Pauline On Manziel, Bucs, Bortles, Raiders
NFL executives widely believe that if Johnny Manziel is selected in the first eight picks tomorrow, it will be by decree of the owner rather than the scouting department or GM, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. One source told Pauline that it feels like a lot of GMs are hoping Manziel is off the board before it’s their turn to pick so that there’s no discussion or distraction of selecting the signal caller. This is especially the case in Tampa Bay where Buccaneers owners are pushing for Manziel but coach Lovie Smith is after defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Here’s more from Pauline’s column..
- Consistent with what we’ve already heard, the Browns like Manziel but not enough to use the No. 4 pick on him. The name that Pauline hears often connected to Cleveland is receiver Mike Evans and Blake Bortles is a dark horse possibility.
- If Bortles slides past the Vikings at No. 8, look for the Cardinals to try and move up for him.
- The Raiders are shopping their first round pick and while there’s been interest, no team has matched their asking price. Right now Oakland would like Khalil Mack, Mike Evans, or Sammy Watkins at No. 5. If they are able to trade down the pick is likely to be quarterback Derek Carr.
- The Panthers have been known to like Joel Bitonio at No. 28 and Pauline hears the Chargers will also consider him at No. 25.
- There’s a feeling the Panthers could attempt to trade up for a receiver or offensive tackle and the Dolphins are the obvious trade partner. Miami, Pauline hears, will entertain offers for the 19th pick if Zack Martin is unavailable. By doing that, the Panthers would assure themselves receiver Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee, whichever is available. If that’s the case, Bitonio could then land with the Seahawks as the first round closes out.
- The 49ers have let it be known they plan to be aggressive on draft day and use their arsenal of top 100 picks to move up. Right now, sources say SF has their eye on receiver Odell Beckham. The price to move up for Evans is a little steep and Beckham fills a need for them. Another plus to Beckham is that they’d provide a safeguard if Michael Crabtree‘s price tag in free agency next year is too high.
Extra Points: Texans, Rams, Eagles, Beckham
The Texans and the Rams hold the first two picks in the draft and there’s a growing sense that both teams really want to trade down, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The thinking in some league circles is that the Texans would like to trade down and take linebacker Khalil Mack while its believed the Rams would like to trade back for tackle Jake Matthews. The question now, Florio writes, is whether either or both team actually can trade down. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- Earlier tonight Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter) reported that the Browns won’t take Johnny Manziel at No. 4 and he now says the Raiders won’t select the Texas A&M QB at No. 5 either.
- Florio hears that if the Buccaneers move up, it’ll be to select Manziel, not Sammy Watkins. It’s not known whether a deal is close or even doable, however.
- The Eagles would like to add an edge rusher, but there aren’t many quality ones in this year’s draft, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Perhaps it’s a good thing then that General Manager Howie Roseman believes in taking the best player available regardless of position.
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the 49ers should go for a fast receiver or a big receiver in the draft. If SF fails to trade up and get speedster Odell Beckham Jr., a bigger receiver could fall to the team at no. 30, including FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin.
- The Seahawks have sent agents a brochure recruiting undrafted free agents with details on how they keep and develop UDFAs, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport (link) also has the brochure in PDF form for those who want to check it out.
- Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas has signed with agents Brian Murphy and Dave Dunn of Athletes First, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Thomas checked in with the Falcons and Bears last month.
- The lack of contract extensions so far for the 2011 draft class doesn’t reflect a failure on the part of the league’s CBA, argues Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, pointing out that those extensions will just happen later than they used to.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Rams Rumors: Draft, Bradford, Bucs, Manziel
The Rams own the No. 2 pick and head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters earlier today that he sees a lot more than two players they could be happy with, writes Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk. “We’ve identified six to eight players that we think could potentially fit us at two,” Fisher said. If that’s the case, trading down would make a lot of sense for St. Louis. Here’s more from today’s presser..
- While that kind of trade might make sense, Fisher insisted that another much-discussed trade — the Rams moving quarterback Sam Bradford — is not in the cards, Smith writes. “With respect to Sam, he’s our starter, as you guys know,” Fisher said. “No. We are not shopping Sam.”
- Asked if things could change on Bradford between now and Thursday, Fisher didn’t say no, but did say it would be highly unlikely, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today.
- There’s chatter in league circles that the Buccaneers could end up being the team that moves up to No. 2 with their No. 7 pick, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s unclear what it would take for the Bucs to move up five spots and also unclear who Tampa Bay might target.
- The Rams have worked out 45 players in person and Johnny Manziel is one of about a dozen quarterbacks they have looked at, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
Draft Updates: Cowboys, Watkins, Ealy, Pryor
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out last month, since Jerry Jones have overseen Cowboys drafts, the team has traded up or down in the first round in 20 of 25 instances, or 80% of the time. That would suggest there’s a good chance Dallas won’t stand pat on Thursday, but it doesn’t sound like the club is too engaged in trade talks yet.
“We haven’t heard a lot from other clubs,” Jones said today, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “We haven’t found that to be particularly productive. That’s day-of-draft type dynamics. I’d be surprised if there are not trade opportunities by the time you get to where we’re going to be picking or certainly afterwards.”
Here’s more on the 2014 NFL draft, which is now just a little over 50 hours away:
- The Lions have frequently been linked to wide receiver Sammy Watkins, and Watkins confirmed today to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter links) that Detroit was the only team to meet with him more than once. “That sounds like they really want me, but you never know,” said the Clemson wideout.
- If two meetings are a signal of legit interest, count the Cowboys, Falcons, and Bears among the potential landing spots for defensive lineman Kony Ealy. As Hubbuch tweets, all three clubs met with Ealy multiple times.
- The Jets‘ interview of Calvin Pryor was extensive, the Louisville safety told Hubbuch (Twitter link). “They really seemed interested,” according to Pryor.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on Florida State running back Devonta Freeman and Utah cornerback Keith McGill. According to Wilson, Freeman met with the Steelers and worked out for the Falcons, Patriots, and Dolphins, while McGill either visited or worked out for the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Redskins, and Raiders, among other teams.
Pompei’s Latest: Texans, Flowers, Glennon
In his latest Read Option piece, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report makes the case that Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack represents the best choice for the Texans with the first overall pick. For his part, Mack would love to come off the board first, but recognizes that it’s not necessarily the most important thing.
“I don’t think it matters if I go first,” Mack said. “I feel like I’ve worked hard and shown I can be a great player and teammate. If every team knew everything I was about, I feel they would draft me. But what matters is what happens after you are picked.”
Here’s more from Pompei:
- The Texans want to add more picks, and have long been rumored to be exploring trades involving the first overall pick. However, Pompei suggests the team may end up trading its first pick in the second round, rather than the first — Houston has actively been shopping that 33rd overall pick, according to Pompei’s sources.
- The Chiefs are believed to be willing to discuss trades involving cornerback Brandon Flowers in an effort to land more draft picks, says Pompei. We’ll have to wait to see how serious Kansas City is about that possibility, but if the team looks to find a deal, I wonder if the Jets might be a match — New York has a need at cornerback, plenty of 2014 draft picks (12), and more than enough cap space to take on Flowers’ $5.25MM base salary.
- While some quarterback-needy teams say the Buccaneers haven’t called them to shop Mike Glennon, that might change after the draft, according to Pompei, who writes that coach Lovie Smith and GM Jason Licht are expected to “stir up the quarterback position.” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com agrees that Glennon will be shopped if the Bucs draft a signal-caller, though he says that Tampa Bay won’t just give Glennon away, adding that the asking price could be a second-round pick (all Twitter links).
Wilson’s Latest: Schaudt, Presley, Cole
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has spent the last several weeks providing updates on pre-draft visits, private workouts, and prospects drawing interest from specific NFL teams, ranging from first-round locks to potential undrafted free agents. He has a few more tidbits for us this morning, via Twitter, so let’s dive in and round them up….
- Minnesota State edge rusher Chris Schaudt is receiving interest from the Browns, Raiders, Vikings, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, Eagles, and Broncos. Wilson had reported over the weekend that Schaudt, who played defensive end in college, was being considered by several 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker.
- Akron defensive end Albert Presley has drawn interest from the Dolphins and Buccaneers.
- The Texans and Cardinals have interest in Maine outside linebacker Michael Cole, who also worked out for the Giants last month.
- Citadel defensive back Brandon McCladdie has generated interest from the Panthers, Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Texans.
- The Jaguars and Giants are among the teams interested in East Carolina strong safety Chip Thompson.
NFC South Notes: Bridgewater, Martin, Visits
The Buccaneers have not given up on on Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater despite his Pro Day struggles, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Bridgewater was once thought of as a possibility for the Texans with the first pick, but is now considered a late first or early second-round pick. Buccaneers’ general manager Jason Licht said he and head coach Lovie Smith do not change grades during the draft process due to performance at pro days.
“We try not to let the pro day dictate whether a player gets massaged up the board or not,’’ Licht said. “For us, opinions only change if Lovie and I haven’t really had a chance to see a lot out of the player earlier.”
It should be noted that Cummings does not mention where the team originally projected Bridgewater.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC South:
- The Buccaneers need a guard, and Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, who is climbing up draft boards, could be in play with the seventh pick, writes Cummings in a separate article. Martin, a tackle in college, is projected as a possible guard in the NFL. Cummings writes that the Buccaneers fans would be hesitant to support a pick that passes on playmakers at the skill position in order to add a guard.
- The Panthers meeting with Penn State receiver Allen Robinson went “very well,” reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Robinson could bring some relief to a team in dire need of a receiver. The Panthers will most likely come to the podium with the top four or five receivers already off the board in the first round.
- The Falcons met with L.J. Jones of Fresno State, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun-Times (via Twitter). The cornerback also recently worked out with the Panthers according to Wilson.
NFC South Notes: Bucs, Falcons, Panthers
Though the position isn’t necessarily a need, defensive tackle could be an area of focus in the draft for the Buccaneers, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay’s front four includes All-Pro Gerald McCoy, free agent signee Clinton McDonald, and second-year player Akeem Spence, but, in new head coach Lovie Smith’s scheme, tackle is the most important defensive slot, and a solid rotation would be of help. Additionally, a selection of a player like Aaron Donald would be in line with general manager Jason Licht’s “best player available” philosophy. “What we’ve said all along is we want the best player,” said Licht. “Our team needs in September are going to be totally different than what our team needs are right now. The player you take, you may not think we have a need for him now. But a lot of times, you’re thankful you have them when the season starts.”
More items from the NFC South:
- Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff obviously wasn’t happy with his team’s 4-12 record in 2013, and tells Jarrett Bell of USA Today that his “goal is to rectify this with a vengeance.” Dimitroff hasn’t been afraid to trade up in the draft to acquire an impact player (Julio Jones, 2011), and some believe Atlanta is a player for the first overall selection.
- We previously noted that Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith had worked out for the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers, and now Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post adds the Saints to that list, meaning Smith has completed the NFC South tour.
- In a separate post, Wilson reports that Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Jacob Maxwell, a late-round or free agent candidate, has drawn interest from about half the league, including the Buccaneers and Panthers.
- The Buccaneers could afford to trade Mike Williams to the Bills thanks to an especially deep class of receivers, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
- The Panthers have been highly successful with their first-round selections over the past few seasons, according to ESPN.com’s David Newton, and though Carolina is picking later than usual this year, there is reason to believe they’ll draft a useful player once again at pick No. 28.
- Don’t look for the Panthers to draft a developmental quarterback on Thursday, says Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, because the team likes the presence of new addition Joe Webb, who is focusing solely on QB.
- The Saints have a history of finding gems in the draft, from late-round picks like Marques Colston and Jahri Evans, to undrafted free agents like Junior Galette, writes Sheldon Mickles of TheAdvocate.com.
Sunday Roundup: Texans, Cowboys, Panthers
We wrote last week about the dilemma quarterback-needy teams will face in the first-round of the draft, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe provides a specific example of how overvaluation of the quarterback position can lead to disastrous results. Volin describes how Charlie Casserly, former GM of the Texans, over-inflated the value of David Carr in 2002 because he believed the team needed to hit the ground running with a solid, if unspectacular, signal-caller.
Like this year’s crop of top QBs, those in 2002 had some intriguing upside along with equally troubling drawbacks. As the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock has stated about the 2014 class, “the more tape I watch…the more questions I have.” Will current Houston GM Rick Smith take the highest-rated prospect in the draft–Jadeveon Clowney–and avoid the temptation that having an unsettled quarterback situation creates (as Casserly now admits he should have done with Julius Peppers, the top prospect in the 2002 class)? Or do Smith and his staff believe strongly enough in one of the top QBs to pull the trigger?
As we delve into some more draft notes from around the league, it is worth noting this little nugget that Volin passes along from a current NFL executive: “Isn’t it ironic that every team that perceivably needs a quarterback this year signed one in free agency?”
And now onto those notes:
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the Broncos figure to devote their greatest attention to inside linebacker and cornerback in the draft. Klis tweets that if QBs start to fall, he expects Denver to try and trade up to grab a top player at one of those positions. One such trade-up target might be Alabama’s C.J. Mosley. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes that Denver’s defense would be dominant with Mosley on-board.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he would not be surprised if the Cowboys took a WR with their No. 16 overall selection to pair with Dez Bryant.
- Commenting on the depth of this year’s WR class and the history of players drafted at that position, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes that the Panthers, who are in need of a receiver, are just as likely to find a long-term contributor later on in the draft as they are at the top of the draft.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that what the Giants do in the first round of the draft–i.e. whether or not they take an offensive tackle–will demonstrate how they feel about the status of Will Beatty, who is coming off a terrible season and a fractured right leg.
- Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that the Jets will not rule out drafting a QB.
- ESPN.com’s Field Yates (subscription required) explains why he believes the Buccaneers should take Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans with the No. 7 overall pick.
NFC Draft Notes: Eagles, Vikings, Giants
Eagles coach Chip Kelly is on record saying how much he loves Johnny Manziel. Kelly recruited Manziel while at Oregon, but Manziel spurned Kelly’s best efforts and ended up at Texas A&M.
Is a possible reunion in order?
Andrew Kulp of The 700 Level pegs Johnny Football as the best fit for the Eagles at No. 22, citing Kelly’s affinity for the free-wheeling Texan. It’s highly unlikely that Manziel slips that far, but it sure would make for must-see TV every Sunday.
More draft notes from the NFC…
- The Vikings select Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley in Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ latest mock draft. Vikings brass could be skittish after the Christian Ponder pick didn’t work out so well, Tomasson writes.
- A strong relationship between head coach and general manager is key to a team’s success in the draft room, and it appears that the Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman of the Vikings are in the process of building one, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
- The Giants will need to get as close as they can to batting 1.000 in the upcoming draft, says Tom Rock of newsday.com. After building a reputation as a draft savant — leading to two Super Bowls — general manager Jerry Reese has not had the same success in recent years.
- Three players that the Giants could target at No. 12, according to the New York Daily News’ Ebenezer Samuel: North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans and Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin.
- If the Seahawks want to stay on top of the league, they’ll have to do more of the same — draft well. But, as The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta writes, it’s become even more important to hit on late-round picks now that key players like safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are earning second contracts and eating up prime real estate on the salary cap.
- The Bucs may have to take Manziel if he’s on the board at No. 7, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. If not, Stroud thinks the team could take a QB in the second or third round, possibly offering 2013 third-round pick Mike Glennon in a trade.
- The Panthers worked out Fresno State cornerback L.J. Jones, reports Aaron Wilson of National Football Post. Jones is projected as a late-round pick after being named as an All-Mountain West-Conference honorable-mention.
- You can try your hand as Ted Thompson and play GM of the Packers with an online roster builder tool launched by Press-Gazette Media, spending up to $133MM and cutting the roster down to 53 players.