Tag: Ezekiel Ansah

49ers roster moves: 2 players go on IR, WR Kevin White among 3 activated

The 49ers made a slew of roster moves ahead of their Week 5 matchup vs. the Miami Dolphins.

The 49ers on Saturday made a few roster moves in preparation for Sunday’s showdown with the Miami Dolphins. They officially placed Ezekiel Ansah and K’Waun Williams on Injured Reserve and added three players to their game day roster, including two cornerbacks and a wide receiver.

Ansah will go on IR for the season with a torn biceps he suffered vs. the Eagles. Williams should only have a short-term stay on the injured list. He sprained his knee vs. Philadelphia and will be out a minimum of three weeks. San Francisco opens a roster spot by adding him to IR.

Cornerback Jamar Taylor will play the nickel corner spot with Williams out. He was flexed from the practice squad last week, but this week he was promoted to the 53-man roster. He saw action late last week when Williams left with his injury. Against the Dolphins he figures to get plenty of work in the slot as the primary nickel back.

The 49ers flexed two players off their practice squad to the active roster. Cornerback Brian Allen will provide some much-needed depth in a depleted 49ers secondary. He’s been with the club’s practice squad since the middle of September. The other addition for game day is former Bears first-round pick Kevin White. White has been with the club since training camp and gives them a player to hold Deebo Samuel’s roster spot if Samuel can’t suit up. He’s questionable with an illness, although he successfully passed through the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.

If Samuel is healthy and playing it’s hard to imagine White suits up, unless San Francisco plans on one of Dante Pettis or Trent Taylor not playing. They both had limited practices Wednesday before full sessions Thursday and Friday.

Expect the 49ers to continue making pre-game tweaks like this while they continue to navigate their injury woes.

Report: 49ers fear biceps tear for DE Ezekiel Ansah

The 49ers can’t catch a break on the injury front. They may have lost Ezekiel Ansah for the season per Ian Rapoport.

The 49ers can’t catch a break on the injury front, especially at defensive end. Ezekiel Ansah is believed to have suffered a biceps tear Sunday night according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Head coach Kyle Shanahan in his press conference confirmed a biceps injury that would land Ansah on IR.

Ansah was signed between Weeks 2 and 3 because of injuries for San Francisco at the position. Nick Bosa and Dee Ford are both out which led to the 49ers digging into the free agent pool.

He didn’t record any stats in his two games. A biceps tear could possibly end his season.

The 2013 first-round pick has dealt with injuries throughout his career. He’s played only 20 games the last three years, and since 2013 has only played in 16 games twice.

San Francisco isn’t due to get any defensive end depth back until Week 7 at the earliest when Ronald Blair is eligible to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list, so they could go searching in the free agent market again to see if they can find pass rush help.

Report: Ravens have DE Ziggy Ansah on their radar

Though they already have a stacked defensive line, the Baltimore Ravens are keeping free-agent DE Ziggy Ansah on their radar.

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t done tweaking their roster ahead of Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. Though the Ravens are in the middle of training camp, they’ve been looking at the available free agents to see if they can’t improve their team. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Baltimore has its eyes on defensive end Ziggy Ansah.

The Ravens have been linked to a number of big-name free agents recently without making any signings. Baltimore just brought in wide receivers Dez Bryant and Dwayne Harris for workouts, though both left without a contract. With Ansah now on their radar, the Ravens seem to be keeping tabs on a number of free agents just in case.

Though the last two years have been rough for Ansah, he’s not far removed from serious production. In 2017, Ansah had 12 sacks for the Detroit Lions. However, a nagging shoulder injury has seen Ansah active for just 18 games since that point. But if that shoulder is finally healed, as seems to be the case with his recent workout video, Ansah could still be an effective pass rusher, especially on Baltimore’s revamped defensive line.

While there’s plenty of excitement about the Ravens potentially adding in another highly productive free agent, they don’t necessarily have a need for Ansah quite yet. They added Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe this offseason, pushing Brandon Williams back inside to nose tackle. As it stands right now, Baltimore is going to have a bunch of tough decisions to make on the defensive line as they trim down to the 53-man roster limit in early September.

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Report: DE Ezekiel Ansah on ‘Bills radar’ again

Buffalo Bills have defensive end Ezekiel Ansah on their radar again.

The Bills once again have shown interest in free agent defensive end Ezekiel Ansah.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the 31-year-old is healthy and recently sent a video to NFL teams of him working out. In addition, Fowler reports the 49ers have recently worked him out while mentioning both the Bills and Ravens have him “on their radar.”

Here’s the video of Ansah’s workout via Fowler:

The Bills previously had expressed interest in Ansah prior to previous seasons under Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott’s watch. As recently as last offseason the Bills had reported interest in Ansah, a former Pro Bowler with the Lions. At that time, he took a free agent visit to Orchard Park.

Ansah is a two-time double-digit sacker in the NFL, including a 14.5 sack season in 2015. However, injury has stalled him in recent years. Ansah was the fifth-overall pick at the 2013 NFL Draft by the Lions.

In 2019, Ansah ended up appearing in 11 games for the Seahawks after signing a one-year deal in Seattle. He played a rotational role there, 32 percent of their defensive snaps, forcing 2.5 sacks and two fumbles.

In Buffalo, Ansah would once again play a reserve role, likely with Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes and second-round rookie AJ Epenesa. Trent Murphy is also in Buffalo’s defense end room, but could be a cap casualty of the Bills if Ansah was brought in.

The Bills front office and coaching staff could also be looking at Ansah in case of emergency down the road this season, too. Teams potentially looking at, or even working out a player does not mean a signing is imminent.

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Report: 49ers host pair of free agent edge rushers

The 49ers met with edge rushers Ezekiel Ansah and Dion Jordan.

The 49ers aren’t shy about their desire to improve their roster at any position. That includes the edge rush — a position that helped spearhead their Super Bowl run last season. They met with a pair of defensive ends that were top-5 picks in their respective drafts according to reports from NFL Network and ESPN.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Tuesday morning reported the 49ers had former Lions and Seahawks defensive end Ezekiel Ansah in for a physical and COVID-19 testing. Ansah was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Detroit Lions. He racked up 48 sacks in six years with the Lions, including a career-high 14.5 in 2015 when he earned his only Pro Bowl nod. He made his way to the Seahawks last season but didn’t find much success in a year where injuries limited him to 11 games. Ansah notched 2.5 sacks with Seattle.

He wasn’t the only former Seahawks edge rusher to visit with the 49ers though. San Francisco also hosted Dion Jordan, who went No. 3 in the 2013 draft to the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jordan hasn’t lived up to his status as a top-3 pick. He’s posted 10.5 sacks in 50 games across six seasons. He spent two years in Miami with just 3.0 sacks, then missed 2015 while he was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Jordan also missed 2016 despite getting reinstated by the league. The Seahawks picked him up for the 2017 and 2018 campaigns after the Dolphins released him, then the Raiders scooped him up for the 2019 season. In the last three years he played 24 games and put up 7.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Neither player has officially signed yet, but San Francisco’s interest in both indicates they’re aiming to bolster their pass rush depth and improve an already strong unit.

 

Remaining July free agents left for Bills to consider

Are there any free agents out there in July for the Buffalo Bills to sign?

Welcome to July, can’t you just taste the football right around the corner?

Of course, that means little right now. There’s a plan in place to start training camp, as scheduled, at the end of the month… but who really knows what will happen? Assuming that goes according to plan, NFL rosters are still pretty set in stone now.

But let’s have some fun. If Bills general manager Brandon Beane were to be in the market to add another free agent or two before training camp comes around, could there be some options out there?

Here are 15 free agent options for the Bills to consider in July:

Falcons running back Devonta Freeman. Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

RB Devonta Freeman

Age: 28

Freeman could be another solid complement to their complement. Devin Singletary is the No. 1, shifty runner for the Bills. Zack Moss gets the heavy lifting done at times, while Freeman is a solid third-down option as a proven pass catcher. However, bad news could be the asking price. We’re not sure exactly what it would be, but of said in June, Bucs coach Bruce Arians said it’s too high.

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The 9 worst free agent signings in the John Schneider era

The Seattle Seahawks have had a lot of success under general manager John Schneider, but he has made his fair share of mistakes as well.

The Seattle Seahawks, under general manager John Schneider, built a near-dynasty in the early part of the decade thanks to a handful of excellent, career-defining draft selections – including Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas – all who well outperformed their draft spot.

Schneider also proved capable of making excellent trades to help the team, including acquiring Marshawn Lynch back in 2010 and more recent trades for Jadeveon Clowney and Quandre Diggs.

Perhaps Schneider’s biggest area of weakness is on the free agent market. Despite excellent, under the radar signings like Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Bradley McDougald and the undrafted addition of Doug Baldwin, the Seahawks have also dished out a handful of ugly deals that, at times, hampered the franchise’s bottom line while hurting the product on the field.

