2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dion Jordan, DE/Oregon – Dion is an anomaly. Most prospects unable to compete at either the combine or their pro day typically fall on draft boards. Instead, all this kid has done is run a 40 and he’s being considered as one of the best defensive players available this year. Jordan was unable to help his draft stock at the Oregon Pro day because he is recovering from a recent surgery to repair a torn labrum. He ran a 4.53 unofficial time at the combine, which is amazing. GM David Caldwell recently said, “We’re pretty close – It’s down to two people.” Most people believe the two he referenced are Oregon DE Dion Jordan and West Virginia QB Gen Smith.

3. Oakland Raiders – Geno Smith, QB/West Virginia – I jokingly put “the ghost of All Davis lives” when I first put Geno to the Raiders in late January. The truth is Davis would have been drooling at the opportunity to grab a mobile QB, especially if he had been alive to see RGIII the year before. Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie will be left with making a franchise changing decision, as QB’s taken in the top 5 can cost a GM their job if they don’t pan out. Just ask Mike Tannenbaum. The Raiders released Carson Palmer due to salary cap issues, and have only have Matt Flynn & Terrelle Pryor on staff at QB. This pick is easy.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Ezekiel Ansah DE/ BYU – Ansah reportedly didn’t hire a trainer for the combine instead focusing on finishing his classes at BYU. His draft stock was already high but this news makes him seem kind of freakish. Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds with 35 1/8-inch arms, Ansah posted the sixth fastest forty times (4.63) of 37 defensive linemen who ran, and his 34 1/2-inch vertical tied for seventh. There is also a rumor that his 40 at the combine was the first one he ever ran in his lifetime. Ansah is a lightning in a bottle type of player and would be a welcome addition to any defense that drafts him. Billy Davis should be thrilled.

5. Detroit Lions – Dee Milliner CB/ Alabama – The Lions were active in free agency acquiring RB Reggie Bush, DE Jason Jones, and CB Chris Houston. Former Colts GM Bill Polian mentioned Detroit as the “greatest show on turf.” That ought to be billboard material for division rival Bears, Vikings and Packers. The ability to stop those teams, as well as the rest of their opponents next year will be a priority on draft day. In a past mock I mentioned that according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, teams wanting Alabama CB Dee Milliner will “probably have to trade ahead of Detroit at No. 5 to get him. Enough said.

6. Cleveland Browns – Sharrif Floyd, DT/ Florida – NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was quoted as saying, “everybody” has Floyd pegged as a top-five pick.” The reason for his fall to six has more to do with the rise of Dion Jordan and Ziggy Ansah up opposing teams’ draft boards. At 6’3 297 pounds, with a solid 40 time, Floyd racked up 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two kick blocks as a junior before declaring. Cleveland recently spent some big money on DE Paul Kruger and will be developing an intimidating pass rush after drafting Floyd to compliment him. Utah DE Star Lotulelei could also fit nicely here.

7. Arizona Cardinals – Eric Fisher OT/ Central Michigan – Carson Palmer was recently acquired and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Total Access that the Cardinals are unlikely to draft a quarterback at No. 7 overall. This may not be the popular thing to do from a fan perspective, but it makes a heck of a lot of sense. The QB class outside of Smith is not worthy of a selection this high and a good LT is a necessity in a rebuilding process. Bruce Arians and his imaginative play calling would love to feel confident their QB, whoever it is, will stay upright no matter what the play, and Fisher can do just that. Watch for Arizona to draft a QB in the 2nd round.

8. Buffalo Bills – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/Tennessee – I am less confident in this pick every day. Last time I had mentioned “Patterson needs a coach that isn’t going to take any crap and can bring him in with more a drill instructor mind set than a player coach mentality”. Now there are reports from a WR coach that Patterson would be an offensive coach’s dream. This is pure crap. You don’t change from a head case to a saint in the time since the combine. GM Buddy Nix mentioned to the press that he wanted to draft a big time WR as well as a franchise QB. Good luck with that. Patterson is considered to be as immature as he is talented. There was a report from a scout that he questioned Patterson’s intelligence and thinks the team that drafts him will have to simplify their offense to make him successful. Still, he scored a touchdown via kickoff return, punt return, receiving, and rushing, joining Carl Pickens (receiving, KR, PR, INT) as the only players in Tennessee history to score a touchdown four different ways in a career. Some drafts have Buffalo grabbing Ryan Nassib here, but I can’t see it. His combine was average and he’s not coming from a football powerhouse in Syracuse. His talent is fantastic, but even with his former coach now in charge of the Bills; Nassib would be a major risk here. I do however think West Virginia WR Tavon Austin has a legitimate chance to be drafted here.

9. New York Jets – Star Lotulelei, DT/Utah – The Jets are a tough team to gauge simply because they have so many needs and on both sides of the field. Lotulelei has been all over draft boards due to his supposed heart issues which have since been declared a non-issue. Star won the Morris trophy which is the award given to the best defensive player, voted by the Pac-12 offensive lineman he played against. His prototypical size at 6’3 311lbs. will help Rex Ryan in his pursuit of a pass rush. He should be a great addition to a line that just lost Sione Pouha and is in desperate need of improvement.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG/Alabama – I stand by this pick since the first mock in Late January. The Titans need to give Jake Locker a chance. Ha! Chance… In order to do that he needs to stay on his feet and taking the best guard at 10 would be a big time pick for the Titans. Warmack is a wild card to me, as the Jets, Cardinals, and Eagles could all use some help at the offensive line, so if he’s still available Tennessee will pounce. CBS Sports has Warmack as the second best prospect in this year’s draft behind only Luke Joeckel.

11. San Diego Chargers – Lane Johnson, OT/ Oklahoma – The new regime of GM Tom Telesco, HC Mike McCoy, and OC Ken Whisenhunt have a lot of work to do to keep the Chargers relevant. Johnson did 28 reps of 225lbs at the combine and with his strength will help Philip Rivers try to redeem himself after getting sacked on 50 of his 587 drop backs. The Bolts’ most glaring need is at left tackle, where Jared Gaither up and quit last season, and Johnson will also help fill the void on the right side where Louis Vasquez played before he departed to Denver.

12. Miami Dolphins – Jonathan Cooper, OG/North Carolina – Miami lost Jake Long to St. Louis and now are left with Jonathan Martin at left tackle and they brought in Nate Garner to be a swing tackle/guard. That being said, neither of those guys is going to a pro bowl any time soon. Cooper will help Miami recover from their loss of a former 1st round lineman. Greg Cossel from NFL films praised Cooper saying “the most purely athletic guard I can remember seeing” coming out of college. Cooper plays with “light feet, great balance,” and also showed a “nasty streak,” consistently “looking for contact.” Cooper is considered by some to be the best guard prospect in the class.

13. New York Jets (Via Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Tavon Austin, WR/West Virginia – For this to happen, Derrelle Revis must first become a Buccaneer. Consider it done! This trade is going to happen and it will happen before the draft, simply because no team would be willing to give up a first round pick for a player that they haven’t medically deemed healthy. Austin is a heck of a talent and will do wonders in the west coast offense the Jets are planning on using. Jets fans should also be looking towards receiving a 3rd round and maybe a late round pick or a pick in 2014 in the Revis trade.

14. Carolina Panthers – Sheldon Richardson, DT/Missouri – The Panthers statistically had a top 15 defense in 2012 finishing 10th in the league for yards per game allowed. Richardson, who stands 6’2”, 294lbs., became Mizzou’s first-ever All-SEC designee, as he was named to the 2nd-team for his outstanding play. His presence should help solidify Carolina’s front seven.

15. New Orleans Saints – Menelik Watson, OT/ Florida State – This kid is very intriguing. He has only played 2 years of football after coming over from Manchester England, but is considered by NFL.com’s Gil Brandt as a “very good offensive lineman.” Pursued by the likes of Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, Cal and Rutgers, Watson elected to sign with Florida State where he emerged as a starter in just his second season of playing the sport. Drew Brees and Mark Ingram will enjoy Watson’s services as he is helpful in both the run and the pass.

16. St. Louis Rams – D.J. Fluker, OT/Alabama – Some scouts doubt if Fluker can play tackle in the pro level. St. Louis is in dire need of offensive line help, so the concerns will be listened to, but ignored. D.J. Fluker who measures in at 6’6” 339 would be the 7th offensive linemen taken in this mock and the second of the first round coming from a SEC powerhouse in Alabama that produces NFL players every single year.

“There’s a short-term issue which we obviously would love to be able to get the best officials on the field,” Goodell told ESPN’s Darren Rovell in an interview Thursday.

Reports have indicated that the sides are anywhere between 40-50 million dollars apart and cannot agree on what percentage of the officials will become full-time. However, given the horrific showing of the officials in the Giants-Patriots game along with numerous other preseason games this year the league is in a tough spot (just search YouTube for many hilarious video tributes to them)

Jerry Jones has been quoted as saying that he doesn’t believe the replacements officials will impact the game as long as their consistent. However, Wednesday is a day long party for the NFL and they cannot have the crown jewel of that party, the game, come out looking like  cubic zirconium instead of a shinny diamond.

It would appear, that as of right now all of the leverage is with the NFL officials . The replacements have been horrific and the league,

November 14, 2010; San Francisco, CA, USA; NFL referee Ed Hochuli (85) during the second quarter between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park. San Francisco defeated St. Louis 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

no matter what they say, does not want their multi-billion product to look more like the XFL then the NFL. My gut still makes me believe that come Wednesday night at 8:27pm EST, when the coin flip takes place we will see Ed Hochuli in his way too small shirt on the field. If so, expect a standing ovation from the crowd.

The “Battle for New York”, as the NFL Network is touting it, or the quest for bragging rights as the announcer says in the voice over.  Wow, could you imagine the amount of bragging that could happen this week if the Jets, and Tim Tebow, actually beat the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in a pre-season game where the starters will only play about 25 plays?  They will own New York, this magical team that manages to win this test of wills, this statement game so early in the pre-season.  I’m sure the Giants view it a little differently.

The Giants who will be out tonight are: WR Hakeem Nicks, CB Terrell Thomas, CB Brandon Bing,CB Michael Coe, LB Jacquain Williams, LB Michael Boley, LT Will Beatty, DT Shaun Rogers, DT Marcus Thomas and DT Marvin Austin.  Once again there are no surprises found on this list, but there is some disappointment in not having the ability to see Marvin Austin and Will Beatty participate in a game.  It is getting dangerously close to the opener and these players need to show they will be ready to go. Nicks and Thomas are forbidden to participate due to new rules found in the CBA, since they haven’t been ruled active for at least three days.

But, fear not The Jets, and Tm Tebow, vow to show up and play like Wildcats!

 the NFL and NFL Referees Association are not making any progress towards a new deal, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The ESPN article went on to say the following; which in all honesty I do not understand…

One source familiar with the stalled negotiations estimated that the two sides would not resolve their differences until the third week of the regular season. His feelings on the state of the talks provide a snapshot of how far apart the two sides are.

Why is it week three and not week four? Either way this would be a very interesting start to the season for everyone. I must say that this shocks me. At a time when in the leagues history when they are focusing now more than ever on player safety and concussions, I just do not understand how we start with rookie officials. The replacement referees have three more weeks of preseason to figure this all out…good luck…

Unsigned

Chiefs: Receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Ravens: Running back Ray Rice.

49ers: Safety Dashon Goldson.

Bears: Running back Matt Forte.

Lions: Defensive end Cliff Avril.

Jaguars: Kicker Josh Scobee.

Signed franchise tender

Falcons: Cornerback Brent Grimes. (Signed the one-year, $10.4 million franchise tender on April 24.)

Redskins: Tight end Fred Davis. (Davis and the Redskins were engaged in talks about a long-term deal, but he’ll play this season for the one-year franchise salary of $5.4 million.)

Bengals: Kicker Mike Nugent. (Signed the one-year, $2.654 million franchise tender on April 25.)

Browns: Kicker Phil Dawson. (Signed the one-year, $3.81 million tender on March 13.)

Patriots: Receiver Wes Welker. (Welker said he’d like to sign a long-term deal, but talks between his camp and the Patriots were described as nonexistent.)

Cowboys: Linebacker Anthony Spencer. (Both sides said before the deadline that Spencer will play the 2012 season for the one-year franchise salary of $8.84 million.)

Signed long-term contract

Raiders: Safety Tyvon Branch. (Signed a four-year, $26.6 million deal on July 14.)

Eagles: Receiver DeSean Jackson. (Signed a five-year, $47 million deal on March 14.)

Cardinals: Defensive end Calais Campbell. (Signed five-year, $55 million deal on May 10.)

Broncos: Kicker Matt Prater. (Signed a four-year, $13 million deal on July 2.)

Saints: Quarterback Drew Brees. (Signed five-year, $100 million contract on July 13.)

Titans: Safety Michael Griffin. (Signed five-year, $35 million deal with $11.5 million fully guaranteed on July 1.)

Buccaneers: Kicker Connor Barth. (Signed four-year, $13.2 million deal on May 17.)

Giants: Punter Steve Weatherford. (Signed five-year, $12.75 million deal on March 16.)

Colts: Defensive end Robert Mathis. (Signed four-year, $36 million deal on March 5.)

Signing the Franchise Tag is certainly not a bad thing for the player, except it puts his free agency off for one more year, but being guaranteed the average salary of the top 5 players at your position usually eases the pain.  As you can see the Giants handled their business early with Punter Steve Weatherford and have  no pressing business this afternoon.

Percy Harvin returned to the Minnesota Vikings‘ minicamp on Thursday, a day after he skipped the team’s Wednesday afternoon practice because he is unhappy and has requested a trade.

The Vikings have made it clear though that they will not be looking to trade Harvin at this time

“We drafted Percy Harvin here,” Spielman said. “He’s a key part of our organization. He’s a key part of our football team. Any issues that are out there or reported, we always handle those internally and continue to handle those internally.”

Percy does not want to be with the Vikings and it does not appear to have to do with the money or his current contract

“Fans I said I have issues to be worked out money not at all being the problem…I’ve dne everything asked and more…

This is very delicate situation for the new Vikings upper management. Harvin is considered to be in the upper tier of NFL WR’s and he is

Jun 19, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin (12) sits on a hill near the practice fields at Vikings minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

not happy with something. However, at this point we do not know what that something is who that someone may be. Although the Vikings have made it clear that they do not want trade him they may not have a choice. As we have seen time after time NFL players have the ability to force a teams hand when it comes to these type of things. Harvin has put up decent numbers in his time with the Vikings (especially considering all the QB’s he has had). Given the numbers below, if you were the Giants would you try to acquire him?

In what could have been a bad sign, Osi fired his agent late last week.  This actually proved to be the key step in getting Osi to agree to his new deal.  Allowing Jerry Reese and Osi to sit down, man to man, across the table from one another, and say what they had to say.  The result was a nice raise for Osi from approximately 4.1 to 7 million dollars this year.  This is basically a bonus for the years of service and the productivity Osi has shown during his current contract.  Osi gets to be a complete free agent after this season IF the Giants don’t sign him to a longer term deal before the end of the season.  This should make Osi very happy, Very Productive, and the Giants a better team in 2012.  Jerry Reese stuck to his guns and has made Osi play out his original contract, thus not setting any bad precedents, and Osi gets a raise and a chance to test the market next year…Win Win

Osi now say he will re-hire his agent before he signs any new contract, just a difference of opinion on the deal the Giants were offering.

OTAs will be held between the two camps: May 23-24, May 30-June 1, June 4-5 and June 7-8.

Clubs are permitted to hold a rookie minicamp on one of the first two weekends after the NFL Draft and conduct one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. Clubs with new head coaches, however, are permitted to conduct one additional voluntary minicamp for veteran players. There is no restriction on the number of minicamps a club may hold for rookie players.

So, let the talk begin…who will show for Mini Camp? What will it mean for the Giants season? Will Osi be a Giant? Can Ahmad Bradshaw ever get healthy?  Stay Tuned!

Osi has a contract in place for one more year. When the Giants told him to test the market, he had no takers. Even now, is anyone beating down the door to get him? Why is that? The fact is he is the 3rd best DE on the Team and is on the down slope of his career. He wants a $40 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. That would be good if he was 27 or 28. He will be 31 this year and has had his share of injuries in the past. Teams cannot give players more money than they are worth at the end of their careers because they earned it in the past, they have to pay they what they will be worth now and at the end of this contract. Osi was a great player, he was a huge part of this team and a contributing reason they have won 2 Superbowls in 5 years. I like Osi Umenyiora and I hope he gets his money. But if he won’t sign for less than what he is asking, I hope he goes elsewhere because the bottom line is, as much as I like Osi, I like the NY Giants more. And you cant sacrifice the rest of the team and the future to take care of one player! Because he feels he has earned it. So in this business decision I am with Jerry Reese. After all, it’s a business, right?

Obviously he won’t be playing in Saturday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, but atleast we’re going to see progress come next week. Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger has the full report:

The Giants fly to Carolina Friday for a matchup with the Panthers on Saturday. Umenyiora will not accompany the team on the trip but could be ready to practice on Monday. The decision on his availability will be made within the next day or so, according to Agnone’s estimates.

Hopefully he is fully cleared to return to practice Monday, and we can all put this holdout business behind us and get to see the Giants defense at full strength for the first time this offseason.

via the Star-Ledger:

Giants DE Osi Umenyiora will fly to Atlanta in the next few days to see a specialist for a second opinion on his knee, according to Umenyiora’s agent, Tony Agnone. The hope is that the second opinion can help Umenyiora reach the field.
“We won’t do anything without conferring with the Giants medical staff first,” Agnone said. “We’re just looking for a way to get him back on the field soon.”

Everyone on the planet knows someone that has a torn meniscus. It can be treated with surgery, or you can opt out of the surgery and handle the situation with cortisone and pain killers. The second opinion could in earnest be an attempt to get Osi’s knee in check, it could also be a stunt to put the ball back in the Giants court about his contract situation.

Time will tell…

Schefter tweeted earlier:

Giants have offered disgruntled DE Osi Umenyiora additonal incentives that would kick in if he registered 13.5 sacks this season.
…
Umenyiora has asked the Giants to wipe out the last year on his contract that now has two years remaining. Standoff continues.

This number is a bit lower than the 15 sacks we heard about earlier in the day, but 13.5 is still a high number. With the propensity of the safety blitz and zone blitz packages that Fewell likes to run, and if Kiwanuka and JPP are installed as the primary pass rushers coming up the middle in 3rd down situations… there’s no way Osi hits that number. No way. That’s not to say the Giants won’t completely dominate on defense in 2011, just sayin – Osi won’t be the primary reason.

Clipped from: nflspinzone.com (share this clip)

You should never question a player’s toughness or not take them for their word, but Umenyiora’s case is a special one. He has made it clear he doesn’t want to play for the team under the current circumstances, so he could be trying to force the Giants hand.

He has a meniscus injury without question, but I have no doubt that if the Giants restructured his contract so he made more money over the next 2 years, Osi would play through it.

via Adam Schefter:

Filed to ESPN: Raiders reached agreement with former Giants tight end Kevin Boss on a four-year, $16 million.

Well that’s that — TE Travis Beckum is your new pass catching TE for the NY Giants. We’re not aware of the Giants offer, but if there’s any indication that GM Jerry Reese tried to low ball Boss and that’s what took him so long to make up his mind, Eli Manning and most Giants fans are going to be none to happy to have lost this bidding war.

Ware recently restructured his contract to keep the Cowboys under the salary cap, an unselfish and classy move by a true team player. Osi, take note. Time to get to work.

via PFT:

“The process is already finished,” Ware told Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News on Thursday. “I don’t want to get into any numbers or anything like that. It’s done. I did whatever I needed to do to help the team.”

Yardbarker

Former Giants MLB Antonio Pierce has made some comments on ESPN radio that are going around today — and they really get to the heart of the matter between Osi Umenyiora and the Giants. Ultimately, Pierce believes Osi is wrong and the Giants are right.

via PFT:

“It’s kind of hard to say I’m on Osi’s side,” Pierce said. “I understand it from the players’ side, but from the ownership side, they’re doing the right thing. They understand that there are some medical issues with Osi, maybe he doesn’t have a lot of good years left with his health and his body. The guy’s been very productive, but Osi needs to make his mind and say, ‘I might not go out there and get money like I think I can. I might not get Charles Johnson money. Maybe I need to settle for the $7 or $8 million I’m getting the next two years.’ So really I’m not on Osi’s side on this one.”

There you have it — consider it nailed. Both sides have a point, but Osi’s not exactly in perfect form health wise heading into the season, he’s sitting out due to knee issues, and he’s also trying to negotiate a $70 million contract while doing it? No way. No fricking way.

And when you have the #1 pass rusher in the entire league, arguably one of the best overall players in the league – Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware taking pay cuts to help his team create cap room — your leverage is shrinking by the minute. Get off the bike and get to practice tonight, Osi. Your team and fans will thank you for it, eventually.

Yardbarker

Reports are coming in via twitter that all other first round picks of the 2011 draft have been signed, everyone except for CB Prince Amukamara have an inked deal with their respective teams.

Jerry Reese said earlier in the week the two sides were working through a “language issue” and expects a deal to be in place by weeks end. Meanwhile, Prince is missing valuable time away from training camp where every minute and each rep helps solidify playing time with the Giants under Tom Coughlin’s regime.

Here are his quotes about his interest in the Raiders and Giants, respectively:

“Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier, it’s something out on the west coast. But I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. Ultimately, like I said, I’d just prefer to stay here in New York and finish my career as a New York Giant

…

For me, right now, the Giants, I’ve had a great four years here and it’d be hard to pick up and leave right now. Obviously, going back west wouldn’t, you know, I’m originally from Oregon so that’s something that’s in the back of my mind. But I don’t know. I think it’d be hard to leave New York.”

I think everyone is in agreement about 2 things — the Giants need to get Boss back in NY and Eli needs to throw him the ball more often. No Plax in the red zone, not sure about Barden, the only 6’6″ guy catching balls inside the 20 is going to be Boss.

GET. IT. DONE.

Mike Garafolo broke the story, check the snippet below.

Giants tell Osi Umenyiora, agent they are no longer allowed to seek trade | NJ.com:

“The team informed the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end today he and his agent are no longer allowed to seek a trade partner, according to someone informed of the conversation between the two camps today. The person, who requested anonymity because the talks were to remain private, said the team’s reasoning was Umenyiora’s agent, Tony Agnone, has been unable to find a team willing to give up a first-round pick. A report in the Baltimore Sun Tuesday said the Giants had lowered their asking price for Umenyiora, though today’s decision demonstrates the team’s valuation of Umenyiora on the trade market has not changed.”

Aside from the Ravens who were rumored to have offered a 3rd rounder for Umenyiora, I’m not sure the Giants would have had any takers if they continued to lower their asking price.  But this little exercise has done three things:

1. Showed Umenyiora what his talent means to the Giants. A first round pick may have been a bit too high, but that’s what they feel the DE is worth to them.  No team bit on that price… the Giants benefit.  Unfortunately for Osi, he probably won’t be seeing that $73 million contract he was hoping for but he won’t have to uproot for the 2011 season.

2. Taken away any leverage that Umenyiora and his agent might have had. Sorry but it’s time to get to work boys!

3. Proven that the Giants can stealthily navigate the twists and turns of the offseason and find ways to retain great talent at a bargain price. You’ve got to admit it, the Giants aren’t exactly dopes when it comes to their front office maneuvers.  They had to have known no other team would trade a 1st round pick for Umenyiora, and now they can retain him at his current contract amounts, $7 million over the next two years.  Whether you think that’s unfair or not — the Giants have shown they know how to work the system to their advantage.

***UPDATE***

Ralph V of the Daily news just tweeted he was told:

Osi has no intention of practicing tomorrow either, or “anytime soon.”

Like a hand going into a blender, it’s only going to get uglier from here.

via PFT:

The last three holdouts are at No. 17 through No. 19, where Pats offensive lineman Nate Solder, Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget, and Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara, respectively, aren’t signed. In that direction, however, the issue isn’t simply whether the contracts will be fully guaranteed. It’s whether Clayborn’s ability to overshoot his allocation will trickle uphill to Amukamara at No. 19 — and then in turn whether it will continue to Liuget at No. 18 and Solder at No. 17.

So frustration deflected a bit by circumstances, it sounds like the dominoes just have to fall in the particular segment of the draft Prince happened to fall into, and Jerry Reese basically said in his interview on WFAN yesterday that it’s a language issue, not a $ amount.

Still — LET’S HURRY IT UP!