Tag: trent murphy

When Washington has drafted at No. 47 in the NFL draft

Washington has selected at No. 47 overall three times in its history. How has the franchise fared?

With the Commanders scheduled to go on the clock at No. 47 overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft Friday, you might wonder, “How many times has Washington drafted in the No. 47 position?”

Since the beginning of the Super Bowl era (1966 season) Washington has drafted in the No. 47 position just three times. Those three players were Phidarian Mathis (2022), Trent Murphy (2014) and Shane Collins (1992).

Mathis, a 6-foot-4, 312-pound defensive tackle from Alabama was taken in round two by the Commanders last year. He thus was the second player drafted by the Commanders. He was drafted because Daron Payne was entering the last year of his contract. However, Payne ended up enjoying his best season by far and re-signed in March. Mathis, unfortunately, went down in his very first game against the Jaguars and was lost for the season with a bad knee injury.

Washington Redskins defensive end Trent Murphy (93) sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Murphy, a Stanford 6-6, 260-pound defensive end was taken in the second round in the 2014 draft. Washington had Murphy playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme. His pass coverage was suspect, but Murphy did contribute as a pass rusher with 15 sacks and 42 QB Hits in his three seasons in Washington. Murphy was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the 2017 season due to PED use. In addition, he tore an ACL during a preseason game and was lost for all of the 2017 season. Signing as a free agent with the Bills, Murphy played his final three NFL seasons (2018-20) in Buffalo.

4 Oct 1992: Defensive lineman Shane Collins of the Washington Redskins gets blocked during a game against the Phoenix Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allsport

The defending Super Bowl Champion Redskins selected Collins in the second round of the 1992 draft. The 6-3, 267-pound defensive end out of Arizona State disappointed however, only starting ten games in his three NFL seasons. In three seasons he only played in 30 games, contributing one sack and one fumble recovery.

The No. 47 spot has not produced very much for Washington in their three opportunities. The Commanders really need to come through in this position Friday night in round two, finding a player who will have a huge impact for years to come in Washington.

 

Washington’s recent history of 2nd-round picks is not very encouraging

Washington has struggled with 2nd-round selections in the last decade. Hopefully, Sam Cosmi was the start of a more successful trend.

We are all certainly hoping tonight that with the 47th overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft, Washington will get it right by finding a productive contributor.

It can’t be ignored, that Washington has experienced many a nightmare when it comes to second-round selections in the last decade. Hopefully last year’s pick, Sam Cosmi, was the start of a more successful trend.

Who are the last 10 players Washington has selected in the second round?

Samuel Cosmi (2021), Derrius Guice (2018), Ryan Anderson (2017), Su’a Cravens (2016), Preston Smith (2015), Trent Murphy (2014), David Amerson (2013), Jarvis Jenkins (2011), Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, Malcom Kelly (2008).

Ok, that was 11, not 10. But how can I talk about Washington’s second-round picks while excluding the horrible memory of the 2008 draft? All three players were receivers (Davis a USC tight end), and endured very disappointing careers. Thomas never flashed, was just a guy. Davis started well, but character issues resulted in a crash and burn sadly for him.

Kelly? Why was he ever drafted in Round 2 when at the time, there were injury concerns? Even worse was when it leaked out some of the football staff actually voiced they wanted to draft Jamaal Charles but were overruled. For younger readers, Charles (Texas) was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, rushed for 7,563 yards, 44 rushing touchdowns and averaged an impressive 5.4 yards per carry.

Jenkins (Clemson DE) was largely ineffective his entire three years in Washington, even getting suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Amerson (NC State CB) played on three teams in his six NFL seasons, even later admitting that while with Washington, he had spent many nights playing video games instead of studying opponents and getting enough sleep.

Murphy (Stanford DE) was drafted when Washington traded back with Dallas, who drafted DeMarcus Lawrence. Murphy had some moments but faded, and he too was suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Cravens (USC LB) very early revealed himself to have emotional issues and was traded after only one season, only lasting one season in Denver as well.

