NFC Notes: Lions, Williams, Aldon Smith
The Lions‘ brass held a town hall meeting for season ticket holders on Monday, and there were a few highlights. For instances, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that team president Tom Lewand is optimistic that a new deal for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will get done, although there is nothing new on that front just yet.
Vice President of Player Personnel Sheldon White also spoke at the meeting. Referencing the Lions’ late-game meltdowns in 2013, White said the team will be looking for “closers” in this year’s draft (Twitter link). And special teams coordinator John Bonamego said that finding a kicker is his “top priority” from a scouting standpoint (Twitter link) and that the team will compare Giorgio Tavecchio and John Potter with the players available in the draft to determine the best fit in that regard (Twitter link).
More notes from the NFC to close out the night:
- Mark Craig of the Star Tribune tweets that free agent defensive tackle Kevin Williams visited with the Giants Monday night and that the visit will continue on Tuesday. As our Luke Adams recently wrote, Williams still offers solid value as a veteran run-stopper.
- NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it would be hard to imagine the 49ers picking up Aldon Smith‘s option by the May 3 deadline, given that the team will not have “enough answers” regarding his latest off-field incident by that time. Instead, he believes the team will go year-to-year with Smith (Twitter link).
- After meeting with the Titans, Colts, and Redskins, Louisville DE Marcus Smith will have his final pre-draft visit with the Eagles next week, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
- Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert is visiting the Saints, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
AFC Notes: Dolphins, FA Grades, Manziel
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that, although wide receiver might be the deepest position on the Dolphins‘ roster, and although the team likes the top receivers on its depth chart–Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, and Rishard Matthews–Miami wants to continue adding to its receiving corps.
The Dolphins were unable to land Nate Burleson, who ultimately signed with the Browns, but they did recently add Damian Williams along with “long shots” Kevin Cone and Mike Rios. More importantly, they have devoted at least three of their 30 official visits to wide receivers who are projected to be taken in the first several rounds of next month’s draft. The team will visit with Ole Miss receiver Donte Moncrief and Clemson wideout Martavis Bryant, along with USC’s Marqise Lee.
As Jackson observes, the attention to receivers is motivated at least in part by the recent surgeries that Hartline, Gibson, and the “intriguing” Armon Binns have undergone. No doubt the Dolphins are also intent on giving quarterback Ryan Tannehill as many explosive weapons as possible by mining the deepest wide receiver draft class in recent memory.
Some more notes from around the AFC:
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his series of offseason evaluations as he takes a look at how AFC West teams fared in free agency. He believes the Raiders‘ offseason looks like an attempt to recreate a Pro Bowl roster from 2009 and gives the team a “D” grade (link), while the Chiefs and Chargers receive similarly disappointing “C-” grades (links here). The Broncos, meanwhile, receive a “B” for their efforts (link), as Fitzgerald respects their bold acquisitions but wonders if Eric Decker and Darrelle Revis would have made more sense than Emmanuel Sanders and Aqib Talib. Since the team is sacrificing its cap health in 2015 anyway, Decker/Revis indubitably looks like the better play on paper.
- Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun provides a similar evaluation of the Ravens‘ offseason, noting that the club has “closed the gap” in the AFC North with its savvy series of re-signings and modest but potentially valuable additions like Steve Smith and Owen Daniels.
- After writing that the Texans would take Johnny Manizel and Blake Bortles in his first two mock drafts, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has shifted gears and now believes the team will select Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick.
- ESPN Insider Field Yates (subscription required) takes a look at how the Browns and Jaguars have gone about their respective rebuilding processes and evaluates the merits of each approach.
Texans Considering Khalil Mack With First Pick
We learned earlier today that the Texans would be hosting Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack sometime next week. However, that visit appears to be more than due diligence on Houston’s part. According to Brent Sobleski of USA Today, Mack is a “legitimate candidate” for the Texans’ No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Given that the quarterbacks who might make sense with the No. 1 pick each come with some red flags, and given the concerns surrounding Jadeveon Clowney‘s work ethic and lack of production in 2013, the fates might be aligning for Mack to hear his name called first when the draft opens on May 8.
Mack performed at an elite level at the combine, finishing among the top five linebackers in four of the six drills in which he participated, and he would also fit seamlessly into Houston’s 3-4 scheme. And although he played at a relatively small football program, there was nothing small about his production. Mack recorded 75 tackles for loss during his career in Buffalo, along with 28.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles.
