Draft Order Set For Non-Playoff Teams
The 2015 NFL Draft is looking clearer now, after the Ravens clinched the final playoff seed in the AFC. That means the 20 teams to miss the playoffs have their orders set.
The Chiefs will pick right after the Chargers based on divisional tiebreakers.
The first 20 picks are as follows, based on overall record and strength of schedule, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com.
- Buccaneers
- Titans
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Washington
- Jets
- Bears
- Falcons
- Giants
- Rams
- Vikings
- Browns
- Saints
- Dolphins
- 49ers
- Texans
- Chargers
- Chiefs
- Browns (from Bills, via trade)
- Eagles
Extra Points: Saints, Raiders, Jags, Eagles
After a disappointing season in New Orleans, Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan wasn’t interested in speculating about his job security. As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com details, Ryan vowed to do his best to right the ship if he gets the opportunity.
“If I get a chance, that’d be awesome. But, hey, the numbers are what they are. They don’t look good,” Ryan said. “But hell, it is what it is. This is a win business. And, hey, this is a ‘tough-people’ business, too. So I’ll be great with whatever happens.”
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Raiders have yet to interview a minority candidate for their head coaching job, so the team likely won’t be ready to make a quick offer to anyone at season’s end, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
- If the first year of the David Caldwell/Gus Bradley era in Jacksonville was about survival and the second was about discovery, the third will be about winning, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who expects the Jaguars to be very active this offseason as the team reaches the point in its rebuild where contending is a priority.
- Jaguars defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, a former first-round pick, is eligible for free agency this offseason, but is “excited about the future” in Jacksonville, and hopes to remain with the team, O’Halloran writes in a separate Times-Union piece.
- Expect the Eagles to make significant changes to their secondary this offseason, says Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examines Vic Fangio‘s candidacy for a head coaching job, either with the 49ers or another club.
AFC South Notes: Texans, Johnson, Shorts
The Texans have reportedly been pushing for superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson to take a pay cut. Johnson, who is set to make $21.5MM over the next two seasons, was supposedly open to the idea, according to his uncle, Andre Melton.
However, Johnson refuted the idea that he would be willing to take a pay cut to stay with the team, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN (via Twitter).
“I don’t know where that story came from,” said Johnson. “I didn’t make that statement.”
The receiver said he and his uncle never discussed his willingness to accept a pay cut, according to Ganguli (via Twitter).
Today’s look at the AFC South..
- Legend has it that before Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos in March 2012, he told Johnson that he wanted to be a member of the Texans. Johnson wouldn’t confirm the story to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle, but he did imply that it had some merit. “I’ve heard that he wanted to come play here,” Johnson said. “But I never really got the (full story), cause I’ve heard so many different things from different people. So the truth never really came out.” He added: “It wasn’t directly from him. It was from someone close to him.”
- If Johnson is willing to take a pay cut, the Texans star should wait for a resolution with Larry Fitzgerald‘s situation before doing anything, opines Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Cecil Shorts is hopeful he’ll be with the Jaguars in 2015 but realizes this weekend’s season finale could be his last game with the franchise, writes Hays Carlyon of The Florida-Times Union. “It’s been hard for me this season,” Shorts said. “For me, I had to really get into my faith. I couldn’t lean on my own understanding. I didn’t know why things were happening. I didn’t know why I kept getting hurt. So, I had to really get into my Bible, really pray and relax. I had to have peace, so I wouldn’t keep stressing about certain things. I had to stop pressing, relax and play.” The wide receiver has been a leader in the Jacksonville locker room, but injuries have held him back in recent years.
- Suspended Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon sold his Jacksonville area house, as Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes, which could be a sign that he’s not planning on a future with the team. It’s not known when Blackmon might be eligible for reinstatement but he remains under contract with the Jaguars.
Jaguars Links: Blackmon, Rookies, Shorts
The Jaguars will be scoreboard watching this weekend, but not because of the playoffs. Instead, the team will be hoping that fellow 3-12 teams, the Jets and the Raiders, win their respective games. If those two teams win their contests and the Jags lose, Jacksonville will clinch the third pick in this year’s draft.
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Jacksonville…
- Receiver Justin Blackmon sold his Queens Harbour home earlier this week, and Travis Gibson of First Coast News believes the sale could be an indication of the wideout’s future in Jacksonville. Blackmon is still suspended indefinitely for repeatedly violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
- The Jaguars 2014 rookie class has proven that they’ll be contributors for years to comes, writes John Oehser of Jaguars.com. The writer focuses on all of the picks, including wideouts Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee, but he believes the legacy of the class will ultimately be based on the development of quarterback Blake Bortles.
- ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco previews some potential changes to the Jaguars roster this offseason. The writer expects wide receiver Cecil Shorts to test free agency, and he believes defensive end Tyson Alualu could opt out of his contract. Meanwhile, the writer questions whether the team will ultimately cut tight end Marcedes Lewis.
Workout Updates: Tuesday
We’ll keep track of today’s workouts here..
- Cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke and former 49ers and Chiefs wide receiver Kyle Williams auditioned for the Titans, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Former Rams wide receiver Austin Pettis worked out for the 49ers on Monday, according to Caplan (via Twitter).
- Defensive end Kenny Horsley auditioned for the 49ers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Titans worked out former rugby star Carlin Isles, quarterback Seth Lobato, Van Dyke, and Williams, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Ri’Shard Anderson was a part of the same workout and wound up getting signed to the taxi squad.
