Giants Draft Notes: Jets, Apple, Doctson, Jackson
Given quarterback Sam Bradford‘s unhappiness in Philadelphia, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined the seemingly far-fetched possibility of the 28-year-old retiring – at least temporarily. Bradford would have to surrender the $11MM signing bonus he received from the Eagles earlier this offseason if he were to walk away, but he would offset that loss somewhat by avoiding any fines or forfeitures that would accompany a potential holdout.
The appeal of retiring from Bradford’s point of view is that he could wait for another team’s starting quarterback to suffer an injury, whether it be this year or in 2017, thus leading that club to approach the Eagles about a trade. It would be similar to the situation Carson Palmer found himself in five years ago as a disgruntled member of the Bengals. Early in the 2011 season, the Raiders lost starter Jason Campbell to an injury and then made a trade with the Bengals to bring Palmer out of his short-lived retirement.
Most teams’ starting quarterback situations are set right now, and the Eagles haven’t shown a willingness to move Bradford in the wake of trading up to No. 2 in the draft for Carson Wentz and signing Chase Daniel, so Florio opines that retirement could be his most sensible option.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- There was potential for a New York-New York trade in the first round of last week’s draft, according to the New York Daily News’ Gary Myers, who reports that the Jets offered their first- (20th overall) and second-rounders to the Giants for No. 10. The Jets had their sights set on Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, but the Giants didn’t want to move down and risk losing out on Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple. Had the Giants accepted the Jets’ offer, they would have either taken TCU wideout Josh Doctson or the best cornerback available (likely Houston’s William Jackson III) at No. 20, per Myers. Doctson ultimately went 22nd to Washington and Jackson landed with the Bengals two picks later. Meanwhile, instead of nabbing Tunsil, the Jets kept their top two picks and used them on Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee and Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
- The Falcons are currently mulling whether to sign free agent cornerback Leon Hall, who visited them this week, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Hall would add depth to a Falcons defensive backfield in need of it, especially given the four-game suspension the league handed Jalen Collins, as McClure writes. The ex-Michigan standout’s entire NFL career has thus far been spent in Cincinnati, where he totaled 26 interceptions from 2007-15, though it doesn’t appear he’ll return to the Bengals. Aside from the Falcons, Hall has also visited the Giants, Cardinals and Cowboys this offseason, but his age (31) and injury history (he has torn both Achilles) are seemingly working against him in landing a contract.
- With the draft in the books, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com took a look at six Lions veterans whose jobs could now be in jeopardy. Meinke points to quarterback Dan Orlovsky, center Travis Swanson, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, defensive tackle Gabe Wright and long snapper Don Muhlbach as players who aren’t locks to remain in the Motor City.
Veteran Free Agents Trying Out For Giants
- While this weekend’s minicamps are mostly about rookies, the Giants have a few veterans in attendance to try out for a spot on their roster. Per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link), defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, quarterback B.J. Daniels, and running back Lache Seastrunk are among the free agents in attendance. Linebacker Xzavier Dickson is auditioning for Big Blue too, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Giants Sign Eli Apple, Other Draftees, 14 UDFAs
It’s been a busy morning for the Giants as their rookie minicamp opens. The team announced today that it has signed four draft picks, including first-round cornerback Eli Apple, along with 14 undrafted free agents.
In addition to locking up Apple, the Giants have signed second-round wide receiver Sterling Shepard, fifth-round running back Paul Perkins, and sixth-round tight end Jerell Adams. Only the team’s third- and fourth-round picks – safety Darian Thompson and linebacker B.J. Goodson – remain unsigned.
Apple’s four-year rookie contract will feature a fifth-year option for 2020, and is worth $15.152MM in total, including a $9.22MM signing bonus. The other rookie deals are far more modest, including Shepard’s, which has a total value of $5.945MM, with a $2.523MM signing bonus.
Here’s the complete list of 14 undrafted free agents that have joined the Giants:
- QB Josh Woodrum (Liberty) ($20K guarantee, per Aaron Wilson)
- RB Marshaun Coprich (Illinois State)
- WR Roger Lewis (Bowling Green)
- WR K.J. Maye (Minnesota)
- WR Darius Powe (California)
- TE Cedrick Lang (UTEP)
- TE Ryan Malleck (Virginia Tech)
- DE Romeo Okwara (Notre Dame)
- DE Mike Rose (North Carolina State) ($12K guarantee, per Wilson)
- DT Melvin Lewis (Kentucky) ($10K guarantee, per Wilson)
- DT Greg Milhouse (Campbell)
- DB Andrew Adams (UConn)
- DB Donte Deayon (Boise State)
- DB Michael Hunter (Oklahoma State)
Giants Waive Cunningham, Kinne
- The Giants have waived tight end Jerome Cunningham and safety G.J. Kinne, as James Kratch of NJ.com tweets. Cunningham appeared in nine games (three starts) for the Giants in 2015 and stepped up when Larry Donnell was sidelined with a neck injury. Kinne is a versatile player with experience at quarterback, wide receiver, and safety.
Justin Tuck To Retire As Giant On Friday
- When veteran pass rusher Justin Tuck announced his retirement back in February, he indicated that he planned to ink a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Giants. That will officially happen this Friday, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post explores whether it would make sense for the Giants to pursue a trade for disgruntled 49ers tackle Anthony Davis, who is a New Jersey native. David remains on San Francisco’s reserve/retired list and would need to be reinstated before any trade could be completed, but he doesn’t sound enthusiastic about the idea of returning to the Niners.
Leon Hall Visiting Giants, Falcons
8:30pm: Hall is now on his way to visit the Falcons, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
8:35am: Only four players who earned either a spot or an honorable mention in our top 50 free agents list are still on the market, and one of those four will be visiting a team today. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the Giants are hosting former Bengals cornerback Leon Hall for a visit.
The Giants have fortified the cornerback position significantly since the 2016 league year began, signing standout free agent Janoris Jenkins and using their first-round pick on Ohio State’s Eli Apple. Those two corners will team with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to form a strong top three, but Big Blue could still use a veteran like Hall, who has extensive experience playing in the slot.
Hall, 31, has spent his entire nine-year NFL career to date in Cincinnati, playing 121 regular-season games since 2007 for the Bengals, and starting 105 of them. However, the Bengals haven’t been overly aggressive when it comes to re-signing their former first-round pick, and used this year’s first-rounder to add another cornerback in Houston’s William Jackson III.
Teams like the Cardinals and Cowboys have also expressed some interest in Hall – and brought him in for visits – so far this offseason, and the Dolphins may be lurking as a potential suitor as well, given the presence of former Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph as the new defensive coordinator in Miami. However, there appears to be some concern about Hall’s health — the veteran cornerback has suffered two major Achilles injuries since 2011, and recently underwent back surgery to repair a disc issue.
While Hall’s back could be a problem, he has managed to recover from those Achilles injuries impressively. The former Michigan Wolverine has played in 29 regular-season games over the last two seasons since last tearing his Achilles in 2013, and received solid grades from Pro Football Focus in 2015, ranking 33rd out of 111 qualified corners.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
No Deal Yet For Giants, Leon Hall
- Cornerback Leon Hall left the Giants‘ facility without a contract today, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets. Hall, 31, could conceivably give the Giants some cornerback support behind a strong trio of Janoris Jenkins, first-round pick Eli Apple, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. But, for now, there’s no deal. Hall has spent his entire nine-year NFL career to date in Cincinnati, playing 121 regular-season games since 2007 for the Bengals.
Antrel Rolle Wants To Play For Giants
The Giants added third-round pick Darian Thompson to the safety mix, but there is no slam-dunk starter at the free safety position. Still, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, a reunion between Rolle and Big Blue seems unlikely.
Safety Antrel Rolle is on the open market and he tells SiriusXM (audio link) that he would like to return to the Giants.
“I’ve never hidden it. New York is where the heart is. New York is where I feel comfortable,” Rolle said (transcript via PFT). “New York is a place where I would love to play. You know, there’s a difference playing for an organization, you know, you’re there to play and to win, and you’re there because that’s where your contract is. And there’s a difference in playing where your heart is. I would absolutely be open to the situation if it presents itself. Obviously it would have to make sense for both [sides]. The New York Giants, I think it would definitely make sense for both myself and the team. But let’s see what happens.”
The Giants added third-round pick Darian Thompson to the safety mix, but there is no slam-dunk starter at the free safety position. Still, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, a reunion between Rolle and Big Blue seems unlikely.
NFC Rumors: Cards, Giants, Cravens, Lions, Vikings
A participant in the NFL draft since the inaugural selection gathering in 1936, the Giants did not take a lineman for the first time in team history this weekend. However, offensive line was a priority going into the draft, a source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, and Jack Conklin was a top-two choice on the Giants’ board before he went No. 8 to the Titans.
“There were discussions here or there,” Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross told media, including Vacchiano. “But nobody at the time who was the highest-ranked player on our board, or close to that.”
After cutting Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz prior to the start of free agency, the Giants spent wildly to upgrade their defense but have left their offensive front unchanged. Marshall Newhouse and John Jerry remain atop the depth chart at right tackle and right guard, respectively. Ben McAdoo told media after the draft the right side of the Giants’ line is far from settled.
Here’s the latest from the NFC coming out of draft weekend.
- A hybrid linebacker/safety at USC, Su’a Cravens will begin his career with Washington at safety, Stephen Czarda writes for the team’s website. The 20-year-old Cravens started his career as a true freshman in 2013 as a strong safety before moving to an outside linebacker/safety hybrid role in the ensuing two seasons in Los Angeles. He compiled 10.5 career sacks and nine interceptions in three seasons.
- Thanks to former teammate Laremy Tunsil‘s unfortunate Thursday night, Robert Nkemdiche‘s name didn’t come up much during Round 1 until the Cardinals took the polarizing Ole Miss defensive lineman at No. 29. The Cardinals did their due diligence on the former No. 1 overall recruit, meeting with him on four occasions, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes.
- Drafting for need has become a somewhat of a frowned-upon phrase in modern drafting, but the Cardinals were pleased their picks filled some of their depth chart’s key voids, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (TwitLonger link). “This is not always the goal, because we said we were going to trust our board,” GM Steve Keim said, “but we filled needs with players we’re excited about. That’s not always the case when you walk away from the draft.” After Nkemdiche in the first and a second-round pick that went toward fortifying their pass rush in the Chandler Jones trade, Arizona selected two corners — Brandon Williams and Harlon Miller — and after losing Ted Larsen in the offseason selected a center in Evan Boehm.
- Under new GM Bob Quinn, the Lions are expected to give UDFAs base salary guarantees, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter). This is a tactic the Lions haven’t used in the recent past, although Quinn’s former organization, the Patriots, as Birkett writes, do so often. Although the Lions haven’t unveiled their UDFA contingent yet, offensive lineman Chase Farris is expected to be among them. Birkett reports (via Twitter) the Ohio State product will have $10K of his base salary guaranteed in addition to a $10K signing bonus.
- The Vikings are expected to place Mackensie Alexander behind Captain Munnerlyn at slot corner, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Vensel offers that Alexander’s selection — the Vikings’ third cornerback taken in the top two rounds in the past four years, joining Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes — could bring about an end to Munnerlyn’s tenure in Minnesota after 2016. Munnerlyn was the Vikings’ top corner in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus. The 28-year-old corner is entering the final season of a three-year contract.
Draft Rumors: Glennon, Vikings, Colts, Giants
Jason Licht said the Buccaneers did not engage in any trade discussions involving quarterback Mike Glennon, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter), who added Licht and Dirk Koetter are “happy to have him.”
Jameis Winston‘s backup has not played since 2014 and was speculated as a trade target for quarterback-needy teams, joining Nick Foles, A.J. McCarron and the now-released Brian Hoyer in that regard. A 2013 third-round pick, Glennon is entering his contract year and as of now would net the Bucs a low-round compensatory selection if he departs in free agency.
The 26-year-old owns a 5-13 record during his starts as a rookie and then in 2014, completing 58.8% of his passes and throwing 29 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions before receding into a practice-only player once the Bucs drafted Winston.
Here’s the latest from Day 3 of the draft, beginning with a bit of history.
- German League standout Moritz Boehringer informed the Vikings he’d sign with the team as a free agent after the draft, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but those assurances evidently weren’t enough for the Vikings, who took the wide receiver project in the sixth round. A Vikings fan since he saw some Adrian Peterson YouTube videos in 2011, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Boehringer is responsible for a landmark draft moment: he’s the first foreign-born player selected who didn’t attend a North American college (Twitter links courtesy of Tommason).
- The Giants are going to add between 12 and 15 undrafted free agents, which is a slightly heightened figure from recent years, NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets.
- We heard earlier the Steelers were trying to move into the fifth round in order to select potentially a running back or quarterback, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, but balked when the players they targeted were no longer on the board.
- The Colts had some issues on their offensive front last year but did not necessarily intend to devote half of their initial six picks during the draft to the line, Jim Irsay told media (including Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com). Ryan Kelly and Le’Raven Clark went to Indianapolis in the first and third rounds, respectively, with the team adding Carson Wentz‘s top blocker at North Dakota State in guard Joe Haeg in the fifth.