Baker Mayfield

NFL Draft Rumors: Darnold, Giants, Chubb

March 22nd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Wednesday’s rainy weather in Southern California isn’t ideal for local residents, but it may have done a favor for quarterback Sam Darnold at USC’s pro day, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. The early word from Darnold’s audition indicates that he looked “very, very good” despite the conditions. That could be a major plus for Darnold as he looks to separate himself from other top quarterbacks like Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and UCLA’s Josh Rosen. Rosen also threw in inclement weather at UCLA’s pro day earlier this month and threw well, despite heavy gusts of wind.

Here’s more NFL Draft news:

The Giants already had a private workout with North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb and he’ll visit the facility in a few weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Giants need a defensive end after trading Jason Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers, opening up the possibility of taking Chubb at No. 2 overall.
The Texans hosted a private workout yesterday for Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, Rapoport tweets. Jackson, is expected to come off the board in the first two rounds, would not be an obvious fit for Houston, but they want to be “prepared for any and all scenarios on draft week,” Rapoport says. However, if Jackson falls, he could be an interesting insurance policy for them in the unlikely event that Deshaun Watson is not ready for the start of the season.
During the University of San Diego’s pro day, former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel auditioned for the NFL scouts in attendance and reportedly put on a good show.

AFC East Notes: Pouncey, Jets, Draft

March 18th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Micah Powell

The Dolphins are overhauling their roster this offseason, looking to improve the culture of the club. A move that wasn’t motivated by the locker room, however, was the release of veteran center Mike Pouncey, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Rapoport notes the All-Pro center received rave reviews for his leadership skills and toughness, but was simply cut because the Dolphins invested more money in the signing of Josh Sitton and the trade for Daniel Kilgore. Pouncey, who had three years left on his current deal, asked and was granted his release earlier this week after declining to take a pay cut. The Dolphins saved $7MM against the cap with the move.

Despite playing in all 16 games, Pouncey struggled through a hip injury in 2017. Pro Football Focus noted his down year, grading Pouncey as just the No. 27 center in the NFL. It’s possible Pouncey will require hip replacement surgery down the road, while at least one doctor has reportedly recommended that Pouncey retire, but he’s rejected that advice tho this point.

Since the trade deadline in 2017, the Dolphins have now parted ways with top producers like Jarvis Landry, Ndamukong Suh and Jay Ajayi, while also releasing veterans Lawrence Timmons and Julius Thomas.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

Sticking with Pouncey, it was reported earlier in the week that he would take his first visit to meet with the Chargers on Sunday. That meeting is expected to be an extended one that will last through Monday and include a physical, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets. The Buccaneers and Colts have also shown interest in the center, but Tampa Bay could be more content now after signing Ryan Jensen to the richest deal for a center in NFL history.
After acquiring the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft from the Colts, the Jets have not ruled out moving up even further, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Cimini thinks that if they have one or two quarterbacks markedly ahead of the rest of the pack, New York could swing a deal for the Giants’ No. 2 pick or Cleveland’s No. 1. He does not that it is unlikely and would probably be “too rich for the Jets’ blood.”
Cimini also thinks the Jets prefer Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen to Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. He notes general manager Mike Maccagnan typically prefers prototypical signal-callers, rather than the undersized Mayfield. “My hunch is that Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles wouldn’t be fans of the Mayfield sideshow.”

Jets Acquire No. 3 Pick From Colts

March 17th, 2018 at 9:52am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets are moving up. The team has acquired the third-overall pick from the Colts (via Indy’s Twitter). In exchange, the Jets have sent Indy their first-rounder (No. 6) a pair of upcoming seconds (No. 37 and No. 49), and a 2019 second-round pick.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Jets “explored all options,” including the possibility of adding the top-overall pick from the Browns. Meanwhile, the Colts heard offers from several teams, but they ultimately felt good about the package they received from the Jets.

The general consensus seems to be that the Jets will ultimately use their new pick to take a quarterback. By acquiring the selection, the organization is assuring that they can take one of the top prospects in the draft, a list that includes Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield. Of course, choosing a quarterback with the third pick will only complicate the Jets’ quarterback plans heading into 2018.

Assuming they take a quarterback in the draft, the team will clearly be leaning on the youngster to lead the organization in the future. However, for at least next season, the Jets would likely turn to veteran Josh McCown for the starting gig. After re-signing McCown earlier this week, the organization reportedly told the signal-caller that he’ll be their starter next season. The Jets also added Teddy Bridgewater, and they’re rostering Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg, and Joel Stave. At least two of those latter three quarterbacks will be let go prior to the season.

In recent years, we’ve seen several teams trade into a top-three selection in the draft. Last season, the Bears moved up to No. 2 and sent San Francisco No. 3, No. 67, and No. 111. In 2017, the Titans traded the No. 1 pick (along with No. 113 and No. 177) to the Rams for No. 15, No. 43, No. 45, and No. 76 (along with a first- and third-rounder in 2017). That same year, the Browns traded No. 2 (and a conditional fifth-rounder) to Philly for No. 8, No. 77, No. 100, a 2017 first-rounder, and a 2018 second-rounder.

What does this all mean? Well, it seems like both teams could justify the haul they gave up/received. According to ProFootballTalk.com’s “Draft Trade Chart,” Indy received solid value for the No. 3 pick. That selection was given a value of 2,200, and their new 2018 selections equal out to a 2,540 value (that also doesn’t account for the 2019 second-rounder). From that perspective, you could argue that the Colts won the trade. However, when you consider the trades from previous seasons, the Jets did an admirable job of not including an additional first-rounder in the package.

Peter King On Browns, McCarron, Tannehill

March 5th, 2018 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest from Peter King of The MMQB:

The Browns have four picks in the top 35 of this year’s draft, but coach Hue Jackson is still pushing for the team to acquire A.J. McCarron, King hears. If the team does go for McCarron in March, the plan would be for the team to also draft a rookie quarterback to be groomed behind him. The Browns, of course, nearly landed McCarron before last year’s trade deadline before a paperwork snag tanked the deal. One has to wonder if McCarron would be skeptical about the Browns’ level of commitment to him in such a scenario, particularly after seeing how Mike Glennon‘s arrangement worked out with the Bears. Then again, McCarron might be faced with a similar scenario with any team that shows interest him.
It has been said that the Dolphins are committed to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, but King is not convinced after speaking with executives at the combine. Miami is look at QBs at No. 11 overall and several people who spoke with King believe they’ll select a signal caller there. Tannehill has missed the last 19 Dolphins games with back-to-back ACL tears.
After speaking with several GMs, scouts, and coaches, this is King’s rough consensus for the top ten player’s in the draft: Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, USC quarterback Sam Darnold, North Carolina State edge rusher Bradley Chubb, Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, and Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith.

Browns Open To Saquon Barkley At No. 1

March 4th, 2018 at 2:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is “firmly in the mix” to be selected by the Browns with the first overall pick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Indeed, Barkley would likely be Cleveland’s choice if the draft occurred today, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Barkley is fresh off dominating the NFL’s scouting combine, as he ranked in the 96th percentile or greater among halfbacks in the 40-yard dash, bench press, and vertical jump. He also topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his three seasons with the Nittany Lions, and reached the end zone 43 times over his final two collegiate years.

Selecting Barkley at No. 1 overall would mean the Browns would likely select a quarterback at No. 4, and Cleveland reportedly likes Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield “a lot,” per Garafolo. Of course, if the Browns don’t select Mayfield — or another signal-caller –with the first overall selection, there’s no guarantee their preferred option would be available three picks later. However, given the small three-space gap in their first-round slots, the Browns would be assured of landing one of Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, or Josh Allen at No. 4.

As Rapoport notes, a running back has not been drafted first overall since the Bengals took Ki-Jana Carter — like Barkley, a Penn State alum — in 1995. Running back has become something of a devalued position, especially contractually, but Barkley would be entitled to a $8.2MM annual salary if selected at No. 1. That figure would immediately place Barkley among the top-three highest-paid running backs in the NFL.

East Rumors: Norwell, Eagles, Jets, Patriots

March 2nd, 2018 at 8:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants appear ready to spend to fortify their offensive line, and they haven’t ruled out a solution of a big-market UFA and retaining Justin Pugh. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports the Giants aren’t conceding they’ll have to lose Pugh if they are indeed to go after standout guard Andrew Norwell. They are expected to pursue Norwell, Vacchiano reports, and Dave Gettleman — whose Panthers signed Norwell as a UDFA in 2014 — didn’t make it much of a secret how the thinking in New York’s front office has changed regarding guard payments.

“There’s a bunch of guards now that are getting paid,” Gettleman said, via Vacchiano. “And if you think about it, they’re closer to the quarterback. Listen, it’s the market. Is that car worth $150,000? If someone buys it, I guess it’s worth it, you know what I mean? You need to be firm in the middle. So at the end of the day if it’s keeping your quarterback upright and out of the hospital.”

With Pugh and Weston Richburg as UFAs, and Ereck Flowers‘ status having taken a tumble, the Giants are close to starting over up front. Richburg is not expected back, but the team still has Pugh on the radar. But as of Friday they’re only projected to have $23MM in cap space. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Brandon Marshall profile as cap-casualty candidates, though. And after going 3-13, the team also has other positions of need. Norwell will almost certainly join the eight-figure-AAV guard contingent, which sits at seven members and is headlined by Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM-per-year deal last March. Pugh’s best work has come at guard, but the Giants have a need at right tackle as well. And Pugh has played extensively at that spot, which figures to help his market.

Here’s the latest out of the Easts:

Patriots defensive end Harvey Langi saw his rookie season end after a scary car accident left he and his wife with serious injuries, but Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports the edge defender is now fine and is on track to play in 2018. Langi is also on track to participate in OTAs, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Langi played in just one game last season, but the Patriots gave the BYU product a hefty bonus to sign as a UDFA.
With two New York franchises potentially in line to draft quarterbacks in the top 10, Baker Mayfield could conceivably be Big Apple-bound. The polarizing Heisman Trophy winner is not concerned about stepping into the New York spotlight, but the Jets have some concern about how he would handle it and how the city would respond to him, per Vacchiano. A Mayfield setup would mean the Jets lost out on their Plan A, which Vacchiano notes is still Kirk Cousins. And were he to be the pick, the Jets likely would re-sign Josh McCown for a mentor year.
Spencer Phillips will rise to the position of assistant quarterbacks coach/offensive quality control with the Eagles, Jeff McLane of Philly.com tweets. Now that John DeFilippo departed to become the Vikings’ OC, last season’s assistant QBs coach, Press Taylor, rose to be Philadelphia’s QBs instructor. Phillips was on Philly’s staff as an assistant last season.

QB Notes: Brees, Cousins, Bortles, Draft

February 27th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Micah Powell

The Saints and Drew Brees have expressed mutual interest in maintaining their partnership going forward. While the future Hall of Fame quarterback is unlikely to leave when free agency opens, the team’s financial flexibility is greatly impacted if a deal is not reached by March 14, The Times-Picayune’s Josh Katzenstein writes.

If he is not signed by that date, Katzenstein notes Brees’ remaining three years on his contract will void and his remaining signing bonus will count for $18 MM in dead cap space. Knowing the situation the Saints are faced with, Brees and his team have a ton of leverage.

Brees, 39, is likely to look for a multi-year deal but the quarterback has mentioned taking his future one year at a time. Though his passing totals weren’t at the gaudy levels of years past, he was still an effective signal-caller, leading the league in completion percentage and ranking second in passer rating.

It is unlikely the two sides won’t come to an agreement by the deadline, but it is a story to follow.

Here’s more quarterback news from around the league:

The Broncos have a meeting scheduled with Mike McCartney — agent to, among others, Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian and Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta — in Indianapolis while the two sides are in town for the NFL Combine, NBC 9 News’ Mike Klis reports. Per NFL tampering rules, the two sides can not discuss Cousins, but are free to talk about the latter two. Cousins is expected to be a top target of the Broncos once free agency opens.
Sticking with Cousins, the Vikings are expected to be strong contenders for the quarterback’s services NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (Twitter link). In the video clip, Garafolo says he has been told by sources “the whole way” that the Vikes are going to make a strong push for the prized free agent.
The Jaguars‘ contract to Blake Bortles is more about freeing up cap space for this year rather than rewarding or showing confidence in the quarterback, overthecap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald writes. “The Jaguars front office should know what Bortles is and I don’t anticipate that this contract will change the fact that they could consider drafting a QB or signing a decent player to be a backup who could be asked to start if things go bad. They really just needed cap space and to that end they did a decent job.”
If teams are looking to draft a developmental quarterback, two of the most intriguing names are Lauletta, the Senior Bowl MVP, and Washington State’s Luke Falk, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets. Robinson also notes the Redskins president Bruce Allen went to Lauletta’s Richmond and is very familiar with the quarterback.
Though the Dolphins are committed to Ryan Tannehill being their starter in 2018, that does not mean the team won’t look to draft a quarterback with its No. 11 pick in the first round, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes. He says the Dolphins were impressed by Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield in interviews at the Senior Bowl, though he is expected to be off the board by the time Miami gets on the clock.

Giants Notes: Darnold, Richburg, Pugh

February 26th, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dave Gettleman fired Marc Ross shortly after he took over as Giants GM, but the longtime Big Blue VP of player evaluation may have shed some light as to which players previous Giants scouts were high on and whom the franchise could target with its No. 2 pick. Of the quarterbacks, Ross singled out Sam Darnold during an appearance on NFL Live (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). He identified Saquon Barkley as well and even pointed to Notre Dame guard phenom Quenton Nelson.

“You have to look at a quarterback, ut it has to be the right guy. You can’t just force a guy,” said Ross, who interviewed to be the Giants’ GM in December. “The right guy for them, on and off the field, I would think would be Sam Darnold. He’s ultra-talented, he’s a playmaker, he’s a winner. And he’s also very clean off the field. What I mean by that: no issues, great leader, great teammate, great person.”

Darnold would have a chance to develop while Eli Manning — whom the current regime immediately took off the trade market, judging by everything that’s been said thus far this offseason. Ross’ stance on Nelson mostly comes from Gettleman’s comments regarding the franchise being desperate for offensive line upgrades, and it would be unusual for a guard to go this high. But he did seem to echo a theme he’d heard while in his previous post with the Giants.

“All the years of talking about, ‘The Giants need O-line; the Giants need O-line,’” Ross said, “they may even go that route.”

Here’s more Giants news prior to the team’s trip to Indianapolis.

Weston Richburg will likely leave as a free agent, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes, but the Giants will probably gauge his price at the Combine. Raanan reports multiple teams view the longtime Giants center as a quality starter despite the concussion that cost Richburg 12 games last season. A 2014 second-round pick, Richburg performed better in 2015 and ’16.
The Giants will also likely examine Justin Pugh‘s interest in coming back at the Combine, Vacchiano writes. Pugh’s 2017 injury-marred season will not deter the Giants from re-signing him, Raanan reports. A back injury cost Pugh eight games last season, but it looks like the 2013 first-rounder will be a higher priority to retain than Richburg. Pugh did not undergo surgery and said he would like to be back with the Giants next season. It won’t be cheap, however, and Raanan listed the Jaguars — who have Pugh’s college coach (Doug Marrone) and former NFL coach (Tom Coughlin) as key organizational pillars — as an obvious fit if the guard/tackle leaves the Big Apple.
Ross is high on Baker Mayfield but doesn’t see an obvious fit in New York. The Giants had a meeting scheduled with Mayfield at the Senior Bowl that didn’t end up taking place, and the Heisman Trophy winner has said a job learning behind Manning would be ideal for him.
Orleans Darkwa could be a candidate to return on a low-cost deal, Raanan and Vacchiano note. Raanan expects the running back to have suitors on the market. New York will probably be looking to upgrade at running back after struggling on the ground again last season, but Darkwa would make sense as a complementary back. He led the Giants with 751 rushing yards last season and averaged 4.4 per carry.
While technically forbidden because of tampering, Vacchiano notes the Giants will “absolutely” know where they stand with UFA guard Andrew Norwell. The former Gettleman UDFA find with the Panthers has been linked to the Giants, but considering the issues teams have had finding and developing linemen this decade, Norwell could potentially eclipse Kevin Zeitler‘s record guard deal come March.

Latest On Browns, Baker Mayfield

February 9th, 2018 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after Super Bowl LII’s conclusion, the Browns continued planning their exhaustive research process about the 2018 quarterback class. Baker Mayfield looks to feature prominently in this pre-draft routine.

The Browns contacted the Heisman Trophy winner and set up a pre-draft visit, Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com reports, adding this doubles as Mayfield’s first invite.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, however, notes nothing is finalized about a Mayfield summit yet. But it’s expected. Cabot reports the Browns will bring in all of the top quarterback prospects for visits before the draft. They’ve been connected to four passers in what promises to be a unique offseason.

Part of the complexity now comes from Scot McCloughan, whom the Browns are using as a consultant during the process. A scouting guru, the former Redskins GM could be working toward a full-time role with the Browns, Cabot notes. And he hasn’t made his Mayfield feelings much of a secret.

McCloughan has praised Mayfield during multiple radio interviews, and by the time he made pro-Mayfield comments on Jan. 18, Cabot reports he was already moving toward his consulting role with the Browns. During the interview, McCloughan said he would take Mayfield over Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen.

“He is a competitive guy. He wears it on his sleeve from the standpoint of emotions,” McCloughan said (via Denver-based 104.3 The Fan). “He plays with strength throughout his body, and the fact that he’s just a football player — it’s impressive. It’s a really good class this year coming out in the draft for quarterbacks. But I know this, if I was going to play one game tomorrow, he’d be my guy — hands down.”

Considering the influence he’ll have in the coming months, these comments are certainly illuminating. Cabot reports McCloughan was talking up Mayfield to John Dorsey at the Senior Bowl last month.

As a Seahawks exec, McCloughan helped make the decision to use a third-round pick on 6-foot Russell Wilson. Considering the troubles the Browns have experienced at quarterback since rebooting their franchise, and the current pick they hold, this decision qualifies as a much higher-profile call.

Both Dorsey and Hue Jackson prefer taller quarterbacks, per Cabot, who previously wrote she doesn’t expect Mayfield to be the top Browns choice. Few mock drafts have him going to Cleveland. Klemko ranks the Browns as Mayfield’s most likely landing spot and adds his experience and football aptitude could sway Dorsey, who said Patrick Mahomes‘ ability to process some of Andy Reid‘s playbook during the parties’ pre-draft summit helped influence the Chiefs’ decision to trade up for the raw Texas Tech passer.

New York Notes: Claiborne, Mayfield, Giants

February 3rd, 2018 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Morris Claiborne said shortly after the Jets‘ season concluded he would like to be back in New York. The sides will have to negotiate another contract, since Claiborne finished up a one-year deal, but Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets the Jets have begun negotiations with the UFA corner. Claiborne signed a $5MM deal with the Jets last season, and Gang Green will enter this offseason with far more cap room that it had a year ago. While a sizable chunk of that space could be used to chase Kirk Cousins, the Jets will have opportunities to build their roster they haven’t had in recent years. Pro Football Focus graded Claiborne poorly in 2017, but he played in the most games (15) he has since his 2012 rookie season and will only be 28 next season. He should generate some interest on the market. The Jets could save $6MM by cutting Buster Skrine, whom PFF did not rate much higher than Claiborne, and they will be in the market for corners this offseason regardless of how they proceed with Claiborne.

Here’s the latest out of the Big Apple:

Baker Mayfield met with the Jets at the Senior Bowl and had a summit scheduled with the Giants, but that meeting never occurred, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports. Although Mayfield has not been mocked to the Giants much early in the pre-draft process, he would be on board with a develop-behind-Eli Manning scenario. “Throwing the ball to (Evan) Engram, Shep and Odell Beckham wouldn’t be too bad, there’s some studs right there,’’ said Mayfield, a college teammate of Sterling Shepard‘s. “Being there, it’s a big-time franchise and in the spotlight. I think I thrive on that. That would be an ideal situation.” The Giants are expected to take a quarterback at No. 2 overall but have made it clear this offseason they intend to keep Manning.
The Jets are almost certainly going to pursue Cousins, but they also hold the draft’s No. 6 selection. If the Broncos land Cousins and pick a non-quarterback at 5, New York could be set to snag a passer. That could play into Josh McCown‘s hands, as a player who wants to be back with the team, since the Jets may opt to keep him as a bridge option. “Yeah, it’s hard to say, ‘Hey I want to go somewhere else,’ after you had the best year of your career,” McCown said, via Calvin Watkins of Newsday. “I like being there, and I love the organization and the guys and the locker room. I think it was a good foundation laid, something special, something that can be built.” The Jets could hold more than $90MM in cap room after pre-free agency cuts, making McCown — who played for $6.5MM in 2017 — more affordable.
On the subject of players who want to stay in New York, count Devon Kennard as a fan of new Giants DC James Bettcher. Mostly a base-set linebacker in 2017, Kennard is a UFA. He started 35 games in four seasons with the Giants and calls Bettcher’s possible 3-4 conversion “advantageous” to his skill set. “It’s multiple and he likes versatile linebackers. That sounds right up my alley,” Kennard said, via Newsday’s Tom Rock. “… I expect to hear from (the Giants) in the next few weeks now that the coaching staff is established. Maybe then, but you never know. I don’t know what they’re thinking because it’s a new GM and head coach.” Kennard recorded four sacks last season despite playing as a non-rush ‘backer — the second four-plus-sack slate of his career.
Talk of a Sheldon Richardson/Jets reunion surfaced recently, but with Cimini envisions it taking eight figures per year to sign him. He doesn’t see the Jets going for that (Twitter link).

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