Laremy Tunsil - Pro Football Rumors

East Rumors: Rolle, Tunsil, Jets, Cousins

May 3rd, 2016 at 8:08am CST by Zachary Links

Safety Antrel Rolle is on the open market and he tells SiriusXM (audio link) that he would like to return to the Giants.

“I’ve never hidden it. New York is where the heart is. New York is where I feel comfortable,” Rolle said (transcript via PFT). “New York is a place where I would love to play. You know, there’s a difference playing for an organization, you know, you’re there to play and to win, and you’re there because that’s where your contract is. And there’s a difference in playing where your heart is. I would absolutely be open to the situation if it presents itself. Obviously it would have to make sense for both [sides]. The New York Giants, I think it would definitely make sense for both myself and the team. But let’s see what happens.”

The Giants added third-round pick Darian Thompson to the safety mix, but there is no slam-dunk starter at the free safety position. Still, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, a reunion between Rolle and Big Blue seems unlikely.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:

Despite the gas-mask/bong video that surfaced on draft night, Dolphins first-round choice Laremy Tunsil will avoid entering Stage 1 of the NFL’s substance-abuse program, a source tells James Walker of ESPN.com.
While many speculated that Tunsil’s stepfather was behind the shocking draft day leak, Tunsil’s attorney, Steve Farese, says that’s not the case. “Initially, that would be the low-hanging fruit,” Farese said on SiriusXM (audio link; transcription via PFT). “Now I’ve drifted away from those thoughts and don’t believe he had anything to do with it.” The Dolphins believe Tunsil’s former financial advisor was responsible for the leak, according to a source who spoke with Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter).
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan “all but confirmed” that he explored trading up for Tunsil last Thursday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Per Cimini, Maccagnan also didn’t rule out the possibility of keeping cornerback Dee Milliner on the roster beyond 2016 if he plays well this year, even after turning down his 2017 option today.
Before the Titans shipped the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams, the Jets inquired about trading up for the No. 1 pick in order to draft Jared Goff, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). It was previously reported that the Jets explored trading up to the top two, but it wasn’t clear which QB they were targeting.
Kirk Cousins believes “there’s a chance” that a long-term deal could be hammered out with Washington between now and the July 15th deadline, but he tells 106.7 The Fan that he’s also comfortable with playing the year out. “If they feel like they have enough information and want to make that call right now, then great,” Cousins said. “But I think the ball’s in their court and I will react accordingly to whatever decision they make… I am totally comfortable playing more football, and frankly if I don’t play well next season, I don’t deserve to be back. I don’t deserve a long-term deal. So I want to go out and earn it, and prove myself, and if I need to prove myself again, that’s fine. I’ll go see if I can do that.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Tunsil, Carroo, Ravens, Steelers

May 1st, 2016 at 7:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins slotted Laremy Tunsil as their No. 2-rated player before the draft, with Jaguars defensive back Jalen Ramsey at No. 1, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. Had Tunsil not fallen to them at No. 13, the Dolphins would have been inclined to trade back and seek cornerback help, Salguero writes.

Among corners, the Dolphins had Eli Apple rated No. 2 behind Ramsey. Although Miami traded for Byron Maxwell, the team is now without all three of its primary starters from 2015 — Brent Grimes, Brice McCain and Jamar Taylor, the latter being traded to the Browns for a seventh-round pick Saturday.

Here’s more from the AFC as we transition into a post-draft world, beginning with more on the Dolphins’ board.

Miami traded up in the third round to take Rutgers wideout Leonte Carroo, but it’s not where the ex-Scarlet Knights target came off the board that’s interesting; it’s where his new team rated him. “We thought he was the second-best receiver in the draft,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said, via Salguero. That assessment runs counter to just about every pre-draft analysis in a draft that saw four wideouts go in the first round and three come off the board in Round 2. Prior to Miami selecting Carroo at No. 86, the Texans took Braxton Miller at No. 85. The Dolphins surrendered a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft — which it traded to the Vikings to select another receiver, Jakeem Grant — as well as third- and fourth-round choices in 2017 to become the ninth team to select a receiver this year. Rutgers suspended Carroo twice in 2015, and he was arrested once on a domestic violence-related charge.
Tunsil’s selection strikes Salguero as interesting considering as the No. 2 player on the Dolphins’ board, they couldn’t have done the exhaustive work on him as they did on someone like Apple or another player they thought would be in play at 13. He uses the Patriots, who did not pick until the 60s, not doing much work on Ramsey as an example.
Although Ozzie Newsome denied the Ravens picked Ronnie Stanley over Tunsil because of the now-infamous bong video posted on the tackle’s Twitter account before the draft, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun reports that the social media posting was passed around the Ravens draft room prior to the team selecting Stanley. The Ray Rice moment still hangs over the franchise, Schmuck writes, inducing Baltimore to play it safe when it comes to questionable prospects.
The past two years, the Steelers have chosen 11 defensive players compared to just four on offense, and Mike Tomlin told media (including Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) it’s realistic three could emerge as starters in Week 1. “I believe it’s realistic,” Tomlin said of the prospect of the team’s top three picks — cornerback Artie Burns, safety Sean Davis and nose tackle Javon Hargrave — starting against Washington in September. “That’s why we chose them where we chose them. But they have to earn it, and we’ll give them the opportunity to do that.” Following the departures of Steve McLendon and Brandon Boykin, the team has holes in its lineup at No. 2 corner and at defensive tackle.

Draft Rumors: Tunsil, Ravens, Cardinals, Bears

April 30th, 2016 at 7:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As soon as the seventh round came to a close, NFL clubs immediately begin placing calls in attempts to sign undrafted free agents. While we will be sharing that information eventually, the sudden flurry of activity makes it difficult to track in real time. As such, we’ll wait until teams formally announce their UDFA signings before we post the news (along with accompanying signing bonuses).

Here’s the latest as the 2016 draft is in the rearview mirror…

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome denied a report that his club would have drafted Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil except for a social media posting that showed him smoking out of bong, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore selected fellow tackle Ronnie Stanley instead of Tunsil.
Bruce Arians says the Cardinals had a grade on a quarterback in every round, but other teams picked the signal-callers in question before Arizona got the chance, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Steelers tried to trade back into the fifth round, says general manager Kevin Colbert, but no other clubs wanted to trade back, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link).
Having lost Brad Nortman to the Jaguars over the offseason, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says his team would have selected a punter in the seventh round had a draft-worthy one been available, reports David Newton of ESPN.com. Gettleman also relayed that he declined offers to trade up because Carolina is already missing a 2017 seventh-rounder and didn’t want to give up more capital (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer).
The Bears plan to target tight ends in undrafted free agency, GM Ryan Pace told Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).

Draft Updates: Cowboys, Tunsil, Pats, Jets, Saints

April 30th, 2016 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ later-round selections have featured some interesting near-misses. Dallas has been linked to multiple players it did not end up selecting, including new Browns edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, whom Cleveland chose in Round 2. The team also eyed Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com reports.

Even its own pick brought uncertainty after a report surfaced Friday that the team nearly unloaded its second-round pick to the Bears before taking Notre Dame injured star Jaylon Smith. Perhaps these pass-rushers going off the board contributed to the urge to wanting to trade down.

We heard Friday night the Cowboys are not going to re-sign Greg Hardy. This, coupled with the looming suspensions of Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory have left the team thin at defensive end despite signing former Eagles edge presence Cedric Thornton in free agency. It took Dallas until the fourth round to address this spot, when it took Charles Tapper from Oklahoma.

Here’s the latest from the draft.

The Saints traded up for the 120th pick, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), they didn’t get their selection in on time. This allowed the Vikings to jump the Saints, with Minnesota selecting offensive lineman Willie Beavers. New Orleans presumably still got their target in defensive tackle David Onyemata.
The Dolphins believe it was the former financial advisor of rookie Laremy Tunsil who released the incriminating gas mask video, tweets Andrew Abrasion of The Palm Beach Post. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the video caused Tunsil to drop from the sixth overall pick to No. 13.
Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that the team isn’t working to acquire another quarterback, including Nick Foles (Twitter link).
Pauline also notes the Patriots‘ collection of second- or third-round quarterback choices in the Tom Brady era could have included Wisconsin passer Joel Stave instead of the player they actually selected, Jacoby Brissett, in the third round. While neither was considered a top prospect, Brissett was mentioned as a mid- or late-round pick before the lesser-regarded Stave — a 6-foot-5 former Badger, who remains on the board. Stave threw for just 11 TDs last season for the run-oriented Badgers.
The Steelers are considering a trade to get into the fifth round, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.

Ben Levine contributed to this report

Draft Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos

April 30th, 2016 at 12:10pm CST by Ben Levine

With the fourth round nearly halfway done, let’s check in on some draft whispers from around the league…

The Cowboys‘ gameplan for the second round was to select Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and then move up and select Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Ogbah was ultimately selected by the Browns with the first pick of the second round, and Dallas snagged Smith two picks later.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says there was a general belief that the Cowboys would select quarterback Connor Cook with pick No. 101, leading to the Raiders‘ acquisition of the 100th pick. Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Oakland is planning on keeping Matt McGloin and allowing the two quarterbacks to compete for the back-up job.
According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), the Dolphins slapped Leonte Carroo with a “second-round grade.” Miami ended up snagging the Rutgers wideout late in the third round.
If Laremy Tunsil hadn’t been around at No. 13, the Dolphins would have selected UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Eli Apple, who was selected 10th overall, was also under consideration for the pick.
Speaking of Tunsil, ESPN’s Adam Schefter determined how much money the offensive lineman actually lost on Thursday evening (via Twitter). The Ravens were prepared to select the embattled University of Mississippi product with the sixth-overall pick, but Tunsil ended up falling to No. 13. Schefter estimates that the rookie lost nearly $7MM after having fallen eight spots.
The Broncos are fielding calls on several of their picks, reports Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). The team has a compensatory fourth-round pick (which can’t be traded), as well as two fifth-round selections.

Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants

April 29th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s the latest from Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com entering the second day of the draft:

After the Dolphins used the 13th pick on Laremy Tunsil, they called veteran left tackle Branden Albert and assured him he’ll remain at his current position and Tunsil will play left guard.
The Cowboys “covet” Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah going into the second round, per Pauline, who dismisses the idea that they’re instead after Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa or Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence. Dallas holds the 34th selection but could end up moving down, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones (link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is unlikely to get past the Chiefs at No. 37, reports Pauline.
The Giants are targeting offensive linemen and safeties entering Day 2, meaning Clemson safety T.J. Green could be a fit for the team at No. 40. Like Big Blue, the Steelers and Vikings are also eyeing safeties.

Draft Rumors: Day 2, Ragland, Ravens, Cowboys

April 29th, 2016 at 4:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The consensus from evaluators is that there are more talented players still available today than they had anticipated, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That means that we could see a lot of trade activity take place early on in the second round. Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Browns, Titans, and Cowboys, who hold the first three picks of the second round, are all getting phone calls about possible trades.

Here are a few more draft updates and rumors, with the second round less than two hours from getting underway:

Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link) surveyed 11 teams about linebacker Reggie Ragland‘s enlarged aorta and none of those clubs expressed concern. Ragland, he adds, is still expected to come off the board early on in tonight’s proceedings.
Reports last night suggested that the Ravens and Cowboys discussed a trade involving the fourth and sixth overall picks, but Dallas balked because Baltimore would have selected running back Ezekiel Elliott. Per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Ravens actually wanted to move up for defensive back Jalen Ramsey. However, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets that the Cowboys believed the Ravens were eyeing Elliott, and didn’t want to miss out on both Elliott and Ramsey by sliding down two spots.
Agent Jimmy Sexton helped to stop Laremy Tunsil‘s slide on Thursday night by having his client call into war rooms and talk to team decision makers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. In those conversations, Tunsil owned the past drug use shown in the video.
Here’s a fun fact from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter): Chip Kelly’s NFL teams have used 11 of their 23 picks on Pac-12 players, the most picks from a single conference by any head coach in that time. The 49ers, of course, used their two first-round picks last night on Oregon’s DeForest Buckner and Stanford guard Joshua Garnett.
The Cardinals, Panthers, Falcons, and Seahawks are keeping their eyes peeled today for a backup quarterback, Ian Rapoport tweets.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Wilkerson, Ravens, Fins

April 29th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Having traded up on Thursday night to nab Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Broncos may now be in a better position to negotiate a long-term deal with star pass rusher Von Miller, suggests Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Lynch’s rookie contract will likely call for cap hits that range from about $1.7MM in 2016 to $3MM by his fourth year in 2019, meaning Denver may not have much money tied up in the quarterback position for the next few years. While a Broncos source who spoke to Cole cautioned that the team still needs to make sure it has room to extend players like wideout Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall, there’s some optimism between the team and Miller’s camp that a long-term pact can eventually be reached.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Jets have in fact fielded calls on Muhammad Wilkerson in recent weeks, but no serious suitors emerged, according to sources who spoke with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. On Thursday night, GM Mike Maccagnan confirmed that a Wilkerson deal is now unlikely.
Kevin Byrne of BaltimoreRavens.com takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ravens‘ process last night as their No. 6 pick approached, including how the Laremy Tunsil video affected the team’s decision. Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald examines the thinking of the team that did take Tunsil, at No. 13: the Dolphins.
The NFL’s stance on having a franchise in Las Vegas is “evolving,” per commissioner Roger Goodell, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the league still wouldn’t want a team like the Raiders to have any part-owners who have a stake in a Vegas casino.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explores the Browns‘ day-one draft decisions, noting that plenty of execs around the league are skeptical about the team’s approach and the selection of Baylor wideout Corey Coleman.
Houston defensive tackle Tomme Mark got calls from the Chargers and Raiders and has drawn interest from Texans as a late-rounder or a priority free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Rumors: 49ers, Davis, Tunsil, Broncos

April 29th, 2016 at 2:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the West divisions:

Anthony Davis’ hammered the 49ers on Twitter this week but general manager Trent Baalke says he’s not losing sleep over what transpired. “There’s no decision to be made,” Baalke said when asked if the team has made a decision about his status (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “Right now, he’s not in the National Football League. He’s retired. So there’s no reason to even speculate on what we’re going to do or what we might do. “He’s got to be reinstated into the league and that’s a process that takes some time. He doesn’t put in and a day later he’s reinstated. There’s a process that he has to go through.”
Baltimore says that the Laremy Tunsil video didn’t affect their draft decision, but 49ers GM Trent Baalke admits that it was a factor. “Well, I think every team is aware of the video,” Baalke said (via Maiocco). “We factor in everything. So whether you get that information late in the process or you get it early in the process, it’s all factored in.” After nabbing a defensive lineman at No. 7, the 49ers could target an offensive tackle with their next pick.
Broncos GM John Elway told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he’s happy about the way his quarterback search turned out. “Do I have any regrets about this whole thing?” Elway said. “No. We’re thrilled to have ended up where we are, with Paxton. If you had said to me, ‘Here are your four options,’ and you named the four we just went through, this is the one we’d take. We think Paxton [Lynch], long-term, is a perfect fit for our offense.” Elway also indicated that he’s comfortable with having Mark Sanchez start the season while Lynch makes his transition to the next level.
Elway also told King that the Eagles were asking “way too much” for Sam Bradford when the Broncos reached out to the Eagles.

Draft Rumors: Ravens, Tunsil, Jack, Panthers

April 29th, 2016 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome claims that the team preferred Ronnie Stanley over Laremy Tunsil, even before the leak of Tunsil’s now infamous video.

“The thing that I’m so proud of, . . . our scouts get a lot of information,” Newsome said, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. “When things happen, a lot of the times we’re not surprised. We took the best player, the player that was rated the highest on the board at that point. I cannot neglect the importance of the work that our scouts do in the fall and in the spring getting information for us.”

More draft rumors from around the NFL:

The Panthers had UCLA linebacker Myles Jack on their draft board when they selected at No. 30, but the knee injury kept them from taking him, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. “Very frankly, the kid came out and said he is going to need microfracture (surgery),” GM Dave Gettleman said. Earlier today we learned that the Cowboys are not considering Jack with their early second round selection.
At least one team strongly considered drafting Jack late in the first round, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweets. However, that team couldn’t get over the knee issue and the risk factor involved with taking the UCLA linebacker so early.
The Browns didn’t attempt to trade up late in first round last night for Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, a source familiar with the situation told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter).