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2017 NFL Draft News & Rumors

AFC Notes: Raiders, Dolphins, Jaguars

April 17th, 2017 at 5:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr isn’t signed beyond next season, but it doesn’t appear he’ll go into 2017 without long-term security. Carr’s agent, Tim Younger, and Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie have been discussing an extension “for months,” Carr told reporters Monday. Those talks have been “super positive,” added Carr, who hopes a deal comes together by training camp (Twitter links via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). Carr, who tossed 28 touchdowns and six interceptions last season to help the Raiders break their 14-year playoff drought, is in line to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid signal-callers.

More from Oakland and two other AFC cities:

  • The fact that wide receiver Jarvis Landry was on hand for the start of the Dolphins’ voluntary program Monday bodes well for his chances of receiving an extension because it shows that he’s committed to the team, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins entered the offseason planning to extend Landry, and Salguero relays that his agent and the club have since spoken “at least a dozen times on the matter.” A new deal would make the 24-year-old Landry the Dolphins’ richest wideout – surpassing Kenny Stills‘ four-year, $32MM contract ($20MM guaranteed) – and could materialize by June, per Salguero.
  • Newly acquired Jaguars left tackle Branden Albert is holding out of team activities in hopes of landing a new contract, but Joel Corry of CBS Sports doubts he’ll stay away for much longer. Albert would lose $40K for each day of training camp missed, and the Jaguars will have the ability to recoup his signing bonus if his holdout lasts long enough. Should Jacksonville trade Albert, the acquiring team would receive those recoupment rights (Twitter links).
  • Houston edge rusher Tyus Bowser is currently visiting the Raiders, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Bowser, who racked up 22.5 sacks during his 43-game college career, could pique the Raiders’ interest in the first round, in which they’re slated to pick 24th.
  • The Jaguars hosted Temple edge defender Haason Reddick on Monday, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who wonders if Reddick’s stock has risen enough that he could be a top five pick. Jacksonville’s set to select fourth overall, though it could simply be doing its due diligence on Reddick and hoping he falls to No. 35 (the Jags’ second-rounder).

49ers, Bears, Jets Eager To Trade Down

April 17th, 2017 at 3:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers, Bears, and Jets are the clubs holding top-10 draft picks that would most like to trade down, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The problem, per King, is that few teams are interested in trading up in a draft that’s considered deep, but not necessarily stocked with elite talents.NFL Draft Generic Logo (Vertical)

San Francisco, particularly, is in a tricky spot at No. 2, as King writes. Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett is considered the best prospect in this year’s class, but the second-rated player varies depending on team. Solomon Thomas, Malik Hooker, Jamal Adams, Leonard Fournette, Jonathan Allen, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, Reuben Foster, Christian McCaffrey, and O.J. Howard could all claim the title as the second-best player of 2017, so convincing rival clubs to trade up to No. 2 overall is difficult.

Not mentioned in that list of players is the 2017 quarterback class, where top-end options include Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, and DeShone Kizer. The 49ers, Bears, and Jets could all use help under center, and each of those teams may believe they can move down in the first round and still acquire a long-term signal-caller. San Francisco, specifically, is known to be willing to deal its first-round pick.

The Browns, meanwhile, may want to trade back up after likely selecting Garrett first overall. Although it sounds as though King is speculating rather than reporting, Cleveland could be willing to use its stockpile of draft picks to move up from No. 12, perhaps leaping all the way to No. 2 in order to secure a long-term quarterback option.

Cal QB Davis Webb Visiting Chiefs, Jets

April 17th, 2017 at 12:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cal quarterback Davis Webb will take the last of his predraft visits this week, as he’ll meet with the Chiefs on Monday and the Jets on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).Davis Webb (Vertical)

[RELATED: PFR’s 2017 Mock Draft]

Webb has bandied about as a potential first-round pick, but it’s extremely unlikely the Jets would use the No. 6 selection to tab Webb. New York certainly has issues at quarterback, but if Gang Green drafts a quarterback early, they’d almost surely go for one of Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, or Patrick Mahomes. Webb, then, could be an option in Round 2, or at the back end of Round 1 if the Jets trade back into the first round to ensure a fifth-year option.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, have been linked to quarterback upgrades throughout the offseason, Chiefs management has been adamant that Alex Smith is the club’s quarterback for 2017. That doesn’t mean Kansas City won’t target a long-term successor in the draft, and Webb would be an option if he’s still on the board at No. 27.

Webb, 22, transferred to Cal from Texas Tech after losing out on the Red Raiders’ starting job to Mahomes. In his only season with the Bears, Webb completed 61.6% of his passes for 4,295 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

Christian McCaffrey Received First-Round Guarantee?

April 17th, 2017 at 11:56am CST by Dallas Robinson

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey has reportedly received a guarantee from a club with a draft pick in the teens that they will select him if he’s still on the board, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com.Christian McCaffrey (Featured)

Speculatively, the list of teams that currently own a first-round pick between No. 11 and No. 19 and could use a running back include the Saints, Browns, Eagles, Colts, Ravens, Redskins, and Buccaneers. But McCaffrey might not even be available at that point in the draft, as one report has indicated McCaffrey is likely to be a top-ten selection. The Panthers, specifically, have been linked to McCaffrey at No. 8, and the Cardinal back recently visited Carolina. For what it’s worth, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said no spot is “too high” to draft a running back.

