AFC Notes: Chargers, Ravens, Broncos, Fins
Asked about the Chargers‘ trade up for Melvin Gordon, general manager Tom Telesco said his club had seven “impact” players targeted in the first round, and the Wisconsin back was the last one available (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune). The Chargers were motivated to move up two spots to snag Gordon since they felt the Texans might be interested, and recognized that another team might try to move ahead of them.
Telesco added that the Chargers feel like Gordon is the best pass-protecting running back in the draft, which helps make up for not selecting an offensive lineman (Twitter link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune).
- The Ravens selected wide receiver Breshad Perriman with the 26th overall pick, but if Perriman hadn’t been available, Baltimore likely would’ve tried to trade out of that spot, per GM Ozzie Newsome (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- According to GM John Elway, Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray was a top-10 player on the Broncos‘ draft board, so it’s not surprising that the team was willing to move up a few spots to No. 23 overall to grab him (Twitter link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).
- After taking a receiver in the first round, the Dolphins figure to target cornerbacks, guards, linebackers, or even defensive tackles with their second round pick, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, providing a few names to watch. Having sent their third-rounder to the Saints earlier in the offseason, the Dolphins will only pick once tomorrow unless they make another move.
Draft Rumors: DGB, Ray, Bradford, Falcons
Troubled receiver Dorial Green-Beckham received a lot of interest from teams in the middle of round one, but none selected him, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), who suggests that in 2014 (before the NFL dealt with numerous high-profile off-the-field incidents) DGB would have been selected already.
More from the draft…
- Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff says he’s not opposed to trading back into the first round, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Another NFC GM — Rick Spielman of the Vikings — doesn’t think his club will be able to get back into Round One, given that they didn’t acquire any extra ammunition by trading back from No. 11 (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
- The Broncos thought they needed to move ahead of the Ravens to get Shane Ray, justifying their trade with the Lions, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Browns GM Ray Farmer says he never officially made an offer for the No. 2 pick, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly says he’s still interested in an extension with Sam Bradford (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News), and added that he offered no players to either the Titans or the Buccaneers (Twitter link via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com).
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Bengals cut linebacker L.J. Fort, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Cincy first signed Fort on a reserve deal in January. Fort is listed as a linebacker but last year the Seahawks were experimenting with him as a fullback in practice.
- Ravens running back Fitzgerald Toussaint signed his exclusive-rights tender, Wilson tweets. Toussaint was a training camp standout for Baltimore and many expected him to be the star of the Baltimore backfield following Ray Rice‘s suspension.
- The Giants placed Troy Kropog on reserve-physically unable to perform list, Wilson tweets. Kropog, 29 in July, signed a reserve/futures contract with the Giants in January.
- The Buccaneers cut defensive back Jocquel Skinner, Wilson tweets. The safety signed a reserves deal with the Bucs in January. Skinner previously spent time with the Giants before being cut with an injury settlement last summer.
- The Packers cut Travis Dekker from the reserve-military list and cut Aleric Mullins from the reserve-did not report list, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
Draft Rumors: Gregory, Falcons, Bills, Saints
While Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test at the combine might not be enough to push him too far down draft boards on its own, there’s concern about the pass rusher’s ability to “handle the mental rigors of professional football,” according to Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer of NFL.com. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, the NFL.com report is quite vague and short on specifics, but Rapoport and Breer suggest that multiple teams have removed Gregory from their draft boards entirely. According to the duo, Gregory’s issues might be manageable, but not fixable, which makes it crucial that he lands in the right situation.
“It all depends on the organization, and what they have in place for him,” said one NFC personnel executive. “There are quite a few players that have issues. It’s where you place football character over the things he can’t control. That’s the big thing to me.”
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports indicated earlier today that he wouldn’t touch Gregory, alluding to the Nebraska defender’s “other issues” (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that those “issues” are a combination of mental health concerns and recreational drug use.
With players like Josh Gordon and Dion Jordan set to serve season-long suspensions, it makes sense that teams would be wary of a player like Gregory, who could potentially run into similar off-field trouble. It’ll be interesting to see which club eventually takes a chance on a player who has top-10 talent, and when exactly that happens.
Here are a few more draft updates:
- As rumors swirl suggesting that the Falcons could trade up from No. 8 for a top pass rusher, Rapoport tweets that most of the teams he has spoken to believe Atlanta will actually trade back and select an offensive lineman.