Anderson (Alabama LB) didn’t start a game his first two seasons, forced five fumbles in season three, but struggled in his fourth and final season.

Guice (LSU RB) was such a train wreck, he was arrested on domestic violence charges, tore an ACL, only played in five games and even LSU erased his stats from their record books because of inappropriate behavior.

Only Preston Smith and Samuel Cosmi look to have been good second-round selections for Washington. Smith in four seasons accumulated 59 QB hits and 24.5 sacks, but he was not resigned and Green Bay wasted no time signing him. Cosmi (Texas OT) only played in nine games in 2021 (started all nine), but performed quite well, and looks to have a promising future as a Commander in the NFL.

Updated status for every Buffalo Bills 2021 free agent

Updating status for every current Buffalo Bills free agent.

The Buffalo Bills and NFL are now turning their attention to the 2021 NFL Draft. The rookie event always becomes the forefront of everyone’s attention once the calendar turns to April.

Despite the draft being in the crosshairs, free agency continues to roll on. For the Bills, there’s still plenty of players from their 2020 squad that are still free agents, while others have signed contracts with other new teams.

Here’s an updated list of what’s going on with Buffalo’s current free agent class:

PFF: Bills should still add to D-line, secondary

Buffalo Bills should improve their pass rush says Pro Football Focus.

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The Buffalo Bills have a great roster already. Pro Football Focus even admits that right out of the gate.

But the football analytics outlet recently named every NFL team’s needs they still have going forward this offseason. For the Bills, the defensive line and the secondary, at cornerback specifically, were mentioned.

Here’s PFF’s breakdown on the Bills’ needs:

Buffalo may be one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, but their defensive front is on shaky ground. This is specifically true against the run, as their interior defensive line and edge defenders combined for a run-defense grade that ranked fourth-to-last in the NFL.

When it comes to the pass-rush, there’s not much to get excited about outside of veteran edge defender Jerry Hughes (86.5 pass-rush grade in 2020) and 2019 first-round pick Ed Oliver (72.3 pass-rush grade). The latter didn’t make much of an impact on their pass defense, given that they ranked inside the top 10 in expected points added (EPA) allowed per pass play. Coverage matters more than the pass-rush, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt to keep trying to add an effective pass-rusher.

The Bills’ pass rush certainly can stand to get better in 2021. Last year, Buffalo’s defense had 38 sacks as a team. That was right in the middle in terms of NFL team rankings. Both of PFF’s suggestions surround the Bills improving in that area, but between the two positions, the defensive line seems more likely to have someone added there.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane has said multiple times this offseason that 2020 seventh-round rookie Dane Jackson impressed the club enough to be in contention for the No. 2 cornerback job. Jackson will battle with incumbent Levi Wallace, who was recently re-signed, for that position across from Tre’Davious White. Outside of that, it seems unlikely that the Bills would bring in a third piece there, aside from potentially a late-round draft pick.

Along the defensive trenches, Sean McDermott’s defense does run a big rotation. Considering Trent Murphy was not re-signed this offseason, there’s room for another body. Between these two spots provided by PFF, hold the defensive line in higher regard.

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Updated list of Bills free agents as tampering period opens

List of Buffalo Bills 2021 free agents as the legal tampering period opens.

The Bills have been movers and shakers prior to free agency even opening, keeping several of their key pieces on the roster.

The team re-signed linebacker Matt Milano, tackle Daryl Williams and guard Jon Feliciano over the course of the past few days.

But that trio is not alone. Buffalo still has several other free agents they could potentially re-sign, but those guys are about to hit the open market. As of noon on Monday, these players can now entertain offers from other teams,

With that legal tampering period in the NFL now open, here’s an updated list of pending free agents for the Bills:

B/R calls DE the Bills’ ‘weakest link’ heading into offseason

Bleacher Report on Buffalo Bills’ weakest link heading into the offseason.

