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Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Donald, Latimer

April 24th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

In past years, we’d be gearing up for the NFL draft to begin in a matter of hours, but with this year’s event pushed back into May, we still have two more weeks of build-up until the big night. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is helping to bridge that gap by continuing to pass along noteworthy tidbits on this year’s prospects. Here’s the latest from Pauline, with these notes coming from his latest blog entries unless otherwise indicated:

  • The Dolphins like offensive lineman Zack Martin, but don’t expect him to be available when they pick in the first round. Sources tell Pauline that Miami could end up trading down and targeting a player like Nevada’s Joel Bitonio — Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandjio isn’t expected to be a first-round option for the club. Bitonio, meanwhile, is also drawing interest from the Panthers and Buccaneers.
  • Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald figures to come off the board somewhere between picks No. 6 and 16, according to Pauline, who identifies the Falcons (6th), Giants (12th), Bears (14th), and Cowboys (16th) as potential landing spots.
  • At least 23 teams will travel to Bloomington, Indiana tomorrow for Cody Latimer‘s on-campus workout. Pauline hears that the receiver is one of the draft’s fastest risers, and even has a shot to be selected in the first round.
  • Fresno State wideout Davante Adams is working out with the Panthers for a second time. Adams has also visited the Lions, Chargers, and Falcons, and worked out for the Titans.
  • The Colts brought in Wisconsin safety Dez Southward for a pre-draft visit, according to Pauline.
  • The Steelers, Colts, and Eagles are displaying the most interest in Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart.
  • Wake Forest linebacker Justin Jackson is paying a visit to the Chiefs today, Pauline reports in a tweet.
  • The Jets have reps at Clemson today to work out quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Roderick McDowell, and linebacker Quandon Christian, tweets Pauline.
  • Pauline also reports (via Twitter) that the Packers, Patriots, and Chiefs are at Mississippi State today to work out quarterback Tyler Russell and safety Nickoe Whitley.

Draft Visits: Falcons, Bryant, Martin, Jets

April 24th, 2014 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Teams only have until Sunday to bring in draft prospects for pre-draft visits, so even though workouts are still permitted after that date, plenty of clubs are hosting players this week. Here’s a round-up of several of the latest reports on these visits:

  • According to reports from ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link), Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the Falcons have worked out Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews and Connecticut linebacker Yawin Smallwood, and are heading to Columbia, South Carolina tomorrow to work out wideout Bruce Ellington.
  • Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith has visited the Broncos, Eagles, and Panthers, as well as worked out privately for the Panthers, Falcons, Patriots, and Buccaneers, according to Wilson.
  • Martavis Bryant has been extremely busy over the last few weeks, with a combined total of 22 visits and private workouts, writes Wilson at the National Football Post. According to Wilson, the Buccaneers are one team that has hosted and privately worked out the Clemson wide receiver.
  • Wilson, who has been busy lately himself, also passes along updates on two more prospects: USC center Marcus Martin has met with the Chargers, Panthers, Saints, and Eagles, while Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman is visiting the Bengals.
  • Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is among the players visiting the Jets today, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). We heard last night about several other prospects the Jets are hosting this week, including Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
  • Cornerback Justin Gilbert‘s previously reported visit with the Lions is happening today, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
  • McGill offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is projected to be the first overall pick in the CFL draft, but he’s also drawing plenty of interest from NFL teams. As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, the 49ers are the latest club to host the Canadian prospect for a visit.

Lions Notes: Suh, Lora, Fortt, Couplin

April 23rd, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A few hours before the NFL officially announcing its 2014 schedule, New York radio station WFAN broke news of the Giants’ slate for the coming season. According to the report, the Giants’ ’14 season starts off with a Monday night matchup in Detroit against the Lions. Here are a few more Wednesday updates on those Lions:

  • Citing a source, Scott Bischoff of New Era Scouting reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Lions are open to the idea of trading Ndamukong Suh as a way of moving up as far as possible in the 2014 draft. I’m a little skeptical about how hard Detroit would push for a deal like that, even if the team could find a taker, and Bischoff himself notes that there’d be plenty of roadblocks (Twitter link).
  • In response to Bischoff’s report, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at how a hypothetical trade of Suh would work, exploring some reasons why it could make sense for the Lions.
  • Eastern Illinois wide receiver Erik Lora will be paying a visit to Detroit to meet with the Lions on Friday, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Lions also hosted Cal linebacker Khairi Fortt and William & Mary safety Jerome Couplin for pre-draft visits today, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Bears, Raiola

April 23rd, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ranks the Packers‘ positional needs on a scale of 1-10. The safety position tops the list as Green Bay has been searching for a solution there ever since losing Nick Collins to a career-ending neck injury in Week 2 of 2011. The Packers haven’t drafted a safety in the first round since 1993, but there’s a good chance they snap the streak this year. More from the NFC North:

  • Many third-round picks in Packers franchise history have been major successes, writes Martin Hendricks of the Journal Sentinel. To give you an idea of how well Green Bay has done in the third round, tight end Jermichael Finley occupies the tenth spot on the top 10 list.
  • The Bears have a big weapon in tight end Martellus Bennett, but GM Phil Emery could be looking for depth and a little competition in the upcoming draft. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune looks at the tight ends Chicago could consider, even though the team’s need at the position is relatively low.
  • The Bears probably aren’t going after defensive ends following their additions of Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, and Willie Young, but, hey, you never know. Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com looks at some potential fits for Chicago on the bookends to help give them insurance in case of injury. Injuries ravaged the Bears in 2013, so they know the overall importance of depth.
  • Longtime Lions center Dominic Raiola is okay with the Lions drafting his successor, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The Lions have already met with USC’s Marcus Martin, widely considered the top center in the draft, as well as Colorado State’s Weston Richburg.

Minor Moves: Bills, Lions, Jaguars, 49ers

April 22nd, 2014 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Within this post, we’ll round up all of Tuesday’s minor transactions — players accepting exclusive rights contract tenders, teams signing players without real NFL experience, minor contract restructures, and so on. Any new minor transactions that pop up during the rest of the afternoon and evening will be added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Dolphins have signed punter Matt Szymanski to a contract, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Given the presence of Pro Bowl punter Brandon Fields on the Dolphins’ roster, Szymanski will likely just be an extra camp leg for the team.

Earlier updates:

  • Exclusive rights free agents Chris Hogan, Antoine McClain, and Frank Summers have re-signed with the Bills, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (via Twitter). Of the three players, Summers played the most for the club in 2013, appearing in 232 offensive snaps and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Hogan also caught 10 balls and recorded nine special teams tackles.
  • Cory Greenwood, who previously had two years remaining on his contract with the Lions, has eliminated the 2015 season and reduced his 2014 salary and cap number to the minimum ($645K), says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The renegotiation also eliminates a $20K workout bonus for this year, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
  • Jaguars fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou has signed his ERFA tender to return to the team, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Ta’ufo’ou, who had 10 carries and a single reception for Jacksonville in 2013, will be eligible for restricted free agency after the 2014 season.
  • The 49ers have waived fullback Alex Debniak, who spent his rookie season on IR with a torn Achilles, the team announced today in a press release.

Draft Visits: Matthews, Colts, Aikens, Bills

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans continue to do their due diligence on every player near the top of the draft board, as they’re set to host Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews for a visit this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that the Texans’ myriad pre-draft visits with top prospects could be designed to keep teams guessing about which player Houston actually wants, laying the groundwork to potentially trade down from No. 1. Meanwhile, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Matthews will visit the Falcons before heading to Houston later in the week for his Texans visit.

Here are a few more miscellaneous draft notes, as we inch a little closer to May 8:

  • After meeting with the Dolphins on Monday, Clemson wideout Martavis Bryant is visiting the Colts today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson also adds the Panthers and Steelers to the list of clubs that have hosted Bryant for visits so far.
  • In a separate NFP report, Wilson provides an update on Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens, who is visiting the Colts, Packers, and Bengals this week. According to Wilson, in addition to previously reported visits and workouts, Aikens has also visited the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, and worked out for Cowboys and Jaguars.
  • According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago (via Twitter), the Bears traveled to Los Angeles late last month to conduct a private workout with UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr.
  • The Bills hosted Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, USC offensive lineman Marcus Martin and Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon today, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
  • Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton has visited with a long list of teams, including the Patriots, Cardinals, Rams, and Lions, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan.
  • Auburn cornerback Chris Davis worked out for the Falcons, Colts, and Patriots, among other clubs, according to Caplan (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Will Hill, Julio Jones, Vikings

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up several NFC West notes earlier this morning, but there are plenty more items to pass along from around the rest of the conference. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

  • Giants safety Will Hill is facing another drug-related suspension and plans to appeal the results in hopes of avoiding a lengthy absence. However, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes, Hill is likely “done” with the Giants regardless of the appeal’s outcome, since the club is “livid” at the 24-year-old’s continued drug issues.
  • Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link), Falcons head coach Mike Smith indicated Julio Jones “is going to be an Atlanta Falcon for a long, long, long time.” Smith didn’t specifically address Jones’ fifth-year option, but I imagine the only way that won’t be exercised is if Atlanta reaches a longer-term agreement with Jones before the May 3 deadline.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds offensive tackle Greg Robinson to the list of prospects visiting the Falcons this week.
  • A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that Blake Bortles won’t be visiting or working out for the Vikings. It’s hard to know how to interpret the report — if it’s Bortles’ decision, he may be confident he’ll be drafted before the Vikings pick at No. 8. If it’s Minnesota’s decision, perhaps the team simply knows all it needs to after watching Bortles and meeting with him at his Pro Day.
  • Speaking of Vikings quarterbacks, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, with the help of cap expert Joel Corry, explains why the club’s decision on Christian Ponder‘s fifth-year option isn’t as simple as it may seem on the surface.
  • We heard yesterday that Kareem Martin has visited the Vikings, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the Cowboys and Panthers will also be hosting the UNC defensive end.
  • The Lions invited five tryout players to minicamp, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter): Kevin Matthews (C), Sherman Carter (G), Josh Jenkins (G), Cordaro Howard (T), and Jordan Thompson (TE).

Suh Will Not Attend Voluntary Minicamp

April 21st, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Rory Parks

Ndamukong Suh will not attend the Lions’ voluntary minicamp this week, according to the Associated Press (citing an unnamed source). The source, said to be “familiar with the situation,” adds that Suh does plan to attend the team’s voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp next month.

Because the Lions have a new head coach, Jim Caldwell, they were able to begin Phase 1 of voluntary offseason workouts two weeks ago. Phase 1 activities are limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation, and although coaches are not permitted on the field or in the weight room during Phase 1, they can conduct instructional sessions in meeting rooms. 19 of the 25 teams who do not have new head coaches began Phase 1 today, and the remaining six clubs will begin tomorrow.

Suh has not shown up to team facilities since the Lions were first permitted to conduct offseason workouts on April 7, and while the absence of veteran players from these types of voluntary activities often means nothing, particularly when a well-established veteran is the absentee, those absences sometimes take on increased significance under certain circumstances. Suh’s teammate, Lions RB Reggie Bush, noted several weeks ago that he believed Suh’s lack of participation was a “contract thing,” and he is probably right.

Suh is in the last year of his deal with the Lions, and he carries a $22.41MM cap hit in 2014. Team president Tom Lewand recently expressed optimism that the two sides would get an extension worked out, and such an extension would indubitably make Suh one of the highest-paid defensive players in league history. If these contract discussions do not get resolved by next month, it will be interesting to see if Suh does in fact participate in May’s voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp as he currently suggests.

Minor Moves: Lions, Chiefs, Raiders, Colts

April 21st, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Our posts on minor transactions typically focus on smaller-name players and under-the-radar moves. There are plenty of those today, as players accept contract tenders and teams bolster their rosters with camp bodies in time for 2014’s offseason workouts. Let’s round up today’s transactions…

  • Defensive end George Johnson has signed with the Lions, according to agent Brian Levy of Goal Line Football (Twitter link). Johnson has spent time with the Vikings and Buccaneers since 2011, though his regular-season playing time has been extremely limited.

Earlier updates:

  • Free agent wide receiver Kyle Williams has re-signed with the Chiefs, as he announced today on Twitter. Williams, a former 49er, was claimed by Kansas City off waivers last fall, but tore his ACL in late November. He’ll likely continue to rehab and recover throughout the summer, so he’s not expected to have a major role for the Chiefs in 2014.
  • The Lions have added a pair of cornerbacks to their roster, signing Aaron Hester and Nate Ness, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Hester was on the Broncos’ roster during the 2013 preseason, while Ness has bounced around among a handful of teams since going undrafted in 2009.
  • Raiders safety Brandian Ross and tackle Matt McCants have accepted and signed their exclusive rights free agent tenders from the club, the team announced via Twitter.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports a number of RFA and ERFA tender signings, via Twitter, as follows: Colts cornerback Josh Gordy has signed his $1.431MM tender; 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite has signed his ERFA tender; Giants center Dallas Reynolds has accepted his ERFA tender; and linebacker Adrian Hamilton and safety Anthony Levine have accepted their ERFA offers from the Ravens.

NFC Notes: Clayborn, Falcons, Vikings, Lions

April 21st, 2014 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a number of teams exercised fifth-year options on 2011 first-rounders today, one player who doesn’t appear likely to have his option picked up is Adrian Clayborn of the Buccaneers, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. A source tells Florio that the Bucs aren’t expected to exercise the defensive end’s option, and also aren’t considering trading him to another team that would pick up the option. As such, it looks like the former 20th overall pick will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2014 season.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Jadeveon Clowney‘s visit with the Falcons will happen on Wednesday, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, running back Carlos Hyde will pay a visit to Atlanta on Wednesday as well, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Hyde has also visited the Titans and Patriots, adds Pelissero (via Twitter).
  • Kurt Coleman‘s new one-year contract with the Vikings is worth $900K, but none of that total is guaranteed, says Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
  • The Vikings hosted North Carolina defensive end Kareem Martin for a pre-draft visit last week, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Tomasson’s source suggests that Martin, who figures to be a second- or third-round pick, would be a nice fit in Minnesota.
  • USC center Marcus Martin and Nebraska cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste both visited the Lions today, and Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com has details on the pair of prospects.
  • The Seahawks also hosted a couple of prospects today — Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post says Washington State safety Deone Bucannon has a two-day visit with the club, while Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets that Fresno State wideout Davante Adams was also in Seattle.
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