Tag: KJ Henry

Cowboys sign former Commanders defensive end

The Cowboys signed a former Commanders DE for depth after injuries to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.

The Dallas Cowboys are 2-2 and one game behind the Washington Commanders for first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys have struggled defensively at times and were hit hard with injuries in last week’s win against the New York Giants.

The Cowboys lost both of their top pass rushers last week, as Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are expected to miss time.

Dallas is short at defensive end/edge rusher, so it made a move Monday to add some depth. The Cowboys signed defensive end KJ Henry from the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad.

If that name sounds familiar, Henry was a fifth-round pick of the Commanders in the 2023 NFL draft. He played in 10 games for Washington last season, recording 19 tackles, including four for loss and 1.5 sacks in three starts. Washington waived Henry during final cuts in August, and he signed with the Bengals.

He appeared in two games for Cincinnati before he was waived last month and signed to the practice squad.

Henry was a popular player during his short Washington tenure. When he was drafted, his father revealed an old Jeremiah Trotter No. 54 Redskins’ jersey. His father, a former college football coach, is a longtime Washington fan.

Cowboys signing reunites DE with former coach as Parsons, Lawrence injuries reverberate

From @ToddBrock24f7: KJ Henry was a 5th-round pick of the Commanders last year, notching 1.5 sacks in 10 games. He was on Cincinnati’s practice squad this year.

As expected, the Cowboys have moved DeMarcus Lawrence to injured reserve as he rehabs the foot sprain he suffered Thursday in a win over the New York Giants.

The team has wasted no time bringing in reinforcements for its defensive line, which is also preparing to head to Pittsburgh for a Week 5 game without edge rusher Micah Parsons in the lineup.

The Cowboys are signing defensive end KJ Henry to a two-year deal, as reported Tuesday by ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.

Henry is a known commodity to Dallas defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina; the two worked together in Washington in Henry’s rookie year of 2023 after he was a fifth-round draft pick out of Clemson that spring.

In his one year with the Commanders, the 6-foot-4-inch, 255-pound Henry saw action in 10 games, starting three of them. He compiled 1.5 sacks and was in on 19 tackles, four of them for loss.

He did not survive Dan Quinn’s cuts in August, however, and found himself on the waiver wire, where he was claimed by Cincinnati prior to the start of the season. The North Carolina native played a handful of snaps in the Bengals’ first two games before being waived and then re-signed to their practice squad.

Henry will go directly to the Cowboys’ active roster and must stay there for at least three weeks, per NFL rules regarding a player poached from another practice squad. In Dallas, he’ll join a patchworked pass rush group that includes rookie Marshawn Kneeland, Chauncey Golston, and Carl Lawson.

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Parsons is expected to miss at least one game, maybe more. Lawrence will likely be out for four to eight weeks. The Cowboys also lost defensive end Sam Williams for the season back in July.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones hinted this week that the team would probably not be actively seeking out trade partners for any high-profile midseason additions; the signing of 25-year-old Henry off a practice squad represents a more cost-efficient fix for a depleted roster.

Now it’s up to Henry to actually make that bet pay off.

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KJ Henry lands with the Cincinnati Bengals

Henry lands in a good situation.

CLAIMING K.J. HENRY: With edge rusher Myles Murphy (knee) out for at least the next four weeks, the Bengals turned to his former Clemson bookend when they plucked Commanders defensive end K.J. Henry off waivers before Wednesday’s practice.

The 6-4, 255-pound Henry played 41% of the snaps and made three starts as a rookie last season and came up with 1.5 sacks and two passes defensed on 282 snaps.

After the Bengals drafted Murphy in the first round last year with the 28th pick, the Commanders took Henry in the fifth round. Murphy confirmed Henry is an outgoing guy, popular with the media and worthy of his degree in sports communication that he obtained in three years. He also has a master’s in athletic leadership to go with the award given to the player who best represents himself, his teammates and Clemson in the media.

Henry logged five years at Clemson and played the school’s most career games on the edge with 58, his last 14 coming with Murphy rushing on the other side in 2022.

“If you look at the Commanders’ tape, that’s what he does,” Murphy said. “He’s a smart, smart guy. I have no worries about him learning the playbook quickly. He’s got the whole shebang. The media will have a fun time with him. He was all over the Commanders’ page.”

The Bengals know plenty about him since his data is fresh from last year’s draft. Plus, defensive line coach Marion Hobby recruited him to Clemson and knew him for a long time even before that: Henry’s dad is long-time college coach Keith Henry, now the safeties coach at North Carolina A&T.

– Press release via the Cincinnati Bengals

K.J. Henry posts classy goodbye message to Washington

K.J. Henry thankful for his time in Washington.

K.J. Henry immediately became a fan favorite after the 2023 NFL draft when fans realized his father, a college football coach, was a longtime Washington fan.

When K.J. Henry received the call that he was coming to Washington, his father went upstairs, put on an old Redskins’ hat and jersey, and came back downstairs and embraced his son. It was a special moment.

We would later learn more about the special relationship between father and son. The younger Henry would use NIL money he earned at Clemson to help find a kidney for his father.

Henry played in 10 games as a rookie for the Commanders, but he was waived on Tuesday as Washington cut its roster to 53 players. Unsurprisingly, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed Henry on waivers on Wednesday.

Henry fondly remembered his short time in Washington and took to X to show his appreciation to the DMV and the Commanders.

Well over 100 Washington fans responded to Henry’s message, wishing him well.

Cutdown days are challenging for all 32 NFL teams but much harder for players. Sometimes, it takes longer for players to gather their emotions after their dream has ended. Henry did something many players don’t often do: show gratitude to the team that brought him into the NFL.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 11 Q&A with Commanders Wire

With a Week 11 game between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Commanders Wire.

The New York Giants (2-8) and Washington Commanders (4-6) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 11 matchup at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

The Giants opened the week as 10-point road underdogs but that spread has softened a tiny bit since then. As of this writing, New York is +9.5.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Commanders Wire managing editor Bryan Manning.

Social media reacts to horrible roughing the passer penalty on the Commanders

One of the worst calls you’ll ever see.

Washington Commanders rookie defensive end K.J. Henry is playing in his first career NFL game on Sunday against the New England Patriots. On the Patriots’ first possession in the third quarter, Henry made his presence felt, sacking New England quarterback Mac Jones on third-and-10 and forcing the fumble.

The Commanders recover, and it’s Washington’s football around midfield.

Wait, there’s a flag.

Amazingly, the officials called roughing the passer on Henry, giving the Patriots the football back and a first down — in field-goal range.

Judge for yourself:

Needless to say, Twitter — or X — did not like the call.

Here are some of the best reactions.

2023 NFL Draft: The best draft steal for every NFL team

Every NFL draft has its selection of steals — those players who could surprise despite their low selections — and here’s one for every NFL team.

One of the many reasons the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII was the job that general manager Brett Veach did outside of the first round of the 2022 draft. Three defensive backs (Bryan Cook in the second round, Joshua Williams in the fourth, and Jaylen Watson in the seventh) were difference-makers all season, and seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco became the team’s bellcow back down the stretch. Also, second-round receiver Skyy Moore joined Pacheco with touchdowns in that Super Bowl victory over the Eagles.

First-round hits are nice, but it’s almost worse to miss in the first round than it is better to win there from an opportunity cost perspective. If you want to refresh your roster at a championship level, you had better get those picks right on the second and third day. Veach and his staff did that, and it was the difference that made all the difference in the end.

Moving to the 2023 NFL draft, we’ve selected one second- or third-day pick for every NFL team who could have a similar impact on their NFL roaters sooner than mater. Each of these players have reasons for their relatively low picks in line with their tape, stats, and talent, but these are the kinds of finds that can turn a team around over time.

2023 NFL draft: Chargers attended workout for Clemson’s Myles Murphy, KJ Henry

The Chargers met with two edge defenders at their pro day.

The Chargers were one of the teams in attendance for the workout for Clemson edge defenders Myles Murphy and KJ Henry, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye.

Clemson’s initial pro day was a few weeks ago but Murphy and Henry didn’t participate.

Touted as one of the top players at his position, Murphy recorded 18.5 sacks and five passes defended in 35 games.

At 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds, Murphy is a player who offers a combination of size, power and athleticism at the position, as well as some pass-rushing alignment versatility.

Murphy is projected to be a first-round pick.

Meanwhile, Henry had also had a productive career for the Tigers, amassing 139 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and 11 passes broken up over 58 games.

At 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, Henry has quickness off the edge needed to create pressure on the quarterback and the play strength at the point of attack in the run game.

Murphy projects as a fourth or fifth round selection.

The Chargers need more talent in the edge defender room. The duo of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack is great, but Los Angeles struggled to generate pressure when Bosa was out for most of the season with a torn groin.

Therefore, they will be in the market for a player at the position in this year’s draft, and Murphy or Henry could be on their board if they’re still available when they’re on the clock.

Giants attend workouts for Clemson’s Myles Murphy, KJ Henry

The New York Giants attended the recent workouts for Clemson’s Myles Murphy and KJ Henry.

The New York Giants continue their preparation for the 2023 NFL draft, which now lingers less than three weeks away. They sit at pick No. 25 with plenty of positions available to address.

The Giants were at the Clemson pro day (2.0) this week to scout some defensive linemen ahead of the draft.

While Myles Murphy is likely to be gone well before the Giants pick at No. 25, general manager Joe Schoen could trade up if he somehow slips within range.

KJ Henry, on the other hand, is set to be a Day 2 or Day 3 selection and has been connected to the Giants in a recent Draft Wire mock.

The last time the Giants selected a defensive lineman out of Clemson it worked out pretty well, landing their superstar nose tackle Dexter Lawrence at 17th overall in 2019 — a pick acquired in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade.

Lawrence was the third Clemson defensive lineman off the board that year.

The Giants don’t have a glaring need along the defensive line in comparison to other positions but do not be surprised if Schoen does use the team’s first-round pick on a D-lineman.

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10 dynamic prospects for the Eagles to watch at the NFL scouting combine

With the workouts set to begin, we’re looking at 10 dynamic players for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

The Eagles are at the NFL scouting combine and with two first-round picks for the second year in a row, they’ll look to retool with 18 pending free agents set to hit the open market.

Philadelphia could lose Isaac Seumalo and Miles Sanders on offense, but the unit is intact at the most critical positions and will likely use their six draft picks on dynamic defenders.

The Eagles have 9 key contributors on defense set for free agency, and GM Howie Roseman has acknowledged that he won’t be able to retain his core of free agents with Jalen Hurts set to land a huge contract extension.

With the onfield portion of the combine set to heat up, we’re looking at 10 dynamic prospects for the Eagles to watch.