North Notes: Vikings, Houston, Bears, Browns
Teddy Bridgewater made waves when he suggested after the draft that he hadn’t wanted to land with the Browns, but the Vikings quarterback says now that those remarks were misinterpreted, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
“I think it was misinterpreted,” he said. “What I was saying was I had a strong feeling about the Minnesota Vikings. I was able to meet with them five or six times in the pre-draft visits. I just had a pretty solid feeling about the Minnesota Vikings, but, you know, I try to put the pre-draft stuff behind and try to just focus on my career with the Minnesota Vikings.”
Let’s round up a few more of the latest items from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:
- Dan Pompei of Sports on Earth examines the Vikings‘ offseason, which included the drafting of a potential franchise quarterback in Bridgewater.
- Veteran cornerback Chris Houston, who was cut by the Lions earlier this month, tells Ryan Autullo of the Austin American-Statesman that the decision was mutual. It’s hard to believe that Houston would’ve encouraged Detroit to release him, but he’ll at least have the opportunity to work his way back to full health without having to worry about winning a roster spot. The free agent corner hopes to be medically cleared by August or September.
- In his latest mailbag for the Chicago Tribune, Brad Biggs fields readers’ questions on the Bears‘ offensive line, Devin Hester‘s departure, and the club’s depth at wide receiver and tight end.
- New executive chief of staff Bill Kuharich will play the role of an experienced sounding board for GM Ray Farmer in the Browns‘ front office, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
Extra Points: OTAs, Packers, Titans, Brady
Minicamps are finished. The 2014 NFL season awaits.
Players have left their respective clubs until the opening of training camp, and as ESPN.com’s John Clayton notes, coaches now will cross their fingers that they don’t receive the 3 a.m. phone call alerting them of the star player’s transgressions.
Clayton, the Worldwide Leader’s senior NFL writer, outlines seven things learned from the offseason programs, with No. 1 being the lack of readiness for rookie quarterbacks. Reading into Clayton’s words, he believes that no rookie quarterback will open the season as the team’s starting signal caller. Teddy Bridgewater is the most pro-ready, Clayton says, but Matt Cassel will get the first snap on opening day.
Taking a page out of Pete Carroll‘s playbook, Clayton writes that teams around the league are gravitating toward taller defensive backs. Case in point, the Kansas City Chiefs, who released 5-foot-9 cornerback Brandon Flowers in a cap-saving move. They’ll look to replace Flowers with 6-foot-1 Phillip Gaines, 6-foot-2 Marcus Cooper and 6-foot David Van Dyke, each of whom are first- or second-year players.
Other news and notes from around the league…
- Among the 10 Packers stories to watch before training camp opens by Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is peace of mind at backup quarterback. It wasn’t pretty for the Pack at QB when Aaron Rodgers went down in a Week 9 loss to the Bears, but coach Mike McCarthy should feel better about this year’s situation with Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien backing up the All Pro, Dunne writes.
- Quarterback Jake Locker, receiver Kendall Wright and the defense’s front seven are all things Titans fans should feel good about, The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt writes. Locker should be at 100% coming off foot surgery in November and had started the 2013 season with a bang, while Wright will team with Nate Washington and Justin Hunter to ease Locker’s return to health.
- Tom Brady‘s private quarterback coach, Tom House, admitted in an interview with SiriusXM radio that the three-time Super Bowl champion has struggled as of late to connect on the deep passes. “As he’s getting a little older you lose a little strength, you lose a little flexibility,” House said. “And what was happening was he was noticing that his accuracy and his long ball weren’t what they were three or four years ago. So we ran him through the computer, compared him to the models we have created for movement efficiency, and there were really, really small things that were causing his issues.”
NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Starks
“The chemistry developing among the defensive linemen — especially starters Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, Jeremiah Ratliff and Stephen Paea — might be the most exciting thing brewing for the Bears, especially after the unit was last in sacks in 2013,” writes Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter Adam Jahns, who lists 10 things gleaned during the Bears’ offseason.
Here’s some more news and notes from the NFC North:
- Jahns also says rookie Brock Vereen, a fourth-round rookie from Minnesota, “has the lead” in the free safety competition.
- “There should be no excuses going forward for Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford,” according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero, who explains the team has done everything in its power to accommodate its inconsistent franchise quarterback.
- The Lions’ cornerback situation has been a continual topic of conversation this offseason, and the chatter (concern?) isn’t slowing down yet: ESPN’s Michael Rothstein says it’s a “probability” the Lions will pursue a veteran cornerback.
