NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/20/21
Here are the 2021 draftees to sign their rookie contracts Thursday:
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Marco Wilson (fourth round; Florida)
- S James Wiggins (seventh round; Cincinnati)
- C Michal Menet (seventh round; Penn State)
Dallas Cowboys
- LB Jabril Cox (fourth round; LSU)
- OT Josh Ball (fourth round; Marshall)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- TE Luke Farrell (fifth round; Ohio State)
Washington Cuts Morgan Moses, Geron Christian
After attempting to trade Morgan Moses, Washington will instead send its longtime right tackle to free agency. The team is releasing its six-year right tackle starter, Sam Fortier of the Washington Post tweets. Washington is also waiving tackle Geron Christian, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (on Twitter).
Rarely a player brought up here at Pro Football Rumors, Moses signed an extension in 2017 and has gone six straight seasons without missing a game. Moses’ relative anonymity came to an end this week, with Washington making him available for trade. No takers, however, will lead to a release.
Washington added two presumptive tackle starters over the past month, drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round and signing longtime Bears left tackle Charles Leno. The WFT will save $7.74MM by cutting Moses, who will immediately become one of the top free agents available.
Pro Football Focus graded Moses as a top-20 tackle last season. While the advanced metrics site viewed Moses as a middle-of-the-road tackle from 2017-19, the 30-year-old blocker certainly proved dependable. As Trent Williams frequently missed starts and Washington cycled through tackles after Williams’ run ended in 2019, Moses continued to suit up for games. After finishing his rookie season on IR, the former third-round pick has made 96 straight starts.
A 2018 third-round pick, Christian started eight games at left tackle with Washington. Six of those came last season. Although a Brandon Scherff extension remains a goal for the defending NFC East champions, Washington’s new regime has rebooted the team’s tackle situation.
Patriots Bring Back RB Tyler Gaffney
Tyler Gaffney resurfaced in the NFL last year, parlaying a late-summer workout into a practice squad gig with the 49ers. The former minor league baseball player, however, will return to the NFL team with which he is most associated.
The Patriots are signing the veteran running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Pats employed Gaffney from 2014-17, picking him up off waivers after the Panthers cut him. New England will now give the 30-year-old back another opportunity.
A former 24th-round Pittsburgh Pirates draft choice, Gaffney has seen far more game action in baseball. Yet to play in an NFL regular-season game, the Stanford alum left football for farm-system life in 2018. He split time between the Pirates’ High-A and Double-A teams that year, slashing .291/.391/.470 with the Pirates’ High-A team before struggling with the higher-level ballclub. Following that season, Gaffney made the decision to return to football for a second time.
Although Gaffney collected two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Pats, his most notable football contributions came at Stanford. Gaffney rushed for 1,709 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior in 2013, a season that came after he spent 2012 in the Pirates’ minor league system. The 49ers signed Gaffney in August but released him in January.
Jaguars Sign Tim Tebow
It’s officially official. On Thursday, the Jaguars confirmed that they’ve signed former University of Florida superstar Tim Tebow. Tebow, who made his name at quarterback, will attempt to return to football as a tight end.
“‘I want to thank the Jaguars for the opportunity to compete and earn the chance to be part of this team,’ Tebow said. “I know it will be a challenge, but it is a challenge I embrace. I am dedicated to taking the direction of our coaching staff and learning from my teammates. I appreciate everyone’s support as I embark on this new journey.”
Tebow hasn’t played in a real NFL game since the 2012 season. His last pro football stint was with the Eagles during the 2015 preseason. He’s since attempted a pro baseball career, spending time in the minor leagues with the Mets, which he just recently retired from.
All in all, Tebow’s NFL career spans three seasons, two with the Broncos and one with the Jets. As a first-round rookie in Denver, Tebow threw for 654 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 227 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. In 2011, Tebow played in 14 games and passed for 1,729 yards and 12 scores, plus 660 yards and six TDs rushing. Tebow logged a playoff win that year, but he wasn’t necessarily the driver behind their success.
Now, the two-time national champion at Florida will reunite with Urban Meyer and try to make the Jaguars as a tight end. For what it’s worth, the Mets’ minor league affiliates listed the 6-foot-3 Tebow at a TE-ready 245 pounds. The Jaguars now roster six TEs in total: Chris Manhertz, fifth-round pick Luke Farrell, Tyler Davis, James O’Shaughnessy, Ben Ellefson, and Tebow.
Texans Sign WR Taywan Taylor
After signing another quarterback earlier this evening, the Texans continue to add to their offense. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Houston is signing wide receiver Taywan Taylor to a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum.
[RELATED: Texans Sign QB Jeff Driskel]
The Titans’ 2017 third-round pick showed promise during his first two years in the NFL, including a sophomore season where he hauled in 37 receptions for 466 yards and one touchdown. However, since getting traded to Cleveland in 2019, he’s struggled to see the field. Over the past two years, Taylor has only seen time in six total games and 51 total offensive snaps.
The Texans have a crowded depth chart at wide receiver. The team was already rostering veterans like Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb, and they’ve spent the offseason adding more veterans (like Andre Roberts and Chris Conley) and rookies (including third-rounder Nico Collins). Taylor will be the 13th receiver on Houston’s roster, so it’s going to be an uphill battle for him to make the squad.
Taylor does have some experience on special teams, so he could find another spot to make the roster. He had five tackles for the Titans during his rookie season, and he returned three kickoffs for the Browns in 2019.
Texans Sign QB Jeff Driskel
The Texans QB room is starting to get a bit crowded. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Texans are signing Jeff Driskel to a one-year deal worth $2.5MM.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the deal includes a $250K signing bonus and a $1MM base salary ($500K guaranteed). Driskel will also earn $30K for each game he’s active, and he has up to $750K in playing-time incentives.
The 2016 sixth-round pick didn’t even make it to the regular season with the 49ers, but he subsequently found a home in Cincinnati. He spent three-plus seasons with the Bengals organization, including a 2018 campaign where he threw six touchdowns vs. only two interceptions in nine games (five starts). He started three games filling in for Matthew Stafford in Detroit during the 2019 season, and he started one of his three games for Denver in 2020.
In total, the 28-year-old has seen time in 15 career games (nine starts), completing 58.6-percent of his passes for 2,120 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
While Driskel got a chunk of change from Houston, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll even make the Texans roster. Following Deshaun Watson‘s trade request and subsequent legal issues, the organization has been busy adding to their uncertain depth chart. Free agent addition Tyrod Taylor is expected to start (assuming Watson is sidelined), and 2021 third-round pick Davis Mills will surely make the roster. This means Driskel will likely be competing with free agent addition (and former teammate) Ryan Finley for a spot on the roster.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/19/21
The Colts have now officially signed every member of their draft class. We’ll keep track of all the new draftees signing their rookie deals today here:
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Kylen Granson (fourth-round; SMU), QB Sam Ehlinger (sixth-round; Texas)
Minnesota Vikings
- DE Janarius Robinson (fourth-round; Florida State)
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (fourth-round; Oklahoma)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Jaelon Darden (fourth-round; North Texas)
Washington Signs Joe Walker, Cuts Josh Harvey-Clemons
Washington is shuffling their linebacking depth chart. They’ve signed free agent linebacker Joe Walker and cut Josh Harvey-Clemons, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
Walker spent 2020 with the 49ers where he was a core special teamer and reserve, playing over 60 percent of the special teams snaps. He didn’t play much on defense, but the year before in 2019 he started 11 games for the Cardinals. That year in Arizona, he finished with 65 tackles, five for a loss, and a forced fumble.
He was originally a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 2016, and started three games for Philly in 2017. Washington drafted Harvey-Clemons in the seventh-round back in 2017. He played a real role in 2018, when he had a sack and three passes defended, but his playing time was reduced in 2019.
Harvey-Clemons then opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. Linebacker was a weakness for Washington’s strong defense last season, and they just used their first-round pick on Jamin Davis from Kentucky.
Eagles To Sign Le’Raven Clark
Nick Sirianni is reuniting with a familiar face. The Eagles are signing free agent offensive lineman Le’Raven Clark, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed, but it’s safe to assume it’s a cheap short-term deal. It is in fact a one-year pact, Tim McManus of ESPN tweets. The Colts drafted Clark 82nd overall back in 2016, and Sirianni was his offensive coordinator in Indianapolis the past three seasons.
Philly wasn’t the only team to express interest, as we heard that Clark met with the Bills back in early April. Clark was never a full-time starter with the Colts, but usually ended up starting at least a few games per year. He was inserted into the starting lineup at tackle last year, but unfortunately went down with an Achilles tear himself in December after starting three games.
With the injury coming so late in the season, it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for Week 1 this year. Clark started at least three games in four of his five seasons with the Colts, but never more than five. He started five at guard in 2017, so he’s got some versatility.
The Eagles’ offensive line was really banged up last year, so it’s not surprising they’re looking for additional insurance. Andre Dillard and Lane Johnson currently project as the two starting tackles.
Lions Sign Penei Sewell
The Lions have their first-round pick in the fold. On Wednesday, offensive tackle Penei Sewell agreed to terms on his rookie contract (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Per the terms of his slot, the No. 7 overall pick will receive a four-year, $24.1MM fully guaranteed deal. That guaranteed sum includes a hefty $14.9MM signing bonus. There was little doubt that Sewell would sign — rookie contracts are fairly cookie-cutter, thanks to the slotting system. Still, agents and execs will sometimes haggle over the finer points, such as offset language.
Sewell opted out of Oregon’s 2020 season, but the 6’6″, 330-pound prospect was absolutely stellar in 2019. He surrendered zero sacks in the previous year and gave up just seven quarterback pressures in total. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were also fond of his work. In 2019, Sewell finished No. 1 in the country with a run-blocking grade of 95.3 while placing third in pass-blocking (91.1).
The Outland Trophy winner was absent from the Lions’ rookie minicamp after testing positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, it sounds like he’s okay and will be able to join the rest of his teammates soon.