Interestingly, McCaffrey has chosen not to workout for any teams during the predraft process, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While he’s clearly met with clubs, McCaffrey is declining to run through physical workouts, presumably with the intention of avoiding injury. No NFL personnel have demonstrated a concern about McCaffrey’s position on the issue, per Florio. Notably, McCaffrey sat out Stanford’s bowl game in order to alleviate injury risk.

McCaffrey, who won’t turn 21 years old until June, broke out as a sophomore in 2015, averaging six yards per rush while totaling nearly 2,700 yards from scrimmage. For that performance, McCaffrey earned consensus All-American honors, was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and finished second to Alabama’s Derrick Henry in Heisman voting. Last year, McCaffrey ranked first in the nation in all-purpose yards per game, and ninth in rushing yards.

Cardinals, Texans, Bears Interested In Patrick Mahomes

April 17th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by Dallas Robinson

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the more divisive prospects in the 2017 draft. While he received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, reports have indicated Mahomes could possibly be a top-three selection. Mahomes seems unlikely to slip out of the first round next week, and several teams have emerged as potential suitors.Patrick Mahomes (Vertical)

The Cardinals are in search of Carson Palmer‘s long-term successor, and they “like” Mahomes, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, who adds Arizona may indeed “love” the Red Raider signal-caller. That jibes with reporting from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, and Mahomes would seemingly be a good fit in head coach Bruce Arians‘ vertical offense. The Cardinals, who own the 13th pick in the first round, attended a Mahomes workout in March.

The Texans, too, are in need of a quarterback, and head coach Bill O’Brien “absolutely loves” Mahomes, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported last week Mahomes is unlikely to fall past Houston at pick No. 25, and the Texans are meeting with Mahomes today. Following the trade of Brock Osweiler, Houston only has two quarterbacks — Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden — on its roster.

Finally, Mahomes was scheduled to meet with the Bears last weekend, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago inked Mike Glennon to a three-year deal last month, but that may not eliminate the club from selecting another passer with the third overall pick, according to Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com.

AFC East Rumors: Pats, Blount, Jets, Conley

April 16th, 2017 at 12:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots‘ offer to running back LeGarrette Blount may not be on the table forever, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. New England has met with other free agent backs in recent weeks, including Adrian Peterson, Damien Williams, and Mike Gillislee, perhaps in an effort to send a signal to Blount. Blount hasn’t generated any interest elsewhere, which is what he’d need to do in order to force the Patriots to up their proposal. As Reiss notes, the 2017 RB draft class is considered exceptionally strong, so Blount may want to ink a new contract with the Pats before the club selects a runner in the draft later this month.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley‘s previously-reported meeting with the Jets will take place on Monday, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. While Conley has generally been viewed as a lesser prospect than his Buckeye teammate Marshon Lattimore, that perception may be changing. While Lattimore’s injury concerns are troubling, Conley is viewed as an extremely safe player, and may end up being the first cornerback off the board. New York could certainly use help in the secondary after releasing Darrelle Revis earlier this year.
  • Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson isn’t garnering much interest on the trade market, meaning the Jets may have to hang onto him for the 2017 campaign, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Indianapolis may have been a logical trade partner, but the Colts probably aren’t in the Richardson hunt after signing Johnathan Hankins last week. Gang Green could still use Richardson as a trade chip on draft day, but as Cimini notes, the “clock is ticking” on any potential deal.
  • The Jets intend to re-sign recently-released linebacker Julian Stanford, and Stanford was aware of that when Gang Green cut ties last week, per Cimini. Stanford, 26, has bounced around the league since 2012, spending time with Detroit, Jacksonville, and New York. In 2016, Stanford appeared in nine games (two starts) for the Jets, playing on roughly a quarter of the club’s defensive snaps and a third of the team’s special steams snaps.

Draft Rumors: Fournette, Falcons, Broncos

April 16th, 2017 at 9:51am CST by Dallas Robinson

There’s a belief that LSU running back Leonard Fournette is “driven by stardom” and may lack a commitment to football, sources tell Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. Of course, the quickest way to achieving fame in the NFL is by producing results on the field, so concerns about Fournette’s makeup may be overblown. Recent reports indicate Fournette is still a candidate to go No. 1 overall, but that seems incredibly unlikely, and I sent Fournette to Baltimore in PFR’s first 2017 mock draft.

Here’s more on the 2017 draft:

Cowboys, Falcons, Bucs Eyeing Justin Evans

April 15th, 2017 at 8:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Texas A&M Justin Evans has a strong chance of being selected in the back end of the first round of the draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, and the Cowboys, Falcons, and Buccaneers are among the NFL teams with the most interest in the defensive back prospect.Justin Evans (Vertical)

Evans has met with both Dallas and Atlanta, per Pauline. The Cowboys saw a high percentage of their defensive secondary leave during the free agent period, and two of their top three safeties — Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox — signed multi-year deals with rival clubs. The Falcons, meanwhile, may view Evans as an improvement over incumbent defender Ricardo Allen, as Evans would give head coach Dan Quinn an Earl Thomas-esque defender, per Pauline. Dallas and Atlanta hold the No. 28 and No. 31 picks, respectively.

