Draft Notes: Swoope, Clowney, Bucannon, Long
As if NFL teams didn’t have enough players to consider when they’re on the clock in next month’s draft, one player who recently declared his eligibility didn’t even play college ball. Instead, Erik Swoope of the University of Miami played for the Hurricanes’ basketball team, but nonetheless hopes to catch on with an NFL team this summer, as ESPN.com details. Swoope, who aims to play tight end, had a private workout with the Broncos earlier in April, according to the report.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league, with a focus on the draft:
- A Hurricane who actually played football for Miami this past season, quarterback Stephen Morris, is drawing some interest from the Dolphins, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Dismissing the idea that Jadeveon Clowney is “lazy” and “spoiled,” as one anonymous scout suggested, agent Bus Cook also told Jarrett Bell of USA Today that his client may conduct one more pre-draft workout for an NFL team. A previous report indicated Clowney was done with workouts, and Cook concedes that if the defensive end does work out again, he won’t do anything “that will risk injury.”
- Washington State safety Deone Bucannon visited the Colts earlier this week and is currently visiting with the Patriots, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Bucannon will visit the Vikings tomorrow, then the Eagles, Jets, and Giants next week.
- Nebraska guard Spencer Long will have pre-draft visits with the Eagles, Dolphins, Falcons, and Chargers, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Having previously met with the Chargers and Patriots, MTSU defensive end Jimmy Staten is scheduled to work out for the Packers and Chiefs this week, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
AFC Notes: Pats, Browns, Sam, Chargers
Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates from across the AFC….
- Within his latest piece at Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman writes that the Patriots are considering adding a receiver earlier in the draft and that the Browns “really love” Derek Carr, who is a strong candidate for the club’s second first-round pick.
- The Browns aren’t set on Carr yet though — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club is privately working out Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron today, and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds (via Twitter) that McCarron will also have a formal visit with the Browns next week.
- Five of the six teams that have expressed the most interest in Missouri’s Michael Sam are AFC clubs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who identifies the Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Browns, Jets, and Falcons as suitors for the edge defender.
- Meanwhile, in a piece for the National Football Post, Wilson reports that Illinois State defensive end Colton Underwood has visited the Chargers and Chiefs, and also worked out for the Patriots.
- After having visited the Cowboys yesterday, Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton is visiting the Broncos today and the Chargers tomorrow, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- The Chargers are hosting Indiana wideout Cody Latimer and Montana linebacker Brock Coyle today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links). Coyle will visit the Seahawks next, Gehlken notes.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk attempts to discern what we can learn from the Alex Mack saga when it comes to future offer sheets for transition players.
AFC Notes: CJ2K, Jets, Beckham Jr.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) hears that Chris Johnson‘s visit today with the Jets was productive with good vibes all around. However, the Jets are sticking to their budget and will only ink the veteran if it’s a good value for them (link). The depressed running back market suggests that the Jets won’t pay more than $3-4MM for his services. More from the AFC..
- LSU wideout Odell Beckham Jr., a potential target for the Jets at No. 18, will be visiting the team next week, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. We heard earlier this afternoon that the Panthers were working out Beckham today.
- Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he feels great at this point in the offseason and wants to end his career in Oakland. MJD signed a three-year deal with the Raiders, his childhood favorite team, in late March.
- Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz is visiting the Patriots tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC South Notes: Manziel, Jaguars, Robinson
In an interview with Chris Russo on SiriusXM earlier today, Jaguars coach Gus Bradley was complimentary of several top draft prospects, including the controversial Johnny Manziel, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. “You know me — I love spirit. We drafted guys last year like Ace Sanders and Denard Robinson and Jonathan Cyprien, guys who have a lot of energy and spirit,” Bradley said. “And when I went to see Johnny work out and watched his tape, he plays with that same sense of spirit and he showed it off at his Pro Day. To talk to him and visit with him one-on-one, he’s very passionate about the game, very competitive and very unique.”
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The Texans, who continue to consider all possible options for the No. 1 pick, will host Auburn tackle Greg Robinson for a pre-draft visit next week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter). We mentioned Robinson as an outside possibility for Houston when we asked this morning what the team should do with the first overall pick.
- Washington State safety Deone Bucannon visited the Colts for the past two days and began a two-day visit with the Patriots today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. After that, it’s the Eagles, Jets, and Giants for the hard-hitting All-American.
- Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens is set to visit the Jaguars, tweets O’Halloran. Aikens visited with the Bills late last week.
- The Texans are referring to the newly-signed Ricardo Mathews as a nose tackle and not a defensive end, notes James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
South Notes: Falcons, Bucs, Saints, Titans
ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure reported last Friday that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews has a visit scheduled with the Falcons for the week of April 21, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets today that Matthews has already worked out for Atlanta. Considering the Falcons are very much in the market for help on the line on both sides of the ball, Matthews is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on for that No. 6 overall pick next month, and he seems to be drawing plenty of interest from the club.
Here’s more on the Falcons and a couple other South teams:
- The Falcons are hosting East Carolina tight end Justin Jones for a pre-draft visit today and Auburn edge defender Dee Ford later in the week. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution have the respective details.
- Wilson also tweets that Utah State cornerback Nevin Lawson is visiting the Falcons today and tomorrow.
- Former Gators receiver and kick returner Solomon Patton is working out for the Buccaneers today, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
- The Buccaneers and Saints are among the teams hosting sleeper Purdue tackle Kevin Pamphile for visits, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. According to Pauline, Pamphile is also visiting the Patriots, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Giants.
- The Titans had Eastern Illinois signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo in for a pre-draft visit yesterday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Pre-Draft Visits: Ravens, Barr, Ellington
Towson running back Terrance West met with the Ravens today, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. West will visit the Vikings tomorrow and the Seahawks on Wednesday.
Here are some other notes on pre-draft visits from around the NFL:
- Morgan State guard Karim Barton also visited the Ravens as a local prospect, reported Wilson (via Twitter).
- Linebacker Anthony Barr of UCLA will be getting busy, with multiple visits scheduled over the next two weeks, reports Ross Jones of FoxSports.com (via Twitter). Among his scheduled visits are the Cowboys, Vikings, Steelers, Falcons and Eagles.
- Receiver Bruce Ellington of South Carolina is visiting a few teams this week, including the Rams, Cardinals, and Patriots, and has already worked out for the Falcons, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 and and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The cousin of Cardinals’ running back Andre Ellington is the fourth receiver to visit the Rams, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter).
AFC Notes: Ebron, Lee, Matthews
North Carolina’s Eric Ebron is the top rated tight end in the 2014 NFL Draft, and could be in play for the Titans at pick number 11, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. While the team is happy with Delanie Walker, the background of head coach Ken Whisenhunt and his staff may add to their desire to bring in a play making tight end.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- USC standout receiver Marqise Lee will visit the Dolphins on Tuesday, reports James Walker of ESPN.com. The Dolphins will pick 19th in the draft, and at one point Lee was thought to have been off the board much earlier than that. Lee’s disappointing speed at the combine has put him in play for the latter half of the first round.
- Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews is visiting the Raiders today, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Matthews is thought to be a day two draft pick.
- The Raiders aren’t the only team interested in Matthews, as Meredith Perri of WEEI.com has highlighted the 6’3″ pass catcher for the Patriots. Perri writes that Matthews is a good route runner and possesses a good set of hands, both important when playing with Tom Brady. Matthews is a cousin of Jerry Rice, and holds SEC career records for receptions and receiving yards.
NFC Draft Notes: Ellington, Falcons, Saints
A trio of NFC teams have shown interest in South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, the cousin of Cardinals running back Andre Ellington. The former Gamecock will be meeting with the Rams and Cards this week, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com chimes in (via Twitter) to add that Ellington has already worked out for the Falcons, while both Garafolo and Rapoport mention the Patriots‘ interest in the player. Ellington had 775 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2013.
