NFL Draft Rumors: Hottest Draft-Day Buzz Heading into Round 1

The Cleveland Browns already have Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel but, if the latest rumors are true, the team may not be satisfied with its current crop of signal-callers. Regarding the Browns' potential interest in former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, Mary Kay Cabot of Northeast Ohio Media Group wrote, "I'm hearing the Browns would still like to acquire him."

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Whether that incenses or delights Browns fans, Cabot quickly doused the flame with the rest of her comment on the situation, saying, "but it's not likely to happen. Bradford is represented by Tom Condon, who represented two former Browns first-round quarterbacks: Tim Couch and Brady Quinn."

What does Bradford have to do with two former Browns quarterbacks who are widely considered to be among the biggest busts of the past two decades? There's apparently some feeling from Condon that the Browns didn't exactly handle his quarterbacks properly.

That could have potentially damaged the trust needed to secure a deal beyond this upcoming season. If the Browns are willing to trade draft assets to acquire Bradford, they would probably want to have a shot at retaining his services should he perform well.

Randy Gregory Slipping

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Former Nebraska Cornhusker and current NFL hopeful Randy Gregory has likely lost millions of dollars over the past few weeks. At one point he was seen as a potential No. 5 pick in the draft, but now there's talk about his being taken late in the first round.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock says he's talked to personnel people in the NFL who believe Gregory will still be on the board then. Per Michael David Smith of NBC Sports, Mayock said, “I’ve had a bunch of teams in the bottom half of the first round going, 'Uh-oh, we’ve got to be all over this guy from our owner, because you might have to bring him into this conversation, from our owner down to our coaching staff.'"

What are Gregory's troubles? There first were concerns about his weight coming into the NFL Scouting Combine. He weighed 235 pounds in Indianapolis—which isn't ideal—but it helped calm the concern a bit.

Not everything that took place in Indy was calming, though. Gregory also failed a drug evaluation after he tested positive for marijuana. Gregory owned up to the failed test, which is good, but it doesn't help ease concerns all that much. Finally, there are reports, per Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei, that Gregory's weight has plummeted since his pro day to under 230 pounds.

Those are several red flags.

The rumor says that he could land in the late first round but, with that many potentially troubling issues, he might ultimately be a second- or third-rounder at this point.

Jay Ajayi's Knee

Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press

Former Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi is dealing with rumors about a potentially damaged knee. Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com wrote, "According to league sources, he is ready to play right now, but the question is longevity of the knee and how long will it hold up? Team doctors are unable to pinpoint a timetable with that question."

Ajayi is not considered one of the top two running backs, but he may be in the mix as a second- or third-round option. Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has him ranked seventh among all backs in the draft, but he also cites the concerns about Ajayi's knee. A torn ACL in 2011 and potential structural damage are the major red flags concerning Ajayi.

If he winds up slipping into the third day of the draft, he could be a steal. In four years, he rushed for 3,796 yards and 50 touchdowns. If his knee holds up for seven years, we'll be talking about this scouting report 10 years from now and using it as an example of why we can't believe doctors' reports on players.

If he doesn't have the durability, he'll likely be part of a cautionary tale for teams interested in players with troubling injury histories.