Compensatory Picks For 2016 NFL Draft
The NFL has officially announced the 33 compensatory picks for the 2016 NFL draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2015 offseason. So, for instance, the Lions, who lost Ndamukong Suh, get the top compensatory pick this year.
The comp pick formula assigns picks who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. These selections can’t be traded.
Here’s the full breakdown, by round and by team:
By Round:
Round 3:
- Detroit Lions
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
Round 4:
- Green Bay Packers
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- Cleveland Browns
- Buffalo Bills
Round 5:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Seattle Seahawks
- Cleveland Browns
- Cleveland Browns
- San Francisco 49ers
- San Diego Chargers
Round 6:
- New England Patriots
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
- San Francisco 49ers
- Dallas Cowboys
- San Francisco 49ers
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
- Dallas Cowboys
- Dallas Cowboys
- Buffalo Bills
- Denver Broncos
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- New England Patriots
By Team:
- Dallas Cowboys (4)
- New England Patriots (4)
- San Francisco 49ers (4)
- Baltimore Ravens (3)
- Cleveland Browns (3)
- Denver Broncos (3)
- Seattle Seahawks (3)
- Buffalo Bills (2)
- Detroit Lions (2)
- Green Bay Packers (2)
- Arizona Cardinals (1)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
- San Diego Chargers (1)
Free Agent Rumors: Wisniewski, Jaguars, Giants, Sanu
The latest free agent rumors:
- Center Stefen Wisniewski remains an option to return as a starter for the Jaguars, but he is still shopping himself around, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. The Jaguars, meanwhile, continue to seek out depth on the offensive line. Cowboys free agent guard Mackenzy Bernadeau is visiting the Jaguars, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
- New Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu says that his agent indicated that the Giants, Chargers, Patriots, Bucs, Titans, and Washington were all interested in him, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Raiders sniffed around Jerrell Freeman but they seem closer to signing a different inside linebacker in Erin Henderson, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The Jets are also after Henderson, he adds.
- Browns free agent linebacker Craig Robertson is on his way to visit the Seahawks, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets.
Draft Rumors: Bosa, Powell, Chargers, Browns
The latest draft buzz:
- Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa will be dining with the Chargers on Friday evening, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets.
- Safety Tyvis Powell had one-on-one interviews with the Browns, Lions, Titans, and Saints, per Pauline (via WalterFootball.com). The Titans are looking to grab a safety on day two of the draft while the Lions are hoping to grab a safety early after whiffing on George Iloka in free agency.
- Tight end Nick Vannett met with the Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, Seahawks, Falcons, and Jets. The Ohio State tight end was said to have had a strong showing at the 2016 Senior Bowl. At 6’6″ and 257 pounds, he has the size to compete as an NFL tight end. The Jets met with Vannett previously, so they could have a heightened level of interest in him.
- Fast-rising Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee interviewed with the Browns and Saints on Thursday, per Pauline.
- Mississippi State defensive back Taveze Calhoun met “extensively” with the 49ers and he has had private meetings with the Dolphins, Giants, and Rams. It sounds like Calhoun could be rising up draft boards.
- Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas looked impressive at the program’s Pro Day and Pauline added that he met with the Saints on Thursday. He also had an “outstanding” meeting with the Browns and he’ll meet with the Patriots next week.
Rams, Browns Not Interested In Ryan Fitzpatrick
On Thursday, the Broncos reached out to Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s representation to express their interest in the veteran quarterback. However, other quarterback-needy teams are not as high on the veteran signal caller. The Browns are not interested in Fitzpatrick and the Rams don’t want to spend significant money to sign him, according to sources who spoke with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. 
Mehta suggests that the Browns are disinterested in Fitzpatrick because they already have a veteran signal caller in Josh McCown. The Browns are expected by many to draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall while potentially using McCown as a transitional option. It sounds as though the Rams may have some interest in Fitzpatrick, but if they do, it’s likely only as a failsafe. If the Rams aren’t willing to spend significant money on the Harvard product, then they’re unlikely to vault beat out the Jets for his services.
Fitzpatrick is said to be seeking an average annual payout close to what Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford have netted this offseason. The Jets, at this point, are unwilling to pay something in the neighborhood of $16MM/year, having offered something only a little better than what Chase Daniel got from the Eagles. Daniel and the Eagles agreed to a three-year deal with a base value of $21MM on Wednesday.
The Browns have been tied to Colin Kaepernick this week and they are said to be more interested in him than the Jets are. Meanwhile, the polarizing sixth-year passer is reportedly the Broncos’ top quarterback target. Robert Griffin III would reportedly like to be under center for the Rams, but it’s not clear if Los Angeles is reciprocating that interest.
At age 33, Fitzpatrick is coming off of a career year. In 2015, Fitzpatrick started all 16 games for the Jets, setting new career highs by tossing 31 touchdowns and racking up 3,905 yards through the air. He led the team to a 10-6 record for the season, narrowly missing a playoff berth.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
7:58pm: The Kaepernick derby looks to extend into Friday, with the Jets, Browns, Broncos and 49ers in a holding pattern right now, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Jets remain far apart in contract talks with Ryan Fitzpatrick and could be considering Brian Hoyer as well. The Browns are considered to be more serious about a Kaepernick deal than the Jets are as well, with the polarizing sixth-year passer being the Broncos’ top quarterback target.
3:15pm: There has been no recent movement in trade talks involving Colin Kaepernick, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). That means that things are quiet currently between the 49ers and the Broncos, Browns, and Jets, but Maiocco (link) cautions that things could heat up quickly.
In fact, Mike Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter) believes that a move will go down in the next 24 hours.
Right now, things are two-pronged as the 49ers need to find a suitable trade and any team looking to acquire Kaepernick needs to work out contract issues with the player (link via Maiocco). No. 7 still has five years left on his hefty $114MM extension, though 2015-2017 are guaranteed for injury only.
The Jets believe that Kaepernick is on his way to the Broncos, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets. The Broncos have been heavily connected to Kaepernick over the last 24 hours after watching Brock Osweiler sign a lucrative four-year, $72MM deal with the Texans.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Rumors: Jack, Lawson, Kearse, Alexander
This week being veteran-centric, let’s look at the latest occurring at some of the draft prospects who will soon take over the NFL news cycle.
- Myles Jack received full clearance during a visit with a UCLA surgeon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds that Jack, a projected top-10 pick, is ready to ramp up training following this positive diagnosis.
- Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson met with the Jets, Titans and Saints on Wednesday and told Dan Hope of OrangeandWhite.com (on Twitter) he’s visiting the Browns next.
- Lawson also has a private workout with the Falcons upcoming, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Lawson told Ledbetter he speaks with Falcons defensive line coach Bryan Cox, illuminating a connection between the defensive end-needy Falcons and the Clemson pass-rusher.
- During Clemson’s pro day today, safety Jayron Kearse told media (including Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, via Twitter) he’s scheduled visits with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Lions, Saints and Steelers.
- NFL personnel are “gushing” over Clemson corner Mackensie Alexander‘s workout at the Tigers’ pro day, while scouts weren’t as taken with Kearse’s positional-drills work, per Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. One source told Pauline that Kearse would be better off “gaining 20 pounds and moving to linebacker.”
Broncos, Browns, Jets Pursuing Colin Kaepernick
10:53am: Even if the Browns landed Colin Kaepernick, they’d still be looking hard at drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, according to NFL Network’s Michael Silver (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).
Silver also says that the Browns are “far more serious” about acquiring Kaepernick than the Jets are (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday).
10:29am: The offers for Kaepernick have not yet been good enough for the 49ers to make a deal, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). In addition to the Broncos, the Jets and Browns are involved. The Broncos are still the frontrunners, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets.
10:24am: The Broncos are out in front trying to trade for Kaepernick, but two other teams are involved on the QB, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
9:54am: Colin Kaepernick is the Broncos’ chief target at this time, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter), who believes that the Broncos will go after him via trade. The 49ers likely want a second-round pick while the Broncos may be willing to part with a third-round choice (link). Silver hears (link) that Kaepernick is likely willing to restructure his contract to the Broncos’ liking, though his deal is already somewhat team-friendly. 
The 49ers received “some calls” on Kaepernick yesterday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, but nothing too serious. Things are expected to ramp up today when it comes to No. 7.
On Wednesday, a 49ers source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that the team has no interest in moving Kaepernick, though it seems possible that the team is only trying to build leverage in trade talks. The agents for Kaepernick requested permission from the 49ers to seek a trade late last month and there has been talk of new coach Chip Kelly not being too fond of him, so it stands to reason that the would listen on trade inquiries.
If the 49ers aren’t willing to move Kaepernick this week, things could linger on into next month. The QB’s $11.9MM salary for 2016 will become fully guaranteed on April 1st and that deadline could spur action on San Francisco’s part.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agency Rumors: Dolphins, Penn, Bushrod
Before he agreed to terms with Philadelphia, new Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham also received interest from the Browns, Buccaneers and Jaguars, as he tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Bradham further stated that his former team, the Bills, backed out of contract talks.
Meanwhile, in addition to having lost out on Bradham, the Browns swung and missed on receiver Rishard Matthews, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan reports that Cleveland was one of several teams in play for Matthews, who agreed to sign with Tennessee on a three-year deal.
After a busy day around the NFL, we still have a few more rumors related to free agents who signed today, and free agents who are still on the market. Let’s dive in…
- The Dolphins aren’t looking to invest much money in a backup quarterback, Marvez tweets. Matt Moore is paying a visit to the Cowboys this week, and it seems Moore may not be back in Miami for the 2016 season.
- The Giants have shown interest in free agent left tackle Donald Penn, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). The reliable Penn has started 16 games in eight straight seasons, including the last two in Oakland.
- Offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, whom the Bears cut last month, is garnering “ample interest” in spite of recent shoulder surgery, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He’s planning to visit the Dolphins and Vikings, La Canfora adds.
- Prior to re-signing with the Bengals, cornerback Adam Jones drew the Vikings’ attention, he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. On Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, Jones said, “I love Zim. He really treated me well through this, but this is the place where I know.”
- At least four teams – including the Bears – have expressed interest in return man Marc Mariani, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that the 49ers and Raiders are also among those clubs in the mix for Mariani, who played the last two seasons in Chicago.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Browns To Cut Johnny Manziel This Week
4:51pm: The Browns will cut Manziel sometime this week, Kinkhabwala reports (on Twitter).
4:21pm: It was widely reported over the last several weeks that the Browns would cut quarterback Johnny Manziel today – the first day of the league year – but that will not happen (yet), according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wonders (on Twitter) if the Browns are holding off on releasing Manziel in hopes of a quarterback-needy team trading a late-round pick for him within the next couple days.
Notably, if the Browns release Manziel before June 1, they’ll incur upward of $2.8MM in dead money. On the other hand, if they 
designate him a post-June 1 cut, they’ll rid themselves of any dead money responsibility. Further, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointed out earlier this week (via Cork Gaines of Business Insider), the Browns will be in posiiton to recoup some of Manziel’s bonus money if the NFL goes the likely route and suspends him for his off-field behavior. Thus, the Browns have clear incentive to keep Manziel until June 1 at the latest. He certainly won’t return to Cleveland for a third season.
Since the Browns drafted the former Texas A&M star in the 2014 first round, he has appeared in 15 games, made eight starts, and tossed seven touchdowns and seven picks. Manziel showed progress in parts of his six starts last season, but his off-field issues overshadowed his positive steps on the gridiron and have carried into the offseason. The Dallas County District Attorney’s office is currently investigating the 23-year-old over a Jan. 30 altercation with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, who alleges that Manziel assaulted her and ruptured her eardrum.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Being Hesitant In Negotiations
Multiple agents are complaining that the Browns are being extremely hesitant in negotiations, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) is hearing the same thing and he says that the criticism was coming in even before center Alex Mack left for the Falcons. 
Agents are not criticizing the Browns for not spending in free agency, but they take issue with the tenor of the talks that the Browns are having with the reps for available players, La Canfora tweets. The Browns also have a perception problem stemming from their negotiations with right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
This afternoon, conflicting reports popped up regarding Schwartz’s status, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that Schwartz had a decent chance to return to the Browns for ~$7.5MM/year, while Mike Silver of NFL.com disagreed, saying the Schwartz would not return to Cleveland. The latest word is that the Browns have pulled their offer to Schwartz.
The Browns’ perception problems are serious right now and La Canfora (link) believes that even if they come out as winners in terms of football moves today, they will have some major fences to mend with players and agents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.