Tag: tae crowder

PFF ranks Giants’ linebackers 23rd in the NFL

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the New York Giants’ linebackers 23rd in the NFL, which is higher than expected.

The New York Giants have been weak at the linebacker position for roughly a decade, and in an effort to combat that, general manager Dave Gettleman went out and signed Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell in free agency, while adding Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown, T.J. Brunson and Tae Crowder through the 2020 NFL Draft.

Is that enough to bolster the unit and prevent it from being a weak point on defense? Time will tell, but at least on paper, things seem improved.

That line of thinking was recently shared by Pro Football Focus, who ranked the Giants’ linebackers 23rd in the NFL — not great, but certainly better-ish.

23. NEW YORK GIANTS

Blake Martinez is the biggest offseason addition after he racked up the tackles over the last few years with the Packers. Martinez has had a quirky career, both at Stanford and in the NFL, as he has a top-10 season against the run (2016) and in coverage (2018), though he has just one year with an overall grade above 70.0 (74.0 overall in 2018). Martinez is a solid player — though the tackle stats are misleading — and he’s yet to put together a high-end season in all facets.

David Mayo was a bright spot last season, ranking second in the league with a 90.1 grade against the run, though he struggled to a 48.8 coverage grade. It was Mayo’s first time playing more than 150 snaps in a season, and he made the most of it. Former fifth-rounder Ryan Connelly also returns after grading at 57.1 across 187 snaps as a rookie.

The Giants added a pair of linebackers in the seventh round in Tae Crowder and T.J. Brunson to round out the depth chart. This group’s success will be determined by which Martinez shows up in his first year as a Giant as well as Mayo’s development in his second year of extended action.

PFF focused more heavily on the inside linebackers than the outside linebackers, which are also a concern for the Giants from a pass rush perspective.

Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines each have untapped potential, while the return of Markus Golden certainly gives the unit more of an edge. Kyler Fackrell should also boost the linebacker production, but there are no guarantees across the board.

The Giants have a lot of questions at the linebacker position and without a preseason, it may be difficult to find answers for quite some time.

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Watch: Georgia is LBU

Georgia football former players and current coaches release ‘LBU’ hype video in an effort to recruit the top LBs in the country to UGA.

A number of former Georgia players and current coaches have released an ‘LBU’ hype video in an effort to recruit the top linebacker prospects in the nation to Athens.

The video features former Dawg linebackers such as Roquan Smith, Natrez Patrick and Tae Crowder, who have now made it to the NFL, crediting UGA and its coaches for preparing them for the next level.

WATCH:

Glenn Schumann, the Georgia inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator, gets high praise throughout the video.

“Being coached by the best linebacker coach in the country, coach Schumann, everything we did at Georgia I do now in the league,” said Smith.

Smith was the recipient of the 2017 Butkus Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding linebacker in college football.  Smith is the only Georgia player to receive this high honor.  That year, Smith also won the title of SEC Defensive Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC as well as the SEC Championship Game MVP.

“The linebackers should be the tone-setters for the defense, I want my energy to be contagious to other people on the field and I want my players’ energy to be contagious.” said Schumann in the hype video.

Current Georgia linebackers Nakobe Dean, Monty Rice and Quay Walker are also featured in the video.  These three are all expected to play pivotal roles in Georgia’s defense in 2020, a defense that finished No. 1 overall in team defense in 2019 and allowed only two rushing touchdowns all season.

In Georgia’s 2020 No.1 overall recruiting class, the sole linebacker committed is 4-star Washington, D.C. native MJ Sherman, listed as the No. 2 outside linebacker recruit in the country by 247Sports.

For the 2021 class, Georgia currently has the No. 10 inside linebacker committed in 4-star Baltimore, MD native Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

The Dawgs hope to land 2021 5-star Dallas, GA native Smael Mondon, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 220 lbs and the No. 2 outside linebacker in the country.  247Sports experts have all given their Crystal Ball predictions for Mondon in favor of Georgia.

With the departure of Rice and his fellow rising senior Nate McBride coming following this season, the emphasis on locking down the next wave of linebackers is huge for the Georgia coaching staff.

This video shows why players want to come to Georgia, and that is ultimately to be NFL ready by the end of their college careers.  Showcasing the likes of NFL stars Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick, as well as Tae Crowder’s transformation from a 2-star wide receiver to an NFL linebacker, is the perfect plan to recruit the top linebackers in the country to Georgia.

Giants’ Tae Crowder finally honored as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’

New York Giants linebacker Taw Crowder has finally been honored as “Mr. Irrelevant,” nearly two months after being drafted.

Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder was the 255th and final selection in this year’s NFL Draft, giving him the distinction of the title “Mr. Irrelevant.”

The New York Giants really don’t care about that title. He’s relevant to them and by all accounts is expected to make a serious run a roster spot this summer.

This week, Crowder finally got recognition for his newly-earned title in his hometown of Pine Mountain, Georgia.

“Mr. Irrelevant” never usually amounts to anything but a reserve player but plenty of UDFAs have made impacts and that is the category where most felt Crowder would fall this spring. He’s an athletic kid (a former running back) that play the game hard but how his talents equate to the NFL level remains to be seen. Can he play linebacker? We’ll find out this summer.

“He was a running back early, they converted him,” said Giants general manager Dave Gettleman. “He’s a 245-pound kid that runs 4.6 and plays 4.6. He’s got some versatility and some value and definitely has some special teams value.”

Head coach Joe Judge is also excited about Crowder’s prospects.

“This is a guy that’s only played a couple years at linebacker. We see a lot of upside with him. Both in his physical skills as well as his emerging defensive understanding. He’ll come in and compete for positions at that Will linebacker spot as well as give impact to the kicking game. We think we added a very competitive group over these last few days. We think today we brought in a lot of guys with versatility and speed,” he said.

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Georgia greats Andrew Thomas, Tae Crowder receive NY Giants jersey numbers

Georgia football greats Andrew Thomas and Tae Crowder have received their jersey numbers for the New York Giants.

Former Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas has received his jersey number that he will wear with the New York Giants.

Taken 4th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Thomas will wear #78 in New York, the Giants announced. Thomas wore #71 in Athens.

Tae Crowder, the former Georgia linebacker who was taken with the very last pick of the draft, will wear #37. Crowder wore #30 at Georgia.

The Giants added that rookie numbers are subject to change.

First NFL game for each of Georgia’s 2020 rookies

The 2020 NFL schedule was released on Thursday, so we bring a look at each of Georgia football’s rookies first pro games.

Thursday, the NFL released the schedule for the 2020 football season, providing more optimism that football will be played in the fall.

What that will look like remains to be known, but for now, let’s take a second to look ahead to the games on the schedule which feature newly drafted, former Bulldogs.

Georgia had seven players drafted into the NFL this year. Opening week’s Monday Night Football features a double-header (Giants vs Steelers and Titans vs Broncos). That means we will be able to watch both of Georgia’s first round offensive tackles (Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson) on that first Monday night.

Here is a list of each of the draftee’s first NFL game.

New York Giants – OT Andrew Thomas (4th overall pick) and LB Tae Crowder (last pick, 255)

Giants vs Steelers – Monday, September 14, 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Tennessee Titans – OT Isaiah Wilson (29th pick)

Titans at Broncos – Monday, September 14, 10:10 p.m. ET on ESPN

Detroit Lions – RB D’Andre Swift (35th pick)

Lions at Bears – Sunday, September 13, 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Miami Dolphins – OG Solomon Kindley ( pick No. 111)

Dolphins at Patriots – Sunday, September 13, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Buffalo Bills – QB Jake Fromm (pick No. 167)

Bills vs Jets – Sunday, September 13, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

San Francisco 49ers – TE Charlie Woerner (pick No. 190)

49ers vs Cardinals – Sunday, September 13, 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

Former Georgia LB Tae Crowder signs rookie deal with Giants

Former Georgia LB Tae Crowder puts pen to paper and officially signs his rookie deal with the New York Giants.

No one had a better NFL Draft story this year than former Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder.

Crowder was selected by the New York Giants 255th overall in the 7th-round of the NFL Draft, the very final selection. This deemed him the 2020 NFL’s ‘Mr. Irrelevant’, the nickname given to the final pick of the draft every year.

Crowder is determined to prove people wrong and show he should have been taken earlier, and on Thursday, the Giants announced Tae has officially signed his rookie contract.

Crowder is set to make $3.405 million over four years, per Over the Cap. Tae will receive $110,144 in signing bonuses pro-rated over the four years of his deal.  His 2020 cap hit will be at $637,536.

“He’s a 245-pound kid that runs 4.6 and plays 4.6,” Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said. “He’s got some versatility and some value and definitely has some special teams value.”

 

Crowder was the first of the Giants’ 10 draft selections to put pen to paper.

Crowder’s college teammate joining him in New York is Andrew Thomas, who was selected 4th overall by the Giants and is expected to sign a contract worth $32.345 million.

Tae Crowder, ‘Mr. Irrelevant,’ signs rookie deal with Giants

Linebacker Tae Crowder, “Mr Irrelevant,” has signed his rookie contract with the New York Giants.

Tae Crowder, the 255th and final selection in this year’s NFL Draft, has signed his rookie contract with the New York Giants.

Crowder was coined “Mr. Irrelevant,” the title given to the last player taken in the draft. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound former running back turned linebacker piqued the Giants’ interest with his athleticism and production.

“He’s a 245-pound kid that runs 4.6 and plays 4.6,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “He’s got some versatility and some value and definitely has some special teams value.”

“This is a guy that’s only played a couple years at linebacker,” head coach Joe Judge added. “We see a lot of upside with him, both in his physical skills as well as his emerging defensive understanding. He’ll come in and compete for positions at that Will linebacker spot as well as give impact to the kicking game. We think we added a very competitive group over these last few days. We think today we brought in a lot of guys with versatility and speed.”

Crowder began his career at Georgia as a running back and switched to linebacker midway through his redshirt freshman year in 2016. He only played in one game that year, but would go on to appear in 43 contests over the next three seasons.

Crowder’s career statistics include 122 tackles (50 solo) with 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions Crowder also had seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

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Giants draft pick Tae Crowder excited to reunite with Kevin Sherrer

New York Giants rookie LB Tae Crowder is looking forward to reuniting with Kevin Sherrer, who previously coached him at Georgia.

The New York Giants were on the clock for the final pick of a long and tiring three days at the virtual 2020 NFL Draft — the notorious “Mr. Irrelevant” selection as it is known.

With that pick, the Giants selected their fourth linebacker of the day, Georgia’s Tae Crowder, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound converted running back that was about to go undrafted and enter the wild frenzy of players trying to find their way onto NFL rosters.

But it didn’t quite happen that way. The Giants made Crowder Mr. Irrevelant.

“It was up there on the clock, and I was like dang. They said are you ready to be a Giant,” Crowder told WLTZ. “It was just a blessing that I was even nominated for that too. All I wanted was my mom to hear my name, even if it was the first pick or the last pick.”

Crowder was on the Giants’ radar as he was a player who had played for one of their current coaches — outside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer — several years back when they were both at Georgia.

“It will just be pretty cool to catch up with him. He can show me things that’s in the NFL that’s stuff that I need to know. That’s new to me,” Crowder said.

The Giants love the athleticism that Crowder brings to the table even though he’s not a conventional, experienced linebacker. They like his productivity and believe he can be helpful on special teams and on passing downs on defense. He had four pass deflections as a senior in 2019.

“I like to play fast and do what I do. Try to get there and try to make plays, so however I can do that I’m going to try to do that the best I can,” he said.

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Projected 2020 Georgia football depth chart: Linebackers

We project what Georgia’s line-backing core will look like in 2020 after a record breaking year for the Bulldogs defense in 2019.

The 2019 Georgia defense might have been the best in program history. The Bulldogs finished the season ranked No. 1 in scoring defense, No. 3 in total defense and only allowed two rushing touchdowns all year.

The Georgia defense in 2020 will look a little different, mainly because of the departures of safety J.R. Reed and linebacker Tae Crowder to the NFL. However, Georgia returns a majority of starters from the record-setting unit in 2019, led by coach Kirby Smart and one of the most experienced linebackers in the SEC, Monty Rice.

Here is our projection of what the linebacker depth chart will look like in the Fall:

MIKE 

Monty Rice (32) – Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

1. Monty Rice (Sr.)

2. Quay Walker (Jr.)

3. Rian Davis (RFr.)

WILL

Nakobe Dean (17) –  Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

1. Nakobe Dean (So.)

2. Channing Tindall (Jr.)

3. Trezmen Marshall (So.)

SAM

Jermaine Johnson (11) –  Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jermaine Johnson (Sr.)

2. Walter Grant (Sr.)

3. Adam Anderson (Jr.)

JACK

Azeez Ojulari (13) – Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

1. Azeez Ojulari (RSo.)

2. Nolan Smith (So.)

3. Mekhail Sherman (Fr.) / Robert Beal (RJr.)

Georgia’s Tae Crowder on joining UGA teammates on Giants, becoming ‘Mr. Irrelevant’

New York Giants LB Tae Crowder speaks on joining former Georgia football teammates in New York, becoming the NFL’s ‘Mr. Irrelevant”.

The New York Giants’ seventh-round draft pick, and last overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft was Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder.

Just as the draft was wrapping up, Crowder got the call that he will be joining his Georgia teammate Andrew Thomas, as well as former teammates Lorenzo Carter and Deandre Baker in East Rutherford, NJ.

“At first, I knew about Mr. Irrelevant but I didn’t know all of the stuff that came with it. It’s pretty special for me and my family. We’ll have fun with it,” said Crowder in a conference call earlier this week.

Crowder doesn’t seem to be taking the ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ nickname, given to the last pick in the draft, too seriously.

“I’m an aggressive player, a disciplined player,” said Crowder. “A hard-working player and I like to make plays for the team. I can play Sam, I can play Will and Mike. I’m pretty good in coverage. I love to fit the run and I love to cover backs, too.”

The odds are against Crowder, with most Mr. Irrelevants not lasting very long in the NFL.  He knows he’s going to have to work hard to earn his spot on the Giants’ roster.

Crowder spoke on the excitement he has for reuniting with his former Bulldogs.

“It’s just a dream come true,” Crowder said. “We know how each other works. It will be fun catching up, going to work with them and being on the field with each other once again.”

It will be fun to see this defensive Dawg reunion in New York City for the 2020 season.