2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars Eyeing Tua Tagovailoa, Talking Trade With Lions

April 23rd, 2020 at 3:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Could Jacksonville move up the board? ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Jaguars’ general manager Dave Caldwell “just” called Lions’ general manager Bob Quinn about tonight’s pick.

Jacksonville is currently in possession of picks No. 9 and No. 20, although that might not be enough to get Detroit to sacrifice the No. 3 pick. We heard earlier today that the Lions would only surrender the third-overall pick if they received a top-five pick in return.

Regardless of compensation, it appears that the Jaguars’ trade inquiries are part of an effort to select Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Talks of the signal-caller getting selected by the Jaguars continue to “linger,” writes ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio. The reporter notes that Jacksonville has been mentioned as a suitor for the quarterback for several days.

Of course, it’s uncertain if the Jaguars would really select a player at that position before fully evaluating whether Gardner Minshew can be their franchise quarterback. On the flip side, as Florio notes, the organization passed on both Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson because of the presence of Blake Bortles. Ownership may be looking to avoid that mistake a second time.

If the Jaguars have their way, this might not be the only trade they pull off today. The organization has been shopping running back Leonard Fournette or defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, but they’ve yet to find a favorable trade.

Saints Re-Sign Johnson Bademosi

April 23rd, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are bringing back cornerback Johnson Bademosi, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Terms of the deal between New Orleans and the special teams ace are not yet known.

Bademosi spent time with the Browns, Lions, Patriots, Texans, and Dolphins before joining up with the Saints last year. His trip from Houston to Miami came courtesy of the Laremy Tunsil blockbuster. When he was dropped by the ‘Fins last October, the Saints scooped him up.

Meanwhile, the Saints are pushing hard to trade up in the first round of the NFL Draft. It won’t be easy for New Orleans to swing a deal – they’ve got only five picks in their possession and only two of those are inside of the first three rounds. They’re also not ruling out the possibility of drafting a quarterback. If they fall farther than expected, players like FIU’s James Morgan, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, and Washington’s Jacob Eason could be in consideration for GM Mickey Loomis if he’s serious about backstopping Drew Brees and Taysom Hill.

Jets, Saints, Packers Looking To Move Up

April 23rd, 2020 at 3:16pm CST by Ben Levine

There are a number of teams pushing to move up in the first round. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Falcons, Jets, Saints, and Packers are among the teams “who have made some noise about potentially moving up.” We previously heard that Atlanta was looking to make a deal.

Rapoport notes that the Jets are “presumably” looking to move up to take an offensive tackle. Gang Green currently has the 11th-overall pick, meaning they should get their hands on one of Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills Jr., Andrew Thomas, and Mekhi Becton. However, if there is a sudden run of lineman, the Jets may be required to make a move.

It might be tough for the Saints to make a trade considering their limited draft capital. New Orleans is currently in possession of only five picks, and the only have a pair of selections in the first three rounds (No. 24 and No. 88).

On the flip side, the Packers are loaded with draft picks, as they’re currently armed with 10 selections. Of course, it’s worth noting that six of those selections are in the fifth round or later. The Packers have the No. 30 pick in the first round. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst discussed the team’s trade prospects earlier this week.

Jets Put LB Avery Williamson On The Trade Block

April 23rd, 2020 at 3:02pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of Jets defenders could find themselves on new teams by the end of the weekend. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports (via Twitter) that Avery Williamson is available for trade. The reporter also notes that defensive end Henry Anderson is “[a]nother name to monitor.”

After spending four seasons with the Titans, Williamson joined the Jets back in 2018. He had a productive first season in New York, compiling a career-high 120 tackles to go along with three sacks and two forced fumbles. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2019 campaign thanks to a torn ACL.

Williamson is in the final year of a three-year, $22.5MM deal (including $16MM guaranteed). It was only a year ago that he rated as a top-20 linebacker per Pro Football Focus, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the Jets find a taker for the 28-year-old.

Anderson joined the Jets via trade back in 2018. The lineman had a career-high seven sacks during his first season in New York, and he finished the 2019 campaign have made a career-high 13 starts.

Cowboys Not Targeting Centers?

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Don’t expect the Cowboys to find their replacement for Travis Frederick in the draft. Coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that he’s optimistic about his current options at center, including Joe Looney, Connor McGovern, and Connor Williams.

“I think Travis is a player that’s had a great career,” McCarthy said (via Michael Gehlken of DallasNews.com). “Obviously, he’s to be commended on that. But when we look at our current depth with the offensive line, you start off with Joe Looney and the two Connors. I think we’ve got great competition, great depth. We’ve got Marcus Henry there, also Adam Redmond.

“We have some really good flexibility, some really good numbers. So the fact that we’re able to get started and just start going through the language and how we’re going to call things, I think the fact that we have that much experience with the veteran group that we have here, I feel very good about moving forward.”

That probably takes the Cowboys out of the running for Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz, although the team could shift their focus to LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry, Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz and Temple’s Matt Hennessy. After the 17th-overall selection, the Cowboys won’t be picking again until No. 51.

After seven years with the organization, Frederick announced his retirement last month.

Draft Rumors: Chaisson, Titans, Raiders

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

While they have been rumored to be deciding on a left tackle or Isaiah Simmons, the Giants are now being connected to another name at No. 4. Strong buzz has emerged on the Giants liking LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. Chaisson has not been mentioned as a top-five candidate previously, and La Canfora still mocks Tristan Wirfs to New York. But with Dave Gettleman shocking most by drafting Daniel Jones at No. 6 last year, an off-the-board pick should not be ruled out. The Giants are fairly desperate for edge rushers, having traded away Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon in consecutive offseasons and having not re-signed 2019 sack leader Markus Golden.

Here is the latest from the draft world, with less than five hours remaining until showtime:

Simmons’ versatility may be working against him in some circles. The do-it-all Clemson linebacker may be dropping, with Albert Breer of SI.com writing that teams’ issues with Simmons’ potential fit could well result in him tumbling Thursday night. Noting that a team needs a detailed plan to get the most out of Simmons, Breer does not expect him to go in the top seven.
Having lost Jack Conklin hours into free agency, the Titans have done a lot of work on offensive linemen in this year’s class, La Canfora adds. Ezra Cleveland‘s rise may play him out of Tennessee’s range (No. 29) at this point, but La Canfora points out the Titans are high on Louisiana tackle Robert Hunt as well.
Despite their 14-2 season, the Ravens did not fully replace C.J. Mosley. They have since lost inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor. They may be in the hunt to fortify that spot tonight. The Ravens have been calling around on linebackers, Breer adds, potentially for a trade-up to land one of this draft’s best. Mel Kiper’s most recent mock draft has Baltimore taking LSU’s Patrick Queen at No. 28, with Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray going ahead of him. But the Ravens may want to make sure they are in position to land one of these two players by moving up.
A footnote in the Raiders‘ blockbuster Khalil Mack trade: they lost their 2020 second-round pick. The team holds two first-round picks but “would love” to drop into Round 2 and stockpile draft capital in doing so, Breer notes.
The 49ers have engaged in conversations regarding potential trades of both their first-rounders — Nos. 13 and 31 — but Breer hears San Francisco would prefer to move down from 31 instead of 13. With the higher pick, the 49ers have been linked to top wide receivers. They have visited with CeeDee Lamb and are believed to be interested in Henry Ruggs.

Gronk: I Told Tom Brady I Wanted To Play Months Ago

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement and pushed the Patriots to trade him to the Buccaneers. Publicly, the tight end hid his intentions, but he says Tom Brady has known about his plans for a while now.

“We rarely talked about what his decision was gonna be, where I’m at,” Gronkowski said of their winter talks (via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine). “But we did talk about [it] for one second. I told him that — we talked just real quick — like, ‘Hey, I’m kinda getting that fire underneath me again.’

“I said, ‘I’m definitely interested in your decision that you make.’ I didn’t put any pressure on him. I said, ‘If there’s a right opportunity out there, and you go somewhere and that opportunity is right – even if you go back to the Patriots and I feel like the opportunity is right – there’s a possible chance that I would definitely love to reconnect.'”

Brady, per Gronk, was “all fired up and juiced up” about the potential reunion. Now, they’ll look to pick up where they left off – the duo connected for 78 touchdowns across nine years together in New England. There should be plenty more to come, with better weather to boot.

Of course, this won’t be welcome news to fans in New England who were clamoring for Gronk last season. While the veteran’s 2018 campaign (47 receptions, 682 yards, three touchdowns) weren’t up to his normal standards, they still proved to be better than the numbers put up by New England’s tight ends in 2019. The Patriots got 36 receptions and two touchdowns from the trio of Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, and Ryan Izzo last year.

Latest On 49ers, Marquise Goodwin

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have granted Marquise Goodwin permission to seek a trade, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports (on Twitter). They’ve been shopping the veteran for a while and, now, they have his camp on the case.

Goodwin, slated to earn roughly $4.5MM in combined salary and bonuses this year, is hoping to sign a new deal with any club that acquires him. Meanwhile, GM John Lynch says he’s been “close a couple times” to a deal, with the most recent near-agreement coming earlier this week.

Lynch has been open and upfront about his willingness/desire to move Goodwin. If they don’t get a deal done this week, it seems likely that they’ll have to cut him outright.

Goodwin had a career year with San Francisco in 2017 with 962 yards, but injuries have held him back over the years. In 2019, he finished with just 186 yards through the air. Before joining SF, the one-time track star totaled 49 catches and six touchdowns over four seasons with the Bills.

Vikings, Jaguars Interested In Ezra Cleveland

April 23rd, 2020 at 1:58pm CST by Zachary Links

A few weeks ago, Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland seemed ticketed for the second or third round. Now, it’s sounding more and more like he’ll hear his name called tonight. The Jaguars and Vikings are both showing serious interest in Cleveland, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears.

The Browns have reportedly been enthralled with Cleveland, too, and not just because of his name. He has the potential to feature at four different offensive line spots (every one but center), plus enough bulk at 300+ pounds to hold his ground. Recently, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds that the Boise State tackle is a “mortal lock” to be chosen in Round 1.

The Vikings have been exploring tackle options lately, even though Riley Reiff remains an option. If they drafted Cleveland, they slot the youngster at right tackle and kick Reiff inside. The Jaguars, meanwhile, will return every featured OL from last year, except for Cedric Ogbuehi, but they’re looking to bulk up the unit further.

The No. 10 pick would be too early for the Browns to take Cleveland, but they could trade down for him or fill a different need there and trade back into the first round later.

Broncos Waive Colby Wadman, Trevor Daniel

April 23rd, 2020 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

There will not be a punting competition in Denver. A month after agreeing to terms with Sam Martin, the Broncos are waiving incumbent Colby Wadman and former Texans punter Trevor Daniel, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

The Broncos promoted Wadman from their practice squad in October 2018, after their Marquette King signing did not work out to their liking. Wadman, however, largely struggled after taking the job.

Despite the advantages of kicking in Denver’s thin air, Wadman averaged 44.4 yards per punt last season — 26th in the league. The former UDFA did, however, rank ninth in punts inside the 20-yard line (29). The Broncos signed Martin, a longtime Lions punter, to take over in March.

Denver added Daniel via reserve/futures deal after the season but will move on with just Martin at punter. Daniel punted in 18 games for the Texans from 2018-19, but Houston opted to go with Bryan Anger over him early last season.