- The Colts may target a signal caller in the draft, but GM Chris Ballard says he won’t “force the quarterback position,” (Twitter link Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “It’s got to be the right guy, the right fit,” Ballard continued. “I don’t know when that’s going to happen. Maybe this year, maybe next year, maybe two years from now.” The Colts inked veteran Philip Rivers to a one-year contract this past offseason, and they’re still rostering Jacoby Brissett.
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
The biggest names in NFL free agency might be off the board, but there are still plenty of noteworthy players on the board and high-profile cuts on the way. And, while some teams did their spending early, others are still sitting on lots of cash.
The latest cap figures from OverTheCap show that several teams are poised to pounce in the latter waves of free agency, starting with the Browns. The numbers also show that teams like the Rams still have work to do in order to sign their upcoming draft class. Also, the Eagles’ 2020 figure doesn’t quite tell the whole story – thanks to high-priced multi-year deals including Darius Slay’s new contract, they’re already overcommitted on dollars for 2021.
Here’s the complete rundown for all 32 teams, in descending order of cap space:
- Browns – $40.2MM
- Lions – $29.5MM
- Eagles – $27.1MM
- Colts – $24MM
- Dolphins – $23.9MM
- Redskins – $23.8MM
- Chargers – $22.3MM
- Titans – $21.5MM
- Bills – $20.9MM
- Texans – $18.6MM
- Broncos – $17.5MM
- Giants – $17.1MM
- Jets – $15.5MM
- Jaguars – $14.6MM
- Cowboys – $13.6MM
- Buccaneers – $13.5MM
- 49ers – $13.4MM
- Seahawks – $12.6MM
- Vikings – $12.3MM
- Ravens – $11.3MM
- Packers – $11.08MM
- Bears – $11.03MM
- Panthers – $9.4MM
- Raiders – $8.8MM
- Bengals – $7.3MM
- Steelers – $7.2MM
- Cardinals – $7MM
- Saints – $5.3MM
- Chiefs – $2.9MM
- Falcons – $2.4MM
- Patriots – $1.2MM
- Rams – (-$5.3MM)
The Colts are adding a former Pro Bowler. Indy is signing fullback Roosevelt Nix, according to Joel A Erickson of the Indy Star (via Twitter). ESPN’s Jordan Schultz (on Twitter) was first with the news.
The former Kent State defensive end initially switched to linebacker to boost his draft stock, but Nix still went undrafted in 2014. After joining the Falcons on a three-year deal, he switched to the offensive side of the ball, changing his position to fullback. However, he didn’t end up catching on with Atlanta, as he was released during his first preseason with the team.
Following a brief stint in the AFL, Nix signed a reserve/futures deal with the Steelers in 2015. He proceeded to appear in 60 games (11 starts) during his five seasons in Pittsburgh, serving primarily as a fullback and special teamer. He’s hauled in 12 career receptions for 69 yards and one score, and he has 34 career tackles and two forced fumbles. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017, replacing James Develin on the AFC roster.
Nix was named a Steelers captain prior to the 2019 season, but he was limited to only three games as he dealt with a knee injury. He ended up getting cut by the organization back in March.
Known mostly as a blocking fullback, Nix will be protecting the likes of Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, and Jordan Wilkins next season.
It’s April and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is still without an NFL team. The former No. 1 overall pick isn’t coming off of a banner year, but he plays a premium position and has 32 career sacks to his credit. So, what gives? 
Of course, his price tag is his biggest blocker. Clowney came into the offseason seeking a deal worth $20MM per year. Recently, he backed down from that position, though the incumbent Seahawks are believed to be offering between $13-$15MM per annum, which is still probably less than he’s willing to accept.
A reunion still seems possible, but Clowney’s camp is working to find a better deal in the interim. Late last week, the Browns entered the sweepstakes and some league officials believe that they have the strongest interest of any suitor. The Browns have tons of cap room – about $43MM – and they might be willing to use some of it to swap Olivier Vernon for Clowney. Of course, that might be easier said than done, since the Browns would still have to find a team willing to take on the rest of Vernon’s contract, which is set to pay him $15.25MM.
The Jets could use Clowney’s edge rushing ability, but they’ve been taking a conservative approach to free agency after whiffing on their preferred targets in March. The Titans have also been linked to him, thanks to Clowney’s relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel from their Houston days, but they’re less inclined to spend on the pass rush after committing $9MM to outside linebacker Vic Beasley.
Other teams have been connected to Clowney, like the Giants, Colts, and Dolphins, though their pass rush needs have already been addressed. The Eagles remain an interesting landing spot for him from a football perspective, and they have breathing room to work with for right now, but their 2021 situation could complicate things. In theory, Philly could still land Clowney if he is willing to accept a one-year deal. The Ravens – with less than $11MM in cap space for the current year – seem less likely to sign him. For the sake of casting a wide net, we’ll include all of those teams in our poll.
Where do you think Clowney will sign? Cast your vote in the poll below (link for app users) and back up your pick in the comments.
Where Will Jadeveon Clowney Sign?
Seahawks
35.97%
(2,803 votes)
Browns
22.45%
(1,749 votes)
Another team (tell us in the comments section)
9.05%
(705 votes)
Titans
7.97%
(621 votes)
Jets
7.25%
(565 votes)
Giants
5.81%
(453 votes)
Colts
4.95%
(386 votes)
Ravens
3.98%
(310 votes)
Dolphins
2.57%
(200 votes)
Total Votes: 7,792
- The Colts‘ T.J. Carrie addition did not seem to add up given Kenny Moore‘s place as one of the league’s best slot cornerbacks, but GM Chris Ballard said the team needed better depth at this position (via Stephen Holder of The Athletic, on Twitter). Carrie has played both inside and outside during his time with the Browns and Raiders and will likely be given time at both spots with the Colts. He’s done his best NFL work in the slot, however, so Indianapolis should be covered behind Moore this season. Moore missed five games due to injury in 2019.
FIU quarterback James Morgan is starting to generate some buzz as we get closer to draft day, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. Morgan made his way onto our site for the first time today, when we wrote that the Patriots have shown some interest, and New England is not the only team sniffing around.
Per Wilson, a number of clubs are closely vetting Morgan, though COVID-19 restrictions obviously mean that he can’t visit teams or work out privately for them. Wilson’s sources say that in addition to the Patriots, the Packers, Bears, Colts, Raiders, Giants, Bills, Jets, and Dolphins are among the teams intrigued by Morgan.
It is not surprising to see most of the teams on that list. New England, of course, is in the market for a collegiate passer after watching Tom Brady sign with the Buccaneers, and the Dolphins have long been connected to this year’s top rookie QBs. The Raiders, Bears, and Colts have varying degrees of long-term uncertainty at the quarterback position, and the Packers had planned to host the best QB prospects before pre-draft visits were cancelled (Morgan is actually a Green Bay native, and the Packers may be starting to prepare for life without Aaron Rodgers).
Meanwhile, all three New York outfits seem to have a long-term solution under center already, although none of their incumbents are sure things at the moment. And given that Morgan is a mid- to late-round prospect, it couldn’t hurt for those teams to at least have a look.
Morgan performed well at this year’s scouting combine and at the East-West Shrine Game, and a Southeast Area NFL scout said Morgan has one of the three strongest arms in the draft, along with the intelligence and leadership qualities that teams covet. After an uneven tenure at Bowling Green, Morgan transferred to FIU in 2018 and earned Conference USA Newcomer of the Year honors by completing over 65% of his passes for 26 TDs and seven interceptions.
His 2019 effort was not quite as strong, but he has put together enough quality tape to start rising up draft boards.
Late last month, the Colts agreed to sign former Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes to a one-year deal. At the time, it was reported that he’d earn somewhere around $5MM. On Thursday, we learned that it’s not quite that lucrative. 
Rhodes ‘s deal has a base value of $3MM including a $1MM signing bonus, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Outside of the signing bonus, the deal has no other guarantees, though he can add an extra $250K if he hits certain incentive milestones.
The Vikings dropped Rhodes midway through March, terminating his five-year, $70MM+ deal with three seasons to go. The new contract represents a serious pay cut for the former first-round pick – his average annual value has dropped by $11MM and he’ll have to play up to par in Indy in order to keep his value strong moving forward.
Rhodes, 30 this summer, had a rough 2019 in Minnesota. The 2016 and 2017 Pro Bowler looked like a shell of his former self – he notched five interceptions in ’16; he offered Swiss cheese D last year, as evidenced by his 127.8 passer rating.
The Vikings reportedly tried to re-sign Rhodes, but his Colts contract indicates that it probably wasn’t a very strong offer. Or, perhaps, the Vikes made him a similar pitch, but he wanted a change of scenery. Either way, the Vikings are now down three former first-round corners after watching Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander switch conferences.
Now with the Colts, Rhodes will try to fill the void left by the Pierre Desir release along with slot specialist Kenny Moore and Rock Ya-Sin.
The Colts clearly made a quarterback upgrade a top priority this offseason. In addition to the research done on Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, and a Nick Foles trade inquiry with a division rival, the Colts looked into Andy Dalton. The Colts discussed Dalton with the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets (video link). It is not clear how far the discussions progressed, but Rapoport suggests Dalton would have needed to agree to reduce his 2020 salary. The veteran quarterback is set to make $17.5MM in base salary. The Colts viewed Rivers as a better option than Foles, Rapoport adds, and may well have felt the same about the prospect of giving up assets for Dalton as opposed to paying Rivers $25MM.