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.
Minor Moves: Dolphins, Buccaneers, Williams
Tonight’s minor moves…
- The Dolphins signed free agent Stephen Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). A fifth-year undrafted free agent, Williams hasn’t caught a pass since 2010. In a related move, Miami bid farewell to wide receiver Ryan Lankford (link).
- The Buccaneers signed Cal running back Brendan Bigelow, an undrafted free agent, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Bigelow didn’t impress at his NFL Combine audition and that was due in part to a sprained ankle.
Minor Moves: Saints, Cardinals, Packers
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions below, including waiver claims and signings and cuts of players who don’t have much NFL experience. Any additional moves will be added to the top of the page throughout the evening:
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Saints have signed offensive lineman Manase Foketi, who went undrafted out of West Texas A&M a year ago. Foketi signed with the Broncos last April and joined the Bills’ practice squad during the season.
- The Cardinals have waived wide receiver Javone Lawson with a non-football injury designation, tweets Wilson.
- Cornerback James Nixon has been cut by the Packers with a failed physical designation, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter).
- Josh Samuda, who was cut by the Vikings yesterday, was done so with the failed physical designation and moved to injured reserve today, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
Earlier updates:
- The Raiders have waived safety Tony Dye, linebacker Eric Harper and defensive end Chris McCoy, according to the team (via Twitter). Like the Texans (mentioned below), Oakland appears to finally be gearing up to announce its UDFA signings.
- The Texans have yet to announce their undrafted free agent class, but it looks like they’re preparing to do so, having made a series of cuts today. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the team has parted ways with running back Ray Graham, tight end Phillip Supernaw, wideout Rico Richardson, cornerback Loyce Means, fullback Chad Spann and safety Steven Terrell. Graham had four carries and a reception for the Texans last season.
- The Buccaneers have re-signed long snapper Andrew DePaola and cut cornerback Anthony Gaitor, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com. Neither player saw any regular-season action for the team in 2013.
- Cut by the Bills earlier this week, offensive lineman Jamaal Johnson-Webb has been claimed off waivers by the Giants, the club announced today (via Twitter). It’s been a whirlwind year for the Alabama A&M product, who has also spent time on the Cardinals’, Bills’, and Bears’ rosters or practice squads since going undrafted last April.
NFC South Rumors: Graham, White, Bucs
Free agency, which opened more than two months ago, feels well behind us now, but technically one of the top free agents of the offseason remains available. Jimmy Graham was franchised by the Saints, meaning he can’t freely sign with another club, but he can still sign an offer sheet if there’s a team out there willing to give up two first-round picks to land him. And according to Mike Freeman of the Bleacher Report, that’s not a total pipe dream — Freeman hears from multiple sources that there are still some teams “strongly considering” extending an offer sheet to Graham.
I’d be surprised if another team ended up make a serious play for the Saints tight end, who would require a sizable chunk of cap space in addition to his suitor being willing to give up two first-rounders. But with a hearing looming next month to determine whether Graham will be considered a tight end or a wide receiver, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on. Here’s more from around the NFC South:
- ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure explores the possibility of an extension for Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who is entering the final year of his contract. McClure likens White’s contract situation to that of Reggie Wayne, who signed a three-year extension in 2012 at age 33 — White turns 33 this fall.
- Patriots director of college scouting Jon Robinson is leaving New England to reunite with Buccaneers GM Jason Licht in Tampa Bay, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston (Twitter links). According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link), Robinson will assume the role of director of player personnel in Tampa. Meanwhile, Bucs director of college scouting Eric Stokes will be moving on to Miami to act as an assistant to Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey, tweets Reiss.
- A bill addressing professional athletes’ injury benefits, which is working its way through the Louisiana Legislature could adversely affect the Saints‘ recruitment of free agents, according to former NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, via Emily Lane of the Times-Picayune. Lane’s piece has plenty of details on the bill, which would limit compensation benefits for NFL players if they’re injured during training camp rather than during the regular season. The Players Association also published an article on its website stating its opposition to the bill.
2014’s Most Balanced And Unbalanced Drafts
Teams entered last week’s NFL draft with many different positions and areas they planned to focus on, but depending on how the draft played out, many clubs didn’t end up addressing all their needs. For instance, few would have guessed heading into the draft that neither the Panthers nor the Ravens would come out of the weekend having added an offensive tackle.
Whether intentional or not, a handful of teams ended up specifically focusing on one area of the ball in the draft, selecting far more offensive players than defensive players, or vice versa. Listed below are the teams who had the most offensive-heavy drafts, teams who had defensive-heavy drafts, and the clubs who managed to perfectly balance their picks. Let’s check out the lists….
Most offensive-heavy drafts:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6 offense, 0 defense): After spending big to add defensive end Michael Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner in free agency, the Buccaneers were the only NFL team not to draft at least one defensive player. Instead, the club focused on adding weapons for new quarterback Josh McCown, including wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6 offense, 3 defense): It wasn’t until they drafted their fifth player, in the fourth round, that the Jaguars eventually selected a defensive player, having focused early on landing a quarterback (Blake Bortles) and pass-catchers (Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson).
- New England Patriots (6 offense, 3 defense): After nabbing defensive tackle Dominique Easley in round one, the Patriots turned to offensive players for their next five picks, including second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo.
- Washington Redskins (5 offense, 2 defense): The Redskins picked a couple defenders in the first four rounds, grabbing linebacker Trent Murphy and cornerback Bashaud Breeland, but they tipped the scales by leaning heavily toward offensive players with their late-round picks.
Most balanced drafts:
- New York Jets (6 offense, 6 defense)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4 offense, 4 defense)
- Carolina Panthers (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Cleveland Browns (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Denver Broncos (3 offense, 3 defense)
- San Diego Chargers (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Tennessee Titans (3 offense, 3 defense)
Most defensive-heavy drafts:
- Atlanta Falcons (7 defense, 2 offense): Offensive and defensive lines were viewed as two of the top priorities for the Falcons, but after addressing those positions in the first two rounds, Atlanta went on a linebacker frenzy in the mid-to-late rounds, snatching up four of them.
- Dallas Cowboys (7 defense, 2 offense): The Cowboys reportedly had three defensive players on their wish list in the first round, but when Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, and Ryan Shazier came off the board, the team picked offensive tackle Zack Martin instead. Dallas remedied that by making seven of its final eight picks defensive players.
- Minnesota Vikings (7 defense, 3 offense): The Vikings made defense their focus in the mid-to-late rounds — their last five picks were defenders, including three defensive backs. Minnesota also selected a defensive player with its first pick, drafting linebacker Anthony Barr ninth overall.
- Oakland Raiders (6 defense, 2 offense): The Raiders’ approach looked similar to the Vikings’, as Oakland grabbed a linebacker (Khalil Mack) with its top-10 pick, then used its last five picks on defenders, with a couple offensive players sandwiched in between.
- Philadelphia Eagles (5 defense, 2 offense): Losing DeSean Jackson made wide receiver a priority for the Eagles in the draft, so the team snatched up Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff in rounds two and three. Outside of those two picks though, it was an exclusively defensive draft for Philadelphia.
Pro Football Rumors’ list of draft results by team was used in the creation of this post.
NFC Rumors: Glennon, Hardy, Cowboys, Bears
Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith reaffirmed that Mike Glennon is the team’s quarterback of the future, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the QB of the present, writes Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.
“I made it clear right away that Josh McCown is our starter, which he is,” Smith said during an interview on WDAE (620 AM). “And hopefully for quite a few years he will be. And I said I really like Mike Glennon. Mike’s a young player coming up. In an ideal situation you don’t want young players to have to come in and start right away, you want them to be around an established veteran.”
Glennon was believed to be a trade candidate earlier this offseason but Smith’s kind words have put that talk to rest. More from around the NFL:
- With this week’s legal run-in, Greg Hardy has seriously jeopardized his future with the Panthers, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. The Panthers guaranteed the Pro Bowl player $13.1MM in 2014 not just because he collected a team-best 15 sacks last season, but because he appeared to have matured past the mistakes he made early in his NFL career and at Ole Miss. The club was considering locking Hardy up long-term this year, but that seems unlikely today.
- What would the Cowboys have done in the draft if they hadn’t traded up to get Demarcus Lawrence early in the second round? Cowboys COO Stephen Jones told season ticket holders on a conference call today that Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy would have been the selection at No. 47 followed by LSU guard Trai Turner in the third round, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune if there’s any chance the Bears could swing a trade for help in the secondary. Biggs says that while many would like to see a blockbuster like a deal for Chiefs safety Eric Berry, that type of thing won’t be in the cards thanks to his sizable salary.
- Bears sixth-round pick David Fales appears to be a good fit for the team, writes Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. Fales last season threw for 4,189 yards, 33 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and completed 64.1 percent of his passes in 12 games.
- Released running back Bradley Randle says the Vikings might end up bringing him back, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
Minor Moves: Saints, Panthers, Bucs, Eagles
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions here, including mid-to-late-round draftees agreeing to contracts, players being claimed off waivers, and the retirement of a former NFLer who most recently played in the Canadian Football League…..
- The Chiefs announced that they have sixth-round pick Zach Fulton (Twitter link). The offensive lineman out of Tennessee was taken with the No. 193 pick.
- The 49ers announced that they have signed fifth-round outside linebacker Aaron Lynch and seventh-round defensive lineman Kaleb Ramsey, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Saints have signed former Notre Dame guard Mike Golic Jr. to a two-year contract, the club announced today in a press release. Golic went undrafted in 2013 and joined the Steelers for the preseason.
- Drake Nevis, who was cut yesterday by the Jaguars, has been awarded to the Panthers on waivers, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The defensive lineman appeared in games for the Cowboys and Jags last season.
Earlier updates:
- The Buccaneers have waived running back Michael Smith, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have locked up one of their draft picks, signing third-round wideout Josh Huff to a four-year deal, per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- After being cut by the Seahawks yesterday, long snapper Jorgen Hus has been claimed off waivers by the Rams, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have cut punter Matt Syzmanski, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The only NFL team to lock up any draftees so far, the Bears have agreed to terms with two more players they selected last week, according to the team (Twitter links). Fourth-round running back Ka’Deem Carey and seventh-round tackle Charles Leno Jr. have reached agreements on four-year deals with the club. At Over The Cap, Jason Fitzgerald has estimations on what sort of contracts the duo will be receiving.
