2015 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Chargers, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

April 14th, 2015 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers appear to be contemplating the post-Philip Rivers era in San Diego, as they take a closer look at Oregon signal-caller Marcus Mariota today. After working out Mariota, the team’s brass will head to Los Angeles to put UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley through a workout of his own, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy have repeatedly stated they want Rivers to retire as a Charger, so there may be no need to identify his successor quite yet. But Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this offseason is the prime time for San Diego to trade Rivers in a deal to snag Mariota, arguing that all the factors in play point to it being a win-win move for the franchise and for the veteran quarterback, who is entering the final year of his contract.

We still have a little more than two weeks until the draft gets underway, so it will be interesting to see if the Rivers trade rumors pick up steam or die down as April 30 approaches. In the meantime, here are a few more notes from across the AFC:

Free agent wide receiver Brad Smith is paying a visit to Buffalo to meet with the Bills, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details. Smith played for Rex Ryan on the Jets, but it’s not clear if there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s new club, with players like Percy Harvin, Marcus Easley, and Marcus Thigpen already in the mix as potentially versatile offensive weapons, returners, or special-teamers.
Given where we’ve seen running backs drafted in the last couple years, it would be surprise to see one go as high as No. 14 overall this year. Nonetheless, the Dolphins, who hold that pick, are hosting Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon for a visit next week, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
Outside pass rushers Bud Dupree and Shane Ray will be visiting the Jets, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). Although there has been plenty of chatter linking Mariota to New York, the team is in a good spot at No. 6 to add a top pass rushing prospect.
The Steelers hosted Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman, and UAB tight end Kennard Backman on pre-draft visits today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown. Cooper met with the Saints in New Orleans yesterday, but we haven’t heard much to date about the tight ends.
Florida State cornerback Ronald Darby is visiting the Colts today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
On the heels of the Raiders‘ agreement with free agent wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com shares a few initial thoughts on the deal, outlining why the former Niner is worth the risk on a one-year investment.

NFC Draft Notes: Winston, Bears, Rams

April 14th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Having already met with Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, the Bears will get a closer look at the other top quarterback in this year’s draft class on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter reports that Jameis Winston is set to meet with the Bears, who hold the seventh overall pick. Of course, the Florida State signal-caller is unlikely to make it past the No. 1 pick, so Chicago is likely just doing its due diligence.

Here are a few more draft-related updates from around the NFC:

Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney, widely considered the top inside linebacker in this year’s draft class, is in St. Louis today to visit the Rams, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
The Cowboys haven’t drafted a quarterback since 2009, but perhaps this is the year they buck that trend. A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the team will work out Oregon State signal-caller Sean Mannion tomorrow.
Michigan pass catcher Devin Funchess, who has experience at both wide receiver and tight end, is set to visit the 49ers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. A report last week suggested that concerns about Funchess’ route-running was causing teams to drop him on their draft boards.
According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter), Kansas cornerback Dexter McDonald is among the prospects who will pay a pre-draft visit to Washington this week. McDonald projects as a likely late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.

49ers Notes: Peters, Armstead, Wright

April 13th, 2015 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have been heavily involved in prospect visits Monday, with cornerback hovering at the center of their prospect search.

After visiting the Texans over the weekend and the Saints today, Washington cornerback Marcus Peters will speak with 49ers front office personnel Tuesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes on Twitter. Despite being dismissed from the Huskies’ program, Peters goes off the board in the first round in the latest two NFL.com mock drafts.
Fellow reported first-round corner Byron Jones will head to San Francisco for a Tuesday visit, reports DraftInsider.net’s Tony Pauline, via Twitter. The UConn corner already visited the Bills, Eagles and Bears.
Former Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead also visited the 49ers on Monday night, per CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco on Twitter. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Armstead going to the 49ers at No. 15 (subscription required).
Donovan Smith (Penn State) trekked to the 49ers’ facility today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
The 49ers’ cornerback interest is expected considering they lost 2014 starters Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox via free agency. They signed Shareece Wright to a low-cost deal in an effort to replace them, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch assesses his candidacy with Chargers broadcaster Hank Bauer. “He’s not a physically imposing guy, but I’d say he’s a good, solid, NFL starting corner,” Bauer told Branch. “Can he be a great player? Boy, I don’t know. I can’t sit here and say I think he will be … But he’s solid.” Agreeing to join the 49ers on a one-year deal, Wright’s battled a host of injuries over the past two years, missing five games in each.

