rusfletcher
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Let's make a deal
Don Banks, SI.com
Less than 48 hours away from the start of Saturday's first round, here's the latest round-up of NFL Draft rumors, smokescreens and possible maneuvering:
New England wants to move up. Dallas wants to move down. If there's a deal in the top 10 waiting to happen, some believe it'll more than likely involve Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells getting something done with the team that employs his son-in-law, Patriots director of player personnel Scott Pioli, and his former coaching protg, Bill Belichick.
But it's hard to lay odds on a Cowboys-Patriots trade, because New England is by no means talking to just one or two teams. The Patriots and Bears have been in contact this week, and at one point it looked like New England's offer to ship its two first-rounders (No. 14 and 19) to Chicago for the No. 4 pick might happen. Then the Patriots sought to get a second-rounder in 2004 back from the Bears and talks cooled.
New England wants to get up to take Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson. But the Patriots probably have to get to Chicago's No. 4 spot to assure themselves of that pick. At No. 5, their likely target would be Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman.
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The Cowboys are the real mystery team in the top 10. In the past 24 hours, we've heard each of the following scenarios involving Dallas:
-- It wants to trade down to get one of the prized defensive tackles who figure to come off the board in the No. 11 through 16 range, plus acquire extra picks to fill more needs. As we said, New England is the most likely trade partner in that case.
-- Jerry Jones wants to sit tight and take Newman, while Parcells is more inclined to take Robertson at No. 5 or move down. Insiders say Parcells always starts his rebuilding projects by focusing on the defensive front seven, and won't spend a high first-round pick on a cornerback.
-- Others say Parcells isn't as sold on Robertson as many have assumed and doesn't buy that he's a younger version of Warren Sapp. Parcells points to Robertson's modest sack total in college to back up his assessment, and sources say Robertson only moved ahead of Penn State defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy on the Cowboys' board on Wednesday.
-- There are some indications that the Cowboys have been sniffing around Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs, and could surprise people by making him the pick at No. 5.
-- The Cowboys and Texans could be talking trade, with Dallas going up to No. 3 to have their choice between Robertson and Newman, given that No. 4 Chicago has the same two players 1-2 on its board. That would mean the Texans could get Miami receiver Andre Johnson cheaper, at No. 5 rather than No. 3, plus an extra pick.
-- And lastly, the wild-hare rumor of the week is Cleveland dealing quarterback Tim Couch to Dallas for a package of draft picks, but not the Cowboys' No. 1. The trade would settle the lingering quarterback questions of two teams with one move.
Somewhat curiously for a team that's trying to improve its 31st-ranked defense, the Lions are shopping third-year defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. The Jets are very interested and are said to be offering a low second-round pick in exchange for Rogers, who was a steal for Detroit in 2001's second round.
What gives? No. 2 Detroit may just be trying to shop its most marketable defensive commodity, in the hopes of extracting a first-rounder from some team that drafts just beyond the run of big-time defensive tackles. Or the Lions may be trying to motivate Rogers, who had a disappointing, injury-plagued second season after a stellar rookie year. Rogers is said to have gotten off to a shaky start with new Lions head coach Steve Mariucci, who doesn't think he's disciplined enough in terms of the team's off-season workout program.
Rogers' agent, Kennard McGuire, confirmed Wednesday that he has asked the Lions for a trade, given that they acknowledge shopping his client. But Detroit didn't grant McGuire's request to speak to other teams, and the Lions made it clear that they want to rebuild the relationship. Rogers, who had ankle surgery last year in training camp and broke his thumb in Week 2, has two years remaining on his rookie four-year deal.
"They're listening to offers from teams that have called," McGuire said. "Given that Shaun knows what they think of him now, we've asked for a trade. We weren't given much hope of being allowed to seek that, but we're going to keep our fingers on the pulse."
The draft, of course, is loaded with quality defensive tackles. The Lions likely won't take anything less than a first-rounder, but some team might decide that it's a better gamble to take a chance on landing the 2001 version of Rogers, rather than an unproven player in this year's draft.
Arizona is not as locked in on Suggs as has been commonly believed. He remains a possibility, but the Cardinals are serious about other options, such as Washington State cornerback Marcus Trufant or trading down. The Saints and Cardinals have talked, and New Orleans has a better deal on the table to get up Arizona's No. 6 than they do to trade with No. 7 Minnesota.
The Saints in either case would be moving to land Trufant, unless Newman should somehow linger beyond the top five.
Arizona doesn't seem to have one player it has fallen in love with, and thus can be enticed to move down. That said, head coach Dave McGinnis isn't among those who think Suggs' second slow 40 time has damaged his draft status.
"I don't know where the perception came from that he was a 4.5 guy," McGinnis said Wednesday night. "Nobody was ever saying he was. He's a 4.8 guy, but he plays extremely fast from the line to the quarterback. We've got him evaluated as a football player, not just as a workout guy."
Suggs fills a need for the Cardinals. So does Trufant. So would a receiver, although neither of the big two are expected to be there at No. 6. So a trade into the middle of the round -- New Orleans holds No. 17 and 18 -- makes some sense.
As for the Saints, they're talking to the Cardinals, Vikings, Ravens and at least one other top 10 team. Ideally, they want to get up into the top seven and take Trufant or Newman, but they're uncertain whether anyone will pull the trigger on the other end. If Trufant should last until No. 10, a deal with Baltimore could come into play.
New Orleans is more likely to trade up than to sit tight, and is willing to give up both of its first-rounders. The Saints are asking to get something back in the way of a 2004 pick in order to surrender both of this year's No. 1s, but they probably won't be able to extract that unless they get two teams bidding against one another.
If Houston and Dallas would trade spots, with the Cowboys taking Robertson at No. 3, the Texans would be taking a gamble that Andre Johnson would last until No. 5. But what if the Bears were inclined to pass on Newman at No. 4 and instead ruin the Texans' plan by shopping their pick to the receiver-needy Jets?
New York in that scenario would move up to get Johnson, leaving Houston with the choice of either Newman or trading down. Others believe the Texans would be happy getting Utah offensive tackle Jordan Gross somewhere in the top 10.
Sources in Minnesota say the Vikings remain 50-50 to trade out of the No. 7 slot, but don't have a team that's considered hot to deal with them. If they stay put, the three players Minnesota is said to be focusing on are Kennedy, Trufant and Gross.
But an executive from another NFC team is convinced that Minnesota has put out a smokescreen on Kennedy, with the real intention of selecting University of Georgia defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan.
Whatever they're thinking, the Vikings like their position. They say sitting seventh in a draft that goes about 12 players deep leaves them with nothing but good choices. While owner Red McCombs wouldn't mind getting out of the No. 7 spot to avoid paying a top 10 signing bonus for the second year in a row, Minnesota officials insist that's not their primary concern.
Be it Kennedy or Sullivan, the Vikings are likely to take a defensive tackle if they sit tight, believing that they addressed the need for a No. 1 cornerback with Denard Walker in free agency.
No. 9 Carolina is worried that its top choice, Gross, might go off the board right ahead of them, to No. 8 Jacksonville. If both Gross and Trufant are gone, the Panthers would likely look to trade down with a team that's eager to take Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich.
That team would likely be No. 10 Baltimore, which is committed to selecting Leftwich if he's there when its turn comes up. Most league observers don't believe Carolina is prepared to take Leftwich, having signed Jake Delhomme during free agency.
Which highly regarded prospect is the leading candidate to fall out of the draft's top 10? Some league insiders believe it could be Suggs, if he gets past the Cardinals at No. 6. If the Cardinals opt for Trufant or a trade down, Suggs could last until No. 11 Seattle, or even later.
No. 12 St. Louis is thought to be eyeing Georgia linebacker Boss Bailey, providing it can't trade up a few notches and get its first choice, Trufant. But if Bailey doesn't go to the Rams, he could tumble all the way to the Saints at No. 17 or 18. Cleveland at No. 21 would be thrilled if Bailey somehow lasted into the round's bottom third.
In the strange but true department, the Bengals' No. 1 pick, Southern Cal quarterback Carson Palmer, is represented by agent David Dunn. So? So that gives Palmer something in common with David Klingler, Ki Jana Carter, Akili Smith and Dan Wilkinson. At one point, all four of those previous Bengals first-round picks were represented by Leigh Steinberg and his former partner, Dunn.
So much for the new karma in Cincinnati.
Don Banks, SI.com
Less than 48 hours away from the start of Saturday's first round, here's the latest round-up of NFL Draft rumors, smokescreens and possible maneuvering:
New England wants to move up. Dallas wants to move down. If there's a deal in the top 10 waiting to happen, some believe it'll more than likely involve Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells getting something done with the team that employs his son-in-law, Patriots director of player personnel Scott Pioli, and his former coaching protg, Bill Belichick.
But it's hard to lay odds on a Cowboys-Patriots trade, because New England is by no means talking to just one or two teams. The Patriots and Bears have been in contact this week, and at one point it looked like New England's offer to ship its two first-rounders (No. 14 and 19) to Chicago for the No. 4 pick might happen. Then the Patriots sought to get a second-rounder in 2004 back from the Bears and talks cooled.
New England wants to get up to take Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson. But the Patriots probably have to get to Chicago's No. 4 spot to assure themselves of that pick. At No. 5, their likely target would be Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Cowboys are the real mystery team in the top 10. In the past 24 hours, we've heard each of the following scenarios involving Dallas:
-- It wants to trade down to get one of the prized defensive tackles who figure to come off the board in the No. 11 through 16 range, plus acquire extra picks to fill more needs. As we said, New England is the most likely trade partner in that case.
-- Jerry Jones wants to sit tight and take Newman, while Parcells is more inclined to take Robertson at No. 5 or move down. Insiders say Parcells always starts his rebuilding projects by focusing on the defensive front seven, and won't spend a high first-round pick on a cornerback.
-- Others say Parcells isn't as sold on Robertson as many have assumed and doesn't buy that he's a younger version of Warren Sapp. Parcells points to Robertson's modest sack total in college to back up his assessment, and sources say Robertson only moved ahead of Penn State defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy on the Cowboys' board on Wednesday.
-- There are some indications that the Cowboys have been sniffing around Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs, and could surprise people by making him the pick at No. 5.
-- The Cowboys and Texans could be talking trade, with Dallas going up to No. 3 to have their choice between Robertson and Newman, given that No. 4 Chicago has the same two players 1-2 on its board. That would mean the Texans could get Miami receiver Andre Johnson cheaper, at No. 5 rather than No. 3, plus an extra pick.
-- And lastly, the wild-hare rumor of the week is Cleveland dealing quarterback Tim Couch to Dallas for a package of draft picks, but not the Cowboys' No. 1. The trade would settle the lingering quarterback questions of two teams with one move.
Somewhat curiously for a team that's trying to improve its 31st-ranked defense, the Lions are shopping third-year defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. The Jets are very interested and are said to be offering a low second-round pick in exchange for Rogers, who was a steal for Detroit in 2001's second round.
What gives? No. 2 Detroit may just be trying to shop its most marketable defensive commodity, in the hopes of extracting a first-rounder from some team that drafts just beyond the run of big-time defensive tackles. Or the Lions may be trying to motivate Rogers, who had a disappointing, injury-plagued second season after a stellar rookie year. Rogers is said to have gotten off to a shaky start with new Lions head coach Steve Mariucci, who doesn't think he's disciplined enough in terms of the team's off-season workout program.
Rogers' agent, Kennard McGuire, confirmed Wednesday that he has asked the Lions for a trade, given that they acknowledge shopping his client. But Detroit didn't grant McGuire's request to speak to other teams, and the Lions made it clear that they want to rebuild the relationship. Rogers, who had ankle surgery last year in training camp and broke his thumb in Week 2, has two years remaining on his rookie four-year deal.
"They're listening to offers from teams that have called," McGuire said. "Given that Shaun knows what they think of him now, we've asked for a trade. We weren't given much hope of being allowed to seek that, but we're going to keep our fingers on the pulse."
The draft, of course, is loaded with quality defensive tackles. The Lions likely won't take anything less than a first-rounder, but some team might decide that it's a better gamble to take a chance on landing the 2001 version of Rogers, rather than an unproven player in this year's draft.
Arizona is not as locked in on Suggs as has been commonly believed. He remains a possibility, but the Cardinals are serious about other options, such as Washington State cornerback Marcus Trufant or trading down. The Saints and Cardinals have talked, and New Orleans has a better deal on the table to get up Arizona's No. 6 than they do to trade with No. 7 Minnesota.
The Saints in either case would be moving to land Trufant, unless Newman should somehow linger beyond the top five.
Arizona doesn't seem to have one player it has fallen in love with, and thus can be enticed to move down. That said, head coach Dave McGinnis isn't among those who think Suggs' second slow 40 time has damaged his draft status.
"I don't know where the perception came from that he was a 4.5 guy," McGinnis said Wednesday night. "Nobody was ever saying he was. He's a 4.8 guy, but he plays extremely fast from the line to the quarterback. We've got him evaluated as a football player, not just as a workout guy."
Suggs fills a need for the Cardinals. So does Trufant. So would a receiver, although neither of the big two are expected to be there at No. 6. So a trade into the middle of the round -- New Orleans holds No. 17 and 18 -- makes some sense.
As for the Saints, they're talking to the Cardinals, Vikings, Ravens and at least one other top 10 team. Ideally, they want to get up into the top seven and take Trufant or Newman, but they're uncertain whether anyone will pull the trigger on the other end. If Trufant should last until No. 10, a deal with Baltimore could come into play.
New Orleans is more likely to trade up than to sit tight, and is willing to give up both of its first-rounders. The Saints are asking to get something back in the way of a 2004 pick in order to surrender both of this year's No. 1s, but they probably won't be able to extract that unless they get two teams bidding against one another.
If Houston and Dallas would trade spots, with the Cowboys taking Robertson at No. 3, the Texans would be taking a gamble that Andre Johnson would last until No. 5. But what if the Bears were inclined to pass on Newman at No. 4 and instead ruin the Texans' plan by shopping their pick to the receiver-needy Jets?
New York in that scenario would move up to get Johnson, leaving Houston with the choice of either Newman or trading down. Others believe the Texans would be happy getting Utah offensive tackle Jordan Gross somewhere in the top 10.
Sources in Minnesota say the Vikings remain 50-50 to trade out of the No. 7 slot, but don't have a team that's considered hot to deal with them. If they stay put, the three players Minnesota is said to be focusing on are Kennedy, Trufant and Gross.
But an executive from another NFC team is convinced that Minnesota has put out a smokescreen on Kennedy, with the real intention of selecting University of Georgia defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan.
Whatever they're thinking, the Vikings like their position. They say sitting seventh in a draft that goes about 12 players deep leaves them with nothing but good choices. While owner Red McCombs wouldn't mind getting out of the No. 7 spot to avoid paying a top 10 signing bonus for the second year in a row, Minnesota officials insist that's not their primary concern.
Be it Kennedy or Sullivan, the Vikings are likely to take a defensive tackle if they sit tight, believing that they addressed the need for a No. 1 cornerback with Denard Walker in free agency.
No. 9 Carolina is worried that its top choice, Gross, might go off the board right ahead of them, to No. 8 Jacksonville. If both Gross and Trufant are gone, the Panthers would likely look to trade down with a team that's eager to take Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich.
That team would likely be No. 10 Baltimore, which is committed to selecting Leftwich if he's there when its turn comes up. Most league observers don't believe Carolina is prepared to take Leftwich, having signed Jake Delhomme during free agency.
Which highly regarded prospect is the leading candidate to fall out of the draft's top 10? Some league insiders believe it could be Suggs, if he gets past the Cardinals at No. 6. If the Cardinals opt for Trufant or a trade down, Suggs could last until No. 11 Seattle, or even later.
No. 12 St. Louis is thought to be eyeing Georgia linebacker Boss Bailey, providing it can't trade up a few notches and get its first choice, Trufant. But if Bailey doesn't go to the Rams, he could tumble all the way to the Saints at No. 17 or 18. Cleveland at No. 21 would be thrilled if Bailey somehow lasted into the round's bottom third.
In the strange but true department, the Bengals' No. 1 pick, Southern Cal quarterback Carson Palmer, is represented by agent David Dunn. So? So that gives Palmer something in common with David Klingler, Ki Jana Carter, Akili Smith and Dan Wilkinson. At one point, all four of those previous Bengals first-round picks were represented by Leigh Steinberg and his former partner, Dunn.
So much for the new karma in Cincinnati.
