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Ezekiel Elliott

Draft Rumors: Bosa, Jones, Elliott, Jack

April 6th, 2016 at 8:33pm CST by Zachary Links

About seven Cowboys coaches were in Columbus, Ohio, recently to work out top Buckeyes prospects, including Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Owners of the fourth pick in the draft, the Cowboys’ selection window resides in the neighborhood where Bosa currently is expected to go off the board, with the team in need of running back help as well.

Here are some other draft items as we advance further into the month where prospects dominate the NFL news cycle.

  • Also involved in Ohio State scouting, the Ravens put a full-court press on Buckeyes talents Wednesday, assessing their stock in multiple cities. They visited with Bosa in Baltimore and worked out Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas in Columbus, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets. The Ravens, who pick at No. 6, also interviewed Myles Jack and Vernon Hargreaves n Baltimore.
  • The Bengals recently worked out Jones, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. He’ll also visit with the Cardinals and Bills, per Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Texans are meeting with Illinois wide receiver Geronimo Allison in Florida today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Packers are bringing in BYU wide receiver Mitch Mathews, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Mathews, he adds, is the type of receiver that the Packers like to target in the late rounds.
  • The Buccaneers worked out Southern Utah cornerback LeShaun Sims on campus last month, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
  • Bucs offensive line coach George Warhop went to Nebraska to work out offensive tackle Alex Lewis last month, Auman tweets.
  • The Saints worked out Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee this week, according to Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate (on Twitter).
  • Western Carolina wide receiver Karnorris Benson worked out for the Falcons on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Draft Rumors: Elliott, Ramsey, Nkemdiche

April 2nd, 2016 at 8:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have added Alfred Morris this offseason to go along with incumbent running back Darren McFadden, but there’s still speculation that Dallas will add another back in the upcoming draft. The draft’s highest-rated runner, Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, will fly to Texas tomorrow for a meeting with the Cowboys (having already been worked out by the club in Columbus), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

The first round of this year’s draft gets underway in 26 days, so let’s take a look at the latest updates…

  • Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, widely regarded as one of the five best available prospects, has visits planned with both the Jaguars and the Ravens, reports Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). Ramsey, who can play both corner and safety, may not fall to the fifth or sixth selection, where Jacksonville and Baltimore respectively pick.
  • The Saints will work out California tight end Stephen Anderson on Monday, tweets Getlin, adding that Anderson’s workout with the Falcons went well. Anderson has also been linked to the Patriots, Titans, and Texans.
  • The Bears intend to meet with Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and Southern Illinois quarterback Mark Iannotti in the next few weeks, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Nkemdiche is a first-round talent who may slip in the draft due to character concerns, while Iannotti is considered a late-round pick or UDFA.
  • Eastern Washington offensive linemen Clay Debord and Aaron Neary did “extensive white board” work with the Cardinals following their pro day, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. 22 clubs were present at the EWU pro day.

NFC Draft Updates: Giants, Cowboys, Saints

March 25th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, when Mississippi wideout Laquon Treadwell cited five teams who had shown interest in him, one of the five he mentioned was “New York,” creating some uncertainty about which New York team he meant. As expected, it seems he was referring to the Giants and not the Jets — Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the first-round prospect will pay a pre-draft visit to the Giants.

Unlike the Giants, the Jets have a clear No. 2 option on their depth chart at wide receiver, with Eric Decker complementing Brandon Marshall. The Giants, having lost Rueben Randle this week, will be looking for someone to step up and take that No. 2 role behind Odell Beckham, but it remains to be seen whether that player would be Treadwell — the Giants have been considered more likely to use their first-rounder on an offensive lineman or a defender.

Let’s round up a few more draft updates from around the NFC…

  • The entire Cowboys coaching staff was in attendance to work out Ohio State prospects today, according to the Buckeyes’ director of player personnel, Mark Pantoni (Twitter link). Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa are among the high-end Ohio State players the Cowboys could consider in next month’s draft.
  • Speaking of the Cowboys, they worked out Florida safety Keanu Neal this week, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Neal would likely be a second-round target if Dallas is interested in him.
  • Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed will visit the Saints in April, a league source tells Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link). Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate also provides an update on the Saints’ draft prospects, tweeting that San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin will privately work out for the team.
  • We heard on Thursday that the 49ers recently put Shaq Lawson through a workout, but he wasn’t the only Clemson defensive end to get a look from the team. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, GM Trent Baalke also worked out Kevin Dodd. Both players are expected to visit the Niners in the coming weeks.

NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, P. Robinson, Cruz

March 22nd, 2016 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys have already agreed to terms with one of the veteran free agents who visited the team on Monday, locking up running back Alfred Morris on a two-year deal. And it may just be a matter of time until the club also has an agreement with the other noteworthy free agent who was in Dallas on Monday.

According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), a three-year deal between the Cowboys and cornerback Patrick Robinson is “pretty much done.” Hill suggests Robinson just needs to “resolve his agent situation,” while David Moore of the Dallas Morning tweets that the team is expected to meet with Robinson’s agent today.

As we wait to see if the two sides can finalize a deal, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC East….

  • Washington‘s relative lack of activity in free agency this month can be partially attributed to all the expiring contracts the team has on its books for a year from now, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com. Tight end Jordan Reed, wideouts DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, and defenders Chris Baker and Junior Galette are all entering the final year of their deals, and that’s not even taking into account quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will require another raise if he has a strong 2016 campaign, assuming he isn’t extended before then.
  • Jordan Raanan of NJ.com has a breakdown of Victor Cruz‘s new deal with the Giants, which reduces his 2016 cap hit from $9.9MM to $4.4MM. Cruz also had $1MM of his base salary in 2017 and 2018 converted into a roster bonus to be paid out early in the offseason, which should force the Giants to make an early decision on whether or not to keep him around.
  • Eagles GM Howie Roseman suggested on Monday that the idea of teams being able to land a productive running back in the late rounds of the draft or in undrafted free agency is overblown. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines Roseman’s comments about the rarity of finding a “special talent” at the position, exploring whether they might hint at a potential first-round selection of Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott.

Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Washington, Nkemdiche, Ogbah

March 18th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Having lost running back Lamar Miller and struck out on potential replacements C.J. Anderson, James Starks and Chris Johnson in free agency, the Dolphins could select a go-to rusher with the 13th pick of the draft. Their potential target? Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, says Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (video link). Elliott is the type of cutback runner rookie head coach Adam Gase covets for his offense, Cole notes.

More of the latest draft-related info:

  • Ohio State’s Michael Thomas is the No. 1 wide receiver on Washington‘s board, according to Cole (video link). Washington is enamored of Thomas’ mix of size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds), speed (4.57 forty-yard dash) and competitiveness, per Cole. Thus, he could be the club’s target at No. 21 overall in the first round.
  • The stock of Mississippi defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche – arguably a top-10 talent – is dropping because of character concerns, and he could end up a second-round selection, Cole reports (video link). Nkemdiche was charged with possession of marijuana after he fell out of an Atlanta hotel window in December.
  • Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah has lined up visits with the Bears and Buccaneers, he told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • The Bengals, Patriots and Jets sent defensive line coaches to observe Michigan D-lineman Willie Henry‘s workout on Friday, reports Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com.
  • The Patriots also met with Michigan linebacker Desmond Morgan on Friday, as did the Vikings and Lions, per Pauline.
  • The Lions “spent hours” with Eastern Michigan running back Darius Jackson after his Friday workout, according to Pauline.
  • The Lions and Titans met with Cal receiver Trevor Davis on Friday, Pauline writes.
  • Davis isn’t the only Cal wideout the Titans are eyeing, Pauline notes. They met with Kenny Lawler, too, and so did the Jets.

Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Ramsey, Bosa

March 16th, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys want Jalen Ramsey, but they fear that he’ll be gone by No. 4, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes (via PhiladelphiaEagles.com). With that in mind, Dallas is eyeing Ohio State standouts Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott. Bosa would help bolster the team at defensive end while DeMarcus Lawrence recovers from surgery and Randy Gregory serves his first month suspension. Elliott, meanwhile, would give the team help at running back.

Here are the latest rumors on the 2016 NFL Draft (all of which come from Pauline, unless otherwise indicated):

  • Insiders believe that we could se three offensive tackles – Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, and Jack Conklin – go in the first top 12 picks of the draft. That could start a run and Pauline writes that we could see six tackles taken in the first round.
  • The Cowboys would consider trading down, Pauline hears, but they want to stay ahead of the Giants at No. 10.
  • Observers at the UCLA pro day described Myles Jack as a “remarkable athlete.” One source told Pauline (in his running log for Walter Football) that “he looked like a defensive back doing linebacker drills.”
  • Aaron Wallace, the Bruins’ other notable linebacker, is gaining a lot of momentum in the scouting community, Pauline hears. Wallace currently has official visits set up with the Buccaneers, Browns, and Raiders with more likely on the way.
  • UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch has been graded as a top-75 selection, according to Pauline. Many believe that Benenoch can play tackle and guard in addition to center.
  • Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins says that he’ll have private workouts with the Raiders, Patriots, and Saints, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter) reports that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook has private workouts scheduled with the Cowboys and Dolphins.
  • All 32 NFL teams were in attendance at MSU’s pro day, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. At the event, Cook met with the 49ers and Rams before the workout and met with the Browns‘ staff after.
  • Michigan State defensive tackle Joel Heath says that he will have a private workout with the Patriots this week, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. In addition to that, he’ll meet with the Titans later this month. Heath previously met with the Colts and Buccaneers.
  • Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd looked great at his Pro Day and the slowest unofficial 40-year-dash time that has been reported was in the low 4.5s.
  • Pittsburgh corner Lafayette Pitts recorded 40-yard-dash times under 4.4 seconds, with some watches marking him at 4.35.
  • There’s no definitive word on whether Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller will work out before the draft.
  • Youngstown State linebacker Terrell Williams is drawing interest from clubs. The Jets and Eagles, in particular, see him as a quality backup linebacker/core special teams guy.
  • The Lions have a private workouts set up with Michigan State offensive linemen Jack Conklin, Jack Allen, and Donavon Clark later this month, Birkett tweets.

Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Cardale Jones To Enter 2016 Draft

December 31st, 2015 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

9:58am: In addition to confirming today that Bosa will enter the draft, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also announced that running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Cardale Jones will be heading for the NFL, tweets Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.

9:37am: Another high-profile prospect is entering the 2016 draft, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, who tweets that Ohio State has announced that defensive end Joey Bosa will make the leap to the NFL.

Bosa, 20, is considered a candidate to be the first player to come off the board this spring, with ESPN’s Todd McShay projecting him to be selected with the No. 1 pick in his first mock draft of the year. McShay dubs Bosa “the best player in the draft,” writing that he is scheme-versatile with the ability to move inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.

Bosa recorded just five sacks this season, down from 13.5 in his sophomore year, when he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. However, Miller tweets that the Buckeyes pass rusher had 21 quarterback hits and 40 QB hurries, giving him a higher combined total than any other player Miller saw.

Extra Points: K. White, Panthers, Elliott

November 24th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears‘ decision on rookie receiver Kevin White was due today, and the team is opening up his 21-day practice window, a league source tells Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have since officially confirmed that move, which ensures that White remains on the PUP list rather than going on season-ending IR.

Chicago will now have 21 days to decide whether to activate the young wideout. If the team isn’t ready to move him to the 53-man roster at that point, White will be shut down for the year, moving to IR after Week 14.

As we look forward to seeing whether this year’s seventh overall pick will make his NFL debut in 2015, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the league…

  • The Panthers may go with 52 players for Thursday’s game, leaving a spot open on their active roster, head coach Ron Rivera said today (link via David Newton of ESPN.com). As Rivera explains, there’s no need for Carolina to promote a practice squad player to replace suspended defensive end Wes Horton if that player isn’t going to see any action.
  • After Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott expressed frustration with the Buckeyes’ coaching staff and play-calling following a weekend loss to Michigan State, Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com surveyed a trio of NFL scouts to see how Elliott’s draft stock might be affected. The consensus? It won’t be. One scout said he’s more worried about Elliott’s leg infection from last week, while another said his team would “gladly” draft the junior, adding that “he’s better than the Wisconsin kid [Melvin Gordon] last year.”
  • People around the NFL believe that the gap between the lure of an NFL head coaching job and a college head coaching job has closed, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). According to Breer, many coaches dislike recruiting, which tips the scales toward those NFL positions, but the money is “closer than ever,” and college coaches have more control and stronger job security. It’ll be something to keep an eye on as those positions become available this winter.
  • In a secret NFLPA meeting earlier this month, at least 15 NFL agents argued against cutting the maximum agent fee from 3% to 2%, writes Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal.
  • As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, passing along a pair of reports from SportsBusiness Daily and the Hollywood Reporter, the NFL could sell a portion of the NFL Network to another TV network as part of its next Thursday Night Football deal.