Bears Release TE Ben Braunecker
Ben Braunecker‘s tenure with the Bears has come to an end. The team announced today that they’ve released the veteran tight end.
The Harvard product joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and he proceeded to spend four years with the organization. The 26-year-old has appeared in 48 total games with eight starts (including postseason), hauling in 15 receptions for 157 receiving yards. The six-foot-three tight end finally hauled in his first career touchdown pass during the Bears’ Week 9 win over the Lions this past season.
Braunecker was also a stalwart on special teams for Chicago, compiling 16 career tackles in 780 career special teams snaps.
The veteran was limited to only 11 games last season. He landed on the injured reserve in mid-December after sustaining a concussion.
The Bears have revamped their tight end depth chart this offseason. The team signed Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris, and they added rookie Cole Kmet in the second round of the draft. The organization is also rostering holdovers Adam Shaheen, J.P. Holtz, Jesper Horsted, and Eric Saubert, as well as former USC basketball player Darion Clark.
Vikings Sign CB Jeff Gladney, Wrap 15-Player Draft Class
The largest draft class in the seven-round era is now under contract. The Vikings agreed to terms with first-round cornerback Jeff Gladney on Thursday, closing the book on negotiations with their 15-man draft class.
Chosen 31st overall, Gladney will be expected to compete for a starting job right away. While the COVID-19 pandemic eliminating onsite offseason work (and threatening training camps’ start date) will make the TCU product’s climb more difficult, the Vikings lost three corners — Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander — this offseason.
Minnesota made Gladney its second first-round corner chosen in three years, following Mike Hughes, and fourth since 2013. Gladney spent five years with the Horned Frogs. He finished as a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ top Big 12 corner in passer rating allowed in 2018.
The Vikings made three corner selections this year. They will join Hughes, Holton Hill and 2019 seventh-rounder Kris Boyd in attempting to fill the void left by the Rhodes release and the Waynes and Alexander free agency defections.
Here is the full Vikings 15-man draft class:
1-22: Justin Jefferson, WR (LSU): Signed
1-31: Jeff Gladney, CB (TCU): Signed
2-58: Ezra Cleveland, OT (Boise State): Signed
3-89: Cameron Dantzler, CB (Mississippi State): Signed
4-117: D.J. Wonnum, DE (South Carolina): Signed
4-130: James Lynch, DT (Baylor): Signed
4-132: Troy Dye, OLB (Oregon): Signed
5-169: Harrison Hand, CB (Temple): Signed
5-176: K.J. Osborn, WR (Miami): Signed
6-201: Blake Brandel, T (Oregon State): Signed
6-203: Josh Metellus, S (Michigan): Signed
7-225: Kenny Willekes, DE (Michigan State): Signed
7-244: Nate Stanley, QB (Iowa): Signed
7-249: Brian Cole II, S (Mississippi State): Signed
7-253: Kyle Hinton, OL (Washburn): Signed
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/23/20
Here are Thursday’s draft pick agreements, with the list being updated throughout the day.
- The Vikings picked an interesting year to make 15 draft choices, given the pandemic’s impact on developmental work. But the team is nearly finished with rookie contract agreements. Minnesota signed third-round cornerback Cameron Dantzler (Mississippi State), fourth-round defensive end D.J. Wonnum (South Carolina), fifth-round corner Harrison Hand (Temple), fifth-round wideout K.J. Osborn (Miami), sixth-round tackle Blake Brandel (Oregon State), sixth-round safety Josh Metellus (Michigan), seventh-round defensive end Kenny Willekes (Michigan State) and seventh-round safety Brian Cole (Mississippi State). Minnesota lost Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander this offseason and tripled up on corners in the draft. First-round corner Jeff Gladney is the Vikes’ lone unsigned pick.
- Top 2020 Steelers pick Chase Claypool, a second-rounder, is now under contract. The Steelers have their latest Day 2 wide receiver investment signed, along with Round 6 safety Antoine Brooks (Maryland). Claypool’s addition means the top four Pittsburgh wideouts — JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Diontae Johnson and Claypool — came from the second or third rounds. The Notre Dame product has quite the SPARQ profile, going 6-foot-4, 238 pounds and running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.
- Washington wrapped up its 2020 draft class by signing Round 4 tackle Saahdiq Charles, Round 5 linebacker Khaleke Hudson, Round 6 safety Kamren Curl and Round 7 defensive end James Smith-Williams.
- The Bengals signed one of Claypool’s former Fighting Irish teammates, fifth-round defensive end Khalid Kareem. He is the first of Cincinnati’s seven 2020 picks to agree to terms.
Eagles Cut CB Trevor Williams
The Eagles trimmed their roster by two players, releasing cornerback Trevor Williams and waiving center Keegan Render. Both players were part of Philadelphia’s reserve/futures contract class in January.
Williams’ resume has him somewhat overqualified for a reserve/futures contingent, though he has not seen much action lately. The former UDFA has 27 career starts, being a Chargers regular from 2016-18. The Bolts, however, cut Williams from their IR list last year.
A Penn State product, Williams was a full-time Chargers starter in 2017. However, he landed on IR in 2018 and ’19. The Bolts still tendered him as an RFA earlier in 2019, but after his latest injury, they cut bait in October. The Cardinals signed Williams and played him in two games last season.
If teams’ rosters will be slashed from 90 to 80 players in the coming days, 300-plus players on this level will endure similar fates. While rookie UDFAs will likely represent the main casualties here, younger veterans given reserve/futures contracts would stand to be the next group of players franchises look to jettison.
Broncos, First-Rounder Jerry Jeudy Agree To Terms
The Broncos and Jerry Jeudy have a deal. The first-round wide receiver will ink his four-year, $15.192MM deal soon, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The deal includes an $8.61MM signing bonus, of which 71% will be paid upfront.
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Most of this year’s draft pick signings have come later than usual, in one giant burst. There was little doubt that Jeudy and the rest of this year’s 250+ player crop would eventually sign, but teams have been nervous about the current financial climate and the prospect of laying out millions of dollars early on. The first-round picks, in particular, have dragged, due to their larger signing bonuses.
Teammate Henry Ruggs came off the board before Jeudy, going No. 12 to the Raiders. At No. 15, the Broncos got the Alabama star that many evaluators actually preferred. Jeudy doesn’t have Ruggs’ speed, but he has the size to outstretch cornerbacks on the outside and tremendous route-running ability. The 6’1″ receiver averaged 72 catches for 1,239 yards and 12 touchdowns over his final two years on campus, and he could also see some time in the slot. In Denver, he’ll team with Courtland Sutton – mostly on the opposite side, while second-round pick KJ Hamler handles the slot.
The Broncos have also agreed to terms with rookies Lloyd Cushenberry, Justin Strnad, Tyrie Cleveland, and Netane Muti, meaning that there’s not much paperwork left for their 2020 class.
Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Agree To Terms
The Cowboys have agreed to terms with No. 17 overall pick CeeDee Lamb (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Per the terms of his slot, Lamb will earn just over $14MM on his four-year deal, fully guaranteed. 
Lamb was regarded as one of the three best wide receivers in this year’s class, but he was left waiting longer than expected on draft night. With the Cowboys, Lamb will have to compete with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup for targets, but there should be plenty of opportunities to go around. He’s expected to mostly work from the slot, where his soft hands can shine, and his lack of top-end speed won’t be quite as glaring.
Lamb, a consensus All-American in 2019, finished last season with 62 receptions for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. That was the 6-foot-2, 191-pound wideout second-straight season with at least 1,000 yards and 10+ touchdowns.
As a refresher, here’s the full rundown of the Cowboys’ 2020 class:
1-17: CeeDee Lamb, WR (Oklahoma)
2-51: Trevon Diggs, CB (Alabama)
3-82: Neville Gallimore, DT (Oklahoma)
4-123: Reggie Robinson, CB (Tulsa)
4-146: Tyler Biadasz, C (Wisconsin)
5-179: Bradlee Anae, DE (Utah)
7-231: Ben DiNucci, QB (James Madison)
Washington Signs Chase Young
It’s a done deal. No. 2 overall pick Chase Young has formally signed his rookie deal with Washington, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. 
