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AFC East Notes: Bills, Ebron, Dolphins, Jets

April 22nd, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

Over the weekend, we heard that former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly has interest in being part of the team’s next ownership group, but Kelly isn’t the only Bills legend who wants to play a role in keeping the franchise in Buffalo. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, a group called the Buffalo Fan Alliance announced on Monday that former Bills wide receiver Andre Reed and kicker Steve Christie are members of its advisory board. The group’s goal is to raise between $100-170MM, which would serve as interest-free loan to the Bills’ new ownership group as a way to entice the new owners to keep the club in Buffalo.

Florio expresses some skepticism about how practical the idea really is and makes some good points, but at the very least, having big names like Kelly, Reed, and Christie involved in the process can’t be a bad thing for Buffalo football fans.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

  • We heard yesterday that UNC tight end Eric Ebron believes the Lions are a potential landing spot for him, and in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio, he suggested that the Bills fall into that category as well. “Those are the two teams that I believe are the highest upon me,” Ebron said, according to Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. “Now are they telling the same things they are telling me to everybody else? I don’t know. But from my perspective and my point of view, those are the two teams that I believe if they could have signed me that day would have.”
  • Alex Marvez of Fox Sports suggests (via Twitter) that free agent offensive lineman Daryn Colledge, who drew some interest from the Dolphins early in free agency, is a name to continue monitoring as a possible Miami target.
  • Jamar Taylor, who was selected by the Dolphins out of Boise State in the second round of the 2013 draft, told Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman last week that there were times during his injury-plagued rookie season when he was seriously considering retiring from the NFL. However, he worked through that adversity and is looking forward to turning “a lot of heads” in his second season.
  • The Jets are hosting Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas for a pre-draft visit today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

King’s Latest: Draft, Texans, Jags, Cards, Rams

April 21st, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Peter King of TheMMQB.com has kicked off the week by sharing a number of interesting tidbits that can be found in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. Let’s dive right in and round up several of the highlights from King….

  • Vikings general manager Rick Spielman on this year’s crop of quarterbacks: “There’s no Andrew Luck, no Peyton Manning. It is such a mixed bag with each player — every one of them has positives, every one of them has negatives. And if that’s the way you end up feeling, why don’t you just wait till later in the draft, and take someone with the first pick you’re sure will help you right now?”
  • One friend of Texans general manager Rick Smith tells King that the GM prefers Buffalo’s Khalil Mack over Jadeveon Clowney. King adds that he thinks Houston will try to choose a sure thing with the No. 1 pick, which could mean Mack, Clowney, or Greg Robinson, but may rule out the top quarterbacks.
  • At No. 3 overall, the Jaguars want a pass rusher “badly” and would be a good fit for Mack or Clowney, depending on who is still available, says King.
  • Top tight end Eric Ebron recently suggested he thinks the Lions will draft him, though King is skeptical the club would go that route with its first pick.
  • The Cardinals are “sweet on” signal-callers Derek Carr and A.J. McCarron. King says he expects Arizona to draft a QB within the first two rounds and the Rams to take one within the first three.
  • Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks are drawing interest from the Steelers, who are weighing the possibility of drafting a wideout in the first round.
  • In King’s view, current draft risers include Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin, and Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Players whose stock may be falling include Louisville signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater, UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, and Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

AFC Notes: Ebron, Lee, Matthews

April 14th, 2014 at 6:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

North Carolina’s Eric Ebron is the top rated tight end in the 2014 NFL Draft, and could be in play for the Titans at pick number 11, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. While the team is happy with Delanie Walker, the background of head coach Ken Whisenhunt and his staff may add to their desire to bring in a play making tight end.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • USC standout receiver Marqise Lee will visit the Dolphins on Tuesday, reports James Walker of ESPN.com. The Dolphins will pick 19th in the draft, and at one point Lee was thought to have been off the board much earlier than that. Lee’s disappointing speed at the combine has put him in play for the latter half of the first round.
  • Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews is visiting the Raiders today, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Matthews is thought to be a day two draft pick.
  • The Raiders aren’t the only team interested in Matthews, as Meredith Perri of WEEI.com has highlighted the 6’3″ pass catcher for the Patriots. Perri writes that Matthews is a good route runner and possesses a good set of hands, both important when playing with Tom Brady. Matthews is a cousin of Jerry Rice, and holds SEC career records for receptions and receiving yards.

North Notes: Lions, Ravens, Steelers

April 14th, 2014 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Jadeveon Clowney won’t be working out for any more NFL teams prior to the draft, as we heard this morning from Peter King, but that doesn’t mean he’s done making visits. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Lions will be hosting Clowney for a visit soon. There’s obviously no chance the standout defensive end falls to Detroit at No. 10, so bringing in Clowney could be a further signal that the Lions are exploring moving up in the draft. The club has also been linked multiple times to wideout Sammy Watkins, who will almost certainly be off the board by No. 10 as well.

Here’s more on the Lions and a few other teams in the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Rapoport’s previously linked tweet also includes word that the Lions are meeting today with UNC tight end Eric Ebron.
  • Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas, who visited the Bills earlier in the month, recently met with the Ravens, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson also tweets a couple more players who were in attendance at the Ravens’ local prospect day: Dexter McDougle (CB, Maryland) and Louis Young (CB, Georgia Tech).
  • TCU cornerback Jason Verrett, Arizona corner Shaquille Richardson and Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton are visiting the Steelers today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
  • Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune takes a look at how the Vikings are spending their money by position, noting that the club is only among the top 10 NFL teams in spending at running back (first) and defensive end (ninth).
  • The Lions hosted Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis on a pre-draft visit last week, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). We heard on Friday that Pierre-Louis also visited the Steelers.

AFC Pre-Draft Visits: Bills, Patriots, Titans

April 4th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bills are hosting a few pre-draft visits today, writes Chris Brown of BufalloBills.com. North Carolina’s star tight end Eric Ebron could be in play for the team in the first round. The Bills are also meeting with defensive end Scott Crichton of Oregon State and LSU’s bruising running back Jeremy Hill. Brown writes that Crichton is projected as a second-round pick and Hill as a mid-round selection.

Here are some other players visiting with AFC teams:

  • The Patriots are bringing in Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig for their local pro day, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. The team already hosted the top quarterback talents, who they are unlikely to draft, but Retig would more likely be a late-round pick. Retig will be able to workout with the team, because he is part of a local visit.
  • Another late-round quarterback, Brock Jensen of North Dakota State, has visits scheduled with both the Browns and the Bengals, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
  • The Steelers will be hosting visits from Minnesota safety Brock Vereen, and South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Wilson also reports that Titans hosted Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and Colorado State linebacker Shaquil Barrett. Jernigan is expected to be a first-round pick.
  • Wide receiver Eric Thomas of Troy University has a visit with the Colts, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Draft Rumors: Ebron, Bortles, Desir

March 19th, 2014 at 5:41pm CST by Zachary Links

North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron figures to be a popular man in the coming weeks and he told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’s got at least four visits lined up for himself. Ebron, a Newark, New Jersey native, will check in with the Bills, Lions, Ravens, and Panthers in April. Here’s today’s latest draft rumors..

  • ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio said on air that the Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders, and Vikings have met with Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles, according to Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal (on Twitter). The signal caller participated in UCF’s pro day this afternoon.
  • The Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars, Packers, Lions, and Bears attended cornerback Pierre Desir‘s pro day at Lindenwood University (Missouri), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Desir recorded 25 interceptions over the course of his career at the Division II school.
  • The Browns worked out Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas individually today, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.com. Pauline says Thomas is looking more like a top 45 pick at this juncture.
  • Lache Seastrunk says he has visits set up with Steelers and Bills, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Baylor running back posted the best vertical jump (41.5-inches) and broad jump (134 inches) of anyone at the draft combine in February.
  • San Jose State quarterback David Fales will meet with the Vikings this weekend, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • Middle Tennessee State guard Josh Walker will visit the Colts, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The standout lineman also has a visit with the Saints lined up.

Combine Updates: Boldin, Jags, Dolphins

February 20th, 2014 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

“It’s not just me who wants Anquan Boldin back,” 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said today of the team’s No. 1 receiver in 2013, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Suggesting that the San Francisco decision-makers are unanimous in wanting to re-sign Boldin, Harbaugh added that negotiations are heading in a “positive direction.” The Niners coach wasn’t the only one providing noteworthy quotes this afternoon at the combine. Here are several more notable updates from Indianapolis:

  • The Jaguars intend to meet with the top three quarterback prospects – Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles – this weekend, according to GM Dave Caldwell (Twitter link via Ryan O’Hallaran of the Florida Times-Union). However, Caldwell also suggested it would be beneficial for the team to trade down from No. 3 overall, since the draft is so deep (Twitter link via Hays Carlyon of the Times-Union).
  • Asked if he expected prospective free agent Chad Henne to hit the open market, Caldwell replied, “I don’t think so,” suggesting that the Jaguars could reach an agreement with their incumbent starter prior to March 11 (Twitter link via O’Hallaran).
  • Broncos head coach John Fox is comfortable with the idea of moving forward with running Montee Ball if Knowshon Moreno leaves Denver in free agency, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
  • Responding to a report that suggested the Dolphins might bench Ryan Tannehill for Matt Moore at some point in 2014, new Miami GM Dennis Hickey expressed confidence in Tannehill. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has that quote and several more from Hickey, who insisted that free agents will be attracted to the organization despite the recent controversy surrounding the team.
  • The Bears head into the 2014 season carrying three punters on their roster, meaning veteran Adam Podlesh will have to fight for the job, according to GM Phil Emery. Drew Butler and Tress Way will also be in the mix, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago details.
  • Projected first-round tight end Eric Ebron confirmed to reporters, including Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter link), that the Ravens and Packers are among the teams with whom he’ll interview today. Tight end Jace Amaro will also meet with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), while ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky writes that Wisconsin offensive lineman Ryan Groy met with the Packers.

Draft Notes: Farmer, Cowboys, Packers

February 16th, 2014 at 11:11pm CST by David Kipke

As we continue to approach the 2014 NFL Draft, various teams have begun to discuss information regarding their draft preferences. According to FanNation, new Browns GM Ray Farmer has stated that he knows which quarterback he wants to draft in May — but he’s not willing to share. Farmer has final say over the 53-man roster, and it remains to be seen whether or not he would be open to changing his mind should coach Mike Pettine or offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan prefer a different quarterback.

Here are a few more tidbits surrounding teams and their draft preferences…

  • Assistant director of player personnel for the Cowboys, Will McClay, spoke with KRLD-FM 105.3 sports radio and disclosed his thoughts that having “good football character” is an important quality in a draft prospect.
  • The Dallas Morning News’ SportsDayDFW took a look at players that the team might be interested in drafting in the first round. The outlet also covers what 10 offensive lineman, wide receivers, quarterbacks, and linebackers that it thinks that the Cowboys will be most interested in drafting this May.
  • Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media writes that after a series of whiffs by the front office on high draft picks in recent years, the Packers‘ 2014 first round pick will be the team’s most important draft pick in recent history. Hodkiewicz highlighted Alabama junior safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama linebacker C. J. Mosley, and North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron as potential Packer first-round targets.

Lions Notes: Austin, Pettigrew

February 10th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Peter Sowards

New Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has big shoes to fill, replacing 32-year NFL veteran Gunther Cunningham. Austin, 21 years Cunningham’s junior, just landed his first coordinating job at the pro level, and is expected to employ a more blitz-heavy defense than his predecessor, according to Justin Rogers of MLive.com. “We’re going to probably stay more in a 4-3, in terms of what we have personnel-wise,” said Austin. “Our pressures with our linebackers will be coming from different angles, different things that way, instead of a per se ‘rush linebacker’ that I’m used to dealing with.” Rogers said the odds do not favor the team pursuing an aforementioned rush linebacker in the draft or free agency, noting all three of the team’s starting linebackers from last season are under contract for 2014.

Other notes from the Motor City:

  • Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi touched on his tight end philosophy in a story relayed by ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein, important given the free-agent status of Brandon Pettigrew. “It’s important to have a guy that can block the point of attack,” said Lombardi. “That’s important. A lot of teams are going to back-or-forth these days and you need a tight end that can hold up against those guys. And then, you want a guy who can be a pass receiver so you’re always looking for those well-rounded guys.”
  • Pettigrew played 925 out of 1,158 snaps for the Lions offense last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Rothstein notes that the Lions emphasized Pettigrew’s run-blocking ability to spearhead a running game led by Reggie Bush and Joique Bell that finished No. 17 in rushing yards last season.
  • If North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron or Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins were available in the second round, Rothstein said either two would be a sound investment. However, Ebron is widely regarded as the best tight end in the 2014 class and highly unlikely to make it out of the top-32.
  • Rothstein cites Dennis Pitta and Dallas Clark, who each played for head coach Jim Caldwell at some point, as potential replacements if Pettigrew is not retained, as well as former Jet and current Dolphin Dustin Keller .