Category: Yannick Ngakoue

ESPN floats out a trade deal for Jags to send Yannick Ngakoue to Browns

With the deadline for him to sign the franchise tag approaching, ESPN proposed potential trade for Yannick Ngakoue involving the Browns.

With less than a month until the Jacksonville Jaguars report for training camp ahead of the 2020 season, their situation with Yannick Ngakoue remains one of the major talking points across the NFL.

After announcing that “his time was up” in Jacksonville in March, the pass-rusher has made no known attempts to reconcile with the organization. In fact, Ngakoue now remains one of only five players yet to sign their franchise tag tender.

With the chances of a long-term deal feeling almost nonexistent, and the former Maryland Terrapin threatening to sit out the season, general manager Dave Caldwell’s leverage is diminishing as we approach the July 15 deadline. In a nutshell, if Ngakoue isn’t going to play for the Jags and isn’t traded by then, the potential in terms of compensation for him will decrease because he’d only be eligible to sign the franchise tag, which is only a one-year deal.

If the Jaguars want to get maximum value from the player, the sensible thing to do would be to trade him before that deadline passes. Since Jamal Adams declared his desire to leave New Jersey, multiple outlets have entertained the idea that the Jaguars should package Ngakoue with a 2021 pick to propose for the All-Pro safety. That being said, any potential deal for Adams remains improbable at best.

However, ESPN’s Field Yates proposed a different deal for the Jaguars to rid themselves of this situation in order to prevent any distractions ahead of training camp. In a recent article, Yates suggested tight end David Njoku and a 2021 second-round pick as compensation to send Ngakoue to the Cleveland Browns.

Approaching the offseason, many would have expected more in return for such a productive pass-rusher, but nothing materialized. That was even the case after a pre-draft Twitter altercation between Ngakoue and son of Shad Khan, Tony Khan, that led to Khan saying the compensation had to be right.

The Jaguars already have an additional 2021 first-rounder after trading Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams last October. That said, adding further capital for the next draft could entice Caldwell as he continues rebuilding this roster for the second time.

As for Njoku, he’d add an interesting option for quarterback Gardner Minshew. Still only 23, the former Miami Hurricane could fall victim to the numbers game in Cleveland after they signed Austin Hooper in the offseason and drafted Harrison Bryant in April. For those reasons, many could view him as a tradable piece.

Njoku broke his wrist early on in 2019 and only played in four games as a result. Still, many saw promise out of him in his first two seasons. The Jaguars have already added Tyler Eifert this offseason, but the oft-injured tight end probably shouldn’t be the only answer at a position that has plagued the Jaguars since Marcedes Lewis left in 2017.

If a trade deal is to happen, the team acquiring Ngakoue will likely have to weigh whether they are comfortable paying him the long-term deal he reportedly wants, averaging $22 million a year. For the Jaguars, however, they would be acquiring a player of significant need for little to no money at all. Njoku’s 2020 salary would be a mere $1.7 million and wouldn’t require an extension until 2022.

While this might not be the most likely trade, this is certainly the type of avenue Caldwell should look to pursue. Any extra capital for the 2021 NFL Draft will be useful, and adding young starters at affordable salaries is going to be vital in his attempt to build a team that can compete for the long-term.

Yannick Ngakoue among 5 players to not sign franchise tag as mid-July deadline approaches

One of the stories of the week as far as the National Football League goes is Dak Prescott’s decision to sign his franchise tag. He became the ninth player to do so this season leaving only four franchised players who are unsigned. With the deadline …

One of the stories of the week as far as the National Football League goes is Dak Prescott’s decision to sign his franchise tag. He became the ninth player to do so this season leaving only four franchised players who are unsigned.

With the deadline to sign franchised players to a long-term deal coming up on July 15, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is one of those players who remains unsigned.

After how the offseason unfolded, it’s no surprise that Ngakoue hasn’t signed his franchise tag and many aren’t optimistic about any sort of deal happening, whether it’s long-term or the tag.

The disgruntled defensive end took to social media in late March to announce that he felt his “time was up” with the Jags. Unfortunately for him, the Jags didn’t feel the same way and franchised him, which caused a saga where the young pass-rusher exchanged blows with son of owner Shad Khan, Tony Khan, on Twitter.

Since that moment, things have been quiet and Ngakoue hasn’t given the Jags any indication that he will be suiting up in teal in 2020, so it appears he’s still hoping for a trade. In a perfect world for the fans, the hope would be for Ngakoue to sign the tag at the least and play with the Jags for a year if there is a season. That, unfortunately, seems unlikely, though as there hasn’t been a lot of momentum for any type of deal.

Another key thing to remember about the July 15 deadline is that it only allows a franchised player to sign a one-year deal past that point. That puts a team that wants to trade for him in a situation where Ngakoue would be on a one-year rental plan. That said, the interest level would be higher if he comes with the flexibility for a long-term deal.

If there is movement surrounding Ngakoue, fans should expect to hear something around the early part of July. If a trade does happen, teams to watch could be the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles to name a few.

Jags GM says he wants Yannick Ngakoue back with team, would welcome him with open arms

It remains clear the Jags want to keep Yannick Ngakoue and the team’s GM made that clear after Round 1 of the draft.

Despite the rumors that surfaced recently, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said that the organization wasn’t able to get any offers for disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (and perhaps didn’t try). As a result, Caldwell, who remains careful about speaking on the situation, said he thinks Ngakoue’s options are limited heading forward but stressed that he’d love to have him back.

“I try to be very pragmatic about it,” Caldwell said Thursday evening. “Truth be told, we exercised the franchise tender. We weren’t able to get a trade. Actually, weren’t even really able to get an offer. So, I think his options are very limited at this point in time.”

“We’ll welcome him back with open arms when he’s ready to come back and we look forward to it. Yann, for the people on this call and who have been around him realize he is a tremendous player, tremendous person, has always been first-class in everything he’s done here in the locker room and through his time here, the first four years of his contract.”

As most are aware, the Jags’ non-exclusive franchise tag was assigned to Ngakoue on March 13, which is the day he also came out to say he didn’t want to spend his future with the team. Earlier this week, he also got into an exchange on social media with Jags front office executive and son of Shad Khan, Tony Khan, demanding that the team trade him. Yet, it appears the Jags are still fine with him remaining with the organization, but only time will tell if Ngakoue comes around.

Under the tag, a team would have to surrender two first-round picks to sign Ngakoue. However, if he does sign the franchise tag, it will guarantee him just under $18 million.

The Jags don’t appear certain he’ll be returning to the field with them after selecting Louisiana State pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson with the No. 20 overall pick. He’ll join the Jags’ first-round pick from 2019, Josh Allen, to provide some pass-rush for the Jags’ defense which lost a lot of veterans this offseason. That said, if Ngakoue miraculously decided to return, the Jags’ pass-rushing corps would be very interesting.

Ian Rapoport says a trade is ‘unlikely’ to happen for Yannick Ngakoue this weekend

With the 2020 NFL Draft in just a matter of hours, Ian Rapoport suggets that time could be running out on a potential Yannick Ngakoue trade.

More drama surrounding the Yannick Ngakoue situation has surfaced after NFL insider Ian Rapoport has come out and cast doubt over the Jacksonville Jaguars moving on from him. According to Rapoport, a trade for the 25-year-old pass-rusher is unlikely to happen this weekend as we head into the 2020 NFL Draft. 

 

Ngakoue has made it abundantly clear that he has no desire to stay in Jacksonville, coming to blows with co-owner Tony Khan on Twitter earlier this week. Khan was quick to respond, saying that the price hasn’t been right for the Jaguars to move on from their Pro-Bowl defensive end. That seems to be exactly what was enforced by Rapoport’s tweet Thursday morning.

The Jaguars aren’t new to trading their star players as former first-team All Pro Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Los Angeles Rams last season. General manager Dave Caldwell was robust in his negotiations and was able to orchestrate a phenomenal trade for his team.

With this experience so fresh in the memory, the Jaguars aren’t simply going to give Yannick Ngakoue away for less than he’s worth. Whilst they would like to increase the amount of draft capital they own this weekend, this front office won’t sell themselves short for the sake of making a deal.

Tony Khan to Yannick Ngakoue: A trade won’t happen until the compensation is right

Tony Khan let Yannick Ngakoue know that insults would get the job done if he wants to be traded, however, the proper compensation will.

After being called out on Twitter by Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan made two things clear: Insults won’t help the situation and a trade won’t happen until the compensation is right. In other words, it appears no team has wowed the organization enough to come off the disgruntled pass-rusher.

Whew! Talk about a social media showdown.

Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, things have been “quiet” in terms of Ngakoue getting traded. While he did add that discussions had occurred, Pelissero said no offers had been exchanged for Ngakoue.

The asking price for Ngakoue appears to be at least a first round pick and probably some additional picks. An example of what they might be looking for is what the Seattle Seahawks received for Frank Clark last season when the Kansas City Chiefs gave them a late 2019 first-round pick, a 2020 second-round pick, and swapped thirds for 2019.

With the draft occurring Thursday, a draft-day trade shouldn’t be ruled out either for Ngakoue, something we discussed in our last episode of “Bleav in the Jags” with Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline. With a big gap between Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young and the others at his position, maybe a team that didn’t get to fill their needs on the edge will look to do business with the Jags.

If that happens, would that team be willing to give up what the Jags want? Or would the Jags be fine with potentially getting less than expected? Ultimately, time will tell but right now it appears the needle hasn’t moved much on this issue.

Dave Caldwell says Jags have no announcements to offer on Yannick Ngakoue

It appears the needle hasn’t moved far on Yannick Ngakoue’s chances to get out of Jacksonville. Last month the disgruntled defensive end made his desire to leave the Jaguars known by taking to social media to inform the football community that his …

It appears the needle hasn’t moved far on Yannick Ngakoue’s chances to get out of Jacksonville. Last month the disgruntled defensive end made his desire  to leave the Jaguars known by taking to social media to inform the football community that his “time was up” with the organization.

Fast-forward to two weeks later, and general manager Dave Caldwell had no new information to offer the media after speaking with them Wednesday about the upcoming draft.

“We’re a week away from the draft, and we’ve exercised a franchise tender,” Caldwell said. “He’s yet to sign it. Other than that, I don’t have a whole to add. Out of respect for him and his team and our team, I think it’s best that when I have news for you guys to let you guys know where we’re at.”

If there are any teams who truly want Ngakoue, it wouldn’t be surprising to see things heat up soon because we’re a week away from the draft. That was the same message that NFL insider Ian Rapoport had for us when we spoke with him many weeks ago.

“I think the main thing to do is look around in free agency and say, ‘Who didn’t pick up the edge rusher that they wanted?’ That’s what these trades [for star pass-rushers] are becoming,” said Rapoport. 

“That was the case with Frank Clark last year going from Seattle to the Chiefs. It was draft week, either Tuesday or Wednesday. It was a last ditch effort like, “Alright, lets get this done to eliminate a hole before the draft.” That’s what the Chiefs did, and ended up winning the Super Bowl. I think Frank Clark probably helped on that. So it’s really just whoever didn’t sign an edge-rusher.”

A draft-day trade shouldn’t be ruled out either. 

Caldwell’s lack of new news also could be a sign that Ngakoue may end up staying on the roster as it’s been stated that Jags owner Shad Khan would prefer to keep him. If Ngakoue escaped the franchise’s clutches, that wouldn’t be a good look on Khan’s part because it would give off the perceptions that players could just leave the organization as they wanted. That said, the cost for Ngakoue is probably a first-round pick and another top-3 round selection. 

In the end, they may get an offer like the one the Seattle Seahawks received for Frank Clark in 2019 from the Kansas City Chiefs, which was a first for the upcoming draft, a 2020 second-rounder, and they switched 2019 thirds. To expect anything better might cause the Jags to end up empty-handed, but Jags fans should certainly watch this situation with a close eye over the next seven days. 

Several NFL insiders continue to emphasize Jags’ preference to keep Yannick Ngakoue

Yannick Ngakoue is the hottest name on the trade market currently but it appears Shad Khan would prefer to keep him over trading him.

