Rams Sign 26-Man UDFA Class
The Rams continue adding to a massive rookie class. After drafting 14 prospects last weekend, Los Angeles has announced the signing of a prodigious 26 undrafted free agents:
- LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, Incarnate Word
- K Tanner Brown, Oklahoma State
- WR Braxton Burmeister, San Diego State
- CB Timarcus Davis, Arizona State
- CB Tyon Davis, Tulsa
- S Collin Duncan, Mississippi State
- K Christopher Dunn, NC State
- RB Tiyon Evans, Louisville
- WR Tyler Hudson, Louisville
- S Tanner Ingle, NC State
- WR Sam James, West Virginia
- OLB Matthew Jester, Princeton
- S Quindell Johnson, Memphis
- CB Jordan Jones, Rhode Island
- C Sean Maginn, Wake Forest
- C Mike McAllister, Youngstown State
- CB Cameron McCutcheon, Western Carolina
- G Grant Miller, Baylor
- TE Christian Sims, Bowling Green
- LB Ryan Smenda, Wake Forest
- WR Xavier Smith, Florida A&M
- LB DeAndre Square, Kentucky
- S Rashad Torrence, Florida
- LS Alex Ward, UCF
- QB Dresser Winn, Tennessee-Martin
- LB Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College
With former kicker Matt Gay now residing in Indianapolis, the Rams have resolved to a kicking competition between Brown and Dunn. Brown had a stellar year with the Cowboys converting 22 of 23 field goal attempts and making all 42 of his extra points. Dunn had an even better 2022, rebounding after 5 missed field goals in 2020 and six misses in 2021. He converted 28 of 29 field goal attempts in 2022 and, over five years with the Wolfpack, never missed one of his 200 extra point attempts.
Gay wasn’t the only special teamer Los Angeles lost. After losing Matthew Orzech to the Packers in free agency, the Rams will give Ward a run at the position. After drafting punter Ethan Evans in the seventh round, Los Angeles is set to have a full rookie special teams unit.
Winn joins the quarterback room behind Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett, and Brett Rypien. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards as a sixth-year senior for the Skyhawks with 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The Rams also signed Burmeister, a former starting quarterback at Virginia Tech who transferred to the other coast. Based on his listing with the Rams, he’ll be attempting to switch positions in the NFL.
With only eight linebackers under contract in a base 3-4 defense, the Rams supplemented heavily from the rookie class, drafting three and signing five more undrafted. They similarly added some significant depth at defensive back, drafting two and signing eight more undrafted.
The Rams have a substantial 40 rookies occupying roster spots on the current 90-man roster (which only holds 89 players as of right now). This seems to be a bit emblematic of the Rams recent all-in strategy that resulted in a Super Bowl but left them with a top-heavy roster with hefty contracts. Regardless, it presents many young rookies with clear opportunities for roster spots and playing time.
Texans Sign TE Eric Tomlinson
The Texans are adding to a crowded tight ends room today, bringing on veteran tight end Eric Tomlinson, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The seven-year journeyman has never been much of a pass catcher but will provide some critical blocking in Houston next year. 
Tomlinson heads to his seventh team after time with the Jets, Patriots, Giants (two stints), Raiders, Ravens, and Broncos. He follows Texans tight ends coach Jake Moreland, who served in the same position last year in Denver, where Tomlinson made 12 starts in 17 appearances. He had previously spent a year and a half as a part of the Ravens bruising rushing attack.
He joins a room that currently rosters Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan, Mason Schreck, and Andrew Beck. Schultz and Jordan are the primary pass-catching tight ends. Quitoriano and Beck have both historically been more run blockers, with Beck joining Tomlinson in the move from Denver this offseason. Schreck hasn’t seen enough game action to say what his role could be, but he was a strong receiver in college.
This means Tomlinson will have some competition for his current role. It’s hard to picture the Texans keeping more than three or four tight ends on the 53-man roster come September. With Schultz and Jordan in the passing attack, that leaves Quitoriano, Tomlinson, Beck, and Schreck battling it out for maybe two open roster slots.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/23
We had our first draft pick signing of the 2023 rookie class today. We will track such mid- and late-round picks who sign their four-year rookie deals like this:
Carolina Panthers
- S Jammie Robinson (fifth round, Florida State)
The Panthers used their fifth-round pick to take the defensive back who spent time both with the Seminoles in Tallahassee and the Gamecocks in Columbia. The versatile safety matched aggression with ball skills collecting 15.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, and 16 passes defensed over his career.
