Draft Rumors: DGB, Ray, Bradford, Falcons
Troubled receiver Dorial Green-Beckham received a lot of interest from teams in the middle of round one, but none selected him, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), who suggests that in 2014 (before the NFL dealt with numerous high-profile off-the-field incidents) DGB would have been selected already.
More from the draft…
- Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff says he’s not opposed to trading back into the first round, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Another NFC GM — Rick Spielman of the Vikings — doesn’t think his club will be able to get back into Round One, given that they didn’t acquire any extra ammunition by trading back from No. 11 (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
- The Broncos thought they needed to move ahead of the Ravens to get Shane Ray, justifying their trade with the Lions, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Browns GM Ray Farmer says he never officially made an offer for the No. 2 pick, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly says he’s still interested in an extension with Sam Bradford (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News), and added that he offered no players to either the Titans or the Buccaneers (Twitter link via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com).
Chargers Acquire No. 15 Pick From 49ers
The Chargers have acquired the 15th overall pick from the 49ers, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The 49ers will get pick No. 17, a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 117), and a 2016 fifth-round pick, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
San Diego will use their newly-acquired pick to select Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The NCAA’s leading rusher last season, Gordon will fill the void left by Ryan Mathews, who left for the Eagles in free agency. The Chargers were a rumored destination for Todd Gurley, but since he went 10th overall, the Bolts will settle for the draft’s second-rated back.
Extra Points: Mariota, Welker, Forte, Gurley
The Titans will not trade Marcus Mariota after selecting him second overall, GM Ruston Webster said, per Paul Kuharksy of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Moreover, he’ll be the Week 1 starter, says head coach Ken Whisenhunt (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean). Additionally, despite reports that Zach Mettenberger wants to be traded, Webster says he think the incumbent QB will come to embrace his new backup role, adding that Mettenberger won’t be traded (link).
- Free agent receiver Wes Welker has been cleared to play by a top concussion expert, according to Mike Klis of 9 News, who writes that Dr. Stanley Herring (a member of the NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee) has given Welker the green light. The 33-year-old Welker indicated in February that he intends to play in 2015 despite a myriad of health concerns.
- Despite the fact that he wasn’t present at voluntary workouts, Bears running back Matt Forte doesn’t intend to stage a training camp holdout as he angles for a new contract, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Though Forte admits he wants an extension, and says he and GM Ryan Pace discussed such a deal earlier this offseason, Forte realizes he has little to no leverage in the situation.
- Todd Gurley was the No. 1 player on the Rams’ board, so choosing him at No. 10 was an easy call, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Eagles apparently aren’t interested in players with character concerns, as neither Marcus Peters nor Dorial Green-Beckham is on their board, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Latest On Muhammad Wilkerson
The Jets just selected USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, meaning their D-line is now crowded. What does this mean for Muhammad Wilkerson, who is still without a new contract? The latest…
- Jets GM Mike Maccagnan says his club is not actively shopping Wilkerson, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Of course, that doesn’t mean New York isn’t listening to offers.
- Multiple teams called the Jets today regarding Wilkerson and were “shut down,” according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- The Browns and Raiders are among the teams with interest in Wilkerson, and more could get involved, tweets Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) believes it would take multiple first-round picks to acquire Wilkerson.
- A league source tells Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that it wouldn’t be surprising for the Jets to shop Wilkerson, adding that there was interest before the draft.
Draft Rumors: K. Johnson, Hundley, Peters
The latest draft notes…
- The ceiling for Wake Forest corner Kevin Johnson is the Dolphins at pick No. 14, while his floor is the Steelers with the 22nd pick, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- With the Browns considered likely to select a quarterback at some point in the draft, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com tweets that the club showed “absolutely zero interest” in UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.
- The Saints have been trying to trade up for a pass rusher, and might have Vic Beasley in mind, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Marcus Peters is not on the Cowboys’ draft board, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Bucs Draft Jameis Winston First Overall
The Buccaneers have selected Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick. The 2013 Heisman winner has long been cemented as Tampa Bay’s probable choice with the top selection, with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota also having generated consideration.
