general manager John Idzik engaged in talks about trading down with some of his 12 picks, but ultimately decided he liked the players on his board too much too risk missing out on them, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork (via Twitter).
NFC Notes: Eagles, 49ers, Giants, Packers, Saints, Gettleman
Eagles GM Howie Roseman met with the media following the first-round selection of Marcus Smith 26th overall, and Philly.com’s Jeff McLane had seven follow-up thoughts. Most notably, Roseman shared his initial plan of attack. Plan A entailed the team having a list of six players likely to be gone by No. 22 (where the Eagles originally were position prior to the trade down) but worth moving up for. To the best of McLane’s knowledge, that list included Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
When those players were gone, Roseman was prepared to move down, pick up an additional pick and choose the best player available. McLane is ” not convinced Smith was at the top of that list, but of the players there he played a premium position of need and thus was moved to the front.” McLane also spoke to other teams’ representatives whose grades on Smith ranged from second to fourth round.
Here’s several more quick-hitting, NFC news and notes:
- The Eagles place on emphasis on college graduates, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- The Giants drafted Weston Richburg 43rd overall last night, and what made him attractive to the team was his ability to not only block effectively, but handle the responsibility associated with the position, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “[Tom] Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese both said the center’s responsibility for handling line and protection calls will increase under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross said Richburg scored an impressive 31 on the Wonderlic test and impressed the Giants in his combine interview with his intelligence.”
- The 49ers were very active Friday night, making five trades that netted veteran receiver Stevie Johnson as well as running back Carlos Hyde (No. 57), center Marcus Martin (No. 76), linebacker Chris Borland (No. 77) and offensive lineman Brandon Thomas (No. 100). Eric Branch at sfgate.com recaps the team’s busy day here. The 49ers also have seven picks in the final four rounds.
- The 49ers deep stable of running backs now includes Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore and Hyde. James wants more playing time and is open to a trade, but the team has no plans to move him, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
- The Packers are confident Davante Adams is the next in a long line of productive receivers drafted in the second and third round, writes Bob McGinn in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Redskins second-rounder Trent Murphy, whom the team expects to contribute right away as a nickel rusher, “protects the team’s long-term interests at OLB,” tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
- With the selection of big cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste 53rd overall, the Saints continue to build a “Seattle-like secondary,” writes Larry Holder of Nola.com.
- The Panthers announced via Twitter that GM Dave Gettleman will draft remotely via Skype today so he can be present for his son’s college graduation.