Category: Yannick Ngakoue

Report: Yannick Ngakoue parts ways with agent

After little progress with getting out of his situation with the Jags, Yannick Ngakoue is once again changing agents.

After having very little luck getting a contract extension or traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars, pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue is making another agent change. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Ngakoue recently parted ways with agent Ari Nissim and is currently enduring a five-day waiting period to name a new representative.

The move accounts for Ngakoue’s second agent change since joining the league. His first representative, was Washington D.C. based agent Adisa Bakari before Nissim. Ngakoue made the switch to Nissim in May of 2018, who was with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation at the time. However, Ngakoue has long been removed from Roc Nation’s site as a client, which is an indication that Nissim moved on from the agency.

Ngakoue’s decision comes after he declared not wanting a long-term deal with the Jags this offseason. They later franchise tagged him and the two sides have been in a stare down since. Before the draft, Ngakoue called out Jags front office member Tony Khan on Twitter to demand a trade, but Khan told him that would only happen when the Jags get the proper compensation. They seemingly didn’t get what they were looking for as the draft and trade deadline have passed for Ngakoue to get a long-term deal (July 15).

With the regular season coming up, Ngakoue’s situation will only get more interesting as he has yet to sign his non-exclusive franchise tag. That said, he’s clearly banking on a new agent to attempt to make some progress on things as the needle has moved very little this offseason.

Jimmy Smith weighs in on Yannick Ngakoue’s relationship with Jags, fans, and ownership

Jags great Jimmy Smith has been active on Twitter lately with his fans. He’s also discuss topics surrounding the team like Yannick Ngakoue.

The situation between Yannick Ngakoue and the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason has been rather interesting, and now even a team legend has chimed in. That legend is Jimmy Smith, who is arguably the best player in team history.

These days it seems as though Smith has been extra active on Twitter, communicating with the fans who’ve been vouching hard for him to get recognition through the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame. In the process of his Twitter resurgence, he’s also shared his thoughts on Yannick Ngakoue after it was revealed he hadn’t reported to camp or spoken with the team.

 

Of course, such statements sparked more interactions from both Jags fans who agreed with Smith, and on a smaller scale, some who disagreed. One fan even pulled up an old article about Smith’s contract dispute with the Jags, which Smith countered by arguing that the difference was he wanted to be a Jag for life.

After that tweet, Smith continued to explain why he’s ready to see the team move on from Ngakoue: because of the Twitter exchange he had with Tony Khan.

As many can recall, Ngakoue came at Khan before the draft demanding a trade. Khan responded by saying that a trade wouldn’t happen until the compensation was right and added that Ngakoue’s handling of the situation on Twitter wasn’t a good look.

The tweet above received a like from Ngakoue, which caused Smith to tweet another response, stating that Ngakoue is at home reading the thoughts of those who’ve criticized him. Smith also accused the young pass-rusher of using several burner accounts.

Smith later explained that he was a fan of Ngakoue, but felt he has been disrespectful towards the fans, some of whom vocally demanded the team pay him for his hard work.

That prompted a reply from a fan who felt Smith was out of line commenting on Ngakoue’s situation. The fan also added that Smith shouldn’t want an altercation at his age, but Smith didn’t seem too worried about it, bringing up Ngakoue’s exchange with Philip Rivers from 2019.

 

As previously mentioned, Smith hasn’t just spent his time on Twitter tweeting about Ngakoue, he’s also spent a lot of time thanking his fans for their support towards getting him recognized. He’s also offered to sign some jerseys, have a podcast appearance for a fan, along with many other gestures to return the favor of the fanbase who clearly loves the Jags legend.

As for Smith getting his due in terms of making it into the Hall-of-Fame, he has certainly built the social media buzz to get the attention of the 48-person Selection Committee. Only time will tell if they are listening, but there is no doubt Smith has been overlooked.

Yannick Ngakoue donates Chromebooks to help educate youth in his hometown

Yannick Ngakoue is being productive with his downtime and is giving to his community by donating chromebooks to the youth of Washington D.C.

Yannick Ngakoue doesn’t seem to have plans to sign his franchise tender any time soon (if at all), but that doesn’t mean he’s not being productive within his community. Like many of his comrades in the league, Ngakoue has found a way to help those in his hometown as he awaits his return to football.

On Tuesday, Ngakoue announced that he’d be helping the youth in the Washington D.C. area by donating Chromebook computers through the Volunteers of America organization. In a time where social distancing has been emphasized, Ngakoue’s donation is a huge one as a lot of kids will have to receive education remotely until COVID-19 starts to decline.

