2015 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Acquire No. 246 Pick From 49ers

May 2nd, 2015 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have sent the 246th overall pick in the NFL draft to the Cowboys in exchange for Dallas’ 2016 sixth-round selection, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), the Cowboys used the pick to draft Texas tight end Geoff Swaim.

Prior to completing the deal, San Francisco had made nine picks in the draft and still had two more to go, so it makes sense that the team would be willing to move one of those selections for a 2016 pick. Without taking into account compensatory picks, the Niners already have nine selections lined up for next year, with an extra fifth-rounder and sixth-rounder in hand.

Jets Acquire Zac Stacy For No. 224 Pick

May 2nd, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Rams have traded running back Zac Stacy to the Jets in exchange for their seventh-round pick (No. 224), reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

Stacy requested a trade after the Rams selected Todd Gurley with the 10th-overall pick in the first round of the draft, as he became part of a crowded backfield that already featured Tre Mason and Benny Cunningham.

The Jets were already rumored to be interested in dealing for Stacy, and that came true with this move. The Rams used the pick to select Baylor linebacker Bryce Hager.

Stacy might not be happy with his new situation either, as he moves from one crowded backfield for another. The Jets already have Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley, and Bilal Powell, and Stacy will have his work cut out for him fighting for carries in that offense.

Eagles Notes: Mathis, Lions, Collins

May 2nd, 2015 at 4:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Before the draft, many fans and pundits expected the Eagles to be aggressive in moving up to try to get Marcus Mariota and other players in order to strengthen the roster, putting current players and future draft picks on the trading block in order to create packages to go after prospects they valued highly.

They did trade up once in the early rounds to select Eric Rowe, but actually leave the weekend without trading any players and actually managed to come away with an extra 2016 third-round pick after trading their fourth-round pick to the Lions.

Here are a few notes surrounding the Chip Kelly and the Eagles on trades and the NFL Draft:

Evan Mathis is one player who has been rumored to be available, but he remains an Eagle even if he has a strenuous relationship with his head coach. Kelly said that Mathis has been available for two years now, and no team has made an offer for him yet, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).
No offer may have been on the table, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Lions had some interest in Mathis before acquiring two guards in the first round (Laken Tomlinson at No. 28, and Manny Ramirez via trade from the Broncos).
Kelly also confirmed that controversial prospect La’el Collins was removed from the team’s draft board following his recent legal issues, despite his first-round talent, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).

NFC West Notes: Wilson, Irvin, Lee, Gunter

May 2nd, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Rob DiRe

Contract talks between the Seahawks and Russell Wilson are going “a little slow,” according to head coach Pete Carroll, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). They are talking, but are not progressing as fast as the two sides would like. Condotta writes that Adam Schefter of ESPN followed that news up by reporting that Wilson is looking for guaranteed money of a quarterback while the Seahawks are trying to sign him for less (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:

Condotta also points out that while Carroll says nothing is final about a possible extension for former first-round pick Bruce Irvin, but also says nothing to a report that the Seahawks would like to trade the young linebacker (via Twitter).
The 49ers have not asked punter Andy Lee to take a pay cut, but drafting Clemson punter Bradley Pinion in the fifth-round certainly puts his future with the team in question, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Cole notes that Lee is scheduled to make $2.05MM in base salary in 2015, suggesting the team could look to save some money at that position on the roster.
The Cardinals felt forced to trade up in the fourth round to select Delaware State’s Rodney Gunter, as they were convinced that another team drafting in that area was going to take their coveted defensive line prospect, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com (via Twitter).
After drafting Missouri receiver Bud Sasser in the sixth round, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes Rams have now gone with an offensive player in all six of their selections in the 2015 NFL Draft (via Twitter). They have taken three offensive linemen, a quarterback, and a running back to go along with Sasser so far, in hopes of building up an offense that has been far behind their stout defense the past few seasons. The last defensive player they have chosen was Michael Sam in the seventh round last year.

Saints Acquire No. 167 Pick From Washington

May 2nd, 2015 at 2:14pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Saints have moved back into the fifth round to pick No. 167, finding a trade partner in Washington, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). That No. 167 pick was originally owned by the Seahawks, who traded it to Washington as part of the package to move up into round three for Tyler Lockett.

The Saints have used that selection to continue to bolster their secondary by drafting cornerback Damian Swann out of Georgia, according to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter). The Saints had already added cornerback P.J. Williams out of Florida State in the third round.

Washington will receive a a sixth-round pick in this draft (No. 187) along with a sixth-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft to move back, according to Jones (via Twitter).

