Tag: Sheldon Rankins

1 free agent the Saints could target from each AFC East team

Reuniting with Sheldon Rankins could make sense as the Saints rebuild their defensive line. 1 free agent they could target from each AFC East team:

We’re continuing our tour of the NFL free agency landscape with the AFC teams, having previously gone over pending free agents from the NFC East, NFC North, AFC West, and AFC South. While the New Orleans Saints may not be in a position to match the league’s big spenders, there are going to be budget-friendly options available from every team in this division.

With that in mind, let’s preview the free agents looking to hit the market from the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets. There are some familiar names for Saints fans about to become available:

Podcast: How to improve the Browns’ defensive line in free agency

Free agency could have some answers the Browns need.

It is not a secret that the Cleveland Browns need a lot of help on the defensive line, especially at defensive tackle. In this episode, I am joined by Dawgs by Nature’s Jared Mueller to talk about some options in free agency. The team needs to improve the basement of the roster, especially in the interior as bad as it was.

Jared makes a great point that Andrew Berry likes to double-dip with free agency and the draft when he tries to fix a position. So grabbing a couple of players on the line in free agency and the draft could play out this offseason. You can listen to the episode here or watch it here to see the video version of the show.

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Podcast: Free agency wish list and more Browns draft talk

Which players should the Browns target in free agency?

In this week’s show, we talk about our top five free-agent targets for the Cleveland Browns next month. Could the team target some former players for a potential reunion on the defensive side of the ball? The Browns might not have a ton of money to spend but there are more than enough cheaper players out there that would improve the roster.

Finally, the show moves to more draft talk as I talk more about Auburn edge rusher Derick Hall and why I think he would be a great fit. You can listen to the episode here or if you watch here to see the video version on YouTube.

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Sheldon Rankins, Connor McGovern among top 100 free agents from Pro Football Focus

Which free agents do the Jets need to re-sign?

The New York Jets are going to have key decisions to make, not just with free agents on the outside — not to mention which quarterback they will try to sign or trade for — but with their own free agents. One key free agent for the team is the running mate this past season of Quinnen Williams. We’re of course talking about defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.

Pro Football Focus recently unveiled their top 100 free agents with projected contracts and coming in at No. 63 was Rankins, who is coming off a fine season for the Jets in 2022. Rankins recorded 43 tackles and three sacks with one forced fumble in 15 games.

Rankins has 191 career tackles and 23.5 career sacks across seven seasons (two with the Jets, five with the Saints).

PFF projects Rankins’ deal to be for two years worth $12 million with $8 million guaranteed.

Rankins signed a two-year deal with the Jets after the former first-rounder’s rookie contract expired in New Orleans. He had a strong start to the 2022 season before briefly going down with an injury but returned to finish the year on a stout Jets defensive front. Rankins’ 73.1 overall grade is the second-best mark of his career, with his 33 tackles a new high watermark. Rankins is solid both as a run defender and pass rusher but isn’t special in either facet. Nevertheless, he’s a solid target this offseason as a cheaper interior defender with the top of the market set to explode to new heights.

Two offensive linemen also made the list for the Jets: No. 73 Connor McGovern and No. 97 George Fant.

McGovern will be interesting to see if the Jets decide to re-sign him. He was a top-ten center at PFF in 2022 and has been in the top half of centers over the past two seasons.

McGovern signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the New York Jets during his first go-around in free agency and will look to get as close to that number once again.

The veteran center has logged roughly 1,000 snaps in five straight seasons. His 74.7 grade over the past two years ranks 13th among centers, his 69.8 pass-blocking grade places 16th and his 76.9 run-blocking grade comes in at 13th. He offers a high floor as a solid zone run blocker and could be an asset to a team with a young quarterback.

McGovern is projected to get close to his previous contract with the Jets. PFF projects a three-year, $22.5 million deal with $12.5 million guaranteed after initially signing a three-year, $27 million deal with the Jets.

As for Fant, while he did his best plugging the holes at tackle this season, the Jets may be better served letting him walk in free agency with the potential of getting Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mekhi Becton back and adding help via the draft. They also have Max Mitchell as a backup option.

PFF projects Fant’s contract to be for $11 million over two years with $7.25 million guaranteed.

Fant struggled with injuries and once again moved back and forth between right and left tackle, an unfortunate development after a career year in 2021 had him looking for an extension before the season began.

The seventh-year tackle earned a career-high 75.1 pass-blocking grade in 2021, playing almost exclusively at left tackle. His 3.2% pressure rate allowed the sixth-lowest among tackles on the season.

Fant will be 31 years old in 2023, and at worst he is a reliable swing tackle who has plenty of experience over the last two years on either side of the line. He just needs to get back to full health.

Ranking the Saints’ last 10 first-round draft picks

Ranking the New Orleans Saints’ last 10 first-round draft picks under general manager Mickey Loomis:

There’s a worryingly strong chance that the New Orleans Saints won’t have a first round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, which is uncomfortably familiar territory for Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. The team has aggressively navigated the draft year in and year out, but it might have cost them badly this time. We’ll just have to wait and see whether New Orleans can trade Sean Payton to another team this offseason and recoup a first rounder.

What about the joke you’ll hear from a lot of Saints fans that this team doesn’t draft well in the first round, anyway? It’s a common refrain, but is there much truth to it? To find out, we’ve ranked the last ten players New Orleans has drafted with first-round picks:

Every Saints player added from the Senior Bowl, dating back to 2015

Few teams value college all-star games like the Saints. They’ve added at least two rookies from the Senior Bowl each year, dating back to 2015:

Few teams value college all-star games like the New Orleans Saints. They’ve added at least two rookies from the Senior Bowl each year, dating back to 2015, often double-dipping with draft picks like in 2015, 2018, and 2020. Five of their recent first-round picks have participated in the showcase game on Mobile, Ala. — including Stephone Anthony, Sheldon Rankins, Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, and Trevor Penning.

So keep an eye out for standout performers during Senior Bowl week. The Saints certainly will be, with passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry tabbed as an offensive coordinator for the event. Here are all of the players they’ve found at the all-star game since Jeff Ireland was hired to take over their college scouting department:

Who could the Browns target in free agency to change defensive woes?

Who could the team add to improve the defense?

The Cleveland Browns are currently searching for a new defensive coordinator after firing Joe Woods. But a coaching change is not all that the team needs to change to improve the defense. They struggled mightily from the defensive tackle position and likely need to overhaul that group. On top of that, the team still does not have a true deep free safety on the roster.

The team will attempt to add some long-term pieces in the draft they could look to take some major swings in free agency. There are players that the team will have a shot at that could truly help this team immediately.

A look at four defensive free agents the Browns should target this offseason.

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Week 13 Wednesday report: Sheldon Rankins returns, Michael Carter remains out

Sheldon Rankins is back at practice

The Jets are back on the field in preparation for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and they could be getting a reinforcement back on the defensive line.

Sheldon Rankins, who had missed time with an elbow injury, practiced for the first time since the bye week Wednesday. He was a limited participant, but returning to practice is certainly very good news for the Jets, especially if they can get him back in the lineup this week against a running back the caliber of Dalvin Cook.

Kenny Yeboah also returned to practice after missing two games with a calf injury. He was also limited.

Four players sat out practice Wednesday, including D.J. Reed. Fortunately, he is fine. It was just personal reasons. He is expected to return Thursday.

Also missing Wednesday was Michael Carter, who remains day-to-day with the ankle sprain he suffered against the Bears.

Ashytn Davis (hamstring) and Cedric Ogbuehi (groin/illness) also missed practice Wednesday.

For the Vikings, offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw remains in the concussion protocol. He suffered his second win eight days back on November 20 against the Cowboys. There is no timetable for his return.

Safety Harrison Smith (ankle) was limited and CB Akayleb Evans (concussion) and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson (calf) were full participants.

Patriots licking their chops after Jets rule out two starters for Sunday’s game

Jets rule out two starters ahead of Patriots matchup.

The New York Jets will be limping their way into Sunday’s showdown at Gillette Stadium with the New England Patriots. Wide receiver Corey Davis and defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins have both been ruled out for the pivotal AFC East clash.

Both teams are coming off a bye week, and the Patriots clearly look like the healthier group so far. Standout defensive back Jonathan Jones (illness) was the only player on their injury report on Thursday, and he was back on the practice field on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Jets are down two key playmakers, along with two offensive linemen, Duane Brown and Nate Herbig, both being listed as questionable to suit up for the game.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones won’t miss seeing Rankins staring across from him in this matchup considering the Jets’ defensive front treated him like a crash test dummy in the first meeting this season.

On the other side, no Davis means one less offensive weapon for Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, who has wilted and crumbled every time he’s faced the Patriots defense in his two-year career.

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Jets’ Week 11 Wednesday injury report: Corey Davis remains question mark

Will Corey Davis return this week? Looks 50/50 for now.

Fresh off their bye in Week 10, the New York Jets are back on the practice field to prepare for their big rematch in Week 11 with the New England Patriots. But it remains to be seen if one of their top wide receivers will be available for the game.

There’s a little concern with wide receiver Corey Davis. After the team was hopeful he could return after the bye week, Davis missed Wednesday’s practice as he continues to recover from the knee injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Broncos.

Head coach Robert Saleh did say there’s a chance Davis will be out there on Sunday but noted that Davis would not practice Wednesday. “He has a chance,” said Saleh. “He’s not going to practice today, but we’re going to see how far we can progress him over the course of the week.”

In other injury report news for the Jets, guard Nate Herbig also missed practice yesterday with a shin injury, but Saleh’s comment gave the sense Herbig will be fine, saying “he’s dealing with something with his leg” but that he’s “not really concerned” about his availability for Sunday.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins also missed practice Wednesday and the likelihood is he will be out this week, but Saleh said he is “pretty confident” that he will not have to go on injured reserve.

“Rankins has been fantastic,” Saleh said when asked about his play. “He’s having a really nice season. Hopefully, this injury is not too long, but it’s next man up mentality. We’ll see how the week goes with how we utilize it. We have been playing plus-one, plus-two on the d-line, and activating 10 anyway. We’ll figure it out as the week goes.”

Duane Brown is on his typical week of being listed as limited in practice. There is no concern with him.

Max Mitchell is expected to return to practice this week as well, but he will not show up on the official injury report yet as he has not been activated from injured reserve. Saleh said Cedric Ogbuehi will remain at right tackle and “we’ll see how Max progresses.”

For the Patriots, only one active player missed practice Wednesday and that was defensive lineman DaMarcus Mitchell with an illness.

Punter Jake Bailey (back), DL Christian Barmore (knee), S Kyle Dugger (ankle), LB Anfernee Jennings (back), WR DeVante Parker (knee) and LB Josh Uche (hamstring) were all limited.

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