2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Not Considering Myles Jack At No. 10

April 27th, 2016 at 8:49pm CST by Zachary Links

8:49pm: Some teams that are interested in Jack are thinking about having him sign an injury waiver, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets. In an entry on WalterFootball.com, Pauline details how such a waiver would work:

“Teams can start their due diligence now and see if Jack would accept such a request before deciding on whether or not they would draft him. The injury waiver would be a clause that waives any compensation for Jack if he injures or re-injures the knee in question. The teams in question would require this for their short or long term protection, but it should be noted that verbal agreements of this sort are non-binding,” Pauline writes.

The Saints at No. 12 are a team to watch if Jack slips, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.

7:37pm: The Giants are not considering linebacker Myles Jack with the No. 10 pick, sources tell Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The linebacker is considered to be one of the best talents in this year’s class, but the Giants have serious reservations about his medical situation.

“If the injury is so significant… It’s like school. F is bad and A is good. Anything in between… If it’s a C, there’s some risk,” Giants general manager Jerry Reese said last week when asked about draft prospects with medical concerns. “If there’s a D, there is a lot of risk, and if it’s an F, we’re not going to take them. It’s hard for us to take a D. We rarely take a D.”

The Giants reportedly like Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd and Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin, two players who are regarded as safer picks than Jack, at No. 10. According to Raanan, Floyd is the Giants’ preference at No. 10 and Conklin is viewed as the fallback option, provided that he is also available.

Jack missed most of the 2015 campaign thanks to a torn meniscus in his knee. Now, there is growing concern that Jack could require further surgery that could keep him off the field for part of the 2016 season.

News of the Giants shying away from Jack comes on the heels of the linebacker personally doing a poor job of selling himself in a conversation with Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter link):

“[The degenerative problems are] there, but it’s nothing extreme. Down the line, possibly I could have microfracture surgery – potentially. 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,” Jack said.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Anthony Davis Unlikely To Return To 49ers?

April 27th, 2016 at 7:08pm CST by Zachary Links

After more than a month of Twitter silence, Anthony Davis is causing a stir tonight. Moments ago, Davis tweeted [sic], “The 49ers should Draft an Offensive Tackle in the top 10. #NFLDraft2016.” After that, he took an even more direct shot at the 49ers:

“I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do,” Davis wrote (link).

In early January, Davis tweeted that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.” It seems that things have changed drastically in a few short months.

“Would you happily rent your body out to people that [B.S.] you and constantly try to manipulate you? I hope you’d stand up for yourself,” Davis tweeted.

Davis, 26, was San Francisco’s first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board 11th overall. Since then, he has started 71 games at right tackle for the team, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brian Hoyer To Sign After Draft

April 27th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent quarterback Brian Hoyer plans to wait to see how the draft plays out this week before choosing where to sign, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That means that Hoyer’s free agency will drag until next week.

Hoyer visited the Jets and Broncos earlier this month and there are reportedly “at least” half a dozen teams with interest in signing him. Both teams, of course, are currently scouring the market for quarterback options. The Broncos ID’d Colin Kaepernick as a target weeks ago, but talks with the 49ers are on hold after Kaepernick refused to take a drastic pay cut. The Jets, meanwhile, are at a standstill in their negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Gang Green is reportedly fixated on Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch and if they ultimately select him, that could cause both Hoyer and Fitzpatrick to lose out on a suitor.

Hoyer, 30, made nine starts and appeared in 11 total games for the Texans in 2015, and enjoyed his best season as a pro. The Michigan State product completed more than 60% of his passes, throwing for 2,606 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Houston went 5-4 in Hoyer’s starts, but he became expendable when the team went out and signed Brock Osweiler to a four-year, $72MM deal in free agency last month. The Texans released the veteran, though GM Rick Smith contends that he could have traded him for a draft pick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Lynch, Floyd, Giants

April 27th, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL GMs are dying to know where Paxton Lynch gets picked, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Some teams are hoping that he makes it to the 20s in order to facilitate a trade at their pick. Others are hopeful that he’ll go just outside the top 10, allowing a different player to fall to them. Overall, no one really has a clear understanding of where he might go.

“He could go anywhere from 12-to-31,” one GM posited.

While we wait to see what happens with Lynch on Thursday night, here’s a rundown of the latest NFL Draft rumors:

Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd is generating big buzz heading into the draft, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Floyd, he says, could be a candidate for the Jaguars at No. 5, the Buccaneers at No. 9, the Giants at No. 10, and the Bears at No. 11. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) says that he appears destined to go inside the top ten. Schrager (link) hears that a team with a top 10 pick scheduled a meeting with Floyd on Tuesday to get one last look.
Hours before the NFL Draft, former Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil is being sued by his stepfather over an alleged attack which took place last June, Daniel Paulling of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger writes. “I don’t know anything about it,” Tunsil said when asked by reporters on Wednesday. Tunsil is widely projected to be a top five pick.
Oregon wide receiver Byron Marshall visited the Ravens and worked out for the Cardinals and Eagles, Wilson tweets. Marshall suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss all but four games last season, but he is said to be healthy now. In 2014, Marshall cracked 1,000 receiving yards for the Ducks.
Air Force defensive end/outside linebacker Alex Hansen is drawing late interest from the Chargers, Eagles, Ravens, Texans, Broncos, Rams, and Lions, Wilson tweets.

Chiefs Shopping RB Knile Davis

April 27th, 2016 at 4:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are shopping running back Knile Davis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

Davis finds himself buried on Kansas City’s depth chart with Jaamal Charles, Charcandrick West, and Spencer Ware ahead of him on the depth chart. Late last month, West and Ware both inked brand new deals with KC that will keep them in the fold for the next two seasons.

Davis, meanwhile, reportedly requested a trade prior to the new deals for Charles’ primary backups. The Dolphins called the Chiefs about acquiring a running back in March and asked about all four tailbacks on KC’s depth chart, including Davis.

Davis was once listed as Charles’ primary backup, but he has since been leapfrogged by Ware and West. Last season, Davis’ main contribution came in the Wild Card playoffs when he opened up the contest against the Texans with a 106-yard kick return touchdown. In the regular season, Davis had just 28 total carries for 72 yards and one score. Over three seasons for the Chiefs, the former third-round pick has carried the ball 232 times for 777 yards, good for a 3.3 yards-per-carry average.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Rumors: Rams, Kaepernick, Broncos

April 27th, 2016 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams know who they’ll be selecting to kick off the 2016 NFL draft on Thursday night, but they won’t let that player know until it’s time to submit the card at No. 1, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes.

“We’ll get in touch with the player just before putting the card in,” said Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, whose team will pick either Cal quarterback Jared Goff or North Dakota State signal-caller Carson Wentz. “There’s only a few things better in life than this phone call, these phone calls that are going to take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It’s a great opportunity and we don’t want to deny our pick the opportunity to experience that.”

As we wait for the team to confirm which quarterback will become the new face of the franchise in Los Angeles, let’s round up some other Tuesday updates from out of the West divisions…

49ers general manager Trent Baalke continues to leave the door open for a possible Colin Kaepernick trade, but Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link) hears the Broncos are unlikely to make a move for Kaepernick before or during the draft. While it’s not out of the question, there have been “zero talks” recently, according to Klis.
For the second consecutive year, pre-draft trade rumors are swirling around Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd, who says he’s not worried about that talk at all. “I go into work, put my work in, watch film with my teammates and go about my day,” Floyd said of the trade speculation, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
Former Alabama edge defender Xzavier Dickson is working out today for the Seahawks, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Dickson was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 draft by the Patriots, but didn’t earn a spot on the team’s regular-season roster.
Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) adds the Chiefs to the list of teams that hosted Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for a pre-draft visit.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

South Notes: Saints, Falcons, Colts, Ward

April 27th, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis spoke to reporters today about his team’s draft plans, and took the opportunity to take a shot at one reporter who wasn’t involved in the presser. After Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested earlier this week that the Saints had a discussion about trading up to No. 1 before the Rams acquired the pick, Loomis said today that his club had “absolutely no conversations” with any teams at the top of the draft (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune). “Another miss by that reporter,” Loomis added.

It’s not the first time Loomis has been dismissive of a Rapoport report — last January, he asserted that Rapoport “has about a 30% accuracy rate if you pay attention to things he puts out there.” As I wrote when Rapoport first tweeted about the Saints’ talks for the No. 1 pick, it’s not clear whether he was suggesting the team actually spoke to the Titans about a deal, or simply had an internal discussion about the idea of moving up. Either way though, Loomis’ comments today confirm that New Orleans never seriously considered the possibility at all.

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFL’s South divisions…

Loomis did confirm today that the Saints were in the mix for Josh Norman before the standout cornerback ended up in Washington. “We made a strong offer,” the Saints GM said (Twitter link via Woodbery).
The Saints are considered likely to select a quarterback at some point in this draft, and Loomis didn’t dispute that notion, telling reporters that his team looks into QB prospects every year. “I don’t see [this year] as being dramatically different,” Loomis said (Twitter link via Woodbery).
While it remains to be seen which player the Falcons will draft in the first round, the team appears prepared to stand pat at No. 17, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who says the Falcons have no plans to trade down.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano had dinner with Illinois defensive lineman Jihad Ward last night, a source tells Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

Jets Rumors: Wilkerson, WRs, Lynch, Hackenberg

April 27th, 2016 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Ever since he received the franchise tag from the Jets nearly two months ago, defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has been considered a trade candidate, but with the draft right around the corner, there’s still no momentum toward a deal. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the club has fielded calls on Wilkerson, but there hasn’t been much action on that front.

At this point, a Wilkerson trade is considered unlikely, per Rapoport. That could always change — if a team misses out on its top defensive line target(s) on Thursday, perhaps that club puts a Friday pick on the table as part of a trade package for Wilkerson and the Jets like the offer. For now though, Gang Green is content to move forward with a very talented defender on the roster, says Rapoport.

Let’s check in on a few other draft-related Jets notes…

The Jets may be targeting a wide receiver in the first round, according to Rapoport, who tweets that TCU’s Josh Doctson and Notre Dame’s Will Fuller are among the names to watch. That would be a surprising direction for New York, since the club already has a solid receiving corps and has more significant question marks elsewhere.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com is hearing that the Jets have cooled on Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, suggesting that Lynch is “too boom-or-bust to take a chance in the first round.” Cimini believes it’s more likely that the club will target Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg on day two of the draft.
While the Jets would like to add an edge rusher, they may have to wait until the second round to address that spot, tweets Cimini, adding that Boise State’s Kamalei Correa is on the team’s radar.

Contract Details: Norman, Chester, Zuerlein

April 27th, 2016 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

All eyes in the NFL world this week are on Thursday’s draft, but a handful of free agents recently signed contracts with teams, and we’ve got some specific details on those deals, courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Let’s dive in…

Josh Norman, CB (Washington): Five years, $75MM. $15MM signing bonus. Salaries of $5MM (2016), $16.5MM (2017), $13.5MM (2018), $11MM (2019), and $12MM (2020). 2016 and 2017 salaries fully guaranteed. 2018 salary guaranteed for injury only (fully guaranteed if on roster fifth day of 2018 league year). $500K annually in workout bonuses from 2017 to 2020. Annual $200K workout base de-escalator (Twitter links).
Chris Chester, G (Falcons): One year, $2.35MM. $1.1MM base salary. $250K signing bonus. $1MM in total roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Greg Zuerlein, K (Rams): One year, $1.25MM. $850K base salary ($250K guaranted). $400K signing bonus. Up to $2.05MM in incentives for field goal percentage, 50-yard field goals (Twitter link).
Don Barclay, T (Packers): One year, $700K. $675K base salary. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link).

Draft Rumors: Spence, J. Smith, Rankins, Vikes

April 27th, 2016 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Eastern Kentucky edge defender Noah Spence, who had multiple positive drug tests during his time at Ohio State, sent each of the NFL’s 32 teams the results of the 20 drug tests he has taken since last May, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, Spence had Eastern Kentucky conduct five drug tests from May through December, then submitted to 15 more – one per week – since January.

In terms of pure on-field talent, Spence is viewed as one of the top pass rushers in this year’s draft class, but his off-field question marks may cause him to slip a little further than he’d like. Still, he continues to be viewed as a first-round pick, and receiving evidence that he has been clean for the last year may make some teams a little more inclined to roll the dice on him.

Here are a few more of today’s pre-draft rumors and updates:

Despite his significant knee injury, which is expected to sideline him for the entire 2016 season, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith is still viewed as a potential day-one or day-two pick, according to Adam Schefter (Twitter links). Schefter hears that Smith is likely to be selected before the end of round three, and one NFL head coach even believes the linebacker could come off the board late in the first round.
The buzz surrounding Louisville defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins has intensified today. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) both have heard that Rankins will be considered as early as No. 4 by the Cowboys, with La Canfora predicting that he’ll end up as a top-10 pick. Tony Pauline at WalterFootball.com has heard that the draft stocks for both Rankins and Mississippi State DT Chris Jones have risen, with teams seeking interior pass rushers.
Several NFL teams think Ohio State wideout Michael Thomas is being undervalued, and will transition well to the NFL, according to Tony Pauline, who says the Chargers and Bengals are among the teams with interest in Thomas. Pauline adds within the same article that the Vikings aren’t a lock to draft a receiver in round one, and will consider Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche if he’s available.
With Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley being mentioned in the same conversations as Laremy Tunsil recently, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk looks into whether or not the Tunsil/Stanley debate is real.
The NFL is considering Philadelphia and Los Angeles to host the 2017 NFL draft, with Philly emerging as the favorite, tweets Adam Schefter. As Schefter points out, neither of those cities’ teams has a first-round pick in 2017.
Purdue defensive tackle Ryan Watson has visited, worked out for, or received inquiries from eight teams since his pro day, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Zach Links contributed to this post.