Falcons Sign Shareef Miller
The Falcons have signed edge rusher Shareef Miller, according to agent David Canter (Twitter link). Originally a fourth-round Eagles pick, Miller has played in one regular-season game to date.
The Birds waived Miller last summer, leading him to the Panthers. He was later released, freeing him up to return to the Eagles as a practice squad player. The Cardinals inked him to a futures deal in January, but he became a free agent last week when he was dropped to make room for defensive tackle Xavier Williams.
Now, Miller will compete for a spot behind projected starters Dante Fowler and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner. Jonathan Bullard, Barkevious Mingo, and fifth-round pick Ta’Quon Graham are also in the mix at defensive end.
Panthers, Terrace Marshall Agree To Deal
The Panthers have agreed to terms with second-round pick Terrace Marshall. The wide receiver will play on a four-year deal worth $5.7MM, per the terms of his slot at No. 59.
After trading down twice in Round 2, the Panthers planned to select BYU tackle Brady Christensen and add LSU wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. with a subsequent trade-up shortly after. However, they changed course after hearing the Saints’ footsteps. Unwilling to let him get away, the Panthers leapfrogged their rivals and reunited Marshall with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. It all worked out for the Panthers, who still managed to take Christensen in the third round.
Marshall played a key role for LSU’s national championship team alongside Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. He totaled 23 touchdown grabs between 2019 and 2020, a promising sign of what’s to come.
“Not too many people are 6-2, 200-plus and run a 4.3, and are able to make plays on the ball like Terrace does,” Brady said earlier this year. “When the ball’s in the air, Terrace always finds a way to come down with it, and I think he showcased that every time he was on the football field. Not a lot of games but a lot of production.”
Now, he’ll play alongside Panthers vets D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, helping to replace ex-WR2 Emmanuel Sanders. Christensen and third-round tight end Tommy Tremble now stand as the Panthers’ last stragglers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/16/21
The Seahawks made today’s only minor moves:
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Dominick Wood-Anderson
- Waived: RB B.J. Emmons
Falcons To Sign WR Jeff Badet
Jeff Badet has found a new gig. The wideout has signed with the Falcons, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (via Twitter). Badet worked out for Atlanta earlier today.
Badet had a standout career at Kentucky, including a junior season where he hauled in 31 receptions for 670 yards and four touchdowns. Instead of declaring for the NFL Draft, the wideout decided to transfer to Oklahoma for his senior year, where he’d receive passes from the likes of Baker Mayfield and backup Kyler Murray. Badet’s numbers ended up going down during his lone season with the Sooners, and he went undrafted in 2018.
Badet spent most of his rookie season with the Vikings organization, but after getting cut prior to the 2019 campaign, the receiver declared for the XFL Draft. Badet ended up being the fourth skill player off the board, and he proceeded to haul in 16 receptions before the league folded.
The 26-year-old finally got to see the field for an NFL game this past season with Washington. Badet ultimately saw time on 21 offensive snaps for WFT.
Badet earned a name for himself thanks to his speed; he previously won the ’40 Yards of Gold contest,’ which intended to crown the NFL’s fastest player. The Falcons receivers depth chart is a bit uncertain behind Calvin Ridley, but Badet’s best chance of making the roster is probably as a return man.
Bears To Sign Second-Round OT Teven Jenkins
The Bears got Justin Fields‘ deal wrapped up last week, and now they’re inking their second pick. Chicago has agreed to terms with second-round offensive tackle Teven Jenkins and he’ll sign his rookie contract later today, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
As Rapsheet points out, that will wrap up the team’s draft class with all seven rookies being signed. The Bears drafted Jenkins 39th overall out of Oklahoma State. Chicago gave up a third-round pick to trade up with the Panthers from No. 52 and nab Jenkins.
Just a couple of days after drafting Jenkins the team released long-time tackle Charles Leno. They reportedly plan on plugging in Jenkins as a starter right away at left tackle. He’ll be tasked with protecting the blindside of Fields and/or Andy Dalton as a rookie.
Jenkins was a three-year starter at Oklahoma State and broke out this past season, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. Germain Ifedi will start opposite him at right tackle.
Vikings Waive P Zach Von Rosenberg
Zach Von Rosenberg‘s hopes of going from minor league baseball to the NFL hit a snag Tuesday. The Vikings’ Sheldon Richardson signing led to the departure of the aspiring punter.
Minnesota waived Von Rosenberg on Tuesday, leaving Britton Colquitt as the only punter on the team’s 90-man roster. Colquitt has held the Vikes’ punting job for the past two seasons.
Von Rosenberg spent six years in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system, going from rookie league to the High-A level. The former sixth-round MLB pick spent time as a starter and a reliever in this span but left baseball after the 2014 season.
The Vikings signed the pitcher-turned-punter as a UDFA in May. Von Rosenberg, now 30, spent the past four seasons as LSU’s punter. He ended his Baton Rouge run with two second-team All-SEC honors. The rest of the NFL will have a chance to claim the developmental specialist on waivers.
Falcons Sign Five Draft Picks
The Falcons recently carved out some cap space via the Julio Jones trade, and they’re now starting to ink rookies to contracts. The team announced today that they’ve signed five draft picks to rookie deals: third-round offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield, fifth-round defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham, fifth-round linebacker Adetokunbo Ogundeji, fifth-round cornerback Avery Williams, and sixth-round wideout Frank Darby.
Mayfield, who was taken with the No. 68 pick, is naturally the most notable signing. The lineman appeared in 18 games through three seasons at Michigan, allowing only a pair of sacks. Mayfield put himself on the NFL map after helping guide the 2019 Michigan running game to more than 2,000 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
Ogundeji is an intriguing prospect following a productive career at Notre Dame. The defensive lineman saw time in 43 games for the Irish, compiling 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 17 tackles for loss. Meanwhile, while Williams had a solid stint at Boise State as a defensive back, he was prolific on special teams, and he could immediately find himself as one of the Falcons’ key returners next season.
Following the five signings, the Falcons have four draft picks who remain unsigned:
- Round 1: No. 4 Kyle Pitts, TE (Florida)
- Round 2: No. 40 (from Broncos) S Richie Grant (Central Florida)
- Round 4: No. 108: Darren Hall, CB (SDSU)
- Round 4: No. 114 (from Broncos) Drew Dalman, C (Stanford)
Vikings Sign Third-Round QB Kellen Mond
Kellen Mond signed his rookie contract Tuesday, locking him in through the 2024 season. The third-rounder’s status as Kirk Cousins‘ heir apparent is not yet known, but the Vikings will have time to find out.
Minnesota selected Mond with the second pick in the third round (66th overall), doing so one spot ahead of the Texans. Houston is believed to have sought Mond at No. 67, but the Texas A&M alum will end up leaving the Lone Star State to serve as Cousins’ backup/potential successor.
Mond marks the first QB the Vikings have brought in who could double as a Cousins competitor. The team has previously stationed true QB2s — Trevor Siemian, Sean Mannion — behind its well-paid starter; Mond represents a deviation from that strategy. Cousins is just 32 and has put up nice stats with the Vikings, but the franchise entered the draft with a goal of acquiring a younger passer. After the Vikes’ Justin Fields pursuit proved unsatisfactory, they set their sights on Mond a day later.
A three-year Aggies starter, Mond finished his career with a 71-27 TD-INT ratio despite facing perennially tough schedules in the SEC. Third-round QBs’ success rate commandeering starting jobs is low, giving Cousins a bit of security for the time being. Minnesota’s incumbent passer is signed through 2022 and has a whopping $45MM cap number next season. Mond’s development may well determine if Cousins receives a third contract offer from the Vikings.
Panthers, Jaycee Horn Agree To Deal
The Panthers have agreed to terms with first-round pick Jaycee Horn (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The South Carolina product will earn $21.1MM fully guaranteed on his four-year deal, per the terms of his No. 8 overall slot
As expected, Horn was the first cornerback to come off of the board, beating out the likes of Patrick Surtain and Caleb Farley. The rival Saints also had an eye on him, but they couldn’t swing a deal to get into the top 10.
Many believed that the Panthers would target offensive line help for new quarterback Sam Darnold, but they couldn’t pass up Horn’s potential. The son of former Pro Bowl wideout Joe Horn, the defensive back offers a rare combination of speed and physicality at cornerback.
Horn was on the draft radar ever since his solid 2018 showing. By 2020, he solidified his status as an elite prospect. In his final year with the Buckeyes, Horn nabbed a pair interceptions and notched six passes defended in just seven games (Horn sat out the final stretch of the year after the departure of head coach Will Muschamp).
With Horn taken care of, only ten of this year’s 32 first-rounders remain unsigned. That includes the top four in this year’s draft — Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Kyle Pitts. Meanwhile, the Panthers have just three stragglers to go.
Vikings Sign Sheldon Richardson
The Vikings announced that they’ve officially signed Sheldon Richardson. The defensive lineman will play on a one-year, $3.6MM deal that could reach $4.35MM via incentives (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
The Vikes effectively handled two birds with one stone. Earlier today, they reworked Danielle Hunter‘s contract to satisfy the defensive end and carve out some extra breathing room on the 2021 cap. Now, they’ve used those extra dollars to further strengthen the defensive line with Richardson.
It’s a reunion for Richardson, who spent the 2018 season in Minnesota. After that, he moved on to the Browns, but he was released in April after refusing a pay cut. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year will further beef up the Vikings’ interior, joining Michael Pierce and newcomer Dalvin Tomlinson. Thanks in part to Pierce’s opt out, the Vikings ranked 27th in yardage allowed last year. It’s safe to say they’ll fare better this time around.
Richardson has 118 career starts to his credit with 31 sacks and 58 tackles for loss across eight seasons. Last year, he graded as a top-40 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus while notching 4.5 sacks and 64 tackles.