Tag: D’Onta Foreman

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: AFC South Edition

Listing one free agent from each team in the AFC South that could be a good fit for the Chargers.

The 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 its roster.

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 South.

EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad, Colts

This is a league where you can’t have too many pass rushers, and the Chargers are currently thin at the position. Appearing in every game for the third consecutive season, Muhammad finished the 2021 season with career highs with 47 tackles, 37 pressures, 12 quarterback hits, and six sacks. The 6-foot-4 and 250 pounder would be a fine piece to Los Angeles’ pass-rush rotation, and it wouldn’t cost them much, either.

WR D.J. Chark, Jaguars

Mike Williams’ future with the Chargers looms, but even if he is back, the team is lacking one element at the position: speed. Before fracturing his ankle that limited him to four games in 2021, Chark compiled 126 receptions, 1,714 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns across the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The 6-foot-3 and 198 pounder has more than ideal size coupled with the “see you later” speed and athleticism that the offense could greatly benefit from.

S Justin Reid, Texans

Among the many positions that the Chargers need to address is safety. Behind Derwin James and Nasir Adderley, Alohi Gilman and Mark Webb both dealt with injuries that kept them out for a great while of time this past season. After flourishing in his rookie and sophomore seasons, Reid took a step back the past two seasons after being in a bad situation schematically and dealing with a sudden rift between Reid and David Culley, Houston’s interim head coach in 2021. Nonetheless, Reid’s skillset is perfect for Brandon Staley’s defense, as he’s capable of lining up all over the field, with the ability to run with receivers or tight ends and the football IQ to identify route concepts and make plays at the catch point.

RB D’Onta Foreman, Titans

The Chargers need to find a running mate to Austin Ekeler in the worst way, and Foreman has the resume to be that guy. Foreman took full advantage of an expanded role when Derrick Henry was injured in 2021, carrying 133 times for 566 yards (4.3-yard average) and three touchdowns, and he crossed the 100-yard mark three times. Further, he showed capable as a pass-catcher, reeling in nine of 10 targets for 123 yards (13.7 yards per catch).

5 Titans who saw their stock rise the most in 2021

It’s no surprise that this list is dominated by defensive players.

The Tennessee Titans didn’t achieve a 12-5 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs on pure luck. Mike Vrabel’s club had a number of players step up in a big way this past season, including our honorable mention here in safety Kevin Byard.

The 28-year-old experienced a bounceback season after being a non-factor for the most part in 2020. Byard accumulated 88 combined tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, two defensive touchdowns and five interceptions, tied for fourth-most in the National Football League.

For his efforts, Byard was recognized as a First-Team All-Pro, while also earning his second Pro Bowl honor.

“He’s our leader. He runs the show,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said back in October. “He’s our communicator, and he’s getting himself in position to make some plays and he’s making them. That’s what we expect of him. That’s what he expects of himself and it’s kind of showing up right now, so hopefully it will continue.”

Byard set the tone for what we’ve come to expect from him as a player when he burst onto the scene in his sophomore year, when he led the league with eight interceptions. In 2018 and 2019, the Middle Tennessee State product racked up a combined nine picks before regressing some in 2020.

Byard didn’t make the list of players who saw their stock rise the most in 2021, but here are five players who did.

9 pending free agents Titans should re-sign in 2022

A look at nine pending free agents the Tennessee Titans should re-sign in 2022.

The Tennessee Titans will have some difficult decisions to make during the 2022 offseason, and those decisions begin with the team’s own free agents.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson will have a hill to climb this offseason, as Tennessee is projected to be about $7 million over the cap to begin with, according to Over the Cap.

With Tennessee having 31 of their own free agents to deal with and needing to make some additions in free agency, Robinson will no doubt have to cut and/or restructure contracts to free up more money.

When taking a look at the list of Titans players who are set to be free agents, there are nine who jump off the page as players Tennessee should bring back.

Thankfully, only two of them will be expensive for the Titans to retain. Let’s take a look at who the nine are and why the Titans should bring them back.

D’Onta Foreman reflects on 2021 season, thanks Titans for opportunity

“I don’t really want to say I proved it to myself – I always felt like that was in me already,” Foreman said.

Tennessee Titans running back D’Onta Foreman stepped up in a big way this past season when Derrick Henry went down to injury, which no doubt helped the Titans navigate the final nine games of the season en route to winning the AFC South and the conference’s No. 1 seed.

Foreman, who wasn’t on an NFL roster before the Titans brought him in in the wake of Henry’s injury, was able to outperform Tennessee’s other backfield options, ultimately leading to his becoming the starter.

The 25-year-old tallied 566 rushing yards on 133 carries, an average of 4.3 yards per carry, and added three touchdowns and four runs of 20-plus yards.

In the playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Foreman provided a spark, tallying a team-high 66 yards, including a 45-yard scamper that put the Titans in position for a touchdown before one of Ryan Tannehill’s three picks.

When looking back on his season, Foreman feels like he proved he belongs and also expressed his gratitude for the Titans giving him a chance, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.

“I don’t really want to say I proved it to myself – I always felt like that was in me already,” Foreman said. “I just had to prove it to everybody else. And I think I got the opportunity to do that thanks to the Titans, thanks to Coach Vrabel and Jon (Robinson) and everybody for believing in me and trusting in me and giving me this opportunity and this platform to show what I’m able to do.

“I’m just so thankful and so grateful. Like I said before, God is good, and I want to continue to show people that I can play in this league. I can be a good running back, and I can go out there and ball.”

It has been a long road to this point for Foreman. After being drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, Foreman tore his Achilles and it looked like he might not have a future in the NFL for a few years until he landed with the Titans.

Now, because of his impressive performance in 2021, Foreman should garner interest around the league and get an opportunity to start elsewhere when he officially becomes a free agent.

There’s no doubt Tennessee would love to hang on to Foreman and have him serve as Henry’s backup next season, but it might prove difficult to keep him if he has a chance at a bigger role elsewhere, something the Titans can’t promise him when The King is healthy.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel touched on Foreman’s 2021 showing, while also talking about his status as a pending free agent.

“D’Onta has an expiring contract, and we will see how that fits in to what we are going to do going forward,” Vrabel said. “Those are conversations (GM) Jon (Robinson) and I will have. He was fun to coach. He did a nice job for us, certainly made the best of his opportunity.”

Foreman’s contract will officially expire when the new league year begins on March 16 at 4 p.m. ET, which is also the official start of free agency. The legal tampering period begins two days earlier on March 14.

[lawrence-related id=81899,81894,81877]

[listicle id=81835]

WATCH: D’Onta Foreman goes beast mode in the divisional round

The Texas ex is making plays on the biggest stage.

The Tennesee Titans signing D’Onta Foreman has proved to be one of the biggest midseason moves in the entire NFL this year.

The former third round pick in the 2017 NFL draft had struggled to a stable home in the league prior to this season. Tennessee has become a great place to revive his career.

Foreman proved to be a formidable replacement for superstar Derrick Henry. The Texas ex was a major part of Tennesee’s playoff push and is continuing to make plays in the divisional round, even with Henry back.

Watch here as Foreman does his best Marshawn Lynch impression tearing through the Bengals defense setting up Tennessee in the red zone after a 45-yard gain.

Foreman’s Titans are in a battle against Cinincanti with a spot in the AFC championship on the line.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

 

List of former Longhorns who will participate in the NFL playoffs

Texas will be well represented in this year’s NFL playoffs.

The NFL wrapped up another eventful regular season on Sunday.

The league battled COVID-19 all year long but found a way to make it to the postseason without any cancelations. It was also a successful year for many former Longhorns.

Justin Tucker, Quandre Diggs and Devin Duvernay were named to the 2022 Pro Bowl. D’Onta Foreman proved himself as a valuable running back while replacing Derrick Henry for the Titans and Colt McCoy picked up a few victories for his Cardinals.

The Wildcard round is now officially upon us as we are slated for six games this weekend.

Texas fans watching the playoffs will see some familiar faces on the field.

Of the 33 former Horns on active rosters, nine will participate in this year’s NFL playoffs. Five from the NFC and four from the AFC.

Take a look at a full list of Texas exes who will start their journey to the Lombardi trophy this weekend:

Titans’ keys to victory in Week 18 game vs. Texans

The Titans must exploit the Texans’ league-worst run defense in Week 18.

The Tennessee Titans (11-5) are set to travel to the franchise’s old stomping grounds to take on the Houston Texans (4-12) in an AFC South showdown.

This game is rather meaningless for the Texans as they try to get their mind off Bora Bora for one more weekend. The Titans, on the other hand, are one win away from securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season.

Securing the No. 1 seed is extra important these days because there’s only one team that gets the first-round bye in each conference due to the recent playoff expansion to seven teams in each conference.

It cannot be overstated how helpful the bye week is when trying to chase a championship. Teams that play on Wild Card weekend must win three games just to get to the Super Bowl, while the teams with the bye week only need two wins to get there.

There is also a bit of the revenge aspect heading into this game. The Titans embarrassingly fell to the Texans back in Week 11 during a disastrous day that saw Tennessee turn the ball over five times in borderline monsoon weather.

Unlike that day, Tennessee is going to have most of their top weapons on both sides of the ball for this Week 18 finale, therefore there’s no acceptable reason for an upset this time around.

With all that said, let’s take a closer look at what Tennessee needs to accomplish in order to ensure they leave Houston as the AFC’s No. 1 Seed.

Titans’ run game to create sizable challenge for the Texans in Week 18

The Tennessee Titans run game has been constant with or without Derrick Henry, and it presents a threat to the Houston Texans defense.

HOUSTON — For the second consecutive year, the Houston Texans have struggled against the run after giving up an average of 143.4 rushing yards per game. But despite their issues, there were moments throughout the 2021 campaign the Texans held their own, and one came amid Houston’s 22-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans in November.

During the Week 11 win at Nissan Stadium, the Texans held the Titans to 103 yards on the ground, with former running back Adrian Peterson leading the way with 40 yards on nine carries.

By stopping the run, the Texans put together their best defensive performance of the season after recording five takeaways in the win — four came by the way of interceptions.

“Everything starts defensively with stopping the run,” defensive coordinator Lovie Smith said. “I know most offensive teams that say they are a running football team, they come in and want to establish the run. If you are able to do that and make a team one-dimensional, it gives you the opportunity to take the ball away more when they are having to throw it. They threw it last time a lot more than I am sure they wanted to.”

Although the Texans’ run defense did play a solid role in forcing the Titans into altering their game-plan, the absence of running back Derrick Henry played a significant role in Tennessee’s offensive struggles.

Three weeks prior to the Texans’ win against the Titans, Henry sustained a Jones fracture that sidelined him for six to 10 weeks. Without their leading rusher, the Titans’ rushing attack declined, but Tennessee has since found a contingency plan due to the on-field contributions of D’Onta Foreman.

The former Texan has eclipsed over 100 yards in rushing in three of his last five games while recording 413 yards on 89 attempts and three touchdowns.

According to Smith, the key to thwarting a potential revenge game from Foreman at NRG Stadium on Sunday is to be disciplined, play the gap and not allow any explosive plays to break out.

“They’ve gotten back to who they were,” coach David Culley said. “When we played them the first time, they weren’t able to do that. Our defense forced them to do something that they didn’t want to do. But since our game, they’ve gotten back to that. It’s a challenge.”

Culley continued: “They know what they want to do, they do it well, and when they are doing it, they’re a very well-balanced football team offensively as well as not only running the ball but throwing the football. Defensively, that’s a very good front that they have, and they’ve got some guys back that they didn’t have when we played them the last time.”

Titans’ top PFF grades and stats from Week 17 victory vs. Dolphins

Four Titans offensive linemen earned a pass-blocking grade of 80 or better in Week 17.

Following the Tennessee Titans’ crucial Week 17 victory over the Miami Dolphins, which helped the team secure its second-straight AFC South title, we’re taking a look at the top Pro Football Focus grades on offense and defense.

Earning the top overall grade on both sides of the ball was running back D’Onta Foreman with an 82.7 after he had yet another stellar game with 26 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, defensive lineman Kyle Peko had the highest overall grade with a 78.3. Peko had one sack and two total tackles in just 16 snaps.

The most impressive part of the Titans’ Week 17 PFF grades comes from the offensive line, which was excellent against the Dolphins, a team that entered the game with the most sacks in the NFL. In fact, a total of four starters upfront notched a pass protection grade above an 80.

Find out which players earned those grades as we go over the top PFF grades and stats for the Titans on both sides of the ball from Week 17.

D’Onta Foreman, Titans react to RB’s Week 17 showing vs. Dolphins

Titans RB D’Onta Foreman is ready to do whatever is asked of him when Derrick Henry returns.

Much like before the Derrick Henry injury, the Tennessee Titans leaned on their run game en route to claiming back-to-back AFC South division titles after Sunday’s 34-3 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Back when Henry went down in late October, much of the national media wrote off the Titans as Super Bowl contenders. However, Foreman, who was added to the team’s practice squad in early November, has been a workhorse in Henry’s absence.

On Sunday, the 25-year-old averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 26 attempts, collecting 132 rushing yards and a touchdown.

It took a couple of drives for the ground game to gain some traction, but running back D’Onta Foreman ripped off a 14-yard run down to the Dolphins’ one-yard line to set up the Titans’ first score of the game in the first quarter.

After settling for a field goal deep in Miami territory to make it a 10-0 Titans lead, Foreman trotted into the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, making it a 17-3 advantage in favor of the home team.

With Dontrell Hilliard, who put the victory on ice with a 39-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, and Jeremy McNichols, the Titans’ ground game has more than gotten by without No. 22.

The early rumors have suggested that Henry could be back for the team’s Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans. However, that was in the scenario where the Titans had not yet clinched a playoff berth.

With a win next week, the Titans would secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

As for what the future holds, Henry is likely to return in the playoffs, leaving Foreman and Hilliard’s expanded roles uncertain.

“I am not sure what the plan is, but whatever my role will be, I am going to do my role, do everything I can to help the team win,” Foreman said. “At the end of the day, the Titans gave me this opportunity, so I am just so thankful.”

Here was Foreman’s complete reaction to his performance, along with input from his teammates and head coach.