2020 April - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Draft Rumors: Giants, Herbert, Tua

April 20th, 2020 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

Will the Giants actually consider quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 4 overall pick, even though they already have Daniel Jones under center? The answer is no, according to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, though GM Dave Gettleman has been eyeing him for quite some time. Had Herbert entered last year, he would have been Gettleman’s top choice, Pauline hears.

Here’s a look at the latest draft rumblings from around the NFL:

In private conversations, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has indicated that Herbert is not actually in consideration for the No. 5 pick, a source close to Ross tells Pauline. That same source says the pick will either be used on Tua Tagovailoa or a position player, with Jordan Love being selected sometime later. If it’s a non-QB at No. 5, Pauline hears that tackle Andrew Thomas is the most likely choice.
Multiple NFL execs tell ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler that the Vikings are looking to move back. The Vikings own Nos. 22 and 25, but they could fill their needs at cornerback and wide receiver later on. In the second round, they should be able to land one of this year’s second-tier corners such as Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton, or Alabama’s Trevon Diggs – the brother of former Vikes receiver Stefon Diggs.
Based on what we’ve heard, Washington’s Jacob Eason profiles as a Day 2 pick for QB-needy teams like the Patriots. He could also be a fit for teams looking to groom their next signal caller. One AFC exec pondered the possibility of Eason going to the Buccaneers, where the pure passer serve as the heir to Tom Brady. The Bucs own the No. 45 overall pick in the second round and Eason could be there for them, provided that teams like the Colts (No. 34) don’t pounce first.

Giants High On QB Justin Herbert?

April 20th, 2020 at 10:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have spent lots of time researching and talking to Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Needless to say, it would be an absolute stunner if the Giants targeted Herbert, but RapSheet says it’s a note to file away this week.

Herbert has had lots of FaceTime conversations with head coach Joe Judge, but that could just be a part of their “exhaustive” draft prep for their top pick. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where the Giants would draft Herbert with Daniel Jones already in place. NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter) speculates that the Giants could be playing the long game, using this opportunity to do their homework on him in case he becomes available at some point down the road.

The Giants probably won’t be in the mix for Herbert, but other QB-needy teams are taking a hard look at him. That list, of course, includes the Dolphins at No. 5 overall. For months, they’ve been heavily connected to Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa, but more and more insiders are hearing that they’re actually obsessed with Herbert. That may also explain the Giants’ deep dive on Herbert – an attempt to sweat the ‘Fins into trading up.

The Chargers are also a possibility for Herbert, but it doesn’t sound like they’re willing to trade up from No. 6 to get him.

NFL Teams Begin “Virtual” Offseason Program

April 20th, 2020 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills, Patriots, and Colts were among the teams to kick off the “virtual period” of their offseason program on Monday. A total of twelve NFL teams opted to start online sessions today, but only the aforementioned teams will have virtual workouts on the agenda, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

As Garafolo notes (via Twitter), those three teams are requiring the workouts in order for players to receive their workout bonuses. The Bills have upwards of $3MM in workout incentives going to their players, including $250K for defensive linemen Mario Addison, Star Lotulelei, and Jerry Hughes. The Patriots have less tied to workout bonuses, though wide receiver Julian Edelman is personally on the books for $300K this year.

Soon, the rest of the NFL will follow suit with online OTAs. These sessions obviously can’t replace on-field drills and gym time, but teams have no other choice.

49ers In Talks To Trade No. 13 & No. 31 Picks

April 20th, 2020 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are talking trade. They’re taking calls on both of their first round picks at Nos. 13 and 31 overall, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, and they’re open dealing one or both those choices.

For months, the Niners have stood out as an obvious trade-down candidate. With no picks in the second, third, or fourth rounds, they’re eager to replenish their stockpile. After No. 31, their next pick doesn’t come until No. 156.

The 49ers turned their draft depth into edge rusher Dee Ford and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (now with the Saints). Earlier this year, they shipped defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the Colts, bringing them the No. 13 overall pick – ammo they desperately needed.

That No. 13 pick could put them in range for an elite wide receiver, like Oklahoma star CeeDee Lamb. As tempting as that might be, they have other needs to address, including cornerback, interior offensive line, and defensive tackle.

Weak Offers For Jaguars’ Leonard Fournette

April 20th, 2020 at 8:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars haven’t found any viable deals for Leonard Fournette, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Schefter hears they’ve actually been shopping the running back for over a month, which indicates that he’s not in their plans for this year. Ultimately, they may have to settle for less than they anticipated if they really want to move on from him.

Fournette clashed with Tom Coughlin and struggled to stay healthy in his early seasons, but he turned in a solid 2019. The former No. 4 overall pick ran for a career-high 1,152 rushing yards with an average of 4.3 yards per carry, a big step up from his 3.3 average in an injury-shortened 2018. Still, the Jaguars aren’t sold on him.

The LSU product is set to earn $4MM+ in 2020 with a fifth-year option for 2021, priced at more than $10MM. The Jaguars have until early May to exercise that option and, clearly, they don’t think Fournette is worth the gamble. Meanwhile, Fournette has been less than thrilled with the Jaguars’ overhaul this offseason.

“Calais Campbell, they got rid of my dawg,″ Fournette said on social media after the veteran defensive end was shipped to the Ravens (via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union) . “I’m hurt, first those are my dawgs. ‘Don King’ Jalen Ramsey. And my dawg, Yan [Yannick Ngakoue]. Come on now…They’re just killing me right now. I’m just so hurt, it feels like my girl has broken up with me. She left to go with somebody else.″

Teams like the Buccaneers, Dolphins, Lions, Colts, and Bills would make varying degrees of sense for Fournette, but it’s not clear if they’ve been in contact with the Jags. Whichever clubs have expressed interest in Fournette, apparently, aren’t offering a whole lot.

Extra Points: Kinlaw, UDFAs, Lions, Vaitai

April 19th, 2020 at 7:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

2020 draft prospect Javon Kinlaw has an incredible story. The South Carolina defensive tackle had a rough upbringing, and was homeless for much of his childhood. As he prepares for the next chapter of his journey, Kinlaw gave an interview to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com. He said he doesn’t think about his past all that much, and called himself “hands down, without a doubt,” the best defensive tackle in the draft. He’s competing with Auburn’s Derrick Brown for that title, and is a lock to be a first-round pick. Although providing for his young daughter will be great, Kinlaw said his large rookie contract won’t be the best part. “Money’s going to be there and that’s cool,” he said. “But I love football. I’m just happy I get the chance to do what very few get a chance to do. I get a chance to play the game you grow up seeing. To have it as a job? You can’t ask for more than that.”

Kinlaw didn’t play in the Senior Bowl because of knee tendinitis and then didn’t work out at the combine, but it doesn’t sound like there are serious injury concerns. One team evaluator told Jones that Kinlaw’s recent medical reports came back clean. The former Gamecock said he’s spoken with “about 14 teams” in advance of the draft. Kinlaw could very well go inside the top ten, and he shouldn’t have to wait too long to hear his name called.

Here’s more from around the league as draft week approaches:

For all the talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the draft and potential technical malfunctions that could ensure while conducting it virtually, it could be even more disruptive for the undrafted free agent process. Undrafted free agency normally moves very fast as the draft wraps up, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe spoke to some agents who think it’ll get complicated. One agent said it will be a “complete mess” and that “if they operate the same way this year there’s going to be more deals being reneged because they filled too many spots.” There are apparently concerns of communication issues in the frenzy that usually takes place, and as an example Volin writes that a “safeties coach could call a player and tell him to expect an offer, not realizing that [his team doesn’t] have the roster space.” Some around the league are calling for a gap to make things smoother. “Make it a separate day. Doing it on the third day of the draft this year is going to be miserable,” one agent argued. “I don’t see why everybody wouldn’t be on board with that.” Volin notes that he reached out to a league spokesman to see if they’d consider pushing it back, but got no response.
When the Lions gave Halapoulivaati Vaitai a big five-year, $50MM deal, most assumed he would take over for Ricky Wagner at right tackle, but that’s apparently not necessarily the case. Detroit GM Bob Quinn recently indicated the team might opt to play him at right guard, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “We feel like we can plug him in either spot. … We’ll kind of see where the roster shapes up,” Quinn said. Birkett notes in a follow-up tweet that they certainly paid him like a right tackle, but may opt to kick him inside if there’s a tackle they really want early in this draft. They have Taylor Decker at left tackle. Vaitai was highly regarded in Philadelphia, but was buried behind the Eagles’ surplus of tackles, so he only started four games over the past two years.

AFC Notes: Patriots, QBs, Texans, Qvale, Raiders, WRs

April 19th, 2020 at 6:00pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard recently that the Patriots would either be selecting a quarterback in the first-round or middle rounds, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe picked up on an interesting note from Bill Belichick that could point toward the latter. Belichick mostly deflected when asked about the quarterbacks in this draft this past week in his trademark style, but at the end of his remarks he commented that it’s a class “that has decent depth to it.” While Volin readily admits he could be reading too much into it, he thinks it could be a Belichick-equivalent of acknowledging he might strike later in the draft.

Given some of the quarterbacks the Patriots have been linked to, it would certainly make sense. We’ve heard they could be interested in FIU’s James Morgan, a late rise who has moved into the middle rounds recently. Then again there was also a recent report that New England loved Justin Herbert, so who knows. Volin highlights Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Oregon State’s Jake Luton, Iowa’s Nate Stanley, Princeton’s Kevin Davidson, and Morgan as the best middle-round fits for the Pats.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Texans signed Brent Qvale to be their new swing tackle about a month back, and now we have the details on his contract, courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Qvale’s one-year deal came with a base value of $1.047MM, a $137K signing bonus, and $300K in overall guaranteed money. Houston will enter 2020 with Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard as their two starting tackles. Qvale had been the Jets’ swing tackle for a while, starting 14 games over the past four seasons.
The Raiders have been linked to the draft’s top receivers with the 12th overall pick, and even if they do draft a wideout they might not stop there. Despite the fact that they have no second-rounder, Scott Bair of NBCSports thinks they might draft two receivers in the first three-rounds. It’s certainly a position of need for Las Vegas, as Jon Gruden seeks to upgrade his offense. Gruden currently has Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow, but neither of those guys are ideal top options. The Raiders also hold the 19th pick, and we’ve heard they could even take a quarterback in the first-round if the opportunity presents itself. With the 12th pick, they should be able to scoop up at least one of Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, or Henry Ruggs III.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Williams, Thuney, Dolphins

April 19th, 2020 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Throughout the offseason, the Jets have been unwilling to part with a second-round pick for Trent Williams. With days to go before the draft, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears that their position hasn’t changed.

And, even if the Jets were willing to cough up a second-round pick, Vacchiano doesn’t think that would be enough to bring the Redskins’ left tackle to Gang Green.

More on the Jets and the rest of the AFC East:

The Jets want to keep Jamal Adams for the long haul, but they’re also willing to slow-play negotiations to get the best possible price, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. Meanwhile, Adams’ camp has not set a deadline for talks, so the Jets don’t feel rushed or pressured to get something done. As it stands, Adams is under contract through the 2020 season, and the Jets also hold a fifth-year option on his deal that could take him through 2021.
If rival teams call with trade interest in guard Joe Thuney, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss expects the Patriots to pick up the phone and listen with an open mind. The Pats stunned everyone by using the franchise tag on Thuney, cuffing him at a $14.78MM rate for 2020. That’s not Bill Belichick‘s style, of course, so Reiss thinks he’d consider dealing Thuney if they’re offered a second-round choice or even a high third-rounder.
The Dolphins have done lots of homework on mid-round running backs and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wouldn’t be surprised to see them come out of draft weekend with two new RBs. They’ve also done lots of interviews with kickers like Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship, which could spell the end for Jason Sanders.
After undergoing wrist and groin surgeries, Jerry Hughes says he’s “on schedule” for the 2020 season (via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). That’s fantastic news for the Bills, who hope to feature Hughes at defensive end alongside Trent Murphy and newcomer Mario Addison.

Eagles Interested In Baylor WR Denzel Mims

April 19th, 2020 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

It’s not surprising that the Eagles, whose need for young wide receiver talent is obvious, have been connected to a number of the best pass catcher’s in this year’s draft class. Just yesterday, we learned that Philadelphia is taking a look at Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk and TCU’s Jalen Reagor, and we already knew that the club is interested in LSU’s Justin Jefferson.

You can now add Baylor wideout Denzel Mims to that list. Mims himself tells Jon Marks and Ike Reese of 94 WIP that the Eagles have expressed more interest in him than any other club, and that he chatted with Philly four or five times last week.

“I actually have talked to the Eagles a lot,” Mims said. “I felt like I killed the interview.”

While Jefferson may be gone by the time the Eagles are on the clock with the No. 21 overall pick, Mims should be available. He offers an intriguing blend of size and speed, and he is a willing blocker in the run game. He did struggle with drops at times, but in 2019, he managed to post over 1,000 yards for the second time in his collegiate career despite playing with a broken hand.

Of course, Eagles GM Howie Roseman is one of the most aggressive execs in the game, and he could try to move up the board to land one of this year’s consensus top WRs like Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes (subscription required). But the Eagles are also staring down the barrel of a bleak salary cap situation in 2021, so it would make sense for them to try and load up on as much cheap talent as possible. Given the depth of this year’s WR class, the team could trade down from No. 21 if all of the top-tier receivers are gone, and it could pick up a defensive playmaker in the process while still securing an impact wideout.

Depending on how far down the board Roseman moves in this hypothetical scenario, he may still be able to land Mims or Aiyuk. Reagor, meanwhile, could last until the end of the second round, though he’s also generating buzz as a potential first-round talent.

Falcons’ Brian Hill Signs RFA Tender

April 19th, 2020 at 11:46am CST by Rory Parks

Falcons running back Brian Hill has signed his RFA tender, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. With that, Hill will return to the Falcons on a $2.13MM salary in 2020.

Atlanta originally selected Hill in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. He was waived by the team in October of that year and was signed to the practice squad, but the Bengals plucked him off the practice squad a month later. He ultimately appeared in six games for Cincinnati but was waived prior to the start of the 2018 season. The Falcons, who never really wanted to let him go in the first place, brought him back to their practice squad shortly thereafter.

Hill got just 20 carries in 2018 but saw that number increase to 78 in 2019, as he became the primary backup to Devonta Freeman after Ito Smith succumbed to injury. Freeman was released last month, and while the club brought in Todd Gurley to replace him, Gurley’s own medical history doesn’t inspire a great deal of confidence.

Hill, who has posted a very good 4.7 yards-per-carry average across an admittedly small sample size of 109 career totes, will have a good chance to be Gurley’s primary backup, and he could get even more burn if Gurley cannot shake his injury woes. The Falcons may very well select another RB in this week’s draft, but Hill will be in the mix.