2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Updates: Cowboys, Watkins, Ealy, Pryor

May 6th, 2014 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

La Canfora On Raiders, Browns, Cards, 49ers

May 6th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggested earlier today that Johnny Manziel could end up on a team whose owner likes the idea of injecting some life into his franchise, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com makes a similar case in his latest column, pointing out that you should never underestimate the role an owner can play in the selection of a quarterback.

According to La Canfora, in the case of the Raiders, owner Mark Davis “is smitten” with Derek Carr. Fifth overall is too high to draft Carr, but if Oakland trades down, or perhaps decides to acquire a second pick later in the first round, it could be a sign that the team is targeting the Fresno State signal-caller.

Here are more highlights from La Canfora:

The Browns‘ ideal situation may involve taking a player such as Sammy Watkins or Greg Robinson at No. 4, then nabbing a QB like Carr or Teddy Bridgewater at No. 26. As La Canfora notes, Carr may not be available that late in the first round, and if ownership gets involved, that may tip the scales toward Manziel early in the first round. For what it’s worth, head coach Mike Pettine told Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com today that there are five or six guys he’d be happy to land with that fourth overall pick (Twitter link).
La Canfora continues to hear that teams who aren’t being frequently linked to quarterbacks will be the ones to draft them, and perhaps higher than expected. He goes on to cite affordable fifth-year options as one reason why clubs will pounce on QBs in the first round, though I feel as if seeing Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert, and Jake Locker have their options turned down last week will remind teams that the fifth-year option isn’t really a factor if you don’t select the right player.
La Canfora “would be surprised” if the Cardinals didn’t select Carr or Blake Bortles with the 20th overall pick. Peter King of TheMMQB.com tweeted this afternoon that, after sending Bortles to the Browns at No. 26 in his early-morning mock draft today, he now thinks that’s too low, and that the Browns or Cardinals will target him earlier in the first round.
Four tackles could come off the board within the first 12 picks on Thursday, and two or three more could be selected in the first round, says La Canfora.
The 49ers are likely to trade up if possible, with wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks among their potential targets.
Several evaluators strongly believe A.J. McCarron will be the fourth or fifth quarterback drafted, and rave about his film.
La Canfora thinks Aaron Donald will be the third defensive player off the board, likely no lower than eighth overall.
The Patriots may end up drafting multiple tight ends, including a late-round project, in La Canfora’s view.

NFC Links: Rams, Cowboys, Eagles, Draft

May 6th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Rumors continue to swirl linking the Rams to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, but Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is skeptical that there’s any weight to those rumblings. According to Thomas, most sources he has spoken to are saying variations of the same thing — no one around the league believes St. Louis will actually select Manziel, and the Rams are attempting to drum up trade interest for the pick.

We only have two more days until we know for sure what to believe on draft night. In the meantime, let’s check out a few NFC items….

The Cowboys would remove a player who failed his drug test from their draft board, but the team won’t do so with Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, who remains a potential target for the club, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) keeps hearing that there will be a cornerback run in the middle of the first round and that the Eagles may be in a position to draft a wide receiver with their 22nd overall pick.
Xavier Su’a-Filo, one of the top guards among this year’s draft class, had workouts with the Rams and Falcons, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that the UCLA lineman also visited the Broncos.
The Cardinals worked out Virginia Tech wide receiver D.J. Coles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Coles has also drawn interest from a handful of AFC teams, including the Texans, Broncos, and Raiders.

Vikings Rumors: Ponder, Bradford, Draft

May 6th, 2014 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Rick Spielman of the Vikings became the latest NFL general manager to speak to the media this afternoon, and ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today were among the reports in attendance. Spielman made a handful of interesting comments, so let’s dive right in and see what the Minnesota GM had to say (all links go to Twitter)….

The Vikings have no intention of trading Christian Ponder on draft day, per Spielman. Such a move would leave the club short-handed at quarterback, according to the GM, who says Minnesota turned down Ponder’s fifth-year option to keep its financial options open.
Spielman would “love to be active on draft day,” and has already had some calls and texts this week about potential trades. Teams have already made tentative offers for the Vikings’ second- and fourth-round picks, depending on whether their targets are available, according to the GM.
Despite rumors that the Vikings may be discussing Sam Bradford with the Rams, Spielman says his team hasn’t had any specific trade conversations with St. Louis.
Sharrif Floyd, last year’s first-round pick, drew praise from Spielman, but Floyd’s presence won’t preclude the team from drafting a pass-rushing defensive tackle this year.
The Vikings won’t reach for a quarterback with the No. 8 overall pick if one they like isn’t available. If a player they don’t want to pass on is available, they’ll draft him, but the club also would “love” to move down, says Spielman.
Spielman says he has read several mock drafts, but that writers are missing a few players the Vikings could take eighth overall.

Pompei’s Latest: Texans, Flowers, Glennon

May 6th, 2014 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

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).

AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Jets

May 6th, 2014 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Tuesday items from around the AFC….

At The MMQB.com, Peter King’s first-round mock draft includes a few notable nuggets. King notes that the Bills “love” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and that he expects the Dolphins to try to trade up to land offensive tackle Zack Martin.
Sources tell Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net that tight end Eric Ebron is the Ravens‘ top target in the first round. Ebron may still not be on the board at No. 17, but Pauline hears that the Giants (No. 12) are souring a little on the tight end due to possible personality red flags.
The Jets are keeping in contact with quarterbacks projected to be first-round picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who suggests that perhaps the club is simply keeping its options open in case one of those players falls.
Amidst rumors that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam covets Johnny Manziel, Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that Haslem may not be the only team owner who could step in and push his club to draft Johnny Football.
Mock negotiations continue between former agent Joel Corry and former team exec Ari Nissim, who are conducting hypothetical contract talks between J.J. Watt’s agent and the Texans. Part three of the enlightening series has now been published at the National Football Post.
Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon tells Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that he views the Patriots and Broncos as potential fits for him, given his size and the success players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman have had in those systems.

Redskins GM Talks Draft, Jackson, Cousins

May 6th, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Redskins general manager Bruce Allen spoke to reporters today, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post, John Keim of ESPN.com, and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. The Washington GM fielded questions about his offseason to date, his draft plans, and recently reinstated safety Tanard Jackson. Here are a few of the highlights, courtesy of Jones, Keim, and El-Bashir (all Twitter links):

After what Allen called an “active” free agent period, the team doesn’t feel as if there are any gaping holes on the roster. Of course, he added that the Redskins are always looking to add young talent.
If there’s a trade out there that makes sense, Allen would like to make a move to acquire more draft picks. On the other hand, as one of teams currently without a first-round pick, Washington is unlikely to jump back into the first via trade.
Jackson, who had been suspended indefinitely in 2012 for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, will take a physical today, and assuming he meets all of the NFL’s conditions, the Redskins might give him a chance to earn a roster spot, according to Allen.
Allen has had no discussions with other teams about a trade involving No. 2 quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Not having a first-round pick, and the added financial flexibility that comes along with that, didn’t play a factor in Washington’s pursuit of DeSean Jackson, says Allen.
The Redskins aren’t targeting a specific position in the draft, and will stick to their draft board and opt for the best player available. Allen also mentioned multiple times that Washington will have its 2015 and 2016 rosters in mind when drafting, rather than looking for any short-term solutions.

Wilson’s Latest: Schaudt, Presley, Cole

May 6th, 2014 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

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.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Draft, Ravens

May 6th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

While the Steelers are currently slated to pick No. 15 on Thursday evening, it’s possible that’s not the spot they’ll ultimately end up in, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details. However, the team is far more likely to move down from No. 15 than to move up, according to general manager Kevin Colbert.

“We won’t be trading up because we can’t,” Colbert said, citing the team’s lack of a movable third-round pick. “We can still trade down and, with the depth of the draft, that’s a real possibility. Or, at least, it’s an option that’s available to us.”

Assuming the Steelers stay put, there are just a handful of positions they’ll be considering, but “no position” would be off the table if the team moves back in the first round, says Colbert. Still, it’s very unlikely that Pittsburgh would target a quarterback or running back that early. The GM specifically singled out wide receiver and cornerback as a couple positions where the Steelers love all the talent available.

Let’s round up some more Steelers info, as well as a couple items on one of their division rivals….

With the pressure on Colbert and his staff in Pittsburgh this week, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a closer look at the Steelers GM, who former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi calls “the most unheralded GM in the league.”
The Ravens aren’t likely to target a quarterback with their first- or second-round pick, but the club will likely add one at some point in the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. GM Ozzie Newsome on the subject: “[We] need to be looking at bringing in another quarterback so we can have someone that is capable of going into the game as we move forward in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, in case we can’t keep Tyrod [Taylor], that we have someone who can go and win games for us if Joe [Flacco] gets hurt.”
Speaking of Newsome, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reads between the lines of some of the Ravens GM’s comments at the team’s pre-draft press conference and wonders if this could be Newsome’s last year in his current position.

Lions Notes: CBs, Trades, Draft, WRs

May 6th, 2014 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Back at the NFL’s scouting combine in February, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told the media he was confident cornerback Chris Houston would bounce back from a subpar, injury-plagued 2013 season, but the GM doesn’t appear quite as certain now. As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes, Mayhew confirmed that Houston is still dealing with a medical issue, and may need surgery to correct the problem. Depending on the veteran’s health status, cornerback could be an area of focus for the Lions when the draft gets underway this Thursday.

Here’s more on the Lions….

The Lions and Bills have had conversations about moving into the top five, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who hears that those clubs are looking for a bargain. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) adds that there’s “no doubt” the Lions would move up to land Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, or even Mike Evans, if the price is right, but it’s not clear what the right price would be.
Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should target a cornerback in the first round, and identifies Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard as the ideal choice for the club.
While cornerback – and a few other positions – may be areas of need for the Lions, the team isn’t likely to deviate from its usual best-player-available strategy, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
The Lions still like Ryan Broyles, who is recovering from Achilles surgery, but the club figures to draft at least one receiver this week, says Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors