Miller’s Latest: Bills, Watson, Mahomes
They say that you shouldn’t draft a box safety in the top 10, but that’s not enough to get Matt Miller of Bleacher Report to cool off on LSU’s Jamal Adams. That’s because he doesn’t view him as a box safety. Yes, the Tigers had Adams playing more in the box last year, but he did more coverage work in 2015 and excelled. Anyone who thinks he’s just a box safety, Miller argues, hasn’t looked closely enough at the tape. Miller believes he can go as high as No. 3 to the Bears and “can’t see any way he falls out of the top 10.”
Here’s more from Miller:
- The buzz is that Bills GM Doug Whaley is “in love” with Deshaun Watson. In fact, Watson may be the first QB off the board if the Bills go for him at No. 10 overall. The 49ers, Bears, Jaguars, and Jets are also in the market for a QB, but some believe that might not happen in the first round.
- Tennessee edge-rusher Derek Barnett looks like a first-rounder on film, but he hasn’t done well in workouts, Miller hears. Recently, he ran a subpar 4.89 second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
- Some scouts who attended Patrick Mahomes‘ pro day weren’t super impressed by the Texas A&M product’s scripted throws . One scout said he’s a “thrower, not a passer” while another said “[he’s] got some [Colin] Kaepernick to his arm.” All in all, however, those in attendance were high on Mahomes’ arm, athleticism, and poise. Meanwhile, Miller polled six execs and they all said that Mahomes will come off the board in the first round.
- Solomon Thomas seems like a top five lock and the Jaguars really like him if he’s on the board at No. 4.
- Chad Kelly injured his wrist during his pro day, but the Ole Miss product was recently cleared to throw and do drops, Miller hears.
- John Ross‘ 4.22 second 40-yard-dash time turned a lot of heads, but teams Miller have spoken to are worried about his injury history. He has had knee injuries in the past and suffered a torn labrum that was operated on right after the combine.
49ers Sign LB Jayson DiManche
The 49ers announced the signing of linebacker Jayson DiManche. The journeyman did not play an NFL down in 2016.
We haven’t seen DiManche in live action since 2015. Even then, it was a one-game cameo with the Browns. Prior to that, he spent two seasons with the Bengals. He appeared in 28 total games for Cincinnati, appearing mostly on special teams. He has 29 total tackles to his credit over the course of his career.
At present, the Niners have 12 linebackers under contract. With the draft still on the horizon and many months to go before the start of the season, you can expect some shakeup in that area. DiManche’s deal, in all likelihood, does not include guaranteed cash.
Seahawks’ Richard Sherman Asked For Trade
Here’s a new development. Apparently, the Richard Sherman trade talk was sparked by a request from the cornerback himself, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears. 
“It has been my understanding all along that Richard Sherman was the one who initiated this. He was the one that wanted to be traded initially. The Seahawks were obliging him and his request,” Schefter said on ESPN moments ago.
To this point, the general consensus has been that the Seahawks were shopping Sherman in order to potentially unload his cumbersome contract and get him out of the locker room after clashing with head coach Pete Carroll. Both of those points may be “pros” on the Seahawks’ t-chart, but it apparently was Sherman who got the ball rolling on this trade business to begin with.
This morning, we learned that Sherman wants to join a contender, if he’s traded. One major contending club has apparently bowed out of the sweepstakes, however. The Patriots are not presently interested in acquiring Sherman.
Latest On Seahawks CB Richard Sherman
Tony Romo dominated the bandwidth here at Pro Football Rumors to begin the week, but it’s been all Richard Sherman as of late. The Seahawks cornerback has been discussed with rival teams, GM John Schneider has confirmed, and a (lofty) asking price has been set. For what it’s worth, Sherman has flip-flopped publicly on whether he thinks he’ll wind up getting traded, but he’s now found a diplomatic and measured middle ground.
Will Sherman get traded? Where might he wind up? Here’s the latest on the leader of the Legion of Boom:
- Now that he’s a bit more realistic about the possibility of a trade, Sherman has given some thought as to where he might like to play. Unsurprisingly, if he gets dealt, he wants to go to a contender. “Richard Sherman is talking to some people,” Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald told PFT. “He wants to play in Super Bowls or have a chance to compete in Super Bowls, so he has some degree of leverage as to where this train goes.” Salguero presently does not see a trade coming together because of Seattle’s high sticker price.
- The best timing for a Sherman trade would be during the draft, Mike Florio of PFT opines. If Seattle trades for a particular pick ahead of time, they’ll potentially be telegraphing their desired target, and that could leave them open to getting leapfrogged. Pulling the trigger while the draft is in progress would help the Seahawks guarantee that their man is still on the board. Alternatively, Florio suggests a hush-hush handshake agreement between the Seahawks and another team on a deal that is contingent on Player X being available at Pick Y. Of course, that would require a high level of secrecy, and a deal of this magnitude could be hard to keep under wraps.
- Former NFL executive and current ESPN.com analyst Joe Banner sees the Darrelle Revis trade of 2013 as a possible comp for a Sherman deal. The Jets received a first-round pick in 2013 and a fourth-round pick in 2014 in exchange for the corner. Meanwhile, Sheil Kapadia huddled up with his fellow beat writers to figure out landing spots that would make sense for Sherman. The writers say the Saints, Packers, Titans, and Patriots all make varying degrees of sense.
East Notes: Dolphins, Giants, Redskins, Pats
The Dolphins have until May 2 to pick up the 2018 fifth-year option on right tackle Ja’Wuan James, and the decision is not clear-cut, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes. James, 24, has started 39 games since being selected with the 19th overall pick in 2014, and he was solid last season, grading as the league’s No. 32 tackle, per Pro Football Focus. However, because the fifth-year option salary is based on both left and right tackle contracts, it’s expected to be worth approximately $8MM, a figure that would make James the third-highest-paid right tackle in the league on an annual basis. The deal would only be for a single season, however, and is guaranteed for injury only until the first day of the 2018 league year.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Defensive end Owa Odighizuwa is still a member of the Giants, as franchise owner John Mara told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). Mara added he “doesn’t think” Odighizuwa will follow through on his apparent retirement plans. The 25-year-old defender has posted a cryptic series of tweets in recent days, first indicating that he’d step away from the NFL, then saying he’s “grateful to be part of Big Blue.” Fellow Giants players aren’t sure exactly what’s going on with Odighizuwa, although some observers believe he’s dealing with “personal” problems.
- Although free agent signing Stacy McGee may fit better as a nose tackle given that he’s doesn’t rush the passer well, the Redskins intend to use him as a defensive end in their 3-4 scheme, according to Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. Either way, Washington could still use another lineman or two, even after inking McGee and Terrell McClain last month. Johnathan Hankins is still available on the open market, as are fellow free agents Jared Odrick and Vance Walker. Draft options for the Redskins could include Malik McDowell (Michigan State), Chris Wormley (Michigan), and Caleb Brantley (Florida).
- Brandon Bolden‘s new deal with the Patriots is worth $855K and comes with a $50K signing bonus, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The pact also includes a $30K workout bonus. As Volin notes, this contract certainly doesn’t mean Bolden is a lock to earn a spot on the New England roster, especially given the club’s crowded backfield. At present, the Pats boast Dion Lewis, James White, Rex Burkhead, D.J. Foster, and are also in contact with free agents Adrian Peterson and LeGarrette Blount. If Bolden does make New England’s squad, it will be on the basis of his special teams work.
- Safety T.J. McDonald‘s one-year contract with the Dolphins has a value of $1.344MM, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The deal will include a base salary of roughly $945K, $213K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $200K workout bonus. Of course, McDonald will only earn half of those totals, as he’s suspended for the first eight games of the season .
Draft Rumors: McCaffrey, Cook, Melifonwu
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey visited the Panthers last week, a source tells Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. NFL executives reportedly believe McCaffrey will be a top-10 selection, and Carolina picks at No. 8. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera recently said no spot is “too high” to draft a running back, and veteran Jonathan Stewart‘s recent one-year extension won’t stop Carolina from bringing in another runner. PFR’s first mock draft has McCaffrey falling a bit farther, however, as we sent him to Philadelphia at No. 14.
Here’s more on the NFL draft:
- The Bengals are hosting Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Cincinnati is fully expected to select a running back in this year’s draft, and will likely do so on Day 1 or 2. Incumbent back Giovani Bernard is coming off a torn ACL, while Jeremy Hill hasn’t been effective recently and is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Cook, for his part, topped 1,600 yards and posted 19 touchdowns in each of the last two years with the Seminoles.
- Missouri defensive end Charles Harris is heading to New York for a visit with the Jets, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Harris, who put up 16 sacks over the past two seasons with the Tigers, probably won’t be in consideration for Gang Green at sixth overall, but he could be an option for the Jets if they trade back (or if he slips to the second round). So far, only the Titans are also known to have met with Harris.
- The Panthers have visited with Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Carolina, of course, signed Matt Kalil to a hefty free agent contract to play left tackle, but the club may need help on the right side, as Michael Oher is still in the concussion protocol three months after the conclusion of the season. Robinson also has the capability to play guard, so the Panthers could draft him as insurance on internal options Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell, each of whom will hit free agency in 2018.
- Washington safety Budda Baker recently met with the Steelers, as the club announced. Pittsburgh has spent a bevy of recent picks on defensive backs, as Senquez Golson, Artie Burns, and Sean Davis have all joined the team over the past two years. While the Steelers already boast a solid free safety in Mike Mitchell, he’s entering his age-30 campaign and will reach unrestricted free agency next spring.
