Tag: kyle van noy

7 EDGE options for the Falcons in free agency

Since 2019 sack leader Vic Beasley won’t be returning in 2020, Atlanta has a real need for a pass-rushing defensive end.

Only the Miami Dolphins recorded less sacks than the Atlanta Falcons last season. Since 2019 sack leader Vic Beasley won’t be returning in 2020, the team has a real need for a pass-rushing defensive end.

The best, cheapest option for the Falcons is to find a replacement for Beasley in the NFL draft. With free agency coming up first, though, let’s take a look at seven possible EDGE options that Atlanta could consider signing this offseason.

Robert Quinn

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

2019 Stats: 34 tackles (26 solo), 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 passes defended

Analysis: Robert Quinn is still a very good player, recording a career-high 11.5 sacks in his ninth NFL season. He’ll turn 30 before the 2020 season begins and despite his top-level production, he isn’t going to command the kind of money that Clowney, Dupree and Fowler are likely to get on the open market. Quinn may still be slightly out of Atlanta’s price range, but he’s the exact kind of one or two-year stop gap that a team trying to get back to contention should be interested in.

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5 Patriots listed within top 50 of Pro Football Focus’ free agent list

The Patriots have a heavy workload on their hands this offseason. 

The New England Patriots have a heavy workload on their hands this offseason.

Tom Brady’s looming free agency decision sits on the top of the list, with guys like Kyle Van Noy, Devin McCourty and Joe Thuney shortly after. The Patriots need to reload offensively, but they still don’t know what the ripple effect will be if Brady does decide to leave.

Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio are hard at work trying to control the controllable’s, with a championship in mind for 2020. Brady, Van Noy, McCourty, Thuney, Jamie Collins, Matthew Slater, Danny Shelton and Nate Ebner are some of the most important guys worth retaining for the Patriots.

Pro Football Focus put together a list of the top free agents this offseason and five Patriots sit within the top 25. Here’s what PFF had to say about these five free agents.

Brady sits at No. 3.

It was an unfamiliar feeling in New England this season as the Patriots offense struggled and Brady finally showed signs of regression. When combined with a subpar group of playmakers, the Patriots offense trudged through the 2019 season and their marriage with Brady is entering uncharted territory. He’ll hit the open market for at least a minute in March and questions abound about whether his best fit is back in New England or is Brady ready for a fresh start as he heads into his age-43 season? He finished the year with a 79.0 overall grade and the second half of the season was a struggle as Brady ranked just 27th in positively graded throws. That’s a number that can increase with an improved supporting cast, and Brady’s No. 12 ranking shows that he’s still capable of quality production, but he appears to be past the point of elevating any group of playmakers to one of the best offenses in the league.

McCourty sits at No. 23.

The only thing keeping McCourty from being higher on the list is age, as he enters the 2020 season at 33 years old. McCourty exemplifies what you want in a “safe” safety, as he’s rarely out of position in the passing game and is a sure tackler in space with just 71 career misses on 890 tackle attempts. While McCourty has dabbled in multiple roles playing closer to the line of scrimmage or covering tight ends, he’s at his best as a deep free safety where he will rarely bust coverages and frequently take advantage of quarterback mistakes when presented

Thuney sits at No. 24.

It’s been a story of continuous improvement for Thuney since entering the league in 2016, and he finished the 2019 regular season with the No. 5 overall grade among guards (77.4). Thuney has had his best year in pass protection, allowing just 16 pressures on 693 attempts, good for the third-highest pass-blocking grade in the league (87.4). A converted college offensive tackle, Thuney struggled against more powerful players early in his career, but he’s developed nicely into one of the best all-around guards in the league.

Van Noy sits at No. 40.

After a slow start to his career in Detroit, Van Noy found a home in New England, and his versatility was an asset to the team as they made multiple Super Bowl runs. Van Noy is a true hybrid linebacker with pass-rushing skills, a coveted skillset by the Patriots and one that has him hitting free agency with many potential suitors given the recent growth of the Bill Belichick coaching tree. The 2019 season was the first year that we saw Van Noy used almost exclusively as a pass-rusher, and he picked up 60 pressures (eight sacks, nine QB hits, 43 hurries) on 464 rushes.

Collins sits at No. 50.

Jamie Collins’ last attempt at free agency was the ultimate case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. Multiple seasons of elite play in New England during his first stint with the franchise led the Browns to become besotted with him, but his time in Cleveland was little north of disastrous. However, his return to the Patriots saw him rediscover a stretch of elite play before cooling off and ending the season with a sequence of disappointing play. Collins may represent one of the largest potential variances of any free agent available, but he remains an athletic and intriguing player who could tempt teams into trying to take advantage of a playmaker and game-changer on defense.

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PFF predicts Lions bring back Kyle Van Noy

This prediction seems difficult to fathom

It’s too early to know what the plans are for free agency, but the predictions are starting to flow fast and furious. One of those for the Detroit Lions is likely to make someone furious.

Pro Football Focus predicted the landing spot for each of its 50 top-ranked free agents. Former Lions EDGE Kyle Van Noy, now with the New England Patriots, checks in at No. 40 on PFF’s list.

Even though his prior Detroit tenure did not go well for either side of the equation, leading to his good-riddance trade to the Patriots, PFF predicts Van Noy to land back with the Lions and Matt Patricia. I’ll let them explain…

Like Judge and Flores, Matt Patricia won’t be afraid to pull free agents away from New England, and bringing in Kyle Van Noy is the likeliest route they’d take if they were to snag a player familiar with their scheme. Detroit would cut Devon Kennard to do that since Van Noy plays that exact role (would save then $5.6 million in 2020).

Van Noy may indeed be coming off a better season than Kennard, but it’s difficult to fathom GM Bob Quinn paying a premium price to bring back a player he willingly — and popularly — gave up on in his first year running the Lions.

Patriots 2020 free agency preview: Kyle Van Noy seems likely to get a payday elsewhere

Kyle Van Noy should see strong interest in free agency.

New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy has made roughly $9 million in his seven years in the NFL. It’s not crazy to think, on a new deal, he will make that much in 2020 alone.

After a handful of strong seasons as an edge defender in New England’s system, Van Noy is in line for a big payday. He’s 28 years old, and may want to cash in on a deal which sets up his family. In 2018, he proved his could own the middle of the field with 92 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In 2019, he moved into a more versatile and physically challenging role with 56 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Because of that competence all over the defensive front — and his efficiency as a pass-rusher in limited number of rushers — Van Noy may find his asking price somewhere between $7 million and $9 million per year.

That would probably push the Patriots away from the negotiation table. And that should be OK with Van Noy, who has two rings Super Bowl rings but hasn’t quite gotten the lucrative deal he deserves. But that means Van Noy will have to get comfortable with the idea of joining the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns, the Tennessee Titans or the Detroit Lions. Those teams either have a Patriots connection, money or both. They’re also not exactly proven winners at this point. But that’s often the tradeoff in free agency.

In the likely event Van Noy leaves, they will have to find a way to replace his 814 defensive snaps (81%) in 2019. To complicate the matter further, outside linebacker Jamie Collins is also set to enter free agency (though he seems more likely for a return). New England has John Simon and Chase Winovich, both of whom play a slightly different role than Van Noy. And then there’s Shilique Calhoun, a player who seemed ready to earn significant playing time in 2019, only to have injuries set him back.

Bill Belichick may have to do what he did to revitalize Van Noy’s career — the Patriots coach may have to get crafty to restock the outside linebacker position, because it’s typically an expensive job to fill in free agency.

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Impending free agent Kyle Van Noy: ‘Go Giants!’

New England Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy, an impending free agent, recently praised Joe Judge and gave an interesting, “Go Giants!” shout.

Late last week, New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy, an impending free agent, joined the Pat McAfee Show and was asked about Joe Judge, who was hired by the New York Giants as their new head coach in January.

Unsurprisingly, Van Noy, like many players who worked with Judge in both New England and Alabama, had nothing but good things to say about him and his relentless motor.

“He’s a ball of energy. If he can take the energy he has and consistently, each and every day, line it up with that positive energy and not go, ‘woo woo’ all over the place, I think they’re going to be really, really good because he’s really good coach. He loves football,” Van Noy said.

“That’s not me selling him, that’s just straight fact. He loves football.”

Van Noy added that Judge can sometimes be all over the place, but at the end of the day, he’s a full-on football mind and when he gets focused, “it’s money.”

Speaking of money, the Giants have a lot of that entering free agency and are in need of some linebackers, which is something Van Noy clearly recognizes.

“Go, Giants!” he added.

Leverage is everything when it comes to free agency and Van Noy is looking for a pay day. Will Judge and the Giants give it to him?

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Kyle Van Noy addresses his NFL future, with hopes to stay with Patriots

One of the biggest free agent concerns for the Patriots this season, aside from Tom Brady, is Kyle Van Noy. 

One of the biggest free agent concerns for the New England Patriots this season, aside from Tom Brady, is Kyle Van Noy.

The 28-year-old linebacker is coming off his best season in 2019 and is expected to make top-tier money for his position. He anchored one of the best linebacker cores in the NFL alongside Dont’a Hightower, while recording career-high’s in sacks (6.5), quarterback hits (15) and forced fumbles (3).

He opened up about his NFL future during an interview with CBS Sports HQ on Thursday.

“For me personally, I want to do what’s best for my family and I would love to stay in New England,” Van Noy said. “It’s going to be home forever. I won Super Bowls there now, the fans have embraced me like their own, I feel like I’m a Bostonian at heart. The food, the culture, everything. I’m in it with them when I go to the Bruins games, the Celtics games, so I’m very, very confident in regards to staying at home. That would be an honor to finish out my career with the New England Patriots.

“But, at the end of the day, it’s a business. I feel like my game has been very consistent the last couple of years and I want to continue that if it’s with [the Patriots] or with someone else.”

The Patriots traded for Van Noy during the 2016 season and his consistency has helped bring two Super Bowl wins to the franchise. Out of the free agents New England needs to work on retaining, Van Noy sits near the top of the list.

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Kyle Van Noy has funny exchange about Tom Brady’s free agency decision

Kyle Van Noy had all sorts of ideas.

Kyle Van Noy admitted he’s causing all sorts of trouble this offseason while answering questions about Tom Brady’s future.

The New England Patriots linebacker had done a handful of media appearances ahead of Super Bowl 54 (probably due to his own impending free agency status). But media members are less interested in Van Noy’s looming decision. They care largely about Brady. Van Noy admitted as much in a funny exchange with Pat McAfee on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Van Noy admitted he told one radio station he thought Brady would retire before saying to another station that Brady was headed to Las Vegas. In, perhaps, a genuine moment, Van Noy told McAfee that he thought Brady was “staying at home” with New England. When that answer disappointed, he immediately pivoted and suggested, clearly in jest, that Brady could go to the Miami Dolphins.

Van Noy’s presence on the Patritos defense has long been underrated, and so his own free agency status should not go understated. He’s likely to make good money in free agency, with New England potentially bowing out of his market if the offers get too high.

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6 takeaways from Patriots’ unpredictable 2019 season

Here are 6 major takeaways from New England’s 2019 season.

What a wild ride for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2019.

Coming off of a Super Bowl victory, the Patriots were equipped and prepared to make another run. After eight weeks of the season, people were ready to crown them as one of the greatest Patriots teams ever. By the time playoffs came, many claimed the end of a dynasty. New England was unpredictable from the beginning of the offseason and and that theme was glaring throughout the entire year.

Brady came out firing at the start of the season, but his production plummeted as the weeks flew by. The defense started off as one of the greatest units in NFL history, and turned into a pretty solid group.

However you interpret the season, you can’t deny that they finished 12-4 and entered the playoffs. This was a really good season — if you don’t look at it from the Patriots’ standards.

Let’s take a dive into seven takeaways from the season.

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Looking at the Patriots’ biggest needs for the offseason

Here are the Patriots’ biggest needs heading into the 2020 season.

The New England Patriots are heading into unfamiliar territory with the 2020 offseason.

After the 2018 season, the Patriots were coming off of a Super Bowl win and Tom Brady’s future with the team was clear. After the 2019 season, the Patriots got bounced in the wild-card round and their 42-year-old quarterback is entering free agency. There’s a sense of uncertainty that’s lingered around New England and the reality of the team’s future will be determined soon.

So, how will the Patriots move forward?

Regardless of Brady’s future with the team, Bill Belichick will still put together a roster geared for a championship run. Some of the best players on team are entering free agency or simply getting older, so this time around will be a bit more tricky.

Here are biggest offseason needs.

Quarterback

Whether or not Brady returns, the Patriots have a dire need for their future quarterback. They could acquire a veteran, draft one, or they could experiment and see if Jarrett Stidham is ready to take over. If Brady does leave, it’s possible that New England brings in a proven veteran to compete with Stidham for the starting role, while continuing to mentor him.

A few veterans that would make sense for New England include Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Nick Foles, Derek Carr or even Cam Newton. One of these players could help teach a younger quarterback, while keeping the Patriots competitive. This is all if Brady decides to take his talents elsewhere.

Brady shared a post saying that he still has more to prove, so it’s also very possible that the Patriots have him at the helm in 2020.

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Logan Ryan claps back at Kyle Van Noy over ‘revenge tour’ comments

“Kyle Van Noy’s running his mouth and giving us bulletin board material about his revenge tour.”

Kyle Van Noy probably should have known better.

The New England Patriots linebacker has clung to opponents’ quotes which he finds offensive. He seems to draw motivation from these affronts. But when he declared the Patriots’ playoff run a “revenge tour,” he provided the Tennessee Titans with the same fuel Van Noy seems to cherish.

At least, former Patriots and current Titans cornerback Logan Ryan insinuated as much after his team’s 20-13 win over New England. Ryan managed the game-sealing pick-six with 47 seconds left.

“My guy Kyle Van Noy calling it a revenge tour. Just play ball, Kyle,” Ryan told reporters after the game. “I’m sure you’re going to see this, but he’s one of the hyenas and he’s on a revenge tour and why not start with the Titans? Tom Brady doesn’t do that, Julian Edelman doesn’t do that, Devin McCourty, (Stephon Gilmore) don’t do that.

“Kyle Van Noy’s running his mouth and giving us bulletin board material about his revenge tour. His revenge tour ended early… Van Noy’s been tripping, and so his revenge tour ended early. Hope he enjoys it.”

Before the game, Van Noy reasoned that Tennessee was a team which New England lost to last year. Hence, the revenge tour.

Extrapolating that idea: if the Patriots won Saturday, they’d face the Kansas City Chiefs, who New England lost to in 2019. Perhaps a win in Kansas City would grant them a second shot at the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game. The Ravens also beat New England this year. It would’ve been a nice story.

Would’ve. Could’ve. Should’ve.

Ryan did, indeed, bring a halt to Van Noy’s revenge tour. While Van Noy played well, with five tackles, a quarterback pressure (which helped force a Ryan Tannehill interception) and forced fumble (which Tannehill recovered to retain the ball), his efforts weren’t enough for New England to get a win.

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