2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Notes: Manning, Eagles, Doughty

March 31st, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from the NFC East:

Recently-released safety Danieal Manning grew up in the Dallas area, and has always fantasized about playing for the Cowboys, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com lists safety, defensive end, interior offensive line, and receiver as areas where the Cowboys could look to add depth through free agency. Archer lists Thomas DeCoud, Robert Ayers, Kyle Cook, and Nate Burleson as players who could potentially help at those respective positions. The Cowboys have about $6.4MM in cap space with which to work.
In separate pieces, Zach Berman of Philly.com and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com make much the same point: the Eagles need to find a way to continue to beat man coverage following the departure of DeSean Jackson. Opposing defenses primarily employed man coverage because it was the simplest to way to combat the Eagles fast-paced offensive attack. Jeremy Maclin will now become the focal point in the receiving game, but the team is expected to add a receiver from what is regarded as a loaded wideout class. Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, at 6’4″ and 240 pounds, is the type of physical receiver who could take on opposing defensive backs.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock disputes the notion that the Eagles need a receiver, and thinks they should draft their highest-rated defensive player left on the board (via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com).
The “door is not closed” between safety Reed Doughty and the Redskins, but he is not a priority in Washington, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington, also noting that several other teams have inquired on Doughty.
New Redskins safety Ryan Clark will act as a mentor to young defensive backs Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo, and try to fill the leadership void left by the retiring London Fletcher, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. But Clark was signed due to his ability, as well, as Keim notes (in a nice turn of phrase highlighting the Redskins ineptitude on defense last season): “[W]hile Pittsburgh let [Clark] walk because he’d lost a step, the Redskins have been seeking a safety who had any steps to begin with. They weren’t losing steps; they never had any.”

NFC North Notes: Lions, Manziel, Perry, Allen

March 31st, 2014 at 8:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In the wake of Shaun Hill‘s signing with the Rams, the Lions are still in the market for a backup quarterback, and the team is set to investigate all possible avenues for a solution, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions initially posited that they were in the market for a veteran to solidify the QB depth chart behind starter Matthew Stafford, but after failing to retain Hill, and missing out on another target in Luke McCown (who re-signed with the Saints), Detroit’s decision-makers may be changing their tune. “We keep looking and we could certainly address it a number of different ways, and all options are open at this time,” said new head coach Jim Caldwell.

One such route may be the draft, where the Lions could look to add a developmental quarterback in a later round. Another option would be to promote No. 3 quarterback Kellen Moore to the backup role. Moore, who has never taken an NFL snap, has reportedly “taken great strides,” according to Lions general manager Martin Mayhew. A veteran addition may still be in the works, as Birkett notes that Dan Orlovsky, a former Lion, could be of interest to the team.

Other notes from the NFC North:

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer says “some flags” came up after a recent meeting with quarterback Johnny Manziel, according to an interview with 104.9 The Horn (via the Minneapolis Star Tribune). Zimmer cites several off-the-field worries, mostly regarding dedication and Manziel’s willingness to “eat, breath, and sleep football.” The Vikings are expected to strongly consider drafting a quarterback with the eighth overall selection in May’s draft.
The Packers are still determining where to play third-year defender Nick Perry, writes ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Most of Perry’s success has come when rushing the passer from the right side; this presents a problem, however, as All-Pro Clay Matthews occupies the right outside linebacker position. Perry, like new signee Julius Peppers, could see more work in the “elephant” role, a position in defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ scheme that combines the responsibilities of a defensive lineman and a rush linebacker.
New Bears defensive end Jared Allen says that the team’s aging players on defense will add valuable experience, and not cost the team wins, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago. While Allen notes that he is excited to play with veterans like Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, and Tim Jennings, it is important to remember that these are the same players who contributed to the Bears’ 25th overall defensive rating by DVOA.

Browns Owner Talks Draft, Haden, Parcells

March 31st, 2014 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With a new GM (Ray Farmer) and head coach (Mike Pettine) in place in Cleveland, this year’s group of decision-makers looks significant different than the group that selected Barkevious Mingo sixth overall a year ago. One constant though is owner Jimmy Haslam, who spoke to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and other Browns beat writers last week about the importance of this offseason and the draft for the franchise, and his long-term outlook for the team.

Here are a few notable quotes from the Browns owner:

On whether there’s a scenario in which he’d overrule Farmer or Pettine on a draft decision:

“Zero chance. We will have so many conversations between now and the draft about who we’re picking. Are we picking this position or that position? Who are the top three or four guys? We will be well planned out, so that, ‘Hey, here’s plan A. But if plan A doesn’t work, here’s plan B, and here’s plan C. That’s what getting ready is all about. That’s what Ray and his group are focused on, and we’ll all participate. Mike will play a key role in that, too.”

On whether the team might use the No. 4 overall pick on a non-quarterback:

“Yeah, I don’t think we’re compelled to pick a quarterback at No. 4. We don’t know that yet. The draft is May 8, so it’s still six, seven weeks, and Ray and his team and Pett and his team have a lot of work to do between now and then.”

On the importance of the 2014 draft for the Browns:

“We have three of the top 35 picks and 10 overall, so it’s exceptionally important that we do a good job in the draft and I think we’ve said that for the last year and this is an important free agency. We’ll know this time next year, but I think we feel good about the moves we’ve made in free agency.”

On potentially extending the contract of cornerback Joe Haden:

“Joe’s very important to the franchise and people forget, Joe’s only 24 years old, because he got out of high school a little early, got out of college three straight years and he’s very important to the franchise, and going forward we want to sign our really good players early if possible and Joe certainly exemplifies that.”

On whether he has an open line of communication with Bill Parcells:

“Yeah, but Bill’s not going to come work for us, okay? I know that’s what everyone’s angling at, but there’s other people that we talk to too who are knowledgeable in football that will share that too. Somehow the Parcells information just happened to hit the radar screen.”

AFC Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Zuttah, Titans

March 31st, 2014 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

DeSean Jackson‘s release was the latest reminder that trades are tricky to work out in the NFL, even when it’s simply a matter of trying to swap a player for a draft pick. Player-for-player deals are even more difficult to finalize, but Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) has five suggestions for trades he thinks would benefit both sides, and four of them don’t include any picks. Among Yates’ suggestions: Ryan Mathews from the Chargers to the Titans for offensive tackle Michael Roos, and defensive lineman Jared Odrick from the Dolphins to the Patriots for offensive lineman Marcus Cannon.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

While it won’t have a real effect on teams’ cap situations for 2014, about $105MM in leaguewide deferred payments on bonus money are due today and tomorrow, tweets Brian McIntyre. As Yates writes in another ESPN.com piece, the Patriots are among the teams with a handful of payments owed, including $2.5MM each to offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer and cornerback Kyle Arrington.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he plans to speak to Dan Marino about a possible job within the organization, though he’s not sure yet what sort of role it would be, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
When the Ravens acquired Jeremy Zuttah in a trade last week, the team also worked out a five-year extension with the veteran center. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun now has the details on Zuttah’s new contract, tweeting that it’s worth $18MM with $6.5MM guaranteed. That includes a $3.5MM signing bonus, a $1MM guaranteed 2014 base salary, and $2MM of his $3MM 2015 base salary in guaranteed money. Wilson adds in a second tweet that the deal also includes playing-time and Pro Bowl escalators, and provides the full breakdown of annual base salaries and cap figures in two final tweets.
The base salaries on Shaun Phillips‘ two-year deal with the Titans are $1.5MM (2014) and $2.55MM (2015), tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
The Titans are hosting several players for pre-draft visits today, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (all Twitter links). According to Wyatt, the players visiting the Titans include tight end A.C. Leonard, offensive linemen Kadeem Edwards and Demetrius Rhaney, and defensive back David Van Dyke of Tennessee State, as well as former Vanderbilt kicker Carey Spear, cornerback Andre Hal, and safety Kenny Ladler.
Nearly three weeks after the free agent period began, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com resets the Browns’ roster, examining which positions still might be areas of need.

Remaining Salary Cap Space Per Team

March 30th, 2014 at 10:54pm CST by Peter Sowards

Curious about how much salary cap space your favorite team has? Thanks to the hard work by OverTheCap.com, they’ve procured estimates for all 32 NFL teams, and we’re bringing the figures to you in order, from most to least.

Teams generally need between $4-6MM in cap space for their rookie draft classes. Earlier this week we brought you the 2014 rookie draft pool estimates, again courtesy of Over The Cap.

AFC South Notes: Locker, Draft, Nicks, Jags

March 30th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans are unlikely to pick up their 2015 option on quarterback Jake Locker, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. As a first-round-pick under the new CBA, Locker would be entitled to a one-year salary at the average of the top-ten highest-paid quarterbacks, which would amount to roughly $14MM. If Locker performs well this season, the Titans could look to sign him to an extension, but if not, the team needs more insurance than the recently-signed Charlie Whitehurst. Wyatt argues the team should draft Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray in the 4th-5th round of the draft, and ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky agrees, noting the team should select “one of the injured SEC guys.”

NFC Notes: Johnson, Eagles, Sanchez, Jackson

March 30th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons have no interest in Titans running back Chris Johnson, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. On Friday, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweeted that Atlanta would be a prime destination for Johnson, but a source tells Florio that this union will not come to fruition. It seemed dubious that the Falcons would want to invest in another aging running back to pair with veteran Steven Jackson, and the draft seems like a more viable way for Atlanta to infuse talent into their backfield. For his part, Johnson is widely expected to be released within the coming weeks.

