Tag: Arden Key

Former LSU Tigers still alive in the NFL playoffs

And then there were nine left

The pool of former LSU Tigers in the NFL Playoffs shrank to nine players after the divisional round of games.

With the championship games all set, we will see a quarterback matchup of two of the best young passers in the game. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs will play in his fourth-straight championship game while a newcomer steps into the ring. Just two seasons removed from his national championship performance, Joe Burrow leads the Bengals into Arrowhead on Sunday.

Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tyler Shelvin were among the former Tigers on Cincinnati’s team as they faced Kristian Fulton and Racey McMath of the Tennessee Titans. Burrow and Chase set up the game-winning field goal in this matchup. They will see a former teammate in Clyde Edwards-Helaire from that championship team in 2019 on the field for the AFC title.

Over in the NFC, Arden Key and the San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to the title game in a win over the Green Bay Packers. Key was the only former LSU Tiger in that matchup. They will face off with Andrew Whitworth, Odell Beckham Jr, and the Los Angeles Rams next weekend.

The Rams were able to get the better of Leonard Fournette, Devin White, and Kevin Minter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All four games came down to the wire in a drama-filled weekend of NFL playoff action.

These nine Tigers remain:

  • Joe Burrow
  • Ja’Marr Chase
  • Tyler Shelvin
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire
  • Darrel Williams
  • Tyrann Mathieu
  • Arden Key
  • Andrew Whitworth
  • Odell Beckham Jr

A look back at the weekend’s performances:

WATCH: Arden Key drops Russell Wilson for 3rd-down sack

The #49ers pushed the Seahawks out of field goal range with Arden Key’s fourth sack of the year.

The wheels were falling off for the 49ers after a safety by the Seahawks tied the game at 23. Seattle was in field goal range with a third-and-7, but defensive lineman Arden Key flew in with a host of 49ers defenders to sack Russell Wilson and move Seattle out of field goal range.

6 49ers to watch on defense in 2nd preseason game vs. Chargers

Here’s who we’re watching Sunday when the #49ers defense is on the field vs. the Chargers.

The 49ers’ starting defense looks for the most part on track to be ready for the season opener. There are a slew of depth issues yet to be resolved though, and how Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers goes could go a long way toward sussing out some of the roster questions still facing the club.

Finding depth on the defensive side will be key given how unproven a lot of those players are. Any reserve thrust into a starting situation is going to do so without a ton of playing experience. That’s why so many of the young players that were on our radar for the preseason opener will be on our list of players to watch in the second preseason contest against the Chargers.

 

49ers DE Arden Key takes shot at his former team: ‘I was trying to get out’

New #49ers DE Arden Key wasn’t happy with the Raiders, and he didn’t mince words when talking about his tenure there.

49ers defensive end Arden Key is putting together a nice training camp according to accounts from Santa Clara. The former Raiders third-round pick struggled in his three seasons with the club before they released him this offseason. Key on Sunday didn’t mince words when asked about leaving his former team.

“I wasn’t totally surprised, to be honest,” Key said. “I wanted to get out of there. I’d been wanting to get out of there. So, I wasn’t surprised. I was more happy than surprised. I wish it happened a little earlier, but hey, I got what I wanted. So, I’m good.”

Key played 37 games for the Raiders with 10 starts – all coming in his rookie season after he was taken No. 87 overall out of LSU. The former college star was projected to be a first-round pick before some off-field issues cropped up during his final college season. That combined with a dip in production cratered his draft stock.

He only had 1.0 sacks in his first season, and 2.0 his second year. Last season he had none in 14 games.

“It was just bad all around for me,” Key said. “Bad system. It just wasn’t the right fit for me and I had to get out.”

The 49ers are hoping to tap into some of the potential that once made him a first-round talent, and he’s parlaying some extra reps in camp into a real push for a roster spot at a position where San Francisco is lacking in quality depth.

In his career Key has 49 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and 26 QB hits.

49ers officially sign 2 former Raiders DL

The San Francisco 49ers signed former Raiders Arden Key and Maurice Hurst to one-year contracts.

The San Francisco 49ers on Friday made the additions of former Raiders defensive linemen official.

Defensive end Arden Key and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst both inked one-year deals with the club after their mid-April release by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Key, 24, joined the Raiders in 2018 as a third-round draft pick out of LSU. He was on track for an early first-round selection before some off-field issues and injuries derailed his final college season and his draft stock. He was a failed reclamation project by the Raiders after posting only 3.0 sacks in 37 games.

San Francisco is hoping to find the talent that earned Key a pair of First-Team All-SEC nods. He’ll factor in as a reserve defensive end, but he’ll need a strong training camp to earn a roster spot, even at a position where the 49ers are thin.

Hurst, 25, has found more success after he slid in the draft because of a heart condition that surfaced prior to the draft. He was considered to be a first-round pick before the medical issue dropped him all the way to Round 5 where the Raiders got him. He’s played in 40 games and put up 8.0 sacks, 8.0 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits.

The 49ers can always use more depth on the defensive front, and Hurst could wind up working his way into a prominent rotation role on the interior. If he puts together a healthy 2021 campaign he could wind up being a very good under-the-radar signing for San Francisco.

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49ers add depth through a couple free agency moves

The San Francisco 49ers added a couple depth pieces at key positions going into the NFL draft with RB Wayne Gallman and DE Arden Key.

Running back Wayne Gallman and defensive end Arden Key both visited the 49ers on Tuesday, and on Wednesday reports surfaced both players will join the club.

Gallman’s signing was officially announced by the club. The Giants’ 2017 fourth-round pick will give some veteran depth in the backfield. Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. are the only players on the roster with significant NFL carries under their belt. Gallman in four seasons with New York had 338 carries, 1,444 yards (4.3 YPC) and nine rushing touchdowns.

Key’s signing hasn’t been made official, but NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported the Raiders’ 2018 third-round pick will sign with the club after being waived by Las Vegas in mid-April.

The former two-time First-Team All-SEC selection saw his once top-five draft stock plummet throughout his final college season. He went from among the draft’s top defensive players to a late Day 2 choice.

His high upside as a prospect didn’t bear any fruit for the Raiders. In three years with the club he posted 3.0 sacks and 26 quarterback hits in 37 games. The 49ers have shown a willingness the last couple years to take risks on high-upside free agents who haven’t had a ton of success in the NFL. Key will get a chance to compete for a rotational spot at a position where the 49ers desperately need some quality depth.

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49ers host former Raiders DE on free agent visit

The San Francisco 49ers met with free agent DE Arden Key.

The 49ers’ roster needs some help at defensive end. A quick peek ahead to this year’s draft class indicates that position could be relatively thin on high-quality talent. San Francisco could look to bolster their defensive group in free agency, and they hosted free agent DE Arden Key on Tuesday per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Key was a third-round pick of the Raiders in the 2018 draft. He played in 37 games with them and notched only 3.0 sacks before being waived in mid-April.

The talent with Key was evident early in his college career at LSU, and he was considered the draft’s top defensive player early in the 2018 draft process. Off-field concerns combined with injuries during his final college season cratered his draft stock though. He took a leave of absence for personal reasons in the spring leading up to his junior year that initially lifted a red flag for evaluators.

Still, his college career fetched him a pair of First-Team All-SEC selections, and he racked up 20.0 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss in 31 games.

The 49ers have taken chances on edge rushers with good traits, and Key would fit that mold.

Raiders DE Arden key had a ‘Chucky’ doll during offseason to prepare for coach Jon Gruden

Raiders defensive end Arden Key wanted a daily reminder of his coach, Jon Gruden, so he could stay shape and be ready for the season.

It’s a big year in Arden Key’s professional football career, and it appears he’s going to unusual lengths to ensure success.

The Raiders are a team looking for pass rushers, and coach Jon Gruden drafted Key in 2018 to perform that essential task. Key has under-performed in that role thus far, notching just three sacks in 23 career games.

But that’s okay. Key has a plan. According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Key used a Chucky doll from the horror movie “Child’s Play” to remind him of who was waiting for him at the Raiders’ new facility.

If you haven’t heard, Gruden earned the nickname, “Chucky” due to his resemblance to the knife-wielding, fictional character, especially when Gruden loses his temper.

At home, Key hung up a Chucky doll. It was a reminder to get on coach Jon Gruden’s nerves once training camp began.

“Because if I can get under his skin then, [shoot], Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Cam Newton and those guys don’t have a chance,” Key said. “If I get under Jon Gruden’s skin and I see that he turns red every day? Oh, I’m winning. I’m not looking at no Tom Brady or no Drew Brees right now. My main eyes are on Jon Gruden.”

It appears that Key is trying to get his mental edge back. He dropped to the third round of the draft due to off-field concerns, and he perhaps dialed his temperament back too much.

He figures to have a chance to redeem himself in Las Vegas, but he’d do well to make an impression early and often as the Raiders prepare for the upcoming campaign, with his fellow member of the 2018 draft class, defensive tackle P.J. Hall, having been jettisoned for a seventh-round draft pick on Monday.

But as long as he’s a Raider, Key intends to be a disruptor, and he may as well start on the practice field by bringing Gruden’s inner “Chucky” to the forefront.

Jon Gruden: Raiders third-year defensive lineman must ‘prove they belong’ in the NFL

It wasn’t long ago that Raiders defensive lineman P.J. Hall, Maurice Hurst and Arden Key were the talk of training camp.

It doesn’t seem long ago that Raiders defensive lineman Maurice Hurst, P.J. Hall and Arden Key were bright-eyed rookies who provided hope and confidence to the coaching staff.

Times have changed, however. It appears the trio could be fighting for roster spots in 2020, their third year with the club.

Raiders coach Jon Gruden had a lot to say about Hall, Hurst and Key when asked how new defensive line coach, Rod Marinelli, could help the team’s young front line. All three players were drafted by Gruden in his first year back with the club in 2018, with former general manager, Reggie McKenzie, by his side.

“They have to prove they belong in this league,” Gruden said over a Zoom call with the media Thursday. “They have to prove that they can be front-line guys. P.J. Hall, [Maurice] Hurst, [Arden] Key, those are three guys that we used high draft picks on. Arden’s got to stay healthy, P.J. Hall, I’m anxious to see where his weight is, he came in overweight last year — not at that position, can’t happen. Mo Hurst has had some good moments, but we need these guys to burst on the scene, no question.”

While it’s not accurate to say Hurst was a high draft pick, he carried a first-round grade into the draft before a heart condition caused him to slide to the fifth round. On the other hand, Hall was a second-round choice and Gruden picked Key in the third round.

Hall has underwhelmed at defensive tackle, with the worst fear surrounding him — that his small-school pedigree wouldn’t transfer to the NFL — coming true thus far. It’s especially concerning that he was overweight last season.

Key, as the only defensive end in this group, looked to be the best pass rusher, having flashed immense potential in college at Louisiana State.

But he’s had his own weight issues. He’s looked too slender to make an impact at DE, though he’s displayed potential as a disruptor at times. Worst of all, he played just seven games last year after suiting up in 16 contests in 2018.

Hurst has easily shown the most promise amongst these three linemen. He followed a solid rookie campaign with a slow start in 2019, but he picked it up, earning the sixth-best grade in the NFL at defensive tackle from Week 9-17 last season.

The Raiders’ defense must continue to improve if Las Vegas is to keep rising as a team. Hurst, Hall and Key will have their opportunity to show Gruden they can be a part of that resurgence. But they’d do well to get off to a fast start and show their coach that they indeed belong in the NFL.

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Which Raiders defensive lineman could benefit the most from Rod Marinelli’s arrival?

Which Raiders defensive lineman could benefit the most from Rod Marinelli’s arrival?

The Raiders made the bold decision this offseason to replace defensive line coach Brenston Buckner, who was a favorite among the players in the locker room, for Rod Marinelli. While Marinelli is undoubtedly the more seasoned and proven coach, the change will likely be a significant one for the Raiders’ defense.

Widely considered as one of the best defensive line coaches in the NFL, Marinelli has always emphasized pass-rush over stopping the run. He has traditionally favored undersized players who can get up the field and put pressure on the quarterback. That is why it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Arden Key makes a leap in Year 3 under Marinelli.

In the first two seasons of his career, Key has totaled just 15 quarterback hits and three sacks. In 2019, he was placed on the injured reserve list for the final nine games of the season due to a foot injury. But now that he is healthy entering the 2020 season, he will be competing for snaps behind Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby.

However, Marinelli has had a lot of success resurrecting the careers of undersized edge rushers. In 2018, Cowboys’ defensive end Randy Gregory had a career year, recording six sacks and 15 quarterback hits as a situational pass-rusher. Marinelli was able to work his magic again in 2019 as Robert Quinn had his first double-digit sack season (11.5) since 2014.

It’s clear that Key has the talent and skillset that Marinelli craves from his right defensive end. It will be fascinating to see if the third-year defensive end from LSU can put it all together this season with the Raiders. It’s truly a make-or-break year for Key in 2020.

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