Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G R.J. Prince
- Waived: G Kofi Amichia, TE Nick Keizer
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles
- Waived/Injured: DB Jomon Dotson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: D’Ernest Johnson
- Waived: RB L.J. Scott
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Adarius Pickett
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: WR Justin Sumpter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: C Tony Adams, G Kyle Fuller
- Waived: C Kirk Barron
- Waived/Injured: G Isaac Asiata
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Frank Herron
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Alex Brown
- Waived: DL Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Bryant Mitchell
- Waived: LS Dan Godsil
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Jalen Tolliver
Falcons Sign Rookie Chris Lindstrom
The Falcons have signed first-round guard Chris Lindstrom, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lindstrom, the No. 14 overall pick in the draft, will receive a four-year, $14.6MM deal with an $8.6MM signing bonus. 
With that, the Falcons have now signed their entire 2019 draft class. Here’s the rundown, via PFR’s NFL Draft tracker:
- 1-14: Chris Lindstrom, G (Boston College): Signed
- 1-31: Kaleb McGary, T (Washington): Signed
- 4-111: Kendall Sheffield, CB (Ohio State): Signed
- 4-135: John Cominsky, DE (Charleston): Signed
- 5-152: Qadree Ollison, RB (Pittsburgh): Signed
- 5-172: Jordan Miller, CB (Washington): Signed
- 6-203: Marcus Green, RB (Louisiana-Monroe): Signed
Lindstrom has an NFL-ready body at 6’4″ and 310 pounds. Lauded for his athleticism, many evaluators view him as an ideal fit for zone blocking schemes. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered up high praise of the Boston College product, comparing him to Browns standout guard Joel Bitonio.
Bengals Sign Jonah Williams, Drew Sample
The Bengals signed first-round offensive tackle Jonah Williams and second-round tight end Drew Sample, according to a team announcement. Williams was selected No. 11 overall while Sample was taken 41 picks later with the No. 52 choice. 
Williams entered draft weekend as a strong candidate for the top 10. But, after the Giants shocked the world by taking Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall, things changed radially for the Alabama product and other top prospects. The early shakeup led to the Jaguars taking Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen at No. 7, which allowed the Lions to opt for Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson at No. 8 instead of Williams. That worked out just fine for the Bengals, who were able to stand pat and land the best tackle in this year’s class.
Sample, meanwhile, used his 6’5″ frame to block effectively at Washington. He didn’t light up the stat sheet with just 25 catches for 252 yards in 2018, but he could develop into more of an offensive playmaker with time.
Giants Sign Rookie Corey Ballentine
The Giants have signed sixth-round cornerback Corey Ballentine, according to a team announcement. Ballentine was shot in a tragic event that took the life of his friend and teammate on the night he was drafted, but he is expected to play at some point in the future. 
The Washburn University product is still recovering from the incident, both physically and mentally. The Giants instructed him to stay home for the early portion of the team’s workouts, but he’s now on hand to observe the second phase of the offseason program. He should be cleared to participate at some point this offseason, but there’s no definitive timetable yet.
Ballentine was one of three cornerbacks drafted by the Giants this year, along with Georgia’s Deandre Baker (first round) and Notre Dame’s Julian Love (fourth round). Love has signed, but Baker is one of the Giants’ four remaining unsigned selections.
In accordance with his slot, Ballentine will earn $2.7MM over the course of his four-year deal.
Dolphins Place WR Ricardo Louis On IR
The Dolphins have placed wide receiver Ricardo Louis on injured reserve due to a knee injury. Louis is not eligible to return and will not play in 2019. 
The former fourth-round pick missed the entire 2018 campaign with a neck injury, so the latest setback is especially frustrating for the 25-year-old. The Dolphins signed Louis as a free agent in April, but he didn’t get to do much for his new team.
In 2017, Louis enjoyed the best season of his young career with 27 catches for 357 yards with the Browns, a step up from his 18 grabs for 205 yards as a rookie.
Originally, the plan was for Louis to compete for Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s targets with DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Brice Butler, and others. Now, the Dolphins may look to add another veteran wide receiver to the competition.
Dolphins Sign Nate Orchard
The Dolphins signed edge rusher Nate Orchard, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) first reported that a deal was close on Wednesday night.
Orchard signed with the Seahawks in early April, inking a one-year deal with a club that has a history of taking chances on former early-round defenders (Barkevious Mingo, Dion Jordan). However, the 26-year-old was made redundant after Seattle inked fellow defensive end Ziggy Ansah, and Orchard was waived last week.
Orchard comes with pedigree, as the Browns selected him 51st overall in the 2015 draft. An 11-game starter during his rookie campaign, Orchard has started only two contests since 2015. His last significant action came in 2017, when he played on 40% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps while grading as the NFL’s No. 68 edge defender among 123 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Last year, despite a valiant effort on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Orchard was waived by the Browns at final cutdowns, and subsequently spent time with the Bills and Chiefs.
In Miami, Orchard stands a far better chance of making the roster — and earning playing time — than he would have in Seattle. The Dolphins are seeking to replace nearly the nearly 1,700 snaps played by now-departed defensive ends Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn, and Andre Branch, and there’s little ahead of Orchard on the club’s depth chart aside from 2017 first-round pick Charles Harris and veteran journeyman Tank Carradine. Miami didn’t add an edge defender with any of its six 2019 draft choices.
Jets Trade LB Darron Lee To Chiefs
Interim general manager/head coach Adam Gase has made his first trade. The Jets are trading linebacker Darron Lee to the Chiefs in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
The Jets and Chiefs had been discussing a deal involving Lee for weeks, tweets Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. Former New York general manager Jets GM Mike Maccagnan — who was fired at noon EST today — was reportedly holding out to acquired a fifth-round choice in exchange for Lee, but Gase, who’s taken over personnel authority on an acting basis, executed the swap for a sixth-rounder.
New York replaced Lee in a decisive fashion earlier this offseason, signing free agent linebacker C.J. Mosley to a record-breaking contract which made the ex-Raven the highest-paid off-ball LB in NFL history by a wide margin. Mosley will pair with holdover Avery Williamson as Gang Green’s primary linebackers, leaving Lee — who played on 90% of the Jets’ defensive snaps in the 12 games he played last season — without a starting role.
The Jets further distanced themselves from the 24-year-old Lee by declining his fifth-year option for the 2020 season in advance of the league deadline earlier this month. That option would have paid Lee $9.501MM for his fifth pro NFL campaign, but New York deemed that salary too expensive despite that fact that it would have been guaranteed for injury only.
Despite the low price cost of acquiring him, Lee should have a place in today’s NFL. Pro Football Focus not only graded Lee as the 24th-best linebacker in the league, but assigned him the fourth-highest mark in pass coverage. Additionally, the Jets ranked seventh in the NFL in defensive DVOA against running back receptions, meaning they were extremely effective on a per-play basis against backs in the passing game. That level of play in coverage is beyond valuable, even from the off-ball linebacker position.
While he’s moving on from the Jets and their crowded linebacker depth chart, Lee may have to compete for a clear-cut starting linebacker job on the Chiefs’ roster. Anthony Hitchens played like one of the worst ‘backers in the NFL after inking a five-year, $45MM contract with the Chiefs last offseason, but Kansas City can’t move on from him until 2020 at the earliest. If Hitchens stays in the starting lineup, Lee will be up battle Reggie Ragland (who played roughly 50% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps a season ago) and Dorian O’Daniel (~25%) for work as KC’s second linebacker.
New York will take on roughly $1.326MM in dead money by trading Lee, while the Chiefs are only the hook for Lee’s base salary of ~$1..844MM. For that financial cost and a sixth-round choice, Kansas City will add another defender to a club that’s already seen the addition of Tyrann Mathieu and Alex Okafor in free agency, Frank Clark and Emmanuel Ogbah bytrade, and Juan Thornhill and Khalen Saunders via the draft. Of course, the Chiefs also parted ways with a number of high-profile defensive players, including Dee Ford and Justin Houston, Eric Berry, and Steven Nelson.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/15/19
Today’s draft pick signings:
- The Titans have agreed to terms with fourth-round safety Amani Hooker, the club announced. Hooker was projected to come off the board much earlier than Round 4, leading Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus to label his selection as one of the steals of the draft. The 2019 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, Hooker was also named first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American. Additionally, Hooker posted elite athletic testing and is a versatile scheme fit, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, making his draft day fall all the more confusing. The Iowa product is likely to play in three-safety looks alongside fellow Tennessee defensive backs Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, and could be viewed as the long-term starter opposite Byard.
- Sixth-round linebacker Deshaun Davis has signed his rookie deal with the Bengals, Cincinnati announced today. Davis posted 112 tackles (15 for loss) during his final season at Auburn, but tested as a very poor athlete at the combine, per Kent Lee Platte of SB Nation (Twitter link). He’ll have to shine on special teams duty in order to land a roster spot in Cincinnati. Davis is the sixth Bengals draft choice under contract, but the club still has its top four picks unsigned: offensive tackle Jonah Williams, tight end Drew Sample, linebacker Germaine Pratt, and quarterback Ryan Finley.
Patriots Sign Jamie Collins
Jamie Collins is back in New England. The Patriots have agreed to sign the linebacker, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Collins huddled up with his old team on Wednesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. Collins began his career with the Patriots in 2013 and was a staple of their defense up until 2016, when he was shipped to the Browns. His run in Cleveland didn’t go as planned, unfortunately, and ended with his release in March.
It’s possible that Collins has lost a step since his first run with the Pats, but he could theoretically return to form in Bill Belichick‘s system. When healthy, and motivated, Collins profiles as one of the better off-ball linebackers in the NFL.
Collins managed 138 tackles in 2014 and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015 after amassing 5.5 sacks. He was also a key contributor to the Pats’ 2014 team and helped defeat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
49ers To Sign TE Levine Toilolo
The 49ers are set to sign tight end Levine Toilolo, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal is pending a physical, but should become official before the end of the business day on Wednesday. 
Toilolo, 28 in July, spent the first five years of his career with the Falcons. Toilolo is mostly known for his blocking ability, but he did manage 31 catches for 238 yards in 2014 with Atlanta. He also stretched the field a bit with a 20.3 yards-per-catch average in 2016 on a limited sample of receptions. Last year, with the Lions, he had 21 catches for 263 yards.
Last year, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus gave Toilolo an 87.0 score for pass blocking, the best of any qualified tight end in the NFL. With the Niners, the veteran will battle with sixth-round pick (and fellow Stanford product) Kaden Smith for playing time behind George Kittle. Garrett Celek, Ross Dwelley, and undrafted rookie Tyree Mayfield are also in the mix.