Draft Updates: WRs, Martin, Gilbert, Savage
The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to make a minor change to the CBA related to rookie contracts, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, once a player is drafted, he will automatically be deemed to have received a four-year contract offer worth the minimum salary. Previously, clubs were required to submit written notice of that tender offer before or immediately after the draft, so the change will remove a simple piece of bookkeeping, simplifying the draft process.
Here are a few more draft-related items, with less than a week remaining until the first round gets underway:
- In a separate PFT piece, Florio reads between the lines of recent comments by the Browns‘ and Raiders‘ general managers, and suggests that perhaps those teams are trying to push another club to jump up ahead of them to grab a wide receiver like Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com isn’t so sure there will be a big run on wide receivers in the first round, tweeting that he has heard from many teams that intend to wait until the second or third to snag a wideout.
- USC center Marcus Martin has been added to the list of players attending the draft next week, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today, noting that Martin worked out for the Saints this week.
- Within a profile of SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert, Pelissero adds the Bengals, Panthers, and Buccaneers to the list of clubs who had Gilbert in for a pre-draft visit.
- Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage has been one of the draft’s notable risers in recent weeks, so Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explores why that has been the case.
- More than ever, NFL franchises are investing time and effort into making sure they identify potential character flaws that could dissuade them from drafting a prospect, as Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report details. Teams’ approaches include everything from psychological testing to combing through all of a player’s tweets.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post has a few updates on prospects, writing that N.C. State tight end Asa Watson (Ben Watson‘s brother) has visited the Giants, and tweeting that a couple of NFL head coaches have called Old Dominion offensive lineman Jack Lowney within the last few days. Wilson also reports that Rutgers wide receiver Quron Pratt visited the Patriots and Dolphins and worked out for the Jets and Giants.
- The Jets worked out Adams State kicker David Van Voris today, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
South Notes: Glennon, Bucs, Falcons, Titans
The Buccaneers are currently carrying three quarterbacks on their roster, but with the club expected to add another one in next Thursday’s draft, one of those three could be on the move. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan indicated on WDAE 620 AM in Tampa Bay this week that, while the Bucs have denied shopping Mike Glennon, Caplan thinks he’s “as good as gone” (link via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune).
“It’s obvious to me and people around the league that [the Bucs] are going to try to move him,” Caplan said.
Following up on his comments, via Twitter, Caplan suggested he doesn’t think Tampa Bay should move Glennon unless the team can land a third-round pick in return, given the 24-year-old’s impressive rookie season.
Here’s more on the Bucs and a few more NFC and AFC South clubs:
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers will likely be open to moving down in the draft. As Rapoport notes, Bucs GM Jason Licht previously worked under Bill Belichick, who has made a habit of trading down.
- Free agent tight end Bear Pascoe is meeting with and working out for the Falcons today, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter). The 28-year-old spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Giants.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com gives the Titans a grade of C for their moves in free agency, which included signing linebacker Wesley Woodyard and offensive tackle Michael Oher, as well as letting cornerback Alterraun Verner walk.
- Wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Jheranie Boyd are participating in the Titans‘ minicamp on a tryout basis, tweets ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky.
- He won’t be drafted as high as fellow Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, but Hakeem Smith was a four-time All-Conference selection and had private workouts with the Titans and Falcons, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Texans and Jaguars are among the teams that have expressed interest in Wake Forest quarterback Tanner Price, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). According to Wilson, the Ravens, Bears, and Dolphins are a few other clubs with interest.
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.
NFC Notes: Packers, Falcons, Bucs, Eagles
The Packers re-signed Sam Shields earlier in the offseason, ensuring that the 26-year-old remains under contract with the team through the 2017 season and that cornerback won’t be an immediate area of need. Still, as Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, GM Ted Thompson has demonstrated repeatedly that he places significant value on the position, so despite the presence of Shields and Tramon Williams, the Packers still may be eyeing cornerbacks in next week’s draft.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- It was a given that the Falcons would pick up Julio Jones‘ fifth-year option, as they did yesterday, but the next step for the club will be locking up the receiver to a longer-term contract, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Head coach Mike Smith recently said he expects Jones to be a Falcon for “a long, long time.”
- Based on comments by head coach Lovie Smith, it doesn’t sound like the Buccaneers will be drafting a quarterback with the No. 7 pick, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. A report last week suggested Johnny Manziel was on the short list of players Tampa Bay is “heavily considering” with that pick.
- Appearing on SportsRadio 94-WIP in Philadelphia, Eagles GM Howie Roseman confirmed that he expects his club to land at least one wide receiver in next week’s draft (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
- The Eagles recently met with Eastern Washington edge rusher Anthony Larry, BYU safety Daniel Sorensen, and UMass tight end Rob Blanchflower, says Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com.
