NFL
By Tim Peterson
The rumors get hotter and heavier as the NFL Draft day gets closer and closer. With the draft scheduled for April 30- May 2 we keep hearing about who’s moving up, who’s moving down and who is simply being moved.
Here’s the latest rumor. The St. Louis Rams at number 10 trade up with Jacksonville to number three to land Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. This would happen (so the rumor is) because the Rams are convinced that Tennessee is going to grab USC DE Leonard Williams at two leaving Mariota available. The Rams of course did recently land Nick Foles but they figure Mariota will push Foles if not beat him out and they’re willing to make the move. Again so goes the rumor.
The Eagles, currently holding the number 20 spot, would seem to make more sense as the team wanting to make a trade to grab Mariota. Eagles HC Chip Kelly coached Mariota in college and once called him the most talented player he’s ever coached. Wouldn’t it also make more sense to target Tennessee at two rather than Jacksonville? Who knows for sure that the Titans won’t take Mariota?
At this point everybody is assuming that Tampa Bay will take Jameis Winston with the first pick despite his off the field troubles. The Buccaneers have made it clear that they’re comfortable with Winston, baggage and all. Winston reportedly has impressed in interviews and looked good at the NFL Combine.
The draft will take place this year in Chicago, the first time it has been held outside New York City since 1965.
Oakland at number four wants a wide receiver but it might not be Alabama’s Amari Cooper. The Raiders reportedly like Kevin White of West Virginia because he is 6-3 and Cooper is 6-1.
If there are no trades and Tennessee does take Mariota at two then the Jags are expected to take Williams at three. The Rams could be leaning towards an offensive lineman. La’el Collins of LSU?
The NFL is now a quarterbacks league but there are several good running backs available this year. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley are expected go in the opening round. Last year, Washington’s Bishop Sankey was the first running back taken when he was selected by the Titans with the 22nd pick of the second round.
San Diego, with Ryan Matthews now in Philly, could be looking at Gurley with the 17th pick while Gordon could go to Arizona at 24.
Williams is the only local player (USC, UCLA) that is projected to go in the first round. Bruin quarterback Brett Hundley is slated to go in the second round.
The Houston Texans are counting on DE Jadeveon Clowney to be completely healed from knee surgery by the time camp opens this summer. Clowney, who was the number one pick in last year’s draft, has been receiving “encouraging” reports from doctors.
The Minnesota Vikings have signed cornerback Terrance Newman to a one-year deal. Newman has spent the least three years with Cincinnati after nine with Dallas.
OT Jonathan Martin was cut by San Francisco on Thursday but was signed by Carolina on Friday. Martin was the subject of the bullying scandal in Miami involving Richie Incognito in 2013.
Last week DE Randy Gregory from Nebraska admitted he failed a drug test at the NFL combine. He said hadn’t smoked weed since December but that the THC was still in his system. It was obviously a stupid move by Gregory – it isn’t like he didn’t know the combine was coming. But it probably won’t affect him in the draft. He is expected to go as high (no pun intended) as six to the New York Jets.
Over the next few weeks in “NFL Talk” we will be breaking down the NFL Draft as well as going over which NFL teams had the best and worst off seasons.
Tim can be reached at tim@midalleysports.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40.
Leave a Reply