Buccaneers Acquire No. 149 Pick From Bills
The Buccaneers have traded back into round five, moving up to the Bills spot at No. 149, reports John Kryk of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter). The Buccaneers used that selection to take offensive tackle Kevin Pamphile of Purdue (via Twitter). The Bills received pick No. 221 and a 2015 fifth-rounder in exchange for No. 149, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter).
Cowboys Acquire No. 146 Pick From Lions
The Cowboys have traded up to the 146th pick, finding a trade partner with the Lions, reports Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman (via Twitter). The Cowboys used the pick to select Pittsburgh wide receiver Devin Street (via Twitter). The Lions have moved down 12 spots to No. 158, and pick up pick No. 229 from the Cowboys in the trade, reports the SideLionReport (via Twitter).
NFC South Notes: Bridgewater, Martin, Visits
The Buccaneers have not given up on on Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater despite his Pro Day struggles, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Bridgewater was once thought of as a possibility for the Texans with the first pick, but is now considered a late first or early second-round pick. Buccaneers’ general manager Jason Licht said he and head coach Lovie Smith do not change grades during the draft process due to performance at pro days.
“We try not to let the pro day dictate whether a player gets massaged up the board or not,’’ Licht said. “For us, opinions only change if Lovie and I haven’t really had a chance to see a lot out of the player earlier.”
It should be noted that Cummings does not mention where the team originally projected Bridgewater.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC South:
- The Buccaneers need a guard, and Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, who is climbing up draft boards, could be in play with the seventh pick, writes Cummings in a separate article. Martin, a tackle in college, is projected as a possible guard in the NFL. Cummings writes that the Buccaneers fans would be hesitant to support a pick that passes on playmakers at the skill position in order to add a guard.
- The Panthers meeting with Penn State receiver Allen Robinson went “very well,” reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Robinson could bring some relief to a team in dire need of a receiver. The Panthers will most likely come to the podium with the top four or five receivers already off the board in the first round.
- The Falcons met with L.J. Jones of Fresno State, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun-Times (via Twitter). The cornerback also recently worked out with the Panthers according to Wilson.
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Quarterbacks
Cardinals‘ general manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians met with the media last Thursday, and Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com took some notes to get into the team’s draft process. Weinfuss writes that the team could look to draft a quarterback in the second-round, hopefully to succeed Carson Palmer in 2015.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:
- Keim has the Cardinals looking at other positions besides quarterback, noting there is considerable depth at both wide receiver and offensive tackle, writes Weinfuss. With Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, the team has a good set of receivers but could look to add a dynamic speed threat as a third option. However, the team could really benefit from finding a tackle who can come in and become a starter right away.
- While the Rams may not be looking to move on from Sam Bradford, the team is still looking to select a quarterback sometime on draft weekend, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The team is not be linked to the top three quarterbacks, but they could target one of the second-tier quarterbacks as a day two selection.
- The Rams have also signed wide receiver T.J. Moe, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). Moe finished last season on the Patriots injured reserve list.
- The 49ers have their top two quarterbacks set with Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, but Jim Harbaugh is always looking for his next signal caller, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, and San Jose State’s David Fales could all be possible day three draft picks.
Ten Players Failed Combine Drug Test
Ten players were flagged for their drug test at the scouting combine, reports Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Among the biggest names that were reported by Glazer were Timmy Jernigan of Florida State University, Zach Mettenberger, and Anthony Johnson, both of Louisiana State University.
It was announced earlier today that Seantrel Henderson of Miami also was flagged on his drug test.
Jernigan was considered a possible first-round pick at times during the draft process, and still was thought of as a possible late-first, early-second round pick. This news could push him further down day two and possibly into a day three pick.
Mettenberger was one of the fastest rising quarterback prospects in the draft. He was coming off an ACL injury, but his workouts were reportedly impressive and he was beginning to challenge other quarterbacks in the second tier that could have possibly found themselves being selected at the beginning of the second round. If a team was sold on him, there was a chance someone would trade into the back end of the first round to select him.
Johnson was a projected mid-round pick. The defensive tackle was a huge load at LSU, taking on blocks in the middle of the defense.
Mettenberger’s physical therapist chalks up the failed test to a diluted urine sample due to efforts to combat dehydration, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Jernigan and his representatives have declined to comment, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
No Increase In Rookie Bonuses
Signing bonuses for those selected in the upcoming NFL Draft will stay the same as last year, reports Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter).