The Buffalo Bills defense on the edge has been a hot-button topic lately. That’s what a free-agent pursuit of a three-time Defensive Player of the Year in JJ Watt will do to you.

But Bleacher Report recently gave some context as to possibly why that was the case.

B/R tabbed every NFL team’s “weakest link” prior to free agency. For the Bills, it was exactly that: Edge. Here’s the breakdown:

The Bills won the AFC East in 2020, but the team’s pass rush was in the middle of the pack, logging just 38 sacks. Buffalo tried to upgrade said pass rush last season with the addition of veteran Mario Addison, but while Addison tied for the team lead in sacks, the 33-year-old did so with just five.

B/R goes on to mention that the tight salary cap will play a factor here for the Bills as well…

Is defensive end probably one of the Bills’ top needs this offseason? Yes… but the salary cap really isn’t going to play a huge part here if the Bills want to make some moves.

First, Trent Murphy is a pending free agent. Assuming he walks, there is one roster spot. In addition, Mario Addison, who saw the most edge snaps behind Jerry Hughes last season, is a cap casualty. If cut, the Bills could save $6.2M in cap space, according to Spotrac, which could be put toward another pass-rushing option and it’s a move that opens up another roster spot.

Furthermore, Hughes’ play dictates that he stays, but he also is on a contract that might be one the Bills could reconstruct to make further cap space. There is some maneuvering Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane can do here.

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Buffalo Bills roster analysis: Defensive end

Analyzing the Buffalo Bills’ defensive end position and looking ahead to 2021, including Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison.

The Buffalo Bills had an excellent 2020 season as a team, but position-by-position is a different story. Some were better than others and as the offseason is now in full swing, Bills Wire will give a quick analysis of the team’s current roster by reflecting on the season that was and looking ahead to 2021.

Next up, here is our breakdown of the team’s defensive end unit:

PFF ranks Bills’ pass rush among NFL’s best

Buffalo Bills pass rush ranked No. 6 in NFL by Pro Football Focus.

The Buffalo Bills were not known as a team that’s filled with sack artists in 2020 or recent memory. But Pro Football Focus reminds us that it’s not all about just sacks.

This season the Bills (13-3) racked up a decent 38 sacks. That left them in the middle of the pack in the NFL, No. 15 overall.

But PFF says Buffalo is much better than that at rushing the passer. In fact, the football analytics outlet recently tabbed the Bills as the sixth-best pass rushing team in the NFL.

Here’s how PPF came to that conclusion:

The Bills’ defense had its issues throughout the regular season, but the pass rush wasn’t one of those problems. They were particularly effective at getting to the quarterback quickly, recording a 25% pressure rate in 2.5 seconds or less that trailed only the Steelers. Getting to the quarterback is good, and getting to the quarterback quickly is even better.

Once again, their leader was Jerry Hughes, who generated pressure and won his pass-rushing reps much more consistently than one would expect from an edge defender with just 4.5 sacks on the season. That seems to be a common theme over the past several years. Since 2018, Hughes ranks sixth among edge defenders in total pressures (175) but tied for just 42nd in sacks (16.0).

PFF has long been a big supporter of Hughes. He actually hasn’t recorded double-digit sacks with the Bills since Mario Williams was on the other side of Buffalo’s defensive line. However, PFF has consistently still looked upon him fondly.

In 2020 alone, his 72.1 overall grade was the best among all edge defenders on the Bills and 26th best in the NFL. That No. 26 is even better considering PFF takes both left and right defensive edge players into the same consideration.

Behind Hughes, PFF actually has Trent Murphy, who has been a healthy scratch recently, as Buffalo’s second-best edge defender with a 66.0 overall grade with AJ Epenesa at 63.2 overall. Sliding in at No. 4 on Buffalo is . Mario Addison, who was at a shaky 59.1.

In terms of overall sack numbers, Addison did pace the Bills’ pass rush though, leading the team with five along with linebacker AJ Klein.

As the team right outside the top-five, the teams the Bills trail on PFF’s list are the Football Team, Bears, Rams, Eagles and Steelers in the top spot, respectively.

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8 studs, 3 duds in Bills’ 34-24 win over 49ers

Studs and duds from the Buffalo Bills’ 34-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

The Buffalo Bills are putting their final reviews on their latest matchup, this one being their recent 34-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football’s Week 13 matchup.

In the effort, we saw the Bills (9-3) really hand it to the Niners (5-7). Many times in 2020 the Bills have let teams grind back into games. Despite the 49ers’ best efforts, Buffalo was having none of that as a late touchdown in garbage time made the scoreboard a lot closer than it really was.

After looking at the tape and letting the dust settle, here are eight studs and three duds from the Bills in their over the 49ers:

Studs

Bills safety Micah Hyde, Credit: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic

OL Ike Boettger

As a whole, the Bills offensive line had a strong game, in particular, in pass protection. Holes weren’t always there for the backfield, but more good than bad. If we’re going to single out one, we’ll go with Ike Boettger. He replaced Brian Winters in the starting lineup against the Niners, a bit of a pressure situation there and he still earned the highest bump via Pro Football Focus’ grades this week among all of Buffalo’s linemen. He jumped from a 72.0 to 75.9 on the year.

QB Josh Allen

In his best season of his career, filled with big game after big game after big game, quarterback Josh Allen had his best outing of 2020. Perhaps not surpassing 400 passing yards, he still completed 80 percent of his passes (32/40) for 375 yards with four touchdowns. The Niners had no answers for him.

WR Cole Beasley

After only two 100-plus yard game in his career with the Cowboys, Cole Beasley had his four… in 2020. Among those, his 130 total receiving yards against the 49ers was a career-high. Not to mention the nine catches and touchdown he grabbed en route to that.

WR Stefon Diggs

After another double-digit catch day at the office for Stefon Diggs in Week 13, he’s now tied for the NFL lead in receptions with 90. Each week Diggs appears in such lists and it feels like a lazy add, but he deserves it. Diggs had a critical fourth-down grab against the Niners which stood out, along with a toe-touch on the sideline early.

S Micah Hyde

Interception? Check. Leading the team in tackles (12)? Check. A massive stop at the goal line leading to, not once, but twice, huge plays directly after his play occurred? Check. Micah Hyde led the Buffalo secondary in a big way.

CB Tre’Davious White

For the third time in four games, Tre’Davious White took the ball away from the opposing quarterback. He did once again, like last week, when they were close to scoring, too. Aside from one catch by Brandon Aiyuk with White in coverage early, we didn’t hear White’s name much at all against the 49ers.

LB Tremaine Edmunds

Like Hyde, Tremaine Edmunds had a fantastic stop along this goal line, with his going for a turnover on downs. The Niners had almost not chance on that great read by Edmunds. While not perfect against the run, Edmunds did make his impact felt against the pass and is even rushing the passer a bit more as of late.

DT Vernon Butler

The Bills’ defensive line was kept mostly quiet because the Niners’ passing attack was a quick-strike one. Quarterback Nick Mullens got the ball out very fast over and over again. But Vernon Butler did stand out a couple of times rushing the passer, and running back Tevin Coleman won’t forget him after Butler completely blew him up near the goal line as well.

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Bills at 49ers: 5 things to watch for and a prediction

Things to watch for in Week 13 plus a prediction against the San Francisco 49ers for the BIlls.

The Buffalo Bills will travel back to the scene of the crime on Monday as the San Francisco 49ers await.

Last weekend, the 49ers (5-6) won on a last-second play, which actually will make this one a bit more fun, won’t it? The Bills (8-3) also continued their march toward their first AFC East title since 1995. Huge and obvious playoff implications for both sides here.

Plus, the primetime lights on Monday Night Football will be shining bright.

With that, here are five things to watch for and a prediction ahead of Week 13’s Bills-49ers meeting: