Extra Points: Texans, Rams, Eagles, Beckham
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.
Rams Rumors: Draft, Bradford, Bucs, Manziel
The Rams own the No. 2 pick and head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters earlier today that he sees a lot more than two players they could be happy with, writes Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk. “We’ve identified six to eight players that we think could potentially fit us at two,” Fisher said. If that’s the case, trading down would make a lot of sense for St. Louis. Here’s more from today’s presser..
- While that kind of trade might make sense, Fisher insisted that another much-discussed trade — the Rams moving quarterback Sam Bradford — is not in the cards, Smith writes. “With respect to Sam, he’s our starter, as you guys know,” Fisher said. “No. We are not shopping Sam.”
- Asked if things could change on Bradford between now and Thursday, Fisher didn’t say no, but did say it would be highly unlikely, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today.
- There’s chatter in league circles that the Buccaneers could end up being the team that moves up to No. 2 with their No. 7 pick, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s unclear what it would take for the Bucs to move up five spots and also unclear who Tampa Bay might target.
- The Rams have worked out 45 players in person and Johnny Manziel is one of about a dozen quarterbacks they have looked at, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
NFC Links: Rams, Cowboys, Eagles, Draft
Rumors continue to swirl linking the Rams to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, but Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is skeptical that there’s any weight to those rumblings. According to Thomas, most sources he has spoken to are saying variations of the same thing — no one around the league believes St. Louis will actually select Manziel, and the Rams are attempting to drum up trade interest for the pick.
We only have two more days until we know for sure what to believe on draft night. In the meantime, let’s check out a few NFC items….
- The Cowboys would remove a player who failed his drug test from their draft board, but the team won’t do so with Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, who remains a potential target for the club, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) keeps hearing that there will be a cornerback run in the middle of the first round and that the Eagles may be in a position to draft a wide receiver with their 22nd overall pick.
- Xavier Su’a-Filo, one of the top guards among this year’s draft class, had workouts with the Rams and Falcons, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that the UCLA lineman also visited the Broncos.
- The Cardinals worked out Virginia Tech wide receiver D.J. Coles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Coles has also drawn interest from a handful of AFC teams, including the Texans, Broncos, and Raiders.
Vikings Rumors: Ponder, Bradford, Draft
Rick Spielman of the Vikings became the latest NFL general manager to speak to the media this afternoon, and ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today were among the reports in attendance. Spielman made a handful of interesting comments, so let’s dive right in and see what the Minnesota GM had to say (all links go to Twitter)….
- The Vikings have no intention of trading Christian Ponder on draft day, per Spielman. Such a move would leave the club short-handed at quarterback, according to the GM, who says Minnesota turned down Ponder’s fifth-year option to keep its financial options open.
- Spielman would “love to be active on draft day,” and has already had some calls and texts this week about potential trades. Teams have already made tentative offers for the Vikings’ second- and fourth-round picks, depending on whether their targets are available, according to the GM.
- Despite rumors that the Vikings may be discussing Sam Bradford with the Rams, Spielman says his team hasn’t had any specific trade conversations with St. Louis.
- Sharrif Floyd, last year’s first-round pick, drew praise from Spielman, but Floyd’s presence won’t preclude the team from drafting a pass-rushing defensive tackle this year.
- The Vikings won’t reach for a quarterback with the No. 8 overall pick if one they like isn’t available. If a player they don’t want to pass on is available, they’ll draft him, but the club also would “love” to move down, says Spielman.
- Spielman says he has read several mock drafts, but that writers are missing a few players the Vikings could take eighth overall.
Wilson’s Latest: Schaudt, Presley, Cole
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has spent the last several weeks providing updates on pre-draft visits, private workouts, and prospects drawing interest from specific NFL teams, ranging from first-round locks to potential undrafted free agents. He has a few more tidbits for us this morning, via Twitter, so let’s dive in and round them up….
- Minnesota State edge rusher Chris Schaudt is receiving interest from the Browns, Raiders, Vikings, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, Eagles, and Broncos. Wilson had reported over the weekend that Schaudt, who played defensive end in college, was being considered by several 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker.
- Akron defensive end Albert Presley has drawn interest from the Dolphins and Buccaneers.
- The Texans and Cardinals have interest in Maine outside linebacker Michael Cole, who also worked out for the Giants last month.
- Citadel defensive back Brandon McCladdie has generated interest from the Panthers, Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Texans.
- The Jaguars and Giants are among the teams interested in East Carolina strong safety Chip Thompson.
More Draft Rumors: La Canfora, Bryant
As the draft season has evolved, more and more pundits have come to believe that Jadeveon Clowney will be the first player taken in the draft. CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora lends his support to that theory, adding that although the Texans would love to trade down from their No. 1 overall pick, they will find it hard to do so. If they do manage to find a trade partner, the most likely scenario, La Canfora writes, is a team like the Falcons moving up to take Clowney. Of course, someone like Greg Robinson could be the target in such a move, but Clowney is still the top prize in this year’s class.
La Canfora goes on to describe in detail the options available to the teams holding the first five picks in the draft. For instance, he notes that the Rams are “wheeler-dealers” and have been entertaining calls for the No. 2 overall selection, although those conversations have not intensified as of yet. La Canfora believes that, if the Rams stay put and Clowney is somehow still on the board, they will go with Clowney. If Clowney has been taken, then Robinson would be the answer, though Jake Matthews would get some consideration as well. If, however, the Rams do find a trade partner and move down in the draft, then the Johnny Manziel-to-St. Louis rumors that have already been circulating in full force would gain even more traction.
Now let’s continue to clean out the draft notebook:
- Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta says that there are three elite prospects in the draft: Clowney, Robinson, and Khalil Mack, according to Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports. There has been enough chatter surrounding each of those players to at least keep them in the conversation surrounding the first overall pick.
- Like a lot of wide receivers in this year’s class, Clemson’s Martavis Bryant, despite being a first-round talent, will probably end up being a Day 2 selection, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Marvez cites Bryant’s college coach, Dabo Sweeney, who adds that Bryant would have benefited from one more year at Clemson.
- As we learned yesterday, it is more difficult to draft a wide receiver than almost any other position. The 49ers know that better than anybody, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Since 1990, the 49ers have drafted 10 wideouts in the first three rounds of the draft, and only three of those players logged more than 78 career receptions. San Fransisco is, as Branch notes, expected to dip its toe into the pool of early-round receivers yet again this year, and GM Trent Baalke acknowledges the difficulty of the task.
- NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that Odell Beckham, Jr. and Ryan Shazier are two players who could go a little higher than expected. We learned earlier tonight that at least one team above the Jets’ No. 18 overall pick loves Beckham, and Shazier has put himself alongside C.J. Mosley as the second-best LB in the draft outside of Mack.
- Unfortunately for Mosley, middle linebackers are becoming more and more of an afterthought, write Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Quarterbacks
Cardinals‘ general manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians met with the media last Thursday, and Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com took some notes to get into the team’s draft process. Weinfuss writes that the team could look to draft a quarterback in the second-round, hopefully to succeed Carson Palmer in 2015.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:
- Keim has the Cardinals looking at other positions besides quarterback, noting there is considerable depth at both wide receiver and offensive tackle, writes Weinfuss. With Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, the team has a good set of receivers but could look to add a dynamic speed threat as a third option. However, the team could really benefit from finding a tackle who can come in and become a starter right away.
- While the Rams may not be looking to move on from Sam Bradford, the team is still looking to select a quarterback sometime on draft weekend, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The team is not be linked to the top three quarterbacks, but they could target one of the second-tier quarterbacks as a day two selection.
- The Rams have also signed wide receiver T.J. Moe, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). Moe finished last season on the Patriots injured reserve list.
- The 49ers have their top two quarterbacks set with Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, but Jim Harbaugh is always looking for his next signal caller, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, and San Jose State’s David Fales could all be possible day three draft picks.
NFC North Rumors: Bradford, Suh, Packers
The Vikings and Rams may have discussed a Sam Bradford trade, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports told CBS Sports Radio 920 (per TurfShowTimes.com).
“There are people in the league who believe there have been discussions with the Vikings. Rams people have denied any conversations whatsoever. The bottom line is if they don’t take a quarterback, they’re not trading Sam Bradford. There’s so much uncertainty in this draft that it’d be difficult to put the horse before the cart…all these things are tied together….The Rams are going to talk to a lot of teams between now and whenever their first pick is…[and] continue to gauge the market.”
Such a trade would presumably allow the Rams, who have been linked to Johnny Manziel, to consider selecting a quarterback with either the second or 13th pick (or the eighth pick if the Vikings send a first-rounder for Bradford, which is unlikely).
Continuing with more news from the NFC North:
- Lions general manager Martin Mayhew says the team is not aiming to trade Ndamukong Suh, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).
- Mayhew said one interested team did call in January to inquire on Suh, but the Lions declined the offer, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman also tweets Mayhew’s more colorful description of the discussion: “(They) offered me a box of old tube socks and I said no thank you.”
- Speaking of the Lions’ defensive line, Birkett analyzes the team’s needs at the position, noting that Detroit could add another pass rusher.
- The Packers will add a rookie quarterback to the mix behind Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Scott Tolzien, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Green Bay could look to either the late rounds of the draft or to rookie free agency to add a young signal-caller.
- The Packers, at pick No. 21, might need to be wary of the Chiefs, at pick No. 23, attempting to jump ahead of them, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Both teams employ similar “best player available strategies,” and Chiefs general manager John Dorsey used to work in Green Bay.
- In his latest Q&A, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reasons it would take a third-round pick for the Bears to swap first-round positions with the Titans, moving ahead of the Giants in order to draft Aaron Donald.
King’s Latest: Mack, Manziel, Beckham Jr.
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 Notes: Manziel, Clowney, Mack, Carr
The Browns are in need of a quarterback and this year’s draft class gives the team a number of different options. According to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan seems to be particularly infatuated with former Aggies’ passer Johnny Manziel.
“It’s obvious how good of a player he is, how fun he is to watch,” said Shanahan. “I think it does translate to the NFL. If you can make those plays in college, you can do it in the NFL.
“He’s going to be able to make plays in this league. Eventually when they try to contain him, he’s going to have to do everything he didn’t always have to do in college.”
Shanahan and his staff put Manziel through a private workout at Texas A&M in addition to hosting him in Cleveland. The Browns have the fourth-overall pick.
Let’s see what’s going on with some other notable prospects…
- After speaking with people who know Texans general manager Rick Smith, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport is no longer certain that the team will take Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick (via Twitter). In a subsequent tweet, Rapoport adds that the team would be willing to trade down.
- Following up on the report by SI’s Peter King, Rapoport confirms (via Twitter) that Khalil Mack is an option for the number-one pick.
- If the Texans do indeed pass on Clowney, Rapoport points out the “incredible drama” the Rams would be presented with (via Twitter).
- Derek Carr said that four or five teams told him that they would like to trade into the 20-29 range to select him, reports John Clayton of ESPN.com.
- In the same post, Clayton adds that the Lions would like to move up a few spots to select receiver Mike Evans.
- Washington State safety Deone Bucannon and Boise State linebacker Demarcus Lawrence could be surprise first-round picks, tweets Eric Galko of OptimumScouting.com.