HEADLINES

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors

NFC East Links: Avant, Eagles, Cowboys

January 23rd, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the NFC East:

  • Coming off his least productive season since 2008, Jason Avant still believes he has plenty left in the tank, as he tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. However, the Eagles will have to make a decision in the coming weeks on what to do with Avant, who is scheduled to receive a $1MM roster bonus in March, on top of his $2.25MM base salary.
  • The Eagles figure to be targeting safeties again in the 2014 draft, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, detailing a number of possible options for the team.
  • Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones indicated that the team is open to drafting a quarterback in May, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
  • On the heels of kicker Dan Bailey inking a seven-year contract with the Cowboys, Watkins explores a few candidates for the next Dallas player to receive a long-term extension, starting with Dez Bryant.

102 Underclassmen Enter NFL Draft

January 20th, 2014 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

98 underclassmen who met the NFL’s three-year eligibility rule and formally applied to enter the draft have been granted special eligibility, the league announced on Sunday. In addition to those 98, another four players who are underclassmen in terms of eligibility, including top QB prospect Teddy Bridgewater, will be eligible for the draft because they have already graduated, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

The number of underclassmen entering the draft represents a new record, and is a significant increase from the previous record of 73 in 2013. It’s the sixth straight year that the number of early entrants has risen, which can be partially attributed to the league’s new rookie wage scale. As Florio points out, the limits on salaries for draft picks under the new CBA means that there’s added incentive to get to the NFL early to put in time toward a second contract.

In addition to Bridgewater, underclassmen like Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney, and Blake Bortles also declared their intent for the draft, and are expected to be top-10 picks. According to Jason Cole of the National Football Post, NFL executives expect about half the players selected in the first round to be early entrants.

The full list of underclassmen entering the draft can be found at NFL.com.