NFC East Notes: Beckham Jr., Bryant, Mathis
After receiving a $5MM cap credit on June 1 for cutting offensive lineman David Baas in March, the Giants have just over $7MM to spend on fine-tuning the roster, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. 91 players are currently under contract for the G-Men, with a team cap of $124.98MM.
As Ranaan points out, $7MM might sound like a lot of money, but 20 teams have more room to spend. All seven 2014 draftees except for third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley have signed their rookie deals, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Syracuse Orange joins the fold.
More news and notes from the AFC East below…
- Giants first-round wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being rested for precautionary reasons while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at OTAs, reports National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson. Beckham told reporters he’s also suffering from a tight back.
- Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden waxed poetic about his former college and current pro teammate, Dez Bryant, per The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. “He’s unbelievable at what he does,” Weeden said. “It’s the same stuff he did when he was 18 when he came in. I have said it when we came in the same year, he’s just a freak. The guy is probably the most passionate football player. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever been around.” Both players arrived at Oklahoma State in 2007.
- At a function honoring former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said nothing has made him prouder than to know the Arkansas Razorbacks — Jones’ Alma mater — will play at AT&T Stadium next season, tweets Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News Bureau.
- Eagles guard Evan Mathis said the team is light years ahead of where it was compared to this time last year, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Michael Barkann. “This year, you can just see so much more confidence on the field. Everybody’s executing, it’s much more crisp, and that’s what you get with a year under this system.”
- Michael Bamiro has been working mainly at right guard on the Eagles‘ second-team offensive line, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher.
- According to a tweet by last year’s No. 4 overall pick Lane Johnson, the Eagles‘ rookie dinner totaled nearly $18k, including a $3,495 bottle of wine.
- Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith, who will be outside linebacker in Philadelphia’s base 3-4, was tabbed by National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel as one of five players to keep an eye on during the 2014 NFL Season.
- Niles Paul, the Redskins wide receiver and core special teams player, is optimistic about a potential turnout for the ST unit under Ben Kotwica, the first-year coordinator, writes CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir.
- Training camp practices under new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will likely start earlier, end later and feature a longer break in between sessions, reports CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler.
- Learning his fifth offensive system in five years, Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy likes the fit in Washington and is eager to learn behind Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim.
Giants Sign Beckham Jr., Three Others
The Giants have signed four more of their draft picks, most notably Odell Beckham Jr., reports Greg Salamone of Giants.com. Beckham was the team’s first-round selection, a receiver out of LSU.
The team also signed, second-round center Weston Richburg of Colorado State, fifth-round linebacker Devon Kennard of USC, and sixth-round cornerback Bennett Jackson of Notre Dame.
The only Giants’ rookie still unsigned is defensive tackle Jay Bromley out of Syracuse. The Queens, New York native Bromley was drafted in the third round.
NFC Notes: Eagles, 49ers, Giants, Packers, Saints, Gettleman
Eagles GM Howie Roseman met with the media following the first-round selection of Marcus Smith 26th overall, and Philly.com’s Jeff McLane had seven follow-up thoughts. Most notably, Roseman shared his initial plan of attack. Plan A entailed the team having a list of six players likely to be gone by No. 22 (where the Eagles originally were position prior to the trade down) but worth moving up for. To the best of McLane’s knowledge, that list included Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
When those players were gone, Roseman was prepared to move down, pick up an additional pick and choose the best player available. McLane is ” not convinced Smith was at the top of that list, but of the players there he played a premium position of need and thus was moved to the front.” McLane also spoke to other teams’ representatives whose grades on Smith ranged from second to fourth round.
Here’s several more quick-hitting, NFC news and notes:
- The Eagles place on emphasis on college graduates, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- The Giants drafted Weston Richburg 43rd overall last night, and what made him attractive to the team was his ability to not only block effectively, but handle the responsibility associated with the position, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “[Tom] Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese both said the center’s responsibility for handling line and protection calls will increase under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross said Richburg scored an impressive 31 on the Wonderlic test and impressed the Giants in his combine interview with his intelligence.”
- The 49ers were very active Friday night, making five trades that netted veteran receiver Stevie Johnson as well as running back Carlos Hyde (No. 57), center Marcus Martin (No. 76), linebacker Chris Borland (No. 77) and offensive lineman Brandon Thomas (No. 100). Eric Branch at sfgate.com recaps the team’s busy day here. The 49ers also have seven picks in the final four rounds.
- The 49ers deep stable of running backs now includes Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore and Hyde. James wants more playing time and is open to a trade, but the team has no plans to move him, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
- The Packers are confident Davante Adams is the next in a long line of productive receivers drafted in the second and third round, writes Bob McGinn in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Redskins second-rounder Trent Murphy, whom the team expects to contribute right away as a nickel rusher, “protects the team’s long-term interests at OLB,” tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
- With the selection of big cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste 53rd overall, the Saints continue to build a “Seattle-like secondary,” writes Larry Holder of Nola.com.
- The Panthers announced via Twitter that GM Dave Gettleman will draft remotely via Skype today so he can be present for his son’s college graduation.
NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Rams, Ward
Rookie Jimmie Ward is listed as a safety but the 49ers envision him beating out veterans Perrish Cox and Eric Wright to win the job as the team’s nickel back, writes CSNBayArea’s Matt Maiocco. Technically, barring injury, Ward will not be a starter in his rookie season. However, the 49ers had three cornerbacks on the field for 55% of their defensive snaps last season. More out of the NFC West..
- Rams GM Les Snead tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the plan, as of now, is to stand pat with the No. 44 selection in the second round. The picks that come later in the draft, however, could be moved around.
- The 49ers resisted the temptation to move up in the draft last night, Maiocco writes. San Francisco might have viewed LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as a target, but the price proved to be steep. “We certainly liked him as a football player, no doubt about it,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said of Beckham, who was chosen at No. 12 overall by the Giants.
- 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told KNBR 680-AM that Ward will face a learning curve to learn the nickel position, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
- Last night, the Rams reaped the final rewards of the Robert Griffin III trade with the Redskins, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. At this point, the Redskins got a starting QB while the Rams got a starter at defensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker, running back, and the offensive line with a receiver who could elevate to that role this year.
- Many were surprised when the 49ers didn’t grab a wide receiver in the first round, but GM Baalke says that he likes the WR depth available in round two, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. It also seems very possible that Baalke knew that the Stevie Johnson deal was on the horizon during last night’s proceedings.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins
Although Chip Kelly has had nothing but good things to say about Johnny Manziel publicly, it seems clear that the Eagles never really thought about taking him with the 22nd pick, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine. “I love him,” Kelly said. “I think he’s a dynamic quarterback. I also think we have a very, very good quarterback situation – not only with Nick [Foles], but you add Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley – we think quarterback is a strength for us right now. We felt like the pass-rusher who we had rated higher was the guy we were gonna take.”
- “Best player available” is used ad nauseam during the draft. However, it’s the Eagles‘ philosophy and they’re adamant about it, as evidenced by the quotes from GM Howie Roseman and elly in a column by Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Domowitch following the (surprise) selection of Marcus Smith.
- And then there’s the Cowboys, who did not stick to their board, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). When the Cowboys lost out on their top three draft targets last night — all defensive players — they opted for a relatively safe choice in offensive lineman Zack Martin even though they had Manziel graded higher.
- Consequently, rounds two and three have become more important for the Cowboys, says Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013 and losing DeMarcus Ware, the team has plenty of holes to fill, especially on the defensive line. George mentions four defensive lineman who could be on the team’s radar tonight: Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, Missouri’s Kony Ealy, Oregon State’s Scott Crichton and Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, all of whom made predraft visits to Dallas.
- The Giants‘ selection of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 12 puts them on track to fix their broken offense, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The LSU star caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Giants wide receiver Reuben Randle, who played with Beckham at LSU, described him as a “DeSean Jackson type,” writes Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News.
- The Redskins were not part of Thursday night’s festivities, but they’re up at No. 34 tonight, and USA Today’s Steven Ruiz takes a look at their options. Most speculation centers around the team selecting an offensive lineman, perhaps Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandijo, Virginia’s Morgan Moses or UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
West Rumors: Beckham, 49ers, Seahawks
Odell Beckham Jr. was viewed as a potential target for the 49ers, but trading up for him just wasn’t in the cards, as GM Trent Baalke explained to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link): “We certainly liked him as a football player, no doubt about it. But… the price of doing business when you’re trying to move from [No. 30] up into the top 10 or close to the top 10 becomes pretty stiff. And you’re giving up a lot of football players to go get one football player. And if you look at history, a lot of time it works against you,” said the GM.
- The Seahawks had their eye on defensive tackle Dominique Easley before the Patriots drafted him at No. 29, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. When the Florida product was off the board, they traded out to the Vikings, who selected Teddy Bridgwater. Seattle had a connection with Easley: defensive coordinator Dan Quinn recruited him at UF.
- Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey declined to say whether he had real interest in drafting Johnny Manziel, but he did infer that the Browns called to try and trade for their pick before they ultimately struck a deal with the Eagles, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- The Chiefs’ pick of Auburn defensive end Dee Ford at No. 23 raised a few eyebrows, but Dorsey told reporters, including Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that the team viewed Ford as the second-best pass rusher in the draft.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Pauline On Manziel, Bucs, Bortles, Raiders
NFL executives widely believe that if Johnny Manziel is selected in the first eight picks tomorrow, it will be by decree of the owner rather than the scouting department or GM, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. One source told Pauline that it feels like a lot of GMs are hoping Manziel is off the board before it’s their turn to pick so that there’s no discussion or distraction of selecting the signal caller. This is especially the case in Tampa Bay where Buccaneers owners are pushing for Manziel but coach Lovie Smith is after defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Here’s more from Pauline’s column..
- Consistent with what we’ve already heard, the Browns like Manziel but not enough to use the No. 4 pick on him. The name that Pauline hears often connected to Cleveland is receiver Mike Evans and Blake Bortles is a dark horse possibility.
- If Bortles slides past the Vikings at No. 8, look for the Cardinals to try and move up for him.
- The Raiders are shopping their first round pick and while there’s been interest, no team has matched their asking price. Right now Oakland would like Khalil Mack, Mike Evans, or Sammy Watkins at No. 5. If they are able to trade down the pick is likely to be quarterback Derek Carr.
- The Panthers have been known to like Joel Bitonio at No. 28 and Pauline hears the Chargers will also consider him at No. 25.
- There’s a feeling the Panthers could attempt to trade up for a receiver or offensive tackle and the Dolphins are the obvious trade partner. Miami, Pauline hears, will entertain offers for the 19th pick if Zack Martin is unavailable. By doing that, the Panthers would assure themselves receiver Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee, whichever is available. If that’s the case, Bitonio could then land with the Seahawks as the first round closes out.
- The 49ers have let it be known they plan to be aggressive on draft day and use their arsenal of top 100 picks to move up. Right now, sources say SF has their eye on receiver Odell Beckham. The price to move up for Evans is a little steep and Beckham fills a need for them. Another plus to Beckham is that they’d provide a safeguard if Michael Crabtree‘s price tag in free agency next year is too high.
Dolphins Exploring First-Round Trades
As draft night nears, the Dolphins are very much open for business, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who reports that the team has fielded and initiated multiple calls to other clubs, exploring potential trades up or down in the first round.
Salguero notes that the team’s apparent willingness to trade up from No. 19 is somewhat surprising, and he doesn’t have any specific details on possible moves up for Miami. In my view, it may be worth sliding up a few spots if an offensive tackle like Zack Martin or Taylor Lewan slips into the mid-teens. However, a trade down looks like the more likely scenario, particularly since the Dolphins only hold seven picks in this year’s draft, which doesn’t give them a whole lot of ammo to move up.
According to Salguero, the Dolphins have had “preliminary discussions” with the Eagles (No. 22), Browns (No. 26), and Saints (No. 27). The club has also spoken to the Niners, who hold the 30th pick, but may not want to drop behind the Panthers (No. 28), since Carolina also figures to be targeting an offensive tackle with its first pick.
As for specific targets, Salguero identifies Tennessee offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James and Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier as a couple players the Dolphins “love,” and adds that prospects like LSU wideout Odell Beckham Jr., USC receiver Marqise Lee, Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, and Virginia offensive tackle Morgan Moses are also on Miami’s radar.
AFC East Rumors: Jets, Beckham, Savage
Jerod Mayo will miss Brandon Spikes now that he’s with the Bills, but he says that he and the other Patriots linebackers can step up and fill the void, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “I guess [I’ll miss] all the jokes in the meetings,” Mayo said. “Brandon is a great player. Obviously he’s not with us anymore. He brought a physicality to the game that’s kind of unprecedented as far as in the run game. He’s a good player. But at the end of the day, he’s not a Patriot right now. We’re gonna work with the guys we have in our room.” More out of the AFC East..
- The Jets are looking to trade up with an eye on the top then and they’re hot on LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That could be a move to get ahead of the Giants, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger, who are also high on Beckham.
- Greg Schiano is an unabashed fan of Tom Savage which gives weight to the talk that the Patriots could draft him, tweets Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. The former Buccaneers and Rutgers head coach has been working with the Pats in a consulting capacity. Savage was a prized recruit at RU before he jumped ship for Arizona and then Pittsburgh.
- A four member voting trust created by the late Ralph Wilson will ultimately decide who has submitted the winning bid to purchase the Bills, according to Bob Koshinski of AllSportsWNY. The four voting trustees are Mary Wilson, Ralph Wilson’s widow, Jeff Littman, Bills CFO and Treasurer of the Ralph Wilson Equity Fund, Mary Owen, Bills Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning, and Attorney Eugene Driker. When the final bids are evaluated the new owner must receive at least three of the four votes from the trustees appointed to approve the purchase. That provision could bode well for the Bills staying in Western New York.
La Canfora On Raiders, Browns, Cards, 49ers
Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggested earlier today that Johnny Manziel could end up on a team whose owner likes the idea of injecting some life into his franchise, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com makes a similar case in his latest column, pointing out that you should never underestimate the role an owner can play in the selection of a quarterback.
According to La Canfora, in the case of the Raiders, owner Mark Davis “is smitten” with Derek Carr. Fifth overall is too high to draft Carr, but if Oakland trades down, or perhaps decides to acquire a second pick later in the first round, it could be a sign that the team is targeting the Fresno State signal-caller.
Here are more highlights from La Canfora:
- The Browns‘ ideal situation may involve taking a player such as Sammy Watkins or Greg Robinson at No. 4, then nabbing a QB like Carr or Teddy Bridgewater at No. 26. As La Canfora notes, Carr may not be available that late in the first round, and if ownership gets involved, that may tip the scales toward Manziel early in the first round. For what it’s worth, head coach Mike Pettine told Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com today that there are five or six guys he’d be happy to land with that fourth overall pick (Twitter link).
- La Canfora continues to hear that teams who aren’t being frequently linked to quarterbacks will be the ones to draft them, and perhaps higher than expected. He goes on to cite affordable fifth-year options as one reason why clubs will pounce on QBs in the first round, though I feel as if seeing Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert, and Jake Locker have their options turned down last week will remind teams that the fifth-year option isn’t really a factor if you don’t select the right player.
- La Canfora “would be surprised” if the Cardinals didn’t select Carr or Blake Bortles with the 20th overall pick. Peter King of TheMMQB.com tweeted this afternoon that, after sending Bortles to the Browns at No. 26 in his early-morning mock draft today, he now thinks that’s too low, and that the Browns or Cardinals will target him earlier in the first round.
- Four tackles could come off the board within the first 12 picks on Thursday, and two or three more could be selected in the first round, says La Canfora.
- The 49ers are likely to trade up if possible, with wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks among their potential targets.
- Several evaluators strongly believe A.J. McCarron will be the fourth or fifth quarterback drafted, and rave about his film.
- La Canfora thinks Aaron Donald will be the third defensive player off the board, likely no lower than eighth overall.
- The Patriots may end up drafting multiple tight ends, including a late-round project, in La Canfora’s view.