Draft Rumors: Henderson, Dobbins, Davis
Are you ready for surprises on draft day? It sounds like you should be. “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been,” one NFL general manager told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That’s undoubtedly because of the ongoing certainly involving COVID-19, which has caused the league to upend its predraft process. As Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com tweets, “group think” is less likely to occur in 2019 because scouts and executives were unable to congregate at pro days, events where evaluators typically will — intentionally or not — develop something of a consensus on prospects.
After deciding whether “wronger” is actually a word, let’s take a look at more on the upcoming draft:
- The Falcons held a predraft video meeting with Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson last week, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Atlanta currently holds the 16th overall pick, but recent reports have indicated general manager Thomas Dimitroff & Co. could be interested in moving up the board. Henderson is considered the draft’s second-best cornerback behind Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, although some decision-makers may rate Henderson No. 1.
- Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has held video meetings with several NFL teams, including the Chiefs, Packers, Bills, Lions, Saints, Dolphins, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. This isn’t the first time Dobbins has been linked to Miami, as he took a predraft visit with the Dolphins before such meetings were shut down due to COVID-19. Indeed, Dobbins left that visit feeling Miami was “infatuated” with him.
- Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis says the 49ers, Packers, Dolphins, Ravens, and Eagles are the teams that have contacted him most, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. A massive presence at 6’6″, 310 pounds, Davis a first-round projection and comparisons to DeForest Buckner from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, however, ranks Davis just 10th among interior defender prospects, noting his lack of development as a pass-rusher.
- The Ravens, 49ers, Panthers, Titans, and Seahawks have all held video sessions with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, per Wilson. Blacklock, who stock has risen during the predraft process, missed the 2018 campaign with an Achilles injury but was productive during both his freshman and junior seasons. Last year, he posted 40 tackles (nine for loss) and 3.5 sacks.
2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
Seahawks Rescind Malik Turner’s Tender
The Seahawks have pulled their exclusive rights tender for Malik Turner, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, Turner has gone from the ERFA property of the Seahawks to a full-fledged free agent.
It’s rare for an ERFA to have his tender pulled, especially since those deals are inexpensive with no real guarantees, but the Seahawks apparently had second thoughts. Turner, 24, appeared in 15 games for Seattle last year. He managed 15 receptions for 245 yards and a touchdown in his second season with the club.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks re-upped a pair of their own free agents this week. Guard Mike Iupati, entering his age-33 season, will return on a one-year deal. Ditto for cornerback Neiko Thorpe, who is also looking to stay healthy after finishing the 2019 season on IR.
Seahawks To Re-Sign Mike Iupati
The Seahawks have agreed to a brand new deal with Mike Iupati, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The veteran guard will return on a one-year deal as he looks to battle back from a neck injury. 
Iupati signed with the ‘Hawks on a one-year pact last spring, bringing him to the third NFC West team of his career. The former 49ers and Rams protector stepped in to replace J.R. Sweezy and played on the first-string unit for 15 games, up until the injury bug struck late in the year. Iupati was unable to play in either one of Seattle’s playoff games and had to watch from afar as the Seahawks fell 28-23 to the Packers in the divisional round.
Iupati, 33 in May, has four Pro Bowl appearances to his credit, but injuries have hampered him over the last few seasons. At his peak, he inked a five-year, $40MM free agent deal with Arizona.
The Seahawks managed to keep Iupati, but they’ve watched offensive linemen George Fant (Jets) and Germain Ifedi (Bears) depart in free agency this season. To help replace them, they’ve added new faces in B.J. Finney and Chance Warmack. Meanwhile, Joey Hunt remains unsigned.
Seahawks Re-Sign CB Neiko Thorpe
The Seahawks have re-signed cornerback Neiko Thorpe, according to a club announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Thorpe has spent the last four years with the Seahawks as a reserve, following stints with the Chiefs and Raiders. He’ll aim to make the cut and fill a similar role in Seattle this year. Although he’s not a top-tier corner, Thorpe offers depth support at the cornerback position and special teams acumen.
