ProFootballTalk: Who can turn Saints’ defense around?

Sean Payton wasted no time when firing defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Who’s next up in New Orleans?

AP

Recently, an NFL ownership-level source told PFT that it could be difficult to muster nine votes to keep Donald Trump out of the world’s most exclusive club of billionaires.  Another owner has told Gary Myers of the New York Daily News something very different.

“He did try to bring the NFL down,” the unnamed owner told Myers.  “Certainly, a lot of owners aren’t around anymore.  Maybe some of the new guys wouldn’t bear the same type of resentment that some of the older guys would.  Do you think he would be a good partner for us or be somewhat of a maverick and be in it for himself?  All questions that have to be asked.  It’s not just the USFL stuff.  Who knows how serious he is.  He likes to have his name out there.  Let’s put it this way:  I don’t think his confirmation would be a slam dunk.”

AP

When a team is talking about looking for closers, the natural inclination is to assume that we’re talking about baseball.

This year’s draft will feature one team looking for football versions of Mariano Rivera, however. The Lions lost six of their final seven games last season and they held a fourth-quarter lead in all six of those losses, which is leading vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White to look for players who can help them finish out a lead in free agency and the draft this offseason.

“You saw six games out of seven where we did not finish. So we’re going to be looking for closers,” White said, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “Look for them in free agency — guys who have been there, guys like our coaching staff that have been there, guys that will not quit. We have some now, but we need some additional players that have that same kind of mind-set. That’s what we’ve done so far, and we still have a lot of work to do.”

Wide receiver Golden Tate and safety James Ihedigbo were both brought in via free agency and they each won Super Bowl rings in the last two years, which is likely the kind of closing kick the Lions would like to see from their team in the future.

The inability to finish what his team started helped seal former coach Jim Schwartz’s fate. Should 2014 feature more of the same, his won’t be the last head to roll in Detroit as they try to build a team that can go the distance.

AP

The Seahawks start their offseason workouts on Monday, which marks the first official work for the team since they were crowned Super Bowl champions.

That title and the Seahawks’ limited losses from the roster during the offseason would seem to leave the team with few concerns heading into next season. Coaches don’t get paid to say that all is well and that practice will be little more than a necessary evil, however, so it’s no surprise that quarterbacks coach Carl Smith is focused on the few negatives he saw on film from last season as the Seahawks get back to work.

“What we saw was lots of problems, regardless of the end result,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “We saw the imperfections and there’s a lot of work that we’ve still got to do. What we did get cleaned up during our playoff run were penalties and our protections. We had problems with both of those during the season and it made a lot games harder than it could have been.”

The Seahawks protected Russell Wilson much better in the second half of the season, likely because left tackle Russell Okung, center Max Unger and right tackle Breno Giacomini returned from injury and forced backups back to reserve roles. Giacomini is now with the Jets, so his replacement will have to keep things rolling but the overall concern with the line should be mitigated a great deal if everyone stays healthy this time around.

If they do, the Seahawks’ attempt to become the first team in a decade to repeat will be enhanced and Smith will have to dig a little deeper next season.

A year after the 49ers took him in the fourth round of the NFL draft, running back Marcus Lattimore says he’s healthy enough in recovery from the gruesome knee injury that ended his college career that he could take the field today.

Lattimore said his next steps aren’t about rehabbing his knee, they’re just about convincing 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh that he deserves significant playing time.

“If he wants to put me in, he’ll put me in,” Lattimore told GoGamecocks.com. “If I prove it in practice, I don’t think there’s no excuse why I can’t play. I’m ready.”

The knee injury Lattimore suffered in 2012 was so serious that sitting out his rookie season, as he did last year, was far from his biggest concern. When he first got hurt, Lattimore feared he’d never play football again.

“After my injury, I just wanted to walk again,” Lattimore said. “It was tough, very tough. We’re a playoff team, so we play 20-plus games. Being on that sideline, we got so close to the Super Bowl title the last three years. But I’m blessed to be in this situation. Never would have thought in a million years I’d be in this situation.”

Lattimore has heard the reports that backup running back LaMichael James is not in the 49ers’ long-term plans, which means Lattimore would move up to third on the depth chart behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.

