Tag: signing

Vikings officially sign DE Marcus Davenport

Marcus Davenport officially signed his $13 million dollar contract with the #Vikings on Friday

The Minnesota Vikings officially signed defensive end Marcus Davenport to his one-year $13 million contract on Friday. The signing came just hours after the team agreed to terms with veteran lineman Dean Lowry, formerly of the Green Bay Packers.

A former first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2018, Davenport is a dynamic pass rusher who can give headaches to the best tackles that the NFL has to offer with his strength and quickness off the edge. His unique skillset should be a boon for the Vikings’ defense, which needed a shot in the arm after failing to live up to expectations in 2022.

While one signing certainly won’t solve all of Minnesota’s issues on defense, Davenport’s presence is sure to be a positive influence on the unit’s play next season and could prove to be consequential to their viability as a legitimate playoff contender. The team has invested heavily in their defense in the first week of free agency and stands to benefit greatly from every addition they’ve made on that side of the ball.

Vikings agree to terms with former Packers DE Dean Lowry

The #Vikings came to terms with former #Packers defensive end Dean Lowry on Friday in a move that will bolster their defensive line in 2023

The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers defensive end Dean Lowry on Friday, paving the way for the veteran lineman to bolster the team’s pass rush in 2023.

Lowry was originally selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft and had played his entire career in Green Bay before signing with Minnesota. He played his college ball at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Economics.

A proven veteran, Lowry started 80 games in seven seasons with the Packers during a tenure that saw him secure 15.5 sacks, 34 quarterback hits, and an interception.
Whether he will start for the Vikings in 2023 is unknown at this time, though his $8.5 million contract will incentivize the team to get him on the field consistently, even if only in a rotational role. What is certain, though, is that this deal points to a concerted effort by Minnesota to improve their defense ahead of next season when they will look to push for serious playoff contention after the disappointing end to their latest campaign

Packers sign former 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore

The Green Bay Packers announced the signing of former San Francisco 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore on Friday. 

The Green Bay Packers announced the signing of former San Francisco 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore on Friday.

Moore, a third-round pick of the 49ers in the 2018 draft, is entering his sixth NFL season in 2023. He has played in 61 career games (13 starts).

Moore and long snapper Matt Orzech – a signing also announced on Friday – are the Packers’ first two outside free-agent additions of the 2023 league year.

Moore has played over 1,000 career snaps on special teams and has 26 career special teams tackles.

After starting eight games for the 49ers in 2020, Moore suffered a ruptured Achilles before the 2021 season and didn’t return until 2022. Last season, he played only 41 defensive snaps over 13 games.

In Super Bowl LIV, Moore intercepted Patrick Mahomes but also committed a pass interference penalty on Travis Kelce in the end zone. This past preseason, Moore gave up a long touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs during the preseason.

Coming out of Southern Miss, Moore ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, hit 38.5″ in the vertical leap, covered 11-1 in the broad jump and finished the three-cone drill in 6.95 seconds. His Relative Athletic Score was 9.22 out of 10.0.

Moore (6-1, 200) will have a chance to contribute right away in Green Bay, both at safety and on special teams. Adrian Amos, Rudy Ford and Dallin Leavitt remain free agents at the safety position.

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Chiefs free agent S Juan Thornhill signs with Browns

Two-time Super Bowl champion Juan Thornhill will play for the #Browns next season after spending four years with the #Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs lost a key starter in their secondary when safety Juan Thornhill signed with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday afternoon. Thornhill had been a fixture on the back end of the Chiefs’ defense since joining the team in 2019 as a second-round pick after playing collegiately at the University of Virginia.

In his absence, second-year safety Bryan Cook is set to take on an expanded role in Kansas City’s secondary after his impressive rookie campaign proved that he has what it takes to make plays in key situations.

Thornhill’s massive three-year $21 million payday in Cleveland was likely more than the Chiefs were willing to match and is an indication that Kansas City is comfortable with the talent they have at the safety position. The $14 million guarantee included in his new contract is sure to have played a part in any negotiations Thornhill may have had between the Chiefs and other suitors who sought his talent for the 2023 season.

The loss of Thornhill is sure to sting for many Chiefs fans who grew accustomed to the veteran’s presence during his tenure with the team, but with just a month remaining before the NFL draft, more secondary help could be on the way for Kansas City in relatively short order.

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New Orleans Saints free agency tracker: Every report, rumor, and signing

Our New Orleans Saints free agency tracker is live. Check this space often for every report, rumor, and signing:

Our New Orleans Saints free agency tracker is live. Check this space often for every report, rumor, and signing as the black and gold work to retool their roster for the 2023 season. The Saints are going into free agency with 56 of their 90 offseason roster spots filled, having already brought back several of their own players before the NFL’s legal tampering period begins.

Which brings us to how this process actually works. Then Saints can talk to their own free agents at any time — but league rules mean they can’t approach other teams’ free agents until 11 a.m. CT on Monday, March 13. That’s when teams are allowed to reach out to players around the league. But again, nothing is official until 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 15. That’s when the new league fiscal year begins and when players can sign on the dotted line.

So we’ve got to be careful with how this is all reported. Agreements can fall apart and be broken. We’ll have all of the Saints news from trusted outlets and reporters gathered in this space along with our coverage from every report and rumor. Stay tuned as things heat up in the days ahead:

Texans claim running back Eno Benjamin off waivers

Benjamin was waived by the #Cardinals this week and was claimed by the #Texans on Tuesday

The Houston Texans claimed talented running back Eno Benjamin off waivers by way of the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday, adding even more depth to their burgeoning backfield led by rookie star Dameon Pierce. Their running game has been a major strength for the team so far in 2022 and can be considered one of the best in the NFL with Pierce ranking among the top 10 in rushing yards through nine games.

Benjamin will be hard-pressed to find a significant workload with the Texans, but too much depth is never an issue for any team at the midway point in the season. He has found success in limited action since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft.

Though he hasn’t lived up to the hype that built around him following a storied career at Arizona State, he has shown the same burst at the pro level that made him a star for the Sun Devils in college. Standing just five-foot-nine inches tall, Benjamin is an elusive back with the ability to find even the smallest holes made by an offensive line and though he might not be a track star, has enough speed to fight for the edge on every play.

He comes into a tumultuous situation in Houston where the 1-7-1 Texans are grasping at straws to jumpstart their floundering offense. Benjamin is unlikely to be activated against the Washington Commanders unless he shows signs of brilliance in practice this week that would warrant his inclusion in the gameday roster ahead of Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale on the depth chart.

Though this move is hardly a blockbuster acquisition that would help the Texans compete in a meaningful way in the short term, Benjamin’s addition is a clear sign that Houston is leaning into their tendency to favor the run amid mounting speculation of a potential quarterback change in the coming weeks.

Texans sign receiver Tyron Johnson, waive wideout Tyler Johnson

In a somewhat bizarre move, the Texans signed and waived a pair of receivers with nearly identical names

It isn’t often that a team makes corresponding roster moves with players whose names are so similar, but the Houston Texans managed to make a doozy of a move on Tuesday afternoon with guys who happen to play the same position. It was first announced that they had signed receiver Tyron Johnson, a third-year pro out of Oklahoma State, before following up with the news that wideout Tyler Johnson, who had been with the team since late August, was waived.

The former Johnson has bounced around quite a bit since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019. After initially being signed by the Texans, he played for the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers as a rookie, eventually finding a short-term home with the Los Angeles Chargers through 2020. He spent last season first with the Jacksonville Jaguars and later with the Las Vegas Raiders, and stayed in Sin City until October 22nd of this year, when he was waived.

As for the latter Johnson, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2020 draft by way of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his stint in Houston was just the second stop of his career. After playing with Tom Brady for his first two seasons in the NFL, he was eventually released in late August of 2022 and was picked up by the Texans shortly after.

Neither of these Johnsons has registered a reception through seven weeks this season, and it is unclear what the possibilities might be for their respective contributions moving forward. News of a potential claim for the receiver that Houston waived on Tuesday has not yet broken, so his future will remain uncertain for the time being.

The newest member of the Texans organization is known best for the three-touchdown campaign he put together in 2020 for the Chargers, and if he can duplicate that same impressive performance for Houston this season, Johnson might prove to be a boon for Lovie Smith’s struggling offense.

Packers signing former Jaguars S Rudy Ford to 53-man roster

The Packers are signing safety and special teamer Rudy Ford to the team’s 53-man roster.

There’s a reason it’s called an “initial” 53-man roster. One day after setting the team’s first roster, the Green Bay Packers are signing veteran safety and special teamer Rudy Ford, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Ford’s arrival means someone who made the Packers’ roster on Tuesday no longer has a spot.

Ford, 27, was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. He’s played in 56 career games with three teams (Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals).

The Cardinals made Ford (6-0, 204) a sixth-round pick out of Auburn in the 2017 draft. He has 88 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups in his NFL career.

Last season, Ford played in 15 games (four starts) and was on the field for 423 defensive snaps for the Jaguars, producing a career-high 53 tackles.

Ford’s calling card is on special teams. He’s played 985 total special teams snaps, including at least 100 in each of his five NFL seasons.

According to Pro Football Focus, Ford has 23 career special teams tackles, plus eight penalties and six missed tackles.

The Packers need the depth at safety. Dallin Leavitt is dealing with a shoulder injury, and Micah Abernathy and rookie Tariq Carpenter have never played in an NFL game. Shawn Davis, Vernon Scott and Innis Gaines were all waived with injuries.

Ford is an elite athlete. He posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.19 coming out of Auburn in 2017, with a 4.40-second 40-yard dash and 20 reps on the bench press.

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Saints add more secondary depth, sign former Bengals DB Jordan Brown

Former Bengals draft pick Jordan Brown’s agent reports that the defensive back has signed with the Saints, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Another cornerback has been added to the New Orleans Saints roster. Per his agent Jason Bernstein, the Saints have signed former Cincinnati Bengals 7th-round draft pick Jordan Brown. Brown played college football at South Dakota State, a small school that has produced some notable NFL prospects including Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert.

Brown’s college play was highlighted, touted and recognized. He secured 8 interceptions and 35 passes defended over 51 games played. He also piled on 148 total tackles, 6 for a loss, and forced four fumbles as well. Brown proved he could be an all-around cornerback at his level of play, making him a draftable prospect. He’s lined up at both corner and safety while playing in several phases on special teams during preseason games.

In addition to being drafted by the Bengals, he also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders, and two stints with the Las Vegas Raiders. He has not taken any regular season NFL snaps yet, whether defense or special teams. He’s stuck around on practice squads and earned reserve/future deals with several clubs.

For now, Brown will get an opportunity to get back to an NFL field as early as this weekend against the Houston Texans as a part of the Saints opening preseason action. New Orleans has been managing some lightening of the secondary unit with defensive backs Marshon Lattimore, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Dylan Mabin all missing recent practices. Brown’s presence at the very least, should allow the Saints to continue the rotation they like to maintain throughout this week’s practices.

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Saints expected to re-sign Kiko Alonso after group tryout

The New Orleans Saints are expected to re-sign Kiko Alonso after a group tryout including linebackers Anthony Hitchens and Jon Bostic:

Here’s a surprise reunion. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints are expected to re-sign Kiko Alonso after a group tryout on Thursday that included free agent linebackers Anthony Hitchens, Jon Bostic, and Chase Hansen, who also previously suited up for the Saints, per the daily NFL transactions wire. His signing was confirmed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Alonso, who turns 32 in a few weeks, last played for the Saints in 2019 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers (where he never played a down while recovering from a knee injury). A couple of years later he’s back in better health and looking for a comeback.

Alonso does bring a lot of NFL experience, which the Saints depth chart has been lacking. While Demario Davis is entrenched in the starting lineup, second-year pro Pete Werner is poised to start next to him with career backups Kaden Elliss and Zack Baun slotted in behind them. New Orleans must have wanted someone with more meaningful reps on the depth chart in case Davis or Werner miss time during the regular season, though it remains to be seen whether Alonso has anything left in the tank after three years out of pro football. Still, good for him to work hard and earn this opportunity.

With that said, this looks rough in light of Kwon Alexander’s signing with the New York Jets on the eve of training camp. The Saints traded Alonso to San Francisco in the first place as a salary-dumping move to acquire Alexander, who put together a very solid two-year run for New Orleans. But he and the team weren’t able to reach an agreement on a contract that would have led to a third year together, so he’ll be suiting up for his old coach Robert Saleh with the Jets this season. If the Saints had acted more aggressively to re-up Alexander, maybe they could have avoided this situation altogether.

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