Draft Rumors: Mosley, Texans, Evans, Watkins
If you want to move up to the No. 1 overall pick, it’s going to cost you big time. When a team with a Top 10 pick contacted the Texans to ask what it would cost them to move up, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer (video link) says Houston responded that they wanted the Robert Griffin III package. Two years ago, the Redskins gave up three first-round picks and a second-round pick to get their franchise quarterback. Of course, a team in the top five won’t have to give up as much as a team towards the back end of the top ten, so that’s not a flat asking price for everyone. The latest draft news from around the NFL..
- Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley told Bob Glauber of Newsday that he thinks he’ll go somewhere in the top half of the first round and maybe even be one of the first ten players off the board on Thursday night. “I heard top 10, I talked to my agent, I heard eight through 17,” Mosley said. “But at the end of the day, you never know. Teams trade up, they pretty much know who they’re going to pick, but they’re just looking to try to get the upper hand on other teams. I’m just going to go in with my family and my friends, just have fun and be happy wherever I get drafted.”
- Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans go in the top five. The expectation is that if Sammy Watkins out of Clemson goes before him, Evans doesn’t last much longer.
- Johnny Manziel is still the guy generating most conversation among execs, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter). The perception around the NFL is the Buccaneers, Rams, and Vikings could all be in play for the polarizing Texas A&M star.
- Don Banks of Sports Illustrated hears that Manziel’s family doesn’t want him to go to the Texans for fear that he won’t be able to distance himself from his “Johnny Football” persona. On top of that, he hears Manziel himself doesn’t want to play for the Jaguars.
- Manziel’s agent Erik Burkhardt told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that any talk of the QB not wanting to play for the Jaguars is untrue.
- Concordia defensive end Zach Moore tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that he had private workouts with the Patriots, Dolphins, Panthers, and Falcons. We had previously heard that Moore visited the Chargers, Cardinals, and Raiders.
- The Jets and Eagles have some interest in Syracuse defensive tackle Jay Bromley, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Broncos are more than open to moving up tomorrow night, tweets Rapoport.
NFC Links: Rams, Cowboys, Eagles, Draft
Rumors continue to swirl linking the Rams to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, but Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is skeptical that there’s any weight to those rumblings. According to Thomas, most sources he has spoken to are saying variations of the same thing — no one around the league believes St. Louis will actually select Manziel, and the Rams are attempting to drum up trade interest for the pick.
We only have two more days until we know for sure what to believe on draft night. In the meantime, let’s check out a few NFC items….
- The Cowboys would remove a player who failed his drug test from their draft board, but the team won’t do so with Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, who remains a potential target for the club, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) keeps hearing that there will be a cornerback run in the middle of the first round and that the Eagles may be in a position to draft a wide receiver with their 22nd overall pick.
- Xavier Su’a-Filo, one of the top guards among this year’s draft class, had workouts with the Rams and Falcons, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that the UCLA lineman also visited the Broncos.
- The Cardinals worked out Virginia Tech wide receiver D.J. Coles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Coles has also drawn interest from a handful of AFC teams, including the Texans, Broncos, and Raiders.
AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Jets
Let’s round up a few Tuesday items from around the AFC….
- At The MMQB.com, Peter King’s first-round mock draft includes a few notable nuggets. King notes that the Bills “love” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and that he expects the Dolphins to try to trade up to land offensive tackle Zack Martin.
- Sources tell Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net that tight end Eric Ebron is the Ravens‘ top target in the first round. Ebron may still not be on the board at No. 17, but Pauline hears that the Giants (No. 12) are souring a little on the tight end due to possible personality red flags.
- The Jets are keeping in contact with quarterbacks projected to be first-round picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who suggests that perhaps the club is simply keeping its options open in case one of those players falls.
- Amidst rumors that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam covets Johnny Manziel, Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that Haslem may not be the only team owner who could step in and push his club to draft Johnny Football.
- Mock negotiations continue between former agent Joel Corry and former team exec Ari Nissim, who are conducting hypothetical contract talks between J.J. Watt’s agent and the Texans. Part three of the enlightening series has now been published at the National Football Post.
- Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon tells Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that he views the Patriots and Broncos as potential fits for him, given his size and the success players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman have had in those systems.
Wilson’s Latest: Schaudt, Presley, Cole
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has spent the last several weeks providing updates on pre-draft visits, private workouts, and prospects drawing interest from specific NFL teams, ranging from first-round locks to potential undrafted free agents. He has a few more tidbits for us this morning, via Twitter, so let’s dive in and round them up….
- Minnesota State edge rusher Chris Schaudt is receiving interest from the Browns, Raiders, Vikings, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, Eagles, and Broncos. Wilson had reported over the weekend that Schaudt, who played defensive end in college, was being considered by several 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker.
- Akron defensive end Albert Presley has drawn interest from the Dolphins and Buccaneers.
- The Texans and Cardinals have interest in Maine outside linebacker Michael Cole, who also worked out for the Giants last month.
- Citadel defensive back Brandon McCladdie has generated interest from the Panthers, Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Texans.
- The Jaguars and Giants are among the teams interested in East Carolina strong safety Chip Thompson.
Monday Roundup: Keisel, More Draft Notes
It might come as a bit of a shock, but there is one piece of non-draft news to pass along tonight. According to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not ruled out a possible reunion with DE Brett Keisel. Tomlin added that the team has to add to its defensive line (Twitter link).
Now let’s round up some more draft-related rumors for the final post of the evening and gear up for another day of draft nuggets tomorrow.
- More and more teams are trying to mimic the examples set by master draft manipulators like Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome and New England’s Bill Belichick, and so there has been a great deal of speculation regarding what teams might want to move up or down in the 2014 draft, particularly in the first round. The defending AFC champions are no exception. Broncos GM John Elway says he is open to trading up or down, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, and although the team could use a cornerback, the top CB prospects are likely to be gone before Denver’s No. 31 overall selection. Linebacker and offensive lineman are also first-round possibilities for the club.
- ESPN.com’s Mike Sando has compiled a list of the top eight questions to consider heading into Thursday’s first round. The whole article is worth a read, but the highlights include Sando’s belief that Khalil Mack could be the top prospect to have an Aaron Rodgers-like fall in the draft, and his insight that Odell Beckham, Jr., not Mike Evans, could be directly behind Sammy Watkins as the No. 2 wideout on some teams’ boards.
- Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that Michael Sam, despite the positive publicity he has garnered over the past few months, is widely regarded as a “non-entity” by many top executives.
- Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes that the Ravens‘ top target is TE Eric Ebron, who may or may not be around when the Ravens pick at No. 17 overall. According to Pauline, the Giants may be souring on Ebron, though if Baltimore does not trade up, the Steelers are also considered a top suitor for Ebron’s services.
- ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky looks at some potential targets for the Titans if they choose to trade down.
- ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco makes a case for the Jaguars to draft Teddy Bridgewater.
- NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the Chiefs could be a surprise team in the market for a first-round QB, as negotiations with Alex Smith are not progressing well.
Broncos Sign Marvin Austin
The Broncos have signed defensive tackle Marvin Austin, the team announced in a press release. The terms of the deal aren’t public, but it’s likely a one-year pact for the minimum salary that will give Austin a chance to make the Denver roster this summer.
Austin, 25, was 2011 second-round draft pick by the Giants. After tearing his pectoral and missing his entire rookie season, he went to play in only eight games for New York. He spent time with both the Dolphins and the Cowboys in 2013. Austin has had some off-the-field issues in the past, but he’s young enough that he could still possibly contribute to the Broncos.
Draft Notes: Eagles, LBs, Jets, Broncos
With less than four days until the NFL draft, here is the latest news and rumors from around the league:
- While the Eagles need to improve their porous secondary, selecting a safety might not be in the cards, according to Jeff McClane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Outside of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Calvin Pryor, and perhaps Jimmie Ward, most experts don’t consider this year’s safety class to be elite, and Eagles GM Howie Roseman agrees. “I don’t think it’s a good group overall,” said Roseman. “I think you’re talking about a drop-off, certainly when you get into Saturday.”
- Over the past few days, we’ve passed along the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGlnn’s reports on the crop of both running backs and offensive lineman, which heavily feature McGlinn’s conversations with informed scouts. McGinn’s most recent article focuses on the linebacker class, and is also a must-read for draftniks.
- In a separate piece, McGinn analyzes linebacker Chris Borland (who was profiled today by Rory Parks) and comes away noting that scouts love Borland’s versatility and work ethic.
- In his latest notes piece, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini observes that this will be the first draft in which Jets GM John Idzik will have his own group of scouts on which to lean. (However, the Jets didn’t fare too poorly in the 2013 draft with Idzik’s inherited staff, selecting an immediate contributor in defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson).
- With Peyton Manning‘s limited window and a dominant defense save for inside linebacker, Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post argues that the Broncos might trade up to select C.J. Mosley in order to further strengthen their defense.
- If the Browns are truly utilizing a “best player available” approach, a selection of Greg Robinson would be appropriate, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. However, Robinson (as Ulrich notes) is expected to be drafted before the Browns pick at No. 4.
Sunday Roundup: Texans, Cowboys, Panthers
We wrote last week about the dilemma quarterback-needy teams will face in the first-round of the draft, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe provides a specific example of how overvaluation of the quarterback position can lead to disastrous results. Volin describes how Charlie Casserly, former GM of the Texans, over-inflated the value of David Carr in 2002 because he believed the team needed to hit the ground running with a solid, if unspectacular, signal-caller.
Like this year’s crop of top QBs, those in 2002 had some intriguing upside along with equally troubling drawbacks. As the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock has stated about the 2014 class, “the more tape I watch…the more questions I have.” Will current Houston GM Rick Smith take the highest-rated prospect in the draft–Jadeveon Clowney–and avoid the temptation that having an unsettled quarterback situation creates (as Casserly now admits he should have done with Julius Peppers, the top prospect in the 2002 class)? Or do Smith and his staff believe strongly enough in one of the top QBs to pull the trigger?
As we delve into some more draft notes from around the league, it is worth noting this little nugget that Volin passes along from a current NFL executive: “Isn’t it ironic that every team that perceivably needs a quarterback this year signed one in free agency?”
And now onto those notes:
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the Broncos figure to devote their greatest attention to inside linebacker and cornerback in the draft. Klis tweets that if QBs start to fall, he expects Denver to try and trade up to grab a top player at one of those positions. One such trade-up target might be Alabama’s C.J. Mosley. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes that Denver’s defense would be dominant with Mosley on-board.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he would not be surprised if the Cowboys took a WR with their No. 16 overall selection to pair with Dez Bryant.
- Commenting on the depth of this year’s WR class and the history of players drafted at that position, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes that the Panthers, who are in need of a receiver, are just as likely to find a long-term contributor later on in the draft as they are at the top of the draft.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that what the Giants do in the first round of the draft–i.e. whether or not they take an offensive tackle–will demonstrate how they feel about the status of Will Beatty, who is coming off a terrible season and a fractured right leg.
- Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that the Jets will not rule out drafting a QB.
- ESPN.com’s Field Yates (subscription required) explains why he believes the Buccaneers should take Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans with the No. 7 overall pick.
Draft Notes: RBs, WRs, Team Tendencies
For those who like to hear what scouts have to say, there’s nobody more connected than Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In his latest “Rating the NFL draft prospects” series, McGinn looks at the running back position and ranks his top-10, based on what he’s seen and what he’s heard from scouts.
At the top is Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde. “Complete player,” one scout told McGinn. “Stud. He’s powerful. Great athlete. Great run feel. Catches the ball very well. He’ll block. Picks up all the protections, even calls some protections. He’s a good-hearted kid but he needs mentoring.”
Behind Hyde are LSU’s Jeremy Hill and Washington’s Bishop Sankey, the latter drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. Rounding out his top-five are Tre Mason of Auburn and Andre Williams of Boston College.
In a complement to his running bank rankings, McGinn examines how the position has become devalued over the years. NFL teams, on average, draft 1.8 runners in the first round this decade compared to 4.9 in the ’80s, a precipitous drop.
More draft notes from around the league…
- The Charlotte Observer takes a look at the 79 wide receivers taken in the first and second rounds of the past 10 drafts. According to the Observer’s 2013 rankings, about one in four — 21 of 79 — rank among the Top 40.
- If you’re curious of a certain general manager’s drafting habits, National Football Post’s Tony Villioti dug through 10 seasons worth of results for some gleaning insight. A few notable items, of which there are many: The Jets drafted just one receiver in the first three rounds (the fewest), the Ravens and Bengals drafted 17 and 16 receivers, respectively, and only four teams — Bears, Cowboys, Saints, Texans — did not draft a quarterback in rounds 1-3 in the 10-year study.
- In defense of the NFL combine, Peter Keating of ESPN The Magazine (subscription required) writes that the bench press and 40-yard dash can predict the future success of players in the league.
- Citing the player’s postseason draft success and his collegiate résumé, ESPN Insider Louis Riddick (subscription required) names Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald as the best defensive prospect in the 2014 draft class.
- With picks made by beat writers of each of the 32 teams, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times passes along this mock draft with only two quarterbacks going in the first round. Also of note is the Dolphins‘ first-round pick, Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles.
West Notes: Sherman, Chiefs, Chargers, 49ers
Contract extension talks between the Seahawks and All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman are still occurring, but a deal has not yet been reached, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Some reports have indicated that a deal could coalesce before the draft on Thursday, and while that still may be realistic, it reportedly “won’t be easy.” The Seahawks, who recently locked up another young defensive back in Earl Thomas, have Sherman under contract for one more season, at a base salary of $1.431MM.
More rumblings from the West divisions:
- Adam Teicher of ESPN.com believes that defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman is something of a boom-or-bust prospect, while fellow D-lineman Stephon Tuitt is more likely to be a solid, productive player, leading Teicher to surmise that the Chiefs, who are without a second-round pick, would be less likely to gamble on Hageman were he to fall to the 23rd pick.
- The Chargers have often taken one of two approaches when drafting defensive players, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com — selecting a player who performs a single task well (like Larry English‘s and pass rushing), or taking a prospect who is more well-rounded and versatile (such as Melvin Ingram). If versatility is the objective for Chargers general manager Tom Telesco in next week’s draft, a defensive lineman like Oregon State’s Scott Crichton could be of interest.
- The 49ers’ plans regarding Aldon Smith need not have changed simply because the team exercised its 2015 option on the linebacker, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Niners have some time to further decide on Smith’s future. Maiocco believes that because of Smith’s status, outside linebacker must be a consideration for San Francisco in next week’s draft.
- It might take a draft day slide, but cornerback Kyle Fuller would be of interest to the Broncos, according to ESPN’s NFL Nation blog. Some have raised concerns about Fuller’s size (5’11”, 190 pounds) but his ability to play in multiple spots might overcome those defects. “I feel comfortable playing in the nickel, playing outside,’” said the young defensive back. “I just want to be versatile.”