2018 April - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Trade Ryan Switzer To Raiders

April 28th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after acquiring Tavon Austin from the Rams, the Cowboys are set to send one of their slot weapons and return options to California.

The Raiders will trade for Ryan Switzer, Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater of NFL.com report (Twitter link). Switzer came to the Cowboys as a 2017 fourth-round pick. The deal will bring back 2016 Raiders second-round pick Jihad Ward, a defensive lineman that has struggled as a pro.

Switzer served as Dallas’ primary return man, working in both return capacities as a rookie. He’ll now join a Raiders team that not only added a former Cowboy return man this offseason in Dwayne Harris but one that’s retooling its non-Amari Cooper contingent of the wideouts’ room.

This is Oakland’s second wide receiver acquisition via trade this weekend. The Raiders added Martavis Bryant as well. The primary connector here between Switzer and the Raiders is new Oakland special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who coached the North Carolina product with the Cowboys last season.

The Raiders have been trying to unload incumbent slot player Seth Roberts, but as of now he remains on the team. They’ve added Jordy Nelson as well and dumped Michael Crabtree, so the Silver and Black’s receiving corps will look completely different in 2018.

An Illinois product, Ward profiled as a project player coming to Oakland in 2016. The Raiders have a new defensive coordinator and have added a slew of defensive line options in this draft — most notably Arden Key and Maurice Hurst Jr. — so Ward will be departing. He graded as the worst full-time interior defender as a rookie, per Pro Football Focus, and didn’t see much time last season.

Eagles Acquire No. 233 Pick From Patriots

April 28th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Super Bowl LII opponents made an 11th-hour deal. Never averse to trade down, the Patriots moved out of the No. 233 position by trading the pick to the Eagles.

New England will receive Philadelphia’s No. 250 selection as well as a 2019 seventh-round pick, Jeff McLane of Philly.com tweets.

The Eagles selected offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, an Australia native and rugby player, with what is now their final 2018 draft choice. Philadelphia made five picks in this year’s draft — beginning at the No. 49 spot — and the last two were tackles. Four of the defending Super Bowl champions’ five selections came on Day 3.

Redskins Get No. 197 Pick From Rams

April 28th, 2018 at 3:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another Rams trade went down in this sixth round. Los Angeles sent the No. 197 overall choice to Washington, continuing the Rams’ spree of maneuvers over the past hour.

The Redskins used the selection to draft Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton. The Rams will get the No. 205 and No. 231 picks from the Redskins in exchange for Nos. 197 and 256, per John Keim of ESPN.com.

This is the second time the “Mr. Irrelevant” selection has changed hands. It recently went from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Hamilton played a significant role for the past two Crimson Tide teams, helping Alabama win another national title in 2017. He registered 14.5 tackles for loss between the 2016 and ’17 campaigns. He made a career-high 64 tackles in 2016. Hamilton will join former Tide defensive mates Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson and Da’Ron Payne in Washington.

Patriots Deal No. 198 Choice To Chiefs

April 28th, 2018 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs just made a pick at No. 196 but have moved up to the No. 198 position, thanks to a trade with the Patriots.

Kansas City continued to add to its front seven, selecting Tennessee defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie. This is the fourth front-seven pick the Chiefs have made thus far this weekend. Kahlil McKenzie is the son of Raiders GM (and fellow former Tennessee and NFL defender) Reggie McKenzie.

Two Chiefs seventh-rounders — Nos. 233 and 243 — will go the Patriots as a result of this trade. McKenzie will join Derrick Nnadi as interior defenders bound for western Missouri.

All six of Kansas City’s 2018 picks have gone to address the defense, which makes sense considering the established starters all over their offense and DVOA having measured the AFC West champions’ defense as the No. 30 unit last season.

Rams Trade No. 194 Pick To Falcons

April 28th, 2018 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams moved another of their extensive collection of sixth-round picks, trading the No. 194 choice to the Falcons in exchange for two seventh-round selections, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com tweets.

Los Angeles will collect Nos. 244 and 256, the latter being the final pick in this draft, from Atlanta. Thanks to their aggressive offseason, the Rams still hold three picks between Nos. 192 and 197. They now own two picks in the seventh round as well.

LSU wide receiver Russell Gage will stay in the southeast as a result of this trade. Gage has incredibly modest numbers for an NFL draft pick — 26 career catches, 347 yards, five total touchdowns — but he’ll attempt to earn a roster spot with the Falcons.

Atlanta still owns its own sixth-round pick, No. 200, but now has no seventh-round selections after dealing both of them to their 2017 first-round playoff opponent. The Falcons had not made a pick since the fourth round, with Gage being the fifth member of their 2018 draft class.

