Raiders Sign 10 UDFAs
Teams continue to announce their undrafted free agent hauls. Here is the Raiders’ 10-man contingent:
- Te’von Coney, LB (Notre Dame)
- Lester Cotton, G (Alabama)
- Keelan Doss, WR (UC Davis)
- Koa Farmer, LB (Penn State)
- Alec Ingold, FB (Wisconsin)
- Andre James, T (UCLA)
- Dylan Mabin, CB (Fordham)
- Lukayus McNeil, G (Louisville)
- Keisean Nixon, CB (South Carolina)
- Tyler Roemer, T (San Diego)
Going heavy on offensive linemen after a nine-player draft did not bring any blockers, the Raiders added some big-school talent with extensive starting experience. Cotton started 28 games for the Crimson Tide, at both left and right guard, helping Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris and Raiders first-rounder Josh Jacobs to big per-carry numbers. McNeil has both guard and tackle experience and was a key presence (46 starts in a four-year career) in helping Lamar Jackson to two dominant seasons with the Cardinals.
The duo, along with James and Roemer, will battle to join 2018 second-round pick Brandon Parker among the Raiders’ backup linemen. With Brandon Marshall and Vontaze Burfict signed to one-year deals, the Raiders’ Las Vegas tenure may need some new blood at linebacker. The Raiders did not draft one, so Coney (two 100-plus-tackle seasons with the Fighting Irish) and Farmer (28 starts with the Nittany Lions) figure to be candidates to stick around via the 53-man roster or, more likely, the practice squad.
Doss said he received better offers than what the Raiders proposed, but UC Davis’ all-time receiving leader opted to play for his hometown team (before it relocates to Vegas next year). Jon Gruden mentioned pre-draft that he wanted to add at least one more cornerback to the roster, but the Raiders drafted both Trayvon Mullen (in Round 2) and Isaiah Johnson (in Round 4). That will make Mabin and Nixon’s paths to the active roster difficult.
Eagles Extend S Blake Countess
Days after reacquiring Blake Countess, the Eagles added a year to his contract. The Eagles submitted a successful waiver claim for Countess last week, bringing their 2016 draft choice back to Philadelphia, and they redid his deal.
Countess’ contract now runs through 2020, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The recent Rams mainstay was entering a contract year. While Countess’ new salaries are not known, Frank adds that the Eagles lowered his 2019 price with this new deal.
Entering the offseason as a restricted free agent, Countess was tethered to a $2.025MM salary via original-round tender. The 25-year-old safety refused a Rams pay cut and ended up back with the Eagles, who initially waived him months after drafting him.
The Eagles did not draft a safety, but their post-draft Countess claim has them in good position on the back line. Countess and former Vikings starter Andrew Sendejo appear in line to back up Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod. Jenkins, though, is away from the team and McLeod accepted a substantial pay decrease after missing most of last season. Cornerback Avonte Maddox also played some safety last season, giving the Eagles plenty of options at this spot.
Bears Sign LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
The post-May 7 free agency period has begun to move. The Bears made a move to add linebacker depth on Wednesday.
Chicago signed Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal, the franchise announced. The Jets made Pierre-Louis a free agent after declining his 2019 option.
Pierre-Louis was part of the 2017 Chiefs, who employed Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator. Bears inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone also coached Nagy in Kansas City.
Entering his sixth season, the 27-year-old linebacker has played mostly as a backup in his nomadic career. The Seahawks drafted Pierre-Louis in the 2014 sixth round and kept him around through the 2016 season. Pierre-Louis spent 2017 with the Chiefs and 2018 with the Jets, the latter beginning with a one-game suspension. However, the second-level defender played in nine Jets games upon returning. He ended last season on IR.
The Boston College alum will join a Bears linebacking corps that will return Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith as its off-ball starters. The Bears made just five draft picks, none a linebacker, so Pierre-Louis figures to have a decent shot at being on Chicago’s 53-man roster come Week 1.
Patriots Cut WR Bruce Ellington
The Patriots’ partnership with Bruce Ellington ended up lasting barely a month. The defending Super Bowl champions cut the veteran wide receiver on Wednesday.
Ellington signed a one-year deal for $895K (with just $25K guaranteed), so this transaction will not be costly for the Patriots. This exit comes with an injury designation, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter), helping to explain Ellington’s abrupt departure.
Ellington has bounced around the league during his five-year career but established somewhat of a steady role with the Texans. However, a long-term role has eluded him.
New England signed the slot receiver in March, adding Ellington and former Redskins pass catcher Maurice Harris. The Patriots drafted N’Keal Harry in the first round and added Demaryius Thomas, who is recovering from an Achilles tear, in April. Slot player Braxton Berrios remains on the roster after not playing as a rookie. The Patriots also signed two UDFA wideouts — Auburn’s Ryan Davis and NC State’s Jakobi Meyers, the latter a former quarterback who posted a 1,000-yard season as a senior — last week.
The Pats last year released a slew of free agent wideouts, with Jordan Matthews, Kenny Britt and Eric Decker departing before Week 1. Matthews and Decker did not play a down for the Patriots. It appears Ellington will follow that path.
After Ellington started six games for the 2017 Texans, hauling in a career-high 29 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns, he received his walking papers — via IR release — midway through the 2018 campaign. The Lions picked Ellington up and deployed him in three games.
Giants Sign RB Rod Smith
Rod Smith landed another gig backing up a Pro Bowl running back. The Giants signed the former Cowboys backup on Wednesday.
Set to transition from playing behind Ezekiel Elliott to appearing on a Saquon Barkley-fronted depth chart, Smith will change teams for the second time in his career. The former Ohio State running back began his NFL career as a Seahawk before becoming a steady backup in Dallas.
The Giants still have Jerry Reese-era draft picks Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins behind Barkley. They cut Jonathan Stewart earlier this offseason. In being a Dave Gettleman signing, Smith should challenge to become Barkley’s primary backup.
The Bengals worked out Smith last month. No known Smith audition commenced with the Giants. The 27-year-old former UDFA backed up Elliott last season, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. But in a more crowded Cowboys backfield in 2017, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound back averaged 4.2 yards per tote and scored four touchdowns. Smith also showed some outlet ability, hauling in 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown that season.
Barkley received 261 carries as a rookie, becoming the third first-year player in NFL history to exceed 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Gallman received 51 carries (averaging 3.5 yards per handoff), however, so some work exists behind the Giants’ three-down Pro Bowler.
Vikings Waive OL Adam Bisnowaty
Adam Bisnowaty‘s short tenure with the Vikings has come to an end. The team announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve waived the offensive lineman. The team has signed undrafted rookie defensive end Stacy Keely to take the open roster spot.
The former Pittsburgh standout was a sixth-round pick by the Giants back in 2017. He ended up starting the season finale as a rookie, but the Giants ultimately waived him several months later. Bisnowaty then bounced around the league a bit, spending time with the Lions and Panthers. He caught on with the Vikings in late October, and he proceeded to spend the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad.
The Vikings will see several additions to their offensive line next season, as they added free agent guard Josh Kline and drafted center Garrett Bradbury in the first round. The team also added veteran Dakota Dozier and rookies Dru Samia and Oli Udoh.
Keely had participated at last week’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, and he parlayed that performance into a contract. The UAB product was relatively productive in a reserve role this past season, compiling eight tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/7/19
Here are the latest draft picks to agree to rookie contracts:
- The Steelers on Tuesday signed two of their three sixth-round picks, defensive end Isaiah Buggs and linebacker Sutton Smith. These are the first two members of Pittsburgh’s nine-man draft class to sign their rookie deals. Buggs was part of the 2017 national champion Alabama squad and led the 2018 Crimson Tide in sacks. Smith is an Akron product; the Steelers’ other sixth-round selection, Ulysees Gilbert III, is also a Mid-American Conference product, having played at Northern Illinois.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/7/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the night:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers from Browns: RB Darrin Hall
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Ashton Lampkin, LB Xavier Woodson-Luster
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis, RB Marcus Marshall, DB Herb Miller, DB Andrew Soroh
- Waived: WR Andre Lindsey, S Leon McQuay, DB Dakari Monroe
- Waived/injured: WR Jamire Jordan
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: S Jordan Martin
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Deonta Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DB Mercy Maston
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: WR Roger Lewis
49ers Sign C Wesley Johnson
The 49ers signed center Wesley Johnson, according to a team announcement. To make room, the club waived tight end Marcus Lucas. 
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Johnson spent 2015-2017 with the Jets and became their starting center in 2016 after injuries halted Nick Mangold‘s career. Then, last season, he hooked on with the Dolphins and appeared in ten contests.
With the Niners, Johnson could serve as a backup behind starter Weston Richburg, who underwent knee surgery in January. The expectation is that Richburg will be ready in time for training camp, but recovery timetables off of knee surgery are notoriously unreliable.
Lucas, meanwhile, will seek yet another NFL home. He’s bounced around the league since entering in 2014, but has yet to see time in a regular season contest.
Raiders Sign Jalin Marshall
The Raiders signed wide receiver Jalin Marshall, according to an announcement from his agent. Marshall has been out of the NFL since being waved by the Jets following the 2018 season.
This year, the Ohio State product hooked on with the AAF’s Orlando franchise. Unfortunately, he was put out of work along with many other players when the league went belly-up midway through its inaugural season.
Still just 23 (24 in July), Marshall has 14 receptions for 162 yards to his credit. All of those came during his rookie season, one that also saw him factor into New York’s return game. Most notably, he returned 13 kicks for an average of 24.9 yards per try.
In 2017, Marshall was hit with a four-game ban for PEDs and spent the rest of the season on the taxi squad. This year, he managed 26 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns in the AAF.
Marshall has an opportunity to see live action once again in the NFL, but little will be guaranteed here, especially since the Raiders now have eleven wide receivers on their offseason roster.