Tag: Jalen Redmond

Vikings waive Jalen Redmond, could T.J. Hockenson return for Week 7?

The Vikings might be getting their star tight end back sooner than later.

The Vikings waived defensive lineman Jalen Redmond on Friday, and as of this writing, Minnesota hasn’t made a corresponding move. However, there is optimism that the Vikings will get tight end T.J. Hockenson back for the Week 7 tilt against the Detroit Lions. It would be his first game back since tearing his ACL against the Lions last December.

Redmond wasn’t much of a factor for the Vikings this season. He played 23 defensive snaps and one on special teams in two games — his first career appearances — and totaled one tackle and one sack.

But his departure does leave Minnesota a little think on the defensive line. Just five linemen are left on the 53-man roster: Jonathan Bullard, Harrison Phillips, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Taki Taimani, and Jerry Tillery.

It feels like Minnesota will use Redmond’s roster spot for Hockenson, but if not, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Vikings sign another defensive lineman to fill out that room.

Vikings DC Brian Flores throws big praise towards DL group

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been in the news recently for his critical words of his former players, specifically Tua Tagovailoa.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been in the news recently for his critical words of his former players, specifically Tua Tagovailoa. However, he has quickly become a favorite coach among his players in Minnesota. He has seemingly fit in perfectly with Kevin O’Connell and his staff, and now, the players also fit in.

His latest sign of fitting in was his media availability this week when he praised his defensive line group.

“This trio of D-lineman has done a really really fantastic job of coming in and learning the system…Their ability to apply it in real time in games and on the practice field has been really good… I’d be comfortable about putting any one of those guys in there.”

The defensive line’s youth has been noted all offseason, but their play has been extraordinary. Two UDFAs making the 53-man roster speaks to how well they have played and what Brian Flores thinks of them.

While the offense remains a question mark, Brian Flores and his defensive groups are going to be a shining light throughout a dark 2024 season.

Vikings may have interesting decisions to make at defensive tackle

Cut-down day in the NFL isn’t for another couple of months, but the Minnesota Vikings may have some interesting choices to make at DT.

We’re still in the early portions of the off-season programs, but if early indications are to be believed, the Minnesota Vikings may have some interesting decisions to make regarding roster cut-down day. Particularly when it comes to the defensive tackle position.

The Vikings are likely to keep only four, maybe five, defensive tackles on the roster, but they have a wealth of talent at the position, which could make the decision difficult for the coaching staff.

Harrison Phillips is one of the unquestioned leaders of the Vikings’ defense heading into his third season with the team. With Danielle Hunter gone in free agency, the Vikings will lean even more heavily on Phillips to provide the defense with veteran leadership. Phillips is a lock to make the roster and will likely see an increased role on the defense in 2024.

It’s beyond Phillips where things get interesting for the Vikings at defensive tackle. They have a number of potential players on the roster, but only a limited number of spots available. Upwards of six guys are fighting for, likely, three roster spots.

Jaquelin Roy was a rotational defensive tackle as a rookie in 2023 and played admirably in the limited action he saw. Roy, the rookie out of LSU, saw only one start in 2023, and the stat sheet wasn’t terribly impressive – just eight tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and one quarterback hit. But he was a solid contributor on defense and made more plays for the team than the box score would indicate. According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, Roy will have “premium chances in training camp”.

Jalen Redmond, an undrafted free agent in 2023, was recently signed to a contract after being a standout in spring football. During his stint in the UFL, Redmond was one of the league’s best defenders while he was healthy.

That caveat, however, is the biggest concern about Redmond. He failed to catch on with the Carolina Panthers as a UDFA due largely to his inability to stay healthy. If he can stay on the field, there is a lot of untapped potential there.

Speaking of injury, the Vikings also have James Lynch who figures to be in the mix for a roster spot. Lynch has been with the Vikings for the past four seasons and has served them well in a rotational role.

Lynch saw action in several games two seasons ago, notching 20 tackles and one tackle for loss. Unfortunately, Lynch tore his ACL last season and missed the year and, according to Lewis, is “likely battling for a back-end roster spot”.

Then comes the youngster Levi Drake Rodriguez. The Vikings took Rodriguez in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft and have reportedly already begun turning heads.

According to Lewis, “the team loves him already”, which would seem to indicate that he’ll likely figure heavily into the mix for one of the DT spots. Rodriguez struggles against the run, and improving that has been a focus in the early portions of the off-season – and likely will continue to be all season.

Rounding out the position are two players the Vikings signed in the offseason to help bolster their depth and provide versatility: Jonah Williams and Jerry Tillery. Williams is a name that should be familiar to Vikings fans, as this will technically be his second stint with the team.

Williams was originally claimed off waivers by the Vikings in 2021 after being released by the Los Angeles Rams, but he was waived the next day. Now, Williams is back with the team after spending the past three seasons with the Rams. Williams may have a leg up, as he could also stick on the roster as a defensive end—his more natural position.

Jerry Tillery comes to the Vikings after two seasons with the Raiders. Tillery, a former first-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers, has yet to reach the potential he showed coming out of Notre Dame, but according to Lewis he “is imposing, and you can understand why he was a first-rounder”. Tillery could also find a spot on the roster at defensive end.

We’ll have to wait a couple of months to see how everything shakes out at the position, but early returns suggest that the Vikings have a ton of talent at the position. Some good players will be left on the outside looking in – a good problem for the Vikings to have at this juncture.

Report: Vikings sign former UFL defensive star Jalen Redmond

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly signed former UFL/XFL defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, as reported by KPRC2’s reporter Aaron Wilson.

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly dipped into the spring football league ranks to beef up their defensive line by signing former XFL and UFL defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. The signing, reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, TX, will reportedly be made official sometime Tuesday.

Redmond starred as a disruptive defensive lineman at the University of Oklahoma before going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers, but injuries cut his attempts to make the roster short, and the team waived him in early August of that year.

In December 2023, Redmond signed with the Arlington Renegades of the then-XFL, now the UFL. Redmond once again struggled with injuries during the UFL season, but when he was healthy, he was highly productive for the Renegades. In just four games of the UFL season, Redmond stood out as one of the top defenders in the league, notching 18 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

Now Redmond will reportedly walk into a Vikings defensive tackle room that could use depth. Last year’s fifth-round pick, Jaquelin Roy, stood out at times last season and likely played well enough to earn the starting role. Behind him, however, are a lot of question marks.

The Vikings signed former Chargers and Raiders defensive lineman Jerry Tillery in the off-season to provide some depth behind Roy. They also signed undrafted free agent Tyler Manoa. Redmond will likely compete with Manoa to stay on the roster and may find himself in the rotation at the position—if he can stay healthy and perform.

Oklahoma Sooners land visit from highly touted edge transfer target

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the running for arguably the best EDGE defender in the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hard at work building their 2024 roster. After signing their 2024 recruiting class and the Alamo Bowl, the Sooners refocused their attention on the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

The Sooners landed one on Tuesday from the portal and could land another later this week if all goes according to plan. They are scheduled to get a visit from arguably the best edge defender in the transfer portal.

Purdue Boilermakers [autotag]Nic Scourton[/autotag] (formerly Caraway) announced he plans to visit the Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma is one of four schools getting visits from the talented pass rusher. The Sooners will host Scourton on Jan. 6 after he takes trips to Texas A&M, Florida State and Missouri.

Scourton had a monster season, leading the Big Ten in sacks with 10. He had 50 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman fits the mold of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag]. He can play both inside and outside if needed. He would provide a dominant pass rusher, something the Sooners haven’t had in recent years.

The issue is the first visit on his list. Oklahoma fans know all too well how hard it is to overcome the Texas A&M Aggies in recruiting. This time will be no different. Scourton’s hometown is 11 minutes away from College Station, Texas. Missouri has proven a thorn in Oklahoma’s side, and you can’t discount what Mike Norvell is building at Florida State.

The Sooners have one advantage. Scourton’s former teammate, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], joined the Sooners through the transfer portal this offseason.

He has been actively recruiting Scourton to the Sooners.

The Sooners’ coaching staff is hard to beat. They’ve done a great job of reeling in guys when many don’t think they have much of a chance. If they can pull him away from College Station, it would be a massive recruiting win heading into the SEC.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Panthers waive Jalen Redmond to make room for Justin Houston

The corresponding move to get Justin Houston on the Panthers roster was made at the expense of rookie DL Jalen Redmond.

Sunday’s agreement between the Carolina Panthers and outside linebacker Justin Houston became officially official this morning—thanks to a clean physical and a parting of ways.

As first reported by Darin Gantt of Panthers.com, the team has waived defensive end Jalen Redmond to clear up the 90th roster spot for the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher. Houston reported to Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. for his first breath of training camp on Tuesday.

Prior to his jump to the pros, Redmond spent five years at the University of Oklahoma. In his four seasons on the field, the Midwest City native recorded 71 total tackles (31.5 for a loss), 14.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and six passes defensed over 36 games.

Redmond was then signed as an undrafted free agent back in April. The 6-foot-2, 291-pounder was one of four players placed on the active/physically unable to perform list to start camp.

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Panthers place 4 players on active/PUP list before start of training camp

Before settling into Spartanburg, the Panthers placed a handful of players on the active/PUP list.

The first step of 2023 Carolina Panthers training camp was taken on Saturday, when the team’s rookies arrived at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. But that wasn’t the only step for the day.

As announced through an official release that evening, the Panthers placed a handful of players on the active/physically unable to return list—guards Austin Corbett and Chandler Zavala and defensive linemen John Penisini and Jalen Redmond. The four were not cleared to participate for the start of on-field activities, which begin on Wednesday.

Corbett’s placement on the list was to be expected, as the starting right guard is still on the mend from offseason knee surgery. Corbett tore his ACL in last year’s regular-season finale against the New Orleans Saints and will likely miss the beginning of the 2023 campaign.

Zavala, a possible fill-in for Corbett, is dealing with a pectoral strain—which kept him out of mandatory minicamp in June.

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‘Madden NFL 24’ ratings for Panthers defensive linemen revealed

Did Derrick Brown’s breakout 2022 season earn him a breakout rating in “Madden NFL 24?”

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown burst onto the scene this past season, putting forth a career campaign that finally made him look like the seventh overall pick the franchise drafted him to be. So, did that reflect in his new “Madden NFL 24” rating?

Here is Brown’s and the rest of the Carolina d-line’s numbers:

Let the computers decide: A fully simulated 7-round mock draft

Who would the computers select for the Browns in the 2023 NFL draft?

Welcome to the day of the 2023 NFL draft! While the Cleveland Browns will not come on the clock until tomorrow night, they will have eight picks to play around with, including six in the middle rounds. We have completed mock draft after mock draft in preparation for the main event, so this time we let the computers decide.

Using PFF’s mock draft simulator, we let the picks just roll right through to see who the Browns would land in a fully simulated mock draft to fill the eight picks Cleveland has to their name.

And full disclaimer: it was ugly.

5 Sooners selected in latest CBS Sports 7-round NFL mock draft

Led by Anton Harrison, five Oklahoma Sooners were selected in CBS Sports’ latest 7-round mock draft.

With the NFL draft starting on Thursday, several Sooners are getting looks in the draft. The two that stand out are offensive lineman Anton Harrison and wide receiver Marvin Mims. Wanya Morris, Eric Gray, and Jalen Redmond will get looks too, and should hear their name called at some point during this weekend.

In Josh Edwards Jr.’s latest mock draft, five Sooners found new homes at the NFL level. One surprise is that tight end Brayden Willis wasn’t considered. Here’s a look at where the five Sooners went in the mock draft.

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