Tag: Matt Ioannidis

Commanders’ rookie DT Newton pushing hard to make NFL debut

The Commanders are hopeful about rookie DT Johnny Newton making his debut soon.

Johnny Newton, a defensive tackle out of Illinois, was drafted 36th overall by the Commanders last April and is apparently closer to playing.

Newton had to undergo surgery to repair a Jones fracture shortly after the Commanders drafted him. Head coach Dan Quinn was asked Wednesday regarding Newton’s rehab and return.

“When you are coming back from this, you may see him out today (Wednesday), but that’s to set up for tomorrow,” began Quinn. “So we pushed it hard with him conditioning yesterday (Tuesday). Hold today, but we wanted the padded day for him tomorrow then. So we are trending in the right way, much like we were talking about with Noah (Brown).”

The Commanders played four defensive tackles in the hot, muggy Tampa season opener. Of the defensive snaps, Jon Allen and Daron Payne both played 64% and 62%, respectively. They were given breathers by Phidarian Mathis and Sheldon Day, both seeing action on 36% of the defensive snaps.

The Commanders could use someone like Newton, inside making some penetration as Matt Ioannidis used to do, coming in to spell Allen and or Payne.

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“We’ll kind of have a better sense for when we get to Friday,” continued Quinn. “But he’s definitely trending in the right spot. So, we’re close for sure. But I’ll trust my eyes and make sure he is going through all the whole process to get ready. But he’s definitely pushing it hard to get into this mix.”

It’s not certain the Commanders would have five defensive tackles active Sunday in the home opener against the Giants. If the Commanders declare four again as active, and Newton is active for the first time, he would replace either Mathis or Day.

8 players Vikings can sign to bolster defensive line

The free agent market doesn’t have many impact players, but these can potentially improve the Vikings defense via @TheRealForno

The Minnesota Vikings made a move to bolster their offensive line depth by signing offensive lineman Dalton Risner to a one-year, $4 million contract. It was needed when left tackle Oli Udoh tore his quadriceps tendon knocking him out for the season.

With the Vikings having addressed the offensive line, they still have ample cap space to make a move to address other position. One that they should address is the defensive line, especially after allowing 259 rushing yards to the Philadelphia Eagles.

How much could a veteran signing actually help out the Vikings right now? Their impact can be substantial or absolutely nothing and it all depends on the player and situation.

With that in mind, here are eight players the Vikings can sign that could make an impact.

5 defensive lineman the Vikings can sign after James Lynch injury

After the season ending torn ACL for James Lynch, there are talented players that the Minnesota Vikings can still sign.

The Minnesota Vikings got some unfortunate news on Thursday when NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that defensive lineman James Lynch suffered a torn ACL during Thursday’s practice.

The defensive line room has a lot of question marks. Two of the candidates to make the roster are fifth-round picks Esezi Otomewo and Jaquelin Roy and the rest are journeymen or undrafted free agents.

If the Vikings don’t believe in the depth they currently have sans Lynch, they could look to the free-agent market. Here are five players available the Vikings could target.

5 free agents still on the market who could help the Jaguars

The Jaguars still have some cap space to work with and these five players could provide a boost.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be back on the practice field Wednesday for their first day of training camp ahead of the 2023 season. While the pieces are in place on a roster that is favored to defend its AFC South title, there’s still time to make additions.

While a trade to acquire a star like the Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter would make quite a splash, there are also a few notable free agents on the market who could provide a boost as well.

Here are five players who are still available and could be an intriguing option for the Jaguars:

10 free agent defensive linemen Broncos should consider signing

The Broncos’ defensive line depth was thin even before Eyioma Uwazurike was suspended. Here’s a quick list of 10 free agents available.

The Denver Broncos’ defensive line depth chart took another hit on Monday.

The league announced that Broncos second-year defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike has been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games in 2022. Even before losing Uwazurike for at least the 2023 season, Denver’s defensive line depth was already thin.

The Broncos lost both Dre’Mont Jones and DeShawn Williams — their starting defensive ends in 2022 — during free agency this spring. Zach Allen was signed to replace Jones, but the team did not sign a direct replacement for Williams, who started 15 games last season.

With Uwazurike suspended, the team’s remaining defensive linemen are Allen, D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell, Matt Henningsen, Jonathan Harris, Tyler Lancaster, Jordan Jackson, Elijah Garcia, PJ Mustipher and Haggai Ndubuisi.

