Extra Points: CJ2K, Bradford, Pryor, Vikings
After Chris Johnson was released by the Titans, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the veteran running back was likely to find a new team last week. However, Johnson remains on the market. Now Florio writes that if CJ2K is going to a find a new home before the draft, he expects it to happen within the next few days. As Florio writes, most NFL teams will be focusing almost exclusively on the draft in the coming weeks, so if a club is going to engage in negotiations for the former 2,000-yard rusher, that team would probably prefer to get it done sooner rather than later.
As we wait to see if Florio’s latest prediction works out, let’s round up several more items from around the NFL….
- Although he makes it clear that he’s not reporting that the Rams are shopping or even considering dealing quarterback Sam Bradford, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com makes a case for why the club should do exactly that, speaking to a few executives around the league to attempt to gauge Bradford’s current value.
- Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, who has previously visited the Titans and Bears, is meeting with the Saints today and has visits lined up later in the week with the Bengals and Jets, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Considered one of the top two safeties in this year’s draft class, Pryor is viewed as a likely first-round pick.
- The Vikings have a big day of pre-draft visits lined up for Thursday, and linebackers Khalil Mack and Anthony Barr will be among the players in attendance, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Barr will also be visiting the Eagles next week, a source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on a couple prospects, reporting that North Dakota State offensive tackle Billy Turner is visiting the Cowboys today and the Rams and Vikings later, and writing that Tennessee State offensive lineman Kadeem Edwards has met with the Dolphins, Titans, Colts, and Panthers.
- The Falcons hosted Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp for a pre-draft visit today, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
AFC Draft Notes: Texans, Chargers, Titans
We explored some NFC draft notes earlier today. Now, let’s take a look around the AFC…
- The Texans will be hosting the top quarterback prospects this week, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. In addition to Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater, the Texans will also be bringing in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
- Having already visited the Chargers, as well as the Patriots, Middle Tennessee State defensive lineman Jimmy Staten will have a private workout with San Diego today, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Titans will privately work out LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger later this month, tweets Wyatt. In a separate tweet, Wyatt adds that the team will also be working out Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post identifies middle linebacker, cornerback, and the interior offensive line as three areas the Broncos should be looking to address in the draft.
- Williams & Mary safety Jerome Couplin participated in the Ravens‘ local prospect day, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Northern Illinois defensive tackle Ken Bishop will visit the Jaguars on Thursday, tweets Wilson.
- The Bills will bring in an unconventional prospect for a workout. The team reportedly has interest in Canisius basketball player Chris Manhertz, according to WKBW-TV in Buffalo. The 6’6″ senior has never played football, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Jets, Titans, Raiders
The Jets haven’t selected an offensive player in the first round since Mark Sanchez in 2009, but Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com doesn’t think its farfetched for the team to select a defender for the fifth-straight year. While the team has a need at wide receiver, Cimini believes cornerback should be the priority. The writer suggests Darqueze Dennard as a possible fit.
Let’s take a look at more notes from Cimini and fellow AFC writers…
- If the Jets do select a wide receiver, Cimini doesn’t think that signals the end of the line for Stephen Hill. Cimini does acknowledge that the team’s patience is wearing thin on the former second-round pick, though.
- The Titans could go a number of different ways in the draft, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com mentioned in a recent mailbag. The only positions Kuharsky can’t see the team selecting with their first pick would be quarterback or running back.
- Continuing with the draft, Kuharsky believes the Titans will draft a receiver at some point after the first round. Additionally, a Titans deal to move up in the first round would be “huge surprise” to the writer.
- If the Raiders could have traded Terrelle Pryor for fair value, a deal would have already happened, says Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Gutierrez points out the team’s clear desire to have more of a traditional pocket passer, making Pryor expendable.
- In the same article, Gutierrez expresses his belief that if Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack and Sammy Watkins are off the board by the time it gets to the Raiders at pick number-five, the team should trade down. As an alternative, the team could select an offensive lineman like Jake Matthews or Greg Robinson.
AFC Notes: Bengals, Brooks, Amaro
The Bengals have a very crowded depth chart at the wide receiver position, which could take them out of the running to jump on a very strong receiving class when they select with the 24th pick of the NFL Draft, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. While the team wants to put Andy Dalton in the best position to succeed, using a valuable pick at the position would be tough considering the team already has A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Dane Sanzenbacher, Brandon Tate, Ryan Whalen, and Cobi Hamilton.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
- The Ravens have a great need at safety, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. While the team could target Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward, Hensley writes that Florida State safety Terrence Brooks could be a fallback plan. Brooks, a former corner, has the range to play centerfield.
- The Patriots need to find a second tight end to pair with Rob Gronkowski, and Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com thinks that the draft could be a place to fill that hole. Curran picks out Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro as a possible option, as Amaro was a top flight receiving option in 2013.
- The Titans have been looking for linebacker help this offseason, and Will Lomas of MusicCityMiracles.com writes that the team should look at James Harrison. Although the pass rusher is 35 years old, he can still be effective in the run defense on a limited snap count.
Draft Notes: Murray, Barr, Mason, Hyde
Georgia quarterback prospect Aaron Murray, recovering from an ACL injury, has drawn significant interest, reports Pro Football Talk, which lists the Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars, Lions, Patriots, Rams and Titans as teams taking an extended look.
In other draft-related news and notes…
- LSU quarterback prospect Zach Mettenberger has a private workout scheduled with the Titans, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Drafting UCLA pass rusher Anthony Barr is a better option for the Eagles than trading for Dolphins second-year pass rusher Dion Jordan (drafted third overall last year after playing for Chip Kelly at Oregon), according to NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks, who provides a detailed comparison.
- BYU rush linebacker prospect Kyle Van Noy did an interview with Darren Smith of 1090 AM and said the Chargers would be his ideal landing spot.
- A pair of running back prospects, Auburn’s Tre Mason and Wisconsin’s James White, worked out for the Dolphins yesterday, per Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have also shown interest in Mason, according to Shorr-Parks. The team sent running backs coach Duce Staley to Auburn’s pro day
- Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens visited the Bills yesterday, according to the team’s website.
- The 49ers are expected to draft a center to compete with Daniel Kilgore, writes Doug Williams of CSN Bay Area.
- Small-school pass rusher Howard Jones from Shepherd University spent two days meeting with the Cardinals, according to a story by David Fawcett on insidenova.com. Jones is also scheduled for a visit with the Cowboys, though a Chiefs scout advised him he has “got to eat.”
Draft Visits: Raiders, Falcons, Bucs, Dolphins
It would be a surprise if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when the Raiders pick fifth overall in next month’s draft, but Oakland will nonetheless host the standout defensive end for a visit next week, according to John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter). The team is also hosting Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage for a visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. Savage isn’t a candidate for that No. 5 pick, but he’s drawn plenty of attention lately, and seems to be rising up a few draft boards.
Here’s more on pre-draft visits around the NFL:
- The Falcons are hosting Boise State pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence for a pre-draft visit, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Agent David Canter recently tweeted that Lawrence has visits to 10 teams scheduled in a two-week span.
- McClure also reports (via Twitter) that Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews has a visit lined up with the Falcons for the week of April 21.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on a pair of prospects. According to Wilson, Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford has met with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Chargers, and Falcons, while Marshall offensive tackle Garrett Scott is visiting the Raiders today after having also visited the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Buccaneers.
- Florida State running back Devonta Freeman is among the players visiting the Dolphins today, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, adding that Freeman has also visited the Falcons and Patriots.
- Another Florida State running back, James Wilder Jr., tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link) that he worked out for the Buccaneers today.
- We’ve already heard plenty of reports about Kyle Fuller’s pre-draft visits, but Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds a few more teams to Fuller’s list. According to Brandt, the Virginia Tech cornerback has worked out for the Titans, Buccaneers, and Falcons, and will also do so for the Bills and Rams, among other clubs.
- Ole Miss wideout Donte Moncrief, who previously visited the Steelers, will work out for the Dolphins and Broncos next week, tweets Brandt.
- UCF running back Storm Johnson will visit the 49ers on Monday and the Falcons later this month, says Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links).
Extra Points: Wilkerson, Jaguars, Mosley
First-round picks from the 2011 draft class became eligible for contract extensions this offseason, and the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson seemed very intent on getting one signed. So far, there hasn’t been any indication of a deal on the horizon, but the defensive tackle still says he has no intention of holding out if he doesn’t get a long-term deal, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Wilkerson went on to call GM John Idzik “a great GM and a man with a plan,” (link). More from around the NFL..
- Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer has a pre-draft visit with the Jaguars, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Former Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley will visit the Titans early next week, according to Audra Martin of WKRN (Twitter link).
- The Falcons worked out Murray State wide receiver Walter Powell today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter) adds that Powell has a private workout scheduled with the Jets later this month. So far, there’s nothing brewing between Powell and the Rams, Thomas says.
