Dolphins Acquire 86th Pick From Vikings
10:07pm: If the Dolphins get a fourth-round compensatory pick next year, they’ll be able to send that to the Vikings, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
9:44pm: The Dolphins have acquired the 86th pick from the Vikings and selected Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo, according to Jenna Laine (Twitter link). In return, the Vikings will receive a sixth-rounder (No. 186) from Miami this year and two selections in 2017 – a third- and fourth-rounder – per Tom Gower of Football Outsiders (Twitter link).
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Carroo had a strong three-year career at Rutgers, where he caught 122 passes, averaged 19.5 yards per reception and hauled in 29 touchdowns. He’ll join a Dolphins receiving corps that lost Rishard Matthews in free agency, but has the solid trio of Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills in place.
Dolphins Acquire 38th Pick From Ravens
The Dolphins have acquired the 38th pick from the Ravens in exchange for Nos. 42 and and 107, Baltimore announced on Twitter. The Dolphins will select Baylor cornerback Xavien Howard, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). This represents the second time the Ravens have moved down tonight, as they previously sent the 36th pick to the Jaguars for the 38th and 146th choices.
Howard is the third notable offseason addition to a Dolphins secondary that struggled against the pass last year, joining fellow corner Byron Maxwell and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus.
Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants
Here’s the latest from Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com entering the second day of the draft:
- After the Dolphins used the 13th pick on Laremy Tunsil, they called veteran left tackle Branden Albert and assured him he’ll remain at his current position and Tunsil will play left guard.
- The Cowboys “covet” Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah going into the second round, per Pauline, who dismisses the idea that they’re instead after Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa or Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence. Dallas holds the 34th selection but could end up moving down, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones (link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
- Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is unlikely to get past the Chiefs at No. 37, reports Pauline.
- The Giants are targeting offensive linemen and safeties entering Day 2, meaning Clemson safety T.J. Green could be a fit for the team at No. 40. Like Big Blue, the Steelers and Vikings are also eyeing safeties.
AFC Rumors: Broncos, Wilkerson, Ravens, Fins
Having traded up on Thursday night to nab Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Broncos may now be in a better position to negotiate a long-term deal with star pass rusher Von Miller, suggests Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Lynch’s rookie contract will likely call for cap hits that range from about $1.7MM in 2016 to $3MM by his fourth year in 2019, meaning Denver may not have much money tied up in the quarterback position for the next few years. While a Broncos source who spoke to Cole cautioned that the team still needs to make sure it has room to extend players like wideout Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall, there’s some optimism between the team and Miller’s camp that a long-term pact can eventually be reached.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Jets have in fact fielded calls on Muhammad Wilkerson in recent weeks, but no serious suitors emerged, according to sources who spoke with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. On Thursday night, GM Mike Maccagnan confirmed that a Wilkerson deal is now unlikely.
- Kevin Byrne of BaltimoreRavens.com takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ravens‘ process last night as their No. 6 pick approached, including how the Laremy Tunsil video affected the team’s decision. Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald examines the thinking of the team that did take Tunsil, at No. 13: the Dolphins.
- The NFL’s stance on having a franchise in Las Vegas is “evolving,” per commissioner Roger Goodell, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the league still wouldn’t want a team like the Raiders to have any part-owners who have a stake in a Vegas casino.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explores the Browns‘ day-one draft decisions, noting that plenty of execs around the league are skeptical about the team’s approach and the selection of Baylor wideout Corey Coleman.
- Houston defensive tackle Tomme Mark got calls from the Chargers and Raiders and has drawn interest from Texans as a late-rounder or a priority free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Tunsil Says Weed-Smoking Video Is Two Years Old
Laremy Tunsil contends that the video of him smoking from a gas-mask bong was from two years ago. If it is found that the video was more recent than that, then Tunsil could wind up in the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Dolphins GM Chris Grier also told reporters that the video was “two years old.”
Draft Rumors: Lawson, Tunsil, Cravens, Fins
New Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson will need to undergo shoulder surgery at some point, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The operation will knock Lawson out of action for four-to-six months, so Lawson will likely wait until after the season to undergo the surgery.
More draft rumors…
- Washington is hearing interest from clubs who want to move up to No. 21, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The club hasn’t heard yet heard an offer that will entice them to move back.
- A report earlier tonight suggested that the Cowboys could trade back into the first round while targeting a quarterback, but David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) hears that’s unlikely. Dallas will likely stay in place at No. 34 and take a defensive player.
- Laremy Tunsil was the No. 2 player on the Dolphins‘ board, general manager Chris Grier tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). Grier also says the video that caused Tunsil to slip down the board is two years old. Meanwhile, Tunsil’s stepfather — who is currently suing the former Ole Miss tackle — has denied to TMZ that he hacked his son’s account or leaked the video.
- The Falcons drafted one safety/linebacker at No. 17 in Keanu Neal, but they apparently considered another hybrid-type player in Su’a Cravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Dolphins Select Laremy Tunsil With No. 13 Pick
Laremy Tunsil‘s draft day slide has ended. The Dolphins have used the 13th overall pick to select the Ole Miss offensive tackle, drafting Tunsil after a social media snafu earlier tonight threatened to send Tunsil down draft boards.
Tunsil, of course, was once projected to be the first overall selection when the Titans still held that pick. After Tennesee traded out, Tunsil was still thought to be a top-6 pick (at worst), but after a video posted earlier tonight showed him smoking out a bong, it was anyone’s guess as to where he would land. The Ravens reportedly passed on Tunsil in favor of Ronnie Stanley after seeing the video (a decision that cost Tunsil about $8MM, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com), while another GM voiced his concern: “It’s bad.”
Reporting on NFL Network, Ian Rapoport said that the video is several — potentially up to five — years old, and adds that Tunsil never failed a drug test while at Ole Miss. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) is skeptical of that story, noting that while Tunsil was in high school five years ago, the video shows an Ole Miss flag in the background.
“Somebody hacked my Twitter account,” said Tunsil at the draft tonight. “It was a mistake. It happened years ago.” Tunsil is being sued by his stepfather, but he said he wasn’t sure if it was his stepfather who hacked the account.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Rumors: Bosa, Tunsil, Jack, Chargers
The Chargers had been intending to draft Joey Bosa “for months”, a source tells Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com (Twitter links), who adds that San Diego was extremely happy when the Eagles traded up to No.2, since that deal meant that Bosa would likely slip to pick No. 3. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco spoke with Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for over an hour on Monday night, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), which may have helped the Chargers solidify their pick.
Here’s more draft news as the first round action continues…
- The Ravens drafted Ronnie Stanley at No. 6, but they originally had another offensive tackle in mind. According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), Baltimore was prepared to select Laremy Tunsil, but a video posted earlier tonight of Tunsil smoking out of a bong “scared them off.”
- Before selecting running back Elliott, the Cowboys considered trading out of the No. 4 pick, tweets Schefter. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), Dallas was discussing a pick swap with the Ravens before drafting Ezekiel Elliott. Baltimore, per Moore, wanted Jalen Ramsey, who ultimately went fifth overall.
- The Dolphins are a potential suitor for linebacker Myles Jack, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who says he’s heard “over and over” that Jack could be a target for Miami. Jack’s health, specifically a 2015 knee injury, could force him to tumble down the draft board, but the Dolphins could be ready to catch him at No. 13.
Draft Rumors: Elliott, Cowboys, Saints, Titans
The idea of selecting running back Ezekiel Elliott is “gaining steam” inside the Cowboys organization, reports David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote earlier tonight that Dallas is “struggling” with their decision on Elliott, while the Ravens are also a contender to draft Elliott at pick No. 6.
Here’s the latest with the draft only about 30 minutes away…
- While a report earlier tonight indicated that we could see quite a few first-round trades, Saints head coach Sean Payton feels differently, telling Larry Holder of NOLA.com (Twitter link) that he doesn’t believe there will be many deals tonight, at least in the top half of the first round. New Orleans is comfortable picking where it is (No. 12), per Payton.
- Though the Chargers are reportedly open to trading out of the No. 3 pick, general manager Tom Telesco tells Britt McHenry of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that while he’s taken calls, “nothing of significant interest” has caught his ear as of yet.
- The Dolphins and Titans are still trying to move back into the top-10 picks, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who adds that Miami has its eye on Elliott, while Tennessee would like to pick up an offensive tackle. Meanwhile, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com used two separate draft value charts to calculate what it would take for the Titans to trade up to various locales on the board.
Dolphins Cut Five Players
- The Dolphins announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut defensive back Damarr Aultman, wide receivers Tyler Davis and Robert Herron, defensive tackle Robert Thomas, and linebacker Terrell Manning. Of those players, only Manning – as a vested veteran – will immediately hit the open market, while the rest will have to pass through waivers.