Extra Points: DePo, Browns, Eagles, Jefferson
Paul DePodesta won’t be making any calls on draft day, as Mark Dominik of ESPN.com hears that DePodesta will serve only in an observational role for the Browns as he continues to learn about the NFL (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports). DePodesta, of course, comes from Major League Baseball, and with less than six months on the job it’s perhaps not surprising that he won’t be intimately involved in the draft day process.
Here’s the latest from around the league…
- There’s another wrinkle to the trade that saw the Eagles acquire the No. 2 overall pick —the 2017 fifth-rounder headed to Philadelphia from the Browns is conditional, per Andrew Siciliano of NFL.com (Twitter link). If the Browns get a fourth-round compensatory pick (as is expected), that selection will instead go to Philadelphia.
- Safety Tony Jefferson inked a one-year qualifying offer with the Cardinals on Monday, but he almost wound up elsewhere, as Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com writes. “I came close (to signing) with a few teams,” said Jefferson, though the Cardinals had the option to match any offer sheet given. “We didn’t really put stuff out there (publicly), but we came close with a few teams. At the same time, I’m stoked to be back here.” While he talked with teams, no one presented him with a formal offer. Jefferson, who has started 17 games for the Cardinals over the last three seasons, had a strong 2015, notching 74 tackles, three forced fumbles, two sacks, and a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
- The Rams began talking with the Titans about moving up in the draft at the combine, when the two clubs’ boxes were conveniently placed next to each other — Peter King of the MMQB.com has that detail and many more in his inside look at how the trade went down.
- Both Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap and Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports take a look at the Panthers‘ shocking decision to rescind the franchise tag to Josh Norman.
Draft Rumors: Goff, Wentz, Cardale, Dixon
The Rams have completed their predraft visits with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). After trading up the No. 1 overall pick, there’s no doubt Los Angeles will select a quarterback, but there’s still a little mystery as to which one. Goff seems to be the favorite, but with the Rams meeting with both he and Wentz this week, we aren’t likely to know definitely unless the club announces their pick ahead of next Thursday:
Here’s the latest on the draft (one week away!):
- Goff and Wentz are two of several quarterbacks expected to be taken in the first round, but Ohio State’s Cardale Jones is one of the more interesting options that figures to be available on Day 2 or 3. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes, Jones has attracted the attention of both the Cardinals and the Chargers — each club will make the trek to Columbus to meet with the signal-caller. Arizona and its downfield passing attack, particularly, would mesh well with Jones’ skill-set.
- Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon has had a pre-draft visit with the 49ers, a source tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. In 2012, Dixon’s 27 rushing touchdowns led the nation and set an NCAA record for freshmen. The powerful back is expected to be a mid-round pick at the end of this month.
- Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew had a private workout with Buccaneers secondary coach Brett Maxie, according to Jenna Laine (Twitter link). Killebrew has had a busy schedule, as he’s had workouts with the Patriots, Cardinals, Titans, Panthers, and Browns, per Laine (Twitter link).
- Auburn wide receiver Ricardo Louis visited the Texans this week, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Louis is considered a pass-catcher, but per Wilson, he has done defensive back drills for some clubs.
Contract Details: Hillman, Browner, Heath
Here are the details of some recently-signed contracts:
- Ronnie Hillman, RB (Broncos): One year, $2MM. $600K guaranteed, including $400K of base salary. $100K signing bonus, $100K workout bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Brandon Browner, CB (Seahawks): One year, minimum salary benefit. $428K split (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Jeff Heath, S (Cowboys): Four years, $7.761MM. $1.8MM signing bonus. Annual $100K workout de-escalator. $500K NLTBE playtime incentives in 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Josh Brown, K (Giants): Two years, $4MM. $1MM guaranteed. $750K available via playtime incentives and escalators (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Greg Zuerlein, K (Rams): One year, $1.25MM. $675K guaranteed, including $275K of base salary (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
- Chase Reynolds, RB (Rams): One year, $862K. $200K guaranteed. $87K roster bonus (Twitter link via Thomas).
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/15
Here are today’s minor moves:
- Saints restricted free agent center Tim Lelito has signed his tender, and he shared a picture of the transaction on Instagram. Lelito started 13 games at guard for New Orleans last season, and has 47 career appearances under his belt. The 26-year-old garnered interest from the Cowboys earlier this offseason, but opted to stay with the Saints, where he has a better chance of seeing the starting lineup.
North Notes: Steelers, Stafford, Nkemdiche
Though the Steelers were reported as an early suitor for free agent Josh Norman, the match never made sense, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (and notably, new reports have indicated that Pittsburgh is not, in fact, in the running for Norman). The Steelers have less than $4MM available in cap space, and given that Norman is said to be targeting an annual salary north of $14MM, the numbers were never going to add up.
Let’s take a trip around the NFL’s two North divisions…
- Lions GM Bob Quinn admitted that DT Robert Nkemdiche is a red flag player, but said that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t select a player like that (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). Quinn also made it clear at today’s presser that the team has no interest in trading Matthew Stafford, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
- Free agent tight end Chase Ford said he hasn’t heard from the Vikings, the club with whom he spent 2013-14, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Ford has had a busy six months or so — the Ravens signed him in November, but then waived him earlier this month after offering him an RFA tender. The Browns claimed Ford, but similarly waived him just a week later.
- Using the concept of surplus value, Brian Burke of ESPN.com declares the Browns the winner of last week’s draft pick trade with the Eagles.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC South Notes: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers
The Falcons currently the hold the No. 17 pick in the first round, but they are open to trading down, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com detail. GM Thomas Dimitroff has been aggressive in moving up the draft board in past years, but with this draft class being extremely deep, a move down is more enticing.
“We’ve looked at all the different scenarios, of course, and having few picks this year gives us an opportunity,” Dimitroff said of the Falcons’ strategy. “We think the draft has some really good strength from No. 15 on — obviously, as well as at the front of the draft. But we think there’s some good opportunities all the way through into the third round. So, it does present options to potentially move back.”
Here’s the latest out of the NFC South…
- Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo is visiting the Saints today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. PFR’s Rob DiRe projected Carroo to come off the board at the end of the second round in the first edition of PFR’s Mock Draft.
- Former Florida safety Keanu Neal says the Falcons would be the ideal fit for him, as McClure writes in a separate piece. “For me, schematically, yes,” Neal said. “I feel like that’s a great fit for me and my style of play. The coaching staff is authentic. I can tell they really care about each other and the program. I feel like [secondary coach] Marquand Manuel can really help me out as a person and a player. And Coach [Dan] Quinn, he’s a tremendous head coach. Getting under him, getting under his wing and learning will skyrocket my career.”
- Offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann worked out for the Buccaneers today, tweets Wilson. The 24-year-old Hauptmann, a Florida International product, has spent time with the Browns, Patriots, and Seahawks, but has just one career NFL game to his name.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Sam Bradford Likely To Request Trade?
Following the Eagles’ trade to acquire the No. 2 overall pick — and their probable intent to select a quarterback — incumbent starting QB Sam Bradford is likely to request a trade out of Philadelphia, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Yesterday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Bradford was unhappy with the Eagles’ decision to move up. “He’s hot,” said the source, who spoke with Bradford. “Who wouldn’t be? This is Philly saying, ‘We don’t see (you) as long-term answer.’ He’s mad and wants to show everyone who’s best.’’
Bradford might even be willing to take a paycut to leave the Eagles, according to Cole, who says that Bradford would like to join a team that views him as the long-term answer at quarterback. Philadelphia, meanwhile, would like to have a short-term option at quarterback to bridge the gap until the rookie they choose at No. 2 is ready. Luckily, the club signed Chase Daniel last month, and he could presumably serve as that stopgap.
If the Eagles did trade Bradford, they’d take on a $11MM dead money charge in 2016. Setting aside any possible paycut Bradford might take, an acquiring team would be on the hook for his $7MM base salary in 2016 and his $13MM base salary in 2017.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Have Talked To Dominique Easley
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said he’s spoken with free agent defensive tackle Dominique Easley, but no signing appears imminent, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Quinn coached Easley at Florida, so the connection makes some sense on the surface. Easley, of course, was somewhat surprisingly waived by New England last week.
Easley, 24, was selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft by the Patriots, despite the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL at the time. Although he made it back to the field for his rookie season, he was limited to just 11 games, and played in only 11 more in 2015, having been plagued by hip, knee, and ankle issues.
Before he landed on injured reserve in December of 2015, Easley picked up 15 tackles and two sacks in his sophomore NFL season, and received a solid Pro Football Focus grade. Given his decent play when he was healthy, his first-round pedigree, and the fact that he still had guaranteed money remaining on his contract, Easley’s release came as bit of shock, despite his injury woes.
However, later reports indicated that injuries weren’t the only factor that led to Easley’s release. Injury protocols, an outstanding lawsuits, and a penchant for aggressive dogs were all listed as reasons for the split, and locker room issues could have also come into play. Sources said Easley is “unreliable and immature,” and an unnamed former teammate referred to him as a “locker room cancer.” Said one source to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe:“I think he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He comes across as an entitled kid. He reneges on everything. He thinks he’s invincible.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Actively Shopping No. 2 Overall Pick
6:30pm: A deal between the Browns and Eagles would see the two teams swap the second and eighth overall picks this year, with the Eagles adding a pair of third-round selections in 2016 and first- and third-rounders in 2017, reports FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez (on Twitter).
10:08am: The Browns have engaged in trade talks involving the No. 2 selection, and a team source telling Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links) that there’s interest in that pick. However, Schefter notes that it remains “uncertain” – in the words of one team official – whether Cleveland will eventually make a trade.
TUESDAY, 9:33am: The Browns are actively shopping the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, initiating calls to other teams further down in the top 10, says Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has been hearing the same thing, with a source confirming to her that the Eagles, at No. 8, are a potential trade partner for the Browns.
MONDAY, 5:41pm: An NFC general manager tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that, following the Rams trade to acquire the first overall pick, the Browns now hold the most valuable pick in the draft at No. 2. We’ve heard before that Cleveland is likely willing to trade down, and Cole points to the 49ers, Eagles, and Jets as clubs that could be interested in moving up to No. 2 with the intent of selecting a quarterback.
[RELATED: Titans working to trade back into top 10?]
Peter King of the MMQB.com also sheds some light on the situation, relaying that he’s also heard the Browns are trying to trade back in the draft. “Cleveland’s active, doing their due diligence,” one executive told King, which makes it seem as though the Browns are open to a bevy of scenarios. Like Cole, King also points to the Eagles and Jets as possible suitors for the second pick, and adds the Cowboys as a team that might consider moving ahead in order to land its quarterback of the future.
But the Browns could pass on a quarterback even if they stay at No. 2, and King believes the team’s decision-makers have internally discussed that option. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, appearing today on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, said he thinks Sashi Brown & Co. were going to bypass a QB even before the Rams moved up to No. 1, arguing that the Browns want to build up the rest of their roster before investing in a signal-caller. Additionally, per King, Browns head coach Hue Jackson is confident that he can not only revitalize the career of Robert Griffin III, but find a suitable quarterback prospect in the second round.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Treadwell, Spence, Jets, Giants
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds one more club to the list of teams bringing in Ole Miss wideout Laquon Treadwell for visits, tweeting that Treadwell will meet with the Jets on Wednesday. Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence will be visiting Gang Green on Wednesday as well, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who adds that UCLA receiver Devin Fuller met with New York today (Twitter links).
Here are a few more notes from around the NFL, with a heavy emphasis on draft visits…
- Carson Wentz isn’t the only North Dakota State prospect making the rounds — fullback/tight end Andrew Bonnet finsihed a visit with the Giants tonight, and has also met with the Panthers, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
- San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin is visiting the Rams on Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Ervin rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015.
- Cornerback Ryan Smith has taken visits with the Raiders, Dolphins, and Vikings, the North Carolina Central product tells Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
- Offensive lineman Ben Ijalana‘s one-year deal with the Jets is worth $840K, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that Ijalana receives $150K guaranteed.
- The Seahawks will work out running back Giavanni Ruffin tomorrow, tweets Jared Tokarz of WhosNextFootball.com. Ruffin, who hasn’t played football since way back in 2010, posted 692 rushing yards for East Carolina between 2009-10.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.