AFC Notes: CJ2K, Manziel, Clowney, Texans
The specific financial details of Chris Johnson‘s two-year deal with the Jets have leaked, as Aaron Wilson details at the National Football Post. The $8MM contract includes a $3MM signing bonus and a $1MM non-guaranteed base salary for 2014. If the Jets want to keep the veteran running back for a second season, they’ll owe him a $500K option bonus on the 22nd day before the 2015 league year begins. For 2015, Johnson would have a $3.5MM base salary and a $1MM escalator.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- David Climer of the Tennessean wonders if Johnson’s agent was responsible for getting the running back cut by the Titans, since it seems as if he didn’t thoroughly explore the possibility of his client accepting a pay cut. However, Climer ultimately concludes that both sides were probably ready for a change anyway.
- Johnny Manziel‘s and Jadeveon Clowney‘s visits with the Texans are happening today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Both prospects should have a chance to make their case to be the first overall pick.
- We heard yesterday that the Jets are bringing in cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Darqueze Dennard for pre-draft visits this week, and we can add another name to that list, after Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert tweeted that he’ll visit the Jets today. According to Gilbert, he’ll also be visiting the Broncos, Lions, and Falcons.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has already visited six NFL teams, including the Dolphins.
- UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr and Wisconsin defensive tackle Beau Allen are visiting the Steelers today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
- The Raiders are conducting a private workout for Purdue offensive tackle Kevin Pamphile today, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
AFC Draft Notes: Pats, Broncos, Browns, Ravens
It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for the Patriots to select a center in the first round, opines ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss. While the Pats may be passing over more talented prospects, it’s likely that top center prospects like Marcus Martin or Weston Richburg won’t be around for the Pats’ second pick. Additionally, we’ve seen examples in recent history that suggest that slightly reaching for a center isn’t a bad decision. Reiss refers to last year’s number-31 pick, Travis Frederick, as well as Tyron Smith and Alex Mack.
Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the AFC…
- It wouldn’t be in the Broncos best interest to trade out of the first round, writes Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Klis points to the extra year of contract flexibility the team possesses with their first pick as opposed to a later pick. This played out this offseason, when Eric Decker (who was selected two rounds later than former teammate Demaryius Thomas) received his payday a season earlier.
- It wouldn’t be shocking if the Browns select two quarterbacks in the draft, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com mentions in a mailbag. Grossi lists Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel as potential first-round targets.
- The Ravens met with wide receiver Martavis Bryant as the combine, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The former Clemson standout caught 42 passes for 828 yards in 2013.
AFC Notes: Pryor, Hill, Bills
The Raiders will cut Terrelle Pryor if they can’t find a trade partner by Monday, reports Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter). The news portends an inevitable conclusion to Pryor’s time in Oakland, as the writing has been on the wall since the team traded for Matt Schaub and declared confidence in Matt McGloin as the backup.
Here’s a handful more AFC notes:
- The Broncos are nearing decision time on Von Miller, who is eligible for a fifth-year option, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold details the figures, options and factors involved. Even if the team decides against the fifth-year option in the short-term, franchising Miller next year is a realistic possibility assuming he returns healthy from his ACL injury and gets back to his impact form (30 sacks between 2011 and 2012).
- In a mailbag, ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus shares her opinion that, in theory, the Jets “have already moved on” from 2012 second-rounder Stephen Hill, who has been a bust through two seasons.
- The Bills are set at one safety spot with Aaron Williams, who is locked up until 2018. However, despite an uninspiring trio of competitors for the other starting position (Da’Norris Searcy, Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks), the team does not seem motivated to pluck one of the top-rated safety prospects, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Rodak speculates the Bills likely won’t address safety in the draft until the middle or late rounds if at all, saying, “They could also wait another year, see what they have in those two second-year players, and re-assess the position after this season.”
Pauline’s Latest: Richburg, Wenning, Moses
With May 8 now less than three weeks away, draft expert Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is back with his latest round of updates on prospects and pre-draft visits. Here’s a recap of several of the highlights from Pauline’s newest piece:
- Colorado State center Weston Richburg, who has visited the Cardinals and worked out for the Patriots, could be a surprise round one pick, says Pauline, identifying the Packers, Patriots, and Broncos as potential landing spots. The Jaguars, at the start of the second round, could also be in the mix for Richburg.
- Ball State quarterback Keith Wenning is generating significant interest from NFL teams, says Pauline, writing that that Wenning has had eight visits and eight additional workouts. Of the teams mentioned by Pauline as having hosted or worked out the signal-caller, the Rams are the only one we haven’t heard mentioned previously.
- Virginia tackle Morgan Moses has seen his stock rise a little due to the ACL injury suffered by Brandon Thomas — teams eyeing tackles can no longer count on Thomas as a fallback option if they miss out on someone like Moses. According to Pauline, the Panthers may be a possibility late in the first round for Moses, and the tackle is unlikely to get past the Redskins in round two.
- Speaking of Thomas, his ACL surgery means he’ll likely fall to the fourth or fifth round, in Pauline’s view.
- We heard earlier in the week that Cameron Fleming visited the Redskins, and Pauline says Washington is “seriously interested” in the Stanford tackle. Fleming has also worked out for the Panthers, Falcons, and Titans, according to Pauline.
- Bloomsburg guard Brian Clarke is visiting the Chargers and has a private workout lined up with the Giants, tweets Pauline.
AFC Draft Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jets
Within his latest Read Option feature on Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei focuses on what the Texans will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, which gets underway three weeks from today. It’s a question we explored ourselves earlier in the week, asking you in a poll what Houston ought to do with the pick. As we noted, selecting a quarterback or a defender like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack seem like the best options for the Texans if they keep the pick. However, more than 30% of you suggested the club’s best move would be to trade the pick, and Pompei seems to agree, writing that moving down would provide “multiple solutions” for the Texans, who “wouldn’t necessarily have to exact a ransom in return.”
Here’s more on the draft from around the AFC:
- We heard yesterday that Miami quarterback Stephen Morris was drawing interest from the Dolphins, and Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Morris has a workout lined up with the Broncos as well.
- Noting (via Twitter) that the Jets‘ visits with wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Darqueze Dennard are scheduled for next week, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News provides an updated list of all of the team’s pre-draft visitors.
- The Ravens, who are considering drafting a safety in next month’s draft, brought in Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward for a visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Craig Kelley of Colts.com provides a rundown of the 20 prospects with local ties the Colts worked out earlier this week.
AFC Notes: Pats, Browns, Sam, Chargers
Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates from across the AFC….
- Within his latest piece at Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman writes that the Patriots are considering adding a receiver earlier in the draft and that the Browns “really love” Derek Carr, who is a strong candidate for the club’s second first-round pick.
- The Browns aren’t set on Carr yet though — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club is privately working out Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron today, and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds (via Twitter) that McCarron will also have a formal visit with the Browns next week.
- Five of the six teams that have expressed the most interest in Missouri’s Michael Sam are AFC clubs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who identifies the Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Browns, Jets, and Falcons as suitors for the edge defender.
- Meanwhile, in a piece for the National Football Post, Wilson reports that Illinois State defensive end Colton Underwood has visited the Chargers and Chiefs, and also worked out for the Patriots.
- After having visited the Cowboys yesterday, Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton is visiting the Broncos today and the Chargers tomorrow, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- The Chargers are hosting Indiana wideout Cody Latimer and Montana linebacker Brock Coyle today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links). Coyle will visit the Seahawks next, Gehlken notes.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk attempts to discern what we can learn from the Alex Mack saga when it comes to future offer sheets for transition players.
AFC Notes: Dolphins, FA Grades, Manziel
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that, although wide receiver might be the deepest position on the Dolphins‘ roster, and although the team likes the top receivers on its depth chart–Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, and Rishard Matthews–Miami wants to continue adding to its receiving corps.
The Dolphins were unable to land Nate Burleson, who ultimately signed with the Browns, but they did recently add Damian Williams along with “long shots” Kevin Cone and Mike Rios. More importantly, they have devoted at least three of their 30 official visits to wide receivers who are projected to be taken in the first several rounds of next month’s draft. The team will visit with Ole Miss receiver Donte Moncrief and Clemson wideout Martavis Bryant, along with USC’s Marqise Lee.
As Jackson observes, the attention to receivers is motivated at least in part by the recent surgeries that Hartline, Gibson, and the “intriguing” Armon Binns have undergone. No doubt the Dolphins are also intent on giving quarterback Ryan Tannehill as many explosive weapons as possible by mining the deepest wide receiver draft class in recent memory.
Some more notes from around the AFC:
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his series of offseason evaluations as he takes a look at how AFC West teams fared in free agency. He believes the Raiders‘ offseason looks like an attempt to recreate a Pro Bowl roster from 2009 and gives the team a “D” grade (link), while the Chiefs and Chargers receive similarly disappointing “C-” grades (links here). The Broncos, meanwhile, receive a “B” for their efforts (link), as Fitzgerald respects their bold acquisitions but wonders if Eric Decker and Darrelle Revis would have made more sense than Emmanuel Sanders and Aqib Talib. Since the team is sacrificing its cap health in 2015 anyway, Decker/Revis indubitably looks like the better play on paper.
- Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun provides a similar evaluation of the Ravens‘ offseason, noting that the club has “closed the gap” in the AFC North with its savvy series of re-signings and modest but potentially valuable additions like Steve Smith and Owen Daniels.
- After writing that the Texans would take Johnny Manizel and Blake Bortles in his first two mock drafts, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has shifted gears and now believes the team will select Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick.
- ESPN Insider Field Yates (subscription required) takes a look at how the Browns and Jaguars have gone about their respective rebuilding processes and evaluates the merits of each approach.
AFC Draft Notes: Texans, Chargers, Titans
We explored some NFC draft notes earlier today. Now, let’s take a look around the AFC…
- The Texans will be hosting the top quarterback prospects this week, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. In addition to Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater, the Texans will also be bringing in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
- Having already visited the Chargers, as well as the Patriots, Middle Tennessee State defensive lineman Jimmy Staten will have a private workout with San Diego today, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Titans will privately work out LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger later this month, tweets Wyatt. In a separate tweet, Wyatt adds that the team will also be working out Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post identifies middle linebacker, cornerback, and the interior offensive line as three areas the Broncos should be looking to address in the draft.
- Williams & Mary safety Jerome Couplin participated in the Ravens‘ local prospect day, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Northern Illinois defensive tackle Ken Bishop will visit the Jaguars on Thursday, tweets Wilson.
- The Bills will bring in an unconventional prospect for a workout. The team reportedly has interest in Canisius basketball player Chris Manhertz, according to WKBW-TV in Buffalo. The 6’6″ senior has never played football, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Options, Bucs, Ravens, Panthers
The new CBA could hinder the availability of elite talent on the free agent market, writes John Clayton of ESPN.com. With long-term contract prices exceedingly high, teams will look to use the fifth-year option on many 2011 first-round-picks who would’ve been free agents after the upcoming season. Players like Cam Newton, Von Miller, and A.J. Green will likely have their options picked up by their respective teams, followed by progressive talks towards long-term deals. Compounding the situation is the fact that the top seven picks of the 2010 draft have contracts that do not expire until after the 2015 season. Because teams will have to conserve cap space to hammer out inevitable extensions for star-level players, mediocre free agents may have to be willing to sign for less money than might be expected.
More NFL notes to close out your weekend:
- The Buccaneers plan to draft a quarterback, but in what round is still a question, says Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Johnny Manziel remains a possibility if he slips to pick No. 7, as Bucs coach Lovie Smith noted: “I had time to watch quite a few games, and I had a chance to watch him — a lot. So you add all that up.”
- Boise State offensive lineman Matt Paradis, who worked out for the Patriots on Wednesday, recently visited with the Broncos, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Ravens have improved this offseason, but their offensive line (particularly left guard and right tackle) is still in flux, writes Greg Bedard of the MMQB.com.
- The Panthers receiving corps and offensive line are both listed among Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness’ list of offensive units that took a step back this offseason (via ESPN insider – subscription required). Carolina lost pass-catchers Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, and Ted Ginn, while their offensive line suffered the retirement of Jordan Gross and is still awaiting the decision of Travelle Wharton.
- On the Over the Cap podcast (audio link), Jason Fitzgerald stated that he believes the Chiefs will extend quarterback Alex Smith this summer. Signing Smith, whose contract expires after the upcoming season, would lower his cap figure and allow the team more cap space, enabling them to negotiate new deals for young players like Justin Houston.
Draft Visits: Raiders, Falcons, Bucs, Dolphins
It would be a surprise if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when the Raiders pick fifth overall in next month’s draft, but Oakland will nonetheless host the standout defensive end for a visit next week, according to John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter). The team is also hosting Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage for a visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. Savage isn’t a candidate for that No. 5 pick, but he’s drawn plenty of attention lately, and seems to be rising up a few draft boards.
Here’s more on pre-draft visits around the NFL:
- The Falcons are hosting Boise State pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence for a pre-draft visit, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Agent David Canter recently tweeted that Lawrence has visits to 10 teams scheduled in a two-week span.
- McClure also reports (via Twitter) that Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews has a visit lined up with the Falcons for the week of April 21.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on a pair of prospects. According to Wilson, Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford has met with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Chargers, and Falcons, while Marshall offensive tackle Garrett Scott is visiting the Raiders today after having also visited the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Buccaneers.
- Florida State running back Devonta Freeman is among the players visiting the Dolphins today, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, adding that Freeman has also visited the Falcons and Patriots.
- Another Florida State running back, James Wilder Jr., tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link) that he worked out for the Buccaneers today.
- We’ve already heard plenty of reports about Kyle Fuller’s pre-draft visits, but Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds a few more teams to Fuller’s list. According to Brandt, the Virginia Tech cornerback has worked out for the Titans, Buccaneers, and Falcons, and will also do so for the Bills and Rams, among other clubs.
- Ole Miss wideout Donte Moncrief, who previously visited the Steelers, will work out for the Dolphins and Broncos next week, tweets Brandt.
- UCF running back Storm Johnson will visit the 49ers on Monday and the Falcons later this month, says Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links).