AFC Rumors: Broncos, Wilkerson, Ravens, Fins
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
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
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).
AFC East Notes: Tunsil, Dolphins, Jets, Bills
Laremy Tunsil contends that the video of him smoking from a gas-mask bong was from two years ago. If it is found that the video was more recent than that, then Tunsil could wind up in the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Dolphins GM Chris Grier also told reporters that the video was “two years old.”
Here’s more on Tunsil and other news out of the AFC East:
- Several GMs told Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that the big issue with the Tunsil video was timing and the fear of the unknown. Had Tunsil’s video come out sooner than ~13 minutes before the draft, teams would have had enough time to appropriately investigate things.
- In addition to the infamous video, Tunsil’s Instagram account was also hacked with a screenshot of a text that appeared to show a request for money from Ole Miss assistant athletic director John Miller for rent money. When asked by a reporter if he took money from a coach while at Ole Miss, Tunsil answered, “I’d have to say yeah,” (via ESPN.com). Tunsil was suspended for the first seven games of last season for accepting improper benefits, including loaner cars and an interest-free loan.
- The Jets tried to trade up for Tunsil during his slide last night but the asking price was too steep, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets.
- The Jets never seriously considered drafting Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch last night, Mehta tweets. The Jets considered him to be more of a third or fourth-round type of player. Lynch, of course, went to the Broncos at No. 26.
- Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson says that he doesn’t need shoulder surgery but at least six teams told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that they believe he will need shoulder surgery at some point.
Draft Rumors: Lawson, Tunsil, Cravens, Fins
New Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson will need to undergo shoulder surgery at some point, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The operation will knock Lawson out of action for four-to-six months, so Lawson will likely wait until after the season to undergo the surgery.
More draft rumors…
- Washington is hearing interest from clubs who want to move up to No. 21, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The club hasn’t heard yet heard an offer that will entice them to move back.
- A report earlier tonight suggested that the Cowboys could trade back into the first round while targeting a quarterback, but David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) hears that’s unlikely. Dallas will likely stay in place at No. 34 and take a defensive player.
- Laremy Tunsil was the No. 2 player on the Dolphins‘ board, general manager Chris Grier tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). Grier also says the video that caused Tunsil to slip down the board is two years old. Meanwhile, Tunsil’s stepfather — who is currently suing the former Ole Miss tackle — has denied to TMZ that he hacked his son’s account or leaked the video.
- The Falcons drafted one safety/linebacker at No. 17 in Keanu Neal, but they apparently considered another hybrid-type player in Su’a Cravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Dolphins Select Laremy Tunsil With No. 13 Pick
Laremy Tunsil‘s draft day slide has ended. The Dolphins have used the 13th overall pick to select the Ole Miss offensive tackle, drafting Tunsil after a social media snafu earlier tonight threatened to send Tunsil down draft boards.
Tunsil, of course, was once projected to be the first overall selection when the Titans still held that pick. After Tennesee traded out, Tunsil was still thought to be a top-6 pick (at worst), but after a video posted earlier tonight showed him smoking out a bong, it was anyone’s guess as to where he would land. The Ravens reportedly passed on Tunsil in favor of Ronnie Stanley after seeing the video (a decision that cost Tunsil about $8MM, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com), while another GM voiced his concern: “It’s bad.”
Reporting on NFL Network, Ian Rapoport said that the video is several — potentially up to five — years old, and adds that Tunsil never failed a drug test while at Ole Miss. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) is skeptical of that story, noting that while Tunsil was in high school five years ago, the video shows an Ole Miss flag in the background.
“Somebody hacked my Twitter account,” said Tunsil at the draft tonight. “It was a mistake. It happened years ago.” Tunsil is being sued by his stepfather, but he said he wasn’t sure if it was his stepfather who hacked the account.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Rumors: Bosa, Tunsil, Jack, Chargers
The Chargers had been intending to draft Joey Bosa “for months”, a source tells Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com (Twitter links), who adds that San Diego was extremely happy when the Eagles traded up to No.2, since that deal meant that Bosa would likely slip to pick No. 3. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco spoke with Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for over an hour on Monday night, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), which may have helped the Chargers solidify their pick.
Here’s more draft news as the first round action continues…
- The Ravens drafted Ronnie Stanley at No. 6, but they originally had another offensive tackle in mind. According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), Baltimore was prepared to select Laremy Tunsil, but a video posted earlier tonight of Tunsil smoking out of a bong “scared them off.”
- Before selecting running back Elliott, the Cowboys considered trading out of the No. 4 pick, tweets Schefter. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), Dallas was discussing a pick swap with the Ravens before drafting Ezekiel Elliott. Baltimore, per Moore, wanted Jalen Ramsey, who ultimately went fifth overall.
- The Dolphins are a potential suitor for linebacker Myles Jack, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who says he’s heard “over and over” that Jack could be a target for Miami. Jack’s health, specifically a 2015 knee injury, could force him to tumble down the draft board, but the Dolphins could be ready to catch him at No. 13.
Laremy Tunsil Video To Affect Stock?
7:58pm: Tunsil could end up falling quite a ways down the board, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). A source tells Cole that Tunsil’s account was hacked, but Tunsil is not denying that it was him smoking in the video.
7:38pm: Minutes before the draft began, a video was posted on Laremy Tunsil‘s verified Twitter account that showed the Ole Miss tackle smoking from a bong. The post was quickly deleted (but can still be viewed on NFLDraftDiamonds.com), and Tunsil’s entire account has now been deactivated.
As Tom Pelissero of USA Today notes (Twitter link), it’s been an eventful few days for Tunsil, who was sued by his stepfather earlier in the week. None of the press is positive news, and Pelissero adds that NFL clubs are aware of the video and have viewed it. Said one general manager to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link): “It’s bad.”
Tunsil, of course, was once thought to be the favorite to be selected first overall. But once the Titans traded out of No. 1, Tunsil’s landing spot became less clear. The Chargers, thought to be a potential destination, just drafted Joey Bosa, but the Jaguars, Ravens, 49ers, Browns, and Giants are among the clubs in the top-1o who could be interested. It’s too early to say exactly how this video will affect Tunsil’s status, especially given the timing, but it’s a situation worth monitoring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pauline’s Latest: OTs, Steelers, Packers, Bucs
League insiders believe that as many as six offensive tackles could be selected in the first round of tonight’s draft, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin, and Taylor Decker are the obvious names, but Jason Spriggs, Le’Raven Clark, and Germain Ifedi are also candidates to go off the board tonight. The clubs that have put the most research into offensive tackles, per Pauline? The Colts, Packers, Seahawks, Broncos, Panthers, and Steelers.
Let’s check out the latest draft rumors, all courtesy of Pauline:
- Among the teams hoping to trade down tonight are the Falcons, Colts, Vikings, and Jets, according to Pauline. On the other side of the coin, the Cardinals, Panthers, and Broncos may like to trade up. Denver, presumably, would be targeting a quarterback in a trade-up scenario.
- The Steelers will consider a cornerback at pick No. 25, but they’ll also look at offensive tackles, writes Pauline. Pittsburgh returns Alejandro Villanueva at tackle, and signed Ryan Harris this offseason, but an upgrade wouldn’t be out of the question.
- The Packers might also like to find a new left tackle, says Pauline, as Green Bay would like to transition incumbent David Bakhtiari to left guard.
- If pass rusher Noah Spence is still available at the end of the first round, a club might trade back up in order to draft him, per Pauline. The Buccaneers are one team to watch in such a situation.
NFL Draft Rumors: Lynch, Hackenberg, Elliott
During interviews on official visits with teams, Paxton Lynch seemed to deflect blame to many of the critical questions thrown his way, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes (via WalterFootball.com). The Memphis product “did not throw anyone under the bus,” but he seemed to make ‘a number of excuses,” Pauline hears. Overall, teams left with the concern that Lynch is not yet ready to be the guy to lead a franchise. Many now believe that Lynch may be able to eventually blossom into a franchise guy, that time is not today and he may be better off with a situation where he can take his time. Lynch’s poor interviews may help to explain his apparent stock drop in recent days.
- Conversely, Pauline is hearing good things about quarterback Christian Hackenberg‘s interviews. The Penn State signal caller apparently took responsibility when asked uncomfortable questions and admitted that certain things were his fault. There have been reports of Hackenberg throwing Penn State coach James Franklin under the bus, but Pauline doesn’t buy it based on conversations that he has had.
- If Laremy Tunsil does not fall into their laps, the Ravens will consider Ezekiel Elliott with their No. 6 choice unless they are able to trade down, Pauline hears.
- In the last week, there have been conflicting reports on how much the Jets like Lynch. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) doesn’t believe that the Jets like him very much at all. He also doesn’t believe that he’ll last until pick No. 20.
- If the Cowboys take Elliott, Miller (on Twitter) expects the 49ers to try very hard to move up for FSU defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
- The Texans have displayed late-round draft interest in Valdosta State running back Cedric O’Neal, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. O’Neal, an All-Gulf South Conference running back who led the conference with 17 touchdowns last season, has also drawn interest from the Chiefs and Eagles.
- Cincinnati defensive back Leviticus Payne is drawing late interest from the Colts, Vikings, Jets, 49ers, and Texans, Wilson tweets.