Although the Texans would be taking something of a PR risk should they opt for Mack with the first pick–much as they did when they chose Mario Williams over Reggie Bush in 2006–his track record, the position he plays, and the level at which he plays it have forced him into the conversation along with the likes of Clowney, Johnny Manziel, and Blake Bortles.
NFC Mailbags: Saints, Giants, Eagles, Cards
Let’s have a look at some of the highlights from the mailbags of NFC writers:
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the Saints are likely to draft a receiver in the first three rounds, given the combination of the team’s need for a dynamic young receiver and the depth of quality options available. However, if the Saints really like LSU WR Odell Beckham, Jr., whom they just saw at the LSU pro day last week, they will probably need to trade up from their No. 27 overall selection.
- In the wake of Eli Manning‘s ankle surgery Thursday, Giants fans are wondering if the team’s reaching out to veteran free agents like Josh Freeman and Matt Flynn is cause to worry about Manning’s health. ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano says there is no reason to worry at this point, and that there is a real possibility that all the team is doing is seeing whether players like Freeman and Flynn represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Curtis Painter.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes TCU CB Jason Verrett is a perfect fit for the 49ers with the No. 30 overall pick
- Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com sees a great deal of talent among defensive linemen projected to go in the top half of the first round of the draft, but the Bears have also brought in top safety prospects Deone Bucannon and Calvin Pryor for visits. Wright believes the decision between a defensive back and a defensive lineman will ultimately come down to what player still available the Bears have ranked highest on their board at the time of the pick.
- Speaking of safeties, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles will definitely consider Bucannon or Northern Illinois product Jimmie Ward, they just won’t consider them in the first round.
- ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss believes the Cardinals would do well to draft LSU QB Zach Mettenberger and groom him behind incumbent starter Carson Palmer.
Extra Points: Landry, Thompson, Texans
Let’s have a look at some notes from around the league on this relatively slow news day:
- Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post takes a look at some of the most significant pro day workouts from this past week. LSU and Penn State were the major programs to host pro days, but smaller schools McNeese State and Bloomsburg also boast several draftable prospects.
- LSU WR Jarvis Landry will be an intriguing player to watch at next month’s draft. He carried a first-round grade into the combine, but performed poorly there, and though he showed improvement at his pro day this week, it won’t be enough to get him back in the first round. Gabriel expects him to be taken in the third or fourth round, but does note that Landry’s game tape is phenomenal and there are plenty of other top-flight receivers who have had mediocre workout numbers.
- BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy has had a number of official visits already, and he recently met with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Van Noy has received first- and second-round grades from draft analysts.
- In a separate piece, Wilson writes that the felony and misdemeanor drug charges that Ravens WR Deonte Thompson was facing have been dropped by Florida prosecutors. Thompson may be crowded out of the Ravens roster this year, as the team added to its receiving corps this offseason and expects to add at least one more receiver in the draft, but at least he no longer has legal troubles hanging over his head.
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, noting that the Patriots have a penchant for drafting highly-talented players whose stock has taken a hit for medical reasons, wonders if Clemson guard Brandon Thomas, who carried a second-round grade before tearing his ACL in a pre-draft workout last week, might be a target in the middle to late rounds of this year’s draft.
- The Patriots are still in the mix for free agent OLB/DE Will Smith, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
- John McClain of the Houston Chronicle gives an excellent description of the dilemma the Texans, picking first overall for the third time in their young history, face in the 2014 draft.
Draft Day Trades: Redskins, Rams, Pats
As we have heard throughout the offseason, the depth of this year’s draft class will make teams more inclined to trade down in the draft rather than trade up. However, as the 2014 draft draws ever closer, and as more prospects get the opportunity to show off their skills at various pro days and official visits, some of those prospects may start to shine a little brighter in the eyes of certain clubs.
When that happens, we start to hear rumors that some teams may be willing to trade up, to sacrifice a pick or two (or three or four) in a deep draft in order to land the player they covet, just as the Falcons did to take Julio Jones in 2011 and the Broncos did to nab Tim Tebow one year earlier. Here are some quick notes regarding draft-day trades:
- The Redskins, who are without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, do hold an early second-rounder, No. 34 overall. Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com believes the reversing fortunes of two young signal-callers may allow Washington to add to its satchel of picks. LSU QB Zach Mettenberger‘s stock is on the rise while Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater‘s is on the decline, and both players might be available after the first round closes on May 8. Quarterback-needy teams that filled a different position in the first round may be looking to land one of those two players in the early stages of the second, which would put the Redskins in a prime position to swing a deal.
