Tag: NFL undrafted free agency

Bengals give one of Ja’Marr Chase’s best friends shot as UDFA

A fun Bengals connection between a superstar and UDFA.

When the Cincinnati Bengals announced the 14-player undrafted free agent class, the fact one of those guys was a best friend with Ja’Marr Chase was a footnote.

But now we know more about the connection between Chase and former Tulane cornerback Lance Robinson.

As it turns out, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Chase and Robinson knew each other since they were roughly five years old and kept in touch despite attending different high schools.

“He knows my tendencies, I know his tendencies,” Robinson said, per Hobson. “We stayed away from each other. He said, ‘You do your thing, I’ll do my thing.’ I feel like if I can do well against him, I can do well against anybody.”

Friendship wasn’t the only reason player and team were drawn to one another on the post-draft market, though.

Robinson went on to tell Hobson that one of the big reasons for his interest in Cincinnati was coaches told him they would let him learn multiple positions.

And in turn, that versatility is something the team likes and will give Robinson the best chance of cracking the final 53-man roster.

The friendship note is just a proverbial cherry on top. Robinson will get to compete with the likes of draft pick Josh Newton, DJ Ivey and Jalen Davis for backup spots on a cornerback depth chart that is a rather large question mark right now, especially with former first-rounder Dax Hill making a position change, too.

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Commanders’ 2024 UDFA class ranked 6th in NFL

The Commanders had an impressive draft and followed it with a strong UDFA class.

The Washington Commanders have done a good job over the years finding undrafted gems after the NFL draft. Two original members of “The Hogs” were undrafted free agents: Offensive tackle Joe Jacoby and center Jeff Bostic. Jacoby should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Other notable undrafted Washington stars are Neal Olkewicz, Mel Kaufman, Mark Murphy and current Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. Last year, the Commanders had wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley make the 53-man roster. While Tinsley didn’t make an impact in the regular season, he has an opportunity under the new regime.

Washington selected nine players in the 2024 NFL draft and signed 11 undrafted free agents. The Commanders paid big bonuses to at least three of their UDFA signings, led by cornerback Chigozie Anusiem and quarterback Sam Hartman.

So, where does Washington’s class stand against the rest of the NFL?

Thor Nystrom of FantasyPros ranked all 32 UDFA classes, and the Commanders came in at No. 6.

The Commanders followed a smash draft with the No. 6 UDFA class. That crop included six prospects I had ranked in my pre-draft top-300.

The Commanders won the CB Chigozie Anusiem bidding war with $350,000 in total guarantees. Per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, “half the league wanted Anusiem after he went undrafted.” Anusiem broke up 11 balls over the last two seasons at CSU after transferring from Cal. He’s an intriguing size/athleticism developmental flier who probably should have been drafted.

Speaking of size/athleticism freaks, S Tyler Owens is one of the fastest 210-plus-pound humans walking the earth, and he was one inch shy of the NFL Combine’s broad jump record. But his technique and instincts need work on the field, and the latter inarguably needs more work off it. At the NFL Combine, Owens told reporters that he doesn’t “believe in space” or “other planets”, adding “I started seeing flat earth stuff and I was like, this is kind of interesting.” I promise I am not making these quotes up.

Per Nystrom, the Commanders had six prospects he had ranked in his top 300 ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Here are three sleepers, according to Nystrom:

Three sleepers to keep an eye on: FB Colson Yankoff, WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, and S Ben Nikkel. All three signings pointed to an all-encompassing, holistic draft process under the new administration. This is why: The trio were all core special-team standouts on their college teams.

Making Washington’s 53-man roster will be competitive in 2024. General manager Adam Peters has done an excellent job of flipping the roster with well over 40 newcomers to the current 90-man roster. However, players at specific positions, such as Anusiem, are intriguing prospects to watch this summer.

 

Which UDFA is most likely to make the Commanders’ 53-man roster?

Which undrafted rookie has the best chance of earning a roster spot?

It’s been a busy offseason for the Washington Commanders. In addition to hiring a new general manager (Adam Peters) and head coach (Dan Quinn), the team was busy with free agency and the NFL draft.

Washington signed over 20 outside free agents, selected nine players in the draft and signed 11 undrafted free agents. That’s a lot of turnover in one offseason, but it was needed after a disastrous 4-13 season.

The Commanders entered the offseason needing help almost everywhere. Quarterback and offensive tackle were the most talked-about positions, but cornerback was also needed.

Washington selected Emmanuel Forbes in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Forbes’s rookie season was disastrous. He was benched multiple times after being beaten badly. However, in fairness to Forbes, he didn’t necessarily have great coaching.

That will change now with Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. While there is optimism that the new coaching staff will help Forbes, the Commanders still needed reinforcements at cornerback. Washington signed multiple veterans to compete in training camp and used a second-round pick on Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil.

Sainristil almost immediately becomes the Commaders’ starting slot cornerback.

Washington signed former Colorado State cornerback Chigozie Anusiem in undrafted free agency. Anusiem began his career at Cal and spent his final two seasons with Colorado State. Many were surprised he wasn’t drafted as Anusiem is 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, with long arms and speed.

Anusiem was a hot commodity after the NFL draft, as nearly half the league tried to sign him.

With all of these factors in mind, you’d think Anusiem has a great shot at making Washington’s 53-man roster.

Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently named one undrafted free agent from every team that he believes is most likely to make the initial 53-man roster.

Fowler chose Anusiem.

A long and physical corner, Chigozie Anusiem fits the mold of what new Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn covets in his perimeter defenders. He’s built eerily similar to the corners already in Washington.

Anusiem’s ability to seamlessly work downhill as a Cover 3 corner should give him a floor for success in the NFL.

Questions still remain about Benjamin St-Juste and 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes, so a solid showing this summer could help Anusiem suit up in a key rotational role for Washington this fall.

This isn’t like past regimes, where coaches or executives kept a player on the roster because of their draft status or how much money they were owed. Under Peters and Quinn, the best players will make the roster. And there’s a good chance they believe Anusiem is one of their best defensive backs once the pads go on this summer.

Bengals lost UDFA LB target to Broncos, Sean Payton

The Bengals were after an UDFA who signed with the Broncos.

The Cincinnati Bengals expressed interest in Fresno State linebacker Levelle Bailey in undrafted free agency.

Bailey, though, wound up signing with the Denver Broncos, securing a $15,000 signing bonus with $125,000 of his contract guaranteed.

According to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, the Bengals were one of the teams after Bailey, but two calls from Broncos head coach Sean Payton swung the outcome:

Bailey said he also was contacted by Carolina, Cincinnati and Minnesota about signing as a free agent. But did he get the same treatment from those teams that he did by Payton calling?

“No,’’ he said. “I didn’t talk to their head coaches.”

And that’s just how it goes in undrafted free agency. The Bengals didn’t draft a linebacker with one of their 10 picks in the draft itself, but did add two others in undrafted free agency.

In fact, both of the linebacker prospects they agreed with in undrafted free agency even got a big signing bonus from the Bengals, too.

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Bengals fans will like this stat about undrafted free agent punter

The Bengals have an UDFA punter on the way with some notable stats.

As seen in the annual Cincinnati Bengals undrafted free agents tracker, punter Austin McNamara from Texas Tech makes the list.

And while undrafted free agent signings aren’t in any way official until announced by the team, McNamara would be a huge get for the Bengals.

Mcnamara’s possible arrival with the Bengals is the team’s response to Brad Robbins’ struggles last year. In fact, it was a little surprising the team didn’t use one of its 10 picks on the position during the draft itself.

Clearly, the team likely knew something outsiders didn’t about how the draft board would shake out — but it’s still surprising given some of the numbers making the rounds out there, such as this from Pro Football Focus:

It’s not often a punter challenges as the most-hyped undrafted free agent signing by a team, but Bengals fans know better than most how important the position can be, say, in key playoff situations.

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Commanders signed undrafted cornerback that ‘half the league wanted’

The Commanders beat out several other teams for Colorado State cornerback.

The Washington Commanders immediately began working after the 2024 NFL draft, signing undrafted free agents. By the end of Saturday, they had agreed to terms with at least 10 undrafted free agents.

One of those free agents is Colorado State cornerback Chigozie Anusiem. Who is Anusiem?

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Anusiem began his career at Cal-Berkeley, where he appeared in 25 games with six starts. He graduated and transferred to Colorado State ahead of the 2022 season.

In two years with the Rams, Anusiem became a full-time starter, playing in 23 games and recording 93 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and one interception.

Washington wasn’t the only team that tried to sign Anusiem, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, who indicated that “half the league wanted Anusiem,” but the Commanders “paid up to lock him in.”

Why would so many teams want Anusiem without one drafting him in the final round? Only the NFL teams can answer that question, but a quick look at Anusiem’s measurables shows they are elite.

Here is Anusiem’s Relative Athletic Score:

Anusiem ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, has excellent size and long arms, and is excellent in press coverage. One area that hurts Anusiem a bit is the lack of interceptions. In five seasons of playing, he has only one interception.

The Commanders will play a lot of press coverage, which would explain their appeal to Anusiem. Head coach Dan Quinn has helped develop several young cornerbacks with similar skills, which makes signing Anusiem a smart move.

Washington drafted only one cornerback — Michigan’s Mike Sainristil in the second round. Sainristil will play slot cornerback, and questions remain on the outside with Emmanuel Forbes and Benjamin St-Juste.

 

 

Bengals give UDFA RB Elijah Collins notable signing bonus

More details on the Bengals going after a RB in undrafted free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals will dole out big signing bonuses to a pair of undrafted free agent linebackers after the 2024 NFL draft — and it sounds like they will do the same at running back.

Like linebacker, the Bengals didn’t draft a running back with one of their 10 selections as expected, so the front office seems to be making up for it with signing bonuses in free agency.

As previously noted, the eventual signing of Oklahoma State’s Elijah Collins will also include an $8,000 signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.

These bonuses are a way for the team to reel in players on the open market, so it speaks to the Bengals really liking Collins’ potential fit this summer in training camp battles.

Undrafted signings aren’t official until the team announces them.

Our entire Bengals undrafted free agency tracker is live.

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Bengals to pay notable signing bonuses to UDFA LBs

The Bengals are opening up the checkbook for UDFA linebackers.

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t use one of their 10 picks in the 2024 NFL draft on linebacker, so the fallout is seemingly opening up the checkbook in undrafted free agency.

As previously noted, the Bengals will hit Wisconsin’s Maema Njongmeta with a $15,000 signing bonus.

It turns out that, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the team will do the same for Indiana linebacker Aaron Casey.

That means two rookies will have a chance to compete for final roster spots this summer with the likes of Devin Harper and Shaka Heyward as the Bengals secure preferred targets with signing bonuses after the draft.

Undrafted signings aren’t official until the team announces them.

Our entire Bengals undrafted free agency tracker is live.

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Commanders sign Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman

The Commanders are bringing in former Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman.

The Commanders, still looking for players to fill their 90-man roster, have signed Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.

Consequently, Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft, which concluded a few hours ago. Now, NFL teams are signing the players they would like to bring into their off-season program.

The signing of Hartman brings the Commanders’ quarterback room to five: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel, Jake Fromm, and Hartman.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 208 pounds, Hartman committed to and signed with Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference. As a freshman, Hartman saw action in nine games, completing 161 of 291 passes (55.3) for 1,984 yards, 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and a 125.2 passer rating.

After playing only four games in the 2019 season, Hartman completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 2,224 yards in 2020 with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 138.7 passer rating.

Hartman enjoyed largely productive seasons in 2021 and 2022, when he passed for 39 and 38 touchdowns with 14 and 12 interceptions, respectively. He also had his highest passer rating numbers of 148.6 and then 159.4.

Due to Covid altering the 2020 NCAA Football season, Hartman having one more year of eligibility, determined to transfer to Notre Dame. For the Fighting Irish, Hartman completed 63.5 percent of his 301 passes for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 159.5 passer rating.

Born in Charlotte, NC, he will turn 25 in July. He played his High School ball at Oceanside Collegiate in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and became a three-star college quarterback recruit.

 

Bengals to finally add rookie RB with UDFA Elijah Collins

The Bengals head to undrafted free agency to find help at running back.

To the surprise of some, the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t add a running back with one of their 10 selections in the 2024 NFL draft.

But it turns out they have undrafted free agency for that.

According to Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler, the Bengals have an agreement in place with Oklahoma State’s Elijah Collins, who is fresh off one Super Senior season at Oklahoma State. Prior to that, he spent four seasons at Michigan State, earning a Team Captain slot in 2022.

Collins, 6’0″ and 220 pounds, will battle over the summer for a spot on the depth chart behind Zack Moss and Chase Brown.

Undrafted signings aren’t official until the team announces them.

Our entire Bengals undrafted free agency tracker is live.

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