Saturday Mailbags: Paea, Manziel, Titans
More from the designated mailbag day from the NFL media. Some notes from Washington, Cleveland and Tennessee rumblings from ESPN’s John Keim, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot and ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky, respectively.
- In signing two players who started as 4-3 defensive tackles for their former teams last season, Washington must relocate one of them in their 3-4 look, writes Keim. Before either Terrance Knighton or Stephen Paea will put on a red and gold jersey, Paea appears to be the one on the move. The former Bears defensive tackle will slide to end as Knighton, at more than 340 pounds, is expected to clog the A gap. Paea will be expected to rush from inside on passing downs, however, with Knighton coming off the field in many of those scenarios as he did in Denver last season. Keim said Jason Hatcher, Ricky Jean-Francois or Chris Baker will spell Knighton on passing downs.
- Keim is uncertain why Washington, which pursued Derek Newton before he re-signed with the Texans and eventual Jaguars signee Jermey Parnell, hasn’t made a push to sign Joe Barksdale. The Rams right tackle’s initial asking price reportedly surprised Jeff Fisher, but Keim expects Barksdale to be back in St. Louis next season. Keim lists right tackle, where unsigned free agent Tyler Polumbus and Tom Compton struggled last season, as the team’s biggest pre-draft offensive need.
- Despite rumors out of Cleveland earlier this week that the Browns‘ intent was to move on from Johnny Manziel, Cabot does not expect that to occur after just seven quarters of NFL quarterbacking experience. Manziel, still in rehab despite his recent golf outing (Twitter link), is expected to be given a chance to prove his tools can translate in a run-oriented offense despite evidence to the contrary last year. Per Cabot, Manziel progressed under new quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell in preparing for the draft last year, furthering the belief the Browns intend on giving him another chance.
- Cabot estimates a trade up for Marcus Mariota could cost the Browns three first-round picks. Cleveland owns selections 12 and 19 this year. Defensive lineman Danny Shelton will be a target for the Browns at No. 12 after they ranked last in the league in run stoppage in 2014, according to Cabot.
- The Titans drafting a running back in the second round doesn’t make sense to Kuharsky, considering the team’s previous second-round investment in Bishop Sankey, the first back off the board last year.
AFC Links: Odrick, Lewis, Dareus, Titans
Deploying just seven position players that received positive grades from Pro Football Focus last season, the Jaguars have a steep climb back to contention. The fulcrum of that attempted ascent, however, could reside on their defensive front, with talent returning and incoming.
Two of the aforementioned septet came on the defensive line, Sen’Derrick Marks and Ryan Davis, and high-priced supplement Jared Odrick, who signed a five-year, $42.5MM contract on Day 2 of free agency, will add to this unit in a specific role, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
Jags defensive line coach Todd Wash expects to plug Odrick at their 4B spot, which is the bigger of the two defensive ends in Jacksonville’s 4-3 scheme, according to O’Halloran. Odrick played defensive tackle in the Dolphins’ 4-3 alignment last season and rated as PFF’s 19th-best interior lineman (subscription required) — two slots behind Marks. Odrick’s last season as a 4-3 end (2012), however, marked his worst as a pro. His previous work as an outside starter in a 3-4 scheme (2011) resulted in a career-best six sacks, half of which came in coverage, per O’Halloran.
Marks and Davis’ success came almost exclusively inside, making the edge a priority. The Jaguars could have their pick of ends Dante Fowler Jr. or Leonard Williams at No. 3 overall, depending on Marcus Mariota‘s potential to go at No. 2, providing a significant starting point in their rebuild.
- Fowler will reportedly visit Jacksonville this week after his pro day in Gainesville, Fla., reports O’Halloran. The Jags probably won’t use all of their 30 permitted player visits but could exercise 20 of those meetings, O’Halloran reports.
- Using Dashon Goldson‘s recent trade where the Bucs agreed to pick up the safety’s $4MM signing bonus in 2015 as he suits up for Washington, O’Halloran suggests this method as a way to make Marcedes Lewis a movable commodity for a potential late-round pick. No longer the starting tight end after the Jags signed Julius Thomas, Lewis is slated to count $8.2MM against the cap this year as Thomas accounts for $10.3MM of it — a league-high amount at the position, making the current arrangement unlikely to last.
- In addition to a report earlier this week regarding Marcell Dareus‘ potential extension with the Bills, ESPN’s Josina Anderson hears the team will address this after the draft, although no offer has been sent yet (Twitter link).
- The Titans could trade down if they don’t envision Mariota leading their offense or Williams chasing signal-callers, and The Tennesseean’s Jim Wyatt speculates wide-receiving help could arrive in that scenario in the form of Amari Cooper, Kevin White or DeVante Parker. ESPN’s Todd McShay has that trio going off the boardat Nos. 3, 7 and 10, respectively, in his latest mock draft (subscription required). The Titans selected current starter Kendall Wright in the first round in 2012.
- While listing wideout, running back and starting right tackle as the team’s biggest needs, Wyatt envisions one of the top backs, Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon, as Titans targets at No. 34.
Draft Notes: White, Bears, Browns, Ravens
West Virginia wideout Kevin White is expected to be an early first-round pick in the upcoming draft, but the speedster hasn’t received much interest from NFL clubs. Earlier this week, the player told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that he hadn’t heard from any teams since the Scouting Combine:
“Until they call or I have a set workout schedule, I’m just going to continue to do what I have to do and wherever I do go, if I have a workout or prior workout, I’ll enjoy it and try to make the most out of it.”
White finally got a call late this week, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the receiver will meet with the Titans. For the time being, that’s White only scheduled visit.
Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the league, with updates added to the top:
- Toledo linebacker Junior Sylvestre visited with the Chiefs Friday, writes Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- The Patriots had UConn wide receiver Geremy Davis in for a private workout yesterday, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have a need at safety, and Alabama’s Landon Collins has been a popular target in mock drafts. However, he might not make it to the Eagles’ pick at No. 20, and might not be a fit for Chip Kelly anyway, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher picks out a number of safeties the team could target later in the draft, including Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond and Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell.
Earlier Updates:
- Clemson outside linebacker Vic Beasley will visit the Bears, according to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. The writer notes that Chicago’s new 3-4 defense could be a perfect fit for Beasley.
- The Browns are going to be busy in the coming weeks, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that the organization will be bringing in 30 draft prospects. The group includes Louisville wideout DeVante Parker and Miami left tackle Ereck Flowers.
- Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil will attend the Ravens local prospects day in late April, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The Patriots, Eagles and Chargers have each checked out the versatile defender.
South Notes: Brees, Fowler, Jags, Bucs
In an interview with WWL radio in New Orleans on Thursday, quarterback Drew Brees said he intends to retire with the Saints, and dismissed any speculation about potential trade talks involving him.
“I have a close enough relationship with everybody within the Saints organization that if something was going on, I would have heard about it from them,” Brees said. “If there was any seriousness, you know, reality (to the rumors), that would be discussed. Anything that I hear or get wind of is typically false. False reports.”
Of course, the reports Brees calls “false” never really existed. Some columnists wrote speculative articles about the possibility of quarterback-needy teams checking in on Brees while the Saints were seemingly making everyone available, but at least one report suggested the quarterback was one of the only players the team was not shopping. Nonetheless, GM Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton, and Brees himself have all felt the need to shoot down that speculation.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Asked about upcoming pre-draft meetings, Florida pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. says he has visits lined up with the Jaguars and Titans, writes Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com. Fowler is considered one of the top pass rushers in the draft, and projects as a potential top-five pick — Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN recently expressed confidence that Fowler will go third overall to Jacksonville.
- Center Stefen Wisniewski left his visit with the Jaguars without a deal in place, but head coach Gus Bradley said the team will “have more conversations about him,” per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Bradley also said that, while the team is keeping its options open in regard to adding a fullback, it’s conceivable that Jacksonville starts the season with four tight ends and no fullbacks on its roster.
- We can add linebacker Larry Dean to the list of free agents to visit the Buccaneers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Guard Dan Connolly, wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan, and defensive end George Johnson are among the other players who recently paid a visit to Tampa Bay.
Titans, Craig Stevens Agree To New Deal
The Titans and tight end Craig Stevens agreed to a restructured contract on Wednesday, sources familiar with the situation tell Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Stevens was previously scheduled to earn $3.5MM in 2015. Now, he’ll instead earn a similar amount to his deal from last season when he made $1.6MM.
