Saints Still In On Adrian Peterson
The Saints are still very much involved with Adrian Peterson, according to Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). The two sides still talking about a short-term deal to bring him to New Orleans. 
[RELATED: Giants Monitoring Adrian Peterson, LeGarrette Blount]
Peterson is reportedly willing to play for $5MM or less in the “right situation” and the Saints could be one of the clubs that fits the bill for him. Although they’re coming off of a down year, the Saints have the pieces in place to contend as well as a winning culture. They have significant holes to fill on defense, but they would be in solid shape offensively with the addition of Peterson.
Peterson met with the Saints earlier in April and reportedly looked explosive during a workout session with the Patriots. The Giants, meanwhile, are still monitoring No. 28. We know that there’s at least a couple of teams with interest in Peterson, but it’s not clear if any club is willing to commit to him in advance of this week’s draft. With younger and cheaper talent readily available, Peterson will likely have to wait until at least May to find his next NFL home.
If Peterson does sign with the Saints, his first regular season game will come against the Vikings in Week 1.
Latest On Cowboys’ Jaylon Smith
The Cowboys and Jaylon Smith have received some good news. The linebacker’s damaged nerve is regenerating, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He has a long way to go, but he can now lift is foot and is getting back muscle control.
Earlier this offseason, word was that Smith’s nerve would not be coming back to life and that he would be forced to play football with drop foot. The plan was for the Notre Dame product to play the season with a brace that would stabilize his leg, making him the first NFL player to ever attempt to take the field with the condition. However, the latest developments are a positive sign for Smith and may allow him to play at 100% – or something close to it.
Over the weekend, word emerged that Smith could be ready in time for team OTAs. This could be wishful/premature thinking, but there’s certainly reason for hope now in Dallas.
In his final season at Notre Dame, Smith compiled 115 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Prior to his unfortunate injury, Smith was widely projected as a top 10 pick in the 2016 draft. Instead, he fell to the Cowboys in the second round. If he’s able to make a recovery, Dallas’ risk could pay major dividends in 2017.
Patriots’ Butler, Rams’ Johnson Staying Put
Two of the league’s top cornerbacks have been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but it sounds like both players will be staying put for 2017. The Patriots are unlikely to move Malcolm Butler and the Rams are unlikely to trade Trumaine Johnson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). 
[RELATED: Saints Cooling On Malcolm Butler Pursuit]
The Saints and Butler have agreed to terms on multi-year deal in the event that a trade can be completed, but the two teams are too far apart on compensation to get a trade done. Realistically, any trade would have to come together before this week’s draft since the Patriots do not want to deal the cornerback for 2018 draft compensation. The Saints, meanwhile, are very high on the talent in this year’s class and want to hold on to their first three picks. The clock is ticking and things have not progressed enough over the last six weeks for a deal to come together, so it sounds like the Butler drama will be put on hold until March of next year.
The Rams, meanwhile, have pivoted away from trade talks and are now mulling the possibility of an extension for Johnson. Johnson, 27, is now scheduled to earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $16.742MM after being hit with a second consecutive franchise tender. An extension would allow Los Angeles to smooth out that cap hit over the next few years. The Rams were discussing Johnson with “multiple teams” when free agency started, but the Browns are the only club to really get linked to him.
Peter King On Butler, Saints, Mixon, Giants
Someone familiar with the Saints‘ thinking believes they are leaning towards keeping their first three picks rather than using them to acquire Malcolm Butler from the Patriots, Peter King of The MMQB writes. The team remains interested in the cornerback, but they believe that there are a number of players ranked between No. 25 and 75 on their board that can contribute immediately. The thought of trading one or more picks for Butler in addition to giving him a high-priced deal is not as attractive as it once was for New Orleans. The Saints presently own five picks in the first three rounds: Nos. 11, 32, 42, 76, and 103.
Here’s more from King:
- Joe Mixon has garnered the most interest from the Bengals, Vikings, Packers, and Jaguars, King hears. King personally wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bengals take the controversial running back with the No. 41 overall pick given the team’s past willingness to gamble on a checkered history.
