HEADLINES

2019 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Jets Open To Trading Down From No. 3

February 27th, 2019 at 8:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, the Jets traded up from the No. 6 overall pick to the No. 3 choice. This year, GM Mike Maccagnan says they’re open to moving down from No. 3 (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini).

“Right now, we feel good at No. 3, but I’d definitely say if there’s an opportunity to trade down, we would absolutely look at it,” the GM said.

The Jets have 20+ impending free agents and multiple holes to fill, so a trade down would make a lot of sense. Typically, teams trading down from top 5 picks tend to pair up with quarterback-needy teams, and interestingly enough, the rival Giants own the No. 6 pick and could be one of those clubs. The Jets and Giants haven’t pulled off an intra-Meadowlands trade since 1983, but Maccagnan is not opposed to breaking the 36-year drought.

“Yeah, I think I would be open to any team that would,” Maccagnan said, when asked specifically about the Giants. “As long as the trade made sense to us, there’s nothing that would stop us from doing that.”

The Jets could be in line for a big haul if one team badly wants Dwayne Haskins or Kyler Murray. Alternatively, they could stand pat and have a chance at players like defensive end Nick Bosa, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, or outside linebacker Josh Allen.

Ohio State’s Nick Bosa To Participate In Combine Drills

February 25th, 2019 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa will participate in all drills at the NFL Draft combine, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Bosa’s final season was mostly lost to a core muscle injury, but he’s been healthy enough to practice for the past month, Rapoport hears. 

Bosa, of course, is in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Despite playing in only three games last year, many believe that Bosa has the potential be a game-changer in the NFL, similar to older brother Joey Bosa. As a sophomore, Bosa registered 8.5 sacks and 16 total tackles for a loss and was named a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. Even in his injury-shortened junior season, Bosa managed four sacks and six tackles for a loss in just three games.

At 6’4″ and 263 pounds, Bosa already has the size to compete at the next level. The Cardinals have other holes to address, but he could be the first player selected in April since Arizona could use some additional pass rushing ammo outside of Chandler Jones. If he can prove his health in Indianapolis, it’s hard to see Bosa slipping outside of the top 5.

The Cardinals, 49ers, Jets, Raiders, and Buccaneers are scheduled to be the first five teams up when the draft commences on Thursday, April 25.

Peter King On Riley, Murray, Haskins

February 25th, 2019 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

Towards the end of the 2018 season, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley and a potential jump to the pros. Ultimately, Riley opted to stay put with the Sooners.

Recently, Peter King of NBC Sports had the opportunity to catch up with Riley and ask him about the possibility of moving to the NFL at some point down the line.

“I certainly wasn’t tempted at all this year. I would say right now it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I am a college lifer,” Riley said. “I think it’ll be interesting how a lot of things go on from here … if there’s a lot of changes in both games. Football is evolving; there’s a lot of changes obviously at the NFL level right now. There’s a lot of changes with all the transfers and recruiting and all the different things going on at the college level. You never know how those games are going to evolve. I might’ve been tempted honestly had I not been at a place like Oklahoma. But this is one of the best jobs there is in football. Like I’ve said before, I’ll never say never. I never want to promise things that I can’t 1,000% guarantee. It’s not something that really tempts me at all right now.”

After coaching Heisman Trophy winners in back-to-back seasons, Riley is certainly in a great position at Oklahoma. He also recently inked a lucrative extension with OU, so his comfort in Norman, Oklahoma is certainly understandable.

Here’s more from King:

  • There has been a lot of talk about Kyler Murray and his lack of bulk, but King hears the quarterback has bulked up to 206 pounds, a significant jump from his playing weight of 190 pounds at Oklahoma.His added size may give teams confidence that he’s ready to withstand bigger hits at the next level.
  • Murray and Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins are solid top 10 picks, based on what King is hearing. Meanwhile, King doesn’t put a lot of stock into the will-they-won’t-they talk about whether the QBs will throw at the combine. In King’s experience, he’s never heard post-draft chatter of a team executive having downgraded a QB because he did not throw at Indianapolis.
  • King gets the sense that the Rams are hoping that left tackle Andrew Whitworth will come back for one more season, even though he’ll earn a substantial $10.7MM in the final year of his three-year pact. Right now, the 37-year-old is wrestling with the idea of retirement, but the Rams could use his skill and experience, especially since the Rams could lose free agent left guard Rodger Saffold in March. Rising sophomore Joseph Noteboom could take over for Saffold, but the 2018 third-rounder may be forced to fill even bigger shoes at left tackle if Whitworth hangs ’em up.

Alabama S Deionte Thompson Underwent Surgery

February 23rd, 2019 at 11:02am CST by Ben Levine

One of the NFL Draft’s top defensive back prospects will be sidelined for a while. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Alabama safety Deionte Thompson had surgery on Friday to repair a torn ligament in his wrist.

Unsurprisingly, it’s unlikely that Thompson will be able to participate in the NFL Scouring Combine, which takes place next week. Fortunately, Rapoport says the safety isn’t facing any long-term issues stemming from the injury.

Along with Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram and Delaware’s Nasir Adderley, Thompson was considered to be one of the top safety prospects in the upcoming draft. The 22-year-old had a hot start to the 2018 campaign, with some pundits giving the safety a first-round projection. However, a rough second half of the season hurt his draft stock, and this most recent surgery could bump him back even further. While Thompson has the ability to be a starting-caliber NFL player, he may not be selected until the third day of the draft.

During his first full season as a starter, the six-foot-two, 196-pound senior finished with 79 tackles, six passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He had primarily served as a backup during his sophomore and junior seasons at Alabama.

Complete 2019 NFL Draft Order

February 23rd, 2019 at 9:55am CST by Ben Levine

The full 2019 NFL draft order can be found below, sorted by round. The list of 254 selections includes all traded draft picks and compensatory picks. We’ll continue to update the list leading up to the draft if additional deals are made.

Here’s the complete 2019 NFL draft order:

Updated: 4-23-19 (12:50pm CT)

Round 1:

  1. Arizona Cardinals
  2. San Francisco 49ers
  3. New York Jets
  4. Oakland Raiders
  5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  6. New York Giants
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars
  8. Detroit Lions
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. Denver Broncos
  11. Cincinnati Bengals
  12. Green Bay Packers
  13. Miami Dolphins
  14. Atlanta Falcons
  15. Washington Redskins
  16. Carolina Panthers
  17. New York Giants (from Cleveland)
  18. Minnesota Vikings
  19. Tennessee Titans
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers
  21. Seattle Seahawks
  22. Baltimore Ravens
  23. Houston Texans
  24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago)
  25. Philadelphia Eagles
  26. Indianapolis Colts
  27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas)
  28. Los Angeles Chargers
  29. Seattle Seahawks (from Kansas City)
  30. Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans)
  31. Los Angeles Rams
  32. New England Patriots

Round 2:

  1. Arizona Cardinals
  2. Indianapolis Colts (from New York Jets)
  3. Oakland Raiders
  4. San Francisco 49ers
  5. New York Giants
  6. Jacksonville Jaguars
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  8. Buffalo Bills
  9. Denver Broncos
  10. Cincinnati Bengals
  11. Detroit Lions
  12. Green Bay Packers
  13. Atlanta Falcons
  14. Washington Redskins
  15. Carolina Panthers
  16. Miami Dolphins
  17. Cleveland Browns
  18. Minnesota Vikings
  19. Tennessee Titans
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers
  21. Philadelphia Eagles (from Baltimore)
  22. Houston Texans (from Seattle)
  23. Houston Texans
  24. New England Patriots (from Chicago)
  25. Philadelphia Eagles
  26. Dallas Cowboys
  27. Indianapolis Colts
  28. Los Angeles Chargers
  29. Kansas City Chiefs
  30. New Orleans Saints
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams)
  32. New England Patriots

Read more

NFL Allows Banned Prospects To Interview

February 22nd, 2019 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will allow Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, Louisiana Tech defensive end Jaylon Ferguson, and Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams to participate in “limited interviews” at the NFL Draft Combine, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Those three players are still barred from participating in drills, but they will be allowed to speak with teams and undergo medical testing. 

However, the news doesn’t do much for Simmons, a projected first round pick. Simmons will not be able to attend the combine because of to his ACL, so clubs will have to wait before speaking with him (Twitter link).

For Ferguson and Williams, this is potentially good news. All three players were barred from doing drills at the combine due to red flags, but they’ll have an opportunity to clear the air with interested clubs.

Simmons, who stands 6’4″, 300 pounds, appeared in 37 total games in his three-year career with the Bulldogs, managing 159 tackles (30.5 for loss), six sacks, and five forced fumbles during that time. He was named first-team All-SEC in both 2017 and 2018, and this season won the Conerly Trophy as the top college football player in the state of Mississippi. He had buzz as a top-15 selection, but the ACL tear he suffered in training could lower his ceiling.

NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks

February 22nd, 2019 at 1:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks to several teams, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The full rundown, which is below, includes two third-round picks for both the Rams and Patriots.

The NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams, as directed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The compensatory pick system provides additional picks to teams who lose more/better qualifying free agents in the previous year than gained. As the NFL explains:

“Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. No club may receive more than four compensatory picks in any one year. If a club qualifies for more than four compensatory picks after offsetting each CFA lost by each CFA gained of an equal or higher value, the four highest remaining selections will be awarded to the club.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the number of compensatory selections to the number of clubs then in the League (32). This year, six clubs: the Ravens, Bengals, Colts, Rams, Giants, and 49ers qualified for compensatory selections under the net loss formula but will not receive those picks because the final numerical values of the CFAs who were lost by those clubs ranked 33rd through 39thamong the final numerical values of all compensatory selections. Each of those six clubs will receive compensatory selections for other CFAs lost whose final numerical values ranked within the top 32. “

Third Round

  • (No. 33 in third round-No. 96 overall) Redskins
  • 34-97 Patriots
  • 35-98 Rams
  • 36-99 Rams
  • 37-100 Panthers
  • 38-101 Patriots
  • 39-102 Ravens

Read more

Extra Points: Giants, OBJ, Kaep, Murray

February 21st, 2019 at 2:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Will the Giants trade Odell Beckham. Jr. this offseason? Speculation is mounting, and Mike Florio of PFT adds fuel to the fire by suggesting that OBJ and the 49ers could be a match.

The Niners have the No. 2 and No. 36 overall picks in the draft, giving them ample ammo to land one of the game’s most dynamic receivers. An outright swap of the No. 2 pick for OBJ may be too high of a price for the 49ers to pay, but Florio suggests that the Giants could send back a third- or fourth-round pick to balance things out.

Florio also wonders if the already star-studded Rams could reignite their OBJ pursuit. Brandin Cooks seems to have the WR1 position covered, but they could theoretically put together a package with draft capital and a receiver like Robert Woods to make a strong offer.

While you ponder those OBJ possibilities, here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Now that Colin Kaepernick‘s collusion grievance has been settled, the door may be open for the quarterback to return to the NFL. With that in mind, the beat writers of The Athletic ran down potential fits with each of the league’s 32 teams. The entire piece is worth a read, though there is a common refrain – Kaep may be a fit for several teams, but PR issues would ultimately 86 the chance of deals in most cases. The Seahawks, who previously explored a Kaepernick signing, may be among the most likely landing spots for the polarizing QB.
  • Oklahoma quarterback and dual-sport star Kyler Murray is training for the Scouting Combine, but he is unsure about whether he will throw in Indianapolis, as Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets. Murray, presumably, will run the 40-yard dash, and he says he posted an impressive 4.3-second time when he last tried it in 2016. Teams will also be eager to measure the QB. An Oklahoma official recently claimed that Murray comes in at just 5’9″ and 7/8 inches in socks.
  • The Steelers might not get all that much for Antonio Brown in a trade, some NFL execs say.

Marquise Brown To Miss Combine

February 18th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown will not be able to participate in the NFL Draft combine or his school’s pro day, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Brown, a projected top-10 or top-15 pick, is still recovering from a January surgery for his Lisfranc injury. 

[RELATED: Raiders Eyeing Kyler Murray?]

On the plus side, Brown is still expected to be ready for training camp in the summer, so the injury may not tank his stock. There has been buzz about Brown’s 40-yard-dash time being in the low 4.3s, or perhaps even the high 4.2s, so his speed and potential still makes him a tantalizing selection. History is on Brown’s side – Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis was also sidelined for key workouts in 2017, but he wound up going fifth overall to the Titans.

Over the last two seasons, Brown caught 132 passes for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns for Oklahoma over the last two seasons. Those numbers and Brown’s speed, which he won’t be showing off in Indianapolis, are a pair of reasons Brown is expected to come off the board early in this year’s draft.

Brown put himself on the map in 2017 with 57 catches for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. He stepped his game up even further in 2018 when he reeled in 75 passes for 1,318 yards and ten TDs.

Peter King On Brown, Clowney, Murray

February 18th, 2019 at 10:23am CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Brown has scared off at least one interested team with his tweets, Peter King of NBC Sports hears. The Steelers star hasn’t been shy about airing his dirty laundry over social media and King suspects that other potential suitors are also viewing his outspokenness as a red flag.

Brown’s latest Twitter outburst included shots at coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, which jibes with reports of serious friction between Brown and key team figures in recent months.

“No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect!” Brown said, on Twitter. “He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truth.”

Over the past 40-plus days, Brown has requested a trade and been involved in a domestic dispute. Meanwhile, he’s denied any wrongdoing in connection with the incident.

Here’s more from King’s column:

  • King is skeptical of the Texans reaching a long-term deal with Jadeveon Clowney this offseason because he’s “not as hard of worker bee some others on that defense are.” However, that could change if Clowney receives the franchise tag and proves himself in 2019. Clowney recently earned a payment of $1.005MM to resolve a dispute over the position designation for his fifth-year option, so he’d earn roughly $17.3MM under the terms of the tag.
  • The Raiders have three first-round picks and there has been speculation that they could target a quarterback early in the draft, despite the presence Derek Carr. The Raiders, King hears, are fascinated with Murray. If that’s the case, he wonders whether Oakland might flip Carr to to the Jaguars, Dolphins, or Redskins and select the Oklahoma star. If that happens, Murray could wind up playing his first home games on the field of the Oakland A’s.
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