2016 April - Pro Football Rumors

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.

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.

Broncos Out On Hoyer; Three Teams Have Made Offers

April 29th, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

On the heels of selecting Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch with the 26th pick in the draft, the Broncos informed free agent Brian Hoyer on Friday that they won’t be signing him, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The Broncos will instead go forth with their current signal-calling trio that consists of veteran starter Mark Sanchez, Lynch and second-year man Trevor Siemian.

General manager John Elway doesn’t currently intend to add any more QBs because he doesn’t want to take reps from any of Sanchez, Lynch or Siemian. Further, team brass is confident that Sanchez is a good fit for head coach Gary Kubiak‘s West Coast offense. Sanchez, whom the Broncos acquired last month from the Eagles for a conditional pick, has struggled mightily since going fifth overall to the Jets in the 2009 draft. However, he was part of two Jets teams whose strong defenses helped lead them to back-to-back AFC title games. The Broncos, of course, won the Super Bowl last season on the strength of their all-world defense and figure to continue stymieing opposing offenses next season.

Prior to adding Lynch, the Broncos visited with Hoyer shortly after the Texans released him this month. They wanted to sign Hoyer as of last week, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link), but Thursday’s developments obviously changed that. Hoyer has offers to serve as a backup with the Steelers, Cowboys and Bears, per Renck, and will decide his next team soon. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune corroborated Renck’s report that the Bears are in on Hoyer (via Twitter).

The 30-year-old Hoyer made 11 appearances (nine starts) for the Texans in 2015 and enjoyed his best season as a pro. The Michigan State product completed more than 60 percent of his passes and racked up 2,606 yards, 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The AFC South-winning Texans went 5-4 in Hoyer’s starts, but his horrible first-round playoff showing (four interceptions in a 30-0 loss to Kansas City) helped lead to the signing of ex-Bronco Brock Osweiler, thus sealing Hoyer’s fate in Houston.

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.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/29/16

April 29th, 2016 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

In advance of day two of the 2016 NFL draft getting underway, here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the league:

The Panthers opened the 2016 league year with only two defensive tackles under contract, but have been active in adding depth at the position in recent weeks. The latest addition to the team’s defensive line is Robert Thomas, who was cut by the Dolphins on Thursday — Carolina claimed him off waivers today, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Linebacker A.J. Tarpley, who announced earlier in April that he has decided to retire due to concussion concerns, was officially waived by the Bills today, along with tight end Jacob Maxwell, the team announced (via Twitter).
At the start of the week, the Browns announced that they had signed wide receiver Saalim Hakim. However, Hakim’s stint in Cleveland was short-lived. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes, the Browns cut Hakim from their roster today.
Perhaps clearing room to add a few extra undrafted free agents at the conclusion of the draft, the Buccaneers announced today that they’ve waived eight players from their 90-man roster. The players receiving their walking papers are as follows: wide receiver Andre Davis, linebacker Darius Eubanks, guard Antoine Everett, safety Gerod Holliman, defensive tackle Derrick Lott, safety Kimario McFadden, linebacker Jermauria Rasco and cornerback C.J. Roberts.