The Jets land Andrew Thomas in CBS Sports’ most recent three-round mock draft projections.
With the 2020 NFL Draft less than a week away, CBS Sports released a new three-round mock.
In these projections, CBS Sports’ Dan Schneier has the Jets trading up to secure the offensive tackle of their choosing. After that, the Jets are able to acquire a starter at receiver and an edge rusher who has the potential to eventually be one.
Let’s take a look at who Schneier has the Jets taking in Rounds 1-3.
The Jets move up two spots to ensure they’ll get Andrew Thomas. In this projected trade, the Jets part ways with picks Nos. 11 and 79 while adding pick No. 116 in the process.
Here’s CBS Sports’ explanation for the trade-up and selection:
The Jets don’t chance a team trading up ahead of the Giants to draft the third of the big-four OTs (before their cross-town rival snags the last one at No. 10). The Jets lose their best Day 2 pick in the process (but grab back an early Day 3 pick), but that’s a fine price to pay to lock in their choice of the final two OTs (an absolute must given the current depth chart). Thomas has played against some of the best competition in the SEC, but he is my OT4 in this class (only slightly behind the top three) due to issues I spot in pass protection. At times when you watch Thomas, it also feels like he was hidden by Georgia’s play-action heavy system. A case can be made that Thomas is OT1 and for some teams who just might be — the Jets come away thrilled with this pick.
New York had a private dinner with Andrew Thomas and worked him out the next morning before pre-draft visits were shut down, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. It’s clear that the Jets have done their homework on the Georgia tackle. The question that remains is will he make it out of the top-10? The Dolphins have shown interest and have the draft capital to trade up and grab him if need be.
Thomas didn’t have the best combine but his results at Georgia point to a model of consistency. A three-year starter, he got a crack at playing both tackle positions. Coming from a well-coached team, Thomas will be a Day 1 starter due to his technique and versatility on the line.
Here’s what the Colts did in CBS Sport’s latest mock draft.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports released a two-round mock draft on Wednesday that should make Indianapolis Colts fans very happy.
As more and more mock drafts are being released, many experts are trying to predict what Chris Ballard will decide to do after trading the No. 13 pick for Deforest Bucker.
Trapasso does not have the Colts trading back into the first round like many predict, but instead sticking with both pick 34 and 44.
At No. 34, the Colts select Arizona State wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk is an explosive talent and he would fit in nicely with the already very fast Colts receiving corps.
As a player that could be taken in the late first round, Aiyuk falling to No. 34 would be a steal for the Colts as many predict they will take a receiver in the second round. It is hard to dispute the quality of this pick for the Colts.
At No. 44, the Colts select edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos from Penn State. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Gross-Matos is a huge, dynamic pass rusher off the edge and has been seen as a late first, early second round prospect.
While cornerback might be a bigger need for Chris Ballard and company at this pick, Gross-Matos would be a quality pick for depth on the edge. He would only boost the defensive line that the Colts have reformed this offseason.
While there are many needs for the Colts, all of them will not be filled in this draft. Ballard is known for developing young players and moving draft picks so we will have to see just what the Colts do next week in preparations for the upcoming season.
2020 NFL Mock Drafts have been churned out for months now and trying to keep them fresh can be a daunting task, but we have officially reached the point in the offseason where they’re getting out of hand.
Mock drafts can be fun and informative. They are easy, smart tools for creating discussions about players, connecting fits with teams, and can help readers familiarize themselves with a player’s perceived value.
But it may be time to shut down the 2020 mock draft season.
Mock drafts have been churned out for months now and trying to keep them fresh can be a daunting task, but we have officially reached the point in the offseason where they’re getting out of hand.
In CBS Sports HQ’s Mock Draft 4.0, a double-digit panel of analysts put on an interactive draft, and in their attempts to stay relevant and edgy, they made a series of trades involving NFL players that made Miss Cleo look like Stephen Hawking.
The mock draft opens with the Cincinnati Bengals trading with the Miami Dolphins for the No. 1 overall pick and selecting Joe Burrow (QB, LSU). Ok, that’s plausible, as is Washington staying at pick No. 2 and taking Chase Young (OSU, EDGE), but then things quickly fall off the rails.
The Lions decide to trade out of pick No. 3 … with the Arizona Cardinals?
The Cardinals are not a team commonly mocked as a trade partner with the Lions but anything is possible, right? The Lions should consider every trade possibility in order to secure the future of the franchise by landing a player who can help this team for the foreseeable future. So, what did they get in return?
Chandler Jones, straight up.
Yes, the same Chandler Jones who is now 30-years-old, dealing with a thumb injury that required offseason surgery, is carrying a $20 million cap hit over the next two seasons and was traded by the New England Patriots four years ago for pick No. 61 overall.
Sigh.
Why didn’t the Cardinals trade corner Patrick Peterson to the Lions you ask? Well, they did trade him — to the Vikings for pick No. 25 overall. But that wasn’t the Vikings only player involved trade; they also acquired wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from the Browns for pick No. 22 overall.
When is the last time we saw three players traded during the first round of any draft? How about three players traded in the first 100-picks of a draft? In fact, only three players total have been traded for a top-100 pick during an NFL draft in the last seven drafts — and none in the first round.
I’m all for being creative and finding new ways to keep things fresh for readers but what are we doing here?
The NFL Draft is just over a week away, and there is still plenty of information to be gathered on players and teams, but we in the media need to be better with the type of information we distribute instead of just trying to jump the shark.
CBS’s Jim Nantz used the phrase “return to glory” to commemorate the fifth green jacket and first major for Tiger Woods in nearly 11 years.
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Editor’s note: CBS will replay the 2019 Masters from 12:30-6 p.m. Sunday.
Jim Nantz didn’t have a rehearsed phrase at the ready for Tiger Woods winning his fifth green jacket and 15th major title at last year’s Masters.
“As Tiger tried to figure out how to play his second shot at 18, Steve Milton, our director, cut to a shot of the family gathered behind the green and it triggered the thought that if he makes five and wins this thing, ‘What is that scene going to look like?’ ” Nantz recalled in a phone interview from Pebble Beach, California, where he’s been sheltered-in-home since March 19. “I drew a comparison to 2006 when he won (the British Open) at Hoylake for the first time after his father, Earl, had passed away. I thought there might be some parallels. I remembered how emotional that was for Tiger.”
But Nantz, who has been part of the broadcast team since his debut in 1986 when Jack Nicklaus at age 46 won his record sixth green jacket, still didn’t know what the narrative might be over the final putt.
“Just seeing the family on the monitor, I knew that this was going to be a moment that transcended a golf achievement; this was an achievement that was bigger than that. This was a story about a man that made it all the way back. He was on top of the world and had many things in his life go sideways, including injuries that would have marked the end of virtually anyone else’s career. Doubters by the millions. And there’s his family about to embrace him and welcome him back to a place he’d once been. The word glory surfaced in my head.”
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Nantz witnessed the way Tiger was just lurking behind 54-hole leader Francesco Molinari as they reached the back nine on Sunday, and how the script flipped as four of the last six players dunked balls into Rae’s Creek at the par-3 12th hole. As Woods plotted his way around the final stretch, making 2-putt birdies at 13 and 15 and working the slope at the par-3 16th for another birdie, Nantz felt as though he’d seen this movie before.
“You put him on Augusta, he’s playing well enough to turn it on and tap into those brilliant days of yesteryear. It wasn’t lost on me,” Nantz said. “As his ball was coming off the slope at 16, I thought it was going in. If ever there was a moment that would top what he did on that very hole in 2005 I thought that was going to be it.”
Woods had two putts for the win and when he tapped in for victory, Nantz memorialized the moment by saying simply, “The return to glory.”
Tiger Woods celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green to win The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
Said Nantz: “I meant that, yes, as a golf achievement – the glory in his game – but I meant it equally as much about the glory in his life, and wasn’t that a wonderful thing to see?”
Then Nantz went silent for more than 2 minutes.
“There was nothing else that could be said or should be said,” he explained. “If you tried to insert yourself over that you’d be making a terrible mistake. Let this visual medium with its abundance of emotional audio have its rightful spot center stage and so I got out of the way. Tiger talks about ‘the feels,’ and some people laugh at that, but in broadcasting we have ‘the feels’ too, and it just felt right at that moment. The feels at that moment was to sit back and watch and then I picked an appropriate moment to get back in with a narration.”
Nantz, who was already in Butler Cabin for the upcoming green jacket ceremony, can almost recite verbatim what he said next to broadcast partner Nick Faldo, who was still in the 18th tower.
“I said, ‘Nick, that moment with Tiger and his family, if you’re a parent and you didn’t shed a tear, you’re not human,’ ” Nantz recounted. “And Nick said, ‘Jim Nantz, I will promise you that you will never ever see a moment bigger than that in the game of golf.’ ”
Tiger Woods speaks to the media after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Rusty Jarrett/Augusta National/Handout Photo via USA TODAY Sports)
Nantz has one more favorite memory from that day. As a result of the tee times being pushed up to the morning to avoid storms in the forecast, Nantz contributed to a Masters replay that was shown later that day. After Tiger had wrapped up his media obligations and the various celebrations accorded to a new champion, he returned to the Butler Cabin for a second interview with CBS.
It was during this segment, after the adrenaline had worn off for Woods and it had begun to sink in what he had just achieved, that Nantz relayed the story of how Venturi stopped to give him a ride back to the CBS compound in his golf cart after Nicklaus had shot 65 to win the 1986 Masters. It had been Nantz’s first major and Venturi told the rookie announcer that he’d never see a better Masters again.
“Well, you know what?” Nantz told Tiger. “Ken Venturi was wrong.”
CBS has decided to end Dan Fouts’ run with the company’s NFL broadcasts.
The wheels continue to spin in the NFL broadcast booth despite it being the offseason and there being a coronavirus pandemic. The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reports CBS has let go long-time analyst Dan Fouts, a Hall of Fame player during his career with the San Diego Chargers.
Per the Post:
CBS Sports has let go of its No. 2 NFL game analyst, Dan Fouts, The Post has learned.
CBS is now targeting Fox’s second NFL analyst, Charles Davis, according to sources, as a potential replacement. Fox is trying to retain Davis. CBS has also eyed its own analyst Trent Green as a potential replacement for Fouts next to Ian Eagle.
Fouts, 69, retired from playing in 1987 and has been a sportscaster for decades, including on “Monday Night Football,” where he teamed with Al Michaels and Dennis Miller.
Yannick Ngakoue is the hottest name on the trade market currently but it appears Shad Khan would prefer to keep him over trading him.
Yannick Ngakoue wants out of Jacksonville but it remains to be seen if he’ll get his request. At this point, most of the fanbase is simply ready for the team to make a move so the organization can simply move away from the fractured relationships caused during Tom Coughlin’s tenure. However, it appears he lead man in the organization, Shad Khan, really would like to keep Ngakoue according to several insiders.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently spoke on the matter to 97.5 the Fanatic of Philadelphia. He went into details of when Ngakoue could be traded in his eyes, what the Jags may want, and emphasized that Khan would prefer to keep him.
“I still think the team; the Jaguars have to move him during the draft. You know, the week of the draft, during the draft, my guess is these are usually deals that are made often while teams are on the clock. They’re going to want back significant compensation for him. It remains to be seen how much they actually will get back. There will be people in that organization, like the owner, who will not want to move him, which means that they’ll be firmer on their price. But if they don’t trade him, then they’ve got a mess on their hands. And I believe the guy, the player, when he said that he doesn’t plan to play for them again. I believe he will continue to sit, so that’s not good for anybody.
I think that the right thing for them to do logistically is to move on from him. And so they’re gonna want a first-round pick, maybe then some for him. I don’t know whether they’ll get a first-round pick for him or not, we’ll see how it shakes out. It could be swapping draft spots; it could be swapping picks; it could be any combination of factors that get a deal done. Now, in the end I would guess that they do trade him. I think they have to. I think that’s the best thing for everybody involved. I don’t think they want that headache on their hands, and I think the owner will see that eventually.”
In terms of the compensation, it’s possible that a team may be willing to give up what the Kansas City Chiefs did for Frank Clark last year as the draft gets closer, which was their 2019 first-round selection, 2020 second rounder, and swapped thirds for 2019.
As an analyst well connected with the Jags, CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco echoed those sentiments about Khan wanting to keep Ngakoue, too, on a debate with Jason La Canfora via 105.7 The Fan of Baltimore.
“I hear the owner doesn’t want to trade him no matter what because it’s a bad look for the organization. These guys complain and then you get traded. I’m telling you, unless they get their socks knocked off on some deal [they won’t trade him], which, by the way, isn’t happening. There’s not a lot out there for those pass rushers and we saw that [during the offseason]. Look at [Jadeveon] Clowney. He’s floundering looking for money. He initially asked for $22 million.”
While he didn’t say Khan’s name specifically, NFL insider Ian Rapoport also told Jags Wire something along the lines of Prisco and Schefter, stating that he believes if the Jags had it their way they prefer to have Ngakoue play for them. While Ngakoue’s mind is seemingly made up, Rapoport also added that players have changed their minds in the past about their stance on an organization.
“He is a great asset for Jacksonville. I think if they could just do whatever they wanted, whatever it is, I think they would have him play for them this year. He is a great player. If it’s just on the tag, I think that would be OK for them.
The other thing I’ll say, and I don’t know what’s going to end up happening, if he plays on the tag this year and the experience is OK [maybe] he decides to re-sign. I’ve seen situations where players have called teams a lot of things and ended up back there. Maybe this is a little different but I would think if Jacksonville had the choice, they would have him play for them this season.”
When reflecting on the past, Khan expressed a similar message about cornerback Jalen Ramsey last season after their saga with him, however, they ended up trading him anyway. It’s worth noting that Khan probably would’ve stuck with his word but the Los Angeles Rams’ offer was just too good for the Jags to pass up.
With Ngakoue I’m sure they would do the same if they were offered two more first-round selections. However, that’s unlikely, and instead, they may get an offer closer to the one I mentioned with Clark earlier at best. That would then lead to the question of whether or not that’s good enough for Khan to come off the disgruntled pass-rusher, but only time will tell.
Shooting for the moon, some observers of the club have pegged Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue a strong fit for the Bills.
The Bills don’t have any glaring needs, but reading between the lines, a younger pass-rushing presence could be an attractive add for Buffalo.
Shooting for the moon, some observers of the club have pegged Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue a strong fit for the Bills. Despite that, via CBS Sports, ESPN’s Adam Schefter did not include the Bills in his list of potential suitors for Ngakoue:
Schefter, meanwhile, said Wednesday he wouldn’t classify the Eagles as the favorite among likely suitors — a contingent that he speculated would include the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks.
When pegging a youthful option, the first notion is always looking toward the draft. However, Ngakoue certainly still falls into that category, and a bit of the “Stefon Diggs” zone as well. Ngakoue only just turned 25, and like Diggs, he’s not a roll of the dice. He’s an already proven product in the NFL. In each of his four NFL seasons, Ngakoue has at least eight sacks.
But with the notion of acquiring Ngakoue in mind, Buffalo would have to trade for him. Currently they do not have a first-round pick. In a similar situation where pass rusher Frank Clark couldn’t come to terms with the Seahawks last offseason, he was traded to the Chiefs for a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, a 2020 second-round pick and a swap of third-round picks in 2019.
What will Ngakoue cost? That’s the big question. What’s notable on Ngakoue, he’s been very, very vocal about wanting to leave the Jaguars, which could cut down his cost. But there’s still a massive contract to consider. The Bills have approximately $20 million in cap space left, so they could afford a big contract, but then could be tight against the spending limit after that.
The Bills already added veteran Mario Addison to a group which is highlighted by Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy.
CBS Sports Dennis Dodd has high praise after Brian Kelly met with the media yesterday.
The Notre Dame football leader, Brian Kelly, met with the media yesterday via Zoom, touched on a variety of topics, but something caught the eye of CBS Sports Dennis Dodd. After Kelly finished, Dodd’s headline read like this: Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly emerges as voice of reason in sea of tone-deaf college football coaches.
What caught Dodd’s attention was the way Kelly handled himself when asked to speak to the community regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly seemed very statesmanlike when he said “We have not won yet. We’re just getting to halftime. We have a second half to play here. Really good job in the first couple of quarters, but we’re just getting into the locker room. Let’s look toward having a better second half. If we have a better second half, we’re going to win the game.”
This is certainly high praise for Kelly as Dodd explains that while “Updating the status of the Fighting Irish as a whole, Kelly seemed to warm to the topic of inspiration.” This is a clear contrast from what other coaches have recently said, such as Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy. Gundy wants football to start up by May 1st, citing an influx of money to go through the Sooner state. It was a bad look for the Cowboys.
Kelly has shown that he has a firm grasp on the situation, as this is the new norm and he has accepted it and adapted to it as well. Praise like this is fantastic for the Irish’s head coach, after Gundy makes a fool of himself, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney’s reports of taking vacations, and Mississippi State’s Mike Leach posting a extremely racial photo on his Twitter feed that has since been deleted and at least one player will transfer due to it.
Dabo has traveled by private plane to vacation in Florida. May travel next week for Easter. Says plane was sanitized. https://t.co/4cGEkUa9yH
Dodd’s headline was spot on, as Kelly has handled this situation extremely well, making positive headlines instead of negative ones. This can only help the university and it’s easy to say Notre Dame faithful are extremely proud of their head coach.
Did the Bills pay too high of a price for Diggs? Only time will tell. But CBS Sports is forecasting forward and saying it won’t work out.
There’s speculation nationally in regard to the Buffalo Bills’ decision to trade for wide receiver Stefon Diggs. It cost the Bills a slew of picks, including their first rounder in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.
Did the Bills pay too high of a price? Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time will tell. But CBS Sports is forecasting forward and saying it won’t work out.
Pegging their 10 worst moves of this offseason, the outlet named the Diggs deal among the worst in the league this offseason:
9. Bills trade for WR Stefon Diggs
The move: Buffalo trades a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick, a 2020 sixth-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Vikings for Diggs and a 2020 seventh-round pick
Diggs instantly makes Buffalo’s offense better, and he’s still just 26, under contract through 2023. Bills fans should be excited to have him. But there’s no denying the price was steep for a guy who, at best, replicates the role John Brown already plays for Josh Allen. The latter, of course, is notoriously erratic throwing the football, especially on deep balls, so it’s not hard to envision Diggs tossing a helmet or two once he’s spent a year or two outside of the confines of U.S. Bank Stadium. For the first-, fourth- and fifth-rounders the Bills essentially gave up here, they could’ve easily dipped into this year’s deep WR class, gotten a younger, bigger target and built more around their ground game.
The price certainly could be considered steep for Diggs, but the Bills are doing what good teams do with this move as well.
Buffalo sees an opportunity, right now, to win. Their defense is elite, their offensive output got better last year, and by Year 3, most prospects, especially quarterbacks, take the biggest “step” in their development. In that light, we’re naturally talking about quarterback Josh Allen.
While CBS Sports does make some good points, such as Diggs’ attitude issues in the past and Allen’s past questions about his accuracy, only time will tell if this move is worth it. But one thing for certain: It’s too early to declare this a bad move for the Bills just yet, give it time.
Diggs is proven, Allen’s shown improvement in the past, and the Bills clearly have great aspects to their team. Let’s check back here in a few months.
For what it’s worth, things could be worse. The Bills could be the Texans on this list. They don’t just take the top spot, they take the top two. No. 1 is their decision to trade wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals, and that’s followed up with their choice to replace him with Randall Cobb.
Although Yetur Gross-Matos is the most common edge associated with the Seahawks, CBS Sports had them selecting Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa instead.
The latest mock draft from CBS Sports has the Seattle Seahawks selecting a disruptive pass rusher with their first round pick – although it’s probably not the one you’re thinking.
If you’ve been keeping up with the mock drafts, you know the Seahawks are frequently connected to Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, an explosive athlete off the edge who would likely come in and immediately make an impact for Seattle.
However, Jordan Dajani at CBS Sports predicted they go in another direction by selecting Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa instead.
Many other mocks have Epenesa going higher that No. 27 overall, so if he slips the Seahawks will certainly consider snatching him up.
Epenesa makes scouts drool with his combination of size, speed and power off the edge. He recorded 22 sacks between his sophomore and junior seasons, and many scouts believe he has the tools to replicate those numbers in the NFL with some refinement.
Epenesa would be a dream pick for the Seahawks in the first round if he falls to them – and adding him to the mix alongside Irvin and Mayowa (and potentially Clowney) would help improve Seattle’s pass rush situation heading into the 2020 campaign.
