Bears Sign Round 1 T Darnell Wright
The Bears now have their top 2023 draft choice under contract. Darnell Wright agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal Monday. This locks the Tennessee prospect down through at least 2026.
Wright’s contract comes with the fifth-year option, which has existed in first-rounders’ contracts since 2011, allowing the Bears to keep the No. 10 overall pick tied to his rookie deal through 2027. Wright will be expected to carve out a starting role immediately.
Although the Bears were believed to have signed off on drafting Jalen Carter, that may have been one of this draft’s smokescreens. Chicago traded down from No. 9 to No. 10, marking its second trade-down maneuver of the first round, and let Philadelphia take a chance on the high-risk defensive tackle. The Bears then made Wright this draft’s second offensive lineman drafted.
Scouts Inc. slotted Wright as this draft’s fourth-best tackle prospect, but the Bears went with the Tennessee alum over local product Peter Skoronski and Georgia’s Broderick Jones. Wright brings plenty of experience to Chicago, having started 40 games at tackle. He brings more experience on the right side (27 starts) compared to the left side (13), something that is not the norm for first-round tackles. The 333-pound blocker served as the Volunteers’ primary right tackle starter in 2020 and 2022, lining up on the left side in 2021. He also made five starts at right tackle as a freshman in 2019.
Wright more than held his own against No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. in Tennessee’s shootout win over Alabama last season. The first-team All-SEC lineman will be expected to start at right tackle this season for the Bears, who are planning to keep promising 2022 fifth-rounder Braxton Jones at left tackle. The Bears added both Wright and Nate Davis to their O-line this offseason; they will be the favorites to start on the right side of Chicago’s front. Chicago pursued Mike McGlinchey in free agency but bowed out, allowing Denver to sign the five-year San Francisco right tackle. The Bears will now put their trust in Jones, the team’s first Round 1 tackle pick since Gabe Carimi in 2011.
The Bears also signed third-round defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (South Carolina) and fourth-round wide receiver Tyler Scott (Cincinnati) to their respective rookie deals Monday as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/23
The first of this year’s spring leagues to debut, the XFL’s third effort, finished its season Saturday. XFL players are now free to sign NFL contracts, and several agreed to terms Monday. Here are those agreements, along with the other transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DL Manny Jones, LB Blake Lynch
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Natrone Brooks, S Lukas Denis, DL LaCale London, T Barry Wesley
- Waived: LB David Anenih, CB Javelin Guidry, DB Matt Hankins, WR Ra’Saun Henry, DB Dylan Mabin, TE/FB John Raine
- Waived/injured: RB B.J. Baylor
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: T BJ Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Storey Jackson, DT Roderick Perry
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Tyreik McAllister, RB Jacques Patrick
- Waived: WR Dallas Daniels, DB Darrious Gaines, TE Kris Leach, RB Emanuel Wilson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Dylan Drummond
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: S James Wiggins
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DB Latavious Brini, WR Jacob Harris
- Waived: DL Jayson Ademilola
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Ekow Boye-Doe
- Waived: WR Ty Scott
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Kristian Wilkerson
- Waived: WR Tyler Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Timarcus Davis, DL Taron Vincent
- Waived: WR Tyler Hudson, LB Matthew Jester, DB Jaiden Woodbey
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DB Bryce Thompson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Adrian Frye, DL Jack Heflin, DE Niko Lalos, RB Ellis Merriweather
- Waived: WR Sy Barnett, DB Vincent Gray
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Izaiah Gathings
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, RB Alfonzo Graham
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DL Austin Faoliu, NT Forrest Merrill
- Waived: LB Michael Ayers, DE Jacob Sykes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DL C.J. Brewer, S Kedrick Whitehead
- Waived: T Dylan Cook, OLB Nelson Mbanasor
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: C James Empey, CB Eric Garror, WR Gavin Holmes, WR Kearis Jackson, CB Armani Marsh
Washington Commanders
- Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Drew White
After seeing the pandemic nix its second effort in 2020, the XFL concluded its season Saturday. The Broncos signed the league’s second-leading rusher, in Patrick, while the Browns and Cowboys offered Barqoo contracts, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Barqoo, who played for the Jaguars in 2020 and XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this year, opted for the Steelers’ offer. Patrick, whom the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes passed a Broncos physical Monday, finished with 443 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He joins XFL passing leader Ben DiNucci as a Broncos May addition.
