Texans Sign DB Darius Phillips
The Texans have been busy today. After adding offensive tackle Greg Little and linebacker Neville Hewitt, Houston has now signed a defensive back. The team announced that they’ve signed defensive back Darius Phillips.
[RELATED: Texans Sign T Greg Little, LB Neville Hewitt]
Phillips, a former fifth-round pick, spent four seasons in Cincinnati to begin his career. The defensive back got into 47 regular season games for the Bengals, compiling 73 tackles and five interceptions. He saw an inconsistent role on defense during his tenure with the team, but he consistently contributed on special teams, including a 2021 campaign where he returned 25 punts and eight kicks.
After spending the 2022 preseason with the Raiders, Phillips caught on with the Broncos. He ended up getting into nine games with Denver, collecting only a pair of tackles while playing the majority of his snaps on special teams.
The veteran’s best chance at making Houston’s roster will probably come on special teams. However, thanks to his versatility in the secondary, he could catch on as a bottom-of-the-depth-chart cornerback or safety.
Eagles To Sign TE Dan Arnold
Dan Arnold is heading back to the NFC. After a two-year stint in Jacksonville, Arnold is signing with the Eagles, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran TE.
The former undrafted free agent out of UW–Platteville spent a few years in New Orleans before having a somewhat prominent role with the Cardinals in 2020. That season, Arnold hauled in 31 receptions for 438 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (five starts).
That performance earned him a two-year contract from the Panthers, but he only got into three games with his new team before getting shipped to the Jaguars in the C.J. Henderson trade. The tight end had 324 yards in eight games with Jacksonville to finish up the 2021 campaign, but with Evan Engram added to the mix for 2022, Arnold finished his only full season in Jacksonville with 135 receiving yards.
The Eagles have a long list of tight ends behind starter Dallas Goedert, including Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Dalton Keene. Pro Football Focus has never been all that favorable of Arnold’s blocking ability but has given him solid marks for his receiving skills, so Arnold could perhaps carve out a role as a pass-catching option behind Goedert.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/23
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Penny Hart
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: WR Drew Estrada
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DE Kameron Cline, TE Nikola Kalinic, LB Forrest Rhyne, DT Chris Williams, TE Jalen Wydermyer
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed off waivers (from Falcons): CB John Reid
Hart got into 39 games for the Seahawks over the past three years. The majority of his work came on special teams, but he did manage to haul in 11 receptions during his limited snaps on offense. More notably, Hart had 17 special teams tackles over the past two years, including 11 last season.
Meanwhile, the Vikings made a move on a Falcons castoff. Reid got into 24 games for the Texans and Seahawks between 2020 and 2021, but he bounced around the league a bit in 2022. He appeared in three games (one start) with the Titans before catching on with Atlanta’s practice squad late in the season.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/23
After the Panthers got the ball rolling yesterday, a number of teams started signing draft picks to their rookie contracts today. We’ve compiled all of the four-year, later-round signings below:
Baltimore Ravens
- CB Kyu Blu Kelly (fifth round, Stanford)
- OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (sixth round, Oregon)
- G Andrew Vorhees (seventh round, USC)
Chicago Bears
- LB Noah Sewell (fifth round, Oregon)
- CB Terell Smith (fifth round, Minnesota)
- DT Travis Bell (seventh round, Kennesaw State)
- S Kendall Williamson (seventh round, Stanford)
Green Bay Packers
- QB Sean Clifford (fifth round, Penn State)
- WR Grant DuBose (seventh round, Charlotte)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Will Mallory (fifth round, Miami)
- RB Evan Hull (fifth round, Northwestern)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Parker Washington (sixth round, Penn State)
New England Patriots
- WR Kayshon Boutte (sixth round, LSU)
New York Jets
- DB Jarrick Bernard-Converse (sixth round, LSU)
Philadelphia Eagles
- QB Tanner McKee (sixth round, Stanford)
- DT Moro Ojomo (seventh round, Texas)
San Francisco 49ers
- DE Robert Beal Jr. (fifth round, Georgia)
Seattle Seahawks
- RB Kenny McIntosh (seventh round, Georgia)
Texans Sign T Greg Little, LB Neville Hewitt
The Texans’ offensive line is becoming a popular landing spot for ex-Dolphins. As Laremy Tunsil heads into his fifth season in Houston, the team has also added ex-Miami blocker Michael Deiter. On Thursday, they expanded their number of former Dolphins linemen by signing Greg Little.
