South Carolina Gamecocks Jadeveon Clowney runs the 40 yard dash during the 2014 NFL Combines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
With the Atlanta Falcons holding the number six overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, the great majority of discussion and speculation surrounding the team centers around what will happen with that first round selection. In that vein, rumors have been rampant that the team could be looking to move up to the top spot via a trade with the Houston Texans, and fuel has been added to that fire as of Wednesday morning.
Ed Werder of ESPN reports (via Evan Silva of Rotoworld) that Thomas Dimitroff and company are still actively pursuing a deal that would allow them to, presumably, draft Jadeveon Clowney. This has been the worst kept secret in the NFL in recent days, but the fact that there is still smoke coming from these rumors is an encouraging sign for the faction of Atlanta fans that desperately wants Clowney in Flowery Branch.
Still, there should be some level of caution here, simply because of what it will take to move up to acquire his services. If the Falcons choose to move all the way to number one, it would very likely take their 2015 1st-round pick (and probably more) in order to do so, and that is a steep price for a team that has lacked depth in the recent past.
Discussions will undoubtedly continue all the way until the picks come in on Thursday night, but for the believers in Clowney, there is something to believe in with just over 24 hours to go.