Seeing time for the St. Louis BattleHawks, Jones-Smith played in three games apiece with Raiders and Ravens, respectively, from 2020-21. Thompson will join the Dolphins after a spring tour of duty with the Seattle Sea Dragons, while fellow XFL alum Brewer played in two games for the Bills last year. Heflin played five games for the Packers in 2021; the new Saint spent the XFL season with the Houston Roughnecks.
The Raiders gave Johnson a reserve/futures deal in January. The young wideout collected a ring with the 2020 Buccaneers and totaled 360 receiving yards for Tampa Bay’s 2021 iteration. While the Texans claimed him on waivers ahead of last season, he played in just two games with the team.
Jackson suited up for national championship-winning Georgia last season. The new Titans wideout finished with 514 receiving yards in 2020 and totaled 320 for last season’s Bulldogs edition. A Division II Quincy alum, Wilson received an East-West Shrine Bowl invite but tore an Achilles tendon late last season.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/15/23
Here are the latest members of the 2023 draft class to sign their four-year rookie contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Kei’Trel Clark (sixth round, Louisville)
Detroit Lions
- DT Brodric Martin (third round, Western Kentucky)
Las Vegas Raiders
- DT Byron Young (third round, Alabama)
New York Giants
- WR Jalin Hyatt (third round, Tennessee)
Hyatt will represent youth for the Giants, who have assembled a veteran-heavy receiving nucleus. Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder are attached to veteran contracts. Hyatt joins 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson and waiver claim Isaiah Hodgins as the young talents in this group. After trading up 16 spots to land Hyatt, Giants will rely on him for a deep speed presence. Although he went off the board 73rd overall, Hyatt is the reigning Biletnikoff award winner.
Martin and Young are each the top outside investment either the Lions or Raiders made along their respective interior defensive lines this offseason. The Lions drafted first- and second-round D-linemen (Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal) last year. The Raiders have devoted plenty to their edge-rushing contingent, using a first-round pick on Tyree Wilson after giving Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones big-ticket deals last year, but the team has not allocated many resources to its D-tackle positions. Martin was the last of the six Day 1 or Day 2 picks the Lions made this year.
Dolphins Sign T Cedric Ogbuehi
The Dolphins did not draft a tackle and entered draft weekend planning to run it back with Austin Jackson as their starter. The team is, however, backstopping the former first-round pick with veteran options.
After agreeing to terms with five-year Patriot Isaiah Wynn, the Dolphins announced Monday they are signing Cedric Ogbuehi. Now the third former first-rounder in Miami’s right tackle equation, Ogbuehi received his Jets walking papers last week despite having re-signed with the team in April.
[RELATED: Dolphins Pass On Jackson’s Fifth-Year Option]
Considering the issues the Dolphins encountered at tackle last season, the team’s eagerness to add depth at this position is understandable. Miami played 15 games without Jackson, who suffered an ankle injury Week 1 and never recovered. The team signed longtime left tackle Eric Fisher, but the veteran sustained an injury before suiting up in a game for the Dolphins. The Fins primarily used in-season addition Brandon Shell at the position; Shell is unsigned.
Although Shell expressed interest in another Dolphins contract, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the AFC East club is going with Jackson, Wynn and Ogbuehi. Two of these three will likely end up on Miami’s roster — one as a starter opposite Terron Armstead and the other as the swing tackle — while the third could be the odd man out. Given Ogbuehi’s history, he should be expected to have the longest odds at cracking Miami’s 53-man roster.
A former Bengals first-round pick, Ogbuehi has now been aligned with multiple teams in each of the past three years. He played for both the Seahawks and Ravens in 2021, joined the Jets off the Texans’ practice squad last year and has now hopped to a second AFC East team in the past two weeks. The Jets’ Billy Turner signing moved Ogbuehi, 31, off the roster.
