Wednesday’s minor transactions in the NFL:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from injured reserve (with injury settlement): WR Thyrick Pitts
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DT Spencer Waege
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: QB Chevan Cordeiro
The Cowboys were able to address some big needs in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding to both the offensive and defensive fronts with an eight-man draft class. Thanks to 12 undrafted free agents expected to sign with Dallas on Thursday, the Cowboys anticipate heading into the summer with a rookie class of 20 players. Here are the undrafted additions:
- Corey Crooms, WR (Minnesota)
- Denzel Daxon, DT (Illinois)
- Josh DeBerry, S (Texas A&M)
- Alec Holler, TE (UCF)
- Cam Johnson, WR (Northwestern)
- Emany Johnson, S (Nevada)
- Jason Johnson, LB (UCF)
- Brock Mogensen, LB (South Dakota)
- Nathaniel Peat, RB (Missouri)
- Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE (Minnesota)
- Byron Vaughns, DE (Baylor)
- Julius Wood, S (East Carolina)
On offense, Peat brings some serious speed to the table. After three years at Stanford and a season at Missouri, the son of two college track athletes posted a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Two receivers join on offense, as well. Johnson finally found the best place for his production with the Wildcats after four years at Vanderbilt and one at Arizona State, catching for 715 yards and six touchdowns in Evanston. Crooms transferred to Minnesota after two impressive years at Western Michigan, in which he combined for 1,582 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he failed to match that production with the Golden Gophers.
Croom’s teammate, Spann-Ford, comes out of free agency as one of the top run-blocking tight ends in the draft class. The Cowboys had to spend a bit to ink him, promising a $20K signing bonus and fully guaranteeing his base salary of $225K, per Aaron Williams of KPRC 2. He didn’t add much to the receiving game in Minneapolis, though. Neither did Holler in Orlando, but he did have some circus catches here and there to go along with his strong blocking profile.
Some productive players could contribute on defense, as well. Vaughns didn’t get a chance to shine at Texas but showed how disruptive he could be at Utah State and Baylor, combining for 27.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in three seasons at the two schools. At linebacker, Johnson was a tackling machine, recording three straight 100-plus-tackle seasons at Eastern Illinois in 2021 and UCF the past two years. He was one of the top undrafted linebacker options following the draft. Mogensen contributed back-to-back 100-plus-tackle seasons himself for the Coyotes.
The team also adds three capable safety options. DeBerry was one of the top secondary players in the ACC at Boston College before transferring to College Station. Johnson spent six years at Nevada but only got to start in 2023 for the Wolf Pack. He made the most of the opportunity with 99 tackles, three picks, and four passes defensed. Lastly, Wood was a menace for the Pirates in two years as a starter, delivering bone-crunching hits and showing a strong nose for the football at East Carolina.
Today’s draft pick signings:
Denver Broncos
- RB Audric Estime (fifth round, Notre Dame)
- WR Devaughn Vele (seventh round, Utah)
- C Nick Gargiulo (seventh round, South Carolina)
Estime spent three years with the Fighting Irish. Though he only started 14 games, he combined in his last two seasons to accumulate 2,261 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns. He joins a backfield that featured Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine in 2023 and returns all three.
Vele comes to the NFL after reeling in 98 catches for 1,288 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his final two years with the Utes. He led Utah in receiving yards this past season and was second on the team in 2022, coming in behind tight end Dalton Kincaid. He helps replenish a wide receiving corps in Denver that lost Jerry Jeudy and still might see Courtland Sutton traded away.
Gargiulo arrived in Columbia after earning his degree in four years at Yale. Gargiulo was a versatile lineman for both the Bulldogs and Gamecocks, spending time at both guard and center for both schools. Much won’t be asked of Gargiulo as a rookie, but he adds versatile depth to the Broncos offensive line.
The Saints have started culling the roster a bit as the ebb and flow of roster spots continues in the wake of the NFL Draft. Today’s adjustments came with the waivings of backup quarterback Kellen Mond and backup lineman Tommy Kraemer, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
Mond was a third-round selection for the Vikings out of Texas A&M. He was the seventh passer taken in a draft that led off with a franchise QB in Trevor Lawrence but otherwise stumbled out of the gates with Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Kyle Trask, and Mond following. As the third-string passer in Minnesota as a rookie behind Kirk Cousins and Sean Mannion, Mond made one appearance in garbage time during a late-season loss to the Packers, completing two of three passes for five yards. He has failed to appear in an NFL game since, spending time on rosters or practice squads for the Browns, the Colts, and, most recently, the Saints since then.
Kraemer was an undrafted lineman out of Notre Dame in 2021, initially signing with the Lions. He started the year on the practice squad in Detroit but would eventually get promoted to the active roster and start three of nine game appearances as a rookie. Thanks to a back injury, Kraemer didn’t end up seeing the field at all in 2022, and he signed with the Saints during camp last year. He went back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster in 2023, appearing in four games for the Saints, mostly playing on special teams.
Mond became superfluous with fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler joining last year’s fourth-round pick Jake Haener on the depth chart behind starter Derek Carr. The team also has utility man Taysom Hill still under contract, as well. Likewise, the team’s recent additions of depth linemen like Shane Lemieux, Justin Herron, and Oli Udoh meant less space on the roster for Kraemer.
It became well known the Chiefs wanted JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2021. The veteran wide receiver said the Chiefs finished second to a Steelers return, but the AFC West power kept him on the radar and made the signing a year later. Kansas City appears to have executed a similar strategy at quarterback.
Carson Wentz spent an unexpectedly long period in free agency last year, not joining a team until the Rams added him as Matthew Stafford insurance in November. The Chiefs, it turns out, talked to the former No. 2 overall pick early in free agency. Wentz’s approach at the time led the team to move on, with Blaine Gabbert instead joining the club (and collecting a second Super Bowl ring).
“We talked to him last year when we were talking to Blaine and [Wentz] was holding off for an opportunity possibly to start,” Andy Reid said this week. “But it was good to get him in this position and if he has an opportunity to play, he has an opportunity to play. But he’s really handled it well since he’s been here. He’s a good football player.”
Wentz, 31, is now on his fifth team in five years. The Eagles and Colts traded the ex-North Dakota State standout, and the Commanders — after benching their preferred starter for a stretch — released him in late February 2023. No Wentz connections to any team emerged until he is believed to have reached out to the Jets following Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear, but it is certainly possible — given the resumes — the Chiefs wanted Wentz over Gabbert.
Gabbert ended up signing with the Chiefs for barely the veteran minimum. The Chiefs used Gabbert as their starter in a meaningless Week 18 game; Wentz received the call for the Rams, who rested starters in the regular-season finale, in a game that doubled as a free agency audition.
Gabbert is going into his age-35 season; Wentz will turn 32 in December. The Chiefs have the latter on a one-year deal worth $3.33MM ($2.2MM guaranteed). Wentz has only started one game against the Chiefs — a 27-20 Eagles loss in October 2017, Alex Smith‘s final year as Kansas City’s starter — but certainly has extensive starting experience. Patrick Mahomes‘ new backup has made 93 career starts.
The Rams turned to Jimmy Garoppolo to take Wentz’s old job, continuing a run of reclamation efforts behind Stafford. Wentz becomes the Chiefs’ third QB2 in three seasons, with Gabbert having succeeded four-year backup Chad Henne. Mahomes has missed some memorable stretches, leaving a 2020 divisional-round game due to a concussion and then missing a short span during a 2022 second-round matchup. The two-time MVP missed two games during the 2019 season as well. Wentz is now the next in line should Kansas City’s seventh-year starter miss time.
While the Bills exited the first round more closely tied to Xavier Legette, the South Carolina wide receiver prospect evidently did not meet the value of the No. 32 draft slot for the defending AFC East champions. But a division rival was in on the size-speed weapon.
After the Bills moved down from No. 28 to No. 32, leading to the Chiefs selecting Xavier Worthy, Buffalo received multiple offers for the final pick of Round 1. The Panthers ended up winning out, obtaining No. 32 in exchange for Nos. 33 and 141, the Patriots also sent their twice-a-year opponents an offer for the pick. Legette was indeed the Pats’ target, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.
[RELATED: Patriots Rejected Giants, Vikings’ Offers For No. 3]
Brian Thomas Jr. went off the board to the Jaguars at No. 23; that pick set up the second run on receivers. After the Chiefs chose Worthy, five wideouts went off the board between Nos. 31 and 37. The Patriots had hoped to move toward the front of this wave, but after Legette went off the board, they stepped back by moving from No. 34 to 37 (via the Chargers, who sent the Pats No. 110 in the swap). Three picks after the Bolts’ Ladd McConkey choice, the Pats ended up with their WR hopeful — Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk.
Of the six WRs chosen between 28 and 37 (Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, Legette, Keon Coleman, McConkey, Polk), only one — Pearsall — did not involve a trade. This run of position jockeying will be interesting to revisit down the line, as teams will attempt to develop their chosen WRs.
Legette will join 2023 second-round wideout Jonathan Mingo in Carolina, with the Panthers using two picks in the 30s — Mingo went 39th last year — to supplement veterans Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson. Thielen’s contract pays out its remaining guarantees this year, while Johnson’s Steelers extension expires after the season. Johnson and Legette certainly represent an upgrade from what Carolina gave Bryce Young in his rookie season.
The Patriots made an aggressive pursuit of Calvin Ridley, but after the Titans’ four-year, $96MM offer won out, Drake Maye will be developing alongside Polk. Legette, who made “30” visits to meet with the Panthers and Bills, pairs a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time with a 227-pound frame. Lauded for his blocking ability, Legette made a remarkable transformation. After never breaking the 200-yard barrier in four seasons with the Gamecocks, he broke through for 1,255 (17.7 per catch) and seven TDs in 2023.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slotted Legette 28th overall in this class and ranked Polk 60th. The Pats ranked Polk in their top six or seven, per Fowler; it just appears Legette came in a bit higher on that list.
Working opposite Rome Odunze in a Washington offense that saw three wideouts drafted in the first three rounds, Polk produced 694 yards and six TDs in Michael Penix Jr.‘s first Huskies season and then went 69-1,159-9 in 2023. The Pats, who certainly experienced issues developing highly drafted WRs during Bill Belichick‘s run, will attempt to groom Polk alongside the likes of Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Demario Douglas and free agency addition K.J. Osborn.
MAY 8: The Rams also made an offer for the Seahawks’ No. 16 pick, according to Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline. Los Angeles, which also attempted to trade up higher for Brock Bowers, is believed to have been targeting Murphy. The Eagles’ interest stemmed from a fear they would lose Quinyon Mitchell had they not traded up. Mitchell ended up falling to Philly at No. 22, while the Rams went with Florida State D-lineman Jared Verse at No. 19.
MAY 5: Going into this year’s draft, guard was arguably the Seahawks’ biggest need. And as ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes, Seattle had targeted Alabama’s JC Latham, who was selected by the Titans with the No. 7 overall pick (the ‘Hawks would have slid Latham, a collegiate tackle, to the interior of their O-line, at least in the early stages of his pro career).
[RELATED: Murphy Signs Rookie Deal]
A number of this year’s top defensive prospects fell lower than expected due to an unprecedented run on offensive talent. When the Seahawks were on the clock with the No. 16 pick, only one defensive player, UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu, was off the board, and he went to the Colts at No. 15. That left Texas DT Byron Murphy II available for Seattle, whom the team saw as the best defender in the 2024 class. The ‘Hawks ultimately turned in the card for the former Longhorn.
As offensive players were flying off the board, the Seahawks — who did not have a second-round choice — were fielding trade offers that would have allowed them to move down the board and pick up additional draft capital in the process. Per Henderson, the ‘Hawks received offers from the Steelers, Eagles, Vikings, and Falcons (who were trying to trade back into the first round after surprisingly drafting QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 choice). The Packers were also interested in acquiring Seattle’s No. 16 selection, but Green Bay ultimately did not make an offer.
With Murphy still available but with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, Johnathan Hankins, and several recent draftees already on the roster, GM John Schneider was tempted to trade back. However, Seattle is not in rebuild mode, and Schneider felt that Murphy was too good to pass up.
“I’d be lying to you if I said we didn’t think about [trading back],” Schneider said. “But [Murphy], he was just too good. He influences the game, like a lot. He’s got that ability to jump off the ball and get up field. He can play edges, he can play square, he can rush the passer inside, he gets up and down the line of scrimmage.”
New head coach Mike Macdonald added, “he just plays our style of football, really. And then he’s so talented. Versatility along the front, such an aggressive player, plays violently, heavy hands for a guy [of] shorter stature, flexible, pass-rush flexibility — you name it. Yeah, just really excited to have him.”
With all of the D-linemen on the roster and the Seahawks’ shortage of cap space — per OverTheCap.com, Seattle is the only team in the red as of the time of this writing — it would be fair to expect the club to deal from its DL surplus. However, Henderson said the team has no such plans, especially since Macdonald intends to rotate his players more frequently than his predecessor, Pete Carroll.
In related news, the team is expected to have outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu back for training camp, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Nwosu, who recorded 9.5 sacks in his first Seattle slate in 2022, suffered a pectoral strain in October and missed the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He is under contract through 2026 by virtue of the three-year, $45MM extension he signed in July.
Linked to running backs during the pre-draft process, the Cowboys instead passed on drafting one and followed through with what became a much-discussed reunion with Ezekiel Elliott. The Giants waited until the fifth round to add a back to their group.
This RB class did not generate too much hype, with only one player — Texas’ Jonathon Brooks — going off the board in the first two rounds. Closely connected to Brooks, the Cowboys also did plenty of work on one of this class’ second-tier options. MarShawn Lloyd‘s camp viewed Dallas as one of the teams that could take the former USC and South Carolina back, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes, adding the Giants also carried interest in the recent Pac-12 RB.
Lloyd ended up going 88th overall to the Packers, making him an intriguing backup in a contingent housing free agency pickup Josh Jacobs and the recently re-signed AJ Dillon. Both the Giants and Cowboys carry more questions at the position, seeing as each team refrained from high-end investments this offseason.
The Giants were not willing to go near where the Eagles did for Saquon Barkley, failing to make an offer despite having submitted a proposal that included more than $20MM fully guaranteed last summer. They gave Devin Singletary a three-year, $16.5MM deal ($9.5MM guaranteed at signing) to replace Barkley, and the team has 2023 fifth-rounder Eric Gray and rookie fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr. as Singletary’s top backups. The Giants eyed Lloyd, per Fowler, but he landed between the team’s third- (No. 71) and fourth-round (No. 106) picks. Before the draft, a report indicated the Giants were eyeing veteran RB help. They may, however, be content once again to roll with an experienced starter and unseasoned backups.
Passing on Derrick Henry and other available RBs early in free agency, the Cowboys re-signed Elliott to a one-year, $3MM deal. Dallas has Royce Freeman and 2023 Tony Pollard backups Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn among its backfield options. This plan (as it stands now, that is) has generated some scrutiny. The team showed interest in Lloyd, doing plenty of pre-draft work on him, and Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright, Fowler adds. The Cowboys, however, did not carry a fourth-round pick. Wright went to the Dolphins, who traded up to acquire the SEC product at No. 120.
Lloyd transferred from South Carolina to USC in 2023, totaling a career-high 820 rushing yards (7.1 per carry) last season. Lloyd tallied nine rushing touchdowns with the Gamecocks in 2022. He will be among the rookie RBs attempting to prove teams wrong for their pre-draft outlook on this class.
It does not appear Devin Funchess is attempting a return to the NFL. The former wide receiver/tight end is currently in Colombia, having signed with a professional basketball team there.
Funchess agreed to a deal to join Caribbean Storm Llaneros, who are part of the Professional Colombia Basketball League. He made his debut with the team earlier this month, according to Panthers.com’s Kassidy Hill.
The former Panthers second-round pick last played in a regular-season game back in 2019, but he was with a team as recently as 2022. The Lions added the Detroit native but released him upon setting their initial 53-man roster that summer. Funchess, 29, went to camp with the Packers in 2021 and spent a short time on the 49ers’ practice squad during that season.
