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Jadeveon Clowney

Extra Points: Allen, Jackson, Clowney, Spencer

March 26th, 2014 at 9:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets kept an eye on the Jared Allen situation but never made a firm offer before the defensive end signed with the Bears, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Rapoport adds (link) that the Raiders actually offered more money than the Bears. Oakland was willing to give Allen a deal worth $9MM per year, but he believed Chicago was the best fit for him. What made Chicago such a good fit for the Pro Bowler? Rapoport says he chose the Bears in part because he has a great deal of faith in Jay Cutler‘s ability to win championships (link). Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates explores the trade market for Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, identifying the Jets, Raiders, Browns, and Panthers as trade partners that could make sense.
  • Texans ownership, coach Bill O’Brien, and General Manager Rick Smith will be meeting and dining with Jadeveon Clowney the night before his South Carolina pro day next week, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • Anthony Spencer remains on the Cowboys radar, but there’s no rush on the part of Dallas or any other club to sign him as the defensive end fights his way back from microfracture surgery on his knee, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Spencer’s representative Jordan Woy says his client, who underwent the surgery last fall and missed the final 13 games of the Cowboys season, is “structurally” sound and now working on his strength and conditioning.
  • Bernie Miklasz of the Post-Dispatch likes the Rams‘ signing of Shaun Hill as their veteran backup quarterback for 2014. Hill, he writes, has been one of the better backup QBs in the NFL since getting his first opportunity to start in a relief role for the 49ers in 2007 and now he’ll be reunited in St. Louis with Frank Cignetti, who was the QB coach with SF during Hill’s time there.
  • San Jose State cornerback Bené Benwikere, who had 14 interceptions over four seasons, penned a journal entry for USA Today Sports and disclosed that he’s set to work out for the Panthers on April 1st.
  • Scouts Walter Juliff and Chris Hall and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson are expected to be the Cowboys‘ representatives at Johnny Manziel‘s pro day, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.

AFC Notes: Titans, Browner, Clowney, Chiefs

March 25th, 2014 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles are considered the favorites to land Mark Sanchez, and it’s hard to determine which other teams may be a threat to Philadelphia for the signal-caller. The Seahawks have been ruled out as a destination, and reported interest from the Rams and Giants has been significantly downplayed. Now, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com suggests that another rumored suitor isn’t seriously in the mix, tweeting that the Titans don’t have interest in bringing Sanchez aboard. As we wait to see where the former Jet lands, let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC….

  • Chris Johnson‘s future with the Titans remains in limbo, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
  • In a series of four tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today explains how Brandon Browner‘s contract with the Patriots works, complete with financial specifics.
  • Field Yates of ESPN Boston (Twitter link) has the details on the playing-time incentives in Michael Vick‘s new deal with the Jets. As Yates outlines, Vick can earn bonuses up to $1MM depending on whether he appears in 50% ($100K), 60% ($300K), 70% ($550K), 80% ($900K), or 90% ($1MM) of the Jets’ snaps.
  • Texans head coach Bill O’Brien plans to attend Jadeveon Clowney‘s Pro Day next week, and is looking forward to continuing the “good talk” he had with Clowney at the combine, tweets James Palmer of CSNHouston.com.
  • Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that he spoke to free agent receiver Jason Avant, but suggested there’s nothing there when it comes to the team’s interest in the former Eagle. Reid instead hinted that he and Avant may work together down the road, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links).
  • Chris Owens‘ one-year contract with the Chiefs is worth $800K, which includes a $730K base salary and a $70K workout bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. $80K of Owens’ base salary is guaranteed.
  • Fullback Jamize Olawale has signed his exclusive rights tender to remain with the Raiders, the team announced today (Twitter link).

Extra Points: Raiders, Bears, Draft

March 23rd, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A few links from around the league:

  • The Raiders acquired several veteran players this offseason, including quarterback Matt Schaub, offensive tackle Donald Penn, and defensive linemen Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley, but head coach Dennis Allen is adamant that the team was primarily interested in the players’ ability, writes Scott Blair of CSNBayArea.com. “We’re not bringing in mascots or hood ornaments or whatever,” said Allen. “…A lot of people ask me about veteran leadership. Let’s not confuse things here. I want guys that can play. We’re not bringing in guys just for leadership. We went out and got guys to can still be productive and also fill a leadership role.”
  • The Bears hope that Marquess Wilson will take hold of the No. 3 receiver role vacated by Earl Bennett after his release, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Head coach Marc Trestman hopes that Wilson, a 2013 seventh-round-pick, can round into form as Alshon Jeffery did last season: “I think he showed that we can work with him and develop him. He’s got the football intelligence that we’re looking for and the ability to be flexible within the offense. He was consistent.”
  • At the National Football Post, former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo writes about what type of NFL systems and schemes would be fits for Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney,
  • The Ravens scouted several offensive lineman at the Tennessee State pro day, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Martin, Clowney

February 28th, 2014 at 9:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

While some teams received some extra cap relief as the new salary cap number was released, there are some teams that are not benefiting from the extra room just yet. The Jaguars are estimated to now have just over $56MM in cap space this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com. Every team could use a little extra cap space, but the Jaguars are still worried about hitting the minimum 89% cash spending requirement, writes Alfie Crow of BigCatCountry. Crow does explain that they do not have to hit that mark in 2014, but instead must reach the mark over a four-year period.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

  • The Jaguars have plenty of options if they want to spend their money, either up to the brink of the cap or even just to approach the 89% mark. Nate Davis of USA Today advises that the team’s general manager Dave Caldwell start by courting a big name wideout such as Hakeem Nicks, and handing out a big payday to Browns center Alex Mack in order to replace the retiring Brad Meester.
  • Jonathan Martin will most likely be looking for a new team in the near future, and although he has many friends in the Colts’ locker room, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that the team is not in need of a tackle. Pro Football Rumors recognized this unfortunate reality as well, earlier this month.
  • The Titans hold the 11th pick in the NFL Draft, and while the team has many holes to fill, Nicholas Pitakos of TitanSized.com explored the possibility of the team moving up to draft Jadeveon Clowney out of South Carolina. While he sees Clowney as a once in a lifetime prospect, and he is scared of him ending up in the AFC South with either the Texans or Jaguars, Pitakos sees the price just being too costly for the Titans to move up.

Freeman On Clowney, Texans, Harbaugh

February 26th, 2014 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The latest edition of Mike Freeman’s Ten-Point Stance column at Bleacher Report features several notes from the scouting combine, including the latest on which direction the Texans may be leaning with the first overall pick. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from Freeman’s piece….

  • While he cautions that smokescreens or flat out lies are common at this time of year, Freeman reports that a number of sources say the Texans are now favoring Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 pick. “We’ve never really seen anything like Clowney,” said one Texans official. “There’s the chance he could redefine the position the way Reggie White or Bruce Smith did.”
  • The view around the league suggests the Texans are starting to “slowly fall in lust” with Clowney, says Freeman. Still, in addition to Freeman’s own concerns that the latest rumblings could be a smokescreen, it’s worth pointing out that he reported nearly the same thing about Houston and Johnny Manziel just a week ago. It’s probably fair to assume that Manziel and Clowney aren’t the only players the Texans will reportedly covet before May 8.
  • Several team officials believe the apparent rift between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and the team’s front office is reminiscent of Bill Parcells‘ situation in New England. Parcells ended up making his way to the Jets, where he assumed greater control of personnel decisions, and it looks like Harbaugh will eventually want a similar position, either in San Francisco or elsewhere, writes Freeman.
  • Despite reports to the contrary, the Dolphins aren’t interested in bringing back Jonathan Martin, and are simply trying to create the impression that they are, says Freeman. Even though it appears neither the team nor Martin wants a reunion, it could be in the best interest of both sides to present that as a realistic possibility in order to create some trade value for the young lineman. A trade, rather than a release, would ensure that the Dolphins get something for Martin, and would mean the 24-year-old gets his full rookie-contract salary rather than having to settle for the league minimum as a free agent.
  • Freeman keeps hearing that not many teams will trade up in this year’s draft, since the class is believed to be incredibly deep. In other words, if a team misses out on one target, there will usually be two or three viable alternatives. However, Freeman isn’t convinced that this will reduce draft-day trades, noting that it could make clubs more inclined to trade down, meaning the cost to move up wouldn’t necessarily be as steep as usual.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Packers, Bears

February 24th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Ben Levine

It was revealed yesterday that potential number-one pick Jadeveon Clowney wants to play for the Falcons. While team general manager Thomas Dimitroff brushed off Clowney’s comments, he did reveal his willingness to wheel and deal. Dimitroff spoke to NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones and discussed the Falcons’ draft plans (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution):

“I’ve been very clear about this, we will always be open for business,” Dimitroff said. “We will always be open to move up and back, depends on what’s right for us.”

Based on most mock draft, Clowney won’t be around for the Falcons’ pick. Even then, Dimitroff may instead be looking to move down.

“Again, I feel really comfortable with where we are at six,” he said, “but there are opportunities on both sides of six.”

Here are a couple more notes from around the NFC…

Combine Updates: Clowney, Ford, Tuitt, Mason

February 24th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Jadeveon Clowney is the talk of the NFL combine on Monday morning, running an unofficial time of 4.47 in the 40-yard dash today. The time is easily the best among defensive linemen, and in fact surpassed the times of most of the running backs and receivers that ran the 40 yesterday. Clowney won’t participate in all of today’s on-field drills, citing a hip flexor, but there are still plenty of combine updates to pass along from Indianapolis:

  • Auburn defensive end Dee Ford was medically flagged due to a 2011 procedure on a herniated disc in his lower back and won’t work out today at the combine. Scott Hanson of NFL Red Zone first reported (via Twitter) that Ford would sit out, while Steve Wyche of NFL Network passed along the specifics (Twitter link).
  • Like Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt was diagnosed with a fractured foot by doctors at the combine, according to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, who says Tuitt will undergo surgery in about a week, with a full recovery expected in six to eight weeks. Ford and Tuitt are viewed as two of the top non-Clowney DEs available in the draft.
  • The Titans, Dolphins, Rams, and Cardinals are among the teams that have met with Auburn running back Tre Mason at the combine, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • The Ravens have met with Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland, as well as wide receivers Brandin Cooks (Oregon State) and Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), Aaron Wilson writes in separate pieces for the Baltimore Sun. Wilson also says the team will meet with LSU receiver Jarvis Landry.
  • Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle won’t participate in drills at the combine due to health concerns, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
  • For a complete list of combine results, including scores in the 40-yard dash, bench press, and broad jump, be sure to check out NFL.com’s tracker.

NFC Notes: Clowney, Lions, Vikings, Niners

February 23rd, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney would like to be a member of the Falcons — but only if they trade up to get him, writes ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. The star Gamecock is widely expected to be selected in the top five picks of the draft, and he realizes this would make it challenge for him to get to Atlanta. “…I hope I don’t fall to No. 6,” said Clowney, hoping for a Falcons draft position swap. “I like Atlanta – a lot. They’re pretty good. They’ve got some guys from South Carolina on the team, also. And it’s close to home.” The Falcons are in dire need of pass rush help, and we learned Friday that they are not averse to attempting to move higher in the draft.

Some other notes from around the NFC:

NFC Notes: Lions, Giants, Clowney, Watkins

February 22nd, 2014 at 4:46pm CST by Rob DiRe

The biggest positions of need for the Lions is thought to be cornerback after a poor performance from the secondary in 2013, and also finding a talented receiver to pair with Calvin Johnson. Even still, Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News writes that doesn’t lock the Lions first-round pick into those positions. He writes that there are some interesting offensive tackles projected as top ten picks, including Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews, Auburn’s Greg Robinson and Michigan’s Taylor Lewan. If any of those three were still available, they would be real options for the Lions at tenth overall. Here are some other notes from the NFC:

  • If Hakeem Nicks leaves the Giants in free agency, the team will have a hole to fill at receiver, writes Tom Rock of Newsday. He writes that general manager Jerry Reese is not sold that Rueben Randle can fill that role, and that the team could look to address the position in free agency or with its first-round pick.
  • Rams’ head coach Jeff Fisher subscribes to the theory that you can never have enough pass rushers, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. If the Texans select a quarterback with the first pick, the Rams may have the opportunity to add a great pass rusher in Jadeveon Clowney. While it is not a position of need, he is thought to be the best player available in the draft.
  • Bill Williamson of ESPN.com wrote about the possibility of the team moving up in the draft to grab a big time playmaker like Clemson’s Sammy Watkins. While Williamson thinks it is too big of a leap, as Watkins is thought of as a top five pick, if he begins to fall past tenth overall the 49ers have the resources to consider packaging picks to move up in the draft.
  • John Kuhn‘s agent, Kevin Gold said there is “mutual interest” in Kuhn returning to the Packers, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). Gold and the Packers have been talking specifics in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine.

Browns Keeping Options Open At No. 4

February 20th, 2014 at 9:47pm CST by Peter Sowards

To say that the Cleveland Browns have struggled to find a franchise quarterback since their reinstatement in 1999 would be the grossest of understatements. 20 different men have started under center for the much-maligned franchise in the past 15 seasons, most in the league during that time. One would assume that the team would be locked in on one of the clear top three QB prospects in the upcoming player selection meeting: Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, UCF’s Blake Bortles or Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater.

Such may not be the case. Speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, Browns GM Ray Farmer said he may go against conventional wisdom and ignore his team’s direst need.

“It could be safe [to say we’ll draft a quarterback], but we might not go that direction,” Farmer said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “It may not be what everybody thinks it’s going to be. There is an opportunity for some curveballs.”

Of course, it wouldn’t do any good for Farmer to come right out and declare his draft strategy with more than two months to go. And there are still evaluations to be done, with combine workouts, pro days and individual workouts still yet to have taken place. Farmer identified winning as the No. 1 quality he’s looking for in a potential quarterback.

“First and foremost, I’m looking for a winner. He can help translate what we’re trying to do offensively to the field. People will talk about arm strength. They’ll talk about different athletic aspects, can he move in the pocket, etcetera. But I truly believe that a guy being able to accurately throw the football, make quick decisions and process [information] and throw from a crowded pocket, those are critical factors in my mind of what the quarterback needs to be able to demonstrate he can do.”

With regard to Brian Hoyer, who went 3-0 in limited play last season before being lost with a torn ACL in his right knee, Farmer said he believes in Hoyer’s traits but is looking to push him with some competition.

Ulrich names Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney as draftable candidates at No. 4 if the team does not go in the quarterback direction. Or, Ulrich suggests the Browns trade down and select a second-tier quarterback such as Fresno State’s Derek Carr, Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo or Alabama’s AJ McCarron.

Like Jaguars GM David Caldwell, Farmer said he’s willing to trade down and give his team more opportunities “to go to bat” in the draft.

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