The Jets experienced a run of tackle health trouble as well last season, leading to the team needing to go beyond swing depth to fill starting spots. Injuries to Mekhi Becton, George Fant, Duane Brown. Alijah Vera-Tucker and Max Mitchell led to the likes of Ogbuehi and fellow in-season Jets pickup Mike Remmers seeing time. After Vera-Tucker went down with a torn ACL in October, Ogbuehi started five games. Of course, Ogbuehi also ran into injury trouble — a groin malady — and missed a chuck of stretch-run time. Though, the eight-year veteran did return and start at right tackle in the Jets’ season finale in Miami.
The Dolphins will kick the tires on the Texas A&M alum, who spent time in ex-Mike McDaniel coworker Mike LaFleur‘s offense last season. While Ogbuehi has not lived up to expectations, he is closing in on a decade of NFL service time. The 35-game starter will attempt to stick with the Dolphins, who will probably be interested in stashing tackles on their practice squad as well.
Cardinals Sign P Matt Haack, Release K Elliott Fry
The Cardinals appear to have taken another step toward finding Andy Lee‘s successor as the team’s punter. Arizona announced on Monday that they have signed Matt Haack to a one-year contract. 
Haack, 28, joins Nolan Cooney in the Cardinals’ offseason competition to find a replacement for Lee. The latter punted in the desert for the past six years, but will be 41 by the start of the 2023 campaign. Lee remains unsigned at this point, and the team’s latest moves point to a willingness to move on from the three-time All-Pro.
Haack is the more experienced of the two punters now on the roster, having played for three different teams across six seasons. He played out his rookie contract with the Dolphins, then had a one-year stint with the Bills in 2021. He lost out during Buffalo’s punting competition last offseason, though, leading to his release despite the presence of two more years on his contract.
Days after being released, the former UDFA found his next opportunity in Indianapolis. Haack set a new career high in punting average in 2022, with a mark of 44.8 yards per punt. His net average of 40.2 was also his highest figure since 2019, though it fell short of what Lee was able to produce last season. Nevertheless, Haack should provide the team with at least a short-term replacement option, with the potential to remain in Arizona for years to come given his age.
The Cardinals also announced that they have released kicker Elliott Fry. The 28-year-old signed a reserve deal with Arizona in January, after spending time with Atlanta, Cincinnati and Kansas City earlier in his career. Fry last played in 2021, and he will now look to find a new opportunity elsewhere. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will move forward with Matt Prater as their kicker; the veteran has been with the team since 2021 and has two years remaining on his contract.
Saints, WR James Washington Agree To Deal
Not long after conducting a free agent visit, James Washington has found his next NFL home. The veteran receiver is signing with the Saints, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). 
Fowler had previously noted Washington’s planned Monday visit to New Orleans (on Twitter), so it comes as little surprise that he is now agreeing to join the team’s new-look passing attack. The Saints represent the fourth career team for the former Steelers second-rounder, and the third that he will see playing time with.
Washington, 27, seemed poised to become the latest homegrown Pittsburgh wideout to turn into a high-end contributor early in his career. His second season, in 2019, saw him post a 44-735-3 statline, and he followed that up with five touchdowns the following year. The Oklahoma State product had an underwhelming campaign in 2021, however, and departed the Steelers in free agency.
He signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys last offseason, giving him an opportunity to reaffirm his status as a capable deep threat on an offense which lost Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson that offseason. However, a foot injury limited Washington to just two games with Dallas, and he was waived near the end of the season. The Giants signed him shortly thereafter, but he did not make any appearances with them. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets that the 5-11, 213-pounder is now healthy, though.
Washington will now look to start over in New Orleans, a team which had a highly productive rookie campaign from 2022 first-rounder Chris Olave. He is in line to operate as the top wideout for the Saints as they begin the Derek Carr era, with former All-Pro Michael Thomas available as potential difference-maker, if he can remain healthy this season. Washington will look to carve out a role amongst the likes of the recently re-signed Tre’Quan Smith, former Raider Bryan Edwards and rookie A.T. Perry with the Saints.
Buccaneers Sign QB John Wolford
MAY 15: Wolford will earn $1.01MM on this deal, the minimum for players who have been in the league for three years (Twitter link via Greg Auman of Fox Sports). That likely caps his potential at QB3 in Tampa Bay, but it will be interesting to monitor how willing the team is to carry three quarterbacks on their roster given the competition between Mayfield and Trask for the starting job.
MAY 9: Tampa Bay has added further to their post-Tom Brady quarterback room. The team announced on Tuesday that they have signed John Wolford. 
The 27-year-old originally joined the Jets as a UDFA in 2018, but his only game action to date has come with the Rams. Wolford has appeared in seven games for Los Angeles across the past three years, making his debut in a must-win regular season finale in 2020 which resulted in a victory.
He played only in relief the following campaign behind Matthew Stafford, but made three starts in relief of the veteran in 2022. Wolford totaled 390 yards during that stretch, throwing one touchdown and three interceptions while compiling a passer rating of 64.6. The Wake Forest product was not given a qualifying offer this offseason, opening the door to a departure in free agency.
After the Rams elected to add a rookie passer – Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of the draft – signs pointed to Wolford needing to look elsewhere for his next opportunity. It will come in Tampa Bay, where he will compete with a familiar face in the form of Baker Mayfield for playing time.
The latter’s Rams debut came in relief of Wolford days after he was claimed off waivers from the Panthers. Mayfield parlayed his Los Angeles audition into a one-year deal with the Buccaneers, which many feel will represent his final chance to establish himself as an NFL starter. Mayfield already had competition for the No. 1 spot due to the presence of 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask, who is expected to get a look at starting duties at least during training camp. Now, Wolford will join that pair as the Buccaneers try to establish a pecking order in their rebuilt QB room.
Cowboys Sign 13 UDFAs
The Cowboys didn’t release a statement on their undrafted free agent signings like most teams, but they did release a list of 29 rookie minicamp participants and their statuses with the organization. Removing their eight draft picks, two UDFA tryouts, and previously acquired youngsters, we were able to determine this list of undrafted signees:
- WR Jose Barbon (Temple)
- T T.J. Bass (Oregon)
- T Earl Bostick (Kansas)
- CB Myles Brooks (Louisiana Tech)
- WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper (Fresno State)
- WR David Durden (West Florida)
- TE Princeton Fant (Tennessee)
- DE Durrell Johnson (Liberty)
- LB Isaiah Land (Florida A&M)
- FB Hunter Luepke (North Dakota State)
- CB D’Angelo Mandell (BYU)
- TE John Stephens (Louisiana)
- DE Tyrus Wheat (Mississippi State)
Dallas addressed the tight end position in the second round this year with a bit of project in Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker. They decided to bring in a couple more options in Fant and Stephens. Fant provides a unique versatility as a potential H-back. In addition to his career 579 receiving yards and five touchdowns, Fant rushed for five more scores and threw one as a sixth-year senior. Stephens was rostered as a receiver for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but his 6-foot-6, 232-pound frame should assist him in converting to tight end at the next level.
The Cowboys barely addressed wide receiver in the draft, so they’ve nabbed a few here, as well. Durden was a monster during his time with the Argonauts. A former draft pick for the Boston Red Sox, Durden left baseball for West Florida and dominated, catching 88 passes for 1,915 yards and 23 touchdowns with only three drops in his final two years of school. Over his entire college career, he averaged nearly 20 yards per catch. He’ll need to adjust to the NFL-caliber of opponents, but his raw athleticism and special teams ability could help cement him a spot on the roster.
Moreno-Cropper had a strong final two season with the Bulldogs, as well, with 1,985 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s had a bit of trouble with surehandedness and he’s a bit undersized, but the Cowboys haven’t minded smaller receivers like Brandin Cooks and KaVontae Turpin in recent history.
The team also added two strong depth pieces at defensive end. Johnson had a down 2021 but combined for 17.5 sacks and 38.0 tackles for loss in his 2020 and 2022 seasons. Wheat finished his three-year career with the Bulldogs with 17.0 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. They have some strong competition for potential snaps, but they provide solid depth at the position regardless.
