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Collateral Damage: 18 veterans hurt by the NFL Draft
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By Gregg Rosenthal
Around The NFL Editor
Published: May 4, 2015 at 08:21 p.m. Updated: May 5, 2015 at 04:09 p.m.

The NFL draft is the beginning of the journey for hundreds of college prospects. It's a day of unbridled hope for many fans. And it's a huge downer for many veterans out there.

Imagine watching your boss hire your replacement on national television. That's how it probably felt for many of the veterans that suffered collateral damage during draft week. Here are some of the players that will be facing new competition or will be facing a search for a new job:


1. Zach Mettenberger, Titans quarterback: The Titans weren't necessarily bluffing about their appreciation for Mettenberger. Perhaps they agree with my assessment that he looked like a future mid-level starting quarterback, but there's no comparison between his ceiling and Marcus Mariota. This was a case of bad luck for Mettenberger. If the Titans were drafting fourth, Mettenberger would have wound up as a Week 1 starter.

Now Mettenberger will be riding the bench for the team's new face of the franchise. The Titans made it clear on draft day they expect Mariota to start in Week 1. Mettenberger will only start again if Mariota gets hurt or things go horribly wrong in Tennessee.

2. Andrew Whitworth, Bengals tackle: Whitworth dared the Bengals to draft his replacement. They took the challenge and then double dog dared him back by taking two tackles in the first two rounds. Whitworth wants a new contract and instead faces new competition.

"It's not really top of the line customer service," said Whitworth, per the team site. "Eventually, hopefully, one day that (contract) conversation will be had and I'll be here."

3. Marquess Wilson, Bears receiver: When Brandon Marshall was traded, Wilson became a buzzy name in fantasy football circles. That buzz should end after Chicago drafted Kevin White. With Eddie Royal in the slot, snaps will be hard to come by.


4. Tre Mason, Rams running back: Mason's explosiveness absolutely jumped off the screen last season. He was perhaps our favorite rookie running back to watch last season, and now he's been replaced by a true three-down running back in No. 10 overall pick Todd Gurley. The Rams have a good problem now because Mason absolutely deserves to get consistent snaps. But the team won't be relying on him as a starter anymore.

5. Phil Taylor, Browns defensive tackle: Taylor was once a highly-thought of first-round pick at nose tackle. Now he's potentially getting replaced by one after Danny Shelton was taken No. 12 overall. Due $5.4 million this season, Taylor has to be worried about making the Cleveland roster.

6 + 7. Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills, Dolphins receivers: Jennings surely saw an opportunity to start in Miami when he signed late in free agency. The drafting of No. 14 overall pick DeVante Parker will make that assignment tougher. Second-year pro Jarvis Landry is locked into major snaps, meaning Jennings or Stills could wind up on the bench. In Jennings' case, he could be battling just to make the team.

8. Branden Oliver, Chargers running back: All offseason, we expected the Chargers to draft a running back high. That's exactly what they did, eliminating any chance of Oliver starting in 2015. With first-round pick Melvin Gordon starting and Danny Woodhead taking third downs, Oliver will battle just for snaps.


9. Muhammad Wilkerson, Jets defensive end: It's not like Wilkerson is going to be benched anytime soon. No. 6 overall pick Leonard Williams has a different style of play, and Wilkerson is one of the best at his position in the league. Williams' arrival, however, could hurt Wilkerson at the negotiating table. He should get big money eventually, but might not be able to get top dollar from the Jets now. New York could also use the franchise tag on Wilkerson in 2016, knowing they have plenty of depth.

10. Jarvis Jones, Steelers outside linebacker: The 2013 first-round pick is overdue to make an impact on the field in Pittsburgh. That won't be easier after the team drafted another pass-rusher, Bud Dupree, in the first round.

11. Hakeem Nicks, Titans wide receiver: Like Jennings in Miami, Nicks likely saw a path to playing time when he signed with Tennessee. Now second-round pick Dorial Green-Beckham could make it difficult for Nicks just to make the team. Harry Douglas is a much safer bet to take up the "trusty veteran" role now that Nate Washington is out of the picture.

12. Morris Claiborne, Cowboys cornerback: It seems like a long time ago he was a top-five pick. Claiborne has to prove he can stay healthy just to get on the field. Dallas first-round pick Byron Jones is a better bet for snaps.


13. Denard Robinson, Jaguars running back: Check out NFL Media columnist Michael Silver's article on the Jacksonville draft process. Head coach Gus Bradley was clearly desperate to upgrade their starting running back spot, and they found a three-down option in T.J. Yeldon. Robinson is best suited in a change-of-pace role.