- The Dolphins have spent a “significant amount of time” with UConn safety Obi Melifonwu, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Melifonwu has drawn a good amount of interest from around the league during the predraft process, and one team — the Titans — may even view him as a cornerback. Miami recently extended Reshad Jones, but the club could use another safety now that Isa Abdul-Quddus has been cut following a back injury. T.J. McDonald is also in tow, but he’s suspended for the first half of the season.
Patrick Mahomes To Visit Browns
The Browns already put Patrick Mahomes through a private workout, but the team will continue to determine a possible fit for the fast-rising quarterback. The Texas Tech standout arrived in Cleveland on Thursday night and will visit with the Browns on Friday, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
Once given a second-round grade, Mahomes has been a hot pre-draft commodity. The Browns, who hold the No. 12 pick in addition to the No. 1 choice that looks set to be used to draft Myles Garrett, put the former Red Raiders passer through a workout last month. Cabot reported the Browns prefer Mahomes to DeShone Kizer, who entered the offseason as the better prospect but hasn’t generated the kind of buzz Mahomes has, and has linked Cleveland to Mahomes, Mitchell Trubisky and Deshaun Watson.
She posits the Browns could target Mahomes if they don’t draft Watson or Trubisky at No. 12, possibly using the No. 33 pick to trade back into the first round and nab the cannon-armed passer. Mahomes has met with the Jets, who are believed to have strong interest in him, along with numerous other teams. As of last week, he’d participated in a league-high 18 visits or private workouts.
The Browns are still considering each of the top four quarterbacks in this draft, per Cabot. Watson’s visit with the Browns remains ahead, while Kizer came to northeast Ohio on Wednesday. The Browns appear quite serious in examining these quarterbacks, pointing them in the direction of pulling the trigger on one of them with either their second or third pick in this draft.
Broncos, Cowboys, Rams Extended Offers To DeMarcus Ware
Less than a month after his retirement, DeMarcus Ware shed some light about what could have been had he sought to return for a 13th NFL season. The future Hall of Fame edge defender told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post he received three offers this offseason as a UFA — from the Broncos, Cowboys and Rams.
Ware told the Denver-based reporter something changed between early February and mid-March, leading him to retire. The 34-year-old posted on social media on New Year’s Eve of last year he planned to play in 2017, but he reversed course. However, Ware told Jhabvala had he been under contract with the Broncos for another year he would be suiting up for them this coming season.
Denver’s right outside linebacker said retirement didn’t cross his mind during last season, but he did reveal that he played around three games with a herniated disc in his back. He underwent back surgery following the Broncos’ Week 16 game in Kansas City.
“I’d sit down in meetings not knowing if I’d be able to get up,” Ware said, via Jhabvala, about going through weeks with the herniated disc. “This is stuff people don’t know you go through because I love playing football. … That [Chiefs] game, I was hurting so bad. I told myself, ‘You need to just get yourself fixed.”
It wasn’t known until today how serious a possible reunion with Wade Phillips in Los Angeles was. Ware visited the L.A. in March, with the Rams joining the Broncos and Cowboys in the pursuit. Jane Slater of NFL.com reported multiple teams offered Ware at least $7MM per year. He finished out a three-year, $30MM contract with the Broncos last season.
Seahawks’ Trevone Boykin Arrested Again
For the second time in 11 days, Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin found himself under arrest. After a March 27 arrest for suspicion of public intoxication and marijuana possession, authorities picked up Boykin on a possible parole violation today in Texas, TMZ reports.
He was reportedly on probation at the time of last month’s arrest. The parole stems from his guilty plea to a 2015 resisting-arrest charge. He was released on $2,500 bond. Boykin, 23, awaits a May 3 arraignment and faces up to a year in jail, per TMZ.
While this is not as serious as the other arrests, it adds to a growing list of off-the-field trouble for the former TCU standout. Boykin worked as Russell Wilson‘s backup last season, and Pete Carroll said “early indications” pointed to Boykin having another chance in Seattle despite the March arrest. Carroll added the caveat of “we’ll see what happens,” however, and this latest incident won’t help matters.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/6/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Jets signed tight end Brian Parker, per a team announcement. This will be Parker’s second stint with the Jets, who initially employed him for two days last year before cutting him because of a failed physical. Parker entered the league in 2015 as a Chargers UDFA addition.
- The Redskins signed former Bears offensive tackle John Kling, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- Swing tackle Chris Hubbard signed his Steelers RFA tender, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). He will make $1.8MM as the Steelers’ presumptive No. 3 tackle in 2017 behind Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert. Hubbard will enter his fourth season with the Steelers. He started the first four games of his career last season.
- Broncos contributors Bennie Fowler and Kabri Bibbs signed their ERFA tenders, Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post tweets. A fourth-year running back, Bibbs will continue to vie for a backfield job after seeing some time last season after C.J. Anderson went down. A third-year wide receiver, Fowler resides in the glut of auxiliary pass-catchers that sits beneath Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in Denver’s aerial hierarchy.