Rams Sign Round 2 Pick Tutu Atwell
Lacking a first-round pick for the fifth straight draft, the Rams opted to add to one of their strongest position groups with their second-round choice. They selected Louisville receiver Tutu Atwell 57th overall.
The diminutive wideout agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Atwell will join a Rams receiving corps that houses Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and DeSean Jackson. The team also drafted Van Jefferson in the 2020 second round. It has invested considerable capital at this position.
Los Angeles’ pick surprised also because of Atwell’s stature. The 5-foot-8 target checked in at 149 pounds earlier this offseason. He will be one of the smallest players to suit up for an NFL game in generations. Atwell’s size did not prevent him from becoming one of this draft’s top receivers available, however. He caught 69 passes for 1,272 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019 and added a 46/625/7 line in 2020’s abbreviated season.
The Rams traded two first-round picks and change for Matthew Stafford earlier this year. Jackson and Atwell stand as players who could maximize the longtime Lion’s arm strength. They will pair with intermediate targets Woods and Kupp. Atwell, Woods, Kupp and Jefferson are signed through at least 2023, with the rookie’s deal running through 2024.
Broncos Release T Ja’Wuan James
Ja’Wuan James revealed Friday he underwent surgery to repair his torn Achilles’ tendon (Twitter link). He is also now a free agent. The Broncos released the veteran tackle late this afternoon, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This will be a post-June 1 cut, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The transaction will allow the Broncos to spread out the dead-money hit caused by James’ signing bonus. What may well become a contentious matter, however: James’ $10.58MM base salary. James suffering the injury while working out away from the Broncos’ facility leaves him vulnerable on this front.
The Broncos will likely move to void James’ salary, Klis adds (on Twitter). This will likely precede an NFLPA grievance, though that is not certain. Following fellow Bronco DaeSean Hamilton‘s offsite ACL tear Friday, James tweeted the NFLPA needs to have players’ backs after advising them to boycott voluntary offseason workouts. This figures to set off a bigger-picture issue, with Hamilton’s 2021 salary — worth more than $2MM — now in jeopardy as well. Both would have been protected had they been training at the Broncos’ facility, which the NFL reiterated in a memo following James’ injury.
Denver had previously placed James on its reserve/NFI list, laying the groundwork for Friday’s move. The remaining $9MM in prorated signing bonus money will be due. The Broncos could go after James’ 2021 prorated amount ($3MM), but Klis tweets that is unlikely. The post-June 1 move means the Broncos will be docked less than $5MM in dead-money charges. That number would have been considerably higher had James, whose salary was guaranteed for injury (an onsite injury, that is), opted to attend the team’s voluntary workouts.
James’ injury will mean the Broncos’ run of different Week 1 right tackle starters will reach nine. The team has moved on and is set to hold a Bobby Massie–Cameron Fleming competition come training camp. Both veterans signed earlier this week. Each worked as a starter last season, Massie for the Bears and Fleming with the Giants. Signed to a four-year, $51MM deal in 2019, James was ticketed to be the Broncos’ long-term starter. But knee injuries in 2019 limited the former first-round pick to three games that season. Because of his 2020 opt-out and this Achilles development, the 29-year-old lineman’s Denver career will be capped at 63 snaps.
Washington To Sign DB Bobby McCain
After meeting with the Washington Football Team earlier this week, Bobby McCain will join the defending NFC East champions. The parties agreed to a one-year deal Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The Dolphins released the veteran defensive back last week. Now, McCain will follow Ryan Fitzpatrick to the nation’s capital. McCain has worked as both a starting safety and cornerback in his six seasons as a pro.
A former fifth-round pick, McCain joined the Dolphins two regimes ago. But he endured and signed an extension with the Chris Grier-era front office. The Dolphins moved McCain from cornerback to safety in 2019. After an injury-shortened season, the veteran bounced back to play in 16 games for the 2020 Dolphins edition. He will join Washington’s Landon Collins-led safety corps.
Washington may be lining up McCain, 27, to play alongside Collins. The team has Kamren Curl, a seventh-round pick last year, in place at safety and used a fifth-round pick recently on Darrick Forrest. Although McCain ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 55 overall safety last season, he brings considerable experience (55 pro starts) and possesses the versatility that would allow Washington to use him in multiple capacities.
Vikings Sign First-Round Pick Christian Darrisaw
The Vikings have their first-round pick under contract. According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Minnesota has signed No. 23 overall selection Christian Darrisaw.
Darrisaw, a Virginia Tech product, is likely to become the Vikes’ starting left tackle right away. The team had a major need there after parting ways with Riley Reiff this offseason, and Darrisaw has a high floor thanks to his natural athleticism and the proficiency he has already displayed as both a pass-blocker and run-blocker. Some scouting reports suggest he will need to do a better job of finishing his blocks at the professional level, but there is no reason to believe he won’t develop that ability with time.
The Vikings originally held the No. 14 overall pick, and they discussed trading up from that spot in an effort to land quarterback Justin Fields. Ultimately, the Bears beat them to the punch by jumping up from the No. 20 selection to No. 11 — a move that required the forfeiture of a 2022 first-rounder — and with Fields and Northwestern LT Rashawn Slater off the board, Minnesota GM Rick Spielman dropped from No. 14 to No. 23.
However, as we later learned, Spielman was prepared to trade back up from No. 23 to make sure he landed Darrisaw (as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes, Minnesota may have made an offer to the Raiders, who were holding the No. 17 pick). Ultimately, Spielman was able to keep the draft capital he acquired as part of his trade down while still getting the former Hokie to protect Kirk Cousins‘ blind side.
