2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

South Notes: Glennon, Bucs, Falcons, Titans

May 1st, 2014 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Texans Notes: Clowney, Draft, RBs, Watt

May 1st, 2014 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle provided a few Texans-related insights on Twitter today, suggesting that he believes Jadeveon Clowney will be the pick if the team doesn’t trade down from No. 1. If the Texans do indeed pass on someone like Johnny Manziel or Blake Bortles to grab a pass rusher like Clowney or Khalil Mack, McClain isn’t sure which signal-caller the club would be targeting later in the draft.

Here’s more on the Texans:

Texans GM Rick Smith would like to acquire as many picks as possible in this draft, particularly in the first three rounds, so there’s a chance he trades the team’s second-round pick, according to McClain.
In McClain’s view, it would cost a team like the Falcons their first-round pick this year and next, along with this year’s second- and fourth-round picks to trade up to the Texans’ spot at No. 1. McClain doesn’t believe Smith would send the first overall pick to Atlanta for this year’s first- and second-rounders and next year’s first-rounder. If that’s true, I’d be surprised to see the Texans move the pick.
For what it’s worth, Smith indicated yesterday on Fox Sports Southwest that he “absolutely” knows who he wants to take with the first overall pick.
According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), the Texans have done “a lot of work” on running backs, and could potentially draft one before the end of the third round. The club lost top backup Ben Tate in free agency this offseason.
Last week, former agent Joel Corry and former team executive Ari Nissim published the first installment of a mock contract negotiation between J.J. Watt‘s agent and the Texans. Today, the second part of the series is up at the National Football Post, as the two sides continue to discuss a hypothetical deal for Watt.

Draft Notes: Manziel, Bridgewater, Giants

May 1st, 2014 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

As a companion piece to his cover story in Sports Illustrated, Peter King of TheMMQB.com conducts a virtual roundtable with former quarterbacks and coaches on the value of Johnny Manziel. Meanwhile, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports says no QB in this year’s class has improved his stock more over the last few weeks than Manziel, who has quelled many concerns about potential off-field distractions (Twitter links). According to Glazer (via Twitter), one team that didn’t rank Manziel among its top four signal-callers a month ago now has him at No. 1.

Here are a few more Thursday draft updates:

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk questions whether Teddy Bridgewater‘s stock is really falling as much as has been suggested, or if teams always had questions and concerns about the Louisville quarterback, with the media playing catch-up on that perception.
In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry takes a look at how the 2011 CBA has affected teams’ approaches to the draft. As one front office exec tells Corry, the fifth-year option for first-rounders may result in teams near the back of the top 10 wanting to trade down, in order to get that fifth-year option at a more reasonable price.
“Word on the street” suggests that the Giants prefer Zack Martin to fellow offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who identifies 10 potential candidates for New York’s first-round pick.
Dixie State tight end Joe Don Duncan, who was unable to work out at the combine due to a broken foot, has been medically cleared and had a Pro Day in California for NFL teams, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Boyd paid a pre-draft visit to the Falcons, according to Wilson. Boyd is projected to be a mid-to-late-round pick.

Extra Points: Tate, Foles, Bills, Falcons

April 30th, 2014 at 9:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Andrew Brandt and Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com published a pair of interesting articles today on the devaluation of the running back position. Brandt’s piece attempts to explain why the value of running backs is in decline, while Klemko spoke to recent Browns signee Ben Tate about the trend. Asked if he’d have chosen a different path if he’d been able to foresee the drop-off in contract value for rushers, Tate admitted he likely would have.

