2016 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Myles Jack, J. Smith

March 2nd, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agency is dominating NFL conversation at the moment, but the draft isn’t that far away, either. Here are the latest news and notes surrounding collegiate prospects and their impending entry to the league:

In a piece previewing several developmental options that could make sense for Dallas, Gil Brandt of NFL.com reveals that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently told Brandt “unequivocally” that his club will not select a QB with the fourth overall pick. Dallas has been linked to Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, as the thinking goes that the team would like to draft an heir apparent to Tony Romo — in fact, Jones said this morning that he’d like to find Romo’s successor. But the Cowboys have enough holes, especially on defense, that it probably makes more sense to use their first pick at a different position, especially if the front office is confident Romo can steer the ship for a few more years.
UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is drawing rave reviews from NFL coaches, and they believe Jack can play five positions, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 6’1”, 225-pounder was certainly a jack-of-all-trades (excuse the pun) for the Bruins, as he saw time at both inside and outside linebacker, safety, nickel corner, and running back, and even returned the occasional kick. Jack is the No. 1 overall player of Josh Norris of Rotoworld‘s big board.
Another collegiate linebacker — Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith — was thought to be competing with Jack to become the first defensive player selected, but that changed when Smith suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his final college game. A report last week indicated that NFL clubs are also concerned about possible nerve damage in Smith’s ankle, but it sounds as if at least one team isn’t worried. According to ESPN’s Todd McShay, via Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com (Twitter link), Smith is still the No. 1 overall player on one club’s draft board. On the other hand, “a couple” other teams have removed the linebacker from their boards altogether.

Extra Points: Vernon, Crosby, Bears, Draft

February 29th, 2016 at 10:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The fate of defensive end Olivier Vernon will shape how the Dolphins approach their offseason, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the franchise tag ($15.7MM) or transition tag ($12.7MM) on Vernon. But doing either of those things would make it especially difficult for them to keep fellow pass rusher Cameron Wake and running back Lamar Miller, which they want to do. If he hits the open market, Vernon could end up with a long-term deal in the range of $12MM to $14MM annually, per Beasley, who adds there’s an outside possibility Miami will slap the franchise tag on the 25-year-old and then trade him.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Packers are unlikely to use the $4.572MM franchise tag on longtime kicker Mason Crosby, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As of last week, there was optimism the Packers and Crosby would agree on a contract and render the tag unnecessary. If that doesn’t happen by March 7, Crosby will be free to start negotiating with other teams.
Even though he’s coming off a personal-best eight-sack season, the Bears could release edge rusher Lamarr Houston, one well-placed AFC executive told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cutting Houston would open up over $4MM of cap space for the Bears this year. When PFR’s Dallas Robinson previewed the Bears’ offseason earlier this month, he named Houston as a possibility for the chopping block.
Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche has visits with 19 teams set up, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootall.com. That number has increased from the 15 Pauline reported Sunday.

Cole’s Latest: Kaepernick, Jenkins, Wallace

February 28th, 2016 at 3:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A report earlier today indicated that the Texans are not expected to trade for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and Jason Cole of Bleaher Report (Twitter link) confirms that information, relaying that he was “told strongly” that Houston will not be dealing for Kaepernick. However, the Texans could have interest in Kaepernick if he is released by San Francisco.

Here’s more from Cole:

Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins has fired his agent, according to Cole (video link), after Jenkins found Los Angeles’ latest offer of five years and $45MM unacceptable. Jenkins must now wait five days to hire a new agent, during which point the Rams cannot negotiate with him. As Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News writes, Los Angeles can still the place the franchise/transition tag on Jenkins in advance of Tuesday’s deadline (though the latest reports have the Rams leaning towards using the tag on fellow corner Trumaine Johnson). Jenkins, per Cole, is expected to hire the Schwartz and Feinsod agency for representation.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman is set to meet with the agent for receiver Mike Wallace at the combine in the hopes of convincing Wallace to accept a paycut, Cole reports (video link). Wallace is scheduled to count $11.5MM against the cap in 2016, and Minnesota can clear out all that money by releasing him.
There is mutual interest between the Dolphins and free agent offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz “down the line,” tweets Cole. The Giants released Schwartz earlier this month, so he’s free to sign with any club immediately.
North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz drew rave reviews at the combine, according to Cole (video link), and while he looks like the favorite to be the first quarterback off the board in April’s draft, Cal’s Jared Goff is still in the running, as well.
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan had offseason surgery on his lower back, per Cole (video link), but the operation was considered minor by both club and player. Jordan should be ready for New Orleans’ offseason program.

Extra Points: Kaepernick, Draft, Flacco

February 27th, 2016 at 9:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Concern is growing at the scouting combine regarding injured Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, who is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL he suffered in January. Multiple NFL teams have failed Smith at the physical, while three have already declared they won’t draft him, according to Jeff Legwold and Adam Schefter of ESPN. This comes on the heels of a Friday report stating that Smith might miss all of next season.

Prior to his injury, the expectation was that Smith would be an early first-round pick, but some clubs now believe he’ll be a Day 3 selection, per Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. Smith took out an insurance policy on himself last summer, so he’ll collect a tax-free $700k if he doesn’t go in the first round and another $100k with each missed pick thereafter, tweets ESPN’s Darren Rovell. Thanks to his insurance policy, Smith could make as much as $5MM if his draft stock plummets, per Rovell.

And now for some notes on QBs:

The fact that Colin Kaepernick wants out of San Francisco leaves the 49ers with little to no leverage in trade talks, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Potential Kaepernick suitors could now be inclined to wait until a possible release by April 1, when his $12MM salary becomes guaranteed, rather than give anything up for him. If cut, Kaepernick would likely make less per year on his next deal, but his desire to get away from the 49ers outranks his motivation to cash in, per Barrows.
The Ravens and Joe Flacco‘s agent, Joe Linta, have made “significant progress” in their talks to rework the quarterback’s contract and are expected to have further discussions Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (link via Jamison Hemsley of ESPN.com).
North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz has been the most impressive signal-caller at the combine, three NFL head coaches told Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (Twitter link).

Latest On Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith

February 27th, 2016 at 8:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

SATURDAY, 8:30am: “I’m going to be 100 percent again,” Smith said at his combine press conference (via Bart Hubbuch of the New York Daily News). “We just don’t know when.”

The writer notes that the linebacker is optimistic about his injury, and the player was also adamant that there’s no nerve damage in his knee. Still, Smith acknowledged that he took out an insurance policy on the injury last year.

“I feel great,” he said. “There’s no soreness in the knee, there’s no pain. I’ve been off pain pills for almost a month. It’s just a matter of the recovery process. I don’t know when the nerve and everything will heal. It’s just me taking it day-by-day and controlling what I can control.”

FRIDAY, 5:28pm: Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith was once considered by many to be the best defensive player entering this year’s draft, and was thought to be a potential top-10 selection. But after tearing his ACL and MCL in January, Smith’s status for the 2016 season is in question, as Dr. David Chao (formerly the Chargers’ team physician) tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports that Smith may need a “redshirt season,” meaning he might not be available until 2017.

The nature and timing of Smith’s knee injury is obviously unfortunate, but the more serious problem is the nerve damage that Smith suffered in his ankle, a source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link), who reports that Smith is “probably” not going to be able to play in 2016. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) goes even further, adding that NFL clubs believe Smith could be out even beyond the 2016 season.

Indeed, whether Smith will ever regain his full health — or anything close to it — appears to be something of an open question. A source told Marvez that two doctors have disparate opinions about Smith’s possible recovery — while one doctor was optimistic, another puts Smith’s chances for a complete recovery at just 10 percent.

Obviously, Smith’s health, wellness, and mobility are the primary concerns in this situation, but the stark reality is that this latest news will no doubt affect his draft stock. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, for example, once rated Smith as his No. 2 overall player, but now it’s fair to wonder if any club will risk taking Smith in the first round.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Wentz, Jack, Neal, Cardinals

February 26th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz is now considered the favorite to be the the first quarterback off the board in April’s draft, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Of six executives polled by Peliserro, four believed Wentz would be the first QB selected, while two placed votes for Cal’s Jared Goff.

“I knew once (Wentz) got around the coaches and stuff, they’d eat him up,” one scout told the USA Today scribe. “This guy’s unique. He’s just different. And obviously, he’s 6’5″, 230, and can spin it like a mother.”

With the draft just over two months away, let’s take a look at the latest news and notes:

A report earlier this month indicated that UCLA linebacker Myles Jack was not yet cleared to participate in the combine due to a knee injury, and according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, NFL teams still have some questions about the ailment. Jack tore his meniscus and then underwent surgery in September, and Archer writes that medical issues surrounding Jack will be cleared up following today’s tests at the combine.
Florida safety Keanu Neal is generating “glowing reports” around the NFL, and it’s possible he could sneak into the first round, per Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com, adding that the only concern about Neal is recurring hamstring issues. Both the Steelers and the Cardinals have been linked to Neal, reports Pauline.
We’ve heard before that the Cardinals plan to target pass rush help this offseason, but as Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes, pass rushers might be hard to find in the 2016 draft class, which is said to be deeper in interior line prospects than in edge defenders. But as Somers notes, Arizona’s defense has shown a history of malleability, so if a top interior prospect falls to them at pick No. 29, the club can take him and mold their defense to fit their new addition.

Draft Rumors: Hogan, Conklin, Robinson, Ragland

February 22nd, 2016 at 8:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Around this time of year, teams start to get a sense of which quarterbacks can vault up the draft boards, Tony Pauline writes for PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Right now, the scouting community believes that guy is Stanford’s Kevin Hogan. Hogan has impressed with his arm strength and pass velocity and Pauline hears that teams might be pleasantly surprised by his improved wind-up at the Combine.

