Falcons Decline Takkarist McKinley’s Option
The Falcons have turned down Takkarist McKinley‘s fifth-year option, according to a tweet from the edge rusher. With that, the 2017 first-round pick is now set to enter his final year under contract in Atlanta. 
This was the expected move – McKinley has not lived up to expectations since being selected with the No. 26 overall pick. In his first two seasons, he did manage a fair amount of sacks – a combined 13 QB takedowns between his first two seasons. Last year, however, he seemed to regress. McKinley finished out with just 3.5 sacks in 15 contests. He also finished the year on IR thanks to a shoulder injury during the Falcons’ upset victory over the Niners in December.
The Falcons gave up a third-round pick in order to move up five spots for the UCLA product. That didn’t pan out, but McKinley’s not the only Thomas Dimitroff draft pick that hasn’t flourished. In February, the Falcons cut ties with Vic Beasley, who had just finished up his own fifth-year option season.
McKinley’s 2021 option would have been guaranteed for injury only, a risk the Falcons were not willing to take. That additional year would have paid him upwards of $10MM – far too pricey given all of the question marks.
This year, the Falcons hope to see better edge results from Dante Fowler Jr., who joined the club on a three-year, $48MM deal in March. The former Ram is coming off of his best season ever, with career highs in tackles (58), sacks (11.5), passes defended (six), and forced fumbles (two).
Cowboys Sign CB Daryl Worley
The Cowboys have signed Daryl Worley to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. The cornerback profiles as a smart low-risk and potentially high-reward addition for 2020. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Worley probably came at a reasonable rate. 
[RELATED: Eagles Tried To Trade Up For CeeDee Lamb]
Worley signed with the Eagles in 2018, but he was dropped after a bizarre incident in Philadelphia. Cops said they found the cornerback passed out inside of a car around 6am. When they woke him up, he was allegedly combative – ultimately, they used a taser to subdue him. Afterwards, he faced charges for firearms, driving under the influence, and disorderly conduct. The Raiders picked him up and waited as he served a four-game suspension.
All of that aside, Worley offers veteran experience on a value deal – and he’s still only 25. In this year’s draft, the Cowboys added a pair of cornerbacks in Alabama’s Trevon Diggs (second round) and Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson II (fourth round). They’ve also got Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis on hand, so Dallas now has a crowded CB depth chart.
In Oakland, Worley started nearly all of his 25 games across two seasons. Last year, in 15 games, he notched 58 tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Before the Raiders and the offseason cup of coffee with the Birds, Worley was a 2016 third-round pick of the Panthers. He started in 25 games for Carolina and notched three interceptions.
Lions Sign 7 Undrafted Rookies
This week, the Lions added seven more rookies to their incoming class:
- TE Hunter Bryant, Washington
- S Jeremiah Dinson, Auburn
- S Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame
- S Bobby Price, Norfolk State
- FB Luke Sellers, South Dakota State
- P Arryn Siposs, Auburn
- LS Steven Wirtel, Iowa State
[RELATED: Lions Deny Backing Out Of Trade With Texans]
Heading into the draft, Bryant was pegged as an early Day 3 type of prospect by most analysts. When teams passed on him due to medical concerns – including his history of knee injuries – the Lions swooped him up with $60K in guaranteed cash. Bryant will fight for his place on the tight end depth chart, somewhere behind T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James.
Dinson, meanwhile, fetched an $80K guarantee between his $30K signing bonus and $50K base guarantee (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). He’s also a worthwhile name to watch. The Auburn product has experience at both nickel and safety with four interceptions over the course of his collegiate career.
Bengals Claim RB Samaje Perine, LB Austin Calitro
The Bengals have claimed RB Samaje Perine and LB Austin Calitro off waivers, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Perine had been waived by the Dolphins, and Calitro had been waived by the Jaguars.
It will be a reunion between Cincinnati and Perine. The Bengals claimed the Oklahoma product off waivers from the Redskins last September, but he saw just five offensive snaps for the team before he was waived. He cleared waivers and was re-signed to the Bengals’ practice squad, but the Dolphins plucked him off the p-squad towards the end of the season.
Washington selected Perine in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, and he generated some buzz in his rookie campaign, compiling 603 yards and a score (albeit with a modest 3.4 YPC average). Since then, though, he has managed a grand total of 13 carries. But the Bengals did not pick up a running back in this year’s draft, and as Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic tweets, Cincinnati believes Perine has some untapped potential. He will compete for snaps behind former Sooner teammate Joe Mixon and current RB2 Giovani Bernard.
Calitro, meanwhile, played in 13 games (four starts) for Jacksonville last season. He put up 40 tackles and a sack and also served as a primary special teams contributor. The Bengals have made some investments at LB in free agency and the draft, but if he makes the team, Calitro could squeeze out some playing time on defense and on special teams.
Browns To Re-Sign WR Rashard Higgins
The Browns are expected to re-sign wide receiver Rashard Higgins, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. It will be a one-year, $910K deal for the 25-year-old.
We heard back in March that Cleveland was likely to let Higgins test the open market but was interested in re-signing him if the price was right. Cabot says the Colorado State product received more lucrative offers from other clubs, but he elected to re-up with the Browns because he loves playing with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The Browns selected Higgins in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, and after setting career highs in 2018 with 39 receptions for 572 yards and four touchdowns, he appeared primed for a key role in 2019 behind star wideouts Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham. Unfortunately, he battled knee injuries early in the 2019 campaign and fell out of favor with prior head coach Freddie Kitchens upon his return. He ultimately caught just four passes for 55 yards and a score.
But with a new regime in place, Higgins will presumably have a good chance to rebuild his value. He will compete with sixth-round rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones and returning pieces like Damion Ratley for playing time.
49ers Sign Nine Undrafted Rookies
The Niners’ draft class just got larger. On Tuesday, GM John Lynch announced the signings of nine more NFL rookies:
- DeMarkus Acy, CB (Missouri)
- Darrion Daniels, DL (Nebraska)
- Chris Finke, WR (Notre Dame)
- Jonas Griffith, LB (Indiana St.)
- Chase Harrell, TE/DE (Arkansas)
- Jamycal Hasty, RB (Baylor)
- Josh Hokit, FB (Fresno St.)
- Jared Mayden, S (Alabama)
- Broc Rutter, QB (North Central)
A few players in this group received larger-than-usual guarantees, (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). That list includes: Daniels ($105K), Finke ($95K), Hasty ($90K), and Mayden ($50K).
Daniels played at Oklahoma State before transferring to Nebraska as a graduate last year. In his season with the Huskers, he captured Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, managed 1.5 sacks, and even came away with an interception while playing on the interior.
Over the course of his time with the Fightin’ Irish, Finke caught 106 passes for 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns. He also showed his speed in the return game with 532 total yards off of 63 punt returns. The bonuses paid to Finke and Daniels indicate that they’ll get a decent chance at making the roster in the fall.
Rutter, meanwhile, will have his work cut out for him. The 49ers already have Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard under contract as backups to starter Jimmy Garoppolo.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT John Jenkins
Denver Broncos
- Waived: OT Ka’John Armstrong
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: DE Anthony Lanier, RB Marcus Marshall
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (Dolphins): S Montre Hartage
- Waived: DB Derrick Baity, TE C.J. Conrad, LS Colin Holba, LS Drew Scott, P Sean Smith, C Tanner Volson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers (Lions): G Casey Tucker
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers (Jaguars): DB Jayson Stanley
Jenkins, 30, spent the 2017 season with the Bears before spending time with the Giants and Dolphins. In Miami last year, he started five times and appeared in all 16 games. He finished out the year with 34 total tackles and his first sack since 2015. The deal also reunites him with old colleague Ryan Pace, the Bears GM who worked in the Saints’ front office when Jenkins was drafted back in 2013.
Ravens Pick Up Marlon Humphrey’s Option
The Ravens will exercise Marlon Humphrey‘s fifth-year option, as Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated tweets. Once the paperwork is finalized, he’ll be tied to the team through 2021 at a salary dictated by his draft position. 
[RELATED: Ravens Agree To Terms With OL D.J. Fluker]
Humphrey was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft. Per league rules for the fifth-year option on first-round picks, he’ll earn the average salary of the league’s No. 3 – No. 25 highest-paid CBs. That additional year will be guaranteed for injury only, though that rule will change starting next year with the 2018 class. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement didn’t give the NFLPA a ton of wins, but that was one of the union’s key victories in negotiations.
Humphrey, 24 in July, started nearly every game for the Ravens last year en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection and first ever First-Team All-Pro nod. Along the way, he notched three interceptions, recovered three fumbles, returned two of them for touchdowns. In the interest of equal time: the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 37th best cornerback in the NFL; solid standing, though most evaluators and fans would probably rank him higher.
Some of this year’s fifth-year option decisions were borderline – including the case of Browns tight end David Njoku – but there was little doubt that the Ravens would exercise their right to keep Humphrey for an extra year.
For now, Humphrey is set to play out the final year of his original rookie deal with a paltry base salary of $2.08MM. However, you can expect GM Eric DeCosta to be in touch with his agent over the coming months.
Steelers Exercise T.J. Watt’s Fifth-Year Option
The fifth-year option on T.J. Watt‘s contract has been picked up, according to a press release from the Steelers. With that, the linebacker will be under club control through the 2021 season. 
[RELATED: Steelers’ Dupree Signs Franchise Tender]
Watt, the younger brother of J.J. Watt, stepped out of his brother’s shadow while keeping with the family legacy of hard-nosed defense. Originally a tight end at Wisconsin, he switched to the other side of the ball midway through his career and delivered tremendous results off the edge. In 2016 – his first year as a starter – he notched 11.5 sacks. At the pro level, he’s gotten better and better each year.
In 2019, Watt managed 14.5 sacks and a league-leading eight forced fumbles en route to his best season yet. All in all, he’s got 34.5 career sacks, 177 stops, and 15 forced fumbles across three years. The exact figure on his option is not yet known, since he was drafted outside of the Top 10. Whatever the number is, it won’t be enough. Watt and the Steelers are expected to discuss an extension sooner rather than later to position him as one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL. Meanwhile, he says his best work is still on the horizon.
“It’s just working hard and getting more and more experience,” said Watt. “This was my second year playing the left side. I am just growing and learning how I can approach the game better, find out what works better for me as far as film study, practice and preparation. Hopefully I can keep taking those jumps as I progress in my career.”
Bears Agree To Terms With 11 UDFAs
The Bears announced this morning that they’ve agreed to terms with 11 undrafted free agents, including the brother of one of their star players:
- Lee Autry, DT (Mississippi State)
- Dieter Eiselen, OG (Yale)
- Keandre Jones, LB (Maryland)
- LaCale London, LB (Western Illinois)
- Ledarius Mack, LB (Buffalo)
- Napoleon Maxwell, RB (Florida International)
- Trevor McSwain, DT (Duke)
- Artavis Pierce, RB (Oregon State)
- Rashad Smith, LB (Florida Atlantic)
- Badara Traore, OT (LSU)
- Ahmad Wagner, WR (Kentucky)
Mack is the most notable name on the list, as he’s the younger brother of Bears Pro Bowler Khalil Mack. The Buffalo product finished his senior season with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The younger Mack is one of four linebackers signed by Chicago, and that’s after the organization added a linebacker (Trevis Gipson) in the fifth round of the draft.
Autry also has some NFL pedigree, as his brother, cornerback Denico Autry, plays for the Colts.
Wagner is perhaps the most interesting prospect in the group. The six-foot-five receiver spent three seasons playing basketball at Iowa before transferring to Kentucky to play football. He hauled in 15 receptions for 254 yards and two scores during his lone season with the Wildcats.