In addition to Darrisaw, the Vikings have signed fourth-round selection Camryn Bynum. Bynum, a cornerback out of California-Berkeley, was one of three fourth-rounders for the Vikings this year. Minnesota just traded fellow corner Mike Hughes to the Chiefs, thereby giving Bynum a bit of a better shot at immediate playing time. Over 42 collegiate games, he tallied 184 total tackles (eight TFL) and six interceptions.
Dolphins Sign Jaylen Waddle
The Dolphins have officially signed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Per the terms of his slot, the No. 6 overall pick will earn $27.1MM on his four-year deal.
Waddle will team with former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa, giving the young quarterback one of the most dangerous weapons in the ’21 class. Early on in his career, Waddle was largely overshadowed by the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III – two eventual first-round picks.
After they left Tuscaloosa, Waddle asserted himself as one of Bama’s two best WR talents in 2020. In his first six games, Waddle went off for 28 catches and 591 yards — good for 21.2 yards per catch on average — plus four touchdowns. He also kept up his strong work in the return game, giving evaluators even more opportunities to gawk at his speed on film. Even though he missed much of the year due to injury, Waddle stood as one of this year’s most highly-coveted prospects.
Waddle figures to be one of this year’s most exciting rookies to watch, especially with defenses also having to account for Will Fuller and DeVante Parker.
Bengals Sign 6 UDFAs
The Bengals have signed six undrafted free agents, per a club announcement:
- CB Antonio Phillips (Ball State)
- RB Pooka Williams (Kansas)
- P Drue Chrisman (Ohio State)
- LB Darius Hodge (Marshall)
- WR Riley Lees (Northwestern)
- TE Pro Wells (TCU)
Phillips capped his collegiate career with an All-MAC selection and helped Ball State beat San Jose State for the school’s first bowl game win. All in all, he notched 137 tackles, eight interceptions, and 18 pass deflections in college. Phillips fully expected to be drafted after earning an invite to the combine, but surgery for a herniated lumbar disc held him back. Now, he’ll look to earn his spot on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster.
Colts Waive S Roderic Teamer
The Colts have waived safety Roderic Teamer, per a club announcement. Teamer joined Indy on a reserve/futures deal back in January, but he was no longer needed after the team used a fifth-round pick to select Florida product Shawn Davis.
Teamer made six starts for the Chargers in 2019 and played on 39% of the Bolts’ defensive snaps. With action on 377 defensive plays, he was one of the season’s most active UDFAs. All in all, he notched one interception, one sack, and made 40 stops as a rookie. Pro Football Focus ranked him just 78th out of 85 full-time safeties, but Teamer still showed potential.
Then, in July, Teamer was hit with a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. The Chargers, who figured they were already set at safety, released Teamer later that summer and he spent 2020 out of the league.
Now, the Tulane product will look to sign with his third NFL team.
Cardinals Add 4 UDFAs
The Cardinals have officially filled their 90-man roster. The team announced the signing of four undrafted free agents today:
- TE Cary Angeline, North Carolina State
- CB Lorenzo Burns, Arizona
- TE Bruno Labelle, Cincinnati
- DL Cam Murray, Oklahoma State
Angeline got a nice pay day from his new team, earning a $30K signing bonus (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). Meanwhile, Burns got a $25K signing bonus as part of his pact with Arizona (via Wilson).
The Cardinals have a loaded offense, but there could be some openings at tight end. Maxx Williams leads the depth chart, but he didn’t put up big numbers during his first season in Arizona. The team is also rostering a pair of former undrafted free agents in Darrell Daniels and Ian Bunting. If Arizona is seeking a tight end who could serve as one of Kyler Murray‘s targets, then Angeline probably has the greatest chance to contribute. The tight end hauled in 61 receptions during his three seasons at North Carolina State, including a 2020 campaign where he hauled in 27 receptions for 412 yards and six touchdowns.
Titans Sign 10 UDFAs
If you’re a big fan of undrafted free agents, we’ve got TEN more for you. The Titans announced today that they’ve added 10 rookies to their roster:
- OL Cole Banwart, Iowa
- FB Tory Carter, LSU
- TE Miller Forristall, Alabama
- K Blake Haubeil, Ohio State
- OL Chandon Herring, Brigham Young
- DL Naquan Jones, Michigan State
- TE Briley Moore, Kansas State
- LB Justus Reed, Virginia Tech
- RB Mekhi Sargent, Iowa
- P James Smith, Cincinnati
Who were the big earners? Carter earned $50K guaranteed, which includes $37.5K of his base salary (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). Jones got $45K in guaranteed money, which includes $35K in base salary and a $10K signing bonus (via Wilson), while Forristall received $23K in guaranteed money (via Wilson).
Per usual with these kind of signings, the special teams additions are especially interesting. It doesn’t seem like veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski will be back, meaning Haubeil will likely be competing with 2020 undrafted free agent Tucker McCann for the kicking gig. It’d be more difficult for Smith to make the roster considering the presence of Pro Bowler Brett Kern, but the team could be starting to prepare for the veteran punter’s inevitable retirement.
Dolphins Add 4 UDFAs
After adding seven rookies in the draft, the Dolphins have added four more first-year players to their roster. The team announced the signing of four undrafted free agents this evening:
- CB Jaytlin Askew, Georgia Tech
- DT Jerome Johnson, Indiana University
- G Robert Jones, Middle Tennessee State
- FB Carl Tucker, Alabama
Jones ended up earning some dough from Miami. The lineman received $130K in guaranteed money, which includes $100K of his base salary (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). While the prospect was lauded for his run-blocking abilities as a tackle in college, he’s projected by scouts to be an offensive guard in the NFL.
Tucker made a name for himself during his time at North Carolina, but he never established himself as an offensive threat. He moved to Alabama during his senior season and started a handful of games as a blocking tight end. Tucker could end up sticking around the NFL at that position, but it’s worth noting that the Dolphins listed him as a fullback.