The 2008 draft pick suffered a thigh injury last season and was placed on injured reserve after five games. Across the last five seasons, Stevens has hauled in 48 catches for 603 yards and four touchdowns. With his new deal, Stevens will remain with the Titans where he’s a part of a deep tight end stable. Besides Stevens, Tennessee has Delanie Walker and Anthony Fasano on its roster, along with Taylor Thompson and Dorin Dickerson.
Stevens, 31 in September, had a grand total of two receptions for 26 yards in 2014.
Draft Notes: Raiders, Williams, Winston
Peter King of The MMQB doesn’t believe in mock drafts, but today he gave us his “best guess” draft. Going by “the look in coach Ken Whisenhunt’s eyes when he talked about the pick last week at the league meetings,” King projects that the Titans will take Marcus Mariota at No. 2 after Jameis Winston is taken with the top pick. After that, he rounds out the top five with the Jaguars taking Florida outside linebacker Dante Fowler at No. 3, the Raiders selecting USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams at No. 4, and Washington taking West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White at No. 5, before trading him to the Rams for the No. 10 and 72 picks. Here’s a look at today’s draft news..
- The Raiders are high on Williams and could trade up to land him, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Oakland is in the pivot spot at No. 4 and although people have pegged them to land a wide receiver, they want the USC superstar and fear that he’ll be gone by No. 3. If they can’t get up land him, Cole says that they could move back to still take White or Amari Cooper while adding another asset.
- The NFL is still concerned about Winston’s maturity, according to Cole (video link). King (on Twitter) adds that the Bucs have done major homework on the FSU star. Their private eyes have interviewed more than 75 people in Winston’s past.
- Winston isn’t the only FSU product tied to the Buccaneers. Guard Josue Matias said he is scheduled to visit the Bucs next week as well, as Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com writes. Matias is viewed by draft experts as a second- or third-round pick. The Bucs, meanwhile, have a glaring need at right guard and their offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL in 2014.
- Former South Carolina guard A.J. Cann is drawing a ton of pre-draft interest, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Right now, Cann has visits and/or workouts scheduled with 14 different teams. Getlin adds that the Ravens, Saints, Vikings, and Buccaneers are among the teams the young lineman will meet with (link).
- South Carolina running back Mike Davis would be a great fit for the Patriots and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that he indeed has a visit lined up with them.
- Albany tight end Brian Parker will work out for the Eagles and visit the Bengals, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Parker has also drawn interest from the Vikings, Bills, and Seahawks. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder caught 39 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns last season.
- The Buccaneers worked out Idaho defensive lineman Quayshawne Buckley on Wednesday, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter). Pauline describes him as a sleeper and a strong fit for Tampa Bay’s system.
- University of Miami tight end Clive Walford has visits or workouts lined up with the Saints, Falcons, Dolphins, 49ers, Ravens, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Connolly, Foster, Titans
Within a span of a week earlier this month, four prominent NFL players walked away from lucrative salaries. There are split opinions on whether this is the start of a trend, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. “It’s the flavor of the month. It is a hot topic,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Patrick Willis, Jake Locker, Jason Worilds, and Chris Borland retiring. “I imagine it’s been going on since the beginning of time, guys choosing to walk away from the game seemingly at an inopportune time when they had youth and health.”
- The Bucs are bringing former Patriots guard Dan Connolly for a visit tomorrow, Ross Jones of FOX Sports tweets. On Sunday, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reported that Connolly wasn’t receiving a ton of interest from other clubs, leaving him in a holding pattern with New England. At one point, the 32-year-old was receiving interest from the Seahawks and Bears as a center and from the Dolphins as a guard. The Bucs reportedly saw Connolly as a guard as well.
- The Bears‘ contract for linebacker Mason Foster is a one-year, minimum salary deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The pact carries a $745K base with an $80K signing bonus, good for a total value of $825K.
- Titans offensive lineman Chance Warmack told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that he believes in both quarterback Zach Mettenberger and the direction that the Titans’ front office is going in.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com broke down the specifics on Kenny Britt‘s two-year deal with the Rams. While the reported total value was $14MM, it’s really more like a $9.15MM pact when considering that he’d have to accomplish feats in the NFL that he never has before in order to achieve the total value.
- Washington‘s pursuit of Marcus Mariota doesn’t make a great deal of sense given the team’s recent decisions, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times writes.
Matt Schaub To Visit Ravens
Earlier today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that quarterback Matt Schaub would likely sign a new contract this week, with the Ravens, Jets, and Falcons among the teams in play. Now, Aaron Wilson of the Balimore Sun writes that Schaub is expected to visit Baltimore to meet with the Ravens early this week.
