NFL Notes: Austin Hooper, CBA, NFL Draft

Austin Hooper

• Per ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, CBS analyst and former agent Joel Corry expects Falcons TE Austin Hooper to get a deal close to four years for $44 million and about $27 million guaranteed in free agency. 
• The $27 million guaranteed would be the most ever for a tight end, while the $11 million average annual salary would also reset the tight end market, which has been stuck at $10 million per year for Packers TE Jimmy Graham. 
• It’s worth mentioning Hooper’s agent, Steve Caric, actually retweeted McClure’s story about Hooper resetting the tight end market. (Twitter)

CBA

Broncos’ representative Brandon McManus said he suggested to have a face-to-face meeting at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis next week instead of coming to a final vote during Friday’s conference call. 

“We tried to create another solution for people who were potentially on the fence. This way they don’t make a rash decision over the phone and instead they get a chance to vocalize face to face and feel comfortable knowing they exhausted every option possible,” said McManus, via Mike Klis of 9News.

• Tom Pelissero reports that there is now a meeting scheduled between NFLPA leadership and the league on Tuesday in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine. 
• Pelissero points out that there is not expected to be any major changes to the currently proposed CBA but a face-to-face meeting allows players to voice their concerns.
• If the NFLPA passes the new CBA with a 2/3 vote, the union will then recommend the agreement to the rest of the players in the NFL, which would require a majority vote. 

Draft

South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards announced on Twitter he broke his foot while training and will be unable to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine next week. Edwards added he will need a couple of months to recover, which means he might not be able to work out for scouts at South Carolina’s pro day, either. 

“Ever since I was a kid my DREAM has been to play in the NFL,” Edwards tweeted. “I remember being a kid and watching A.J. Green highlights all day. I always saw him as hope that a small-town kid from South Carolina could make it and be mentioned as one of the best. I’ve always carried a chip on my shoulder being that small-town kid that people overlook. I was itching for my chance to show the world what I could do at the Combine and felt like I was going to silence a lot of doubters and solidify myself as one of the best receivers in this draft. Unfortunately, I broke my foot preparing for the Combine and will need a couple months to recover. This has been extremely disappointing for me. Just because how diligent I worked to get back to 100 percent. But that’s life. I’m no stranger to adversity or hard work. I did not write this for attention. I just wanted to have something to look back on when I catch those dreams I been chasing since a youngin!!!!”

• CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora says he is aware of multiple teams who have a late first/early second-round grade on Southern Illinois S Jeremy Chinn, who impressed at the Senior Bowl and is the nephew of Broncos Hall of Fame  Steve Atwater.