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Nelson Agholor

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Jennings, Dolphins

April 22nd, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots typically don’t stress over the depth chart when they evaluate players in the draft, CSNNE.com’s Tom E. Curran writes. “You look at them independently; you evaluate the player irrespective of what you have on your team,” exec Nick Caserio explained. “It’s like we talked about a few years ago (in 2011) with Nate (Solder). We had Sebastian (Vollmer). We had Matt Light. So we had two good tackles, starting level tackles that play at a high level. So then you add Nate Solder (with a first-round pick). So here’s a third tackle that you’re bringing in that you feel has good ability. Is he better than Light or Vollmer? Maybe, maybe not. But we know at some point, this guy’s gonna be a good football player.” More from the AFC East..

  • On the surface it might seem like the Dolphins are set at wide receiver after adding Greg Jennings, but they could still go for a No. 1 type in the draft, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. Beasley hears that the Dolphins could trade back from No. 14 to select someone like Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman or USC’s Nelson Agholor.
  • Jennings is a solid addition for the Dolphins, but not a No. 1 receiver, James Walker of ESPN.com writes. The former two-time Pro Bowler is not the player he was several years ago with the and is not the No. 1 receiver that Miami desperately needs. He still has something left in the tank, Walker writes, but he won’t turn their passing offense into a juggernaut.
  • The Patriots officially have the Texans’ seventh-round pick in 2016 thanks to the Ryan Mallett trade with Houston, according to a pre-draft press release (via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald on Twitter). Mallett, 26, was acquired by the Texans in a trade with the Patriots last offseason, and got a chance to start a couple games for Houston in 2014 before landing on injured reserve due to a pectoral injury. The deal gave New England a conditional seventh-round choice that could have matured into a sixth-rounder if Mallett met a certain snap requirement.

Draft Notes: Edwards, Beasley, Agholor

April 21st, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. visited the Jets today, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes. Edwards, who is regarded as a rising draft prospect, also has visits scheduled with the Cowboys, Lions, Panthers, Seahawks, 49ers, Bears, Patriots, and Texans, among other NFL teams. Edwards had 44 tackles and three sacks last season for the Seminoles. Here’s a look at the latest draft news..

  • Clemson outside linebacker Vic Beasley is visiting Washington today, Aaron Wilson of the National Post writes. Beasley ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, where he also had a 41-inch vertical leap and bench pressed 225 pounds 35 times. The collegiate star is regarded as one of the top pass rushers in this year’s class.
  • USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor will be visiting the Dolphins on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Agholor has been gaining more and more steam as a first round possibility lately.
  • Maryland defensive tackle Darius Kilgo worked out for the Ravens during their local prospect day, Wilson writes. Kilgo, who has also visited the Bills, Packers, Dolphins, and Washington, is projected as a late-round pick.
  • James Madison wide receiver is Daniel Brown is drawing interest from the Dolphins, Colts, Falcons, and Washington, Wilson writes.

AFC Notes: Browns, Cooper, Agholor, Titans

April 16th, 2015 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

While he likely won’t be around by the time the No. 12 overall pick rolls around, Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper paid a pre-draft visit to the Browns, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns, of course, hold the 12th and 19th overall picks, so they have plenty of options at their disposal, including trading up or down, and they could certainly use some receiving help.

Here are a few more draft-related items from across the AFC:

  • USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who previously worked out for the Eagles twice, has also visited the Bills and has a workout lined up with the Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). With his draft stock reportedly on the rise, Agholor’s previously-reported workout with the Panthers happened today.
  • Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford, a potential mid-round selection, recently visited the Broncos, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. As Klis observes, Denver may be looking to develop a change-of-pace alternative, with Ronnie Hillman entering the final year of his contract. Klis notes in a second story that the Broncos also recently met with wide receivers Tre McBride (William & Mary) and Keith Mumphery (Michigan State).
  • The Steelers hosted a pair of prospects today, conducting their previously-reported visit with Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory and also taking a look at former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, tweets Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Gardner figures to play wide receiver at the NFL level.
  • After visiting the Steelers today, Gregory is on to Tennessee to meet with the Titans, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport tweets that the Titans are also hosting Louisville wideout DeVante Parker. Neither Gregory nor Parker seems like a viable candidate to go second overall, though they’ll probably be long gone by the second round, so it looks like Tennessee is preparing for a number of different scenarios.

Draft Notes: Winston, Gurley, Gordon

April 14th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets, who hold the sixth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, are in need of a franchise quarterback and have already worked out Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, one of the top two signal callers available. They’d also like to visit with Florida State’s Jameis Winston, who joins Mariota as a likely top five pick, but that meeting may not happen. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Winston was unable to meet with the Jets when they wanted him to and the sides are now having difficulty finding a time.

Here’s the rest of the latest draft news:

  • The Browns, who are in search of a running back, have already visited with Georgia’s Todd Gurley, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan, and will next meet with Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon. ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that Gordon will be in Cleveland for a visit Thursday that could last through Friday. Both Gordon and Gurley are potential first-round picks. The Browns hold the 12th and 19th overall selections.
  • Having worked out Mariota, the Chargers will next head to Los Angeles to do the same with UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The receiver-needy Panthers will meet with Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman tonight and tomorrow, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). They’ll also work out USC’s Nelson Agholor, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • The Broncos will visit with Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi next Tuesday, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis believes Ogbuehi could be a second-round target for the Broncos.
  • Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson recently visited with the Colts, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
  • San Jose State’s Akeem King, a former wide receiver who converted to safety, is drawing interest as a cornerback, tweets Matt Barrow of the Sacramento Bee. The Raiders, Falcons, Saints and Seahawks are all eyeing King.
  • The Falcons worked out Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com (Twitter link).
  • Cincinnati linebacker Jeff Luc will meet with both the Jets and Patriots prior to the draft, tweets Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.

King’s Latest: Gordon, Cards, Gregory, WRs

April 13th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Peter King of The MMQB.com leads off his Monday Morning Quarterback column this week by discussing Troy Polamalu‘s legacy, Hall-of-Fame-worthy safeties, and new referee Sarah Thomas, before he dives headfirst into the latest news and rumors on the draft. That section of King’s piece includes plenty of noteworthy tidbits, so let’s round up some of the highlights….

  • Melvin Gordon won’t get past the Ravens at No. 26, according to King. It would be a little surprising to see Baltimore nab a running back in the first round, with plenty of other holes on the roster, including a big one at wide receiver.
  • The Cardinals will “very seriously” consider a running back with the 24th overall pick.
  • Although Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test initially scared off some teams near the top of the draft, many of those clubs are feeling more comfortable with the Nebraska pass rusher after taking a closer look at him.
  • USC wideout Nelson Agholor, initially viewed as a late second-round pick, is moving up on draft boards, since teams think he can play inside or outside with equal effectiveness. Chip Kelly and the Eagles are known to like Agholor.
  • Multiple teams have Louisville receiver DeVante Parker as a top-10 player on their boards, says King.
  • According to King, UCF wideout Breshad Perriman is receiving serious consideration from at least two teams picking in the teens. Nearly all the teams with picks in that range – including the Saints, Dolphins, 49ers, and Browns – could use a wideout. In our first mock draft of the year, we had Perriman going to the Chiefs with the 18th overall pick.
  • The Rams and Chargers are both working out Marcus Mariota this week, and while King doesn’t expect St. Louis to trade up to land the Oregon quarterback, he isn’t 100% sure about San Diego. As King writes, the Chargers may simply be doing their due diligence in case Mariota slides down the first round, since it still seems “highly unlikely” that the team would trade Philip Rivers.

La Canfora’s Latest: Patriots, Parker, Gregory

April 10th, 2015 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Their four Super Bowl wins in the past 14 seasons notwithstanding, the Patriots‘ track record for drafting wideouts high hasn’t been positive. This is an area they will likely attempt to take another shot at, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.

Bill Belichick reportedly attended many pro days involving receivers this spring and grilled college coaches about various pass-catching prospects, which drew notice from other league staffs, reports La Canfora.

The Patriots have drafted six wideouts in the top three rounds since Belichick’s arrival in 2000 — although none in Round 1 — and mostly received little in return for their investments, with Aaron Dobson (second round, 2013), Taylor Price (third round, 2010) and Chad Jackson (second round, 2006) being notable examples in the past decade.

Although La Canfora mentions defensive line and cornerback as other options with the defections there this offseason, he notes the Patriots’ lack of consistency outside will lead to another early selection at the position. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have the Patriots springing for defensive line and cornerback help, respectively, in the first round. Former prized recruit Dorial Green-Beckham could be a target, however, muses La Canfora.

Also from La Canfora …

  • DeVante Parker carries a similar buzz around the scouting community that Odell Beckham did last season, and La Canfora doesn’t expect the Louisville product to fall past No. 11 (Vikings). Minnesota scouted several of Parker’s games last season and happens to employ his former quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater. La Canfora said some teams have Parker rated higher than West Virginia’s Kevin White, who has commonly been tabbed the second-best wideout prospect behind Amari Cooper.
  • A name we haven’t heard as much on heading into the draft could surprise should an early run on wideouts take place. USC’s Nelson Agholor may creep into the late first round, La Canfora said.
  • Randy Gregory‘s failed drug test is raising teams’ eyebrows, but they’re not backing off the stance that the Nebraska talent’s a top-two or top-three pass-pursuer in this class and a potential top-five pick. Washington and Chicago are organizations La Canfora believes will be in the mix for Gregory. Conversely, various concerns envelop Dante Fowler Jr., Vic Beasley and Shane Ray, the CBS pundit hears from sources.
  • Tight ends Maxx Williams and Devin Funchess are reportedly receiving bad reviews on their route-running, causing them to fall down draft boards in an already-diminished class at the position.
  • Several executives also informed La Canfora they wouldn’t take top safety Landon Collins in the first round, viewing the Alabama prospect as an “in-the-box” performer.
  • League execs apparently rate this draft poorly compared to a good year when “22 to 24” players warrant first-round grades. Per La Canfora, less than 20 are grading that way this year.

Miller’s Latest: Draft, Eagles, Browns, White

April 10th, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has plenty of draft updates for us today, including a new big board, a new first-round mock, and a handful of notable tidbits he has picked up from speaking to sources around the league. Here are a few highlights from Bleacher Report’s draft expert:

  • I noted last week that the Eagles appear to have genuine interest in Nelson Agholor, having been linked to him multiple times, and team sources tell Miller that Philadelphia does indeed “love” the USC wide receiver.
  • While some pundits have linked the Browns to right tackles in the first round, one high-ranking Cleveland scout tells Miller that the position “isn’t a priority” for the club.
  • Louisiana Tech’s Houston Bates and Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc are two college linebackers who are receiving some consideration as potential fullbacks, according to Miller.
  • While West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White does have a handful of visits on his schedule, he’s the type of player who doesn’t have many question marks, which explains why teams may not want to “waste” one of their 30 visits on him, writes Miller. So far, White has only visited the Titans, though he has the Bears, Giants, Rams, and Jets coming up.
  • Miller has heard from two separate teams that Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams didn’t come across well in his interviews with them. One said Williams seems “cocky [and] bored, and came off as too good for us.”

NFC Notes: Eagles, Peterson, Willis, Draft

April 2nd, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the Eagles in the draft, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, UCF’s Breshad Perriman is paying a visit to the team today. It’s one of 18 pre-draft visits or private workouts Perriman has on his schedule in advance of the draft — the young wideout has had private workouts for the Giants and Texans, and recently visited the Ravens.

In addition to bringing in Perriman, the Eagles are also taking a look at USC’s Nelson Agholor, with Chip Kelly in Tampa today to work out a player he recruited back in his Oregon days (Twitter link via Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13).. Philadelphia has previously been linked to Agholor, so it looks like that interest is very genuine.

Here’s more out of the NFC:

  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended, in-depth look at Adrian Peterson‘s situation in Minnesota, suggesting that if the Vikings were to trade the veteran running back, they probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick in return. Corry also identifies seven potential trade partners for the Vikes, with clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals.
  • Speaking to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Corry says he’d be surprised if the 49ers don’t attempt to recoup a portion of Patrick Willis‘ signing bonus, following the linebacker’s retirement. In Corry’s view, the team could probably recover a minimum of $3.54MM from Willis. Chris Borland, who also retired this offseason, previously indicated he’d be returning three-quarters of his signing bonus to the Niners.
  • Linebacker Darin Drakeford, who participated in last month’s veterans combine, is working out today for the Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
  • The Lions continue to examine speedy receiving prospects, bringing in UAB’s J.J. Nelson today for a pre-draft visit, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

Draft Notes: Mariota, Ray, Parker, Agholor

March 16th, 2015 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already looked at a few upcoming draft visits in some earlier posts today, so let’s go ahead and round up the rest of today’s draft-related news…

  • The Buccaneers hosted Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Per Rapoport, Mariota’s visit to Tampa will be similar to Jameis Winston‘s meeting several weeks ago, and Mariota will meet with all of TB’s decision-makers.
  • Edge rusher Shane Ray will be a busy man, as the Missouri product has pre-draft visits lined up with the Ravens, Falcons, Titans, and Jaguars, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Like Ray, Louisville receiver DeVante Parker will have a full schedule, as he has 12 visits on his calendar during the next month, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds that Parker will first meet with the Dolphins.
  • Another receiver — USC’s Nelson Agholor — visited with the Eagles today, according to Getlin (via Twitter). Eagles head coach Chip Kelly recruited Agholor while the former was at Oregon, Getlin adds.
  • The Eagles are hosting multiple prospects, as Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney will visit Philadelphia today and tomorrow, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).

Draft Updates: Saturday

January 3rd, 2015 at 3:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft approaching quickly, here are a few updates on seniors who have signed with agents and are eligible for the Draft, and underclassmen who have declared early.

For a list of all early entrants so far, please check our list here.

  • USC junior receiver Nelson Agholor has decided to go pro, and will enter the 2015 NFL Draft, reports Jordan Moore of USCTrojans.com. “These past three years at USC have been a blessing, along with a lot of my life. I am very grateful to have had the coaches and staff members of this prestigious university in my life,” said Agholor. “Because of these men and women, I feel prepared to follow my dreams into the NFL. Thank you to the Trojan Family for allowing me to become one of your own.”
  • Boise State senior wideout Matt Miller has signed with the NOVO Agency, and will be eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft, reports Liz Mullen or the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). He will be represented by Jeff Sperbeck.
  • University of Washington senior nose tackle Danny Shelton also signed with NOVO, according to Mullen (via Twitter). He will be represented by Haig Abnous and Sperbeck.
  • Two Auburn players, junior receiver Sammie Coates and senior running back Cameron Artis-Payne, both signed with Michael Perrett of Element Sports, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Coates had previously declared for the draft.
  • University of Maryland junior receiver Stefon Diggs has declared for the draft, reports Matt Zenith of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).