Robert Nkemdiche - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Sign Robert Nkemdiche, Two Other Draftees

May 6th, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cardinals have officially signed three draft picks, locking up first-round defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and a pair of fifth-rounders – Midwestern State safety Marqui Christian and Harvard offensive tackle Cole Toner – the team announced (Twitter link).

Nkemdiche is obviously the most notable player of the trio, having earned a first-team all-SEC selection and second-team All-America honors at Ole Miss last season. The 21-year-old is one of two major pass-rushing additions the Cardinals have made this offseason, joining trade acquisition Chandler Jones. Nkemdiche’s draft stock fell because of past off-field transgressions, enabling the Cardinals to snag him at No. 29. If those issues are behind him, Nkemdiche should help boost a Cardinals defense that finished just 20th in the NFL in sacks last season.

Nkemdiche’s four-year rookie deal will be worth upward of $8.6MM, including more than $4.45MM in guarantees, according to data from Over the Cap. As a first-rounder, his contract will also include a fifth-year option, though its worth won’t be known until 2019.

With Nkemdiche, Christian and Toner now under contract, the Cardinals have nearly half of their draft class signed. Four remaining draftees – including third-round cornerback Brandon Williams – still have to ink deals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Rumors: Cards, Giants, Cravens, Lions, Vikings

May 1st, 2016 at 9:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

A participant in the NFL draft since the inaugural selection gathering in 1936, the Giants did not take a lineman for the first time in team history this weekend. However, offensive line was a priority going into the draft, a source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, and Jack Conklin was a top-two choice on the Giants’ board before he went No. 8 to the Titans.

“There were discussions here or there,” Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross told media, including Vacchiano. “But nobody at the time who was the highest-ranked player on our board, or close to that.”

After cutting Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz prior to the start of free agency, the Giants spent wildly to upgrade their defense but have left their offensive front unchanged. Marshall Newhouse and John Jerry remain atop the depth chart at right tackle and right guard, respectively. Ben McAdoo told media after the draft the right side of the Giants’ line is far from settled.

Here’s the latest from the NFC coming out of draft weekend.

A hybrid linebacker/safety at USC, Su’a Cravens will begin his career with Washington at safety, Stephen Czarda writes for the team’s website. The 20-year-old Cravens started his career as a true freshman in 2013 as a strong safety before moving to an outside linebacker/safety hybrid role in the ensuing two seasons in Los Angeles. He compiled 10.5 career sacks and nine interceptions in three seasons.
Thanks to former teammate Laremy Tunsil‘s unfortunate Thursday night, Robert Nkemdiche‘s name didn’t come up much during Round 1 until the Cardinals took the polarizing Ole Miss defensive lineman at No. 29. The Cardinals did their due diligence on the former No. 1 overall recruit, meeting with him on four occasions, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes.
Drafting for need has become a somewhat of a frowned-upon phrase in modern drafting, but the Cardinals were pleased their picks filled some of their depth chart’s key voids, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (TwitLonger link). “This is not always the goal, because we said we were going to trust our board,” GM Steve Keim said, “but we filled needs with players we’re excited about. That’s not always the case when you walk away from the draft.” After Nkemdiche in the first and a second-round pick that went toward fortifying their pass rush in the Chandler Jones trade, Arizona selected two corners — Brandon Williams and Harlon Miller — and after losing Ted Larsen in the offseason selected a center in Evan Boehm.
Under new GM Bob Quinn, the Lions are expected to give UDFAs base salary guarantees, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter). This is a tactic the Lions haven’t used in the recent past, although Quinn’s former organization, the Patriots, as Birkett writes, do so often. Although the Lions haven’t unveiled their UDFA contingent yet, offensive lineman Chase Farris is expected to be among them. Birkett reports (via Twitter) the Ohio State product will have $10K of his base salary guaranteed in addition to a $10K signing bonus.
The Vikings are expected to place Mackensie Alexander behind Captain Munnerlyn at slot corner, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Vensel offers that Alexander’s selection — the Vikings’ third cornerback taken in the top two rounds in the past four years, joining Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes — could bring about an end to Munnerlyn’s tenure in Minnesota after 2016. Munnerlyn was the Vikings’ top corner in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus. The 28-year-old corner is entering the final season of a three-year contract.

Draft Rumors: Spence, J. Smith, Rankins, Vikes

April 27th, 2016 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Eastern Kentucky edge defender Noah Spence, who had multiple positive drug tests during his time at Ohio State, sent each of the NFL’s 32 teams the results of the 20 drug tests he has taken since last May, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, Spence had Eastern Kentucky conduct five drug tests from May through December, then submitted to 15 more – one per week – since January.

In terms of pure on-field talent, Spence is viewed as one of the top pass rushers in this year’s draft class, but his off-field question marks may cause him to slip a little further than he’d like. Still, he continues to be viewed as a first-round pick, and receiving evidence that he has been clean for the last year may make some teams a little more inclined to roll the dice on him.

Here are a few more of today’s pre-draft rumors and updates:

Despite his significant knee injury, which is expected to sideline him for the entire 2016 season, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith is still viewed as a potential day-one or day-two pick, according to Adam Schefter (Twitter links). Schefter hears that Smith is likely to be selected before the end of round three, and one NFL head coach even believes the linebacker could come off the board late in the first round.
The buzz surrounding Louisville defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins has intensified today. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) both have heard that Rankins will be considered as early as No. 4 by the Cowboys, with La Canfora predicting that he’ll end up as a top-10 pick. Tony Pauline at WalterFootball.com has heard that the draft stocks for both Rankins and Mississippi State DT Chris Jones have risen, with teams seeking interior pass rushers.
Several NFL teams think Ohio State wideout Michael Thomas is being undervalued, and will transition well to the NFL, according to Tony Pauline, who says the Chargers and Bengals are among the teams with interest in Thomas. Pauline adds within the same article that the Vikings aren’t a lock to draft a receiver in round one, and will consider Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche if he’s available.
With Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley being mentioned in the same conversations as Laremy Tunsil recently, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk looks into whether or not the Tunsil/Stanley debate is real.
The NFL is considering Philadelphia and Los Angeles to host the 2017 NFL draft, with Philly emerging as the favorite, tweets Adam Schefter. As Schefter points out, neither of those cities’ teams has a first-round pick in 2017.
Purdue defensive tackle Ryan Watson has visited, worked out for, or received inquiries from eight teams since his pro day, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Nkemdiche, Fins, Spence, CBs

April 24th, 2016 at 9:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps the most polarizing player in 2016’s prospect pool, Robert Nkemdiche drew the tag of the defensive lineman most likely to be a bust among scouts surveyed by Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Although one scout referred to the former Ole Miss standout as a “flash player … with disaster written all over him,” in a statement relating to the former No. 1 overall recruit’s on-field abilities, it’s an old-school sentiment among scouts and executives that has decision-makers concerned.

Of the scouts interviewed, 11 of the 18 singled out Nkemdiche as the biggest bust candidate and some offered the lineman’s wider range of interests and his background as reasons why football won’t matter as much to him. Nkemdiche’s mother is a diplomat who often works in Nigeria and his father works as a cardiologist.

“He’s like a lot of kids from this generation. He’s grown up in some privilege, and that family is involved with so many different endeavors. You’re not going to get rid of that,” a scout told McGinn. “He doesn’t just think football, football, football 24/7. That’s not always the most attractive guy from a football standpoint. Coaches like them a little bit better if it’s football 24/7.”

Here’s the latest from around the league.

Among the scouts surveyed in the Journal Sentinel piece, they were more bullish on the overall crop of defensive linemen than the pass-rushers in the draft. “It’s a tremendous draft for defensive linemen,” an NFC executive told McGinn. “But it’s probably average for pass-rushers.” Among the scouts’ preferences for certain schemes, Joey Bosa ranked as the best defensive end in a 4-3, with DeForest Buckner earning that tag for 3-4 ends. Jarran Reed ranked as the anonymous scout coalition’s best projected 4-3 tackle, and Kenny Clark topped the list for who’d thrive most as a 3-4 nose.
The Dolphins have spent a lot of time with Nkemdiche through the draft process, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Miami holds the No. 13 pick, which is higher than Nkemdiche’s been slated to go by most outlets during the pre-draft process.
Maryland defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson also recently met with Dolphins DC Vance Joseph, while Arizona guard/tackle Lene Maiava, former BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi and Ohio State tight end Nick Vannett are also potential Fins targets, Jackson reports. Dolphins coaches have observed Koufasi and Vannett’s workouts.
Former LSU TE/OL Dillon Gordon has hired Rosenhaus Sports for representation, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). Gordon was recently denied an injury hardship waiver that would have allowed him to return to the collegiate ranks, meaning he’ll instead head to the NFL draft.
Interest in the Chargers‘ No. 3 overall pick has dissipated considerably after the Eagles made the move to acquire the Browns’ No. 2 overall selection, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Noah Spence‘s trajectory points up as draft week nears, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Spence seems to have a wide variance between his landing spots. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay project the Eastern Kentucky pass-rusher to go off the board midway through the second round, yet several mock drafts have put the former Ohio State performer as a first-round pick.
Josh Norman signing a cornerback-record $75MM deal will have other top-tier corners seeking raises, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Citing Chris Harris‘ assessment that left Norman out of the Broncos corner’s top five at the position for consistency reasons, Florio notes that if other notable corners view themselves as superior to Norman they’ll want this kind of money.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this report

North Notes: Steelers, Stafford, Nkemdiche

April 21st, 2016 at 8:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though the Steelers were reported as an early suitor for free agent Josh Norman, the match never made sense, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (and notably, new reports have indicated that Pittsburgh is not, in fact, in the running for Norman). The Steelers have less than $4MM available in cap space, and given that Norman is said to be targeting an annual salary north of $14MM, the numbers were never going to add up.

Let’s take a trip around the NFL’s two North divisions…

Lions GM Bob Quinn admitted that DT Robert Nkemdiche is a red flag player, but said that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t select a player like that (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). Quinn also made it clear at today’s presser that the team has no interest in trading Matthew Stafford, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
Free agent tight end Chase Ford said he hasn’t heard from the Vikings, the club with whom he spent 2013-14, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Ford has had a busy six months or so — the Ravens signed him in November, but then waived him earlier this month after offering him an RFA tender. The Browns claimed Ford, but similarly waived him just a week later.
Using the concept of surplus value, Brian Burke of ESPN.com declares the Browns the winner of last week’s draft pick trade with the Eagles.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Ball, Mason, Spence

April 13th, 2016 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, an arbitrator ruled that the NFL’s policy of placing players who are under investigation on paid leave using the commissioner’s exempt list is valid, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post writes. The NFL Players Association had filed a grievance against the policy, which has affected players such as Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy, but the league scored a win over the union after having seen a handful of Roger Goodell‘s decisions overturned in court within the last couple years.

In the wake of the arbitrator’s ruling, optimism has “dimmed considerably” about the prospects of the NFL and NFLPA reaching a compromise on Goodell’s role in player discipline, writes Maske. Multiple sources tell Maske that there are no negotiations happening between the two sides regarding that issue at this point, with one source suggesting it may not be addressed until the next CBA: “We are where we are…. [It] seems like [there’s] nothing to talk about until 2020.”

As we wait to see what battle is next on the docket for the NFL and NFLPA, let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL…

A pair of running backs have been dealing with legal trouble this week, with free agent Montee Ball arrested for felony bail jumping and Rams back Tre Mason missing an arraignment related to his March arrest. WKOW’s Robyn Turner has the story on Ball, while Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com has the details on Mason.
Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence is visiting the Texans today and will visit the Saints tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, another potential first-round defender with some off-field question marks, Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss, has visits on tap with the Saints and Bengals, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com and Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) had similar ideas, with each scribe writing articles proposing trades that could take place before or during this year’s draft. Both Corry and Sando suggested hypothetical deals involving Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, and Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.
The NFL’s VP of football operations Merton Hanks has left the league office, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s not known if the NFL or Hanks made the final call on his departure, but one source tells PFT that the move was part of an effort by the league to upgrade in that area. Two other NFL employees, Joe Hurta and Russ Giglio, are out as well, says Florio.

AFC Rumors: Steelers, Patriots, Easley, Texans

April 11th, 2016 at 7:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have used the majority of their pre-draft visits within the last week, and announced several more today. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes, the following players were in Pittsburgh today to meet with the club: Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones, West Virginia safety Karl Joseph, South Carolina wide receiver Pharoh Cooper, Virginia Tech linebacker Dadi Nicolas, Colorado cornerback Ken Crawley, Maryland safety Sean Davis, and Boston College safety Justin Simmons.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Arkansas running back Jonathan Williams is visiting with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium today, sources tell Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). The Pats previously met with the tailback at the combine. Williams, 22, missed the 2015 regular season after undergoing foot surgery. In 2014, he racked up 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground despite splitting carries.
Patriots defensive lineman Dominique Easley has hired agents Drew Rosenhaus and Michael Katz of Rosenhaus Sports for representation, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Easley, 23, has been plagued by injuries since being selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. In December of last season, he was placed on IR with a leg injury. In his injury-shortened sophomore year, Easley totaled 15 tackles and two sacks as a part-time player.
Texas Tech’s Jakeem Grant is visiting the Texans, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. The wide receiver/kick returner has also worked out for the Dolphins, Colts, and Jets. Grant returned four kicks for touchdowns over the course of his collegiate career with the Red Raiders and caught 90 passes for 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

West Notes: A. Davis, Chargers, Cardinals

April 11th, 2016 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

In his MMQB column this week, Peter King noted that one source believes the 49ers “want to trade” veteran offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who remains on the reserve/retired list for now. Davis took to Twitter to let his followers know that GM Trent Baalke sent him a text message calling King’s tidbit “false reporting.”

What to make of King’s report and Baalke’s response (via Davis)? For what it’s worth, King presented the info as something that one high-ranking team executive believed, rather than something King himself was formally reporting. Still, it’s unlikely that the team exec simply invented the notion that Davis might be on the trade block. It’s possible that Baalke and the Niners have sent out feelers without explicitly shopping their offensive tackle, attempting to get a sense of their options.

As we wait for further developments on the Davis situation, let’s round up some more items from out of the NFL’s West divisions…

The Chargers, who hold the third overall pick in this month’s draft, hosted Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil for a visit today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Tunsil is considered by many experts the top prospect in this year’s draft class, so he may not be on the board at No. 3, but San Diego is doing its homework just in case.
Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, who is in Pittsburgh today, is scheduled to visit the Chargers next, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
After playing for the Cardinals for 12 seasons, longtime safety Adrian Wilson is now a part of the team in another capacity. According to a press release, Wilson has joined Arizona’s personnel department as a full-time scout.

AFC Draft Updates: Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs

April 7th, 2016 at 8:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens hosted Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and West Virginia safety Karl Joseph today, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was also in Baltimore visiting the Ravens today, per Breer (via Twitter). Stanley is considered by most to be a top-10 lock, but not all teams agree, as Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net recently reported. Some scouts have concerns about Stanley’s apparent lack of athleticism.

Here are several more updates on draft visits and workouts from out of the AFC:

Ohio State wideouts Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas worked out for the Titans last week, then got a look from three Bengals evaluators on Monday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report adds (via Twitter) that he keeps hearing Thomas is a top target for Cincinnati.
University of Miami defensive lineman Ufomba Kamalu, defensive back Deon Bush, wide receiver Rashawn Scott, and wideout Herb Waters were all a part of the Dolphins‘ local prospect day, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (all four Twitter links). Western Michigan WR Daniel Braverman and Western Kentucky QB Brandon Doughty were among the other prospects with Florida roots to participate in the Dolphins’ local day, per Salguero (Twitter links).
In other Dolphins draft news, the team is privately working out Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson on Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Northern Illinois inside linebacker Perez Ford visited the Chiefs today, a source tells Aaron Wilson. Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that North Dakota fullback Will Ratelle, a converted linebacker, visited Kansas City.
Tennessee wide receiver Marquez North had private workouts with the Colts and Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: Stanley, Nkemdiche, Cowboys, Bills, Bucs, Bills

April 5th, 2016 at 9:08am CST by Zachary Links

Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame is considered by most as a top 10 lock, but not all teams agree, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes (for PhiladelphiaEagles.com). Some scouts are worried about the left tackle’s athleticism and others just see him as flat out overrated, and that’s causing his stock to drop. It’s possible then that Stanley will go from the top 10 to somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Here are the latest draft rumors from around the NFL:

Ole Miss defensive end Robert Nkemdiche will meet with the Jaguars on Wednesday and the Ravens on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Nkemdiche met with Arizona on Monday and will check in with Oakland today.
Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is visiting the Bills, Buccaneers, and Cowboys this week, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. Garafolo wonders if Dallas might be considering a trade back from No. 4 to take Rankins.
Indiana left tackle Jason Spriggs is gaining momentum and “several personnel people believe he’s a lock to be selected in the bottom third of round one,” Pauline writes.
Rees Odhiambo will take visits with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, and Dolphins and has a workout with the Saints, per Rapoport (on Twitter).
Former Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock has worked out for Patriots, Lions, Ravens and Vikings, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. He’s also scheduled to meet with the Dolphins this week.
Middle Tennessee State defensive back Kevin Byard will work out for the Panthers on Tuesday, visit the Falcons on Wednesday, visit the Chiefs on Thursday, and visit the Packers on Friday, as Wilson tweets.
Texas-El Paso defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris will visit the Raiders and Chiefs and work out for the Bears and Vikings, Wilson tweets.
Southern Mississippi offensive lineman Norman Price is generating some buzz as of late, Pauline writes.
Western Kentucky cornerback Prince Charles Iworah is vaulting up draft boards and could land in the fourth round, Pauline writes.