Minor Moves: Friday
Here’s a round-up of the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Bengals have waived former Texas Tech wide receiver Eric Ward, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons waived five players today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Running back Ronnie Wingo, tackle Reid Fragel, cornerback Jordan Mabin, linebacker Jacques Smith, and safety Brandan Bishop were all cut to help make room for the incoming rookie class. None of the five players were contributors in Atlanta.
- The Bears signed safety Malcolm Bronson to a two-year contract after he impressed as a tryout player in their three-day minicamp, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The McNeese State product entered the NFL in 2003 as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs and spent the 2013 season on Kansas City’s practice squad before being released before the start of the 2014 season. Bronson appeared in 40 games at McNeese State from 2009-12, recording 230 tackles, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine tackles for a loss and 18 pass break-ups.
Draft Rumors: Collins, Gregory, DGB, Spain
There’s “some suspicion” that LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins may go undrafted all three days this weekend, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Even though Collins is not considered a suspect in a Louisiana police investigation, the case involves a shooting death and NFL investigators haven’t been able to uncover much info on it, so teams figure to play it safe until they know more. In an effort to buy time to clear his name, Collins asked for permission to withdraw from his draft and be eligible for the supplemental draft instead, but the league denied that request.
Here’s more on the draft:
- A personnel man whose team has a top-10 pick tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that his team is preparing to draft Nebraska edge rusher Randy Gregory tonight. “We’re not going to let him get past us,” Getlin’s source said. That sounds like it could be a smoke screen, given all the negative reports swirling around Gregory this week. Still, according to Getlin, this personnel man believes Gregory may be the most talented player in the draft, likening him to Derrick Brooks and Jason Taylor (Twitter links).
- A source close to Dorial Green-Beckham‘s camp tells Danny Parkins of 610 AM in Kansas City (Twitter link) that the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bengals, Texans, and 49ers have shown “a lot” of interest in the young wideout within the last 36 hours.
- West Virginia offensive lineman Quinton Spain, who received a fourth-round grade from some teams, worked out for the Jets, Steelers, Bengals, Titans, Falcons, and Buccaneers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network identifies six teams he believes can control this year’s draft.
NFC South Notes: Winston, Bucs, Saints
Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Buccaneers will not inform the player they’re picking of their decision until they’re on the clock Thursday night. Get ready for some nail biting from this year’s top two prospects. Here’s more from the NFC South..
- There’s a rumor that Buccaneers players have been told that Jameis Winston will be the pick, but Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that’s false based on conversations with four Tampa Bay players.
- The Saints worked out quarterback Garrett Grayson on Monday, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Today was the final allowable day for workouts of draft prospects. The Saints have been previously linked to Grayson.
- Texas A&M corner Deshazor Everett worked out for the Buccaneers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The speedster also auditioned for the Chargers, Bengals, Dolphins, and Jets.
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.
King’s Latest: Bucs, Mariota, Cowboys, Pats
Before answering readers’ questions in his weekly mailbag this week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com passed along a number of the latest draft rumors he’s hearing with the first round just one day away. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Buccaneers have yet to receive a trade offer that “would come close” to making them decide to move down from No. 1.
- The Titans, Buccaneers, and Jaguars have all inquired with teams picking late in the first round about moving up from the second round, says King. The three teams have the first, second, and fourth picks, respectively, in round two.
- One GM told King that while the Titans still look like the favorites to end up with Marcus Mariota, he wouldn’t be shocked if Cleveland “trades the farm” to land the Oregon quarterback. The thinking is that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is sick of the merry-go-round at the position, and would like to land a “squeaky-clean” signal-caller to lead the franchise.
- The Cowboys would love to see running back Melvin Gordon fall to them at No. 27, but two other names to watch are linebackers Eric Kendricks (UCLA) and Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State).
- One team considering drafting a tackle in the first round is debating whether or not LSU’s La’el Collins will be on its draft board on Thursday night. While King acknowledges that this may be unfair, he explains the club’s thinking: “How can you draft a guy who’s being sought in connection with the death of a woman, even if police are saying now he isn’t a suspect? He needs to be exonerated by Thursday.”
- The Patriots like USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who looks like a logical target for the club if he’s still available at No. 32.
- With the 21st overall pick, the Bengals are considering Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, who had ACL surgery in January. King views this is a sign that teams are willing to wait on a prospect who wouldn’t be healthy enough to contribute immediately if they think he can be a premier player in the long term.
AFC Notes: Bengals, Rivers, Mercilus, Browns
Multiple reports and mock drafts in recent weeks have suggested the Bengals could use their first-round pick to add a young tackle, perhaps envisioning that player as an eventual replacement for Andrew Whitworth. As he tells Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer though, the idea of the team adding his potential replacement doesn’t worry Whitworth.
“I’ve always had the opposite mentality,” Whitworth said. “Mess up and draft somebody at my position because you are going to sit around and watch him sit the bench. That’s always been my mentality. I see it as a challenge.”
While we wait to see which direction the Bengals decide to go on Thursday, let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC….
- The Chargers met with Philip Rivers‘ agent in person last week and are still focused on extending the quarterback’s contract, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. If Rivers is still a Charger on Sunday, it should signal that the team is relatively confident it can get something done.
