Tag: Marqui Christian

Jets sign safety Marqui Christian — for real this time

The New York Jets signed Marqui Christian to the team’s active roster Wednesday after failing to secure a deal with him back in March.

Marqui Christian will be a member of the Jets organization after all.

Christian reportedly agreed to terms with the Jets back in March, but the deal fell apart after the two sides couldn’t ultimately agree on the final details. From there, Christain signed with the Chicago Bears in August and spent the first two weeks of the season on the reserve/suspended list.

He was supposed to join Chicago’s practice squad this week but terminated his contract with the Bears to sign with the Jets.

Christian enters New York’s safety room already having some familiarity with the defense. His rookie year in Los Angeles overlapped with Gregg Williams and Dennard Wilson, who were still a part of the Rams coaching staff in 2015. Through four seasons in Los Angeles, Christian started just one game and recorded three pass deflections and 83 tackles.

Christian went from being a special teamer to playing 34 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps over each of the past two seasons. Christain saw extensive snaps at free safety in 2019, as well as 355 snaps on special teams, the second-highest total on the Rams.

How Christain fits into the mix remains to be seen. The Jets already have four safeties in Marcus Maye, Bradley McDougald, Ashtyn Davis and Matthias Farley, with three out of four of them being interchangeable. However, judging by how the defense has played across the past two weeks, it can’t hurt to add Christain, especially with his prior knowledge of the scheme. He can also provide an immediate impact on Brant Boyer’s unit.

S Marqui Christian has terminated his contract with Bears

Just one day after signing with the Bears practice squad, safety Marqui Christian has terminated his contract with the team.

Just one day after signing with the Bears practice squad, safety Marqui Christian has terminated his contract with the team, according to the transactions wire.

This indicates that Christian is signing with a 53-man roster elsewhere, as teams are required to add players poached from practice squads to their active roster. Given there hasn’t been an official announcement, that team hasn’t been announced yet.

Christian was reinstated just this week following a two-game suspension to start the year. He joined the Bears in mid-August following a four-year stint with the Los Angeles Rams, where he served as depth at safety.

During his time with the Rams, Christian contributed mainly on special teams, but he also saw time on defense, where he totaled 36 tackles.

Bears add DB Marqui Christian to the practice squad

The Bears signed S Marqui Christian to their practice squad following his reinstatement after being suspended for the first two games.

The Chicago Bears signed safety Marqui Christian to their practice squad following his reinstatement after being suspended for the first two games of the 2020 season, according to multiple reports.

Christian signed with the Bears in mid-August after spending the last few seasons with the Los Angeles Rams as a backup safety, but was not promoted to the active roster due to his suspension.

While in Los Angeles, he contributed primarily on special teams but also played 34% of the Rams defensive snaps in 2019, logging 36 total tackles.

With the new practice squad rules this season, teams are allowed to protect four players every week and promote two practice squad players to the active roster on game day. We’ll see how the Bears handle the Christian moving forward.

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Report: Former Rams safety Marqui Christian signs with Bears

Marqui Christian has found a new home after his initial deal with New York fell apart.

It took a while, but former Los Angeles Rams safety Marqui Christian has finally found a new team after initially signing with the Jets. According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Christian has signed with the Bears.

Christian signed with the Jets back in March but he and the team were not able to come to an agreement on the final terms of his contract. The deal was originally going to be for one year and $2 million.

To add to the complicated offseason, Christian was also suspended for two games in 2020, though a reason was never reported.

Christian is a versatile defensive back who played valuable snaps for the Rams the last two seasons. Though he was with Los Angeles since 2016, he emerged in 2018 and played 34% of the defensive snaps since then.

He’s made 83 tackles and broke up three passes in his career, playing a hybrid safety-linebacker role for Wade Phillips.

Report: Bears sign veteran safety Marqui Christian

Tashaun Gipson and Deon Bush will battle for the starting safety job. But now, there’s another safety in the mix for the Bears.

