Tag: Nathan Gerry

Commanders re-sign linebacker Nathan Gerry

Yet another depth signing for the Commanders.

The Washington Commanders have been busy re-signing some of their free agents over the last week. Unfortunately for Washington fans, those free agents haven’t been Daron Payne, Taylor Heinicke, or Cole Holcomb.

First, the Commanders re-signed linebacker David Mayo and running back Jonathan Williams to one-year deals. Next, Washington re-signed cornerback Rachad Wildgoose and linebacker Milo Eifler. Now, the Commanders have re-signed veteran linebacker Nathan Gerry.

Gerry, 28, initially signed with Washington last August. He was placed on injured reserve later that month and released shortly after with an injury settlement. He re-signed with Washington’s practice on Nov. 3, and on Jan. 4, activated to the main roster.

Gerry spent his first four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2021, he spent some time with the San Francisco 49ers.

With the Commanders in 2022, Gerry appeared in four games, playing only on special teams.

Gerry represents the latest depth signing for Washington’s roster.

 

Commanders promote 2 players to active roster ahead of Monday tilt vs. Eagles

The Commanders added two players from the practice squad ahead of Monday night’s game against the Eagles.

The Washington Commanders have depth concerns at linebacker with starter Cole Holcomb and his top backup, David Mayo, out for the Monday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

At running back, the Commanders are set with Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr., but third-down back J.D. McKissic will miss his second consecutive game.

As a result, the Commanders elevated a pair of players from the practice squad in veteran linebacker Nathan Gerry and second-year running back Jaret Patterson.

Gerry spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles. He signed with the Commanders over the summer but was released with an injury settlement. He re-signed with Washington’s practice squad on Nov. 3.

Patterson spent his entire rookie year on Washington’s active roster last season. He was released during final cuts but quickly re-signed to the practice squad. He rushed for 266 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Washington strangely put running back Jonathan Williams on the inactive list and promoted Patterson. Williams could still be battling a knee injury, but he wasn’t on the injury report.

49ers waive LB Nathan Gerry

The San Francisco 49ers waived linebacker Nathan Gerry, a former starter for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The San Francisco 49ers waived linebacker Nathan Gerry on Tuesday, parting with one of the more experienced backups along their front seven.

The 49ers signed Gerry earlier this offseason as a free agent, but have decided to head in a different direction prior to the start of the preseason. Granted, Gerry could easily be re-signed if the team’s linebacking depth is tested.

Gerry was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the first five seasons of his career. Gerry primarily contributed on special teams for the majority of his career in Philly, but served as a starting weak side linebacker from 2019-20, starting 19 games. An ankle injury kept him from the field for all of the 2021 season.

Over his career, Gerry has appeared in 46 games (22 starts) and recorded 163 tackles, 10 passes defended, eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions.

Anatomy of a Play: How the Steelers outsmarted the Eagles on Chase Claypool’s final touchdown

Steelers rookie receiver Chase Claypool scored four touchdowns against the Eagles on Sunday. The fourth was a result of bad Philly design.

Eagles defender Nathan Gerry is listed in the Pro Football Focus database as a linebacker. He’s listed in the Pro Football Reference database as a strong safety. He’s listed as a linebacker on the team’s official website, Per PFF, Gerry has played 27 snaps on the defensive line, 32 snaps in the box, 19 snaps at slot cornerback, and seven snaps at free safety. That makes Gerry a versatile defender for his team.

What it does not make him is an asset in coverage. Again per PFF, Gerry has been targeted 23 times this season. He has allowed receptions on every single one of those targets for 267 yards, 109 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 154.6.

This is not to slam Gerry as a player; it is more to point out that this is a guy who should not be the primary coverage defender against, say, Steelers rookie receiver Chase Claypool. In Pittsburgh’s 38-29 win over the Eagles on Sunday, Gerry was targeted four times, obviously allowing four receptions, for 55 yards, two touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

One of those touchdowns allowed was against Claypool, who scored three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown on the day. The second-rounder from Notre Dame is a physical freak at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, with the ability to run a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. Gerry, on the other hand, is 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, and ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at his 2017 scouting combine.

So, Claypool’s third of his three touchdown receptions was based on a grievous mismatch from the start, and that has to be put on the heads of Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and his staff. The mismatch was even more embarrassing because Claypool wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to be doing as an inside slot receiver.

Ben Roethlisberger audibled pre-snap to take advantage of the defensive alignment he saw, and it was off to the races.

“We expected them on that particular play to kind of go with an all-out blitz,” Roethlisberger said, via Les Bowen and EJ Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We had a play called to get the ball out quick and hopefully try and beat the blitz. They sat back in a cover-two zone, and it just wasn’t what we expected. I saw that, and I changed the play.

“I think the coolest part about the whole thing is we’ve never run the play I called with that formation or that group on the field. So Chase had never been in that spot before.”

Oof. Here’s the play in question, in which you can see Claypool burn it up the field, and Gerry struggle (to put it kindly) to keep up.

“Ideally, would we like Nate to be on a receiver? No,” safety Rodney McLeod, who arrived late over the top on the play, said after the game. “We would prefer a defensive back. But that was the call that was made defensively, and they checked to a good play.”

Again, oof. Neither Gerry nor Schwartz were made available to the media after the game, which led some Eagles beat reporters to question the accountability thereof. Not so much Gerry — what’s he going to say, other than, “Hey, I probably shouldn’t be covering that guy!” But I’d love to know what Schwartz was thinking when he dropped Gerry into a position he never should have occupied in the first place. Making a linebacker who can’t cover the inside slot defender is a recipe for disaster, and as much as some people might blame Gerry for his lack of athleticism, it’s up to Gerry’s coaches to know what he can do — and what he can’t.

As the late, great sportswriter Ralph Wiley once said, “A man’s got to know his own limitations. If he doesn’t, his coaches should.” Schwartz and his staff put Gerry in a rough spot, and kudos to Big Ben and his rookie receiver for taking advantage.

Nate Gerry says Eagles linebackers are looking to ‘flush it’ and move on after debacle against the Rams

Nate Gerry looking forward to the Bengals afer bad loss to the Rams

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The Philadelphia Eagles entered their Week 2 matchup against the Rams with the No. 1 rated defense in football. That honor quickly evaporated and 60 minutes later, the Eagles defense was a disaster during a 37-19 loss to the Rams.

The Eagles linebacker corps led by Nathan Gerry played below average in the afternoon, looking outmatched in the running game and beyond confused by the Rams short passing game. On Wednesday, Gerry took the blame for the Eagles brutal play against the run and used the phrase, “flush it” when talking to Les Bowen of The Inquirer, to describe where the Birds though process in advance of the matchup with Cincinnati.

“It’s easier for us to flush it knowing we still have the objectives and goals ahead of us that we still want to accomplish. … It’s just one of the bumps in the road. … I feel like we learned from it, and especially after today’s practice, I feel like we’ve definitely flushed it.”

The Eagles gave up 191 rushing yards on 39 carries and were gashed for big plays both on the ground and in the air as well.

Gerry called Sunday a bump in the road and something the Eagles will move on and learn from.

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Should Eagles fans temper their expectations over the 2020 NFL Draft class?

Philadelphia Eagles fans should temper their expectations for the Eagles’ 2020 NFL Draft. History has shown Day 3 picks are question marks.

The 2020 NFL Draft is officially over and the Philadelphia Eagles have drafted 10 new players. They also traded for former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, so they added 11 new players over the 3-day event.

The Eagles selected former TCU wide receiver, Jalen Reagor, with the 21st overall pick. Reagor may never be a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, but he will certainly be a weapon for the Eagles. It will be interesting to see Reagor’s career progress and watch the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Justin Jefferson’s career progress as well.

Regardless, the addition of Reagor will help quarterback Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense.   Reagor also is able to return punts and kicks as well, so he is versatility will pay off for the Eagles no matter what.

Day 1 of the draft may not have been a home run, but the Eagles did not strikeout.

Day 2? Well, the Eagles got hit by a pitch, if we keep the baseball talk going. They selected former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the 53rd overall pick. Many people thought the Eagles could add another impact player with their second-round pick, but taking Hurts instead was a huge gamble. Hurts is a solid quarterback, but the pick has sparked up controversy regarding Wentz and his backup.

The Eagles then drafted former Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor in the 3rd round. Taylor is a freak athlete. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but he is extremely raw and more of a project than a starter at this moment.

After what could be deemed a disappointing Day 2, the Eagles and their General Manager Howie Roseman went to work on Day 3. They added 7 players total throughout the final three rounds, and here they are:

Round 4, Pick 127: K’Von Wallace, Safety, Clemson
Round 4, Pick 145: Jack Driscoll, OL, Auburn
Round 5, Pick 168: John Hightower, WR, Boise State
Round 6, Pick 196: Shaun Bradley, LB, Temple
Round 6, Pick 200: Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss
Round 6, Pick 210: Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn
Round 7, Pick 233: Casey Toohill, EDGE, Stanford

A couple quick notes from this list:

–K’Von Wallace was a pick universally loved. He was a team captain at Clemson and can play multiple positions. We had him mocked to the Eagles a couple of times this offseason and he should hopefully be a perfect fit for the Eagles secondary.

