Breshad Perriman

North Rumors: Browns, Steelers, Price

With two picks for the second straight year and reported interest in Marcus Mariota, the Browns have a complex Round 1 itinerary. Today, they will visit with two players who will almost certainly be first-rounders in DeVante Parker and Danny Shelton, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

ESPN’s No. 9 and 10 prospects overall comprise two of the Browns’ 30 allotted player visits, but there’s a possibility neither could be there when they pick at No. 12. Cleveland also owns the 19th selection.

Elsewhere around the league’s North divisions …

  • The Steelers brought in several prospects for visits Friday, including Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman, according to ESPN’s Scott Brown on Twitter. Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy and South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton joined Perriman on visits, per Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Mark Kaboly (via Twitter). Perriman is Scouts Inc.’s No. 21-rated prospect.
  • Boise State running back Jay Ajayi is visiting the Cowboys local pro day today, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The All-American who totaled 2,300+ yards from scrimmage last season met with Ravens officials last week, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Recently signed Browns tight end Rob Housler knows fans aren’t expecting him to replicate what Jordan Cameron did in his brief stint as the Cleveland tight end but noted his Cardinals numbers were more a reflection of the scheme than his ability, reports Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Housler topped out at 454 receiving yards in 2013, the year he scored his only touchdown despite starting in 28 games in four seasons. “The production was a direct reflection of the opportunity, and I just went out there and did what they asked me to do,” Housler told Ulrich. “It was a blue-collar mentality. It wasn’t pretty. I can see the stats, and they’re not pretty.”
  • The Browns are on the lookout for a return specialist after a shaky year in that department, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tom Reed. Beyond lower-round draft targets like Tyler Lockett or Jamison Crowder, Justin Gilbert and Taylor Gabriel are in-house options for a team that ranked 28th on punt returns last season, adds Reed.
  • Vikings 2014 seventh-round pick Jabari Price had his December charge for suspicion of drunken driving reduced to careless driving, reports Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Used mostly on special teams as a rookie, Price remains subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Draft Updates: Mariota, White, Falcons, Jags

The previously-reported visits for top draft prospects Marcus Mariota, Leonard Williams, and Dante Fowler Jr. are all happening today for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Although the Titans are getting a closer look at Mariota, another team in the top five apparently won’t get an opportunity to do so. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Washington had planned to bring in Mariota for a visit, but the two sides couldn’t work out a time, so that trip is now off.

The news may not mean anything significant, but Charles Robinson notes in his latest piece for Yahoo! Sports that sources around the league are skeptical that Washington is truly interested in selecting Mariota with the No. 5 overall pick. “They’re trying to create leverage to get someone to [trade] up,” said one AFC personnel source.

With a report today suggesting that the Browns have real interest in moving up for Mariota, the Oregon quarterback is certainly generating the most draft buzz this week, but we have plenty of updates on other prospects as well. Here’s the latest:

  • Within Robinson’s previously-linked piece, he notes that Buccaneers ownership will ultimately make the final call on whether or not to draft Jameis Winston, adding that there have been some internal questions about the community relations impact of selecting Winston.
  • Kevin White, arguably the top receiving prospect in this year’s class, said today that he’s setting up visits with the Jets, Bears, Rams, and Giants, per Ross Tucker of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
  • The Falcons are hosting a pair of top-tier pass rushers today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Clemson’s Vic Beasley and Kentucky’s Bud Dupree are in town.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union provides a full list of the 20 prospects that visited the Jaguars this week. While we’ve passed along many of those names already, there are also plenty of new ones: Javorius “Buck” Allen (RB, USC), T.J. Yeldon (RB, Alabama), Amari Cooper (WR, Alabama), Rashad Greene (WR, FSU), DeAndre Smelter (WR, Georgia Tech), Cedric Ogbuehi (T, Texas A&M), Andrus Peat (T, Stanford), Eli Harold (DE, Virginia), Arik Armstead (DL, Oregon), Landon Collins (S, Alabama), and Trae Waynes (CB, Michigan State).
  • In addition to visiting the Eagles, UCF wide receiver Breshad Perriman met with the Raiders, Colts, and Steelers this week, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
  • Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, Stanford cornerback Alex Carter, and Virginia linebacker Max Valles made visits to Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers today, tweets Scott Brown of ESPN.com.
  • The Giants, Steelers, and Texans have hosted visits for Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant, who has also worked out for the Cowboys, Raiders, and Buccaneers, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Peterson, Willis, Draft

Wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the Eagles in the draft, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, UCF’s Breshad Perriman is paying a visit to the team today. It’s one of 18 pre-draft visits or private workouts Perriman has on his schedule in advance of the draft — the young wideout has had private workouts for the Giants and Texans, and recently visited the Ravens.

In addition to bringing in Perriman, the Eagles are also taking a look at USC’s Nelson Agholor, with Chip Kelly in Tampa today to work out a player he recruited back in his Oregon days (Twitter link via Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13).. Philadelphia has previously been linked to Agholor, so it looks like that interest is very genuine.

Here’s more out of the NFC:

  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended, in-depth look at Adrian Peterson‘s situation in Minnesota, suggesting that if the Vikings were to trade the veteran running back, they probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick in return. Corry also identifies seven potential trade partners for the Vikes, with clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals.
  • Speaking to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Corry says he’d be surprised if the 49ers don’t attempt to recoup a portion of Patrick Willis‘ signing bonus, following the linebacker’s retirement. In Corry’s view, the team could probably recover a minimum of $3.54MM from Willis. Chris Borland, who also retired this offseason, previously indicated he’d be returning three-quarters of his signing bonus to the Niners.
  • Linebacker Darin Drakeford, who participated in last month’s veterans combine, is working out today for the Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
  • The Lions continue to examine speedy receiving prospects, bringing in UAB’s J.J. Nelson today for a pre-draft visit, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

East Notes: Romo, Dolphins, Jets

The Cowboys threw caution to the wind by converting 94% of Tony Romo‘s $17MM base salary into bonus money and they had good reasons to do so, Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News writes. The accounting maneuver opened up $12.8MM in cap space in 2015, allowing the team to sign its draft picks, make other transactions in the future, and absorb the incentive-laden contract attached to Greg Hardy. Unfortunately, the Cowboys will have to deal with the consequences of that in future seasons. Here’s more out of the East divisions..

  • The Dolphins will consider UCF wide receiver Breshad Perriman and Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker at No. 14, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Amari Cooper (Alabama) and Kevin White (West Virginia) obviously would warrant consideration if either slips to 14, but that isn’t expected to happen.
  • Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News doesn’t see the Cowboys trading for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. He reasons that if Dallas was unwilling to give $8MM a year to DeMarco Murray, a 27-year-old running back who just put up 1,845 yards, they wouldn’t give a deal like that to someone three years older.
  • With Nick Bellore still floating in free-agent limbo, the Jets had no experienced backups behind David Harris and Demario Davis, which made the signing of linebacker Jamari Lattimore a logical move for them, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Lattimore also figures to be a factor on special teams. In 49 career games, all with the Packers, he has two sacks and one interception.
  • The Cowboys‘ secondary hasn’t been adequately addressed this offseason, Sherrington opines.

NFC Notes: Rams, Kaepernick, Draft, Boykin

Let’s check in on a few Wednesday items from around the NFC….

  • Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, and Louisville offensive tackle Jamon Brown are among the prospects paying pre-draft visits to the Rams today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (all Twitter links).
  • Colin Kaepernick‘s long-term outlook in San Francisco isn’t entirely clear yet, but for the foreseeable future, he’s the 49ers‘ starting quarterback, and that became even more certain today — as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, Kaepernick’s $10.4MM salary for 2015 became fully guaranteed when the calendar turned to April.
  • The son of former Detroit wide receiver Brett Perriman visited his father’s old team today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who writes that the Lions hosted Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman for a pre-draft visit. The younger Perriman is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class.
  • Another speedy receiving prospect, Miami’s Phillip Dorsett, said today that he has visits lined up with the Falcons and Panthers, per James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Prior to his Pro Day today, Towson cornerback Tye Smith had a dinner meeting with the Saints, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Smith is expected to be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides the details on wide receiver Jarrett Boykin‘s one-year deal with the Panthers, tweeting that it’s a minimum salary pact with a $20K bonus.

Draft Notes: Buckner, Armstead, Perriman

As expected, Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner will return to school for his final season of eligibility, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). However, one of his underclassman teammates will be making the jump to the NFL. Here’s the latest NFL draft news..

  • Oregon junior defensive lineman Arik Armstead filed paperwork Tuesday making himself eligible for the 2015 NFL draft, according to the Ducks’ official website. “After three years preparing with my teammates and coaches, I feel I’m ready to test myself at the next level,” Armstead said. “All the support I’ve received from Coach Pellum and Coach Aiken, the rest of the Oregon coaches and staff and in my academics has prepared me to make this jump.” Armstead, who led the team with six quarterback hurries in 2014, is considered a potential first-round choice.”
  • UCF wide receiver Breshad Perriman will enter the NFL draft, as Shannon Owens-Green of the Orlando Sentinel writes. The junior ends his UCF career with 2,243 yards, an average of 19.5 yards per reception and 16 touchdowns in 39 games played.
  • USC wide receiver George Farmer will forgo his senior season to enter the draft, according to a press release on the Trojans’ website. The redshirt junior had 25 receptions for 314 yards (12.6 avg) with 4 TDs this past season, including a pair of touchdown catches against Notre Dame.

Extra Points: Harbaugh, Draft, Titans, Pettis

The 49ers are expected to part ways with Jim Harbaugh in less than 72 hours, and interested parties are positioning themselves to land the successful, if controversial, head coach. According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports (Twitter link), the University of Michigan, which reportedly has a six-year, ~$50MM offer on the table, will send officials (and its search firm) to the Bay Area this weekend to meet with Harbaugh. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms the Michigan news, and reports that the Raiders will also speak with Harbaugh this weekend (Twitter link). Rapoport also adds (via Twitter) that Harbaugh will resolve his situation with the 49ers before he meets with either entity. Here’s more from around the league…

  • Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net passes along the latest regarding NCAA draft entrants, reporting that while defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches of Southern Mississippi and running back Devontae Booker of Utah will likely enter the draft (Twitter links), Rutgers receiver Leonte Carr will likely return to school for another year (Twitter link).
  • Meanwhile, UCF receiver Breshad Perriman didn’t receive a top-three round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, so he’s still considering whether or not to enter the draft, tweets Pauline.
  • With one week left in the NFL season, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap updates both the playoff odds and the favorites for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
  • While the Titans will have a chance to draft either first or second in the 2015 NFL Draft, Zach Mettenberger believes the team already has the quarterback of its future, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. “There’s not another guy out there who can do what I can do and bring what I can bring to this game.,” said Mettenberger. “Obviously (the Titans) have seen how hard I work and know that I’m a gym rat, and know that I am going to continue to get better. Really all I can do is continue that and show that I am going to continue doing it.”
  • Ex-Rams receiver Austin Pettis, released by St. Louis on October 20, worked out for the Chargers today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). San Diego’s Keenan Allen is nursing a collarbone injury, so Pettis could provide some insurance at the WR position.
  • After releasing defensive tackle Travian Robertson earlier today, the Seahawks don’t plan on making a roster addition before Sunday’s contest, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Zach Links contributed to this post.