- Washington worked out nose tackle Junior Aumavae, wide receivers Jamar Howard, Kemonte Bateman, Darius Reynolds, and Braylon Bell, quarterbacks Tajh Boyd, and Dominique Davis, defensive tackles John Drew, Lakendrick Ross, and Michael Brooks, and fullback Jordan Campbell, Wilson tweets. Washington also hosted linebacker James Gayle for a visit (link).
- The Jaguars worked out defensive end Shawn Lemon and safety Ian Wild, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Broncos worked out punter Brock Miller, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Jets worked out wide receiver Joe Morgan, quarterback Bryn Renner, ex-CFL quarterback Eric Ward, wideout Greg Childs, quarterback Dominique Davis, linebacker Brandon Denmark, former Lions cornerback Aaron Hester, Wilson tweets.
Buccaneers, Titans Will Draft In Top Two
With one week left in the regular season, the first half of the 2015 NFL Draft order is close to being set. The Buccaneers and Titans both lost in Week 16, clinching their place as the first two teams to reach the podium when the draft opens on April 30.
Last week, the top six teams in terms of potential draft position were the Buccaneers, Titans, Jaguars, Raiders, Washington, and Jets. Of those teams, Jacksonville, Washington, and Oakland all notched wins this past weekend. Those wins knocked all three teams out of the running for a top two pick, and the Jets were already out of that race due to strength of schedule.
Rivers McCown of Advanced Football Analytics put together odds of where each team will likely fall within the top five selections of the NFL Draft. According to their calculations, the Buccaneers have a 75% chance of landing the first overall pick, and could clinch that spot with a loss. The Titans would need to lose to the Colts and have the Buccaneers to beat the Saints in order to jump into the top spot.
Washington’s schedule would not allow them to gain the third overall pick after beating the Eagles, even if the Jets, Raiders, and Jaguars all win and end the season with four wins. The Jaguars and Raiders will play the Texans and Broncos respectively, and both teams will still need those wins in Week 17. The Jets might have an easier game, with the Dolphins already eliminated from playoff contention.
AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Jaguars
It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes out of the AFC…
- According to Rich Cimini, the vibe around the Jets organization is that owner Woody Johnson wants to replace general manger John Idzik. However, the writer suggests that Idzik could stick around in a reduced role.
- Cimini writes that the majority of the Jets upcoming unrestricted free agents are replaceable, but he believes linebacker David Harris “still has value.”
- As the Chiefs‘ contract negotiations with linebacker Justin Houston drag on, Adam Teicher is under the impression that the upcoming free agent is “headed for the franchise tag.”
- Of the Jaguars upcoming free agents, Michael DiRocco gives defensive end Tyson Alualu the best chance of returning. The writer is not very optimistic about Cecil Shorts, Alan Ball or Marcedes Lewis re-signing.
- Meanwhile, DiRocco focuses on positions the Jaguars will likely pursue in free agency. He points to offensive line, tight end and wide receiver as particular areas of need, and he throws out Patriots safety Devin McCourty as a “name to watch.”
AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Daniels
Let’s round up a few Friday notes from around the AFC South….
- Despite dealing with some injuries to their receiving corps, the Colts aren’t likely to add any wideouts to the roster, per head coach Chuck Pagano (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of RTV6). Indianapolis’ tight ends give the club some flexibility to get away without a ton of active receivers.
- The Jaguars had a nice win over the division-rival Titans last night, but at just 3-12 for the season, head coach Gus Bradley knows there’s still plenty of work to do on the club’s roster. “I know we’re going to have to add some players in the draft and free agency to add our strengths,” Bradley said today, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link).
- Those Jaguars at least will have plenty of flexibility to add players in free agency, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com outlines, pointing out that Jacksonville has the most projected cap space for 2015, with over $61MM. Expect the Jags to be “very active” in free agency, says Corry, who notes that the Titans have the fifth-most projected cap room.
- With the Ravens preparing to play the Texans this weekend, with playoff hopes on the line, tight end Owen Daniels recalls that he was “shocked and extremely upset” when he learned that Houston was releasing him last year. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has the details and the quotes from Daniels.
Workout Notes: Friday
Here is a list of the players working out with clubs, hoping to join a roster for the season’s home stretch:
- The Jaguars worked three players, including former second-round pick Arrelious Benn, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team also worked out Tim McCornett and Chidera Uzo-Diribe.
- The Raiders worked out former Saints’ receiver Joe Morgan earlier this week, but have also looked at Vernon Kearney and Marvin McNutt, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins tried out kicker Dustin Hopkins, reports Wilson (via Twitter)
- The Falcons have worked out Lavelle Westbrooks, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs worked out Travis Chappalear, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Vikings worked out two players, Jordan McCray and Greg Van Roten, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Lions brought in Dejon Gomes for a workout, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Steelers brought Ronald Patrick in for a visit, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
- Wilson doesn’t get to have all the fun, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos have worked out two defensive backs on Wednesday (via Twitter). They brought in Delvin Breaux and Jalil Carter, who played in the Canadian Football League.
Roy Miller Done For Season
Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Miller is expected to miss the club’s final game of the season after suffering a torn meniscus during Sunday’s game against the Ravens, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. The 27-year-old agreed to a four-year, ~$16MM extension with Jacksonville on Tuesday.
Miller didn’t play in last night’s win against the Titans, and is expected to placed on injured reserve shortly. In 2014, which marks his sixth season in the NFL and his fourth in Jacksonville, Miller started 14 games, and racked up 21 tackles and one sack. He played on roughly 49% of the Jags’ defensive snaps, and graded out as the 52nd-best DT in the league among 80 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Once Miller is officially moved to IR, the Jaguars will be able to sign a free agent or promote a practice squad player to take his place on the 53-man roster.