Yannick Ngakoue wants out of Jacksonville but it remains to be seen if he’ll get his request. At this point, most of the fanbase is simply ready for the team to make a move so the organization can simply move away from the fractured relationships caused during Tom Coughlin’s tenure. However, it appears he lead man in the organization, Shad Khan, really would like to keep Ngakoue according to several insiders.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently spoke on the matter to 97.5 the Fanatic of Philadelphia. He went into details of when Ngakoue could be traded in his eyes, what the Jags may want, and emphasized that Khan would prefer to keep him.

“I still think the team; the Jaguars have to move him during the draft. You know, the week of the draft, during the draft, my guess is these are usually deals that are made often while teams are on the clock. They’re going to want back significant compensation for him. It remains to be seen how much they actually will get back. There will be people in that organization, like the owner, who will not want to move him, which means that they’ll be firmer on their price. But if they don’t trade him, then they’ve got a mess on their hands. And I believe the guy, the player, when he said that he doesn’t plan to play for them again. I believe he will continue to sit, so that’s not good for anybody.

I think that the right thing for them to do logistically is to move on from him. And so they’re gonna want a first-round pick, maybe then some for him. I don’t know whether they’ll get a first-round pick for him or not, we’ll see how it shakes out. It could be swapping draft spots; it could be swapping picks; it could be any combination of factors that get a deal done. Now, in the end I would guess that they do trade him. I think they have to. I think that’s the best thing for everybody involved. I don’t think they want that headache on their hands, and I think the owner will see that eventually.”

In terms of the compensation, it’s possible that a team may be willing to give up what the Kansas City Chiefs did for Frank Clark last year as the draft gets closer, which was their 2019 first-round selection, 2020 second rounder, and swapped thirds for 2019.

As an analyst well connected with the Jags, CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco echoed those sentiments about Khan wanting to keep Ngakoue, too, on a debate with Jason La Canfora via 105.7 The Fan of Baltimore.

“I hear the owner doesn’t want to trade him no matter what because it’s a bad look for the organization. These guys complain and then you get traded. I’m telling you, unless they get their socks knocked off on some deal [they won’t trade him], which, by the way, isn’t happening. There’s not a lot out there for those pass rushers and we saw that [during the offseason]. Look at [Jadeveon] Clowney. He’s floundering looking for money. He initially asked for $22 million.”

While he didn’t say Khan’s name specifically, NFL insider Ian Rapoport also told Jags Wire something along the lines of Prisco and Schefter, stating that he believes if the Jags had it their way they prefer to have Ngakoue play for them. While Ngakoue’s mind is seemingly made up, Rapoport also added that players have changed their minds in the past about their stance on an organization.

“He is a great asset for Jacksonville. I think if they could just do whatever they wanted, whatever it is, I think they would have him play for them this year. He is a great player. If it’s just on the tag, I think that would be OK for them.

The other thing I’ll say, and I don’t know what’s going to end up happening, if he plays on the tag this year and the experience is OK [maybe] he decides to re-sign. I’ve seen situations where players have called teams a lot of things and ended up back there. Maybe this is a little different but I would think if Jacksonville had the choice, they would have him play for them this season.”

When reflecting on the past, Khan expressed a similar message about cornerback Jalen Ramsey last season after their saga with him, however, they ended up trading him anyway. It’s worth noting that Khan probably would’ve stuck with his word but the Los Angeles Rams’ offer was just too good for the Jags to pass up.

With Ngakoue I’m sure they would do the same if they were offered two more first-round selections. However, that’s unlikely, and instead, they may get an offer closer to the one I mentioned with Clark earlier at best. That would then lead to the question of whether or not that’s good enough for Khan to come off the disgruntled pass-rusher, but only time will tell.

Yannick Ngakoue looking for a destination with a winning culture if traded

Yannick Ngakoue had his first interview of the year Tuesday afternoon and explained his stance on wanting to be traded.

Unsigned Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been pretty vocal over the past few months about playing for another team in the near future. He reiterated that Tuesday afternoon when interviewed on ESPN’s “NFL Live.”

The 25-year-old defensive end also reiterated that the Jags dropped the ball last year with how they handled his contract discussions, which is a bulk of what’s fueling his current demands. He also used the opportunity to state that he’s looking to join a team that has a winning culture, which isn’t shocking when considering his competitive nature.

With him looking to be amongst the highest-paid pass-rushers in the league, Ngakoue also explained what makes him so valuable as a pass-rusher as he’s a turnover causing machine that gives the offense more opportunities. Throughout his career, that’s certainly proven to be a fact as he will enter 2020 with 14 forced fumbles to his name.

Last week we spoke with NFL insider Ian Rapoport on the Jags’ situation with Ngakoue and he stated that he believes the Jags would like to keep Ngakoue because he’s a great player. However, with his mind seemingly set it appears the interest isn’t mutual, which is why both sides have made it to this point.

Right now I’d say his chances are higher to be traded than they are for him to be retained. With the draft coming up at the end of the month, it wouldn’t be a shocker if a team stepped to the plate and offered the Jags a first-round selection (maybe a late one) for him and maybe a 2020 selection in the top-3 rounds to sweeten the pot.

 

Yannick Ngakoue says his frustration with Jags is more about their approach than money

The Jags handled Yannick Ngakoue’s contract situation poorly and now he doesn’t want anything to do with them.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ saga with pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue became a bit more interesting this week as he’s called them out on several occasions. He first started off the week by stating both sides should move on because the Jags haven’t handled the business aspect of their relationship well.

The following day, he also called out a Jacksonville reporter who put out an editorial, which called out Ngakoue for his statements about the Jags limiting his ability to feed his family. He also gave the Jags a piece of his mind on Instagram for their posts praising a player who could replace him in Dawuane Smoot.

Afterward, he continued to call out the Jags on Wednesday by confirming something we’ve stressed all along at Jags Wire and that was the fact that the front office handled his contract situation poorly.

Ngakoue was particularly talking about last July’s situation where the team tried to extend him but abruptly ended negotiations at the end of the month, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Not only was the Jags’ offer a short-term deal that probably lacked the proper guarantees, the unwillingness or half-hearted attempt to negotiate (like other organizations do with their stars) likely frustrated Ngakoue. Now, we’re at this point where Ngakoue seemingly feels the relationship can’t be repaired.

We spoke with NFL insider Ian Rapoport on Ngakoue’s situation this week and he stated that he believes the Jags do want to keep Ngakoue, though teams have shown interest. However, it takes two to tango if such a relationship is to work, which means Ngakoue’s desire to leave could come down to a trade. With Dave Caldwell’s job on the line, that could only come if a team wows them like the Los Angeles Rams did to acquire Jalen Ramsey.

Podcast: Jags talk with NFL insider Ian Rapoport, WR preview, thoughts on Tyler Eifert signing

Draft month is official here, and if all goes according to plan, football fans will finally get to see a live sports event to temporarily take their minds off all that is going on in the nation. Here at Jags Wire, we’ll be upping the draft related …

Draft month is official here, and if all goes according to plan, football fans will finally get to see a live sports event to temporarily take their minds off all that is going on in the nation. Here at Jags Wire, we’ll be upping the draft related content this month to prepare you all for the annual event.

For this week’s episode of the “Bleav in the Jags” podcast, Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I chatted with NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The topics we discussed with him included his thoughts on why he doesn’t believe the Jags are rebuilding, the possibility of the Jags maneuvering in the first-round of the draft, Yannick Ngakoue’s situation, and much more.

After the interview with Rapoport, we discussed the Jags recent addition of tight end Tyler Eifert and what he could potentially bring to the table. The Jags were able to sign the veteran to a team-friendly deal that could pay off if he stays healthy.

Lastly, we continued our positional previews and evaluated the Jags’ receiving corps. Third-year receiver D.J. Chark clearly will be the team’s No. 1 guy in 2020 so we really focused on the group behind him and some other options in the draft.

Feel free to listen to the archived episodes of “Bleav in the Jags,” too, and subscribe via Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify.

Ep. 10

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