49ers Sign Second-Round OL Aaron Banks
Another early draft pick signing to pass along. The 49ers made a big splash by drafting Trey Lance third overall, so their second pick didn’t get as much attention.
That would be guard Aaron Banks from Notre Dame, who is now officially ready to join the franchise. San Francisco has agreed to terms with Banks on his rookie deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The 48th pick in the draft will get a four-year contract worth $7.073MM with a $2.504MM signing bonus per his slot, as Aaron Wilson tweets. Banks was the first member of the 49ers’ class to ink his deal.
Banks is a Bay Area native from Alameda, so this is a cool homecoming for him. He started every game for the Fighting Irish the past two years, and was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2020. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com writes that Banks is a better run blocker than pass blocker.
Zierlein says he “has some physical limitations but should be fine as a potential early starter” on a team with “a physical running game.” That would certainly seem to fit Kyle Shanahan’s run-heavy scheme.
Chiefs Sign Second-Round LB Nick Bolton
The Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick in this past draft because of the Orlando Brown Jr. trade, so their first pick came at 58th overall. Kansas City used that pick on linebacker Nick Bolton, who is now officially a Chief.
Bolton has agreed to terms on his rookie contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Missouri product only turned 21 in March, and has been a first-team All-SEC selection in each of the past two seasons. This past year he racked up 95 tackles, eight for a loss, two sacks, and five passes defended in only 10 games.
In addition to offensive line the Chiefs have made upgrading their linebacking unit a priority, as they also just signed Kamalei Correa. Bolton projects as a potential day one starter. Obviously, he won’t have to be moving very far to start his pro career and will be staying in-state.
Per the terms of his slot, it’s a four-year deal worth $5.834MM that comes with a $1.602MM signing bonus, as Aaron Wilson tweets.
Titans Sign First-Round CB Caleb Farley
The Titans have agreed to terms with first-round cornerback Caleb Farley (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Per the terms of his slot, he’ll receive a four-year deal with $13.495MM fully guaranteed. 
Before the draft, agent Drew Rosenhaus insisted that Farley would go in the top 20. He was almost right — the Titans scooped up the Virginia Tech product at No. 22 overall. If it weren’t for his multiple back surgeries, Farley could have been a top 10 pick. Farley hasn’t played since 2019, but he’s mostly recovered and believed to be on track for training camp.
After playing quarterback in high school, Farley committed to the Hokies as a wide receiver. Then, an ACL tear wiped out his true freshman season. When he returned, he was asked to move to corner. It turned out to be a good move for Farley, who notched four interceptions and 12 passes defensed en route to First-Team All-ACC honors.
Farley’s medical history may have scared off other teams, but the Titans believe that he’s well worth the risk.
Ravens Sign 9 UDFAs
The Ravens have added nine undrafted free agents to their offseason roster. Here’s the full rundown:
- S Ar’Darius Washington, TCU
- OT Adrian Ealy, Oklahoma
- TE Tony Poljan, Virginia
- QB Kenji Bahar, Monmouth
- DT Xavier Kelly, Arkansas
- RB Nate McCrary, Saginaw Valley State
- OT Foster Sarell, Stanford
- WR Donte Sylencieux, Graceland
- LB Barrington Wade, Iowa
Bahar earned his spot on the expanded roster after impressing in a tryout earlier this week.