The Chicago Bears have a vacancy at safety opposite two-time Pro Bowler Eddie Jackson. And they’re going to have some real competition at safety in training camp.

Tashaun Gipson and Deon Bush will battle for the starting job with just training camp reps. But now, there’s another safety in the mix.

The Bears signed veteran safety Marqui Christian, according to reports from Turron Davenport and Chris Emma. Chicago met with Christian on Sunday.

Earlier this offseason, the Bears signed veteran Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal. But following Lucas’ decision to opt out of the 2020 season due to health and safety concerns amid COVID-19, Chicago was down a safety. Which is why they brought in Christian.

Christian, a former fifth-round pick out of Midwestern State, recorded 83 tackles, three pass breakups and one tackle for loss in four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

If Christian were to find a home with the Bears, he wouldn’t be available until Week 3. According to Field Yates, Christian was suspended for the first two weeks of the regular season. Earlier this offseason, he agreed to a deal with the New York Jets in free agency that eventually fell through.

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The Bears had a visit with former Rams safety Marqui Christian

The Bears did some homework on free-agent safety Marqui Christian, who played four seasons with the Rams.

Following Jordan Lucas’ decision to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, the Chicago Bears lost a veteran safety they were likely going to carry on their 53-man roster.

While Eddie Jackson, Tashaun Gipson and Deon Bush are locks to make the roster, there are certainly some options for that fourth safety spot, including DeAndre Houston-Carson and Sherrick McManis. But it hasn’t stopped the Bears from exploring other veterans on the free-agent market.

The Bears met with veteran safety Marqui Christian on Sunday, according to Albert Breer.

Christian, a former fifth-round pick out of Midwestern State, recorded 83 tackles, three pass breakups and one tackle for loss in four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

If Christian were to find a home with the Bears, he wouldn’t be available until Week 3. According to Field Yates, Christian was suspended for the first two weeks of the regular season. Earlier this offseason, he agreed to a deal with the New York Jets in free agency that eventually fell through.

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Jets’ deal with S Marqui Christian falls through

The Jets and free agent safety Marqui Christian were unable to finalize a contract after agreeing on a one-year deal last week.

It was reported that the Jets agreed to a deal with free agent safety Marqui Christian last week, but it turns out that wasn’t the case.

A week later, the deal between Christian and the Jets has fallen through, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. The Jets ultimately decided to move on.

Last week, the Jets and Christian agreed to terms on a one-year, $2 million deal. However, the deal was never finalized and now it never will be.

Christian was projected to be the third safety on the Jets’ depth chart behind starters Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. Christian has spent the last four seasons with the Rams after being drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round in 2016 out of Midwestern State.

The 25-year-old has appeared in 55 games over his career, primarily on special teams. In 55 games, Christian has registered 61 total tackles and three pass breakups.

4 things to know about new Jets safety Marqui Christian

Here are four things to know about new Jets safety Marqui Christian, who played four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams prior.

Adding depth in the secondary, the Jets signed former Los Angeles Rams safety Marqui Christian to a one-year deal worth $2 million on Saturday.

A special teams ace, Christian is a sneaky good pickup for Gang Green who adds value on defense, too.  Christian joins Matthias Farley as backups to Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. He could very well be Gregg Williams’ third safety, as he was primarily playing on passing downs in Wade Phillips’ defense in Los Angeles.

The Jets tended to play with three safeties on the field at the same time last season, allowing Adams to play more like a rover and pass-rusher.

With a lot of playing time coming on both defense and special teams, Christian is a nice find for Joe Douglas. With that said, let’s get to know the Jets’ newest safety.

What he brings to the table

(AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Through four seasons in Los Angeles, Marqui Christian started just one game, recorded three pass deflections and made 83 tackles. The former Rams safety is a big-time special teamer and can make an immediate impact on Brant Boyer’s unit.

Christian saw his role grow increasingly in Los Angeles. In a span of four seasons, he went from being strictly a special teamer in 2016 to playing 34 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps over each of the past two seasons.

In 2019, Christian played 358 defensive snaps, mainly as a free safety. In addition, he played 355 snaps on special teams last season, the second-highest total on the Rams.

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Jets sign ex-Rams safety with ties to Gang Green’s coaching staff

Marqui Christian is joining the Jets on a one-year deal.

The Jets are signing a safety that should look familiar to a few members of their coaching staff.

The team agreed to a one-year deal with Rams free agent Marqui Christian on Saturday. A four year-veteran, Christian will get $1.25 million and a chance to make $2 million, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello.

Christian mostly played on special teams for the Rams, but he should be recognizable to Jets coaches Gregg Williams and Dennard Wison. Their final year with the Rams, 2016, overlapped with Christian’s rookie year. Now, they’ll see if the 25-year-old can be a serviceable backup to Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.

A fifth-round pick out of Midwestern State, Christian has played 55 games in his career. He played just 49 defensive snaps over his first two seasons, but was upgraded to a rotational role on defense in 2018. He played 34 percent of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps each of the last two seasons and made his first career start in 2019. Christian has recorded 36 tackles in each of the last two seasons to go along with a combined three pass breakups, one tackle for a loss and one QB hit.

He has played 1,102 career snaps on special teams.

Rams 2020 free agency preview: Marqui Christian should be re-signed

Marqui Christian is a pending free agent, but is he worth re-signing?

Marqui Christian was waived by the Arizona Cardinals as a rookie in 2016 before taking a single snap with the team. It was a somewhat surprising decision considering Christian was drafted in the fifth round, and the brief time it took for him to be scooped up by the Rams says a lot about how Los Angeles viewed him four years ago.

Christian has seen his role grow each year with the Rams, going from special teamer in 2016 to playing 34% of the defensive snaps in each of the last two seasons. Set to be a free agent in March, Christian is an interesting case for the Rams, who are set at safety with Taylor Rapp and John Johnson.

Should Los Angeles retain the versatile safety by re-signing him, or are there better options to be had out there?

  • 2019 stats: 36 tackles (1 for a loss), 2 passes defensed, 56.5% completion rate allowed, 8 missed tackles (18.2%)
  • PFF grade: 58.7 overall

Analysis

Christian isn’t a traditional safety in the fact that he mostly either lines up in the box as a hybrid linebacker in dime packages or matches up one-on-one with tight ends. He rarely plays the deep middle or half, which is perfectly fine.

But with the role he plays, being a sure tackler is essential. Unfortunately, Christian was not one last season. He missed eight tackles on only 44 attempts, a rate of 18.2%. That was tied for the 28th-highest rate in the NFL last season, which is alarming.

In 2018, Christian only missed four tackles on 40 attempts, so he regressed in that area this past season. In coverage, though, he improved. He only allowed 13 completions on 23 targets (56.5%) for a measly 143 yards. He was in coverage on three touchdown passes, though, and didn’t have an interception; his passer rating allowed was 114.7.

Christian is a good athlete and has great speed for the safety position, but his technique could use work, particularly in open-field tackling. If he can improve that aspect of his game, he’ll become even more valuable for whichever team he plays for next.

Positional need: Low

The Rams don’t need a starting safety, having Rapp and Johnson already on the roster. That significantly reduces Los Angeles’ need at the position, but it could use depth at that spot. Right now, the backup safeties are Nick Scott and Jake Gervase, who barely contributed on defense last season.

Starting one of those players in the even that an injury occurs to Rapp or Johnson would be a disaster, which is why Christian brings value. He’s experienced and capable of playing strong safety for the Rams.

Prediction: Signs two-year, $2.5 million contract with Rams

Christian has carved out a role as the Rams’ third safety, which admittedly may not be enough for him at this point in his career. With almost no chance of becoming a starter (barring injury), Christian might be seeking a larger role with more playing time.

Unless he gets a much bigger offer elsewhere, Christian should be back with the Rams on a reasonable contract worth around $1-1.5 million per year.

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