2015 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

South Notes: Lewis, Wisniewski, Winston

April 6th, 2015 at 5:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Former kicker Lawrence Tynes has filed a lawsuit against the Buccaneers stemming from his contraction of MRSA at the team’s facilities a couple of years ago, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Tynes’ lawsuit alleges Bucs’ handling of the MRSA situation “ended his career and cost him over $20 million in expected future earnings” (link).

The Jaguars could create demand for Marcedes Lewis by converting some of his $6.65MM base salary into a bonus, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes. He adds that such a move would appear to be the best route for the Jaguars to acquire an extra late-round pick. Last month it was reported that the tight end was drawing trade interest. At the time, Jaguars GM David Caldwell told reporters that Lewis would “have to compete to be” with the Jaguars in 2015. Lewis, 31 in May, played in only eight games last season after suffering a high ankle sprain in September.
If the Titans signed Stefen Wisniewski, he’d compete with Brian Schwenke for the starting center job, and Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter) posits that he could find a more clear-cut starting job elsewhere.
The Buccaneers need to win quickly and that’s why Jameis Winston will likely be their No. 1 pick over Marcus Mariota, Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com writes. The Bucs have talked to more than 75 of Winston’s acquaintances while doing their homework. Before all is said and done, the ESPN.com scribe says that number could be closer to 100.

Draft Notes: Pats, Titans, Falcons, Bucs

April 6th, 2015 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s draft news..

Florida State offensive guard Tre Jackson told Rhett Lewis of NFL Network (on Twitter) that he’s had extended conversations with the Patriots and has a visit scheduled with them on April 12th. If the Patriots select Jackson, it would reunite him with center Bryan Stork, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter) notes. Stork was a former FSU notable and was a Pats fourth-round pick last year.
A source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter) that Oklahoma offensive tackle Daryl Williams is visiting the Titans today. The former four-star recruit was an All-Big 12 selection last season.
Boston College linebacker Josh Keyes worked out for the Falcons and Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder started every game last season at strongside linebacker and was named third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference as he recorded 63 tackles, 11.5 for losses and four sacks.
Memphis cornerback Bobby McCain had a private meeting with the Buccaneers, league sources tell Wilson. McCain previously had private workouts with the Patriots and Colts. The All-Conference USA selection is projected as a late-round draft pick.
FAU safety Damien Parms has pre-draft visits lined up with the Raiders and Cardinals, according to James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Broncos, Cowboys

April 5th, 2015 at 10:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some notes from around the NFL:

This offseason has been one to forget for Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has spent time in rehab and seen his future in Cleveland come into question since his rookie year ended. The latest blow comes from one of the Browns’ most respected players, offensive tackle Joe Thomas. The eight-time Pro Bowler said that Manziel “lost a lot of trust last year by the way he handled himself,” according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter).
With the hiring of Gary Kubiak as their head coach, the Broncos’ offense will feature a fullback for the first time since 2012, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. “My thing is that to be really effective in the running game, you have to run the fullback,” said general manager John Elway, per Renck. “We will have people in the fullback position.” As of now, the leading candidates for the job are Juwan Thompson and Joe Don Duncan.
The Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm profiled Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. Sturm sees Rowe a potential fit for the Cowboys in the upcoming draft, possibly as early as the first round. The Cowboys hold the 27th overall pick.
The Colts, Buccaneers, Packers and 49ers are the only four teams in the league with fewer than three quarterbacks, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. The Bucs are the sole member of the group without an established starter, which is likely to change in the draft. Tampa has the No. 1 overall pick, with which it could select either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. The other three squads are also candidates to draft QBs, albeit not in the first round.

