Panthers Agree To Terms With 17 UDFAs
The Panthers have been busy adding undrafted free agents, as the organization announced that they’ve agreed to terms with 17 rookies:
- Myles Adams, DE (Rice)
- Omar Bayless, WR (Arkansas State)
- Branden Bowen, OT (Ohio State)
- Jason Ferris, LB (Montana Western)
- Sam Franklin, LB (Temple)
- Myles Hartsfield, DB (Mississippi)
- TreVontae Hights, WR (TCU)
- Mike Horton, G (Auburn)
- Jordan Mack, LB (Virginia)
- Frederick Mauigoa, C (Washington State)
- Chris Orr, LB (Wisconsin)
- David Reese, LB (Florida)
- Giovanni Ricci, TE (Western Michigan)
- Austrian Robinson, DT (Mississippi)
- Rodney Smith, RB (Minnesota)
- Cam Sutton, TE (Fresno State)
- Sam Tecklenburg, OL (Baylor)
As the press release notes, three of those free agents (Mack, Sutton, Thompson) officially signed with the Panthers on Monday.
The front office was clearly looking to plug a hole at linebacker, as the organization added five undrafted rookies at the position. While the front office used each of their seven draft picks on defensive players, all those rookies are either defensive backs or defensive linemen.
The Panthers are also making a relatively large investment in Bayless. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the wideout will earn $100K in guaranteed money. The Arkansas State product finished last season with 93 receptions for 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Ravens Agree To Terms With OL D.J. Fluker
It didn’t take long for D.J. Fluker to find a new home. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran offensive lineman has signed with the Ravens. The deal is pending a physical.
Fluker was released by the Seahawks on Sunday after spending two seasons with the organization. Last offseason, the lineman signed a two-year, $9MM extension with Seattle, and he proceeded to start 14 games during the 2019 campaign (his highest total since 2016).
The 2013 first-round pick out of Alabama spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers before spending the 2017 campaign with the Giants. In total, the 29-year-old has appeared in 92 career games, including 88 starts.
The Ravens are naturally putting an emphasis on protecting Lamar Jackson, with the organization selecting a pair of rookies in the 2020 Draft (third-round lineman Tyre Phillips and fourth-round guard Ben Bredeson). The team is eyeing several holes on their offensive line, as Marshal Yanda retired and Matt Skura continues to recover from a knee injury.
Broncos Sign DL Christian Covington
Christian Covington is heading to Denver. The defensive lineman is signing with the Broncos, reports SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
It’ll be a one-year deal worth $1.75MM for the 26-year-old. The deal includes $625K in guaranteed money.
Following a four-year stint with the Texans, the former sixth-rounder signed with the Cowboys last offseason. He ended up having one of the most productive seasons of his career, compiling a career-high 28 tackles to go with one sack and one pass defended in 16 games (six starts).
In total, Covington has made 66 regular season appearances (15 starts) during his career, collecting 8.5 sacks.
Covington will be competing with rookie third-rounder McTelvin Agim for snaps behind starter Mike Purcell.
Jaguars OL Andrew Norwell Reworks Contract
Andrew Norwell has reworked his deal. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars agreed to a renegotiated contracts with the offensive lineman.
Previously, Norwell was on the books for $11.5MM in non-guaranteed money next season. Now, the offensive guard will earn $9MM guaranteed, and he has an additional $2.5M in realistic incentives. The 28-year-old gets the security he’s presumably seeking, while the Jaguars have the opportunity to save a chunk of cash.
Norwell joined Jacksonville back in 2018, signing a five-year, $66.5MM contract ($30MM guaranteed). His $13.3MM average annual value currently ranks fifth among offensive guards, although he led the position when he initially signed his contract.
The veteran was limited to 11 games in 2018 as he dealt with an ankle injury. He returned fully healthy in 2019 and managed to start all 16 games for the Jaguars.
Chiefs Release P Dustin Colquitt
The longest-tenured Chiefs player is moving on. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Kansas City is releasing punter Dustin Colquitt. The move saves the Chiefs around $2MM against the cap.
“I have enjoyed my time in Chiefs Kingdom, all things come to an end, sometimes sooner than you hoped, prayed & pleaded for them to,” Colquitt wrote on Instagram. “I’ll miss walking into the building & smelling the coffee, talking to everyone…it took me forever to weave through some of the most loving people you’d ever hope to work with. I was a young kid when I first walked into Arrowhead…hell, the indoor facility used to be 70 yards. Holding this post for 15 years has been an honor that I never took for granted. Thank you KC.”
The 37-year-old had spent the entirety of his 16-year career in Kansas City, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl championship. Back in 2017, he passed Jerrel Wilson for the most punts and punting yards in franchise history, and he signed a three-year contract extension in 2018.
While Colquitt’s 44.3 yards per punt in 2019 was his lowest average since his sophomore season, his net average of 40.3 yards was on-par with his career marks. The veteran also placed 21 punts inside the 20.
The Chiefs must be content moving forward with their pair of punter additions: Tyler Newsome and Tommy Townsend. Newsome was a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, while Townsend is a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Florida. As Pelissero notes (on Twitter), the Chiefs gave Townsend a lofty $82.5K guaranteed.
Texans Exercise Deshaun Watson’s Fifth-Year Option
Unsurprisingly, the Texans are committing to Deshaun Watson. Houston has picked up the fifth-year option on their franchise quarterback, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Watson is set to play the 2020 season on a $1.17MM base salary. Under the fifth-year option, his salary will be boosted to around $17.3MM in 2021.
This was an easy decision for the Texans, as the quarterback has emerged as an MVP contender. The 2017 12th-overall pick has started 31 games for Houston the past two year, connecting on 67.8-percent of his passes while averaging 4,008 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10.5 interceptions. He’s also continued to be productive on the ground, rushing for 12 touchdowns between 2018 and 2019.
Most importantly, he’s led the Texans to a 21-10 record over the past two seasons. This has led to a pair of playoff appearances, where he’s gone 1-2.
We heard last week that the organization had kicked off “very preliminary” extension talks with the star quarterback, and the front office was focused on completing a deal by the start of the regular season. We previously heard that Watson was going to wait under Patrick Mahomes re-signed with the Chiefs before inking his own extension.
Saints Sign 13 UDFAs
After adding only four rookies via the draft, the Saints compensated today by signing 13 undrafted free agents. The organization formally announced the following signings:
- Joe Bachie, LB (Michigan State)
- Marquez Callaway, WR (Tennessee)
- Gus Cumberlander, DL (Oregon)
- Tino Ellis, CB (Maryland)
- Blake Gillikin, P (Penn State)
- Juwan Johnson, WR (Oregon)
- Tony Jones Jr., RB (Notre Dame)
- Adrian Magee, OL (Louisiana State)
- Darrin Paulo, OT (Utah)
- Malcolm Roach, DL (Texas)
- Jordan Steckler, G/C (Northern Illinois)
- Calvin Throckmorton, OL (Oregon)
- Keith Washington Jr., CB (West Virginia)
After drafting Michigan center Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the draft, the team made their largest undrafted-free-agent investment in an offensive lineman. Nick Underhill of The Athletic tweets that Oregon’s Calvin Throckmorton will earn $110K in guaranteed money and a $12.5K signing bonus. The team also gave $90K in guaranteed money to Jordan Steckler (per Underhill on Twitter).
On the defensive side of the ball, Texas defensive lineman Malcolm Roach will earn $95K in guaranteed money (via Underhill on Twitter). The versatile defender finished his collegiate career with nine tackles-for-loss and three sacks in 2019.
Packers’ Allen Lazard, Chandon Sullivan Sign ERFA Tenders
The Packers are bringing back a pair of exclusive rights free agents. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay has re-signed wide receiver Allen Lazard and cornerback Chandon Sullivan.
Lazard, 24, had a breakout season for the Packers last season, hauling in 35 receptions, 477 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. He also added a 21-yard rushing attempt and six tackles. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound receiver has a chance to be the second wideout behind Davante Adams in 2020, as he’ll be competing with the likes of Devin Funchess and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for targets.
Sullivan, a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Georgia State, appeared in five games for the Eagles as a rookie. He signed with the Packers last offseason and proceeded to appear in 16 games, compiling 30 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
The Packers had previously inked a trio of exclusive rights free agents: tight end Robert Tonyan, wide receiver Jake Kumerow, and defensive end Tyler Lancaster.
Giants Place UFA Tender On Markus Golden
The Giants are using a rarely-used tender in an attempt to retain pass rusher Markus Golden. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New York has slapped the linebacker/defensive end with a UFA tender.
Thanks to this transaction, Golden will only be eligible to play for the Giants if he remains unsigned past July 22nd (or the first day of training camp, whichever is later). Of course, this means that the 29-year-old still has almost three months to negotiate a contract with a new team, and he will still count towards the 2021 compensatory pick formula.
The former second-rounder showed flashes during his four seasons in Arizona, including a 12.5-sack campaign back in 2016. He caught on with the Giants last offseason, inking a one-year, $3.75MM deal. He proceeded to have one of the best seasons of his career, as he compiled 72 tackles and 10 sacks in a career-high 16 starts.
We heard earlier this month that Golden was unlikely to return to the Giants, with sources indicating the pass rusher was seeking “too much money.”
NFC East Teams Sign Players Via International Player Pathway Program
As part of this year’s International Player Pathway program, each team in the NFC East will be allowed to carry an extra, international player on their practice squad. The four organizations quickly filled these spots (via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com):
- Dallas Cowboys: OT Isaac Alarcon (Mexico)
- New York Giants: RB Sandro Platzgummer (Austria)
- Philadelphia Eagles: DE Matt Leo (Australia)
- Washington Redskins: DE David Bada (Germany)
These players will remain on their teams’ roster through training camp. At that point, each organization can sign the player to their practice squad via the “international player practice squad exemption.” This means NFC East squads can hold 11 practice squad players throughout the 2020 campaign. However, under these circumstances, the international players can’t be activated to the active roster during the 2020 season.
The International Player Pathway program was first introduced in 2017. As Helman notes, three players from last year’s program – fullback Jakob Johnson (Patriots), defensive tackle Durval Queiroz Neto (Dolphins), and running back Christian Wade (Bills) – are still with their original teams.