Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Ramsey, Bosa
The Cowboys want Jalen Ramsey, but they fear that he’ll be gone by No. 4, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes (via PhiladelphiaEagles.com). With that in mind, Dallas is eyeing Ohio State standouts Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott. Bosa would help bolster the team at defensive end while DeMarcus Lawrence recovers from surgery and Randy Gregory serves his first month suspension. Elliott, meanwhile, would give the team help at running back.
Here are the latest rumors on the 2016 NFL Draft (all of which come from Pauline, unless otherwise indicated):
- Insiders believe that we could se three offensive tackles – Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, and Jack Conklin – go in the first top 12 picks of the draft. That could start a run and Pauline writes that we could see six tackles taken in the first round.
- The Cowboys would consider trading down, Pauline hears, but they want to stay ahead of the Giants at No. 10.
- Observers at the UCLA pro day described Myles Jack as a “remarkable athlete.” One source told Pauline (in his running log for Walter Football) that “he looked like a defensive back doing linebacker drills.”
- Aaron Wallace, the Bruins’ other notable linebacker, is gaining a lot of momentum in the scouting community, Pauline hears. Wallace currently has official visits set up with the Buccaneers, Browns, and Raiders with more likely on the way.
- UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch has been graded as a top-75 selection, according to Pauline. Many believe that Benenoch can play tackle and guard in addition to center.
- Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins says that he’ll have private workouts with the Raiders, Patriots, and Saints, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter) reports that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook has private workouts scheduled with the Cowboys and Dolphins.
- All 32 NFL teams were in attendance at MSU’s pro day, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. At the event, Cook met with the 49ers and Rams before the workout and met with the Browns‘ staff after.
- Michigan State defensive tackle Joel Heath says that he will have a private workout with the Patriots this week, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. In addition to that, he’ll meet with the Titans later this month. Heath previously met with the Colts and Buccaneers.
- Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd looked great at his Pro Day and the slowest unofficial 40-year-dash time that has been reported was in the low 4.5s.
- Pittsburgh corner Lafayette Pitts recorded 40-yard-dash times under 4.4 seconds, with some watches marking him at 4.35.
- There’s no definitive word on whether Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller will work out before the draft.
- Youngstown State linebacker Terrell Williams is drawing interest from clubs. The Jets and Eagles, in particular, see him as a quality backup linebacker/core special teams guy.
- The Lions have a private workouts set up with Michigan State offensive linemen Jack Conklin, Jack Allen, and Donavon Clark later this month, Birkett tweets.
South Notes: D. Jackson, Titans, Brees, Draft
Earlier this week, Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was found guilty of simple assault, stemming from a February 2015 altercation with a delivery driver. On Tuesday, Jackson responded to the decision by issuing the following statement, per Mike Berman of CBS4 in Indianapolis (Twitter link):
“I was surprised and disappointed by yesterday’s verdict and we are planning to appeal. I sincerely believe justice will eventually prevail. Nevertheless, I sincerely regret that this case ever happened and has gotten to this point. I will continue to live my life in a way that confirms I am a good and honorable citizen.”
While Jackson seems unlikely to face severe legal penalties, no matter how the case is resolved, the NFL could eventually hand down discipline of its own for the incident.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Word in league circles is that the Titans are still shopping the first overall pick, exploring trade options, a league source tells Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). If Tennessee does make a deal involving its No. 1 pick, it’s unlikely to be consummated until much closer to draft day.
- Former agent Joel Corry takes a deep dive into the Drew Brees contract situation in a piece for CBSSports.com, explaining how the Saints could create $10MM in 2016 cap room by signing their star quarterback to an extension through the 2020 season.
- Albama running back Derrick Henry and Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd are among the draft prospects set to visit the Panthers, per multiple reports (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of USA Today and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). David Newton of ESPN.com explores Henry’s potential fit in Carolina.
- The Falcons, who are looking to improve their team speed at the linebacker position, have a private workout scheduled with LSU’s Deion Jones on Thursday, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com details.
Colts To Sign Robert Turbin
The Colts have agreed to sign running back Robert Turbin, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s hard to imagine this being anything more than a one-year deal.
During his first three NFL seasons, Turbin served as Marshawn Lynch‘s primary backup in Seattle, compiling 928 rushing yards on 231 carries, along with another 427 yards on 43 receptions, from 2012 to 2014. In September of 2015, however, the Seahawks waived Turbin off of their IR shortly after acquiring veteran Fred Jackson. Since then, Turbin has bounced around a bit, seeing time with the Browns and Cowboys in 2015.
The 26-year-old appeared in three games for Cleveland before being shown the door. In those three contests, the tailback ran the ball 18 times for 60 yards, adding another eight yards on two receptions. After an unremarkable 2015, we haven’t heard much about Turbin’s free agency up until today’s agreement with Indianapolis.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Rams, M. Bryant, Bills, D. Jackson
Over the weekend, it was reported that the NFLPA had concerns about player contracts with the Rams in light of their move from Missouri to California. That issue, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, has been sorted out.
“The team’s legal move to California coincides with the start of the offseason program on April 18,” Rams executive V.P. of football operations and COO Kevin Demoff said via email. “As such, all contracts are still subject to Missouri law at time of signing. We were able to work with agents on a simple fix saying the contracts will transfer to California law once the team move is official.”
The union was concerned that players would be forced to pay California taxes, which are higher than Missouri taxes, on salaries incurred before the move. Now, it appears that they will be able to save some money on any paychecks processed before April 18th.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:
- In the wake of Martavis Bryant‘s year-long suspension becoming official on Monday, the Steelers issued a statement (via Steelers PR man Burt Lauten, on Twitter): “We are very disappointed that Martavis Bryant has put himself in this current situation of being suspended by the League. He is at a crossroads of his professional life, and he needs to understand significant changes need to occur in his personal life if he wants to regain his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. We are hopeful that Martavis will take the necessary steps to develop the discipline in his personal life to become a successful player and a good teammate.”
- The Bills officially announced multiple changes to their defensive coaching staff, including the hiring of a new defensive line coach, John Blake. Buffalo had recently parted ways with 2015’s DL coach, Karl Dunbar.
- Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was found guilty of simple assault in a court room on Monday, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. The case stemmed from a February 2015 altercation with a delivery driver. Jackson could face a maximum of 180 days in jail, and while that seems unlikely, discipline from the NFL is possible once the case wraps up. The linebacker’s sentencing is scheduled to take place on April 6th. The Colts released the following statement on the matter: “We’re disappointed to read reports of D’Qwell Jackson’s misdemeanor verdict in Washington, D.C. We’ve not had an opportunity to review any of the evidence or testimony from the trial and have not made any determination as to any action we might take as a result.”
- After re-signing with the Bengals last week, offensive tackle Eric Winston will seek a second term as president of the NFL Players Association, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The current expectation is that Winston will run unopposed.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Colts Sign Scott Tolzien
MARCH 14, 9:20am: Tolzien’s two-year deal is worth $3.5MM, with a $500K signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
MARCH 11, 5:39pm: Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (on Twitter) that Tolzien’s deal is for two years, and Silverstein writes that he doesn’t expect Tolzien to have to fend off a prospective rookie for the Colts’ No. 2 job.
5:17pm: The Colts and Scott Tolzien have agreed to a deal, owner Jim Irsay tweets. It looks like Andrew Luck‘s backup quarterback 
will indeed be much younger, and Tolzien jumps from sitting behind Aaron Rodgers to a role as Luck’s understudy.
The Colts had a visit with former Dolphins backup Matt Moore scheduled for Monday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It’s not known at this time whether they’ll keep that appointment. Former Dolphins coach Joe Philbin now resides on the Colts’ staff, but Indianapolis may already have Matt Hasselbeck‘s successor in mind.
Originally a 2011 UDFA of the 49ers’, Tolzien served as Rodgers’ backup for the past three seasons, going 0-1-1 as a starter. However, when Rodgers missed several games due to injury in 2013, Tolzien was replaced by Matt Flynn and hasn’t started a game since. The 28-year-old career reserve threw one touchdown pass and five interceptions in relief of Rodgers in 2013.
Tolzien threw one pass in the past two seasons for the Packers. Luck’s backups needed to do a lot more than that during a disappointing Colts season. Hasselbeck served as Luck’s backup for the past three seasons but retired this week to accept and ESPN analyst position.
Luck’s injury resulted in five different quarterbacks throwing at least 10 passes for the Colts last season, with late-season addition Josh Freeman starting Indianapolis’ Week 17 contest after Hasselbeck’s slew of injuries caught up with him.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Watt, Bryant, Others Get Salary Guarantees
Several NFL players have contracts containing language which states that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 and/or 2017 if they remained on their respective teams on Sunday, the fifth day of the league year. Let’s check in on those players (link courtesy of CBS Sports’ Joel Corry):
- Ryan Tannehill, quarterback (Dolphins): $3.5MM of $17.975MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
- Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Cowboys): $13MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
- T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver (Colts): $3MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $6MM roster bonus now
payable. - Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle (Colts): $2.5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $4.5MM roster bonus now payable.
- Tyron Smith, offensive tackle (Cowboys): $10MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
- Branden Albert, offensive tackle (Dolphins): $6MM of $8.245MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
- Mike Pouncey, center (Dolphins): $9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed, as is $2MM of Pouncey’s $7.95MM base salary in 2017.
- Maurkice Pouncey, center (Steelers): $3.5MM roster bonus now payable.
- Cameron Heyward, defensive end (Steelers): $5MM roster bonus now payable.
- J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans): $10.5MM base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are guaranteed.
- Robert Quinn, defensive end (Rams): $7,777,777MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
- Lavonte David, linebacker (Buccaneers): $5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
- Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Broncos): $6.9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Rumors: Okung, Soliai, Weddle, Hayward
Free agent left tackle Russell Okung has an offer in hand from the Steelers, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter link) that Okung has no other visits planned at this time. Okung is just one of a few offensive tackles whom Pittsburgh has either met with or plans to meet with, including Ryan Harris and Chris Hairston. Kelvin Beachum, the Steelers’ left tackle for the past few seasons, remains unsigned, and is taking visits with other clubs.
Let’s dive into the latest free agent news…
- Former Falcons defensive tackle Paul Soliai will visit the division-rival Panthers, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Soliai, 32, was released by Atlanta on the first day of the free agent period after spending two years with the club. Carolina has already released defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, so Soliai could be a nice addition to the Panthers’ interior rotation.
- Another free agent defensive tackle — ex-Patriot Sealver Siliga — will take a meeting with the Seahawks, according to Garafolo (Twitter link). Siliga, 26 next month, was not offered a restricted free agent tender by New England despite appearing in 13 games for the club last season.
- The Seahawks will also meet with running back Lance Dunbar, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old Dunbar was off to a nice start with the Cowboys in 2015, catching 21 passes out of the backfield in just four games before a torn ACL knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Seattle will be the second NFC West visit for Dunbar, who’s also met with the 49ers.
- Free agent guard Amini Silatolu will visit the Cardinals today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The former-second pick hasn’t been a full-time starter since his rookie season in 2012, but he’s only 26 years old, and could help fill in at guard if Arizona follows through on its proposed move of Jonathan Cooper to center.
- Eric Weddle is expected to narrow his choice to two teams soon, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The veteran safety is reportedly choosing between the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.
- Before agreeing to a three-year deal with the Chargers earlier today, cornerback Casey Hayward also drew interest from the Chiefs and 49ers, tweets Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Cardinals backup quarterback Drew Stanton said the Colts, Titans, Dolphins, and Cowboys all showed interest in signing him before he agreed to a new deal with Arizona, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
South Notes: Fleener, Weddle, Amukamara
The Colts chose to re-sign Dwayne Allen over fellow tight end Coby Fleener, and the latter went on to sign a five-year, $36MM deal with the Saints. And according to Fleener, it doesn’t sound Indianapolis put up too much of a fight to keep him. “The Colts’ lack of interest and the Saints’ interest made going to New Orleans an easy choice,” Fleener told Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
Here are a few more notes from the South divisions…
- Another former Colt, linebacker Jerrell Freeman, says the club never made him a free agent offer, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). That seems to conflict from a report earlier today that indicated Indianapolis offered Freeman the same contract he ultimately signed with the Bears, but the dispute could stem from the notion that Freeman wasn’t offered a deal during free agency — this afternoon’s report said the Colts gave Freeman their proposal prior to March 9.
- The Buccaneers are not among the contenders for free agent safety Eric Weddle, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Weddle is reportedly weighing offers from four teams, thought to be the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.
- Cornerback Prince Amukamara had other free agent trips planned, but he never got around to taking them after finding that he liked what the Jaguars were offering, Amukamara explained to reporters, including John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Amukamara agreed to a one-year deal with Jacksonville.
Free Agency Rumors: Freeman, Carroll, Blount
The Colts offered Jerrell Freeman the same three-year, $12MM deal that the Bears ultimately handed the 30-year-old linebacker, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com reports (on Twitter). The No. 23 player on PFR’s list of 2016’s top free agents, Freeman spurned the Colts’ offer and decided to change agents, winding up in Drew Rosenhaus’ stable, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Freeman held out for a better deal after not being scooped up during free agency’s opening two days, and the Colts moved on after Freeman turned down their initial offer, Holder reports.
Here’s at look at the latest free agent notes:
- Veteran corner Nolan Carroll left his visit with the Cowboys without agreeing to a contract, according to Tim McManus of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link), who adds that the Dolphins and Eagles are apparently still in play for Carroll. Carroll, 29, started 11 games for Philadelphia last season.
- LeGarrette Blount did not undergo surgery on the injured hip that ended his season early, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Still unsigned, Blount, who suffered a chipped bone in his hip, is 100% healthy and would be ready for OTAs should a team sign him.
- Johnny Manziel cleared waivers, and the Browns as of now owe their latest first-round flameout quarterback $2.17MM, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The Browns will attempt to recoup some of that money, should Manziel be suspended for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident this January in Dallas. Cleveland waited until Friday to waive Manziel, who’s been photographed at nightclubs in each of the past 10 nights, in hopes of a team attempting to trade for him.
- The Dolphins confirmed (via Twitter) three previously-reported free agent visits, announcing that defensive end Jason Jones, linebacker Sean Spence, and quarterback Brandon Weeden had all met with the team.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Jerrell Freeman To Visit Bears
Jerrell Freeman will be in Chicago today to visit with the Bears, Chris Hagan of FOX 59 tweets. The Giants and Falcons are also showing interest in the veteran linebacker. 
Freeman would be an interesting pickup for the Bears, who have already added one of this offseason’s top inside linebackers. On Wednesday, Chicago reached agreement on a four-year, $24.5MM deal with former Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan.
Talks between Freeman and the Colts are at a “stand still,” Hagan adds. Last night we heard that the two sides are not close on a new contract. One report indicated that the Colts’ offer for the inside linebacker could be a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Freeman finished last season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4-ranked linebacker and as PFR’s No. 23-rated UFA resides as one of the best players still on the market.
In 2015, Freeman racked up 112 total tackles with 3 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 defensive touchdown. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) were very high on Freeman’s performance last year, ranking him as the No. 4 linebacker in the NFL and the top linebacker amongst this year’s unrestricted free agents. PFF’s gave Freeman a 97.9 grade for run defense, giving him the highest mark in that category for any linebacker in 2015. Freeman’s only unimpressive grade came in coverage where he was given a score of 78.8.
The Chiefs have also “poked around” on Freeman this week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.