Funchess’ NFL career stalled once he signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Colts in 2019. A Week 1 injury that year looks to have been his final act in an NFL game. While the Colts designated Funchess for return — back when only three players could be activated off IR in-season — they did not end up moving him back onto their active roster. Funchess signed with the Packers in 2020 but opted out of that season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Funchess did not play basketball at Michigan, having last played organized hoops in high school. That certainly creates a steep degree of difficulty for the 6-foot-4 performer. The Professional Colombia Basketball League’s season spans 28 games; Funchess will attempt to impress, eyeing a hopeful deal with an NBA G League team. A meeting with the GM of the Los Angeles Clippers’ G League team, per Hill, spurred Funchess to try and build some momentum in a lower-profile league. Funchess is eyeing open G League tryouts in September.
“I really want to play with the [Greensboro] Swarm just because it’s like so much, it was so much love,” Funchess said of the Charlotte Hornets’ G League team. “When I look at my life and I go back to my life, yeah, Detroit gave me a lot of love, a ton of love. But Charlotte opened so many doors for me. My whole family is from North Carolina anyway. So, it’d just be dope just to get my fam to the games.”
If this is it for Funchess in the NFL, he will be best remembered for his Panthers contributions. The 2015 No. 41 overall pick served as a key Cam Newton target for the Panthers’ 15-1 team that ventured, without an injured Kelvin Benjamin, to Super Bowl 50. Funchess totaled 21 touchdown receptions as a Panther, delivering his best season — an 840-yard, eight-TD slate — in 2017 to help Carolina book its most recent playoff berth.
Making the No. 3 wide receiver post a priority, the Dolphins made an offer to Odell Beckham Jr. weeks ago and finalized an agreement last week. The former superstar’s terms with Miami reflect a value drop, as the deal brings a $12MM reduction from his base Ravens payment.
After Beckham drove Baltimore to guarantee him $15MM, he will land on Miami’s books at $3MM. The wideout is believed to have turned down more money elsewhere, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, though no connection between the nine-year vet and another team emerged this offseason.
Beckham’s Dolphins contract can max out at $8MM; this comes a year after his Ravens deal featured an $18MM max value. Beckham used the leverage of Lamar Jackson‘s holdout in 2023, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting the now-two-time MVP — then near the end of a long-running negotiation that involved an 11th-hour trade request — wanted the well-traveled wide receiver on the roster. (When Beckham signed, the Ravens officially gave him no assurances Jackson was coming back.) The Ravens obliged, but the outcome fell short of the team’s hopes.
The Ravens used Beckham as a part-timer last season, giving him a 60% snap rate on offense during just one of the 16 games he played. The 31-year-old target totaled 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Clubs understandably view Beckham as in decline, with one exec whose team looked into signing the WR it was clear the gear he had once displayed is not there anymore. Another exec did not go that far, viewing Beckham’s form as improving as last season progressed.
OBJ’s 16.1 yards per catch represented a career-high mark, coming in 12th in the NFL; his yards per route run (1.92) and yards per target (8.8.) each ranked in the top 35 last season. The former Giants Pro Bowler has likely submitted his final 1,000-yard season — he has five — but the Dolphins appear fine with the version of Beckham the Ravens received.
A No. 1 wideout essentially from the start of his Giants career through the point he was traded, Beckham added two more 1,000-yard years in Cleveland. OBJ played a 1-A role alongside Jarvis Landry with the Browns. The three-time Pro Bowler lined up as the Rams’ WR2 during his short but memorable stint in Los Angeles, and the Ravens ended up placing him as their No. 2 pass catcher — behind Zay Flowers — following Mark Andrews‘ injury. The Dolphins, however, will slot Beckham as their clear WR3 behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. This will be new territory for the former top-10 pick.
A wide gap formed between Miami’s second- and third-leading pass catchers last season. Waddle’s 1,014 yards (in 14 games). Tight end Durham Smythe checked in as Miami’s third-leading target last year; he totaled 366 yards. The Dolphins’ nominal No. 3 wideout — Cedrick Wilson Jr. — tallied 296 yards. The team will hope Beckham can bridge the gap between the two speed merchants and the rest of their receiving cadre.
The team released Wilson, who later caught on with the Saints, and used a sixth-round pick on a wideout (5-foot-8 Virginia prospect Malik Washington). Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft remain on the team, as does ex-Browns third-rounder Anthony Schwartz. But the Dolphins will expect Beckham to deliver better WR3 work than the team received last season.