Tag: Devon Kennard

Scouting report for new Cardinals LB Devon Kennard

Kennard is a quality OLB, smart player and very good in the locker room.

The Arizona Cardinals added an outside linebacker in free agency when they agreed to sign former Detroit Lions linebacker Devon Kennard. He played two seasons for the Lions after four with the New York Giants.

What sort of the player are the Cardinals getting? I reached out to Lions Wire managing editor Jeff Risdon to give a bit of a scouting report.

This is what he has to say about Kennard.

Kennard is a quality OLB, smart player and very good in the locker room. He was the Lions’ NFLPA rep. Tough, physical at the point of attack, solid tackler and decent at shedding blocks. He’s not really a natural as a pass rusher even though he led the Lions in sacks; he’s more of a clean-up guy that doesn’t generate much pressure on his own. Uncreative. Really good at holding his contain on edge runs even if he doesn’t make the play.

Kennard was a team captain. It is interesting that he isn’t necessarily going create much pass rush on his own. Now, this will be the first time in his career playing what I think is his ideal position — 3-4 outside linebacker.

Markus Golden, when he was on the Cardinals, was known to be more of a cleanup guy for sacks and thrived. Kennard can be that guy and be more athletic. He will likely be the Cardinals’ drop linebacker. Between him and Jones, Vance Joseph will probably have Kennard drop into coverage sometimes.

In a nutshell, the Cardinals get an athletic, disciplined, heady player who will be a rock as a teammate and a leader in the locker room.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 261

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Ep. 260

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Report: Devon Kennard’s 3-year deal with Cardinals worth $20M

He gets $12.25 million in guaranteed money.

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The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with former Detroit Lions linebacker Devon Kennard a day after being released by Detroit. Expected to start at outside linebacker, some of the terms of his deal are known.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo and Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s John Gambadoro, the deal is worth $20 million and Kennard gets $12.25 million in guaranteed money.

Kennard had 58 tackles, seven sacks and 15 QB hits in 2019.

He is expected to start at outside linebacker in the Cardinals’ 3-4 defense opposite of Chandler Jones, giving them two real pass rushing threats. Of the outside linebackers left on the roster other than Chandler Jones, they combined for 4.5 sacks all last season.

Kennard is an instant upgrade and is a huge pickup for a team looking to fill big holes.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 261

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Ep. 260

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Devon Kennard will reportedly sign with the Cardinals

Multiple sources are reporting that Devon Kennard will sign a contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

After being released from the Detroit Lions less than 24-hours ago, multiple sources are reporting that Devon Kennard is returning to his home of Tempe, Arizona to join the Cardinals.

Despite being a team captain and recording back-to-back seven sack seasons (both career-highs) the Lions made the decision to move on after adding Jamie Collins to their linebacker core.

Kennard, who is one of the highest character players in the league, left a very heartfelt and classy goodbye message on social media:

“My goal in life is to always leave a place better then I found it. I believe I did that in Detroit with the (Lions). Thank you to my teammates, coaches, the support staff and fans that made my experience in Detroit one that I will cherish forever.”

The Lions will face the Cardinals in Arizona during the 2020 season, which will surely be a date circled on Kennard’s calendar.

We at Lions Wire wish Kennard the best of luck in Arizona.

Report: Cardinals to sign Devon Kennard to 3-year deal

He had 14 sacks over the last two seasons and fills the Cardinals’ void at outside linebacker.

The Arizona Cardinals bring another hometown player back to Arizona and address the need they have at outside linebacker opposite All-Pro Chandler Jones. A day after being released by the Detroit Lions, Devon Kennard will sign a three-year contract with the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Kennard was a standout high school player at Desert Vista in Ahwatukee. His father played offensive line for the Cardinals in the 90s.

Kennard had seven sacks last season and seven in 2018 for the Lions. He sacked Kyler Murray three times in the Cardinals’ season opener last year.

In addition to his seven sacks last season, he had 58 tackles and 15 QB hits.

He has played mostly as an outside linebacker in 4-3 defenses but now will play as an edge rusher in the Cardinals’ 3-4 defense. At 6-3 and 256 pounds, this is where he physically fits the best.

The Cardinals have now filled three big needs with three moves, trading for receiver DeAndre Hopkins and agreeing to sign defensive lineman Jordan Phillips.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 261

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Ep. 260

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Recently cut Devon Kennard, Leonard Floyd should be on Rams’ radar

The Rams need help at outside linebacker and two veterans from the NFC North offer intriguing skillsets.

Dante Fowler Jr. surprisingly remains on the free-agent market, but given the season he had in 2019, there’s a good chance he’ll be out of the Rams’ price range. After seeing Robert Quinn land a contract worth $14 million per year, Fowler could push $17 million annually on his next deal.

If the Rams don’t want to open their wallets and hand out another massive contract, there are a pair of cheaper options available to them right now. On Tuesday, the Lions released veteran Devon Kennard and the Bears parted ways with Leonard Floyd.

They’re trending in opposite directions as their careers go, but both make for intriguing targets for Los Angeles.

Kennard rejuvenated himself with the Lions since joining them in 2018, recording seven sacks in each of the last two seasons. He hit the quarterback 29 total times in that span, racking up 104 tackles with 18 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage.

In the season opener, he had three sacks on Kyler Murray, including this one rushing from the strong side and showing the ability to turn the corner and wrap up the QB before he could escape the pocket.

This is an impressive rush by Kennard against Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz, who didn’t allow a sack all season and didn’t surrender a single pressure in the postseason.

He was the model of consistency in Detroit, only missing one game and contributing in a big way on the edge for Matt Patricia. Though not a prolific pass rusher, Kennard has been a productive player the last two years and was a captain in 2019.

Kennard even rushed from the inside at times as a stand-up linebacker, coming on the blitz here to make a tackle for loss. His versatility could be coveted by Brandon Staley in L.A., offering the ability to play and rush from multiple spots.

As for Floyd, his sack numbers have dipped every year since being drafted in 2016. That was the case in college at Georgia, too, with his sack totals decreasing each season before going No. 9 overall in the 2016 draft.

What makes Floyd an interesting target for the Rams is his connection to new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who coached the outside linebackers in Chicago for two seasons in 2017 and 2018. Few people know Floyd’s game better than Staley, so if the Rams pursue him, it’s probably because Staley encouraged them to.

To be clear, Floyd wouldn’t replace the production of Fowler. He’s not going to put up 11.5 sacks and consistently get to the quarterback the way Fowler did last season. However, Floyd is a quality run defender on the edge, more so than Fowler is.

His length allows him to keep from getting eaten up by blockers, disengaging well in order to make the tackle.

Neither player is going to solve all of the Rams’ problems if Fowler leaves, but they will shore up a position that looks weak right now. Clay Matthews is really the only proven edge rusher on the roster right now, with Samson Ebukam and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo competing on the opposite side.

Obviously, there’s still the draft, but the Rams need help at outside linebacker and both of these players would come at reasonable prices for Los Angeles.

How adding Jamie Collins impacts the Lions roster

Examining how agreeing to terms with hybrid linebacker Jamie Collins impacts the Detroit Lions roster.

The 2020 tampering period is just over a day old and the Detroit Lions have already agreed to terms with several players, including hybrid linebacker Jamie Collins.

Early predictions for where Collins will play in the Lions scheme are all over the map. And for good reason. Of the game film I studied when trying to ascertain where Collins would play, I arrived at one answer — everywhere.

Collins played for the New England Patriots last season, and because their scheme is as close to the Lions as there is in the NFL, it was easy to do an apples-to-apples comparison of how he would be used in Detroit.

In 2019, Collins lined up at all four of the Patriots linebacker spots, even shifting over the slot on occasion. In the games that I watched, he rarely lined up at the same position on back-to-back plays, illustrating his true versatility.

Collins is able to play at all these spots for three major reasons. He has a freaky level of athleticism, can effectively rush the passer, and is one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL. This combination of skills makes him a unique player and one that fits the Lions like a glove.

Like in New England last season, I don’t expect Collins to stay put at any one position, and honestly, that will complement the way the other Lions linebackers are trending as well.

Lions LBs trending towards positional fluidity

After the conclusion of the 2019 season, I did a film study, examining how the Lions linebacker roles were changing. The results showed that while Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard — who was released yesterday — held static roles, Jahlani Tavai and Christian Jones’ roles were more fluid.

Now the Lions have three fluid linebackers all signed to multi-year contracts. Collins just signed a three-year deal, Tavai’s rookie contract expires in 2022 and Jones got a mid-year extension that expires in 2021.

Meanwhile, the static off-the-ball linebackers that remain, Davis and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, are in the final year of their contracts. Reeves-Maybin has consistently made the final roster based on his special teams ability, while Davis began to expand his duties to the WILL position in the latter parts of the season, something he may need to do more moving forward.

Will the Lions add more LBs?

If they do, it will surely be a player who is positionally fluid so that they can mesh with the other linebackers currently on the roster.

The most obvious name remaining in free agency is Kamalei Correa, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, who was directly coached by new Lions’ linebacker coach Tyrone McKenzie over the last two seasons. Correa has experience playing the JACK linebacker role, can rush the passer and drop into coverage. He has been a career rotational player, but on the Lions roster, that’s what they likely need right now.

If the Lions look to the draft, there are four top-100 players they are surely watching. Zach Baun (Wisconsin) is an off-the-ball linebacker who has shown a knack for rushing the passer. Josh Uche (Michigan) is lightning quick off the edge and can drop into coverage better than most JACK linebackers. Bradlee Anae (Utah) is primarily a pass rusher but has shown the ability to win from his feet. While Curtis Weaver (Boise State), who at 6-63, 265-pounds, is physically as close to a Dont’a Hightower clone as you will find. Weaver is a junior, but Baun, Uche, Anae were all on the North roster at the Senior Bowl and were coached by the Lions staff.