“I would’ve been something else, for sure. I’d have been a safety,” Tate said. “I had the opportunity to play it in college, but I wanted to be the guy to get the ball. I had no idea the position would be devalued, but hopefully I can break that trend.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, isn’t thinking about a new deal after his breakout 2013 season, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News details (via Sulia). “I enjoy playing this game, whatever my contract is, or not,” Foles said. “I don’t even know how much I make this next year — I just love playing this game with my teammates.”
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has hired a law firm to help keep the Bills in the state, writes Tom Precious of the Albany Bureau. That firm will help Cuomo & Co. help convince the team’s new owners to keep the Bills in Western New York rather than move them to Toronto or another destination.
Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters today, including D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that he still doesn’t regret trading away five picks for wide receiver Julio Jones in the 2011 draft. Earlier today we asked Pro Football Rumors readers what they think Atlanta will do in the 2014 draft and most of you said the team would trade up.
Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson couldn’t be happier to be a member of the Colts, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star. Jackson inked a four-year, $22MM deal with the Colts in March and says that he’s happy to get as far away from “the Cleveland situation” as possible.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press looks at possible quarterback targets for the Lions. Of course, with Matthew Stafford under center and Dan Orlovsky on a one-year deal to back him up, Detroit doesn’t have a huge QB need, but they could draft someone in the later rounds to give Kellen Moore a run for his money.
Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com surveys the Raiders‘ defensive line possibilities in next month’s draft, including Pittsburgh tackle Aaron Donald. Even though he’s undersized at 6’1″, he has a high motor, great speed, and agility for the defensive tackle position.
This year’s deep draft can yield some serious gems for the Ravens, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. At the Ravens’ pre-draft news conference earlier today, assistant GM Eric DeCosta said the Ravens have identified about 180 players they view as draftable, up from 140 or 150 in past years.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Prospect Profile: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

April 30th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earl Thomas signed a huge extension on Monday, making him the highest paid safety in the NFL. The reason Thomas got that money is due to the rarity of true to form center field type safety in today’s game. The versatility that a speedy defensive back that can play in the middle of the defense, providing coverage skills as well as strength bringing down the ball carrier makes a defensive coordinator’s job much easier. If not easier, then definitely more fun.

There is only one safety in the mold of Thomas projected to be picked in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft, and that is Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Dix played three seasons with the Crimson Tide, and was a part of two national championship teams. His five interceptions as a sophomore led a highly regarded Alabama defense. Clinton-Dix was suspended for two games during the 2013 season, due to “unspecified team rules violations.” Despite missing two games, he was named First Team All-SEC after his junior season, and was a Consensus All-American safety.

Clinton-Dix measured out well at the NFL combine, standing tall at 6’1″ and 208 pounds. He ran a respectable 4.58 40-yard dash. It does not put him in the category of elite athletes, but it is a combination of size and speed that is desirable in a prospect. Under Nick Saban, he learned how to play the position efficiently. According to NFL.com, he is quick to read and react to plays, and makes up for his average speed by taking great angles to the football, where he becomes a nightmare due to his good ball skills and ability to turn defense into offense.

Like many Saban coached defensive backs, Clinton-Dix shined in college coming up to stop the run. Not one to shy from contact, he gets into the alley and is a strong open field tackler. While he does not have the top speed to run with the fastest receivers in the NFL, nor the bulk to be considered a true in the box safety, he does provide versatility in his ability to switch from a run stopper to a pass defender from play to play.

Safety is a tough position to gauge in regards to this draft. Clinton-Dix is not the clear cut top option, as Louisville’s Calvin Pryor has been making headway. The two are very different players as well, as Clinton-Dix has the reputation for staying in the middle of the field and making plays on the ball, whereas Pryor is known as the big hitter. Style will play a huge role in which player comes off the board first.

Clinton-Dix starts to gain a lot of traction among mock drafts starting with the Lions (No. 10). If the Lions pass on him, he begins to make a lot of sense for the Rams (No. 13) and the Bears (No. 14). ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. agrees that the Rams could jump on him, and Todd McShay has him landing in St. Louis as well (subscription required). The Vikings (No. 8) seem like the highest he could possibly go, and if the Steelers (No. 15) do pass, the Cowboys (No. 16), Ravens (No. 17), and Jets (No. 18) all have significant need at safety.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Notes: Rams, Texans, Easley, Fleming

April 30th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams, armed with the second and 13th overall picks in the draft, will head to College Station to work out top Texas A&M prospects Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, and Jake Matthews, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan notes (via Twitter) that the workouts should happen on Friday, which will also give GM Les Snead, coach Jeff Fisher and company the opportunity to stop tomorrow in Alabama to work out quarterback A.J. McCarron, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets. Let’s round up a few more draft notes, including another one on the Rams….

Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Ohio State are also expected to be among the Rams‘ stops before May 8 as they work out a number of top draft prospects, tweets Mortensen.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle believes that if the Texans don’t trade down from No. 1, the team’s choice will come down to Manziel vs. Jadeveon Clowney. If Houston moves down and those players are off the board, Blake Bortles and Khalil Mack might be the club’s top two choices, says McClain.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) has heard from two top scouts who believe Florida’s Dominique Easley will be selected in the first round despite the fact that the defensive lineman is recovering from a torn ACL.
Adam Caplan (Twitter link) adds the Titans to the list of teams visited by Stanford tackle Cameron Fleming, and the Bengals to the list of clubs that worked him out. As Caplan tweets, Fleming, who had one of the highest Wonderlic scores among this year’s offensive linemen, is projected to come off the board on the second day of the draft.
Ohio State wideout Corey Brown visited the Browns and worked out for the Patriots and Panthers, tweets Caplan.
More from Caplan: He tweets that South Dakota edge defender Tyler Starr visited the Patriots and had a private workout with the Colts, and reports (via Twitter) that San Diego State safety Eric Pinkins visited the Dolphins and Seahawks.

Poll: What Will Falcons Do In Draft?

April 30th, 2014 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

While recent reports have suggested the Bills are strongly considering a move up in the draft, and the Lions have also been frequently cited as a candidate to trade up, the Falcons are viewed as perhaps the most likely team to jump up into the top five. Atlanta has long been linked to South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney, and look like a natural trade partner for the Texans, who hold the first overall pick and don’t appear to have made a decision on their pick yet.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who is no stranger to blockbuster draft trades, spoke to reporters today about his club’s plans for that sixth overall pick, and dropped a few morsels of information. Dimitroff admitted he has talked trade with a few teams, and while he declined to identify those specific clubs, the GM said there have been some “interesting discussions” (Twitter links via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).

Still, while Dimitroff certainly left the door open to the possibility of trading up, he didn’t give any signal that he’s leaning in that direction. The GM referred to this year’s top 10 prospects as “top-notch,” hinting that he’d be happy to end up with a player in the back half of that top 10 (Twitter link). He added that Atlanta has also explored the possibility of trading down from No. 6, and that the club “won’t sit on [its] hands” when it comes to landing the player it wants (Twitter links).

It’s a little tricky to separate the signal from the noise in Dimitroff’s comments, but it sounds like plenty of options are still in play for the Falcons. If the price is right, I could see the team moving up to snag Clowney, but landing an offensive tackle such as Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, or Taylor Lewan – either at No. 6 or lower – seems like a feasible option as well. For what it’s worth, Dimitroff said he doesn’t expect to complete a “massive deal” before the draft, though that doesn’t necessarily preclude a major trade on draft night (Twitter link).

So what do you think? Will the Falcons make another big splash on draft night, like they did three years ago when they moved up to land Julio Jones, or will the team take a quieter approach this time around?

Draft Updates: Browns, 49ers, Beckham, Visits

April 30th, 2014 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Ravens Rumors: Draft, Trades, Rice, Blount

April 30th, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With just eight days left until draft night, the Ravens held their pre-draft presser today, and a number of the team’s beat reporters were on hand to pass along some of the more interesting comments from GM Ozzie Newsome and other members of Baltimore’s staff. Let’s check out a few of the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….

Newsome indicated that the Ravens have gotten some calls from teams interested in trading up to the No. 17 spot currently occupied by Baltimore. A number of writers, including Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), have since speculated that the 49ers, who have been trade partners with the Ravens in the past, would be a prime candidate to move up, perhaps to snag a wide receiver.
On the other hand, there aren’t many scenarios where the Ravens trade up from No. 17, in Newsome’s view. The only way it would happen is if the team sees one or two players dropping that it couldn’t pass up.
The team will deal with Ray Rice‘s legal situation “when the time comes,” according to Newsome. However, Baltimore was already planning to add another running back or two even before Rice was arrested. The GM added that the Ravens talked to LeGarrette Blount last month, though no formal offer was made.
Newsome reiterated that “you can’t have enough corners,” indicating that the Ravens will probably draft at least one.
The Ravens have graded out about 180 draftable players, which is significantly more than usual, and should mean the club does well with undrafted free agents, according to assistant GM Eric DeCosta.
Newsome alluded to a point Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com made in a column yesterday, suggesting that the Ravens’ ability to secure compensatory picks gives them opportunities to make moves like the acquisition of Eugene Monroe last season.
The Ravens like this year’s receiving class enough that they’d be comfortable picking a wideout in any of the draft’s seven rounds, says Newsome.

NFC Notes: Packers, Falcons, Bucs, Eagles

April 30th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

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.

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors