Tag: Folorunso Fatukasi

Jaguars WR Zay Jones still limited in Thursday practice

Not much changed on the Jaguars’ injury front between Wednesday and Thursday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars released a Thursday injury report that perfectly mirrored their Wednesday report.

Defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi was out of action again, while receiver Zay Jones, outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, and lineman Cole Van Lanen were all limited.

While Fatukasi was spotted on an exercise bike at practice, the back-to-back missed days don’t bode well for his chances at playing Sunday against the Houston Texans. Despite being limited again, Jones appears to be in position to make his return to the lineup after missing Week 4.

The Texans were missing five players from practice, but had third overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. back for a full practice after he was limited Wednesday.

The Jaguars are expected to activate 335-pound defensive lineman Corey Peters from the practice squad to the active roster with Fatukasi dealing with injury. Peters, 34, is a 12th year NFL veteran who played five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and six with the Arizona Cardinals.

Jaguars DL Foley Fatukasi misses Wednesday practice with quad injury

Folorunso Fatukasi sat out Wednesday, but the Jaguars had receiver Zay Jones back on the practice field.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi sat out practice Wednesday due to a quad injury suffered in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fatukasi, who’s a key part of the Jaguars’ run defense, played just 16 snaps against the Eagles due to his injury. On Monday, coach Doug Pederson said he’s “day-to-day.”

It was an otherwise good day for the Jaguars on the injury front as receiver Zay Jones, outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, and offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen all returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Week 4.

The Texans weren’t as fortunate with 13 players listed on their Wednesday report.

Three of those players — Jerry Hughes, Christian Kirksey, and Brandin Cooks — were just rested Wednesday.

The most notable names on the list like third overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. and offensive linemen Kenyon Green and Tytus Howard appear in line to play Sunday against the Jaguars.

Jaguars DE Folorunso Fatukasi ‘day-to-day’ with quad injury

The Jaguars’ lack of depth on the defensive line could prove costly with Foley Fatukasi nursing a quad injury.

The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t have much depth along the defensive line, so a quad injury suffered by defensive end Folorunso Fatukasi on Sunday could present problems for the team.

Fatukasi, 27, was on the field for just 16 snaps during the Jaguars’ 29-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles before he was sidelined. While a nagging calf injury created issues for Fatukasi in preseason and the opening week of the season, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said that isn’t the problem anymore.

“Yeah, it was his quad,” Pederson said Monday. “His calf was fine, it was his quad in this game, and he’s day-to-day right now.”

With Fatukasi out of action for most of the day Sunday, the Eagles ran the ball 50 times for 210 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Adam Gotsis was on the field for a season-high 58 snaps and made a few big plays, including a half-sack and a key pass deflection. Gotsis wasn’t able to do much to slow the Philadelphia rushing onslaught, though.

The Jaguars defensive line starts Fatukasi and Roy Robertson-Harris at end with DaVon Hamilton in the middle at nose tackle. The only three players on the depth chart behind that trio are Gotsis, Arden Key, and Dawuane Smoot.

While Fatukasi tips the scales at 318 pounds, Gotsis is the heaviest of the backups at 287 pounds.

Jaguars’ Folorunso Fatukasi questionable, Commanders’ Kam Curl out in final Week 1 injury report

The Commanders will be without a starting safety for the Jaguars’ season opener.

The Washington Commanders will be without starting safety Kam Curl for a Week 1 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Curl, 23, was ruled out with a thumb injury on the Commanders’ final injury report of Week 1 and tight ends Logan Thomas and Cole Turner were both listed as questionable due to knee and hamstring injuries, respectively.

The Jaguars listed defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi as questionable for Sunday. The team also added offensive tackle Cam Robinson to the report with an ankle injury that limited him Friday, but he’s expected to be a full go Sunday.

Fatukasi, 27, participated in practice all week on a limited basis while dealing with a nagging calf injury that he re-aggravated during a preseason game.

“He did well,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Friday of Fatukasi’s practices earlier in the week. “No setbacks. We’ve got to get through today, obviously. Today’s a big day. Fridays are our review days of the game plan, so if we get through today, then things look positive.”

The Jaguars signed the former New York Jets defensive lineman in March to a three-year, $30 million deal and Fatukasi is expected to start at defensive end in Jacksonville’s 3-4 defense.

Jaguars list just one player on first Week 1 injury report, Commanders list seven

The Commanders are juggling way more injuries than the relatively healthy Jaguars.

Defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi was the sole player the Jacksonville Jaguars listed on their Wednesday injury report ahead of a Week 1 game against the Washington Commanders.

“Foley is the only one we’re working back into the mix,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters ahead of the Wednesday practice. “We should see him out at practice today.”

Fatukasi, 27, was limited with a nagging calf injury that he’s been dealing with since the beginning of training camp. Fatukasi, who joined the Jaguars in March after four seasons with the New York Jets, was still able to participate sparingly in preseason. During a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he reaggravated the injury and was helped off the field by trainers.

The Commanders are dealing with more injuries, listing seven players on their Wednesday report:

That list doesn’t include star defensive end Chase Young, who will miss the season opener while he recovers from a knee injury on the team’s physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Jaguars DL coach Brentson Buckner praises Folorunso Fatukasi for his willingness to learn

Jaguars DL coach Brentson Buckner says Folorunso Fatukasi still has a chip on his shoulder and loves to learn even after getting a new contract.

In a recent appearance on “Jaguars Happy Hour,” defensive line coach Brentson Buckner said new defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi still has a chip on his shoulder even after signing a three-year, $30-million contract in free agency. That great mindset can be a rarity for a former sixth-round draft pick following a large payday.

“Foley [Fatukasi] is a great guy,” Buckner said. “I’ve been admiring him for a while. I like to tell fans and people don’t get caught up in the draft. Everybody who gets a helmet is a professional football player. Everybody can’t go number one. But when you get in there and see a guy.

“He gets in and he grinds and he works and the one thing he’s going to have with him when he comes in is a chip on his shoulder. Because we all are competitors, and we all feel that we should go higher than what we really do, so it drives you. And that’s the one thing he did.”

Buckner complimented Fatukasi’s IQ, too. He said Fatukasi is a smart player and likes how he isn’t afraid to ask questions.

He said some players come into the building thinking there isn’t much to learn after signing a large contract, but Fatukasi didn’t.

“Most people sign big contracts, and they come in and they got all the answers,” Buckner said. “No, he still has challenges. ‘Coach, how can I get better? What do I need to work on? Coach, these are some things I saw in my game last year.’ As a coach, that’s what you want.”

It sounds like the Jaguars hit a home run when they signed Fatukasi in free agency this offseason. He has the exact mindset teams want from their new players after giving them large deals.

Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell happy to reunite with DL Folorunso Fatukasi

Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell is happy to reunite with DL Folorunso Fatukasi after drafting him in the sixth rounds while he was with the Jets.

New Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell saw defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi’s potential when he drafted him in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft while he was with the New York Jets.

Now, after years of development, Caldwell feels like he’s getting a player who is tapping into the potential he saw in 2018. The Jaguars signed Fatukasi last month in free agency for that reason, and hope he can bolster their defense in the trenches.

Caldwell recently sat down with analysts Jeff Lageman and senior reporter J.P. Shadrick for Jaguars Happy Hour to talk about the team’s defense in 2022 and some of the team’s free-agent additions like Fatukasi.

“Yeah, I was on the coaching staff that drafted him, and the thing about it was he was raw when he came out,” Caldwell said. “Now you can see the talent start to bubble and come out. He’s explosive, he has really strong hands, and he’s a force in the middle.

“That’s someone that you’re looking forward to help stop the run, plug up the middle and be a physical presence in the middle for offenses to have to handle.”

Fatukasi accumulated 88 total tackles, five for a loss, two sacks, and 11 quarterback hits over the last two seasons.

Caldwell was pleasantly surprised when he saw his film this offseason.

“When I actually saw it was when I turned on the film this offseason,” he said. “Then looking at a free agent, I was like, ‘That’s the same kid? Yeah, he’s different now.'”

Fatukasi has come a long way since being drafted in the late rounds of the 2018 draft. With 23 starts in his last two seasons, it’s easy to see exactly why he has improved as he’s seen 1,065 snaps in the process.

Fatukasi will join a Jags defense that struggled against the run and ranked 23rd this offseason. For that reason, many feel he’s set to start and see the highest snap count of his career. If he can make strides as a pass-rusher that would be the cherry on top of his signing as the Jags’ 16th ranked passing defense is looking to jump into the top half of the league, too.

1 pending free agent from each AFC team the Chargers could target

Highlighting one pending free agent from each AFC team that could be on the Chargers’ radar.

The free agency frenzy is set to begin on Monday, as it marks the legal tampering period where teams are allowed to start contacting and entering into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents.

The Chargers have already been active, re-signing wide receiver Mike Williams and agreeing with the Bears to trade for edge defender Khalil Mack. But with $21 million in available salary-cap space and needs at various positions, look for them to be active in free agency.

Without further ado, here is a pending free agent from each team in the AFC that the Bolts could have their eyes on.

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: AFC East Edition

Listing one free agent from each team in the AFC East 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 East.

DT Folorunso Fatukasi, Jets

Fatukasi was disruptive against the run at UConn, and he has carried that over to the NFL over the last three years. This past season, he finished tied for third among defensive tackles in run stop win rate at 43%, according to ESPN. While not notorious for rushing the passer, he has shown flashes, posting 16 pressures and five quarterback hits on 282 pass-rush snaps. Further, he has consistently stayed healthy, logging defensive snaps of 507 in 2020 and 558 in 2021.

LB Ja’whaun Bentley, Patriots

Given the pressing need at cornerback, J.C. Jackson would have been slotted here. But since he’s expected to have a high price tag, I kept him off and went with a player who could supply depth to a linebacker room that might be losing Kyzir White, another free agent. Coming off a productive 2021 season, Bentley finished as the team’s leader in both tackles (111) and forced fumbles (3), and also registered nine combined quarterback pressures. Considering the offseason priority is adding players to help defend the run, Bentley is proven in this department. Further, he is a solid pass rusher and ascending in pass coverage.

DT Harrison Phillips, Bills

Another proven run-defending interior defensive lineman, you say? After starting the season outside the rotation and finding himself a healthy gameday scratch, Phillips eventually emerged as one of the unit’s most effective players, doing the dirty work by taking on blockers to allow things to open up for his fellow teammates and winning one-on-one matchups. Pro Football Focus rated him as Buffalo’s best defensive tackle and the 14th best in the NFL. In addition, he had the league’s sixth-highest run-defense grade (78.9).

TE Mike Gesicki, Dolphins

The Chargers need to address the tight end room with Jared Cook set to hit the market, and they could greatly benefit from Gesicki’s services. Arguably the best player at his position set to hit the market, Gesicki is fresh off the most productive season, as he recorded career highs in both receptions (73) and yards (780). While he isn’t adept as a blocker compared, Gesicki would be a threat down the seams that can be moved around as a mismatch. The cost will be the ultimate deciding factor, as he could command north of $10-11 million per year.

Jets engaged with reps for Braxton Berrios, Folorunso Fatukasi

The Jets want to keep impending free agents Braxton Berrios and Folorunso Fatukasi and have been talking to their agents, per ESPN.

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The Jets want to keep two of their top impending free agents.

New York has been talking to representatives for WR/KR Braxton Berrios and DT Folorunso Fatukasi, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Cimini added that the Jets have been talking to Fatukasi’s agents for several months, though both players seem likely to hit the open market.

Berrios, 26, set himself up for a sizeable payday in 2021, earning All-Pro honors as a kick returner and cementing himself as a versatile playmaker toward the end of the season. Robert Saleh already said he wants Berrios to stick around, and the Swiss Army knife has not ruled out a return.

“I love the organization here, the coaching staff, the people in the locker room, the chefs, the trainers,” Berrios said on Jan. 5. “So obviously that is on the table – I’d love to be here.”

Fatukasi made similar comments at the end of the season, though he also made it clear that he didn’t know what to expect this offseason. As is the case with Berrios, money will have a huge impact on a potential reunion.

“We don’t know what the future may hold,” Fatukasi said on January 11. “As we know, this league is unpredictable. You don’t know. I can’t make any decisions or see the future. I’ll take it day by day and we’ll see what happens.”

Fatukasi, who turns 27 in March, has been one of the NFL’s top run-stuffers over the last few years. The Far Rockaway native recorded a career-high 45 tackles and six QB hits in 2021. He added five TFLs and failed to record a sack over 15 games.

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