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2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Bears Sign Will Sutton, Lock Up Draft Class

May 15th, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have agreed to terms with third-round pick Will Sutton, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The agreement ensures that Chicago is the first team this year to get its entire draft class under contract.

Under the new CBA, there isn’t much flexibility given to rookie contracts, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that teams seem to be locking up their draftees quicker than ever — particularly since this year’s draft happened two weeks later, and execs may be looking forward to a little vacation time.

According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Sutton should be looking at a signing bonus of about $586K and an overall four-year value of approximately $2.871MM. You can keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings using our tracker.

Extra Points: Raiders, Romo, Pats, Cowboys

May 14th, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Jack Bechta of the National Football Post is sick and tired of seeing people talk about players “slipping” and teams “reaching” for certain guys. In reality, there is no such thing as “slips and reaches” in the draft, since players go to the team that wants and needs them at a certain pick. There was a lot of talk about the supposed slides of Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater, but Bechta doesn’t think much of it. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • The Raiders‘ draft class has real potential, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. While some have been critical of Oakland for not addressing their wide receiver need, Bair praises GM Reggie McKenzie for sticking to his board and getting the best player available. The Raiders could have taken an impact WR at No. 36, for example, but they went for Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr instead.
  • With talk about whether the Cowboys should draft a quarterback to eventually replace Tony Romo so prevalent, executive vice president Stephen Jones said he wanted to remind Romo about the team’s commitment to him by not taking a QB in the draft, writes ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins. For his part, Romo’s confidence never wavered. “We did it, everybody had a visit with him along the way,” Jones told SiriusXM. “Jerry [Jones, Cowboys owner/GM] included, myself included, and told him how this is his football team and how much we think of him and with all the rumors flying around not to pay attention to that. His response is, as you might expect from Tony, it was ‘Well if you decide to, it ain’t going to matter, there’s not anybody out there that can beat me out.”
  • Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if the Patriots will hit with undrafted free agent Asa Watson. The North Carolina State tight end, who is the younger brother of former Pats first-rounder Ben Watson, has skill but has been hampered by a heart condition in recent years.
  • Many have been critical of the Cowboys‘ pick of Anthony Hitchens out of Iowa, but Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News defends Dallas’ pick. The main knock on Hitchens is his height (6’0″), but the linebacker can succeed in a Tampa 2 scheme.

AFC South Rumors: Johnson, Titans, Texans

May 14th, 2014 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Andre Johnson is unhappy with the Texans, but he isn’t going anywhere, asserts John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Some have wondered if Johnson will get traded or might even retire, but McClain is confident that they’ll get things hammered out with the wide receiver like they always do. Johnson recently opened up to reporters about his frustrations and openly wondered about his future, but his sizable contract makes a trade rather difficult. Here’s more from the AFC South..

  • Titans GM Ruston Webster said today (via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com on Twitter) that he expected to get more calls about trading his No. 11 pick. He also added that he didn’t get an offer from the trade-happy Browns for the selection.
  • Texans head coach Bill O’Brien has already spoken to Johnson, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. O’Brien says that he thinks highly of Johnson and believes that he’s a great fit for the offense.
  • Maggie Hendricks of USA Today doesn’t fault Johnson for being unhappy with the Texans. Johnson, she points out, has been the teams top receiver for the last eleven years, with the exception of his injury-shortened 2011. Despite his individual performance, Johnson has yet to get near a Super Bowl ring.

Draft Signings: Reaser, Chiefs, Packers

May 14th, 2014 at 7:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a rundown of tonight’s draft signings from rounds 3-7. For a look at the signings that went down earlier today, check out our previous post..

  • The 49ers have signed fifth-round pick Keith Reaser, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The cornerback out of Florida Atlantic might have gone higher if he hadn’t suffered a torn ACL last October. Despite not being able to compete in on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, Reaser put up 22 reps of the 225-pound bench press.
  • The Chiefs signed sixth-round offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). After Tennessee guard Zach Fulton agreed to terms yesterday, Duvernay-Tardif became the second KC rookie to sign. The 6’5″ offensive tackle out of McGill in Canada was the 200th overall pick and looks to be competing for the Chiefs swing tackle spot with starters Eric Fisher and Donald Stephenson already on either side.
  • The Packers have signed seventh-round pick Jeff Janis, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Press-Gazette (on Twitter). The receiver out of Saginaw Valley State was the third wideout taken by Green Bay in the draft.

