A.J. McCarron - Pro Football Rumors

Poll: Best Late Round Quarterback?

May 10th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

Just because they don’t have the fanfare of a Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t mean the day three quarterbacks are destined to be career backups. A handful of high-caliber NFL quarterbacks do get selected in the later rounds.

Not every quarterback drafted in the sixth round is going to turn into Tom Brady–most first-round quarterbacks won’t accomplish half of what Brady has–but many if not all of these fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round quarterbacks will have a chance to push for a starting job at some point in their career, either by performance or by injury.

The question is, which of these quarterbacks is going to have the best chance to find success as a starter in the NFL? That takes a combination of talent and opportunity, where some of these draftees have definite roadblocks in front of them in the form of quarterbacks entrenched as starters.

Of course, a few more quarterbacks will still come off the board in the next 50+ picks, and a couple more will be snagged as undrafted free agents. Maybe Stephen Morris of Miami, Tahj Boyd of Clemson, Garrett Gilbert of SMU, Keith Price of Washington, Brett Smith of Wyoming, or Connor Shaw of South Carolina ends up being the best of the group, although they are still waiting to hear their names called.

AFC Notes: Quarterbacks, Jaguars

May 10th, 2014 at 2:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team was considering quarterbacks in the fourth round, reports Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter). They are one of the many teams that seem interest in the secon and third tier signal callers in this draft.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Although they have Alex Smith, the Chiefs considered taking a quarterback in round one, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team has been unable to get Smith signed to an extension, but ultimately went in another direction early. They instead took Aaron Murray out of Georgia in the fifth round.
The Bengals are in a similar situation to the Chiefs, and also considered a quarterback in the first round, according to Rapoport. They selected A.J. McCarron of Alabama, one pick after Murray in round five. McCarron will likely be Andy Dalton‘s backup in 2014, before they make a decision about Dalton’s future with the team next offseason.
Jaguars’ general manager Dave Caldwell said there was not much talk of trading down today on day three, according to Ryan Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The Jaguars only had discussion that included 2015 selections.

La Canfora On Raiders, Browns, Cards, 49ers

May 6th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggested earlier today that Johnny Manziel could end up on a team whose owner likes the idea of injecting some life into his franchise, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com makes a similar case in his latest column, pointing out that you should never underestimate the role an owner can play in the selection of a quarterback.

According to La Canfora, in the case of the Raiders, owner Mark Davis “is smitten” with Derek Carr. Fifth overall is too high to draft Carr, but if Oakland trades down, or perhaps decides to acquire a second pick later in the first round, it could be a sign that the team is targeting the Fresno State signal-caller.

Here are more highlights from La Canfora:

The Browns‘ ideal situation may involve taking a player such as Sammy Watkins or Greg Robinson at No. 4, then nabbing a QB like Carr or Teddy Bridgewater at No. 26. As La Canfora notes, Carr may not be available that late in the first round, and if ownership gets involved, that may tip the scales toward Manziel early in the first round. For what it’s worth, head coach Mike Pettine told Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com today that there are five or six guys he’d be happy to land with that fourth overall pick (Twitter link).
La Canfora continues to hear that teams who aren’t being frequently linked to quarterbacks will be the ones to draft them, and perhaps higher than expected. He goes on to cite affordable fifth-year options as one reason why clubs will pounce on QBs in the first round, though I feel as if seeing Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert, and Jake Locker have their options turned down last week will remind teams that the fifth-year option isn’t really a factor if you don’t select the right player.
La Canfora “would be surprised” if the Cardinals didn’t select Carr or Blake Bortles with the 20th overall pick. Peter King of TheMMQB.com tweeted this afternoon that, after sending Bortles to the Browns at No. 26 in his early-morning mock draft today, he now thinks that’s too low, and that the Browns or Cardinals will target him earlier in the first round.
Four tackles could come off the board within the first 12 picks on Thursday, and two or three more could be selected in the first round, says La Canfora.
The 49ers are likely to trade up if possible, with wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks among their potential targets.
Several evaluators strongly believe A.J. McCarron will be the fourth or fifth quarterback drafted, and rave about his film.
La Canfora thinks Aaron Donald will be the third defensive player off the board, likely no lower than eighth overall.
The Patriots may end up drafting multiple tight ends, including a late-round project, in La Canfora’s view.

AFC North Roundup: Browns, Savage, Bengals

May 5th, 2014 at 11:16am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns are interested in trading up in the latter half of Thursday’s draft, from the 26th pick to the 18-22 range, and the Dolphins, who hold the 18th pick, could be a match, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Cleveland, which also holds the fourth overall selection, could be looking to move up and add a franchise quarterback, while Miami could try to move down, acquire more picks, and then supplement their offensive line.

