Jaguars Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents
The Jaguars have become the third NFL team — joining the Steelers and Chargers — to announced their crop of undrafted free agent signings following the conclusion of the 2019 draft. Jacksonville agreed to terms with the following 21 UDFAs:
- Shane Bowman, DL (Washington)
- Tyre Brady, WR (Marshall)
- Khairi Clark, DT (Florida)
- Michael Colubiale, WR (UCF)
- Joe Giles-Harris, LB (Duke)
- Donnell Greene, OL (Minnesota)
- Tae Hayes, DB (Appalachian State)
- Raphael Leonard, WR (Southern Illinois)
- Carson Meier, TE (Oklahoma)
- Picasso Nelson Jr., CB (Southern Mississippi)
- Jeff Smith, WR (Boston College)
- Saivion Smith, CB (Alabama)
- Dredrick Snelson Jr., WR (UCF)
- Bunchy Stallings, OL (Kentucky)
- Marquez Stanford, CB (Murray State)
- Connor Strachan, LB (Boston College)
- Michael Walker, WR (Boston College)
- Brandon Watson, CB (Michigan)
- Papi White, WR (Ohio)
- Andrew Williams, DT (Auburn)
- Andrew Wingard, S (Wyoming)
- Zedrick Woods, S (Ole Miss)
- Roderick Young, DT (North Texas)
Saivion Smith, in particular, is an interesting addition for the Jaguars, as he’d been mentioned as a possible third-round pick earlier this year. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com pegged Smith as a Round 4 or 5 selection, noting the Alabama product’s ability as a press-man corner but cautioning that he must improve his consistency. Simth could compete for snaps behind incumbent Jacksonville corners Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and D.J. Hayden.
Chargers Sign 19 UDFAs
As teams officially announce their undrafted free agent classes, we’ll be posting them. The Chargers are the second team to announce, following the Steelers. Los Angeles inked a massive group, bringing in 19 players:
- Chris Brown, G (USC)
- Eurndraus Bryant, DT (N.C. State)
- Blake Camper, OT (South Carolina)
- Josh Corcoran, LB (Northern Illinois)
- Jeremy Cox, RB (Old Dominion)
- Kemon Hall, CB (North Texas)
- Daniel Helm, TE (Duke)
- Reggie Howard, DT (Toledo)
- Bradford Lemmons, CB (Furman)
- Koda Martin, G (Syracuse)
- Jason Moore, WR (Findlay)
- Tyler Newsome, P (Notre Dame)
- Chris Peace, DE (Virginia)
- Rodney Randle, DB (Lamar)
- Matt Sokol, TE (Michigan State)
- Roderic Teamer, S (Tulane)
- Trevion Thompson, WR (Clemson)
- Tanner Volson, C (North Dakota State)
- Elijah Zeise, LB (Pittsburgh)
As the Chargers pointed out in their release, they’re annually one of the best teams at unearthing solid undrafted free agents. They’ve had an undrafted rookie make the team for 22 consecutive seasons, which is the longest streak in the NFL. In each of the last four seasons, they’ve had at least three undrafted rookies make the team.
One of their best undrafted finds in recent years, Tyrell Williams, just inked a huge four-year, $44MM deal with the Raiders. With their huge class this year, they opted for a lot of small school and FCS prospects. Tyler Newsome is an interesting signing since the Chargers had a terrible punting situation all of last year. They ended up releasing Drew Kaser in the middle of the year, and Newsome should have a good chance to make the team. Volson was the center for Easton Stick, who the Chargers just drafted in the fifth round, during their time at North Dakota State.
