Tag: ronnie perkins

Patriots place OLB Ronnie Perkins on injured reserve

Ronnie Perkins is headed to IR for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots are placing second-year outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins on injured reserve in their first move to cut down to an 80-man roster on Tuesday.

With Perkins going on IR before the final 53-man cut, it means he won’t be able to return until the following season. So this move will officially bring an end to his 2022 season.

The former third-round pick out of Oklahoma is still waiting for his first meaningful snap on an NFL field. He was inactive for 13 games last season before going on injured reserve on December 17.

“I’ve been focused on coming in this year ready, coming in stronger, coming in in shape, ready to help the team however I can,” Perkins said back in June. “It’s definitely sad to see those guys go, Jamie, KVN, High but it also tells us it’s time to step up. We can’t lean on those older guys anymore, it’s time to step into their shoes.”

Stay tuned as more information becomes available on this developing story.

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In a new defensive scheme, Jalen Redmond on track for breakout season

After losing three key figures from last year’s defensive front, Sooners DT Jalen Redmond is projected to be one of college football’s breakout stars.

After losing three players from their defensive line to the NFL, the Oklahoma Sooners will turn over 75% of its front four from a year ago. With that much turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners will need to find new stars to rely on upfront.

One such player is returning defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. Redmond played just 309 snaps last season but was an important piece for the Sooners down the stretch. Redmond enters 2022 as a key piece to Brent Venables’ defense.

Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports expects Jalen Redmond to be one of the breakout players in college football in 2022.

Considering the track record of new Oklahoma coach Brent Venables in producing standouts along the defensive line, it’s safe to assume the Sooners will have a couple of all-conference candidates at the end of 2022. Redmond is our pick to shine, as he has accumulated 21.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks over 24 games since ’18. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

Redmond has the explosiveness and the first step to be a terror for the Oklahoma Sooners. His ability to create penetration will make life difficult on opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks in 2022. The talent’s always been there, but the good fortune of health hasn’t.

After sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID concerns, Redmond was limited to eight games in 2021. And in those eight games, he was still incredibly productive. He had eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Had he played the full 13-game season, that would translate to six sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Redmond came through in the most important games of the season. Against Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Oregon, Redmond came up with eight total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. And, of course, there was the fumble return for a touchdown against Iowa State.

In 10 games as a redshirt freshman, Redmond led the Oklahoma Sooners with 6.5 sacks. He had more sacks as a redshirt freshman than Ronnie Perkins. Let that sink in.

With Perrion Winfrey off to the NFL, the onus is on Redmond to be the wrecking ball on the interior for the Oklahoma Sooners. In a Venables defense that has produced the most sacks and the most tackles for loss over the last decade, Redmond could fit right in.

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3 biggest concerns surrounding the Patriots defense

The Patriots defense has concerns heading into training camp.

The New England Patriots have a lot of question marks heading into training camp. Many of the concerns are centered on the defensive side of the football. With a revamped secondary and a new-look linebacker group, the Patriots have a lot to sort out.

For some of these players, they will have to take on roles that they have not encountered at this point in their career. For others, it will be about stepping up and making an impact in a bigger way. In some cases, it may seem risky. However this could be a year where we truly find out the impact of previous drafts.

Today we take a look at three concerns surrounding the defensive unit, as new pieces look to keep pace.

4 Patriots breakout candidates for the 2022 season

These four players could break out for the Patriots in 2022.

It has been a busy last year for the New England Patriots organization as they look to continue building for the future. After a playoff appearance in January, New England shifts its focus to the 2022 campaign.

New England will have a familiar group of players to help lead the charge, such as Mac Jones, Damien Harris, Hunter Henry, and Jakobi Meyers.

Beyond that, the organization has depth at several positions. Some of that depth got tested last season while others have been waiting in the wings for their opportunity to take the field. Now, 2022 could be their chance to shine.

Today, we take a look at four potential breakout candidates for the organization.

Ronnie Perkins says Rhamondre Stevenson’s pro transformation is amazing

Ronnie Perkins has been Rhamondre Stevenson’s teammate going back to Oklahoma. So Perkins has unique perspective on the running back.

Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson had vastly different experiences during their rookie seasons with the New England Patriots.

The Patriots drafted the Oklahoma Sooners prospects with back-to-back picks in the 2021 draft. Perkins went in the third round and Stevenson went in Round 4. But Perkins ended spending the season as a depth option and barely saw the field while Stevenson quickly cracked the running back rotation and put up 133 carries, 606 rushing yards and five touchdowns with 14 catches for 123 yards.

“I was kind of amazed at him, for real. I’m not even going to lie,” Perkins said during minicamp on June 7. “I feel like he played a kind of different style of football (in 2021) than he did in college. In college, he could guys miss but he was more downhill in college. And now, just being in the NFL, I can really see how good his feet is. To be that size, he’s got some good feet.

