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Myles Jack

Draft Rumors: Lawson, Jack, Eagles, Bills

April 15th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Medical re-checks are taking place this week for some prospects, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has updates on how they went for a pair of top defenders. According to Rapoport (Twitter links), the re-check for Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson confirmed that there’s no concern about his availability for 2016 — one team had flagged Lawson’s shoulder, but was comfortable with it after getting a closer look at the combine.

Meanwhile, although UCLA linebacker Myles Jack told ESPN’s Stephania Bell that his re-check went great, adding that “no one had any concerns,” Rapoport says that’s not quite the case. Teams had “differing opinions,” with some clubs believing the knee is a potential issue. Still, Rapoport says that teams who believe in Jack won’t be deterred by today’s medicals (Twitter links).

Let’s round up a few more draft updates and rumors from around the NFL…

  • The Rams gave the Titans a massive haul of picks to get the No. 1 selection because they believed Tennessee was about to pull the trigger on a deal with the Eagles, Howard Balzer of USA Today tweets.
  • With Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel both entering contract years, the Bills are “very much” in the hunt for a quarterback in this year’s draft, sources tell Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • In an article for FOX Sports, Schrager lays out the case for why there’s a chance the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, might become the second team to trade down from the very top of this year’s draft.
  • Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch met with the Saints on Thursday and will visit with the Jets on Friday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Gannon quarterback Liam Nadler is drawing interest from the Texans, Steelers, Chargers, Jets, Eagles, and Seahawks, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that the Texans, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Patriots, and Bears are among the teams to show interest in South Florida edge defender Eric Lee.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: Jack, Dolphins, Saints

April 11th, 2016 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Myles Jack told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he has only worked out for the Dolphins and Saints so far. The UCLA linebacker, widely considered to be one of the top talents in the 2016 draft, is pegged to go No. 2 overall to the Browns in PFR’s (v. 1.0) mock draft. The Saints (No. 12 overall) and the Dolphins (No. 13 overall) may have to move up in the draft order if they want to land the athletic prospect.

Here’s the latest NFL draft news:

  • LSU linebacker Deion Jones has already visited the Saints, Ravens, and Jets, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones is now set to visit the Eagles and Colts this week. He also had solo workouts with the 49ers, Dolphins, Titans, Lions, Falcons, and Panthers (link).
  • Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler visited the Seahawks on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). After that, he has the Lions on Tuesday, the Buccaneers on Wednesday, and the Bills on Thursday.
  • Utah running back Devontae Booker will visit with the Dolphins on Tuesday and also with the Patriots later in the week, Rapoport tweets.
  • Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee has visits lined up with the Ravens, Browns, and Seahawks plus private workouts for the Patriots, Cowboys, Lions, Seahawks, and Jaguars, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • San Diego State offensive tackle Darrell Greene visited the Vikings and Chargers and he’ll have private workouts with the Texans, Browns, Eagles, Colts, and 49ers, Wilson tweets.

Extra Points: Paul, 49ers, Texans, Playoffs

April 9th, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest from around the league.

  • Niles Paul relayed some information from a recent medical visit, noting Dr. Robert Anderson told the Washington tight end his ankle injury that caused him to miss the entire 2015 season was “the worst he’d ever seen,” via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Although Paul said he’s only scheduled to see Andrews one more time, Jay Gruden said the backup tight end could be held out until training camp to be safe. The statuses of Paul and Derek Carrier, the latter of whom could miss regular-season time due to a knee injury suffered late last season, likely led Washington to sign Vernon Davis. Paul signed a three-year, $6MM deal to stay in Washington last March but has recovered. There is $666K worth of dead money left on the deal, making the sixth-year veteran easy to move on from in the event he can’t sufficiently recover.
  • The 49ers plan to work out Myles Jack this weekend, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The UCLA linebacker visited the Jaguars, Falcons and Ravens this week. San Francisco plans to observe a Mackensie Alexander workout today as well.
  • Former Colts and Patriots receiver Austin Collie told the CFL team he played for last season, the British Columbia Lions, he intends to retire, the Salt Lake Tribune’s Jay Drew reports. The 30-year-old receiver joined the Western Canada-stationed franchise last year and caught 43 passes for 439 yards. He finished with 1,908 yards and 16 touchdowns in five NFL seasons from 2009-13. The concussion-plagued receiver plans to work with a Provo, Utah-based company that focuses on concussion research and rehabilitation.
  • Authorities searched defensive end prospect Shawn Oakman‘s home in connection with a sexual assault investigation, USA Today’s A.J. Perez reports. A projected middle-round pick after setting Baylor’s single-season sack record as a junior in 2014, Oakman is cooperating with the investigation. This allegation could further damage Oakman’s stock after his senior season began with a suspension and didn’t end with the kind of numbers — at least from a sack standpoint, with Oakman only collecting 4.5 in 2015 — that his prior campaign produced.
  • The NFL hasn’t contacted the NFLPA regarding a potential expansion of the playoffs, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. “Until there’s a written proposal from the league that’s when we know they’re at least serious about it and then we can start bargaining over that working-condition change,” NFLPA boss Eric Winston told Florio. “That’s a working-condition change that has to be bargained. It’s not something that the owners can unilaterally implement.” The NFL expanded its playoff brackets twice in a 12-year span, moving from four to five teams per conference in 1978 and five to six in 1990, but has thus far held on off moving to the anticipated seven-team fields.
  • Rice wideout Dennis Parks, Houston offensive tackle Damien Parris and defensive lineman Melvin Holland, and Midwestern State defensive back Marqui Christian attended the Texans‘ local prospect showcase today (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).

Draft Rumors: 49ers, Jets, Patriots, Panthers

April 8th, 2016 at 7:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier this evening, PFR’s Rob DiRe published his first mock draft of 2016. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in this year’s NFL draft. Click here to check it out.

Here are the latest draft rumors:

  • The Cowboys, 49ers, Eagles and, surprisingly, the Jets have all inquired about moving up to the No. 1 pick in the draft, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.Net reports. The Jets have the 20th selection, so it’s difficult to envision them jumping 19 spots and Tennessee dropping the same amount of places. The Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles, meanwhile, are scheduled to pick in the top eight.
  • UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is paying a visit to the 49ers this weekend, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier today Jack is a lock to be a top-seven pick.
  • The Ravens think highly of USC safety Su’a Cravens and could pick him if they trade down from sixth overall to the back half of the first round, per Pauline. Cravens will visit both the Colts and Lions next week, Pauline tweets.
  • German receiver Moritz Boehringer “impressed” with his sure-handedness and route-running skills at his workout Friday, Pauline reports. Representatives from the Bengals, Bills, Patriots, Broncos, Jets, Bears, Falcons, Saints and Panthers were in attendance.
  • Washington State offensive lineman Joe Dahl, a possible second-day pick, has a heavy workout/visit schedule forthcoming, Pauline writes. The Jets, Patriots, Buccaneers, Eagles, 49ers, Chargers, Panthers, Ravens, Vikings and Colts are all interested in Dahl.
  • The 49ers plan to visit with Georgia receiver Malcolm Mitchell, as do the Patriots and Eagles, a league source told Aaron Wilson of NFPost.com.
  • Oklahoma wideout Sterling Shepard has worked out for the Panthers and Texans, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio, and added that he’ll work out for the Rams next week (Twitter link).
  • Akron linebacker Jatavis Brown didn’t get an invitation to February’s combine, but he’s drawing plenty of pre-draft interest. Brown has visited with 10 teams, including the Steelers (previously reported), Rams and Chargers, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Chiefs are also among those clubs, as Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reported earlier this week.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

South Rumors: Titans, Ramsey, Jack

April 7th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans will meet with Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey on Monday, as John Glennon of The Tennessean writes. Ramsey, who can play both corner and safety, is widely considered to be one of the top talents in this year’s class and the Titans are giving real thought to taking him first overall. The Titans’ secondary could certainly use the help after a rough showing last season.

Here’s more from the AFC and NFC South:

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

AFC Rumors: Nelson, Raiders, Chiefs, Bowers

April 5th, 2016 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) expects the Raiders to get a deal done with free agent safety Reggie Nelson, who is in Oakland tonight to meet with team brass and will continue his visit with the team on Tuesday. After Nelson is wined and dined and briefed on the team’s plans for him, Tafur is expecting the Raiders to ink the veteran defender, who stands as one of the best available free agents still on the board.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • The Chiefs worked out defensive end Da’Quan Bowers and cornerback Phillip Adams yesterday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bowers, a former second-round pick of the Buccaneers, returned to Tampa Bay late last season. Adams has been with six NFL teams and could be on his way to joining his seventh.
  • Linebacker Myles Jack is among the players visiting the Jaguars today, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. The 6’1”, 225-pounder saw time at both inside and outside linebacker, safety, nickel corner, and running back, and even returned the occasional kick for UCLA. He’s widely regarded as one of the best players in this year’s class.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the details on Darryl Morris‘ one-year deal with the Jets, tweeting that the cornerback signed a minimum salary contract with a $75K signing bonus.
  • Jarvis Jenkins‘ two-year contract with the Jets calls for him to earn $6MM with $3MM ($1.5MM signing bonus + $1.5MM base) guaranteed, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Jenkins will carry a cap charge of $2.25MM in year one and $3.75MM in year two of the deal.
  • Oregon State defensive tackle Kyle Peko is visiting with the Chiefs today, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).
  • Clemson safety Jayron Kearse is visiting the Jaguars today, Getlin tweets.

Chargers Rumors: Stadium, Draft, Buckner

March 30th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers’ plan for a new stadium in San Diego calls for the team (and the NFL) to pay $650MM while a 4% hike in the local hotel tax would provide an additional $350MM, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. In total, that would add up to the $1 billion needed to construct a new stadium. All in all, the plan is asking less of the city than most stadium proposals do, but it remains to be seen whether San Diego will greenlight the pitch.

Here’s more on the Chargers’ stadium situation as well as draft news:

  • It’s not immediately clear what percentage of the electorate would be required for passage, Dan McSwain and Lori Weisberg of U-T San Diego write. Recently, a California appellate court ruled that a motion to tax marijuana dispensaries needed only a simple majority (50% plus one vote) to pass, but the old rules require two-thirds of a vote. “We’re operating as if it’s two-thirds,” Fred Maas, a development consultant to the Chargers, said Tuesday.
  • The Chargers released a comprehensive FAQ regarding the Citizens’ Initiative. Within the FAQ, the Chargers acknowledge that there will still be logistical hurdles to deal with if the initiative passes.
  • Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner visited the Chargers on Wednesday, per Rand Getlin of NFL Network (on Twitter). Buckner is regarded as one of the top prospects in the draft and could be in the mix for San Diego at No. 3.
  • The Chargers worked out former Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Fajardo spent training camp with Oakland in 2015 as a UDFA.
  • UCLA product Myles Jack expects to play safety if he’s drafted by the Chargers, as Gehlken writes. “They feel like I can fill that spot Eric Weddle was at,” Jack said.

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.

Draft Rumors: Jack, Lawson, Kearse, Alexander

March 10th, 2016 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

This week being veteran-centric, let’s look at the latest occurring at some of the draft prospects who will soon take over the NFL news cycle.

  • Myles Jack received full clearance during a visit with a UCLA surgeon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds that Jack, a projected top-10 pick, is ready to ramp up training following this positive diagnosis.
  • Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson met with the Jets, Titans and Saints on Wednesday and told Dan Hope of OrangeandWhite.com (on Twitter) he’s visiting the Browns next.
  • Lawson also has a private workout with the Falcons upcoming, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Lawson told Ledbetter he speaks with Falcons defensive line coach Bryan Cox, illuminating a connection between the defensive end-needy Falcons and the Clemson pass-rusher.
  • During Clemson’s pro day today, safety Jayron Kearse told media (including Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, via Twitter) he’s scheduled visits with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Lions, Saints and Steelers.
  • NFL personnel are “gushing” over Clemson corner Mackensie Alexander‘s workout at the Tigers’ pro day, while scouts weren’t as taken with Kearse’s positional-drills work, per Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. One source told Pauline that Kearse would be better off “gaining 20 pounds and moving to linebacker.”
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