NFL Player News

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.

The Giants drafted quarterback Ryan Nassib in Round 4 last season, and now they are open to trading him, reports the New York Daily News.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Thursday when asked about trading Nassib during the draft, "we keep all of our options open." The Giants have added Josh Freeman and Rusty Smith this offseason, along with Curtis Painter, as backups to Eli Manning.

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer is going through minicamp as if he's the team's starter. He's not listening to specuation about which quarterbacks Cleveland might draft.

"I really don't hear it that much because I don't pay attention,'' Hoyer told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It doesn't bother me. People are going to speculate. I know how I feel about myself. I know how my teammates feel. I'm trying to go out and prove it to these new coaches and all I can really ask for is a chance and I think I'll get that. I'm going out there every day and until someone tells me otherwise, I think I'm the starter for this team."

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said quarterback Geno Smith will take the first reps at OTAs, ahead of Michael Vick, reports the New York Daily News. Mornhinweg further said that Smith will get a few more reps than Vick.

"We brought Mike in to compete, to push Geno and to make Geno the very best he can make him," Mornhinweg said.

Browns coach Mike Pettine said quarterback Brian Hoyer is "ahead of schedule" in his return from ACL surgery. Hoyer has been cleared for 7-on-7 drills but not 11-on-11s yet, the coach said.

Hoyer, wearing a brace on his right knee, moved well at the team's minicamp Tuesday.

Wearing a brace on his surgically repaired right knee, Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer took reps at the team's minicamp and was moving well and showing great footwork, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He had surgery last October.

Hoyer is penciled in as the Week 1 starter, but the draft could change that.

The Ravens are "keeping an eye on" Texans quarterbacks T.J. Yates and Case Keenum, in case they're released following the draft, reports the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore is not committed to Tyrod Taylor as its backup quarterback.