Extra Points: Dez, Johnson, Cooper, Draft Visits
The recent falling out between Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and longtime mentor David Wells makes it unlikely Bryant will stay in Dallas long term, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Cowboys view Wells as crucial to keeping Bryant out of trouble off the field, and if Wells isn’t going to continue on as part of Bryant’s life, Cole doesn’t expect the team to risk giving the wideout a long-term deal. Bryant, on whom the Cowboys placed the franchise tag earlier this offseason, is scheduled to become a free agent next year.
Rounding up the rest of the latest NFL news as Friday comes to a close:
- Colts receiver Andre Johnson spent the first 12 years of his career with the Texans and caught over 1,000 passes before the team released him in March. Despite subsequently signing with AFC South rival Indianapolis, Johnson doesn’t harbor ill will against his old team. “It wasn’t about circling (game) dates or nothing against the Texans. I had 12 great years [in Houston],” Johnson said Friday, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. “I have nothing bad against the Texans.”
- The Giants could draft a receiver with the ninth overall pick, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (Twitter link), who believes Amari Cooper of Alabama tops their wideout big board. However, Raanan tweets that it’s unlikely Cooper will fall to the Giants.
- Speaking of Cooper, multiple teams rate him as the best player in the draft, per Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter).
- University of Kentucky edge rusher Bud Dupree visited the Rams on Friday, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter).
- Sacramento State wide receiver DeAndre Carter will visit the Patriots on Monday, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter).
- Washington visited with University of Pittsburgh linebacker Todd Thomas on Friday, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.Net.
- The Colts on Friday hosted a pair of safety prospects – Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell and Samford’s Jaquiski Tartt – per Pauline (Twitter).
Draft Notes: Winston, Beasley, Gurley, Dawson
Here are the latest draft-related updates from around the NFL:
- The Buccaneers are undaunted by Florida State quarterback’s Jameis Winston’s latest legal problems, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). Cummings believes Winston will be the Bucs’ choice at No. 1 overall.
- The Raiders worked out Clemson pass rusher Vic Beasley on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Oakland sent a four-man contingent headed by defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. to observe Beasley, who is Clemson’s all-time sacks leader and a candidate to be the Raiders’ first-round pick (fourth overall).
- Beasley might not make it to Oakland’s pick, as the Jaguars – who own No. 3 overall – had defensive line coach Todd Wash follow up with the 22-year-old, Rapoport tweeted. Jacksonville worked out Beasley earlier this month.
- Georgia running back Todd Gurley will visit the Patriots next week, reports Mike Giardi of CSNNE.com. Gurley is a potential fit for the Patriots in the first round, in which they hold the 32nd overall selection.
- TCU linebacker Paul Dawson has visited the 49ers and Chiefs and had a private workout with the Falcons, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. He also met with the Rams and Saints at his Pro Day workout.
NFC Notes: Davis, Panthers, Johnson, Wilson
After working out a new contract with veteran tight end Greg Olsen last month, GM Dave Gettleman indicated that linebacker Thomas Davis would be the next longtime Panther in line for an extension. The two sides have engaged in discussions since then, and while no deal has been finalized yet, Davis tells Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review that he’s not worried about it at all, and expects to finish his career in Carolina.
“We’re trying to get something worked out. It’s a process, but I’m not stressing over it one bit,” Davis said. “Really and truly, I just want to be here. I want to play football here. If I’m not playing here, I’m not playing football.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (all Twitter links) supplies the details on George Johnson‘s new deal with the Buccaneers, reporting that the defensive end will earn a base salary of $750K in year one, with a $2MM roster bonus due next week. Johnson’s base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are $2MM and $2.5MM respectively. However, those numbers can increase via escalators if the ex-Lion plays at least 46% of Tampa Bay’s snaps ($500K) and/or records at least six sacks ($500K) during the next two seasons.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com dives deep into the Russell Wilson contract talks, reiterating in the wake of comments from GM John Schneider that it’s possible the Seahawks won’t lock up their quarterback this year. As La Canfora observes, there seems to be a gap between the two sides at this point regarding what Wilson’s next deal should look like.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post adds Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers to the list of prospects visiting Washington next week.
- The Rams, who appear to be keeping a very close eye on this year’s crop of quarterback prospects, are putting Oregon State QB Sean Mannion through a workout today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune and Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter links) pass along Bears updates, reporting that the team hosted Portland State offensive lineman Cornelius Edison on an official visit this week, and will host Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson today.
- After having met with the Broncos recently, William & Mary receiver and returner Tre McBride visited the Lions today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Extra Points: L.A., Dolphins, Chiefs, 49ers
Rounding up the latest NFL news as Thursday comes to a close. . .
