2014 May - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Evans, Broncos, Texans, Raiders

May 9th, 2014 at 5:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Mike Evans‘ hoops background helped him round out his football skills, writes Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com. “It helps a lot,’’ the Buccaneers‘ first round choice said. “You see me go up for catches and treat it like a rebound. Boxing guys out and using my God-given talent, my big body. Boxing guys out for tough catches. The transition was easy because I had a lot of great coaches and a lot of great people around me to help me get here.’’ Evans could have been bound for the pages of Hoops Rumors, but instead, he’s here with us on PFR. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL as we get set for Day 2..

The Broncos will try again to trade up from No. 63 in round two, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. They tried earlier but couldn’t find a partner to trade up from No. 31 in round one.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien told Steve Wyche of NFL Network (on Twitter) that the Texans will stay at No. 33 unless they’re “blown away” by a trade.
The Raiders will likely take Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr if he’s available at No. 36, writes Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link). That could be easier said than done: the Texans could use a QB and they have the No. 33 pick.
Trading back would have been a gamble for the Packers, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Thompson wouldn’t say whether the Browns called to offer up their No. 26 and No. 83 – the package the Browns gave the Eagles to move up and tap Johnny Manziel – but such a move would have put them in jeopardy of missing out on Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
Many have panned the Jaguars‘ pick of quarterback Blake Bortles as a safe selection, but GM David Caldwell isn’t worried about that type of criticism, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “We’re not about big splashes at all. We just want to go about our business.” For what it’s worth, Bortles may not be a sexy pick, but he was a pretty big surprise. Few analysts had Jacksonville taking the UCF product at No. 3 and the pick helped shake things up for the rest of the first round.
The Browns‘ top pick from last night, cornerback Justin Gilbert, has been overshadowed by fellow first rounder Johnny Manziel. One might think the Oklahoma State star is upset by the lack of attention, but that’s not the case at all. Gilbert told reporters at today’s introductory presser, including Pat McManamon of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter), that he’s happy to have Manziel alongside him “’cause it takes the pressure” off of him.
Maiocco (on Twitter) wonders if Brandon Lloyd is rethinking his decision to attempt a comeback with the 49ers in lieu of their Stevie Johnson deal.
The Bills just paid Johnson $1.75MM in a roster bonus, so the 49ers will only owe the WR $3.6MM in 2014, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

AFC East Rumors: Pryor, Bills, Johnson

May 9th, 2014 at 5:03pm CST by Zachary Links

New Jets safety Calvin Pryor says that his big hits will provide an “intimidation factor” for the Jets’ defense, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. “Believe me, there is a huge thing with his hitting ability; big hits still win games,” head coach Rex Ryan said. “They’ll flip the momentum of a game faster than anything in my opinion, and I’ve always said that, and this young man will provide that for us.” More on that and some of the fallout from the Bills‘ big trade today..

The Bills had been shopping Stevie Johnson for a while before agreeing to send him to San Francisco today, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter). Breer’s understanding is that Buffalo tried to deal him to Tampa as part of the Mike Williams trade last month.
Johnson would have counted $8.5MM against the Bills‘ cap in 2014, but with the dead money accelerating onto this year, his cap number is now $10.225MM, tweets Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
This may not come as a huge surprise, but Jets coach Rex Ryan says that the team wasn’t interested in drafting Johnny Manziel at No. 18, writes Kimberley Martin of Newsday.
After serving as Tom Brady‘s backup for three years, undrafted quarterback Brian Hoyer was cut loose by the Patriots in 2012. After getting his break in Cleveland and subsequently blowing out his knee, he now finds himself in a battle with Manziel for the No. 1 job with the Browns. Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com laments the QB’s bad luck.

NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Redskins, Kouandjio

May 9th, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are looking to make a big move up the second draft board to secure help for their front seven, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter) hears. The latest out of the NFC East..

The Redskins were not a part of last night’s festivities but they could be open to moving their No. 34 pick tonight, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. General Manager Bruce Allen is listening to calls from teams interested in moving up for a quarterback or a receiver with the second pick in round two but he’s being patient, realizing that the deals will get better, not worse, as Friday unfolds. The GM could even wait until Washington is on the clock to start weighing offers.
The Redskins are a team to watch for Alabama offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Washington would have taken him in the first round if they had a pick there so they’d gladly grab him in the second tonight. The bruising offensive lineman has local ties too as a product of Maryland’s DeMatha Catholic High School.
The Eagles passing on Johnny Manziel at No. 22 is a ringing endorsement of quarterback Nick Foles, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank. Foles looked like a superstar in the second half of 2013 and it seems like coach Chip Kelly & Co. are confident that it was more than good luck.

NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Rams, Ward

May 9th, 2014 at 3:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Rookie Jimmie Ward is listed as a safety but the 49ers envision him beating out veterans Perrish Cox and Eric Wright to win the job as the team’s nickel back, writes CSNBayArea’s Matt Maiocco. Technically, barring injury, Ward will not be a starter in his rookie season. However, the 49ers had three cornerbacks on the field for 55% of their defensive snaps last season. More out of the NFC West..

Rams GM Les Snead tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the plan, as of now, is to stand pat with the No. 44 selection in the second round. The picks that come later in the draft, however, could be moved around.
The 49ers resisted the temptation to move up in the draft last night, Maiocco writes. San Francisco might have viewed LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as a target, but the price proved to be steep. “We certainly liked him as a football player, no doubt about it,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said of Beckham, who was chosen at No. 12 overall by the Giants.
49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told KNBR 680-AM that Ward will face a learning curve to learn the nickel position, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
Last night, the Rams reaped the final rewards of the Robert Griffin III trade with the Redskins, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. At this point, the Redskins got a starting QB while the Rams got a starter at defensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker, running back, and the offensive line with a receiver who could elevate to that role this year.
Many were surprised when the 49ers didn’t grab a wide receiver in the first round, but GM Baalke says that he likes the WR depth available in round two, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. It also seems very possible that Baalke knew that the Stevie Johnson deal was on the horizon during last night’s proceedings.

Pats’ Ryan Mallett “Not Available” In Trade

May 9th, 2014 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

3:50pm: Texans GM Rick Smith told reporters that he has no interaction with the Pats regarding Mallett, Werder tweets.

2:44pm: Yesterday, before the draft got underway, we heard reports that the Patriots were in talks with the Texans regarding quarterback Ryan Mallett. Now, Ed Werder of ESPN hears that Tom Brady‘s backup is “not available,” (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).

The Texans, who hold the first pick of the second round, did not land a QB last night and watched Teddy Bridgewater come off the board at No. 32 following the Vikings’ move up the ladder. While one might think this would give them additional fuel to find a QB on the trade market, that apparently won’t lead the the Arkansas product coming to Houston.

As it stands, the Texans are set to head into the 2014 season with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and T.J. Yates on the depth chart. They could also bring a familiar surname back into the locker room if they tap Fresno State QB Derek Carr with the No. 33 overall pick tonight.

49ers Acquire Stevie Johnson From Bills

May 9th, 2014 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers will acquire wide receiver Stevie Johnson from the Bills, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). San Francisco will send a conditional 2015 fourth-round pick to Buffalo, per sources, and that pick can become a third-round choice depending on Johnson’s performance.

While Johnson missed four games last year due to injury, the 49ers have managed to add a former No. 1 WR for relatively little. It’s not the first shrewd move San Francisco has made this offseason to obtain a big name. In recent weeks, the 49ers have obtained quarterback Blaine Gabbert for a sixth-round choice plus a conditional pick and offensive tackle Jonathan Martin for a conditional 2015 seventh-round choice. Gabbert was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft and Martin was Miami’s No. 42 pick in the 2012 draft.

With the deal, the Bills are essentially getting back the 2014 fourth-round choice that they sent to Cleveland in order to move up in last night’s draft. Effectively, the Bills gave up Johnson and next year’s first round pick in order to move up five spots and grab Sammy Watkins.

Last night, after the Bills moved up the board to grab Watkins, Joe Buscaglia of WGR reported that Buffalo was likely to dangle Johnson. The charismatic WR has been a star in Buffalo ever since his breakout campaign in 2010 where he hauled in 1,073 yards off of 82 receptions. A report out of Buffalo in February indicated that the Bills were getting tired of Johnson’s “act” and that may not have helped his case there.

Last season was Johnson’s least productive year since his emergence and he missed a quarter of the season due to injury. If Johnson stays on the field and finds himself reinvigorated in SF, Colin Kaepernick will have yet another tremendous weapon to work with. It’s also worth noting that while Michael Crabtree is in the final year of his contract, Johnson is signed through 2016. That could give the 49ers some extra leverage in talks with Crabtree and insurance in the event that he goes elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Shazier, Dennard

May 9th, 2014 at 1:27pm CST by Matt Feminis

Although there was some speculation that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam may have had a hand in the club’s decision to trade up for Johnny Manziel, GM Ray Farmer says that “at no point in the draft did Jimmy try to influence the decisions that were made” (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today). Meanwhile, head coach Mike Pettine says Manziel won’t simply be handed the starting job, and that he’ll compete with Brian Hoyer, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).

Ryan Shazier, drafted 15th overall by the Steelers, “has no holes” according to head coach Mike Tomlin, who was quoted by Ed Bouchette in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
In an additional blog post, Bouchette defended the selection: “Shazier is exactly the kind of player Chuck Noll told Art Rooney Jr. he needed when the Steelers hired him to coach them in 1969 – great athletes with great production. That’s what Shazier has. . .He also has the kind of speed where you could line him up with some of the fastest wide receivers and cornerbacks and he would beat most of them to the tape.”
Sitting at No. 46 in the second round, the Steelers could benefit from an expected run of offensive linemen, says ESPN’s Scott Brown, who lists ten prospects who could be on the Steelers radar, four of which are echoed by Bouchette: Penn State WR Allen Robinson, Indiana WR Cody Latimer, Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt and Minnesota defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman.
Also buried in Bouchette’s post were a few tidbits: Shazier is an obvious upgrade over Vince Williams, especially when it comes to speed and range; Shazier might have been preferred over CJ Mosley, in part, because of durability; and anything the team gets out of Sean Spence will be a bonus, as they are “not counting on him at all.”
Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome was looking for a “bonanza” to move off the 17th pick, which he used to select Mosley, whose combination of outstanding tape and special intangibles impressed team brass. The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec quotes assistant GM Eric DeCosta, who raved about Mosley: “He’s fast, instinctive, tough, smart, talented, a playmaker. People always ask about the best available player and what that means. He was the best available player on our board and he would have been the best available player on our board at 10. He’s a great football player.”
As they did with Alabama product Dre Kirkpatrick two years ago, the Bengals won’t ask Darqueze Dennard to start in his first year, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins

May 9th, 2014 at 12:03pm CST by Matt Feminis

Although Chip Kelly has had nothing but good things to say about Johnny Manziel publicly, it seems clear that the Eagles never really thought about taking him with the 22nd pick, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine. “I love him,” Kelly said. “I think he’s a dynamic quarterback. I also think we have a very, very good quarterback situation – not only with Nick [Foles], but you add Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley – we think quarterback is a strength for us right now. We felt like the pass-rusher who we had rated higher was the guy we were gonna take.”

“Best player available” is used ad nauseam during the draft. However, it’s the Eagles‘ philosophy and they’re adamant about it, as evidenced by the quotes from GM Howie Roseman and elly in a column by Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Domowitch following the (surprise) selection of Marcus Smith.
And then there’s the Cowboys, who did not stick to their board, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). When the Cowboys lost out on their top three draft targets last night — all defensive players — they opted for a relatively safe choice in offensive lineman Zack Martin even though they had Manziel graded higher.
Consequently, rounds two and three have become more important for the Cowboys, says Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013 and losing DeMarcus Ware, the team has plenty of holes to fill, especially on the defensive line. George mentions four defensive lineman who could be on the team’s radar tonight: Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, Missouri’s Kony Ealy, Oregon State’s Scott Crichton and Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, all of whom made predraft visits to Dallas.
The Giants‘ selection of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 12 puts them on track to fix their broken offense, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The LSU star caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Giants wide receiver Reuben Randle, who played with Beckham at LSU, described him as a “DeSean Jackson type,” writes Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News.
The Redskins were not part of Thursday night’s festivities, but they’re up at No. 34 tonight, and USA Today’s Steven Ruiz takes a look at their options. Most speculation centers around the team selecting an offensive lineman, perhaps Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandijo, Virginia’s Morgan Moses or UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Watkins, Jets, Easley

May 9th, 2014 at 10:40am CST by Matt Feminis

Sammy Watkins is considered by some the best prospect in the draft, drawing grades comparable to elite receiver prospects Julio Jones and A.J. Green. Just as the Falcons did to acquire Jones, the Bills paid a significant price to jump up and snag Watkins. Mike Rodak at ESPN.com compared the two trades: “Essentially, the Falcons moved up 16 more spots in the first round than the Bills did, with the difference in the trades being Atlanta’s current-year second- and fourth-round selections included in the deal.”

There’s never a shortage of news of notes coming from the AFC East. Here’s some more:

Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if Calvin Pryor‘s hard-hitting style will fly in today’s NFL. The Jets‘ first round pick has said that approaches his game like NFL safeties Kam Chancellor and Dashon Goldson, two big hitters that have a tendency to pick up flags and fines.
Jets General Manager John Idzik refused to say whether quarterback Johnny Manziel was in the cards, writes Cimini. Idzik acknowledged that they “fielded plenty of calls” from teams picking below them, presumably teams interested in trading up for Manziel. One of them may have been the Browns (26th), who wound up trading places with the Eagles (22nd) to take the former Texas A&M star. “We won’t get into who was in consideration,” Idzik said. “Suffice it to say, we stuck to our philosophy and we stuck to our board.”
The Dolphins reached for first-round pick Ja’Wuan James at No. 19, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, but only after trying to trade down. They didn’t find a partner willing to meet their asking price. Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel elaborated on the topic, saying the Dolphins could have traded down and had their pick of right tackle prospects, but “They were that much in love with James.”
Assuming Patriots first-rounder Dominique Easley is healthy after recovering from his second ACL tear, he brings explosiveness and versatility to the defensive line, in the opinion of ESPNBoston’s Field Yates, who compares Easley to Lamarr Houston.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe added some insight into the Easley selection as well as his personality. Among the tidbits: Bill Belichick valued Easley’s performance against good competition… and he’d rather watch SpongeBob than football.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC South Rumors: Cooks, Falcons, Benjamin

May 9th, 2014 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints had no doubt in their mind that they wanted to go with Brandin Cooks at No. 20, writes Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune. “Periodically you have a real strong conviction on a player, and this was one of those players,” head coach Sean Payton said. The Oregon State star tallied 128 receptions, 1,730 yards, and 16 touchdowns last season, cementing himself as a first round talent. More out of the NFC South..

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told 92.9 in Atlanta that there’s no truth to any rumor about Chiefs safety Eric Berry being a trade target, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Dimitroff also said that by the time the Jaguars took Blake Bortles at No. 3, there was no doubt he’d be selecting tackle Jake Matthews at No. 6 (link).
Dimitroff also told 92.9 that the Jaguars, led by his protege David Caldwell, were his most viable potential trade partner last night, tweets McClure.
The Panthers hit a trifecta with first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton, as the 6’5″, 240-pound Florida State receiver addresses a need, provides value and makes quarterback Cam Newton happy. David Newton also quotes GM Dave Gettleman, who said “unusual ball skills” and the ability to make contested catches sold the team on Benjamin.

Matt Feminis contributed to this post.