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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Extra Points: CJ2K, Bradford, Pryor, Vikings

April 14th, 2014 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

After Chris Johnson was released by the Titans, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the veteran running back was likely to find a new team last week. However, Johnson remains on the market. Now Florio writes that if CJ2K is going to a find a new home before the draft, he expects it to happen within the next few days. As Florio writes, most NFL teams will be focusing almost exclusively on the draft in the coming weeks, so if a club is going to engage in negotiations for the former 2,000-yard rusher, that team would probably prefer to get it done sooner rather than later.

As we wait to see if Florio’s latest prediction works out, let’s round up several more items from around the NFL….

  • Although he makes it clear that he’s not reporting that the Rams are shopping or even considering dealing quarterback Sam Bradford, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com makes a case for why the club should do exactly that, speaking to a few executives around the league to attempt to gauge Bradford’s current value.
  • Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, who has previously visited the Titans and Bears, is meeting with the Saints today and has visits lined up later in the week with the Bengals and Jets, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Considered one of the top two safeties in this year’s draft class, Pryor is viewed as a likely first-round pick.
  • The Vikings have a big day of pre-draft visits lined up for Thursday, and linebackers Khalil Mack and Anthony Barr will be among the players in attendance, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • Barr will also be visiting the Eagles next week, a source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
  • Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on a couple prospects, reporting that North Dakota State offensive tackle Billy Turner is visiting the Cowboys today and the Rams and Vikings later, and writing that Tennessee State offensive lineman Kadeem Edwards has met with the Dolphins, Titans, Colts, and Panthers.
  • The Falcons hosted Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp for a pre-draft visit today, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

AFC Mailbag Roundup: Chiefs, Colts, Steelers

April 13th, 2014 at 1:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We took at a look at the most recent mailbag segments involving NFC teams, so let’s do the same for the AFC:

  • Though Johnny Manziel doesn’t figure to be around when the the Chiefs at No. 23, Teddy Bridgewater might be in for a draft-day fall. If he does slip, don’t be surprised if Kansas City pulls the trigger on the young quarterback, writes Terez A. Paylor of ESPN.com. The selection would make sense, as Alex Smith is entering the final year of his contact.
  • The oft-criticized Colts offensive line is still in flux, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Donald Thomas, returning from a torn ACL, is expected to man one guard spot, while Lance Louis and Hugh Thornton will battle for the other guard position. The most intriguing position may be center, where the team seems to want Khaled Holmes to beat out recent addition Phil Costa for the starting role.
  • Third-year Steelers safety Robert Golden could be the victim of a roster crunch, says Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Golden played only 51 snaps on defense last season, but excelled on special teams.
  • Though Kevin Boothe might be the better player, Khalif Barnes could be the favorite for the Raiders left guard position, writes Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Boothe is set to be the backup center, and the need to keep him fresh for that role could mean Barnes will enter the starting lineup.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco doesn’t believe Jaguars will draft a quarterback with the third overall selection, but he does think QB is an option later in the draft. Zach Mettenberger and Jimmy Garoppolo seem to be among the Jags preferred choices.

NFC Notes: Suh, Graham, Cardinals, Draft

April 10th, 2014 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Lions running back Reggie Bush speculated today that Ndamukong Suh‘s absence from the team’s offseason workouts may be contract-related, but as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, Suh has made a habit of skipping these workouts in past seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported (via Twitter) that Suh’s absence wasn’t related to his contract, and head coach Jim Caldwell indicated he knew the defensive tackle wouldn’t be in town for the start of the club’s offseason program (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….

  • Saints GM Mickey Loomis has shot down the notion that the team has to reach some sort of resolution on Jimmy Graham‘s contract situation by April 22, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had originally suggested that the April 22 date represented the deadline for Graham to file a grievance about his franchise-tag position. However, having reviewed the CBA, Florio now admits that Graham actually has three years to challenge his tight end designation, meaning there’s certainly no rush yet for the two sides to strike a deal.
  • Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic that he was “shocked” when he heard that offensive tackle Jared Veldheer would hit the open market after the Raiders decided not to franchise him. Veldheer, of course, ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Cards.
  • As he has been doing for the last few weeks, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a couple pre-draft visits. According to Wilson, Florida State center Bryan Stork is visiting the Saints today and tomorrow, while Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has met with or worked out for the Falcons, Cardinals, and Colts so far.
  • The contract punter Blake Clingan signed with the Redskins is a two-year deal worth $930K that includes no guaranteed money, tweets Wilson. That makes it a minimum salary pact, with base salaries of $420K (2014) and $510K (2015).

AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Draft Visits

April 8th, 2014 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Titans edge defender Kamerion Wimbley agreed earlier this week to restructure his contract, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown of what Wimbley’s new deal looks like. However, as Fitzgerald details, Wimbley wasn’t the only Titan to rework his contract this week. Tight end Craig Stevens also has a new 2014 cap figure, reducing his overall base salary by $1.7MM in exchange for a $500K guarantee. While Stevens’ 2015 salary remains unchanged, his ’14 cap number is now only about $2.69MM.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The Ravens haven’t had an above-average, long-term solution at right tackle for a number of years, and Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes the team would be wise to address the position with its first-round pick this year. That’s one of a handful of topics Preston addresses in his Ravens notebook, which also touches on the club’s recent tight end and running back signings.
  • The Bills are eyeing a pair of offensive line prospects today, hosting Mississippi State’s Charles Siddoway for a pre-draft visit (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com) and having dinner tonight with Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM).
  • Having already met with the Steelers, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard now has visits lined up with the Jets, Bengals, and Rams, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
  • Another cornerback, Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller, also has a handful of visits scheduled with AFC teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Fuller will meet with the Colts, Bengals, Raiders, Jets, Broncos, and Bears, says Wilson.
  • The Chargers will work out Troy quarterback Deon Anthony on April 22, reports Wilson at the National Football Post.
  • More from Wilson (via Twitter): The Patriots are working out Boise State’s Geraldo Boldewijn, Matt Paradis, and Charles Leno on Wednesday, while Virginia-Lynchburg cornerback Keith Lewis visited the Raiders and has a private workout lined up next week with the Chiefs (Twitter link).

South Notes: Bucs, Draft Visits, Jaguars

April 8th, 2014 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already checked in on a pair of AFC South teams this morning, with posts on the Titans and Jaguars, but there are a few more items related to teams in that division and its NFC counterpart, so let’s dive right in….

  • As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times details, wide receiver Mike Williams is determined to prove that the Buccaneers made a mistake by trading him to the Bills, and claims that not all of the stories about his off-field incidents are actually true.
  • The torn ACL suffered by Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas occurred during a private workout with the Saints, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
  • According to Wilson (Twitter links), Lavelle Hawkins and Major Wright both received minimum salaries from the Buccaneers, though Hawkins didn’t get a signing bonus, while Wright got one worth $65K.
  • Ball State cornerback Jeff Garrett will work out for the Colts on April 16, tweets Wilson.
  • We rounded up reports this morning of several notable prospects who are visiting the Jaguars, but we didn’t quite get them all. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that the team is also hosting BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy and Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt while Ed Werder of ESPN.com says (via Twitter) Blake Bortles is due to visit on Thursday.

Extra Points: Wheaton, Wilson, Ravens

April 6th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

Although the Steelers were prepared to lose WR Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, they did not expect to lose Jerricho Cotchery as well, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gaztte. Although the team replaced Cotchery with the similarly-reliable Lance Moore, Pittsburgh is still looking to add a big-bodied receiver in the draft.

The Steelers, like many teams, would like to draft Texas A&M WR Mike Evans, but Evans’ strong combine performance might have put him out of reach for Pittsburgh, who hold the N0. 15 overall selection. So, even though they are still likely to take a receiver early in the draft–perhaps with that No. 15 pick–the development of second-year player Markus Wheaton will be critical to the Steelers’ offensive success.

Wheaton dazzled in training camp last year but was primarily a special teams contributor during the regular season, appearing in 11 games and catching 6 passes for 64 yards. He will have ample opportunity to show Steelers coaches what he can do this summer, but he will likely have at least one high-ceiling rookie nipping at his heels.

Some more notes from around the league:

  • Mike Wells of ESPN.com examines whether recently-released S Adrian Wilson could be a fit for the Colts. He writes that while GM Ryan Grigson will explore all options, the Colts already have two players in the secondary who could not stay healthy last season–LaRon Landry and Greg Toler–and do not need to add another. Free agent safety Kurt Coleman visited the team last week, and safeties Jimmie Ward and Terrence Brooks are possibilities in the second round of the draft.
  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, just as he did yesterday, takes a look at some more impacts of Chris Johnson‘s departure on the Titans, noting that the team is likely to take a running back-by-committee approach.
  • Although inside linebacker has not been discussed as a major position of need for the Ravens after the re-signing of Daryl Smith and the expected emergence of second-year man Arthur Brown, head coach John Harbaugh would like to add one or two inside linebackers to the roster, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Harbaugh made no mention of Rolando McClain, whose rights the team still holds.

Extra Points: Johnson, Mack, Carroll, Clowney

April 5th, 2014 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

This probably wasn’t what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had when he built AT&T Stadium. Jones was in attendance for tonight’s first Final Four game between UConn and Florida and was showered with boos in his own house when he was put on the 72×160 feet big screen, writes Chris Chase of USA Today. For Jones to get cheers in North Texas once again, the Cowboys will have to do better than 8-8 in 2014. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

  • Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk ran down the potential suitors for free agent running back Chris Johnson. Wilkening rightfully notes that the Jets are in need of a playmaker on offense while the Colts know the former Titans tailback well and are willing to spend for veteran talent. The Giants could also be in the mix since they got little out of their tailbacks last season.
  • What direction will the Titans go in after moving on from the face of their franchise? Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looks at life after CJ2K in Tennessee.
  • The feeling one year ago was that Browns center Alex Mack wanted a short-term contract so that he could go through free agency for a second time in his prime, tweets Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
  • Pete Carroll‘s new deal with the Seahawks ensures that he’ll continue to lead in Seattle with his unusual tactics, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. Carroll agreed to a new three-year extension with the defending champs earlier this week.
  • Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle wonders if Jadeveon Clowney is the next Lawrence Taylor, the next Mario Williams, or a monumental bust waiting to happen.
  • The staff at CSNChicago.com profiled Stanford tailback Tyler Gaffney and looked at how he could possibly fit with the Bears. Gaffney figures to be a fourth or fifth round selection.

Extra Points: Pats, Ravens, Bears, Keller

April 5th, 2014 at 12:52pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Patriots raised eyebrows this week with a string of quarterback draft prospect visits, and overthecap.com’s Aaron Fitzgerald says the team has structured its salary cap to allow for the addition of Tom Brady‘s successor.

Miscellaneous lunchtime news, notes and links. . .

  • The Ravens are expected to draft a safety, and ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley discusses the merits of three of the top available, saying Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward might be the best fit. Last year’s first-rounder, Matt Elam, who did not produce an abundance of impact plays as a rookie, is expected to be used closer to the line of scrimmage more often next season. Says Hensley: “The Ravens can’t afford for Elam to disappear so much in games this year.”
  • Dustin Keller, who tore his ACL, MCL and PCL and also dislocated the knee last August, is not yet 100 percent, but “hasn’t been ruled out and remains on the Dolphins’ radar,” writes ESPN.com’s James Walker.
  • A brief, position-by-position analysis of the Jaguars’ off-season moves is provided by Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran, who describes under-the-radar free agent acquisition Dekoda Watson as an “ascending player.”
  • During an edition of ESPN’s First Draft podcast (listen here), ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay campaigns for the Bears to draft Pittsburgh three-technique Aaron Donald 14th overall, saying the team’s Plan B would be “panic” in a scenario where Donald is off the board. McShay also called Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert the most overrated player in the draft.
  • Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu, recovered from a torn hamstring injury, worked out for scouts at GT’s pro day yesterday, and has visits scheduled with the Colts, Eagles and Patriots.
  • A list of reported prospect workouts/visits as well as head coach and general manager sightings at various pro days can be found on NFL.com.

 

NFC Notes: Jackson, Hawkins, Coleman, Giants, Panthers

April 5th, 2014 at 9:02am CST by Matt Feminis

Former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson claims the team never specified why he was cut. “I was sitting there waiting for the reason why, but that’s basically all I can (recall) from the conversation,” Jackson told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “. … I got off the phone. I was like, ‘Are you sure? That’s it?’ We hung up. That was it.” 

While the Eagles haven’t addressed the issue directly, more details of Jackson’s behavior have emerged thanks to Joseph Santoliquito of CBS Philly.

In other news and notes from around the NFC. . .

  • Receiver Lavelle Hawkins worked out for the Buccanneers, according to Aaron Wilson of National Football Post. Hawkins, who was cut by the Patriots last year, played for Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford at Cal.
  • Wilson also reports that former Eagles safety Kurt Coleman worked out for the Colts.
  • The Bears are not actively seeking to replace second-year right tackle Jordan Mills, writes ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright in a mailbag piece. Says Wright: “…the Bears are fairly happy with Mills, and expect him to improve in his second year. Mills to me has a very bright future in the NFL, and has the right attitude in terms of doing what it takes day in and day out to be a pro.”
  • The Packers’ biggest defensive weakness is a lack of speed at inside linebacker, writes ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who suggests Alabama’s C.J. Mosley for the 21st pick.
  • The Panthers could very well draft two receivers and two offensive tackles, speculates ESPN.com’s David Newton, who also says the “Double Trouble” running back tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart should remain intact for two more seasons.
  • The Giants earned a B-minus grade in free agency in the eyes of NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, who recaps and reviews the team’s signings.

Pre-Draft Visits: Garopollo, Cooks, Lee

April 4th, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Browns brought Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in for a private visit earlier today, writes Jeff Schudel of the Morning Journal (he writes March 4, but he most likely means April 4). Schudel examines the idea of the Browns selecting a position other than quarterback at the top of the first round, and looking to grab the rookie signal caller with the 26th pick in the first round, or the third pick in round two.

Schudel writes that Browns star receiver Josh Gordon believes the team will take a quarterback with the fourth pick, and that Teddy Bridgewater would be his choice.

Here are some notes from some other pre-draft visits:

  • Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks is visiting the Jets, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Cooks also has received interest from the Patriots and the Panthers.
  • In addition to Cooks, the Patriots have expressed interest in receivers Marqise Lee of USC, Mike Evans of Texas A&M, Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU, and Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (via Twitter).
  • The Saints have scheduled a visit with Lee, but have not yet set a date to meet with Cooks, reports Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter).
  • The Giants worked out quarterback Rusty Smith, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). Smith appeared in three games for the Titans between 2010 and 2012, throwing no touchdowns and four interceptions.
  • Balzer also notes that Kurt Coleman visited the Colts, and while he is not an ideal candidate to replace the departed Antoine Bethea, he could add depth to the safety position
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