Draft Notes: Browns, Norwood, Allen
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Titans Notes: Nwaneri, Olsen, FAs, Carr
Let’s take a quick look at a few updates relating to 2013’s AFC South runner-up…
- We heard last night that Garrett Reynolds is visiting the Titans today, and it seems he’s not the only free agent lineman in town. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets that the club is also hosting Uche Nwaneri for a visit, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean says (via Twitter) Eric Olsen is meeting with the team as well. As Wyatt, tweets, the team is looking for an alternative to Mike McGlynn, who visited Tennessee but ultimately signed in Washington instead.
- Although the Titans continue to seek offensive line depth, team president and CEO Tommy Smith likes what the franchise has done so far in free agency, which includes signing players like Shaun Phillips, Michael Oher, Dexter McCluster, and Wesley Woodyard. Wyatt has the details at The Tennessean.
- Fresno State signal-caller Derek Carr, who worked out for the Browns on Monday, is flying to Tennessee today for a pre-draft visit with the Titans, tweets Wyatt.
Extra Points: Manning, Draft, Bush, Carr
Some assorted notes to close out the evening:
- The Bengals will meet with safety Danieal Manning on Tuesday and Wednesday, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. Manning was released by the Texans earlier today.
- NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has updated his position rankings for draft prospects, and the most notable change is his moving Johnny Manziel up to the No. 1 quarterback slot, followed by Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater. One wonders if this might be an overreaction to a good Pro Day (Manziel) versus a poor one (Bridgewater).
- Running back Michael Bush will visit with the Patriots, who recently lost LeGarrette Blount to the Steelers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- On a related note, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if the Patriots let Blount get away too easily, citing both his low cost and the fact that Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are in the last year of their respective contracts.
- Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr says his private workout with the Browns “went exactly how [he] wanted it to,” writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi also tweets that Carr dined with the Browns general manager Ray Farmer and the Cleveland offensive staff on Sunday night. Carr could be an option for the Browns at pick No. 26.
- Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby told Sirius XM NFL that he has visits set up with the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, Bills, and Jets, as well as three additional teams (Twitter link).