NFC East Notes: McFadden, Gregory, Eagles
To the surprise of many, the Cowboys did not address their DeMarco Murray-less running back corps this weekend, but they may be in the market for veteran help.
“Just because this is our current group of running backs doesn’t mean it will stay that way,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “We are always looking to improve our football team.”
But going into the season with Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle doesn’t quite resemble an understaffed corps, considering the Dallas offensive front that lifted Murray to what could amount to an outlier campaign last year remains elite. Although Jerry Jones did note the team wanted to draft a tailback, indicating the corps could well see a notable addition before the season.
“We would have liked to have drafted a running back,” the Cowboys owner and general manager told Machota. “But at the same token, we didn’t think at any given time that we should pass at the player that was there, even with the running backs [available].”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. noted to Machota the spot for the Cowboys to add to their backfield came in the third round in ex-Michigan State runner Jeremy Langford, when the team instead selected former Florida tackle Chaz Green, who the ESPN prospects guru viewed as a reach.
Here are some additional news items from the NFC East.
- The Cowboys landing Randy Gregory at No. 60 is “worth the risk,” according to ESPN’s Todd McShay, via Machota. With Greg Hardy out for 10 games, Dallas had a need for a pass-rusher despite its depleted backfield.
- With Dwayne Harris gone, the Cowboys have a need at returner. Jason Garrett mentioned to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News that McFadden could be an unlikely candidate to do so. The former No. 4 overall pick has three career kick returns.
- For the first time in the draft’s 80-year history, the Eagles went two years without selecting an offensive lineman. After letting veteran Todd Herremans go and openly putting All-Pro Evan Mathis on the trade market, the Eagles face questions on their front, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank. “We hadn’t drafted DBs in recent years, so it’s just kind of you can’t take them all,” Chip Kelly told Frank. “You only have a certain amount of picks.” The Eagles invested significantly at cornerback this offseason, signing Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond and now drafting Eric Rowe in Round 2, and they have a solid line that saw four players — Mathis, Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson — receive top-13 grades at their positions last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Philadelphia did add four undrafted offensive linemen, and Kelly’s blueprint for adding to an aging offensive front isn’t that different from how the league’s four championship-qualifying teams have done so, reports Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Enquirer. The Eagles now house 16 offensive fronters, with 50% of them undrafted. That similar to the Patriots, Colts, Seahawks and Packers, whose rosters collectively have 49% of their blockers coming into the league undrafted, according to Sielski.
Sunday Roundup: Collins, AFC North, Pats
Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the league on this post-draft Sunday:
- The La’el Collins saga will be one of the more fascinating storylines to watch over the coming days. Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that if Collins is cleared of any wrongdoing after his meeting with Louisiana police tomorrow, he will sign as an undrafted free agent. Brandt adds that there will be a great deal of interest in Collins’ services if he is, in fact, cleared.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at what Collins could make as an undrafted free agent,
- It appears that Browns ownership is “digging in” and committing to the Ray Farmer–Mike Pettine regime, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
- Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer passes along Farmer’s and Pettine’s responses to questions as to why the Browns did not select a quarterback in this year’s draft. The GM and head coach simply reaffirmed their faith in the team’s current signal-callers while acknowledging that the group does not include an elite talent. However, Pettine simply stated, “We’re not going to over-prioritize the quarterback position.”
- The Ravens have invited Maryland DE Andre Monroe to rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Paul Dehner, Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer describes how the Bengals passed on the “acrobatic athletes and track stars” in this weekend’s draft and instead focused on powerful linemen and strong tight ends.
- The Eagles may regret not selecting an offensive lineman in the draft, writes Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As we learned earlier today, however, four of the team’s 16 undrafted free agents are offensive linemen.
- Although they did not address their cornerback need in the draft, Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald believes the Patriots strengthened the secondary simply by adding some punch to the team’s pass rush.
