Colts Announce 15-Man UDFA Class
The Colts added some important pieces in their 12-man 2023 draft class last weekend and added more today with the announcement of 15 undrafted free agent rookie signings. Here are the undrafted names joining a rather large rookie contingent:
- LB Liam Anderson (Holy Cross)
- WR Cody Chrest (Sam Houston State)
- CB Cole Coleman (Elon)
- G Emil Ekiyor (Alabama)
- RB Darius Hagans (Virginia State)
- WR Johnny King (Southeast Missouri State)
- G Harris LaChance (BYU)
- S Aaron Maddox (Campbell)
- LB Donavan Mutin (Houston)
- CB Tyler Richardson (Tiffin)
- DT Caleb Sampson (Kansas)
- WR Zavier Scott (Maine)
- RB Titus Swen (Wyoming)
- DE Guy Thomas (Colorado)
- WR Braxton Westfield (Carson-Newman)
Indianapolis invested a strong $100,000 guaranteed amount to lure Mutin out of Houston, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Mutin concluded his five-year career with the Cougars leading the team in total tackles in both of the last two years. The physical linebacker’s smaller stature (6-0, 230 pounds) didn’t stop him from making big plays at the college level as he concluded his time in Texas with 18.0 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four passes defensed, three sacks, and an interception.
Ekiyor was a three-year starter with the Crimson Tide as a guard. He was coming off of an injury to start his redshirt senior season but still managed to start 12 of Alabama’s 13 games. A physical presence on the interior line, Ekiyor led a talented offensive line with 31 knockdown blocks.
The Colts added a few pass catchers to a wide receiving corps rife with opportunities. King adds some legitimate size at 6-foot-4. Chrest was an All-WAC second-team selection in each of the last two years after tallying 1,252 receiving yards and seven touchdowns over those two seasons. Scott is an intriguing weapon who was as much a threat rushing the ball for the Black Bears in 2022 (371 yards, four touchdowns) as he was catching the ball (434 yards and a touchdown).
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/5/23
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): DE Kameron Cline
New York Giants
- Waived: S Terrell Burgess (with failed physical designation), G Solomon Kindley
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/5/23
Here are a few more mid- to late-round draft picks who signed their four-year rookie contracts today:
Green Bay Packers
- DL Colby Wooden (fourth round, Auburn)
- WR Dontayvion Wicks (fifth round, Virginia)
- DL Karl Brooks (sixth round, Bowling Green)
- K Anders Carlson (sixth round, Auburn)
- CB Carrington Valentine (seventh round, Kentucky)
- RB Lew Nichols (seventh round, Central Michigan)
- S Anthony Johnson Jr. (seventh round, Iowa State)
Indianapolis Colts
- CB Darius Rush (fifth round, South Carolina)
- S Daniel Scott (fifth round, California)
- DE Titus Leo (sixth round, Wagner)
- CB Jaylon Jones (seventh round, Texas A&M)
- T Jake Witt (seventh round, Northern Michigan)
New York Giants
- RB Eric Gray (fifth round, Oklahoma)
- CB Tre Hawkins (sixth round, Old Dominion)
- S Gervarrius Owens (seventh round, Houston)
New York Jets
- RB Israel Abanikanda (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
- LB Zaire Barnes (sixth round, Western Michigan)
- TE Zack Kuntz (seventh round, Old Dominion)
Ravens Unveil 18-Man UDFA Class
The Ravens have become the second AFC North team to announce their class of undrafted free agents. After having a unusually low six picks in the draft, Baltimore has a large contingent of UDFAs this year. Here is the full list:
- FB/DT Levi Bell (Texas State)
- DT Trey Botts (Colorado State-Pueblo)
- DT Kaieem Ceasar (Ohio)
- WR Dontay Demus Jr. (Maryland)
- G Tykeem Doss (Southern Mississippi)
- QB Nolan Henderson (Delaware)
- G Jake Guidone (UConn)
- OLB Malik Hamm (Lafayette)
- T Brandon Kipper (Oregon State)
- CB Jeremy Lucien (Vanderbilt)
- G Tashawn Manning (Kentucky)
- CB Corey Mayfield Jr. (UTSA)
- RB Keaton Mitchell (East Carolina)
- WR Sean Ryan (Rutgers)
- OLB Kelle Sanders (Alabama-Birmingham)
- TE Travis Vokolek (Nebarska)
- TE Brian Walker (Shepherd)
- RB Owen Wright (Monmouth)
The last time the Ravens drafted a quarterback who played at Delaware was Joe Flacco in 2008. The latter helped lead the team to a Super Bowl title, but the same will certainly not be expected of Henderson, who had a career-best 3,231 passing yards and 32 touchdowns last season. The Ravens’ backup and third-string signal-callers (Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown) both joined the team as UDFAs, so Henderson could have a path to at least a practice squad spot.
