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Odell Beckham Jr.

Pre-Draft Visits: Garopollo, Cooks, Lee

April 4th, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Browns brought Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in for a private visit earlier today, writes Jeff Schudel of the Morning Journal (he writes March 4, but he most likely means April 4). Schudel examines the idea of the Browns selecting a position other than quarterback at the top of the first round, and looking to grab the rookie signal caller with the 26th pick in the first round, or the third pick in round two.

Schudel writes that Browns star receiver Josh Gordon believes the team will take a quarterback with the fourth pick, and that Teddy Bridgewater would be his choice.

Here are some notes from some other pre-draft visits:

  • Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks is visiting the Jets, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Cooks also has received interest from the Patriots and the Panthers.
  • In addition to Cooks, the Patriots have expressed interest in receivers Marqise Lee of USC, Mike Evans of Texas A&M, Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU, and Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (via Twitter).
  • The Saints have scheduled a visit with Lee, but have not yet set a date to meet with Cooks, reports Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter).
  • The Giants worked out quarterback Rusty Smith, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). Smith appeared in three games for the Titans between 2010 and 2012, throwing no touchdowns and four interceptions.
  • Balzer also notes that Kurt Coleman visited the Colts, and while he is not an ideal candidate to replace the departed Antoine Bethea, he could add depth to the safety position

AFC Notes: Titans, Wimbley, McClain

April 4th, 2014 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt had high praise for quarterbacks Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst, but suggested that their presence wouldn’t stop the team from considering signal-callers in this year’s draft, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

“You always have to be prepared because you never know what can happen. If there is an opportunity in this draft where you have a guy you think is really good, then you have to look at it,” Whisenhunt said. “But more importantly you have to look at two or three years down the road. It is about finding out about these guys. And then, if you don’t have them on your team, you know about them. And if something happens down the road you’ll have an important piece.”

Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger are among the young QBs who have drawn some interest from Tennessee leading up to the draft. Here’s more on the Titans and a few other AFC clubs:

  • The Titans have asked defensive end Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, reports Wyatt (via Twitter). The Tennessean scribe has suggested for much of the offseason that Wimbley would be a fit for the team’s new defense, but not at his current $6MM base salary (and $7.8MM cap number). If the veteran isn’t interested in accepting a pay cut, the team may release him, tweets Wyatt.
  • Two AFC East teams, the Bills and Jets, will host LSU receiver Odell Beckham for pre-draft visits next week, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
  • Speaking to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times, former Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain says he’s preparing as if he’s going to return to the NFL in 2014.

NFC Links: Saints, 49ers, Rams

April 3rd, 2014 at 8:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are an assortment of NFC links to get you through this Thursday evening…

  • With Darren Sproles and Lance Moore both departing this offseason, the Saints should be looking for a return man, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While Travaris Cadet has shown some abilities to return kicks, Triplett thinks the team could find their answer in a trio of potential first-round receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., Marqise Lee and Brandin Cooks.
  • When asked if LaMichael James could be traded to help the 49ers move up in the draft, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson answered that the two-year veteran is more likely a “throw-in” than an actual trade chip.
  • The Rams will be hosting two offensive prospects, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The first is potential first-round pick, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (via Twitter). The other is Missouri native Reggie Jordan, who is taking part in the team’s local visit day (via Twitter).

Jets, Giants In The Market For WR

February 23rd, 2014 at 9:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

It is no secret that the Jets are looking to improve their receiving corps. The team has struggled to find a playmaker, settling for mediocre play as of late from veterans such as Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. The team used a high second round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft on receiving project Stephen Hill, but the 6’4″ athletic talent has been underwhelming on the field in two seasons, struggling to consistently catch the football and failing to develop his size and speed into the deep threat the Jets thought he could potentially be.

While the team has not given up on Hill just yet, neither Holmes nor Edwards are expected to be with the team in 2014, and it is imperative to the development of Geno Smith that the Jets add playmakers on the outside. Relying on Hill would be a dangerous proposition. Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com has guessed that the Jets could be a landing spot for the top free agent receiver Eric Decker. There could be some reservations due to the large payday Decker is looking to attract and the belief that he may not possess true number one receiver skills. Lesser talents that the Jets could be interested in include Golden Tate, who is an unrestricted free agent, and James Jones who is likely to walk from the Packers. The team could also consider pilfering talent from their roommates, by looking at Giants’ Super Bowl hero Hakeem Nicks.

Of course, if the free agent options aren’t enough, the Jets could use their first round pick on a receiver class that has some depth to it. Clemson’s Sammy Watkins is the consensus best receiver available, and will likely not make it out of the top five or ten picks. Mike Evans of Texas A&M was once thought to be a possibility, but after running well at the combine it is unlikely he will fall to the Jets either, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Evans was a possible favorite because of his tremendous size, measuring at almost 6’5″ and 220 pounds.

While Evans’ workout may have taken him out of the running for the Jets, Marquise Lee of USC might have run his way into the back half of the first round. Lee was thought to be a candidate for fastest man at the combine, but reportedly ran an unexpectedly slow 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, which could keep him on the board when the Jets select at 18th overall. If Lee runs better at the USC pro day, it still is not a given that he would be available when the Jets are on the clock. Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State and Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU could also be options for the Jets if one of the top receivers is not available.

One team standing in the Jets way is their hometown enemy, the Giants. Tom Rock of Newsday writes that the Giants are also considering using their first-round pick on a wide receiver. The Giants pick 12th in the draft, and could be looking for a replacement after the presumed exit of Nicks. While they have Rueben Randle, they are not sold on his ability to lead the offense.

While there have not been any rumblings that the Giants would look to free agency to solve their receiving problems, Rock writes that like the Jets, the Giants are interested in Evans, and if he is off the board ahead of them, could also consider Lee. If those two and Watkins are the three prizes of this draft for receivers, then it could be dangerous for the Jets to stay at 18 and expect one of the three to drop to them. The Giants have a much better shot at landing one of those three, but there is no certainty that more than one of the big three will still be around at their selection.

Luckily for both teams, there is a certain amount of depth associated with this draft. According to rankings on CBSSports.com, there could be up to 18 wide receivers graded highly enough to be options in the first three rounds of the draft, including a handful of projected second-round picks who are highly thought of and who performed well today in Indianapolis at the combine.