Odell Beckham Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Updates: WRs, Clowney, Latimer, Mason

April 25th, 2014 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

While the general consensus suggests that Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins is the clear-cut top wide receiver in this year’s draft class, that’s not necessarily the case, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After speaking to several execs, scouts, and decision-makers, La Canfora came away believing that Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans, who has the size advantage on Watkins, could be the first receiver to come off the board.

“Would I be surprised if Evans ended up going before Watkins?” said one evaluator. “No, I wouldn’t. But we do think there is a drop-off after those two, and we know they won’t be there when we pick [later in the first round].”

Regardless of where Watkins and Evans land, it figures to be a busy first round for receivers, according to La Canfora, who says Marqise Lee and Odell Beckham may not make it past the late teens, given the interest they’re receiving from teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Jets.

Here are a few more Friday draft items:

In a series of tweets, Albert Breer of the NFL Network shares a few insights into the draft. Among them: Many people believe Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack are worth trading up for since this year’s pass-rushing group is fairly thin. Additionally, clubs may be more inclined to trade into the late first round to draft a quarterback, since the fifth-year option for first-round picks gives teams additional flexibility.
Speaking of Clowney, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details on the “force plate” assessment the Falcons put the defensive end through today. According to Breer (Twitter links), Clowney’s performance was very impressive.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘ basketball background could separate him from other tight ends, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Washington product is in good company as some of today’s top tight ends – Jimmy Graham, Jordan Cameron, Julius Thomas – played college basketball at some point. Seferian-Jenkins could be an option for the Packers in the first or second round if he’s on the board.
The Eagles, who had three representatives at wide receiver Cody Latimer‘s workout today, spent 20 minutes post-workout having him run their routes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Eagles pick at No. 22 and the Indiana product’s stock appears to be rapidly rising.
Combine exams revealed that Auburn running back Tre Mason has a bone in his wrist that will require surgery, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Mason denied the report via Twitter, saying that he doesn’t need surgery.
In an Insider-only piece at ESPN.com, Mark Dominik suggests a few hypothetical draft-pick trades outside of the top 10 that could make sense for both sides.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

King’s Latest: Draft, Texans, Jags, Cards, Rams

April 21st, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Peter King of TheMMQB.com has kicked off the week by sharing a number of interesting tidbits that can be found in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. Let’s dive right in and round up several of the highlights from King….

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman on this year’s crop of quarterbacks: “There’s no Andrew Luck, no Peyton Manning. It is such a mixed bag with each player — every one of them has positives, every one of them has negatives. And if that’s the way you end up feeling, why don’t you just wait till later in the draft, and take someone with the first pick you’re sure will help you right now?”
One friend of Texans general manager Rick Smith tells King that the GM prefers Buffalo’s Khalil Mack over Jadeveon Clowney. King adds that he thinks Houston will try to choose a sure thing with the No. 1 pick, which could mean Mack, Clowney, or Greg Robinson, but may rule out the top quarterbacks.
At No. 3 overall, the Jaguars want a pass rusher “badly” and would be a good fit for Mack or Clowney, depending on who is still available, says King.
Top tight end Eric Ebron recently suggested he thinks the Lions will draft him, though King is skeptical the club would go that route with its first pick.
The Cardinals are “sweet on” signal-callers Derek Carr and A.J. McCarron. King says he expects Arizona to draft a QB within the first two rounds and the Rams to take one within the first three.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks are drawing interest from the Steelers, who are weighing the possibility of drafting a wideout in the first round.
In King’s view, current draft risers include Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin, and Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Players whose stock may be falling include Louisville signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater, UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, and Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

Draft Notes: Jets, Patriots, Donald, Savage

April 20th, 2014 at 2:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A few notes as we get ever closer to the 2014 NFL Draft:

A trio of receivers will meet with the Jets in the upcoming days, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The team will meet with Marqise Lee today and Monday, Odell Beckham on Monday and Tuesday, and Brandin Cooks later in the week.
Also in the market for defensive backfield help, the Jets will meet with two cornerbacks (according to Mehta on Twitter): Jason Verrett tomorrow and Darqueze Dennard on Friday.
The Patriots worked out Northern Arizona cornerback Anders Battle in early March, reports Zuri Berry of Boston.com. Battle, who has now earned his first mention in the pages of PFR, accrued 57 tackles and two interceptions last season, and reportedly ran a 4.57 40-yard-dash at his Pro Day.
Two Pittsburgh Panthers have turned down invitations to the draft proceedings at Radio City Music Hall. Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that defensive tackle Aaron Donald rejected the offer due to personal reasons, while the Pitt Football Twitter account noted that quarterback Tom Savage turned down the invitation (without citing a reason). I would guess that Savage realizes he likely will not be a first-round pick and does not want to become a spectacle for the cameras.

NFC Draft Notes: Rams, Panthers, Eagles

April 20th, 2014 at 10:51am CST by Ben Levine

While there are never any guarantees in the NFL, it seems very likely that the Rams will select a quarterback in this year’s draft, writes Jim Thomas of The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas points to a list of quarterbacks that the team has shown interest in, including Aaron Murray, Connor Shaw, Garrett Gilbert and Derek Carr. Thomas also lists Tajh Boyd, A.J. McCarron and Zach Mettenberger as potential fits. If the Rams do ultimately draft a quarterback, that player will likely be third on the depth chart behind starter Sam Bradford and veteran Shaun Hill.

Let’s explore some more NFL Draft notes from around the NFC…

While Nick Foles does not necessarily have the skill set for Chip Kelly’s offense, his success in 2013 should guarantee him the job this season. As a result, it would be a surprise if the Eagles selected a quarterback such as Teddy Bridgewater in the first round, said Charles Davis of the NFL Network (via Bo Wulf of PhiladelphiaEagles.com).
LSU wideout Odell Beckham Jr. told Sirius XM that he will meet with the Eagles this week, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Beckham would join a list of receivers who have worked out for the team, including Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Marqise Lee and Cody Latimer.
Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer answers readers’ questions pertaining to the Panthers and the draft. Jones lists offensive tackle as the team’s biggest need, followed by cornerback and defensive end. He also says that quarterback isn’t really an option following the Panthers’ signings of Derek Anderson and Joe Webb.
USC tight end Xavier Grimble met with the Panthers and Falcons, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The projected mid-round pick struggled through a shoulder injury this past season.

AFC Notes: Beckham, Dolphins, Chiefs

April 19th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Peter Sowards

A source confirmed to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald today that the Dolphins will host LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham, using one one of the team’s 30 allotted non-local visits.

Beckham caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013 for the Tigers and is projected as a first-round pick.

Does Beckham’s visit mean Miami is souring on Mike Wallace just one year into his contract? That’s the logic argued by Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, noting that Wallace wasn’t signed by current GM Dennis Hickey and that Hickey “probably” doesn’t have any intentions with Wallace beyond this season. Or, the Dolphins are just doing their due diligence and trying to find out as much about as many worthy draft-eligible prospects as possible.

More news and notes from the American Football Conference…

A position-by-position look at the Chiefs‘ cap situation by Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star, as well as each player’s base salary, cap number, Pro Football Focus grade and contract expiration date.
The Chiefs may need to be prepared to draft a quarterback with the No. 23 pick, Paylor writes.
Four Patriots — Brandon Browner, Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins and Jerod Mayo — have an offseason workout bonus of $250K, and the team begins its offseason workouts on Monday, writes Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com. 15 players are eligible to receive offseason workout bonuses if they participate in at least 80-90% of the workouts with a total possible payout of $1.74MM.

AFC Notes: CJ2K, Jets, Beckham Jr.

April 15th, 2014 at 9:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) hears that Chris Johnson‘s visit today with the Jets was productive with good vibes all around. However, the Jets are sticking to their budget and will only ink the veteran if it’s a good value for them (link). The depressed running back market suggests that the Jets won’t pay more than $3-4MM for his services. More from the AFC..

LSU wideout Odell Beckham Jr., a potential target for the Jets at No. 18, will be visiting the team next week, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. We heard earlier this afternoon that the Panthers were working out Beckham today.
Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he feels great at this point in the offseason and wants to end his career in Oakland. MJD signed a three-year deal with the Raiders, his childhood favorite team, in late March.
Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz is visiting the Patriots tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Panthers, Cards, Saints

April 15th, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

After hosting prospects such as defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Kony Ealy on Monday, the Cowboys are being visited by the likes of Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, UCLA’s Anthony Barr, and Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence today, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com adds (via Twitter) that Northwest Missouri State cornerback Brandon Dixon is also visiting the club today.

Here’s more out of the NFC:

A player like Donald may not be available at No. 16, but there’s no guarantee the Cowboys will be keeping that pick, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who points out that in the 25 drafts Jerry Jones has overseen, the team has traded up or down 20 times.
The Panthers worked out LSU receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry today in Baton Rouge, according to David Newton of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) provides the specifics on Thomas DeCoud‘s two-year contract with the Panthers, which has a base value of $3.525MM. That includes a $500K signing bonus and base salaries of $900K (2014) and $1.675MM (2015). Meanwhile, Alex Hall‘s one-year deal with the Panthers is for the minimum, but included a modest $10K signing bonus, tweets Wilson.
Colorado State center Weston Richburg visited with the Cardinals on Monday, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
Ohio State’s Bradley Roby and Lindenwood’s Pierre Desir are among the five cornerbacks visiting the Saints today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The other three – Justin Gilbert, Aaron Colvin, and Demetri Goodson – had been previously reported.
Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that Stanford offensive tackle Cameron Fleming visited the Redskins today, while ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets that Demarcus Lawrence is also scheduled to visit Washington.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lists more than a dozen players who worked out at the Falcons‘ local prospect day today, including Tennessee running back Rajion Neal and Georgia Tech safety Jemea Thomas, among others.

Pre-Draft Visits: Jaguars, Beckham, Raiders

April 9th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jaguars have been bringing in a number of notable prospects, including some of the draft’s top quarterbacks. Tomorrow they will add Alabama’s A.J. McCarron, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, and UCF’s Blake Bortles, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

Here are some other visits from across the NFL:

LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has a visit scheduled with the Bills for Thursday, reports Sirius NFL XM Radio (via Twitter). Beckham met with the 49ers and Steelers earlier this week.
Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland met with the Raiders on Tuesday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Breeland has played both safety and cornerback, and has already met with the Bills.
Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio had his visit with the Rams today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter). Thomas writes that Bitonio could be drafted somewhere as high as the late first round.

AFC Notes: Manziel, Patriots, Manuel, Draft

April 6th, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Johnny Manziel will be spending the next two days visiting with the Raiders, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The former Texas A&M quarterback, who met privately with the Patriots last week, is expected to be a top-15 pick in next month’s draft. Though the Raiders acquired veteran signal-caller Matt Schaub last month via trade, the team could still look to add youth at the quarterback position with the No. 5 overall selection. Oakland’s QB depth chart also contains Matt McGloin, who is expected to be the primary backup, and Terrelle Pryor, who will likely be traded or released.

Other news items from the AFC:

If the Patriots trade up from pick No. 29, it could be to select a receiver like USC’s Marqise Lee or LSU’s Odell Beckham, Jr., writes Doug Kyed of NESN.com.
Kyed notes within the same piece that running back Chris Johnson, released last week by the Titans, could interest the Patriots, but not at the price that he will likely command.
Middle Tennessee State offensive guard Josh Walker will have a private workout with the Colts’ offensive line coach, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Walker will also meet with the Saints on April 9.
The Bills are “all in” on second-year quarterback E.J. Manuel, meaning they will not select one of the “big three” QBs expected to go in the first round of the draft, opines Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.
Trading down in the draft makes sense for the Chiefs, says ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. The Chiefs do not have a second-round pick this year, having sent it to the 49ers in exchange for quarterback Alex Smith.

AFC East Notes: Beckham, Martin, Jacobs

April 6th, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Rory Parks

We learned Friday that the Jets would be hosting LSU WR Odell Beckham, Jr. for a pre-draft visit later this week. According to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. believes that of the three wideouts most frequently linked to the Jets–Beckham, Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks, and USC’s Marqise Lee–Beckham and Cooks make the most sense.

Kiper states that Beckham offers a complete skill-set as a pure receiver, and Cooks offers the explosiveness that would complement newly-signed Eric Decker nicely while allowing Jeremy Kerley to shift to the slot. Lee, meanwhile, might not have the speed that the Jets would covet at this point.

Now for some more news on the AFC East:

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald takes an extensive look at how the Dolphins might go about upgrading their offensive line in the draft. Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin is one possibility for Miami, who holds the No. 19 overall pick, as he is a technically-gifted player capable of playing both guard and right tackle at a high level. However, he would have to fall past Pittsburgh at No. 15 and Baltimore at No. 17, both of whom have needs on the offensive line and who have been linked to Martin.
We learned yesterday that the Patriots have structured their salary cap to allow for the addition of Tom Brady‘s successor. Although Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com does not state that the team believes it will land that successor in this year’s draft, he does write that, with Ryan Mallett entering his contract year, adding a third quarterback is a guarantee.
Reiss adds that there is no chance New England will trade Mallett, given that his value as a player who knows the system and who looks to be capable of serving as an adequate insurance policy for Brady is far greater than the late-round pick the team might be able to land in a trade.
Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News writes that billionaire Buffalo native and Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs would be interested in buying the Bills. Jacobs’ emergence on the scene–along with other factors that could complicate a move to a larger, more lucrative market–is another reason for Bills fans to remain optimistic that the team will stay put.