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Date: Team: Pos:

Michael Bennett - DL - Buccaneers

The St. Petersburg Times expects the Buccaneers to place a second-round tender on restricted free agent LE Michael Bennett.

Bennett held off rookie DE Da'Quan Bowers for a starting job all last year, racking up 39 tackles and four sacks in 14 appearances (ten starts). The Bucs will hope Bowers takes a leap in 2012, but Bennett has been a valuable lineman and they won't let him get away. He can play both left end and tackle.

Source: St. Petersburg Times

Feb 22 - 2:17 PM

Fletcher Cox - DL - Player

NFL draft "insiders" tell SI.com's Tony Pauline that Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox could make a leap up draft boards ala Tyson Jackson in 2009.

Jackson was considered a late first- to early second-round prospect for most of the 2009 draft process. He wound up going No. 3 overall. Per Pauline, Cox is expected to run a sub-4.8 forty time at the Combine and is currently tipping the scales at 300 pounds. An explosive interior pass rusher, Cox was a first-team All-SEC pick as a junior, playing most of the season at age 20.

Source: SI.com

Feb 22 - 2:09 PM

Lamar Miller - RB - Player

Miami (FL) RB Lamar Miller has reportedly recovered from postseason shoulder surgery and has been running forty times in the mid-4.3s during pre-Combine training.

Miller is a candidate for a huge Combine because of his straight-line speed. ESPN College Scouting Director Todd McShay likens Miller's explosiveness to that of Chris Johnson, and he's in the mix to be the second tailback drafted. A forty time in the mid-4.3s would excite NFL evaluators, to put it mildly.

Source: SI.com

Feb 22 - 2:04 PM

George Iloka - DB - Player

According to SI.com draft analyst Tony Pauline, Boise State S George Iloka is currently "the top free safety on draft boards around the league."

Alabama's Mark Barron and Notre Dame's Harrison Smith are considered strong safeties. Iloka is an imposing free safety prospect at 6-foot-4, 222 with a sub-4.5 forty on record. Pauline expects Iloka to be an early second-round pick if he runs well and does 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, as expected. Iloka could be a tight end-buster kind of safety with the ability to defend athletic tight ends like Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez.

Source: SI.com

Feb 22 - 1:53 PM

Robert Griffin III - QB - Player

Baylor QB Robert Griffin III said on ESPN Radio Wednesday that he will measure 6-foot-2 or taller at the Combine.

"I'm gonna say 6'2" or over," said RG3. "But ... I don't think it'll matter if I'm taller than 6'2" or not. The game film speaks for itself." Griffin also said he'll wait until he arrives in Indy to decide whether to throw at the Combine. Added RG3, "There's no one in the draft who has the skill set I have from arm strength and accuracy, to explosive big-play ability and elusiveness."

Source: ESPN.com

Feb 22 - 1:40 PM

Justin Blackmon - WR - Player

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, "it doesn't look like" Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon will run at the Combine.

Blackmon told NFL Network in early February that he would perform all drills at the Combine, but he's apparently reconsidering. Schefter suggests that Blackmon might have too much to lose by running on a historically "slow track" in Indy, and will wait for the Cowboys' Pro Day. The forty time could be crucial for Blackmon's chances of being a top-six pick, but it would be a disappointment if he skipped out on the speed test in Indianapolis.

Source: ESPN Insider

Feb 22 - 1:29 PM

Robert Griffin III - QB - Player

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, "some scouts" believe Baylor QB Robert Griffin III throws the football better than 2011 No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock is on the record as calling Griffin a "more natural thrower of the football" than Newton when he came out of Auburn. Schefter also "guarantees" Griffin will be a top-four pick, no matter how tall he measures at the Combine. Per Schefter, "chances are" Griffin will be the No. 2 overall pick, likely after a trade with the Browns, Redskins, or Dolphins.

Source: ESPN Insider

Feb 22 - 1:24 PM

Amini Silatolu - T - Player

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock suggests that Midwestern State T/G Amini Silatolu has a chance to be a second-round pick.

Silatolu is not a well-recognized name because he played D-2 ball, but the two-time Lone Star Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year has gained steam recently in the public eye. "This kid played left tackle. Most people think he's gonna kick inside," says Mayock. "But I put the tape on ... I couldn't believe how well this thick-bodied left tackle moved laterally. Trust me folks, he's nasty as can be. He might be a second-round pick."

Source: NFL.com

Feb 22 - 1:04 PM

D'Qwell Jackson - LB - Browns

Beat writer Scott Petrak confirms the Browns opened contract talks with free agent MLB D'Qwell Jackson last week.

Of the Browns' own free agents, Jackson has been identified as the top priority. The front office would like to lock him into a long-term deal before the franchise tag deadline in early March, though that's easier said than done on a five-year asking price.

Source: Elyria Chronicle-Telegram

Feb 22 - 12:55 PM

Chad Henne - QB - Dolphins

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson believes free agent QB Chad Henne "has to be considered one of the possibilities" to compete against Matt Cassel in Kansas City.

The obvious connection is to new coordinator Brian Daboll, who ran the offense when Henne opened the 2011 season as the starter in Miami. Now that Daboll is bringing his offense to Kansas City, Henne makes more sense than fellow free agent Kyle Orton as a backup to or competition for Cassel.

Source: ESPN.com

Feb 22 - 12:50 PM

Michael Turner - RB - Falcons

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mark Bradley expects the Falcons to keep Michael Turner for 2012.

Bradley is a columnist with a "semi-educated guess" as opposed to working the Falcons beat. While he addresses Turner's non-existent trade value, Bradley skirts over the possibility of the Falcons flat-out releasing the 30-year-old back due $5 million while running on fumes. It's a lot of money to pay a player looking at a reduced role.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Feb 22 - 12:48 PM

Brent Grimes - DB - Falcons

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mark Bradley predicts the Falcons will apply the franchise tag to free agent CB Brent Grimes.

The columnist concedes it's a "semi-educated guess," which is noteworthy just a few days after beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter reported the Falcons will be "reluctant" to use the tag on Grimes. It's a tough decision for GM Thomas Dimitroff, as Grimes saw a downtick in interceptions, missed four games with a knee injury, and turns 29 in July.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Feb 22 - 12:40 PM

Curtis Lofton - LB - Falcons

The Falcons won't break the bank to keep free agents MLB Curtis Lofton and DE John Abraham, according to Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Lofton is believed to be seeking a deal similar to the four years and $36 million of Jets ILB David Harris. It's a steep price for a coverage-deficient player expected to be removed in nickel packages. The Bucs could show interest in stealing him away from a division rival, leaving 2011 third-rounder Akeem Dent to start in the middle of Mike Nolan's defense. Abraham is viewed as a one-dimensional injury risk at age 34.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Feb 22 - 12:24 PM

Michael Bush - RB - Raiders

The Tampa Tribune believes free agent Michael Bush's skill set "could be intriguing" to the Buccaneers.

The Bucs figure to be one of free agency's most aggressive teams this year. Despite the presence of LeGarrette Blount, the Tribune has now connected the team to a pair of big backs in Bush and Mike Tolbert because they can play on third downs and convert in short-yardage situations.

Source: Tampa Tribune

Feb 22 - 12:18 PM

Stephen Hill - WR - Player

CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang compares Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill to Demaryius Thomas and believes Hill could be a sleeper to be drafted in the second round with a big Combine.

Rang mentions Hill as one of five underclassman prospects who could "light up the Combine" and experience a "significant boost to their draft stock." In 2011, Hill averaged a freakish 29.3 yards per reception as the deep threat in Georgia Tech's triple-option offense. Rang expects Hill to run in the high 4.4s at his listed 6-foot-5, 206, and impress in leaping drills.

Source: CBS Sports

Feb 22 - 12:18 PM