While we wait to see where Hogan might land, let’s take a look at some more of Pauline’s draft buzz:

Tackle Jack Conklin is universally graded as a first-round pick, but not everyone in the league is certain he can handle the left tackle position at the next level. Still, the Michigan State product is expected to interview well and he could find himself in the top half of the first round.
The stock of Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson will hinge greatly on his interviews, Pauline writes. Talent-wise, Robinson looks like a top-15 prospect, but his checkered past is giving teams pause. If he can make a strong impression on teams, however, he can be a second-day pick.
Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, who tipped the scales at 259 pounds at the Senior Bowl, is expected to be much lighter at the Combine.
Several league decision-makers rate teammate T.J. Green as the top safety from the Clemson program rather than Jayron Kearse. Green is a solid athlete who lined up at safety, wide receiver and also played special teams for the Tigers.

Draft Notes: Cardinals, Bills, Cowboys, Jets

February 19th, 2016 at 7:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Clemson’s Shaq Lawson has been labeled as a likely top-15 pick in April’s draft, but it’s his teammate — edge rusher Kevin Dodd — who’s been drawing more praise from some NFL clubs, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. Several teams now have Dodd, who will perform defensive lineman drills at the combine but is also capable of playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, ranked ahead of Lawson. One club that could target Lawson on in Round 1 is the Cardinals, per Pauline, as Arizona is expected to prioritize both defensive ends and safeties during the early portion of the draft.

Let’s take a look at a few more draft notes, all courtesy of Pauline…

If the Bills don’t select a quarterback early in the draft, they could grab Stanford signal-caller Kevin Hogan late, per Pauline. Buffalo met with Hogan at the Senior Bowl, and the club was apparently with both his athleticism and arm strength, as well as his “next level potential.”
Michigan tight end A.J. Williams might not be selected in the draft, but he could end up being a priority free agent, as Pauline reports that both the Jets and Cowboys have to begun to show interest in the 6’5″, 270-pounder. It’s expected that Williams could act as a team’s third tight end in 2016, and be especially useful in the red zone.
NFL teams are also impressed by the athleticism of another tight end, South Carolina’s Jerell Adams, and Pauline believes he could end up being the fourth tight end selected in the draft. Adams, a former basketball player, reportedly showed excellent blocking skills at the Senior Bowl.
Boise State defensive end Kamalei Correa projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the pros, but some teams also believe could play inside, thanks not only to his versatility and presumably his movement skills, but also to his intangibles, which Pauline says NFL teams are increasingly valuing in middle linebackers.

Latest On UCLA’s Myles Jack

February 16th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Zachary Links

UCLA star Myles Jack has yet to receive clearance to fully participate in next week’s NFL scouting combine, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. However, the 20-year-old will do the bench press, attend team interviews, and undergo the medical check at the combine in Indianapolis.

Jack, who injured his knee in September, expects to be fully cleared in early March. For his part, the linebacker insists that he is only holding back in training as a precaution.

“Personally, I feel great,” Jack said. “The knee, I can do whatever I can do with the knee, running, cutting. It feels great. It feels like a new knee.”

Decision makers around the league believe Jack will go “very early” in the draft and he has been referred to as a “rare athlete,” a compliment that is not thrown around often. There are concerns about his size, but scouts are quick to point to Shaq Thompson, the Panthers first round pick in 2015, as an example of a player who was not held back by his statue. Jack, they say, is also a much better prospect than Thompson.

In an informal survey of NFL execs, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net found that the consensus has Jack going No. 4 overall, ahead of Ohio State’s Joey Bosa. Of course, in order to go in the top five, Jack’s knee will have to hold up to intense scrutiny from interested teams.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Teams Have Called Titans About No. 1 Pick

February 15th, 2016 at 7:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Titans GM Jon Robinson has fans coming up to him constantly to ask about the team’s No. 1 overall pick, as TitansOnline.com’s Jim Wyatt writes. It’s not just the fans that are asking, however. Opposing GMs have called Robinson to ask about acquiring the top pick as well.

“I’ve had a couple of conversations here and there. I think it is really more kind of exploratory at this point,’’ he said. “As we get a little bit closer, a little bit more through the process with the combine and interviews and pro days, I expect there will be a few more exploratory calls, and there may not be. We’ll see.”

With several weeks to go between now and the draft, we expect there to be many more calls on the Titans’ No. 1 selection. One has to imagine that it will take a lot to pry that top pick away from Robinson & Co., but it’s not necessarily impossible given the number of holes the Titans have to fill.

As of this writing, most draft pundits are predicting that the Titans will select Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil with the No.1 pick. In theory, however, the Titans could be enticed by the opportunity to trade down and land a tackle like Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley if given the right package of picks and NFL-ready talent. Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa could also be in the mix for the No. 1 selection.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2016 NFL Draft News & Rumors