Updated Insider Rumors. Skins and Udezi??

[SKINSnCANES]

agles eyeing 49ers' No. 16 pick

PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.16 Pick
San Francisco 49ers
Trade? Apr. 16 - The Eagles are talking to the 49ers about a deal that would move Philadelphia from the No. 28 pick in the first round to No. 16, reports ESPN.com's John Clayton. The deal would include Eagles guard John Welbourn, and it's possible the Eagles would have to throw in another draft choice to fill out the deal.

So what are the Eagles moving up to do? There are many options. They could be in a position to get the best linebacker in the draft, either Jonathan Vilma or D.J. Williams. Having lost cornerbacks Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor to free agency, the Eagles would move into the position to get the third-best cornerback, Chris Gamble. The Eagles may not be as high on taking Gamble at No. 16, but it's an option.

The Eagles could also be in a position to take a defensive lineman, say, Vince Wilfork, if he falls past the Bears' pick at No. 14. It's not out of question for the Eagles to take an offensive lineman. Trading Welbourn would leave them with only 10 linemen on the roster. The ultimate surprise would be if they took running back Steven Jackson. The Broncos moved to the 17th pick with the possible idea of taking Jackson.

The 49ers would be taking a calculated risk by moving from No. 16 to No. 28, but they should come out of the situation well. At No. 16, they would be in a position to take wide receiver Reggie Williams. The problem is that Williams is represented by Carl Poston, who is expected to be involved with a long holdout with franchise linebacker Julian Peterson.

At No. 28, the 49ers would be in great shape to get a receiver. General manager Terry Donahue is a big fan of Arizona State's Rashaun Woods. Lee Evans of Wisconsin or Michael Jenkins of Ohio State are other possibilities. The 49ers would save significant cap dollars with the move and fill out a starting need. It makes sense.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.2 Pick
Oakland Raiders
R. Williams
Robert Gallery
Trade down? Apr. 16 - Iowa left tackle Robert Gallery had a good visit Thursday with Raiders boss Al Davis. The Raiders are loaded with offensive linemen and have interest in trading for Cowboys guard Larry Allen, but they have to study the possibilities if they don't trade out of the No. 2 pick.

It's probably a little too high to take wide receiver Roy Williams at No. 2, although it would be a coup if they could trade down and take him a little lower. Larry Fitzgerald might be the better fit at No. 2, but Davis has to think through the possibility of giving up a potential star left tackle if they can't trade the pick.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.5 Pick
Washington Redskins
K. Winslow Jr.
Kenechi Udeze
Sean Taylor Apr. 16 - USC defensive end Kenechi Udeze picked up an interesting tidbit on his visit to the Redskins. Someone in the organization told him that it's not out of the question for the Redskins to move down from No. 5 in the first round to No. 7 to take him. The seventh pick belongs to the Cleveland Browns, who would be looking at quarterback Ben Roethlisberger if he slips out of the top 5.

The Browns covet three players -- left tackle Robert Gallery, safety Sean Taylor and tight end Kellen Winslow. The Redskins could give the Browns Winslow or Taylor and pick up a draft choice along the way. Still, it's going to be hard for the Redskins to give up the chance to draft Winslow or Taylor. They are valuable players.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.23 Pick
Seattle Seahawks
Marcus Tubbs
Reggie Williams
Michael Clayton Apr. 16 - The Seahawks don't need a wide receiver, but they may be forced to draft one unless they trade up or down in the first round. With the 23rd pick, the Seahawks could fill a need by drafting defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, but most teams have Tubbs a little lower in the first round.

The Seahawks gave wide receiver Darrell Jackson an $8 million signing bonus in a contract extension. They have Koren Robinson and Bobby Engram. Still, if a receiver such as Reggie Williams or Michael Clayton falls to them, it might cause some interesting conversations. Those guys may be too good to pass up.


PLAYER STATUS THE SKINNY

Tommie Harris
Oklahoma
Sliding Apr. 16 - Once considered a certain top-10 choice, Harris now appears to be in joepardy of dropping out of that elite group, says ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli. The Oklahoma defensive tackle is still a first-rounder, but some teams are worried about his lack of size. Others feel there could be some problems with his shoulders.

