Extra Points: Lions, 49ers, Dalton, Draft
Longtime Lions scout Silas McKinnie is retiring after next week’s draft, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The retirement of McKinnie, who has been with the team as a regional and personnel scout since 2003, leaves the Lions with two vacancies in their front office. In January, Lions assistant director of pro personnel Miller McCalmon stepped down after five seasons with the team and 35 years in the NFL. Here’s more from around the league:
- While there has been a lot of attention placed on troubled defensive talent Aldon Smith, 49ers teammate NaVorro Bowman is an example of a player who turned things around despite off-the-field incidents in the past, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- One NFL team exec spoke with CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (on Twitter) about an interesting trade idea that won’t happen: a swap between the Bengals and Vikings centered on quarterback Andy Dalton and the Vikings pick at No. 8. Minnesota is said to be looking hard at quarterback options with their top pick, including UCF’s Blake Bortles.
- After talking to four GMs, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) the consensus top five draft picks seem to be Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, and Jake Matthews, in some order.
- Eastern Washington edge rusher Anthony Larry had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles, and has also drawn interest from the Packers, Seahawks, Chargers, Ravens, and Browns, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Larry won’t come off the board early, but he’ll either be a Day 3 pick or a priority free agent, according to Wilson.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
49ers Exercise Option On Aldon Smith
The 49ers announced (via Twitter) that they have exercised the fifth-year option on Aldon Smith. The deadline for exercising the fifth-year options on players in the 2011 draft is tonight but San Francisco won’t take this one to the wire. As shown in PFR’s fifth-year option tracker, Smith will earn $9.754MM in 2015 – the same salary that he would have earned with the 2014 transition tag.
Of course, there was a great deal of debate both within the 49ers’ front office and from observers on the outside over whether the option should have been exercised. Last month, Smith was detained at Los Angeles International Airport following an incident where he allegedly falsely indicated that he possessed a bomb. The incident was especially disturbing since it wasn’t Smith’s first off-the-field issue. The 24-year-old missed five games last season while spending time in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.
The 49ers hoped to know the results of Smith’s legal issues before this deadline but the hearing continuance made it impossible, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Smith met with 49ers GM Trent Baalke earlier today and informed the rest of the front office that the pow-wow went well, according to Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News (on Twitter). It’s conceivable that Baalke & Co. might have turned down the option if the meeting Smith did not go well, but that’s only speculation at this point.
Baalke may have tipped his hand last week when he told reporters that he hoped Smith would be with the team in “2016 and 2017 and 2018.” While Smith’s troubles have certainly given the SF front office pause, the talent of the outside linebacker was obviously too strong for the team to part with. In 2012, Smith made his debut as a starter and racked up 19.5 sacks and 49 tackles. Last season, in eleven games (eight starts), Smith registered 34 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Giants, Ealy, Hatcher, Panthers
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com lists a few of the primary takeaways from Giants GM Jerry Reese’s Thursday press conference, noting that Reese hopes to land two starters in the draft, and that the club will target “clean” players early. In other words, the Giants don’t want a guy with injury concerns or off-field question marks, which helps explain why the team reportedly prefers Zack Martin to Taylor Lewan. Raanan also points out that the New York GM didn’t shoot down the idea that the team could trade backup quarterback Ryan Nassib.
- Some NFL teams may want Missouri defensive lineman Kony Ealy to put on a few pounds and convert to defensive tackle, which could result in him being drafted earlier than expected, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport identifies the Giants, Rams, Cowboys, and Bears as a few clubs that could have interest in Ealy (Twitter link).
- He has only been a Redskin for a few weeks, but former Cowboy Jason Hatcher is already enjoying some aspects of the experience more than he did in Dallas, as he told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “They really take care of the veteran guys,” Hatcher said of the Redskins. “They give us more say-so over the team. This is our team. The head coach don’t want to be policing the team.”
- ESPN.com’s David Newton reads between the lines of some recent comments by Panthers GM Dave Gettleman to make a case for why Carolina is very unlikely to trade up from No. 28 in next week’s draft.
- Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Jonathan Baldwin‘s fifth-year option was removed from his contract when the 49ers restructured his deal earlier in the offseason. Baldwin’s option wouldn’t have been exercised anyway, but Inman’s tweet confirms that it can’t be.
- This year’s draft could be a pivotal one for Lions GM Martin Mayhew, as Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News explains.
