All Draft QB Rumor Mill Thread

[Gangrene]

I thought it might be useful to have a thread to post all the latest chatter from the media of which of the top five draft eligible qbs.

This one is from the Browns Wire...

The Cleveland Browns hold the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and there has been lots of speculation that it could very well be Sam Darnold or Josh Allen.

The latest report comes from NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah who says the Browns may have their pick in place…

Just now on NFL Network, @MoveTheSticks said that "people that know people inside the Browns" fully expect Josh Allen to be the pick at No.1.

This comes in addition to a report from SI’s Peter King and the MMQB, in which King said that one of Dorsey’s friends believes that he will select Josh Allen with the first overall pick.

It’s imports to to acknowledge that there is LOTS of rumors and speculation this time of year, but the Browns buzz with Allen does not seem to go away. Their decision will become official in just under three weeks on April 19th.

 

If the Browns stick with Allen (which makes sense him sitting behind Tyrod Taylor) and the Giants take their turn at hoping a USC qb does not bust ... then the Jets really will have their choice of Mayfield or Rosen.

 

 

[flgreen]

Opinion: Bills see path to Darnold

It's the busy season; if no chance at USC QB, why make trip?

MIKE SCHOPP

APRIL 10, 2018 - 8:13 AM

 

CATEGORIES: 

 

Our Opinions

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Monday that Bills "top evaluators and coaches" will fly to Los Angeles Friday to conduct a private workout with USC quarterback Sam Darnold.

If the Bills don't see a path to Darnold -- a likely top-2 pick in the NFL Draft later this month -- why bother?

The answer, in my opinion, is they wouldn't. Either the Giants, holders of the No. 2 pick, or the Browns (!), who draft first, or both, have given the Bills reason to think Darnold, one way or another, could be theirs.

There's no other reason to go.

At the minimum, the Browns and/or Giants have let the Bills know a trade into one of the top two picks is possible. No doubt they've discussed price.

And it could be more than that.

I doubt it's less.

As you remember the Bills traded Tyrod Taylor to the Browns last month for the first pick of the third round. They've been in touch and were able to consummate a deal. Cleveland's general manager, John Dorsey, made the trade last year with the Bills in Round 1 of the draft that enabled his former team, Kansas City, to draft Patrick Mahomes, and the Bills to grab the Chiefs' number-one pick this year. There's a history that doesn't have to mean anything, but to say the least it's not one to steer us away from another potential trade.

(*Quick aside: Callers sometimes ask Bulldog and me what we'd do in this draft. As a talk-show host, I think of how much the extra #1 this year has meant to our show. We talk about it almost every day. If the Bills went 16-0 and won the Super Bowl, that wouldn't be better for our off-season content than their having an extra first-round pick. So, what do I want? I want two first-round picks next year, every year.)

The Browns also having the fourth overall pick affords them unusual draft power -- and, oh look, it comes in a year where there are four quarterbacks (at least) experts think the best of the bunch. Cleveland has been so bad that perhaps Dorsey feels a certain duty to pick the quarterback at 1. But, if they have prospects graded fairly evenly, wouldn't it make more sense to take yet another haul of picks and then take their QB at 4? If they like Wyoming's Josh Allen, as has been widely speculated, and the Giants, Jets, and any team they'd consider trading with prefer someone else, then they absolutely should move out and line up at Allen at pick 4. (A listener yesterday took this line of thinking a step further, that if the Browns were to spend pick 1 to the Bills they could use some of their many picks to the Giants to move up from 4 to 2, guaranteeing them the player they like -- presuming that it isn't Darnold.)

What about the Giants? Professional connections between their GM, Dave Gettleman, and Bills GM Brandon Beane are well-known. It's been reported that the only quarterback the Giants would pick at 2 is Darnold. If that's accurate the Bills may think they need Cleveland to get him. It's a given that the Bills and Giants have talked trade, and the LA trip could be another reason to think a deal is possible, if not likely.

For me, this trip doesn't necessarily guarantee that the Bills know they can get to Darnold -- but it does mean to me that they think it's possible. If not, are you really loading up a plane for Los Angeles less than two weeks before the draft? One listener wrote me to say that Friday is the last day where the Bills could take this trip tax-free and, because it's warm there, at the very least enjoy a sunny vacation. Yeah, right.

If you took 10 or a hundred mock drafts and calculated the average mock-draft position of each quarterback (AMDP?), Darnold unquestionably slides in first. His AMDP would be 1.x. Few if any mock drafts have him at this point sliding past pick 2. In my opinion the Bills are not flying to LA on the off chance that Darnold is available at, say, pick 5.

Again, the threshhold for me here is that the Bills see picking Darnold as possible, not necessarily likely. Now, if there were a trade, I'd guess the Bills' partner to be the Browns. That's based on conflicting speculation about whether the Browns prefer Darnold to Allen, and reports that the Giants' preference is Darnold. A three-way trade with landing spots being the Bills at 1, Browns at 2 and Giants at 4 could also work for everyone. The Bills have the picks to get to 1, the Browns have the picks to get from 4 to 2, and the Giants can get the best non-quarterback in the draft at 4 just as easily as if they were at 2.

Not only is it a fun idea, it's plausible.

[C Mart]

THAT KYLE LAULETTA-JIMMY GAROPPOLO COMPARISON

In a draft cycle with four potential star—some might even argue generational—talents at quarterback, it’s hard for a prospect like Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta to stand out.

However, this is also a draft cycle where a ton of teams need quarterbacks. Lauletta happens to be the son of a Naval Academy quarterback and, like Jimmy Garoppolo in 2013 and Carson Wentz in ’16, is the star of the Football Championship Subdivision. Is Lauletta the next Garoppolo, or are we just nearing that point in the draft where anything thrown against the wall that sticks is halfway interesting?

We reached out to Towson University head coach Rob Ambrose for assistance. Ambrose and the Tigers beat Garoppolo in an epic FCS semifinal back in 2013 and fell to Lauletta and the Spiders this season. He had both of his scouting reports queued up for the afternoon.

“I think Jimmy might be a little bit better, his release is quicker and he has the ability to be accurate from multiple release points,” Ambrose said by phone this week. “Jimmy is like a 2-guard in basketball. He is truly a pure shooter and ungodly talented.

“Kyle is a great passer and his release is still quick, but with Kyle, he’s as fundamentally sound as I’ve seen anyone play the position in college. Tremendous student, and that’s what I know for sure.

“The one thing that is the same about both of them is who they are. As famous as both of them became during their careers, they’re just as humble as two guys could be.”

Ambrose said that Lauletta’s strength is in dissecting defenses. His belief—which is something I’ve heard about Lauletta during the pre-draft process—is that he’ll be able to climb up draft boards during the visit phase (despite our insistence that risers are largely a myth). His knowledge of each of the four—four!—offenses he played in at Richmond is “encyclopedic,” and he'll be able to play white board games with coordinators and coaches.

This season, Ambrose created a few defenses specifically to trip up Lauletta, presenting bluff coverages or blitzes on third downs, then sending something different after the snap. It took just one rep for Lauletta to counter it the next down.

“He’s still physically talented, but he is a surgeon mentally… he’s so efficient. Look at the gaudy numbers of all the (FBS) quarterbacks have. They also have draftable wide receivers. These guys don’t have that. They don’t have three guys going to the combine. When you’re a 1-A guy, all you have to do is get it near these guys. What Kyle has is incredible accuracy.

“You take any tough ballplayers who are extremely accurate, that’s what matters.”

I asked Ambrose, who called Garoppolo the best quarterback he’s ever faced, if he got a similar feeling from his matchup with Lauletta back in October.

His response: “Oh God, yeah.”

So where could Lauletta end up? The Patriots connection is thrown around because of their investment in Garoppolo, but there is a lot of interest around the league in Lauletta. He’ll end up getting drafted by a team that prioritizes quick decision-making, fast release and defensive recognition. To me, that would put the Giants and Cardinals in the mix, and I would put the New Orleans Saints as a serious suitor. (The Giants and Cardinals, by the way, have come up multiple times when asking around about second- and third-round quarterbacks.)

Lauletta, I’m told, is in the middle of the “Tier 2” section. So if you think about Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Mason Rudolph as Tier 1 quarterbacks, Lauletta is in the mix with Washington State’s Luke Falk and Western Kentucky’s Mike White.

Why does that matter? Backup quarterbacks and developmental second- to third-round quarterbacks are a crucial part of a team’s foundation. The free agent market is outrageously expensive, and netting a passer who could develop into a capable starter—or even a trustworthy No. 2—while on his rookie deal is a significant score.

MORE FCS QB LOVE…

In case Lauletta isn’t far enough off the radar for you: Princeton’s Chad Kanoff (6' 4", 215), has already visited with the Patriots in Foxboro and had about a half-dozen on-campus workouts. The quarterback-needy Cardinals and Giants were both at the Tigers’ pro day.

That pro day was during a Nor’easter back in early March—the same day as Rutgers’ pro day workouts, which sent scouts scrambling all over South Jersey in bad weather. Princeton and Rutgers were supposed to combine their efforts, but Rutgers needed room for 300 guests, which exceeded the fire code in Princeton’s indoor bubble. The Scarlet Knights went to Florham Park (the Jets’s facility) and the Tigers were left to show off for the diehards.

Princeton head coach Bob Surace is a former Bengals assistant and one of the brightest minds in college football. His offensive meeting room is a laboratory, a history that includes a three-quarterback system (that’s right) and a dual-quarterback system that switched passers inside both 20-yard lines.

In 2016, Kanoff handed the ball off to another, more mobile passer inside the 20 and compiled just 1,741 yards, six touchdowns and six INTs. In 2017, after taking control of the Tigers’ offense, he logged 3,474 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions—the best statistical season for an Ivy League QB in conference history (better than Harvard’s Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dartmouth’s Jay Fiedler or fellow Princeton alum Jason Garrett ever had).

“In 2016 some scouts didn’t give him a grade, and when you don’t give a guy a grade, they often refuse to change it [the next year],” Surace told me. “They’re afraid their [college scouting director] is going to be like, ‘Did you even talk to that school?’”

“Watch Jared Goff. Watch his pro day. It was outstanding. Watch our guy and tell me—the body type, the athletic ability, the accuracy, the arm strength—that you’re not seeing a similar guy. Jared Goff is one of the best in the league, I’m not knocking Goff, but I’m saying Chad, when you watch these things, they’re similar. If teams just close their eyes and think, ‘Oh, we’re at Ohio State,’ at worst, he’s a second-day pick.

“He was challenged here. And he graduated in January, so all he’s done is live, eat, sleep and breathe football.”

Here’s one thing to keep in mind about Surace: I understand that some reading this column will think “Oh, a college coach talking up his QB, what a surprise.” But these are the things Surace has been telling NFL teams, and as a former NFL coach, he knows not to bang the table for someone that is going to waste a coach’s time at the next level. That’s not how an Ivy League coach (or FCS coach, or mid-major coach) gets players drafted. He did the same for linebacker Mike Catapano in 2013 (seventh-round pick of the Chiefs), Caraun Reid in 2014 (fifth round, Lions; now with the Colts) and Seth DeValve in 2016 (fourth round, Browns). All ended up getting drafted.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/10/draft-wide-receiver-wr-first-round-busts-kyle-lauletta-jimmy-garoppolo-chad-kanoff-princeton?utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

[UnitedWhofans]

So the Jets now have Sam Darnols coming in for a visit when they didn’t before

[C Mart]

8 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:

So the Jets now have Sam Darnols coming in for a visit when they didn’t before

Albert Breer‏ @AlbertBreer

The Jets have USC QB Sam Darnold slated to come to New Jersey for a Top 30 visit in the coming days, per source. He wasn't on the schedule a couple weeks back, but is now. Darnold's also visiting the Giants this week.

[UnitedWhofans]

Just now, C Mart said:

Albert Breer‏ @AlbertBreer

The Jets have USC QB Sam Darnold slated to come to New Jersey for a Top 30 visit in the coming days, per source. He wasn't on the schedule a couple weeks back, but is now. Darnold's also visiting the Giants this week.

Very interesting. Nobody has any idea what's going on

[mrcoops]

9 minutes ago, C Mart said:

Albert Breer‏ @AlbertBreer

The Jets have USC QB Sam Darnold slated to come to New Jersey for a Top 30 visit in the coming days, per source. He wasn't on the schedule a couple weeks back, but is now. Darnold's also visiting the Giants this week.

Both the Jets and the Giants showing sudden interest in Darnold could be linked to Buffalo's recent interest, and possible move up, for Darnold.

Maybe the Giants want to convince Buffalo to trade up for Darnold, either with them or with Cleveland.  And maybe the Jets also want them to do that, so that their preferred QB has a better chance of making it to 3.

 

[JustInFudge]

13 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:

Very interesting. Nobody has any idea what's going on

It is because Big Mac said he didnt need to see anymore of Sam.

[UnitedWhofans]

Just now, JiF said:

It is because Big Mac said he didnt need to see anymore of Sam.

But now he does. Hmmm..... Baiting the Bills to trade up?

[JustInFudge]

Just now, UnitedWhofans said:

But now he does. Hmmm..... Baiting the Bills to trade up?

Why would he bait the Bills to trade up before them in the draft? 

[Augustiniak]

8 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

Both the Jets and the Giants showing sudden interest in Darnold could be linked to Buffalo's recent interest, and possible move up, for Darnold.

Maybe the Giants want to convince Buffalo to trade up for Darnold, either with them or with Cleveland.  And maybe the Jets also want them to do that, so that their preferred QB has a better chance of making it to 3.

 

i think one takeaway is that if the jets and giants think the browns may take allen, they may as well bring darnold in for a visit.  

[UnitedWhofans]

2 minutes ago, JiF said:

Why would he bait the Bills to trade up before them in the draft? 

mrcoops mentioned it. Suppose they like Mayfield but they are afraid the Bills will trade up to get him. If they put out that Darnold won't get past 3, it may make the Bills desperate to trade up with the Giants and get him rather than Mayfield

[Lith]

I am convinced we are taking Mayfield.

After the 2011 season, I was down in Florida and went to the Orange Bowl.  West Virginia and Clemson.  Geno Smith and Tajh Boyd.  Following draft, we picked Geno and then two years later, we picked Boyd.  Now, fast forward to this year.  Went down to the Rose Bowl to see my Dawgs take on Oklahoma.  Baker Mayfied and Jake Fromm.  History will repeat itself.

Baker Mayfield will be the pick this year.  And if we pick Fromm in two years, I need to be really selective about the Bowl Games I go to from now on.

[JustInFudge]

14 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:

mrcoops mentioned it. Suppose they like Mayfield but they are afraid the Bills will trade up to get him. If they put out that Darnold won't get past 3, it may make the Bills desperate to trade up with the Giants and get him rather than Mayfield

I dont know who mrcoops is but this is so stupid I dont even know where to begin.  

[UnitedWhofans]

Just now, JiF said:

I dont know who mrcoops is but this is so stupid I dont even know where to begin.  

Here you go

27 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

Both the Jets and the Giants showing sudden interest in Darnold could be linked to Buffalo's recent interest, and possible move up, for Darnold.

Maybe the Giants want to convince Buffalo to trade up for Darnold, either with them or with Cleveland.  And maybe the Jets also want them to do that, so that their preferred QB has a better chance of making it to 3.

 

 

[C Mart]

31 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

Both the Jets and the Giants showing sudden interest in Darnold could be linked to Buffalo's recent interest, and possible move up, for Darnold.

Maybe the Giants want to convince Buffalo to trade up for Darnold, either with them or with Cleveland.  And maybe the Jets also want them to do that, so that their preferred QB has a better chance of making it to 3.

 

Giants have been on Darnold all along. Didn’t they, including Mara, take him to dinner the night before his pro day? 

Giants aren’t trading down to #12. 

[UnitedWhofans]

Just now, C Mart said:

Giants have been on Darnold all along. Didn’t they, including Mara, take him to dinner the night before his pro day? 

Giants aren’t trading down to #12. 

UNless the Bills pull a Ricky Williams like trade

[C Mart]

8 minutes ago, Lith said:

I am convinced we are taking Mayfield.

After the 2011 season, I was down in Florida and went to the Orange Bowl.  West Virginia and Clemson.  Geno Smith and Tajh Boyd.  Following draft, we picked Geno and then two years later, we picked Boyd.  Now, fast forward to this year.  Went down to the Rose Bowl to see my Dawgs take on Oklahoma.  Baker Mayfied and Jake Fromm.  History will repeat itself.

Baker Mayfield will be the pick this year.  And if we pick Fromm in two years, I need to be really selective about the Bowl Games I go to from now on.

So Rex is picking #3?  Boyd was a Rex pick. He even admitted it (Clemson w/his son) 

[mrcoops]

12 minutes ago, JiF said:

I dont know who mrcoops is but this is so stupid I dont even know where to begin.  

I'm hurt that someone on a forum that I have been registered on for at least 6 hours doesn't know who I am.

Sometimes, you virtual people can be so mean.

[C Mart]

1 minute ago, UnitedWhofans said:

UNless the Bills pull a Ricky Williams like trade

Doubt it. But who knows. Only Gettleman. 

[BurnleyJet]

The media love this Bills agenda. The Giants will miss on all the Tip tier none QB's if they do. It would be super stupid. I just can't see the Giants doing it.

If Darnold is sitting there at 2 they take him. Hell the Browns could take Barkley at 1# and still take Allen at 4.

[nycdan]

23 minutes ago, Lith said:

I am convinced we are taking Mayfield.

After the 2011 season, I was down in Florida and went to the Orange Bowl.  West Virginia and Clemson.  Geno Smith and Tajh Boyd.  Following draft, we picked Geno and then two years later, we picked Boyd.  Now, fast forward to this year.  Went down to the Rose Bowl to see my Dawgs take on Oklahoma.  Baker Mayfied and Jake Fromm.  History will repeat itself.

Baker Mayfield will be the pick this year.  And if we pick Fromm in two years, I need to be really selective about the Bowl Games I go to from now on.

You think the Jets would take Mayfield over Darnold?  

[Lith]

You think the Jets would take Mayfield over Darnold?  

No. But I don't think Darnold will be on the board for Jets.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

[UntouchableCrew]

Browns taking Allen would be amazing. Would guarantee Darnold or Rosen is there for us. Let's hope they're that dumb.

[peekskill68]

I find it very interesting that the mods had to lock down the Rosen article thread.  To me it sort of explains why I think he'd be a bad fit for us.  He's obviously very bright and there's obviously more to him that just football.  For the side of the fan base that supports the activism that's entered the game he's going to be great.  For the side that wants to keep all that stuff out of the game I think he's going to cause problems.  It's boring but a lot safer for the face of the franchise to just be cliched and 100% about football vs. "platforming"...  

[JustInFudge]

39 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

I'm hurt that someone on a forum that I have been registered on for at least 6 hours doesn't know who I am.

Sometimes, you virtual people can be so mean.

Hi mrcoops!  Nice to meet you.  Sorry I didnt know who you were.  I look forward to discussing Jets with you in the future.

It would make zero sense to bait a team into trading up to the pick before you and risk them taking the player you want.  They're a division rival.  You dont play with fire like that or you're bound to get burned. 

Welcome to the board! 

[Beerfish]

46 minutes ago, peekskill68 said:

I find it very interesting that the mods had to lock down the Rosen article thread.  To me it sort of explains why I think he'd be a bad fit for us.  He's obviously very bright and there's obviously more to him that just football.  For the side of the fan base that supports the activism that's entered the game he's going to be great.  For the side that wants to keep all that stuff out of the game I think he's going to cause problems.  It's boring but a lot safer for the face of the franchise to just be cliched and 100% about football vs. "platforming"...  

In my mind F'ck the face of the franchise bit.  I want to win and I want the best QB out there.  I can ignore a persons non football foibles if he wins.  If the Jets , after looking for a QB for years pass on a better QB for those reasons they fully deserve the idiotic purgatory we have all been in for for years.

[jetstream23]

3 hours ago, Gangrene said:

I thought it might be useful to have a thread to post all the latest chatter from the media of which of the top five draft eligible qbs.

This one is from the Browns Wire...

The Cleveland Browns hold the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and there has been lots of speculation that it could very well be Sam Darnold or Josh Allen.

The latest report comes from NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah who says the Browns may have their pick in place…

Just now on NFL Network, @MoveTheSticks said that "people that know people inside the Browns" fully expect Josh Allen to be the pick at No.1.

This comes in addition to a report from SI’s Peter King and the MMQB, in which King said that one of Dorsey’s friends believes that he will select Josh Allen with the first overall pick.

It’s imports to to acknowledge that there is LOTS of rumors and speculation this time of year, but the Browns buzz with Allen does not seem to go away. Their decision will become official in just under three weeks on April 19th.

 

If the Browns stick with Allen (which makes sense him sitting behind Tyrod Taylor) and the Giants take their turn at hoping a USC qb does not bust ... then the Jets really will have their choice of Mayfield or Rosen.

 

 

First, thanks for the thread.  Rumors are picking up in terms of volume and craziness so having them in one thread seems like a good idea.

Second, other than pure entertainment value there's almost zero football value to the Browns putting out any rumors at #1, correct?  They don't need to smokescreen anyone because no team can't jump ahead of them.  Maybe I'm missing something unless they're interested in shopping the pick which no one expects them to do.

[BroadwayRay]

The Jets could have a path to Darnold if these two things are true:

1. The Cleveland Browns are set on Josh Allen.

2. The Browns are convinced that there is no way the Giants are taking Allen at No. 2.

If these are the facts, the Jets could trade their 2019 No. 1 pick to Cleveland in exchange for switching places with the Browns. Nobody could top this offer, let alone the Bills, because it would guarantee that the Browns will still get Allen. I would make this trade to get Darnold, although I'm sure a lot of fans out there wouldn't be able to stomach the cost.

[freestater]

1 hour ago, mrcoops said:

I'm hurt that someone on a forum that I have been registered on for at least 6 hours doesn't know who I am.

Sometimes, you virtual people can be so mean.

JiF isn't mean, just cranky. Wait till you see how cranky he gets when we draft Mayfield ?

[Beerfish]

Coops has been around for ever and a day on various boards.  Only a philistine would not know coops.

[jetstream23]

I'm not sure what it would take for the Bills to get to #1 from 12 in a Draft with several elite QB prospects but I'd have to guess the minimum ask is #12 and #22 this year and the 1st round pick next year.  If I'm the Browns and Bills offer that then I might listen if only because the Browns have Josh Allen as their target and they'd be convinced he would slip to #4 anyway.

The only other thing I'll thrown out there is a wild guess at how the draft could go down with a 0.1% probability....but still possible nonetheless.  Bills trade up to #4 because they think there is a prayer that Darnold slips for some reason:  1. CLE - J. Allen  2.  NYG - S. Barkley 3. NYJ - B. Mayfield  4. BUF - S. Darnold.  (Also, I'd shoot Macc)

[Gas2No99]

4 minutes ago, freestater said:

JiF isn't mean, just cranky. Wait till you see how cranky he gets when we draft Mayfield ?

I'd also add EXTREMELY sensitive. lol. 

[jetstream23]

3 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Coops has been around for ever and a day on various boards.  Only a philistine would not know coops.

THIS.  Hey @mrcoops how come we're only seeing you here now.  I've seen you around forever at JI and other places.  (And, nice to see you)

[Gas2No99]

1 hour ago, mrcoops said:

I'm hurt that someone on a forum that I have been registered on for at least 6 hours doesn't know who I am.

Sometimes, you virtual people can be so mean.

1 minute ago, jetstream23 said:

THIS.  Hey @mrcoops how come we're only seeing you here now.  I've seen you around forever at JI and other places.  (And, nice to see you)

 

Weren't you Captain Caveman at one point in time?