NFL Notes: Draft, Chargers, Saints

Draft

• Jason Cole of B/R reports that while many seem to think there’s a good chance that LSU S Jamal Adams and OSU S Malik Hooker could both end up being top-10 picks in this year’s draft, sources around the league have told him they’re dubious about this happening.
• Cole’s sources mentioned that it’s just hard to justify taking safeties this high in the draft and he cited the Buccaneers using the No. 7 overall pick on Mark Barron as one example of how things didn’t work out in regards to taking a safety high in round one.
• Instead, Cole says that Solomon Thomas and Jonathan Allen will likely end up going much higher than many expect.

Chargers

• Jason Cole reports that the Chargers are seriously about selecting a quarterback prospect “relatively high” in this year’s draft.
• Cole mentions that team owner Dean Spanos said last week that he’s been encouraging the Chargers’ personnel department to be prepared for the day that Philip Rivers retires from the NFL.
• As of now, Rivers has yet to give any indication that retirement is a serious possibility, but Cole adds that the team still needs to be ready, especially considering that they’re competing in a new market with the Rams.

Saints

Chase Daniel mentioned that one of the reasons he returned to the Saints is the fact that Drew Brees‘ contract is up after this season.

“Listen, obviously Drew, he’s Super man, right?” Daniel said Monday, via Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune. “He could play until he’s 45 if he wanted to. And the way his contract is sort of set up, yeah, it’s the last year of his contract, but for me, I’d be crazy to say that didn’t play a little bit into effect to come here, to play behind Drew again, to learn this offense, to get noticed in this offense and to see where it takes me.

“There were plenty of other offers on the table, not only to be a backup but possibly come in and compete and be a starter,” Daniel said, declining to list the other teams. “But I felt right now at this point in my career for my family, for this one-year deal, this was the best spot.“