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Draft Visits: Raiders, Falcons, Bucs, Dolphins

April 11th, 2014 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

It would be a surprise if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when the Raiders pick fifth overall in next month’s draft, but Oakland will nonetheless host the standout defensive end for a visit next week, according to John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter). The team is also hosting Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage for a visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. Savage isn’t a candidate for that No. 5 pick, but he’s drawn plenty of attention lately, and seems to be rising up a few draft boards.

Here’s more on pre-draft visits around the NFL:

The Falcons are hosting Boise State pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence for a pre-draft visit, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Agent David Canter recently tweeted that Lawrence has visits to 10 teams scheduled in a two-week span.
McClure also reports (via Twitter) that Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews has a visit lined up with the Falcons for the week of April 21.
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on a pair of prospects. According to Wilson, Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford has met with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Chargers, and Falcons, while Marshall offensive tackle Garrett Scott is visiting the Raiders today after having also visited the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Buccaneers.
Florida State running back Devonta Freeman is among the players visiting the Dolphins today, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, adding that Freeman has also visited the Falcons and Patriots.
Another Florida State running back, James Wilder Jr., tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link) that he worked out for the Buccaneers today.
We’ve already heard plenty of reports about Kyle Fuller’s pre-draft visits, but Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds a few more teams to Fuller’s list. According to Brandt, the Virginia Tech cornerback has worked out for the Titans, Buccaneers, and Falcons, and will also do so for the Bills and Rams, among other clubs.
Ole Miss wideout Donte Moncrief, who previously visited the Steelers, will work out for the Dolphins and Broncos next week, tweets Brandt.
UCF running back Storm Johnson will visit the 49ers on Monday and the Falcons later this month, says Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links).

Extra Points: Bush, Dalton, Draft Visits

April 10th, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints recently matched the Falcons‘ offer sheet for Rafael Bush, and as is the case with many offer sheets, the structure of the deal is a little unusual. There are no signing, workout, or roster bonuses on Bush’s two-year contract, which features base salaries of $1.85MM and $1.95MM, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. $850K of that first-year salary is fully guaranteed and $350K is deferred until March 31, 2015. Wilson adds (via Twitter) that Bush can also earn up to $750K in incentives if he makes the Pro Bowl and grabs a certain number of interceptions in 2015, so the deal can max out at $4.55MM.

Here’s more from across the NFL:

Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an in-depth look at Andy Dalton’s contract situation and explores whether or not the Bengals should commit to paying him $15MM per year. Ultimately, Corry suggests that the team would be better off suspending negotiating with its quarterback for now.
The Steelers are hosting three players on pre-draft visits today, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown (via Twitter): Washington State safety Deone Bucannon, Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier and UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt.
Wyoming wide receiver Robert Herron met with the Saints yesterday and today on a pre-draft visit, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Herron reportedly worked out for the Panthers last week.
The Redskins are hosting Scott Crichton on a pre-draft visit, according to Rapoport, who notes (via Twitter) that the Oregon State defensive end has already worked out for the Patriots, Falcons, and Panthers.
Connecticut edge defender Jesse Joseph is among the players working out for the Eagles today, tweets Aaron Wilson.
Bloomsburg defensive end Larry Webster has several more visits on the docket in addition to the ones we heard about last month. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets that the Eagles, Jets, and Giants will meet with Webster, while the Chargers will work him out.
According to Pauline (via Twitter), Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo worked out Colorado State center Weston Richburg, who is likely to be a second-day pick.

Chargers Re-Sign Rich Ohrnberger

April 9th, 2014 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have officially re-signed offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger to a one-year contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). The guard/center had been an unrestricted free agent.

Ohrnberger, 28, has spent time with the Patriots, Cardinals, and Chargers since being selected by New England in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. Although he started one game for San Diego last season, Ohrnberger has primarily served as a depth piece for the interior offensive line. In 2013, he played 161 regular-season offensive snaps for the Chargers.

Ohrnberger was said to be drawing interest as a potential starting guard or center at the start of free agency, but he’ll likely return to a part-time role in San Diego. Prior to agreeing to sign with the Chargers, the Penn State product visited the Jets.

Chargers Cut Byron Jerideau

April 8th, 2014 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have waived defensive tackle Byron Jerideau, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Jerideau, 24, signed with San Diego last May, but didn’t appear in a regular season game for the team, spending the year on injured reserve. The South Carolina product will become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Draft Visits

April 8th, 2014 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Titans edge defender Kamerion Wimbley agreed earlier this week to restructure his contract, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown of what Wimbley’s new deal looks like. However, as Fitzgerald details, Wimbley wasn’t the only Titan to rework his contract this week. Tight end Craig Stevens also has a new 2014 cap figure, reducing his overall base salary by $1.7MM in exchange for a $500K guarantee. While Stevens’ 2015 salary remains unchanged, his ’14 cap number is now only about $2.69MM.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Ravens haven’t had an above-average, long-term solution at right tackle for a number of years, and Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes the team would be wise to address the position with its first-round pick this year. That’s one of a handful of topics Preston addresses in his Ravens notebook, which also touches on the club’s recent tight end and running back signings.
The Bills are eyeing a pair of offensive line prospects today, hosting Mississippi State’s Charles Siddoway for a pre-draft visit (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com) and having dinner tonight with Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM).
Having already met with the Steelers, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard now has visits lined up with the Jets, Bengals, and Rams, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
Another cornerback, Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller, also has a handful of visits scheduled with AFC teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Fuller will meet with the Colts, Bengals, Raiders, Jets, Broncos, and Bears, says Wilson.
The Chargers will work out Troy quarterback Deon Anthony on April 22, reports Wilson at the National Football Post.
More from Wilson (via Twitter): The Patriots are working out Boise State’s Geraldo Boldewijn, Matt Paradis, and Charles Leno on Wednesday, while Virginia-Lynchburg cornerback Keith Lewis visited the Raiders and has a private workout lined up next week with the Chiefs (Twitter link).

Pauline’s Draft Notes: Latimer, Johnson, West

April 7th, 2014 at 9:54pm CST by Peter Sowards

In this nugget-filled piece on draftinsider.net, NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline drops some knowledge on the latest workouts and visits from eligible prospects around the league. Here are a few of the notes PFR has yet to touch on:

The Eagles hosted Indiana receiver Cody Latimer for an official visit today in addition to Brandon Coleman, Quron Pratt and Kelvin Benjamin.
The Chargers and Saints will host New Mexico offensive lineman Darryl Johnson, whom Pauline describes as a practice squad developmental prospect who projects to guard in the NFL.
Terrance West has already worked out for the Falcons and has made an official visit to see the Titans. At least 22 teams were represented at the Towson running back’s pro-day today.
Georgia State offensive tackle John Ulrich has trips scheduled to visit the Falcons and Seahawks.
Sources tell Pauline to expect the Seahawks to target offensive tackles in the upcoming draft.
Pauline hears that the Buccaneers hope to draft at least one tackle and/or guard with starting potential.
South Carolina edge rusher Chaz Sutton recently met with the Texans and Raiders.

Draft Notes: Manziel, Matthews, Mettenberger

April 7th, 2014 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes a look at five players the Steelers could draft in the first round. The list includes receivers Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert and defensive lineman Louis Nix. Robinson also brings up Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald, but believes that the defender is not a good fit for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has the 15th pick in the first-round of this year’s draft.

Here are some more prospect notes…

Johnny Manziel will begin meeting with the Jaguars tomorrow, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Manziel spent that last two days with the Raiders.
Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews will visit with the Bills tomorrow, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR Sports Radio.
While the team will meet with the quarterback, the Titans have no intention of working out Zach Mettenberger, according to Jim Wyatt of Tennessean (via Twitter).
University of Tennessee offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James is scheduled to visit the Titans this week, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
Running back De’Anthony Thomas will visit with the Bears, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
Scouts for the Bills and Saints were at Terrance West‘s pro day, Wilson tweets. The Bengals also met with the Towson running back (via Twitter). West ran for 2295 yards last season.
Center Bryan Stork will visit the Saints this week, according to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter). The Florida State alumni won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center.
Former Boise State defensive tackle Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe met with the Chargers, reports Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). According to Gehlken, the Amsterdam-native is relatively new to the sport.
Eagles coach Bob Bicknell worked out Rutgers receivers Quron Pratt and Brandon Coleman, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
The Dolphins hosted offensive tackle Garrett Scott, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has already added linemen Shelley Smith, Branden Albert and Jason Fox during free agency.

Draft Visits: Latimer, Tripp, Croyle, Gilbert

April 6th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A few updates on draft visits (all links are courtesy of NFL.com’s Gil Brandt on Twitter):

Indiana receiver Cody Latimer will visit seven teams over the next three weeks: the Bills, Eagles, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks, Chargers, and Panthers.
Additionally, Lattimer will have a private dinner with Panthers receivers coach Ricky Proehl and director of college scouting Don Gregory on April 8, and undergo a class-room exercise on April 9.
Two Montana linebackers have scheduled visits — Jordan Tripp will meet with the Eagles on Monday and the Falcons later in the week, and Brock Croyle will visit with the Chargers and the Seahawks.
Southern Methodist University quarterback Garrett Gilbert will work out for the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers.

Extra Points: Roby, Knott, Freeman, Jones

April 4th, 2014 at 11:05pm CST by Peter Sowards

In this thorough write-up, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken looks at Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby‘s upcoming visit with the Chargers, scheduled for later this month. Roby’s collegiate career featured a plethora of ups and downs, the majority of a non-positive nature.

“I think I had obvious shortcomings, on and off the field,” Roby told Gehlken in a phone interview. “It’s not about what happens to you. It’s all about how you respond and if you really learned. If you don’t learn, then it’s going to keep happening over and over again. I believe in karma. I believe in learning from mistakes; that’s what they’re there for.”

Roby is projected by some experts as a first-round pick. The Chargers own the No. 25 overall pick and last selected a defensive back in the first round in 2008, when they drafted Arizona’s Antoine Cason 27th overall.

Other news and notes from Friday night…

Eagles linebacker Jake Knott has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2014 season, the team announced today. Knott violated the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances and is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. “We’re very disappointed to learn of his suspension,” the team said in a statement. “We have spoken to Jake and he is fully aware of the mistake he made and owned it. The key for him, however, is to learn from that mistake and move forward with his preparation for the 2014 season.”
Receiver James Jones moved on from the Packers earlier this offseason, signing a three-year, $11.3MM deal with the Raiders. Another former Packers receiver, Antonio Freeman, shared his thoughts with Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, saying he wasn’t surprised with the move: “This game is about dollars and cents,” Freeman said. “It’s about cap value. That’s what these decisions come down to. It doesn’t come down to if James was a nice guy or a great locker room guy. He was a great guy. I met him a few times. I’ve heard great things about him. But it doesn’t come down to how nice of a guy you are. This is a business. This is Wall Street. This is Saks Fifth Avenue.”

Draft Notes: Savage, Lions, Bills, Falcons

April 3rd, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2014 NFL draft now just five weeks away, you can expect at least one round of draft updates per day from us, and often it’ll be more. Here’s Thursday’s afternoon updates on a few prospects and the NFL teams that are eyeing them:

The stock of Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage is on the rise, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com, who says Savage has had workouts with nine NFL teams so far and has another seven scheduled for this month (Twitter links).
Martavis Bryant certainly isn’t the biggest name among the Clemson receivers in this year’s draft class, but he seems to be drawing some interest from the Lions, who hosted him for a pre-draft visit today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
The Bills announced two more pre-draft visits today, revealing that Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland and Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell were in town on Thursday.
Speaking of Breeland, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Falcons are high on the Clemson DB. Pauline adds that the team is at Liberty University today, working out cornerbacks Walt Aikens and Kevin Fogg.
Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman recently met with Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Danna, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Jimmy Staten will visit the Chargers next week, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
The cousin of Cardinals running back Andre Ellington, South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Cards, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

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