2016 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars, Ravens Swap 36th, 38th Picks

April 29th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jaguars have acquired the 36th pick from the Ravens in exchange for Nos. 38 and 146, reports John Oehser of Jaguars.com (Twitter link). Jacksonville will select UCLA linebacker Myles Jack with the pick, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Jack was expected to go early in the first round, perhaps as high as No. 5 to the Jags, but concerns over his knee led to his stock dropping. Jack suffered a torn meniscus early last season and subsequently underwent surgery. There were questions as to whether Jack would need microfracture surgery at some point, but renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews told him today that he does not require the procedure, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Jack will now become the most talented member of a Jags linebacker corps that features Paul Posluszny, Dan Skuta and Telvin Smith. He’s the latest big-time pickup for a defense that added first-round cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Thursday and nabbed accomplished free agents in Malik Jackson, Tashaun Gipson and Prince Amukamara earlier this offseason.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Bradford, Kaepernick

April 29th, 2016 at 5:29pm CST by Luke Adams

There were indications earlier today that the Cowboys were exploring a possible move up to No. 32, but it doesn’t appear that will happen. The team’s executive VP, Stephen Jones, told reporters, including Todd Archer of ESPN.com, that Dallas isn’t moving up from No. 34 — the club will either stand pat or move down.

Assuming they stay at No. 34, the Cowboys will be targeting a defensive player, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), there are two players left on the team’s board with first-round grades, so perhaps the Cowboys will move down if those two players are selected by the teams ahead of them. Moore adds (via Twitter) that Jones expects the remainder of Dallas’ draft to be heavy on defense, with perhaps a quarterback and an interior offensive lineman mixed in.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Quarterback Sam Bradford has not responded to anyone from the Eagles organization, including the team’s coaches, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link via 97.5 The Fanatic). The Eagles’ brass has indicated it won’t honor Bradford’s trade request, so the two sides may have to mend some fences at some point.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the 49ers currently have no plans to release quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose odds of being traded took a significant hit when Denver drafted Paxton Lynch on Thursday. While San Francisco may prefer not to pay Kaepernick’s full salary, the team appears willing to do so, with no pay cut imminent. Considering the Niners still have $50MM+ in cap room for 2016, they can certainly afford to carry Kaepernick’s contract.
The Lions believe that Taylor Decker was one of the most versatile tackles in this year’s class, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. “We’re going to put him in the mix with the rest of the tackles on the roster and see who the players are at the right position,” GM Bob Quinn said. “We’re not going to pinpoint him now or until we’re ready to play a game, at what position, what side of the ball. He is a tackle, so he’ll either be right tackle or left tackle and that’s really to be determined.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants

April 29th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s the latest from Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com entering the second day of the draft:

After the Dolphins used the 13th pick on Laremy Tunsil, they called veteran left tackle Branden Albert and assured him he’ll remain at his current position and Tunsil will play left guard.
The Cowboys “covet” Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah going into the second round, per Pauline, who dismisses the idea that they’re instead after Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa or Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence. Dallas holds the 34th selection but could end up moving down, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones (link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is unlikely to get past the Chiefs at No. 37, reports Pauline.
The Giants are targeting offensive linemen and safeties entering Day 2, meaning Clemson safety T.J. Green could be a fit for the team at No. 40. Like Big Blue, the Steelers and Vikings are also eyeing safeties.

Draft Rumors: Day 2, Ragland, Ravens, Cowboys

April 29th, 2016 at 4:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The consensus from evaluators is that there are more talented players still available today than they had anticipated, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That means that we could see a lot of trade activity take place early on in the second round. Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Browns, Titans, and Cowboys, who hold the first three picks of the second round, are all getting phone calls about possible trades.

Here are a few more draft updates and rumors, with the second round less than two hours from getting underway:

Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link) surveyed 11 teams about linebacker Reggie Ragland‘s enlarged aorta and none of those clubs expressed concern. Ragland, he adds, is still expected to come off the board early on in tonight’s proceedings.
Reports last night suggested that the Ravens and Cowboys discussed a trade involving the fourth and sixth overall picks, but Dallas balked because Baltimore would have selected running back Ezekiel Elliott. Per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Ravens actually wanted to move up for defensive back Jalen Ramsey. However, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets that the Cowboys believed the Ravens were eyeing Elliott, and didn’t want to miss out on both Elliott and Ramsey by sliding down two spots.
Agent Jimmy Sexton helped to stop Laremy Tunsil‘s slide on Thursday night by having his client call into war rooms and talk to team decision makers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. In those conversations, Tunsil owned the past drug use shown in the video.
Here’s a fun fact from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter): Chip Kelly’s NFL teams have used 11 of their 23 picks on Pac-12 players, the most picks from a single conference by any head coach in that time. The 49ers, of course, used their two first-round picks last night on Oregon’s DeForest Buckner and Stanford guard Joshua Garnett.
The Cardinals, Panthers, Falcons, and Seahawks are keeping their eyes peeled today for a backup quarterback, Ian Rapoport tweets.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

West Rumors: 49ers, Davis, Tunsil, Broncos

April 29th, 2016 at 2:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the West divisions:

Anthony Davis’ hammered the 49ers on Twitter this week but general manager Trent Baalke says he’s not losing sleep over what transpired. “There’s no decision to be made,” Baalke said when asked if the team has made a decision about his status (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “Right now, he’s not in the National Football League. He’s retired. So there’s no reason to even speculate on what we’re going to do or what we might do. “He’s got to be reinstated into the league and that’s a process that takes some time. He doesn’t put in and a day later he’s reinstated. There’s a process that he has to go through.”
Baltimore says that the Laremy Tunsil video didn’t affect their draft decision, but 49ers GM Trent Baalke admits that it was a factor. “Well, I think every team is aware of the video,” Baalke said (via Maiocco). “We factor in everything. So whether you get that information late in the process or you get it early in the process, it’s all factored in.” After nabbing a defensive lineman at No. 7, the 49ers could target an offensive tackle with their next pick.
Broncos GM John Elway told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he’s happy about the way his quarterback search turned out. “Do I have any regrets about this whole thing?” Elway said. “No. We’re thrilled to have ended up where we are, with Paxton. If you had said to me, ‘Here are your four options,’ and you named the four we just went through, this is the one we’d take. We think Paxton [Lynch], long-term, is a perfect fit for our offense.” Elway also indicated that he’s comfortable with having Mark Sanchez start the season while Lynch makes his transition to the next level.
Elway also told King that the Eagles were asking “way too much” for Sam Bradford when the Broncos reached out to the Eagles.

Myles Jack Does Not Need Microfracture Surgery

April 29th, 2016 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Myles Jack went undrafted in the first round due to concerns over his injured knee. As we approach the second round, teams might now have enough peace of mind to pull the trigger on the highly-talented UCLA product. Dr. James Andrews told Jack today that he does not need micro-fracture surgery, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dr. Andrews, one of the nation’s foremost surgeons for athletes, also examined Jack back in December.

Jack missed most of the 2015 campaign thanks to a torn meniscus in his knee. In recent weeks, there were whispers that Jack required further surgery that could keep him off the field for part of the 2016 season. Now, it appears that will not be the case.

“[The degenerative problems are] there, but it’s nothing extreme. Down the line, possibly I could have microfracture surgery – potentially,” Jack told a reporter on Wednesday, possibly causing some alarm amongst NFL decision-makers. “Who knows what will happen? Nobody knows how long anybody is going to play in this league. To play three years in this league would be above average.”

The Cowboys are one team near the top of the draft that will apparently not consider Jack, but other teams will surely look to land the linebacker who was considered to be a top-15 player just one month ago. A Jaguars source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that the team will not trade up to get Jack, but they might be willing to draft him at some point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys Looking To Trade Up To Browns At No. 32?

April 29th, 2016 at 2:05pm CST by Zachary Links

2:05pm: The Cowboys are now unlikely to move up from pick No. 34, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Owner Jerry Jones feels that there are still multiple players on the board with first-round grades.

11:19am: The Cowboys are looking to trade up to grab the Browns’ No. 32 pick, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The likely target is a pass-rusher, he adds.

It is not immediately clear as to who Dallas is looking to select. One player we know that Dallas will not select is UCLA linebacker Myles Jack. Jack has not been removed from the Cowboys’ board, sources tell David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, but they have determined that the risk of taking Jack with the third pick of the second round is too high to warrant his selection at No. 34 if he’s still available.

“Since we’re third, we want to be a little cautious about where we show our interest here,” owner Jerry Jones said late Thursday evening when asked specifically about Jack.

If a pass rusher is what the Cowboys are after, then they could select from a group that includes Clemson’s Kevin Dodd and Oklahoma State’s Emmanuel Ogbah. Kamalei Correa (Boise State) and Jihad Ward (Illinois) are also still on the board heading into Day 2.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Texans Wanted Karl Joseph

April 29th, 2016 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans were extremely high on West Virginia safety Karl Joseph and wanted to find a way to grab him last night, according to sources who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. However, the Raiders beat Houston to the punch when they selected Joseph with the No. 14 overall pick. Ultimately, the Texans wound up moving from No. 22 to No. 21 and selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller.

Leading up to the draft, it was widely reported that Joseph would be taken in the first round, despite a torn ACL he suffered in 2015. Joseph had strong grades from talent evaluators, but few expected the WVU product to go so high in the draft. When the Raiders snagged the safety at No. 14, they likely disappointed a handful of other teams in addition to the Texans.

Joseph may miss the first few weeks of the 2016 season as he rehabs from his injury, but the Raiders certainly won’t mind waiting. In 2014, Joseph’s last full season, the safety racked up 82 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, one interception, three pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.

If the Texans are still thinking safety, players like Vonn Bell (Ohio State), T.J. Green (Clemson), and Darian Thompson (Boise State) could be considerations in Day 2 of the draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Ravens, Tunsil, Jack, Panthers

April 29th, 2016 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome claims that the team preferred Ronnie Stanley over Laremy Tunsil, even before the leak of Tunsil’s now infamous video.

“The thing that I’m so proud of, . . . our scouts get a lot of information,” Newsome said, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. “When things happen, a lot of the times we’re not surprised. We took the best player, the player that was rated the highest on the board at that point. I cannot neglect the importance of the work that our scouts do in the fall and in the spring getting information for us.”

More draft rumors from around the NFL:

The Panthers had UCLA linebacker Myles Jack on their draft board when they selected at No. 30, but the knee injury kept them from taking him, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. “Very frankly, the kid came out and said he is going to need microfracture (surgery),” GM Dave Gettleman said. Earlier today we learned that the Cowboys are not considering Jack with their early second round selection.
At least one team strongly considered drafting Jack late in the first round, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweets. However, that team couldn’t get over the knee issue and the risk factor involved with taking the UCLA linebacker so early.
The Browns didn’t attempt to trade up late in first round last night for Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, a source familiar with the situation told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter).

Chiefs Tried To Trade Up For Laquon Treadwell

April 29th, 2016 at 10:23am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs tried to trade up to get wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter). After the Ole Miss product went to the Vikings at No. 23, the Chiefs traded out of the first round.

It appears that the Chiefs were fixated on taking Treadwell with the No. 28 pick and when he was gone, they were content with converting that selection into a second-round pick (No. 37), a fourth-round pick (No. 105), a sixth-round pick (No. 178), and a seventh-round pick (No. 249) from the 49ers. At the time of the deal, some speculated that the Chiefs were trading out because they had missed out on Paxton Lynch, who went to the Broncos at No. 26.

The first round also saw fellow wide receivers Corey Coleman (Browns), Wil Fuller (Texans), Josh Doctson (Washington), and Treadwell come off the board. If the Chiefs are still thinking wide receiver, they could look into the likes of Ohio State’s Michael Thomas (widely regarded as the best WR left), Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard, South Carolina’s Pharoh Cooper, Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins, and PIttsburgh product Tyler Boyd.

Treadwell, was widely projected as a top-15 pick before a slow 40-yard dash time and other concerns about his game hurt his draft stock.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2016 NFL Draft News & Rumors