- Fox Sports Detroit’s Dave Dye has a question: “It sounds funny to say, but…where would the Lions be without [Rashean] Mathis?” Dye says Mathis established himself as the Lions most reliable cornerback, but admits that’s as much of an indictment of the secondary as it is a compliment to Mathis.
- Meanwhile, Dye thinks Cassius Vaughn could be a sleeper.
- And finally, Rothstein and Mlive.com’s Kyle Meinke don’t think free agent Brandon Flowers is a fit in Detroit.
- Packers new running backs coach Sam Gash thinks improved balance and body control could help James Stark avoid nagging injuries, writes Tyler Dunne in the Journal Sentinel.
- Vikings GM Rick Spielman says the development of receiver Adam Thielen has jumped out at him during the offseason (radio interview with 100.3 FM here). A 6-2, 195-pound undrafted free agent out of Mankato State, Thielen was on the Vikings’ practice squad last season, but Star Tribune blogger Master Tesfatsion speculates Thielen might have a shot at a roster spot if he continues to impress and show chemistry with Teddy Bridgewater.
Vikings Sign Teddy Bridgewater
On the heels of agreeing to terms with one first-rounder, the Vikings have also locked up the other one. According to the team’s PR department (via Twitter), 32nd overall pick Teddy Bridgewater has signed his rookie contract, as has seventh-round linebacker Brandon Watts. Ninth overall selection Anthony Barr also reached an agreement with the club today.
As Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com show, the gap between Barr at No. 9 and Bridgewater at No. 32 works out to a difference of more than $4MM in signing bonus money, with the former Louisville quarterback earning a bonus worth about $3.3MM. Bridgewater’s overall four-year value amounts to about $6.85MM, though that number could increase significantly if the team exercises its fifth-year option for 2018.
The flurry of Vikings’ signings this morning ensure that all but three of their 10 draftees have now been signed. By our count, 127 total 2014 draft picks have inked their contracts so far, which is nearly half of the 256 players drafted. You can track all the signings right here.
AFC North Notes: Bridgewater, Steelers, Ravens
Let’s round up the latest out of the AFC North….
- Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show today, new Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater revealed that he knew he could land with the Browns during last week’s draft, but told his agent “that’s not the place I wanted to be.” Andrew Krammer of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities has the details and quotes from Bridgewater.
- Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review conducted a Q&A with Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, discussing the team’s draft preparation, its first-round pick (Ryan Shazier), and the apparent focus on adding speed to the roster.
- One of a handful of undrafted free agents who reportedly agreed to terms with a team and then didn’t land with that club, Texas Tech linebacker Terrance Bullitt saw a shoulder issue scuttle his deal with the Ravens, which would have included a $5.5K signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- UNLV wideout Jerry Rice Jr., the son of the Hall of Fame receiver, wasn’t among the Ravens’ UDFA signings, but he’ll participate in the club’s rookie minicamp in the hopes of earning a contract, a source tells Wilson.
Extra Points: Gordon, Draft, Cousins
Josh Gordon‘s suspension may have been a surprise to the coaching staff, but the front office was prepared going into the draft that they would be down a receiver in 2014. Browns‘ owner Jimmy Haslam made it clear that they did not draft a receiver because they are still committed to Gordon, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“All of us have made mistakes when we were that age,” said Haslam. “We’re counting on Josh being a good football player for the Browns for a long time to come.”
Here are some more notes from around the NFL:
- Redskins‘ general manager Bruce Allen said the team did not come close to trading backup quarterback Kirk Cousins during the draft, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter).
- Offensive tackle was an area of need for the Ravens heading into the draft, but based on the way the board fell, the team missed out on some potential tackles and didn’t want to “reach down” just to add one, as general manager Ozzie Newsome tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Vikings‘ general manager Rick Spielman had Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater as the number one and two quarterbacks in the draft, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com. If they were unable to draft either of those two players, they could have targeted Jimmy Garoppolo early in round two or Tom Savage in round three.
Vikings Rumors: Rookies, Peterson, Ponder
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was very aggressive during the draft, pulling off four trades over three days. The team started with eight picks but ended up with ten selections, including first-rounders Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater. As Matt Vensel of The Minneapolis Star Tribune points out, the team only picked in three of their original draft spots. It sounds like this was all part of Spielman’s strategy:
“We thought that if we accumulated more picks, there was enough depth there to add to our roster and create competition,” said Spielman.
The team wasn’t finished adding rookies. Yesterday, the Vikings announced the signings of 15 undrafted free agents.
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Minnesota…
- Neither of the team’s first-round picks are guaranteed to start, but Barr is expected to be on the field for the team’s first defensive snap next season, Vensel mentions in another article . The writer adds that the team plans to use Barr as a strong-side linebacker in their 4-3 base defense.
- Offensive coordinator Norv Turner regards Bridgewater as the most impressive rookie quarterbacks and compares him to former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Trent Green, writes Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune.
- The Vikings are looking to trade star running back Adrian Peterson sooner than later, writes Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. “This (coming) season will be Peterson’s last with the Vikings,” an AFC general manager told Freeman. “Despite the cap hit, they’ll make some sort of move to get him off the roster.”
- In regards to Christian Ponder‘s future with the team, Vensel tweets that the team wants to keep a third quarterback. The writer also adds that a trade probably isn’t an option because Ponder doesn’t have much trade value.
NFC Notes: Bridgewater, Cowboys, Falcons
The Vikings ended the first night of the draft with a bang by trading into the first round to snag Teddy Bridgewater, and in his presser with reporters, GM Rick Spielman confirmed that the fifth-year option was a consideration in the trade-up for Bridgewater, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Here’s more on that pick, along with a few more draft-night leftovers….
- The Vikings had a private workout with Bridgewater in Florida and it seems that was what ultimately sold them. Spielman told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Bridgewater looked “totally different” than he did at his Pro Day and his performance in the workout matched his game tape. Meanwhile, the quarterback himself said Minnesota showed more pre-draft interest in him than any other team, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
- According to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, his team was targeting four players at No. 16 — Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, Ryan Shazier, and Zack Martin (Twitter link via Matt Mosley of ESPN 103.3). The first three players were off the board, but the Cowboys grabbed Martin.
- The Falcons made an effort to pick up a second first-round pick, and made calls to try to land a pick in the early 20s, according to GM Thomas Dimitroff (Twitter links via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). Dimitroff didn’t specify a target, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the club was eyeing Shazier and Dee Ford.
- Looking ahead to the second round, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter) says that guards Xavier Su’a-Filo and Trai Turner are guys to keep an eye on for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is in serious need of an offensive guard.
Vikings Acquire No. 32 Pick From Seahawks
The Vikings have acquired the No. 32 pick in the draft, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). In exchange for the No. 32, the Seahawks will receive the No. 40 and No. 108 picks in this year’s draft, tweets Mike Sando of ESPN.com.
The Vikings made the move to draft quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The Louisville product has been hailed by some as the most NFL-ready QB of any available in this draft though his draft stock has sunk over the last few weeks. It remains to be seen whether Bridgewater can hit the ground running in Minnesota, but he’ll have weapons around him to help make the transition a lot easier. In addition to former MVP Adrian Peterson, Bridgewater has a potentially devastating weapon at his disposal in Cordarrelle Patterson.
By making the trade, the Vikings got their man and also got some additional flexibility down the line. Since Bridgewater was a first round pick rather than their second round pick, they set themselves up to hold a fifth-year option on his contract. Recently, our own Rob DiRe profiled Bridgewater and stacked him up against the other top QBs in this year’s draft.
QB Rumors: Manziel, Bortles, Vikings, Browns
It seems as if Jay Glazer of Fox Sports has spent a good chunk of this week ruling out potential destinations for Johnny Manziel. After reporting on Tuesday that the Browns wouldn’t pick Manziel at No. 4 and the Raiders would pass at No. 5, Glazer says today (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers won’t draft the Texas A&M signal-caller at No. 7.
Here are a few more QB-related notes, as the start of the 2014 draft inches closer….
- There are mixed reports on which quarterback is No. 1 on the Cowboys‘ draft board. After ESPN.com’s Todd McShay and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) suggested earlier today that Manziel is the team’s top choice, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported (via Twitter) that Manziel is actually behind another QB on Dallas’ board, while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News said the Cowboys’ top signal-caller is Blake Bortles.
- Assuming Manziel is still on the board at No. 8, he remains a possibility for the Vikings, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the team’s owners are flying in for a late pre-draft meeting to make a final decision on Minnesota’s first-round pick. Albert Breer of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that the club also likes Teddy Bridgewater, though probably not at eighth overall.
- If the Vikings do select a quarterback with a top-10 pick, it would be a first for the franchise, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
- According to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN (via Pro Football Talk), the Browns commissioned a $100K study of quarterbacks, in an effort to better understand the qualities necessary to succeed at the position. The study, which was started under former team president Joe Banner and was only recently completed, concluded that Bridgewater is the top signal-caller in this year’s class.