Teddy Bridgewater

Browns Notes: Bortles, Watkins, Bridgewater

Currently armed with the No. 4 and 26 overall picks, the Browns are primed to come away from Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft with two potential difference makers. And, considering the team’s recent offensive woes — 27th in points scored last season — many have already written “quarterback to the Browns in the first round” in permanent ink.

Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, who led the Knights to a 12-1 season behind 25 touchdowns and 3,581 passing yards, has been described by Browns head coach Mike Pettine as an ideal quarterback, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

“He has all the measurables,” Pettine said in late March at the NFL owners meetings in late March. “If you look at him, if you said, ‘Draw me an NFL quarterback,’ that’s probably who you’d draw. I think the thing that’s impressive about him is his ability in crunch time in a lot of tight games, a lot of come-from-behind wins, you can see he’s confident, can make all the throws. I think he’s a better athlete than some people give him credit for.”

Ulrich writes that Pettine “made it clear” last week during minicamp that he’d prefer to sit a rookie quarterback behind incumbent starter Brian Hoyer as opposed to throwing the rookie’s feet to the fire immediately. This jived with what ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said on a recent conference call, noting that Bortles needs another year to develop.

If the Browns do end up selecting Bortles with the No. 4 selection, being able to sit him behind Hoyer would be a nice luxury, as well as having Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron to throw to when he does get handed the reins. As touched on by PFR’s David Kipke in this enlightening piece on the Browns’ quarterback draft options, next week could prove to be a watershed event in the team’s history.

More draft notes from Cleveland Browns camp…

  • Responding to a question as to whether the Browns could grab Sammy Watkins at No. 4 and then possibly trade up from No. 26 for Teddy Bridgewater, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer said she just doesn’t know if the team likes him enough to make the move. She does think it’s likely the team selects a QB with its second first-round pick if they do go with Watkins with the fourth selection.
  • Asked who the Browns are legitimately considering at No. 4, Cabot gave three names: Watkins, Buffalo edge rusher Khalil Mack and Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson.
  • Cabot said she’d go with Fresno State’s Derek Carr if she were GM of the Browns and had to select a quarterback with the No. 4 pick.
  • Joe DeLamielleure, a 2003 Hall of Fame enshrinee who played five season on the Browns offensive line in the ’80s, said he would take Watkins and Johnny Manziel, via Bill Landis of cleveland.com.

Mayock Talks Manziel, Bridgewater, Clowney

NFL Network’s resident draft guru Mike Mayock shined some light on the upcoming NFL player selection meeting with Steve Serby of the New York Post. We’ve parsed the best quotes for your reading pleasure below…

On the difficulty of evaluating Johnny Manziel: 

“I think he’s the most different quarterback evaluation I’ve ever had to do. No. 1 is his style on the field, and No. 2, is off the field. And you have to buy into both to say that he’s a franchise quarterback. I love watching this kid play, and I think whatever “it” is, he has “it.” I think he’s got a little bit of that edge with a Lawrence Taylor, a Warren Sapp where Sundays, he’s gonna show up and want to be the best player on the field every Sunday. However, you’re gonna have to deal with some of his off-the-field stuff, and you’re gonna have to try to get him to develop into a pocket passer also. Put a gun to my head, and say I can take only one quarterback and I have to take one in the top 10, he would be my guy.”

On the lack of an “it factor” with Teddy Bridgewater:

“Yeah, that’s one of the harder ones for me just because basically, you go to a kid’s Pro Day at the quarterback position to confirm what you’ve seen on tape. And he’s the only top-level quarterback I’ve seen in 10 years, where I haven’t been able to confirm in person what I saw on tape. I think ultimately he’s gonna be a good quarterback in the league, but I think he’s a year or two away from being able to accept the challenge.”

On Jadeveon Clowney’s pro prospects:

“He’s easy on tape to evaluate. I keep saying that when he woke up this morning, he was the most talented defensive lineman in the world. That doesn’t necessarily translate into the best defensive lineman, unless he has the work ethic and the edge to want to prove that. And when you hand him $20 million guaranteed, will he? So, I think the jury is still out on the kid, but it certainly isn’t out on the talent.”

On potential trade activity in the first round of the draft:

“I think that the first three or four teams would love to trade down. The perception is this draft is so good and so talented, let’s go get some more picks. The reality of this draft is that certain positions are very thin — defensive tackle, edge rusher … offensive tackle, it drops off after about 8 or 9. So I think we’re gonna see some different places in the draft where there’s a run on a particular position. And I think early in the draft in that top 10, it’ll be interesting to see if Atlanta or somebody comes up to try and get Clowney.”

On the chances the Cowboys take Manziel at No. 16 if he’s there:

“I don’t know. That to me is really interesting. They got a 34-year-old quarterback coming off his second back surgery, and they’ve got a hometown hero and an owner that’s not afraid of making a splash. So, you add all that up, and if they got on the clock and Manziel is available. … I think there’d be a greater than 50/50 chance they pull the trigger on him.”

AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Carr, Bucannon

A lot of talk has been made about what the Jaguars are going to do in the first round. A team with so many holes and needs is in a unique position to take the best player available or trade down in the draft. The team’s biggest need is arguably quarterback, and general manager David Caldwell has some interesting thoughts about some of those top prospects, specifically Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel, writes Daniel Lago of BlackAndTeal.com.

“Johnny would probably be the one guy you could plug in there sooner rather than later,” Caldwell said. “Just because his style of play isn’t going to change much from Year 1 to Year 2.”

Caldwell also noted the team would not have to drastically change their playbook to accommodate Manziel’s unique skill set.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

  • While he either really likes Manziel or just wants to help find a trade partner looking to move up for the star quarterback, Caldwell also had good things to say about Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. Lago notes that while most teams have downgraded Bridgewater due to poor workouts, the Jaguars remain relatively high on him. Although, the team would still be considered unlikely to select him with the third-overall pick.
  • The Jaguars are not the only team in the division looking for a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. It has been made clear that the Texans are going to bring in a signal caller in the first two rounds, but the Titans have shown a lot of interest in improving the position as well. Paul Kuharskey of ESPN.com pegs the Titans as having major interest in Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, and could either move down in the first round or up in the second round to acquire his talents.
  • The Colts do not come to the podium until the 59th overall selection late in the second round, but that doesn’t stop those draftniks from trying to figure out who they will select. Mike Chappell of IndyStar.com wrote that the team would be ecstatic if safety Deone Bucannon of Washington State was still available that late in Day 2 of the Draft. Chappell writes that it would help ease the blow of losing Antoine Bethea.

Draft Notes: Ravens, Giants, Lions, Bengals

The Ravens have committed plenty of time and resources to scouting prospects from smaller schools, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. That extensive research paid off in 2008 when the team selected Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco. Since, the team has picked a number of players from small schools, including four of their ten selections last season.

“I think, in general, scouting has gotten better across the league,” assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said. “Teams are doing better jobs, so we’ve tried to find value by more closely looking at small-school players. Our scouts do a great job of going out there and evaluating those guys.

“We get the chance to see a small-school guy at the Senior Bowl, you get a chance to see him at the Combine to compare against the big-school guys. That’s always a big challenge. The other thing is, ‘How are players going to get better?’ At small schools, sometimes they don’t have the luxury of having a nice weight room, nutritional programs or support staff. We feel like sometimes these guys come into our facility… and get better quickly because they have the advantage of all these new things.”

Among the Ravens’ previous small-school selections are Flacco, Lardarius Webb and Gino Gradkowski.

Now, for some more Draft notes from around the NFL…

  • New Mexico State wide receiver Austin Franklin visited with the Giants, reports Wilson. The wideout had 52 catches for 670 yards last season.
  • Teddy Bridgewater could be a fallback option for the Bengalstweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The team is seeking a cornerback and defensive lineman, but could select the Louisville quarterback if they decide he’s the best player on the board.
  • The Lions are looking for a center and Florida State’s Bryan Stork would be a very good option, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Rimington Trophy winner (awarded to the nation’s best center) would compete with veteran Dominic Raiola, who signed a one-year deal to return to Detroit earlier this offseason.

Draft Notes: Manziel, Bridgewater, Giants

As a companion piece to his cover story in Sports Illustrated, Peter King of TheMMQB.com conducts a virtual roundtable with former quarterbacks and coaches on the value of Johnny Manziel. Meanwhile, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports says no QB in this year’s class has improved his stock more over the last few weeks than Manziel, who has quelled many concerns about potential off-field distractions (Twitter links). According to Glazer (via Twitter), one team that didn’t rank Manziel among its top four signal-callers a month ago now has him at No. 1.

Here are a few more Thursday draft updates:

  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk questions whether Teddy Bridgewater‘s stock is really falling as much as has been suggested, or if teams always had questions and concerns about the Louisville quarterback, with the media playing catch-up on that perception.
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry takes a look at how the 2011 CBA has affected teams’ approaches to the draft. As one front office exec tells Corry, the fifth-year option for first-rounders may result in teams near the back of the top 10 wanting to trade down, in order to get that fifth-year option at a more reasonable price.
  • “Word on the street” suggests that the Giants prefer Zack Martin to fellow offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who identifies 10 potential candidates for New York’s first-round pick.
  • Dixie State tight end Joe Don Duncan, who was unable to work out at the combine due to a broken foot, has been medically cleared and had a Pro Day in California for NFL teams, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
  • Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Boyd paid a pre-draft visit to the Falcons, according to Wilson. Boyd is projected to be a mid-to-late-round pick.

Draft Notes: Bridgewater, Seamster, Pierre-Louis

If Teddy Bridgewater slides into the second round or later (and if he can subsequently prove an injury or illness), he should collect $5MM in tax-free money, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. Following this past college season, the Louisville quarterback added $5MM to his $10MM total disability injury policy while supplementing that with loss-of-value insurance worth $5MM.

Bridgewater purchased the policy for $20K when he was projected to be the number-three pick, and a source told Rovell that Bridgewater would start to collect if he falls out of the top 11. Rovell also adds that the difference between being picked third overall and 33rd overall (first pick of the second round) is about $15MM.

Here are some more draft notes, all from Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and The Baltimore Sun…

  • Middle Tennessee State cornerback Sammy Seamster met with the Jaguars and the Giants last week, reports Wilson. Seamster previously met with the Chiefs and Dolphins.
  • Linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis visited the Giantsreports Wilson. The former Boston College Eagle finished last season with 108 tackles and six sacks.
  • Kansas State offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas auditioned for about half the NFL teams today, writes Wilson. Lucas was medically cleared two weeks ago after having sustained a foot injury. The Raiders were among the teams at his showcase today, and the Dolphins and Saints have already expressed interest.

AFC Notes: Jags, Bridgewater, Claiborne

The 2013 NFL draft was a curious one in several respects, with its most notable quirk being the lack of top-tier talent at the quarterback position. For twelve years, at least four QBs were taken in the first round of the draft, but in 2013, only one was selected (E.J. Manuel). The tradition of a quarterback-heavy first round figures to return in full force this season, with a bevy of signal-callers projected to be drafted early.

However, quarterbacks that might be taken on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft offer skill-sets that in many respects are equally as intriguing as their Day 1 counterparts, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union wonders if the Jaguars would be better served selecting one of the “second-tier” QBs instead of targeting one of the players expected to go in the first round. Specifically, O’Halloran names SEC products Zach Mettenberger, Aaron Murray, and A.J. McCarron as possible solutions to Jacksonville’s quarterback woes. Such a selection would allow the Jags to land a truly elite talent with their No. 3 overall pick, rather than play the lottery with high-ceiling but concerning talents like Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater.

Now for more from the AFC:

  • Speaking of Bridgewater, his quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator at Louisville, Sam Watson, believes the young QB is a “slam dunk” despite his oft-criticized Pro Day performance, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. As Ulrich notes, the Browns, who are expected to take a quarterback with one of their two first-round choices (Nos. 4 and 26 overall) might be inclined to agree.
  • The Browns, however, are also interested in Aaron Murray, who visited with Cleveland on Wednesday and will work out for the team today, writes Jason Butt of the National Football Post.
  • ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes that if the Jets are unable to land a CB in the first round of the draft, they may be in the market for a veteran corner, possibly via trade. Although the Cowboys’ Morris Claiborne has been discussed as a trade possibility, the cap charge Dallas would have to absorb if they dealt Claiborne ($9.6MM) would probably make such a trade untenable.
  • In the same piece, Cimini writes that the Jets were interested in WR Julian Edelman before he re-signed with New England, and Rex Ryan was very intrigued with the possibility of stealing Edelman away from New York’s division rival.
  • ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss believes that, with the above-mentioned run on quarterbacks that is expected to take place in the first round of this year’s draft, a top-15 or even top-10 talent could fall to the Patriots at No. 29.
  • In the same piece, Reiss adds that Patriots VP of Player Personnel Nick Caserio is scheduled to meet with Illinois TE Evan Wilson early this week.

Prospect Profile: Teddy Bridgewater

The quarterback position is the number one priority for a handful of teams drafting in the top ten. The Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders, Buccaneers, and Vikings could all use huge upgrades at the position, and all will most likely have the opportunity to select one of the top three or four quarterback prospects.

Even though there is such a tremendous need at the top of the draft, that does not guarantee that those quarterbacks will be coming off the board early. Part of that is the lack of consensus among the top quarterbacks. Zach Links already looked at the current favorite to be the top quarterback taken in UCF’s Blake Bortles, but the original star of this quarterback class was Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. (For what it’s worth, Johnny Manziel also spent some time on the top of those big boards.)

Bridgewater stands tall enough between 6’2″ and 6’3″ depending on who you ask, but his slight frame leaves much to be desired. He certainly lacks the massive size of Bortles, but makes up for it with his own strengths. Bridgewater was a three year starter at Louisville before leaving after his junior season. Had he been allowed to leave after his sophomore season, he would have likely been the first quarterback off the board, ahead of both E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith. Thought of as “NFL ready” due to his quick release, poise in the pocket, and ability to quickly scan and read defenses, there were moments in time when it was a foregone conclusion that Bridgewater and Jadeveon Clowney would be drafted first and second overall, in some order.

Of course, throughout the draft process Bridgewater’s stock has dropped off. Bortles of course has passed him due to his prototypical size, and Manziel shot out of a rocket and has become such a love him or hate him prospect, it seems every team has either put him at the top of their wish list or taken him off their board altogether. Bridgewater struggled with accuracy and mechanics at his pro day, establishing red flags that made scouts and pundits question why they thought he was so “NFL ready” to begin with.

His play on the field is still impressive. He completed almost 69% of his passes as a sophomore, and improved that number to 71% as a junior. In those last two years, he posted 28 and 31 touchdowns against 7 and 4 interceptions, respectively. Bridgewater was often calm under pressure, and handled blitzes and pass rushers effectively and efficiently.

Draft expert Mike Mayock of NFL.com has downgraded Bridgewater out of his first-round projection.

“I’ve never seen a top-level quarterback in the last 10 years have a bad pro day, until Teddy Bridgewater. He had no accuracy, the ball came out funny, the arm strength wasn’t there, and it made me question everything I saw on tape because this was live. I went back and watched a bunch more tape and compared him to the rest of the guys in the draft,” said Mayock. “And like it or not, I’ve come to a conclusion — if I was a GM in the NFL, I would not take him in the first round of the draft.”

Not everyone has given up on Bridgewater completely. While he has clearly fallen behind Bortles as an option for the Texans (No. 1), Jaguars (No. 3), and Browns (No. 4), mock drafts still put him as high as the Buccaneers (No. 7) and Vikings (No. 8). Even for those who see him falling fast, there has been a narrative that see the Browns selecting one of the elite defensive players or a receiver such as Sammy Watkins with their first pick, and catching Bridgewater or possibly Derek Carr with the pick they received in the Trent Richardson deal with the Colts (No. 26).

Draft Notes: Ebron, Ford, McGill, Bridgewater

North Carolina’s Eric Ebron took to Twitter to announce that he’ll be traveling to New York, Florida, and Tennessee this week. The Jets would be a logical destination for the athletic tight end, though he may not last until pick No. 18. Of course, he could also pay the Giants a visit he’s in town and Florida could mean stops with the Buccaneers, Dolphins, or Jaguars. Ebron could certainly be in play for the Titans at No. 11 and they’ve been said to have interest in recent weeks. A look at tonight’s draft news..

  • Auburn standout Dee Ford, who visited the Falcons today, has already paid a visit to the Texans, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Ford is a classic hybrid pass rusher as a 3-4 outside linebacker who could potentially play defensive end in a 4-3 scheme if he bulks up.
  • Utah cornerback Keith McGill is visiting the Jets today, a source tells Seth Walder of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter) hears that the Dolphins like Tennessee right tackle Ju’Wuan James. The 6’6″ 312 pound lineman is likely a second round type.
  • When all is said and done, the talk about Teddy Bridgewater plummeting in the draft might be much ado about nothing, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Draft Notes: Browns, Norwood, Allen

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater visited with the Browns today, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Rapoport adds that Bridgewater will next meet with the Texans.

Bridgewater also had a private workout with the Browns, and as Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal writes, “When all is said and done, the Browns will have privately worked out all the top-rated quarterbacks in the draft and will have had all the top prospects to Berea for a personal visit.” Schudel notes that UCF signal-caller Blake Bortles is visiting the Browns today and tomorrow, Georgia’s Aaron Murray indicated he would be visiting with the team April 22-23, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr will visit April 24.

Of course, Cleveland already worked worked out Texas A&M superstar Johnny Manizel several days ago, and Manziel also plans to “squeeze in” a visit with the Browns later this month. The Browns will meet with Murray again next week in Athens, Ga. Our own David Kipke detailed the wide variety of options that the Browns have when it comes to selecting a QB in this year’s draft, and they have certainly done their due diligence. Now it will be up to Ray Farmer and company to effectively evaluate what they have seen and make the decision that previous Cleveland regimes have been unable to make.

Several quick draft notes:

  • We learned this morning that Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney were visiting with the Texans today, and Mark Berman of FOX Houston tweets that Manziel was having dinner with head coach Bill O’Brien and his offensive staff, while Clowney was dining with GM Rick Smith and the team’s defensive staff.
  • Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Alabama WR Kevin Norwood says the Eagles and Panthers have indicated they have strong interest in him.
  • Tim McManus of Philadelphia Magazine writes that Wisconsin DT Beau Allen could be a fit for the Eagles. Philadelphia’s defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro recruited Allen out of high school while working in the same capacity under Chip Kelly at Oregon, and Azzinaro was present at Wisconsin’s pro day last month. Allen is projected to be a mid- to late-round selection.