Tag: b.j. hill

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: AFC North Edition

Listing one free agent from each team in the AFC North that could be a good fit for the Chargers.

The Chargers are set to enter free agency with the most salary cap available since Tom Telesco took over as general manager in 2013.

Even though the franchise has some in-house players that will need to get paid, there’s a great chance that Telesco and company will be aggressive in signing other soon-to-be free agents to bolster its roster.

With that being said, we are going to list one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A.

Next up is the AFC North.

B.J. Hill, Bengals

If the Chargers re-sign Justin Jones, there could be a reunion between him and Hill as the two were previously teammates at North Carolina State. Despite being overshadowed by Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams during his time with the Giants, Hill still consistently produced, both against the run and generating pressure. Now with Cincinnati, his presence in the middle of the defensive line has helped with its road to the Super Bowl. Hill amassed 29 pressures, six sacks, and 25 run stops on the season.

Miles Killebrew, Steelers

This past season, the Chargers’ special teams coverage units primarily consisted of youth, with Nick Niemann, Chris Rumph, Kemon Hall and Amen Ogbongbemiga finishing atop of special teams snap percentage. Expected to be in search of more core players under new special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, Killebrew would fulfill that. In 2021, Killebrew logged two blocked punts and seven total tackles in 334 special teams snaps. Further, along with his special teams services, Killebrew would supply safety depth.

David Njoku, Browns

The Chargers will be in the market for a tight end, with Jared Cook set to be a free agent. After facing some ups and downs since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, Njoku has gradually shown his true value. Oozing with athleticism and pass-catching chops, Njoku’s posted the highest receiving grade in 2021 (70.9), marking the best since his rookie season, and his 7.0 yards after the catch per reception and 1.56 yards per route run were both career-high marks, per Pro Football Focus. While he would primarily be brought in to serve as another weapon for Justin Herbert, Njoku has shown improvement as a blocker.

Latavius Murray, Ravens

The Chargers are set with Austin Ekeler as their No. 1 running back for the foreseeable future, but they need a reliable running mate to avoid wear and tear to Ekeler. Murray was added by Baltimore prior to the 2021 season after losing its top three running backs throughout training camp. The move ended up paying dividends, as Murray was a solid contributor, finishing with 501 rushing yards and six touchdowns, and an average of 4.2 yards per carry. Throughout his eight-year career, Murray has been reliable in his role and durable. Further, there is also a connection between Murray and Joe Lombardi, as the two were together with the Saints in 2019 and 2020.

B.J. Hill on Giants trade: ‘God had a plan for me’

Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman B.J. Hill said he trusted in God after learning the New York Giants intended to trade him.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end B.J. Hill is finally finding his way in the NFL. After three seasons with the New York Giants that saw him go from potential star to afterthought, Hill is in the spotlight as a key contributor along the Bengals’ offensive line.

Before the season, the Giants traded Hill, an impending free agent, to the Bengals in exchange for center Billy Price — a trade that would prove to be vital tot he Giants’ season after losing starting center Nick Gates to a fractured leg early in the year.

But for Hill, it was a new beginning after getting bounced around by the Giants’ coaching staff for three seasons.

“I’m truly blessed to be in this spot,” Hill said Wednesday as per NJ.com. “It was a blessing to be with the Giants. I came a long way. I knew God had a plan for me the whole time. I just had to be patient. At first, when I figured out I was going to get traded, I was down. I didn’t want to leave, because I knew this place [with the Giants] for going on four years.”

Hill was third-round pick out of North Carolina State back in 2018, selected with one of the picks the Giants received in the trade with Tampa Bay for Jason Pierre-Paul. After a solid rookie season that saw Hill set a Giants’ rookie record for sacks (5.5) in 12 starts, he lost playing time to Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams and became a back-of-the-rotation player.

Hill rebounded in 2021 with 5.5 sacks this season.

“It was a great trade,” he said. “It just all worked out. I’m so thankful for all of this happening. I love Cincinnati. Hopefully, I’m here for a long time.”

He might, who knows? Hill will be a free agent next month and likely will be testing the waters. He is yet another success story of Giants player who go on to greener pastures after their days in blue.

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Super Bowl LVI may be decided by a trio of ex-Giants

A Super Bowl LVI matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals may be decided by a trio of ex-New York Giants.

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The contestants for Super Bowl LVI are set — the Los Angeles Rams will face the surprising Cincinnati Bengals two weeks from now at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

For fans of the New York Giants, there will be a trio of familiar faces (and then a few other secondary names) in the game, including two of their former first-round picks.

The Bengals’ defense contains two former Giants’ draft picks — cornerback Eli Apple and lineman B.J. Hill — who came up big against the Chiefs in Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

Hill intercepted a Patrick Mahomes pass deep in Kansas City territory in the third quarter that led to the games-tying score, and Apple made a touchdown-saving tackle stopping Tyreek Hill at the goal line to end the first half. The Bengals went on to win, 27-24, in overtime.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, former Giants superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is having a resurgence after a not-so-productive stop in Cleveland.

Beckham caught nine of his 11 targets for 113 yards in the Rams’ 20-17 over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

Beckham was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2014 (No. 12 overall) out of LSU. After a record-setting five seasons in New York, Beckham was traded to the Browns in a blockbuster move after wearing out his welcome with some dubious behavior.

OBJ was released by Cleveland in November of this season and was immediately scooped up by the Rams, where he has regained his status as an elite offensive force.

Apple was the 10th overall selection out of Ohio State in 2016 — a horrible reach by the general manager Jerry Reese. After a contentious two and a quarter seasons with he Giants, they cut bait on Apple by trading him to new Orleans for a pair of draft picks. Apple moved onto Carolina two years later before landing in Cincinnati this season.

Hill was a third-round pick of the Giants in 2018 out of North Carolina State. After a solid rookie season in which he set a franchise rookie record for sacks (5.5), Hill saw his playing time drop off and he was traded to the Bengals before the start of this season in exchange for center Billy Price.

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Bengals rally from 18-point hole to tie Chiefs

The Bengals have come from 18 down to tie the Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals are roaring in the second half.

They have scored 18 straight points to tie the AFC Championship at Arrowhead on Sunday at 21.

Joe Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase, who made a wonderful grab, and the 2-point conversion was good to knot things late in the fourth quarter.

B.J. Hill picked off Patrick Mahomes to set up the Bengals in a position to score and go for the tie.

Burrow found his former LSU teammate for the TD. Chase made a great catch on the 2-yard pass for the six.

The 2-point conversion then went to a wide-open Trent Taylor.

The game was tied as it headed to the fourth quarter,

5 defensive tackles Chargers could target in free agency

With a glaring need along the defensive line, here are five pending free agents the Chargers could target.

We are still less than a couple of months until the free agency frenzy begins, but as the anticipation continues to build up, I will start listing potential targets for the Chargers at key positions of need.

First up, interior defensive linemen.

Akiem Hicks, Bears

Hicks, who is familiar with Brandon Staley during his time with Chicago when he was the outside linebacker coach, can contribute as a run-stuffer and pass rusher. He has over 50 quarterback pressures in three seasons, with his most recent in 2020. He has dealt with some injuries throughout his lengthy career, but it hasn’t hindered him enough to keep him from producing when he is on the field. He played over 800 snaps in each season in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020.

Sebastian Joseph-Day, Rams

Hicks isn’t the only interior defender that Staley is familiar with. When Staley oversaw the Rams’ top-ranked defense, Joseph-Day had a career-high 33 run stops, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. He was on his way to surpassing those, but an unfortunate torn pectoral sustained in Week 7 kept him out. Still, winning with speed, power and violent hands, Joseph-Day can win one-on-one matchups and eat-up blockers to let his fellow teammates roam freely that the Chargers could greatly benefit from.

Folorunso Fatukasi, Jets

Fatukasi was disruptive against the run at UConn, and he has carried that over to the NFL over the last three years. This past season, he finished tied for third among defensive tackles in run stop win rate at 43%, according to ESPN. While not notorious for rushing the passer, he has shown flashes, posting 16 pressures and five quarterback hits on 282 pass-rush snaps. Further, he has consistently stayed healthy, logging defensive snaps of 507 in 2020 and 558 in 2021.

B.J. Hill, Bengals

If the Chargers re-sign Justin Jones, there could be a reunion between him and Hill as the two were previously teammates at North Carolina State. Despite being overshadowed by Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams during his time with the Giants, Hill still consistently produced, both against the run and generating pressure. Now with Cincinnati, his presence has been known in the middle of the defensive line. Hill amassed 29 pressures, six sacks, and 25 run stops on the season.

D.J. Jones, 49ers

En route to San Francisco’s playoff run, Jones has been a staple that has flown under the radar after he was re-signed on a one-year prove-it deal. The definition of a no-nonsense-penetrator, Jones has lived in opposing backfields. He will make the majority of his money as a run defender, as he had 40 stops on the season. However, he added to his pass-rush repertoire, with 16 pressures in 2021, marking a career-high.

B.J. Hill has quietly been a breakout player for Bengals defense

Better get to know the name, Bengals fans.

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Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman B.J. Hill turned the narrative around pretty quickly.

Hill came over before the season when the Bengals traded away first-round draft bust Billy Price. He was, if nothing else, viewed as solid depth and just a way for the team to get something in return for the loss of Price.

But he turned into a steal quickly.

So much so, the numbers are actually a little staggering. Over at Pro Football Focus, Hill has the 16th-best overall grade of any defensive lineman at 75.1 over nine games.

Hill has been especially good against the run, ranking sixth overall with a run-stop percentage of 13.9. His run defense grade of 77.6 ranks 11th among his position.

A third-round pick in 2018, Hill is still just 26 years old and it appears in his case, the idea he could blossom in different surroundings has been 100 percent true. This is his last year under contract, meaning he’s a low-key important free agent for the team to focus on next offseason, provided he continues playing at this level.

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Report: Giants trade DL B.J. Hill to Bengals for OL Billy Price

The New York Giants have traded defensive lineman B.J. Hill to the Cincinnati Bengals for offensive lineman Billy Price.

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New York Giants head coach Joe Judge announced on Monday the team is trading defensive lineman B.J. Hill; one reason why Hill was held out of Sunday night’s game versus New England.

The trade is reportedly to the Cincinnati Bengals for center Billy Price, a 2018 first-round pick out of Ohio State.

The trade, pending physicals, does several things for the Giants. First, it opens up a roster spot for defensive lineman Raymond Johnson (as per Judge), who has impressed this summer at camp and in the preseason.

The second leg of why this is a good trade for Big Blue is it gives them a natural center in Price. That will potentially shift Nick Gates Gates back to his role as a guard/swing tackle where he has proved to be effective.

If Gates stays at center, Price also has experience at guard.

Price, 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, won the Rimington Trophy in 2017 as the nation’s top center. He was selected 21st overall by the Bengals in the 2018 NFL draft and has played in 42 games for Cincinnati but has mostly been a rotational player suffering through a spate of injuries.

Pro Football Focus graded Price as their 47th ranked center in the NFL last year. This spring, the Bengals declined to exercise his fifth-year option.

Hill was a former third-round pick of the Giants in 2018. He is in the final year of his rookie contract.

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Giants-Patriots preseason Week 3: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 3 preseason game against the Patriots. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants fell to the New England Patriots, 22-20, in Sunday’s preseason finale, dropping their exhibition record to 0-3.

Many of the similar problems from a year ago persisted for the team’s projected starters, including poor offensive line play, inexcusable turnovers, drops and mounting injuries.

The Giants actually came out of the game in much worse shape than they went in, which says something considering how banged up they already were. And with just two weeks until the start of the regular season, major concerns linger.

Here’s a look at the snap counts that attributed to the Giants’ third loss of the new year:

Offensive snaps: 70
Defensive snaps: 59
Special teams snaps: 25

Giants starters played just around 55% of the snaps, which was expected going into the game. The remainder of the snaps were pretty well distributed with a few exceptions.

Backup quarterback Brian Lewerke and defensive lineman B.J. Hill did not see any playing time.

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Giants’ B.J. Hill says he could definitely beat Eli Manning in basketball

New York Giants DT B.J. Hill, who played basketball in high school, says he could “definitely beat” Eli Manning one-on-one.

Football players squaring off against one another in a game of basketball? It’s usually not pretty as few football players are built for the vertical challenges of basketball.

Such is the case with the Manning brothers, showing why they made their living playing NFL football. Both Peyton and Eli stand 6-foot-5 and we know they played basketball in high school but their skills are nothing to brag about.

That is why current New York Giants defensive lineman B.J. Hill believes he can take his former teammate, El, in a game of one-on-one.

Hill is 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds and played basketball in high school down in North Carolina. And as it turns out, he was actually quite talented on the court.

“All I heard when I first started helping out was how big and strong this B.J. kid was,” former West Stanly High School varsity assistant coach Zach Powell told Giants Wire. “I thought there is no way he’d be able to move me in the post.

“We were doing post drills one day and he was matched up with a guard, and I said I have to see what all the hype was about and pushed the guard out of the way. [Hill] proceeded to put my [expletive] into the wall with a drop step.”

Eli is ultra-competitive, but odds are Hill could handle him with relative ease.

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Kevin Zeitler, Dalvin Tomlinson were highest-graded Giants in Week 14

OL Kevin Zeitler and DL Dalvin Tomlinson were the New York Giants’ highest-graded players of Week 14.

The New York Giants were stomped out by the Arizona Cardinals, 26-7, on Sunday and at first glance, it was hard to pinpoint a single player who performed at a high level.

Luckily, Pro Football Focus is here to reassure Big Blue fans that not everyone was a disaster in Week 14. In fact, a handful of players did quite well based on PFF’s analytical system.

Case in point: Offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, who recorded a team-high grade of 89.2 (min. 45 snaps).

Right behind Zeitler on the offensive side of the ball were tight end Kaden Smith (75.5), running back Wayne Gallman (72.3) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (66.2).

Other noteworthy grades on offense came by way of center Nick Gates (55.5), quarterback Daniel Jones (49.8) and offensive tackle Matt Peart (41.8).

On the defensive side of the ball, it was defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson who led the charge with an overall grade of 81.6 (min. 45 snaps). He was followed up by cornerbacks Isaac Yiadom (76.5) and James Bradberry (75.8).

Although they were under the snap count threshold, linebacker David Mayo and defensive tackle B.J. Hill graded out quite well, finishing the game with grades of 95.1 and 84.2, respectively.

In his NFL starting debut, rookie safety Xavier McKinney finished with a 57.3.

The lowest-graded Giants of the week were linebacker Devante Downs (40.6), offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (38.0) and linebacker Carter Coughlin (30.4).

Coughlin’s low grade is a product of his poor coverage, which netted a 25.4.

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