Tag: Darqueze Dennard

Former Spartan DB gets start in coaching career

Darqueze Dennard has gotten his first coaching job

Darqueze Dennard was known for being a pioneer in the no fly zone movement in Michigan State football. The no fly zone was the identity of some of Mark Dantonio’s greatest years with the program.

Now, after a solid eight year run in the NFL, Dennard is turning to a coaching career in the sport. He has accepted a position with the Prague Lions, the oldest American football team in the Czech Republic.

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Why did 49ers cut CB Darqueze Dennard despite his 1st-team reps?

Why did the 49ers let go of Darqueze Dennard despite him getting most of the 1st-team nickel reps in camp?

The 49ers’ first batch of roster cuts had one semi-surprising inclusion. Cornerback Darqueze Dennard, who appeared to be the frontrunner for the starting nickel cornerback job, was let go ahead of Tuesday’s cut-down deadline.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in his post-practice press conference was asked why Dennard was let go. The first-team reps, it turns out, were more a product of his veteran status than his leg up in the running for the starting spot.

“We didn’t think he was going to earn that spot,” Shanahan said. “Whether he is out there with the ones or not, no one really is slotted that way, except for the depth charts we have to give you guys before preseason. So we wanted to give him opportunities, being the vet and with younger guys coming in, but we got to see enough where we felt the younger guys were going to have a chance, so we want to give them some reps. And Dennard’s been awesome for us when he helped last year stepping in, in that game. He was a good player for us this offseason. And we’ll see how these guys do and if doesn’t work out, hopefully someday can come back.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers added Dennard to their practice squad if he’s still available when rosters are trimmed to 53. He originally joined the club ahead of Week 18 last year and wound up playing 21 defensive snaps in that game. He was inactive in two playoff contests, but contributed on special teams in the divisional playoff win in Green Bay.

With Dennard no longer with the club, there was immediate speculation that rookie CB Samuel Womack snagged the job following a two-interception performance in the preseason opener. Shanahan didn’t outright confirm Womack had won the job, but he’s the clear frontrunner.

“Yeah, [CB Samuel] Womack [III],” Shanahan said. “I think everyone saw him during the game and he did a real good job. He’s done a decent job in practice too. We have some safeties who we can mix there also. So there’s still some competition, but yeah, we’ve been happy with how he’s been so far.”

The competition for that starting job isn’t particularly fierce, especially with injuries in the secondary forcing the 49ers to move some pieces around. Dontae Johnson is also out with fractured rib cartilage, which takes one player who might push Womack out of the running.

San Francisco selected Womack in the fifth round in this year’s draft out of Toledo where he was a team captain and team-leader in pass breakups three years in a row. If he can start and play effectively, it’d be another huge Day 3 draft win for the 49ers’ front office.

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San Francisco 49ers released former Spartan CB Darqueze Dennard on Monday

Former Michigan State football star Darqueze Dennard is looking for a new home in the NFL

Former Michigan State football star Darqueze Dennard is looking for a new home in the NFL.

Dennard was released by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday afternoon, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. Dennard was a former first round pick, and star cornerback for the Spartans in the early to mid 2010s.

Dennard is entering his ninth season in the NFL, with the first six coming in Cinncinati as a Bengal. He has since played for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. Dennard has appeared has appeared in 87 career games, including 30 starts.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

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49ers re-sign another veteran cornerback

Darqueze Dennard is back with the #49ers following a brief stint in 2021.

The 49ers on Friday announced the return of veteran cornerback Darqueze Dennard on a one-year contract.

Dennard joined San Francisco late last season in early January and wound up seeing action in 1 game and posted one tackle.

It’s not a surprise to see him back with the 49ers. He had high praise for the club after his short stint came to an end following the NFC championship game loss to the Rams.

Dennard, 30, was a first-round pick of the Bengals in the 2014 draft. He spent his first six seasons in Cincinnati before bouncing to the Falcons, Giants and 49ers.

In eight seasons Dennard has played in 87 games with 30 starts. He’s put up 288 tackles, 27 pass breakups and four interceptions. His roster spot isn’t guaranteed, but there’s a chance he leaves camp as the 49ers’ top slot corner if he plays well. He may also be another veteran option off the bench on a young cornerbacks room.

CB Darqueze Dennard really liked brief stint with 49ers

The #49ers helped Darqueze Dennard fall in love with football again. Why that’s a great sign for the team, and why he’s a name to watch this offseason.

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Cornerback Darqueze Dennard wasn’t with the 49ers for long. The team signed him to their practice squad on January 4 and his contract expired when their season ended January 30. His four-week stint in Santa Clara had a significant impact on the veteran cornerback though.

Dennard, a former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, on the Thursday after San Francisco’s 20-17 loss to the Rams in the NFC championship game took to Twitter to shoutout the 49ers for rekindling his love for football despite spending just one month and playing in two games with them.

Dennard saw action in Week 18 against the Rams and actually played 32 percent of the defensive snaps with nickel corner K’Waun Williams sidelined. He didn’t play in the wild-card round, but earned 12 special teams snaps in the divisional round against the Packers.

The tweet from Dennard, now an unrestricted free agent, is a sign of the strong culture the 49ers have built. It’s also a sign of the type of player Dennard is.

Long snapper Taybor Pepper used Dennard’s tweet to spin some optimism for the 2022 season:

Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley’s response to the tweet makes it seem as though Dennard is a candidate to return this offseason. when the 49ers will need to add some veteran CB depth.

If Dennard had the impact on the 49ers’ secondary that the team had on him, the eight-year veteran could easily find his way back to San Francisco for a much longer stint next season.

Every Michigan State football player remaining in the NFL playoffs

Check out which Spartans are still around in the NFL playoffs

The NFL playoffs have officially reached conference championship weekend, where four teams will battle it out to take part in the Super Bowl. Those four teams include the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Cheifs, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

Michigan State was one of a handful of schools that had double-digit players in the NFL playoffs with 14. That list is down to 5, but those Spartans will be fighting to get to the Super Bowl.

You can see what Spartans are going to be playing in the conference championships this weekend below:

49ers add former 1st-round CB to practice squad

The #49ers added a former 1st-round CB to their practice squad in case they need depth Sunday with three DBs on the COVID list.

The 49ers could have a depth problem in their secondary in their season finale against the Rams after placing three defensive backs on the Reserve/COVID-19 list to start the week. To help bolster that unit they added cornerback Darqueze Dennard to the practice squad on Tuesday.

Dennard was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He spent six seasons with Cincinnati before playing for the Falcons last season, and the Colts and Giants for part of this year.

In his eight seasons Dennard has played in 86 games with 30 starts. He has 287 tackles, 27 pass breakups and four interceptions in those contests. This year with the Giants he played in just one game and recorded a pair of tackles on special teams while not playing any defensive snaps.

There’s still a chance all three defensive backs clear the COVID-19 protocols by Sunday. Dennard will provide internal depth and spend the week practicing with the 49ers in the event they need bodies on the active roster at cornerback against the Rams.

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San Francisco 49ers sign former Michigan State football CB Darqueze Dennard

Darqueze Dennard has signed with the 49ers

Darqueze Dennard was a standout defensive back at Michigan State, bringing the nickname ‘No Fly Zone’ to East Lansing and locking down opposing wide receivers while he donned the green and white.

Dennard parlayed his collegiate success into a nice little NFL career. He was drafted in the first round at 24th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he spent the first six years of his career. Dennard spent the 2020 season with the Atlanta Falcons and had originally signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals for 2021, but an injury placing him on IR resulted in his release. He has now found a new home, getting signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.

Dennard’s veteran presence and experience could be of value to the 49ers if they make the playoffs.

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Giants release Sam Beal, Darqueze Dennard from practice squad

The New York Giants have released DBs Sam Beal and Darqueze Dennard from their practice squad, and protected four others.

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For the second time this season, the New York Giants have released cornerback Sam Beal.

Beal, who had been re-signed to the practice squad as the result of the team’s COVID-19 issues, was released on Tuesday alongside fellow defensive back Darqueze Dennard.

Like Beal, Dennard was signed to help bolster the team’s depth amid a COVID-19 outbreak. He was elevated for a Week 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and drew the brief ire of his teammates for failing to down a punt at the goal line.

Head coach Joe Judge later appeared to absolve Dennard of fault, saying he went out of bounds and therefor couldn’t be the first to touch the ball.

“In Darqueze’s defense a little bit, it’s been a handful of years since he’s played gunner. He’s done a good job. Did a good job for us (Sunday),” Judge told reporters. “He got a little fogged up on the rules — you cannot be the first toucher if you go out of bounds. The second he ran out of bounds in that situation, I was actually walking down the sideline yelling in his ear ‘Don’t touch it, don’t touch it, don’t touch it,’ because that’s an illegal touch penalty and inside the five it becomes a touchback anyway right there.”

With some available space on the practice squad, the Giants re-signed tight end Jake Hausmann.

Finally, the team also announced their practice squad protections for Week 17. They include wide receiver/return man Pharoh Cooper, defensive back Natrell Jamerson, defensive tackle David Moa and tight end Deon Yelder.

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Giants fall to Eagles: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles met for the second time in five weeks on Sunday. The Giants won the first game, 13-7, in New Jersey and haven’t won since. The Eagles, conversely, haven’t lost since.

Before the season, the Giants were being considered by some experts as a breakout team while the Eagles were almost unilaterally picked to finish last in the NFC East.

A lot has changed since then. The Giants entered the game at 4-10 while the Eagles came in at 7-7 with a chance at the postseason. Neither looked like a playoff team early in this game, which like most COVID-ravaged contests this weekend, was far from entertaining. But Philadelphia set things straight and pulled away with a 34-10 whipping of New York.

Here are some winners and losers from the game.