NFC Rumors: Eagles, Panthers, Moore
With Chip Kelly now overseeing personnel decisions, the Eagles have probably had the NFL’s most interesting offseason. There is considerable risk and potentially some reckless methodology involved with the splashy maneuvers the franchise made, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.
McLane asserts the Eagles overbid in splurges for Byron Maxwell (six years, $63MM) and DeMarco Murray (4/$40MM) with other suitors not willing to come within $2MM AAV in Maxwell’s case or, with the exception of the Raiders, backing off well shy of the Eagles’ new commitment figure to Murray.
Also acquiring injury-riddled veterans Ryan Mathews, Sam Bradford, Walter Thurmond and Miles Austin, the Eagles went against conventional logic perhaps banking on their sports-science practices can benefit their new talents, adds McLane. But in the latter duo’s cases, the contracts didn’t seem to be commensurate with the recent production, thus negating some of the value typically associated with signing injured players, writes McLane.
Thurmond (one year, $3.25MM), who missed last season with a torn pectoral muscle, received almost the same amount he did from the Giants last March when he was coming off a healthier campaign and Austin bound for Philadelphia on a one-year deal worth $2.3MM ($1MM fully guaranteed) fresh off years headlined by injuries and borderline irrelevance compared to his previous work.
With 1,000-yard+ rushing seasons in both of his odd-year seasons (2011 and 2013) and season-defining maladies in his past two odd-year campaigns, Mathews received a bit of an injury-reduced salary, however, at three years and $11MM.
“Let’s let it play out,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said to McLane. “I think with any coach, you need patience, you need vision, you need to let them gamble and fail, and gamble and succeed, because the last thing you want to do is make a coach risk-averse.”
Elsewhere around the NFC …
- The Panthers‘ projected depth chart, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person, has an open slot at No. 2 receiver behind 2014 No. 1 draft choice Kelvin Benjamin. Person slotted newly signed wideouts Ted Ginn and Jarrett Boykin with holdover Jericho Cotchery at the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 slots, respectively, and also left the starting cornerback position across from Josh Norman vacant for a late-arriving free agent. Michael Oher is positioned at left tackle, a role he’s only played for one full (2010) despite the literary and cinematic depictions of his pre-NFL life there.
- Acquiring Ginn, Boykin and Oher, the latter two coming off disappointing seasons, represent the Panthers’ biggest gains this offseason, according to Person. The Panthers reporter listed defensive end, corner and running back as positions in need of upgrades heading into the draft, with Bene Benwikere‘s size (5-foot-11), Jonathan Stewart‘s durability and Kony Ealy‘s progression as charted concerns at those spots.
- Sterling Moore briefly considered returning to the Cowboys before signing with the Buccaneers, according to an interview with Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi on Sirius XM Radio (audio link). But the Cowboys left the corner feeling “kind of disrespected” after not electing to tender him as a restricted free agent this offseason despite a productive 2014 season.
NFC Notes: Huff, Mosley, Saints, Glennon, Long
Eagles receiver Josh Huff gives his opinion on a number of the team’s offseason moves to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Huff, who played for Chip Kelly at Oregon before coming to Philadelphia, has an interesting perspective on Kelly’s thoughts about each move.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- After losing Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley this offseason, it was expected that the Lions would attempt to re-sign defensive tackle C.J. Mosley. The team has not pursued him yet, and Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes his suspension for marijuana possession the caused him to miss a game against the Falcons last season could be a reason why the team is hesitant to bring him back.
- The Saints are caught in between win-now and rebuilding mode after a disastrous 2014 season. They traded away their best receiving threat in Jimmy Graham, but still have franchise signal caller Drew Brees at the helm. They are the only team with five selections in the first three rounds, and have the ammo to rebuild quickly despite their cap troubles, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
- If the Buccaneers do select Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, quarterback Mike Glennon will become available for a trade, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. He writes if any team wants Glennon, he could be had as the team would just sign another veteran backup to replace him.
- The Rams have yet to pursue offensive tackle Jake Long in free agency, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com doesn’t see the Rams or any team actively trying sign Long at this point in the offseason. Wagoner cites his injury concerns as a reason teams would not be rushing to sign the former All-Pro tackle.
- The 49ers may have a pair of starting inside linebacker despite the retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, but NaVorro Bowman is coming off an injury and Michael Wilhoite is still relatively inexperienced. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com believes that Lance Briggs could be an interesting option to add to their depth, as he would not command big money but is looking to continuing his NFL career.
Draft Notes: White, Bears, Browns, Ravens
West Virginia wideout Kevin White is expected to be an early first-round pick in the upcoming draft, but the speedster hasn’t received much interest from NFL clubs. Earlier this week, the player told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that he hadn’t heard from any teams since the Scouting Combine:
“Until they call or I have a set workout schedule, I’m just going to continue to do what I have to do and wherever I do go, if I have a workout or prior workout, I’ll enjoy it and try to make the most out of it.”
White finally got a call late this week, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the receiver will meet with the Titans. For the time being, that’s White only scheduled visit.
Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the league, with updates added to the top:
- Toledo linebacker Junior Sylvestre visited with the Chiefs Friday, writes Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- The Patriots had UConn wide receiver Geremy Davis in for a private workout yesterday, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have a need at safety, and Alabama’s Landon Collins has been a popular target in mock drafts. However, he might not make it to the Eagles’ pick at No. 20, and might not be a fit for Chip Kelly anyway, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher picks out a number of safeties the team could target later in the draft, including Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond and Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell.
Earlier Updates:
- Clemson outside linebacker Vic Beasley will visit the Bears, according to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. The writer notes that Chicago’s new 3-4 defense could be a perfect fit for Beasley.
- The Browns are going to be busy in the coming weeks, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that the organization will be bringing in 30 draft prospects. The group includes Louisville wideout DeVante Parker and Miami left tackle Ereck Flowers.
- Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil will attend the Ravens local prospects day in late April, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The Patriots, Eagles and Chargers have each checked out the versatile defender.
Draft Notes: Crowder, Gurley, Thompson
A look at the latest draft news..
- Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder worked out for the Texans today, a source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- A number of teams think former University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley will be selected before Melvin Gordon if his knee checks out, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. While some teams believe Gordon is likely to have a more significant immediate impact, they believe Gurley may be better in the long-term (link).
- A respected evaluator told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) that he sees Gurley as the best tailback in the draft since Adrian Peterson.
- Nine clubs have scheduled workouts or visits with University of Washington outside linebacker/safety Shaq Thompson, Rob Rang of CBSSports.com tweets. The Chargers, Falcons, Browns, Cowboys, Texans, Colts, Vikings, Eagles, and Panthers will all meet with the UW standout.
- Possible first-round pick P.J. Williams is set up for a pre-draft visit with the Ravens despite recent legal troubles, write Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Florida State cornerback was arrested early this morning for driving under the influence.
Browns Leaning Towards Giving Up On Manziel
Publicly, the Browns have been supportive of quarterback Johnny Manziel as he works to get his off-field issues in check. Privately, it sounds like they might be thinking differently. In an appearance on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike (audio link) on Thursday, Chris Mortensen estimated that Browns officials have “90%” moved on from Manziel in their own minds.
Of course, the Browns added veteran signal caller Josh McCown this offseason, which was a reaction to their question marks concerning Manziel. Also this offseason, the Browns dangled their No. 19 pick to the Rams in an effort to pry away Sam Bradford. Bradford was eventually sent to the Eagles in a swap for Nick Foles since the Browns could not offer a quality quarterback to St. Louis. Mortensen doesn’t see the Browns being able to get Bradford from the Eagles since he’ll likely be their Plan A under center once healthy. On top of that, Bradford wouldn’t sign an extension with Cleveland, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to give up a significant asset to acquire him.
Ultimately, the Browns are very unsure about Manziel’s future in the league and it’s no coincidence that they have searched high and low for alternatives this offseason.
East Notes: Jets, Washington, Thomas, Fins
Speaking on a conference call today with season ticket holders, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles offered up a few interesting tidbits, as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com noted on Twitter. The GM indicated that he likes the No. 6 spot in the draft because it gives the team plenty of flexibility to trade up or down. Addressing the draft, Maccagnan also hinted that the Jets wouldn’t mind picking an offensive lineman at some point, while Bowles praised the depth of the rookie running back class — although the team likes Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, adding one more back could be a priority.
Here’s more on the Jets, via Cimini, along with a few other items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Maccagnan also suggested he expects to address Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract this offseason, with the expectation that the star defensive lineman will remain a Jet for the long term. Meanwhile, Bowles said he’d like to have another quarterback competing with Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Matt Simms.
- It would be surprising if Washington doesn’t add at least one more running back to its roster through free agency or the draft, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. According to Keim, the team has expressed interest in veteran free agent Pierre Thomas, but will likely wait to see how the draft plays out before moving any further with the former Saint.
- As the Dolphins consider adding receiving depth, they aren’t just eyeing draft prospects — they’re also taking a look at a pair of players who went undrafted in recent years. According to Aaron Wilson of the National Post, the club is working out former Boise State wideout Geraldo Boldewijn and trying out former Raiders receiver Thomas Mayo. Boldewijn spent camp with the Falcons last year, while Mayo was a participant in last month’s veterans combine.
- Wilson also tweets that Florida State wideout Christian Green is working out privately for the Eagles today in Tallahassee.
Draft Visits: Jets, M. Davis, Orchard, Raiders
It would be a little surprising to see the Jets take a receiver with the sixth overall pick after signing Eric Decker and trading for Brandon Marshall during the last two offseasons, but the team is bringing in wideout Amari Cooper today for a pre-draft visit, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). With Cooper viewed as a near lock to be selected in the top 10, it’s more likely the Jets are doing due diligence and keeping their options open rather than making the Alabama product a priority.
Here are some details on several more pre-draft visits around the NFL:
- We heard yesterday that South Carolina running back Mike Davis has a visit lined up with the Patriots, but New England is far from the only team eyeing him. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Davis also has workouts or visits scheduled with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Browns, and Falcons.
- Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, a projected second-round pick, confirmed that he met with the Browns, dining with defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil and outside linebackers coach Brian Fleury, per Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com.
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (all Twitter links), the Raiders are taking a look at a handful of prospects today, working out South Dakota offensive lineman Matt Huffer, and hosting New Hampshire center Mike Coccia and Texas Southern defensive back Tray Walker.
- Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell, a potential second-day pick, has worked out for the Buccaneers, Browns, and Texans, and has workouts on deck with the Bears and Eagles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Delaware State defensive end Rodney Gunter, who had 57 tackles and seven sacks in his senior season, visited the Chiefs, a league source tells Wilson.
- The Broncos are hosting New Hampshire tight end Harold Spears for a pre-draft visit, according to Wilson.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Peterson, Willis, Draft
Wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the Eagles in the draft, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, UCF’s Breshad Perriman is paying a visit to the team today. It’s one of 18 pre-draft visits or private workouts Perriman has on his schedule in advance of the draft — the young wideout has had private workouts for the Giants and Texans, and recently visited the Ravens.
In addition to bringing in Perriman, the Eagles are also taking a look at USC’s Nelson Agholor, with Chip Kelly in Tampa today to work out a player he recruited back in his Oregon days (Twitter link via Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13).. Philadelphia has previously been linked to Agholor, so it looks like that interest is very genuine.
Here’s more out of the NFC:
- Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended, in-depth look at Adrian Peterson‘s situation in Minnesota, suggesting that if the Vikings were to trade the veteran running back, they probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick in return. Corry also identifies seven potential trade partners for the Vikes, with clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals.
- Speaking to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Corry says he’d be surprised if the 49ers don’t attempt to recoup a portion of Patrick Willis‘ signing bonus, following the linebacker’s retirement. In Corry’s view, the team could probably recover a minimum of $3.54MM from Willis. Chris Borland, who also retired this offseason, previously indicated he’d be returning three-quarters of his signing bonus to the Niners.
- Linebacker Darin Drakeford, who participated in last month’s veterans combine, is working out today for the Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Lions continue to examine speedy receiving prospects, bringing in UAB’s J.J. Nelson today for a pre-draft visit, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Draft Notes: Raiders, Williams, Winston
Peter King of The MMQB doesn’t believe in mock drafts, but today he gave us his “best guess” draft. Going by “the look in coach Ken Whisenhunt’s eyes when he talked about the pick last week at the league meetings,” King projects that the Titans will take Marcus Mariota at No. 2 after Jameis Winston is taken with the top pick. After that, he rounds out the top five with the Jaguars taking Florida outside linebacker Dante Fowler at No. 3, the Raiders selecting USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams at No. 4, and Washington taking West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White at No. 5, before trading him to the Rams for the No. 10 and 72 picks. Here’s a look at today’s draft news..
- The Raiders are high on Williams and could trade up to land him, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Oakland is in the pivot spot at No. 4 and although people have pegged them to land a wide receiver, they want the USC superstar and fear that he’ll be gone by No. 3. If they can’t get up land him, Cole says that they could move back to still take White or Amari Cooper while adding another asset.
- The NFL is still concerned about Winston’s maturity, according to Cole (video link). King (on Twitter) adds that the Bucs have done major homework on the FSU star. Their private eyes have interviewed more than 75 people in Winston’s past.
- Winston isn’t the only FSU product tied to the Buccaneers. Guard Josue Matias said he is scheduled to visit the Bucs next week as well, as Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com writes. Matias is viewed by draft experts as a second- or third-round pick. The Bucs, meanwhile, have a glaring need at right guard and their offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL in 2014.
- Former South Carolina guard A.J. Cann is drawing a ton of pre-draft interest, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Right now, Cann has visits and/or workouts scheduled with 14 different teams. Getlin adds that the Ravens, Saints, Vikings, and Buccaneers are among the teams the young lineman will meet with (link).
- South Carolina running back Mike Davis would be a great fit for the Patriots and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that he indeed has a visit lined up with them.
- Albany tight end Brian Parker will work out for the Eagles and visit the Bengals, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Parker has also drawn interest from the Vikings, Bills, and Seahawks. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder caught 39 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns last season.
- The Buccaneers worked out Idaho defensive lineman Quayshawne Buckley on Wednesday, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter). Pauline describes him as a sleeper and a strong fit for Tampa Bay’s system.
- University of Miami tight end Clive Walford has visits or workouts lined up with the Saints, Falcons, Dolphins, 49ers, Ravens, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
East Rumors: Pats, Dolphins, Boykin, Eagles
While linebacker Rolando McClain opted to return to Dallas, re-signing with the Cowboys today, the Patriots made a competitive offer to the former eighth overall pick. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), New England offered McClain a $4MM contract that was structured similarly to the Dallas deal, which has a $3MM base and $1MM in incentives. If the money was equal, McClain likely made his decision based on the familiarity of the Cowboys’ system, as well as the opportunity for more playing time.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- There’s a chance the Dolphins make a trade to acquire either a veteran guard or cornerback right before or during the draft, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. According to Salguero, one potential cornerback target is Brandon Boykin, whom the Eagles are said to be willing to trade. Evan Mathis is another possible trade option for Miami, with Philadelphia reportedly open to considering a deal for just about anyone if the price is right.
- Speaking of Eagles trades, safety Malcolm Jenkins says he and his teammates weren’t too shocked by the team’s decision to send LeSean McCoy to the Bills last month. “You look at the style of runner that Chip [Kelly] wants in his offense and even though Shady is one of the best backs in the league, he’s not necessarily what Chip is looking for all the time,” Jenkins said, per NFL.com. “Chip thinks he’s a great running back, he knows his talent is there, but our (system) is really predicated on downhill, somebody who is going to hit the hole every time.”
- The Eagles hosted UCLA edge defender Owamagbe Odighizuwa for a pre-draft visit yesterday, a source tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).