2014 NFL draft: Latest rumors, buzz
The Texans want to trade down from No. 1 overall, but their asking price appears to be too high. (Juan DeLeon/Icon SMI)
The rumor mill is in full swing ahead of the 2014 NFL draft (Round 1 begins at 8 p.m. ET on May 8). What's the latest buzz on Johnny Manziel, the No. 1 overall pick and more? Keep track of it all below.
MORE: 2014 NFL Mock Draft | 2014 NFL draft needs: AFC | NFL draft needs: NFC
Thursday
7:30 p.m. ET
• The Minnesota Vikings are a "team to watch" for Johnny Manziel, per ESPN's Adam Schefter (via Rotoworld).
• There's "still a chance" the Houston Texans trade the No. 1 pick, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
• It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Cleveland Browns select Blake Bortles at No. 4, says Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
• Despite earlier reports, a Mike Glennon-to-New England trade is not in the works, according to ProFootballTalk.
4:30 p.m. ET
• The Houston Texans are working on a deal for New England Patriots backup QB Ryan Mallett, and it could be done "soon," reports Tom E. Curran of Comcast Sportsnet.
• The Texans are also reportedly staying put at No. 1 overall.
• "Everybody in the league" believes USC wide receiver Marqise Lee will not get past the Packers at No. 21, says ESPN's Chris Mortensen, via Rotoworld.
• ESPN's Adam Schefter says the Jacksonville Jaguars are "absolutely intrigued" by Johnny Manziel and will consider taking him at No. 3, via Rotoworld.
• The St. Louis Rams won't find many suitors for the No. 2 pick if Jadeveon Clowney is off the board, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas.
MORE: Texans’ options at No. 1 | Most overrated prospects | Team-by-team previews
2:30 p.m. ET
• The Jets are "doing a lot of groundwork" on quarterbacks with first- and second-round grades, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Watch for Carr, watch for Garoppolo."
• Despite a back that was red-flagged by NFL teams, LSU QB Zach Mettenberger is rated in the top-half of the second round by three NFL teams, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
• Johnny Football in the city that never sleeps? It could happen, according to Jordan Raanan of the Newark Star-Ledger. "If Manziel slides to them, the Giants [who pick at No. 12] would seriously consider drafting him, a person with knowledge of the team's draft philosophy told NJ.com."
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't take Johnny Manziel at No. 7, reports Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
• The Buffalo Bills are seriously considering taking LSU WR Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 9, says Joe Buscaglia of WGR Radio in Buffalo. If the Bills do select a wideout early in the draft, they could look to trade Stevie Johnson, reports Buscaglia.
12:00 p.m. ET
• Johnny Manziel is the No. 1 player on the Dallas Cowboys' board, reports ESPN's Todd McShay, via Rotoworld. Fellow ESPNer Ed Werder said he expected Johnny Football to be drafted somewhere in the top seven picks, so Dallas would have to trade up to have a chance at him. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport disagrees, saying that Blake Bortles is the Cowboys' top QB.
• The No. 1 QB on the Oakland Raiders' board? It's Blake Bortles, reports ESPN's Adam Caplan, but he's not "getting the feeling" that the team will look QB at No. 5.
• The Raiders reportedly prefer Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans over Clemson's Sammy Watkins, says Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk. "The question becomes whether both are still on the board at No. 5, and whether the Raiders choose to pick a receiver."
• The Houston Texans have lowered their asking price for the No. 1 overall pick, reports the Houston Chronicle's John McClain. They're now hoping to get a first-, second- and third-round pick this year, and a first-rounder in 2015.
• It's Sammy Watkins or bust for the Detroit Lions, says Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. "Fascinating to see what business decision #Lions make today: Trade up for Sammy Watkins or stay put."
• Forget Johnny Football. ESPN's Pat Yasinskas says the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could target Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr if they trade down from No. 7.
• Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson is one name to keep an eye on late in the first round, reports Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
9:00 a.m. ET
• Waiting for a trade? Don't hold your breath, says TheMMQB's Peter King. "I think this could well be the first draft in awhile with no trades in the top five. There’s just too much disagreement on the value of the picks -- and no quarterback that stokes the fire of GMs with itchy trigger fingers for solving the quarterback problem." King also believes the Rams could be an option for Jadeveon Clowney if the Texans pass, and that there may not be a spot for Johnny Manziel in the top half of the draft.
• We can officially call Johnny Manziel to the Rams a smokescreen. Even Sam Bradford knew it, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Bradford, by the way, was informed about the Manziel smokescreen by the Rams before the fact, according to league sources."
• Johnny Manziel "will be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers," says Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson.
Wednesday
10:15 p.m. ET
• The Texans are reportedly seeking three first-rounders and a second-rounder for the No. 1 overall pick, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, who clarifies that the haul will obviously depend on where Houston is dropping to.
• Fresno State QB Derek Carr will be "very much" in play for Cleveland at pick No. 26, reports CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora.
• Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier is unlikely to make it pas the Dolphins at No. 19, according to PackerReport.
• Two teams who could be looking to move up Thursday? The 49ers and Broncos, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
• Per Draft Insider's Tony Pauline, a "number of team executives" believe the Panthers will take Nevada O-lineman Joel Bitonio at No. 28.
6:00 p.m. ET
• One NFL executive tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that things are "eerily quiet" on the eve of the NFL draft.
• Count LeBron James among those hoping Johnny Manziel goes No. 1 overall. "Being a huge supporter and friend of Johnny, I want him to go No. 1," James told reporters after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. "If that doesn't happen, wherever he lands, he's going to be a heck of a football player for that franchise."
• Oregon State wideout Brandin Cooks believes the Jets "are pushing" for him in the draft, via Brian Costello of the New York Post.
• For the first time ever, NFL draftees will get to choose the music that plays as they walk to the stage at Radio City Music Hall, reports NFL Network's Rich Eisen.
• Could the Dolphins move up for an O-lineman, specifically Notre Dame's Zack Martin? Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald believes so. "That’s why there’s a growing belief in league circles that the Dolphins will package a deal and go get someone they truly like Thursday night. And that player is probably versatile Notre Dame lineman Zack Martin."
4:15 p.m. ET
• Tony Pauline of Draft Insider reports that Tampa Bay Buccaneers ownership is pushing for Johnny Manziel, but new coach Lovie Smith hopes for Tampa Bay to draft Aaron Donald.
• There's a "sense" that Blake Bortles would be a target for the Texans if they traded out of the No. 1 spot, reports ESPN's Ed Werder, via Rotoworld.
• The Dolphins "love" Tennessee tackle Ja'Wuan James and Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
2:00 p.m. ET
• The Buffalo Bills are "burning up the phone lines" in an attempt to trade up from No. 9 to either No. 2 (currently owned by the St. Louis Rams) or No. 1 overall (Houston Texans), reports ProFootballTalk. "The targets are believed to be defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and tackle Greg Robinson. It’s unclear what it would take to get a deal done. With both the Texans and Rams hoping to slide down, the Bills could spark a bidding war for a bargain."
• One player shooting up the boards? LSU's Odell Beckham Jr., who has a chance to go above Texas A&M's Mike Evans, says ESPN's Ed Werder.
11:45 a.m. ET
• The Browns and new GM Ray Farmer are "enamored" with QB Teddy Bridgewater and "will strongly consider him at No. 26," reports Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• Johnny Manziel to the Jaguars? John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says "word is spreading" that Johnny Football could go to Jacksonville at No. 3.
• The Eagles reportedly "love" Virginia Tech CB Kyle Fuller, but it's unlikely he'll last until their pick at No. 22, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
9:15 a.m. ET
• The Falcons and Texans have continued to discuss the No. 1 pick, reports ESPN's Ed Werder (via Rotoworld's Evan Silva). Werder says "word on the street" is that the Texans are asking for an RGIII-like haul in any trade for the first overall selection.
• Jerry Jones says the Cowboys won't turn the reins over to a rookie QB like Johnny Manziel, via the Ft. Worth Star Telegram. "I"m not that gunned up over what a rookie quarterback could do for us this year," Jones said. "That takes time. This is not rebuilding time."
• Several teams have red-flagged LSU QB Zach Mettenberger's back, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "For NFL clubs, the concern would be long-term durability if Mettenberger becomes an NFL starter and absorbs hits on a regular basis, but LSU trainer Jack Marucci told Rapoport the problem was a non-issue throughout Mettenberger's senior season at LSU."
• The Jets have told teams they're interested in moving up from No. 18, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Tuesday 11:00 p.m. ET
• Updating an earlier item, if the Buccaneers do trade up to No. 2, the target will be Johnny Manziel, reports ProFootballTalk.
• One player shooting up draft boards this week? Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans, says Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
• Houston would like to trade down and take Buffalo LB Khalil Mack, reports ProFootballTalk.
• The Jets are looking to trade up, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, and their target could be LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
• Ohio State RB Carlos Hyde is on Cleveland's radar at pick No. 35, reports Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
• The Panthers are eyeing FSU's Kelvin Benjamin, USC's Marqise Lee and Louisville's Calvin Pryor at No. 28, reports Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer.
6:45 p.m. ET
• There's "chatter in league circles" that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could move up to No. 2 (the pick of the St. Louis Rams) from No. 7, reports ProFootballTalk. Who they could be eyeing at No. 2 remains a mystery.
• Despite reports that Cleveland would not let Johnny Manziel slip past it at No. 4, Jay Glazer told Fox Sports Radio that he's hearing the Browns will not take Johnny Football in the top five.
• Louisville safety Calvin Pryor told the New York Post's Bart Hubbuch that the Jets seem "really interested" in him.
• ESPN's Adam Caplan says he expects the Vikings to go defense, not quarterback, with the No. 8 overall pick.
4:30 p.m. ET
• Vikings GM Rick Spielman said the team has had "no specific talks" with the Rams about QB Sam Bradford, via Ben Goessling of ESPN.
• Jerry Jones said the Cowboys don't view quarterback as a "primary goal" in the first round, via NFL.com. "We've got a good one," he said.
• Sammy Watkins believes the Lions' interest in him is "kinda serious," via Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo. Detroit would likely have to trade up into the top-three to have a shot at drafting Watkins.
• Kansas City is "willing to deal" CB Brandon Flowers, reports Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report.
12:30 p.m. ET
• The Ravens have made TE Eric Ebron their "number one target" in the draft, reports Draft Insider's Tony Pauline.
• Lions GM Martin Mayhew said WR Sammy Watkins "would fit" the team well (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). "We like him [Watkins] as a football player, so we did our due diligence on him, as we've done on [Jadeveon] Clowney and other guys," Mayhew said on a redraft conference call. "He would fit us; he can make plays. His track record speaks for itself, I think."
• If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can get a second-rounder for QB Mike Glennon, expect them to move him, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He couches the report, saying it'd be contingent on the Bucs drafting a QB as well.
• St. Louis Rams GM Les Snead says the team has a "high-class problem" sitting No. 2 overall. "At two this year, it's a nice place to be," Snead told NFL Network's NFL AM. "There's a lot of good players there, and you could make a couple of choices or three and be right."
9:30 a.m. ET
• Two teams that have talked about moving into the top-five: the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, reports Ian Rapoport.
• Central Florida coach George O'Leary thinks former star quarterback Blake Bortles would be a great fit for the Vikings. "I'd love to see [Bortles] go to Minnesota," O'Leary, the Vikings' defensive coordinator in 2002-03, told the Pioneer Press on Monday. "I think any young quarterback would love to have the running game they have. … I basically think it'd be a great mix [with the Vikings]. There's no question they like him. Norv really likes him."
• With backup QB Tyrod Taylor entering the final year of his rookie deal, the Baltimore Ravens could look to draft a quarterback late in the draft, Ozzie Newsome told Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
• If the New York Jets go offense at No. 18, USC's Marqise Lee could be one of the targets. "The Jets have shown a ton of interest in Lee," Brian Costello writes in the New York Post. "Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg attended Lee’s pro day in March and met with him privately both before and after the workout."
• The NFL Network will have cameras in 16 war rooms during the draft, including the Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and more.
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