2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens Rumors: Draft, Trades, Rice, Blount

April 30th, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With just eight days left until draft night, the Ravens held their pre-draft presser today, and a number of the team’s beat reporters were on hand to pass along some of the more interesting comments from GM Ozzie Newsome and other members of Baltimore’s staff. Let’s check out a few of the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….

Newsome indicated that the Ravens have gotten some calls from teams interested in trading up to the No. 17 spot currently occupied by Baltimore. A number of writers, including Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), have since speculated that the 49ers, who have been trade partners with the Ravens in the past, would be a prime candidate to move up, perhaps to snag a wide receiver.
On the other hand, there aren’t many scenarios where the Ravens trade up from No. 17, in Newsome’s view. The only way it would happen is if the team sees one or two players dropping that it couldn’t pass up.
The team will deal with Ray Rice‘s legal situation “when the time comes,” according to Newsome. However, Baltimore was already planning to add another running back or two even before Rice was arrested. The GM added that the Ravens talked to LeGarrette Blount last month, though no formal offer was made.
Newsome reiterated that “you can’t have enough corners,” indicating that the Ravens will probably draft at least one.
The Ravens have graded out about 180 draftable players, which is significantly more than usual, and should mean the club does well with undrafted free agents, according to assistant GM Eric DeCosta.
Newsome alluded to a point Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com made in a column yesterday, suggesting that the Ravens’ ability to secure compensatory picks gives them opportunities to make moves like the acquisition of Eugene Monroe last season.
The Ravens like this year’s receiving class enough that they’d be comfortable picking a wideout in any of the draft’s seven rounds, says Newsome.

NFC Notes: Packers, Falcons, Bucs, Eagles

April 30th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Packers re-signed Sam Shields earlier in the offseason, ensuring that the 26-year-old remains under contract with the team through the 2017 season and that cornerback won’t be an immediate area of need. Still, as Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, GM Ted Thompson has demonstrated repeatedly that he places significant value on the position, so despite the presence of Shields and Tramon Williams, the Packers still may be eyeing cornerbacks in next week’s draft.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

It was a given that the Falcons would pick up Julio Jones‘ fifth-year option, as they did yesterday, but the next step for the club will be locking up the receiver to a longer-term contract, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Head coach Mike Smith recently said he expects Jones to be a Falcon for “a long, long time.”
Based on comments by head coach Lovie Smith, it doesn’t sound like the Buccaneers will be drafting a quarterback with the No. 7 pick, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. A report last week suggested Johnny Manziel was on the short list of players Tampa Bay is “heavily considering” with that pick.
Appearing on SportsRadio 94-WIP in Philadelphia, Eagles GM Howie Roseman confirmed that he expects his club to land at least one wide receiver in next week’s draft (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
The Eagles recently met with Eastern Washington edge rusher Anthony Larry, BYU safety Daniel Sorensen, and UMass tight end Rob Blanchflower, says Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com.

NFC East Notes: RGIII, Orton, Eagles

April 29th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the NFC East..

During an interview with SportsTalk 570’s Andy Pollin, new head coach Jay Gruden said the Redskins can expect to see the read option, but that he didn’t intend to have Robert Griffin III using it all that frequently. “We’ll have sprinkles here and there,” Gruden said (link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post). “It’s not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll. You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it. It kind of takes away from the defense’s ability a little bit, it takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that. So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core drop-back passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option.”
Although Kyle Orton didn’t attend the Cowboys’ voluntary workouts, costing himself $75K in the process, executive vice president Stephen Jones fully expects the veteran quarterback to rejoin the team eventually. “We expect Kyle, when mandatory practice starts and mandatory things begin, we fully expect Kyle to be there,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer).
Former Howard cornerback Ademola Olatunji had a good workout for the Eagles yesterday and picked up interest from another unnamed team, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).

Draft Updates: Bucs, Bills, McCarron, Savage

April 29th, 2014 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of teams picking at the top of next week’s draft have expressed an openness to move down in the first round, and we can add the Buccaneers to this list. Speaking to reporters today, including Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht didn’t rule out the possibility of trading down.

“That’s definitely something we’d look into,” Licht said. “We’ve already reached out to teams. If our player isn’t there, we’d be open to conversations about moving back.”

Here are several more draft-related items for Tuesday afternoon:

Within his latest mock draft at ESPN.com, Todd McShay cites three league sources who have told him in the past week that the Bills are trying to trade up from No. 9. According to McShay, if Buffalo does make a move, it will likely be to land Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, or Greg Robinson.
Appearing on The Paul Finebaum Show, Alabama signal-caller A.J. McCarron suggested he’s been told he could be drafted as high as 16th in the draft, which is the spot the Cowboys currently hold (link via Andrew Gribble of AL.com).
Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage quietly made a pre-draft visit to the Jets last week, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
After previously identifying a few teams who hosted Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com names a few more, tweeting that Ward also visited the Colts, Saints, Texans, and Vikings.
LSU guard Trai Turner has worked out privately for the Lions, Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, and Saints, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson adds that Turner also visited the Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts, and Dolphins.
Kansas wide receiver and special teams ace Josh Ford has drawn interest from the Packers, Panthers, Texans, Jets, and Chiefs, tweets Wilson.
The Giants, Jets, and Lions were among the teams to host Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle for a pre-draft visit, writes Wilson.
Finally, Wilson reports that Wisconsin defensive tackle Beau Allen had a total of eight visits and three private workouts, and tweets that Albany tackle Kadeem Williams has been informed he’s on an AFC South team’s draft board.

AFC Notes: Bills, Browns, Draft, Jaguars

April 29th, 2014 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

A new report from John Kryk of the Toronto Sun suggests that an overlooked clause in the Bills’ non-relocation agreement with Erie County and the state of New York expressly prohibits the sale of the franchise to anyone who intends to relocate the team prior to 2023. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak) report that the newly-discovered clause probably doesn’t change much for the team, since a new ownership group could say it won’t sell the franchise, then change course by 2020.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Browns are hoping to avoid another Alex Mack situation by reaching an agreement on a long-term extension with tight end Jordan Cameron before he hits free agency, but so far those talks haven’t progressed a whole lot, says Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
Free agent linebacker Zac Diles, who was with the Titans last season, is participating in the Browns‘ minicamp on a tryout basis, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Meanwhile, as we heard yesterday, Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen are also in attendance, and the Browns figure to sign one of the two QBs after the minicamp, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that Cincinnati tight end Blake Annen visited the Texans, while Kryk tweets that McGill offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif didn’t make it to previously-planned visits with the Browns and Colts due to scheduling issues. Both Annen and Duvernay-Tardif worked out for the Eagles.
The Jaguars are eyeing mid-to-late-round linebackers, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who says (via Twitter) that Louisville’s Preston Brown worked out for the club.

Panthers Notes: Bell, Draft, Receivers

April 29th, 2014 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers will be an intriguing team to watch in next week’s draft, considering the club lost a handful of notable contributors this offseason to retirement or free agency. A good or bad draft could be the difference between Carolina continuing to build on last year’s success or falling back to the middle of the pack in the NFC. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has a number of notes on the team, including several tidbits from general manager Dave Gettleman. Let’s check out the highlights (all links go to Person’s Twitter)….

May 2 is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets, so resolution on tackle Byron Bell‘s contract situation should be coming soon. The Panthers tendered Bell at the second-round level ($2.187MM), but could lock him up to a longer-term deal.
While the Panthers brought in 26 players for pre-draft visits, the team’s draft board is “not even remotely closed to being finished,” according to Gettleman.
Gettleman identified left tackle and wide receiver as two of the Panthers’ top needs heading into the draft, and raved about the depth of those positions in this year’s draft class. The GM has given nine or 10 wideouts and offensive tackles first-round grades.
Gettleman also indicated that cornerback is a position of need for the team.
Despite the fact that it’s not one of the team’s top areas of focus, if there’s an impact defensive tackle or end available, the Panthers won’t shy away from drafting that player, says Gettleman.
Noting that one of the main takeaways of Gettleman’s comments was how much he loves the receivers in this draft, Person points out that the Panthers’ offseason has been shaped by that fact. If the club thinks it can land a solid wideout or two in the draft, its decision to let its top four 2013 receivers walk makes more sense.

Florida Rumors: Jags, Matthews, Pouncey, Fins

April 29th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Two Florida teams figure to have a significant impact on how next week’s top 10 draft picks play out, as the Jaguars hold the third overall pick and the Buccaneers pick seventh. This morning’s round of updates on the NFL’s Florida teams provides some insight into what direction the Jags might be leaning with that No. 3 pick, and checks in on the one Florida club not picking in the top 10 — the Dolphins. Let’s dive in….

After bringing in Jake Matthews for a visit last week, the Jaguars are believed to be targeting the Texas A&M offensive tackle with their third overall pick, a league source tells Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. While some teams may have Zack Martin or Taylor Lewan higher on their draft boards, Matthews and Greg Robinson are generally viewed as the top two tackles in this year’s class. Jacksonville’s pick is one of the most interesting to watch at the top of the draft, since a number of players, including Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, and the top quarterbacks and tackles, could be fits for the club.
The Dolphins are expected to exercise their fifth-year option on center Mike Pouncey in advance of this weekend’s deadline, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Based on Pouncey’s on-field production, the $7.438MM option is a lock to be picked up, but the center’s involvement in last year’s bullying scandal complicates the decision a little.
Teams are no longer allowed to host players for pre-draft visits, but the Dolphins will be working out Wyoming receiver Robert Herron today and tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Prospect Bradley Roby Resolves Case

April 29th, 2014 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 10:57am: Roby has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, resolving his case, as Austin Ward of ESPN.com details.