Ryan Kerrigan, Aldon Smith Options Likely To Be Exercised
The Redskins are expected to pick up their fifth-year option on outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Washington GM Bruce Allen made comments earlier this week that I thought strongly hinted the club would be formally exercising that option in advance of Saturday’s deadline, so the report doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
More interestingly, La Canfora writes in the same piece that several league sources believe the 49ers will ultimately decide to exercise their 2015 option on linebacker Aldon Smith. Multiple reports in April suggested the club was leaning against picking up Smith’s fifth-year option due to off-field incidents, but as I wrote yesterday when examining the outstanding options, the decision is perhaps the trickiest of the bunch, since Smith has contributed so much for San Francisco on the field. For what it’s worth, Can Inman of the Bay Area News Group also hears from a front office executive that he expects the Niners to pick up the option (Twitter link).
May 3 represents the deadline for teams to make their decisions on whether or not to exercise fifth-year option on 2011’s first-round picks. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweeted earlier today that those decisions must be formally made by the time the calendar turns from Friday to Saturday in the Eastern time zone tomorrow night, so we can expect resolution soon on Kerrigan, Smith, and the rest of the players whose options haven’t been picked up yet.
You can keep tabs on all of those decisions using our fifth-year option tracker, which shows that Kerrigan’s 2015 option is worth $7.038MM, while Smith’s is worth $9.754MM.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, Mosley, Baldwin
The 49ers are expected to be aggressive in this draft, looking to trade up in the first round in order to secure a top prospect. In order to do so, they need a trade partner, and Bill Williamson of ESPN.com explored a few options. If their target is a top wideout such as Sammy Watkins of Clemson or Mike Evans of Texas A&M, they have the ammunition to move up to No. 5 by trading with their rivals across the Bay. If they are not so zealous, they could look to make a deal with the Steelers (No. 15), the Chiefs (No. 23), or the Browns (No. 26).
Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:
- The Rams have been bringing a lot of prospects in for visits leading up to the draft, but it may be a smokescreen to keep secret the prospects they truly covet, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He believes they did this the last two years, especially finding it useful to hide their interest in receivers Brian Quick and Stedman Bailey by leaking their interest in a few much more high profile pass catchers. Unless the Rams changed philosophies, this could mean we could be surprised with their choices at the draft next week.
- The Cardinals will be looking to replace inside linebacker Karlos Dansby this offseason, and Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com believes they could find a great player in the first round. Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley has the burst to compete for that spot as a rookie, replicating Dansby’s athleticism. The team still has Kevin Minter, and if they can justify carrying both, they could put together a deep linebacking group.
- Doug Baldwin has still not signed his second-round tender with the Seahawks, but Stephen Cohen of SeattlePI.com believes that the team still holds all the cards in keeping him. Baldwin has until Friday to negotiate with other teams, but the Seahawks have the right to match any offer or accept a second-round pick in return for letting Baldwin go.
Draft Updates: Browns, 49ers, Beckham, Visits
An ideal situation for new Browns head coach Mike Pettine would be to draft a quarterback later than the No. 4 pick, and not have to start that QB in his rookie season, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer details.
“That’s been a big part of the discussion in the draft room,” Pettine said. “That’s a position that we know we’re going to need to address, and you talk about where you’re going to do it and the impact that it’s going to have on the rest of the team. Certainly it’s an ideal situation if you can get that quarterback later in the draft and that way you’re drafting a position player at four.”
Here are a few more Wednesday draft-related tidbits:
- The 49ers are “very interested” in LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a source tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Beckham may not be on the board when San Francisco’s No. 30 pick rolls around, but there was some speculation earlier today that the club may target the Ravens’ pick (17th overall) and consider moving up.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identifies seven sleepers that may end up doing pretty well for themselves in this year’s draft. Among the players named by La Canfora: East Carolina tight end Justin Jones, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and McGill offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
- Arizona State tight end Chris Coyle tells Tyler Lockman of Fox Sports Arizona (Twitter link) that he has heard from about 15 NFL teams, including the Cardinals, Chargers, and Eagles.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) adds the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Dolphins to the list of teams that hosted North Dakota offensive lineman Billy Turner for pre-draft visits.
- Fresno State tight end Marcel Jensen has worked out for the Falcons and Colts and met with the Eagles and Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who says Jensen’s stock is on the rise.
- The Titans, who are on the lookout for a new kicker after releasing Rob Bironas last month, recently worked out Washington’s Travis Coons, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
Ravens Rumors: Draft, Trades, Rice, Blount
With just eight days left until draft night, the Ravens held their pre-draft presser today, and a number of the team’s beat reporters were on hand to pass along some of the more interesting comments from GM Ozzie Newsome and other members of Baltimore’s staff. Let’s check out a few of the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….
- Newsome indicated that the Ravens have gotten some calls from teams interested in trading up to the No. 17 spot currently occupied by Baltimore. A number of writers, including Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), have since speculated that the 49ers, who have been trade partners with the Ravens in the past, would be a prime candidate to move up, perhaps to snag a wide receiver.
- On the other hand, there aren’t many scenarios where the Ravens trade up from No. 17, in Newsome’s view. The only way it would happen is if the team sees one or two players dropping that it couldn’t pass up.
- The team will deal with Ray Rice‘s legal situation “when the time comes,” according to Newsome. However, Baltimore was already planning to add another running back or two even before Rice was arrested. The GM added that the Ravens talked to LeGarrette Blount last month, though no formal offer was made.
- Newsome reiterated that “you can’t have enough corners,” indicating that the Ravens will probably draft at least one.
- The Ravens have graded out about 180 draftable players, which is significantly more than usual, and should mean the club does well with undrafted free agents, according to assistant GM Eric DeCosta.
- Newsome alluded to a point Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com made in a column yesterday, suggesting that the Ravens’ ability to secure compensatory picks gives them opportunities to make moves like the acquisition of Eugene Monroe last season.
- The Ravens like this year’s receiving class enough that they’d be comfortable picking a wideout in any of the draft’s seven rounds, says Newsome.
Extra Points: Pouncey, Vikings, Jags, Panthers
Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel wonders if a contract extension for Mike Pouncey would make sense for the Dolphins. Miami used its fifth-year option on the Pro Bowl center this afternoon, meaning that he’s in line to earn $7.438MM in 2015. While the Dolphins’ offensive line has undergone a significant overhaul this offseason, including the addition of tackle Branden Albert, Pouncey represents one of the few holdovers. Tonight’s look around the league..
- What should the Vikings do with the No. 8 pick in the draft? There’s a lot of talk of the team targeting a quarterback like UCF’s Blake Bortles, but longtime NFL signal caller Rich Gannon says they should focus elsewhere, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looks at the Jaguars‘ work in free agency. Jacksonville’s biggest signing was guard Zane Beadles, a move that is somewhat questionable since his success could be a product of playing with Peyton Manning. Overall, Fitzgerald gives the Jags a B grade for a free agent class that could provide some strong upside at reasonable costs.
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman, like many execs around this time of year, is keeping his cards close to his vest, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) feels the 49ers will stay at No. 30 or trade up, but doesn’t see them trading down.
- The Jaguars are likely to seek linebacker help late in the draft, writes Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union.
West Notes: Thomas, 49ers, Moore, Raiders
No matter how much money you have, nobody likes getting hit with a speeding ticket. On his way to a press conference to announce his lucrative new four-year extension with the Seahawks that will make him the highest paid safety in football, Thomas nearly got nabbed for doing 30 mph in a 25 mph zone. While he could have used his celebrity status to skirt the situation, he opted not to, writes the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “I didn’t try to bulldog him and say ‘My name is Earl Thomas,’ because then he’d be like, ‘Man, this dude is cocky,’ and give me a ticket,’’ Thomas said. “But he let me off. That’s the moral of the story.” Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC West..
- Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee looks at pass rushers that might fit the 49ers in the upcoming draft. San Francisco hopes that Aldon Smith will be with the club for the long haul, but in the short-term, there’s no way of knowing where he’ll stand. General manager Trent Baalke on Friday said that the team was ready to count on Corey Lemonier, who is expected to improve upon a promising rookie campaign, as well as veteran Dan Skuta, but that doesn’t mean the Niners won’t look into reinforcements in the draft.
- Defensive end Zach Moore of Division II Concordia University is picking up late interest, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Moore has had nine visits and 14 workouts in total and checked in with the Cardinals, Chargers, and Raiders last week. Moore has the opportunity to be the first player drafted out of the small school in Minnesota.
- Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com looks at middle linebackers that the Raiders may consider in the upcoming draft.
NFC Links: Falcons, Hardy, Crabtree
Three years ago today, the Falcons traded five draft picks to the Browns for the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft (per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). The Falcons selected receiver Julio Jones, and it’s probably fair to say that Atlanta ultimately won the deal. The Browns ended up trading one first-round pick (Jonathan Baldwin) and striking out on another (Brandon Weeden). Cleveland selected Greg Little and Owen Marecic and traded the pick that ended up being Vikings receiver Jarius Wright.
Let’s take a look at some more Falcons and NFC notes…
- Former NFL executive Bill Polian discussed what he would include in a deal for the Texans‘ number-one pick with McClure. Speaking from the Falcons perspective, Polian states that it would take “obviously a swap of first-round picks” in addition to a handful of other picks. Polian says the other pieces could involve another first-rounder or additional mid-round picks to sweeten a deal.
- Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy will receive an advance of $1.3MM if he shows up for the entire offseason program, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Hardy has previously suggested that he may avoid the programs as a means of establishing leverage in long-term discussions.
- While the 49ers may be reaching out to Michael Crabtree‘s camp in regards to an extension, there likely won’t be a deal anytime soon, writes Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Branch points to Crabtree’s lack of leverage following his injury, among other reasons.