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2016 NFL Draft News & Rumors

NFC Notes: Bucs, Draft, Vikings, Washington

March 24th, 2016 at 8:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter likes his group of receivers but he says that he could also add to that group in the draft, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes.

“I feel fine about our receiving corps. Obviously, at the top with [Vincent Jackson] and [Mike Evans],” Koetter said. “I’m not a believer that Vincent Jackson is anywhere close to being done. I think both of his injuries were extremely freakish last year. He happened to take a helmet right on the knee in both instances. Vincent is a fast healer. I think Mike is going to have a rebound year if we can call 1,200 yards a bad season.”

Beyond Evans and Jackson, Koetter has young wide receivers Adam Humphries, Donteea Dye, Evan Spencer, and Kenny Bell plus veterans Louis Murphy and Russell Shepard. Koetter isn’t ruling out adding to that group in the draft, but it’d be a shocker of Tampa Bay went receiver at No. 9 overall.

Here’s a look at the NFC:

  • Coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t believe that the Vikings have to add a veteran wide receiver before next season, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes. “We had a receiver here that was making a lot of money that really didn’t do what we needed to do,” Zimmer said. “So I don’t know that it’s a necessity to go out and sign another wide receiver. We’ve got to get better with the guys we’ve got, and we’ve got to fix other areas that can allow these receivers to be more effective in the games.”
  • Washington coach Jay Gruden says he’s “very concerned” about the team’s safety depth, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Duke Inenacho and David Bruton are competing for a starting job at strong safety but both players are coming off injuries. Banking on Ihenacho is especially risky as he has missed most of the past two seasons with injuries.
  • The 49ers worked out Buffalo offensive tackle John Kling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). As previously reporters, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman has also auditioned for the Chargers.

Draft Rumors: Treadwell, Bengals, Lawson

March 24th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell says the Bengals, Browns, Bears, and Cowboys have shown interest in him, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first-round prospect also identified “New York” as a team with interest, but it’s not clear if that’s in reference to the Jets or Giants. San Francisco, which owns the No. 7 pick in the draft, has been said to have interest in Treadwell.

Here’s the latest news on the 2016 NFL Draft:

  • Clemson DE Shaq Lawson has (or has had) visits/workouts with the Cowboys and 49ers, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). The Jets, Titans, Saints, Panthers, and Browns have also linked up with Lawson, per previous reports. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) opines that Lawson is a top 10 talent.
  • Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com was on hand for Carson Wentz‘s pro day and he felt that it was “a very good workout, but not a great workout.” Pauline feels that Wentz is usually high off the mark when he misses, forcing receivers to get airborne in order to make a reception. However, Wentz is getting “sensational” marks when it comes to his personal character.
  • Wentz’s teammate at North Dakota State, offensive lineman Joseph Haeg, is being viewed as a top 100 pick, per Pauline. Haeg is seen mostly as a right tackle or guard, but some feel that he can play any offensive line position that isn’t center.
  • Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins has (or has had) workouts and/or visits with the Vikings and Colts, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). It was previously reported that Oakland, New England, and New Orleans have all checked out Jenkins.
  • Florida safety Keanu Neal has been invited to Chicago for the NFL Draft, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Neal had a 38-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump at the NFL Draft Combine and has intrigued teams with his athleticism. Some evaluators see Neal sneaking into the first round. Atlanta has interest in Neal, who was recruited to Florida by coach Dan Quinn when he was the Gators’ defensive coordinator.
  • Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman has workouts and/or visits set with the 49ers, Bengals, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Browns, Getlin tweets.
  • USC linebacker/safety Su’a Cravens will visit/work out for the Falcons, Panthers, Colts, Bills, Patriots, Saints, and Chargers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • UMass QB Blake Frohnapfel spent time with the Lions and Chargers on Thursday, according to Pauline.
  • Alabama offensive lineman Dominick Jackson, who Pauline opines is one of the more versatile and underrated guard/tackle prospects in the draft, worked out for the Buccaneers this week.
  • Campbell defensive tackle Greg Milhouse has official visits set up with the Giants and Lions, per Pauline.
  • Nebraska offensive lineman Zach Sterup has an official visit set up with the Giants, Pauline writes.

Complete 2016 NFL Draft Order

March 24th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The full 2016 NFL draft order can be found below, sorted by round. The list of 253 selections includes all traded draft picks and compensatory picks, and will continue to be updated leading up to the draft if additional deals are made. For an explanation of how traded picks were acquired, check out our complete breakdown.

