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Draft Notes: Whaley, Bills, Linebackers

April 27th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Peter Sowards

If the Bills want to draft Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins or Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews — who each have visited with Buffalo — they’ll likely have to trade up from the No. 9 slot to do so. And judging by comments made by general manager Doug Whaley, it’s a definite possibility.

“If we think this guy is going to get us over the hump and get us into the playoffs, which is our stated goal, why not make the deal?” Whaley said on radio station WGR-AM, according to Jason Butt of National Football Post.

The Bills are likely more than just a player away from making the playoffs in the AFC, but that won’t stop its GM from being aggressive in the upcoming NFL Draft.

More draft notes from around the league on a Sunday night…

  • Brent Sobleski of USA Today Sports ranked the top 10 linebackers in the draft, slotting Alabama’s C.J. Mosley, Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier and Wisconsin’s Chris Borland at the top.
  • Ranking the top 5 tackles was Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s assignment, who likes Nevada’s Joel Bitonio as the No. 5 tackle behind the consensus top-4.
  • Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer, who recently had a pre-draft visit with the 49ers, also visited with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Latimer is one of the fastest rising prospects in the draft and projected to be a first-round pick.
  • Heading to the Browns in Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal‘s latest mock draft are Sammy Watkins and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr at the No. 4 and No. 26 spots, respectively.

Extra Points: Dansby, Seahawks, Texans

April 24th, 2014 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL believes the Eagles released DeSean Jackson based on football reasons and not due to alleged gang connections, according to NFL senior vice president of law and labor policy Adolpho Birch. “I think we are comfortable that the decisions that were made on both ends were football decisions,” Birch told reporters, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Both sides, the objective that they sought from a football perspective, they got, whether that be the Eagles or the Redskins. I think the player’s going to be in a good position. I think at the end of the day, everyone was comfortable with that.”

  • Cardinals veteran Darnell Dockett was sad to see Karlos Dansby go to the Browns this offseason, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “I’ve got a lot of respect for our guy that left, I love him like a brother but we were one or two pieces away from making a lot of noise,” Dockett said. “But we are going to regroup. Our GM, coaches, owner will get someone to fill that role and we’ve got guys with enthusiasm of getting that opportunity for that role. They know they have big shoes to fill.“
  • Former Vikings and Cardinals cornerback A.J. Jefferson worked out for the Seahawks today, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 26-year-old saw action in ten games last season for Minnesota.
  • Wide receiver Armanti Edwards is also working out for the Seahawks, a source tells Caplan (on Twitter). The wide receiver/special teamer split time between the Panthers and Browns last season. His campaign ended in November when he suffered an ankle injury in Cleveland.
  • Former Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson had a very positive visit with the Texans today, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Getlin adds (link) that Robinson’s agent, Eric Metz, has been good friends with Houston offensive line coach Paul Dunn since college. If the Texans are really high on Robinson, they can likely move down a few spots and walk away with additional picks.
  • Sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that if the Texans take a defensive player first overall and draft a quarterback atop the second round, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr, if available, would be Houston’s top two targets.
  • Baylor’s Demetri Goodson is scheduled to meet with the Texans on Saturday, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. The Cowboys, Dolphins, Saints and Eagles have also shown interest in the former Gonzaga point guard turned cornerback.

Draft Notes: Browns, Norwood, Allen

April 21st, 2014 at 9:33pm CST by Rory Parks

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater visited with the Browns today, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Rapoport adds that Bridgewater will next meet with the Texans.

Bridgewater also had a private workout with the Browns, and as Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal writes, “When all is said and done, the Browns will have privately worked out all the top-rated quarterbacks in the draft and will have had all the top prospects to Berea for a personal visit.” Schudel notes that UCF signal-caller Blake Bortles is visiting the Browns today and tomorrow, Georgia’s Aaron Murray indicated he would be visiting with the team April 22-23, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr will visit April 24.

Of course, Cleveland already worked worked out Texas A&M superstar Johnny Manizel several days ago, and Manziel also plans to “squeeze in” a visit with the Browns later this month. The Browns will meet with Murray again next week in Athens, Ga. Our own David Kipke detailed the wide variety of options that the Browns have when it comes to selecting a QB in this year’s draft, and they have certainly done their due diligence. Now it will be up to Ray Farmer and company to effectively evaluate what they have seen and make the decision that previous Cleveland regimes have been unable to make.

Several quick draft notes:

  • We learned this morning that Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney were visiting with the Texans today, and Mark Berman of FOX Houston tweets that Manziel was having dinner with head coach Bill O’Brien and his offensive staff, while Clowney was dining with GM Rick Smith and the team’s defensive staff.
  • Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Alabama WR Kevin Norwood says the Eagles and Panthers have indicated they have strong interest in him.
  • Tim McManus of Philadelphia Magazine writes that Wisconsin DT Beau Allen could be a fit for the Eagles. Philadelphia’s defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro recruited Allen out of high school while working in the same capacity under Chip Kelly at Oregon, and Azzinaro was present at Wisconsin’s pro day last month. Allen is projected to be a mid- to late-round selection.

King’s Latest: Draft, Texans, Jags, Cards, Rams

April 21st, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Peter King of TheMMQB.com has kicked off the week by sharing a number of interesting tidbits that can be found in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. Let’s dive right in and round up several of the highlights from King….

  • Vikings general manager Rick Spielman on this year’s crop of quarterbacks: “There’s no Andrew Luck, no Peyton Manning. It is such a mixed bag with each player — every one of them has positives, every one of them has negatives. And if that’s the way you end up feeling, why don’t you just wait till later in the draft, and take someone with the first pick you’re sure will help you right now?”
  • One friend of Texans general manager Rick Smith tells King that the GM prefers Buffalo’s Khalil Mack over Jadeveon Clowney. King adds that he thinks Houston will try to choose a sure thing with the No. 1 pick, which could mean Mack, Clowney, or Greg Robinson, but may rule out the top quarterbacks.
  • At No. 3 overall, the Jaguars want a pass rusher “badly” and would be a good fit for Mack or Clowney, depending on who is still available, says King.
  • Top tight end Eric Ebron recently suggested he thinks the Lions will draft him, though King is skeptical the club would go that route with its first pick.
  • The Cardinals are “sweet on” signal-callers Derek Carr and A.J. McCarron. King says he expects Arizona to draft a QB within the first two rounds and the Rams to take one within the first three.
  • Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks are drawing interest from the Steelers, who are weighing the possibility of drafting a wideout in the first round.
  • In King’s view, current draft risers include Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin, and Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Players whose stock may be falling include Louisville signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater, UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, and Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

Draft Notes: Landry, Reilly, Thomas, Hoffman

April 19th, 2014 at 10:04pm CST by Peter Sowards

With 18 days until the 2014 NFL Draft kicks off at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, draft-eligible prospects are flying all over the country to meet with teams, and vice-versa. Here are the latest notes and rumors with regard to the upcoming NFL Players Selection Meeting, as it is officially called:

  • LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry will visit the Jets and Falcons this week, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Landry has previously worked out for the Patriots, Panthers and 49ers.
  • The Jaguars and Panthers have met with Utah outside linebacker Trevor Reilly, writes Aaron Wilson of National Football Post. Reilly, a first-team All-Pac-12 selection, underwent knee surgery in January but healed up well enough to run a 4.66 second 40-yard dash at his pro day March 19.
  • Rich Tander of CSN Washington looks at the potential fit between the Redskins and Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas.
  • Finding starters every spring in the NFL Draft is the key for teams hoping to be competitive each season, writes Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • A scouting report of BYU wide receiver Cody Hoffman and his potential fit with the Bears, by the staff at CSN Chicago.
  • A poll by the Minneapolis Star Tribune asking which quarterback is the best in the NFL draft.
  • Looking at size, accuracy, arm strength, mobility, decision making, leadership, level of competition and experience, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union breaks down Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel and Derek Carr.
  • Also by the Times-Union, a mock draft of the first two rounds.

AFC Notes: Pats, Browns, Sam, Chargers

April 16th, 2014 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates from across the AFC….

  • Within his latest piece at Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman writes that the Patriots are considering adding a receiver earlier in the draft and that the Browns “really love” Derek Carr, who is a strong candidate for the club’s second first-round pick.
  • The Browns aren’t set on Carr yet though — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club is privately working out Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron today, and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds (via Twitter) that McCarron will also have a formal visit with the Browns next week.
  • Five of the six teams that have expressed the most interest in Missouri’s Michael Sam are AFC clubs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who identifies the Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Browns, Jets, and Falcons as suitors for the edge defender.
  • Meanwhile, in a piece for the National Football Post, Wilson reports that Illinois State defensive end Colton Underwood has visited the Chargers and Chiefs, and also worked out for the Patriots.
  • After having visited the Cowboys yesterday, Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton is visiting the Broncos today and the Chargers tomorrow, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • The Chargers are hosting Indiana wideout Cody Latimer and Montana linebacker Brock Coyle today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links). Coyle will visit the Seahawks next, Gehlken notes.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk attempts to discern what we can learn from the Alex Mack saga when it comes to future offer sheets for transition players.

Rapoport On Clowney, Carr, Verrett

April 11th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport has passed along a handful of updates on notable pre-draft visits this morning, including a note on a likely top-five pick, and a couple more on potential first-rounders. Let’s check out what Rapoport has for us (all link go to Twitter)….

  • The Rams, who hold the No. 2 pick, are hosting defensive end Jadeveon Clowney for a pre-draft visit today, according to Rapoport. It’d be a surprise if St. Louis drafted Clowney, considering the club has a strong defensive line already and has more pressing needs at other positions. Still, the Rams will do their homework on the player considered by many pundits to be the top prospect in the 2014 class.
  • Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr will visit the Buccaneers on Wednesday and the Browns the following week, says Rapoport. The Cleveland visit is particularly noteworthy, since the Browns already privately worked out Carr.
  • TCU cornerback Jason Verrett recently worked out for the Panthers and is visiting the Falcons today, a source tells Rapoport. Verrett visited the Cardinals earlier this week, and reportedly met with the Steelers and Jets recently as well.

Pre-Draft Visits: Jaguars, Beckham, Raiders

April 9th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jaguars have been bringing in a number of notable prospects, including some of the draft’s top quarterbacks. Tomorrow they will add Alabama’s A.J. McCarron, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, and UCF’s Blake Bortles, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

Here are some other visits from across the NFL:

  • LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has a visit scheduled with the Bills for Thursday, reports Sirius NFL XM Radio (via Twitter). Beckham met with the 49ers and Steelers earlier this week.
  • Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland met with the Raiders on Tuesday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Breeland has played both safety and cornerback, and has already met with the Bills.
  • Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio had his visit with the Rams today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter). Thomas writes that Bitonio could be drafted somewhere as high as the late first round.

Extra Points: Carr, Johnson, Bailey, Bills

April 9th, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Although multiple reports have suggested that free agent signal-caller David Carr would like to end up on the team that drafts his brother Derek Carr, perhaps serving as Derek’s backup, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter tweets that the two brothers’ destinations aren’t related, and that David intends to sign with a club prior to draft day.

As the elder Carr continues to search for a new home, let’s round up a handful of updates from around the NFL….

  • Free agent running back Chris Johnson could theoretically try out for teams in private, without those workouts needing to be reported, but he doesn’t intend to do so, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, it’s possible that Johnson could reach an agreement with a new team without even visiting that club, since the veteran is a known commodity at this point.
  • All NFL 32 teams were in attendance at LSU’s Pro Day today, including several general managers and head coaches, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
  • The details of Champ Bailey‘s two-year contract with the Saints have surfaced, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com provides the breakdown (Twitter links): The base value is $3.75MM, though it can be worth up to $6.75MM with incentives and escalators. It’s guaranteed for $500K and includes a $250K roster bonus if Bailey is on the team for six games in 2014.
  • The Bills announced today that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews and Louisville linebacker Preston Brown were in town to meet with the team.
  • Top cornerback prospect Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
  • Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, who was in New England today for a private workout, will visit the Cardinals on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Cards are also hosting Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine today, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • The Packers will host Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington for an official pre-draft visit next week, tweets agent Collin Roberts.

Jaguars To Host Bridgewater, Carr, Others

April 8th, 2014 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

8:44am: Rapoport and Schefter pass along word of a few more pre-draft visits for the Jaguars, with Rapoport tweeting that linebacker Anthony Barr will be in town tomorrow, while Schefter reports (via Twitter) that quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Jimmy Garoppolo are also on the schedule.

8:37am: As we noted last night, one of 2014’s top quarterback prospects, Johnny Manziel, is set to pay the Jaguars a visit this week, but he won’t be the only notable prospect in town over the next couple days. Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports that quarterback Derek Carr will also meet with the Jags, while Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that linebacker Khalil Mack will visit the team, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) offensive tackle Greg Robinson will also be in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars hold the No. 3 overall pick in next month’s draft and appear to be considering a variety of players and positions. Manziel and Robinson are perhaps the more likely members of this group to be top-three picks, but Mack is viewed as the best linebacker available, and Carr is, at worst, considered the best signal-caller available outside of the top three of Manziel, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater.

Schefter adds that Mack will travel on to St. Louis to meet with the Rams following his visit with the Jaguars.

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