Buccaneers Announce 19-Man UDFA Class
After selecting eight rookies in the 2023 draft, the Buccaneers added 19 undrafted rookie free agents. Here is the list:
- LB Jeremy Banks (Tennessee)
- WR Taye Barber (TCU)
- OLB Brandon Bouyer-Randle (Connecticut)
- RB Ronnie Brown (Shepherd)
- LS Evan Deckers (Duke)
- T Silas Dzansi (Virginia Tech)
- T Luke Haggard (Indiana)
- CB Keenan Isaac (Alabama State)
- S Christian Izien (Rutgers)
- WR Rakim Jarrett (Maryland)
- OLB Nelson Mbanasor (Texas State)
- S Kaevon Merriweather (Iowa)
- WR Ryan Miller (Furman)
- C Chris Murray (Oklahoma)
- T Raiqwon O’Neal (UCLA)
- CB Derrek Pitts (NC State)
- TE Tanner Taula (Illinois State)
- RB Sean Tucker (Syracuse)
- WR Kade Warner (Kansas State)
Brown was an absolute animal for the Division-II Rams this season, piling up 1,864 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns as well as 589 receiving yards for five touchdowns on 56 receptions. He and Tucker, who scored 23 rushing touchdowns in the last two years for the Orange, are the only rookie additions to a Tampa Bay running backs room that’s looking for someone to take over.
With only six receivers on the roster following the draft, the Buccaneers added several here. Miller caught 12 touchdowns last year for the Paladins as an FCS All-American. Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
On the offensive line, Haggard and O’Neal join as true left tackles with each starting over 20 games at their respective institutions. Dzansi provides some unique versatility having played all the guard and tackle spots on both the left and right sides of the ball for the Hokies. Murray provides some versatility, as well, having experience at both guard and center.
Banks provides some young depth at inside linebacker after having led the Volunteer defense in tackles last season. Bouyer-Randle and Mbanasor, both former Texas Tech transfers, provide some well-rounded depth at the outside linebacker spots. At safety, Merriweather was a second-team All-American after a stellar senior year with the Hawkeyes.
The Buccaneers also added some potential competition for long snapper Zach Triner, the team’s starter at the position for the past four years. Deckers served as the Blue Devils long snapper as a grad transfer after four years at UMass. He’ll battle with Triner for a starting job this summer.
Jaguars Sign T Anton Harrison, DE Tyler Lacy To Wrap Up Draft Class
The Jaguars became the latest NFL squad to wrap up the signing of their entire rookie class today after the reported signings of first-round Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison and fourth-round Oklahoma State defensive end Tyler Lacy. 
Harrison was a two-year starter for the Sooners, spending all but one game at left tackle. He was coddled a bit by Oklahoma’s up-tempo, RPO scheme, but was able to show quite a bit of talent at such a young age. He has some inexperienced habits to shake and will face a bit of a learning curve in an NFL-scheme, but the upside to Harrison’s game made him an easy decision in the first round. With the departure of Jawaan Taylor and Cam Robinson‘s upcoming suspension, Harrison will probably be asked to step up right away and play a crucial role in the Jacksonville’s offense as a rookie.
Lacy is a versatile defensive lineman who faced off against Harrison in the Bedlam Series twice. The four-year starter for the Cowboys saw snaps all over the defensive line, from edge to 3-tech. Mainly a stout run defender during his time in Stillwater, Lacy plugs into gaps and can become a nuisance in the pass rush if the quarterback holds on for too long. He should be able to find some work in the rotation at end behind Roy Robertson-Harris and Folorunso Fatukasi.
With the signing of Harrison and Lacy, Jacksonville becomes the fifth team to wrap up their draft class signings. Here is the Jaguars’ 2023 draft class:
Round 1, No. 27 (from Bills): Anton Harrison, OT (Oklahoma) (signed)
Round 2, No. 61 (from Panthers through 49ers and Bears): Brenton Strange, TE (Penn State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 88: Tank Bigsby, RB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 4, No. 121 (from Buccaneers): Ventrell Miller, LB (Florida) (signed)
Round 4, No. 130 (from Bills): Tyler Lacy, DE (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 136 (from Bears): Yasir Abdullah, LB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 5, No. 160 (from Giants): Antonio Johnson, S (Texas A&M) (signed)
Round 6, No. 185 (from Jets): Parker Washington, WR (Penn State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 202: Christian Braswell, CB (Rutgers) (signed)
Round 6, No. 208 (from Eagles): Erick Hallett, DB (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 7, No. 226 (from Panthers): Cooper Hodges, OT (Appalachian State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 227 (from Saints): Raymond Vohasek, DT (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 7, No. 240 (from Giants through Ravens): Derek Parish, FB (Houston) (signed)