Dante Fowler Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Fowler, Jordan, Giants, Bolts

May 9th, 2015 at 10:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Jaguars defensive end and third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. tore his ACL in rookie camp earlier this week and won’t play in 2015, don’t expect the team to shortchange him on his first contract. Fowler, who is currently unsigned, will still receive the deal he was originally going to get, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.

The injury to Fowler might bring about a change in the structure of his contract, not the value, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. That could include an offset clause in Fowler’s deal, meaning the Jags would owe him less money in the event that they release him down the line. Further, in the wake of Fowler’s injury, Corry believes agents could insist their unsigned clients sit out rookie minicamp in the future.

Here’s other news from around the league as Saturday wraps up:

Linebacker Dion Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in 2013, has an uncertain future with the team after his most recent suspension, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. While the Dolphins stood by Jordan in the past, head coach Joe Philbin isn’t committed to having him back in 2016.
It isn’t set in stone that ninth overall pick Ereck Flowers will be the Giants’ starting right tackle in 2015, according to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. “Justin Pugh, right now, is the starting right tackle for the Giants,” said McAdoo, per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
If Flowers doesn’t end up on the right side, there’s a chance he could be the Giants’ solution at left tackle. “We believe that he has a skill set to play left tackle in this league,’’ McAdoo said, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “We will give him opportunities to train at multiple spots.’’
Chargers team president Dean Spanos met with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer earlier this week. That might be a sign negotiations on a new stadium are picking up, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams expects the Chargers to give an update on their situation in two weeks at the league’s owners meetings. If a new stadium deal isn’t reached between the Chargers and San Diego by the end of next season, the team will be able to relocate. Carson, Calif., is its likely destination.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Rookie Notes: Winston, Shelton, Fowler Jr.

May 9th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Ben Levine

According to a document obtained by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has filed a counterclaim against Erica Kinsman, the woman who initially sued the rookie for sexual assault.

The player’s lawyers claim the first-overall pick didn’t do anything wrong, and they cite numerous people who have rejected the claim. Furthermore, they say Kinsman launched a “false and vicious media campaign to vilify Mr. Winston with the objective of getting him to pay her to go away.”

Florio opines that the case is “destined to linger in the court system for months” and will ultimately result in a jury trial.

Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s rookies…

Danny Shelton, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft, still hasn’t signed with the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of Ohio.com says the rookie is close to signing his four-year contract. The reporter notes that Shelton signed an injury protection waiver prior to his initial rookie practice, guaranteeing money in case of injury.
Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley confirmed that Dante Fowler Jr. will miss the entire season, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The writer notes that the rookie won’t even attempt to come back towards the end of the season, a la Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram in 2013.
Defensive end James Rouse tore his ACL yesterday, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien told ESPN’s Tania Ganguli (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent joined Houston earlier this week.
The Bills have brought in quarterbacks Austin Trainor (West Georgia) and Brandon Hill (Monmouth) for tryouts, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter).
The Dolphins also have a pair of quarterbacks in for tryouts, according to ESPN.com’s James Walker (on Twitter): rookie Hutson Mason (Georgia) and 2014 undrafted free agent Chase Rettig (Boston College).

Dante Fowler Jr. Out For Season

May 8th, 2015 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a week after learning where he’d begin his NFL career, Dante Fowler Jr. will now have to wait much longer to do so.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter, the Jaguars rookie defensive end and No. 3 overall pick will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL in a minicamp practice Friday.

The Florida pass-rusher suffered the tear in his left knee during the first hour of the team’s initial minicamp, going down in an 11-on-11 drill. Fowler was carted to the locker room after his workout was halted when his knee buckled during an exchange with offensive lineman Watts Dantzler.

Fowler notched 15 sacks last season and finished his three-year Gators career with 33. Picking No. 3 for the second straight year, the Jaguars were counting on Fowler to elevate their pass pursuit. Jacksonville boasted the seventh-best sack total in the league last season with 45 but finished 22nd in pass defense.

Thirty-three-year-old Chris Clemons finished with eight sacks last year — second to Sen’Derrick Marks‘ 8.5 on the team — and looks to again be the team’s most formidable pass-rusher on the edge. The Jags can likely no longer entertain the notion of cutting Clemons, who will turn 34 in October, like they did Jason Babin last June after this development, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Fowler has not yet signed his rookie contract but signed an injury-protection waiver, which mandates the Jaguars “negotiate in good faith,” per Schefter, via Twitter. He didn’t miss a game in his three years in Gainesville.

East Rumors: Scherff, Fowler Jr., Agholor, Pats

April 30th, 2015 at 7:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Washington could prefer offensive lineman Brandon Scherff to edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., per Dianna Marie Russini (Twitter link), who adds that the club could move back to target a defensive lineman like Danny Shelton.
USC receiver Nelson Agholor is a “good bet” to be the fourth receiver selected, and he’s been connected to the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Texans recently, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com.
Admitting that the Patriots’ draft strategy is uncertain as of now, owner Robert Kraft said that this draft features solid options in the middle rounds, meaning New England could trade down (Twitter links via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).

Jets Rumors: Wilkerson, Washington, Draft

April 30th, 2015 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

The draft isn’t in New York anymore, but that won’t stop some ambitious Jets fans from booing their team’s first round pick, as Stu Woo of The Wall Street Journal writes. “The booing is more than just about this year’s draft,” one fan said. “It’ll never stop unless there’s a Super Bowl.” The latest on the Jets..

The Jets are high on Leonard Williams, Dante Fowler Jr., and Amari Cooper. They’ll likely be gone by No. 6, however, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com hears from sources that there are now four projected targets for the Jets at No. 6: wide receiver Kevin White, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, and running back Todd Gurley (though he adds that Gurley is a longshot).
Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson has come up in discussion with at least one other team picking in the top five, but it’s still doubtful that he’ll be traded at this point, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets.
A Jets source told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he was hearing buzz of Washington possibly moving down. The Jets are very interested in how that plays out since it will impact them at No. 6.
The source who spoke with Anderson (link) also didn’t didn’t rule out the possibility of moving out of No. 6 and he said that additional positions may be considered if they do. Many have said that the Jets could drop back in the draft though if they stay put, a pass rusher seems like a good possibility.

Jaguars Torn Between Fowler And Cooper?

April 30th, 2015 at 9:22am CST by Zachary Links

9:22am: Mark Long of The Associated Press (on Twitter) hears that the Jags won’t be taking Fowler at No. 3.

9:09am: People in football circles believe that the Jaguars are torn between Florida standout Dante Fowler Jr. and receiver Amari Cooper, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The thinking is that coach Gus Bradley wants Fowler while GM Dave Caldwell wants Cooper.

Recently, one AFC personnel executive, who claims he identified Blake Bortles as Jacksonville’s target prior to draft night last year, told Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports that he believes Jacksonville is locked in on the Alabama receiver this time around.

“I think the third spot could shock people [again],” the source said. “I think they like Cooper more than they are letting on. You hear things and they have been pretty good about what’s getting out there. It’s a lot like it was last year.”

The Jags, having selected two receivers early in last year’s draft, would seem to have greater needs at other positions. While Jacksonville certainly wants to give Bortles the weapons necessary to succeed, the team has Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurns under contract, and landed Julius Thomas in free agency this offseason. A defensive playmaker such as Fowler (or USC star Leonard Williams) would seem to be a better fit.

While selecting Cooper would raise some eyebrows around the league, Caldwell said recently that the team needs one difference-making player rather than two solid contributors, and the young receiver fits that bill.

Washington Getting Calls On No. 5 Pick

April 30th, 2015 at 8:10am CST by Zachary Links

Three teams have contacted Washington about trading for the No. 5 overall pick, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). A second source tells Keim that if Washington wants an impact pass rusher, they shouldn’t go below No. 8 to get one. Naturally, any trade would be contingent on who is available at No. 5 (link).

Even though they’ve received inquiries, there’s nothing serious brewing on the No. 5 pick yet, a source tells Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (on Twitter) hears that Washington is hoping to take Dante Fowler Jr. at No. 5. If he’s not on the board, then they’d turn their attention to the offensive line.

Earlier this week, Washington general manager Scot McCloughan said he’d “love” to pick up as many as ten picks in this year’s draft. The new GM currently has seven to work with.

South Notes: Jaguars, Cooper, Falcons

April 27th, 2015 at 9:08pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at the AFC and NFC South..

Various sources who spoke to Peter King of TheMMQB.com named Amari Cooper, Dante Fowler Jr., and Leonard Williams as targets they’d heard “reliably” linked to the Jaguars at No. 3. For his part, King says he believes there are some within the organization who want Cooper and others who want Fowler. Considering Jacksonville barely conveyed any interest in top target Blake Bortles prior to last year’s draft, it wouldn’t surprise me if the team ends up making another unexpected pick this time around.
While lots of teams are looking into moving down, the Falcons are a team looking to move up, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rival executives believe that their target is an impact defender.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looked at Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff’s draft-day trading record. As the record shows, Dimitroff has been very busy in years past, including the 2011 blockbuster deal for Julio Jones.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Draft Notes: Williams, Fowler, DGB

April 27th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

There are only five can’t-miss players in the 2015 NFL Draft, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. La Canfora writes that he initially set out to identify the top ten players in this crop, but one scout that he respect immensely insists that there’s an upper crust of five prospects, followed by a major drop off in talent between them and the next tier. Those five can’t miss prospects, execs tell La Canfora, are Leonard Williams, Dante Fowler Jr., Shane Ray, Kevin White, and Amari Cooper. Here’s more draft news..

Multiple coaches in the NFL are pushing to draft receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in the first round, but owners are not sold on him, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). There are teams that could stretch for him in round one, but it’ll only happen in a case where the owner has a supreme level of trust in their coach. Miller speculates that the Ravens at No. 26 are the most likely to take DGB since GM Ozzie Newsome has so much trust from ownership. On the other hand, the Ray Rice situation might scare the Ravens away from taking someone with clear off-the-field issues.
NBC’s Cris Collinsworth told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the wide receiver class this year features “up to eleven or 12, quality wise, who in any other year you would say, ‘That’s a first-round talent’.” That’s not to say that a dozen receivers will go in the first round, but there are a number of talented players at the position.
Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell told SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter) that he had visits with the Colts, Buccaneers, Texans, Bears, and Patriots.

Draft Rumors: Falcons, Gurley, Cowboys

April 27th, 2015 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons have long coveted a standout pass rusher, and the club could get the opportunity to draft one this year. The team currently has the No. 8 pick, but according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, GM Thomas Dimitroff will consider the possibility of moving up a few spots to land Florida edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. It would cost Atlanta an extra pick or two to trade up for Fowler, who is widely considered the top pass rusher in the draft, but the club hasn’t hesitated to make that sort of move in the past, most notably moving up to snag Julio Jones in 2011.

Here are a few more notes and rumors from around the NFL, as draft night approaches:

With his ACL healing well, Todd Gurley now appears likely to be a top-20 pick, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. According to Breer, when he called around this weekend, the Browns (Nos. 12, 19), Dolphins (No. 14), and Chargers (No. 17) were all linked to the Georgia running back.
The Browns may be considering Gurley with one of their two first-round picks, but the team figures to take a long look at receivers as well. Per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), UCF wideout Breshad Perriman dined last night with Cleveland GM Ray Farmer and other team executives.
While a consensus is forming for a few picks near the top of the draft, it’s not clear where USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams – viewed by many as 2015’s best prospect – will land, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. As badly as the Raiders may need a wide receiver, I’d be surprised if Oakland passed on Williams at No. 4, assuming he’s available there.
The Cowboys will have a hard time passing up Washington’s Marcus Peters or Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson in the first round if either cornerback is still on the board at No. 27, says Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
Colts owner Jim Irsay isn’t ruling out any possibility for his team on Thursday, suggesting that the Colts could easily trade up or down from No. 29, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.