Nov 19, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Navy Midshipmen head coach Ken Niumatalolo looks on during the second quarter against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Navy HC Ken Niumatalolo joins UCLA in advisory role

Ken Niumatalolo, who served as head coach at Navy for the past 15 seasons, was hired by UCLA as the football program’s “director of leadership” on Friday.

Niumatalolo is Navy’s all-time winningest head coach, with a 109-83 record, and is the winningest head coach in the Army-Navy series with 10 victories. He was the first head coach in the history of the service academies’ rivalry to win eight straight installments.

Navy fired Niumatalolo, 57, after December’s loss in the Army-Navy Game. The Midshipmen went 4-8 in 2022 and 11-23 over the past three seasons.

In his position with UCLA, Niumatalolo will fill an advisory role to both student-athletes and the coaching staff.

He told ESPN in an interview that he was excited to work with UCLA coach Chip Kelly. The Bruins went 9-4 last season and will join the Big Ten in 2024.

“He’s an established coach, he’s not threatened by me or anything, he’s not worried about somebody looking over his shoulder,” Niumatalolo told ESPN. “That’s how Chip looks at it — anything I can add. They’re not far off, whatever I can bring, but it just felt right.”

–Field Level Media

Jadyn Davis of Providence Day High School visits before the game with NC State at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina Saturday, October 1, 2022.

Ncaa Football Clemson Football Vs Nc State Wolfpack

2024 5-star QB Jadyn Davis commits to Michigan

Michigan received a major Class of 2024 commitment on Friday from five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis.

The elite recruit from Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., chose the Wolverines over Clemson, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee and others during an ESPN broadcast.

Davis is ranked as the nation’s No. 2 quarterback prospect (No. 28 overall) by the 247 Sports composite.

“It’s a dream come true for sure,” Davis told 247 Sports. “I’ve been going through this process for a really long time and just to be done with it and committed to the Michigan Wolverines is a true blessing.”

Davis guided Providence Day to a state championship as a 2022 junior, passing for 3,425 yards with 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He was named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Chicago Bears running back Darrynton Evans (21) celebrates his run against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Report: RB Darrynton Evans to sign with Colts

Free agent running back Darrynton Evans will sign a contract with the Indianapolis Colts, ESPN reported Friday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed for Evans, who reportedly worked out for the Colts earlier in the day.

Evans, 24, had 14 carries for 64 yards in six games with the Chicago Bears last season.

He has rushed 30 times for 125 yards and added five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown in 12 career games with the Tennessee Titans and Bears. He was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Nathan Peterman (14) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Bears QB Nathan Peterman signs 1-year contract

Chicago Bears quarterback Nathan Peterman signed a one-year contract on Friday.

Financial terms were not disclosed by the team for Peterman, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 139 yards with one touchdown and one interception in three games (one start) with Chicago last season.

Peterman, 28, has completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 712 yards with four touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 13 career games (five starts) with the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders and Bears. He threw five interceptions in a disastrous start against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 19, 2017.

Peterman was selected by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh.

–Field Level Media

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) takes Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) to the turf with under two minutes to play in the game. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, November 27, 2022. The Jaguars got momentum late in the game to win 28 to 27 over the Ravens. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

Jki 112722 Bs Jaguars Vs R 18

Falcons announce 1-year deal with DE Calais Campbell

The Atlanta Falcons announced a one-year deal with free agent defensive end Calais Campbell on Friday.

Terms were not disclosed, but NFL Network reported the contract includes a fully guaranteed $7 million base salary and up to $2 million more in incentives.

Campbell, 36, was released by the Baltimore Ravens on March 13 in a cost-cutting move. The Ravens, who cleared $6.5 million in cap space, had been hoping to re-sign Campbell on a lesser deal.

Instead, Campbell will take his six Pro Bowls and 99 career sacks to a team that has vastly improved its defense in free agency. The Falcons also added safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss. Further, the Falcons own the No. 8 pick in the upcoming draft.

The Falcons ended 2022 ranked 23rd in the NFL in scoring defense (22.7) and 27th in total yards per game (362.1).

Campbell had 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 14 starts for the Ravens last season.

A 2017 All-Pro, Campbell was named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team.

