QB Coach: Browns Owner Involved In Trade For Manziel
Although general manager Ray Farmer and the Browns have repeatedly denied that owner Jimmy Haslam exerted any influence in the team’s draft room last week, quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains suggests that’s not quite the case. Appearing on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly on ESPN Radio in Arkansas, Loggains said that a text from Johnny Manziel inspired Haslam and the Browns to trade up for him.
“We’re sitting there and they keep showing Johnny on TV,” Loggains said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “And Johnny and I are texting and he shoots me a text and he says, ‘I wish you guys would come get me. Hurry up and draft me because I want to be there. I want to wreck this league together.’ When I got that text, I forwarded it to the owner and to the head coach (Mike Pettine). I’m like, ‘This guy wants to be here. He wants to be part of it.’ As soon as that happened, Mr. Haslam said, ‘Pull the trigger. We’re trading up to go get this guy.'”
Although the Browns eventually made a deal with the Eagles to move up to the No. 22 spot, the team also talked to the Titans (No. 11) and Cowboys (No. 16), Loggains confirmed. The quarterbacks coach also suggested that the Browns felt they had to get ahead of the Chiefs at No. 23: “We knew they would draft him.”
As for Haslam’s role in making the deal, it certainly sounds like he was very much involved in the decision, even if he didn’t necessarily have to overrule his staff to get it done. Previous reports have suggested that the Eagles had several offers for that 22nd overall pick, and that the Browns only landed the pick after sweetening their proposal to include a third-rounder. Based on Loggains’ comments, it sounds as if Philadelphia may have ended up trading with one of those other clubs had Haslam not provided the push to get something done.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Burfict, Savage
In this week’s chat, a reader asked Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News which Dallas professional sports coach will be the first to get fired. While Rangers skipper Ron Washington is in some trouble, Cowlishaw believes there’s even more pressure on Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to succeed. Another 8-8 season wouldn’t bode well for Garrett’s future but at the same time, Jerry Jones is very fond of him. More from around the NFL..
- Reps for Vontaze Burfict met with the Bengals this week and sides are making progress on a new deal, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). As it stands, the linebacker is set to earn $570K in 2014 before reaching restricted free agency.
- Tom Savage‘s deal with the Texans is a four-year pact worth $2.52MM, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). As previously reported, Savage’s signing bonus is just over $300K. The fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh picked up interest from a number of teams in April including the Patriots, but ultimately Houston snagged him. Now, Savage will vie with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and T.J. Yates for playing time under center.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) runs down the rookies who will be attending camp with the Eagles: linebacker Blaze Caponegro, tight end Jamie Childers, linebacker Ryan Donohue, linebacker Anthony Larry, center Mackey MacPherson, defensive back Davon Morgan, and tackle Baker Steinkuhler.
- Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that Billy Turner, a third-round tackle out of North Dakota State, will play guard. Hickey went on to say (link) that first-round Ju’Wuan James was a highly-targeted player for the Dolphins, which was a bit of an open secret heading into the draft. Miami is expecting the athletic, strong tackle to “play right away.”
Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Texans, Cowboys
We’ve already rounded up several draft pick signings a couple times today, but with teams and players motivated to hammer out deals, there are another handful of updates to pass along this afternoon. Let’s dive right in….
- The Chiefs have locked up third-round cornerback Phillip Gaines, his reps tell ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s James Walker reports (via Twitter) that fourth-rounder De’Anthony Thomas has also signed with Kansas City. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Gaines should receive a signing bonus worth about $549K, while Thomas’ will be worth around $420K.
- The Cardinals have agreed to terms with third-round pick Kareem Martin, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link). That would make Martin the first Arizona draftee to sign so far.
- After signing Ben Gardner earlier today, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with two more draftees, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who writes that seventh-round linebacker Will Smith has agreed to his deal, and tweets that seventh-round cornerback Terrance Mitchell has done the same.
- The Texans have agreed to terms with quarterback Tom Savage, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston’s fourth-round pick will be in line for a bonus of just over $300K, according to Fitzgerald.
- A couple agents broke their clients’ own news this afternoon, with Mike McCartney tweeting that Princeton DT Caraun Reid has signed his contract with the Lions, while Blake Baratz announced (via Twitter) that sixth-rounder Zach Moore is the first draftee to sign with the Patriots.
