2014 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

East Rumors: Eagles, Barr, Johnson, Cowboys

April 17th, 2014 at 9:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Chad ~~Ochocinco~~ Johnson, who last lined up in the NFL for the Patriots, is headed north of the border to join up with the Montreal Alouettes. Johnson, who totaled 766 receptions for more than 11,000 yards and 67 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons, was signed by the Dolphins in 2012, but was released that summer following his arrest due to a domestic incident. The 36-year-old recently worked out for the Alouettes and GM Jim Popp indicated over the weekend that talks between the two sides had “escalated.” Here’s the latest out of the AFC and NFC East..

The Eagles‘ biggest need at this stage of the offseason is finding a pass-rusher and the best case scenario would be UCLA’s Anthony Barr falling to No. 22, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Barr was considered a likely top-10 pick earlier in the draft process, but Berman hears that it’s conceivable that the former Bruin could slip into the 20s. Meanwhile, the depth of the wide receiver position in this year’s class has been well documented and it’s not a stretch to say the Eagles will potentially come out of the draft with two wideouts.
With Chris Johnson‘s speed, the Jets offense can be a whole different animal, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Johnson isn’t a panacea for offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s offense, Mehta writes, but he still possesses the ability to turn garbage into gold in open spaces.
The Cowboys hosted about 50 prospects at Dallas Day, including four quarterbacks: North Texas’ Derek Thompson, SMU’s Garrett Gilbert, Missouri’s James Franklin, and TCU’s Casey Pachall, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Missouri’s Donovan Bonner and Matt White were also in attendance, tweets Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram.

North Rumors: Bears, Ravens, Mosley

April 17th, 2014 at 7:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears met with Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Sutton, considered a good fit as the 3-technique defensive tackle in the Bears’ 4-3 system, had 20.5 sacks in college, including 13 as a junior. Double-teamed as a bulked-up senior, Sutton had three sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception. More out of the AFC and NFC North..

Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley visited the Ravens, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. In 2012, Mosley had 107 tackles with two interceptions and a forced fumble before dislocating his hip in the national championship game and undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.
The Ravens aren’t making any immediate decision on Rolando McClain, so don’t expect any resolution over the weekend, cautions Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Earlier today, the Ravens reinstated the troubled linebacker from the reserve/retired list.
While the Jets’ Eric Decker is the highest-paid free agent at wide receiver, the Lions‘ Golden Tate may be in a position to have a bigger statistical year, says John Clayton of ESPN.com (video link).
The Ravens haven’t brought in Boston College running back Andre Williams for visit or worked him out yet but they’ve talked to him a lot, tweets Wilson.

West Notes: Fuller, Rams, 49ers, Chiefs

April 17th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up the latest draft items related to teams in the NFC and AFC West….

Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller will visit the Rams next week, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). A report last Friday indicated that Fuller would be working out for St. Louis at some point.
Thomas adds in another tweet that the Rams will also host Missouri Western TE/FB Reggie Jordan for a local visit next Friday.
The 49ers hosted Miami offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson for a visit this week, and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com suggests that it may have been to gain more information about a prospect with possible character concerns. Henderson was suspended three times in college for violating team rules.
UTEP edge defender James Davidson has a visit on the docket with the Chiefs, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who refers to Davidson as a potential sleeper.

NFC Draft Notes: Falcons, Lions, Eagles

April 17th, 2014 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

To kick off the day, we rounded up a handful of draft-related items out of the AFC. Now let’s shift our attention to the NFC and check out the latest….

We heard earlier in the week that Jake Matthews has a visit scheduled next week with the Falcons, but before that happens, Atlanta is sending a contingent to Auburn to meet with the draft’s other top offensive tackle, Greg Robinson, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a pair of tight ends visiting or working out for NFC teams. According to Wilson, Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz, who was previously visited the Jets and Buccaneers, is visiting the Lions today, while Cincinnati’s Blake Annen recently had a private workout for the Eagles.
Cal linebacker Khairi Fortt, who met with the Ravens earlier in April, is visiting the Seahawks today, tweets Rich Cirminiello of CampusInsiders.com.
Chris Russell of ESPN 980 reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins are bringing in Georgia tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu for a visit this week. Attaochu indicated last month that Washington was one of the teams showing the most interest in him.
The 49ers hosted Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb for a pre-draft visit, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees, who is scheduled to visit the Bears on Friday.