Extra Points: Lions, Titans, Draft, Pats

April 5th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Let’s take a look at a handful of stories from around the NFL this evening:

Aside from acquiring Haloti Ngata, the Lions haven’t made any major headlines this offseason. They’re fine with that, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “We’re not out just reaching to grab anyone and high-fiving in March,” said Lions vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White, per Meinke. “We’re trying to find guys who selectively fit our profile, fit what the coaches need and we all get together and come up with a plan that we think will help the Detroit Lions.” Nevertheless, despite what team president Tom Lewand calls the organization’s “selectively aggressive” approach, Meinke notes that it still has several holes to fix. Left guard and running back lead the way.
Last year’s NFL draft featured a deep, star-studded receiving class that included the likes of Odell Beckham, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins and Kelvin Benjamin. This year’s class of wideouts could be nearly equal to the 2014 group in terms of both ability and depth, an AFC personnel executive told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. “Could see five or six going in the first round,” the exec said, “and at least a dozen in the first three rounds. It’s really deep again.”
ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky answered fans’ questions in a Titans mailbag. One of the Titans’ issues Kuharsky addressed is receiver, an area he thinks the team should prioritize in the draft because of its lack of playmakers.
Nik Beimler of WEEI.com profiled Hobart guard Ali Marpet, who could be a fit for the Patriots in the draft. Marpet is expected to be hear his name called in the second or third round.

West Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, 49ers, Cooper

April 5th, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already posted one set of items from the West, but there’s more news from the two divisions. Let’s dive in…

The Chargers were somewhat active in free agency, re-signing cornerback Brandon Flowers and tackle King Dunlap while adding guard Orlando Franklin and receivers Stevie Johnson and Jacoby Jones. But San Diego general manager Tom Telesco doesn’t believe external additions are the best way to build a roster. “You can’t makeover your team in free agency,” Telesco told Chargers.com (video link). “That’s been proven not to work. Very few impact players actually get to free agency. They are either re-signed by the original club, or they’re franchise tagged. That all being said, you can add some complementary pieces here and there, and we were able to do that.”
Stony Brook receiver Adrian Coxson has a visit with the Chiefs on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Coxson has also been invited to the local workout days hosted by the Giants and Jets.
A report last week indicated that the 49ers would look to trade up in the draft to select Alabama receiver Amari Cooper, but Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com views that scenario as unlikely. San Francisco also wanted to move up to get Odell Beckham Jr. last year, but 49ers GM Trent Baalke thought the cost was too prohibitive. This year, with even more holes on the roster, Maiocco doesn’t think the club can afford to sacrifice a haul of draft picks to acquire one player.

East Notes: Crabtree, Dolphins, Draft, Pats

April 5th, 2015 at 4:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Refuting an earlier report, Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post writes that a Dolphins team source has “emphatically” denied that the club ever offered free agent receiver Michael Crabtree a contract that neared $3MM in value. In fact, the source tells Abramson, financial specifics never even came up during Crabtree’s visit to South Beach. Given the disparity between the two reports, it seems there’s a bit of confusion about Crabtree’s meeting with Dolphins brass — but either way, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be joining Miami.

More notes from the East divisions:

The Dolphins hosted Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet for a visit last week, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Marpet, who is a projected mid-round pick, has also met with the Browns as part of the predraft process.
Another Division II prospect, Henderson State receiver Darius Davis, has a visit scheduled with the Cowboys, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who notes that Davis will meet with Dallas later this week. Per Wilson, Davis already met with the Raiders last week.
In response to a reader’s question, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes that he doesn’t believe either Pierre Garcon or Kirk Cousins is likely to be traded by Washington. Garcon, especially, could be hard to deal given his large base salaries, but any trade would likely occur after the draft after other teams assess their remaining needs, adds Tandler.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com rounds up a few Patriots notes, examining the contributions of rookies on last year’s roster and wondering if New England might draft a receiver later this month.

Dolphins Notes: Crabtree, Ridley, Gore, Skrine

April 5th, 2015 at 11:01am CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent receiver Michael Crabtree turned down approximately $3MM from the Dolphins, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who adds that Crabtree is seeking at least $4.5MM. We had heard that Miami was interested in the former 49er, and it appears as though they had serious enough interest to offer a contract. The 27-year-old Crabtree is reportedly in no rush to sign, but he will head to Oakland this week to meet with the Raiders.

Let’s check out some more Dolphins notes, all courtesy of Jackson…

Running back Stevan Ridley‘s visit with the Dolphins was simply “exploratory,” writes Jackson, but Miami has not ruled out signing the free agent. Ridley is coming off a torn ACL, so the club was presumably checking out his medicals.
Oklahoma defensive tackle prospect Jordan Phillips met with the Dolphins last week, reports Jackson, who points out that Miami probably isn’t in need on interior defensive line help given the presence of Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell, among others. Phillips ranks as the fifth-best available defensive tackle according to the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.
Miami showed “some interest” in running back Frank Gore, but not as much as some other clubs, Gore told Jackson. The 31-year-old Gore added that he would have liked to team with current Fin running back Lamar Miller, who like Gore is a University of Miami product.
One of the Dolphins’ top targets on defense was cornerback Buster Skrine, but the defensive back ultimately chose the Jets over Miami.

Draft Notes: Crowder, Gurley, Thompson

April 3rd, 2015 at 5:51pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at the latest draft news..

Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder worked out for the Texans today, a source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
A number of teams think former University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley will be selected before Melvin Gordon if his knee checks out, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. While some teams believe Gordon is likely to have a more significant immediate impact, they believe Gurley may be better in the long-term (link).
A respected evaluator told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) that he sees Gurley as the best tailback in the draft since Adrian Peterson.
Nine clubs have scheduled workouts or visits with University of Washington outside linebacker/safety Shaq Thompson, Rob Rang of CBSSports.com tweets. The Chargers, Falcons, Browns, Cowboys, Texans, Colts, Vikings, Eagles, and Panthers will all meet with the UW standout.
Possible first-round pick P.J. Williams is set up for a pre-draft visit with the Ravens despite recent legal troubles, write Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Florida State cornerback was arrested early this morning for driving under the influence.

West Draft Notes: Rams, Raiders, Chiefs

April 3rd, 2015 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams are focusing heavily on offensive lineman as they use their 30 allotted pre-draft visits, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch observes. According to Thomas (Twitter links), Pittsburgh offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he’d be visiting the Rams, and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson visited the team earlier this week. Here’s more draft news out of the AFC and NFC West..

Purdue tight end Gabe Holmes, who had a private workout last month with the Cardinals, paid a visit to the Raiders on Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Holmes projects as a potential late-round pick or undrafted free agent.
After being dismissed from Iowa State last year following charges for fifth-degree theft, disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief, defensive lineman David Irving is visiting the Chiefs, Raiders, and Seahawks, a league source tells Wilson. According to Wilson, Irving previously worked out for the Bears, Patriots, and Giants, as well as the Chiefs, Raiders, and Seahawks.
Miami of Ohio safety Harold Jones-Quartey is scheduled to visit the Chiefs next week, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

P.J. Williams Arrested For DUI

April 3rd, 2015 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Florida State draft prospect P.J. Williams was arrested early this morning in Leon County for driving under the influence, according to Albert Breer and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Williams is considered a top-five cornerback in this year’s draft.

Williams, 21, earned Defensive MVP honors in the BCS Championship game a year ago as a sophomore, logging seven tackles and an interception. He built on that performance in his junior year with the Seminoles, recording 60 tackles to go along with an interception, a forced fumble, and a sack. While he projects as a possible first-round pick based on his talent, this isn’t the first time Williams has run into trouble off the field.

Last October, Williams was involved in an early-morning car accident and fled the scene of the incident, leaving his wrecked vehicle in the street. Williams, who had been driving with a suspended license, received only a pair of traffic tickets rather than being charged with a hit and run. Police did not test him for alcohol.

Williams’ arrest today for DUI automatically places him in the NFL’s substance abuse program, and figures to hurt his draft stock. With teams becoming increasingly wary of players with off-field question marks, the young cornerback is extremely unlikely to be selected in the first round, and it figures to require a leap of faith for a team to even make him a second-day selection.

2015 NFL Draft News & Rumors