Draft Rumors: Collins, Bucs, Gurley, Titans
We heard yesterday that police are looking to question La’el Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week, though the LSU offensive lineman isn’t considered a suspect. Jim Boren, the attorney for Collins, tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that he has been in constant contact with the lead detective in the case, and spoke to the district attorney yesterday.
“We took the investigation seriously,” Boren said on Tuesday. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”
Indeed, even if Collins is officially ruled out as a suspect by police, which appears likely, it’s not clear if that will happen before the draft gets underway tomorrow night, and teams figure to approach the lineman with extra caution.
As we wait to see how the ongoing investigation affects Collins, let’s round up a few more Wednesday draft rumors from around the league….
- According to Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, trade inquiries involving the No. 1 overall pick are on the rise this week, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Still, I think Tampa Bay would have to be blown away to move out of that first overall spot.
- One team has Georgia running back Todd Gurley at No. 1 overall on its draft board, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that it’s safe to say that’s not the consensus around the NFL. In fact, scouts who have spoken to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report don’t believe Gurley will be a top-10 pick, as has been rumored.
- Within Freeman’s piece, the BR scribe notes that the Jets are still very much in the hunt for Marcus Mariota, though he’s skeptical that New York will offer enough to move the Titans out of the No. 2 spot.
- Speaking of those Titans, Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network (Twitter links) hears that Tennessee isn’t just taking trade calls — the club is making them as well. So far, things haven’t gotten serious, but trade talks involving that second overall pick could heat up today and tomorrow, says Darlington.
- Amidst reports that Shane Ray could slide out of the first round, and perhaps much further than that, one NFL executive tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the Missouri pass rusher “isn’t going to fall very far” following his citation for marijuana possession.
- Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian appears to be a popular target, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that Siemian has received calls from 11 teams in the past two days. Those teams are the Broncos, Jets, Jaguars, Raiders, Vikings, Packers, Browns, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, and Dolphins.
NFC West Notes: Rams, Fisher, DGB
A look at the NFC West..
- At a pre-draft press conference, Rams coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead said their board is basically set other than a little fine tuning, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
- The Rams are still interested in retaining offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and the team is in “constant contact” with him, Thomas tweets. Barksdale recently visited the Titans but left without a deal. The 27-year-old has been with the Rams for three seasons and started all 16 games in 2014.
- Fisher said “it’s very possible” team could take an edge rusher at No. 10, Thomas tweets. Thomas rightly notes that both Shane Ray and Randy Gregory could be available there.
- John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) would be shocked if the 49ers roll the dice on Dorial Green-Beckham at No. 15.
Philip Rivers/Titans Rumors: Monday
As recently as Saturday, Peter King of TheMMQB.com suggested that there was something to the Philip Rivers-to-the-Titans rumors, but his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column throws a bit of cold water on that idea. Here’s the latest on Rivers, the Chargers, the Titans, and the No. 2 overall pick:
- As of now, the Chargers have yet to have conversations with any team regarding a trade of Rivers, Alex Flanagan of NBC Sports tweets.
- After making many calls over the weekend, King doesn’t believe the Chargers will trade Rivers. While he’s not ready to lock that in, he writes that San Diego “definitely does not want to trade Rivers.” Additionally, the Titans would want more than just Rivers for the second overall pick, and the Chargers probably wouldn’t be willing to offer more than that.
- If the Titans don’t get a good offer for that No. 2 pick from the Chargers or another team, they’ll likely select Mariota, writes King, adding that while “they feel good about Zach Mettenberger, [they] would feel better about Mariota.
- An Oregon source tells King that no team scouted Mariota more fervently during and after the college football season than the Titans.
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Browns, Rams, and Chargers are the most likely candidates to make a deal with the Titans. However, Rapoport agrees that San Diego doesn’t appear to be interested in dealing Rivers, who would have to sign a contract extension and take a physical to finalize a trade — neither of those things is in motion at this point.
- Rapoport adds that the Browns and Rams may find it more difficult to match up with the Titans, since neither team could send Tennessee an established quarterback like Rivers in a trade.
Rams Declining Mark Barron’s 2016 Option
After reporting earlier today that the Rams are picking up their fifth-year option on defensive tackle Michael Brockers for the 2016 season, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an update on the team’s other option-eligible player. According to Thomas (via Twitter), St. Louis won’t exercise its ’16 option for safety Mark Barron, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency next winter.
Barron, the seventh overall pick in 2012, started his career with the Buccaneers and spent two and a half seasons in Tampa Bay before the team sent him to St. Louis at last year’s trade deadline. The Rams surrendered a fourth-round pick and a sixth-rounder for Barron, but the decision to decline his option doesn’t come as a real surprise.
Because he was a top-10 pick in 2012, Barron’s 2016 salary – if the Rams had picked up his option – would have been equal to the 2015 transition salary for a safety — $8.263MM. There aren’t many safeties in the league making that sort of money, and Barron hasn’t exactly ranked among the NFL’s best defensive backs in his first three NFL seasons. The Alabama product played only 174 defensive snaps for the Rams after last season’s trade.
Barron is currently set to earn a fully guaranteed salary of $2.363MM in 2015, the final year of his rookie contract.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Perry, Hardy, 49ers, Rams
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said last week that teams had contacted him to gauge the availability of the first overall pick, suggesting at the time that those calls would probably continue over the next few days. Speaking to Steve Wyche of NFL.com, Licht confirmed as much, indicating that more than one team called him on Sunday to inquire about the No. 1 pick.
According to Licht, the calls were more about “feeling out what it would take” to trade up to No. 1, so it doesn’t sound like any serious discussions took place. It would presumably take a significant offer for the Bucs to consider moving down, since the club has decided which player it will select with that pick. While Licht, of course, declined to name the player, he said that he and head coach Lovie Smith “are in complete alignment” on the choice. Jameis Winston is considered the strong favorite.
As we wait to see if the Bucs have any last-minute surprises up their sleeves, let’s check in on a few other items from across the NFC….
- The Packers are expected to decline their fifth-year option on linebacker Nick Perry, but nothing is official yet and the team has a few more days to make its decision, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It would cost $7.751MM for the 2016 season to exercise the option on Perry, who has yet to make a real impact on Green Bay’s defense since being selected 28th overall in 2012.
- As expected, the NFLPA has officially appealed Greg Hardy‘s 10-game suspension on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end. According to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the union filed the appeal on Friday night.
- As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, 49ers GM Trent Baalke won’t be pressured into drafting a receiver early this week, but the team is certainly considering wideouts. Georgia Tech’s Darren Waller said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he had a pre-draft visit with the Niners, who spoke to him exclusively about playing wide receiver — Waller is considered a potential tight end in the NFL by some other teams, including the Cardinals (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports).
- Given the advancing ages and rising cap numbers for James Laurinaitis and Chris Long, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com thinks it’s possible that the Rams will eye potential replacements for their veteran defensive leaders in this year’s draft. In Wagoner’s view, a defensive end is more likely than a linebacker, given the strengths and weaknesses of 2015’s class, but ideally both players would have nice 2015 seasons and adjust their contracts to stick around St. Louis even longer.
Rams To Exercise Brockers’ 2016 Option
The Rams will exercise their 2016 option on defensive tackle Michael Brockers, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The team has until May 3 to make the move official.
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.
As the 14th overall pick in 2012, Brockers is in line for a salary of $6.146MM on his fifth-year option. That figure will initially be guaranteed for injury only — if he’s still under contract when the 2016 league year begins, his fifth-year salary becomes fully guaranteed.
For a full breakdown on the status of fifth-year options around the league, be sure to check out our tracker.
West Notes: St. Louis, Polk, Rams
Leaders of the effort to build a new NFL stadium in St. Louis said Friday they remain optimistic about a plan they say would retain a team and help redevelop a blighted part of the city, according to the The Associated Press. Members of the St. Louis stadium task force made their case directly to league officials in New York on Wednesday and they emerged confident as ever that the plan is still on course. Of course, to get a new stadium greenlit, they’ll have to figure out how to fund it and there could be legal hurdles to overcome in order to use taxpayer money. Here’s a look at the West divisions..
- Meanwhile, commissioner Roger Goodell thinks the projects in Inglewood and Carson, California are “viable,” and have a “great deal of potential to be successful,” Barry Wilner of The Associated Press writes. Of course, the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers are all eyeing Los Angeles as a potential destination.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times wonders if free agent running back Chris Polk could be a fit for the Seahawks. Coach Pete Carroll is familiar with the University of Washington product because he tried to recruit him to USC in 2007. The Seahawks don’t necessarily have an urgent need at running back, with last year’s trio of Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, and Christine Michael all due to return next season. But the Seahawks like to add competition, and Polk could be a viable competitor for a backup spot.
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Rams might take a gamble on Nebraska’s Randy Gregory. Gregory, despite his off-field issues, is regarded as the draft’s best pass rusher, and that’s saying a lot given this year’s crop. “It’s a real good group,” said a veteran NFC scout. “They’re going to fly off the board.” The scout sees Gregory as “an Aldon Smith or Jason Pierre-Paul type” and heaped loads of praise upon him.
Draft Links: Cooper, Perriman, Raiders, Ravens
Alabama wideout Amari Cooper figures to be one of the first two wideouts selected in next week’s draft (along with West Virginia’s Kevin White). It seems unlikely that the talented 20-year-old will fall outside the top-10, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reports that Cooper met with nine teams drafting within that range.
That list includes Washington, the Buccaneers, Titans, Jaguars, Jets, Bears, Falcons, Giants, Rams and Browns. The Raiders and Vikings were the only teams selecting in the top-12 to not host Cooper.
Let’s take a look at some other draft notes from around the league…
- While Cooper and White are expected to the be the first two receivers off the board, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell believes Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman could emerge as a top pick. “I think Cooper is the top receiver prospect this year,” Cosell writes for Yahoo! Sports. “But if you asked me who is No. 2 among White and Perriman, that’s a tougher question. I really like Perriman…Perriman is a big powerful, explosive, fast guy. Although he and White are about the same size, on film Perriman looks like the bigger guy. I could see ranking Perriman even with or ahead of White, although I’m in the minority on that.”
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson wonders (on Twitter) if Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. could be in play for the Raiders during the first round. The junior compiled 2.5 sacks during the 2014 season, finishing his college career with 14.5 sacks.
- CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown believes the Ravens will make trades during this year’s draft, but not during the first round. The writer wonders if the team could move up during the second round to secure Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams.
Draft Notes: Ray, Scherff, Peters, Williams
There was some concern that Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray, who is expected to come off the board early in the draft next Thursday night, would require surgery on a troublesome foot injury. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Ray’s injury – which is similar to turf toe – was discovered during a team visit and prompted a visit to a foot specialist, who recommended rest rather than a surgical procedure, good news for the young edge defender.
Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Cowboys flagged Ray as needing surgery, but not all teams – and not all doctors, apparently – were convinced it was required.
Let’s check in on a few more Thursday draft updates….
- Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff is drawing “heavy interest” from teams drafting between the fifth and ninth spots in the first round, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). The clubs currently in those spots? Washington, the Jets, the Bears, the Falcons, and the Giants.
- In addition to making 17 pre-draft visits to teams, Washington cornerback Marcus Peters had individual workouts for the Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, and Dolphins, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Speaking to Maggie Gray on SI Now, Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams said that most teams are telling him his DUI incident shouldn’t have a huge impact on his draft stock.
- Montana edge defender Zack Wagenmann, who is projected as a mid- to late-round pick, broke his foot recently during a private workout with an NFL team, writes Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Wagenmann won’t be able to participate in football-related activities for eight weeks, but is aiming to be ready for training camp.
- Caplan also passes along an update on Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet, reporting (via Twitter) that Marpet visited the Chargers earlier this week, and has worked out for the Cardinals, Bengals, and Texans.
- Besides confirming some of his previously-reported visits, T.J. Clemmings‘ draft diary for USA Today (via Tom Pelissero) added some new teams to his list of possible suitors. According to the Pittsburgh tackle himself, he visited the Bears and had a private workout with the Panthers. Clemmings will also privately work out for the Dolphins tomorrow.
- Florida linebacker Neiron Ball has made pre-draft visits with the Patriots, Broncos, Buccaneers, and Texans, writes Wilson. Ball has also worked out privately for the Falcons, Rams, Steelers, Cardinals, and Texans.
Latest On Los Angeles Stadium Talks
Earlier this week, the Carson City Council unanimously approved a proposal to move forward with a privately funded NFL stadium in the city. While that decision doesn’t represent a major development, it’s another step forward in the process, as the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders vie for a potential spot in the Los Angeles area. Here are the latest updates on the saga:
- Representatives of NFL stadium plans for Inglewood, Carson, and St. Louis met with the Committe on Los Angeles Opportunities in New York on Wednesday, and made presentations to the committe, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Those in attendance included commissioner Roger Goodell, Steelers owner Art Rooney II, and the five other owners who make up the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities.
- As Farmer outlines, the St. Louis group went first, giving a half-hour presentation. Rams owner Stan Kroenke then made an hour-long presentation on the Inglewood proposal, and Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Raiders owner Mark Davis followed that by presenting for an hour about the Carson plan.
- The Raiders and Chargers issued a joint statement following their presentation, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The statement read, in part: “The goal of the presentation was to update the owners on the LA stadium site in Carson, which was fully entitled on Tuesday night. In addition, we presented a new stadium design for LA that is the result of two months of close collaboration between the teams. Goldman Sachs representatives were at the meeting to answer questions about the financing plan. And, finally, both teams updated the owners on the situation in our home markets.”
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Goldman Sachs reps reiterated during the Carson presentation that the proposed stadium could be done with one team — it doesn’t necessarily hinge on both the Chargers and Raiders relocating.
- Rams COO Kevin Demoff was also at the meeting, with the St. Louis Stadium Task Force, sources tell Andy Banker of FOX2 St. Louis. Banker adds that the St. Louis presentation was described as very detailed and very impressive.
- The various stadium proposal groups are expected to give similar presentations to a larger group of owners during the NFL meetings in San Francisco next month, according to Farmer and Bair.