NFL - NEWS & NOTES

The Chicago Bears cut Trey Burton who had a 100% completion percentage and TD rate after the Bears traded for his favourite receiver.

 

With six first-round picks, Alabama would tie Miami’s 2004 record



The betting odds for next Thursday’s NFL draft have Alabama’s over-under on first-round picks at 5.5. Which means the Crimson Tide may tie an all-time record.

In the 2004 NFL draft, six Miami Hurricanes were chosen in the first round. No college before or since has managed to get six players in the first round of one draft. But it could happen with Alabama this year.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, cornerback Trevon Diggs, safety Xavier McKinney and pass rusher Terrell Lewis are the Alabama players who have appeared in the first round of various mock drafts.

The talent Nick Saban has assembled at Alabama has been incredible. Saban took the Alabama job in 2007, and in 2008 the Crimson Tide didn’t have a single player drafted — he inherited a bare cupboard. But Alabama has had at least one first-round pick in every NFL draft since 2009, and most than one first-round pick most years.

The six Miami first-round picks in 2004 — Sean Taylor, Kellen Winslow, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Willams, Vernon Carey and Vince Wilfork — were part of a run when Miami routinely had the most talent in college football. Alabama has assumed that mantle.

NBC

 

Mock draft will use real 2020 prospect names, randomly selected by the league

A surprising number of readers have been asking questions about the mock draft that the NFL will be conducting on Monday, in preparation for the first-ever stay-at-home virtual draft.

There’s a concern that, during the mock draft, teams may end up tipping their hands regarding their plans for the draft. That will not happen.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the two-round mock draft will entail real prospect names randomly picked from the 2020 Scouting Combine list and arranged alphabetically. Also, the draft order has been randomized. The Cowboys, for example, have the first pick.

So there won’t be any secrets revealed, but the league also won’t be using names from past drafts or made-up names during the practice session.

And here’s where I’m tempted to ask you to offer up some funny made-up names that the league could have used in the comments. But I shouldn’t do that. So I won’t. I definitely won’t.

NBC

 

One of the more surprising names still available in the free-agent market may be returning to the AFC East.

The Jets have had internal discussions regarding an attempt to sign former Patriots (and most recently Titans) cornerback Logan Ryan, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Ryan signed a three-year, $30 million deal in Tennessee after the 2016 season, and he had an even better contract year this time around. With, for example, Bradley Roby getting $36 million over three years to stay in Houston, Ryan should have been at least in that ballpark.

As explained in a recent PFT mailbag, Ryan was generating defensive player of the year buzz at one point during the 2019 season. He finished with four forced fumbles, four interceptions, 4.5 sacks, 18 passes defensed, and a ball on the mantle that forever will be the product of Tom Brady‘s last pass with the Patriots, picked off by Ryan and returned for a touchdown.

Ryan’s versatility likely is keeping him unemployed. Very good at a lot of things, Ryan doesn’t exude greatness at any one specific thing. And cornerbacks who can do a lot of things have yet to generate the same kind of league-wide interest and value as safeties who do a lot of things, like Tyrann Mathieu.

One month after the free-agency market officially opened, Ryan may have to take what he can get on a one-year deal and roll the dice again in 2021. With nothing going on (other than virtual offseason programs), Ryan can afford to wait, especially if he’s ultimately going to take much less than what he thought he would/should get.

At this point, Ryan should at a minimum resist any interest until after the draft. At that point, there’s a chance that one or more teams won’t be happy with their overall situation at defensive back, will begin studying what Ryan can do, and make a run at him — whether it’s the Jets or someone else.

The Jets could suddenly make more sense after the draft if safety Jamal Adams ends up being traded before or during it. His decision not to participate in the team’s stay-at-home offseason program could be the clearest sign yet that he wants out. If he gets what he wants, the Jets would then have a greater need for Ryan.

NBC

 

Melvin Gordon: It’s gonna be exciting to face Chargers

Running back Melvin Gordon switched teams this offseason, but he didn’t switch divisions.

Gordon hopped from the Broncos to the Chargers as a free agent last month after landing a two-year deal in Denver. Gordon wanted a multi-year deal from the Chargers last year and held out for the first quarter of the regular season when it failed to materialize, which may be why the chance to face his former team is a thought that’s on his mind.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Gordon said. “It ain’t the biggest reason. I think it’s overrated. Obviously if some team’s offering me $14-15 million somewhere else . . . It’s gonna be exciting. I’ll be working out with the guys every once in a while out here in Cali and I still hang out with them. They talk trash to me.”

Gordon and the Broncos will find out when they’re scheduled to face the Chargers in the coming weeks, although those dates and just about everything else about the 2020 season will be subject to change.

NBC

 

Someone please throw a Bismo Funyuns or Hingle McCringleberry in there.

 

Really? They don't even mention LSU. LSU got 6 drafted players in BOTH our mock drafts. Alabama had 5 in each. In the last mock LSU had 8 players in the top 41. Alabama had 7 in 48.

 

Leonard Fournette may be on the way out of Jacksonville.

The Jaguars have had trade discussions with other teams about Fournette, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

It seems unlikely that Jacksonville would get much for Fournette, who has a $4.16 million base salary this season. Fournette did have his best season last year, with 1,152 rushing yards and 522 receiving yards, but running backs just aren’t valued very highly in today’s NFL.

The Jaguars, however, may take whatever they can get. Starting with last season’s Jalen Ramsey trade and continuing this offseason, they’ve prioritized acquiring draft picks over keeping veterans on their roster, and trading Fournette would be another step in their rebuilding effort.

NBC

 

They drafted him way to high and he's basically a loose cannon with a big mouth. There's lots of good RBs in the draft this year. Acquire some picks and build the team.

Plus, he disrespected Minshew and I can't put up with that.

 

Based upon your obvious Minshew bromance I won’t argue too much, other than I believe it was ok to draft him where they did.


The Jags had 4 years to complete the offense and work out a reasonable resign.

Coughlin and the coaching staff proved to be a failure in Jacksonville.

 

Coughlin completely screwing things up? Who could've seen that coming?...

 

Well it’s not as obvious as making Adam Gase your Head coach. I mean he did help construct two Super Bowl winning teams

 

Oh man, I never laughed so hard! Thanks, I needed that!

 

Titans' door not closed on signing Jadeveon Clowney

Upon the onset of free agency in mid-March, edge Jadeveon Clowney was one of the top free agents.

With the offseason's onus having moved on to the 2020 NFL Draft, Clowney is still one of the top free agents.
One potential suitor has been the Titans. Though the prospects of Clowney joining Tennessee have seemingly dimmed, it would seem there's still at least some chance.

"We'll see," Titans general manager Jon Robinson said Friday on the Official Titans Podcast, via the team website. "Like I said a couple of weeks ago, we've had some discussions there and we've had some dialogue back and forth. You never close the door on anything."

During his first five seasons with the Texans, Clowney made three Pro Bowls after Houston used the No. 1 overall pick on him to begin the 2014 draft. Traded to the Seahawks ahead of last season, Clowney mustered just three sacks, but is still viewed by many as an impact player -- evidenced by his 1.5 sacks in two playoff games for Seattle last postseason. Nonetheless, he remains without a team to call home for now.

Unlikely as it might be, the 27-year-old could still find his way back to the AFC South.

Once again, it's not likely, but the door remains ajar, according to Robinson.

"I don't think there's anything imminent in the works," Robinson said. "But we'll continue to try and work though things and see how they go."

NFL.com

 

3 sacks, and he wants to get paid like his name is TJ

 

Patriots 2020 new uni's...

 

Well if the team’s going to be worse guess they might as well lean into it and look worse, too.

 

Real missed opportunity to complete the post-Brady page turn and do something new and fresh instead of just recycling the awful color rush uniform as the regular one.

 

Gotta love Nike. I'm sure one day they'll design a decent uniform. I don't know when, but surely the amount of shots they take, one of them will work out... Right?