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2017 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Cowboys Meet With 21 NFL Draft Prospects

April 4th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have now used more than two-thirds of their 30 allotted predraft visits, and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), and Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News have provided the list of prospects with whom Dallas has met:

The Cowboys’ visits with Michigan DE Taco Charlton, UCLA DE Takkarist McKinley, UConn S Obi Melifonwu, UCLA CB Fabian Moreau, and Wisconsin LB T.J. Watt had all been previously reported.

NFL Draft Rumors: Thomas, 49ers, Davis

April 4th, 2017 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links

There continues to be lots of talk about Solomon Thomas going No. 2 overall, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears (Twitter links). However, he’s not totally convinced that it’ll the 49ers taking him. On one hand, the Niners could use a strong 4-3 defensive end and Thomas could be used a role similar to what Michael Bennett has filled for Seattle. At the same time, Miller can also see the Niners trading out from No. 2, allowing the Panthers or Jaguars to move up for Thomas.

Miller speculates that SF could send the No. 2 overall pick to Carolina for the Nos. 8 and 40 selections. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down a number of scenarios in which the Panthers could come away with that highly-coveted draft choice.

While we wait to see how that plays out, here’s a roundup of the latest draft rumors:

NFL Draft Rumors: Browns, Cook, Lattimore

April 3rd, 2017 at 3:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are hosting Florida State running back Dalvin Cook on a visit today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). There are a handful of other big-name guys with Cook, including Takkarist McKinley, Quincy Wilson, and Joe Mixon, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.

The Browns own the Nos. 1 and 12 overall picks in this year’s draft. Cook widely projects as a mid-to-late first-round pick, so he could theoretically be in range at No. 12. It also stands to reason that the Browns are open to wheeling and dealing, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what first-round picks they’ll hold when it comes time in late April.

Cleveland has tethered restricted free agent Isaiah Crowell with a tender and the Browns also slated to have Duke Johnson Jr. return in 2017. Running back might not be their top need, but they’ll be open to improving their team in any way possible.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft news:

  • Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore is visiting the Bears today, a source tells Rapoport (on Twitter). The Bears pick at No. 3 and they could consider Lattimore, the player widely considered to be this year’s top cornerback. The Bears’ top corners, as of this writing, are Cre’Von LeBlanc and Prince Amukamara.
  • Wide receiver John Ross will visit with the Titans, NFL Media’s Chase Goodbread writes. Several recent mock drafts have connected Ross to the Titans at No. 18 overall. Tennessee has been in the market for wide receiver upgrades but Eric Weems currently stands as their highest impact free agent addition at the position. Ross’ blazing speed has caught the attention of talent evaluators across the league and his stock appears to be soaring.
  • UCLA linebacker Takkarist McKinley is visiting the Browns, Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals all in a row, Rapoport tweets. We heard last month that he would visit with some of these AFC North teams, but we now know that he’ll be polishing off the AFC North in rapid succession.
  • University of Washington cornerback Kevin King is visiting the Jets on Monday (today), according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). The Jets are looking to upgrade their secondary and King could be a consideration at No. 39 overall. However, with more and more buzz surrounding the corner, they might have to look into acquiring a pick somewhere between their No. 6 overall pick and their second-round choice if they want him. King has the makings of a Day 1 pick and Dallas could be eyeing him at No. 28.
  • The Steelers and Giants have been all over quarterback workouts this year and it leads Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) to believe that they’ll each target a QB in the middle rounds.

Bills To Audition Patrick Mahomes

April 3rd, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will have a private workout with the Bills next week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is the latest in a long line of reported workouts for the Texas Tech product. Patrick Mahomes (Vertical)

[RELATED: Pegula Says Doug Whaley, Sean McDermott Work Well Together]

What makes this work out particularly interesting is the Bills’ long-term situation at quarterback. Rather than exercising Tyrod Taylor‘s hefty multi-year option this offseason, the two sides worked out a last-minute agreement to effectively keep Taylor in Buffalo through 2017. After that, the Bills will have a similar decision on their hands: they can keep Taylor for an additional season, but only $1MM of his $10MM salary for 2018 is guaranteed.

The Bills could give Taylor the peace of mind of being the team’s unquestioned top signal caller in 2017. Alternatively, they could look into taking a developmental quarterback right now, giving them a safety net in the event that Taylor falters. Right now, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the Bills are serious about taking Mahomes as his stock continues to rise. It’s possible that they simply are doing due diligence on a top prospect, as most teams do during this time of year.

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Possible Injury For Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly

April 3rd, 2017 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

This could be bad news for Chad Kelly. The former Ole Miss quarterback left his pro day after just 12 throws, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s not immediately clear whether it’s his throwing hand, but he presumably wouldn’t have shut down his pro day if it were a non-throwing hand injury. Specifically, it’s a wrist injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’s currently weighing whether he can return. Chad Kelly (vertical)

Kelly was once viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2017 draft class. Unfortunately, he has major question marks surrounding him due to off-the-field issues and injury problems. A hand injury, if serious, will only hurt his stock even more. Before coming to Ole Miss, Kelly was tossed out of Clemson’s program for conduct detrimental to the team and had to spend a year at a community college. Last month, Kelly had to be held back during a brawl at a high school football game. Incidents like those plus his recent major surgery have put everything into flux.

Kelly recently received a go-ahead from Dr. James Andrews for a “35-45 play script” at the pro day. Kelly, according to his agent, came into today’s audition about 85% recovered from ACL and lateral meniscus tears.

North Rumors: Browns, Ravens, M. Williams

April 3rd, 2017 at 9:43am CST by Dallas Robinson

Stockpiling draft assets has been a clear strategy for the Browns under their new regime, as Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes. After trading back several times in the 2016 draft, Cleveland is now armed with nine selections in the first five rounds of this year’s draft (and seven picks in the first four rounds of 2018). Acquiring more capital is all part of the rebuild orchestrated, in part, by chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta.

“We’ve looked ourselves in the mirror and said, ‘Do we think that we are actually superhuman when it comes to picking players?’” said DePodesta. “And we pretty easily answered that with a resounding no. So how are we going to increase our chances? We need to have more picks. So, if we have the same number of picks every year as everyone else, we don’t expect do better than anyone else.”

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams will attend predraft visits with the Ravens, Browns, and Titans, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Williams is widely viewed as one of the draft’s top three wideout prospects, along with Washington’s John Ross and Western Michigan’s Corey Davis, and he’s also met with another WR-needy club — the Eagles — earlier this offseason. In January, a scout told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that Williams favorably compares to Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, and called him the “best player on the field” during the Alabama-Clemson Championship Game.
  • The Ravens have scheduled a meeting with Temple linebacker Haason Reddick, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Reddick is capable of playing either inside or outside ‘backer, meaning he could step in next to C.J. Mosley in the middle of Baltimore’s defense, or help replace Elvis Dumervil on the edge. “Outside linebacker in a 3-4 system is most natural to me,” Reddick said at Temple’s Pro Day. “Because of the type of player I am, how fast I can learn the game, I know that if I’m put at inside linebacker I can be the best at that as well.” Reddick posted 9.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in 2016.
  • Although they recently inked free agent Latavius Murray, the Vikings may consider drafting a running back later this month, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. While Murray signed for three years, Minnesota can cut bait after 2017 with minimal dead money accelerating onto its cap. Fellow running back Jerick McKinnon, meanwhile, is scheduled to become a free agent in 2018. So far, the Vikings have met with Tennessee‘s Alvin Kamara and Oklahoma‘s Joe Mixon.

West Notes: Chargers, Rams, Lamp, 49ers

April 3rd, 2017 at 8:37am CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Chargers could conceivably use another interior offensive lineman, the club is expected to eschew free agent veterans such as Nick Mangold in favor of younger players such as Max Tuerk and Spencer Pulley, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. Tuerk, a 2016 third-round pick, didn’t see a single snap during his rookie campaign as he recovered from ACL surgery, but he could earn a starting role in 2017. Incumbent center Matt Slauson also has experience at guard, meaning Los Angeles has the option of deploying its interior lineman — a group that also includes veteran Chris Hairston — in numerous ways.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • The Rams will put Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lamp through a workout, tweets Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Lamp, a collegiate tackle who projects as a pro guard, has met with a multitude of clubs in recent weeks, and is now expected to be drafted somewhere in the 20s. NFL teams are apparently high on Lamp’s versatility, given that he should be able to play inside and out, and could even slide to center in a pinch. At present, the Rams’ projected starters on the inside are guards Rodger Saffold and Cody Wichmann and center Demetrius Rhaney. Los Angeles attempted to lure restricted free agent Ryan Groy earlier this offseason, but failed when the Bills matched its offer sheet.
  • Linebacker Dekoda Watson‘s three-year deal with the 49ers is worth $5MM, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). The 2018 and 2019 seasons are team options, however, which would allow San Francisco to reap a compensatory pick if the options are declined. Watson will receive a $1MM signing bonus, and can earn $200K annually in per-game roster bonuses. Watson, 29, will likely stick to a special teams role with the 49ers.
  • Although free agent linebacker Rey Maualuga recently took a visit with the Chiefs, no deal is imminent between the two parties. Maualuga, 30, was released by the Bengals last month after eight seasons in Cincinnati.
  • In case you missed it, the 49ers agreed to a one-year deal with veteran running back Tim Hightower, who will serve as a backup to Carlos Hyde in 2017.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

April 2nd, 2017 at 3:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Safeties aren’t a priority in Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli‘s scheme, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, which could help explain why Dallas didn’t seriously attempt to re-sign Barry Church or J.J. Wilcox. Church landed a four-year, $26MM deal with the Jaguars, while Wilcox inked a two-year, $6.5MM pact with the Buccaneers. Former first-round pick Byron Jones, meanwhile, is signed for two more years (plus a fifth-year option), and could be an interesting “case study” as Dallas will be forced to consider handing a hefty contract to a safety, per Archer.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • The Eagles hosted UConn safety Obi Melifonwu for a top-30 draft visit on Thursday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. At least seven other NFL teams have expressed interest in Melifonwu, who is expected to be drafted in the the first or second round. Philadelphia is set at safety for the immediate future, although veteran Malcolm Jenkins has reportedly been discussed in trade talks.
  • Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham has “attracted the interest” of the Giants, and could be in the mix for New York when it picks at No. 23, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. While the Giants famously haven’t selected a first-round linebacker since 1984, the club needs reinforcements at the position, as Devon Kennard, Keenan Robinson, and Jonathan Casillas isn’t exactly a world-beating starting group. Earlier this year, a scout told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that Cunningham “needs to gain strength” and “make more tackles.”
  • Offensive lineman Byron Bell‘s one-year deal with the Cowboys has a base value of $2MM, reports Wilson (Twitter link). Bell, 28, will receive a $1MM base salary, a $250K signing bonus, and $300K in per-game roster bonuses. He can also earn another $450K through weight bonuses, which will immediately count on Dallas’ salary cap as likely-to-be-earned because they’re considered to be under the player’s control.

North Notes: Ravens, Fournette, Vikes, Lions

April 1st, 2017 at 9:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens “love” LSU running back Leonard Fournette, according to Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Of course, given that Fournette is considered the top back in the 2017 class, a number of teams probably have similar feelings, but Baltimore could conceivably consider a trade up in order to land Fournette. Currently, the Ravens sit at pick No. 16, so they’d probably have to jump 10 spots (at a minimum) to get a shot at Fournette, who is likely the only running back Baltimore would select in the first round.

Let’s take a look at the latest from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • While the Ravens are open to a reunion with receiver Anquan Boldin, the veteran pass-catcher may want to sign with a club that plays closer to his home in Florida, as Zriebec writes in a separate piece. Earlier this week, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said he’d “obviously” be amenable to signing Boldin, and the fit makes sense given the team’s lack of depth at wideout. Boldin is reportedly taking his time finding a landing spot, perhaps an eye towards skipping spring workouts.
  • Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara will meet with the Vikings next week, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Originally viewed as a Day 2 pick due to his working in a committee for the Volunteers, Kamara is now being bandied about as a potential Round 1 selection. Minnesota recently signed free agent Latavius Murray to help compensate for the loss of Adrian Peterson, but Murray can opt out of his contract after 2017. Kamara, meanwhile, has also taken a visit with the Saints.
  • Having swapped out DeAndre Levy for Paul Worrilow this offseason, the Lions still feel linebacker is a need area, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes. “We’re going to throw (Worrilow) in the mix, and see how it kind of works out with the guys that we have and any guys we might add,” Detroit general manager Bob Quinn said. “He’s not the total answer to everything we want, but we think he’s a really good signing that we kind of targeted early on.” Worrilow joins Tahir Whitehead, Antwione Williams, and Thurston Armbrister as the Lions’ current linebackers, while the club could use the No. 21 overall selection to bring in another second-level player.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Richardson

April 1st, 2017 at 7:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets fined defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson “significant” amounts of money for tardiness before benching them for the first quarter of a November contest, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Indeed, sources indicate to Vacchiano that head coach Todd Bowles — often viewed as overly tolerant of his players’ indiscretions — isn’t so mild-mannered behind the scenes. Still, New York certainly didn’t expect Wilkerson to show commitment issues after inking him to a hefty extension last year.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • While Richardson’s lateness issues (and poor play) could negatively affect his trade value, the Jets still may be able to use the pass-rusher as a trade chit in the coming weeks, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. If New York wants to trade back into Round 1 for a quarterback, for example, the team could potentially package Richardson and its second-round pick (No. 39) to move ahead of of a club like the Texans, who may also be looking for a QB. Getting back into the first round would also allow the Jets to pick up a fifth-year option on the signal-caller of their choice.
  • Dolphins defensive line coach Terrell Williams took a sojourn to East Lansing to work out Michigan State defensive tackle Malik McDowell, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Recently linked to free agent Johnathan Hankins, the Dolphins are in the market for a tackle to play alongside Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips. McDowell could be on the board when Miami picks at No. 22, although the Fins are expected to target edge help in the first round. The Dolphins are the first known team to meet with McDowell.
  • Safety prospects Josh Jones (North Carolina State) and Justin Evans (Texas A&M) will meet with the Dolphins soon, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Although Miami recently extended defensive back Reshad Jones, the club is still looking for another safety after Isa Abdul-Quddus was released following a neck injury. Jones has also drawn interest from the Ravens, while Evans has met with the Cowboys.
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