NFL Player News

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer believes he'll be the starter this season no matter who the team takes in the NFL Draft, reports USA Today.

Hoyer, who is seven months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL, isn't worried about a rookie taking his job.

"I only played three games before I got hurt, so it’s not like I had a full season under my belt for them to say, 'Hey, he's the guy we're going to go with.' I don't blame them for it," Hoyer said. "No matter what happens in the draft, I'll have that chance to compete for the starting job, and if it comes down to that, I have the ultimate confidence in myself that no matter who they bring in here, I can beat them out."

Coach Mike Pettine also is standing behind Hoyer.

"There will be competition, but I think it will be very difficult, based on my evaluation of this year’s draft class, it will be very difficult for anyone in this draft class to come in and beat [Hoyer] out. I really believe that," Pettine said. "There's that certain it factor he has. Just the way he's attacked his rehab, the way he's attacked learning a new offense. What jumped out was his accuracy. I think him going through the drill work that we had put the quarterbacks through in their workouts, and compared it to those guys – it was encouraging to see."

There had been a number of reports suggesting the Rams were serious about drafting Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in the NFL draft, but on Tuesday night the team made their feelings about quarterback Sam Bradford clear. 

During a draft party for 2,000 season-ticket holders, Rams coach Jeff Fisher got on a stage right next to Bradford and told the crowd "Sam's our guy." The crowd gave a standing ovation. 

Bradford appeared to have put on some upper-body muscle, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He also had some strong knowledge about the Rams' plans around their Manziel smokescreen as league sources say he knew all along the team was going to check in on the prospect but not draft him. 

Bradford has two years left on his current contract. Last year he threw 14 touchdowns in seven games before tearing his ACL and missing the entire season. 

The Redskins still could trade backup quarterback Kirk Cousins during the NFL draft, but it's a long shot, reports the Washington Post. A source told the paper that another team made contact with the Redskins but added it's "doubtful [that] anything happens."

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams are not looking to trade quarterback Sam Bradford. "Sam Bradford is our starter," Fisher said. "He's one of the reasons I took this job. We are not shopping Sam."

Redskins general manager Bruce Allen said the team has had no trade talks regarding backup quarterback Kirk Cousins and that he's "happy" to have Cousins on the team, reports the Washington Post.

Contrary to some reports, the Rams are not shopping quarterback Sam Bradford, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The paper cited "extremely reliable sources."

One earlier report said the Rams had discussed trading Bradford to the Vikings.

The Giants want quarterback Ryan Nassib to compete for the No. 2 job, reports ESPN.com. They plan to evaluate him thoroughly in OTAs late this month.

"We like Nassib," GM Jerry Reese said of last year's fourth-round pick. "He hasn't really had a chance to do a lot for us, so we're going to take a real good look at him in the spring, but we think he's still a good player. He hasn't had a chance to really play yet, so he's going to get a lot of work this spring, and obviously he'll get a lot of work in the preseason, along with Curtis Painter and Josh Freeman."

Nassib was inactive for all 16 games last year.

Reports have circulated about the Rams discussing a Sam Bradford trade with the Vikings, but the Rams insist they're committed to the fifth-year quarterback, reports Pro Football Talk. The Bradford rumors intensified following news St. Louis scouted quarterback Johnny Manziel extensively.

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is worth at most a third-round pick, an NFL executive told ESPN.com. The website said any discussions of trading Cousins to Cleveland likely won't intensify until the draft begins.

"The key in this equation is what Cleveland’s new staff thinks about Brian Hoyer and the quarterbacks in this draft," the report said.

While Jets coach Rex Ryan has said quarterbacks Geno Smith and Michael Vick will compete for the starting job, Vick told The Star-Ledger that Smith is the team's starter.

"Geno's the starting quarterback for that football team," Vick said. "Ultimately our goal is to try to help Geno become the best quarterback that he can be. Myself and [third-stringer Matt Simms] are all trying to put him in a position where he can get better from year one to year two."

Vick's comments come on the heels of offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg saying Smith will get a few more reps with the first team at minicamp. Mornhinweg said, however, that Vick could still win the job.