- The Jaguars have 11 total picks in the draft, including the N0. 3 overall selection, but GM Dave Caldwell has indicated he wants to add more, according to Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. The Rams, who have the No. 2 overall pick, may want to trade down as well; the Falcons have expressed interest in making a deal with St. Louis, and it was recently reported the Lions might be willing to trade up to land Clemson WR Sammy Watkins.
- As Stellino notes, the Rams and Jaguars could switch spots in the first round, giving Jacksonville the opportunity to land Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews, who has been linked to the Rams in various mock drafts. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reported that the Jaguars are interested in Matthews, but perhaps not with the No. 3 (or No. 2) overall pick. They would be more inclined to draft the seasoned tackle if they traded back a few spots.
- Although his willingness to trade back in the draft is the aspect of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick‘s draft strategy that is discussed the most, he has had just as much success moving up, writes Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. She notes that the Pats seem to be in “go-for-it mode,” so they may stand pat and make a selection with their No. 29 overall pick, or even consider moving up. However, given the depth of this year’s class, she believes the chances New England drops back is “fairly strong.” Guregian cites NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt, who believes there is not much difference between picks 25 and 40.
Alex Mack Notes: Sunday
We learned yesterday that it may only be a matter of time before the Jaguars extend an offer sheet to center Alex Mack. The parties met on Friday night, and it appears that they have been talking a potential deal since that meeting took place. If Mack does sign an offer sheet with another club, the Browns would have five days to match. We will start you off this Sunday with a few notes regarding Mack, and if any further developments unfold over the course of the day, we will post them here. Newest updates will be on top.
- Overthecap.com looks at how the Jaguars might try to construct an offer sheet to pry Mack away from Cleveland, comparing the Mack situation to that of Andrew Hawkins, the restricted free agent wide receiver that the Browns signed away from the Bengals earlier this offseason.
- In response to earlier reports that another club would have to extend Mack an offer sheet that includes $22MM in guaranteed money over the first three years of the deal to keep Cleveland from matching the offer, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing a source with knowledge of Mack’s situation, says that the Browns would match such an offer “in a second.”
Earlier updates:
- Citing a league source, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that an offer sheet to Mack would need to include $22MM in guaranteed money over the first three years of the deal to dissuade Cleveland from matching.
- Cleveland may have no other choice but to match an offer sheet to Mack, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It would have cost the Browns an additional $1.6MM to put the franchise tag on Mack, rather than the transition tag, but the two first-round draft picks associated with the franchise tag would have prevented any other team from extending an offer to the talented center. Given that the Browns still have about $30MM in cap space–compared to the Jaguars’ $25MM–Florio wonders how the Cleveland brass could justify letting Mack walk without receiving any sort of draft pick compensation for the sake of a relatively paltry $1.6MM savings.
- Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes that Mack’s purported interest in the Jaguars serves to refute the notion that all he cares about is winning. Instead, as Grossi writes, “maybe stepping off the treadmill in Cleveland is his main goal.“
Extra Points: Wheaton, Wilson, Ravens
Although the Steelers were prepared to lose WR Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, they did not expect to lose Jerricho Cotchery as well, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gaztte. Although the team replaced Cotchery with the similarly-reliable Lance Moore, Pittsburgh is still looking to add a big-bodied receiver in the draft.
The Steelers, like many teams, would like to draft Texas A&M WR Mike Evans, but Evans’ strong combine performance might have put him out of reach for Pittsburgh, who hold the N0. 15 overall selection. So, even though they are still likely to take a receiver early in the draft–perhaps with that No. 15 pick–the development of second-year player Markus Wheaton will be critical to the Steelers’ offensive success.
Wheaton dazzled in training camp last year but was primarily a special teams contributor during the regular season, appearing in 11 games and catching 6 passes for 64 yards. He will have ample opportunity to show Steelers coaches what he can do this summer, but he will likely have at least one high-ceiling rookie nipping at his heels.
Some more notes from around the league:
- Mike Wells of ESPN.com examines whether recently-released S Adrian Wilson could be a fit for the Colts. He writes that while GM Ryan Grigson will explore all options, the Colts already have two players in the secondary who could not stay healthy last season–LaRon Landry and Greg Toler–and do not need to add another. Free agent safety Kurt Coleman visited the team last week, and safeties Jimmie Ward and Terrence Brooks are possibilities in the second round of the draft.
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, just as he did yesterday, takes a look at some more impacts of Chris Johnson‘s departure on the Titans, noting that the team is likely to take a running back-by-committee approach.
- Although inside linebacker has not been discussed as a major position of need for the Ravens after the re-signing of Daryl Smith and the expected emergence of second-year man Arthur Brown, head coach John Harbaugh would like to add one or two inside linebackers to the roster, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Harbaugh made no mention of Rolando McClain, whose rights the team still holds.
Pro Day Dilemma: Cleveland Browns
Although the Browns have taken some heat for failing to attend the Pro Day workouts of some of the more talented prospects in this year’s draft, a number of writers and analysts have come to the team’s defense. Citing an NFL executive whose team holds a top-10 selection in the draft, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that a Pro Day can be useful for a number of things, including the chance to see how a player interacts with coaches, scouts, and teammates, and how the player has improved or declined since the combine, which helps to evaluate work habits.
Nonetheless, the executive notes that, “At the end of the day, the tape and the fall grades are the most important grades.” Volin adds that the private visits and workouts that follow a player’s Pro Day are the evaluations that “really matter,” and although the Browns have been a no-show at a number of notable Pro Days, they are still “working each player individually and likely bringing them to Cleveland for visits with coaches and top personnel.” And, as long-time college scout Greg Gabriel says, “Cleveland is on the right page with this. [Private workouts are] more of a reactive than prepared workout. The Cleveland coaches are running the workout, the quarterback doesn’t know what to expect. They can put him in the meeting room, put him on the board, teach him some things, see how fast he can repaint it, and then carry it over to the practice field right away.”
Of course, Cleveland’s front office turmoil this offseason could explain some of the team’s Pro Day absences. As Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes, new head coach Mike Pettine prefers having his full staff assembled at this time to construct and finalize the team’s playbooks. Grossi adds, however, that Pettine’s explanation and the front office shuffle, while explanatory factors, do not excuse the team’s failure to attend certain Pro Days.
Grossi’s tone suggests that he might be in the camp that believes Cleveland should be a more active attendee. Nonetheless, the logic of those who defend the Browns in this regard is sound, and it should at least give Browns fans one less reason to panic.
For what it’s worth, the Browns were represented at Jadeveon Clowney‘s impressive Pro Day last week.
AFC East Notes: Beckham, Martin, Jacobs
We learned Friday that the Jets would be hosting LSU WR Odell Beckham, Jr. for a pre-draft visit later this week. According to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. believes that of the three wideouts most frequently linked to the Jets–Beckham, Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks, and USC’s Marqise Lee–Beckham and Cooks make the most sense.
Kiper states that Beckham offers a complete skill-set as a pure receiver, and Cooks offers the explosiveness that would complement newly-signed Eric Decker nicely while allowing Jeremy Kerley to shift to the slot. Lee, meanwhile, might not have the speed that the Jets would covet at this point.
Now for some more news on the AFC East:
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald takes an extensive look at how the Dolphins might go about upgrading their offensive line in the draft. Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin is one possibility for Miami, who holds the No. 19 overall pick, as he is a technically-gifted player capable of playing both guard and right tackle at a high level. However, he would have to fall past Pittsburgh at No. 15 and Baltimore at No. 17, both of whom have needs on the offensive line and who have been linked to Martin.
- We learned yesterday that the Patriots have structured their salary cap to allow for the addition of Tom Brady‘s successor. Although Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com does not state that the team believes it will land that successor in this year’s draft, he does write that, with Ryan Mallett entering his contract year, adding a third quarterback is a guarantee.
- Reiss adds that there is no chance New England will trade Mallett, given that his value as a player who knows the system and who looks to be capable of serving as an adequate insurance policy for Brady is far greater than the late-round pick the team might be able to land in a trade.
- Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News writes that billionaire Buffalo native and Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs would be interested in buying the Bills. Jacobs’ emergence on the scene–along with other factors that could complicate a move to a larger, more lucrative market–is another reason for Bills fans to remain optimistic that the team will stay put.