NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/22
We’ll keep track of today’s late-round signings here:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Delarrin Turner-Yell (fifth round, Oklahoma)
- Signed: C Luke Wattenberg (fifth round, Washington)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Jamaree Salyer (sixth round, Georgia)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Nick Muse (sixth round, South Carolina)
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Sam Roberts (sixth round, Northwest Missouri State)
Bears Sign QB Nathan Peterman
After three-plus seasons with the Raiders, Nathan Peterman has found a new team. The Bears signed the veteran quarterback to a one-year deal Wednesday.
Although the once-maligned quarterback is best known for making disastrous starts during his Bills tenure, which included a Week 1 start ahead of Josh Allen in 2018, Peterman has stabilized his career as a reserve. He caught on with the Raiders during Jon Gruden‘s first year, and after signing a 2019 reserve/futures contract, the Pitt product continued to work as one of Derek Carr‘s understudies.
Peterman primarily played behind both Carr and Marcus Mariota in Las Vegas. The 2017 fifth-round pick signed a one-year, $1MM pact to stay with the Raiders last year, and he finished the year on the Raiders’ practice squad. Since his Bills tenure wrapped midway through the 2018 season, Peterman has attempted eight regular-season passes. He still carries a career 3-12 career touchdown pass-to-interception ratio and a 34.0 passer rating.
The Bears previously carried one of the most experienced sets of second- and third-string quarterbacks in NFL history, rostering Andy Dalton and Nick Foles. Dalton has since signed with the Saints, and the Bears cut Foles shortly after the draft. The 10-year veteran remains a free agent. Trevor Siemian joins Peterman behind Justin Fields now; the team waived second-year QB Ryan Willis on Wednesday.
Jaguars Waive K Matthew Wright, Claim OL Wes Martin
A day after the Giants cut Wes Martin, the fourth-year guard is on his way to a third team in three years. The Jaguars added the former Washington draftee via waiver claim Wednesday.
Jacksonville also waived Matthew Wright, who served as the team’s primary kicker last season. Wright, who came to the Jaguars after spending part of the 2020 season with the Steelers, put together a solid season in Jacksonville and could well generate interest elsewhere.
Wright made 21 of 24 field goal attempts last season, his first run as a full-time kicker. This included a 4-for-6 success rate from 50-plus yards — including two in the team’s London win over the Dolphins. The Central Florida product made a 56-yard try. Jacksonville did not draft a kicker but did add one as a UDFA (Andrew Mevis). The team also has Ryan Santoso rostered. Santoso kicked in four games with the Panthers and Lions last season, being cut after one Panthers game before resurfacing with the NFC North franchise.
Martin joins the Jags after two years in Washington and one in New York. A former fourth-round pick out of Indiana, Martin made 10 starts with Washington from 2019-20 but just one for a Giants team that ran into early-season trouble on its interior offensive line. The Giants signed Martin off Washington’s practice squad in late September. One season remains on Martin’s rookie contract.
The Jags also claimed edge defender Rashod Berry off waivers from the Lions. A former UDFA out of Ohio State, Berry has played in eight NFL games in two seasons.
Broncos Sign Second-Round LB Nik Bonitto
The final pick of this year’s second round is under contract. Oklahoma edge rusher Nik Bonitto agreed to terms on his four-year Broncos deal Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
This move comes in advance of the Broncos’ rookie minicamp, which begins Thursday. Bonitto was Denver’s highest draft pick this year, after the team traded its first- and second-round choices as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson deal. The No. 64 overall selection will attempt to contribute to Denver’s pass rush early.
Denver did not necessarily need an edge rusher early in this draft, having added Randy Gregory to a stable that includes Pro Bowler Bradley Chubb and frequent fill-in starter Malik Reed. But the latter two are entering contract years. Gregory is also rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. The Broncos, despite being thinner at inside linebacker, are also trying 2021 third-rounder Baron Browning as an edge player this offseason.
One of the quicker edges to enter the draft in recent years, Bonitto combined for 16 sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The 248-pound linebacker, who clocked a 4.54-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine, also finished with 26.5 tackles for loss between his sophomore and junior years. Coming to the Broncos via the second-round pick obtained in the Von Miller trade, Bonitto represents a lower-cost successor of sorts to the future Hall of Famer.
The Broncos also signed sixth-round defensive lineman Matt Henningsen and seventh-round cornerback Faion Hicks, per the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran and Klis (Twitter links). Both Day 3 picks are Wisconsin alums.
Texans Sign Round 2 S Jalen Pitre
The Texans signed the first of their two second-round picks — safety Jalen Pitre — to his four-year rookie contract Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Pitre’s $8.95MM deal includes three years fully guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). This marks a step forward under the current slot system, with the No. 34 overall pick being last year’s cutoff line for full guarantees. Pitre went off the board 37th overall.
Houston later traded up for Alabama wideout John Metchie in Round 2 but used its own pick to nab Pitre, who played both linebacker and safety at Baylor. The Bears moved Pitre to safety in 2020, when he became a regular on their defense. Pitre returned both of his interceptions that season for touchdowns. He forced three fumbles during his 2021 senior season, en route to first-team All-America acclaim. Despite the move from linebacker, Pitre weighed just 198 pounds at the Combine.
Longtime Texans safety starter Justin Reid departed early in free agency, signing with the Chiefs as a Tyrann Mathieu replacement. This clears a path for Pitre to be an instant starter in Houston, should the in-state product prove ready.
Ravens Withdraw ERFA Tender On RB Ty’Son Williams
Ty’Son Williams is now a free agent. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Ravens have withdrawn the tender on the running back, meaning he’s now free to sign with any team.
[RELATED: Ravens To Sign Mike Davis]
Williams was hit with an exclusive rights free agent tender at the beginning of the offseason, but the RB never inked his one-year deal. The Ravens weren’t locked in to their tender, so they withdrew the offer after adding a number of running backs.
Williams went undrafted out of BYU in 2020, but he ended up spending much of his rookie campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad. Following a long list of RB injuries heading into the 2021 season, the 25-year-old found himself atop the depth chart. Williams collected 187 yards from scrimmage through his first two games, but he managed only 82 more yards for the rest of the season.
After adding Tyler Badie in the sixth round of the draft and Ricky Person Jr. as an undrafted free agent, the Ravens signed veteran running back Mike Davis earlier today. The trio will join J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill, with each of those holdovers still recovering from season-ending injuries in 2021. The Ravens are also rostering veteran running back Nate McCrary.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Chicago Bears
- Reverted to IR: LB Ledarius Mack
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB Tavante Beckett, OLB Rashod Berry, CB Parnell Motley, TE Jared Pinkney (injury settlement), TE Matt Sokol
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: T Shon Coleman, LB Malik Jefferson
- Waived: TE Farrod Green, TE Eli Wolf
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: QB Anthony Gordon, RB Brenden Knox, OT Gene Pryor, DT Darius Stills
New York Giants
- Waived: LB Omari Cobb, TE Jake Hausmann, TE Rysen John, OL Wes Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: LB Tegray Scales, LS Rex Sunahara
- Waived-injured: CB Isaiah Johnson
Panthers Sign Round 1 T Ikem Ekwonu
Three of the draft’s top six picks have agreed to their rookie deals. The Panthers announced Tuesday night they came to terms with Ikem Ekwonu, the No. 6 overall choice. This signing follows the Lions and Jets getting their top picks (Aidan Hutchinson and Sauce Gardner) under contract.
The slot deal is worth $27.6MM, fully guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Panthers will enjoy at least three years of their new left tackle being attached to a rookie contract — one that can run through 2026, via the fifth-year option.
Ekwonu panning out would fill one of the NFL’s longest-standing needs. The Panthers have started a different primary left tackle in each of the past nine seasons, seeing the position fall into disarray after Jordan Gross‘ 2014 retirement. Although Carolina made this setup work at points during this run, venturing to playoff brackets and Super Bowl 50, it has been one of the NFL’s least steady positions.
The Giants taking Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5 meant the Panthers would have their pick of the draft’s top tackles, and they went with the North Carolina State blocker. Ekwonu has experience at tackle and guard. He earned second-team All-ACC acclaim as a sophomore and first-team all-conference accolades last season. The in-state prospect, who is also a Charlotte native, is the top new addition to a Carolina line that is set to feature new starters in Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett. Ekwonu will attempt to carve out a long-term role opposite longtime right tackle starter Taylor Moton.
Chiefs Re-Sign C Austin Reiter
Formerly the Chiefs’ starting center, Austin Reiter has now bounced on and off the team’s roster this offseason. After re-signing with Kansas City in March, Reiter was released shortly post-draft. The team has again brought back the former starter.
Reiter, wide receiver Gary Jennings and offensive lineman Chris Glaser signed with the Chiefs on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Glaser attended the team’s rookie minicamp last week. Reiter could have a chance to vie for a depth job in Kansas City, which now has 2021 second-rounder Creed Humphrey entrenched at the center position.
During both of the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl seasons, Reiter served in that role. The ex-Washington seventh-round pick started 28 games from 2019-20 and was a full-timer in each of the Chiefs’ six playoff games during those years. The team did not re-sign Reiter after its Super Bowl LV blocking debacle, reshaping its offensive line behind the likes of Reiter, Joe Thuney and Orlando Brown Jr. Sixth-round pick Trey Smith later earned the team’s starting right guard gig, marking a near-complete overhaul.
Reiter, 30, spent last season with the Dolphins and Saints. He started five games with Miami. The Chiefs lost 2021 backup center Austin Blythe to the Seahawks earlier this offseason, making the perennial AFC West champions a bit thinner on their interior O-line.
Texans To Sign Jerry Hughes
One of the top remaining edge rushers is off the market. Jerry Hughes is signing with the Texans, as first reported by Jordan Schultz and confirmed (on Twitter) by Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson. 
Hughes, 33, began his career in Indianapolis in 2010. He played a reserve role for the first two seasons of his career, but took on a much larger workload the following year. He started six games, totalling 41 tackles and four sacks. During the subsequent offseason, though, he was traded to the Bills.
It was in Buffalo that he enjoyed the bulk of his success. Starting 127 of 144 games with the Bills, Hughes put up back-to-back seasons with 10 sacks in 2013 and 2014. Since then, he has remained a consistent presence on the edge of the Bills’ defense. His level of play earned him a two-year extension in 2019, though the 2021 campaign saw him put up the lowest totals of his tenure in western New York (18 tackles, two sacks).
This offseason, the Bills have made changes in the edge room, including, most notably, the signing of Von Miller. In large part because of that deal, Hughes and Mario Addison were forced to find new homes. The latter has already signed in Houston, making him one of a few notable faces for Hughes. Another is defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire, who previously worked on the Bills’ staff.
As a Sugar Land native and TCU alum, this deal also marks a homecoming for Hughes. Even if he isn’t able to replicate his best years, he should have a notable role to play on what could be a much-improved Texans defense in 2022.