Latest On Muhammad Wilkerson
The Jets just selected USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, meaning their D-line is now crowded. What does this mean for Muhammad Wilkerson, who is still without a new contract? The latest…
- Jets GM Mike Maccagnan says his club is not actively shopping Wilkerson, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Of course, that doesn’t mean New York isn’t listening to offers.
- Multiple teams called the Jets today regarding Wilkerson and were “shut down,” according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- The Browns and Raiders are among the teams with interest in Wilkerson, and more could get involved, tweets Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) believes it would take multiple first-round picks to acquire Wilkerson.
- A league source tells Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that it wouldn’t be surprising for the Jets to shop Wilkerson, adding that there was interest before the draft.
Draft Rumors: Collins, Bucs, Gurley, Titans
We heard yesterday that police are looking to question La’el Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week, though the LSU offensive lineman isn’t considered a suspect. Jim Boren, the attorney for Collins, tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that he has been in constant contact with the lead detective in the case, and spoke to the district attorney yesterday.
“We took the investigation seriously,” Boren said on Tuesday. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”
Indeed, even if Collins is officially ruled out as a suspect by police, which appears likely, it’s not clear if that will happen before the draft gets underway tomorrow night, and teams figure to approach the lineman with extra caution.
As we wait to see how the ongoing investigation affects Collins, let’s round up a few more Wednesday draft rumors from around the league….
- According to Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, trade inquiries involving the No. 1 overall pick are on the rise this week, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Still, I think Tampa Bay would have to be blown away to move out of that first overall spot.
- One team has Georgia running back Todd Gurley at No. 1 overall on its draft board, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that it’s safe to say that’s not the consensus around the NFL. In fact, scouts who have spoken to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report don’t believe Gurley will be a top-10 pick, as has been rumored.
- Within Freeman’s piece, the BR scribe notes that the Jets are still very much in the hunt for Marcus Mariota, though he’s skeptical that New York will offer enough to move the Titans out of the No. 2 spot.
- Speaking of those Titans, Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network (Twitter links) hears that Tennessee isn’t just taking trade calls — the club is making them as well. So far, things haven’t gotten serious, but trade talks involving that second overall pick could heat up today and tomorrow, says Darlington.
- Amidst reports that Shane Ray could slide out of the first round, and perhaps much further than that, one NFL executive tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the Missouri pass rusher “isn’t going to fall very far” following his citation for marijuana possession.
- Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian appears to be a popular target, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that Siemian has received calls from 11 teams in the past two days. Those teams are the Broncos, Jets, Jaguars, Raiders, Vikings, Packers, Browns, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, and Dolphins.
AFC West Notes: Manning, Wilkerson, Bolts
Earlier today, the Chiefs announced that president Mark Donovan has signed a long-term contract extension to remain in Kansas City. Donovan doesn’t deal much with the football side of things, but he is in charge of the fan experience at Arrowhead Stadium. Recently, Arrowhead has come under fire for its subpar concessions and one can only hope that Donovan will turn things around. Here’s more from the AFC West..
- Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is 39, but he’s not thinking about calling it quits, Mike Klis of 9 News writes. “I wouldn’t call it that,” Manning said when asked about a possible farewell tour. “That’s not how I see it.” Manning is under contract with Denver through 2016.
- At least two teams have called the Jets about a potential trade for defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Those teams have not been named but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com thinks the Raiders should get in on the defensive end if they haven’t already. Defensive end is one of Oakland’s primary need areas and Wilkerson is a standout in his prime. The Raiders, who have about $20MM in salary-cap space, could easily give Wilkerson the new deal he seeks.
- Mock drafts are all about projecting who teams will take, but Greg A. Bedard of The MMQB ran down the players that each team should pick. For the Raiders at No. 4, Bedard says the easy and obvious choice is USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams, if he’s available. Further down in the draft, he recommends Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton for the Chargers. Bedard argues that he makes sense for the Bolts since they don’t have anybody of substance on the defensive line beyond Corey Liuget.
AFC Notes: Bengals, Rivers, Mercilus, Browns
Multiple reports and mock drafts in recent weeks have suggested the Bengals could use their first-round pick to add a young tackle, perhaps envisioning that player as an eventual replacement for Andrew Whitworth. As he tells Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer though, the idea of the team adding his potential replacement doesn’t worry Whitworth.
“I’ve always had the opposite mentality,” Whitworth said. “Mess up and draft somebody at my position because you are going to sit around and watch him sit the bench. That’s always been my mentality. I see it as a challenge.”
While we wait to see which direction the Bengals decide to go on Thursday, let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC….
- The Chargers met with Philip Rivers‘ agent in person last week and are still focused on extending the quarterback’s contract, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. If Rivers is still a Charger on Sunday, it should signal that the team is relatively confident it can get something done.
- Speaking today to reporters, including John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links), Texans general manager Rick Smith said he and the club are still deciding whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Whitney Mercilus. “Whether we pick it up or not, we want him around long time,” Smith said of the outside linebacker. For his part, McClain doesn’t expect the team to exercise its 2016 option.
- On the heels of ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reporting that Sam Bradford wants to play for the Eagles, and Philadelphia is unlikely to trade him, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the Browns would still like to acquire the former first overall pick — however, it’s not likely to happen.
- Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com ranks the Raiders‘ top five draft needs, and according to Bair, the No. 1 priority is finding a pass rusher that can take some of the heat off of Khalil Mack. Oakland could use a defensive end and they could very well use the No. 4 pick to shore up that spot. Bud Dupree, Leonard Williams, and Dante Fowler Jr. are candidates to end up in Oakland next season, Bair writes.
- Chiefs president Mark Donovan has signed a long-term contract extension to remain in Kansas City, the team announced today in a press release.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Miller’s Latest: Cooper, Browns, Gurley
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report reported yesterday that while there are NFL teams interested in drafting Dorial Green-Beckham in the first round on Thursday, ownership has squashed those plans. In fact, a source from one team drafting in the top 15 tells Miller that ownership responded with a flat-out “no” when the topic of DGB in the first round was broached.
Miller has many more items in his latest piece at Bleacher Report, so let’s dive in and check out the highlights….
- Raiders sources tell Miller that coaches in Oakland have “fallen in love” with Amari Cooper. The Alabama wideout, who has also been linked to the Jaguars at No. 3, could be the surprise pick over Leonard Williams if he’s available at No. 4.
- The Browns like Marcus Mariota a lot, and Miller continues to hear that the team has interest in trading up to land him. Miller also hears that Cleveland has spoken to the Giants – drafting ninth overall – about a possible deal.
- Browns sources don’t expect safety Tashaun Gipson to be on the roster in 2016. According to Miller, the belief is that he’ll price himself out of Cleveland’s range. Gipson is currently forgoing the Browns’ voluntary workouts, having not yet signed his RFA tender.
- Todd Gurley‘s knee is looking better than anticipated, with one team source telling Miller the running back could play in Week 1 of the NFL season.
- The Eagles are being connected to UCF wideout Breshad Perriman, according to several GMs who spoke to Miller.
- Miller asked four different teams about Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory, and while none of those four clubs expect him to be selected within the top 10, they all believe he’s still a first-round player.
- Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead has been the popular pick for the 49ers in mock drafts, and Miller hears that Armstead is indeed a Niners target at No. 15 if the club doesn’t trade up or down.
- Chronic knee problems have resulted in a pair of guards – Florida State’s Tre‘ Jackson and Alabama’s Arie Kouandjio – failing physicals during the pre-draft process, sources tell Miller. Both players’ stocks figure to take a significant hit as a result of injury concerns.
Sunday Roundup: Draft, Weddle, J. Houston
Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league on this Sunday afternoon, including one note on the first overall pick in Thursday’s first round:
- Multiple teams have reached out to the Buccaneers recently to determine what it would take to move up to the No. 1 overall pick, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). However, Getlin adds in a second tweet that although the Bucs have listened, no offer has been strong enough for the team to seriously consider trading down just yet.
- Similarly, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie has fielded calls on Oakland’s No. 4 overall selection.
- In a separate piece, Orr writes that the Chiefs are keeping the lines of communication open with star outside linebacker Justin Houston, who was slapped with the franchise tag in March. Kansas City has a little under three months to work out a long-term deal with Houston, and the fact that talks are still ongoing and are still progressing is a good sign that something will get done.
- Paola Boivin of The Arizona Republic believes Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon would be the perfect first-round choice for the Cardinals, who hold the No. 24 overall pick.
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post feels the Broncos should take an offensive tackle in the first round, even if they have to trade up a couple of spots to do it. Renck goes on to examine some of the prospects that could be available when Denver is on the board.
- Chargers safety Eric Weddle feels “highly disrespected” by the team’s refusal to engage in contract talks despite his desire to retire with the organization, but Matt Calkins of U-T San Diego believes the Chargers are taking the right approach.
- Given that the Jaguars feel better about their roster than they have in the past two seasons, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union would not be surprised if the team traded a couple of picks to move into the back of round 1 or up in rounds 2-3.
- Continuing a theme among NFL beat writers, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looks at the offensive side of the Titans‘ roster heading into the draft and offers his predictions as to what the team will do to address its deficiencies on that side of the ball during draft weekend.
- Washington GM Scot McCloughan‘s history suggests he will select an edge rusher with his top pick in this year’s draft, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Although Tandler says Randy Gregory‘s red flags will probably keep him off McCloughan’s board, Vic Beasley and Dante Fowler, Jr. would both be good bets.
Draft Links: Cooper, Perriman, Raiders, Ravens
Alabama wideout Amari Cooper figures to be one of the first two wideouts selected in next week’s draft (along with West Virginia’s Kevin White). It seems unlikely that the talented 20-year-old will fall outside the top-10, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reports that Cooper met with nine teams drafting within that range.
That list includes Washington, the Buccaneers, Titans, Jaguars, Jets, Bears, Falcons, Giants, Rams and Browns. The Raiders and Vikings were the only teams selecting in the top-12 to not host Cooper.
Let’s take a look at some other draft notes from around the league…
- While Cooper and White are expected to the be the first two receivers off the board, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell believes Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman could emerge as a top pick. “I think Cooper is the top receiver prospect this year,” Cosell writes for Yahoo! Sports. “But if you asked me who is No. 2 among White and Perriman, that’s a tougher question. I really like Perriman…Perriman is a big powerful, explosive, fast guy. Although he and White are about the same size, on film Perriman looks like the bigger guy. I could see ranking Perriman even with or ahead of White, although I’m in the minority on that.”
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson wonders (on Twitter) if Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. could be in play for the Raiders during the first round. The junior compiled 2.5 sacks during the 2014 season, finishing his college career with 14.5 sacks.
- CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown believes the Ravens will make trades during this year’s draft, but not during the first round. The writer wonders if the team could move up during the second round to secure Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams.
AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Raiders, Bengals
We took a look at ESPN.com’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the AFC…
- Rich Cimini wouldn’t be in favor of the Jets sacrificing a future first-rounder to secure Marcus Mariota at the second pick. However, the writer would be in favor of swapping the team’s first and third rounder to switch spots with Washington.
- The Chiefs would presented with a “dilemma” if running back Todd Gurley is available at pick number-eighteen, says Adam Teicher. Gurley would certainly be the best player available at that point in the draft, but the team already has a stud running back in Jamaal Charles.
- Meanwhile, among players who could “reasonably be available” for the Chiefs first pick, Teicher points to Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson, Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, Florida State center Cameron Erving and USC wideout Nelson Agholor could be potential targets.
- Bill Williamson suggests the Raiders could target a guard in the middle rounds to pair with Gabe Jackson, sending Khalif Barnes to more of a reserve role.
- Following the additions of Pat Sims and Michael Johnson, Coley Harvey has been told that the Bengals have no open spots on the defensive line. However, the writer believes the team could still pursue a rookie lineman if they could get good value at the draft spot.
Extra Points: Draft, Falcons, Chiefs, Joseph
The 2015 NFL draft is now just six days away, and trade talks figure to heat up very soon. According to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said today that he’s fielded calls about the No. 4 overall pick, and Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has taken calls about moving up or down from No. 8, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Additionally, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets that Chiefs GM John Dorsey has called around and told teams that his club is open to trade discussions.
As we wait to see whether any of those teams make some moves before or during the draft, here are a few more items from around the league, including additional notes on the Falcons and Chiefs:
- Among the other updates from today’s Falcons presser: Dimitroff dimissed the idea that Atlanta is pursuing Adrian Peterson (per Ledbetter), and head coach Dan Quinn said the club plans to address the linebacker spot in the draft, despite having signed free agents (Twitter link via ESPN’s Vaughn McClure).
- The Chiefs have been in contact with Justin Houston‘s representatives, having spoken to the linebacker’s camp within the last three days, Dorsey said today (link via Paylor). Houston, who was franchised by Kansas City, has yet to sign his one-year tender, and there’s a chance the two sides could work out a long-term deal this spring.
- Players and agents aren’t thrilled that general managers have publicly voiced doubts about whether certain 2016 fifth-year options will be exercised, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Whatever the intention of those comments is, players tend to regard them as an expression of uncertainty about their abilities, and a signal that the team may not want to keep them around for the long term.
- Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at the Browns‘ decision to draft Johnny Manziel over Teddy Bridgewater a year ago, writing that a league source with knowledge of the Vikings‘ draft plans said Minnesota had determined a few days before the draft that Cleveland was leaning toward Manziel rather than Bridgewater.
- Free agent guard Davin Joseph told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he’d love to join a contender and try to get a championship ring. Joseph, 30, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Buccaneers, starting 99 of the 100 games he played for the team, before signing with the Rams last spring.
- Idaho center Mike Marboe had a private workout today for the Seahawks, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
AFC West Notes: L.A., Broncos, Crabtree
There’s a new coach in Oakland and a new vibe in Raiders camp, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “It’s very intense,” defensive end Justin Tuck said. “That’s fine. We need some intensity around here.” Del Rio’s staff has been demanding from the get-go of the team’s voluntary program in hopes of turning things around for one of the league’s worst teams in 2014. Here’s more from the AFC West..
- Two months after unveiling plans and renderings for a stadium in Carson, California, the Chargers and Raiders have completely overhauled their design for the $1.7-billion project, as Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times write. Although the original renderings were created with input from only the Chargers, the new design is the result of almost two months of collaboration between the franchises. The revised plans, detailed in the article, show a futuristic open-air venue with a peristyle intentionally reminiscent of the one at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
- Tight end no longer exists as a top priority for the Broncos after re-signing Virgil Green and obtaining free agents Owen Daniels and James Casey. However, Denver could still take a long look at University of Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams, Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post writes. ESPN analyst Todd McShay told Renck that Williams could very well be the first tight end off the board in this year’s draft.
- Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree is glad to be wanted and needed in Oakland and “can’t wait to go play,” Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes. Crabtree signed for a lot less than he envisioned this offseason but he says he’s eager to show what he’s capable of and wants to shed the diva reputation that has followed him for some time.