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Amari Cooper

Draft Visits: Titans, Jags, Steelers, 49ers

April 8th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Having hosted receiver Kevin White for a visit already, the Titans are scheduled to meet with Alabama wideout Amari Cooper next week, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). While the two players are considered the top two prospects at their position, it would still be a surprise to see either player go as high as No. 2 to Tennessee, so perhaps the team is doing due diligence in case it trades down. Of course, I’d argue that the Titans have multiple positions that are bigger holes than wide receiver, but there’s no harm in exploring every potential option.

Here are more updates on upcoming draft visits, as well as some that have already happened:

  • Another top-five team keeping its options open is Jacksonville, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have hosted Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley for pre-draft visits. Third overall is almost certainly too high to draft a running back, so the Jags could be doing their homework in case they make a draft-day trade.
  • Rapoport also passes along an update on wide receiver DeVante Parker, tweeting that the former Louisville Cardinal has visits with the Jets, Titans, and Bears on his schedule. Parker has also visited the Jaguars and is meeting with the Vikings today.
  • Virginia edge rusher Eli Harold, Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson, Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, and Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah all visited the Steelers today, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • Speaking of Harold, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Virginia product has visited or worked out for 14 teams, including the Bears, Jaguars, Saints, and Jets.
  • The 49ers and Steelers will host Auburn receiver Sammie Coates for visits next week, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Coates has also visited the Browns and, as previously reported, the Dolphins.
  • Per Wilson (via Twitter), USC tight end Randall Telfer has visited the Eagles, will visit the Patriots, and has a private meeting lined up with the Falcons.
  • Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports (via Twitter) that that Sacramento State wide receiver DeAndre Carter worked out for the Cardinals this week, and will attend local pro days for the Raiders and 49ers next week.

49ers Looking To Trade Up For Amari Cooper

April 2nd, 2015 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are looking to trade up from pick No. 15 to land Alabama star Amari Cooper, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link).

GM Trent Baalke has fallen in love with Cooper, particularly because he is polished, well-rounded, and seems ready to contribute almost immediately. Cooper can play any of the three receiver positions for the 49ers, which would give them a number of options in 2015. San Francisco has Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith in the fold, but Cooper could be the team’s offseason replacement for Michael Crabtree.

The 49ers, Miller says, have already started asking around about where Cooper is expected to land and they are trying to figure out what it would take to get in that range. In Miller’s view, the Niners would have to get up to No. 6 if he makes it past the Raiders at No. 4 because the Bears (No. 7) would love to pair Cooper with Alshon Jeffery in the wake of dealing Brandon Marshall.

Realistically, that would leave Washington (No. 5) and the Jets (No. 6) as possible trading partners for Baalke & Co. Even though it would cost them quite a bit, Miller notes that Baalke has historically shown that he knows how to manipulate a draft board and he has been willing to deal from a surplus of picks in the past to get the guy he wants.

Draft Visits: Jets, M. Davis, Orchard, Raiders

April 2nd, 2015 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

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: Rams, Kaepernick, Draft, Boykin

April 1st, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on a few Wednesday items from around the NFC….

  • Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, and Louisville offensive tackle Jamon Brown are among the prospects paying pre-draft visits to the Rams today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (all Twitter links).
  • Colin Kaepernick‘s long-term outlook in San Francisco isn’t entirely clear yet, but for the foreseeable future, he’s the 49ers‘ starting quarterback, and that became even more certain today — as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, Kaepernick’s $10.4MM salary for 2015 became fully guaranteed when the calendar turned to April.
  • The son of former Detroit wide receiver Brett Perriman visited his father’s old team today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who writes that the Lions hosted Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman for a pre-draft visit. The younger Perriman is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class.
  • Another speedy receiving prospect, Miami’s Phillip Dorsett, said today that he has visits lined up with the Falcons and Panthers, per James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Prior to his Pro Day today, Towson cornerback Tye Smith had a dinner meeting with the Saints, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Smith is expected to be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides the details on wide receiver Jarrett Boykin‘s one-year deal with the Panthers, tweeting that it’s a minimum salary pact with a $20K bonus.