Whisenhunt Wants Reunion With Rivers?

April 13th, 2015 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Operating as the fulcrum in this year’s draft, the Titans are down to three options with their selection with one of them including a blockbuster trade for Philip Rivers, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (video link).

Currently housing 2014 sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger as their starting quarterback, the Titans’ first two options at No. 2 look to be drafting Marcus Mariota or taking Leonard Williams, who Cole calls the best player available at that spot. The third plan features the Titans, whose most recognizable player from a national sense may be Brian Orakpo or Kendall Wright, attempting to re-establish relevance by trading the pick for a veteran quarterback.

Cole goes on to mention Ken Whisenhunt‘s fondness for Rivers during their time together in San Diego in 2013, and that the second-year Titans coach’s choice is “obvious”: trade for a veteran quarterback to attempt to rocket the Titans back to contention after missing the playoffs the past six years. Cole added Jay Cutler or Sam Bradford fit into this line of thinking, but that Rivers is Whisenhunt’s preferred choice in that event.

“Whisenhunt worked with Rivers two years ago, loves Rivers, would love to change the whole attitude of the franchise and thinks bringing in an established quarterback would do that,” Cole said. “Finally, Whisenhunt had so much success with Kurt Warner in Arizona at turning around that moribund franchise that he thinks he can do the same thing in Tennessee and make them an immediate competitive team.”

Although Warner’s best season didn’t come under Whisenhunt, the future Hall of Famer revived his career during Whisenhunt’s first head-coaching gig. Rivers’ best season probably came under Whisenhunt’s watch two years ago, when the former No. 4 overall pick completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and threw for 32 touchdowns.

The Chargers own pick No. 17 in Round 1 and have encountered mild turbulence amid what’s been a stable signal-calling situation for nearly a decade. Rivers’ hesitance to negotiate a new contract with his current deal expiring after 2015 and his potential reluctance to play in Los Angeles make the Chargers an interesting fringe contender in the Mariota sweepstakes. Although Sports Illustrated’s Peter King still considers a deal for the 33-year-old Rivers deal “highly unlikely.”

They are working out Mariota in Eugene, Ore., a day earlier than expected, with Chargers brass set to observe the Heisman Trophy winner Tuesday instead of Wednesday, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gehlken adds that Mariota ordinarily wouldn’t be permitted by his camp to work out for a team that picks so far away from where he’s predicted to be selected, but several sources informed the San Diego-based writer they think Mike McCoy, OC Frank Reich and others are in Oregon with the possibility of a draft-day trade in mind.

The Titans, however, have many needs and may not be able to bypass a potential young star at No. 2 overall, writes ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky. Despite drafting offensive linemen the past two first rounds, the Titans still need a right tackle after releasing Michael Oher one year after signing him. Needs also exist at running back and wideout. Kuharsky adds the team could release last season’s opening day starter, Shonn Greene, before this year begins.

NFL analysts also believe the Titans should not hesitate to draft Jameis Winston, should Mariota go No. 1 as ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski now believes he will, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean.

“The latest I’m hearing now from my sources around the league, who are pretty wired in, is that he’s going to go No. 1 now to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Jaworski said during an appearance on Philly Sports Talk.

“Mariota’s stock, remember it was quiet for a while, and there’s a reason for that. There’s a lull every year until about 30 days before the draft. Now the coaches get involved. Prior to that, it’s the scouts, it’s the roadies that are filling out the paper work. Now the coaches get involved. Now team owners get involved. Now general managers get involved. So you’re starting to see, in my opinion, Winston’s stock starting to slide a little bit and Mariota’s stock starting to go up a little bit.”

This obviously remains a fluid scenario between these two prospects and various would-be-affected veterans, but one that should continue to gain steam as the draft nears.

East Rumors: Mariota, Grayson, Flowers

April 13th, 2015 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the escalating derby to become the team that drafts Marcus Mariota second overall, the Jets may have the trump card, writes ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The sweepstakes featuring the Jets, Browns, Rams, Eagles, Bears, Chargers and Saints, according to Cimini, vying to vault into the Titans’ No. 2 spot may hinge on how far a team devoid of blue-chip talent will be to fall in the draft order.

