HEADLINES

Month: February 2025

Week In Review: 5/4/14 – 5/11/14

May 11th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Draft:

  • The Texans selected South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick.
  • The Bills traded up to the No. 4 pick to draft Clemson WR Sammy Watkins.
  • After much maneuvering, the Browns acquired pick No. 22 and selected Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel.
  • The Vikings traded back into the first round and picked Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd pick.

Find the full results of the 2014 draft at the PFR Draft Tracker.

Major Move:

Other Signings:

Trades:

  • 49ers – acquired WR Stevie Johnson from the Bills in exchange for a conditional 2015 third-round pick.
  • Bills – acquired RB Bryce Brown from the Eagles in exchange for a conditional 2015 fourth-round pick or a 2016 third- or fourth-rounder.

Restricted Free Agency:

Retired:

Other:

  • Browns receiver Josh Gordon is reportedly facing a season-long suspension following repeated violations of the league’s substance policy.

Follow all the latest news at PFR’s Transactions Page.

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Allen, Matthews, Reynolds

May 11th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles drafts continue to be influenced by head coach Chip Kelly’s relationship with Oregon, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Nine of the 15 players selected by Philadelphia during Kelly’s tenure have some connection to Oregon, where Kelly coached from 2007-12. While general manager Howie Roseman ultimately controls the draft board, Kelly doesn’t dispute that his opinion on certain players is affected by his past proximity to them. “I do believe I have a knowledge because I’ve seen them in person,” said the Eagles coach. “So I can weigh in on them with not just, ‘Hey, my evaluation of them on tape is this.’ . . . But it’s not a ‘Let’s take him because I saw him live.’ . . .We’re still going to go through the whole process and let everybody weigh in. There’s never been an instance, where ‘Hey, I feel this way about him but everybody else feels this way.'”

More notes from Philadelphia:

  • Kelly spoke with reporters after the draft, and passed along some thoughts on seventh-rounder Beau Allen, a 6’2″, 331 pound defensive tackle from Nebraska, specifically regarding whether the Eagles were surprised Allen fell to them (per the Philly.com staff): “We were kind of holding our breath after we made our last pick, because it was such a long time until the next one,” said Kelly. “But it really depends. He’s a true nose tackle, so now you limit yourself to 3-4 teams taking Beau, but I think he fits. He’s in the same style that we teach. He’s got a good understanding of 3‑4 defense.”
  • Philadelphia had hoped to select an offensive lineman at some point, but simply never got the chance, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I thought we’d have some opportunities to get some O‑linemen, but there was a run in the third round that was like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Roseman. “It was like player after player after player, and all of a sudden we looked back up and our board was depleted, and we weren’t going to reach. That hurt because we went in thinking that we’d get some guys. I think the [quality] offensive linemen went earlier. I did not think it was a great group overall.”
  • ESPN’s Chris Mortensen believes Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews, a second-rounder from Vanderbilt, will be the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • Mel Kiper of ESPN gives the Eagles draft a “B+”, noting that he “loves” the selection of Matthews, and singles out fifth-round safety Ed Reynolds, whom Kiper believes could develop into a starter.
  • Last night, we provided a list of the 15 undrafted free agents signed by Philadelphia.

Jets To Sign Eight Undrafted FAs

May 11th, 2014 at 3:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets have agreed to terms with eight undrafted free agents, according to a press release. Here’s a full list of the players on their way to the Big Apple:

  • Tevon Conrad, T, Saginaw Valley State
  • Steele Divitto, LB, Boston College
  • Anthony Grady, DE, Missouri State
  • Kerry Hyder, DT, Texas Tech
  • Terrence Miller, TE, Arizona
  • Brent Qvale, T, Nebraska
  • Zach Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
  • Chad Young, FB, San Diego State

Seahawks Notes: Marsh, Chancellor, Norwood

May 11th, 2014 at 2:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We already included some Seahawks tidbits within our latest NFC West roundup, but here are a few more notes out of the Pacific Northwest:

  • Seattle is very excited about about fourth-round pick Cassius Marsh, a versatile defensive lineman out of UCLA, whom head coach Pete Carroll likens to current Seahawks DL Michael Bennett. “Michael has so much flexibility, and Cassius likewise does — we think,” said Carroll. “He would, in essence, follow Michael around for a while and learn about the different spots that we play.” Marsh, who also caught two passes as a tight end in college, could even see some time in a H-back role for the Seahawks, writes Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
  • Within the same Jenks piece, Carroll said he expects safety Kam Chancellor, who had hip surgery this offseason, to be available for the start of training camp.
  • The Seahawks added to their receiving corps by drafting not only Paul Richardson in the second round, but Kevin Norwood in the fourth, whom general manager John Schneider lauded for his consistency, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “There’s nothing overly flashy about him,’’ said Schneider. “Except that he’s incredibly tough and reliable and smart and savvy. I think that’s probably why he lasted as long as he did.’’
  • ESPN.com’s Terry Blount provides a wrap-up of the Seahawks’ effort on draft day, listing Seattle’s best play as trading down several times and acquiring extra picks, and the team’s riskiest move as passing on UCLA guard Xavier Su’a-Filo at the end of the first round.
  • ESPN’s Mel Kiper graded the Seahawks draft as a “C+”, noting that while he would have liked to see the team draft an offensive lineman early, the Seattle brain trust has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to selecting lesser-known players.
  • Late last night, we passed along a list of the nine UDFAs signed by the Seahawks.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Bucs

May 11th, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Peter Sowards

The offseason losses outweighed the gains for the Panthers, and Carolina’s draft picks must grow up fast for the team to repeat as division champs, writes Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler.

After losing Jordan Gross, Steve Smith, Captain Munnerlyn, Ted Ginn and Mike Mitchell, coach Ron Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman hope first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin and a host of others can fill the large void.

“Status quo is not good enough,” Rivera said. “We’re not going to stand around and be just as good.

“We want to be better.” 

More from the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South:

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Sam

May 11th, 2014 at 12:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

General manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have worked five drafts together with the Seahawks, and as The News Tribune’s Todd Dybas writes, the duo has developed a penchant for taking lesser-known players.

Examples of this include Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Jimmy Staten, Marshall offensive tackle Garrett Scott and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small, none of whom received much notoriety in the days leading up to the draft.

Schneider talked about the ambitious nature of his team’s roster and a mentality his players must possess: “There’s so much competitiveness. These guys are on edge. They’re confident, so you have to have a certain mentality to be able to battle. You’ve got to bring it right away. Right when you walk in the door, you’ve got to bring it.”

More notes from the division of the reigning Super Bowl champions below…

  • The unpredictably consistent Seahawks need five or six of the nine draft picks to hit for Schneider and Carroll to retain the title of draft geniuses, penned Jerry Brewer of The Seattle Times.
  • A roundup of the Rams‘ 11 draft picks by Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. With two first-round picks, St. Louis solidified the trenches, going with Auburn tackle Greg Robinson No. 2 overall and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald at No. 13.
  • At No. 249, the Rams made one of the more memorable picks in the draft, selecting Missouri DE/OLB Michael Sam, who will become the first openly gay player to play in the NFL. As Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch writes, now Sam needs to prove that he can also play football in addition to breaking barriers.
  • USA TODAY Sports’ Tom Pelissero named the Rams as one of five teams that should expect instant impact from its rookies in 2014.
  • 49ers general manager Trent Baalke was happy for Sam, but wished that the Missouri rusher landed outside the NFC West and thus avoiding facing him twice a year, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.
  • South Florida outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, standing an impressive 6-foot-6 and 244 pounds, lauds himself as a first-round talent with mistakes in his past. He slipped to the 49ers in the fifth round because of those mistakes, and head coach John Harbaugh says Lunch needs direction, according to Eric Branch of SFGate.com.
  • Despite the availability of SEC quarterbacks Zach Mettenberger (LSU), Aaron Murray (Georgia) and A.J. McCarron, the Cardinals took a developmental project instead, Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, writes Kent Somers of AZcentral.com.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Jets, Bills

May 11th, 2014 at 11:07am CST by Peter Sowards

Versatility was the theme of day 3 for the Patriots, as each of the seven players taken on Saturday figure to fill multiple spots on the depth chart, writes Zuri Berry of Boston.com.

“I feel like we improved our team today,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We had seven picks and we kind of had them in clumps there, but I felt like we were able to take some players that will be able to compete.

“We’ll see how it all goes.”

The Patriots‘ day 3 picks were Florida State center Bryan Stork, Wisconsin running back James White, Stanford offensive tackle Cameron Fleming, Florida guard Jon Halapio, Concordia-St. Paul defensive end Zach Moore, Georgia Tech defensive back Jemea Thomas and Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon.

Read below for more from the AFC East:

  • Boston.com’s Erik Frenz passes along a post-draft depth chart, penciling in second-round pick Jimmy Garoppolo as the third-string quarterback behind Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett.
  • The 12 draft picks by the Jets all share similarities that helped them land in New York. “There’s pretty much a common thread with these fellas,” general manager John Idzik said, via newsday.com’s Kimberley A. Martin. “They fit our profile. They’re aggressive, they have a passion for our game, they’re great teammates. They fit the Jet profile.”
  • Five trades in three days highlighted an exciting extended weekend for the Bills, wrote Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. The most notable moves were trading for running back Bryce Brown, trading away wide receiver Stevie Johnson and trading up for Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins at No. 4 overall.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald aggregated notes and feedback from media analysts on the Dolphin’s Saturday draft picks, as well as adding his post-draft thoughts, specifically his concerns at cornerback.

AFC West Notes: Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos

May 11th, 2014 at 10:17am CST by Peter Sowards

With only six draft choices after the trade for quarterback Alex Smith, the Chiefs had limited resources with which to augment the roster. But, general manager John Dorsey felt fortunate to grab the players available, writes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star.

“That board, it falls in unique ways if you have a degree of patience,” Dorsey said. “I thought today we were very lucky because each one of these guys fell in their respective rounds, and each time they fell and each time we selected them, the more we got excited.” 

One of those players was Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, whom the team selected in the fifth round, No. 163 overall. It’s an interesting selection, especially with incumbent starter Smith in contract negotiations with the team, and rumors that the talks aren’t going so well.

“This time, you’re excited about all the guys we’ve got, all the additions to the team,” Smith said, per Randy Covitz of The Kansas City Star. “Time will only tell, It’s time to get to work and get those guys in and see.”

More from the AFC West below…

  • Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie strayed from his usual ways and took players with character risks, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Utah cornerback Keith McGill, a fourth-round selection, was arrested in 2012 on suspicion of DUI and possession of stolen property. Seventh-round pick Shelby Harris has been dismissed from two schools and hasn’t played a game since 2012. “It’s twofold,” McKenzie said of the reasoning for drafting players with questionable backgrounds. “One, the selection is always a chance for a player to redeem himself. When we get a situation where you give a player an opportunity, a second chance, especially when, as of late, the issues have not been like it was in the past for them.” 
  • In a separate article, Bair writes that the McKenzie and the Raiders hoped to trade down throughout the draft but were unable to find willing partners.
  • Not wanting to reach for need, the Raiders didn’t take a receiver in the draft, Bair notes. “The receivers at that time (No. 5 and 36 overall) were not high on the board,” McKenzie said. “We’re not going to reach down and take a receiver. I would have liked to (draft) a receiver. I would have. It just didn’t fall that way.”
  • All five picks on day 3 of the draft for the Raiders were defensive players, Associated Press writer Josh Dubow scribed.
  • New Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer is among the best blocking receivers the team has ever evaluated, Denver GM John Elway said via Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post.
  • First-round pick Bradley Roby should expect to play a key role in the Broncos‘ efforts to return to the Super Bowl, Mike Klis of The Denver Post writes.
  • The Chargers finally drafted a receiver, Baylor’s Tevin Reese, with the team’s final pick in the draft, No. 240 overall, per the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Tom Krasovic.

NFC North Notes: Vikings, Packers, Lions

May 11th, 2014 at 9:03am CST by Peter Sowards

In dire need of secondary talent after allowing 4,596 yards through the air in 2013, the Minnesota Vikings supplemented the roster with three defensive backs on day 3 of the NFL Draft, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Virginia Tech’s Antone Exum, Maine’s Kendall James and North Carolina’s Jabari Price will don the purple, white and gold after being drafted in the sixth, sixth and seventh rounds, respectively.

“It’s definitely going to be competition (in the secondary),” Price said. “Whether we know it or not, whether they know it or not, it’s going to be a competition. 

“And I’m willing to step up to the challenge.”

More news and notes from the NFC North…

  • The Vikings earned the lone A-plus from SI.com’s Chris Burke and Doug Farrar in their 2014 NFL draft grades writeup, calling it an outstanding haul for first-year coach Mike Zimmer. The Packers received an A, the Bears an A-minus and the Lions a B.
  • The Packers addressed needs without sacrificing talent, according to Packers.com’s Vic Ketchman. General manager Ted Thompson makes his hay in the annual player selection meeting, and the nine players selected — highlighted by first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix — should solidify a deep roster.
  • One constant in the Packers the last three decades has been a prolific offense highlighted by an elite quarterback. However, defense has been an issue, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Thompson gave defensive coordinator Dom Capers “a nice offering” at the top with the selection of Clinton-Dix No. 21 overall. But with four defenders and five offensive players coming to Green Bay, it was an overall balanced draft for the Pack.
  • Lions Offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterback Matthew Stafford were pegged as winners by mlive.com’s Justin Rogers. Waddle figures to remain the team’s right tackle after the team passed on Taylor Lewan. Lombardi has a new toy in tight end Eric Ebron with which to play, joining an already deep position. Stafford received an upgraded No. 2 receiver earlier in free agency — Golden Tate — and now has an upgrade at tight end. Named as losers by Rogers were linebacker Ashlee Palmer, defensive back coaches Tony Oden and Alan Williams, and tight end Joseph Fauria.
  • Bears general manager Mark Emery is giddy about the potential long-term payout of his eight draftees, finishing his third draft with Chicago and 16th overall. “These come in all varieties with how people work with one another,” Emery said via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “And this was awesome.” 

Complete 2014 NFL Draft Results

May 10th, 2014 at 11:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After an extra two weeks of waiting beyond the usual date, the 2014 NFL draft finally arrived. We kept tabs on all 256 of this week’s selections in this post, and now that the draft has come to an end, you can find the full results below.

Here are the results of the 2014 NFL draft:

Round 1

  1. Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
  2. St. Louis Rams (from Washington): Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
  4. Buffalo Bills (from Cleveland): Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
  5. Oakland Raiders: Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
  6. Atlanta Falcons: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
  8. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota): Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
  9. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo, via Cleveland): Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
  10. Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
  11. Tennessee Titans: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
  12. New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
  13. St. Louis Rams: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
  14. Chicago Bears: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
  16. Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
  17. Baltimore Ravens: C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
  18. New York Jets: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
  19. Miami Dolphins: Ja’Wuan James, OT, Tennessee
  20. New Orleans Saints (from Arizona): Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
  21. Green Bay Packers: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
  22. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia): Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
  23. Kansas City Chiefs: Dee Ford, DE, Auburn
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
  25. San Diego Chargers: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
  26. Philadelphia Eagles (from Indianapolis, via Cleveland): Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville
  27. Arizona Cardinals (from New Orleans): Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State
  28. Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
  29. New England Patriots: Dominique Easley, DT, Florida
  30. San Francisco 49ers: Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois
  31. Denver Broncos: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
  32. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle): Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

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