- Howard Balzer tweets that Rams, Raiders, and Chargers representatives will update their Los Angeles stadium plans next Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, Balzer reports that a St. Louis task force will meet with league officials and six owners next week to discuss a potential new stadium. The Rams, who have played in St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome since 1995, are free to break their lease and relocate after next season. The same holds true for the Raiders and Chargers.
- The Dolphins have shown significant interest in cornerbacks and wide receiver prospects this year, and two of their latest pre-draft visitors happen to play those positions. Connecticut corner Byron Jones and Ohio State wideout Devin Smith are both on the team’s radar, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- The Chiefs had an official visit with Pittsburg State cornerback De’Vante Bausby on Wednesday, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Bausby, who was in attendance at KC’s local pro day last week, will likely be a late-round pick in the draft.
- The 49ers will hold their local pro day on Friday. One of the 65 players who will partake is older than all but three members of the 49ers’ roster. That player is Nate Boyer, 34, a former Green Beret and Iraq war veteran who didn’t play organized football until the age of 29. The ex-University of Texas long snapper could land a contract with the 49ers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch, who notes that the team has carried two players at the position in recent years.
Draft Notes: Rams, Winston, Vikings, Saints
Despite already having a starting-caliber quarterback in Nick Foles, the Rams are doing their due diligence with the position as the NFL draft nears. They worked out Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota for roughly an hour Thursday, tweets the NFL Network’s Albert Breer. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted earlier Thursday that, in addition to Mariota, the Rams will work out Florida State’s Jameis Winston, Baylor’s Bryce Petty, Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson and UCLA’s Brett Hundley in the coming days. Mariota and Winston should be long gone by the time the Rams’ first-round selection, the 10th overall pick, rolls around, while the rest are viewed as options in the second round and beyond.
More draft-related news:
- NFL teams were already aware of Jameis Winston’s latest legal troubles before the news broke Thursday and those issues won’t affect his draft status, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link).
- The Vikings have done their homework on a pair of safety prospects, Louisville’s James Sample and Central Florida’s Clayton Geathers, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Both are projected as mid-round picks.
- Although West Virginia defensive end Shaquille Riddick wasn’t among the 323 prospects invited to February’s scouting combine, he has drawn pre-draft interest from the Giants, Cardinals, Eagles, Texans, Saints, Bears and Chiefs, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Riddick told Ulrich that is using the combine snub as motivation. “Wherever I go, I’m going to be a surprise that they’re going to benefit from,” said Riddick. “And whoever doesn’t select me, they’re going to have to worry about me terrorizing their quarterbacks.”
- The Saints will host their local pro day on Friday, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. Per Woodbery, at least a dozen players will participate. Only those who grew up within a 40-mile radius of New Orleans or attended college within the same distance are eligible to partake.
Wilson’s Latest: Dorsett, Holmes, Waynes
With two weeks until the NFL draft gets underway, Aaron Wilson continues to be busy, passing along the latest news on pre-draft visits, workouts, and meetings for the National Football Post and the Baltimore Sun. Wilson has several new updates for us today, so let’s round up his Thursday morning items on a handful of prospects:
- Phillip Dorsett, WR (Miami): Visiting the Titans today (link).
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Wisconsin): Has had private workouts for the Bengals, Jaguars, Rams, and Buccaneers (link).
- Gabe Holmes, TE (Purdue): Visiting the Cardinals today after having previously worked out privately for the team (link).
- Bobby McCain, CB (Memphis): Visited Colts after having previously worked out privately for the team (link).
- Joe Okafor, DT (Lamar): Meeting with Eagles today (link)
- Trae Waynes, CB (Michigan State): Visited the Bears in addition to previously-reported visits with the Jaguars and Vikings (link).
West Notes: Wilson, McGrath, Rams, Broncos
Asked on KIRO 97.3 FM about contract negotiations with quarterback Russell Wilson, whose rookie contract expires after the 2015 season, Seahawks general manager John Schneider predictably didn’t offer up many details. As Terry Blount of ESPN.com details, Schneider alluded to the challenges of balancing the roster and the salary cap as he expressed how much the club wants to keep Wilson in the mix for years to come.
“Every negotiation is unique in and of itself and this is no different,” Schneider said. “He’s our quarterback. We’d love him to be our quarterback. But the thing is we need to keep as many of these guys together as we possibly can. What I can tell you is that this is the ultimate team sport. We have a track record of rewarding our players that we recognize as core players.”
Yesterday, we heard that the Seahawks and Wilson had begun extension discussions, but hadn’t made much progress. As we wait to see if the two sides move forward on a new deal, let’s check in on a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Former Chiefs tight end Sean McGrath, who retired last summer, has decided to make an NFL comeback, his agent tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). However, he won’t return to Kansas City — the team reinstated him from the reserve/retired list yesterday, then immediately waived him.