Draft Updates: Bucs, Bills, McCarron, Savage
A handful of teams picking at the top of next week’s draft have expressed an openness to move down in the first round, and we can add the Buccaneers to this list. Speaking to reporters today, including Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht didn’t rule out the possibility of trading down.
“That’s definitely something we’d look into,” Licht said. “We’ve already reached out to teams. If our player isn’t there, we’d be open to conversations about moving back.”
Here are several more draft-related items for Tuesday afternoon:
- Within his latest mock draft at ESPN.com, Todd McShay cites three league sources who have told him in the past week that the Bills are trying to trade up from No. 9. According to McShay, if Buffalo does make a move, it will likely be to land Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, or Greg Robinson.
- Appearing on The Paul Finebaum Show, Alabama signal-caller A.J. McCarron suggested he’s been told he could be drafted as high as 16th in the draft, which is the spot the Cowboys currently hold (link via Andrew Gribble of AL.com).
- Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage quietly made a pre-draft visit to the Jets last week, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- After previously identifying a few teams who hosted Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com names a few more, tweeting that Ward also visited the Colts, Saints, Texans, and Vikings.
- LSU guard Trai Turner has worked out privately for the Lions, Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, and Saints, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson adds that Turner also visited the Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts, and Dolphins.
- Kansas wide receiver and special teams ace Josh Ford has drawn interest from the Packers, Panthers, Texans, Jets, and Chiefs, tweets Wilson.
- The Giants, Jets, and Lions were among the teams to host Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle for a pre-draft visit, writes Wilson.
- Finally, Wilson reports that Wisconsin defensive tackle Beau Allen had a total of eight visits and three private workouts, and tweets that Albany tackle Kadeem Williams has been informed he’s on an AFC South team’s draft board.
Draft Notes: Bortles, Askew, Mauro, Ward
As we saw last month, a handful of the more successful and shrewder NFL franchises approach free agency with the draft in mind, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. As La Canfora writes, many clubs are more inclined to pursue free agents like Darrelle Revis, DeMarcus Ware, Steve Smith, and Julius Peppers, who were released by their previous teams, since those players aren’t linked to compensatory draft picks.
This approach also explains why the Ravens, who signed Smith after he was cut by the Panthers, were willing to give up a fifth-round pick to acquire Jeremy Zuttah — given how many compensatory picks Baltimore typically lands (a league-high 41 since 1996), the team should easily replace that fifth-rounder after letting notable free agents like Arthur Jones and Michael Oher depart.
Here’s a little more from La Canfora’s piece, as well as a few other draft notes from around the league:
- La Canfora makes a couple draft-related predictions, forecasting a cornerback run in the first round (sometime in the 20s), and suggesting that drafted players may sign contracts more quickly this year than usual, since teams will be eager to address that business after waiting an extra two weeks for the draft.
- Peter King of TheMMQB.com doesn’t expect Blake Bortles to still be available when the Vikings pick at No. 8 next week, but he sees Bortles as an ideal fit for Minnesota and offensive coordinator Norv Turner. King identifies the Texans and Browns as a couple teams that could snatch up the UCF signal-caller before the Vikings are on the clock.
- Speedy Texas A&M linebacker Nate Askew, a converted receiver, has drawn “steady interest from NFL teams,” according to Aaron Wilson of the National Post, who reports that Askew visited the Panthers and Buccaneers. Wilson adds that the linebacker, who recorded a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash, also worked out privately for the Falcons, Eagles, and the Texans.
- Wilson also provides an update on Stanford defensive lineman Josh Mauro, who visited the Giants and worked out privately for the Cowboys, Raiders, and Falcons.
- We heard earlier in the month that Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward paid a pre-draft visit to the Ravens, but according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link), Baltimore was just one of 12 teams to host the safety. The Falcons, Panthers, and Cowboys were among the other teams Ward visited.
- Arizona State defensive back Alden Darby has worked out for the Patriots, Falcons, and Chargers, and still has a workout with the Raiders on the docket, tweets Doug Haller of AZCentral.com.
Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Donald, Latimer
In past years, we’d be gearing up for the NFL draft to begin in a matter of hours, but with this year’s event pushed back into May, we still have two more weeks of build-up until the big night. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is helping to bridge that gap by continuing to pass along noteworthy tidbits on this year’s prospects. Here’s the latest from Pauline, with these notes coming from his latest blog entries unless otherwise indicated:
- The Dolphins like offensive lineman Zack Martin, but don’t expect him to be available when they pick in the first round. Sources tell Pauline that Miami could end up trading down and targeting a player like Nevada’s Joel Bitonio — Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandjio isn’t expected to be a first-round option for the club. Bitonio, meanwhile, is also drawing interest from the Panthers and Buccaneers.
- Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald figures to come off the board somewhere between picks No. 6 and 16, according to Pauline, who identifies the Falcons (6th), Giants (12th), Bears (14th), and Cowboys (16th) as potential landing spots.
