Giants Acquire 33rd Pick From Titans
The Giants have acquired the 33rd overall pick in the draft from the Titans, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In return, the Titans will receive the Giants’ second- , fourth-, and seventh-round picks, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Those selections are the 40th, 108th, and 245th picks, respectively.
The Giants selected Alabama safety Landon Collins with the 33rd pick. Collins, who totaled 103 tackles and three interceptions for the Crimson Tide in 2014, is expected to improve a Giants defense that finished last season 29th in the NFL.
Pauline’s Latest: Mannion, Grayson, Sample
With day two of the NFL draft getting underway, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net points out a few players to keep an eye on tonight. Here are the highlights from Pauline:
- The representatives for Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion are “pretty confident” he’ll come off the board quickly in the second round, writes Pauline. As for Garrett Grayson, there’s a chance he lands in the third round — the Bills and Jets are looking hard at Grayson, and the Rams, Broncos, and Washington are also in the mix.
- According to Pauline, many people believe Florida Atlantic cornerback D’Joun Smith will be selected in the second round tonight, which would be much earlier than expected.
- Safety James Sample, who is receiving interest from the Seahawks and Ravens, could also come off the board earlier than anticipated, per Pauline.
- South Carolina guard A.J. Cann likely won’t last long tonight. The Dolphins would love to nab Cann at No. 47, but the Jets have him graded highly and pick 37th, writes Pauline.
Draft Rumors: Gregory, AP, Wilkerson
Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory is regarded as one of the most talented players in this year’s NFL draft, but he remains available after the completion of the first round because of off-field issues. Gregory voiced his disappointment about his current undrafted status to Yahoo! Sports’ Rand Getlin on Friday (via Twitter).
“I feel like I let my family and the people who believe in me down, and I’m sorry for that,” said Gregory. “But I’m going to use this as fuel. The franchise that drafts me won’t have to worry about me off the field, but the teams that didn’t select me will have to worry about me on the field.”
Gregory went on to state that he is “the best defensive player in the draft.”
Here’s more as the second round of the draft draws nearer:
- If the Jets are going to trade defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, it could take multiple first-round picks to land him, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, La Canfora notes that, after having drafted Leonard Williams with their first-round selection, the Jets would have a loaded defensive line even without Wilkerson. That may lead to a reduction in their asking price, and the likes of the Browns and Raiders could be possible destinations should the Jets move Wilkerson.
- Friday could be the last real chance for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, per LaCanfora. Peterson might fetch the Vikings a second-round pick if he’s willing to take a pay cut to play elsewhere.
- Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman won’t stay on the board for long tonight, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport notes that Goldman is viewed as a first-round talent by many teams.
- Indiana’s Tevin Coleman could be the first running back taken tonight, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). A team tried to trade up for Coleman last night, Rapoport notes.
- The first half of the second round could see several running backs and offensive lineman selected, according to La Canfora. Conversely, La Canfora doesn’t expect any tight ends to go for a while, noting that South Carolina’s Rory Anderson or Rutgers’ Tyler Kroft could be the first one taken.
- La Canfora writes that Baylor’s Bryce Petty will likely be the first quarterback drafted Friday. The Bills, Rams, Saints and Chargers are among the teams that have done their homework on Petty.
Minor Moves: Friday
Here’s a round-up of the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Bengals have waived former Texas Tech wide receiver Eric Ward, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons waived five players today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Running back Ronnie Wingo, tackle Reid Fragel, cornerback Jordan Mabin, linebacker Jacques Smith, and safety Brandan Bishop were all cut to help make room for the incoming rookie class. None of the five players were contributors in Atlanta.
- The Bears signed safety Malcolm Bronson to a two-year contract after he impressed as a tryout player in their three-day minicamp, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The McNeese State product entered the NFL in 2003 as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs and spent the 2013 season on Kansas City’s practice squad before being released before the start of the 2014 season. Bronson appeared in 40 games at McNeese State from 2009-12, recording 230 tackles, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine tackles for a loss and 18 pass break-ups.
Colts Release Josh Cribbs
The Colts have released return specialist Josh Cribbs, the team announced today in a press release. Because he’s a 10-year veteran, Cribbs won’t be subjected to waivers, and will immediately be free to sign with another team.
Cribbs, 31, was one of the most explosive punt and kick returners in the league earlier in his career, tallying 11 total return touchdowns — three on punts and eight more on kicks. After joining the Colts last year, the Kent State product didn’t make an impact on 19 punt returns, averaging just 6.6 yards, but his kick return average was an impressive 32.0 yards per return on 19 attempts.
The Colts drafted wide receiver Phillip Dorsett out of Miami last night, and I expect the first-round rookie to take over most – if not all – of the Colts’ return duties.
La’el Collins Won’t Sign If Drafted On Day 3
As we wait to see whether a team decides to take a chance on LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Collins and his camp are formulating a plan to salvage his value. According to Schefter (Twitter link), if Collins isn’t selected tonight, he’ll decline to sign a contract and will resubmit his name next year for the 2016 draft.
If Collins were to be selected on Saturday in the sixth round, for instance, the idea is that he wouldn’t sign his rookie contract with that team. Based on my reading on the CBA, Collins would then have the opportunity to be drafted in 2016 by any team except the club that drafted him in 2015.
It’s not clear yet if Collins and his reps will go through with this plan, or if it’s an effort to create leverage, but it makes some sense if the offensive lineman’s camp is confident he’ll be cleared in the ongoing police investigation in Baton Rouge. Collins is currently scheduled to speak to police in Louisiana on Monday.
If teams were to head into next year’s draft confident in Collins’ character, it could restore his value, making him an early pick and landing him a larger contract. Still, it would be a risky play to sit out an entire season, particularly since concerns about his character could persist throughout the year.
Texans Sign Stevie Brown
FRIDAY, 4:13pm: The Texans have officially signed Brown, the team announced today in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 4:57pm: It’s a one-year deal for Brown, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
4:51pm: Former Giants safety Stevie Brown won’t be returning to New York, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL Network (Twitter link), who hears from Brown himself that the veteran free agent has agreed to terms with the Texans.
About a week and a half ago, we heard that Brown was narrowing down his options,, with the Giants, Cowboys, Falcons, and Raiders said to be among his suitors. A subsequent report suggested that the defensive back would probably re-sign with the Giants, but he paid a visit to Houston last week, and apparently liked what he saw and heard from the Texans.
Brown, 27, didn’t quite have the same impact for the Giants in 2014 that he did in 2012, when he racked up eight interceptions for a staggering 307 return yards. Still, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he was a solid contributor in the secondary, playing well against the run despite being occasionally burned in coverage. With Antrel Rolle headed to Chicago and Quintin Demps still on the open market, it’s a little surprising the Giants didn’t re-sign Brown to help plug their hole at safety.
Like the Giants, the Texans may have a pair of new starting safeties in 2015. The team is reportedly shopping D.J. Swearinger after having watched Kendrick Lewis sign in Baltimore. Danieal Manning remains unsigned as well, but the Texans did bring in one outside free agent, snatching Rahim Moore from Denver.
Brown is the second NFC East free agent to make the move to Houston this week — former Eagles running back Chris Polk also signed with the the Texans.
West Rumors: Rivers, Floyd, Cards, Rams
While Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers isn’t going to be traded, all signs so far have pointed to him playing out the 2015 season without a new contract in place. Still, as Rivers said on Friday, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that remains a fluid situation.
“A lot of moving parts and lots to think about,” Rivers said. “Location, family, team … All I can say at this point regarding an extension is I’m willing to listen to anything. I’m also willing to play it out. I’m just fired up to be the Chargers QB in 2015.”
While we wait to see if the Chargers and Rivers move forward with extension discussions, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….
- According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), the Cardinals are willing to listen to trade inquiries on wide receiver Michael Floyd, but no one has expressed interest so far. I imagine most teams are open to listening to calls about most players, but the fact that this tidbit is out there without Floyd having generated any interest suggests that the team is very open to the idea. Arizona picked up Floyd’s fifth-year option this week.
- The Cardinals tried to move up ahead of the Steelers in the first round last night, in the hopes of landing Bud Dupree, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910. Of course, Arizona didn’t end up completing a trade, and Pittsburgh selected the Kentucky pass rusher.
- There’s “absolutely nothing” going on between the Rams and free agent guard Justin Blalock at this point, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). After not picking an offensive lineman in round one, the Rams will almost certainly have to address their line at some point today or tomorrow.
Top Teams In Round Two Taking Calls
3:54pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds the Seahawks and Falcons to the list of teams that may want to move up to the early part of the second round.
3:36pm: There were only two trades completed during the first round of the NFL draft last night, but it sounds like the action could pick up tonight when the second round gets underway. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), both the Titans and Buccaneers, picking 33rd and 34th respectively, have fielded calls for their picks. Breer adds that clubs interested in moving up may be targeting wide receivers and/or offensive linemen.
Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirms that the Titans and other teams at the top of the second round are indeed receiving trade inquiries. According to Schefter, one team with interest in moving up is the Steelers.
It’s not clear which player the Steelers would be targeting if they were to move up in the second round, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that the team has its eye on a particular cornerback, and may have to move up to land him. If Pittsburgh doesn’t get that player, the team may wait until the third round to take a corner, according to Dulac.
There’s no shortage of teams that may have interest in moving up in the second round. Earlier today, Marc Sessler of NFL.com identified the Cowboys, Browns, Cardinals, Lions, and Saints as candidates to trade up; other clubs that have an excess of picks and may not want to use them all include the Colts, Texans, 49ers, Chiefs, and Broncos.
Buccaneers Sign Jameis Winston
3:09pm: Winston’s rookie contract is worth $25.35MM, including a $16.7MM signing bonus, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
3:07pm: The first player selected in last night’s draft is also the first member of 2015’s draft class to sign his rookie contract. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told reporters today, including Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that quarterback Jameis Winston has already officially signed with the team.
While the exact value of Winston’s four-year rookie contract isn’t yet known, it figures to be a little bigger than the deal signed by last year’s first overall pick, Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney’s four-year, $22.273MM pact was fully guaranteed and featured a signing bonus worth about $14.519MM. Like Clowney’s deal, Winston’s will include a fifth-year option, which would apply to the 2019 season.
Winston is the clearly the biggest piece of Tampa’s offseason rebuild, following the club’s signing of free agents Henry Melton, Chris Conte, and Bruce Carter, and acquisition of George Johnson. Winston figures to immediately slot in as the Bucs’ starting quarterback, ahead of 2013 draftee Mike Glennon.