- According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Bills owner Terry Pegula initially planned to make the trip to Texas this week for the club’s meeting with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. It ultimately didn’t work out, but it could be a sign that Buffalo is serious about Petty.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identifies the Rams, Saints, Bengals, Cowboys, Colts, Patriots, and Seahawks as teams that may be willing to roll the dice on some of the prospects in this year’s draft class who have red flags related to character and/or off-field incidents.
- While the Saints earned a mention in La Canfora’s list, GM Mickey Loomis did say today that some players will be off New Orleans’ draft board because of character issues, tweets Brett Martel of The Associated Press. Still, Loomis noted that in many cases he’s more concerned about a player’s judgment than the incident itself, and said it’s important to be careful about labeling a player based on one incident (Twitter links).
- Loomis also said today that the Saints are unlikely to trade picks, but will listen to opportunities to move up or down. The overarching goal for the draft, according to the GM, is to make the team better “right now” (Twitter links via Martel).
- Penn State tight end Jesse James, a probable mid-round pick, worked out for the Ravens, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
AFC North Notes: Flacco, Steelers, Browns
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is upbeat about new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. Although Trestman and Bears quarterback Jay Cutler were not successful together (especially in 2014), Flacco believes that he’ll get along just fine with his OC. “Everybody likes Marc, I think he’s a bright guy,” Flacco said Saturday night. “I think he’s running the meetings well. I think he’s doing some really good things. We’re evolving a little bit. I think he’s going to be a good fit.”
AFC North Notes: J. Thomas, Ravens, Walford
Responding to a reader’s question in today’s mailbag, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reveals that the Browns had the opportunity to trade left tackle Joe Thomas to a NFC East or NFC West team last year. It’s a bit of a confusing statement — Thomas is one of the best offensive lineman in the NFL, meaning it shouldn’t be difficult for Cleveland to find suitors for him if he were on the block, so the fact that Kabot uses the term “opportunity” is odd. Reading between the lines, I’m guessing that the Browns may have had extremely preliminary discussions about dealing Thomas, but decided to retain their All Pro.
Here’s more from the AFC North, with several notes out of Baltimore:
- The Ravens had a predraft visit with Miami tight end Clive Walford, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore is on the lookout for a tight end given Dennis Pitta‘s injury concerns, and Walford could be in had in either the second or third round. PFR’s Rob DiRe pointed to Walford as the possible standout among this year’s crop of tight ends.
- Baltimore coveted pass rusher Khalil Mack in the 2014 draft, but Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome wasn’t able to convince the Raiders to trade picks. This year, writes Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun, Newsome & Co. will have to decide whether to move up, down, or stand pat, while noting that Newsome has executed a draft-day trade in 13 consecutive seasons.
- In his latest mailbag for ESPN.com, Jamison Hensley opines that the Ravens could work out a long-term deal for Marshal Yanda before the season, and argues that despite Jimmy Smith‘s recent extension, cornerback is still an area of need for Baltimore.
Extra Points: Farmer, Pitta, Giants
Over the weekend, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com looked at five GMs in need of a strong draft, including Browns GM Ray Farmer. Thanks to the Sammy Watkins trade, Farmer has a pair of first-round picks for the second consecutive year and, as Wesseling notes, he can’t afford to blow them this time around. Here’s a look around the NFL..
- Dennis Pitta said at an event for special Olympics tonight that his goal is to play this season, but it’s still too early for him to know, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. The Ravens tight end has been plagued by injuries over the last two seasons but is among the most productive offensively when healthy.
- The Giants‘ problems are far from fixed, but they don’t have as many glaring holes to fill as they did when last year’s draft rolled around and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com thinks they should consider moving up. If a defensive difference-maker such as Leonard Williams or Dante Fowler Jr. slips past the top four or five, Graziano would support Big Blue moving up, so long as the cost was reasonable. Unfortunately, Williams looks like Oakland’s top choice at No. 4 and Fowler looks like Washington’s top choice at No. 5.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com if he thinks the Titans might cut or restructure running back Shonn Greene and guard Andy Levitre. Green is due $3.25MM in 2015 and would only leave $833K in dead money, so he could very well get cut if and when Antonio Andrews beats him out in camp. Cutting Levitre, meanwhile, wouldn’t save the Titans all that much money, so he’s not a likely cut for them.
Draft Links: Cooper, Perriman, Raiders, Ravens
Alabama wideout Amari Cooper figures to be one of the first two wideouts selected in next week’s draft (along with West Virginia’s Kevin White). It seems unlikely that the talented 20-year-old will fall outside the top-10, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reports that Cooper met with nine teams drafting within that range.
That list includes Washington, the Buccaneers, Titans, Jaguars, Jets, Bears, Falcons, Giants, Rams and Browns. The Raiders and Vikings were the only teams selecting in the top-12 to not host Cooper.
Let’s take a look at some other draft notes from around the league…
- While Cooper and White are expected to the be the first two receivers off the board, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell believes Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman could emerge as a top pick. “I think Cooper is the top receiver prospect this year,” Cosell writes for Yahoo! Sports. “But if you asked me who is No. 2 among White and Perriman, that’s a tougher question. I really like Perriman…Perriman is a big powerful, explosive, fast guy. Although he and White are about the same size, on film Perriman looks like the bigger guy. I could see ranking Perriman even with or ahead of White, although I’m in the minority on that.”
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson wonders (on Twitter) if Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. could be in play for the Raiders during the first round. The junior compiled 2.5 sacks during the 2014 season, finishing his college career with 14.5 sacks.
- CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown believes the Ravens will make trades during this year’s draft, but not during the first round. The writer wonders if the team could move up during the second round to secure Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Wilson, Mosley, Browns
For years, the Steelers have had no problem finding value in pass-rushing outside linebackers. It wasn’t long ago that they were one of the few teams running a 3-4 defense, and were able to find defensive ends that were considered undersized and transition them to a new position, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Those times are gone however, as many other teams have transitioned to either a 3-4 or a multiple defense and have learned to value the athletic pass rushers who have questions about putting their hand in the dirt and playing like a traditional pass rusher. It is much harder to find those classic Steelers’ linebackers late in the draft, and that used to be a huge advantage for the team’s defense on draft day.
Here are a few more notes from around the AFC North:
- The Ravens have shown interest in 6’2″, 205-pound cornerback Julian Wilson out of Oklahoma, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “I met with them and it was really good,” said the versatile cornerback. “We went over board work, going over coverages my team was doing and some Ravens stuff. They wanted to see if I had a good understanding of the game.“
- With the NFL Draft less than a week away, the Ravens are looking at the success of last year’s first-round pick for what they expect to add to the team. C.J. Mosley is following an excellent rookie season by doing all the right things, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. “Learning the little things about the defense, definitely,” Mosley said. “Definitely getting back stronger after I get this cast off [he had left wrist surgery this offseason] and still learning from my vets, because there are still a lot of things to learn as far as [being a] defensive player, being a young player. Getting in touch with Daryl Smith more and seeing the things that helped him progress each year in his long career, that can help me out.“
- The Browns have been quiet about their plans for the NFL Draft despite having two top-20 picks, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from dreaming about them. Tucker Bagley of PhillyMag.com has rounded up a few Eagles’ stories, two of which has Philadelphia using Cleveland as a jumping board in a three-team trade to get Marcus Mariota. Cleveland would likely settle for some combination of Sam Bradford and draft picks in those situations.
Ravens Re-Sign Will Hill
Shortly after reporting that Justin Tucker has signed his restricted free agent tender to return to the Ravens, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that another Baltimore RFA has signed his own tender. According to Wilson, safety Will Hill has inked a one-year contract and will be back with the Ravens.
Whereas the team tendered Tucker at the second-round level, Hill was given an original-pick tender, meaning he’ll be in line for a 2015 salary of $1.542MM. It also means that if Hill had signed an offer sheet with another team and the Ravens elected not to match it, Baltimore wouldn’t have received any draft compensation, since the Florida product came into the league as an undrafted free agent.
It’s perhaps a little surprising that Hill didn’t generate much interest or sign an offer sheet elsewhere, since he was one of the more talented RFAs available. Still, his off-field history, which includes multiple suspensions for violating league policies, may have scared off potential suitors.
Hill, who turned 25 last month, served a six-game suspension to start the 2014 season, but was his usual effective self when he returned, recording 47 tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown. The Ravens safety also ranked 14th out of 87 qualified players at the position last year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — his 584 defensive snaps were the fewest of any safety with a top-20 grade.