A former Panthers second-round pick, Little agreed to terms, per his agent (on Twitter), and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds the team also reached an agreement to bring back linebacker Neville Hewitt. The veteran defender and special-teamer agreed to a one-year deal (Twitter link).
Little spent last season with the Dolphins, coming to Florida via a summer 2021 trade from Carolina, started seven games for a Dolphins team that ran into injuries at both tackle spots last season. Little, who did not play in 2021 due to being a healthy scratch and then heading to IR midway through the season, has started 13 career games. The former No. 37 overall pick has not panned out, and with Tunsil and Tytus Howard manning Houston’s tackle spots, Thursday’s agreement will be for depth purposes. But the Ole Miss product could have a path to a swing-tackle role.
Hewitt has spent the past two seasons with the Texans. Despite the team changing head coaches in each of the past three offseasons, Hewitt has returned on one-year deals. This latest one-year pact will keep one of the Texans’ top special-teamers in the fold. Hewitt saw action on 81% of Houston’s special teams plays last season and has been an ST regular throughout his career.
The former Dolphins and Jets linebacker has 44 career starts on his resume, though only five have come in Houston. After working as a 16-game Jets starter in 2020, Hewitt settled in as a primary backup with his third NFL team. Hewitt totaled 60 tackles in 2021. Moved to a special teams-only contributor last season, he tallied 14. The 30-year-old linebacker played just 23 defensive snaps last year — down from 324 in 2021 — but will be back on DeMeco Ryans‘ first Texans team.
Ryans’ team has been busy at linebacker this offseason, signing both Denzel Perryman and Cory Littleton to go with the likes of Christian Kirksey, Christian Harris, Blake Cashman and fifth-round pick Henry To’oTo’o.
Eagles, DT Jalen Carter Agree To Deal
The next few months will feature teams finalizing their rosters and preventing any complications with rookie contracts. The Eagles became this year’s first team to sign a first-round pick. Jalen Carter agreed to terms with the Eagles on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The 2011 CBA made rookie-deal negotiating far less complicated, introducing a slot system that carried over to the 2020 bargaining agreement. First-rounders’ contracts can still produce hiccups, but they generally involve minor issues. Less than a week after drafting Carter, the Eagles navigated those and agreed on the defensive tackle’s slot deal. The No. 9 overall pick will be tied to a four-year contract worth $21.8MM, Schefter adds. The Eagles begin their rookie minicamp Friday.
This represents a $400K bump from the No. 9 slot last year, Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross, who is tied to a four-year deal worth $21.4MM. Carter’s contract will be fully guaranteed and come with the customary fifth-year option that has existed in first-rounders’ contracts since the rookie scale came to be 11 years ago. The option could tie Carter to the Eagles through 2027.
Carter began another run on Eagles defenders from Georgia. After they used first- and third-round picks on ex-Bulldogs defenders (Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean) last year, the defending NFC champions drafted Carter, edge rusher Nolan Smith and cornerback Kelee Ringo last week. Carter represents the highest-profile player the Eagles drafted over the past two years, for on- and off-field reasons.
Philly obtained the Carter pick through a one-spot trade-up with Chicago, after initially landing in the top 10 via an April 2022 trade with New Orleans. While the Saints used that draft real estate to climb up for Chris Olave last year, the Eagles became the rare Super Bowl participant to pick in the top 10 the following year. In Carter, the Eagles have a clear Javon Hargrave replacement. Although the Eagles re-signed Fletcher Cox on another one-year deal, a Carter-Davis D-tackle duo seems likely to be the Birds’ long-term setup in the middle.
Carter fell to No. 9 because of myriad factors. The two-time national champion did not fare well at his pro day and received shaky reviews from some Georgia staffers. This came after he was at the scene of a fatal car accident in January, one that involved Carter in a separate vehicle as two Georgia program members — offensive lineman Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy — were killed in a crash. Carter was arrested on two misdemeanor charges — reckless driving and racing — in February, causing him to leave the Combine, but later reached a plea agreement that prevented any jail time. Carter said the Eagles did not ask him too many questions about the incident, though this collection of issues likely led to a few teams passing on him.
The Seahawks, Lions, Raiders, Falcons and Bears joined the Eagles in hosting Carter on pre-draft visits. Seattle (Devon Witherspoon) and Las Vegas (Tyree Wilson) chose other defenders over Carter, while Atlanta took Bijan Robinson and both Detroit and Chicago traded down. Multiple teams took Carter off their draft board, and the Seahawks were believed to be split on drafting the higher-risk talent. Carter was viewed as a lock top-five pick coming into the Combine. He will undoubtedly aim to prove the teams who passed on him made a mistake.
49ers Sign 12 UDFAs
The 49ers are the latest team to announce their undrafted free agent class. Here are the 12 signees now on San Francisco’s 90-man roster:
- RB Ronald Awatt (UTEP)
- FB Jack Colletto (Oregon State)
- OL Joey Fisher (Shepherd)
- CB D’Shawn Jamison (Texas)
- RB Khalan Laborn (Marshall)
- OL Corey Luciano (Washington)
- OL Ilm Manning (Hawaii)
- LB Mariano Sori-Marin (Minnesota)
- DL Spencer Waege (North Dakota State)
- WR Isaiah Winstead (East Carolina)
- WR Shae Wyatt (Tulane)
- S Avery Young (Rutgers)
The 49ers signed Winstead not long after he tweeted no team had extended him a UDFA offer or invited him to a rookie minicamp. After transferring from Toledo, Winstead posted a 1,085-yard season at East Carolina last year. That total more than doubled the 6-foot-3 receiver’s previous single-season best mark. He will attempt to stick with the 49ers. While the NFL has not revealed if the 16-man practice squad limit will remain in place for a fourth season, it represents a good bet teams will still have 69 spots (53 active roster, 16 P-squad) to use in 2023.
Fisher received a $130K guarantee to sign, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. The 6-foot-4 lineman lined up at right tackle at Division II Shepherd from 2019-22, earning All-American acclaim. He also impressed at his pro day, performing 40 bench-press reps of 225 pounds. That bettered this year’s top O-lineman Combine mark (38). Fisher is also coming off a broken hand sustained during the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
A Florida State transfer, Laborn is coming off a 1,513-yard rushing season at Marshall. Manning made a whopping 60 starts at Hawaii. Working as a tackle, Manning earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors last season. Young started 54 games for the Scarlet Knights; Jamison made 40 starts for the Longhorns. Spencer finished last season as a first-team Division I-FCS All-American, tallying nine sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles for the FCS powerhouse program.
Awatt and Laborn join a 49ers team that did not draft a running back but still carries their top backups — Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price — from last season. Christian McCaffrey‘s Panthers-constructed extension runs through 2025.
Every member of San Francisco’s UDFA class was born in the 1990s. Teams’ UDFA classes are flooded with players who used the additional eligibility year that came about because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but five members of this contingent will be at least 25 by year’s end. Awatt and Fisher will turn 26 as rookies.
Lamar Jackson Signs Ravens Extension
MAY 4: The NFL’s new top salary is now official. A week after agreeing to terms, Jackson signed his Ravens extension Thursday. This pact is worth $52MM on average. While the full details have yet to emerge, the Ravens — after a two-plus-year negotiating journey — have the former MVP signed through 2027.
APRIL 27: All eyes are on this weekend’s draft at the moment, but the situation between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson remains one of interest. A breakthrough on an extension for the quarterback could be on the horizon; Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports (via Twitter) that “major progress” has been made on talks for a new deal. Per multiple reports, a deal is, in fact, in place.
The Ravens have confirmed that a five-year extension has been agreed to, while Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that it has a value of $260MM (Twitter link). That will make Jackson the league’s highest-paid player. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets that the pact includes $185MM guaranteed.
The latter number is believed to be the total guarantee, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (on Twitter). For total guarantees, Jackson now sits in second — behind only Deshaun Watson. The Browns quarterback’s fully guaranteed deal remains an outlier, an outcome the Ravens — and other teams — have pushed for since it happened. In terms of per-year average, however, Jackson’s $52MM now leads the league.
This news comes shortly after ESPN’s Jamison Hensley tweeted that he had been told “good news [is] on the way for the Ravens,” which can now be presumed to be a reference to Jackson negotiations. The process of arriving at a long-term pact has been a long and arduous one, but inking the former MVP will of course mark a major milestone for the franchise.
Jackson, 26, has been eligible for a new deal since January 2021, but one has not appeared to be close at any given time. Guaranteed money — especially in the wake of Cleveland’s 2022 Watson contract — has often been mentioned as a sticking point in Jackson’s situation. The latter has turned down several offers, including one with a reported $175MM in guarantees. That September proposal, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), included a $50MM-per-year average, which would have tied Aaron Rodgers‘ league lead at the time.
Jackson has been linked to wanting more than the $230MM in fully guaranteed compensation that Watson received in his historic deal. That became a nonstarter for the Ravens and everyone else. However, the QB market has seen a number of sizable pacts signed since Watson’s; each included far less than 100% in guarantees. The most recent of those is the extension signed by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, which averages an unprecedented $51MM in annual compensation. Rapoport tweets that once the Hurts pact was in place, the Ravens upped their offer to Jackson; that effort has brought talks across the finish line.
Jackson will now be tied to the Ravens through the 2027 season, as this megadeal will take the place of his franchise tag. The Ravens’ decision to place the non-exclusive tender on him last month put them in position to have him on a much less expensive price tag in 2023 ($32.4MM compared to $45MM). However, it opened the door to other teams being able to negotiate an offer sheet or a tag-and-trade agreement, moves which would have been franchise-defining for Baltimore and an acquiring team.
Despite Jackson’s age and statistical success, no suitors emerged to pry him away from the Ravens. Injuries in each of the past two seasons and his unique skillset (which relies heavily on the run game) represented red flags for teams, along with the enormity of any deal which would be necessary to acquire him. Most teams which would have been in the running to sign the Louisville alum have the potential to add a rookie passer tonight, which will give them a cost-controlled signal-caller for years to come.
As a result, the expectation has remained that Jackson would end up signing a deal of some kind in Baltimore. The addition of wideout Odell Beckham Jr. — whom Jackson helped recruit — pointed further in that direction. As some have speculated, the nature of the latter’s deal could even open up the possibility of the Ravens pursuing DeAndre Hopkins, someone the team has frequently been linked to both before and after signing Beckham. The Ravens also discussed Courtland Sutton with the Broncos. In any case, the passing game in Baltimore should have more upside than it has in recent years.
After Joe Flacco helped lead the Ravens to their Super Bowl XLVII victory, he was rewarded with a franchise-record extension. The same has now taken place with Jackson, as he and the team will look to avoid the controversy which emerged later into the Flacco pact regarding his standing amongst the league’s highest-paid QBs. The stage is now set, meanwhile, for other young signal-callers (namely Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert) to continue negotiating monster deals of their own this offseason.
Browns To Sign S Rodney McLeod
The Browns will give Rodney McLeod an opportunity to play a 12th NFL season. The veteran safety agreed to terms with Cleveland on Thursday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com tweets.
A longtime Eagles starter, McLeod spent last season with the Colts. While Indianapolis used a third-round pick on a safety (Nick Cross), McLeod held off the rookie and started 15 games in 2022. McLeod will join a Browns team that added Juan Thornhill to a position group housing former second-rounder Grant Delpit.
McLeod, who is heading into his age-33 season, played for new Browns DC Jim Schwartz in Philadelphia. McLeod’s Eagles run overlapped with Schwartz’s five-year stay as Philly’s DC. McLeod (138 career starts) will certainly supply the Browns with experience and scheme familiarity. Browns GM Andrew Berry also stopped through Philly during McLeod’s tenure.
The Eagles signed McLeod shortly after hiring Schwartz in 2016. The 5-foot-11 defender ended up making 62 starts during Schwartz’s time as DC, becoming one of the team’s secondary cornerstones alongside Malcolm Jenkins. McLeod played every Eagles defensive snap during their 2017 postseason run to Super Bowl LII. While that was five years ago, McLeod showed last season he still has gas in the tank. Pro Football Focus ranked McLeod as the No. 7 overall safety in 2022; this placement included the second-best coverage grade among safeties.
Indianapolis managed to land McLeod for just $1.77MM. Although the Colts’ higher-profile issues overshadowed McLeod’s season, the former Rams UDFA made a career-high 96 tackles; his eight tackles for loss more than doubled his previous-best figure. McLeod added two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown during the Colts’ season finale — to run his career total to 18. The Colts will now move on from both the 30-somethings in their defensive backfield; McLeod’s departure comes two months after the team traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys.
Cleveland experienced a number of issues on defense last season. Miscommunications frequently limited the Browns, helping lead to DC Joe Woods‘ ouster. Through this lens, the team bringing in an ex-Schwartz charge stands to assist its younger players in learning a new scheme.
The Browns released John Johnson after two seasons and have not re-signed Ronnie Harrison, a three-year Cleveland contributor. Delpit represents the only notable returner at this position, and it is safe to expect Thornhill — given a three-year, $21MM deal that includes $14MM guaranteed at signing — to be a starter. The Browns have used three safeties often in recent years; McLeod coming in gives the team this option again in 2023.
Bills Sign RB Latavius Murray
MAY 4: Murray will join the Bills on a veteran-minimum deal. The central New York native committed to the Bills on a one-year, $1.17MM deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. This is the highest league-minimum threshold, with Murray having at least seven years’ service time. Buffalo will guarantee the 11th-year vet $650K, Wilson adds.
MAY 1: The first of several veteran free agent running backs still on the market following the draft has found a new home. The Bills announced on Monday that they have signed Latavius Murray to a one-year deal. 
Buffalo hosted the 33-year-old earlier this month, so it comes as little surprise that a contract has now been agreed to. Running back was seen by many as an area of need for the Bills this offseason, and the team declined to make any additions at the position during the draft. They will now take the veteran route in an effort to boost their ground game.
Murray began the 2022 season in New Orleans, where he had previously played in 2019 and ’20, but spent most of the campaign in Denver. The Broncos turned to him as their lead back after losing Javonte Williams to an ACL tear and eventually releasing Melvin Gordon. Murray took advantage of that opportunity, leading the team with 703 rushing yards (on an average of 4.4 per carry) and scoring five touchdowns.
That led to the expectation he would remain in the Mile High City, and in doing so reunite with former Saints head coach Sean Payton on a more permanent basis. Denver added Samaje Perine as a backup, but even that move seemed to leave the door open to Murray inking a pact with the Broncos. Instead, the latter will look to carve out a rotational role in the Bills’ new-look backfield.
Devin Singletary departed in free agency, leading the Bills to sign former Patriot Damien Harris in free agency. Buffalo had previously traded for Nyheim Hines and used a second-round pick in last year’s draft on James Cook. Murray profiles closer to Harris than the latter two in terms of skillset, and snaps could be hard to come by if the team’s RB room remains healthy. Still, Buffalo appears to be making a concerted effort to increase their production in the run game in a way which lessens quarterback Josh Allen‘s workload, and the addition of Murray could prove to be an effective step in that direction.