Rams Deal No. 56 Pick To Chiefs
The Chiefs will make their first pick of the 2019 draft, moving up five spots via the Rams. Los Angeles will collect a fifth-round pick (No. 167) to move back five spots at the end of Round 2.
Kansas City’s pick at No. 56 appears to indicate, as should be expected, Tyreek Hill will soon be out of the picture. The Chiefs chose Georgia wideout/return man Mecole Hardman, who zoomed to a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time this offseason.
It has not been a good week for Kansas City, but the team still does feature one of the league’s best rosters. It’s interesting the Chiefs did not use this pick on their defense, which still has holes, but Hill’s latest ugly off-field chapter created a major need at receiver.
Hardman caught 35 passes for 543 yards last season. He will likely be tabbed to develop and possibly step in for one of the NFL’s best players, one who has encountered more legal trouble and is likely soon to be a former Chief.
If/once Hill is waived, it will mark a rather astounding reboot for Kansas City’s offense. Both Hill and Kareem Hunt were integral parts of the Chiefs’ loaded 2018 skill-position corps. Kansas City brought in Carlos Hyde to help stabilize the post-Hunt backfield; Hardman appears to be a key component of the post-Hill equation at wide receiver.
Rams Trade No. 45 Choice To Patriots
The Patriots are moving up into the middle portion of the second round, with their most recent Super Bowl opponent providing the avenue to do so.
The Rams agreed to deal the No. 45 pick to the Pats. In exchange, the defending NFC champions will receive the Pats’ No. 56 pick and a third-rounder (No. 101). With the pick, New England will choose Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams.
This marks the Rams’ second trade-down maneuver of this draft. They moved out of their first-round window (No. 31 overall) Thursday night.
New England has continued to enjoy success despite letting cornerbacks walk in free agency. Following the exits of Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler, the Pats cobbled together another strong secondary to shut down the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. Williams joins a group featuring Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson and 2018 second-rounder Duke Dawson.
Rams Trade No. 31 To Falcons
The Rams have traded the No. 31 pick to the Falcons. Los Angeles will get picks No. 45 and No. 79, while Atlanta will receive No. 31 and No. 203.
Atlanta will select Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary. For the second time in the first round, the Falcons will use a first-round pick on a position that they’d already fortified in free agency. Atlanta signed guards Jamon Brown and James Carpenter but used their initial first-round pick on fellow interior lineman Chris Lindstrom. After extending right tackle Ty Sambrailo, the Falcons will now add competition in McGary.
Breer’s Latest: Jets, Broncos, Rudolph
Some assorted notes from SI.com’s Albert Breer leading up to tonight’s draft…
- The Jets are beginning to gain some traction on a deal involving the third-overall pick. Breer mentions that the Redskins could be a match, with the team presumably eyeing a quarterback. Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins could be an option, as could Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray (if he isn’t taken with the first-overall pick). Breer notes that if the Jets remain in the top-10, they could opt for Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who one scout described as “the epitome of a [defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams player.”
- Missouri quarterback Drew Lock is “rising continuously in draft meetings” among the Broncos front office. The team could be eyeing him with pick No. 10, or they could be preparing for a scenario where Lock falls towards the bottom of the first round.
- After paying Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter, the Vikings could be looking to deal one of their other pricey veterans. Tight end Kyle Rudolph could be a trade candidate, and Breer writes that he wouldn’t be shocked if the Patriots make a play for the pass-catcher. The writer mentions cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes as well as wideout Laquon Treadwell as trade candidates.
- Two players who are set to play on their fifth-year option are on the block. Breer writes that Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor and 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead “have been part of trade discussions.” On the flip side, Breer believes that it’s unlikely that the 49ers trade defensive lineman Solomon Thomas.
- If Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat gets past the Redskins (No. 15), Panthers (No. 16), or Seahawks (No.21), Breer is unsure how far the defensive end could end up falling. Breer points to the Rams as a potential fit at the end of the first round. Reports indicated that Sweat was diagnosed with a heart condition, although there were rumblings today that he may have been misdiagnosed.
Draft Rumors: Bush, Redskins, Rams
Let’s round up the latest draft rumors in advance of tonight’s main event:
- We heard several days ago that the Falcons were interested in trading into the Top 10, and that they had their sights set on defensive linemen like Christian Wilkins and offensive linemen. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that Atlanta is indeed interested in moving up, but his sources say the club’s target is actually linebacker Devin Bush (Twitter link). Per Pelissero, the Falcons would need to leapfrog the Broncos, who hold the No. 10 overall pick, to assure themselves of landing Bush.