Campbell was a second-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2008. He played for the team through the 2016 season then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent.

The Jaguars traded him to the Ravens in March 2020 for a fifth-round draft pick.

In 227 career games (208 starts), Campbell has 809 tackles (165 for loss), 237 quarterback hits, three interceptions, 57 passes defensed, 16 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries.

–Field Level Media

November 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Kentavius Street (91) tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles land DT Kentavius Street on 1-year deal

The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defensive tackle Kentavius Street.

The financial terms of Thursday’s deal with the 26-year-old free agent were not disclosed.

Street set a career high with 3.5 sacks and played in all 17 games with the New Orleans Saints in 2022.

A fourth-round pick by San Francisco in 2018, he has 6.5 sacks and 71 tackles in 52 games (four starts) with the 49ers (2019-21) and Saints.

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; General overall view of the NFL shield logo at midfield at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Raiders 34-3.  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

MetLife Stadium replaces playing surface, sticks with FieldTurf

MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Giants and Jets, installed a new playing surface ahead of the 2023 season — choosing a new version of FieldTurf rather than a complete switch over to grass.

The stadium, which hosts twice as many regular-season games as most stadiums around the league due to the dual tenants, drew criticism in recent years for the increasing number of noncontact injuries.

Five San Francisco 49ers players came away with lower-body injuries in one game against the Jets during the 2020 season. Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Fuller was lost for the season after a Week 1 ACL tear in a game against the Jets, leading Ravens coach John Harbaugh to join the chorus of those saying it wasn’t a safe surface.

Former Giants captain Julian Love, a safety who signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency this offseason, said last season that “the stats have shown we are on one of the worst fields in the league.”

Giants owner John Mara told reporters that the new turf — FieldTurf Core, a multilayer, dual-polymer monofilament fiber — was installed at both the stadium and the Giants’ practice facility. FieldTurf Core also was installed at the Detroit Lions’ Ford Field earlier this year.

“Installation of the new FieldTurf CORE system reinforces the commitment we have to providing the best playing surface for our teams,” president and CEO of MetLife Stadium Ron VanDeVeen said Thursday in a statement. “The research that FieldTurf has put into the heavyweight infill design for this new field system will equip MetLife Stadium with one of the premier surfaces in the league.”

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., also is home to two NFL teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. That venue uses Matrix Turf, which is also an artificial surface.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) runs with the ball as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton (27) defends during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals add free-agent CB Rashad Fenton

The Arizona Cardinals signed free-agent cornerback Rashad Fenton to a one-year contract on Thursday.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Cardinals had an opening to fill at the position with the departure of top cornerback Byron Murphy in free agency. Murphy signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

A sixth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 draft, Fenton has played in 49 NFL games (17 starts) over four seasons. All but two have been with the Chiefs, who traded him to the Atlanta Falcons last November for a 2023 seventh-round draft pick.

Fenton, 26, has 127 tackles, two interceptions, 20 passes defensed and two forced fumbles in his career.

–Field Level Media

Aug 13, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller (10) works out prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons sign WR Scotty Miller to one-year deal

The Atlanta Falcons signed free agent wide receiver Scotty Miller to a one-year contract on Thursday.

Miller, 25, remains in the NFC South after playing his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who made him a sixth-round draft pick in 2019 out of Bowling Green.

“He’s quick, he’s athletic and he can run,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said earlier this week. “He has shown the ability to make plays. That came together pretty quick and we’re excited to add him to the mix.”

Miller caught 23 passes for 185 yards in 15 games (one start) last season, bringing his totals to 74 receptions for 924 yards and four touchdowns in 50 games (eight starts).

Financial terms were not disclosed.

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts place kicker Chase McLaughlin (7) walks on the field Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Buccaneers sign free agent K Chase McLaughlin

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free agent kicker Chase McLaughlin on Thursday.

Terms were not disclosed for McLaughlin, who made 30 of 36 field goals and all 21 of his extra points in 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts last season.

He has been successful on 17 of 21 attempts from 50-plus yards in his four-year career, with a long of 57 yards.

McLaughlin, 26, replaces 36-year-old Ryan Succop, who was released last week.

McLaughlin also has played for the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.

–Field Level Media