Tag: kyle van noy

53 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 53 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 53 jersey number

The New England Patriots are officially 53 days away from their 2023 regular season opener. That means we’re continuing our ongoing countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn a No. 53 jersey.

The last player to wear the numbers was Josh Uche in his 2020 rookie season. He obviously came into the league with big shoes to fill as a linebacker wearing the same number as former Patriot and two-time Super Bowl champion Kyle Van Noy.

Former three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro linebacker Larry Izzo also wore the No. 53. when helping kick-start the Patriots’ dynasty by appearing on the franchise’s first three Super Bowl teams.

Here’s every Patriots player that has worn the number throughout franchise history (via Pro Football Reference):

Signing Kyle Van Noy named move Titans should make before camp

PFF believes the Titans should sign versatile defender Kyle Van Noy ahead of training camp.

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By this time of year, most NFL clubs have their 90-man rosters set as they patiently wait for training camp to begin, while others are trying to identify any missing pieces the team can realistically add beforehand.

When it comes to the Tennessee Titans, many believe wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the veteran addition that could potentially put this particular team back into the playoff conversation.

However, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus took a different approach in a recent article where he names one move that each team should make before training camp.

Spielberger somewhat surprisingly believes the Titans’ top priority should be going after veteran defender, Kyle Van Noy. The PFF analyst stated the following:

The New England Patriots released Van Noy heading into the second season of a two-year, $12 million contract, and he greatly outperformed his one-year, $2.25 million pact with the Los Angeles Chargersfor 2022. The savvy veteran has played both as a true off-ball linebacker and more near the line of scrimmage rushing the passer in the past two seasons, offering a unique and valuable skill set to potentially interested teams while earning grades above 60.0 in every facet in 2022.

The Titans moved on from Bud Dupree this offseason and lost DeMarcus Walker to free agency, and while they added Arden Key, he figures to kick inside on pass-rushing downs and brings a very different skill set than Van Noy. The veteran provides pass-rush ability off the edge and can play some off-ball linebacker, which isn’t a strong suit of the current Titans roster.

Many may have expected an addition on the offensive side of the ball here, which is entirely understandable, but if the defense is expected to be the strength of this team in 2023, shoring up the unit would make sense, as well.

While I largely disagree with his choice, I can at least understand the logic. If the Titans are going to be championship contenders in 2023, the defense is going to have to lead the way.

Tennessee’s best chance as of right now is to field a defense that is going to hold opponents to a reasonable score each week so the offense doesn’t have to drop 30 just to have a chance at winning.

Nevertheless, the Titans’ starting defense already looks strong on paper, but the same cannot be said about the other side of the ball.

This move would undoubtedly help the defense, as Van Noy has the ability to rush off the edge and play off-ball linebacker, but acquiring him isn’t going to suddenly mask the Titans’ issues in the passing game.

Tennessee currently has 12 wide receivers on its roster who have a combined 16 career receiving touchdowns between them, and the group is seriously lacking depth overall. Adding Van Noy isn’t going to help change that.

While this type of defensive signing would obviously be welcomed should it become a reality, if it’s at the expense of signing another competent wide receiver, this is something that Tennessee should probably pass on.

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3 realistic remaining free agents to add before training camp

Could the Browns add a few more free agents before training camp begins?

While the bulk of NFL free agency has come to a close as the Cleveland Browns look ahead toward training camp, there are still plenty of valuable names available on the open market like defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis. Not every name is a realistic option for the team, however, as players like running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins can be considered long shots to land in Cleveland.

Positions still on the roster that could use work before training camp arrives include linebacker, running back, and defensive tackle. Here are three realistic free agent options the Browns could pursue to tighten up their depth chart a bit further.

9 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

If the Panthers are still keeping tabs on free-agent pass rushers, here are nine notable players who are still left on the open market.

With the second-most salary cap space in the league and a brewing belief that help is on the way, the Carolina Panthers may soon come to terms with a new pass rusher. So, here are nine of the most notable names still left in free agency.

10 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

With Leonard Floyd now off the market, here’s an updated look at the league’s most notable free-agent pass rushers.

On Monday morning, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and the Buffalo Bills came to terms on a one-year deal—much to the dismay of Carolina Panthers fans. But the market isn’t closed yet, folks.

Here are 10 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could sign.

11 remaining free-agent pass rushers the Panthers could still sign

Top 11 pass rushers who remain unsigned heading into June

For all the Carolina Panthers have done this offseason, they still have a lack of firepower off the edge. And although the likes of Yetur Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes Sr. might grow into their newer roles over the summer, Brian Burns remains without a certifiable pass-rushing partner in the middle of the defense.

So, if the Panthers are still keeping tabs on that market, here’s what the top of it currently looks like . . .

The best NFL free agents remaining, pre-minicamp edition

As workouts and mandatory minicamps get underway in June, here are the best free agents left on the open market.

The end of May presents NFL teams with a brief respite in the action before offseason workouts begin at the start of June, and mandatory minicamps get underway in mid-June. From there, it’s a mad dash to the preseason, and all that comes after.

As teams prepare for minicamps and training camps, they’re also looking at the remaining holes in their rosters that they were unable to fill through the first wave of free agency and the draft. Even as summer comes, there’s still a fairly long list of players available as free agents who can help those teams fill those holes. Surprise releases can add to that talent, as the Arizona Cardinals’ release of receiver DeAndre Hopkins did last week.

The All-22: What DeAndre Hopkins has to offer his next NFL team

So here are the best remaining free agents left on the open market.

11 pass rushers the Vikings could target after trading Za’Darius Smith

With the trade of Za’Darius Smith, the Minnesota Vikings could be in the market for a pass rusher.

The Minnesota Vikings did what most had been predicting over the last two months. They traded outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and 2025 sixth and seventh-round picks to the Cleveland Browns for a 2024 fifth-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick.

With the departure of Smith, that leaves a hole in the edge room and there are a few veteran options available for the Vikings to consider bringing in.

Here are 11 pass rushers the Vikings could target after trading Smith.

 

List of Chargers free agents who remain unsigned

There are seven Chargers free agents who are still unsigned.

The Chargers came away with seven new rookies from the 2023 NFL draft and a handful from the undrafted free agency pool.

Los Angeles’ roster reconstruction is nearing completion, but they could still look to address some positions of need before entering camp. That includes potentially bringing back some of their own free agents on the market.

There are seven Chargers free agents who are still unsigned. Here’s a look:

Remaining Chargers free agents still on the open market

Here’s a full list of Chargers players that currently remain free agents.

It has been two weeks since the free agency period opened up, and the Chargers have been steady with their roster reconstruction. They added linebacker Eric Kendricks and re-signed a few of their own.

With that being said, several players that were on Los Angeles’ roster in 2022 are still available to sign.

Here’s a full list of Chargers players that currently remain free agents: