NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins
Although Chip Kelly has had nothing but good things to say about Johnny Manziel publicly, it seems clear that the Eagles never really thought about taking him with the 22nd pick, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine. “I love him,” Kelly said. “I think he’s a dynamic quarterback. I also think we have a very, very good quarterback situation – not only with Nick [Foles], but you add Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley – we think quarterback is a strength for us right now. We felt like the pass-rusher who we had rated higher was the guy we were gonna take.”
- “Best player available” is used ad nauseam during the draft. However, it’s the Eagles‘ philosophy and they’re adamant about it, as evidenced by the quotes from GM Howie Roseman and elly in a column by Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Domowitch following the (surprise) selection of Marcus Smith.
- And then there’s the Cowboys, who did not stick to their board, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). When the Cowboys lost out on their top three draft targets last night — all defensive players — they opted for a relatively safe choice in offensive lineman Zack Martin even though they had Manziel graded higher.
- Consequently, rounds two and three have become more important for the Cowboys, says Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013 and losing DeMarcus Ware, the team has plenty of holes to fill, especially on the defensive line. George mentions four defensive lineman who could be on the team’s radar tonight: Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, Missouri’s Kony Ealy, Oregon State’s Scott Crichton and Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, all of whom made predraft visits to Dallas.
- The Giants‘ selection of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 12 puts them on track to fix their broken offense, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The LSU star caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Giants wide receiver Reuben Randle, who played with Beckham at LSU, described him as a “DeSean Jackson type,” writes Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News.
- The Redskins were not part of Thursday night’s festivities, but they’re up at No. 34 tonight, and USA Today’s Steven Ruiz takes a look at their options. Most speculation centers around the team selecting an offensive lineman, perhaps Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandijo, Virginia’s Morgan Moses or UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Browns Acquire No. 22, Draft Johnny Manziel
The Eagles have traded their No. 22 pick to the Browns, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). The Browns will take Johnny Manziel with the pick, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). In exchange for the No. 22 pick, the Eagles will get the Browns’ No. 26 as well as the No. 83 overall pick, tweets Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com.
While Manziel is an exciting addition for the Browns, Cleveland fans should remember that both Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden were also taken with the 22nd overall pick. The Browns were far from alone in their affinity for Johnny Football and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets that the Vikings were also trying to trade up for him.
The Browns were known to be high on Manziel, but both coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer told reporters that the big question was value. While they liked the Texas A&M product, they didn’t feel that he would be their best use of the No. 4 pick. It turns out they were right – Manziel took a serious slide and the Browns were able to get him in the back third of the first round.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Rams, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles
While most of the Derek Carr chatter has centered around the Raiders’ rumored interest, ESPN’s Pat Yasinkas speculates the Buccaneers could also be eying Carr, whose older brother David was coached by Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford. Additionally, two tweets from NFL Network’s Albert Breer say Bucs second-year quarterback Mike Glennon could be a trade candidate “if things break a certain way”. It’s not that the team doesn’t like Glennon, tweets Breer. However, Carr’s mobility would make him a better system fit.
News and rumors and coming fast and furious as the draft approaches. Here’s some more NFC nuggets:
- Via Twitter, Josina Anderson relays a couple tidbits of information from Rams GM Les Snead, who says they’re still in the “flirting stage” with teams calling about the No. 2 pick. Snead also thinks Johnny Manziel might be the only quarterback teams are willing to trade up for: “That seems to be the way it’s going. So when you are in that position, you need to get to know that human being just like you are going to draft him. Like if you are going to trade your piece of real estate, it helps to know the commodity they are coming after.”
- The Bears have just nine players who they drafted before 2013, details the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, who says the team has been “marginally competitive” thanks primarily to trades and free agency. General manager Phil Emery has to turn around the team’s poor draft record in order to achieve long-term stability, however.
- Three compensatory picks in the seventh round will enable the Cowboys to target priority free agents, says ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer, who quotes executive VP Stephen Jones: “The seventh-round picks historically are throw-ins [in trades]. I don’t know if the league has caught up to what value a seventh-round pick is, in terms of the quote-unquote ‘charts’ that are out there. If you look at what a seventh-round pick can bring you…I see it as a great opportunity for us to take six players that can help our football team.”
- The Giants would “seriously consider” drafting Johnny Manziel at No. 12, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix wants to be an Eagle, and he’s made that clear to Eagles director of player personnel Ed Marynowitz, a former Alabama recruiter, says Jeff Mosher at CSNPhilly.com.
Draft Rumors: Mosley, Texans, Evans, Watkins
If you want to move up to the No. 1 overall pick, it’s going to cost you big time. When a team with a Top 10 pick contacted the Texans to ask what it would cost them to move up, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer (video link) says Houston responded that they wanted the Robert Griffin III package. Two years ago, the Redskins gave up three first-round picks and a second-round pick to get their franchise quarterback. Of course, a team in the top five won’t have to give up as much as a team towards the back end of the top ten, so that’s not a flat asking price for everyone. The latest draft news from around the NFL..
- Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley told Bob Glauber of Newsday that he thinks he’ll go somewhere in the top half of the first round and maybe even be one of the first ten players off the board on Thursday night. “I heard top 10, I talked to my agent, I heard eight through 17,” Mosley said. “But at the end of the day, you never know. Teams trade up, they pretty much know who they’re going to pick, but they’re just looking to try to get the upper hand on other teams. I’m just going to go in with my family and my friends, just have fun and be happy wherever I get drafted.”
- Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans go in the top five. The expectation is that if Sammy Watkins out of Clemson goes before him, Evans doesn’t last much longer.
- Johnny Manziel is still the guy generating most conversation among execs, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter). The perception around the NFL is the Buccaneers, Rams, and Vikings could all be in play for the polarizing Texas A&M star.
- Don Banks of Sports Illustrated hears that Manziel’s family doesn’t want him to go to the Texans for fear that he won’t be able to distance himself from his “Johnny Football” persona. On top of that, he hears Manziel himself doesn’t want to play for the Jaguars.
- Manziel’s agent Erik Burkhardt told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that any talk of the QB not wanting to play for the Jaguars is untrue.
- Concordia defensive end Zach Moore tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that he had private workouts with the Patriots, Dolphins, Panthers, and Falcons. We had previously heard that Moore visited the Chargers, Cardinals, and Raiders.
- The Jets and Eagles have some interest in Syracuse defensive tackle Jay Bromley, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Broncos are more than open to moving up tomorrow night, tweets Rapoport.
AFC South Rumors: Texans, Jags, Bortles
Jadeveon Clowney is generally considered the top prospect in this year’s draft class, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report writes that many people around the league believe the Texans have settled on keeping their first overall pick and selecting the South Carolina end, since it’s the safest move. However, that pick certainly isn’t set in stone yet. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that he gets the sense Houston will remain flexible when it comes to potential options, and any trade may not occur until the club is on the clock tomorrow night.
As we try to search for clues regarding the Texans’ plans, let’s check in on a few more items out of the AFC South….
- According to veteran beat writer John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), word is spreading among the media in the New York that the Jaguars will select Johnny Manziel at No. 3. Of course, as is the case with any report the day before the draft, this could be a smokescreen — perhaps the Rams are trying to spur trade action for their No. 2 pick.
- A league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Blake Bortles is one of three players the Jaguars have identified as a potential pick at No. 3. Within Florio’s exploration of where Bortles could land, he identifies the Texans as a possible destination too, particularly if Houston trades out of the No. 1 spot.
- The Colts are among the teams that have worked out Arkansas kicker Zach Hocker, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hockey, who has drawn interest from more than 20 NFL teams, also worked out for the Cardinals, Saints, and Eagles, per Wilson.
East Rumors: Manziel, Pats, Jets, Eagles
Within his latest article for Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman drops a few nuggets relating to NFC and AFC East clubs, writing that the Cowboys and Eagles both definitely have interest in Johnny Manziel, but are very unlikely to land him. Meanwhile, one scout tells Freeman he thinks there’s a “90% chance” the Patriots draft a quarterback this week, since New England knows the Tom Brady era will end within the next few years.
Let’s round up several more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported previously that the Jets are trying to move up in the first round, and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News is hearing similar rumblings. A source tells Mehta that the Jets have been telling other teams they’re interested in trading up.
- The Patriots hosted free agent guard Davin Joseph for a visit, according to Field Yates and Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. New England’s current projected starting guards, Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly, are both entering their age-32 seasons, so having a veteran like Joseph around for insurance purposes could be beneficial for the club.
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) keeps hearing that the Eagles really love Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, who probably won’t still be on the board at No. 22. If Philadelphia decides to move up in the first round, Fuller could be the team’s target, though Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Steelers, who pick several spots ahead of the Eagles, are also high on the young corner.
- Cornerback Prince Amukamara said he was “definitely relieved” that the Giants decided to pick up their fifth-year option on his rookie contract last week, as Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News details.
Extra Points: Texans, Rams, Eagles, Beckham
The Texans and the Rams hold the first two picks in the draft and there’s a growing sense that both teams really want to trade down, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The thinking in some league circles is that the Texans would like to trade down and take linebacker Khalil Mack while its believed the Rams would like to trade back for tackle Jake Matthews. The question now, Florio writes, is whether either or both team actually can trade down. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- Earlier tonight Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter) reported that the Browns won’t take Johnny Manziel at No. 4 and he now says the Raiders won’t select the Texas A&M QB at No. 5 either.
- Florio hears that if the Buccaneers move up, it’ll be to select Manziel, not Sammy Watkins. It’s not known whether a deal is close or even doable, however.
- The Eagles would like to add an edge rusher, but there aren’t many quality ones in this year’s draft, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Perhaps it’s a good thing then that General Manager Howie Roseman believes in taking the best player available regardless of position.
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the 49ers should go for a fast receiver or a big receiver in the draft. If SF fails to trade up and get speedster Odell Beckham Jr., a bigger receiver could fall to the team at no. 30, including FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin.
- The Seahawks have sent agents a brochure recruiting undrafted free agents with details on how they keep and develop UDFAs, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport (link) also has the brochure in PDF form for those who want to check it out.
- Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas has signed with agents Brian Murphy and Dave Dunn of Athletes First, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Thomas checked in with the Falcons and Bears last month.
- The lack of contract extensions so far for the 2011 draft class doesn’t reflect a failure on the part of the league’s CBA, argues Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, pointing out that those extensions will just happen later than they used to.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Links: Rams, Cowboys, Eagles, Draft
Rumors continue to swirl linking the Rams to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, but Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is skeptical that there’s any weight to those rumblings. According to Thomas, most sources he has spoken to are saying variations of the same thing — no one around the league believes St. Louis will actually select Manziel, and the Rams are attempting to drum up trade interest for the pick.
We only have two more days until we know for sure what to believe on draft night. In the meantime, let’s check out a few NFC items….
- The Cowboys would remove a player who failed his drug test from their draft board, but the team won’t do so with Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, who remains a potential target for the club, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) keeps hearing that there will be a cornerback run in the middle of the first round and that the Eagles may be in a position to draft a wide receiver with their 22nd overall pick.
- Xavier Su’a-Filo, one of the top guards among this year’s draft class, had workouts with the Rams and Falcons, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that the UCLA lineman also visited the Broncos.
- The Cardinals worked out Virginia Tech wide receiver D.J. Coles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Coles has also drawn interest from a handful of AFC teams, including the Texans, Broncos, and Raiders.
Wilson’s Latest: Schaudt, Presley, Cole
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has spent the last several weeks providing updates on pre-draft visits, private workouts, and prospects drawing interest from specific NFL teams, ranging from first-round locks to potential undrafted free agents. He has a few more tidbits for us this morning, via Twitter, so let’s dive in and round them up….
- Minnesota State edge rusher Chris Schaudt is receiving interest from the Browns, Raiders, Vikings, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, Eagles, and Broncos. Wilson had reported over the weekend that Schaudt, who played defensive end in college, was being considered by several 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker.
- Akron defensive end Albert Presley has drawn interest from the Dolphins and Buccaneers.
- The Texans and Cardinals have interest in Maine outside linebacker Michael Cole, who also worked out for the Giants last month.
- Citadel defensive back Brandon McCladdie has generated interest from the Panthers, Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Texans.
- The Jaguars and Giants are among the teams interested in East Carolina strong safety Chip Thompson.
Draft Notes: Caplan, Safeties, Beckham
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan held a Q&A on Twitter Monday evening, and that session contained a few interesting nuggets. All links, of course, go to Twitter:
- Caplan does not believe Johnny Manziel will make it past pick No. 7, but his absolute floor is No. 13.
- He also does not think Manziel’s former teammate, Mike Evans, will make it out of the top 10.
- Caplan tweets that TE Jace Amaro could go in the first round, but is more likely a 2nd-round prospect, along with Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
- Caplan believes another high-riser, DT Aaron Donald, has turned himself into a top-10 selection.
- As he has been saying all offseason, Caplan thinks the Vikings will bolster their defense with the No. 8 overall selection.
And as beat writers and national analysts continue to churn out draft tidbits like so much butter, let’s dive into some more draft-related links:
- Barring a trade, the Colts will not pick until deep into Day 2, as their first selection is No. 59 overall. When they finally do send a draft card to the podium, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that the team will take a “long look” at safeties. Which is understandable given how thin they currently are at the position.
- However, this year’s safety class is fairly weak, and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Eagles, another team that needs safety help, will find slim pickings even in the first round. As Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman says, “I don’t think it’s a good group overall.“
- ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that if the Jets really want LSU wideout Odell Beckham, Jr., they will have to trade up to get him. At least one team above the Jet’s No. 18 overall selection is said to be in love with Beckham.
- Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle tweets that seven teams called Baylor CB Demetri Goodson today, and that the Titans expressed strong interest.
- The Bears and Ravens both have mid-first round picks, and both are set at the quarterback position. As such, a run on QBs early in the first would benefit both teams by allowing talent at other positions to fall, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Biggs believe that such a run will, in fact, happen.
- In the same piece, Brown writes that the Ravens could also stand to benefit even if there is no early run on quarterbacks, as their No. 17 overall selection would be more appealing to teams in search of a top QB prospect. Although Baltimore has been widely expected to take an offensive lineman or wide receiver in the first round, Brown believes they could “pull a surprise” and take a cornerback first if someone like Justin Gilbert or Darqueze Dennard should fall.