Due to the current slotting system for salaries, the contracts given out to draft picks are set, with only some guaranteed money up for negotiating. With no increase in the potential signing bonus, the first-overall pick would be in line for a bonus of just over $14.518MM (via Twitter). Yates notes that the bonus is the same that Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Eric Fisher received the past three drafts.
Yates also reports that teams will have the same amount of bonus money to spend on undrafted-free agents as last year, with $80,362 to split among how many free-agent rookies each team decides to bring into camp (via Twitter).
Byron Bell Signs Tender
Offensive tackle Byron Bell has signed his restricted-free agent tender with the Panthers, reports Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. It is a second-round tender, and will be worth $2.187MM.
The Panthers are in need of a starting left tackle since stalwart Jordan Gross retired earlier this offseason, and Person writes that some in the Panthers’ organization believe Bell could fill in to protect Cam Newton‘s blind side.
Bell played on the right side for his first three NFL seasons. Now that Bell is officially under contract, the Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin is the final restricted-free agent yet to sign.
AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Carr, Bucannon
A lot of talk has been made about what the Jaguars are going to do in the first round. A team with so many holes and needs is in a unique position to take the best player available or trade down in the draft. The team’s biggest need is arguably quarterback, and general manager David Caldwell has some interesting thoughts about some of those top prospects, specifically Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel, writes Daniel Lago of BlackAndTeal.com.
“Johnny would probably be the one guy you could plug in there sooner rather than later,” Caldwell said. “Just because his style of play isn’t going to change much from Year 1 to Year 2.”
Caldwell also noted the team would not have to drastically change their playbook to accommodate Manziel’s unique skill set.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:
- While he either really likes Manziel or just wants to help find a trade partner looking to move up for the star quarterback, Caldwell also had good things to say about Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. Lago notes that while most teams have downgraded Bridgewater due to poor workouts, the Jaguars remain relatively high on him. Although, the team would still be considered unlikely to select him with the third-overall pick.
- The Jaguars are not the only team in the division looking for a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. It has been made clear that the Texans are going to bring in a signal caller in the first two rounds, but the Titans have shown a lot of interest in improving the position as well. Paul Kuharskey of ESPN.com pegs the Titans as having major interest in Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, and could either move down in the first round or up in the second round to acquire his talents.
- The Colts do not come to the podium until the 59th overall selection late in the second round, but that doesn’t stop those draftniks from trying to figure out who they will select. Mike Chappell of IndyStar.com wrote that the team would be ecstatic if safety Deone Bucannon of Washington State was still available that late in Day 2 of the Draft. Chappell writes that it would help ease the blow of losing Antoine Bethea.
Redskins’ Draft Notes: Borland, Linemen, Hughes
ESPN’s Todd McShay had a conference call last week in which he spoke about the Redskins’ position in the draft. Without a first-round selection, McShay and his colleague Mel Kiper Jr. gave the team Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland with the second pick of round two in their three-round mock draft. John Keim of ESPN.com is not sold that Borland is the best fit or the best value at that spot in the draft, even for a team in such need of help rushing the passer.
Here are more notes about the Redskins’ draft plans:
- While the team does need help rushing the passer, Keim writes that interior pass rushers should not be overlooks when considering the age of the defensive line. Keim notes that Jason Hatcher, Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen and Kedric Golston will all be over 30 years old this season.
- In a separate mailbag, Keim addresses the idea that the Redskins need to use the draft to bolster the offensive line. While the line is far from perfect, Keim notes that especially a team with so few draft picks, drafting specifically for need could be crippling. The team addressed the offensive line in free agency, and using later round picks will not significantly improve the team this season.
- The Redskins met with Indiana wide receiver Kofi Hughes, one of four teams to meet with him according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun-Times. Hughes was a productive player in college, totaling 13 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards in his collegiate career.
Vikings Do Not Exercise Ponder’s Option
The Vikings have officially decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Ponder, the 12th overall selection in the infamous 2011 draft class, failed to meet expectations as a Viking. He led the team to the playoffs once, although led is a strong word to describe the quarterback of a team that featured one of the most dominant offensive performances in recent memory in Adrian Peterson‘s MVP 2012 campaign.
The team was not expected to exercise this option. The fifth year would have cost the Vikings $9.686MM, according to our Fifth-Year Option Tracker. That price was far too high for a player who was not even the favorite to beat Matt Cassel out for the starting job this upcoming season.