We're keeping track of the best draft tidbits so you don't have to.
This time of the year, it's hard to keep up with every single NFL Draft rumor. Pro days are in full swing. Teams are bringing in players. Secret meetings are happening. Anyone with a connection to a player, team or agent will be unloading the hottest of theories and dangerously absurd proclamations will be made.
We've already seen action in the draft with the trade of tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints to the Seattle Seahawks. In exchange for the Pro Bowl pass catcher, the Saints got the No. 31 pick in the draft. The Saints also added a third-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Kenny Stills. They even added an extra fifth-round pick for guard Ben Grubbs. The New York Jets got wide receiver Brandon Marshall for a fifth-round pick of their own. The St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles swapped quarterbacks and picks.
It's the busy season in the NFL and every move seems to have a ripple effect of some sort on the 2015 NFL Draft. As we approach the first round on April 30, we'll be collecting as many interesting news bits and rumors right here while trying to figure out just what it means.
Not every rumor or piece of news will be covered here. There's just too much. We also have this handy NFL Draft page that will have news, mock drafts, scouting reports and more over the next several weeks. Now, onto the rumors:
March 28: The Jets are sending the cavalry out to meet with Marcus Mariota and put him through the paces. Those going include head coach Todd Bowles, general manager Mike Maccagnan and a few coaches and executives. Six people in total, which is a big number. If Mariota is on the board at No. 6, don't be surprised if the Jets take him.
March 28: The Chargers are also working out Mariota. That's an interesting development considering the Philip Rivers rumors. Washington is also bringing in Mariota for a visit.
March 28: Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had dinner with LSU cornerback Jalen Collins and defensive end Danielle Hunter. The Steelers will also have a visit with Randy Gregory. It's safe to say there might be interest in a pass rusher, especially considering the struggles of Jarvis Jones.
March 28: ESPN's Mel Kiper had a conference call this week and said he's stick with Leonard Williams for the Tennessee Titans. You have to wonder, at this point, if the Titans are debating Williams and Marcus Mariota at No. 2.\
March 28: Jeff Fisher says it's the Rams' "intention" to draft a quarterback. How highly is the issue. Could the Rams target a player like UCLA's Brett Hundley or Baylor's Bryce Petty in the second round?
March 28: Are the Falcons more willing to take a chance on character concern players?
March 27: Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker is scheduled to meet with the Ravens. Although nothing is guaranteed, chances are Parker will be off the board when Baltimore picks in the first round. But considering a division rival like the Browns could take Parker, he could let slip some weaknesses a team could exploit. It's far-fetched, but most things in the NFL are.
March 27: Texas A&M Commerce wide receiver Ricky Collins will visit with the 49ers. This is something to keep in the back of your mind when undrafted free agents start to get signed.
March 26: Woof. Mel Kiper says quarterbacks Garrett Grayson and Bryce Petty are second-round picks.
March 26: The Cowboys are bringing UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks in for a private workout. Dallas lost Bruce Carter in free agency and Kendricks would be a nice replacement.
March 23: Iowa's Carl Davis has workouts scheduled with the Bills and Panthers. That's noteworthy because you can argue those teams don't need a defensive lineman high in the draft.
March 23: By all accounts, Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson looked good during a personal pro day on Monday. He completed 70 of 74 passes, got out on the move, yadda yadda yadda. Grayson is a solid player. Don't fall in love with a pro day.
March 23: Browns general manager Ray Farmer said a lot of things during the NFL owners meetings on Monday, but none more interesting than saying the signing of Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline won't stop the team from going after a wide receiver in the first round. Depending how the draft plays out, Cleveland should have a shot at someone like DeVante Parker or Jaelen Strong in the first round.
March 23: Why did Michigan's Devin Funchess have a down 2014 season? Maybe it can be blamed on a serious toe injury.
March 23: Want a sleeper? Scouts told William & Mary defensive end Mike Reilly that he has a draftable grade.
March 22: The Carolina Panthers have workouts scheduled with cornerbacks Ronald Darby of Florida State and Trae Waynes of Michigan State. Carolina’s starters are Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere. They’re decent but not great, so this is something to keep in mind moving forward.
March 21: LSU cornerback Jalen Collins had surgery on his foot, according to Gil Brandt. The only way this should effect Collins is if teams have a similar grade on another corner who doesn't have any injury issues.
March 19: Boise State running back Jay Ajayi had interviews with the Jaguars, 49ers, Vikings and Falcons after his pro day, according to NFL.com. The interesting team there is Minnesota, which is figuring out what to do with star back Adrian Peterson.
March 19: There is speculation about Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty being a second-round pick. Look, there has to be some third quarterback. Petty's issues are deep ball accuracy and a deep injury history.
March 19: Don't believe anything Chip Kelly says until May 3, the day after the draft. There is a report that the Eagles are still in the mix for Marcus Mariota.
March 19: The Cardinals are not only bringing in Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, but Indiana's Tevin Coleman as well. Andre Ellington, Arizona's lead running back, only averaged 3.3 yards per carry last season. Coleman has an individual workout day scheduled for April 15.
March 18: Strategy and the Cleveland Browns may seem like a foreign concept, but that's where we're at in the middle of March. The Browns could be avoiding big-name free agents, letting their top players walk and just signing released players on purpose. They're eying compensatory picks in 2016, apparently. Considering the best comp picks you'll get are at the end of the third round, this is a unique move.
March 18: There has been speculation that the Bears could go with a wide receiver at No. 7 overall. Amari Cooper is the name that gets brought up because the team's wide receivers coach is Mike Groh, who held the same position at Alabama.
March 18: The Cowboys signed defensive end Greg Hardy to a one-year contract. This shouldn't stop Dallas from taking an end high in the draft. It does, however, mean they don't have force one in the first round.
March 18: Remember that rumor about Washington possibly taking Marcus Mariota at No. 5 overall? Yeah, it was stupid. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports confirms as much. Washington is hoping a team trades ahead of them so a player drops. Who could be that player? Nebraska's Randy Gregory or Clemson's Vic Beasley make the most sense.
March 18: Well, this is interesting. Gil Brandt of NFL media tweeted that Bills head coach Rex Ryan was working out Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. Then Brandt – who is usually spot on with his sources – deleted the tweet. It's no secret that the Bills need quarterbacks, and Petty will be their with the No. 50 overall pick, the team's first selection in the draft.
March 17: The Lions are bringing in Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips for a visit. Don't think the addition of Haloti Ngata is where Detroit is stopping up front on defense.
March 17: Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon has visits set up with the Cowboys and Cardinals. That should come as no surprise. The Cowboys need a running back after the departure of DeMarco Murray, and Darren McFadden shouldn't be counted on to be the lead back. The Cardinals have Andre Ellington, but he ran for a disappointing 3.3 yards per carry. Both teams may be hoping on draft day that Gordon lasts that long in the first round.
March 17: The Buffalo Bills have signed tight end Charles Clay to a lucrative contract offer. Although the Miami Dolphins have five days to match the offer, it’s not expected. After the trade for running back LeSean McCoy and the signing of Clay, that eliminates Buffalo’s two biggest needs in the draft, which is important since they don’t have a first-round pick. That opens them up to offensive line or linebacker being the targets early.
March 17: There have been reports circulating that the Browns offered both the Rams and Eagles a first-round pick for quarterback Sam Bradford. If true, what does that mean about Cleveland's intentions with the Nos. 12 and 19 picks in the first round? Add to it the speculation last year that Browns general manager Ray Farmer liked Marcus Mariota, and you wonder if Cleveland will make a play on draft weekend for the Heisman Trophy winner.
March 17: The Chiefs may have interest in Toledo linebacker Junior Sylvestre. Everyone can connect the dots on teams and first round players. It's these Day 3 sleepers that are the real fun. Sylvestre had a good pro day, running 4.45 and 4.52 40-yard dashes. Want another Mid-American Conference sleeper at linebacker? Bowling Green's Gabe Martin ran a 4.63 and 4.66, had a 35.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-1 broad jump at his pro day.
March 17: What should the 49ers do at inside linebacker now that Chris Borland has retired? If San Francisco waits until the middle of the draft to fill the position, players like Ben Heeney of Kansas, Ramik Wilson of Georgia or Taiwan Jones of Michigan State would be nice fits.
March 16: The Packers have now lost cornerbacks Davon House and Tramon Williams in free agency. What should Green Bay do about it? The Packers have picks 30, 62 and 94 in the top 100 picks. It shouldn't be a surprise if one of them is used on a corner.
March 13: The "smart money" is on the Titans passing on a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. This is speculation, obviously, but maybe they really do like Zach Mettenberger.
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