Tag: Alex Okafor

7 free agent pass rushers the Eagles could consider after Derek Barnett suffers torn ACL

Seven free agent pass rushers the Philadelphia Eagles could consider after Derek Barnett suffers torn ACL

The Eagles are down a pass rusher after Nick Sirianni confirmed that Derek Barnett suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s win over the Lions.

Barnett, the Eagles’ 2017 first-round pick is out for the season after re-signing with the team on a two-year deal this offseason.

“Derek will be out and he tore his ACL, and obviously that’s a big blow for us,” Nick Sirianni said Monday. “I love the way Derek Barnett comes to work every single day and plays with grittiness and toughness and (plays) nasty. “I am a huge Derek Barnett fan and he’ll be missed, so that sucks. I hate that for him, I hate that for this team. I can’t tell you how much I think of Derek.”

Barnett exited the game midway through the third quarter and he’s among the top edge rushers in the league when it comes to applying pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

Philadelphia has Tarron Jackson on the roster and could elevate from within, but we’re provided seven free agent options as well.

List of former Longhorns who will participate in the NFL playoffs

Texas will be well represented in this year’s NFL playoffs.

The NFL wrapped up another eventful regular season on Sunday.

The league battled COVID-19 all year long but found a way to make it to the postseason without any cancelations. It was also a successful year for many former Longhorns.

Justin Tucker, Quandre Diggs and Devin Duvernay were named to the 2022 Pro Bowl. D’Onta Foreman proved himself as a valuable running back while replacing Derrick Henry for the Titans and Colt McCoy picked up a few victories for his Cardinals.

The Wildcard round is now officially upon us as we are slated for six games this weekend.

Texas fans watching the playoffs will see some familiar faces on the field.

Of the 33 former Horns on active rosters, nine will participate in this year’s NFL playoffs. Five from the NFC and four from the AFC.

Take a look at a full list of Texas exes who will start their journey to the Lombardi trophy this weekend:

Alex Okafor says Chiefs’ defense isn’t playing its best football yet

It’s a scary thought for the rest of the NFL, but #Chiefs DE Alex Okafor says the Kansas City defense isn’t playing its best football yet. | from @TheJohnDillon

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The only player with multiple sacks against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor made his presence felt in the statement win that could be the defining game of both teams’ seasons.

As the Chiefs’ defense has played better, they’ve relied on contributors from all parts of the roster, and that depth looks to play a key role in their matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday. Okafor had a chance to speak to the media on Monday before practice, and he told reporters that carrying momentum into this week’s primetime matchup would be crucial to extending the Chiefs’ lead in the division.

“I think the most important thing for us is just to continue to get better each week,” He said. “Early in the season when we were losing games early, we were saying forget the outcome, forget the result, we just need to continue to get better each and every week. We got the talent, not only in our room, but on this team to be where we want to be. We’ve kept that mentality throughout the whole season, just focus on us, focus on getting better each and every week.”

Defensive improvement has certainly been the driving factor in Kansas City’s recent success. Despite that recent wave of success, Okafor feels that there is still improvement to be made on the defensive side of the ball.

“It sounds crazy, but I don’t think we’re playing our best ball yet,” Okafor said. “We’re playing at a very, very, very high level, but I think we can continue to get better. There’s still plays that we leave on the field and take pride in that and we got to continue to chase those plays.”

Okafor figures to be one of the unsung heroes of the team’s turnaround in 2021. While he may not get the exposure of Frank Clark or Chris Jones on the defensive line, Okafor remains one of the Chiefs’ most valuable assets.

With Jones heading to the COVID-19/Reserve list, Kansas City will likely be relying on Okafor and the rest of the defensive line rotation more in Week 15. It’ll be another opportunity for the salty veteran to prove that the team can keep improving, even in the face of adversity.

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Many former Longhorns stood out in the NFL in Week 9

From Colt McCoy to Sam Ehlinger, several former Longhorns had a big weekend in the NFL. Take a look at some of their highlights here.

