Rams Bring In 17 UDFAs
The Rams are the latest team to unveil their crop of undrafted free agents. Here are the 17 UDFAs who have officially signed on with the defending Super Bowl champions:
- TE Roger Carter, Georgia State
- CB T.J. Carter, TCU
- CB Caesar Dancy-Williams, Wisconsin
- P Cameron Dicker, Texas
- IDL Elijah Garcia, Rice
- OLB Andrzej Hughes-Murray, Oregon State
- ILB Jake Hummel, Iowa State
- S Dan Isom, Washington State
- CB Duron Lowe, Liberty
- WR Lance McCutcheon, Montana State
- S Jairon McVea, Baylor
- IDL Dion Novil, North Texas
- TE Jamal Pettigrew, McNeese State
- G Jack Snyder, San Jose State
- OLB Brayden Thomas, North Dakota State
- OLB Keir Thomas, Florida State
- OLB Benton Whitley, Holy Cross
Texas’ kicker for the past four seasons, Dicker is listed as a punter despite only punting in two of those four. Dicker served as the Longhorns’ full-time punter last season but only logged eight punts prior to that senior year. Dicker averaged 46.8 yards per boot last season, earning first-team All-Big 12 acclaim. The Rams cut 10-year punter Johnny Hekker but signed Riley Dixon later this offseason.
Although the four outside linebackers in this year’s crop should not necessarily be connected to the team’s loss of Von Miller in free agency, this quartet joins a team that used one draft choice (a seventh-rounder at that) on the edge spot. Thomas, who teamed with first-rounder Jermaine Johnson at Florida State last season, used his COVID-19-enabled extra season after playing five years at South Carolina. Thomas recorded 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss last season. Brayden Thomas and Hughes-Murray also spent six years in college. They registered nine and six sacks as seniors, respectively.
The Rams pursued UDFA quarterbacks, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, and plan to add one before camp (Twitter link). John Wolford and 2020 UDFA Bryce Perkins comprise Matthew Stafford‘s backup contingent. Jamal Pettigrew is a cousin of former Lions first-rounder Brandon Pettigrew. Jamal transferred from LSU, where he played a backup role on the Tigers’ unbeaten national championship team, to McNeese State and played 18 games — seven in the spring due to COVID adjustments — last year. Counting the draft, the Rams added six rookie cornerbacks
Broncos Re-Sign TE Eric Saubert
A 17-game contributor for the 2021 Broncos, Eric Saubert will have a chance to make it back-to-back seasons in Denver. The sides agreed to terms on a one-year deal Wednesday.
The veteran tight end signed with the Broncos on May 3, 2021; 366 days later, he will join their new-look offense. The team has remade its tight end room this offseason, but Nathaniel Hackett‘s staff will take a look at Saubert to see a potential fit.
Formerly a Falcons fifth-round pick, Saubert has played with four teams over the past four years. After his two-year Atlanta stint ended, the Drake alum played with the Bears in 2019 and Jaguars in 2020. The Broncos reunited Saubert with ex-Falcons tight ends coach Wade Harman, but Harman is no longer in that role.
Saubert, 28, caught eight passes for 47 yards and one touchdown — his first as a pro — last season but mostly aided the Broncos in the run-blocking department. Denver added veteran blocking tight end Eric Tomlinson this offseason and still has fullback/tight end Andrew Beck on its roster. The team swapped out Noah Fant for third-rounder Greg Dulcich on the receiving front, and Albert Okwuegbunam is set to reprise his role.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/22
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Chicago Bears
- Claimed (from Chiefs): WR Chris Finke
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: FB Sewo Olonilua
Houston Texans
- Signed: QB Kevin Hogan
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Antoine Brooks, RB Javian Hawkins
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR/KR Alex Erickson
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/3/22
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived: OL Sam Cooper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Chris Finke
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DT Jalen Dalton
- Released: DB KeiVarae Russell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Josh Jones
- Waived: DT Niles Scott
AFC South Teams Add Players Via International Player Pathway Program
This year was the AFC South’s turn to participate in the International Player Pathway program, which allows teams to carry an additional international player on their practice squads. This year’s players include (via the NFL on Twitter):
- Colts: DB Marcel Dabo, Germany
- Texans: DL Adedayo Odeleye, Nigeria/UK
- Titans: TE Thomas Odukoya, Netherlands
- Jaguars: DB Ayo Oyelola, UK
Per the league’s website, the “program aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.”
These players will sit on their respective team’s roster until the end of training camp, at which time the teams will be granted “an international player practice squad exemption.” Assuming these players land on the practice squad, they’ll be ineligible to be activated during the 2022 campaign.
Patricipants in last year’s program included tight end Bernhard Seikovits (Cardinals), offensive lineman Alfredo Gutierrez (49ers), offensive lineman Max Pircher (Rams), and linebacker Aaron Donkor (Seahawks).
