Draft Rumors: Glennon, Vikings, Colts, Giants
Jason Licht said the Buccaneers did not engage in any trade discussions involving quarterback Mike Glennon, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter), who added Licht and Dirk Koetter are “happy to have him.”
Jameis Winston‘s backup has not played since 2014 and was speculated as a trade target for quarterback-needy teams, joining Nick Foles, A.J. McCarron and the now-released Brian Hoyer in that regard. A 2013 third-round pick, Glennon is entering his contract year and as of now would net the Bucs a low-round compensatory selection if he departs in free agency.
The 26-year-old owns a 5-13 record during his starts as a rookie and then in 2014, completing 58.8% of his passes and throwing 29 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions before receding into a practice-only player once the Bucs drafted Winston.
Here’s the latest from Day 3 of the draft, beginning with a bit of history.
- German League standout Moritz Boehringer informed the Vikings he’d sign with the team as a free agent after the draft, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but those assurances evidently weren’t enough for the Vikings, who took the wide receiver project in the sixth round. A Vikings fan since he saw some Adrian Peterson YouTube videos in 2011, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Boehringer is responsible for a landmark draft moment: he’s the first foreign-born player selected who didn’t attend a North American college (Twitter links courtesy of Tommason).
- The Giants are going to add between 12 and 15 undrafted free agents, which is a slightly heightened figure from recent years, NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets.
- We heard earlier the Steelers were trying to move into the fifth round in order to select potentially a running back or quarterback, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, but balked when the players they targeted were no longer on the board.
- The Colts had some issues on their offensive front last year but did not necessarily intend to devote half of their initial six picks during the draft to the line, Jim Irsay told media (including Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com). Ryan Kelly and Le’Raven Clark went to Indianapolis in the first and third rounds, respectively, with the team adding Carson Wentz‘s top blocker at North Dakota State in guard Joe Haeg in the fifth.
Draft Updates: Cowboys, Tunsil, Pats, Jets, Saints
The Cowboys’ later-round selections have featured some interesting near-misses. Dallas has been linked to multiple players it did not end up selecting, including new Browns edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, whom Cleveland chose in Round 2. The team also eyed Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com reports.
Even its own pick brought uncertainty after a report surfaced Friday that the team nearly unloaded its second-round pick to the Bears before taking Notre Dame injured star Jaylon Smith. Perhaps these pass-rushers going off the board contributed to the urge to wanting to trade down.
We heard Friday night the Cowboys are not going to re-sign Greg Hardy. This, coupled with the looming suspensions of Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory have left the team thin at defensive end despite signing former Eagles edge presence Cedric Thornton in free agency. It took Dallas until the fourth round to address this spot, when it took Charles Tapper from Oklahoma.
Here’s the latest from the draft.
- The Saints traded up for the 120th pick, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), they didn’t get their selection in on time. This allowed the Vikings to jump the Saints, with Minnesota selecting offensive lineman Willie Beavers. New Orleans presumably still got their target in defensive tackle David Onyemata.
- The Dolphins believe it was the former financial advisor of rookie Laremy Tunsil who released the incriminating gas mask video, tweets Andrew Abrasion of The Palm Beach Post. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the video caused Tunsil to drop from the sixth overall pick to No. 13.
- Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that the team isn’t working to acquire another quarterback, including Nick Foles (Twitter link).
- Pauline also notes the Patriots‘ collection of second- or third-round quarterback choices in the Tom Brady era could have included Wisconsin passer Joel Stave instead of the player they actually selected, Jacoby Brissett, in the third round. While neither was considered a top prospect, Brissett was mentioned as a mid- or late-round pick before the lesser-regarded Stave — a 6-foot-5 former Badger, who remains on the board. Stave threw for just 11 TDs last season for the run-oriented Badgers.
- The Steelers are considering a trade to get into the fifth round, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.
Ben Levine contributed to this report
Broncos Out On Hoyer; Three Teams Have Made Offers
On the heels of selecting Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch with the 26th pick in the draft, the Broncos informed free agent Brian Hoyer on Friday that they won’t be signing him, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The Broncos will instead go forth with their current signal-calling trio that consists of veteran starter Mark Sanchez, Lynch and second-year man Trevor Siemian.
General manager John Elway doesn’t currently intend to add any more QBs because he doesn’t want to take reps from any of Sanchez, Lynch or Siemian. Further, team brass is confident that Sanchez is a good fit for head coach Gary Kubiak‘s West Coast offense. Sanchez, whom the Broncos acquired last month from the Eagles for a conditional pick, has struggled mightily since going fifth overall to the Jets in the 2009 draft. However, he was part of two Jets teams whose strong defenses helped lead them to back-to-back AFC title games. The Broncos, of course, won the Super Bowl last season on the strength of their all-world defense and figure to continue stymieing opposing offenses next season.
Prior to adding Lynch, the Broncos visited with Hoyer shortly after the Texans released him this month. They wanted to sign Hoyer as of last week, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link), but Thursday’s developments obviously changed that. Hoyer has offers to serve as a backup with the Steelers, Cowboys and Bears, per Renck, and will decide his next team soon. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune corroborated Renck’s report that the Bears are in on Hoyer (via Twitter).
The 30-year-old Hoyer made 11 appearances (nine starts) for the Texans in 2015 and enjoyed his best season as a pro. The Michigan State product completed more than 60 percent of his passes and racked up 2,606 yards, 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The AFC South-winning Texans went 5-4 in Hoyer’s starts, but his horrible first-round playoff showing (four interceptions in a 30-0 loss to Kansas City) helped lead to the signing of ex-Bronco Brock Osweiler, thus sealing Hoyer’s fate in Houston.
Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants
Here’s the latest from Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com entering the second day of the draft:
- After the Dolphins used the 13th pick on Laremy Tunsil, they called veteran left tackle Branden Albert and assured him he’ll remain at his current position and Tunsil will play left guard.
- The Cowboys “covet” Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah going into the second round, per Pauline, who dismisses the idea that they’re instead after Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa or Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence. Dallas holds the 34th selection but could end up moving down, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones (link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
- Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is unlikely to get past the Chiefs at No. 37, reports Pauline.
- The Giants are targeting offensive linemen and safeties entering Day 2, meaning Clemson safety T.J. Green could be a fit for the team at No. 40. Like Big Blue, the Steelers and Vikings are also eyeing safeties.
Pauline’s Latest: OTs, Steelers, Packers, Bucs
League insiders believe that as many as six offensive tackles could be selected in the first round of tonight’s draft, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin, and Taylor Decker are the obvious names, but Jason Spriggs, Le’Raven Clark, and Germain Ifedi are also candidates to go off the board tonight. The clubs that have put the most research into offensive tackles, per Pauline? The Colts, Packers, Seahawks, Broncos, Panthers, and Steelers.
Let’s check out the latest draft rumors, all courtesy of Pauline:
- Among the teams hoping to trade down tonight are the Falcons, Colts, Vikings, and Jets, according to Pauline. On the other side of the coin, the Cardinals, Panthers, and Broncos may like to trade up. Denver, presumably, would be targeting a quarterback in a trade-up scenario.
- The Steelers will consider a cornerback at pick No. 25, but they’ll also look at offensive tackles, writes Pauline. Pittsburgh returns Alejandro Villanueva at tackle, and signed Ryan Harris this offseason, but an upgrade wouldn’t be out of the question.
- The Packers might also like to find a new left tackle, says Pauline, as Green Bay would like to transition incumbent David Bakhtiari to left guard.
- If pass rusher Noah Spence is still available at the end of the first round, a club might trade back up in order to draft him, per Pauline. The Buccaneers are one team to watch in such a situation.
Draft Rumors: Texans, Pats, Bears
The latest draft rumors from around the NFL:
- Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams worked out privately for Texans coach Bill O’Brien and also visited the Steelers, Patriots, and Bears, Wilson tweets. Williams bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times at the NFL scouting combine and is said to be turning heads with his athleticism. Wilson writes that the A&M product, who had 34 tackles and seven passes defended in 2015, is drawing third/fourth round grades from scouts.
- Michigan linebacker James Ross is drawing interest from the Colts, Raiders, Ravens, and Lions, Wilson tweets.
- Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson had visited the Packers, Browns, Bengals, Chiefs, and Raiders, Wilson tweets. Anderson caught a career-high 70 passes for 939 yards on his way to an all-conference selection in 2015. The 6’3″, 190-pound receiver ran a 4.28 second 40-yard-dash at his Pro Day.
- The Buccaneers and Chargers worked out Iowa State receiver Quenton Bundrage, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Bundrage, who posted a 4.5 second 40-yard-dash time, finished his senior year with 41 receptions, 548 yards, and one touchdown as a senior. He missed the 2014 season with a knee injury.
- Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton is drawing late interest from the Texans, Vikings, and Cardinals, Wilson tweets.
Steelers Eyeing Two Cornerbacks
- The Steelers are thinking cornerback and Schrager says (link) that William Jackson III and Eli Apple are two names to watch if they’re avaialble when the Steelers are up.
Steelers Notes: Jarvis Jones, CBs, Draft
- In a pair of Steelers-related pieces, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review discusses Jarvis Jones‘ long-term future – or possible lack thereof – in Pittsburgh, while Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the team’s history of avoiding cornerbacks in the first round.
Steelers Could Trade Down In Draft
- The Steelers, currently slated to pick 25th overall in this year’s draft, are unlikely to trade up, but moving down remains on the table, general manager Kevin Colbert said today (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
Steelers Eyeing Karl Joseph
- Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that the Steelers and Colts are among the teams that have been doing most due diligence on West Virginia safety Karl Joseph. Joseph, who is coming off a major knee injury, is viewed as a probable day two pick.