Jadeveon Clowney, Radio City Music Hall, Trent Richardson
The Houston Texans have the player they intend to choose with the first overall pick of the NFL Draft.
And, according to their general manager, they have every intention of selecting him … unless another team makes them a trade offer they simply can't refuse.
"The fortunate thing about having the first pick is I've got the pick of the litter, so I will know exactly who I want at that point," Rick Smith told FOX Sports Southwest. "Now, where the game is played is if there's an opportunity to move and, in this case, obviously to move back if somebody else wants to come up to that first pick. Then, you weigh what the opportunities are versus who the individual is that you want to take and what that value is relative to the value that somebody might be offering you.
"But as you move through the draft, obviously you don't know who's going to be picked when."
Smith isn't revealing the name of the player the Texans would choose at the top of the draft if they keep the pick, but there is fairly strong sentiment among draft analysts that they'll go with one of the following: South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles, and University at Buffalo linebacker Kahlil Mack.
Provided, that is, another club doesn't put together an overwhelming trade offer.
TRENT RICHARDSON GETTING MUCH-NEEDED EDUCATION ABOUT COLTS' OFFENSE
Former Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson places most of the blame for his lack of familiarity with the Indianapolis Colts' offense for his struggles after joining them via a trade after two games last season.
Without the benefit of an offseason and training camp in the Colts' system, Richardson relied heavily on trying to memorize plays rather than a thorough understanding of the scheme.
"I'm learning a lot, as much as I've learned in this last week, (it's) much more than I learned last year," Richardson told Colts.com, the team's official website. "The offseason is very important because you have a chance to vibe with your team, to build that respect, to build that trust and then to build that team chemistry with your offensive line, with your quarterback.
"Knowing the concept of a play is the biggest thing because when it comes down to it, if you just remember what you're doing, that's not good enough. I remembered the playbook last year. I know it now. I'm learning a lot this year."
WILL THE NFL DRAFT BECOME A ROAD SHOW NEXT YEAR?
There has been plenty of discussion among NFL decision-makers about moving the draft from New York's Radio City Music Hall and having it rotate among league cities.
According to the New York Daily News, that possibility could become a reality in 2015.
The News story speculates that the decision to move the draft from New York could lead to a bidding process similar to the one involving cities wishing to host the Super Bowl.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently mentioned in an interview with NFL Network that the draft could be expanded from three to four days. He also said that scenario could lend itself to the draft being held in multiple sites.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER'S RESPONSE TO CRITICS: 'PUT ON THE GAME TAPE'
Teddy Bridgewater is the first to acknowledge that his horrendous performance at Louisville's Pro Day has led to wide-spread speculation that his draft stock has plummeted.
He has simple advice to the critics who think his struggles during that session revealed he doesn't have what it takes to be a top-notch NFL quarterback.
"Put on the game tape," Bridgewater told ESPN. "The game tape speaks volumes because I'm in live action, I'm out there making reads, going through progressions, redirection protection, signaling hot routes, getting the offense in and out of the right play.
"Looking at those things, I think those things outweigh the Pro Day."
NEED A SAFETY? THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE DRAFT FOR YOU
If you're looking for a safety in next week's NFL Draft, you are likely to come away disappointed.
At least, that's the opinion of one NFL general manager.
"In terms of the safety class, I don't think it's a good group overall," Howie Roseman was quoted as saying in PhillyMag.com. "I think you're talking about a drop-off certainly when you get into Saturday."
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