Young was widely viewed as the top talent in this year’s class. Ron Rivera & Co. tried their best, but they couldn’t hide their affinity for the Ohio State sack machine. In fact, most teams didn’t even bother to reach out to Young – there was little chance that he’d be available after No. 2.
Young dominated in the Big Ten, racking up 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in only 12 games last year. Meanwhile, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus show that Young’s performance was positively off the charts. His 2019 score slotted him ahead of Josh Allen (Kentucky, 2018), Nick Bosa (Ohio State, 2017), Myles Garrett (Texas A&M, 2015), and every other collegiate edge rusher dating back to 2014.
It’s all even more impressive when you consider that Young was the focus of every opposing offensive line, including some of the nation’s most elite units. He was frequently double-teamed, and it rarely worked. He was slowed a bit by the extra attention against Michigan in December, but that only served to open up wider lanes for the rest of the front seven. In the end, Ohio State rolled to a 56-27 blowout.
Young’s four-year deal will pay him $34.56MM in total, including a $22.7MM signing bonus, paid up front.
Buccaneers, Tristan Wirfs Agree To Deal
Tampa Bay agreed to terms with its projected right tackle starter Wednesday. Tristan Wirfs is now in the fold for the Buccaneers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The fully guaranteed deal tethers Wirfs to the Bucs through 2023, with the fifth-year option covering 2024.
The Bucs traded up one spot, from No. 14 to No. 13, with the 49ers to nab the Iowa blocker. Wirfs was viewed as one of this draft’s top four tackles. He ended up going fourth out of that group, but he is in position to play a key role for the highest-profile Bucs team in at least 17 years.
Wirfs primarily played right tackle for the Hawkeyes, which will make this an easier transition compared to some of his first-round tackle brethren. He blazed to a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, doing so despite weighing 320 pounds. Wirfs also set Combine O-line records for the vertical (36.5 inches) and broad jumps (10 feet, 1 inch).
The Bucs opted not to re-sign longtime right tackle starter Demar Dotson, who remains in free agency. Dotson was the Bucs’ primary right tackle for the past eight seasons, but Wirfs is now on track to join left tackle Donovan Smith in Tampa Bay’s starting lineup.
Here is the Bucs’ 2020 draft class:
1-13: Tristan Wirfs, T (Iowa): Signed
2-45: Antoine Winfield Jr., S (Minnesota)
3-76: Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB (Vanderbilt)
5-161: Tyler Johnson, WR (Minnesota): Signed
6-194: Khalil Davis, DT (Nebraska): Signed
7-241: Chapelle Russell, OLB (Temple)
7-245: Raymond Calais, RB (Louisiana): Signed
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/22/20
Here are the latest draft pick signings. With rookies set to report to teams’ training camps this week, teams are busy on this front.
- The Vikings were the busiest team in the draft, making 15 picks this year. They have been active signing them Wednesday. Beyond first-rounder Justin Jefferson, Minnesota has agreed to terms with second-round tackle Ezra Cleveland, fourth-round linebacker Troy Dye, fourth-round defensive tackle James Lynch and seventh-round offensive lineman Kyle Hinton. Cleveland, rumored as a possible late-first-round selection, will be groomed to become a near-future starter for the Vikings.
- The Broncos began signing some of their picks, most notably getting third-rounders Michael Ojemudia and McTelvin Agim under contract. A cornerback, Ojemudia is set to compete for a starting job opposite A.J. Bouye; Agim profiles as D-line depth behind established starters this season. Denver also signed fourth-round tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, a Mizzou alum set to rejoin his former quarterback (Drew Lock) in the Mile High City. The Broncos also reached an agreement with seventh-round outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka.
- Despite having T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree under contract, the Steelers used a third-round pick on outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. The Charlotte alum agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal. Highsmith recorded 15 sacks at the mid-major program last season.
- Packers third-round pick Josiah Deguara also agreed on his four-year rookie contract. Green Bay eschewed its wide receiver need throughout the draft, using Day 2 to add a running back (A.J. Dillon) and Deguara, who profiles as a tight end/fullback. The Cincinnati product surpassed 900 yards between his final two college seasons, totaling 12 touchdown grabs in that span.
- Tennessee third-round running back Darrynton Evans signed his rookie deal as well. Evans looks set to replace Dion Lewis as the Titans‘ Derrick Henry change-of-pace back. The Appalachian State alum rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He added five receiving TDs.
- The Giants used first- and third-round picks on tackles. The latter selection, UConn’s Matt Peart, agreed to the terms of his rookie deal Wednesday. Peart profiles as a developmental lineman, working behind expected starters Nate Solder and Andrew Thomas. He stands to join Cameron Fleming as depth for Big Blue.
- Washington has agreed to terms with third-round running back/wideout Antonio Gibson, fourth-round receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden and fifth-round center Keith Ismael. Gibson and Gandy-Golden figure to be key parts of a Washington offense that is limited, beyond Terry McLaurin, in the passing game. Gibson totaled 1,104 yards from scrimmage at Memphis last season, while Gandy-Golden caught 20 touchdown passes in two years at Liberty.
- Fourth-round Cowboys pick Reggie Robinson agreed to terms as well. The Tulsa cornerback joins a Cowboys team that lost Byron Jones in free agency. Dallas was active in an effort to replace the Pro Bowler, drafting Trevon Diggs in Round 2 and signing Daryl Worley.
- Sixth-round Chargers safety Alohi Gilman, a Notre Dame alum, signed his Chargers contract Wednesday. Gillman joins a deep Bolts safety corps.
- The Buccaneers drafted two running backs this year. On Wednesday, they agreed to terms with the second of those picks — seventh-rounder Raymond Calais. In addition to his work as a running back at Louisiana, Calais was a four-year kick returner for the Rajin’ Cajuns.
Ravens Sign Patrick Queen, Wrap Draft Class
That’s a wrap on the Ravens’ 2020 NFL Draft class. On Wednesday, the club announced deals with first-round linebacker Patrick Queen and third-round wide receiver Devin Duvernay, the final stragglers in their ten-man group. 
Queen put himself on the radar as a sophomore at LSU, but he saved his best for last. In 2019, Queen registered had 85 tackles last season, 12 tackles for loss, and three sacks. A three-down ‘backer with solid coverage skills, GM Eric DeCosta says Queen is a “guy that plays like a Raven.”
While the Ravens address the LB need early, they sat back while this year’s big-name wide receivers came off the board. Towards the end of Round 3, they nabbed Duvernay, a short and speedy receiver with the ability to stretch the field.
“The No. 1 priority for us was to get a fast guy,” John Harbaugh said earlier this year (via The Baltimore Sun). “We just wanted to get another fast guy in the offense, a speed guy. One, you got a guy that caught 106 balls. In his career, he had over 160 catches with one drop. That’s what we had in our count. I didn’t see a drop on tape this last year…He’s only 5-[foot]-10, [but he’s a] strong, tough, real competitive guy. He has a little chip on his shoulder.”
Here’s the full rundown of the Ravens’ frosh:
1-28: Patrick Queen, LB (LSU): Signed
2-55: J.K. Dobbins, RB (Ohio State): Signed
3-71: Justin Madubuike, DT (Texas A&M): Signed
3-92: Devin Duvernay, WR (Texas): Signed
3-98: Malik Harrison, LB (Ohio State): Signed
3-106: Tyre Phillips, OL (Mississippi State): Signed
4-143: Ben Bredeson, G (Michigan): Signed
5-170: Broderick Washington Jr., DT (Texas Tech): Signed
6-201: James Proche, WR (SMU): Signed
7-219: Geno Stone, S (Iowa): Signed