West Notes: Sherman, Chiefs, Chargers, 49ers
Contract extension talks between the Seahawks and All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman are still occurring, but a deal has not yet been reached, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Some reports have indicated that a deal could coalesce before the draft on Thursday, and while that still may be realistic, it reportedly “won’t be easy.” The Seahawks, who recently locked up another young defensive back in Earl Thomas, have Sherman under contract for one more season, at a base salary of $1.431MM.
More rumblings from the West divisions:
- Adam Teicher of ESPN.com believes that defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman is something of a boom-or-bust prospect, while fellow D-lineman Stephon Tuitt is more likely to be a solid, productive player, leading Teicher to surmise that the Chiefs, who are without a second-round pick, would be less likely to gamble on Hageman were he to fall to the 23rd pick.
- The Chargers have often taken one of two approaches when drafting defensive players, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com — selecting a player who performs a single task well (like Larry English‘s and pass rushing), or taking a prospect who is more well-rounded and versatile (such as Melvin Ingram). If versatility is the objective for Chargers general manager Tom Telesco in next week’s draft, a defensive lineman like Oregon State’s Scott Crichton could be of interest.
- The 49ers’ plans regarding Aldon Smith need not have changed simply because the team exercised its 2015 option on the linebacker, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Niners have some time to further decide on Smith’s future. Maiocco believes that because of Smith’s status, outside linebacker must be a consideration for San Francisco in next week’s draft.
- It might take a draft day slide, but cornerback Kyle Fuller would be of interest to the Broncos, according to ESPN’s NFL Nation blog. Some have raised concerns about Fuller’s size (5’11”, 190 pounds) but his ability to play in multiple spots might overcome those defects. “I feel comfortable playing in the nickel, playing outside,’” said the young defensive back. “I just want to be versatile.”
Draft Notes: Options, Robinson, Chiefs, Easley
The majority of teams that held fifth-year options on their first-round picks chose to exercise them, leading Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com to examine whether it makes sense for a franchise to trade into the first round of the draft. For example, had the 49ers and Bengals traded back into the first round of the 2011 draft to select quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton, respectively, they would have had the choice to keep them around in 2015 at reasonable rates. But because both QBs were second-round picks, San Francisco and Cincinnati are now forced to either negotiate long-term extensions for the young signal-callers, or franchise tag them at a salary of about $19MM. The entire piece is worth reading, as Fitzgerald also looks at what it would cost in terms of draft picks to trade up into the first round.
More news and notes about next week’s draft:
- Rumors abound about a potential trade “that could blow the top off the draft at the QB position,” tweets Louis Riddick of ESPN.
- The Panthers plan to have a last-minute visit with Penn State receiver Allen Robinson, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Carolina, of course, has a dire need at the receiver position, as the top of its depth chart at the position currently features the likes of Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant.
- The Chiefs could be a landing spot if a quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater falls in the first round, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. The Chiefs hold pick No. 23, and general manager John Dorsey doesn’t sound like he’s against the idea of using that pick on a QB. “I think it’s a unique group. As everybody knows, the quarterback position is the high premium. There are a lot of teams that need quarterbacks that are gonna do everything that they feel is best for their organization,” Dorsey said. “But do I think there’s some depth here with the quarterbacks? Yeah, I do.”
- Defensive tackle Dominique Easley might be an option for the Bears in the second round, especially if they opt to use their first pick on a safety or linebacker, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Easley, who was viewed as a first-round talent before tearing ACL, has deemed himself “85 to 90 percent” recovered.
- In his latest mailbag, Paul Guiterrez of ESPN.com writes that if the Raiders are faced with a draft day decision between Sammy Watkins and Jake Matthews, he thinks the team would opt for the playmaker in Watkins.
AFC Notes: Latimer, Colts, Dolphins, Jags
Indiana receiver Cody Latimer’s name has been popping up all over the pages of PFR recently, as he continues to take visits with teams looking for a deep threat. Terez A. Paylor analyzes the factors that have contributed to Latimer’s rise from a projected mid-round selection to a potential late-first-round-pick, and quotes ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. in the process, who says of Latimer, “When you’re 6-2 1/2 and you’re 225 pounds and you run a 4.39 and you’re one of the strongest wide receivers you’ll ever come across, and you have real good hands and natural pass-receiving skills, that’s gonna push you up.” Paylor specifies that the Chiefs, at pick No. 23, would be a logical landing spot for the play-maker.