More news from the AFC North awaits:

While Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage didn’t privately meet with or workout for the Ravens, he did speak with the team a few times, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Savage was the only quarterback to visit with the Bengals in Cincinnati, but the team also privately worked out Logan Thomas, and met with A.J. McCarron and Zach Mettenberger, according to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer (via Twitter).
Paul Dehner, Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes that the Bengals purported interest in Teddy Bridgewater is merely a smoke screen, and that Cincinnati hopes a team with a quarterback need will offer to trade for the 24th pick.
The Ravens could look to draft a defensive lineman to replace the departed Arthur Jones, writes Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. Zenitz posits Ra’Shede Hageman and Stephon Tuitt as two possible fits for Baltimore.
Much of the Ravens’ draft history is based on talented players falling to them, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, pointing to Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata as prospects whom Baltimore was lucky to acquire. But that likely won’t happen this year, as potential Ravens targets Taylor Lewan, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Eric Ebron probably won’t fall to the 17th pick.
The Steelers could use a nose tackle, but due to the limited playing time available to the position in the modern NFL, probably shouldn’t take one at pick No. 15, says Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Sulia link).
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says the team won’t trade up in the first round, tweets Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) has more from Colbert, who says the Steelers would take an outside linebacker in the first round if a “great player” was available, despite the presence of 2013 first-rounder Jarvis Jones.

Jon Gruden Talks Quarterbacks

May 3rd, 2014 at 8:23pm CST by Peter Sowards

Nobody is more enamored with quarterbacks than former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, and he’ll be the first to tell you so.

“Oh yeah, I like quarterbacks,” Gruden said to azcentral.com’s Bob McManaman and other reporters on a conference call Saturday. “I’ve been accused of that.”

In addition to his Monday Night Football analyst duties, Gruden runs the popular series on ESPN in which he breaks down film with quarterbacks, testing athletes on their ability to draw up plays, as well as putting them through a series of on-field workouts. “Chucky” hit on a number of quarterbacks that have been talked about as first- or second-round picks, as well as a couple late-round candidates.

On Fresno State’s Derek Carr:

I do like Carr. I like the fifth-year seniors,” he said. “I think Carr is going to come in and be further along than a lot of these guys because of his vast background, two different systems. I think he’s got an excellent arm. I think he’s been challenged from a protection standpoint … (but) the fifth-year seniors will be the guys that are obviously most ready.

On Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel:

“I realize he’s under 6 feet tall. Maybe he can’t see over the pocket. But we blew that theory in the water last year with (Russell) Wilson and (Drew) Brees. I know he can learn. I spent two days with him and I know he wants to learn.”

“He had four different offensive coordinators at Texas A&M. He had two different head coaches. It didn’t matter. He adapted and did extremely well. This is the first Heisman Trophy winner as a freshman. In two years at Texas A&M, he had the most productive back-to-back seasons in SEC history. I don’t know what you want him to do. He threw for eight thousand (yards), ran for two thousand, he has 93 touchdowns. All I know is I want Manziel.”

On Alabama’s A.J. McCarron:

“I can see him certainly going in the first round. McCarron’s production speaks volumes: 36 wins, four losses, all-time record holder at Alabama in a lot of different categories. … I think he’ll be a good acquisition for someone that has a long-term plan.”

On Georgia’s Aaron Murray:

“He’s in my top five. I realize he’s got some injuries, not just the knee that he’s rehabbing right now. I don’t think many kids have thrown for 3,000 yards for four straight seasons in that conference. I just like what he is off the field.”

On Clemson’s Tajh Boyd:

“What I like about Boyd is he’s a finisher. He went back to Clemson to finish with his teammates. He is a quarterback that has a live arm. He can run. He has production passing and running. The show we did on him that I think is relative to his performance; it’s all about peaks and valleys.”

On Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater:

“I’ve done a lot of individual workouts in my past as a receivers coach, as a quarterback coach, even as a head coach. If the player didn’t work that well for me, I didn’t move them down, I took them off our board. … I’d be concerned if I were any person and I didn’t have good private workouts or I had a typically bad pro date.”

On Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage:

“Savage is one of the great American mysteries right now. Rutgers, he lost his job. He left and went to Arizona. Rich Rodriguez brought the spread offense to Tucson. He left Arizona and went to Pitt. He threw for over 60 percent. He’s a pocket passer. You can see he has a big arm. … There’s not a lot of quarterbacks in college football that drop back and throw it anymore and Savage is clearly one of them.”

On Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo:

“He’s not a finished product. He’s going to have some growing to do because of the system he comes from. But he’s a big, sharp prospect that I know a lot of people like.”

On Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas:

“He reminded me of Cam Newton for obvious reasons. A dual threat that had physical presence at the position that was rare. He just hasn’t come along as a passer, a consistent passer, like maybe some people think.”

Draft Notes: Rams, Texans, Easley, Fleming

April 30th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams, armed with the second and 13th overall picks in the draft, will head to College Station to work out top Texas A&M prospects Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, and Jake Matthews, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan notes (via Twitter) that the workouts should happen on Friday, which will also give GM Les Snead, coach Jeff Fisher and company the opportunity to stop tomorrow in Alabama to work out quarterback A.J. McCarron, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets. Let’s round up a few more draft notes, including another one on the Rams….

Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Ohio State are also expected to be among the Rams‘ stops before May 8 as they work out a number of top draft prospects, tweets Mortensen.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle believes that if the Texans don’t trade down from No. 1, the team’s choice will come down to Manziel vs. Jadeveon Clowney. If Houston moves down and those players are off the board, Blake Bortles and Khalil Mack might be the club’s top two choices, says McClain.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) has heard from two top scouts who believe Florida’s Dominique Easley will be selected in the first round despite the fact that the defensive lineman is recovering from a torn ACL.
Adam Caplan (Twitter link) adds the Titans to the list of teams visited by Stanford tackle Cameron Fleming, and the Bengals to the list of clubs that worked him out. As Caplan tweets, Fleming, who had one of the highest Wonderlic scores among this year’s offensive linemen, is projected to come off the board on the second day of the draft.
Ohio State wideout Corey Brown visited the Browns and worked out for the Patriots and Panthers, tweets Caplan.
More from Caplan: He tweets that South Dakota edge defender Tyler Starr visited the Patriots and had a private workout with the Colts, and reports (via Twitter) that San Diego State safety Eric Pinkins visited the Dolphins and Seahawks.

Draft Updates: Bucs, Bills, McCarron, Savage

April 29th, 2014 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of teams picking at the top of next week’s draft have expressed an openness to move down in the first round, and we can add the Buccaneers to this list. Speaking to reporters today, including Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht didn’t rule out the possibility of trading down.

“That’s definitely something we’d look into,” Licht said. “We’ve already reached out to teams. If our player isn’t there, we’d be open to conversations about moving back.”

Here are several more draft-related items for Tuesday afternoon:

Within his latest mock draft at ESPN.com, Todd McShay cites three league sources who have told him in the past week that the Bills are trying to trade up from No. 9. According to McShay, if Buffalo does make a move, it will likely be to land Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, or Greg Robinson.
Appearing on The Paul Finebaum Show, Alabama signal-caller A.J. McCarron suggested he’s been told he could be drafted as high as 16th in the draft, which is the spot the Cowboys currently hold (link via Andrew Gribble of AL.com).
Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage quietly made a pre-draft visit to the Jets last week, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
After previously identifying a few teams who hosted Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com names a few more, tweeting that Ward also visited the Colts, Saints, Texans, and Vikings.
LSU guard Trai Turner has worked out privately for the Lions, Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, and Saints, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson adds that Turner also visited the Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts, and Dolphins.
Kansas wide receiver and special teams ace Josh Ford has drawn interest from the Packers, Panthers, Texans, Jets, and Chiefs, tweets Wilson.
The Giants, Jets, and Lions were among the teams to host Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle for a pre-draft visit, writes Wilson.
Finally, Wilson reports that Wisconsin defensive tackle Beau Allen had a total of eight visits and three private workouts, and tweets that Albany tackle Kadeem Williams has been informed he’s on an AFC South team’s draft board.

AFC Notes: Jags, Bridgewater, Claiborne

April 27th, 2014 at 11:51am CST by Rory Parks

The 2013 NFL draft was a curious one in several respects, with its most notable quirk being the lack of top-tier talent at the quarterback position. For twelve years, at least four QBs were taken in the first round of the draft, but in 2013, only one was selected (E.J. Manuel). The tradition of a quarterback-heavy first round figures to return in full force this season, with a bevy of signal-callers projected to be drafted early.

However, quarterbacks that might be taken on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft offer skill-sets that in many respects are equally as intriguing as their Day 1 counterparts, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union wonders if the Jaguars would be better served selecting one of the “second-tier” QBs instead of targeting one of the players expected to go in the first round. Specifically, O’Halloran names SEC products Zach Mettenberger, Aaron Murray, and A.J. McCarron as possible solutions to Jacksonville’s quarterback woes. Such a selection would allow the Jags to land a truly elite talent with their No. 3 overall pick, rather than play the lottery with high-ceiling but concerning talents like Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater.

