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NFC North Notes: Kuhn, Vikings, Lawson

April 17th, 2016 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers have discussed bringing back fullback John Kuhn but haven’t decided to keep their longtime backfield blocker in the fold as of yet, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Kuhn’s agent, Kevin Gold, has talked with the Packers and other teams about the three-time Pro Bowl fullback, but Silverstein reports no decision is imminent on the eve of Green Bay’s start to its offseason program.

The 33-year-old Kuhn has played 156 games for the Packers, suiting up in green and gold for 10 of his 11 years in the league. Kuhn played ahead of 2015 sixth-rounder Aaron Ripkowski last season and made his third Pro Bowl. The Packers, who are also expected to sign Don Barclay on Monday, have $10.6MM in cap space currently.

A Division II product, Kuhn has been in this situation in recent years. Despite Kuhn being the fullback on the 2014 All-Pro first team, the Packers were able to re-sign him for the league minimum last April after agreeing to a similar one-year pact in advance of the ’14 season. Kuhn played in 23.4% of the offensive snaps last season, per Silverstein.

Here’s the latest coming out of the Packers’ top rivals’ camps.

  • This season will almost certainly be Chad Greenway‘s Vikings farewell tour, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The 33-year-old outside linebacker signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal (with $750K guaranteed) to remain in Minnesota for an 11th season recently. “I have sort of that direction that, yeah, I want to walk away a Minnesota Viking in sort of on my own terms,” Greenway told media Sunday, including Tomasson. “Few NFL players get to do that and have the opportunity to do that. This organization and my career has allowed me to do that and kind of be in the situation.” Greenway has started 140 regular-season and playoff games with the Vikings since being taken by the team in Round 1 of the 2006 draft. He remains the favorite to start alongside Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks this season.
  • Linval Joseph has nearly recovered fully from the turf toe that shelved the emerging defensive tackle late last season, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. Pro Football Focus’ best interior defender not named Aaron Donald or J.J. Watt, Joseph missed four Vikings games with the malady last season.
  • The Vikings do not expect Adrian Peterson to attend the start of voluntary portion of their offseason workouts Monday, Tomasson reports. Peterson has been training near his home in Houston and rarely shows for the start of these gatherings.
  • Shaq Lawson drew a lofty comparison during his Lions workout, according to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com (on Twitter). During one drill, Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek told the former Clemson pass-rusher during an explosiveness drill he’d only seen one player flash more during that particular drill, 2014 No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Lawson accumulated 45.5 tackles for loss in his three years at Clemson, 24.5 last season — his only as a starter.

Draft Rumors: Lawson, Jack, Eagles, Bills

April 15th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Medical re-checks are taking place this week for some prospects, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has updates on how they went for a pair of top defenders. According to Rapoport (Twitter links), the re-check for Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson confirmed that there’s no concern about his availability for 2016 — one team had flagged Lawson’s shoulder, but was comfortable with it after getting a closer look at the combine.

Meanwhile, although UCLA linebacker Myles Jack told ESPN’s Stephania Bell that his re-check went great, adding that “no one had any concerns,” Rapoport says that’s not quite the case. Teams had “differing opinions,” with some clubs believing the knee is a potential issue. Still, Rapoport says that teams who believe in Jack won’t be deterred by today’s medicals (Twitter links).

Let’s round up a few more draft updates and rumors from around the NFL…

  • The Rams gave the Titans a massive haul of picks to get the No. 1 selection because they believed Tennessee was about to pull the trigger on a deal with the Eagles, Howard Balzer of USA Today tweets.
  • With Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel both entering contract years, the Bills are “very much” in the hunt for a quarterback in this year’s draft, sources tell Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • In an article for FOX Sports, Schrager lays out the case for why there’s a chance the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, might become the second team to trade down from the very top of this year’s draft.
  • Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch met with the Saints on Thursday and will visit with the Jets on Friday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Gannon quarterback Liam Nadler is drawing interest from the Texans, Steelers, Chargers, Jets, Eagles, and Seahawks, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that the Texans, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Patriots, and Bears are among the teams to show interest in South Florida edge defender Eric Lee.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

La Canfora’s Latest: Browns, Goff, Titans, Eagles

April 13th, 2016 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, we learned that a high-ranking official told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he believes the Browns have their sights set on Jared Goff at the No. 2 overall pick, rather than fellow quarterback Carson Wentz. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com thinks the same thing, writing today that Cleveland offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton favors Goff.

According to La Canfora, many Browns scouts prefer Wentz to Goff, so the Browns’ front office and personnel department isn’t unanimous when it comes to a QB preference. But there’s some concern about Wentz’s lack of experience against high-level opposition, and a belief that the analytics favor Goff. So if the Browns do select a signal-caller with the second overall pick, which isn’t guaranteed, La Canfora believes it will be Goff.

La Canfora’s latest piece at CBSSports.com includes plenty of other noteworthy tidbits, so let’s dive in and round them up….

  • The Titans have at least two trade offers on the table for the No. 1 overall pick that they consider “worthy starting points toward an eventual deal,” and La Canfora says rival teams expect GM Jon Robinson to eventually deal the pick. “They’ll market it up to the draft to get the best ransom they can, but they’ll move it,” said one executive for a team that has explored moving up. If the Titans do keep the first overall pick, La Canfora expects Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil to be the choice.
  • The Eagles are “in love” with Ezekiel Elliott, and there’s a chance he’ll be Philadelphia’s pick at No. 8. La Canfora continues to believe the team’s interest in quarterbacks is a smokescreen, but notes that some executives think GM Howie Roseman is set on making a big splash on draft day, which could mean nabbing a QB.
  • Scouts who have talked to La Canfora uniformly prefer Clemson’s Kevin Dodd to his teammate Shaq Lawson, and like Alabama’s Jarran Reed more than A’Shawn Robinson. “I really hope there are people in this league who like Robinson more than Reed,” one top evaluator said of the Crimson Tide duo. “That just makes it easier for us.” Robinson is viewed as a player whose stock is being overstated by mock drafts, as is Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple.
  • Several teams, including the Chiefs, are very high on Louisiana Tech defensive lineman Vernon Butler, who is expected to be a first-round pick, per La Canfora.
  • La Canfora expects TCU’s Josh Doctson to be the first wide receiver to come off the board.
  • The Steelers are doing a lot of homework on cornerbacks, leading La Canfora to believe they’ll probably go in that direction in the first round.

NFC Rumors: Clemons, 49ers, Bears, Lawson

April 10th, 2016 at 7:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chris Clemons‘ one-year deal worth $1.5MM indicates he’ll have to compete for a spot on the Seahawks‘ roster despite his ties with the organization, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com reports.

Only Clemons’ $150K signing bonus is guaranteed, with the returning defensive end’s status possibly tied to what the team does in the draft later this month. Kapedia identifies the 34-year-old Clemons as a candidate to back up Cliff Avril at the hybrid LEO defensive end spot, with Frank Clark expected to step into Bruce Irvin‘s right-side role.

Clemons did not fare as well with the Jaguars as he did under Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn in Seattle, registering just three sacks in seven starts in 2015. However, the well-traveled veteran had shown consistency prior to last year. Playing in 16 regular-season games in eight of the past nine seasons, Clemons collected eight sacks in 2014 after posting double-digit numbers in that category from 2011-13 in Seattle.

The one-year pact includes $12,500K in active-roster bonuses, along with a $150K workout bonus, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

Here’s some more from the NFC on Sunday night.

  • San Francisco has been labeled as one of the quarterback landing spots at No. 7, but the 49ers will look to take the best player available, regardless of Colin Kaepernick‘s status, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com hears. Raanan goes as far as to remove the 49ers from the first-round quarterback derby. The 49ers, though, have already met with Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, and observed Paxton Lynch‘s pro day. The team has also inquired about the No. 1 overall pick, inducing obvious queries about their interest in this year’s quarterback crop.
  • Kyle Long will factor into the Bears‘ tackle competition despite having been better at guard, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com reports. He could wind up outside again after moving from guard to right tackle in 2015, and that positional versatility will serve him well upon trying to reach a long-term deal with the Bears, Mullin writes. Meanwhile, Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen are the favorites going into the draft to open up at the guard spots, with their deals likely contingent on receiving strong opportunities to claim starting jobs, Mullin offers. Of course, both players have extensive experience at center, expanding the likelihood of both winding up in Chicago’s starting five.
  • Clemson’s Shaq Lawson is visiting the Bears, the prospect posted on his Twitter account. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets the visit will occur Monday. Prior to the defensive end’s trip to Chicago, however, he’ll stop in Detroit to meet with Lions personnel, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Lawson, who registered 12.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss as a junior in 2015 despite playing with knee and shoulder injuries, visited with the Cowboys and Panthers last week.
  • Wide receiver Robby Anderson will visit the Packers, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Temple target who ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the Owls’ pro day visited the Browns, Dolphins and Eagles recently.

NFC Draft Notes: 49ers, Rams, Lions, Saints

April 9th, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at some AFC-centric draft notes earlier today, so now we’ll switch focus to the NFC…

  • Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is visiting with the 49ers today and will visit with the Rams on Monday, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that the Rams have “serious interest” in the prospect.
  • Unless Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley or Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III fall to the Lions, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein could envision the team selecting Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson. Depending on which players are available at the 16th pick, the writer could also see general manager Bob Quinn considering a move back in the draft.
  • Meanwhile, if Hargreaves falls to the Saints at the 12th pick, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett said the defensive back would certainly be under consideration. The writer also list defensive backs William Jackson III (Houston), Eli Apple (Ohio State) and Mackensie Alexander (Clemson) as potential options.
  • Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted the names of several prospects who will be attending the Buccaneers local day: Jacksonville University’s Logan Williamson, Purdue cornerback Frankie Williams, Buffalo corner Marqus Baker, Purdue cornerback Anthony Brown, and Jacksonville State wideout Ruben Gonzalez.

South Rumors: Titans, Ramsey, Jack

April 7th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans will meet with Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey on Monday, as John Glennon of The Tennessean writes. Ramsey, who can play both corner and safety, is widely considered to be one of the top talents in this year’s class and the Titans are giving real thought to taking him first overall. The Titans’ secondary could certainly use the help after a rough showing last season.

Here’s more from the AFC and NFC South:

Cowboys Rumors: Hardy, Goff, Wentz

April 4th, 2016 at 7:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of Dallas:

  • Free agent defensive end Greg Hardy sat down for an interview with Adam Schefter of ESPN (video link) and claimed that he never put his hands on his alleged domestic assault victim. Hardy had another solid season as a pass rusher in 2015, recording six sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in 12 games for the Cowboys. However, he remains on the open market thanks to his reputation for being difficult in the locker room and the PR backlash that his signing would bring for a team.
  • The Cowboys will bring in quarterbacks Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Christian Hackenberg, Connor Cook, and Jacoby Brissett for visits, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Hackenberg, Cook, and Brissett could be had later in the draft while Goff, Wentz, and Lynch are likely first round picks.
  • Laquon Treadwell will visit with the Cowboys tomorrow, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Shaq Lawson‘s long anticipated visit to the Cowboys took place on Monday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • Alabama running back Derrick Henry will visit the Cowboys this week, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter links) has the details on Joe Looney‘s two-year contract with Dallas. The interior lineman will get $1.675MM with a $100K signing bonus and salaries of $775K and $800K. He’ll also get a $250K play time incentive in 2016 and a $500K playtime incentive in 2017.
  • Jack Crawford‘s one-year deal will pay him $1.1MM but he can earn up to $1.6MM through incentives, Clarence Hill of The Star-Telegram tweets.

Draft Notes: Cravens, Lawson, Hogan

March 29th, 2016 at 9:52pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some draft notes to close out this Tuesday evening:

  • Contrary to prior reports, USC linebacker Su’a Cravens will not be holding any private workouts for interested clubs, according to agent Fadde Mikhail (article via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Mikhail said, “There have been too many teams that have called to set up private workouts, and I think Su’a’s body of work on film speaks for itself.” Cravens played linebacker for much of 2015, but many teams view him as a safety at the next level, and he is seen as a late first-round or early second-round prospect. As Florio notes, the decision not to work out for teams is gradually becoming more popular with some agents, who believe the reward of potentially increased draft positioning does not justify the risk of an injury that could be sustained at a workout. Greg Gabriel of NFPost.com, however, disagrees with that line of thinking, as he thinks private workouts are a critical part of the draft process that allow a team to learn more about a player’s talent and personality. He adds that Mikhail’s decision will cause Cravens’ draft stock to drop (Twitter links).
  • Clemson DE Shaq Lawson, who already has a number of visits/workouts lined up, will also visit with the Lions, according to Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press.
  • The Eagles worked out Stanford QB Kevin Hogan, WR/TE Devon Cajuste, and LB Blake Martinez today, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter links).
  • 16 teams showed up to watch LB Victor Ochi at Stony Brook’s pro day yesterday, per Pauline, who adds that the Colts privately worked out Illinois State running back Marshaun Coprich (post via WalterFootball.com).
  • UCLA KR/WR Devin Fuller worked out for “multiple members of the Falcons braintrust” yesterday, according to Rand Getlin of The NFL Network (via Twitter).
  • Minnesota CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun will visit with the Vikings next week, according to Darren Wolfson of KTSP (via Twitter).
  • The Bengals were on hand at Western Kentucky’s pro day today to watch TE Tyler Higbee, as Robert Klemko of SI.com tweets.
  • Temple CB Tavon Young will work out for the Cardinals, Jets, Titans, and Ravens, and will visit the Steelers and Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (article via NFPost.com).

NFC Draft Updates: Giants, Cowboys, Saints

March 25th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, when Mississippi wideout Laquon Treadwell cited five teams who had shown interest in him, one of the five he mentioned was “New York,” creating some uncertainty about which New York team he meant. As expected, it seems he was referring to the Giants and not the Jets — Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the first-round prospect will pay a pre-draft visit to the Giants.

Unlike the Giants, the Jets have a clear No. 2 option on their depth chart at wide receiver, with Eric Decker complementing Brandon Marshall. The Giants, having lost Rueben Randle this week, will be looking for someone to step up and take that No. 2 role behind Odell Beckham, but it remains to be seen whether that player would be Treadwell — the Giants have been considered more likely to use their first-rounder on an offensive lineman or a defender.

Let’s round up a few more draft updates from around the NFC…

  • The entire Cowboys coaching staff was in attendance to work out Ohio State prospects today, according to the Buckeyes’ director of player personnel, Mark Pantoni (Twitter link). Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa are among the high-end Ohio State players the Cowboys could consider in next month’s draft.
  • Speaking of the Cowboys, they worked out Florida safety Keanu Neal this week, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Neal would likely be a second-round target if Dallas is interested in him.
  • Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed will visit the Saints in April, a league source tells Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link). Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate also provides an update on the Saints’ draft prospects, tweeting that San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin will privately work out for the team.
  • We heard on Thursday that the 49ers recently put Shaq Lawson through a workout, but he wasn’t the only Clemson defensive end to get a look from the team. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, GM Trent Baalke also worked out Kevin Dodd. Both players are expected to visit the Niners in the coming weeks.

Draft Rumors: Treadwell, Bengals, Lawson

March 24th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell says the Bengals, Browns, Bears, and Cowboys have shown interest in him, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first-round prospect also identified “New York” as a team with interest, but it’s not clear if that’s in reference to the Jets or Giants. San Francisco, which owns the No. 7 pick in the draft, has been said to have interest in Treadwell.

Here’s the latest news on the 2016 NFL Draft:

  • Clemson DE Shaq Lawson has (or has had) visits/workouts with the Cowboys and 49ers, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). The Jets, Titans, Saints, Panthers, and Browns have also linked up with Lawson, per previous reports. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) opines that Lawson is a top 10 talent.
  • Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com was on hand for Carson Wentz‘s pro day and he felt that it was “a very good workout, but not a great workout.” Pauline feels that Wentz is usually high off the mark when he misses, forcing receivers to get airborne in order to make a reception. However, Wentz is getting “sensational” marks when it comes to his personal character.
  • Wentz’s teammate at North Dakota State, offensive lineman Joseph Haeg, is being viewed as a top 100 pick, per Pauline. Haeg is seen mostly as a right tackle or guard, but some feel that he can play any offensive line position that isn’t center.
  • Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins has (or has had) workouts and/or visits with the Vikings and Colts, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). It was previously reported that Oakland, New England, and New Orleans have all checked out Jenkins.
  • Florida safety Keanu Neal has been invited to Chicago for the NFL Draft, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Neal had a 38-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump at the NFL Draft Combine and has intrigued teams with his athleticism. Some evaluators see Neal sneaking into the first round. Atlanta has interest in Neal, who was recruited to Florida by coach Dan Quinn when he was the Gators’ defensive coordinator.
  • Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman has workouts and/or visits set with the 49ers, Bengals, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Browns, Getlin tweets.
  • USC linebacker/safety Su’a Cravens will visit/work out for the Falcons, Panthers, Colts, Bills, Patriots, Saints, and Chargers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • UMass QB Blake Frohnapfel spent time with the Lions and Chargers on Thursday, according to Pauline.
  • Alabama offensive lineman Dominick Jackson, who Pauline opines is one of the more versatile and underrated guard/tackle prospects in the draft, worked out for the Buccaneers this week.
  • Campbell defensive tackle Greg Milhouse has official visits set up with the Giants and Lions, per Pauline.
  • Nebraska offensive lineman Zach Sterup has an official visit set up with the Giants, Pauline writes.
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