The Jets pick the highest of these teams, but Cimini notes that the No. 2 overall slot is worth 2,600 points on the draft value chart, meaning the Jets would have to throw in not only their second-round selection this year (No. 37) but their first-rounder in 2016 to make the numbers match up. Cimini also notes the Chargers would be the favorite if they part with Philip Rivers. Washington should probably also be included among those interested, and it holds the No. 5 pick, which would make things interesting despite their complex Robert Griffin situation.

Other notes from the eastern divisions on Monday night …

Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson will work out for the Jets a few days before the draft, notes Cimini on Twitter. Grayson projects anywhere from being the No. 3 quarterback in the top-heavy class to a mid-round pick.
Ereck Flowers‘ flight log will expand further in the Eastern Time Zone soon when the Miami tackle visits the Giants, according to a Flowers interview with Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. The prospective first-round right tackle already visited or has meetings scheduled with the Browns, Panthers, Colts, Buccaneers and Jets.
Texas Southern’s Tray Walker worked out with the Patriots today and will visit the Rams on Tuesday, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net on Twitter.
Washington will host Nebraska guard Jake Cotton on Friday and Washington Huskies edge defender Andrew Hudson this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and NFL agent Brett Tessler, respectively (Twitter links).
Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk each of the roster’s four quarterbacks — EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel, Jeff Tuel and Tyrod Taylor — will receive first-team reps as they vie for the job. Although Cassel and Manuel are the frontrunners here, Florio notes Taylor, signed from the Ravens this offseason, is the only QB Rex Ryan‘s openly praised thus far.
The Eagles‘ infatuation with Oregon talents continues, kind of. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Eagles are categorizing Southeastern Louisiana signal-caller Bryan Bennett as a safety. Bennett played under Kelly at Oregon but transferred from Eugene when he lost a position battle with Mariota.

North Notes: Bears, Perriman, Draft, Peterson

April 13th, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As the Bears search for Brandon Marshall‘s replacement at receiver, they’ve brought in one of the top draft prospects at the position for a visit, meeting with UCF receiver Breshad Perriman today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Perriman, who posted a 4.25 40-time at his Pro Day, is fighting with Louisville’s Davante Parker to be the third receiver chosen behind Amari Cooper and Kevin White.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

The Steelers met with three prospects today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter), who says the club visited with Texas A&M tight end Cameron Clear, West Virginia guard Quinton Spain, and Auburn receiver Sammie Coates.
Having already brought in UAB return specialist J.J. Nelson for a visit, the Lions met with another special teamer/receiver — Utah’s Kaelin Clay — today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Though Adrian Peterson was in Minneapolis over the weekend, he did not meet with any Vikings officials, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
Rob Housler‘s one-year, $1.76MM deal with the Browns contains $750K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
Washington defensive end Andrew Hudson just wrapped a predraft visit with the Browns, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), and he’ll meet with the Buccaneers next.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Draft, Dolphins, Bills

April 13th, 2015 at 3:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets might be ready to move on from Geno Smith, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says the New York is taking a look at all the quarterback options available in the draft. The Jets like Florida State’s Jameis Winston, but the Buccaneers are expected to either select Winston, or ask for a “king’s ransom” to trade down, per Cole. As such, Gang Green is also interested in Marcus Mariota, Bryce Petty, and Garrett Grayson, among others, so it sounds like Smith might not be in the club’s 2015 plans.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

In addition to quarterbacks, the Jets are taking a look at receivers, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) reports that the club will have a predraft meeting with Arizona pass-catcher Austin Hill today.
Oregon tackle Jake Fisher is a candidate to be selected near the end of the first round, and he’ll meet with several teams in need of offensive line help, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Fisher has visits lined up with the Dolphins, Bengals, Saints, and Colts, per Garafolo.
With Marcell Dareus heading for free agency after the upcoming season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines whether the Bills could expend an early pick on a defensive tackle.

Cowboys Targeting Melvin Gordon In Draft

April 13th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing NFL Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray to the Eagles in free agency, the Cowboys are on the lookout for a replacement at running back. The addition of former Raider Darren McFadden notwithstanding, Dallas seems likely to add an RB via the draft, and according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon appears to be the club’s top target.

