AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Jets
Let’s round up a few Tuesday items from around the AFC….
- At The MMQB.com, Peter King’s first-round mock draft includes a few notable nuggets. King notes that the Bills “love” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and that he expects the Dolphins to try to trade up to land offensive tackle Zack Martin.
- Sources tell Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net that tight end Eric Ebron is the Ravens‘ top target in the first round. Ebron may still not be on the board at No. 17, but Pauline hears that the Giants (No. 12) are souring a little on the tight end due to possible personality red flags.
- The Jets are keeping in contact with quarterbacks projected to be first-round picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who suggests that perhaps the club is simply keeping its options open in case one of those players falls.
- Amidst rumors that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam covets Johnny Manziel, Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that Haslem may not be the only team owner who could step in and push his club to draft Johnny Football.
- Mock negotiations continue between former agent Joel Corry and former team exec Ari Nissim, who are conducting hypothetical contract talks between J.J. Watt’s agent and the Texans. Part three of the enlightening series has now been published at the National Football Post.
- Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon tells Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that he views the Patriots and Broncos as potential fits for him, given his size and the success players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman have had in those systems.
Redskins GM Talks Draft, Jackson, Cousins
Redskins general manager Bruce Allen spoke to reporters today, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post, John Keim of ESPN.com, and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. The Washington GM fielded questions about his offseason to date, his draft plans, and recently reinstated safety Tanard Jackson. Here are a few of the highlights, courtesy of Jones, Keim, and El-Bashir (all Twitter links):
- After what Allen called an “active” free agent period, the team doesn’t feel as if there are any gaping holes on the roster. Of course, he added that the Redskins are always looking to add young talent.
- If there’s a trade out there that makes sense, Allen would like to make a move to acquire more draft picks. On the other hand, as one of teams currently without a first-round pick, Washington is unlikely to jump back into the first via trade.
- Jackson, who had been suspended indefinitely in 2012 for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, will take a physical today, and assuming he meets all of the NFL’s conditions, the Redskins might give him a chance to earn a roster spot, according to Allen.
- Allen has had no discussions with other teams about a trade involving No. 2 quarterback Kirk Cousins.
- Not having a first-round pick, and the added financial flexibility that comes along with that, didn’t play a factor in Washington’s pursuit of DeSean Jackson, says Allen.
- The Redskins aren’t targeting a specific position in the draft, and will stick to their draft board and opt for the best player available. Allen also mentioned multiple times that Washington will have its 2015 and 2016 rosters in mind when drafting, rather than looking for any short-term solutions.
Patriots, Will Smith Agree To Terms
TUESDAY, 10:12am: Smith’s one-year deal with the Patriots has a base salary of $855K, and bonuses of up to $65K, which means it qualifies as a minimum salary benefit contract, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.
MONDAY, 1:37pm: The Patriots have agreed to sign veteran defensive lineman Will Smith, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). Terms have not yet been released.
Smith, 32, was a first-round pick of the Saints in 2004 out of Ohio State, and had spent his entire career in New Orleans until being released just before the start of free agency. He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL during the preseason. In 2012, Smith played in all 16 games and garnered six sacks, but graded out as the second-worst 4-3 defensive end in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Smith, who has been linked to the Pats for several months, had stated he would be open to either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense. New England, then, rates as an excellent landing spot for the pass-rusher, as the Patriots often play a mix of both schemes. While he has no experience as an 3-4 OLB, he did spend the 2013 offseason preparing to be an outside linebacker in Rob Ryan’s defense before tearing his ACL, so perhaps that knowledge will come in handy. In New England, he adds experience to a front seven that contains a lot of youth in Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones, and Jake Bequette.
Wilson’s Latest: Schaudt, Presley, Cole
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has spent the last several weeks providing updates on pre-draft visits, private workouts, and prospects drawing interest from specific NFL teams, ranging from first-round locks to potential undrafted free agents. He has a few more tidbits for us this morning, via Twitter, so let’s dive in and round them up….
- Minnesota State edge rusher Chris Schaudt is receiving interest from the Browns, Raiders, Vikings, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, Eagles, and Broncos. Wilson had reported over the weekend that Schaudt, who played defensive end in college, was being considered by several 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker.
- Akron defensive end Albert Presley has drawn interest from the Dolphins and Buccaneers.
- The Texans and Cardinals have interest in Maine outside linebacker Michael Cole, who also worked out for the Giants last month.
- Citadel defensive back Brandon McCladdie has generated interest from the Panthers, Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Texans.
- The Jaguars and Giants are among the teams interested in East Carolina strong safety Chip Thompson.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Draft, Ravens
While the Steelers are currently slated to pick No. 15 on Thursday evening, it’s possible that’s not the spot they’ll ultimately end up in, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details. However, the team is far more likely to move down from No. 15 than to move up, according to general manager Kevin Colbert.
“We won’t be trading up because we can’t,” Colbert said, citing the team’s lack of a movable third-round pick. “We can still trade down and, with the depth of the draft, that’s a real possibility. Or, at least, it’s an option that’s available to us.”
Assuming the Steelers stay put, there are just a handful of positions they’ll be considering, but “no position” would be off the table if the team moves back in the first round, says Colbert. Still, it’s very unlikely that Pittsburgh would target a quarterback or running back that early. The GM specifically singled out wide receiver and cornerback as a couple positions where the Steelers love all the talent available.
Let’s round up some more Steelers info, as well as a couple items on one of their division rivals….
- With the pressure on Colbert and his staff in Pittsburgh this week, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a closer look at the Steelers GM, who former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi calls “the most unheralded GM in the league.”
- The Ravens aren’t likely to target a quarterback with their first- or second-round pick, but the club will likely add one at some point in the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. GM Ozzie Newsome on the subject: “[We] need to be looking at bringing in another quarterback so we can have someone that is capable of going into the game as we move forward in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, in case we can’t keep Tyrod [Taylor], that we have someone who can go and win games for us if Joe [Flacco] gets hurt.”
- Speaking of Newsome, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reads between the lines of some of the Ravens GM’s comments at the team’s pre-draft press conference and wonders if this could be Newsome’s last year in his current position.
Lions Notes: CBs, Trades, Draft, WRs
Back at the NFL’s scouting combine in February, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told the media he was confident cornerback Chris Houston would bounce back from a subpar, injury-plagued 2013 season, but the GM doesn’t appear quite as certain now. As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes, Mayhew confirmed that Houston is still dealing with a medical issue, and may need surgery to correct the problem. Depending on the veteran’s health status, cornerback could be an area of focus for the Lions when the draft gets underway this Thursday.
Here’s more on the Lions….
- The Lions and Bills have had conversations about moving into the top five, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who hears that those clubs are looking for a bargain. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) adds that there’s “no doubt” the Lions would move up to land Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, or even Mike Evans, if the price is right, but it’s not clear what the right price would be.
- Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should target a cornerback in the first round, and identifies Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard as the ideal choice for the club.
- While cornerback – and a few other positions – may be areas of need for the Lions, the team isn’t likely to deviate from its usual best-player-available strategy, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
- The Lions still like Ryan Broyles, who is recovering from Achilles surgery, but the club figures to draft at least one receiver this week, says Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
Monday Roundup: Keisel, More Draft Notes
It might come as a bit of a shock, but there is one piece of non-draft news to pass along tonight. According to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not ruled out a possible reunion with DE Brett Keisel. Tomlin added that the team has to add to its defensive line (Twitter link).
Now let’s round up some more draft-related rumors for the final post of the evening and gear up for another day of draft nuggets tomorrow.
- More and more teams are trying to mimic the examples set by master draft manipulators like Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome and New England’s Bill Belichick, and so there has been a great deal of speculation regarding what teams might want to move up or down in the 2014 draft, particularly in the first round. The defending AFC champions are no exception. Broncos GM John Elway says he is open to trading up or down, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, and although the team could use a cornerback, the top CB prospects are likely to be gone before Denver’s No. 31 overall selection. Linebacker and offensive lineman are also first-round possibilities for the club.
- ESPN.com’s Mike Sando has compiled a list of the top eight questions to consider heading into Thursday’s first round. The whole article is worth a read, but the highlights include Sando’s belief that Khalil Mack could be the top prospect to have an Aaron Rodgers-like fall in the draft, and his insight that Odell Beckham, Jr., not Mike Evans, could be directly behind Sammy Watkins as the No. 2 wideout on some teams’ boards.
- Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that Michael Sam, despite the positive publicity he has garnered over the past few months, is widely regarded as a “non-entity” by many top executives.
- Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes that the Ravens‘ top target is TE Eric Ebron, who may or may not be around when the Ravens pick at No. 17 overall. According to Pauline, the Giants may be souring on Ebron, though if Baltimore does not trade up, the Steelers are also considered a top suitor for Ebron’s services.
- ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky looks at some potential targets for the Titans if they choose to trade down.
- ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco makes a case for the Jaguars to draft Teddy Bridgewater.
- NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the Chiefs could be a surprise team in the market for a first-round QB, as negotiations with Alex Smith are not progressing well.
More Draft Rumors: La Canfora, Bryant
As the draft season has evolved, more and more pundits have come to believe that Jadeveon Clowney will be the first player taken in the draft. CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora lends his support to that theory, adding that although the Texans would love to trade down from their No. 1 overall pick, they will find it hard to do so. If they do manage to find a trade partner, the most likely scenario, La Canfora writes, is a team like the Falcons moving up to take Clowney. Of course, someone like Greg Robinson could be the target in such a move, but Clowney is still the top prize in this year’s class.
La Canfora goes on to describe in detail the options available to the teams holding the first five picks in the draft. For instance, he notes that the Rams are “wheeler-dealers” and have been entertaining calls for the No. 2 overall selection, although those conversations have not intensified as of yet. La Canfora believes that, if the Rams stay put and Clowney is somehow still on the board, they will go with Clowney. If Clowney has been taken, then Robinson would be the answer, though Jake Matthews would get some consideration as well. If, however, the Rams do find a trade partner and move down in the draft, then the Johnny Manziel-to-St. Louis rumors that have already been circulating in full force would gain even more traction.
Now let’s continue to clean out the draft notebook:
- Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta says that there are three elite prospects in the draft: Clowney, Robinson, and Khalil Mack, according to Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports. There has been enough chatter surrounding each of those players to at least keep them in the conversation surrounding the first overall pick.
- Like a lot of wide receivers in this year’s class, Clemson’s Martavis Bryant, despite being a first-round talent, will probably end up being a Day 2 selection, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Marvez cites Bryant’s college coach, Dabo Sweeney, who adds that Bryant would have benefited from one more year at Clemson.
- As we learned yesterday, it is more difficult to draft a wide receiver than almost any other position. The 49ers know that better than anybody, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Since 1990, the 49ers have drafted 10 wideouts in the first three rounds of the draft, and only three of those players logged more than 78 career receptions. San Fransisco is, as Branch notes, expected to dip its toe into the pool of early-round receivers yet again this year, and GM Trent Baalke acknowledges the difficulty of the task.
- NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that Odell Beckham, Jr. and Ryan Shazier are two players who could go a little higher than expected. We learned earlier tonight that at least one team above the Jets’ No. 18 overall pick loves Beckham, and Shazier has put himself alongside C.J. Mosley as the second-best LB in the draft outside of Mack.
- Unfortunately for Mosley, middle linebackers are becoming more and more of an afterthought, write Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
Draft Notes: Caplan, Safeties, Beckham
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan held a Q&A on Twitter Monday evening, and that session contained a few interesting nuggets. All links, of course, go to Twitter:
- Caplan does not believe Johnny Manziel will make it past pick No. 7, but his absolute floor is No. 13.
- He also does not think Manziel’s former teammate, Mike Evans, will make it out of the top 10.
- Caplan tweets that TE Jace Amaro could go in the first round, but is more likely a 2nd-round prospect, along with Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
- Caplan believes another high-riser, DT Aaron Donald, has turned himself into a top-10 selection.
- As he has been saying all offseason, Caplan thinks the Vikings will bolster their defense with the No. 8 overall selection.
And as beat writers and national analysts continue to churn out draft tidbits like so much butter, let’s dive into some more draft-related links:
- Barring a trade, the Colts will not pick until deep into Day 2, as their first selection is No. 59 overall. When they finally do send a draft card to the podium, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that the team will take a “long look” at safeties. Which is understandable given how thin they currently are at the position.
- However, this year’s safety class is fairly weak, and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Eagles, another team that needs safety help, will find slim pickings even in the first round. As Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman says, “I don’t think it’s a good group overall.“
- ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that if the Jets really want LSU wideout Odell Beckham, Jr., they will have to trade up to get him. At least one team above the Jet’s No. 18 overall selection is said to be in love with Beckham.
- Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle tweets that seven teams called Baylor CB Demetri Goodson today, and that the Titans expressed strong interest.
- The Bears and Ravens both have mid-first round picks, and both are set at the quarterback position. As such, a run on QBs early in the first would benefit both teams by allowing talent at other positions to fall, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Biggs believe that such a run will, in fact, happen.
- In the same piece, Brown writes that the Ravens could also stand to benefit even if there is no early run on quarterbacks, as their No. 17 overall selection would be more appealing to teams in search of a top QB prospect. Although Baltimore has been widely expected to take an offensive lineman or wide receiver in the first round, Brown believes they could “pull a surprise” and take a cornerback first if someone like Justin Gilbert or Darqueze Dennard should fall.
NFC South Notes: Bridgewater, Martin, Visits
The Buccaneers have not given up on on Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater despite his Pro Day struggles, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Bridgewater was once thought of as a possibility for the Texans with the first pick, but is now considered a late first or early second-round pick. Buccaneers’ general manager Jason Licht said he and head coach Lovie Smith do not change grades during the draft process due to performance at pro days.
“We try not to let the pro day dictate whether a player gets massaged up the board or not,’’ Licht said. “For us, opinions only change if Lovie and I haven’t really had a chance to see a lot out of the player earlier.”
It should be noted that Cummings does not mention where the team originally projected Bridgewater.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC South:
- The Buccaneers need a guard, and Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, who is climbing up draft boards, could be in play with the seventh pick, writes Cummings in a separate article. Martin, a tackle in college, is projected as a possible guard in the NFL. Cummings writes that the Buccaneers fans would be hesitant to support a pick that passes on playmakers at the skill position in order to add a guard.
- The Panthers meeting with Penn State receiver Allen Robinson went “very well,” reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Robinson could bring some relief to a team in dire need of a receiver. The Panthers will most likely come to the podium with the top four or five receivers already off the board in the first round.
- The Falcons met with L.J. Jones of Fresno State, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun-Times (via Twitter). The cornerback also recently worked out with the Panthers according to Wilson.