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.
AFC North Rumors: Big Ben, Ravens, Browns
Although Ben Roethlisberger heads into the 2014 season with two years left on his contract, he expects his career to extend well beyond his current deal, as he told 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday (link via ESPN.com’s Scott Brown).
“I feel like I’m in great shape,” Roethlisberger said. “I think I can get five, six, seven more years out of this arm and these legs.”
Roethlisberger turned 32 in March, so another seven seasons would have him pushing 40, but the Steelers at least appear interested in locking him up beyond the 2015 campaign. We heard last month that extension talks between the two sides have been ongoing for a while, and that discussions could pick up later this summer when Pittsburgh picks up some post-June 1 cap space.
Here’s more from around the AFC North:
- The Ravens, who may be targeting a quarterback at some point in this week’s draft, have done their due diligence on LSU signal-caller Zach Mettenberger, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. That means the team is likely aware of a back condition called Spondylolsis, which several teams have medically flagged Mettenberger for, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While LSU trainer Jack Marucci said it was a non-issue for the QB during his senior season, it would represent a long-term concern for Mettenberger’s NFL suitors.
- Virginia offensive tackle Morgan Moses had 13 private workouts or official visits leading up to the draft, including a visit to Baltimore to meet with the Ravens, writes Wilson at the Sun. According to Wilson, the Saints were among the other teams to host Moses for a pre-draft visit.
- The best approach for the Browns with their No. 4 pick on Thursday may be to trade down, says Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, making the case for why a move back would make sense for the club.
Draft Updates: Cowboys, Watkins, Ealy, Pryor
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out last month, since Jerry Jones have overseen Cowboys drafts, the team has traded up or down in the first round in 20 of 25 instances, or 80% of the time. That would suggest there’s a good chance Dallas won’t stand pat on Thursday, but it doesn’t sound like the club is too engaged in trade talks yet.
“We haven’t heard a lot from other clubs,” Jones said today, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “We haven’t found that to be particularly productive. That’s day-of-draft type dynamics. I’d be surprised if there are not trade opportunities by the time you get to where we’re going to be picking or certainly afterwards.”
Here’s more on the 2014 NFL draft, which is now just a little over 50 hours away:
- The Lions have frequently been linked to wide receiver Sammy Watkins, and Watkins confirmed today to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter links) that Detroit was the only team to meet with him more than once. “That sounds like they really want me, but you never know,” said the Clemson wideout.
- If two meetings are a signal of legit interest, count the Cowboys, Falcons, and Bears among the potential landing spots for defensive lineman Kony Ealy. As Hubbuch tweets, all three clubs met with Ealy multiple times.
- The Jets‘ interview of Calvin Pryor was extensive, the Louisville safety told Hubbuch (Twitter link). “They really seemed interested,” according to Pryor.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on Florida State running back Devonta Freeman and Utah cornerback Keith McGill. According to Wilson, Freeman met with the Steelers and worked out for the Falcons, Patriots, and Dolphins, while McGill either visited or worked out for the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Redskins, and Raiders, among other teams.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Draft, Ravens
While the Steelers are currently slated to pick No. 15 on Thursday evening, it’s possible that’s not the spot they’ll ultimately end up in, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details. However, the team is far more likely to move down from No. 15 than to move up, according to general manager Kevin Colbert.
“We won’t be trading up because we can’t,” Colbert said, citing the team’s lack of a movable third-round pick. “We can still trade down and, with the depth of the draft, that’s a real possibility. Or, at least, it’s an option that’s available to us.”
Assuming the Steelers stay put, there are just a handful of positions they’ll be considering, but “no position” would be off the table if the team moves back in the first round, says Colbert. Still, it’s very unlikely that Pittsburgh would target a quarterback or running back that early. The GM specifically singled out wide receiver and cornerback as a couple positions where the Steelers love all the talent available.
Let’s round up some more Steelers info, as well as a couple items on one of their division rivals….
- With the pressure on Colbert and his staff in Pittsburgh this week, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a closer look at the Steelers GM, who former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi calls “the most unheralded GM in the league.”
- The Ravens aren’t likely to target a quarterback with their first- or second-round pick, but the club will likely add one at some point in the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. GM Ozzie Newsome on the subject: “[We] need to be looking at bringing in another quarterback so we can have someone that is capable of going into the game as we move forward in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, in case we can’t keep Tyrod [Taylor], that we have someone who can go and win games for us if Joe [Flacco] gets hurt.”
- Speaking of Newsome, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reads between the lines of some of the Ravens GM’s comments at the team’s pre-draft press conference and wonders if this could be Newsome’s last year in his current position.
Monday Roundup: Keisel, More Draft Notes
It might come as a bit of a shock, but there is one piece of non-draft news to pass along tonight. According to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not ruled out a possible reunion with DE Brett Keisel. Tomlin added that the team has to add to its defensive line (Twitter link).
Now let’s round up some more draft-related rumors for the final post of the evening and gear up for another day of draft nuggets tomorrow.
- More and more teams are trying to mimic the examples set by master draft manipulators like Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome and New England’s Bill Belichick, and so there has been a great deal of speculation regarding what teams might want to move up or down in the 2014 draft, particularly in the first round. The defending AFC champions are no exception. Broncos GM John Elway says he is open to trading up or down, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, and although the team could use a cornerback, the top CB prospects are likely to be gone before Denver’s No. 31 overall selection. Linebacker and offensive lineman are also first-round possibilities for the club.
- ESPN.com’s Mike Sando has compiled a list of the top eight questions to consider heading into Thursday’s first round. The whole article is worth a read, but the highlights include Sando’s belief that Khalil Mack could be the top prospect to have an Aaron Rodgers-like fall in the draft, and his insight that Odell Beckham, Jr., not Mike Evans, could be directly behind Sammy Watkins as the No. 2 wideout on some teams’ boards.
- Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that Michael Sam, despite the positive publicity he has garnered over the past few months, is widely regarded as a “non-entity” by many top executives.
- Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes that the Ravens‘ top target is TE Eric Ebron, who may or may not be around when the Ravens pick at No. 17 overall. According to Pauline, the Giants may be souring on Ebron, though if Baltimore does not trade up, the Steelers are also considered a top suitor for Ebron’s services.
- ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky looks at some potential targets for the Titans if they choose to trade down.
- ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco makes a case for the Jaguars to draft Teddy Bridgewater.
- NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the Chiefs could be a surprise team in the market for a first-round QB, as negotiations with Alex Smith are not progressing well.
AFC North Roundup: Browns, Savage, Bengals
The Browns are interested in trading up in the latter half of Thursday’s draft, from the 26th pick to the 18-22 range, and the Dolphins, who hold the 18th pick, could be a match, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Cleveland, which also holds the fourth overall selection, could be looking to move up and add a franchise quarterback, while Miami could try to move down, acquire more picks, and then supplement their offensive line.
More news from the AFC North awaits:
- While Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage didn’t privately meet with or workout for the Ravens, he did speak with the team a few times, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Savage was the only quarterback to visit with the Bengals in Cincinnati, but the team also privately worked out Logan Thomas, and met with A.J. McCarron and Zach Mettenberger, according to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer (via Twitter).
- Paul Dehner, Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes that the Bengals purported interest in Teddy Bridgewater is merely a smoke screen, and that Cincinnati hopes a team with a quarterback need will offer to trade for the 24th pick.
- The Ravens could look to draft a defensive lineman to replace the departed Arthur Jones, writes Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. Zenitz posits Ra’Shede Hageman and Stephon Tuitt as two possible fits for Baltimore.
- Much of the Ravens’ draft history is based on talented players falling to them, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, pointing to Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata as prospects whom Baltimore was lucky to acquire. But that likely won’t happen this year, as potential Ravens targets Taylor Lewan, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Eric Ebron probably won’t fall to the 17th pick.
- The Steelers could use a nose tackle, but due to the limited playing time available to the position in the modern NFL, probably shouldn’t take one at pick No. 15, says Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Sulia link).
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says the team won’t trade up in the first round, tweets Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) has more from Colbert, who says the Steelers would take an outside linebacker in the first round if a “great player” was available, despite the presence of 2013 first-rounder Jarvis Jones.
AFC North Notes: More Draft Discussion
After the 2014 NFL draft, despite pleas and caveats that the quality of any team’s draft class cannot be determined until at least 2017, there will be innumerable beat writers and national writers giving each club a grade for its draft haul. These post-draft evaluations are just as much a part of NFL draft coverage as the countless iterations of mock drafts that seem to be created earlier and earlier every year.
Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, however, goes all the way back to the 1974 draft to show how one class of players, one collection of rookies, can have stunning and far-reaching impacts on a team’s fortunes for years, and even decades. In 1974, the Steelers boasted one of the greatest draft classes in NFL history, landing four future Hall of Famers in their first five picks, including Lynn Swann and Jack Lambert.
The Browns, meanwhile, traded their 1974 first-round selection and a 1975 second-rounder to San Diego in exchange for so-so linebacker Bob Babich. They also traded their third-rounder to Denver for backup QB Don Horn, and they traded their fourth-rounder to the Raiders for WR Gloster Richardson. With their one pick that remained in the first four rounds, the Browns selected tackle Billy Corbett, who never played in an NFL game. They did not fare much better in the rest of the draft.
The Browns were therefore unable to supplement their aging roster, and they would not make the playoffs again until 1980. They would not win another playoff game until 1986. Not that the 1974 draft had everything to do with that downward spiral, or the run of futility that followed their brief spurt of success in the mid-1980s, but when considered in conjunction with Pittsburgh’s record of success since that time, it gives one an extra reason to look to the events of this week with increased anticipation (or anxiety).
Now for some AFC North notes:
- In a separate piece, Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that cornerback is the biggest position of need for the Steelers, but the quality of the cornerback class and the lack of a consensus No. 1 player in that group will make for a tough decision if that’s the direction Pittsburgh chooses with the No. 15 overall pick.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at how the Steelers should utilize their nine draft picks this week to maximize the chances that the class representing the 40th anniversary of the 1974 draft will be just as productive for Pittsburgh as that 1974 collection was.
- Paul Dehner, Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer looks at the machinations of the Bengals scouting department and how that group has turned the Bengals into a consistent winner again.
- ESPN.con’s Jamison Hensley describes how highly the Ravens value small school prospects and the success they have had with such prospects (with Joe Flacco and Lardarius Webb serving as examples).
- Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that the Browns should avoid a QB with their No. 4 overall pick and she goes on to describe how she believes the team should approach this draft.
AFC North Draft Notes: Ebron, Ravens, Bengals
The latest out of the AFC North:
- The Ravens would likely select tight end Eric Ebron in the event that he falls to pick No. 17, tweets Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. Baltimore could also have interest in Jace Amaro or Austin Seferian-Jenkins, likely in the second round.
- In another tweet, Zenitz mentions that the have Ravens interest in yet another tight end, Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas, who is viewed as an excellent in-line blocker.
- In a separate, full-fledged article, Zenitz points to the Ravens’ addition of tight-end friendly offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak as evidence for why adding a third tight end to a group that already includes Dennis Pitta and Owen Daniels is not unfathomable.
- Teddy Bridgewater to the Bengals makes sense, writes Cole Harvey of ESPN.com, even if Cincinnati has more pressing needs. Harvey still believes the team should focus on either defense or offensive line depth in the first round, but allows that the addition of Bridgewater would be a smart play what with Andy Dalton‘s looming contract situation.
- Former NFL general manager Bill Polian doesn’t think Ebron is a fit for the Steelers, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Ebron, who is more a of a dynamic pass-catcher than an in-line tight end, would not mesh with the Steelers’ preference for TEs who maul in both run and pass blocking.
- Because of Brian Hoyer‘s rapid recovery from injury, and the signing of Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen, the Browns might be positioning themselves to draft a quarterback in the second round, or even later, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. This would allow the team to focus its two first-round picks on other positions of need, such as receiver or cornerback.
AFC Notes: Colts, Raiders, Chiefs, Draft
Colts GM Ryan Grigson is keeping his options open at center, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. The Colts released last season’s starting center, Samson Satele, in March and Phil Costa suddenly retired last month, leaving Khaled Holmes, the likely starter, and Thomas Austin as the centers on the roster. Guard Donald Thomas, who was signed a year ago, can also play some center but has question marks after suffering a torn tendon in his quad and a torn bicep last season.
Here are a few more Friday evening items from around the AFC:
- The Raiders haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver in eight seasons, so it only makes sense for Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com to run down the most intriguing wide receiver options for the club in the upcoming draft. The list starts with (who else?) Sammy Watkins, but also highlights Mississippi’s Donte Moncrief, Penn State’s Allen Robinson, Indiana’s Cody Latimer, Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, and Fresno State’s Davante Adams as solid options outside of the first round.
- Count the Chiefs as a sleeper team to potentially draft a quarterback in the first three rounds next week, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Of course, unless Kansas City makes a trade, the club won’t have a second-round pick.
- Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter) gets the sense that the Chiefs will focus on offensive lineman, cornerbacks, wide receivers, and outside linebackers in the first round. However, studs who fall at other positions like tight end and – as Mortensen suggests – quarterback could be in play.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that Nebraska wide receiver Quincy Enunwa visited the Raiders and Steelers, and also writes that Stony Brook wideout Malcolm Eugene worked out for the Raiders, Colts, and Jets.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Visits: Bradford, Vereen, Shembo, Tripp
2014’s period of pre-draft visits for prospects and NFL teams came to an end yesterday. Players will no longer be permitted to visit clubs between now and the draft on May 8, though teams are still allowed to work out players. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com have some details on some players who made visits prior to yesterday’s deadline, so let’s round up the highlights….
- Arizona State outside linebacker Carl Bradford worked out for the Falcons and visited the Steelers, 49ers, and Chargers, reports Wilson. The Jaguars and Dolphins were among the other clubs to meet with Bradford, who is viewed as a potential second-round target.
- The Giants hosted Richmond wide receiver Ben Edwards for a visit, according to Wilson. Edwards, who caught more than 200 passes during his college career, had his Pro Day attended by 20 NFL teams. Wilson adds that Minnesota safety Brock Vereen also visited the Giants.
- Notre Dame outside linebacker Prince Shembo visited the Packers and also privately worked out for the Patriots, Jaguars, and Falcons, league sources tell Wilson.
- Wilson also has the latest on Florida cornerback Jaylen Watkins, the brother of Sammy Watkins. According to Wilson, the former Gators DB has visited the Redskins, Falcons, and Eagles, and worked out for the Panthers and Patriots. Watkins met with the Colts and Lions as well.
- In addition to his previously reported visits with the Falcons and Eagles, Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp also had workouts for the Patriots and Panthers, tweets Caplan.
- In a separate tweet, Caplan adds North Carolina State defensive back Dontae Johnson to the list of prospects who visited the Eagles.