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Draft Rumors: Chiefs, Browns, Ravens, Bills

April 4th, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs met with Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson today, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Kansas City management has been adamant that Alex Smith is the club’s starter for 2017, that proclamation wouldn’t preclude the Chiefs from attempting to find a long-term option under center. KC has also been linked to quarterbacks such as Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason.

Here’s more on the 2017 draft:

  • Washington wide receiver John Ross has completed his predraft visits, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who reports Ross met with the Browns and Ravens. Ross, of course, gained notoriety at the combine after posting a record 4.22-second 40-yard dash. He’s expected to be a first-round selection, and has also been linked to the Titans and Eagles. Although he underwent labrum surgery following the combine, Ross should be ready to roll by training camp.
  • The Bills have hosted Alabama edge rusher Tim Williams, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Williams, who posted 18.5 sacks during his final two years in Tuscaloosa, should probably be a first-round pick based on talent alone, but personnel man have off-field concerns. “We’re worried about [his] weight and love of the game,” one scout told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report earlier this year. Williams was also arrested on a gun charge in September.
  • North Carolina State safety Josh Jones worked out for the Titans on Tuesday and is meeting with the Vikings on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jones, who is expected to be selected near the end of the first round or in the early part of Day 2, also has visits scheduled with the Browns, Steelers, and Bears, per Rapoport. Thus far, Jones has also been linked to Baltimore and Miami.

NFL Draft Rumors: Thomas, 49ers, Davis

April 4th, 2017 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links

There continues to be lots of talk about Solomon Thomas going No. 2 overall, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears (Twitter links). However, he’s not totally convinced that it’ll the 49ers taking him. On one hand, the Niners could use a strong 4-3 defensive end and Thomas could be used a role similar to what Michael Bennett has filled for Seattle. At the same time, Miller can also see the Niners trading out from No. 2, allowing the Panthers or Jaguars to move up for Thomas.

Miller speculates that SF could send the No. 2 overall pick to Carolina for the Nos. 8 and 40 selections. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down a number of scenarios in which the Panthers could come away with that highly-coveted draft choice.

While we wait to see how that plays out, here’s a roundup of the latest draft rumors:

East Notes: Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Eagles

March 31st, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets did not make a real effort to re-sign Geno Smith, as NJ.com’s Connor Hughes writes. When asked whether he had any contact with the quarterback during free agency, coach Todd Bowles replied, “No. I would have been happy to have him back. But things don’t work out like that all the time.” Smith will now look for a fresh start with the other tenant of the Meadowlands.

More from the East Coast:

  • With Smith on hand, the Big Blue QB depth chart could get crowded as the team is open to taking a signal-caller early in the draft. The Giants had scouts at the pro days for Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Miami’s Brad Kaaya, tweets James Kratch of NJ.com. Kaaya had an encouraging showing at his pro day, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). He would seemingly be a more realistic target for the Giants than Watson, who could be off the board when the Giants’ first-round pick (No. 23) comes up. Kaaya might have to wait until Day 3 to come off the board.
  • The Cowboys had two big-time defensive end prospects, Michigan’s Taco Charlton and UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley, in for visits, according to the Dallas Morning News. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks both players among his top 25, though McKinley could be on the shelf until late in the summer after undergoing shoulder surgery. Dallas is also looking at Washington cornerback Kevin King, whom it worked out, relays Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). King has the makings of a Day 1 pick, so he could be a possibility for the Cowboys at No. 28.
  • Eagles defensive back Ron Brooks took a pay cut Friday, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). He’s now slated to make $1MM in 2017, down from the $1.85MM he had been scheduled to collect. The Eagles also changed 2018 into an option season for Brooks, whom they signed to a three-year, $6MM deal last March. Brooks missed most of last season with a ruptured quad, appearing in six games and picking up five starts.
  • Defensive end Chris Long‘s two-year contract with the Eagles is worth $4.5MM plus incentives, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: Browns, 49ers, Bears, Pack

March 30th, 2017 at 7:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Browns will host Ohio State safety Malik Hooker for a pre-draft visit Friday, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The club is “very high on” Hooker and is considering taking him in the first round, adds Cabot, who notes that it might not be in position to land him. The Browns are likely to take Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett first overall, and Hooker could be off the board when their second selection (No. 12) arrives. Hooker underwent surgeries to repair a sports hernia and a torn labrum Jan. 31, causing him to miss the combine, but he’s still likely to come off the board in the first 10 picks.

In advance of its meeting with Hooker, Cleveland ran Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson through a private workout on the road Thursday, according to Cabot. Watson may well be the Browns’ pick at No. 12.

More of the latest draft notes:

  • Garrett has upcoming visits with the 49ers and Bears, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Niners pick at No. 2 and the Bears are at No. 3, so it’s doubtful either will land Garrett. But it seems the 49ers would jump at the chance of selecting him, as 49ers general manager John Lynch said Thursday at Garrett’s pro day that he “checks all of the boxes” (via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area).
  • Add the Packers to the list of teams at least considering drafting Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon. The Pack brought Mixon in for a visit earlier this week, relays Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). At least two teams – the Patriots and Dolphins – have already ruled out a Mixon selection.
  • The Panthers recently worked out Alabama outside linebacker Ryan Anderson, a source told Matt Zenitz of AL.com (via Twitter). Anderson could be a second-round target for the Panthers, who own the 40th pick.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Browns’ Draft Plans

March 24th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns remain expected to take Myles Garrett with their No. 1 overall pick, and the team has already observed the Texas A&M edge defender during a private workout, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. However, more mystery surrounds Cleveland’s second first-round selection.

Acquired after the Eagles traded up to take Carson Wentz, the Browns’ designs for the No. 12 pick appear to be rather quarterback-centric at this point. Cleveland’s brass conducted private workouts with both DeShone Kizer and Patrick Mahomes. The Browns are also expected to observe Mitchell Trubisky and Deshaun Watson soon but will do so privately. The team has been skipping pro days in lieu of focusing on potential draft targets privately. Hue Jackson did attend Malik Hooker‘s in Columbus, however.

While the Kizer has been rated as the better prospect, with the Notre Dame passer almost unanimously expected to go off the board in Round 1, the Browns are believed to prefer Mahomes. Cabot reports the Browns indeed like the Texas Tech air raid conductor better than Kizer and notes both are under consideration, along with Watson and Trubisky, for Cleveland’s No. 12 overall choice.

In addition to the private workouts, the Browns plan to bring top prospects to their Berea, Ohio, headquarters for official visits. Unless one of the quarterbacks “blows the team away” during the next month, Cabot writes the Browns are expected to take Garrett and focus on aerial help after that pick.

Mahomes’ status may be the most difficult to pin down of the upper-tier quarterback prospects. Given a second-round grade, the ex-Red Raiders signal-caller has been linked to a possible early first-round 1 selection as well. Three teams with aging quarterbacks — the Saints, Chargers and Cardinals — each are interested as well.

The Browns have also been linked to Jimmy Garoppolo with their No. 12 pick and have been attached to Watson and Trubisky during the draft process, the Clemson passer in particular with the No. 12 pick.

Browns Rumors: Garoppolo, Pryor, Zeitler

March 7th, 2017 at 2:26pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like talk of Jimmy Garoppolo being pulled off the trade block was not entirely accurate. Still, if he is still available, it could take an awful lot to pry him loose. It might take as much as a No. 1 pick this year plus a No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. That’s a price the Browns are very unlikely to meet, Cabot adds. Jimmy Garoppolo (vertical)

The Browns would very much like to have Garoppolo and their dream scenario right now would be to land him via trade while drafting pass rusher Myles Garrett No. 1 overall. Failing that, they have their eyes on getting Garrett at the top of the draft and landing either Mitch Trubisky or Deshaun Watson at No. 12. That scenario will become a little more realistic if teams like the 49ers, Jets, and Bears address their QB situations before the draft. The Browns could also conceivably use their draft stockpile to trade up from No. 12 and get their desired signal caller.

In other Browns news, one source estimates that Terrelle Pryor is seeking somewhere between $13MM and $15MM per year. If that’s the asking price, Cabot believes the Browns will let him walk. Reportedly, he has been contacted by the Giants, 49ers, Titans, and Eagles. The Steelers, depending on who you ask, may also have interest.

A Pryor return may or may not be in the cards, but the Browns will likely pursue Bengals free agent guard Kevin Zeitler, a league source tells Cabot. Zeitler played for coach Hue Jackson in Cincinnati and that connection could help lead to a deal.

Browns “Blown Away” By Myles Garrett’s Combine

March 5th, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns have understandably eyed Myles Garrett for a while, but now that the Texas A&M-honed pass-rusher showcased some of his skills at the Combine, the team is moving closer to making him the No. 1 overall pick. Browns personnel were “blown away” by Garrett’s Sunday showing, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports, adding that Garrett impressed the team with his interview as well.

Cabot reports the Browns are close to making Garrett the choice atop the draft, this coming after Mitch Trubisky appeared to re-enter the race for Cleveland’s top pick. Trubisky is a Cleveland-area native and plays the position the Browns obviously need most, but Cabot notes the Browns “probably won’t” be able to pass on the draft’s consensus top player.

Garrett weighed 272 pounds and ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash, which is the fifth-best mark ever for a defensive lineman weighing at least 270 pounds. The former Aggie coupled that with 33 bench press repetitions. Although dealing with a shoulder issue, Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Allen — another player whom the Browns are considering at No. 1 — repped 225 pounds 21 times. Garrett’s 41-inch vertical jump was the highest for a 270-pound D-lineman since Mario Williams in 2006.

Cabot adds that new Browns DC Gregg Williams “loves” Garrett, with a source comparing him to former Williams protege, Jevon Kearse.

“They’re both freaks,” the source told Cabot. “And Kearse changed the Titans’ franchise.”

Deshaun Watson is the fourth player the Browns are considering with the No. 1 overall pick, per Cabot, but the buzz Garrett generated on Sunday looks to have clearly put him in the lead here.

Mitch Trubisky Will Throw At Combine

February 23rd, 2017 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky could be the first quarterback off the board and possibly the first player drafted in April. Sometimes, elite QB prospects like him forego drills at the combine, but he’ll be throwing for scouts in Indianapolis, his father tells Mark Podolski of the News Herald. Mitch Trubisky (Vertical)

Trubisky will participate in most of the drills offered at the combine, including the 40-yard dash. However, he will not do the bench press. Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has a similar gameplan and will not attempt to bench 225 pounds as many times as possible (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson told The Associated Press that he plans to do “everything” when it comes to combine drills (link via The Associated Press). Ditto for Cal’s Davis Webb (via Dalton Johnson of CSNBayArea.com). Overall, it sounds like most of this year’s top quarterbacks will be full or near full participants in the Underwear Olympics.

Trubisky’s biggest test might not be in the drills, but in the measurements portion of the combine. His high school coach told the News Herald that he is a legit 6’2″, but there are rumors that he is actually under 6’1″. That may not sound like a big deal, but only two QBs at 6’1″ and under (Johnny Manziel and Rex Grossman) have been selected in the first round in the last 15 years.

Albert Breer On Draft, Mixon, Trubisky

February 10th, 2017 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

Could teams strike gold in this year’s draft? Those in the know tell Albert Breer of The MMQB that this is an exceptionally deep class.

“Depth-wise, it’s great,” said one AFC executive. “What I like about it is, if we do our job, and have faith in our scouts, we can get starters into the fifth round.”

“It’s a very good draft,” a top personnel executive for an NFC team added. “If you’re in a position like Cleveland is with a lot of picks—and you still gotta pick the right guys—but it’s an excellent draft. Very deep across the board.”

Breer’s entire column is worth a read, but here’s a look at some of the highlights:

  • There has been a lot of talk about Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon going undrafted, but one area scout is insistent that he’ll be taken. “It needs to be the right market, a team that can handle the onslaught, the right PR staff, because you’ll have to weather the storm,” said one area scout assigned to the Sooners. “But the guy the Chiefs drafted (Tyreek Hill), Joe Mixon isn’t half the douchebag that guy was. … You’d have to search to find people that don’t like him. Maybe the parking-lot attendant. Everyone there loves him. And I believe them.”
  • This year’s class of quarterbacks might not be as weak as advertised, according to some officials. “It’s a good quarterback class,” said our NFC exec. “Realistically, all five of those guys (Mitch Trubisky, DeShaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes, and Davis Webb) go in the first two rounds.” That’s a bold prediction on the part of that anonymous exec since there have been only five drafts (2014, ’12, ’11, ’07, ’06) since 2000 in which five QBs went inside the first two rounds.
  • Meanwhile, it sounds like Trubisky is still the leader of the pack. “I’ll be shocked if Trubisky’s not the first one off the board,” said one AFC exec. One AFC scout is confident that he’s a “top two or three pick.” However, as Breer notes, the UNC QB doesn’t project as a superstar and it remains to be seen whether a team is willing to burn a top pick on someone who projects to be more of an Andy Dalton than a Tom Brady.
  • The strength of this year’s class will be in the secondary and at running back, Breer writes. There’s also depth when it comes to wide receiver and tight end. Where this class is lacking, however, is on the offensive line. NFL execs tell Breer that they are worried this is not a one-time instance, but a sign of things to code. The spread offense and practice restrictions, they say, are hurting the quality of college offensive linemen.

 

AFC East Notes: Jets, Cutler, Watson

February 9th, 2017 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

Will new Jets quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates bring Jay Cutler to New York? One recent report indicated that’s a possibility, but Rich Cimini of ESPN.com hears the Jets will not be suitors for the Bears QB. From what Cimini can glean, Tyrod Taylor (if he’s released by the Bills) and free agent Mike Glennon are higher on the team’s wish list than Cutler. Cutler is expected to be released by the Bears in the coming weeks and you can expect him to be the subject of many rumors, some including the QB-needy Jets.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

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