Draft Rumors: Elliott, Ravens, Browns, Cowboys
The Cowboys are currently “struggling” with the decision of whether or not to draft running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Owner Jerry Jones is believed to prefer Elliott, while presumably some other members of the front office would rather go in another direction.
Dallas isn’t the only team at the top of the draft considering taking Elliott, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the Ravens would “strongly consider” the Ohio State back if he’s on the board at No. 6.
In just a matter of hours, we should find out exactly how serious teams like Dallas and Baltimore are about taking a running back in the top six. With some other clubs, including the Dolphins, said to be coveting Elliott, it’s possible that teams are overstating their interest in the ex-Buckeye in an attempt to get another club to trade up for him. And it sounds like there will be no shortage of trades tonight, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
As we wait to see where Elliott lands, let’s round up some other draft updates from around the NFL:
- The Browns have spoken to teams about the possibility of moving down from No. 8, but they’ve also had conversations about moving up from the second round into the late-first, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who wonders if Cleveland might be eyeing a particular quarterback. Earlier this evening, a Browns source told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that there was “nothing new” on the trade front for the club.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears the Cowboys aren’t likely to move down from No. 4 tonight. Two GMs whose teams are picking in the top 10 tell Werder they haven’t heard from Dallas about a possible trade.
- Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) has heard that the Ravens are “hot on” Eastern Kentucky edge defender Noah Spence, though the team won’t take him as high as No. 6. It will be interesting to see if Baltimore likes Spence enough to consider trading up for him if he’s on the board near the end of the first round.
- Having spoken to multiple general managers and other NFL sources, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has updates on where a few prospects are expected to be selected in the draft. Cole suggests Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd could go in the top 10 (video link), Clemson edge defender Shaq Lawson should go between No. 7 and No. 19 (Twitter link), and Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith appears likely to be a day two pick (Twitter link). Cole also hears that Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch may not be selected quite as high as expected in the first round (video link).
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has published his first and only mock draft of 2016, sprinkling plenty of interesting draft tidbits throughout his look at the first 31 picks.
Cowboys Exercise Option On Travis Frederick
APRIL 28: The Cowboys have formally exercised Frederick’s 2017 option, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who adds that the team would like to lock up the standout center to a long-term contract at some point.
APRIL 21: The Cowboys will exercise their fifth-year option on center Travis Frederick in the next few days, sources tell David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. The move has been expected and does not come as a surprise. 
[RELATED: 2017 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]
Frederick has started every game at center since the Cowboys took him in the first round of the 2013 draft. Once Dallas locks him down through the 2017 season with the option, they’ll likely start discussing a long-term pact with him.
Frederick’s rookie deal was a four-year, $6.87MM contract, as prescribed by his draft slot. This year, he’ll make $1.34MM before jumping up to $8.821MM in 2017. Dallas will presumably try to smooth out that cap hit in ’17 while giving him more long-term security on a multi-year pact.
The Cowboys have until May 2nd to exercise the option, but they feel that they don’t need to take their time to deliberate. The center, who has started 48 consecutive games, has earned two Pro Bowl nods and has been named second team All-Pro in each of the last two seasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Buzz Persists About Possible Trade Down For Cowboys
- There continues to be a lot of buzz that the Cowboys will move down in the draft from No. 4, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Cowboys Split Between Ramsey, Elliott
- The Cowboys “are split” on Jalen Ramsey and Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 (link), but Schrager believes that they will take Ramsey.
- The Dolphins are high on Elliott if he goes past the Cowboys at No. 4, but the cost could be prohibitive (link). Miami is currently slated to pick at No. 13.
Cowboys’ Ronald Leary Signs RFA Tender
Offensive guard Ronald Leary has signed his restricted free agent tender with the Cowboys, Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com tweets. The second-round tender is worth $2.553MM. 
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Leary was on the field for 137 pass snaps and 84 run snaps this season, according to the stats compiled by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Although he did not qualify to be ranked based on that limited sample size, Leary was given an overall grade of 72.2, which would have placed him near the backend of the top 30.
In other Cowboys news, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears that Paxton Lynch may fall into the second round of tonight’s draft unless Dallas trades back into the latter portion of the first round. As for the No. 4 overall pick, reports have linked Dallas to Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott and FSU defensive back Jalen Ramsey, but Louisville defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins could also be in the mix, according to reports.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Cowboys, Paxton Lynch
- Unless the Cowboys trade back into the first round, it’s hard to find a landing spot for quarterback Paxton Lynch in the first round, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Schefter cautions that another team could be “laying in ambush.” This is surprising news considering the level of buzz that has been around the Memphis product for the last few weeks. Many reports have indicated that Lynch is regarded as the third-best quarterback in this year’s class behind Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The Browns (No. 8), Bills (No. 19), and Jets (No. 20) have all been said to have a fondness for Lynch, though there have been conflicting reports on Gang Green’s interest level. In v2.0 of PFR’s 2016 NFL Mock Draft, Dallas Robinson has Lynch going No. 7 to the 49ers, with the assumption that a Colin Kaepernick deal has already been agreed upon.
