Jets Acquire No. 103 Pick From Jaguars
The Jaguars have traded their first pick of the third round, the 103rd overall selection, to the Jets, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). New York has used the pick to nab a quarterback, drafting Baylor’s Bryce Petty, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
The Jets had previously been scheduled to pick 104th, so the Jags will move down just one pick, and will acquire a seventh-rounder (No. 229) in the deal, according to the NFL Network.
Panthers Acquire No. 102 Pick From Raiders
The Raiders have traded their fourth-rounder (pick No. 102) to the Panthers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). According to NFL Network, Oakland will receive Carolina’s fourth-rounder (No. 124), fifth-rounder (No. 161), and a seventh-rounder (No. 242) in return.
The Panthers used the pick to select Oklahoma offensive tackle Daryl Williams. The 6’5″, 327-pound lineman will be counted on to provide depth on an offensive line that struggled in 2014.
AFC Quotes: Belichick, Newsome, Telesco
Following the second day of the draft, the league’s coaches and general managers took time to explain their logic to reporters. We already took a look at some of the notable soundbites out of the NFC, so let’s now shift our focus to the other conference…
Patriots coach Bill Belichick on the team’s selection of safety Jordan Richards in the second round (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com):
“[Richard is a]strong tackler, a pretty instinctive guy, and certainly able to play on the punt team, kickoff return, kickoff coverage and punt return — could be a matchup guy outside or maybe a hold-up guy in the box. I’m sure he’ll be able to contribute in the kicking game.”
Belichick on his team’s trade with the Browns:
“At the start of the day, we had a little bit of spacing there [with our picks] — top of the fourth, bottom of the fourth, no fifth, but top of the sixth, top of the seventh, bottom of the seventh. Now we have three picks in the fourth round, and we’ve kind of filled in that fifth round.”
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome on the team’s decision to move up and select tight end Maxx Williams (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley):
“We get to a point where we feel it’s time to go get a player, we wait through three or four picks and then I get a little antsy. When you’ve got ammunition, you just go and get the player. It wouldn’t have mattered who was picking at that spot for us to move up and get the guy.”
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco on his team’s draft philosophy (via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com):
“Jim Irsay, the owner for the Colts, almost every year of the draft used to always say, ‘You don’t control the draft. The draft controls you.’ And that’s a lot of times what happens. There may be a certain way you want to go. But if there’s not a player you have evaluated in that spot, there’s nothing you can do about it. So you’ve got to stick with your board… These players fit the characteristics we’re looking for. I think they make us a better football team, and we’re happy to have these guys. They’re going to have pretty good careers here.”
NFC Quotes: Payton, Thompson, Kelly, Jones
It’s been a busy past few days in NFL front offices, and some of the draft selections by the league’s front offices have left pundits befuddled. The league’s reporters made sure to follow through with those curious selections, and we have some of the more notable responses below…
Saints coach Sean Payton, who opined yesterday that La’el Collins would be drafted in the second or third round, on why his team passed on the embattled lineman (via ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett):
“I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we had more clarity. And it seems like there’s a rush for everyone. And one of the things I said this morning was, ‘Man, we’re right down the road. Are we able to get some information the other teams don’t have yet?’ And so I haven’t had that or gotten that information yet to answer that as a yes.”
Packers general manager Ted Thompson on his team not selecting an inside linebacker (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com):
“It’s a simple plan, but we wanted to make sure we got football players. And we think we got a couple more tonight…We’re going to address [inside linebacker] just like we address all other positions and try to make it as strong as we can.”
Eagles coach Chip Kelly on the team’s decision to select linebacker Jordan Hicks despite having greater needs (via Les Bowen of Philly.com):
“He was our highest-rated guy by far. We had him rated in the second round. We had great exposure to Jordan; he was the individual we saw the most this offseason.”
Kelly on how the Hicks selection could impact Mychal Kendricks‘ role on the Eagles (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):
“We’re excited to get him back here. I know he spent the draft with his brother, which we understand. He said he should be back here next week, but I think you’re always gonna draft players, and when you bring ‘em in here, the one thing you want is you want competition at positions. We knew going in at the end of last year that with just Mychal and DeMeco that we really had to shore up the inside linebacker spot. “
Jerry Jones on the Cowboys selecting Randy Gregory with the No. 60 pick (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler):
“I think it gives us enough confidence that we can work through some of the issues that have basically caused him to drop and maybe improve on that. That’s certainly the plan and have us a heck of a contribution to winning.”
Seahawks Coach, GM Discuss Clark, Lockett, Irvin
The Seahawks made one of the more surprising selections on Friday evening, selecting embattled defensive end Frank Clark at the end of the second round. The former Michigan Wolverine certainly has plenty of talent, but the 21-year-old was dismissed from his team in November following his involvement in a domestic violence case.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider explained the logic behind the decision, and they also discussed some other topics following the second day of the draft. Let’s take a look at some of the notable quotes (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)…
Schneider on the organization’s investigation, and subsequent selection, of Clark:
“Our organization has an in-depth understanding of Frank Clark’s situation and background—we have done a ton of research on this young man. There’s hasn’t been one player in this draft that we have spent more time researching and scrutinizing more than Frank. That is why we have provided Frank with this opportunity, and we look forward to him succeeding in our culture here in Seattle.”