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, likely won’t let Evans get past them in second round, where they own the No. 50 selection. Tampa Bay inked Wilcox last month, but could still use more depth in a safety group that was among the league’s worst in 2016. Chris Conte, Keith Tandy, and Ryan Smith comprise the remainder of the Bucs’ safety depth chart.

Evans has also met with the Dolphins during the predraft process.

Miller’s Latest: Trubisky, Mahomes

April 14th, 2017 at 1:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

We took a look at some fresh draft rumors earlier Friday. Here are several more, courtesy of Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:

  • While Browns head coach Hue Jackson wants the team to select Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett first overall, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, that doesn’t mean he’s against taking North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Jackson “likes Trubisky a lot,” writes Miller, who notes there’s a chance the signal-caller will still be on the board when the Browns make their second first-round selection at No. 12 (assuming Garrett’s their initial pick, of course).
  • The Jets have met with Trubisky on multiple occasions, but Miller’s not quite buying their interest. They “would love” if someone traded ahead of them at No. 6 and chose Trubisky, Miller contends.
  • Both the Cardinals and Chiefs “really like” Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, two sources have told Miller. The Cardinals are reportedly interested in trading up from No. 13 for Trubisky, but they could perhaps stay where they are and grab Mahomes. As for the Chiefs, who own the 27th pick, Mahomes visited them last month.
  • The Titans are likely to draft Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore if he’s still available at No. 5, according to Miller; in the event he’s gone by then, Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams will garner consideration. The club met with Lattimore earlier this month, and it subsequently created a need at corner when it released Jason McCourty on Thursday. Tennessee hosted Williams on Tuesday, and has done its homework on the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder.
  • Lattimore may well end up with the Bears at No. 3 overall. Whether it’s him or someone else, one executive is “99 percent sure” the Bears will wind up with a defensive back in Round 1.
  • The Saints “would love” to select Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster at No. 11, per Miller. Otherwise, New Orleans is a possible destination for one of Foster’s college teammates, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, as are the Titans and Ravens.
  • Ohio State running back/wide receiver/return man Curtis Samuel might come off the board before Florida State RB Dalvin Cook, a scout told Miller. Samuel’s ability to impact games in all of those areas is improving his stock, with teams mindful of the damage Kansas City’s jack-of-all-trades weapon, Tyreek Hill, did last season.
  • Like Samuel, Michigan defensive lineman Chris Wormley is a candidate to go earlier than expected. Miller pegs Wormley as a Day 1 starter in a 3-4 defense, adding that he’s unlikely to last beyond the top 50 picks.

Draft Rumors: Cook, Eagles, Conley, Panthers, Fins, Bengals, Texans

April 14th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook‘s stock is reportedly slipping as the draft approaches, but the Eagles seem undeterred. The club has “heavy interest” in Cook, the runner revealed Wednesday in an interview with Philadelphia-based radio station 94WIP (via Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com). The feeling is mutual, with Cook adding that he “loved the city” when he visited. “It’s a great organization, great people,” he continued. “I think the program is on the rise, just need a couple more guys to fill in and help the program. I like the organization overall and the people that’s in the building.” Should the Eagles pass on Cook at 14th overall, their next opportunity to take him would be at No. 43, though he could certainly be gone by then.

More of the latest on the draft:

  • The Panthers, Browns, Eagles, Bengals, Lions, Titans, Saints and Jets are among the teams with the most interest in Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Conley should go somewhere between ninth and 18th overall, per La Canfora, whom one NFL decision-maker told: “Conley has always been a first-round corner, and I understand why he is the top guy on some boards. He may not be as flashy as some of the other corners, and maybe the upside isn’t quite as high, but neither is the risk. This is a clean player who started for two years and who made big plays in big games. There is a lot to like.”
  • Though they’re interested in Conley, the Panthers hosted another cornerback – Florida’s Teez Tabor – on Thursday, and both Tennessee edge defender Derek Barnett and LSU corner Tre’Davious White are visiting Charlotte on Friday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Barnett (13th) and White (18th) are each top 20 prospects, according to NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who places Tabor 48th.
  • Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles is currently visiting the Bengals, relays Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Cincinnati lost starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth to free agency, potentially creating a major need, but it’s only two years removed from using first- and second-round picks on OTs Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher. Bolles would require yet another sizable investment via the draft in the position. The Bengals are set to pick ninth overall, in the neighborhood of where Bolles could slide off the board.
  • The Dolphins are hosting Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu on Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. This isn’t the first connection between Miami and Melifonwu – the two sides spent “significant” time together last week. Given their interest in Melifonwu, the defender might be a target for the Dolphins at No. 22 overall.
  • Texans offensive line coach Mike Devlin has met with Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, a source told Wilson. PFR’s Dallas Robinson currently has Houston selecting Ramczyk with the 25th pick in the draft, noting he’d give the team a much-needed upgrade at right tackle.
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