Browns Acquire No. 94 Pick From Niners
The 49ers continue to be the most active team on the draft’s second night, having made another trade down. San Francisco has sent its 94th overall pick to the Browns, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. According to Hubbuch (via Twitter), Cleveland gives up a fourth-rounder (No. 106) and a sixth-rounder (No. 180). The Browns used the pick to snag Towson running back Terrance West.
West, a favorite of ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, is yet another piece added to a revamped Browns offense. At 5’11”, 223 pounds, West will likely compete with Dion Lewis and Edwin Baker for backup duties behind starting running back Ben Tate.
Jags Acquire 49ers’ No. 61 Pick
The Jaguars have traded for the 49ers’ No. 61 pick, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Jags gave up picks Nos. 70 and 150 to San Francisco, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
Jacksonville will select Penn State receiver Allen Robinson, adds O’Halloran (via Twitter). The Jaguars continue to add weapons for third overall pick Blake Bortles, as they already selected Marqise Lee earlier in the second round.
49ers Acquire Dolphins’ No. 57 Pick
The 49ers have traded for the No. 57 pick, courtesy of the Dolphins, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins acquired picks Nos. 63 and 171 (fifth round), reports Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter).
The Niners traded up to select Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan. San Francisco now boasts a wealth of talent at the RB position, as Hyde joins Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, 2013 second-rounder Marcus Lattimore, and LaMichael James (who is rumored to be on the trading block) in the 49er backfield.
Broncos Acquire 49ers’ No. 56 Pick
The Broncos have traded for the 49ers’ No. 56 pick, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Denver gave up picks 63, 171 (late fifth-round), and a 2015 fourth-rounder, and, in addition to the 56th pick, the Niners traded the Broncos pick No. 242 (per Hubbuch on Twitter).
Mike Klis of the Denver Post adds (via Twitter) that the Broncos will select receiver Cody Latimer from Indiana, who will likely begin the season as the fourth receiver behind Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Wes Welker.
Extra Points: Evans, Broncos, Texans, Raiders
Mike Evans‘ hoops background helped him round out his football skills, writes Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com. “It helps a lot,’’ the Buccaneers‘ first round choice said. “You see me go up for catches and treat it like a rebound. Boxing guys out and using my God-given talent, my big body. Boxing guys out for tough catches. The transition was easy because I had a lot of great coaches and a lot of great people around me to help me get here.’’ Evans could have been bound for the pages of Hoops Rumors, but instead, he’s here with us on PFR. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL as we get set for Day 2..
- The Broncos will try again to trade up from No. 63 in round two, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. They tried earlier but couldn’t find a partner to trade up from No. 31 in round one.
- Texans coach Bill O’Brien told Steve Wyche of NFL Network (on Twitter) that the Texans will stay at No. 33 unless they’re “blown away” by a trade.
- The Raiders will likely take Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr if he’s available at No. 36, writes Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link). That could be easier said than done: the Texans could use a QB and they have the No. 33 pick.
- Trading back would have been a gamble for the Packers, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Thompson wouldn’t say whether the Browns called to offer up their No. 26 and No. 83 – the package the Browns gave the Eagles to move up and tap Johnny Manziel – but such a move would have put them in jeopardy of missing out on Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
- Many have panned the Jaguars‘ pick of quarterback Blake Bortles as a safe selection, but GM David Caldwell isn’t worried about that type of criticism, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “We’re not about big splashes at all. We just want to go about our business.” For what it’s worth, Bortles may not be a sexy pick, but he was a pretty big surprise. Few analysts had Jacksonville taking the UCF product at No. 3 and the pick helped shake things up for the rest of the first round.
- The Browns‘ top pick from last night, cornerback Justin Gilbert, has been overshadowed by fellow first rounder Johnny Manziel. One might think the Oklahoma State star is upset by the lack of attention, but that’s not the case at all. Gilbert told reporters at today’s introductory presser, including Pat McManamon of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter), that he’s happy to have Manziel alongside him “’cause it takes the pressure” off of him.
- Maiocco (on Twitter) wonders if Brandon Lloyd is rethinking his decision to attempt a comeback with the 49ers in lieu of their Stevie Johnson deal.
- The Bills just paid Johnson $1.75MM in a roster bonus, so the 49ers will only owe the WR $3.6MM in 2014, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
AFC East Rumors: Pryor, Bills, Johnson
New Jets safety Calvin Pryor says that his big hits will provide an “intimidation factor” for the Jets’ defense, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. “Believe me, there is a huge thing with his hitting ability; big hits still win games,” head coach Rex Ryan said. “They’ll flip the momentum of a game faster than anything in my opinion, and I’ve always said that, and this young man will provide that for us.” More on that and some of the fallout from the Bills‘ big trade today..
- The Bills had been shopping Stevie Johnson for a while before agreeing to send him to San Francisco today, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter). Breer’s understanding is that Buffalo tried to deal him to Tampa as part of the Mike Williams trade last month.
- Johnson would have counted $8.5MM against the Bills‘ cap in 2014, but with the dead money accelerating onto this year, his cap number is now $10.225MM, tweets Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
- This may not come as a huge surprise, but Jets coach Rex Ryan says that the team wasn’t interested in drafting Johnny Manziel at No. 18, writes Kimberley Martin of Newsday.
- After serving as Tom Brady‘s backup for three years, undrafted quarterback Brian Hoyer was cut loose by the Patriots in 2012. After getting his break in Cleveland and subsequently blowing out his knee, he now finds himself in a battle with Manziel for the No. 1 job with the Browns. Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com laments the QB’s bad luck.
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.
49ers Acquire Stevie Johnson From Bills
The 49ers will acquire wide receiver Stevie Johnson from the Bills, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). San Francisco will send a conditional 2015 fourth-round pick to Buffalo, per sources, and that pick can become a third-round choice depending on Johnson’s performance.
While Johnson missed four games last year due to injury, the 49ers have managed to add a former No. 1 WR for relatively little. It’s not the first shrewd move San Francisco has made this offseason to obtain a big name. In recent weeks, the 49ers have obtained quarterback Blaine Gabbert for a sixth-round choice plus a conditional pick and offensive tackle Jonathan Martin for a conditional 2015 seventh-round choice. Gabbert was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft and Martin was Miami’s No. 42 pick in the 2012 draft.
With the deal, the Bills are essentially getting back the 2014 fourth-round choice that they sent to Cleveland in order to move up in last night’s draft. Effectively, the Bills gave up Johnson and next year’s first round pick in order to move up five spots and grab Sammy Watkins.
Last night, after the Bills moved up the board to grab Watkins, Joe Buscaglia of WGR reported that Buffalo was likely to dangle Johnson. The charismatic WR has been a star in Buffalo ever since his breakout campaign in 2010 where he hauled in 1,073 yards off of 82 receptions. A report out of Buffalo in February indicated that the Bills were getting tired of Johnson’s “act” and that may not have helped his case there.
Last season was Johnson’s least productive year since his emergence and he missed a quarter of the season due to injury. If Johnson stays on the field and finds himself reinvigorated in SF, Colin Kaepernick will have yet another tremendous weapon to work with. It’s also worth noting that while Michael Crabtree is in the final year of his contract, Johnson is signed through 2016. That could give the 49ers some extra leverage in talks with Crabtree and insurance in the event that he goes elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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.
North Rumors: Browns, Ravens, Lions, Steelers
Could it be the Browns, rather than the oft-rumored Texans or Rams, that end up moving down in a deal with the Falcons tonight? Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) believes that’s a possibility if Khalil Mack is still available at No. 4. Mack remains a strong potential candidate to go to Jacksonville at No. 3, but there are certainly feasible scenarios in which he remains on the board at No. 4, and if Cleveland is eyeing another player, moving down a couple spots and picking up an extra pick or two could be worthwhile.
Here are a few more draft-day updates on AFC and NFC North teams, among others:
- Unsurprisingly, given the familial connection between the two franchises, the Ravens and 49ers have engaged in some trade discussions, per Rapoport (via Twitter). San Francisco has frequently been cited as a team that would like to move up in the first round and has the ammunition to do it.
- Finding help for their respective quarterbacks seems to be a focus for both the Lions and Bills, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). That suggests to me that if either team was able to trade up it would be for a wide receiver or an offensive tackle, rather than a defensive player.
- It’s worth keeping an eye on the Steelers and tight end Eric Ebron in the first round tonight, says Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- Tight end Jordan Cameron has signed with CAA Sports and will be represented by agents Tom Condon and R.J. Gonser, tweets Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal. The Browns are reportedly hoping to lock up Cameron before he reaches free agency in 2015.
- The Lions intend to waive linebacker Jon Morgan with an injury settlement soon to free up space to sign undrafted free agents, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Morgan signed a futures contract with the team after the season, but injured his knee during a voluntary workout last month.