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/22
Tuesday saw the first 2022 draftee sign his rookie contract:
Carolina Panthers
- DE Amare Barno (sixth round; Virginia Tech)
Texans To Cut DL Kingsley Keke
Kingsley Keke was scheduled to start his Texans career this fall, but he will suiting up elsewhere. The Texans are cutting the 25-year-old, reports Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (on Twitter).
Keke, a fifth-round pick of the Packers in 2019, took on an increasingly large role in Green Bay over his three seasons there. He made 17 starts between 2020 and 2021, totalling 44 tackles and 6.5 sacks during that span; those totals contributed to consistent PFF grades in the 60s. His time with the team came to an abrupt end, however, and he was waived in January.
The Texans claimed Keke off waivers not long after, which pointed to him becoming another young piece to Houston’s rebuilding roster. However, as Wilson notes, he was due a base salary of just over $2.5MM as a result of playtime escalators, making him an expensive rotational option. Releasing him does not incur any dead cap charge for the Texans.
Houston drafted Thomas Booker in the fifth round, and has signed Damion Daniels as a UDFA to add cheaper options at the position. Wilson does note, though, that the Texas A&M product is expected to have a market for his services as he hits free agency for the first time in his career.
Jaguars To Re-Sign DL Adam Gotsis
Adam Gotsis will be extending his stay in Duval County. The veteran defensive lineman is re-signing with the Jaguars, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link via Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson). 
The 29-year-old began his career with the Broncos in 2016. While he played a reserve role in his rookie season, he took on a starter’s workload the following year. It was in that 2017 campaign that he set a career high in tackles with 41, adding a pair of sacks and five quarterback hits. A similar performance in 2018 had many expecting a lucrative extension was forthcoming.
However, the former second-rounder ended his final season in Denver by undergoing knee surgery. That concluded an underwhelming year for him, as he struggled in then-head coach Vic Fangio‘s system. It also made the decision easier on the Broncos to let the Georgia Tech alum leave in free agency.
That offseason, Gotsis signed in Jacksonville for the first time. He demonstrated that he had recovered from the injury, playing the full season and making 14 starts. While he was held without a sack, his level of play earned him another deal with the Jaguars last year. The Australian saw a dip in playing time, but still managed to match his career high with three sacks.
In 2022, Gotsis will likely once again see a rotational role. The Jaguars added Folorunso Fatukasi in free agency, and selected Travon Walker with the No. 1 pick in last week’s draft. Still, he will add experienced depth to what figures to be a much improved defensive front.
Chiefs To Sign UDFA Justyn Ross
One of the biggest names amongst undrafted free agents appears to be headed to Kansas City. Former Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross is signing with the Chiefs, per Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson (Twitter link). 
Ross was one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s class. His college career began with a hugely productive freshman season in 2018, where he registered 46 catches for exactly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Standing out on a team which also featured the likes of Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow, he was thought to be a first-round lock and the next in a long line of high-end Tigers receivers.
The following season did little to quell those thoughts. He put up 66 receptions and another eight touchdowns, playing a key role in Clemson going undefeated. In the National Championship game victory over Alabama, he was the team’s leading receiver, averaging over 25 yards per catch. It was after that, however, that his draft stock began to plummet.
In 2020, Ross underwent surgery to correct a congenital fusion in his neck. The procedure cost him his entire junior season, and, for a time, left his ability to play football in doubt. Those concerns were amplified by a second fusion surgery he underwent, as noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Ross was able to come back last year, however, playing in 10 games.
Given his injury history, “many teams” took Ross off of their draft boards completely, as noted by Rapoport. His earlier production, coupled with his size (six-foot-four, 205 pounds), though, made him worth a flier in the Chiefs’ eyes. In Kansas City, he will enter a WR room which has seen Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle leave this offseason. In response, the team has added JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and second-rounder Skyy Moore.
Falcons, Grady Jarrett Agree To Extension
The Falcons have agreed to a brand new deal with Grady Jarrett (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The defensive tackle has a fresh three-year extension that will pay up to $51MM and keep him under contract through the 2025 season. 
Jarrett previously had one year to go on his deal, a four year, $68MM pact inked in 2019. That contract came with $42.5MM in guarantees and $38MM guaranteed at signing. This new deal furnishes Jarrett with a healthy $34.5MM locked in at signing.
The Falcons have now secured their standout interior lineman while tamping down their 2022 cap figure. That’s a big deal for Atlanta. Heading into today, they were in the bottom five of the NFL in cap room — ahead of the Titans, Cardinals, Patriots, and 49ers — and just $4.8MM under the max. The newfound cash will help them sign their rookie class and, perhaps, enable some veteran additions between now and September.
“I’m not going to predict that I 100 percent know,” head coach Arthur Smith said recently when asked about a potential Jarrett extension (via the team website). “He knows where we stand. We love Grady. We also know that players may have their own opinions, and that’s welcome. It’s part of doing business. We’ll see how it plays out. I love Grady and we’d love to keep coaching him.”
Jarrett, who just turned 29, earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and 2020. There was no Pro Bowl for him in 2021, but he did suit up for all 17 games while continuing his usually solid work as a run-stuffer.