Packers, QB Jordan Love Agree To Extension
MAY 3: We received a few details on Love’s new contract, thanks to ESPN’s Field Yates. The deal includes a $8.79MM signing bonus, helping him come into an extra $7.5MM of cash this year. His base salary will be less in 2023 ($1.01MM) than it was scheduled to be ($2.30MM), but the deal has escalators in 2023 that could add a potential additional $9MM to his base salary in 2024, which is currently valued at $5.5MM fully guaranteed. The escalators are tied to playing time, team wins, team stats, and more. He’ll also receive a $500K workout bonus in 2024.
MAY 2: Rather than picking up Jordan Love‘s fifth-year option today, the Packers have inked their new starting quarterback to a one-year extension keeping him in the fold through 2024, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (via Twitter) that the contract has a maximum value of $22.5MM, and includes $13.5MM fully guaranteed. Had Green Bay elected to simply pick up Love’s option, he would have been tied to a fully-guaranteed salary of $20.27MM next season, meaning this agreement could yield higher earnings for the unproven 24-year-old.
How the Packers planned to handle Love’s short-term financial future was a key storyline leading up to today’s deadline. Recent remarks from general manager Brian Gutekunst reflected the unique position the team found itself in regarding its commitment to a quarterback with only one regular season start in three NFL seasons. With this deal now in place, Love’s cap hits can be spread out evenly over the course of his two-year audition period.
That will become particularly important in 2024 if the Utah State product fails to live up to expectations and the team feels obliged to bring in veteran competition following his 2023 campaign. For now, though, Love can move forward with a greater degree of certainty regarding his future in Green Bay as he prepares to begin the task of succeeding Aaron Rodgers.
The latter’s trade to the Jets officially paved the way for Love – whom the Packers traded up in the 2020 draft to select 26th overall – to take on the starting role. The team has remained consistent in their praise of him during the offseason, and he will have a number of additions around him on offense in 2023. Green Bay once again looked to the defensive side of the ball in the first round of the draft, but they also selected a pair of tight ends and three receivers to with the rookie pass-catchers brought in last year.
The Packers also exited the draft with a new quarterback in fifth-rounder Sean Clifford, but all eyes will be on Love this season as he faces about his ability to operate as a clear-cut starter. Regardless of how he fares, he will be in place for 2024 as well at a relatively reasonable cost.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/3/23
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: CB John Reid
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: G Colby Gossett
Gossett returns to Cleveland after two years in Atlanta. During his time with the Falcons, Gossett appeared in 31 games, including all 17 in 2022, and five starts, with four of those coming last year.
Chiefs Sign T Donovan Smith
The Chiefs have potentially found their starting left tackle for 2023, signing former Buccaneers tackle Donovan Smith, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Smith will reportedly be agreeing to a one-year contract worth up to $9MM. 
The reigning Super Bowl champions watched blindside tackle Orlando Brown walk in free agency after failing to reach a long-term deal, leaving a hole on the left end of the offensive line. While many expected Kansas City’s big offseason free agent addition Jawaan Taylor to fill in the left tackle slot, it makes much more sense to keep him where he played during his time in Jacksonville and allow Smith, who has played his entire career at left tackle, to take over for Brown.
Smith has played in Tampa Bay for his entire eight-year career. The $9MM deal will be the least Smith has averaged annually in a contract since his rookie deal, but it’s still a formidable contract for a tackle about to turn 30 who missed multiple games for the first time in his career last season.
With some changes in the receiving corps and on either end of the offensive line, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be at the helm of a bit of a different-looking attack then last year. The Chiefs did a good job of replacing Brown and Andrew Wylie with Smith and Taylor and invested some draft capital in second-round wide receiver Rashee Rice to help offset the loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith provides Mahomes and company with a veteran presence who’s used to playing in big games. If he can avoid double-digit penalties, something he’s struggled with over his career, he should be a serviceable replacement for the four-time Pro Bowler for whom he’s filling in.
Rams To Add QB Brett Rypien
Wednesday’s flurry of signings will continue, and the Rams will use this post-draft free agency window to add a backup quarterback. They are signing former Broncos backup Brett Rypien, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
A former UDFA, Rypien had spent his entire career in Denver. He will head to Los Angeles on a one-year deal. The Rams used a fifth-round pick on two-time national championship-winning QB Stetson Bennett, but Rypien will provide the team with more experience behind Matthew Stafford.
The Rams have not brought back John Wolford, their QB2 for much of Sean McVay‘s tenure, and the team nontendered Bryce Perkins as an RFA in March. Rypien and Bennett represent the Rams’ Stafford reserves for the moment. The team has also agreed to terms with UDFA arm Winn Dresser, who played at Tennessee-Martin.
Part of the Broncos’ list of starting QBs between Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson, Rypien made two starts for an injured Wilson last season as well. He piloted the Broncos to a December win over the Cardinals, which came two months after the struggling team could not topple the Jets in Rypien’s other 2022 start. Rypien threw two touchdown passes and four interceptions last season, completing 60.2% of his passes.
For his career, Rypien has made three starts. He quarterbacked the Broncos to a win over the Jets during the 2020 season but ended up the team’s third-stringer in 2021, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. Although the Broncos signed Josh Johnson, Rypien relegated the journeyman extraordinaire to the practice squad after winning the QB2 gig in training camp. The Broncos have since signed Jarrett Stidham to back up Wilson, signaling Rypien would need to move on to continue his career.
The Rams will give him that opportunity. Brett Rypien, the nephew of former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, made an interesting decision during the Broncos’ seminal Christmas Day loss in L.A., criticizing Denver’s offensive linemen for not helping Wilson from the turf. That internal strife, which featured a sideline shoving match between Rypien and then-Broncos guard Dalton Risner, helped seal Nathaniel Hackett‘s fate after the Rams’ blowout win.
The Rams were on their fourth QB that day, but the team’s Baker Mayfield partnership proved short-lived. With Wolford and Perkins gone, Rypien will have a chance to be the Rams’ top backup. Considering Stafford’s injury trouble last season, that is a rather important post.
Ravens Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin
4:48pm: The deal is done. The Ravens announced the agreement with Ya-Sin, who will likely become the frontrunner to start opposite Humphrey.
3:34pm: Rock Ya-Sin visited the Ravens in March and has remained one of the top free agents available since. The Ravens brought in the veteran cornerback again, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports this latest meeting is expected to produce an agreement (Twitter link).
The Ravens gave Ya-Sin a physical Wednesday, and barring any complications, the team is planning to add him on a one-year deal. The former second-round pick spent last season with the Raiders but missed some time due to injury. He will represent a veteran presence for a team that has not re-signed Marcus Peters.
Ya-Sin’s contract is set to be worth up to $6MM, Schefter adds (on Twitter). Considering his experience, the Ravens look to have done well to land the former second-round pick on these terms. Both Ya-Sin and the player the Raiders included in the Colts trade last year — Yannick Ngakoue — entered May unsigned. With signings no longer counting against the 2024 compensatory formula — as of Monday — the Ravens figured to be in the mix for some vets at corner and outside linebacker.
No team prioritizes comp picks more than the Ravens, so it is unsurprising they waited here. They kept in touch with Ya-Sin since his March visit, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, who adds this May agreement would not jeopardize the projected fourth-round compensatory choice the team is in line to receive for Ben Powers‘ Denver departure (Twitter link).
Ya-Sin, who will turn 27 later this month, has 38 starts on his resume. Nine of those came for the Raiders last season, though the former Colts draftee missed six 2022 games and has not played more than 13 in a season since his 2019 rookie year. A knee injury ended Ya-Sin’s Raiders season early, and while the AFC West team was a candidate to re-sign him early in free agency, Ya-Sin remained unattached during the market’s initial waves.
Pro Football Focus slotted Ya-Sin 50th among corners last season, but the advanced metrics site graded the Temple product as a top-30 performer at the position during his final Colts campaign. Indianapolis turned to Ya-Sin as a regular during most of Matt Eberlus‘ DC stay. While he was shipped out at the start of Gus Bradley‘s Indy run, Ya-Sin joined Kenny Moore as Colts cornerback fixtures under Eberflus. The Raiders still gave the 6-foot cover man more run, using him on 665 defensive snaps despite the knee trouble limiting him. In Indianapolis and Las Vegas, Ya-Sin worked as a boundary corner.