A few more notes from around the AFC:
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com delves into the Colts’ offseason, during which they added the likes of Arthur Jones, Hakeem Nicks, and D’Qwell Jackson, and assigns them a grade of C+, noting that while the Colts’ free agent strategy may not be the most financially sound, the team does have the cap space to absorb large contracts, and needs to capitalize on being the best team in a weak division.
- Twin UCF offensive guards Justin McCray and Jordan McCray each worked out for the Dolphins, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Jackson also writes that the Dolphins have met with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of McGill University in Canada. Duvernay-Tardif, interestingly enough, wants to become a sports doctor, and only practiced football once a week due to a strenuous class schedule.
- In a recent mailbag segment, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco guesses that the Jaguars will come away from the draft with one of Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, or Jadeveon Clowney, though he cautions not to rule out Greg Robinson.
- The Chargers will aim to emulate the Seahawks’ physical nature on defense, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. To do so, San Diego will need to add defensive talent in the draft, likely in the form of a first-round lineman or defensive back.
Prospect Profile: Khalil Mack
The University at Buffalo has produced NFL players before, but (with all due respect to James Starks and Trevor Scott) Khalil Mack is set to enter the league as the most acclaimed Bull in school history, with his talent and seemingly endless potential likely making him a top-five selection in next month’s draft.
Graded as just a two-star recruit coming out of high school, Mack has always played with something of a chip on his shoulder. In the 2009 version of EA Sports’ NCAA Football, he was given an overall rating of only 46 (out of possible 99), making him one of the worst players in the game. Mack used this slight as motivation, choosing 46 as his jersey number throughout his dominating college years.
And dominate he did. In 2013, Mack’s second straight season as a Butkus Award finalist, he registered 100 tackles, 10.5 sacks, three interceptions, and five forced fumbles. The edge rusher was named the Mid-American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, and a second-team All-American. He set a NCAA record with 16 career forced fumbles, and finished tied for first in career tackles for loss (75).
Explosiveness is the key to Mack’s game — his vertical jump is an astounding 40 inches, and his first-step quickness from the outside linebacker position is unparallelled in this draft. He rarely gets pancaked by opposing offensive lineman, and any OL trying to block Mack one-on-one, especially at the second level, will face severe difficulty. The 23-year-old is a master of many pass-rushing maneuvers, but the outside move is his specialty, as his almost flawless technique allows him to leave offensive tackles off-balance. Additionally, Mack has the speed, exhibited by a 4.65 40-yard-dash, to drop in pass coverage and, with a bit more experience, could be a nice weapon against physical tight ends running seam routes between the hash marks.
The primary concern for Mack, like most prospects from small schools, is the level of competition he faced. The MAC is certainly not the SEC, and it is not even comparable to the Pac-12 or the Big 12. However, Mack, in something of a coming-out party, did perform extraordinary well against Big 10 powerhouse Ohio State, showing that he can hang with elevated competition. Analysts have also noted that Mack has the tendency to play with reckless abandon at times instead of relying on his sound technique, indicating that harnessing his skill will be a critical test at the next level.
Mack, at 6’3″ and 251 pounds, could fit a multitude of defensive schemes — he probably makes the most sense as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but could also play OLB in a 4-3, or even, in a pinch, as a 4-3 defensive end. He is a dark horse candidate to go No. 1 overall to the Texans, as some believe that he is a better fit than Jadeveon Clowney for Houston’s 3-4 defense. The Jaguars, owners of the third pick, are looking for a pass rusher to stabilize their front seven, and teams like the Raiders, Falcons, Vikings, and Bills could all be interested in the dynamic edge player. Along with Clowney, Sammy Watkins, and Greg Robinson, Mack is considered one of the elite players in next month’s draft, and it would be surprising to see him fall out of the top five selections.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Finley, Redskins, Latimer, Bears
Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley is scheduled to undergo a X-ray tomorrow, and if all goes well, MRI and CAT scans, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Finley, who is recovering from a spinal injury, will continue this process until he is fully medically cleared. The 27-year-old has drawn interest from the Seahawks and the Dolphins, but he will need to prove he is able to play before any team would be willing to sign him.
More news from around the NFC:
- New Redskins head coach Jay Gruden worked with multiple tight end sets when he was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, and Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com examines whether Gruden may want to pair another TE with incumbent Jordan Reed in Washington.
- The 49ers had a pre-draft visit with four of their past five first-round selections, so the fact that that the team met with Cody Latimer, who is now projected as a late first-round-pick, could signal legitimate interest, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Two years after fielding one of the worst offensive lines in the league, the Bears head into 2014 with excellent depth at the position, opines Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Bears, who added four new lineman before last season, re-signed backup Eben Britton and brought in veteran center Brian De La Puente on a cheap, one-year deal.
- Tommy Lawlor of PhiladelphiaEagles.com does a deep dive and profiles some lesser-known names in the draft at positions of need for the Eagles, with defensive back and receiver being among them.
PFR Originals: 4/20/14 – 4/27/14
Here’s the original content produced by PFR during the past week:
- We began our prospect profile series, examining the strengths and weaknesses of the top players available in next month’s draft. Zach Links scrutinized Blake Bortles (link) and Sammy Watkins (link), and Rob DiRe took a look at Jadeveon Clowney (link), Teddy Bridgewater (link), and Mike Evans (link).
- David Kipke investigated the importance of the 2014 draft for the Browns, specifically in terms of finding a long-term answer at quarterback.
- Rob wrote an interesting piece focusing on recent free agent signings who will be facing their former teams during the 2014 season.
- Luke Adams looked at the largest 2014 free agent contracts by position, separated by overall value, average annual salary, and guaranteed money.
- Rory Parks delved into the trend of teams instantly throwing first-round quarterbacks into the fire as starters, and how this strategy could affect the draft stock of the this year’s crop of QB prospects.
- In our polls last week, Peter Sowards asked if Ndamukong Suh should be with the Lions during for offseason workouts (with about 44% responding “Yes”), and Luke wondered which quarterback should be selected first in the draft (with Bortles garnering almost 40% of the vote). Thanks for voting!
Week In Review: 4/20/14 – 4/27/14
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key Signings:
- The Bears signed receiver Josh Morgan to a one-year contract.
- The Cowboys signed quarterback Caleb Hanie to a one-year deal.
- The Cowboys re-signed pass rusher Anthony Spencer to a one-year pact.
Trade:
- Seahawks – acquired quarterback Terrelle Pryor from the Raiders in exchange for a 2014 seventh-round-pick.
Fifth-Year Options Exercised:
- Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (link)
- Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (link)
- Bengals receiver A.J. Green (link)
- Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (link)
- Patriots offensive lineman Nate Solder (link)
- Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus (link)
- Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (link)
Fifth-Year Options Declined:
- Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn (link)
Retired:
- Center Phil Costa (link)
- Linebacker Rolando McClain (link)
- Cornerback Marcus Trufant (link)
Front Office:
- The Seahawks hired former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland as a draft consultant.
Rumors:
- The Seahawks are progressing towards an extension with All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman.
Draft Notes: Jets, RBs, Latimer, Donald
On this date in 1964, future NFL kicker John Carney was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Carney, a three-time All-Pro, would go on to play for eight teams, most notably the Chargers from 1990-2000. He played in four different decades, making him only the third player to do so (along with Jeff Feagles and George Blanda). Carney last played in 2010 with the Saints, the team with which he won a Super Bowl the prior season.
Carney, however, was undrafted, which differentiates him from the players discussed below in our latest edition of draft notes:
- We noted earlier today that the Jets will meet with a trio of receiver prospects, and Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com adds (in a series of tweets) that two more pass-catchers will be visiting with the team tomorrow: Texas A&M’s Mike Evans and Murray State’s Walter Powell. Evans is highly unlikely to last until pick No. 18, so the Jets would have to trade up to acquire him. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News thinks (on Twitter) it would take a trade involving Jets’ top four picks to move ahead of the Buccaneers at No. 7, who are rumored to be interested in the young wideout.
- Late last month, PFR’s Rory Parks penned a piece discussing the degradation of the running back position in the modern NFL; today, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star takes a look at the same issue, and how it will affect the draft prospects of some collegiate RBs. For example, Arizona tailback Ka’Deem Carey said he was advised to leave school following his junior year: “They definitely were in my ear, saying you have a limited numbers of hits and running backs, you need to go while you have the chance,” said the 21-year-old.
- Within the same post, Paylor cites an interesting quote from NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who observes that the Patriots could be surprising come draft day: “…[T]he Patriots are always kind of one step ahead of the curve and trying to be creative,” said Jeremiah. “I wouldn’t be shocked if they just sit there and said, ‘OK, everybody else wants to pass on all these running backs ― Carlos Hyde is a really good player. LeGarrette Blount is not here anymore, we’re going to pluck him, and we’ve got ourselves a back of the future.’” The Patriots hold the 29th overall selection.
- In a Bears-centric post, the CSNChicago.com staff profiles Indiana receiver Cody Latimer, noting that while he may not be a fit in Chicago (what with the Bears’ depth at the position), the consensus among draftniks seems to be that Latimer lacks separation speed. Their fourth-to-fifth-round projection for Latimer is obviously outdated, however, as the wideout could possibly be a first-round-pick.
- Speaking of the Bears, they are listed along with the Texans among several teams that could look to draft a defensive tackle in the draft in a piece by Nate Davis of USA Today.
- In a separate piece, Davis adroitly profiles the top defensive tackles available in the draft, including Aaron Donald (“models his game after Bengals All-Pro Geno Atkins) and Timmy Jernigan (“lacks elite athleticism and size and probably is a bit short to play end for a 3-4 team”).
Johnny Manziel And The Jags, Browns
Johnny Manziel is unquestionably one of the most polarizing draft prospects in recent memory, prompting experts to rate him as anything from a first-round, surefire starter, to a mid-round project. Two franchises that could use an infusion of talent at the quarterback position — the Jaguars and the Browns — were recently used as backdrops for discussing Manziel’s attributes, both positive and negative.
Paris Moulden of the Florida Times-Union makes a three-pronged argument in favor of the Jags drafting Manziel, citing Jacksonville’s need for star power, Manziel’s ability, and the need for team to take a risk. While the first two reasons might be valid, I would question whether a general manager like Dave Caldwell, who has been methodical in his attempted rebuild of the Jags, would be willing to use the No. 3 pick on such an uncertain prospect.
Another team with an known interest in Manziel is the Browns, who own the No. 4 pick and a vacancy at quarterback. Ray Frager of CSNBaltimore.com parses the comments of NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell in arguing that Manziel may not make sense in Cleveland:
“You see a quarterback who creates his own problems with what appears to be a lack of understanding and discipline, and then once in a while he makes an unbelievable unstructured play. There’s a sense that he makes it up as he goes, a shoot-from-the-hip element that is so much fun and entertaining to watch. … Entertaining is great for fans and highlight shows, but it’s not a quarterback attribute. A QB cannot live on the edge, play randomly and be consistently successful against NFL defenses.”
Frager notes that it will take awhile for Manziel to develop, and that Browns fans aren’t willing to wait on another developmental quarterback. However, it remains to be seen whether any of the QBs in the 2014 class are immediate game-changers, and the Browns do have Brian Hoyer set as a place-holder at the position. Manizel would be an interesting addition to a Browns team that has several excellent pieces in place, and is still desperately yearning for a quarterback.
Extra Points: Savage, Jets, Redskins, Draft
On Easter Sunday in 2009, the Eagles traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins for a second-round pick (as noted on Twitter by Pro Football Talk). The transaction obviously occurred before the advent of Pro Football Rumors, but looking back, it was a clear win for the Eagles, as McNabb quickly entered his decline phase and Philadelphia prospered with Michael Vick at the helm. Of course, the division rivals were in the headlines again this offseason, as receiver DeSean Jackson was released by the Eagles and quickly bolted for the nation’s capital.
Here are some notes from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:
- The Bengals visited with quarterback Tom Savage about a week ago in Cincinnati, and so far, he is the only QB the team has brought to its facilities, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com. The Bengals are expected to select a quarterback at some point on day two or three of the draft.
- Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro will meet with Jets this week, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- Metha also notes (on Twitter) that the Jets will take a visit with Boise State edge player Demarcus Lawrence on Tuesday.
- There are several options to replace the retired London Fletcher at middle linebacker in the Redskins’ 3-4 defense, but the top two choices seem to be Keenan Robinson and Darryl Sharpton, according to Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com.
- Receiver prospects who know how to run option routes — rather the predetermined plays, which are becoming less popular due to the spread offense — could have an edge both in terms of draft position and NFL success, explains Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.