AFC Notes: Patriots, Ravens, Colts
The latest from the AFC:
- Eric Rowe isn’t necessarily a lock to serve as the Patriots’ No. 3 cornerback in 2017, suggests Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Rather, it could be Jonathan Jones who emerges behind stars Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler, as Reiss notes that the second-year man got first-team reps as the Patriots’ nickel corner during OTAs last week. With that in mind, Rowe’s playing time during the upcoming season might depend on matchups. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, the Patriots could feature Rowe as their nickel corner against teams with multiple big receivers or clubs with tight ends who function as large wideouts, relays Reiss. That was the case in Super Bowl LI when the Pats put Rowe on the Falcons’ best receiver, the 6-3, 220-pound Julio Jones.
- Now-49er Kyle Juszczyk was more of a Swiss Army knife than a fullback for the Ravens, meaning it may take multiple players to replace him, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Running backs Lorenzo Taliaferro and Danny Woodhead, fullback Ricky Ortiz and tight end Nick Boyle could try to make up for Juszczyk’s departure as a group. The versatile Juszczyk parlayed his time in Baltimore as a lead blocker/pass catcher/special teamer into a record contract for a fullback (four years, $21MM, including $10.5MM guaranteed). Although the Ravens wanted to keep Juszczyk, their offer wasn’t competitive with the 49ers’, reports Zrebiec.
- Le’Raven Clark started in just three of eight appearances as a third-round rookie in 2016, but he ended the year as the Colts’ No. 1 right tackle and looks likely to win the job this season, per Kevin Bowen of the team’s website. Joe Reitz and Joe Haeg picked up the bulk of the work at right tackle while Clark was on the bench, but the former has since retired and the latter is primarily a guard. As for Clark, he’s “got enough talent” to be a full-timer, according to Chuck Pagano, though the head coach noted that the 24-year-old must improve as a pass blocker. Pro Football Focus agrees, having assigned Clark an awful pass-blocking grade during his inaugural campaign.
Colts Sign Entire Draft Class
The Colts have officially signed their entire 2016 draft class by reaching agreement with third-round pick Le’Raven Clark today, as Mike Chappell of CBS4 writes. According to his slot, Clark will earn a four-year deal worth ~$3.2MM. That deal includes a signing bonus of $750K. 
Clark, the last of eight Colts rookies to put pen to paper, was selected as part of a larger effort to help bolster the Colts’ offensive line. Prior to the draft, draft analysts Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBSSports.com wrote that Clark projects as a NFL starter at tackle or guard. Clark boasts the kind of “wide base [and] moldable frame” scouts look for in offensive line prospects, but the duo did note that he lacks power as a drive blocker. The Texas Tech product earned three-time All-Big 12 first-team selections and started all 51 games during his four-year collegiate career.
Here is the complete rundown of the Colts’ 2016 draft:
- 1-18: Ryan Kelly, C (Alabama)
- 2-57: T.J. Green, S (Clemson)
- 3-82: Le’Raven Clark, T (Texas Tech)
- 4-116: Hassan Ridgeway, DT (Texas)
- 4-125: Antonio Morrison, LB (Florida)
- 5-155: Joe Haeg, T (North Dakota State)
- 7-239: Trevor Bates, DE/OLB (Maine)
- 7-248: Austin Blythe, C (Iowa):
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Clark, Oakman, Dolphins, Randle
Texas Tech offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark had 10 visits and 12 private workouts for teams in recent weeks, and has two more workouts this week with teams that pick in the back half of the first round, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While Rapoport sounds bullish on Clark’s draft stock, I think the former Red Raider is more likely to come off the board late in the second round than late in the first.
Here are a few more Saturday odds and ends from across the NFL:
- Although Baylor defensive lineman Shawn Oakman technically doesn’t yet face any charges stemming from his arrest for an alleged sexual assault, his case is expected to be presented to a grand jury, and there won’t be any resolution before next week’s draft, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details. Per Florio, some observers believe Oakman’s draft stock will be affected to such an extent that he won’t be selected.
- The Dolphins didn’t publicly announce their pre-draft visits with prospects, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald was able to confirm 20 of those visits, and notes that the previously-reported visit with USC safety/linebacker Su’a Cravens never materialized, due to a schedule conflict.
- Reports from The Associated Press and The Wichita Eagle provide the latest updates on free agent running back Joseph Randle, who has repeatedly run into legal trouble since being released by the Cowboys in 2015.
- Bryce Johnston of Over The Cap takes an analytical look at Josh Norman‘s new five-year deal with Washington, examining the expected contract value and concluding that the standout cornerback is unlikely to be released until at least 2019.