Here is a look at the nine worst free agent signings during Schneider’s tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, starting with a few who just missed the cut:

CB Jamar Taylor (2019)

CB Byron Maxwell (2018)

K Sebastian Janikowski (2018)

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8 available NFL free agents that could interest the Philadelphia Eagles

8 available NFL free agents that could interest the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are about a month and half out from the start of the 2020 NFL season and even with a full roster, Howie Roseman could still look to add value to the team. The Eagles could still use a veteran running back or pass rusher and with Jadeveon Clowney still on the board, there’s also a chance Roseman could make a big splash.

With the Eagles aspiring for another Super Bowl, here are 8 available free agents that could interest the Birds.

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 Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

1. Logan Ryan, CB

A smart, instinctive hybrid defensive back, Ryan would fit in with an Eagles secondary that his embracing versatile defenders. Ryan can play the slot, safety, and could make the Eagles that much tougher to gameplan for.

Last season his 18 passes defended were third-most in the league, while he also added 4.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, 113 tackles, and four interceptions.

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B/R says Bills should still sign free agent Ezekiel Ansah

For the Bills, it’s a defensive end they’ve previously been linked to, Ezekiel Ansah via Bleacher Report.

All eyes are on the 2020 NFL Draft as the month of April is just about halfway there.

But that doesn’t mean free agency completely stops. It will continue to churn up some signings prior to that draft, and then after as well.

Bleacher Report took a look into the remaining items in free agency and pegged one player each NFL team should still sign. For the Bills, it’s a defensive end they’ve previously been linked to, Ezekiel Ansah:

The Buffalo Bills took care of their biggest need by trading for star wideout Stefon Diggs. But since that move cost them a first-round pick—their first pick is now 54th overall—they should continue adding to their roster through free agency in the meantime.

Taking a flier on 30-year-old edge-rusher Ezekiel Ansah could help Buffalo solidify its defense before the draft.

The Bills’ pass rush was good in 2019—it produced 44 sacks—but it was not elite. They already signed outside linebacker Mario Addison to bolster it, but Ansah could be another budget addition.

Ansah will likely garner a low-value, prove-it deal after producing only 6.5 sacks over the past two injury-hampered seasons. Gambling on Ansah, who racked up 12 sacks in 14 games in 2017, could pay off big for Buffalo.

In March 2019, the Bills were linked to Ansah. He eventually latched on with the Seahawks and his injury troubles unfortunately continued. Due to that, his price tag could be pretty cheap.

Along with Addison, the Bills have Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy. Hughes and Addison are 30-plus, while Murphy is 29 and entering the final year of his contract. Buffalo plays a big rotation along their defensive line under Sean McDermott. There would be a place for Ansah, if he can stay healthy.

With Ansah, Buffalo could have a very strong top-four rotation on the edge. But the Bills could be better served to find a youthful fourth part in that rotation considering the ages of players already on the team’s roster.

But if the Bills did strike gold on Ansah, they’ve be getting a two-time double-digit sacker. His 14.5-sack season in 2015 helped Ansah earn a Pro Bowl nod and second-team, All-Pro honors.

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Remaining April free agents left for Bills to consider

Could there be any players still available that could interest the Bills? There certainly are. 

Most attention has turned to the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft at the end of April. But that doesn’t mean the free agent market has closed.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane recently spoke to reporters and admitted much of his attention is now on rookies. However, he also said that the young prospects don’t have his full attention. He’ll be sure to keep an eye on the open market, too.

Could there be any players still available that could interest the Bills? There certainly are.

Here are 10 players still on the open market for the Bills to consider:

Devonta Freeman #24 of the Atlanta Falcons. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

RB Devonta Freeman

Age: 28

This connection between the Bills and Devonta Freeman have been made since before he was even cut by the Falcons this offseason.

Freeman could provide a complement to Devin Singeltary as a pass-catching option. He caught 59 catches in 2019 with the Falcons and 257 in his career, including 73 in the 2015 season. But by most accounts, Freeman took a step back last season. He only averaged 3.6 yards per carry last year, a career-low, but overall, Freeman is at 4.2 yards per carry for his career.

Still, Freeman could be a low-cost option to pair up with Singletary in Buffalo’s backfield. However, he’s not an overly-large player that would mix well with Singletary’s smaller, shifty game with the Bills and he’s not much of a special teams guy like TJ Yeldon would be. Overall as a back, Freeman has certainly had more success than Yeldon in his career, though.

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