Milton Williams

Eagles Sign Three More Draft Picks

DeVonta Smith wasn’t the only member of the Eagles draft class to get a contract today. The team also signed third-round defensive lineman Milton Williams, fourth-round cornerback Zech McPhearson, and fifth-round running back Kenneth Gainwell.

[RELATED: Eagles Sign DeVonta Smith]

Williams had a productive four-year stint (including a redshirt year) at Louisiana Tech, collecting 108 and 10.5 sacks during his collegiate career. After earning first-team All-Conference USA in 2020, the Eagles used the No. 73 pick to take him in the 2021 draft. The rookie is expected to compete for backup reps behind Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.

McPhearson transferred from Penn State to Texas Tech in 2019, and the move helped put the defensive back on the NFL radar. The 23-year-old earned a number of accolades for his performance in 2020 (including first-team All-Big 12), leading to him being taken with the No. 123 pick.

After serving as a quarterback in high school, Gainwell transitioned to running back while he was at Memphis. He had a breakout campaign in 2019, collecting 2,069 yards from scrimmage to go along with 16 touchdowns. The running back opted out of the 2020 campaign.

Following today’s signings, the Eagles still have a handful of unsigned draft picks:

Round 2: No. 37 Landon Dickerson, C (Alabama)
Round 6: No. 189 Marlon Tuipulotu, DT (USC)
Round 6: No. 191 (from Broncos via Panthers) Tarron Jackson, DE (Coastal Carolina)
Round 6: No. 224 JaCoby Stevens, S (LSU)
Round 7: No. 234 Patrick Johnson, DE (Tulane)

Raiders Down To 75-Man Limit

The Raiders announced a ton of moves on Tuesday to get down to the 75-man roster maximum. Some of the moves, like the release of running back Trent Richardson and wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, were previously announced. The full list is below:

Waived:

  • Steven Clark, P
  • Rob Daniel, CB
  • Cody Fajardo, QB
  • Josh Jarper, WR
  • Lamar Mady, G
  • Trent Richardson, RB
  • Kenbrell Thompkins, WR
  • Milton Williams III, WR

Released:

  • James Dockery, CB
  • Ras-I Dowling, CB
  • Trindon Holliday, WR/RS

Waived/Injured:

  • Jimmy Hall, S

Placed on IR:

  •  Menelik Watson, OT

Holliday, 29, was a dynamic return man for Denver in 2012 and 2013, bringing back a total of four kicks and punts for touchdowns over the course of those two regular seasons. As a member of the Broncos in the 2012 postseason, Holliday became the first player to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same playoff game. The Broncos decided not to tender a contract to Holliday when he was eligible for restricted free agency a year ago, leading to a 2014 campaign in which the former sixth-round pick bounced around from team to team and battled injuries along the way. Holliday had stints with the Giants, Buccaneers, and 49ers in 2014, and was ultimately cut by San Francisco in April. In June, he landed with Oakland, but his time there has ended as well.

 

Minor Moves: Tuesday Night

We rounded up some minor transactions earlier today, and we have a new group here for Tuesday night..

  • The Patriots have signed linebacker Dekoda Watson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Watson was let go by the Cowboys just days ago. Watson has spent time with the Bucs, Jaguars, and Cowboys over the course of his career and played in 70 games.
  • The Broncos claimed receiver/return man Solomon Patton off waivers from the Bucs, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. The Broncos also claimed Jags tight end Marcel Jensen earlier today.
  • The Lions released UDFA running back Rasheed Williams, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed linebacker Tyrell Adams and fullback Brandon Cottom, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). To make room, Seattle waived lineman Nate Isles and terminated the contract of lineman C.J. Davis. Adams and Cottom were each tryout players at Seahawks’ rookie mini-camp over the weekend.
  • Safety Thomas Gordon, waived by the Giants yesterday, cleared waivers and is now on their reserve/injured list, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
  • Wide receiver Austin Hill, who did not pass a physical to sign with Seahawks, was signed today by the Raiders, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). To make room, the Raiders waived fellow wide receiver Milton Williams, a Delaware State product, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets.

Raiders Sign 14 Undrafted FAs

The Raiders have signed 14 undrafted free agents to their roster, adding them in time for rookie minicamp, the team announced today in a press release. Here’s the complete list, via the team:

  • Rob Daniel, CB, BYU
  • Quinterrius Eatmon, OL, South Florida
  • Cody Fajardo, QB, Nevada
  • Jacoby Hale, LB, Utah
  • Jimmy Hall, S, Northwestern
  • Josh Harper, WR, Fresno State
  • Gabe Holmes, TE, Purdue
  • Gus Johnson, RB, Stephen F. Austin
  • Tevin McDonald, S, Eastern Washington
  • Braylon Mitchell, LB, Arkansas
  • Leon Orr, DT, Florida
  • Terrell Pinson, S, Louisiana Tech
  • Josh Shirley, LB, UNLV ($5K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Milton Williams, WR, Delaware State