Tag: Benardrick McKinney

NFL.com grades a pair of Miami Dolphins 2021 player trades

NFL.com grades a pair of Miami Dolphins 2021 player trades

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The Miami Dolphins have been plenty busy already this offseason. Not only has the front office been heavily scouting a busy first 50 selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, the team has signed a slew of free agents to take care of secondary needs on the team and landed a big fish wide receiver in Will Fuller via free agency as well. But the

Benardrick McKinney Trade

Terms: 

Dolphins receive LB Benardrick McKinney & 2021 7th-round selection
Texans receive DE Shaq Lawson & 2021 6th-round selection

“Houston’s grade: C
Miami’s grade: B

A former Pro Bowler, McKinney wanted out of Houston and got his wish. He missed all but four games a year ago due to a shoulder surgery, but looms as a plug-and-play starter for Miami beside Jerome Baker at inside linebacker. Houston dumps his $28.5 million salary through 2023 in exchange for Lawson, an enticing first-round athlete yet to fully realize his promise. The Dolphins have landed a proven asset; the Texans are hoping Lawson’s best stuff is still to come.” – NFL.com

If McKinney is able to recapture his prior form as a player, this may end up being an even bigger win for the Dolphins. Both players give you the feeling that they are what they are at this point in their careers. Lawson plays the more valuable position. But McKinney is the better player.

Isaiah Wilson Trade

Terms: 

Dolphins receive OT Isaiah Wilson (since cut) & 2022 7th-round selection
Titans receive 2021 7th-round selection

“Miami’s grade: F
Tennessee’s grade: D

A wretched mess. Three days after officially acquiring the flat-lining first-rounder, Miami released Wilson to the wind. It didn’t take the Dolphins long to realize what Tennessee learned through his painfully ponderous rookie campaign: Wilson doesn’t appear enamored with the concept of a career in the National Football League. I’m giving the Titans a “D” because they score no points for completely botching last year’s chance at a first-round talent.” – NFL.com

The wheels on this trade have completely fallen off already. The deal is processed. And Wilson has already been cut. But giving the Dolphins an ‘F’ for a trade that offers no negative financial implications and only a deferred 7th-round draft pick seems a bit harsh. This was a no risk, all reward deal for Miami. But no reward doesn’t make this a complete failure for the Dolphins — it was still good process to take the calculated risk.

Houston Texans 2021 free agency tracker: Everything we know

The Houston Texans are making a flurry of moves in 2021 NFL free agency. Keep up with all of the moves with this handy tracker.

The Houston Texans were very active in free agency. Although they did not have much cap space to work with, the evidence points to general manager Nick Caserio going with solid, dependable veterans to bolster the depth of the roster.

Here is a list of the Texans’ free agency moves.

AFC East news: Former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson was traded

Miami Dolphins traded Shaq Lawson to Houston Texans for Benardrick McKinney.

Not that there ever was a reason to dislike former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson, but now there really isn’t. He’s no long with the Fish.

Last offseason, the Bills opted not to re-sign him. Lawson went on to sign with Buffalo’s AFC East rivals, the Dolphins. Now Miami has traded him.

Over the weekend prior to free agency opening, Lawson, 26, was sent to the Houston Texans, per Dolphins Wire.

In exchange for him, the Dolphins landed linebacker Benardrick McKinney, and the deal also included a swap of late-round draft picks.

Lawson was Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2016. In 2020, he notched 32 tackles, four sacks and scored on a fumble recovery in 14 games played with the Dolphins.

McKinney, a linebacker, was a 2015 second-round pick for the Texans. He only played in four games last season and Pro Football Focus graded him a 58.2 overall mark in those combined outings.

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AFC East news: Former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson was traded

Miami Dolphins traded Shaq Lawson to Houston Texans for Benardrick McKinney.

Not that there ever was a reason to dislike former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson, but now there really isn’t. He’s no long with the Fish.

Last offseason, the Bills opted not to re-sign him. Lawson went on to sign with Buffalo’s AFC East rivals, the Dolphins. Now Miami has traded him.

Over the weekend prior to free agency opening, Lawson, 26, was sent to the Houston Texans, per Dolphins Wire.

In exchange for him, the Dolphins landed linebacker Benardrick McKinney, and the deal also included a swap of late-round draft picks.

Lawson was Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2016. In 2020, he notched 32 tackles, four sacks and scored on a fumble recovery in 14 games played with the Dolphins.

McKinney, a linebacker, was a 2015 second-round pick for the Texans. He only played in four games last season and Pro Football Focus graded him a 58.2 overall mark in those combined outings.

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Benardrick McKinney thanks Texans; ‘Houston will forever be called home’

Former Houston Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney took to Twitter to thank the organization and city he will forever call home.

Former Houston Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney may be starting a new chapter with another NFL team, but the former 2018 Pro Bowler took to Twitter Monday to thank his original draft team.

McKinney posted on Twitter an image of him running out onto the field ahead of the Texans’ Sept. 29, 2019, tilt with the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium. The linebacker seems to be pointing to a graphic stating “Thank you Houston” while he captions it by saying that, “Houston will forever be called home.”

On Sunday, the Texans and Miami Dolphins agreed to swap draft picks and linebackers as Houston receives edge defender Shaq Lawson in the exchange.

The Dolphins will benefit from McKinney’s leadership, which the Texans will have to find a way to replace in new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith’s Tampa-2 scheme.

“He’s a real good leader, good communicator out there,” Romeo Crennel said on Oct. 14, 2020, when he was the interim coach. “He kind of runs the defense… He could get the linemen lined up, he can help with adjustments. He did it all. Plus, he’s a really good player.”

The Texans drafted McKinney in Round 2 of the 2015 NFL draft from Mississippi State. McKinney recorded three seasons of 100-plus combined tackles with Houston (2016, 2018-19).

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Texans and Dolphins swap starting linebackers, draft picks

The Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade Benardrick McKinney and Shaq Lawson and also swap draft picks.

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New general manager Nick Caserio is already getting aggressive with the trades and offloading contracts that affect salary cap space.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Shaq Lawson. In the exchange, Houston and Miami will swap late-round selections.

The Texans will save $6,437,500 in salary cap space. However, it will cost them $1,500,000 million in dead money against the salary cap to part with McKinney, who earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2018.

Lawson, a former Buffalo Bills 2016 first-round pick, produced 4.0 sacks and four tackles for loss in his 14 games in Miami, seven of which he started. The 6-3, 267-pounder has experience playing defensive end in his days with the Bills from 2016-19.

It isn’t the trade between the Texans and Dolphins Houston sports fans were waiting for in their push notifications, but it is a move that demonstrates the Texans are moving forward and not allowing the situation with Deshaun Watson to hold them hostage.

Titans were among teams with most interest in Benardrick McKinney trade

The Dolphins ended up landing McKinney in a trade with the Texans.

The Tennessee Titans were reportedly among the teams with the most interest in trading for inside linebacker Bernardrick McKinney before the Houston Texans traded him to the Miami Dolphins for defensive end Shaq Lawson.

The deal between the Texans and Dolphins also reportedly includes a swap of late-round picks, with Houston getting a sixth-rounder while sending back a seventh-rounder to Miami.

The Titans’ mere interest in McKinney could say a lot about what the future holds for inside linebacker Jayon Brown, who is set to be a free agent this offseason.

If the plan was to bring Brown back, chances are the Titans wouldn’t have been in on a trade for the veteran linebacker, who would have been a solid replacement for Tennessee’s former fifth-round pick.

We’ll see if that notion holds true in the days ahead with the legal tampering period beginning on Monday, March 15, and the official start of free agency landing on Wednesday, March 17.

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4 more players the Texans could be cut

The Houston Texans have made roster moves as they get under the salary cap for new league year 2021. Here are four more cut candidates.

The Houston Texans have made moves to get under the salary cap, including cutting locker room leaders such as DE J.J. Watt and C Nick Martin.

Here are four more cut candidates the Texans could release as they prepare for the new league year.

Houston Texans’ top-10 most expensive contracts that are without guaranteed money

The Houston Texans will have to employ belt-tightening in 2021 as their salary cap situation is not ideal at all. Here are contracts worth examining.

The Houston Texans are estimated to be over the salary cap by $17.9 million in 2021. Consequently, the Texans will have to take a look at their contracts that do not have any guaranteed money remaining.

Here are the Texans’ top 10 most expensive contracts that do not have any guaranteed money attached.

Report: Texans ILB Benardrick McKinney undergoing shoulder surgery

Houston Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney is undergoing shoulder surgery, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson.

Houston Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney is undergoing shoulder surgery Friday.

The Texans placed McKinney on injured reserve earlier this week, and the expectation is his season will be over, making 2020 the first time in the Pro Bowler’s career he has not played at least 14 games for the Texans, who drafted him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver says it will take a team effort to replace the talent lost with McKinney on injured reserve.

“When you lose a guy like Benardrick McKinney, you need all 11 guys on that field to step up and make up for his loss,” Weaver said. “Just leadership, football IQ, knowledge out there, and I think our guys will do that. Obviously, you hate to lose a guy like B-Mac. Love him dearly. He is a war daddy out there for us. When you lose a guy like him, like I said, you need all 11 guys to step their game up.”

The Texans take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. Inside linebacker Tyrell Adams played 67 snaps for Houston in Week 5, McKinney’s first game of the season missed.