“He wowed me last year. I’m sure he’s going to wow me this year.”

Stevenson’s ability to evolve with the Patriots system was key to the running back seeing the field. When James White went down with an injury, New England needed a player who brought a change of pace and a splash in the passing game. Stevenson, even with an oversized body type, looked explosive in the open field and on screen passes.

Perkins, meanwhile, had a much bigger transformation to undergo. He moved from defensive end to outside linebacker, a substantial leap that entails coverage and an increased focus on run defense. Perkins couldn’t simply spend all his snaps rushing the passer. The newly-minted linebacker is excited about that transition and appears poised to break into the rotation on defense in 2022. As for Stevenson, Perkins expects big things.

“(Stevenson) worked his butt off,” Perkins said. “And I’m ready to go against him in training camp.”

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Patriots LB Ronnie Perkins: ‘Time to step up’ into new role after veteran departures

“I put the work in and did a lot of things to help myself to be a linebacker.”

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New England Patriots linebacker Ronnie Perkins flew under the radar in 2021 as a rookie. The former third-round pick had to undergo a transformation — with so much to learn in a new position with the Patriots. So he sat on the sideline (barely seeing the field) to watch and learn. But this season, it has to be different. He has to contribute. He indicated he knows that.

The Patriots parted ways with linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins — though Hightower’s return isn’t outside the realm of possibility. In the meantime, the Patriots are looking to youngsters like Josh Uche, Cameron McGrone and Perkins.

Perkins said he spent 2021 working on technique, building muscle and improving his understanding of the X’s and O’s. He said that he almost never dropped into coverage at Oklahoma, which allowed him to work solely as a pass-rusher. Perkins learned how to do that last season, and will start applying his new knowledge this offseason.

“I’ve been focused on coming in this year ready, coming in stronger, coming in in shape, ready to help the team however I can,” Perkins said Tuesday. “It’s definitely sad to see those guys go, Jamie, KVN, High but it also tells us it’s time to step up. We can’t lean on those older guys anymore, it’s time to step into their shoes.”

Ja’Whaun Bentley is the only returning starter at linebacker. It feels like a new generation of linebackers need to rise in New England.

“I put the work in and did a lot of things to help myself to be a linebacker,” Perkins said. “I like doing it. First time doing it, I was a little off, like anything. But now I’m comfortable and I like it.”

With the team spending this week in minicamp, Perkins is sure to get looks with the first-team defense. When training camp rolls around, they’ll need him to look like a competent contributor, particularly on third downs.

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Defensive end trio proves they’re ready to take over for the Oklahoma Sooners

With Oklahoma Sooners Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas set to be selected in the 2022 NFL draft, a trio of edge rushers is ready to take over.

In back-to-back draft classes, the Oklahoma Sooners lost their arguably their best pass rushers in [autotag]Ronnie Perkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag]. Although, in 2020, one could make the argument that Bonitto was the Oklahoma Sooners’ best pass rusher that season too. Throw in [autotag]Isaiah Thomas[/autotag] and the Sooners have lost a ton of production over the last couple of seasons.

The loss of Oklahoma’s standout edge duo in Bonitto and Thomas created arguably the biggest question mark heading into the 2022 offseason for the Sooners. Who was going to step up to replace the 14 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss that Bonitto and Thomas were taking to the NFL?

In December, we got the short answer to that question. Ethan Downs, Reggie Grimes, and Marcus Stripling harrassed Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown into a combined three sacks. Not bad for their first extended run of the season. After playing rotational rolls in 2021, they got the opportunity to show what they could do. Their performance provided optimism that the Sooners’ pass rush would be in good hands without Bonitto and Thomas.

On Saturday, in Oklahoma’s spring game, that trio showed that they’re more than ready to bring the heat, getting to Oklahoma quarterbacks often, creating pressure, and were credited with five sacks and 10 total tackles. [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag] led the way with five tackles, two sacks, and four tackles for loss. [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] had four tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss. [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] only had one tackle but registered a sack as well.

While they weren’t able to tackle the quarterbacks, the pressure was evident. Even if some of the “sacks” wouldn’t have been in a real game, their pressure hurried throws, made players bail from the pocket, and kept the offenses struggling to get any momentum going.

That’s a great sign for a Sooners defense that’s having to replace six starters heading into 2022. Whoever ends up “starting” at defensive end for the Sooners, the entire trio of Ethan Downs, Reggie Grimes, and Marcus Stripling are going to have a significant impact in 2022.

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Trio of Sooners taken in Doug Farrar’s latest mock draft for the Touchdown Wire

Ahead of the 2022 NFL draft, a trio of Sooners were selected in Touchdown Wire analyst Doug Farrar’s final three-round mock draft.

