2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Johnson, Mack, Carroll, Clowney

April 5th, 2014 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

This probably wasn’t what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had when he built AT&T Stadium. Jones was in attendance for tonight’s first Final Four game between UConn and Florida and was showered with boos in his own house when he was put on the 72×160 feet big screen, writes Chris Chase of USA Today. For Jones to get cheers in North Texas once again, the Cowboys will have to do better than 8-8 in 2014. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk ran down the potential suitors for free agent running back Chris Johnson. Wilkening rightfully notes that the Jets are in need of a playmaker on offense while the Colts know the former Titans tailback well and are willing to spend for veteran talent. The Giants could also be in the mix since they got little out of their tailbacks last season.
What direction will the Titans go in after moving on from the face of their franchise? Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looks at life after CJ2K in Tennessee.
The feeling one year ago was that Browns center Alex Mack wanted a short-term contract so that he could go through free agency for a second time in his prime, tweets Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
Pete Carroll‘s new deal with the Seahawks ensures that he’ll continue to lead in Seattle with his unusual tactics, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. Carroll agreed to a new three-year extension with the defending champs earlier this week.
Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle wonders if Jadeveon Clowney is the next Lawrence Taylor, the next Mario Williams, or a monumental bust waiting to happen.
The staff at CSNChicago.com profiled Stanford tailback Tyler Gaffney and looked at how he could possibly fit with the Bears. Gaffney figures to be a fourth or fifth round selection.

Extra Points: Pats, Ravens, Bears, Keller

April 5th, 2014 at 12:52pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Patriots raised eyebrows this week with a string of quarterback draft prospect visits, and overthecap.com’s Aaron Fitzgerald says the team has structured its salary cap to allow for the addition of Tom Brady‘s successor.

Miscellaneous lunchtime news, notes and links. . .

The Ravens are expected to draft a safety, and ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley discusses the merits of three of the top available, saying Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward might be the best fit. Last year’s first-rounder, Matt Elam, who did not produce an abundance of impact plays as a rookie, is expected to be used closer to the line of scrimmage more often next season. Says Hensley: “The Ravens can’t afford for Elam to disappear so much in games this year.”
Dustin Keller, who tore his ACL, MCL and PCL and also dislocated the knee last August, is not yet 100 percent, but “hasn’t been ruled out and remains on the Dolphins’ radar,” writes ESPN.com’s James Walker.
A brief, position-by-position analysis of the Jaguars’ off-season moves is provided by Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran, who describes under-the-radar free agent acquisition Dekoda Watson as an “ascending player.”
During an edition of ESPN’s First Draft podcast (listen here), ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay campaigns for the Bears to draft Pittsburgh three-technique Aaron Donald 14th overall, saying the team’s Plan B would be “panic” in a scenario where Donald is off the board. McShay also called Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert the most overrated player in the draft.
Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu, recovered from a torn hamstring injury, worked out for scouts at GT’s pro day yesterday, and has visits scheduled with the Colts, Eagles and Patriots.
A list of reported prospect workouts/visits as well as head coach and general manager sightings at various pro days can be found on NFL.com.

Pre-Draft Visits: Garopollo, Cooks, Lee

April 4th, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Browns brought Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in for a private visit earlier today, writes Jeff Schudel of the Morning Journal (he writes March 4, but he most likely means April 4). Schudel examines the idea of the Browns selecting a position other than quarterback at the top of the first round, and looking to grab the rookie signal caller with the 26th pick in the first round, or the third pick in round two.

Schudel writes that Browns star receiver Josh Gordon believes the team will take a quarterback with the fourth pick, and that Teddy Bridgewater would be his choice.