East Rumors: Jets, Wilkerson, Austin, Pats

May 14th, 2014 at 6:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Jets cornerback (and scout) Aaron Glenn is heading to the Browns to serve as their assistant defensive backs coach, according to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. In 2013, Glenn became a college scout for the Jets and was the area scout for second-round selection tight end Jace Amaro.

  • Muhammad Wilkerson still wants a new deal but he’s in no rush for it, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “I would like a deal, but when it happens, it happens,” the Jets‘ defensive lineman said. “I’m not saying I want it to be before the regular season. When it happens, it happens. I’m going to come in and work hard and take every day like I always do.”
  • Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says that wide receiver Miles Austin is “absolutely” a possibility to come back to the team, writes Rowan Kavner of DallasCowboys.com. However, the fifth-round selection of Devin Street may make the Cowboys comfortable with what they’ve got. Dallas designated Austin as a post-June 1 cut to free up $5.5MM on the salary cap in 2014. Austin was a 1,000-yard receiver twice, catching 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2009 and 69 passes for 1,041 yards and seven touchdowns 2010, but he has been marred by hamstring issues ever since.
  • Jimmy Garoppolo may eventually have the difficult task of replacing Tom Brady in New England, but he says he hasn’t given that much thought, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. Belichick, meanwhile, has thought about it a great deal and says that the pick made sense given Brady’s age and Ryan Mallett‘s impending free agency.

Bears, Kyle Fuller Agree To Terms

May 14th, 2014 at 4:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears continue to lock up their 2014 draft picks faster than any other team in the league, becoming the first club to reach an agreement with a first-rounder. According to the team (via Twitter), Chicago and cornerback Kyle Fuller have agreed to terms on a four-year contract, which includes a fifth-year club option.

Fuller, the 14th overall pick in the draft, should be in line for a signing bonus worth about $5.365MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, who projects the overall four-year value of the corner’s contract at $9.687MM.

The Bears now have just one draftee left to sign, having locked up all their picks except for Arizona State’s Will Sutton. I’d expect the club to announce a deal for Sutton within the next few days.

Ravens Sign Three Draftees

May 14th, 2014 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to reportedly locking up seventh-round pick Michael Campanaro, the Ravens have officially signed three more draftees, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Mink writes that third-round tight end Crockett Gillmore, fifth-round guard John Urschel, and sixth-round quarterback Keith Wenning are now under contract with the club.

According to Jason Fitzgerald’s estimates at Over The Cap, Gillmore should receive a signing bonus of about $506K, Urschel’s bonus should be about $145K, and Wenning’s should be worth about $104K. With the trio, plus Campanaro, under contract, the Ravens have five remaining draft picks to address, including first-round pick C.J. Mosley.

You can keep track of all this year’s draft pick signings right here.

Chargers Sign Four Draft Picks

May 14th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers had one of this year’s smaller draft classes, with just six picks, and the team has already been busy locking up most of them. According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter), the team signed four picks today. In addition to inking guard Chris Watt to a contract, which we heard about earlier, San Diego also signed fifth-round pick Ryan Carrethers, sixth-rounder Marion Grice, and seventh-rounder Tevin Reese.

When Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported Watt’s deal this afternoon, he suggested the third-rounder agreed to a $419K bonus and a $2.691MM overall value. That’s noticeably lower than the figures Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap predicted, and Fitzgerald has been on point with most of his other projections, so we’ll have to wait for confirmation on that amount. Assuming Fitzgerald’s other numbers are accurate though, Carrethers, Grice, and Reese should be in line for signing bonuses worth about $179K, $99K, and $49K respectively.

With four of their six draftees now under contract, the Chargers can shift their attention to signing first-round cornerback Jason Verrett and second-round linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu. To keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings, you can use this page, which will be consistently updated over the next few weeks.

