2015 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Brett Hundley To Enter NFL Draft

December 11th, 2014 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Recovering from a finger injury, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley figures to play one more game as a Bruin when the team faces Kansas State on January 2 in the Alamo Bowl. But, as expected, he’ll make the leap to the NFL after that. Head coach Jim Mora has confirmed as much, as Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register details.

“This will be his last game as a UCLA Bruin,” Mora said of Hundley. “I don’t know that he’s announced it yet, but we all know that’s the case. I’d like him to go out with a successful game.”

Hundley, 21, completed 72.1% of his passes in his junior year at UCLA, compiling 2,547 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games for the team. He added another 564 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

In a 2015 draft class that’s not packed with a ton of high-end talent at the quarterback position, Hundley ranks behind only Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, and Connor Cook in ESPN.com’s prospect rankings, placing fourth among signal-callers.

Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, JPP, Browns

December 10th, 2014 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

On the same day the NFL announced that its owners have approved a new personal conduct policy for the league, Outside the Lines reporter Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN.com has published a story suggesting commissioner Roger Goodell‘s testimony during Ray Rice‘s suspension appeal hearing was inconsistent with his public statements.

On September 10, Goodell wrote a memo to the league’s 32 owners in which he said that “on multiple occasions, we asked the proper law enforcement authorities to share with us all relevant information, including any video of the [Rice elevator] incident.” However, the 631-page transcript of Rice’s appeal hearing, a copy of which was obtained by Outside the Lines, suggests that the NFL never actually formally requested the elevator video from the one law enforcement agency that actually had it, the Atlantic City Police Department.

With Goodell and the NFL once again under scrutiny for questionable handling of investigative and disciplinary matters, let’s round up a few other notes from around the league:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Raiders have “a much better chance” of moving to Los Angeles in 2015 than he had realized, adding that the possibility of the team relocating from Oakland to L.A. is “very legitimate.”
While NFL teams rarely let their starting quarterbacks reach the open market, the early returns for the teams that locked their QBs up this year haven’t been good, writes Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. The Bears (Jay Cutler), Bengals (Andy Dalton), Chiefs (Alex Smith), and 49ers (Colin Kaepernick) likely aren’t thrilled with the new deals for their respective signal-callers, considering all four teams project to finish with worse records in 2014 than 2013.
Asked about his impending free agency, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said he’d “love to be a Giant for life,” but isn’t sure yet how things will play out (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
Although Browns kicker Billy Cundiff missed another key field goal on Sunday against the Colts, head coach Mike Pettine says Cundiff remains the team’s kicker, but “he knows he has to pick it up” (Twitter link via Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald).
Adrian Peterson is still awaiting arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision on his suspension appeal, and the Vikings running back continues to hold out hope that he’ll be able to return the field this season, NFLPA executive George Atallah tells Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion will be represented by Athletes First agents Andrew Kessler and Dave Dunn for the 2015 NFL draft, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.

Melvin Gordon To Enter NFL Draft

December 10th, 2014 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing today on The Dan Patrick Show, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon announced that he would be leaving school after his junior season to enter the 2015 NFL draft, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk.

No running back has been selected in the first round of a draft since 2012, when Trent Richardson, Doug Martin, and David Wilson all came off the board within the first 32 picks. However, Gordon looks like a good bet to snap that first-round drought for backs — he’s coming off an outstanding season that saw him accumulate 2,336 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 309 attempts, including a record-setting 408-yard performance last month against Nebraska.

ESPN’s general rankings list Gordon as the No. 1 running back in next year’s class, and the 16th-best prospect at any position, while Mel Kiper is even more bullish on the Badger, placing him seventh on his most recent big board. Kiper is wary of Gordon’s large workload in his final year of Wisconsin, but raved about his running ability: “Gordon is an easy accelerator, and he cuts with explosiveness and little wasted motion. He will miss a hole here and there in search of a bigger lane, but he has good vision, isn’t afraid of contact between the tackles or on the edge, and has breakaway speed when he gets in space.”

Although Gordon’s 300+ carries this season are of some concern, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) lauds the running back’s decision to turn pro, pointing out that heading to the NFL means he’ll avoid carrying the ball another 300+ times next season for free.

Devin Funchess Declares For NFL Draft

December 9th, 2014 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

4:31pm: Funchess will be represented by CAA agents Tom Condon and Patrick Collins, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter).

2:45pm: University of Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 NFL draft, the school announced today in a press release.

“I would like to thank my family, coaches and teammates for their support,” said Funchess, who also thanked recently-fired Wolverines coach Brady Hoke in a statement. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, and I am prepared to take the next step in my journey.”

A second-team All-Big Ten selection, Funchess grabbed a team-leading 62 passes for 733 receiving yards and four touchdowns during the 2014 season, his first full year as a wide receiver. The Michigan junior currently ranks as the 19th-best prospect in the 2015 class, according to ESPN.com, whose rankings place him fourth among wideouts.

Poll: Which Team Will Draft First In 2015?

November 29th, 2014 at 11:06pm CST by Luke Adams

This afternoon, our Rob DiRe took an early look at some of the teams that will have picks near the top of the 2015 draft, noting which of those clubs may be interested in snagging a quarterback. Before we can comfortably project where top college signal-callers like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston might land though, we’ll need to figure out exactly how the 2015 draft order will look.

The 2014 season still features a number of teams in the hunt for division titles or Wild Card spots, with a chance that a club in each conference could win 10 games and still not make the postseason. Conversely, with plenty of teams piling up wins, there are several cellar-dwellers racking up loss after loss this year. Of course, by NFL rules, the teams with the worst records pick first in the following year’s draft, with strength of schedule breaking ties — the team that faced the easier schedule receives the higher pick.

After knocking off the Chiefs earlier this month, the Raiders head into Week 13 with a 1-10 record, matching the 1-10 Jaguars for the league’s worst mark. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lays out, Oakland has faced a much trickier schedule than Jacksonville, meaning the Jags currently project to land the first overall pick.

Still, the Jags have a handful of winnable games left on their schedule, including two contests against Houston and home games against the Giants and Titans. The Raiders face a tougher slate, but have been playing better ball recently, and should be competitive in games against the Rams and Bills — Week 17’s contest in Denver could also get a lot easier if the Broncos aren’t playing for postseason seeding at that point.

Of course, the race for the first overall pick includes more teams than just Oakland and Jacksonville. The Buccaneers, Jets, and Titans are all 2-9, and with games still remaining against the Jets and Jags, the Titans’ performance down the stretch could go a long way to determining the draft’s top five. The Buccaneers, with a .469 overall strength of schedule (per OTC), are also in position to sneak into that No. 1 overall spot if they struggle down the stretch — of Tampa Bay’s five remaining games, three are against legit playoff contenders (Bengals, Lions, Packers), while two are against clubs still hoping to win the NFC South (Panthers, Saints). If the Bucs don’t win another game, and the Raiders and Jags do, it would almost certainly give Tampa Bay the first overall pick next spring.

So what do you think? Which of these also-rans will finish in the NFL’s basement and get the first shot at top college talent in the 2015 draft? Which team will land the No. 1 overall pick?

Jets Among Teams Interested In Drafting A QB

November 29th, 2014 at 4:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Most teams have five games left on their schedule (unless they are one of the six that played on Thanksgiving), and as teams are jockeying for playoff position, fan bases of those already out of contention cannot help but look ahead to the 2015 NFL draft.

The best way to find a franchise quarterback is by drafting as high as possible, and the best way to ensure a high draft pick is with poor quarterback play. For that reason, one win can be the difference between having a chance to draft an elite prospective signal-caller or missing out on a passer entirely.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk put together a prospective list of the teams likely to be drafting in the top 10 and their quarterback needs. The draft order he uses is comprised of all the teams 4-7 or worse, except for the Falcons and Saints, who are still embarrassingly battling it out for the NFC South division crown.

The Raiders and Jaguars, the two clubs with only one win, look like good bets to be drafting right at the top of the first round. Of course, both teams took quarterbacks in the first two rounds of last year’s draft, and shouldn’t be in the market for replacing them this offseason. The next group is far more interesting, with the Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans all sitting on two wins and tremendous need at the position.

Unfortunately for one of those teams, there may only be two quarterbacks worth such a valuable draft selection. Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State are both vying to be the first quarterback taken. With no third option, one of those three teams will come up empty in terms of fixing their quarterback situations.

The New York media is already calling for the Jets to chase one of these college stars, with Kevin Kernan of the New York Post openly calling for the team to draft Winston.

Of course, a lot can happen in the last five games, and wins and losses still to come can shake up the order, as can an offseason trade or signing that suddenly changes the need at the position. If any of the three teams do manage to win a game or two down the stretch, Washington and St. Louis could crawl up to a higher selection, and each could consider a quarterback according to Smith.

An even more volatile situation is among the college quarterbacks. Both Mariota and Winston still have time to fall out of favor with NFL teams, and both could decide to remain in college another year, pushing back the draft process one more year. Or maybe one of the two impresses so much it convinces another team to trade its future to move up into the top two to take their coveted quarterback.

Extra Points: Ryan, Holliday, Allen, Chiefs

November 26th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for Eagles quarterback Nick Foles has his return may come later than once expected, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Foles’ left clavicle has to be strong enough for the Eagles quarterback to sustain contact, otherwise another blow could cause further harm. Because of that, he might not be healed enough to return in late December. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

Most people around the league never thought Jets coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik would be able to co-exist, Adam Schefter told Michael Kay of ESPN Radio (audio link).
Kick returner Trindon Holliday, who is now healthy, worked out for the Bills today, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Over the past 48 hours, several sources have told Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) that the chances range from very likely to an absolute that USC running back Javorius Allen will enter the 2015 draft. Allen has garnered comparisons to Titans tailback Bishop Sankey, the first running back taken in the 2014 draft.
Free agent cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke worked out for the Chiefs today, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Paylor (link) wouldn’t be surprised to see him come back to KC at some point. The speedy defensive back had a great preseason with the Chiefs before suffering a high ankle sprain.
The Raiders worked out Brandon Denmark, Cam Henderson, Keith Lewis, Keon Lyn, Kona Schwenke, Jansen Watson, and Nickoe Whitley, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).

Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans

November 14th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

As free agency and cap management is becoming more notable in teambuilding, Kevin Seifert of ESPN takes a closer look at six of the league’s most inflated contracts and the effects they are having on their team’s roster. He dissects the contracts of Jay Cutler, Ndamukong Suh, Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tony Romo, and how each team will likely deal with the large cap numbers going forward.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round. Not long after, Revis was released and Barron was traded, leaving only Goldson on the roster, and he may be the next to go, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Goldson has played less as the season goes on, and with large money attached to his contract, the team may choose to go younger and cheaper at the safety position.
Much has been made of the Cowboys as they approach their decision on what to do with offensive stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, with many pundits and fans expecting long-term extensions for both. Murray also seems like an obvious franchise tag candidate, but Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News could see the Cowboys surprising us and rewarding Murray with the long-term deal while franchising Bryant at the higher tag price.
Although the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN are already working hard to evaluate both the prospects available as well as the needs of NFL teams. They look at the possibility teams like the Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans would take a quarterback such as Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State at the top of the draft, and look at other questions surrounding the draft.
The Titans may be in position to draft high at the top of the first round, but in no way will that be on purpose, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “It is ludicrous to me. Fans don’t understand the situation we go through as players,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn’t happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous.”

East Notes: Beckham Jr., Kerley, Pryor, Murray

October 23rd, 2014 at 7:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was always destined for greatness, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “My mom told me when I was four years old…I was outside playing, she came outside and said ‘What are you doing?’ I looked in her eye and told her I was practicing for Sundays. She said the way I said it she had no choice but to believe it,” the LSU product said. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

Jeremy Kerley‘s new four-year extension with the Jets calls for $14MM in new money, including a $3MM signing bonus, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reported earlier this week that the wide receiver has $5.4MM in guaranteed salary under the new deal.
Jets coach Rex Ryan told reporters today that first round pick Calvin Pryor hasn’t “had the impact necessarily that all of us had expected,” writes Cimini. Part of that probably has to do with the hard-hitting Louisville product playing out of position. Pryor made a name for himself by delivering highlight reel hits near the line of scrimmage. Instead, he’s playing deep-middle safety thanks to the Jets’ injuries in the secondary.
Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News is really high on Georgia running back Todd Gurley. In fact, in a hypothetical where the Cowboys could part ways with DeMarco Murray and replace him with Gurley rather than franchising him or re-signing him to a big long-term deal, he would go with the rookie tailback. Of course, Dallas will have to make their call on whether to franchise Murray in advance of the draft and it doesn’t seem like Gurley, projected to be a top ten pick, will be around when the Cowboys are on the clock.

Extra Points: Mariota, Goodell, Peterson

October 22nd, 2014 at 10:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich sees his star quarterback Marcus Mariota stealing the show at this year’s scouting combine, writes NFL.com’s Bryan Fischer. “He’s a competitive perfectionist. Every single thing he does, he wants to do great,” Helfrich said. “He competes in period four just like he does in a BCS bowl game. To him, (the combine) is right in his wheelhouse, and he’ll do great.” Helfrich might be a bit biased, but Mariota is widely projected to be a top choice in the 2015 Draft. More NFL news..

A judge has ruled that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be forced to testify at the Ray Rice hearing, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The ruling was expected by many since Goodell played an active role in all facets of Rice’s suspension.
A prosecution request to remove the judge handling the felony child abuse case against Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been denied, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The judge made some less-than-kind remarks about Peterson’s defense team earlier this month. As Rochelle Olson of the Star-Tribune writes, the trial is still on track for December 1st.
Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy hasn’t showed up at Bank of America Stadium since being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, but that’s not because he’s not welcome, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. “We haven’t asked him to stay away,” coach Ron Rivera said. “At the same time, we’re letting him take care of his business.”
Former Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice thinks Seattle made the right move by trading Percy Harvin, writes Terry Blount of ESPN.com. “I was surprised, but at the same time, it may have been the best thing for the team,” Rice said. “It’s tough losing a guy like Percy. He’s one of a kind. The league has never seen a player like Percy Harvin.”
The Rams auditioned wide receivers Skye Dawson and Derek Moye yesterday, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports. Dawson, who was cut by the Bucs in late August, worked out for the Lions last week. Moye, meanwhile, was scooped up by the Titans earlier today.

2015 NFL Draft News & Rumors