Jake Matthews - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons Notes: Ishmael, Matthews, Hageman, Baldwin

August 3rd, 2014 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Falcons starting free safety Dwight Lowery suffered his third-career concussion during Friday’s practice and the team quickly made a move to shore up their depth at the position, adding veteran Tyrell Johnson earlier today.

However, if you listen to safety William Moore, you would think the team’s depth at the position is fine – and the veteran is not tooting his own horn. Instead, Moore has been impressed with the progress of second-year defensive back Kemal Ishmael, and the two worked together extensively during Saturday’s practice.

Via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure…

“Let me tell you something: Kemal is a heck of a player,” Moore said. “He reminds me of myself: one of the underrated guys coming into the league with not much hype. But if you watch Kemal’s ability, one day he’ll gain the attention for people to watch his ability.

“Man, he came out here this year, and I don’t know what he did in the offseason. But he came in lights out.”

Let’s take a look at some more Falcons notes…

Falcons first-rounder Jake Matthews has impressed at camp, and NFL.com’s Gil Brandt tweets that the team was originally willing to trade up in the draft to get the offensive lineman. Luckily for Atlanta, Matthews fell to them at pick number-six.
Falcons second-round pick Ra’Shede Hageman got in a shoving match with center Joe Hawley during practice, and the rookie ended up hurting his wrist. McClure reported that the injury was believed to be a hairline fracture, but ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio says the player doesn’t have any broken bones.
NFL.com reporters Ian Rapoport and Gregg Rosenthal agree that recently-released wideout Jonathan Baldwin would be a good fit with the Falcons (via Rapoport’s Twitter).

Extra Points: Matthews, Gordon, Rams, Pats

May 22nd, 2014 at 9:32pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s a new day when it comes to rookie contracts in the NFL, writes former exec Andrew Brandt for The MMQB. Of course, salaries and contract length are now predetermined for every pick, taking the negotiating out of the process. Because of that, many players are questioning why they need to have an agent to handle rookie contracts at all. Here’s more from around the league..

Falcons first round pick Jake Matthews will receive a $10.269MM signing bonus on his four-year, $16.435MM guaranteed deal, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. As is the case for the rest of his fellow first-rounders, the deal for the No. 6 overall pick also includes a fifth-year option.
Browns General Manager Ray Farmer said that he doesn’t think a superstar receiver is crucial to a team’s success, which may not bode well for Josh Gordon‘s long-term future with the club, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. “I would say ‘how important are those guys?”’ Farmer told 92.3 The Fan. “Name the last big-time receiver to win a Super Bowl. Name the last mega-guy. (Gordon) matters to me because I like the guy and I think he’s a really good player, but at the end of the day, when you look at the teams that have these mega-receivers, name the last guy that won a Super Bowl?… There are none. The last guy that really helped his team get there was T.O. (Terrell Owens).”
The Rams signed undrafted free agent wide receiver Jordan Harris, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The Baylor product racked up over 2,200 yards over the last two years.
The Patriots announced that they have signed first-year defensive back Daxton Swanson out of Sam Houston State and undrafted free agent defensive lineman L.T. Tuipulotu from Utah. To make room, the Pats released rookie free agent safety Jeremy Deering (Rutgers) and first-year wide receiver Greg Orton (Purdue).
Packers free agent Jermichael Finley tweeted out that he has received “Awesome News!” with the hashtag “#IWillRiseAgain” which could be an indictation that he has been cleared to play. Finley, once regarded as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, missed the bulk of last season.

Falcons Reach Deals With Matthews, Hageman

May 21st, 2014 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons have agreed to terms on contracts with their top two draft picks, the team announced today (via Twitter). Sixth overall pick Jake Matthews and 37th overall selection Ra’Shede Hageman have reached agreements with Atlanta, leaving just two unsigned rookies out of the club’s nine-player draft class.

Matthews becomes the seventh first-rounder to agree to a deal with his new NFL club, and the second-highest pick to do so, after Oakland’s Khalil Mack, who went fifth overall. As Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com show, the offensive tackle’s four-year contract features a signing bonus of about $10.269MM and an overall base value of around $16.43MM, and also includes a fifth-year option for the 2018 season. As for Hageman, the defensive lineman’s signing bonus should be a more modest $2.2MM, with his four-year deal checking in at about $5.336MM.

With Matthews and Hageman now locked up, only third-round safety Dezmen Southward and fourth-round running back Devonta Freeman still need to ink their deals with the Falcons. To keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings, check out our tracker right here.

NFC Rookie Minicamp Notes: Jones, Lucas, Starr, Moses, Norwood

May 19th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Matt Feminis

Bears undrafted free agent Christian Jones worked at strong-side linebacker during the team’s rookie minicamp, according to Adam Hoge of 670 AM/CBSChicago.com. Jones, a physically gifted linebacker, played a prominent role for national champion Florida State, seeing snaps at all three linebacker spots as well as rushing the passer. He was projected as a third-round pick based on talent evaluation, but a failed drug test caused him to tumble out of the draft entirely. Thin at linebacker, the Bears pounced on Jones, who says he stands to benefit from focusing on one position. He also revealed what gave the Bears the edge when it came time to choose a team: Jones’ father played with Bears linebackers coach Reggie Herring at FSU.

In other news from various NFC minicamps. . .

The Lions see big upside in 6-9, 328-pound undrafted free agent offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas, writes Carlos Monarrrez in the Detroit Free Press. Lucas, a two-year starter at Kansas State, suffered a stress fracture in his left foot two weeks before the combine, but his rare size and eye-popping 88-inch wing span piqued the interest of the Lions, who “did show the most interest in him and began contacting him when the fourth round of the draft began as they attempted to land a steal in the priority free-agent market.” As ESPN’s Michael Rothstein points out, Lucas’ developmental value is noteworthy considering defensive line coach Jim Washburn was able to turn undrafted free agent LaAdrian Waddle into an eight-game starter.
Falcons seventh-rounder Tyler Starr is a longshot worth keeping an eye on, writes ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, who says Starr “has a quick first step and plays with some power. He even beat first-round pick Jake Matthews around the edge on Sunday while showing a burst not typical of a late-round pick.” Starr lacks ideal speed and power, but the Missouri Valley’s Defensive Player of the Year is a high-motor defender whose 6.64-second three-cone drill bested all pass rushers at the combine.
Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay spoke with Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota and said the team had a third/fourth-round grade on seventh-rounder Terrance Mitchell, a cornerback out of Oregon.
ESPN’s John Keim took in Redskins minicamp and gave brief thoughts on the team’s draft picks, including third-round tackle Morgan Moses, who could require some patience.

King’s Latest: Manziel, Browns, Jags, Falcons

May 12th, 2014 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com leads off by writing about the Rams‘ drafting of Michael Sam and Johnny Manziel‘s Thursday night wait in the green room. King also provides a few interesting tidbits, so let’s dive in and round them up….

Manziel thought there was a decent chance he’d be selected by the Rams at No. 13, and when St. Louis passed, he became concerned about a free fall. Before the Browns eventually jumped up to No. 22 to nab Manziel, the Eagles were close to trading the pick to another club, likely the Vikings.
Browns GM Ray Farmer on the decision to trade the No. 4 overall pick to the Bills, who used it to select wide receiver Sammy Watkins: “We were very close to turning in the card. We very easily could have turned in the card with Sammy’s name on it.”
The Jaguars and Falcons had “many discussions” about a trade that would have included Jacksonville’s No. 3 overall pick and Atlanta’s No. 6. The Falcons would also have included at least a third-round pick to complete the deal, but the Jags decided to stay put to make sure they got Blake Bortles. Had the Falcons moved up to third overall, they planned to take the same player they ended up landing at No. 6: Jake Matthews.
Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell on turning down the trade: “There were so many teams that wanted quarterbacks—at one, four, five, seven and eight, and they were all within striking distance of us. I just kept thinking, ‘One of those teams has to see what we were seeing in Bortles.’ So let’s say we move back and make a deal. What are we going to take in the third? A guard? You can find guards. You can’t find the quarterback you think fits your team best. So in the end it wasn’t a hard decision for us.”

NFC South Rumors: Cooks, Falcons, Benjamin

May 9th, 2014 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints had no doubt in their mind that they wanted to go with Brandin Cooks at No. 20, writes Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune. “Periodically you have a real strong conviction on a player, and this was one of those players,” head coach Sean Payton said. The Oregon State star tallied 128 receptions, 1,730 yards, and 16 touchdowns last season, cementing himself as a first round talent. More out of the NFC South..

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told 92.9 in Atlanta that there’s no truth to any rumor about Chiefs safety Eric Berry being a trade target, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Dimitroff also said that by the time the Jaguars took Blake Bortles at No. 3, there was no doubt he’d be selecting tackle Jake Matthews at No. 6 (link).
Dimitroff also told 92.9 that the Jaguars, led by his protege David Caldwell, were his most viable potential trade partner last night, tweets McClure.
The Panthers hit a trifecta with first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton, as the 6’5″, 240-pound Florida State receiver addresses a need, provides value and makes quarterback Cam Newton happy. David Newton also quotes GM Dave Gettleman, who said “unusual ball skills” and the ability to make contested catches sold the team on Benjamin.

Matt Feminis contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Texans, Rams, Eagles, Beckham

May 6th, 2014 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans and the Rams hold the first two picks in the draft and there’s a growing sense that both teams really want to trade down, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The thinking in some league circles is that the Texans would like to trade down and take linebacker Khalil Mack while its believed the Rams would like to trade back for tackle Jake Matthews. The question now, Florio writes, is whether either or both team actually can trade down. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

Earlier tonight Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter) reported that the Browns won’t take Johnny Manziel at No. 4 and he now says the Raiders won’t select the Texas A&M QB at No. 5 either.
Florio hears that if the Buccaneers move up, it’ll be to select Manziel, not Sammy Watkins. It’s not known whether a deal is close or even doable, however.
The Eagles would like to add an edge rusher, but there aren’t many quality ones in this year’s draft, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Perhaps it’s a good thing then that General Manager Howie Roseman believes in taking the best player available regardless of position.
Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the 49ers should go for a fast receiver or a big receiver in the draft. If SF fails to trade up and get speedster Odell Beckham Jr., a bigger receiver could fall to the team at no. 30, including FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin.
The Seahawks have sent agents a brochure recruiting undrafted free agents with details on how they keep and develop UDFAs, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport (link) also has the brochure in PDF form for those who want to check it out.
Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas has signed with agents Brian Murphy and Dave Dunn of Athletes First, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Thomas checked in with the Falcons and Bears last month.
The lack of contract extensions so far for the 2011 draft class doesn’t reflect a failure on the part of the league’s CBA, argues Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, pointing out that those extensions will just happen later than they used to.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

King’s Latest: Mack, Manziel, Beckham Jr.

May 5th, 2014 at 8:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

Once again, Peter King of TheMMQB.com has opened the week by sharing a number of intriguing notes, courtesy of his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. Let’s work through the most interesting highlights:

There is still talk that the Texans would like to either trade down from the first overall pick, or select Khalil Mack rather than Jadeveon Clowney. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported as much yesterday, and King adds that though a team like the Falcons is expected to be interested in trading up to No. 1, the Texans likely wouldn’t receive an overwhelming return.
The Rams seem to be set on Greg Robinson at No. 2, rather than either Sammy Watkins or Jake Matthews. But things could get interesting when the Rams are back on the clock with the 13th pick — St. Louis’ GM Les Snead recently met with Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who was Johnny Manziel’s offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, and left the visit believing Manizel could flourish in the NFL.
The main concern of the Jaguars appears to be avoiding risk and making a safe selection; King observes that both Watkins and Matthews would fit that profile.
The Vikings may look to add a defensive contributor with the eighth pick (perhaps Aaron Donald), and then select their quarterback of the future at pick No. 40.
King hears that the Eagles are interested in trading up to select a receiver, with eyes on acquiring a versatile threat like Odell Beckham Jr. GM Howie Roseman has talked to at least two teams in the middle of the first round about moving up.
The Cardinals remain interested in Derek Carr, but King wonders if it is prudent for Arizona to use a first-round pick on a “redshirt” quarterback when the team is so close to contention.
Browns GM Ray Farmer has talked to one team with a low first-round pick about trading back into the first round, using Cleveland’s second-round pick as bait. This would mean the Browns would have three first-round picks in total, leading King to believe Cleveland wants to move ahead of the Texans at pick No. 33 in order to secure a franchise quarterback.
One team within the top ten is seriously considering selecting Zack Martin, who is picking up the most buzz of any player in the draft.

Prospect Profile: Jake Matthews

May 4th, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If lineage is something to be desired in an NFL draft prospect, Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews has that contest won. The 22-year-old is the son of Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, who played 19 seasons with the Oilers/Titans, the cousin of current NFL linebackers Clay and Casey Matthews, and the brother of Kevin Matthews, who has spent time with the Titans and the Redskins.

But even without his storied family history, Matthews’ own talent and development would make him a surefire top 10 draft selection. After being named a 2009 USA Today high school All-American, Matthews entered Texas A&M, and was plugged in on the Aggies’ offensive line, where he played started 33 games over his first three seasons (mostly at right tackle). In 2013, following the departure of incumbent left tackle Luke Joeckel (the third overall pick by the Jaguars), Matthews moved to blind side and protected quarterback Johnny Manziel for all 13 games. In addition to being selected as a consensus All-American last season, Matthews was named to the All-SEC team in both 2012 and 2013.

At 6’5″, 305 pounds, the former Aggie is large enough to handle stout defensive lineman, but also has the agility to ward off quicker outside linebackers. When compared to Joeckel, Matthews grades out as slower, but he does have the advantage in power. Sound technique is the foundation of Matthews’ game, and that proficiency, combined with his size, allows him to simply maul in the run-blocking game. His physical traits aside, Matthews’ intangibles are off the charts — he was a team captain at Texas A&M, obviously has the pedigree, reportedly scored a 32 on the Wonderlic test, and scouts are said to be highly impressed with both his awareness on the field and his leadership off it. A prototypical franchise left tackle, Matthews has the ability to “walk in and play left tackle and sit there for 10, 12 years,” as one scout told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGinn.

Matthews, of course, also has his detractors and his limitations. Another scout told McGinn that Matthews’ surname might be clouding evaluators’ opinions: “If his last name was something else, I don’t think he’d be picked as high.” Physically, others believe that his arm length of 33 3/8″ might be too short, limiting his extension. Like Joeckel, Matthews is sometimes accused of lacking a “killer instinct” (however, that demerit didn’t seem to hurt Joeckel’s stock). Finally, some point to his prowess as a right tackle and believe he would be a better fit on that side of the line, which would obviously degrade his value.

It is difficult to find a team that wouldn’t be interested in Matthews, as most franchises could use a left tackle of his caliber, and if not, at least an upgrade at right tackle. The Texans will probably go in another direction, and while the Rams could be interested in an offensive lineman, most reports have Greg Robinson as the higher rated player and the favorite to go second overall. The Jaguars could re-pair him with Joeckel, but the first real possibility is probably the Browns at No. 4, who would immediately install Matthews at right tackle. Within the top 10 selections, the Raiders, Falcons, Buccaneers, Bills, and Lions are all possible landing spots for Matthews. Along with Robinson and Taylor Lewan, Matthews is part of a triumvirate of offensive tackles that will all likely be top 10 picks.

Photo courtesy of USA Sports Images.

Draft Notes: Rams, Texans, Easley, Fleming

April 30th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams, armed with the second and 13th overall picks in the draft, will head to College Station to work out top Texas A&M prospects Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, and Jake Matthews, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan notes (via Twitter) that the workouts should happen on Friday, which will also give GM Les Snead, coach Jeff Fisher and company the opportunity to stop tomorrow in Alabama to work out quarterback A.J. McCarron, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets. Let’s round up a few more draft notes, including another one on the Rams….

Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Ohio State are also expected to be among the Rams‘ stops before May 8 as they work out a number of top draft prospects, tweets Mortensen.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle believes that if the Texans don’t trade down from No. 1, the team’s choice will come down to Manziel vs. Jadeveon Clowney. If Houston moves down and those players are off the board, Blake Bortles and Khalil Mack might be the club’s top two choices, says McClain.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) has heard from two top scouts who believe Florida’s Dominique Easley will be selected in the first round despite the fact that the defensive lineman is recovering from a torn ACL.
Adam Caplan (Twitter link) adds the Titans to the list of teams visited by Stanford tackle Cameron Fleming, and the Bengals to the list of clubs that worked him out. As Caplan tweets, Fleming, who had one of the highest Wonderlic scores among this year’s offensive linemen, is projected to come off the board on the second day of the draft.
Ohio State wideout Corey Brown visited the Browns and worked out for the Patriots and Panthers, tweets Caplan.
More from Caplan: He tweets that South Dakota edge defender Tyler Starr visited the Patriots and had a private workout with the Colts, and reports (via Twitter) that San Diego State safety Eric Pinkins visited the Dolphins and Seahawks.