Jadeveon Clowney - Pro Football Rumors

King’s Latest: Falcons, Manziel, Rams, Mack

April 28th, 2014 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

With teams reluctant to reveal any of their plans, the weeks leading up to the draft are often filled with a mix of real and false information on teams’ preferences and players’ stocks. Peter King of TheMMQB.com points to a Johnny Manziel rumor as one example of potential misinformation, noting that he heard from one reliable source that the Eagles are considering moving up to draft the young quarterback. However, King goes on to say that a second source, who would know even better, insists it “absolutely won’t happen.”

While it seems there’s nothing to that Manziel rumor, King cites it as an instance where a team may be trying to make a “misdirection play” and passes along several more draft-related updates that he considers to be more reliable. Here are the highlights from the latest MMQB column:

“Momentum is gaining” for the Falcons to trade up to No. 1 to draft Jadeveon Clowney, according to King, who estimates the odds of a deal are about 40% at this point. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also reported today that the Falcons are exploring trade options, though he notes that the club hasn’t engaged in negotiations with the Texans for that first overall pick yet. In King’s view, it would take at least Atlanta’s 2015 first-rounder in addition to this year’s No. 6 overall pick to get Houston’s attention.
It’s a safe bet that Rams GM Les Snead will trade at least one of his two first-round picks, if not both, says King. The team currently holds the second and 13th overall selections.
An offensive coordinator whose team likely won’t be drafting a quarterback early, to King: “If I had the first pick in the draft, I’d take Manziel.”
King spoke to Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, who is pushing to be the first player off the board and would love to play with J.J. Watt in Houston. Although Mack hasn’t yet gotten a sense of where he’ll be selected, King would be surprised if the linebacker lasted more than six picks.
King passes along the top 10 players on one team’s draft board, though he’s not sure of the order: Clowney, Mack, Manziel, Blake Bortles, Aaron Donald, Sammy Watkins, and four offensive tackles (Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Zack Martin, Taylor Lewan).
Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio could be a top target for the Panthers in the second round if he’s still on the board at No. 60, says King.

NFC Notes: Rams, Turner, Latimer

April 27th, 2014 at 10:34am CST by Rory Parks

Despite the concerns surrounding South Carolina standout Jadeveon Clowney, his potential will make it next to impossible for the Texans or Rams, who hold the top two picks in the draft, to turn him down, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Echoing those sentiments, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner is hearing that Clowney will be the No. 1 overall pick, whether Houston drafts him or another team moves up to nab him (for what it’s worth, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets that even if Houston wants to trade out of the first pick, the team may be unable to do so).

As a result, the Rams will still be on the lookout for defensive tackles when they are on the clock with the No. 13 overall pick. We heard a couple of days ago from our own Luke Adams that Pittsburgh DT Aaron Donald will have a number of teams interested in his services between picks No. 6 and No. 16, and, in a separate piece for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thomas writes that Donald’s pass-rush skills would be a perfect complement to starters Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford.

Wagoner, meanwhile, thinks that even if the Rams miss out on Clowney, the team might nonetheless be inclined to trade down from its No. 13 overall selection, perhaps to a club like the Browns that wants to move up to secure a QB. Although St. Louis would also be interested in trading down from its No. 2 overall pick, Wagoner believes there is little chance of that happening.

A quick look at some other NFC clubs:

SI.com’s Don Banks thinks that the Rams will not be able to pass on Clemson WR Sammy Watkins with the No. 2 selection.
Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune provides a nice look at the approach new Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner is taking with his roster this spring, particularly his quarterbacks.
ESPN.com’s Andy Jasner writes that the Eagles‘ interest in Indiana WR Cody Latimer might be growing, but Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine has a hard time believing Latimer is a real possibility for the Eagles’ No. 22 overall pick. Kapadia is probably correct, but Latimer is one of the biggest risers in this year’s draft and probably would be a first-round selection in a year where the wide receiver class was not as deep.
Although ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett believes the Saints have quality run-stoppers on the defensive line, he does believe they need to get more athletic at linebacker over the course of the next several seasons.
In his latest mock draft, Jim Duncan of the Times-Picayune says the Saints will trade up seven spots to No. 20 overall to select Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks.

Sunday Morning Notes: Ravens, Suh, Visits

April 27th, 2014 at 9:24am CST by Rory Parks

Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore wonders if the Ravens should be wary of Alabama defensive players in the draft, including top prospects like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and C.J. Mosley. Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome is an Alabama alumnus and has close ties with the school, ties that may have contributed to the Ravens’ selections of players like Jarret Johnson, Terrence Cody, and Courtney Upshaw.

Although Johnson was a standout performer in Baltimore, Cody has largely been a disappointment, and after a promising rookie season, Upshaw fell off in 2013. That’s not to mention, of course, non-Raven Alabama products like Kareem Jackson and Mark Barron who have failed to live up to expectations. As ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. observed, Alabama defenders play in an elite system with top-flight coaching and consequently “come into the league thinking they pretty much are as coached as they can be and basically they’ve hit the ceiling.”

Will the trend of Crimson Tide defensive standouts who fizzle in the NFL deter Newsome from drafting players like Clinton-Dix and Mosley if he feels they represent the best fit for his club? Given Newsome’s skill and reputation, probably not. But it is another storyline to consider as the first round of the draft unfolds in a couple of weeks.

Now for some more early morning notes:

Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin has been generating a lot of buzz in recent weeks, and we recently heard that Martin is expected to be off the board within the first 17 picks. Now, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah tweets that he would not be surprised if Martin went in the top 10, with Buffalo (No. 9 overall) being a potential landing spot.
As our own Luke Adams wrote several days ago, although the Lions might be willing to trade Ndamukong Suh, any such deal would be riddled with obstacles. As such, Suh seems likely to stay put in Detroit for at least 2014, but if he were to be traded, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk names the Jaguars and Raiders as the likeliest candidates.
Although the Falcons have shown a great deal of interest in Jadeveon Clowney and visited with the top prospect last week, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes that interest is a “smokescreen” to drive up the price for teams like Detroit that might want to move up in the draft. Ledbetter writes that Atlanta has too many holes to mortgage the future to move up for Clowney as they did for Julio Jones several years ago.
Stanford DE Ben Gardner visited with the 49ers and Raiders this weekend, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
The Bengals worked out Tusculum QB Bo Cordell, who also threw for the Eagles, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

AFC Notes: Martin, Murray, McCarron, Texans

April 26th, 2014 at 10:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Dolphins have targeted Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin in the upcoming draft, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. One scout reports that the Dolphins would “fall over themselves” if Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan fell to them, but Lewan is projected to go in the first half of round one — Martin is the prospect that the team realistically covets. However, while the Dolphins select at No. 19, Beasley writes that it is still not a certainty that Martin will make it to Miami’s pick. Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN writes that with the Giants, Ravens, and Rams all choosing right ahead of the Dolphins, Martin will be gone in the first 17 picks.

Here are some more notes from around the AFC:

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is still trying to move up on draft boards, and has a lot left to prove after having knee surgery less than five months ago. He “dazzled” at his pro day, and will work out for the Browns on Sunday, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I’m really excited to show them what I can do,” said Murray. “I’m way ahead of the game right now. There’s no hesitation about anything. Running around, there’s no worries about my leg. I’m full-go and feeling great.”
Jake Locker is still set to be the Titans quarterback to start 2014, but second year offensive guard Chance Warmack hopes the team looks to draft his college teammate this May, writes Bryan Fischer of NFL.com. Warmack said on the NFL Network that he would like Alabama buddy A.J. McCarron to join him in Tennessee. “I hope we get him. I don’t know what round we can get him in, but I definitely want him in Tennessee,” Warmack said. “He’s a winner. He’s a great guy to be around and he’ll help the locker room. He’s not selfish as a quarterback and he’s going to make the right plays on the field. If he doesn’t start, when he gets drafted by the Tennessee Titans he’ll definitely help.”
The Texans have narrowed it down to four potential prospects, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He believes that with the first pick, the team will take either current favorite Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina, or hometown quarterback Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M. If the Texans elect to trade down, then they will look at Blake Bortles from UCF if Manziel is already gone, or Khalil Mack of Buffalo.

Prospect Profile: Jadeveon Clowney

April 26th, 2014 at 7:22pm CST by Rob DiRe

Coming out of high school, Jadeveon Clowney was the number one recruit in his senior class. He was the best defensive player in college football at his best. Now he is the best bet to be the number one overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

A player of Clowney’s status could not come easy. It started early, when he famously decided to hold out on his college acceptance decision until after National Signing Day, electing to instead announce his decision live on ESPN, on Valentine’s Day, which doubled as his 18th birthday. He chose South Carolina and his hometown Gamecocks over the more highly touted programs among the SEC and ACC.aft. He was the number one recruit coming out of high school in 2011, and has basically been anointed as a certainty ever since, although his recruitment had earned him the label of a “diva” in the eyes of the media, which would be the first knock on him as a future NFL star.

Then the domination began. Clowney more than lived up to the hype during his first two seasons in Columbia, South Carolina. He posted 8.0 sacks and five forced fumbles as a freshman for a South Carolina team that went 11-2. That season he had the luxury of following the lead of another pass rushing standout in Melvin Ingram, who wound up as a first-round pick to the Chargers in the following draft. As a sophomore, Clowney was able to take all the spotlight. His 13.0 sacks left him as the most feared pass rusher in the nation, and solidified him as a very high draft pick, with most scouts noting the he would have been the first overall pick had he been eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft.

Controversy came again that offseason, as many NFL experts and media personalities noted that Clowney had nothing to gain by returning to school. He would risk a career debilitating injury, but could not raise his draft stock at all. Sports radio and NFL shows discussed whether it would be more beneficial to him if he were to skip school and workout full time, as he would have been basically ensured a spot in the top five if he was not still drafted first overall a year later.

Clowney did return to school, but battled through injuries and inconsistent effort until once again, his merits as a prospect were questioned. He missed two games entirely, and ended up with statistics that fell short of previous numbers. Still in play for the first pick, his case was not as rock solid as it had been a year earlier, especially as the Texans, Jaguars, Browns, and Raiders possessed huge needs elsewhere on offense, particularly at quarterback and receiver. The Rams, set at quarterback, already own a dynamic pass rushing duo of Robert Quinn and Chris Long. Clowney would truly have to impress to stay in the top five.

Of course, that is exactly what Clowney did at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He measured in at a large 6’6″, weighing a lean 266 pounds with 34.5 inch arms and ten inch hands. Then he took that giant frame for a run, posting a blazing 4.53 40-yard dash, with extremely impressive numbers across the board in the other drills as well.

Even still, not everyone is sold on Clowney. Greg Cosell called him a “raw” athlete, and stated that he believes pass rusher Khalil Mack should be rated as the top player in the draft at that position.

Hall of Fame defensive lineman and Fox Sports analyst Warren Sapp was also critical of Clowney, saying, “I look at Jadeveon Clowney’s (game) tape and I don’t see a guy that is playing with his hair on fire, making plays, running up and down the field sideline to sideline, doing all of the things.”

ESPN analyst Merril Hoge, who played running back for the Steelers, was even harsher of Clowney as a football player. “You look at him as a fundamental football player when you talk about feet, hip and hands, like we watch Khlail Mack, he’s actually atrocious,” he said. “Clowney as a football player is not very good. Amazing athlete. Don’t get confused by being an athlete and being a good football player. Not a very good football player.”

Even his peers took shots at him, notably when Auburn defensive end Dee Ford declared himself the better option for teams looking for a pass rusher. “I’m better. Let’s put it like this. People like to talk about size all the time. Size is pretty much overrated in my eyes,” said Ford. “You can look at guys like Robert Mathis, Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller. These are 6-2 guys and under. People are just looking at the fact that he is a physical specimen. Honestly if you watch the film, he plays like a blind dog in a meat market basically.”

Despite those who are no longer sold on Clowney’s ability, he still has a good chance of going first in this draft, and is seemingly a lock for the top three in one of the most wide open drafts in a while. CBS Sports has all four major mock drafts currently with Clowney as the first player off the board (three to the Texans, one projecting the Falcons trading up). NFL.com posts eight mock drafts, of which six have Clowney going first, with Bortles taking the top spot in the other two. From ESPN, both Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay have Clowney atop their most recent mocks. We won’t know until that first name is called on May 8th, but star or bust, or somewhere in between, some people are going to be very wrong on this divisive yet incredible NFL prospect.

AFC Notes: Browns, Garoppolo, Texans, Watt

April 25th, 2014 at 7:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Drafting an elite non-quarterback with the fourth overall pick and addressing the QB position with pick No. 26 is one option for the Browns, but as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, it’s not without risk. Since other teams recognize the Browns are very likely to select a signal-caller at some point early in the draft, those clubs could try to trade ahead of the No. 26 spot in order to snatch up one of the QBs Cleveland is considering.

Here’s more from around the AFC, including a note on one possible quarterback target for the Browns:

Eastern Illinois signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo visited the Texans yesterday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), and then headed to Cleveland to visit the Browns today, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) thinks Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel are the Texans‘ most likely targets at No. 1, and adds that the club would have to be “overwhelmed” by an offer to trade down.
In an entertaining piece for the National Football Post, Joel Corry and Ari Nissim act out a hypothetical contract extension negotiation between the Texans and the agent for defensive star J.J. Watt.
Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has visited or worked out for the Titans, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hageman has previously checked in with the Falcons, Cardinals, Colts, and Steelers. The 6-foot-6, 318-pound athlete, one of the most physically impressive defensive linemen in the draft, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.02 seconds.
Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego wonders if tall Clemson wide receiver Martavis Bryant would help the Chargers.
Michael Lombardi of the Patriots worked out Coastal Carolina running back Lorenzo Taliaferro today, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Draft Updates: WRs, Clowney, Latimer, Mason

April 25th, 2014 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

While the general consensus suggests that Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins is the clear-cut top wide receiver in this year’s draft class, that’s not necessarily the case, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After speaking to several execs, scouts, and decision-makers, La Canfora came away believing that Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans, who has the size advantage on Watkins, could be the first receiver to come off the board.

“Would I be surprised if Evans ended up going before Watkins?” said one evaluator. “No, I wouldn’t. But we do think there is a drop-off after those two, and we know they won’t be there when we pick [later in the first round].”

Regardless of where Watkins and Evans land, it figures to be a busy first round for receivers, according to La Canfora, who says Marqise Lee and Odell Beckham may not make it past the late teens, given the interest they’re receiving from teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Jets.

Here are a few more Friday draft items:

In a series of tweets, Albert Breer of the NFL Network shares a few insights into the draft. Among them: Many people believe Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack are worth trading up for since this year’s pass-rushing group is fairly thin. Additionally, clubs may be more inclined to trade into the late first round to draft a quarterback, since the fifth-year option for first-round picks gives teams additional flexibility.
Speaking of Clowney, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details on the “force plate” assessment the Falcons put the defensive end through today. According to Breer (Twitter links), Clowney’s performance was very impressive.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘ basketball background could separate him from other tight ends, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Washington product is in good company as some of today’s top tight ends – Jimmy Graham, Jordan Cameron, Julius Thomas – played college basketball at some point. Seferian-Jenkins could be an option for the Packers in the first or second round if he’s on the board.
The Eagles, who had three representatives at wide receiver Cody Latimer‘s workout today, spent 20 minutes post-workout having him run their routes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Eagles pick at No. 22 and the Indiana product’s stock appears to be rapidly rising.
Combine exams revealed that Auburn running back Tre Mason has a bone in his wrist that will require surgery, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Mason denied the report via Twitter, saying that he doesn’t need surgery.
In an Insider-only piece at ESPN.com, Mark Dominik suggests a few hypothetical draft-pick trades outside of the top 10 that could make sense for both sides.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Patriots, Draft

April 25th, 2014 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

In recent weeks, there has been speculation that if the Texans intend to trade down in the draft, Buffalo may be a potential partner, and Bills GM Doug Whaley certainly sounds like a man who would like a shot at standout defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

“If you’re gonna miss, I’d rather take a chance on a guy that’s 6’5″, 270, that runs a 4.5,” Whaley said of the South Carolina star, according to Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550. “Now think about this, you have Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus and Jadeveon Clowney. I mean, that’s gonna strike fear in a lot of offenses. And if they go max protect, you can’t double everybody, and if you do you’ve gotta put eight in the box. And then that helps our DBs and everybody involved. Is he gonna be a cornerstone? You never want to say absolutely, because there have been big misses before. But if I’m gonna miss, I’m gonna miss on a guy like that.”

The Bills pick at No. 9, so if they decide to seriously engage in talks with the Texans for the first overall pick, the price figures to be high. Here’s more out of the AFC East:

Draft analyst Todd McShay sees USC’s Xavier Su’a-Filo as the Patriots‘ only solid option if they want to boost their interior offensive line at No. 29, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. McShay believes that there is a very significant dropoff at the guard position after the former Trojan, so the Pats will have to pounce if that’s their objective.
Wisconsin running back James White visited and worked out for the Patriots, and also worked out for the Dolphins, and Browns, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The former Badger previously worked out for the Bears. White rushed for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns during his first season for the Badgers and gained 1,444 yards last season while working in tandem with running back Melvin Gordon. Together, they combined for 3,052 rushing yards to set a single-season record.
The Patriots are looking at Missouri running back Henry Josey, wide receiver Marcus Lucas, and tight end/fullback Eric Waters in a private workout today, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Vanderbilt offensive tackle Wesley Johnson also had a private workout with the Patriots today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rival Execs Expect Texans To Trade Down

April 24th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Luke Adams

5:50pm: To change spots with the Texans, it would likely cost the Falcons a second-rounder and another pick this year and next year’s No. 1 pick, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Werder adds that terms would be negotiable, however.

3:52pm: When I asked last week what the Texans should do with the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, more than 30% of you said the team’s best move would be to trade down. And it sounds like rival executives around the NFL agree with that assessment. ESPN.com’s Ed Werder reports (via Twitter) that other teams expect the Texans to trade down, perhaps to the Falcons’ spot at No. 6. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) is hearing similar whispers, writing that there’s “no shortage of execs” who believe the Falcons look like Houston’s best potential trade partner.

According to La Canfora, the Falcons remain “very focused” on Jadeveon Clowney, and are expected to put him through a few drills on Friday when they visit South Carolina. Clowney’s agent, Bus Cook, indicated earlier in the month that his client was essentially shutting down workouts for teams, electing not to do anything that would risk injury. As such, the fact that the young pass rusher appears willing to run some drills for the Falcons is noteworthy.

Clowney is viewed as the top prospect in this year’s class, and is a lock to come off the board within the first five picks, so Atlanta will need to trade up to have a shot at him. As La Canfora notes, the Texans are “very open” to trading down, and Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff is no stranger to blockbuster draft-day trades — the GM notably gave up a handful of picks to land wide receiver Julio Jones in 2011.

Still, despite a number of signals pointing toward a possible deal between the Texans and Falcons, nothing is imminent at this point. And as Albert Breer of the NFL Network points out (via Twitter), the general consensus suggests there’s a clear-cut top four prospects at the top of the draft: Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, and Khalil Mack. All four of those players could be unavailable at No. 6, so the Texans may not be inclined to move down that far, though Blake Bortles could also be an option for Houston.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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.