- Nate Ulrich of the Akron-Beacon Journal weighs the pros and cons of the Browns matching the Jaguars’ offer to center Alex Mack. Ultimately, he concludes that the good would outweigh the bad for Cleveland.
- As exciting as Johnny Manziel is, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle is pretty confident that the Raiders will pass on him at No. 5. General Manager Reggie McKenzie has said that he strictly goes for the best talent available and none of the signal callers are top ten talents, in Tafur’s view. He opines that there are five players available that can make an impact right away – Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews – and Oakland can get one of them if they don’t trade down.
- Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that in addition to his visit with the Eagles, he has two more coming up with the Saints and 49ers.
Titans Rumors: Schofield, Talley, Pryor
The Titans remain in the midst of the first week of the post-Chris Johnson era in Tennessee, and it sounds like the team is keeping busy in the days since parting with the franchise’s third all-time leading rusher. Here’s a round-up of the latest out of Tennessee:
- Linebacker O’Brien Schofield, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Giants early in free agency before it fell apart, paid a visit to the Titans, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. According to Schefter, although Schofield failed his physical with the Giants, he passed one with Tennessee.
- The Titans hosted several more free agents yesterday, as defensive end Ronald Talley was in town, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The Cardinals decided not to offer Talley a contract tender last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
- Former Brown Alex Hall also visited the Titans on Wednesday, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Hall, who worked out for the Cardinals back in January, racked up 16 sacks in the CFL last season.
- Finally, ex-Bengals defensive lineman DeQuin Evans visited the Titans yesterday as well, tweets Wyatt.
- We heard earlier today that the Titans met with safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but he’s not the only young safety the club is eyeing. Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweeted last night that Calvin Pryor is among Tennessee’s pre-draft visitors, while Wyatt confirmed today (via Twitter) that the visit happened recently.
Ravens Links: Clinton-Dix, Rankin, RBs
As the Ravens continue to weigh their options for the No. 17 pick, the team recently hosted Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a pre-draft visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that Clinton-Dix has also visited the Lions and met with the Titans. As Wilson writes, the young safety would be an excellent addition to Baltimore’s secondary, allowing the club to shift Matt Elam over to strong safety. However, considering Clinton-Dix is viewed as arguably the top defensive back in the draft, there are no guarantees he’ll be available when the Ravens pick 17th overall.
Here’s more out of Baltimore:
- Add Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin to the list of prospects participating in the Ravens’ local Pro Day, tweets Wilson. Among the other players expected to be in attendance: Wake Forest wideout Michael Campanaro, Towson running back Terrance West, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small.
- The Ravens’ No. 3 running backs last season totaled just 16 rushing yards on eight carries, and the team is looking to improve on those totals this season, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. With Ray Rice dealing with legal troubles and Bernard Pierce coming off shoulder surgery, that position will be of extra importance. For now, Justin Forsett is penciled into that No. 3 spot, though there’s still time for the team to add more competition to the roster, either in free agency or the draft.
- Picking just two spots apart in the draft, the Ravens and Steelers may be targeting similar players, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Brown singles out safety Calvin Pryor and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan as prospects who seem to be generating interest from the pair of AFC North rivals.
Extra Points: Carr, Johnson, Bailey, Bills
Although multiple reports have suggested that free agent signal-caller David Carr would like to end up on the team that drafts his brother Derek Carr, perhaps serving as Derek’s backup, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter tweets that the two brothers’ destinations aren’t related, and that David intends to sign with a club prior to draft day.
As the elder Carr continues to search for a new home, let’s round up a handful of updates from around the NFL….
- Free agent running back Chris Johnson could theoretically try out for teams in private, without those workouts needing to be reported, but he doesn’t intend to do so, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, it’s possible that Johnson could reach an agreement with a new team without even visiting that club, since the veteran is a known commodity at this point.
- All NFL 32 teams were in attendance at LSU’s Pro Day today, including several general managers and head coaches, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- The details of Champ Bailey‘s two-year contract with the Saints have surfaced, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com provides the breakdown (Twitter links): The base value is $3.75MM, though it can be worth up to $6.75MM with incentives and escalators. It’s guaranteed for $500K and includes a $250K roster bonus if Bailey is on the team for six games in 2014.
- The Bills announced today that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews and Louisville linebacker Preston Brown were in town to meet with the team.
- Top cornerback prospect Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, who was in New England today for a private workout, will visit the Cardinals on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Cards are also hosting Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine today, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
- The Packers will host Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington for an official pre-draft visit next week, tweets agent Collin Roberts.