According to Wilson, Schaub has also drawn “solid interest” from the Falcons, but the Sun scribe doesn’t list the Jets as one of the clubs in the mix for the former Raider. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that it’s “fair to say” the Jets probably won’t add another quarterback of consequence until at least the draft, so it sounds like they’re not serious suitors for Schaub. Per Wilson, the Cowboys and Titans have also expressed interest in the veteran QB.
The Ravens would make some sense as a fit for Schaub. Baltimore lost its top backup earlier this month when Tyrod Taylor signed a new deal with the Bills. Keith Wenning currently looks like the No. 2 option behind Joe Flacco, so I imagine the Ravens wouldn’t mind adding a veteran to the roster.
FA Notes: Moss, Copeland, Lloyd, Bishop
As we heard yesterday, Washington coach Jay Gruden wouldn’t hesitate in bringing back veteran wideout Santana Moss. The 35-year-old has played in Washington for the past ten seasons, and he finished last season with ten catches for 116 yards. If he returns, Moss can expect to continue to contribute at a reduced role, considering the presence of fellow receivers DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Andre Roberts. Still, Gruden appreciates the veteran’s role on the field and in the locker room:
“You know what? I could always play with Santana,” Gruden told Mike Jones of the Washington Post. “Santana’s a great person. He’s great in the locker room for us. He knows all the positions. I know he’s going to be in great shape, and I would not hesitate one bit to call him.”
“We’ve talked about everybody. It’s just about when, how. We don’t want — we’ll wait until the draft to see what we have as far as numbers at every position and go from there. You know, that’s something that we know where Santana is, and he knows where we are, and something may work out down the road.”
Some more assorted notes from around the NFL…
- As we previously heard, linebacker Brandon Copeland has received interest from multiple teams following his performance at the Veteran Combine. “My phone’s been ringing,” he told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. “It’s been pretty good so far. I’m not going to say what teams, but four teams have offered me contracts so far. It was definitely successful for me to go to the veteran combine.” Among the teams showing interest in Copeland are the Lions, Eagles, Bengals, Chiefs, Colts, Giants and Titans.
- Meanwhile, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the 49ers are not among the estimated 13 teams to have shown some level of interest in Copeland.
- ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez says the 49ers haven’t had any conversations with wideout Brandon Lloyd. He notes that the team previously has little interest in bringing back linebacker Desmond Bishop, but he acknowledges that the mindset may have changed following the roster overhaul.
- Some have drawn comparisons between the Texans signing of Ed Reed last offseason and their addition of free agent Vince Wilfork this year. Texans owner Bob McNair recognizes the difference, however. “I think the difference is when you have someone at a position where they have to be able to run, then age is more of a consideration,” McNair told ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli. “We thought Ed was in good shape and was going to be able to come down and play and he was a big disappointment. At nose tackle, you don’t have to run that much. He’s got to be strong. So there’s some positions you can play for more years and you aren’t taking as much risk.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Cowboys, Ravens, Giants
Some assorted draft notes on this Saturday morning…
- Marcus Mariota is scheduled to meet with the Chargers in mid-April, reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer (via Twitter). The writer notes that Washington is also trying to set up a visit with the prospect.
- The group over at CSNChicago.com analyzed the draft stock of prospect Gerod Hollimon, and the group concluded that the former Louisville safety would be a fit for the Bears. Despite the team’s addition of Antrel Rolle, the prospect’s “ballhawking” and “good coverage skills” are sorely need in Chicago.
- Cowboys representatives were on hand at TCU’s Pro Day on Friday to watch linebacker Paul Dawson workout, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. Despite the player’s disappointing performance at the league’s scouting combine, scouts were much more impressed this time around, Sabin reports.
- Louisville wideout DeVante Parker is set to meet with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The projected first-round pick is also scheduled to meet with the Titans and Dolphins. Despite missing seven games this past season, Parker still finished with 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns.
- The Giants attended LSU’s Pro Day on Friday, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The writer points to offensive lineman La’el Collins as a realistic target for the G-Men, and he also includes cornerback Jalen Collins, linebacker Kwon Alexander and defensive end Danielle Hunter among the school’s top prospects. The Giants have selected numerous LSU alumni in recent years, including wideout Odell Beckham last season.