Steelhammer Addresses DOD Ruling
- The Eagles did not sign safety Weston Steelhammer after inviting the Air Force alum to their rookie minicamp. One of three Air Force products to receive a tryout over the weekend, Steelhammer sits in limbo after the Department of Defense reversed its more lenient ruling just before the draft. If nothing changes, Steelhammer and more prominent Air Force prospect Jalen Robinette must serve for two years before beginning an NFL career. “Things didn’t work out how we thought or how we hoped, but everything happens for a reason,” Steelhammer said, via Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. “I’ll just try to make the most of it.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/17
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Reggie Davis, DL Taniela Tupou
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Titus Davis
- Waived: WR Levonte Whitfield
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Victor Salako
- Waived/injured: QB Jerod Evans
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Phazahn Odom (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
UDFA Tyler Orlosky Could Force Jason Kelce Out Of Philadelphia
- Former West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky is part of the Eagles‘ 2017 class of UDFAs, and as Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes, it was a bit surprising that Orlosky chose to sign with Philadelphia. After all, he garnered plenty of interest as a UDFA, and the Eagles have three centers on their roster that they are invested in to some degree. But Shorr-Parks suggests that Orlosky may know something we don’t, and if Orlosky performs well in camp, Shorr-Parks says Philadelphia could ship veteran Jason Kelce, whom the club has been trying to trade anyway, off to the highest bidder.
Bills Giving Air Force WR Jalen Robinette Tryout
Jalen Robinette looked like a player set to be at worst a Day 3 pick entering draft week, but after a Department of Defense 11th-hour ruling, the standout Air Force wide receiver went undrafted. The reversal of a policy that allowed Navy’s Keenan Reynolds a path toward the Ravens’ roster as a rookie meant Robinette and fellow military academy-developed prospects could not be drafted.
But the Bills are taking a look at the yards-per-catch dynamo as part of their rookie camp, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post notes. One of 25 rookies the Bills are examining this weekend, Robinette may well have to wait until the 2019 season if this Buffalo setup ends up working out.
The Eagles also invited Air Force safety Weston Steelhammer to their rookie camp, and the Cardinals extended the same opportunity to linebacker Ryan Watson, per Jhabvala. Both of those rookie camps are also unfolding this weekend.
The new policy, similar to the one that required former Air Force (and current Falcons) lineman Ben Garland to serve two years before joining the 2012 Broncos, would force these talents to serve for 24 months before being eligible to pursue a professional sports career. Garland signed with the 2010 Broncos as a UDFA and was placed on the team’s reserve/military list before returning two years later.
However, Jhabvala reports that Robinette’s agent, David Lisko, is attempting to get the receiver and the rest of this class of military academy athletes grandfathered in under the old D.O.D. policy, since that’s the one the athletes were operating under this offseason. These athletes would need to have a professional contract to be eligible for the Ready Reserve program, which allows for the delay of service time. Teams at the most keep a few rookie-tryout players out of the dozens generally invited, so the trio has an uphill battle this weekend.
That said, someone like Robinette could be appealing since he was a projected draft pick. The 6-foot-3 target averaged 27.4 yards per catch — en route to 959 yards and six receiving touchdowns — last season.
Pederson Not Worried About Graham Holdout
- Doug Pederson isn’t worried about a potential holdout from Brandon Graham, the Eagles coach said today, per Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (on Twitter). A report earlier this week linked the burgeoning-star edge defender to a holdout. Graham is signed to a four-year deal worth $26.5MM. He’s set to carry cap numbers of $7.5MM apiece in 2017 and ’18. The 29-year-old ranked as the No. 2 overall edge defender in the opinion of Pro Football Focus last season. Among 4-3 defensive ends, Graham’s deal places him just 16th in terms of average annual value. Less accomplished teammate Vinny Curry is making nearly $3MM per year more than Graham due to his 2016 extension.
Eagles Agree To Pay Sidney Jones Full Base Salary If On NFI List
The Eagles believed enough in Sidney Jones to invest their second-round pick in the injured cornerback, and the team is beginning its dealings with the first-round talent with a gesture of goodwill.
Philadelphia brass inserted language in Jones’ contract that will pay him his full 2017 base salary even if he spends the season on the NFI list, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jones signed his four-year, $6.14MM contract on Thursday, joining six other Eagles in agreeing to rookie pacts.
The former Washington Huskies standout fell to the Eagles at No. 43 after tearing his Achilles during the final rep of his pro day. Jones underwent surgery in March and tweeted shortly after he will be available for at least part of his rookie season. Rapoport put Jones’ timetable in line with a return any time from September to November.
Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles in May of 2013 and returned for the 49ers’ final five regular-season games. Terrell Suggs tore his in May of 2012 and came back for the final eight Ravens regular-season contests during their Super Bowl campaign, so it’s well within reason Jones could come back and make an impact as a rookie.
But Philadelphia will be compensating him regardless as he continues to rehab from an injury he suffered before becoming an Eagle.
Eagles Sign 10 UDFAs
The Eagles have announced the signings of 10 undrafted free agents, including a pair of previously reported players in former Wisconsin running back Corey Clement and ex-Oklahoma defensive tackle Charles Walker. Here are the other eight:
- DT Winston Craig (Richmond)
- QB Jerod Evans (Virginia Tech)
- CB Randall Goforth (UCLA)
- P Cameron Johnston (Ohio State)
- C Tyler Orlosky (West Virginia)
- S Tre Sullivan (Shepherd)
- WR Greg Ward (Houston)
- CB Jomal Wiltz (Iowa State)
Eagles Sign Seven Draft Picks
With the notable exception of first-round defensive end Derek Barnett, all of the Eagles’ draft picks are now under contract. The Eagles have agreed to deals with seven members of their rookie class, per a team announcement. Here’s the list:
- 2-43: Sidney Jones, CB (Washington)
- 3-99: Rasul Douglas, CB (West Virginia)
- 4-118: Mack Hollins, WR (North Carolina)
- 4-132: Donnel Pumphrey, RB (San Diego State)
- 5-166: Shelton Gibson, WR (West Virginia)
- 5-184: Nathan Gerry, S (Nebraska)
- 6-214: Elijah Qualls, DT (Washington)
The biggest name included in that group belongs to Jones, who underwent surgery on a torn Achilles in March and won’t return to the field until the fall, at the earliest. Jones’ injury, which occurred on the final rep of his pro day, caused his draft stock to slip after it appeared he’d be a first-rounder. The 6-foot, 181-pounder was a 30-game starter at Washington, where he tallied eight interceptions.
Eagles Waive Rasheed Bailey
- The Eagles have waived wide receiver Rasheed Bailey, the club announced today. Philadelphia had signed Bailey, 23, to a futures contract in January. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Division III Delaware Valley State in 2015, Bailey landed with the Eagles before bouncing between the Canadian Football League, the Jaguars, and the Chargers. Bailey, who has yet to appear in an NFL game, would’ve been hard-pressed to earn a roster spot with Philadelphia, especially after the club inked free agents Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith and drafted Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson.
Eagles’ Brandon Graham Planning Holdout?
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is expected to skip organized team activities later this month and might even abstain from mandatory minicamp in June unless the Eagles renegotiate his contract, two NFL sources tell Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that there is no contract dispute between Graham and the team. 
Graham, 29, is midway through a four-year, $26MM deal signed with Philly in 2015. He’s scheduled to carry cap numbers of $7.5MM in each of the next two seasons, but he apparently wants more dollars and/or more years. As it stands, the Eagles would only have to carry $1MM in dead money if they were to release him after the 2017 season, so he’s likely looking for some form of increased security.
Last year, Graham finished out with 5.5 sacks, but he had a much better season than the standard numbers would suggest. Pro Football Focus rated Graham as the No. 2 edge defender in the NFL last season with a stellar 93.3 overall score and he was edged only by Raiders star Khalil Mack. In the two years prior, PFF cast him as a top 15 or 20 edge rusher in the league, so Graham has a history of producing at a high level. Still, with two years to go on his current deal, he won’t have a ton of leverage in talks unless he stays away from the team this summer.