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DeVante Parker

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Winston, Parker, Tillman

April 11th, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Falcons have visited the University of Miami to get a closer look at some of the draft’s most intriguing prospects. The team will workout Phillip Dorsett, Duke Johnson, Clive Walford, Ladarius Gunter, and Ereck Flowers, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). He also writes the team will meet with Denzel Perryman, who will not be working out for the team.

The team also worked out defensive lineman Anthony Chickillo while in Coral Gables, according to Ledbetter (via Twitter).

Here are a few more notes from around the NFC South:

  • The Buccaneers are expected to take Jameis Winston with the first-overall pick, and if there were any doubts about how the fans would react, those were put to rest Thursday. Winston’s appearance on a video board during the team’s Q&A session in front of fans drew a roar of applause, the loudest of the night according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
  • The Saints will host Louisville receiver DeVante Parker for a pre-draft visit, according to Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Terrell outlines some of Parker’s strengths and weaknesses, noting that Parker will likely be drafted in the early-to-mid first round. The Saints select 13th overall, but after drafting Brandin Cooks last year, might look elsewhere early in the draft.
  • The Panthers attempted to bolster their secondary by signing cornerback Charles Tillman. Tillman’s one-year contract is worth $1.75MM, which includes a $350,000 signing bonus, $150,000 roster bonus, and $15,625 in per gamer roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson adds that the Tillman deal is expected to include incentives to increase the total value (via Twitter).

Draft Notes: Parker, Holliman, Roberts, Bucs

April 10th, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Let’s take a look at the latest regarding a handful of prospects as the 2015 NFL Draft draws nearer:

  • Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker has pre-draft visits lined up with the Patriots, Ravens, Jets, Saints, Rams, Titans, 49ers and Panthers, according to Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko (Twitter link). In a mock draft posted earlier today, our own Rob Dire has the highly touted Parker going 11th overall to the Vikings.
  • Safety Gerod Holliman, Parker’s teammate at Louisville, tweeted that his workout with the Dolphins was a “success.”
  • Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts visited the Chiefs this week, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and Baltimore Sun. Roberts previously had private workouts with the 49ers and Packers.
  • Stony Brook receiver Adrian Coxson is scheduled to visit the Packers, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Buccaneers are expected to take a quarterback – either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – with the first overall pick, but Wilson tweets that a a lesser-known QB, West Georgia’s Austin Trainor, impressed the team at its local prospect day. Trainor was the only signal caller in attendance.
  • In other Bucs news, South Florida kicker Marvin Kloss had a “strong workout” for the team Friday, per Wilson. Kloss hit 9 of 10 field goals, including a 55-yarder, and three of his four kickoffs went for touchbacks.

49ers Notes: Smith, Bowman, Davis, Draft

April 10th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers’ defense has already lost a pair of standouts, linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, to retirement this offseason. Defensive linemen Justin Smith is mulling his own future and could end up taking the same path as his two ex-teammates. Head coach Jim Tomsula hasn’t gotten word on Smith’s plans for 2015 and isn’t pressing the 14-year veteran for an answer, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

“We all want Justin Smith to come back and play football. You know? But he’s earned the right to make that decision and take the time that he needs,” Tomsula said Friday, per Maiocco.

If Smith does retire, Tomsula says the 49ers have in-house replacements lined up. “For four years –- you see the D-linemen we’ve brought in –- we’ve been making preparations.”

Nevertheless, losing Smith would seem to be another notable blow to San Francisco’s defense. In 2014, his age-35 season, Smith totaled five sacks (giving him 87 for his career) and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the NFL’s 11th-best 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualifiers.

Here’s more on the 49ers:

  • Star linebacker NaVorro Bowman missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and MCL in the 2013 NFC championship game, but he’s nearing a comeback. Tomsula said the three-time First-Team All-Pro should be ready to go for the team’s upcoming on-field activities, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. “When we can get on the field, Bow is going out on the field,” said Tomsula. “I haven’t gotten into the specifics on how much. Obviously we’re not going to throw somebody out there and go 100 reps. My understanding is, yes, he’s moving great.”
  • Tight end Vernon Davis skipped 49ers offseason activities last year because of unhappiness with his contract and subsequently produced one of the worst seasons of his nine-year career. Now, with one year left on his deal, Davis is in attendance at the team’s voluntary workout program, according to Maiocco. “I’m here this year because I want to get better,” said Davis, who stated that Willis’ retirement “put everything in perspective for a lot of guys around here.”
  • The 49ers are one of eight teams that Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker is scheduled to visit with prior to the upcoming draft, tweets Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko. In a mock draft posted earlier today, our own Rob DiRe has Parker going 11th overall to Minnesota. The 49ers have the 15th pick.

North Rumors: Browns, Steelers, Price

April 10th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

La Canfora’s Latest: Patriots, Parker, Gregory

April 10th, 2015 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Their four Super Bowl wins in the past 14 seasons notwithstanding, the Patriots‘ track record for drafting wideouts high hasn’t been positive. This is an area they will likely attempt to take another shot at, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.

Bill Belichick reportedly attended many pro days involving receivers this spring and grilled college coaches about various pass-catching prospects, which drew notice from other league staffs, reports La Canfora.

The Patriots have drafted six wideouts in the top three rounds since Belichick’s arrival in 2000 — although none in Round 1 — and mostly received little in return for their investments, with Aaron Dobson (second round, 2013), Taylor Price (third round, 2010) and Chad Jackson (second round, 2006) being notable examples in the past decade.

Although La Canfora mentions defensive line and cornerback as other options with the defections there this offseason, he notes the Patriots’ lack of consistency outside will lead to another early selection at the position. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have the Patriots springing for defensive line and cornerback help, respectively, in the first round. Former prized recruit Dorial Green-Beckham could be a target, however, muses La Canfora.

Also from La Canfora …

  • DeVante Parker carries a similar buzz around the scouting community that Odell Beckham did last season, and La Canfora doesn’t expect the Louisville product to fall past No. 11 (Vikings). Minnesota scouted several of Parker’s games last season and happens to employ his former quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater. La Canfora said some teams have Parker rated higher than West Virginia’s Kevin White, who has commonly been tabbed the second-best wideout prospect behind Amari Cooper.
  • A name we haven’t heard as much on heading into the draft could surprise should an early run on wideouts take place. USC’s Nelson Agholor may creep into the late first round, La Canfora said.
  • Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test is raising teams’ eyebrows, but they’re not backing off the stance that the Nebraska talent’s a top-two or top-three pass-pursuer in this class and a potential top-five pick. Washington and Chicago are organizations La Canfora believes will be in the mix for Gregory. Conversely, various concerns envelop Dante Fowler Jr., Vic Beasley and Shane Ray, the CBS pundit hears from sources.
  • Tight ends Maxx Williams and Devin Funchess are reportedly receiving bad reviews on their route-running, causing them to fall down draft boards in an already-diminished class at the position.
  • Several executives also informed La Canfora they wouldn’t take top safety Landon Collins in the first round, viewing the Alabama prospect as an “in-the-box” performer.
  • League execs apparently rate this draft poorly compared to a good year when “22 to 24” players warrant first-round grades. Per La Canfora, less than 20 are grading that way this year.

Lions Notes: Parker, Hardison, Johnson

April 9th, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that Calvin Johnson missed some time due to injury in 2014, he and Golden Tate combined to grab 170 balls for the Lions. However, no other Detroit wide receiver exceeded Jeremy Ross‘ 24 receptions, so the team appears to be at least considering the possibility of taking a wideout early in the draft.

Today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, the club hosted Louisville’s DeVante Parker, who is viewed by many as the third-best receiver in this year’s class, behind only Kevin White and Amari Cooper. While we wait to see exactly how serious the Lions are about upgrading their receiving corps, let’s check in on a few more items out of Detroit…

  • Per Twentyman, the Lions also hosted Arizona State defensive tackle Marcus Hardison for a pre-draft visit today.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press explains why he doesn’t think it makes sense for the Lions to match George Johnson‘s three-year, $9MM offer sheet from the Buccaneers. As Birkett points out, if the Lions had really wanted to retain Johnson at that sort of price, they could’ve assigned him a second-round tender ($2.356MM) rather than a low-end tender ($1.542MM) last month, which would’ve limited the defensive end’s market and virtually guaranteed his return.
  • Birkett also passes along a note on the Lions’ draft plans, tweeting that several people he has spoken to believe the team will select an offensive lineman with its first-round pick.
  • Linebacker Brandon Copeland, who signed with the Lions following the veterans’ combine, received a $25K bonus from the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Draft Visits: Titans, Jags, Steelers, 49ers

April 8th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Having hosted receiver Kevin White for a visit already, the Titans are scheduled to meet with Alabama wideout Amari Cooper next week, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). While the two players are considered the top two prospects at their position, it would still be a surprise to see either player go as high as No. 2 to Tennessee, so perhaps the team is doing due diligence in case it trades down. Of course, I’d argue that the Titans have multiple positions that are bigger holes than wide receiver, but there’s no harm in exploring every potential option.

Here are more updates on upcoming draft visits, as well as some that have already happened:

  • Another top-five team keeping its options open is Jacksonville, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have hosted Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley for pre-draft visits. Third overall is almost certainly too high to draft a running back, so the Jags could be doing their homework in case they make a draft-day trade.
  • Rapoport also passes along an update on wide receiver DeVante Parker, tweeting that the former Louisville Cardinal has visits with the Jets, Titans, and Bears on his schedule. Parker has also visited the Jaguars and is meeting with the Vikings today.
  • Virginia edge rusher Eli Harold, Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson, Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, and Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah all visited the Steelers today, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • Speaking of Harold, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Virginia product has visited or worked out for 14 teams, including the Bears, Jaguars, Saints, and Jets.
  • The 49ers and Steelers will host Auburn receiver Sammie Coates for visits next week, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Coates has also visited the Browns and, as previously reported, the Dolphins.
  • Per Wilson (via Twitter), USC tight end Randall Telfer has visited the Eagles, will visit the Patriots, and has a private meeting lined up with the Falcons.
  • Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports (via Twitter) that that Sacramento State wide receiver DeAndre Carter worked out for the Cardinals this week, and will attend local pro days for the Raiders and 49ers next week.

Draft Notes: Eagles, Fowler, 49ers, Parker

April 7th, 2015 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have signed three cornerbacks within the last month, adding E.J. Biggers today to go along with Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond, but the team continues to consider options at the position with the draft approaching. As Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com outlines, the team hosted LSU cornerback Jalen Collins, a potential scheme fit, on a pre-draft visit today.

Here are a few more draft-related updates from around the NFL:

  • Although he thinks he’ll probably end up in Jacksonville with the No. 3 overall pick, Dante Fowler Jr. is meeting with a couple NFC teams in the top 10, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who tweets that the Florida pass rusher will visit the Buccaneers and Falcons this weekend.
  • The 49ers are meeting with Louisville receiver DeVante Parker, who is expected to be one of the first wideouts to come off the board, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
  • UTC pass rusher Davis Tull, a former wide receiver, has pre-draft visits lined up with the Saints and Falcons, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • Over at The National Football Post, Aaron Wilson passes along updates on a pair of prospects, writing that Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian has visited the Broncos and is working out for the Bears, while Bowling Green linebacker Gabe Martin is visiting the Cowboys today.
  • Per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), the Cowboys “love” Damarious Randall, and consider the Arizona State alum the best safety in this year’s draft class.
  • Rutgers tight end Tyler Kroft has had individual workouts with the Eagles, Jaguars, and Buccaneers, and is scheduled to visit the Bears and Broncos this week, says Dan Duggan of NJ.com.
  • The Patriots had a private workout with Northwestern State defensive tackle Deon Simon last week, a league source tells Christopher Price of WEEI.com.

Draft Notes: White, Bears, Browns, Ravens

April 4th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Ben Levine

West Virginia wideout Kevin White is expected to be an early first-round pick in the upcoming draft, but the speedster hasn’t received much interest from NFL clubs. Earlier this week, the player told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that he hadn’t heard from any teams since the Scouting Combine:

“Until they call or I have a set workout schedule, I’m just going to continue to do what I have to do and wherever I do go, if I have a workout or prior workout, I’ll enjoy it and try to make the most out of it.”

White finally got a call late this week, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the receiver will meet with the Titans. For the time being, that’s White only scheduled visit.

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the league, with updates added to the top:

  • Toledo linebacker Junior Sylvestre visited with the Chiefs Friday, writes Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • The Patriots had UConn wide receiver Geremy Davis in for a private workout yesterday, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
  • The Eagles have a need at safety, and Alabama’s Landon Collins has been a popular target in mock drafts. However, he might not make it to the Eagles’ pick at No. 20, and might not be a fit for Chip Kelly anyway, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher picks out a number of safeties the team could target later in the draft, including Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond and Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell.

Earlier Updates:

East Notes: Romo, Dolphins, Jets

April 1st, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

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.
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