More notes from the NFC:

Following the release of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles are thin at wide receiver, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Besides Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin and Arrelious Benn are both coming off torn ACLs, and Damaris Johnson is unproven. Newly-acquired Darren Sproles, with his acumen in the passing game, could play a key role in the Eagles offense this season.
The Eagles signing of Mark Sanchez doesn’t figure to start any type of quarterback controversy, but that doesn’t mean Sanchez has lost his competitive edge, notes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. “I’m always going to want to start,” said the quarterback. “It doesn’t matter where you are, you want to play. There’s nothing wrong with having that drive. I’ll keep that fire going and try to help this team the best I can.” A nice preseason, followed by competency in the case of a Nick Foles injury would the best way for Sanchez to rehabilitate his value.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com mentioned the 49ers as a team that could be in play for Jackson (podcast link). We noted earlier this week that the 49ers may not be able to fit him on their roster financially, but Fitzgerald argues that Anquan Boldin will likely be cut after this season, and that Jackson could be signed to contract with a low first-year base salary.

49ers Notes: WRs, Culliver, Verrett

March 30th, 2014 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Parks

Michael Crabtree is entering the final year of his contract, and although the 49ers have expressed their desire to sign him to a long-term deal, they have to at least prepare for his departure, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Similarly, although Anquan Boldin just signed a two-year deal with the team, his age suggests that the 49ers have to start looking for his eventual replacement as well.

Furthermore, neither of those players offer much of a speed element to the 49ers vertical attack–which helps to explain the natural links that pundits drew connecting DeSean Jackson to San Francisco–so Barrows believes the 49ers need to add both a strong, sturdy receiver as well as a speedster. He notes that the team has the resources–six draft picks in the first three rounds–to fill those needs in this deep class of wide receivers.

Some more notes from the NFC West powerhouse:

Needless to say, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be a “beautiful fit” in the 49ers receiving corps, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com thinks the price will just be too steep for the 49ers to trade up high enough to draft him. Williamson does not, however, rule it out, given that the team does not have many other holes to fill.
In a separate piece, Williamson notes that the 49ers were always going to take a cornerback early in the draft, but the uncertainty that Chris Culliver‘s arrest has created makes the team’s need for a corner even more pressing. It was his presence that allowed the 49ers to let Tarell Brown leave for Oakland and stopped them from pushing harder for a free agent like Walter Thurmond. That said, San Francisco may use one or more of its six picks in the first three rounds to move up not for a top-flight receiver, but a top-flight corner.
In keeping with those sentiments, after projecting the 49ers to draft a receiver in his first several mock drafts, Williamson is now mocking TCU cornerback Jason Verrett to the 49ers with the No. 30 overall selection.

AFC Notes: Clowney, Broncos, Jets

March 30th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Rory Parks

Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is not done beefing up his team’s floundering pass rush, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union. The Jags have already re-signed Jason Babin and have added Chris Clemons and Red Bryant to the fold, but Bradley wants four “Leo-types” on his roster. In other words, if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when Jacksonville makes the third overall selection, expect him to be standing next to Roger Goodell with a Jaguars jersey in his hands.

By the same token, if the Rams–or, much more likely, the Texans–take Clowney with one of the top two picks, expect the Jaguars to try and trade down. Jacksonville will also have a chance to manipulate the draft in the later rounds. The team holds 11 picks, including two in the fourth round, three in the fifth, and two more in the sixth. Expect the team to move around in the draft as it looks to become relevant again in the AFC South.

More notes from the AFC:

Despite the departure of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Chris Harris‘ knee surgery and the injury history of the newly-added Aqib Talib, don’t expect the Broncos to jump on a corner in the first round of the draft, writes Mike Kiszla of the Denver Post. Kiszla believes defensive linemen will offer the most value at the bottom of the first round, where collegiate standouts Ra’Shede Hageman and Stephon Tuitt may still be available.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, like his colleagues, does not believe the Jets will pursue DeSean Jackson, and he believes that staying away from Jackson is a “smart move.” Cimini is intrigued by newly-added cornerback Jeremy Reeves, whose signing our Luke Adams discussed on Friday.
Christopher Price of WEEI.com looks at some of the Patriots‘ prime candidates for contract extensions.

2014 Rookie Draft Pool Estimates

March 29th, 2014 at 10:45am CST by Peter Sowards

Thanks to our friends at OverTheCap.com, we have a good look at the rookie pool allocations for the year. These estimates are based on a number of factors — the number of draft picks each team, the 2014 salary cap, and the salaries of the top 51 paid players under contract.

You can view the complete 2014 NFL Draft order here, as well as a breakdown of the draft picks by team.

All figures are courtesy OverTheCap.com.

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors