Category: Yannick Ngakoue

Yannick Ngakoue on playing Jags: ‘I’m just treating it as another game’

Yannick Ngakoue is saying all of the right things heading into his game with the Jags, but the competitor in him could come out Sunday.

One of the biggest storylines of the week for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens will be Yannick Ngakoue’s first game against his old team. As many can recall, his saga with the Jags before the season was one of the more interesting storylines in the NFL, and it all began when the young pass-rusher declared that he wanted out of Jacksonville.

Eventually, Ngakoue’s wish to leave Jacksonville came to reality as the Jags traded him to the Minnesota Vikings in August. After spending just under a month there, he was traded to the Ravens — the team that many felt he wanted to be with the most.

Now, we’re just a few days away from his first game against the Jags, and many have expected Ngakoue to have a chip on his shoulder. However, on Thursday, he insisted that he’s viewing Week 15’s meeting as another game and stressed the importance of finishing strong instead of discussing a personal agenda.

Ngakoue’s answer is about what many who’ve covered him were expecting. At the same time, it feels like the competitor in him will show up on the field and perhaps fuel him to have his best game as a Raven. That would be perfect because some Ravens fans feel like he hasn’t had the impact they were hoping for, but it feels like he needs time to get situated.

Since joining the Ravens, Ngakoue has produced seven tackles and a sack in three starts. The upcoming games will be crucial for him because he’s hoping for a contract extension, and it would certainly help if the Ravens made it to the postseason.

As for the Jags, there is a little concern about the issues they could have up front against Baltimore. They will be without their best offensive lineman, Brandon Linder, who went on injured reserve Wednesday. Additionally, one of their ascending pass protectors, Ben Bartch, will miss the game after going on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list. He was placed on the list Tuesday, so he’ll miss five games regardless of if he was a “close contact” case or a player that tested positive.

With Bartch and Linder out, the Ravens may not struggle to push the interior. Of course, that would make life on the edge easier for Ngakoue and all of Baltimore’s other exterior rushers.

Jags fan starts a unique movement to make Ngakoue a Pro Bowler and improve a draft selection

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a very good player in defensive end Yannick Ngakoue this summer after trading him to the Minnesota Vikings. The conditions of that deal involved a second-round pick in 2021 and a conditional 2022 fifth-rounder that …

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a very good player in defensive end Yannick Ngakoue this summer after trading him to the Minnesota Vikings. The conditions of that deal involved a second-round pick in 2021 and a conditional 2022 fifth-rounder that could turn into a fourth-rounder if he makes the Pro Bowl.

Well, it’s now time for fans to fill out their ballots for the Pro Bowl, and while Ngakoue may not be with the Vikings anymore, the stipulations of the deal still stand. That’s exactly why Reddit user “Anuglyman” is doing his best to help out his beloved Jags by uniting several enemies of the Vikings to vote for Ngakoue and cheat their common enemy out of a draft pick.

So far Anuglyman has reached out to all three of the Vikings division rivals in the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears. He’s also reached out to the New Orleans Saints fanbase, who are a despised postseason rival of the Vikings.

There have been many things said about the Jags fanbase from being called non-existent to various other things, but this does prove one thing about them: they are creative and know how to unite. That said, for those wanting to join the cause, simply head to the link below and vote away.

Jaguars officially announce Yannick Ngakoue trade to Vikings

The Jags and Yannick Ngakoue saga has come to an end.

It’s official, Yannick Ngakoue is now a Minnesota Viking.

After ESPN insider Adam Schefter broke the news Sunday morning, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally confirmed that the transaction was official Monday afternoon in what has already been an eventful day.

While the Jags are losing a very good Pro Bowler, the transaction closes what was a roller coaster of a ride with Ngakoue this offseason. Back in early March, Ngakoue revealed that he didn’t want a long-term deal with the Jags, who handled his contract situation poorly. Despite that, they franchise-tagged him anyway and held on to him past the draft and extension date for franchised players (July 15).

Prior to the draft, the situation between the two sides endured its most heated moment when Ngakoue demanded front office member Tony Khan to trade him. Unfortunately, Ngakoue wasn’t able to find his way out of Jacksonville at that moment and simply had to stay put for a little while longer.

Earlier this month, both sides began to make progress as Ngakoue fired his old agent Ari Nassim and made contact with the Jags afterward. Once he swapped representation, the wheels finally got going on a trade and the rest is history.

With Ngakoue gone, the Jags’ front office no longer has distractions to veer them away from preparing for Week 1’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Additionally, Ngakoue found himself with a competitor, and should finally be able to contend for a Super Bowl, which is the ultimate goal for most players.

Jags will have 10 draft selections in 2021 once Yannick Ngakoue deal is official

While the cost was losing several Pro Bowlers, the Jags have the tools to get back on their feet quickly in 2021 after trading Ngakoue.

Finally, the Jacksonville Jaguars have pulled the trigger on a deal to trade Yannick Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings. Now, for the process to become official, all he simply has to do is sign his franchise tender and it will be a new chapter for all parties.

Once that happens, the Jags will get a 2021 second-round pick, giving them four picks in the first two rounds of next year’s draft. That would put them in a better situation quantity wise than they were in 2020, where they had two first-rounders and one second.

The Jags will also be getting a conditional 2022 fifth-round pick that could be a fourth-round pick if he goes to the Pro Bowl, or a third-rounder if he goes to the Pro Bowl and the Vikings win the Super Bowl.

In totality, the Jaguars will have 10 picks in next year’s draft. That would come after having 12 this year (all of which the Jags kept) and their 2021 list of selections would be as follows:

  • Their 2021 first-round selection
  • The Los Angeles Rams’ 2021 first-round selection (for Jalen Ramsey)
  • Their 2021 second-round selection
  • The Vikings’ 2021 second-round selection (for Ngakoue)
  • Their 2021 third-round selection
  • Their 2021 fourth-round selection
  • The Los Angeles Rams’ 2021 fourth-round selection (for Ramsey)
  • Their 2021 fifth-round selection
  • Their 2021 sixth-round selection
  • Their 2021 seventh-round selection

While it cost the Jags some young Pro Bowlers, Dave Caldwell or whoever is the Jags general manager in 2021 will have a lot to build with. Additionally, they will have a lot of cap space available next year as Over the Cap has them projected at $89,656,498, but that’s with a projected base amount of $215 million. With the salary cap set to decrease to a minimum of $175 million in 2021 (currently at $198.2 million) due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Jags at the most will have to deduct $23.2 million from OTC’s total. Still, it’s clear they will be in good shape financially.

When taking this all into consideration, the Jags could be back on their feet rather quickly. However, most would agree that it’s unfortunate they had to lose the amount of talent they did over the span of the last two seasons.

Jaguars agree to trade Yannick Ngakoue to Vikings

The Jacksonville Jaguars have finally agreed a trade for Yannick Ngakoue, receiving multiple picks from the Minnesota Vikings

Sunday morning ESPN insider Adam Schefter announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to trade franchise tagged defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings.

According to Schefter, the Jaguars will receive a 2021 second-round pick and a conditional fifth rounder in the 2022 NFL Draft. The conditional pick could become as high as a third-rounder provided the following criteria is hit.

– The 2022 pick becomes a fourth-round pick if Ngakoue goes to the Pro-Bowl in the 2020 season.
– The 2022 pick becomes a third-round pick if Ngakoue goes to the Pro-Bowl and the Vikings win this year’s Super-Bowl.

Of course, Yannick Ngakoue will have to sign his franchise-tender before any potential trade materializes, and it is expected that he will re-work the $17.8 million cap hit in order to complete the deal. However, these things will likely become a formality later on Sunday and the former Maryland Terp will officially become a Viking.

The former Pro-Bowler held out of this season’s off-season activities announcing as early as March that he had no intentions of continuing his career in Jacksonville. The reason for that was the handling of his contract negotiations prior.

Ngakoue won’t be able to get a long-term deal in 2021 under the franchise tag as the deadline passed for tagged players to get an extension. However, that’s not to say he won’t be with the Vikings for a long time as something can be worked out after 2021. With 37.5 career sacks and 14 forced fumbles he could become one of the richest defensive players in the game under them eventually.

The exodus of Jaguars talent continues this summer, however they now own eight picks in the first five rounds of next year’s draft and are in a strong position to continue the rebuild of their young roster.

K’Lavon Chaisson discusses how battling Jags’ starting OTs has helped him

K’Lavon Chaisson is learning more by the day in training camp and his competition on the OL has been a vital part of the process.

As a first-round selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars in April’s draft, many fans and media members understand how important K’Lavon Chaisson is to the team’s success in 2020. That’s why he’s been one of the most analyzed players since his return from a hamstring injury he sustained a few weeks ago.

So far, the reviews on him have been encouraging on the No. 20 overall pick as he’s soaking in a lot of tips from players on the defensive side like Josh Allen, Abry Jones, and Dawuane Smoot. However, another aspect of practice that has helped him is the reps he’s taken against starting offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor.

“I feel like it’s great. It’s new sets and I feel like those two guys [Robinson and Taylor] are elite,” Chaisson told the media in a virtual presser Monday. “Just going against them two every day, it kind of brings me a new pass rush offense arsenal. Obviously, you’re going to be going against different sets every week. [It’s great] to go against them every day in practice and those guys give me gems after practice and even during practice on what I can and cannot do. ”

While many have been critical of the Jags’ offensive line, Chaisson certainly could learn a lot from both tackles as they faced elite talents like J.J. Watt, Cam Hayward, Frank Clark, Melvin Ingram, and Joey Bosa last season just to name a few. Additionally, they are players who also practiced against a line that consisted of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue as fans witnessed last year in training camp.

With just three weeks left before the season, both the Jags offensive line and defensive line will need to continue pushing each other to new heights. That especially should be a point of emphasis for rookies like Chaisson, who won’t have a preseason or joint practices to see different personnel.

Oddsmakers list Jets as front-runners for Yannick Ngakoue

Vegas isn’t high on Yannick Ngakoue chances to return to Jacksonville and believes

While Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell shot down the rumors of Yannick Ngakoue being traded any time soon, it’s still a small possibility he suits up for another team. Sure, he recently changed agents and has made contact with the Jags, but according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Ngakoue still would prefer to be moved.

While the initial decision to let him go is ultimately up to the Jags, Vegas oddsmakers aren’t quite buying Ngakoue remaining in Jacksonville. With many suitors and rumors popping up dating back to April, SportsLine betting, in particular, made an odds listing with the notables who’ve been associated with him.

Unsurprisingly, the New York Jets led the way with odds of 3/2. The Seattle Seahawks (3/1), Las Vegas Raiders (4/1), Philadelphia Eagles (5/1), and “other” (15/2) all came in behind them, respectively, and the Jags registered odds of 18/1.

The Jets’ being atop this list makes sense because they have the cap space (over $30.3 million) to ingest his $17.7 million franchise salary and compensation to land him. Due to trading safety Jamal Adams, they received an additional 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick (plus safety Bradley McDougle). That makes some of their future early-round additions expendable for a player like Ngakoue, as Pelissero believes the Jags want something close to a second-round pick and some change.

As many are aware, the Seattle Seahawks struggled to get to the quarterback last season with just 28 sacks. They’ve still been associated with Jadeveon Clowney, so there is a need for a player like Ngakoue, who has proven to be more durable. Unlike the Jets though, it would take some maneuvering in terms of cap space because Seattle only has a little over $15 million available.

The Raiders were a team who NFL insider Ian Rapoport mentioned has kept tabs on Ngakoue this week, so it makes sense that they would be listed, too. Then the Eagles, of course, are a team Ngakoue has hinted at wanting to play for in additions to rumors surfacing on the web. While they don’t have the ammo that the Jets do, they could work something out if they wanted and have $24.3 million in available cap space to take on his salary.

Dave Caldwell calls rumors about a Yannick Ngakoue trade ‘erroneous’

Dave Caldwell shut down any rumors of a Yannick Ngakoue trade happening anytime soon after sitting down with Sirius XM Radio.

As of late the rumor mill has been hot when it comes to Yannick Ngakoue, however, according to Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell, there are no plans to trade him. In an interview with Alex Marvez and Charles Davis of Sirius XM Radio, Caldwell called the rumors “erroneous” and added that the news caught him off guard.

Caldwell’s statements come after an offseason where Ngakoue declared he didn’t want a long-term deal with the Jags. Afterward, they franchised tagged him which further frustrated Ngakoue and caused him to demand a trade via Twitter in an exchange with Tony Khan. Despite all of the friction, however, the Jags didn’t trade the young defensive end during the draft or before the tag extension deadline due to no team meeting their request.

Caldwell added that both parties were in a “holding pattern” with each other, but remained in contact as Ngakoue has new representation. While that still leaves a lot of questions, it marks a little progress because the team was previously saying they hadn’t heard from Ngakoue.

On Wednesday, NFL insider Tom Pelissero stated that he believes the Jags want a “second-rounder and some change” based off the teams he’s spoken with who’ve contacted the Jags. He added that Ngakoue and the Jags’ relationship has “been better” since his change in representation, but said that Ngakoue still preferred to be traded.

Pelissero on Ngakoue: It would be shocking if Jags traded him for only a second-round pick

The price on Jags DE Yannick Ngakoue is still high per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, however, the young pass-rusher still would prefer to move on.

With the season inching closer, many fans have begun to monitor the Yannick Ngakoue situation closer and rumors have started to surface again. With than being the case, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero provided an update on the young pass-rusher’s situation, noting that the price on him seems to be high.

“Here is what I can tell you, as of now there are no signs that anything are imminent with Ngakoue. Based on the conversations I’ve had with teams who’ve spoken with the Jaguars, it would be shocking if they are willing to move Ngakoue for only a second-round pick. The price is higher and it would have to be something like a second-rounder and some change,” Pelissero said.

“The relationship between Ngakoue and the Jags has been better since he recently changed agents, but it sounds as if he’d still prefer to be traded and he has some level of control over where he would be traded because he would have to sign the franchise tender to make the trade happen. At some point, Ngakoue is going to have to make a decision. Is he willing to sit out? Is he willing to play for the team that the Jags can agree to a trade with? Or if there is no trade, is he willing to come back and do something he said he won’t, which is play for the Jaguars again and make upwards of $1 million a week?”

These statements come after Ngakoue recently fired his agent Ari Nissim and moved on to new representation. He had previously been represented by Nissim since 2018 after leaving his first NFL agent Adisa Bakari.

Ngakoue, who had been awaiting a new contract, seemingly grew impatient with the Jags’ front office this offseason and that led to him declaring that he no longer wanted a long-term extension from them. Still, they use the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, retaining his rights on a short-term basis.

Before the draft, the young pass-rusher called out Jags front office member Tony Khan on Twitter and demanded a trade, however, Khan responded by saying the compensation needed to be right. Since, the draft and tag deadline for a long-term deal has passed, and though there has been reported interest in him over the last few months, the Jags’ price seemingly hasn’t been met.

Earlier this month the Jags general manager Dave Caldwell says he spoke with Ngakoue as he was going through his agent change, but the veteran general manager didn’t want to further comment on the conversation.

“As far as the Yannick situation goes, I think you’d have to talk to him,” Caldwell said. “I’m very cautious of speaking for him. … He’s earned the right to do what’s best for him and his family, so I’m going to defer any of his future questions to him and try to keep our conversations between he and I.”

This may be what Pelissero was referring to when he says the relationship has gotten better, but ultimately time will tell exactly how much better it’s gotten. Still, it’s encouraging to hear that the sides have spoken as it leaves the door slightly cracked for a potential reunion.

Jaguars, Yannick Ngakoue finally speak — but uncertainty still looms

Finally, the Jags have made contact with Yannick Ngakoue. However, Jags general manager Dave Caldwell didn’t want to offer much on the talk.

After months of fans awaiting an update, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made contact with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, per general manager Dave Caldwell who met virtually with the media Tuesday.

This news comes after NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Ngakoue parted ways with his agent, Ari Nissim, who he had been with since 2018. However, despite Caldwell saying that he and Ngakoue had been in contact, the veteran general manager didn’t offer much more, stating that it would be best not to speak for Ngakoue, who remains unsigned technically.

“As far as the Yannick situation goes, I think you’d have to talk to him,” Caldwell said Tuesday. “I’m very cautious of speaking for him. … He’s earned the right to do what’s best for him and his family, so I’m going to defer any of his future questions to him and try to keep our conversations between he and I.”

This offseason has been somewhat of a roller coaster when it comes to both parties. It all started back in early March when Ngakoue said he didn’t want a long-term deal with the Jags. Despite that, the team franchise tagged him, which led to Ngakoue having an altercation with front office member Tony Khan on Twitter. Needless to say, things didn’t go as planned for Ngakoue as the Jags have stood firm on their price for him, which is seemingly so high that no team has been able to come up with the right compensation.

Since Khan and Ngakoue’s altercation on Twitter, the draft has passed and the deadline for Ngakoue to get a long-term deal has passed, which seemingly made Ngakoue part ways with his representation.

Unfortunately, Caldwell didn’t comment on Ngakoue discussing a return so it appears fans will be left playing the waiting game. That said, Ngakoue’s first order of business will be to find new representation as he’s currently in a five-day period where he must wait before hiring a new agent. Regardless as to what Ngakoue decides to do on his end, at least he’s now communicating with the team though it’s uncertain where things will lead.