Broncos Looking To Swap Picks With Giants?
It’s been sounding like the Giants are content to stay at No. 2, but could the team end up trading back? NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Giants may have a suitor in the Broncos, who are exploring a deal to move up three spots from No. 5. Rapoport notes that a quarterback could be Denver’s target.
When it comes to the Broncos, this is the opposite of what we’ve been hearing. Reports have indicated that Denver could be looking to move back from the fifth pick, and a number of teams have been listed as potential suitors. Another report indicated that the Broncos were only interested in selecting Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold with the selection. The Broncos may fear that those two quarterbacks will be snagged by the Browns and Jets, necessitating a trade. In another tweet, Rapoport says the Broncos could be eyeing Darnold, although general manager John Elway has spent more time with Josh Allen than any other quarterback prospect.
We heard earlier today that the Giants could still deal the second-overall pick. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb are considered the favorites to be selected by New York, but the lack of clarity out of Cleveland has complicated their game plan.
Giants Could Still Trade No. 2 Pick
A trade of the No. 2 pick is still a possibility for the Giants, sources tell Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If they keep the No. 2 pick, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb are viewed as the favorites to be selected. However, the potential presence of USC’s Sam Darnold could change things.
The Giants – and those around the Giants – would have better clarity on their plans if they knew what the Browns were planning to do with the No. 1 overall pick. The Browns have left everyone around the NFL guessing and no one knows for sure if they’ll go with Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, or perhaps even Wyoming’s Josh Allen. At this point, the entire world might find out the identity of the top pick together when commissioner Roger Goodell takes the podium tonight.
On paper, selecting Sam Darnold as Eli Manning’s successor would be a huge win for the G-Men, but they are reportedly less than enamored with this year’s QB crop. If the Giants are willing to pass up a chance to select Barkley or Chubb, they could net a tremendous haul to swap places with a team dead set on landing a QB.
Giants Not Enamored With 2018 QB Class?
- While this offseason produced little to indicate the Browns would go with Mayfield, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein tweets we are hours away from that scenario unfolding. Zierlein tweets Mayfield-to-Cleveland “is happening.” He adds the Giants don’t love any of these quarterbacks, perhaps explaining the massive Saquon Barkley-to-New York buzz. Big Blue has now been connected to a trade-down scenario when it did not look like that would be the case for weeks now.
- The Browns taking Baker Mayfield at No. 1 would be a surprise and could change the Broncos‘ draft outlook. Of the big four, Mayfield and Sam Darnold are the only ones the Broncos take if they’re still on the board at No. 5, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. If Mayfield does go to the Browns, Darnold would be a consideration for the Giants — if they stick at No. 2 — and the Jets’ interest in the USC passer hasn’t been much of a secret. And it’s possible the Bills could move up to the No. 4 spot as well, so the Broncos could be set to go with a non-QB at No. 5 or trade back with a quarterback-seeking team.
- While this offseason produced little to indicate the Browns would go with Mayfield, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein tweets we are hours away from that scenario unfolding. Zierlein tweets Mayfield-to-Cleveland “is happening.” He adds the Giants don’t love any of these quarterbacks, perhaps explaining the massive Saquon Barkley-to-New York buzz. Big Blue has now been connected to a trade-down scenario when it did not look like that would be the case for weeks now.
Giants Eyeing Trade-Down Options
With the noise about Baker Mayfield being a surprise Browns No. 1 pick increasing, the Giants could further shake up the draft Thursday night. They are exploring options about trading out of the No. 2 slot.
A Giants source informed ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link) that the team is looking to trade down. Although Russini notes the team is “contemplating all options,” the thinking here is the Giants have many needs to fill after a disastrous 2017 season.
However, this would run counter to Dave Gettleman‘s comments this offseason. The new GM seeks a “gold jacket player” with the No. 2 pick, and buzz about Saquon Barkley being Big Apple-bound gained steam over the past few weeks. The Giants trading out of the top five could remove them from the Barkley equation.
But Big Blue does have needs on its offensive line, in the secondary, at running back and now at wide receiver after the Brandon Marshall release. The Giants have not traded down in many years, and a Giants source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv last week the team would be better off picking a superior prospect at No. 2 than moving down and starting its draft with a lesser-regarded one. The Giants have been linked to a possible Quenton Nelson pursuit in the event of a trade-down, but the team many expected to be in the mix for the No. 2 slot — the Bills — may not be especially interested in surrendering enough picks to move that high.
Odell Beckham Jr. Returns To Practice
The Giants continue to communicate Odell Beckham Jr. won’t be traded this year, and it’s still possible they’re going to run into an impasse with their superstar wide receiver as he aims for a landscape-changing extension. But on Thursday, Beckham showed he could be ready to participate extensively in Big Blue’s offseason program.
Beckham returned to practice for the first time since his season-ending ankle injury, partaking in individual drills at the Giants’ voluntary minicamp on Thursday, Danny Abriano of SNY.tv reports.
The 25-year-old standout’s been present for each day of this three-day minicamp, which concludes today, continuing to get some early work in as Pat Shurmur installs his new system. Beckham had not practiced since early October of last year, when his season was cut short in Week 4 when he fractured his ankle against the Chargers.
While it’s possible a holdout takes place later this year, Beckham’s showing the Giants he’s on track to be full-go by the time the season begins.
Browns, Colts Lead League In Cap Space
The Browns and Colts have the most cap room of any team in the NFL heading into draft, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. Here’s the official rundown of every team’s cap space for 2018 on the eve of draft weekend:
- Browns – $69.5MM
- Colts – $59.8MM
- 49ers – $43.8MM
- Titans – $35.8MM
- Texans -$35.6MM
- Bears – $24.1MM
- Jets – $21.9MM
- Bills – $19.4MM
- Jaguars – $18.6MM
- Cardinals – $18.1MM
- Redskins -$17.1MM
- Bengals – $16.8MM
- Packers – $16.2MM
- Vikings – $15.5MM
- Broncos – $14.6MM
- Patriots – $13.8MM
- Buccaneers – $12.3MM
- Cowboys -$11.9MM
- Chargers – $11.4MM
- Lions – $9.4MM
- Giants -$9.4MM
- Ravens – $8.8MM
- Seahawks – $7.6MM
- Chiefs – $6.7MM
- Saints – $5.7MM
- Panthers – $5.2MM
- Dolphins – $2.9MM
- Eagles – $2.2MM
- Steelers – $2MM
- Raiders – $1.8MM
- Falcons – $1.3MM
- Rams – $264K
NFL Draft Rumors: Sweat, Giants, Patriots
FSU pass rusher Josh Sweat is a player to keep an eye on as the NFL Draft approaches. Sweat, a five-star, top-10 overall recruit nationally coming out of high school, impressed at the draft combine and drew the attention of evaluators across the league. However, his history of knee issues including ACL, MCL, PCL injuries have teams concerned, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Interestingly, his 2016 knee surgery was performed by Giants team doctor Russ Warren, and that leads Rapoport to wonder aloud if that could make New York a potential landing spot for him. Sweat has been widely projected as a third round possibility, but it sounds like he could find his way into the second round based on his potential.
Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:
- We could see three centers come off of the board in the first round, Rapoport tweets. Arkansas’ Frank Ragnow, Iowa’s James Daniels, and Ohio State’s Billy Price – whose health is no longer a major issue – are all candidates to hear their name called on Day 1. We’ve also heard that Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn could come off the board sooner than expected as teams zero in on interior linemen.
- Former Oregon left tackle Tyrell Crosby spent last week taking visits to the Patriots and Lions, Rapoport tweets. He adds that the Pats are a team to watch, as they could target Nate Solder’s replacement in the draft. Crosby, a 6’5″, 309-pound lineman, missed the bulk of his junior year due to a broken left foot. He rebounded well as a senior, appearing in all 15 games for the Ducks with nine starts. Six of those starts came on the outside at the tackle position.
Giants HC: OBJ To Remain With Team
Despite trade chatter throughout the offseason, Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t going anywhere, according to Pat Shurmur. He will “absolutely” be a part of the team in 2018, the Giants head coach says (Twitter link via Kim Jones of NFL.com). Shurmur added that the has been in frequent contact with the wide receiver. 
Shurmur’s comments jibe with the latest we’ve heard on OBJ. Teams no longer believe that the Giants are looking to move the superstar receiver before or during the draft, despite concerns from the club about his off-the-field decisions. It appears the Giants are willing to move forward with Beckham Jr., though they’ll have to address his contract situation as he enters his walk year.
Beckham is reportedly pushing for a $100MM+ contract and the Giants will likely have to break the $90MM barrier to lock him up for the long term. However, the Giants can still control Beckham through the 2020 season via consecutive franchise tags. In theory, the Giants could even control OBJ through 2021 with three straight franchise tags, though the cost of a third tag would likely be prohibitive.
Beckham followed through on his plan to report to the Giants for offseason activities, which is perhaps a productive first step towards getting the contract he’s after. The new regime in New York will be watching Beckham closely as they consider his future with the club beyond 2018.
Giants Looking To Trade Ereck Flowers
As the 2018 draft approaches, the Giants are looking to unload a former top 10 pick. The Giants have had trade discussions centered around former first round tackle Ereck Flowers, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears the Giants aren’t expecting a big return for him. The Giants believe a deal is possible, but they understand that they won’t get much in terms of compensation. 
Flowers, who doesn’t turn 24 until April, has not panned out for the Giants. The University of Miami product has earned poor grades in each of his three years as the Giants’ starting left tackle and new addition Nate Solder is expected to man the left side for the Giants in 2018. Flowers, in theory, could handle duties at right tackle, but the new administration led by Dave Gettleman would apparently prefer a fresh start.
Given the need for tackles around the league, the Giants can’t necessarily bank on finding a replacement for Flowers at No. 34 overall. It is expected that Connor Williams (Texas) and Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame) will be long gone by the time the Giants come up in the second round, so they may have to settle for lesser prospects like Tyrell Crosby (Oregon), Brian O’Neill (Pitt), and Kolton Miller (UCLA) if they want a tackle with that selection.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/23/2018
Here are today’s minor moves:
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Ulrick John
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Darius Powe