Bills’ Offers Didn’t Include Both First-Round Picks?
Brandon Beane attempted to clarify a few things about his first draft with the Bills, and he offered some detail about what the Bills were and weren’t offering to move up from their No. 12 position.
A report Saturday night indicated the Bills were offering the Broncos both of their 2018 first-round picks in order to move into Denver’s No. 5 spot, but Beane said that wasn’t the case. The second-year GM said Broncos wanted both of the Bills’ first-rounders for the right to move back into the Bills’ No. 12 spot, but he didn’t want to sacrifice both picks to make that move.
However, a report from ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicated the Broncos and Bills had a deal in place before the Browns passed on Bradley Chubb. If the Bills didn’t offer Nos. 12 and 22, and reportedly a Round 2 pick as well, to move up, it’s unclear what was the agreed-upon proposal — if, in fact, the sides did have a trade set to transpire if the Browns chose Chubb at No. 4.
Beane also wasn’t willing to part with his 2019 first-rounder. The GM said (via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News, on Twitter) two teams wanted Buffalo’s 2019 first-round pick, but he did not end up moving it on a night that saw the Bills trade up for Josh Allen without sacrificing the No. 22 pick — which ended up being used to trade back up for Tremaine Edmunds.
The Bills then discussed potential deals with the Colts and Bears before working out a trade package with the Buccaneers.
“Five was the spot I thought we could get a reasonable deal, but 5 was gonna cost us pick 22,” Beane said, via One Bills Live (video link). “I had already checked with Indy and knew they had honed in on a guy. They were like, ‘Unless our guy’s gone, we’re picking.’ Tampa had said, ‘We got a guy, and (a trade is) gonna take a lot.’ And Chicago had a guy.
“So now you’re creeping close to Miami, who’d been scouting quarterbacks, and Arizona was in range for what they could do. So I was getting very fearful they could creep in and get the guy we wanted.”
It turned out the Buccaneers were willing to move out of No. 7, taking Vita Vea at No. 12, after the Colts selected Quenton Nelson. The Bears ended up with Roquan Smith at No. 8.
Elway Keeps Scouting Department Together
- The Broncos did not endure a turnover in the scouting department following this weekend’s draft, 9 News’ Mike Klis tweets. In the wake of the annual draft, it is not uncommon for teams to part ways with scouts and personnel department. Team president John Elway, however, decided to bring everyone back.
Bills Offered Broncos Two First-Rounders?
When the Browns chose Denzel Ward at No. 4 instead of Bradley Chubb, that nixed a Broncos-Bills trade. And Mike Klis of 9News reports Buffalo was set to give up both its No. 12 and No. 22 picks, in addition to a second-round selection, for the right to move up to No. 5.
Instead, the Broncos passed and chose Chubb, whom Klis notes the team had tied with Saquon Barkley as being the top player in the draft. But the Bills were also willing to part with one of their second-rounders — either No. 53 or No. 56 — in a deal that was going to involve Denver sending Buffalo one of its third-round choices (either No. 71 or No. 99).
So, the Broncos valued the N.C. State-honed pass rusher immensely, passing on additional first- and second-round picks in order to stay put.
The Bills’ package sent to the Buccaneers, for the right to draft Josh Allen at No. 7, included both second-rounders and a seventh-round selection. The offer to the Broncos containing the No. 22 choice — which Buffalo used to trade up and select Tremaine Edmunds — runs counter to a report from earlier on Thursday indicating Brandon Beane wasn’t willing to part with both of his first-round picks. But that report surfaced before the draft began; the events of the opening hour Thursday night could have changed things.
The Colts also called the Broncos about moving up to select Chubb, Klis reports, but John Elway elected to stay put and attempt to load up his team’s edge-rushing contingent. As for what was going to transpire if the Browns took Chubb and the Bills suddenly pulled their offer, the Broncos were likely to select either Quenton Nelson or Roquan Smith, per Klis.
Sam Darnold remained the quarterback Elway preferred, with Klis reporting the Broncos had cooled on Baker Mayfield to the point they wouldn’t have taken him at No. 5. While that didn’t end up mattering, it could be notable if Allen or Josh Rosen end up being long-term answers for their respective teams. The Broncos dropped out of the Kirk Cousins derby and signed Case Keenum to a two-year deal, making it less likely they were going to use their top offseason resource on another quarterback, and were not closely linked to either Allen or Rosen late in the pre-draft process.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders
Despite visiting with each of this draft’s top four quarterbacks and being consistently rumored to have a couple of them on their radar, the Broncos did not select one throughout the draft. And they aren’t planning on bringing another one in before training camp. John Elway said Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly will compete for the backup job behind Case Keenum, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. This is an interesting approach considering both players are coming off injury-marred years. Lynch will be the only active-roster Broncos QB returning since the team let Brock Osweiler depart in free agency and traded Trevor Siemian. Denver is evidently set at the game’s marquee position, putting faith in Keenum.
Here’s the latest from the AFC West:
- The Raiders had a busy weekend, making multiple trades for veteran players and taking multiple high-ceiling, low-floor defenders. But they did not invest big in off-ball linebackers, and Reggie McKenzie said (via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com) a NaVorro Bowman acquisition remains on the table. This has been the GM’s party line for a bit now, but it’s notable that stance remains after the Raiders brought in Tahir Whitehead to start and multiple other veteran backups. Bowman started for the Raiders most of last season and was by far their top-graded linebacker, in the opinion of Pro Football Focus.
- In selecting a player with possible first-round talent in the fifth, the Raiders may have a steal in Maurice Hurst Jr. But the Michigan-developed defensive tackle will be subject to annual heart evaluations after the issue that caused his stock to slip. However, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes (via Twitter) the Raiders do not view this as a flier or year-to-year proposition. Hurst was cleared going into the draft after being flagged for a heart problem at the Combine, but it’s clear all 32 teams were not in agreement on Hurst being a safe bet.
- Each of the Chiefs‘ six draft picks went to addressing their defense, which ranked 30th in DVOA last season. But Louis Riddick of ESPN reported during the draft sixth-round pick Kahlil McKenzie — Reggie’s son — will begin his career at guard despite playing defensive tackle at Tennessee. The Chiefs lost Bennie Logan this offseason but drafted Derrick Nnadi out of Florida State to potentially move into that role. Kahlil McKenzie, then, will attempt to carve out a spot on the offensive line.
Rams Move Into Broncos’ No. 160 Slot
Having just acquired a seventh sixth-round selection in this year’s draft in the Tavon Austin trade, the Rams used that capital to move up into Round 5.
The Rams sent two of those sixth-rounders (Nos. 183 and 217) to the Broncos to move into the No. 160 spot. Los Angeles used the pick to take Oklahoma edge defender Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
Despite making big trades to help their defense, the Rams are thinner on the edge. Okoronkwo provided consistent pressure for the Sooners, totaling 29 tackles for loss and 17 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s the third sack artist to head to the Rams this draft, following Stephen F. Austin’s John Franklin-Myers and Virginia’s Micah Kiser.
This marks the second time in the past several minutes the Broncos have traded down in the fifth round. Previously, Denver did not have a pick past Round 5. This was because of multiple trades they made in a busy offseason. They now own three because of these Saturday deals.
Broncos Deal No. 149 To Seahawks
Entering this third draft day without a pick in the sixth or seventh rounds, the Broncos acquired one after trading their No. 149 choice to the Seahawks.
Denver dealt its fifth-rounder to Seattle in exchange for the No. 156 pick and a seventh-round selection (No. 226), Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). The Seahawks used their new choice to take Texas punter Michael Dickson, who won the Ray Guy award last year as Division I-FBS’ best punter.
Dickson is the first punter to go off the board in this year’s draft and will certainly push incumbent Jon Ryan, who has been Seattle’s punter since the 2008 season. Ryan’s under contract through the 2019 season and will make $3.2MM this year; it’s certainly possible the Seahawks will opt to save money at that spot this season and send Ryan, who will turn 37 later this year, elsewhere.
The Seahawks met with Dickson at the Combine and apparently made him do a staring contest. The Australia native was named MVP of the Texas Bowl and won the Ray Guy award via unanimous vote.
NFL Draft Rumors: Bills, Broncos, Chubb
Day 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books, but there are plenty of big-name players left on the board. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes, quarterback Mason Rudolph, running back Derrius Guice, tight end Dallas Goedert, offensive lineman Connor Williams, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, wide receivers Anthony Miller, D.J. Chark, and Courtland Sutton, defensive ends Harold Landry and Sam Hubbard, and cornerbacks Josh Jackson and Isaiah Oliver are all available as we get set for the second round.
Here’s the latest NFL Draft news:
- The Bills and Broncos had agreed to a trade based on who was available; but Broncos decided not to pass up on Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall, Schefter tweets. Things worked out just fine for the Bills, however, as they were able to move up to the No. 7 spot to select quarterback Josh Allen. The move to No. 7 cost the Bills the No. 12 pick and a pair of second-rounders (No. 53 and No. 56), but they did not have to part with the No. 22 pick, which they later used to move up to No. 16 for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
- The Bears surprisingly tried to trade up from the No. 8 pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It’s not clear who they were targeting, but they were able to land Georgia’s Roquan Smith, who many feel has the potential to be a top-tier inside linebacker.
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Colts GM Chris Ballard says he had an opportunity to trade back from No. 6, but the team would have had to move back too far for their comfort (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). Ultimately, they stood pat and landed Quenton Nelson with the sixth pick.
- The Colts had Smith and Nelson close on their board, but they ultimately favored Nelson because of the need to protect quarterback Andrew Luck, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
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Browns GM John Dorsey says about half a dozen teams wanted to trade up to No. 4, but the value never was attractive enough for him to pull the trigger (Twitter link via Mike Jones of USA Today). The Browns arguably could have traded down and still landed Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, but they apparently did not want to take that chance.
Broncos Looking To Swap Picks With Giants?
It’s been sounding like the Giants are content to stay at No. 2, but could the team end up trading back? NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Giants may have a suitor in the Broncos, who are exploring a deal to move up three spots from No. 5. Rapoport notes that a quarterback could be Denver’s target.
When it comes to the Broncos, this is the opposite of what we’ve been hearing. Reports have indicated that Denver could be looking to move back from the fifth pick, and a number of teams have been listed as potential suitors. Another report indicated that the Broncos were only interested in selecting Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold with the selection. The Broncos may fear that those two quarterbacks will be snagged by the Browns and Jets, necessitating a trade. In another tweet, Rapoport says the Broncos could be eyeing Darnold, although general manager John Elway has spent more time with Josh Allen than any other quarterback prospect.
We heard earlier today that the Giants could still deal the second-overall pick. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb are considered the favorites to be selected by New York, but the lack of clarity out of Cleveland has complicated their game plan.
Draft Notes: Ravens, Seahawks, Saints, Browns
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes as we get ready for the start of the draft…
- There are a number of teams currently picking in the twenties that would be interested in moving up to the teens, reports Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). Interestingly, those teams may have some suitors, as the reporter notes that the Ravens and Seahawks are among the teams interested in trading back.
- Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland told Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune that running back Saquon Barkley is the top player on their draft board (Twitter link). “He’s rare,” Ireland gushed. “He’s unique.” Of course, barring some crazy development, the Saints are unlikely to have an opportunity to select Barkley, as they’re only armed with one pick in the first two rounds. Plus, the team is already rostering several talented running backs, including Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
- There could end up being a flurry of trades if the Browns select Baker Mayfield with the first-overall pick, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter video). All of the potential scenarios have seemingly stalled trade talks, although Rapoport notes that the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6) are among the teams who’d consider moving down. The Bills could be among the teams looking to trade into the top-six range, and the Broncos could ultimately choose to keep their pick if someone like Josh Allen falls into their lap.
- Rapoport also notes (via Twitter) that several prospects are expected to be selected earlier than initially thought: Maryland wideout D.J. Moore, UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport, and Louisville Jaire Alexander. Davenport and Alexander both landed in the top-20 of Daniel Jeremiah’s rankings, while Moore was listed 37th.
Darnold, Mayfield Only QBs Broncos Like
- The Browns taking Baker Mayfield at No. 1 would be a surprise and could change the Broncos‘ draft outlook. Of the big four, Mayfield and Sam Darnold are the only ones the Broncos take if they’re still on the board at No. 5, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. If Mayfield does go to the Browns, Darnold would be a consideration for the Giants — if they stick at No. 2 — and the Jets’ interest in the USC passer hasn’t been much of a secret. And it’s possible the Bills could move up to the No. 4 spot as well, so the Broncos could be set to go with a non-QB at No. 5 or trade back with a quarterback-seeking team.