Tag: Sheldon Richardson

7 more moves the Eagles should make in NFL free agency

7 more moves the Philadelphia Eagles should make in NFL free agency

We’re just 24 days away from the start of the 2022 NFL draft and that’s plenty of time for the Eagles to continue adding depth to the roster via free agency.

Philadelphia is looking for starters at cornerback and safety while adding depth at wide receiver, defensive tackle, and edge rusher could make the roster even more formidable heading into the 2022 regular season.

With the AFC loaded and NFC up for grabs, the Eagles have the cap space and roster flexibility to add more talent without sacrificing finances.

Here are seven more moves Philadelphia can make in free agency.

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: NFC North Edition

Listing one free agent from each team in the NFC North that could be a good fit for the Chargers.

The Chargers are set to enter free agency with the most salary cap available since Tom Telesco took over as general manager in 2013.

Even though the franchise has some in-house players that will need to get paid, there’s a great chance that Telesco and company will be aggressive in signing other soon-to-be free agents to bolster its roster.

With that being said, we will list one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A.

Next up is the NFC North.

DT Sheldon Richardson, Vikings

After finishing near the bottom in run defense, the Chargers must upgrade the trenches. After being let go of by the Browns at the end of the 2020 season, Richardson was picked up by Minnesota, where he became a key contributor in the trenches, posting 37 quarterback pressures and four sacks, along with 24 run stops in 2021. In addition, he could fit well in Brandon Staley’s system, as Richardson has experience playing in a 3-4 system and brings a veteran presence to the group, with nine years in the league under his belt.

OT Dennis Kelly, Packers

Bryan Bulaga’s future with the Chargers is in flux after being riddled by injuries in his two seasons with the team. Therefore, Bulaga is a cut candidate to free up cap space. Should that come to fruition, Los Angeles will need to find a viable option to start at right tackle after Storm Norton’s play was inconsistent. Kelly, the journeyman, was trusted into Green Bay’s starting lineup after an injury to Billy Turner, where he proved to be solid. On 185 pass-block snaps, Kelly allowed just four pressures and one sack. Of his nine seasons in the league, he has posted Pro Football Focus grades of over 70 in three of them.

EDGE Charles Harris, Lions

The Chargers’ primary attention will be on the interior part of the defensive line this offseason, but they will also have to consider the positional group right next to it, with edge defenders Uchenna Nwosu and Kyler Fackrell’s contracts up. Starting his career with the Dolphins, Harris went on to amass just 3.5 sacks across three seasons. After that, he had a stint with the Falcons, where he posted three sacks. It was until he signed with the Lions that everything clicked, and Harris finally lived up to his first-round billing. He doubled his career sack total, notching 7.5. Further, Harris finished top 20 in quarterback pressures among edge defenders (52), and his 17.4% pass rush win rate ranked 17th.

DT Akiem Hicks, Bears

Hicks is one of the more intriguing pending free agents, who should be atop of the Chargers’ priority list. He is familiar with Brandon Staley during his time with Chicago when he was the outside linebacker coach. Crossing blockers’ faces and bullying them into the backfield, Hicks can contribute equally well against the run and pass. He has over 50 quarterback pressures in three seasons, with his most recent in 2020. He has dealt with some injuries throughout his lengthy career, but it hasn’t hindered him enough to keep him from producing when he is on the field. He played over 800 snaps in each season in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020.

Browns Jarvis Landry may be trying to avoid Sheldon Richardson’s outcome

Speculation as to Landry’s motivations is varying. Perhaps he learned a lesson from how the Browns dealt with Sheldon Richardson last year:

The Cleveland Browns have a decision to make regarding WR Jarvis Landry. A year removed from hoping that the return of Odell Beckham Jr., the development of Donovan Peoples-Jones and the addition of Anthony Schwartz’s speed would complement Landry perfectly, everything is up in the air at wide receiver.

Landry is going into the last year of his contract and would count a hefty sum against the salary cap for the Browns. The team could save significant money by cutting him but would lose a dependable receiver at an already weak position.

Tuesday, Landry stoked the flames with his comments on Twitter. He also shared injury-related issues that were more than publicly known last year.

While many have speculated as to Landry’s motives, it is possible he learned a lesson about how Cleveland could handle him last year. In the 2021 offseason, Sheldon Richardson was in a similar situation as Landry is this year. Richardson had one season left on his contract but the Browns could move on from him to save significant cap space.

With free agency opening in mid-March, Cleveland added a number of players to their roster but kept Richardson. It wasn’t until a month later, shortly after signing Jadeveon Clowney, that the team released the defensive tackle and saved over $10 million in cap space.

While the Browns tried to bring Richardson back, he chose to return to Minnesota on a one-year, $3.6 million deal. Had Cleveland released him prior to the start of free agency, it is possible that Richardson could have gotten a deal closer to Larry Ogunjobi ($6.2 million) or Davon Godchaux (2 years, $15 million).

As Landry looks at the landscape of free agency, perhaps his motives are to try to force the Browns hand to make a decision sooner rather than later. If Landry is set free, as Dante Fowler was recently, he’d be free to sign with another team before any pure free-agent receivers could. Even if Cleveland waits until free agency opens, Landry’s options and contract would be greater than if they wait as they did with Richardson.

With the NFL Combine just around the corner, Landry may be pushing the Browns to make a decision quickly. If so, he learned a valuable lesson from Richardson’s situation in 2021.

Where does the Jamal Adams deal rank among worst trades of the Pete Carroll era?

Where does the Jamal Adams deal rank among worst trades of the Pete Carroll era?

Jamal Adams will be going on injured reserve soon, as we learned today the Seahawks safety has to undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder. While Adams is an excellent defender in a vacuum, the trade that brought him over from the Jets is beginning to look like a potential era-ending blunder. Given the massive draft capital and financial investment the team has made in Adams, every game he misses or doesn’t play at an All-Pro level is another crushing blow.

Here are the worst trades of the Pete Carroll, John Schneider era and where the Adams deal ranks among them.

Three lineup decisions the Vikings can make

Here are three lineup decisions the Vikings could make soon.

The Vikings have been exposed by both the Bengals and Cardinals, en route to an 0-2 start. Now, Minnesota has to make some important decisions in order to salvage any of its season this year.

So the Vikings’ lineup decisions are important as the team tries to avoid an 0-3 record in Week 3. Here are some moves the team can make for the Seahawks game:

Where did they go? Keeping up with ex-Browns around the league

Keeping track of what happened with some former Cleveland Browns players this offseason as they moved around the NFL

Now that the 53-man rosters are set around the league, it’s time to keep up with where some former Browns players from the 2020 season or the 2021 preseason wound up.

Colby Gossett: Another player claimed off waivers after the Browns cut the offensive lineman earlier this week, Gossett is now in Atlanta. There are some projections where Gossett could get immediate playing time for the Falcons, who have some injury issues on the OL.

KhaDarel Hodge: The popular wideout and special teams star was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions. Former Browns GM John Dorsey, who brought Hodge to Cleveland, is part of the Lions front office now too.

Karl Joseph: A starting safety in Cleveland last year, Joseph was cut by the Las Vegas Raiders. He is now on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad, and there is ample speculation he will be elevated quickly to the Steelers’ active roster once he clears COVID-19 protocols.

Terrance Mitchell: “Money” Mitchell is one of the starting cornerbacks for the Houston Texans. Mitchell signed in Houston as a free agent after three seasons in Cleveland.

Larry Ogunjobi: Ogunjobi defected from the Browns to the rival Bengals. The defensive tackle signed a one-year early in free agency. Ogunjobi is one of the Bengals top defensive starters.

Sheldrick Redwine: The young safety signed with the New York Jets right after being waived by the Browns. The Jets seem pretty excited to have Redwine in their secondary, too.

Sheldon Richardson: The versatile defensive lineman returns to Minnesota, where he played before coming to Cleveland in 2019. Richardson will start for the revamped Vikings defense.

Kyle Lauletta: Cleveland’s No. 3 QB dating back to last season was among the final cuts. He quickly signed in Jacksonville on the Jaguars’ practice squad.

Kendall Lamm: Lamm is playing the same role for the Tennessee Titans that he did in two years in Cleveland. He’s the top reserve offensive tackle. The Titans currently have COVID-19 issues that would have Lamm starting if the season began today.

Tavierre Thomas: The CB is in Houston, doing what he does best – making things happen on special teams. He is also Mitchell’s backup at outside CB on the Texans depth chart.

B.J. Goodson: Cleveland’s leading tackler in 2020, Goodson is still a free agent. The veteran linebacker remains unsigned.

Tae Davis: The LB and special teams fixture from 2019-2020 landed on injured reserve with the Houston Texans. He just recently had foot surgery.

Andrew Sendejo: Sendejo started 14 games for Cleveland in 2020 at safety. The veteran, who turns 34 this week, remains unsigned.

Olivier Vernon: Another veteran starter from last season, Vernon is also still unsigned.

Robert Jackson: Jackson was one of the earlier cuts for the Browns this summer. The cornerback, who primarily played special teams in Cleveland, is now on the Raiders’ practice squad.

Vincent Taylor: Taylor is climbing up the NFL ladder. A reserve defensive tackle in Cleveland, he’s now the starting “rush” tackle for the Texans.

Dontrell Hilliard: Yet another former Browns player who wound up in Houston, Hilliard was waived by the Texans and took an injury settlement. The running back is now a free agent.

2 free agent defensive tackles ‘better’ than what the Texans have

Two free agent defensive tackles in Jurrell Casey and Sheldon Richardson are “better” than what the Houston Texans have on their roster currently.

What does it say when the there are two free agent defensive tackles who rank better than what the Houston Texans have on their roster heading into training camp?

According to Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus, not one Texans defensive tackle qualified for the football scouting’s ranking of the top-32 defensive tackles in the league. At No. 31, where a Texans player could have gone, went free agent Sheldon Richardson.

Richardson is one of the notable veteran defensive tackles still on the market following his release from Cleveland. It takes little projection to see him making an immediate impact as a starter. Richardson has played at least 600 defensive snaps and recorded a PFF grade of at least 68.0 in every season since joining the league in 2013. PFF WAR ranks him as the eighth-most valuable interior defender in the league across those seven years. He should generate interest in the post-draft free agent market leading up to the 2021 season. 

Another free agent defensive tackle who made the list while a Texans player didn’t was former Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos defensive tackle Jurrell Casey. Adding that Casey would provide “quality depth” wherever he ends up in 2021, Linsey noted that the 6-1, 305-pounder had a 74.4 PFF grade through the first three games of last year on 150-plus snaps. It was a torn biceps that summarily ended Casey’s lone year with Denver.

The Texans are counting on veteran Maliek Collins and second-year Ross Blacklock to provide starting quality at defensive tackle. Houston also has options in third-year Charles Omenihu and 28-year-old Brandon Dunn, who is recovering from a pelvic fracture and transitioning from a 3-4 nose tackle to the tackle roles in Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2.

Defensive line coach Bobby King expects Blacklock to take a step in his development now that the 2020 second-rounder from TCU will have an actual offseason under his belt.

“I expect a lot out of him,” said King on June 8 on a Zoom call with reporters. “He’s been as advertised with the weight staff, with everybody so far and with me. I look forward to working with Ross.”

The Texans were the worst in the NFL at stopping the run at 5.2 yards per carry surrendered. One way for Texans defensive tackles to start making such lists is to get stiffer in rush defense.

Three Vikings players who could benefit from new schemes

These three Vikings players could be helped by different changes in scheme.

The Minnesota Vikings are bringing in a lot of new talent this year.

Some of those players might struggle with the new schemes and styles of the Vikings offense, defense and special teams.

However, there are also some who could benefit from a few changes. Here are three players who could find success with the Vikings in different schemes:

One player to watch at each defensive position group heading into Vikings training camp

Here are some Vikings players to watch for 2021 training camp.

The Vikings are entering into an important training camp, especially for the defense. That side of the ball looks completely different from how it did last year. It’s a good thing they will — Minnesota’s defense struggled to get stops in 2020.

Free agent signings like Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson and others will have to adjust to their new team. It would also help for rookies like Patrick Jones II to adjust to the league quickly.

Training camp is a great time for the team to get acclimated. Here is a Minnesota player to watch at each position group heading into 2021 training camp:

Some interesting details in Vikings DT Sheldon Richardson’s new contract

There are some interesting incentives in Sheldon Richardson’s contract with the Vikings.

The Vikings reunited with Sheldon Richardson this offseason. Richardson probably won’t start 17 games for Minnesota next season, but he will be an important rotational lineman.

There are also some incentives in his contract to sweeten the deal with the Vikings. According to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, Richardson earns $250,000 in incentive money if he reaches five sacks, and $500,000 if he tallies seven this year.

He also earns $250,000 bonus for a Pro Bowl selection. The deal voids if Richardson is on the roster 30 days prior to 2022 league year.

In 2020, Richardson tallied 4.5 sacks in 16 starts with the Browns, so it’s kind of a long shot for him to produce more than that in what is presumably a lesser role. That said, if he can pull it off, the Vikings defensive line will be menacing.

There’s a possibility that Minnesota could go with more 3-4 this year, giving Richardson the chance to start at a 3-4 defensive end spot. That could help lead to him reaching those sack totals.