2017 April - Pro Football Rumors

David Njoku, Forrest Lamp To Slide?

April 27th, 2017 at 4:21pm CST by Zachary Links

For weeks, Miami tight end David Njoku and Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp have often been projected as middle first round picks. It appears both players could fall further than expected based on what Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com is hearing.

The Dolphins have been connected to Lamp for some time, but as Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald reported on Wednesday, Miami has cooled on the idea of taking him at No. 22. Instead, they’re expected to target defensive help. If the right guy isn’t there, Pauline hears that they may trade down if the opportunity arises. They’ll instead focus on guards in round two and their target there could be Utah’s Isaac Asiata, Pauline hears. At 6’3″ and 323 lbs, teams like his potential on the interior line.

Njoku could be a target of the Lions at No. 21, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hinted earlier today, and it sounds like he’ll be available based on the word Pauline is getting.

Teams Calling 49ers About No. 2 Pick

April 27th, 2017 at 4:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Myles Garrett won’t be available, but teams blowing up 49ers GM John Lynch‘s phone about acquiring the No. 2 overall pick. Six teams have contacted SF about moving up, a league source tells Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Three of those teams are in the top ten and three of those clubs are outside of the top ten. The Niners, Maiocco hears, are open to making such a deal.

We don’t know who these six teams are, but there has been speculation that the Browns could satisfy team ownership by moving up from No. 12 to secure UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky, so they could be one of the inquiring clubs. As the draft board is currently constructed, the Jets at No. 6 appear to be the only team that could seriously entertain Trubisky, but the Browns can guard against them or any other club moving up the board for him by getting the No. 2 selection. For what it’s worth, the Niners reportedly have not ruled out taking Trubisky themselves, but I’m personally not buying it.

Besides Trubisky, teams could be eyeing top prospects like Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas, LSU safety Jamal Adams, LSU running back Leonard Fournette, and Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore at No. 2. Of course, this year’s draft is particularly hard to read, so the list of potential targets could expand beyond those four players.

Browns To Select Myles Garrett No. 1 Overall

April 27th, 2017 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett will be the Browns No. 1 pick, multiple league sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Meanwhile, someone in the know tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that the top pick will be someone “who is clearly, clearly better than anyone else.” With all due respect to UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky, that’s another strong indication that the pick will be Garrett.

In recent days, there were some whispers that Trubisky might be the No.1 pick by Cleveland. Cabot hears that team brass met this afternoon to solidify the decision, which would indicate that there was some debate over the best course of action. For what it’s worth, top executive Sashi Brown recently said that the team’s decision was made roughly two weeks ago, so it’s hard to know what to believe. Regardless, Garrett appears poised to be the top pick.

The Browns are apparently taking the best player available at No. 1, but it’s still wide open after that.

Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Conley, McCaffrey

April 27th, 2017 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s round up the latest NFL Draft rumors:

The Cowboys should not been overlooked as a possible destination when it comes to Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Dallas need cornerback help and, as Pelissero notes, they’re used to taking risks. Dallas had Conley in for a visit and also phoned him on Wednesday. Conley, of course, is dealing with allegations of rape, and could fall as far as the third round. If he’s cleared of all charges, Conley could represent an excellent value for the Cowboys at the end of Round 1.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) gets the sense that Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey is likely to go in the top ten. One NFL GM told Schefter that McCaffrey “had the best combine workout I’ve seen. Ever.” McCaffrey has been linked to the top-10 range for some time, and a number of clubs within that space make sense as a landing spot. The Eagles, sitting at No. 14, are reportedly “infatuated” with McCaffrey, but understand they may have to trade ahead of Carolina.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) wouldn’t be shocked if the Chargers beat the Panthers to the punch on selecting McCaffrey. Los Angeles used a first-round pick on running back Melvin Gordon in 2015, and he broke out with 10 rushing touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. However, the Chargers did lose Danny Woodhead in free agency, and McCaffrey would presumably fill Woodhead’s passing down role with aplomb.
The Ravens‘ interest in Corey Davis is real, Peter Schrager of NFL Network tweets. Baltimore owns the No. 16 overall pick, and is certainly in the market for a wide receiver after losing Steve Smith to retirement. Former first-round pick Breshad Perriman has been injured during much of his NFL tenure, so the Ravens could use another pass-catcher to pair with Mike Wallace. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported a strong link between Davis and the Ravens on Wednesday.
Both UCLA linebacker Takkarist McKinley and Washington wide receiver John Ross could slide due to their medical history, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Both players underwent surgery during the predraft process. While McKinley and Ross are certainly considered talented prospects, interested clubs will have to weigh injury risk against potential upside.

Pauline’s Latest: McCaffrey, Harris, Barnett

April 27th, 2017 at 3:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With the draft roughly four hours away, let’s take a look at the latest from Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com:

The Eagles are reportedly “infatuated” with Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, per Pauline. Philadelphia might have trouble selecting McCaffrey with the 14th overall pick, however, as the Panthers also are interested in the dynamic athlete at No. 8. As such, the Eagles may have to trade up if they want to land McCaffrey. Potentially, the Eagles could make a deal with the Jets, but Pauline wonders if Philadelphia has enough draft capital to make a move up given that they sacrificed a haul of picks in 2016.
Pass rushers Charles Harris (Missouri) and Derek Barnett (Tennessee) are both shooting up draft boards and could potentially be selected earlier than most observers currently believe, according to Pauline. The Dolphins, for one, are known to have interest in both players, but if Pauline’s report is correct, both might be gone by the time Miami picks at No. 22.
The most undervalued player in the draft may be Colorado defensive back Chidobe Awuzie, says Pauline. Awuzie has been linked to a number of teams during the predraft process, including the Titans, Buccaneers, and Cowboys, whiles scouts like his size and level of experience.
While Awuzie may be underrated, fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey is being overvalued, reports Pauline, who adds the Alabama alum could even potentially fall out of the first round. Most mock drafts have placed Humphrey in Day 1, but the plethora of defensive back options in this year’s class could conceivably push him down.

Giants Pick Up Odell Beckham Jr.’s Option

April 27th, 2017 at 2:55pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s the definition of a no-brainer: the Giants have exercised the fifth-year option on Odell Beckham Jr.’s contract. The Giants had until May 3 to make the call, but there was no point in waiting. As the No. 12 pick in the 2014 draft, Beckham will be in line for an $8.459MM salary in 2018.

The Giants drafted the LSU product in 2014 despite injury concerns. He was sidelined for the first half of the season as he rehabbed, but he turned the football world on his head in the second half of the year. In the last three seasons, OBJ has established himself as one of the most talented wide receivers in the entire NFL. This year, Beckham netted his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod as he caught 101 passes for 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Extension talks are expected at some point, but there’s not necessarily any rush to get a deal done from the Giants perspective. Between the option and the franchise tag, Beckham could theoretically be tied to the team through at least the 2021 season.

The news was first reported by Kimberley Jones of NFL Network (on Twitter).

Falcons Looking To Trade Up

April 27th, 2017 at 2:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons, who own the No. 31 overall pick, are looking to trade up, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) adds that the Falcons are eyeing a pass-rusher.

This year’s first round group of defensive ends is fairly deep, but the Falcons might have their eye on one higher-rated bookend in particular, perhaps someone like Tennessee’s Derek Barnett. The Falcons are also in need of an offensive guard and there’s a big dropoff after Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp.

We now have word of four teams potentially looking to move up in the first round: the Broncos (No. 20), Falcons, Giants (No. 23), and Texans (No. 25).

Broncos Looking To Trade Up

April 27th, 2017 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Lots of teams are looking to move down in the draft, but we’ve only heard of a handful that are looking to move up. We can now add one team to the short list. The Broncos are exploring their options to ascend from the No. 20 overall pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears.

It’s not clear who the Broncos might be targeting with a trade up. If they want to a crack at Broncos legacy Christian McCaffrey, however, a trade up from No. 20 will be necessary. The Broncos could also trade up to address their need at left tackle. If the Broncos stand pat, they might lose their shot at taking someone like Utah’s Garett Bolles.

The Buccaneers are looking to move down from No. 19, but that obviously doesn’t do much for Denver. Looking at the middle of the order, teas like the Bills (No. 10) and Browns (No. 12) have both reportedly explored moving down.

In addition to the Broncos, the Giants (No. 23) and Texans (No. 25) are also looking to move up the board.

NFL Draft Rumors: Peppers, Redskins, Webb

April 27th, 2017 at 1:19pm CST by Zachary Links

A Redskins contingent including leading exec Bruce Allen worked out and had dinner with Jabrill Peppers in Ann Arbor last weekend, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), meanwhile, hears that the Redskins have explored trading into the late first round. The versatile Michigan product could be a target for them there as they seek secondary help. Some teams, meanwhile, might be shying away from Peppers after his diluted sample at the combine.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:

Rapoport (Twitter link) wouldn’t be surprised to see a team trade back into round one for Cal’s Davis Webb. One national scout said, “He has Dak [Prescott]-like intangibles.” Some executives seem to think that four quarterbacks could be taken in the first round and it’s possible that five QBs could go inside of the first 32 picks. Webb, by and large, is considered to one of the five best QBs in this class.
The Bills taking a defensive player at No. 10 overall seems to be the consensus right now, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Previously, we heard some buzz about Buffalo taking a quarterback with its top pick.
One connection to watch very closely is Miami tight end David Njoku and old coach Al Golden who now serves as the Lions‘ tight ends coach, Rapoport tweets. Some projections have Njoku coming off the board in the teens, so he might be gone before Detroit gets a chance to take him.

Redskins, Morgan Moses Agree To Extension

April 27th, 2017 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins and tackle Morgan Moses reached agreement on five-year extension, according to Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The new deal will make him NFL’s second-highest paid right tackle. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.

Moses was set to play out the final year of his deal before potentially hitting the open market next March. The Redskins theoretically could have drafted his replacement this weekend, but this isn’t a strong year for offensive tackles and the team has larger needs to address. Also, the Redskins had the cap room necessary to get a deal done. Preferring not to sweat things out at the end of the 2017 season, Washington has paid big bucks to lock Moses down for the foreseeable future.

The 26-year-old has made a great case for a raise in 2016. He’s coming off his second consecutive 16-start season, one in which he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 17th-best tackle among 78 qualifiers. Left tackle Trent Williams finished first, giving the Redskins an elite pair of tackles.

Lane Johnson of the Eagles has the most lucrative deal of any right tackle in the NFL. His $56.25MM deal is set to run through the 2021 season. We’re waiting on the full numbers but Moses’ deal, presumably, will surpass Ricky Wagner‘s five-year, $47.5MM free agent deal signed with the Lions this offseason.