Poll: Will Lions Trade Up From No. 10?

April 17th, 2014 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was in Allen Park yesterday to visit Lions coaches and front office personnel as one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits. Of all the prospects eligible to be drafted in 2014, Clowney is perhaps the least likely to be picked outside the top five, meaning he’s a lock to be off the board by the time the Lions pick tenth overall.

Spending so much time looking at and meeting with players they know won’t be available at No. 10, such as Clowney and Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins, seems like a waste of time for the Lions unless the club is strongly considering moving up in the draft. It’s possible that Detroit is setting up an elaborate smokescreen, but that doesn’t seem all that beneficial, so we can apply Occam’s razor here — the most plausible explanation is likely the real one.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explored the subject this morning and reached the same conclusion, speculating that perhaps the Lions are trying to get the attention of teams like the Texans and Rams at the top of the draft. In Florio’s view, the Lions would have a better chance at moving up at a reasonable cost if they can get another team to instigate trade negotiations, perhaps playing some of those clubs at the top of the draft against one another.

Still, even if the Lions want to move up, trading into the top three or four from No. 10 won’t come cheaply. Only two years ago, the Rams, who hold this year’s No. 2 pick, traded that same selection for the No. 6 pick, two additional first-rounders, and a second-rounder. No player in 2014’s draft appears to be as strongly coveted as Robert Griffin III was in 2012, so the cost for the second overall pick shouldn’t be quite as exorbitant this time around. But considering most pundits and observers view this year’s draft class as exceptionally deep and talented, the Lions may be better off keeping all their picks and simply selecting the best player available at No. 10.

The question of whether the Lions should trade up largely depends on what the cost would be, so let’s put that aside for now and get your take on whether or not the team will trade up. Feel free to weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts.

AFC Draft Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jets

April 17th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest Read Option feature on Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei focuses on what the Texans will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, which gets underway three weeks from today. It’s a question we explored ourselves earlier in the week, asking you in a poll what Houston ought to do with the pick. As we noted, selecting a quarterback or a defender like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack seem like the best options for the Texans if they keep the pick. However, more than 30% of you suggested the club’s best move would be to trade the pick, and Pompei seems to agree, writing that moving down would provide “multiple solutions” for the Texans, who “wouldn’t necessarily have to exact a ransom in return.”

Here’s more on the draft from around the AFC:

We heard yesterday that Miami quarterback Stephen Morris was drawing interest from the Dolphins, and Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Morris has a workout lined up with the Broncos as well.
Noting (via Twitter) that the Jets‘ visits with wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Darqueze Dennard are scheduled for next week, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News provides an updated list of all of the team’s pre-draft visitors.
The Ravens, who are considering drafting a safety in next month’s draft, brought in Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward for a visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Craig Kelley of Colts.com provides a rundown of the 20 prospects with local ties the Colts worked out earlier this week.

Extra Points: Clowney, Harper, Goodwin

April 16th, 2014 at 10:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will be in Atlanta next week to visit the Falcons, a league source confirms to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Clowney is said to be close to shutting down workouts with teams, but will still be making visits to clubs at the top of the draft. The Falcons have the No. 6 pick and Clowney would be an excellent fit in Atlanta, but the club would likely have to trade up in the draft to have a real shot at the South Carolina standout. The latest from around the league..

New Panthers safety Roman Harper told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he chose Carolina in part because he wanted to go somewhere that was warm and would give him a chance to play. Cold weather and losing would be the quickest path to retirement for him, he explained.
The Saints brought in former center Jonathan Goodwin for a visit today, a league source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A reunion is possible for the two sides and makes a good deal of sense in Triplett’s view.
While the Bengals signed punter T.J. Conley earlier today, they also had fellow punter Zoltan Mesko in for a tryout, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today.
The Saints brought Goodwin in for a visit today, but the Cardinals won’t do the same, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. That’s because offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin doesn’t want to coach his younger brother.
Florida State running back Devonta Freeman is visiting the Vikings on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Giants, Cowboys

April 16th, 2014 at 9:47pm CST by Zachary Links

DeSean Jackson might be getting all of the ink, but he’s not the only notable addition for the Redskins this offseason. Larry Michael of CSNWashington.com (video link) sat down with wide receiver Andre Roberts to talk about coming to D.C. Roberts likely came to the Skins thinking that he would be the No. 2 receiving option but he’ll be fighting for looks with Pierre Garcon and Jackson. The latest out of the NFC East..

Free agent guard Davin Joseph, who hasn’t generated many rumors since being released by the Buccaneers in early March, has met with the Cowboys, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, Moore adds that free agent receiver LaRon Byrd, after meeting with the Giants earlier this week, will work out for Dallas tomorrow.
The Cowboys also hosted Texas defensive tackle Chris Whaley for a visit yesterday and today, which included a dinner with members of the team’s staff, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Wisconsin defensive back Dez Southward visited the Redskins this week and has also worked out for the Patriots, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The speedy Southward is viewed as capable of playing at either safety position.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Steelers, Browns

April 16th, 2014 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, who has already visited Chicago in advance of next month’s draft, believes that he’d be a good fit with the Bears, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“I bring a certain type of physicalness to the defense,” Pryor said. “The Bears are already known to be physical. That playmaker ability, that’s what I can bring to the team…. If I get added to the team.”

Here’s more from the NFC and AFC North divisions:

The Vikings have already had a private workout with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, coach Mike Zimmer, offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner watched Manziel go through a workout on March 27th at College Station that was attended by 30 NFL teams, but Minnesota has also gotten an exclusive look. The Vikings have the No. 8 pick in the draft.
Linebacker Lamin Barrow is visiting the Vikings today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Ravens met with the LSU product back in February.
With the NFL draft three weeks away, much of the pre-draft speculation surrounding the Steelers is whether they’ll take a cornerback or a wide receiver at No. 15. However, Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review argues that their greatest need is at defensive end. Ziggy Hood left the team to sign with the Jaguars this offseason and at last check, the club hasn’t shown any interest in re-signing unrestricted free agent Brett Keisel. Pittsburgh’s only defensive line addition has been former Charger Cam Thomas, who seems better suited to play nose tackle than end.
Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is set to meet with the Browns next week, a league source confirmed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Murray, who has also drawn interest from the Titans and Cowboys, will work out for Cleveland the following weeks, says Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Due to the philosophy of new head coach Mike Pettine, the Browns are less likely to follow a quarterback-centric model as they build their roster, writes Vic Carucci of ClevelandBrowns.com.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC East Rumors: Pats, Revis, Jets, Wilkerson

April 16th, 2014 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Things have been quiet out of Florham Park, New Jersey as of late but today, the Jets brought some serious sizzle to their offseason when they agreed to sign Chris Johnson to a two-year deal. Here’s the latest on Gang Green and more from the AFC East…

Because the Patriots have a need at tight end, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com sizes up Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz as a possibility for New England. While the 6’7″, 265-pound athlete isn’t as fast or athletic as Rob Gronkowski, he appears to be a replica of him in other ways. Gronk is one of the best at his position when he’s on the field, but he has proven to be brittle as of late.
Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter) hears nothing but great things about Darrelle Revis‘ intensity in practice this offseason. The Patriots landed the shutdown corner on a relatively low-risk deal this offseason.
LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry will take a pre-draft visit with the Jets on Monday, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). The Panthers auditioned Landry and Tigers teammate Odell Beckham yesterday. The Jets are in obvious need of a playmaker on offense.
The fifth-year option salary for Muhammad Wilkerson is projected at about $6.97MM, which is higher than expected but still team-friendly for the Jets, tweets Cimini. It was previously believed that the Temple product’s 2015 salary would be closer to $6MM.
The Jets are keeping tabs on Missouri defensive end/outside linebacker Michael Sam, Cimini tweets. New York has spoken to him several times in recent months and while he’s on the club’s radar, Cimini characterizes the talks as “due diligence.”

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors