Vikings Acquire 41st Pick From Bengals, Draft Dalvin Cook
The Vikings have acquired the 41st pick from the Bengals in exchange for the 48th and 128th selections. Minnesota will select Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.
While Cook was originally viewed as a first-round lock, poor measurables at the combine and off-field concerns forced him into Day 2. But while Cook didn’t test out as an elite athlete, the results are there on film. In each of the past two seasons, Cook topped 1,600 yards rushing and scored 19 touchdowns on the ground.
Cook figures to be the long-term answer for the Vikings in the wake of Adrian Peterson‘s departure. For now, he’ll team up with the recently signed Latavius Murray to form a one-two backfield punch for the Vikes, whose running game was among the worst in the NFL last season.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Bills Acquire 37th Pick From Rams
The Bills have acquired the 37th and 149th picks from the Rams in exchange for Nos. 44 and 91, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Buffalo will select East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones. With the acquisition of pick 149, the Bills now have four fifth-rounders.
The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Jones could be a factor immediately for the Bills, who entered the draft sorely lacking at wideout after No. 1 man Sammy Watkins. Jones caught a whopping 399 passes during his four-year college career, including a ridiculous 158 last season. He also amassed 1,746 yards and hauled in eight scores in 2016.
Cardinals Acquire 36th Pick From Bears
The Bears will trade back from the 36th overall pick, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The selection will go to Arizona in exchange for the Cardinals’ second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks this year and a fourth in 2018, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times has the exact details: Chicago will get the 45th, 119th and 197th selections this year, while the Cards will receive Nos. 36 and 221.
The Cards have selected Washington safety Budda Baker, who could help replace the departed Tony Jefferson. After Jefferson signed with the Ravens, the Cardinals added Antoine Bethea, who’s currently penciled in alongside star Tyrann Mathieu as a back-end starter.
Bengals Pick Up Darqueze Dennard’s Fifth-Year Option
The Bengals are exercising cornerback Darqueze Dennard‘s fifth-year option for 2018, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter).
As the 24th pick in the 2014 draft, Dennard is now in position to earn upward of $8.5MM in 2018, which seems rich considering his output to this point. The 25-year-old hasn’t been a starter in Cincinnati, having come off the bench in 35 of 39 regular-season appearances, and has only intercepted one pass during his career. Moreover, Dennard participated in just 30.7 percent of the Bengals’ defensive snaps last season and ranked a below-average 87th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 111 qualified corners.
While Dennard’s option for 2018 is guaranteed for injury only, he joins Dre Kirkpatrick, William Jackson and Adam Jones as prominent Cincinnati CBs who are controllable for at least the next two seasons.
Ravens Exercise C.J. Mosley’s Fifth-Year Option
The Ravens have picked up linebacker C.J. Mosley‘s fifth-year option for 2018, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Head coach John Harbaugh indicated in March that the Ravens would do so, calling the decision a “formality.”
Mosley is now in line to make in the neighborhood of $9MM in 2018, though the Ravens will likely attempt to work out an extension before then. Harbaugh wants Mosley “to be a Ravens for many years,” which isn’t surprising considering the success the ex-Alabama standout has had in Baltimore.
Since going 17th in the 2014 draft, Mosley has started in all 46 appearances, totaling 360 tackles and six interceptions. The 24-year-old pulled in a career-high four picks in 14 games last season, when he also notched 92 tackles and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best linebacker out of 87 qualifiers.
While Mosley’s near future is squared away, there are still several 2014 first-rounders whose fifth-year option fates aren’t yet known. Those decisions are due by May 3.
Extra Points: Hawks, Mahomes, Cowboys, Foster, Texans, Savage, Conley
Even though the Seahawks have one of the top starting quarterbacks in the NFL in Russell Wilson, they would have strongly considered drafting Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes if he were still on the board for their first-round pick, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mahomes, who went 10th to Kansas City, was long gone by the time Seattle was on the clock at No. 26. The Seahawks ultimately traded out of the opening round.
More from Seattle and a few other NFL cities as Day 2 of the draft approaches:
- Speaking of the Seahawks, the Cowboys had an opportunity to swap picks with them in the first round, per Dallas executive Stephen Jones (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). The Cowboys instead chose to stay at No. 28 because they liked the players remaining on the board, and ended up choosing Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton.
- When the 49ers called Reuben Foster to inform him they were selecting him 31st overall, he was on the phone with the Saints at the time. New Orleans, which picked 32nd, was already welcoming Foster to the organization. But once Foster got word that he was going to San Francisco, he hung up on the Saints (Twitter links via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee).
- The Texans sent a significant haul to Cleveland to move from No. 25 to No. 12 and select Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, but it appears he’ll begin his pro career as a backup. Head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters, including Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, that Tom Savage will be the Texans’ starting signal-caller next season (Twitter link).
- The Raiders were not the team to request a polygraph test from Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley. Instead, it was the Ravens who ordered the test, as Peter King of The MMQB writes. Once the results came in, Conley’s camp forwarded them to teams around the league, but the Raiders would not say whether the results impacted their evaluation of what happened. Conley will meet with Cleveland police on Monday and he’s “very confident that it will be resolved” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Journal Review). First, however, the 24th overall pick is headed to the Raiders’ facility on Friday to meet with team brass.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Latest On Browns’ First-Round Picks
Cleveland has reportedly had discussions with multiple teams about trading up from the 12th overall pick in the draft, but the club also seems to have interest in moving down. The Browns called teams below them on Wednesday to ask if any would be interested in acquiring the 12th selection, reports Michael Lombardi of The Ringer (Twitter links).
The 12th choice is the Browns’ second, of course, after the No. 1 overall pick. They’re “locked in” at the top spot, notes Lombardi, though it’s still not clear whether they’ll take Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett or North Carolina quarterback/Ohio native Mitch Trubisky. This is only speculation, but the fact that the Browns would consider moving down from No. 12 could be a sign that they’re leaning toward Trubisky, who seems unlikely to be available when they’re on the clock for the second time in Round 1. Notably, the organization’s Trubisky fans – perhaps including owner Jimmy Haslam – fear he won’t fall to 12.
Ultimately, the Browns probably will make Garrett the No. 1 overall selection, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter isn’t as confident. Trubisky is “square in consideration,” per Schefter, and “very smart, very well-connected people” have told him that the Tar Heel will be the first pick on Thursday (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Photo via Pro Football Rumors’ Instagram account.
Schrager’s Latest: RBs, Trubisky, Howard
Two running backs, LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, are likely to be among the top eight players selected in this year’s NFL draft, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The expectation is that Fournette will come off the board first, per Schrager. Speculatively, the 49ers (No. 2), Jaguars (No. 4), Jets (No. 6) and Panthers (No. 8) could be logical fits for either Fournette or McCaffrey. Of those four clubs, only San Francisco’s starting running back (Carlos Hyde) had a strong year in 2016, but the team’s new management reportedly wants to make a change in the backfield.
More from Schrager on the eve of the draft (all links via Twitter):
- If the Browns don’t take North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky first overall, they could use their second first-rounder (No. 12) in a package to move up for him. Should that happen, Schrager lists the Jaguars and Titans (No. 5) as potential trade partners for Cleveland. Jacksonville is reportedly considering taking a QB at No. 4 to replace Blake Bortles, but that could be a smokescreen. Meanwhile, the Titans are set under center with Marcus Mariota, and they are indeed motivated to move down and collect more picks.
- Alabama tight end O.J. Howard is poised to be the first pass catcher off the board, beating out wide receivers John Ross, Corey Davis and Mike Williams, according to Schrager. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Wednesday (on Twitter) that Howard received an A-plus medical report, adding that he’s “a very clean, complete prospect.”
- A pair of linebackers, Temple’s Haason Reddick and Florida’s Jarrad Davis, are entering the draft with soaring stock, relays Schrager. Reddick probably won’t last beyond the first 11 picks, while Davis should go anywhere from 15th to 25th. “Tremendous interviews” helped make Davis a first-round lock.
Ravens Have Strong Interest In Corey Davis
With the 16th pick in this year’s NFL draft, the Ravens could attempt to bolster an underwhelming receiving corps. The club has “considerable interest” in Western Michigan wideout Corey Davis, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Even though Davis underwent ankle surgery in February and missed the scouting combine, it’s possible he’ll be off the board long before the Ravens are on the clock. Davis is nearly all the way back from the surgery, which bodes well for his draft stock. So does the 6-foot-3, 213-pounder’s production at the college level, where he hauled in 331 passes and 52 touchdowns over four years. Davis was at his best in 2016, finishing with personal highs in receptions (97), yards (1,500) and scores (19).
Landing Davis could be a pipe dream for Baltimore, but somehow adding him would be a boon to a Ravens team in need of more weapons in the passing game. Steve Smith retired after last season, leaving Mike Wallace as the only receiver on the Ravens’ roster with a significant track record of success in the pros. The 30-year-old Wallace is unsigned beyond next season, though, so his time with the club might be winding down.
Behind Wallace, the Ravens’ best option is Breshad Perriman, a first-rounder in 2015 who sat out his rookie season because of injury. Perriman stayed healthy last year and showed promise (33 receptions, 15.1 yards per catch and three TDs), but he wasn’t exactly a force. Meanwhile, the only other wideout on the Ravens’ roster who caught a pass last year, Chris Moore, totaled just seven receptions.
Saints Notes: Butler, AP, Ingram, Snead
New Orleans hasn’t “really had any discussions for quite some time” about acquiring Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, according to Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, while head coach Sean Payton notes that the 27-year-old is “with New England, and I don’t think anything has changed. I don’t see anything being imminent as well (links via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com).” Their statements came on the heels of a report suggesting the Pats are unlikely to trade Butler, whom the Saints have chased throughout the offseason. New Orleans courted Butler as a restricted free agent and even agreed to a multiyear contract with him, but the club doesn’t want to meet the Patriots’ asking price for the onetime Pro Bowler.
More from New Orleans:
- Running back Mark Ingram posted a career year in 2016, rushing for 1,043 yards with a 5.1 YPC, catching 46 passes and combining for 10 touchdowns. Now, thanks to the Saints’ addition of seven-time Pro Bowler Adrian Peterson, Ingram will have to share a backfield with a higher-profile rusher. Nevertheless, Ingram is glad to have Peterson on the roster. “I’m all about winning, man,” Ingram said (via Teope). “If this will help us win, I’m all about winning. I’m all for it.” Ingram added that he’s “been sharing the ball with one or two, maybe three guys” since New Orleans drafted him in 2011. That has indeed been the case, as the likes of Pierre Thomas, Tim Hightower and Darren Sproles have gotten plenty of carries during the Ingram era. Hightower picked up 133 last year, for instance, but it didn’t stop Ingram from thriving.
- Even though Peterson’s a 32-year-old coming off an injury-marred season, signing him carries little risk for the Saints, opines Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Triplett expects Peterson to have a bigger role in New Orleans than Hightower did, but he notes that Payton is excellent at allocating playing time to multiple running backs. In Triplett’s estimation, Payton’s expertise with RBs likely added to the Saints’ allure for Peterson.
- Loomis indicated Wednesday that he’s unsure if the Saints’ contract talks with wide receiver Willie Snead will lead to a deal, though he seems optimistic. “He’s here working and I don’t anticipate issues with Willie going forward,” Loomis said (via Herbie Teope of NOLA.com). “I’m excited that he’s here. Look, he’s been a good player, a good contributor to our team and expect him to be our team for a long time.” While Snead could be on the Saints’ books at a relatively meager $615K this year in the absence of a new pact, he still hasn’t signed his exclusive rights free agent tender. Regardless, he’s not eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2018 season.