2014 April - Pro Football Rumors

Rapoport On Clowney, Carr, Verrett

April 11th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport has passed along a handful of updates on notable pre-draft visits this morning, including a note on a likely top-five pick, and a couple more on potential first-rounders. Let’s check out what Rapoport has for us (all link go to Twitter)….

The Rams, who hold the No. 2 pick, are hosting defensive end Jadeveon Clowney for a pre-draft visit today, according to Rapoport. It’d be a surprise if St. Louis drafted Clowney, considering the club has a strong defensive line already and has more pressing needs at other positions. Still, the Rams will do their homework on the player considered by many pundits to be the top prospect in the 2014 class.
Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr will visit the Buccaneers on Wednesday and the Browns the following week, says Rapoport. The Cleveland visit is particularly noteworthy, since the Browns already privately worked out Carr.
TCU cornerback Jason Verrett recently worked out for the Panthers and is visiting the Falcons today, a source tells Rapoport. Verrett visited the Cardinals earlier this week, and reportedly met with the Steelers and Jets recently as well.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Jordan, Redskins

April 11th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this morning, we heard that free agent signal-caller Josh Freeman will work out for the Giants this week. There are a few more NFC East items to round up though, so let’s dive right in….

When Dion Jordan‘s name surfaced in trade rumors earlier in the offseason, the Eagles were immediately identified as a potential trade partner for the Dolphins, given Chip Kelly‘s connection to the defensive end. And according to at least one report, from Bob Grotz of the Delaware County Daily Times, Philadelphia did make an offer for Jordan — according to Grotz, the Eagles’ offer is believed to have included a second-round pick and edge defender Brandon Graham.
Following up on Grotz’s report, Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com says he has heard “similar whispers” about an Eagles offer for Jordan, and suggests that offering a first-round pick rather than a second might be enough to get it done if Philadelphia really wants Jordan. For what it’s worth, the Dolphins denied shopping Jordan when rumors first started to swirl, but I’d imagine the team would have to strongly consider any offer that includes a first-rounder.
Although the team didn’t immediately sign Austin Collie or Anthony Armstrong after hosting them for visits this week, the Redskins are looking to add more competition and depth to their receiving corps, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Speaking of that receiving corps, Andre Roberts, who initially signed with the Redskins expecting to be the team’s No. 2 wideout, will have to reconsider his role in Washington after the club signed DeSean Jackson, as he admitted on ESPN 980 in Washington yesterday (link via John Keim of ESPN.com).

Bengals Sign Sam Montgomery

April 11th, 2014 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have signed last year’s 95th overall pick, defensive end Sam Montgomery, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, but it will likely be a minimum salary contract with no assurances of a roster spot.

Montgomery, 23, was drafted in the third round by the Texans last year, but didn’t see any action in a regular season game before being cut in October for violating team rules. The Raiders signed the LSU product later in the season to their practice squad, and in between his stints in Houston and Oakland, Montgomery actually visited the Bengals, signaling Cincinnati’s interest.

Extra Points: Wilkerson, Jaguars, Mosley

April 10th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Zachary Links

First-round picks from the 2011 draft class became eligible for contract extensions this offseason, and the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson seemed very intent on getting one signed. So far, there hasn’t been any indication of a deal on the horizon, but the defensive tackle still says he has no intention of holding out if he doesn’t get a long-term deal, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Wilkerson went on to call GM John Idzik “a great GM and a man with a plan,” (link). More from around the NFL..

Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer has a pre-draft visit with the Jaguars, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
Former Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley will visit the Titans early next week, according to Audra Martin of WKRN (Twitter link).
The Falcons worked out Murray State wide receiver Walter Powell today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter) adds that Powell has a private workout scheduled with the Jets later this month. So far, there’s nothing brewing between Powell and the Rams, Thomas says.
Nate Ulrich of the Akron-Beacon Journal weighs the pros and cons of the Browns matching the Jaguars’ offer to center Alex Mack. Ultimately, he concludes that the good would outweigh the bad for Cleveland.
As exciting as Johnny Manziel is, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle is pretty confident that the Raiders will pass on him at No. 5. General Manager Reggie McKenzie has said that he strictly goes for the best talent available and none of the signal callers are top ten talents, in Tafur’s view. He opines that there are five players available that can make an impact right away – Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews – and Oakland can get one of them if they don’t trade down.
Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that in addition to his visit with the Eagles, he has two more coming up with the Saints and 49ers.

