Draft Notes: 49ers, Patriots, Verrett
At the beginning of the offseason, it was thought the 49ers might target a receiver in the first round, but with the draft a month away, cornerback has become the team’s top draft need, writes Doug Williams of NBC Bay Area.
In other draft prospect news…
- TCU cornerback Jason Verrett has visits lined up with the Steelers, Jets and Cardinals, according to Fox’s Alex Marvez (via Twitter). All three teams value speed, athleticism and man-coverage skills. Verrett boasts sub-4.4 speed and outstanding leaping ability.
- Drafting Aaron Dobson in the second round last year won’t preclude the Patriots from taking a receiver in the first round this year, writes NESN’s Doug Kyed, who lists five prospects who would be good fits.
- When asked about the likelihood of a quarterback run in the draft’s top ten picks (consequently pushing down highly regarded prospects at positions of need), Lions GM Martin Mayhew acknowledged momentum might be slowing on that scenario. “I think (if) you said that a month ago, everybody would have signed off on that,” Mayhew told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But if you say that now, you don’t know how it’s going to go with the quarterbacks.”
- Middle Tennessee State guard Josh Walker worked out for the Ravens and will also work out for the Saints and Colts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. A potential late-round pick, Walker was not invited to the Combine.
Extra Points: Flacco, Ford, Falcons, Jags, Pats
Here’s a few miscellaneous news-and-notes items from around the league:
- Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who signed a six-year, $120.6MM contract a year ago, but ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley says Flacco “actually has manageable salary cap numbers for this year and 2015.”
- Jacoby Ford, who signed with the Jets yesterday, picked New York over the Browns, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter).
- Prior to last season, the Falcons “firmly believed” Lamar Holmes had Pro Bowl potential, but now ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure believes the team should spend the sixth overall pick on a franchise tackle. As for Holmes? “He could be a decent backup…”
- With the Jaguars bringing Toby Gerhart and Jordan Todman into the fold, there won’t be many reps available for Denard Robinson, especially if he doesn’t improve his catching and blocking, writes ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco.
- There are still a handful of noteworthy, low-risk, budget friendly free agents available for the Patriots, who have $8MM in cap space, writes NESN’s Doug Kyed.
Draft Updates: Quarterbacks, Mack, Tuitt
Here’s a handful of early-evening draft notes:
- Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will visit the Titans later this month, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter).
- The Browns will host a handful of quarterback prospects this week, including Blake Bortles (Central Florida, today), Derek Carr (Fresno State), Garoppolo, Tom Savage (Pittsburgh) and Keith Wenning (Ball State), according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (via Twitter), who says Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel will be in Cleveland later this month.
- Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, regarded as an elite defensive prospect, worked out for the Falcons today, per NFL.com’s Gil Brandt (via Twitter).
- Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt worked out for the Rams on Tuesday, and is scheduled to work out for the Steelers and Patriots this week, according to Brandt (via Twitter).
- The Bears, in desperate need of professional starting safeties, hosted Washington State’s Deone Bucannon, according to ESPNChicago.com’s Jeff Dickerson.
- Several of the Rams’ 30 allotted pre-draft visits are taking place this week, according to ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who mentions Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert, Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald in addition to those reported previously.
Extra Points: Graham, McClain, Ryan, Jags
The Saints and Jimmy Graham are expected to reach an agreement on a long-term deal before April 22, reports Pro Football Talk, citing a league source. That date represents the deadline by which Graham must file a grievance over the league designating him a tight end for franchise tag purposes (Graham sought to be tagged as a receiver, which would have netted him a tender worth approximately $5MM more than the $7MM tight end tender).
Rounding up a few more miscellaneous links from around the league:
- Retired linebacker Rolando McClain, whose rights are held by the Ravens, intends to return to the field in 2014, and owner Steve Biscotti is open to it, according to the Carroll County Times’ Matt Zenitz. Drafted eighth overall by the Raiders in 2010, McClain’s trails and tribulations, including three arrests over a 17-month period, have been well-documented. Recently, however, he has returned to school at Alabama, gotten his personal life in order and stayed in good enough shape to consider a comeback. Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, an Alabama alumnus, has received “glowing reports” from Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and been in contact with McClain’s agent.