Marlon Humphrey remains Baltimore’s corner anchor, but Peters — a Raven from 2019-22 — is a free agent heading into what would be his age-30 season. Baltimore did not address its corner spot until Round 5 (Kyu Blu Kelly) but did re-sign Kevon Seymour earlier this offseason. Two years also remain on Brandon Stephens‘ contract. A Peters fill-in, Stephens has 15 starts on his resume.
Jets, DT Al Woods Agree To Deal
Free agency’s third wave — annually brought on by the May compensatory deadline — is producing a run of Wednesday-afternoon agreements. The latest will send Al Woods to the Jets.
The Jets have reached an agreement with the veteran nose tackle, Connor Hughes of SNY reports (on Twitter). Woods has managed a 13-year career and has remained a regular run-stopping presence on several teams’ defensive lines, most recently the Seahawks’.
This addition will bring a roundabout reunion between Woods and Robert Saleh. The third-year Jets HC was on Pete Carroll‘s Seahawks staff during Woods’ first stint with the team. Saleh and Woods overlapped on the 2011 Seahawks, though Woods only played two games on that team. But the mammoth interior D-lineman spent time in the scheme Saleh runs in recent years, lining up as a starter in the 4-3 scheme Seattle used leading up to last season.
Woods, 36, visited the Jets early last month, meeting with the Browns as well. Teams eyeing midlevel veterans often wait until after signings no longer affect the following year’s compensatory formula, and the Jets are proceeding down this path this week. They have already agreed to terms with tackle Billy Turner and longtime Aaron Rodgers sidekick Randall Cobb.
In addition to Woods rejoining Saleh — who was on the quality control level the last time the two were in the same building — he will follow ex-Seahawk Quinton Jefferson to New York. The Seahawks released both Woods and Jefferson in March, clearing the way for the additions of Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed. Woods spent his past three seasons with the Seahawks but has played for five teams in his career. The 2010 Saints draftee never appeared in a game for New Orleans but has suited up for the Buccaneers, Steelers, Colts and Titans during his lengthy NFL run. He was with the Jaguars in 2020 but never played a game for the team, opting out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Seahawks made Woods (30 starts from 2021-22) a defensive captain last season, and Pro Football Focus ranked him 32nd among interior D-linemen during the team’s surprise journey to the playoffs. Woods, who registered two sacks, played on 39% of Seattle’s defensive snaps last season. While that usage rate was down a bit from Woods’ 2021 work, the Seahawks prioritized his return in the form of a two-year, $9MM deal in 2022. He will now attempt to help the Jets to their first playoff berth since 2010.
Woods will join Jefferson, Solomon Thomas and John Franklin-Myers as Quinnen Williams wingmen in the Big Apple. The Jets, who lost Folorunso Fatukasi to the Jaguars in 2022, pursued Calais Campbell and made a competitive offer. That pursuit indicated Saleh’s team is not concerned with adding a mid-30s defensive lineman, and the Jets will move forward with one of the league’s oldest non-quarterbacks or specialists.
Giants Re-Sign OLB Oshane Ximines
While the Giants did not draft an edge rusher, they will bring back one of their previous options at outside linebacker. Oshane Ximines will return on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Giants have since announced the signing.
A former Giants third-round pick, Ximines has mostly worked as a rotational presence with New York. But the Old Dominion product has made nine starts over the course of a four-year career.
Former GM Dave Gettleman eschewed the Giants’ edge-rushing need — created by the team trading Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon — for much of his tenure. Ximines represented one of the since-departed GM’s top investments at the position. A year after drafting Lorenzo Carter in the third round, the Giants chose Ximines 95th overall in 2019. The team let Carter walk last year, and he has since signed a multiyear deal with the Falcons. But Ximines remains positioned as a Big Blue second-stringer.
After totaling 4.5 sacks as a rookie, Ximines has not made many statistical contributions over the past three seasons. An offsides penalty that proved costly in a narrow loss to the Chiefs affected Ximines’ role in 2021, when he fell out of favor with Joe Judge‘s staff. Ximines spent much of that season’s dreadful Giants stretch run as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old edge defender did bounce back a bit last season, recording two sacks and eight quarterback hits.
New York’s edge rush remains centered around Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari. The latter’s rookie contract runs through 2024. Both starters battled injury issues last season, and Ximines’ workload increased as a result. After playing just 183 defensive snaps in 2021, Ximines logged a career-high 506 last season. Don Martindale will give the fifth-year defender another chance to be part of his edge rotation this season.