Draft Rumors: Bills, Texans, Fisher, Clowney
The latest draft talk as we wait for the Texans to get things started..
- Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) hears it’s all quiet right now for the Bills in terms of trade talks. The Bills are ready to hold their draft position at No. 9 but they’re ready if talks heat up while they’re on the clock.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears there’s still a chance for a trade at No. 1 with the Texans.
- Jeff Fisher told the NFL Network that there are “four to six” players the Rams feel good about taking at No. 2, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. That’s down from the “six to eight” number Fisher gave reporters earlier this week. Fisher added (link) that the phone is starting to ring a little more as the draft draws near.
- Fisher also said that if Jadeveon Clowney was available at No. 2, the Rams “wouldn’t complain,” tweets Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch.
- Two people who know Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff well expressed doubt he would meet the Texans‘ high demands for the No. 1 overall pick, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. While that kind of deal could be tempting, Dimitroff knows that the team needs depth.
- If the Lions don’t trade up for a wide receiver, UCLA pass rusher Anthony Barr is a player worth keeping an eye on as a fit, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that the Lions “love” Barr.
- Sources close to UCF standout Blake Bortles tell Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer that the QB wouldn’t be surprised to see the Browns take him at No. 4. Bortles has been mentioned as a dark horse possibility for Cleveland.
- Agent Scott Bergman tweeted to Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) to pass along word that client Essray Taliaferro received a call from the Colts earlier today. The running back out of Marshall ran for 1,140 yards off of 221 carries last season, good for a 5.2 yards per carry average.
AFC South Notes: Jags, Colts, Titans
With the draft pushed back two weeks this year, the Jaguars’ staff used the extra time to delve back into prospects while trying to avoid falling into the trap of “paralysis by analysis.” Accordingly, offensive coordinator Jed Fisch says he’s been examining prospects in specific game situations — from a coach’s perspective — rather than just watching tape like a scout and assigning a grade.
Said Fisch: “Let me take a look at this guy’s throws to his left versus the other guys this year or the guys last year,’ or, ‘Let’s look at their two-minute drives,’ or, ‘With this offensive lineman, let’s look at all of the outside run plays. Now you’re looking for something different. You have to mix it up the second go-around. The first time, you’re watching them to watch them and then you’re grading. But if you’re making a decision on one guy against another guy against another guy, you comparison shop.”
In other AFC South news and notes…
- The general rule of thumb suggests mining three good players makes for a successful draft, but with 11 selections and roster thin on talent, the Jaguars are looking for four or five legitimate starters in this year’s draft, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- Thanks to last year’s Trent Richardson trade — which turned out to be Richardson for the 26th pick — the Colts don’t have a pick in tonight’s first round, but the stakes remain high for GM Ryan Grigson, writes Stephen Holder in the Indianapolis Star.
- The Titans are expected to have a more harmonious draft room than in year’s past, writes Jim Wyatt in the Tennesseean.
- Wyatt also tweeted a list of quarterback prospects the Titans have worked out and/or spent time with.
- Meanwhile, ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky asks the question: “What if the Tennessee Titans draft a first-round QB?” Considering the team will not pick up 2010 first-rounder Jake Locker‘s fifth-year option, the possibility exists the Titans could draft another quarterback, especially if new head coach Ken Whisenhunt isn’t sold on Locker’s long-term prospects. Kuharsky writes, “While the Titans are loyal and patient and committed with regard to Locker, they also aren’t operating with blinders on.”
Extra Points: Sherman, Sam, Chargers
With Richard Sherman‘s new deal, the Seahawks now have the NFL’s most expensive secondary with $85MM guaranteed to three players, notes Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, Seattle locked down Sherman with a four-year, $56MM extension that will keep him in place through 2018. Here’s tonight’s roundup from around the NFL as we get set for the draft…
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at Michael Sam as a potential target for the 49ers. The 49ers could have a great marketing opportunity on their hands if they tap Sam since San Francisco is a historically gay-friendly city. More importantly, they could use a pass rusher in light of Aldon Smith‘s troubles.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com runs down running back possibilities for the Chargers in the draft. On the surface, San Diego is good to go with Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead, and free agent pickup Donald Brown. However, Mathews and Woodhead will be free agents after the 2014 season, so the Chargers could conceivably look into an RB as insurance.
- We heard earlier today that Cleveland GM Ray Farmer is “enamored with” Teddy Bridgewater, but he’s not the only quarterback the Browns will be eyeing if they pass on a signal-caller with the No. 4 pick. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter), the club also likes Tom Savage and Jimmy Garoppolo.
- The Browns have a big opportunity this weekend with seven picks in the top 127 and they can get it right this time, writes Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Pluto also feels that owner Jimmy Haslam will hold true to his word and not interfere with the decision process.
- Scott Horner of the Indianapolis Star goes into the vaults to find out how well the Colts have drafted in the second round over the years.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC South Rumors: Texans, Jags, Bortles
Jadeveon Clowney is generally considered the top prospect in this year’s draft class, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report writes that many people around the league believe the Texans have settled on keeping their first overall pick and selecting the South Carolina end, since it’s the safest move. However, that pick certainly isn’t set in stone yet. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that he gets the sense Houston will remain flexible when it comes to potential options, and any trade may not occur until the club is on the clock tomorrow night.
As we try to search for clues regarding the Texans’ plans, let’s check in on a few more items out of the AFC South….
- According to veteran beat writer John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), word is spreading among the media in the New York that the Jaguars will select Johnny Manziel at No. 3. Of course, as is the case with any report the day before the draft, this could be a smokescreen — perhaps the Rams are trying to spur trade action for their No. 2 pick.
- A league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Blake Bortles is one of three players the Jaguars have identified as a potential pick at No. 3. Within Florio’s exploration of where Bortles could land, he identifies the Texans as a possible destination too, particularly if Houston trades out of the No. 1 spot.
- The Colts are among the teams that have worked out Arkansas kicker Zach Hocker, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hockey, who has drawn interest from more than 20 NFL teams, also worked out for the Cardinals, Saints, and Eagles, per Wilson.
Draft Notes: Caplan, Safeties, Beckham
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan held a Q&A on Twitter Monday evening, and that session contained a few interesting nuggets. All links, of course, go to Twitter:
- Caplan does not believe Johnny Manziel will make it past pick No. 7, but his absolute floor is No. 13.
- He also does not think Manziel’s former teammate, Mike Evans, will make it out of the top 10.
- Caplan tweets that TE Jace Amaro could go in the first round, but is more likely a 2nd-round prospect, along with Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
- Caplan believes another high-riser, DT Aaron Donald, has turned himself into a top-10 selection.
- As he has been saying all offseason, Caplan thinks the Vikings will bolster their defense with the No. 8 overall selection.
And as beat writers and national analysts continue to churn out draft tidbits like so much butter, let’s dive into some more draft-related links:
- Barring a trade, the Colts will not pick until deep into Day 2, as their first selection is No. 59 overall. When they finally do send a draft card to the podium, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that the team will take a “long look” at safeties. Which is understandable given how thin they currently are at the position.
- However, this year’s safety class is fairly weak, and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Eagles, another team that needs safety help, will find slim pickings even in the first round. As Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman says, “I don’t think it’s a good group overall.“
- ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that if the Jets really want LSU wideout Odell Beckham, Jr., they will have to trade up to get him. At least one team above the Jet’s No. 18 overall selection is said to be in love with Beckham.
- Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle tweets that seven teams called Baylor CB Demetri Goodson today, and that the Titans expressed strong interest.
- The Bears and Ravens both have mid-first round picks, and both are set at the quarterback position. As such, a run on QBs early in the first would benefit both teams by allowing talent at other positions to fall, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Biggs believe that such a run will, in fact, happen.
- In the same piece, Brown writes that the Ravens could also stand to benefit even if there is no early run on quarterbacks, as their No. 17 overall selection would be more appealing to teams in search of a top QB prospect. Although Baltimore has been widely expected to take an offensive lineman or wide receiver in the first round, Brown believes they could “pull a surprise” and take a cornerback first if someone like Justin Gilbert or Darqueze Dennard should fall.
AFC East Draft Notes: Jets, Cooks, Patriots
The 2014 draft offers Jets general manager John Idzik the opportunity to shine, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. After a 2013 draft which yielded one star (Sheldon Richardson) and at least two question marks (Dee Milliner and Geno Smith) with the Jets’ first three selections, Idzik, outside of Eric Decker, went bargain-shopping during free agency, trying to supplement New York’s roster with low-cost additions. As Costello notes, a solid draft could mean building a strong foundation on which to continue to solidify the team, while a weak return could mean the demise of head coach Rex Ryan and much more pressure on Idzik himself.
More from the AFC East:
- Many mock drafts have the Jets selecting Brandin Cooks with the 18th pick, and ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini thinks this is a good idea, comparing Cooks to DeSean Jackson, with whom Marty Mornhinwheg, the Jets’ offensive coordinator, had success.
- LSU receiver Jarvis Landry said he felt most comfortable during meetings with the Jets, in addition the Falcons and and Colts, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports.
- ESPN.com’s James Walker believes the Dolphins should take local product Seantrel Henderson off its draft board following Henderson’s failed drug test, which makes some sense considering the offensive line drama in Miami last season.
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor will likely be gone by the time the Patriots pick at No. 29, so if New England doesn’t trade up, Deone Bucannon could be an option for the Pats, writes Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald.
- Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio said the team won’t shy away from drafting another receiver, even though the Pats brought in three rookies at the position last season, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
Draft Notes: Linemen, Lobato, Hughes, Boone
Few are more plugged in on scouts’ takes on draft prospects than the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGinn — yesterday, we looked at his reports on the running back class, and today we’ll examine his profiles of the available offensive lineman.
Greg Robinson was the highest rated offensive tackle, as one scout called the Auburn star “bust-proof,” and another lauded his power, punch, and speed. However, one evaluator did say Robinson might end up at right tackle rather than as a blind-side protector, and another scout said “I love [him], but what hurts him is he doesn’t know how to pass block yet. [But] [i]t’s not his fault. It’s the scheme.”
Zack Martin took the top spot among offensive guards, with one scout opining: “Love him. Not a real bulky guy. All I know is he’s got a great jam and can punch the hell out of you. Nobody beats him. Everybody keeps wanting to move him inside. Well, you better have somebody that can block those outside rushers.” Another scout stated the Notre Dame product is “as safe a pick as there is.” Among centers, Weston Richburg and Marcus Martin were given the highest grades. The entire piece is worth reading for expert opinions on prospects.
More draft notes:
- Northern Colorado quarterback Seth Lobato is drawing some pre-draft buzz — he talked with the Patriots during his Pro Day and worked out for the Dolphins, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- We noted yesterday that Indiana receiver Kofi Hughes met with the Redskins, and now Wilson reports that he also visited with the Bears, Colts, and Bengals.
- Late-round prospect Kadron Boone of LSU is also garnering interest, having received phone calls from about a third of the league, as per Wilson.
- Wilson has even more, as he adds on Twitter that Minnesota State defensive end Chris Schaudt is drawing interest from teams as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
- ESPN draft guru Todd McShay thinks Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio should have returned to school for the 2015 season, but allows that he could be a good value as a second-round pick, writes Andrew Gribble of Alabama.com.
- Andrew Sachais of Philly.com uses statistical correlations to examine the value of a quarterback in the draft, and, in what is sure to be disheartening to fans pinning their hopes on newly-selected QBs, finds that there is only about a coin-flip’s chance in discovering a franchise signal-caller.
AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Carr, Bucannon
A lot of talk has been made about what the Jaguars are going to do in the first round. A team with so many holes and needs is in a unique position to take the best player available or trade down in the draft. The team’s biggest need is arguably quarterback, and general manager David Caldwell has some interesting thoughts about some of those top prospects, specifically Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel, writes Daniel Lago of BlackAndTeal.com.
“Johnny would probably be the one guy you could plug in there sooner rather than later,” Caldwell said. “Just because his style of play isn’t going to change much from Year 1 to Year 2.”
Caldwell also noted the team would not have to drastically change their playbook to accommodate Manziel’s unique skill set.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:
- While he either really likes Manziel or just wants to help find a trade partner looking to move up for the star quarterback, Caldwell also had good things to say about Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. Lago notes that while most teams have downgraded Bridgewater due to poor workouts, the Jaguars remain relatively high on him. Although, the team would still be considered unlikely to select him with the third-overall pick.
- The Jaguars are not the only team in the division looking for a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. It has been made clear that the Texans are going to bring in a signal caller in the first two rounds, but the Titans have shown a lot of interest in improving the position as well. Paul Kuharskey of ESPN.com pegs the Titans as having major interest in Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, and could either move down in the first round or up in the second round to acquire his talents.
- The Colts do not come to the podium until the 59th overall selection late in the second round, but that doesn’t stop those draftniks from trying to figure out who they will select. Mike Chappell of IndyStar.com wrote that the team would be ecstatic if safety Deone Bucannon of Washington State was still available that late in Day 2 of the Draft. Chappell writes that it would help ease the blow of losing Antoine Bethea.
AFC Mailbags: Raiders, Bengals, Jags, Colts
We took a look at some NFC mailbags earlier, so let’s take a look at some tidbits from ESPN’s AFC writers…
- The Raiders like Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but selecting him fifth overall may be “too rich for the Raiders blood”, says Paul Gutierrez. If the team was to trade back a couple of slots, Gutierrez thinks Donald would be a likely pick.
- If Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack are all off the board by the time the Raiders pick, Gutierrez believes the team should seriously consider trading down.
- Gutierrez suggests trading Denarius Moore for a fifth-round pick if the Raiders select Watkins.
- The Bengals are not likely to trade up, writes Coley Harvey. The team historically hasn’t been active in draft trades and Harvey says the team has little incentive to make a trade this year.
- The Jaguars are “definitely” looking at the 2015 Draft for quarterbacks, but Michael DiRocco would be surprised if the team doesn’t select a passer this season.
- Safety is a bigger priority for the Colts than an offensive lineman, writes Mike Wells.
AFC Notes: Colts, Raiders, Chiefs, Draft
Colts GM Ryan Grigson is keeping his options open at center, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. The Colts released last season’s starting center, Samson Satele, in March and Phil Costa suddenly retired last month, leaving Khaled Holmes, the likely starter, and Thomas Austin as the centers on the roster. Guard Donald Thomas, who was signed a year ago, can also play some center but has question marks after suffering a torn tendon in his quad and a torn bicep last season.
Here are a few more Friday evening items from around the AFC:
- The Raiders haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver in eight seasons, so it only makes sense for Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com to run down the most intriguing wide receiver options for the club in the upcoming draft. The list starts with (who else?) Sammy Watkins, but also highlights Mississippi’s Donte Moncrief, Penn State’s Allen Robinson, Indiana’s Cody Latimer, Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, and Fresno State’s Davante Adams as solid options outside of the first round.
- Count the Chiefs as a sleeper team to potentially draft a quarterback in the first three rounds next week, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Of course, unless Kansas City makes a trade, the club won’t have a second-round pick.
- Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter) gets the sense that the Chiefs will focus on offensive lineman, cornerbacks, wide receivers, and outside linebackers in the first round. However, studs who fall at other positions like tight end and – as Mortensen suggests – quarterback could be in play.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that Nebraska wide receiver Quincy Enunwa visited the Raiders and Steelers, and also writes that Stony Brook wideout Malcolm Eugene worked out for the Raiders, Colts, and Jets.
Zach Links contributed to this post.