Tag: Carl Nassib

WATCH: Former Browns DE Carl Nassib calls out Michael Hall Jr.’s pick

Listen to former Browns DE Carl Nassib call out the pick!

The Cleveland Browns are on the board in the 2024 NFL draft, landing the Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. with pick No. 54. And announcing the pick for the Browns? Former third round pick and defensive end Carl Nassib.

Nassib is representing the Trevor Project, an organization that supports and advocates for LGBTQIA youth, as he makes the pick for the team that drafted him. Nassib, of course, was a “Hard Knocks” star the year they were in Cleveland, giving financial advice to the other defensive linemen and how to invest their money.

He was later released on “Hard Knocks” by the Browns, landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played himself into a sizeable second contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Then taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Hall responded to the video as the biggest moment of his life came to fruition.

“A moment I will never forget”

Congrats, Mike! And welcome back to Browns faithful, Carl!

Former DE Carl Nassib will announce Browns’ 2024 NFL pick in Detroit next week

Nassib will represent the Browns again next week

The 2024 NFL draft is almost here as things get underway next Thursday in Detroit, Michigan. Former Cleveland Browns defensive end Carl Nassib will be joined by Pegg Rajski, the founder of The Trevor Project, who will announce Cleveland’s second-round selection, which is currently scheduled at pick No. 54.

The Browns drafted Nassib in the third round of the 2016 draft, and he spent the first two years of his career in Cleveland. Nassib made history as the first active player to come out as gay while still in the NFL. Will he get the chance to announce a defensive player when the Browns make their pick at 54?

It seems likely that the Browns will use the strength of the draft at wide receiver or offensive tackle, but they don’t rule out a linebacker at the top of the draft—just enough time for Andrew Berry to finalize their draft boards before the fun begins next Thursday.

Former Browns DE and first active openly gay player Carl Nassib announces his retirement

The trailblazer and former Browns defensive end has announced his retirement.

A former member of the Cleveland Browns has announced his retirement from football after seven seasons in the NFL. A member of their 2016 NFL draft class, defensive end Carl Nassib has decided to hang up his cleats after spending time with the Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Las Vegas Raiders.

Nassib, of course, will be remembered as a trailblazer as he became the first openly gay player to appear in the regular season in NFL history in 2021.

Browns fans will remember Nassib for his brilliance on HBO’s Hard Knocks in 2018 when the Browns were featured on the show. He can be seen giving the Browns’ defensive linemen a lecture on compounding interest and the importance of putting money back into a high-yield savings account. He was also famously cut by former head coach Hue Jackson in the last episode of the season.

Nassib then went on to rack up back-to-back six-sack seasons with the Buccaneers, starting 17 games for them in that two-year span. This allowed for Nassib to cash in on a sizeable contract in free agency with the Raiders, signing a three-year deal worth about $8.5 million per year (with $16.75 million of that guaranteed).

After two seasons in Vegas, Nassib returned to Tampa for one final season last year.

Best of luck in retirement, Carl!

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9 best free agent pass rushers after Jadeveon Clowney joined Ravens

The Jaguars showed brief interest in Jadeveon Clowney, but now he’s off the market. Could anyone else catch the team’s eye?

The pass rushing market was already thin Friday morning, but got it a little thinner when Jadeveon Clowney decided to join the Baltimore Ravens.

Clowney, 30, previously visited the Jacksonville Jaguars, but left without a contract. The team’s interest in a free agent pass rusher made sense given the Jaguars finished 26th in the NFL in sacks last season and didn’t make many changes at the position in the offseason.

Given the brief interest in Clowney, it’d make sense if the Jaguars peeked at the rest of the market.

Here are the best edge rushers still available with three weeks left until the regular season begins:

11 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

If the Panthers venture into free agency for a pass rusher, here are 11 notable players they could scoop off the market:

If this summer’s pass-rushing competition doesn’t result in a clear partner for Pro Bowler Brian Burns, the Carolina Panthers may be venturing into free agency to pick a winner. And if they do, here are 11 notable edge defenders they could choose from:

9 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

If the Panthers are still keeping tabs on free-agent pass rushers, here are nine notable players who are still left on the open market.

With the second-most salary cap space in the league and a brewing belief that help is on the way, the Carolina Panthers may soon come to terms with a new pass rusher. So, here are nine of the most notable names still left in free agency.

10 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

With Leonard Floyd now off the market, here’s an updated look at the league’s most notable free-agent pass rushers.

On Monday morning, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and the Buffalo Bills came to terms on a one-year deal—much to the dismay of Carolina Panthers fans. But the market isn’t closed yet, folks.

Here are 10 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could sign.

11 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

Top 11 pass rushers who remain unsigned heading into June

For all the Carolina Panthers have done this offseason, they still have a lack of firepower off the edge. And although the likes of Yetur Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes Sr. might grow into their newer roles over the summer, Brian Burns remains without a certifiable pass-rushing partner in the middle of the defense.

So, if the Panthers are still keeping tabs on that market, here’s what the top of it currently looks like . . .

Two Penn State players on the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list

Penn State’s top defensive players make an appearance on the first watch list of the 2023 college football season.

Two of the most prominent players on Penn State’s defense have been added to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] are among 42 defensive players across the country that will have the spotlight on them for this prestigious award.

The award is named after legendary player and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. It’s handed out to the defensive player who had the biggest impact on their team on and off the field. Their website states that it’s the only major award in college football that considers character as one of its criteria.

IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, which are characteristics that Lott exhibited while at USC.

The winner is announced on December 10th after votes are tallied from a panel of former winners of the award, members of the media, coaches and Board of Directors for The IMPACT Foundation.

This is a huge spotlight for Carter who is going into his sophomore season. He had a massive first season of college football, tallying 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, earning freshman All-American honors. Carter is one of 16 linebackers who is on the watch list.

King is coming off a huge season as well. Despite the media coverage that [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] got last year, it was actually King who quietly put together a better statistical season. He was PFF’s highest rated defensive back in 2022 with a 93.3 rating. He also had 18 pass breakups which was third nationally and first in the Big Ten, helping him earn second team All-American honors. King is now thrust into the number one cornerback role this season with a lot of expectations on his shoulders.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy has been given out every year since 2004. David Pollock from Georgia was the first winner of the award. Last year’s winner was Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama. Winners of the trophy have a history of being impact players in the NFL after they leave college.

The only Penn State player to win the Lott IMPACT Trophy was [autotag]Carl Nassib[/autotag] in 2015.

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Every NFL draft pick coached by James Franklin

Zac Stacy, Jordan Matthews, Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, and every other NFL draft pick who played for James Franklin.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] got his first head coaching opportunity with Vanderbilt after the 2010 season despite previously being the head coach-in-waiting at Maryland. The Commodores are not necessarily known for producing a tremendous amount of NFL talent, but Vanderbilt managed to send a few players off to the next level by way of the NFL draft under the guidance of Franklin, who has experience as an assistant coach in the NFL.

In the years Franklin was the head coach at Vanderbilt, from 2011 through 2013, Vanderbilt had seven players drafted. And a few more who would go on to be drafted later on out of Vanderbilt were brought into the program initially by Franklin and his staff. The seven players drafted from Vanderbilt from Franklin’s three seasons with the program is the most draft picks from Vanderbilt in a three-year span in school history since 1957-1969 saw 11 players selected by NFL teams, in the days of a draft lasting at least 20 rounds.

Since arriving at Penn State in 2014, Franklin has seen a growing number of his players go on to be drafted by NFL franchises, including an offensive rookie of the year in running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] in 2018 and a defensive rookie of the year in linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] in 2021.

Here is a look at every player drafted by an NFL team that had James Franklin as a head coach in their last game before being drafted, beginning with Franklin’s time at Vanderbilt.

And once you are done checking out this list, here is a list of every Penn State player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Penn State joined the Big Ten.