Breer’s Latest: Black Monday, Texans, Bengals
2014/12/breers-latest-black-monday-texans-bengalsAs one veteran OC told Breer, "Players are drafted by coaches and the personnel staff for a reason -- they met a schematic element those guys had in mind. … He'll probably still need the club to make the postseason in 2015 in order to keep his job, though.
Eagles Unlikely To Upgrade At Quarterback
2014/12/eagles-unlikely-upgrade-quarterbackEven considering his familiarity with Kelly, the Eagles might be unwilling to pay the price to go up and get him near the top of the draft. … Looking forward, head coach Chip Kelly will need to get better quarterback play in order to continue to succeed in the NFL.
Buccaneers, Titans Will Draft In Top Two
2014/12/buccaneer-titans-will-draft-first-secondWith one week left in the regular season, the first half of the 2015 NFL Draft order is close to being set. … The Buccaneers and Titans both lost in Week 16, clinching their place as the first two teams to reach the podium when the draft opens on April 30.
Browns To Consider All Options At QB
2014/12/browns-consider-options-qbLeague sources tell Cabot that Browns general manger Ray Farmer has long been fascinated by Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is widely expected to be a top-five pick in the 2014 draft. … In addition to both its 2015 first-rounders, Cleveland would probably have to surrender its 2016 first-round choice in order to move up.
Extra Points: Draft, Rolle, Cobb, McCoy
2014/12/extra-points-draft-rolle-cobb-mccoyWe're still about four and a half months away from the 2015 NFL draft, and a week and a half from even knowing what the draft order will look like, but that didn't stop ESPN's Todd McShay (Insider link) from publishing his first mock draft of the season today.
Draft Rumors: Peters, Williams, Ray, Peat
2014/12/draft-rumors-peters-williams-ray-peatFor the first time ever, the number of NCAA underclassmen entering the NFL draft in 2014 cracked the triple digits, establishing a new record, but that record may not last long. … Armstead hasn't decided anything officially yet, but his father has been meeting with agents in order to be prepared if and when his son declares his intent.
Gerod Holliman To Enter NFL Draft
2014/12/gerod-holliman-enter-nfl-draftOn the heels of winning the Jim Thorpe Award as college football's best defensive back, Louisville safety Gerod Holliman has elected to forgo his remaining NCAA career and enter the 2015 NFL draft, reports Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). … Still, although Holliman's playmaking ability as a ballhawk at free safety are exceptional, scouts - along with Holliman himself - feel as if he needs to improve his tackling skills in order to become a productive player at the next level, writes Mike Huguenin of NFL.com.
Update On Race For 2015 No. 1 Pick
2014/12/update-race-2015-no-1-pickNot much has changed in a week regarding the number one overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
NFC Links: Quinn, Colston, Sanchez, Warner
2014/12/nfc-links-quinn-colston-sanchez-warnerDespite looking at a playoff berth, the team has already started preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft. … He will likely need to impress during these next three games in order to keep Foles from usurping the starting job for the playoff run, if they even stay in contention with Sanchez, writes Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Early Entrants For 2015 NFL Draft
2014/12/early-entrants-2015-nfl-draftA year ago, a record 102 NCAA underclassmen gained eligibility for the 2014 NFL draft. … Players are listed in alphabetical order:
Minor Moves: Wednesday
2014/12/minor-moves-wednesday-12The defensive end, who was drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2013 draft, was signed by Cincinnati in August. … As NFL teams get their 53-man rosters in order for Week 15's slate of games, we'll round up Wednesday's minor…
Bucs Now In Lead For 2015 No. 1 Pick
2014/12/bucs-now-lead-2015-1-pickBecause the tiebreaker for draft order is strength of schedule - teams that faced weaker schedules get the higher picks - the Raiders' projected draft spot slipped from first to fifth after their win against San Francisco. … Oakland's second victory of the season means that five teams are now tied at 2-11, in contention for the first overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Quarterback Notes: Brees, Kaepernick, Orton
2014/12/quarterback-notes-brees-kaepernick-ortonFor teams still looking to draft a quarterback this offseason, the Raiders' victory over the 49ers has shaken up the potential draft order. … With three games to go, the Buccaneers currently hold the top pick, based on record and strength of schedule, according to Ryan McCrystal of DraftAce.com (via Twitter).
East Notes: Revis, Briles, Cowboys
2014/12/east-notes-revis-rgiii-cowboysMike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that losing Aaron Dobson for the season serves as yet another reminder of how difficult it has been for the Patriots to draft and develop quality receiving talent under Bill Belichick (though Belichick has usually done more than enough to compensate for that deficiency in other ways). … Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com describes how the Cowboys might go about manipulating their salary cap in order to create enough room to retain Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, and Rolando McClain, but he notes that the player Dallas should really focus on is right tackle Doug Free.
Latest On Demaryius Thomas
2014/12/latest-demaryius-thomasDenver selected current backup Brock Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 draft, but it's unclear if he is the team's answer as the long-term replacement for Manning. … Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas is set to hit unrestricted free agency at season's end, but he indicated yesterday that he was willing to take something of a hometown discount in order to remain in Denver.
AFC North Notes: Ngata, Jernigan, Browns
2014/12/afc-north-notes-ngata-jernigan-brownsJernigan, a second-round pick in this year's draft, has yet to exceed 29 defensive snaps in a game this year. … As the Browns prepare to play the Colts on Sunday, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com looks back at ex-team president Mike Holmgren's claim that he offered Cleveland's entire slew of 2012 draft picks in order to acquire the No.
NFL Execs: Price For Harbaugh Could Be Steep
2014/12/nfl-execs-price-harbaugh-steepIf the fourth-year head coach is traded, however, the draft pick cost for the acquiring team will be high, three NFL general managers tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). … Thus, when compared with the draft pick haul Washington sent to the Rams in order to select Robert Griffin III (three first-round picks and a second-round pick), the suggested price tag for Harbaugh pales in comparison.
Sunday Roundup: Brees, Bucs, Revis
2014/11/sunday-roundup-brees-bucs-revisIan Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he expects the Saints to draft a quarterback in the early rounds of the 2015 draft as they begin to prepare for life after Drew Brees. … Others, though, are more skeptical of Brees' demise and of the Saints' ability to draft a suitable replacement in short order.
Raiders, Jets To Pursue Jim Harbaugh?
2014/11/raiders-jets-pursue-jim-harbaughHowever, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that one sticking point in any possible trade is "Harbaugh’s unwillingness to go to…
Poll: Which Team Will Draft First In 2015?
2014/11/poll-team-will-draft-first-2015Before we can comfortably project where top college signal-callers like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston might land though, we'll need to figure out exactly how the 2015 draft order will look. … This afternoon, our Rob DiRe took an early look at some of the teams that will have picks near the top of the 2015 draft, noting which of those clubs may be interested in snagging a quarterback.
Jets Among Teams Interested In Drafting A QB
2014/11/jets-among-teams-interested-drafting-qbThe draft order he uses is comprised of all the teams 4-7 or worse, except for the Falcons and Saints, who are still embarrassingly battling it out for the NFC South division crown. … Most teams have five games left on their schedule (unless they are one of the six that played on Thanksgiving), and as teams are jockeying for playoff position, fan bases of those already out of contention cannot help but look ahead to the 2015 NFL draft.
Teams Facing Offseason Quarterback Decisions
2014/11/teams-facing-offseason-quarterback-decisionsOthers don't necessarily have an elite veteran quarterback, but have recently committed a high draft pick to a young signal-caller who is still expected to be the long-term answer -- think Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota or Blake Bortles with the Jaguars. … Washington: Amazingly, it was only two and a half years ago that Washington was giving up the farm in order to land Robert Griffin III.
NFC East Notes: RGIII, Washington, Giants
2014/11/nfc-east-notes-rgiii-washington-giantsTight end Gavin Escobar was a notorious reach by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2013 draft and has done little to prove those naysayers wrong, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. … A study from the Harvard Sports Analysis Collective back in 2012 concluded that in order for Washington "to get the equivalent value from RGIII as they spent acquiring him, he must produce at least as much as Tom Brady." Suffice to say, Washington would have been much better off had they kept their valuable draft choices.
Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans
2014/11/extra-points-goldson-cowboys-draft-titansAlthough the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. … The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round.
West Notes: Cards, Chiefs, Seahawks, 49ers
2014/11/west-notes-cards-chiefs-seahawks-49ersDixon, a Steelers fifth-round draft choice in 2008, has also spent time with the Ravens and Eagles. … As the only winless team in the league, the Raiders have a lot of work to do in order to turn their franchise around.