Category: Latest News

Cincinnati Bengals free-agent target profile: Logan Ryan

A look at another possible Bengals free-agent target Logan Ryan.

[jwplayer 3M14JGpL]

It has been clear for quite some time the Cincinnati Bengals intend to overhaul the cornerback spot this offseason.

That could mean pursuing a starter-caliber player in free agency. Thinking along those lines, Logan Ryan is one of the top candidates.

Other free-agent profiles: Derek Wolfe, Joe Schobert, Joe Thuney, Bryan Bulaga, Nick Kwiatkoski.

 

Background

Ryan is 29 and a former third-round pick out of Rutgers from the 2013 draft. He’s carved out a lenghty career for himself after four seasons in New England and three more in Tennessee. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion.

 

Notes

Ryan has been a workhorse for much of his career, playing in at least 82 percent of his defense’s snaps over the last five seasons. He’s missed just three games outright. Last year, Ryan played 99 percent of the snaps in Tennessee, allowing 68 completions on 103 targets (66 percent) with five touchdowns. He added 113 combined tackles with 4.5 sacks and a grade of 64.9 at Pro Football Focus. His grade hasn’t really creeped above 71 since 2015 and his target count in 2019 was well above the next person on the defense (67).

 

Pros

Ryan is all about consistency. He doesn’t miss time, he generally plays at the same level and he’s a stellar tackler. If that sounds similar to Darqueze Dennard, that’s because it is. But with Dennard heading to free agency and presumably gone, Ryan would make some sense as a replacement. Adding Ryan locks down the slot position and means the Bengals don’t have to go all-in with a high draft pick to shore up the spot. It also prevents overexposure for developing guys like Darius Phillips. Adding some Super Bowl experience to the locker room wouldn’t hurt either. If the Bengals are paying up for Ryan, it might mean moving on from Dre Kirkpatrick so they don’t have so much money invested in the position.

 

Cons

Ryan is 29 and will be expensive on the market. There’s a chance a bidding war ends up helping him make more than $10 million per season. Sometimes that’s a price teams have to pay while trying to rebuild a locker room and culture but it could handicap the team for a few seasons. There’s already a ton of money invested in the secondary and William Jackson is going to need an extension unless he doesn’t turn it around under Lou Anarumo. But again, this is the price for a guy who is arguably the third-best corner hitting free agency. There’s a risk his play dips now that he’s turned 29.

 

Verdict

This is a “buy” for the Bengals on a conditional basis — they have to lose Kirkpatrick’s cap hit somehow. They can’t have so much money tied up in one position, especially at its current performance rate. Maybe that’s the plan. Ryan is a very good corner sure to have a hefty market who brings not only consistency but a championship presence. It’s quite unfortunate the team can’t just rely on Dennard and keep him, but Ryan is a good way to have a stopgap solution at a premium spot while giving the team some breathing room to figure it out for the long term.

[vertical-gallery id=29215]

Titans’ Delanie Walker shows receipts for why he shouldn’t get cut

Delanie Walker made the case for why he shouldn’t get cut this offseason.

“Draft a (expletive) tight end. He’s still not going to play.”

It’s not hard to recall when Delanie Walker said those words last year as he aimed to come back from an ankle injury suffered in 2018 and prove that the Tennessee Titans didn’t need a new starting tight end.

His eventual return in 2019 lasted for a short time before he found himself sidelined again, with Jonnu Smith left to rise to the occasion.

Smith did just that, and the Titans have another talented name at tight end in Anthony Firkser at their disposal as well.

Now that it’s the offseason and time for the team to make some changes with free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft looming, Walker could be on the chopping block — and he’s well aware of his doubters.

One tweet he hit “send” on showcased that perfectly.

Walker listed stats from the 2014-17 seasons, concluding by saying, “I love the hate just remember I put up them numbers whenever one knew I was getting the ball don’t get it twisted.”

Will the Titans keep Walker on board as they prepare to make another run for the Super Bowl in 2020?

We should get an answer to that question soon.

Report suggests Titans plan to give Derrick Henry long-term deal

The Titans might be preparing to pay Derrick Henry big money.

Lost in the sauce of the news that the Tennessee Titans were cutting Dion Lewis was an interesting little nugget from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport about Derrick Henry.

In his report of the move to cut Lewis, Rapoport also said that the Titans “plan to bring back Derrick Henry at a big number.”

This would seem to suggest that Henry is going to get paid in a long-term deal, as opposed to the franchise tag, which was another potential avenue the Titans could have taken to bring him back for one year.

So, what would classify as “a big number”?

Well, Spotrac has Henry’s market value at a four-year deal worth $55.3 million, working out to $13.8 million annually.

Now that would be a big number.

In reality, based on the fact that the running back position has been devalued over the years, any deal paying him north of $10 million per year would be considered a hefty payday.

There will be plenty of detractors of such a lucrative, long-term deal, but most of those people will be those who are on the outside looking in at the Titans.

The way the Titans value Henry is different than most teams. Henry was the driving force of the Titans’ offense, and when he wasn’t dominating with the ball in his hands, the sheer threat of him running opened things up for Ryan Tannehill and the passing attack.

Not to mention, head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson have both lauded Henry for his leadership on the field, in the locker room, and in the community outside of the stadium.

The Alabama product is more than just a running back to this franchise; Henry is the heart and soul and identity of the team.

[lawrence-related id=27708,27692,27681]

Bengals get to work in free agency by re-signing Tony Brown

The Bengals made an early move in free agency.

[jwplayer 3M14JGpL]

The Cincinnati Bengals got out in front of the free-agent process a bit Thursday by inking cornerback Tony Brown to a one-year extension.

Cincinnati originally added Brown via waivers last December from the Green Bay Packers. He played 20 games there before getting claimed.

Bengals brass used the first position in the waiver wire to win Brown, who reportedly had several other teams trying to claim him in late December.

This new deal for Brown checks in at $660,000 and he’s due to be a restricted free agent in 2021, per Spotrac.

Moving on Brown now is yet another indication the Bengals are intent on remaking the cornerback position this offseason. They’re likely losing Darqueze Dennard to free agency and the future of Dre Kirkpatrick remains a question worth asking. The team has also made recent moves to bring on younger guys like Torry McTyer and Winston Rose.

[vertical-gallery id=29215]

Ken Anderson likes the idea of Joe Burrow in Bengals stripes

Ken Anderson has some thoughts on the Bengals and Joe Burrow.

[jwplayer 99PZYacN]

Count Cincinnati Bengals legend Ken Anderson among those who want to see Joe Burrow suit up for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Boomer Esiason has already thrown his weight into this one by sending a potent message to the organization about Burrow.

Anderson is the latest, noting Burrow should be the pick and pointing out he couldn’t find a flaw despite the LSU quarterback only having one breakout season.

“He had an amazing season,” Anderson said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I haven’t watched every game like the coaching staff has done. My first thing is you’re always skeptical of a guy that’s basically done it for one year, but every game I saw he never had an off game. He was extremely accurate. He made big plays. On the run. High back-shoulder throws. You saw the guy make NFL throws.”

High praise from a guy who should probably be in the Hall of Fame.

Anderson’s points echo what many experts have said by now — Burrow might not have the strongest arm, but gameflow and scheme work around it. And while he only had the one big year, part of it was just getting healthy and getting a chance, not to mention the right coaching fit.

That’s two legendary Bengals quarterbacks in favor of Burrow now.

[vertical-gallery id=29215]

Titans tell employees to work from home if possible amid COVID-19 fears

The Titans have taken more precautions in protecting their staff from COVID-19.

The Tennessee Titans are taking more precautions with their employees in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, the team has instructed employees to work from home if possible, although offices have not been closed.

This comes on the heels of the Titans also pulling their scouts and coaches off the road amid mounting fears about the spread of COVID-19.

Multiple NFL teams have taken similar precautions, so the Titans are just following suit with their own employees. It’s the right approach, as there’s no such thing as being too careful in this situation.

The restrictions set forth by the Titans and other NFL teams on their staff would impact free-agent meetings and pre-draft visits.

As it stands now, the start of the legal tampering period and free agency has not been pushed back yet, but there’s a good chance that could happen also.

Report: Auden Tate cleared for football activities

Auden Tate is getting healthy for the Bengals.

[jwplayer 99PZYacN]

Auden Tate, one of the better stories for the Cincinnati Bengals last year, is getting healthy and ready to play a part in 2020.

According to Ben Baby of ESPN, Tate has been cleared for football activities after coming back from a knee injury.

Tate enjoyed a breakout season last year as a human highlight reel of sorts, going up and snagging big-time catches seemingly every game despite the problems for the offense as a whole and needing to deal with multiple quarterbacks.

Through 12 games, Tate caught 40 of his 80 targets for 575 yards and a score. He quickly climbed the depth chart under new head coach Zac Taylor, playing an A.J. Green-type role in the offense.

Depending on what happens with Green and others this offseason, Tate could find himself in a prominent role to help along a rookie passer.

[vertical-gallery id=29215]

Houston Roughnecks QB PJ Walker shows bounceback ability, could go on to NFL

But like every player does from time to time, he’s sputtered some.

It bleeds. It is human.

Houston Roughnecks quarterback PJ Walker has received no shortage of high praise — to the point it’s almost difficult for fans to find fault in  frontrunner for XFL MVP honors.

He’s considered to be the best and most versatile signal-caller in the league on the only team that remains undefeated.

But like every player does from time to time, he’s sputtered some.

Walker was able to gut through and right the ship in the Roughnecks’ 32-23 victory over the visiting Seattle Dragons in TDECU Stadium.

But things looked awry for a more than a mere moment, as Walker committed his fair share of turnover-worthy plays — two of which resulted in costly interceptions.

This was the first game of the season Houston looked to be in real danger of tarnishing its perfect record, heading into the locker room at halftime finally tied at 14-14 after playing from behind the largest deficit in the team’s existence.

Walker took ownership of his part in the initial struggle.

“The first interception was a bad read on my end,” he told me after the game. “I saw the guy running out there, and I thought with my arm strength I could get it past him, but he went out there and made a great play. The second one was just a bad throw, a bad decision. I’ve just got to lock in.”

Walker finished the game with a completion percentage of 71%, passing for 351 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The ex-Temple quarterback became the first player in XFL history to surpass 1,000 passing yards, now totaling 1,338 on the season.

The biggest takeaway from the victory should be Walker’s sheer bounceback ability and capability of getting his feet back under him in the face of adversity.

In times of hype and scrutiny alike, Walker is the same player mentally.

“It’s the same mentality every week,” Walker said. “I play with a lot of passion and a chip on my shoulder so the noise outside of this building, outside of this locker room, it really doesn’t matter to me. It is what it is.”

Walker wasn’t given a true chance to prove himself and make run for the starting role with the division rival Indianapolis Colts, but a now-retired Andrew Luck pushed for him to get a chance in the relaunch of Vince McMahon’s league.

Will Walker get another opportunity to be the franchise guy for a quarterback-needy NFL team?

Only time will tell if Walker can be successful in the NFL with a second stint, but there’s no other XFL player more deserving of the league’s attention.

Titans’ Jayon Brown earned a fat bonus on his 2019 season pay

Titans linebacker Jayon Brown got a nice bonus on top of his 2019 salary.

Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Jayon Brown is going to be taking home some extra cash on top of his underwhelming 2019 salary.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Brown (No. 24) was ranked in the top 25 of combined earners in the NFL, which is based on money received from performance-based pay and the veteran pool.

So, on top of the $712,888 that Brown made in 2019, he’ll collect an additional $475,027 to bring his pay from last season up to a grand total of roughly $1.18 million.

While it’s nice to see Brown getting paid extra, it’s obvious he’s criminally underpaid for what he produces on the field; however this is the way it works with players who were drafted in the later rounds.

The former fifth-round pick was third on the team in tackles last season despite missing two games, and he is undoubtedly one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL, particularly in coverage.

Brown’s big payday will eventually come, with the 25-year-old having one year left on his rookie deal. It would be surprising if the Titans don’t give him a long-term extension before he hits free agency, though.

Former Tennessee Titans OLB Cameron Wake doesn’t plan to retire

Former Titans OLB Cameron Wake plans to play in 2020.

The Tennessee Titans released outside linebacker Cameron Wake on Thursday, but that doesn’t mean the 38-year-old plans on retiring.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo, Wake’s agent told him that the veteran wants to return for his 12th NFL season in 2020.

Wake played in just nine games for the Titans in 2019 and was a situational pass-rusher, as he never played more than 36 snaps in any contest. After battling injuries during the season, Wake was placed on season-ending IR in November.

Obviously, Wake’s age and 2019 injury issues, along with the fact that he totaled just 2.5 sacks in Week 1 against the Browns and none after, will be working against his hopes of getting another shot with a different team.

However, despite his sack totals falling off, Wake did still generate a pressure rate above 10 percent, the only Titans pass-rusher to do so.

That fact alone might make him an intriguing pickup for a team in need of a veteran pass-rusher who can only play limited snaps, but clearly that wasn’t enough for the Titans to hang on to him.