Now for more from the AFC:

Speaking of Bridgewater, his quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator at Louisville, Sam Watson, believes the young QB is a “slam dunk” despite his oft-criticized Pro Day performance, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. As Ulrich notes, the Browns, who are expected to take a quarterback with one of their two first-round choices (Nos. 4 and 26 overall) might be inclined to agree.
The Browns, however, are also interested in Aaron Murray, who visited with Cleveland on Wednesday and will work out for the team today, writes Jason Butt of the National Football Post.
ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes that if the Jets are unable to land a CB in the first round of the draft, they may be in the market for a veteran corner, possibly via trade. Although the Cowboys’ Morris Claiborne has been discussed as a trade possibility, the cap charge Dallas would have to absorb if they dealt Claiborne ($9.6MM) would probably make such a trade untenable.
In the same piece, Cimini writes that the Jets were interested in WR Julian Edelman before he re-signed with New England, and Rex Ryan was very intrigued with the possibility of stealing Edelman away from New York’s division rival.
ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss believes that, with the above-mentioned run on quarterbacks that is expected to take place in the first round of this year’s draft, a top-15 or even top-10 talent could fall to the Patriots at No. 29.
In the same piece, Reiss adds that Patriots VP of Player Personnel Nick Caserio is scheduled to meet with Illinois TE Evan Wilson early this week.

AFC Notes: Martin, Murray, McCarron, Texans

April 26th, 2014 at 10:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Dolphins have targeted Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin in the upcoming draft, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. One scout reports that the Dolphins would “fall over themselves” if Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan fell to them, but Lewan is projected to go in the first half of round one — Martin is the prospect that the team realistically covets. However, while the Dolphins select at No. 19, Beasley writes that it is still not a certainty that Martin will make it to Miami’s pick. Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN writes that with the Giants, Ravens, and Rams all choosing right ahead of the Dolphins, Martin will be gone in the first 17 picks.

Here are some more notes from around the AFC:

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is still trying to move up on draft boards, and has a lot left to prove after having knee surgery less than five months ago. He “dazzled” at his pro day, and will work out for the Browns on Sunday, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I’m really excited to show them what I can do,” said Murray. “I’m way ahead of the game right now. There’s no hesitation about anything. Running around, there’s no worries about my leg. I’m full-go and feeling great.”
Jake Locker is still set to be the Titans quarterback to start 2014, but second year offensive guard Chance Warmack hopes the team looks to draft his college teammate this May, writes Bryan Fischer of NFL.com. Warmack said on the NFL Network that he would like Alabama buddy A.J. McCarron to join him in Tennessee. “I hope we get him. I don’t know what round we can get him in, but I definitely want him in Tennessee,” Warmack said. “He’s a winner. He’s a great guy to be around and he’ll help the locker room. He’s not selfish as a quarterback and he’s going to make the right plays on the field. If he doesn’t start, when he gets drafted by the Tennessee Titans he’ll definitely help.”
The Texans have narrowed it down to four potential prospects, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He believes that with the first pick, the team will take either current favorite Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina, or hometown quarterback Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M. If the Texans elect to trade down, then they will look at Blake Bortles from UCF if Manziel is already gone, or Khalil Mack of Buffalo.

AFC North Notes: Burfict, McCarron, Steelers

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

When longtime Bengals defensive leader Domata Peko spoke yesterday about the teammates he hopes the team locks up to long-term deals, he identified Vontaze Burfict in addition Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. As important as Dalton and Green are to Cincinnati’s offense, you could make a strong case that Burfict is just as integral on the other side of the ball. Last season, the 23-year-old earned his first Pro Bowl nod, racking up an impressive 177 tackles to go along with three sacks, two fumbles, and an interception.

Now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Bengals are indeed engaged in extension talks with Burfict, who is in line for a $570K salary in 2014. The Arizona State product is eligible for restricted free agency after the ’14 season, which means the Bengals would still be in the driver’s seat for re-signing him, but presumably the club would prefer not to let it get to that point.

Let’s check out a few other items from out of the AFC North….

Following A.J. McCarron’s visit with the Browns today, the Alabama quarterback will continue a mini-AFC North tour by heading to Baltimore to see the Ravens on Wednesday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We heard earlier today that McCarron would privately work out for the Rams next week.
The Steelers are hosting Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell for a pre-draft visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown (via Twitter). Cockrell projects as a likely mid- to late-round pick.
Minnesota safety Brock Vereen, the brother of Shane Vereen, has met with a number of teams in advance of the draft, including the Steelers and Bengals, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Falcons, Vikings, Colts, Panthers and Jaguars have also met with the younger Vereen.