- At least 23 teams will travel to Bloomington, Indiana tomorrow for Cody Latimer‘s on-campus workout. Pauline hears that the receiver is one of the draft’s fastest risers, and even has a shot to be selected in the first round.
- Fresno State wideout Davante Adams is working out with the Panthers for a second time. Adams has also visited the Lions, Chargers, and Falcons, and worked out for the Titans.
- The Colts brought in Wisconsin safety Dez Southward for a pre-draft visit, according to Pauline.
- The Steelers, Colts, and Eagles are displaying the most interest in Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart.
- Wake Forest linebacker Justin Jackson is paying a visit to the Chiefs today, Pauline reports in a tweet.
- The Jets have reps at Clemson today to work out quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Roderick McDowell, and linebacker Quandon Christian, tweets Pauline.
- Pauline also reports (via Twitter) that the Packers, Patriots, and Chiefs are at Mississippi State today to work out quarterback Tyler Russell and safety Nickoe Whitley.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Browns, Steelers
In the latest installment of Over The Cap’s team-by-team breakdown of free agency, Jason Fitzgerald examines the Ravens. While Arthur Jones‘ departure leaves a big hole on defense, losing offensive tackle Eugene Monroe would’ve been a more significant blow to the team, says Fitzgerald, adding that he liked Baltimore’s pickup of Owen Daniels quite a bit. Factoring in the loss of James Ihedigbo to the Lions, Fitzgerald assigns the Ravens a grade of B- for their work over the last several weeks.
Here’s more from around the AFC North:
- As our fifth-year option tracker shows, no decision has been announced or reported yet on the Browns‘ 2015 option for defensive tackle Phil Taylor. Speaking to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, Taylor suggested he’s not sure what the team plans to do with that option, but he hopes it gets picked up: “I would love to be here, but that’s not up to me. So we’re going to wait and see what [the front office] is going to do about it.”
- South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw is visiting the Browns today and tomorrow, and will work out for the club on Saturday, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson also links several other clubs to Shaw, writing that the signal-caller has met or worked out with the Falcons, Titans, Patriots, and Buccaneers, and interviewed with the Seahawks, Packers, Raiders, and Jaguars.
- The Steelers are hosting Boise State edge defender Demarcus Lawrence and Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon for pre-draft visits today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
- Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb is visiting the Bengals today, tweets Aaron Wilson.
Draft Visits: Falcons, Bryant, Martin, Jets
Teams only have until Sunday to bring in draft prospects for pre-draft visits, so even though workouts are still permitted after that date, plenty of clubs are hosting players this week. Here’s a round-up of several of the latest reports on these visits:
- According to reports from ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link), Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the Falcons have worked out Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews and Connecticut linebacker Yawin Smallwood, and are heading to Columbia, South Carolina tomorrow to work out wideout Bruce Ellington.
- Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith has visited the Broncos, Eagles, and Panthers, as well as worked out privately for the Panthers, Falcons, Patriots, and Buccaneers, according to Wilson.
- Martavis Bryant has been extremely busy over the last few weeks, with a combined total of 22 visits and private workouts, writes Wilson at the National Football Post. According to Wilson, the Buccaneers are one team that has hosted and privately worked out the Clemson wide receiver.
- Wilson, who has been busy lately himself, also passes along updates on two more prospects: USC center Marcus Martin has met with the Chargers, Panthers, Saints, and Eagles, while Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman is visiting the Bengals.
- Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is among the players visiting the Jets today, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). We heard last night about several other prospects the Jets are hosting this week, including Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
- Cornerback Justin Gilbert‘s previously reported visit with the Lions is happening today, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- McGill offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is projected to be the first overall pick in the CFL draft, but he’s also drawing plenty of interest from NFL teams. As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, the 49ers are the latest club to host the Canadian prospect for a visit.
Bucs To Decline Option On Adrian Clayborn
The Buccaneers will not exercise their fifth-year option on Adrian Clayborn, Clayborn’s agent confirmed to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had reported earlier in the week that the club wasn’t expected to pick up the defensive end’s 2015 option.
Unlike some other 2011 first-rounders, Clayborn has been a full-time starter for his club when he’s been healthy, starting all 35 games he has played for the Bucs since being drafted 20th overall. In 2013, the 25-year-old established a career high with 66 tackles, and also logged six sacks. However, while those numbers are respectable, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t all that fond of Clayborn’s performance, ranking him 47th out of 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends.
Although the $6.969MM option for Clayborn would have been guaranteed for injury only, the Buccaneers’ decision suggests the team isn’t comfortable potentially being on the hook for that amount for the defensive end. The Iowa product will now be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2014 season, and the value of his next deal figures to depend in large part on his performance in his contract year.
To keep tabs on all of this year’s fifth-year option decisions as the May 3 decision deadline approaches, be sure to check out our tracker.