Brett Hundley - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Wilson, Mara, Raji, Cards

April 14th, 2015 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson a year from free agency, the two sides have begun discussions on a new contract. However, there hasn’t been much progress toward keeping Wilson in a Seahawks uniform long term, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Seahawks used a 2012 third-round pick on Wilson, who has since made two Pro Bowls and helped lead the team to three straight playoff berths, a pair of NFC championships and, most importantly, a Super Bowl title. Wilson has made a relative pittance during that time span and will soon be in position to cash in as one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL. Whether he’ll cash in as a Seahawk or a member of another franchise remains to be seen, of course.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

A change in the league’s playoff format won’t happen this year, but Giants owner John Mara believes it’s coming sooner than later, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. While 12 of the league’s 32 teams currently qualify for the postseason, a change would likely elevate the total to 14. Mara isn’t particularly gung-ho about it. “I still would prefer to keep it the way it is, but I don’t think it’s the end of the world if we end up making the change,” said Mara.
Mara expects changes to the extra point next season, tweets the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano.
Defensive lineman B.J. Raji will be one of the most important Packers in 2015, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Raji, 28, missed all of last season after tearing his bicep and then signed a one-year deal to remain in Green Bay earlier this offseason. If healthy, the 337-pounder should boost a Packers defense that finished just 23rd against the run last year. “I can either take away or add to the legacy – and I want to add to it,” Raji said, according to Dunne.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians seems committed to young quarterback Logan Thomas for the long term, but ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss writes that UCLA’s Brett Hundley might be a better fit for the franchise. The Cardinals have visited with Hundley, who’s expected to be a third- or fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft. Weinfuss believes Hundley is a more skilled player than Thomas, whom the Cards used a fourth-rounder on a year ago, and would be a perfect third-stringer to sit behind starter Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton in 2015. Then, when Stanton becomes a free agent next year, Hundley would be able to slide in immediately behind Palmer – who will turn 37 during the 2016 campaign.

Draft Notes: Winston, Gurley, Gordon

April 14th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets, who hold the sixth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, are in need of a franchise quarterback and have already worked out Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, one of the top two signal callers available. They’d also like to visit with Florida State’s Jameis Winston, who joins Mariota as a likely top five pick, but that meeting may not happen. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Winston was unable to meet with the Jets when they wanted him to and the sides are now having difficulty finding a time.

Here’s the rest of the latest draft news:

The Browns, who are in search of a running back, have already visited with Georgia’s Todd Gurley, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan, and will next meet with Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon. ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that Gordon will be in Cleveland for a visit Thursday that could last through Friday. Both Gordon and Gurley are potential first-round picks. The Browns hold the 12th and 19th overall selections.
Having worked out Mariota, the Chargers will next head to Los Angeles to do the same with UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
The receiver-needy Panthers will meet with Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman tonight and tomorrow, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). They’ll also work out USC’s Nelson Agholor, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
The Broncos will visit with Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi next Tuesday, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis believes Ogbuehi could be a second-round target for the Broncos.
Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson recently visited with the Colts, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
San Jose State’s Akeem King, a former wide receiver who converted to safety, is drawing interest as a cornerback, tweets Matt Barrow of the Sacramento Bee. The Raiders, Falcons, Saints and Seahawks are all eyeing King.
The Falcons worked out Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com (Twitter link).
Cincinnati linebacker Jeff Luc will meet with both the Jets and Patriots prior to the draft, tweets Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.

AFC Notes: Chargers, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

April 14th, 2015 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers appear to be contemplating the post-Philip Rivers era in San Diego, as they take a closer look at Oregon signal-caller Marcus Mariota today. After working out Mariota, the team’s brass will head to Los Angeles to put UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley through a workout of his own, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy have repeatedly stated they want Rivers to retire as a Charger, so there may be no need to identify his successor quite yet. But Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this offseason is the prime time for San Diego to trade Rivers in a deal to snag Mariota, arguing that all the factors in play point to it being a win-win move for the franchise and for the veteran quarterback, who is entering the final year of his contract.

We still have a little more than two weeks until the draft gets underway, so it will be interesting to see if the Rivers trade rumors pick up steam or die down as April 30 approaches. In the meantime, here are a few more notes from across the AFC:

Free agent wide receiver Brad Smith is paying a visit to Buffalo to meet with the Bills, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details. Smith played for Rex Ryan on the Jets, but it’s not clear if there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s new club, with players like Percy Harvin, Marcus Easley, and Marcus Thigpen already in the mix as potentially versatile offensive weapons, returners, or special-teamers.
Given where we’ve seen running backs drafted in the last couple years, it would be surprise to see one go as high as No. 14 overall this year. Nonetheless, the Dolphins, who hold that pick, are hosting Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon for a visit next week, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
Outside pass rushers Bud Dupree and Shane Ray will be visiting the Jets, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). Although there has been plenty of chatter linking Mariota to New York, the team is in a good spot at No. 6 to add a top pass rushing prospect.
The Steelers hosted Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman, and UAB tight end Kennard Backman on pre-draft visits today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown. Cooper met with the Saints in New Orleans yesterday, but we haven’t heard much to date about the tight ends.
Florida State cornerback Ronald Darby is visiting the Colts today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
On the heels of the Raiders‘ agreement with free agent wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com shares a few initial thoughts on the deal, outlining why the former Niner is worth the risk on a one-year investment.

Draft Notes: Rams, Jets, 49ers

April 11th, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Ben Levine

When the Rams swapped quarterback Sam Bradford for Nick Foles, it was expected that the former Eagles signal-caller wouldn’t be the organization’s longterm answer at the position. So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Rams will work out both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota next week, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter).

Of course, the workouts aren’t a guarantee that the organization will select a quarterback. As Breer points out, the Rams brought in Johnny Manziel twice last year, but they ultimately decided against drafting the rookie.

Let’s take a look at where more of the draft’s top prospects will be visiting…

Besides the top two prospects, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says (via Twitter) the Rams have “shown varying degrees of interest” in quarterbacks Garrett Grayson, Brett Hundley, and Sean Mannion.
Despite canceling their private workout with the quarterback, the Jets will bring in Jameis Winston for a visit, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Following the prospects impressive Pro Day, the organization decided they didn’t need to see much more.
The Jets will bring in Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty for a pre-draft visit, reports Mehta (via Twitter). The former Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year won a pair of Big 12 Championships during his tenure with the Bears.
Virginia outside linebacker Eli Harold will visit the Jets, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. Harold, who finished last season with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss, is project to be a late-first/early-second round pick.
LSU cornerback Jalen Collins will pay a visit to the 49ers next week, according to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The reporter notes that Collins has about ten pre-draft visits scheduled, including workouts with the Vikings and Panthers.

Draft Notes: Gregory, Sambrailo, Hundley

April 9th, 2015 at 5:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory, once viewed as a top-10 pick, could fall toward the late first round after his failed drug test. Now, the top-five talent could drift into the early 20s, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). He’ll be evaluated extensively given the concerns, but his agent tells Cole that tons of teams are highly interested in him. The Saints are viewed by many as the most likely destination for him at No. 13 but the Lions, Bengals, and Colts could all be interested if he falls further. The latest draft news..

When all is said and done, Colorado State tackle Tyler Sambrailo will have met with or worked out for the Colts, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Broncos, Falcons, and Chargers, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 6’5″, 311 pound athlete is considered to be one of the top offensive linemen in this year’s class. Teams like his versatility and ability to play at either tackle position or on the inside and at least one team told Caplan (link) that they’ve worked him out at center.
The Cardinals will host UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley for a visit next week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport (link) adds that Hundley has auditioned for the Bengals, Eagles, and Jets. Given the widespread interest in him, Hundley stands as something of a wildcard as we approach the draft.
The Vikings, Colts, and Giants are all “in love” with Arizona State safety Damarious Randall, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Miller previously had Randall rated in the second round but he could find his way into the first thanks to his budding interest.
More from Miller, who says that Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead will not fall further than the middle of the first round. While he’s a boom-or-bust player, the Dolphins, 49ers, and Texans are all high on him and all pick in the middle of the first.
The Vikings “love” Michigan State shutdown cornerback Trae Waynes, according to Miller. He checks all the boxes for Mike Zimmer‘s defense and while Miller sees him as a late first round guy, Minnesota could make a play for him earlier on.

AFC South Draft Visits: Jags, Titans, Texans

April 6th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The AFC South has been dominated by the Colts in recent seasons, and the other clubs in the division — two of whom own top-three selections — will hope the upcoming draft affords them the opportunity to acquire several top-notch prospects. Here’s the latest from Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston…

Owners of the third overall pick, the Jaguars will visit some of the draft’s top prospects on Tuesday, meeting with USC’s Leonard Williams, Missouri’s Shane Ray, and Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Jaguars will also meet with another of the league’s top edge rushers tomorrow, as Albert Breer of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that Dante Fowler Jr. will head to Jacksonville following Florida’s Pro Day.
Williams and Fowler Jr. aren’t the only defenders meeting with the Jaguars tomorrow — Clemson’s Vic Beasley and Ohio State’s Michael Bennett will both take a visit with Jacksonville on Tuesday as well, tweets Rapoport.
Meanwhile, another club with a top-three selection — the Titans — will meet with Ray, Florida State Ronald Darby tomorrow, while Fowler Jr. has a visit scheduled for next week, according to Rapoport (Twitter link).
The Texans already signed two veteran quarterbacks this offseason, but UCLA QB Brett Hundley could draw the interest of the club, as Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Hundley will take a visit with Houston tomorrow.

West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Murray, 49ers

March 24th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters this morning in Phoenix at the AFC coaches’ breakfast, Chargers head coach Mike McCoy addressed the team’s backfield, including quarterback Philip Rivers. Asked about Rivers’ decision to play out his contract, McCoy responded that the team plans on Rivers “retiring as a Charger” (Twitter link via Ed Werder of ESPN.com).

McCoy also indicated he’s confident the Chargers can win with the three running backs they have on the roster at the moment (Twitter link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Donald Brown, Branden Oliver, and Danny Woodhead are currently slated to share the load for San Diego, with Ryan Mathews having departed in free agency. The club could also address the position in the draft.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two West divisions:

Within a piece on Jeremy Maclin, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, citing a league source, that the Raiders offered running back DeMarco Murray “significant more guaranteed money” than the Eagles did.
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio identified defensive end and pass rusher as two spots he expects his team to focus on early in the 2015 draft, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Del Rio added that receiving help could also come via free agency, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
49ers general manager Trent Baalke confirmed that his club has interest in several free agent inside linebackers, including Brandon Spikes. However, according to Baalke, there’s no official visit lined up for Erin Henderson at this point (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).
Casey Pearce of the Rams clarified today (via Twitter) that the Rams will have their own seventh-round pick this year — it was the Patriots‘ pick that St. Louis sent to the Falcons in a subsequent trade. With 2015’s compensatory picks now announced, the league should officially confirm the complete draft order soon.
UCLA’s Brett Hundley, considered perhaps the best 2015 quarterback prospect not named Jameis or Marcus, has a private workout scheduled with the Cardinals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Draft Notes: Gordon, Hundley, McKinney, Lions

March 17th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Two clubs who could be in need of a running back will meet with Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, a consensus top-two back in next month’s draft, as both the Cowboys and the Jaguars have lined up visits with the former Badger, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News and Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), respectively. The Cowboys, who hold the 27th overall pick, are aiming to replace DeMarco Murray, while Jacksonville, who would probably target Gordon at the top of the second round, could use another back to team with Denard Robinson.

Let’s take a look at some more pre-draft news…

After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, there aren’t many draft options at the quarterback position. One player in the mix to be third QB, however, is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who says he’s already met with both the Eagles and the Jets, and plans to set up more visits, tweets SiriusXM NFL Radio.
The 49ers lost linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement in the past week, and they’ll look to the college ranks to fill that positional void. The club will meet with Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney, who will also visit the Broncos, Texans, and Cowboys, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
The Lions hosted a pair of defensive prospects today, as both Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips visited the Motor City, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com in a pair of articles.

Browns Notes: Hundley, Shorts, Hoyer

February 21st, 2015 at 4:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston may be getting all of the attention this draft season, but the Browns may have some lingering feelings for UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.

The team selected Johnny Manziel in the first round last season, but after proving ineffective on the field and immature off of it, the team will approach the offseason as if they still need to acquire a starting quarterback.

The Browns will probably not have a chance at selecting either of the top two quarterbacks, but Hundley could be available for them in the middle of the first round or even possibly the beginning of round two. The Browns would have considered Hundley in the top 10 picks last year had he declared for the NFL draft, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report added to Schefter’s report by writing that the Browns’ staff had been actively petitioning Hundley to declare early last year (via Twitter). He does clarify that the staff has undergone significant changes since then, including offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan moving to a Falcons’ team not in the market for a quarterback, although QB coach Dowell Loggains is now with the Bears, who could consider a quarterback in this drat (via Twitter). Miller also notes that former general manager Joe Banner favored Teddy Bridgewater more than any quarterback in the draft (via Twitter).

Here are a few other notes from around Browns’ camp:

The Browns will have a number of wide receiver options in free agency, but Cecil Shorts could be one of their top targets, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (via Twitter).
Fowler also adds that the team could use Shorts as a complementary piece, while they could look for a true number one wideout in the first round of the draft.
The Browns have not had a chance to negotiate a deal to bring Brian Hoyer back in 2015, writes Fowler. The Browns have expressed interest in making a deal, but Hoyer has been distant while waiting for the fallout of texting scandal between Ray Farmer and an assistant coach becomes more clear.

Brett Hundley To Enter NFL Draft

December 11th, 2014 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Recovering from a finger injury, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley figures to play one more game as a Bruin when the team faces Kansas State on January 2 in the Alamo Bowl. But, as expected, he’ll make the leap to the NFL after that. Head coach Jim Mora has confirmed as much, as Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register details.

“This will be his last game as a UCLA Bruin,” Mora said of Hundley. “I don’t know that he’s announced it yet, but we all know that’s the case. I’d like him to go out with a successful game.”

Hundley, 21, completed 72.1% of his passes in his junior year at UCLA, compiling 2,547 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games for the team. He added another 564 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

In a 2015 draft class that’s not packed with a ton of high-end talent at the quarterback position, Hundley ranks behind only Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, and Connor Cook in ESPN.com’s prospect rankings, placing fourth among signal-callers.