Mitchell – the son of former Ravens safety Anthony Mitchell – had a highly productive college career. He saw his yards per carry mark increase in each of his three seasons, and his 7.2 mark in 2022 led the AAC. The 5-9, 188-pounder recorded 1,704 scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns last season, but the each of the Ravens’ top three running backs from 2022 are on the books for the coming campaign. That should limit Mitchell’s opportunities to make the 53-man roster.
Demus showed potential at times during his Maryland career, but also missed action due to injuries. His best season came in 2019 (41 catches, 625 yards, six touchdowns), and he totaled 2,008 yards and 14 scores overall. The Ravens have made a number of high-profile moves at the WR position this offseason, but a back-of-the-roster spot could be available if Demus (or Ryan) stand out during the summer.
Colts Release QB Nick Foles
The Colts’ post-draft roster moves has led to an expected departure under center. The team announced on Friday that quarterback Nick Foles has been released. 
The 34-year-old joined the Colts last season on a two-year deal to insulate fellow veteran Matt Ryan. Foles was long a target of then-head coach Frank Reich, given their shared time in Philadelphia. The former was expected to hold the QB2 position, but nothing went according to plan in Indianapolis in 2022.
Foles was relegated to third-stringer midway through the year when Sam Ehlinger was given a look as the backup, and, eventually, starter. With Ryan facing injury and performance issues, however, the depth chart at the position remained in flux through the team’s experiment with interim head coach Jeff Saturday to close out the campaign. Foles wound up starting two games with the Colts, losing both of them while throwing four interceptions and no touchdown passes.
Those figures helped lead to the expectation that Foles would be let go this offseason, as Ryan was. This move will result in a dead cap charge of $1.5MM while yielding $2.1MM in savings. In general, it will further the changes made at the position, with Gardner Minshew being signed in a similar Eagles-to-Colts transaction during free agency. The latter represents a familiar option for new head coach Shane Steichen as he looks to guide Indianapolis to a needed step forward on offense.
At some point, that process will of course involve No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson. The Florida alum was drafted with a number of question marks given his inconsistencies and limited starting experience in college, but he has substantial upside given his physical traits. It came out not long after the draft’s opening round that Richardson could very well see playing time as a rookie.
Regardless of when (if at all) Richardson sees the field, the presence of he and Minshew atop the depth chart left Foles on the outside looking in. The Super Bowl LII MVP will now look for another new home, having spent time with the Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars and Bears between his first Eagles stint and this one-and-done season with the Colts. A number of teams have already addressed their quarterback depth with either veterans or rookies, so Foles may have to wait deep into the summer to find his next opportunity. Indianapolis, meanwhile, will officially move forward with their two new signal-callers in 2023.
Jets Sign 13 UDFAs
The Jets have announced their 2023 crop of undrafted free agents. Here is the breakdown of rookies who will look to compete for a roster spot this summer:
- DE Deslin Alexandre (Pittsburgh)
- WR Jason Brownlee (Southern Mississippi)
- LB Claudin Cherelus (Alcorn State)
- S Trey Dean (Florida)
- RB Travis Dye (USC)
- WR Xavier Gipson (Stephen F. Austin)
- LB Maalik Hall (Southeastern Oklahoma State)
- TE E.J. Jenkins (Georgia Tech)
- LB Caleb Johnson (Miami)
- OL Brent Laing (Minnesota-Duluth)
- CB Derrick Langford (Washington State)
- WR T.J. Luther (Gardner-Webb)
- S Marquis Waters (Texas Tech)
New York has made a few sizeable financial commitments amongst this group. That includes $110K in guaranteed money for Jenkins, as noted (on Twitter) by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Jenkins’ lone campaign with the Yellow Jackets came last season, after he saw time at South Carolina. The 6-7, 243-pounder posted 316 yards and three touchdowns on just 17 receptions, showing big-play potential for his size.
