NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Hart
As if conditional picks based on a player’s performance weren’t convoluted enough, the 2015 draft pick included in the swap the Eagles and Bills pulled off today hinges on the performance of two players, Steve Johnson and Bryce Brown. Eagles GM Howie Roseman told reporters today, including Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link), that he doesn’t think he’s been involved in such a complicated deal before. Roseman also called the trade a win for both sides: “We weren’t looking to dump [Brown], but … there was opportunity for value” (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the Eagles and one of their NFC East rivals:
- The Eagles were hoping to land at least one offensive lineman in the draft, but according to Roseman (Twitter link), the run in the third round was like nothing he’d ever seen. The Eagles GM referred to missing out on offensive linemen as a “dagger in the heart,” per Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).
- Speaking of that third-round run on linemen, it sounds like it affected the Cowboys too. Executive VP Stephen Jones said the club was close to trading back up into the third round to draft a lineman, but Dallas’ target came off the board a few picks earlier than expected. Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the details and quotes from Jones, who said the trade would’ve seen the Cowboys give up a 2015 pick.
- Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart, who the Eagles snagged in the fifth round, had a third-round grade according to the team. Roseman said that he felt as if Philadelphia could wait on Hart since not many teams needed 3-4 ends (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
Eagles Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents
The Eagles have added 15 undrafted free agents to their roster, the team announced today (all Twitter links). Here’s the complete list of players Philadelphia agreed to sign following the draft:
- Josh Andrews, G, Oregon State ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Blake Annen, TE, Cincinnati
- Karim Barton, G, Morgan State
- Kadron Boone, WR, LSU
- Trey Burton, TE, Florida ($7.5K bonus and $12.5K in other guarantees, per Wilson)
- David Fluellen, RB, Toledo
- John Fulton, CB, Alabama
- Kevin Graf, OT, USC
- Donald Hawkins, G, Texas
- Henry Josey, RB, Missouri ($10K bonus and $10K in other guarantees, per Wilson)
- Wade Keliikipi, DT, Oregon
- Daytawion Lowe, S, Oklahoma State
- Frank Mays, DE, Florida A&M
- Quron Pratt, WR, Rutgers
- Carey Spear, K, Vanderbilt
NFC East Notes: Brown, Graham, Hart, Martin
The Eagles have been fielding calls from the Bills about tailback Bryce Brown for a while, reports Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network and Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). The team finally moved Brown to the Bills in exchange for a conditional future pick.
Here are some other draft weekend notes from the NFC East:
- Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly said he does not expect any other players on the roster to be traded during the draft, reports Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter). That could be good news for Brandon Graham, who was thought to be on the trade block this weekend.
- Kelly wanted the Eagles to take Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart with the first pick in round four, reports the team insider of PhiladelphiaEagles.com (via Twitter). The team’s general manager Howie Roseman proved to be a smart draft manager, saying he would still be available when they selected at the top of the fifth round.
- The Cowboys almost missed their top draft pick Zack Martin of Notre Dame, as a coin flip gave them No. 16, one spot ahead of the Ravens. The Rams were in talks to exchange picks with the Ravens in order to jump up to No. 17 to select Martin, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Knowing that Johnny Manziel was near the top of the Cowboys’ board when the team selected, Florio writes that if Martin was not on the board, the team might have been more inclined to take the Texas A&M quarterback.
Bills Acquire Bryce Brown From Eagles
1:14pm: The pick the Eagles received from the Bills could become a third-rounder in 2016 only if Johnson meets his conditions that would defer the pick to 2016, and then Brown also meets his conditions, reports Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 Sports Radio (via Twitter).
12:22pm: The Eagles have confirmed the trade (via Twitter) and provided more details. In exchange for Brown, the Birds will receive either a 2015 fourth-rounder or a 2016 third- or fourth-rounder. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out (via Twitter) the condition is tied into Stevie Johnson’s performance in San Francisco because he was acquired from Buffalo for a conditional fourth-rounder.
Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the trade is simply a depth move, and Jackson’s job is safe (via Twitter).
11:49am: The Eagles have traded a player for a draft pick, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who reports (via Twitter) that running Bryce Brown will be sent to the Bills. Philadelphia acquires a future pick in the deal, per Mosher.
Brown became expendable following the addition of Darren Sproles. In Buffalo, Brown will provide depth behind C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, both of whom are entering the final year of their deals.
NFC Notes: Eagles, 49ers, Giants, Packers, Saints, Gettleman
Eagles GM Howie Roseman met with the media following the first-round selection of Marcus Smith 26th overall, and Philly.com’s Jeff McLane had seven follow-up thoughts. Most notably, Roseman shared his initial plan of attack. Plan A entailed the team having a list of six players likely to be gone by No. 22 (where the Eagles originally were position prior to the trade down) but worth moving up for. To the best of McLane’s knowledge, that list included Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
When those players were gone, Roseman was prepared to move down, pick up an additional pick and choose the best player available. McLane is ” not convinced Smith was at the top of that list, but of the players there he played a premium position of need and thus was moved to the front.” McLane also spoke to other teams’ representatives whose grades on Smith ranged from second to fourth round.
Here’s several more quick-hitting, NFC news and notes:
- The Eagles place on emphasis on college graduates, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- The Giants drafted Weston Richburg 43rd overall last night, and what made him attractive to the team was his ability to not only block effectively, but handle the responsibility associated with the position, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “[Tom] Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese both said the center’s responsibility for handling line and protection calls will increase under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross said Richburg scored an impressive 31 on the Wonderlic test and impressed the Giants in his combine interview with his intelligence.”
- The 49ers were very active Friday night, making five trades that netted veteran receiver Stevie Johnson as well as running back Carlos Hyde (No. 57), center Marcus Martin (No. 76), linebacker Chris Borland (No. 77) and offensive lineman Brandon Thomas (No. 100). Eric Branch at sfgate.com recaps the team’s busy day here. The 49ers also have seven picks in the final four rounds.
- The 49ers deep stable of running backs now includes Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore and Hyde. James wants more playing time and is open to a trade, but the team has no plans to move him, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
- The Packers are confident Davante Adams is the next in a long line of productive receivers drafted in the second and third round, writes Bob McGinn in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Redskins second-rounder Trent Murphy, whom the team expects to contribute right away as a nickel rusher, “protects the team’s long-term interests at OLB,” tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
- With the selection of big cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste 53rd overall, the Saints continue to build a “Seattle-like secondary,” writes Larry Holder of Nola.com.
- The Panthers announced via Twitter that GM Dave Gettleman will draft remotely via Skype today so he can be present for his son’s college graduation.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Redskins, Finley, Eagles
The latest news and notes from the National Football Conference:
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says the team had a first-round grade on defensive end Kony Ealy, whom Carolina selected with the No. 60 pick, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton.
- Gettleman also hopes to draft a corner on Day 3, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Along with offensive line and receiver, both of which were addressed, defensive back was considered a strong need for the Panthers.
- The Redskins, having missed out on Charles Sims, were hoping that running back Tre Mason would be available at pick No. 78, but he went No. 75 to the Rams, says Chris Russell of ESPN 980 in Washington (Twitter link).
- Packers general manager Ted Thompson doesn’t rule out a return to Green Bay for tight end Jermichael Finley simply because the team selected Richard Rodgers. “I don’t necessarily think the two are tied at all,” said Thompson (via Jason Wilde of ESPN.com on Twitter).
- The Eagles might want to draft some “redshirt” players on Day 3 (i.e. injured prospects who may miss most of their first year in the league), and Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Philadelphia could be interested in Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin, who tore his ACL during Senior Bowl practice in January.
- Nothing is official, but veteran offensive guard Brian Waters probably won’t return to the Cowboys in 2014, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (via Twitter), who notes that Waters still has not had surgery on his torn triceps.
East Notes: Manziel, Patriots, Cowboys
Here’s the latest from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that the Patriots were considering taking Johnny Manziel at pick No. 29 (via the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin on Twitter). This report clashes with a leaked Pats scouting report on Manziel, which painted the quarterback in a largely negative light.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones conceded that Manziel was the highest player left on Dallas’ board when it picked at No. 16, but noted that the team simply has too much invested in Tony Romo, according to Charean Williams of the Fort-Worth Start Telegram (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins’ selection of Jarvis Landry could mean the team parts ways with Brian Hartline after the 2014 season, tweets Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. Miami could save a little over $6MM by cutting Hartline after the coming season.
- Jace Amaro, taken by the Jets in the second round (No. 49), thought New York might select him in the first round, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
- Eagles coach Chip Kelly agrees with the sentiment that this draft is exceptionally deep, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “There are guys right now still on the board that we have rated in the third round that will be there tomorrow,” said Kelly.
Texans Trade Up, Acquire Pick No. 83 From Eagles
The Texans have acquired the No. 83 pick from the Eagles, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Houston will give up a fourth-round (101) and fifth-round pick (141) to Philadelphia for No. 83, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Notably, this is the first pick that has been traded three separate times — it had previously been owned by both the Steelers and the Browns.
Houston used the pick to select Notre Dame defensive tackle Louis Nix, per Caplan on Twitter. The selection ends a draft day slide for Nix, who was projected as a first-round pick. The Texans, under new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, will play a more standard type of 3-4 defense (rather than what they utilized under Wade Phillips in 2013) that requires a mammoth, space-filling nose tackle, a role that Nix played in Notre Dame’s 3-4.
Eagles Trade With Titans, Move To No. 42
The Eagles have acquired the No. 42 overall pick in the second round from the Titans, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The Eagles gave up their fourth round pick (No. 122) to go from No. 54 to No. 42, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. The Eagles will use the pick to take wide receiver Jordan Matthews out of Vanderbilt, according to La Canfora (on Twitter).
The 6’3″, 205 pound wide receiver didn’t come into the draft with as much hype as Marqise Lee, who was snagged by the Jaguars at No. 39, but he comes with tremendous hands and solid route running skills. Matthews worked out for a number of teams individually, including the Falcons, Raiders, and even the Titans, but he’ll go to Philadelphia to join Nick Foles & Co.
NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Redskins, Kouandjio
The Cowboys are looking to make a big move up the second draft board to secure help for their front seven, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter) hears. The latest out of the NFC East..
- The Redskins were not a part of last night’s festivities but they could be open to moving their No. 34 pick tonight, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. General Manager Bruce Allen is listening to calls from teams interested in moving up for a quarterback or a receiver with the second pick in round two but he’s being patient, realizing that the deals will get better, not worse, as Friday unfolds. The GM could even wait until Washington is on the clock to start weighing offers.
- The Redskins are a team to watch for Alabama offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Washington would have taken him in the first round if they had a pick there so they’d gladly grab him in the second tonight. The bruising offensive lineman has local ties too as a product of Maryland’s DeMatha Catholic High School.
- The Eagles passing on Johnny Manziel at No. 22 is a ringing endorsement of quarterback Nick Foles, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank. Foles looked like a superstar in the second half of 2013 and it seems like coach Chip Kelly & Co. are confident that it was more than good luck.