Tag: Ezekiel Ansah

Ezekiel Ansah still unsigned and the Lions shouldn’t bite

Ezekiel Ansah still unsigned and the Lions shouldn’t bite on the oft-injured veteran pass rusher

One of the biggest names still available on the free agent market is a familiar one for the Detroit Lions. Ezekiel Ansah remains unsigned after his one season in Seattle following his departure from Detroit.

The Lions guessed right in letting Ansah walk after he played out the 2018 season on the franchise tag for over $17 million. The 30-year-old struggled with injuries once again, contributing just 2.5 sacks in 11 games for the Seahawks. Seattle paid $9 million for that meager output from what remained damaged goods.

Check out the quote from Seahawks coach Pete Carroll in November,

There’s a chance that more rest and rehab have allowed Ansah to get back to being the Pro Bowler who racked up at least 12 sacks in both 2015 and 2017. And the Lions still desperately need an EDGE to generate pressure.

Even though he figures to come cheaply, the Lions need to keep the door closed on the Ezekiel Ansah story in Detroit. Wish him well, but from afar…

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2020 NFL Free Agency: Best Seahawks targets for the Saints

The New Orleans Saints have had interest in Ezekiel Ansah before, but they would do better to pursue Jarran Reed of the Seahawks free agents

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How can the New Orleans Saints improve in 2020? The answer to that question starts with shoring up the weaknesses of last year’s roster, and accounting for the areas thinnest on the depth chart. Fortunately, the Seattle Seahawks offer some pending free agents who might interest the Saints. Here’s the full list:

  • CB Akeem King
  • CB Neiko Thorpe
  • CB Kalan Reed
  • CB Jeremy Boykins (ERFA)
  • DE Jadeveon Clowney
  • DE Ezekiel Ansah
  • DE Quinton Jefferson
  • DE Branden Jackson
  • DT Al Woods
  • DT Jarran Reed
  • DT Bryan Mone (ERFA)
  • FS Ryan Neal (ERFA)
  • LB Mychal Kendricks
  • LB Dekoda Watson
  • LB Emmanuel Ellerbe (ERFA)
  • OC Joey Hunt
  • OG Mike Iupati
  • OG Jordan Roos (ERFA)
  • OT Germain Ifedi
  • OT George Fant
  • OT Jordan Simmons (ERFA)
  • QB Geno Smith
  • RB Marshawn Lynch
  • RB Robert Turbin
  • RB C.J. Prosise
  • TE Luke Willson
  • TE Jacob Hollister (RFA)
  • TE Tyrone Swoopes (ERFA)
  • WR Josh Gordon
  • WR Jaron Brown
  • WR David Moore (RFA)
  • WR Malik Turner (ERFA)

The Saints have had interest in Ansah before, but he was a shell of his former self in 2019. He produced just 2.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hits in 11 games, with injuries having taken a toll on his body. A better target may be Reed — the interior lineman created 13 total pressures in just 10 games, having lost part of the year to an early-season suspension. If he’s cleaned up his act, he could be a nice replacement for Saints free agent David Onyemata.

While he is a restricted free agent, meaning the Seahawks can match any contract offers he receives, Hollister is an intriguing prospect at tight end. He created a lot of yards after the catch and handled a variety of blocking assignments for the Seahawks, and he could be a nice third-string addition for the Saints behind Jared Cook and Josh Hill (each of whom will become free agents in the not-too-distant future). The Seahawks just signed first-team Saints slayer Greg Olsen, so they may be open to letting Hollister walk away if the money isn’t to their liking.

And the Seahawks also have a number of cornerbacks hitting the market; that could be an area where we see some movement, considering how few corners the Saints have under contract (just three: Marshon Lattimore, Janoris Jenkins, and Patrick Robinson). Of the group, King saw the most playing-time on defense (267 snaps), while he and Thorpe both played frequently on special teams for Seattle. The Saints will be looking for backups, so they should both be on New Orleans’ radar.

Also: wouldn’t Geno Smith make some sense as a low-cost backup who can play from the pocket, much like Teddy Bridgewater has done? He doesn’t offer Bridgewater’s playmaking ability or accuracy, but the Saints have taken worse passers into training camp in the past.

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Eagles could be in the market for free agent edge rushers

Eagles could be in the market for free-agent defensive linemen

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to retool their roster heading into the 2020 NFL season and although the bulk of the focus has been on the Birds adding an explosive pass-catcher or shut down corner, the Eagles could be in the market to add defensive line help as well.

The Birds love to rush the passer the up the middle and off the edge, with more emphasis being placed on disrupting the passer than the actual sack. Even so, the Eagles would like to get more production from their defensive line, thus allowing the secondary to perform better under less stress and pressure.

The Birds could use defensive line help and here are five guys that could be available on the open market.

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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 11: Vic Beasley Jr

1. Vic Beasley, DE, Atlanta Falcons

The free-agent pass rusher has familiarity with Marquand Manuel and a lot to prove after the Falcons quickly announced he was no longer in their plans.

Beasley has 37.5 career sacks and could help bolster the Eagles pass rush without the pressure of being a starter.

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Seattle Seahawks 2020 free agent profile: Defensive end Ziggy Ansah

Will the Seattle Seahawks reunite with Ziggy Ansah, or will they look elsewhere to shore up their depleted pass rush?

*The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2020 offseason with 19 players set to become unrestricted free agents, which should make for another busy spring and summer for Pete Carroll and John Schneider as they look to shore up the roster and contend for the number one seed in the NFC again next year.*

Our Seahawks Wire series on Seattle’s free agents continues with defensive end Ziggy Ansah.

The Seahawks did not have a good pass rush last year, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. The team made a pair of veteran additions in Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney, while also using their first-round pick on defensive end L.J. Collier.

Unfortunately, injuries and ineffectiveness worked their way across Seattle’s defensive line, hitting the veteran Ansah the hardest.

After signing a one-year deal worth $9 million dollars, Ansah was only able to deliver 2.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits in 11 games played, gradually losing playing time to Shaquem Griffin down the stretch.

While Seattle is still desperate for more help on the edge, it seems unlikely the team will give Ansah another chance after a disappointing campaign in 2019.

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Report: Seahawks DT Al Woods suspended 4 games for PED use

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Al Woods was reportedly suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on PEDs.

The banged up Seattle Seahawks defense suffered another blow on Friday with the news that veteran defensive tackle Al Woods will be suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs, according to a tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Woods becomes the second Seahawks player this week to be suspended for drug use, following the indefinite suspension handed to receiver Josh Gordon on Monday.

While the Seahawks feel confident in their receiving corps even without Gordon, the same cannot be said for the team’s defensive line.

With Jadeveon Clowney and Ezekiel Ansah both nursing injuries, the Seahawks are thin on the defensive line heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals. Woods’ roster spot will almost certainly be used to add depth on the defensive line, with undrafted free agent Bryan Mone likely getting recalled from the practice squad.

Dekoda Watson, whom the Seahawks signed to take Gordon’s roster spot, is more of a rusher off the edge and likely won’t replace Woods as a run-stopper in the middle.

Woods had a strong season with the Seahawks, playing alongside Poona Ford and creating a formidable run-stopping tandem up front.

He recorded 32 combined tackles, including three for a loss, one quarterback hit and one sack on the season.

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