Washington Signs Joe Walker, Cuts Josh Harvey-Clemons
Washington is shuffling their linebacking depth chart. They’ve signed free agent linebacker Joe Walker and cut Josh Harvey-Clemons, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
Walker spent 2020 with the 49ers where he was a core special teamer and reserve, playing over 60 percent of the special teams snaps. He didn’t play much on defense, but the year before in 2019 he started 11 games for the Cardinals. That year in Arizona, he finished with 65 tackles, five for a loss, and a forced fumble.
He was originally a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 2016, and started three games for Philly in 2017. Washington drafted Harvey-Clemons in the seventh-round back in 2017. He played a real role in 2018, when he had a sack and three passes defended, but his playing time was reduced in 2019.
Harvey-Clemons then opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. Linebacker was a weakness for Washington’s strong defense last season, and they just used their first-round pick on Jamin Davis from Kentucky.
Eagles To Sign Le’Raven Clark
Nick Sirianni is reuniting with a familiar face. The Eagles are signing free agent offensive lineman Le’Raven Clark, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed, but it’s safe to assume it’s a cheap short-term deal. It is in fact a one-year pact, Tim McManus of ESPN tweets. The Colts drafted Clark 82nd overall back in 2016, and Sirianni was his offensive coordinator in Indianapolis the past three seasons.
Philly wasn’t the only team to express interest, as we heard that Clark met with the Bills back in early April. Clark was never a full-time starter with the Colts, but usually ended up starting at least a few games per year. He was inserted into the starting lineup at tackle last year, but unfortunately went down with an Achilles tear himself in December after starting three games.
With the injury coming so late in the season, it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for Week 1 this year. Clark started at least three games in four of his five seasons with the Colts, but never more than five. He started five at guard in 2017, so he’s got some versatility.
The Eagles’ offensive line was really banged up last year, so it’s not surprising they’re looking for additional insurance. Andre Dillard and Lane Johnson currently project as the two starting tackles.
Lions Sign Penei Sewell
The Lions have their first-round pick in the fold. On Wednesday, offensive tackle Penei Sewell agreed to terms on his rookie contract (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Per the terms of his slot, the No. 7 overall pick will receive a four-year, $24.1MM fully guaranteed deal. That guaranteed sum includes a hefty $14.9MM signing bonus. There was little doubt that Sewell would sign — rookie contracts are fairly cookie-cutter, thanks to the slotting system. Still, agents and execs will sometimes haggle over the finer points, such as offset language.
Sewell opted out of Oregon’s 2020 season, but the 6’6″, 330-pound prospect was absolutely stellar in 2019. He surrendered zero sacks in the previous year and gave up just seven quarterback pressures in total. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were also fond of his work. In 2019, Sewell finished No. 1 in the country with a run-blocking grade of 95.3 while placing third in pass-blocking (91.1).
The Outland Trophy winner was absent from the Lions’ rookie minicamp after testing positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, it sounds like he’s okay and will be able to join the rest of his teammates soon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/19/21
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): OT William Sweet
Chicago Bears
- Signed: G/C Adam Redmond
- Waived: G Gage Cervenka
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Wes Farnsworth
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/18/21
A roundup of today’s mid-round draft pick signings:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE/LB Jordan Smith (fourth round; UAB)
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Chris Rumph II (fourth round; Duke)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- LB Buddy Johnson (fourth round; Texas A&M); OL Dan Moore Jr. (fourth round; Texas A&M)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: K Jake Verity
- Waived: LS Brian Khoury
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: OL William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Damion Willis
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed (from Vikings): WR Austin Proehl
New England Patriots
- Waived: OL Najee Toran
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Alex Hoffman
- Re-signed: S Eric Burrell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Casey Tucker
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Cardinals): S Chris Miller
Broncos, Patrick Surtain II Agree To Deal
The second cornerback off the board in this year’s draft, Patrick Surtain II signed his rookie contract Tuesday. Surtain and the Broncos agreed on the four-year slot deal (feat. the fifth-year option), Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This year’s No. 9 overall pick is set to make $20.9MM over the course of his rookie pact.
Denver certainly held Surtain in high regard, passing on a glaring quarterback need to land the former Alabama standout at No. 9. The Broncos did not speak with Surtain during the pre-draft process, but new Denver GM George Paton was with Miami when the Dolphins employed Surtain’s father — Patrick Surtain, a Pro Bowl cornerback in the 2000s.
The younger Surtain became the most significant piece of this year’s Broncos cornerback overhaul. Having seen their Super Bowl-winning No Fly Zone secondary splinter in recent years, the Broncos were thin at corner last season. By the end of the 2020 slate, the Broncos were without their top two corners — A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan. They were thin here in 2019 as well, with Callahan missing the season due to injury. Surtain and free agent signings Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller now join Callahan in Denver.
A 6-foot-2 cover man, Surtain started 38 straight games for the Crimson Tide and finished as a consensus All-American as a junior in 2020. Scouts Inc. slotted Surtain as this year’s top cornerback prospect, just ahead of Jaycee Horn, who went eighth overall to the Panthers.
Despite not yet being under contract, Surtain attended Denver’s rookie minicamp last weekend. Here is how the Broncos’ rookie class looks:
Round 1: No. 9 Patrick Surtain II, CB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2: No. 35 (from Falcons) Javonte Williams, RB (North Carolina)
Round 3: No. 98 (from Saints): Quinn Meinerz, OL (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
Round 3: No. 105 (from Saints) Baron Browning, LB (Ohio State)
Round 5: No. 152 Caden Sterns, S (Texas)
Round 5: No. 164 (from Bears via Giants) Jamar Johnson, S (Indiana) (signed)
Round 6: No. 219 (from Falcons) Seth Williams, WR (Auburn) (signed)
Round 7: No. 237 Kary Vincent Jr., CB (LSU) (signed)
Round 7: No. 239 (from Giants) Jonathon Cooper, LB (Ohio State)
Round 7: No. 253 (from Browns) Marquiss Spencer, DL (Mississippi State) (signed)
Giants Release QB/WR Joe Webb
The Giants claiming Ryquell Armstead will result in the team moving veteran Joe Webb off its roster. The Giants released the quarterback/wide receiver/special-teamer Tuesday.
An 11-year veteran, Webb caught on with the Giants late last season. The team then signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January. Webb, however, will return to free agency.
Webb, 34, has been one of the NFL’s more versatile players during his career. He started a playoff game at quarterback — a Vikings first-round loss to the Packers — and has seen action at receiver and extensive work on special teams. The Giants signed Webb after Daniel Jones went down with an injury last year. He played in two games with the team, seeing brief time on special teams.
The Lions parted ways with Webb during the 2020 season, doing so after the Texans cut him loose earlier last year. Webb has played 104 regular-season games — with the Vikings, Panthers, Bills, Texans and Giants — over the course of his career.
Broncos Waive WR DaeSean Hamilton
Last week, reports indicated the Broncos were ready to waive DaeSean Hamilton. But the team found a trade taker for the fourth-year wideout. Hamilton’s subsequent ACL tear nixed that deal.
The Broncos are making Hamilton’s exit official Tuesday. They waived the former fourth-round pick, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This transaction will come with a non-football injury designation, with Hamilton having suffered the serious knee malady Friday morning.
Denver was prepared to move on because of its depth at receiver. The Broncos became the first team since the 2003 Cardinals to use first- and second-round picks on receivers in the same draft last year, taking Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. That duo joins contract-year talents Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, and the Broncos drafted Auburn’s Seth Williams in this year’s sixth round.
Hamilton was not able to become a consistent target in Denver, failing to surpass 300 receiving yards in any of his three seasons. He is expected to miss the rest of this season due to injury, one that could become a point of contention.
Like Ja’Wuan James, Hamilton was working out on his own — during the time the Broncos going through Phase 1 of their offseason workouts. James and Hamilton were following the NFLPA’s recommendation for veterans to boycott teams’ voluntary offseason programs. The Broncos are not expected to pay James his $10.58MM base salary, setting up a potential grievance. While Hamilton was set to make far less in 2021 ($2.183MM), it will be interesting to see if the team takes the same stance with its second player who suffered a major injury working out on his own.
Giants Claim RB Ryquell Armstead
After seeing COVID-19 wipe out his 2020 season, Ryquell Armstead will have a chance to resume his career. The Giants submitted a successful waiver claim for the running back Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
A 2019 fifth-round pick, Armstead saw action behind Leonard Fournette as a rookie in Jacksonville. Going into his second season, however, Armstead encountered perhaps the NFL’s most severe coronavirus case and needed to be hospitalized twice for significant respiratory issues. The Jaguars cut Armstead on Monday.
The Giants already handed out a notable backup running back contract, giving Devontae Booker a two-year deal worth $6MM. They also selected Gary Brightwell in the sixth round and signed Corey Clement over the weekend. The team did lose top 2020 rusher Wayne Gallman, however. Armstead, 24, will join the mix of players vying for a spot behind Saquon Barkley.
The Jags drafted Armstead 140th overall out of Temple. A Matt Rhule-era Owls recruit, Armstead played a key role for the American Athletic Conference program in his final three seasons. In 2018, he amassed 1,098 rushing yards and totaled 13 touchdowns. Armstead did not opt out in 2020, so two seasons remain on his rookie contract.