- King wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants move up from No. 23 or if the Texans move up from No. 25 to get a pick in the teens. The Giants are looking for a tackle and the Texans are in need of a quarterback. The Ravens (No. 16) and Titans (No. 18) “would be happy to move down,” King writes.
- Many of the top players in this year’s draft come with serious medical concerns. One GM told King that he has never ‘been part of a draft with so many medical red flags.”
NFL Draft Rumors: Mixon, Raiders, Eagles
Is Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon the most talented player in this year’s draft? One nameless personnel executive told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he believes that to be the case. The other execs surveyed, naturally, went in different directions. Texas A&M star Myles Garrett got 11 votes, LSU safety Jamal Adams got two, and there was one vote cast for Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster and Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. Unlike the others, Mixon doesn’t necessarily seem likely to go in the first round.
Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:
- If the Raiders do not have Marshawn Lynch locked up this week, they’ll likely explore a running back in the draft. CSNBayArea.com’s Scott Bair looked at the team’s Day 2 options, including Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara, but noted that the team would probably wait until even later to address the position. Wyoming’s Brian Hill, Pittsburgh’s James Conner, Brigham Young’s Jamaal Williams, and Clemson’s Wayne Gallman could all garner consideration deeper in the draft.
- Mixon remains on the Eagles‘ draft board with less than one week to go before the draft, two sources tell Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. Furthermore, the Eagles are “very interested” in drafting him, and that comes after extensive research into his off-the-field history. Mixon recently settled the civil suit brought against him by Amelia Molitor and apparently apologized to her in person, which might help his case with teams.
- Is Cal’s Davis Webb a better quarterback prospect that Jared Goff? At least one NFL talent evaluator thinks so. “Goff has maybe quicker feet and better release. Davis has a stronger arm. Goff would be more accurate. Davis would be a much better worker, much smarter, better leader, enjoy the process,” an AFC scout told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “I think Davis puts the ball on the ground a little bit too much and he forces probably a little bit too much.” Overall, here’s how the surveyed scouts ranked the top QBs in this year’s class: 1. Mitch Trubisky, 2. Patrick Mahomes, 3. Deshaun Watson, t-4. DeShone Kizer t-4. Webb, 6. Nathan Peterman, 7. Joshua Dobbs, 8. Brad Kaaya, 9. C.J. Beathard, 10. Trevor Knight.
49ers Considering QB At No. 2
The 49ers are giving strong consideration to taking a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, according to sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Niners already have free agent pickups Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley on the roster, so this news comes as something of a surprise. 
Of course, every piece of news must be taken with a grain of salt on draft week. The Niners could be giving real thought to Mitch Trubisky and other top QBs, but they might also be trying to send a message to teams that are interested in taking a top signal caller. The Browns, for example, have an affinity for Trubisky (or, at least, some Browns execs do), and the Niners could be scaring them into trading up to the No. 2 pick. Rapoport hears that the Browns are one of several teams considering a move up to No. 2, so this could be a clever smokescreen on the part of SF brass.
Assuming Myles Garrett goes No. 1 overall, taking a QB at No. 2 would mean bypassing several intriguing talents like Stanford’s Solomon Thomas. The pick might also rule out a pursuit of Kirk Cousins after the 2017 season, but it’s too early to know that for certain. What we do know is that San Francisco standing pat and taking a QB at No. 2 would cause a surprising domino effect that would radically alter the rest of the first round.
AFC South Notes: Texans, QBs, Colts, Alie-Cox
While the quarterback dominoes could fall before the Texans‘ No. 25 selection window opens, GM Rick Smith does not feel obligated to take a quarterback in Round 1. Of course, it’s not like the veteran decision-maker would say his team has to have a quarterback by a certain point, it is notable Smith said he would be fine with Tom Savage as a Week 1 starter.
“I think he’s proven that he can play at a high level in the offense,” Smith said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “He’s been injured, so he hasn’t had an extended amount of time to do that, but I am comfortable with that.”
Smith confirmed Houston plans to add a third quarterback going into training camp but didn’t say said passer has to be added through the draft. Although, the 12th-year GM did call this maligned crop of quarterbacks a “good class.” Smith echoed what Bill O’Brien said earlier this offseason, noting the difficulties modern rookies face when taking the reins in Year 1.
“It’s rare that you can get a guy that can come in and play at a high level at the position early,” Smith said, via Barshop. “But it’s certainly possible.”
The Texans brought in Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, the latter of whom O’Brien is quite fond of, for visits earlier this week. Both could well be off the board by the time the Texans pick, which could place the team — in the event it doesn’t trade up — with Savage as its Week 1 starter. Potential Day 2 prospect Brad Kaaya also visited this week. The Texans had mild interest in Jay Cutler, but O’Brien prefers Savage to him.
Here’s more from the AFC South.
- Colts GM Chris Ballard is borrowing a page from “The Cubs Way,” a book about how Theo Epstein reshaped baseball in Chicago. One key similarity between the two decision-makers is their emphasis on young talent. “It takes time to build a team,” Ballard said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells). “… Do we have work in front of us? Yes, we do. But it takes time. And the biggest thing that I want to make sure that we’re emphasizing is that competition and they have to earn it. It doesn’t matter where you come from and how we build it or where, from first-round pick to undrafted free agent to street free agent, guy that was cut at the 53-[man roster], future signing.”
- On a conference call with reporters, new Colts addition Mo Alie-Cox said that the Buccaneers, Chargers, and Seahawks were among the teams that also made offers (Twitter links via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). The former VCU basketball player added that he picked the Colts in part because coach Chuck Pagano reminded him of (former VCU coach) Shaka Smart. Some teams thought Alie-Cox could play defensive end, but he’ll be a tight end with the Colts.
- Texans GM Rick Smith said he has not talked to Vince Wilfork since last season, but his “expectation is that Vince is not playing anymore,” Barshop tweets. Wilfork retired after 13 seasons in the league after the Texans’ loss to the Patriots in January.
- Both Harry Douglas and Da’Norris Searcy accepted paycuts from the Titans this week.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Restricted Free Agent Deadline Passes
The deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with rival clubs has come and gone. After 4pm ET/3pm CT, all of the league’s outstanding RFAs were left with no real choice but to sign tenders with their respective teams.
Redskins running back Chris Thompson was among the more notable names left in limbo, though he did not receive much in the way of interest and signed his one-year tender just prior to the deadline. Buccaneers defensive end Jacquies Smith did draw interest when he met with the Niners last month, but they ultimately did not present him with an offer sheet. With the deadline in the rear view mirror, the Bucs know for certain that he’ll be back in the fold. They’re eager to see what he can do after he missed most of the 2016 season with a torn ACL injury.
Although the RFA market isn’t typically full of excitement, we have had some major developments on that front in recent weeks. Bills running back Mike Gillislee appears to be on his way to the rival Patriots and Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, who recently signed his tender, could still be dealt to the Saints.
Bills Claim S Trae Elston Off Waivers
Both defensive backs waived by the Browns on Thursday have now been claimed. The Bills have been awarded safety Trae Elston, per a club announcement.
Elston entered the league as a UDFA last year with the Saints. He missed final cuts and went on to have a practice squad stint with the Bucs before joining Cleveland’s active roster. After some roster reshuffling at the end of the year, he wound up signing back with Cleveland as a reserve/futures player before his Thursday release.
The Ole Miss product, known for his hard-hitting style, didn’t suit up for any regular-season games as a rookie.
Jaguars Claim S Tracy Howard Off Waivers
The Jaguars claimed safety Tracy Howard off waivers, per the NFL transactions wire. Howard was waived by the Browns on Thursday. 
Howard, 22, caught on with the Browns last spring as an undrafted free agent from Miami. He appeared in all but one of their games and worked mostly on special teams, playing nearly 42 percent of snaps and returning seven kicks. Howard also saw a decent amount of action defensively (25.2 percent of snaps), and totaled 16 tackles.
The Jaguars presently have a boatload of safeties under contract with Tashaun Gipson (another former Brown), Barry Church, James Sample, Peyton Thompson, Jarrod Wilson, and Akeem Davis also on the depth chart.