-Adding depth to the offensive line is always good and hopefully one of the players can emerge with the potential to start if needed.

-Speed! It was clear the Eagles needed speed this offseason and Roseman delivered that. John Hightower and Quez Watkins are burners for sure, so they will give the Eagles receiver group a bump in that category.

Day 3 was a much better day than Day 2, but the only problem with that is these Day 3 picks may excite fans, but they are far from a sure thing for the Eagles. Since Roseman took over again for the 2016 NFL Draft, here is a list of his Day 3 picks and their impact on the Eagles throughout their careers:

The chart is color-coded, with green being good and red obviously being bad. As you can see, there is a lot more red than green. 2016 was probably the best year for the Eagles’ Day 3 picks, as Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Jalen Mills played significant roles in their Super Bowl victory. Wendell Smallwood deserves some love too, as he put up solid numbers as an Eagle.

2017 featured Nathan Gerry, who isn’t great, but he has had good value for a 5th round pick. 2018 was the second-best year since Roseman took back over. Avonte Maddox is a solid piece on defense, but he needs to stay healthy. Josh Sweat isn’t an elite pass rusher, but he has made plays when called upon.

2019 was a complete flop. Yes, we do not know if Shareef Miller will help or not, but they traded for Genard Avery last year, so that doesn’t bode well for Miller. And I think we can all agree that Clayton Thorson was a horrendous pick.

Out of these 17 Day 3 picks since 2016, six of them could be chalked up as solid Day 3 picks. However, only 4 of them made any sort of real impact in their rookie season. Smallwood started 3 games and had 367 total yards and a score in 2016. Big V started 6 games in 2016. Mills played in all 16 games and had 62 tackles in 2016. Maddox started 9 games and had 35 tackles and 2 interceptions. None of these contributions is ‘needle-moving’ either in their rookie season, but they did play a part of the team in their rookie season.

It is also worth noting that every Day 3 receiver (Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson) the Eagles have drafted since 2016 has been horrible. Gibson has 3 career receptions and Hollins was cut this year after being one of the worst receivers in the NFL. Two receivers are a small sample size, but it should not be overlooked.

What does this all mean? Well, it means that as nice as it was that Roseman had a solid Day 3 on paper, you can’t put too much weight into thinking that Day 3 players will be able to contribute in their rookie season or become impact starters for the Eagles.

So, while many will say Roseman saved the draft by having a great Day 3 after a solid Day 1 and a terrible Day 2, the facts show you that you should temper your expectations for the Philadelphia Eagles 2020 NFL Draft class.

Eagles LB Nate Gerry among NFL leaders in performance-based pay bonus

Nate Gerry among NFL leaders in performance-based pay bonus

NFL Players around the league will split almost $147.952 million in “Performance-Based Pay” for their performance during the 2019 season, the NFL announced on Thursday.

The Performance-Based Pay program is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players, including rookies, based upon their playing time and salary levels.

Instituted in partnership with the NFL Players Association, as a part of the 2002 extension to the collective bargaining agreement, players can now collect on two different performance-based bonus options.

HOW PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY WORKS

Under the Performance-Based Pay program, a fund is created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based on a comparison of playing time to salary. Players become eligible to receive a bonus distribution in any regular season in which they play at least one official down. In general, players with higher playtime percentages and lower salaries benefit most from the pools.

Performance-Based Pay is computed by using a player index (“Index”). To produce the Index, a player’s regular-season playtime (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his adjusted regular-season compensation (full season salary, a prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives). Each player’s Index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his Performance-Based Pay.

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nathan Gerry will have a ton of extra cash heading his way after he led all his teammates in performance-based pay from the 2019 NFL season. Gerry, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, has outperformed his rookie deal and will be compensated handsomely for it.

Gerry’s payout was ranked 12th in the NFL at $345,976, which ranks 12th most in the NFL. He also earned $213,484 from the veteran pool, bringing his combined bonus of $559,460 to add to his $645,000 base salary.

Gerry played 61 percent of the Eagles defensive snaps and 74 percent of the special teams snaps last season.

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