The NFL draft is just one day away and over the course of the next few days, a number of Oklahoma Sooners will be finding new homes at the NFL level. Figured to go in the second round on day two, Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey, and Brian Asamoah are generally considered top 100 picks in this year’s draft class.

Doug Farrar of The Touchdown Wire released his final three-round mock draft and the highly-regarded trio of Sooners were sent to the AFC.

Let’s take a look.

54. Nik Bonitto, EDGE, New England Patriots

[autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag] gets to join his former running Oklahoma Sooners buddy [autotag]Ronnie Perkins[/autotag] as a part of Bill Belichick’s defense. Bonitto is one of the more underrated prospects in this draft class, a player that brings great athleticism and good production from his time at Oklahoma.

Like Creed Humphrey a year ago, Bonitto has a chance to be the steal of the 2022 NFL Draft.

70. Brian Asamoah, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars

One of the more intriguing players for the Oklahoma Sooners in this draft cycle is [autotag]Brian Asamoah[/autotag]. Asamoah has great speed and athleticism at linebacker and will be a good addition as a weakside linebacker. At the same time, linebacker has been devalued over the last several years as teams begin to realize they can find good linebackers outside of the first two rounds.

Asamoah’s gone as high as the top of the second round to the third round in mock drafts this fall after his standout performance in the Senior Bowl.

76. Perrion Winfrey, DT, Baltimore Ravens

This is surprisingly low for a player that was widely considered a borderline first round player just a couple of months ago. Middle of the third round would be a steal for [autotag]Perrion Winfrey[/autotag], who is an explosive pass rusher that brings good speed and athleticism to make life difficult for opposing offenses.

I sincerely doubt Winfrey goes this low in the draft. Someone will want to grab his interior pass rush ability to add to their defensive line.

Continue reading “Trio of Sooners taken in Doug Farrar’s latest mock draft for the Touchdown Wire”

Why the Patriots decided to reportedly part ways with LB Kyle Van Noy

Next up: Josh Uche and Ronnie Perkins.

The New England Patriots had a tough decision to make: they could keep Kyle Van Noy for 2022 but risk losing potentially all of their top pending free agents, most notably safety Devin McCourty. But by cutting Van Noy, the Patriots freed up $4.1 million in space, which should help them work toward retaining some of their impending free agents.

New England has about $13.4 million in cap space after the move. That could empower them to get serious about negotiations with McCoury, guard Ted Karras, special teams ace Matt Slater, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, tackle Trent Brown and maybe even cornerback J.C. Jackson. It’s unclear how many of their departing free agents the Patriots might try to retain. But it was clear they didn’t have enough space to retain many (or any) of them prior to cutting Van Noy. And his departure may be just one of many potential cap casualties for the Patriots in the coming days. Other candidates include defensive end Henry Anderson, punter Jake Bailey and defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, among others.

Even with Van Noy out, the Patriots could also see Hightower, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jamie Collins leave in free agency. That would leave behind a young group of linebackers. Matt Judon would return, of course. But past him, there’s Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins, Cam McGrone, Chase Winovich, Raekwan McMillan and a few other players who have yet to prove themselves. The interior of the linebacking corps looks extremely thin. On the outside, maybe this outflow of veterans could bring life to Uche and maybe even Winovich’s careers. Both showed promise. Neither have truly emerged as every-down contributors.

New England has six selections in the 2022 NFL draft, where they can build out an even younger group at the position. And perhaps New England will find a way to either retain their impending free agents or identify a group of less expensive options on the market. The decision to cut Van Noy was a matter of priority. The team clearly hopes to retain some of their other players more than Van Noy.

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Did the Oklahoma Sooners top 100 players from the 2018 recruiting class live up to the billing?

Taking a look back at the Oklahoma Sooners’ 247Sports top 100 players from the 2018 recruiting class and examining how they performed for OU.

Recruiting can be a hit-or-miss proposition. Every team in college football has their misses, even within the top 100. The Oklahoma Sooners 2018 class was the ninth-best in the nation according to 247Sports team composite rankings.

Earlier this week, Max Olson of The Athletic re-ranked the 2018 recruiting class. Olson’s scoring system included postseason awards. He gave points for players starting multiple seasons. In his re-rank, Olson has the Sooners 34th in the nation.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a few players from that class still in Norman or are preparing for the 2022 NFL draft. If several players from the class step into starting roles, it will help Oklahoma move up in the rankings. Players like Nik Bonitto could get drafted in the top fifty and help OU move up in Olson’s rankings.

Much of the reason for Oklahoma’s low ranking is the top of their recruiting lass not panning out. Olson took a look back at the top 100 recruits from the 2018 cycle, providing his thoughts along the way.

Here, we’re looking at what he had to say about the Sooners’ top 100 2018 recruits: Brey Walker, Brendan Radley-Hiles, Ronnie Perkins, Michael Thompson, and T.J. Pledger.