Tag: Tajae Sharpe

Vikings take WR Denzel Mims in NFL.com mock draft

Mims had 66 catches for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior for Baylor.

Don’t let the Vikings’ signing of Tajae Sharpe fool you.

This team is still in desperate need of help at the wide receiver position.

In his latest four-round mock draft, Chad Reuter has the Vikings addressing that need with their 22nd pick (acquired by the Bills), drafting Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims.

Here’s what Reuter wrote about the pick:

Trading Stefon Diggs makes finding a deep threat at receiver a high priority for Minnesota; the athletic Mims will make plays on the outside for Kirk Cousins.

Mims had 66 catches for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior for Baylor. Mims has speed (4.38 40-yard dash) and size, measuring at 6’3, 207 pounds.

Our guy Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire has Mims as a top-40 projection. While this might be a bit of a reach according to Easterling, the Vikings probably need to use one of their two first-round picks on a wide receiver.

You can check out Reuter’s full four-round mock draft here.

Tajae Sharpe bids farewell to Tennessee Titans in statement

Tajae Sharpe will be taking the field for the Vikings in 2020.

There’s been no shortage of moving and shaking for the Tennessee Titans throughout free agency.

They’ve gained some and lost some — with wide receiver Tajae Sharpe falling into the latter category.

Sharpe will be taking the field for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 after signing a one-year deal with them on Wednesday.

But before he totally turns his attention to that, he took to Instagram with a statement for the Titans organization.

“Four years ago, I got the call,” he wrote. “A 21-year old kid from Jersey, finally seeing his dream of playing in the NFL come true. I will never forget that moment, and I will never forget the countless memories and experiences Nashville has given me from that time on.”

He specifically named general manager Jon Robinson and controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, before thanking his teammates.

Sharpe appeared in 15 games with six starts for the Titans last year, reeling in 25 receptions for 329 yards and four touchdowns.

Over four years with the only team he’s ever played for until now, Sharpe totaled 92 catches for 1,167 yards and eight scores. He missed the entire 2017 season due to a foot injury that landed him on Injured Reserve.

Sharpe was originally drafted by the Titans in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.

If Sharpe and Zettel are starters next season, the Vikings are in trouble

It’s as simple as this: Tajae Sharpe and Anthony Zettel on their own aren’t good enough to replace Stefon Diggs and Everson Griffen.

Minnesota has lost some veteran talent in free agency, and finally, the Vikings have been reportedly replacing some of it.

The team is reportedly signing defensive end Anthony Zettel and wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, two players who fill positional needs for Minnesota.

The Vikings reportedly traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was the team’s leading receiver last season. And defensive end Everson Griffen announced on Instagram that he was not coming back to the team.

It makes sense for Minnesota to go out and find replacements for Diggs and Griffen, but if that means Zettel and Sharpe are both going to try and fill the void that Griffen and Diggs left, then the Vikings might as well say they’re rebuilding.

Zettel is coming off a season where he played in five regular season games, tallying six tackles. Griffen had 41 total tackles at defensive end for the Vikings last season. Griffen had eight sacks and an interception, being a nice complement to pass rusher Danielle Hunter on the other side of the defensive line. Hunter had 14.5 sacks in 2019-20.

Zettel isn’t good enough to replace the production of Griffen, and if he’s a starter on the defensive line next season, opposing offensive lines will be able to focus more attention on Hunter than they did in 2019-20.

However, I think if the Vikings are going to draft a starting defensive end, and Zettel is simply a player the team uses in limited situations, Minnesota has a chance to adequately replace Griffen’s production.

And then there’s Diggs’ potential replacement. Sharpe is a solid option as the third or fourth best wide receiver on a team, but if he’s going to be a heavy-usage wideout who’s paired with Adam Thielen, then the passing game will fall off.

Sharpe has totaled 1,167 career receiving yards in his three active seasons with the Titans. Diggs was the Vikings’ leading receiver with 1,130 yards in 2019-20. Expecting Sharpe to come in and replace Diggs is expecting too much. Similar to the team’s situation with Griffen, the Vikings need to find Diggs’ replacement in the draft, when Sharpe can be a reserve and given limited reps in order for the Vikings to succeed.

The draft is right around the corner and the Vikings have 12 picks in total. Hopefully, some of those picks will be used to address the needs at defensive end and wide receiver, despite the team reportedly signing talent in free agency.

Tennessee Titans players react to Tajae Sharpe signing with Vikings

Titans players react to Tajae Sharpe moving on.

Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe is reportedly moving on to play for the Minnesota Vikings after signing a one-year deal with the team.

The former fifth-round pick didn’t play a huge role with the Titans in 2019, but he did make some clutch catches along the way. Now he gets an opportunity to possibly be more involved in Minnesota.

Titans safety Kevin Byard wished his now-former teammate all the best, to which Sharpe responded.

Fellow safety Kenny Vaccaro was hyped for Sharpe, who answered him back as well.

From wide receiver Corey Davis:

Defensive lineman DaQuan Jones:

View this post on Instagram

My MF Bredda ! @vikings just got a real one !

A post shared by DaQuan Jones (@dqj_90) on

Sharpe wasn’t the only former 2016 fifth-round pick of the Titans to move on Wednesday, as cornerback LeShaun Sims reportedly signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

And as their former players continue to sign with other teams, the Titans remain quiet…

Report: wide receiver Tajae Sharpe is signing with Vikings

The Vikings are reportedly getting help at wide receiver in free agency.

After the team reportedly traded Stefon Diggs, Minnesota now needs help at wide receiver. Help is reportedly on the way in a free agency signing.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Vikings are signing a one-year deal with wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who used to play for the Titans.

Vikings fans might be disappointed with the potential Diggs replacement, due to his production with Tennessee. Sharpe is coming off a season where he totaled just 329 receiving yards.

He has 1,167 career receiving yards in his three active seasons with the Titans. Diggs had 1,130 last season. It will be interesting to see whether Sharpe is able to up his numbers with the Vikings. He’ll need to in order to replace the production that Diggs is leaving behind by reportedly going to the Bills.

Let me remind you that the Vikings still have Adam Thielen and 12 picks in the NFL Draft. A lot can happen before the season starts.

Report: Former Titans WR Tajae Sharpe to sign with Vikings

Tajae Sharpe is moving on from the Titans.

Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe has reportedly found a new home in free agency.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Sharpe is going to sign a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Sharpe was a fifth-round pick of the Titans in 2016 but saw his role diminish with the team after a strong rookie season.

After catching 41 passes for 522 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie campaign, Sharpe went on to total 51 catches for 645 yards and six touchdowns combined in 2018 and 2019.

Sharpe missed the entire 2017 season with a foot injury.

Despite the fact that he wasn’t utilized a lot in 2019, mostly thanks to the additions of A.J. Brown and Adam Humphries, Sharpe did come up with some big touchdown grabs for Tennessee during the season.

But the writing was on the wall that Sharpe would move on this offseason, as he likely desired a more prominent role in an offense. At best, Sharpe was the fifth option in the passing game for Tennessee.

Now he’ll move on to Minnesota and try to assume the role left behind by Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills last week. Whether or not he locks that role down entirely remains to be seen.

11 best remaining free agents the Ravens should be interested in

The Ravens made some noise in the early part of free agency but could still be looking for help. These 11 free agents could be the answer

With the first wave of high-profile free agents being signed, we now enter the next phase of free agency. This is where the second and third tier of players end up getting short-term contracts as a way to finish out their careers or hopefully rejuvenate them. This is also when the Baltimore Ravens typically are a little more aggressive in signing free agents.

While many of the big names are off the market, it’s these smaller deals that help round out a roster and can actually make a bigger overall impact for a team. For Baltimore, this is where they’ve added guys like Robert Griffin III, Mike Wallace, John Brown and Brandon Carr over the last three years.

So who is still available and who makes sense for the Ravens to sign? I picked out 11 free agents still on the market that could be on Baltimore’s radar still.

Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

OLB Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney was the top free-agent outside linebacker this offseason, largely thanks to so many others getting tagged instead. With such a shallow market, Clowney doesn’t seem to be getting the type of attention he was hoping for, which might have lowered his value considerably.

While the Ravens are a little cash strapped at the moment, teams have a way of finding the money to get deals done when they need to. If Clowney is looking at a bunch of one-year deals, Baltimore being so close to a Super Bowl and having a major need at outside linebacker might be able to boost his value for next offseason.

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12 under-the-radar free agents for the Bills to target on offense

The NFL’s free agency period is slated to open on March 18 and the Buffalo Bills could be in business. The Bills signed cornerback Josh Norman last week, getting a head start on things.

The NFL’s free agency period is slated to open on March 18 and the Buffalo Bills could be in business. The Bills signed cornerback Josh Norman last week, getting a head start on things.

But despite that signing, the Bills moved from just the fourth-most to fifth-most salary cap space in the league, near $77.4 million, according to Spotrac. That’s a lot of room for more moves, and of course, room for big-named additions.

But in recent years, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have had a thing for finding diamonds in the rough. Could the 2020 offseason have more of the same?

With that, here are 12 under-the-radar free agents on offense the Bills could consider adding:

Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

WR Demarcus Robinson

The Bills have John Brown and Cole Beasley who are solid, but the talent that Demarcus Robinson was behind with the Chiefs has kept his opportunities very limited. At receiver, there’s Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman, then there’s tight end Travis Kelce, who’s basically a No. 1 wideout.

