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Emmanuel Ogbah

Draft Pick Signings: Browns, Texans

May 26th, 2016 at 5:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s draft pick signings:

  • The Browns announced that they have signed second-round pick Emmanuel Ogbah. The deal is worth $6.6MM (including a $3MM signing bonus) over four years. The six-foot-four linebacker earned the Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Year last season, and he compiled 28 sacks during his three-year tenure at Oklahoma State. With the signing, the Browns have now signed half of their record 14 draft picks.
  • The Texans announced the signing of third-round wide receiver Braxton Miller. Miller began his Ohio State career as the team’s starting quarterback but transitioned over to the wide receiver position in 2015. Last year, Miller caught 26 passes for 341 yards and three scores across 13 games. He also rushed for 260 yards off of 42 carries.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns Rumors: RG3, McCown, Nassib, Trades

May 14th, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Browns paid a high-end backup price for Robert Griffin III at two years and $15MM, the team signed the wayward quarterback with the intention he could be their long-term option.

“Our plan would be for Robert, if it carries out, to come in, solidify himself and then, if we felt like he’s our answer longer-term, to begin working on a longer-term deal,” GM Sashi Brown told media — including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “... He’s just 26 years old and he wants to play for a long time. He provides that upside, if he’s able to come in and do what’s first, which is establish himself as a starter and a capable starter for us.”

Cleveland’s brass is not ready to hand the starting job to Griffin right now, with Josh McCown still in the mix and third-round pick Cody Kessler likely a developmental option. But the Browns are at least paying lip service to the fact the 2012 offensive rookie of the year can resurrect his career for a team that’s had the worst run at quarterback since re-spawning in 1999.

Here’s more coming out of Cleveland.

  • Despite Griffin’s signing cosmetically looking like it leaves McCown without a place on a rebuilding team, the 36-year-old passer remains a threat to keep his starting job, per Ulrich. The Browns would also consider keeping him if he doesn’t. “[We want to] have him come in and compete to be our starter,” Brown said. “Josh has been a great presence for our young guys in the locker room, and that QB room is enhanced by his presence. I think [keeping him even if he doesn’t win the starting job will] be a consideration.” Amid the disastrous Johnny Manziel experiment that cycled in and out of the huddle last season, McCown completed 63.7% of his passes and threw 12 touchdown passes compared to four interceptions despite being saddled with one of the league’s worst pass-catching contingents. McCown is owed just more than $5MM this season, the last year of his contract, and the Browns would carry $2.33MM in dead money if they cut him. Of course, with more than $41MM in cap space right now, the Browns aren’t exactly geared toward 2016 contention.
  • One of the Browns’ Day 2 picks, Carl Nassib, caused the new GM to make a lofty comparison. Brown said the 6-foot-7 former Penn State pass-rusher has “as good of a motor, if not better, than Joey Bosa,” per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The Vince Lombardi Award winner after registering a Division I-FBS-best 15.5 sacks for the Nittany Lions last year, Nassib out-produced Bosa last season. But the Ohio State pass-rusher collected 26 sacks in three seasons and recorded 51 tackles for loss in that span, giving the former Buckeye a much more consistent resume.
  • Although there isn’t much of a way to disprove this, Brown said Emmanuel Ogbah was the top player the Browns hoped would still be there when they picked at No. 32 (via Ulrich, on Twitter). As a junior at Oklahoma State, Ogbah finished tied for fourth nationally last season with 13 sacks.
  • Brown also challenged those who questioned the team’s pick of Princeton tight end Seth DeValve in the fourth round, telling media (including Ulrich, on Twitter) that they won’t be second-guessing the selection for long.

Draft Updates: Cowboys, Tunsil, Pats, Jets, Saints

April 30th, 2016 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ later-round selections have featured some interesting near-misses. Dallas has been linked to multiple players it did not end up selecting, including new Browns edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, whom Cleveland chose in Round 2. The team also eyed Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com reports.

Even its own pick brought uncertainty after a report surfaced Friday that the team nearly unloaded its second-round pick to the Bears before taking Notre Dame injured star Jaylon Smith. Perhaps these pass-rushers going off the board contributed to the urge to wanting to trade down.

We heard Friday night the Cowboys are not going to re-sign Greg Hardy. This, coupled with the looming suspensions of Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory have left the team thin at defensive end despite signing former Eagles edge presence Cedric Thornton in free agency. It took Dallas until the fourth round to address this spot, when it took Charles Tapper from Oklahoma.

Here’s the latest from the draft.

  • The Saints traded up for the 120th pick, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), they didn’t get their selection in on time. This allowed the Vikings to jump the Saints, with Minnesota selecting offensive lineman Willie Beavers. New Orleans presumably still got their target in defensive tackle David Onyemata.
  • The Dolphins believe it was the former financial advisor of rookie Laremy Tunsil who released the incriminating gas mask video, tweets Andrew Abrasion of The Palm Beach Post. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the video caused Tunsil to drop from the sixth overall pick to No. 13.
  • Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that the team isn’t working to acquire another quarterback, including Nick Foles (Twitter link).
  • Pauline also notes the Patriots‘ collection of second- or third-round quarterback choices in the Tom Brady era could have included Wisconsin passer Joel Stave instead of the player they actually selected, Jacoby Brissett, in the third round. While neither was considered a top prospect, Brissett was mentioned as a mid- or late-round pick before the lesser-regarded Stave — a 6-foot-5 former Badger, who remains on the board. Stave threw for just 11 TDs last season for the run-oriented Badgers.
  • The Steelers are considering a trade to get into the fifth round, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.

Ben Levine contributed to this report

Draft Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos

April 30th, 2016 at 12:10pm CST by Ben Levine

With the fourth round nearly halfway done, let’s check in on some draft whispers from around the league…

  • The Cowboys‘ gameplan for the second round was to select Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and then move up and select Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Ogbah was ultimately selected by the Browns with the first pick of the second round, and Dallas snagged Smith two picks later.
  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says there was a general belief that the Cowboys would select quarterback Connor Cook with pick No. 101, leading to the Raiders‘ acquisition of the 100th pick. Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Oakland is planning on keeping Matt McGloin and allowing the two quarterbacks to compete for the back-up job.
  • According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), the Dolphins slapped Leonte Carroo with a “second-round grade.” Miami ended up snagging the Rutgers wideout late in the third round.
  • If Laremy Tunsil hadn’t been around at No. 13, the Dolphins would have selected UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Eli Apple, who was selected 10th overall, was also under consideration for the pick.
  • Speaking of Tunsil, ESPN’s Adam Schefter determined how much money the offensive lineman actually lost on Thursday evening (via Twitter). The Ravens were prepared to select the embattled University of Mississippi product with the sixth-overall pick, but Tunsil ended up falling to No. 13. Schefter estimates that the rookie lost nearly $7MM after having fallen eight spots.
  • The Broncos are fielding calls on several of their picks, reports Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). The team has a compensatory fourth-round pick (which can’t be traded), as well as two fifth-round selections.

Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants

April 29th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s the latest from Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com entering the second day of the draft:

  • After the Dolphins used the 13th pick on Laremy Tunsil, they called veteran left tackle Branden Albert and assured him he’ll remain at his current position and Tunsil will play left guard.
  • The Cowboys “covet” Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah going into the second round, per Pauline, who dismisses the idea that they’re instead after Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa or Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence. Dallas holds the 34th selection but could end up moving down, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones (link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
  • Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is unlikely to get past the Chiefs at No. 37, reports Pauline.
  • The Giants are targeting offensive linemen and safeties entering Day 2, meaning Clemson safety T.J. Green could be a fit for the team at No. 40. Like Big Blue, the Steelers and Vikings are also eyeing safeties.

Draft Rumors: Saints, Browns, Treadwell, Vikes

April 26th, 2016 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Saints “had talks” about potentially moving up to the No. 1 pick, before Tennessee ultimately sent the pick to Los Angeles. At the time, I noted that it wasn’t clear whether Rapoport was suggesting New Orleans actually engaged the Titans in trade talks, or whether the Saints simply had internal discussions about the possibility.

According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, however, a source said the Saints had no talks about trading for the first overall pick. Once again, it’s not entirely clear whether Triplett is referring to discussions between the Saints and Titans, or simply internal conversations in New Orleans, so it’s possible he and Rapoport are on different pages. In any case, it seems as though the team was never serious about the idea of moving way up in the first round.

In fact, that source tells Triplett that the Saints are more likely to trade down than up, adding that the idea of drafting quarterback Paxton Lynch appears to be a long shot, at best. The club is more likely to add a QB in the middle rounds of the draft, says Triplett.

With the start of the draft just a little over two days away, let’s round up several more updates and rumors from around the league…

  • The Browns remain “wide open” to the possibility of trading down from No. 8, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. In a full column detailing draft-day trade scenarios for the Browns and a handful of other teams, La Canfora goes into more detail, suggesting that Cleveland wouldn’t mind landing Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell or possibly Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin.
  • Speaking today to reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he has heard from a couple teams about trades involving the No. 23 pick. Both scenarios would involve the Vikings trading down, while one of the two would mean moving out of the first round entirely.
  • In his final Scouting Notebook before the draft, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report provides a ton of interesting tidbits, touching briefly on each of the league’s 32 teams to discuss which players or positions they’ll be targeting.
  • Clemson safety T.J. Green, Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, and USC linebacker/safety Su’a Cravens are all receiving consideration in the back half of the first round, according to tweets from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, respectively.

Draft Updates: Dahl, Ogbah, C. Jones, DeBord

April 20th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As Greg Gabriel of 670 The Score tweets, Wednesday is the last day NFL teams can bring prospects in for official visits. Beginning on Thursday, clubs can still meet or work out players, but it has to happen at the player’s school or home, rather than the team’s facility.

Still, there’s no shortage of updates today on workouts and/or visits conducted recently by prospects and teams. Here are several of those updates:

  • Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) adds the Falcons, Lions, and Titans to the long list of teams that either worked out Washington State offensive lineman Joe Dahl or hosted him for a visit. Earlier this month, a report indicated that 10 other teams had interest in Dahl, with many of those clubs planning visits or workouts.
  • Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes that the Titans and Bengals were among the teams that hosted Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah for pre-draft visits.
  • The Bengals, Ravens, and Seahawks are among the clubs that have hosted Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones for pre-draft visits, tweets Rand Getlin.
  • The list of clubs that Eastern Washington offensive lineman Clay DeBord has worked out for or visited includes the 49ers, Lions, Jets, Falcons, Buccaneers, Titans, and Cardinals, tweets Rand Getlin.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press provides a couple updates on local prospects, tweeting that Michigan State defensive lineman Lawrence Thomas has worked out for the Lions, Patriots, Falcons, and Titans, and adding (via Twitter) that Central Michigan tight end Ben McCord has previously visited the Dolphins. McCord is participating in the Lions’ local workout day, while Thomas isn’t.
  • North Carolina Central defensive back Ryan Smith is making his last pre-draft visit today to Los Angeles to meet with the Rams, a source tells Aaron Wilson.
  • Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson visited the Jets today, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), who suggests keeping an eye on Robinson late in the draft.

AFC Draft Updates: Ravens, Lynch, Texans

April 19th, 2016 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The final visit for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch will take place in Baltimore, according to agent Leigh Steinberg, who tweets that Lynch will meet with the Ravens on Wednesday. Holding the No. 6 overall pick, the Ravens seem like an improbable first-round suitor for Lynch, so perhaps the team is just doing its due diligence in case it trades down in the first round or Lynch slips to round two.

Here are more draft updates from out of the AFC:

  • The Texans hosted Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel for a visit this week, and are also hosting Eastern Michigan running back Darius Jackson today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Houston fortified its offensive backfield by signing Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller in free agency, but could still be eyeing additional depth.
  • We heard yesterday that Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller had a Monday visit with the Jets and a Wednesday visit in Carolina this week. Aaron Wilson fills in the gap in Fuller’s schedule, tweeting that the young corner is meeting today with the Titans.
  • The schedule for Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah includes a pre-draft visit with the Chargers this Wednesday, writes Aaron Wilson in a piece for the Chronicle. Wilson reported yesterday that Ogbah was also visiting Carolina and Atlanta this week, though he doesn’t include the Panthers in his list of Ogbah’s visits in his latest piece.
  • Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams has been busy during the pre-draft visit, making five visits and taking part in 14 private workouts, according to Aaron Wilson, who tweets that Williams is meeting with the Steelers today. Utah running back Devontae Booker and Michigan safety Jarrod Wilson are also in Pittsburgh to visit the Steelers, Wilson adds (via Twitter).

South Notes: Falcons, Panthers, Colts, Ogbah

April 18th, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Following the trend set by the Rams and the Cardinals, among others, the Falcons will be eyeing hybrid linebacker/safeties in this year’s draft, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution details. Los Angeles’ Mark Barron and Arizona’s Deone Bucannon are just two examples of “safeties” who have morphed into linebacker roles, and several prospects in the 2016 draft, including LSU’s Deion Jones, USC’s Su’a Cravens, and Florida’s Keanu Neal — all of whom Atlanta has met with — could make a similar transition.

“In the college game, they are more spread out,” said Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. “They are more open. You’re seeing more space players come out, who are the 215-, 225-pound linebackers who are outside and playing in space. Those players, we are finding ways to feature them at the NFL level as well because of their athletic ability.”

Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions…

  • Even if they do end up targeting hybrid linebackers in the draft, the Falcons still need to add talent and depth at the prototypical LB position, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com in his overview of the club as they open offseason workouts. Ohio State’s Darron Lee and Alabama’s Reggie Ragland could both be options for Atlanta at No. 17, opines McClure, who adds that edge-rusher is also near the top of the Falcons’ list of draft needs.
  • The Colts are another club drafting in the middle of Round 1 that could use linebacker help, and as such, could be a fit for Ragland. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that not only have the Colts held a private workout for the Alabama standout, but with Clemson’s B.J. Goodson, who starred at the combine.
  • Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah will take a short tour of the NFC South this week, as he’s lined up visits with both the Falcons and the Panthers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 6’4″, 270-pound edge rusher could very well be available at either pick No. 17 or No. 30, where Atlanta and Carolina currently sit, respectively.
  • Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld will make a visit to Houston to meet with the Texans on Tuesday, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Sudfeld has also generated interest from the Saints and Cardinals.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: 4/10/16

April 10th, 2016 at 10:56am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of today’s draft rumors. We will update this page as necessary throughout the day:

  • Memphis QB Paxton Lynch will meet with the Jets on Thursday, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Jets, of course, are still looking to bring back free agent signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the two sides remain far apart on contract terms. Lynch is widely-regarded as one of the top three quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. Mehta confirms that Gang Green will also visit with Ohio State TE Nick Vannett tomorrow.
  • Alcorn State QB John Gibbs, Jr. worked out for the Texans at their local prospect workout yesterday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. As we learned yesterday, prospects like Oklahoma State DE Emmanuel Ogbah and UCLA OT Caleb Benenoch were also in attendance.
  • According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter), there are several themes emerging with regards to the top CB prospects in this year’s draft. Some evaluators prefer Ohio State’s Eli Apple to Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III–Hargreaves has been ranked almost universally as the best corner in the draft outside of Jalen Ramsey–and some prefer Miami’s Artie Burns to Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander and Houston’s William Jackson III.
  • Western Michigan WR Daniel Braverman–who was not even invited to this year’s Scouting Combine–has already visited the Vikings, Saints, and Dolphins, and is set to visit with the Raiders, Seahawks, and Bengals this week, according to NFL Network’s Rand Getlin. (Twitter links). Braverman had a whopping 109 receptions for 1,367 yards last season.

 

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