The current Longhorns are struggling, falling short in their fourth straight game on Saturday, but many former players enjoyed success with their respective NFL teams over the weekend.

There are currently 33 lifetime Longhorns on an active NFL roster. It ranks as the 13th most amongst schools in the country.

Starting on Thursday night football, former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger made his NFL debut for Indianapolis. Ehlinger took the first regular-season snap of his career after spraining his ACL during the preseason.

Colt McCoy started in place of injured Kyler Murray for Arizona on Sunday, proving he is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league. McCoy carved up the 49ers for 249 yards, one touchdown and a remarkably efficient 85% completion percentage. The Cardinals beat the 49ers 31-17 behind Colt’s stellar performance.

Denver rookie Caden Sterns has been capitalizing on his early playing time for the Broncos. Established quarterbacks are becoming well aware of Sterns’ play. After sacking Lamar Jackson earlier in the season, Sterns picked off Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott this weekend, helping seal a 30-16 victory for Denver.

Alex Okafor came up with a huge blocked field goal for the Chiefs. The block kept Green Bay off the scoreboard early as Kansas City went on to win 13-7.

Devin Duvernay made the best catch of his NFL career on Sunday. He reached back to snag a Lamar Jackson pass with one hand to tie the game in the fourth quarter for Baltimore.

In the same game, the Ravens won 34-31 in overtime on future hall of fame kicker Justin Tucker’s 18th career game-winning field goal.

Here are a few highlights from the former Horns in Week 9:

3 defensive ends Chiefs could trade to the Jets after Carl Lawson injury

One of these three #Chiefs defensive ends could be tempting for the #Jets in a trade after injury to star pass rusher Carl Lawson. | from @TheJohnDillon

As the second round of preseason cuts approaches, the Kansas City Chiefs have found themselves in an enviable position with their depth on the defensive line. Kansas City’s commitment to revamping their defense has left them with bodies to spare, especially at defensive end, and as unfortunate injuries have begun decimating some teams’ depth charts, trades could be in order to avoid tough decisions in building the 53-man roster.

Chris Jones was converted to play the end position in the offseason, and pass rush mainstay Frank Clark will play opposite him on the line this season. The Chiefs will definitely place a high value on rotational and backup linemen in case of injury. No matter what, they’ll still have too many cooks in the kitchen, and would be wise to maximize value on any of their surplus of talent before another suitor takes their chance.

The New York Jets were struck a devastating blow when star pass-rusher Carl Lawson was injured during practice last week, finding themselves in dire need of help at one of the Chiefs’ deepest positions. Though predicting trades is a fool’s errand, the tea leaves could point to a potential trade between the AFC counterparts.

With a limited timeline to put something together before the regular season, New York could be willing to pay a premium for a player that has proven solid in years past, or a developmental prospect in an attempt to pull a diamond in the rough. Here are three players Kansas City could look to trade to the Jets after Lawson’s injury:

Chiefs DE Alex Okafor found peace in offseason, ready to compete in 2021

#Chiefs DE Alex Okafor had a rejuvenating offseason which has him excited for what’s to come during the 2021 NFL season. | from @EdEastonJr

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The Kansas City Chiefs entered training camp with some questions at the defensive end position.

The re-signing of defensive end Alex Okafor quickly addressed the need heading into training camp. The veteran lineman who spent the last two seasons in Kansas City, appearing in 21 games and starting nine. He was brought back to reinforce the depth at the position, but he’s had his own struggles with injury over recent years.

The offseason seems to have rejuvenated his body, mind and confidence. He got married to his long-time girlfriend and had a chance to really reset and put the stresses of the past two seasons behind him.

“To be honest, I had a lot going on in my personal life the past couple years,” said Okafor. “So, for me, this offseason was just relaxing, getting my mind right more than anything, and just letting everything else play out. Once it was time for me to come back, I was excited about the opportunity. I got myself in shape, and here I am.”

Okafor had three sacks last season in Kansas City, contributing to a rotation of edge rushers. This season he’s excited about what the defense will be capable of with the new faces they’ve added to the mix.

“I think we’re going to get teams a whole bunch of looks,” said Okafor. “The fact that we have guys playing multiple roles — not even up front, but across the board in the LBs and the DBs — I think it’s going to be beneficial for us this year. If you can keep the offense off their toes and not allow them to know what’s coming, it gives us the advantage and I think we have that going for us.”

Okafor hopes to spend his eighth NFL season with the Chiefs as he continues to battle in camp. Hopefully, the refreshing offseason translates well on the football field come the preseason.

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Chiefs defenders Alex Okafor, Derrick Nnadi impressed by new-look offensive line

After facing off against them during training camp, several #Chiefs defenders are excited about the new-look offensive line in Kansas City.

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If the 2021 NFL season started tomorrow the Kansas City Chiefs would likely have five new starters on the offensive line.

For the majority of training camp, the new-look offensive line in Kansas City hasn’t included a starter from last season. Most recently the starting unit has featured trade acquisition Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle, big-money free agent Joe Thuney at left guard, rookie Creed Humphrey at center, rookie Trey Smith at right guard and virtual rookie Lucas Niang at right tackle. This group is still jelling together ahead of the season, but early indications are that they’ll be a much-improved unit from 2020’s group.

It’s not just praise coming from the coaching staff or teammates on offense either. It’s their counterparts on defense who are spilling the beans on the new offensive line. Veteran defensive end Alex Okafor, for instance, recently lauded the group for their size and cohesion.

“A lot of new faces up front, and obviously, I wasn’t here during OTA’s, so it was surprising to see all of the new faces, but from what I’ve seen so far, we’ve got a unit,” Okafor told reporters on Tuesday. “They all seem like they’re coming together. They all seem like they’re all on the same page, and more than anything, we’ve got some size up front too. That’s exciting as well.”

Okafor mentioned Niang as a player along the offensive line who has stood out to him so far during training camp.

“As a rookie, he’s very impressive,” Okafor said of Niang. “Obviously, he’s big, strong, physical, but more than anything, you don’t see him mess up too often. He’s patient and you don’t see that too often as a tackle. I think offensive linemen, especially tackle has one of the hardest learning curves as a rookie. You just don’t see that from him, not yet.”

After manning the middle of the defensive line through training camp, Chiefs nose guard Derrick Nnadi named a pair of rookies that have impressed him. They’ve flashed in both individual drills and team drills when lined up against the stout defender.

“I’ve seen a lot of promise, a lot of great potential out of our offensive linemen,” Nnadi told reporters on Thursday. “Trey [Smith], he’s a very hard worker. I can see that because I’ve been talking to him just briefly throughout OTAs. I think he’ll be a good player here. Creed [Humphrey], I feel like he’s going to be a great center, strong inside punch, making sure he has a sturdy base. I feel like those two will be really good this year.”

This new-look offensive line will have a lot to prove as they face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of the preseason, just over a week from today. If they live up to the hype that their teammates and coaches have provided, it’ll make for another exciting season for the Chiefs’ offense.

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Chiefs announce three roster moves ahead of training camp

The #Chiefs have released an injured player and officially signed two other players ahead of training camp.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced three transactions on Monday.

With veterans finally reporting to training camp, the Chiefs made official the signing of DE Alex Okafor. The veteran defensive lineman returns to Kansas City for his third season with the franchise, helping solidify depth on the edge in wake of offseason trouble for DE Frank Clark.

In addition to making Okafor’s signing official on Monday, the team announced two more roster moves. During Sunday’s practice, WR Chris Finke appeared to have suffered an injury during practice. He was not present for practice with the rest of the rookies on Monday. The team announced this afternoon that he’d been waived with an injury designation. If he clears waivers, he’ll revert to the team’s injured reserve list.

The team also announced a second signing on Monday, creating some competition at the long snapper position. The team signed former Kansas State LS Drew Scott to the 90-man offseason roster. He played with the Wildcats from 2014-2017 and has spent some time bouncing around different NFL clubs, but hasn’t actually played in the league yet. He spent the 2019 offseason with the Dallas Cowboys and part of the 2020 offseason with the New York Giants. The Chiefs are familiar with the 6-2 and 256-pound long snapper as they brought him in for a workout ahead of their Super Bowl LIV run back in December of 2019.

This could be the team preparing themselves in the event of a COVID-19 situation as they did at times last year. It also could also signal that they’re looking at the future of the long snapper position in Kansas City. Current Chiefs LS James Winchester is in the final year of a five-year $4.45-million-dollar contract and is set to become a free agent in 2022.

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Chiefs to re-sign DE Alex Okafor on one-year deal

The #Chiefs have reinforced their pass-rush depth, reuniting with DE Alex Okafor on a one-year deal per report.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have added a familiar face to help reinforce their pass rush depth. 

As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs have reunited with defensive end Alex Okafor, signing him to a one-year contract. The Kansas City Star and The Athletic have both since confirmed the report. This will mark Okafor’s second contract and tour with Kansas City.

The 30-year-old pass-rusher originally joined the Chiefs in 2019 as a part of their revamped 4-3 defense under then-new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Okafor spent the last two seasons playing for K.C., appearing in 21 games while starting in nine. During that span, he recorded 38 total tackles, six tackles for loss, eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits. 

Okafor’s original contract with the team was a three-year deal worth $17.9 million. He restructured his contract ahead of the 2020 NFL season, turning the final year of his deal into a void year. His contract with the Chiefs voided on February 23rd, ahead of the start of the new league year. 

The reunion with Okafor makes too much sense for Kansas City. He has played both a depth role and a three-down role during his tenure with the team. He’s spent two years in the system, so he’s really a plug-and-play option for Spagnuolo and Brendan Daly. 

The one thing to watch out for with Okafor is injuries. His two seasons have been marred by injury with a torn pectoral ending his season prematurely in 2019 and hamstring injuries stifling the success of his 2020 NFL season. The key to this reunion with Okafor will be for him to stay healthy throughout training camp and the preseason. His lone full 16-game season came in 2018 with the New Orleans Saints. 

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B/R suggests D.J. Fluker, Alex Okafor to Bills

Bleacher Report suggests the Buffalo Bills could sign DJ Fluker, Alex Okafor in free agency.

The Buffalo Bills don’t have glaring holes in their roster currently. Still, depth can be just as important.

Earlier this week, Bleacher Report pegged places every NFL team can still stand to improve upon as free agency moves forward. For the Bills, depth is highlighted in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

In helping Buffalo fill these concerns, B/R suggests two players for Buffalo to add: D.J. Fluker and Alex Okafor:

The Bills don’t have much to spend on free agents. As a matter of fact, they are about $2.2 million in the red against the salary cap.

General manager Brandon Beane will no doubt make a few moves to open up some cap space. But at this point, any free-agent deals will be low-end depth signings.

In that regard, the trenches are usually the way to go. Whether it’s a versatile veteran O-lineman like D.J. Fluker or an inexpensive defensive lineman like Alex Okafor, you can never have too much depth up front.

Fluker, an eight-year pro, could certainly be on the Bills’ radar if the price is right. He has experience playing at guard and tackle and Buffalo is widely-known to love versatility in players on the offensive line. With the Ravens last season, Pro Football Focus graded Fluker a solid 63.7 overall mark.

Between the two, the more interesting option is certainly Okafor. Some in Buffalo might remember his name.

During the end of the AFC title game with the Chiefs up on the Bills, a little bit of a fight broke out. That involved Josh Allen, Jon Feliciano and others on Buffalo’s side of things, and for Kansas City, Okafor was in the middle of it.

In a rotational role with the Chiefs last season, Okafor, 30, had three sacks. Is that enough production for the Bills front office to overlook that fight?

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