Steelers Sign 10 UDFAs
Now that the NFL draft is over, teams are beginning to sign undrafted free agents. As teams officially announce their entire UDFA classes, we’ll be posting them. The Steelers became the first team to make such an announcement, inking a crop of ten players:
- Dravon Askew-Henry, S (West Virginia)
- Ian Berryman, P (Western Carolina)
- Garrett Brumfield, G (LSU)
- Jay Hayes, DE (Georgia)
- Fred Johnson, G (Florida)
- Travon McMillan, RB (Colorado)
- Alexander Myres, CB (Houston)
- Chris Nelson, DT (Texas)
- Trevor Wood, TE/LS (Texas A&M)
- Matthew Wright, K (Central Florida)
The Steelers didn’t sign any of the biggest names available, but a few of the signings are notable. McMillan spent the first three years of his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Colorado, and he had a very productive senior season. Last year he carried the ball 201 times for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns. The last Colorado running back to sign as an undrafted free agent was Phillip Lindsay, and he ended up making the Pro Bowl. McMillan will be competing for a backup spot behind James Conner.
Wright is the all-time career points leader at UCF. The Steelers signing a kicker is notable because Chris Boswell struggled mightily last season. Boswell had been widely regarded as one of the league’s best kickers, but he collapsed last year. There was talk of the Steelers replacing Boswell mid-season during the 2018 campaign, and Wright should have a legitimate shot at unseating him in training camp.
Steelers Release LB Jon Bostic
Right after the draft ended, the Steelers made a signifiant move. Pittsburgh is releasing linebacker Jon Bostic, the team announced in a tweet.
Bostic signed a two-year, $4MM deal with the team last March, but was unable to make it all the way through the pact. The Steelers traded up to draft inside linebacker Devin Bush from Michigan, which meant they no longer had any need for Bostic. After Ryan Shazier suffered his horrific injury during the 2017 season, inside linebacker became a huge need for the Steelers. They signed Bostic last offseason hoping he would be able to help vill the void, but things didn’t work out.
Bostic appeared in all 16 games last season and started 14, but he fell out of favor with the coaching staff down the stretch. The journeyman had said back in February he was hoping to stay in Pittsburgh in 2019 even with his reduced role. The Steelers wanted to address the position more permanently, and made the move up to get Bush.
Last year Bostic had 73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three passes defended while earning average marks from Pro Football Focus. Wherever he ends up signing next, it’ll be his fifth team. Bostic was originally drafted in the second round by the Bears back in 2013, but has bounced around ever since. He’s spent time with Chicago, New England, Detroit, and Indianapolis, and always seems to end up starting games while underwhelming.
Still only 27, he should resurface somewhere else before too long. Ever since Shazier went down, Pittsburgh’s run defense has been very vulnerable. They moved up to the tenth overall pick in order to get Bush, and the hope is he’ll stabilize things for the foreseeable future.
As for the financial implications, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic tweets that the Steelers will save $1.8MM in cash by cutting Bostic. There will be $700K of dead money, so they’ll only save $1.1MM against the cap. Kaboly points out that the Steelers now have a whopping $26.5MM of cap space committed to players not currently on the roster.
Colts To Pick Up Ryan Kelly’s Fifth-Year Option
The 2019 draft is officially in the rearview mirror. Coaches and front office heads are holding post-draft press conferences, and some news is beginning to trickle out of them.
Colts GM Chris Ballard said at his press conference that the team will pick up the fifth-year option on center Ryan Kelly‘s contract, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Kelly was taken by the Colts 18th overall back in 2016. This isn’t too surprising, as Kelly has been a starter since his rookie season. We don’t know the exact terms of the option yet, but it’ll pay him somewhere close to $10MM.
The fifth-year option is only guaranteed for injury, so it doesn’t actually ensure Kelly will be with the team at that price in 2020. Kelly has been a bit banged up the past couple of years, missing four games in 2018 and nine games in 2017. But he’s been solid when he’s been able to stay on the field, earning Pro Football Focus’ 14th-best grade among all centers last year.
Indianapolis’ offensive line took a major step forward last year, and was a huge part of the team’s success. Keeping Andrew Luck upright is the most important thing for the team, and they clearly view Kelly as the longterm answer at center. An Alabama product, Kelly will turn 26 next month.
Teams have until May 3rd to pick up the options on their 2016 first round picks. You can view the tracker with each team’s decision here.
Jaguars Trade No. 236 To Seahawks
Finishing up their trade-heavy draft, the Seahawks moved back into the seventh round via a deal with the Jaguars.