But when Robinson did get some chances when Hill was out, he showed some skill. He caught 32 passes for 449 yards and four touchdowns last season. What could make him further appealing is his 14 yards-per-catch average last season. Over the past two seasons, he’s had eight total scores.

What many peg for the Bills is adding a wideout with size, though. Robinson isn’t overly big at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, but stretching the field is a plus with quarterback Josh Allen’s arm strength.

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2020 NFL Free Agency: Top Titans targets for the Saints

The New Orleans Saints could consider Tennessee Titans free agents like Tajae Sharpe and Kamalei Correa as they work to improve for 2020.

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The start of NFL free agency is nearly upon us, and the New Orleans Saints are up to their elbows in scouting reports on every available free agent. They’ll be scouring the market for upgrades and replacements for their own losses, considering every team — including the Tennessee Titans. Here is the full list of Titans pending free agents, with a few :

  • CB Logan Ryan
  • CB Chris Milton
  • CB Tramaine Brock
  • CB LeShaun Sims
  • CB Tye Smith (RFA)
  • DT Austin Johnson
  • LB Wesley Woodyard
  • LB Daren Bates
  • LB Kamalei Correa
  • OG Kevin Pamphile
  • OT Jack Conklin
  • OT Dennis Kelly
  • QB Marcus Mariota
  • QB Ryan Tannehill
  • RB Derrick Henry
  • RB David Fluellen (RFA)
  • TE MyCole Pruitt
  • WR Darius Jennings (RFA)
  • WR Tajae Sharpe

The player maybe best-suited to joining the Saints on this list is far from the most well-known: Tajae Sharpe. Sharpe has been increasingly buried on the Titans depth chart by highly-drafted wide receivers (Corey Davis and A.J. Brown) as well as veteran free agents (like Adam Humphries). Still, he’s managed a first down conversion rate of better than 80% in each of the last two seasons. He’s a smart player who could outperform some Saints mainstays if he can quickly pick up the playbook.

On defense, keep an eye on linebackers Wesley Woodyard and Kamalei Correa. They’re both heady players who hustle to the football, even though Woodyard’s best days may be behind him. Correa is also an ascending pass rusher who bagged 11 pressures last year, including five sacks. Either of them would add depth and versatility to a Saints linebacker corps that’s returning several players from season-ending injuries. And with Demario Davis entering a contract year, it’s important that the Saints find some long-term stability in the heart of their defense.

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Tajae Sharpe could provide Packers with affordable FA option at WR

The 25-year-old receiver with experience in Matt LaFleur’s offense could provide a cheaper option at WR for the Packers in free agency.

Should the Green Bay Packers eventually have an interest in an affordable free-agent option at wide receiver, Tajae Sharpe – an under-the-radar player who checks a lot of boxes – might be a realistic option.

Last year, GM Brian Gutekunst targeted players coming into their physical prime with little to no injury history at need positions. Sharpe mostly fits the mold. The 2016 fifth-round pick is 25, coming off a solid season in a complementary role for the Titans and has experience playing for Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who was Sharpe’s offensive coordinator for one year in Tennessee. While Sharpe suffered a foot injury and missed the entire 2017 season, he’s played in 47 of 48 games in his three other NFL seasons.

Sharpe isn’t likely to be a game-changer, but he won’t need to be paid like one, potentially allowing the Packers to allocate resources elsewhere while still adding veteran help at receiver.

Last season, Sharpe caught 25 passes for 329 yards and four touchdowns in Tennessee’s run-heavy offense. He averaged 9.4 yards per target (a good number) and 13.2 yards per catch and caught 71.4 percent of targets thrown his way, highlighting his efficiency in an offense that ranked 31st in the NFL in passing attempts.

Sharpe was particularly effective once Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback. He caught 20 passes and all four of his touchdowns over the final nine games, including a pair of scores in the Titans’ loss to the New Orleans Saints in December. Overall, Tannehill had a 143.4 passer rating when targeting Sharpe in 2019 (25 attempts).

Playing under LaFleur in 2018, Sharpe turned 22 of his 26 receptions into first downs. There would be familiarity for both Sharpe and LaFleur in the offense, easing the transition and increasing the likelihood of Sharpe being able to contribute right away.

With Sharpe added as a role player and an upgrade over Geronimo Allison, one of the league’s most inefficient receivers in 2019, the Packers could look to the draft for the game-breaker the passing game needs. And it all could be done at a fraction of the cost of spending big on one of the top free-agent receivers, such as Robby Anderson.

In this scenario, the Packers might have the money available to address the receiver position, re-sign Bryan Bulaga, extend Kenny Clark and find an impact inside linebacker, such as free agent Cory Littleton, all in one offseason.

Sharpe wouldn’t be a flashy signing, but he fits in a lot of ways, wouldn’t cost much and could give the Packers flexibility in restructuring the receiver position. It’s a scenario worth considering as Gutekunst and the Packers attempt to fit the final puzzle pieces of the roster together.