HEADLINES

Jordan Phillips

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Fitzpatrick, Dolphins

October 25th, 2016 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

After Bills running back LeSean McCoy aggravated his hamstring on Sunday, one source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) he’ll “be [in the] same position this week, probably questionable” for this Sunday. After falling 28-25 to Miami, the Bills return home to take on the New England. Given his past hamstring issues and his importance to the team, one has to wonder why the Bills aren’t putting him on the shelf and starting Mike Gillislee instead.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Injured Jets wide receiver Eric Decker, a close friend of Ryan Fitzpatrick, suggested the quarterback’s protracted contract stalemate may have fueled him to light up team brass after the win against Baltimore. “Throughout the offseason, I think it was hard for him, just trying to gauge the interest, I guess, maybe the Jets had or what their plan was going forward in getting him in the facility to start the season,” Decker told ESPN Radio (link). “Whether it’s some feelings on the process or what was said throughout that maybe led to some of the emotions he had at this point.”
  • Is defensive tackle Jordan Phillips falling out of favor with the Dolphins? Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ripped into the 2015 second-round pick this week. “The bottom line is Jordan has got to play better overall,” Joseph said (via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). “Out of 35 plays, Jordan is playing a solid 25 plays very solidly. He’s having four or five plays where it’s not very good. I think Ndamukong Suh is playing well. “I think Suh gets doubled a lot, but I think Jordan could play better. Obviously, getting Earl Mitchell back in a couple weeks, that’s going to help us there. Losing Earl was a big deal for us inside, because now you’ve got probably three inside starters. Getting Earl back in two weeks, that’s going to help us a lot.”
  • Earlier today, the Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy in a trade with the Lions.

Dolphins To Sign Second-Round Pick Jordan Phillips

May 7th, 2015 at 5:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have agreed to terms with second-round pick Jordan Phillips, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins now have their top two picks signed to deals after first-round choice DeVante Parker agreed to terms earlier today.

Phillips, a defensive tackle, was chosen with the No. 52 overall pick. The Oklahoma standout is considered to be a little bit rough, but he’ll be learning from the absolute best at the position when he lines up alongside Ndamukong Suh. Recently, GM Dennis Hickey told reporters, including Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, that the war room was overjoyed about picking Phillips.

“He truly was the best player available on our board,” Hickey said. “We took him and we almost had an earthquake up there, the defensive coaches trying to break down the walls, they were so excited.”

In addition to Phillips, the Dolphins have signed fifth-round running back Jay Ajayi, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

Rapoport On Browns, Vikings, P.J. Williams

April 27th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has passed along a handful of noteworthy draft nuggets via Twitter this afternoon, so let’s check out what he has for us….

  • According to Rapoport (Twitter link), the Browns have spoken to Washington within the past week about possibly moving up to No. 5. Cleveland has two first-rounders to work with, and Washington GM Scot McCloughan indicated today that he was open to moving down and picking extra picks, so there could be a match there. Of course, as Rapoport adds, the Browns have “touched base” with most teams in the top 10.
  • Another pick to keep an eye on is the No. 11 selection, which currently belongs to the Vikings. Rapoport tweets that Minnesota wants ammo to move around in the draft, and points out that the 11th pick is an appealing one because fifth-year option prices decrease outside of the top 10. As such, there may be potential trade partners interested in moving up to that spot.
  • Lawyer Jonathan Simon tells Rapoport (Twitter links) that the DUI case against Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams has been dismissed. According to the paperwork filed in the case, the signs of impairment claimed by the arresting officer were not corroborated on video. The timing of the dismissal is good news for Williams, whose draft stock may have taken a hit if the case had moved forward.
  • Rapoport identifies the Dolphins, Jaguars, and Texans as some teams that may be interested in drafting Georgia running back Todd Gurley (Twitter link).
  • Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips and Mississippi State’s Preston Smith are two defensive linemen who could sneak into the back of the first round on Thursday, tweets Rapoport.

AFC Notes: S. Brown, Texans, Pats, Titans

April 22nd, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent safety Stevie Brown, who is said to be close to deciding on where to sign, visited the Texans yesterday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Houston already signed one free agent safety this offseason, adding Rahim Moore, so we’ll see if the club makes a play for Brown, who may prefer the Giants if everything is equal.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Georgia running back Todd Gurley is in New England today to meet with the Patriots, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gurley is widely considered a strong bet to come off the board in the first round, so he may not last until the Pats’ pick at the very end of the first.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk doesn’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that the Titans would draft a wide receiver with the second overall pick next Thursday.
  • The Broncos are hosting Florida offensive lineman D.J. Humphries and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on pre-draft visits today, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
  • Offensive lineman Chris Hairston got a $25K bonus on his new minimum salary deal with the Chargers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Taiwan Jones, who started his career with the Raiders as a running back before moving to cornerback in 2013, will return to running back this year, according to Oakland’s official site. Whether he’s listed on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, Jones contributes primarily as a special teamer.
  • Intriguing Hobart guard Ali Marpet is visiting the Browns today, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

Dolphins Notes: Crabtree, Ridley, Gore, Skrine

April 5th, 2015 at 11:01am CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent receiver Michael Crabtree turned down approximately $3MM from the Dolphins, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who adds that Crabtree is seeking at least $4.5MM. We had heard that Miami was interested in the former 49er, and it appears as though they had serious enough interest to offer a contract. The 27-year-old Crabtree is reportedly in no rush to sign, but he will head to Oakland this week to meet with the Raiders.

Let’s check out some more Dolphins notes, all courtesy of Jackson…

  • Running back Stevan Ridley‘s visit with the Dolphins was simply “exploratory,” writes Jackson, but Miami has not ruled out signing the free agent. Ridley is coming off a torn ACL, so the club was presumably checking out his medicals.
  • Oklahoma defensive tackle prospect Jordan Phillips met with the Dolphins last week, reports Jackson, who points out that Miami probably isn’t in need on interior defensive line help given the presence of Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell, among others. Phillips ranks as the fifth-best available defensive tackle according to the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.
  • Miami showed “some interest” in running back Frank Gore, but not as much as some other clubs, Gore told Jackson. The 31-year-old Gore added that he would have liked to team with current Fin running back Lamar Miller, who like Gore is a University of Miami product.
  • One of the Dolphins’ top targets on defense was cornerback Buster Skrine, but the defensive back ultimately chose the Jets over Miami.

Extra Points: Crabtree, Ridley, Bears

April 4th, 2015 at 11:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins were willing to pay Michael Crabtree close to $3MM to suit up in aqua this season, but the longtime 49ers receiver sought “at least” $4.5MM per year, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

After seeking more than $9MM per campaign, Crabtree’s visiting the Raiders in hopes of salvaging some kind of value from what’s been an anti-climactic offseason from the inconsistent wideout. Crabtree earned at least $4.5MM in salary and bonuses the past five seasons.

Some additional news from Miami and the rest of the NFL on Saturday night …

  • Although the Dolphins’ summit with Stevan Ridley was merely exploratory, the team hasn’t ruled out signing the ex-Patriots running back, reports Jackson. Ridley, who is recovering from knee surgery and is one of many starting-caliber backs still in free agency, is reported to be down to the Jets and Fins for his next destination.
  • The Dolphins also showed “some interest” in bringing Colts signee Frank Gore back to Miami, but the longtime 49ers bruiser told Jackson multiple teams beat out the Dolphins’ pursuit level.
  • Jackson lists Buster Skrine, a Jets acquisition on a relatively big contract, as a player who the Dolphins coveted but one who declined their offer.
  • Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips visited Miami last week, adds Jackson. The Dolphins are intrigued by the Sooner talent’s potential despite landing Ndamukong Suh and housing several young players who are currently in their good graces.
  • With starter-level safeties Antrel Rolle and Ryan Mundy among the three back-line defenders on the Bears‘ roster, the team plans to address the position after the early rounds of the draft, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jahns mentioned Cody Prewitt (Ole Miss), Nick Perry (Alabama) and Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell as players the Bears have studied as possible fits.
  • Interior defensive line help also intrigues the Bears, reports Jahns, as they lost Stephen Paea to Washington. As they transition to the 3-4, the Bears are chock full of size outside, with Ray McDonald recently added as a five-technique end and Pernell McPhee arriving as a 280-pound linebacker. Interestingly, Jahns includes 300-pound Lamarr Houston, signed to a lucrative deal last year as a 4-3 run-stopping end, as an outside backer, which would be a unique experiment.
  • The Ravens will host Kansas free safety Cassius Sendish on a visit April 21, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. A Waldorf, Md., native and potential late-round draft pick, Sendish will visit his hometown team’s facilities during the team’s day designated for local prospect meetings.

Draft Notes: Gordon, Hundley, McKinney, Lions

March 17th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Two clubs who could be in need of a running back will meet with Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, a consensus top-two back in next month’s draft, as both the Cowboys and the Jaguars have lined up visits with the former Badger, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News and Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), respectively. The Cowboys, who hold the 27th overall pick, are aiming to replace DeMarco Murray, while Jacksonville, who would probably target Gordon at the top of the second round, could use another back to team with Denard Robinson.

Let’s take a look at some more pre-draft news…

  • After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, there aren’t many draft options at the quarterback position. One player in the mix to be third QB, however, is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who says he’s already met with both the Eagles and the Jets, and plans to set up more visits, tweets SiriusXM NFL Radio.
  • The 49ers lost linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement in the past week, and they’ll look to the college ranks to fill that positional void. The club will meet with Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney, who will also visit the Broncos, Texans, and Cowboys, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • The Lions hosted a pair of defensive prospects today, as both Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips visited the Motor City, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com in a pair of articles.

Jordan Phillips To Enter Draft

December 30th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has decided to forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft, he announced today on Twitter.

“To Sooner Nation thank you for a great four years at the best university in America,” Phillips wrote. “After a thorough but difficult decision I have decided to enter the 2015 NFL draft. Thanks for your support through everything.”

Phillips, a redshirt sophomore, was a disruptive force in the middle of the Sooners’ defensive line this season, starting all 13 of the team’s games and recording 32 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks. Projecting a potential NFL nose tackle, Phillips is ranked as the eighth-best defensive tackle prospect, according to WalterFootball.com. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier today that he has a first-round grade on Phillips.