2016 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Acquire 86th Pick From Vikings

April 29th, 2016 at 10:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

10:07pm: If the Dolphins get a fourth-round compensatory pick next year, they’ll be able to send that to the Vikings, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

9:44pm: The Dolphins have acquired the 86th pick from the Vikings and selected Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo, according to Jenna Laine (Twitter link). In return, the Vikings will receive a sixth-rounder (No. 186) from Miami this year and two selections in 2017 – a third- and fourth-rounder – per Tom Gower of Football Outsiders (Twitter link).

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Carroo had a strong three-year career at Rutgers, where he caught 122 passes, averaged 19.5 yards per reception and hauled in 29 touchdowns. He’ll join a Dolphins receiving corps that lost Rishard Matthews in free agency, but has the solid trio of Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills in place.

Panthers Acquire 77th Pick From Browns

April 29th, 2016 at 9:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Panthers have acquired the 77th pick from the Browns, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), and have chosen West Virginia defensive back Daryl Worley, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. In addition to No. 77, the Panthers received the 141st choice in exchange for Nos. 93, 129 and 168, per Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). The 77th selection has changed hands multiple times, with Detroit previously sending it to Philadelphia and then the Eagles trading it to the Browns.

Worley was a playmaker at West Virginia, where he picked off 10 passes during his three-year college career, including a personal-best six last season. Along with free agent pickup Brandon Boykin and second-rounder James Bradberry, Worley’s presence in Carolina should help to fill the void left by star cornerback Josh Norman, whom the team pulled the franchise tag from last week. Norman went on to sign with Washington.

Saints Acquire 61st Pick From Patriots

April 29th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints acquired the 61st pick from the Patriots in exchange for Nos. 78 and 112, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). New Orleans then selected Ohio State safety Vonn Bell. The Patriots, meanwhile, now have three third-round picks.

Bell will join a a Saints defense that allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL last season and hauled in just nine interceptions. Bell picked off nine passes himself during his three-year tenure with the Buckeyes and should play a prominent role in New Orleans’ defensive backfield.

Buccaneers Acquire 59th Pick From Chiefs

April 29th, 2016 at 8:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Buccaneers have acquired the 59th selection from the Chiefs, tweets Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. In return, the Chiefs will land the 74th and 106th picks, according to the NFL Network. Surprisingly, the Bucs will choose Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Aguayo is the highest-drafted kicker since the Jets used a second-rounder on Mike Nugent in 2005. The Buccaneers had the third-worst field goal percentage in the NFL last season at 72.5 percent and finished toward the bottom in extra-point success rate (91.5%), so upgrading was in order on paper. However, after the team replaced Kyle Brindza with Connor Barth in October, its kicking performance improved significantly. Barth hit 23 of 28 field goals and only missed one extra point on 26 attempts.

Aguayo missed nine kicks during his three-year college career, though five of those came last year on 26 tries. During his best season, 2013, he nailed 21 of 22 field goals, won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best kicker, and earned first-team All-America honors.

Texans Acquire No. 50 Pick From Falcons

April 29th, 2016 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have moved up two spots in the draft, acquiring the 50th overall pick from the Falcons, tweets Jenna Laine. Upon moving from No. 52 to No. 50, the Texans selected Notre Dame center Nick Martin, according to Laine (Twitter link). In addition to receiving the 52nd pick, the Falcons acquired No. 195, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).

For the Texans, the addition of Martin should help make up for the loss of Ben Jones in free agency. Jones started 32 straight regular-season games for the Jets the previous two years before signing with the division-rival Titans. The Texans certainly hope Nick Martin will be anywhere near as effective as his brother, Cowboys two-time Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin.

Seahawks Acquire No. 49 Pick From Bears

April 29th, 2016 at 7:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears fans at the draft in Chicago will have to continue waiting for their team to make a pick. The Bears have moved down again, sending the No. 49 pick to the Seahawks, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).

Chicago will move down to No. 56, and will acquire Seattle’s fourth-round pick (No. 124) as well, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. On the other side of the deal, the Seahawks have used their newly-acquired 49th overall pick to snag Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed.

Reed, one of the best run-stuffers in this year’s class, should help fill the void left when longtime Seahawk Brandon Mebane left for San Diego in free agency. He’ll join Ahtyba Rubin, Jordan Hill and fellow newcomer Sealver Siliga in the Seahawks’ D-tackle rotation.

Packers Acquire 48th Pick From Colts

April 29th, 2016 at 7:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Packers have acquired the 48th overall pick from the Colts, reports Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). In return, the Colts will get three choices this year from the Packers – a second-rounder (No. 57), fourth-rounder (No. 125) and seventh-rounder (No. 248) – according to Mike Chappell of FOX59 (Twitter link). The Packers selected Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs with their newly acquired pick.

Spriggs started 46 games for Indiana and could be the long-term solution at left tackle for the Packers, whose current starter – David Bakhtiari – is a year away from free agency. General manager Ted Thompson isn’t one to give away draft picks, so moving multiple selections for Spriggs is a significant vote of confidence in the young lineman.

Draft Rumors: Jack, Bills, Cowboys, Bears

April 29th, 2016 at 7:22pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Had the Jaguars traded down from No. 5 in the first round into the teens, they might have taken UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, according to general manager David Caldwell (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com). The Jags stayed at fifth overall and selected Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, and they still ended up with Jack in the second round (36th overall). Jack, who’s recovering from a knee injury, took out a pre-draft insurance policy on himself, though he won’t collect any money from it because it wasn’t scheduled to kick in until the 45th pick, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN (Twitter link via Schefter).

Here’s more of the latest from the draft:

Bills general manager Doug Whaley contacted every team picking before Buffalo in the second round in an effort to trade up for Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, he said (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Whaley ultimately did move up and grab Ragland after sending the Bills’ second-rounder (No. 49) and a fourth-rounder in each of the next two drafts to the Bears for the 41st choice.
Speaking of the Bears, they nearly had a deal to acquire the Cowboys’ second-rounder, No. 34 overall. Talks fell apart, though, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), and the Cowboys ended up using the pick on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith.
As a result of the knee injury he suffered in January, Smith took out on a $5MM insurance policy on himself before the draft and will now collect an estimated $900K in tax-free payment, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Cowboys have fielded trade inquiries on veteran offensive lineman Ronald Leary, but they’re not inclined to give him away for an underwhelming return, said executive vice president Stephen Jones. The Cowboys would rather keep Leary, leave him inactive all year, and get a compensatory pick for him next year when he leaves in free agency (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Leary, a four-year veteran, signed his second-round restricted free agent tender with the Cowboys on Thursday.

Bills Acquire 41st Pick From Bears

April 29th, 2016 at 6:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have acquired the 41st overall pick from the Bears, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets. In exchange, the Bears will receive three picks – second- and fourth-rounders (Nos. 49 and 117) this year and a fourth in 2017 – reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter). The Bills will select Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland with the pick.

Ragland, who slipped from potential first-round status, figures to lead a Bills linebacker corps that was unspectacular last season and has since lost Nigel Bradham in free agency. He’ll join Manny Lawson, Preston Brown and offseason signing Zach Brown as prominent members of the group. Along with Clemson edge rusher Shaq Lawson, Ragland is the second significant addition to the Bills’ defense in the first two rounds of this year’s draft.

Dolphins Acquire 38th Pick From Ravens

April 29th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Dolphins have acquired the 38th pick from the Ravens in exchange for Nos. 42 and and 107, Baltimore announced on Twitter. The Dolphins will select Baylor cornerback Xavien Howard, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). This represents the second time the Ravens have moved down tonight, as they previously sent the 36th pick to the Jaguars for the 38th and 146th choices.

Howard is the third notable offseason addition to a Dolphins secondary that struggled against the pass last year, joining fellow corner Byron Maxwell and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus.

2016 NFL Draft News & Rumors