Texans LB Max Bullough Hit With Suspension
The NFL announced that Texans linebacker Max Bullough has been hit with a four-game suspension. The ban comes after a violation of the league’s PED policy. 
“As a dedicated member of this team, it is very disappointing to have to miss the first four games of the season and not be out there with my teammates,” Bullough said in a statement issued via social media. “I sincerely apologize to my family, the entire Texans organization, my teammates and our fans for this situation. It is my responsibility to know the ingredients of every supplement that I use, so I take full responsibility for what happened and will work as hard as I can to be ready to contribute when I return..”
Bullough, a Michigan State product, appeared in every game for Houston last season and even made three starts. He had 19 tackles in total, however, and only saw the field for 240 defensive snaps (129 snaps against the run, 94 on passing plays).
Bullough projects as the Texans’ first inside linebacker off of the bench, behind starters Brian Cushing and Benardrick McKinney. However, his four-game suspension could affect his standing with the team. Brian Peters, who was signed from the Vikings’ practice squad in 2015 on the same day that Bullough was promoted to Houston’s 53-man roster, is also in the fold at inside linebacker.
Bills To Interview Texans Exec Brian Gaine
Texans director of player personnel Brian Gaine will interview for the Bills’ GM job on Thursday, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Gaine has Houston’s permission to interview.
[RELATED: Bills Hosting TE Gary Barnidge On Visit]
The Eagles were eyeing Gaine for a high-profile position prior to the 2015 season and the Texans gave him a promotion to keep him from leaving. Since then, Gaine has been linked to a number of GM vacancies. With Rick Smith in charge, Houston might not have a higher title left to keep Gaine from wanting to bolt.
It’s not clear how much say the next GM of the Bills will have over the 53-man roster. New head coach Sean McDermott reportedly wrestled control of the draft away from Doug Whaley and he might not be willing to give up that power.
Gaine is now the second exec scheduled to interview for the opening, following Panthers assistant GM Brandon Beane.
Former Ravens RB Justin Forsett Retires
Justin Forsett is retiring. The longtime NFL running back is hanging up his cleats after nine seasons. 
“It’s time. I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game I love,” Forsett wrote. “Its been an amazing ride and I’m grateful for every moment. My career has brought so many great people into my life, and I asked some of them to join me in saying goodbye. Against all odds, critics, and naysayers, I accomplished something great. Scouts measured my height and said I was too short. They measured my 40-yard dash and said I was too slow. They looked at my build and said I wouldn’t last. But they couldn’t measure my heart, my faith, and my perseverance. I am living proof that dreams come true and God answers prayers, and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to live out my dream.”
Forsett was a backup for the first six years of his career until 2014 when he got his big opportunity with the Ravens. As Baltimore’s lead back, he ran for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
After being held back by injuries in 2015, the Ravens cut him loose early in the 2016 season. In 44 combined carries for the Lions and Ravens in the fall, he posted just over 3.0 yards per rush on 44 tries. When he later hooked on with the Broncos, he averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry on 43 attempts. Entering what would have been his age-32 season, it was clear that Forsett’s best football was behind him.
Forsett will be fondly remembered for his impressive 2014 campaign and his positive locker room influence. PFR wishes Forsett all the best in retirement.
AFC Draft Notes: Mixon, Raiders, Dolphins
Some assorted draft notes from around the AFC…
- Half the league didn’t have embattled running back Joe Mixon on their draft board, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Meanwhile, other evaluators believe he was the best overall running back if they were only evaluating on-field skills. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter adds that only four teams said they would consider drafting Mixon. We can assume that one of those four organizations was the Bengals, who selected the running back in the second round.
- The Raiders selected UConn safety Obi Melifonwu in the second round, although Rapoport tweets that the organization was close to selecting the defensive back in the first.
- The Dolphins ultimately selected defensive end Charles Harris with the 22nd pick on Thursday night. However, if the Missouri product hadn’t been available, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero says (via Twitter) that the team would have selected Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton.
- The Broncos were rather committed to selecting Florida State defensive end DeMarcus Walker. In fact, general manager John Elway revealed that he was willing to trade up if he needed to. “We made a lot of attempts to get up in (second round) to trade for Walker,” Elway told Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link). “Things worked out.” Walker was selected by the Broncos with the 51st overall pick.
- Good news out of Houston: Rapoport tweets that the Texans don’t believe running back D’Onta Foreman needs surgery on the stress fracture in his foot. The team found “no progressions in the injury at rechecks,” which apparently made them comfortable enough to select him in the third round.
Texans Still Planning To Start Tom Savage
- The Texans sent a significant haul to Cleveland to move from No. 25 to No. 12 and select Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, but it appears he’ll begin his pro career as a backup. Head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters, including Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, that Tom Savage will be the Texans’ starting signal-caller next season (Twitter link).
Did Bears Bid Against Themselves For Trubisky?
The Bears gave up a fortune to move up one spot and select Mitch Trubisky. It’s not immediately clear whether that was necessary, however. 
The Browns, Chiefs, Texans, and Cardinals all had interest in moving up and the Browns and Chiefs in particular coveted Mitch Trubisky, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune hears (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links) hears the Niners shopped the pick hard for a week and found no takers. While some teams, like the Bills, had legitimate interest in Trubisky, none were interested in paying the steep price to move all the way to the second pick.
Could the Bears have stayed at No. 3 and selected Trubisky? We may never know for sure, but it sounds like there could be truth in both reports from Jahns and Robinson. The Browns, Chiefs, and other teams may have been after Trubisky, but they were probably unwilling to leapfrog the Bears to get a deal done. 49ers GM John Lynch says that Solomon Thomas and Reuben Foster were two of the top three players on his board and it’s safe to assume that Myles Garrett was the third musketeer, not Trubisky.
The Bears, it seems, got pump faked into paying a king’s ransom when they could have stood pat and gotten their man. At the same time, if Trubisky turns out to be a star who greatly outperforms Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, and other top talents linked to Chicago, none of this will really matter.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Texans Acquire No. 12, Take Deshaun Watson
The Texans have acquired the No. 12 overall pick from the Browns. The Browns will receive the Texans’ No. 25 overall pick plus their 2018 first round pick. With the pick, the Texans have selected Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.
The Texans, of course, have been on the lookout for a quarterback and Watson could be the player to supplant Tom Savage as the starter in 2017. Watson has been criticized for having less accuracy than other QB prospects in this year’s class, but he has two years of solid football under his belt and he is the most athletic of the bunch.
The Browns now own both the Texans’ first and second round picks in next year’s draft. The Browns previously acquired Houston’s second round pick in the Brock Osweiler trade.
Jaguars Considering Deshaun Watson At No. 4?
There is growing chatter about the Jaguars selecting Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson at No. 4, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Watson has not really been linked to the Jaguars during the draft process, so this news some as a bit of a shock. 
[RELATED: Browns To Take Mitch Trubisky No. 1?]
The Jaguars, of course, already have a former top five pick at quarterback in Blake Bortles. However, Bortles struggled mightily in 2016 and it’s not even clear whether Jacksonville will exercise his fifth-year option for 2018. The option, guaranteed for injury only, would give the QB an $18MM salary in that additional season.
So far, the athletic Watson has been widely projected as a late first round type. He might have the most upside of any quarterback in this year’s class, but concerns about his accuracy have him pegged below UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky on most draft boards. If the Jaguars follow through and take Watson at No. 4, the Texans at No. 25 are one team that could be severely disappointed, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In Tuesday’s dueling live mock draft on PFR, I had Houston selecting Watson with their No. 25 overall pick.
Texans Linked To Garett Bolles
- While Garett Bolles is reportedly considered the top offensive lineman by some clubs, the Utah product may ultimately slip into the second round, reports Pauline. That would certainly be surprising, especially given that the 2017 offensive tackle class is considered especially weak (meaning top options such as Bolles should come at a premium). The clubs most heavily linked to Bolles are the Broncos, Giants, Raiders, and Texans, says Pauline. Bolles’ age is the one key factor working against him, as he’ll already be 25 years old when the upcoming season begins.
[SOURCE LINK]
PFR’s 2017 Live NFL Mock Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night, and Pro Football Rumors is back with its second mock draft of the year. While our initial mock attempted to project what will happen in Round 1, we’ve taken a different approach for mock draft 2.0.
PFR editor Zach Links and I conducted this live mock draft on Tuesday morning, rotating picks and breaking down what we would do were we in charge of these selections. We posted each pick on Twitter, followed by a short explanation of our thought process on this page.
Here’s the complete mock:
1. Cleveland Browns (Zach) – Myles Garrett, LB, Texas A&M
I suspect this is the easiest pick either one of us will make all day. Garrett is the best pure talent in this year’s draft and the Browns would be foolish to go in any other direction at the top of the draft.
2. San Francisco 49ers (Dallas) – Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Reports that the 49ers are considering a quarterback with the second overall selection stand out as a potential smokescreen, and instead San Francisco uses the No. 2 pick to bolster its defense. Hooker, who recently earned a full medical clearance following combine rechecks, has been commonly linked to the Chargers as a perfect fit for Los Angeles defensive coordinator Gus Bradley‘s scheme. But the 49ers are running the same defensive look as the Chargers under new DC Robert Saleh, and Hooker would give the team a centerfielder with the upside of an Earl Thomas. San Francisco’s plan to convert nickel cornerback Jimmie Ward to safety won’t stop it from adding Hooker, who is possibly the draft’s No. 2 overall prospect.
3. Chicago Bears (Zach) – Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford
Dallas’ bold pick left my Bears with a golden opportunity. The Bears could go safety or cornerback in this scenario, but the talent of Thomas is too good to pass up. Thomas can be used on both the inside and outside of the Bears’ defensive line and I see him as one of the safest talents on the board.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (Dallas) – Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
No, we didn’t forget the Jaguars used a top-five pick on Jalen Ramsey in 2016 and then handed a $67.5MM contract to A.J. Bouye in free agency last month. But one of Ramsey’s key selling points last year was his versatility: while he’s a shutdown corner at his best, Ramsey can man the slot, cover tight ends, and dabble at safety. As such, adding Conley doesn’t mean Jacksonville is facing cornerback overload, especially given that NFL clubs are in the nickel more than two-thirds of the time. Conley is viewed as a safer prospect than his Ohio State teammate Marshon Lattimore, and he’d give the Jaguars a Broncos-like secondary.
5. Tennessee Titans (Zach) – Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
The Titans, arguably, get the best cornerback available in the draft even though they are the second team to address the position. No, we don’t have a ton of film to go on for Lattimore, but his combine numbers indicate that he could be a megastar. Few teams in the NFL would have a young cornerback duo like the Titans if they can pair Logan Ryan with Lattimore.
6. Cleveland Browns (projected trade with Jets) (Dallas) – Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
In need of a franchise quarterback, the Browns send the No. 12 and No. 52 pick to the Jets in exchange for No. 6 with the intention of drafting Trubisky. It’s a slight overpay for Cleveland (at least, based on Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s draft value chart, which is likely what the Browns front offices uses), but it does the deal anyway to land a long-term option under center. Given that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is reportedly pressing the club to select a quarterback early — and the fact the Cleveland may still be considering Trubisky with the first overall selection — landing the UNC signal-caller at No. 5 for the cost of a mid-second-round pick is a move the Browns can’t pass up.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (Zach) – Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
In this scenario, it seems like Allen’s subpar workouts have led to a bit of a drop. His size (6’3″) is a bit of a concern, but he has the ability to be an effective defensive end while spending some time on the inside as well. Allen would look great lining up on the opposite end of Joey Bosa.
8. Carolina Panthers (Dallas) – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Sitting at pick No. 8, the Panthers certainly have options. General manager Dave Gettleman & Co. could go after a running back like Leonard Fournette or Christian McCaffrey, bring in a young edge rusher to play alongside veterans like Charles Johnson and Julius Peppers, or even reach for an offensive tackle given Michael Oher‘s health questions. With Ted Ginn Jr. and Corey Brown having defected via free agency, the Panthers need another wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin. Enter Davis, who topped 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of the past three seasons.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (Zach) – Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Foster’s stock, by all accounts, is slipping after he turned in a diluted urine sample and got into an argument with a hospital worker at the combine. However, with other teams in the market for an inside linebacker (like the Jets at No. 12, for example), it would be somewhat risky to trade down into the teens and expect Foster to still be there. The Bengals have been willing to overlook character concerns in the past, so I see no reason why they can’t do the same here and land the Alabama star.
10. Buffalo Bills (Dallas) – Jamal Adams, S, LSU
While the Bills gave Jordan Poyer a four-year deal with $6MM in guarantees earlier this offseason, I’m still not convinced Buffalo views him as a definite starter. Those questions come to the forefront with Adams still on the board, and the Bills don’t hesitate to take the LSU defensive back. With ex-Packer Micah Hyde also in the fold, Buffalo can field one of the more diverse and flexible safety tandems in the league. Adams is viewed as a leader in the locker room, and has been favorably compared to former Cowboys All Pro Darren Woodson by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