- The Rams‘ private workout with quarterback Marcus Mariota is happening today, and Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that head coach Jeff Fisher, GM Les Snead, executive VP of football operations Kevin Demoff, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke will all be in Eugene to meet with the Oregon signal-caller.
- Per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the Seahawks have hosted Tennessee State guard Robert Myers for a pre-draft visit, and are also hosting West Georgia defensive lineman Tory Slater. Slater previously visited the Falcons as well.
- Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings visited the Broncos earlier this week, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who adds that the club also held a private workout for Colorado State offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo.
Carson Stadium Project Takes Step Forward
The Carson stadium project took a big step forward today, as the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office has certified the signatures obtained in support of the project, according to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. The Carson proposal is the brainchild of the Chargers and Raiders, who are planning a shared, $1.7 billion stadium in Carson–which is on the edge of Los Angeles–if both teams are unable to get new stadiums in their current cities.
Of course, Rams owner Stan Kroenke is hoping to build an 80,000-seat stadium in Inglewood, roughly 10 miles from downtown LA, and we heard just a few weeks ago that Kroenke, whose proposal was approved by the Inglewood City Council back in February, was farther along in the process than the Carson group. However, the verification of signatures in support of the Carson project is an important milestone, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan notes. Caplan writes, “The proposal will go to the City Council, which could vote as soon as Tuesday to schedule an election or consider the plan without sending it to local voters.”
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reiterates, there will not be two stadiums in Los Angeles; either the Carson project or the Inglewood project will win out (assuming, of course, that all teams currently in the mix to move to LA do not stay put, which is looking increasingly unlikely). Meanwhile, Florio writes that the project that would keep the Chargers in San Diego is lagging far behind both LA proposals, as it “lacks a stadium design, specific funding sources, or support from the Chargers.” The Carson government is capitalizing on that lack of progress, and in so doing, it might have gained a little ground on Kroenke.
Draft Notes: Strong, Peters, Beasley, Fowler
Teams are in full swing in preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft, meeting with prospects and hosting workouts to fill out final draft boards. Here we will keep up with which prospects are garnering interest in a jam-packed notes post, with any updates added to the top:
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Louisville tackle Jamon Brown will visit the Broncos, Lions, and Washington, and has private workouts scheduled with the Bengals and Bills.
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Rams have visited with LSU tackle La’el Collins and Louisville WR DeVante Parker (Twitter links). In a separate piece, Thomas offers a little more detail on Parker and provides a complete list of all the pre-draft visits that the Rams have hosted.
- Kevin White visited with the Giants today, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan adds that the team is doing its due diligence just in case the wideout should fall to New York, which holds the No. 9 overall pick.
Earlier Updates
- Jaelen Strong definitely has a wrist injury, but he contradicts the report that he will need surgery, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
- In addition to Strong, Todd Gurley, Cedric Ogbuehi, and Tevin Coleman will be having Combine rechecks this weekend, writes Rapoport (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks will meet with University of Louisiana at Lafayette defensive tackle Christian Ringo, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). The team will also host Michigan defensive end Frank Clark (via Twitter). Clark had recently visited the Saints in New Orleans.
- In addition to Kendricks, the Falcons will work out UCLA defensive end Owa Odighizuwa, according to Chase Goodread of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams will visit the Chargers on Monday, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Division II star has already met with the Patriots, Lions, and Cardinals.
- Minnesota defensive tackle Cam Botticelli has a number of team’s interested in his services, writes Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The Texans, Eagles, Lions, Seahawks, and Buccaneers have looked into him.
- University of Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux worked out for the Bengals at their local prospect day, according to the Associated Press in USA Today. Legaux will also have the opportunity to work out for the Saints later this week.
- The Saints will also host Tulane running back Dante Butler at their local prospect day on Friday, reports Tammy Nunez of NOLA.com.
- Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong has a fractured bone in his wrist, which should require surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He will be among players that will get combine rechecks this weekend, and the injury could affect his draft stock (via Twitter).
- Potential first-round cornerback Marcus Peters met with the 49ers yesterday and the Falcons today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Peters will visit with the Raiders tomorrow.
- Pass rusher Vic Beasley has met or will meet with at least six teams drafting in the top ten, writes Rapoport (via Twitter). He will meet with the Titans today, and visit the Jets and Washington sometime next week.
- Florida pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. will visit with Washington as well, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The visit might be for naught, as most believe Fowler is going to land in Jacksonville on draft day. The Jaguars select third overall.
- Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat visited with the Broncos, who are need of help along the offensive line after losing Orlando Franklin in free agency, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Peat might not last that long, but could provide immediate impact for a team trying to return to the Super Bowl.
- Cardinals running backs coach Stump Mitchell attended Tevin Coleman’s workout at Indiana, writes Josh Weinfuss of ESPN (via Twitter). The Lions already had Coleman in for a workout earlier in the process, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Tony Paulie of DraftInsider.net adds that the Cowboys and Patriots have expressed interest in the Indiana tailback (via Twitter).
- The Rams have scheduled a workout with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty in Waco, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Brandt notes the team has indicated that it will select a quarterback at some point in the draft.
- The Lions also hosted Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett for a visit, the sixth receiver the team has brought in according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- The 49ers have expressed interest in a number of LSU players, including linebacker Kwon Alexander, running back Terrence Magee, and cornerback Jalen Collins, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com.
- Ohio State speedster Devin Smith told SiruiusXM NFL Radio he had a visit with the 49ers, saying he got a “really good vibe from the coaches and staff,” and that the visit “went really well,” (via Twitter).
- UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks met with Saints’ assistant coaches Joe Vitt and Rob Ryan during his visit with the team earlier this week, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
- Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks worked out for the Bengals at their local prospect day, and could be a player the team keeps an eye on in the middle rounds of the draft, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
- Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. has visited with the Patriots, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). Edwards will visit with the Texans and Seahawks as well, although Garafolo believes Seattle will need to trade up from No. 63 to draft him.
- Old Dominion basketball player Richard Ross has drawn interest from NFL teams who believe he could be next in line of basketball players making the transition to tight end. The Vikings are among the teams interested in Ross, sending tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski to the school for a private workout, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
- The Browns have conducted a private workout for quarterback Garrett Grayson at Colorado State, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Assuming they don’t trade up in the draft, the Browns figure to miss out on at least the top two QBs in this draft class, meaning a player like Grayson probably represents a more realistic target.
- Washington State wide receiver Vince Mayle has visited the 49ers, Chargers, Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Seahawks, and Washington, and is on his way to visit the Colts today, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
- South Florida cornerback Chris Dunkley has visits lined up with a number of NFL teams, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dunkley says by the end of the process he will have met with the 49ers, Chargers, Falcons, Dolphins, Patriots, Bills, Lions, and Ravens.
- Coastal Carolina interior offensive lineman Chad Hamilton will work out privately for the Falcons on Thursday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hamilton previously had a private workout for the Texans.
- Wilson also reported that Western Kentucky tight end Mitchell Henry met with the Chargers for a private workout. Mitchell will meet with an NFC team this week. Additionally, Wilson reports that Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts has had workouts for the Colts, Eagles, Chiefs, 49ers, and Packers.
- University of Washington pass rusher Andrew Hudson met with the Browns, Buccaneers, and Washington this week, as part of his pre-draft visits, writes Brett Tessler of Tessler Sports (via Twitter).
- Utah guard Junior Salt, BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie, and San Diego State University linebacker Derek Largent are among the players the Dolphins are targeting as late-round picks or priority free agents, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Rob DiRe and Rory Parks contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: AP, Wisniewski, Wootton, Saints
Today is April 15, which means that, under the terms of the NFL’s original suspension, Adrian Peterson is now eligible to be reinstated. Still, nothing has happened on that front so far today, and few expect anything definitive or formal to actually happen in the next few hours either, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
As Rapoport notes (via Twitter), the legal case related to Peterson’s suspension may still drag out for some time, but the league can reinstate him in the meantime, which will signal the end of his time served, making him eligible to start the 2015 season. Time will tell whether that happens with the Vikings or another team.
Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….
- Free agent center Stefen Wisniewski visited Washington this week, but the club is “probably” not the frontrunner for him at the moment, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. Wisniewski has made a handful of visits since free agency opened, having met with the Patriots, Jaguars, and Titans as well. However, it’s not clear whether all those teams have real interest in him, or if the visits were more exploratory in nature — perhaps to get a closer look at Wisniewski’s surgically-repaired shoulder.
- Veteran defensive lineman Corey Wootton, who tried out for the Jaguars and Titans earlier in the offseason, is visiting the Saints today, according to Sean Fazende of FOX 8 in New Orleans (Twitter link).
- The Vikings and Saints, a pair of teams in need of a cornerback, are hosting Georgia corner Damian Swann for pre-draft visits, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Florida State’s Cameron Erving, viewed as the top center in this year’s draft class, is paying a visit to St. Louis to meet with the Rams, today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The offensive line figures to be one of main areas of focus for the Rams during the draft.
- The Packers will take a closer look at BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie, who is scheduled to visit the team prior to the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.