Tag: Keanu Neal

Hooker, Kazee scheduled to visit Cowboys, who look to shift Neal to LB

After signing Pro Bowl safety Keanu Neal, Dallas continues to shop at the position with visits this week; Neal will reportedly move to LB.

The Cowboys made a bit of a free agency splash by agreeing to terms with former Falcons safety Keanu Neal over the weekend, signaling a serious upgrade at a position that has long been a weak spot on the Dallas roster.

But word is already coming in that the team won’t play the 2017 Pro Bowler at safety, leaving that hole on the defense’s back end for now as two more veteran free agent safeties are expected to visit this week.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport tweeted Monday that the Cowboys and new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn plan to use Neal at weakside linebacker, a move that many have predicted.

The shifting of Neal potentially leaves a starting safety spot still open, which makes the Hooker and Kazee visits even more intriguing.

Malik Hooker was the Colts’ first-round pick in 2017, even after being unable to participate in combine drills due to recovery from injury. The Ohio State product was nonetheless ranked the second-best safety of that draft class behind only Jamal Adams. In 35 games as a pro, Hooker has been in on 121 tackles, intercepted seven passes, and recovered two fumbles. He missed the majority of last season with a torn Achilles tendon.

Damontae Kazee is- like Neal- a known commodity to Quinn and secondary/defensive passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., having played for both of them in Atlanta. A fifth-round pick out of San Diego State in the same class as Hooker, Kazee went on to be the league’s co-leader in interceptions in 2018, just his second season. Over 52 games, Kazee has recorded 199 tackles, 10 picks, and three fumble recoveries. He also tore an Achilles early in the 2020 season and missed the Falcons’ final 12 contests.

Both Hooker and Kazee are expected to visit with the Cowboys within the next few days and will likely go through physical tests to gauge their respective Achilles recoveries.

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Falcons Twitter reacts to Keanu Neal signing with Dallas Cowboys

Let’s look at some of the best Twitter reactions to Neal’s departure, which will reunite him with former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn.

Few were surprised when the Atlanta Falcons chose not to use their franchise tag on Keanu Neal due to the team’s lack of salary cup funds. However, seeing Neal, a former first-round pick and Pro-Bowl safety, sign a one-year, $5 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys isn’t sitting well with some fans.

Let’s look at some of the most passionate Twitter reactions to Neal’s departure, which will reunite him with former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn in Dallas.

https://twitter.com/TheGemini24/status/1373405082759348226

https://twitter.com/CarasikS/status/1373395269451137028

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Cowboys agree to deal with Keanu Neal, what this could mean for Jaylon Smith, Donovan Wilson

The former first-round pick comes to Dallas to reunite with Dan Quinn, the Cowboys’ DC. But he may not be destined to remain at safety.

The Dallas Cowboys have turned up the heat on their free agent pursuits and have landed a very intriguing piece of their 2021 defensive puzzle. After learning on Friday that former Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal was deciding between two landing spots, and one was the Cowboys, word has emerged on Saturday the Cowboys were able to secure the deal.

Neal has signed on to join the Cowboys for a one-year, $5 million deal.

On Friday it was foretold that Neal was deciding between the Cowboys and New York Jets, but also that the Cowboys envisioned him playing weakside linebacker in Dan Quinn’s defense.

Neal was drafted with the 17th overall selection in the 2016 draft, the same class that brought Dallas Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott and Jaylon Smith.

Smith was moved to the weakside linebacker spot last season by defensive coordinator Mike Nolan while 2018 first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch was meant to play the mike backer. Vander Esch’s injury moved Smith back on the inside.

Now Dan Quinn, who has been the head coach in Atlanta and drafted Neal, wants him at the weakside position. What this means for the rest of the position group is highly interesting as the Cowboys can move away from Smith over the next 48 hours before his 2022 base salary becomes guaranteed. They also have to make a decision on giving Vander Esch his guaranteed-base salary in 2021 by May 3.

Of course Dallas could end up playing with all three and shuffling each around, including playing either Smith or Vander Esch on the strong side  or allowing Neal some time to play at strong safety where he had been a Pro Bowl player prior to several catastrophic injuries.

Neal tore his ACL in 2018 in the opening week of the season. He returned in 2019 but in the third week tore his achilles. He did return to play in 2020 and appeared in 15 games, 14 of them starts, but he did not have the production he had during his early career.

Between 2016 and 2017, Neal was a heat-seeking missile and became known as one of, if not the hardest-hitting safety in the league. Very explosive, he forced eight fumbles over those first two years, making the all-star game in his second season. He also managed 14 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception.

After virtually missing two entire seasons, those stats did not return in 2020. He had just two pass deflections and no forced fumbles. He did get an interception, but that was on a trick play where he ended up covering Patrick Mahomes on a route.

After seeing him close up and personal following injury, Quinn apparently has decided that bringing him even closer to the line of scrimmage makes the most sense for the future of his career.

Depending on how much of the $5 million contract is guaranteed and how much is incentive, there should be a clearer picture of what the intent is with the rest of his position. Donovan Wilson emerged last season for the Cowboys as a turnover machine and in his own right a feared hitter.

He played primarily free safety but his skillset is more suited to be a strong safety. How Dallas looks to move in regard to the former sixth-round pick will be an offshoot of this decision as well.

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Free agent S Keanu Neal deciding between Jets and Cowboys

Former Falcons S Keanu Neal is deciding between the Jets and Cowboys, where he would likely be a 4-3 weakside linebacker.

Keanu Neal is deciding between the Jets and Cowboys, according to Josina Anderson. The expectation is that the versatile safety will play weakside linebacker for his next team.

Earlier this week, Anderson mentioned that the Jets were among the teams interested in Neal. Now, Gang Green is a finalist for the 25-year-old’s services, as the team could use a 4-3 weakside linebacker in Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense.

Neal already has familiarity with Ulbrich, the Jets’ new defensive coordinator. Neal thrived under Ulbrich this past season in Atlanta, recording 63 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and his first career interception.

While Ulbrich was only promoted to defensive coordinator in Atlanta following Dan Quinn’s dismissal this past season, he was the Falcons’ linebackers coach since 2015. Neal also played under Quinn from 2016-20 in Atlanta. The former Falcons head coach is now serving as Mike McCarthy’s defensive coordinator in Dallas.

The University of Florida product has shown an interest in playing linebacker, according to Anderson, and now could play alongside his former Gators teammates — Marcus Maye and Jarrad Davis — in New York.

Report: Keanu Neal drawing ‘preliminary interest’ from six teams

The Falcons let their former first-round pick, safety Keanu Neal, hit free agency without a contract or franchise tag designation.

The Atlanta Falcons let their former first-round pick, safety Keanu Neal, hit free agency without a contract or franchise tag designation. Originally drafted with the No. 17 overall selection back in 2016, Neal’s career got off to a promising start before it was derailed by two unfortunate injuries that cut his 2018 and 2019 seasons short.

As free agency officially begins on Wednesday afternoon, six teams, including the Dallas Cowboys — where former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is the defensive coordinator — and the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers are showing “preliminary interest” in Neal, per NFL insider Josina Anderson.

https://twitter.com/JosinaAnderson/status/1371935113328664584

Despite fighting his way back on the field in 2020, Atlanta wasn’t in position to bring Neal back due to a major salary cap deficit. The team finally created some cap space on Tuesday by restructuring Matt Ryan’s contract.

With needs remaining at both starting safety spots, cornerback and guard, the Falcons will likely have to settle for cheaper options in the second wave of free agency and the upcoming NFL draft.

Neal started in 48 of the 49 games he played during his five seasons in Atlanta, making one Pro Bowl in 2017.

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Jets among teams interested in S Keanu Neal

The Jets are looking at safety Keanu Neal, who could be interested in playing linebacker.

The Jets defense needs a lot of help, and they’re looking at upgrading their secondary – possibly with former Falcons safety Keanu Neal, according to Josina Anderson.

The Jets are one of several teams interested in Neal, per Anderson. Among the others: the Cowboys, Lions, Vikings, Colts and Panthers.

Neal, the 17th overall pick in 2016, is a tackling machine. He registered 100 tackles or more in the three seasons he played more than 14 games. Neal’s biggest issue is durability, though, after he missed 15 games in 2018 with a torn ACL and 13 games in 2019 with a torn Achilles. Neal played well in 2020, though, recording 100 combined tackles, nine tackles for a loss, one sack and one interception.

Neal has some familiarity with Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Both were in Atlanta over the course of Neal’s career, though Ulbrich coached the linebackers until being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020. Neal tallied 63 solo tackles after Ulbrich was promoted, as well as eight tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits and his first career interception.

Despite his position in the deep secondary, Neal fits the mold of a box safety/linebacker hybrid at 6-foot-1, 216 pounds. He played 641 snaps in the box or in the slot compared to 226 snaps at free safety. Anderson also noted that Neal would be interested in playing linebacker if asked. The Jets need off-ball linebackers in their defense, which is the role Neal would likely slide into if the Jets ended up with him.

Report: Vikings express ‘early interest’ in free agent Falcons S Keanu Neal

Could Atlanta Falcons free agent safety Keanu Neal sign with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason?

S Anthony Harris is arguably the best player in the Vikings’ 2021 free agency class.

Harris had a 2019 where he tallied six interceptions in the regular season and one in the playoffs. That year, he earned a PFF grade of 90.5.

In 2020, Harris regressed. He had no interceptions and a PFF grade of 66.2. However, based on his body of work, Harris should still command a decent price in free agency.

So it makes sense that Minnesota is reportedly looking for other safeties in free agency. Per multiple reports, the Vikings have expressed interest in Falcons S Keanu Neal, who is a free agent this offseason. Although, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press added the caveat that it is “early interest” at this time.

Neal had one interception and a PFF grade of 68.2 in 2020. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he had one interception and a PFF grade of 78.1. He suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2018 and 2019.

So Neal has been good in the past and the Vikings probably don’t need a stellar safety paired with someone as good as S Harrison Smith. That said, this move would likely be a downgrade from the Smith-Harris pairing back deep.

Panthers among teams with ‘preliminary interest’ in Keanu Neal

According to a report by Josina Anderson at ESPN, the Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Vikings and Colts are also among the interested parties.

The Panthers are among the teams that have shown “preliminary interest” in Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow.

According to a report by Josina Anderson at ESPN, the Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Vikings and Colts are also among the interested parties.

https://twitter.com/JosinaAnderson/status/1371935113328664584

Carolina might seem pretty well set at strong safety with Jeremy Chinn slated to start at that position moving forward. However, if your defense can’t find room for Keanu Neal, there’s something wrong with your defense. Neal may be willing to move to linebacker, in any case.

While Neal does a lot of the same things that Chinn can on the field, that’s an argument in favor of signing him. His range, tackling ability and talent for forcing turnovers should all be welcome commodities for a young defense in need of experienced playmakers.

In 49 career NFL games, Neal has posted two interceptions, 16 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles and 15 tackles for a loss.

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Safety Keanu Neal to Cowboys makes a lot of free agency sense to a lot of people

A former Dan Quinn prospect might just fit into Dallas’ scheme. Former Falcons’ safety Keanu Neal could be the missing link for the team.

After creating some much-needed cap space with the signing of Dak Prescott and restructuring of several contracts, the Dallas Cowboys must shift their attention elsewhere, as they look to improve upon a depleted defense from last season. One position group that must be addressed more than any other is the secondary.

Last season Dallas struggled to do the basics of football: cover, tackle and force turnovers. Looking at the 2020 defensive rankings, the team remained in the bottom ten of passing yards allowed and converted a mere 10 interceptions. Help is needed and a former player of Dan Quinn might just fit into Dallas’ plans. Former Falcons’ safety Keanu Neal could be the missing link.

In a recent simulated offseason scenario, Sports Illustrated predicted that Neal would wind up signing with Dallas. They also had Dallas selecting Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater, Miami DE Quincy Roche, UCLA DT Osa Odighizuwa and North Carolina Central CB Bryan Mills in the first three rounds.

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report added on to the fire that Dallas should consider Neal.

The former first-round pick hasn’t lived up to expectations in Atlanta, but there’s reason to believe his best football could still be in front of him.

That’s because a lot of the 25-year-old’s struggles have come because of injuries. After amassing 222 total tackles, 14 passes defended and eight forced fumbles in his first two seasons, he missed large portions of his next two seasons with an Achilles injury and an ACL tear.

That’s a red flag, but it’s one that could also point toward his potential to improve. Neal came back healthy last season and had 100 tackles in 15 games with nine tackles for a loss. Given another year of recovery and health, he could be even better over the next few seasons.

The Florida product is at his best playing a traditional strong safety role.

Neal would make a great asset to a locker room struggling to find its defensive niche. Last season, the former Falcon started 14 of his team’s 15 games. During that time, he added on two pass deflections and one interception. While the numbers may not be eye-catching, one area the safety excelled at was his ability to tackle downfield. In 2020, the former pro bowler finished second on his team with 76 solo tackles.  Likewise, he tallied on three quarterback hits and notched his first ever sack.

In 2017, Neal had his best seasons while playing under Quinn. The starting safety computed six pass deflections that year and combined for five forced fumbles. His success under the Cowboy’s coordinator comes as no surprise, as the Falcons had one of the top 10 defenses that season. A major part of his success was due in part to the Cover 3 scheme Atlanta ran. Quinn understood how to utilize players through zone and man-to-man coverage.

Bob Strum of The Athletic believes the free agent safety would come at a cheap price. The belief is that both sides would be able to get a deal done financially, without Dallas breaking the bank. Pro Football Focus predicts a two-year, $10 million deal is the market for Neal.

Should Jerry Jones decide to purse Neal, the question remains at what cost? The Cowboys would be wise to splash interest at a player that they lack depth at. Neal could be the missing piece for the team’s secondary.

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Falcons not expected to use franchise tag on Keanu Neal

The NFL’s franchise tag deadline is today at 4:00 p.m. ET, but the Falcons aren’t likely to use theirs on free-agent safety Keanu Neal.

The NFL’s franchise tag deadline is today at 4:00 p.m. ET, but the Falcons aren’t likely to use theirs on free-agent safety Keanu Neal. According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team will let its former first-round pick hit the open market.

Since the team is roughly $20 million over the projected 2021 salary cap, tagging Neal wasn’t a realistic option for Atlanta. The franchise tag for a safety is about $10.5 million, and as good as Neal has been, the Falcons can’t afford to spend that much on a single player.

Atlanta already released Neal’s backfield mate, Ricardo Allen, and the team is not expected to re-sign safety Damontae Kazee. After a promising start to his career as the No. 17 pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Neal suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2018 and 2019.

Neal returned in 2020 and was able to stay healthy for the full season. He finished the year with 100 tackles (76 solo), nine tackles for a loss, one interception and one forced fumble.

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