Colts Trade Henry Anderson To Jets

April 28th, 2018 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drafted three years ago to play in a 3-4 scheme for the Colts, Henry Anderson is on the move to a familiar defense.

Now set to use a 4-3 look, the Colts shipped the interior defender to the Jets in exchange for a seventh-round pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Indianapolis will receive the No. 235 overall choice.

Anderson served as a starter for most of his time with the Colts, including eight games with the first unit last season. He only played in nine games, however, and has never exceeded 11 in a season. The 2015 third-round pick, who registered a career-high two sacks last season, has one year remaining on his rookie contract.

The Colts took two defensive linemen in this year’s draft in Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis (both in Round 2) and signed Denico Autry from the Raiders in free agency. The Jets released Muhammad Wilkerson and bypassed the D-line class in free agency to this point. They did select Division II dynamo Nathan Shepherd in Round 3 on Friday.

Vikings, Jets Make Another Round 5 Deal

April 28th, 2018 at 2:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Maccagnan and Rick Spielman look to have had another phone conversation, because the Jets and Vikings have made a second deal for Round 5 picks.

The Jets dealt their No. 167 choice to the Vikings, the pick Minnesota previously owned before moving into the Jets’ No. 157 slot. After taking a tight end following the teams’ previous trade, the Vikes selected Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson.

New York dealt the No. 167 and No. 225 selections to Minnesota in exchange for the Nos. 180 and 204 overall choices, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).

A three-time Lou Groza award finalist, Carlson is the first kicker to be selected this year. Kai Forbath served as the Vikings’ kicker last season after joining the team in 2016. Minnesota re-signed Forbath in March for one year and $790K, but he’ll now be pushed by a highly regarded specialty prospect. Although the 30-year-old incumbent made 32 of his 38 field goal tries last season, he missed five extra points.

Rams Move Into Broncos’ No. 160 Slot

April 28th, 2018 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having just acquired a seventh sixth-round selection in this year’s draft in the Tavon Austin trade, the Rams used that capital to move up into Round 5.

The Rams sent two of those sixth-rounders (Nos. 183 and 217) to the Broncos to move into the No. 160 spot. Los Angeles used the pick to take Oklahoma edge defender Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

Despite making big trades to help their defense, the Rams are thinner on the edge. Okoronkwo provided consistent pressure for the Sooners, totaling 29 tackles for loss and 17 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s the third sack artist to head to the Rams this draft, following Stephen F. Austin’s John Franklin-Myers and Virginia’s Micah Kiser.

This marks the second time in the past several minutes the Broncos have traded down in the fifth round. Previously, Denver did not have a pick past Round 5. This was because of multiple trades they made in a busy offseason. They now own three because of these Saturday deals.

Vikings Land Jets’ No. 157 Pick

April 28th, 2018 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets and Vikings exchanged late-round draft choices, clearing the way for Minnesota to land Central Michigan tight end Tyler Conklin.

Minnesota acquired the No. 157 overall pick in return for the Nos. 167 and 225 selections, per NJ.com’s Darryl Slater (via Twitter). Prior to this deal, the Vikes held four sixth-round draft choices. They still have three after moving up in Round 5.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound pass-catcher surpassed 500 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, totaling 11 touchdown grabs in that span. The Vikings didn’t have much invested at the tight end spot behind Kyle Rudolph previously, so Conklin could have a chance at playing time fairly early.

Rams To Trade Tavon Austin To Cowboys

April 28th, 2018 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Tavon Austin era with the Rams looks to be over, and he’ll attempt to restore his career on a team that just lost its highest-profile wideout.

Austin will head to the Cowboys as part of this exchange, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The No. 8 pick in the 2013 draft, Austin will go to Dallas for the No. 192 overall pick.

A slot target/gadget specialist, Austin fell out of favor with the Rams despite being signed to a memorable contract nearly two years ago. He caught just 13 passes for 47 yards during Sean McVay’s debut season, a year after he established a career high with 509 air yards for what was the league’s worst passing attack.

Austin joins a Cowboys team that has some depth in the slot/gadget department, employing Cole Beasley and Ryan Switzer. However, Austin’s speed could be attractive to the Cowboys, who are ready to take a chance on him. The 5-foot-9 West Virginia alum has one season remaining on his contract, one he restructured in March in order to stay with the Rams. He’s attached to a $7MM cap number and is signed only through the 2018 season.

For the Rams, they now own an incredible stake in this year’s sixth round. Los Angeles now has seven sixth-round picks.