Bears Sign 13 UDFAs
The Bears added seven rookies via the draft. They have been joined by the following 13 undrafted free agents as first-year players on Chicago’s roster:
- Caden Barnett (OL, Wyoming)
- Coleman Bennett (RB, Kennesaw State)
- KC Eziomume (DB, Tulane)
- Beau Gardner (LS, Georgia)
- Omari Kelly (WR, Michigan State)
- Jaren Kump (OL, Utah)
- Hayden Large (TE, Iowa)
- Jayden Loving (DL, Wake Forest)
- Miller Moss (QB, Louisville)
- Mason Murphy (OL, Auburn)
- Gabriel Plascencia (K, San Diego State)
- Skyler Thomas (DB, Oregon State)
- Squirrel White (WR, Florida State)
Barnett is among this year’s group of UDFAs who secured a notable guarantee package. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports he landed a $30K signing bonus by joining the Bears. Barnett also received $248K in locked-in base salary, so a long-running opportunity to compete for a backup gig along the offensive line should be expected.
The Bears also made a Loving a target shortly after the draft. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin notes Chicago authorized a $245K guarantee in that case, including a $20K signing bonus. It was not until the sixth round that the team made an addition along the defensive line, so Loving will aim to carve out a depth spot or at least a place on Chicago’s practice squad.
Moss spent his first four college seasons at USC. That span included two years as Caleb Williams‘ backup. Moss took on starting duties for the Trojans in 2024 before spending a single season at Louisville. He will join Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent as depth passers for the Bears during offseason practices.
Broncos Extend GM George Paton
MAY 10: Parker Gabriel and Luca Evans of the Denver Post report the Paton extension was “hammered out” over the past couple of weeks. The deal was obviously expected at some point, but Paton and the team wanted to remain focused on the draft before turning their attention to the GM’s own contract status.
Payton, who spent his entire Saints career working with one GM in Mickey Loomis, is happy to have Paton in place for the long haul.
“I said to [Paton], I said, ‘Man, I consider myself very fortunate to have been with one General Manager in New Orleans who I would call a very close friend and a great working partner,’ and then to find another person like George,” Payton said at the Broncos’ rookie minicamp (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I know that we both feel the same way. We love the grind together. He’s a tremendous asset and all, and he’s very good at what he does. I think we complement each other. I am super excited for him. I said that to you guys at the [scouting combine], it was just a matter of time. We think alike in a lot of cases.”
MAY 8: As expected, George Paton has landed a new agreement in Denver. The Broncos’ general manager signed a five-year deal on Friday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
Before the 2025 season had ended, a Paton extension emerged as a likely goal for the Broncos. The veteran had one year remaining on his contract prior to today’s news. Now, though, Paton is on the books through 2030 on a deal which has since been confirmed via a team announcement.
Head coach Sean Payton has of course wielded considerable power since arriving in 2023. The ex-Saints Super Bowl winner has formed a strong tandem with Paton, and in February he expressed confidence an agreement would be worked out. The Paton-Payton pairing will continue for years to come as the Broncos look to build off their recent success. That includes earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed this past year.
“As our general manager, George has demonstrated a strong commitment toward building a winning roster while forming a collaborative and supportive partnership with Sean Payton,” a statement from owner Greg Penner reads. “I’ve enjoyed working with George over the last four seasons and appreciate the alignment we share in positioning the Broncos for sustained success.”
After time with the Bears and Dolphins, Paton joined the Vikings in 2007. He worked his way up to assistant general manager, serving in that capacity from 2007-20. Paton also held the title of VP of player personnel during his Minnesota stint. A return to the Vikings was floated as a possibility after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s firing, but the Broncos’ desire for a long-term agreement remained. Minnesota’s GM spot is still vacant at this point and Paton, 56, will be staying put.
Denver’s post-Peyton Manning cold spell continued upon Paton’s arrival. The team posted a losing record in each of his first three years at the helm, and moves such as the Nathaniel Hackett hire and the Russell Wilson trade certainly did not pay off. Despite carrying a massive dead money charge in the wake of Wilson’s release, though, the Broncos have managed to rebound thanks to Paton’s roster-building moves. Denver reached the playoffs as a No. 7 seed in 2024, and this past campaign saw the team host the AFC title game.
Quarterback Bo Nix‘s ankle injury kept him out of that contest, but expectations will be high in his case individually and that of the Broncos in general for years to come. Paton has managed to retain a strong core on defense and along the offensive line, and he recently swung a deal for receiver Jaylen Waddle. That move should help shore up the receiver position as the Broncos look for more consistent play in the passing game for 2026 and beyond. Attaining that goal should set the team up for another playoff run.
The Broncos’ original long-term investment in Paton provided a strong return. Penner and Co. will hope this second one continues a run of productive moves in the front office. With Payton’s job security certainly not an issue at this point, organizational stability for the foreseeable future can be expected in Denver’s case.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/26
Here are Saturday’s minor NFL moves:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Javin Wright
- Waived (with non-football injury designation): RB Michael Wiley
Wright agreed to terms with Tampa Bay shortly after the draft but was not included among the team’s initial undrafted free agent class. The Nebraska product’s arrival required a corresponding roster move, and Wiley has been let go. A former UDFA himself, Wiley finished 2025 on the Buccaneers’ practice squad before signing a futures deal in January.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/26
Here are the rookies who inked their four-year deals on Saturday:
New England Patriots
- TE Eli Raridon (third round, Notre Dame)
- EDGE Quintayvious Hutchins (seventh round, Boston College)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- CB Daylen Everett (third round, Georgia)
- G Gennings Dunker (third round, Iowa)
- TE/FB Riley Nowakowski (fifth round, Indiana)
Texans’ Second-Round DT Kayden McDonald Signs Rookie Deal
After the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft came to a close, rumors claimed that multiple teams were attempting to work their way up closer to the top of the second round. Houston was the first team to successfully do so, and today, they landed the signature of the player they drafted after trading up. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald has signed his fully guaranteed four-year, $12.9MM rookie deal.
After essentially redshirting in his first year with the Buckeyes, McDonald held a rotational role off the bench in the team’s 2024 championship run. 2025 was McDonald’s first and only season as a full-time starter, but the All-American defender showed enough in 14 games to prove he was NFL ready. The disruptive, explosive defensive tackle made plays all over the field for Ohio State, notching 65 total tackles, three sacks, and nine tackles for loss. He showed good production in the pass rush, but he really excelled as a run stopper.
McDonald was widely expected to be the class’s only first-round interior defender. He even attended the draft in person just to slip into Day 2 while watching Florida’s Caleb Banks and Clemson’s Peter Woods hear their names called in the first round. Sitting atop the board of best remaining players for hours, he clearly was seen as a priority for a few clubs. Houston’s efforts to move up came with an intention to get ahead of the Giants, who they thought might take McDonald as a replacement for Dexter Lawrence.
Stepping into one of the NFL’s top defenses last year, McDonald should have a chance to earn a big role on a defensive line that returns Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai but lost Tim Settle to free agency. McDonald should be able to slot right in as the first interior defensive lineman off the bench and could find himself in a starting role if free agency takes another body away next year.
By landing McDonald’s signature, Houston has just cracked the seal on signing its rookie draft class. Here’s a look at the work that remains to be done:
- Round 1, No. 26 (from Bills): Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)
- Round 2, No. 36 (from Raiders): Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 59: Marlin Klein (TE, Michigan)
- Round 4, No. 106 (from Commanders): Febechi Nwaiwu (G, Oklahoma)
- Round 4, No. 123 (from Chargers): Wade Woodaz (LB, Clemson)
- Round 5, No. 141 (from Raiders via Browns): Kamari Ramsey (S, USC)
- Round 6, No. 204 (from Chargers): Lewis Bond (WR, Boston College)
- Round 7, No. 243 (from 49ers): Aiden Fisher (LB, Indiana)
New England Announces 12-Man UDFA Class
After a mostly routine first two days of the draft, a busy Day 3 gave the Patriots six of their nine draft picks. New England announced their undrafted free agent class yesterday, and the group-mix followed close with the team’s approach in the draft, with the exception of a handful of receivers joining in after the event. Here’s a look at the Patriots’ 12 undrafted signings:
- Tanner Arkin, TE (Illinois)
- David Blay Jr., DT (Miami)
- Channing Canada, CB (TCU)
- Nick DeGennaro, WR (James Madison)
- Kyle Dixon, WR (Culver-Stockton)
- Cameron Dorner, WR (North Texas)
- Kenneth Harris, CB (Oklahoma State)
- Khalil Jacobs, LB (Missouri)
- Jimmy Kibble, WR (Georgetown)
- Myles Montgomery, RB (UCF)
- JonDarius Morgan, G (UAB)
- Jacob Rizy, OL (Florida State)
From the reports we saw, the biggest UDFA guarantees went to the player from the smallest school. Out of the small NAIA school in Missouri, Dixon has reportedly signed a deal that includes $252.5K in guaranteed money, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Dixon entered college as a pitcher at Southern Illinois and Georgia-Gwinnet College before transitioning to football and transferring to join the Wildcats.