Here are some notes from some other pre-draft visits:

Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks is visiting the Jets, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Cooks also has received interest from the Patriots and the Panthers.
In addition to Cooks, the Patriots have expressed interest in receivers Marqise Lee of USC, Mike Evans of Texas A&M, Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU, and Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (via Twitter).
The Saints have scheduled a visit with Lee, but have not yet set a date to meet with Cooks, reports Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter).
The Giants worked out quarterback Rusty Smith, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). Smith appeared in three games for the Titans between 2010 and 2012, throwing no touchdowns and four interceptions.
Balzer also notes that Kurt Coleman visited the Colts, and while he is not an ideal candidate to replace the departed Antoine Bethea, he could add depth to the safety position

AFC Pre-Draft Visits: Bills, Patriots, Titans

April 4th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bills are hosting a few pre-draft visits today, writes Chris Brown of BufalloBills.com. North Carolina’s star tight end Eric Ebron could be in play for the team in the first round. The Bills are also meeting with defensive end Scott Crichton of Oregon State and LSU’s bruising running back Jeremy Hill. Brown writes that Crichton is projected as a second-round pick and Hill as a mid-round selection.

Here are some other players visiting with AFC teams:

The Patriots are bringing in Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig for their local pro day, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. The team already hosted the top quarterback talents, who they are unlikely to draft, but Retig would more likely be a late-round pick. Retig will be able to workout with the team, because he is part of a local visit.
Another late-round quarterback, Brock Jensen of North Dakota State, has visits scheduled with both the Browns and the Bengals, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
The Steelers will be hosting visits from Minnesota safety Brock Vereen, and South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Wilson also reports that Titans hosted Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and Colorado State linebacker Shaquil Barrett. Jernigan is expected to be a first-round pick.
Wide receiver Eric Thomas of Troy University has a visit with the Colts, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Titans Notes: RBs, Johnson, Wimbley, WRs

April 4th, 2014 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville today, GM Ruston Webster discussed the release of longtime Titan Chris Johnson and his team’s next move(s). Here are a few of the highlights, as tweeted by The Midday 180:

The Titans will “definitely” be looking to select a running back in next month’s draft, according to Webster. The GM praised the position’s depth, suggesting that he’s confident the club could find the sort of player it will be seeking in the late rounds, if need be.
“There was definitely a trade market for Chris Johnson and at times, I thought we would get it done,” Webster said.
Asked about a report indicating the team has asked Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, Webster said the team hasn’t put a deadline on those talks, and is optimistic about bringing the defensive end back for next season.
Webster expects the Titans to add another wide receiver to compete with Marc Mariani and Michael Preston.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Godfrey, Draft Visits

April 4th, 2014 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers, who agreed today to send Mike Williams to the Bills, talked to all 31 teams about a trade, but only had two clubs interested in a deal, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. As was the case with DeSean Jackson, potential off-field issues likely dissuaded many teams from getting involved, but unlike Jackson, Williams’ 2014 cap hit was extremely affordable, allowing the Bucs to get something for their diminished asset.

Here’s more on the Bucs and their division rivals in the NFC South:

The Buccaneers will be in the market for receiving help now that Williams is gone, and the club has already started considering options, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, who tweets that the team took a look at longtime Titans receiver Lavelle Hawkins. Hawkins, who last played for the Chargers, had 47 receptions for Tennessee in 2011.
With Thomas DeCoud visiting the Panthers, there are question marks about Charles Godfrey’s future with the team, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer details. Godfrey’s cap number jumps to $7.1MM in 2014, and he’s returning from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for most of last season.
The Panthers and Saints will be hosting USC wideout Marqise Lee for pre-draft visits, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
Alabama-Birmingham offensive tackle Kaycee Ike will have a private workout with the Falcons on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

AFC Notes: Titans, Wimbley, McClain

April 4th, 2014 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt had high praise for quarterbacks Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst, but suggested that their presence wouldn’t stop the team from considering signal-callers in this year’s draft, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

“You always have to be prepared because you never know what can happen. If there is an opportunity in this draft where you have a guy you think is really good, then you have to look at it,” Whisenhunt said. “But more importantly you have to look at two or three years down the road. It is about finding out about these guys. And then, if you don’t have them on your team, you know about them. And if something happens down the road you’ll have an important piece.”

Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger are among the young QBs who have drawn some interest from Tennessee leading up to the draft. Here’s more on the Titans and a few other AFC clubs:

The Titans have asked defensive end Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, reports Wyatt (via Twitter). The Tennessean scribe has suggested for much of the offseason that Wimbley would be a fit for the team’s new defense, but not at his current $6MM base salary (and $7.8MM cap number). If the veteran isn’t interested in accepting a pay cut, the team may release him, tweets Wyatt.
Two AFC East teams, the Bills and Jets, will host LSU receiver Odell Beckham for pre-draft visits next week, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
Speaking to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times, former Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain says he’s preparing as if he’s going to return to the NFL in 2014.

Draft Notes: Savage, Lions, Bills, Falcons

April 3rd, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2014 NFL draft now just five weeks away, you can expect at least one round of draft updates per day from us, and often it’ll be more. Here’s Thursday’s afternoon updates on a few prospects and the NFL teams that are eyeing them:

The stock of Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage is on the rise, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com, who says Savage has had workouts with nine NFL teams so far and has another seven scheduled for this month (Twitter links).
Martavis Bryant certainly isn’t the biggest name among the Clemson receivers in this year’s draft class, but he seems to be drawing some interest from the Lions, who hosted him for a pre-draft visit today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
The Bills announced two more pre-draft visits today, revealing that Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland and Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell were in town on Thursday.
Speaking of Breeland, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Falcons are high on the Clemson DB. Pauline adds that the team is at Liberty University today, working out cornerbacks Walt Aikens and Kevin Fogg.
Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman recently met with Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Danna, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Jimmy Staten will visit the Chargers next week, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
The cousin of Cardinals running back Andre Ellington, South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Cards, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Burleson, Pats, Jets

April 3rd, 2014 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

As we noted this morning, Jordan Rodgers represents the latest signee for a Dolphins team that has been busy over the last couple days. However, even though the team has reportedly inked Rodgers, Michael Rios, and Kevin Cone to deals in the last 24 hours or so, those weren’t the only lesser-known players brought in for workouts. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details, ex-Texans receiver Lestar Jean, and former West Virginia receiver J.D. Woods also auditioned for the club on Wednesday, but left without contracts.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

The Dolphins continue to look at receivers and will bring in Nate Burleson for a visit today, reports Steve Wyche of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald is a little surprised by the news, since he doesn’t think Burleson would be more than the No. 5 receiver in Miami, and doesn’t think the former Lion would have interest in being buried so deep on the depth chart.
Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty was in Florida with Vince Wilfork last week when the veteran nose tackle signed the new deal that will keep him in New England. McCourty tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald that he played a role in helping convince Wilfork to remain a Pat, joking that “he kind of owes me a little percent of his contract.”
The Jets are “very intrigued” by Florida State wideout Kelvin Benjamin, a team source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Benjamin will be paying a visit to the Jets, according to Mehta.

Draft Notes: 49ers, Patriots, Verrett

April 2nd, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Matt Feminis

At the beginning of the offseason, it was thought the 49ers might target a receiver in the first round, but with the draft a month away, cornerback has become the team’s top draft need, writes Doug Williams of NBC Bay Area.

In other draft prospect news…

TCU cornerback Jason Verrett has visits lined up with the Steelers, Jets and Cardinals, according to Fox’s Alex Marvez (via Twitter). All three teams value speed, athleticism and man-coverage skills. Verrett boasts sub-4.4 speed and outstanding leaping ability.
Drafting Aaron Dobson in the second round last year won’t preclude the Patriots from taking a receiver in the first round this year, writes NESN’s Doug Kyed, who lists five prospects who would be good fits.
When asked about the likelihood of a quarterback run in the draft’s top ten picks (consequently pushing down highly regarded prospects at positions of need), Lions GM Martin Mayhew acknowledged momentum might be slowing on that scenario. “I think (if) you said that a month ago, everybody would have signed off on that,” Mayhew told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But if you say that now, you don’t know how it’s going to go with the quarterbacks.”
Middle Tennessee State guard Josh Walker worked out for the Ravens and will also work out for the Saints and Colts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. A potential late-round pick, Walker was not invited to the Combine.

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors