Odell Beckham Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Links: Giants, Lions, Packers

June 30th, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Eli Manning was the most overpaid NFL player during the 2013 season, at least according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus (ESPN Insider subscription required). The Giants’ 57.5 accuracy percentage was the second-worst in the league (behind the Raiders‘ Matt McGloin), and his 27 interceptions were the most by a quarterback in nearly ten years. The writer utilized the “Jahnke Valuation Model” – a formula that measures a player’s potential salary based on production – and came to the conclusion that Manning deserved about $5.4MM. That’s a far cry from his 2013 cap hit of $20.8MM.

Second on the list also came from the NFC, albeit on the defensive side of the ball. Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis earned this honor, even though he compiled 116 tackles last season. Jahnke points to the player’s 13 missed tackles and estimates he should have earned about $1.3MM – a more than $11MM difference from his $12.4MM cap hit.

Three other NFC players – Falcons wideout Roddy White, Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson – made this list. For the AFC, Jets linebacker David Harris led the way, followed by Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub, Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor and Bills defensive end Mario Williams.

Let’s see what else is going on around the NFC…

Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson were previously represented by the Morgan Advisory Group’s Ryan Morgan & Zeke Sandhu. However, as Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen points out (via Twitter), the two players are now unaffiliated with MAG and are only represented by Sandhu.
History suggests that Lions head coach Jim Caldwell will only carry two quarterbacks, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. In his ten seasons with the Colts, Caldwell carried a trio of quarterbacks four times, including the 2011 season when he held on to an injured Peyton Manning. The competition is likely between veterans Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore, as well as rookie James Franklin. As Rogers notes, Franklin could stick around on the practice squad.
12 linebackers were taken ahead of Packers rookie Carl Bradford, and Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel writes that the player won’t forget about those taken in front of him. “I keep track of it, man,” Bradford said. “And I use that as motivation…We’ll see where I land at the end of all this.”

Rookie Notes: Clowney, Bortles, Manziel, Beckham Jr., Cooks

June 27th, 2014 at 11:12am CST by Matt Feminis

This week, Texans top overall pick Jedeveon Clowney opened up about the sports hernia injury he had surgically repaired two weeks ago, admitting the injury bothered him as far back as last football season. The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain has the story of Clowney revealing the information to Gil Brandt, while Pro Football Talk wonders if the Texans should have known.

In other rookie news and notes…

Jaguars third-overall pick Blake Bortles will receive first-team reps in training camp, writes NFL.com’s Mike Coppinger.
Meanwhile, Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel continues to be a lightning rod even during the slowest of news periods, as he told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, “I’m not going to change for anybody.” A couple of Hall of Famers advise Manziel to stay out of the non-football headlines, though. Joe Montana weighed in on NFL Network, while Warren Moon talked to Alex Marvez and Pat Kirwan SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“[Draft picks] better all contribute right away, whether it be on special teams, defense, offense, whatever it is they’re going to be,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. “There’s no waiting around in this game today.” With that in mind, Raanan examined realistic expectations for rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
The ingenuity of the Saints’ offensive system should enable first-rounder Brandin Cooks to thrive given the rookie’s explosiveness, playmaking and versatility, asserts SI.com’s Doug Farrar.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Hope highlights ten rookies already making favorable impressions and earning early reps, including the Raiders’ Gabe Jackson, the Cardinals’ John Brown.

East Notes: Pats, Beckham, Beatty

June 16th, 2014 at 10:41pm CST by Rory Parks

There were a great deal of notes from the league’s east divisions today. Our Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson rounded up some of those notes earlier this evening, and we will close out the night by emptying out our east notebook.

The Patriots appear to be playing musical chairs with Kyle Auffray and Derrick Johnson. The team cut Auffray earlier today after signing him last week, and Johnson was the player the Pats released to make room for Auffray. Now, however, Johnson may be back in the fold. Mike Lowe of the Portland Press Herald reports that Johnson was told by the club that he would be re-signed once he recovered from a sprained left knee that caused him to miss a week of practices. The former University of Maine receiver hopes to be ready for New England’s three-day minicamp that opens tomorrow (or at least by training camp in July).
Brian Costello of the New York Post outlines the Jets‘ search for a No. 2 receiver to play opposite major free agent acquisition Eric Decker. Stephen Hill and David Nelson took the most reps at that spot during the portion of the team’s OTAs that were open to the media, and though Nelson is probably the favorite, wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal seems to believe Hill may finally begin to live up to his still-significant potential.
In the same piece, Costello looks at other major storylines surrounding the Jets this summer, including the injury status of Dee Milliner and Willie Colon and the progress of rookie tight end Jace Amaro.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post examines the injury status of Giants left tackle Will Beatty. Although Beatty stills hopes to be ready for the start of training camp on July 21, there is no guarantee he will even be given clearance to play in the season opener on September 8. Even if he is ready, his poor play in 2013 and the fact that the team did not make any meaningful moves to address the left tackle position in the offseason leaves plenty of room for concern.
In the same piece, Schwartz writes that the Giants may hold first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. out of minicamp as a result of his hamstring injury. Although Beckham insists the injury is minor, the team will undoubtedly want to play it safe with him.
Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com shares some of his notes on what he has seen from the Eagles thus far this offseason. He writes that the struggles of Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley have been overblown, as have the Jordan Matthews–Terrell Owens comparisons. He adds that, outside of kicker, there are no real position battles to watch out for at this point.
James Walker of ESPN.com gives a list of top storylines to look out for during the Dolphins‘ three-day mandatory minicamp that begins Tuesday, including the development of Bill Lazor‘s offense and the position battles at left guard, running back, slot receiver, and cornerback.

NFC East Notes: Beckham Jr., Bryant, Mathis

June 7th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

After receiving a $5MM cap credit on June 1 for cutting offensive lineman David Baas in March, the Giants have just over $7MM to spend on fine-tuning the roster, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. 91 players are currently under contract for the G-Men, with a team cap of $124.98MM.

As Ranaan points out, $7MM might sound like a lot of money, but 20 teams have more room to spend. All seven 2014 draftees except for third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley have signed their rookie deals, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Syracuse Orange joins the fold.

More news and notes from the AFC East below…

Giants first-round wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being rested for precautionary reasons while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at OTAs, reports National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson. Beckham told reporters he’s also suffering from a tight back.
Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden waxed poetic about his former college and current pro teammate, Dez Bryant, per The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. “He’s unbelievable at what he does,” Weeden said. “It’s the same stuff he did when he was 18 when he came in. I have said it when we came in the same year, he’s just a freak. The guy is probably the most passionate football player. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever been around.” Both players arrived at Oklahoma State in 2007.
At a function honoring former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said nothing has made him prouder than to know the Arkansas Razorbacks — Jones’ Alma mater — will play at AT&T Stadium next season, tweets Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News Bureau.
Eagles guard Evan Mathis said the team is light years ahead of where it was compared to this time last year, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Michael Barkann. “This year, you can just see so much more confidence on the field. Everybody’s executing, it’s much more crisp, and that’s what you get with a year under this system.”
Michael Bamiro has been working mainly at right guard on the Eagles‘ second-team offensive line, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher.
According to a tweet by last year’s No. 4 overall pick Lane Johnson, the Eagles‘ rookie dinner totaled nearly $18k, including a $3,495 bottle of wine.
Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith, who will be outside linebacker in Philadelphia’s base 3-4, was tabbed by National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel as one of five players to keep an eye on during the 2014 NFL Season.
Niles Paul, the Redskins wide receiver and core special teams player, is optimistic about a potential turnout for the ST unit under Ben Kotwica, the first-year coordinator, writes CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir.
Training camp practices under new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will likely start earlier, end later and feature a longer break in between sessions, reports CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler.
Learning his fifth offensive system in five years, Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy likes the fit in Washington and is eager to learn behind Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim.

Giants Sign Beckham Jr., Three Others

May 19th, 2014 at 5:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Giants have signed four more of their draft picks, most notably Odell Beckham Jr., reports Greg Salamone of Giants.com. Beckham was the team’s first-round selection, a receiver out of LSU.

The team also signed, second-round center Weston Richburg of Colorado State, fifth-round linebacker Devon Kennard of USC, and sixth-round cornerback Bennett Jackson of Notre Dame.

The only Giants’ rookie still unsigned is defensive tackle Jay Bromley out of Syracuse. The Queens, New York native Bromley was drafted in the third round.

NFC Notes: Eagles, 49ers, Giants, Packers, Saints, Gettleman

May 10th, 2014 at 9:58am CST by Matt Feminis

Eagles GM Howie Roseman met with the media following the first-round selection of Marcus Smith 26th overall, and Philly.com’s Jeff McLane had seven follow-up thoughts. Most notably, Roseman shared his initial plan of attack. Plan A entailed the team having a list of six players likely to be gone by No. 22 (where the Eagles originally were position prior to the trade down) but worth moving up for. To the best of McLane’s knowledge, that list included Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

When those players were gone, Roseman was prepared to move down, pick up an additional pick and choose the best player available. McLane is ” not convinced Smith was at the top of that list, but of the players there he played a premium position of need and thus was moved to the front.” McLane also spoke to other teams’ representatives whose grades on Smith ranged from second to fourth round.

Here’s several more quick-hitting, NFC news and notes:

The Eagles place on emphasis on college graduates, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
The Giants drafted Weston Richburg 43rd overall last night, and what made him attractive to the team was his ability to not only block effectively, but handle the responsibility associated with the position, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “[Tom] Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese both said the center’s responsibility for handling line and protection calls will increase under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross said Richburg scored an impressive 31 on the Wonderlic test and impressed the Giants in his combine interview with his intelligence.”
The 49ers were very active Friday night, making five trades that netted veteran receiver Stevie Johnson as well as running back Carlos Hyde (No. 57), center Marcus Martin (No. 76), linebacker Chris Borland (No. 77) and offensive lineman Brandon Thomas (No. 100). Eric Branch at sfgate.com recaps the team’s busy day here. The 49ers also have seven picks in the final four rounds.
The 49ers deep stable of running backs now includes Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore and Hyde. James wants more playing time and is open to a trade, but the team has no plans to move him, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
The Packers are confident Davante Adams is the next in a long line of productive receivers drafted in the second and third round, writes Bob McGinn in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Redskins second-rounder Trent Murphy, whom the team expects to contribute right away as a nickel rusher, “protects the team’s long-term interests at OLB,” tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
With the selection of big cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste 53rd overall, the Saints continue to build a “Seattle-like secondary,” writes Larry Holder of Nola.com.
The Panthers announced via Twitter that GM Dave Gettleman will draft remotely via Skype today so he can be present for his son’s college graduation.

NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Rams, Ward

May 9th, 2014 at 3:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Rookie Jimmie Ward is listed as a safety but the 49ers envision him beating out veterans Perrish Cox and Eric Wright to win the job as the team’s nickel back, writes CSNBayArea’s Matt Maiocco. Technically, barring injury, Ward will not be a starter in his rookie season. However, the 49ers had three cornerbacks on the field for 55% of their defensive snaps last season. More out of the NFC West..

Rams GM Les Snead tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the plan, as of now, is to stand pat with the No. 44 selection in the second round. The picks that come later in the draft, however, could be moved around.
The 49ers resisted the temptation to move up in the draft last night, Maiocco writes. San Francisco might have viewed LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as a target, but the price proved to be steep. “We certainly liked him as a football player, no doubt about it,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said of Beckham, who was chosen at No. 12 overall by the Giants.
49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told KNBR 680-AM that Ward will face a learning curve to learn the nickel position, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
Last night, the Rams reaped the final rewards of the Robert Griffin III trade with the Redskins, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. At this point, the Redskins got a starting QB while the Rams got a starter at defensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker, running back, and the offensive line with a receiver who could elevate to that role this year.
Many were surprised when the 49ers didn’t grab a wide receiver in the first round, but GM Baalke says that he likes the WR depth available in round two, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. It also seems very possible that Baalke knew that the Stevie Johnson deal was on the horizon during last night’s proceedings.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins

May 9th, 2014 at 12:03pm CST by Matt Feminis

Although Chip Kelly has had nothing but good things to say about Johnny Manziel publicly, it seems clear that the Eagles never really thought about taking him with the 22nd pick, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine. “I love him,” Kelly said. “I think he’s a dynamic quarterback. I also think we have a very, very good quarterback situation – not only with Nick [Foles], but you add Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley – we think quarterback is a strength for us right now. We felt like the pass-rusher who we had rated higher was the guy we were gonna take.”

“Best player available” is used ad nauseam during the draft. However, it’s the Eagles‘ philosophy and they’re adamant about it, as evidenced by the quotes from GM Howie Roseman and elly in a column by Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Domowitch following the (surprise) selection of Marcus Smith.
And then there’s the Cowboys, who did not stick to their board, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). When the Cowboys lost out on their top three draft targets last night — all defensive players — they opted for a relatively safe choice in offensive lineman Zack Martin even though they had Manziel graded higher.
Consequently, rounds two and three have become more important for the Cowboys, says Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013 and losing DeMarcus Ware, the team has plenty of holes to fill, especially on the defensive line. George mentions four defensive lineman who could be on the team’s radar tonight: Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, Missouri’s Kony Ealy, Oregon State’s Scott Crichton and Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, all of whom made predraft visits to Dallas.
The Giants‘ selection of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 12 puts them on track to fix their broken offense, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The LSU star caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Giants wide receiver Reuben Randle, who played with Beckham at LSU, described him as a “DeSean Jackson type,” writes Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News.
The Redskins were not part of Thursday night’s festivities, but they’re up at No. 34 tonight, and USA Today’s Steven Ruiz takes a look at their options. Most speculation centers around the team selecting an offensive lineman, perhaps Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandijo, Virginia’s Morgan Moses or UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Rumors: Beckham, 49ers, Seahawks

May 9th, 2014 at 9:08am CST by Zachary Links

Odell Beckham Jr. was viewed as a potential target for the 49ers, but trading up for him just wasn’t in the cards, as GM Trent Baalke explained to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link): “We certainly liked him as a football player, no doubt about it. But… the price of doing business when you’re trying to move from [No. 30] up into the top 10 or close to the top 10 becomes pretty stiff. And you’re giving up a lot of football players to go get one football player. And if you look at history, a lot of time it works against you,” said the GM.

The Seahawks had their eye on defensive tackle Dominique Easley before the Patriots drafted him at No. 29, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. When the Florida product was off the board, they traded out to the Vikings, who selected Teddy Bridgwater. Seattle had a connection with Easley: defensive coordinator Dan Quinn recruited him at UF.
Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey declined to say whether he had real interest in drafting Johnny Manziel, but he did infer that the Browns called to try and trade for their pick before they ultimately struck a deal with the Eagles, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
The Chiefs’ pick of Auburn defensive end Dee Ford at No. 23 raised a few eyebrows, but Dorsey told reporters, including Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that the team viewed Ford as the second-best pass rusher in the draft.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Pauline On Manziel, Bucs, Bortles, Raiders

May 7th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL executives widely believe that if Johnny Manziel is selected in the first eight picks tomorrow, it will be by decree of the owner rather than the scouting department or GM, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. One source told Pauline that it feels like a lot of GMs are hoping Manziel is off the board before it’s their turn to pick so that there’s no discussion or distraction of selecting the signal caller. This is especially the case in Tampa Bay where Buccaneers owners are pushing for Manziel but coach Lovie Smith is after defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Here’s more from Pauline’s column..

Consistent with what we’ve already heard, the Browns like Manziel but not enough to use the No. 4 pick on him. The name that Pauline hears often connected to Cleveland is receiver Mike Evans and Blake Bortles is a dark horse possibility.
If Bortles slides past the Vikings at No. 8, look for the Cardinals to try and move up for him.
The Raiders are shopping their first round pick and while there’s been interest, no team has matched their asking price. Right now Oakland would like Khalil Mack, Mike Evans, or Sammy Watkins at No. 5. If they are able to trade down the pick is likely to be quarterback Derek Carr.
The Panthers have been known to like Joel Bitonio at No. 28 and Pauline hears the Chargers will also consider him at No. 25.
There’s a feeling the Panthers could attempt to trade up for a receiver or offensive tackle and the Dolphins are the obvious trade partner. Miami, Pauline hears, will entertain offers for the 19th pick if Zack Martin is unavailable. By doing that, the Panthers would assure themselves receiver Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee, whichever is available. If that’s the case, Bitonio could then land with the Seahawks as the first round closes out.
The 49ers have let it be known they plan to be aggressive on draft day and use their arsenal of top 100 picks to move up. Right now, sources say SF has their eye on receiver Odell Beckham. The price to move up for Evans is a little steep and Beckham fills a need for them. Another plus to Beckham is that they’d provide a safeguard if Michael Crabtree‘s price tag in free agency next year is too high.