Winston emerged as a national name during the 2013 season, during which he passed for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns en route to leading the Seminoles to the National Championship. During his redshirt sophomore season in 2014, Winton took a bit of step back, throwing for just 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. However, he did take FSU to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, and finished his career with a 26-1 record.
Of course, Winston has been involved in his share of off-the-field trouble, including a sexual assault allegation and shoplifting incidents. Some in the Bucs’ ownership group were reportedly uncomfortable with tabbing Winston as the club’s face of the franchise, but he apparently alleviated many of those concerns through the predraft process.
Winston is the clearly the biggest piece of Tampa’s offseason rebuild, following the club’s signing of free agents Henry Melton, Chris Conte, and Bruce Carter, and acquisition of George Johnson. Winston will immediately slot in as the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback, ahead of 2013 draftee Mike Glennon.
East Rumors: Scherff, Fowler Jr., Agholor, Pats
The latest from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Washington could prefer offensive lineman Brandon Scherff to edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., per Dianna Marie Russini (Twitter link), who adds that the club could move back to target a defensive lineman like Danny Shelton.
- USC receiver Nelson Agholor is a “good bet” to be the fourth receiver selected, and he’s been connected to the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Texans recently, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com.
- Admitting that the Patriots’ draft strategy is uncertain as of now, owner Robert Kraft said that this draft features solid options in the middle rounds, meaning New England could trade down (Twitter links via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
Latest On Todd Gurley
With the draft about to begin, let’s check out the latest on perhaps the top running back available, Georgia’s Todd Gurley…
- Dolphins sources have provided hints that they want to select Gurley, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). No source has said this outright, per Salguero, but reading between the lines, it sounds like Miami wants Gurley.
- Though Salguero (via Twitter) suggests that the Chargers could look to move ahead of the Dolphins for Gurley, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union Tribune says (Twitter link) that San Diego could prioritize offensive line help over adding an RB.
- Another team could be in on Gurley, as the 49ers could be surprise contender to draft the running back, per Dianne Marie Russini of NBC 4 (Twitter link).
- Earlier tonight, we heard that in addition to the Dolphins and Chargers, the Browns could aim to trade up for Gurley.
Draft Rumors: Gurley, Saints, K. Johnson
Three teams who pick in the top ten are considering Georgia running back Todd Gurley, according to Todd McShay of ESPN (Twitter link). The Dolphins are also known to be in on Gurley, but it sounds like he may not last that long.
Here are some more rumors as we approach the start of the draft:
- A “high-level” Saints source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the club doesn’t intend to take a quarterback in the first round. Previous reports had indicated that New Orleans would be interested in Baylor QB Bryce Petty at No. 31.
- Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson is expected to be off the board by the time the Ravens pick at No. 26, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who notes that the Dolphins, at pick No. 13, could consider Johnson.
- It’s possible that we see a run on offensive tackles near the end of the first round, which could cause the Broncos to consider trading up. However, Denver won’t give up a second-rounder to do so, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- The Lions recently called Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to double-check his contact information, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). That might not mean much on its face, but at least we know Ogbuehi, who is recovering from an ACL injury, is still on Detroit’s board.
- The Rams have received calls from teams interested in moving up to the tenth pick, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Philip Rivers Won’t Be Traded
The Chargers have told quarterback Philip Rivers that he won’t be traded, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune (Twitter link). Extension talks between the two parties are ongoing, adds Acee.
Though the rumors of a Rivers trade, specifically to the Titans, have been flying for some time, we heard on Monday that San Diego hadn’t had any discussions about moving its franchise quarterback, and were instead focused on extending him. Most reports centered around Tennessee acquiring Rivers, the 17th overall pick, and possibly more draft compensation in exchange for the No. 2 pick. Although the Chargers probably would have had a shot at Marcus Mariota, they presumably decided that either the haul required to move up was too great, or that Rivers was too valuable.
For the Chargers, this news means that they’ll stay put in the middle of round one for now, and probably target either offensive line help or a pass rusher. For the Titans, it means that they won’t be acquiring the veteran Rivers, and can now focus on either accepting another package for the second pick (possibly from Cleveland or Philadelphia), or staying at No. 2, and possibly selecting Mariota for themselves.