Tag: guard

NFL rumors: Chiefs OL Nick Allegretti expected to sign with Commanders

Former Kansas City #Chiefs guard Nick Allegretti is expected to sign with the Washington #Commanders.

Offensive guard Nick Allegretti’s gritty performance in Super Bowl LVIII will forever live in the history books of the Kansas City Chiefs’ championship legacy. Playing through a torn UCL displayed his toughness on the game’s biggest stage and may have improved his stock in free agency.

According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, Allegretti is expected to sign a three-year, 16-million-dollar deal with the Washington Commanders. The former Chiefs’ backup guard stepped in admirably following the postseason-ending injury to first-team All-Pro Joe Thuney.

Allegretti was part of the offensive line that helped to open holes for many big runs from Isiah Pacheco and kept Patrick Mahomes off the ground for the Super Bowl run.

Allegretti will have the chance to compete for a starting position in Washington as the franchise adjusts to a new coaching staff. The 27-year-old was selected by Kansas City in the seventh round, with the 216th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played sporadically throughout his Chiefs tenure but was on the roster during the three recent Super Bowl victories.

Top 5 offensive guard free agent options for Raiders

5 Guards set to hit free agency who could be just what Raiders need

The Raiders need at guard is two-fold. As in they are going to need two of them. With it increasingly appearing as if the Raiders will let center Andre James leave in free agency, that could signal they will finally be moving Dylan Parham to center, leaving both guard spots in need of a new starter.

It’s said to be a strong class along the offensive line, but in the interest of not using all their picks to fill the OL (they need a tackle too), they would do well to try and get a starter in free agency first and possibly an insurance plan as a potential second starter in case the draft doesn’t fall their way.

These are the top five options to fill those roles.

How to watch and stream Day 4 of NFL combine drills

Save the best for last, right? 😅 Offensive linemen will show off their strength and speed at the NFL combine today.

Welcome to Day 4 of on-field drills at the 2024 NFL combine, the final day of workouts in Indianapolis.

Offensive linemen are scheduled to work out today (March 3) with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. MT on NFL Network. Football fans can stream the NFL combine on fuboTV (try it free).

Drills at the combine include the 40-yard dash, bench press (225 pounds), vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill and shuttle run.

Here’s the list of offensive linemen invited to this year’s combine.

Offensive Linemen

  • Isaiah Adams, Illinois
  • Joe Alt, Notre Dame
  • Kiran Amegadjie, Yale
  • Gottlieb Ayedze, Maryland
  • Karsen Barnhart, Michigan
  • Graham Barton, Duke
  • Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
  • Keaton Bills, Utah
  • Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
  • Javion Cohen, Miami
  • Andrew Coker, TCU
  • Brandon Coleman, TCU
  • Frank Crum, Wyoming
  • Anim Dankwah, Howard
  • Ethan Driskell, Marshall
  • Kingsley Eguakun, Florida
  • Josiah Ezirim, Eastern Kentucky
  • Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
  • Troy Fautanu, Washington
  • Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
  • Jeremy Flax, Kentucky
  • Javon Foster, Missouri
  • Zach Frazier, West Virginia
  • Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
  • X’Zauvea Gadlin, Liberty
  • Nick Gargiulo, South Carolina
  • Delmar Glaze, Maryland
  • Matt Goncalves, Pittsburgh
  • Tylan Grable, UCF
  • Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State
  • Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
  • C.J. Hanson, Holy Cross
  • Christian Haynes, Connecticut
  • LaDarius Henderson, Michigan
  • Christian Jones, Texas
  • Matthew Jones, Ohio State
  • Trente Jones, Michigan
  • Trevor Keegan, Michigan
  • Jarrett Kingston, USC
  • Brady Latham, Arkansas
  • JC Latham, Alabama
  • Sataoa Laumea, Utah
  • Matt Lee, Miami
  • KT Leveston Jr., Kansas State
  • Beaux Limmer, Arkansas
  • Christian Mahogany, Boston College
  • Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
  • Dylan McMahon, N.C. State
  • Amarius Mims, Georgia
  • Jacob Monk, Duke
  • Jordan Morgan, Arizona
  • Hunter Nourzad, Penn State
  • Drake Nugent, Michigan
  • Patrick Paul, Houston
  • Julian Pearl, Illinois
  • Prince Pines, Tulane
  • Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
  • Dominick Puni, Kansas
  • Andrew Raym, Oklahoma
  • Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
  • Roger Rosengarten, Washington
  • Walter Rouse, Oklahoma
  • Nick Samac, Michigan State
  • Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
  • Jalen Sundell, North Dakota State
  • Nathan Thomas, Louisiana
  • Charles Turner III, LSU
  • Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia
  • Caedan Wallace, Penn State
  • Zak Zinter, Michigan

The Broncos currently hold six draft picks, including 12th overall in the first round. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Ranking Raiders biggest need positions ahead of free agency

6 biggest Raiders need positions ahead of free agency

Happy March everyone. It’s officially the month of the new league year which also means free agency is upon us.

In preparation for this, we take a look at the biggest need areas for the Raiders, starting with the most critical and working our way from there.

Former Alabama guard Keon Ellis signs three-year deal with Sacramento Kings

Former Alabama guard Keon Ellis and the Sacramento Kings have agreed on a three-year contract

Recently, the Alabama men’s basketball program has had success with sending guards to the NBA. That success has translated to the next level for one guard in particular.

On Friday morning, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sacramento Kings and Keon Ellis have agreed to terms on a three-year contract. The terms of the deal have not been released at this time.

Previously, Ellis was on a two-way contract with the Kings. This means that Ellis was simultaneously rostered on both the NBA team and the G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

Now, he will officially be a part of the Kings’ active roster. So far, Ellis has averaged 11.9 minutes per game and 3.8 points per game. The best game of his professional career came this season against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Alabama guard scored 17 points, reeled in six rebounds, and dished out three assists.

Currently, the Kings sit at No. 7 in the Western Conference. The addition of Ellis as a full-time member of the Kings bench should be a boost. His ability to knock down threes and play elite defense should see him contribute in a big way down the stretch.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its former players in the NBA.

Alabama guard Mark Sears named Dickie V’s Player of the Week

Alabama point guard Mark Sears had an exemplary showing in Alabama’s two games this past week. As a result, he was named the Dickie V’s Player of the Week.

One Alabama player stood out among the rest this past week. Alabama guard Mark Sears was named Dickie V’s Player of the Week.

Sears had an exemplary showing in Alabama’s games against Georgia and Mississippi State this past week. The Alabama native averaged 22.0 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 4.0 assists per game.

Sears was instrumental in helping orchestrate Alabama’s come-from-behind win on the road against Georgia. He led all scorers with 23 points.

He continued his scoring success with a great outing against Mississippi State. He scored 21 points in that matchup.

Altogether, Sears is one of the top scorers in the SEC, much less the country. He is undoubtedly Alabama’s leader and has displayed that time and time again throughout his senior season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program.

Broncos’ offensive line took a big step forward in 2023

The Broncos’ offensive line was ranked 21st by PFF in 2022. After Sean Payton made several changes, the unit ranked 7th in 2023.

When Sean Payton arrived last offseason, one of his first big tasks was fixing the Denver Broncos’ offensive line.

By the end of the 2022 campaign, the team’s starting offensive line was Cam Fleming, Quinn Bailey, Graham Glasgow, Quinn Meinerz and Billy Turner. Payton quickly made big changes.

Glasgow was cut and Turner walked in free agency. Fleming and Bailey were re-signed as backups. Garett Bolles and Lloyd Cushenberry returned from injuries and Meinerz was the only Week 18 2022 starter assured of keeping his job in 2023.

When free agency opened, Payton immediately gave big contracts to guard Ben Powers and right tackle Mike McGlinchey to give the team a new starting lineup of Bolles, Powers, Cushenberry, Meinerz and McGlinchey.

Pro Football Focus is not infallible, but the website is useful. PFF ranked Denver’s offensive line 21st out of 32 units in 2022. After the 2023 regular season wrapped up, the Broncos’ offensive line was ranked 7th by PFF.

That represents a huge turnaround up front for Denver. Cushenberry is now scheduled to become a free agent, but the Broncos appear confident that 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth will be prepared to start in 2024.

Cushenberry’s free agent status gives the unit some uncertainty going into the offseason, but a Bolles-Powers-Forsyth-Meinerz-McGlinchey lineup would still be a much better scenario than Denver’s lineup in 2022. There’s always room for improvement, but the Broncos’ offensive line took a step forward in Payton’s first season.

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Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz playing ‘really well’ in Year 3

“To have a right guard with his strength and power — it’s important to him. He loves football. He’s in that weight room. He’s studying.”

It’s not often that offensive linemen are fan favorites, but Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz is beloved in Broncos Country.

Nicknamed “The Belly,” Meinerz has gone viral multiple times this season for his big blocks in prime-time games. After being named an “honorable mention” among the NFL’s best guards in 2022, Meinerz is now making a case to be ranked among the league’s best in 2023.

“He’s physical, and you notice it on some of these individual blocks inside,” coach Sean Payton said of the third-year guard. “He plays with really good pad level. He’s strong. There are certain times when you need a yard, and you’re going to get a couple different fronts.

“He’s playing really well. He had his 25th birthday [in November]. I’m glad he’s on our team. To have a right guard with his strength and power — it’s important to him. He loves football. He’s in that weight room. He’s studying. It’s a good [offensive line] group.”

Through 12 games this season, Meinerz has not allowed a single sack and he has only committed one penalty, according to Stats Perform.

Meinerz has been the third-best guard in the NFL this year, according to grades from Pro Football Focus. The only guards with better grades than Meinerz (82.9) in 2023 are Kevin Dotson (84.5) and Chris Lindstrom (89.7).

(Pro Football Focus)

Lindstrom and Dotson both play in the NFC, so if one uses PFF grades as the measuring stick, Meinerz has been the best guard in the AFC this season. If he continues playing at this high level, Meinerz will likely earn the first Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2023.

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Everyone loved Quinn Meinerz’s blocking on ‘Monday Night Football’

Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz is a beast! 😤

Quinn Meinerz remains a fan favorite.

The 24-year-old guard played college football at Wisconsin-Whitewater, a Division III program, and his fantastic college film, impressive performance at the Senior Bowl and unique outdoor workout videos caught the attention of NFL teams in 2021.

Denver used a third-round pick to select Meinerz in the NFL draft three years ago and he quickly emerged as a fan favorite after “letting the belly breathe” at practice. Meinerz is much more than a meme, though. He is emerging as one of the best guards in the NFL, and a Pro Bowl nod could be within reach this season.

Twitter gushed with praise for Meinerz after his impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

Ex-Broncos guard Dalton Risner signing 1-year deal with Vikings

The Vikings are signing former Broncos guard Dalton Risner to a one-year contract.

Former Denver Broncos guard Dalton Risner is signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Risner (6-5, 312 pounds) was born in Branson, Missouri and he grew up in Wiggins, Colorado. After playing college football at Kansas State, Risner was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Risner quickly won a starting job in Denver and was penalized three times and allowed two sacks in 16 games as a rookie. Risner then had the best season of his career in his second season with no penalties and no sacks allowed in 2020.

Risner’s performance has dipped since then as the guard was penalized four times and he allowed 8.5 sacks over the last two years (30 games).

Risner has played guard as a pro but he has experience at tackle and center from college. The versatile offensive lineman is probably best suited to play guard, but his position flexibility increases his value.

Risner, 28, will now get a fresh start in Minnesota.

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