East Rumors: Mariota, Grayson, Flowers
In the escalating derby to become the team that drafts Marcus Mariota second overall, the Jets may have the trump card, writes ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
The sweepstakes featuring the Jets, Browns, Rams, Eagles, Bears, Chargers and Saints, according to Cimini, vying to vault into the Titans’ No. 2 spot may hinge on how far a team devoid of blue-chip talent will be to fall in the draft order.
The Jets pick the highest of these teams, but Cimini notes that the No. 2 overall slot is worth 2,600 points on the draft value chart, meaning the Jets would have to throw in not only their second-round selection this year (No. 37) but their first-rounder in 2016 to make the numbers match up. Cimini also notes the Chargers would be the favorite if they part with Philip Rivers. Washington should probably also be included among those interested, and it holds the No. 5 pick, which would make things interesting despite their complex Robert Griffin situation.
Other notes from the eastern divisions on Monday night …
- Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson will work out for the Jets a few days before the draft, notes Cimini on Twitter. Grayson projects anywhere from being the No. 3 quarterback in the top-heavy class to a mid-round pick.
- Ereck Flowers‘ flight log will expand further in the Eastern Time Zone soon when the Miami tackle visits the Giants, according to a Flowers interview with Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. The prospective first-round right tackle already visited or has meetings scheduled with the Browns, Panthers, Colts, Buccaneers and Jets.
- Texas Southern’s Tray Walker worked out with the Patriots today and will visit the Rams on Tuesday, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net on Twitter.
- Washington will host Nebraska guard Jake Cotton on Friday and Washington Huskies edge defender Andrew Hudson this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and NFL agent Brett Tessler, respectively (Twitter links).
- Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk each of the roster’s four quarterbacks — EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel, Jeff Tuel and Tyrod Taylor — will receive first-team reps as they vie for the job. Although Cassel and Manuel are the frontrunners here, Florio notes Taylor, signed from the Ravens this offseason, is the only QB Rex Ryan‘s openly praised thus far.
- The Eagles‘ infatuation with Oregon talents continues, kind of. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Eagles are categorizing Southeastern Louisiana signal-caller Bryan Bennett as a safety. Bennett played under Kelly at Oregon but transferred from Eugene when he lost a position battle with Mariota.
Eagles Re-Sign Cedric Thornton
The Eagles announced they’ve re-signed defensive end Cedric Thornton, who was a restricted free agent (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer). The club had tendered Thornton at the second-round level, so he’ll earn $2.356MM for the 2015 season.
The 26-year-old Thornton started all 16 games for the Eagles last season, posting 36 tackles, one sack, and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. The Southern Arkansas alum graded as the league’s 20th-best 3-4 defensive end, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and was especially proficient against the run, where his +11.3 grade placed him eighth at his position.
Thornton has become a key cog in defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ 3-4 scheme, starting 32 games over the previous two seasons. The club clearly values him, as a source told Mark Eckel of NJ.com on Friday that the Eagles were working on a long-term extension with Thornton. Whether or not Thornton signing his tender means the two sides couldn’t come together on a multi-year pact is unclear, but they’ll now have a year to try to work something out.
Running back Chris Polk, who was assigned the lowest RFA tender, is Philadelphia’s only remaining restricted free agent who remains unsigned.
Eagles Links: Bradford, Kelly, Draft
The Eagles’ quarterback-exchange trade that brought Sam Bradford to Philadelphia surprised former Eagles quarterback and ESPN film guru Ron Jaworski. Despite having ranked Bradford as his No. 1 player before the 2010 draft, Jaworski does not see him as a good fit for Chip Kelly‘s offense, as relayed to Philly Sports Talk.
Jaworski does not view the injury-prone former No. 1 overall pick as the Eagles’ long-term solution and doesn’t think Kelly covets Bradford’s skill set as much as he’s said, with the former Oregon boss seeking a more mobile quarterback for his offense.
“Those people that think Sam Bradford‘s coming in as a mobile quarterback, he’s more immobile than Nick Foles,” Jaworski said during his television interview. “Just in the back on my mind, I still believe Chip Kelly wants a quarterback with mobility to lead his football team.”
A trade up to be in position to draft former Kelly protege Marcus Mariota would cost the Eagles at least multiple first-round picks, but Jaworski would make that move to finish off Philadelphia’s seismic offseason. He described the Oregon spread wunderkind as a “perfect fit” for the Eagles’ attack.
