2017 April - Pro Football Rumors

Saints Trying To Trade Back Into Second Round

April 28th, 2017 at 8:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After selecting Utah safety Marcus Williams at No. 42, the Saints are trying to trade back into the second round in order to draft an edge rusher, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). In its effort to move up, New Orleans is offering both a third-round pick this year (No. 76) and a second-round selection in 2018.

The Saints had trouble pressuring opposing quarterbacks last season, evidenced in part by their 27th-place ranking in sacks (30). Defensive end Cameron Jordan and outside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe combined for 11.5 sacks, but the Saints otherwise got little pass-rushing production from the rest of their edge players.

With Round 2 nearing a conclusion, Kansas State’s Jordan Willis and Alabama’s Tim Williams represent a couple of the most notable edge defenders left on the board.

Browns Draft DeShone Kizer

April 28th, 2017 at 7:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have selected Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer with the 52nd overall pick, giving them a young signal-caller to develop after they didn’t choose one in the opening round.

Kizer was excellent in 2015, posting 21 touchdowns and completing nearly 63% of his passes while averaging 8.5 adjusted yards per target. Last season, however, his completion percentage by more than four points, and while many of Kizer’s raw statistics remained stagnant, draft analysts pegged him as a Day 2 pick.

Kizer is the second passer the Browns have chosen in the past two drafts, joining 2016 third-round pick Cody Kessler. While Kessler fared respectably in limited action last season, he didn’t do enough to establish himself as a long-term option, and he also dealt with concussion issues. He and Kizer will presumably take up two spots on the Browns’ QB depth chart next season, while the futures of Brock Osweiler, recently acquired via trade, and Kevin Hogan are unclear.

Bengals Draft Joe Mixon

April 28th, 2017 at 7:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With the 48th pick in the draft, the Bengals have selected Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.

Players with character concerns are nothing new for the Bengals, and Mixon is perhaps the draft’s most controversial prospect in light of the video that surfaced of him assaulting a female three years ago. A number of teams reportedly removed Mixon from their respective draft boards, as they were unwilling to deal with the backlash of selecting such a infamous player. Mixon and the victim in the case reached a civil settlement earlier this month.

While Mixon has off-field concerns, he’s one of the best running back prospects on the field, and many observers felt Mixon would have been a surefire first-round pick if he came without baggage. In 2016, put 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground for the Sooners, adding another 538 yards and five scores in the passing game.

The Bengals already have two familiar backs in Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, though neither reached the 4.0 yards-per-carry mark last season. Plus, Hill will be a free agent next offseason and Bernard is coming off a serious injury, having torn his ACL in November.

Bills Unlikely To Exercise Sammy Watkins’ Fifth-Year Option

April 28th, 2017 at 7:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have a decision to make on wide receiver Sammy Watkins‘ fifth-year option by May 3, and odds are they won’t exercise it, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).

Watkins has been a stellar performer since going fourth overall in the 2014 draft, but injuries have limited the ex-Clemson star to just 37 of 48 regular-season games, including only eight in 2016. Watkins is currently recovering from foot surgery, which is a key reason why the Bills probably won’t pick up his option, per Carucci. Fifth-year options are guaranteed for injury only, so the Bills don’t want to potentially tie themselves to Watkins for $13.26MM in 2018 if they’re unsure of his health. In the event he’s healthy next offseason, the Bills would have the option of placing the franchise tag on an unsigned Watkins for roughly $16MM.

For at least next season, Watkins will team with the club’s newly minted second-round pick, Zay Jones, to comprise the Bills’ top two receivers. Thus far in his career, the 23-year-old Watkins has averaged 66 catches, 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns per 16 games. Unfortunately for Watkins and the Bills, he hasn’t played a 16-game slate since his rookie season.

Vikings Acquire 41st Pick From Bengals, Draft Dalvin Cook

April 28th, 2017 at 6:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Vikings have acquired the 41st pick from the Bengals in exchange for the 48th and 128th selections. Minnesota will select Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.

While Cook was originally viewed as a first-round lock, poor measurables at the combine and off-field concerns forced him into Day 2. But while Cook didn’t test out as an elite athlete, the results are there on film. In each of the past two seasons, Cook topped 1,600 yards rushing and scored 19 touchdowns on the ground.

Cook figures to be the long-term answer for the Vikings in the wake of Adrian Peterson‘s departure. For now, he’ll team up with the recently signed Latavius Murray to form a one-two backfield punch for the Vikes, whose running game was among the worst in the NFL last season.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Bills Acquire 37th Pick From Rams

April 28th, 2017 at 6:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have acquired the 37th and 149th picks from the Rams in exchange for Nos. 44 and 91, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Buffalo will select East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones. With the acquisition of pick 149, the Bills now have four fifth-rounders.

The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Jones could be a factor immediately for the Bills, who entered the draft sorely lacking at wideout after No. 1 man Sammy Watkins. Jones caught a whopping 399 passes during his four-year college career, including a ridiculous 158 last season. He also amassed 1,746 yards and hauled in eight scores in 2016.

Cardinals Acquire 36th Pick From Bears

April 28th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bears will trade back from the 36th overall pick, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The selection will go to Arizona in exchange for the Cardinals’ second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks this year and a fourth in 2018, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times has the exact details: Chicago will get the 45th, 119th and 197th selections this year, while the Cards will receive Nos. 36 and 221.

The Cards have selected Washington safety Budda Baker, who could help replace the departed Tony Jefferson. After Jefferson signed with the Ravens, the Cardinals added Antoine Bethea, who’s currently penciled in alongside star Tyrann Mathieu as a back-end starter.

Bengals Pick Up Darqueze Dennard’s Fifth-Year Option

April 28th, 2017 at 6:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bengals are exercising cornerback Darqueze Dennard‘s fifth-year option for 2018, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter).

As the 24th pick in the 2014 draft, Dennard is now in position to earn upward of $8.5MM in 2018, which seems rich considering his output to this point. The 25-year-old hasn’t been a starter in Cincinnati, having come off the bench in 35 of 39 regular-season appearances, and has only intercepted one pass during his career. Moreover, Dennard participated in just 30.7 percent of the Bengals’ defensive snaps last season and ranked a below-average 87th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 111 qualified corners.

While Dennard’s option for 2018 is guaranteed for injury only, he joins Dre Kirkpatrick, William Jackson and Adam Jones as prominent Cincinnati CBs who are controllable for at least the next two seasons.

Jaguars Acquire Seahawks’ No. 34 Pick

April 28th, 2017 at 6:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars announced that they’ve acquired the No. 34 pick from the Seahawks in exchange for No. 35 and No. 187.

Jacksonville will use the selection to draft Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson. While the Jaguars acquired veteran left tackle Branden Albert during the offseason, he has yet to report. If that holdout continues, Robinson could conceivably step in on the blindside. Otherwise, he can also play right tackle or guard.

Ravens Exercise C.J. Mosley’s Fifth-Year Option

April 28th, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Ravens have picked up linebacker C.J. Mosley‘s fifth-year option for 2018, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Head coach John Harbaugh indicated in March that the Ravens would do so, calling the decision a “formality.”

Mosley is now in line to make in the neighborhood of $9MM in 2018, though the Ravens will likely attempt to work out an extension before then. Harbaugh wants Mosley “to be a Ravens for many years,” which isn’t surprising considering the success the ex-Alabama standout has had in Baltimore.

Since going 17th in the 2014 draft, Mosley has started in all 46 appearances, totaling 360 tackles and six interceptions. The 24-year-old pulled in a career-high four picks in 14 games last season, when he also notched 92 tackles and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best linebacker out of 87 qualifiers.

While Mosley’s near future is squared away, there are still several 2014 first-rounders whose fifth-year option fates aren’t yet known. Those decisions are due by May 3.