2014 May - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Looking To Trade Up For Manziel?

May 8th, 2014 at 8:32pm CST by Zachary Links

8:32pm: A league source believes Cleveland was trying to trade up for Johnny Manziel, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.

8:22pm: The Browns made a strong effort to trade up again to No. 11, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). However, the Browns bailed before the Titans submitted their pick. The Titans will keep the pick and select tackle Taylor Lewan, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

The Browns have been incredibly active so far tonight, having already traded from No. 4 to No. 9 to No. 8. The Browns picked up the Bills’ 2015 first round pick and more along the way, so they certainly have the assets to move up from No. 26 or acquire another first-round pick in tonight’s draft.

Cleveland bailing on talks with the Titans could indicate that they have a deal struck elsewhere, but we’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case.

Draft Rumors: Panthers, Moses, Jets, Cowboys

May 8th, 2014 at 8:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Don’t look for the Buccaneers to go after a quarterback early in this draft. Coach Lovie Smith tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter) that Mike Glennon is the team’s QB of the future. The latest out of Radio City Music Hall..

Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter) heard from a league source today that the Panthers are not interested in Morgan Moses.
The Jets are sending out signals that they have interest in a quarterback in the first couple rounds, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta adds that he would be surprised if that happens and we’re inclined to agree, seeing as how they have Michael Vick and Geno Smith under contract.
David Moore of The Dallas Morning News (on Twitter) hears the Cowboys have targeted three defensive players at No. 16. If they’re all gone, Moore says to look for them to go offense.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter) doesn’t believe any team was ever close to dealing for the Texans‘ No. 1 overall pick.

Browns, Vikings Swap Picks

May 8th, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have swapped picks with the Vikings, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Now, it’ll be the Browns at No. 8 and the Vikings selecting at No. 9. The Vikings got the Browns’ fifth-round pick, the 145th pick overall, for agreeing to move down, Birkett tweets. The Browns will select cornerback Justin Gilbert at No. 8, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

With the selection, Gilbert becomes the first defensive back to come off the board. The Oklahoma State star ran a 4.37 40-yard-dash at the combine and has been praised for his kick return ability. Most draft analysts have dubbed Gilbert as the best cornerback in the draft. Earlier tonight, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Browns were looking to trade down for a cornerback. By moving from No. 4 to No. 9 to No. 8, Cleveland has accomplished their goal. Gilbert is something of a surprise for Cleveland, but they now have a dangerous pair of corners with him and Joe Haden in tow.

The Browns acquired the No. 9 pick just minutes ago when they traded the No. 4 to the Bills.

Bills Could Shop Stevie Johnson

May 8th, 2014 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

There might be at least one person in Buffalo who isn’t excited about the arrival of Sammy Watkins. A source told Joe Buscaglia of WGR (on Twitter) that Buffalo would put Steve Johnson on the trade block if they tapped a wide receiver. Now that they have, Buscaglia says Johnson is likely available.

Johnson has been a star in Buffalo ever since his breakout campaign in 2010 where he hauled in 1,073 yards off of 82 receptions. Last season was Johnson’s least productive year since his emergence and he missed a quarter of the season due to injury.

Bills Get Browns’ No. 4, Take Sammy Watkins

May 8th, 2014 at 7:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have acquired the Browns No. 4 pick, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). They’ll be selecting Clemson’s Sammy Watkins (link). Buffalo gave up their No. 9 overall pick in this year’s draft, their first round pick in the 2015 draft, and their fourth round pick in ’15, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter).

The Bills’ interest in Watkins, a lifelong Bills fan, has been an open secret for the past few weeks. The Bills had little-to-no chance of landing the Clemson star at No. 9 and when he was still available after the top three picks, they pulled the trigger on a deal with the Browns. Watkins is widely viewed as the best wide receiver in the 2014 class, though there are reportedly some teams who prefer Texas A&M’s Mike Evans. Evans has the size at 6’5″, but few cornerbacks can keep up with the blazing speed of Watkins.

Watkins’ makeup implies that he could have an instant impact in the NFL ala A.J. Green or Julio Jones and that’s where the expectations will be after the Bills gave up so much to get him. For more on Watkins, check out my Prospect Profile on the dynamic athlete.

Browns Want To Trade Down For CB

May 8th, 2014 at 7:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are trying to trade down for a cornerback, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk (on Twitter) hears. The Browns are ostensibly shopping the No. 4 overall pick but also own the No. 26 selection.

There aren’t a lot of high-quality cornerbacks in this draft and there’s no one worthy of the No. 4 pick. However, trading down could allow Cleveland to take someone like Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert, Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard, or Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller. Moving down even further could put guys like Ohio State’s Bradley Roby and TCU’s Jason Verrett in range for the Browns, though those seem like options that could be available at the No. 26 pick.

Texans Select Jadeveon Clowney No. 1

May 8th, 2014 at 7:14pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re bound to see a lot of surprises tonight, but the first overall pick was fairly straight forward. The Texans have selected South Carolina star Jadeveon Clowney to kick off the 2014 NFL Draft. Of course, a trade is still possible, but based on what we’ve heard about Houston’s asking price, it seems likely he’ll be staying in red and blue.

NCAA Football: Mississippi State at South Carolina

Coming out of high school, Clowney was the number one recruit in his senior class, and three years later, he’s still widely regarded as the best amongst his peers. To say Clowney was dominant during his sophomore season would be an understatement. Teams tried everything to neutralize the defensive end but he managed to find his way into the backfield time and time again. Clowney’s junior campaign didn’t go as smoothly as he missed two games due to injury and some observers questioned his work ethic, but his talent still buoyed him to the No. 1 overall pick. As a sophomore, Clowney helped lead South Carolina to a 11–2 record, setting the school record for sacks (13.0) and tackles for loss (23.5) while also registering 54 tackles and three forced fumbles. In 2013, Clowney finished his junior season with 35 tackles, 10.5 for a loss of yardage, and three sacks.

Clowney stomped out a lot of the criticism directed his way at the combine in Indianapolis earlier this offseason. He measured in at a large 6’6″, and weighed in a lean 266 pounds with 34.5 inch arms and ten inch hands. Then he took that giant frame for a run, posting a blazing 4.53 40-yard dash, with extremely impressive numbers across the board in the other drills as well.

Tonight, Clowney became the first defensive lineman taken with the first overall pick since the Texans tapped Mario Williams in 2006. Williams had his ups and downs in Houston is now plying his craft with the Bills. With Clowney, the Texans are hoping for a better outcome and a stabilizing force for their D-Line for years to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) reported the pick just prior to Commissioner Roger Goodell taking the podium.

Kirk Cousins Drawing Trade Interest

May 8th, 2014 at 6:28pm CST by Luke Adams

When he spoke to reporters earlier this week, Redskins GM Bruce Allen said he hasn’t had any trade discussions with other teams about backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, there are several clubs interested in potentially acquiring Cousins, according to Mark Maske and Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Maske and Jones hear from a source that it’s unclear if any of those possible trade partners will offer the kind of return the Redskins are seeking, which would likely be a second-round pick, as we learned back in February.

“[The Redskins have] received interest of late from a few teams,” the source said. “But [they] won’t move him unless they get a two because he’s a cheap backup quarterback.”

Although Cousins expressed an openness to being traded earlier in the offseason, Washington had no plans to move him at that point, and a second source suggests to Maske and Jones that a deal still appears unlikely. Despite what a third source describes as “modest” interest in Cousins, a second-round pick may be too high a price to pay for most teams, considering there are a handful of solid QBs with second- or third-round grades in this year’s draft. Those players would be less expensive and under team control for longer than the Redskins’ backup.

Still, if Cousins is going to be dealt this offseason, there’s a decent chance it could happen this week, depending on how the draft plays out. Mike Glennon and Ryan Mallett are among the other backup signal-callers who could find themselves on the trade block this week.

Draft Rumors: Bills, Texans, Fisher, Clowney

May 8th, 2014 at 5:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest draft talk as we wait for the Texans to get things started..

Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) hears it’s all quiet right now for the Bills in terms of trade talks. The Bills are ready to hold their draft position at No. 9 but they’re ready if talks heat up while they’re on the clock.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears there’s still a chance for a trade at No. 1 with the Texans.
Jeff Fisher told the NFL Network that there are “four to six” players the Rams feel good about taking at No. 2, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. That’s down from the “six to eight” number Fisher gave reporters earlier this week. Fisher added (link) that the phone is starting to ring a little more as the draft draws near.
Fisher also said that if Jadeveon Clowney was available at No. 2, the Rams “wouldn’t complain,” tweets Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch.
Two people who know Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff well expressed doubt he would meet the Texans‘ high demands for the No. 1 overall pick, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. While that kind of deal could be tempting, Dimitroff knows that the team needs depth.
If the Lions don’t trade up for a wide receiver, UCLA pass rusher Anthony Barr is a player worth keeping an eye on as a fit, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that the Lions “love” Barr.
Sources close to UCF standout Blake Bortles tell Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer that the QB wouldn’t be surprised to see the Browns take him at No. 4. Bortles has been mentioned as a dark horse possibility for Cleveland.
Agent Scott Bergman tweeted to Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) to pass along word that client Essray Taliaferro received a call from the Colts earlier today. The running back out of Marshall ran for 1,140 yards off of 221 carries last season, good for a 5.2 yards per carry average.

Falcons GM: Trade Up To No. 1 Unlikely

May 8th, 2014 at 5:07pm CST by Luke Adams

An afternoon report suggested the Texans aren’t expecting to trade the first overall pick, and while that could be an attempt to stir up some last-minute interest, it seems one potential trade partner also views a deal as a long shot. General manager Thomas Dimitroff, whose Falcons have frequently been mentioned as a candidate to trade up to No. 1, tells Rich Hollenberg of the NFL Network that such a move is “highly unlikely” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

Hollenberger tweeted earlier today that Dimitroff confirmed he’s engaged in trade discussions with teams and that a move is possible. A trade up is more likely and Hollenberger gets the sense that the club is leaning toward a pass rusher (Twitter link). However, in another tweet, Hollenberger adds that the Falcons are reluctant to part with their second-round pick in a deal.

Rapoport reported this afternoon that the Falcons may be eyeing the Browns’ pick at No. 4, which figures to be less expensive than No. 1 and could still get them the pass rusher they covet. Jadeveon Clowney figures to be off the board by that point, but there are scenarios in which Khalil Mack will still be available.