- The longtime ESPN analyst lauded Kelly, however, for his initial offseason with full personnel control. But Jaworski also noted these moves will cause a significant backlash if the third-year coach is wrong. “[Kelly] can say all he wants about good to great,” Jaworski said. “But you gotta make the right decisions to go from good to great or you can go from good to bad just as quick as you can go from good to great.”
- Last year, the Eagles traded down four spots to help the Browns select Johnny Manziel. Moving up has been more connected to the thinking in Philadelphia, which took Marcus Smith at No. 26 and snared an additional third-round pick in 2014, this spring. But CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher thinks trading down again is a good idea, with this talent pool arguably evening out by the time the Eagles’ No. 20 selection arrives. The players that drew the most interest from the team during the scouting process — Eric Rowe, Byron Jones, Nelson Agholor and Brett Hundley — are likely to be available in between the Eagles’ No. 20 and 52 selections, writes Mosher. “The history of the game, study all the trades. What set the Cowboys [of the 1990s] going forward? They traded one player for multiple players,” Kelly said recently. “I’ve got a better chance of hitting if [I] have more draft picks than if you have less draft picks. That’s basically it, philosophically.”
NFC Rumors: Bucs, Safeties, Vikings, Cowboys
With uncertainty at the back of their defense, the Buccaneers are targeting safeties in the draft, tweets Bleacher Report analyst Matt Miller. The team brought in Louisville’s Gerod Holliman for a visit today, and Arizona State’s Damarious Randall will trek to Tampa on Monday.
Both are projected to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft.
The Bucs traded both of their 2014 starting safeties in Mark Barron and Dashon Goldson and now do not have much financial allocation at that spot.
Elsewhere around the NFC on Sunday night …
- The dearth of quality safeties available in this year’s draft could be explained by the position being a second-tier destination for premier athletes, writes Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Since coaches at the high school and college levels funnel the fast, rangy athletes to the perimeter playmaking positions, the back line may be the second-hardest place behind quarterback to find talent, offers Spadaro. The Eagles have been searching for stability there since All-Pro Brian Dawkins left in 2009, but Malcolm Jenkins‘ 2014 arrival helped considerably. Spadaro said Earl Wolff, recovering from microfracture surgery, will have a good shot at the unsettled strong safety job, with second-year corner Jaylen Watkins and recently signed E.J. Biggers set to receive looks there as well.
- Minnesota running back David Cobb has drawn the interest of the local NFL team, visiting the Vikings this past week, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP on Twitter. The Vikings will obviously be at the Golden Gophers’ pro day tomorrow, and Cobb — projected to go in the mid- to late rounds after a 1,626-yard season in 2014 — will be a key performer they’ll observe.
- Miller does not expect Amari Cooper to be Washington‘s pick at No. 5, instead anticipating a defender heading to D.C. (Twitter link). ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper each have Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. going to Washington.
- Cornerbacks Marcus Peterson and Kevin Johnson top the list of potential targets for the Cowboys at No. 27, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Machota clearly expects defense to be the priority here, as he includes Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, UConn workout wonder Byron Jones and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks in his top five for the Cowboys.
Sunday Roundup: NFC North, ‘Fins, 49ers
Golf takes its yearly ascent to the forefront of many sports fans’ minds today, but before the battle for the Green Jacket begins, let’s take a look at some links from around the NFL:
- The Packers are one of the teams that do not announce which prospects they will bring in for their allotted 30 pre-draft visits, but Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides a list of players–compiled by ESPN and other outlets–that have visited, or will visit, with Green Bay.
- The Lions need a new tailback after losing Reggie Bush to free agency, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com says the team is not targeting a specific type of runner; speed, power, and hybrid backs are all on the table.
- Dan Wiederer of The Chicago Tribune examines the pros and cons of drafting one of this year’s elite wide receiver prospects, which the Bears have the opportunity to do with the No. 7 overall selection.
- There is a deep class of cornerbacks for the Ravens to choose from in this year’s draft, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. In addition to wide receiver, the secondary is a major area of concern for Baltimore.
- James Walker of ESPN.com wonders if the Dolphins should trade up from their No. 14 overall pick in the draft to land one of this year’s elite receivers or linebackers, and he lists the costs and benefits of such a move. Walker ultimately notes (via Twitter) that Miami has too many holes and too few draft picks to consider trading into the top 10.
- After acquiring Jeron Johnson and Dashon Goldson over the past couple of weeks, Tarik El-Bashir and Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonder if Washington should nonetheless invest an early-round pick in a safety, which has been a weakness for the team in recent seasons.
- The Eagles brought in Penn State offensive tackle Donovan Smith for a visit, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Despite losing Frank Gore to free agency, the 49ers have a talented pair of running backs in Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush, and as Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News observes, Kendall Hunter will return to the field following an ACL tear that ended his 2014 season before it started. San Francisco’s roster also includes Jarryd Hayne, a former Australian rugby star who is trying to “convert” to American football and is expected to compete as a return specialist and possibly a backup running back. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, all of the team’s rushing talent suggests that the 49ers will continue to be among the league leaders in rushing attempts, as they have been in each of the past four seasons.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Harris, Cowboys, Williams
Whether the decisions made by Chip Kelly over the past month and a half turn out to be good or bad, the Eagles had a strange offseason. One of the stranger developments was Frank Gore agreeing to join the team and then backing out before signing a deal. Gore ended up with the Colts, and the Eagles ended up with a reputation as a place free agents were not excited about playing for.
Some believed that Kelly’s rigorous practice schedule was one reason 31-year-old Gore chose Indianapolis over Philadelphia. However, Jeff McClane of the Philadelphia Inquirer does not believe that Kelly’s practice methods are a real deterrent for free agents.
Here are a few other notes from around the NFC East:
- Kelly is in New Hampshire to meet with R.J. Harris for a pre-draft workout, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). The receiver from the University of New Hampshire is a possible late-round pick for the Eagles.
- The Cowboys have a number of needs along their defense, but have been linked to running back prospects with their top picks. If they pass on Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley in round one (and both might be off the board by the time the Cowboys pick), Boise State tailback Jay Ajayi could be an option somewhere in the second round. Ajayi worked out with the team on Friday, writes Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. The team also met with T.J. Yeldon and Tevin Coleman.
- Washington’s Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams has changed agents in preparation for his free agency, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Williams fired Ben Dogra who was himself fired by CAA before joining Relativity Sports, but the tackle retained Vincent Taylor of MS World LLC. The team still plans on attempting to reach an agreement on an extension with Williams.
Extra Points: Hardy, Winston, Eagles, Saints
Some tidbits from around the NFL as Friday evening comes to a close…
- The Cowboys and newly signed defensive end Greg Hardy continue to await the NFL’s decision regarding the star pass rusher’s forthcoming suspension for domestic violence issues. Hardy will likely sit four to six games with the possibility of the amount being cut in half after appeal, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw.
- Despite his overwhelming success on the field, Florida State quarterback and potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston had some concerning moments away from the gridiron during his time with the Seminoles. Because of that, David Cornwell – one of Winston’s advisors – cautions that Winston doesn’t yet have everything it takes to be an NFL player. “Jameis is ready to be an NFL player on the field. He’s not ready to be an NFL player off the field,” Cornwell said Friday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “The idea that, standing alone, he’s ready to get into this shark-invested pool, it’s crazy.”
- Although the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford earlier this offseason, they continue to be linked to one of the draft’s top two QBs, Marcus Mariota, largely because of his time at Oregon with Chip Kelly. The Eagles won’t be able to land Mariota with the 20th overall pick, and ESPN’s Ron Jaworski believes Mariota is a prospect for whom moving up in the draft is justifiable. “You have to mortage your future,” Jaworski said on Philly Sports Talk, according to CSNPhilly.com. “I know [Kelly] says he’s not going to, but what mortgage means is you get something now and you pay later.” If Kelly ultimately does trade up for Mariota, it would likely mean moving into the top five – which would carry a steep cost for the Eagles.
- Larry Holder of NOLA.com took a look at some under-the-radar Saints issues heading into the 2015 season, with the status of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan being one area of interest. After overseeing the second-worst defense in the league in 2014, Ryan’s job is far from secure going forward, according to Holder – who believes newly hired assistant Dennis Allen could take over if head coach Sean Payton elects to make an in-season change.
NFC East Notes: Williams, Butler, Collins
As Trent Williams enters his final year of his rookie contract, CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler examines whether Washington needs to re-up its best lineman at a top-end price.
The three-time Pro Bowl left tackle’s rookie deal signed under the old CBA and its lavish sums for high draft choices has Williams occupying more than $13MM of Washington’s cap this season — by far the highest figure on the team. The contracts for Tyron Smith ($12.2MM per year) and Joe Thomas ($11.5MM per) are probably what Williams, who left agent Ben Dogra, will use to negotiate with the struggling franchise. But Tandler offers another reality where the team drafts his potential successor in the first or second round this year and plays him at right tackle before allowing Williams to get his money elsewhere in 2016.
Although Tandler still bets Williams receives his checks in D.C. after this deal expires, he expands on Greg Cosell’s analysis from a recent MMQB.com podcast which illustrates a change in thinking regarding the importance of the blind-side protector.
“Most coaches, when they put together pass-protection concepts, they will slide the protection to one side or the other. You can slide the protection to the left. You can slide the protection to the right. The left tackle, just by gospel now these days, has become the most important position. But it’s not necessarily that way,” Cosell said to podcast host Andy Benoit.
Here are some more rumors coming out of the NFC East on Friday afternoon …
- LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins visited the Eagles last week, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Collins is projected as a mid- to late first-round selection as a right tackle.
- The Cowboys worked out quarterback Bryce Petty last week at Baylor, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports on Twitter.
- Linebacker Victor Butler drew a four-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, becoming the fifth Giants player in five years to do so, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The former Cowboys, Saints, Cardinals and Colts backer signed a reserve/futures contract with the Giants and should now be considered unlikely to make the roster or possibly make it to training camp. Butler, 27, joins Eric Herman, Will Hill, Tyler Sash and Jimmy Kennedy as Giants who’ve been suspended for PEDs since 2011, reports Vacchiano.
- Robert Griffin‘s injury history makes Washington picking up the 2012 rookie of the year’s fifth-year option, at $16.16MM salary guaranteed against injury, an ill-advised move, writes ESPN’s John Keim. Washington has until May 3 to use this on Griffin.
Miller’s Latest: Draft, Eagles, Browns, White
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has plenty of draft updates for us today, including a new big board, a new first-round mock, and a handful of notable tidbits he has picked up from speaking to sources around the league. Here are a few highlights from Bleacher Report’s draft expert:
- I noted last week that the Eagles appear to have genuine interest in Nelson Agholor, having been linked to him multiple times, and team sources tell Miller that Philadelphia does indeed “love” the USC wide receiver.
- While some pundits have linked the Browns to right tackles in the first round, one high-ranking Cleveland scout tells Miller that the position “isn’t a priority” for the club.
- Louisiana Tech’s Houston Bates and Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc are two college linebackers who are receiving some consideration as potential fullbacks, according to Miller.
- While West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White does have a handful of visits on his schedule, he’s the type of player who doesn’t have many question marks, which explains why teams may not want to “waste” one of their 30 visits on him, writes Miller. So far, White has only visited the Titans, though he has the Bears, Giants, Rams, and Jets coming up.
- Miller has heard from two separate teams that Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams didn’t come across well in his interviews with them. One said Williams seems “cocky [and] bored, and came off as too good for us.”
Draft Notes: Gregory, Sambrailo, Hundley
Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory, once viewed as a top-10 pick, could fall toward the late first round after his failed drug test. Now, the top-five talent could drift into the early 20s, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). He’ll be evaluated extensively given the concerns, but his agent tells Cole that tons of teams are highly interested in him. The Saints are viewed by many as the most likely destination for him at No. 13 but the Lions, Bengals, and Colts could all be interested if he falls further. The latest draft news..
- When all is said and done, Colorado State tackle Tyler Sambrailo will have met with or worked out for the Colts, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Broncos, Falcons, and Chargers, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 6’5″, 311 pound athlete is considered to be one of the top offensive linemen in this year’s class. Teams like his versatility and ability to play at either tackle position or on the inside and at least one team told Caplan (link) that they’ve worked him out at center.
- The Cardinals will host UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley for a visit next week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport (link) adds that Hundley has auditioned for the Bengals, Eagles, and Jets. Given the widespread interest in him, Hundley stands as something of a wildcard as we approach the draft.
- The Vikings, Colts, and Giants are all “in love” with Arizona State safety Damarious Randall, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Miller previously had Randall rated in the second round but he could find his way into the first thanks to his budding interest.
- More from Miller, who says that Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead will not fall further than the middle of the first round. While he’s a boom-or-bust player, the Dolphins, 49ers, and Texans are all high on him and all pick in the middle of the first.
- The Vikings “love” Michigan State shutdown cornerback Trae Waynes, according to Miller. He checks all the boxes for Mike Zimmer‘s defense and while Miller sees him as a late first round guy, Minnesota could make a play for him earlier on.