In a message via Instagram, Ngakoue explained why he made such a contribution and encouraged others to join the cause in their respective communities.

Ngakoue’s act of kindness is exactly what’s needed in these trying times for the nation. The educational system of America has especially been hit and affected by the coronavirus, leaving many schools (and parents) in need of help when it comes to providing supplies.

It’s been documented in the past that Ngakoue had it tough while coming up in the urban part of Washington D.C. His mother, Marlene Chantelly, had to pretty much work nonstop as a naval nurse when Ngakoue was in high school to provide for him. With that has clearly come an understanding of the struggles families endure when it comes to acquiring school supplies, and now that he’s in position to help, Ngakoue is making a difference in his hometown.

Jags’ Yannick Ngakoue becomes lone player to not sign 2020 franchise tag

A.J. Green signed his franchise tender leaving just one player in the league who hasn’t: Yannick Ngakoue.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green has signed the franchise tag in which the team placed on him in the middle of March. With this news coming out, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is now the only player in the NFL to not sign his tender or get a new contract.

The Jags designated the non-exclusive franchise tag to Ngakoue on March 13, despite him expressing that he wanted to move on from the team. That later led to him demanding a trade and calling out the son of owner Shad Khan and front office member, Tony Khan, on Twitter. Khan replied by saying that the compensation had to be right before a deal could happen.

Ngakoue’s issues with the front office probably date back to last offseason as the team wasn’t able to sign him to a long-term deal. As a result, he showed up to training camp late while also keeping in mind how the team handled his contract situation.

The Jags will report to training camp in just under two weeks on July 28. Ngakoue’s actions have shown that it’s a strong chance he won’t be there, but maybe he has a change of heart and joins his teammates late in the process.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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Jags depth chart prediction: Defensive end

With uncertainty surrounding Yannick Ngakoue, it appears the Jags have some young pieces at defensive end that could step up in 2020.

The start of training camp is just under two weeks away for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will need their defense to go into the regular season with some momentum. A key group within the unit will be the defensive ends, who make for one of the more interesting groups on the team.

As we continue our depth chart predictions, here is how we believe the defensive end position will look for the Jags:

Defensive end Big Defensive end
No. 1 *Yannick Ngakoue

Josh Allen

 Rodney Gunter
No. 2 *K’Lavon Chaisson

(See upcoming strong-side linebackers depth chart)

 Dawuane Smoot
No. 3

Cassius Marsh

(See upcoming strong-side linebackers depth chart)
No. 4 Lerentee McCray
No. 5

Of course, with the uncertainty behind Yannick Ngakoue, we put him at the No. 1 spot alongside Josh Allen. Simply put, if he plays on the tag and doesn’t miss a lot of preseason time, then he should start. If he doesn’t, Josh Allen is the guy.

Ngakoue will enter 2020 ranked second in franchise history in sacks with 37.5 on his career. He’ll enter this season with 14 forced fumbles which is good for second in franchise history, too. It will be up to him to make a decision on rather he’d like to play on the franchise tag despite being at odds with the Jags front office, and if he does, he’d be welcomed with open arms.

As for Allen, Ngakoue’s actions seems to indicate that the Jags should start focusing their attention on him to be the starter. As a part-time player, the 2019 first-round pick was impressive, beating the franchise’s rookie sack record held by Ngakoue with 10.5 and earning Pro Bowl honors. Allen was also close to winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but Nick Bosa beat him out despite having fewer sacks.

This year’s second first-round selection, K’Lavon Chaisson, will also see snaps at defensive end and they will likely come on third-down, while he could be on the field as a strong-side linebacker on early downs. The Jags took Chaisson with the No. 20 overall selection (from the Los Angeles Rams) in April after he helped propelled the Louisiana State Tigers to a national championship. During the 2019 season, he registered 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss despite missing a couple of games in 2019.

Free-agent acquisition Cassius Marsh will also get a look at strong-side linebacker to start and will get snaps as a rotational defensive end, just like Chaisson. He’ll bring eight years of experience to the table with 159 career tackles and 14 forced fumbles.

As for Lerentee McCray, the Jags will use him as a special teams ace and he likely won’t see a lot of defensive snaps on the field — if at all. However, he does bring six years of experience to the table with 64 career tackles and four sacks.

As for the Jags’ big ends, free-agent Rodney Gunter should be set to start there. He’ll be filling the role of Calais Campbell, playing on the outside on early downs and possibly kicking inside on third downs. While previously with the Arizona Cardinals, he started in 38 games so it appears Gunter is battle-tested.

Smoot, on the other hand, will be entering his fourth season with the Jags and will be on a contract year. Last season was his most productive as he accumulated a career-high of six sacks while playing on the edge and interior of the line. After showing growth in 2019, there is no reason to not believe he’ll take another step, especially with the chance of a new contract in 2021.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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Deadline for tagged players passes by with no new deal for Yannick Ngakoue

As expected, the Jags weren’t impressed with offers enough to come off Yannick Ngakoue and now he’s locked into a one-year deal for 2020.

While there was interest in him, Wednesday’s deadline for franchised players to get a long-term deal passed without Yannick Ngakoue receiving a new deal. Now, regardless as to where he plays in 2020, it will only be on a one-year deal.

The Jacksonville Jaguars holding firm on not trading him didn’t exactly shock anyone as general manager Dave Caldwell said that he thought the young pass-rusher’s options were limited. Additionally, as we saw with Jalen Ramsey, the Jags appear fine with holding on to a disgruntled player until they get what they want.

The downside to the Jags not trading Ngakoue, or signing him to a long-term deal themselves, is that the offers won’t get any better past this point because teams essentially would be acquiring a one-year rental. That almost certainly means that Ngakoue will likely have to suit up with the Jags in 2020 (if he does at all) being that their demands were high before the deadline.

Though the coronavirus pandemic can push things back, the Jags are scheduled to begin training camp in just under two weeks on July 28. If Ngakoue attends and plays under the franchise tag he’ll earn just under $18 million guaranteed. That’s a figure that would be good for the highest cap hit on the team and it also would give him the fifth-highest average when it comes to defensive end salaries.

Report: Jags’ “unwillingness” to trade Yannick Ngakoue a big factor in standoff

A new series of tweets from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter is shedding new light on what is preventing the Jacksonville Jaguars from parting ways with disgruntled defensive end, Yannick Ngakoue. In a nutshell, it sounds like the asking price is …

A new series of tweets from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter is shedding new light on what is preventing the Jacksonville Jaguars from parting ways with disgruntled defensive end, Yannick Ngakoue. In a nutshell, it sounds like the asking price is high.

While it appears Ngakoue is more than willing to be flexible with possible suitors, the fact of the matter is the Jaguars have absolutely no interest in dealing him unless a deal is purely beneficial to the team. As mentioned by us here at the Jaguars Wire Tuesday, not much has changed since Ngakoue initially stated on Twitter that his time in Jacksonville was over back in March. During their first post-draft press conference, coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell spoke as if they expected their star defensive end to be a Jaguar, and that expectation does not appear to have changed.

The deadline to reach a new long-term contract for tagged players like Ngakoue is today at 4 pm EST. Without a new agreement, Ngakoue would play on a one-year deal worth $17.8 million in 2020. After only earning approximately $3.4 million on his rookie deal, maybe he’ll have a change of heart, but it feels questionable at this point. However, for now, both sides appear to be locked into their stances waiting to see who will flinch first.

Report: Jags DE Yannick Ngakoue still getting interest for a trade

With the deadline over 24 hours away to get a long-term deal, there is some trade interest in Jags DE Yannick Ngakoue.

While the July 15 deadline for tagged players to get a long-term deal is just over 24 hours away, there is still some hope (albeit small) that Yannick Ngakoue could be traded to another team. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, there are teams around the league at least looking into the situation despite the degree of difficulty it would take.

Rapoport also added that the compensation would have to be right for the Jags, something we’ve heard from Tony Khan himself this offseason.

This news comes after a wild roller coaster-like offseason for Ngakoue, who took social media to state that he felt his time was up in Jacksonville in late March. Despite that, the team placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and hasn’t moved him since.

Growing frustrated with the team, he had an exchange with Jags front office member and son of Shad Khan, Tony Khan, demanding the team trade him. However, that ultimately led to nothing as the draft passed with Ngakoue still in limbo.

When asked by the media about Ngakoue after the first-round, general manager Dave Caldwell stated that the team wasn’t able to get a draft day offer and that Ngakoue’s options were “very limited” from that point on.

“I try not to comment too much on the situation; I try to be very pragmatic about it,” Caldwell said after the first round. “Truth be told, we exercised the franchise tender. We weren’t able to get a trade. We actually weren’t even really able to get an offer.”

Earlier this month, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the young pass-rusher’s stance hadn’t changed, which brings us to where we are now.

The best scenario for the Jags’ front office would be to see Ngakoue take the field this offseason under the tag, as Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone could be fired if the team doesn’t have a good season. Unfortunately, Ngakoue hasn’t shown that he plans to be a Jag in 2020, and if there are doubts on the front office’s part concerning the pass-rusher, then they may want to jump on a trade before Wednesday’s deadline.

Would trading for David Njoku make sense for Jags?

About a week ago, ESPN’s Field Yates proposed a trade involving defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns. In a nutshell, the two teams exchanged both players while the Browns added in a second-round selection, and …

About a week ago, ESPN’s Field Yates proposed a trade involving defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns. In a nutshell, the two teams exchanged both players while the Browns added in a second-round selection, and surprisingly, it got a lot of good feedback from Jags fans.

Now, here we are not too far removed from the article and it appears Yates was on to something. Njoku recently demanded a trade two days ago, leaving fans to speculate what teams are fits for the young tight end.

For the sake of this article, we’ll leave Ngakoue out of the picture and just look at it from a standpoint of the Jags acquiring Njoku by providing draft compensation and not players. However, to answer the question of whether the Jags should trade for him we have to look at the Jags’ current tight end group.

The organization came into the offseason with a need for a tight end after three of their tight ends went on injured reserve last season. Those players were Geoff Swaim (concussion/ ankle), Josh Oliver (back), and James O’Shaughnessy (ACL), leaving the Jags’ offense at a huge disadvantage when it came to pass-catchers. Now, two of those three will be back in O’Shaughnessy and Oliver (while Swaim was cut) in addition to another notable in veteran tight end Tyler Eifert, who is the most familiar with the offensive system.

When looking at those three names there should be concerns on the Jags part. O’Shaugnessy, a favorite target of Gardner Minshew II, will be coming off an ACL tear, which means 2020 may not be a super productive year for him. Fans aren’t exactly high on the health of Eifert either, as he’s missed over 50 regular season games in his career. As for Oliver, he only registered three catches last season and will be learning a new scheme. That ultimately makes him feel like a rookie who is still at Square 1.

Still, the team is seemingly high on what they have and I believe Oliver especially could prevent them from wanting Njoku. They were high enough on him to take him with a third-round selection in 2019, and after how last season went, they are going to want to see what they have in him. In a nutshell, it feels as though Oliver is the team’s version of Njoku — at least they’re hoping.

For me, Njoku is a talented player when healthy and could be a TE1 in time and the Jags should at least be open to it. However, when looking at it from their standpoint with Oliver and them showing confidence in Eifert by not drafting a tight end, it looks like their minds are set at the position.

Additionally, if the Jags looked into a trade for Njoku the asking price would have to be extremely friendly. If a fifth-round selection or less is all they have to give up, that’s worth the risk even though it’s unlikely that they would.

Now, we’d like to know what you all at home think about a Njoku trade. Does it make sense for the Jags? Let us know in the poll below.

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Report: Yannick Ngakoue unlikely to sign tag soon, still desires a trade

Yannick Ngakoue’s stance hasn’t changed in terms of wanting a trade and that puts the Jags in an interesting spot as the tag deadline looms.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be returning to their facility on July 28 for training camp, but in all likelihood, at least one star will be missing. That player’s name is Yannick Ngakoue.

Per ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, there hasn’t been a change in the young pass-rusher’s stance of wanting to be traded. Additionally, he has no desire to sign the non-exclusive tag anytime soon, so it looks as though both parties might be preparing for a stand-off.

On March 31, Ngakoue announced that he felt his time was up via social media due to how contract talks had been going with the Jags. Not too soon after that, they tagged him.

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Before the draft, Ngakoue, who was seemingly growing impatient, called out Shad Khan’s son and front office member, Tony Khan, over social media by demanding a trade. After exchanging several tweets, Khan ended the exchange by saying that no trade would happen until the compensation was right by the front office’s standards.

During the draft, general manager Dave Caldwell told the media that the Jags weren’t able to get an offer during the draft. Caldwell also added that he believed Ngakoue’s options were “very limited” from that point on.

“I try not to comment too much on the situation; I try to be very pragmatic about it,” Caldwell said after the first round. “Truth be told, we exercised the franchise tender. We weren’t able to get a trade. We actually weren’t even really able to get an offer.”

The one-year tag has a guaranteed value of $17,788,000 waiting for Ngakoue if signed. The deadline for a long-term deal for the Jags, or anyone that wants to make a trade for him, will occur on July 15. That basically puts the Jags in a tricky situation where they probably need to move fast if they want decent value for him — that is if he’s not going to play for them. Otherwise, the offers from that point might not be all that enticing because teams would be getting him as a one-year rental after the deadline.

Ultimately, time will tell if there is a team that is really desperate for Ngakoue’s services to the point where they meet the Jags’ demands. If not, things could be heading down an ugly path come training camp and beyond.