- The Jaguars have claimed linebacker Allen Bradford off waivers from the Giants, a day after he was cut, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Bradford, a former Seahawk like a few other players the Jags have added this offseason, fills the last spot on the team’s 90-man roster.
- Former Bills first-round pick Aaron Maybin has officially announced his retirement as a football player, according to the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts (Twitter link). After being selected 11th overall out of Penn State, Maybin failed to make a consistent impact at the NFL level, with his best season coming in 2011 as a reserve for the Jets (six sacks).
Bucs Sign 12 UDFAs, Cut Three Players
TUESDAY, 4:56pm: Undrafted Texas A&M linebacker Steven Jenkins has also signed with the Buccaneers, the team announced today in a press release.
MONDAY, 2:52pm: The Buccaneers have announced 11 undrafted free agent signings, and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune passes along the names in a series of tweets. To clear room on the 90-man roster, the club has also cut three players, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link): Tight end Steve Maneri, tight end and fullback Josh Baker, and cornerback Bobby Felder. None of the three players played for the Bucs last season.
Here’s the full list of the Bucs’ UDFA additions:
- Josh Allen, C Louisiana-Monroe ($5K bonus, per Pat Yasinskas)
- Nate Askew, LB, Texas A&M ($7.5K bonus)
- Aaron Burks, WR, Boise State ($5K bonus)
- Euclid Cummings, DT, Georgia Tech ($10K bonus)
- Keith Lewis, CB, Virginia-Lynchburg ($3K bonus)
- Andrew Miller, G, Virginia Tech ($5K bonus)
- Matt Patchan, OT, Boston College ($14.85K bonus)
- Solomon Patton, WR, Florida ($9K bonus)
- Brett Smith, QB, Wyoming ($3K bonus)
- Chaz Sutton, DE, South Carolina ($15K bonus)
- Mycal Swaim, S, Eastern Michigan ($3K bonus)
NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Bucs
The offseason losses outweighed the gains for the Panthers, and Carolina’s draft picks must grow up fast for the team to repeat as division champs, writes Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler.
After losing Jordan Gross, Steve Smith, Captain Munnerlyn, Ted Ginn and Mike Mitchell, coach Ron Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman hope first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin and a host of others can fill the large void.
“Status quo is not good enough,” Rivera said. “We’re not going to stand around and be just as good.
“We want to be better.”
More from the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South:
- With the picks of North Carolina safety Tre Boston and San Jose State cornerback Bene’ Benwikere in the fourth and fifth rounds Saturday, the Panthers added depth to the secondary rather than taking a chance on a developmental offensive tackle to replace Jordan Gross, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- The Observer put together an early two-deep depth chart for the Panthers, slotting in Byron Bell, Amini Silatolu, Ryan Kalil, Chris Scott and Nate Chandler as the team’s starting offensive line from left to right.
- A recap of Times-Picayune reporter Larry Holder’s pick-by-pick analysis of the Saints‘ draft, passed along by NOLA.com’s Christopher Dabe.
- Dabe aggregated a smattering of reviews of the Saints‘ draft, with most analysts giving general manager Micky Loomis a B or a C.
- Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith believes his team has done all it can to be the the team that makes a leap, writes Tampa Bay Times columnist Gary Shelton.
Lovie Smith: Glennon Is Bucs’ QB Of Future
May 10: The Buccaneers have turned down trade requests from at least six teams looking to acquire Glennon, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The team says they had no intentions of moving the former third-round pick.
“There’s a lot of interest and we want to keep Mike,” said general manager Jason Licht. “(They were) just feeling it out. I know that Mike has a very good reputation throughout the league as far as his developmental future.”
The team used all six of its picks on offensive players, but none at the quarterback position, leaving the team’s depth chart in tact with McCown as the starter and Glennon as both the backup and the “quarterback of the future”.
May 8: Mike Glennon has been viewed as a trade candidate for much of the offseason, but that might not be the case. Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith says that Glennon is the team’s quarterback of the future, according to ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas.
“It’s what’s best for us,” Smith said. “Just talking about our quarterback position, our quarterback position is as strong as any quarterback position I’ve had when I’ve been a head coach. You know how much I like Josh McCown as our starter. I love Mike Glennon. Mike Glennon is our quarterback of the future here. So why would you want to add a third quarterback to the mix? We needed other positions. Forget just the quarterback position, we thought this was the best available player for us. It was an easy decision for us.”
While Glennon showed that he can be a capable QB last season, he’s not exactly Aaron Rodgers and this year’s draft is chock full of talented signal callers. Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report recently wrote that the asking price for Glennon could be a second-round choice, but at this point it looks like the 6’7″ QB will be staying put.
Things can always change, of course, and the Bucs may have a change of heart depending on who is available when they pick next at No. 38. At the time of this writing Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr are among the QBs still on the board.