Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome was among NFL execs who were targeting Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin in the 2013 draft, as Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun writes.
“They definitely brought me in on a visit,” Austin said. “I met with the GM, a great guy. He had a plan for me, that they were going to draft me. They had a plan for me, for my whereabouts when I was in Baltimore and things like that. He’s a great guy, but coach ‘Fish’ pulled the trigger on me. That’s the guy I’m rolling with now.”
The Ravens never got the opportunity to take the explosive wide receiver, who was drafted No. 8 overall by St. Louis. Drafting at No. 32, the Ravens would go on to select Florida safety Matt Elam instead.
More from around the NFL:
- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is playing quite well as of late. In fact, he’s playing so well that it might just cost him his offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Bears OC Adam Gase was a hot name last offseason and his work with Cutler figures to keep his stock high again this time around. After starting the season 0-3, Cutler has led Chicago to a 4-2 record over the past six games.
- Now that the league is going to allow teams to deal compensatory picks, Nick Korte of Over The Cap wonders what kind of impact that could have going forward. Korte runs down a handful of ways that teams have been gaming the system in order to acquire more compensatory picks and wonders if the league will crack down on that now that those assets hold even more value.
- Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa told reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, that he is turning over a new leaf following his four-game suspension. Enunwa was suspended earlier this year for his role in a domestic violence situation.
Gase is undoubtedly an offensive innovator, having been present for Peyton Manning’s remarkable re-ascent and Cutler’s best season possibly since he left Denver. But he did interview with several teams this offseason, possibly calling the younger coach’s leadership qualities/various intangibles into question. Because he doesn’t really need to prove anything more as a play-caller.
I hesitate to call it “gaming the system” like Korte does. Acquiring compensatory picks is often a byproduct of good drafting, as teams that draft well simply can’t afford to hold on to all the players that come through their system. And allowing those players to walk in an effort to replace 80% of their production at 20% of the price is a legitimate strategy that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I would be very much opposed to the league attempting to hamstring that strategy now that the compensatory picks hold increased value.