HEADLINES

Jordan Phillips

Dolphins Notes: Crabtree, Ridley, Gore, Skrine

April 5th, 2015 at 11:01am CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent receiver Michael Crabtree turned down approximately $3MM from the Dolphins, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who adds that Crabtree is seeking at least $4.5MM. We had heard that Miami was interested in the former 49er, and it appears as though they had serious enough interest to offer a contract. The 27-year-old Crabtree is reportedly in no rush to sign, but he will head to Oakland this week to meet with the Raiders.

Let’s check out some more Dolphins notes, all courtesy of Jackson…

  • Running back Stevan Ridley‘s visit with the Dolphins was simply “exploratory,” writes Jackson, but Miami has not ruled out signing the free agent. Ridley is coming off a torn ACL, so the club was presumably checking out his medicals.
  • Oklahoma defensive tackle prospect Jordan Phillips met with the Dolphins last week, reports Jackson, who points out that Miami probably isn’t in need on interior defensive line help given the presence of Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell, among others. Phillips ranks as the fifth-best available defensive tackle according to the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.
  • Miami showed “some interest” in running back Frank Gore, but not as much as some other clubs, Gore told Jackson. The 31-year-old Gore added that he would have liked to team with current Fin running back Lamar Miller, who like Gore is a University of Miami product.
  • One of the Dolphins’ top targets on defense was cornerback Buster Skrine, but the defensive back ultimately chose the Jets over Miami.

Extra Points: Crabtree, Ridley, Bears

April 4th, 2015 at 11:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins were willing to pay Michael Crabtree close to $3MM to suit up in aqua this season, but the longtime 49ers receiver sought “at least” $4.5MM per year, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

After seeking more than $9MM per campaign, Crabtree’s visiting the Raiders in hopes of salvaging some kind of value from what’s been an anti-climactic offseason from the inconsistent wideout. Crabtree earned at least $4.5MM in salary and bonuses the past five seasons.

Some additional news from Miami and the rest of the NFL on Saturday night …

  • Although the Dolphins’ summit with Stevan Ridley was merely exploratory, the team hasn’t ruled out signing the ex-Patriots running back, reports Jackson. Ridley, who is recovering from knee surgery and is one of many starting-caliber backs still in free agency, is reported to be down to the Jets and Fins for his next destination.
  • The Dolphins also showed “some interest” in bringing Colts signee Frank Gore back to Miami, but the longtime 49ers bruiser told Jackson multiple teams beat out the Dolphins’ pursuit level.
  • Jackson lists Buster Skrine, a Jets acquisition on a relatively big contract, as a player who the Dolphins coveted but one who declined their offer.
  • Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips visited Miami last week, adds Jackson. The Dolphins are intrigued by the Sooner talent’s potential despite landing Ndamukong Suh and housing several young players who are currently in their good graces.
  • With starter-level safeties Antrel Rolle and Ryan Mundy among the three back-line defenders on the Bears‘ roster, the team plans to address the position after the early rounds of the draft, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jahns mentioned Cody Prewitt (Ole Miss), Nick Perry (Alabama) and Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell as players the Bears have studied as possible fits.
  • Interior defensive line help also intrigues the Bears, reports Jahns, as they lost Stephen Paea to Washington. As they transition to the 3-4, the Bears are chock full of size outside, with Ray McDonald recently added as a five-technique end and Pernell McPhee arriving as a 280-pound linebacker. Interestingly, Jahns includes 300-pound Lamarr Houston, signed to a lucrative deal last year as a 4-3 run-stopping end, as an outside backer, which would be a unique experiment.
  • The Ravens will host Kansas free safety Cassius Sendish on a visit April 21, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. A Waldorf, Md., native and potential late-round draft pick, Sendish will visit his hometown team’s facilities during the team’s day designated for local prospect meetings.

Draft Notes: Gordon, Hundley, McKinney, Lions

March 17th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Two clubs who could be in need of a running back will meet with Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, a consensus top-two back in next month’s draft, as both the Cowboys and the Jaguars have lined up visits with the former Badger, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News and Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), respectively. The Cowboys, who hold the 27th overall pick, are aiming to replace DeMarco Murray, while Jacksonville, who would probably target Gordon at the top of the second round, could use another back to team with Denard Robinson.

Let’s take a look at some more pre-draft news…

  • After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, there aren’t many draft options at the quarterback position. One player in the mix to be third QB, however, is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who says he’s already met with both the Eagles and the Jets, and plans to set up more visits, tweets SiriusXM NFL Radio.
  • The 49ers lost linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement in the past week, and they’ll look to the college ranks to fill that positional void. The club will meet with Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney, who will also visit the Broncos, Texans, and Cowboys, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • The Lions hosted a pair of defensive prospects today, as both Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips visited the Motor City, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com in a pair of articles.

Jordan Phillips To Enter Draft

December 30th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has decided to forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft, he announced today on Twitter.

“To Sooner Nation thank you for a great four years at the best university in America,” Phillips wrote. “After a thorough but difficult decision I have decided to enter the 2015 NFL draft. Thanks for your support through everything.”

Phillips, a redshirt sophomore, was a disruptive force in the middle of the Sooners’ defensive line this season, starting all 13 of the team’s games and recording 32 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks. Projecting a potential NFL nose tackle, Phillips is ranked as the eighth-best defensive tackle prospect, according to WalterFootball.com. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier today that he has a first-round grade on Phillips.