- The Colts have signed sixth-round linebacker Andrew Jackson, the team announced today in a press release.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Packers have signed fifth-round pick Corey Linsley. Linsley’s signing bonus should be worth $185K, based on Fitzgerald’s figures at OTC.
- The Seahawks have signed Kiero Small to his rookie contract, a source tells Curtis Crabtree of KJR in Seattle. The seventh-round fullback is the second of nine Seahawks draft picks to sign.
- The Texans and Eagles have signed seventh-rounders, according to various reports. Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston has the details on Texans cornerback Andre Hal, while Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets the new on Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen.
Minicamp Invites: Vikings, Cowboys, Jaguars
We’ve been diligently documenting all the undrafted free agents signed by NFL teams in the wake of the draft, but those players – and this year’s draftees – won’t be the only participants in upcoming rookie minicamps. Other undrafted rookies and veteran free agents will get a chance to audition for roster spots on teams around the league. Here are a few updates on those players participating in minicamps on a tryout basis:
- Several local players, including former Minnesota tackle Roland Johnson, are participating in the Vikings‘ minicamp this week, writes Mark Craig of the Star-Tribune.
- The Cowboys signed 24 rookie free agents to deals earlier this week, and the team will also have another 15 invitees in camp auditioning for roster spots, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, who provides the full list of players.
- 27 minicamp invitees will be working out for the Jaguars, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that veterans Brian Price, Antoine Caldwell, and Greg Childs will be among the players in attendance.
- While he doesn’t yet have a full list of participants in the Seahawks‘ minicamp, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times adds a few names to Seattle’s group of players trying out.
Pompei’s Latest: McCarron, Browns, Pead
In his latest Read Option column for Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei leads off by examining the Bengals‘ selection of A.J. McCarron in last week’s draft. As head coach Marvin Lewis explains, the McCarron pick could allow the team to avoid changing its backup quarterback so frequently.
“Each and every year we have been in that one-year, two-year backup quarterback model,” Lewis said. “We kind of wanted to make sure we got somebody who could fit that role for a longer period of time if that’s what they ended up being, if that’s what their lease on life was…. We had [Ryan] Fitzpatrick here, [Jon] Kitna here, and nobody wants to be the backup. Everybody wants to go somewhere and start. The only way to get a backup quarterback for longer than a year or two is to draft one.”
Of course, things could change quickly in Cincinnati if the team can’t reach a long-team agreement with current starter Andy Dalton, or if McCarron pushes for a starting job of his own after a year or two. Here’s more from Pompei:
- The Bengals appear to have gotten good value with the McCarron pick, at the very least. Pompei says he polled 10 front office sources about the Alabama signal-caller prior to the draft, and all 10 gave him at least a third-round grade, including three who said he was a first-rounder.
- Although the Browns quickly shot down a report that suggested they were ready to draft Teddy Bridgewater at No. 22 before tearing up the card and replacing him with Johnny Manziel at the very last minute, Pompei hears from another team’s source that the Browns had two cards filled out prior to the pick, and that one was torn up.
- Had the Steelers not drafted linebacker Ryan Shazier at No. 15, he likely would have been the Cowboys‘ pick at No. 16. The Cardinals were also trying to trade up and were believed to be targeting Shazier, according to Pompei, though he says the club may also have been interested in grabbing C.J. Mosley or Calvin Pryor. All three players were gone when Arizona’s No. 20 pick rolled around, prompting the Cards to trade down.
- The Rams‘ drafting of Tre Mason may signal the end of Isaiah Pead‘s time in St. Louis — the 2012 second-round pick was the subject of some trade talks during the draft, according to Pompei.
- While Timmy Jernigan provided a diluted sample at his combine draft test, he took another test within a couple weeks of the combine and passed it, which may have contributed to his not falling too far in the draft, says Pompei. The Florida State defensive tackle went 48th overall to the Ravens.
Draft Signings: Titans, Jets, Cowboys
Teams continue to waste no time in signing their 2014 draft picks, with news of several more agreements trickling in this morning. Here are the latest draft pick signings from around the NFL:
- Defensive lineman Daquan Jones and cornerback Marqueston Huff, a pair of fourth-round picks, have agreed to terms with the Titans, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The moves leave Tennessee with four more picks to sign.
- The Jets have reached an agreement with fifth-round pick Jeremiah George, who will be in line for a four-year, $2.411MM deal with a signing bonus worth approximately $192K, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The linebacker is the third of 12 draftees to agree to terms with the Jets.
- The Cowboys‘ draft was heavy on seventh-rounders, and the team has locked up one of the five players it selected in the seventh. According to Wilson (via Twitter), defensive end Ben Gardner has agreed to a contract with the Cowboys that includes a signing bonus of about $59K and has an overall four-year value of $2.279MM.
Extra Points: Raiders, Romo, Pats, Cowboys
Jack Bechta of the National Football Post is sick and tired of seeing people talk about players “slipping” and teams “reaching” for certain guys. In reality, there is no such thing as “slips and reaches” in the draft, since players go to the team that wants and needs them at a certain pick. There was a lot of talk about the supposed slides of Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater, but Bechta doesn’t think much of it. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- The Raiders‘ draft class has real potential, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. While some have been critical of Oakland for not addressing their wide receiver need, Bair praises GM Reggie McKenzie for sticking to his board and getting the best player available. The Raiders could have taken an impact WR at No. 36, for example, but they went for Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr instead.
- With talk about whether the Cowboys should draft a quarterback to eventually replace Tony Romo so prevalent, executive vice president Stephen Jones said he wanted to remind Romo about the team’s commitment to him by not taking a QB in the draft, writes ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins. For his part, Romo’s confidence never wavered. “We did it, everybody had a visit with him along the way,” Jones told SiriusXM. “Jerry [Jones, Cowboys owner/GM] included, myself included, and told him how this is his football team and how much we think of him and with all the rumors flying around not to pay attention to that. His response is, as you might expect from Tony, it was ‘Well if you decide to, it ain’t going to matter, there’s not anybody out there that can beat me out.”
- Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if the Patriots will hit with undrafted free agent Asa Watson. The North Carolina State tight end, who is the younger brother of former Pats first-rounder Ben Watson, has skill but has been hampered by a heart condition in recent years.
- Many have been critical of the Cowboys‘ pick of Anthony Hitchens out of Iowa, but Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News defends Dallas’ pick. The main knock on Hitchens is his height (6’0″), but the linebacker can succeed in a Tampa 2 scheme.
East Rumors: Jets, Wilkerson, Austin, Pats
Former Jets cornerback (and scout) Aaron Glenn is heading to the Browns to serve as their assistant defensive backs coach, according to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. In 2013, Glenn became a college scout for the Jets and was the area scout for second-round selection tight end Jace Amaro.
- Muhammad Wilkerson still wants a new deal but he’s in no rush for it, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “I would like a deal, but when it happens, it happens,” the Jets‘ defensive lineman said. “I’m not saying I want it to be before the regular season. When it happens, it happens. I’m going to come in and work hard and take every day like I always do.”
- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says that wide receiver Miles Austin is “absolutely” a possibility to come back to the team, writes Rowan Kavner of DallasCowboys.com. However, the fifth-round selection of Devin Street may make the Cowboys comfortable with what they’ve got. Dallas designated Austin as a post-June 1 cut to free up $5.5MM on the salary cap in 2014. Austin was a 1,000-yard receiver twice, catching 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2009 and 69 passes for 1,041 yards and seven touchdowns 2010, but he has been marred by hamstring issues ever since.
- Jimmy Garoppolo may eventually have the difficult task of replacing Tom Brady in New England, but he says he hasn’t given that much thought, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. Belichick, meanwhile, has thought about it a great deal and says that the pick made sense given Brady’s age and Ryan Mallett‘s impending free agency.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Cousins, Giants
Although the Cowboys had one of the more defense-heavy drafts in the NFL, the team waited until the seventh round to address its safety position, which was viewed as a weakness heading into the draft. That doesn’t bother executive VP Stephen Jones, however. On a conference call with season ticketholders, Jones indicated that the team doesn’t view safety as a significant area of need, as some observers do. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk has the quotes from Jones, who praised the Cowboys’ current crop of safeties along with seventh-round pick Ahmad Dixon.
Here are a few more updates from around the NFC East:
- Appearing on 106.7 The Fan in Washington yesterday, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Browns offered the Redskins a fourth-round pick for Kirk Cousins during the draft, an offer Washington turned down (Twitter link). Cleveland ultimately used its fourth-rounder to select Lindenwood cornerback Pierre Desir.
- Since exercising his fifth-year option, the Giants have yet to engage in any talks with cornerback Prince Amukamara about a long-term deal, which Amukamara is fine with, as Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger writes. “I don’t expect them to [work on an extension now],” Amukamara said. “I don’t think I really gave them a return on their investment yet. And with that being said, I plan on this year being a huge year for me. I’m just focused on playing ball.”
- Although he admits that he hates the draft, Giants receiver Victor Cruz – a former undrafted free agent – was pleased with the team’s addition of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Cruz had previously suggested he wanted the Giants to draft a wideout to help make up for the loss of Hakeem Nicks, who signed with the Colts in free agency.
2014’s Most Balanced And Unbalanced Drafts
Teams entered last week’s NFL draft with many different positions and areas they planned to focus on, but depending on how the draft played out, many clubs didn’t end up addressing all their needs. For instance, few would have guessed heading into the draft that neither the Panthers nor the Ravens would come out of the weekend having added an offensive tackle.
Whether intentional or not, a handful of teams ended up specifically focusing on one area of the ball in the draft, selecting far more offensive players than defensive players, or vice versa. Listed below are the teams who had the most offensive-heavy drafts, teams who had defensive-heavy drafts, and the clubs who managed to perfectly balance their picks. Let’s check out the lists….
Most offensive-heavy drafts:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6 offense, 0 defense): After spending big to add defensive end Michael Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner in free agency, the Buccaneers were the only NFL team not to draft at least one defensive player. Instead, the club focused on adding weapons for new quarterback Josh McCown, including wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6 offense, 3 defense): It wasn’t until they drafted their fifth player, in the fourth round, that the Jaguars eventually selected a defensive player, having focused early on landing a quarterback (Blake Bortles) and pass-catchers (Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson).
- New England Patriots (6 offense, 3 defense): After nabbing defensive tackle Dominique Easley in round one, the Patriots turned to offensive players for their next five picks, including second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo.
- Washington Redskins (5 offense, 2 defense): The Redskins picked a couple defenders in the first four rounds, grabbing linebacker Trent Murphy and cornerback Bashaud Breeland, but they tipped the scales by leaning heavily toward offensive players with their late-round picks.
Most balanced drafts:
- New York Jets (6 offense, 6 defense)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4 offense, 4 defense)
- Carolina Panthers (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Cleveland Browns (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Denver Broncos (3 offense, 3 defense)
- San Diego Chargers (3 offense, 3 defense)
- Tennessee Titans (3 offense, 3 defense)
Most defensive-heavy drafts:
- Atlanta Falcons (7 defense, 2 offense): Offensive and defensive lines were viewed as two of the top priorities for the Falcons, but after addressing those positions in the first two rounds, Atlanta went on a linebacker frenzy in the mid-to-late rounds, snatching up four of them.
- Dallas Cowboys (7 defense, 2 offense): The Cowboys reportedly had three defensive players on their wish list in the first round, but when Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, and Ryan Shazier came off the board, the team picked offensive tackle Zack Martin instead. Dallas remedied that by making seven of its final eight picks defensive players.
- Minnesota Vikings (7 defense, 3 offense): The Vikings made defense their focus in the mid-to-late rounds — their last five picks were defenders, including three defensive backs. Minnesota also selected a defensive player with its first pick, drafting linebacker Anthony Barr ninth overall.
- Oakland Raiders (6 defense, 2 offense): The Raiders’ approach looked similar to the Vikings’, as Oakland grabbed a linebacker (Khalil Mack) with its top-10 pick, then used its last five picks on defenders, with a couple offensive players sandwiched in between.
- Philadelphia Eagles (5 defense, 2 offense): Losing DeSean Jackson made wide receiver a priority for the Eagles in the draft, so the team snatched up Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff in rounds two and three. Outside of those two picks though, it was an exclusively defensive draft for Philadelphia.
Pro Football Rumors’ list of draft results by team was used in the creation of this post.