FRIDAY, 10:53am: Roby took to Twitter to defend himself against this week’s report: “I was not driving. I did not get arrested. [I was] not in a cell. No finger prints. No mugshot.” Roby also posted a picture of his breathalyzer test, showing that he was not drunk at the time of the incident.

THURSDAY, 8:52pm: Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby has been arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired, tweets Rob Kunz of WBNS-10TV. The cornerback, who is widely projected as a late first-round pick, is due in court tomorrow.

The cornerback was found passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday. This is especially poor timing for Roby and it’s not his first run-in with the law. The Buckeyes standout was also arrested for a bar related incident last summer in Bloomington, Indiana. While the charges related to the incident were later reduced, Roby was still suspended for the first game of the 2013 season.

For Roby, the incident is yet another red flag for a prospect who is coming off of a so-so 2013 campaign. Given the gravity of the situation, it seems likely that the error in judgement will send Roby out of the first round.

Draft Notes: Bortles, Askew, Mauro, Ward

April 29th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

As we saw last month, a handful of the more successful and shrewder NFL franchises approach free agency with the draft in mind, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. As La Canfora writes, many clubs are more inclined to pursue free agents like Darrelle Revis, DeMarcus Ware, Steve Smith, and Julius Peppers, who were released by their previous teams, since those players aren’t linked to compensatory draft picks.

This approach also explains why the Ravens, who signed Smith after he was cut by the Panthers, were willing to give up a fifth-round pick to acquire Jeremy Zuttah — given how many compensatory picks Baltimore typically lands (a league-high 41 since 1996), the team should easily replace that fifth-rounder after letting notable free agents like Arthur Jones and Michael Oher depart.

Here’s a little more from La Canfora’s piece, as well as a few other draft notes from around the league:

La Canfora makes a couple draft-related predictions, forecasting a cornerback run in the first round (sometime in the 20s), and suggesting that drafted players may sign contracts more quickly this year than usual, since teams will be eager to address that business after waiting an extra two weeks for the draft.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com doesn’t expect Blake Bortles to still be available when the Vikings pick at No. 8 next week, but he sees Bortles as an ideal fit for Minnesota and offensive coordinator Norv Turner. King identifies the Texans and Browns as a couple teams that could snatch up the UCF signal-caller before the Vikings are on the clock.
Speedy Texas A&M linebacker Nate Askew, a converted receiver, has drawn “steady interest from NFL teams,” according to Aaron Wilson of the National Post, who reports that Askew visited the Panthers and Buccaneers. Wilson adds that the linebacker, who recorded a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash, also worked out privately for the Falcons, Eagles, and the Texans.
Wilson also provides an update on Stanford defensive lineman Josh Mauro, who visited the Giants and worked out privately for the Cowboys, Raiders, and Falcons.
We heard earlier in the month that Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward paid a pre-draft visit to the Ravens, but according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link), Baltimore was just one of 12 teams to host the safety. The Falcons, Panthers, and Cowboys were among the other teams Ward visited.
Arizona State defensive back Alden Darby has worked out for the Patriots, Falcons, and Chargers, and still has a workout with the Raiders on the docket, tweets Doug Haller of AZCentral.com.

Draft Notes: Bridgewater, Seamster, Pierre-Louis

April 28th, 2014 at 5:46pm CST by Ben Levine

If Teddy Bridgewater slides into the second round or later (and if he can subsequently prove an injury or illness), he should collect $5MM in tax-free money, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. Following this past college season, the Louisville quarterback added $5MM to his $10MM total disability injury policy while supplementing that with loss-of-value insurance worth $5MM.

Bridgewater purchased the policy for $20K when he was projected to be the number-three pick, and a source told Rovell that Bridgewater would start to collect if he falls out of the top 11. Rovell also adds that the difference between being picked third overall and 33rd overall (first pick of the second round) is about $15MM.

Here are some more draft notes, all from Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and The Baltimore Sun…

Middle Tennessee State cornerback Sammy Seamster met with the Jaguars and the Giants last week, reports Wilson. Seamster previously met with the Chiefs and Dolphins.
Linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis visited the Giants, reports Wilson. The former Boston College Eagle finished last season with 108 tackles and six sacks.
Kansas State offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas auditioned for about half the NFL teams today, writes Wilson. Lucas was medically cleared two weeks ago after having sustained a foot injury. The Raiders were among the teams at his showcase today, and the Dolphins and Saints have already expressed interest.

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors