HEADLINES

2015 Supplemental Draft

Falcons Eyeing Isaiah Battle In Supplemental Draft

July 1st, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The perception around the league is that the Falcons are hot on supplemental draft candidate Isaiah Battle, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Clemson offensive tackle could reportedly have third-round value in the July 9th draft.

Battle, who had been penciled in as Clemson’s starting left tackle for the coming season, is perhaps the most intriguing player to declare for the 2015 supplemental draft. Earlier this year, Mike Huguenin of NFL.com identified the 22-year-old Brooklyn native as a candidate to play in next year’s Senior Bowl, writing that the Clemson lineman “remains somewhat raw, [but] is a good athlete who plays with some nastiness.”

Recently, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports suggested that a strong 2015 season at Clemson might have pushed Battle into the top five prospects at his position for the 2016 draft. Battle is very green, but his upside is undeniable. Battle played 27 games at Clemson and started 16.

“I’ll be surprised if he’s not taken,” a personnel executive for a NFC team told Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger, adding that he hears Atlanta is the most interested. “He’s worth a shot, for sure. It’s just a matter of how much is he worth to you.”

As a refresher, the supplemental draft allows clubs to select players who for some reason were unable to enter the standard draft; academic trouble or disciplinary issues are often – but not always – key factors. If a team selects a player in the supplementary draft, it will lose its corresponding pick in the following year’s standard draft. For example, if a club were to select Battle in the sixth round of the supplemental, it will lose its 2016 sixth-rounder as a result.

Most players who enter the supplemental draft ultimately go undrafted, allowing them to become free agents and sign with any team. The last two players to be picked were Terrelle Pryor (third round, 2011) by the Raiders and Josh Gordon (second round, 2012) by the Browns.

West Georgia defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey, West Georgia defensive end Darrius Caldwell, and North Carolina Central receiver Adrian Wilkins have also declared for the 2015 supplemental draft.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Amaro, Suh, Bortles

June 30th, 2015 at 5:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the AFC:

  • The Raiders are looking to build up their offensive line for the future, meaning they could be a candidate to select former Clemson tackle Isaiah Battle during the supplemental draft on July 9, but ESPN’s Bill Williamson isn’t sure he’ll be worth it. Oakland already has a developmental tackle in seventh-round pick Anthony Morris, Williamson notes, as well as third-year man Menelik Watson vying for a starting role.
  • ESPN’s AFC East staff – James Walker, Mike Rodak, Mike Reiss and Rich Cemini – examined how the offenses of the Bills, Patriots and Jets will combat Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. They concluded that all three teams have questions along their offensive lines and could have serious issues against the four-time Pro Bowler in 2015.
  • The Jets’ Jace Amaro had a difficult rookie season as a tight end and is shifting to H-back under new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Brian Costello of the New York Post looked at what that could mean for Amaro this year.
  • Like Amaro, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles had a rough rookie year and the jury is certainly out on whether he’ll be a viable starter going forward. Conor Orr of NFL.com watched tape on Bortles and wrote about what 2015 could hold for the former third overall pick, noting that he’ll have a difficult time progressing if his offensive teammates don’t improve.

2015 Supplemental Draft Set For July 9

June 30th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2015 NFL supplemental draft will take place on July 9, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, with some intriguing prospects eligible to be selected in this year’s supplemental draft, we could have our first player selected since the Browns picked Josh Gordon in 2012.

The supplemental draft allows clubs to select players who for some reason were unable to enter the standard draft; academic trouble or disciplinary issues are often – but not always – key factors. If a team selects a player in the supplementary draft, it will lose its corresponding pick in the following year’s standard draft. For example, if a club were to select a player in the fourth round of the supplemental, it will lose its 2016 fourth-rounder as a result.

Most players who enter the supplemental draft ultimately go undrafted, allowing them to become free agents and sign with any team. That has been the case over the last two years, as supplemental draft day came and went without any selections. The last two players to be picked were Terrelle Pryor (third round, 2011) by the Raiders and Gordon (second round, 2012).

So far, four players are known to have declared for the 2015 supplemental draft: Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle, West Georgia defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey, West Georgia defensive end Darrius Caldwell, and North Carolina Central receiver Adrian Wilkins. Battle, in particular, is viewed as a strong candidate to come off the board, as we heard last week.

Meanwhile, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the two West Georgia prospects are scheduled to work out for NFL scouts this Thursday afternoon. Per Wilson, 20 NFL teams have indicated that they plan to attend the session.

Extra Points: Battle, Sam, Bills, Browns

June 25th, 2015 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NFL sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle could be a third-round value in this year’s supplemental draft. We learned earlier today that Battle would be eligible for the supplemental draft, and Robinson suggests that a strong 2015 season at Clemson might have pushed Battle into the top five prospects at his position for the 2016 draft. The young lineman is still raw, so it will be interesting to see which teams, if any, are willing to part with one of their 2016 picks to land him.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • The NFL’s rookie salary structure needs to be overhauled again, in the view of Jason Reid of ESPN.com, who makes the case that young players – especially non-first-rounders – who play well during their first three or four seasons are undercompensated.
  • Jim Popp, the general manager of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, tells Les Carpenter of The Guardian that he thinks Michael Sam will eventually return to the team, and that the Missouri alum “needed a break.” Popp also revealed that the Alouettes were close to adding both Sam and Tim Tebow last fall, and added that a few NFL teams have called him since Sam left Montreal, asking if he knows why the edge defender departed and whether or not he’ll be back.
  • After spending the majority of the 2014 season on injured reserve, Bills safety Jonathan Meeks finds himself on the team’s roster bubble, with Mike Rodak of ESPN.com giving him a 55% chance of earning a spot on the 53-man squad.
  • The Browns may not have had pre-draft contact with Marcus Mariota, but that doesn’t mean the team didn’t have any interest in the Oregon quarterback, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, pointing out that new Cleveland quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell worked extensively with Mariota before joining the Browns.
  • ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters have assigned offseason grades to each of the league’s 32 teams, with links to all 32 stories and videos right here.

Isaiah Battle To Enter Supplemental Draft

June 25th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

The 2015 supplemental draft class has added another entrant, as the Clemson Tigers announced today in a press release that offensive tackle Isaiah Battle will be eligible to be selected. Battle is the fourth player to officially declare for this year’s supplemental draft.

“I have some family matters to address, with a child due this summer, and I feel it is in my best interest to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft,” Battle said in statement. “I want to thank everyone at Clemson, especially Coach [Dabo] Swinney and the assistant coaches, for what they have done for me the last three years. I also want to thank my teammates. They have all had a big impact on my career.”

Battle, who had been penciled in as Clemson’s starting left tackle for the coming season, is perhaps the most intriguing player to declare for the 2015 supplemental draft, and has a realistic chance of being picked late, tweets Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Earlier this year, Mike Huguenin of NFL.com identified Battle as a candidate to play in next year’s Senior Bowl, writing that the Clemson lineman “remains somewhat raw, [but] is a good athlete who plays with some nastiness.”

As a refresher, the supplemental draft allows clubs to select players who for some reason were unable to enter the standard draft; academic trouble or disciplinary issues are often – but not always – key factors. If a team selects a player in the supplementary draft, it will lose its corresponding pick in the following year’s standard draft. For example, if a club were to select Battle in the sixth round of the supplemental, it will lose its 2016 sixth-rounder as a result.

Most players who enter the supplemental draft ultimately go undrafted, allowing them to become free agents and sign with any team. The last two players to be picked were Terrelle Pryor (third round, 2011) by the Raiders and Josh Gordon (second round, 2012) by the Browns.

West Georgia defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey, West Georgia defensive end Darrius Caldwell, and North Carolina Central receiver Adrian Wilkins have also declared for the 2015 supplemental draft.

Dalvon Stuckey To Enter Supplemental Draft

June 7th, 2015 at 3:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Following up on Ian Rapoport of NFL.com‘s Friday report that West Georgia defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey was planning to apply for the 2015 supplemental draft, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post confirms the news, writing that Stuckey will in fact enter the supplemental draft, which will be held in July.

Stuckey, a four-star recruit out of high school, has previously committed to playing for a bevy of schools, with Miami, Auburn, Florida State, and most recently, Arizona State among them. In the latter case, at least, his plans to play were interrupted to due to academic concerns. Highly sought after out of Pearl River Community College in 2014, Stuckey ultimately joined West Georgia, and went on to post 40 tackles (9.5 for loss) and four sacks.

As a refresher, the supplemental draft allows clubs to select players who for some reason were unable to enter the standard draft; academic trouble is often a key factor, but disciplinary issues can also lead a NCAA player to declare for the supplemental draft. If a team selects a player in the supplementary draft, it will lose its corresponding pick in the following year’s standard draft. For example, if a club selects Stuckey in the sixth round of the supplemental, it will lose its 2016 sixth-rounder as a result. The last player to be chosen in the supplemental draft was Browns receiver Josh Gordon, whom Cleveland took in the second round.

Stuckey’s teammate at West Georgia — defensive end Darrius Caldwell — and North Carolina Central receiver Adrian Wilkins have also declared for the supplemental draft.

Extra Points: Wells, Broncos, Raiders

June 1st, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Rams center Scott Wells is paying a visit to the Titans today, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 34-year-old, who earned a Pro Bowl berth during his final season with the Packers in 2011, played his college ball at Tennessee, so it would be a homecoming of sorts if he were to sign with the Titans.

  • Tight end Jeff Heuerman is the Broncos‘ only remaining unsigned draft pick but his deal is likely to get done later this week, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. Earlier today, first round choice Shane Ray put pen to paper with Denver.
  • After signing blocking tight end Lee Smith away from Buffalo and using a third-round pick on Miami’s Clive Walford, the Raiders are hoping to get significant production out of their TEs this season, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. He notes that tight end versatility is essential in Bill Musgrave’s offense, particularly when they go up-tempo.
  • North Carolina Central wide receiver/kick returner Adrian Wilkins will enter the Supplemental Draft, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. As a sophomore, Wilkins returned five kicks for touchdowns, three kickoffs and two punts and was given All-American honors for his play.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Rice, Manning, Rams, Vick

May 28th, 2015 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Rex Ryan learned a lot in his time with the Jets, including the important of partnering with a franchise that shares his vision, Albert Breer of NFL.com writes. “I’ve had six years of experience,” the Bills coach said. “So am I gonna be better now? Of course. You’re not gonna be worse by having experience. The other thing is understanding what’s important, because the second time, I was lucky — I got to choose where to go. The thing about that was, go to an organization where you see the direction, and it’s the same direction (you believe in).” Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith told Sal Paolantonio of ESPN that he believes that former Ravens running back Ray Rice is being blackballed from the game. “This, unfortunately, is a league that has a history of blackballing players. I find it hard to believe that a player of Mr. Rice’s caliber hasn’t at least gotten one offer from a team to come work out,” Smith said (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). While Smith is suggesting some kind of collusion against the troubled Rutgers product, it seems very possible that all 32 teams have independently decided that Rice is simply not worth the trouble.
  • Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders doesn’t think that this will be Peyton Manning‘s last year in the NFL, Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “I think he’s got a lot left in the tank,” Sanders said Wednesday. “He’s wearing a glove and his spiral is back. He’s throwing a good ball. You can tell that the glove is helping him. He didn’t wear it this early last year. His arm is not a problem. His ball is accurate. I don’t see anything that says this is his last year.”
  • Missouri lawmakers are challenging the authority of Gov. Jay Nixon and other officials to build a new stadium for the Rams, as Marie French of The Associated Press writes. “I want nothing more than for the Rams to stay,” said Rep. Rob Vescovo. “But I don’t think the governor has the authority to bury us under the additional debt without proper vetting.” The lawsuit filed by Vescovo and his associates asks the court to stop any further action by the governor and the authority immediately.
  • Even after a forgettable season with the Jets, Michael Vick believes that he has more left in the tank, Ed Miller of The Virginian-Pilot writes. “I still feel like I can help a football team win a couple of games,” the soon-to-be 35-year-old said Wednesday. Vick reiterated his desire to play for three more years and pointed to last year’s performances against the Chiefs and Steelers as evidence that he’s still got it.
  • Eleven teams are showing interest in West Georgia pass rusher Darrius Caldwell, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. We learned on Wednesday that Caldwell is entering his name in the supplemental draft.

Extra Points: Winston, Bills, Rams

May 27th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

While there’s a lot of whispering about whether first overall pick Jameis Winston will live up to the hype, Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins feels like he’s up to the challenge, Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida writes. “He’s just himself,” Jenkins said of Winston. “Great quarterback and he wants to be great. He’s himself, he doesn’t need to pretend or anything like that. But I didn’t really get to see him personally out there. We were just running. I think it’s a better question to ask the coaches, they spent more one-on-one time with him.” Here’s more from

  • Bills head coach Rex Ryan says he’s trying Corey Graham at safety to make sure that he has the “best eleven on the field” after losing Da’Norris Searcy in free agency, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. For his part, Graham says he’s excited about the move and is eager to follow in the footsteps of Charles Woodson, who also made the transition from corner to safety. “Obviously, I’ve been watching him my whole career, so with the move to safety, now I have the opportunity to do some of the things he’s done,” Graham said. “I was in Chicago when he was in Green Bay, so I watched him a lot. He played nickel, I played nickel. I focused on him, studied his game, so it means a lot to me, seeing what he was able to accomplish.”
  • St. Louis residents will not vote this summer on the use of their tax dollars to build a new riverfront football stadium for the Rams, David Hunn of the Post Dispatch writes. At this point, it is unclear whether city voters will get the opportunity to weigh in on the use of city tax dollars to help finance a proposed $985MM downtown stadium.
  • According to team sources, the Chargers and San Diego city officials will sit down on Tuesday, June 2nd to talk about the stadium proposal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
  • West Georgia defensive end/outside linebacker Darrius Caldwell is applying to the Supplemental Draft this year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Illinois transfer registered 69 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, and 12 sacks in 2014.