“If that happens, it does put me in that No. 3 spot,” Lattimore said. “But I’ve just got to go in there and work hard. I can pass-protect and run the ball. I’ve got to show that.”

If he can run now the way he ran at South Carolina, Lattimore will show a lot in San Francisco this year.

AP

Last year, Ravens coach John Harbaugh won a Super Bowl.  This year, he secured something even more rare.

On Friday, a statue was unveiled in his honor at Miami of Ohio’s “Cradle of Coaches,” a bronze gallery of tributes to coaching legends who played college football at the school.

“There’s nothing like the Cradle of Coaches.  I don’t think there’s a bigger honor in coaching,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s official website.   “People may not understand that, but once you take a look at it, it means a lot.”

The Ravens’ website has video of the unveiling, which fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) wasn’t disrupted by Mr. T.

The throng of 260 family members, friends, and colleagues who attended a Friday night dinner in Harbaugh’s honor included a surprise visit from John’s brother, Jim, head coach of the 49ers.

“There have been a lot of proud moments but I’ve never been more proud of him than I am today,” Jim said at the celebration.  “I always prided myself on being the tallest Harbaugh, but that all changed today when they unveiled that statue.”

John Harbaugh played college football at Miami in the early 1980s.

“I wasn’t a really good football player, but I was the best football player I could ever be,” John Harbaugh said. “And there were a lot of challenges and a lot of difficult things.  But then 10 years later, or 15 years later, or 30 years later, you have a chance to look back and you understand why you were there at that time with those people.”

Harbaugh’s likeness joins Paul Brown, Bo Schembechler, Weeb Ewbank, Earl Blaik, Carm Cozza, Paul Dietzel, Ara Parseghian and John Pont in the grove of statues outside Yager Stadium.

AP

On Saturday, MDS passed along a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald regarding the Dolphins’ interest in draft-eligible wide receivers and what it might mean for Mike Wallace’s future in Miami.

One of the receivers mentioned in the report is LSU wideout Odell Beckham and the Dolphins will get some more information about Beckham this week. During an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Saturday, Beckham said that he will be visiting with the Dolphins on Friday and Saturday as he winds up a busy week. Beckham confirmed that he will visit with the Jets on Monday and Tuesday before moving on to talk to the Eagles in the middle of the week.

“It’s been a fun process,” Beckham said. “It’s been a little tough at times to be able to catch your workouts because you’re traveling for days at a time. It’s been fun to go around and meet coaches and general managers and just be able to reach out.”

Beckham also said that he has already met with the Bills, which he called a “fun experience,” and Bengals while making the rounds of interested teams. There will likely be other interest as well as Beckham is almost certainly going to be off the board before the first round comes to an end on May 8.

AP

It took the Browns some time to get around to checking out Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, but they’ll have plenty of information about one of the draft’s top signal callers by the end of the week.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Browns watched Manziel work out in College Station, Texas on Saturday, giving them a taste of what they missed at Manziel’s pro day earlier this offseason. Schefter also reports that Manziel will be in Cleveland for a meeting with Browns brass during the week.

Once that’s complete, the Browns will have met with and/or worked out all of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. There have been reports that Fresno State’s Derek Carr has caught the team’s eye, but any final decision will likely have to wait until the Browns have a full picture of what Manziel brings to the table.

With the fourth and 26th picks in the first round and three more picks in the next two rounds, the Browns have plenty of options when it comes to adding a quarterback to compete with Brian Hoyer for the starting job. The audiences with Manziel should play a big role in which of those options they wind up choosing.

AP

The Bills helped the United Way set new fundraising records.

What kind of impact will offensive coordinator Bill Lazor have on the Dolphins?

Cracking the Patriots roster won’t be easy for rookies.

Said Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson, “We finished 8-8. People expected us to finish worse than that, so we exceeded their expectations but not ours. It was a good way to finish the season but hopefully we’ll roll it over into the upcoming season.”

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was overwhelmed by a statue of him going up at Miami (Ohio) University.

Coley Harvey of ESPN.com doesn’t think the Bengals should take a quarterback in the first few rounds.

Digging into the Browns’ reported love for Fresno State QB Derek Carr.

He won’t make it to the 15th pick, but the Steelers could use Texas A&M WR Mike Evans.

Injuries were a big factor for the Texans last season.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off played a role in former Colts OL Ryan Diem’s NFL career.

Jaguars LS Carson Tinker has written a book about his experience when tornadoes hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama while he was in college.

Mulling a trade down the draft board for the Titans.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reveals a reason why the Broncos shouldn’t trade out of the 31st overall pick.

Will the Chiefs draft a quarterback this year?

Raiders T Austin Howard lands on this list of players overpaid in free agency.

There are 52 Pro Bowlers on the Chargers’ schedule in 2014.

What will the Cowboys be looking at when they settle on their draft picks?

Running through some of Giants General Manager Jerry Reese’s greatest hits.

A look at some linebackers that might interest the Eagles in the draft.

Former Redskins RB John Riggins gets busy in the kitchen.

Safety continues to look like the Bears’ biggest remaining need.

An argument in favor of the Lions trading back in the first round.

The Packers’ Tailgate Tour returned to Lambeau Field.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson shares some thoughts on the team’s future at quarterback.

The Falcons might be able to use Missouri DE Kony Ealy, but they’re unlikely to land him in the draft.

Some Panthers draft questions and answers.

Looking ahead to the release of the Saints schedule.

Buccaneers DE Michael Johnson has been watching tape of Simeon Rice.

Colorado State C Weston Richburg drove home to Texas after a meeting with the Cardinals in Arizona.

It looks like the Rams will be drafting a quarterback at some point next month.

49ers fans want the color of seats on BART trains to change to something less reminiscent of Seahawks colors.

CB Dwayne Harper ranks No. 19 on this list of the best Seahawks draft picks of all time.

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles didn’t expect to lose his No. 1 receiver, DeSean Jackson, and didn’t see it coming before the Eagles sent Jackson packing.

“You know, it’s surprising,” Foles told CSNPhilly.com. “But at the same time, you learn that it’s a business. It’s a tough business, at times. We develop a lot of friendships on a team and I’ve had many of my close teammates let go. It’s very tough, but at the same time, you know it’s part of the game, part of the business.”

Despite talk that Jackson was a trouble maker in the locker room, Foles said he never saw any of that.

“He was a great teammate to me,” Foles said. “We had a great relationship on and off the field. Everybody has other things going on, but to me personally, I really enjoyed playing with him and I’m excited that he landed on his feet. He’s a heck of a player.”

Now he’ll be a heck of a player for Philadelphia’s NFC East rival in Washington.

AP

Warren Moon is a fan of Johnny Manziel’s skill set.

However, Moon does have a few reservations about the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner.

In an interview with Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Moon said the 6-foot, 207-pound Manziel must avoid seeking contact as much as he did on the college level. Moreover, Manziel also must prove he can regularly operate from the pocket, according to the Hall of Fame quarterback.

“Well, he’s one of the most exciting players to play college football, no question about it,” Moon said of Manziel. “He’s a risk taker, and he gets away with a lot of those things.

“I just think in the NFL, some of those things, he’s going to have to take out of his game. He just won’t be able to get away with some of those things that he did in college football, especially taking on people, being as physical as he likes to play the game. I don’t think you can do that in the NFL or you won’t be available for your football team.

“So if he changes a lot of those things out of his game, those are the things that made him special. Now all of a sudden he becomes a pocket passer. Can he do that on a consistent basis? That’s something I’m really not comfortable with right now. I’d have to see him do a little bit more of that.

“But no question about it, he’s an exciting football player that brings some very exciting athleticism to the position.”

Moon praised Manziel’s approach to the predraft process, noting that the former Texas A&M star has focused upon his craft.

Nevertheless, Moon still isn’t sure if Manziel’s collegiate production will translate to the NFL.

“He’s doing all the things right to move himself up in the draft, but still, what makes Johnny Manziel ‘Johnny’ is those special, magical plays that he makes, and I just don’t know if there’s going to be as many of those when you’re playing against the talent that he’s playing against in the NFL,” Moon said.

The Dolphins have denied reports that they want to trade wide receiver Mike Wallace, and it appears highly unlikely that Wallace will play anywhere other than Miami this season. But there are big questions about whether Wallace has a future in Miami beyond 2014.

The latest question comes from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who reports that the Dolphins are closely scrutinizing several receivers they could take in the first or second round, including LSU’s Odell Beckham, USC’s Marqise Lee, Mississippi’s Donte Moncrief, Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks and Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin. Jackson adds that “if the Dolphins do add a receiver in the first three rounds, it will raise questions about their intentions with Wallace in 2015 and beyond.”

The reality is that Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey probably doesn’t have any intentions with Wallace in 2015 and beyond. Hickey wasn’t in Miami when former G.M. Jeff Ireland signed Wallace, and Hickey probably thinks what most people think, which is that Ireland overpaid to acquire Wallace last year.

The Dolphins won’t trade Wallace not because they don’t want to, but because his contract makes it all but impossible. First, Miami would take an immediate cap charge of $8.8 million if Wallace is traded before June 1. Secondly, any team that trades for Wallace would be taking on his fully guaranteed salary of $15 million this season. That’s not going to happen.

So don’t be surprised if Hickey drafts a receiver this year who could replace Wallace as Miami’s No. 1 receiver next year.

AP

Former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly has returned to the Buffalo area to continue to be treated for sinus cancer, his brother, Dan Kelly, said today, according to multiple reports.

“Jim’s coming back, and he wants to fight cancer here in Buffalo. He will be continuing all his treatments here in Buffalo,” Dan Kelly said on Saturday, according to the Buffalo News.

According to the News, Kelly arrived in Buffalo on Saturday.

Kelly reportedly began chemotherapy treatments about two weeks ago. He had been receiving treatment in New York City.

AP

Loucheiz Purifoy, a former Florida cornerback who is expected to be drafted next month, reportedly was caught with drugs last month and avoided arrest by agreeing to work as a police informant.

Now the matter of how Purifoy avoided arrest is the subject of an investigation. The Gainesville Sun reports that Purifoy never made himself available to officers to serve as an informant, so the Alachua County sheriff, whose officers originally stopped Purifoy, has asked the Gainesville Police Department to conduct an independent investigation into the matter.

According to the report, Purifoy was caught with marijuana and the synthetic drug known as bath salts. Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell wrote in a letter to Gainesville Police Chief Tony Jones that after Purifoy failed to act as an informant an arrest warrant issued for him was quashed, and now the matter needs to be investigated.

“Based on probable cause developed by the deputy, an arrest warrant was issued for Loucheiz Purifoy for April 4, 2014, after he failed to fulfill his end of the bargain,” Darnell wrote. “The action to quash the warrant is highly unusual and, as a result, I have numerous questions as to the propriety of how this occurred.”

Purifoy was previously arrested for marijuana possession in February of 2013, and the Gators suspended him for the first game of the season. If he can stay out of trouble off the field, Purifoy has the talent to be a major contributor in the NFL: At Florida he was a starting cornerback, played a little wide receiver and was outstanding on special teams as a returner, on kick coverage and in blocking kicks.

AP

Former Pitt quarterback Tom Savage has quickly gone from an unknown to a hot prospect, to the point where he received an invitation to attend the NFL draft. But Savage won’t be there.

Savage has declined his invitation and will not attend the draft, Josina Anderson of ESPN reports.

Just a few weeks ago, no one would have even expected Savage to get an invitation. But the buzz around the league suggests that NFL teams are growing so enamored with Savage’s size and arm strength that some teams may think he’s worth a first-round pick.

Savage started as a true freshman at Rutgers in 2009 and showed a lot of promise, but he suffered a hand injury and lost his starting job in 2010, transferred to Arizona and then transferred again when new coach Rich Rodriguez implemented an offense that didn’t play to his strengths. At Pittsburgh in 2013, he completed 61.2 percent of his passes, threw for 2,958 yards and had 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Moving around so much makes Savage one of the toughest prospects in the draft to evaluate, but some people think he’s going to hear Roger Goodell call his name early.

When Savage does hear his name called, it will be on TV.

AP

If you assume the Lions aren’t delusional, you can also assume they want to make a move up in the draft.

Because they’re bringing in another top-five caliber prospect for a visit, when they’re picking 10th.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack is visiting the Lions next week.

Along with recent visits from South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins, it’s clear the Lions aren’t limiting themselves to their present location.

Mack is viewed by many as a more natural fit in a 3-4 defense, but the Lions could use him in a Von Miller-type role as well. Or they could just be establishing a smokescreen in an effort to cut a better deal with someone in the top five.