AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Carr, Bucannon
A lot of talk has been made about what the Jaguars are going to do in the first round. A team with so many holes and needs is in a unique position to take the best player available or trade down in the draft. The team’s biggest need is arguably quarterback, and general manager David Caldwell has some interesting thoughts about some of those top prospects, specifically Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel, writes Daniel Lago of BlackAndTeal.com.
“Johnny would probably be the one guy you could plug in there sooner rather than later,” Caldwell said. “Just because his style of play isn’t going to change much from Year 1 to Year 2.”
Caldwell also noted the team would not have to drastically change their playbook to accommodate Manziel’s unique skill set.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:
- While he either really likes Manziel or just wants to help find a trade partner looking to move up for the star quarterback, Caldwell also had good things to say about Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. Lago notes that while most teams have downgraded Bridgewater due to poor workouts, the Jaguars remain relatively high on him. Although, the team would still be considered unlikely to select him with the third-overall pick.
- The Jaguars are not the only team in the division looking for a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. It has been made clear that the Texans are going to bring in a signal caller in the first two rounds, but the Titans have shown a lot of interest in improving the position as well. Paul Kuharskey of ESPN.com pegs the Titans as having major interest in Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, and could either move down in the first round or up in the second round to acquire his talents.
- The Colts do not come to the podium until the 59th overall selection late in the second round, but that doesn’t stop those draftniks from trying to figure out who they will select. Mike Chappell of IndyStar.com wrote that the team would be ecstatic if safety Deone Bucannon of Washington State was still available that late in Day 2 of the Draft. Chappell writes that it would help ease the blow of losing Antoine Bethea.
Redskins’ Draft Notes: Borland, Linemen, Hughes
ESPN’s Todd McShay had a conference call last week in which he spoke about the Redskins’ position in the draft. Without a first-round selection, McShay and his colleague Mel Kiper Jr. gave the team Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland with the second pick of round two in their three-round mock draft. John Keim of ESPN.com is not sold that Borland is the best fit or the best value at that spot in the draft, even for a team in such need of help rushing the passer.
Here are more notes about the Redskins’ draft plans:
- While the team does need help rushing the passer, Keim writes that interior pass rushers should not be overlooks when considering the age of the defensive line. Keim notes that Jason Hatcher, Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen and Kedric Golston will all be over 30 years old this season.
- In a separate mailbag, Keim addresses the idea that the Redskins need to use the draft to bolster the offensive line. While the line is far from perfect, Keim notes that especially a team with so few draft picks, drafting specifically for need could be crippling. The team addressed the offensive line in free agency, and using later round picks will not significantly improve the team this season.
- The Redskins met with Indiana wide receiver Kofi Hughes, one of four teams to meet with him according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun-Times. Hughes was a productive player in college, totaling 13 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards in his collegiate career.
Vikings Do Not Exercise Ponder’s Option
The Vikings have officially decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Ponder, the 12th overall selection in the infamous 2011 draft class, failed to meet expectations as a Viking. He led the team to the playoffs once, although led is a strong word to describe the quarterback of a team that featured one of the most dominant offensive performances in recent memory in Adrian Peterson‘s MVP 2012 campaign.
The team was not expected to exercise this option. The fifth year would have cost the Vikings $9.686MM, according to our Fifth-Year Option Tracker. That price was far too high for a player who was not even the favorite to beat Matt Cassel out for the starting job this upcoming season.
Ravens’ Draft Notes: Clinton-Dix, Ward, Bucannon
It is no secret that the Ravens have a tremendous need at safety despite drafting Matt Elam in the first round last year. The team is widely expected to select a safety and an offensive tackle in the first two rounds of the draft in some order, despite a history of taking the best player available. ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. put together a three-round mock draft, and Kiper handed the Ravens Washington State safety Deone Bucannon in round two. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com loved this pick, noting that Bucannon could become the best safety in the draft and would start immediately next to Elam.
Here are some other rumors surrounding the Ravens’ draft:
- McShay gave the Ravens offensive tackle Morgan Moses out of Virginia in the first round, a pick that scared Hensley due to the similarities seen with Bryant McKinnie.
- The safety the Ravens bring in could very well rely on what round they feel comfortable devoting a pick to the position, explains Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times in a series of tweets. The only way they take one in the first round is if Ha Ha Clinton Dix of Alabama falls to them (via Twitter), but even then they are not in love with the value (via Twitter).
- The team would be much more excited to land Jimmie Ward of Northern Illinois, likely in the second round, with one member saying he has Ed Reed-like playmaking potential (via Twitter). If they can afford to wait for the third round, look for Terrence Brooks of Florida State to be the target, according to Zenitz (via Twitter). One of the Ravens’ scouts said Brooks has the best speed and acceleration of any safety in the draft (via Twitter).
AFC Mailbags: Raiders, Bengals, Jags, Colts
We took a look at some NFC mailbags earlier, so let’s take a look at some tidbits from ESPN’s AFC writers…
- The Raiders like Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but selecting him fifth overall may be “too rich for the Raiders blood”, says Paul Gutierrez. If the team was to trade back a couple of slots, Gutierrez thinks Donald would be a likely pick.
- If Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack are all off the board by the time the Raiders pick, Gutierrez believes the team should seriously consider trading down.
- Gutierrez suggests trading Denarius Moore for a fifth-round pick if the Raiders select Watkins.
- The Bengals are not likely to trade up, writes Coley Harvey. The team historically hasn’t been active in draft trades and Harvey says the team has little incentive to make a trade this year.
- The Jaguars are “definitely” looking at the 2015 Draft for quarterbacks, but Michael DiRocco would be surprised if the team doesn’t select a passer this season.
- Safety is a bigger priority for the Colts than an offensive lineman, writes Mike Wells.
NFC Mailbags: Giants, Panthers, 49ers, Saints
It’s Saturday and that means a fresh batch of mailbags from ESPN’s NFL writers. Let’s take a look at some notes from the NFC…
- The Giants‘ need for a tight end does not offset their need on the offensive line, writes Dan Graziano. The team added four lineman in free agency, but Graziano believes the team needs to “address the problem in a meaningful, sustainable, long-term way.”
- Graziano guesses that Giants safety Will Hill will be suspended and subsequently cut. General Manager Jerry Reese said that the team would wait out the appeal process.
- Taking into account the uncertain future of Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson‘s age and Frank Alexander‘s four-game suspension, the Panthers should select a defensive end in the first round, opines David Newton. Wide receiver and offensive tackle may be the popular picks, but Newton sees value at those positions in the second and third round.
- Newton projects a longterm deal between the Panthers and Hardy would be in the four-year range, worth $13MM to $15MM a season.
- The signing of Brandon Lloyd shouldn’t affect the 49ers‘ draft plans at the position, writes Bill Williamson. Anquan Boldin is getting older and Michael Crabtree is entering the final season of his contract, so the position is still a need.
- Mike Triplett can see the Saints drafting center’s Marcus Martin or Weston Richburg in the first round. The writer attributes Sean Payton‘s history of not selecting offensive lineman in the first round to “happenstance.”
- Triplett believes the Saints still have interest in Jonathan Goodwin. Triplett adds that the veteran could be a fallback plan if the team’s doesn’t land a center in the early rounds.
NFC North Links: Bears, Vikings, Packers
It seems likely that the Bears will bring in a quarterback for some camp competition, and that player could come from the draft, writes ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright. The writer thinks the team would only select a quarterback in the first two rounds, and he bases that off of quotes from team GM Phil Emery.
Emery has studied “developmental quarterbacks” since the 2006 Draft (Jay Cutler‘s year) and discovered that “developmental theory doesn’t hold a whole lot of water.” The research showed that since that draft, there hasn’t been a long-term starting quarterback selected later than the third-round (the 2012 draft is considered a “blip on the radar”).
Emery elaborated on his findings:
“So, to get a high-quality quarterback, you’ve got to draft them high. Most of the starters in this league come from the first and second round. So that’s where you need to take a quarterback. So when you talk about quarterback every year, they have to be somebody you truly believe will beat out the second and third quarterback that you perceive on your roster. And if not, history shows that you shouldn’t make that pick.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC North…
- The previous Bears regime did not value safeties, but that could change under Emery, Wright mentions in the same article. Considering the increasing importance of the position and the relative lack of depth on the squad, it wouldn’t shock Wright if the team selected a safety in the first round.
- It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but the Vikings have declined the fifth-year option on quarterback Christian Ponder, confirms FoxSports’s Alex Marvez (via Twitter).
- The fifth-year option is a “key benefit” in selecting a player in the first round, and that is why the Vikings may be inclined to select a quarterback earlier than later, writes ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling.
- It would be tough for the Packers to pass up Calvin Pryor if he’s sitting there at the 21st pick, writes ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Of course, as the writer points out, it’s unlikely the safety would fall that far.
- In the same article, Demovsky expresses his belief that the Packers will select a tight end early in this year’s draft. Wide receiver could also be an option in the later rounds. The team lost receiver James Jones this offseason and likely won’t bring back tight end Jermichael Finley.
Draft Notes: Ravens, Giants, Lions, Bengals
The Ravens have committed plenty of time and resources to scouting prospects from smaller schools, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. That extensive research paid off in 2008 when the team selected Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco. Since, the team has picked a number of players from small schools, including four of their ten selections last season.
“I think, in general, scouting has gotten better across the league,” assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said. “Teams are doing better jobs, so we’ve tried to find value by more closely looking at small-school players. Our scouts do a great job of going out there and evaluating those guys.
“We get the chance to see a small-school guy at the Senior Bowl, you get a chance to see him at the Combine to compare against the big-school guys. That’s always a big challenge. The other thing is, ‘How are players going to get better?’ At small schools, sometimes they don’t have the luxury of having a nice weight room, nutritional programs or support staff. We feel like sometimes these guys come into our facility… and get better quickly because they have the advantage of all these new things.”
Among the Ravens’ previous small-school selections are Flacco, Lardarius Webb and Gino Gradkowski.
Now, for some more Draft notes from around the NFL…
- New Mexico State wide receiver Austin Franklin visited with the Giants, reports Wilson. The wideout had 52 catches for 670 yards last season.
- Teddy Bridgewater could be a fallback option for the Bengals, tweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The team is seeking a cornerback and defensive lineman, but could select the Louisville quarterback if they decide he’s the best player on the board.
- The Lions are looking for a center and Florida State’s Bryan Stork would be a very good option, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Rimington Trophy winner (awarded to the nation’s best center) would compete with veteran Dominic Raiola, who signed a one-year deal to return to Detroit earlier this offseason.
2015 Fifth-Year Option Decisions
The deadline has passed for teams to officially exercise their 2015 options on players who are in the final year of their rookie contracts, so it’s time to round up the results of those decisions. These fifth-year options could only be exercised on first-round picks, and the salaries were determined by where players were drafted and what position they play.
If a player had his option exercised, his rookie contract will be extended by one year and he’ll be eligible for free agency after the 2015 season. If a player’s option was declined, he’ll be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season. We explained the intricacies of the fifth-year option in a PFR Glossary post last month, so you can read up on the specific details there.
These 2015 option salaries are guaranteed for injury only up until the first day of the 2015 league year, at which point they become fully guaranteed. As such, many teams will exercise the options for now, even if they’re not 100% sure they’ll keep the player, since there isn’t a ton of risk in picking up the option and maintaining as much roster flexibility as possible. Teams and players can also continue to negotiate long-term contracts from this point on.
In the case of some players listed below, teams didn’t officially announce their decisions, which we’ll interpret to mean the clubs didn’t exercise those options — no formal action was required if a club simply chose not to pick up the option.
Here are this season’s fifth-year option decisions:
- Cam Newton (QB, Panthers), $14.666MM: Exercised
- Von Miller (LB, Broncos), $9.754MM: Exercised
- Marcell Dareus (DE, Bills), $8.06MM: Exercised
- A.J. Green (WR, Bengals), $10.176MM: Exercised
- Patrick Peterson (CB, Cardinals), $10.081MM: Exercised
- Julio Jones (WR, Falcons), $10.176MM: Exercised
- Aldon Smith (LB, 49ers), $9.754MM: Exercised
- Jake Locker (QB, Titans), $14.666MM: Declined
- Tyron Smith (OL, Cowboys), $10.039MM: Exercised
- Blaine Gabbert (QB, 49ers), $14.666MM: Declined
- J.J. Watt (DE, Texans), $6.969MM: Exercised
- Christian Ponder (QB, Vikings), $9.686MM: Declined
- Nick Fairley (DT, Lions), $5.477MM: Declined
- Robert Quinn (DE, Rams), $6.969MM: Exercised
- Mike Pouncey (OL, Dolphins), $7.438MM: Exercised
- Ryan Kerrigan (LB, Redskins), $7.038MM: Excerised
- Nate Solder (OL, Patriots), $7.438MM: Exercised
- Corey Liuget (DE, Chargers), $6.969MM: Exercised
- Prince Amukamara (CB, Giants), $6.898MM: Exercised
- Adrian Clayborn (DE, Buccaneers), $6.969MM: Declined
- Phil Taylor (DT, Browns), $5.477MM: Exercised
- Anthony Castonzo (OL, Colts), $7.438MM: Exercised
- Danny Watkins (OL, FA): Not applicable due to release
- Cameron Jordan (DE, Saints), $6.969MM: Exercised
- James Carpenter (OL, Seahawks), $7.438MM: Declined
- Jonathan Baldwin (WR, 49ers), $6.776MM: Not applicable due to restructure
- Jimmy Smith (CB, Ravens), $6.898MM: Exercised
- Mark Ingram (RB, Saints), $5.211MM: Declined
- Gabe Carimi (OL, Falcons): Not applicable due to release
- Muhammad Wilkerson (DE, Jets), $6.969MM: Exercised
- Cameron Heyward (DE, Steelers), $6.969MM: Exercised
- Derek Sherrod (OL, Packers), $7.438MM: Declined
Extra Points: Lions, 49ers, Dalton, Draft
Longtime Lions scout Silas McKinnie is retiring after next week’s draft, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The retirement of McKinnie, who has been with the team as a regional and personnel scout since 2003, leaves the Lions with two vacancies in their front office. In January, Lions assistant director of pro personnel Miller McCalmon stepped down after five seasons with the team and 35 years in the NFL. Here’s more from around the league:
- While there has been a lot of attention placed on troubled defensive talent Aldon Smith, 49ers teammate NaVorro Bowman is an example of a player who turned things around despite off-the-field incidents in the past, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- One NFL team exec spoke with CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (on Twitter) about an interesting trade idea that won’t happen: a swap between the Bengals and Vikings centered on quarterback Andy Dalton and the Vikings pick at No. 8. Minnesota is said to be looking hard at quarterback options with their top pick, including UCF’s Blake Bortles.
- After talking to four GMs, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) the consensus top five draft picks seem to be Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, and Jake Matthews, in some order.
- Eastern Washington edge rusher Anthony Larry had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles, and has also drawn interest from the Packers, Seahawks, Chargers, Ravens, and Browns, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Larry won’t come off the board early, but he’ll either be a Day 3 pick or a priority free agent, according to Wilson.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.