Let’s dive into some more draft notes from around the NFC…
- Portland State running back D.J. Adams and Tennessee-Chattanooga cornerback Kadeem Wise are among the players scheduled to work out at the Falcons’ local prospect day tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Saints are “definitely interested” in former Alabama wideout Kevin Norwood, tweets Larry Holder of NOLA.com.
- In one of his articles, Holder projects the Saints‘ draft and has the team selecting wide receiver Marqise Lee with its first-round pick. Other notable Saints selections in Holder’s draft include defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu and cornerback Pierre Desir.
- Despite tearing his ACL at Senior Bowl practice, Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin has been busy with pre-draft visits, meeting with the Eagles, Saints, and 49ers, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com and Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee provide the details on several prospects scheduled to visit with the 49ers, including receivers Martavis Bryant and Albert Wilson, Louisville linebacker Preston Brown, and Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence.
- The Cowboys have interest in Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, and plan to attend his Pro Day this week, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- The Bears recently brought in Wisconsin running back James White for a workout, reports Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter).
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Lions, Falcons, 49ers, Pats
The Lions are hoping to make it back to the playoffs in 2014, and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com believes that the team is one player away from being a true contender. With that said, there are plenty of different directions the Lions could go in during the draft. If they select a wide receiver like former Clemson standout Sammy Watkins, Rothstein says the offense “would look extremely talented.” Of course, Rothstein also adds that it may be in the team’s best interest to draft defense.
Here are some more draft notes from around the NFL…
- A Falcons congregation travled to Towson University to workout running back Terrance West and cornerback Jordan Love, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- The 49ers will bring in former Sooners cornerback Aaron Colvin for a pre-draft visit, reports Eric Branch of SFGate.com. Colvin is currently rehabbing from an ACL tear sustained during the Senior Bowl.
- Considering Vince Wilfork‘s age and questionable future in New England, the Patriots need another elite defensive tackle, writes Tom E. Curran of CSNNewEngland.com. Specifically, Curran looks at Notre Dame’s Louis Nix, stating that the defender would be “the most reasonable replacement” for Wilfork.
- One scout referred to Jadeveon Clowney as “spoiled” and “lazy,” writes Mark Eckel of the Times of Trenton. While the scout can’t see Clowney overcoming his apparent lack of commitment, he still acknowledges that the defensive end will be a top-five pick.
AFC Notes: Finley, Browns, Chiefs, Patriots
An assortment of items from around the AFC:
- The Dolphins have engaged in talks with free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Finley, who suffered a bruised spinal cord last season, played under ‘Fins head coach Joe Philbin when both were with the Packers.
- The two players that most interest the Browns at pick No. 4 are Sammy Watkins and Greg Robinson, and the team could trade down if neither is available, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. However, Cabot also cautions that if Cleveland wants a top-flight quarterback, they shouldn’t wait until to pick No. 26 to select one.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star believes the Chiefs should look to trade safety Eric Berry, citing cap flexibility, the need to stockpile draft picks, and the relative ease of finding in-the-box safeties. Dealing Berry, whom Pro Football Focus graded as the third-best safety in the league last season, would save the Chiefs a little over $11MM in cap space over the next two seasons. I don’t see such a trade coming to fruition, as Berry is an excellent player, and the cap room gleaned would only be useful next offseason, since all the name free agents have already signed this offseason.
- Duron Harmon is the leading candidate to take over as the Patriots strong safety now that Steve Gregory has been released, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Harmon, at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, would add an imposing presence to a backfield that has gotten progressively smaller over the past few seasons.
- Joel Corry of the National Football Post looks at what the Jaguars could have done to ensure that the Browns did not match their offer sheet to Alex Mack; among the options, the Jags could have considered guaranteeing all $42MM in the contract, which would have been unprecedented.
- The Raiders’ defensive line should be among the most improved defensive units in the league next season, writes Rick Drummond of Pro Football Focus (via ESPN Insider – subscription required). Oakland added Justin Tuck, Antonio Smith, and LaMarr Woodley, all of whom had excellent PFF grades in 2013.