2019 April - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Trade No. 111 To Falcons

April 27th, 2019 at 11:35am CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons have acquired No. 111 from the Lions, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). Atlanta will send Detroit No. 117 and No. 186. ESPN’s Michael Rothstein was the first to report the trade (via Twitter).

The Falcons have used the pick on Ohio State cornerback Kendall Sheffield. The defensive back spent a redshirt season at Alabama, transferred to Blinn College, and then moved to Ohio State in 2017. He ended up seeing the field for 27 games between two seasons.

Sheffield is also an accomplished track athlete, with his hurdling prowess earning him the Gatorade Texas Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award in 2014.

Raiders Trade No. 109 To Colts

April 27th, 2019 at 11:29am CST by Ben Levine

The Colts have moved up 20 spots. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that Indy has acquired No. 109 from the Raiders. Oakland will receive No. 129 and No. 135.

The Colts have used their pick on Michigan State safety Khari Willis. The rookie is considered a box safety, meaning he’ll likely be tasked to cover tight ends in the middle of the field. Of course, the Colts clearly have high hopes for the safety, emphasized by them moving up 20 spots in the fourth round.

The Colts have added a pair of safeties this offseason in Derrick Kindred and Isaiah Johnson. Those two additions, Willis, and a host of other safeties (including George Odum, Rolan Milligan, and Matthias Farley) will compete for snaps behind Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers.

Broncos Acquire LB Dekoda Watson

April 27th, 2019 at 11:26am CST by Ben Levine

We have a player trade. The 49ers have dealt linebacker Dekoda Watson and No. 212 to the Broncos for No. 148, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

This will be a reunion for Watson and the Broncos, as the linebacker played in Denver during the 2016 season. The former seventh-rounder has bounced around the NFL during his nine-year career. He spent the past two seasons with San Francisco, playing mostly on special teams.

Watson was limited to only four games in 2018, as he battled hamstring and calf injuries.

Jets Trade No. 105 To Saints

April 27th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have acquired more picks. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Jets have sent No. 105 to the Saints. New Orleans will send New York No. 116 and No. 168.

The Saints have used the selection on Florida safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The rangy nickel defensive back was expected to be drafted on Day 2, so it’s understandable that the Saints traded up to acquire him.

New Orleans has Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell slotted in as their starting safeties. Gardner-Johnson is unlikely to push either player for a starting gig, but he should compete with Chris Banjo and J.T. Gray for backup reps.

49ers Trade No. 104 To Bengals

April 27th, 2019 at 11:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Bengals have acquired pick No. 104 from the 49ers, reports Matt Maiocco NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). The 49ers acquired a third-rounder (No. 110) and a pair of sixth-rounders (No. 183, No. 198).

The Bengals will use the pick on NC State quarterback Ryan Finley. Following two seasons with Boise State, Finley had the opportunity to start for NC State over the past three seasons. He finished the 2018 campaign having completed 67.4-percent of his passes for 3,928 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Finley shouldn’t supplant Andy Dalton for playing time, but he should at least push the veteran. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes that Finley was the only quarterback prospect the Bengals hosted during the pre-draft process.

Draft Notes: Bills, Jaguars, Bengals

April 27th, 2019 at 10:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Bills selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Cody Ford in the second round, but it sounds like the team was willing to take him even earlier. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Buffalo tried to trade back into the first round in order to draft Ford. Ultimately, the price proved to be “too rich.”

As we mentioned, the Bills still managed to land Ford at No. 38. The leaves the Bills with 14 offensive lineman on their current roster, so the team will surely have some intriguing competitions come training camp. The team has added five free agent linemen this offseason in Mitch Morse, Spencer Long, Ty Nsekhe, Jon Feliciano, and LaAdrian Waddle.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor was expected to be a top-10 pick, but he ended up falling to the Jaguars at No. 35. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Taylor fell because of medical concerns, as teams were wary of the Florida product’s meniscus issue. Fortunately, Rapoport says the issue isn’t “structural.”
The Jaguars shocked most pundits when they selected Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams in the third round last night. As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Williams (who is the brother of third-overall pick Quinnen Williams) wasn’t among the 400 players scouted by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, nor was he on the list of 730 prospects compiled by The Athletics’ Arif Hasan. The linebacker wasn’t invited to the Combine and Murray State didn’t have a Pro Day, leading Williams to assume he was going to go undrafted. “For me coming from a small school and didn’t get a combine invite, yeah, I kind of did,” Williams said. “Then I had to go to Pro Day somewhere else, so most people thought I was a safety or a smaller linebacker, so yeah it was a thought in my mind. But then I know my abilities, and I believe in myself.”
The Bengals used the 11th-overall pick on Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams, leading some to wonder what would happen with Cordy Glenn. As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer points out (on Twitter), the veteran has started every snap of his career at left tackle, but he may be forced to move to right tackle or left guard. Furthermore, he gave up the most pressures and earned the worst Pro Football Focus grade of his career in 2018. Dehner ultimately wonders if a position change could rejuvenate the 29-year-old’s career.

Texans TE Ryan Griffin Arrested

April 27th, 2019 at 9:43am CST by Ben Levine

Texans tight end Ryan Griffin was arrested last night in Nashville, according to a report from Tennessean.com.

Police say the 29-year-old punched a window at a hotel (which, notably, was located near the NFL Draft). Hotel security reported Griffin to police, and the tight end was subsequently arrested and charged with vandalism and public intoxication. The player was also reportedly bleeding from his left hand, although the extent of the injury is not clear. Instead of writing Griffin a citation, police decided to arrest the player “for his own safety.” The tight end was ultimately released from jail after paying his bond.

The 2013 sixth-round pick has spent his entire six-year career with the Texans, serving in mostly a backup role. His best season came in 2016, when he hauled in a career-high 50 passes. Griffin started a career-high 11 games (in 14 appearance) in 2018, compiling 24 receptions for 305 yards. ProFootballFocus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance last season, ranking him 56th among 70 eligible tight ends.

His underwhelming advanced metrics could (partly) explain why the Texans ended up selecting San Diego State tight end Kahale Warring in the third round last night. The team also added free agent Darren Fells this offseason, so there’s no guarantee that Griffin makes it to the regular season with his current squad. Griffin signed a three-year, $9MM extension ($3.22MM guaranteed) with the Texans back in 2017.

Vikings Receiving Calls On Veterans

April 27th, 2019 at 9:28am CST by Ben Levine

It could be a busy day in Minnesota. SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the organization has received calls on three veterans: tight end Kyle Rudolph and cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. Breer notes that while the organization is not “actively shopping” the trio, they’d be open to trades for their expensive veterans.

Breer had mentioned earlier this week that the Vikings could be willing to talk trade. Rudolph is a natural trade candidate, as the tight end is set to earn $7.28MM in the final year of his contract. The organization also selected Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. with their second-round pick, which naturally added some competition to the position. General manager Rick Spielman said the two players can play different roles on offense, with ESPN’s Courtney Cronin suggesting the offense could replicate Philly, where Zach Ertz and Trey Burton coexisted. The 29-year-old Rudolph had another productive season in 2018, hauling in 64 receptions for 634 yards and four scores.

Waynes is also a natural trade candidate, as the cornerback will be playing on a fully-guaranteed fifth-year option salary of $9.07MM. The former first-rounded has spent his entire career in Minnesota, including a 2018 campaign where he finished with 44 tackles, eight passes defended, and one interception.

As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com points out, trading Rhodes could be a bit more complicated. His $10.4MM salary is fully-guaranteed, and a trade would subsequently trigger a $7.2MM cap charge. At this point of the offseason, it could be difficult for an inquiring team to fit the 28-year-old into their books. On the flip side, a trade would help the Vikings financially; the team would save $6.14MM in cap space by trading the defensive back. Rhodes finished last season with 47 tackles, nine passes defended, and one interception.

Changes Coming To Jets Front Office?

April 27th, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Ben Levine

Many in the league expect changes in the Jets front office after the draft, Mike Lombardi of The Athletic hears. Lombardi notes that GM Mike Maccagnan is on the hot seat, which could lead to a shakeup in the scouting department. It’s not immediately clear whether Maccagnan himself could be in jeopardy after the draft wraps up, though it would be a shock if the GM were to get the axe before the start of the season.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Rich Cimini echoes other reports of friction between Maccagnan and new head coach Adam Gase. Specifically, Cimini says the two had disagreement over free agency strategy, with CEO Christopher Johnson visiting team facilities to “observe the dynamic between the coach and general manager.” Predictably, the GM downplayed the friction between the two.

“Actually, I think Adam and I have worked very well together,” said Maccagnan. “I’m sure, like in any process, there are times where … you know, you work through the process.

“It’s just like in a scouting meeting. You might have different opinions on a player. But, from my standpoint, I’ve actually had a very good working relationship with Adam. Quite frankly, as I’ve said before, he has a very good sense of humor. He makes me laugh quite a bit, which is one of the reasons why I like working with him.”

While some pundits ran with Lombardi’s story and assumed that Maccagnan’s job was in jeopardy, Cimini says “from all indications, the Jets have no plans to make a change.” The general manager naturally wouldn’t discuss his job security, noting that his focus is on the draft.

“I don’t think I’m really going to sit here and comment about my job,” Maccagnan said. “I’m focused on the draft. I feel good about the situation we’re in. I feel very good about working with Adam going forward.”

Rams Move Up To Patriots’ No. 97 Slot

April 26th, 2019 at 10:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time Friday night, the Super Bowl LIII opponents swapped picks. This time, the Rams made the move up.

The Patriots traded their No. 97 and No. 162 overall selections to the Rams for Nos. 101 and 133. With the new pick, the Rams took Oklahoma tackle Bobby Evans.

The defending NFC champions have now used three first-round picks, taking running back Darrell Henderson, cornerback David Long and now Evans. This follows their Taylor Rapp selection earlier Friday night.

Evans is the second Sooners offensive lineman to go off this year’s board, following second-rounder Cody Ford. These two followed Oklahoma stars Kyler Murray and Marquise Brown. Evans left after his junior year.