Tag: Darqueze Dennard

6 under-the-radar free agents Chargers should consider

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez supplies a list of six underrated players to watch out for the Los Angeles Chargers when the frenzy begins.

With free agency set to open on March 18, the Chargers won’t waste too much time to fill their roster holes.

Even though L.A. has the money to spend on one or two big-name free agents, I expect general manager Tom Telesco to still do what he does best by bargaining on some of the more underrated options on the market.

With that being said, here are six players that could be targeted:

CB Darqueze Dennard

The Chargers have one of the most talented cornerbacks in the league in Casey Hayward. However, the depth behind him isn’t the most optimal. Dennard, who was drafted in 2014, could help shore up a young secondary. Even though he played the majority of his snaps from the slot, he has proven he has the ability to play on the outside. He was limited to only 290 coverage snaps in 2019 but put up a career-high and 15th best coverage grade on those snaps. Dennard allowed only four catches of 10-plus yards, as well, per Pro Football Focus. The 5-foot-11 corner is also stout against the run.

DT Andrew Billings

The Chargers need to find veteran Brandon Mebane’s replacement since he isn’t likely to be on the team for much longer with one more year remaining on his contract. Even though he only has 3.5 sacks in a three-season span, Billings has done what he was drafted for which is the ability to dominate at the point of attack and take on double teams to allow other members from the front seven to roam freely downhill. The bottom line is that Billings is a true nose tackle, who’s young (25), won’t command as much money as the other interior defensive linemen on the market and could fill the run-plugging role that Mebane supplied with.

OL Connor McGovern

After acquiring guard Trai Turner, the interior offensive line got a boost, but it’s far from being shored up. McGovern, the former fifth-round pick, would supply versatility at both center and guard. The 26-year old started 23 consecutive games for Denver at center. Prior to playing center, McGovern played at right guard for two seasons. McGovern was the 10th-best center in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 82.5 pass-blocking grade was the fifth-highest in the league. In addition, McGovern was one of only three offensive linemen to play over 600 snaps without amassing a single penalty in 2019.

WR/ST Matthew Slater

Despite having two special teams standouts in Drue Tranquill and Derek Watt, the Chargers finished dead last in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average, and estimates “how many points, compared to league average, each team receives from the five elements of special teams,” per the website.) last season. To avoid this from happening again, they could use a proven player that’s lights out in this area of the game. Slater is one of the best gunners in NFL history. He was outstanding last year, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors at age 34. Overall, he has eight Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro selections. He’s also a phenomenal locker room presence.

OT Cornelius Lucas

The Chargers could benefit from starting-caliber players at the tackle position after the loss of Russell Okung, but they simply need more depth. Lucas, the journeyman who has played for four teams since 2014 could be a solid addition who has starter-upside. The 507 offensive snaps he played for the Bears this past season at a combination of the left and right tackle positions were more than he had played since his rookie season back in 2014, and the 72.2 overall grade that he earned marked the first time in his career that Lucas graded above 65.0, per Pro Football Focus. In 2019, he gave up just 12 pressures and one sack in starting the final five games of the season.

WR Demarcus Robinson

Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams held the positional group down this past season, but there was hardly any production outside of those two, which means that adding a third wideout is an absolute must this offseason, specifically one with speed. This past season, Robinson managed to rack up a career-high 32 catches for 449 yards and four touchdowns. Even though the stat sheet might not be appealing, he has the straight-line speed and separation ability to be a reliable WR3.

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: AFC North Edition

Chargers Wire lists one pending free agent on each team in the AFC North that could interest the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Los Angeles 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 an already talented roster, with the hopes of making a quick turnaround after finishing 5-11 in 2019.

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.

Cincinatti Bengals – CB Darqueze Dennard

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers have one of the most talented cornerbacks in the league in Casey Hayward, who is signed through 2021. However, the depth behind him isn’t the greatest. Michael Davis produced a mixed bag of results as a starter and Brandon Facyson doesn’t have much experience in the starting role.

Dennard, who was drafted by the Bengals in 2014, could help shore up a young and talented secondary. He was limited to only 290 coverage snaps in 2019 but put up a career-high and 15th best coverage grade on those snaps. Dennard allowed only four catches of 10-plus yards, as well, per Pro Football Focus.

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6 cornerbacks the Jets should target in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at six cornerbacks Joe Douglas and company should target in free agency.

The Jets struggled at multiple positions in 2019, but no unit was worse than New York’s cornerbacks.

Aside from Brian Poole, who is set to hit free agency, the Jets got little to no production out of their corners throughout the season. Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts were downright awful. Bless Austin showed some flashes of potential in his rookie year, but found himself benched by season’s end. Arthur Maulet and Maurice Canady had their moments, but are not exactly proven starters that New York can rely on entering 2020.

Fortunately for Joe Douglas and the Jets, there are plenty of solid free agent cornerbacks available this offseason. Which ones should New York target? Let’s take a look.

Chris Harris

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Although he is getting up there in age, Harris remains one of football’s upper echelon cornerbacks. Opposing quarterbacks seldom threw at the 31-year-old in 2019 as Harris anchored a Broncos secondary that ranked just outside the top 20 in passing yards allowed per game.

Harris is by far the best cornerback on this year’s free agent market. However, he is on the wrong side of 30 and will be worth around $11 million per year, according to Spotrac. The Jets have been burned handing out large contracts to aging corners in recent years, which could give the front office pause on pursuing the four-time Pro Bowler.

Will Douglas and company go all-in and take a shot at bringing Harris to the Big Apple? If New York deems the veteran worth his price tag, it will be firmly in the race for his services.

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2020 NFL Free Agency: Bengals have plenty to offer the Saints

Many Cincinnati Bengals pending free agents that should intrigue the New Orleans Saints, such as A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, and Nick Vigil.

We’re continuing our march towards free agency in this latest entry of team-by-team previews, considering all pending free agents from around the league — from the perspective of the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will have their own list of roster needs and boxes to check, and each team offers their own unique solutions. However, few teams boast as many potential upgrades for the Saints as the Cincinnati Bengals.

  • WR A.J. Green
  • CB Darqueze Dennard
  • TE Tyler Eifert
  • DE Kerry Wynn
  • G John Jerry
  • ILB LaRoy Reynolds
  • OLB Nick Vigil
  • DT Andrew Billings
  • S Clayton Fejedelem
  • DT Niles Scott (ERFA)
  • T Javarius Leamon (ERFA)
  • S Brandon Wilson (RFA)
  • DT Josh Tupou (RFA)
  • CB Tony McRae (RFA)
  • CB Torry McTyer (RFA)
  • G Alex Redmond (RFA)
  • CB Greg Mabin (RFA)
  • ILB Hardy Nickerson Jr. (RFA)
  • TE Cethan Carter (RFA)

There are multiple intriguing options on this list, but the biggest name is A.J. Green. The all-world wide receiver has missed time with injuries in recent years, but he’s still one of the best in the game if his body’s right. He’d be a tremendous upgrade for the Saints opposite Michael Thomas, and he probably won’t have comparable contract demands to other top-tier receivers on the market due to his age and injury history. But can the Bengals convince him to stay for the rebuild ahead?

Additionally, keep an eye on tight end Tyler Eifert. Eifert turned in the first 16-game performance of his career, finally avoiding serious injury while playing a bit part in the Bengals offense. However, his receiving yards per game (27.3) was the second-lowest of his career, while his yards per reception (10.1) was a career-worst. Eifert may not have the ability to stretch the field vertically or handle a high volume of touches, but he’d be quality depth behind Jared Cook (who will turn 33 during a contract year) and Josh Hill (a career blocking specialist).

Other players we’ll highlight include slot cornerback Darqueze Dennard, who could be a cheaper alternative to Patrick Robinson, and whose addition might allow C.J. Gardner-Johnson to focus on taking over for Vonn Bell full-time at strong safety. With just three corners under contract right now (Robinson, Marshon Lattimore, and Janoris Jenkins), the Saints must add some new faces. Outside linebacker Nick Vigil also has potential — the Saints linebacker corps has been hit hard, with two projected starters (Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso) and a rookie backup (Kaden Elliss) recovering from season-ending injuries. A.J. Klein could return if there aren’t many offers in free agency, but Vigil is someone to watch if Klein’s asking-price is too high.

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Chiefs could double back to pending free agent CB Darqueze Dennard, DE Markus Golden

Could Kansas City take a page from their own book and double back to their own free-agent interests from 2019?

