NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/24/23
The NFL’s mid- to late-round draft pick signings for today:
Indianapolis Colts
- DT Adetomiwa Adebawore (fourth round, Northwestern)
New England Patriots
- C Jake Andrews (fourth round, Troy)
Adebawore was a three-year starter for the Wildcats, functioning mostly as a defensive end in Evanston. Over his final two years at Northwestern, he totaled 9.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, and four passes deflected. He isn’t a pure pass rusher or run stopper, but with explosive burst and disruptive strength Adebawore should be able to compete with Taven Bryan and McTelvin Agim for snaps rotating in behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
Also a three-year starter, Andrews made the move inside from right guard to center for the Trojans as a redshirt senior. The Patriots don’t have an immediate need at center as David Andrews is under contract for another two years. The long-time Patriots’ starting center will be 32 when his contract expires, perhaps opening the door for the rookie Andrews to take over after a couple of years of development. In the meantime, Andrews’s experience at both guard and center provides New England with some depth along the interior offensive line.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/23
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Waived (injury settlement): T Hunter Thedford
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB Isaac Darkangelo
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: G Harris LaChance
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Jerome Kapp
Kapp will catch on with the Jets following a run at the team’s rookie minicamp. He will attempt to make the jump from the Division II level (Kutztown University). The D-II team relied on Kapp through the air last season; he was the squad’s only player to record more than 250 receiving yards. Kapp finished with 916 (19.5 per catch) and nine touchdowns as a senior.
Ravens Sign DT Angelo Blackson
After two seasons with the Bears, Angelo Blackson is heading to Baltimore. The Ravens announced an agreement with the veteran defensive lineman Wednesday.
Blackson, who has played for four teams during his eight-year career, has spent extensive time as both a starter and a backup. The former Titans draftee has made 42 starts since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick back in 2015.
He will join a Ravens team that cut Calais Campbell earlier this year. Baltimore did not draft a defensive lineman last month. With Campbell out of the mix (and now with the Falcons), the Ravens stand to field a D-line group consisting of rookie-deal players — Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington and Travis Jones — and veterans Michael Pierce and Brent Urban. Blackson, 30, will join the latter contingent.
Blackson played out a two-year, $5.5MM Bears deal last season. The Auburn alum started 12 games over the past two years. He was more productive in 2021, totaling 43 stops, 2.5 sacks, nine QB hits and his only career interception. Blackson played a career-high 583 defensive snaps in 2021 and totaled 392 under Matt Eberflus last season.
Pro Football Focus also viewed Blackson as a better performer in 2021; last season, the advanced metrics website slotted him as a bottom-10 interior defensive lineman. The Bears moved to a 4-3 base alignment under Eberflus. Blackson had previously spent his career — in Tennessee, Houston and Arizona — on teams using 3-4 schemes. The Ravens have used a 3-4 look for ages. Blackson also spent time with the Patriots in 2017 but did not see any game action, being poached off the Pats’ practice squad by the Texans, who later extended him.
The 315-pound D-lineman has been durable as well, playing at least 15 games in each of the past five seasons. Blackson’s most notable contract came with the Texans, who signed him to a three-year, $12MM deal in 2019. Although Blackson started a career-high 15 games that season, he ended up taking a pay cut in 2020. But Blackson played out that contract, despite Houston going through significant changes in the front office and on the sideline, and has now managed to fetch two more.
Austin Ekeler Agrees To Reworked Chargers Deal
MAY 24: Ekeler’s incentive package includes escalators for total yardage, touchdowns and a Pro Bowl berth. The seventh-year back can earn up to $1MM depending on his total yardage, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets, with the incentive package beginning at 1,125 yards and topping out at 1,639. Ekeler finished with a career-high 1,637 scrimmage yards last season. As for TDs, Ekeler’s incentive package ranges from 10-16. He can earn up to $600K in this area. Ekeler scored 20 touchdowns in 2021 and 18 last year.
