2018 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Browns To Host Lamar Jackson On Visit

April 3rd, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns will be bringing in all four of quarterbacks linked to them at No. 1 overall this week, with Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reporting Josh Rosen‘s visit will round out a busy week of powwows between Browns brass and highly touted passing prospects.

But the most accomplished college quarterback in this draft will also visit the Browns soon. Next week, Lamar Jackson will be summoned to Cleveland to meet with the Browns, Nate Ulrich of ohio.com reports. Yahoo Sports first reported this meeting would commence.

Hue Jackson said at the league meetings last week he wouldn’t neglect the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and 2017 Heisman finalist, and Ulrich notes the Browns are intrigued by Jackson’s dual-threat abilities. The Louisville phenom is expected to be selected after the Browns’ draft windows open, being projected to go later in the first round.

Jackson already went through a private workout with the Texans, but that would be an incredibly unlikely union due to Houston’s investment in the 2016 Heisman Trophy runner-up. Jackson could still be on the board by the time the Browns pick again at No. 33, but with the franchise widely expected to select a passer at No. 1 overall, a Jackson landing spot figures to be away from Cleveland. John Dorsey said a two-quarterback draft won’t be likely to occur on his watch.

Josh Rosen Will Play For Whoever Drafts Him

April 2nd, 2018 at 1:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh Rosen‘s former head coach isn’t sure that he’d be a fit for the Browns, but Jim Mora‘s comments are not part of a conspiracy to steer Cleveland away from him. The UCLA product will not refuse to play for Cleveland or any other team, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT.

This is not the first time we’ve heard speculation about a top prospect trying to avoid the Browns. Last summer, there were rumblings that Sam Darnold could hold off on his draft decision until the identity of the team at No. 1 overall was determined. Apparently, none of this year’s top four QBs have any reservations about the Browns as Rosen, Darnold, Mayfield, and Allen have all publicly welcomed the challenge of righting the ship in Cleveland.

Most prognosticators have the Browns zeroing in on Darnold or Allen, but GM John Dorsey says that the team is still open to all options at No. 1. They’ll meet with Rosen this week and he’s unquestionably in the mix after turning in the best completion percentage (62.6%) and touchdown/interception ratio (26/10) of his collegiate career in 2017.

Baker Mayfield To Meet With Seven Teams

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:42am CST by Zachary Links

Baker Mayfield‘s April figures to be busy. The Oklahoma signal caller will meet with the Browns, Bills, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, Broncos, and Cardinals, Robert Klemko of The MMQB reports.

The Giants will sit down with Mayfield before the Jets, Manish Mehta of the Daily News adds. He’ll meet with the G-Men on April 8 and 9 before continuing his pre-draft tour with the Jets on April 9 and 10. The Jets conducted a private workout with Mayfield in Oklahoma on March 24, fueling speculation that he could be among the QBs in consideration for them at No. 3 overall.

Mayfield was last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but some evaluators question whether he has the height to succeed at the next level. There are also some character concerns thanks to his actions during games against Ohio State and Kansas and a public intoxication arrest.

Most of the teams in this bunch were expected to show interest in Mayfield, but the Dolphins and Broncos are not obvious fits for him given the presence of Ryan Tannehill and Case Keenum, respectively. The Cardinals make more sense for Mayfield since Sam Bradford is not necessarily a long-term answer under center and the Bills are also a logical fit since they are not completely locked in on A.J. McCarron as their starter for 2018. Unlike the Dolphins and Cardinals, the Bills have ample ammo to move up for Mayfield with the Nos. 12 and No 22 picks in their possession.

Josh Rosen To Meet With Seven Teams

April 2nd, 2018 at 10:03am CST by Zachary Links

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is set to meet with the Browns, Jets, Giants, Cards, Broncos, Bills, and Chargers in the coming weeks, according to Peter King of The MMQB. Cleveland gets the first crack at Rosen with a visit lined up for this week.

King suspects that the Browns will ask Rosen about recent comments made by his former head coach, Jim Mora, in which he advocated for USC Sam Darnold go to No. 1 overall.

“Because of fit, I would take Sam Darnold if I were the Cleveland Browns. I think that blue collar, gritty attitude, I think his teammates will love him, I think the city will love him. He’ll say the right things. He will come in and he will represent well. I think he kind of represents what Cleveland is. And if I was one of the New York teams, I would take Josh *snap* just like that. I think they will both be great in the pros.”

In his conversation with King, Mora expounded on those thoughts a bit, but didn’t exactly backtrack.

“He needs to be challenged intellectually so he doesn’t get bored,” Mora said, while reemphasizing the angle of Rosen needing the proper “fit.” “He’s a millennial. He wants to know why. Millennials, once they know why, they’re good. Josh has a lot of interests in life. If you can hold his concentration level and focus only on football for a few years, he will set the world on fire. He has so much ability, and he’s a really good kid.”

Mora’s comments may be a topic of discussion for interested teams, but it would be shocking to see Rosen fall any further than the Jets at No. 3.

CB Mike Hughes Generating Interest From Several Teams

March 31st, 2018 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Cornerback Mike Hughes is generating a lot of interest headed into the draft. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com writes that the UCF product met with the Panthers and Saints yesterday at the school’s pro day. The prospect is also set to visit the Bears, Eagles, Vikings, Packers, Buccaneers, and Chiefs, and he’ll meet again with Carolina.

During the pro day, Hughes ultimately “stood on his combine numbers,” but the defensive back did do several drills (including fielding punts). The general consensus was that the prospect looked better yesterday than he did at the NFL Combine.

Hughes, who is currently ranked 18th in NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah‘s listing of the top-50 free agents, had a breakout campaign in 2017. After playing in only 10 games with North Carolina between 2015 and 2016, Hughes appeared in 13 games with UCF last season. He ultimately finished the campaign with 37 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and four interceptions.

Considering the Panthers met with Hughes yesterday and plan on hosting him for a visit, we can only assume that the organization has serious interest in the prospect. Even with Ross Cockrell now in the mix, the team is apparently still seeking reinforcement at the cornerback position.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bell, Browns

March 30th, 2018 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has threatened to hold out or even retire if he doesn’t get a contract extension, but his best bet would be to follow the path of his former college teammate Kirk Cousins, Michael David Smith of PFT argues. By signing the franchise tender, Bell would nearly guarantee that he can reach unrestricted free agency next year since a third consecutive tag would cost upwards of $20MM. On the open market, Bell could completely reset the market for running backs and score big bucks for both his rushing ability and pass-catching acumen.

Of course, there is a risk of Bell suffering a serious injury in 2018 and hurting his future earnings, but even in a worst case scenario, the tender would pay him $14.56MM.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

Browns coach Hue Jackson has dreamed about a defensive line bookended by former No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett and top prospect Bradley Chubb, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. “I do at nighttime when I’m by myself,” Jackson said this week. “You kind of play that scenario game with all these different guys. I wish I could have them all. There will be good scenarios as we come down to the end here.” The Browns, of course, are widely expected to select a quarterback at No. 1 overall, but their options are wide open with the No. 4 pick. The Giants and Jets are also likely to select QBs, but even the Giants abstain from choosing Eli Manning‘s successor, either Chubb or Penn State running back Saquon Barkley should be there for the taking. For all of the attention given to the top four QBs in this year’s class, many draft analysts consider Chubb and Barkley to be this year’s top overall talents.
Running back is not the Ravens‘ top need, but they did meet with LSU running back Derrius Guice on a predraft visit, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. It seems unlikely that Guice will be a fit for Baltimore for a few reasons. For starters, they currently pick at No. 16, which may be a reach for Guice. The Ravens also have a decent backfield group headlined by Alex Collins with Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon in support. There’s room for someone who could be a solid rusher as well as a dynamic pass-catcher in the mold of Bell, but Saquon Barkley fits that profile much more than Guice. At LSU, Guice had only 32 receptions in three seasons.

Bears GM Ryan Pace On Fuller, Draft

March 29th, 2018 at 9:37am CST by Zachary Links

Bears GM Ryan Pace touched on a wide range of topics in an exclusive interview with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune on Thursday. Here’s a look at the highlights:

On matching cornerback Kyle Fuller’s offer sheet:

We didn’t have a lot of heads up on it. We found out very close to receiving the offer sheet that he was in Green Bay. When he was coming back from that trip he was connecting in Chicago on a layover and he stayed in Chicago.

On announcing the plan to match the sheet hours later:

We could have waited and dragged it out. Hey, we know we like the player. Once we understood the contract and we knew it was a fair contract, let’s just be decisive and go.

On whether he wanted Fuller to sign an offer sheet elsewhere so that another team would work out the long-term deal for him:

We talked about that and the difficulty of negotiating off the franchise tag. So with the transition tag it allowed us a greater possibility (he would sign an offer sheet) and it allowed us the flexibility with the transition tag you can negotiate all the way through the season.

On his ideal scenario for the top seven picks in the draft:

Four quarterbacks go…I don’t know [if that’s realistic]. I think three might be realistic but you never know. We have to prepare for all of those scenarios. We’ll prepare for best case and we’ll prepare for worst case. That’s what is fun this time of year. You have all of your evaluations in. Now we prepare for all of those different things that can transpire.

On whether teams have called about the No. 8 pick:

We haven’t [received inquiries] yet. I’m not surprised. I think that will heat up as you get a little closer. When the Jets came up (from No. 6 to No. 3), they were putting themselves in a position where they know they can (get a player they want) where maybe No. 8 is a little too far back for that. It’s hard to predict.

Jets Rumors: Mayfield, Pryor, Roberts

March 28th, 2018 at 9:53am CST by Zachary Links

Some in football circles believe that the Jets traded up from No. 6 to No. 3 in order to draft Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Mayfield is widely regarded as one of the four best QBs in this year’s class, but most have some combo of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen coming off the board in the first two picks.

Mayfield comes with some concerns about his demeanor and height, but coach Todd Bowles won’t rule him out just because of his stature.

“They’re important to a degree,” Bowles said of height and tangible measurements (via Manish Mehta of the Daily News). “Winning is more important. You just have to weigh the pluses and the minuses on that. Quarterback measurables are important. Defensive back measurables are important. There’s a height requirement there as well. There’s a height requirement for linebackers and defensive linemen.”

Mayfield has measured at at 6-foot 3/8 with 9 1/2-inch hands, which has kept him in the conversation near the top of the draft. He still doesn’t have ideal height for the quarterback position, but the Jets could be willing to overlook that if they believe in his overall potential.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

Terrelle Pryor’s deal with the Jets is one year, $4.5MM pact with $2MM guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Pryor managed only 20 receptions, 240 yards, and one reception in nine games with the Redskins before landing on IR, but he had a strong showing for the Browns in the previous year. If Pryor gets back to his old form, he could prove to be one of this year’s best value signings in the NFL.
Andre Roberts‘ contract with the Jets is a one year, $1.005MM pact with the $90K signing bonus representing his only guarantee (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Roberts is expected to serve as a depth addition as well as a special teams contributor, but his low guarantee means that he is not necessarily assured a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Former Jets long snapper Tanner Purdum has retired, according to an Instagram post from his wife. Purdum was with the Jets from 2010-2016 and did not botch a snap during that period. He was released last September after the team traded for rookie long snapper Thomas Hennessy and did not hook on with another club.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Redskins, Cowboys

March 27th, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Giants are not actively shopping wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., team owner John Mara (once again) didn’t dismiss the idea of dealing the star pass-catcher. “Do I want [Beckham] to be traded? Absolutely not,” said Mara, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). “I want him to be a Giant. I can’t promise that’s going to happen. We’re not looking to get rid of him, OK? I’d like him to be a Giant. But if you’re asking me for a 100% guarantee, nobody has that.” Beckham may reportedly consider a holdout if he’s not extended by the start of the 2018 season, but he’s clearly not in the good graces of New York’s decision-makers at the moment. Mara recently indicated he’s “tired of answering questions” about OBJ, who was involved in a video that may have involved drug use earlier this year.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFC East:

Free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is in a holding pattern with the Redskins after meeting with the club last week, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Asking price could be an issue, as Keim indicated Washington views Hankins as a potential complementary piece of its run defense rather than a key cog. As such, Hankins may not be in the Redskins’ plans unless his cost comes down. Fellow interior lineman Bennie Logan remains under consideration, but given that Washington has yet to schedule a visit, its interest clearly isn’t serious. If neither Hankins nor Logan end up in the nation’s capital, the Redskins should be expected to target defensive tackle help through the draft.
New Cowboys linebacker Joe Thomas‘ two-year deal is worth up to $3.6MM, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Thomas, who had spent his entire career in Green Bay, received a $1MM signing bonus and will also have $400K of his base salary guaranteed. The Packers opted to non-tender Thomas as a restricted free agent rather than pay him an original round tender of $1.907MM, and Thomas won’t meet that mark with Dallas, either, as Demovsky reports Thomas will collect just $1.6MM total in 2018. Thomas, 26, will likely spend most of his time on the Cowboys’ special teams unit, but will provide depth in case Sean Lee or Jaylon Smith go down with injury.
Texas A&M receiver Christian Kirk has schedule a pre-draft visit with the Cowboys, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Because he’s likely considered a local prospect, Kirk shouldn’t count against Dallas’ allotment of 30 prospect meetings. The Cowboys have already added Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson to a pass-catching corps that also includes Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and — for now — Dez Bryant, but Kirk could give the club another dimension on offense. Kirk averaged a 78/952/9 line during three seasons with the Aggies.

AFC Notes: Gruden, Kaepernick, Texans, Watson

March 27th, 2018 at 2:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders coach Jon Gruden is surprised to see Colin Kaepernick without a job in the NFL, but he’s not necessarily of the belief that he is starting caliber.

“I think there’s a lot of intrigue there. His performance on the field wasn’t very good, on tape,” Gruden said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez). “I think, Robert Griffin III, a rookie of the year, surprised he’s out there. Tim Tebow, takes a team to the playoffs, there’s some surprise that he never came back. You know, Johnny Manziel, he’s out there. Back to Kaepernick, you know he got beat out by (Blaine Gabbert), to start the (2016) season. I think that says something. (But) I am surprised he’s not in camp with somebody. He probably will be soon.”

Here’s more from the AFC:

Texans coach Bill O’Brien says quarterback Deshaun Watson is ahead of schedule in ACL rehab and could be on the field throwing for OTAs (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). It’s unlikely that he’ll participate in team periods, but he has a chance at doing some individual workouts.
The Browns‘ two-year deal with Drew Stanton is worth $6.5MM, a source tells Rapoport (Twitter link). The deal includes $4.15MM fully guaranteed and carries a maximum value of $11.3MM.
With Tyrod Taylor, Stanton, and a quarterback to be drafted later, the Browns are expected to shop Cody Kessler, Rapoport tweets. Kessler started eight games for Cleveland in 2016, but didn’t necessarily shine. Given Kessler’s performance and the fact that the Browns probably do not have him in their plans, I wouldn’t expect much of a trade market for him.
The Colts moved down from No. 3 to No. 6, but they do seem inclined to trade down any further unless the expected run on quarterbacks fails to materialize, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. The Colts believe that at least two of this year’s top four quarterbacks (Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield) will go in the top five, leaving them to choose some of this year’s very best overall talents. If that’s the case, they’re content to stay put. “If it’s beneficial for us, and we think we have a deal that works long term, we’ll make the deal,” GM Chris Ballard said recently. “But (No. 6) is a good spot for us.”

2018 NFL Draft News & Rumors