Draft Notes: Cooper, Lions, Collins
In his latest mock draft, Peter King of The MMQB sees the first two picks going as most of us suspect they will: Jameis Winston to the Buccaneers and Marcus Mariota to the Titans. However, he cautions that if a team offers something ludicrous like three first-round picks, the Titans would consider dealing the No. 2 selection. At No. 3, King projects that the Jaguars will take Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, though it’s tough to forecast what Jacksonville will do. Here’s a look at the latest draft news:
- The Lions among the teams making lots of calls about possibly moving down in the draft in order to get more picks and they’re not alone in that, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Police are seeking to question La’el Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week, but the former LSU offensive lineman is not considered a suspect, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Collins is not being looked at as the shooter but he could potentially be the father of the infant who was delivered after the woman’s death. The former LSU standout is projected to be a first-round pick.
- Iowa defensive tackle Carl Davis has visited the Cowboys, Dolphins, 49ers, Bills, and Bears, according to Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News (on Twitter).
- The Saints worked out Central Arkansas wide receiver Dezmin Lewis, according to Kristian Garic of WWL 870am (on Twitter).
NFC West Notes: Rams, Fisher, DGB
A look at the NFC West..
- At a pre-draft press conference, Rams coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead said their board is basically set other than a little fine tuning, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
- The Rams are still interested in retaining offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and the team is in “constant contact” with him, Thomas tweets. Barksdale recently visited the Titans but left without a deal. The 27-year-old has been with the Rams for three seasons and started all 16 games in 2014.
- Fisher said “it’s very possible” team could take an edge rusher at No. 10, Thomas tweets. Thomas rightly notes that both Shane Ray and Randy Gregory could be available there.
- John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) would be shocked if the 49ers roll the dice on Dorial Green-Beckham at No. 15.
Miller’s Latest: Cooper, Browns, Gurley
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report reported yesterday that while there are NFL teams interested in drafting Dorial Green-Beckham in the first round on Thursday, ownership has squashed those plans. In fact, a source from one team drafting in the top 15 tells Miller that ownership responded with a flat-out “no” when the topic of DGB in the first round was broached.
Miller has many more items in his latest piece at Bleacher Report, so let’s dive in and check out the highlights….
- Raiders sources tell Miller that coaches in Oakland have “fallen in love” with Amari Cooper. The Alabama wideout, who has also been linked to the Jaguars at No. 3, could be the surprise pick over Leonard Williams if he’s available at No. 4.
- The Browns like Marcus Mariota a lot, and Miller continues to hear that the team has interest in trading up to land him. Miller also hears that Cleveland has spoken to the Giants – drafting ninth overall – about a possible deal.
- Browns sources don’t expect safety Tashaun Gipson to be on the roster in 2016. According to Miller, the belief is that he’ll price himself out of Cleveland’s range. Gipson is currently forgoing the Browns’ voluntary workouts, having not yet signed his RFA tender.
- Todd Gurley‘s knee is looking better than anticipated, with one team source telling Miller the running back could play in Week 1 of the NFL season.
- The Eagles are being connected to UCF wideout Breshad Perriman, according to several GMs who spoke to Miller.
- Miller asked four different teams about Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory, and while none of those four clubs expect him to be selected within the top 10, they all believe he’s still a first-round player.
- Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead has been the popular pick for the 49ers in mock drafts, and Miller hears that Armstead is indeed a Niners target at No. 15 if the club doesn’t trade up or down.
- Chronic knee problems have resulted in a pair of guards – Florida State’s Tre‘ Jackson and Alabama’s Arie Kouandjio – failing physicals during the pre-draft process, sources tell Miller. Both players’ stocks figure to take a significant hit as a result of injury concerns.
NFC Notes: Washington, Forte, David
Washington owner Daniel Snyder may have finally gotten it right with his hiring of GM Scot McCloughan, Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports writes. The 44-year-old McCloughan made none of the splashy, high-dollar moves that had become a franchise trademark in his first offseason. Instead, he signed Terrance Knighton, Stephen Paea and Ricky Jean-Francois to fortify the defensive line at reasonable rates while obtaining Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson for next to nothing.
As we wait to see what McCloughan has up his sleeve in the draft, let’s round up some more items from across the NFC….
- Bears head coach John Fox said today that he doesn’t believe running back Matt Forte is present at the team’s voluntary minicamp, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Forte is heading into a contract year, and figures to be seeking an extension.
- Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway is returning to the Vikings for at least one more season, but he’s not sure yet whether 2015 will be his final year in the NFL, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Speaking today to reporters, Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David said he’s not thinking about contract negotiations. Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the team intends to begin extension talks with David following the draft.
- Defensive end Adam Carriker, who was cut by Washington a year ago, is trying out for the Falcons during the club’s minicamp this week, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
- Nebraska’s Randy Gregory would be a gift from the gods if the Cowboys could land him, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News writes. If Gregory somehow falls all the way to No 27 and Dallas doesn’t take him, Gosselin would be shocked.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com ranked the 49ers‘ top five draft needs, starting with inside linebacker. San Francisco won’t necessarily take an inside linebacker in the first or second round, but at some point the team will add depth at the position.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Perry, Hardy, 49ers, Rams
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said last week that teams had contacted him to gauge the availability of the first overall pick, suggesting at the time that those calls would probably continue over the next few days. Speaking to Steve Wyche of NFL.com, Licht confirmed as much, indicating that more than one team called him on Sunday to inquire about the No. 1 pick.
According to Licht, the calls were more about “feeling out what it would take” to trade up to No. 1, so it doesn’t sound like any serious discussions took place. It would presumably take a significant offer for the Bucs to consider moving down, since the club has decided which player it will select with that pick. While Licht, of course, declined to name the player, he said that he and head coach Lovie Smith “are in complete alignment” on the choice. Jameis Winston is considered the strong favorite.
As we wait to see if the Bucs have any last-minute surprises up their sleeves, let’s check in on a few other items from across the NFC….
- The Packers are expected to decline their fifth-year option on linebacker Nick Perry, but nothing is official yet and the team has a few more days to make its decision, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It would cost $7.751MM for the 2016 season to exercise the option on Perry, who has yet to make a real impact on Green Bay’s defense since being selected 28th overall in 2012.
- As expected, the NFLPA has officially appealed Greg Hardy‘s 10-game suspension on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end. According to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the union filed the appeal on Friday night.
- As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, 49ers GM Trent Baalke won’t be pressured into drafting a receiver early this week, but the team is certainly considering wideouts. Georgia Tech’s Darren Waller said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he had a pre-draft visit with the Niners, who spoke to him exclusively about playing wide receiver — Waller is considered a potential tight end in the NFL by some other teams, including the Cardinals (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports).
- Given the advancing ages and rising cap numbers for James Laurinaitis and Chris Long, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com thinks it’s possible that the Rams will eye potential replacements for their veteran defensive leaders in this year’s draft. In Wagoner’s view, a defensive end is more likely than a linebacker, given the strengths and weaknesses of 2015’s class, but ideally both players would have nice 2015 seasons and adjust their contracts to stick around St. Louis even longer.
Draft Notes: Edwards, Beasley, Agholor
Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. visited the Jets today, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes. Edwards, who is regarded as a rising draft prospect, also has visits scheduled with the Cowboys, Lions, Panthers, Seahawks, 49ers, Bears, Patriots, and Texans, among other NFL teams. Edwards had 44 tackles and three sacks last season for the Seminoles. Here’s a look at the latest draft news..
- Clemson outside linebacker Vic Beasley is visiting Washington today, Aaron Wilson of the National Post writes. Beasley ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, where he also had a 41-inch vertical leap and bench pressed 225 pounds 35 times. The collegiate star is regarded as one of the top pass rushers in this year’s class.
- USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor will be visiting the Dolphins on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Agholor has been gaining more and more steam as a first round possibility lately.
- Maryland defensive tackle Darius Kilgo worked out for the Ravens during their local prospect day, Wilson writes. Kilgo, who has also visited the Bills, Packers, Dolphins, and Washington, is projected as a late-round pick.
- James Madison wide receiver is Daniel Brown is drawing interest from the Dolphins, Colts, Falcons, and Washington, Wilson writes.
NFC Notes: JPP, Giants, Lions, Falcons
Yesterday, we heard that Jason Pierre-Paul didn’t report to the Giants‘ first day of voluntary offseason workouts, but even though the defensive end didn’t participate in the team’s workouts, he did stop by the facility, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. As Samuel notes, because JPP has yet to sign his franchise tender and didn’t sign an injury waiver, he couldn’t have worked out with the team even if he wanted to. At this point, a holdout doesn’t appear likely — Pierre Paul’s absence from workouts had been expected.
Here’s more from across the NFC:
- The Giants are very high on USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, and if Williams slips past the top three picks in the draft, “it wouldn’t be at all surprising” to see the Giants make a bold move and trade up to grab him, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. In his look at 2015’s class of defensive linemen earlier today, our Rob DiRe outlined why Williams is easily the top prospect at his position.
- In addition to confirming a pair of previously-reported pre-draft visits, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com says that the Lions also hosted Arizona State safety Damarious Randall today.
- After working out privately for the Panthers, Buccaneers, and Texans earlier in the pre-draft process, Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder is visiting the Falcons today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport also notes (via Twitter) that Kevin White‘s visits with the Rams and Bears, which had been previously reported, happened yesterday and today, respectively.
- While the 49ers aren’t a lock to select a quarterback in the draft, they’ll almost certainly add a rookie or two at the position this offseason, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- Former Razorbacks quarterback Tyler Wilson will work out at the Bears‘ veteran minicamp next week, he announced on ESPN Radio in Arkansas. Matt Jones of WholeHogSports.com has the details.
West Links: Rams, Raiders, Harbaugh
Prior to the Jaguars adding Stefen Wisniewski on Saturday, the Rams researched the former Raiders center and maintained interest in him as an option to become their starting center, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Now, the Rams could opt to look in-house for their next snapper.
Unrestricted free agent Scott Wells regressed badly last season in 16 games for the Rams, rating as the worst center in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Entering his third season, Barrett Jones will likely receive the first shot at succeeding Wells after arriving in St. Louis as a fourth-round pick in 2013, per Thomas. But he’s actually less-experienced than in-house competitor Tim Barnes, who started four games for an injured Wells in ’13. The tandem combined for just 32 snaps last season.
Thomas also notes the team’s brought in nine offensive linemen for visits, including Florida State’s Cameron Erving, with holes to fill at center, guard and right tackle.
Here are some more items from the Western divisions.
- Despite being staunch in his position that there was no rift between former 49ers head coach and the players, Alex Boone admitted that Jim Harbaugh wore out his welcome in San Francisco, according to the staff at CSNBayArea.com. “I think he just pushed guys too far. He wanted too much, demanded too much, expected too much. You know, ‘We gotta go out and do this. We gotta go out and do this. We gotta go out and do this.’ And you’d be like, ‘This guy might be clinically insane. He’s crazy,’” Boone said. “I think that if you’re stuck in your ways enough, eventually people are just going to say, ‘Listen, we just can’t work with this.’”
- The Seahawks have their starting quarterback position settled, with Russell Wilson ingrained as the starter for the foreseeable future, but the rest of the depth chart is still up in the air. Currently, B.J. Daniels and R.J. Archer remain on the roster, but Tarvaris Jackson could very well return as the team’s primary backup, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. He picks Wilson-Jackson-Daniels as his most likely trio for the final roster.
- The issue of whether Oakland and Alameda can come up with a solution on keeping the Raiders long-term could generate some clarity in the next two weeks, report San Francisco Chronicle reporters Phil Matier and Andy Ross. The NFL is reportedly pressing for answers on this matter, which is coming down to how a new Bay Area stadium will be financed. NFL representatives met with city officials in Oakland and the Raiders on Wednesday while also taking summits with team executives and Carson officials a day later, according to the report. Both the Raiders and Oakland city and county officials have expressed they cannot afford to pay for a stadium costing around $1 billion on their own.
- Expected to claim the Broncos‘ No. 3 wide receiver job behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders this season, Cody Latimer admits he fell behind in his quest to learn how to play in a Peyton Manning-paced offense last season, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “I was in the playbook, but I could have done even more. When I actually got it, it was too late. It was just way different (than college),” Latimer told Renck. “I would know the play, then Peyton would change it.”Rob DiRe contributed to this report
Draft Notes: Beasley, Jones, Dunkley, Delaire
Our own Ben Levine collected a number of notes surrounding prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft earlier today, and as they keep pouring in, here are some additional notes from around the NFL:
- The Raiders have sent four of their people to South Carolina to get a closer look at Clemson pass rusher Vic Beasley, reports Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Beasley would be a slight reach at fourth overall, and isn’t a perfect scheme fit, but could be an interesting prospect especially if the team is serious about trading down.
- Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones has been rising up draft boards, and could be a day-one selection by the time the NFL Draft commences. Jones has visits lined up with the Cardinals, Cowboys, Eagles, Bills, Bears, and 49ers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- South Florida cornerback and return specialist Chris Dunkley will be visiting with the Ravens, Patriots, Bills, and Lions next week, according to Wilson. He has already met with the Falcons, Dolphins, and Chargers.
- Wilson also writes that Towson pass rusher Ryan Delaire will be attending both the Ravens and Washington’s local prospect days. Delaire had his medical recheck this weekend, and seems healthy. He could be an interesting prospect in the later rounds of the draft.
- University of Akron receiver Zach D’Orazio had a private workout with the Browns today, according to George Thomas of Ohio.com. D’Orazio is a former quarterback, who has the size and speed to present a matchup advantage running routes out of the slot.
Extra Points: Wilson, Saints, Gurley
Appearing on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson discussed his passion for baseball. The host cited Wilson’s subpar minor league numbers (.227 average, five home runs, 26 RBI), but the former Super Bowl champion believes he could still make it to the majors (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com):
“I wouldn’t be worried about the statistics of it. I know I can play in the big leagues. With the work ethic and all that, I think I definitely could for sure. And that’s why the Texas Rangers got my rights. And they want me to play. Jon Daniels, the G.M., wants me to play. We were talking about it the other day.”
Wilson also discussed N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien’s refusal to let the quarterback play baseball, forcing the player to transfer to Wisconsin:
“I’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget the times that people have told me that I couldn’t do something.”
Let’s take a look at some more assorted notes from around the NFL…
- Mike Golic Jr.‘s contract with the Saints is for one year at the league minimum ($435K), according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter). The writer notes that the organization’s cap space will not affected by the signing.
- Georgia running back Todd Gurley had his injured ACL examined, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says (via Twitter) the player’s knee “checked out fine.”
- UConn cornerback Byron Jones has visited the 49ers, Bills, Bears, Cowboys, Cardinals and Eagles, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan. The reporter notes that Jones is expected to also meet with the Dolphins.