Here’s the complete 2016 NFL draft order:

Read more

Draft Rumors: 49ers, Jets, Colts, Bears

March 23rd, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a rundown of the latest news on the 2016 NFL Draft:

  • Missouri defensive back Kenya Dennis met with the 49ers yesterday and met with the Jets this afternoon, according to Tony Pauline for WalterFootball.com. Dennis struggled somewhat in 2015 after a terrific junior campaign, but Pauline writes that teams see him either as a safety or cornerback in dime packages.
  • Illinois State running back/wide receiver Marshaun Coprich interviewed with the Colts and Bears, per Pauline. The Colts in particular are high on his skill set.
  • The Jets, Lions, and Bengals all sent position coaches to watch North Carolina Central corner Ryan Smith work out, Pauline writes. Smith also interviewed with the Jets prior to his pro day.
  • In total, Smith has six workouts and five visits on his docket, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes. In addition to the clubs listed above, Smith has private workouts with the Cardinals, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, and Ravens. On top of that, he has visits lined up with the Raiders, Steelers, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Vikings. At the combine, Smith turned heads when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds.
  • Portland State Long Snapper Kameron Canaday has had private workouts with the Cardinals and Broncos, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
  • Texas Tech wide receiver/kick returner Jakeem Grant had a private workout with the Colts, Getlin tweets. He also has a workout set with the Jets and a team visit coming up with the Cowboys.
  • Vernon Hargreaves has a meeting with the Jaguars on April 5th, per Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 (on Twitter). He’ll also be meeting with the Buccaneers on April 7th or 8th.
  • Former Clemson safety Jayron Kearse has met with, or is set to visit and/or workout with the Lions, Steelers, Jaguars, and Jets, Getlin tweets.

NFC East Rumors: Coughlin, Giants, Cowboys

March 23rd, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Washington coach Jay Gruden addressed reporters at the owners’ meetings. Now, we’ll take a look at the rest of the NFC East:

  • McAdoo was upbeat about the fact that Tom Coughlin is still around the building and said, “as long as Tom is around, he’s a resource and we’re going to welcome him,” (link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). He also said that he doesn’t anticipate things being awkward once Giants players start to show up.
  • Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys will work out Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch today in Orlando after leaving the owners meetings, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. The Cowboys will head to Ohio State to work out prospects on Friday.
  • When asked if he is going to call plays, McAdoo said it is a “possibility.” When asked if he likes to call plays, McAdoo said, “I LOVE calling plays,” Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets. Needless to say, it sounds like there’s a good possibility of the former offensive coordinator calling plays for the Giants in 2016.
  • Eagles coach Doug Pederson says he likes the fullback position and even though he doesn’t have a true fullback on the roster, he plans on looking at Trey Burton as an option, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
  • New Giants coach Ben McAdoo doesn’t seem committed to anyone at middle linebacker, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants are still looking at draft prospects as well as free agency for options.

Trade Rumors: Kaepernick, Chargers, Tulloch

March 22nd, 2016 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this afternoon, we passed along a report indicating that the Jets may be shopping defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. However, those aren’t the only trade discussions said to be taking place around the league. Here’s the latest on a few others:

  • 49ers general manager Trent Baalke confirmed on Tuesday that the team has given Colin Kaepernick‘s representatives the go-ahead to talk to other teams about a possible trade. But the Niners are “nowhere near” getting a deal done, Baalke tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Asked why the 49ers are allowing Kaepernick to explore trade options if they want him back, the GM explained: “I think sometimes it helps players work through anything they may have. It gives them a chance to see what their options really are. It also gives us a chance to say we didn’t hold you back from doing that.”
  • Chargers GM Tom Telesco confirmed on Tuesday that multiple teams have approached San Diego about acquiring the No. 3 overall pick. Telesco isn’t sure if anything will come of those discussions, but says he’s all ears, as Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune details. “They usually ask if I’m interested, and I say, ‘Yes,'” Telesco said. “I’ve had multiple teams ask. That’s where it starts. … It’s certainly an option. We’ll just follow it through and see where it goes.”
  • Like San Diego, the Titans remain open to trading their first-round pick, with GM Jon Robinson suggesting today that he had “a couple of conversations” at the owners’ meeting about the No. 1 selection (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). As Schefter outlines, Robinson tried to downplay his recent comments about wanting a “king’s ransom” for that first overall pick, noting that it doesn’t mean the team isn’t willing to move down.
  • Although it still appears that linebacker Stephen Tulloch isn’t in the Lions‘ plans for 2016, the team is trying to trade him rather than release him, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The fact that the Lions plan to cut Tulloch if they can’t find a trade partner means that it may be difficult for the team to find an offer.

Browns Notes: RGIII, Draft, Thomas, WRs

March 22nd, 2016 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

New Browns head coach Hue Jackson was one of the AFC coaches who spoke to reporters over breakfast in Boca Raton, Florida on Tuesday morning. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from that conversation….