MAY 23: After requesting a trade earlier this offseason, Austin Ekeler will remain with the Chargers for the 2023 season. The veteran running back has agreed to a new deal which includes almost $2MM in incentives being added to his scheduled compensation, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
Ekeler is entering the final season of his contract, and was due a base salary of $6.25MM this year. Where that figure ranks him amongst the league’s other top running backs drove his trade request at the start of free agency, something which the Chargers allowed him to explore. As expected, little interest emerged with respect to teams looking to acquire the 28-year-old.
Ekeler has expressed a willingness to remain in Los Angeles for one more campaign, knowing another strong season would help his free agent value. Likewise, the Chargers have made it clear that they had no intention of actively seeking a trade which would have seen the league’s two-time reigning touchdown leader depart. Now, Ekeler will once again occupy a central role in the team’s offense, one which faces signficant expectations this season.
The former UDFA has topped 1,500 scrimmage yards in three of the past four campaigns, and a continuation of his substantial two-way production could give him multiple suitors on the open market next offseason. However, the 2023 free agency period saw a number of short-term, low-cost deals handed out at the RB position, which could lessen the chances of the Chargers being outbid for Ekeler’s services on a new contract. In any event, the Western Colorado product’s relationship with his current team should no longer be a concern.
Head coach Brandon Staley said yesterday that he fully expected Ekeler – who, as per usual, is currently absent from OTAs – to attend mandatory minicamp in June. Given today’s development, that can now be considered a lock as Ekeler’s immediate financial future has been taken care of.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/23/23
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jadakis Bonds
- Waived: TE Nick Guggemos
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Lucky Jackson
- Waived: DL Kenny Willekes
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DT Robert Cooper
Jackson has toured North America’s non-NFL coalitions, playing in The Spring League, CFL and XFL over the past three years. Jackson played in The Spring League in 2021, was on the Edmonton Elks’ roster last year and was on the D.C. Defenders’ roster during the most recent XFL season. His 573 receiving yards ranked fifth in the XFL. Jackson played collegiately at Western Kentucky, finishing his Hilltoppers career with a 1,133-yard season in 2019. That season included 16- and 17-reception efforts. Jackson’s 209 catches rank second in program history. This will be his first NFL shot.
Lions To Add OL Germain Ifedi
The Lions are adding another offensive line depth piece. They are signing veteran Germain Ifedi, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The Falcons released Ifedi last week.
Despite re-signing with Atlanta earlier this offseason, Ifedi received his walking papers shortly after the draft. The former first-round pick will return to the NFC North, doing so during an offseason in which the Lions already added one of their former starters — Graham Glasgow — to the mix.
While Glasgow is an interior lineman, Ifedi has worked mostly at right tackle during his time as a pro. The Lions have Penei Sewell entrenched at that position. Ifedi, 29 next month, has also seen some time at guard as a pro. He will likely compete for a swing role for the Lions, who return most of their starting offensive line from last season.
Ifedi previously spent two seasons, the 2020 and ’21 campaigns, in the division as a member of the Bears. The seven-year veteran started at both guard and right tackle in Chicago during that span. For his career, the Texas A&M product has made 83 starts. Though, none of those came last season. Ifedi suited up for all 17 Falcons games but did not start any. The team enjoyed good health at tackle in 2022 and re-signed right-sider Kaleb McGary this offseason.
Upon drafting Ifedi 31st overall in 2016, the Seahawks made him a fixture at right tackle during the late 2010s. While Ifedi never emerged as an upper-echelon performer at that position, he has been a starter for four playoff teams (three in Seattle, one in Chicago. Pro Football Focus graded Ifedi as a top-40 tackle during his 2020 season in Chicago, his last as a full-season starter, but has not slotted him inside the top 60 in any other year.
The Lions return Sewell, Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow and Jonah Jackson from their starting O-line. Multiyear sub Evan Brown signed with the Seahawks, but the Lions are hoping to have Halapoulivaati Vaitai back after a lost 2022 season due to injury. Glasgow represents competition for the veteran guard, who agreed to a reduced contract this offseason. Ifedi will offer Detroit a backup option at both tackle and guard.
