HEADLINES

Jadeveon Clowney

Extra Points: Verner, Flynn, Clowney, Farmer

February 13th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming off his rookie contract, Pro Bowl cornerback Alterraun Verner is set to hit the open market next month, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean believes it may be difficult for the Titans to lock him up before March 11 (Twitter link). According to Wyatt (via Twitter), there has been “little to no movement” in talks between the two sides so far, though they’ll likely meet at next week’s scouting combine. After snatching five interceptions and defending 23 passes in 2013, Verner will be in line for a nice raise on 2013’s $1.32MM base salary, meaning he could be looking forward to gauging his value on the open market.

Let’s round up a few more Thursday items from around the NFL….

  • New Packers QB coach Alex Van Pelt praised Matt Flynn’s track record and indicated that he’s “excited to hopefully get him back in here,” according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Flynn is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason.
  • Texans safety D.J. Swearinger tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle that he keeps in contact with former South Carolina teammate Jadeveon Clowney, who is pushing hard to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. “He’s talking about, ‘Man, what’s the word [on the Texans’ pick]?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I’m going to try my best to do what I can to get you here,'” Swearinger said.
  • In the second half of a two-part Q&A with Ray Farmer, Tony Grossi asked the new Browns GM about the importance of landing an elite quarterback, as well as discussing Farmer’s philosophy in approaching free agency and the draft.
  • Cornerback Jabari Greer is taking yesterday’s release from the Saints in stride, as he tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While Greer didn’t expect to be cut, he noted that “you can’t ever be surprised” by it, particularly when you’re on the wrong side of 30.
  • Rick Spielman‘s long-term future as the Vikings‘ general manager may depend on his ability to find the team a solution at quarterback, an issue he’ll address this offseason, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

AFC South Links: Jaguars, Colts, Mitchell

February 9th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com believes the Jaguars will select defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the third overall selection, adding that while quarterback remains an obvious need, internal team sources may believe that none of the top QB prospects are ready to start from day one. Clowney certainly presents a safe option, and would allow the Jaguars to wait until a later round to select a quarterback, ostensibly to pair with a veteran like Chad Henne. DiRocco’s opinion meshes with comments made by Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, who indicated the team would not be beholden to drafting a quarterback with the third pick.

  • Regarding Caldwell’s indication that the team has an internal consensus of the top five players available, DiRocco believes those players to be Clowney, Teddy Bridgewater, Anthony Barr, Khalil Mack, and one of Johnny Manziel or Blake Bortles.
  • Defensive end Michael Johnson is an option for the Jaguars as they look to bolster their defensive line.
  • The notion that the Colts’ hiring of Rob Chudzinkski is indicative of offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s performance last season is only partially true, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. While Wells believes the hire is more related to Chudzinski’s familiarity with Chuck Pagano, there is do denying that Hamilton’s run-heavy play-calling was widely panned last season.
  • Colts running back Donald Brown is among the best bargains available at the position this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com.
  • Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will likely not be re-signed by the Texans, as they aim to find a more traditional 3-4 nose tackle, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com.

AFC Links: Texans, Browns, Pats, Raiders

February 6th, 2014 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked today on the Dan Patrick Show (video link) if he believes he should be picked first overall in May’s draft, Jadeveon Clowney said yes, but former Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips would go a different direction if he were making the call for Houston. Appearing on 610 SportsRadio in Houston (hat tip to Pro Football Talk), Phillips said he told Texans ownership that he believes quarterback Johnny Manziel is the best choice for the franchise.

“Those kinds of guys who can make first downs when you’re not supposed to, I think they give you something.” Phillips said. “I just think he makes plays that nobody else can make.”

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who has maintained that the Texans intend to take a QB with the No. 1 pick, tweets that, with so much of the process still remaining, the team doesn’t yet favor one of the top three (Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, or Blake Bortles). The club still has three months to decide what it’ll do with that top pick so in the meantime, let’s round up a few more updates from across the AFC….

  • After the trade of Trent Richardson, running back devolved into the weakest position on the Browns‘ roster, and will need to be addressed this offseason, says Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
  • Noting that the Patriots typically spend as little as possible on a backup quarterback, Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston writes that it would make sense if the club selects a QB in the draft’s middle rounds, with Ryan Mallett a good bet to depart via free agency in a year.
  • The Raiders announced four additions to their coaching staff today, including defensive backs coach Joe Woods, according to a team release.
  • Mike Wells of ESPN.com discussed the Colts with former Browns scout Matt Williamson, who suggested that Indianapolis could use some help on the interior of the offensive line, as well as just about everywhere on defense.

Kiper On Manziel, Clowney, Watkins, Jets

February 6th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Draft day is still more than three months away, but with the offseason underway and the scouting combine around the corner, it’s not too early to start looking ahead. Before he revealed his newest mock (Insider link), ESPN.com draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. appeared on a teleconference today to discuss the 2014 NFL draft, and plenty of reporters passed along the highlights. Here’s a recap of several of Kiper’s notable comments (all links go to Twitter):

  • After talking to people around the league, Kiper believes that Johnny Manziel is the consensus top QB in the draft, at least for now. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s atop every team’s board.
  • Wide receivers and offensive tackles are likely to dominate the first round, according to Kiper. However, in addition to being top-heavy, the WR class is also expected to be deep, so a team like the Steelers could land a good player there later in the draft.
  • There should also be plenty of cornerback depth in the draft, so clubs like the Steelers and Bears can afford to wait on that position, though Chicago will likely have to address its defensive line in the early rounds, says Kiper.
  • Kiper believes Jadeveon Clowney will be picked either first overall by the Texans or third overall by the Jaguars, with both teams in need of a pass rusher to get after Andrew Luck twice a season.
  • Whichever of those clubs doesn’t take Clowney will probably draft Manziel, according to Kiper, who foresees the Texas A&M signal-caller going first or third, with Teddy Bridgewater coming off the board at No. 4, to the Browns.
  • Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is unlikely to be picked outside of the top five, in Kiper’s view.
  • Kiper doesn’t expect any running backs to be selected in the first round this year.
  • The Chiefs figure to target receivers, safeties, or defensive linemen in the first round, says Kiper.
  • Kiper has the Jets using the No. 18 pick on receiver Marqise Lee, and suggests the club should draft a QB in the middle rounds as an insurance policy for Geno Smith.

Jaguars Notes: Henne, Draft, Clowney, Shorts

February 4th, 2014 at 10:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley spoke with Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida-Times Union about free agency, the upcoming draft, and the importance of re-signing quarterback Chad Henne.

“The competition that took place with [Henne] and Blaine Gabbert during OTAs and minicamp and training camp, he didn’t really flinch through the whole process and when he got his opportunity, he took advantage of it and we thought he made really good process,” Bradley said of Henne. “We think, having a year under his belt, he will have a better understanding of the system and we’re really excited as far as what he brought to us leadership wise.”

Here’s more from Bradley’s interview and other notes on the Jaguars..

  • Bradley won’t jump to conclusions over talk that quarterback A.J. McCarron might not throw at the draft combine in Indianapolis, saying that it’s not always a red flag when a player opts out of working out. However, he did admit that there’s a part of him that likes to see an athlete take every opportunity to compete.
  • Bradley mentioned Auburn defensive end Dee Ford and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr when asked what players stood out at the Senior Bowl and spoke glowingly of Jadeveon Clowney.
  • The Jaguars should pass on tapping a quarterback early in the 2014 draft, writes ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco. DiRocco reasons that defense wins championships and a young QB needs the right pieces around him to succeed – something that Jacksonville doesn’t have at the moment.
  • More from DiRocco, who writes that Jacksonville should wait on extending Cecil Shorts as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

Falcons GM On Clowney, Draft, Trading Up

January 30th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Zachary Links

It wasn’t a great year for the Falcons, but general manager Thomas Dimitroff is willing to look on the bright side on things. In a chat with Jeff Schultz and Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dimitroff said that going 4-12 allowed the club to experiment with some different looks, something they wouldn’t have been able to do if they went, say, 13-3. Here’s more on the Falcons from radio row..

  • There’s speculation that some teams are down on former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, but the Falcons aren’t one of them. “I’ll just say what everybody in the country knows: Jadeveon Clowney is a top notch talent and he’s going to make a team happy and he’s going to be a legitimate difference-maker in this game. The people with the top two picks know that,” the GM said.
  • Could the Falcons, picking at No. 6, trade up to get Clowney? Dimitroff didn’t close the door on that possibility but it doesn’t sound all that likely as he talked up the talent in the top ten and said he wouldn’t be “disappointed” picking anywhere in that range. It is worth noting, however, that there are two former Atlanta execs running teams at No. 2 (Les Snead with the Rams) and No. 4 (Dave Caldwell with the Jaguars).
  • The GM was candid about his desire to bolster up the club’s offensive and defensive lines. “We need to focus on getting more gritty and rugged in certain areas. That’s going to be more important for us. This is a warrior game and we have to come to the line of scrimmage with the proper mentality. … We realize we need to ramp up our ruggedness, not only on the field but off the field, in the locker room,” said Dimitroff.