The Jets have also given a six-figure guarantee to Dean, per Wilson (Twitter link). The former Gator will receive $100K following a highly productive five-year college career. Dean recorded one interception in each of his first four campaigns, and racked up a total of 18 pass deflections as evidence of his ball skills. He added 255 stops, 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in Florida, making him a versatile addition to the secondary for at least the short-term future.
Dye transferred to USC last season after four years at Oregon. The 5-10, 200-pounder eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time with the Ducks in 2021, totaling 1,271 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. He remained an efficient rusher in his lone Trojans campaign by averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Dye recorded 1,086 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns in 2022, but will face competition from fourth-rounder Israel Abanikanda for the third RB spot on the depth chart.
Commanders Release C Chase Roullier
The Commanders have made multiple additions at the center position this offseason, and they have resulted in the departure of a longtime starter. Chase Roullier is being released, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (Twitter link). A team announcement has since confirmed the move. 
Roullier will be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which will generate a dead money charge of $4.05MM in each of the next two years. The Commanders will save $8.4MM in 2023 and $10.2MM in 2024 by taking this route, however. The 29-year-old was due base salaries of $8.3MM and $8.7MM for the next two years, but no guaranteed money remained on his contract.
That left his future in doubt heading into the offseason, despite his strong performances when healthy. Roullier started 63 of 69 games across his six-year tenure in the nation’s capital, but was limited to just 10 games over the past two seasons. The former sixth-rounder suffered a fibula fracture in 2021, then was only able to play the opening two contests this past campaign due to an MCL tear.
The Commanders reacted to Roullier’s situation by signing former Giant Nick Gates in free agency. The latter has experience at guard, but is expected to suit up at center with his new NFC East team. At the draft, Washington also added Ricky Stromberg in the third round, leaving he and Gates in place to compete for the starting snapping role.
Roullier will wind up on the outside of that competition, but he could find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency. The Wyoming product has been a consistent performer in terms of PFF evaluation during his career, earning a personal best grade of 83.7 in 2021 and a 76.8 rating in his most recent full campaign. If he is able to recover from his latest major injury, he could find himself back in a starting lineup before long.
Bills, DT Poona Ford Agree To Deal
MAY 5: Details on the pact are in, courtesy of the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. Ford can earn up to $3.25MM this season, based on playing time and sack incentives. His guarantee amount checks in at $1.5MM, and his cap hit will be $2.25MM. Ford will look to provide the Bills with a relatively low-cost veteran along the interior, but a strong showing this season could earn him another multi-year contract, either from Buffalo or elsewhere next year.
MAY 2: With the Seahawks bringing in two new defensive tackle starters, Poona Ford will head elsewhere. The veteran interior defensive lineman agreed to terms with the Bills on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Bills have since announced the signing.
Ford will sign a one-year contract to join the Bills, with Pelissero adding the sixth-year defender declined at least one more lucrative offer in order to land with the AFC East contender. The Bills did not allocate any draft resources to their interior D-line; Ford will join an experienced group in Buffalo. GM Brandon Beane said the team planned to draft a defensive tackle but noted the value never added up with the board.
The Bills re-signed Jordan Phillips this offseason and still roster former first-round pick Ed Oliver, ex-Washington inside rusher Tim Settle and veteran DaQuan Jones. Ford, who made 63 starts in Seattle from 2019-22, will commit to Buffalo hours after the NFL’s deadline for signings to affect the compensatory formula. Moves past 3pm CT Monday do not affect 2024 compensatory picks. With this date annually spurring a third wave of sorts in free agency, the Bills are taking advantage and beefing up their defensive front.
Ford, 27, re-signed with the Seahawks in March 2021, inking a two-year contract with that signed him as a UDFA back in 2018. Ford played out that two-year, $12.35MM pact last season, and the Seahawks have changed up their interior D-line once again. Seattle released both Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods, signing Dre’Mont Jones and reuniting with Jarran Reed. The team also used two Day 3 picks on D-linemen this year.