Carroll on whether the Ray Rice situation had an impact on their decision:
“Absolutely. It was crucial we did all of the work that we did—all of the meetings, all of the interviews, questions asked to get to the point where we knew what was going on—that we understood the situation and could go ahead to give him a chance to do this. With all of the elevated awareness that made us more tuned in with what we needed to do to take care of business. John made his trips, we visited with the kid numerous times, we flew him in here—we have taken every opportunity and every chance to figure out what we needed to figure out. We did it, and we are going to hold him to a very standard of expectation like we do, and we think he is going to be very successful.”
Carroll on why Clark’s skills make him a worthy pick:
“His mentality in the way he plays the game—he is such a competitive kid and it’s so important to him to play his best. He plays so tough and chases the football—he is physical in the way the players play. He just has the kind of nature that really fits in with those players. He has a ton of upside—as John said—and he is going to improve a lot. We think he is going to be a really exciting addition to the club.”
Schneider on the team’s selection of wideout Tyler Lockett:
“Just a need, a strong need at the punt return position. I was actually with his father in Kansas City, which is amazing and makes me feel very old, but Tyler is a phenomenal kid: academically, driven, captain, leader of his team—both of these guys are actually big-time leaders of their team. Those are some of the things that stood out with both of these guys—highly driven, just instincts and catching the ball. He is a great fielder. He’s incredible as a slot receiver inside. The week he had at the Senior Bowl was phenomenal. We just felt like he is the premier returner in this draft.”
Carroll on whether the Clark selection will impact Bruce Irvin‘s future with the team:
“We plan on having Frank in the defensive end spot and we are going to find out what that means. We are going to find out and spot him like we always have. We know he has unique qualities about him—we know that he can be a quality outside rusher, but he also does a lot of stuff, they moved to the inside rush, as well. We are just thrilled to have the chance to figure that out, and to find where he fits to complement the rest of the guys.”
2015 NFL Draft Results: Day Two
After what was a surprisingly uneventful first day of the draft – a day that featured just two trades – we saw much more action today, with 11 deals being completed as teams moved up and down.
If you missed the results of yesterday’s first round, we have a breakdown of those 32 selections right here. We also have a list of the full draft results through three rounds, by round and by team. Here are day two’s selections:
Round Two:
- New York Giants (from Tennessee): Landon Collins, S (Alabama)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Donovan Smith, T (Penn State)
- Oakland Raiders: Mario Edwards, DL (Florida State)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: T.J. Yeldon, RB (Alabama)
- New York Jets: Devin Smith, WR (Ohio State)
- Washington: Preston Smith, DE/OLB (Mississippi State)
- Chicago Bears: Eddie Goldman, DT (Florida State)
- Tennessee Titans (from New York Giants): Dorial Green-Beckham, WR (Missouri)
- Carolina Panthers (from St. Louis): Devin Funchess, WR (Michigan)
- Atlanta Falcons: Jalen Collins, CB (LSU)
- Houston Texans (from Cleveland): Benardrick McKinney, ILB (Mississippi State)
- New Orleans Saints: Hau’oli Kikaha, OLB (Washington)
- Minnesota Vikings: Eric Kendricks, ILB (UCLA)
- San Francisco 49ers: Jaquiski Tartt, S (Samford)
- Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami): Eric Rowe, CB (Utah)
- San Diego Chargers: Denzel Perryman, ILB (Miami)
- Kansas City Chiefs: Mitch Morse, OL (Missouri)
- Buffalo Bills: Ronald Darby, CB (Florida State)
- Cleveland Browns (from Houston): Nate Orchard, DE/OLB (Utah)
- Miami Dolphins (from Philadelphia): Jordan Phillips, DT (Oklahoma)
- Cincinnati Bengals: Jake Fisher, T (Oregon)
- Detroit Lions: Ameer Abdullah, RB (Nebraska)
- Baltimore Ravens (from Arizona): Maxx Williams, TE (Minnesota)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Senquez Golson, CB (Mississippi)
- St. Louis Rams (from Carolina): Rob Havenstein, T (Wisconsin)
- Arizona Cardinals (from Baltimore): Markus Golden, DE/OLB (Missouri)
- Denver Broncos: Ty Sambrailo, T (Colorado State)
- Dallas Cowboys: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB (Nebraska)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Indianapolis): Ali Marpet, OL (Hobart)
- Green Bay Packers: Quinten Rollins, CB (Miami (OH))
- Seattle Seahawks: Frank Clark, DE (Michigan)
- New England Patriots: Jordan Richards, DB (Stanford)
Round Three:
- Indianapolis Colts (from Tampa Bay): D’Joun Smith, CB (Florida Atlantic)
- Tennessee Titans: Jeremiah Poutasi, OL (Utah)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL (South Carolina)
- Oakland Raiders: Clive Walford, TE (Miami)
- Seattle (from Washington): Tyler Lockett, WR (Kansas State)
- Houston Texans (from New York Jets): Jaelen Strong, WR (Arizona State)
- Chicago Bears: Hroniss Grasu, OL (Oregon)
- St. Louis Rams: Jamon Brown, T (Louisville)
- Atlanta Falcons: Tevin Coleman, RB (Indiana)
- New York Giants: Owa Odighizuwa, DE (UCLA)
- New Orleans Saints: Garrett Grayson, QB (Colorado State)
- Kansas City Chiefs (from Minnesota): Chris Conley, WR (Georgia)
- Cleveland Browns: Duke Johnson, RB (Miami)
- New Orleans Saints (from Miami): P.J. Williams, CB (Florida State)
- San Francisco 49ers: Eli Harold, OLB (Virginia)
- Detroit Lions (from Kansas City, via Minnesota): Alex Carter, CB (Stanford)
- Buffalo Bills: John Miller, G (Louisville)
- New York Jets (from Houston): Lorenzo Mauldin, OLB (Louisville)
- San Diego Chargers: Craig Mager, CB (Texas State)
- Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Hicks, ILB (Texas)
- Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE (Rutgers)
- Arizona Cardinals: David Johnson, RB (Northern Iowa)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Sammie Coates, WR (Auburn)
- Minnesota Vikings (from Detroit): Danielle Hunter, DE (LSU)
- St. Louis Rams (from Carolina): Sean Mannion, QB (Oregon State)
- Baltimore Ravens: Carl Davis, DT (Iowa)
- Dallas Cowboys: Chaz Green, T (Florida)
- Denver Broncos: Jeff Heuerman, TE (Ohio State)
- Indianapolis Colts: Henry Anderson, DE (Stanford)
- Green Bay Packers: Ty Montgomery, WR/KR (Stanford)
- Washington (from Seattle): Matt Jones, RB (Florida)
- New York Jets (from New England): Xavier Cooper, DT (Washington State)
- New England Patriots (compensatory pick): Geneo Grissom, DE (Oklahoma)
- Kansas City Chiefs (compensatory pick): Steven Nelson, CB (Oregon State)
- Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory pick): Paul Dawson, LB (TCU)
NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone
The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:
- Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
- In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
- Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
- Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
- Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
- General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
- Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
- Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.
AFC Notes: Steelers, Ravens, Chargers
Before drafting Mississippi cornerback Senquez Golson with the 56th overall pick, the Steelers tried to move up and take Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. The Steelers were unable to pull it off, however, and Williams ended up going 55th to the AFC North rival Ravens, who traded up to get ahead of Pittsburgh. Not surprisingly, that displeased the Steelers, according to Kaboly.
While the Steelers may not have been happy to see their division rivals land Williams, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) doesn’t think they were going to take the tight end themselves in that spot — according to La Canfora, Pittsburgh was “locked in” on Golson at No. 56.
Here are a few more draft-related leftovers from day two, from around the AFC…
- Speaking of the Ravens, they’re eyeing some of the draft’s remaining cornerbacks, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter).
- The Chargers had discussions with multiple teams about moving down in the second round, but they decided to stay put because they wanted Miami linebacker Denzel Perryman, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Bolts took Perryman 48th overall.
- Broncos general manager John Elway didn’t consider taking a quarterback in the third round, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Broncos instead used the 92nd overall pick on Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman.
- Discussing the teams’ day two draft picks, Texans GM Rick Smith said linebacker Benardrick McKinney was the highest-rated player on the club’s board when the second round began, and added that Jaelen Strong‘s injured wrist was medically cleared by the Texans’ staff prior to the draft (Twitter links via Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle).
- Josh Cribbs became expendable for the Colts when the team drafted Phillip Dorsett in the first round, and Indianapolis released Cribbs earlier today. According to GM Ryan Grigson, the club wanted to give the veteran returner a chance to find “greener pastures,” tweets Mike Chappell of RTV6.
Browns Acquire No. 96 Pick From Pats
The No. 96 overall pick is the last pick of the day that can be traded, and the Patriots have indeed traded it, sending to the Browns. Cleveland used the selection to take Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper. The night’s last three picks – including New England’s No. 97 selection – are compensatory selections, which can’t be dealt.
According to the NFL Network, the Patriots receive a fourth-round pick (No. 111), a fifth-round pick (147), and a sixth-round pick (202) in exchange for No. 96 and a seventh-rounder (No. 219).
Lions Acquire 80th Pick From Vikings
Two NFC North rivals have swung a deal. The Vikings will send the 80th pick in the draft to the Lions, reports Chris Long of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). In return, the Vikings will receive picks 88 and 143, tweets Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.
With the 80th pick, the Lions selected Stanford cornerback Alex Carter.