NFC North Rumors: Flynn, Pryor, Lee, Brown

April 10th, 2014 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have long been interested in a reunion with quarterback Matt Flynn, but things remain at a standstill, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media. While a signing could still take place, General Manager Ted Thompson doesn’t like eating up cap room on backup quarterbacks and he’s also not swayed by Green Bay being one of only four NFL teams with fewer than three quarterbacks on their offseason roster. Here’s more out of the NFC North..

Louisville safety Calvin Pryor made a recent pre-draft visit to the Bears, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Pryor and Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are widely considered the two best safeties in this year’s draft.
USC standout wide receiver Marqise Lee has visited with the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year has also visited with the Ravens and Jets and will meet with the Panthers and Saints in the future.
Louisville’s Preston Brown will attend the Vikings‘ top 30 event next week, a league source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The linebacker met with the Bills yesterday.

Panthers Sign Thomas DeCoud

April 10th, 2014 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have announced (via Twitter) that they have signed free safety Thomas DeCoud to a two-year deal. With the signing, the Panthers have filled a void in their secondary while also plucking a free agent away from one of their divisional rivals. The deal can reach $3.75MM and includes a $500K signing bonus, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

DeCoud will help give the Panthers depth at safety behind Charles Godfrey, who is coming off of Achilles surgery. While DeCoud started for the Falcons for the last five years and is a former Pro Bowler, he had by far the worst season of his career in 2013. The 29-year-old racked up just 44 tackles and failed to intercept a pass for the first time since becoming a starter.

Godfrey, meanwhile, remains a restructuring candidate for Carolina as his $7.1MM 2014 cap figure makes him the fifth-highest paid player on the Panthers’ roster. The veteran missed the final 14 games of 2013 with a torn achilles.

East Rumors: CJ2K, Pats, Redskins, Bills

April 10th, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent running back Chris Johnson could be very useful for a team that’s very close to contending, but the Cowboys aren’t and therefore wouldn’t have much use for him, writes Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. We heard earlier today that there hasn’t been a ton of movement on Johnson, partially because NFL teams and Johnson himself appear to be divided on his market value. More out of the AFC and NFC East..

In his latest mailbag, Erik Frenz of the Boston Globe opines that Dominique Easley has the look of a future Patriots defensive tackle. The 6-foot-2, 288 pound Florida product boasts a quick burst off the snap which allows him to make plays in the backfield. The only problem with Easley, Frenz explains, is that he is primarily a one-gap defensive tackle, not the two-gap, read-and-react style of lineman the Patriots have targeted in the past.
Anthony Armstrong left Washington D.C. without a deal after his workout today with the Redskins, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. The wide receiver, who hasn’t suited up for the Redskins since the 2011 season, did not appear in an NFL game last season.
Meanwhile, former Colts and Patriots wide receiver Austin Collie had a tryout with the Redskins, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports. Towards the end of March we heard that a return to New England was still in the cards for Collie.
Bills GM Doug Whaley and coach Doug Marrone are not only open to keeping two kickers, but they also might already be leaning that way, writes Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “If Dustin [Hopkins] can put the ball back there consistently, and if we can take that return play away,” Marrone said, “and Dan [Carpenter]‘s not at that higher percentage, then I have no problem with [keeping two kickers].”

Dolphins Sign Damian Williams

April 10th, 2014 at 6:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed free agent wide receiver Damian Williams to a one-year deal, a source tells James Walker of ESPN (on Twitter). The deal will pay Williams $800K.

As the Dolphins announced this afternoon, Williams was in Miami earlier today for a workout and it sounds like things went swimmingly for the soon-to-be 26-year-old. Up until today, the USC product spent his entire four-year career with the Titans. Williams hauled in just 15 catches for 178 yards, a significant step back in production compared to his previous campaigns. In 2011, Williams caught 45 balls for 592 yards and five touchdowns. In 2012, the 6’1″ receiver recorded 30 catches for 324 yards.

The Dolphins are searching for healthy veteran receivers to add depth behind starters Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline and the former third-round pick could do just that. Backups Brandon Gibson and Armon Binns are both coming off season-ending knee injuries.

Pompei’s Latest: Chris Johnson, Draft, Bills

April 10th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas suffered a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Saints, and the injury could result in him missing his rookie season and dropping precipitously in the draft. It could also inspire agents to rethink whether they’ll allow their clients to work out for teams before the draft, as Dan Pompei writes in his latest Bleacher Report column.

“Why should we do it?” said one agent. “They have seen maybe 30 games on tape. They have seen them at the Senior Bowl. They have seen them at the combine. Why do they have to see them again and risk something like this happening?”

Here are a few more notes from Pompei’s piece:

There hasn’t been a ton of activity on Chris Johnson since he hit the free agent market, in part because NFL teams and the running back himself appear to be divided on his market value.
All three teams picking in the top three of the draft have indicated an openness to trade down, according to Pompei, who says the Jaguars have put out feelers about the No. 3 pick.
While all of the quarterbacks at the top of the draft board have some question marks, Blake Bortles seems to inspire more confidence around the league than the alternatives, which could make him the first QB off the board next month, says Pompei.
On the other hand, Teddy Bridgewater has seen his stock slide a little since an underwhelming Pro Day, with one scouting director ranking him behind Derek Carr. However, Bridgewater is viewed as perhaps the best fit for the Texans, who hold the first overall pick.
People around the NFL expect a Jon Bon Jovi-led group to make a push to buy the Bills. That group could include Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment executives Larry Tanenbaum and Tim Leiweke.

Alex Mack Updates: Thursday

April 10th, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Alex Mack was the subject of several PFR posts yesterday after word broke that the transition-tagged free agent would be signing a five-year offer sheet from the Jaguars. While a center doesn’t typically inspire so much discussion, there are few, if any, in the NFL better than Mack, who ranked as our sixth-best free agent heading into the offseason.

The situation developing between the Browns and Jags is particularly interesting, since there are questions about whether Cleveland could have handled the situation better — assigning the franchise tender to Mack rather than the transition tender would’ve cost the team a little more, but would’ve meant a team wanting to sign him away would’ve had to part with two first-round picks. That essentially would’ve taken the center off the open market.

Here are today’s Mack updates, as we wait for the longtime Brown to formally sign the offer from Jacksonville. Any new items will be added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The general consensus among reporters since Mack’s contract details surfaced has been that the Browns will still likely match, despite the Jaguars’ creative structure. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) hears from one source that the Browns will probably match, while another source says Cleveland should let Mack walk due to the 2016 opt-out.

Earlier updates:

Mack’s offer sheet with the Jags will be worth $42MM over five years, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The deal is worth $18MM over the first two years, and includes a player option after the 2015 season. Because of the timing of that option, whichever team Mack is playing for at that point won’t be able to use the franchise or transition tag on him, Rapoport notes (via Twitter).
Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports adds (via Twitter) that if Mack opts in after the second year, his $8MM salary for year three (2016) becomes fully guaranteed.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears from a source that Mack’s deal with the Jaguars will indeed be executed on Friday, so the five-day clock for the Browns to match it will start tomorrow.
Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that as of late last night he was hearing Mack’s offer sheet from the Jaguars may not be officially finalized and signed until Friday, which is consistent with initial reports.
A source tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) that Mack’s offer sheet has been “reviewed, but not executed.”
Once Mack signs the Jaguars’ offer sheet, the Browns will likely match it in “no time at all,” according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also hears from a league source that the Browns figure to match the offer and retain Mack. As Florio notes, the average annual value of the Jags’ sheet is less than what the Browns would pay if they kept Mack under the transition tag in 2014 and 2015, so the club can afford it.
While much has been made of Mack’s desire to leave Cleveland, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) believes Mack will be happy, or “overjoyed even,” to remain with the Browns if the money is right.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com explains why it wasn’t a mistake for the Browns to transition Mack instead of franchising him, though much of Grossi’s explanation seems to rely on the idea that Cleveland won’t match Jacksonville’s offer. For now at least, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
The deal Mack eventually gets will affect Mike Pouncey‘s next contract, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald outlines. The Dolphins could extend their center’s rookie contract one more year by exercising his fifth-year option, but a long-term deal will be necessary at some point.