Harris weighed only 295 pounds at the combine and, although he did an impressive 29 "reps" on the bench press, he isn't strong enough to be the kind of anchor inside defender many teams are seeking now. In scout-speak, he "plays light" and benefited in college from a system where he moved a lot laterally and didn't have to take on blockers. Teams feel Harris has some weakness in his shoulders and question his motor. Let's face it, the guy had less than 100 career tackles.


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY

DeAngelo Hall
Virginia Tech
Browns
Falcons
Texans
Steelers
Jets Apr. 16 - The Hokies star will be the first cornerback off the board, and teams with designs on him are beginning to fret about his availability. None of his apparent suitors have made overtures yet about moving up in the first round to secure his rights, but there is mounting anxiety on the part of clubs that now realize he won't be around for their pick.

Hall, sources told ESPN.com, would love to play for the Falcons, with former Virginia Tech teammate Michael Vick. He could, however, go to Cleveland with the No. 7 overall choice. If that occurs, it will be ironic, because the Browns won the higher spot in a coin-flip with the Falcons, after the two teams tied with the same record and same tiebreaker.


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Sean Jones
Georgia
Falcons
Giants
Jaguars Apr. 16 - Arguably the second-rated safety in the draft, behind only Sean Taylor of Miami, the former Bulldogs star won't squeeze into the first round, but won't last very deep into the second stanza, either.

The second round, of course, is where most teams begin considering prospects at safety, which generally is viewed as a non-premium position. All the teams listed have an avid interest in Jones, who visited with Atlanta officials last week. The new Falcons staff is hardly sold on the starting safeties it inherited, Bryan Scott and Cory Hall.


PICK INTERESTED THE SKINNY

No.1 Pick
San Deigo Chargers
Giants Apr. 14 - The Chargers will be busy on the phones the next few days, says ESPN.com's John Clayton, soliciting trade offers from teams wishing to move to the top of the draft. Despite those talks, it's all but certain the Chargers are planning to make a selection at No. 1 instead of trade.

Nevertheless, they will hear from the Giants on Wednesday. There are rumors the Chargers have interest in Giants wide receiver Ike Hilliard if there is going to be a trade. The Chargers are light on receivers.

The Chargers will also make calls to four agents of top players -- quarterback Eli Manning, tackle Robert Gallery, safety Sean Taylor and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. They may even check in with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The idea is to try to strike a deal before the draft.


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Ben Roethlisberger
Miami (Ohio)
Browns
Giants Apr. 15 - Could Ben Roethlisberger end up being a Brown? Could be, says John Clayton. The Browns told Roethlisberger he would be a consideration if he falls out of the top five. The Browns already signed Jeff Garcia, who will start next season.

Should the Browns take Roethlisberger, he would be the quarterback of the future. However, that doesn't make a lot of sense for a team that has so many needs. Nevertheless, good quarterback prospects are hard to find, and the Browns have to look at the situation.

Scouts Inc. believes the Giants are also interested in Roethlisberger. If the Giants are unable to trade up to select either Eli Manning or Robert Gallery, Roethlisberger could be their pick at No. 4.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.21 Pick
New England Patriots
Kevin Jones
Def. tackle Apr. 15 - The Patriots may not be a lock to draft a running back with the 21st pick, although it would be hard for them to pass up Kevin Jones of Virginia Tech. There is some thought of taking a defensive tackle there to fill the void created by Ted Washington's departure to Oakland. The void was partially filled by the signing of Keith Traylor.

With four choices in the first two rounds, the Patriots can do a lot of maneuvering. Running backs Greg Jones and Mewelde Moore are possible second-round options for New England.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.11 Pick
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger Apr. 14 - The Steelers appear to be getting quarterback fever after the visit Tuesday of Ben Roethlisberger, reports John Clayton. Should Roethlisberger fall out of the top 10 because teams between the fifth pick and the 10th already have starting quarterbacks, the Steelers could have the choice of Roethlisberger or Philip Rivers even though their main need is at cornerback.

The Browns visited both quarterbacks and keep saying they could select one with the seventh pick. But the Browns could be trading up to get left tackle Robert Gallery, safety Sean Taylor or tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. If that happens and the Giants trade up to No. 2 to get Gallery, Roesthlisberger could be a steal for the Steelers at No. 11.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No.24 Pick
Cincinnati Bengals
Chris Gamble Apr. 14 - The unfortunate one-car accident of cornerback Dennis Weathersby could put the Bengals is a position to take a cornerback in the first round despite trading for cornerback Deltha O'Neal last week. Weathersby is in serious condition with concerns about a head injury suffered in the crash.

The Bengals moved from No. 17 in the first round to No. 24 with the idea of taking the best player available. They thought the talent after the 15th pick dropped off, which is why they went for veteran help -- O'Neal at cornerback and future June casualty Daryl Gardener at defensive tackle.

The value at No. 24 could be at wide receiver and along the offensive line, but don't be surprised if the Bengals take cornerback Chris Gamble of Ohio State.


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Larry Fitzgerald
Pittsburgh
Cardinals
Jaguars Apr. 13 - Arizona has had its sights set on drafting Fitzgerald ever since the NFL declared the Pittsburgh sophomore eligible for this year's draft. But ESPN.com's John Clayton is hearing the Jaguars might be planning to pre-empt that pick.

Even though Jacksonville could sit at No. 9 and possibly draft USC DE Kenechi Udeze, the Jags are trying to gather enough assets to try to trade up to No. 2 in order to take Fitzgerald. The Jaguars currently have 10 choices, including five in the first 102. They picked up an extra fifth last week from the Saints for CB Jason Craft and are shopping franchised safety Donovin Darius for some more trade value.

The thought in acquiring Fitzgerald is trying to get a big-time receiver to help out young QB Bryon Leftwich. But going from nine al the way up to two could be very difficult.


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY
J.P. Losman
Tulane
Packers?
Rams? Apr. 14 - Quarterback J.P. Losman is in an interesting position at the bottom of the first round. He could be taken by the Packers, who have an interest in finding the long-term replacement for Brett Favre. The Rams could also look at him. What teams with defensive needs at the bottom of the round hope is that a team would be willing to trade up to get Losman. Those interested should call from the 27th pick (Tennessee) through the 30th pick (Indianapolis).


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Stephen Jackson
Oregon State
Lions
Broncos
Patriots Apr. 12 - Jackson is becoming the player most likely to shake up the middle of the first round. Last week, it appeared the Broncos traded up from 24 to 17 with the idea of taking the top halfback, Jackson being the most likely. It caused a lot of thinking around the league. Do the Patriots jump above the Broncos to get Jackson? Is it worth trying, if Detroit, drafting sixth, also is interested? How far can the Lions trade back to get him without seeing New England leapfrog in front and snag him?

The Cowboys appear to be content to sit back at 22 and take the best halfback remaining, perhaps Chris Perry of Michigan. But Denver's move caused some thinking at the top of the draft. The Raiders also are rumored to be interested in Jackson, but they would have to trade several times to get into the teens of the first round to get him.


PICK POSSIBILITIES THE SKINNY

No. 10 Pick
Houston Texans
CB Hall
DT Harris
DT Wilfork
DT Tubbs Apr. 12 - Even though the Texans are sitting a good spot to take the third- or fourth-best defensive player in the draft at the tenth spot in the first round, they still could trade down into the middle of the round. Houston needs a cornerback more than it does a nose tackle, and DeAngelo Hall would be the perfect fit, allowing Marcus Coleman to move to safety.

But Hall could go to Atlanta at No. 8. At No. 10, the Texans could choose between DTs Tommie Harris and Vince Wilfork, but it would also fit for them to trade back seven or eight spots and take DT Marcus Tubbs to play nose tackle. Harris would be more of an end, and the Texans have spent roughly $20 million in signing bonuses on ends Gary Walker and Robaire Smith. Wilfork has the size to be a nose tackle, but he might be better as a three-technique tackle in a 4-3. That makes Tubbs a perfect fit in a trade back.


PLAYER INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Robert Gallery
OT, Iowa
Browns
Giants Apr. 8 - Cleveland is said to covet Gallery and is looking to move up from its No. 7 spot in the draft's first round to nab the Iowa offensive tackle. If the Giants are unable to move up to No. 1 to get Eli Manning, they could take Gallery at No. 4, assuming he slips past Oakland and Arizona.

[SKINSnCANES]

If there was a greater chance or the Lions taking S.Jackson then trading to seven wouldnt be a bad idea. but its a huge risk, you cant beleive much of what you read right now but the Lions do want him.