Until rookie minicamps officially begin in a couple days and until OTAs begin after that, the NFL news will crawl. However, there’s still enough to keep the die hard football fans from turning to baseball.
NFL news roundup: Rookie signings, free agency visits and more
The NFL is in a dead period right now, but there’s still enough to talk about to keep you away from baseball.
Chris Graythen
Here’s what you may have missed on Thursday.
After eight years in the league, Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh has decided to call it quits. He spent the first four years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the last four with the Cowboys. He was released on March 4 in order to make some more cap space and decided he'd rather call it quits than search for another team.
More: Cowboys blog, Blogging the Boys
The Chicago Bears were able to come to terms with their second-round pick, linebacker Jon Bostic, out of the University of Florida. The Bears liked Bostic's versatility and believe he can eventually be a replacement for long-time linebacker Brian Urlacher, who the Bears decided not to re-sign. Bostic will likely compete with D.J. Williams at inside linebacker and possibly James Anderson at strong side linebacker.
From Windy City Gridiron:
Welcome Jonathan Bostic to the Bears. He is not a prototypical Tampa 2 MLB, to be sure. What he lacks in the pass coverage abilities of a Brian Urlacher in his prime, however, he makes up for with the work he does on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Emery was right to praise Bostic’s football intelligence. At least in the game his Gators played against seventh-ranked South Carolina last season, he was able to out-read and out-hustle the Gamecocks.
The Minnesota Vikings will be paying for the upgrades at TCF Bank Stadium during their two-year stay while they wait for the completion of their new home stadium. The Vikings will be playing at TCF Bank Stadium in 2014 and 2015 and will allow for them to stay for two more seasons if necessary.
The Lions came to an agreement with their third-round pick, guard Larry Warford, on Thursday. The Lions selected a defensive end and cornerback before they addressed the offensive line in the third round by selecting Warford.
More: Lions blog, Pride of Detroit
The New England Patriots signed free-agent wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins on Thursday, according to reports. Hawkins was a fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2008 and had his most productive season in 2011 when he caught 47 passes for 470 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots are still working to replace Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd. Hawkins should add some competition to the position.
From Pats Pulpit:
While Hawkins is unlikely to land himself on top of the Patriots' depth chart, this move is a nice depth signing that gives the Patriots another good body for what figures to be the team's most competitive training camp battle. While he is far from a guarantee for a roster spot, he has the opportunity to compete with the likes of Donald Jones and Michael Jenkins for a spot as a number four or five receiver.
The Baltimore Ravens added some competition at the center position by trading a conditional 2014 draft pick to the Colts for offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley. Shipley saw the first significant playing time in 2012 when starting center Samson Satele went down with an injury.
From Stampede Blue:
On the surface, this trade makes absolutely no sense. Shipley played better than Satele did last season, and comes at a much cheaper price. Even if Indianapolis has faith in Holmes as the potential new starter at center, rookie minicamp begins today. They haven’t even seen Holmes in practice yet!
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