- It’s no secret Jets head coach Rex Ryan has not been pleased with the team’s inability to land a marquee cornerback, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted DeMarcus Ware was the big fish Ryan really wanted to reel in.
- Entering free agency, Redskins GM Bruce Allen sought to “address team chemistry as much as the talent,” writes ESPN.com’s Steve Keim.
- Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell believes the depth of this year’s draft class will enable the team to land three or four starters, says John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter). One of those starters could be a quarterback, as the team will meet privately with Texas A&M Johnny Manziel, as they did with Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater and Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, tweets Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.
- The seven-round draft order, updated with compensatory picks, can be found here, courtesy of ESPN.
Lions To Sign James Ihedigbo
9:41pm: The Bears and Eagles were also interested in Ihedigbo, tweeted ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
9:37pm: Ravens free agent safety James Ihedigbo agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Lions, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Ihedigbo visited Detroit the first week of free agency, at which time the team offered a two-year deal. They’ve been waiting for an answer ever since. Ihedigbo, 30, started 16 games for the Ravens last year, totaling 101 tackles, 11 passes defended, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. The Lions had familiarity with the safety thanks to new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who was Ihedigbo’s position coach in Baltimore. Presumably, Ihedigbo steps into a starting role for the Lions, who cut ties with oft-injured Louis Delmas in February.
NFC West Notes: ’Hawks, 49ers, Cards, Rams
Achieving dynasty status is very, very difficult in today’s parity-driven NFL where salary cap restraints dictate constant roster fluctuation. The Seahawks are equipped to defy the odds, however, believes ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha, who says, “What the Seahawks have working in their favor is the knowledge that they’ve put themselves ahead of their competition with creative scouting and innovative management.”
In other NFC West division notes:
- The 49ers, who already boast one of the league’s deepest rosters, now possess six of the first 100 picks in the upcoming draft. Accordingly, the team has the currency to be very aggressive, writes ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson.
- Cardinals GM Steve Keim will travel to Montreal on Thursday to be on hand for the pro day of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an ascending Canadian offensive tackle prospect, according to John Kryk of the Ottawa Sun. Duvernay-Tardif shares some similarities to the Cardinals’ new left tackle Jared Veldheer, who signed a five-year deal earlier this month. Like Veldheer, who was drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Hillsdale College, Duvernay-Tardif is an under-the-radar, relatively raw prospect with intriguing tools to coach up. He also has outstanding intangibles, an element of the scouting report that helped land Veldheer in free agency, as Keim explained in a brief video interview with CBS Sports. Duvernay-Tardif, who will also fly to meet with the Cardinals, has other visits scheduled with the Seahawks and Browns, says ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
- Meanwhile, Cardinals standout linebacker Daryl Washington pleaded guilty to aggravated assault stemming from a domestic violence incident last year, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Washington, who received the first installment of a $10MM bonus option earlier this month, could face up to two years in prison when he is sentenced late next month.
- Offensive tackle is the top draft need for the Rams, according to NFL.com, and they’d be in position to draft Auburn’s Greg Robinson at the top of the first round.
Bears’ Mills Tops Performance-Based Pay List
Bears rookie right tackle Jordan Mills, whose base salary was $495k last season, will receive approximately $318k from the performance-based pay pool, more than any other player in the league. Created in order to reward players who make the least and play the most, the performance-based league pool is $3.46MM per team. Each team’s performance-based pay leader can be found here, courtesy of USA Today.
