Draft Rumors: Williams, Gurley, Collins
Some of the latest fallout from the first round..
- Some promising news for Jets fans and Rams fans: teams had USC defensive end Leonard Williams as their top-rated defensive player and at least three had Todd Gurley as their top-ranked offensive player, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- The view on Williams’ shoulder problem is that it’s not a long-term issue and is only a problem that might slow his development a bit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Jets nabbed the USC star with the No. 6 overall pick last night.
- Several scouts and execs tell John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) that they feel Randy Gregory is the best player left on the board.
- La’el Collins’ attorney reached out to the security directors for all 32 teams to try to provide clarity on his situation, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Breer (link) feels that it’s unlikely that the LSU offensive lineman will hear his name called tonight, but he could be drafted tomorrow.
Zac Stacy Requests Trade; Rams Open To Deal
The Rams made perhaps the most surprising pick of the top 10 earlier tonight, drafting Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall selection. The pick prompted Rams running back Zac Stacy to publish a tweet that simply read “Yikes,” before he later deleted it. And according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Gurley selection also pushed Stacy to request a trade, an idea the Rams are open to.
Stacy, 24, had a strong rookie season in 2013, racking up 973 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns, as he spent most of the year as the primary back in St. Louis. However, he ceded playing time and touches to Tre Mason last season, totaling just 293 yards and a TD on 76 carries.
Gurley may not be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2015 campaign, but with Mason’s stock on the rise, and Benny Cunningham and Isaiah Pead also still in the mix, the Rams’ depth chart is getting crowded at the running back spot. If the team can get anything of value for Stacy, it may make sense to move on.
A fifth-round pick in 2013, Stacy’s contract makes him a viable trade chip — he’s currently in line for salaries worth just $585K in 2015 and $675K in 2014, and he’d only leave about $88K in dead money on St. Louis’ cap if the club traded him.
With a number of intriguing running back prospects available on day two of the draft, I wouldn’t expect any team to rush to give up a pick for Stacy, but perhaps a club that misses out on its top targets or opts to fill other holes would kick the tires on the Vanderbilt product before the end of the weekend.
Extra Points: Mariota, Welker, Forte, Gurley
The Titans will not trade Marcus Mariota after selecting him second overall, GM Ruston Webster said, per Paul Kuharksy of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Moreover, he’ll be the Week 1 starter, says head coach Ken Whisenhunt (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean). Additionally, despite reports that Zach Mettenberger wants to be traded, Webster says he think the incumbent QB will come to embrace his new backup role, adding that Mettenberger won’t be traded (link).
- Free agent receiver Wes Welker has been cleared to play by a top concussion expert, according to Mike Klis of 9 News, who writes that Dr. Stanley Herring (a member of the NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee) has given Welker the green light. The 33-year-old Welker indicated in February that he intends to play in 2015 despite a myriad of health concerns.
- Despite the fact that he wasn’t present at voluntary workouts, Bears running back Matt Forte doesn’t intend to stage a training camp holdout as he angles for a new contract, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Though Forte admits he wants an extension, and says he and GM Ryan Pace discussed such a deal earlier this offseason, Forte realizes he has little to no leverage in the situation.
- Todd Gurley was the No. 1 player on the Rams’ board, so choosing him at No. 10 was an easy call, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Eagles apparently aren’t interested in players with character concerns, as neither Marcus Peters nor Dorial Green-Beckham is on their board, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Breer’s Latest: Titans, Gurley, Rams, Bears
With the draft less than an hour from getting underway, Albert Breer of the NFL Network took to Twitter to pass along a number of draft-related nuggets. Here are the highights from Breer (all Twitter links):
- The Titans have fielded offers for the No. 2 pick, but haven’t gotten any to their liking yet and are ready to draft Marcus Mariota. The club isn’t very interested in picks below 15th overall as a central part of any trade package.
- Teams like the Browns, Dolphins, and Chargers are eyeing Todd Gurley, and it’s possible one of those clubs – or another suitor – will get anxious and trade up for the Georgia running back, given the interest he’s generating.
- Although Washington, the Jets, and the Rams are all viewed as trade-down candidates in the top 10, St. Louis is a little more flexible than the other two teams, who may not want to drop too far. Washington may target an offensive lineman like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers if Scot McCloughan decides to move down, and those players – or Andrus Peat – could be targets for the Giants and Rams as well.
- There’s a belief that Giants GM Jerry Reese would prefer a pass rusher to an offensive lineman at No. 9, but depending on how the first few picks play out, the value might not match up.
- According to Breer, the run on offensive lineman may happen earlier in the first round than people think, which may motivate one or two teams to trade up. Cameron Erving has a chance to go in the teens. The Panthers and Broncos are among the teams picking late in the first who are seeking offensive linemen.