Purcell will begin training camp this week on the non-football injury list after undergoing surgery this offseason. With Purcell sidelined, Henningsen (a second-year player with no starts on his resume) is currently the team’s No. 3 defensive lineman behind Allen and Jones.

It seems fair to say Denver could use some more depth at the position. Here’s a quick list of 10 free agent defensive linemen the Broncos should consider signing following Uwazurike’s suspension.

Former Panthers lineman named best remaining free-agent DT

Former Panthers DT Matt Ioannidis was named the best remaining free agent at his position.

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You could field an awfully solid team, perhaps even a contender, if you put together the best of the NFL’s remaining free agents. And one of those players, in fact, is a pretty familiar fella.

CBS Sports NFL writer Jeff Kerr recently named the top remaining free agent at every position. At defensive tackle is former Carolina Panther Matt Ioannidis, who Kerr believes certainly has something left to offer:

Ioannidis fell out of favor in Carolina, yet did have 35 pressures and a pressure rate of 10.5% last season. The sack total was low (one), but Ioannidis was able to get in the backfield and get around the quarterback.

Just 29 years old, Ioannidis gives a defensive line depth as an edge rusher and defensive tackle.

Ioannidis, who played his most productive football as a 3-4 defensive end, has not been brought back by Carolina despite their switch to the odd-man front. Over his three seasons in that role for Washington, he posted 20.5 sacks—including a career-high 8.5 in 2019.

The Panthers, instead, added a few new names to their line including Shy Tuttle and DeShawn Williams. They also re-signed Henry Anderson, who could provide the defensive end depth Kerr thinks Ioannidis can bring.

Nonetheless, choices were made—and none of them, at least right now, has taken the big man off the open market.

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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.

Where would the top remaining defensive free agents fit on Saints’ depth chart?

Where would the top remaining defensive free agents like Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue, and Kwon Alexander fit on the Saints’ depth chart? | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints are always bringing bodies in and out of camp for tryouts and to fill holes in the rotations. The Saints roster is fairly locked in and looks pretty good, but there’s no problem in adding some veterans that could play crucial rotational roles.

And they have the means to do it. The Saints rank around the middle of the league in terms of available cap space for the season, combine that with the fact that they’re in a great spot to make a playoff push and you should feel good about where the team is at right now.

If they do feel like they do want to make some more moves on the defensive side of the ball, here are the best available names and where they would fit in the depth chart:

7 free agents the Saints could sign before training camp

With plenty of salary cap space to spend, here are 7 free agents the New Orleans Saints could sign before training camp | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints are rounding out the roster for the 2023 season, but there are still some intriguing names left on the free agent market that the team could look at. Whether it be filling a hole or adding some competition to a room that could use spicing up, it’s never a bad idea to look at who’s on the market.

Despite it being such a huge deal every off season, the Saints have some money left in the cap to work with this year. Thanks to the magic done by Khai Harley, the Saints are under the cap by an estimated $14,243,112 right now. That puts them right in the middle of the pack in the NFL.

Here are seven free agents that the Saints could use some of that money on:

Former Panther ranked amongst free agency’s best remaining players

Former Panthers DT Matt Ioannidis was named one of the top remaining free agents by The 33rd Team.

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The Carolina Panthers have brought back a handful of their own from free agency—including center Bradley Bozeman, kicker Eddy Piñeiro and long snapper JJ Jansen. But there’s still one decent-sized name, who just so happens to be a decent-sized presence, out there.

And that’s Matt Ioannidis.

The 29-year-old defensive tackle was just named one of the top remaining players on the open market by The 33rd Team. After a (we’re gonna use that phrase again) decent-sized 2022 in Charlotte, he comes in at No. 17.

His excerpt reads:

Matt Ioannidis had a solid season and paired well with Derrick Brown upfront. It’s an easy decision for Carolina to bring him back if it can get a decent price.

That solid season saw Ioannidis start in every one of his 13 games. He totaled 37 tackles, nine quarterback hits, a sack and 35 total pressures.

What makes his current availability puzzling, in addition to his sturdy showing, is that he’d be an even better piece for Carolina’s new 3-4 base defense. Ioannidis’ three most productive NFL seasons came as a defensive end in that particular alignment for Washington—as he posted 4.5 sacks in 2018, 7.5 in 2019 and a career-high 8.5 in 2020.

Nonetheless, somebody is going to get a big bargain in the big man at some point.

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