- Despite all of the rumors suggesting that the Redskins are interested in making a big trade up into the Top 5, Pro Football Talk says that all of the calls that team president Bruce Allen are making are just an example of Allen being Allen and that Washington doesn’t really have a desire to make a move (Twitter link).
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Rams, who hold the No. 31 overall pick in tonight’s draft, have received a number of calls from teams wanting to trade into the back end of the first round. First-rounders, of course, can be kept under club control for five years instead of four.
- As Pelissero notes in a separate tweet, the teams that have shown the most interest in trading down from their current first-round slots are the Jets (No.3), Lions (No. 8), Dolphins (No. 13), Seahawks (Nos. 21 & 29), and Rams (No. 31).
- If Kyler Murray should start to fall down the draft board, he may end up having a better financial future in baseball. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, MLB’s Oakland A’s have offered him a $14MM “sweetener” on top of the $4.6MM bonus he was already due after the club drafted him last year, for a total of $18.66MM. That number would land between the 10th and 11th overall picks in tonight’s NFL draft, so if Murray ends up falling that far, teams are concerned that he would return to the diamond. But Breer still thinks that Murray will be the No. 1 overall pick tonight.
- Breer calls Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons the most interesting prospect in the draft. He is one of the top defensive players in his class, but the troubling video showing him striking a woman in high school, along with his ACL tear, have completely removed him from some teams’ draft boards. But there is still a good chance that he will be selected in the first round tonight.
- The Panthers and Vikings are both very serious about addressing their needs along the offensive line with early draft picks, as Breer notes in a separate piece. Both clubs used a high number of top-30 visits on O-linemen.
- LSU cornerback Andraez “Greedy” Williams is perhaps the most talented corner in the draft, but as Breer notes, he comes with plenty of red flags concerning his toughness, work ethic, and personality. He did not make a single pre-draft visit, and despite his upside, he could slip out of the first round.
Rams Exercise Jared Goff’s Option
The Rams have exercised Jared Goff‘s fifth-year option, according to a team announcement. With that move, the quarterback is now under contract through the 2020 season.
Some of this year’s fifth-year option calls may be tricky, but this one goes in the no-brainer category. After a rough start to his professional career, Goff has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the past two years under the tutelage of head coach Sean McVay. He of course led the Rams to an NFC Championship and a Super Bowl appearance in 2018, and his stat line from last season — 32 TDs against 12 interceptions, a 64.9% completion percentage, and a 101.1 QB rating — indicate that he will be the club’s signal-caller for a long time.
Los Angeles has not yet broached a re-up with Goff, but given that he is now under club control through 2020, there’s not a ton of urgency on that front just yet. When asked about an extension recently, Goff said, “Not on my mind at all. I know the deal and understand that I hired an agent for that reason, and things always work out. You continue to play well, it will work itself out.”
Goff will earn a little over $4.2MM this year, and the fifth-year option will pay him $22.783MM in 2020 if the two sides do not work out a long-term deal before then. His 2020 salary is guaranteed for injury only, but McVay indicated recently he is pleased with Goff’s career track, despite Goff’s shaky Super Bowl outing, so it is hard to imagine Goff and the Rams parting ways anytime soon.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Memphis RB Darrell Henderson Met With Four Teams
Memphis running back Darrell Henderson is now considered a possibility to sneak into the back end of the first round of the draft, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds Henderson has recently met with the Rams, Eagles, Raiders, and Cardinals.
Henderson (5’9″, 200) topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons and averaged an astounding 8.9 yards per carry in both campaigns. He ranks fourth behind Josh Jacobs (Alabama), Miles Sanders (Penn State), and Devin Singletary (FAU) on The Draft Network‘s running back rankings, and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com calls Henderson a “home run hitter” while comparing him to now-49er Tevin Coleman.
Henderson is exceptional at running out of the shotgun formation: over the last four college seasons, Henderson ranks third in Graham Barfield’s Yards Created metric — which attempts to identify production a running back generated on his own, independent of offensive line play — out of shotgun. Circling back to the the four clubs Henderson has recently visited, the Eagles ranked fifth league-wide in shotgun run rate, per Warren Sharp. The Raiders finished 11th, the Cardinal 23rd, and the Rams dead last (just 4%).
Rams To Pick Up Jared Goff’s Fifth-Year Option
One of a few 2016 first-round picks with fairly open-and-shut fifth-year option decisions, Jared Goff will soon see his rookie contract extended to 2020.
