Tag: Javon Hargrave

4 takeaways from the Eagles agreeing to deal with DT Javon Hargrave

4 takeaways from Eagles agreeing to deal with DT Javon Hargrave

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The Philadelphia Eagles have a new game-wrecker nicknamed the ‘Gravedigger’ to pair with Fletcher Cox in what should be the NFL’s most dominant interior tandem.

Javon Hargrave is leaving the Steelers to come across the state after agreeing to a three-year, $39 million deal that includes $26 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter.

The 89th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Hargrave played in 62 career regular-season games with the Steelers, starting 52, while racking up 168 tackles (22 for loss), 14.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits.

Over the past two seasons, Hargrave has been dominant, tallying 67 tackles and 10.5 sacks while helping the Steelers lead the NFL in sacks during that span.

Now an Eagle, he’ll team with Fletcher Cox, while allowing Philadelphia to have one of the most versatile defensive fronts in the NFL.

Here are 4 takeaways from Hargrave’s deal:

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1. Eagles are back to prioritizing the defensive line

The Eagles prioritize the defensive line an had gotten away from the pressurized front that had given offenses hell over the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Hargrave is a major boost to an interior defensive line that’s been lacking outside of Fletcher Cox.

 

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3 things to know about new Eagles interior game-wrecker Javon Hargrave

Eagles agree to deal with Javon Hargrave

The Philadelphia Eagles missed out on the No. 1 rated free agent cornerback, Byron Jones, but championships are built in the trenches and teams can’t score if their quarterback is on the ground.

The Eagles were pretty quiet during the first day of the legal tampering period but got a jump on things Monday night when they signed Javon Hargrave away from the Steelers for $39 million over three-years.

Hargrave is a talented player and will fit in with the blue-collar culture that Eagles fans represent.

If you’re not familiar with the monster in the middle, here are three things to know about the Eagles star.

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1. Hargrave is now the NFL’s highest-paid nose tackle

The Eagles don’t play a 3-4 defense, so the honor is null and void, but with his 3-year, $39 million deal, Hargrave would be recognized as the highest-paid nose tackle in the game today.

a game wrecker, Hargrave was the 8th highest graded interior defender last seasons.

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Eagles to sign DT Javon Hargrave to massive contract

Pittsburgh is losing Javon Hargrave to the Eagles.

Last season, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was the unsung hero of that elite Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Everything he did wasn’t always in the boxscore but week after week you saw his snap counts rising because he was so incredibly disruptive in the middle of the Steelers defense.

Hargrave’s big season couldn’t have come at a better time as he hit free agency and looks to be cashing in. The Philadelphia Eagles are set to sign Hargrave to a three-year contract worth $39, making him the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL.

The Steelers opted to put the franchise tag on linebacker Bud Dupree rather than Hargrave on Monday. Now Pittsburgh will need to focus their energy on finding a suitable replacement via the NFL draft.

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Eagles agree to 3-year, $39 million deal with DT Javon Hargrave

Eagles agree to 3-year, $39 million deal with DT Javon Hargrave

The Philadelphia Eagles are on the free-agent board and although it’s not a huge name, the Birds are getting back to their roots of having a strong push in the middle of the defensive line.

According to Adam Schefter, former Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has agreed to a three-year, $39 million deal with $26 million guaranteed.

A former South Carolina State star, Hargrave just turned 27 years old and was a third round pick of Steelers in 2016.

A talented and strong nose tackle with the Steelers, Hargrave had4 sacks last year and has racked up 14.5 in his four-year career.

He’ll join Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, and Hassan Ridgeway to provide a stout middle for the Eagles.

5 dream free agent targets for the Lions

It was 6 but the Patriots used the franchise tag on OG Joe Thuney

The free agent “legal tampering” period kicks off on Monday, with signings on new teams still scheduled to begin on Wednesday after 4 p.m. ET. The Detroit Lions have ample cap room to make a big splash in the free agency pool, if GM Bob Quinn and his staff so choose.

Will they make a splash? That remains to be seen. But if I were Quinn and making the decision on which toes to dip into the pool, here are the five targets I would prioritize to try and sign in Detroit in free agency.

I’m not necessarily chasing the biggest names or the sexiest players. I’m looking more for the next Glover Quin or Golden Tate, rising young talents earning a second contract that ties an emerging player to the Lions for the prime of his career. End-of-career stopgaps (think Jason Peters or Brandon Mebane) don’t much interest me and shouldn’t interest the Lions, either.

Remember, this is not a projection of who the Lions will sign. It’s what players I would sign if I were the Lions brass.

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6 DTs the Colts should target in free agency

6 DTs the Colts should consider.

If all goes according to plan, the Indianapolis Colts will be entering free agency at the beginning of next week where they will target the defensive tackle position.

When looking at pure need, the defensive tackle position might be atop the list. Of course, the quarterback and wide receiver positions have their case as well. But the Colts rarely generated any consistent pressure from their interior defensive line, regardless of whether it was from the three-tech or the one-tech.

This leaves them with a massive need at what Chris Ballard believes is the engine of the defense. Here are six options the Colts should consider in free agency:

Mark Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Jones | Kansas City Chiefs | Age: 25

This one is a no-brainer so we won’t spend too much time on it. Jones is likely to be franchise tagged by the Chiefs—the deadline is Monday at noon—so the Colts would have to trade for him. That’s unlikely to happen, but the NFL is unpredictable.

Jones would be a fantastic addition to the Colts defensive line and probably would be the perfect fit in their gap-shooting front. He has the size to line up at either interior spot and can win in several ways, both power and finesse. Unfortunately, the Colts are unlikely to get the chance to offer him.

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5 defensive linemen the Patriots should consider in free agency

With a majority of DTs hitting free agency, the Patriots have a dire need for playmakers at the position.

Anticipation is at an all-time high for the New England Patriots this offseason.

Tom Brady’s future with the team appears to be very cloudy and it’s shaking up the process for free agency in Foxborough. The Patriots have around $40 million to work with in cap space, but the list of free agents doesn’t give them much flexibility to make offseason moves. The list includes prominent names like Brady, Devin McCourty, Kyle Van Noy, Matthew Slater, Jamie Collins, Joe Thuney and Danny Shelton.

The Patriots also have a dire need to replenish the tight end position after an incredibly inefficient season from the group in 2019. But, the position that may hold the second-most importance behind quarterback is defensive line. New England’s defensive line was already thin and having Shelton and Adam Butler on the free agent market doesn’t help.

Lawrence Guy is who the Patriots will build around if they can’t retain either Butler or Shelton. There are some notable free agents on the market the Patriots should consider, especially considering their lackluster run defense in 2019.

Here are five free agent defensive tackle prospects for New England.

D.J. Reader (Houston Texans)

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

D.J. Reader, 25, has spent his four NFL seasons with the Houston Texans. He’s sent for free agency this offseason and expecting a large payday, making it a long shot for the Patriots to attain him. But, the situation would become a lot more interesting if the Patriots let go of Shelton and/or Butler.

Reader carries a nose tackle build at 6-foot-3, 347 pounds, but his increasing ability to rush the passer brings an intriguing dynamic. He had a career-high 2.5 sacks and 13 quarterback pressures last season — surpassing 11 quarterback hits in his first three seasons. Since 2016, Reader has played in 61 of 64 possible games and proved to be durable.

The paycheck will make it difficult for New England to retain him, but Reader could be a game-changer for a struggling defensive line.

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Colts’ 2020 free agency target: DT Javon Hargrave

Javon Hargrave should be a target for the Colts.

With a need to improve production along the interior defensive line, the Indianapolis Colts could find their way into the free-agent market. Could Javon Hargrave be a candidate for Indy?

The Road So Far

A third-round pick out of South Carolina State, the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed the steady contributions of Hargrave since adding him to the interior defensive line. He’s been mostly working as a one-technique defensive tackle but has added some push in the pass rush department over the last two seasons.

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Hargrave has also been dependable, playing in 63 of a possible 64 games since entering the league in 2016. He’s also started 52 games for the Steelers since then, all of which have been spread out over the entirety of his career.

In 32 games over his last two seasons, Hargrave has 10.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits. He recorded 49 total pressures in 2019, per Pro Football Focus, which was good for top-10 among interior defensive linemen.

Fit With The Colts

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, the 27-year-old Hargrave fits more of the nose tackle mold in the Colts’ one-gap front more than he does at the three-technique. But that shouldn’t deter the front office from pursuing him in free agency.

The Colts must upgrade at both interior spots, and Hargrave would provide that. Having the duo of Hargrave, who is an established run defender, working with the emerging Grover Stewart would make the run defense undoubtedly more productive. And given Hargrave’s production as a pass rusher, he would be more than serviceable getting upfield.

The Colts certainly need to add to the three-technique this offseason, but the addition of Hargrave would do wonders for the defensive line.

Price

As the salary cap continues to rise and the market for contracts follows suit, the Colts are in a flexible position to hand out some cash. But even so, they wouldn’t have to break the bank for Hargrave.

Spotrac’s market value model projects Hargrave receives a five-year deal worth $73.6 million with an average annual value of $14.7 million. The Colts could afford that, but they probably aren’t going to have to. It would be more likely to see Hargrave see an AAV closer to $12 million given that he hasn’t recorded more than 6.0 sacks in a single season. Plus at 27 years old, Hargrave probably isn’t getting a five-year deal. Maybe if it was front-loaded and had a team option later on.

He’s a solid fit and a free agent the Colts should absolutely pursue, but anything over that $12–13 million AAV would probably be too rich for Indy.

Conclusion

With a need to upgrade both production and talent at defensive tackle, this is the offseason to do it for the Colts. Hargrave should be one of the top options in the market and one who provides stout run-stopping ability with solid pass-rushing prowess.

They shouldn’t pay more than they need to for him, especially with the free-agent crop expected to be so strong, but the Colts should certainly have Hargrave on their radar.

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Steelers DT Javon Hargrave selected for huge honor by NFLPA

Javon Hargrave more than deserves this award by the NFLPA.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is one of the most underrated defensive players in the NFL. But after another impressive but under-the-radar year, the NFLPA recognized his accomplishments with this high honor.

Hargrave was named the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year for 2019. This came after his best year in the NFL. Hargrave played more than 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps and finished with 60 total tackles and four sacks.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, Hargrave’s breakout season came on the eve of his free agency and some team is going to pay big for his type of talent.

Congratulations to Hargrave on such a prestigious honor. It is well deserved.

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1 pending free agent Dolphins should target from each AFC North team

The 2020 free agency window is quickly approaching — here’s 1 player from each AFC North team the Dolphins should consider targeting.

The Miami Dolphins are all set to enter 2020 free agency next month and continue the team’s ambitious plan to completely overhaul the roster. Yes, this team’s primary objective appears to be to build through the draft. But the Dolphins will have a mass surplus of cap space at their disposal and the environment in South Florida is one filled with optimism after the Dolphins finished 5-4 over their final nine games.

Looking across the NFL landscape, there’s a ton of potential contributors set to hit the market. Here’s one pending free agent from each team in the AFC North that the Dolphins should consider:

Baltimore Ravens – Rush Linebacker Matt Judon

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is forced out of the pocket by Baltimore Ravens defensive back Chuck Clark (36) and Matt Judon (99) during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019. The Ravens won 24-17. (AP Photo/John Munson)

The Dolphins would be well served to aspire to be more like the Ravens. Physical play has been the identity of the Ravens for two decades — this team constantly beats up opposing players and the last few games against Baltimore is as good of a reminder as you could possibly need for how these two teams stack up.

Baltimore and Miami have played three games since 2016.

The Ravens have won all three by a combined score of 137-16. 

If you can’t beat ’em, take their talent in free agency. Matt Judon enjoyed a big breakout after the departures of Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith last offseason and is now ready for a big payday of his own. Baltimore will be challenged to make a long-term extension work with Judon and Miami would be an excellent fit for his length and explosiveness on the edge.

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