The Cowboys hold the 27th pick in the first round, so as Pauline suggests, they might need to trade up if they want to select Gordon. PFR’s Rob DiRe and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. both have Gordon going off the board to the Cardinals at pick No. 24, while Kiper’s colleague Todd McShay doesn’t have Gordon being drafted in the first round. But the general consensus seems to be that Gordon will be picked somewhere after the 20th pick, so to be safe, the Cowboys might need to move up, at least ahead of Arizona.

If Dallas wanted to move up to the 23rd pick (one spot ahead of Arizona), which is currently held by the Lions, they’d have to give up a mid-round selection to do so. Using Chase Stuart of Football Perspective’s draft pick calculator, the Cowboys would need to sacrifice a fifth-round pick to trade up to No. 23. Per Jimmy’s Johnson’s value chart, Dallas would probably need to trade either a third- or a fourth-round pick.

Gordon was the NCAA’s leading rusher in 2014, totaling more than 2,500 yards on the ground while scoring 29 touchdowns. He finished second to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in last year’s Heisman race.

NFC Notes: Edwards, Wilson, Saints, Vikes

April 13th, 2015 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys and Bears are among the teams to host Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards for a visit, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The timeline on Edwards’ visit to Dallas isn’t clear, but his trip to Chicago happened last week, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.

As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com details in a column today, Edwards is a prospect worth keeping an eye on — while most mock drafts don’t include him in the first round, he’s generating plenty of buzz among talent evaluators around the NFL. One tells La Canfora that “in this [not overly talented] draft, he’s definitely a first-rounder for me.”

Here are a few more items from around the NFC:

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a closer look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, forecasting how things might play out if Wilson and the Seahawks don’t reach a long-term contract agreement this year. As Florio outlines, the Seattle signal-caller could still do very well for himself if the team were to use the franchise tag multiple times to keep him under contract.
Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, and Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper are all visiting New Orleans today, as the Saints consider defensive options, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (Twitter link).
The Vikings have “clear interest” in North Dakota edge defender Kyle Emanuel, having observed him at his Pro Day and then later working him out privately, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
The Lions are hosting a Division II prospect, Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams, on a pre-draft visit today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday will pay a visit to Washington this week to meet with GM Scot McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden, a source confirms to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

King’s Latest: Gordon, Cards, Gregory, WRs

April 13th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Peter King of The MMQB.com leads off his Monday Morning Quarterback column this week by discussing Troy Polamalu‘s legacy, Hall-of-Fame-worthy safeties, and new referee Sarah Thomas, before he dives headfirst into the latest news and rumors on the draft. That section of King’s piece includes plenty of noteworthy tidbits, so let’s round up some of the highlights….

Melvin Gordon won’t get past the Ravens at No. 26, according to King. It would be a little surprising to see Baltimore nab a running back in the first round, with plenty of other holes on the roster, including a big one at wide receiver.
The Cardinals will “very seriously” consider a running back with the 24th overall pick.
Although Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test initially scared off some teams near the top of the draft, many of those clubs are feeling more comfortable with the Nebraska pass rusher after taking a closer look at him.
USC wideout Nelson Agholor, initially viewed as a late second-round pick, is moving up on draft boards, since teams think he can play inside or outside with equal effectiveness. Chip Kelly and the Eagles are known to like Agholor.
Multiple teams have Louisville receiver DeVante Parker as a top-10 player on their boards, says King.
According to King, UCF wideout Breshad Perriman is receiving serious consideration from at least two teams picking in the teens. Nearly all the teams with picks in that range – including the Saints, Dolphins, 49ers, and Browns – could use a wideout. In our first mock draft of the year, we had Perriman going to the Chiefs with the 18th overall pick.
The Rams and Chargers are both working out Marcus Mariota this week, and while King doesn’t expect St. Louis to trade up to land the Oregon quarterback, he isn’t 100% sure about San Diego. As King writes, the Chargers may simply be doing their due diligence in case Mariota slides down the first round, since it still seems “highly unlikely” that the team would trade Philip Rivers.

2015 NFL Draft News & Rumors