Mills, a fifth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, started all 16 games for the Bears. However, his starts were more a reflection of the team’s lack of options, as Mills rated as one of the league’s worst starters, ranking last in pass protection (-32.5 rating) and hurries allowed (62). Other notables (dollar figures rounded):
- Vontaze Burfict (Bengals): $316k
- Ronald Leary (Cowboys): $307k
- Larry Warford (Lions): $261k
- Jason Kelce (Eagles): $260k
- David Bakhtiari (Packers): $257k
- Danny Trevathan (Broncos): $245k
- Keenan Allen (Chargers): $218k
- Will Hill (Giants): $215k
Ravens Notes: Smith, Rice, Harbaugh
With NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun provided an assessment of the Ravens following their busy month thus far. At this stage, the team is mostly monitoring the market in search of budget-friendly opportunities, but they’re not done spending. According to Zrebiec, the Ravens still need a starting offensive lineman, be it right tackle or left guard, as well as depth at running back, tight end, inside linebacker, defensive back and defensive line.
In other Ravens news:
- Also prominent on the agenda is Torrey Smith, whose contract owner Steve Bisciotti wants to extend prior to the draft, according to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (via Twitter). Zenitz says Smith’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is scheduled to speak with team brass during this week’s meetings.
- Head coach John Harbaugh got a year tacked onto his contract, which now has four years remaining, per Zrebiec (via Twitter).
- Owner Steve Bisciotti told Zrebiec there is no circumstance in which Ray Rice is not a Raven in 2014 (via Twitter).
- Kelechi Osemele, who is recovering from back surgery and could play left guard or right tackle next season, is progressing well if a recent Instagram video is any indication.
- Finally, the team was awarded four compensatory picks (max allowed) in the upcoming draft: a third-round pick (No. 99 overall), two fourths (Nos. 134 and 138) and a fifth (No. 175). Since Ozzie Newsome’s arrival in 1996, the Ravens have been awarded 41 compensatory picks, eight more than any other team, points out Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Umenyiora, Biermann To Stay With Falcons
Falcons defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Kroy Biermann will be back with the team in 2014 without having to restructure their contracts, reports Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
There had been speculation that Umenyiora, scheduled to count $4.75MM against the cap in 2014, would have to take a pay cut or be released, but Ledbetter says the team was pleased with the 32-year-old veteran’s mentoring of young players. Umenyiora became more of a situational pass rusher down the stretch, finishing the season with 47 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three batted passes and three forced fumbles.
Biermann, 28, is coming off Achilles tendon surgery which ended his season in Week Two. Primarily a situational player with the exception of 2010 when he started 14 games, Biermann has notched 16.5 sacks in 82 career games. He will count $5.1MM against the cap.
Backup QB Notes: Browns, Eagles, Raiders, Ravens
Browns veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, rehabbing his torn ACL injury suffered in October, says his goal is to be the starter, writes Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal. Hoyer’s role remains to be seen, as the team is expected to draft its quarterback of the future, but who that is and when he’s drafted could dictate Hoyer’s place on the depth chart. If the Browns spend the fourth overall pick on a passer, Hoyer is likely relegated to a backup role, but if the team drafts a quarterback not quite pro-ready, Hoyer could have an opportunity as a bridge starter. Meanwhile, Ulrich speculates the Browns could sign 33-year-old Rex Grossman to serve as a No. 3 and mentor.
In other backup signal caller news:
- With trade acquisition Matt Schaub in the fold, the Raiders are content with backup Matt McGloin, tweeted Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Writing about the Eagles’ quarterback depth, CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher says the team is “thinner at the position than they’ve been in more than a decade.” Second-year man Matt Barkley, whom the Eagles traded up to draft in the fourth round, is in line to be the backup, and Mosher notes, “Chip Kelly touted Barkley’s progress throughout the season and seemed very enthused about the former USC star’s future.” Should the team decide to add a veteran competitor for the No. 2 job, Terrelle Pryor, expected to be squeezed out of Oakland, could be the best system fit.
- The Ravens should be in the market for another quarterback, believes CSN Baltimore’s Ray Frager. The Ravens spoke with Brandon Weeden before he signed with the Cowboys, indicating the team is looking for a backup capable of running new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s play-action passing game for an extended stretch of games in the event starter Joe Flacco goes down. Current backup Tyrod Taylor‘s inexpensive contract is up next season, and his style of play and inaccuracy make him more suited for a No. 3 job.