NFC Mailbags: Saints, Giants, Eagles, Cards
Let’s have a look at some of the highlights from the mailbags of NFC writers:
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the Saints are likely to draft a receiver in the first three rounds, given the combination of the team’s need for a dynamic young receiver and the depth of quality options available. However, if the Saints really like LSU WR Odell Beckham, Jr., whom they just saw at the LSU pro day last week, they will probably need to trade up from their No. 27 overall selection.
- In the wake of Eli Manning‘s ankle surgery Thursday, Giants fans are wondering if the team’s reaching out to veteran free agents like Josh Freeman and Matt Flynn is cause to worry about Manning’s health. ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano says there is no reason to worry at this point, and that there is a real possibility that all the team is doing is seeing whether players like Freeman and Flynn represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Curtis Painter.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes TCU CB Jason Verrett is a perfect fit for the 49ers with the No. 30 overall pick
- Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com sees a great deal of talent among defensive linemen projected to go in the top half of the first round of the draft, but the Bears have also brought in top safety prospects Deone Bucannon and Calvin Pryor for visits. Wright believes the decision between a defensive back and a defensive lineman will ultimately come down to what player still available the Bears have ranked highest on their board at the time of the pick.
- Speaking of safeties, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles will definitely consider Bucannon or Northern Illinois product Jimmie Ward, they just won’t consider them in the first round.
- ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss believes the Cardinals would do well to draft LSU QB Zach Mettenberger and groom him behind incumbent starter Carson Palmer.
Draft Notes: Murray, Barr, Mason, Hyde
Georgia quarterback prospect Aaron Murray, recovering from an ACL injury, has drawn significant interest, reports Pro Football Talk, which lists the Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars, Lions, Patriots, Rams and Titans as teams taking an extended look.
In other draft-related news and notes…
- LSU quarterback prospect Zach Mettenberger has a private workout scheduled with the Titans, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Drafting UCLA pass rusher Anthony Barr is a better option for the Eagles than trading for Dolphins second-year pass rusher Dion Jordan (drafted third overall last year after playing for Chip Kelly at Oregon), according to NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks, who provides a detailed comparison.
- BYU rush linebacker prospect Kyle Van Noy did an interview with Darren Smith of 1090 AM and said the Chargers would be his ideal landing spot.
- A pair of running back prospects, Auburn’s Tre Mason and Wisconsin’s James White, worked out for the Dolphins yesterday, per Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have also shown interest in Mason, according to Shorr-Parks. The team sent running backs coach Duce Staley to Auburn’s pro day
- Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens visited the Bills yesterday, according to the team’s website.
- The 49ers are expected to draft a center to compete with Daniel Kilgore, writes Doug Williams of CSN Bay Area.
- Small-school pass rusher Howard Jones from Shepherd University spent two days meeting with the Cardinals, according to a story by David Fawcett on insidenova.com. Jones is also scheduled for a visit with the Cowboys, though a Chiefs scout advised him he has “got to eat.”
Pauline’s Latest: Pryor, Evans, Gaines, Pats
Here’s the latest draft buzz from Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net:
- Sources close to the club say that Louisville safety Calvin Pryor will be a priority for the Lions if he drops to the second day of the draft. I imagine that’d be the case for most teams, considering Pryor is widely considered one of the top two or three defensive backs in the draft.
- There’s a consensus that Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans will be a top-10 pick, and the team that lands him may ultimately trade up or down to do it. Pauline identifies the Rams, Eagles, and Ravens as possible landing spots for Evans. Philadelphia could also be in the mix for receivers like Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee.
- Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines had dinner with the Jaguars last month and has worked out for the Bengals and Buccaneers. Gaines also has trips lined up with the Giants, Cardinals, and Dolphins.
- The Patriots recently worked out Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas and D.J. Coles, and Pauline suggests that there’s a belief New England will draft a quarterback this year, since the team expects to lose Ryan Mallett a year from now. As for Coles, the Pats had the receiver do plenty of tight end work during position drills.
- Prior to tearing his ACL during a workout with the Saints, offensive lineman Brandon Thomas had official visits set up with the Raiders, Cowboys, Dolphins, and Panthers. He was also scheduled to work out for the Buccaneers and Giants. The workouts are obviously off the table now, but it’s not clear which of the visits will still happen, if any, says Pauline.
- Towson running back Terrance West was impressive during his Pro Day and appeared to solidify himself as a fourth-round pick, according to Pauline.
North Notes: Coleman, Vikings, Lions, Steelers
After hosting Kurt Coleman for a visit this week, the Vikings offered the free agent safety a contract, but it wasn’t enough to get him to pull the trigger, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Although the two sides may revisit talks at a later time, Coleman appears to still be exploring all his options.
Here are a few more notes from the NFL’s two North divisions, with a focus on pre-draft visits:
- The Vikings are conducting a private workout today with Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.
- We know the Lions have real interest in receiver Sammy Watkins, but apparently he’s not the only member of the family drawing attention from the club. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that the Lions also had a private workout for Florida defensive back Jaylen Watkins, Sammy’s brother.
- Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford are visiting the Steelers today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Ravens recently met with Virginia Tech signal-caller Logan Thomas, who has also met with the Bengals, according to Wilson. As Wilson details, in addition to those AFC North teams, Thomas has also worked out for or met with the Patriots, Cardinals, and Texans.
NFC Notes: Suh, Graham, Cardinals, Draft
Lions running back Reggie Bush speculated today that Ndamukong Suh‘s absence from the team’s offseason workouts may be contract-related, but as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, Suh has made a habit of skipping these workouts in past seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported (via Twitter) that Suh’s absence wasn’t related to his contract, and head coach Jim Caldwell indicated he knew the defensive tackle wouldn’t be in town for the start of the club’s offseason program (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….
- Saints GM Mickey Loomis has shot down the notion that the team has to reach some sort of resolution on Jimmy Graham‘s contract situation by April 22, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had originally suggested that the April 22 date represented the deadline for Graham to file a grievance about his franchise-tag position. However, having reviewed the CBA, Florio now admits that Graham actually has three years to challenge his tight end designation, meaning there’s certainly no rush yet for the two sides to strike a deal.
- Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic that he was “shocked” when he heard that offensive tackle Jared Veldheer would hit the open market after the Raiders decided not to franchise him. Veldheer, of course, ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Cards.
- As he has been doing for the last few weeks, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a couple pre-draft visits. According to Wilson, Florida State center Bryan Stork is visiting the Saints today and tomorrow, while Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has met with or worked out for the Falcons, Cardinals, and Colts so far.
- The contract punter Blake Clingan signed with the Redskins is a two-year deal worth $930K that includes no guaranteed money, tweets Wilson. That makes it a minimum salary pact, with base salaries of $420K (2014) and $510K (2015).
Extra Points: Carr, Johnson, Bailey, Bills
Although multiple reports have suggested that free agent signal-caller David Carr would like to end up on the team that drafts his brother Derek Carr, perhaps serving as Derek’s backup, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter tweets that the two brothers’ destinations aren’t related, and that David intends to sign with a club prior to draft day.
As the elder Carr continues to search for a new home, let’s round up a handful of updates from around the NFL….
- Free agent running back Chris Johnson could theoretically try out for teams in private, without those workouts needing to be reported, but he doesn’t intend to do so, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, it’s possible that Johnson could reach an agreement with a new team without even visiting that club, since the veteran is a known commodity at this point.
- All NFL 32 teams were in attendance at LSU’s Pro Day today, including several general managers and head coaches, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- The details of Champ Bailey‘s two-year contract with the Saints have surfaced, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com provides the breakdown (Twitter links): The base value is $3.75MM, though it can be worth up to $6.75MM with incentives and escalators. It’s guaranteed for $500K and includes a $250K roster bonus if Bailey is on the team for six games in 2014.
- The Bills announced today that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews and Louisville linebacker Preston Brown were in town to meet with the team.
- Top cornerback prospect Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, who was in New England today for a private workout, will visit the Cardinals on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Cards are also hosting Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine today, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
- The Packers will host Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington for an official pre-draft visit next week, tweets agent Collin Roberts.
NFC Notes: Cardinals, Finley, Garoppolo
Free agency has hit a lull for the Cardinals but it isn’t over yet, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Last year was Steve Keim‘s first as a GM, and he learned the value of patience with free agency. Keim signed four players who became starters after this date a year ago, Somers notes. Here’s more out of the NFC..
- Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) spoke with Packers free agent tight end Jermichael Finley who says he’s expecting to get an X-ray on his neck Thursday and an MRI within two weeks. The plan is to exchange the feedback on his latest films with interested teams.
- The Buccaneers visited with Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo today, tweets Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.
- Standout quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is scheduled to travel and make his visit with the Vikings on April 14th and 15th, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com.
- Texas Christian cornerback Jason Verrett, a potential first-rounder, is slated to visit with the Cardinals tomorrow and Thursday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport adds that the Verrett is doing well post-shoulder surgery.
- LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger met/will meet with the Raiders and Patriots today and will meet with the Vikings tomorrow, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Mettenberger will throw tomorrow too.
NFC Notes: Bell, Wilson, Vaughn
Cardinals safety Yeremiah Bell is likely to retire despite the team offering him a one-year contract, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix (via Twitter). A Dolphins sixth-round pick in 2004, Bell, 36, spent eight years in Miami before joining the Jets in 2012 and the Cardinals in 2013. He played all 16 games in each of the last six seasons, starting all but one contest. Pro Football Talk provides additional perspective on a remarkable career which began when Bell decided to walk on at Eastern Kentucky.
Bell’s retirement would leave the Cardinals with Tyrann Mathieu at free safety and Tony Jefferson or Rashad Johnson at strong safety. However, the secondary has struggled to handle tight ends in coverage, and it would not be a surprise if the team added a bigger, more athletic, more physical safety in the draft.
In other NFC news and notes…
- David Wilson would be an ideal No. 2 back for the Giants, but he’s coming off career-threatening neck surgery and his availability is unknown, writes Ralph Vacchiano in the New York Daily News.
- Meanwhile, the Giants still have questions at three of five spots on their offensive line, in the opinion of ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
- Losing starting center Brian De La Puente to the Bears didn’t surprise the Saints, as they seemingly chose to go another direction, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett, who details De La Puente’s replacement options.
- The Lions have agreed to a one-year deal with cornerback Cassius Vaughn, reports Aaron Wilson of National Football Post (via Twitter). Vaughn, 26, played all 16 games (four starts) last season for the Colts, recording 30 tackles, six passes defended, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
- Oregon running back/receiver/returner De’Anthony Thomas (otherwise known as “Black Mamba”) will visit the Bears tomorrow, per Ross Jones of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Thomas displayed speed, quickness and playmaking ability in Oregon’s prolific spread attack, but concerns about his size, durability and work ethic could push him into the middle rounds. Thomas’ skill set seems to fit with the Bears, who are in need of a speedy compliment to their large receivers, as well as a replacement for Devin Hester.
Draft Notes: Rams, Dolphins, Falcons, QBs
Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews is a possibility for the Rams with the no. 2 overall selection, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes the case. Aside from the prospect’s outstanding blocking, competitiveness and durability, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher coached Bruce Matthews, Jake’s father.
In other draft-related fodder…
- If Rams GM Les Snead opts to trade out of the No. 2 spot, he believes there’s multiple players teams would trade up for and they’re not just quarterbacks. “I actually think there’s more than one player that people would want to move up for,” Snead told Greg A. Bedard of mmqb.si.com. “I just don’t know what they’d want to give to move up,” Snead said. “At the top maybe there’s four or five players who were one step or one notch ahead of the very good, and sometimes a team might say we need to get that guy. You don’t know the value of what people would be willing to give. The fact that there could be multiple teams eyeing one of those guys could drive up the price a little bit.”
- This year’s crop of quarterback prospects is polarizing, says ESPN’s Mel Kiper in a conversation with ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss: “There are about a dozen quarterbacks that could be starters, and out of those dozen, there are some that argue that all 12 will never be a successful starter. This is a crazy year for quarterbacks. A lot of them. A lot of quantity. How much quality is debatable.”
- LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is scheduled to fly to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars, tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer, who says the Raiders, Vikings, Titans and Lions will meet with Mettenberger in Baton Rouge (via Twitter). Coming off a November ACL tear, Mettenberger will throw at LSU’s pro day on Wednesday.
- The Dolphins, in their quest to find a legitimate right tackle solution, have been linked to Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the team also likes a Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield from Michigan, citing a team official. Meanwhile, a story published by Dan Parr at NFL.com quotes anonymous league evaluators who question Lewan’s toughness and physicality.
- Speaking of offensive linemen, the Falcons are also in need, and Dawson Devitt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides a primer detailing several OL prospects who could be available at different stages of the draft.
- The Eagles will work out Canadian offensive tackle prospect Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
- Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Bengals, Jets and Rams. He has already met with the Steelers, writes Jeff Howe in the Boston Herald.
- Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is visiting the Steelers today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
- Towson running back, Terrance West, who shredded I-AA competition with 2,500 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior, has his pro day today. Nearly half the league has shown interest, including the Ravens, Browns, Titans and Cardinals mentioned in a draft diary piece in the Baltimore Sun.
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Thomas
The latest out of the NFC West:
- Despite his listing right tackle as the Cardinals’ biggest need, ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss doesn’t see the team re-signing Eric Winston. The veteran offensive lineman, who was recently elected president of the NFLPA, lacks the durability that the Cardinals need. The team will either look to the draft for an RT, or use Bobby Massie or Bradley Sowell, both of whom played left tackle last season.
- The Cardinals signed two cornerbacks last week, but that doesn’t mean they won’t add to the position in the first round of the draft, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Neither of the two cornerbacks (LeQuan Lewis and Eddie Whitley) were given a signing bonus, and neither is guaranteed a roster spot. The signings point to the Cardinals’ preference for, in Urban’s words, “a fluid roster.” In terms of the draft, Arizona has been linked to TCU cornerback Jason Verrett.
- Though the upcoming draft is considered one of the deepest in recent memory, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wonders how far the Rams can trade down from No. 2 and still land an impact player. Wagoner also notes that simply finding a trade partner could prove difficult if the quarterback-needy teams remain lukewarm on this year’s class of signal-callers.
- Earl Thomas is still considered first-in-line to get an extension from the Seahawks, and a deal could be struck between now and the draft, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- Condotta thinks the Seahawks will draft at least one defensive lineman to replenish the depth they lost during free agency, but also believes that several young players such as Greg Scruggs and Benson Mayowa could be contributors in 2014.
- Pete Carroll’s extension probably won’t have much of an impact on contract discussions between Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers, notes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Carroll had only a lone season remaining on his deal and now has a Super Bowl championship on his résumé , while Harbaugh has two seasons left on his contract, and has not won a title (despite reaching the NFC Championship game in each of his three seasons at the helm).