Updated Projections For 2016 Draft Order
Last week, we examined what the NFL’s projected draft order for the top 10 picks of 2016 would look like, with the Titans in the lead for the number one overall pick. Tennessee’s blowout loss to the Texans on Sunday kept the Titans firmly in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick, and the club could clinch that top selection with a loss next weekend against the Colts.
While the outlook at the top of the projected 2016 draft order remains the same, with the Browns right behind the Titans for that first overall pick, there were a few other changes to the top 10 based on this weekend’s results. The Ravens’ win over Pittsburgh dropped Baltimore from No. 3 to No. 8, while victories by the Saints and Bears removed those teams from the top 10 for now, with the Buccaneers and Giants taking over their spots.
Here’s the current projected order for the top 10 picks of the 2016 NFL draft, with just one week left in the regular season. Teams are sorted by worst record, with strength of schedule serving as the tiebreaker — the weaker a team’s schedule, the higher its draft pick.
- Tennessee Titans: 3-12 (.493)
- Cleveland Browns: 3-12 (.532)
- San Diego Chargers: 4-11 (.511)
- Dallas Cowboys: 4-11 (.529)
- San Francisco 49ers: 4-11 (.558)
- Miami Dolphins: 5-10 (.453)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-10 (.467)
- Baltimore Ravens: 5-10 (.489)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-9 (.453)
- New York Giants: 6-9 (.498)
While a loss by the Titans would lock them into the first overall pick, the door remains open for the Browns, and given all the ties on this list, it’s possible the top 10 could shuffle around significantly by next Monday, so stay tuned.
AFC Notes: S. Smith, Grimes, Yates, Chiefs
A report last weekend suggested that Ravens receiver Steve Smith is expected to put off retirement plans for one more year and return to the field in 2016. However, Smith himself remains noncommittal on the issue.
As Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun details, Smith said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week that he’s “been on the fence” for a while about his plans for next year. The veteran wideout isn’t letting his Achilles injury determine his decision one way or the other, adding that the main factor will be what his family thinks.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- While there has been some speculation about Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes taking a pay cut for 2016, Grimes said he hasn’t paid any attention to that conversation, but didn’t entirely rule out the possibility, notes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Texans quarterback T.J. Yates, who was placed on injured reserve this week after tearing his ACL, will undergo surgery on Monday to repair that ACL, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m excited to get things going. I’m more annoyed than anything. I know I’ll come back. I know I’ll be fine, but it’s terrible timing for everything. I’m ready to get the process started,” Yates said, adding that he hopes to be ready to go for training camp next year.
- Veteran defensive tackle Ziggy Hood was among the free agents to work out for the Chiefs this week, per Wilson (Twitter link). Kansas City also took a look at quarterback Dominique Davis and defensive end Glenn Foster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/15
As teams continue to prepare their rosters for Week 16 games, let’s round up the latest minor transactions from around the NFL….
- The Saints are bringing back running back Travaris Cadet, claiming him off waivers from the 49ers, says Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Cadet played three years in New Orleans before spending time with the Patriots and Niners this season. To make room for him on their roster, the Saints have waived wide receiver T.J. Graham.
- The 49ers were indirectly involved in another minor transaction today, with the Ravens signing defensive back Jermaine Whitehead from San Francisco’s practice squad (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Baltimore cut tight end Richard Gordon. Whitehead, who has yet to appear in a regular season game, was signed by the Niners out of Auburn as an undrafted free agent, and had spent the season on the team’s practice squad. Gordon was waived by Ravens with a left squad designation, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Alonzo Harris (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: S Jonathan Dowling (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Conor Boffeli (press release via team)
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Placed on PS-IR: LB Tony Washington (Twitter link via Wilson)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Jahwan Edwards (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: WR Deon Long (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/22/15
Tuesdays are typically busy days for roster changes during the NFL regular season, and even with the holidays around the corner, this week is no different. Here are the latest minor transactions from around the league:
- The Packers announced that they’ve placed long snapper Brett Goode on injured reserve, signing fellow snapper Rick Lovato to take his place. Per Wes Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com (Twitter link), Goode tore his ACL during Sunday’s game against the Raiders.
- The Bears announced (via Twitter) that they’ve promoted defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith from the practice squad, waiving running back Antone Smith to create a roster spot. D’Anthony has spent time with the Jaguars, Lions, and Seahawks, while Antone had seen just one carry for Chicago this year.
- With Marcus Mariota ailing, the Titans have signed quarterback Alex Tanney off the Colts’ practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link). Tanney, known for his “trick-shot” Youtube videos, will back up Zach Mettenberger on Sunday. Tennessee placed defensive tackle Mike Martin on injured reserve to create a roster spot.
Earlier updates:
- The 49ers have signed running back DuJuan Harris from off the Ravens‘ practice squad, cutting running back Travaris Cadet to make room, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com noted this afternoon (via Twitter) that the knee injury sustained by Shaun Draughn didn’t appear to be serious, but the club wanted to add some insurance just in case. San Francisco may get some added insurance in the form of Mike Davis, who is currently on the IR-DTR list, and will begin practicing this week, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
- After somehow playing through a fractured fibula for three quarters on Sunday, safety David Bruton will head to injured reserve, officially ending his season, the Broncos confirmed today in a press release. Safety Shaun Prater will take the open spot on the roster, with Bruton expected to require four to six weeks to recover from his injury.
- As expected, the Browns formally placed starting right guard John Greco on injured reserve today, per a team release. Cleveland has re-signed wide receiver Darius Jennings to the roster, after waiving him last week.
- The Buccaneers have filled the opening on their 53-man roster by promoting wide receiver Evan Spencer from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. Spencer was selected in the sixth round of this year’s draft by Washington.
- The Bills are elevating wide receiver Walter Powell to their active roster from the practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Powell figures to replace Robert Woods, who is expected to land on IR.
- Giants fullback Nikita Whitlock is headed to the injured reserve list, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Whitlock suffered a knee injury that isn’t expected to be a long-term issue, but it will keep him sidelined for the club’s last couple games of the season.
Titans In Lead For No. 1 Overall Pick
After multiple reports surfaced yesterday suggesting that a sprained MCL would keep Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota sidelined for the last two games of the season, head coach Mike Mularkey told the media that he hadn’t ruled out the rookie signal-caller for Week 17 yet, suggesting that Mariota will be re-evaluated next week.
That may be true, but it’s also true that’s it’s probably in the Titans’ best interests to shut down Mariota for the year. If Tennessee loses its final two games, the team will almost certainly land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, and adding another marquee prospect to complement 2015’s second overall pick would significantly benefit the franchise in the long term.
While the Titans are currently in the driver’s seat for that first overall pick, the “race” isn’t over yet. Like Tennessee, the Browns also have a 3-11 record, and with the red-hot Chiefs and Steelers left on the schedule, Cleveland probably won’t win again this season. So a Titans victory against the division-rivals Texans or Colts would open the door for the Browns to snag the first overall pick.
Courtesy of NFL.com, here’s the current projected order for the top 10 picks of 2016, with two weeks left in the regular season. Teams are sorted by worst record, with strength of schedule serving as the tiebreaker — the weaker a team’s schedule, the higher its draft pick.
- Tennessee Titans: 3-11 (.490)
- Cleveland Browns: 3-11 (.520)
- Baltimore Ravens: 4-10 (.490)
- San Diego Chargers: 4-10 (.510)
- Dallas Cowboys: 4-10 (.551)
- San Francisco 49ers: 4-10 (.571)
- Miami Dolphins: 5-9 (.449)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-9 (.469)
- New Orleans Saints: 5-9 (.526)
- Chicago Bears: 5-9 (.561)
AFC Notes: Richardson, Colts, Workouts
The court case for Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who is facing five misdemeanor charges, has been postponed for a third time, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. The hearing is now scheduled for January 25, well after the regular season comes to an end. From an on-field perspective, the latest delay shouldn’t affect Richardson and the Jets significantly, since any discipline from the NFL was always likely to be applied for the 2016 season, rather than this year.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Colts have arguably been the NFL’s biggest underachiever this season, leaving owner Jim Irsay no choice but to make changes in the offseason. While neither head coach Chuck Pagano nor general manager Ryan Grigson should feel safe heading into 2016, Mike Wells of ESPN.com takes a look at the problem areas for the two men to get an idea of whether they ought to be replaced.
- Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams, and Patriots outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard were among the top free agent signings of the 2015 offseason, writes Mike Sando of ESPN.com in an Insider-only piece.
- Before signing Chris Carter to their active roster and Nordly Capi to their practice squad, the Ravens also worked out veteran linebacker Ricky Sapp, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Wilson also has the details on the latest Jaguars tryouts, tweeting that fullback Ray Agnew, defensive lineman Shayon Green, tackle Sean Hickey, defensive back Josh Johnson and safety Earl Wolff auditioned for Jacksonville.
- One more workout note from Wilson, who tweets that the Browns are taking a look at former Towson offensive tackle Randall Harris today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/21/15
Here are today’s practice squad updates.
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Nordly Capi (Twitter link via team).
- Placed on Practice Squad Injured List: LB Brennen Beyer
Washington
- Signed: WR Colin Lockett (press release via team)
- Placed on PS-IR: TE Ray Hamilton
Ravens Place Crockett Gillmore On IR
The Ravens have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve placed tight end Crockett Gillmore on season-ending injured reserve, signing former Bengals outside linebacker Chris Carter to fill the open roster spot.
Gillmore, 24, had been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Ravens. With Dennis Pitta out for the year, Gillmore enjoyed a mini-breakout season, catching 33 balls for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. However, he has been sidelined since early December with a back injury, and wasn’t expected to return.
As for Carter, the linebacker and special-teamer was waived less than a week ago by Cincinnati. Having already spent time with the Steelers, Colts, and Bengals during his five-year NFL career, Carter has never emerged as a defensive regular, despite appearing in 46 career NFL games.
Steve Smith Expected To Return In 2016
Although Steve Smith, Sr. announced in August that the 2015 season would be his last in the NFL, there were rumblings as early as October that he would be open to returning in 2016. Given that this year has been such a disappointment for the Ravens, who had legitimate playoff aspirations when the season began, and given that Smith’s excellent individual performance was cut short by a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 8, it makes sense that the diminutive wideout, renowned for his toughness and competitive spirit, would want to give it one more shot in 2016.
And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, that’s exactly what Smith plans to do. Citing sources who stay in regular contact with Smith, Rapoport says that if Smith feels like his usual self when he fully recovers from his torn Achilles, he will return next season, which will be the final year of the three-year, $11.5MM deal he signed with Baltimore prior to the 2014 campaign. Rapoport adds that Smith is out of his walking boot, and he is focusing on hydrotherapy at the moment in an effort to avoid atrophy and to ensure that he can regain his usual explosiveness and cutting ability.
Over the course of his prolific career, Smith has compiled 13,392 receiving yards–good for 11th all-time–to go along with 76 receiving touchdowns. That is not to mention the success he enjoyed as a return man in the early part of his career with the Panthers, his five Pro Bowls, and his two First Team All-Pro selections, all of which make him a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate. And although the 36-year-old Utah product showed some signs of slowing down towards the latter stages of the 2014 season–a season in which he nonetheless posted 1,065 receiving yards and six scores–he bounced back with a vengeance in 2015, averaging nearly 100 yards per game before being sidelined.
The Ravens will surely look to supplement their receiving corps this offseason, but they would love to see Smith return, as he has proven that, despite his age, he can still be an invaluable weapon for quarterback Joe Flacco, whose season was also cut short by an Achilles injury.