Washington, an undersized safety who played opposite of Raiders second-round pick Trevon Moehrig, may be the most notable player of the bunch. Moehrig graded out Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 graded safety in the country — Washington was No. 2. The Ravens signed at least one UDFA for 16 straight years, up until last year. The Ravens didn’t draft a safety, so Washington could be the player to start the next streak.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21
Today’s late round signings:
Buffalo Bills
- G Jack Anderson (seventh-round; Texas Tech), OL Tommy Doyle (fifth-round; Miami Ohio), WR Marquez Stevenson (sixth-round; Houston), CB Rachad Wildgoose (sixth-round; Wisconsin)
Carolina Panthers
- DT Daviyon Nixon (fifth-round; Iowa), CB Keith Taylor (fifth-round; Washington), OL Deonte Brown (sixth-round; Alabama), Thomas Fletcher (sixth-round; Alabama), WR Shi Smith (sixth-round; South Carolina), DT Phil Hoskins (seventh-round; Kentucky)
Cleveland Browns
- RB Demetric Felton (sixth round; UCLA), LB Tony Fields II (fifth-round; West Virginia), S Richard LeCounte (fifth round; Georgia)
Dallas Cowboys
- DT Quinton Bohanna (sixth round; Kentucky) WR Simi Fehoko (fifth round; Stanford), OL Matt Farniok (seventh-round; Nebraska), DB Israel Mukuamu (sixth-round; South Carolina)
Denver Broncos
- S Jamar Johnson (fifth round; Indiana), DL Marquiss Spencer (seventh round; Mississippi State)
Detroit Lions
- DT Alim McNeill (third round; North Carolina State)
Green Bay Packers
- OL Cole Van Lanen (sixth-round; Wisconsin), RB Kylin Hill (seventh-round; Mississippi State)
Kansas City Chiefs
- DE Joshua Kaindoh (fourth-round; Florida State), WR Cornell Powell (fifth-round; Clemson), TE Noah Gray (fifth-round; Duke), OL Trey Smith (sixth-round; Tennessee)
Los Angeles Chargers
- OL Brenden Jaimes (fifth-round; Nebraska)
Miami Dolphins
- OL Larnel Coleman (seventh-round; UMass), RB Gerrid Doaks (seventh-round; Cincinnati)
Minnesota Vikings
- WR/KR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (fifth-round; Iowa), DL Jaylen Twyman (sixth-round; Pittsburgh), TE Zach Davidson (fifth-round; Central Missouri
New England Patriots
- S Joshuah Bledsoe (sixth-round; Missouri)
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Jaylon Moore (fifth-round; Western Michigan), CB Deommodore Lenoir (fifth-round; Oregon), S Talanoa Hufanga (fifth-round; USC), RB Elijah Mitchell (sixth-round; Louisiana)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- LB K.J. Britt (fifth-round; Auburn), CB Chris Wilcox (seventh-round; BYU), LB Grant Stuard (seventh-round; Houston)
Washington Football Team
- CB Benjamin St-Juste (third-round; Minnesota), S Darrick Forrest (fifth-round; Cincinnati), DE Shaka Toney (seventh-round; Penn State)
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/21
A summary of today’s minor draft pick signings:
Baltimore Ravens
- CB Shaun Wade (fifth round; Ohio State)
- DL Daelin Hayes (fifth round; Notre Dame)
- FB Ben Mason (fifth round; Michigan)
Denver Broncos
- WR Seth Williams (sixth round; Auburn)
- S Kary Vincent Jr. (seventh round; LSU)
Houston Texans
- WR Nico Collins (third round; Michigan)
- TE Brevin Jordan (fifth round; Miami)
- DT Roy Lopez Jr. (sixth round; Arizona)
Broncos, Bobby Massie Agree To Deal
Connected to several candidates to replace Ja’Wuan James at right tackle, the Broncos appear to have chosen a path here. They are signing Bobby Massie, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
One of several tackles to work out for the team this week, Massie agreed to a one-year deal worth $4MM. Massie’s time in Chicago overlapped with Vic Fangio‘s. The Broncos HC was with the Bears during three of Massie’s five seasons in the Windy City. The Bears parted ways with Massie in March, declining his 2021 option.
While this marks a big day for the Bears’ longtime tackle tandem, with Charles Leno signing with Washington, it provides the Broncos a veteran option at their second-most troublesome position. Brought in to stop a revolving door at right tackle in 2019, James missed most of that season and opted out in 2020. His Achilles tear is not certain to knock him out for all of 2021, but the Broncos placing him on the reserve/NFI list will prevent James from playing for them this season.
Massie, 32 in August, will be on track to be the ninth Week 1 Broncos right tackle starter in nine years. (The current list, for those curious: Orlando Franklin, Chris Clark, Ryan Harris, Donald Stephenson, Menelik Watson, Jared Veldheer, James and Elijah Wilkinson.) With James out of the picture, Wilkinson in Chicago and Massie on a one-year deal, this streak may well reach 10 in 2022. But Massie checks off a key need for the current Broncos, who have been linked to another longtime NFC North performer at quarterback.
Whether it’s Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater or Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the Broncos had a major blocking vacancy. The James injury prompted them to bring in four tackles — Massie, Dennis Kelly, Jermaine Eluemunor and Cameron Fleming — for auditions. The Broncos also checked in on Leno, but he preferred to stay at left tackle and will do so in Washington. Denver added 2019 UDFA tackle Ryan Pope this week as well.
A former Cardinals fourth-round pick, Massie broke into Arizona’s starting lineup as a rookie. He served as the Cards’ primary right tackle in 2012, 2014 and ’15. The Bears signed Massie in 2016 and used him as a starter in 64 games. Pro Football Focus slotted Massie 36th among tackles last season. He graded just outside the top 30 in 2018 as well.
Bills Sign Round 2 Pick Carlos Basham Jr.
The Bills operated aggressively in an effort to bolster their pass rush in the draft, taking defensive ends with each of their first two picks. The second of those selections, Carlos Basham Jr., signed his rookie contract Wednesday.
Basham will join first-round pick Gregory Rousseau in Buffalo. Cousin of Cowboys D-lineman Tarell Basham, Carlos went to Wake Forest and was a steady presence in ACC backfields.
The 6-foot-3, 274-pound pass rusher registered 10 sacks as a junior in 2019. Between his sophomore and junior seasons, the emerging Demon Deacons sack artist totaled 29 tackles for loss. Basham played in just six games last season, recording five sacks. Scouts Inc. graded Basham as the 43rd overall prospect — five spots ahead of Rousseau. The Bills drafted Basham at No. 61.
Last season, the Bills finished with just 38 sacks. No Buffalo rusher totaled more than five. The team still has thirtysomething starters Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, but three first- or second-round picks over the past two years will be groomed to take over in the near future.
Buffalo drafted Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa in the 2020 second round and now will have two new coveted prospects set to help the cause. Hughes and Addison are set to be free agents in 2022. Addison adjusted his three-year contract in March, converting it into a two-year deal.
Packers To Sign Blake Bortles
4:36pm: No visit will be necessary. The Packers have reached an agreement with the seven-year veteran quarterback, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. It’s a one-year deal (Twitter links).
Bortles and Hackett will reunite with the Packers amid some QB turbulence. Rodgers is seeking a Green Bay exit, and Bortles does bring substantial experience as a starter. He has started 73 of the 78 games he has played. In addition to working with Hackett previously, Bortles has experience in the offense Matt LaFleur uses, having spent 2019 and some of 2020 with Sean McVay in L.A.
4:21pm: Jordan Love is the only Packers quarterback expected to take part in voluntary on-field workouts, which the team will begin next week. As it stands, the 2020 first-round pick is set to be the only Green Bay QB at minicamp as well.
This has led the team to show interest in free agent passers. Blake Bortles is now on the team’s radar, with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein noting (via Twitter) the Packers are pursuing the former Jaguars starter. A visit is likely. The Packers are set to meet with Chad Kelly and former Falcons backup Kurt Benkert, but Bortles obviously has far more experience.
Bortles spent last season with the Broncos and Rams. Despite Denver’s historic issues at quarterback, the five-year Jacksonville starter did not see action in 2020. He threw two passes in 2019, working as Jared Goff‘s backup in Los Angeles.
The former No. 3 overall pick would be a natural fit in Green Bay. Current Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett worked as Bortles’ Jags OC for nearly four years. After taking over the starting job early in his rookie season, Bortles held it until the 2018 season. The Jags were on the doorstep of Super Bowl LII with Bortles, though their talented defense played a notable role in the team reaching that point, but the quarterback’s subsequent extension quickly backfired. Jacksonville ate considerable dead money to cut Bortles in 2019.
Even if Bortles signs, the Packers are likely to add a UDFA, Silverstein adds (on Twitter). The rookie passer would profile as a camp arm behind Love and whichever veteran the team signs. With Aaron Rodgers still at odds with his team of 16 years, the Packers are in an unusual place at quarterback. They opted not to bring back multiyear backup Tim Boyle, bumping Love up to their QB2 role. Should Rodgers stick to his guns, Love may be summoned to action sooner than the team expected. Bortles or another veteran would be needed in this case.
Ravens Sign First-Rounder Rashod Bateman
The first of the Ravens’ two 2021 first-round picks, Rashod Bateman is now under contract. The former Minnesota wide receiver signed his rookie deal Wednesday.
The No. 27 overall pick, Bateman signed a $12.6MM contract — with a $6.5MM signing bonus — and is now under contract through 2024. He could be kept through 2025 on this deal via the now-fully guaranteed fifth-year option. Baltimore will not have to make that decision until May 2024. In the meantime, Bateman will be a welcome addition to a team that has changed up its receiving corps this offseason.
It has not been especially easy for the Ravens to bolster their receiving crew. They were in on Kenny Golladay, and both JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton passed on better offers from Baltimore in order to re-sign with the teams that drafted them. Although the Ravens did sign Sammy Watkins, their run-heavy offense has predictably been an issue for free agent wideouts. As such, the Ravens have spent first-round picks on receivers in two of the past three years.
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Bateman will bring a different skill set compared to Marquise Brown. In 2019, however, Bateman did post a Brown-like yards-per-catch figure (20.9). After that 1,219-yard, 11-touchdown season, the big-bodied wideout played a limited role in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Bateman opted out, opted back in, then left the Golden Gophers during the season to prepare for the draft. He still wound up a first-round pick and will attempt to give Lamar Jackson a steady target on the outside.
Bateman is the first of Baltimore’s draftees to sign and the second first-round pick to ink his rookie contract. The Colts signed Kwity Paye last week.