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Calvin Pryor

Titans Rumors: Schofield, Talley, Pryor

April 10th, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Titans remain in the midst of the first week of the post-Chris Johnson era in Tennessee, and it sounds like the team is keeping busy in the days since parting with the franchise’s third all-time leading rusher. Here’s a round-up of the latest out of Tennessee:

  • Linebacker O’Brien Schofield, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Giants early in free agency before it fell apart, paid a visit to the Titans, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. According to Schefter, although Schofield failed his physical with the Giants, he passed one with Tennessee.
  • The Titans hosted several more free agents yesterday, as defensive end Ronald Talley was in town, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The Cardinals decided not to offer Talley a contract tender last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
  • Former Brown Alex Hall also visited the Titans on Wednesday, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Hall, who worked out for the Cardinals back in January, racked up 16 sacks in the CFL last season.
  • Finally, ex-Bengals defensive lineman DeQuin Evans visited the Titans yesterday as well, tweets Wyatt.
  • We heard earlier today that the Titans met with safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but he’s not the only young safety the club is eyeing. Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweeted last night that Calvin Pryor is among Tennessee’s pre-draft visitors, while Wyatt confirmed today (via Twitter) that the visit happened recently.

Ravens Links: Clinton-Dix, Rankin, RBs

April 10th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

As the Ravens continue to weigh their options for the No. 17 pick, the team recently hosted Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a pre-draft visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that Clinton-Dix has also visited the Lions and met with the Titans. As Wilson writes, the young safety would be an excellent addition to Baltimore’s secondary, allowing the club to shift Matt Elam over to strong safety. However, considering Clinton-Dix is viewed as arguably the top defensive back in the draft, there are no guarantees he’ll be available when the Ravens pick 17th overall.

Here’s more out of Baltimore:

  • Add Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin to the list of prospects participating in the Ravens’ local Pro Day, tweets Wilson. Among the other players expected to be in attendance: Wake Forest wideout Michael Campanaro, Towson running back Terrance West, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small.
  • The Ravens’ No. 3 running backs last season totaled just 16 rushing yards on eight carries, and the team is looking to improve on those totals this season, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. With Ray Rice dealing with legal troubles and Bernard Pierce coming off shoulder surgery, that position will be of extra importance. For now, Justin Forsett is penciled into that No. 3 spot, though there’s still time for the team to add more competition to the roster, either in free agency or the draft.
  • Picking just two spots apart in the draft, the Ravens and Steelers may be targeting similar players, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Brown singles out safety Calvin Pryor and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan as prospects who seem to be generating interest from the pair of AFC North rivals.

NFC West Notes: Cards, Browner, Kaepernick

February 26th, 2014 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With less than two weeks remaining until 2014’s free agent period opens, let’s check out what’s going on in the NFC West….

  • The Cardinals and free agent pass-rusher Mike Neal have mutual interest, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). However, Weinfuss notes that “a bunch” of other clubs also have interest in the 26-year-old, who has spent the first four years of his career in Green Bay.
  • Brandon Browner‘s agent and lawyer, Peter Schaffer, intends to file a lawsuit next week challenging the NFL’s indefinite suspension of his client, reports Mike Florio or Pro Football Talk. Before the Seahawks cornerback was suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, he had been scheduled to hit restricted free agency this offseason. As such, Schaffer’s complaint will also include a motion asking the court to allow Browner to become a free agent on March 11.
  • There are no real updates to report on the contract extension negotiations between Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, “things went fine” in the early stages of the talks, and the two sides will continue the conversation.
  • Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Louisville’s Calvin Pryor both had formal interviews with the Rams at the combine, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. While the club won’t select either of the top two safeties in the draft with the No. 2 pick, one or both of them could receive strong consideration if they’re still on the board at No. 13.

NFC North Links: Bears, Lions, Packers

February 24th, 2014 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

As the combine rolls along in Indianapolis, let’s round up a few recent stories related to NFC North teams….

  • Given the success head coach Marc Trestman had with Josh McCown in 2013 and comments made by GM Phil Emery before last year’s draft, the Bears should draft a quarterback in 2014, even with Jay Cutler locked up, says Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Safety figures to be a position of need for the Bears, which could prompt the club to draft a prospect like Louisville’s Calvin Pryor or Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with the No. 14 pick, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Of course, the Lions will draft a few spots ahead of the Bears, at No. 10, and could also be eyeing those top two safeties, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
  • While he acknowledges that safety is probably a more pressing need for the Lions, Josh Katzenstein of MLive.com suggests that it may be hard for the team to pass on a potential shutdown cornerback like Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard or Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert with the tenth overall pick.
  • The Packers opted to go with a relatively unproven center in Evan Dietrich-Smith last season and it worked out well for the club. So Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wonders, in his look at Green Bay’s offensive line, whether the team is willing to take a similar approach this year and anoint J.C. Tretter as 2014’s starting center.