Tag: Sam Hubbard

Bengals activate Sam Hubbard, send John Ross to IR ahead of showdown with Steelers

The Cincinnati Bengals made big roster moves on Saturday.

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The Cincinnati Bengals announced a flurry of roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the wake of the latest John Ross injury, the team shifted the wide receiver to injured reserve. They also sent cornerback Darius Phillips to the same list.

Cincinnati also activated Sam Hubbard from the list after his time off, meaning he’ll be good to go against the Steelers.

The team also announced it elevated the following players from the practice squad:

  • WR Stanley Morgan
  • CB Jalen Davis
  • G Quinton Spain
  • DT Kahlil McKenzie

The Bengals are frighteningly thin at cornerback heading into Sunday due to injuries and a positive COVID-19 test, hence the elevation of Davis. McKenzie comes up due to Geno Atkins’ out classification on the final injury report.

Ross is the most interesting name, as he reportedly suffered an injury in practice this week right after the coaches asked him to help out by playing cornerback.

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Cincinnati Bengals clear Sam Hubbard for practice return

Sam Hubbard is back for the Cincinnati Bengals.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have designated Sam Hubbard to return from injured reserve.

Cincinnati dropped the news coming out of the bye week and ahead of the team’s Week 10 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hubbard went on injured reserve in mid-October with an elbow injury suffered during the team’s Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

During his absence, the Bengals have continually struggled to get consistent pressure on quarterbacks and the team traded away Carlos Dunlap. Hubbard’s a versatile piece that coordinator Lou Anarumo likes to move around and assign different responsibilities.

On paper, Hubbard’s return means a big boost for the defense in a variety of ways. He’s cleared to practice after the IR designation meant he had to sit out for at least three weeks.

Hubbard, along with big names like Joe Mixon, will be names to watch on the injury report this week starting Wednesday.

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In latest setback, Bengals send Sam Hubbard to injured reserve

The Cincinnati Bengals sent Sam Hubbard to IR.

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Sam Hubbard is the latest member of the Cincinnati Bengals to head for injured reserve.

The team announced the move Thursday, which means Hubbard has to sit on the shelf for at least three weeks.

Hubbard suffered an elbow injury during Cincinnati’s Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. But that news was lost a bit with names like A.J. Green and D.J. Reader suffering injuries during the 27-3 loss, too.

The severity of Hubbard’s elbow injury wasn’t really well-known prior to Thursday’s announcement. He’s been a Swiss-army knife type for coordinator Lou Anarumo, playing all over the place with varying responsibilities, including in coverage.

Hubbard’s absence places more stress on a linebacker room largely consisting of rookies. He’ll be eligible to return for the team’s Week 10 game against Pittsburgh.

Bengals lose Sam Hubbard to elbow injury vs. Ravens

The Cincinnati Bengals lost EDGE Sam Hubbard against the Ravens.

The hits just didn’t stop coming for the Cincinnati Bengals during the team’s Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Late in the game, edge defender Sam Hubbard ran off the field under his own power, but clutching at his arm. It didn’t take long for the team to announce he was out for the remainder of the contest.

It was the latest in a growing line of notable setbacks for the Bengals during a lost game. D.J. Reader left the field on a cart and was quickly ruled out. And star wideout A.J. Green suffered a hamstring injury.

Hubbard is one of the team’s core pieces along the front seven and a versatile playmaker for the multiple look. If he’s out for a significant portion of time, it’s going to place even more pressure on a linebacker core boasting three rookies and a defensive line already thin.

Buckeyes in the NFL: Best Twitter video, moments from week 3

We’ve captured the best Twitter moments from former Ohio State football players doing their thing in the NFL after week 3.

Every Monday, we’ll take a look at some of the best moments the world’s favorite real-time reaction app known as Twitter spits out. If you’re like me, you not only watch a few games involving former Ohio State players in the NFL, but you scroll through Twitter at the same time to see what you might have missed across this great country of ours.

And with so many Buckeyes in the NFL, there’s never a shortage of highlights, images, and reaction to what some from the Buckeye brotherhood are doing on the world’s biggest stage.

Here we are now in week three, and we’ve got the best scarlet and gray Ohio State moments from NFL games this past weekend. Let’s get after it.

Next … Best Buckeyes in the NFL Twitter moments

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Sam Hubbard used OSU connection to recruit Vonn Bell to Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals star Sam Hubbard played a part in the team signing Vonn Bell in free agency.

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Cincinnati Bengals defender Sam Hubbard ended up playing a big part in the team landing safety Vonn Bell in free agency.

Hubbard, who spent some time with Bell at Ohio State, was instrumental in the recruiting process this summer, per Bell himself, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“I was reaching out to guys like Sam and Buckeyes we knew and he was like, ‘You need to come here.’ Guys were reaching out around the league and I was like, man, I’m not on a team and it felt different. I feel like God made a new opportunity and a new chapter in my life and I’m glad to be here.”

Bell was a major, late luxury signing for the Bengals and the veteran says part of what also drove him to choose the Bengals was the culture Zac Taylor is building.

But Hubbard’s role shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Hubbard is also the guy who spent a ton of time with Burrow before the draft at a time national talking heads were trying to drum up speculation Burrow didn’t want to play for the Bengals — Hubbard was working on recruiting his friend the whole time.

Call it a breath of fresh air for Bengals fans. Not only do players want to play in Cincinnati, vocal leaders of the next generation have been very active in bringing big-time talent to town, too.

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Is Sam Hubbard the biggest breakout candidate on the Bengals?

Do the Cincinnati Bengals have a breakout candidate with Sam Hubbard?

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The Cincinnati Bengals have a handful of breakout candidates going into the 2020 season.

There’s Jonah Williams at left tackle. Jessie Bates has shown elite potential at safety. John Ross has flashed.

And then there’s defensive end Sam Hubbard.

Over at The Athletic, Jeff Zrebiec and Ben Standig asked beat writers for each team to identify the next big breakout.

For the Bengals, Jay Morrison tapped Hubbard:

“Still, Hubbard upped his sack total to 8.5 on 19 pressures. The new Bengals coaching staff and teammates consistently raved about Hubbard, holding him up as an example of a player who does everything right every day and everywhere, from the weight room to meetings to practices to Sundays. Hubbard will be wearing a captain’s C before long and if the Bengals can be more competitive and start playing with leads, Hubbard could be poised for a breakout season in which his sack total climbs well above double digits.”

Hubbard does seem a little more intriguing than most breakout candidates. He didn’t see a ton of usage under Marvin Lewis in his first season (45 percent of the snaps), yet still put up six sacks.

Last year as a sophomore, Hubbard got in on 80 percent of the snaps, upping his sack count to 8.5 and his pressure count to 19, all while learning new roles and even dropping into coverage in Lou Anarumo’s multiple scheme.

In an ideal world, Anarumo would probably like to use Hubbard the way Pittsburgh throws T.J. Watt all over the place. And the third-round pick has quietly hinted he might just have that in him.

If that materializes and guys like Ross and Bates don’t hit consistent elite-level play, Hubbard will easily be the team’s biggest breakout.

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Sam Hubbard, Drew Sample back to work at local Cincinnati gym

Cincinnati Bengals players Sam Hubbard and Drew Sample are back getting after it.

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The NFL decided coaches like Zac Taylor can be back at Paul Brown Stadium.

Cincinnati Bengals players though…not so much.

But that won’t stop some players from getting creative and putting gym work in as pre-training camp prep.

According to WLWT’s Brandon Saho, Sam Hubbard and Drew Sample are back to work at Black Sheep Performance in Blue Ash.

Here’s Hubbard:

“It’s a peace of mind thing. I know no matter what, Pat and the guys at Black Sheep Performance are going to be able to find a way to get the work in we need to, to get ready for the season. I really enjoy it and think it’s the best way for me to develop my game, although we do need that time together in the facility where we are working out together and putting in defenses. But we are doing everything possible to get ready for the season and I’m excited.”

Still no word on whether training camp will start as normal this summer. But the NFL recently nixed the idea players would be allowed back at team facilities before July.

That leaves players to their own devices physically outside of the all-virtual meetings with coaches. Sample and Hubbard are just one of what is surely many groups of players spread out all over the place putting in work.

Sample, by the way, was recently tagged as a potential Bengals breakout star.

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Is Bengals’ Sam Hubbard headed for a breakout with double-digit sacks?

Cincinnati Bengals defender Sam Hubbard feels like a breakout candidate.

A few members of the Cincinnati Bengals — headed up by Joe Burrow — have been on the receiving end of nearly unending praise and had breakout whispers around them since the draft.

Now it’s Sam Hubbard’s turn.

Hubbard, going into his third season, slots as a double-digit sack breakout candidate for Joe Marino at The Draft Network:

“Sam Hubbard may have been the seventh defensive end drafted in 2018 but that hasn’t stopped him from recording the most sacks of any defender in his draft class. After logging six sacks as a rookie, Hubbard produced 8 1/2 in 2019 and has quickly developed into a fixture up front for the Bengals’ defense.”

Hubbard, unlike a big chunk of his defense, didn’t have a ton of problems last year making the transition to Lou Anarumo’s scheme. Besides the 8.5 sacks, he put up 19 pressures while only missing 6.2 percent of his tackles (he missed 13.3 percent as a rookie).

It’s got to be encouraging for the Bengals to have a player on a list alongside the likes of Chase Young, Brian Burns and even Nick Bosa considering he was only a third-round pick. Even better, he’s a local kid and one of those core high-energy leaders Zac Taylor’s staff loves.

Besides Hubbard’s natural development track, Cincinnati added D.J. Reader to the heart of the defensive line and remade the linebacker unit, two other features that should help borderline guarantee he’s headed for 10-plus sacks.

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Bengals’ Sam Hubbard ranked among league’s best in pass-rushing stat

Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Sam Hubbard sits with some rare names in a key stat.

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The Cincinnati Bengals made a point to dramatically reshape the defense this offseason through a series of adds in free agency and the draft.

One thing the team didn’t do? Add many pass-rushers.

Thank high-efficiency players like Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard.

Hubbard is especially notable as of late thanks to a new metric shared by Next Gen Stats, which reveals Hubbard ranked second in third-down pressure rate at 17.5 percent.

Only three players finished in the top five in both total pressures and third-down pressures. Hubbard’s snap counts didn’t qualify for the first, but he did generate pressure at a higher rate.

Now Hubbard heads into Year 2 of working in Lou Anarumo’s defense and his surroundings have been potentially upgraded with the likes of D.J. Reader and Logan Wilson, to name a few.

We’ll see if Hubbard can chart like this again — but it’s hard not to be encouraged based on some of the names he’s next to on these lists.

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