- Speaking today to reporters, including John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links), Texans general manager Rick Smith said he and the club are still deciding whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Whitney Mercilus. “Whether we pick it up or not, we want him around long time,” Smith said of the outside linebacker. For his part, McClain doesn’t expect the team to exercise its 2016 option.
- On the heels of ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reporting that Sam Bradford wants to play for the Eagles, and Philadelphia is unlikely to trade him, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the Browns would still like to acquire the former first overall pick — however, it’s not likely to happen.
- Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com ranks the Raiders‘ top five draft needs, and according to Bair, the No. 1 priority is finding a pass rusher that can take some of the heat off of Khalil Mack. Oakland could use a defensive end and they could very well use the No. 4 pick to shore up that spot. Bud Dupree, Leonard Williams, and Dante Fowler Jr. are candidates to end up in Oakland next season, Bair writes.
- Chiefs president Mark Donovan has signed a long-term contract extension to remain in Kansas City, the team announced today in a press release.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Bengals Exercise Options On Kirkpatrick, Zeitler
The Bengals have picked up a pair of fifth-year options, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), who reports that cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler both had their 2016 options exercised by the team.
Of the Bengals’ two 2012 first-rounders, Zeitler has been the more productive contributor during his first three years in the NFL. Though he has been slowed by injuries the last two seasons, Zeitler has established himself as the club’s right guard, starting 41 games there since 2012. Despite the fact that he played just 12 games in 2014, only eight guards – including four right guards – ranked higher than Zeitler, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).
Kirkpatrick, on the other hand, played just 248 defensive snaps for Cincinnati last season, fourth among Bengals cornerbacks. However, with Terence Newman now playing for the Vikings, there may be a greater opportunity for the former 17th overall pick to see the field in 2015. In spite of his limited playing time, Kirkpatrick has grabbed six interceptions over the last two seasons.
We heard last week that the Bengals were making it a priority to work out contract extensions with Kirkpatrick and Zeitler, so the fifth-year options for 2016 may end up just being placeholders. For now, Kirkpatrick is slated to earn $7.507MM in ’16, while Zeitler would earn $8.07MM. Those salaries are guaranteed for injury only until next March.
AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Raiders, Bengals
We took a look at ESPN.com’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the AFC…
- Rich Cimini wouldn’t be in favor of the Jets sacrificing a future first-rounder to secure Marcus Mariota at the second pick. However, the writer would be in favor of swapping the team’s first and third rounder to switch spots with Washington.
- The Chiefs would presented with a “dilemma” if running back Todd Gurley is available at pick number-eighteen, says Adam Teicher. Gurley would certainly be the best player available at that point in the draft, but the team already has a stud running back in Jamaal Charles.
- Meanwhile, among players who could “reasonably be available” for the Chiefs first pick, Teicher points to Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson, Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, Florida State center Cameron Erving and USC wideout Nelson Agholor could be potential targets.
- Bill Williamson suggests the Raiders could target a guard in the middle rounds to pair with Gabe Jackson, sending Khalif Barnes to more of a reserve role.
- Following the additions of Pat Sims and Michael Johnson, Coley Harvey has been told that the Bengals have no open spots on the defensive line. However, the writer believes the team could still pursue a rookie lineman if they could get good value at the draft spot.
Draft Notes: Ray, Scherff, Peters, Williams
There was some concern that Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray, who is expected to come off the board early in the draft next Thursday night, would require surgery on a troublesome foot injury. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Ray’s injury – which is similar to turf toe – was discovered during a team visit and prompted a visit to a foot specialist, who recommended rest rather than a surgical procedure, good news for the young edge defender.
Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Cowboys flagged Ray as needing surgery, but not all teams – and not all doctors, apparently – were convinced it was required.
Let’s check in on a few more Thursday draft updates….
- Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff is drawing “heavy interest” from teams drafting between the fifth and ninth spots in the first round, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). The clubs currently in those spots? Washington, the Jets, the Bears, the Falcons, and the Giants.
- In addition to making 17 pre-draft visits to teams, Washington cornerback Marcus Peters had individual workouts for the Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, and Dolphins, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Speaking to Maggie Gray on SI Now, Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams said that most teams are telling him his DUI incident shouldn’t have a huge impact on his draft stock.
- Montana edge defender Zack Wagenmann, who is projected as a mid- to late-round pick, broke his foot recently during a private workout with an NFL team, writes Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Wagenmann won’t be able to participate in football-related activities for eight weeks, but is aiming to be ready for training camp.
- Caplan also passes along an update on Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet, reporting (via Twitter) that Marpet visited the Chargers earlier this week, and has worked out for the Cardinals, Bengals, and Texans.
- Besides confirming some of his previously-reported visits, T.J. Clemmings‘ draft diary for USA Today (via Tom Pelissero) added some new teams to his list of possible suitors. According to the Pittsburgh tackle himself, he visited the Bears and had a private workout with the Panthers. Clemmings will also privately work out for the Dolphins tomorrow.
- Florida linebacker Neiron Ball has made pre-draft visits with the Patriots, Broncos, Buccaneers, and Texans, writes Wilson. Ball has also worked out privately for the Falcons, Rams, Steelers, Cardinals, and Texans.