- The Patriots passed on drafting a receiver for the second consecutive year, meaning that third-year wideout Aaron Dobson will still have a good chance to live up to his considerable potential, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
- With a draft class that most analysts agree is a strong one, and after an active free agency period, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union says the Jaguars are finally adding depth to their roster and creating some much-needed competition.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune says the Saints‘ draft class, which does not include a single wide receiver or tight end, reaffirms their faith in Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and the offense as a whole.
Eagles To Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents
Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer provides a list of the 16 undrafted free agents that have agreed to sign with the Eagles (Twitter links):
- Rasheed Bailey, WR, Delaware Valley University
- Brett Boyko, OG, UNLV ($10K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
- Malcom Bunche, OG, UCLA
- Mike Coccia, C, New Hampshire
- Devante Davis, WR, UNLV
- Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, LB, Duke
- Andrew Gleichert, TE, Michigan State
- John Harris, WR, Texas
- Cole Manhart, OG, Nebraska (Kearney) ($5K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary, per Wilson)
- B.J. McBryde, DE, UConn ($5K bonus, per Wilson)
- Raheem Mostert, RB/KR, Purdue
- Travis Raciti, DE, San Jose State ($7.5K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary, per Wilson)
- Denzel Rice, DB, Coastal Carolina
- Kip Smith, P, Oklahoma State
- Eric Tomlinson, TE, UTEP
- Justin Tukes, TE, UCF
NFC Notes: Eagles, Robinson, Cards, Vikes
Though the draft is over, the Eagles want to add more players, according to head coach Chip Kelly, who says the club want to bring in more offensive lineman and a tight end to replace James Casey (Twitter link via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com). Philadelphia could look to add UDFAs and/or veteran free agents in the coming weeks.
Let’s look at some more notes from the NFC:
- Offensive tackle Corey Robinson says the Ravens, Dolphins, and Washington all called him with interest in signing him as a UDFA before he was chosen by the Lions, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Cardinals GM Steve Keim said he traded up for defensive lineman Rodney Gunter because he thought another team would take Gunter soon, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. That mystery team’s GM later confirmed to Keim that he would have selected Gunter had he been available, adds Urban.
- Guard Joe Berger was the only free agent whom the Vikings had interest in retaining, Vikes GM Rick Speilman tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Berger did end up being the only Minnesota FA to stick around, inking a two-year deal. (The Vikings also re-signed defensive tackle Tom Johnson and long snapper Cullen Loeffler, but both technically signed before the start of free agency).
- The 49ers drafted Blake Bell as a tight end, but the club thinks the former college quarterback could serve as an emergency QB in the NFL, per Matt Barrows of the San Francisco Bee (Twitter link), who adds that the presence of Bell could affect San Francisco’s roster construction.
Eagles Notes: Mathis, Lions, Collins
Before the draft, many fans and pundits expected the Eagles to be aggressive in moving up to try to get Marcus Mariota and other players in order to strengthen the roster, putting current players and future draft picks on the trading block in order to create packages to go after prospects they valued highly.
They did trade up once in the early rounds to select Eric Rowe, but actually leave the weekend without trading any players and actually managed to come away with an extra 2016 third-round pick after trading their fourth-round pick to the Lions.
Here are a few notes surrounding the Chip Kelly and the Eagles on trades and the NFL Draft:
- Evan Mathis is one player who has been rumored to be available, but he remains an Eagle even if he has a strenuous relationship with his head coach. Kelly said that Mathis has been available for two years now, and no team has made an offer for him yet, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).
- No offer may have been on the table, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Lions had some interest in Mathis before acquiring two guards in the first round (Laken Tomlinson at No. 28, and Manny Ramirez via trade from the Broncos).
- Kelly also confirmed that controversial prospect La’el Collins was removed from the team’s draft board following his recent legal issues, despite his first-round talent, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Lions Acquire No. 113 Pick From Eagles
Having entered the day with no picks until the fifth round, the Lions have moved up to the fourth round. According to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Detroit has acquired pick No. 113 from the Eagles. In exchange, the Eagles have received a 2016 third-rounder from Detroit, according to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
According to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter), the Lions will select Auburn defensive tackle Gabe Wright. The 23-year-old will never be confused with departed defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh (or replacement Haloti Ngata), but the rookie will certainly provide some depth and reinforcement at the position.
After trading out of the fourth round, the Eagles’s next selection is in round six, at pick No 191.
NFC Quotes: Payton, Thompson, Kelly, Jones
It’s been a busy past few days in NFL front offices, and some of the draft selections by the league’s front offices have left pundits befuddled. The league’s reporters made sure to follow through with those curious selections, and we have some of the more notable responses below…
Saints coach Sean Payton, who opined yesterday that La’el Collins would be drafted in the second or third round, on why his team passed on the embattled lineman (via ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett):
“I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we had more clarity. And it seems like there’s a rush for everyone. And one of the things I said this morning was, ‘Man, we’re right down the road. Are we able to get some information the other teams don’t have yet?’ And so I haven’t had that or gotten that information yet to answer that as a yes.”
Packers general manager Ted Thompson on his team not selecting an inside linebacker (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com):
“It’s a simple plan, but we wanted to make sure we got football players. And we think we got a couple more tonight…We’re going to address [inside linebacker] just like we address all other positions and try to make it as strong as we can.”
Eagles coach Chip Kelly on the team’s decision to select linebacker Jordan Hicks despite having greater needs (via Les Bowen of Philly.com):
“He was our highest-rated guy by far. We had him rated in the second round. We had great exposure to Jordan; he was the individual we saw the most this offseason.”
Kelly on how the Hicks selection could impact Mychal Kendricks‘ role on the Eagles (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):
“We’re excited to get him back here. I know he spent the draft with his brother, which we understand. He said he should be back here next week, but I think you’re always gonna draft players, and when you bring ‘em in here, the one thing you want is you want competition at positions. We knew going in at the end of last year that with just Mychal and DeMeco that we really had to shore up the inside linebacker spot. “
Jerry Jones on the Cowboys selecting Randy Gregory with the No. 60 pick (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler):
“I think it gives us enough confidence that we can work through some of the issues that have basically caused him to drop and maybe improve on that. That’s certainly the plan and have us a heck of a contribution to winning.”
NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone
The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:
- Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
- In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
- Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
- Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
- Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
- General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
- Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
- Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.
Draft Notes: Gregory, Jags, Eagles, Titans
The latest notes concerning the ongoing 2015 NFL Draft:
- Despite possessing immense talent, Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory wasn’t one of the first 50 players taken in the draft. One reason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is that Gregory missed at least three pre-draft meetings with various teams, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That “alienated” some clubs, per Schefter.
- Jaguars general manager David Caldwell, who selected Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon in the second round, tried to trade back into the first round Thursday to land either Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon, tweets NFL.com’s Michael Silver. Both went in the top 15, however, which was too high for the Jags to trade up.
- The Eagles tried to acquire the 45th pick from the Vikings, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link), before Minnesota used the selection on UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks. Philadelphia ended up moving from the 52nd pick to No. 47 and taking Utah defensive back Eric Rowe – whom Chip Kelly expected to go higher, per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter).
- After the Titans traded down from the 33rd overall pick to the 40th selection on Friday, general manager Ruston Webster said they were able to do so because there were four or five players on the board they liked. Therefore, Webster felt moving down was a worthwhile risk, tweets Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. The Titans ended up taking former Missouri and Oklahoma wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham with the 40th pick.
- The mother of new Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker, the 14th pick, had some choice words for Cleveland. “We didn’t want him going to Cleveland,” Reneca Parker said Friday, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald.“They don’t have a team, really, or a quarterback.” The Browns passed on Parker at No. 12, which pleased Dolphins football czar Mike Tannenbaum.“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the result,” he said.
Eagles Acquire 47th Pick From Dolphins
The Eagles will acquire the 47th overall pick from the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), and will select Utah defensive back Eric Rowe, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In return, Miami will receive Philly’s second-round choice and two fifth-rounders (Nos. 52, 145, and 156). The Eagles will also get a sixth-rounder (No. 191), per Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk (Twitter).