HEADLINES

Jeff Fisher

Draft Notes: Rams, Dolphins, Falcons, QBs

April 7th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Matt Feminis

Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews is a possibility for the Rams with the no. 2 overall selection, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes the case. Aside from the prospect’s outstanding blocking, competitiveness and durability, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher coached Bruce Matthews, Jake’s father.

In other draft-related fodder…

  • If Rams GM Les Snead opts to trade out of the No. 2 spot, he believes there’s multiple players teams would trade up for and they’re not just quarterbacks. “I actually think there’s more than one player that people would want to move up for,” Snead told Greg A. Bedard of mmqb.si.com. “I just don’t know what they’d want to give to move up,” Snead said. “At the top maybe there’s four or five players who were one step or one notch ahead of the very good, and sometimes a team might say we need to get that guy. You don’t know the value of what people would be willing to give. The fact that there could be multiple teams eyeing one of those guys could drive up the price a little bit.”
  • This year’s crop of quarterback prospects is polarizing, says ESPN’s Mel Kiper in a conversation with ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss: “There are about a dozen quarterbacks that could be starters, and out of those dozen, there are some that argue that all 12 will never be a successful starter. This is a crazy year for quarterbacks. A lot of them. A lot of quantity. How much quality is debatable.”
  • LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is scheduled to fly to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars, tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer, who says the Raiders, Vikings, Titans and Lions will meet with Mettenberger in Baton Rouge (via Twitter). Coming off a November ACL tear, Mettenberger will throw at LSU’s pro day on Wednesday.
  • The Dolphins, in their quest to find a legitimate right tackle solution, have been linked to Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the team also likes a Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield from Michigan, citing a team official. Meanwhile, a story published by Dan Parr at NFL.com quotes anonymous league evaluators who question Lewan’s toughness and physicality.
  • Speaking of offensive linemen, the Falcons are also in need, and Dawson Devitt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides a primer detailing several OL prospects who could be available at different stages of the draft.
  • The Eagles will work out Canadian offensive tackle prospect Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
  • Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Bengals, Jets and Rams. He has already met with the Steelers, writes Jeff Howe in the Boston Herald.
  • Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is visiting the Steelers today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
  • Towson running back, Terrance West, who shredded I-AA competition with 2,500 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior, has his pro day today. Nearly half the league has shown interest, including the Ravens, Browns, Titans and Cardinals mentioned in a draft diary piece in the Baltimore Sun.

Draft Notes: Texans, Bills, Rams, Watkins

March 28th, 2014 at 5:53pm CST by Peter Sowards

Buried deep below speculation on how Michael Vick will be utilized by the Jets, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei reports that the Texans are working hard to trade the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. According to Pompei’s sources, the Bills, who own the No. 9 selection, might be a possible trade partner, and that the team could potentially select a quarterback. That would be two first-round quarterbacks in two drafts after selecting former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel with the 16th overall pick a year ago. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle refuted the report, saying (via Twitter) there’s “no way” the Texans trade back to No. 9.

More draft notes from a busy Friday around the league…

  • After selecting a wide receiver with a top-10 selection in last year’s draft (West Virginia’s Tavon Austin No. 8 overall), it sounds as if the Rams will forgo making it two years straight, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Despite the gamebreaking ability of Clemson standout Sammy Watkins, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he’s expecting improvements from Austin and Stedman Bailey, and added that he is pleased with Austin Pettis‘ performance in a backup role. St. Louis has the No. 2 overall pick.
  • Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, slated to pick No. 10 overall in the upcoming draft, said there aren’t 10 elite players in the draft pool, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit currently has eight selections, including two compensatory picks in the fourth round.
  • University of Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who was unblockable at the Senior Bowl, told ESPN reporter Michael Rothstein that he has visits set up with the Rams and Cowboys, and that he has already visited the Steelers (via Twitter).
  • Georgia State wide receiver Albert Wilson has an official visit scheduled with the 49ers, reports DraftInsider.net’s Tony Pauline (via Twitter).
  • A quarterback’s stock whose rising is Southern Methodist University’s Garrett Gilbert, who completed 88 of 89 passes at his pro day, according to NFL.com draft analyst Gil Brandt. Gilbert, who was not invited to the scouting combine, could wind up being drafted as high as the third round now after the performance (Twitter links).

Rams Not Tipping Hand On Finnegan

February 22nd, 2014 at 11:21am CST by Matt Feminis

Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan‘s second season in St. Louis was a disaster, as he struggled to play through a fractured orbital bone before hitting Injured Reserve. Because of his scheduled $10MM cap hit, speculation suggests he’s on the chopping block, but ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner explains a more optimistic scenario in which Finnegan restructures his five-year, $50MM deal and stays in St. Louis.

Head coach Jeff Fisher said he expects Finnegan in the team’s off-season program and GM Les Snead did not sound intent of severing ties with the veteran corner, who is considered a positive locker-room presence and secondary leader. “What we want to do is get the cap where we don’t have to make a non-football decision,” said Snead, who acknowledged that Finnegan’s injury caused headaches and vision issues. “First of all, get him healthy and then with [defensive coordinator] Gregg [Williams] coming in figure out where we all fit. In this league, like pass-rushers, corners that can go inside and play nickel, you can’t have enough of those people.”