Broncos To Sign DL Tyler Lancaster
Swapping out Dre’Mont Jones for Zach Allen will not be the Broncos’ only notable move on their defensive line this offseason. Sean Payton‘s team is adding veteran Tyler Lancaster as well, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
While Lancaster signed with the Raiders in 2022, he did not play last season. The Raiders released the veteran D-lineman. Lancaster previously spent four seasons with the Packers and started 21 games in Green Bay’s 3-4 defense.
The Broncos, who have used a 3-4 look since 2015, have Allen set to team with 2022 addition D.J. Jones as the top pieces up front. The retooling team, however, still rosters veteran nose tackle Mike Purcell and 2022 draftees Matt Henningsen and Eyioma Uwazurike. Dre’Mont Jones started for much of his Denver rookie deal but left for Seattle in free agency. That came shortly after Allen committed to reuniting with new Broncos DC Vance Joseph. Former Bears UDFA Jonathan Harris (four 2022 starts) also resides as a D-line supporting-caster in Denver.
Lancaster, 28, suffered what became a season-erasing injury in August. The Raiders placed Lancaster on IR before the season and released him with an injury settlement in September. The 313-pound defender had started 10 games for the NFC championship-bound 2019 Packers edition, lining up alongside Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry that year, but spent much of his Wisconsin time as a rotational presence. He played 31% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps in 2021.
Pro Football Focus rated Lancaster as a middle-of-the-pack D-lineman in 2019 and ’20, with run defense being the former UDFA’s strength. He finished with three tackles for loss in 2021. After an injury-marred year, the Broncos will give the Northwestern alum a chance to earn a job as a complementary presence up front.
Lions Sign First-Round LB Jack Campbell
The second of the Lions’ two first-round picks is now under contract. The team announced Jack Campbell signed his rookie deal Tuesday.
While the Lions still have some work to do to finish their draft class deals, Campbell is now attached to his four-year rookie pact that will run through 2026. Three years from now, the Lions will have the opportunity to extend the Iowa-developed linebacker’s deal through 2027 via the fifth-year option.
One of this year’s most surprising first-round picks, Campbell went to Detroit at No. 18 despite ranking 49th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board and 57th on Scouts Inc.’s pre-draft board. GM Brad Holmes addressed the disparities between their first-rounders’ draft slots, with Jahmyr Gibbs going off the board at No. 12, and media assessments. While Holmes said he probably could have traded down and acquired Campbell later in Round 1, he did not want to take the chance.
The Lions, who contemplated taking Gibbs at No. 6 before the Cardinals called about a trade, made Campbell the highest off-ball linebacker chosen this year. Eschewing positional value with their first-round choices, the Lions will bank on Gibbs and Campbell being mainstays for years. The Lions missed on the last first-round linebacker they took — Jarrad Davis in 2017 — but they showed conviction with their unexpected Campbell pick.
The 6-foot-4 ‘backer won the Butkus award, given to the top Division I-FBS linebacker, last year. An All-American in 2022, Campbell earned first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2021 as well. Campbell totaled an astonishing 265 tackles between his junior and senior seasons, combining for four interceptions in that span as well. Jeremiah lauded Campbell’s run defense and tackling but tabbed him as needing some work in coverage, but the Lions will need him to step in quickly.
After a woeful defensive performance last season, the Lions have made several investments to bolster the unit this offseason. Campbell represents the top move at linebacker, though the team did re-sign Alex Anzalone. Detroit added several pieces — Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley, second-round pick Brian Branch — to upgrade its secondary as well.
Giants Sign Round 2 C John Michael Schmitz, Wrap Draft Class Deals
For the second time in a decade, the Giants chose a center in the second round of a draft. Nine years after the team’s Weston Richburg pick, John Michael Schmitz will be tabbed to take over as the starting snapper.
Schmitz will begin moving in that direction with a contract in place. The Minnesota product agreed to his four-year rookie deal Tuesday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. This wraps the Giants’ seven-man 2023 draft class. Deonte Banks‘ deal includes the customary fifth-year option; the rest of the lot is inked through the 2026 season.
In the leadup to the Giants choosing Schmitz at No. 57, Brian Daboll proclaimed he has the ability to become a Week 1 starter. With the Giants letting 2022 center starter Jon Feliciano walk in free agency, Schmitz will be positioned to take over.
The team deployed Richburg as its starting pivot from 2014-17, but instability hit in the years since the Miami product left in free agency. The Giants have used a few stopgaps — from Spencer Pulley to Jon Halapio to Nick Gates to Feliciano — in the years since Richburg joined the 49ers. A severe Gates injury in September 2021 made center a need area, leading to the Feliciano deal last year. Both Gates and Feliciano are elsewhere now — with the Commanders and 49ers, respectively. The Giants had Gates and Feliciano deals on their radar, but both ended up elsewhere in the NFC.
After doing some work on Schmitz before the draft, the Giants made the ex-Golden Gopher the first pure center off the board this year. Scouts Inc.’s No. 47 overall prospect, the 6-foot-3 lineman did use the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Schmitz turned 24 earlier this year, putting him on the older end for highly drafted rookies. He spent the bulk of the past three seasons as Minnesota’s starting center, earning second-team All-Big Ten acclaim (behind Ravens 2022 first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum) in 2021 and first-team all-conference recognition last season.
Schmitz joins Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal as highly drafted Giants O-linemen. The team has just one veteran-contract starter — right guard Mark Glowinski — in place up front, though Thomas is on track for a monster extension. Thomas may need to wait until 2024, considering the Giants just reupped 2019 first-rounder Dexter Lawrence and exercised their All-Pro tackle’s fifth-year option.
With Schmitz signed, here is a look at how the Giants proceeded in the 2023 draft:
Round 1, No. 24 (from Jaguars): Deonte Banks, CB (Maryland) (signed)
Round 2, No. 57: John Michael Schmitz, C (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 3, No. 73 (from Browns through Texans and Rams): Jalin Hyatt, WR (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 5, No. 172: Eric Gray, RB (Oklahoma) (signed)
Round 6, No. 209 (from Chiefs): Tre Hawkins, CB (Old Dominion) (signed)
Round 7, No. 243: Jordon Riley, DT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 254: Gervarrius Owens, S (Houston) (signed)
Broncos Release K Brandon McManus
The Broncos have parted ways with the last remaining member of their Super Bowl 50-winning team. Kicker Brandon McManus revealed (on Twitter) that he has been released. He will be designated a post-June 1 cut, per a team announcement. 
The 31-year-old added “more to come in the following days” to his announcement, which could point to a new contract coming together in the near future. That would come as no surprise, since he represents arguably the top available option at the position at this point in the offseason. As a result, a number of teams should be expected to show considerable interest in him.
By releasing McManus with the post-June 1 designation, the Broncos will save $3.75MM this season and $3.95MM in 2024. No guranteed money remained on his contract, but this move still constitutes a surprise considering the former UDFA’s status as one of the league’s more productive kickers. After four consecutive seasons with a field goal percentage rate of at least 80%, McManus’ accuracy did drop to 77.8% in 2022, however.
The Temple alum ranks second in franchise history in terms of both total points and career field goal percentage. His nine-year stint in the Mile High City also ranks second, behind only Jason Elam. McManus will likely be best remembered for his play during Denver’s Super Bowl run in 2015. He went 10-for-10 on field goals during that postseason, converting all three extra point tries as well.
Given his track record, he should have multiple offers within a quick span. The Cowboys have been public about their desire to add a veteran at the kicker position, which should make them a team to watch in McManus’ free agent period. He will be joined on the open market by the likes of Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby and Ryan Succop. The Broncos, meanwhile, now no longer have a kicker on their 90-man roster.
“Developing into one of the NFL’s most productive kickers, Brandon made so many clutch kicks for this franchise over the years as a Super Bowl champion and team captain,” a statement from Broncos GM George Paton reads in part. “He will always hold a special place in Denver Broncos history. We thank Brandon for all he did for the Broncos, and we wish him and his family the very best in the future.”