NFC East Links: Romo, Peterson, Gregory

February 14th, 2015 at 3:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

It will be a big offseason for some NFC East teams, as the division has seen a lot of turnover the past few years. With all four teams competitive, it wouldn’t be totally surprising to see the Cowboys going from first to worst or Washington to achieve the reverse. While both teams are setting themselves up for successful 2015 seasons, here are some links from around the NFC East:

  • Cowboys‘ starting quarterback Tony Romo turns 35 this April, and there may be some concerns about the signal-caller’s age, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com. Taylor notes that since Jim Plunkett won Super Bowl XVIII, only two quarterbacks have led their team’s to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at age 35 or older. John Elway did it twice during the twilight of his career, and Tom Brady just a few weeks ago. Brady’s remarkable performance gives Taylor hope for Romo, showing that in the right offense and with the right coach, quarterbacks can continue to achieve into their late thirties. Romo has the benefit of a great offensive line and a consistent running game, and after being asked to throw the ball fewer than 30 times per game for the first time in his NFL career, the Cowboys might have the recipe for success with the old passer at the helm.
  • Dallas has big decisions to make regarding Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, and those two have both been story lines followed closely at PFR. ESPN’s NFL Front Office takes a look at the conversations that could be going on in the Cowboys‘ headquarters. They note that giving Bryant a long-term extension is a general manager’s nightmare but a coach’s dream. The group also writes that re-signing Murray would be nice, but Adrian Peterson would be the home run choice.
  • ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. put together his second mock draft of the offseason this week, projecting Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory to be selected by Washington fifth overall. With Mariota currently falling to sixth, the best case scenario could be another quarterback-needy team moving heaven and earth to jump ahead of the Jets to select him, giving Washington leverage to make a big trade to move down in the draft, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Keim also notes that while the team has needs at safety, corner, and along the offensive line, none currently look to be worthy of a top-five pick. If Washington targets wide receiver Amari Cooper, the team would have to hope he falls past Oakland at fourth overall.

Extra Points: CFL, Draft, Jackson, Packers

February 4th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The CFL has been making major waves in the NFL in recent days, as Over The Cap’s Zack Moore writes. Chris Matthews looked like an absolute stud for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl while receiver Duron Carter and lineman Ben Heenan landed deals with the Colts. This isn’t the first time either of those two teams have gone to Canada to find talent and it’s a part of a broader trend in the NFL. The NFL is looking more and more like the CFL with its no huddle offenses, no-back sets, and shorter time between plays, making the CFL the perfect minor league. More from around the NFL..

  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com ran down some of the key offseason dates between now and the NFL’s Annual Meeting in late March. Some of the dates have league-wide significance while others affect specific player contracts. As Corry notes, February 6th will be a key date for notable names such as Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Rob Gronkowski.
  • West Virginia’s Kevin White has leapfrogged Alabama’s Amari Cooper as the consensus top wide receiver in the 2015 draft, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Ultimately, though, it’s a talented class and several teams in the top ten could go for receivers. Cooper, White, and Louisville’s DeVante Parker could all go inside of the top ten picks, according to Miller. Still, he doesn’t think that this year’s top trio is quite as talented as last year’s. Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, and Odell Beckham Jr. were the first three receivers taken in 2014, so they have a tough act to follow.
  • Colts inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was arrested Tuesday on a charge of simple assault after an altercation over a parking spot, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. Jackson, considered one of the Colts’ veteran leaders, signed with the Colts last spring after his release from the Browns on a five-year, ~$22MM deal. Jackson is the third Colts player to be arrested in the past month.
  • The Packers have some big decisions to make when it comes to their defensive line, Rob Reischel of the Journal-Sentinel writes. Of course, the arrest of Letroy Guion on Tuesday night only complicates matters for Green Bay.

Extra Points: 49ers, Colts, Cooper

January 27th, 2015 at 10:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The impending addition of receiver Duron Carter could have an impact on Hakeem Nicks or Reggie Wayne’s time with the Colts, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Both veterans are about to be free agents. Wayne had his least productive season since 2002 while Nicks had career lows in receptions and yards. Wayne, of course, is taking some time to figure out his future. If he returns for his 15th season, he says that he would only play for the Colts.

  • 49ers coach Jim Tomsula is expected to add Steve Logan to the offensive staff, though it’s not known if he’s a candidate for the vacant offensive coordinator job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
  • Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that Eagles wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell is being considered for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator vacancy.
  • Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper has signed with Lagardère Unlimited agents Joel Segal, Chafie Fields, and Greg Barnett, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Cooper is widely expected to be one of the top picks in the 2015 draft.
  • Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group wonders who will become the next offensive coordinator of the 49ers. Rob Chudzinski became the latest candidate to drop out of contention after he agreed to stay with the Colts. Geep Chryst, the quarterbacks coach since 2011, is a leading in-house candidate, thanks in large part to his relationship with Colin Kaepernick. Still, the search continues.
  • The Ravens are thinking about hiring former Bears assistant Andy Bischoff as an offensive assistant, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Bischoff coached the Bears tight ends for the past two seasons and has long-standing ties to new Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.

Amari Cooper, T.J. Yeldon To Enter Draft

January 8th, 2015 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we learned that Alabama safety Landon Collins would be entering his name in the 2015 NFL draft, and it appears two noteworthy teammates will join him. According to ESPN’s Alex Scarborough and Chris Low, junior wide receiver Amari Cooper and junior running back T.J. Yeldon will also forgo their remaining college eligibility and enter the ’15 draft.

Of the two, Cooper is the bigger name — he is widely considered the best wideout available among 2015 prospects, and is considered likely to come off the board within the first few picks this spring. He racked up an incredible 1,727 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 124 receptions in 2014 for Alabama, averaging 123+ yards per game. Both ESPN.com and CBSSports.com consider Cooper a top-five prospect, though the first mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay has the young receiver coming off the board at No. 6, to the Jets.

As for Yeldon, his yards per carry slipped to 5.0 in 2014 after he topped 6.0 as a freshman and sophomore, but the 21-year-old still had a strong junior season, compiling 979 yards and 11 TDs on the ground. He grades as ESPN’s sixth-best running back and 49th-best overall prospect, while CBSSports.com isn’t quite as bullish, ranking Yeldon seventh among RBs and 80th overall.

NFC Notes: Bears, Saints, Giants

December 13th, 2014 at 6:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Aaron Kromer saga continues in Chicago. It was revealed yesterday that the Bears offensive coordinator was the anonymous source who claimed the organization had doubts about Jay Cutler as their quarterback. Kromer eventually addressed those comments (via ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright):

“I made a very poor decision of talking about things outside the building and I admit that, can’t take that back. But I recognize I made a mistake. When I did, [I] instantly went right to the offensive unit and apologized as well as apologized to Jay in front of the offense that he was singled out in the situation. I wish I wouldn’t have made that mistake. It’s happened, and we’re a group and a unit. We worked it out together. The rest will be handled internally, and we’ll work through that.”

Meanwhile, head coach Marc Trestman gave a brief opinion on the situation:

“I was clearly disappointed with Aaron. He clearly knows what he did was wrong.”

Let’s take a look at some other assorted notes from around the NFC…

  • A couple of teams had their eye on Bears quarterback David Fales prior to his promotion from the practice squad. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times says (via Twitter) that the Patriots and Chargers had interest in the sixth-round pick.
  • Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweeted a list of players who tried out for the Saints: kicker Dustin Hopkins and wide receivers Michael Campbell, Danny Coale, Willie Snead and Ifeanyi Momah.
  • Saints coach Sean Payton dismissed reports that he’d be a candidate for the open Michigan job, stating he has “no interest in any other job but this one” (via team’s Twitter).
  • Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News explored the Giants draft options outside of the quarterback position. The writer mentioned Nebraska defensive lineman Randy Gregory, Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, Alabama wideout Amari Cooper, and Alabama safety Landon Collins.

NFC Mailbags: Garrett, Panthers, Prater

December 13th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Rob DiRe

It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting notes from the NFC…

  • The Cowboys have been one of the surprise teams in the NFL this season, and head coach Jason Garrett has gone from all but fired to a legitimate Coach of the Year candidate. Todd Archer believes he has done enough this season to keep his job even if they miss the playoffs, but notes that nothing is set in stone with three games to go.
  • If the Panthers do not comeback to win the division, they will likely be staring at a very high draft pick this offseason, and David Newton believes that offensive tackle would be a top priority. However, if Alabama’s Amari Cooper falls to them, the team would have to consider taking him and putting him opposite Kelvin Benjamin to make a scary young pair of wideouts.
  • Ben Goessling looks at what positions the Vikings will target in the 2015 NFL Draft, and believes the team could focus on defense. He writes that they could benefit from an inside linebacker to play alongside Anthony Barr and Gerald Hodges, or a versatile safety to pair with Harrison Smith. They could also look for another cornerback, or even a running back or offensive lineman.
  • Washington has a number of problems in addition to their volatile quarterback situation, and John Keim believes the team will come into 2015 with two new starting safeties. He writes they should try to find a veteran free agent and also draft a safety capable of coming in and playing.
  • While the main focus of the Packers‘ mailbag is the chances of a rematch of their week one loss to the Seahawks, this time at Lambeau Field, Rob Demovsky also takes time to explain why the team is consistently signing players to the active roster but not activating for gameday. He notes that most of these signings go hand in hand with key players who are questionable with injuries.
  • The Lions have a number of decisions to make this offseason, but whether or not to re-sign Matt Prater will be one of the smaller yet no less significant choices. Mike Rothstein believes the team should try to keep Prater on a long-term deal.
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