Eagles Rumors: Roseman, Draft, Barr, Evans
Earlier today, Eagles GM Howie Roseman addressed reporters in a pre-draft press conference. Let’s dive in and check out some of the highlights..
- Roseman said that he’s willing to trade up for the right players, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher. While Roseman didn’t name names, Mosher could see Philly moving up to grab someone like UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr or Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans.
- Meanwhile, Roseman hinted that the Eagles’ top pick might not be a wide receiver or safety as some have assumed, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. The GM explained that it’s not a particularly strong group at safety and added that he doesn’t necessarily need to grab a wide receiver with the No. 22 overall pick since there’s tremendous depth at the position. At safety, the Eagles have Malcolm Jenkins, Earl Wolff, Nate Allen, and Chris Maragos in-house.
- “Quality is going to trump quantity,” Roseman said, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “If you look back at successful drafts, if you can come out of it with three starters, that is a really good draft. There are not a lot of drafts that you can come out and do that. So we still have enough picks to do that. Obviously, you’d always like to have more picks, but it is what it is at this point.”
Draft Updates: Texans, Browns, Carr, Watkins
After declaring yesterday that he knew who the Texans would pick first overall, GM Rick Smith added a caveat today when he spoke to reporters, including Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle: “I don’t know exactly who we will take. What I do know is, I know the order of our board. If we take the first pick, we know who we want.”
In other words, Houston has a good idea which player it will grab if it doesn’t trade down, but the team remains very much open for business. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), at least four teams have inquired on that No. 1 pick, but as McClain notes, checking in on the Texans and being ready to consummate a deal with them are two very different things.
Here are a few more Thursday draft updates:
- It seems as if one way to forecast which teams might draft Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr is figuring out which clubs are expressing interest in his older brother. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link), David Carr said the Browns are one of about six teams that have talked to him about signing him if they draft the younger Carr.
- Many of the teams interested in Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins view him as a potential impact kick returner as well, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Buffalo cornerback Najja Johnson visited the Falcons and has worked out for the Chargers and Colts, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Rams and Patriots worked out SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert this week, tweets agent Leigh Steinberg.
Minor Moves: Cowboys, Browns, Chiefs
We’ll keep track of Thursday’s minor transactions right here. Those include signings and cuts of players who haven’t seen much (or any) NFL action lately, as well as players signing exclusive rights FA tenders, among other moves. Here are today’s minor moves, with any new transactions added to the top of the page throughout the evening:
- The Cowboys have signed wide receiver LaRon Byrd, the team announced today in a press release. The 24-year-old, who spent time in 2012 and 2013 with the Cardinals, worked out for both the Giants and Cowboys last month. Byrd’s new deal is a two-year pact, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas (via Twitter).
- Tyler Thigpen and Vince Young got the headlines today in Cleveland, but the Browns added a third player, signing linebacker Zac Diles, according to the team (Twitter link). A former starter for the Texans, Diles didn’t see much playing time in his last two season with the Titans, and figures to be depth piece and perhaps a special teams contributor if he earns a spot on Cleveland’s roster.
- Former Bengals offensive lineman Otis Hudson has signed with the Chiefs, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. A 2010 fifth-round draft pick, Hudson has bounced back and forth between Cincinnati’s roster and practice squad over the last four years, never logging regular-season snaps with the club.
NFC Rumors: Falcons, Connor, Williams, Cards
While many of the rumors swirling around the Falcons and a possible move up to the No. 1 pick have been linked to the team’s interest in Jadeveon Clowney, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says the defensive end wouldn’t necessarily be the club’s target if Atlanta does trade up. According to La Canfora, the Falcons are “very, very high” on offensive tackle Greg Robinson, who is a candidate to be drafted second overall by the Rams, meaning Atlanta may be considering moving up for Robinson instead.
La Canfora adds that several GMs believe Clowney, Robinson, Khalil Mack, Jake Matthews, and Taylor Lewan could be the top five players selected, which would put the Falcons in a tough spot, since they seem intent on adding an impact offensive lineman or pass rusher.
While we wait to see what the Falcons decide, let’s check out a few more updates from across the NFC:
- Longtime Carolina linebacker Dan Connor, who split time between the Giants and Panthers last season, recently worked out for the Falcons, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Connor, an unrestricted free agent, would be competing for playing time in a reserve role if he signed with Atlanta.
- Former Viking Kevin Williams, who has visited the Giants and Seahawks, is mulling the possibility of retiring if he doesn’t receive an offer he likes, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “If it’s not worth the risk of going back out there, I can’t say I’ll do it,” Williams said. “I don’t see it at this point (taking a low-value deal), but you never know.”
- Speaking to reporters today, including Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim didn’t rule out the possibility of trading up in the first round, but made it clear that a trade down was far more likely. The GM added that the Cards have already engaged with a number of prospects they expect to go undrafted to try to sell them on signing in Arizona after the draft.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com provides a year-by-year breakdown of Earl Thomas‘ new contract with the Seahawks, which features a cap hit of about $7.373MM in 2014. According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the 2015 and 2016 figures become fully guaranteed after the start of those respective league years.
- Temple defensive tackle Levi Brown paid a pre-draft visit to the Giants last month, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
AFC Notes: Browns, Haden, Bills, Fins, Colts
With this weekend’s deadline looming, head coach Mike Pettine says the Browns have yet to make a decision on whether or not to exercise the fifth-year option for defensive tackle Phil Taylor (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). For his part, Taylor expressed a desire to have that option picked up, but says he won’t let it affect his play if the team decides to turn it down (all Twitter links).
Let’s round up a couple more Browns items and check in on a few other AFC clubs…
- Cornerback Joe Haden confirmed that extension talks with the Browns are ongoing, as Ulrich tweets. “I’d like to get it done as soon as possible, but we’re still working on it,” Haden said.
- More from Ulrich (Twitter link): Pettine confirmed today that the Browns‘ phone has been ringing and that trade talks are happening for virtually all the teams in the top 10 of the draft.
- Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that he’s hearing “a lot of chatter” about the Bills wanting to move up from the No. 9 pick, and the Dolphins wanting to trade down from No. 19, which is consistent with other whispers we’ve heard in the last week or so.
- Free agent offensive lineman Steve Vallos had a tryout with the Colts yesterday, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). Vallos, who spent the 2013 season with the Broncos, left the audition without a contract.
- The Colts, who don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, are keeping their options open when it comes to moving up, GM Ryan Grigson said today (link via Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star). However, as Grigson acknowledges, with just five picks in hand, the Colts don’t have a ton of ammunition for trades.
- Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin is drawing interest from the Chargers, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Browns Sign Tyler Thigpen
2:29pm: The Browns have officially signed Thigpen, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
1:11pm: It’s a one-year pact for Thigpen, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
1:05pm: The Browns have agreed to terms with free agent quarterback Tyler Thigpen, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Thigpen had a “very strong” performance at the Browns’ minicamp this week, and La Canfora had suggested earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that the 30-year-old was expected to sign with the team.
Thigpen, a seventh-round pick in the 2007 draft, saw his most significant action during the 2008 season, when he started 11 games for the Chiefs and put up respectable numbers, including 2,608 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. Since then, he has served as a backup in Kansas City, Miami, and Buffalo.
Browns Sign Vince Young
2:13pm: Overstreet now tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link) that Young has signed his one-year deal with the Browns.
1:20pm: Young’s agent, Brian Overstreet, has confirmed his client is signing with the Browns, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
1:12pm: Tyler Thigpen isn’t the only free agent quarterback close to finalizing a deal with the Browns today. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Vince Young is also expected to ink a contract with Cleveland, after trying out at the club’s minicamp this week. It’ll be a one-year deal for Young, says Rapoport.
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 for Philadelphia in ’11, Young threw just four touchdowns to nine interceptions, leaving his most memorable mark on that squad by dubbing it the “Dream Team” prior to the season.
For the Browns, Young figures to get a chance to compete for a regular-season roster spot. The team parted ways with Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden already this year, and only had Brian Hoyer and Alex Tanney on its QB depth chart before today. Still, with the Browns expected to add another signal-caller in the draft and having agreed to terms with Thigpen today as well, there are no guarantees Young will stick in Cleveland into the fall.
Broncos Pick Up 2015 Option On Von Miller
The Broncos have formally exercised their fifth-year option on standout pass rusher Von Miller, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The decision had long been expected, having initially been reported by Klis in late March.
After earning Pro Bowl nods in each of his two NFL seasons, Miller’s 2013 campaign got off to a late start after he served a six-game suspension, and came to an early end with an ACL tear. In his last full season (2012), Miller recorded a career-high 18.5 sacks to go along with 68 tackles, ranking as the league’s best 4-3 outside linebacker by a wide margin, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Even in his abridged 2013 season, the 25-year-old was PFF’s highest-graded 4-3 OLB.
By picking up the option, Denver keeps Miller under contract through the 2015 season, with that fifth-year option worth $9.754MM, as our tracker shows. The two sides can still work out a longer-term agreement at any time, but if they don’t reach a new deal, Miller’s fifth-year salary will become fully guaranteed on the first day of the ’15 league year.
Ryan Kerrigan, Aldon Smith Options Likely To Be Exercised
The Redskins are expected to pick up their fifth-year option on outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Washington GM Bruce Allen made comments earlier this week that I thought strongly hinted the club would be formally exercising that option in advance of Saturday’s deadline, so the report doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
More interestingly, La Canfora writes in the same piece that several league sources believe the 49ers will ultimately decide to exercise their 2015 option on linebacker Aldon Smith. Multiple reports in April suggested the club was leaning against picking up Smith’s fifth-year option due to off-field incidents, but as I wrote yesterday when examining the outstanding options, the decision is perhaps the trickiest of the bunch, since Smith has contributed so much for San Francisco on the field. For what it’s worth, Can Inman of the Bay Area News Group also hears from a front office executive that he expects the Niners to pick up the option (Twitter link).
May 3 represents the deadline for teams to make their decisions on whether or not to exercise fifth-year option on 2011’s first-round picks. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweeted earlier today that those decisions must be formally made by the time the calendar turns from Friday to Saturday in the Eastern time zone tomorrow night, so we can expect resolution soon on Kerrigan, Smith, and the rest of the players whose options haven’t been picked up yet.
You can keep tabs on all of those decisions using our fifth-year option tracker, which shows that Kerrigan’s 2015 option is worth $7.038MM, while Smith’s is worth $9.754MM.
Bears Rumors: Draft, Trades, Palmer
One of several general managers conducting pre-draft press conferences today, Bears general manager Phil Emery spoke to reporters at Halas Hall about the team’s approach to next week’s draft and a few other topics. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune and Brad Biggs (via Twitter) passed along several of the highlights from the Bears GM, so let’s dive in and round them up (all subsequent links go to Twitter)….
- The Bears have identified six players they’d be happy to take with their No. 14 pick, and Emery says he’d be happy if two were available, and “ecstatic” if three were still on the board.
- Even in that scenario though, the Bears haven’t ruled out the possibility of moving down if the right opportunity materializes. “We’ve gotten some calls,” Emery said. “Other than working with our staff and our scouts on refining and fine-tuning our selection of players that we feel will be available in particular areas of the draft, we’re also working very hard at figuring out the scenarios of what works in terms of how far down we could go.”
- On the other hand, a trade up from No. 14 doesn’t seem likely for the Bears, according to Emery, who says the cost would be “expensive” and would only make sense if there was a player who would make a “dynamic difference” for the team.
- The Bears don’t seem overly enthused about drafting a quarterback in the late rounds, with Emery suggesting he doesn’t believe in finding “development” QBs late. The GM feels comfortable heading into the season with Jordan Palmer as the No. 2 signal-caller behind Jay Cutler.
- Considering Chicago certainly won’t be taking a quarterback in the first round, Emery is hoping at least three QBs are off the board by the time the Bears pick, and thinks at least two will be gone.
- The Bears are evaluating whether a number of cornerback prospects in this year’s class could play safety.
- Unlike some others, Emery is very much enjoying the extra two weeks between free agency and the draft this year: “I love it. I have heard reports of people complaining about it. I don’t know what they’re complaining about.”