  • Jackson liked the way Robert Griffin III handled some “tough” questions during his visit to Cleveland, tweets Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. The head coach added that he spoke to RGIII about the possibility of taking a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, suggesting that “the cream always rises to the top” (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). In other words, the team could draft a quarterback early even if it signs Griffin, resulting in a competition for the starting job.
  • Jackson plans to spend extra time with five or six quarterback prospects prior to the draft, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), Jackson has already spent a good deal of time with Jared Goff, and will attend Carson Wentz‘s pro day on Thursday.
  • Echoing what Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown said on Monday, Jackson stressed that veteran offensive lineman Joe Thomas “is not going anywhere,” calling him the best left tackle in the NFL (Twitter link via Cabot).
  • Jackson identified wide receiver as an area the Browns need to address, indicating that he wants to add bigger, stronger, and faster players at the position (Twitter link via Ulrich).

Draft Rumors: Jets, Colts, Packers, Bucs

March 21st, 2016 at 8:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest 2016 NFL Draft news:

  • Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence has visits lined up with the Jets, Colts, Packers, Bucs, Ravens, Jaguars, Cardinals, and Saints, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Spence, a former star at Ohio State, was dismissed from the Buckeyes after two positive tests for ecstasy. In 2015, Spence shined for the Colonels, but he’ll now have to answer questions about his history. Still, he is extremely talented and teams are not shying away from him.
  • Boston College linebacker Steven Daniels has a workout scheduled with the Saints, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Lions are “doing a lot of work” on Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). The Lions met with Reed last week and they will host him for a visit in April.
  • The 49ers are slated to hold a private workout with Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). Teams are reportedly concerned about Cook‘s leadership abilities, but they’re still lining up to get a closer look at him. Cook also has private workouts scheduled with the Cowboys and Dolphins and he has met with the Rams and Browns.
  • Florida safety Keanu Neal has a workout scheduled with the Falcons this week, according to league source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. McClure notes that Neal was recruited to Florida by Falcons coach Dan Quinn when he was the Gators’ defensive coordinator.

Jaguars Notes: Kiffin, Draft, Hurns, Beachum

March 21st, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars made a big-name addition to their coaching staff today, formally announcing that veteran NFL coach Monte Kiffin would be joining the team as a defensive assistant. Kiffin, formerly the defensive coordinator in Dallas, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Minnesota, served in 2014 and 2015 as an assistant head coach for the Cowboys. In 2016, he’ll work with a unit that will be adding Malik Jackson, Prince Amukamara, and 2015 first-rounder Dante Fowler Jr., among others.

Here’s more on the Jaguars:

  • In addition to hiring Kiffin, the Jaguars also announced a couple more coaching changes, adding John Benton as assistant offensive line coach and John Donovan as offensive quality control coach.
  • GM Dave Caldwell is open to the idea of moving down in the draft, suggesting to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that he’d be willing to go from No. 5 overall to “somewhere in the early teens.” Caldwell’s comments suggest that the Jags probably feel the top of the draft is fairly deep, and that the team will keep an eye out for opportunities to add another early pick.
  • Caldwell acknowledged that the Jaguars may look into a contract extension for wide receiver Allen Hurns this offseason now that he’s eligible for a new deal. “I think we’ll wait until after the draft to see where we’re at,” Caldwell said, per O’Halloran. “And if we did anything, it would be before the season.” I’d be surprised if Jacksonville gets anything done with Hurns this year, since he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2018.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle provides several details on the Kelvin Beachum contract (all Twitter links). The deal is worth $5MM in year one, with a $2.5MM salary and up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. $1.5MM of that $5MM comes in the form of a guaranteed roster bonus. After the 2016 season, the Jaguars will have until 22 days prior to the start of the 2017 league year to decide whether or not to exercise Beachum’s $5MM option bonus for 2017-2020, when his salaries would range from $7.5MM to $10MM.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Washington, Eagles

March 21st, 2016 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Cornerback Patrick Robinson and running back Alfred Morris are visiting Dallas today, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported this morning (via Twitter) that there’s an expectation that at least one of them – likely Robinson – could sign with the club. Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirms (via Twitter) that the Cowboys are indeed closer to getting a deal done with Robinson than they are with Morris, though nothing has been finalized yet.

As we wait to see if the team can work something out with Robinson, and perhaps Morris as well, let’s check in on some other NFC East items….

  • Washington general manager Scot McLoughan sounds prepared to move down more than once in this year’s draft, suggesting that he’d like to add four more picks to the club’s current collection of eight. Andrew Walker of Redskins.com has the details and the quotes from McLoughan.
  • Nose tackle is a position of need for Washington, and the team has plenty of options, including re-signing Terrance Knighton. As John Keim of ESPN.com writes, Washington hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back Pot Roast, but could opt instead to sign another veteran or add a prospect in the draft.
  • Whereas money “does a lot of the talking” early in the free agent process, Eagles GM Howie Roseman believes offering players the opportunity to fill a potential hole or compete for playing time is a key factor during this later stage of the free agent period, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Roseman acknowledged the Eagles may still add some free agent depth, but said the club is shifting its primary focus to draft preparation.
  • The Cowboys are scheduled to have a private workout with Florida State linebacker Terrance Smith today, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Smith projects as a probable late-round pick.
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