Draft Notes: Trades, Ekpre-Olomu, Ajayi, Bengals

May 2nd, 2015 at 2:00pm CST by Ben Levine

A few more notes on what we’ve seen from the draft so far:

The Jets curiously switched spots with the Jaguars to select quarterback Bryce Petty. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), the Jets made the move because the Browns had made an offer to the Jags for the same pick, presumably so Cleveland could select Petty. However, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal reports that the Browns were not targeting Petty with that selection (via Twitter). The Bengals also inquired about trading up for that pick, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The Packers made a pretty big leap to move up in the fifth round, where they targeted UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, switching spots in the round and giving up only a seventh-round pick to do so. When asked how the deal came together, Packers Director of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf says the Patriots initiated talks, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter).
Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu has dropped further in the NFL Draft than he would have liked due to an ACL injury he suffered in December, but the silver lining is that his insurance policy was triggered after he fell past the first picks of the third round, reports Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The policy cost Oregon $40,000, and should pay out $3 million in a loss of value policy, but Alper notes that Darren Rovell of ESPN writes that no player has ever successfully collected on a policy of this type.
The Dolphins added Jay Ajayi with a fifth-round pick, despite reports that the Boise State running back failed some teams’ physicals leading up to the NFL Draft, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Ajayi be a one-contract player due to the results of those physicals, according to Beasley.
The Bengals have now added two tight ends in the 2015 NFL Draft, in Tyler Kroft of Rutgers and C.J. Azumah of Auburn. They needed depth at that position behind Tyler Eifert, who is returning from injury this season, and those picks signify that former first-round pick Jermaine Gresham will not return, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

Colts Acquire No. 151 Pick From 49ers

May 2nd, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have traded up in the fifth round to No. 151, trading with the 49ers according to the team’s official Twitter account. The Colts will give up their fifth-round pick (No. 165) and a seventh-round pick (No. 244) in order to move up to that spot.

The Colts make the trade in order to select Stanford defensive tackle David Parry, reports Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com (via Twitter).

The team has made an effort to rebuild their defensive line this offseason by signing Kendall Langford. They also drafted Parry’s teammate on the defensive line Henry Anderson yesterday in round three. After losing in the AFC Championship game to a Patriots’ team that was able to run all over them, becoming more stout in the front seven was a priority for general manager Ryan Grigson.

Packers Acquire No. 147 Pick From Patriots

May 2nd, 2015 at 1:15pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Packers have moved up to No. 147, finding a trade partner with the Patriots, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

The Packers have used that pick to select UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

Hundley will slide in as a developmental backup for Aaron Rodgers. The UCLA passer was once thought of as a future superstar, but failed to developed despite impressive statistics in college. The Packers aren’t remotely looking to move on from their All-Pro passer, but Hundley does provide tremendous upside if he can improve his accuracy and decision making in the NFL.

The Packers could come away with a high-end backup in Hundley, who – if he develops properly – could be traded to a quarterback-needy team in a few years for a nice pick, while providing some injury insurance for Rodgers in the meantime. The 32-year-old Rodgers isn’t expected to retire anytime soon, but Hundley may be ready to be a Pro-Bowl talent at quarterback by the end of his rookie deal if he can overcome some of the weaknesses in his game.

In return for pick No. 147, the Patriots will receive a fifth rounder (No. 166) and a seventh rounder (No. 247) from Green Bay, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter).

Falcons Acquire No. 137 Pick From Vikings

May 2nd, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Ben Levine

The first pick of the fifth round has already traveled quite a distance, having previously been held by the Buccaneers and Bills. The Vikings were set to pick at No. 137, but according to Andrew Krammer of 1500ESPN (on Twitter), the team will be shipping that pick to the Falcons. In return, Minnesota will get a fifth-rounder (No. 146) and sixth-rounder (No. 185), according to Matt Vensel of The Minneapolis Star Tribune on Twitter.

Atlanta will select Clemson defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, according to Vaugh McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). NFL.com projected the defensive lineman to be selected in the second round.

Buccaneers Acquire No. 124 Pick From Raiders

May 2nd, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Ben Levine

For the second time today, the Raiders have moved down in the fourth round. Oakland will trade the No. 124 pick acquired from the Panthers to the Buccaneers, the Raiders announced on Twitter. In return, Oakland will receive a fourth round (No. 128) and seventh round (No. 218) selection.

With the pick, the Bucs will select LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander. The 20-year-old is the first defensive player selected by the Buccaneers since 2013, and it’s the first defender taken during Jason Licht and Lovie Smith‘s tenure.

2015 NFL Draft News & Rumors