Adding any one of these players would give the Lions front a significant boost in 2020, even if they are in a limited role to begin the season.

Pair of pass rushers available for Cardinals to pursue

The Cardinals are seeking a pass rusher to play opposite Chandler Jones.

The Arizona Cardinals have not yet addressed an outside linebacker to play opposite Chandler Jones this offseason in free agency. Several have been signed two big contracts but a pair of teams have made players available they do not want anymore.

The Chicago Bears released outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and the Detroit Lions are reportedly shopping linebacker Devon Kennard.

Floyd is a former first-round pick of the Bears and he had seven sacks as a rookie. However, since then, he has had only 11.5 sacks in three years.

He fits the physical profile for a 3-4 outside linebacker, which he played with the Bears. He perhaps could be signed at a reasonable one-year deal to try and revive his career.

Kennard is on his way out from the Lions despite seven sacks each of the last two seasons. He was a team captain as well.

He was made expendable with the addition of Jamie Collins.

Kennard has Arizona ties. He played high school ball at Desert Vista and his father played for the Cardinals in the early 90s.

He played outside linebacker for Detroit last season and fits the profile for a 3-4 linebacker for the Cardinals. An initial report said the Lions were going to release him and then it was reported he was being shopped in an attempt to trade him.

It is unknown what it would cost to acquire Kennard. He is due a salary of $4.95 million and can make as much as almost $5.7 million in 2020.

Kennard has proven production and would be a good fit.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 261

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Ep. 260

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Updated Report: Lions to release EDGE Devon Kennard, QB Kyle Sloter

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning on releasing JACK linebacker Devon Kennard and QB Kyle Sloter.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning on releasing JACK linebacker Devon Kennard and reserve quarterback Kyle Sloter.

When the Lions hired coach Matt Patricia, the first free agent the organization targeted and signed was Kennard. After two seasons, both as a team-captain, Kennard’s time in Detroit is over.

Kennard set a career-high in sacks (seven) in 2018, then replicated those numbers in 2019 but overall he underperformed as a pass-rusher. Kennard is position flexible and has several elements of his game that are appealing, but at the end of the day, his primary job was to create consistent pressure on the quarterback and he fell short.

After the Lions came to a contractual agreement with Jamie Collins, who is now poised to take over the Lions JACK linebacker role, making this move easier on the team.

Kennard was set to earn $7.42 million this season, but after his release, the Lions (only) absorb a $1.75 million cap hit, and in turn, free up $5.67 million in salary-cap space.

After signing quarterback Chase Daniel, it pushed Sloter into the fourth quarterback position and made him expendable. Sloter had no guaranteed money on his contract and the Lions will not incur a penalty for releasing him.

Both Kennard and Sloter are immediately free agents who can sign with any NFL team.

UPDATE

Ian Rapoport is amending his college at NFL network’s report that the Lions are releasing Kennard at this time and suggest the Lions are attempting a trade. This will be difficult now that teams know the Lions are considering releasing Kennard, but not unprecedented.

Ex-Giant Devon Kennard explains his yes vote on new CBA

Former New York Giants LB Devon Kennard, now with the Detroit Lions, explains why he voted “yes” on the newly proposed CBA ratification.

Former New York Giants linebacker Devon Kennard, who is now a member of the Detroit Lions, voted in favor of the newly proposed CBA earlier this week and then publicly explaining his decision.

Kennard’s stance was in stark contrast to many NFL athletes, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who voiced his opposition in a lengthy letter shared on social media.

Even with pressure from his own teammates, Kennard remained firm in his belief that there were enough benefits and that players would see enough money that it warranted a “yes” vote.

Entering the weekend, there is no approval for the CBA. However, Kennard and other NFLPA representatives, in a slim majority, did vote to send the CBA proposal to the full union membership for potential ratification.

There remains no timetable for that vote.

“There will be white smoke when there is white smoke,” NFLPA President Eric Winston told reporters at the NFL Combine. “The one thing we’re not doing is rushing though this thing. Every ‘I’ will be dotted, every ‘T’ will be crossed, and when that happens, that happens.”

For the time being, all operations will be conducted under the current CBA.

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Devon Kennard voted to approve the CBA proposal for full player vote

Devon Kennard voted to approve the CBA proposal from owners for a full player vote

Devon Kennard revealed that he voted to approve the controversial proposal from NFL owners to the players for a new collective bargaining agreement. Kennard is the Lions’ NFLPA player rep, and he was one of 17 players who voted in favor of the proposal.

Kennard explained why he made that decision in a post on Twitter. While noting the deal “is not perfect by any means”, he cited an increase in minimum salaries for players, a higher percentage of the NFL revenues devoted to players, and further quality of life improvements in the offseason and training camp as reasons to support the proposal.

The deal is not approved. What Kennard and the other NFLPA reps did was authorize the proposal for a vote from all the players. There is no immediate timetable on that vote, but both sides would love to get a deal done as quickly as possible. The current CBA expires after the 2020 season.