- Cornerback Trae Waynes is generating buzz and could go as high as seventh overall to the Bears. Dupree and Kevin White are also in the mix at No. 7. The draft range for Amari Cooper appears to be between the third and sixth overall pick, so he likely won’t be available for Chicago at No. 7.
- The Falcons may decide to move up from No. 8 for an impact defender like Leonard Williams, but if they stay where they are, Bud Dupree could be their man.
- Either Sean Mannion or Bryce Petty figures to be the third quarterback off the board, and it’s not likely to happen in the first round.
- According to Breer, teams believe Shane Ray will slip but will be picked in the first round, whereas Randy Gregory isn’t viewed as a first-round pick.
Draft Rumors: Gurley, Saints, K. Johnson
Three teams who pick in the top ten are considering Georgia running back Todd Gurley, according to Todd McShay of ESPN (Twitter link). The Dolphins are also known to be in on Gurley, but it sounds like he may not last that long.
Here are some more rumors as we approach the start of the draft:
- A “high-level” Saints source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the club doesn’t intend to take a quarterback in the first round. Previous reports had indicated that New Orleans would be interested in Baylor QB Bryce Petty at No. 31.
- Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson is expected to be off the board by the time the Ravens pick at No. 26, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who notes that the Dolphins, at pick No. 13, could consider Johnson.
- It’s possible that we see a run on offensive tackles near the end of the first round, which could cause the Broncos to consider trading up. However, Denver won’t give up a second-rounder to do so, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- The Lions recently called Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to double-check his contact information, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). That might not mean much on its face, but at least we know Ogbuehi, who is recovering from an ACL injury, is still on Detroit’s board.
- The Rams have received calls from teams interested in moving up to the tenth pick, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Michael Brockers Drawing Trade Interest
1:40pm: The Cardinals did not inquire about Brockers and the Rams wouldn’t trade him in the division anyway, a source tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
12:17pm: A report earlier this week indicated that the Rams were exercising their 2016 option on defensive tackle Michael Brockers, but apparently teams around the league aren’t convinced that St. Louis will hang onto Brockers for the long term. According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), the Cowboys, Texans, and Cardinals have been calling the Rams trying to strike a deal for Brockers, and the Dolphins have also expressed interest.
Brokers, 24, has played well for St. Louis since being drafted 14th overall by the team in 2012, though his sack total slipped in 2014. After recording 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2013, Brockers totaled just 32 tackles and 2.0 sacks last year.
The presence of 2014 first-round pick Aaron Donald may have limited Brockers’ impact last season, and he may see his playing time reduced a little this coming season after the Rams signed former Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley in free agency. I imagine Brockers will still see plenty of action on running downs, but the idea of having Donald, Fairley, Robert Quinn, and Chris Long getting after the quarterback on passing downs must be tantalizing for the Rams.
Last month’s addition of Fairley to go along with Donald is likely what’s spurring teams to call the Rams about Brockers. St. Louis is already spending a good chunk of money on its defensive line, so the idea of paying Brockers $6.146MM (his option salary) for 2016 may be a little off-putting.
Nonetheless, Rams COO and EVP of football operations Kevin Demoff said yesterday that there’s a better chance of Adam Wainwright pitching again for the Cardinals this year than there is of the Rams trading Brockers (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Wainwright, of course, recently tore his Achilles and will miss the rest of the MLB season. Still, it’s worth noting that the Rams adamantly denied that Sam Bradford was going anywhere, just weeks before he was dealt to Philadelphia.
First-Round Rumors: Titans, Mariota, Rams
The Titans‘ No. 2 overall pick appears to be the hottest trade chip on the market today, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link) hears that the club has spoken to the Rams and the Jets, in addition to the Browns and Eagles. According to ESPN’s Bob Holtzman, the Titans are “open for business” when it comes to trading the second overall pick, but the team is using the Robert Griffin III trade as a point of reference, which would mean getting three first-rounders for the No. 2 pick.
Multiple reporters, including Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), are suggesting that the Titans’ asking price is massive. Rapoport points out that Tennessee is seeking such a huge return that it’s making rival teams think the Titans just want to draft Marcus Mariota and be done with it.
As we wait to see what the Titans will do with their pick, let’s check in on a few more first-round rumors…
- Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) hears from multiple sources that UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks is in the mix for the Cardinals in round one.
- The Rams‘ discussions with the Titans haven’t amounted to anything “meaningful” at this point, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Meanwhile, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that the Rams may be looking at bailing out of the top 10 and picking up more picks. The Jets and Washington have also been cited as potential trade-down candidates in the top 10.
- Browns coach Mike Pettine told NFL Network’s Andrea Kremer that “opinions on Marcus Mariota in this building are varied,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Cabot notes (link) that opinions on Johnny Manziel inside the building were varied too, but that didn’t stop the Browns from drafting him in 2014. She also hears that the Browns do not want to surrender their first-rounder in 2016 to land the Oregon quarterback (link).
- A big problem for the Browns in any potential trade involving Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is that he may not negotiate a long-term deal anytime soon with the Browns, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Bradford may prefer to be dealt to the Titans and, presumably, would be more open to a long-term deal there.
- In the event that the Browns acquire Sam Bradford or another quarterback, the Cowboys will not be interested in trading for Johnny Manziel to replace Brandon Weeden, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
- NFL.com’s Michael Silver says that the Jaguars are a team to keep an eye on as they could move their high second round choice to get back into the back third of the first round.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Pompei On Flowers, Mariota, Cooper
Ereck Flowers could be the surprise player to go in the top ten, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report tweets. The reason for that? The murky La’el Collins situation could vault him up the board. Here’s more draft news from Pompei..
- The Titans have been doing a lot of talking, but as of this point the chances are very good they will stay put and take Marcus Mariota at No. 2 (link).
- The Rams are a wildcard. They could move up for Amari Cooper and, if they don’t, they could drop back (link).
- Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff is hot with the Giants, Rams, Jets, Washington, and others potentially in play (link). If there’s a trade up made beyond the top five, it could be for him, Pompei reasons.
- The Jets and Washington are the most likely trade-down candidates (link).
- Meanwhile, the Falcons, Rams, Browns, and Eagles are the most likely to trade up (link).
Draft Rumors: Gregory, Falcons, Bills, Saints
While Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test at the combine might not be enough to push him too far down draft boards on its own, there’s concern about the pass rusher’s ability to “handle the mental rigors of professional football,” according to Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer of NFL.com. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, the NFL.com report is quite vague and short on specifics, but Rapoport and Breer suggest that multiple teams have removed Gregory from their draft boards entirely. According to the duo, Gregory’s issues might be manageable, but not fixable, which makes it crucial that he lands in the right situation.
“It all depends on the organization, and what they have in place for him,” said one NFC personnel executive. “There are quite a few players that have issues. It’s where you place football character over the things he can’t control. That’s the big thing to me.”
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports indicated earlier today that he wouldn’t touch Gregory, alluding to the Nebraska defender’s “other issues” (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that those “issues” are a combination of mental health concerns and recreational drug use.
With players like Josh Gordon and Dion Jordan set to serve season-long suspensions, it makes sense that teams would be wary of a player like Gregory, who could potentially run into similar off-field trouble. It’ll be interesting to see which club eventually takes a chance on a player who has top-10 talent, and when exactly that happens.
Here are a few more draft updates:
- As rumors swirl suggesting that the Falcons could trade up from No. 8 for a top pass rusher, Rapoport tweets that most of the teams he has spoken to believe Atlanta will actually trade back and select an offensive lineman.
- According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Bills owner Terry Pegula initially planned to make the trip to Texas this week for the club’s meeting with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. It ultimately didn’t work out, but it could be a sign that Buffalo is serious about Petty.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identifies the Rams, Saints, Bengals, Cowboys, Colts, Patriots, and Seahawks as teams that may be willing to roll the dice on some of the prospects in this year’s draft class who have red flags related to character and/or off-field incidents.
- While the Saints earned a mention in La Canfora’s list, GM Mickey Loomis did say today that some players will be off New Orleans’ draft board because of character issues, tweets Brett Martel of The Associated Press. Still, Loomis noted that in many cases he’s more concerned about a player’s judgment than the incident itself, and said it’s important to be careful about labeling a player based on one incident (Twitter links).
- Loomis also said today that the Saints are unlikely to trade picks, but will listen to opportunities to move up or down. The overarching goal for the draft, according to the GM, is to make the team better “right now” (Twitter links via Martel).
- Penn State tight end Jesse James, a probable mid-round pick, worked out for the Ravens, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Dolphins Rumors: Parker, Draft, QBs
Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates on the Dolphins, who hold the No. 14 pick in tomorrow’s draft….
- Todd Gurley has been generating plenty of buzz as a Dolphins’ target recently, but Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) says he keeps hearing the team is interesting in selecting a wide receiver in the first round.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) takes Marvez’ report a step further, writing that he’s hearing the Dolphins are interested in moving up for wideout DeVante Parker. According to La Canfora, the Rams at No. 10 would be a logical trade partner, since St. Louis has interest in moving down.
- Recognizing that they need depth at the position behind Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell, the Dolphins have done a lot of homework on defensive tackles in this draft, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. While Miami may not address the position in the first round, the team brought in several potential second-round picks for pre-draft visits.
- According to Jackson, the Dolphins have been “aggressive” as they consider adding a developmental quarterback to the roster, privately working out Garrett Grayson, Connor Halliday, Chris Donner, and Andrew Hendrix. While they won’t necessarily select one in the draft, the Dolphins are a good bet to add a rookie QB after the draft.
- Within Jackson’s piece, several draft experts weigh in on what the Dolphins should do with the 14th overall pick.