Ahead of the 2018 season, the Kansas City Chiefs attempted to sign CB Bashaud Breeland late in the process. He visited during training camp hanging out in the dorms at St. Joseph and talking with the coaching staff on the field. Ultimately, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract. Breeland would join the Packers for the 2018 season on a one-year deal and become a free agent again in 2019. Brett Veach and his staff doubled back during the 2019 free agency period and added Breeland on a one-year deal.

It was a successful move by the front office. Breeland established himself as a starter in Kansas City and became a pivotal piece in their Super Bowl LIV run. Could the Chiefs opt to employ this strategy in free agency yet again?

One player who took a visit to Kansas City in 2019 is set to become a free agent in 2020. Bengals CB Darqueze Dennard tested the free-agent waters before returning to Cincinnati for the 2019 season. Dennard has been oft-injured throughout his career, playing just one full season in six years. 2019 was no different for Dennard, starting out the season on the reserve/PUP list with a knee injury. He didn’t play his first game until Week 7 and missed Week 8 and Week 9 with a hamstring injury. He played in the final eight games of the season, starting just four games during that time.

Dennard doesn’t have the best production during his NFL career, with just three career interceptions and no seasons with more than six passes defended. The plus side to Dennard is that he plays special teams and offers versatility on the defensive side of the ball. He has the ability to play anywhere from the left and right corner spots to nickel and safety positions. He also might be a little cheaper this go around during free agency.

Another player the Chiefs could revisit is Giants DE Markus Golden who is a St. Louis native and played college ball at the University of Missouri. Yahoo Sports’ Terez Paylor reported the Chiefs’ interest in Golden during last seasons’ free agency period. Golden is coming off perhaps the quietest 10-sack season of any defensive lineman in 2019. He played a full 16-game season for the first time since 2016 and started in each game for the first time during his NFL career. It’s not a certainty that the Chiefs would need to add another edge defender in 2020, but Golden could be a good option if they do go that route.

Kansas City will likely have their eyes set on some other players in free agency too. Specifically, they’ll look for veterans who fit the system and are motivated to chase a Super Bowl ring late in their career. These two players, however, are ones to keep in mind as free agency talk heats up.

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Pro Football Focus urges Redskins to sign CB Darqueze Dennard this offsesaon

The Redkins have a major hole to fill at the CB position, and PFF says that Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard would be a fit.

The Washington Redskins have been tabbed to look at a number of free agents this offseason that could potentially be brought into the franchise and help lift up the team to new heights in the future. Of the players that we’ve talked in depth about in the past few weeks, many are tight ends, linebackers, offensive lineman, wide receivers, or backup quarterbacks.

Now, Pro Football Focus is tabbing the Redskins to seek out a cornerback who may be under the radar when it comes to the free agency market. They want Washington to try and sign Darqueze Dennard, from the Cincinnati Bengals.

A player they need to circle and go after is Darqueze Dennard. He was limited to only 290 coverage snaps in 2019 but put up a career-high and 15th best coverage grade on those snaps. He allowed only four catches of 10-plus yards, as well (Washington ranked fourth to last in catch rate allowed on 10-plus yard throws).

Dennard was drafted by the Bengals in 2014, and he’s spent his entire career in Cincinnati. Dennard could line up opposite Quinton Dunbar and help to shore up the Redskins secondary and help the defense improve to aid the offense on their hopeful path to success.

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Julian Edelman, Darqueze Dennard among those questionable for Patriots vs. Bengals

Patriots vs. Bengals features some notable names on the injury report. cin

Some big names might end up missing the Week 15 encounter between the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals.

Those hosting Bengals won’t have star A.J. Green on the field. At this point, the bigger news comes in the form of starting corner Darqueze Dennard getting a questionable tag after missing Friday’s practice with an illness.

Despite the big names there, the Patriots seem to be in even rougher shape heading into the game.

Patriots star wideout Julian Edelman is questionable, as are six others. Notables there include defensive back Jason McCourty and former Bengals wideout Mohamed Sanu.

From a Bengals perspective, they’d probably like to see a little more out of Dennard before he heads to free agency again.

One could argue the stakes are much higher for a Patriots team that has lost two in a row and is right in the thick of things near the top of the AFC.

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