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Kenyan Drake

AFC East Notes: Pats, Sankey, Jets, Dolphins

June 16th, 2016 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots seem likely to look for another running back in the coming months, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who wonders if New England could show interest in Titans back Bishop Sankey. Sankey isn’t expected to make Tennessee’s final roster, so he could likely be had for minimal compensation — or the Pats could simply wait until Sankey is waived and try to pluck him then. If and when he is cut loose by the Titans, Sankey shouldn’t be on the street for long, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (Twitter link) that multiple clubs have already expressed interest in the former second-round pick.

Let’s take a look at the latest out of the AFC East…

  • Though most rookie contracts are now a breeze, clubs and agents can begin to negotiate a bit starting in the third round, a topic that Reiss has examined in the past. Writing in a separate column today, Reiss notes that the Patriots‘ Jacoby Brissett (who officially inked his rookie deal earlier today) is one of just two third-round picks who received 100% of their maximum allowable slotted compensation — the other, unsurprisingly, is also a quarterback, Cody Kessler of the Browns. The value of the QB position is such that even third-round picks can exert a little bit of leverage as they hammer out deals.
  • Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said earlier today that the Jets “don’t want” him, but that sentiment isn’t quite right, argues Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. New York does want Wilkerson, per Florio, but it simply wants to keep him for a single year at a cost of around $15MM, rather than sign to a long-term extension. With fellow defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams in tow, the Jets can continue to play hardball, hoping that their draft-and-develop strategy will allow them to find the next Wilkerson instead of paying for the current iteration.
  • Running back Kenyan Drake suffered an injury scare on Wednesday, but he’ll be ready for the start of training camp, Dolphins coach Adam Gase tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. On Wednesday evening, Drake formally signed his rookie contract. He’s expected to be Miami’s No. 2 back behind Jay Ajayi.
  • In other Dolphins news, veteran Dallas Thomas is starting ahead of first-round pick Laremy Tunsil at guard, at least thus far in practice, writes Jackson in a separate column. “You’ve got to earn your spot,” said Gase, who, it should be noted, did downplay the importance of who is starting at this point in the year. “I don’t think you’ve seen anyone get plugged in and anointed anything. Everybody’s battling. That’s what we want.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Dolphins Sign Drake, Wrap Up Draft Class

June 15th, 2016 at 9:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins officially signed third-round pick Kenyan Drake today, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Drake was previously the last unsigned rookie in Miami’s 2016 class, so the Dolphins now have every rookie under contract. Kenyan Drake (vertical)

Drake’s signing marked a rather eventful day for the rookie running back. In practice on Wednesday afternoon, Drake suffered a hamstring injury during a special teams drill. At this time, there is no definitive word on his status. The Dolphins are keeping their figures crossed that Drake is alright since he figures to be an important part of their backfield in both the future and present. The Dolphins will start Jay Ajayi at running back this year but Drake has been trumped up as the clear-cut No. 2 option. Behind Ajayi and the Alabama product, the Dolphins also have Damien Williams, Daniel Thomas, and Isaiah Pead on the roster. If Drake’s injury is serious, Miami may circle back to the likes of Arian Foster as they weigh their depth options.

The biggest name in the Dolphins draft class, of course, is first-round pick Laremy Tunsil. The Ole Miss product was considered a virtual lock to go in the top seven picks before his social media accounts were hacked just minutes prior to the start of the draft. While the Ravens and other teams passed on the opportunity to take the the 6’5″, 315 pound lineman, the Dolphins were delighted to have him fall to No. 13.

Here is the complete rundown of the Dolphins’ 2016 rookie class:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Rumors: Titans, Eagles, Dolphins, Drake

April 14th, 2016 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Titans general manager Jon Robinson completed a major trade today, sending the No. 1 overall pick – along with a fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder – to Los Angeles in exchange for six picks, including two first-rounders. In fact, according to multiple reports, the deal was finalized last night, but the Rams wanted to wait until today to announce it to avoid stealing headlines during Kobe Bryant’s final game.

Speaking to reporters today, Robinson suggested that he may not be done dealing. Armed with four picks in the top 45, and six in the top 76, the Titans GM referred to those extra picks as “currency,” suggesting Tennessee has options when it comes to moving up or down during the draft. Robinson added that his phone “is still working,” inviting teams to call him if they want to discuss trades (Twitter links).

As we wait to see if Robinson has any other mega-deals up his sleeve, let’s round up a few more draft updates and rumors…

  • Before agreeing to send their top pick to L.A., the Titans had spoken to the Eagles about the possibility of a swap involving that No. 1 pick, but Philadelphia withdrew its offer earlier this week, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Philadelphia continuing to explore a potential trade with the Browns, who hold the No. 2 pick. Of course, that would only be plausible if the Rams don’t select the QB the Eagles like, and the Browns decide not to take a QB of their own.
  • The Dolphins, who remain in the market for help at the running back position, have shown interest in Alabama reserve RB Kenyan Drake, but not Crimson Tide starter Derrick Henry, observes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
  • The Rams, Falcons, and Seahawks are among the teams interested in Utah State wide receiver Brandon Swindall, who has intrigued NFL clubs, writes Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post.
  • Air Force tight end/long snapper Garrett Griffin is drawing interest from the Lions, Saints, Chargers, 49ers, Chiefs, and Broncos, as Aaron Wilson tweets.
  • Duke safety Jeremy Cash had more than 10 teams at his pro day, including the Panthers, Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals, and Saints, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com.

South Notes: Bucs, Ramsey, Titans, Butler

April 4th, 2016 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston knows that the odds of his club landing Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey are extremely slim, given where Tampa Bay is drafting and how early Ramsey is expected to come off the board. However, that didn’t stop Winston from lobbying GM Jason Licht to draft his former Seminoles teammate, as Mark Cook of PewterReport.com details.

“We (FSU) definitely have the best player in the world in Jalen Ramsey,” the Buccaneers quarterback said. “People talk about his position. But Jalen is the best cornerback, safety… I will take a pay cut to play with him again. He has a fierce mentality.”

Of course, Winston’s rookie contract can’t be reworked at this point in his career, and it’s a moot point anyway, but the endorsement from the Bucs QB is the latest signal that Ramsey is one of the very best players in this year’s draft.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s South divisions:

  • The Titans, who hold the first overall pick, will certainly consider Ramsey — Peter King of TheMMQB.com hears that the Florida State defensive back is one of Tennessee’s top two targets for that No. 1 pick, along with Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil. However, King also writes that the Titans have received “significant” trade interest in that selection, and he believes there’s a 50-50 chance the team moves down.
  • Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler is set to visit the Titans today and the Panthers on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Those two teams hold the 33rd and 30th overall picks, respectively, so they may view Butler as a player who will be available at that point in the draft.
  • In addition to his previously-reported visits, Alabama running back Kenyan Drake also has a meeting lined up with the Colts, per Mike Wells and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
  • The Buccaneers will host North Carolina State offensive lineman Joe Thuney, a probable late-round pick, for a visit next week, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

Extra Points: Broncos, Seahawks, Texans, Drake

April 3rd, 2016 at 9:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Even if they’re unable to land Colin Kaepernick, panic over the Broncos’ quarterback situation isn’t in order, opines Troy Renck of the Denver Post. As Renck writes, the defensively dominant Broncos were able to defy logic last season by winning a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler (primarily the former) combining to offer some of the NFL’s worst quarterback play. In Renck’s estimation, next season’s performance from Denver’s signal-caller(s) probably won’t be much of a downgrade, if at all, and the Broncos should still possess an elite defense. The Broncos were in the league’s basement in nearly all relevant passing stats in 2015, so Renck’s belief that they should at least tread water under center with Mark Sanchez (and/or someone else) is justifiable. It’s worth noting, though, that the defense could regress to some degree after it lost a pair of integral contributors, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, when free agency opened last month.

Here’s more from around the NFL as we wrap up another week of the offseason:

  • Acquiring Kaepernick could force cap-strapped Denver to release pricey left tackle Ryan Clady as a way to free up spending room. The tackle-needy Seahawks would seem to be a fit for Clady on paper if he becomes available, but their own lack of cap space ($7MM, which doesn’t factor in the few million dollars necessary to sign draft picks) might take them out of the running, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
  • Texans three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown is progressing well from the surgery he underwent in January to repair a torn right quadriceps and expects to be ready for the regular season, per Mark Berman of FOX 26 (Twitter link). The eight-year veteran suffered the injury in Week 17 last season and missed the Texans’ playoff loss to Kansas City as a result.
  • Alabama running back Kenyan Drake visited the Cowboys and Dolphins and will next head to San Francisco to meet with the 49ers, he told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure (link via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com). Drake was stuck behind the likes of Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry while with the Crimson Tide, but he averaged a lofty 6.4 yards per carry on 233 attempts and totaled 22 touchdowns (18 rushing, four receiving) during his four-year NCAA career.