Cowboys To Consider Sheldon Rankins?
- The buzz surrounding Louisville defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins has intensified today. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) both have heard that Rankins will be considered as early as No. 4 by the Cowboys, with La Canfora predicting that he’ll end up as a top-10 pick. Tony Pauline at WalterFootball.com has heard that the draft stocks for both Rankins and Mississippi State DT Chris Jones have risen, with teams seeking interior pass rushers.
Pauline’s Latest: Falcons, Neal, Joseph, Titans
Cal quarterback Jared Goff and North Dakota State signal-caller Carson Wentz are widely expected to come off the board in that order with the top two picks on Thursday night, but there’s some uncertainty about how the next several picks will play out.
After speaking to several people around the league, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com takes a shot at forecasting how picks three through eight will go. In Pauline’s view, the most probable scenario would see DeForest Buckner land with the Chargers, Jalen Ramsey to the Cowboys, Myles Jack to the Jaguars, Laremy Tunsil to the Ravens, Ronnie Stanley to the 49ers, and Joey Bosa to the Browns.
Ezekiel Elliott is a wild card – if he’s still on the board at No. 8, the Browns could potentially trade down with a team like the Dolphins – but otherwise Pauline’s predictions for the top eight seem entirely plausible. According to the draft scribe, the Chargers feel like they “desperately” need to add a standout defensive lineman, while the 49ers also covet Buckner, so that’s a situation worth watching too.
Here’s more from Pauline:
- While Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee has frequently been linked to the Falcons at No. 17, Pauline hears that Clemson linemen Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson are also in play. According to Pauline, head coach Dan Quinn has been pushing for the team to select safety Keanu Neal, though that’s probably only a possibility if Atlanta trades down.
- Washington wouldn’t mind trading down and nabbing West Virginia safety Karl Joseph, says Pauline.
- According to Pauline, there’s a decent chance that the Titans will use one of their second-round picks to grab Ohio State wideout Braxton Miller, assuming the team doesn’t use any of those selections in a trade. Tennessee will also likely consider Buckeyes linebacker Joshua Perry on day two.
- The Broncos plan on drafting a running back on day three, and Pauline hears that they like Auburn’s Peyton Barber in the neighborhood of the sixth round.
- Teams are already talking to prospects and their agents in an effort to sign those players as undrafted free agents after the draft, and some clubs are creating “bad blood” with their approach to this process. According to Pauline, a couple teams have called potential UDFA targets and told them that they’re unlikely to be drafted. Those players are still optimistic about being mid-round selections, so being told that they’re likely to go undrafted has soured those players (and their agents) on those teams, per Pauline.
Teams Hoping Cowboys Will Take Elliott
- Other teams in the top 15 have told Schrager (link) that they are hoping the Cowboys will take Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4.
Cowboys Rumors: Elliott, Bosa, Backup QB
The Cowboys are on record as saying that they are comfortable heading into 2016 with their current group of running backs, but team COO Stephen Jones said on Monday that he views Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott as a player “worthy of being in the top 10” (via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News)
“Where we ultimately end up with him is still a work in progress,” Jones said. “He’s obviously a very quality-type player and seems like he’s pretty much universally looked at as a guy who deserves to be in that category.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is said to be a big fan of Elliott, but it remains to be seen whether the club views him as a difference-maker worthy of the fourth overall pick.
Here’s more on the Cowboys:
- According to Jerry Jones, the most likely draft-day scenario right now is that the Cowboys will stay at No. 4 in the draft, rather than moving up or down, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Jones also said that the Cowboys will select the best player available when they are up at No. 4 (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram).
- Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa is one player potentially in the mix for the Cowboys at No. 4, and Jerry Jones insists that the club has no potential off-field concerns for Bosa. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out, Bosa missed the 2015 season opener due to a violation of team rules that was rumored to be related to marijuana use, and the Cowboys have two pass rushers currently facing suspensions, so it would be a factor worth strongly considering.
- The Cowboys still aren’t sure how they’ll address their backup quarterback situation, and haven’t ruled out signing or trading for a veteran, or addressing the position in the draft, Williams writes in a separate Star-Telegram piece. “For whatever the reason, we weren’t able to secure a guy we were comfortable with,” Stephen Jones said. “I do think there are other options out there that we can add depth to where we are, as to where we sit today.”
- While drafting a developmental quarterback is a possibility for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones doesn’t view landing Tony Romo‘s eventual replacement as something the team has to do in this year’s draft (Associated Press report via ESPN.com).
- Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr accepted a pay cut on Monday. You can read about that story right here.
Zach Links contributed to this post.