14 + 15. Crockett Gillmore and Dennis Pitta, Ravens tight ends: Gillmore was a promising rookie a season ago, and could still wind up starting for Baltimore. But the team brought in some serious competition with second-round pick Maxx Williams and fifth-rounder Nick Boyle. This is a pretty clear sign that Pitta is not a lock for the roster.

16. Theo Riddick, Lions running back: He spent about half a season showing off some Reggie Bush-like traits as Detroit's third-down back. Riddick should get moved to No. 3 on the depth chart after Detroit drafted Ameer Abdullah. The Lions essentially drafted a similar but superior version to Riddick.

17. Terrance West, Browns running back: Last year's third-down back is not going to get much of a chance to develop into an every-down player. Duke Johnson could wind up ahead of both West and last year's surprise power back Isaiah Crowell.

18. James Jones, former Raiders receiver: This is the most obvious name on the list. The weekend wasn't over before Jones was informed of his release, according to CSNBayArea.com. With Amari Cooper in Oakland, the competition for snaps at wide receiver will be fierce. Michael Crabtree, Andre Holmes, Rod Streater and Kenbrell Thompkins will all be battling for snaps behind the No. 4 overall pick.

Link

So who from this list, or from your own list, might be cut lose before the season that the Browns should entertain? There are some decent football players on this list that the Browns could use as a 1-2 year rental.

Kitchen is likely a goner.

I wasn't aware that Terrence West was our 3rd down back...

Yeah, I thought exactly the same thing when I read that.

I swear, some football writers must not watch the game.

I read an article elsewhere that opined that Mack could be in trouble this year because we drafted Erving.

fixed.

If he wasn't, who was? Did he and Crowell split snaps on third down? Maybe I am just remembering West layout that dude on a block. I don't know the answer to the question of who our third down back was.

We didn't have one.

That is probably right. Crowell and West had about the same number of receptions.

According to Football Outsider West was on the field for 20 more snaps than Crowell, which leads me to believe that he was on the field blocking more often (especially considering West was benched for two games).

Back to the theme of the thread:

I would not be surprised if West is traded. He had similar problems to Gilbert last year and I have heard nothing but complaints about the guy in other places. Crowell, Johnson, and whatever undrafted guy sticks (or Winston) is a fine backfield.

Some good points by you guys, but Phil might be in real trouble. He is an underachiever who never gets into proper shape, which means he is either injured or unable to stay on the field.

3-4 defensive lines need quality depth.

If Phil Taylor stays healthy and plays well, I have no doubt we'll try and extend him after this year. He's openly stated he wants to stay in Cleveland and retire a Brown. He or Shelton can probably line up and play anywhere on the defensive line in our base package.

Terrance West had questionable work ethic last year and was kind of a bone head at times. I like taking Duke Johnson, adds quality depth and should push West to get even better.

Just an NFL writer looking for a pot to stir up.

Phil Taylor playing well in a contract year is the exact guy you don't want to give a long term contract to.



Poor character guys aren't usually pushed by competition. They often feel slighted because they don't know why the teams thinks it needs another player at their position. If anything, I would guess the Johnson pick makes West act worse.



No. We drafted a nose tackle in the first round. We drafted a running back in the third round. Those are clear shots at the people in front of them. Our head coach even said that Taylor was a question mark (I am paraphrasing).

I am curious as to what people see as Taylor's best traits, what he does best on the field consistently?

When I look at Taylor, I see a guy who can make a big play, and then vanish for the rest of the game. He might draw double teams for a few plays in another game, and then get handled singlehandedly by the offense the rest of the way. I see a guy who will never be on the field for most of any game. I don't see a guy who does a great job against the run, yet he also does not do much against the pass, rarely even pressuring the QB.

In 2012, Taylor played 300 snaps. This was in 8 games. In these 8 games, we got 14 total tackles and 1 sack.

In 2013, he played 618 snaps. He played 15 games. In these 15 games, he had 26 total tackles, 2 sacks and 1 pass defensed. He had 5 tackles for loss.

Last year, he played 151 snaps. This was in 5 games. In these 5 games, he had 10 tackles and 1 pass defensed. He has 2 tackles for loss.

I just don't see any difference making type plays from Taylor ..... or maybe I should say, very few difference making plays. Frankly, 50 tackles, including 7 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks, in 28 games, is rather underwhelming. I have a hard tome seeing what people see in him.

I think that Shelton is going to be a huge upgrade, and I also believe that Cooper will sit Taylor frequently at DE.

I also think that people underestimate Kitchen. I think that he is a more disruptive player than Taylor is. He doesn't get the sacks, but he has more tackles in fewer snaps. I think that he is a better NT than Taylor is.

He's a NT, it's not his job to chase stats. His best trait is his size/strength. He clogs running lanes and can push the pocket. He frees up linebackers. Like all players, he's less effective when injured/exhausted.

Kitchen draws fewer double teams. Stats don't always directly correlate with impact on the team D.

If he can stay healthy, I expect a big year from Big Phil. Shelton should help keep him fresh and vice versa.

I rarely see Taylor drawing double teams though. He does on occasion, but it seems like if he is taken out of the game early on, he is out for the game. I have really concentrated on him at times, and have yet to be impressed with any of his games. He is an OK player, but he is not a top level NT by any measure. Perhaps he would be better in a 4-3, I don't know, but in the 3-4 he has not been very good. I like Kitchen and I like Hughes better than I like Taylor in the 3-4. I like Shelton a lot better than Taylor. I just don't see anything impressive about his play.

A nose tackle is doing his job when you don't notice him. I recall us getting gashed up the middle a lot more after he got injured. Of course when he got injured a bunch of other guys were, too. Hopefully, he can get/stay healthy and have a good year.

I'm pretty sure his salary is guaranteed this year. That means it's highly unlikely they'll just cut him and eat that dead money. If you have to pay him, you might as well keep him and get what you can out of it. However, I do think it's his last year with the team.

j/c

or we keep Taylor, he balls out this year looking for a fat contract, someone else gives it to him, we get a nice compensatory pick.

Taylor has shown flashes of dominance when healthy, the guy's just NEVER healthy. I am interested in seeing how he plays this year and how we handle his contract situation next year, but yeah he'll probably be gone. He might fit better on a 4-3 defensive line as opposed to our 3-4. I like John Hughes a lot better when it comes to run defense, I think he played really well last year before he was injured.

I've been disappointed with Taylor a lot, but I wonder what will come this year.

He could either have another year like he did before and we offer him a very mediocre contract and/or he walks away as a free agent.

He could also have a very strong "Haynesworth" type year where he wreaks havoc and puts forth the effort only to become a disappointment again after he signs a big contract. If this happens, I just hope we're not the team that gets baited.

He could also have a good year and turn things around, but I wouldn't really count on it at this point.

If I had to make a prediction, I don't think Taylor is going to be on the 2016 roster.

Especially if John Hughes stays healthy and shows he's capable of being a starter. I suppose this is also based on Xavier Cooper and Danny Shelton living up to expectations (or hopefully exceeding them) in 2015 as well.

He is not doing his job when you watch him and don't notice him. Sorry but I don't agree with that at all. Taylor is all too often taken out of the game early, and stays taken out. He doesn't consistently eat double teams. I have seen the term underachiever used regarding him, and I would have to agree with that.

I know I sure noticed Shaun Rogers when he played here.

That sounds good and it is true of good nose tackles. The problem is that it is NOT true of Taylor. He does not draw double teams. He does not clog running lanes. Our run defense has sucked since he has arrived.



I don't believe that. In fact, I think Kitchen is a better player.

I was always a fan of the big fatties that can move. Taylor is one, of them, but Shaun Rogers he is not. I do think that he'd benefit from being moved over to a 4-3 team. I think it would help because he would be more motivated chasing stats.

I think he has talent, he just doesn't have the attitude to play NT in this D.

When Phil is right, he's a force. I'll give you that he doesn't always play up to his potential. Whether it's health, effort whatever he hasn't always maximized his abilities.

Kitchen might be more consistent and one might consider that a better player. For my money, if both are playing at max capacity, give me Taylor. Can the staff get Taylor to rise to the challenge this year, we'll have to wait and see.

I just don't understand the desire to get rid of him for a 5th rounder or less. If we can get a 3rd or higher, sure trade him. We're not going to find someone with his skill set in the later rounds.

I don't believe that. In fact, I think Kitchen is a better player.


I agree with this. Although I don't think he has more talent than big phil, but he gives the effort. That's the difference.

I side with Vers on this one. Why did Pettine move Taylor to DE? Dude can't even play the role of speed bump. I'm hoping with the arrival of Shelton a small forest fire is lite under Taylor's arse.

Just like at Penn State, he had all the tools but elected to take the easy way. He woke up when he went to Baylor. Once drafted, he went back to his easy ways. Who wants to bet we see "Baylor Days" now that there is competition and it's contract year? I hope he soars then trade his butt off to Buffalo!!!