Blay arrived in Coral Gables after notching 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss at Louisiana Tech, his second school after transferring from West Chester. Though he wasn’t able to produce the same results, Blay started nine games for the Hurricanes as a nose tackle and a dependable run defender. Jacobs only spent two years in Columbia and didn’t establish a full-time role in his time with the Tigers, but his effort and passion helped him stand out as a leader and team captain on Mizzou’s defense, regardless.
Rizy is a really interesting addition here, considering he only started two of 11 game appearances for the Seminoles this year. After redshirting his first year in Tallahassee, Rizy started 10 games as a redshirt freshman at right tackle before swapping sides to start 10 games at left tackle the next year. Starting the year on the bench in 2024, Rizy knocked out the other three positions on the line, starting a game apiece at left guard and center before notching three starts at right guard to close the year.
FSU used Rizy as a sixth man along their OL all throughout 2025. His two starts were at right tackle and left guard, and he played significant snaps off the bench at center for one game, right guard for four games, and left guard for two more. Jaguars guard Patrick Mekari found a similar path to the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of California, and it will be interesting to see if Rizy can find a similar outcome in New England.
Saints Sign Second-Round DT Christen Miller, Complete Class Signings
This morning, the Saints secured the signature of Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. In signing their second-round pick, New Orleans has completed the signing process for its rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft.
Miller arrived at Georgia during a time of transition for the Bulldogs defensive line. Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt had just departed as first-round picks, and Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis were close on their heels. Miller redshirted as a true freshman, appearing in just four games behind the remaining trio. He wasn’t quite able to to seize one of the starting opportunities following their departures as Zion Logue and Nazir Stackhouse assumed the top roles and Warren Brinson held the DT3 role in what is usually a very active defensive line rotation in Athens.
In Year 3, Miller replaced the NFL-bound Logue in the starting group next to Stackhouse, but his first-team honors were offset a bit as Brinson outpaced him in play time and production off the bench. After Logue and Brinson entered the NFL as late-Day 3 picks and Stackhouse went undrafted, it seemed Georgia’s domination in DL production had come to an end, but Miller’s resurgence in his final year shows they’re not quite done yet. The Bulldogs moved Miller around on the line, but he excels in run defense. The stout, big-bodied defender is deceptively athletic, but his potential to play all three downs will depend on his coaching staff’s ability to develop his pass rush and his own ability to climb the depth chart.
New Orleans returns three starters along the defensive line in Bryan Bresee, Davon Godchaux, and Nathan Shepherd, and the team should return last year’s third-round pick Vernon Broughton after he missed nearly all of his rookie season with a hip injury. With so much depth and experience in place, Miller won’t be asked to shoulder a bigger burden than necessary as a rookie, but considering the play of the returning group left much to be desired last year, he should get every opportunity to earn a bigger role.
All that will develop over the next several months, but for now, here’s a final look at the Saints 2026 rookie draft class:
- Round 1, No. 8: Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 42: Christen Miller (DT, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 73: Oscar Delp (TE, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 132 (from Seahawks): Jeremiah Wright (G, Auburn) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 136*: Bryce Lance (WR, North Dakota State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 172 (from Seahawks): Lorenzo Styles (S, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 190: Barion Brown (WR, LSU) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 219 (from Raiders): TJ Hall (CB, Iowa) (signed)
Browns Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents
The Browns picked up 10 new players in this year’s draft. They have since added 13 more rookies via the undrafted route. Here’s a look:
- Davon Booth, RB (Mississippi State)
- Michael Coats, CB (West Virginia)
- Nate Evans, CB (Delaware)
- Logan Fano, DE (Utah)
- Bernard Gooden, DT (LSU)
- TJ Harden, RB (SMU)
- Izavion Miller, T (Auburn)
- DeCarlos Nicholson, CB (USC)
- Wes Pahl, P (Oklahoma State)
- Tyreak Sapp, DE (Florida)
- Khordae Sydnor, DE (Vanderbilt)
- Zion Washington, S (Boise State)
- Kole Wilson, WR (Baylor)
Logan Fano is the brother of Browns rookie left tackle Spencer Fano, whom they drafted ninth overall. The two were college teammates at Utah, where Logan posted 18 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks during a three-year, 28-game career. Over 11 games last season, the 6-foot-5, 257-pounder notched a personal-best 7.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks en route to second-team All-Big 12 honors. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Fano as the 165th-best prospect available in the draft, lauding his hard-working mentality and “charged-up” pass-rushing skills. He has an alarming history of knee injuries, however, having torn his right ACL twice and his left ACL once in the past seven years.