Draft Signings: Chargers, Colts, Packers, Jets

May 14th, 2014 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s a recap of the latest 2014 draft picks reaching contract agreements with their respective teams:

  • The Chargers have agreed to terms with third-round guard Chris Watt on a deal that includes a $419K bonus and a $2.691MM overall value, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Both of those contract figures are lower than what Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap projected for Watt’s draft slot.
  • The Colts have signed their fifth-round pick, Ball State’s Jonathan Newsome, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter).
  • Fifth-round receiver Jared Abbrederis has signed a contract with the Packers that includes a signing bonus of about $145K, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Jets have signed a pair of draftees, according to the team, who announced today that fourth-round pick Dakota Dozier and seventh-rounder Trevor Reilly have both been locked up.
  • Seventh-rounder Michael Campanaro has signed his contract with the Ravens, which includes a $67.5K signing bonus tweets Wilson.
  • Running back Lache Seastrunk, a sixth-round pick, has agreed to sign with the Redskins on a deal that features a $110.5K signing bonus, says Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Field Yates of ESPN.com has a couple more draft pick signings, reporting that the Texans have locked up sixth-round running back Alfred Blue and seventh-round safety Lonnie Ballentine (Twitter links).

2014’s Most Balanced And Unbalanced Drafts

May 14th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Teams entered last week’s NFL draft with many different positions and areas they planned to focus on, but depending on how the draft played out, many clubs didn’t end up addressing all their needs. For instance, few would have guessed heading into the draft that neither the Panthers nor the Ravens would come out of the weekend having added an offensive tackle.

Whether intentional or not, a handful of teams ended up specifically focusing on one area of the ball in the draft, selecting far more offensive players than defensive players, or vice versa. Listed below are the teams who had the most offensive-heavy drafts, teams who had defensive-heavy drafts, and the clubs who managed to perfectly balance their picks. Let’s check out the lists….

Most offensive-heavy drafts:

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6 offense, 0 defense): After spending big to add defensive end Michael Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner in free agency, the Buccaneers were the only NFL team not to draft at least one defensive player. Instead, the club focused on adding weapons for new quarterback Josh McCown, including wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
  • Jacksonville Jaguars (6 offense, 3 defense): It wasn’t until they drafted their fifth player, in the fourth round, that the Jaguars eventually selected a defensive player, having focused early on landing a quarterback (Blake Bortles) and pass-catchers (Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson).
  • New England Patriots (6 offense, 3 defense): After nabbing defensive tackle Dominique Easley in round one, the Patriots turned to offensive players for their next five picks, including second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo.
  • Washington Redskins (5 offense, 2 defense): The Redskins picked a couple defenders in the first four rounds, grabbing linebacker Trent Murphy and cornerback Bashaud Breeland, but they tipped the scales by leaning heavily toward offensive players with their late-round picks.

Most balanced drafts:

  • New York Jets (6 offense, 6 defense)
  • Cincinnati Bengals (4 offense, 4 defense)
  • Carolina Panthers (3 offense, 3 defense)
  • Cleveland Browns (3 offense, 3 defense)
  • Denver Broncos (3 offense, 3 defense)
  • San Diego Chargers (3 offense, 3 defense)
  • Tennessee Titans (3 offense, 3 defense)

Most defensive-heavy drafts:

  • Atlanta Falcons (7 defense, 2 offense): Offensive and defensive lines were viewed as two of the top priorities for the Falcons, but after addressing those positions in the first two rounds, Atlanta went on a linebacker frenzy in the mid-to-late rounds, snatching up four of them.
  • Dallas Cowboys (7 defense, 2 offense): The Cowboys reportedly had three defensive players on their wish list in the first round, but when Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, and Ryan Shazier came off the board, the team picked offensive tackle Zack Martin instead. Dallas remedied that by making seven of its final eight picks defensive players.
  • Minnesota Vikings (7 defense, 3 offense): The Vikings made defense their focus in the mid-to-late rounds — their last five picks were defenders, including three defensive backs. Minnesota also selected a defensive player with its first pick, drafting linebacker Anthony Barr ninth overall.
  • Oakland Raiders (6 defense, 2 offense): The Raiders’ approach looked similar to the Vikings’, as Oakland grabbed a linebacker (Khalil Mack) with its top-10 pick, then used its last five picks on defenders, with a couple offensive players sandwiched in between.
  • Philadelphia Eagles (5 defense, 2 offense): Losing DeSean Jackson made wide receiver a priority for the Eagles in the draft, so the team snatched up Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff in rounds two and three. Outside of those two picks though, it was an exclusively defensive draft for Philadelphia.

Pro Football Rumors’ list of draft results by team was used in the creation of this post.

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