Pro Football Focus graded Ford as one of the NFL’s top run-defending D-tackles in 2020 and ’21, slotting him as a top-20 player at the position overall in each season. Last season, PFF was down on Ford’s performance and ranked him outside the top 75 at the position. Seattle, however, had switched from its longtime 4-3 alignment into more of a 3-4 look under DC Clint Hurtt. Ford, who finished with three sacks last year and combined for 25 tackles for loss from 2019-22, will return to a 4-3 setup in Buffalo.
ESPN’s run stop win rate included both Oliver and Jones in the top 10 among D-tackles, and the Bills finished last season fifth against the run. But the Bengals mashed the Bills’ front in a one-sided playoff matchup. Cincinnati’s 172-yard outing in the snow played a significant role in the Bills being ousted at home. And the team, which lost Harrison Phillips in 2022, still has many long-term questions at the position.
Oliver is entering his fifth-year option season. Ford will now join Settle, Jones and Phillips as Bills inside D-linemen unsigned beyond this season. For 2023, however, Buffalo boasts a deep contingent at this spot. Von Miller‘s ACL recovery overshadows the other components on this line, but the Ford pact stands to help the unit as the future Hall of Famer aims to return to form.
Eight Players Join NFC North, AFC West Teams Via NFL International Player Pathway Program
Established in 2017, the NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) program “aims to provide elite athletes from around the world with the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster.” This year, eight international players joined NFC North and AFC West teams (per the league’s website):
- Bears: OL Roy Mbaeteka, Nigeria
- Lions: TE Patrick Murtagh, Australia
- Packers: DL Kenneth Odumegwu, Nigeria
- Vikings: DL Junior Aho, France
- Broncos: DL Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi, Nigeria
- Chiefs: OL Chukwuebuka Godrick, Nigeria
- Raiders: DL David Ebuka Agoha, Nigeria
- Chargers: DL Basil Chijioke Okoye, Nigeria
The NFC North and AFC West were the two divisions that had yet to participate in the program, and this is the first year that the NFL is opening the program to two divisions. The IPP program allows these teams to carry an additional international player on their practice squads during the regular season.
“To see this hugely talented group of players be allocated to NFL rosters is very exciting, and a testament to the success of the NFL’s global football development programs for international athletes,” said NFL executive Peter O’Reilly. “The International Player Pathway is a critical program in identifying, supporting and enabling athletes from around the world and we look forward to seeing each players’ NFL journey unfold as they become global ambassadors for the sport.”
Per NFL.com, the six Nigerian players participated in Osi Umenyiora‘s The Uprise initiative and were participants in the NFL’s inaugural talent camp in Ghana. Alumni of the IPP program include Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, Commanders defensive end Efe Obada and defensive tackle David Bada, and Raiders fullback Jakob Johnson.
Bears Sign 14 UDFAs
After adding 10 rookies via the draft, the Bears have added another 14 first-year players via free agency. The Bears announced that they have signed 14 undrafted free agents:
- OL Nick Amoah (UC Davis)
- QB Tyson Bagent (Shepherd)
- LB Micah Baskerville (LSU)
- DB Justin Broiles (Oklahoma)
- FB Robert Burns (Connecticut)
- TE Damien Caffrey (Stony Brook)
- DB Macon Clark (Tulane)
- WR Aron Cruickshank (Rutgers)
- DL Jalen Harris (Arizona)
- OL Bobby Haskins (USC)
- OL Gabriel Houy (Pitt)
- OL Lorenz Metz (Cincinnati)
- WR Thyrick Pitts (Delaware)
- K Andre Szmyt (Syracuse)
Tyson Bagent had a prolific career at Shepherd, tossing 159 touchdowns in 53 games. The 6-foot-3 prospect has the size of a typical NFL quarterback, but his questionable decision-making and arm strength (coupled with his Division II status) led to him going undrafted. Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy got a closeup view of Bagent during the Senior Bowl.
Andre Szmyt left Syracuse as the school’s all-time leader in scoring. He converted 81 percent of his field goal attempts in college and 91 percent of his kicks from within 40 yards. Cairo Santos has connected on 89.7 percent of his FGAs over the past three seasons with the Bears, but the rookie should provide the veteran with a bit of competition in training camp.
Jalen Harris is the son of former Bears draft pick Sean Harris. The defensive lineman compiled 171 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks in 56 games at Arizona before going undrafted last weekend. The rookie can find a role for himself as an edge on the Bears, with DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green, Trevis Gipson, and Dominique Robinson providing competition for the roster spots.