Sapp (No. 211) also earned a spot in Brugler’s pre-draft top 300. The four-year Gator was at his best in 2024, a 13-game year in which he piled up 47 tackles, 13 TFL and seven sacks. Despite playing the same number of snaps in 2025, Sapp’s numbers dropped to 34 tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack in a dozen games. Brugler contends “a missing dynamic element” could lessen Sapp’s chances of making an impact in the pros.
Formerly with NC State, Evans enjoyed a breakout campaign at Delaware in 2025. The 5-11, 191-pounder made 38 tackles, deflected eight passes and pulled in three interceptions in 13 games. Evans’ deal with the Browns is worth a guaranteed $115K, including a $5K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Set to turn 25 this summer, Coats is coming off a 56-game college career divided among East Central Community College, Nevada and West Virginia. Coats’ most productive season came in 2023 at Nevada, where he intercepted four passes and deflected 13 in 13 games. He did not record an INT in his lone season with the Mountaineers last year, but Coats chipped in another seven PDs in 12 contests. He joined the the Browns for a guaranteed $100K and a $15K signing bonus, according to Wilson.
Bears To Sign WR Scotty Miller
Veteran wide receiver Scotty Miller accepted an invitation to the Bears’ rookie minicamp. It proved to be a wise decision. The Bears are now signing Miller, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Miller previously booked a late-April visit to Detroit (via Schefter), but he is heading to one of its NFC North rivals over a week later. The Bears are the fourth team for the 28-year-old Miller, a 2019 sixth-round pick who has played for the Buccaneers (2019-22), Falcons (2023) and Steelers (2024-25). He has totaled 99 catches and six touchdowns over 93 games.
Miller’s most productive campaign came with Tampa Bay in 2020, a Super Bowl-winning season for the club. With quarterback Tom Brady at the helm, Miller set career highs in targets (53), receptions (33), yards (501) and TDs (three). The 5-foot-9, 174-pounder has not reached those heights since then. Miller put up just one 20-catch season over the past half-decade (with the Buccaneers in 2022), and he amassed fewer than 100 yards in both of his his years in Pittsburgh. He combined for just 14 catches in 26 games as a Steeler.
Miller’s deal with Chicago will lead to a reunion with Bears receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, who was a Buccaneers offensive assistant from 2019-20. He will attempt to earn a depth role in a receiving corps led by Rome Odunze and Luther Burden. The Bears, who said goodbye to D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus earlier in the offseason, have brought in Miller, Kalif Raymond and third-round pick Zavion Thomas over the past couple of months.
Bills Add 12 Undrafted Free Agents
The Bills made 10 picks in last month’s draft, and they announced 12 more rookie additions on Friday. Here is their undrafted free agent class:
- Jackson Acker, FB (Wisconsin)
- Gabriel Benyari, WR (Kennesaw State)
- Cade Denhoff, OLB (Clemson)
- Jordan Dunbar, CB (Missouri State)
- Bruno Fina, G (Duke)
- Theron Gaines, ILB (Tennessee Tech)
- Ja’Mori Maclin, WR (Kentucky)
- Desmond Reid, RB (Pittsburgh)
- Max Tomczak, WR (Youngstown State)
- Kani Walker, CB (Arkansas)
- Da’Metrius Weatherspoon, G (Syracuse)
There are a few interesting NFL connections in this group. Fina is the son of former offensive tackle John Fina, who played 10 of his 11 seasons in Buffalo during a career that spanned from 1992-2002. Maclin’s cousin, former Eagles, Chiefs and Ravens receiver Jeremy Maclin, played from 2009-17 and caught 514 passes and 49 touchdowns. Tomczak is the nephew of Mike Tomczak, who had stints as a quarterback with the Bears, Packers, Browns and Steelers from 1985-99.
Denhoff is rejoining former Clemson teammate and fellow outside linebacker T.J. Parker, whom the Bills drafted 35th overall. Unlike Parker, Denhoff was not especially productive in college. He totaled 51 tackles, five TFL and two sacks in 47 games with the Tigers.
While odds are against rookie UDFAs earning roster spots, Acker stands out as someone who may have a shot. Fullback Reggie Gilliam carved out an offensive and special teams role with the Bills from 2020-25, but they lost him to the Patriots in free agency. The Bills signed ex-Eagle Ben VanSumeren after the draft, though the converted linebacker has minimal experience as an NFL fullback. He is also coming off back-to-back injury-wrecked years. As of now, VanSumeren is the only player standing between Acker and a roster spot.