Tag: Margus Hunt

LOOK: Margus Hunt shows off ‘battle scar’ from blocked field goal vs. Bucs

New Orleans Saints DL Margus Hunt showed off an impressive bruise from his blocked field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Margus Hunt was a call-up from the New Orleans Saints practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and immediately proved why he earned it by blocking a critical Bucs field goal. He just may have gotten more than he bargained for in doing it, sporting a nasty bruise on his right arm after the game. The kick struck him on the inside biceps muscle, and while it looks painful, he’s apparently shaken it off.

But those special teams plays have been something Hunt is known for throughout his football career, in the NFL and at college. Hunt, a 6-foot-8 Estonian immigrant, starred at SMU while recording 17 blocked kicks (including an NCAA-record 10 field goal blocks). He’s kept it up since entering the NFL, blocking five kicks in eight years, including his big play on Sunday.

He also wasn’t the only member of the Saints practice squad to show up on special teams. Veteran wide receiver Bennie Fowler impressed by recovering a muffed kick, setting the Saints up in terrific scoring position late in the game. Both players can be promoted to a game-day roster just once more this season before they have to be signed to the roster full-time, but these early highlights just might have the Saints thinking it’s worth keeping them around.

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Saints call up Margus Hunt, Bennie Fowler from practice squad vs. Bucs

The New Orelans Saints promoted DE Margus Hunt and WR Bennie Fowler from the practice squad for Sunday’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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The New Orleans Saints promoted two players from their practice squad on Saturday, adding veteran defensive lineman Margus Hunt and wide receiver Bennie Fowler Jr. to their Week 1 game day roster. Both players should be expected to suit up for Sunday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One of the changes the NFL adopted this summer in its new collective bargaining agreement with the players union is an expanded active roster on game days, which allows teams to activate two players from the practice squad for a game before they revert back on the following day. Teams are required to promote one player from the practice squad, but can call up a second member if they’ve already dressed eight offensive linemen.

While this isn’t the same thing as a real expanded roster to 55 players, it functions very similarly. The new CBA does account for roster expansion in the years ahead, but the NFL is determined to get there incrementally.

Anyway: Hunt should be a welcome addition in the wake of Marcus Davenport’s injury, putting the eighth-year veteran into the lineup. Hunt has appeared in 95 games in the NFL and should fit right in across from Cameron Jordan. If Fowler is going to also dress out for this game, it means the Saints would have six wide receivers activated: starters Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, third-year pro Tre’Quan Smith, and core special teamers Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway (a rookie out of Tennessee who flashed as a gunner and return man).

The Saints must be very judicious in how they use these practice squad promotions moving forward. Each member of the practice squad may only be called up twice in a season (including the playoffs) or else they have to be signed to the 53-man roster.

On the other side of the field, the Buccaneers have promoted two of their own practice squad players: cornerback Mazzi Wilkins and wide receiver Cyril Grayson Jr. Grayson, a former LSU Tigers track and field star, spent training camp with the Saints last year before showing out for Tampa Bay as a returns specialist.

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Retired Saints fullback, old SMU teammate Zach Line helped recruit Margus Hunt

The Saints added a veteran in Margus Hunt, who said his chat with retired Saints fullback and old SMU teammate Zach Line helped win him over

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The New Orleans Saints have been known for the pipeline that runs to Columbus, Ohio, funneling Ohio State Buckeyes star talents like Malcolm Jenkins, Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple down south, but the team has an even stronger connection running out west, into oil country — where the SMU Mustangs play in Dallas.

In fact, former Mustangs now outnumber the three Buckeyes in New Orleans (with Bell and Apple trying their luck in free agency). Punter Thomas Morstead, long snapper Zach Wood, and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders were recently joined by another familiar face in defensive lineman Margus Hunt.

While Morstead only played with Sanders in college, during the 2008 season, Hunt joined the squad during Sanders’ senior year in 2009. So did former Saints fullback Zach Line, who retired earlier this year. Line and Hunt were teammates for four years at SMU, and remained close enough all these years later for Hunt to ask for advice when the Saints expressed interest in him as a free agent.

“The first thing I did was reached out to Zach Line,” Hunt said during his introductory conference call with New Orleans media. “I have a great relationship with him and he told me so many positive things about the organization and the locker room and everything. He told me basically if this is serious, by all means take it because you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.”

Hunt was drafted highly by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013, and had his best year as a pro with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. While he’s comfortable with his scheme fit in New Orleans as a versatile lineman who can play anywhere from nose tackle to defensive end, Line’s praise for the Saints team culture won him over.

He continued, “Well, for me right now too, with being married with two kids, he just said from that point of view it’s very family-oriented. They do a huge deal about family and kids and everything. That was one of the reasons.

“Another one was obviously the locker room. Great guys, all pros, they do the right things. They work hard, practice hard. They teach each other hard and they work every day to get to that title. That was one of the big things.”

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Report: Ex-Colts DT Margus Hunt to sign with Saints

Margus Hunt finds a new home.

Former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Margus Hunt has agreed to terms on a deal with the New Orleans Saints.

The Colts released Hunt just before the start of the new league year on March 16. The move saved them $4 million in salary cap space as he entered the final year of the two-year extension he signed before the 2019 season.

Hunt became an expendable asset for the Colts. While he showed some promise working on the interior in 2018, he failed to record a single sack or tackle for loss during the 2019 season.

The Colts wound up trading for DeForest Buckner, signing defensive tackle Sheldon Day and drafting defensive tackle Robert Windsor in the sixth round.

Saints agree to terms with ex-Colts, Bengals defensive lineman Margus Hunt

The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms with athletic free agent DL Margus Hunt, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals.

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The New Orleans Saints defensive line got a little deeper Thursday night after the team agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals second-round pick Margus Hunt, as first reported by Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and confirmed by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Hunt last played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, appearing in 450 snaps during 16 games. Poor performance saw him demoted to a backup role just a few weeks into the season.

It was a disappointing setback for Hunt, who previously broke out in 2018 with 13 quarterback pressures — including a career-high five sacks. While he’s a fine addition to just about any defensive line rotation you’ll find around the league, he’ll hardly be competing for a starting job in New Orleans.

And that’s just fine. The Saints have a number of quality linemen ranging from former first-round picks like Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Sheldon Rankins, and Malcom Brown, as well as homegrown talents including David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, Taylor Stallworth, and Texas Longhorns undrafted rookie Malcolm Roach. Adding Hunt to the mix promises plenty of competition at every level of the depth chart.

Hunt rose to prominence after a huge combine performance back in 2013, having timed the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.6 seconds flat while putting up a position-best 38 reps on the bench press. Even more impressive is that he did so after weighing in at 6-foot-8 and 277 pounds, with 33 3/4-inch arms, presenting a uniquely gifted athlete even by NFL standards.

While the Bengals and Colts weren’t able to make the most of Hunt’s potential, he has to like his chances once he gets to work with widely-respected Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen. Nielsen has done a terrific job taking athletes and refining their fundamentals, so it’s possible that the 32-year-old Hunt might shake back under his guidance.

Where he’ll line up exactly is a mystery. Hunt has the build to anchor the edge in the NFL as a strong side defensive end like Jordan, but he’s played his best football so far lined up head-over-guard as more of an interior lineman. Whatever the case, the Saints offseason roster has now filled 89 of its 90 slots. Who will New Orleans acquire to round out the group?

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Colts save $4 million with Margus Hunt release

Colts get a solid pay cut in Margus Hunt.

The Indianapolis Colts are releasing defensive tackle Margus Hunt and while they aren’t strapped for cash in free agency, the cut does save them a bit of money.

Hunt, who was entering the final year of his two-year extension he signed before the 2019 season, will save the Colts $4 million after being released, per Over The Cap. This comes in the form of $3.5 million base salary and $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses.

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The Colts had $64.9 million in salary cap space left after re-signing Anthony Castonzo to a two-year deal. Now, they get a little bit of cash left over from the release of Hunt.

Hunt was becoming an expendable asset. It became clear in 2019 when he played in 16 games but failed to record a sack, quarterback hit or a tackle for loss. The Colts need to upgrade their interior defensive line, and it wasn’t going to happen by keeping Hunt.

The Colts are still among the leaders in salary cap space, and they just added a bit more to their pile.

Report: Colts to release DT Margus Hunt

Colts make their first cut of free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly releasing veteran defensive tackle Margus Hunt, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

This move shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Hunt wasn’t productive in his role on the interior during the 2019 season and with the Colts needing some talent at defensive tackle, Hunt became expendable.

Hunt was one of the first free agents that Chris Ballard signed during his first offseason as general manager in 2017. The Estonian native was a solid part of the defensive line rotation, finding his groove working along the interior.

However, the 2019 season wasn’t very kind to him. He finished the season without recording a sack and saw his playing time diminish throughout the second half of the regular season.

In his three seasons with the Colts, Hunt had 6.0 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits. He didn’t record any of those during the 2019 season.

The Colts save $4 million with the release of Hunt.

Which Colts could be cut candidates this offseason?

The Colts don’t need cap money, but they could still part ways with these players.

Throughout the offseason, the Indianapolis Colts will be faced with tough decisions everywhere. That could include parting ways with some players currently on the roster as free agency and the 2020 NFL draft approaches.

During the offseason, a player is cut most of the time because of salary cap implications. Given how the Colts have operated over the last three years, they have enough salary-cap space to where they don’t need to release a player simply so they can free up some money.

Even with that said, there are a few players that are eligible candidates to be cut this offseason. Whether it’s because the Colts upgraded at their position or whether they’ve become an expendable piece, there are two Colts who have the most realistic chance of being let go this offseason.

Margus Hunt | DT | Age: 32

The first one comes in the form of the veteran from Estonia. Since being signed in 2017, Hunt has been a big part of the defensive line. He’s spent most of his time working on the interior and while he had some success in 2018, his time with the Colts could be coming to an end.

Hunt has just about everything working against him. He’s approaching his age-33 season. He was a big reason the interior defensive line was so unproductive in 2019 and there is a high chance the Colts invest heavily in a younger, more talented player at the position. The other part comes with his contract.

If the Colts part ways with Hunt before June 1, they will save $4 million, per Over The Cap. They won’t owe any money at all because of the way the Colts structured the contract.

Again, the Colts don’t need the money. But if and when they add to the position—which could be in free agency or early in the 2020 NFL draft—it might not be long until he’s gone.

Brian Hoyer | QB | Age: 34

This is contingent on whether the Colts bring in a quarterback. If they wind up going with a veteran like Philip Rivers, Hoyer’s contract is likely released that same day. The more likely option is that the Colts draft a quarterback in April.

There is a world where the Colts keep the rookie quarterback, Jacoby Brissett and Brian Hoyer all on the roster at the same time. But the Colts typically don’t like to carry three quarterbacks on the active roster—something they did for the second half of the 2019 season.

If the Colts take a quarterback in the first round of the draft, Hoyer could see his way out at some point during the preseason. It might be a different story if they wait to draft a quarterback later, because that rookie won’t be ready to step in if something happens to Brissett.

Cutting Hoyer before June 1 would net $2 million in dead salary cap but it would save $3 million.

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Colts who could be potential surprise cuts this offseason

These Colts could be a surprise cut this offseason.

Every year there are a few surprise roster cuts from every team in the NFL. Most happen around late-August as teams prepare to trim the roster from 90 to 53. There are also surprise cuts that happen in early-March before free agency starts as teams try to clear cap room going into free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts aren’t strapped for cash, they’re projected to have the second-most cap space in the NFL at around $93 million come March if they don’t re-sign any of their in-house free agents.

People could look at examples including 2018 when the Colts cut veteran John Simon, or in 2019 when they let go of Krishawn Hogan. With that being said, let’s look at a few players that could Colts could release this offseason:

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RG Mark Glowinski

Chris Ballard really values offensive line play, and he mentioned in his end-of-season presser that the right side of the offensive line needs to be better in 2020. While Braden Smith is still making the transition from guard to tackle, and struggled a bit last year, Glowinski was arguably worse this year.

After signing a three-year, $16 million contract last offseason, he underperformed in 2019. If the Colts were to let Glowinski go before June 1, it would cost them $2.8 million, but they would save $3.35 million.

If the Colts sign or draft someone and they out-played Glowinski and Indianapolis wanted to release him after training camp, it would cost them $1.4 million for the 2020 and 2021 season, but they would save close to $5 million.

Right now, Glowinski is the starter and that could be the case heading into 2020. But the Colts need to upgrade at the position moving forward.

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5 Colts who may be playing final game for Indy on Sunday

Which Colts might not return after Sunday’s game?

The Indianapolis Colts (7-8) are visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) for the regular-season finale on Sunday at TIAA Bank Field.

As the regular season comes to an end, the Colts will have plenty of decisions to make when the offseason arrives. Among them includes who to re-sign and which players to let walk into free agency.

Here are five Colts who may be playing their final game for Indy on Sunday:

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TE Eric Ebron

So technically Ebron won’t be playing on Sunday, but there is a chance he doesn’t return to Indy this offseason. After a career season in 2018, Ebron’s production dipped massively in 2019. Then he elected to have surgery on both of his ankles, which ended his season.

The Colts have shown that they love Ebron’s talent as a move tight end, but there is a chance they look to more of a consistent option as a pass catcher to work alongside TE1 Jack Doyle. Ebron is still a talented tight end, but his injuries and reduced role in 2019 could be reasons he doesn’t return.

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