The Jags sent the Seahawks pick No. 236 and will receive a sixth-round pick in 2020 in doing so. With their new selection, the Seahawks took wide receiver John Ursua.
A 5-foot-10 wideout out of Hawaii, Ursua enjoyed a productive career. He totaled more than 2,600 yards in three seasons at Hawaii, peaking with an 89-reception, 1,343-yard, 16-touchdown 2018 season. Interestingly, Ursua left school early to turn pro.
The Seahawks have now drafted three wide receivers — Ursua, D.K. Metcalf and Wake Forest’s Gary Jennings — after it became known Doug Baldwin may not be able to continue his career. Additionally, the Seahawks drafted 11 players despite coming into the weekend with four picks.
Colts Trade Hassan Ridgeway To Eagles
The end of this draft has not featured many trades, but the Colts found a way to snare an extra draft pick without sacrificing 2019 or 2020 draft capital.
Indianapolis instead traded defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway to the Eagles for the No. 246 overall pick, Jeff McLane of Philly.com tweets.
This marks the second straight year the Colts have traded a contract-year defensive lineman for a seventh-round pick. They shipped Henry Anderson to the Jets last year. Like Anderson, Ridgeway arrived during the Ryan Grigson regime and did so during the Colts’ years using a 3-4 scheme. A six-game starter during three Colts seasons, Ridgeway — a 2016 fourth-round selection — will head to the Eagles.
A 305-pound interior defender out of Texas, Ridgeway has 4.5 career sacks — all from 2016-17 — and played 103 snaps last season with the Colts. He will attempt to raise his pre-free agency stock in another city, as Anderson did.
The Colts now have two picks remaining — Nos. 240 and 246.
Broncos Acquire No. 187 From Panthers
After a long stretch without a trade, the draft saw a deal finalized. The Broncos will use the Day 3 trade route to add a wide receiver to their mix.
The Panthers dealt No. 187 to the Broncos. They will move back 25 spots to No. 212 and pick up a seventh-rounder (No. 237). Denver selected Colorado wideout Juwann Winfree.
Winfree joins Noah Fant as incoming Broncos pass catchers and will reunite with Colorado alum-turned-Pro Bowler Phillip Lindsay. Winfree shares an agent with Lindsay and had a strong pro day, running a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound wideout will be the fourth first- or second-year wideout in the mix in Denver. The Broncos have Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick supplementing Emmanuel Sanders on their roster.
A one-time Maryland transfer, Winfree did not boast stellar stats at Colorado. He did not exceed 325 receiving yards in either of his two Buffaloes seasons, scoring four touchdowns in that span as well. Although, Winfrey dealt with injuries as a senior.
Eagles Send No. 163 To Patriots
The Patriots had their eyes on some fifth-round performers, trading up for the second time in five picks. This time, a punter will be headed to New England.
For giving up the No. 163 pick, the Eagles will receive the Pats’ No. 167 and No. 246 overall choices.
Stanford punter Jake Bailey will add to the Patriots’ specialists crew. New England re-signed longtime punter (and Super Bowl LIII standout) Ryan Allen in March but did so on a one-year deal. The six-season incumbent now has competition.
Bailey averaged north of 44 yards per punt in his final two seasons with the Cardinal, concluding his college career as the school’s all-time punting average leader (43.8 yards). He finished as a three-time All-Pac-12 selection. Bailey is this draft’s second punter taken, following the 49ers’ fourth-round selection of Mitch Wishnowsky.
Vikings Deal No. 159 To Patriots
After moving down four times late Friday night, the Vikings did so again in Round 5. The Patriots climbed up three spots, acquiring the No. 159 pick from the Vikings.
Minnesota’s next pick window will open at No. 162, and New England will send a seventh-rounder (No. 239) to the NFC North team. With the pick, the Patriots took Maryland defensive tackle Byron Cowart.
Cowart joins fellow former Big Ten defensive lineman Chase Winovich as front-seven players headed to New England. Cowart only played one season at Maryland, doing so after transferring from Auburn. He finished his college career with just three sacks, all three coming with the Terrapins last season.