Patriots Sign Third-Round RB Damien Harris
The Patriots are the ninth NFL team to sign their entire 2019 rookie class, as New England has agreed to terms with third-round running back Damien Harris, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Harris, the 87th overall selection in April’s draft, will sign a four-year deal worth roughly $3.6MM. He’ll join the Patriots’ roster following a four-year career at Alabama, during which he won two National Championships and earned second-team All-SEC honors during his senior season. Harris came off the board 63 picks after fellow Tide running back Josh Jacobs, but Harris actually surpassed Jacobs in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and receptions in 2018.
Harris, who stands 5’10”, 216 pounds, topped 1,000 yards rushing in both his sophomore and junior seasons, averaging more than seven yards per carry in each campaign. In a pre-draft scouting report, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Harris to former Bears/Bengals back Cedric Benson, noting Harris’ “no-nonsense” running style but identifying his lack of burst.
The Patriots already have a roster full of running backs with defined roles, including 2018 first-rounder Sony Michel, receiving back James White, and do-it-all Rex Burkhead. Harris will likely start out with a heavy role on special teams, but he could carve out a niche slot as the season progresses.
Here’s New England’s 2019 draft in full:
- 1-32: N’Keal Harry, WR (Arizona State)
- 2-45: JoeJuan Williams, CB (Vanderbilt)
- 3-77: Chase Winovich, DE (Michigan)
- 3-87: Damien Harris, RB (Alabama)
- 3-101: Yodny Cajuste, T (West Virginia)
- 4-118: Hjalte Froholdt, G ( Arkansas)
- 4-133: Jarrett Stidham, QB (Auburn)
- 5-159: Byron Cowart, DT (Maryland)
- 5-163: Jake Bailey, P (Stanford)
- 7-252: Ken Webster, CB (Ole Miss)
NFL Suspends WR Leonte Carroo
Free agent wide receiver Leonte Carroo has been suspended for the first four weeks of the 2019 season, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Carroo, a 2016 third-round pick, was non-tendered by Miami this offseason. 
Carroo had some hype behind him coming out of Rutgers, but never produced at the pro level. After three seasons in South Beach, Carroo has just 12 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns to his credit. More than one-third of those yards came on a 74-yard TD against the Colts last season in which he wrestled a defender to the ground and waltzed into the end zone.
The exact reason for Carroo’s ban is not yet known, but it is likely for a violation of the substance abuse policy or the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/19
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: WR Mose Frazier
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Tommy Doles
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Nico Siragusa
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: DL Lyndon Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: CB Tyler Horton
New York Giants
- Signed: OLB Keion Adams
- Waived/Injured: OLB Jeremiah Harris
Colts Sign Rigoberto Sanchez To Extension
The Colts have signed punter Rigoberto Sanchez to a contract extension, according to a team announcement. Prior to the deal, Sanchez was slated to hit the open market following the 2019 season. Now, he’s under contract for four additional years at a total of $11.6MM with $3MM fully guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
Sanchez, a University of Hawaii product, averaged 44.8 yards per boot in college. He’s maintained a similar average (45.3 yards per punt) over the last two years with the Colts while appearing in every single game. Thanks in large part to Sanchez and Adam Vinatieri, the Colts had one of the league’s best special teams units in 2018.
The retirement of Pat McAfee left the Colts with some questions at the punter position, but they haven’t missed a beat thanks to the emergence of Sanchez. Now, the youngster is set to be in the fold for years to come.
Patriots To Release Austin Seferian-Jenkins
The Patriots will release tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). ASJ plans to step away from football for a month for personal issues, Rapoport hears, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll circle back to the Patriots. 
[RELATED: Rob Gronkowski Shoots Down Comeback Talk]
Seferian-Jenkins is no stranger to off-the-field hiccups. Substance abuse issues sidetracked him in Tampa, leading him to the Jets, where he enjoyed a productive season in 2017. Last year, he parlayed that success into a two-year, $10MM deal with the Jaguars, but that deal was terminated after he suited up for just five games.
ASJ seemed prime for another comeback with the Rob Gronkowski-less Patriots, but his personal problems have put him in a holding pattern for now. Without the former second-round pick, the Pats will move forward with tight ends Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, Stephen Anderson, and Andrew Beck. Watson, of course, will miss the first four games of the season due to his PED suspension.
Colts’ Javon Patterson Done For Year
Colts rookie offensive lineman Javon Patterson suffered a torn ACL, according to head coach Frank Reich. The seventh-round pick will miss his rookie season and the team will place him on injured reserve. 
[RELATED: Colts To Work Out Johnathan Cyprien]
Patterson, an Ole Miss product, spent most of his time at guard in college, but was projected to play at center in the NFL due to his overall lack of length and strength. The Colts were happy to scoop him up with one of the final picks in the 2019 draft, but they’ll have to wait until 2020 to see what he can do.
The Colts will move ahead with Josh Andrews and center/guard Evan Boehm behind starter Ryan Kelly on the offseason roster.
Lions Wrap Up Draft Class Signings
The Lions have finished signing their entire draft class. The team announced (via Twitter) that they’ve signed third-round safety Will Harris.
The Lions had to trade up in the third round to acquire the Boston College product. Ultimately, Detroit received No. 81 from the Vikings in exchange for No. 88 (which was acquired in the Golden Tate deal) and No. 204.
Harris was undoubtedly a logical pick; as a senior captain, the safety finished with 75 tackles, earning him a third-team All-ACC nod. His best season came in 2018, when he led the nation with four fumble recoveries. Harris ended up being one of three BC players to be selected in the first three rounds, joining first-round lineman Chris Lindstrom (Falcons) and third-round defensive end Zach Allen (Cardinals).
In Detroit, Harris could have a chance to establish himself as a major contributor. At the moment, Tavon Wilson and Quandre Diggs are slotted in as the team’s starters. If that ends up being the case, Harris will be competing with free agent addition Andrew Adams and 2018 third-rounder Tracy Walker for backup reps.
As we mentioned, this signing means the team has inked all of their 2019 draft class to contracts. That grouping includes:
- 1-8: T.J. Hockenson, TE (Iowa)
- 2-43: Jahlani Tavai, LB (Hawaii)
- 3-81: Will Harris, S (Boston College)
- 4-117: Austin Bryant, DE (Clemson)
- 5-146: Amani Oruwariye, CB (Penn State)
- 6-184: Travis Fulgham, WR (Old Dominion)
- 6-186: Ty Johnson, RB (Maryland)
- 7-224: Isaac Nauta, TE (Georgia)
- 7-229: P.J. Johnson, DT (Arizona)
Panthers To Sign Gerald McCoy
Free agent defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has elected to sign with the Panthers, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that it will be a one-year, $8MM pact that can be worth as much as $10.25MM with incentives, and Schefter adds that it includes a $4MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds more details on the incentive package (Twitter link). In addition to his $4MM signing bonus and $3MM base pay, McCoy can earn $500K in camp roster bonuses, another $500K in 45-man per game bonuses, $500K if he tallies six sacks, and $1.5MM if he posts eight sacks. He also has playoff and Pro Bowl incentives.
McCoy quickly became the hottest name on the market upon his release from the Buccaneers, and he visited with the Browns, Ravens, and Panthers. It sounds as though the Ravens were the runner-up in the McCoy sweepstakes, as Schefter tweets that McCoy left Baltimore thinking he may very well sign there. But Carolina wowed him during his visit, and Panthers QB Cam Newton made a convincing sales pitch. The fact that he can now terrorize his old team twice in 2019 may have also been a factor.
The Panthers reinforce a strong D-line that now includes three Pro Bowlers in McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Kawann Short. McCoy may not be the player he once was, but the 31-year-old is still a fearsome presence, especially considering his ability to generate an interior pass rush. He has 54.5 career sacks to his credit, and he is also durable, as he has not missed more than three games in a season since 2011.
Short and Poe each played between 50-60% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps in 2018, so McCoy fits nicely into the club’s rotation. He ranked fourth among defensive tackles with 21 quarterback hits in 2018 and finished as the NFL’s No. 28 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
The Panthers cleared out $9MM in cap space over the past week by officially releasing Matt Kalil and restructuring the contract of Torrey Smith. As Joe Person of The Athletic tweets, Carolina still has $8MM to conduct the rest of its offseason business.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/3/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Jason Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Chaz Green
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Brandon Reilly
- Waived: LB Juwon Young
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Fred Trevillion
- Waived/Injured: WR Trevion Thompson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: T Blake Hance
Chiefs Sign Khalen Saunders
The Chiefs signed third-round defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the Chiefs have wrapped up their entire draft class. 
Saunders is slated to back up Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi on the interior line in 2019. For now, he’ll practice with the first-stringers while Chris Jones stays away from the club in an effort to land a new contract.
The Western Illinois product impressed in his final year on campus with 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks from the interior. Saunders boasts impressive agility for a 324-pound lineman and could have a bright future if he’s able to improve his conditioning.
Here’s the full rundown of the Chiefs’ 2019 draft class, via PFR’s tracker:
- 2-56: Mecole Hardman, WR (Georgia): Signed
- 2-63: Juan Thornhill, S (Virginia): Signed
- 3-84: Khalen Saunders, DT (Western Illinois): Signed
- 6-201: Rashad Fenton, CB (South Carolina): Signed
- 6-214: Darwin Thompson, RB (Utah State): Signed
- 7-216: Nick Allegretti, C (Illinois): Signed