2014 April - Pro Football Rumors

King’s Latest: Falcons, Manziel, Rams, Mack

April 28th, 2014 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

With teams reluctant to reveal any of their plans, the weeks leading up to the draft are often filled with a mix of real and false information on teams’ preferences and players’ stocks. Peter King of TheMMQB.com points to a Johnny Manziel rumor as one example of potential misinformation, noting that he heard from one reliable source that the Eagles are considering moving up to draft the young quarterback. However, King goes on to say that a second source, who would know even better, insists it “absolutely won’t happen.”

While it seems there’s nothing to that Manziel rumor, King cites it as an instance where a team may be trying to make a “misdirection play” and passes along several more draft-related updates that he considers to be more reliable. Here are the highlights from the latest MMQB column:

“Momentum is gaining” for the Falcons to trade up to No. 1 to draft Jadeveon Clowney, according to King, who estimates the odds of a deal are about 40% at this point. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also reported today that the Falcons are exploring trade options, though he notes that the club hasn’t engaged in negotiations with the Texans for that first overall pick yet. In King’s view, it would take at least Atlanta’s 2015 first-rounder in addition to this year’s No. 6 overall pick to get Houston’s attention.
It’s a safe bet that Rams GM Les Snead will trade at least one of his two first-round picks, if not both, says King. The team currently holds the second and 13th overall selections.
An offensive coordinator whose team likely won’t be drafting a quarterback early, to King: “If I had the first pick in the draft, I’d take Manziel.”
King spoke to Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, who is pushing to be the first player off the board and would love to play with J.J. Watt in Houston. Although Mack hasn’t yet gotten a sense of where he’ll be selected, King would be surprised if the linebacker lasted more than six picks.
King passes along the top 10 players on one team’s draft board, though he’s not sure of the order: Clowney, Mack, Manziel, Blake Bortles, Aaron Donald, Sammy Watkins, and four offensive tackles (Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Zack Martin, Taylor Lewan).
Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio could be a top target for the Panthers in the second round if he’s still on the board at No. 60, says King.

Draft Visits: Bradford, Vereen, Shembo, Tripp

April 28th, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

2014’s period of pre-draft visits for prospects and NFL teams came to an end yesterday. Players will no longer be permitted to visit clubs between now and the draft on May 8, though teams are still allowed to work out players. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com have some details on some players who made visits prior to yesterday’s deadline, so let’s round up the highlights….

Arizona State outside linebacker Carl Bradford worked out for the Falcons and visited the Steelers, 49ers, and Chargers, reports Wilson. The Jaguars and Dolphins were among the other clubs to meet with Bradford, who is viewed as a potential second-round target.
The Giants hosted Richmond wide receiver Ben Edwards for a visit, according to Wilson. Edwards, who caught more than 200 passes during his college career, had his Pro Day attended by 20 NFL teams. Wilson adds that Minnesota safety Brock Vereen also visited the Giants.
Notre Dame outside linebacker Prince Shembo visited the Packers and also privately worked out for the Patriots, Jaguars, and Falcons, league sources tell Wilson.
Wilson also has the latest on Florida cornerback Jaylen Watkins, the brother of Sammy Watkins. According to Wilson, the former Gators DB has visited the Redskins, Falcons, and Eagles, and worked out for the Panthers and Patriots. Watkins met with the Colts and Lions as well.
In addition to his previously reported visits with the Falcons and Eagles, Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp also had workouts for the Patriots and Panthers, tweets Caplan.
In a separate tweet, Caplan adds North Carolina State defensive back Dontae Johnson to the list of prospects who visited the Eagles.

Rams Pick Up Option On Robert Quinn

April 28th, 2014 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Rams have officially exercised their fifth-year option on Robert Quinn, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had indicated earlier in the month that it was just a matter of time until the Rams picked up the 2015 option on the defensive end.

Quinn, 23, has emerged as one of the NFL’s top pass rushers over the course of his first three years with the Rams. In 2013, the North Carolina product finished a close second to Robert Mathis in total sacks, with 19 to Mathis’ 19.5. Quinn also placed second behind the standout Colts edge defender in forced fumbles, with seven to Mathis’ eight. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Quinn was the league’s best 4-3 defensive end in 2013 by a wide margin, with an incredible grade of +77.2. Greg Hardy was the runner-up with a +28.0 grade.

Because Quinn was drafted outside of the top 10 in 2011, he’ll be in line for a $6.969MM salary in 2015. That’s the figure that applies to defensive ends selected between 11th and 32nd — fellow ends like Muhammad Wilkerson, Corey Liuget, and Cameron Jordan have also seen their options picked up in advance of the May 3 deadline.

To keep tabs on all of this year’s fifth-year option decisions, be sure to check out our tracker.

Young, Thigpen To Work Out For Browns

April 28th, 2014 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

10:39am: Young won’t be the only quarterback trying out for the Browns this week. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter), GM Ray Farmer told reports that Tyler Thigpen will be auditioning as well.

9:06am: Former third overall pick Vince Young is hoping to land a spot on an NFL roster this season, and at least one quarterback-needy team appears willing to give him a chance. According to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston, the Browns are bringing in Young for a physical, and will have him work out at the club’s minicamp this week. If Young impresses, it could result in a contract from Cleveland and an opportunity to earn a regular-season roster spot.

Young, who turns 31 next month, was in camp with the Packers in 2013 and the Bills in 2012, but was released prior to the regular season in both instances. The former Pro Bowler hasn’t seen any real NFL playing time since 2011 with the Eagles, when he started three games for the club. In his limited action that season, Young threw just four touchdowns to nine interceptions.

When Berman reported over the weekend that Young had hired a new agent (Brian Overstreet), he also quoted the signal-caller as saying he was receiving “some calls, some interest” from NFL teams. If that’s the case, perhaps the Browns won’t be the only club to give the former Texas Longhorn star a look.

Giants Sign Rusty Smith

April 28th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Not long after signing Josh Freeman to a one-year contract, the Giants have added another free agent quarterback. According to a press release, the team has signed former Titan Rusty Smith.

Smith, a sixth-round draft pick in 2010, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career in Tennessee, appearing in just three games for the Titans (two in 2010, one in 2012). The 27-year-old was shaky in what little action he saw, completing just 51.1% of his passes and throwing four interceptions with no touchdowns.

Considering the Giants are already pretty well-stocked at the quarterback position, Smith looks like a long shot to make the club’s regular-season roster. In addition to Freeman and starter Eli Manning, the Giants are also carrying Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib. With Manning recovering from ankle surgery, more bodies were needed for the offseason program, but New York will have to pare down its depth chart at some point before the season begins.

Michael Robinson Likely To Retire

April 28th, 2014 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

Much has been made this offseason about teams being unwilling to spend big bucks on the running back position, and that’s even more true of fullbacks. Some clubs have nearly phased out that position entirely, and that trend may result in former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson calling it a career this offseason, as Mike Poorman of StateCollege.com writes (hat tip to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).

“There really isn’t a market for 31-year fullbacks headed into their ninth year in the league,” Robinson said. “Economically speaking, I understand that. I’m going to give myself a little time after the draft to let teams see how their rosters shake out. After seeing what happens, I’m probably going to call it a career.”

Robinson, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2006, has spent four years each with the 49ers and Seahawks, and earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2011, starting at fullback in place of an injured John Kuhn. While his primary contributions came as a blocker, Robinson has also accumulated 115 carries and 75 receptions over the course of his eight-year career, adding five total touchdowns. The 31-year-old is currently an unrestricted free agent.

According to Poorman, Robinson is eyeing a broadcasting career once he officially retires from the NFL, and is currently focusing on that work while he waits to see if there’s any interest from clubs after the draft. “If I do get a call from a team, then I’m counting that as a bonus,” Robinson said.

Aaron Donald’s Potential Fit With Bears

April 27th, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Peter Sowards

Each year, a group of players will get brought up with the same team over and over leading up to the draft. A combination of the player’s talent level, his fit with the team and the team’s draft slot make it convenient to send the same guy to the same team when making mock drafts.

This year, it’s Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald going No. 14 overall to the Chicago Bears.

The talent of Donald is obvious, as noted by Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Donald tore up the Senior Bowl, ran a 4.68 second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, as well as impressing in the bench press and three-cone drill.

More obvious than his talent is the potential fit as a three-technique penetrator on the Bears defensive line. Donald led the nation in tackles for loss and sacks per game, and concerns about his relative small stature (6-1, 285 pounds) have lessened as of late.

As for the Bears draft slot, landing in the mid-first round seems reasonable for Donald. CBSSports.com lists Donald as the No. 13 overall prospect and the No. 1 defensive tackle. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay campaigned for the Bears to draft Donald, saying the team’s Plan B would be in “panic” were he to be off the board. DraftInsider.net’s Tony Pauline figures Donald to come off the board anywhere between No. 6 and 16.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah is sold on Donald’s pro potential: “I don’t think he really has anything to answer. The only concern you’d have is he’s not a 315-pound guy. But we always talk in scouting: You want a guy to make it through the whole process and check every box.

“He’s dominant on tape. . .. He lives in the backfield as a pass rusher. He’s explosive with his hands, and he’s also able to kind of bend and wrap, and a really dynamic interior pass rusher.”

And, as pointed out by Finley in the article, after losing Henry Melton and Corey Wootton in free agency, Donald would fill the void well and figure to be a key cog in the Bears defensive line for years to come.

Poll: NFL Considering Developmental League

April 27th, 2014 at 8:14pm CST by Peter Sowards

In August 2007, the NFL ceased operation of NFL Europa, issuing a press release that “The Time is right to re-focus the NFL’s strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games.”

And thus ended the NFL’s developmental league, in place since 1991 save for a two-year hiatus from 1993-94.

However, the league’s new director of football operations, Troy Vincent, told the Associated Press today that he sees the installation of a developmental league as a way to preserve and grow the game.

“We need to keep the pipeline of talent flowing, and that means for all areas of our game: players, coaches, scouts, game officials,” Vincent said. “I am responsible to look at whatever the competition committee looks at, and that includes a developmental league.

“For all this football talent around, we have to create another platform for developing it. Maybe it’s an academy — at would it look like? Maybe it’s a spring league; we’ll look to see if there is an appetite for it.”

Vincent also mentioned adding an eighth official to the referee crew for games and coaches using tablets on the sidelines.

Vote in the poll below and feel free to add your opinion in the comments section.

Draft Notes: Whaley, Bills, Linebackers

April 27th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Peter Sowards

If the Bills want to draft Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins or Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews — who each have visited with Buffalo — they’ll likely have to trade up from the No. 9 slot to do so. And judging by comments made by general manager Doug Whaley, it’s a definite possibility.

“If we think this guy is going to get us over the hump and get us into the playoffs, which is our stated goal, why not make the deal?” Whaley said on radio station WGR-AM, according to Jason Butt of National Football Post.

The Bills are likely more than just a player away from making the playoffs in the AFC, but that won’t stop its GM from being aggressive in the upcoming NFL Draft.

More draft notes from around the league on a Sunday night…

Brent Sobleski of USA Today Sports ranked the top 10 linebackers in the draft, slotting Alabama’s C.J. Mosley, Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier and Wisconsin’s Chris Borland at the top.
Ranking the top 5 tackles was Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s assignment, who likes Nevada’s Joel Bitonio as the No. 5 tackle behind the consensus top-4.
Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer, who recently had a pre-draft visit with the 49ers, also visited with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Latimer is one of the fastest rising prospects in the draft and projected to be a first-round pick.
Heading to the Browns in Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal‘s latest mock draft are Sammy Watkins and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr at the No. 4 and No. 26 spots, respectively.

AFC Notes: Latimer, Colts, Dolphins, Jags

April 27th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Indiana receiver Cody Latimer’s name has been popping up all over the pages of PFR recently, as he continues to take visits with teams looking for a deep threat. Terez A. Paylor analyzes the factors that have contributed to Latimer’s rise from a projected mid-round selection to a potential late-first-round-pick, and quotes ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. in the process, who says of Latimer, “When you’re 6-2 1/2 and you’re 225 pounds and you run a 4.39 and you’re one of the strongest wide receivers you’ll ever come across, and you have real good hands and natural pass-receiving skills, that’s gonna push you up.” Paylor specifies that the Chiefs, at pick No. 23, would be a logical landing spot for the play-maker.

A few more notes from around the AFC:

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com delves into the Colts’ offseason, during which they added the likes of Arthur Jones, Hakeem Nicks, and D’Qwell Jackson, and assigns them a grade of C+, noting that while the Colts’ free agent strategy may not be the most financially sound, the team does have the cap space to absorb large contracts, and needs to capitalize on being the best team in a weak division.
Twin UCF offensive guards Justin McCray and Jordan McCray each worked out for the Dolphins, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Jackson also writes that the Dolphins have met with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of McGill University in Canada. Duvernay-Tardif, interestingly enough, wants to become a sports doctor, and only practiced football once a week due to a strenuous class schedule.
In a recent mailbag segment, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco guesses that the Jaguars will come away from the draft with one of Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, or Jadeveon Clowney, though he cautions not to rule out Greg Robinson.
The Chargers will aim to emulate the Seahawks’ physical nature on defense, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. To do so, San Diego will need to add defensive talent in the draft, likely in the form of a first-round lineman or defensive back.