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By using their first-round pick on LSU's Barkevious Mingo, the Cleveland Browns hope that they've found the next great NFL pass-rusher. He may well be. But as we look ahead to the fall, it's uncertain whether Mingo will be a starter in Ray Horton's 3-4 defense. Luckily, the team does have some other options there.

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Given that Carolina Panthers DE Greg Hardy is coming off a breakout campaign (he had 11 sacks in 2012, compared to seven total for his first two seasons) and entering the final year on his current contract, one would assume that he'd be interested in getting a new deal. In fact, his agent Drew Rosenhaus has approached the team about a new pact already, and this process may continue as the offseason rolls along.

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The Oklahoma Sooners have long drawn the bulk of their talent from the state of Texas, and like most other big-time programs, they have landed a bevy of recruits from California and Florida as well. Is that enough, though? Brandon Chatmon of SoonerNation on ESPN.com says that Oklahoma needs to cast a wider net in recruiting, and he recommends starting in the heart of SEC country:

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We wrote yesterday about Enosch Wolf's status at UConn and how it is in flux because of the recent transfer by senior guard Lasan Kromah from George Washington to UConn. What kind of impact will Kromah make at his new school?

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UPDATE: Quick update on the Seymour-to-Atlanta situation as we hit Friday afternoon.

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Brad Bournival of BuckeyeNation on ESPN.com has put together a list of the top five cornerback targets for the Ohio State Buckeyes this recruiting season. Not surprisingly, the list is topped by the top prospects in the nation, like Jabrill Peppers (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and Jalen Tabor (Washington D.C./Friendship Academy), but Bournival admits that the Buckeyes are longshots to add those stars. They have a better chance, though, with a Texas prospect who intends to visit Columbus shortly:

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The Kansas City Royals have dropped nine of their past 13, but in this Bob Dutton piece GM Dayton Moore says the club will not panic.

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Linebacker Jared Wangler (Warren, Mich./De La Salle) would not be the first player to back out of a commitment when an SEC school came knocking on his door. He tells ESPN.com recruiting expert Jared Shanker, however, that an offer from the LSU Tigers has had no effect on his commitment to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

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D'Andre Walker (Fairburn, Ga./Langston Hughes) is a 2015 defensive end prospect, so he has a long way to go in the recruiting process. He's already drawing plenty of interest however, with 35 offers on the table. Though Walker insists that all schools are even, but he admits that three of them are sticking out in his mind.

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Isaiah Briscoe (Union, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep), one of the top shooting guards in the Class of 2015, holds high-major offers from places all across the country, including Baylor, UConn, Florida, Miami, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse and Virginia. Most recently, Big Ten schools Indiana and Ohio State have joined the mix.

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The New York Giants are neck-deep in contract negotiations with one of their starting WRs -- Victor Cruz, the RFA who doesn't like the sound of playing on a one-year deal -- while the other -- Hakeem Nicks -- is entering the final year on his current pact. While he's unsigned, Cruz doesn't have to go any team events, so his absence from the "voluntary" OTAs this week was no surprise. Nicks, on the other hand, was expected to be there, but did not attend, which was at first reported to be related to a problem with his contract situation, but later confirmed to be unrelated to his business relationship with the team. Nevertheless, at some point soon, both WRs' contracts will need to be addressed.

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The Miami Marlins have a few weeks to decide what to do with their outfield corps once Giancarlo Stanton is ready to come off the disabled list. As Juan C. Rodriguez wrote Thursday, the outfield could get even more crowded in the coming weeks.

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Reid Travis's (Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle) recruitment has been national for some time. Ranked No. 40 in the Class of 2014, the 6-foot-8 power forward holds offers and serious interest from Gonzaga, Iowa State, Stanford, Harvard, Northwestern and Minnesota. Most recently, UCLA jumped in the mix and Travis seems thrilled by the development.

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UPDATE: Below, we examine the long-term future of Brad Richards, but when it comes to his short-term future, it appears he may be riding the pine again when the Rangers face the Bruins on Saturday.

"#NYR Richards, Stralman, Staal, Clowe, and Powe all not practicing. Imagine that lineup stays same for Game 5," ESPN.com's Katie Strang tweeted Friday afternoon.

- Tom Carpenter

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After news broke that New York Rangers coach John Tortorella was going to make Brad Richards a healthy scratch for Thursday night's game, speculation arose as to whether the Rangers would buy out Richards' contract this offseason. Richards isn't the player he once was, but if the Rangers do buy him out, there should be a healthy market for his services.

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