The Rams plan to pick up their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback’s fifth-year option, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times writes. This will tie Goff to a $22.783MM 2020 salary.
Goff became extension-eligible this year, joining 2016 No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz in that regard. While the Eagles are hoping to extend Wentz this year, the Rams have not discussed a Goff re-up yet. Both teams have plenty of high-priced veterans, though the Rams have higher-profile deals on their payroll due to their 2018 extensions for Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks.
“Not on my mind at all,” Goff said, via Klein, of an extension. “I know the deal and understand that I hired an agent for that reason, and things always work out. You continue to play well, it will work itself out.”
It is possible the Rams ($5.4MM in cap space) could table Goff’s extension until after the 2019 season, but after ’19, Patrick Mahomes becomes eligible for a new deal. His next contract will raise the bar higher than Russell Wilson‘s did. While Goff has not accomplished what Mahomes has, from an individual perspective, he does have two Pro Bowl seasons and is only going into his age-25 campaign.
The 2016 No. 1 overall pick set new benchmarks with 4,688 passing yards and 32 touchdown throws last season, the yardage a near-1,000-yard spike from his 2017 figure. Sean McVay indicated recently he is pleased with Goff’s career track, despite the Los Angeles starter’s shaky Super Bowl outing.
NFL Draft Rumors: Taylor, Ford, Sweat
Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor met with the Bengals on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Taylor, who stands 6’5″ and 328 pounds, certainly has the size requirements favored by new Cincinnati offensive line coach Jim Turner, but it’s unclear if the ex-Gator will be available when the Bengals make their first-round selection at No. 11. Along with Jonah Williams (Alabama), Andre Dillard (Washington State), and Cody Ford (Oklahoma), Taylor is considered one of the best tackle prospects available in the 2019 draft. If selected by the Bengals, Taylor could immediately take over at right tackle, displacing the recently re-signed Bobby Hart, and would be a long-term option to replace Cordy Glenn on the blindside.
Here’s more on the 2019 NFL draft:
- Speaking of Ford, the Oklahoma offensive lineman has been extremely busy during the pre-draft season. Per Aaron Wilson the Houston Chronicle, Ford has met with and/or worked out for the Patriots, Eagles, Buccaneers, Vikings, Texans, Cardinals, and Falcons. That’s in addition to his previously-reported stops with the Bengals and Panthers. Ford was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 and helped Oklahoma win the Joe Moore Award, given to the country’s best offensive line. A left guard in both 2016 and 2017, Ford shifted to right tackle for the 2018 campaign.
- The Texans are meeting with Mississippi State edge rusher Montez Sweat on Wednesday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Sweat is considered of the best defensive ends in the draft (especially after blowing up the combine), so Houston would likely need to trade up from No. 23 overall in order to land him. After starting his collegiate career at Michigan State, Sweat spent two years with the Bulldogs, racking up 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss during that time.
- Washington cornerback Byron Murphy has met with the Panthers, Chiefs, and Cardinals in addition to his visit with the Steelers, tweets Wilson. In 2018, Murphy earned a spot on the first-team All-Pac-12 list after putting up 37 tackles, four interceptions, and 13 interceptions. Regarded as a first-round pick by most observers, Murphy is the No. 6 overall player on Pro Football Focus’ draft board after allowing only a 47.7% completion percentage against and forcing 17 incompletions.
- The Rams hosted Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram on Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Abram, who has also met with the Cowboys and Cardinals, is part of a closely-clustered safety class that could start coming off the board at the end of the first round. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, notably, ranks Abram as the No. 1 safety prospect of 2019. Arbam posted two interceptions, three sacks, and nine tackles for loss last year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Brant Weiss (Alliance of American Football)
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB LB Isaiah Irving, DE Roy Robertson-Harris (exclusive rights free agents)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: DB Jordan Lucas (restricted free agent)
- Re-signed: K Harrison Butker, DT Justin Hamilton (ERFAs)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: CB Trevor Williams (RFA)
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: S Blake Countess (RFA)
- Re-signed: DE Morgan Fox, DB Dominique Hatfield, WR KhaDarel Hodge, WR JoJo Natson, DB Kevin Peterson (ERFAs)
New York Giants
- Re-signed: WR Corey Coleman (RFA)
Oakland Raiders
- Re-signed: WR Marcell Ateman, K Daniel Carlson, T Justin Murray (ERFAs)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: TE Xavier Grimble (RFA)
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DB Greg Mabin (ERFA)