Raiders, Jaguars Discuss Yannick Ngakoue Trade
The Raiders called the Jaguars with interest in defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The conversation happened on Wednesday, but the talks did not go anywhere and nothing seems imminent as of Thursday morning, per that source. Charlie Campbell of Walter Football (Twitter link) was first to relay the Raiders’ interest in Ngakoue. 
[RELATED: Weak Market For Fournette?]
Ngakoue would be costly for Las Vegas, in every sense. In addition to draft capital, the franchise-tagged defensive end is seeking a monster extension that would include substantial cashflow and guarantees in 2021 and 2022. That’s a major holdup for the Raiders and every other team that would be interested in the 25-year-old edge rusher.
Ngakoue has made it clear that he does not want to return to Jacksonville under any circumstances. Earlier this week, he traded barbs with owner Tony Khan, urging him to hurry up and trade him.
The relationship is broken beyond repair and a trade could go down this week. Still, nothing seems imminent and a deal might not get done until the Jaguars significantly reduce their asking price.
Raiders, 49ers, Broncos, Eagles Eyeing Henry Ruggs
Alabama will likely have two receivers drafted in the top 20 Thursday night. The faster of those two talents has generated interest from several teams with mid-first-round selections and clear wideout needs.
The 49ers, Broncos, Raiders and Eagles have contacted Henry Ruggs the most, the ex-Crimson Tide speedster told Ian Rapoport on the RapSheet and Friends Podcast (Twitter link via NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark). The Raiders, 49ers and Broncos pick at Nos. 12, 13 and 15, respectively, while the Eagles possess the No. 21 selection.
Ruggs has sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash speed. While he was not as productive as Jerry Jeudy, there could be a genuine chance he goes off the board before his former teammate. The Jets, who pick 11th, have also expressed interest in Ruggs. But they are believed to be zeroing in on tackles over wideouts. However, if the Dolphins are in play for a tackle, teams with mid-round picks hoping to land one of the coveted top four at the position could be in trouble.
The Raiders and 49ers carry two first-rounders and possess clear receiver needs opposite Tyrell Williams and Deebo Samuel, respectively. A player like Ruggs would make sense for a Broncos team that rosters the 6-foot-4 Courtland Sutton. The Broncos have been linked to a trade-up, but for Jeudy and not Ruggs. As for the Eagles, they have been connected to receivers throughout the pre-draft process. But at this point, it is looking like Philly will have to move up from No. 21 to land Ruggs.
Raiders Could Draft Multiple Receivers
- The Raiders have been linked to the draft’s top receivers with the 12th overall pick, and even if they do draft a wideout they might not stop there. Despite the fact that they have no second-rounder, Scott Bair of NBCSports thinks they might draft two receivers in the first three-rounds. It’s certainly a position of need for Las Vegas, as Jon Gruden seeks to upgrade his offense. Gruden currently has Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow, but neither of those guys are ideal top options. The Raiders also hold the 19th pick, and we’ve heard they could even take a quarterback in the first-round if the opportunity presents itself. With the 12th pick, they should be able to scoop up at least one of Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, or Henry Ruggs III.
Draft QB Rumors: Bolts, Raiders, Pats
Let’s round up some of the recent QB-related rumors that are swirling in advance of Thursday’s draft:
- The Chargers hold the No. 6 overall pick and are not inclined to trade up from that spot, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. The Bolts are fans of both Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, and it seems almost certain that at least one of those passers will be available when Los Angeles is on the clock. The team could still go in a non-QB direction with the No. 6 pick, but it would be difficult to pass up a franchise-altering talent at the most important position in sports, especially since the Chargers will probably not be picking nearly as high in 2021.
- Although the Raiders have Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota on the roster, La Canfora hears that the club could make a play for a QB with one of their two first-round picks. Las Vegas holds the No. 12 and No. 19 overall selections, and JLC believes the team could target a CB with the No. 12 pick and go after a QB like Tagovailoa — if he falls that far — or Jordan Love with the No. 19 pick. While the Raiders need a receiver and don’t have a second-round selection, this year’s draft is deep enough at WR that Las Vegas could still find an impact player with one of its three third-round choices.
- The Patriots are in the market for a collegiate signal-caller, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says it’s a question of “when,” not “if”, New England drafts a QB this week. We recently heard that the Pats would find a passer in either the first round or middle rounds, and if a player like Herbert or Tagovailoa should start to slide, it would not be surprising to see them pull the trigger. Coincidentally, new personnel consultant Eliot Wolf was a Packers staffer in 2005, when Green Bay was the beneficiary of Aaron Rodgers‘ famous draft-day slide.
- ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote before last year’s draft that Jarrett Stidham was the QB that represented the best fit for the Patriots, and the Pats ultimately selected Stidham with a fourth-round pick. Bowen believes the rookie signal-caller that makes the most sense for New England this year is Washington’s Jacob Eason (subscription required). Eason profiles as a Day 2 pick, so he would not be the Pats’ target with their No. 23 overall choice, but he may be off the board by the time New England is on the clock again at No. 87.
- Colts GM Chris Ballard will not force a QB pick in this year’s draft, though Indy has been linked to rookie passers. The team could select a signal-caller like Eason with one of its second-round choices, though the Colts remain high on Jacoby Brissett. It may seem unlikely, but Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star says the team continues to insist that it could forgo a quarterback in the 2020 draft and look to bring Brissett back in 2021.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/20
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: K Ramiz Ahmed, OL Rashaad Coward, TE J.P. Holtz
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick
Las Vegas Raiders
- Claimed: TE Paul Butler (from Lions)
2020 NFL Draft Picks By Team
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)
Raiders QB Nathan Peterman Signs Tender
Raiders quarterback Nathan Peterman has signed his restricted free agency tender, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Ditto for offensive tackle David Sharpe. Both players will return to Las Vegas on one-year, $2.133MM deals. 
[RELATED: Raiders’ Morrow Signs RFA Tender]
Peterman, 26 in May, was a fifth-round pick of the Bills back in 2017. The Bills cut him midway through his second pro year. Pro Football Reference’s “indexed” statistics, which account and adjust for different eras of the game, rated Peterman dead last among all QBs since 1970 in passer rating, yards per attempt, interception percentage, and numerous other passing statistics.
Still, several teams took an interest in him when he hit the open market. The Raiders signed him towards the end of ’18 and he rewarded their confidence with a surprisingly strong preseason in ’19. Peterman connected on 60 of his 84 passes for 475 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. But, just before the start of the year, he landed on IR.
Earlier this week, fellow Raiders RFA Nicholas Morrow also inked his tender. Tendered at the second-round level, he’ll see a bump from $645K to $3.26MM.
2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
Latest On NFL Draft’s Top WRs
The Cardinals have themselves a star wide receiver after trading for DeAndre Hopkins, but this year’s WR class is talented enough to tempt every team. Even though the Cardinals may like Kyler Murray‘s one-time teammate CeeDee Lamb and other WR talents, they’re not expected to use their No. 8 pick on a receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
With Hopkins installed as the Cardinals’ new WR1, Arizona will likely address larger needs with that pick – perhaps a stud defensive player or an offensive lineman. Then, somewhere around Nos. 11 or 12, where the Jets and Raiders pick, Rapoport expects the WR run to take flight. In that scenario, CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy stand out as likely candidates – they’re the consensus top receivers in this wildly talented crop, Rapoport hears.
Further down the board, the Eagles have been heavily connected to LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson. But, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions that several teams could jump ahead of the Birds at No. 21 to land him. The Vikings (Nos. 22 and 25), Patriots (No. 23), and the Saints (No. 24) are all lurking, and they could make a play for a big-time WR like Jefferson.
Raiders’ Nicholas Morrow Signs RFA Tender
Nicholas Morrow made the jump from undrafted free agency to receiving a second-round RFA tender this year. He is officially back with the Raiders after signing that tender Monday, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.
The fourth-year linebacker will see a salary bump from $645K to 3.26MM. The Raiders cut Tahir Whitehead but made multiple moves at linebacker, signaling a likely shift in Morrow’s role.
Morrow’s 730 snaps last season (second among Raider linebackers) ranked in the top 50 among off-ball linebackers, but the Raiders signed both Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski early in free agency. The contracts given to those two point to them being the odds-on favorites to be Las Vegas’ two three-down ‘backers. The Raiders’ top three linebackers will combine to count more than $20MM against their 2020 cap. Littleton is attached to an $11.75MM cap figure; Kwiatkoski’s cap number comes in at $7MM.
The Raiders started Morrow in eight games last season; his role increased after Vontaze Burfict‘s season-ending suspension. Morrow made a career-high 73 tackles and intercepted the first pass of his career last season. He is in line to be an unrestricted free agent in 2021.