Last year, Thorpe re-upped with the ‘Hawks on a one-year, $1MM deal with a $100K signing bonus and a modest non-guaranteed base of $850K. He went on to appear in seven games for Seattle, before being placed on IR in December.
This year, the Seahawks will return starters Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers, though recent acquisition Quinton Dunbar figures to see a key role. They may also pad the CB group in the draft. In the ten drafts run by head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, the Seahawks have only passed on CBs once. Still, most of those corners have been taken in the fourth-round or later, and that’s likely how they’d address the position this year given their more pressing needs.
Former NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson Passes Away
Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson tragically passed away following a car accident in Alabama on Sunday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jackson was 36 years old.
A second-round pick in the 2006 draft, Jackson made 36 appearances for the Vikings over five seasons, including 12 starts in 2007. He signed with the Seahawks in 2011 and served as Seattle’s full-time starter for that entire campaign. Following a season as a reserve in Buffalo in 2012, Jackson returned to the Seahawks and backed up Russell Wilson for three years.
All told, Jackson made 34 NFL starts and completed 59.6% of his passes for 7,263 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. He earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Seahawks in 2013. In 2018, Jackson accepted a role as a graduate assistant at Alabama State, his alma mater, before becoming Tennessee State’s quarterbacks coach in 2019.
PFR extends its deepest condolences to Jackson’s family and friends.
2020 NFL Cap Room By Team
The biggest names in NFL free agency might be off the board, but there are still plenty of noteworthy players on the board and high-profile cuts on the way. And, while some teams did their spending early, others are still sitting on lots of cash.
The latest cap figures from OverTheCap show that several teams are poised to pounce in the latter waves of free agency, starting with the Browns. The numbers also show that teams like the Rams still have work to do in order to sign their upcoming draft class. Also, the Eagles’ 2020 figure doesn’t quite tell the whole story – thanks to high-priced multi-year deals including Darius Slay’s new contract, they’re already overcommitted on dollars for 2021.
Here’s the complete rundown for all 32 teams, in descending order of cap space:
- Browns – $40.2MM
- Lions – $29.5MM
- Eagles – $27.1MM
- Colts – $24MM
- Dolphins – $23.9MM
- Redskins – $23.8MM
- Chargers – $22.3MM
- Titans – $21.5MM
- Bills – $20.9MM
- Texans – $18.6MM
- Broncos – $17.5MM
- Giants – $17.1MM
- Jets – $15.5MM
- Jaguars – $14.6MM
- Cowboys – $13.6MM
- Buccaneers – $13.5MM
- 49ers – $13.4MM
- Seahawks – $12.6MM
- Vikings – $12.3MM
- Ravens – $11.3MM
- Packers – $11.08MM
- Bears – $11.03MM
- Panthers – $9.4MM
- Raiders – $8.8MM
- Bengals – $7.3MM
- Steelers – $7.2MM
- Cardinals – $7MM
- Saints – $5.3MM
- Chiefs – $2.9MM
- Falcons – $2.4MM
- Patriots – $1.2MM
- Rams – (-$5.3MM)
Contract Details: Texans, Seahawks, Redskins
Some assorted contract details from around the NFL:
- Bradley Roby, CB (Texans): Three years, $36MM. Includes $19MM guaranteed. Base value of $31.5MM, with $4.5MM in annual playing time incentives. $3MM signing bonus, $3.5MM roster bonus (2020). Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Vernon Hargreaves, CB (Texans): One year. Deal is worth $1.325MM, including $250K signing bonus, $825K base salary, up to $250K in per-game roster bonuses. Via Wilson on Twitter.
- Benson Mayowa, DE (Seahawks): Signed. One-year, $3.05MM deal. Includes $1.5MM signing bonus, $1.05MM base salary (fully guaranteed). $2.55MM in total guarantees, $500K in per-game roster bonuses. Via ESPN’s Brady Henderson on Twitter.
- Cody Latimer, WR (Redskins): Signed. One-year deal, $137.5K guaranteed signing bonus. Cap hit of $887.5K. Via ESPN’s John Keim on Twitter.
We also thought this would be a good opportunity to pass along a tidbit from ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), who listed the largest dead-money cap charges in 2020:
- Brandin Cooks: $20.8M (Rams)
- Nick Foles: $18.75M (Jaguars)
- Joe Flacco: $13.6M (Broncos)
- Tom Brady: $13.5M (Patriots)
- Todd Gurley: $11.75M (Rams)
- Matt Kalil: $9.8M (Panthers)
- Trai Turner: $9.592M (Panthers)
- Stefon Diggs: $9M (Vikings)
- Reshad Jones: $8.14M (Dolphins)
- Eric Berry: $8M (Chiefs)
Poll: Where Will Jadeveon Clowney Sign?
It’s April and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is still without an NFL team. The former No. 1 overall pick isn’t coming off of a banner year, but he plays a premium position and has 32 career sacks to his credit. So, what gives? 
Of course, his price tag is his biggest blocker. Clowney came into the offseason seeking a deal worth $20MM per year. Recently, he backed down from that position, though the incumbent Seahawks are believed to be offering between $13-$15MM per annum, which is still probably less than he’s willing to accept.
A reunion still seems possible, but Clowney’s camp is working to find a better deal in the interim. Late last week, the Browns entered the sweepstakes and some league officials believe that they have the strongest interest of any suitor. The Browns have tons of cap room – about $43MM – and they might be willing to use some of it to swap Olivier Vernon for Clowney. Of course, that might be easier said than done, since the Browns would still have to find a team willing to take on the rest of Vernon’s contract, which is set to pay him $15.25MM.
The Jets could use Clowney’s edge rushing ability, but they’ve been taking a conservative approach to free agency after whiffing on their preferred targets in March. The Titans have also been linked to him, thanks to Clowney’s relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel from their Houston days, but they’re less inclined to spend on the pass rush after committing $9MM to outside linebacker Vic Beasley.
Other teams have been connected to Clowney, like the Giants, Colts, and Dolphins, though their pass rush needs have already been addressed. The Eagles remain an interesting landing spot for him from a football perspective, and they have breathing room to work with for right now, but their 2021 situation could complicate things. In theory, Philly could still land Clowney if he is willing to accept a one-year deal. The Ravens – with less than $11MM in cap space for the current year – seem less likely to sign him. For the sake of casting a wide net, we’ll include all of those teams in our poll.
Where do you think Clowney will sign? Cast your vote in the poll below (link for app users) and back up your pick in the comments.
Where Will Jadeveon Clowney Sign?
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Seahawks 36% (2,803)
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Browns 22% (1,749)
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Another team (tell us in the comments section) 9% (705)
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Titans 8% (621)
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Jets 7% (565)
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Giants 6% (453)
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Colts 5% (386)
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Ravens 4% (310)
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Dolphins 3% (200)
Total votes: 7,792
Browns Interested In Jadeveon Clowney
The Browns have entered the enduring Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes. Not only is Cleveland now involved in the Clowney pursuit, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports some around the league believe the Browns have come closer to a Clowney deal than other suitors thus far (Twitter link).
The Seahawks have been the team most closely connected to Clowney this offseason. While Seattle has tried to make a viable offer to keep the three-time Pro Bowler, Fowler adds that the team’s offer has not satisfied the Clowney camp to this point.
A Clowney-Browns scenario would be interesting given the team’s defensive end depth. The Browns already employ Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon. A Clowney deal would point to Vernon being on the outs.
In late February, Vernon was linked to being a candidate for a pay cut or release. In the final year of his Giants-constructed contract, the veteran defensive end is set to earn $15.25MM. The Browns are not expected to pay him this much, but the former Dolphins and Giants pass rusher remains on the roster. The Browns have shopped Vernon, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal adds, but any deal would likely be contingent on Cleveland picking up some of his salary.
This week, both the Jets and Titans re-emerged as Clowney suitors. The former No. 1 overall pick also dropped his price off the $20MM-per-year mark. However, the Seahawks’ proposal likely lands between $13-$15MM per year.
Cleveland’s $43MM-plus in cap space leads the NFL by a wide margin. Seattle currently holds less than $15MM in cap room.